The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerians

‘Nigerians should be patient with Buhari’

Athanasious Okon is the National Coordinator of the Buhari Friends Organisation Network. In this interview with TONY AKOWE in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he speaks on the calls for the restructuring of the country and the reshuffling of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance and other issues.

What is your take on the call by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the restructuring of the country?
I think as a major stakeholder in the project Nigeria, a consummate politician,a man with a wide knowledge of the Nigerian political history, as well as a deep knowledge of our differences, especially in terms of religion, social, economic and political, there is no doubt that based on our differences, Atiku’s request for restructuring should be treated in good fate because it is long overdue. Although I am not holding brief for him, my take is that, his view in regard to the much needed restructuring is borne out of visible facts on ground, including the yearnings of majority of Nigerians. The need for us to be addressed simply as Nigerians instead of the concept of Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba, Efik, Edo, Ibibio, Tiv, Itshekiri, Ijaw, Fulani, etc, is what I believe, Atiku is trying to address in his message,and it is indeed a genuine request from a sincere leader. Another thing is our natural resources and the continued dependence on oil. The country is running a mono economy, driven by oil and the attendant consequences of degredation, pollution via oil spillage on farm lands and its effects on other sectors like fishing, drinking water among others. Yet, proceeds from oil exploitation are not really of great benefits to the producing communities, as unemployment, high cost of living, lack of affordable health care, education, good roads network and other areas of deprivation abound. No nation that wants to develop will want to continue like this. There is the need for aggressive and deliberate, but conscious efforts to diversify from the current monolitic economy to other sectors such as agriculture and mining. So, I am in support of Atiku’s position, as we cannot continue like this, considering the dynamic nature of the society.
Many believe that Atiku had already started his campaign for 2019, with his ulterances in recent times…
Politicking is simply a daily activity. Even husband and wife, including children in a nuclear family are daily involved in politics. Apart from the above, if we were to do things right as in civilised democracies, nothing is wrong in planning for the next elections from this moment. But that should be done with all manner of civility and decorum. To contest elections and expect to win at high levels of authority requires adequate time for planning, especially as we are gradually migrating from the days of imposition of preferred candidates and carry go syndrome.
Would you say that President Muhammadu Buhari has met the expectations of Nigerians, considering the suffering the people are currently going through?
Considering the state of our economy at the time he took over the mantle of leadership, it was evident that we were heading for a failed state. You are aware that there no reasonable amount of money in the treasury to start with, there were sponsored vandalism of oil installations with a deliberate objective to frustrate the economy. It was worse considering the fact that at the time he came into office coin side with the fall of crude oil price in the international market. What miracles can anyone perform in such a circumstances? He came to meet an economy that was already suffering recession. So, instead of president Muhammadu Buhari to start fulfilling his campaign promises and making things happen as expected, he was faced with the challenges of looking for money. He was faced trying to recover money from those who looted our common patrimony and starched them away. It was because of these stolen money that we are where we are today. So, as far as I am concerned, nothing much can be achieved in such precarious situation of near hopelessness occasioned by the actions or inaction of previous administrations, except to start afresh and that what he is doing presently. I can assure you that there is great prospect that things will be better before the end 2017. He has done well in the areas that are visibly within his power, especially the war against terrorism and corruption. A lot is being done in his policy of diversification. Agriculture and other non oil sectors have been rejuvenated and are now adding to our GDP better than it was before Buhari came.
There are calls for the President to reshuffle his cabinet. What is your take on that?
I don’t personally believe that one year or even two is not enough for any meaningful achievement by ministers, especially when you consider the level of financial handicap they have to grapple with. As far as I am concerned, it is a vicious cycle. Their inability to perform as expected is traceable to the poor state of the economy.These people are working hard with Mr President, to develop means of getting our economy back on course and you know that is very essential for any meaningful development.
Some officials of the government have been accused of corruption. Don’t you think this is a big blow to the anti-corruption crusade of the government.
It is not correct to say allegation of corruption against some officials of the government are being protected by Mr President. They are two obvious cases in this regard, which to my knowledge has to do with allegations against the acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. To the best of my knowledge, after the said allegations were brought to Mr President’s knowledge ordered an investigation. I think considering the need for due process, it behooves on the president to first of all investigate before taking a decision base on the outcome of investigations. So far, he has done just that and never ignored it as being speculated. My appeal too Nigerians is to give him the benefit of doubt, believing that he would not condone any acts of indiscipline trace to anyone in his cabinet.
The Buhari government is almost half way to four years, yet nothing significant has been achieved. What has gone wrong?
I don’t have to accept that position. If anyone is of the belief that close to two years, nothing significantly has been achieved by this administration, I think it would amount to not being fair. Even a child of 8 years who indeed has been following the activities and policies of this government would appreciate what Buhari has done with the problem of insurgency and corruption. Today, no big man can boldly make away with public money with impunity, as was in the case before. Recall the current trials of corrupt people, especially the Dasukigate. Such era of stealing public funds is gone for good in Nigeria. What about the empowerment program which is ongoing? The thousands so far employed during the period under review? Our foreign reserve has appreciated and the non oil sector has been given adequate attention. Railway stations are now busy, our health care system, especially primary health care are far better, and even going to improve more before end of 2017. On the whole, considering the various challenges this administration has been confronted with, including economy sabotage occasioned by those that are adverse to the change mantra, Buhari’s government should be given a pass mark.

February 1, 2017
‘Govt should treat Nigerians with respect’

The National Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief (Dr.) Adebowale Omotoso, has urged the government to treat its nationals with self-respect and dignity.

Omotoso spoke at Awe town, Oyo State.

He said, “Education should increase the consciousness level of Nigerian youths and socialise them into the national culture. But what we have now is education without morals due to lack of power monitoring and clear-cut policies devoid of political sentiments in regulating education or meaningful development. Ideally, politics influences education through the policies and decisions that are made by the political leadership to ensure the realisation of national, state, and party objectives. As a result of these notions, there are many political problems that jeopardised educational management in the country.”

He added that ‘’the society has degenerated from a community of people with high moral values and dignity to a state of near madness, collapse of moral values and tolerance of immorality’’.

February 1, 2017
Nigerians may pay N5/litre extra for road repairs

Nigerians may pay additional N5 per litre of petrol for road maintenance, if the National Roads Fund Bill before the House of Representatives is passed into law.
The Federal Government is targeting N100 billion per annum for the fund through the additional fuel price.
A technical committee set up by the Toby Okechukwu-led House Committee on Works recommended a N5 per litre increase in its report.
it submitted has recommended a N5 per litre increase as part of its recommendations to the committee.
Last November, the technical committee, headed by Chris Okoye, was mandated to submit a report, which would be reviewed and submitted to the House for consideration.
The committee recommended a “…fuel levy of N5 chargeable per litre on any volume of petrol and diesel products imported into Nigeria and on locally refined petroleum products”.
The National Road Fund, which shall apply to the funding, maintenance and administration of the road network in Nigeria, when established, will serve as a repository of revenues from road user-related charges and other sources for financing to be managed and administered for routine and periodic maintenance works on Nigerian roads.
The committee said other sources of funds include: toll fees, not exceeding 10 per cent of any revenue paid as user charge per vehicle on any federal road designated as a toll road; international vehicle transit charges as well as inter-state mass transit user charge of 0.5 per cent deductible from the fare paid by passengers as well as surcharge of 0.5 per cent chargeable on the assessed value of any imported vehicle into the country.
The report, which was signed by 15 of the 23-member committee, will be debated and reviewed by the Okechukwu-headed House Committee on Works, and passed to the House on the whole for consideration.

January 31, 2017
Why Nigerians should embrace solar energy
SIR: Solar energy is the energy gotten from light and heat from the sun and converted into useful forms using varying degrees of technology. One major advantage of powering homes with solar energy is that the source of the energy is renewable. It can be harnessed in all parts of the world every day. Unlike some other sources of energy, it is not possible for mankind to run out of solar energy. So long as the sun rises and sets daily, solar energy will always be handy. Another advantage of powering homes with solar energy is that in the long run your electricity bills will reduce. This is because some of your energy needs will be attended to with the electricity your solar system has generated. The amount of savings will be dependent on your heat and electricity usage as well as the size of your solar energy system.

Another advantage of solar energy is that it has diverse applications. Solar energy can be used for different purposes. Solar energy can be used to generate electricity or heat. It can be used to produce electricity in places that does not have access to the energy grid, to distill water in places with limited access to clean water or even to power satellites in space. Solar energy can be made to form an integral part of buildings and building materials. Transparent solar energy doors and windows are gradually becoming the order of the day. Another advantage is that it has low maintenance costs. Solar energy systems do not cost a lot to maintain. All you have to do is to clean them a couple of times in a year. An installed solar energy system does not incorporate any moving parts implying that there will never be wear and tear. Standard solar panels can even last up to 25 years although the inverter does not last this long because it is always working, converting solar energy to electricity and heat.

Another advantage that the solar energy system has is that the solar energy technology is continuously developing. The technology is advancing and improving at a very fast pace. Innovations in science and technology have the potentials to double or triple the efficiency and electrical input of the solar power systems. Solar energy also has the advantage of being a silent producer of energy. It does not make the kind of noise and disturbance that the conventional generators make. It does not disturb the peace and serenity of the neighbourhood.

However, anything that has advantages must also have disadvantages. Solar energy system is not an exception. The initial cost of purchasing and installing a solar energy system is still high. The cost here includes paying for the panels, inverter, batteries, wiring and the workmanship for installation. However, since the solar energy technology is improving and advancing at a very fast pace, one can confidently assume that the initial cost of purchasing and installation will still go down. Another major disadvantage of the solar energy system is that it is weather dependent. Although solar energy can still be harnessed during rainy and cloudy days, the efficiency of the solar energy system is low on such days. Solar energy cannot be collected at night. The implication of this is that a couple of consecutive rainy and cloudy days will have a significantly negative effect on the energy system. Moreover, storing the solar energy is expensive. Solar energy can be stored in batteries. The battery can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. Unfortunately, the battery is expensive. However, since our energy demand is higher during the day, it is smarter to use our solar energy system during the day and use energy from the grid at night. This will save one from the high cost of storing the solar energy.

My advice is for Nigerians to embrace solar energy because that is the direction that the world is going. In the coming years, anyone who does not embrace it will be living in a forgotten civilization.
- Martins Eke,
Environment at Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.
January 27, 2017
‘Govt must restore confidence in Nigerians’

Ayo Opadokun is the Convener of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER). In this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, he explains why the government should restore confidence in the people and tackle other urgent challenges facing the country.

The Buhari administration has been criticised for non-performance. What is your assessment?
I sympathise with Nigerians in the circumstance we find ourselves. I believe that people have good reasons to be unhappy with the situation. But, I also understand from my knowledge that, as at the time President Muhammadu Buhari took over power, the economy had already degenerated. Perhaps, if the last administration had remained in power for another six months, only God know what could have happened. As for President Buhari and state of the economy, it is a fact that the measures being put in place have not yielded immediate positive dividends. I think the government recognises this fact and sympathise with Nigerian people, who are clamouring for a better deal. Therefore, economically, I think they need to think outside the box, to rescue the situation. But, the fundamentals are not within the control of the Buhari administration. It was not the administration that instigated the agitation of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) that brought the only means of foreign exchange of the nation to the lowest ebb. When they broke pipes, they made it impossible and difficult for the economy to proceed as it ought to be. If that is the major means of the earning of our foreign exchange, the consequence could only be imagined. To make matters worse, Nigeria operates a money economy, as a result of the dubious, irresponsible and criminally-minded economic policies of past administrations. Nigeria was only exporting crude oil, which is responsible for over 80 per cent of its earnings. The price is controlled by the international market and whatever happened is due to market forces, which Nigeria could not determine.
What is your assessment of Buhari?
The Buhari we used to know as military Head of State is not the same Buhari of today. One can understand that there is a difference in age when he first came on board in December 1983 and he came back 2015. So, one can understand the gap. My first impressiion, from all that I have seen, is that perhaps he is no more in control of his government. What has happened over the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is an indication that perhaps President Buhari is no more in control of his administration and that he heads a divided Presidency. We are all being treated as non-entity as a result of the disastrous consequence we had in the rejection the nomination of Magu by the Senate, in respect of one panel headed by the Attorney General of Federation (AGF). What this means is that Buhari did not do enough background check on Magu before he nominated him. That is an indictment on his leadership. Secondly, it does not helped his image that the Presidency sent a name to the Senate and yet another arm of the Presidency went ahead to write very pretentious and dubious report on the nominee of the President. They should not imagine that some of us are fools; the AGF is part of the divided Presidency and you are asking him to the report of your divided Presidency. That is one part of the story. Again, when I look at the way President Buhari has handled security matters so far and people are being beheaded, people are being killed massively, it leaves much to be desired. They say the perpetrators are herdsmen. In some instances, like in Benue, Adamawa, Taraba and Kaduna, it is like ethnic cleansing. They will set fire to the homes of the indigenous owners, when they try to escape they shot and kill them or slaughter them like fowls. They carried out this heinous act for many months until the belated action of the General Officer Commanding the First Division of the Army, who came to the rescue of the people of Southern Zaria. They have been telling us that they are on top of the situation. The most important function of government in any modern state is the protection of lives and properties. If it get to a situation where people had to resort to self-help, then government must have lost value. There is no doubt we have had a raw deal with the Nigerian Army generally, when they are not there directly, it is their agents, accolades, loyalists that they have sponsored. So, they are still in control and have done so much damage to our country.
The President’s anti-corruption stance has been criticised as one-sided. Where did government get it wrong?
Let President Buhari be reminded that the only worthy consideration he presently enjoys from both the international and the domestic scene is the significant view that he has committed himself to fight corruption as a marathon runner, rather than a relay-racer. No doubt, his government’s economic policy measures have not produced expected positive results. We remain within the bracket of war-ravaged areas of the world, in spite of our being the 8th largest exporter of crude oil for almost 25 years. We exported averagely two million barrels per day at $100 per barrel. Yet, Nigeria’s human development index statistics and our gross domestic product (GDP) analysis is within that of countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Burundi, Congo etc. Thus, Buhari should appreciate that throwing out Magu, the leader of the anti-graft agency, the EFCC, to be so humiliated by the Senate leadership cadre whose membership are being prosecuted for criminal offences by the EFCC is counter-productive and unhelpful to his (the President’s) image.
Buhari gave many former governors and other politically-exposed persons an undeserved platform to vent their anger against a productive public officer. Who else will want to be so vilified for helping Nigeria to tackle the menace that corruption has caused all of us. That the Nigerian state cannot provide any commensurate social services and infrastructure is because of corruption.
The resurgence of herdsmen mayhem in Adamawa,Taraba, Benue and Kaduna states and the insensitive silence of Mr. President is so worrisome that many constituents that we mobilised to vote for change from the then ruinous state of the nation under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are already questioning the genuineness of our theme messages. We are reminded that the herdsmen perhaps have the backing of President Buhari who in 2001/2002 visited the late Governor Lam Adesina of Oyo State to plead for the governor’s intervention on behalf of the Fulani herdsmen, who were being forced to appreciate that it was unacceptable for any group to continue to behave as outlaws, destroying other people’s economic means of livelihood in their native environment to satisfy their over-reaching misconduct as they treat others.
Furthermore, that the people of Southern Kaduna have been so in humanly-treated in the manner suggestive of possible ethnic cleansing agenda is eternally reprehensible and pregnant of dubious intention. And except, for the sane and lonely voice of the respected Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, senior government officials have exposed themselves to ridicule as lacking moral fibre befitting of their respected offices. The President should tell Nigerians why he kept silent and did nothing concrete till his recent feeble effort after the natives’ prolonged appeals for protection in their homeland was ignored. Is it that the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies have remained grossly incapable of providing him with actionable intelligence to prevent the unfortunate mayhem of several human decapitations, arson on people’s homes to drive them out of their native homes? That even law enforcement agents are being decapitated along with bloody civilians is traumatic and symptomatic of Nigeria’s return to the state of nature; that is terribly brutish.
How can government prevent religious crisis in the north?
The President should remember that Nigerian Christians are not a minority, neither are they inferior Nigerians. The APC will in a while from now need the votes of both Christians and Muslims to have a majority. The dubious claims that the crises in Kaduna have no religious connotations cannot stand the test of any credibility. The promoters of that sing-song are unfit for public offices they occupy.
President Buhari should help himself by bringing close to himself those who can be honest to advise him properly that the state of the nation is precarious, not just because of his own recent mis-directions, but with accumulated misadventure of governance under President Jonathan.
This is the time to critically accept the fact that national restructuring has become a compelling necessity. Nigeria secured its independence in 1960 under a federal constitutional arrangement. Retired Justice Dahiru Mustafa, former Chief Justice of Nigeria’s honest advice in Abeokuta last year during Alhaji Alani Bankole’s birthday lecture that Nigeria is more divided today than it was in 1960 and that it was imperative for Nigeria to sit together to renegotiate our terms of mutual co-existence is a just, responsible and patriotic advice. President’s usual feeling that the civil war has finalised our national misgivings is inconsistent with current realities. Self determination is the anthem of this millennium. Those who selfishly question the fides of those campaigning for the restructuring of this currently warped, skewed and lopsided configuration are no more patriotic. That some of them are beneficiaries of the dubious advantages manipulated for them by Britain, the hegemonic colonial overlord. We should stop denigrating MASSOB,IPOB, Niger Delta Avenger, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) etc, the country need to sit down to review their agitations.

January 25, 2017
Nigerians urged to join Buhari’s anti-corruption drive

The Sustainable Nigerian Movement (SNIM) has called on all Nigerians to join and participate actively in the anti corruption drive of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The National Leader of SNIM, Arimoro Kayode, stated this yesterday during a news conference in Abuja.
Kayode said that corruption will continue to plague if well meaning Nigerians just sit and watch those who have hijacked the fight for their selfish gains to continue to be the driving force of the society. He said that the menace seems to be thriving in spite of the Federal Government’s efforts to fight corruption, non has been convicted of corruption crime, even though it is glaring that most of the officials accused of corruption are truly guilty of it.
“We have noticed that the government’s efforts in reducing corruption have been hijacked by those that should indeed protect the people as seen in the bills the Senate passed to alter the workings of the CCT and CCB, and the action against the whistle blower Hon Jibrin in the lower chamber.
“The judiciary and the legislative arm have formed a cartel which ensures that the anti corruption war remains a charade unless those who truly own the power do the needful. We demand that sitting allowances of Senators and House of representatives shall only be paid for passing bills that affect the lives of citizens positively after three results,” he said.
The group also called for an end to the ethno religious crisis ravaging the country, saying they are politically motivated to distract Nigerians. “The effect of corruption cannot be separated from the actions of the insurgents, the killing of innocent individuals in the name of religion, the continuous suffering of the IDP’s despite funds being released to take care of them, lack of electricity and high inflation,” he said.

January 22, 2017
CBN policies serve best interest of Nigerians, says Emefiele

The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele has debunked the insinuations in some quarters that policies of the government were meant to benefit few in the society.

He said instead, the policies were designed to serve the best interest of majority of Nigerians.

Emefiele, who was responding to concerns raised by a panelist at the Annual Media Trust Dialogue in Abuja yesterday, noted that “policies were put in place to help Nigeria pull through the hard time.”

He observed that the country found itself in the present situation due to lack of appropriate commitment to economic diversification, especially when the earnings from oil were as high as $140 per barrel.

He noted that earnings of the government that had risen to $3.2 billion and fell to about $500 million per month recently.

According to him, there was also a time when the crude oil price stabilised at $105 per barrel over a period of five years.

He asked rhetorically: “What did we do with the huge accretion to the reserves then?”

Emefiele therefore, counseled the critics of the CBN and government policies that “priority will be given to Nigerian masses by managing the limited resources to provide for industrial raw materials, plants and equipment and agricultural inputs in order to create employment and generate wealth.”

One of the panelists, Atedo Peterside, had raised concern that the foreign exchange policies of the CBN is hurting business interests. The CBN governor responded that policy makers don’t make policies in isolation or designed to hurt the citizenry but with the objectives to improve the life of all concerned not just for a few powerful and rich individuals. t

January 20, 2017
LEASHED GIRLS’ SAGA: NIGERIANS REJECT THE BDSM LIFESTYLE

Entertainment Editor, VICTOR AKANDE, reports that in the gritty underworld of BDSM, human leashing is a form of sexual expression and Pretty Mike’s outing might just be a subtle expression of his violent emotion behind doors

ALTHOUGH a practice is so old abroad, it came across as a culture shock to many, seeing two masked girls, leashed by a club owner, Mike Nwogu, otherwise called Pretty Mike, who made a show of the act as he arrived a ceremony in Lagos.

For those who have not witnessed it for real, it is a sort of child’s play seeing ladies leashed in musical videos. While this has remained fictional to some, it has some kind of literary connotation to others, especially where the theme of a song fondles slave trade and the philosophy of human freedom and democracy.

But this is new and bizarre to Nigerians. Thus, the Lagos State government and Police moved quickly to stem it from becoming a norm.

Consequently, the Lagos State Police Command, Wednesday, quizzed the suspect who admitted his transgression and promised to desist from the act.

Nwogu, 30, and owner of ‘Club Uno’, located in Ikeja, Lagos was arrested on the orders of the Lagos State Government.

It was the second time Nwogu was stepping out in that fashion which has been condemned by many who called on government to step into the matter.

Reports say the suspect was released after giving useful statement to the police with an undertaking to desist from putting any woman or man on a leash again.

The undertaking reads in part: “I, Mike Eze Nwalie, A.K.A Pretty Mike of 21A Magodo GRA, Luma Street, do hereby undertake to stop whatever act of putting girls on a leash or any other degrading treatment to ladies and guys.

“I am aware that such act offends the law of the Lagos State and if I repeat it again, there will be legal act towards me.

“I undertake to issue a letter of apology to the public effective from tomorrow on all my social media platforms.”

Speaking on the matter, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said the State Government will not tolerate any anti-social behavior that attempt to dehumanize any citizen in the state.

Kazeem restated government’s determination to prosecute any individual or group of persons who violate any law of the State under any guise.

“The Lagos State government is committed to the protection of the rights of all citizens, including children, women and all the vulnerable persons in the state,” he said.

The outcry that led to Nwogu’s arrest

.Pretty Mike with his leashed girls during a previous outing

THE self-acclaimed Pretty Mike caught the ire of social media fans for what they described as inhuman, criminal, and barbaric, while others lashed the girls for playing the slave to money and lacking woman dignity and pride.

Cyber comments range from jokes to expressions of genuine concern.

The outrage by those who found the act quite offensive, and have been asking human rights activists and the law enforcement agencies to step in have been met with counter reactions by those who argue that both parties are adults ( even though the actual age of the masked girls could not be determined) who have consented to the deal.

‘Girls on a leash? Hahahahaha… I laugh. No, I don’t laugh at the idiotic ‘master’ and owner of the bitches but I laugh at the silliest bingos ever liveth for actually allowing such debasing treatment,’ said one Facebook user.

Disclosing that the girls actually get auditioned for the job and ‘foolishly smile’ home with a paltry N30, 000 for each outing, another contributor said, ‘The male he-goat I hear isn’t even the sponsor of the weddings he attends and he has become peculiar for such annoyingly debasing act…what a shame!’

For one user who mocked the girls for thinking they are ‘earning a honest living being used as human puppies’, he stressed that ‘advocates of feminism will be rolling with pain right now!”

For yet another, half of Nigerian girls will do the same for ‘good’ money. The contributor said: ‘Cover your face, no one recognises you, for N10m half of Nigerian women will do what these girls are doing. Now you will say oh that’s N10m. N50, 000 to some people is N50, 000, 000 to some. It is all relative.’

This was just as another argued that there is no crime whatsoever in the act. ‘Who should arrest him? Are they minors who are held or led against their will? They are adults catching their fun the way they understand it. They have not broken any law,’ he said.

Kemi Olunloyo: In defense of Leashed Chics’ lifestyle

.Kemi Olunloyo

MEDIA personality, Kemi Olunloyo who claims to know more about the trend has labeled critics of the leashed girls’ act illiterates.

In a repost by Pretty Mike from her @hnnafrica, Olunloyo, daughter of former governor of Oyo State said, “…this is not new. Most of you in Nigeria are illiterates and not exposed to the world. The 30% that actually learn the globe from me will know that leashed chics is a STYLE so old abroad! Even the runway models use it in #Paris catwalk shows. “Rapper JD Era showed up at the Stylus awards one year ago in Canada with his girlfriend attached to his doggie leash style. We all laughed on the #redcarpet telling him that he was too protective. Leashed girls have been going on forever in the modern world. Some of you are screaming women’s rights, human rights… Have you tried asking the chics if they are uncomfortable? They are not complaining. Stop the f..kng and let @prettymikeclubuno enjoy his life.’

She urged Pretty Mike to send his contact so she could attend his club. “Mike please DM me your digits,” she said. “I want you to bring me to your club to host soon. Ratings will shatter. I wanna meet my #Lagos fans in that very club. Let’s make it happen. And for you enemies of progress watch your puppies and bitches instead of Mike’s leashed chics. Illiteracy is deep but ignorance does not EXCUSE STUPIDITY.” She lashed.

The man as ‘victim’ of leashing

.Woman leashes husband in China

FOR those who see the act as one of the problems that put the woman at the receiving end, the story was told of how a woman takes her male companion for a walk on a dog leash in China. This happened four months before the Nigerian incident.

They duo were spotted walking on the streets of Fuzhou on September 9 last year. The man was crawling on the floor and attached to a leash like a dog. At one point the woman even patted the man on the head. Police had to be called as the pair had caused a traffic jam.

In the story published by Mailonline on September 12, 2016, the outrage was perhaps more than what obtains in the Nigerian version. Indeed, the China situation was more pathetic as the man was made to crawl on his hands and knees.

While the people were persuading her to untie the rope and free the man, she said to the crowd: “he is not a person, he is a dog.’

Photos of the incident were posted on China’s social media site Weibo on September 9 under the topic ‘things around Fuzhou.’

Just as in the Nigerian case, people commented on the post, confused about what happened.

One user wrote: ‘Imagine how their parents feel when they saw this.’

While another said: ‘Where is the dignity of men?’

And one user commented: ‘If he were a dog, why does he wear clothes?’

Reports say the reason for the woman’s behaviour remains unknown.

Act is a BDSM practice

.Man seen with leashed partner at the Staten Island Mall, U.S

SOMETIME in 2015, photos of a woman being led on a leash through the Staten Island Mall in New Springville ignited similar debate on social media.

Silive.com reported that the man was seen holding a woman on a leash in what appears to be either a prank, a tryout for a reality TV show or an all-too-public display of sadomasochism.

Management of the Mall merely asked the couple to leave the premises and they did.

Photos and videos of the couple at other locations on Staten Island also made the rounds on social media.

Here’s what a supporter of the act says: “Don’t judge what you don’t know. It’s a BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) Lifestyle. THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM. As I am into BDSM as well, I love that they are so open. And don’t care what others think of them. You may not realise it, but a BDSM relationship calls for so much trust and honesty. The Lifestyle Motto is “Safe. Sane. Consensual.” I see nothing wrong with this at all. But at the same time, I don’t like how it’s bringing negative attention to the Lifestyle, with Vanilla people thinking its abuse or that she is in trouble. It’s not. A good Handler/Dom/Mistress/MommyDaddy/Top always takes care of their Pet/subbie/little Girl/Little Boy/Bottom.

He reasoned that as long as they are not hurting anyone, they should be left alone, saying, “I’d much rather have them – even as neighbors – then some of the garbage seen about…”

But another use disagreed saying, “I know people are saying they are free to do what they want, but my problem with this whole thing is it is very degrading to women. So just like they may have a right to do what they want; people likewise have the same right to complain this is just so wrong…”

“No! She’s not degrading to woman,” another retorted. “She does not represent ALL womankind, any more than any other single woman.”

Indeed, counter reactions to the practice of human leashing is the same around the world. Even in ‘liberal’ societies, people have been going against the norm for centuries, that doesn’t mean we have to be subject to it in a public place frequented by children, their parents and seniors who might find this kind of self-expression disturbing.

Getting social reaction by shock is nothing new, the reward of becoming a viral sensation is all the more reason for these “artists” to force their creativity on the rest of us.

Researchers say human leashing is a function of sexual arousal

.Tools of BDSM practice

WHILE it is not certain if the leashed Nigerian girls are Pretty Mike’s lovers, scientists have identified that the act is a BDSM syndrome, traceable to cats.

They say there’s a bug in cat brains that makes BDSM a turn-on, and the leashed woman or man might just be cool with the act which many perceive as bondage.

The experts have uncovered Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, to be linked to sexual arousal by fear, violence and danger in humans. And Pretty Mike and partners’ social outing might just be a subtle extension of a violent display of emotions behind the doors.

The animals are said to transmit the Toxoplasma gondii to humans most commonly through their faeces.

Scientists did a study of 36,564 people in Slovakia and the Czech Republic – looking at both those infected with Toxoplasma and those parasite-free.

It found that “infected subjects are more often aroused by their own fear, danger, and sexual submission.”

Researchers discovered that people with Toxoplasma have a “higher attraction to bondage, violence and, in men, to masochism and raping.”

Recordings of people with the parasite are however said to be remarkably low.

January 14, 2017
ALIBABA GIFTS NIGERIANS AT ‘JANUARY 1ST CONCERT’

IT was a night of laughter, music and gifting at the third edition of Alibaba’s ‘January 1st Concert’ where a comedian and a fashion designer won a brand new car and brand new sewing machine respectively. The comedy show which held on Sunday at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos was attended by hundreds of fans, A-list celebrities and socialites.

Ensuring no dull moments, popular comedians – Gbenga Adeyinka, Teju Babyface, Bash, Seyi Law, AY, Nedu, Yibo Koko and Alibaba himself– took part in a freestyle roast. Other comedians who performed were MC Abbey, Omobaba, Akpororo, Kenny Blaq, Lafup, Grand Komanda, Woli Arole, Short family, and comedian Wahala who imitated ex-first lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan.

The night was also spiced up with musical performances by Olamide, Niyola, Waje, Omawunmi, CDQ, Harry Song, Patoranking, Timaya, Niyola, Tiwa Savage and Ycee.

Up and coming comedians also had an opportunity to showcase their talents and slug it out on ‘Spontaneity’, a competition where each contestant is tested by joking about random words from the audience. Laff Doctor emerged winner, going home with a brand new car.

A segment of the concert also had fashion designers exert their skills by sewing attires for volunteers in the audience within three hours; after which the winner was decided and rewarded with a brand new sewing machine and cash while the runners-up got cash.

Some dignitaries at the event were former first lady of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola, Mary Akpobome, Patrick Doyle, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Hafeez Oyetoro, Doris Simeon, Faithia Balogun, Richard Mofe-Damijo, 2Baba, Mercy Aigbe, Iyabo Ojo, Toyin Aimakhu and Yaw.

January 7, 2017
South Africa PDP chieftain charges Nigerians on hard work

The Deputy Chairman of the People Democratic Party (PDP) , Johannesburg Branch, South Africa, Hon Jeffrey Obazee has called on Nigerians to shun all forms of idleness, be prudent in their business and develop strategies for greater productivity in 2017.

Obazee who stated this in his New Year message said with 2017 and with the New Year comes new goals and resolutions that will compel and propel us unto great achievements which can only be achieved through dint of hard work and perseverance.

He noted that with new resolutions comes new and daunting challenges, but said there’s no need to fret based on the Biblical scripture that” seeth a man diligent in his work, he shall stand before kings.”

According to him, to thrive in 2017, “we must have the right mindset, faith and pro-activeness. We must believe in hard work; because, hard work still pays. Nothing good comes easy. In all our endeavors and public relations, we must shun violence, but dialogue on the altar of compromise and diplomacy.”

He said it is not farfetched that the challenges of the present government has “ruptured the economy, subjecting her to wallows in a state of recession, thereby putting the unsuspecting public under morbid anxiety as to what tomorrow holds.”

Obazee said “we must keep faith and continue to pray for our nation, we must also intercede to God on behalf of the President for God to grant him wisdom, knowledge, understanding and direction”.

He appealed to the leaders, statesmen and party faithful of The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to put away all differences, embrace compromise and statesmanship.

“We need to oblige a harmonious consensus that will orchestrate a holistic resolution and present to the People’s Democratic Party and by extension the nation at large, a hands-on, proactive, intelligent and an experienced candidates with good leadership qualities, to run for president in 2019 election. We need someone with a distinguished personality strong enough to make policies and take decisions that will restore our great Nation Nigeria to her best,” he said.

Obazee commended the courage of the PDP Candidate in the 2016 Edo Governorship Election, Pastor Ize Iyamu for his strong character and tenacity in pursuing his case quietly at the Election Tribunal holding in Benin City Edo State, based on alleged irregularities that recorded during the recently concluded gubernatorial election in Edo State.

According to him, the mandate as PDP South Africa Chapter is to bridge the gap between Nigerians in diaspora and our government back home

January 4, 2017