A primary school teacher in Edo State caused quite a stir last Tuesday when she could not read documents she presented to the state certificate verification committee

By ADEKUNBI ERO

It was late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Afrobeat maestro, who decades ago sang the popular lyrics, “Teacher don’t teach me nonsense.” Fela should have been around last week Tuesday to witness the show of shame by a primary school teacher in Benin City, Edo State, who could not read! It was a bemused Adams Oshiomhole, governor of the state, who in vain taught the teacher, Augusta Odemwingie, how to read documents she had tendered for verification. Oshiomhole, who had paid an unscheduled visit to the venue of the verification exercise at the State Staff Training Centre, took a seat near Odemwingie who was unlucky to be taking her turn when the governor breezed in, perused her documents as she laboured to defend her credentials, and asked her to read an affidavit. To the governor’s dismay and the discomfiture of others present, the teacher who teaches at Asologun Primary School, Ikpoba Okha Local Government area, Benin City, fumbled as she pronounced every word wrongly. 

A bewildered Oshiomhole asked the teacher, who had been teaching for 20 years, “if you can’t read, what do you teach the pupils? What do you write on the board?” The certificate screening was fallout of an audit carried out by the state’s information and communications technology unit, which uncovered a can of worms in the records of the teachers. Oshiomhole said at a town hall meeting on education recently that apart from massive falsification of age, the audit exercise also showed that 789 out of 1,379 teachers obtained their primary school leaving certificates before the age of eight or nine. According to the governor, “some of the records show there were a few who were particularly gifted and they finished primary school before they were born. We found that of all our primary school teachers, only 1,287, representing nine per cent out of 14,484 teachers, have proper and accurate records in our system. Ninety-one per cent have various forms of discrepancies in their records. About 1,379 teachers representing 11.5 per cent, claim that they obtained their Primary School Leaving Certificates after they had been employed as teachers. In fact, some obtained their primary school certificates not more than two years ago from the school in which they were employed as teachers.”

Oshiomhole said: “The question is whether they went to teachers training college or obtained National Certificate in Education, NCE, before they went to primary school.” Consequently, the government on August 6, 2013, the governor ordered 1,300 primary school teachers with irregularities in their certificates and age to appear before a verification committee to defend themselves. The decision was taken at a meeting between the governor and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, led by Emmanuel Ademokun, and Patrick Ikosimi, the NUT chairman. Oshiomhole who said the exercise was not to witch-hunt anybody, however, insisted “we can mismanage everything in our country, if you mismanage education you are killing our tomorrow, our collective future.”

But the teachers felt otherwise. They alleged that it is a vindictive action consequent upon a prolonged strike over the contentious 27 per cent Teachers’ Special Allowance, TSA.

The governor said at the Town Hall meeting that the teachers/students ratio in all the local governments in the state was an average of 30 students to a teacher, which is much lower than the UNESCO recommendation. The implication is that there are more primary school teachers in the state than are needed. Stakeholders at the meeting however blamed the decadence in the system on the state ministry of education and the State Universal Basic Education Board, SPEB, and urged the governor to also beam his searchlight on them. Not too long ago, the SPEB was dissolved and Ekpenisi Omorotionmwan, the then education commissioner, sacked by the governor. There were speculations that the fire that recently gutted the headquarters of the ministry might not be unconnected with the reason the governor sacked the board members and the commissioner.

 The governor however said there was no link. The panel set up to investigate the fire incident did not make any categorical statement on the cause of the fire. Rather, it expressed concern over the indiscriminate siting of fuel stations in residential areas, which he noted portends danger to the people thus giving the impression that the fire must have been caused by petrol. Apart from the teachers, an opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had also joined issues with the government over the screening of certificates. In a statement signed by the state chairman, Dan Osi Orbih, the PDP described the exercise as “discriminatory, punitive, vexatious and a witch-hunting of the teachers for daring to demand the implementation of their TSA.” The PDP suggested that “an independent body of university dons be empanelled to screen these certificates as only an educated body like that will be able to tell the authenticity or otherwise of such documents,” adding that those who live in glass houses must not throw stones through the window.

Though the NUT initially kicked against the exercise, Odemwingie’s disturbing and dumbfounding performance, which he also witnessed, however made him to have a rethink. Visibly crestfallen, Ikosimi described the teacher as “an embarrassment.” The number one teacher in the state said his union was in tune with the government on the need to sanitise the school system.

With the verification exercise still ongoing, there is no gainsaying the fact that more Odemwingies in the system will be exposed. Oshiomhole has already raised the red flag. He told the leadership of the labour unions “if the facts reveal that there are teachers in the classroom who do not have the requisite qualifications, you cannot insist that they must remain in the system. It is not my wish to preside over dismissals; first, it’s not cheap. Secondly, I have a responsibility to keep Edo going and ensure that our children are in good hands of teachers who are not senile and are still strong to stand and competent to teach.”

Indigenes and residents of Offa, a historic town in Kwara State, wait anxiously for the Supreme Court to decide a legal tussle over the town’s kingship stool that is currently before it

By FOLASHADE ADEBAYO

With its rustic streets and languid work pace, Offa, a historic town in Kwara State, has the easy demeanour of a community at peace. But a legal tussle over its kingship stool, which surfaced in July, is currently threatening the peace and harmony that had hitherto prevailed in the town. This has compelled members of the community to resort to prayers, seeking divine intervention in the form of a favourable verdict in the case before the Supreme Court, to enable the historic town to chart a new direction. A July 9 verdict from the court of appeal, Ilorin, had ordered the deposition of Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi as the Olofa of Offa. In his place, the court ordered that Abdulrauf Keji, a prince of the Olugbense Ruling House, be installed as king. In the judgement, the court said its decision was based on the evidence of rotation of the royal stool between the Olugbense and the Anilelerin Ruling Houses. Oba Gbadamosi hails from the latter.

The judgement had evoked shock and threatened to disrupt the peace of the community. But members of Anilelerin Ruling House, in conjunction with community leaders, say they handled the potentially explosive situation with maturity. Muyideen Aro, public relations officer, Beans Sellers Association, Offa, said the community had come a long way and could not afford to burn. “We were not pleased with the decision of the court of appeal. When we heard the news, we felt bad about it. But we quickly called our youths to order because we know that the matter will be resolved favourably by the grace of God,” he revealed. 

The battle for the stool of Olofa started three years ago with the demise of Oba Mustapha Olawore. Blessed with long life, the late Olofa, who is from the Anilelerin Ruling House, ruled the town for 40 years. With his exit, the door was opened for interested princes from the royal families. According to Ganiyu Oyewale, vice chairman, Council of Offa Princes and Princesses, the appointment and installation of a new king is an open affair, with the basic requirement that each Ruling House submits its nominees to the kingmakers who will in turn consult the oracle on the best choice. “In conformity with the laid down procedure, Prince Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye (Oba Gbadamosi’s royal title) emerged as the preferred candidate for the position of the Olofa of Offa and was duly appointed and installed the Olofa of Offa on May 9, 2010,” Oyewale argued.

Ironically, it was the established procedure for the installation of a traditional ruler which required each Ruling House to submit its candidate to the kingmakers that formed part of the argument canvassed by the Olugbense Ruling House. The procedure is contained in the March 1970 Kwara State Government Gazette.

It was after the installation of Oba Gbadamosi that the legal fireworks erupted. A suit instituted by John Baiyeshea on behalf of the Olugbense Ruling House had challenged Oba Gbadamosi’s appointment. The Olugbense Ruling House’s claim to the throne was a purported press release by the Kwara State government recognising power sharing between the two royal houses in 1969.

But the high court had thrown out the petition, a situation that compelled Baiyeshea to make recourse to the court of appeal. In his submission, the lawyer argued that “the trial judge wrongly rejected Exhibit ‘G’ in evidence. It is the original copy of the Kwara State government press statement of 1969 informing the general public and the whole world that the chieftaincy crisis in Offa was resolved by the government which recognised two Ruling Houses in Offa.”

The stance of the Olugbense family and its lawyer that “a combination of credible, cogent, concrete and strong oral documentary evidence and exhibits presented by the claimants/appellants are strong enough to be relied upon to give judgement in favour of the claimants” appeared to have swayed the decision of the appeal court judges who handed victory to them.

For now, the victory is short-lived. The Anilelerin Ruling House has vowed not to take the blow lying low. In a statement, the judgement of the appeal court was described as “unacceptable, ill conceived, distortion of history, customs and tradition of Offa people and one that could set the hands of the clock backward, deter the progress and development so far achieved by Offa Community and bring chaos and anarchy between two brothers and the community in general.”

While the palace had quickly filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, Oyewale said the argument and the eventual verdict, which recognised the Olugbense Ruling House, was a misrepresentation of historical and verifiable fact. According to him, the Olugbense family lost their claim to the royal stool more than 200 years ago. Oyewale traced history back to 1726 when Oba Olugbense, the progenitor of the Olugbense Ruling House, ascended the throne by impersonation.

Despite this flaw, Offa was said to have prospered under his watch and he ruled for 60 years. But following an inferno, which nearly consumed him, Olugbense was said to have cursed his male sons for refusing to rescue him. Instead, he selected Emiola, his female child, and anointed her and her descendants as heiresses to the throne. Emiola’s descendants who are known as the Anilelerin Ruling House have ruled the ancient town ever since. “Since that time, it became a misnomer to say there are two Ruling Houses in Offa. They lost that right many years ago,” he added.

Naturally, members of the ruling houses are fiercely divided over the matter. For the Olugbense Royal House, for instance, the victory at the appeal court was well deserved. Going by the rotation principle, Saka Keji, a spokesman of the family, said it was high time the Olugbense Ruling House produced the king. Keji also added that every effort of the Olugbense family to present Abdulrauf Keji as its candidate was shunned by the kingmakers. He said the family had made concessions in the past in the interest of peace and the Offa community as a whole.

“The landmark judgement which ruled that it was the turn of Olugbense ruling house to fill the vacant stool of Olofa Offa in the demise of Oba Olawore Olanipekun of the Anilelerin ruling house in 2010 has put the Olofa chieftaincy status in proper historical perspectives,” Keji said, adding that the Olugbense family had earlier conceded the royal stool for the late Oba Olawore in 1969 to “when Oba Mustapha Keji was persuaded by the government then to step down to allow the candidate from the female Anilelerin ruling house to produce the Oba in order to start the rotational process which he did.”

Similarly, Raimi Popoola, a prince and member of the Anilelerin Ruling House, wondered why princes from the Olugbense Ruling House did not raise objections when the selection process for a new king began. “For them to participate in that process that produced Oba Gbadamosi speaks volume. Why are they now talking about rotation? They should have raised that objection right from the beginning but they did not,” he told the magazine.

But the people of Offa are more concerned with maintaining the status quo and letting peace reign in the town. For instance, Jimoh Adekunle, representative of the Plumbers’ Association in the town, said the decision of the court is capable of slowing down the wind of infrastructural development slowly sweeping through the community. “We have seen what Oba Gbadamosi has done for this town in two years. The judgement of the court did not go down well with us. I can tell you that it was God, through the people of this town, that installed him. If they love Offa, they should allow him to reign. They should not let us remain at the same spot in this town.”

Adamo Ibrahim, the king of the Nupe people in Offa, said Oba Gbadamosi is loved well beyond the walls of the palace. “He does not discriminate. Our work in this town is going on well. He loves the poor and identifies with the minority groups in this town. I think he is a good choice for this town,” he noted. Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, agree with the above position. Hammed Omuiyadun, president of the Student Union Government, appealed to the authorities to look at the fact of the case and allow peace to reign. “This town has been peaceful since Oba Gbadamosi ascended the throne. We are even planning to name a building after him. He has done well for this town,” he said.

Mogbonjubola Adebiyi, a septuagenarian and female chief, discounted Keji’s claim that Oba Keji was forced to step down for Oba Olawore. “He stepped down of his own accord after the findings of the Sawyerr Inquiry. Offa was not peaceful during his time, prompting the government to set up an inquiry. He stepped down himself. It is untrue to say that the government at the time forced him to step down. It is also untrue that Oba Gbadamosi was imposed on Offa,” she argued. She added that the current king is Godsend. “He is not selfish. Long before he became king, he had employed hundreds of Offa indigenes through his Yammfy Poultry. He built a state-of-the-art palace and mosque for Offa. I believe Offa is lucky to have him,” she said.

Indeed, Offa is gradually wearing an upbeat look. The town, which had been on the verge of infrastructural bankruptcy, is springing back with eloquent buildings, much of which was reportedly facilitated by Oba Gbadamosi. At the heart of this is the new palace of the Olofa, a majestic royal edifice built in nomadic fashion.  The palace, which has the trappings of a tourist centre, is not the only physical structure that has come up under Oba Gbadamosi, which indigenes of the town consider as a good development. The traditional ruler also single-handedly completed the massive gothic mosque just outside the walls of the palace. Residents also pointed to the Offa Descendants Union, ODU, building, another sprawling edifice, as another contribution to the development of the town from the king. To them, it is unfair to deny Offa a king who is dedicated to building a new town from the ashes of the past.

But after all is said and done, it is the responsibility of the Supreme Court to weigh the matter objectively, to untie the knot created by historical agreement, tradition and practices of the Offa kingdom. 

The controversy generated by the decision of Lagos State government to relocate some destitute persons to their home states has refused to abate 

By JULIANA UCHE-OKOBI

Since some purported beggars were sent back to Anambra State, Nigerians have been debating who exactly constitutes a destitute person and whether any state of the federation has a right to send back any resident to his or her state of origin. Mike Okoye, a legal practitioner and executive director, Human Rights Monitor, HRM, said there is no part of the Nigerian constitution that talks about the word “destitute.” But from his own understanding, he described as destitute someone who has no visible means of livelihood and so is a liability to the family and state.

But that not withstanding, he pointed out that as a citizen, poverty does not deny such a person any of his rights. “As a destitute (person), the individual enjoys all the rights and privileges that the rich and privileged ones enjoy as a citizen,” Okoye noted. As it is enshrined in the constitution, Okoye stressed that such rights include the freedom to reside in any part of the country of his choice without being molested. And whether or not the individual may not contribute positively to the economic growth of his state of residence, such a state, he added, has no legal right to send him back to his state of origin. Doing that, according to him, amounts to a violation of the person’s human rights and, by extension, the constitution.

Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist, who had condemned the act in one of his articles, also said that such an action has no legal backing and violates the constitution of the country. Citing sections 34, 41 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the activist reiterated that it also violates section 15 of the constitution which imposes on the state the duty to promote national integration. He had argued in the article that sending destitute persons away from one state to the other as some governors have done amounted to “war against the poor and disadvantaged by state governments.”

Like Okoye, some other analysts also believe that destitution is a function of bad governance. In its report published last Monday, Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, stated that forced eviction of residents in Lagos State has hit a record number of 9,000. The number only represented those affected during the February 23 demolition of houses and business premises at Badia East informal settlement by officials of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit. Piqued by the devastating effects of the demolition on residents, Amnesty had in a report jointly issued with the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre, SERAC, at a press briefing in Lagos, urged the state government to “urgently” respect people’s rights to adequate housing and put an end to forced evictions across the state. Whereas the state effortlessly tried to justify its action by arguing that Badia was a refuse dump and that the people affected were squatters, Felix Morka, SERAC’s executive director, who pointed out that the land in question belongs to the federal government, stressed that the law also protects squatters. “Even if they were squatters, does it mean they have ceased to exist as human beings?” Morka asked.

Aside from demolition, Durojaiye stressed that the high level of poverty in the land is also a key factor turning many Nigerians destitute. With high inflation rate, she said the price of food items is gradually going beyond the reach of an average Nigerian. With a loaf of bread costing N300 and a bag of rice N11,000, a family of five that does not have a breadwinner with a solid source of income may find it difficult to feed. In such a situation, the mother of two said the poor parents might be forced to send their wards to the streets to hawk so as to make ends meet.

As Falana stated, it is an aberration that while government continues to complain of inadequate funds to establish a social security scheme for the majority of the people, a clique of seeming invincible individuals steal the nation blind and walk the streets free with no one to hold them responsible. In such an unjust system, there would always be destitute persons and social miscreants who would trouble the elite in the society. While it is not in contention that beautification projects embarked upon by some state governments, especially Lagos, is a welcome development, he said it would be good if “part of the billions of naira being earmarked to build mega cities should be set aside for the rehabilitation of beggars and the destitute.” 

Our Worries Over Private Jets – Nnamdi Udoh, managing director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency

One of the sad moments in Nigerian aviation sector is, no doubt, the crash of a Beechcraft 1900D light aircraft on March 15, 2008. The search for the aircraft, which disappeared from the nation’s airspace during a flight from Lagos to Bebi Airstrip, near Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State, involved experts from within and outside the country. The crash site was not located until after six months when the search had been abandoned. Aviation experts then blamed the failure to locate the aircraft on the absence of radar coverage for the nation’s airspace. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, was then widely criticised for not living up to expectation. The spate of air mishaps in recent years and the poor state of navigational infrastructure also heightened concerns over the safety of the nation’s airspace.

However, in recent times, a lot of projects have been embarked upon by the agency under the Transformation Agenda aimed at enhancing air safety. Nnamdi Udoh, managing director, NAMA, in this interview with Helen Eni, deputy editor, BSJ, dispels the notion that the country’s airspace is unsafe. He argues that with the completion of the total radar coverage of the nation’s airspace, improved communication facilities, and many other completed and ongoing projects of NAMA, the era of disappearance of aircraft from the nation’s airspace is gone for good. The influx of foreign airlines into the country, to him, is an endorsement of the safety of the nation’s airspace. Udoh, who holds a Master of Science degree in Air Safety from the School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, City University, London, and joined the agency in 1980, however expresses worry over the tendency of operators of private aircraft to flout aviation rules and regulations, adding that the agency has commenced the process of monitoring their operations as many of them are being used for commercial purposes. He also explains why he would keep details of the agency’s public private partnership initiatives close to his chest and the contentious issue of huge debts by the airlines, among other issues. Excerpts:

How is NAMA keying into the Transformation Agenda of the federal government in the aviation sector?

Everything we are doing anchors on the Transformation Agenda. We cannot be doing things like before and be expecting different results. We have to do things differently to get new results. What we are doing is transformational management. Change management is doing the same thing in another way. Transformational management is doing something completely new. That is why we are not buying new equipment to make our airspace procedurally good; we are doing things to make our airspace seamless.

Why has NAMA not embarked on any new project since you became the managing director about two years ago?

We’ve been completing what we met on the ground, modifying them and increasing the scope. My predecessors did well. They had the dream of an airspace that is seamless. We are now implementing that seamless airspace.

Are you saying before now, there was no seamless airspace?

No. What we had was a procedural airspace. We had the old radar, but it was a terminal approach radar. Now we have area radar that makes our airspace seamless. We have completed our Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, TRACON, project, which delivers modern air traffic systems at all Nigerian airports.

How long did it take you to achieve this total radar coverage?

I didn’t start it, I didn’t initiate it; I met it as an ongoing project and I completed it.

At what percentage of completion did you meet the project?

The man that had the dream, for me, has had 50 per cent. The man that started it has had 10 per cent, making 60 per cent. Those that initiated work have had another 10. Maybe I only did 20 or 30 per cent. So the credit goes to my predecessors and the government at the time. If they didn’t dream of it, maybe I will just be dreaming of it now.

At what cost did you achieve this TRACON?

I can’t tell you the cost. Is it the cost of manpower, or the cost of diesel, or the cost of equipment or salaries paid? The cost of running the Nigerian airspace runs into billions of naira. You pay salaries, you buy equipment and you maintain the equipment. Is it the cost of solar energy that we have deployed? Nigeria is a major user of solar power system, which we use to run our navigational aids.

In which of the airports have you deployed this solar power?

We have it in six airports now and in the new budget, we are going to do more. We have installed solar power in Lagos, (Murtala Muhammed International Airport); Abuja, (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport); Port Harcourt, (Port Harcourt International Airport); Kano, (Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport); Enugu, (Akanu Ibiam International Airport); and Bida, (Bida Airstrip). When public power supply fails, the solar is working in these airports.

Since you transited to this area radar control, has there been any form of violation of the country’s airspace?

No! There has not been any violation in terms of just flying into the airspace. NAMA is equipped with modern facilities that enable us to track every aircraft that flies in our airspace. There may have been one or two cases of maybe expiration of documentation. And you know, by our policy, an aircraft in the air is not refused landing except you suspect aggression or enemy flight.

Your agency had issues with some governors recently over the grounding of their private aircraft.

We did not ground their aircraft. We asked the pilots for documentation and they didn’t have.

Isn’t it curious that experienced pilots flying important personalities would fail to comply with normal procedure?

You can call it executive pride. If you are going with your son on the road and he sees his classmate, he could go and punch him because he thinks his mother is there to defend him. Pilots are well trained, knowledgeable, they know the rules.

Are you implying that pilots have been flouting the rules and you are now trying to make them comply with your rules and regulations?

That is not the case. We are only enforcing that transformation. That is why I am saying, it is not change; it is transformation. If you must fly, please file your flight plan; submit your passenger manifest; collect met brief (meteorological information). That is what we are saying.

With the spate of air mishaps Nigeria has had in the past, there have been concerns about the safety of the country’s airspace. What is your view on this?

I would like to state that a crash in an airway does not in any way indicate that the airspace is unsafe. Also you cannot say that the airspace is safe because there is no crash. In Nigeria we had one last year, in America, they had one on July 6. Nigerian airspace is adjudged to be very safe. Many foreign airlines come to Nigeria because they see the country as an attractive destination. To do that, they must first and foremost evaluate the state of our airspace before they fly, otherwise their insurance will hit the roof. There is no airline that will want to put an Airbus 330 or 340 into Nigerian airspace if it is not safe. Let me state again that our airspace is very safe and as safe as it can be safe in any part of the world.

What are the measures you’ve put in place to ensure air safety?

It is not me. There are bench markings and those bench markings are identified by what was being done before I got here. Nigeria attained the United States’ FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Category 1 certification, which means it complies with the international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO. The country is also in Category 2 on ICAO ratings, which is an endorsement of our facilities for international civil air navigation. Besides, IATA (International Air Transport Association) has certified the state of our airports.

More Nigerians are acquiring private jets. What challenges does this pose to your operations as a regulatory agency and service provider?

It is not a challenge. For me it is economic boom. We have to just manage the development. You can still call it challenge. It is our strategy to match the challenge that is important. There are a lot of aeroplanes now in the air and that is why we are doing mapping and charting. If three of them are coming like this, there might not be space enough; this one will go to the right, this one will go to the left. Now in going to the right or left if it runs into a mast, that is a crash. So we must know where those masts are and we must begin to work towards having helicopter operation that is not restricted due to unavailable data relief. Data relief means geographical information – tall masts, tall buildings, tall trees, hills, mountains…. For instance, Zuma Rock is a geographical structure. If you don’t know where it is and it is raining and cloudy, a controller can crash an aeroplane into it. Have you not heard of aeroplanes that crashed into mountains unknowingly?

There have been allegations that private jets are being used for commercial flights. How is this being addressed?

That is why we are asking people to submit manifest. Anyone who owns a private jet and flies 20 times in a week, where is he going to? Even if he is a businessman, it still does not explain that high number of flights. So we must check the statistics, check the movements of the aircraft.

When did you start doing these checks?

This year and that is because the volume of private jets was increasing on a daily basis.

Recently, NAMA provided airfield lighting after so many years. Why did it take the agency that long to provide this very important infrastructure?

Government transferred the responsibility to us just about a year ago. It was not our responsibility before now.

What impact has that made on your operations?

It has helped in saving money for the airlines, improving safety and making operations around the airport safer.

Which of the airports have this airfield lighting?

We have it in Lagos. Enugu and Yola airports are being resuscitated for night operation. The airport in Owerri will get airfield lighting soon. The approach lights are equally being deployed. We are going to have airfield lighting in all the major airports as back up when the conventional ones, the cable laying, are being done so that there will be nothing like power failure and an aeroplane couldn’t land.

When do you intend to start laying these lighting cables?

It is in this year’s budget and the process is ongoing.

Is the airfield lighting being deployed permanent or mobile?

What we have in Lagos now is what we call emergency lighting system. The reason it is called emergency is because it is not in cable; it is a mobile lighting system. So if tomorrow there is an emergency in a place like Akure, we can fly the lighting system to Akure and make use of it there.

Is it the latest technology or just what you can afford?

Of course it is the latest technology. We are talking of LED (Light Emitting Diode) runway lighting of international standard. It is being used all over the world.

What are your major achievements since you became managing director of NAMA?

We have implemented, outstandingly, area radar operational system. We have also finished total VHF (Very High Frequency) radio coverage, so we have a robust communication system. We have finished our ICAO mandatory flight plan procedure for 2012. We have also completed our WGS-84 survey (World Geodetic Survey) of the airports, a universal satellite navigation system that enhances precision of aircraft movement. We have also completed our satellite-based navigation system also known as performance-based navigation system, PBN. There are many other ongoing projects.

How do you finance your infrastructure projects? Is NAMA into public private partnership, PPP?

Of course, PPP is an approved government procedure for implementing projects that you cannot finance immediately.

So which of these projects did you finance through PPP?

I don’t talk about my business strategy. Until they are fully implemented, you won’t hear them. We are a small agency and so I must be ready before I talk. But the initiatives are enormous. I can’t tell you what I am doing in PPP.

Why is NAMA contending with airlines over debts?Those debts were about two years backwards and they are in court challenging it. Currently, we are implementing pay-as-you-go system in order to reduce the debt profile. If a man is in business and is indebted to you, the truth of the matter is that you lose by getting the man out of business. You don’t knock the man out of business. You have to keep him in business so that he can have money to pay.

Are they contending the figures?

Yes, but the lower court has ruled in our favour and they have appealed, so we are waiting. And we could go ahead and enforce the ruling of the lower court but like I said, if you have a business relationship with a man, it is better for you to keep him in business and keep lobbying him to pay you.

How much debt are we talking about here?

About N2 billion.

What would you consider to be the major challenges of NAMA?

Human factor is a major challenge. Funding is also a challenge, we need to grow revenue. We don’t have to slash salaries or sack workers; we just need to grow revenue to match our new requirements. Every other thing is human challenge. I see no problem, I see challenges.

How do you intend to tackle the challenges you’ve just mentioned?

I am dealing with them as they come. Thank God for the spirit of transformation from the President. I cannot change; I can only transform our operations. And you know it is said that you transform by the renewal of your mind. You cannot be thinking like a poor man and be a rich man. So you cannot be thinking unsafe and provide safety environment.

In the immediate years ahead, what should people expect from NAMA?

They should expect the most super seamless airspace, astronomical growth. This is the only part of the world where the forecast of growth is seven per cent. Between January and February our growth of aircraft movement was about nine per cent and our revenue growth was about six per cent. I expect us to improve on our performance.

Nigerians groan under worsening electricity supply despite increase in tariff, bringing to mind the many failed promises of government to provide stable power supply

By STELLA SAWYERR

With each passing day, there are fears that the federal government may not meet the targeted 10,000 megawatts, MW, of electricity by December 2013, as promised by President Goodluck Jonathan shortly after his election in 2011. Rather, the situation is going from bad to worse, as power generation which hovered between 3,367.20 MW and 4,517 MW in recent years had, as at last week, dropped to 2,628 MW.

Chinedu Nebo, minister of power, sounded rather helpless when he declared last week that the federal government was facing serious challenges fixing the power sector. He admitted that the situation in the power sector was getting out of hand. “I will like to plead with the generality of our people to understand that we are facing very difficult times in the power sector. Some of these problems are man-made, some have accrued from years of under-funding and under-development of the sector,” he lamented. In addition, he said occasionally vandalism of gas pipeline and sabotage also contributed to the erratic power supply.

Recently, two major gas pipelines supplying gas to the eight power stations were vandalised, leading to generation drop in power by 1,598 MW. Nebo said the worsening power supply was caused by the shortage of gas to the power plants which include Egbin/AES Thermal stations, Lagos; Olorunsogo power station, Ogun State; Omotosho power plant, Ondo State; Geregu power stations, Kogi; Afam IV and VI power stations, as well as Rivers State independent power station. Dave Ifabiyi, general manager, Public Affairs, Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, also corroborated the minister’s claim saying with the disruption of gas supply through the lines, the Nigerian Gas Company, NGC, is unable to move gas to the aforementioned stations, thereby causing low level generation, which in turn has contributed to an unprecedented rise in the number of total and partial system collapse in recent times.

And that is why Joe Ajaero, general secretary, National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, is querying the rationale behind the country, solely relying on gas to generate power, neglecting other sources such as hydro, coal and solar. He said in other climes, coal and hydro are major sources of power, whereas in Nigeria gas constitutes about 70 per cent. He also questioned the location of power plants far away from gas stations, and the use of pipelines that are prone to vandalism to transport such to the plants.

The power minister also shot himself in the foot when he claimed, in a recent interview on air, that “the tariffs that Nigerians are paying today, with the so-called adjustment or increase, is still the lowest in Africa…we still have not come to the regime of real time cost reflective tariffs. The current tariff doesn’t even take into account wheeling charges and how are we going to attract investors in the transmission process, which is part of the value chain.”

To most Nigerians, this is rather disgusting. “What is the essence of paying for something that is not provided for you?” Ajagbe queries. He believes that most Nigerians are ready to pay reasonable bills from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, provided electricity is available as at when needed. Martin Onovo, executive director, Movement for Fundamental Change, on his part agreed that every Nigerian is affected significantly by recurring power problems in many ways. He fingered corruption as the bane of the power situation in Nigeria. According to him, “The impact of corruption on public power supply in Nigeria can be seen from a comparison of invested funds and achieved results in Nigeria and Brazil within the period of 1999 to 2011. Within the period, Brazil spent $10 billion on a power project and secured additional 10,000 MW, whereas Nigeria spent over $25 billion on power and secured additional 1,000 MW.” Much as what Nigeria spent within the period remains contentious. Onovo also compared the power situation in South Africa with that of Nigeria, noting that South Africa, with a population of about 50 million people, boasts of 36,000 MW of public power, whereas Nigeria, with a population of about 160 million people, now boasts of less than 3,000 MW.

Nebo believes that one of the best ways to deal with corruption is privatisation.

However, the privatisation of the sector has continued to generate controversy with labour unions. Government has since gone ahead with unbundling the company, selling the various companies under it to investors. Meanwhile, it has asked the preferred bidders of the 10 distribution companies, DISCOs, carved out of the unbundled PHCN to pay up their outstanding 75 per cent bid price to enable them take over the companies. But the investors have asked for an extension of the payment deadline from August 21. In all, what is of great importance to Nigerians is when there will be adequate power supply.

Roli Uduaghan, wife of the Delta State governor, recently put smiles on the faces of widows in the state and promises better deals under her Master-Care Foundation

By ADEKUNBI ERO

Ndudi Vera Osimebuni was totally oblivious of the presence of the crowd at the grounds of the Events Centre in Asaba, Delta State, venue of the empowerment programme for widows put together recently by the Master- Care Foundation, a non-governmental organisation founded by Roli Nere Uduaghan the state first lady.

At 29, the pretty graduate of Biology/Education from the Delta State University had found herself in the unenviable, harsh and challenging world of widows. Overwhelmed by emotions and self-pity over her predicament, Osimebuni broke down in tears, weeping inconsolably as she walked towards the high table where the governor’s wife and other dignitaries were seated. Kneeling on the ground in front of the first lady, she poured out her heart to the mother of the state.

Only three months back, she lost her husband, an official of the Nigerian Prisons Service, in a ghastly motor accident around Agbor leaving her with two children to cater for – a two-year-old daughter and a less-than-one-year-old son. Her plight is compounded by the fact that she has no means of sustaining herself and the two innocent children who would never have the faintest idea of what their father looked like except through pictures.

Since losing her husband, she had been under the care of her auntie who is equally struggling to get by. Apparently moved by her plight, Uduaghan immediately rubbed minds with the commissioner for women affairs, Betty Efekhoda, over what could be done to ameliorate her plight. By the time she left the venue, the young widow was already seeing a silver lining behind her dark cloud of despondency and helplessness. She told the magazine that she would be grateful to the first lady and government if she could get a job, perhaps as a teacher in the state civil service, being a trained teacher.

But before that comes, as a stopgap, she was presented with an opportunity to eke out a living to sustain herself and her two children. Each of the 750 widows drawn from the 25 local government areas of the state – 30 each per local government - was given either five bags of detergent or four bags of salt at no cost to them. The essence of this gesture was to afford them economic independence so that they could have their dignity intact in spite of their widowhood status.

However, it was not all about economic empowerment. For the governor’s wife, it was another opportunity to evangelise and win more souls for Christ. The beneficiaries were not therefore only given the physical bread to eat through economic empowerment; they were also fed with the spiritual bread – the word of God. The Foundation’s message to the widows was that they should be “widows indeed.”

Taking her message from the book of 1 Timothy 5: 3-5, the special assistant to the governor on special duties, Kessiana Samson, a lawyer, said, “this is what the Lord says; honour widows that are widows indeed,” stressing that “what the Lord is saying here is that there are widows and there are widows.

There are widows indeed and that is the focus of God; not just widows – widows indeed.” According to her, “that is the class of widows that God is interested in. And if you are a widow and you have not given your life to Christ, then you are not a widow indeed. If you are widow and you are moving here and there, you are not a widow indeed. You are a widow, you are sleeping around, showing bad examples to your children, showing bad examples to the next generation, you are not a widow indeed and God cannot honour you. So, the first honour that God wants you to receive today, especially in the lives of the widows and every other woman and gentleman present here, is the honour of salvation. And if you are here and you are ready for that honour, get ready; that is the starting point before you receive the physical honour - honour widows that are widows indeed.”

Samson further explained that a widow that lives in pleasure, trusting not in God and not going to Him in supplications, is dead though she is alive according to the scriptures. Citing an example of a prophetess in the Bible called Anne, she said, “When God honours you, men will celebrate you. When God honours you, men will bow before you. The honour of God is the best and God is here to honour us today with his salvation.” She thereafter made an altar call to all present, particularly widows, who did not have the honour of salvation to which about 20 widows responded and were led to Christ by the governor’s wife. Further amplifying the message, the first lady told them that church activities alone couldn’t take anyone to heaven but knowing Jesus and having a personal relationship with Him. She reminded the widows that having lost their husbands, they were now married to God, according to the Bible.

Samson on her part said, “There are some widows whose preoccupation is to scatter other people’s marriages. This type of widow is not God’s wife because she has chosen a husband for herself. But if you are a widow and you are able to get a widower who wants to marry you, God is not against that; you can remarry but don’t scatter another person’s home.” She also counselled the widows and others who heeded the altar call on how to live good Christian lives.

Addressing the widows and other petty traders, Uduaghan said, “today, you are here to receive this small token from us to put smiles on your faces because I realise that there are some women; they go to the market, buy one kilo of detergent on credit or one bag of salt on credit. They go and sell. In the evening, they go and pay and carry another bag. You see the struggle? And I said to myself; if this person that is going to carry one bag of salt on credit, gets five bags of salt free, it will be better. That was why I thought of this and the message I sent was that those who sell salt and detergent – not distributors – those who put it in their trays to sell; those who hawk the detergent and salt; those are the people I expect are here now.”

Over 3,000 bags of detergent and 3,750 bags of salt were distributed at the event. Handing out the items on behalf of the Foundation, Anthonia Ashiedu, Delta State Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, praised the first lady for giving the widows the opportunity to make a living for themselves and giving them hope. She described the Master-Care Foundation as a partner in progress because this is what her ministry is all about – to alleviate poverty through economic empowerment.

Apart from the care of widows through her Master-Care Foundation founded in 2010, the governor’s wife has also played the role of a caring mother to the people of the state through various humanitarian gestures. Among these are free eye-care for women all over the state, sponsorship of surgeries for children with hole in the heart, donation of fishing boats and nets, tricycles, food items to widows, as well as free supply of fertilizer, maize seedlings and other crops for women farmers. She had also at other times awarded scholarships to indigent students and undertaken the repairs of toilets and boreholes in various primary schools across the state.

Appreciating the governor’s wife for her kind gesture, one of the widows, Tina Udegbunam, was full of prayers for Uduaghan and promised that the widows would not only imbibe the message of the sermon, but would also make judicious use of the items given to them. The widow, about 35 years old, who broke down in tears in the middle of her speech, said she remembered her late husband. Narrating how her husband died, she said he met his untimely death under mysterious circumstances as a result of land tussle. She said the family spent everything they had, including selling their vehicle, to take care of him when he suffered a stroke. She said she also sold all her catering and interior decoration materials. He died after they had spent their last kobo to save him. She was however happy that with proceeds from her petty trading, she would gradually be able to replace the sold items and hopefully return to her business.

Amaere Soware from Burutu local government area told the magazine that she had been living in great hardship since she lost her husband about nine years ago. Soware said it had not been easy depending on her paltry income to sustain herself and her four children. She was full of prayers for the First lady for her kind gesture.

Similarly, Oyakemefa Ogoli, another widow, said life had been unbearable since she lost her husband and thanked the governor’s wife for her assistance. She said only God could reward her for being there for the widows. Mabel Isede and Doris Apulushi who lost their husbands five and 29 years ago respectively, had been buying salt and detergent on credit, making payment as soon as they finished selling. They were however relieved that all that would stop as they would be able to raise enough capital from the sales of the items given to them by the Master-Care Foundation. Apulushi’s five children also join her in hawking salt and detergent in order to make ends meet.

High point of the event attended by the wife of the state Chief Judge, Mary Smith and wife of the state deputy speaker of the House of Assembly among others, was when the Delta State first lady danced with the excited widows. For the governor’s wife, this is just the beginning of better things to come for this category of widows. She promised that more assistance would come to alleviate their plight.

By OLUSEGUN ADEOSUN Peeved by the perceived leadership crisis in the country, Monday Ubani, chairman, Ikeja chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has charged Nigerians to become more active and involved in issues that are likely to reshape the political firmament, as the 2015 election draws close. Ubani, who said this while addressing some state and national issues during a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos, last Tuesday, added that Nigerians must stop the childish lamentations they are now known for after each election “and do the right thing to end our inglorious years in the desert”. To reclaim Nigeria from the present “invaders”, the NBA chairman urged Nigerians to advise political leaders with track record to join political parties immediately, since political parties remain the only vehicle for now to effect change in the polity by turning their dreams into reality. Ubani added that Nigerians should ensure that those men and women of integrity and competence emerge as candidates in the political parties of their choices. “Nigerians must collectively resist impositions of misfits, thieves, fraudsters as candidates, and internal democracy should be imbibed as a political culture in Nigeria,” he noted. In the same vein, Adesina Adegbite, general secretary, NBA Ikeja chapter, believes that it is high time Nigerians woke up from their slumber and decide the kind of country they want to live in.  He noted that Nigerians must now take it as topmost priority that their votes count in all election.Ubani maintained that until the suggested steps are taken with complete seriousness, “we will remain where we have always been, groping in utter darkness”. 

By OLUSEGUN ADEOSUN

Peeved by the perceived leadership crisis in the country, Monday Ubani, chairman, Ikeja chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has charged Nigerians to become more active and involved in issues that are likely to reshape the political firmament, as the 2015 election draws close. Ubani, who said this while addressing some state and national issues during a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos, last Tuesday, added that Nigerians must stop the childish lamentations they are now known for after each election “and do the right thing to end our inglorious years in the desert”.

To reclaim Nigeria from the present “invaders”, the NBA chairman urged Nigerians to advise political leaders with track record to join political parties immediately, since political parties remain the only vehicle for now to effect change in the polity by turning their dreams into reality. Ubani added that Nigerians should ensure that those men and women of integrity and competence emerge as candidates in the political parties of their choices. “Nigerians must collectively resist impositions of misfits, thieves, fraudsters as candidates, and internal democracy should be imbibed as a political culture in Nigeria,” he noted.

In the same vein, Adesina Adegbite, general secretary, NBA Ikeja chapter, believes that it is high time Nigerians woke up from their slumber and decide the kind of country they want to live in.  He noted that Nigerians must now take it as topmost priority that their votes count in all election.

Ubani maintained that until the suggested steps are taken with complete seriousness, “we will remain where we have always been, groping in utter darkness”. 

It was recently the turn of ministers of agriculture and power to give account of their stewardship on ‘90 minutes’, a programme aired on AIT

By STELLA SAWYERR      

He is one man whose appointment as the minister of agriculture has been adjudged by many as a step in the right direction. Truly, Akinwunmi Adesina, since coming on board the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, has showcased his passion by words and deeds towards ensuring that agriculture in Nigeria takes its pride of place as a veritable source of income for the country. Recently, the minister took his campaign for agriculture to the studios of African Independent Television, AIT, where he featured on “90 minutes,” a stewardship and accountability television programme, which provides a platform for ministers to explain their stewardship to Nigerians.

Adesina did not disappoint his audience as he recounted the policy thrust of his ministry towards ensuring that agriculture regained its pride of place in the economy. While agreeing that it appears there is something fundamentally wrong  “because agriculture is supposed to feed the nation since it employs over 70 per cent of the population, and that 44 per cent of the GDP is actually within this particular sector.” Adesina however said his ministry was already addressing the issue through its agricultural transformation agenda.

Explaining the focus of the agenda, he noted that the “goal is very clear. We are going to add to the domestic food supply, we are going to create jobs because agriculture creates jobs more than any other sector. We also decided to reduce the amount we are spending on imports.”

In the course of the interview, Adesina was also able to address, in specific terms, how the ministry planned to fund some of the projects it is currently undertaking. Some of the projects he identified included distribution of fertilisers, different from what obtains in previous years; purchase of phones for farmers; as well as partnering with state governments towards encouraging dry farming, especially for rice plantation. Also topmost on the ministry’s transformation agenda, he said, is the need to encourage local investors to engage in food processing on a massive scale, as well as engage in fruit processing and packaging, since the country is blessed with rich and juicy citrus fruits.

While rounding off his submissions, the agriculture minister said to ensure that Nigeria gets close to food self-sufficiency, the federal government is rolling out several programmes to ensure that more people come on board the agriculture sector. Some of the programmes in the offing, he said, includes the launch of a youth empowerment programme aimed at ensuring that about 750,000 youths embrace agriculture, while government provides access to land, finance, technical skills, business management skills, and linking them to the market. This programme, he said, will go by the name, Nigerian Agricultural Entrepreneurs, NIAGOPRENEURS.

On the same day as Adesina, Chinedu Nebo, minister of power, also appeared on “90 minutes,” addressing why government has so far not been able to deliver on its promises of uninterrupted power supply. Nebo said although government remains undaunted and committed to providing adequate power supply, there still lie ahead massive challenges to surmount in the power sector.

“The government of (President Olusegun) Obasanjo saw the need to make some strides to address this gross neglect. Incidentally, some of the things that were started were botched between 2007 and 2010. But the onset of this administration has seen many things come to life again,” Nebo said, adding that one of the things that this administration has brought back to life is the NIPP project. The minister said another matter also being addressed by the Ministry of Power is the human factor. Nebo is confident that his ministry is working hard to “ensure that not even the human beings around will prevent the giant strides we are beginning to make and we are expecting to make to happen.”

While many Nigerians who watched the programme live on AIT eagerly await the manifestation of the minister’s promises and plans, they are however grateful to the broadcast station and its partners like the Nigerian Television Authority, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, as well as the Nigeria Union of Journalists, for creating an avenue where ministers can be made accountable to the electorate. 

Femi Ajayi, director general, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, makes new disciples of Rotarians in the war against narcotic drugs

By AYODEJI ADEYEMI

When the Rotary Club of Lagos invited Femi Ajayi, director general, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to their weekly meetings at the exclusive Lagos Motor Boat Club, Ikoyi, last week, his presence was meant to be the icing on the cake. This was understandable as Ajayi who is a lawyer, biochemist, development journalist and a one-time special advisor to the President has many irons in the fire. He was indeed the quintessential guest speaker that could dazzle the array of illustrious Rotarians that had filled the hall to the brim.

But when Ajayi mounted the rostrum to give his speech on The Role of NDLEA in National Security and Sustainable Development, what his audience did not expect was that he would throw down the gauntlet at them, urging them to choose a side in the war against narcotic drugs.

The former editorial board member of the defunct Daily Times put his communication skills into good use as he convincingly made a case on why Rotarians must join the war against narcotic drugs. “True that you people do not abuse, misuse or even use any narcotic drugs nor are you a drug courier or baron. Yet drug abuse and trafficking are still your problem,” he said. But before his affluent audience could wonder how the influence of narcotic drug could ever trespass into their well protected world, Ajayi added: “You may not be a junkie but the next person that gets run down by a drug stoned driver or murdered by drugged criminals could be your son. Though you are not a drug abuser, but the next innocent girl that gets raped by a drug high hippie may be your daughter, sister or niece.”

His message sunk home at once as he got the rapt attention of his audience.  It was then that the NDLEA boss expounded on the dangers of drug use and the distorting effect drug money could have on a nation’s financial system. Ajayi wasn’t playing to the gallery as he noted that the proceeds from narcotic drugs could be used to influence government parastatal and institution. To lend colours to his claims, he cited examples of Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia, countries where drug barons could influence the arms of government. He however warned that it was not impossible for Nigeria to tread that ignominious path. “The availability of drugs in Nigeria, whether we are either a drug transit or consuming country, means that our society can easily be overrun by hard drugs,” he noted.

The NDLEA helmsman then took time to explain the evils of drug addiction. He noted that it could ravage the youth of any nation while also creating health crisis. He also added that it could ruin families, leading to destitution.

Ajayi was however not crying wolf when he drew a parallel between drugs and high crime rate. He noted that there was a link, even if tenuous, between drug usage and terrorism. “Drug abuse and trafficking certainly raise the violence level in any society. The huge profits from drug sales facilitate the proliferation of illegal weapons in private hands,” he said, adding that it was difficult to exonerate the use of hard drugs from the “hair-raising violence and crimes associated with the militancy in the Niger Delta and the ethno-religious conflicts in other parts of the country.”

It was at this point that Ajayi egged his audience to be proactive in the war against narcotic drugs. “In the light of the above, should you still sit idly and do nothing while Nigeria’s narcotic-drug problems assume epidemic problems? Think about it,” he said.

Hairat Balogun, the immediate past president, Rotary Club of Lagos, while thanking Ajayi for his paper, presented him with a certificate. Beyond the certificate, Rotarians also promised the NDLEA boss that they would be proactive in the war against narcotic drugs. And so for Ajayi, it was a mission accomplished as he had enlisted new but influential adherents in the war against drugs.

‘Mental Illness Can Be Treated’

Olubukola Hassan,chief executive officer, Nightingale Foundation, works in the difficult terrain of mental health in Nigeria. In this interview with Folashade Adebayo, staff writer, Hassan elaborates on the subject of mental health and how the society should respondto it. Excerpts:

What in your view amounts to mental illness?

It is a disorder of one or more functions of the mind, which causes suffering to the patient or others. It refers to all diagnosable mental disorders characterised by alterations in thinking, mood, behaviour or a combination mediated by the brain and associated with distress and impaired functioning.

Can mental illness be treated successfully?  

Yes. That is why we are saying that people should seek help in time of need. Do not suffer in silence. There are medications for treating different types of mental disorders just like you can treat diabetes and malaria. It works. I have seen a lot of people coming back to say thank you. The medications and other treatments available are evidence-based. That is, it’s been tested, trusted and reliable. We know that recovery is possible; we know help is available, and yet, as a society, we often think about mental health differently than other forms of health. You see commercials on TV about a whole array of physical health issues, some of them very personal, and yet we whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions. In a simple word, mental illness can be diagnosed and treated and almost everyone suffering from mental illness can live meaningful life.

What are the symptoms of mental illness?

There are many symptoms but it depends on the disorder. Let me just say that generally we have positive and negative symptoms. What do I mean? Positive symptoms are the added features to the individual, that is, hallucinations and delusion. Like when people hear voices that are not theirs, or have irrational hard belief that cannot be altered by rational argument.

Imagine as you are interviewing me now and I tell you that I am the president of Nigeria and you try to make me understand that I am not, but the President is Goodluck Jonathan. But with all your explanation I still try hard to convince you that I am the president. Such persons are not in contact with reality. They stick to their irrational hard belief like saying that I am the Jesus Christ that Christians are expecting His coming, something like that. Also the negative symptoms, which take away something from the individuals, say like loss of motivation, loss of social awareness, low mood, poor abstract thinking. Other symptoms include poor sleep, agitation, thought disorder and cognitive impairment.

There are certain beliefs that mental illness is a spiritual affliction. Do you agree?

I am a professional. What I know is that there are evidence-based treatments for mental illnesses. I am not against people seeking spiritual assistance but let me ask you if it is malaria, will you first go to your pastor or you buy malaria tablet at the pharmacy shop? I am sure you will not be daft to be praying for food when you are hungry; instead you will rather ask somebody who has food for help. Don’t let us deceive ourselves, why we shy away from this is because of the stigma attached to the illness. People don’t want to be seen at Yaba left (psychiatric hospital in Yaba, Lagos) but would rather be seen in the church or elsewhere. Too many Nigerians who struggle with mental illnesses are still suffering in silence rather than seeking help. The brain is a body part too; we just know less about it. And there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love. We have got to get rid of that embarrassment, we have got to get rid of that stigma.

How did you get into creating awareness about mental health issues?

We all have mental health but not everybody has mental illness.  An incident happened in the late ’90s that made me to make up my mind that I will be campaigning for this cause. A friend of mine whom I was the chief bridesmaid had a mental breakdown at the reception venue of her wedding! She was made to suffer from one herbalist to another, from one church to another. She went through hell. There was a time she was chained down and all her hair was scrapped off.  There was no lasting solution until she was taken to the psychiatric unit of UBTH (University of Benin Teaching Hospital) in Benin and today she is living a quality life, happily married with children. Why she was made to suffer was because friends and families never thought that it could be cured and also they were of the opinion that she was sprayed with cursed money at the reception. I later trained in the United Kingdom as a mental health nurse and I realised that in the developed countries too, there are lot of people who have psychiatric issues but they are treated and still live quality life. So people just need a bit of information and education on mental illness and that is what Nightingale Foundation is doing.

Mental health advocacy is not an easy terrain in Nigeria; tell us about your challenges and success stories?

I will first of all tell you about the challenges in this country. Firstly, people don’t want to agree that they or their family members have mental illness. We are still in the denial stage in this country, maybe because of the stigma attached to it. Secondly, a lot of people prefer to go to church, mosque or herbalist for help; actually that is their first port of call. Some that even get to the hospital are most times misdiagnosed and mistreated because many times, they see their family physician and not the psychiatrist and most time they end up treating people who have depression for malaria, because the moment the patient says that I have body pain, can’t eat or sleep well, they will come to conclusion and say, “madam, please use some malaria tablets,” without probing further to ask the patient about what is happening in their life.

Cost of treatment, facilities and personnel is another issue. That is why we are saying that government needs to do something about this. Imagine in Abuja there is not enough space for psychiatric patients. Most time they refer patients to Kaduna. That is why one of our services at Nightingale Foundation is a forum where we educate, we give information and sign post patients to where they can get treatment and also provide listening ear to their pains and agonies. Most times as professionals, we concentrate on our patients when we see them in the clinic whereas the person looking after them at home too needs support and help. I can go on and on.

Then success stories, I will tell you one – a lady whose family was concerned about her situation. The family not aware of the illness thought she was a spoilt child, she was sacked from work because of her grandiosity, she will go to bed with any man, dress excessively but they did not know what was happening until they sought help and you know those are the symptoms of bipolar affective disorder (mania), elevated mood, reduced need for sleep, inappropriate sexual encounter, increased self-esteem and so on. I will tell you today that after receiving treatment, she is back on her two feet, she has got another job and functioning well with her medication.

How would you rate mental illness management in Nigeria?

You know we have some experts in the field of psychiatry in this country. They are brilliant professionals but I think the government should invest more on training in the aspect of ethics and professionalism so that they can deliver good services required. There are not enough facilities to accommodate the volume of patients with mental illness. Also, numbers of psychiatrists are few compared to what we need in this country. The last data I have is that we have 150 psychiatrists, imagine in the country of over 150 million people! So what do you expect in the area of intervention? Zero because these people are not superheroes; they can only try their best and leave the rest. Government should invest in these people; they are doing great work. Their salaries should be fantastic enough to discourage brain drain.

We should also try as much as possible to encourage training that will [bring] us [to] the same level with developed world in terms of treatment and medication. It is in this country that I see people still use medication that have found their way out of the system of countries like UK or USA, because these medications produce more side effects. That will bring me to talk about cost of treatment. Expensive, not what a common man can afford and that is why we are saying that government and other foreign bodies should come to the assistance of people living with mental illnesses.

The military are not sure if Ibrahim Shekau, leader of Boko Haram, is dead or alive

By ANAYOCHUKWU AGBO

Abubakur Shekau, leader of Boko Haram sect, is a cat with nine lives. For about seven times he was reported dead and in as many times he resurfaced to carry out more devastating attacks. This is why the security agencies are being very cautious about confirming his reported death, though sources say this time, the probability is higher. 

According to Sagir Musa, a lieutenant colonel and spokesman of the Joint Task Force, JTF, Operation RESTORE ORDER, intelligence report “revealed that Abubakur Shekau, the most dreaded and wanted Boko Haram terrorists leader may have died. He (may have) died of gunshot wound received in an encounter with the JTF troops in one of their camps at Sambisa Forest on 30 June 2013. Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide – a border community in Cameroun – for treatment (from) which he never recovered. It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between 25 July to 3 August, 2013.”

For once, the JTF statement lacked military precision. It used elastic words that suggest doubt and left room for safety should otherwise be the case. What is known for sure is that Shekau was “sighted” during the Sambisa Forest battle where what was seen as the closest attempt to kill or capture him was made by JTF. He was said to have escaped because of the bad terrain, which gave him operational advantage over the soldiers. He was suspected to have been wounded in that battle but there was no evidence to support that. A video clip said to have been recovered from a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa Forest when raided by the military on May 16 allegedly showed Shekau limping. But instead of petering out, Boko Haram appeared to be recovering from the rout by the military as they successfully carried out more devastating attacks on places of worship, including a mosque.

On August 13, a video clip was released online showing a man who looked like Shekau threatening Nigeria with holocaust. After investigation however, the military said the video was a fraud. “The purported sect leader was dramatized by an imposter to hoodwink the sect members to continue with the terrorism and to deceive the undiscerning minds,” said Musa.

Be that as it may, security sources still expressed professional doubts over whether Shekau is truly dead. For instance, if JTF now knows that the terrorist leader was wounded, treated and died in a town in Cameroon, which is co-operating with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, why has it not tracked his last route to his death? Why has it not traced the hospital or herbal doctor who treated him? If his aides quickly buried him in order to hide his death, it is possible to find out, using modern equipment, where he was buried and a proper DNA test conducted to confirm his death. As the alleged death is within a months’ period, this according to expert, will not be a problem. And if he was cremated, which is said to be highly unlikely, it will be easy to identify where, as cremation houses are not commonplace.

What are the other possibilities? Intelligence sources say it could be a deliberate misinformation to throw the military off the chase of Shekau and buy him time to rebuild his command, which has been depleted by a succeeding military onslaught. Not long ago there was a claim by a group within Boko Haram that they had shot and deposed Shekau. Quoting “several senior Boko Haram commanders including Shekau’s Chief of Security and personal bodyguard, Abdullahi Hassan,” US-based Huffington Post alleged that Shekau was “shot in the lower leg, thigh and shoulder.”

Imam Liman Ibrahim, who claimed to be the new leader, said Shekau’s obstinacy was a clog in the wheel of peace. According to him, “Shekau was given a choice of joining the peace dialogue with the Nigerian Government, forming his own sect or being killed.”  Shekau released a video in the second week of July where he openly disclaimed a ceasefire agreement announced by the government and some moderate Boko Haram members who have been in preliminary discussions with government emissaries.

According to experts, if truly Shekau is dead, and he is really the leader of Boko Haram, then the group would fade off. On the other hand, if he had prepared very well for his death, as many of his kind do, there would be a successor and various cell leaders who could sustain sporadic attacks. Also crucial to Boko Haram survival is the funding plan. If the financiers are known to the successor, then his death may not be the end of Boko Haram, unless the government could either get at the financiers or cut them off from the sect.

Labaran Maku, minister of information, said last Wednesday that “it was clear the state of emergency has achieved significant results. Borno has celebrated dubar after so many years of insecurity. Leaders of insurgency are on the run. It is not something that can be wiped out overnight but we are regaining territory and confidence. The military will continue to gain more control.”

According to him, the success of the military campaign is bringing more local allies. “We are having a lot of support domestically; people are now coming out to identify the insurgents... It has been three months of huge success but it remains a battle until the security forces are through.”

Broadcasting will be revolutionised in Nigeria in 2015 when Nigeria transits to digital broadcasting in all electronic platforms

By ANAYOCHUKWU AGBO

Come 2015, the electronic media in Nigeria will experience a revolution when broadcasting finally transits from analogue to digital platform. This was confirmed by Emeka Mba, director general of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, when the management of TELL communications Limited, publishers of TELL magazine and Broad Street Journal, paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, August 19.

He confirmed that by 2015, “you can’t access the television as we do now; you may need a converter because the present television sets in the country have analogue decoders.” After 2015 however, new television sets being sold in Nigeria by regulation will become digital and solve the problem of converters.

Nosa Igiebor, editor-in-chief and chief executive officer, who led the TELL team that included Ademola Oyinlola, executive director, had in his address explained that the visit was for two basic reasons: to familiarise themselves with NBC and its regulatory functions on the one hand and forge a partnership for the interest of the nation on the other. Specifically, he asked the Commission to give more details of the proposed migration from analogue to digital broadcasting in 2015.

Digital broadcasting has several advantages over the present analogue system in use in Nigeria. Due to improved technology, it gives better pictures, clearer voice, a greater choice of services, extra information on programmes and interactive features, easier tuning, new functions, less interference to pictures or sound and uses compressed bandwidth which opens up the marketplace for more players. For instance, with digital broadcasting, the Lagos market alone could take over 60 TV stations and much more radio stations. “We have taken some steps to make the broadcasting landscape more active,” Mba assured TELL.

Both digital and analogue television and radio broadcasts are transmitted using the part of the electromagnetic spectrum (radio spectrum). Analogue broadcasting transmits sound and pictures as a continuously varying signal, while digital broadcasting first encodes them into a series of binary digits (zeroes and ones).

This means a digital broadcast can be ‘compressed’ by computer processing, so it uses less space in the spectrum than an equivalent analogue broadcast. In the case of television, up to eight digital television channels, as well as radio and text-based services, can be carried in the space occupied by one analogue television channel. In the case of radio, for example, up to 10 or 11 national radio services, using the Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, system can be carried in the space required for one national analogue network.

The space freed up on the spectrum by switching from analogue to digital television broadcasting is in demand for other services, but the space freed up by digital radio broadcasting has limited current economic value for services other than radio, according to experts. In Nigeria, eager investors who want to invest in the broadcast media will quickly take this up.

Lamenting the state of the Nigerian media today, Igiebor regretted that the media is not strong in Nigeria. “We are not building institutions that can anchor democracy, media is one of them. In a way we, the media, have failed the nation. We fared well in fighting the military by telling them no, you cannot run the country that way, and insisted that democracy was the right way to go. But since the civilian era, we have failed to hold government accountable to the people,” Igiebor said. He complained about the low quality of news content both in the print and electronic media today, which he says shows professional laziness on the part of media practitioners. “Today, if you read one paper you have read all; issues are not discussed on facts but on emotions and coloured to promote interests,” he observed.

Given the present challenges facing the media in Nigeria and globally, the easiest way out appears to be to quit the industry but not for Igiebor and TELL. “Why are we still in journalism despite that it is a thankless profession? We can’t leave without restoring Nigerian media to the prominence and relevance of the Zik era. Then journalism was a way to talk to colonialism and advance the interest of the people. We have lost that; that was the glorious era. We have to try to steer it back to the era of professionalism.”

Igiebor also expressed worry on the low quality of broadcast content in Nigeria. “Radio is an important medium and we are disturbed by the content of radio broadcasting in Nigeria today. This could be improved if seasoned professionals like us could come into it and professionalise it. We don’t have any other country like Nigeria, so we should join hands to take it to where it ought to be in Africa.”

Mba agreed with him that the broadcast industry in Nigeria will be enhanced with the entrance of core media professionals who know all about media content, laws and ethics, which make them easier to regulate than politicians and businessmen. “We’d like to see more professionals like you in the electronic media; that is something that should have happened years ago. And as we make the jump into the digital broadcasting, there is room for more players,” Mba said. He noted that in Kenya, the media is booming and that “we need to start building a strong media in Nigeria. It may be late but I believe that with the Nigerian spirit, when we start we fly. The future of broadcasting is very bright.”

According to Mba, migration to digital broadcasting and the entrance of media professionals into broadcasting will increase competition, quality of content and provide choice for the public. On the part of NBC, he affirmed: “We are working hard to create a regulatory environment that will provide more options and make sure that Nigeria remains the hub of the media in Africa.”

Sally Mbanefo, the new director-general of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, visits TELL on a familiarisation tour of media houses in Abuja

By CHINEYE ESEKE

Sally Mbanefo, the new director-general, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC, looks every part fitted for the job. Apart from her good looks and amiable nature, she comes with the right education, industry experience of about 25 years and a private sector background she says would come good in the realisation of the lofty goals of the corporation. Her unaffected nature was displayed when she visited the Abuja office of TELL on Tuesday, August 13 with her team on a courtesy call.

She explained that she had been silent since her appointment because she had to take stock of what was on the ground in terms of men, materials, programmes and projects before stepping into the arena. She said by now, she has found that there are positives to build on, especially the staff whom she described as eager to embrace new ideas. Mbanefo says she has brought private sector values to make NTDC realise its goals. “We believe that with the assurance of your cooperation and support, we can build on this momentum as we advance the course of tourism development in Nigeria by growing the tourism value chain together,” she explained.

In growing the value chain her emphasis would be on local participation as she believes that “before we can successfully sell Nigerian tourism brand to the outside world, we must address the domestic market potential, secure the buy-in and confidence of Nigerians in the sector and get Nigerians to be proud of their tourism heritage and industry.” This, she said, would create jobs, alleviate poverty and generate revenue.

Mbanefo is a 1986 law graduate from the University of Lagos with 26 years corporate professional experience in Banking, Manufacturing, and Oil & Gas sectors, and a stint in private and social entrepreneurial practice. In 1987, she began her career as a pioneer staff in the Treasury department of Abacus Merchant Bank Limited (one of the first indigenous banks in Nigeria) and subsequently in 1989 joined International Merchant Bank Limited (former First National Bank of Chicago).

She managed two public offers for the bank that later became IMB Plc and today, FCMB Plc.  She actively led three restructuring exercises for the bank and propelled its conversion from merchant to commercial banking. Mbanefo is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance, Nigeria; a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD); a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and past director, American Business Council.

Anayochukwu Agbo, senior associate editor and Abuja bureau chief of TELL, thanked the DG and assured her of TELL’s support in the discharge of her duties.

I Did Not See God in Heaven

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” This popular line by Saint Augustine has a richer meaning for religious folks who have experienced the delight of being transported into the very presence of the Almighty. Not a few people would relish a mere foretaste of Heaven’s sublime beauty, breathtaking streets of gold, tuneful and dulcet melodies, welcoming ambience with the uncanny feeling of being loved against the backdrop of a panoply of ineffable other-worldly beings in the fullness of their glory and worshipful impact that beggar mortal description. To have God Himself speak to that same individual, even letting him into the hidden affairs of some people on Earth, was simply stretching the boundaries of what is human to desire. Since that phenomenal experience in which he was anointed right in Heaven, Reverend Anthony Ojakovo, senior pastor, House of Exploits Church, aka World Shockers Ministry Int’l, Abraka, Delta State, has had the world at his feet, touching lives and impacting destinies. Iseribhor Okhueleigbe, principal reader, recently ran into the first class graduate of The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, and University of Ibadan, where he spoke on a number of issues, from his privileged experience to the craze among pastors to acquire jets. 

How exactly was your call into the ministry? Was it a case of you calling God or God calling you?   

(Laughs) Basically, I would say it was a case of God calling me. I know people get into the ministry now in different ways, some for the sake of their stomach, others have turned ministry into industry. But mine was a spectacular experience. It wasn’t just I alone; many people were present as witnesses, and they saw it all.

It took place after a worship session on April 12, 2004. I led the closing prayer after a choir rehearsal at the MMU Hall of First Baptist Church, Effurun, Delta State. The power of God was so strong that nobody wanted to go home. But because of time, we had to close the meeting around 7.25 pm. On our way home, a very bright light shone on my face, dazzling me to near blindness, and I fell to the ground, into stagnant water. That was all I could remember physically. Some brethren that were around who wanted to help me had a raw taste of God’s presence, as they later told me. At that point, I saw a hand without a body lift me from the water. As it lifted me, I could see my physical, human body on the ground, as if I was detached from myself. I thought I was dead. And a voice said, “Son, you have been trying to connect people to Heaven. Today, I want to show you what Heaven looks like.” We then began to ascend. It was so glorious out there; I saw the stars shining in their full strength, so bright and glorious to behold. We arrived in a place full of people putting on white clothes and the atmosphere was so holy. I saw a multitude singing and a loud voice said, “This is not your place.” I want to believe God saw my desire to join in the ongoing worship.

Later, I saw fewer people who were dressed in robes as is described in the Bible, in Exodus. I did not see God in heaven, but there was a throne that was covered in indescribably bright light, one I had never seen before, and I could hear the voice of God without seeing the figure. It was at that point He commanded, “Bring him closer and give him the seat that has been reserved for him since the foundation of the Earth.” Two angels came with a white basin filled with oil and they poured it on me. It overflowed and covered my whole body, from the crown of my head to my soles. God said, “Put on him a white robe.” They offered me a seat in the midst of a number of people, not as many as those singing that I saw earlier. God told me, “Tony, I have called you into ministry; go and operate in the dimension of Elisha. Raise for me a new breed of believers that will shock the world with exploits.” God further told me that for me to know that what I was seeing wasn’t a figment of my imagination, He wanted to show me what was happening on Earth.

A screen appeared and God was showing me the things that were happening on Earth. There is nothing like secret in Heaven; everything is known. God showed me the deep secrets of some people I know on Earth through the screen. He then told me, “Go and tell these people what you saw; they will be shocked. If any of them says what you said is not correct, know that I have not called you.” There were a lot of things God said to me at that occasion. My experience lasted about two hours before I regained consciousness. Even then, brethren still had to take me home. My parents were afraid; everyone was scared and wondering what was happening to me.  I was in this trance-like state for about three days, and God taught me new tongues, new songs and a new dimension to scriptures. God promised, “I will interpret scriptures to you in deeper dimensions, because I have called you to be a pastor and teacher of my flock.” I told the people I saw in the screen what God showed me and, just as God said, they were shocked at the disclosure.

Armed with this rare impartation, how has it been as a minister?

I’m very much excited and have never felt disappointed. Since this encounter, God spoke to me again that he would have to prepare me for the ministry for which He has called me. I didn’t just want to start because I had heard God speak. I wanted to be prepared for whatever the Lord wanted me to do. That was why I started from the campus and then to the seminary, and it’s been wonderful. Basically, the way God has moved in our ministry, you will know the hand of God is here. I’ve seen tangible miracles and testimonies in the course of my ministry. So many lives have been impacted, and the kingdom is expanding.

As a man of God, how do you measure growth in the church, since in Nigeria there is this situation where there is a rise in church membership with a corresponding increase in crime and corruption?

It is an aberration. I don’t think we have done enough here. Although many people think the church is growing, we will need to do more because the harvest is ripe. The world needs more genuine churches, people who know what they are called to do. Why are churches multiplying and crimes increasing? It’s not because words are not being spoken; it’s just because a lot of Nigerian Christians have become religious rather than being Christian in attitude – they don’t practise what they hear.

There is actually a tendency right now by many church leaders to measure growth by church membership rather than by those who are really saved. Church growth ought not to be rated by numerical increase. It should not be by the number of people attending church but by those encountering God. This is why we go everywhere preaching the gospel to sinners and making sure they get the encounter. Our concern is not just about numerical growth but kingdom growth. This is how to impact people and help them get a new dimension to life. It’s not about the number but the impact. Impact is not a function of the number of people you have in your church but the number of people you bring to the kingdom.

Christianity in Nigeria is facing a trying period, with the fear of Islamisation hanging over northern Christians like the sword of Damocles. What’s your advice to these religious unfortunates in terms of response to perennial threats?

This issue requires ethical theological explanation, where you are neither here nor there. What I tell them is, do as the Spirit leads you. We have these principles in the scriptures. Sometimes, the Spirit of God may just say be quiet; at other times, the Spirit may just say attack. And if you have the command to do that, you can; it’s not just one-sided. Some will say Jesus kept quiet and He was killed; but Nehemiah didn’t allow himself to be killed, he was building and was holding a machete. We have these two principles in the scriptures. Personally, I would say if it comes to defending yourself and you have the apparatus to do so, I don’t think it’s wrong. But just allow the Spirit of God to lead you. Really, sometimes God may want you to retreat, just to pass a message to those people; and at some other time, God wants you to react. I believe if you have means to save yourself, or God has provided a means for you to save yourself, and you don’t use it, you may die. Ultimately, I will encourage them to keep praying. The Bible says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

Nigeria can’t be Islamised – no, it cannot! The truth is, this thing we call religious war is just a few persons who are behind it. I know there are some good Muslims, people who are not troublesome. I don’t see the country being Islamised. Christianity has a strong footing in this country; rather, I see Christianity going further and further. But beyond that, I don’t want a situation where people just say I am a Christian when they are not, and they are not living the life Christ wants them to live. That is another problem with Nigerian brand of Christianity. Christians all over the world must also remember these brethren in their prayers. Let us join forces to destroy every force militating against the church.

What is your take on the new trend among men of God to acquire a jet amidst poverty among members?

I knew this would come up. I want us to look at it like this. That a man of God buys a jet is not for luxury. Any how we can make the gospel spread faster or with convenience is fine for me. But I would advise that these jets shouldn’t be purchased to the detriment of members. There are a lot of people in the church who need to be assisted with such money. It is however not wrong for a pastor to acquire a jet. Everyone has a right to acquire what they acquire, if they can. When Jesus and His disciples were preparing for the Passover, He needed a very wonderful place and it was provided. He used a colt that was never ridden by anybody, which was one prestigious means of transportation of His days.

I have the view that we have to be simple, but the truth is this: simplicity doesn’t mean there are things we cannot enjoy. Now, a lot of people are criticising these men of God for using jets. But we forget where they are coming from, some of the things they went through. There was a time they never had jets, there was a time it was difficult for them to feed, a time nobody knew them. I believe the labourer is worthy of his wage. Let me also correct this impression: It is not a trend among men of God to acquire jets. Not every man of God wants a jet. Maintaining a jet isn’t a joke. 

By WOLA ADEYEMO

In the procession were the young and the old, and their assignment was to take the offering, of bread and wine, to the altar. While the old bore theirs with gentle dance steps, the young did a display of their energy, dancing to the rhythm of music from the church choir. In their midst was the youth who had balanced on his head a pot of incense, the burning of which is for purification. Once again, the congregation gyrated to the rhythm of the music and the beat. It was the peak of the mass for the youth harvest, and it actually showed the uniqueness that the event presented: the use of culture as a vehicle for evangelisation.

The ceremony which held at St Nicholas Catholic Church, Otan Ayegbaju, headquarters of Boluwaduro Local Government area of Osun State on August 18 was not an event in isolation. Rather it was one of the activities lined up for the centenary celebration of the advent of Catholicism in Otan, the grand finale of which is, according to Segun Aina, chairman of the centenary planning committee, scheduled for Sunday December 6, 2015. The centenary events did not actually start with the harvest; the congregation had kicked that off with a comprehensive evangelisation programme in 2010. But the youth harvest is a major plank of the celebration.

In his sermon, Rev. Fr. Stevenson Olowolagba, the parish priest enjoined youths not to allow greed to deprive them of blessings of God. The priest, who was assisted by Rev. Fr. Femi Adetunji, implored the youths to emulate people like Bolarinwa Olomo, professor of Nuclear Physics, who was honoured as father of the day as well as Femi Popoola, Legiri of Otan Ayegbaju and Peter Popoola, who were both launchers at the event.

It was planned, in part, to raise money for the N25 million youth development and vocational centre expected to be ready for commissioning latest by the middle of next year. Even that too is one of the projects planned for completion ahead of the grand finale of the celebration in 2015. Other structures that are expected to be standing before the commemoration of the centenary include the St Nicholas College, which will be the second secondary school to be built in the town by the Catholic Church. There will also be a Cottage Hospital, itself an upgrade of the existing maternity centre. The latter was started in 1950 by the church, and for a long time also ministered to the health needs of people from neighbouring towns of Iresi, Igbajo, Eripa and Oyan, before government started to build health centres in the affected communities. The hospital, which the Osogbo Diocese has agreed to build, will be at the site of the maternity centre.

Aina said indigenes at home and in Diaspora have been contributing to ensure prompt development of the projects. He said, “We have secured over six acres of land for one of the sites where we want to build the youth development and vocational centre for youths to learn different skills. The site will also have a multi-purpose hall, which will be known as the centenary hall, a new parish as well as a school to be known as St Nicholas College.”  While the site for the youth centre is along Ikirun road northwards, the committee also acquired another parcel of land along Ila road for other projects. Aina said that with the response so far, his committee is confident that all the projects will be completed as planned. Already the Marian grotto has been completed, even as the land for the youth centre has been cleared. All these will complement some of the things that the church has brought to the town, including the Oke Maria, which started as a Diocesan worship centre in 1979, has since become an international tourist centre.

By FIDEL BAM

Are you a first time visitor in Ogun State and looking for Owu Baptist Church, Totoro, Abeokuta? You do not need the assistance of Google Maps or the electronic navigator. Just enter the city and tell even a toddler you are heading for “Obasanjo Church.” That’s the easiest way out. Owu Baptist Church is as popular in Abeokuta as the former president and erstwhile military head of state. And something you can’t miss is the Obasanjo aura and sense of humour seemingly pervading the church even during a funeral service.

So it was on Saturday, August 17, 2013 at the final Christian rites of passage for late Clementine Idowu Sanyaolu, née Odusanya, who died recently at the age of 74. As was customary, the officiating minister took time to thank all those who had taken time to witness the last rites for the retired teacher who saw active service in both Kaduna and Ogun states before veering into business. The clergyman methodically thanked all Christian and professional delegations from Kaduna, Kwara, Suleja, Ogbogbo, Ago Iwoye and others. He reserved special thanks for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, delegation from Lagos “and the local branch here too.” That seemed thoughtful of him as the whole church shone under the glow of PHCN supplied light. Then he added the clincher. “They (the local branch) gave us light today because they knew you were coming”! The entire congregation roared with laughter. The former president with his legendary sense of humour might not have done better. But that was not the end of the story. After the usual collection of offerings, an ecstatic church secretary could not help shouting “Praise the...” The last word could not be heard by majority of the congregation because of a sudden power outage. The god of PHCN in Owu seems to be a god of quick vengeance. It took recourse to the regular standby generator to restore power. (Subdued laughter as the congregation exchanged glances.)

Sweet Mummy, as the late woman was called by her children and younger relations, would have chuckled in the casket as the lighting episode played out. She had an ever smiling, caring, loving persona that endeared her to both the young and old. An Ijebu by pedigree, Clementine met her husband, Samson Oluwole Sanyaolu, an Egba man, at the First Baptist Church, Kaduna, and they later solemnised their union in Ogbogbo Baptist Church, Ogbogbo, Ogun State, on Boxing Day in 1970. She is survived by the husband and three children, one of whom works in PHCN.

In a colourful convocation ceremony tagged The Release of Eagles 2013, Covenant University, Ogun State, graduates 1,466 students out of which 114 bagged First Class

By FOLASHADE ADEBAYO

It was a simple yet classic example. A woman selling Kenkey, a popular local food in Ghana, was approached by a group of researchers. With their noses in the air, the academics interviewed the illiterate woman. But the Kenkey seller had a surprise for them. “If you had a 40-gallon barrel of Kenkey on a traditional cooking stove using firewood and saw water leaking at the bottom of the barrel, what would you do?” she asked.

The researchers, well grounded in laboratory titration and acrobatics, had no answer. But this was the moment of triumph the local Kenkey woman had been waiting for. “Adjust the firewood in the stove to allow increased burning. Collect two or three handfuls of dry palm kernels and throw them in the fire. They will heat up and turn red hot; finally collect coarse table salt and throw it into the hot kernels. The salt will explode and in the process seal the leakage at the bottom of the barrel,” she explained to them.

Paul Effah, former executive secretary, National Council for Tertiary Education, Ghana, recounted the scene above. Speaking to a multitude of students and academic community of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Effah recently preached the wisdom of inculcating indigenous knowledge into academic research.

Speaking on the importance of indigenous knowledge and local materials in academic research, Effah said: “This woman who had never entered any classroom had exhibited knowledge about metallurgy, physics and chemistry to the admiration of the professor and his students. This is what I mean by indigenous knowledge which university researchers should take advantage of and make a difference with in Africa.”

Coming during one of the events that marked the eighth convocation of Covenant University, Effah’s ministration was apt. His role as a guest lecturer served to discuss the theoretical and practical issues around repositioning African universities for excellence. Effah reiterated that African universities would not measure up in providing direction for the society as long as a vibrant research culture does not make the priority list.

The lecturer also revealed that majority of the trickle of researches going on in the four walls of many universities in Africa are made possible through donations from foreign organisations. “One worrying aspect of research in African universities is that most of the research is financed by foreign donors who invariably dictate the terms of the research,” he said.

Effah’s lecture set the tone for a colourful convocation rite held on July 26, 2013 when some 1,466 students left the confines of the university to pursue their dreams. The annual event, labelled The Release of Eagles 2013, was not only an official platform to open the nest, it was an avenue for parents, guardians, well-wishers and the graduating students to learn the rudiments of an impactful life.

In a motivational message, David Oyedepo, chancellor, left his audience begging for more as he handed out what is expected of the graduands as they take up leadership roles in their future occupation. While he spoke, his enraptured audience made notes on their electronic devices and jotters. “Leadership is not occupying a set, it is accomplishing a feat; it is not occupying a position, it is making outstanding contributions; it is not occupying a place, it is setting a pace,” he told the audience.

Turning to the parents and guardians, Oyedepo said only education has the right tools to develop nations. “Knowledge is the only thing that grows when it is shared.” He was supported by Mbong Ntia, registrar, who quoted Benjamin Franklin’s famous line: “Knowledge is the investment that pays the highest dividend.”

Next to steal the show was Chinedu Nebo, minister of power, who gave a thought-provoking keynote address. Nebo was sure that only a limited part of his address would remain with the graduating students, so he chose to make distinctions between transformational and transactional leaders. “The world has evolved into a global knowledge economy that has no patience for ignorance and indolence… Africa is being looked at as a ray of hope and the bastion of growth. These opportunities promise to come if we are able to bring about a transformational change in the way we do business and in our educational system,” he noted. 

Some 114 graduating students shone like a million stars when they bagged first class honours in various disciplines. For Michael Eromhonsele, the best graduating student of the university, it is the dawn of a new day. The 20-year-old graduate of Civil Engineering dazzled with an infectious smile as he clinched a cumulative grade point average of 4.92 out of a possible 5.0.

A federal high court sitting in Lagos orders a return to status quo on the protracted airport land dispute by AIC Nigeria Limited and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria

By Muyiwa Lucas

Ibrahim Buba, judge of a federal high court, Lagos, seems to have cleared the air on his judgement of June 19, 2013 in the matter between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and AIC Nigeria Limited, the concessionaire of the controversial Flightpath Hotel and Resort, both locked in ownership tussle over a parcel of land measuring 11.8 hectares, located close to the terminal building of the Murtala Muhammed (International) Airport, MMIA, Lagos.  

Buba, on July 12, 2013, in a suit number FHC/L/CS/90/2013, ordered a return to status quo on the land, barring either of the parties from carrying out any form of activity on the land pending the reassignment of the case to another judge. “Pursuant to the proceeding of 12th July, 2013, in the suit herein. After hearing O. J. Owonikoko, SAN, with him A. K. Solomon Esq, counsel for the defendant referring the Court to its findings in the consolidated sister cases and consider this case as one that should be taken before another judge. Oluwole Awe Esq, counsel to the plaintiff not objecting. It is hereby ordered as followed: 1. That this case be remitted to The Honourable Chief Judge for reassignment of same to another judge; 2. That parties should do nothing on the land pending the reassignment of the case.”

The interpretation of the earlier judgement, in which the judge ruled in favour of FAAN, annulling the verdict of the arbitral tribunal presided over by late Justice Kayode Eso to look into the dispute between the two parties, had sparked another controversy, with both parties interpreting it to suit themselves. Buba had annulled the sum of $48,124,000 awarded to AIC as damages and losses incurred for not operating the hotel since 2000 on June 1, 2010. The judge had also ruled then that the Eso panel “miss-conducted itself and went outside its jurisdiction in rendering the final award between the parties on June 1, 2010.”

Niyi Akande, general manager, administration and business development, AIC, had faulted FAAN’s claim to the land, insisting that nowhere in Buba’s ruling did he say FAAN should take possession of the land. When contacted on the latest development, Yakubu Dati, coordinating general manager on information and communications for all aviation parastatals, said FAAN has not been served a copy of the order, and as such, commenting on the ruling would not be proper. He, however, said that the parcel of land in question was designated for the expansion of the airport terminal in the original master plan of the aerodrome.

This latest ruling may have implications for the planned commencement of development of a new terminal building being proposed on the disputed parcel of land. Already, the Ministry of Aviation and FAAN have signed a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese firm for the construction of a new terminal building to increase the capacity of the airport. Therefore, Dati argues that allowing a hotel on that land will not only choke the airport, but will also affect the existing terminal. He however waved an olive branch: “We are ready to let AIC build their hotel on another parcel of land, but doing so on the one beside the airport will amount to cutting short the life of the existing terminal.”

The federal executive council awards more contracts across the sectors to make manifest the pledges made by President Jonathan

By ANAYOCHUKWU AGBO

The federal government last Wednesday awarded contracts and took more updates on ongoing projects and programmes in the implementation of its Transformation Agenda. To meet the yearning needs in the road infrastructure, five road contracts were awarded at the cost of N123.68 billion. The reconstruction of Apapa–Oshodi–Oworoshoki Expressway Section 2 Phase 2 was awarded to Julius Berger at the cost of N14.98 billion with a completion period of 15 months. Rehabilitation of Mokwa-Bida Road was awarded to Triacta Nigeria Limited at the sum of N10.9 billion with a completion period of 24 months. Likewise, the Akure-Ilesha Road will be handled by Kopek Construction Limited at the cost of N7.4 billion to be completed in 21 months. The Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway Section 2 from Umuahia Tower to Aba was awarded to Arab Contractors at the sum of N50.9 billion with a completion period of 40 months; while Section one from Lokpanta to Umuahia was awarded to Setraco at the sum of N39.5 billion with a completion period of 40 months. Good as these projects sound, some construction engineers however feel the cost of the contracts appear too high for reconstruction projects with no bridges, no spurs and no change in the design.  

On power, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, gave approval for the design, manufacture and supply of six units of 40MVA 132/33KV mobile substations, complete with spare parts. The contract was awarded to Liaoning Efacec Electrical Equipment Co. Limited at the cost of $10.27 million and a naira component of N247.37 million for port clearing, transportation and VAT; it has a delivery period of eight months. Chinedu Nebo, minister of power, told State House Press that the project is in pursuit of the ongoing reinforcement of transmission substations nationwide. The mobile substations will maintain continuous power supply to consumers during works at existing substations. According to Nebo, 138 direct jobs will be created at the six substations and 1,380 indirect jobs.

In addition, Nebo announced that seven out of the ten new power plants under the NIPP are ready for commissioning; while 150 out of the 220 injection stations are ready. “We are very happy with the results we are getting,” Nebo said enthusiastically.

In the area of rail transportation, the federal government announced the commencement of the movement of containers from Apapa Wharf in Lagos to the northern parts of the country by rail. To further boost rail transport, four new locomotives have been procured from China. “This would relieve the road as rail is the preferred option and (is) cheaper,” said Labaran Maku, minister of information, while briefing journalists after the weekly FEC meeting. He equally affirmed that power remains ‘crucial’ to the government in the pursuance of the transformation agenda.