The Nation Newspaper

Tag: mother

  • Mother of abandoned baby seeks help

    Favour Abdulazeez, who claimed to be the mother of a baby girl that was abandoned at the backyard of an apartment in Kuje, Abuja, has solicited for financial assistance from the public to enable her claim and take care of the baby.

    Abdulazeez told journalists that she abandoned her baby because she was jobless, divorced and had no means of fostering the child.

    She said that when she kept the carton with the baby inside the bush, she did not go away but hid in the bush to know who would pick the baby.

    She stated that she did this to enable her know the person who would pick the baby girl to enable her to do a follow-up.

    “All along, I was monitoring the baby’s situation, I know those who picked the baby and took her to the police.

    “I was listening to their conversation from my hideout, I even followed them from a distance when they were taking my baby away,” she said.

    Abdulazeez, who turned up at the police outpost in Gwagwalada on Friday to claim ownership of the baby, added: “I told the police that I would take care of my baby if only the government would assist me with a job or a trade no matter how small,’’

    Inspector Yahaya Musa, the Police Area Command in Gwagwalada, FCT, had on Friday declined comments on the matter, saying that he was not authorised to speak to newsmen on the matter.

    Musa instead referred newsmen to the social welfare unit of the Gwagwalada Area Council for further enquiries.

    Mrs Hanatu Turu, Head of the Social Welfare Department of Gwagwalada Area Council, said that she was aware of the incident.

    She said police should be allowed to conclude their investigations.

    Abdulazeez was said to have been delivered of the baby girl on June 13 and secretly put her in a carton and took her to a nearby bush behind her house at night, where she abandoned the baby.

    A resident in the area, who pleaded anonymity, told journalists that Abdulazeez is her neighbour, adding that it was the cry of the baby that drew the attention of passers-by who later took the baby to the police outpost.

  • Mogaji was a mother for all, says Labour Party

    THE leadership of the Labour Party (LP) yesterday commiserated with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on the death of his mother, Alhaja Abibat Mogaji.

    Describing the late leader of the Nigerian Market Women and Men as a philanthropist whose leadership was void of discrimination, the party hailed her motherly virtue.

    LP’s condolence was contained in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by its National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu.

    He said the late Alhaja Mogaji successfully nurtured the former Lagos State governor as an active political leader.

    The statement reads: “The leaders and members of the LP received with sadness the news of the death of your beloved mother, Alhaja Abibat Asabi Mogaji.

    “Your (Tinubu’s) mother was a virtuous woman, who lived a fulfilled life that spanned over a period of 90 years.

    “In her life, she touched many lives as the leader of the Nigerian Market Women and Men. She proved herself as a natural, progressive mother of all. No wonder, she nurtured an active political leader like you.

    “The LP family commiserates and shares with you the pain of losing a beloved mother, irrespective of the fact that she enjoyed God’s grace of longevity.”

    Also yesterday, youths under the umbrella of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) sent their condolences to the National Leader of the ACN, Asiwaju Tinubu, on the death of his mother, Alhaja Mogaji.

    In a statement by the forum’s President, Mallam Shettima Usman Yerima, the youth asked the former Lagos State governor to “take heart,” saying, “your consolation must lie in the fact that Mama lived a fulfilled life, putting smiles on the faces of those who came across her.”

    While congratulating Asiwaju Tinubu on his luck to have the likes of the late Alhaja Mogaji as a mother, the AYCF said: “It is not everybody that can have such a rare luck and grace from God to have such a loving woman as a mother.

    “Although Mama was old enough to go and rest and also old enough to be confident, nobody would want to lose his dear ones.”

    The group prayed the Almighty to grant Mama eternal rest and Tinubu and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

  • His wife, their mother and their sweet Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye

    His wife, their mother and their sweet Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye

    Ask her father and he will be quick to answer you that he never once thought she would go into politics. She was the quiet type as a child. So, he ruled out the possibility of her embracing partisan politics.

    Her children too thought she was joking when she first told them she was going into politics.

    One of them, the late Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka recalled in a 2007 interview, said: “ Mrs. O (that is what they call me when we are playing) are you really sure of what you are saying?”

    When she told her last child, Lolade, she rolled from the staircase down in reaction.

    She said: “My other child said it is impossible. One of them went further to remind me that there are no good roads in Ekiti, regular power supply, basic infrastructure and the taps don’t run always. But I told her it is so in Lagos too. My last child looked at my husband and said, ‘daddy, your wife said she is going into politics.’ My husband told her that there was no problem since we have prayed and discussed it. He further enjoined them to pray and encourage me. My children laughed when they saw my pictures and that of Dr. Fayemi on the internet and I educated them that one of the best things they can do is to serve their community. My husband was initially bothered and he reminded me that he has always supported me in all I do and he reassured me then that he would always support me.”

    So, Yeside, the first daughter, Olamide, the second, Lolade and their father, Lanre, the Abeokuta-born architect, stood by their mother all through the political and health struggles that followed her foray into politics.

    Despite her tight schedule, she played the balancing role.

    She said of how she was able to balance her home and her political engagements: “ I believe as a woman we are naturally balancers. We can do lots of things at the same time. Whenever I am in Lagos, I make sure I visit my daughter in school. As for my husband, he often goes around with me when duty permits him because he has to also attend to his business in Lagos. When I am not here most times I do the cooking before I travel, and I preserve it in the refrigerator so that whenever he wants to eat, he warms it. I must also note here that my husband is a very good cook and he loves cooking a lot. When he is not there with me, he is here to earn a living for all of us.”

    She dated him for eight years and they were married for over two decades.

    They were just like siblings. They met in the United States, fell in love and Lanre was not reluctant to dump his Muslim background when her parents insisted on it.

    She said: “I grew up in a very strict Christian home; my father will have nothing to do with the other religions. Then you dare not have a friend from another religion. When my father knew that I was dating a Muslim, he was against it; it took us so long before my father gave us his consent. My husband agreed to all the terms my parents laid down; he accepted to become a Christian. He told them that all he wanted was me and that he can go to any length because of that. We met in America not wearing religion on his forehead; he is from a Muslim background and attended Christian school; maybe that partially influenced him to become a Christian. For me, it wasn’t an issue. This may be because we were abroad, if we were both at home, people might have discouraged us from day one. Before we got married, it was a very big family issue. People were appealing to my father. When everything seemed not working, I stepped in and things worked out fine. His relatives are not fanatical, they went with us to church and they performed all the normal Christian wedding rites with us. It was a big deal but we were able to cope. My husband at the initial marital stage would stay at home while the kids and I will go to church, he was neither a Christian nor a Muslim but eventually one thing led to another and he met with the Lord through his friends. He is more Christian than most of us who were born Christian and he now believes that Christianity is the best way of life.”

    Even in the heat of her illness, the late Mrs. Olayinka still tried to be a mother to her three daughters. In December 2011, she brought them home from the U.S. for holidays and took them to see the Calabar Carnival. Last December too, she brought them home and also took them to Dubai for holidays.

    Now, the woman they fondly called Mrs. O is no more to take them on such trips. Her husband too will have to live with the reality that his wife of over two decades, who cooked sumptuous meals for him and stood by him, has gone to the great beyond.

    Perhaps the memories of the good times they had and the tighter bond they developed since her battle with cancer began in 2009 will be useful here.

     

  • Colombian woman becomes mother to monkey

    Colombian woman becomes mother to monkey

    THE tiny night monkey is with Martha Silva 24 hours a day, nestled in a wool pouch inside her coat or beside her while she sleeps. Eight times a day, she feeds milk to the five-inch baby like an attentive mother.

    The long hours of monkey mothering don’t bother the 54-year-old Colombian woman, she said, because she already raised two children.

    “To me there is no difference. You have to look after each the same. When you give them the bottle, you have to make sure they don’t choke,” said Silva, who works with the neonatal unit of Bogota’s Wildlife Reception Centre, part of the capital’s environment ministry.

    Silva, who has children aged 20 and 30, began working at the centre west of Bogota in 2000. She has nurtured species ranging from birds to turtles to primates.

    Her husband and daughter help her with the household chores and cooking while she is occupied with a baby animal.

    They sleep together and Silva takes the monkey to work each day on her bicycle, the baby snug in the wool bag.

    Every three hours, the monkey must be fed delactosed milk with vitamins added, Cardenas said. In the wild, adult night monkeys eat leaves, insects and small lizards and frogs.

    When he grows up, the monkey will weigh 800 to 900 grams (1.75 to 2 pounds) and stand about 34 centimetres (13.4 inches), Cardenas said, adding that he will look like “a medium-sized teddy bear.”

    Silva says she has raised two other baby monkeys and both of those were freed in different parts of the country. She hasn’t heard anything about them since.

    “It is like with a child. You are at peace because they are going to be in their natural habitat,” she said.

  • Mama Ye, campaign to save mothers, babies for launch Monday

    Mama Ye, campaign to save mothers, babies for launch Monday

    MamaYe, a campaign to encourage public action to help save the lives of Nigerian mothers and babies will be launched in Abuja on Monday.

    The campaign is a programme by Evidence for Action funded by the UK Department for International Development.

    To mark the launch, MamaYe will feature a staged live drama event with songs; provide the opportunity to give blood to save a mother, and encourage other actions that can help save lives.

    Nigeria Country Director for Evidence for Action, Dr Tunde Segun in a press release stated that “more Nigerian mothers and babies are surviving pregnancy and childbirth than ever before, but  so much more still needs to be done –  by all Nigerians, not just ‘the Ministry’ or ‘the government’ or ‘the UN.’”

    According to Dr Segun, ensuring women have timely access to safe healthcare services, including sufficient blood supplies, could help save about 40,000 mothers and 240,000 babies a year.

    “We know change is possible. We know how to save the lives of mothers and newborns. But, first, Nigerians need to get involved and take action. Whether you are a taxi driver who can help take mothers to their local clinic; a girl training to be a midwife or a young man encouraging your sister to attend her antenatal clinic, you, too, can save a life.

    “Every day, Nigerian men and women like you can take action that could give a mother and her baby a future. Join our campaign and become a MamaYe hero or heroine.  Show us what you will do to help save mothers and babies” the Country Director stated.

    Riding the digital wave, MamaYe (www.mamaye.org.ng) will take advantage of the 107 million mobile phone subscribers in Nigeria and use social media and a website to engage the public in this important cause.

    “The MamaYe website will give the Nigerian public information, hard facts and solutions. With the help of MamaYe, Nigerians will be able to track budgets for health, and check on whether clinics are staffed with skilled health workers and equipped with drugs and other commodities” Dr Segun stated.

    “MamaYe will put information in the hands of Nigerians, enabling us all to take action and save the lives of our mothers and newborns. Many are already taking action – often without recognition or reward. At today’s launch the MamaYe campaign team will showcase their efforts.

    “Awards will be given to everyday ‘maternal and newborn health champions’.

    “These include Dr. AshiruAbubakar of Kano, a medical practitioner who pushed for an unprecedented blood donation campaign at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano in response to loss of blood contributing to maternal deaths in the State. This campaign has so far yielded over 200 donated pints of blood – one of the highest in the country.

    “As a voluntary blood donor himself, he has helped to dispel some of the misconceptions in the region towards blood donations.  ChinomsoIbe from Imo, first became interested in maternal health as a student at the Midwifery Training School where she saw mothers and babies die from preventable causes. She mobilises women to achieve better health during pregnancy and childbirth by organising free check-ups, immunizations, and medical outreaches.

    “Phoebe Peter from Kaduna is another MamaYe champion, a midwife who regularly and selflessly gives her own blood to save women who would otherwise die of haemorrhaging in childbirth” Dr Segun explained.

     

  • ‘Mother in a million’

    The remains of  Madam Dinah Onyebuchi Igbokwe, mother of Lagos State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) spokesperson, Mr Joe Igbokwe, have been interred in her country home, Uruagu, Nnewi, Anambra State. NNEKA NWANERI was there.

    In tears, Mr Joe Igbokwe, Lagos State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), spokesperson, told guests how his late mother, Madam Dinah Onyebuchi Igbokwe toiled for the family. He was giving the vote of thanks at the funeral of his mother when he broke down. With every word he uttered, he sobbed.

    “Today’s success has wiped away years of pains and tears,” he said.

    Madam Igbokwe died at 85.

    Uruagu, Igbokwe’s country home in Anambra State was brimming with sympathisers who came to bid the Igbokwe matriarch farewell.

    The late Madam Igbokwe had five children; 23 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

    Her residence was creatively decorated in purple and gold satin. Guests, family members, colleagues and associates of her children came in large numbers. There was an influx of people from Lagos. The state’s ACN executives were led by the Assistant Publicity Secretary, Chief Funso Ologunde.

    Anambrans were led by Governor Peter Obi and his wife. Others were: former Minister of Information Prof Dora Akunyili; Deputy Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Prince Chukwudu Orizu; Commissioner for Works Mr Calistus Ilozu; his Agriculture counterpart Ndubisi Melakaye; and Education Mrs Uju Okeke; Chirman, Yaba Traders Association, Pastor Okey Anorue; JP Ekwilo; top military personnel and royal fathers.

    Members of St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, Surulere, Lagos brought their members and women guild, who turned up in uniforms. The women wore white blouses and green wrappers with their insignia. The choir members were decked in black regalia with yellow embroidery.

    Other sects turned out in their own uniformed attires. There were about 10 different types.

    Anglican Bishops of Ihiala; Ideato and Oru led clergymen to the funeral service. Hymns were sung. Bible readings were taken; a brief sermon on the parable of the 10 virgins was explained. All were encouraged to have faith in God.

    The late Mrs Igbokwe’s first son, John, described his mother as a woman who stood for the truth and fought against injustice.

    “My mother singularly raised us. She had a passion for clean environment. My brothers and I earned awards as the neatest pupils while in school. She is indeed a virtuous woman,” he said.

    Her third son, Joe said he never knew she would live up to 60 because of what she went through in life.

    “She was fought in the church, in the stream, the community, at family meetings, in the market… she was a sheep to be slaughtered but she endured it and came out triumphant. My mother is a living testimony that tough times don’t last but tough people do. The only mother I have known for 56 years died on August 18,” he said.

    He recalled how his family lived a good life till the Civil War began in 1967 and they lost all they had.

    “I inherited the activism I now portray from my mother. She taught me to convert problems to opportunities. She was an incredible story teller. We always laughed until tears came out of our eyes. My mother is a walking history, a story that must be told.”

    Former Governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu described the late Mrs Igbokwe as one who lived a fulfilled life by leaving a legacy of activism in her children, one that is worth more than silver and gold.

    Governors Babatunde Fashola of Lagos; Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) sent condolence messages. Governor Fayemi, represented by one of his special assistants, Mr Biodun Akinsafe, extolled the late matricah as one who lived a life of fulfilment and impact.

    “Though I was not privileged to know her quite intimately, the testimonies concerning her pious life shows Mama Igbokwe was a mother of great virtue, who came quietly but left gloriously with resounding victory at every stage of her life,” he said.

    Governor Obi said the deceased was not only blessed with longevity, but was also fortunate to raise her children to enviable positions.

  • Bayelsa Speaker’s mother kidnapped

    Unknown gunmen on Monday kidnapped the mother of the Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Benson.

    The 78-year old Betinah Okunwa Benson was abducted in the early hours of Monday at her country in Korokorosei community, Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

    The gunmen, according to eyewitnesses, got hold of her before shooting sporadically in the air to scare residents away.

    Her captors later bundled her into a waiting speed boat at the community waterfront and sped off to an unknown destination, the eyewitnesses told our correspondent.

    The Nation gathered that Betinah was with her son in Yenagoa all these while until late December last year when she went to Korokorosei community for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    The Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Mr. Piriye Kiyaramo, who confirmed the incident, said nobody has information on her whereabouts as the kidnappers had not given reasons for their action.

    Kiyaramo said the matter has been reported to the police.

     

  • ‘It took a while for me to forgive my mother’

    ‘It took a while for me to forgive my mother’

    Abiola Laseinde has had a productive career life having worked with some of the major corporate organisations in Africa. At present, the young mother of two boys serves as the legal manager for Cadbury West Africa. Inspite of her victories, it has not been a rosy ride for this lawyer. Raised by a single parent, she was forced to pay her way through school and fought to preserve her dignity while at it. Speaking with Rita Ohai, she shared some of her challenges and how she overcame them.

     

    Being a lady at the level of your career, what are some of the things you did to rise at such a fast pace?

    It starts with God in the sense that I had a pretty rough childhood. At a point in my life, I was left all alone. I had to look for a way to get sponsored through school because I wanted to go to school but my background was filled with challenges.

    My getting an education was funded partly by the community and the church. So very early in life I learnt that I had to be determined. Immediately I was able to get some succour for my education, I was ready to give it my best shot. I was qualified as a lawyer 13 years ago and since then it has been a climb for me because I did not lose my focus and determination to succeed.

    I also had this thing for excellence; wherever I had worked, I always wanted to do things to the best of my abilities. I do not believe in eye-service. I can be very impatient with lazy people because I am not one. I believe that your work should speak for you. I am a lover of helping people develop their capacity and that has helped me. I enter a team and quickly align with the objectives and priorities and I run with it.

    You said you were left alone at a young age, explain what that means?

    My parents were separated just before my 10th birthday and we had to leave with my mum. It was not easy for my mother to bring us up.

    At a point in time, while I was in the University, my mother told me that I would have to drop out of school to help her work as a caterer because she could not pay for the law school fees which was very expensive. I refused and that caused a lot of bad blood between both of us.

    At that time, she felt that maybe if I had taken a break to help her as a caterer, I may have saved enough money to continue with school later but I just felt that would be the same thing as terminating my destiny. So I had to work with my hands a lot to survive because I realised as a very young Christian at the time that any other means of getting money was not an option for me.

    I had a lot of temptations because by God’s grace, I am beautiful and I had offers of all sorts. I went to one of the most notorious schools in this country, Edo State University, which is right on the road to Abuja. So we always had all sorts of stop-over’s from Abuja which was rocking at the time. For me, that lifestyle was a no-go area.

    Could you share some of the things you did as a young woman to make money?

    Very early, I started trading. I could sell anything. I could sell ice to an Eskimo by the grace of God. I think my hands were just blessed. I would get the okirikas of this world, take them back to school and sell them at almost one thousand percent profit. Those were the clothes I was wearing back then. When I went home on holidays, I was always looking for some part-time job to work at. Whether it was as a receptionist, housemaid or anything, I did not mind the fact that I was an undergraduate because I wanted to go to school the clean way.

    What do you think are some of the challenges children from broken homes face?

    When parents are taking decisions to separate or divorce, they never ever think deeply about what the effect will be on the kids. All of a sudden, two people’s luggage becomes one person’s load. It’s as good as one of the parents just dying and it is not easy.

    For some reason, our parents are selfish in the sense that it took a while for me to really forgive my mother. I did not understand why she would tell a young child who was making straight A’s in school to drop out and come and work. I believed that she should have done everything humanly possible to keep me in school instead of throwing it back at me.

    Separation should not be an option if it is possibly to keep the family together. If it is possibly for the two fighting parties to just keep themselves alive, they should stay in the marriage for their children’s interest.

    The few times I had to tell my dad that he was not being responsible and that if only he knew that my life and my brother’s life were fertile grounds for them to sow on so that they could reap in future. But he just said I was talking nonsense because I was less than 10 years old then, but like my mum used to say, big words used to come out of my mouth.

    You talked about being able to blend in any team, how have you been able to handle the ‘office politics’ that comes with it?

    Initially, with my kind of heart, I was a bit naive to ‘office politics’ and I used to think that everybody had my kind of heart that always assumes positive intentions, but with time I got to learn that office politics is as real as the air we breathe.

    I tend to balance things out. If I am in an environment that has a lot of those issues, I try to just maintain a focus on objectives. I did a lot of study on emotional intelligence and how to manage people and their emotions.

    By the grace of God, I have gained some experience and I can handle any situation. Also, my childhood and all the struggles I have been through helped a lot. When I was back in school, many of my classmates used to think I was older than my age due to my dressing and carriage.

    As for dealing with the politics, you need to realise that it is always there. You do not go looking for it but you need to have a laid down strategy when it bounces in your face. You have to blend and learn how to carry people along and manage emotions. Some people have their own hidden agenda and you have to anticipate it positively.

    There’s widespread concern about the strength of character of the average youth. For you who chose not to compromise, what do you think is the problem with many of them?

    It would be difficult for me to imagine what my life would have turned out to be if I had a Blackberry or other kinds of phones. I did not even have the opportunity to own a social media platform or an e-mail address. Right now, they have so many things contending for their attention. There is so much decay in our society. If you ask a child what they want to become in future, they will say they want to become politicians because it is the easiest way to become rich. Whether they are boys or girls, that is all they want to be.

    Parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives now more than ever because of all the things competing for their attention. It starts with inculcating the right values form the home. I had church values which are the same thing as saying I had moral values. My family members would also tell me to make sure I did not go and get myself pregnant and all those things stuck.

    Knowing that you handle a huge amount of responsibilities at work, how do you pacify your husband so that he gives you time for your job?

    My husband is my mentor and friend. He believes in my development. If I am in the boardroom and I have a problem to solve, before I pick up a law book, I call him first and he will have something to say. He is a very wise man and I pick his brain a lot.

    I do a lot of travelling and he supports me tremendously. Anytime I go a trip, once I know my husband is at home, my heart is at peace. We have a very tight relationship and he is always proud of my achievements and I can rely on him one hundred percent.

     

     

  • Okonjo-Iweala’s mother: Two policemen arrested

    Okonjo-Iweala’s mother: Two policemen arrested

    Family, Mark plead for minister’s mum’s release

    Two policemen have been arrested for the abduction of Prof. Kamene Okonjo, Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s mother, Delta police chief Ikechukwu Aduba said yesterday.

    Besides, the abductors are said to have contacted the family. Details of the conversation with the family remained unknown last night.

    The family made an emotional appeal to the kidnappers to free Mrs. Okonjo, saying the 82-year-old grandmother was frail in health.

    Mrs Okonjo was abducted on Sunday from her home in Ogwuachi-Uku, Delta State.

    The police had earlier arrested a suspect, who had just left the palace when the hoodlums stormed the place and kidnapped Mrs. Okonjo.

    Aduba said: “We are not aware of any ransom and we will never support the payment of ransom”.

    “For those who believe in the force, we have always rescued their victims unhurt without the payment of ransom. A case in point is the son of the SSG who was rescued without ransom and several other cases.

    “We cannot cover up anybody; investigations were carried out and the two police officers who were supposed to be on duty are now in detention,’’ he said.

    Aduba said that there were usually insiders in every kidnapping and bank robbery, among others.

    He said the police had strengthened its artillery, which led to the arrest of 20 armed kidnapers in the past few days.

    “For me, we have been doing our best, the state criminal investigation and the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) have been able to round up 20 kidnappers of four separate gang.

    “We rescued some victims yesterday at Akukwu-Igbo in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

    “Also Thursday last week, we intercepted a gang of kidnappers that were heading toward Ogwashi-Uku and we recovered their guns.

    “There is a 24-hour patrol in this state and within five minutes of getting distress a call we are there, the kidnap of the Queen is an unfortunate incident,’’ Aduba said.

    The commissioner reiterated that those with “hostage value’’ should be very careful and watch their backs.

    He advised them to endeavour to report any suspicious movement around them.

    He said that security was the responsibility of all, not only for the police force.

    “Around lunch time on Sunday, some gunmen came to the compound and forced the gate open and took my mother away. The family is upset and traumatised,” the minister’s younger brother, Onyema Okonjo, told Reuters at the house.

    “To abduct a grandmother more than 80 years old is sad. We appeal to them to release her as soon as possible because her health condition is not good,” Onyema added.

    Senate President David Mark yesterday urged the abductors to release Mrs. Okonjo.

    In a passionate appeal, Mark urged them to honour the time-tested biblical injunction that “we should honour our parents and, by extension, those who are old enough to be our parents”.

    In a statement by his Media Adviser Kola Ologbodiyan, Mark said abduction of any Nigerian is condemnable, adding that the abduction is an attack on Nigeria’s international reputation.

    Urging the police to ensure the safe release of Mrs. Okonjo, the Senate President said the abductors should be brought to book. “Abductions are causing the nation’s reputation grave harm in the comity of nations,” he said.

    Minister of Police Affairs Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd) has instructed Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar to deploy Special Police Officers from the Force headquarters, Abuja to assist in locating and freeing Prof. Okonjo from her captors.

    Speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop on ‘Budgeting for Effective Policing in Nigeria ’, the minister said: “It is a very disturbing issue. In unraveling this matter, the police must take into cognizance that we have a role to let others know that such incidents will be given equal treatment. It could have been the mother of anybody’.

    “Already, the IGP has deployed his men and they are working round the clock on the issue. The IG is on top of the situation. However, I have instructed the IGP to deploy specialist officers from Abuja if need be, to help in fishing out the culprits”.

    The palace of the Obi of Ogwuashi-Uku has been surrounded by policemen since the abduction on Sunday.

    Police said someone purporting to be one of the kidnappers phoned on Monday to make some demands, but it was impossible to say whether the call was genuine.

    “We have to identify the source of the call … Anybody can make spurious calls and demands,” said Delta State police spokesman Sergie Ezegam, without giving details of who was contacted or what was demanded.

    “We still don’t know the reason for her abduction. What we know is that this is a crime, the woman’s life is in danger and we are making frantic efforts to rescue her,” he added.

    Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has received threats in the past, her special adviser Paul Nwabuikwu said on Sunday.

    Security operatives have continued to lay a siege to Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State where the Queen Mother of the kingdom was kidnapped.

    Security operatives were all over the palace yesterday. Residents in the neighbourhood were restless.

     

  • Female fans? My mother always warns me to be careful—Nollywood actor Femi Jacobs

    Female fans? My mother always warns me to be careful—Nollywood actor Femi Jacobs

    The name Femi Jacobs may not resonate as a Nollywood actor, but to lovers of popular MNET TV soap, Tinsel, it sure rings a bell. Femi, who landed his first movie role on the set of The Meeting, sure has a lot to say in that regard. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, the popular lawyer, Eddy, on Tinsel, talks about his perception of Nollywood movies, the stars and their lifestyle. Excerpt:

     

    BEFORE you came on the set of Tinsel, MNET TV soap, what experience did you have in acting?

    To be honest with you, I never thought I was going to be an actor. I admired actors. I liked what they did but I never thought I was going to do that. I just wanted to make money. In 2006 we had a production in my church. The movie was called Choices and it was directed by Don Pedro Obasaki. I had just returned from South Africa then. I was there for about three years. When I got back they said they would like me to take part in the production. It was my church. I couldn’t say no. It was a lead role. I went and I did that. Don Petro, was the first person to tell me then that I am talented in acting. We finished that job but it wasn’t well promoted. It was church money.

    In 2008, they said they wanted to do another production. This one was supposed to be a TV series. It was called Tango. It was shot in Epe. At a point when we were shooting, Solomon Macaulay, the director, encouraged me to give acting my full attention. Coming from someone like Solomon, I knew he knew what he was talking about. And I told him I will think about it. A few months later, he saw me in church and he again encouraged me to go and audition for Tinsel. I went sometime in 2009. Three days later, I was called and offered a role of Eddy, a lawyer.

    How were you able to combine your banking job at that time with acting?

    I am a young man, jumping from the Mainland to the Island to shoot was a bit tasking I must say. It was not really completely easy but I was interested. When you’re interested in something you will find a way around it. I think that was what happened with Tinsel, coupled with the fact that we weren’t shooting every day. We were told a day or two before the shoot so we had time to plan. I liked what they were doing. I thought I wanted to learn it. Actually, it was on the set of Tinsel I began to think about the idea of leaving banking, and I eventually did.

    Now that you’ve quit banking, is acting all you do?

    I’ve always been into marketing and branding. That is what I learnt in school. I do a little practice on the side. I have a handful of clients that I service in that regard. I can’t completely say I resigned from the bank because of acting. I don’t want you to get that impression. I resigned because I knew that I could be busy doing my stuff. I was singing. My first album came out in 2001.

    In 2004 I released another album and in 2010 another one. Though it was just in the Christian community, it was encouraging. The response was good. I wasn’t a superstar at singing but I could manage. So between singing, acting and working, I thought I should drop the one I was enjoying the least which was the banking job. It was taking a lot of time and it wasn’t really returning a lot of equity to me in happiness so eventually I had to leave.

    You said you were in South Africa for three years. What were you doing there?

    When I left in 2004 I wanted to learn how to fly planes. When I got there I saw a couple of my friends who were pilots so I got into flying school. I got my private pilot license in 2006. But before I would go for the commercial rating, I wanted to come home and work for a bit because I also wanted to have some corporate experience. I came home and I started working and because I started working I couldn’t go for my commercial rating. So I’m only a private pilot.

    Is The Meeting your first movie?

    It is the very first big screen movie I have ever done.

    Tell us your role in the movie

    I played the role of Makinde, a Civil Engineer who lost his wife. Makinde was very much involved in his company’s life. He was in the background, always doing research and development. He had two children, a boy and a girl. He was 45 years old. His story is that his company was downsizing because the economic climate was not friendly.

    So he had to take on a few more duties than he used to. By so doing, he had to interface with government. Talk to them about the projects they are doing and get the government to buy into it because that’s the only way his company could stay afloat. That was what made him go to Abuja for the first time in his life. He went to make a presentation to a Minister. He was supposed to have his appointment on Monday Morning by 9.30 and be on a flight back to Lagos by 1 pm but he entered an office for the first time; to collide with that ‘world’. He meets Ejira on the way and she was like an interruption in his schedule. Ejira later became a blessing in disguise, a love interest. The story is a beautiful story.

    What do you have in common with Makinde?

    The point where my personality and that of Makinde would crisscross would be in our understanding of target. If you have worked in a corporate setting before, you will know that there is pressure for target and you will do whatever it takes to get the job done. I think I learnt that in banking and it helped in my interpretation of Makinde a lot. Apart from that, I’m not as stiff as Makinde. I’m quite more practical.

    In this movie, you worked with A-listers. What was it like, knowing that you probably had your perception about them before now?

    Naturally before you get to meet people, you probably would have your perception about them. I’m sure they will forgive me if I say what I used to think before I eventually met them. I thought they were caught up in their own bubbles and they didn’t really mingle a lot. That is what I used to think. I thought they would be quite stiff and ‘unrelatetable’.

    You can then imagine my shock when I got on set for the first time. I began to have my theories dismantled almost immediately because Rita Dominic turned out to be such a warm, kind and very attentive person. And then she offered me a seat. Stars don’t offer people seats. After a while, she said would you like something else. I said no, I’m okay. In fact, the seat they offered me I couldn’t sit on it. It was quite shocking. And then when we got on set I thought they were going to look at me like what’s he coming to do here but no, these guys called me aside, advised me, told me how to internalise script, how to carry a character. Everybody wanted me to succeed. It was amazing.

    Coming from a sitcom background, what were your thoughts about Nollywood movies and have they changed?

    It would be easy for anybody who is not involved in that world to criticise it, but they won’t know the challenge of making a film is not so easy. I think that with the exception of a few, the Nollywood practitioners that I’ve come across are actually very thorough and knowledgeable about what they want to do but they are limited by infrastructure and money. You’ve brought someone, you’ve signed a contract of 22days you are already like 30days in and you still haven’t finished the job.

    So really how in the world, would you not cut a few corners with nobody willing to give you money. Banks won’t loan you money. The person who manages to give you money will want the movie out as soon as possible so they can get their money back. Those challenges I didn’t know before so I was a couch critic as well. I don’t blame people who criticise. I’m just saying that my first impression was that they weren’t doing their best.

    Ejira, played by Linda Ejiofor, was your love interest in the movie, The Meeting. Having had a relationship on Tinsel did you find it easy relating with her?

    Apart from the fact that Linda is a talented actress, she’s quite experienced before the cameras. Soaps are about small talk and Linda is a master of small talk. I think that’s the brilliance in the casting. I think she was brilliant at that. She has certain vulnerability about her. I’ve known her before but she brought in some things I never saw. It brought us a bit closer and I really admired her character and her interpretation of that character.

    Would I have been able to interpret my character the way I did with Ejira with someone else? I’m not sure. If there is a certain innocence that Ejira needs to have in order to provoke the kind of response that she got from Makinde, anybody acting will tell you that the man opposite you makes a lot of difference. It brings you to how you eventually come at it. It gives you good enough energy. You have good energy to give back. It’s a give and take thing. She was brilliant and I really thank God. There are a lot of things that I have to thank God for.

    Can you quantify the amount of work you put into it to what you were paid?

    As a starter, for me, at this point, it’s not even smart for me to think about money. It didn’t matter. I could have done this job for free because I liked the script. It’s the very first time now. I have to be realistic. There are people out there who can do a better job than I did. I will not sit here and be wondering about money.

    So we didn’t have any problem about that. I think that for a few more jobs afterwards, I’m still going to learn the ropes, understand what it is about. It’s not really about money for me at this time. In fact I stayed longer than is necessary so I could understand it and get to know how they do it. I’m getting smarter at it now because we’ve done about two other movies afterwards. So I was able to bring all I’ve learnt into it. So I’m grateful.

    Are you saying that The Meeting has started opening doors for you?

    I think people always wait for someone to take a chance on you. I don’t blame them. Like I said, the challenges are quite real. You want to make a movie, you want a known face. We are starting a programme to bring new faces into the industry. It is the Director’s plan. It’s a director’s pride to bring a new face but at the same time, they also wish to sell. There is the need to be commercially successful because if I’m not successful I won’t even have any production to bring anybody into new or old. I understand that commercial consideration and that’s why I’m grateful Mildred took that chance on me just by watching 3minutes clip of me on Tinsel.

    There is no doubt; the list of your female fans is going to swell even more now. How do intend to handle female fans who will want to get overboard with you?

    I resolved a long time ago that one can never get enough of anything, so at the end of the day; one seeks the things that matter. You will make mistakes. You will fall, you will rise. People have a right to your life. There is nothing you can do about it when you are in people’s faces every day. They have a right to take you personal, to imagine that you are their son, brother, uncle and lover.

    They will try and do that. But by and large, most people are decent and by the time you try to define the boundaries respectfully, people always know when they are overboard. People have been kind to me I must say. My female fans, specifically my mother always warns me that I should be careful. I think I’ve been that careful. My female fans are my sisters. Like my pastor always tells me, all the female people in the world are your sisters. Don’t do to them what you don’t want people to do to your own blood sister. I’ve always been a public person. Every Sunday I will get up there and sing. I never thought it was a big deal until people started sending me secret notes and text messages.

    It was quite a shock but later I began to realise it happens. When you’re projected, you’re sort of like in people’s thoughts more. They will react to you in unpredictable ways. For some of them, the only way they can show that they appreciate you, is by offering you their body. It’s left to you to decide whether to take advantage of them or not. Obviously, that is not the kind of reputation I want to build for myself. I’m not saying I will not have a relationship but I don’t want to damage people and myself in the process.

    Is that why you are not in a relationship?

    Maybe next time I will tell you.