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  • Buhari denounces Kaduna school of torture

    • Says free, compulsory education is panacea to child abuse
    • Officials search for parents of some students
    • Police hand over freed inmates to Kaduna govt for rehabilitation

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday condemned the alleged torture and child abuse of students at an Islamic centre at Rigasa, Kaduna, which the police raided on Thursday.

    Over 300 adults and children, many of whom were chained by the authorities of the school, were freed by the police.

    State officials have been busy over the last 48 hours trying to locate the parents of some of the children.

    The Police, who have been holding the inmates in protective custody since Thursday, handed them over to the Kaduna State Government yesterday for rehabilitation.

    Buhari condemned rights abuses in the country whether of adults or children.

    He hailed the police for their “discovery of this horrific hub and arrest of suspected operators of the unedifying, so-called reform institution.”

    He added: “We are glad that Muslim authorities have dismissed the notion of the embarrassing and horrifying spectacle as Islamic School.

    ‘‘The place has indeed been described as a house of torture and a place of human slavery.”

    But the president declared that the panacea to child abuse lies in education, saying   children “will be safeguarded from roaming the streets and protected from all evil influences that assail idle hands and idle minds, when they are sent to school.”

    Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesman recalled how Buhari, while inaugurating the National Economic Council for the year 2019/2023 at in Abuja, warned that keeping children away from school was a criminal offence.

    “He also stressed the need to take seriously and enforce the statutory provisions on free and compulsory basic education, citing Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which he says places on all of us ( public leaders and political office holders ) an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education.

    Read Also: Police free 300 dumped in Kaduna ‘Islamic centre’

    ‘‘He added that Section 2 of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act provides that every government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.

    “It is indeed a crime, he stressed, for any parent to keep his child out of school for this period.

    ‘‘While the government at the center has introduced a number of programmess, including the school feeding programme which is now in 32 states in the country, with 9.8 million children in its roll to encourage school enrolment and enhance the health and learning capabilities of pupils, State and local governments are obliged under the law to ensure that every child of school age goes to school throughout the crucial nine years of basic education.

    ‘‘To stop unwanted cultural practices that amount to the abuse of children, our religious and traditional authorities must work with the federal, state and local governments to expose and stop all types of abuse that are widely known but ignored for many years by our communities.’’

    Officials in Kaduna State have been busy since Thursday trying to locate the parents of some of the freed inmates of the centre for reunion.

    The police particularly asked families from Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso to come and pick their wards freed from the centre.

    However, some of the parents did not wait to be contacted before rushing to the centre to see their children.

    Some others went to the centre on Friday to register their disapproval of the police action.

    They said they willingly sent the children to the place for education and rehabilitation for the deviants among them.

    They disagreed with the police that the students were being   tortured or sexually abused at the centre.

    Police handover rescued children

    The Kaduna State Police Command said yesterday that it had handed over to the state government the 300 inmates of the centre.

    The Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the over 300 inmates were handed over to the state government on Friday for reunion with their families.

    He, however, said that seven suspects earlier arrested were undergoing investigations.

    The PPRO defended the police raid on the centre, saying it was based on reports of torture and abuse, not whether the inmates were willingly taken there by their parents.

    “Whether or not they were the ones who handed their children over, there is limitation to what can be done to human beings, even by parents.

    “According to law, even if it is the father that subjected his child to inhuman treatment, there is a level where he will be held liable for his action.

    “Nobody is questioning whether the parents took their children there, what we are saying is that inhuman treatment is meted out to those children in violation of the law.

    “The school in question has no license to operate as well. The agencies of government that are supposed to supervise them are not put into consideration. As far as we know, they have not tendered any document to show that they are licensed.

    “The school is concurrently running both educational and correctional programmes which are supposed to be different institutions with different licenses.

    “If you have license to give correctional program, that in itself does not give you order to do educational program.

    “Even if you are licensed, it does not give you the right to go ahead without having the required manpower and skills to carry out the programme.  All these are not there.”

    A parent, Maryam Fatika, who had four of her children at the school told The Nation on Friday that “there was nothing going wrong in the school because we took our children there willingly.”

    “We don’t know why the police raided the place,” she said, adding: “My children have never complained to me about abuse or anything. But we are aware that they were punished if they did something wrong because they are very dangerous and stubborn children.”

    Another parent, whose son has been a student there  for six years said :”The boy became a threat to us his parents so we took him to the Islamiyya school for rehabilitation and to God be the glory, he has changed.

    “I used to take food to him and I have never seen anything wrong going on in the school.

    “My worry now is that we don’t even know where they took our children to which is why we are appealing to the government and the police to return our children to us.

    “We are also okay with the way the children are being handled by the Islamiyya authorities.”

    Hajiya Shafa’atu Zakari who has   six children in the school said her children were drug addicts who had gone out of control at home hence her decision to take them to the centre.

    Her words: “we took the children to the school because we didn’t know what to do with them. “Four of my children were among the students evacuated by the police. We demand their release because the founder of the school Malam Ismail is doing everything possible within Islamic teaching to rehabilitate them for us.”

  • Kogi: Bello, Wada plot victory in guber polls

    Ahead of the November 16 Governorship Election in Kogi State, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu and James Azania, in Kogi, report on the current moves made by the candidates of the two leading parties, Governor Yahaya Bello of All Progressives Congress and Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party to win the election

    SINCE Governor Yahaya Bello won the primary election to fly the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship flag and Musa Wada emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), observers have been curious to know how the choices will affect the fortunes of the two leading political parties in the Kogi November 16 Governorship Election.

    The Nation investigation during the week shows that two major issues today remain very critical in the determination of who, between Bello and Wada, will win the election. They are the way the two parties handle the allegation of non-performance by Bello’s government and the zoning game that is playing out smartly between the two parties.

    Non-performance debate

    As the incumbent state governor, observers said it is expected that Bello, the APC candidate, will be largely assessed with his performance in his first tenure. This means that the ruling party, by presenting the governor, is ready to beat its chest that it delivered dividends of democracy in the last four years.

    Even before the emergence of the candidates, all informed observers of Kogi State politics agreed that performance or the alleged non-performance of the current government will be the major campaign topic. Even other aspirants for APC’s ticket openly alleged that Bello’s government did not perform well enough to deserve a return ticket. They therefore spearheaded the campaign to deny Bello a return ticket. Though the campaign threatened the unity of the ruling party before the primaries, Bello eventually picked the ticket. When he did, his critics, especially the opposition PDP, said APC may have shot itself in the leg. They celebrated Bello’s emergence boasting that his candidature makes it easier for PDP to return to power in the state, since according to them the electorate are not impressed by his performance. Some of the major weaknesses that were pointed out as challenges to Bello’s re-election include the issue of huge arrears of salaries he owed civil servants, his alleged high handedness and the face-off between him and his deputy.

    Except something happened between now and the Election Day, our investigation shows that delve political and strategic moves the governor and his team have made since after the primaries may have changed so much in the politics of the state that some keen observers said APC still has great chance of retaining the state.

    We gathered for example that the attitude of most of the common citizens, especially civil servants in the state, has changed dramatically since the governor utilised the Federal Government’s bailout loan to pay off the embarrassing outstanding salaries. “It would be wrong to think that everything remains the same since the payment of salaries. Most of us are of course angry with the administration when the governor refused to pay us salaries. Things have changed. Not only that he has paid and apologised; he has also explained his predicament and now pays us even before the end of the month. I can tell you that we have been paid this month’s salaries. So, it would be wrong to conclude that Bello’s candidacy will not fly because of lack of payment of salaries,” said a teacher in the state capital, who asked not to be identified.

    So, given that the governor’s critics have continuously accused him of non-performance, while he and the APC have dismissed the allegations and have, over the weeks, tried to show evidence of the administration’s performance, the position of the average voter on the matter would only be known when the votes are finally counted.

    The zoning game

    A keen observer will note that most of the candidates fielded by the political parties for this election are from the Kogi East Senatorial District. This is a reaction the people’s agitation for zoning of power to the area. This notwithstanding; informed analysts agree that the election will be a two-horse race.

    This permutation is primarily based on the known strength of the ruling APC and PDP. Based on this singular fact, it is being predicted that their candidates, Bello and Wada, will be the frontline contenders though some insiders confided to The Nation during the week that the candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Barrister Natasha Akpoti, may be the third force.

    Taking cognisance of this fact, Bello and Wada are currently playing what an insider called the zoning game. Explaining how Bello has managed to boost his image in the past weeks, a source said on Friday that “Bello has become much more popular and hopeful since he appointed his Chief of Staff, Edward Onoja, as his running mate. Everybody understands that besides the fact that Onaja is on the ground and has been the defacto governor, he is coming into the calculations as a counter-balance to the Kogi East zoning factor. Until his appointment, PDP had expected to floor Bello on the ground of zoning, leveraging on the Igala agitation, since Wada is from the zone.

    Besides the zoning battle, we gathered during the week that Bello may be gaining upper hand as he is being accused of making effective use of the local government chairmen to tackle PDP at the grassroots. It would be recalled that in the four years he was governor, he has failed to conduct local government election. The opposition, feels threatened are alleging that the governor is in firm control of the chairmen and their councils.

    These recent moves that seem to have boosted Bello’s chances against PDP’s Wada, is not helped by the seeming disarray in Kogi PDP today. Besides the threats of mass defection that trailed the PDP primaries, some insiders accuse Bello and APC of sponsoring some elements to infiltrate PDP and promote disaffection. A source close to Wada’s family said on Wednesday that “although the senior Wada said he has put the result of the party’s primary election behind him, most of us cannot say for sure how much he will support and help the younger brother during this election.”

    This sense of fear and uncertainty is a source of concern in Kogi PDP even as Bello, whose popularity before the primaries was nothing to write home about, has suddenly become the candidate to beat.

    Speaking of his chances, Bello said shortly after Adams Oshiomhole, the APC National Chairman, and he visited President Muhammadu Buhari that he is well prepared to win the election. “I am not just preparing now, I have been ready for this election even before the last general election that produced Mr President, the National Assembly and the state Houses of Assembly. So, we are well prepared for the election. As for victory, I think by the grace of God it is assured.

    “Like the chairman has said, we are not going to take anything for granted. Whether the candidate of the opposition party is strong or not, we will approach the election with all amount of seriousness and ensure that it is conducted freely and fairly and we will become victorious by the grace of God. On November 17th we will be announced the winner.”

    Perhaps central to the current confusion in Kogi PDP is the intrigues that played out during primary election. It would be recalled that 13 aspirants bought the nomination and expression of interest form at N24.5m each in the party.

    Many have predicted that the election would be free and fair. But the situation changed midway into sorting and counting of ballots, when some unknown gunmen stormed the venue of the primaries shooting sporadically and dispersing the participants. In the confusion that followed, one person died while several others sustained injuries.

    But Governor Ahmed Fintiri of Adamawa State, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, who escaped unhurt, convened a meeting of all the aspirants the following morning at a Government Lodge where he completed the process, returning Engr. Musa Wada as the party candidate.

    Since then, the leadership of the state chapter of PDP, has been having tough time in its bid to reconcile the aspirants, which include former governor and elder brother of the candidate, Capt Idris Wada; Abubakar Ibrahim, the runner up in the election and Sen. Dino Melaiye who came a distant fourth. It remains to be seen how far the leaders have gone in resolving this matter.

    But commenting on his acceptance in the party and his chances at the election, Wada said: “It is normal that in every contest, a winner must emerge; but in this case, nobody is a winner because as far as I am concerned, we all won. It is a collective victory.” Stating that all those who participated at the primary are aware of the challenges the people of Kogi are facing, Wada said, he was only elected to spearhead the battle to oust the unresponsive APC-led government. “I cannot do it alone. It is a task that requires holistic effort to get done; a collective responsibility of all of my co-contestants in the primaries and we shall be victories in this battle Insha Allah,” Wada said.

    Given their common confidence that they will win the battle for Lugard House, Kogi stakeholders and other Nigerians are currently watching, with interest, the new schemes they are playing to gain upper hand.

  • Imo: Can Ihedioha meet the expectations?

    The politics of Imo State has never remained the same since Governor Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged the helmsman. In this report, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports on the changing politics and the efforts of the new government to meet up with the high expectations of the people of the Southeast state

    THE intrigues that surrounded the last governorship election in Imo State left no one in doubt that whoever wins the race will be of special interest to both the Imo State stakeholders and other Nigerians eager to see good governance in the southeast state. Everyone therefore expected the then governorship candidates to be aware of the high expectations.

    So, as soon as he was declared winner of the election, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) promised to turn what he called the state’s “bad news to a good story.” He promised to do so by making fundamental changes in several critical areas, especially in the style of governance.

    One of such areas, he promised to do differently is the relationship between the state and the local governments, which until then was reportedly frosty. When he went to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collect his Certificate of Return, Ihedioha said, “For us in the executive, we shall run a government that is responsible in every sense of the word. For us, the local government administration shall be appreciated and seen as an arm of the government that is respected because that is where the grassroots people participate.”

    Considering the intrigues, allegations and counter-allegations that trailed the past government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha over his style of governance and his relationship with local governments in the state, many observers have been keen on seeing if Ihedioha will fulfil his promise to local governments and restore confidence in the state’s civil service.

    Though his government is just a little bit more than three months old, Ihedioha said he has already taken action on this critical area. “Another immediate concern we confronted head-on was the weakness of the state civil service due to high nepotism,  lack of motivation, delayed salaries  and under-payments by, sometimes, as much as 30 percent of salaries due. We, thenceforth, set up a review committee to look into cases of improper or irregular appointments, promotions and other related matters.

    “The committee has turned in its report and, subsequently, we have approved the restoration of payment of 100 percent salaries to all workers in the state, recalled all unjustly suspended directors, reversed some undeserved promotions and sponsored officers to capacity building programmes. Similarly, local government workers have been paid the backlog of salaries owed them by the last administration. I can tell you that there is a renewed sense of motivation in the civil service across the state today.”

    Another area observers identified as immediate challenge to Ihedioha’s government is the problem of the state’s economy; especially the irony inherent in multiple taxation but low Internally Generated Revenue (IDR). During the electioneering campaigns, Omo indigenes made this a major campaign topic.  So, while taking oath of office, Ihedioha pledged to change this story.

    In his 100 days address, he said: “we have signed into law, Executive Order 005, known as Treasury Single Account (TSA) Order to consolidate all government revenues under one account. We have also adopted other measures designed to plug leakages and increase Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) in the state coffers.

    “We cannot achieve the right growth as a state without a sustainable revenue generating system. The state has less than 5 percent of the working population of over two million paying taxes and this is not an acceptable position. We met an arbitrary tax collection system leading to leakages, fraud and all sorts of irregularities.

    “To ensure a sustainable IGR regime, we took steps to reform the state Internal Revenue Service. From August 2019 all cash tax payments have been banned and the government has mandated the use of the PayDirect Platform with a single source sweeping of revenue. This has started addressing the issue of multiple accounts and leakages, and the IGR has grown from an all-time low of about 300m in July to 600m in August.

    “We have commissioned a Central Billing System which will drive the use of technology in tax collection. We have started a tax payer enumeration exercise with the attendant benefit of identifying the tax payers and ensuring they pay the right amount of tax to the right source.

    “A transformation of the revenue service built on the pillars of People Processes and Technology to ensure that we serve the needs of the populace in the most efficient and professional manner, by operationalizing the autonomy of the Imo Internal Revenue Service in line with global standards.

    “We have also listened to your issues on multiple taxation and commenced a tax harmonisation exercise in a bid to eliminate multiple taxation and streamline taxes in a manner that will only focus on the most relevant taxes to be paid.

    “Due to these strategic and fiscal responsibility moves, Imo State has gained positive image and is now on track to join the Open Governance Partnership league. It also now qualifies for performance-based grants of the World Bank as well as other multilateral development institutions. We are also currently developing the Imo Growth and Economic Development Fund. The fund will be unique in Nigeria and would serve as an investment catalyst for the Imo State economy.”

    The Nation observed that at the twilight of Okorocha’s government, another critical challenge in Imo State, especially in Owerri, the state capital, was water supply crisis. Mazi Ikechukwu Ukachukwu, who resides in Mbaise Road, Owerri, said “water scarcity in Owerri had almost become a norm, so much so that some of us did not believe it could be reversed in a short while. This is because we had burst water pipes all over the metropolis, buried in the muds. The neglect has taken a very long time. You will not believe that sachet water here has always been N10 even when it was still selling for N5 in Lagos.”   Ihedioha also said he has commenced action in this area: “For several years, the Otamiri Water Supply was not functional and our people in the state capital and its environs suffered untold hardships. We have therefore, provided what was required to get it working again. Specifically, water started running again in Imo on 24th July, 2019 after almost seven (7) years of dry pipes. In the same vein, work is ongoing to rectify cases of burst pipes across the major roads,” he said.

    His claims notwithstanding, some of his critics in the state, making reference to some of the actions attributed to Ihedioha at the dawn of his administration, like the demolition of some monuments erected by former Governor Okorocha, alleged that the new government may be doing more hype than it has actually accomplished in physical terms. “Is it everything the new government claims that we should agree with? I suggest the Ihedioha-led state government should go to the field and work instead of beating its chest so early in the morning. Though I do not agree with the way they condemned everything Okorocha did, I cannot deny that this new government seems more sensitive to the actual needs of the people. But they should leave Rochas alone and face the work for which Imo people elected them,” Kingsley Uzochukwu said.

    But Dr. Nicholas Nwulu told The Nation during the week that the present state government is determined to make the needed difference in the area of agricultural development. “If Ihedioha continues the way he has started, Imo will soon experience positive revolution in agriculture…,” he said.

    Steve Osuji, the Senior Adviser to the governor on Media, who listed “removal of massive heaps of refuse across Owerri and environs,” as one of his principal’s first areas of concern, told The Nation during the week that the Ihedioha-led state government has “initiated the revamping of Avutu Poultry, Adapalm and Imo Rubber Estates,” amongst other areas of interest in the agricultural sector.

    The governor himself also spoke glowingly of his interest in the development of the agricultural sector in his 100 days in office broadcast when he said: “Pursuant to our resolve to harness our agricultural potentials as well as generate employment, just a few days ago, we launched our Agricultural Roadmap which represents a comprehensive framework for self-sufficiency in food production, both for domestic consumption and for exports purposes. By our strategic location at the heartland of the South East and our endowment with the only international cargo airport in the region, we are certain that with the right investments, the state would harvest monumental benefits in this sector.

    “I am happy also to report that the first batch of 500 youths selected from all the 27 LGAs in Imo State will be sent to a modern farm at Nasarawa State, in a few weeks, under the Imo Youths in Agribusiness Programme (IYAP). Here, they would learn the best practices in tropical agriculture, after which they will be supported to start their own businesses in Imo State.

    “We have also commenced the establishment of a Rice Seed Farm Cluster on the Imo River Basin at Amumara  Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA. This programme will make Imo State self-sufficient in the production of improved variety of rice seeds with a view to strengthening our rice value chain. Experts in rice breeding, production and processing from the Africa Rice Centre at IITA Ibadan will be training our groups of rural young farmers to grow and process improved rice seeds.

    “We have also commenced the introduction of light mechanization to farmers in areas where full tractorization may not be possible.

    “The process for the rejuvenation of Imo ADP has commenced and plans are underway to train staff and reintegrate them back to intervention programmes that have suffered severe setbacks in the past as a preclude to granting access to reputable, time-tested investors.

    “It is noteworthy that, the Avutu Poultry Farm has been cleared for a full restoration to a world-class standard.  Similarly, Adapalm is being cleared through the relevant Committee and we would soon commence operations. The challenge of pending legal issues is being attended in order to clear the way for full optimization of its potentials.

    “Our state is set to host the only Agribusiness Park in Nigeria at Ngor-Okpala. This comprises an agribusiness academy, and a smart agribusiness centre, thus positioning the facility for revenue generation and job creation. In a few weeks’ time, we would begin the process of data capture of afffected Imolites in the upcoming agriculture revolution program targeting 400,000 participants between the ages of 15-64,” he said.

  • CBN order on cash deposit may be revised

    Indications are that the lower legislative chamber of the National Assembly may impress on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) the need to revise the new policy regime on cash deposit order, The Nation learnt at the weekend.

    Speaking in a telephone with Hon. Victor Nwokolo, Chairman House Committee on Banking & Currency, he told our correspondent that the CBN governor Godwin Emefiele was summoned by the lawmakers but didn’t honour the invitation as he had to proceed on official assignment to the United Kingdom.

    According to him, the lawmakers have since scheduled a meeting with the CBN governor later this Wednesday, even as he gave assurances that the parley would help to address the grey areas with regards to the policy.

    “I can tell you that the Reps would meet with the CBN management later this week with a view to take a decision on the new policy on cash deposit,” he stressed.

    The leadership of the House of Representative had last week requested the CBN governor to appear before it to explain the rationale behind the cash deposit order and possibly halt the implementation of the charges on deposit and withdrawals.

    It would be recalled that the apex bank had through a circular on Sept. 17 stated that from Sept. 18 transactions will attract three per cent processing fees for withdrawal and two per cent processing fees for lodgement of amounts above N500, 000 for individual and N3million for corporate accounts with six pilot states including the FCT, namely: Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra and Rivers states, while the nationwide implementation of the cashless policy will begin by March 2020.

     

  • Samsung wins maritime award in Dubai

    Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (SHIN), the leading operator of the SHI-MCI fabrication and integration yard, has won an award for its contribution to development of the regional maritime cluster at the prestigious Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent &Africa in Dubai.

    Samsung was the only nominee from Africa listed for four individual awards.

    The categories are: contribution to development of the regional maritime cluster, Shipyard of the Year, Africa maritime and Education& Training.

    The organisers commended SHIN its commitment to empowering the African oil and gas industry through local content leadership.

    Managing Director of SHIN, Mr. Jejin Jeon, said: “This award validates SHIN and SHIMCI’s efforts in developing Nigeria as the next global fabrication destination.

    “I thank the people of Nigeria and the Nigerian government for their faith in us. Our journey will not stop here.

    “We will continue to empower the African oil & gas as well as maritime industry by developing local capacity to deliver world class work locally, stimulating more opportunities for the benefit of Nigeria.”

  • I’m quitting smoking soon–Davido

    HIP hop superstar David adeleke a.k.a Davido has said he is quitting smoking soon.

    The artiste posted a video on his Instagram status holding a pack of cigarettes with a caption, “Quitting Soon.”

    Also, artiste and record label Owner, Michael Collins, popularly known as Don jazzy took to his Twitter page to celebrate one year of abstaining from cigarettes.

    On Tuesday, he wrote: “Today makes it One year since I quit smoking, clap for me he he.”

    Davido is one of the famous Nigerian celebrities who doesn’t hide the fact that he smokes. Nigeria musician took to his Instagram page recently that he can’t wait to go back on tour.

    “Can’t wait to go back on tour. Thank you Atlanta last night was lit”.

  • USMAN ILERIKA: Memorable moments with my adopted father, Haruna Ilerika

    He was named Haruna Usman Afolayan at birth, but the world renamed him Usman Haruna Ilerika after the Lagos-born iconic footballer. After many years Usman encountered his adopted father face to face, and realized he has taken the best decision of his life by officially adopting the name, without knowing.

    Speaking exclusively with Taiwo Alimi, current head coach of Nigeria U-15 team described his times with the late and famous Nigeria and Super Stores striker, as memorable and inspirational.

    “Growing up as a little boy people just started calling me by the name Haruna Ilerika and the name just stuck to me. Those who watch me play believe that I play like Haruna Ilerika coupled with the fact that I bear Haruna; my fans just added Ilerika in front and started calling me Haruna Ilerika. Since many people don’t even remember my real name, so I decided to make it official. Haruna Ilerika is not my biological father.

    “It was an interesting encounter for me when I eventually met him in Lagos in 2002. I was introduced to Ilerika by my boss, the then President of Nigeria football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdulahi. I fell in love with him that instant. He spoke to me nicely and I was impressed with his philosophy and admire what he represented nationally and globally. In 2006, we met again and we had an extensive discussion on the growth of soccer and its administration in our country. He was a man of honour and deserved everything in this world. He was loaded with great ideas on how to move football forward. My encounters with him showed me that he’s a father that every society would like to have. It is just unfortunate that death did not allow him to enjoy the fruit of his labour. When he died in 2008 I wrote a letter through the FCT FA to the family and the Lagos FA to commensurate with them. He’s my adopted father and I love him dearly. I’m happy I adopted his name and I can’t afford to let him down. ”

    The Kwara State-born shares his life story as a footballer, administrator and coach saying his life revolves around nurturing and developing young footballers. Excerpts:

    Growing up

    I attended NEPA Primary school, Kainji where my parents works with NEPA for 35 years. I also attended Osi Secondary school before proceeding to Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin and eventually finished at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU) in the year 1994 with a degree in political Science. I was playing for Kainji NEPA but on getting to ABU I joined the ABU Workers FC and was playing for the team even as an undergraduate. During the World University games, Kano 1993, former Super Eagles coordinator Mr Emmanuel Atta, saw me and requested NYSC to post me and others to Abuja. He was then with NYSC Strikers FC and that was how I became their player.

    Soccer administration and coaching

    I am doing the two. My official job as a staff of Federal Capital Territory administration where my salary comes from makes me an administrator because I’m the secretary FCT Football Association and at the same time, I’m a professional coach. I went through the rigour of training as a professional coach; first at the National Institute for Sport and then studied at KMVP Training school in Netherlands where I obtained a certificate. On my return I did CAF C and CAF B coaching course respectively and I am waiting for CAF A to complete it. I also have masters in public administration.

    Coaching is in my blood.  Even after leaving service I was still playing for NYSC Strikers and helping the NYSC to coach the Corpers Team, which I did for 11 years. Even all the years that I played for NEPA, a pro league team then, I was still coaching the NYSC team to be able to sharpen my drive to help the youth.

    While working with Sani Lulu and coaching the NYSC team, we had a friendly match with FCDA Team, a national amateur side and we defeated them. The team manager, Tajudeen Tiamiyu, thereafter, drafted me as an assistant coach to his team in 2001. In that team was Juwon Osanunwa, who later played for Super Eagles.

    I later moved on to FC Abuja owned by EFCC and now bearing EFCC FC. I tutored the club for four and a half years before I resigned and faced administration only. I have always been into youth development and that is where my passion lies. I established an academy for my wife after attracting her from the medical profession into football knowing that with her support, the sky would be the limit for us. The academy was established in 2008 in Abuja and it is waxing stronger. It is grooming players free of charge and my joy is that I am giving back to the youth. I was instrumental to the setting up of Fosla Football Academy owned and financed by Sani Lulu Abdullahi. In-fact I was the one tutoring the boys before the institution was set up.

    It was the same love for youth development that took me to the U-15 national team. We started with the U-13 boys in 2008 with Kelechi Iheanacho set, Chidera Eze, Saliu Ibrahim, Udo, the goalkeeper and so many of them. Lazarus John and many others. They moved to the U-17 and today some of them are now playing in the U-23 and the Super Eagles. What gladdens my heart is the passion and training to develop a template inculcated into these young ones to turn them to great players and make something of their lives.

    Philosophy

    My philosophy as a coach is for me to be able to produce world-class players. Players that can represent Nigeria at the world stage, a player that people can appreciate in his spoken English, composure, and be able to maintain a responsible future for himself. Combining education and football is one of my biggest thinking and philosophy to life. Players should be able to have a future after football. A lot has happened that life becomes extremely difficult for people after the game. I remember the day I had injury while playing for NEPA, even the managing director and official could not understand the kind of injury I had but because I had my certificate to fall back on was my saving grace. I had injury seven years after leaving University and I was able to move on to the next stage of my life.

    I want to see the life of a footballer that you can still be responsible even after retirement. This game has a lot of diversification. We have people who are player agents, coaches, administrators, even within administration you have a lot of roles; stadium administration, physiotherapy and back room works that could accommodate a lot of people. We don’t have to be miscreants after this game.

    In my team, I use to sit with them and tell them so many things about life. What life owes them and what they owe life? I explain to them their role with their parents, coaches, immediate family and other things. This is what they can gain from me. If it is in the area of football coaching, they would meet many coaches as they move on but what they would remember me for is what I’m teaching them at a tender age. They will look back and say coach say this and coach say that.

    Life experience

    I’ve met a lot of people working for youth players. In trying not to embarrass myself and the country I try to inculcate my philosophy that must be acceptable to my assistant and my boys and to the society itself. When we were in Japan in June, the Nigeria ambassador to Japan, when addressing us said ‘coach, one of the thing that makes me a happy person today was the way people were talking inside the state box how Nigeria is getting used to doing the right thing.’ That even the character of the boys, play pattern and behavioral approach is an exemplary one worth emulating by younger generation. I appreciate the NFF. They are telling us to do the right thing and give us opportunity to be exposed and impact on the lives of others.

    Achievements

    As a player I’ve won the FCT Challenge Cup on four occasions. Twice I won with NEPA FC and once with NYSC FC and once with FCDA FC.  In the coaching area, I’ve won the Federations Cup with EFCC, and play runners up on two occasions, then was adjudged SWAN coach of the year in 2016. At the national levels, we have been able to develop a lot of youth players and most of them are in the present u-17 team. I was a gold medalist at the African Youth Games in Algeria 2014 and in silver in 2018 in Algiers.

    Family

    I was born into a family of seven. We lost our elder sister and I’m the second born of the family. All of us are graduates and we are all doing well. My parents; Mr and Mrs Usman Afolayan are late. I give glory to God that God is using all their children in a good way.  I am married with two great children; a girl and a boy.

  • TANWA NEWBOLD: Why I left banking for interior design

    Tanwa Newbold is an industrial designer, architect and interior designer. In an interview with Omarejedje Ogheneyoma, the creative lady who is also the CEO of NU MI design House known for integrated interior designs talks about her passion for tastefully crafted home furniture, accessories, classic themes and more.

    HOW long have you been into this interior design?

    I have been a decorating designer for over thirteen years.  Interestingly, my background is investment banking but I was inspired by a number of things.  One of the inspirations is the fact that my daddy is an architect and he was a great influence for me. In addition, I have great skills and talent when it comes to creativity. So, I decided to go into it. I began to get inspiration and was also motivated when I saw some people around me focusing on it. That, interestingly, was how it all started for me.

    What were some of the challenges you had?

    Like every other sector, it has its own challenges. For me, the major challenges include productivity, finishing and excellence in productivity. I also like consistency and that has also helped me a lot. You would see this in the fact that the people I have been working with for over thirteen years are still with me. I started with them and I am still with them. They have learnt so much working with me and I am also learning a couple of things from them. The funny thing is that where they come from and where they are now is amazing. A number of achievements have also been recorded over the years and things are obviously getting better by the day. We started from being a company that just put wood together and do something but now we have really improved and impacted our world. The evidence of our dedication and determination is some of the finishing that you are seeing here.

    Do you have support or sponsorship for the things you do?

    Yes of course. We have had great support and for the second edition of our designs and exhibitions; it has been very interesting. We had support from the Bank of Industry, LASWA, Le Connaeur, and Plasconi. I must say that the event would not have happened without these sponsors.

    What was it like at the beginning?

    It has been a very interesting and exciting journey so far. Last year was the first edition and at that point, it was just to promote and rebrand MU NI Design House, and it was such a success. A lot of work has been put in place but the big question is, do people know about our products design? Do they know about the interior design, industrial design and do people know that Africans, Nigerians specifically, have this kind of talent. This is what I do and I began to ask myself why don’t I look for people like me to promote them? Why don’t we show people that we have so much more in Nigeria than music and art? We have so much more in our creativity from all aspects where more intelligent people and the world is misunderstanding all that. So this is where that came from. What where you doing before you came into interior design?

    My background is investment banking and I have two degrees in investment.

    What kept you going in the sector?

    It is actually my passion and commitment to the sector. Do you know that by talking to people, a lot of opportunities and potential would come up. The funny thing about people that I realised from doing this is that they look at somebody from afar and have certain impressions but once you get in touch and share your vision it is another story entirely. If you do not take that first step, you will never know they think the same way you do. People who are here and exhibiting with me today have a lot that we share in common. I didn’t know that until I had a conversation. The people here are the ones that we had connection with. We knew what we wanted to do and we decided to do it together, this is how it happened.

    Where do you see NU MI Design House in the next five years?

    I see a big picture. I see the brand going global, taking African designers globally; our African products also going global. The opportunities are amazing and we would be taking our interior designs and artists globally. And in recognition of our creativity, our talents and our intelligences, that is where we see NU MI in the nearest future.

    How do you encourage the young ones to be interested in what you are doing?

    It is not about being an interior designer; it is all about going with your passion. What you have talent for, what you like and what is calling you to action. You need to know what is your natural core’ and just fight for it. So when you have passion for something, you must keep fighting for it because there is nothing better than fighting for something that is calling you. This, I strongly believe, is a better strategy instead of fighting for something that somebody else wants.

    When I went into investment banking, I thought I would make money. Along the line, I know I could do it but I wasn’t happy doing it. Then I tried and I actually realised where my heart was and here we are.

  • Funky Brunch celebrates one year anniversary in style

    IT was a celebration of style and grandeur as ‘The Funky Brunch Lagos’ (a luxury lifestyle experience) marked its first year anniversary.

    The event took place on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at the Balmoral Event Center, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Attending were over 2500 guests across Nigeria with a high concentration of Lagosians and from outside of Nigeria. Celebrities in attendance included Davido, Bovi, Zlatan Ibile, Obafemi Martins, Ebube Nwagbo, Peruzzi, Rahman Jago, Yung6ix, Uti Nwachukwu, Osaze (MTN), Ice Prince, Dammy Krane, Ric Hassani, Taymesan, Dj Jimmy Jatt, Tania Omotayo, Nadia Nakai, Moozlie, Lilian Afegbai, Chef Eros, Poco Lee, Beverly Osu,B-Red, CDQ,  Lilian Esoro, Timini, Koko By Khloe, Beverly Osu, American TV personality, Sincerely Ward, South African TV personality, Babalwa Mneno and many other cool kids in fashion, arts, music and the booming creative industry in general.

    Guests were treated to an exquisite food and drinks, laughter, great energy, and good vibes. The mega party had multiple picturesque areas, live games, bouncing castles, Ultra Lightings and over 60,000 Watts of sound to amplify the music delivered by 14 of the best DJ’s in Lagos – DJ Prince, DJ Consequence, DJ K Flow, DJ Harmony, DJ Six7even , DJ Last Don, 3ple7 DJ, DJ FD, DJ Tiami, DJ Paranormal, DJ Andre, DJ Structure, DJ Kenzy, DJ Oluwabruce and super hype-men: MC Fish, MC Ak Smuth Jay Breeze & Trey.

    All the featured DJs took turns in moving the crowd by dishing out music in various genres of music, ranging from Afrobeats to hip hop to afro-house to EDM and of course, taking the audience back to the beloved music of the 90s. The event showcased an unconventional fashion show presenting premium high-end streetwear styles from ASH LUXE, a sister brand to ASH LUXURY.

    The event, founded by Nimi Briggs and Efe Tommy, started in September 2018 with 320 guests.

  • Packaging industry witnesses revolution

    It was excitement and glitz as people from various walks of life abandoned everything even defying the current heavy traffic on Ibadan/Lagos road to witness the launch of the much-awaited carton manufacturing company in Ogun State by the governor, Prince (Dr.) Dapo Abiodun, alongside the CEO/Managing Director Jaro Industries, Mr. Kavin Vaswani.

    Leaving no stone unturned, the management of the company located along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, said they committed $12million which is about N43billion in the carton industry to meet international standards and top quality in order to meet the dynamic needs of their teeming consumers.

    According to Vaswani, 35% of the investment is family shares while 65% was sourced from banks. “We are ready to take extra miles to satisfy our customers. No sacrifice is too much for our consumers and that is why we left no expenses in order to give them the best; a product that will be able to complete favourably. Our quality speaks for us.”

    Speaking enthusiastically during a tour of the factory, Vaswani explained that the state-of-the art corrugation facility is designed with the capacity to deliver 3,000 tons PM, with the machines converting the craft paper into corrugation boxes, this will make it possible to produce and supply high quality corrugated carton to the satisfaction of our teeming customers.

    “We use the finest materials for our products. We source 70% of our raw materials from Nigeria while the remaining 30% which we cannot find here is sourced from abroad. We are happy to be sourcing most of the raw materials here because it makes it cheaper and easier for us,” noted the CEO.

    Explaining further, Vaswani, who was visibly excited, said, “The completion of this project is to further demonstrate the group’s commitment and belief in the Nigerian economy. I must say, there is a lot of potential for economic growth in Ogun State and that is why we have decided to take this bold initiative by citing the factory in this state, with the help of special partners like Bank of Industry, Access Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. We will be creating a direct employment of 250 as well as an indirect employment of 300 people, which we believe will go a long way in reducing the unemployment rate not just in the state but in the country. Further growth will only grow that number.”

    The project is in line with the Ogun State government’s drive for growth and development and the company has aligned its vision to help to grow the economy, particularly in the area of manufacturing. The group hopes to become the premier manufacturing company in West Africa by 2025.

    Abiodun, who was the special guest of honour, though represented by the Managing Director OPIC, Yemi Adesoye, expressed his delight at the speedy completion of the project. He said: “We are indeed very pleased to have you plant your factory in Ogun State, it shows we are doing certain things right, which has attracted you to our state. As a government, we would ensure that we give you all the necessary support you require for a smooth operation in the state. Once again, congratulations on this milestone achievement.”

    To witness the inauguration were specially invited guests which include traditional rulers, captains of industries, business associates, top management staff of Jaro Industries, community leaders and members of the press.

    The factory is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that meet international standards anywhere in the world. Some of the equipment in the facility include a state-of-the-art corrugation machine, a five colour fully automatic Flexo Printer and folder gluer, 6 ton boiler, glue kitchen, complete plant conveyor system, complete waste management system, compressors, residential buildings for employees as well as various amenities for the workers.

    Jaro Industries Limited is a subsidiary of Deekay Group, a corrugated fibreboard carton manufacturing company. The group started its operation in 1972 with trading business. After gaining competency in trading of various products, the group ventured into backward integration and started the manufacturing of exercise books and a printing and packaging business. The manufacturing part of the business has significantly grown to an appreciable level, positioning the company as the most sought after product in the market.

    Over the years, the group has grown from a small company to a major business house in Nigeria, in the process of growing the business operations which were scattered across various locations based on availability. Now there is an ongoing plan to expand manufacturing operations in Nigeria, aimed at encouraging backward integration and local content enhancement.

    Meanwhile, the Director General [DG] of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said that all nations that want to sustain their economy must pay attention to manufacturing as it is the only sustainable way to abolish poverty.

    While commending the Deekay Group for building the factory in just nine months which will contribute to creation of jobs, Ajayi-Kadir said the factory will also increase the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP.

    Responding to questions from journalists, he called on government to rescind its decision on Value Added Tax (VAT). He criticised the explanation given for the VAT increase; that it was to empower government to pay the new minimum wage. “The increase is just punishment for the poor. It is like giving one something with the right hand and taking it from that person with the left hand.”