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Tag: safe?

  • Okra is safe for men, says Iwu

    Okra contains a wide range of nutrients at good levels. It has a lot of health benefits including spermicidal activity. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA writes.

    Contrary to belief, okra is good for men, former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Maurine Iwu has said.

    Iwu, a pharmacologist and Chairman, Bioresources Development Group said once the base of the okra is removed, it could be taken by men. Many men shy away from taking okra because of the belief that it weakens their libido and makes sperm watery.

    But Iwu said okra (Abelmoschus esculentus syn. Hibiscus esculentus) contains a wide range of nutrients. It has high vitamin C and folate levels and also contains good amount of magnesium, manganese copper and small but useful amount of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin E. The base acts as a spermicide.

    He said: “Research has demonstrated that okra may have a cholesterol-lowering effect, possibly due to its fibre content. It has also been investigated for its anti-inflammatory properties.

    “It has been hypothesised that the binding of bile acids to fibre is one of the mechanisms by which fibre exerts a cholesterol-lowering effect. Bile acids are synthesised from cholesterol by the liver, but when bound to fibre are excreted. To compensate for this loss, serum cholesterol is converted by the liver into bile acids, thus lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood. An in vitro study into the bile acid-binding capability of okra, beets, asparagus, eggplant, turnips, green beans, carrots and cauliflower found that okra was significantly more effective than all other vegetables.”

    A research work entitled:  ‘Plant and Food Research Confidential Report No. 2325’, has proven that Okra has cholesterol reducing property. The research stated that Okra was included for its viscous fibre content (0.39 g/100 g FW) in a study comparing the effects of a cholesterol-lowering diet with that of lovostatin (a common statin).

    Prof Iwu said Okra improves skin health, as one study investigated the effect of polysaccharides derived from different food sources, including okra as skin therapies.  It was found that rhamnogalacturonans from okra increase keratinocyte proliferation in vitro, thereby potentially aiding in skin healing and rejuvenation.

    “This plant has Anti-inflammatory activity. The products of 5-lipoxygenase mediate allergic and inflammatory responses. These products are implicated in the development of a number of diseases, including thrombosis, atherosclerosis, inflammatory diseases and allergies such as asthma. Sekiya (1997) investigated 90 foods as possible inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase as well as 12-lipoxygenase and cycloxygenase and okra was one of a small group found to inhibit 5- lipoxygenase activity.”

    And for those with ulcer, they might find respite in Okra as its Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity has been established.

    “Okra is a traditional Asian treatment for gastric problems, on account of its mucilaginous content Lengsfeld et al. (2004) investigated the effect of various okra extracts on the bacteria, H. pylori, a known cause of chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers and stomach cancer. Using an adhesion model based on sections of human gastric mucosa, this study found that pretreatment of the bacteria with a preparation of fresh okra juice inhibited the bacterial adhesion almost completely. However, freeze drying and reconstituting the juice reduces its effectiveness.”

    Prof Iwu encouraged Nigerians to go back to the basics-natural food, as he said, “It is good to juice your fruits and cook your vegetables,”.

  • Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir safe in Nigeria

    Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir safe in Nigeria

    Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who arrived in Abuja last night for a health summit, should have no fear of arrest, it was learnt yesterday.

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued warrants for al-Bashir’s arrest. Nigeria has been urged to execute the warrant, but the Federal Government has said it will not – in line with a resolution of the African Union (AU).

    The government’s stand is that since the AU has not rescinded its July 2009 Resolution in Libya, al-Bashir has immunity from arrest in Nigeria.

    According to a top source in government, who spoke in confidence, although Nigeria has subscribed to Article 98 of the ICC, it will stick to the AU decision.

    The source said: “It is true that Nigeria and more than 30 other African countries have subscribed to the Rome statutes and treaty obligation to arrest al-Bashir, but there is a subsisting appeal to the UN to reconsider the prosecution of the Sudanese leader.

    “Up till now, the UN has not responded to the appeal of the AU on al-Bashir. So, the status quo remains.

    “Based on the need to enforce status quo ante bellum, the AU in 2009 in Libya passed a resolution on its position on al-Bashir’s trial by the ICC. That resolution, which allows al-Bashir free access to any part of Africa, is still binding on all AU members. The resolution has not been vacated till today.

    “This explains why some African countries have allowed Omar al-Bashir to visit their countries in the last few years.”

    The source quoted the AU Resolution as follows: “[The AU] decides that in view of the fact that a request of the African Union [to defer al-Bashir’s indictment] has never been acted upon, the AU member states shall not co-operate pursuant to the provisions of Article 98 of the Rome Statute of the ICC relating to immunities for the arrest and surrender of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to the ICC.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “As a leader of a sovereign country, al-Bashir enjoys immunity; we cannot go out of our way to arrest him in Nigeria.”

    But Human Rights Watch urged authorities in Abuja to arrest him for war crimes charges.

    “Bashir left today for the Nigerian capital Abuja to participate in the African Union summit about HIV, TB and malaria to be held over two days,” the state SUNA news agency said.

    Nigeria is a member of The Hague-based ICC, which in 2009 and 2010 issued two warrants against Bashir for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Sudan’s Darfur region.

    His visit marks “a real test of Nigeria’s commitment to the ICC”, Elise Keppler, associate director of the International Justice Programme at Human Rights Watch, told AFP ahead of al-Bashir’s trip.

    Some ICC members including Chad, Djibouti and Kenya, have allowed visits by Bashir, but others, such as Botswana, South Africa and Uganda, have ensured that he stays away.

    Some states “have found a way out of this problem and Nigeria should do the same”, Keppler said, urging Nigeria to arrest al-Bashir if he sets foot in the country.

    Nations that have signed on to the world’s only permanent court for war crimes and crimes against humanity have a legal obligation to arrest any indicted suspect found within their territory.

  • How safe is your feminine heart?

    IT didn’t raise any red flag in Mrs. Bunmi Adekeye’s mind when she began noticing how quickly she got tired after doing every little activity. She had no symptoms.

    So when she travelled to the United Kingdom to seek greener pastures and was asked to go for a routine medical check-up as part of the requirements for employment, it was with shock she received the news that she had a life-threatening hole in her heart.

    Too scared to deal with the information, she bought a few drugs and ignored it.

    By the time Bunmi, a mother of three, was brought to the hospital five years later, she was in a wheel chair with irregular heart palpitations, a climbing blood pressure and she couldn’t carry on a conversation without sweating.

    A battery of tests revealed Bunmi had a malfunctioning heart valve, which trapped the blood in her heart and stopped it from flowing. As a result, the large blood vessel that pumps blood from the heart to the rest of the body was beginning to bulge like an overfilled water balloon. Left untreated, the artery might burst and kill her.

    Bunmi, at 39 years of age, had to undergo an open heart surgery, but more importantly, she needed to find a heart donor that would match.

    N9million and six successful surgeries later, she is almost as healthy as she was before her illness, only this time, she would spend a large chunk of her money paying for quarterly medical check-ups each year for the rest of her life.

    Dr. Eunice Alegbe, a medical practitioner at Health Sinai Diagnostic calls Bunmi lucky; “What she went through is actually something that is becoming a regular occurrence. I cannot count the number of times patients come to the hospital at the last minute after they have tried every other means. And when they come, they want us to perform some kind of miracle!

    “Sometimes, they show up at the beginning, you run a check-up and you will not see them again. Next thing you hear is they have passed on. The lady was just fortunate to be in an environment where she could quickly access good medical treatment, if not I do not know what her story would have been.”

    Ignoring the symptoms of an ailment can be unhelpful. Even if a woman needs to pray for a miracle, it would be great if she identifies them and starts praying on time.

  • Third Mainland Bridge is safe, says govt

    Third Mainland Bridge is safe, says govt

    THE Federal Government has allayed fears of imminent collapse of the Third Mainland Bridge.

    Describing the bridge as “safe”, it said an assessment would soon be conducted to determine the “extent of maintenance work the road requires”.

    The Senate has given its Committee on Works two weeks to investigate how safe the bridge is.

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa, representing Lagos East, who raised the alarm over the bridge at plenary last week, told reporters in Lagos yesterday that the probe would ascertain the veracity of his claim.

    He dismissed insinuations he raised a false alarm.

    Ashafa said: “How can someone say the issue is political? Nigerians across all ethnic groups ply that bridge on a daily basis. About 70, 000 vehicles use the bridge daily; a disaster on it will affect all of us.

    “Just like the Dana Crash where some people came after the crash to say that they had complained about the plane and nothing was done, we don’t want medicine after death. This is about the safety of Nigerians”.

    Ashafa said Prof JHT Kim, Head of Concrete Structural Engineering Laboratory, Yousei University, Seoul, Korea, came in December 2012 to conduct an underwater examination of the structures holding the bridge and reported that the damages to the structure were worse than what he was briefed about.

    He said the repairs embarked upon during the last quarter of last year by the Ministry of Works were mere window dressing on the expansion joints.

    Dismissing fear, that the bridge may collapse soon, the Director of Highways Design (Bridges), Federal Ministry of Works, Aniete Effiong said: “The Ministry has taken proactive steps in line with its mandate to ensure that the Third Mainland Bridge is protected and kept in an acceptable service state.

    “Following reports of oscillation and excessive vibrations of the bridge under traffic load, the Federal Ministry of Works in 2008 engaged the services of Messrs JBN Plc. to conduct preliminary investigations of the structure and later Dynamic tests were carried out by Messrs 4EMME, an internationally acclaimed Bridge Engineering Consulting firm. He stressed that the reports of the investigations and tests at the time indicated that the bridge was structurally adequate but required the replacement of bad expansion joints and bearings which Messrs Borini Prono & Co. Nigeria Ltd., has just done.”

    “To safeguard the integrity of the bridge, the ministry has commenced the process of engaging a consultant to urgently carry out investigation/assessment on the entire bridge substructure so as to determine the extent of maintenance work required”, he said, adding that the bridge is safe.

  • Staying on the safe side of fires

    Staying on the safe side of fires

    Fire, usually deployed for human use has often been the source of calamities. Joe Agbro Jr. in this report touches on preparations to contain this risk

    When there is a fire, don’t panic. And don’t run,” Nicholas Laye quipped to the hall full of teachers, proprietors, and administrators last week while delivering a keynote address at the safety compliance conference organised by Lagos State Safety Commission (LSC) in collaboration with Lagos State ministries of education, women affairs and poverty alleviation, and Schoolrun consult. The event, the first of its kind for private schools, took place in the six educational districts of the state with the theme, ‘Safety culture and compliance.’

    Speaking on what he called the Nigerian perspective, Laye, who has worked in Russia, Turkey, and Abuja, dwelled on fire risks, bomb threats, intruder alerts, maintenance, classroom safety, and excursions. And in ‘setting up a safety management system’ Laye advised that such “systems should not be ad-hoc.”

    While none of the risks are trivial, the potency of bomb threats and fires loom higher in Nigeria. In the North East, bomb threats have lingered for the past three years, but all over the nation, fire incidents occur on a daily basis. Some of the worst fire outbreaks include the fire which killed 30 students at the girls’ hostel of Gindiri Girls School, near Jos, Plateau State in 2001. There was also the fire incident in 2002 at Ikorodu, Lagos where 25 workers died in a Chinese plastic factory. Investigations had revealed that the plastic factory was an illegal construction.

    And last year, according to figures from the Federal Fire Service, Lagos recorded 188 fire incidents. In Abuja, 69 people died in fire incidents in 2012 while the Abuja Fire Service received 486 fire calls. In Rivers State, 223 people died in fire incidents between January and November 2012 while properties worth N1.26bn were destroyed. In Oyo State, 38 people died in fire incidents in 2012 while properties worth about N1b were lost. And in Osun State, 31 people died in fire incidents while property worth N227m were lost.

    In 2013, fires have started devouring lives and properties already. In Oyo State, about 300 shops went up in flames at Agbowo market, Ibadan. Also, a section of the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III was also gutted on January 8. In Lagos, Makoko in Yaba, the Oko Oba Timber Market and Igando road, Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area, (LCDA), have also experienced fire incidents. In Ogun State, a pipeline explosion occurred at Arepo village, Owode, killing over 50 suspected vandals.

    According to the Rivers State Director of Fire Service, Oshogharhe Powa, most of the fires in the state occurred in residential buildings, especially houses built with woods and zinc, from electrical spark caused by illegal connection. “Some residents also caused the fire by refilling kerosene in their cooking stove and lanterns while they were on and some used candle light without holding it with the right stand,’’ he said.

    Also, the use of sub-standard electrical equipment was responsible for most of the fires in Osun State, according to the Director of the Osun State Fire Service, Timothy Ogunje.

    Striving for safety

    According to the Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi, “what we realise is that people either deliberately or out of ignorance actually do not consider accepting any risks around them at all. We had to start re-orientating everyone.”

    Currently, the commission is concentrating efforts on public spaces such as work places, events centres, and schools. But, believing in the mantra of prevention, it is also beaming the safety light on construction sites. The commission also works in the area of building control and permit. Working with stakeholders, and in line with the building code, it has come out with a construction safety guideline. “In there,” Mrs. Odebunmi said, “we have input from the building control agencies and input from the planning.”

    “Right now, we are working with building agencies to go out and do on-the-spot checks. We have also sent out agents to go into various buildings, ongoing construction sites across the state to inspect. As I speak, we have covered over a 1, 000 (construction) sites. And we have sanctioned some of them and their cases are being treated by the legal department of the safety commission – the ones that have showed outright negligence to the guidelines that we have given them.”

    Prevention

    Relating an incident he witnessed about likely causes of fires in nightclubs, Taiwo said, “what people do now is that when you purchase a bottle of champagne, they bring it to your table with flares. You need to look at the flares to make sure they are not external flares because these things can cause a fire. Also, smoking is allowed in nightclubs and that can start a fire. And then, they sell spirits which can help fire to burn.”

    Sounding a note of warning, Taiwo said;.“When there is a need to be evacuated in an emergency, it is not the cause of fire or the reason for evacuation of people that will kill people, but the fact that people would try and get out as quickly as possible and the access way for them to get out is too small for the number of people in there. And so, you have an issue of stampede. These are some of the things the building code looks at but some people won’t follow it.”

    Recently a Brazilian nightclub fire killed over 234 people, most aged between 16 and 20. Commenting on the incident, she said, “that is worse than plane crash.”

    The buildings

    According to Odebunmi “if you look into that incident, the capacity of the nightclub was 1, 000 and they had a population of over 2, 000 which means 1, 000 persons in excess.”

    Speaking on the requirement for extinguishers, Taiwo said, “waiting for firemen to put off the fires should be the last resort.”

    According to Mrs. BC Akin Alabi, lead consultant of the Lagos State School Safety Compliance Initiative and principal consultant for Schoolrun consult, the conference which was targeted at school teachers, administrators, and proprietors was timely because of recurring safety hazards in schools.

    Speaking on the building codes, Taiwo said that while government cannot carry out risk assessment for all buildings, “there are common things that we can look at.”

    While adhering to the building code, there is need for caution. Already, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Fire Service, Olusegun Okebiorun, has warned Nigerians to be more safety conscious even as the service intends to enforce the National Fire Safety Code (NFC) on all public buildings.

    The arrival of harmatan has made this crucial and necessary for all to watch how they handle fire.

     

  • Edo is safe, say govt, police

    The Edo State Government yesterday faulted the travel advisory given by the United States to its citizens not to travel to the state because of alleged insecurity.

    The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the United States Department banned its citizens from travelling to 10 states, including Edo, because “the security situation in Nigeria remains fluid and unpredictable.”

    But the government said Edo is the safest state in the Southsouth.

    The state made the clarification in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Julius Ihonvbere.

    It said it was unbelievable that the advisory left out some states which had been recording violent crimes daily.

    The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to a travel advisory by the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US Department of State, which listed Edo State as unsafe for visitors.

    “We find it laughable that Edo State is on the list and this might suggest that the US Department of State is not in tune with events in Nigeria.

    “While we are unclear on the parameters used, we, however, make bold to state that Edo State is the safest in the Southsouth and one of the safest in the country.

    “This can be confirmed from the security agencies.

    “It beats the imagination that some states which record violent crimes daily in the country are excluded from the list.

    “But, Edo which has been hailed by all, including the World Bank, is included on the offensive list.

    “Those who come to equity must do so with clean hands. If the Department of State could include Edo on its advisory list, then it should also issue a travel warning to citizens of the world to avoid Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were killed in their classrooms two weeks ago.

    “It would do good to also issue a travel advisory to New Jersey which, according to the Cable News network (CNN), “has suffered 65 violent deaths in 2012” and to Philadelphia where “the year-to-date total of homicides is 322. Last year, 324 were killed.”

    The statement added that Governor Adams Oshiomhole had done much to improve the security situation in the state than any government.

    The statement said: “While we concede that the security of lives and property is an integral part of development, we make bold to state that no society is eternally perfect.

    “There is no gainsaying the fact that the present administration has invested in security more than its predecessors and the gains of such investment are there for all to see.

    “The Edo State Government, therefore, rejects the travel warning and wishes to assure Edo sons and daughters and other visitors of their safety in the state.”

    Also the Acting Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Hurdi, yesterday kicked against the warning.

    Hurdi said no foreigner has been kidnapped or robbed in the state to warrant such travel warnings.

    He told The Nation that security operatives were on a 24-hour alert to curb criminal activities.

    The police boss said the state was safe and that his men were ready to combat any crime.

  • Nigeria’s safe, says Presidency as gunmen attack churches, police, others

    Nigeria’s safe, says Presidency as gunmen attack churches, police, others

    Despite the recent upsurge in the activities of gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram, the government yesterday assured Nigerians and the international community that the country is safe.

    Government also said it had acquired sophisticated equipment to carry out proper intelligence gathering to nip activities of gunmen in the bud.

    Yesterday, about 50 gunmen attacked a Borno state town which shares border with Cameroun. Three churches, a police station and an office of Nigerian Immigration Service were attacked. The churches were set on fire by men chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).

    Last week, gunmen attacked a church inside the top military training institution – the Command and Staff College, Jaji in Kaduna State – which also houses a military post and the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) facility in Abuja where inmates were freed.

    Auchi, the major town in Edo North, was under bombardment of gunmen who attacked a police station, banks and other places in hours of raid.

    But, in a statement by Dr. Doyin Okupe, the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, The Presidency said everything is under control.

    The statement said: “In the last few days the nation has witnessed attacks in strategic places-The Military Church in Jaji and the SARS Headquarters in Abuja.

    “It is in the character of insurgency worldwide to audaciously attack institutions that will promote maximum fears in the heart of the citizenry. It will be recalled that in its last days, the IRA bombed the hotel in which the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher and core members of her Cabinet were holding a meeting.

    “It is not surprising therefore that as a consequence of the recent activities of the insurgents; some dailies reported that “nowhere Is safe in Nigeria.” In truth and in reality this statement is not correct.

    “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan wishes to assure Nigerians that in spite of this situation, the country is still largely safe and secure.

    “President Jonathan wishes to state categorically of his unwavering commitment and determination to fight insecurity wherever they are found in Nigeria.

    “Government efforts and preparedness will be further enhanced to ensure the security of lives and property of all Nigerians, irrespective of their locations within the country.

    “As for intelligence gathering, the Government has acquired and deployed highly sophisticated security equipment and members of the security agencies have received and continue to receive adequate training such that our intelligence gathering capacity has witnessed a monumental increase in capacity to gather information.

    “This is why over 70 per cent of the activities of the Boko Haram and other sinister plans are aborted before they occur. But, unfortunately, these are not made known to members of the public.

    “The President wishes to assure Nigerians that Government will not rest but will continue to work tirelessly with all the security agencies in the country to bring to a complete end as soon as possible, cases of insecurity, while those found guilty to have perpetrated criminality and acts of terrorism either by promoting it actively or passively engaged in it, are made to face the full wrath of the law.

    “However, it is in times like this that we need the fire of patriotism naturally within us as Nigerians, as individual citizens, organisations including the media, to bring us together as a nation and rally round the Government in its efforts to root out the criminal elements within our society.

    “We should not allow fear and despair to overcome us rather we should draw strength from our well-known spirit of nationalism and forebearance to support the Government and the security agencies in their effort to curb the menace.

    “The media particularly should join hands and key-in into the transformation agenda and ensure that sensational reports that could tarnish our image and bring the country into disrepute and create anxiety and panic are avoided as much as possible.

    “This Government is committed to moving the country forward. The reform in the power, Agricultural sector and current infrastructural rehabilitation and development are taking shape and these will encourage the growth of local enterprise and increase in foreign direct investment in an unprecedented manner which will in turn provide more jobs, create wealth amongst the citizenry and reduce tendencies towards criminality and other social malaise in our nation.”

    According to residents of Gamboru Ngala – 140 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the gunmen set fire to churches and the border post office. But it could not be ascertained if there were casualties.

    Around 50 gunmen in cars and on motorcycles carried out the attacks on three churches and opened fire on policemen while chanting Allahu Akbar (God is Great).

    Among the security posts burned were offices for immigration, customs and the secret police and a quarantine building in the town.

    “The gunmen believed to be Boko Haram were around 50 in number and came in cars and on motorcyles around 8:30 am and attacked the security offices at the border posts, burning them,” resident Modugana Ibrahim told AFP.

    “They opened fire on the security personnel but it is hard to say if anybody was hurt or killed,” Ibrahim said.

    Another resident, Hamidu Ahmad, said the gunmen went into town “chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and burnt down the divisional police station and three churches”.

  • I want a man I can feel safe with —Nse Etim Ikpe

    I want a man I can feel safe with —Nse Etim Ikpe

    Nollywood sensation, Nse Ikpe-Etim, is one actress that you can’t ignore. Whether it’s her impeccable diction or her sense of humour, Nse is a sweetheart that gets you cracked up each time you come across her. Witty and assertive, her profile continues to rise steadily in the midst of innumerable talents springing up in the highly competitive Nigerian movie industry. From Reloaded, which was her first movie, Nse has continued to endear herself to more fans and attract major nominations within the industry. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, the actress speaks on sundry issues. Excerpts:

     

    EGO Boyo named you as one of her favourite Nollywood personalities. Coming from a senior colleague, how does that make you feel?

    Can you see the smile on my face? It’s an honour for Ego to mention my name. I will tell you that much because it is not easy for your name to be dropped as anything. It means you did something right, even if it is in one scene. So I’m thankful. I don’t know what it is. Should I say it is the directors that bring out something in me? Apart from the grace of God, the director brings something out and then the people you play with as well matter. They help you and if that doesn’t happen then you just rely on the art itself. Honestly, with what you just told me, I’m going to be smiling for days.

    What is it you’re doing right?

    I always say that people should never rest on their oars. If you are told you cook well, you should know that you have to keeping making that food so that the recipe doesn’t change. You have to get use to it. And then you start adding little spices here and there. You learn to add these things to make your food stay sweet. It is not that you cannot cook but you need the staying power. I don’t know what it is but I cannot run away from the fact that I’ve got God’s grace on my life. I can’t run away from that. But as I said, you must learn not to rest on your oars. When I see something I’ve done before, I look at it, I find fault in the way I’ve reacted and I say I could have done this better. If I get a role that I think is similar, if this person was an Aquarian, I will make her a Libra the next time because everybody is different even if they live the same life. There is always a difference, even if they were born of the same mother.

    One thing will make the difference. For every role you play, you must find one little thing with which you connect. In The Meeting for instance, Bolarinwa, which was the role I played, was a cameo. When they give you that kind of thing, you know that it’s ok, you are trying. Looking at the character, I’m like this chic, she was stupid. She was a silly person. Everybody has stupidity somewhere in them so I brought it out. My director cannot get over it and with my co-actors, they brought it to forefront. She’s very silly. Honestly, it was stupid. I can’t even talk about it.

    Can you recall a particular scene you wish you had played differently?

    There is a scene in Reloaded where Femi, the character played by Ramsey Nouah, walks into the living room and I am with the girl. My character dropped for a second or two there. People might not notice but I saw it. These are things I’m trying to work on. Sometimes we just have to learn not to over heighten our emotions.

    Of the roles you’ve played, which will you say has challenged you the most?

    Everyone has been challenging but I think the most recent is the one I just shot in Abuja. It is called Broken. That broke me. Mr. and Mrs. broke me to a point. Phone Swap broke me physically. Bolarinwa, having to be stupid like that, even I kept asking, is this how I want people to know me? Broken made me; see the strength of a woman from a different stand point. Having a family, yet not having one; trying to look for love, being able to tie your love and yet you have abandoned others. It was crazy but I was thankful for the cast I played it with, Bimbo Manuel and Kalu Ikeagwu.

    What was it like acting alongside Bimbo Manuel?

    It was amazing. They were two people I always said I hoped I get to work with, so working with them, I liked it. Everyone had their breaking point in it because the movie will pull you and then you will break. A man cried on set and the camera wasn’t rolling. He will kill me if I say it but I will say it. Can you guess who it was? It wasn’t Bimbo. It was Kalu that broke. And he doesn’t look it.

    You’ve been off and on set in recent times. How do you cope?

    I always give myself a break, no matter what. I do not go from one set to the next. I don’t have the power. If I have a script, I dedicate everything to it. When I’m done I rest. I cannot do that because I won’t give you what you want. I cannot pretend. If I lie, directors like Mildred Okoh will catch me in myself.

    Do you hope to delve into other parts of the art like producing and directing in the latter part of your career?

    I’ve always said I’m predominantly an actor. I want to stay that way and milk this cow (laughs).

    So, are you saying it’s a no, no for you?

    Because change is constant, I don’t know; but for now, I am loving my work in terms of loving the people I’ve been working with and loving the directors I work with. I just love putting a smile on people’s faces because we need something to remind us of who we are. That is what the art does for you. Acting reminds you that things have happened and things can happen. It is a constant reminder. Sometimes, these are the only things that people have to put a smile on their faces. So for me, that’s it.

    Everyone has had one good thing to say about the movie, The Meeting. Let’s have your take on it?

    There have been romantic comedies but this one is satirical. There is no character you will not identify with because there is always a Makinde in someone’s office, there is always an Ejira, that girl that is very around. She’s playful, she’s almost innocent yet she knows what she wants. Then, there is always a Bolarinwa, check all these offices, there is always that Bolarinwa that will come in, there is always that Clara Ikemba, there is always that receptionist that will either make or mar your life. There is always a big man. The Meeting was like the man in the mirror. You look at it and you go like, ‘Oh! That’s me. I should change.’ It will make you laugh. It doesn’t condemn you because we are not saints, yet it says this is what we are doing. Let’s look into ourselves and make the right decision, make it right but with a laugh basically.

    Before now, you had your perception about up-comers. Did it change after working with Femi Jacobs and Linda Ejifor?

    I will be very honest with you, I saw Ejira as different from Bimbe, the role she plays in Tinsel. Makinde plays the psychedelic lawyer in Tinsel. I saw him then, I saw a guy play a 40’s role. He walked in a funny way, he reacted in a funny way and I said, ‘Aunty May, where did you get him from?’ I had to ask. I’d watched him literally just blow out of proportion. You see intensity and you are like wow! Good! Our industry needs it. We need faces. We need new people because work is coming. It’s a new Nollywood so there has to be a lot more than we have, because the truth is, we’ve got talents in Nigeria. The question is, do they have a platform to be recognised? Who is willing to take that risk? Rita took that risk and no matter what, I am thankful for them. I was given a chance literally in Reloaded but I was supported by all the A-listers. I came out and there it was, Reloaded. Now, they’ve come out. They have all the other actors, Basorge, Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic, Chinedu Ikedieze, Chika Chukwu, and then there is poor me there. We all worked and it was amazing.

    Do you think that the fact that they had a platform like Tinsel did the magic?

    You will never lock talent up, no matter who you are. Talent will rise above everything. What makes it shine is attitude but you can’t lock talent up. You see it, you know it is talent. Even if they had not been in Tinsel, even if I had not seen them anywhere, I would have being wowed. For Linda, she’s willing to learn. She doesn’t think she knows it all. If people who have been there before don’t think they know all, then they will learn a lot more than they know. It is the same with Femi.

    So I’m happier than they are for what they have because I literally come from that kind of thing. I was born of that. I know what it is like. When you have the support of the cast, you have a support of the director and the producer, the sky is just your limit.

    Unlike TV, we don’t get to watch movies all the time. I’m sure your fans are waiting to see you on soap…

    One day, maybe one day, you will get to see more of me. There are talks but when the talk sweet we go do am.

    Tell us your experience in Phone Swap

    I played Mary (laughs). You know, you have these girls who come to school but you know they are local. They have a degree but they are local. They do not even know how to use fork and knife because that is not how they were brought up. You know those girls, Agaracha. They don’t know anything. That was Mary. Now, Mary now sees the other side. She’s now trying to form like I can use fork and knife. She was exposed to these things but she didn’t know it. It wasn’t her way of life. Yes, I liked it.

    On those days when you are stressed out, what calms you?

    Cooking calms me a lot. When I can’t sleep at night, I cook. I read a lot. I think that no knowledge is ever lost and reading brings a wealth of knowledge. If you constantly go there you can never lack. One thing I pray for is that our generation, the one after me actually, I’m hoping, will tell our kids to read.

    My parents did that. They helped me to do that. I remember someone saying that I speak well. Them no dash me. I read a lot. I see a word I don’t know, I mark it down. I say to myself what does it mean. What’s its origin? Is it Greek? Is it French? Those are the questions I ask myself. So when you know these things when you are pronouncing it, it’s as if your father is a professor. Sometimes, I hang out with my friends. It’s therapeutic when I talk to my friends and let go of my fears. I also like to be alone a lot of the time, which is funny. I can just lie on the bed and just stay there.

    What makes someone earn your friendship?

    Honestly, you know friendship is two ways but I always say for you to be able to be my friend and I your friend, I must be able to make excuses for you. It means I will not judge you ever. No matter what you do, I will see why you did it from your stand point. Even if it’s wrong, I will understand why you did it because you had told me. I will trust you for it. For instance, I might not see you all the time but we are very close. Some people will take offence; our friendship will cease to be. I have friends I don’t see, the day we see, we continue where we stopped.

    They do not judge. They do not feel bad. As my friend, if you feel I’ve done wrong, do not judge, call me to ask me and I will explain why I did it. That’s what I owe you and that’s what you owe me. Friendship is not about getting up and shouting, ha na my paddy then tomorrow I go away. I don’t like to have surface friendships. I like to have friends and if they are my friends I will keep the circle small. That’s fine! But I can have acquaintances. I have people I talk to. I can laugh with anybody. At the same time I don’t have to laugh because not every day is okay for laughter.

    As regards marriage, do you have reservations about certain tribes?

    No, I don’t. I just think a good man is a good man.

    There was a time you said it’s difficult to get a good man; do you still have that notion?

    Is it not hard? I’ve checked it; all the good ones are taken. All the ones that have light shining on them are not the ones I’m looking for. I’m just waiting for the one that God will pop up and I will just say, hey! I’m right here. I think a relationship starts with having a friend. It starts with friendship, you get to know someone eventually something can happen or will not happen. You cannot force anything. You cannot say because society says it, then I must be married. What dirty respect? What if the man doesn’t even respect me? I want the society to respect me. Which one is more important at this point in time?

    We know a lot of them are taken, but is that to say you haven’t seen any good one?

    So I should go and collect somebody’s boyfriend now?

    Exactly what are you looking for in a man?

    You know when I find that thing I will tell you. I’ve said all sorts in different interviews but I think over the years I just streamlined it, I want a man who I can feel safe with. It’s not about money. But a man that you know has your back. That’s enough.

    What about the biological clock…?

    My biological clock is not ticking anymore. I stopped it from ticking and when I want it I will tell it to start (laughs). I’m in control of this thing men.

  • Is this house safe?

    No. There is no safe house. No house, no matter how protected, is safe. Every house, even Aso Rock or the White House, is vulnerable to internal and external attacks. External attack is not as deadly as internal attack. That is because the defense mechanisms within a house could withstand and stave-off the firepower of external aggression to the extent that the attackers could surrender, lay down their arms and take to their heels.

    On the other hand, internal attack is the most vicious. Why? If there is no hatred, haggling and hassling within the file and rank of a household, external force cannot penetrate. In other words, if there were sound unity within the walls of a family, such a family would be indivisible. However, if a kingdom rises against its king, such a kingdom would collapse quickly than sand castle. If a wife joins hands with her children and in-laws against her husband, he would lose. If there are dissenting voices in a church with evil intent,peace cannot reign. If a company board turns the boardroom into a war-room there would be an implosion.

    That is because in a household, a kingdom or a marriage, there are deep-seated feelings, shared secrets and happy moments. When members of the community are united, there would be unguarded moments; moments when the parties are relaxed, reclined, and released. Usually, that is when the enemy within strikes. Aside, the mere fact that the culprit understands workings of the ‘house’ like the back of his hands makes the household an easy prey.

    This was the story of ‘Safe House,’ a movie starring Ryan Reynolds (a CIA rookie overseeing a Safe House in Cape Town, South Africa) and Denzel Washington (CIA’s most wanted rogue agent). In the movie, Washington was captured and driven to a Safe House: a house known to a privileged few and is safe from external aggressions; or so the CIA thought. However, mercenaries who needed Washington struck and overtook the Safe House. Bruised and battered, Reynolds and Washington managed to escape.

    To be at peace, they need to do two things quickly: Stay out of the gunmen’s sight. Find another Safe House. Did they succeed? Yes, they found another Safe House. However, no, they could not stay out of the gunmen’s sight. Why? Washington, an international criminal, had files from renegade MI6 agent. The CIA wanted the files because the content could incriminate a top-level officer.Therefore, the files must be retrieved. The custodian of the files killed. That is why mercenaries were after Washington.

    To lure him closer, the bigwig in the CIA created a semblance of security around him by asking Reynolds to take him to another Safe House. Reynolds did not know what was at stake. Washington knew. Meanwhile, the bigwig inside CIA controlled every move, every attack, and every gun-duel. The big wig was fighting from within. He was the insider enemy. He collaborated with external power to attack the CIA and turned the Safe House into an abattoir. When the Safe House was attacked again, Reynolds found himself on the run with Washington in tow.

    They were running from enemy within and the mercenaries. As Washington told Reynolds in Safe House, “no one is safe.”Exact picture was painted in the US Consulate in Benghazi (Libya) recently where several American citizens and Ambassador Christopher Stevens were killed when gunmen attacked a Safe House. The attackers were protesting against a movie, which depicts Prophet Muhammad in bad light. The concern here is how did gunmen know about the location of that Safe House in Benghazi?

    Definitely, there are enemies within the US Consulate working with the mob. Otherwise, it is usually near impossible for an outsider to have information about the location and security apparatus in place in an environment designed as a secure location. For, after the US officials had evacuated the Consulate by Libyan security forces, another wave of attacks were launched against US officials who had already been moved to a supposedly secure location.

    Just as investigators said in a recent report, the attack was “calculated and organised”. Meaning, the mob had prior, privileged information, someone working in the Consulate with links with the mob spilled the bean. That is what makes an enemy within deadly. It strikes any time, when you are relaxed, reclined and released. That is what makes Boko Haram deadly too. It is an enemy within and without. It has links with some insiders. That is why Boko Haram attacks are usually “well planned.”

    Boko Haram has attacked newspaper houses, churches, mosques, Police formation and other places in the country. However, the recent attack on telecommunications installations in the northern part of the country is further pointer that there is an enemy within. The implication of the attack is to severe communication flow, make it impossible for people and security operatives to dialogue, and thus paralyse activities in that region. Knowing the importance of telecommunication, the act of destroying the installations is targeted at the nation. Such thinking and action may not be too sophisticated for the sect to conceive and execute.

    Nevertheless, it is an insider’s job. Someone or group on the inside is aiding the sect to perpetrate violent acts on the outside.In that light, Nigeria could be likened to a house and Boko Haram as the external aggression with help from the inside. As long as the collaborator within is uncovered, this house is not safe. Once our house is not safe, we, the occupants have no respite. As such, the insiders [who benefits from the acts of terrorism undertaken by Boko Haram] need to be over-powered. That is when the Boko Haram sect, its mindless act of maiming and killing would be forgotten like vapour.

    In Safe House, Reynolds and Washington were running from the mercenaries, from gunmen.We all might as well start runningnow. If I cannot make a call to friends and family in the north and they too cannot reach me, are we not back to the dark days? MTN, Airtel, Glo and Etisalat have invested heavily to ensure telecommunication is as seamless as possible.

    Quality of service may not be as perfect, tariff may not be as friendly, but we can comfortably make local and international calls from our bedrooms. What does Boko Haram sect have in mind by bombing the telecommunication installations? Does it want to make it impossible for you and me to communicate; or, it would rather return the nation to the dark pre-NITEL days?

    Whatever is its agenda, we need to resist Boko Haram. The security operatives should re-strategise with the view to burying Boko Haram. If it cannot be buried, curtail it. If it cannot be curtailed, I do not know what else to do.

    However, this I know: we need a hero, a hero to demystify Boko Haram, a hero to kill the wolf in sheep clothing in our barn, a hero to arrest the enemy within, and a hero to stop the blood-sucking god that is Boko Haram. That is what Reynolds did in Safe House. That is what our hero needs to do to make this house safe for you and me.