Kamarudeen Ogundele, Ado Ekiti, Femi Makinde

There are fears and controversies over the rescheduled governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State holding on Saturday (today).

The security agencies have uncovered a plot to disrupt the primary once again as done last Saturday when thugs smashed ballot boxes to the ground.

There were insinuations that some aspirants had resolved to ensure the primary failed to hold at all cost.

The plot was hatched to frustrate the perceived domineering influence of an aspirant on the conduct of the primary.

The aspirant is believed to enjoy the backing of the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

To counter the plot, it was learnt that some aspirants, who held the fear that the primary would be manipulated to give him an undue advantage, were plotting a consensus.

“The plot is that if the primary is frustrated, the party will have no time to organise another primary. The option will then be a consensus candidate or voting among aspirants.”

Findings by our correspondent revealed that no fewer than 10 mobile units were expected for the primary.

As of press time, five mobile policemen units were already on ground.

They are Mobile Unit 02 from Keffi, Obalende Lagos; Unit 37 from Lokoja, Kogi State; Unit 39 Osogbo, Osun State; Unit 15 Ilorin, Kwara State and 22 Odudua, Ikeja, Lagos.

Sixty three mobile policemen make a unit.

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Lending credence to the plot to disrupt the primary, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps said it had uncovered a plot to disrupt the primary again by politicians. The Deputy Commandant General, Ahmed Jega, disclosed this at a press briefing in Ado Ekiti on Friday.

He said, “About 2000 men have been mobilised. I want to urge our men to be vigilant and ready to face any challenge. We must not compromise we must be neutral.

“Any staff found wanting or compromising will be officially sanctioned. Staff must be at their duty post.”

Asked why deploying a huge number of his men, Jega said, “We have a security report that some thugs want to destabilise the process and it is part of our responsibility to maintain peace.” Also speaking, the Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee and Nasarawa Governor, Umaru Al-Makura, promised massive security within and outside the venue of the primary on Saturday. He said the committee had discovered that there were fake and spurious observers at the aborted primary.

Al-Makura spoke at a meeting with aspirants and stakeholders in Ado Ekiti.

He said, “There will be no observer for the primary. Only statutory observers: INEC and observers from the National secretariat will be allowed.

“The National secretariat have changed the ballot papers, it is completely new with clear photograph. Aspirants should come alone; for the period of the election leave your escort behind.” Briefing journalists later on the state of preparedness, the governor said accreditation would begin at 8.00 am.

The media parley was attended by the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Ahmed; Director of Department of State Services, Mrs. Promise Iheanacho; Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Donatus Ikemefuna and Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Ismaila Kugu.

Al-Makura, said 2, 618 delegates would elect the standard bearer of the party while stating that the committee, in collaboration with security agencies, would not allow the exercise to be disrupted or manipulated by anybody.

Al-Makura said, “Any delegate accredited won’t be allowed to go out for any reason. Any delegate that enters the arena must be identified by his party membership card, and extra statutory identity like International Passport, Driver’s Licence and National ID Card.

“Such delegates must be identified with the list given to us by the National Secretariat. All accreditation must be completed for delegates from all the senatorial zones before voting starts. Voting will be done once at a time and it will start with delegates from Ekiti South, the farthest, then to Ekiti North and Ekiti Central, the closest. After identification, delegates will be given ballot paper and they will submit their delegates tag for punching and the will also submit the ropes of their tags.”

He added that some agents that were barred for their involvement in the fracas that broke out in the botched primary would be arrested if found in the vicinity of the primary.

Al-Makura disclosed that some of the hoodlums arrested for disrupting the primary were already being prosecuted in the court. He sought for the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure a successful primary saying the panel would be fair to all. Apart from security concerns, aspirants have also engaged themselves in rumour mongering and propaganda.

There was a rumour that a former Commissioner for Budgeting under Kayode Fayemi’s administration, Debo Ajayi, had stepped  down for his former boss.

But Ajayi in a swift response through Debo Ranti Ajayi Campaign Organisation, denied working for Fayemi.

He said, “This is a grossly unfair, incongruous and libellous falsehood that has been addressed in the past as a fabrication of the imagination of mischief makers.

“It is most unfortunate that some persons, who are insecure about their chances at the coming primaries, are bent on perpetrating these lies and rumours.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, my aspiration is a call to service and a response to the agitation of the South Senatorial district to produce the next governor. My motives are borne out of a commitment to the Ekiti Restoration project and the desire to offer my expertise, both as a technocrat and politician, to provide unparalled leadership and the best governance in the service of Ekiti-land.

“It is impossible for a man led by a divine call to be a mere front for another candidate. I therefore intend to participate and if God be true, intend to win in the primary elections.”

It will be recalled that the Special Adviser on Politics to President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, on Thursday withdrew from the Ekiti governorship race.

Ojudu said he withdrew his ambition in the interest of the party owing to the growing tension among aspirants on the primary.

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Eric Dumo and Timileyin Adenike

Tope Ajayi, a 28-year-old fashion designer is working tirelessly at raising N600, 000. Apart from planning to expand his two-year-old business, the young man needs a large chunk from that amount to rent a decent accommodation around the Jibowu area of Lagos from where he can easily connect his shop at Surulere, an upbeat neighbourhood within the city. Moving all the way from Ikorodu to the place on almost a daily basis has not only affected his income but also denied him the opportunity of catching up with important appointments on some occasions. A town with a large population of traditional worshippers, the Ondo State-born entrepreneur has had to stay away from Ikorodu in the past week as a result of an annual ritual – Oro – which took place there. He had put up with a friend at the Maryland area of the city for the period the festival lasted.

“I have lost so much money due to the restriction in movement during this annual festival,” the fashion designer said during a chat with one of our correspondents on Wednesday. “On Tuesday when the Oro festival was held, I had two appointments around Ikorodu that could have fetched me at least N40, 000 but I had to cancel them because I couldn’t go there for fear of running into trouble.

“I had jobs at home that I needed to finish and also deliver to clients but because of the situation; I couldn’t do any of those. I only returned to Ikorodu on Thursday when I was sure things were a bit calm.

“I am already looking for money, like N600, 000, to rent a small apartment around Jibowu and also expand my business so that I can move out of Ikorodu. This annual practice has really caused me a lot of loss in the past, I don’t want to experience it again,” he stated.

Like Ajayi, Blessing Utaku, an employee of a telecommunications firm on Victoria Island had to move out of Ikorodu for four days just to be able to avoid being caught in any sort of crisis created by the annual ritual and also be punctual at work. Though not convenient for her, she had to put up with her elder sister and family in the Alapere area of the city so as to be able to go to work and meet up with other appointments within town. The visibly enraged lady told Saturday PUNCH that she had to deny herself of personal comfort during the period just to be safe.

“There were so many social and church events that I had to forego because of this Oro festival,” she said during a telephone conversation with one of our correspondents. “I moved to Ikorodu two years ago because of cheaper accommodation but if I knew I would face this much restriction, I would have looked for an apartment elsewhere.

“There are times when even in a space of six months, this Oro can be done two or three times, thereby hampering one’s movement and activities. Since Sunday, I have been staying at my sister’s place at Alapere; otherwise if I remained in Ikorodu, I wouldn’t be able to go to work and that could cost me my job. It is not convenient for me but because I don’t want to be a victim of their ritual, I had to endure,” she added.

A bank worker in the Onipanu area of the metropolis, Mr. Akindele Joshua, another resident of Ikorodu, had to move into a hotel close to his office on Monday to avoid being a victim of the traditional ritual exercise said to require movement restriction especially for women. While speaking with one of our correspondents on Wednesday, the 41-year-old said his wife – a teacher – and two children also had to relocate out of the community temporarily as a result of the situation. According to him, the traditional festival is not only causing families and individuals to spend funds not budgeted for but also causing occasional separation between spouses.

“For over three days, I have not seen my wife and children, we only talk on phone. This is not good for family cohesion especially considering the reason why we are here.

“I have spent over N20, 000 on hotel accommodation while my family despite putting up with our relatives at Ogudu, have also spent so much there. But for this festival, we wouldn’t have needed to leave our house and wouldn’t have spent this much.

“This type of thing as far as I am concerned can also cause marital issues between couples because there could be temptation to cheat and misbehave which is not good.

“Whatever purpose the Oro festival is supposed to serve, I think there should be a way to go about it that would not hamper people’s movements and daily activities. Something urgently should be done to address this situation,” he said.

Referred to as Magbo Festival in the town, the Oro festival is an annual traditional event, which according to findings, reminds most ancient communities in Yorubaland of their illustrious past. Myths say women are forbidden from partaking in the ceremony or seeing Oro itself while men who are not indigenes are forbidden from witnessing the rituals. Depending on each community, the festival lasts between four days to several weeks. But in Ikorodu, it is restricted to one day where the arrival of Oro sends a whirring and frightening sound across tens of metres.

However, despite its decreasing popularity in many societies today where Christianity and Islam have eclipsed almost every trace of traditional religious practices, faithful say the Oro festival is usually observed to maintain peace and order and also cleanse a particular town or society.

Perhaps the height of the growing resentment against the festival came in February 2018 when the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim Community in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State approached a high court to stop Oro from being held during daytime in the area.

The religious bodies claimed that government parastatals, schools, businesses and other public places are usually forced to close down operations as a result of the daytime ‘curfew’ foisted on them by the traditional exercise. While granting their prayers, the court limited the occasion to between 12:00am and 4:00am, a situation that has since brought relief to many in Ipokia and environs.

But 19 years ago in the Sagamu area of Ogun State, this annual traditional ritual was the cause of a bloody mayhem between the Yoruba and Hausa communities that left over 66 people dead.

According to reports, Oro faithful, after taking their ‘campaign’ to an area dominated by Hausas, killed a woman they claimed had committed sacrilege by flouting their ‘women-must-not-see’ rules. Rather than bringing the much desired peace to the town, the incident left Sagamu in a ball of fire, which consumed both humans and property. The wounds are yet to fully heal almost two decades after.

“I was in Sagamu when that bloody incident happened in 1999,” Nike Asubiaro, a pub operator in the Odogunyan area of Ikorodu, told one of our correspondents on Wednesday evening. “I lost two of my friends and also a few items. Many of us were lucky not to have been killed too. It was after that crisis that I moved to Ikorodu fully to start all over again.

“But now that we are here in Lagos, this issue of Oro won’t allow us to rest. There is no time that we won’t be asked to lock up our shops because one ritual or the other is about to take place.

“The type of business I run needs one to always be on ground otherwise in no time, you could lose all your customers. Since the beginning of this week, I have not opened my shop. Even if I did, which customer would want to come and relax under an atmosphere of uncertainty? As a business woman, this is not one of my happiest moments I must say,” the middle-aged woman said.

Also counting the cost the traditional exercise has had on her operations, a school owner, Mrs. Lucy Agary, a mother of two, told Saturday PUNCH that they had to close for the entire week following rumours that the Oro would be on for one month.

According to her, the loss this has brought the school and pupils cannot be quantified by mere words.

“We had to cancel everything in the school this past week because we were not sure how many days the Oro festival was to last.

“In fact, some of the pupils were supposed to sit for tests and also engage in other very important academic work but due to the situation, everything had to be cancelled especially because many families relocated temporarily for fear of the unknown.

“We are not saying this annual event should not be done, what we are against is the complete paralysis of activities in the community,” she said.

In many parts of Ikorodu like Aga, Ipakodo and Igbogbo, many women were observed to have kept off the streets during the period while a handful of banks did not also open for operations. Commercial transportation was equally affected as only few drivers put their vehicles on the road.

The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Edgal Imohimi, and traditional ruler of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, had on Monday jointly issued a statement, assuring women of their safety and also debunking claims of restriction of movement during the period.

But despite those assurances, social and economic activities were seriously affected during the past week, leaving many residents and business owners across the fast-rising town to count their losses.

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Eric Dumo

A bank customer in Kaduna State, Patience Sa’idu-Samuel, has taken a former and current staff of an unnamed financial institution to court for using her account to siphon N33m.

The suit, which was instituted by the complainant’s counsel, Umar Sama’ila, was heard on Friday by Justice Munir Ladan of the Kaduna State High Court but later adjourned to June 30, 2018 for further deliberations.

The judge told counsel to the defendants, Yusuf Ajibola to “put his house in order before the adjourned date.”

Counsel to the plaintiff had earlier said they were in court to claim damages for the stress and harassment his client went through over the issue.

He told the court that they have served the defendants with all the necessary notices and asked the court not to allow counsel to the defendants to drag the case backward.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Sama’ila told newsmen outside the court premises that his client was demanding for N36.6m damages against the bank for the stress and harassment she faced since the beginning of the problem.

He said, “In view of what happened, the bank went after my client that she had to pay the money. Thereafter, after certain procedures by the plaintiff, the bank paid up the money.

“In view of that, the plaintiff felt that she had been cheated and made to suffer a lot and filed an action against the bank. Our prayer is for the court to prevail on the defendants to pay us damages of N36.6m,” he said.

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Maureen Ihua-Maduenyi

The Lagos State Government has so far allocated 650 houses to residents under the rent-to-own scheme, the Commissioner for Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, has said.

Lawal stated this on Friday at the handover of keys to 150 subscribers in the fourth batch of the allocation.

He said that last year, 500 people were given keys to houses ranging from one-bedroom to three-bedroom flats under the scheme.

The commissioner stated that the country, Lagos in particular, was presently in the throes of housing deficit occasioned by the demand for decent, secure and affordable housing, which was far higher than supply.

He said, “In a bid to solve this problem and prevent the continuous emergence of slums, the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode came up with the rent-to-own policy aimed at ensuring that all Lagosians, irrespective of income, status and affiliation, have access to decent and affordable housing.

“The handing over of keys to another batch of 150 people brings the number of allottees to 650 so far. What this implies is that a total number of 3,000 people have so far benefited from the scheme if calculated at an average of five persons per family.”

According to Lawal, the state currently has about 5,008 housing units in 12 different locations dedicated to the rent-to-own housing scheme, which enables aspiring homeowners to pay five per cent of the value of the property and spread the balance over a period 10 years.

He said the state government had also introduced the Rental Housing Programme targeted at persons with irregular sources of income, who might be more interested in rental housing or were not able to meet the requirement of the five per cent commitment for the rent-to-own.

“The scheme will take effect as soon as the dedicated housing units are ready. With this policy, tenants can move in on payment of one month deposit,” Lawal explained.

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…rampaging youths burn down station

Samson Folarin

No fewer than 20 students of the Igbajo Polytechnic, Igbajo, Osun State, have been hospitalised after some police operatives invaded the school.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the students, who were writing their exams, were tear-gassed around 10am on Friday.

When news spread that one of the victims had allegedly died, our correspondent learnt that the students went into the town, attacked and burnt down Igbajo Police Station.

A student of the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a simple situation that was badly managed by the police led to the riot.

He explained that three students were still in a coma, adding that two others were unaccounted for.

He said, “There has been a misunderstanding between the management of the school and the rector. The rector has also been facing hard times from the students, who have refused to allow him take any courses.

“So, the difficult times probably made the rector to deploy the police in the school on Friday. Whereas in Igbajo Polytechnic, we have never had exams with such heavy security presence; we are non-violent.

“Many students were scared when they saw policemen from the Igbajo division laying siege to the school on Friday, while they were sitting their final papers.

“The exams were going on when the policemen saw some students wearing black clothes; they were coming into the school compound. The policemen challenged the students, who ignored them. The next thing the police did was to fire tear gas directly at the students. It was a terrible situation. We have a lot of asthmatic patients in the environment and many of them are always with their inhalers. Immediately the gas went off, many of them fell down.”

He explained that there was confusion as students ran helter-skelter.

The student noted that after some time, the student leaders mobilised and got vehicles to take the injured students to hospitals, adding that news later spread that one of them had died.

He said the undergraduates fought back by throwing stones at the policemen, who retreated.

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Gospel singer, Rev. Bolarinwa, has a trademark and it is his beloved accordion musical instrument. While some might term the musical instrument as ‘old school,’ the man of God told Saturday Beats that it was God that led him to pick the musical instrument even though he would have preferred a modern instrument. “I really did not choose an accordion musical instrument; the Lord led me to choose it. Personally, I do not really like the instrument because people see it as an ‘old school’ instrument but if God says yes, who am I to say no? It is better to key into God’s agenda on your life than persuade God to key into your agenda. I do not know where God is taking me to but I am happy with where he has placed me in life. I had a lot of visions even before I went into music and most of them linked me with Baba Ojo Ade who I patterned my music after. There was a day I saw myself kneeling in front of him and he prayed for me. As of the time, I did not know him in person. When the visions were becoming constant, I met with some of my spiritual fathers who told me to pray very well but it appeared that God wanted me to sing in a similar way Baba Ojo Ade does,” he said.

The preacher noted that he learnt how to play the instrument on his own and while he was doing that, his neighbours always made a jest of him but before long, he mastered the art of playing the accordion. “They said that I did not know how to play any instrument yet I bought an accordion without having a teacher to tutor me, they felt I was daring God. But I kept praying that if He is the one leading me, then He should teach me how to play it. As I kept practising, I listened to the songs of Baba Ojo Ade and it helped a lot. After the eighth day, I went to perform to an audience and people were surprised. They all felt I knew how to play the accordion before but I was faking it,” the preacher said.

The reverend told Saturday Beats that it has not been easy combining his calling as a man of God with music but since it is God that has mandated him to do both, he would heed the word of God.

“My first album was released in 2013 and I titled it ‘Mi O Jebi’ (which means I Am Not Guilty in English). Most of my songs are in Yoruba. I would be honest with you, it has not been easy combining my role as a preacher and a musician. It is not an easy task but with God, all things are possible. Sometimes, my activities clash but one needs to be careful to decipher which should go first and what should go last,” he said.

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Onoshe Nwabuikwu

The 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival opened last week Tuesday May 8, 2018. The opening ceremony featured excerpts from Pierrot le Fou, a 1965 film by Jean-Luc Godard, part of the French New Wave. The image for this year’s poster was taken from Pierrot le Fou. On the same night the festival opened, the first film in competition, Asghar Todos Lo Saben (Everybody Knows) was screened.

One big deal about this year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival is women’s prominence. Five women to four men constitute the main jury of the 71st Cannes Film Festival. The president of the 71st Festival jury is Australian actress, Cate Blanchett. Other women include award-winning US director, Ava Duvernay; Kristen Stewart also from the US; French actress, Léa Seydoux, and Khadja Nin, a Burundian actress.

There is also the fact that in the jury for the Un Certain Regard, chaired by Benicio Del Toro, there are three women and two men. Swiss filmmaker, Ursula Meier, is president of the Jury for the Camera d’Or.

Don’t think for one minute that this is accidental. The ‘Me Too’ and ‘Time’s Up’ movements are currently sweeping across America and other parts of the world. This is the kind of film festivals, especially the Cannes Film Festival, like to jump on – using film to make a statement.

The festival runs till May 19, 2018 and is scheduled to close with Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote according to festival director, Thierry Fremaux.

So what if Nigeria is not at Cannes 2018?

The above headline doesn’t mean there won’t be any Nigerians attending this year’s festival. It’s just that in the past, Nigeria used to have a very visible presence by way of having a pavilion to itself with our flag flying. Although back then, the quality of our attendance was poor. I used to also be a regular attendee at the festival. Part of my Cannes report was a section called ‘Nigeria @ Cannes’. I just was never satisfied with how and what we presented Nigeria.

After I became less regular, I still would ask ‘Whither Nigeria @ Cannes?’ Last year, just after I’d lamented the absence of Nigeria at the Cannes Film Festival came the news about the Lagos State Government’s big showing at Cannes. What benefits did the state gain? Any business deals?

This year, however, I wasn’t going to ask any questions because certain things about film festivals are now clearer to me. Filmmakers, countries or individuals must have set objectives. Nigeria does not appear to have figured out what we want to achieve from a film festival like Cannes. It is also clear to me that Nigeria does not have to attend the Cannes Film Festival just to make up the numbers. This is not to say we shouldn’t plan to attend. I love going to Cannes.

Anyhow, the fact that Rafiki, a Kenyan film directed by Wanuri Kahiu, is being screened in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category raised the obvious question of Whither Nollywood? First, let’s clear the inferiority building up. Rafiki going to Cannes does not mean Kenya has overtaken Nigeria in some invisible 100-meter film race (I was going to say marathon but thought better of it). So, there’s no need to start a jollof war type of beef with Kenya.

We must understand that there are certain types of films best suited for film festivals, both from the aesthetic and narrative point of view. What’s your story? I’ll like to think Nigeria has every type of story that can interest an international audience. Especially with themes on sexuality, Boko Haram, caste system, plight of widows…

Plus, we cannot blame those who focus on making commercial films. The film festival circuit has to be taken deliberately and preferably for the long haul. Individual Nigerian filmmakers keep making inroads into the film festival orbit where government has yet to recognise.  Even when Nigeria was attending Cannes Film Festival regularly, it didn’t seem to offer much assistance.

There are also other considerations. France may have been interested in Nigeria and Nollywood. It doesn’t appear they have that much interest now. On the other hand, the Toronto International Film Festival seems to be interested in content coming out of Nigeria. This would be a good place to focus on. At the last edition of TIFF, Nigeria was represented by the National Film and Video Censors Board which stood out like a sore thumb.

About Rafiki   

Rafiki (1 hour 22 minutes) is a lesbian love story. It is Kenyan’s first feature in Cannes, although it is identified as coming from Kenya, South Africa, France, Netherlands, Germany. The film also has support from the European Union, the ACP Group of States and the support of Aide aux Cinémas du Monde – Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée – Institut Français, Sørfond, The Netherlands Film Fund and Hubert Bals Fund, the Berlinale World Cinema Fund and ARRI – International Support Programme were also collaborators.

For good measure, the film has been banned in Kenya. You can bet the festival loves this kind of notoriety because it’s good for business. But ultimately, it all comes down to business. Will the movie be bought? Will it do well on the circuit?

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A former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) of the University of Lagos, Prof. Duro Oni, shares what fatherhood has taught him with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS

How did you meet your wife?

We met during the preparations for FESTAC 77. She was schooling at the University of Calabar and they came to Lagos to take part in the celebration. Since about 20 students, including my wife, were in my care, I was responsible for taking them around. We became friends afterwards and got married seven years later.

Did you find it hard wooing her?

I was already a ‘big boy.’ I drove a Peugeot 504 and I had a flat to myself. Though my wife is from Cross River State and I am from Osun State, we have been married for 34 years now.

How has the journey of fatherhood been for you?

Fatherhood comes with lots of responsibilities. As a father, you want the best for your wife and kids. I have four kids –two boys and two girls. My first and last children are girls.

Did you wish your first child was a boy?

No, I didn’t wish so. In fact, if I had given birth to only girls, it wouldn’t have worried me as they are less stressful to manage. Boys can be troublesome, but I have been lucky because all my children have behaved well since their tender ages. They all graduated from the University of Lagos.

Though none of my kids is into my profession, I am happy for them. My wife and I read theatre arts. My first daughter studied psychology and she is now a chartered accountant. My second child read physical and health education and he is into international trade. My third child studied estate management and he works in a bank as a financial analyst and the last child, who also studied psychology, is into digital and online marketing.

Would you say you married early?

I married at the appropriate time. I got married on July 28, 1984. I think I was mature enough for marriage. I did not consider it too late, though the marriage could have come earlier. We started making family immediately, which made us have our kids on time.

How do you feel that none of your children is following in your career path?

I don’t dictate to my children because I believe they are responsible for their own choices. When I wanted to study theatre arts, I had an uncle who felt it was not a good profession for me. He felt I was too intelligent for the profession but I insisted it was what I wanted to do. My mother gave me her support and I think I have done well for myself.

My children are doing well; they don’t come to ask me for money. Of course, when they have a project, I try to support them in the areas I have the capacity. Also, three of my children are married.

Did you witness your wife give birth to any of your children?

I am not sure it is a pleasant thing for any man to experience. I cannot remember which of my kid, but my wife gave birth once inside a car. When she told me the water had broken, I didn’t understand her. Being on a university campus, we had a medical doctor near us. In the middle of the night, I drove her to the doctor’s place. Before I returned with the doctor, she had given birth. My neighbour, who was a nurse, helped her. We later went to the medical centre and she received further treatment.

My kids were born in a maternity clinic at Yaba, Lagos. I don’t believe in the idea of taking one’s wife to a private hospital. They only charge you a lot of money and put a television set in your room. It doesn’t mean we don’t have private hospitals that render quality service.

Were you scared of starting a family?

No, I was not scared. I had left the university years ago before marriage. I even had a master’s degree before marriage and I was already a lecturer at the UNILAG. There was nothing to be afraid of as I was well prepared for the challenges ahead. I knew that there were certain things that would come with starting a family, but I had already taken care of the basic things like food, shelter and others. Those days, we used to pay N25 for a three-bedroom flat on campus.

How did you manage your career as a teacher and a father?

Essentially, one has to be devoted to many things. While you are devoted to your job and you do it very well, you must prioritise your family because they have needs and you must meet them. There was a symbiotic relationship between my job and the family because both complement each other.

I like taking my kids on vacations. We could all travel to Abuja or outside the country, but there was no time we went on the same aircraft. For me, it made sense to avoid any mishap. I would travel with the boys and my wife would travel with the girls.

How did you create time for your children?

Those days, they came with me to Ikoyi Club, which I joined in 1990. They loved going to the club and we visited a lot as a family. Two of my children have advanced from junior to senior members. This means, for membership, they paid like 50 per cent of the fee.

Did you discuss issues of opposite sex with your daughters?

For the boys, we talked and shared drinks together. But for my daughters, my wife took care of them. She talked to them about life, sex and other necessary things they needed to know while growing up. When you have a good family, responsibilities are shared. But my kids are very close to me.

How did your father raise you?

I am from a polygamous family. When we were growing up, my father had three wives but he was a wealthy man. We were born in Minna, Niger State.

The polygamous home succeeds when the man has the capacity to take care of his family; so, there were no issues. But all the women were enterprising. Before my mother, who was the second wife, passed on, she built two houses in Minna. She ran a chain of restaurants at the railway station and did some catering services too.

What values did you inherit from your dad which have helped you as a father?

My father didn’t like us to go hungry. Regardless of anything, they had to be enough food for everyone in the house. My father was known then as Sabokudi, which means new money. When we were growing up, he only spent new money. I had taken after him because I like to spend new money.

My father also taught me that there was no substitute for hard work. He would always say “remember the son of whom you are and where you are coming from in whatever you do.” If you did something that tarnished the family’s name, he would be the first person to disown you.

My kids know they cannot show up with money or things they are not supposed to possess. My child cannot suddenly buy, for instance, a Ferrari, and I will not question where the money comes from.

My father worked very hard; he worked for his family and he worked to protect his family. I inherited the desire to work hard from him. Sometimes, people wonder why I do late hours in the office and how I reply messages at odd hours.

What are your challenges as a father?

None comes to mind at the moment, but sometimes, the kids expect too much from me. Some of them wanted to get married and they felt I should have a lot of money to fund the wedding. But I will only do what I am capable of because no parent needs to collect loan to give a child a befitting wedding. I believe in the value of moderation. I think we had a little disagreement over that. Even though I told the child I was ready for the wedding, it didn’t mean I would sell my house for its success.

How did you attain your level of success?

Being focused is a very important thing. I enjoy what I do. I did not want to be anything else but a theatre artist. I have been working at the UNILAG for many years. We didn’t have the Department of Creative Arts in the university before; I initiated the idea. What we had before was the Centre for Cultural Studies of the University of Lagos and I was the last director between 1992 and 1997. But while I was the director, I said we could not continue as a centre. I advised we started a degree programme for the three arms of the creative arts – theatre arts, music and visual arts.  In 1999, we started the Department of Creative Arts.

You have to bring values into the system you operate in.  From being the director of the then centre, I became the Head of the Department of Creative Arts. I was also the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and deputy vice-chancellor of the UNILAG. I was even in the race to become the next VC of UNILAG during the last selection process. But once someone emerges as the VC, we have a responsibility to support the person because the system is bigger than everyone. I was in the race; I was interviewed for the job.

What challenges did you face on your way to the top?

Sometimes, people get a bit envious. I was given two appointments by the Federal Government. From 1990 to 1992, I was the special adviser to the Minister of Youths and Culture. From 2000 to 2006, I was the director general and chief executive of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation. Some certain people felt I was getting too much. For me, if anyone becomes successful, I will be the first person to congratulate him or her and also organise a little reception.

I have another four years and eight months before retirement. I pray for good health, God’s blessings to see that age and bow out of the university.

Five years is still a long time, but the last thing I want is to retire and move to a rented apartment. I have been living on campus for 38 years. I have my own house and I decided not to rent it out so that I wouldn’t have to argue with the tenant whenever I need to move in.

What do your children tease you about?

They think I spent too much time working. Whenever I am at home, my laptop is on, which means there is something I am working on. It is always an issue for them because they feel I need to rest.

The other aspect is that I travel a lot. I have been to about 61 countries of the world. I have seen the entire continents.

How did you punish your kids?

I never beat my kids. Once I gave them a look or gesture, they understood what they needed to do. But my wife spanked them a few times; they were more scared of her than me.

How did you reward them whenever they impressed you?

There were plenty ways. While they were growing up, if they wanted something or to go somewhere, they would send the last child because they felt she was my favourite and I would oblige.

They are good kids, but I don’t believe in spoiling kids. I didn’t buy my children cars while they were in school. But once they started working and they had saved a little money, I was supportive. I didn’t stop them from driving my car, however.

How would you advise children without father figures?

Being without parents doesn’t stop you from getting to where you want to get to. Though there are benefits, having parents can also be a disadvantage for some people because they get spoilt. Even when they get married and have a little fight with their wives, they will run to their parents. They are yet to grow up and I think that can be problematic.

I don’t control my kids and they are doing well. They don’t come to me complaining about their spouses. I didn’t choose a partner for anyone; so, they should ensure things work in their home.

As a teacher, what problems do you think students face that are traceable to bad parenting?

In the university, we are not happy with the level of hygiene of certain students. When you see the way they live, it is obviously an extension of their way of life in their houses.

There was a top government official who bought a Range Rover for his son in 200 level. For me, that is the height of irresponsible parenting. Once he graduates, what does he want to buy for himself? If you must buy him a car, there are smaller and cheaper ones. I believe such makes students lose concentration because it means they have enough money to live a reckless life. We have seen cases where students are involved in accidents while coming back from nightclubs because they had too much to drink and drove at a high speed.

If you want to bring up your kids well, you have to provide basic needs. Spoiling your kids can be counterproductive, which is not good for them as well as the parents.  Even if I have the money, I cannot buy a house for a kid. I want them to work for whatever they want. As an individual, you must develop your own self-esteem and self-confidence.

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The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Julie Okah-Donli, speaks with OLALEYE ALUKO on her life, career and other issues

How did you start your career and where are some of the places you worked before you joined NAPTIP?

Prior to joining the agency, I had worked in some law firms. I also worked with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Abuja. I worked also in a security institute and with the United Bank for Africa Trustees. I served as an executive assistant to former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, who is also my mentor. I also established my own law firm that had a team of legal practitioners. I was the head of that firm before my appointment.

As a leader, what are some of the most valuable lessons you have learnt as regards managing people and motivating them?

I have always known that people are different. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another. I have learnt not to compare two people. I treat everyone based on his or her own individual merit. I treat everyone with utmost respect.

How would you describe your experience as head of NAPTIP in the last one year?

My experience has been a combination of everything. It has been tough. Tough in the sense that sometimes, we have issues like inter-agency rivalry where some other law enforcement agencies refuse to cooperate with us. It has also been exciting. Exciting because this is a job I am very passionate about. Therefore, I give it my all and that makes it very interesting. It makes it challenging sometimes too; challenging in terms of our operations, logistics and funding. Otherwise, it has been quite interesting.

What personal qualities have helped you get to where you are today?

I believe I am very passionate about whatever I decide to do. I believe that my passion for my job has been my driving force. I also believe that I am a very hard-working and committed person. I think I am very committed to my job and whatever I lay my hands on. With the focus, passion and dedication, I expect to win because I always have my way.

As a woman, do you have to work harder than your male predecessors to be noticed?

I actually believe that a woman heading this agency will do much better than a man. The reason is because a woman’s motherly instinct helps her to do this job with everything she has and not to compromise in any way. For example, if we have a case of human trafficking, which is what we do here, you can imagine how I will react and how I will do everything possible to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book. I can assure you that I am even stronger than some of the men working with me. There was a time we had a walk-out tagged, ‘Walk against human trafficking’, and trust me, I ran all the way. Some of the men could not even walk far, much less run. It has to do with the physical fitness of whoever is in the saddle, and nothing to do with gender.

What are some of the great lessons you have learnt over the years?

I will not call them great lessons; I will call them sad lessons. Over the course of the one year I have spent as the NAPTIP head, I have realised that people, who are supposed to be close to you (who you trust), are the ones who really betray you. Sometimes, the parents, family friends and boyfriends of the girls are the ones who deceive them and engage them in human trafficking. I have also learnt that people can be hardened and wicked to do anything to get money even at the expense of their fellow humans. They don’t really care. They don’t care to know what happens to you as long as they are making money. People that should know better are even the ones that are involved in these cartels. People who you don’t expect to be in this business are the ones really fueling human trafficking.

It is believed that traffickers usually have godfathers and godmothers who sponsor their activities. What moves have you made to go after such high-profile people?

Well, as far as NAPTIP is concerned, there is no sacred cow. When we get information about anyone, we go after them; we don’t spare anyone. Yes, we have been able to get some of the gangs and heads of criminal networks. We have arrested agents, godfathers and some of the bigwigs behind these criminals. So, yes, we go after them and we are still going after those who are involved in human trafficking.

What innovations have you brought to bear on your job since you resumed office?

I think since I came on board a year ago, I have been able to get the Federal Government to approve the whistle-blower’s policy and to extend it to NAPTIP. We have also inaugurated the NAPTIP regional training academy, which will take off very soon. We also launched NAPTIP internationally in terms of ongoing joint operations with the police and other authorities in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Spain and the European Union entirely. We hope to do a lot more of this. I have been able to bring in the organised private sector and corporate organisations to partner with us in the fight against human trafficking. We also have the NAPTIP Rapid Response Squad unit which is doing a great work too. We have also tried to rebrand the agency so that there can be more awareness among Nigerians.

Do you think human trafficking can ever be eradicated totally in Nigeria?

Definitely, it can be eradicated. That is why we are tackling it through prevention. You know, prevention is always better than cure. We are targeting the various local communities. If we are able to get the message to all of these local communities nationwide, I believe trafficking will be a thing of the past in this country.

What was your first reaction when you were appointed to head NAPTIP?

It actually came as a surprise. I was expecting an appointment but I did not think about this agency. What happened about my getting here was so spiritual. NAPTIP was the last place I hoped for. Meanwhile, I had a kidney foundation and NAPTIP was the last place where I carried out a free screening before my appointment. It was absolutely free for the agency’s workers. I did a kidney examination for all of them as a private person then. I came with my team and we did a one-hour presentation, telling them about how to protect their kidneys from harm. We gave out fliers on how to take good care of kidneys. Of course, it was a shock when I was told that I would be sent to NAPTIP. It was the place I went last. The truth is that I didn’t even remember the agency. It was one of my workers who reminded me that it was the place we went earlier. I was wowed by that and I realised that it was a divine arrangement.

From your experience on the job, what are the major reasons people engage in human trafficking?

For the traffickers, they are just greedy and evil. There is no other way to describe them. They are just wicked. And for the victims, most of them are actually ignorant. Many of them are also defrauded by the traffickers. That is also a case of fraud. Most of the victims lack knowledge. They are usually uneducated and ignorant. Sometimes, there is a little bit of poverty on the parts of the parents of the victims. Some girls and boys even spend over N500,000 to get themselves trafficked. Where did they get such money? I also know that upbringing plays a major role in falling into the hands of traffickers. Unfortunately, many of the victims were brought up to believe that anything outside of Nigeria is the best. That is where the trouble lies. When you are brought up to be someone who is timid and not confident, then there is a problem. When you are brought up to have an inferiority complex, anybody can tell you anything and you would accept it. For example, nobody can tell my children, ‘Let’s go to America to make it and let’s enjoy life’. My children would tell them, ‘Wait a minute! I can make it here in Nigeria’. There must be a national orientation on the part of the government. Nigerians must believe in Nigeria and in the government. The families must also bring their children up to believe in Nigeria and in themselves. That way, no one would be able to defraud you.

A lot of Nigerians are also involved in the Libyan slave trade. What is the update on the evacuation plan?

A lot of people think that this evacuation started with the Libyan incident. No! The International Organisation for Migration, a United Nations agency, has been helping for years. They have been bringing down victims from Libya for so many years and NAPTIP also goes to the airports to receive them. We have always profiled them and we usually deal with victims of human trafficking. We don’t deal with irregular migrants who went there and just came back. We have always been responsible for taking them to shelters and rehabilitation of the victims of human trafficking. It did not start with the Federal Government’s delegation to Libya. The Federal Government’s delegation to Libya was just to build on the existing structure.

What advice do you have for young people who have the desire to get to the top of their careers?

I always advise young people to be focused. They also need to be passionate about whatever they do, because trust me, it you are not passionate about whatever you do, you cannot even do well in the first place. This is because your passion for your job is the first driving force you have to excel. It gives you the spirit of excellence. I always advise young people to imbibe this spirit of excellence and to be passionate about whatever they do. They also need to be very focused, determined and hard-working. Everything else would follow naturally.

How do you maintain a balance between your home and career?

Balancing my home and my work is not a challenge to me. My first child is a 27-year-old, while the second born is about 22. What am I saying? I have adults who are working already. So, I really don’t have a problem managing my home.

How would you describe your childhood?

My childhood was very strict. It was also very interesting and extremely happy.

What were your childhood ambitions?

The truth is that as I was growing up, my mother was my role model. She was a very hard-working and successful businesswoman. I wanted to be like her and I am very happy I am like her in so many ways. It is not just about the physical appearance but in almost every aspect of her life.

I had always wanted to be a lawyer because I knew I could argue. I also wanted to be a broadcaster because I was told that I had a very good voice and I could read very well. I wanted to do something that was my strength because I knew that if I towed the line of my strength, I would function effectively in that capacity; I would not malfunction. And I know I have been able to do very well in NAPTIP because this is the place of my abode.

Which schools did you attend?

I attended elementary schools in the Yaba and Ikeja areas of Lagos State. For my post-elementary education, I attended Gbagada Girls Secondary School, Gbagada, Lagos. I then went to Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State.

What other interests do you have?

I love to dance. I like cooking also.

How do you unwind?

I am an exercise-freak; I like to jog a lot. I also like to read and write.

How do you like to dress?

For me, looking good is good business. I dress appropriately, according to whatever the function is. If I am going to a party, I dress like someone going to a party. If I am going to a church, I dress like someone going to church, and the same way if I am going to the office. Every occasion has its dress code and I dress accordingly.

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The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Dr. Felix Omobude, speaks on the spate of violence in the country, among other issues, in this interview with ALEXANDER OKERE

What is the PFN assessment of the state of security in Nigeria?

The situation in the country as it affects security has been very troubling to the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. There is hardly any day without bloodshed and killings by Boko Haram, through suicide bombing, or herdsmen killings across the country. The PFN is worried that Nigeria is degenerating to a failed state. Though we have a government, it appears that this situation is overwhelming to our security forces. The PFN calls on the government at the various levels to ensure the security of Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe or religion. We hold the current administration to its campaign promises of ‘change for the better’.

We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the ruling party (All Progressives Congress) to take a look at the promises made to Nigerians and make every effort to fulfil them. As you know, the cost of living has become very high. When this government came into power in 2015, the price of petrol was N87. As of today, it is N145 per litre. I can go on and on. Those who trade in the international market know that the value of the naira four years ago was two or three times higher than what it is today. So, we are calling on the government to rise up and do the needful, make Nigeria a safe country, reduce the poverty level and make life more meaningful.

What is your reaction to the reported statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that some of the killings witnessed in some parts of the country were carried out by foreign invaders. Do you agree with that?

We are amazed that our President can make such statement in the UK and in the US and he has not said it at home. But even if that is the truth, if someone is using my name to perpetrate evil, I should fight it and stop him from doing so. If these people (armed herdsmen) are coming from outside, it is the government’s responsibility to check the borders and fish them out. It is not my responsibility. It (government) should do the needful.

Do you think that it would be appropriate to describe the armed herdsmen as terrorists?

Honestly, whatever language you use to describe their activities, it all points to terrorism. People go out and say that they are cattle herders, only to spring out and bring AK-47 (rifles), kill owners of the farm, rape their wives and then disappear into thin air. So, it is terrorism.

How would you rate the efforts of the President to address the problem?

I will leave that to Nigerians to decide. What the PFN is saying is that it is the responsibility of government to safeguard the people. So, if it were enough, we would not have been crying. The cry is all over the place, across party lines. When we are dealing with this issue, we should not be thinking about parties. We want it stopped; it does not really matter to us which party is ruling. We want good government. We want peace and security for all Nigerians.

Do you agree that the security situation in the country is being politicised by critics of the President?

You cannot rule out politics but when a pastor is killed in Odighi (Edo State) and we know it, would you say that it is politics. When a bomb explodes in a market, would you say that it is politics? People should not think that Nigerians do not know what they are doing. We have a problem at hand. We should face it and solve it.

How concerned is the PFN about the continuous captivity of the Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, by the Boko Haram terrorists?

The case of Leah Sharibu has become a very troubling situation because if those who abducted her did not say why they kept her back, one would understand. But they said very clearly that they were keeping her because she refused to renounce her faith and this is one of the reasons there is mistrust on the part of one side of the Nigerian society than the other. Why will several teenage girls be abducted, released and one retained just because she is a Christian?

If the government will not do anything, it just leaves us to believe that there is a mission that we have not yet known that is being underplayed. Every day that Leah stays behind (remains in captivity) creates some tension among the religious groups in this country and I will call on the government to do everything possible to show that it is impartial; to show that it is not with Boko Haram. Even if it is a ransom that it wants to pay, it should do it and get Leah back.

What is the PFN doing to intervene in that regard?

We will continue to advocate peace because if God wanted Nigeria to be a Christian country, it would not have been an impossible thing for him to do. If he wanted Nigeria to be a Muslim country, he had the power to do it but he did not. He wanted us together and we must respect that. We will continue to speak truth to power and advocate justice. Besides, we know the power of prayer and we are actively involved in praying for the peace and prosperity of the country.

We have put in place a programme where every hour of the day, for the next one year, is covered with prayer. Some groups of persons across the country are praying for Nigeria hourly. It started on May 1 and will continue till next year.

The issue of hate speech has generated a lot of controversies among Nigerians, with some alleging that it is meant to clamp down on Christian clerics. What is your opinion on that?

It is a Christian virtue to speak about things that are true and things that portray the peaceful coexistence of men and we stand by that. We do not encourage hate speech because it really can degenerate into problems that we cannot control. But why clamp down on religious leaders? Politicians are on a daily basis speaking hate. When you rise up and say that one party has been buried in a coffin, what do you call that? It is hate speech. We can play politics and be civil and show understanding. You can criticise a person without necessarily rubbishing the person.

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Actress and producer, Uche Ogbodo, shares fond memories of her trip to Spain with JOY MARCUS

What is the most memorable place you have travelled to?

That would be Spain. I love the country so much and I travel there frequently to enjoy myself.

Why did you travel there?

I travelled for vacation and I had a very great experience because I had so much fun in Spain.

Did you eat any of their local dishes?

I didn’t really try any of their local dishes because I am not adventurous when it comes to food. I prefer to eat what I am familiar with in order not to upset my stomach. In fact, I prefer to eat Nigerian food.

What was your initial impression of Spain?

Spain seemed like home to me because the country has a lot of similarities with Nigeria. The structures in Spain have some semblance to what we have in Nigeria and Spaniards, like Lagosians, are a very busy people.

Were the people friendly towards you?

They are nice and hospitable people but I met a few of them who weren’t that nice; that didn’t stop me from enjoying my trip.

How would you compare the hospitality in Spain to what is obtainable in Nigeria?

I don’t think Nigerians are hospitable except it has to do with their personal interest. Nigerians don’t just become friends with strangers except they want something from you. In most European countries like Spain, someone can just like you and wish to be your friend without any hidden agenda. They are very free and fun to be with.

How would you rate the country’s security?

We can’t compare Spain and Nigeria because Nigeria is still learning. I remember I was at a beach in Malaga till about 3am and I was safe. I still walked down from the beach to my apartment and there was no reason for me to become scared.  In Nigeria, nobody tries that because the country is not safe. I think security in Spain is top-notch unlike what obtains in Nigeria where only a few areas are safe and the other areas are extremely dangerous.  I love Nigeria but there is so much to be afraid of in this country.

What did you see in Spain that reminded you about Nigeria?

Their architectural designs are more like what we have in Nigeria. Everything about the country made me feel as if I was at home and Spain is a religious country like Nigeria.

What do you think Nigeria can learn from Spain?

I think there is a lot Nigeria can learn from the western world in terms of development and growth.  But generally, Nigeria is a good place and we are doing well for ourselves despite the odds and challenges.  I believe that if we fix the country, by the time we become as old as Spain, we would do exploits or even better than them.

During your trip, did you buy anything?

No, I didn’t buy anything spectacular. I just bought some designer clothes, shoes and bags. I didn’t buy any Spanish artefact but I think I will buy a few when next I visit.

What is your dream travel experience?

I want to travel to Ibiza; I have never been to the place before and I heard it is fun. I am thinking of travelling to the island for my next birthday which is in two weeks time because I want to have a memorable celebration.

What is the best advice you can give someone who wants to travel?

Travel around the world and come back home. Don’t stay in another man’s country and say that country is better than your own country because there is no place that will be like your home no matter how beautiful that place is. Instead of living in poverty in another country, why don’t you stay in your country and work hard with the little money you have. Don’t run away because you will never be as free as you will be in your own country. Get your visa and document ready, travel the world and enjoy yourself but come back home. Nigeria is blessed and we should recognise that. Remember that no matter how long you stay in any country; you will always be a visitor.

Were there any downsides to your trip?

Yes, I had some problems with the travel agency. I lost about one million naira last December when I was about to travel and they didn’t return the money. It was a big loss and I had to buy another ticket. It was very painful but I am okay now.

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A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, speaks with PETER DADA about the state of the nation and the forthcoming general elections

What is the motive behind your recent meetings with some elder statesmen across the country?

The purpose of my recent visits to a number of prominent Nigerians was to hold consultations with them on how to begin to tackle the problems facing our nation, especially the unusual and unprecedented mass killings that are going on. This has never happened in our history. It is something new and frightening. So, the correct thing to do is to talk to those who, like me, had held very high public offices in Nigeria and those who were once in charge of the security of Nigeria. That is my principal motive for the visits.

What have been their responses?

The views of the leaders I have met like (a former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim) Babangida was very explicit in his comment that he totally supports the SDP as an alternative since the two other parties have let us down and that he was glad that people like us are leading the party — people that had worked with him before; people who he knows to be good Nigerians; honest people with integrity and who love the nation. He also said he wished that he was younger, that he would have loved to join the youth vanguard of the SDP in order to work for it and ensure its victory.

Former President (Olusegun) Obasanjo had made his position known even before I went to see him. Indeed, it was because of the position he made known that made me to consult him.  We have in the country at the moment a government that has done poorly; a government that is watching Nigerians being killed every day and is doing nothing about it. We have a government that is watching hundreds of thousands of Nigerians graduating from higher institutions every day without jobs. Unfortunately, the same government is preparing to come back. That is frightening.

For me, I don’t think Nigerians will accept to continue to live under these conditions for another four, five years and that was what took me to former President Obasanjo, who had publicly asked the present President to step aside and join the league of retired leaders. That is the common view we have that when a government is not performing, he (the President) should do himself and Nigerians a favour by removing himself from the seat and allow a new leadership to emerge for the benefit of everybody.

But we learnt that your meeting with Obasanjo did not yield positive results in terms of adopting the SDP for the general elections.

You assess an event on the basis of its objective. What did I go there to achieve? I went there to confirm that both he and me share the same view about the APC (All Progressives Congress) being assisted to leave office. It was a success in the sense that there was a confirmation by both of us that that needs to happen in the interest of the nation and that no single party can do it. Virtually all Nigerians must come together to make that happen because as you must know, it is a very difficult thing to defeat a sitting president in Africa because African leaders, by their nature, never give up. They use everything at their disposal to remain in power, whether fair or foul.

I went there to confirm that we share the same view. It is not something a single party can do; as many parties as possible must come together, build a consensus around a common candidate when the time comes, and democratically effect a change of government when the time comes. That is what I went there for and I got what I went there for.

You said your meeting with Obasanjo was successful but I learnt that he rejected your proposal seeking his coalition’s endorsement to adopt SDP?

I didn’t go there to discuss which party and all of that. Most of what was reported in the media never took place at all. So, the visit was a huge success because it achieved its objectives.

What are the objectives?

We have both agreed that there should be a formidable coalition that will take over power from the APC government.

Some people were insinuating that you perhaps had an interest in running for president and that was why you are holding consultations with top Nigerians. Is this correct?

(Laughs) I think that is the answer to the speculation. You can see that is spontaneous and genuine laughter. No, I have decided that I would not run for any office in Nigeria again.

Do you have anybody in mind for the position?

Not at this stage because, after all, we are just building the party now. It is only in the last two months that people started rushing in and the process is still on. Every day, they are coming in. We must absorb them, make them feel comfortable and consolidate the party. It is then that aspirants begin to show interest. Right now, very few people are showing interest (in the presidential ticket).

Who are those national figures that are already showing interest in joining the party?

How many will I mention to you? Thousands and thousands of people are coming. I know you want me to mention some big names. People, who are senators, who are members of House of Representatives and other Nigerians, who are not holding any political position, many of them have never, in fact, been in politics (because they consider politics as a filthy, bad thing), have continued to join our party.

Recently, I was in Ijebu Igbo (Ogun State) to attend the 10th memorial service of the late Papa (Abraham) Adesanya, and there, a young man was introduced to me by our legal adviser in Lagos, who said he came to politics for the first time because of my name and the chairman of the party in Lagos State told me that there were thousands of them coming into politics for the first time through the SDP. That is what is going on. It is not a question of how many governors or senators are coming. Now that the APC has had its debacle, the next few weeks will be very fruitful for the SDP, just wait and see.

Are you not scared of those coming, based on their antecedents in their previous parties? Don’t you think they may come and destroy your party?

No, they can’t. I am sure you have travelled abroad before. Nigerians, while they are here at the bus stop, are very impatient. They will not queue. But the same Nigerians in London queue. Why? It is because of the environment and a functional system. You have to conform to the system you find yourself. For example, the type of the system we have adopted in selecting our candidate immediately rules out a lot of money politics.

We are expecting more than 60,000 people to vote. How many of them are you going to meet at home to bribe? But if this is a community of 200 people, you grab more than 120 of them, camp them in a hotel like prisoners, give them food and then take them to the polling centre to vote. The system itself regulates, controls and reduces the kind of malpractices we are talking about. That is one.

Secondly, this is a disciplined party. I believe that most of the people joining the party know that the leadership of the party is disciplined and that anybody, who comes to the party, must subject himself to the discipline, no matter how highly-placed. One of the unfortunate developments in Nigerian politics is that leaders have not been chairmen of their parties. (Chief Obafemi) Awolowo was the leader of the Action Group and chairman of the party. Zik (Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe) was the leader of the NCNC and chairman of the group. Sardauna (Sir Ahmadu Bello) was the leader of his own group and chairman.

They were not just leaders. Awolowo was the leader of the Yoruba; Zik was the leader of the Igbo, and Sardauna was the leader of the Hausa/Fulani and then, chairmen of their parties. So, they commanded authority and their people behaved themselves. But since 1999, we’ve been having surrogates, hand-picked by the leaders, to go and be chairmen. The chairmen became ‘boy-boy’ and the members of the party knew that those chairmen were not the ones who had the authority. They disrespected them; they didn’t pay attention to them; they knew they were easy to bribe, bully and disgrace. But in SDP, by the grace of God, the members accept me as their leader and their chairman. This makes a difference.

We are like the parties of old; we are unlike these other parties where surrogates are hand-picked to go and be chairmen of parties. This, plus the system we have adopted, will ensure that anybody who joins us will conform, and anybody who does not, we will shut him out of the party. Once the leadership cannot be bought, things will be alright in the party because that is the weapon Nigerians use –money. They all know that there is no amount of money that can buy me, no currency that can buy me or other leaders of the party like Prof. (Tunde) Adeniran and others. So, they know that that option is out. They would not even try it. They know that if they do primaries and they rig it, we will cancel it. We will be able to cancel it because we didn’t take money from you before the election. These are the reasons why people misbehave. The Nigerians, who staged a riot here, behave well in London.

How is your party preparing for the forthcoming Ekiti and Osun elections?

We are more than ready. We have a lot of credible people. We have had an electoral committee in Ekiti now for the past few days and they will be there until the election is over. We sent them from the national secretariat of our party. They were here (his house) this morning as part of the preparation for the election. Let me say this, by the grace of God, when SDP wins both Ekiti and Osun, the rest of Nigerians will know that a new situation has arisen and that SDP is ready to take over the country, not just Ekiti and Osun.

If the party is obviously preparing for the Ekiti, Osun and general elections, are you preparing against rigging and money for votes?

We are not preparing for rigging of elections. We are preparing to forestall, fight and expose it. As long as our political system is based on rigging and money, we will never have stability. The right people will never win; the right policies will never be possible; poverty and suffering will continue and instability will continue. SDP is bringing in a new system, a new dispensation where merit will be the determinant of success.

Many years ago, when I was seeking presidential nomination, I put out a little pamphlet to guide my agents throughout Nigeria. One critical statement in the booklet reads, ‘Please don’t rig for me. I don’t want to rule by fraud, but please, don’t let anybody rig me out’. I don’t know any other Nigerian politician who has ever said that. It is my genuine belief that anything based on fraud, God cannot sanction it. It will not last, it will not succeed. So, if I can say so for myself, definitely, I will say so for any other person. They should not rig for our candidates but our people must ensure that our candidates are not rigged out.

The way to prevent rigging is for you to organise your party properly which we are doing now. Organise your party down to the unit level. Usually, you have excos of the party at the national level, state level, local government level as well as the ward level. But we have taken ours further by having excos of SDP around every polling unit. So, before polling day, we will know those who are voting in that area because our exco members live around that area. So, it will be very difficult to rig because it is where you are not well represented that you can be rigged out. If you have 30, 40 members of your party in a polling unit, how can they come and start messing around?

What new things are the SDP promising Nigerians?

This is the party that will stop the killings. This is the party that will restructure Nigeria so that states will be far richer to take care of the unemployed. Things shall go back to what we used to have in the days of Chief Awolowo, the Sardauna of Sokoto and others. We are going to get the campaign to that level. The other parties don’t talk about issues like that. Their way is ‘take money and vote for us’.

Elections require money. How are you going to get the funding?

We are going to get money for our mobilisation by God’s grace to a level where most Nigerians will be most unwilling to take money and vote. It has happened before. I could remember in 1979, the wife of the late MKO Abiola, Simbi, ran for senatorial position in Abeokuta and Bashorun Abiola did not distribute only money but vehicles to party leaders. The UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria) candidate won so massively. Simbi Abiola lost the election despite the huge amount of money spent on the election. That happened in Nigeria. If that could happen before, it can happen again. Why did that happen? It was because the UPN then was a very popular party. If you give people money, they will just take your money and vote for the candidate of their choice. So, what has happened before can happen again.

Youths in the country are saying that it is now their turn to rule. Is the SDP considering picking one of them as its presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2019 presidential election?

We shall pick among those who show interest in running for the office. Like I told you, we are just mobilising. Very few people have shown interest so far. I do expect the majority of the aspirants to show their faces a few months from now and when they emerge, we will see who is available and it is the ordinary members of the party who will choose the candidate democratically. Whether young, old, male or female, it is not I that we will choose for Nigerians. If the decision of Nigerians is that a young man should be the president, those Nigerians in our party will be given a chance and respect to show their preference and if they choose one of the youth, that will be our candidate. If their feeling is that the candidate should be a woman, she will be our candidate. It is not for me or any other leader to say it must be a young man, no. That is why we adopted the direct primary method; it is the most democratic.

Is the SDP picking its presidential candidate from the northern part of the country like some other parties?

Yes, we are picking our candidate from the North – it may be from the North-East, North-West or North-Central.

How will the SDP tackle the issue of corruption, bad economy and non-payment of workers’ salaries if it gets into power in 2019?

Our major problem is corruption and once it is tackled, other things will fall in line. The system we are going to run will discourage corruption. Any public officer, who is found to be corrupt, will be dealt with according to the law. I am sure you know that I spent my entire life in the public service. I have said it several times that I have never stolen one kobo that belonged to the government throughout my career and I cannot connive with anybody to steal government money because the money belongs to all of us.

What brings corruption? Firstly, it is over-concentration of resources in one place. When this is done, ministries that have no legitimate business in certain areas would have huge sums voted into it.

The current administration still has a year to go but the killings have not ceased in some parts of the country. What do you think should be done to stop these killings?

I think, first of all, Nigerians should one day move to the streets, demonstrate and say the killings must stop. I am sure the people who are killing others are not spirits, they are herdsmen. The ones that kidnapped me and inflicted cuts on my body are there in the bush. Government can deploy the army and the police to round them (killer herdsmen) up and treat them as terrorists. It can be done and it should be done. I think all the associations, groups and unions can organise a protest against killings.

Do you also agree that the President has not shown a serious concern about the matter?

He (Buhari) has not made any statement on the national television on the matter; he is not concerned. That is why we should take him out. This is why Nigerians should throw him out of office. We can’t continue to watch him and things go on like this. After all, he is the grand patron of the Miyetti Allah, the society of the herdsmen. He is conniving with them in what they are alleged to be doing. He has not made any order to arrest the killer herdsmen. That is why Nigerians should demonstrate, to bring it to his attention that they are unhappy with him.

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Femi Makinde, Ado.Ekiti

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi , has said the battle to reclaim the state from the alleged misrule has just begun with his emergence.

Fayemi said this in his acceptance speech shortly after he won the governorship ticket on Saturday.

The winner appealled to other aspirants to join him in his effort to rescue the state and make it better.

He said he was not on any vengeance mission against anybody or group of people while urging the people of the state and other aspirants to join him in rescuing the state.

Some of his co-contestants lined up at his back while he read his acceptance speech.

The Managing Director of Genesis Worldwide Shipping, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, tells ANNA OKON about the impact of the modular refinery, a local ship building yard and the industrial island the firm is building on the Nigerian economy

You are working on a modular refinery, tank farms and a ship, how soon will the projects be completed?

They are ongoing. I have been on the projects for three years. It has lasted so long because the planning itself takes that length of time. With the refinery, we have to do a market study, which will take three months and we have to do a proposal, front-end engineering. We did the front-end and detailed engineering more than a year ago. We need a lot of steel to build ships.

With the collapse of most of the steel mills in Nigeria, where do you get steel from?

We can buy them for the time being. The ideal situation would have been local sourcing of raw materials, because shipping has multiplier benefits. But if we don’t have them, nothing stops us from importing the steel for the time being. But once that demand is established that they are building ships in Nigeria and they require steel, that will spur investment in the existing steel mills.

Have you received finance from the Federal Government?

I have not received finance because I was busy putting things together. Financing has to come after certain things have been put in place, because you don’t want to go to somebody for finance and the person will ask, what about the feasibility studies, the approvals?  Everything has to be ready and then you go and get a consultant who will package everything.

The financier will want to know if the project is feasible to start with and if the environmental impact assessment has been done. We did it for one whole year. All the stakeholders were involved.

Local operators in the maritime sector complain of funding and being at a disadvantage when compared to foreign operators, what stops the local operators from pulling resources together and establishing one shipping line?

I don’t know this thing that you people keep on talking about pulling resources together. Pulling resources for what? If you are a shipping person, you must understand the business to a point where you know where you are going to get the money from. You can’t conceive an idea then you go to another man to ask him to bring his money and join with yours to execute that idea. The man might not understand what you are talking about.

So, if you know your business, you must understand where the money is going to come from. The only thing that one will like to see is where the government recognises the critical nature of some of the things you are trying to do and provides a kind of guarantee that can get you the funding you need. When the government stands as a surety, then the financial institutions will have confidence to lend money to the investor.

In our own case, the Americans stepped in and gave us a grant of $1m when they saw the work we had done. So, people have to do their own part and that will convince investors to part with their money. Eventually we are talking about developing our economy, so we don’t have to wait for people to come and do it for us.

The airlines are going to the capital market to raise funds, but in the maritime sector, you hardly have companies that are big enough to call brokers to come and see what they are doing. Why are you not looking at getting long-term finance from the capital market to execute these projects?

We are doing that but not everybody has the same excuse and the same experience. You cannot say to somebody who does not have the same development plans in that particular industry to go and find the money, no; he has to have some basic understanding, the training and experience.

Take for example what we are doing; if we didn’t have the experience behind us in developing terminals and operating them, we cannot go forward and start articulating the plans. We know where to find the consultants, project managers, the civil engineers who are going to do the base for the tank farms, and we know where to find the mechanical engineers who are going to install the tanks.

The key thing is if you don’t know it, you must know a man who can do it and how much it will cost you. Then you can go to the banks and tell them stories and make sure they are listening. The banks will send their risk people to ask you questions and based on your answers, they will say, he knows what he is doing. You have to give him the money.

In other African nations like Benin Republic, the port and shipping system is very well developed, what is it that they are doing different from Nigeria?

It depends on what you are alluding to. There cannot be a general sense that they are better developed. Do they build ships there? Do they have refineries there? Do they have strategic storage there? I know that some Nigerians have tanks over there.

They have a much smaller economy and the economy is not as complex as ours; so, it is easy to see those things working. If you put it in relation to the size of our economy of 197 million people and you are talking about a place that is less than the population of Lagos, it is easy to look at it and say that you are not functioning as well as they are doing.

You have been part of those who have championed the establishment of the national carrier in the past. Some say Nigerian ship owners have not come forward to ask for permission to be granted the status and that is why no Nigerian ship owner has been granted it. Why is this so?

I did not know that that is the truth. You know that I am still the Managing Director of Genesis Worldwide Shipping, which was a national carrier. At the time, the rule was that if you own a 5,000-tonne vessel, then you could become a national carrier. But we owned more than that. We owned a fleet of about seven ships and we were the largest private ship owners at one time.

Even now that we are not really operating a large fleet, we still have the skills in-house to operate ships internationally. We operate ships regularly to India. Not everybody can do that because you must be in a position to project resources if the ship is going to India; project resources to the Island and be able to monitor the ship on a daily basis; take into account the different time zones; and when they talk to you, you understand what is going on.

We moved on from running ships to trading in oil. It was viable, you cannot do everything at the same time and there is limitation in resources so you have to choose.

What stage are you on now concerning the dry dock?

I have not made any move on the dry dock yet. I have been concentrating on the oil refinery and industrial zone.We are working on the strategic storage, which is something Nigeria has always wanted, to be able to have storage for about say 14 days. For instance, the last time we had shortage of fuel. If there is a strategic storage, Nigeria can fall back on it and get supplies for 14 days.

How much are you looking at investing in the project?

The sum of the different projects – the refinery, the strategic storage and the island– will be about $450m in total.

How much will it cost to build the 15,000-tonne craft?

I cannot tell you how much it will cost me now because I have not even built the slipway. But In my experience, when I specified it and I wanted to go and build it in China, it would have cost me about $10m to $12m.It is a big barge, a short, fat self-propelled ship. That is one of the types of vessels that we will build here but not necessarily the only one. We should be able to build vessels up to 10,000 tonnes, offshore vessels, tanker vessels and others. But at least, what it will do is to bring Nigeria into the league of ship building nations.

Have you considered the shallowness of Nigerian waters in your decision to build a flat bottom ship?

That is what I am saying, when you see a ship that can carry up to 15,000 tonnes at a draft of 6.4, it is super shallow.

Why did you think of going to China in the first place?

It is the cheapest place to build a ship.

If you consider the cost of building it there and building it here, will there be a difference?

There is bound to be a difference because we will be a new ship building nation and we will not have the same efficiency as those people.

What are the by-products that will come from the refinery that you are building and how much are we going to see from it?

We are building a 20,000-barrel per day refinery. It could be a refinery that produces Premium Motor Spirit in addition to other products. But we are going to do it in a step-by-step process so that we build what is called a topping plant, which is a refinery that may not produce PMS in the beginning.

There are two reasons why we want to do that. One is the cost, because we looked at the location factors and the logistics of moving crude around. It could cost us about $116m to build the topping plant that does not produce PMS.

But if we decided to include a platformer, a reformer and other things that will now allow us to produce PMS, two things will happen, the price will double, and the project will now be deliverable at around $240m; then again, the project time will extend.

For us to complete it, we will then be looking at three years or a little bit more than three years. Whereas if stopped with the topping plant, we will be able to do it in two or three months; so, that is why we decided to do the topping plant first.

It is called a modular refinery. That means you can add modules to it and take them out when you want. If we do it like that and everything is going fine, at some point, we will top it and add a module that will allow us to start producing PMS. I think in terms of the risk, it reduces the risk elements that is inherent in the business.

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Ogieltaziba and Daniel are the children of the late environmental activist, Dr. Oronto Douglas, who was also a former Special Adviser (Research, documentation and strategy) to former President Goodluck Jonathan. They talk about their father with TOLUWANI ENIOLA

Briefly introduce yourselves.

Ogieltaziba: I am the first child of my parents. I am 13 years old and currently attend a school in Abuja. I started primary education in Abuja and completed junior secondary education at a college in Lagos.

I emerged one of the best pupils in the college’s entrance examination in 2014 and the school offered me a scholarship. I was a boarder at the college until 2017 when my mother brought me back to Abuja and enrolled me for senior secondary education. I am now in SSS1. I play football a lot and I am a member of the school football team. At the moment, I am one of the photographers of my school. I am in science class and I like to become a footballer.

Daniel: I am nine years old. I started school at a young age at a school in Abuja. I left the school in 2016 and enrolled at a model school also in Abuja. This was after my father passed on. I am in primary five now. I play football at school and I have many friends. I like travelling to explore places I have not been to like South Africa and Egypt. My wish is to become a lawyer when I grow up so that I can help people and oppressed communities.

How do you feel being the child of Oronto Douglas?

Ogieltaziba: I am a normal child. I don’t feel any different. I am not treated differently. There is no special treatment given to me.

Daniel: I feel normal like every other child because every father is important to his children. I also feel happy that I had him as my father. I never chose my parents and my parents too never chose me. I just realised that I am a son to my mother and father and I thank God for it. I love my parents and they love me too. They take care of me. They bought toys for me and my friends and I am very proud of them. They let me visit my friends and my friends also come to our house to play with me.

Where were you when you heard of your father’s death?

Ogieltaziba: I was at a friend’s house that day and when we woke up, his mother said, “Today, no devices, only play station or the arcade.” I was wondering why but I agreed.

She then told my brother and me that my mother wanted to see us and we would come back after. When I got to the estate’s gate, I was confused as I saw many cars and people everywhere. When we entered, we sensed a feeling of sadness. Then, I went to the guest room to see my mother and I met her in tears and then she broke the news to me and my brother.

Daniel: I was not at home then. I was at my friend’s house (Wole) when he died. I was brought home and they told me that my father died. I started crying and I became very sad.

What childhood memories did you share with your father?

Ogieltaziba: I remember travelling with my father to the US every summer and Christmas holidays. I had fun with him at Disneyland. I remember following my father for lunch after church in Protea Hotel. I went to the Hilton with him on weekend whenever he was not very busy. In Lagos, I used to leave the hostel to spend time with him whenever he was around.

He told us stories and read to me and my brother some nights before we retired to bed. I recall the nights we did riddles and jokes together and he would allow himself to deliberately fail to allow me to win. I was only 10 when he died but I still feel the emptiness of his departure. He was a very good father and I really miss him.

Daniel: Some childhood memories I remember were when we went to church together and my father took us out for breakfast and dinner at the Hilton and Protea Hotel. He used to hold me by my hands and play with me. He would tell me to take little food. My father used to read to me anytime he was around. Sometimes, I travelled with him to the United Kingdom and the US. We visited Disneyland and rode together in the amusement park. In Washington DC, my father took us to the museum where I saw many beautiful things. My father used to carry me on his shoulder and he called me Danielistico.

How did he discipline you after you acted up?

Ogieltaziba: My father never laid his hands on me when I did anything wrong. However, he used less physical means of punishing us. For instance, he would stop us from watching television and seize my play devices. He usually sat me down to talk to me. All his actions always had a valid reason.

Daniel: If I did something wrong, he would sit me down and talk to me about it and warn me not to repeat it. But there was a day he flogged me because I refused to do my work. He was angry with me and I felt bad. I didn’t like to do anything that would make my father angry because he would not buy my favourite toys for me. He would also stop me from watching TV if I do not behave well.

Share other funny memorable moments you had with him.

Ogieltaziba: I remember having debates with my father. We also used to read together.

Daniel: My father used to assist me in my homework.

How did he spend time with you despite his tight schedules?

Ogieltaziba: My father was a very busy man; so, sometimes we followed him to his office. If he was travelling when we were on holidays, he usually took us along to spend time with him.

Daniel: Anytime I had homework, I would tell him and he would create time for me.

Were you pampered since you are from a rich background?

Ogieltaziba: I wouldn’t say that I came from a rich background. I would rather say that I came from a manageable background with conservative parents. To answer your question directly, I was not pampered and I am not being pampered. My father used to help people a lot and many persons thought that he was rich. But he was not; he only managed his resources to the best of his ability and his generosity was taken for richness or wealth.

Daniel: My daddy was not a rich man and I was not pampered.

What did your father tell you about life?

Ogieltaziba: He told me not to discriminate against anybody. He said that there are good people in all the tribes just as there are bad people as well. He taught us that our friends can hold different opinions from ours and yet we will still be good friends. He taught me to work hard as it is the only good way to success. I recall my father telling me to take my education seriously and to do things orderly and properly and this became a slogan in our house. He also taught me to be honest in all my dealings and to respect elderly people.

Daniel: My father told me that I should do things orderly and properly.

What did your father want to be remembered for?

Ogieltaziba: Looking at his lifestyle, my father would want to be remembered for hard work, dedication to duty, loyalty, integrity, honesty, reaching out to the needy in the society and his love for community development and education as shown in the kindergarten school he built in our village and his library projects. He also loved children very much.

If your father was not an environmental activist, what would he have become or what discipline did he tell you he would have chosen?

Ogieltaziba: I do not know because he never told me but with his kind of lifestyle and activities, I believe that he would have become a charity worker. This is because my father was a selfless giver and he hated seeing people suffer. He liked to help the needy in society.

Daniel: I don’t know.

What kind of man was he at home while you were growing up?

Ogieltaziba: He was a disciplinarian to an extent. Not too hard and not too soft. He was a loving and caring father. He made sure that he provided for us.

Daniel: My father was a good man. He played with me.

What were his worst and best moments?

Ogieltaziba: I do not know.

Daniel: I was a little boy when he died. I was seven years old then. I don’t know a lot of things about him.

What was his favourite food and drink?

Ogieltaziba: His favourite food was amala (yam flour) and ewedu (Jew’s mallow). My father drank mostly water.

What was his favourite music?

Ogieltaziba: His favourite music was classical music.

Daniel: My father loved the music of Beethoven

How did he exercise?

Ogieltaziba: He walked around the house a lot and also jogged around the community.

Daniel: He loved walking.

What were his likes and dislikes?

Ogieltaziba: He liked hard work, people with integrity and orderliness. He also liked it when people took reading seriously and did it often. My father had a very strong dislike for laziness and dishonest people.

Daniel: My father like reading. He did not like it when I played too much.

Does your father’s name open doors for you? 

Ogieltaziba: There was a time in school that my friend’s father asked if I were his son and I said yes. He ended up giving me a full box of pizza. That was the only time someone did me a favour because of the name. Whenever I meet people and they get to know I am his son, they always told me he was a very good man. I believed that his good name would open doors for me in future because he helped a lot of people while he was alive.

Daniel: I have not gotten this experience, but people always tell me that my father was a good man.

What are the things people don’t know about your father?

Ogieltaziba: In my opinion, I don’t think my father ever hid anything. I think he was a very open person and had nothing to keep private.

Daniel: I don’t know.

Can you share any of your father’s most challenging periods while rising up the career ladder?

Ogieltaziba: I don’t think I was old enough to remember when he was rising up the ladder of his career. He never told me that. However, you can ask my mother if you wish.

What role did he play in your career choice?

Ogieltaziba: We never discussed career choice, but when he was in government, at a point, I wanted to become a politician. Now, I am more science-inclined.

Daniel: I want to be a lawyer like my father.

How did your father relax?

Ogieltaziba: My father hardly relaxed. His relaxation was, maybe, resting or sleeping. Occasionally, he relaxed with good movies or listening to classical music. My father relaxed better when he was outside Nigeria where he worked less. He didn’t relax often; I mostly saw him working.

Daniel: By sleeping.

Who are those your father considered his role models?

Ogieltaziba: I really don’t know who his role models were but I know that he had a high regard for the principal of his secondary school.

Daniel: My mummy will know. He did not tell me.

Who were your father’s best friends?

Ogieltaziba: Growing up, I thought everyone who came to the house regularly was his best friends but later, I realised that most of them were just colleagues and staff. I honestly don’t know who his best friends were. I only know he had a lot of friends. He maintained and cherished his friends way back from his primary school days.

Daniel: He had many people as friends, but I don’t know his best friends.

What are his secrets of keeping healthy?

Ogieltaziba: He enjoyed walking and drinking a lot of water.

Daniel: He used to drink water every time.

What lessons did you have learn from your father?

Ogieltaziba: I learnt not to discriminate against anyone based on colour, tribe or religion, and to accept everyone the way they are. I also learnt not to judge people on appearance until I actually get to know the person. I have learnt to do things orderly and properly. I have learnt to be committed and dedicated to everything I do. I learnt to put my heart and mind in all my work and, above all, to dream big. I have also learnt to be humble and respectful.

Did he guide you on your the choice of friends?

Ogieltaziba: He told me to choose friends that are hard-working, honest and loyal. He told me that I should choose friends that would last for life.

Daniel: Yes. He would tell me to have friends who read their books and do their homework and obey their parents.

Does being a child to a popular father put you under pressure? 

Ogieltaziba: I think it does because I am expected to do a lot of things to surpass my father’s achievements. A lot of people pressurise me and push me a lot. It doesn’t help that I am also the firstborn.

Daniel: Yes. I want to become great like my daddy and help other people.

Does he have a nickname?

Ogieltaziba: The only nickname I remember he had was OND which were his initials.

Daniel: His nickname was OND.

What would you wish to change about your father if you had the opportunity?

Ogieltaziba: I don’t know what I would change about him except that I would have wanted him to have spent more time with us. In all, I don’t think I would change anything, to be honest.

Daniel: I don’t know.

What did you miss most about him?

Ogieltaziba: I miss him being there for me. I miss his presence, guidance and love.

Daniel: I missed his company and the toys he used to buy for me.

Do you think the government has done enough to honour your father?

Ogieltaziba: I don’t know. Ask my mother.

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MUDIAGA AFFE writes about money woman, a marriage culture in Becheve in the Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State, where indebted parents give out their daughters in marriage to creditors

A four-hour lonely walk in the thick forest of one of the mountainous Becheve communities in the Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State is enough to elicit goosebumps on a brave fighter because of the risk of wild animals.

But such couldn’t frighten 14-year-old Rachael Ayan, who, on May 5, this year, fled her husband’s home in Keyi community at an odd hour of 10pm to free herself from the anguish of being a ‘money woman’ having being betrothed to the man at age five.

Money woman is the term used to describe a girl who is ‘sold’ to a man by the girl’s parents in form of marriage without her consent or knowledge in order to pay a debt, usually borrowed before the unlucky girl was born.

Narrating her story with teary eyes to our correspondent, Ayan said it would be a good thing to end the practice for her to go to school.

She said, “I got to know that I have been sold when I was five. Since then, I have been living with the husband who was about 50 years old then. I have been staying with him and he has been treating me like a slave. He didn’t buy me any clothes. I have been responsible for my own upkeep even in his house.

“I sell banana to raise money. I also have three different cassava farms where I also raise money from. At the end of every planting season, I sometimes make N4, 000 and the man takes N2,000 out of it. The man has refused to take care of me because I believe he does not like me and I also do not like him. Whenever I see other girls in my shoes, I feel sorry for them. I am not a happy person because I ought to be in school.

“About two years ago, he made the first attempt to have carnal knowledge of me but I resisted it and told him bluntly that I was not mature for it. But he insisted and forcefully made love to me. He told me that his brother’s wife, who was my age mate, was already making love.

“I had to run out of his house on May 5, 2018 at about 10pm. I trekked in the forest for about four hours in the midnight and descended the hilltop. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, I slept in an unprotected Catholic church from the early hours of the morning till dawn and continued my journey until I got to a mission house for succour. I do not want to go back here. I have a sister, Lovett, who was sold for about N30,000.”

Other helpless Ayans

Another victim, 15-year-old Charity Ajil from Amana community, told SUNDAY PUNCH that she dropped out of school when she was sold to a man at age four.

“I was sold for N2,000. I have not gone to the man’s house because he has not done the other rites for me to move to his place. He is to bring goat, pig and 25 litres of palm oil. But I do not want to marry him,” Ajil stated.

However, Ajil’s elder sister, 20-year-old Patience, who is not a victim of the practice, said she would seek divine intervention to end the practice.

“I am fortunate not to be betrothed because I am the first daughter of my mother and she insisted that she would not give out her first child as ‘money woman.’ But my younger sister is given to a 50-year-old man as wife. He comes to sympathise with the family whenever we lose a relative but he does not take care of her.

“I do not like the culture and I wish it is stopped. Even my late mother was a ‘money woman.’ She was also sold to a man at a tender age. When my father died, my uncle inherited my mother. If my mother was left to make her choice of husband, she would probably still be alive. I feel sorry for those who have been sold,” Patience noted.

Dorothy Obu, 35, from Ugbakoko 1 community is also a victim of the practice. She told our correspondent that she got wind that she had been sold to a man as his wife at age seven.

Obu said, “It was my mother’s family that sold me out to a man against my father’s wish. I resisted it because the man was almost 50 years but they subdued me. Even when they took me to his house, I made attempt to run away, but they used some young boys to track and bring me back.

“My aunty later tricked me to come with her to a town in Boki, where the man was also invited. There, he forcefully opened my legs and had sex with me. I became pregnant afterwards. The man also had another wife. I suffered all through the period of pregnancy until I gave birth. I have given birth to five children so far and the man does not have any obligation to the children.

“I have two girls and three boys. Some of my husband’s family members suggested that he should sell one of our daughters as ‘money woman’, but I vehemently refused. I do not want my children to suffer the same fate. I want my children to be educated.

“I do not want a marriage where a young woman is forced into sex out of her will. This practice must stop in Becheveland. I will fast and pray that this should stop because one is likely to see five-year-old girls that have been married off.

“The men can even kill the children born to him because he feels he already bought their mother.”

Another victim, Dorothy Otekwa, who is 25, told our correspondent that in 2006, her parents forced her to marry an old man. She added that she tried to resist the man to no avail.

Otekwa stated, “It may interest you to know that the old man is my relation. He is my father’s brother. I did not allow him to be called my husband or to sleep on the same bed with me. However, I was warned not to be stubborn to him or they would kill me. They said I would be tied and dried under the sun like wet clothes. They said corn seeds would be thrown towards my private part and fowls led to eat the corn seeds from there.

“All these were said to make me fear so that I would stop resisting him. According to my culture, if a woman is given that kind of treatment she will not be able to bear children and they will finally kill her. When I heard that, I became afraid. At that time, I did not know God.”

She added that she married the old man out of fear and suffered in his hands. “I became pregnant, yet he was cruel to me. He could not even cater for my needs. I lost the pregnancy after sometime,” Otekwa stated.

Creepy marriages in Becheve

Among the Becheve tribe, comprising 17 communities, there are two types of marriages; ‘love marriage’ and ‘money marriage.’

The 17 communities are Katele, Amana, Ogbakoko, Belinge, Ranch, Ikwette (old and New), Imale, Ekor, Kalumo, Yindive, Makambe, Apambu, Belegete, Kajinga, Mangbe, Mbunu and Agusor. The internationally recognised Obudu Cattle Ranch and Resort is located in one of the communities in Becheve.

Sources in the community told our correspondent that in the love marriage, two consenting adults could live together as long as the woman wants or as long as the mother/family of the woman wants. All the children born in the relationship belong to the family of the woman.

They call this kind of relationship ‘love or waterproof marriage.’ It is waterproof because the woman can walk out of the union anytime she wishes. The union is also called ‘he-goat’ marriage because the men are not committed to the welfare of the children since they know that the children belong to the lady’s parents.

In the money marriage, a man ‘buys’ a girl child for marriage. The age disparity between the man and the girl does not count. In most cases, a man can borrow money from a friend with a promise that if his pregnant sister gives birth to a girl child, the girl will be given to the lender friend as a wife. This suggests that the girl was betrothed to the creditor before she was born without her knowledge and consent.

The effigy bond

In recent times, a girl child is taken to a man willing to ‘buy’ her for marriage. Once the deal is sealed, the man automatically becomes a potential in-law. In most cases, the would-be in-law buys gifts for the girl’s family and the gifts are recorded in an instrument known as ‘Olambe.’

The Olambe is an effigy used in tracking the girl after the consummation of a marriage. In activating it after a man had taken possession of the ‘money woman’, the girl’s name is mentioned seven times and the Olambe, which is like a cord, is tied. Before the activation, all the gifts to the girl by the would-be husband are recorded through significant knotting of the effigy. There are different knots used to represent different gifts while tying the Olambe.

For instance, when a goat is given to the family by the would-be in-law, there is a way it is tied to represent it. The same is for cow, pig, chicken, palm oil, wrappers and others. If the girl refuses to yield to the man after the tying of the Olambe, the man can decide to harm or kill the girl by invoking the effigy as the tradition allows.

He will insert the Olambe in an open hole in a banana tree. Once he cuts down the tree, it is believed that the girl will die wherever she is. If he wants to punish the girl, he places the Olambe beside the fire and as it is being heated, the girl is believed to undergo severe internal heat wherever she is. If he wants her to get fat before dying, he throws the Olambe into a bowl of water and as it swells, the girl’s body will start swelling physically wherever she is. This is the belief among the tribe.

SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that some of the betrothed girls ran away because of the juju scare.

It was learnt that in ‘money marriage’, if the woman begins to bear children, it is good business for the man because he can sell the girls to others.

But in waterproof marriage, the man cannot sell the kids for marriage because they don’t belong to him and only the girl’s parents are at liberty to do so.

It was further learnt that these girls were sold at tender ages and in most cases, they grow up in the husbands’ homes.

Our correspondent gathered that the girls were usually denied access to western education by their husbands so that they would not become civilised and denounce the culture. The girls grow up calling their husbands ‘father’ from tender age till when the so-called father assumes the position of a husband.

“If the girl dies without having a baby, the parents of the girl will be forced to bring a replacement even if it takes them 40 years to get a new girl. When the man dies as a result of old age, the girl is transferred to another member of his family,” an indigene added.

Besides, a girl, married to an old man who is unable have sex, is permitted to sleep with other men for pregnancy and the baby returned home after delivery to be the old man’s child.

Practice, status symbol for rich men –Community leader

A 75-year-old community leader in Ugbakoko 1 community, Philip Akpan, described the practice as a status symbol for rich men.

Akpan stated, “In the culture of Becheve, if you do not have a ‘money woman,’ you are not seen as an accomplished man. It is only when you have a money woman that they see you as a married man. In those days, the love marriage was prevalent and the people didn’t like it because the children are not for the man. But in the case of money marriage, the man is in control of the children.

“Before the modern civilisation, we were not concerned about what people thought about the money marriage culture but it is only now that we are beginning to review the practice. We are beginning to embrace the modern style of church marriages in the communities.

“My mother was a money woman. I have a money woman as wife but we grew up to put the idea behind us. If you come to my home, you will see that we are living in love. My sister was given as a ‘money woman’, but I had to pay back the debt. A girl should be allowed to make her choice.

“Although, we as elders have called for a meeting among the 17 communities of Becheve to stop the practice, but we have not come to an agreement. If you do not sleep with a woman, the Olambe will not work on that woman.”

Opposition to the vile practice

The Founder of FaitHouse Mission, Pastor Richards Akonam, and his wife, Grace, are against the practice and continue to do all within their capacity to draw public attention to it.

Akonam, who has a church in Becheve, said the practice was obsolete in the modern age.

He stated, “The practice is as old as Becheve tribe. The people migrated from Katele in Cameroon. This is 21st century slavery. It is also a way of exposing the girls to prostitution. Any money woman is open to prostitution as she has to cater for herself, children and husband.

“There are instances where they can beat up the woman and insist that she makes her boyfriend known to the family. This is largely because of the age disparity. Since the man is no longer able to perform sexually, she is encouraged to get pregnant outside and bring the children home.

“This is greed on the part of the men who want to use the girls to make money.  Among the tribe, the practice is a status thing because you cannot be a chief if you do not have a ‘money woman’ as wife. A Becheve man will not build a house until he has a ‘money wife.”

He also blamed the state government for ignoring the practice over the years.

“The government has ignored the practice over the years. It is only just now that attention is being focused on it. There is legislation against the practice in Cross River but it has not been enforced,” he added.

Akonam explained that they were in a village, Imale, an eight-hour trek from Amana in the Obanliku LGA for a missionary work when they met an 11-year-old girl who said her husband would not allow her to attend the programme.

He noted, “I wondered if she was truly married. That was how I got to know that she was married to a 68-year-old man. We visited a chief then, who told us that he was married to nine money women. It is an indication that he is a rich man in their culture. Apart from the fact that he bought the girls and also helps their families if need be, the girls are also free to get pregnant outside and bring the children home. They come back with benefits, including proceeds from their outings such as food stuff and money.

“While we count our houses and vehicles as wealth, the Becheve man counts the number of money women he has as wives. When we saw this, we became worried. Most times, I cry when I see the girls because I cannot imagine my daughter of three-year-old being sold for marriage.”

He said God sent them to the area to end the practice and give the people hope.

According to him, whenever they get some of the girls out of the practice, they give them new names and make them renounce the Olambe.

“We break their links with the effigy. In some cases, we had repaid the money placed on their neck and they become free. Others have been sent back to school,” the cleric said.

We’ll do everything to end the practice –Assembly, gov’s wife

Meanwhile, the wife of the Cross River State Governor, Dr. Lynda Ayade, said the practice must stop.

Noting that she found it shocking to hear about the practice, Ayade noted that the local government area was next to hers in the Obudu Local Government Area.

She said, “I only got to know about the practice recently as the wife of the governor. We learnt that one of the victims of the practice was able to run away and found her way to Abuja. The terrain is difficult to access. We have made our findings, holding talks to let them know that what they are doing is illegal. If those practising it are found culpable, they would be prosecuted.

“We would also tell them the value of the girl child. Ultimately, their thinking is that a girl child is meant to be someone whose only purpose is to bear children but a woman can do a lot more. This boils down to poverty. We will also create an enabling environment to improve on their living standard.”

Also, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. John Gaul-Lebo, insisted that the practice was repugnant to the natural law of justice.

Gaul-Lebo stated, “It is shocking that such a practice still goes on in this age. The culture is repugnant to natural justice of conscience and it has to stop.

“As lawmakers, we are going to get a motion of urgent public importance by carrying out a town hall meeting with the communities. Any culture that violates the human rights of people must end. If this is true, we must stop it.

“The administration of criminal justice that we just passed provides for protection of human rights and the child rights. As politicians and lawmakers, our first responsibility is to do a situation analysis. If it is a practice, we must engage them and take them out of it.”

He added that the Assembly would counsel the residents that human lives, being the greatest asset, should not be mortgaged.

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Olalekan Adetayo

The two presidential aircraft, a Falcon 7X executive jet and Hawker 4000, that were advertised for sale in October 2016, have been returned to the Presidential Air Fleet, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

The aircraft were returned to the PAF after the preferred bidders for the two jets reneged on their bid prices.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Friday.

Shehu said the aircraft had to be taken back to the fleet because there were no serious buyers.

“There are no serious buyers. It’s like those who showed interest initially wanted to rob the country of the aircraft. So they (jets) have been returned (to the fleet),” he explained.

When asked whether the Federal Government would consider another round of bidding to sell the aircraft, Shehu said that could happen if President Muhammadu Buhari gives the directive.

He said, “The first attempt was frustrated. There may be another one in the future if the president directs.

“The process was frustrated by people who thought that they can rob the country of the aircraft.”

Shehu had, in an earlier interview, told our correspondent that the amount agreed to be paid by the two preferred bidders for the two aircraft was $24m, being the projected sales figures.

He had said unfortunately, the winners of the bids whose identities he did not disclose, reneged when they were asked to make payment.

He said they came up with a new figure of $11m for the two jets.

Describing the preferred bidders’ attitude as absurd, the presidential spokesman said under the present administration, no one would be allowed to take public assets and run away with it.

Shehu had said, “The Presidency is still determined to carry out President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the presidential air fleet be reduced, so the process to trade the Falcon 7X (5N-FGU) and Hawker 4000 (5N-FGX) to anyone interested is still ongoing.

“What happened over this period is that the preferred bidders who emerged at the open, transparent process refused to come forward with the payments.

“The one who came closest to the reserved price of $22m for the Falcon, won with an offer of $21m.

“The Hawker had a reserved price of $2m but the winner offered a higher bid of $3m.

“As you can see, the bid amounts, put together, promised to return the projected sales figure of $24m.

“Unfortunately, they both reneged when asked to come forward with payments. The winner of the Falcon offer said they had only $10m and the others who came for the Hawker said they could only pay $1m.

“That, to say the least, is completely absurd. They probably thought there was desperation here or that some sort of deal could be cut in line with old practices in government.”

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Sunday Aborisade, Ade Adesomoju and Olaleye Aluko

Some senior lawyers on Saturday disagreed on the constitutional powers of the Senate to summon the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over the spate of killings in the country and the alleged inhuman treatment of Senator Dino Melaye.

Senior lawyers, including Messrs Emeka Ngige (SAN); Mike Ozekhome (SAN); Second Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Monday Ubani; and Tolu Babaleye,  told our correspondents that Idris erred by shunning the Senate summons.

However, their colleagues- Messrs Jiti Ogunye and Dr. Kayode Ajulo-insisted that the National Assembly was abusing its power on summons and needed to be cautioned.

The learned gentlemen also disagreed on the justifications offered by some lawyers for the failure of Idris to honour three invitations from the Senate within a period of one month.

For instance, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), had argued that the power of the Senate to invite public officers was limited, adding that the IGP could only be summoned if the invitation was about an investigation with a view to exposing corruption, enacting laws or amending an existing law.

However, Ngige disagreed with Falana, insisting that the IG would only know if the Senate would overstep its boundaries if he honoured the invitation.

Ngige said, “How would the IG know the Senate would overstep the limits of its powers? Is it not when he honours the invitations that he would know that? If, for instance, he gets there and they ask him about Senator Dino Melaye, he can simply tell them that the matter is subjudice since it is in court”.

Also toeing the same line, Ubani, in a separate interview, argued that it was wrong for anybody to advise the IG not to honour the Senate’s invitation.

The NBA chief said, “It is wrong for anybody or lawyer to advise the IG to dishonour the invitations of the Senate. We cannot, because of some personalities in the Senate, destroy the institution of the Senate. These days, I have seen the interpretations of the law by some lawyers not based on the law but based on sentiments.”

But Ogunye, in disagreeing with them on Saturday, said Falana had not argued that the Senate could not summon the IG but that the National Assembly could only do so for the purposes stated in the constitution.

He said, “The Senate is abusing its power to summon. The Senate has to be cautioned. The IG has his problems, of course. We know the police force for what it is. They don’t even obey court orders made in favour of ordinary citizens.”

In his submissions, Ozekhome said, “Femi Falana is wrong. The Senate under section 4 of the 1999 Constitution is empowered to make laws for peace, order and good government in Nigeria.

“It is the IG being the Chief Security Officer under sections 214 and 215 of the Constitution that oversees ‘peace and order’ throughout Nigeria. Section 88(1) of the same constitution also provides that the Senate shall have the power to investigate any matter with respect to which it has powers to make laws.

“It is thus clear that when the IG enforces the provisions of section 4 of the Police Act to detect, prevent, investigate and prosecute crimes, he is acting within the ambit of any matter with respect to which it (NASS) has powers to make laws”.

But Ajulo disagreed with Ozekhome and others, insisting that Falana was correct based on his position on the matter.

He said, “Falana has said it all. What he said is the position of the law. The Senate is not a summon house. It is the job of the judiciary arm of government to summon people.

“They are free to summon people in the process of working on a bill.  It is only in the parliamentary system of government that they can summon a public office to call him to order, not through summoning.”

However, Babaleye disagreed with Ajulo and others who justified the decision of the IG to ignore the Senate summons.

He said, “The position of Femi Falana is very strange to law. Section 88 of the constitution stipulates the type of questions that the National Assembly can ask from any Nigerian.

“It specifically states that the NASS has the power to question any Nigerian on issues where they can make laws. This means that they have the right to invite the IGP.

“The IG recognised the fact that he had been invited, that is why he sent his subordinates. Sections 3 and 4 of the legislative privilege act also state specifically that NASS has oversight functions.”

Also, civil society organisations, namely the Campaign for Democracy, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, have lashed out at Idris, and the Senate over their rift, insisting that their action was an insult to democracy.

The CD President, Usman Abdul, said, “The IG has flouted part of the rules of engagement and it is very unfortunate that in a democracy, we could see such high-handedness and impunity.

“The Senate is made up of the people’s representatives who were duly elected. The IG is an appointee and can be fired. He should honour the call of the Senate as his refusal to do so is encouraging impunity in this democracy.”

The CDHR President, Malachy Ugwummadu, said, “Looking at the perennial refusal of the IG to honour the Senate invitation, I think that gradually, Nigeria is already weighed down by the impact of a dysfunctional government and inter-agency relation. Things are deteriorating by the day.”

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership said the Senate had ridiculed itself through “several frivolous invitations” in the past, which made its invitation to the IG suspicious and ineffective.

The CACOL Director, Debo Adeniran, said, “Many of the invitations that the Senate had been turning out were an expression of arrogance of power. They were indulging in an unnecessary waste of time.”

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To promote Nigeria’s culture and tourism, Onga, a brand of Promisador Nigeria, has launched a new reality new weekly magazine family television show, known as ONGAcious.

Speaking recently to journalists in Lagos, the Marketing Manager, Promasidor Nigeria, Mr. Abiodun Ayodeji, said the company had chosen to sponsor ONGAcious because it had a lot to do with trust, family, responsibility and caring.

Ayodeji added that the show would offer Nigerians an opportunity to jointly see an educative, informative and entertaining programme for six months.

He said: “We have a very rich culture, which many people do not appreciate. The show is saying, ‘let us talk about Nigeria; let us celebrate our culture; let us talk about our local delicacies and their health benefits’. This is the only way the younger generation can appreciate the country’s culture.

“Each episode exposes viewers to the unique history, traditions and culture of a specific city or town. Apart from the documentary, an individual who is grounded in the culture of a place takes the audience through its history in an engaging manner. The show will also show the audience the array of local foods they can prepare as well as highlighting the health benefits of such delicacies.”