Amaechi And Buhari’s Moral Rebirth

One does not have to be super-intelligent to recognise that the elaborate social reception held in honour of Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State, at the Abuja International Conference Centre on Sunday, August 2, is part of an equally elaborate image laundering scheme for Mr Amaechi. The calibre of guests was A-List: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Aishatu, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari; Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC); described serving and former state governors, including Mallam Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna; leading political members of the APC, and a host of others.

Amaechi And Pres. Buhari

The sentiments heaped on Amaechi that night were effusive, Vice President Osinbajo describing the guest of honour as a person worthy of emulation. Others eulogised the former Rivers governor for the role he played in ensuring victory for the APC at the last general elections, especially the presidential polls. Rotimi Amaechi was the Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, a position he got after he was apparently passed over as nominee for vice presidential candidate.

But amid the flow of eulogies, no one could satisfactorily explain, or justify, why such a galaxy of VIP guests were out to dine and wine in honour of Amaechi. The APC had long celebrated its landmark electoral victory, and President Buhari is inching towards his first 100 days in office, although with an approval rating that is a far cry from the euphoria that swept him to power.

Before he left office as governor on May 29, Amaechi had also staged a book launch in Lagos to celebrate his tenure as Rivers governor. The Lagos event was equally well attended with the usual partisan crowd.

However, on August 2, Mr Amaechi did not disappoint in inadvertently disclosing the rationale for the social reception hosted in his honour in Abuja. It was to muster support as a counter measure to any move intended to block his nomination for a federal appointment. If other APC stalwarts in the other 35 states were to be hosted to similar ostentatious receptions, to garner support for their ministerial nomination, the cost would be enormous, and the very idea itself would be offensive to decency. It is worrisome that, while the Buhari administration is trying to enunciate a regime of frugality, some persons are spending lavishly, to polish Amaechi’s image.

As he’s been doing in the past couple of years, Amaechi, at the reception, disparaged the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan. He dropped the innuendo of suspected graft in the high claims for fuel subsidy during Jonathan’s administration. Amaechi also went after his successor, Governor Nyesom Wike. “May God not give me the kind of ambition of Nyesom Wike; he can sell anybody,” Amaechi was reported to have said, according to the news report on page 5 of The Nation Newspaper of Tuesday, August 4, 2015.

Amaechi further said, “Let me tell you what is currently going on in Rivers State. The governor and PDP are afraid of me getting an appointment to the national (Federal) Executive Council because that will determine what the politics of Rivers State will be. And they know that the current president abhors corruption. So, the only way they can stop me from getting the appointment is to paint me with corruption. And the people that know me in Rivers State know that I don’t like money… And I expect them to defend me that I don’t like money.”

Pray, what evidence is available that since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule, the politics of Rivers State has been determined by whoever was minister from the state? When Amaechi himself became governor in 2007, what role, if any, did the minister from the state play? While Amaechi was governor in his second term, Nyesom Wike was a member of the Federal Executive Council. Was Amaechi scared of Wike as minister? At least, the impression created by his frequent vituperations is that Amaechi is a fearless lion. Why would Wike be scared of Amaechi being a minister, or any other appointee of the federal government?

Those present at the Abuja reception for Amaechi probably saw only one dimension of the man; Rivers people see several dimensions. In the twilight of his eight-year rule as governor, Amaechi took on the unusual role of DG of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, which meant that Amaechi abandoned governance at the state level. For those who are quick to cite international best practices, it will surely be a difficult exercise to cite a parallel example of a governor of a state in the United States, virtually abandoning the post for which he was elected, to play the role of lead national coordinator for a US presidential candidate.

OPINION: Buhari And His Followers Must Read This!

CHANGE: People Deserves What They Got


Adeyinka Grandson. Writer/Economist/Researcher

In the last two months, after which my Facebook's profile was reopened, I have had the cause to block 41 people on my friends list. Prior to this and in the last 7 years of using Facebook, I had simply expressed my personal opinions on Politics, Culture, Philosophy and Economics on my wall without interference on anyone's freedom of speech and or expression. And so, I endured every insult and did not block anyone.

But, some idiots created a group on Facebook, ganged up against my person and together they all reported my profile to Facebook as a sham. An obviously silly member of the Facebook staff immediately blocked my profile and for three months. The account was reopened just two months ago and on their own volition, but not after changing my name and wrongly spelled my last name incorrectly.

Since this experience, I have stopped tolerating any insults on my person or on friends making comments on my posts. Today, I have blocked 41 people in two months. This is how a simple and moderate individual turns extremist.

When Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States (1801-1809), made the statement below, he may have had a premonition of President Jonathan and Mr Buhari over a future event.

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

Under President Jonathan, the government feared the people. We had liberty during his presidential term. We expressed our views publicly and nothing untoward happened to anyone.

Today, the reverse is the case under Mr Buhari, an immigrant Fulani, whose ancestors were originally Arabs, who emigrated to Futa Jallon and Futa Toro in the present day Guinea and Senegal respectively, from where they came to Hausaland in the late 17th century and in the early 18th century murdered all the Hausa Haba Kings and proclaimed themselves Sultans and Emirs over Hausaland and its people.

Since Mr Buhari became President on May 29, the people now fear the government. We have a tyrant as President. Already, Buhari's administration has picked up and threatened several people on social media. I have read various accounts of those arrested by the DSS, the Police and the Army.

Nothing in politics happens by accident. If it happened, you can bet it was planned that way. The arrest of Jonathan's CSO, which was the first act of tyranny under Buhari, may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day. But a series of oppressions, (arrest of people on social media and presumed PDP members), begun at a distinguished period, and pursued unalterably through every change of security agencies, too plainly proves a deliberate systematic plan of reducing us to slavery.

In due time, I see simple and moderate individuals, mostly Yoruba youths turn to extremists under this government.

Fani Kayode Disown His Ex-wife's Children

Femi Fani-Kayode Appears

Read the article below:

‘Fani-Kayode Takes Good Care of His Children’

By Felix Olawunmi

The piece titled: “Temitope Fani-Kayode’s blissful conjugal” published in THISDAY of last week Saturday contained huge incorrect and misleading information. The motive, source and credibility of the information published are highly doubtful. Nigerians are urged to discountenance the disparaging remarks made against Chief Femi Fani-Kayode in the publication. As a member of the Fani-Kayode family and one who has followed closely the life and career of Femi-Fani-Kayode for almost 50 years, I believe it is pertinent for me to set the record straight. In 1989 or thereabout, Femi got involved with Yemisi Adeniji, the daughter of Justice Adeniji of the Lagos State high court. He had been married previously to his first wife, Saratu Attah, in 1987, and had a child with Saratu whose name is Folake who was born in 1987 but by that time Saratu and Femi had separated.

Yemisi and Femi got very close and spent much of the time together and eventually she got pregnant. When she got pregnant, the issue of marriage came up. Femi’s father, the late Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode, objected to the marriage because he believed that Yemisi was not a stable character and was not a serious minded person. He also had lots of contempt for her background. Femi insisted on going ahead with the marriage simply because Yemisi had said that she was carrying a child and that if he didn’t marry her, she would kill herself and the child inside her.

It was on that basis that they proceeded and got married. Femi’s father refused to attend the marriage ceremony and told him that it would not last because he could see through Yemisi. Femi’s mother attended the marriage and Chief Duduyemi who was like a son to Femi’s father came to represent the father. Once the marriage took place and everything was initially okay, they went to the UK to have the child. But throughout the marriage from the beginning to the end, it was turbulent and unpleasant. They had two children – Temitope and Tobiloba. Both of them were born abroad.

Throughout the period, Femi did his best to look after them but Yemisi was always going out and found it difficult to be a responsible and decent wife. By 1993, it got to a point that Femi almost had a nervous breakdown and instead of her standing by him, not only did she desert him, she went out and had extra-marital affairs. Another child was conceived in 1993, the child was born later on in the year and that child’s name is Tumininu. But right from the outset, Femi said that she was not his child. I remember Femi telling me that he never touched Yemisi throughout that year, “yet, she maintained that it was my child.”

At the end of 1993, Femi went to the Bible Seminary in Ghana. No sooner had he left than she said she would never have anything to do with him again and that was where the marriage completely broke down.

There was another development that affected the relationship. Yemisi’s father was implicated by the Justice Kayode Esho panel that probed the Nigerian judiciary and the recommendation was that he be kicked out for corruption. Yemisi and her father told everybody that cared to listen that it was Femi’s father that was behind this. Throughout that period and regardless of the fact that they had separated, Femi did his best to send money to Yemisi and school fees and allowances for the children.

When Femi’s father died in 1995, he came back to Nigeria. The family questioned the paternity especially of the last child, Tumininu, and not only that, they were so disgusted by Yemisi’s behavior and the insults and the things she kept saying about the family that nobody wanted her and her children to attend the burial. That was why their names were not listed among Femi’s father’s grandchildren during the burial notices. They forced themselves on the Christian wake-keeping.

After that, and for a number of years, Femi remained in touch. He kept sending her money for the children. He kept doing his best to take care of them. Even when Femi went to Ghana on exile in 1996 and came back again to Nigeria in 2001, throughout that period, he was in touch. He kept sending money to all three children irrespective of the uncertainty over their paternity. He took care of their school fees; he took care of their needs and gave as much as he possibly could. By 1995, he formally divorced Yemisi and inside the affidavit of divorce, he wrote there that one of the reasons was because he questioned the paternity of especially the last child. For fear of being exposed about the real paternity of the children, Yemisi offered to settle out of court and the divorce eventually went through and that was the end of it.

After that, Femi got married to Regina his third wife in 1997 and moved on with life as she did as well. He had a child from that union by name Remilekun in 1997 and spent most of his time in Ghana but eventually, he came back to Nigeria. Throughout those years, he kept sending money to the three children by Yemisi. He did his very best despite the fact that all through the years, all that Yemisi Adeniji did was to abuse him, insult him and tell lies about his family.

When in 2001, Femi returned to Nigeria and Yemisi reached him and he saw the children from time to time. He did his best for them throughout that period. Eventually, he got into government and all she ever did was just to demand for money. He did his best for her. He kept on doing the best he could do; he kept on taking care of the children.

When Femi was appointed a minister, Yemisi tried her best to scuttle his ministerial clearance in the Senate by telling lies about him all over the place but she failed. After he was confirmed as a minister, she now decided to settle with him and tried to restore a reasonable relationship and she begged for help. Femi assisted her and the three children. He even bought a house for her in London.

Femi did all these purely out of compassion and not because he owed her anything. Quite apart from that, throughout that period, he was taking care of the fees of the children, by cheque, by transfer, by cash and he was seeing the children regularly. When Femi stopped being minister and EFCC started hounding him, she then started sending abusive text messages and saying he was going to go to jail.

What caused that hatred was simply the fact that Femi was happily married to somebody else and had moved on with his life. Nevertheless, Femi still interacted with the children for quite some time. Eventually she poisoned the mind of the children that not even the children themselves ever acknowledged nor ever came to court to support Femi during the case. Femi refused to have anything to do with them from 2012 onwards. From that period, he cut himself off completely and Yemisi’s desperation got more. Yemisi was granting series of interviews, denigrating him, running him down and saying he had done nothing for the children.

Eventually, a few weeks back, Femi read on the internet that one of the children was getting married. Once he read that, he reached out to the Randle family saying that “if you are getting married to anybody that bears the name Fani-Kayode, we should know about it”, but he said Yemisi objected to Femi’s family having anything to do with the marriage and that if he wanted to have anything to do with the marriage, he should try and settle everything between them first. So, Femi’s family members met with the Randles and with Yemisi’s mother.

Femi’s family asked uncles like Chief Alex Duduyemi to intervene because they would not participate in this wedding unless one condition was satisfied and that condition was this, that all the three children have a paternity test. Despite Femi’s pleas that his family should try and overlook that, they said no way.

So when they said they would not go for the paternity test, Femi’s family said they would not have anything to do with the wedding. The family has it on good authority that the July 5th day set for the wedding was in the hope that Femi would have been jailed by then and that his being jailed would also be celebrated at the wedding. The Randle family didn’t reach out to Femi’s family, and in Yoruba tradition. All Femi’s family asked for was a paternity test which they refused to do. Once it was clear that all the discussions did not bear any fruit, the family as led by the head of the Fani-Kayodes now took a decision that a few days before the marriage, they would take a full page advert and also announce on television that the girl was not their daughter and that she has nothing to do with the family.

But at the last minute, Femi intervened and appealed to all the elders to just ignore them and leave them. They had the first ceremony, they had the second ceremony, they had the third ceremony, not one of Femi’s family members attended. The only one that attended was Femi’s first daughter, Folake, and she did that with his understanding.

The talk that Femi didn’t do anything for the children is all rubbish. He did plenty for the children. They said that he was beating Yemisi while pregnant. It is all lies. If he was beating her, why did she stay to purportedly have two more children? Why should anybody be concerned about things that happened in a marriage that finished almost thirty or twenty five years ago? Femi has moved on. He has a very good relationship with the mother of Folake. He has a good relationship with Folake. He has a very good relationship with the mother of Remilekun. He has a good relationship with Remilekun, his youngest daughter.

It is only Yemisi that he does not have a good relationship with because she’s full of bitterness and hatred and envy. There is no way he would have a good relationship with her children because they have no respect for him, they have never honoured him; they wanted him to go to jail.

The only recognition they have before high society is the fact that she is Femi Fani-Kayode’s ex-wife. The only reason why people recognise Yemisi’s girls is because Fani-Kayode is attached to them.

As far as we are concerned in the Fani-Kayode family, Femi has two children, Folake and Remilekun. The family does not recognize those other three. We don’t wish them ill; we have no hatred for them. They are not just part of us. So, nobody should be surprised that we didn’t go to the wedding. And there is no question of reconciling with supposed daughters that have no respect for their father, that have no love for their father and have done nothing but run their father down everywhere.

In fact, there was a time Femi begged them to change their name from Fani-Kayode because in our culture, what they are doing is shameful. You do not side with one parent against the other, and you do not expect a man, a father, to take rubbish from a child. Their mother is so embittered, so full of hate and malice. They have chosen to go that way and we have chosen to ignore them and not to go on a war path with them or start talking about them because we have class and they do not.

So, Femi does not hate his children. He is just indifferent to the ones borne by Yemisi. He has no fatherly feeling for those children except for Folake and Remilekun. The lies that he is an absentee father that never takes care of his children could only have come out from a hateful, venomous and malicious heart. Anyone can ask Folake’s mother, anyone can ask Remilekun’s mother, Femi takes good care of his children.

Osun crisis: APC legislators convene meeting, invite Omisore, others

Gov. Aregbesola And Sen. Omisore

The Osun State Legislators’ Forum, comprising lawmakers at the National Assembly and Osun State House of Assembly, have invited stakeholders in the state, including former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, to a conference on how to move the state out of its present economic crisis.

The lawmakers, who were led to a press conference in Osogbo on Saturday, by a member of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran, said the forum was convoking the meeting in order to get suggestions on how the state government could get out of the economic quagmire.

The forum said it was expecting Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salaam, and other leaders to attend the conference.

Omidiran said the forum decided to call all stakeholders together to brainstorm on why the state had been experiencing difficulty in meeting its financial obligations to workers and contractors.

She said, “It is true that our dear state is in dire straits. It is true that our state is going through hard times. Workers and pensioners are owed many months’ salary and infrastructural development projects have come to a halt.

“Members of the Osun Legislators’ Forum therefore decided to organise this summit to serve as an avenue to deliberate on the state of our state, interact with all stakeholders, including but not limited to all past governors and their deputies, technocrats and artisans, labour unions and non governmental organisations, traditional rulers and market women; in short, everyone that has a stake in the State of Osun.

“We sent invitation to Senator Iyiola Omisore because he is a former deputy governor and a former Senator. We are expecting him and others to come to the conference.”

Omidiran added that the outcome of the conference would be presented to Aregbesola, stating that the forum would wait to see what the governor would do with it.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Lasun Yusuf, who is from Osun State, was absent at the press conference but Omidiran said the lawmaker was expected to attend the conference.

Buhari’s anti-corruption fight not targeted at Jonathan – Osinbajo

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President of Nigeria
The Buhari administration’s anti-corruption effort is not targeted at anyone, but is aimed at reducing corruption in the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said Saturday.

Mr. Osinbajo made this known at the funeral of Elizabeth Adesola Mamora, mother of former Lagos senator, Olorunmibe Mamora, held at First Baptist Church, Ijebu-Ife, Ogun State.

He faulted those accusing the Buhari government of witch-hunting the former aides of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“It’s not about a probe of a past government, that’s not what this is about. We are talking about our future, we are saying that we must put in place a clear strategy going forward,” the vice president said.

“Not just about ensuring that people are made to pay for looting the treasury, our system of justice must be fair to ensure that anybody who does anything that is wrong is brought to account. We can’t allow impunity to continue. So it’s not about the previous government, it’s about any form of impunity,” he said.

The Buhari administration had been accused of witch hunt after declaring it will limit its corruption probe to the immediate past Jonathan administration.

Criticisms intensified with the detention of aides of the former president.

Mr. Osinbajo said claims of witch hunt were untrue. He said the anti-corruption effort of his government is a genuine programme aimed at sanitising the country.

The vice president congratulated Mr. Mamora for organising a befitting burial for his mother whom he said brought him up with good moral teachings and in the way of God.

Delivering his sermon, the leader of the Baptist Church in Ogun State, Segun Jaiyesimi, challenged political leaders to make positive change while in office, and urged them to help the needy in the society while on earth as there will be no opportunity to do so after death.

The event was also attended by the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, APC leaders, Bola Tinubu, and Bisi Akande, fas well as former governors of Ogun and Rivers states, Gbenga Daniel and Rotimi Amaechi respectively, among others.

Inside Ibadan nightclubs of ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’

Written by: 

Segun Adebayo


To an average resident of Ibadan, the city is relatively peaceful and silent. But recent developments in the capital city, especially with the proliferation of nightclubs that appear to be dotting every nook and cranny of the city, it will not be out of place to say that Ibadan is fast moving away from its old self.

To most night crawlers in Ibadan, the best days to hit the clubs are Thursdays and Fridays. After the hustling and bustling of the week, revellers love to unwind. As early as 6:30p.m on Fridays when the sun disappears, the party begins and does not stop till 5a.m on Saturdays. Saturday Tribune’s checks revealed that it is a different world inside most of the nightclubs in Ibadan and what goes on in there is nothing short of the biblical ‘Sodom and Gomorrah.’

Saturday Tribune’s investigation revealed that a number of revellers who live outside Ibadan, especially in Lagos State now prefer to hang out in Ibadan every weekend and even party till Sunday evening before moving back to their bases. To them, they have explored Lagos, they have now shifted their attention to Ibadan that is fast becoming a new home for fun seekers who want to have a ‘nice time’ depending on the weight of their pockets.

As dusk gives way to night life, especially on Fridays, Ibadan clubs naturally slip into quickies, twerks, sex, popping and dance. To some, it is new but to many, it is part of the development they have long been craving for. That Ibadan now seems to be going the way of Lagos when it comes to nightclubbing does not worry them. “At least, one must enjoy life when one still has the strength to play around and the cash to spend,” said a young man who gave his name as Sola Adeoye.

Many upwardly mobile men hop off sleek cars into a world of risqué belly dancers and butt popping, while the rest of the country goes to bed. Spending a fortune at clubs every weekend does not seem to bother them as long as the cash keeps flowing; they will keep popping.

Every week, there is usually a place for fun seekers to hang out in various parts of the city. In fact, there are now nightclubs in some residential areas. It is not unusual these days to see fun spots springing up where residential buildings were once erected.

Before now, places like Bodija, Ashii and Akobo were predominantly residential areas but that has since changed. A recent visit to these places revealed that each street now has at least two nightclubs with people claiming that more are still being considered. It has remained a tug of war between house owners and club owners in old and new Bodija, even since the days of Platnum Club. It was gathered that some club owners were arrested while some were charged to court in a bid to stop the springing up of nightclubs.

As of last Friday, Saturday Tribune observed that at least five nightclubs operate in Bodija and its environs. One of such clubs that has continued to attract huge patronage every weekend is GQ, located on Awolowo Road Bodija Estate. Before the advent of GQ some years back, there were popular clubs like Cottons, 0308 and 411 where millions of naira were spent on drinks every weekend. But since GQ stepped into the business, the face of nightclubbing changed in Bodija, and the hitherto bubbling 411 was abandoned by many. Though, the club still commands a sizeable number of revellers, it is now nothing compared to the number of people that troop into GQ every Friday night.

Speaking with Saturday Tribune on Wednesday during the ladies’ night, GQ’s spokesperson, Mr Rotimi Ademola, said “GQ has come to stay in Ibadan and it is not a hidden fact that Ibadan is now appreciating nightclubbing. Before now, we were scared to have something like this in this area because of what we have heard, but we decided to damn all consequences and we started what has today become the toast of many revellers and ballers. Trust me, if GQ had not opened in Bodija, nightlife would have remained at its lowest ebb.”

From Thursday nights, popular areas like Ring Road, Oluyole, Bodija, Orita Challenge, Queen’s Cinema, Total Garden and even Mokola catch the bug of gyration with hotels, night clubs and relaxation centres, generally referred to as fun centres, preparing grounds for events, which are usually at their peak on Friday nights.

A recent visit by Saturday Tribune to some of the night clubs around the city did not only confirm that Ibadan, apart from becoming a thriving city for business during the day, is now being regarded as a hub for nightclub business.

At Ebevande Club, which is regarded by many ballers as one of the best clubs in Ibadan, on Friday last week, the scenario is better imagined than experienced. Young boys and girls were seen doing what would be the unimaginable to the uninitiated. Armed with bottles and glasses of alcoholic beverages and puffing cigarettes into a dimly lit room with an array of light bulbs, while curvy dancers swung their hips, much to their amusement and pleasure.

Saturday Tribune spoke with one of the dancers, a man in his early 30s, who gave his name as Chima. He said: “My brother, you can only enjoy life in this kind of environment. If you can’t beat them, you join them. So, I am really having a nice time right now.” Chima was really into the dance as a female dancer was seen twerking him to the point of moaning.

From Ebevande to Bubbles, which is not far from the former, it is almost the same tradition. Except for its larger crowd, nothing separates the two clubs in terms of extreme fun. Fun seekers were seen everywhere. No one was left out as music blared from every corner of the club till dawn.

No fewer than ten nightclubs currently operate and the Challenge/Ring Road axis in the city. The competition among the clubs has forced some of them to go above the line by introducing different events meant to drag patronage. At E3, there is ladies’ night; Coded Lounge also has stripper’s night with ladies sashaying, winding and willing to be taken home for a fee; Ebevande, unlike many clubs, doesn’t open on Fridays but Thursdays; Olympus X, Apollos, Echo Blues and Topside Lounge all have different events that are targeted at dragging people to their club.

A man who works with one of the new generation banks, Paul said nightclubbing is good if one has the time and cash to spend. “I come here once in a while, especially when my wife and kids are on vacation abroad. Though it has its bad side too, because if one is not careful, things can get awry here and one could fall victim. But apart from that, I enjoy myself chilling out with friends,” he said.

A common feature among the clubs is that they are divided into three sections depending on their size. There is the VIP section where patrons pay as high as N16, 000 for a bottle of cognac. The section, it was gathered, is usually not opened until ‘ballers’ (money spenders) arrive, which is usually around 2 a.m. When they arrive, the club erupts in thunderous noise as the hype man who usually announces the arrival of the money spenders declares the club open officially.

From the VIP to the general floor where almost everything is permitted, just when the reporter thought he had seen it all, his encounter on this floor left him in awe. Visiting this section will make anybody that has just been baptised into night crawling to remain a patron. It does not cost much to party on this floor. With less than nothing, one is guaranteed maximum fun with ladies, mostly in their teens and early 20s; they come in different sizes, shapes and colours. With lewd music booming from a distance and women lining up to gain entrance into the club in a bid to show their endowments to any man who is willing to part with some money, it will be difficult to disagree too much that sex and money run the world.

‘The lap dance experience’

Lap dances, of course, happen in most clubs but not every man can afford to pay for it. The rates vary from club to club. At a popular club on the same Ring Road, with N2,000, one gets to be twerked upon; allowed to be cuddled and allowed to explore the vital parts of usually busty young ladies sitting on one’s lap. Once your time is up (some 15 minutes of enjoyment), the lady steps off, gets her money, slips it into her panties and bra, and heads to the next prospective client with the same words on her lips: ‘Do you care for a lap dance?’

Dead, fetish people also club here…

At a popular club on Ring Road, it was alleged that there is a set of people who don’t go there regularly, but anytime they appear, they spend money on anything their eyes catch. The fear of many who patronise the club is not about the people but the rate at which they spend money and many are already suspecting that they are not humans. At their last visit, they were said to have spent not less than three million naira on drinks and would have spent even more but the club owner was said to have instructed his boys to stop. One of the regular patrons of the club who did not want his name mentioned told Saturday Tribune that many people come to the club and it is difficult to know who is who. “I know about this set of people, but I don’t know whether they are fetish. There is even a particular lady that sprays money on girls alone, and many wonder why she does that, but I am not interested in all of that,” he said.

‘Yahoo Boys are the heavy spenders at clubs’

A club manager, who gave his name as Skuki said only Yahoo Boys spend a fortune on drinks and girls while clubbing. Other spenders only try to spend what they have; they usually don’t go beyond N200, 000. “When a Yahoo Boy enters your club, you can be rest assured that you are made for the week and that’s why you see many clubs doing everything possible to attract them. An average Yahoo Boy spends not less than N1.5million when he comes around. And most times, they come in group. In fact, some of them come to clubs to show off. You can imagine a situation whereby a young guy buys a bottle of champagne for N200,000, not because he wants to drink it, but only to spite others. He buys the drink and pours it on the floor of the club. It is our joy that they come because we want to sell but I don’t think it is right,” he said.

‘Ladies fall victim of rape’

Saturday Tribune was told about how ladies usually fall victim of rape after leaving the club early in the morning. Recently, about four girls, on their way home very early in the morning after they had partied with a popular musician who came from Lagos were said to have fallen victim of rapists on Odo Ona Elewe area of Ibadan. The ladies, who are in their mid 20s, were said to have arranged with motorcyclists (Okada riders) who would take them from the club to their respective homes. On their way home, they were said to have been waylaid by rapists. Confirming the incident to Saturday Tribune, one Mr Balo, who operates Okada till late in the night, especially on Fridays said “there have been different cases of rape along that side, especially on Friday night and Saturday morning and the victims have always been young ladies.”

‘Clubs use beautiful girls to attract customers’

Clubs in Ibadan have discovered a new method of drawing customers. Saturday Tribune spoke with some of the club managers and they confirmed that many young and old men come to clubs because of these beautiful ladies who are dragged from different universities in the South West. These girls are paid based on commission from whatever a prospective client pays. Any club that cannot parade beautiful girls to attract clients is missing out a great deal.

PHOTOS: Obasanjo Visits Buhari In Aso Rock

Former president Obasanjo paid a private visit to Pres. Buhari at the presidential villa on Wednesday August 5th. Details of their meeting is unknown.

Someone looks happy! President Obama and Family Off to Martha's Vineyard

President Obama beams as he jets to luxurious Martha's Vineyard holiday home a day early with Michelle and Sasha
President last-minute decided to fly to Martha's Vineyard island a day early

The Massachusetts retreat is known as a summer hangout for the wealthy

A cluster of senior aides join their 17-day trip to keep Obama up-to-date

He has been each year of his term except during 2012 reelection campaign

The seven-bedroom property they rent has gone on the market for $22.5m

Obama will be hoping Congress doesn't raise problems with his Iran deal


Vacation time! President Obama laughed gleefully as he walked to board Air Force One on Friday afternoon

Family time! Sasha seemed glued to her phone before leaving for the family's 17-day retreat in Massachusetts

So long! The President and First Lady happily waved goodbye to Washington as they jetted off a day early

And even the dogs came with them! Two minders are pictured leading Bo, left, and Sunny, right, off the plane

When they disembarked, the president emerged looking relaxed without a jacket or tie to greet the crowds

Sasha wowed in a striking maroon and blue two-piece and white platform sandals for the meet-and-greets

Three dead as French train hits car at level crossing

Three people were killed late Friday when a regional train hit a car in northwestern France and dragged the burning vehicle several hundred metres down the track, officials said.

The three victims were in the car “which seems to have stopped in the middle of the track” at Conde-sur-Huisne, some 150 kilometres (90 miles) southwest of Paris, at 8:22 pm (1822 GMT), local official Pascal Vion told AFP.

A fourth person, whom Vion described as an elderly woman, was outside the car when the collision occurred, he said.

A local prosecutor told the daily Ouest-France that the woman’s husband, daughter and granddaughter were in the car, which apparently had stalled on the track.

“It appears there were two elderly people who were the grandparents, there was also their daughter and their granddaughter,” he told the paper.

“One of the occupants of the vehicle got out to try to push it,” he said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine why the car had stopped on the track.

Firefighters said the collision set the car on fire and that it was dragged several hundred metres (yards).

None of the 34 passengers on the train, which was travelling from Le Mans to the French capital, was hurt.

Kogi 2015: ‘Wada is no automatic candidate, he’ll fight for PDP ticket’ (INTERVIEW)

Deputy Chief of Staff (Party and Political Affairs) to the Kogi State Governor and immediate past chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Alhaji Hassan Salau, speaks with AYODELE ADESANMI on the forthcoming governorship election in the state, among other things.



you were chairman of the PDP in Kogi State for six years, what can you point at as your achievement?

I assumed office as the chairman of the party in 2008. There was a serious crisis of confidence between the party and the governor at that time. That was the first challenge I encountered but I resolved it. I managed to remove the party from the control of the government and gave the party the much needed autonomy. By doing that, I attracted a lot of personalities to myself and to the party. Many people started to join the party. Although the beginning was rough and the job was tedious, it was beautiful. Under my chairmanship, the party won all elections. The most difficult one was the 2012 governorship election but with the help of God and the support of the people, we won. What made it difficult was that there were about 20 aspirants. We won it with 21 House of Assembly members. I equally delivered all the chairmen in the local government election. Unfortunately, in the last presidential election, Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), changed the permutations. One significant thing to learn from that election is that there must be a separation of the presidential election from National Assembly election. Conducting the two at the same time is not the best. I believe it does not augur well for our democracy. In a post-election paper I presented to the national headquarters of the PDP, I said combining such elections is not good and therefore, should be separated. Interestingly, in the House of Assembly election, we turned things around through hard work and we won 14 seats as against the APC’s 11, and it happened within two weeks. This is evidence that we are on the ground. Some of our members defected to the APC, but as the chairman, I was looking at strategies to combat the challenge of the defection. I will discuss with the new chairman on how to bring them back as some of them left as a result of alleged imposition of candidates. If you conduct true primaries, the loser would surely embrace the winner, but the moment you impose a candidate on the people, there would be problem and that is exactly what is going on in the state presently.

Besides, the PDP was looking at itself as a party of yesterday. The beginning of the fall of the party was when five governors left and nothing serious was done to reverse it [the development]. I knew then that we would be in serious trouble. Another thing is that nobody can wish former President Olusegun Obasanjo away from the PDP. Whether he was wrong or not, if his suggestions had been accommodated, maybe things would have been better. In Kogi State here, many people have defected to the opposition but most of them have overrated themselves. They are no more important in the politics of this state. Most of them are yesterday’s names. Somebody who could not win in a polling unit in front of his house making noise that he has defected! If the PDP can strategise and work very hard, we will bounce back.

How do you think the new party officials in the state will handle the task of the forthcoming governorship election in terms of preparation, conflict resolution, among other things?

The new executive members must be ready to listen and give room for collaboration. They must not see themselves as capable of doing it alone. They should always work with past executives in order to move the party forward. I will constantly pray for them to succeed because that is what will benefit all of us. The past executives are not saying that we know everything or have the solutions to all problems, but, as they say, experience is the best teacher. I equally appeal to them to be independent of the government and be ready to mend fences with the defected members. Politics is a game of numbers, so, we need them. The new chairman must have an independent mind, be a team player and be focused. He should make the issue of money secondary, because the moment he makes money primary, the governor would no longer give him respect and the electorate would not believe him. He needs to be focused and know where he is going with the rest of the executive members. The new officers need to be independent and constantly advise the government, not only on party matters, but also on policies.

What are the chances of the PDP in view of the swelling of the APC with the defection of your former party members?

I am not God, but I am sure that we will triumph at the end of the election and you will come and congratulate me. If you go round the town presently, you will see the billboards of the APC, but very soon, I assure you, they will come back to the PDP, which is their home. Most of the time, you look at people as being relevant politically because of their noise, but in reality, they don’t have any electoral value. The PDP has a lot of chances in the coming election. We are politicians and the facts on the ground are enough to seal our victory. The PDP has a lot of challenges at present, but they are surmountable and by the grace of God, we will overcome them. But most of the people that defected from the party did so for selfish interest, and by the time they don’t get what they want at the other end, they will come back.

How will the party deal with the fallout of the primary?

The electorate and watchers of political events should not believe that the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada, will be favoured. He is not an automatic candidate. Captain Wada, as an aspirant, will pass through all the processes as due process will be followed during the primary. There will be no preferential treatment for anybody. As you all know, the PDP believes in internal democracy and we have a superb machinery to resolve any crisis that comes after the primary. We will conduct a free and fair primary and, therefore, whoever emerges will get the support of all of us. It is true there is crisis within the PDP but God will support us to end it in time.

Governor Wada has tried his best in almost all areas of governance with the available resources. His administration has completed all projects left behind by the previous administration, so, in criticising him, I urge the people to be objective. But what I want my people to focus on is power rotation. After the next governor, there must be power shift. Power must leave Igala kingdom to [Kogi] West and Central senatorial districts. Instead of dissipating our energies on what would not profit us, we should look ahead. The gap between the winner and the loser in the coming election will be marginal. That is my prediction. The western and central senatorial districts should put their house in order now. After this [election], they should clamour for governorship.

An Open Letter To Senator Ahmed Lawan And His Cohorts, By Ridwan Omooba

National chairman of the all progressives congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun (4th-l), addressing pro-Lawan senators from left: Barnabas Gemade (APC, Benue North-East); Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna North); Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West); Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North); Robert Boroffice (APC, Ondo North) and others, at a meeting of the APC leadership with elected legislators for the 8th National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 (Photo Credit: NAN)

Unarguably, prior to March 28, 2015 Presidential election, Nigeria was at the brim of collapsing owing to series of financial and political atrocities committed and incited respectively by the last administration in the country. Those sad experiences by Nigerians which still longer till now, therefore were responsible for the voluntary accepted of APC and wholly sweeping of PDP across the country.

Conversely, the June 9 emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate and Chairman of 8th National Assembly still remains a nightmare to many Nigerians who believe the unopposed emergence was brought about by uncourteous means which are not exclusive of pitching the tent the already pinned PDP and being in defiance to his party, APC.

Many criticisms had been witnessed hitherto from the caucus of one of the front runners for the coveted seat of the Senate Presidency and Senator representing Yobe north Senatorial District, Senator Ahmed Lawan who along with his Senate Unity Forum believed there was a constitutional gyp in the election that gave birth to Senator Bukola Saraki as the President of the 8th Senate.

These kookaburra cry from the Senator Ahmed lawan senatorial caucus was said to have been engineered by a self acclaimed leader of the party whom many believe, gave birth to the current political imbroglio that is being witnessed in the National assembly. The main factor that caused the current crisis in the National Assembly as seen by many Nigerians is the widespread of impunity, corruption and impositions of candidates by some of the leaders who wanted APC operates in a synonymous modus operadis of PDP which resulted in their political funeral in the March 28, 2015.

A place where more than 170 million people are being represented shouldn’t be a dally avenue where time are being wasted only for a voluptuous pleasures that will have a zero impact on the lives of the people they are representing, that is the voiceless constituents. By this crucial point in time when the country is going through lingering crisis in the economy, Nigerians expect the National Assembly to have passed bills that are critical to addressing the enormous economic challenges facing the whole of Nigeria, but some of the Senators loyal to Senator Ahmed Lawan and that self acclaimed leader of APC are busy trying to disrupt Senate Businesses, all in the name of fighting for political dominance. Of course the very rational ones among them who had no satanic agenda in their game of wit had since made a U-turn and accepted the God’s written destiny of Saraki.

The Senator Ahmed lawan and his aggrieved cohorts who ought to make peaceful way of reconciliation but busy hitting the polity at National Assembly should in Nigerians’ interest halt such barbaric antics. They should be reminded that our democracy has graduated beyond their parochial thoughtfulness.

Meanwhile, the prima facies and all court cases being filed by the aggrieved senators as announced by the ladida spokesman of the group, Senator Kabir Marafa should be abolished and working together with the leaderships and principal offices of the house in delivering its promises to Nigerians they are representing. That’s if they are true representatives of their constituents.

The outstanding performance of Senator Bukola Saraki within the little time spent is the exhibition of competency his supporters across all the parties saw in him as a reason for their support for him. He is truly a performer who always want governance felt at the grassroot.

It is worth resounding to the ears of deaf lawmakers and political leaders that Nigeria is bigger than any so called individual. So, godfatherism is allowed in politics when justly used without egoistic interests or reckless ambitions that may have adverse effect as against the wish of the masses. Imposition of candidates in a country where there are different tribes, languages and countless culture shouldn’t be encouraged and this is one of the conundrum causes of the present swirling turmoil in the national assembly which are in turn drying the aggressive change we all yearned for. Sen. Lawan and his supporters should in Nigeria’s interest pocket their selfish interest and put Nigeria first. A better Nigeria all the way.

According to Jean jacqueau rosseu which says and i quote “the strongest man is never strong enough to be master all the time, unless he transforms force into actions and obedient into duty.” These is a vital call to the leadership of the National Assembly in delivering his promises to the masses by passing critical reforms in the areas of Education, infrastructure, security and majorly the lingering crisis of the economy.

Once again I want to urge Senator Ahmed lawan Co aggrieved senators to letting peace reign by working and joining hands together with the leadership of the house in taking and leading Nigerians to the highest heights of achievable developments.

Resolution remains the very ground of dispute by eliminating or transforming the conflict situations to a peaceful directions.

Ridwan Omooba works in the New Media office of Senate President Bukola Saraki. He can be reached by EMAIL.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

‘I complained against noise from religious houses but people branded me as an unbeliever’

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) on Monday announced it had sealed off no fever than thirty buildings (including churches and mosques) for contravening its laws against noise pollution.

The development was greeted with mixed reactions. Even though many of those who spoke with Saturday Tribune during the week lauded the initiative, some residents who were observed at public places discussing the matter openly had other things to say about it:

“What is noise pollution – in a city like Lagos?” queried a young man at a newspaper stand.

“There is freedom of worship,” another person observed.

“So if there is freedom of worship, should you force others who are not interested in your religion to listen to your message?”

“Of all the problems we are facing in Lagos today, is it noise that the government wants to tackle first?”

Lagos-based lawyer Samuel Chizoba Uzoewulu, however, told Saturday Tribune that “freedom of worship” did not imply freedom to “constitute public nuisance”.

“Lagos State, like other states, has its own laws,” he said. “There is supposed to be a section (or a volume) that regulates environmental matters. So the question is: does the law empower the said agency to carry out the action? So it is not about freedom of worship or expression. And this freedom does not give anyone unlimited power; there are limitations. For example, you cannot be allowed to express yourself in such a manner as to constitute public nuisance. It would only have been a case if the people were not allowed to worship at all; it would have been null and void, unconstitutional, and unenforceable.”

Mr Wale Kazeem, a postgraduate student at the University of Lagos who resides at Mushin said noise pollution was a major problem in his neighbourhood.

“The situation is now so bad that I fear that in the nearest future, some of us will have to wear hearing devices in order to hear people,” Kazeem said. “I always complain about this situation in my area, but people branded me ‘unbeliever’. We have noise from machines and generators, noise from religious activities, noise from video sellers, noise from mobile advertisers. All these can be controlled if government is serious. A special task force should be set up, and it should be headed by a sincere and no-nonsense person. Warnings should be given to all religious leaders to remove their speakers and put them inside so that no noise can be heard from outside. Video sellers and owners of industries should likewise be warned. Defaulters should be prosecuted.”

Decibels

Indeed most of these concerns are in fact a part of LASEPA’s broader vision. While interacting with journalists in Lagos on Monday, the General Manager of LASEPA, Rasheed Shabi, stated the approved “noise levels”:

“In industrial areas, noise level is meant to be at 90 decibel,” he said. “In the day and at night it should be 80 decibel. In areas we call mixed (residents and industry), during the day, the noise pollution is expected to be at 65 decibel and at night 55 decibel. If we do this for another six months, the level of non-compliance in the state will reduce… When one is exposed to a noise level of about 150 percent decibel for six hours, such a person could have deafness.

“In the last four years, we have been receiving lots of complaints from the residents of Lagos State complaining over the increase in the level of noise pollution in the state especially from religious houses and club houses. So, we decided to enforce the law establishing the agency. And when we seal, we tell the owner of the outfit to correct certain things before such outfits could be reopened.”

However, some residents who spoke with Saturday Tribune on Wednesday, felt it would be difficult for the agency to enforce the noise levels.

“How can you determine the measurement?” Tunde Lawal, a student at Lagos State University asked. “How can an ordinary CD seller know whether the sound from his loudspeaker has reached 90 decibel?”

Work of God

As most of the locations affected by the exercise on Monday were churches and mosques, many who spoke to Saturday Tribune pondered over the religious implications.

The Reverend Simeon Folorunsho is the Pastor of Masters Life Assembly at Ikotun in Lagos. “I have travelled around the world, and I know that in the Western world, you would not be permitted to disturb the environment,” he said. “It is not good for you to disturb people that want to sleep. And that you are not allowed to use noisy loudspeakers or megaphones does not mean that your work as a preacher cannot go on. It is not good to disturb your neighbours because you are doing church service.”

Asked if there was a way one could tell for certain whether one’s voice or instrument had become too loud, Folorunsho responded:

“I think it is the horn speaker that makes that kind of noise. If you use normal speakers inside your church, it won’t disturb people like that. But when you use the horn speaker, it goes far.”

Pastor Samuel Andrew of the Fruitbearers Chapel International at Bariga also spoke about the horn speakers. However, he believed it was more a problem with the mosques, rather than the churches.

“The issue is there; there are obvious cases of abuse. But I think, in all fairness, that it is more a problem of the mosques. They put their speakers outside; and I am talking about horn speakers. I think there should be moderation. They should be made to remove their horn speakers and put them inside. Even when you go to a nightclub, you will find that the noise doesn’t come out unless the speaker is placed outside. So I think it is the horn speaker that the government should really ban.”

However, Uthman Jaji Muhammad, the proprietor of Markaz Uthmany Arabic /Islamic Centre at Anthony Village, reacted this way:

“The same thing applies to the Christians. They do not even have any prescribed time for their worship. You see them very early in the morning, singing and clapping, even when people are still sleeping.”

Muhammad also described the closure of the mosques as inappropriate, noting that such an action should have been preceded by a massive and comprehensive sensitisation exercise.

“It is quite against the etiquette of the religion. You cannot close a place of worship. Every Muslim is expected to be at the mosque at least five times every day. The best thing is for the government to let us know what really the noise level should be; they have to make sure that we understand that, before taking such a decision.”

Lost in the noise

Ikotun market at Egbe is known to be rowdier at night than in the day. The shops are closed, but the goods are brought closer to the road, many of them displayed on the bare ground. It is a meeting point for buses from Oshodi and Iyana-Ipaja. But even as late as 10 pm, both routes continue to bustle as passengers continue to move to and fro.

The noise at the market is phenomenal – the combined yelling and cursing and screaming by traders, conductors and drivers; the screeching sounds from vehicles; and motorcycles and the thundering blasts from loudspeakers mounted by CD sellers. It seems clear – the enormity of the task before LASEPA.

Six killed in N’Sudan floods

At least six people were killed as heavy rains and floods hit two states in northern Sudan during the past hours, Sudan Tribune reported Friday.

“Four children were killed when high floods swept their home near a valley, some 50 km south of Merowe town in the northern state,” the report said.

The floods also caused damage to farms along the valley and the implants at Al-Qurair as well as the death of large numbers of livestock.

Meanwhile, at least two women were killed and some others were injured in Nahral-Neel State, while the traffic was temporarily disrupted on the main roads of Abu Hamad and Al-Tahady which link the state with capital Khartoum, the report noted.

How importers abused rice import quota policy

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has sealed warehouses belonging to some rice importers over allegation that they abused the Rice Import Quota Policy of the Federal Government in 2014. In this report, TOLA ADENUBI looks at how these importers crossed the line.



When the Federal Government introduced the Rice Import Quota Policy, the aim was to meet a national sufficiency gap which existed in the country. Another reason the policy was introduced was to reduce smuggling of rice into the country.

The Rice Import Quota Policy was premised on the enjoyment of preferential duty rates and levy for beneficiary of the policy. While others imported rice at the normal extant rate of 10 per cent duty and 60 per cent levy, the beneficiary companies enjoyed concessionary rates of 10 per cent duty and 20 per cent levy.

However, the policy also gave a limit to the numbers of bags of rice these beneficiary importers could bring into the country. There was need to peg the numbers of rice bags these importers could bring into the country in order to save the local rice production industry in the country.

If the amount of rice these importers bring in is unchecked, there is a tendency that they will over-flood the market with their discounted rice bags and utterly kill the local production of the commodity in the country.

Abuse of the policy

However, despite the limit to the numbers of bags of rice they could bring in, some of them still crossed the line by importing above the quota given to them by the Federal Government.

According to the spokesman for the Nigerian customs Service (NCS), Mr. Wale Adeniyi, “Companies like OLAM, Ebony Agro, Conti Agro (Milan) and a conglomerate comprising Stallion, Popular Foods and Masco Agro exceeded their imports quota, thereby leading to short-changing of government as regards duty payable.

“For OLAM, it exceeded its rice imports with a quantity of 149, 469. 51 metric tonnes of rice, thereby owing the Federal Government about N4, 998, 125, 665. 86. Conti Agro (Milan) on its own part crossed the line when it imported in excess of 61, 178. 19 metric tonnes of rice, thereby also owing the Federal Government about N1, 089, 907, 273. 62.

“For the conglomerate of Stallion, Popular Foods and Masco Agro, they were the biggest offenders with the highest quantity of rice imports exceeded. They crossed the line with about 529, 517. 33 metric tonnes of rice, thereby owing government to the tune of N17, 187, 245, 022. 96.

“The least offender was the only Nigerian company among the four culprits, Ebony Agro. The firm crossed the line when it imported in excess of 10, 070. 00, thereby owing government to the tune of N328, 201, 440. 00”.

In total, the four companies incurred a total sum of N23, 603, 479, 402 duty payable into the coffers of government.

Reason for abuse

Many of these firms crossed the line with the mindset that there will be a roll-over of amount exceeded into allocation that will be granted in the following year.

Although it is yet to be proven that importing above the quota granted them was intentional, there was a general feeling that government will just roll over the amount exceeded into the quota that will be granted in the following year, thus removing the excess from what the firms will be expected to bring into the country in the following year.

According to Mr. Shaibu Mohammed, a management staff of OLAM Nigeria Limited, one of the companies that defaulted under the Rice Import Quota Policy, OLAM thought government would just allow for a deduction of excess imported in the preceding year from the quota that would be allocated to them in the following year.

In his words, “we did not just deliberately import above the quota given to us by the Federal Government of Nigeria. We had made our order for rice before the quota allocation was released by government. When the vessels came in with our rice imports, we later found out that what was brought in had exceeded the quota allocated to us by government. It was not deliberate. We had placed our order before the quota was released.

“What we are saying is that since the quota allocation system is an annual thing; let government remove what we imported as excess in 2014 from the quota that will be allocated to us in 2015. This should not be a problem. We were not expecting that it will lead to the closure of our warehouses because the quota system is a yearly thing.

“If government allows for a roll-over of quota allocations, then the allocation for 2015 will be reduced by the amount that was exceeded in 2014.”

Why roll-over won’t work

However, in a swift reaction to Mr. Mohammed’s views, Adeniyi stated that there cannot be a roll-over of allocation from one year to another due to certain reasons.

“The reason there cannot be a roll-over from 2014 to 2015 is because the quota that was given to importers was given on the basis of the sufficiency gap of 2014. The 2014 quota allocation was premised on the sufficiency gap prevalent in 2014.

“Government cannot just roll-over without a proper definition of what the sufficiency gap of 2015 is. Government needs to know how much it needs to import in 2015. So a roll-over cannot just be made without knowing what the sufficiency gap of 2015 is,” the Customs image maker stated.

Another reason the anticipated roll-over plan of the rice importers won’t work is the change of government that occurred in Nigeria early this year.

The Rice Import Quota Policy was implemented by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014. With the revenue drive of the incumbent administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Customs is bent on recouping all monies hitherto lost to ineffective regulatory policies which were the bane of the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

It is recalled that the Federal Government rice import allocations for 2015 reflects an approved quota of 1.3 million metric tonnes as against 1.5 metric tonnes approved in 2014. The 2015 supply gap is 200,000 metric tonnes lower than 2014.

Out of the 1.3 metric tonnes approved, one million metric tonnes of the quota has been set aside as allocations to existing rice millers, importers and new investors with approved Domestic Rice Production Plans (DRPP), at a preferential levy of 20 per cent and 10 per cent duty while rice importers with no DRPP will account for the remaining 0.3 million metric tonnes at the higher levy of 60 per cent and duty of 10 per cent.

15-yr-old fraudsters paraded by Army over fake recruitment

The Special Investigation Bureau of the Nigerian Army Corps of the Military Police, on Friday, paraded two cyber fraudsters who specialise in dispossessing unsuspecting members of the public of their money under the guise of facilitating their recruitment into the Nigerian Army.

The duo, Osakpolor Augustine and Felix Osaga, who are both 15 years of age, hail from Okada in Ovia North Local Government Area and Ehor, in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State.

According to the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, Osakpolor who sat for the Senior Secondary School Examination in 2012 and gained admission to study Accountancy at Auchi Polytechnic, Delta State in 2013/2014, dropped out of school for failing to meet up with the Cumulative Grade Point Average CGPA .

His accomplice, Mr Osaga obtained his National Diploma in Laboratory Technology, also at the Auchi Polytechnic in 2014 before receiving an offer of admission to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State, in 2015.

The apartment where the duo were arrested was rented by Osaga, who is also a close pal of Augustine.

It was gathered that the suspects had in May 2015, opened a Facebook account in the name of a senior military officer with a picture of same officer as a profile picture for the account and unsuspecting members of the public who call the number were directed to pay various sums of money into a new generation back account number.

The suspects were dispossessed of an ATM card used for the fraud and two mobile phones.

Colonol Usman said, “The Nigerian Army is once again alerting members of the public to the criminal activities of fraudsters. We also want to reiterate that members of the public should ignore Facebook advertisements for recruitment or commission into the Army.”

As The Ooni Retires To The Penthouse (Part 2) By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, I’m sorry to say that you already missed a lot of hot gist about The Ooni of Ife Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, if you did not read my column last week. That is the absolute truth. You may have to search for it in order to fully understand and appreciate my drift this week. The saga you are about to read is such an amazing story and a stuff of thrillers.

My relationship with His Imperial Majesty The Ooni transcended what the ordinary mind could decipher. We did not meet often but anytime, or wherever, we did, the mutual affection was always palpable. And this special bond extended to the Palace Chiefs who had come to accept me as an Ife son and welcomed me with open arms like a true offspring of the soil from the source. One of my best friends among the palace operatives is a gentleman called Chief Funlola Olorunnisola, the Press Secretary to the Palace of Adimula Oduduwa, whose son Sunmilola currently works as a top photographer with Ovation International magazine. The relationship between Chief Olorunnisola and I was nearly strained over the blistering articles I wrote about The Ooni during the June 12 fiasco. Those who sought to respond stridently against my principled position failed to visualise the magnitude of The Ooni’s tolerance level as well as the endless love he had for me.

The raging inferno was however quenched particularly by a father-figure, Chief Oyekunle Aremu Alex-Duduyemi, who, incidentally, celebrates his 80th birthday in Lagos tomorrow. I was invited by this business icon who instructed me to calm down and cease fire. I obeyed. There were other interventions from well-meaning Nigerians like Chief Orayemi Orafidiya, a mentor of many years, and King Sunny Ade, who met me and sued for peace. I’m eternally grateful to all for the positive roles they played, especially for understanding the role of journalists in nation-building.

I will always treasure the magnanimity displayed by The Ooni himself who publicly reunited with me as his son at a function in Lagos. It happened on the day Chief Akanni Aluko launched his newspaper, The Third Eye, at The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, in Victoria Island. Unknown to me, two of Yoruba’s most influential monarchs were present. It was one of those rare moments when they both sat close to each other. The next time it would happen was over five years later at my 40th birthday in the year 2000. I will return to that later. As I made my way to the launch of The Third Eye newspaper, I ran into the convoy of Iku Baba Yeye, The Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and he stopped to have a quick word with me. It was from him I knew The Ooni was at the arena.

I walked in briskly and found a seat next to Prince Bayo Adeyemo, the affable son of the then Olubadan of Ibadan. He was apparently happy to see me and he quickly headed to the high table where The Ooni and other dignitaries sat and informed The Ooni of my presence. My articles had generated so much furore and many people were anxious to rescue the situation. I was stunned when The Ooni instantly beckoned to me and I went up to pay homage to him. As soon as I got close to him, I wasted no time in prostrating lizard-like and apologised for writing such a volatile article. “I’m sorry, Kabiyesi…” I said repeatedly and I could see the final sign of relief on everyone’s face. I knew I had succeeded in making my point and there was no reason to prolong the drama and trauma. The Ooni responded with his famed graciousness by telling me to rise as all was forgotten. “After all a Father cannot quarrel with his son” he quipped. My love for The Ooni quadrupled that day and our relationship blossomed thereafter and never withered again.

As fate would subsequently have it, I was forced into exile by the Abacha military junta, on suspicion of being one of the people operating the pirate station called Radio Freedom, which later changed to Radio Kudirat. I managed to sneak out of Nigeria through Seme border into Cotonou, in Benin Republic, from where I fled further to Togo and Ghana and eventually to London. What I thought was going to be a brief sojourn soon became an Israelite journey that turned into several years. It was while in London that Ovation International was born. The magazine soon became the publication of choice for the rich and famous.

One of our hottest stories in the early days was about the homes of wealthy Nigerians in London and it included the choicest properties owned by Chief Moshood Abiola and The Ooni in Chester Terrace, Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr in East York Terrace, Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo in Hannover Terrace, Dr Bode Olajumoke in Surrey, Mr Jimi Adebisi Lawal in Croydon, Chief Alex Duduyemi with an office in Knightsbridge and home in Templewood, Hampstead, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion (again) and Prince Samuel Adedoyin on Winnington Avenue, Chief Sonny Odogwu and Chief Amzat Beyioku Adebowale on the gated Compton Avenue, Chief RasaK Okoya on Bishop’s Avenue, The Okotie-Ebohs on The Bishop’s Avenue, Chief Bayo Kuku and Chief Mike Ajeigbo off The Bishop’s Avenue, Dr Deji Adeleke and Alhaji Arisekola-Alao in Brondesbury Park and so on. The Ooni was very impressed with our innovation and our modest contribution to the growth of African journalism and always glowingly spoke about the magazine.

Despite my interactions with members of the privilegentsia, my passion for fighting for the enthronement of democracy and good governance never diminished. I took a kamikaze dive into the pro-democracy activities of the day and actually joined the rebels who ran Radio Kudirat as Yoruba presenter using the pseudonym of Saliu Elenuugboro Eni Olorun o pa.

What surprised The Ooni the most was the role I played alongside Prince Adedamola Aderemi and Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi in the drug case saga that was ostensibly orchestrated to smear The Alaafin of Oyo. Our troika ensured that the Alaafin left the United Kingdom with his head held up high, with the strong support of Prof Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, who demonstrated once more his patriotic fervour and the desire to foster and protect our culture and tradition. The Alaafin would eventually be vindicated by the British Police.

Rather than gloat over the predicament of his arch-rival, The Ooni would later invite some prominent kings, including the then Ataoja of Osogbo, The Timi of Ede, The Orangun of Ila-Orangun and others to thank us for not allowing such a monumental disgrace on Yoruba traditional institution by political sorcerers.

Every time Prince Adedamola Aderemi and I visited The Ooni at Chester Terrace, he was fond of regaling us with numerous tales. He was a most quintessential and fascinating story-teller. The Ooni was a true and total Nigerian. He knew practically who-is-who in different parts of Nigeria and titillated us with his recollections of both the distant and contemporary times.

Despite his supposed differences with Chief Moshood Abiola, he never stopped admiring the man who gave his life and that of others for the sake of our collective future. And when Chief Abiola died in detention on July 7, 1998, one of the earliest sympathisers I met in Chief Abiola’s London home was Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade, The Ooni’s son. His presence provided some needed succour for the Abiolas (Deji, Agboola, Bolaji and Wuraola) whose father had spent four excruciating years in solitary confinement. Kola Abiola was the only one in Nigeria at that sad moment.

I soon returned home after spending many years in exile. The year 2000 would remain unforgettable for me as I turned 40 and I made elaborate plans to celebrate a life full of ups and downs. Naturally, I reached out to the high and mighty in society. I was ready to use the occasion to do what Nelson Mandela had done by deciding to forgive those who had wronged me by locking me up in detention or sending me into forced exile. The first leg of my 40th birthday started in Abuja where the former President, General Ibrahim Babangida, was represented by his daughter, Aisha, and the then Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was represented by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Solomon Ewuga. I was honoured to have the then Minister of Culture and Tourism, Alabo Graham-Douglas, Mrs Daisy Danjuma, Prince Jide Adeniyi and others as guests.

If I thought Abuja was a success, Lagos turned out to be the icing on the cake. This was made possible by the extra-ordinary presence of The Ooni and The Alaafin. Before the commencement of the ceremonies at Sheraton Hotel Lagos, I had invited both kings to the Towers for private entertainment and refreshment. I was initially agitated about how things were going to play out. The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Alex Duduyemi, was placed in a most precarious situation as a citizen of Ife who had to sit between the two royal Fathers. The then Governor Olusegun Osoba later joined us and his effervescent personality ignited a sense of camaraderie. Both Royal personages showed the wisdom of Solomon by embracing peace and even took photographs together. It was a coup of sorts for me!

Subsequently, I met The Ooni several more times, either by design or mere coincidence. We met at home and abroad and he always showered me with love and affection. He even went the extra mile to introduce me to very important personalities wherever we met. The last time I visited him was at the instance of my third son Eniafelamo who was a schoolmate and friend of Prince Adetokunbo’s daughter, Adedunni Sijuwade at Grange School in Lagos. We had travelled to Ile-Ife and The Ooni was very happy to welcome us. He told my young son: “Please, feel free to go anywhere in this palace because this is the place your father was born.” I was deeply touched.

The Ooni was an energetic man who travelled great distances to rejoice or sympathise with friends. He was never tired of flying or driving and his recollections and reflections for me served as a reminder that we must remember our heroes even though they may be long forgotten by a thankless nation.
It may be difficult to find kings like Sir Adesoji Aderemi and Oba Okunade Sijuwade, now or in the future. Those kings raised the bar that may be tough to match. Ile-Ife can never afford to put just anyone in power whenever their king finally joins his ancestors. As it is done in serious monarchies, a search for a credible successor usually starts before the king departs.

At 85, such a search must begin for a veritable successor for a king of that age. The future Ooni would do well to have an impeccable pedigree. Being a son or grandson of a former king should help because he would have had a foretaste of the esoteric tradition of his people. He would have to be young enough, preferably under 60, since the last two kings were crowned at 40 and 50 respectively. He must be well educated at home and abroad like the present Emir of Kano whose appearance on international media platforms makes one proud. He must have a profession or career like the current Emir of Kano and even the Sultan of Sokoto who was in the military.

He must have a personal fortune or the capacity to mobilise funds because the palace of Oduduwa requires some major funding to maintain. He must be a cool and calm personality and humble enough to be able to carry the people of Ife and indeed all Yoruba along. He must be a global citizen and not a local champion at this time and age. A warm relationship with most Yoruba kings should be a beautiful bonus and must be encouraged. He must also be an intelligent and wise man who’s able to solve complex problems. Above all he must be kind hearted, good natured and selfless.
Ile-Ife needs a powerful monarch that will be well respected at home and abroad. A man who is already respected by his peers and elders will certainly serve the Yoruba and also Nigeria well. Men with the virtues I have enumerated are uncommon because leadership qualities like these are rare, but thankfully they exist and must be found and nurtured.

When the time ultimately comes, I am sure the sagacious Kingmakers would give great consideration to the merits I have detailed above and choose a worthy heir to these outstanding Monarchs.

As The Ooni Retires To The Penthouse By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, the controversy surrounding the health status of The Ooni of Ife would have been unnecessary if many of us had understood or respected the Ife tradition. Ile-Ife being the cradle of civilisation is steeped in endless myths and the ancient town parades countless pantheons for about 401 deities who are worshipped all year round. Ile-Ife and Benin City cherish their culture and never joke with tradition. They revere their kings and hold on fastidiously to the belief that these kings can never die, they can only retire to the ceiling, a concept that is probably alien to members of the modern generation. This is why it is possible for a powerful king to depart this terrestrial space unannounced for months by the traditional institutions. The people have accepted a system that may seem abnormal to foreigners but not to us.

What has made The Ooni’s case so contentious is because the news of his departure escaped and exploded from abroad and our Ife Chiefs are righteously miffed about the antics of some busy-bodies who seem hell-bent on rendering them irrelevant. This is unacceptable no matter how modern the world as become. Traditions the world over are either kept or wholly jettisoned. There are sacred rites or protocols that are observed and performed by the Catholics at The Vatican. For example, there cannot be an emergence of a new Pope without the appearance of the famous white smoke. It is the same for the Muslims who must search, find and sight the moon before proceeding on starting or ending the Ramadan. Modernity has not been able to obliterate those age-old traditions.

Chief Dele Momodu

Thisday newspaper was able to capture this terrific clash of tradition and modernity so poignantly in its story of Wednesday, July 30. I loved the way it placed the press conference held by the Ife Traditional Chiefs side by side that of those apostates or infidels (whatever you wish to call them) who betrayed Ife tradition by announcing what should never have been their remit. It would be interesting to see how this battle of wits plays out. The reason I’m anxiously awaiting its denouement is simple and straight forward. I had cause to speak with some of the key participants, such interesting dramatis personae to say the list, and none was able to predict the outcome of this unusual debacle.
If indeed The Ooni passed away in London, a precise hour and specific date would have been logged and inscribed in the death register. Such records, unfortunately, cannot be fabricated, falsified or altered, for whatever reasons, and certainly not in obeisance to some esoteric African tradition or superstition. Now that Ife Chiefs are insisting that the influential monarch is alive and kicking, but not the bucket, would they have to manufacture a new date or admit to the date earlier announced by both the traditional and social media?

I’m aware that certain funeral rites must precede an announcement but these are unusual times. It is obvious that the Ife custom and lore never envisaged or prepared for this kind of hullabaloo where an infirmed king would have to be flown abroad for medical treatment and may never return home in body and spirit. Ile-Ife as a university town has lost some of its ancient innocence to Western incursion. This infiltration has thus filtered through and adulterated its original pristine state. The Benin kingdom is the only place I know that not much has changed. The Oba of Benin is rarely seen in public ordinarily. If something untoward then befalls the awesome traditional ruler, it may be difficult to unravel such mystery for months or even years. All that would happen is for people to discuss in low or loud whispers and so be it. Please, tell me who wants to invade the palace to probe what the ordinary eyes have never seen!

My humble submission is that we must allow a delicate marriage of modernity and tradition on this one occasion. It would be sad and tragic to enmesh the memory of this great descendant of Oduduwa the Yoruba progenitor in this type of banal and unproductive debate. And if indeed The Ooni has only retired to the loft or, by his modern equation, to the penthouse, he deserves to be celebrated by those who knew him well enough. He would be more than delighted to read his own obituary from the gilded chamber.

I was very privileged to speak to The Ooni of Ife Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, exactly four weeks today. I had received an august visitor in Lagos, a most cerebral monarch The Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin Aroyinkeye I, who had honoured me with the traditional title of Basorun of Oke-Ila few years ago. He’s a very close associate and confidant of The Ooni. Somehow, our discussions dovetailed into how generous The Ooni and his Crown Prince Adetokunbo has been to Oba Abolarin’s Educational pet project in Oke-Ila, and we decided to call him in London. Baba, as we call The Ooni was exceedingly happy to hear from us. Oba Abolarin was the first to speak to His Imperial Majesty and he informed Baba that he was at my place. Baba’s voice was as sweet and sonorous as ever.

“Akowekowura (the man with the golden pen), how are you?” Baba asked in his funky fashion. He then poured prayers on me: “Emi e a gun, ayo e a kun.. I’m always proud of you…” (you will live long and your joy will be bountiful). We spoke for a couple of minutes before I handed the phone back to Oba Abolarin. I find it strange that barely one month after that special conversation there are speculations that Baba has joined his ancestors. Whether true or false, this provides me with a unique opportunity to say a few things about a man who was my boss some 29 odd years ago. Since then a lot of water has passed under the bridge, whether calm or tempestuous.

Let me say emphatically that you won’t be wrong to call me a thorough-bred Ife Boy though my father had migrated from Ihievbe, Edo State. I was born and raised substantially in Ile-Ife between 1960 and 1988, when I moved to Lagos in search of the proverbial greener pastures. I had all my education at Ife, from primary to post-graduate level. In between 1983 and 1985, I had worked as Private Secretary to former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Chief Akin Omoboriowo. My job had become comatose once the politicians were hauled into detention camps. But I was lucky to have a benefactor in Chief Omoboriowo’s cousin, Prince Adedeji Adelabu, the Chief Librarian at the Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, University of Ife. He knew about my predicament and lack of income while I was also trying to return to Ife for a Master’s degree program in Literature-in-English. Prince Adedeji informed me of an opening for the post of Public Relations Officer at Motel Royal Limited in Ile-Ife, owned by The Ooni and I said I was interested. I was interviewed for the job and was immediately engaged.

I rose quickly on the job because the Board of the hotel which was headed by Chief Alex Olu Ajayi recognised my extensive networks with the university students and I was appointed as Manager. This new responsibility brought me in direct contact with our Chairman, Oba Okunade Sijuwade. I will never forget the first day I visited the palace to meet the boss of all bosses. I was already familiar with the geography of the Ife Palace due to my close affinity to the family of The Ooni Oba Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi. I had also been previously sent on errand from Chief Omoboriowo to The Ooni Oba Okunade Sijuwade but I knew he might not remember me. At any rate, this was a different ball game entirely. I was now working for one of the most famous kings in Africa.

I was there to see my new Chairman and I didn’t know what to expect. Kabiyesi as we called him received us warmly and sternly at the same time. He said the hotel had been bastardised and cannibalised by some of those he entrusted to run the massive edifice that boasted of world class badminton and Lawn Tennis courts, swimming pool, horse stable, and so on. I promised I would do my best to bring the place back to life and I did within a few months.

I learnt many lessons while working for The Ooni. The harder I tried to resuscitate Motel Royal, the more I stepped on toes of some parasites who had fed fat on the place. They did not want anyone to stop the rot. It was similar to the story of the Nigerian nation where people tend to resist change by all means. Those guys gave me hell by spreading tales by moonlight. They bombarded The Ooni with all manner of cruel lies. It was then I realised how vulnerable men of power can be. Most of those around you were not interested in any progress but certain regress. For example, Kabiyesi would call me today and shower me with praises and recall me tomorrow for a severe rebuke. If I told him “but, Sir, you told me only yesterday that I was the best thing to happen to the motel”, he would respond that “a star is as good as his last performance.” It is one useful lesson I hold very dear to heart till this day; that one must continue to thrive without any excuse for failure.

The Ooni taught me so many other things, in thunder or in rain. We hosted friends across political divides. He was never tired of receiving visitors. Even before he woke up we would have decorated the swimming pool area of the palace in readiness for fresh visitors and our motel catered almost non-stop. He had sweet words for everyone. His ability to make friends was legendary. He was fond of saying “Allah dey” in every conversation and you would have thought he was a Muslim. His best friend was The Emir of Kano who joined his ancestors only last year. They were inseparable. He was friends with President Shehu Shagari just as he was with his arch-rival Chief Obafemi Awolowo. As a matter of fact, Chief Mrs Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo (who’s getting ready for her hundredth birthday next November) was decorated as The Yeye Oba (mother of the king) of Ife. He was close to Chief Bola Ige who installed him as The 50th Ooni of Ife just as he was to the man who dethroned him, Dr Victor Omololu Sowemimo Olunloyo. That was Oba Sijuwade for you.

This lack of discrimination landed him in several troubles. Those who wanted him to choose between right and left complained loudly and bitterly but The Ooni was never one to be swayed by the noise of the market place. He was a man of his own instinct, debonair and sartorial. He lived the life of a true Royal long before he became king. I learnt from him that it was not how much money you had but how you spent what you have. He enjoyed life to the hilt while many of his contemporaries were slaves of money who had so much but were too stingy to spend it on themselves or anyone for that matter. He knew how to unlock powerful doors, almost effortlessly. At London airports, he was known as the king of Africa with his portrait adorning private and exclusive lounges. His home was once at Chester Terrace facing the Regent’s Park in the heart of London and just a few doors away from Chief Moshood Abiola’s own terrace. When he moved some years back, he birthed majestically in a Mayfair apartment, just a stone throw from the American Embassy. The Ooni never shied away from living larger than life.

He faced many challenges, the toughest being the internecine wars between Ife and Modakeke. It reminded me of the intractable clashes between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It is to his eternal credit that he managed to reconcile with the people of Modakeke after a most fearsome and destructive war. Baba ran into troubled waters with the Buhari military regime after travelling to Israel with his Siamese twin The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero. It was a most humbling experience but he quickly put it behind him as always.

One of Baba’s most traumatic fiascos was over his handling of the June 12 crisis which angered many youths including me. I wrote several scurrilous articles against his position but Baba took it all with equanimity. As a matter of fact, that unfortunate saga drew us closer. He told friends he respected my guts and steadfastness…

• To be continued

Read: As The Ooni Retires To The Penthouse (Part 2) By @DeleMomodu