Akinjide boasts: No mercy, PDP will win 25 states

Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard
Akinjide has seen all in politics, dating back to the pre-
independence days. Now in his twilight, he x-rays the forth­
coming elections in February, and gives it squarely to the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP , in all of 25 states of
the federation.
He sees the alliance of some south west politicians and the
North as crystalised in the opposition All Progressives
Congress, APC, as a gambit that is bound to backfire, vowing
that nothing will stop his party, the PDP from sending the APC
packing in the zone. Akinjide further warns proponents of
parallel government to beware as they risk treason charges.
On the insurgency in the North east, he says there is nothing
new about it.
“The problem in the North-east is not anything new. The
problem has been there for the past 40 years or more. They
have never supported the government at the centre.”
He speaks on other election related issues including the
reported endorsement of the presidential candidate of the APC,
Gen Muhammadu Buhari, retd, by the outlawed Movement For
the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, and former vice
president Alex Ekwueme’s insight that Jonathan may not get
the bloc votes of the South east, among others.
Excerpts.
Nigeria is at the threshold of a general election, and for the
first time in this dispensation, there is a major opposition
party that appears to have what it takes, in terms of capacity
to give the ruling party, the PDP, a big run. What is your own
view on this?
I don’t accept that we have a major party in the sense you
have explained. If you know the history of this country, we
used to have the NCNC, the NPC, the AG, which are very
powerful political parties. At that time Balewa was prime
minister, and I was in his cabinet. Later on Alhaji Shehu
Shagari became the president, and also I was in that cabinet.
None of the political parties you mentioned is as powerful as
those political parties of those years which were in the
opposition too. So, your question is not correct, and I can
assure you that the coming election is going to be free and
fair and PDP is going to win overwhelmingly.
I like your confidence, but you know since 1999, PDP has
dominated the political space. Suddenly last year APC sprang
up from the ashes of ACN, ANPP, a rump of APGA, and CPC,
and there were massive defections from the PDP to APC. The
way they are going and their calculations in the North and the
South west, the party is beating its chest to take over power
from the PDP this year.
That is nonsense. In the South-west, the PDP now rules in
Ondo State. The PDP rules in Ekiti State. And I can assure you
that the PDP will win in Ogun State, and very, very likely Ondo
State. So after the election, the equation of the control of
states will be different. I have very strong reasons to believe
that PDP will win the South-west in the next election.
I must make that very clear to you. In the delta where there
are six states, the dominance of PDP is very, very strong, and
I want to tell you in advance that the PDP will win all the six
states in the delta. The same thing will happen in the middle
belt. The PDP is extremely strong in the middle belt. It is the
strongest political party there. In the North-west, the PDP is
very strong, and in the North-east, PDP is the strongest
political party. So if you take the equation of Nigeria’s politics
objectively, out of the 36 states in the country today, I have
reason to believe that PDP will win not less than 24 or 25
states total. Those who are putting false possibilities on
television, radio and newspapers or magazines are wrong.
After the election they will be proved extremely wrong.
You excluded Lagos in your calculation of the states where
PDP will grab power. What makes you think that PDP will not
pick Lagos?
Lagos is controlled by the opposition party now. I am aware
of that. But if we have true free, and fair elections in Lagos
State, and there is no dominance by one single individual,
there is no corruption, I have reasons to believe that PDP has
a very strong chance of winning Lagos State. That is my
belief.
I would like you to compare the present regime of Goodluck
Jonathan and that of the Second Republic headed by Alhaji
Shehu Shagari. Both are true civilians. In both dispensations,
the presidents were accused of incompetence. They used the
word “inept” for Shagari and “incompetence” now for
Jonathan. When Shagari rolled back to power in 1985, the
military struck within three months. Are you not afraid that if
Jonathan wins, the military may also intervene?
Definitely, the military will never intervene again. And I want to
assure you that one of the best governments ever run in the
history of this country was that of Alhaji Shehu Shagari
presidential government, and the worst governments ever run
in this country were run by the military governments. I want
you to name one military government in the history of this
country that you can declare as being clear and clean. We had
extreme detentions in prison, extreme removal of governors,
dictatorships, and so on and so forth. And they were not
elected into power. And if you look at the history of corruption
in this country, the most corrupt governments in the history of
this country were the military governments. In fact, if you look
at the history of this country and the profile of the citizens,
the most affluent and richest people in the country today,
were those former military rulers, or governors, or people
whom the military are using as front to hide their wealth. So,
you must have gotten the arithmetic wrong. Some of them
have established newspapers, either directly or indirectly, and
radio and television stations, and they use them to tell all
sorts of lies. Don’t let that carry you away. After the coming
general elections, the card will be on the table face up.
The main challenger of President Good luck Jonathan, Gen
Mohammadu Buhari, led the military coup that toppled the
democratically elected regime of Shehu Shagari in 1983. He
has promised to stabilize the security situation in the
country, and of course stem the tide of corruption which this
government has been assailed with. Do you think it is a tall
order for him?
Buhari toppled a democratically elected government and we
are witnesses to how he ran a despotic government for two
years. This is the fourth time he is trying to come to power
through the ballot box that he so despised, and on each
occasion the people had always turned him back. I can tell
you categorically that he will not win. Jonathan will still win
overwhelmingly. I have reasons to say that, but I will not go
into any detail now. The equation or alliance of certain people
in the South-west to the effect that their presidential
candidate will come from the North is very clear and it is
going to work against them. It is going to make them lose
many states and many senatorial seats and House of
Representatives seats. I will not develop it more than that.
When the results are declared, many people will be shocked
and disappointed; because the PDP will win overwhelmingly.
The main opposition party APC, has also declared that it will
form a parallel government should Jonathan bounce back to
power. As you insist that Jonathan will win, and against the
backdrop of their threat, don’t you see a looming crisis?
That is the cry of a loser. If you lose election, what you do is
that you go and file election petition. There is a tribunal for
those who feel unfairly losing the election. You don’t form a
parallel government. I challenge anyone to show me anywhere
in the constitution where it states that when you lose election,
you go and form a parallel government. You cannot do that, if
you do that, that will be treason, and it will be dealt with
according to the law.
Why is the present government finding it difficult to subdue
the mounting security challenges and corruption on which the
opposition party is basing their campaigns?
The problem in the North east is not anything new. The
problem has been there for the past 40 years or more. They
have never supported the government at the centre. If you
remember, when Waziri Ibrahim was in politics before he died,
he formed his own political party. He didn’t support any
national party. He didn’t support NCNC. He didn’t support
NPC. During the Second Republic he didn’t support any other
party. They formed their own group. Well, if they want to have
their own political party, I have no problem with that. But
what I have serious problem with is your engagement in
terrorism, kidnapping innocent young girls who have
committed no offence, and who did nothing but to go to
school to be educated in order to develop their country. I can
assure you that when the elections are held, you will discover
that the PDP, will win all those states in the North-east where
there are problems. I have no doubt about that. All we need is
free and fair election.
Going by current trends now, there appears to be so much
apprehension in the air, that has elicited fears that if this
election holds, there may be crisis or war, and this can lead
to anything, including disintegration. Do you harbour such
fears?
There will be no crisis. There will be no war. Anybody who
creates crisis or war is committing treason, and that person
will be dealt with in accordance with the law. I have no fear at
all, that there is going to be amity, and the winning party will
be called upon to form the government at the centre. And
those who win at the state level will also do the same thing. I
think those talking like that are predicting their own downfall
and the coming defeat. PDP has no problem with defeat, PDP
will win overwhelmingly, fairly and the country will be in
peace.
Let me take you to the area of prediction. Most men of God
are prophesying that Jonathan will lose the election. Don’t
you believe in these seers or prophets?
I don’t accept that analysis. It is false. It is not correct. If you
look at the media, whether it is radio, television, magazine or
newspaper, it is the one controlled by the opposition party or
the one they have enormous influence on, and they talk and
write rubbish. Such a thing will never happen. Anybody who is
going into an election and is predicting anarchy and chaos is
not a democrat. Those people will be dealt with in accordance
with the law.
I am talking about prophets, those who are prophesying
failure, doom for Jonathan. Recently Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, a
Catholic priest, who runs the Adoration Ministry in Enugu,
said Jonathan will lose the election. He put out four pigeons
to fly. The fattest one represented Jonathan refused to fly,
symbolically suggesting failure.
I don’t accept that. I think that is arrant nonsense. We don’t
do elections through prediction. We don’t do election though
religion. We do election through democratic process, and by
voting. We rely heavily on the votes and voices of Nigerians
and through that, PDP will win overwhelmingly.
Let’s look at the government of Goodluck Jonathan. There
has been accusations of profligacy, especially from his
predecessor Obasanjo, who said recently that the foreign
reserves had been depleted and that the president has lost
focus, describing his government as the worst in the history
of Nigeria. Coming from his predecessor, do you not believe
that there are gems of truth in the allegations?
That prediction is wrong. It is false. And if you have any
rationale and objective assessment of regimes in this country,
Jonathan’s government is one of the best that we have had. I
want you to turn to the price of oil. I want you to turn to the
price of groundnuts, the price of other products. Anybody, who
was former head of state, and is predicting evil and downfall
for his country cannot be said to be patriotic and I cannot
support such a person. I support the present government, and
I believe the PDP will win next election overwhelmingly.
What about the issue of the devaluation of the currency upon
which this government has taken a lot of flak. Do you believe
it is expedient for a government that is about to face election
to allow its currency to be devalued at the time it did,
instead of waiting till after the election?
You get that very wrong. Currency devaluation is worldwide.
It has affected Russia, all the European countries, all the
African countries. And Spain is in financial problem. So also is
Greece, so also is France; so also are other countries in the
Southern and Northern hemisphere. The only country that has
a stable currency now is the USA. And it is because they have
changed the mathematics of their oil. At the moment, they
don’t import much oil again. They produce their own oil, and
that is helping them a lot. But here, we depend heavily on oil
and there is a limit you can go if you depend heavily on a
single product. At the moment, we are doing a lot to develop
our agriculture and other products, and I have very strong
reason to believe that the sky is not the limit for the strength
of our economy in the future.
The Movement For the Emancipation of the Niger Delta,
MEND, a few days ago endorsed the APC. MEND is from
Jonathan’s volatile Niger Delta region. What do you read into
this endorsement of the opposition by a group from his own
region?
That endorsement is nonsense. I tell you categorically that
PDP and Jonathan will win all the six states in the Niger-
Delta overwhelmingly. I have no doubt about that. After the
elections, you can phone me and confirm it to me. People say
all sorts of things before election. I think it is either out of
ignorance or political incompetence.
But Governor Amaechi is also from the Niger Delta region and
I understand that he and his party are very strong in Rivers
State. Are you not building false hopes on Rivers State?
I know RiversState very well, and I know the six states of the
Niger Delta region very well. I can assure you again, that PDP
will sweep the votes in Rivers States. I have been there
recently several times. And each time I am there, I go round
the place, and talk to the leaders. The governor of Rivers
State at the moment, thought he was going to be the vice
presidential candidate of APC. Unfortunately, he was not
picked, so, his political arithmetic has collapsed, and there is
no strength in his calculation.
Let me take you to the South East. Former vice president Dr
Alex Ekwueme, recently declared that Jonathan will not get
the bloc votes of the Igbos over what he termed betrayal. Is
the ship sinking right under the feet of the president?
I did not read that. If he said that, I don’t know why he said
it. But I can assure you that PDP will win the whole five Igbo
states, overwhelmingly. Either Ekwueme was misquoted, or he
got what he said wrong. I have no reason to know why he
said that. I doubt if he said it.
In the South-west here, you have very strong voices in the
APC, which have been largely unchallenged, or countered by
the PDP. Looking at the history of the South-west, they have
always been in the opposition. Why do you think it is now
they will change and join the mainstream national political
movement?
That is not true. If you look at the politics of the South-west,
before the last elections, the opposition did not control it. It
was controlled by our party; and the reason why they lost the
states has been analyzed in the media. A large section of the
judiciary was corrupted; because of their leadership and
manipulation of the people who had election petitions. I don’t
want to go into the details of that, but I can assure you that,
that will never happen again.
You talk with so much confidence, but only yesterday, the
DSS, said APC had already concluded plans to hack into
INEC data base with a view to rigging the elections. That
means they can still manipulate things.
I don’t believe in corruption in election; and I have not read
what you have said. But I can assure you that nobody will be
allowed to corrupt the next election. It is going to be clean, it
is going to be clear, it is going to be democratic.
Do you have confidence in INEC?
I don’t know the personnel of the INEC. I have never met the
chairman and I don’t even know the commissioners. So, I
don’t want to comment on them.
The anti-corruption agencies in this country have been
moribund for some time now. What is the reason for that?
I don’t know the personnel of that body. I don’t know how
they operate; and I will not like to comment further. What are
the best credentials of Jonathan, you think that can sell him
best to the electorate. One, he is one of the most educated
presidents we have ever produced. He is a Ph.D. Two, he has
got enormous experience in governance. He has worked at the
state level; outside government, he has operated as deputy
governor, he has acted as governor, he has been vice
president, he has been president. He has enormous knowledge
of Nigeria’s problems and governance. So, he is one of the
best candidates to rule this country.
But he has been in power for six years now. If you add
another four years, assuming he wins, that will be
unprecedented. The North is seriously agitated, and part of
their opposition to Jonathan is because they feel he is
usurping their slot on the zoning formulae? Will that not
affect his chances at the polls?
There you go again. Jonathan is using his term as prescribed
by the law and the constitution. He is not breaking any law.
He is competent and is obeying the electoral law. Anybody
who accuses him of disobeying any law must be talking
rubbish. I don’t accept it, and I don’t agree with it at all.
Obasanjo was president or head of state during the military
regime and ruled again for another eight years as civilian
president. And he has been one of the longest serving heads
of state anybody can think of. Jonathan has not served as
much as that. How can anybody accuse Jonathan of
wrongdoing without accusing previous holders of that office of
wrongdoing?.
North as expressed by their socio-cultural organization, ACF
insist that Buhari is their candidate. Why are the cultural
organizations in the South like Afenifere, Ohanaeze, finding it
difficult to endorse a particular candidate like the North did?
Cultural bodies don’t fix candidates for governorship or for the
presidency, so anybody who talks the way you presented it
must be reading his arithmetic upside down. The political
parties are responsible for presenting candidates for elections
at the local level, at the state level, at the national level. I
reject the analysis you have put forward. Those who have
endorsed a candidate of the North are wrong, and don’t know
what they are doing.
Jonathan by his own admittance said, he is the most
criticized president ever in Nigeria. Do you agree with him?
I have not done the arithmetic. I cannot say he is right. I
cannot say he is wrong. I cannot comment on that.
Between Shagari and Jonathan who actually are Nigeria’s
only true executive presidents (Balewa was Prime Minister)
who would you vote for?
Oh! I will vote for both of them. Shagari was excellent as
president. I was in his cabinet as attorney general and I know
his performance, his competence. At that time, the country
was riddled with military interventions. The greatest
intervention we have had in governance in the history of the
country is through the military. So, I don’t want you to
compare military rule with civilian rule. They are two different
arithmetic.
What do you have against Buhari, plan to come back to
power?
I am not in his political party. What I have against him is that
I don’t want his political party to win. I want his party to
lose. And I want my party to win. That is the truth.
I would like you to give an overview of our pre-election
process?
One. It is going to be democratic. Two. The PDP will win
overwhelmingly.
Three, the opposition parties will lose. And finally, there is
going to be peace and amity after the elections.
Let me also add that an ex-militant Asari Dokubo has vowed
that should Jonathan lose the election he will go back to the
trenches.
How did he read that? I believe in the rule of law and I
support the rule of law. I don’t believe in violence and nobody
should believe in violence.

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WhyNigerians should reject Jonathan on February 14 –Tinubu

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asi­
waju Bola Tinubu, yesterday bombed President Goodluck
Jonathan for allegedly encouraging corruption in the country.
Speaking at the flag-off of re-election campaign of Oyo State
governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, at the Mapo Hill, Tinubu
flayed Jonathan for purportedly claiming that he did not know
that 400,000 barrels of oil were stolen from the country.
According to the former governor of Lagos State, Jonathan,
who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), must be voted out of office because he
reportedly claimed he was not aware that some people have
been stealing in his presence.
Tinubu, however, urged eligible voters in Oyo State to cast
their votes for Governor Ajimobi, who is the APC governorship
candidate in the state and the presidential candidate of the
party, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, during next month’s general
elections.
Tinubu, also took a swipe at the former governor of Oyo State,
Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who is the governorship candidate of
the Accord Party (AP). He stated that Ladoja was an ingrate
to APC and those of them that ensured his reinstatement
when he (Ladoja) was illegally impeached as governor in
2006. His words: “I stood behind Ladoja when he was
removed from office. I stood by him from Lagos and made
sure he was reinstated. We know how much we spent. We
brought Ajimobi and said you should support him as your
younger brother, who is intelligent and visionary, but you said
it is one Accord Party you hold. Accord Party is a party of
deception. We enjoin Ladoja to support his brother to win in
the February 28 election.”
Former governors of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and Segun
Oni, also appealed to the electorate in the state to vote for
Buhari and Ajimobi.
Former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola,
who said he knew PDP inside out because he once acted as
its former national secretary, added: “Ajimobi should therefore
be allowed to complete all he had started. Jonathan has
completely got burnt (o ti jona tan), so don’t vote wrongly.
We should exhibit unity of purpose in the South West. Ensure
you get your voter card and vote for APC.”
In his speech, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State alleged
that proceeds from fraudulent sales of kerosene have been
used by the PDP to fund President Jonathan’s campaign team
and the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).
“The Federal Government deliberately sells a litre of kerosene
to cronies at N40:90k while the cronies sell to marketers at
N95 per litre.

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Bags and footwear my cash cows –Ndidi Ugo, Founder,Creative Director DIDI Creations

Ndidi Ugo is resilient and determined. She has to be if she
must remain in the highly competitive fashion industry world
wide and especially as she is based in the United Kingdom.
She could have been a medical practitioner but she was
destined to be in the fashion business as she has always been
interested in fashion and being fashionable since childhood. In
this interview with CHRISTY ANYANWU, she revealed her
motivation and her staying power in the business and her goal
in the next five years.
Excerpts:
Tell us about yourself
My name is Miss Tina Ndidi Ugo and I’m the Founder and
Creative Director of DiDi Creations Ltd.
The brand is based and incorporated in the United Kingdom at
the moment.
We are a one-stop fashion company, which caters for the
fashion conscious through creating unique pieces of unisex
bags, footwear, clothing and accessories.
My aim is to nurture and grow the brand to become a lifestyle
brand which every stylish fashionista across the globe would
love to be associated with at some point.
When did you become a designer?
Professionally in 2012. However, I had been designing part
time and as a hobby since 2005.
While growing up, it was almost certain I would end up in the
fashion industry as I enjoyed to dress up and stand in front of
the mirror quite often.
My mum was a very fashionable woman and I loved to watch
her dress up and actually started emulating her early in my
life.
I had always loved to stand out from the crowd through my
dressing, hair, make-up and accessories from my teenage
years.
This continued into my university days at the University of
Ibadan where I altered already made clothes through
shredding, painting etc. just to look different.
After graduation in 2001, I worked briefly in the insurance,
aviation and publishing sectors respectively.
I quitted paid employment in 2005 to become an entrepreneur
and set up my first fashion business same year, though it was
part time at the time, as I ventured into other businesses.
DIDI Creations Ltd was berthed on June 2012, and building
the brand is my full time job at the moment.
Did you attend a fashion school?
Yes, I eventually attended a private fashion school in Hendon
Central, North London where I did some short courses on
dress making and sewing in 2012. I can sew and actually
make my clothing collections for runway exhibitions.
Why did you venture into fashion designing?
During my high school days, I actually dreamt of becoming a
medical doctor but had to let go of that dream when I didn’t
make the JAMB cut-off mark, which would enable me secure
admission to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of
Ibadan, so I had to switch courses.
However, I have no regrets for choosing the fashion industry
as it apparently suits my personality and lifestyle.
When I was working for others, I never really had job
satisfaction and kept on changing jobs annually.
It became more apparent as I grew older that this was the
industry that I would end up in as I dared to be different from
the crowd most times.
I love fashion and decided to start making a living off
something I love and enjoy doing.
I have come to realise that people thrive and succeed when
they venture into what they love and enjoy doing, hence my
setting up a fashion business.
Tell us how you started designing bags, shoes and ac­
cessories.
I started designing bags, shoes and accessories as a result of
my knack for these fashion pieces. My love and preference for
genuine leather and statement fashion pieces was also a huge
factor.
I believed I had something to offer on the fashion scene and
had been told many times by strangers, friends and family
that I was quite creative, whenever I was seen in any of my
designed custom-made sample pieces hence I decided to pull
the bull by the horns and made up my mind to start designing
as a means of livelihood.
I work with some of the trusted and tested artisans across the
globe to create my perfect finished pieces.
How do you source the materials you use?
You’re basically asking me for some of my trade secrets so I
will be as brief as possible.
I source my raw materials across the globe, but my print
fabrics popularly known as Ankara are mostly sourced from
Nigeria and other West African countries, while my hides and
leather are sourced from Italy.
How did you start-up?
I relocated to the United Kingdom for further studies and
decided to stay back after my MBA.
At this point, I was torn between getting a job in the financial
sector and setting up my own business and decided to settle
for the latter.
I was aware of how tough the job market could be, hence
decided to set up my own business upon graduation.
The fashion industry became my first option as it was obvious
I would eventually be fully involved in it at some point in my
lifetime.
I decided the brand would be a one-stop fashion centre which
will cater for fashion conscious men and women across the
globe through creating unique pieces of clothing, bags,
footwear and accessories.
Since this was going to become my full time job, I knew it had
to be done professionally and fortunately, my recently
concluded MBA at the time prepared me on the steps to follow
in setting up a business professionally:
I had to write my business plan
I decided how the business was going to be financed and
eventually settled to use personal savings, bank loan and
getting an Angel Investor on board.
As a designer, one of my major concerns was finding the
right name for the brand. After much deliberation, I decided
to use my middle name “Ndidi” because it was my native
name and I wanted my African heritage to be associated
with the brand. However, I had to shorten it by removing
the first alphabet ‘N’ and stuck with ‘DIDI’ to enable
everyone regardless of their ethnicity or nationality
pronounce it with ease and accurately.
I spoke with a few friends and family regarding my proposed
business name DIDI Creations. Some thought it was cool and
sounded great, while a few others suggested just calling the
brand ‘DIDI’. I explained to these minority that since the brand
would be all about creating different fashion pieces that I felt
it was necessary to have it as proposed hence I eventually
settled for DIDI Creations.
Afterwards I searched for the availability of the name on
Companies House , fortunately it was available and I
incorporated it immediately. However, while searching for
the domain name, myself and my IT team discovered .com
wasn’t available at the time so I had to settle for .co.uk,
hence we came up with www.didicreations. co.uk
Next I had to decide my demographics and eventually we
decided we would cater for the middle to the upper class of
the society.
I started sourcing for artisans across the globe and
eventually got a great team whom I work with to create our
perfectly finished bags, footwear and accessories.
As soon as our pieces were ready, I actually came home to
launch the brand in Nigeria on June 9th 2012. This was due
to the fact that I wanted a presence here as well.
After our successful launch, we needed distributors in
Nigeria . At the moment, we have about five outlets in
Nigeria (in Lagos and Abuja), and some online shops.
In the United Kingdom, I retail through my website
www.didicreations. co.uk, and I have about three retailers and
also sell through some online portals.
What’s your inspiration?
My inspiration come from vintage pieces, nature, colours,
African arts and culture; hence the retro, colourful and
Afrocentric theme in most of my collections.
What challenges do you face as a designer, especially as
you’re based abroad?
My challenges are quite a number; however top on the list is
that the fashion business is very competitive and capital
intensive.
Hence if one is not genuinely passionate about it, it could
become frustrating along the line as it takes a bit of time to
break-even or making any return on investment.
I would say I have not personally had any sad experience in
the industry till date.
However, I observed overtime that during the On schedule
London Fashion Week shows, you hardly see any African
designer . This I find appalling as we have quite a number of
great talents from the continent.
It is the Off Schedule shows during the fashion weeks that
tend to give us the platforms to showcase.
Also, in major departmental stores such as Harrods,
Selfridges, Harvey Nichole’s, John Lewis, House of Fraser,
Debenhams etc, there’s hardly any African brands on the
shelves. Hopefully this will change in the near future.
Which of your designs is your cash cow?
I make the most returns from the bags and footwear at the
moment.
What’s your vision for DIDI Creations in the next five years?
My vision is for the brand to break into the UK market and
eventually the rest of Europe and across the globe. The long
term goal is to be accepted on the global fashion scene just
like any other successful fashion label.
When you are not designing, what do you do?
My usual day starts the moment I get off the bed. I sort out
my “Things to do list” and try to achieve as much as I can in
a day. Lately, I have a busy work schedule on a daily basis.
As awkward as it may sound due to my boisterous nature; I
am actually a workaholic and without me realizing it, this has
affected my social life as I hardly go out to socialize these
days.
When I’m not working, I love listening to music, soaking
myself in a hot tub, reading or talking with loved ones on the
phone or Skype.
Once in a while, I go to the spa for massages because I
actually love being given a massage.
Finally, traveling is my hobby and I do as much vacation trips
as I can when I can afford it.
How did you feel the day you made your first million as a
designer?
As you are aware, I am based in the United Kingdom, so I
earn in Sterling. I am yet to make my first million Pounds
Sterling as a designer but hopefully in the near future and you
can bet, I will be elated when this happens.
However, I must have made my first million Naira as a
designer the very day I launched the label in Nigeria.

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Mikel becomes British citizen

Nigeria international and Chelsea of England midfielder, John
Obi Mikel, is now a British citizen.
The Super Eagles’ A-list player had waited patiently since he
applied for the prestigious British passport last year and was
delighted to get a positive feedback from the relevant authori­
ties last week.
Mike became eligible for citizenship, having spent more than
eight years in England following his transfer to Chelsea from
Lyn Oslo of Norway in 2006.
Before the commencement of the current English Premier
League season, speculations were rife that Chelsea’s manager,
Jose Mourinho, wanted to sacrifice him to free up a foreign
quota spot, but this is now a thing of the past.
‘’Mikel was issued a British passport last week, and he is very
happy to be in the possession of the passport,’’ a
representative of the Super Eagles’ star revealed.
‘’That’s very good news because he will no longer be counted
as a foreign player in the Chelsea squad.
‘’All the obstacles that would have prevented him playing in
Europe have been eliminated, especially in Italy.
‘’Mikel is not leaving Chelsea in the January transfer window.
He will only think about his future at the end of this season,’’
the representative added.

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Home Eagles too much for Yemen

After bowing to the superior firepower a star-studded
Elephants of Ivory Coast last Sunday with a slim 1-0 loss,
Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles yesterday vent their
spleen on Yemen in another international friendly match at the
Sevens Stadium in Dubai.
Stand-in coach, Daniel Amokachi, rung some changes to the
team that fell to Ivory Coast to make his intention clear to Ye­
men with an all attacking formation. Enyimba International
play maker, Mfon Udoh who set an all-time goal-scoring
record in Nigeria’s domestic league last season with 23 goals,
put the Eagles in front after 25 minutes.
Towering defence ace and hot-in-demand captain of Warri
Wolves, Azubuike Egwuekwe, put the game beyond the Asians
in the 64th minute with another beautiful goal to ensure that
the Eagles ended the Dubai tour on a sweet note.
Ranked 176 against Nigeria’s 43 in the FIFA monthly rankings,
Yemen bowed to the superior powers of the three-time African
Champions.
The Amokachi-tutored Eagles deployed every weapon in their
arsenal at the Asians in the international friendly match going
into the recess with a well deserved lead.
Both nations looked strong at the start of the second half, but
as the match wore on Eagles were back to their peak and
took a two-goal cushion.
Yemen failed to keep possession and withdrew inside their 18-
yard box with little threat to the Nigerian side largely made up
of home-based players. Nigeria enjoyed the lion-share of
possession but could not make its territorial superiority count
in the opening exchanges.

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Muhammad Ali out of hospital

Former heavyweight, world champion, Muhammad Ali has
been discharged from hospital after receiving follow-up
treatment for
this month before being readmitted. The American’s family
spokesman confirmed that he has now left the hospital and is
returning to one of his homes in order to celebrate his birthday
yesterday.
Ali, who won gold at the 1960 Olympics, retired from boxing in
1981.

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Congo’s Bifouma breaks Equatorial Guineans hearts

Super Eagles’ nemesis and Congo Red Devils’ forward, Tievy
Bifouma, yesterday broke the hearts of Equatorial Guineans
with his late equalizing goal to ensure that his side shared the
spoils with the host team, National Thunder, in the 2015 Africa
Cup of Nations opening.
Host, Equatorial Guinea looked set to start the tournament
with a victory in Bata after Captain Emilio Nsue struck in the
16th minute to put the National Thunder in front in the Group
A opening match but Bifouma’s goal three minutes from time
ruined the hopes of the host side going top of the group after
a 1-1 draw against the Congolese.
Middlesbrough and former Mallorca striker, Nsue, looked
offside when he took a pass from Kike to put the hosts ahead,
but was then wrongly flagged for offside when he raced onto a
long ball to net again in the 74th minute.
Equatorial Guinea was under pressure after the break and
after Francis N’Ganga hit a post, former West Bromwich
Albion striker, Bifouma, earned Congo a deserved point when
he latched onto a Dominique Malonga pass to finish under
keeper Felipe Ovono inside the near post.
Congo came close to a winner in the last minute when
Bifouma cut the ball back only for Malonga to fail to connect
properly from six yards out.
Bifouma scored twice when Congo Red Devils defeated the
Super Eagles 3-2 at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar during
the qualifies for the ongoing Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.
The America of Spain’s prolific striker also scored the
equalizer against Nigeria in the reverse fixture of the qualifiers
in Congo which ended 1-1.

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The unraveling of Rashidi Ladoja

There is this interesting character in late South African author
and activist, Alex La Guma’s book, entitled, In the Fog of a
Season’s End. In somber prose and very lucid representation,
La Guma tries to capture the mental and physical torture of
Apartheid, the travails of prisoners like Nelson Mandela and
the long wait that freedom represented in the 1960s South
Africa. What will interest any reader of this book is not strictly
Elias and Beukes, two consequential characters whose task in
undermining the white regime was to distribute handbills
informing of a forthcoming strike and by that very fact, calling
attention to the evil of Apartheid.
In the Fog of a Season’s End begins with the story of the
capture, imprisonment and torture of one unnamed character
by the Apartheid government. Gradually, La Guma unravels
this character to his reader who only finds out his totality
only towards the end of the book.
Like this La Guma character, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, former
governor of Oyo State and leader of the Accord Party, was
unraveled to the world recently. Before now, his bush
telegraph propaganda had carved a unique place for him in the
hearts of country folks. Told with a mixture of high dosage
lies, frightening myth and illogical reverence, his disciples
went about all sorts of places, from mechanic workshops to
food vendors’ shacks, preaching the gospel of Saint Ladoja.
This endured for years. By the time he was venturing into full
politics in 1999, Ladoja came onto the political turf with a lot
of promises. A billionaire shipping magnate and businessman
who had carved a niche for himself, especially in his acclaimed
linkage to fellow billionaire, MKO Abiola, Oyo State, felt it
would benefit from his wide clientele of links and buttons. At
times when Ladoja felt it was right to preen his own feathers
like a turtle-dove, he reminded anyone who cared to listen
that his linkage with MKO Abiola was a testimony of his flirta­
tion with pro-democracy activism during the campaign
against the evil of military juntas.
At the polls however, ex-teacher and columnist, Lamidi
Adesina, made mincemeat of his party to become the
governor of Oyo State in 1999. But, between 1999 and 2003,
time for another gubernatorial poll, Ladoja had effectively
understudied the prevailing politics of the Lamidi Adedibu era
which was predicated essentially on recruiting legmen with
minds fecund enough to manufacture unimaginable falsehoods
to tar-brush incumbent administrations. Like the recruitment
drive of insurgents done through brainwashing and mind-
control, in a jiffy, he had recruited thousands of such disciples
whom he held in his palms. They in turn went round the nooks
and crannies of the state detonating political missiles and
explosives and swearing by their mothers’ graves on the
political sainthood of Senator Ladoja.
This gambit worked like a magical spell in 2003. Effectively,
the old Lam, a true born and bred Ibadan man, had been sold
to the electorate as an Ebira man from Kogi State by the
Ladoja disciples; new houses springing up in Oluyole Estate
and several other nouveau-riche estates in Ibadan had their
umbilical cords tied to the alleged acquisitory greed of the ex-
teacher by the Ladoja disciples in the bid to make him
worthless in the eyes of the electorate. Before you could shout
‘jack’, Lam was out of the Agodi Government House, for the
ascendancy of Ladoja.
But nemesis was waiting at a corner for him. Former local
government chairman and well-known sybarite, Adebayo
Akala, was nominated as his deputy by the petrel of Ibadan
politics, Adedibu. As Ladoja went about demonstrating his
ancient recalcitrance and standoffishness to elders of
Ibadanland and throwing jabs at the Obasanjo presidency,
Judases were being groomed to take him to the cross for his
political crucifixion. By the time he was taken out of the
Government House by a House of Assembly, his fabled
miserliness and bad leadership failed to rein to his side,
Ladoja had courted the hatred of the Alaafin of Oyo, the Soun
of Ogbomosho, the Olubadan of Ibadan and elders of the land
who saw his exit as good riddance to bad rubbish. But he
fought back like a beheaded puff-adder, only to be enmeshed
in allegations of financial improprieties which are still before
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) .
In spite of his political travails, the Ladoja make-me-a-saint
disciples never for once took their hands off the plough.
Rather than court disdain for his well-known miserliness to
himself and to society, as well as the uninspiring drawls that
attend his public speeches, Ladoja received adulations, no
thanks to the yeo-man job of his disciples. His zero sense of
sartorial presentation notwithstanding, Ladoja’s representation
by his retinue of make-me-a-saint disciples as a lover of the
masses sticks like a deodorant. Like a friend once said, even
though the Yoruba say that you cannot enjoy the luxury of
being miserly and at the same time court public respect, the
Ladoja make-me-a-saint disciples ensured that he had the
twain in dexterous quantity.
The fart of his well-known antecedents, especially while in
government, confronted by the gospel of the make-me-a-saint
disciples, fails to fly. Allegations of having no time for
governance while he was governor, to the extent that one of
the wives in his harem read and signed government memos,
when they stand face to face with his disciples’ deodorizing,
fall face flat. So, also is the allegation that the former
governor is a hyper polygamist whose harem is populated by
wives playing second motherhood in his home. When the
make-me-a-saint disciples tell the world that Ladoja is a man
of peace, seldom does anyone remember that his
administration was one of the ones that shed the highest
ounces of blood in the history of governance in Oyo State.
At every public forum he attends, with his flowing Ankara
apparel that he adorns like a preying-mantis, Ladoja
garnishes the well-laid pack of make-believe that constitutes
his myth with icings that make the world fall at his feet. All
through his public life, he had always had the masses in
mind; he says. While he was governor, he relished education
so much that he had only 30 students in a class. When he ac­
cuses his successor of lacking human face because he
removed traders from the streets and he is reminded that he
did same as governor and never provided alternatives to the
traders, he relapses into badinage of immense proportion.
About three weeks ago, like the house spoken eloquently
about by the Yorubas in their aphorism which was built with
spittle and which is consequently brought down in a haze of
drizzling mist, face down on the floor yakata, apology to Ze­
brudaya, was Ladoja and his propaganda-constructed house
of cards. Unlike all political parties of reckoning who
conducted party primaries to pick their candidates, Ladoja
selected his loyalists inside the living room. They were the
ones he had over the years attracted like ants are to the pee
of a diabetic. Returnee overseas residents invested their life
savings in his Accord Party, spending a fortune on the
propaganda of the party’s “Chairman Mao.” Aggrieved Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftains and later the All
Progressives Congress (APC), as well as Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) faithful nested in his party, trying to best one
another in spending for the “Chairman’s” comfort and the
party’s ascendancy. Today, they ask for a refund of their
money, for the furniture they gave “Chairman Mao” and allied
comfort for his home.
While all other parties advertised the results of their primaries,
Oyo State Accord Party put a heavy shroud on its, leading to
speculations and apprehensions. News began to trickle in and
alas, the list was unfurled. On the final list of the “Chairman’s”
nomination loomed big spenders who had oiled the palate.
Those who had weathered the storm all these years were
thrown off the saddle.
All of a sudden, a mini-war broke out in Ibadan, where
“Chairman Mao” controlled the party’s destiny like a panjan­
drum. Protesters stormed the Ondo Street residence of Ladoja,
wielding cutlasses and all forms of attack weapons. Eggs, to­
matoes, pure water sachets were flung at the “Chairman’s”
house with scalding-hot anger. Hell broke loose, so much that
police had to deploy an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to
the “Chairman’s” house. Nigeria was so hot that he fled to
his mansion in Great Britain to take few days shield from the
anger of his erstwhile lieutenants. Right now, the political
profiling of Senator Rashidi Ladoja has sunk like a punctured
balloon. It was as if an ancient veil which covered the faces of
the people just dropped off, or like a spiritually entrapped
people who were all of a sudden set free and led out of
darkness. The freedom from the Ladoja bind tells the story of
the ephemeral powers of propaganda. It confirms the ancient
Yoruba aphorism that no matter how widely a lie travels, truth
will someday overtake it and the spinner of yesterday will fall
yakata.
Adedayo is Special Adviser on Media to the Governor of
Oyo State.

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Curbing rising fire incidents

A midnight inferno on Monday, January 11, wreaked havoc on
the popular Balogun Market in Lagos, destroying goods worth
several millions of naira. The fire was said to have started
from a four-storey building in the market, from where it spread
to three other buildings, one of which houses a bank.
It was one of several such fire incidents reported in Lagos in
the last one week or so. In fact, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, head of the
Lagos Fire Service, said the agency has had to deal with 15
other fire incidents, eight of them since the Balogun incident.
The fire incidents are also not limited to Lagos, because many
such fires have been reported in other parts of the country.
One apparent reason for these rising cases of fire outbreaks is
the Harmattan, with its dry and severe winds that are
currently blowing across the country. This time especially calls
for extreme caution as the weather favours and fuels fire
outbreaks whenever they occur.
Again, optimisation of space in our markets, without any
consideration for eventualities such as fire outbreaks,
constitutes a serious problem. Shops are so closely packed
together that, in the event of a fire, the speed of spread to
adjoining structures is so high and usually devastating. Yet,
our town planners and other regulatory agencies stand by and
watch because they have probably been compromised, or they
lack the discipline to check and enforce the laws relating to
building construction.
Power surges have also been indicted in several fires, while
the inability of fire agencies to respond quickly to emergencies
increases the scope of the destruction. We are also not
unmindful of allegations of arson for sundry reasons.
Whatever the causes of these market fires, their frequency is
sufficient reason for concern. Relevant regulatory agencies
should remedy the tide. We call on the power companies, too,
to up their game. Power surges dispose buildings to fire
outbreaks and should be guarded against
The tragedies that these fires constitute are symptomatic of a
generally failed system. The absence of proper planning means
that fires are sure accidents just waiting to happen in our
markets.
Apart from the failures of town planning regulators, there is
also the issue of insurance. Checks have shown that there are
hardly insurance covers for such huge investments. The
reason may not be far from the fact that many Nigerians have
utter disregard for insurance. Nigerians should be encouraged
to embrace property insurance.
Fire-fighting agencies must be strengthened. How many do we
have and what is usually their response time? How good are
their conditions of service?
While we appear to be moving away from the era of total
neglect of this important agency, there is no doubt that a lot
still needs to be done to improve their capacity to deliver on
their very important mandate. Fires are a life-threatening
occurrence and those who fight them must be properly
equipped and remunerated.
It is also necessary to enlighten Nigerians on the human
factors that could lead to fire outbreaks. Many citizens,
because of their indiscipline and ignorance, engage in illegal
electrical connections, especially in our markets and other
business premises. This has been known to cause fires, but
the practice continues unabated.
There is the need to switch off electrical appliances after close
of business. This precautionary measure, simple as it is, is
often observed in the breach, resulting in avoidable fires. We
call for more enlightenment in this regard, and more
importantly, responsibility of market operators and their
regulators in ensuring compliance.
As we have observed, the fire incidents are occurring too
frequently and at a huge cost to lives and property. The
authorities must do everything to reduce them to the barest
minimum, while market operators should take responsibility for
their actions that lead to these fires.

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APC woos Bamidele for Buhari

Ahead of its presidential campaign slated for January, 24 in
Ekiti State, the national leaders of the All Progressives Con­
gress (APC) yesterday met with a former Labour Party (LP)
gubernatorial candidate in Ekiti State and serving member of
House of Representatives, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, in a move
aimed at enlisting his support for the candidacy of Major Gen
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
The APC emissary, led by its deputy national chairman, South
and former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, visited
Bamidele at his Iyin Ekiti residence in Irepodun / Ifelodun Local
Government Area of the state, where they held a closed door
meeting with some LP chieftains in attendance.
A source at the meeting told Sunday Sun that APC leaders
during the meeting begged the former Lagos State Governor,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to forgive ex- Governor of the State, Dr.
Kayode Fayemi of whatever wrongdoings he committed
against him.
It would be recalled that Fayemi and Bamidele had engaged in
a supremacy battle of over who flew the party’s flag for the
June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, a development
that led to Bamidele’s defection to LP shortly before the
formation of APC.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting former
Governor Oni said “Don’t be surprised that I am here. I am
here to pay solidarity on the need for us to have a future to­
gether.

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London female fan embarrassed me with a kiss –UcheElendu, actress

Star actress, Uche Elendu, is back with a bang! And to make
sure she takes her rightful place among Nigeria’s galaxy of
stars in 2015, the graduate of International Relations has just
relocated from the Southeast to Lagos. Born to a family of
four, Elendu took a break from Nollywood a while ago to raise
her daughter. She came back to produce a film, Enemy At The
Gate, which is making waves in the industry. In this chat with
The Entertainer, the Abia State indigene opens up on the
journey so far and her plans in the New Year. Excerpts:
What are you currently working on?
I started an NGO for the less privileged and the motherless
babies five years ago. I kick-started it on July 14, my
birthday, and I make sure I visit at least three homes every
year, giving out gifts and scholarships to those that win our
quiz competitions. The objective is to give these children a
sense of belonging. It is my own little way of giving back to
the society that made me who I am today. And this year, I am
hoping to do something better and bigger. Though, I started
out in the east, I intend to visit other states by the grace of
God and extend my love and generosity to the less privileged.
Talking about other projects, I am working on my second
movie by the third quarter of this year; I am hoping to start
filming here in Lagos. And it is going to be a movie all my
fans are going to be proud of by the grace of God.
Tell us more about the movie you have produced?
I produced a movie which was released last year entitled,
Enemy At The Gate, starring Emeka Enyiocha, Uche Obodo,
Adaora Uko, Rita Edochie, Jim Lawson, Maureen Solomon,
Scotch, and of course, myself. Enemy At The Gate is the story
of a girl from a rich background who rejects her dying father’s
wealth and his plea to take over the family business. Rather,
she insists on doing charity work, giving the proceeds of her
father’s company to charity. However, she’s surrounded by
childhood friends she didn’t know had scores to settle with
her family. So, it is all about betrayal of trust, blackmail,
slander, conspiracy, and of course, romance. The story tells us
that in life, you don’t know who is who; your best friend could
be your worst enemy.
What inspired it?
It is actually based on a true-life story. I didn’t go to the
cinemas because it was my first shot at producing, and
besides, it was a shoe-string budget movie, so I just let it go
straight to the market. But my next movie, by the special
grace of God, will hit the cinemas.
Could you share the challenges you had as an up-and-coming
actress?
Honestly, I wouldn’t say I did not stumble on challenges and I
would also not say I encountered difficulties, harassment or
maltreatment. I actually stumbled into the industry because it
wasn’t as if I have always wanted to do movies. I just went
to deliver a message to Larry Koldsweat in Surulere, Lagos;
his daughter is my friend, when he saw me, he was with Uncle
Olu Jacobs and he said that from the way I was talking, I
could make a good actress. They were having an audition for
Fear of The Unknown . They gave me a script to read and I
read it well. That was how I got my first lead role in Fear of
The Unknown while still in school.
It sounds like you were born with a silver spoon, how was
your growing up like?
I wouldn’t say I was born with a silver spoon but I was well
taken care of. I grew up in a very humble but well-to-do
family. My father worked with the Nigerian Ports Authority
(NPA), while my mum was headmistress with, Loral
International Schools, one of the biggest schools in Lagos. We
had the best of childhood and upbringing. We grew up to fear
God and to love one another.
There was this thing about me as a child, I always outshone
my peers; I was always different and seen as a star. I sang in
church, was a lay reader in the Catholic Church, and whenever
I acted it was so real. I never thought about acting back then
even though I spent so much time watching movies. fear God
and to love one another.
You have over 200 movies to your credit, which would you
say was the most challenging?
I think Last Occult was very challenging because I had to play
the role of a goddess. And it was a bit difficult getting me into
that character because of my desire of always wanting to
make myself whatever character I am playing; you know, I
need to have a different voice and a different carriage; I had
to be in charge because I was lord over Kenneth Okonkwo. It
was a very spiritual thing and it gave me some sleepless
nights. It affected me in a way because I kept trying to be
that witch goddess; that was quite challenging for me.
You did the English version of Ada Mbano , why didn’t you
finish up the Igbo version?
I was supposed to do the Igbo and English versions of Ada
Mbano, but unfortunately, my Igbo wasn’t really strong like
that of a typical village girl that the character was supposed
to portray. I didn’t want to make a mess of that script, so I
opted to play the English version of Ada Mbano while my
colleague, Queen Nwokoye, played the Igbo version. I didn’t
feel bad; I was happy the movie was a hit and my friend
interpreted the role well. I only felt bad because my producer
wanted me to do it and I could have done it if I had insisted,
but because I knew I wasn’t going to give it my best shot
because of the language and accent barrier, I had to cede it to
Queen Nwokoye.
What would you say is the craziest thing a fan has done to
you?
That was on Oxford Street in the UK. I was shopping when a
girl walked up to me to say ‘hello’. And as I turned around to
see who was talking to me, she gave a very hot kiss on my
lips. I was so embarrassed having a girl kiss me. She said she
loved me and that I am so beautiful. She said that I was the
best and I should keep it up, adding that she’s one of my
biggest fans.
How have you been balancing your marriage and acting
career?
I was at the peak of my career when I got married. I still
believe that marriage is important in a woman’s life. After I
got married, I had a three-year break because I had to take
care of my daughter and keep my home. And after that, I
returned to my job.
Was it that easy to get back to limelight after the break?
It wasn’t easy, but funny enough, the way God made it; I
didn’t have to make much effort. The movie that launched me
back was Ada Mbano.
You are one of the few actresses without scandals, how do
you manage to do it and how do you safeguard your
marriage?
I am not in a position to judge anybody. Marriage is a union
between two different people with different background and
mentality; different thought processes, different ambitions,
different characters and behaviours. Consequently, it is a
normal thing for couples to have problems but it is your
ability to keep your head down and bring things back to the
way they used to be that matters. It is not as if I don’t
quarrel with my husband. If you stay with a man for 24 hours
in the same house, you are bound to have arguments, but it is
your ability to be mature about it and the presence of the Holy
Spirit in your life that can turn things around for good.
As a married woman, do guys still toast you?
(Laughter) Of course they do, if they don’t then I would have
to re-examine myself. Well, I handle them like I’ve always
done. I just make them my friends and tell them we can’t do
more than that. You just have to handle it maturely because
when you are in the public eye and you’re pretty, you have no
right to expect people not to admire you.
How come you have not got any endorsement deal despite
being in the industry for almost a decade and half?
Actually, I think it is because I took a break as a result of my
marriage, and the fact that I have always been in the East.
But this year, I am moving high.
Is that why you relocated from Owerri to Lagos this year?
The reason I am moving to Lagos is that I want a change of
environment; I want to give entertainment a full shot this year,
I mean give it all my time. Meanwhile, if endorsements come,
they are very welcome. I have worked hard and I am still
working hard to earn them so I will be grateful to God when it
finally happens.
Do you watch your movies? Do you sometimes feel that some
characters you played could have been better?
Oh, definitely. I am my greatest critic; I criticize myself a lot.
When I watch my movies sometimes I feel bad. However,
recently I have stopped watching my movies because when I
do, I begin to think I should have done this or that better. I
criticize myself a lot and that helps me to do better.
What lesson would you teach up-and-coming actresses from
what you have learnt so far?
My advice to the up-and-coming actress is to discover herself
first; be sure she wants to act. You shouldn’t go into acting
because you want to be seen on TV; they are two different
things. You discover your ability so as to give it your best
shot because you love acting and not because of the money
or the fame that comes with it. It is not easy being in the
limelight; you have to work hard, you have to do a lot of free
jobs at first, and you have to discomfort yourself to be able to
get there, and most importantly, put God first in everything.
What is your assessment of Nollywood?
Great! There has been a lot of improvement; we are doing so
well. And the government is also encouraging us in their own
way, even though, we wish and pray they could do better by
investing heavily in Nollywood. We are the third largest in the
world, I know that in time to come, we will do a whole lot
better and make the country proud, just as we are doing now.

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Uduaghan emerges Silverbird Man of The Year

Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has been
pronounced as the Silverbird Man of the Year 2014. He
emerged winner of the prestigious award in a very tight
contest among six nominees.
According to the organisers, Governor Uduaghan won the
award for restoring peace and security to Delta State,
provision of free medical care for children and the elderly,
massive infrastructural development, and his acclaimed micro
credit scheme.
The 10th anniversary of the Silverbird Man of the Year Awards
will also feature special awards to some prominent individuals
and groups including Chief Innocent Chukwuma, chairman,
Innoson Motors, who won the Silverbird Extra-ordinary
Achievement Award for establishing the first indigenous vehicle
manufacturing plant in Nigeria. Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina for his
positive efforts in boosting local food production and
drastically reducing the importation of foodstuff.
However, a Post-humous award will each be bestowed on
foremost human rights activist and social crusader, Chief Gani
Fawehinmi, famed apostle of politics without bitterness, Alhaji
Ibrahim Waziri, and former governor of old Imo State, Chief
Sam Mbakwe.
A Silverbird Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to
acclaimed orator and former Nigerian permanent
representative to the United Nations, Alhaji Maitama Sule,
former Permanent Secretary, Dr. Philip Asiodu and technocrat,
administrator and businessman, Dr. Gamaliel Onosode.
For containing the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria, the
Silverbird Group has deemed it fit to give special recognition
award to the medical team of First Consultant Hospital led by
the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Ifeanyi Ohiaeri, and also to the
Lagos State Government, Rivers State Government and
Federal Ministry of Health.
Past winners of the Silverbird Man of the Year Award include
the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, Mallam Nasir El- Rufai, Mallam
Nuhu Ribadu, Dr. Mike Adenuga and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Others are Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Governors Godswill Akpabio of
Akwa Ibom State, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Adams
Oshiomhole of Edo State, former Anambra State governor,
Peter Obi and former CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,
who is now the Emir of Kano.
A date for the award ceremony will be announced later.

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Rita Edmond survives car crash

New kid on the block, Rita Edmond, cheated death by the
whiskers when she had a ghastly car crash, last Sunday
morning, while returning from a show in her Acura MDX SUV,
which was damaged beyond repair.
According to the singer who narrated the ugly incident to The
Entertainer from her hospital bed, she is grateful to God for
sparing her life.
“The accident happened in a flash on the Opebi Link bridge,
Lagos; in a split second it was all over. It happened because I
was trying to avoid collision with the vehicle to my left and
then things happened so fast. I am more than grateful God
kept me alive because the damage on my vehicle cannot be
reconciled with the minor injuries I sustained. It’s just God’s
mercy that kept and protected me.
“I sustained injuries but I am recovering fast. The orthopaedic
surgeon says the x-ray result looks unbelievably good and
that I’ll recover sooner than I think so I am hoping and
praying for a speedy recovery,” Edmond said.
The musician also used the opportunity to appreciate and
thank all her fans and colleagues for all the love showered on
her and assured she is recuperating and would soon be back
on her feet.

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‘With good funding, we can win Oscar for Nigeria’

For US-based Nigerian filmmaker, Nnaemeka Andrew
Madueke, hard work pays. His film, The Mystery of Birds, won
the Best Film by an African in the Diaspora at the 2012
African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). His latest film, Take
the Spotlight, earned him yet another award of Best Filmmaker
at the 2014 Peachtree Village International Film Festival in
Atlanta, Georgia. In this interview, Madueke whose inspiring
films feature Hollywood stars like Lynn Whitfield and Glenn
Morshower, opens up on his career and challenges. Excerpts:
What other films do you have and what efforts are you
making for them to be seen in Nigeria?
My other films are ‘Night To Fly’, ‘The Okra Principle’ and
‘Mystery of Birds’. The Africa Channel, an African television
network based in Los Angeles, California has screened these
films in the past. Their network covers most of the USA and
the Caribbean, so because of this we ship DVDs and also get
many emails from people who have seen our films in those
regions. We’ve also shipped a lot of the DVDs to the UK.
We’re also currently working with a Los Angeles-based
distribution network to get the films on a couple of major
content streaming sites including Amazon.com. The films
should be on those sites by the end of the first quarter in
2015. We’ve tried to bring them to Nigeria a few times but hit
some roadblocks. But we’ll keep trying.
Tell us about Take the Spotlight that won you the Best
Filmmaker award?
Take the Spotlight is the story of an American film director,
Artie Rain, hired by two African producers to make a film
about a modern day African slave trader called ‘Gustav’ who
is portrayed by Chinedu Ikedieze in a brief but marvelous
cameo. Artie Rain puts his heart and soul into trying to make
the film but encounters all kinds of snags including those
created by his over-zealousness. A lot of comedic elements
are introduced in the story to make the movie exciting and
entertaining while at the same time dealing with the more
serious aspects of the movie.
The storyline doesn’t sound like the central character is an
African?
That was exactly the point that the producers, Amaechi
Madueke, Iorna Handem, Chinedu Ikedieze, Allen Warchol and
Daniel Foster wanted to make by embracing this story. We
wanted to make a film that has a very universal reach and
appeal. So, right from the beginning, we challenged ourselves
to come up with a story that ventured out to other territories
while holding onto some African elements. We initially
struggled with the idea of doing a story that did not have an
African as the lead character, especially since all other films
that we’d done in the past followed the path of the Diaspora
African experience in his new environment. But after some
soul-searching, we completely embraced the idea. We un­
derstood that we could give a more positive knowledge of our
African-Nigerian heritage to the world, by presenting an
excellent story regardless of its central character’s origin.
Are you going to continue on this path in future?
We are going to follow the path of inspiration as we always
have. We will do whatever story or idea that we’re inspired to
do regardless of the setting or central character, but with a
bias or inclination towards stories about Diaspora-Africans.
That’s because it is our life story and also because there’s a
big vacuum for very good productions of such stories.
A lot of us in the Diaspora want to be reckoned with. So in
our little way, we will represent our culture with the tools and
talents at our disposal in this case, films. We see ourselves as
ambassadors for Africa. This means that no matter how long
we’ve lived in our adopted country, we still understand that
we are the first point of reference for Africa for other races. So,
whether we are making films or trying to corner other bounties
in life, we will not let our heritage limit our vision or who we
are. We strive to reach for the same stars as everyone else.
There are enough stars in the sky for everyone, not just for a
certain part of the world.
Apart from Chinedu Ikedieze, who else is in the film?
We also have Hollywood’s Lynn Whitfield who features in
movies like ‘Eve’s Bayou’ and ‘A Thin Line Between Love and
Hate’, and also Glenn Morshower from movies like ‘Black
Hawk Down’, ‘Transformers’ and ‘After Earth’. The film
equally parades Allen Warchol, Megan Glover and Nigerian-
Diaspora actors like Nene Nwoko, Roy “KC” Nwakamma, Uju
Egbuji, Hayley “Gigi” Polak from South Africa and a host of
others. The film really boasts of a diverse and interesting cast.
How do you really feel after winning the Best Filmmaker
award?
Winning the award is just a good step towards our end goal,
which eventually is making a film that will be nominated and
celebrated in the topmost platform in the world like the Oscar.
I am thankful for the producers who believed in the project
enough to commit their time and resources. Amaechi Madueke
of That Kid Productions, Iorna Handem of Handem
Productions, Allen Warchol with whom I developed a lot of the
central character; Daniel Foster who is the founder of a
Dallas-based acting studio, Class Act Dallas and through
whom we secured a lot of the talent in the film; and then
Chinedu Ikedieze who has played a pivotal role in providing
priceless resources and direction towards eventually
showcasing the film and our other films to the African
audience.
I am also thankful for all the actors who gave their time and
talent in making the film. Actors are the heartbeats of films,
the ones who bring to life the merely written words. I have a
whole new level of respect for actors after working on this
film. I also thank the production crew, Edgar Rodriguez and
Clay Pacatte for the cinematography; David Pinkston for the
sound and colour editing; Jesus Martinez for his beautiful
music score; Miss Keke (Kelechi Onwumere) for her marvelous
music; Henock Getamassey (Jukebox), who came all the way
from Ethiopia, for his wonderful music; Samuel John, David
Gilden, Phyllis Anyiam and a host of others. I am grateful to
some of my schoolmates from my alma mater, Federal
Government College, Okigwe, Imo State who attended the
screening in Atlanta. Some of them flew miles while others
drove from other cities in the USA to attend the event. Their
presence at the screening was fulfilling for me and winning the
award crowned it all. I am equally grateful to other film
festivals that have showcased the film so far including Capital
City Black Film Festival in Austin, Texas, Film Maker’s Corner
Film Festival in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Urban Media
Makers Film Festival in Norcross, Georgia.
Is this your first award in the industry?
No, it’s not. But this is the only award so far for ‘Take the
Spotlight’. Our last film before this one, ‘Mystery of Birds’ also
won an award for Best Film by an African in Diaspora at the
2012 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). I was really
thrilled when I received this award in Nigeria. You know, it
was like a grand homecoming for me. And that indeed
indicated that the future of the industry is bright.
What’s next for you and your crew? Do you have any new
projects in the pipeline?
We are still sorting out details with ‘Take the Spotlight’ like
how we are going to distribute it. Winning this award in
Atlanta did come with a couple of offers for distribution here in
the United States, but the truth is that we are not yet ready to
let it go for distribution until maybe the third quarter of 2015.
By then we would have screened it in a few more places like
Nigeria and hopefully other parts of Africa. We are also looking
at translating it to other languages so it could gain more
audience worldwide. As for new projects, yes, there are greater
ideas where this one came from. We currently have a great
story idea that was actually conceived about six years ago but
are we ready to make it now? Maybe, not right now. Our goal
is to hit the highest pinnacle with our next project, and to do
this; we are talking about funds with which to bring in the
best talent that one can find. I am talking about the best
cinematographers out there, best sound people, best editors;
elements that must never be neglected in making the perfect
film. With ‘Take the Spotlight’ and ‘Mystery of Birds’, I
personally did a double as the director and editor just because
we did not have much funds available. I do not want to keep
doing that, because honestly, my expertise has peaked.
Finding better expertise would definitely thrust us into folklore,
but again, we are talking funds. I bet you that with proper
funding, we can win great laurels and awards for Nigeria and
the African continent. Even, we can win the Oscar. A good
movie just like a rich pot of soup is all about how much one is
ready to commit.
Do you have plans to come and shoot films in Nigeria?
Given the right opportunity and funds, yes, I would definitely
love to do that. My brother, Chuks Madueke who is also a writ­
er and I discuss it all the time. In fact, we have started to
develop a story that would be filmed in Nigeria in the near
future. I would love to work with a lot more Nollywood actors
and make my mark in a burgeoning industry. Thanks to the
initiatives of the Nigerian government and organizations like
AMAA and then the Nigerian film producers and actors that
work tirelessly to bring scripts to life. It is because of them
that the Nigerian film industry has come into reckoning
worldwide.

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Flavour VS Iyanya: Who’s got the sexier abs?

The need to be sexy in order to make it in showbiz is no
longer a female thing as most Nigerian male musicians are
hopping on the bandwagon and working out for hours in the
gym. And the results are the lean sexy bodies they exhibit on
social media which have won for them thousands of adoring
female fans. This week, Iyanya and Flavour, two of Nigeria’s
sexiest musicians, slug it out on Showdown as fans determine
which of them has the sexier abs.
IYANYA:
Winner, MTN Project Fame West Africa 2008 and Kukere
singer, Mbuk Onoyom Iyanya aka Iyanya is a singer,
songwriter and recording artiste. Like Flavour, he started off
in church. His clergyman grandfather had a church and Iyanya
became the children’s choir conductor at age five. Born in
Calabar, Cross River State, he is a graduate of Business
Management from the University of Calabar. Iyanya lost both
of his parents in 2008 and in 2011, he dropped his debut
album entitled, My Story. However, it was his second studio
album which had the hit track, Kukere that transformed him
into a household name.
Iyanya is the co-owner of Made Men Music Group (MMMG)
and has won several awards.
FLAVOUR N’ABANIA:
Born and brought up in Enugu State, Chinedu Okoli aka
Flavour N’abania, started off in church at age 13 playing
drums. A multi-instrumentalist, he studied Music at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), against his mother’s
wish but later dropped out to study Business Administration.
As a budding artiste, he was a regular act at the popular
Burbles Plaza, Enugu. He later formed his band, Flavour &
The Crew in 2006 and released his debut album, N’abania ,
which became an instant hit, thanks to the remix of late
Osita Osadebe’s Ashawo. He has bagged several nominations
and awards.
…And the people’s verdict:
They are both ladies’ men – Bisi Adebayo, undergraduate
Both Flavour and Iyanya have sexy abs which stand them out
of the crowd in the industry and has given them a place on
the most-wanted-ladies-mens’ list in Nigeria. In fact, both
singers are crowd-pullers and the number of girls, married and
single that usually throng their concert venues is a testament
to the fact that they are truly ladies’ men.
Give it to Flavour – Sandra Chijulu, businesswoman
Have you ever taken a closer look at Flavour? He has sexy
abs no doubt and he is sweet from head to toe; everything
about him is sexy. Do you know what happened to Jay Jay
Okocha in Enugu in his hay days? A set of top Enugu State
University (ESUT) babes once ‘waylaid’ him and forced him to
kiss all of them. Flavour may likely experience such because
just like Okocha, he is also an Enugu boy and what is more,
he is a ladies’ man.
I like Iyanya – Funke Adelabu, student
What I like most about Iyanya is that he always dresses well
and is very alive at concerts. Flavour is a good dancer no
doubt but Iyanya is the better party. He also dresses better
than Flavour.
Flavour is fresh and crisp – Love Osibe, Student
One thing about life is that some people are specially
endowed while others are scarcely favoured. Flavour is among
the specially blessed. He is fresh, crisp and he complements
that with a great voice, height and stature. I don’t know
where or how to start describing his sexy abs because that is
what he represents in its totality. However, Iyanya is also a
very sexy artiste but he is not as handsome as Flavour.
They are both hot and sexy! –Seun Oluwunmi, banker
Iyanya and Flavour are two of a kind. For me, the only
difference between them is complexion. Career wise, they are
very similar. Both of them are ‘bad guys.’ Let me use another
phrase to qualify them, they are both ‘positively crazy.’ Their
songs make waves, they are popular choices at music
concerts and they have won several awards for themselves
and above all, they are both hot and sexy!
Flavour is sexiest artiste alive – Kolade Adenuga, banker
This subject matter is supposed to be channelled towards
women but the truth is that as far as Nigerian music industry
is concerned presently, Flavour is the sexiest artiste alive. He
is a handsome guy inside out; he is way ahead of Iyanya.
Iyanya is a delight – Uche Azuka, entrepreneur
The pair has all it takes to put a woman in the mood without
even knowing it and I do not have to be elaborate about that
to drive home my point. However, with his unique dance
steps, Iyanya is a delight any day.
Flavour is sexier – Eberechi Naomi, undergraduate
Both artistes have sexy abs that stand them out among the
lot. But I also want to praise Flavour for his smartness. He
craftily started off with what I may call seductive or sexy
songs, got the fame and cool cash and then subtly rebranded
himself. You can see that he has stopped dropping vulgar
songs. Flavour is craftier and sexier than Iyanya.
They are both hardworking artistes – Kolade Adenuga, banker
I would say that both of them are very hardworking artistes
and that is the part I like to promote and not whether they
have sexy abs or not. Every man is sexy in his own right just
as it is among women. That is why the saying has it that
‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.’ I like Iyanya and
Flavour not because of their sexy abs but because of their
talents and the seriousness with which they are pursuing their
careers.
Flavour is more gifted – Adeola Funmilayo, undergraduate
I don’t know about being sexy but I think that Flavour is more
gifted than Iyanya. He is also more consistent in the industry
than Iyanya as far as I’m concerned. But Iyanya is a big asset
to the entertainment industry and Nigeria in general; Kukere
was a great song.

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NEXT STOP: CHIBOK

■ APC says Jonathan’s trip to Maiduguri incomplete
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Presi­
dent Goodluck Jonathan on finding the courage to visit
Maiduguri to pep up the gallant troops battling the Boko Ha­
ram insurgency, but said the president has more trips to make
to Chibok, Buni Yadi and Potiskum, among others.
In a statement issued in Makurdi on yesterday by its National
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the
president should follow up his visit to the theatre of the Boko
Haram battle with visits to the parents of the 219 missing
Chibok girls as well as the families of the boys who were
killed at the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe
State, last year.
It said it is only by doing so that the president can begin to
refute the published report that his visit to Maiduguri on
Thursday was politically motivated, aimed at laying the
foundation for his impending electioneering campaign swing
across the north, especially to Maiduguri on Jan. 21st.
The party said now that the president has woken up from his
slumber, he should also address the issue of the low morale
of the troops and their lack of the necessary fighting
equipment, if they are to effectively battle the terrorists who
have killed and maimed thousands of innocent citizens.
“It is instructive that a few hours after President Jonathan
visited Maiduguri, the global news channel CNN aired an
interview with some Nigerian soldiers who complained of very
low morale among the rank and file, lack of fighting equip­
ment and very poor welfare. Another blamed the terrible
situation faced by the troops on massive corruption.
“This does no credit to an administration that has allocated
billions of naira to the defence and security sectors, billions
that apparently did not reach those at the front line of the
battle. It calls to question the usage to which the government
has put the huge funds allocated to the sector, including the
1-billion-dollar loan that was recently approved by the
National Assembly,’’ it said.

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Again, APC secretariat bombed in Rivers

The All Progressives Congress secretariat in Ngor community,
in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, was
yesterday bombed by some unknown political thugs. The
incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday.
According to a source, the building, which was serving as APC
secretariat went up in flames, after it was attacked with a
dynamite. The attack was said to have created panic in the
area, as residents were seen fleeing the community.
The attack was said to be similar to the one carried out on
APC secretariat at Aba-Ama in Okrika Local Government Area
of the state at about 3.14am, last Sunday, where the ground
floor of the three-storey building, where the party has its
office, was attacked with explosives.
When contacted to comment on the incident, the Chairman of
APC in Andoni Local Government Area, Mr. Amos Gogo Amos,
said the fire, caused by the impact of the explosives, was still
on at the time he was speaking with reporters.
“The building has been completely razed by the inferno. We
are calling on the government, to come to our aid, as we are
no longer safe in the community. Anything can happen in the
night. As we speak, fire is still raging in the building”.
Also, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Andoni Local
Government Area, Ikwut Emmanuel, told journalists how he
received a distress call at about 3am, and the caller informed
him that APC secretariat was on fire.
“I received a call around 3.am today, that the APC secretariat
at Ngor, ward 1, our party local government headquarters,
was on fire. The entire building was razed. I am calling on the
Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the state Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Dam Bature, to investigate the matter,” he said.
When contacted, the Rivers State Command’s Public Relations
Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammadu, a Deputy Superintendent of
Police (DSP), confirmed the incident. He, however, said that
the information at his disposal, at the time of filing the report
was sketchy.
“The information within our reach is sketchy. However, I can
inform you that the police have begun investigation into the
matter,” he said.

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Man beheads wife, daughter, commits suicide

A 46-year-old farmer, Olubusayo Sunday was alleged to have
beheaded his wife, Oyewole and 3-year-old daughter, Esther,
before committing suicide in Onigbedu, Ewekoro Local Govern­
ment Area of Ogun State.
Saturday Sun learnt that the tragic incident occurred after a
heated argument over a yet undisclosed matter.
A bloodstained knife and a cutlass suspected to have been
used by the farmer on his wife and daughter have been
recovered from his house by police detectives.
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Maida
Adejobi, the farmer was discovered to have earlier killed his
wife and daughter after but was prevented by neighbours from
jumping into a well, having stabbed and set himself ablaze.
Adejobi, a deputy superintendent of police, added that
Olubusayo later died in the hospital after telling police
detectives that a quarrel between him and his wife led to the
tragic incident.
The PPRO said, “police detectives attached to Ewekoro
Division of the Ogun State police command have commenced
investigation into a tragedy that occurred on Wednesday, Janu­
ary 14, 2015 in Onigbedu town in Ewekoro Local Government
when one Olubusayo Sunday, 46, farmer, beheaded his wife
and daughter in his Onigbedu house, and committed suicide
by stabbing and setting himself ablaze after the ugly incident
about 1.15pm.
“The wife and the daughter, were beheaded for reasons known
to him and the three corpses have been deposited at the
General Hospital, Ifo while further investigation into the matter
has commenced.
“Up till this moment, no one or any member of the deceased
family or neighbours could intimate the police with the cause
of the incident, but the last statement Mr Olubusayo made
before he died, in the presence of the police detectives
suggested that there was a quarrel between him and his late
wife.”
The police spokesman also said that the state Commissioner
of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye who expressed shock over the
incident had directed that the matter be transferred to the
Department of Criminal Investigation, Eleweran, Abeokuta for
thorough investigation.

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Why ACF endorses Buhari

■ Four years of Jonathan is disaster after disaster, says
Abubakar Mamman Danmusa
In the face of recent endorsement of the presidential candidate
of the All Progressive Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, by
Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in the forthcoming
presidential election, elder statesman-cum-legal luminary and
former Deputy Senate President, Abubakar Mamman Danmusa,
has revealed why it was necessary ACF threw its weight
behind Buhari.
Danmusa said that the erstwhile Head of State was endorsed
on the basis that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse and there
is no sectional coloration about it.
He spoke to ANDY ASEMOTA on the merit of the endorsement
and what it portends for Nigeria. Excerpts:
What do you have to say on the recent endorsement of
General Muhammadu Buhari by Arewa Consultative Forum
(ACF) for next month presidential election?
Really, the parties have fielded their candidates and they made
their home work. You know, the chairman of ACF and former
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomassie, said ACF has
endorsed Buhari, but they denied. But now, having seen the
candidates, the deterioration of security situation and the
sufferings, more about the economy in view of the price of oil
which has gone down terribly and the way Nigerians are
suffering, I think it is not because they come from the North
that they endorsed him.
In 2011, they did not endorse him because perhaps they were
of the opinion that Jonathan should be given a chance to
prove himself. Now, for four years, it is nothing but disaster
after disaster. Nigeria, which used to have respect all over the
world, is now the laughing stock. Certainly, something ought
to be done to stop the situation because, God forbid, if Nigeria
breaks up, the whole of Africa will be affected. You can see
with the war in Syria and Iraq how Europe is contending with
immigration challenges on a daily basis. If Nigeria, with its
vast population, explodes, certainly all neighbouring countries
will be in trouble.
Is there any hope?
It is not a question about Buhari or Jonathan but the question
of stability of Nigeria. For the first time in the history of South
South, they have endorsed Buhari and they are serious and if
they do things, they go all out. They (Buhari and his
supporters) are in mobilization process, like what took place
last week in Osun State where they walked for three
kilometres just to mobilize people to clean Nigeria.
You see, it is not the question of a northern organisation
endorsing Buhari. It is a question of the survival of this
country. What about Ohanaeze ? Long, long ago, it had
endorsed Jonathan. So, if that is the right thing for Ohanaeze
to do, then it is not wrong for Arewa Consultative Forum to
back Buhari. I think people should be honest with themselves.
Jonathan is a disaster. I am not with Buhari. I said I will not
join his party, but this time round, I am campaigning for him
that he should be elected. Not on the basis that he is a
northerner, no, but on the basis that Nigeria is on the brink of
collapse. Only God knows what will happen. So, whether
Buhari comes from where (ever), he is the best alternative we
have now and there is nothing wrong for Arewa Consutative
Forum to endorse him.
I think it would have been Ohanaeze which should be
condemned. Earlier, it had endorsed Jonathan; that is partisan
but ACF, after a deep reflection, decided to endorse Buhari. We
want to save Nigeria.
When he (Buhari) won (APC presidential primary), I did not
congratulate him. If he wins February 14 poll, I will not
congratulate him. I will only wish him good luck but I think
Buhari is the best thing to happen to us at this time. There
are so many issues on which we disagree but I think now, he
is the best thing that can happen to Nigeria.
Our army had been playing leading role in Africa, but now we
have to go to local hunters for help. It is a disgrace that the
insurgents have taken over virtually everything belonging to
us.
So, what are you talking about? To leave Nigeria in the hands
of this President? I think somebody must be crazy. So, I think
Arewa Consultative Forum is right.

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I’ll rule with honesty – Buhari

The APC p r e s i d e n t i a l c a n d i d a t e , Maj Gen
Muhammadu Buhari has urged the electorate to flush out the
ruling party saying the PDP in their 16 years rule had
disappointed Nigerians.
Buhari who was excited with the turn out of the crowd
promised to fix the economy and create employment
opportunities to legions of jobless youths
He said if voted into power, he would not dissappoint
Nigerians as he would govern with absolute honesty and fear
of God and promised that he would ensure that civil servants’
salaries will be paid as at when due.
Several other party chieftains who spoke at the rally include
the national chairman of the party, John Odigie- Oyegun, ex-
governor Abubakar Audu, Dino Melaiye who is a senatorial
candidate and a governorship aspirant, George Olumoroti
Among others Audu said the only party that can deliver
Nigeria from this imminent collapse is APC and urged the
people to come out en-masse to vote for the APC.
Lokoja township stadium, the venue where APC rally took
place yesterday was filled beyond capacity as people from all
the 21 local government areas of kogi state trooped to the
venue with great excitement.

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Equatorial Guinea, Congo ignite Africa

The attention of football fans all over the world will shift to
Africa for the next three weeks, starting from this afternoon,
as the 30th edition of the continent’s greatest showpiece -the
Africa Cup of Nations- gets underway in the tiny oil-rich
Equatorial Guinea.
Host, Equatorial Guinea and Congo Brazzaville will set the
tune in the opening match billed to kick off at 6pm this
evening inside the main bowl of the 15, 250 capacity Nuevo
Stadium in Malabo, as 16 national teams, battle for the
coveted trophy won by Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the last
edition of the tournament in South Africa two years ago.
Interestingly, Equatorial Guinea will be making its second
appearance at the Nations Cup finals with its first and only
outing being in 2012 when it co-hosted with Gabon and
reached the quarterfinals.
But not much is expected from the Nzalang Nacional (National
Thunder), nickname for Equatorial Guinea’s national team, at
this edition of the tournament, having been earlier disqualified
for fielding ineligible player during the qualifiers.
The Central African nation got the chance to play at this
year’s finals as last minute substitute for Morocco that with­
drew as host following the refusal of the Confederation of
African Football (CAF) to grant its request to shift the date of
the championship over fears that the travelling fans could
spread the dreaded Ebola virus that has claimed well over
5,000 lives in the West African sub region.
Another pointer that Equatorial Guinea, ranked 120 in FIFA
World ranking, may not go far in the tournament is the ap­
pointment of Argentine coach, Esteban Becker, barely two
weeks ago to tinker its 2015 Nations Cup squad of average
players. The biggest name in the squad is Captain Emilo Nsue
who plies his trade with English Championship side, Mid­
dlesbrough. With only two international caps, Nsue will rely on
the experience of the defensive quartet of Sipo of AEK of
Cyprus, Rui of Hibermans FC of Malta, Daniel Evuy and
Diosdado Mbele, both of domestic side, Leones Vegetarians
FC, to shut-out the Congo Red Devils’ rampaging attack in
today’s opening match.
Perhaps, the biggest work for the host side today would be in
the midfield where veterans Juvena Edjogo-Owono and Randy
are expected to bring their wealth of experience to bear
against the Congolese. Edjogo-Owono, 35, is the most capped
Equatorial Guinea international with 24 caps and six goals
while Randy, 27, has 19 caps and three goals under his belt.
Whether the National Thunder would have enough fire-power
to strike down the Claude Le Roy-tutored Red Devils today
leaves to be seen. Congo, 61 on FIFA World ranking and
winner of the 1972 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in
Cameroon, look favoured to flag off their campaign on high
after qualifying ahead of the defending champion, Nigeria’s
Super Eagles with a 3-2 defeat of the latter in front their home
fans in Calabar.
Interestingly, Equatorial Guinea suffered its heaviest defeat of
6-0 in international football in the hands of Congo on
December 13, 1990. With the vast experience of French
tactician, Le Roy in African football, the host side should have
a lot to worry about in today’s opening fixture.
One player Equatorial Guinea’s defence must watch out for in
the Congolese attack is striker Thievy Bifouma. The Almeria of
Spain forward wrecked the Super Eagles during the qualifiers
with a brace in Calabar and another clinical finish in the return
leg in Congo.
Other notable forwards in the Red Devils’ attack include
Guingamp of France striker, Ferebony Dore of CFR Cluj, Delvin
N’Dinga of Olympiacos of Greece and Fabrice N’Guessi of
Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
Burkina Faso will take on Gabon in the second match of the
day at 9pm. There will be two matches tomorrow with Zambia
and Congo DR locking horns in the first game at the Bata
Stadium at 6pm while Tunisia and Cape Verde Islands taking
the stage at 9pm at the same venue.

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Safeguarding public water supply in Lagos

The recent report on the circulation of contaminated water
obtained by water vendors from the facilities of the Lagos
State Water Corporation (LSWC) in Ijora-Badia area of Lagos
expectedly generated concern across the city. The water was
said to contain a high bacterial load and cancer-causing
elements that could be lethal if consumed for a long period.
Indeed, the reportedly tainted water was suspected to be
contributing to the high incidence of diarrhoea and other
water-borne diseases in the affected area.
It is alarming that safe drinking water and basic sanitation,
which is Target 10 under Goal Seven of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), have continued to be an illusion
for many people in Nigeria and the rest of the world.
According to the United Nations, at least 783 million people
the world over lack access to good water.
The comprehensive analysis of samples of the affected water
in Ijora-Badia conducted by the Chemistry Department of
University of Lagos, following a request by a national
newspaper which broke the story, gives cause for concern. The
tests reportedly “revealed a frightening chemical and biological
composition. The silica level detected is 14.20, which is at
least 400 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s
(WHO) acceptable maximum of 0.03. Phosphate, a chemical
that causes digestive problems to both humans and animals,
is five times higher (at 5.176) than the maximum level
permissible by the WHO (1.0). The analysis also reveals 0.498
level of lead, a dangerous carcinogenic metal.”
A senior lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the same
university, Dr. Chimezie Anyakora, who has conducted
extensive research on water contamination across Nigeria,
further broke down the result of the analysis, explaining that
the level of lead detected in the water should be of great
concern to the people directly using it and Lagosians in
general.
As he put it, “Obviously, the bacterial count (2.40 X 103
colony-forming unit per millimetre) which is at least 20 times
more than the WHO limits (1.0 x 102), poses the danger of
short-term diseases like typhoid, dysentery and diarrhoea. But,
my major concern is the lead level. There should not be any
lead at all in the water.”
“Lead”, he continued, is a very carcinogenic element. If one
ingests bacteria in water, they reproduce and attack the body
when their number is large enough. The typhoid, dysentery,
diarrhoea or other diseases that it will give you in the short-
term can be treated if detected in time. But the problems are
those who are not feeling sick at the moment and develop
long-term illnesses in the long run because of the heavy
metal, lead. Lead, like other heavy metals, accumulates in the
body over time. Someone who drinks water contaminated with
it like this may live a normal life without feeling sick for years.
When one is supposed to be living a good life, that is when it
causes kidney failure, cancer and many other ailments and
problems that may be too expensive to manage.” He surmised
that the water portends grave danger for anyone who drinks it
continuously for two years.
The problem of water contamination in Ijora-Badia area of
Lagos has been linked to the fact that the water-pipe
configuration in the area is disorganised. Some of the pipes
are laid by private water vendors in sewages and polluted
drainages, with the high risk of contamination of the water in
the sometimes leaky pipes. Such water may be tainted by do­
mestic wastes and poisonous chemicals such as dyes and
other industrial pollutants.
If most Nigerians had access to functional water taps, the
ubiquity of water hawkers and all manner of vendors of the
essential item would have been minimised. The tragedy of this
“independent” piping and selling of water is that nobody can
guarantee the quality of the water that gets to the consumer.
There is a likelihood that a good measure of this nondescript
water is not subjected to any basic test or analysis before it
is unleashed on the unwary public.
It is, however, noteworthy that the Water Corporation has
waded into the matter and given assurances that the water
supply to Lagos is safe. The managing director of the
corporation, Engr. Shayo Holloway, said that the tests carried
out on water samples taken from Ijora-Badia did not reveal
the presence of lead or iron. He, nevertheless, admitted that
the activities of illegal water vendors who lay water pipes
through drainage and other unhygienic environment do affect
the operations of the corporation. Some of the vendors, he
explained, connect pumping machines to the corporation’s
main pipes and pump water through improperly laid and
sometimes broken pipes, which could affect the quality of the
water. He added that the agency has been working hard to
monitor the vendors to stop the illegal activity.
We commend the water corporation for the dispatch with
which it has addressed this concern. The agency must stop
the illegal laying of pipelines in unhealthy places in Ijora-Badia
and any other affected part of the state. It must also speed
up its long-term plan to “fix water on the frontage of every
house” to reduce the dependence on private water vendors in
parts of the state.

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