Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday resolved the lingering crisis over the choice of venue for its national convention.

The NEC meeting, which was held at the national headquarters of the party, agreed to hold the convention at Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

READ ALSO: People who say I’m slow said nothing about PDP’s 16-year misrule – Buhari

The presidential candidate of the party for the 2019 election is expected to emerge at the convention.

The convention will now hold in the state between October 6 and 7.

It was gathered that the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, however, apologised to the meeting over his outbursts and threat over the move by some people to make sure that the convention was taken out of the state.

The NEC meeting, which was presided over by the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, was also attended by some presidential aspirants including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; a former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi;  President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and a former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN ).

Also at the meeting were a former member of the Senate, Datti Baba-Ahmed and the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal.

Apart from the issue of venue, it was gathered that the budget for the convention and number of delegates were also ratified.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said that all the presidential aspirants had agreed to be at Port Harcourt for the convention.

He also said that the aspirants were given assurance of a level-playing field by the party.

He said, “All our presidential aspirants were assured of a level-playing field, and they were told that none of them would be accorded any form of preferential treatment.”

He added, “The NEC also approved the budget for the 2018 national convention which will hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

“NEC further resolved that we will be committing all our presidential aspirants to a bond on the outcome of the election.

“What this translates into is that all our aspirants will sign  an agreement with our party in order to ensure that the outcome of the national convention which the party has promised to be transparent, free, fair and acceptable to Nigerians,  must be accepted by all our aspirants.

“The aspirants have been assured of a transparent process at the national convention. The aspirants collectively assured the party also that their fears over the Port Harcourt convention has been allayed by the party.”

On why the party caved in to Wike’s threat, Ologbondiyan said the party resolved the issue, using its internal conflict resolution mechanisms.

READ ALSO: Presidency moves to end strike, banks, hospitals remain shut

Wike had, earlier in the week, threatened to deal with the PDP should it bow to pressure to move the convention away from his state.

A party official, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said that Wike apologised for his outbursts and pleaded with party leaders to gloss over the threats.

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Niyi Odebode, John Alechenu, Olusola Fabiyi, Friday Olokor,  Adelani Adepegba, Femi Makinde, and Olaleye Aluko

The Peoples Democratic Party on Friday said that it was wrong for President Muhammadu Buhari to have congratulated the All Progressives Congress candidate in the Osun State governorship election, Adegboyega Oyetola.

READ ALSO: Why APC disqualified Shittu, Al-Hassan – Oshiomhole

It said that the President by the action, had shown that the Presidency was behind the alleged electoral manipulations, outright rigging and bloodletting that the PDP said marred the process.

In a statement in Abuja on Friday, the PDP said it was sad that Buhari chose to ignore the observations of both local and international observers who he said monitored the rerun.

“Nothing can be more reprehensive; while the entire world is condemning the process and the blood of the innocent that were maimed by the APC thugs is yet to dry on the streets of Osun State, the Presidency and the APC are busy celebrating a stolen mandate,” the party said.

This came just as civil rights groups and chieftains of the PDP, including the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, berated the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Buhari-led administration over the conduct of the Osun State governorship election.

Osun poll, a demonstration of tyranny–Atiku

Atiku, in a statement on Friday, described the declaration of the candidate of the APC in the election, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, as the winner as triumph of tyranny.

He said the announcement did not tally with what happened in the state on Saturday, September 22, and Thursday when the rerun in seven polling units was held.

According to him, the PDP candidate in the election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, won the poll.

The former Vice-President stated, “The result just declared today (Friday) in Osun by the INEC in favour of the APC and its candidate is a travesty of justice. That was not democracy. That was a demonstration of tyranny.

“The victory of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, was firmly established last week on Saturday the 22nd of September, 2018.

“This so-called victory of the APC is not a democratic victory. Observers, both foreign and domestic, reported the brazen intimidation of voters and outright suppression of voting in the PDP strongholds with even the PDP agents physically prevented from being at the polling units.”

It is an embarrassment to Nigeria’s democracy –Saraki

On his part, Saraki said the supplementary election was a charade and an embarrassment to Nigeria’s democracy.

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In a statement on Friday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki stated that the rerun was not needed in the first instance while the supplementary poll was unfair.

The statement read, “Yesterday (Friday), we witnessed another display of the subversion of the will of the Osun people during the rerun gubernatorial election in the state. The election was characterised by widespread voter intimidation, violence and harassment. Accredited observers were denied access to polling units and duly registered voters were prevented from participating in the electoral process by thugs and compromised security agents.

“Like I said a few days ago, this needless rerun election was only designed as an avenue for the ruling party to perpetrate electoral fraud. The nature of this election is an embarrassment to our democracy and casts an alarming pall on the institutions responsible for protecting the will of the Nigerian people as stated through their votes. That was why for more than 10 hours, INEC could not collate and announce results in just seven polling units with just over 2,000 votes.”

PDP calls for Yakubu’s resignation

Meanwhile, the National Executive Committee of the PDP called for the resignation of the Chairman of INEC,  Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this while briefing journalists after the NEC meeting on Thursday.

The party accused the Yakubu-led INEC of connivance and manipulations of the electoral process in Thursday’s governorship  rerun in Osun State.

The PDP spokesman said, “NEC warned against allowing the current INEC leadership under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to continue in office as it has shown it cannot conduct a free, fair and credible election at any level.”

INEC declines comment

However, INEC  refused to make any comment on the PDP allegations on Friday. Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, declined to speak on the matter.

A top source in the commission, however, said, “This is the fifth or sixth time that the PDP would make such call for the chairman’s resignation and all is because of the elections that they have lost. In a democracy, when you are the loser, it is easy to make noise.”

APC hails poll, Oyetola’s victory

But the APC, however, insisted that its candidate in the election, Oyetola, won the poll.

It described his victory as an “emphatic and hard-fought win.”

This was contained in a statement signed by the acting National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, in Abuja, on Friday.

The ruling party said its candidate won the election despite attempts by the PDP to subvert the will of the people through various attempts to rig the poll.

Oshiomhole taunts Saraki, PDP

Also, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said the party succeeded where  Saraki and the PDP  failed to strike a deal with Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Oshiomhole said Omisore’s support played a decisive role in galvanising support for the APC candidate who won the election.

The APC chairman said this at a press conference in Abuja, on Friday.

He said, “I will like to again express our gratitude to God and to the great people of Osun State for renewing confidence in our party as evidenced by their free choice of the APC candidate in the 22nd September election.

“I want to be able to assure the great people of Osun State that the new governor under the guidance of the party will do everything possible to justify the confidence reposed, not only in the governor as a person, the governor-elect but also in our party as a political party platform.”

Our pact with Omisore—Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole has explained the agreement of the party with the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Oshiomhole, who gave the explanation at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, said that there would not be automatic ticket for Omisore.

Responding to a question on whether the APC promised Omisore an automatic ticket to contest  a senatorial seat, He said, “I don’t like those words  ‘automatic tickets.’ I was careful even after the meeting we had with our lawmakers not to use those words.

“We will provide a level-playing field for all to contest, if I didn’t promise our members automatic tickets, how can I promise a person I do not yet know?”

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He noted that, perhaps, the PDP forgot that Omisore had served as a deputy governor to Chief Bisi Akande, the pioneer interim national chairman of the APC before the then PDP government “rigged them out of office.

Oshiomhole said the working relationship between Omisore’s Social Democratic Party and the APC in support of Oyetola, proved decisive.

Oshiomhole said, “I said we had a negotiation and had a deal that has to do with the governance of Osun State. I didn’t go with money and I don’t have money to give to anybody. He didn’t ask and there was no basis for him to ask.

“We agreed that he would have an opportunity for him to contest for a seat on the APC platform. Not just for Senate or House of Representatives, but also for house of assembly. That is why I said we spoke about the immediate which is the Osun election and going forward.”

He said the APC having recognised the fact that the SDP was critical to the rerun, decided to a open negotiation with its leadership.

Oshiomhole stated,  “He (Omisore) told us that, yes he has lost, but he believes that he can still win if we have a deal that seeks to address the primary purpose of his participation in the process which is the governance of the state and specific policy issues that were of concern to him.

“We had a robust conversation and reached an agreement which I think is healthy. We didn’t have to negotiate about compensation or about paying money to anyone. The issue was about governance, education and how we can have a working relationship ahead of the general election and in future elections.

“We were able to strike a deal that has to do with the specific issues that affect the welfare and the well being of the people of Osun State. Whereas Saraki failed to strike a deal with the SDP, we secured a deal with them and now the APC, working with the SDP had a huge influence in those areas and combining our efforts, it was not strange that at the end, we won.”

Buhari’s integrity at stake –ADC

However, the African Democratic Congress, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Yemi Kolapo, said the supplementary poll was nothing but a sham.

According to the ADC, it is now clear that “the failed government will stop at nothing to subvert the people’s will.”

The party stated, “For a government that has failed to deliver on all its promises and has instead foisted untold suffering on citizens, while resorting to lies, bogus claims, witch-hunting to cover up its gross deficiencies, the Osun debacle was, indeed, a desperate last resort to retain power by all means.

My mandate is sacred, says Oyetola

However, the Osun State governor-elect, Oyetola, has described the mandate given to him by the people of the state as sacred

Oyetola, who said this in his acceptance speech made available to one of our correspondents in Osogbo on Friday, expressed gratitude to the people of the state and to the APC leaders and members, saying he would not let the people down because he was familiar with the challenges ahead.

He said, “I regard the mandate given to me by the good people of Osun as sacred and I am taking it seriously. Of course, I have been part of the new beginning that started eight years ago.

Oyetola stated that he won the governorship election at the first ballot, saying there were loads of evidence to prove this but he just accepted the INEC’s decision on the rerun supplementary poll.

However, the PDP governorship candidate, Adeleke, insisted that the APC had stolen his mandate, assuring his supporters that he would reclaim it in court.

Police, CDD disagree over violence at Osun poll

Meanwhile, the Police and the Centre for Democracy and Development have disagreed over cases of violence at the Osun State governorship election.

Although the Nigeria Police Force said there was no record of violence during the supplementary poll, the CDD, in its assessment, stated that the conduct of some key stakeholders during the poll clearly ran contrary to democratic norms and standards.

The police had debunked reports that thugs harassed some voters, journalists and observers at some wards, saying no one was prevented from carrying out their civic responsibility during the election.

The NPF spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said in a statement in Abuja on Friday that there was no official complaint of violence or injuries, stressing that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the police personnel during the poll.

But the CDD, in a statement by its Executive Director, Idayat Hassan, berated the conduct of security agents and politicians, who she said took steps that were clearly inimical to the conduct of a free, fair and credible election.

Hassan said, “The CDD observers reported several cases of denial of access to polling units to observers and even voters. CDD’s field observers deployed to observe the process and ensure its credibility, especially in Orolu and Osogbo local government areas, were intimidated, threatened and in some cases arrested by security forces.

“Credible reports from our field observers showed that despite being duly accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission, several of the observers and journalists were stopped from observing the process.”

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Success Nwogu, Ilorin

The member representing the Irepodun Isin-Ekiti  Oke Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara State in the House of Representatives, Ms. Funke Adedoyin, is dead.

Our correspondent gathered that she died in a hospital in Abuja on Friday.

It was further learnt that she had been treated abroad for cancer.

A sister to the late lawmaker, Mrs. Omolola Olobayo, confirmed the death of her sister in a telephone interview with our correspondent.

Olobayo, who is a former chairman of the Kwara and Kogi states chapter of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, said her sister died in an Abuja hospital after returning from a treatment abroad.

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Olufemi Atoyebi, Lekan Adetayo, Success Nwogu, Samuel Awoyinfa, Simon Utebor, Mudiaga Affe, Etim Ekpimah, Jesusegun Alagbe and Alexander Okere

The Presidency on Friday said it had begun moves to end the nationwide strike organised by the Nigerian Labour Congress.

The Presidency in a statement said a meeting had been scheduled for Thursday.

[READ ALSO] Strike: Unions disrupt flight operations at Lagos airport

The NLC had on Wednesday directed all its members and affiliate unions to commence a nationwide strike on Thursday, following the failure of a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in Abuja, to produce a positive result.

Meanwhile, the strike entered its second day on Friday as banks, government offices, hospitals, schools, petrol stations, TV and radio stations, among others, were shut.

Schools, banks, hospitals, others shut in South-West

In Ogun State, one of our correspondents observed as government offices and schools were shut, while a few banks operated skeletal services.

At the Oke Mosan Secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, few civil servants were seen in some of the offices within the complex.

In Ondo State, there was compliance with the NLC directive as government offices remained shut.

Only two private TV stations were in operation in Akure, the state capital, as the government-owned radio and TV stations remained closed.

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However, when one of our correspondents visited some of the government hospitals in Akure, it was observed that some skeletal works were going on, while it was gathered that only senior medical officers were allowed to enter into the facilities to perform some skeletal works.

In Ibadan, Oyo State capital, the level of compliance with the NLC order was near total as banks were closed while civil servants stayed away from work.

All schools, except privately-owned ones, were also closed.

Patients patronise private hospitals in S’South as residents groan

The NLC strike also took its toll on residents in the South-South as government facilities, as well as commercial banks, remained shut.

One of our correspondents who monitored the situation on Friday in Edo State found out that some patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, had started leaving the facility for private hospitals due to strike by health workers.

In Akwa Ibom State, when one of our correspondents visited the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, the workers blocked the entrance gate and were seen drumming, dancing, and singing, “Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop; enough is enough!”

The state Chairman of the NLC, Mr Etim Ukpong, told Saturday PUNCH the workers had been pushed to the wall, which was why the strike action was needed.

The state Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Mr John Cebastine, also said he was happy about the level of compliance with the NLC directive by workers in the state.

In Cross River and Bayelsa states, the situation was similar as public and private enterprises, including government offices, schools and financial institutions were closed to the public.

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The NLC Chairman in Cross River State, Mr John Ushie, said the union was on an enforcement drive to ensure total compliance.

Ushie’s counterpart in Bayelsa State, Mr John Bipre-Ndiomu, appealed to the federal and state governments to make workers’ well-being a top priority so as to promote good governance in the country.

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Friday Olokor and Afeez Hanafi

No fewer than 15 persons have been killed after some gunmen reportedly in military uniform attacked houses on Rukuba Road, in the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

While eight members of a family of 10 were killed in the first attack, two residents of an adjoining compound lost their lives in the onslaught.

It was learnt that the gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded the area in the early hours of Friday. The scene of the attack was a few kilometers from the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army in Jos.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the gunmen struck in the night when the victims were asleep. It was said that a teenage boy and his father managed to escape, but his mother and seven other members of the family were not lucky.

After killing them, the gunmen reportedly scaled the fence to the next compound where they killed two other persons.

Our correspondent learnt that a protest erupted on Friday morning when the boy identified a soldier at a military post in the area as one of the assailants. During the protest, five youths were reportedly killed by soldiers while several others were injured.

It was gathered that angry youths attacked the military post, but were repelled by soldiers who allegedly shot at them. The youths were also said to have marched to a police station in the community and set it ablaze, burning some vehicles.

A community leader, Chief Austin Ogbonna, who narrated the incident to one of our correspondents on the telephone, said many residents had fled the community.

Ogbonna said, “The gunmen were in military uniform. They attacked the family at night. A boy and his father escaped. They hid around the soak away in their house. But the boy’s mother and about seven other members of the family were unable to escape. They were massacred.

“The gunmen went to the next residence. They killed an Igbo man and one other person. Nobody knows their mission. In the morning, the boy identified one of the assailants at a military post close to where the incident happened. That triggered a protest. People attacked the military post and soldiers responded with gunshots. That was how the whole thing escalated.

“Five protesters were killed while several others were seriously injured and rushed to hospitals. The number of death may increase. Youths set ablaze Kabong Police Post in Gada Biu and vehicles parked around there were burnt.”

Ogbonna added that the tragedy had paralysed commercial activities in the community, adding that a curfew had been imposed on the area.

Meanwhile, the Special Military Taskforce, codenamed Operation Safe Haven, on Friday confirmed that 11 persons were killed during the attack.

The OPSH in a statement by its spokesperson, Major Umar Adams, said the killings had taken place before soldiers arrived at the scene.

In a telephone conversation with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, the Commander of OPSH, Maj. Gen. Augustine Agundu, denied that protesters were killed by soldiers.

The spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, Matthias Tyopev, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed that there were casualties, but did not give the exact statistics.

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John Charles, Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Friday raised the alarm over alleged disappearance of N4bn from the final tranche of the Paris Club refund to the state.

Ortom had two weeks ago announced the receipt of N14.9bn last tranche of the Paris Club refund to the state by the Federal Government.

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But, barely five days after the receipt, officials of the state government announced that Federal Government had withdrawn the money.

The development raised anger in the state as workers and the government kicked against the recall.

Ortom, through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, on Friday raised the alarm over the situation.

He said, “We have heard the rumour that N4bn disappeared from the N14.9bn final tranche of the Paris Club refund to Benue State which the Federal Government later withdrew from the state’s bank account.

“We hope that this remains a mere rumour. Nothing must happen to the N14.9bn.

“If this is a ploy to sell a dummy to the people and later take away the said amount, those behind it had better changed tactics because this has failed already.

“We will accept nothing less than the N14.9bn back to the state account.”

When contacted, the Commissioner for Finance in Benue State, David Olofu, said that he was not aware of the rumoured disappearance of the money.

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Olalekan Adetayo, Adelani Adepegba and Olaleye Aluko, Abuja

The Nigerian Air Force’s aerial display rehearsals for the October 1 Independence Day celebrations turned tragic bad on Friday when two F-7Ni fighter jets collided midair, resulting in a crash on Katamkpe Hill along the Kubwa Expressway, Abuja.

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The disaster led to the death of one pilot, while two others with severe injuries were hospitalised.

The Chief of Air of Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, immediately ordered an investigation into the air crash, a statement by NAF confirmed.

It was learnt that the deceased officer, Squadron Leader Bello Baba-Ari, who was a trainer pilot flew the combat fighter jet while the hospitalised officers flew the trainer jets.

It was gathered that the 32-year-old pilot, a squadron pilot at the Air Task Force, Operation Lafiya Dole, in the North-East, had taken off with two others in three fighter jets at about 12.30pm from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The planes collided minutes later around Katamkpe Hill.

It was learnt that the air tragedy necessitated the pilots to eject from their aircraft, which subsequently crashed on the hill, but Baba-Ari died due to complications from injuries sustained upon his impact on the ground.

A competent source at the NAF headquarters, Abuja, explained how the incident happened, noting that the two surviving pilots were receiving medical attention in a NAF medical facility.

He said, “The speed of a fighter jet is usually very fast such that immediately you take off as a pilot, you have to begin to negotiate how you will land. When he took off, he slowed down in the air so that the two others could catch up with him. But somehow, they ran ahead of him and one of them then collided with his.

“The two other pilots used parachutes to negotiate their way out of the jet but he, as a senior pilot, wanted to sort out the jet and bring it to safety. There was also a problem with his parachute. So he crashed on the ground with the jet.”

When one of our correspondents visited the scene on Friday, smoke billowed from the site, and two NAF Mi-35M helicopters were drafted to evacuate some the pilots and some items from the site.

An eyewitness, who gave his name only as Miracle, attributed the death of the NAF officer to the failed deployment of his parachute.

He explained that he saw the jet crashing down and the air officer struggling as his aircraft hit the ground and burst into flames.

He said, “I watched the jets coming down and the pilots struggling to eject from the aircraft. Two officers successfully ejected from a jet, but the third one was not so lucky because the parachute did not open (deploy), so he landed on the ground and died.

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“The other two narrowly escaped being roasted in the flame that engulfed their crashed aircraft, their escape and survival was nothing short of a miracle.”

The deceased officer, who was once acting Commander at the Air Defence Group, Makurdi, Benue State, was buried at about 5pm at the Gudu Cemetery in Apo area in a sober occasion attended by his father, relations, the COAS, Abubakar, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, confirmed that the COAS had ordered an investigation into the incident.

He said, “I wish to confirm that an air incident involving two Nigerian Air Force aircraft taking part in the rehearsals for the 58th Independence Day Celebrations occurred in Abuja. It is with a heavy heart that I regretfully announce that one of the pilots who successfully ejected from one of the F-7Ni aircraft passed on.

“The Chief of the Air Staff has instituted an air crash investigation to determine the remote and immediate causes of the incident.”

Buhari’s CoS, SGF, others attend pilot’s burial

The remains of Baba-Ari, who hailed from Yobe State, was laid to rest at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.

Aside the COAS, others who attended the burial were Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and Olonishakin.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, hundreds of officers and men of the Nigerian Army, as well as friends and relatives of the deceased, were also at the burial.

Senior military officers and colleagues of the deceased could not control their emotions as they wept while the remains of Baba-Ari was committed to mother earth.

Abubakar said a board of inquiry had been set up to unravel the cause of the crash of the military jets.

Buhari commiserates, sends delegation to survivors

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday commiserated with the Nigerian Air Force on the air accident which involved two fighter jets in the fleet in Abuja.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President paid tributes to the gallantry of the squadron leader.

He also wished the two other wounded officers quick recovery.

In a condolence message delivered on his behalf by Abubakar, he assured the families that having paid the supreme sacrifice, the nation would not forget him.

He prayed that God would grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and assured family members that the country would not abandon them.

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Representatives of the President also visited the two other officers, Squadron Leader Abatuba and Flight Lieutenant Ambi, in the hospital and conveyed the President’s good wishes to them.

The President wished them quick recovery and assured them that the hearts of Nigerians were with them and were praying for them as they make a quick return to good health.

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Nigeria was granted independence by Britain on October 1, 1960, but the independence did not just happen. Before then, some Nigerians had started calling for independence from British colonial rule, and these included notable Nigerians such as Sir Herbert Macaulay, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and Chief Anthony Enahoro. Their struggles later bore fruits because on October 27, 1958, when Britain agreed that Nigeria would become an independent state, and at the turn of the clock at 12am on October 1, 1960, the country became independent.

The Union Jack (British national flag) was then lowered and the new Nigerian flag was hoisted in its place. Balewa was made the first prime minister of Nigeria in 1957 and after the pre-independence elections of 1959; he retained the position as prime minister in a coalition government of the Northern Peoples Congress and Azikiwe’s National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons. Balewa continued to hold that position after Nigeria got its independence in 1960, but was killed in a military coup in 1966. Balewa’s eldest male child, Yakubu Tafawa Balewa, talks about his father and Nigeria’s independence in this interview with ARMSTRONG BAKAM

Nigeria is about to celebrate its 58th independence anniversary, could you tell us where you were at the time Nigeria got independence?

I really cannot remember because I was young then but I know that I was somewhere around one swimming pool. It was either behind Onikan Stadium, Lagos or at the Ikoyi hotel. I was there with some friends. I remember it because the night before then, I was at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, where the whole thing took place. That was the night when the leadership of the country was changed and given to Nigeria. The following day, I went there because I felt only military parade and other things would be held; I didn’t even intend to go.

Can you take us to October 1st, 1960, what can you remember about that particular day?

It was a ceremonial occasion; so Nigerians were very jubilant, they were very happy. I didn’t really know what the independence meant but I saw how people were happy and everyone was jovial. I felt that it was a great thing.

Were you also happy because you saw people happy?

Well, I was also happy

What can you say about your father’s (Balewa) mood on the D-Day, was he apprehensive or was he relaxed?

He was very calm and he was more to himself and most of the time, he was always on his own.

Were there things that he told you that Nigerians don’t really know about?

Hmm! That is a difficult one. Truly, nothing much that I can remember because normally, when we were discussing, it was hard to be around other close relatives and friends.

Is there any spectacular experience that you had with him that Nigerians don’t really know about?

What I remember is that there was a time in 1965 that I was called by the late prime minister (Balewa), not knowing that he was with one of his close friends. They were discussing in the parlour. It was then that I heard what the man he was with was telling him. He was telling him to kill someone because if he didn’t kill the person, the person would end his life. The prime minister laughed and said, “My life is in the hands of God, whatever it is, when my time comes, chief or without chief, I am going to die.” I later left the place but I didn’t understand who it was that they were talking about. It was later in 1982 or 1983 when I went to greet the friend that was with my father then, that he told me what they were talking on that day in 1965.  He even mentioned the names of those people involved. When I told him what the prime minister told him that day, he was shocked because he didn’t know that I heard their conversation. I told him that if he remembered, I was just in front of them when they were having their discussion. He then said he remembered. Because of that, I feel, he was a man of his words. He was a man that stood for what Nigeria needs now. All the names of people he mentioned to me; I don’t think there is any need to mention them and heat up the polity because they are all dead.

Looking at what is happening politically today in Nigeria, politicians have been known to be desperate enough to kill because of their ambition. What do you think, in relation to the discussion you said you heard several years ago?

That’s to tell you that people are power hungry, and you can hardly stop them from doing what they have planned to do, it is very unfortunate.

You said your father wasn’t desperate about being in power, but looking at what is happening today, what advice would you give politicians who are desperate for power and will do anything to get to power?

Whatever you achieve cannot give you satisfaction and progress.

Few days to Nigeria’s independence, your father might have been travelling a lot and having lots of meetings with different people, did you know what was going on then?

I was in school; it was because I was on break then that I was lucky to see and be part of what was happening. I cannot say much about what was happening. It was only what I observed that I know because I was not allowed to be involved in what was happening.

Balewa worked closely with Sir Ahmadu Bello as they were both members of the Northern Peoples Congress, what was the kind of relationship that Balewa had with Bello?

They were both brothers and to be precise, there was nothing that could come between these three people: Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Tafawa Balewa and Muhammmadu Ribadu, they were very close that you could not differentiate between them. You hardly could see any difference; maybe because they went to the same school, Sardauna of Sokoto (Bello) was the eldest among them. Whenever they were sitting down, you would see Balewa lying on the floor, not because he could not sit on the chair with them but because he was used to it.

Even when he was Prime Minister?

Yes, he was still the prime minister then, but it was not age that counted then but he usually felt like doing what he did and many other things you could think of. The Premier of Northern Region (Bello) was the grandson to Shehu Usman dan Fodio. They didn’t make any fuss about their age difference. Sardauna was always saying that the prime minister’s children were his children; he regarded us as his children. There were no differences; he never segregated. They were good brothers rather than friends.

How would you describe your father, was he humble or not?

He was very humble and he was down to earth. He was always trying to see the progress of everybody; that’s all I can say about him.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe were in rival parties but they had all fought for Nigeria’s independence, what kind of relationship did Balewa have with those two?

They were good friends based on what I saw because I remember that there were a lot of people that came to have meetings in the prime minister’s house because he was the leader of his party at that time. Whenever he called them for a party, I could see them laughing and chatting, but I knew that maybe they had differences but they always trashed them out at the National Assembly.

All the arguments were made there; whatever ended, ended in the house. They didn’t come out to start discussing what they had dealt with in the Assembly and so on.

So, you mean the issues they had were just within the Parliament and not taken outside?

Yes, that was what I felt and that was what I saw.

When Balewa was Prime Minister, what kind of father was he at home?

We only met in the mornings during breakfast, though, I wasn’t in Lagos, but whenever I was in Lagos during holidays, we only met in the mornings for breakfast and from there, everyone moved on with their daily activities.

From that time, you didn’t meet again till the next day?

No, we did meet, but not the kind of meeting that would allow for chatting.

So you all sat together for breakfast?

Yes, it was always an interesting moment.

There is an old picture of him sitting on a mat, playing with children. Some reports say he was on vacation at the time. How did he spend his vacation?

Normally, he was always at rest. You would hardly see him mingling with official matters during his vacation. He was always at home with his children and other relatives.

How would you describe what is happening politically in Nigeria now? Are you happy with the happenings compared to what happened then?

As my father said then, everything is in the hands of God, and whatever comes, you have to deal with it because that is how God wants it to be. But I think there were some things that were very serious and helped to bring Nigeria to where it is. If Nigeria were to be where it was in 1960, I believe that we would have got somewhere meaningful. Right from the time Nigeria got independence, during the Congo crisis when Nigeria sent troops there, some African countries had started hating Nigeria. It was from there that the whole world tried to meddle in Nigeria’s affairs and other things started coming. I’m sure these were some of the things that caused problems for Nigeria. Some of the small African countries were envious and it was that envy that caused problems. It was from that time that they started sending money in for those who were trigger-happy and all of that. That was when that thing started.

Nigeria has a lot of natural resources enough to take care of everybody and make us live comfortably. Do you think our leaders have done enough to make sure Nigerians are comfortable as your father wished?

To be precise, there was a time when I was still a bit young then, I can vividly remember how somebody was telling the prime minister – you have this, you have that, why are you not touching them, why are you not enjoying them? And he said, first of all, Nigeria is young, we just got independence and our resources are not enough. Those who will tap from these things will be from outside, so let us think of bringing our children up in a manner that in their time, they will tap from all these things. Let us just trace where those things are and pinpoint the locations, and that was what they did.

Do you think the people managing these resources are managing them well?

(Laughs) I cannot tell because the resources have yet to be mined, at least, most of them. So in that regard, it is only left for the government to think of what to do. There are a lot of things to be done, especially to improve our minds; we are not serious about building Nigeria at all. We are more serious about building individuals. How can we achieve anything more than this?

When you say building individuals, what do you mean?

Is it only the politicians that are leading Nigeria? What of the civil servants, the military, and many others. You are just talking about politicians; these people are not there permanently, they only stay for a time. If we are building, let us build everybody, honestly.

What can you say about Nigeria’s 58th independence anniversary?

Despite the problems, Nigeria has got somewhere and we are going further ahead but it is only that things are moving slowly. Truly, Nigeria is going somewhere compared to other African countries.

Are you hopeful that Nigeria will get it right soon?

Yes, by God’s grace.

Did your late father leave valuable assets behind as inheritance for his children as he was the prime minister then? What did he leave for you?

There was a time, which was on December 27, 1965, he was on vacation and was going back. He told me that I should never expect that he would leave much money for us. He even mentioned the amount he would leave behind for us and what each of us could inherit. Honestly, he told me that. I didn’t realise that he was trying to tell me that his death was close; that was just about two weeks before he died. He told me what we should expect; he told me the amount.

How much was it?

(Laughs), it was, honestly, about £10, 000 each. That was what he said. If you calculated it then, it wasn’t up to N1m that he left behind. That was what he said. That was on December 27, 1965. He was travelling and I had just gone in to tell him ‘safe journey.’ That was when he told me that. It just came like that, not knowing that he was telling me that his time was up. I didn’t know that. It was later on that I realised it. May his soul rest in peace!

So you think he knew he was going to die soon afterwards?

Yes truly, he had that feeling because he even told my mother where he should be buried. In fact, he couldn’t have told me about what we would inherit; it came just like that, I am being honest with you.

With what you said, he didn’t leave any assets for you; can you compare what happened then with the situation now?

Don’t compare Nigeria of those days with Nigeria of today. So much materialism bothers people now. What is happening? That is why people are killing people and it is all about materialism. It’s just so unfortunate.

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Elizabeth Badejo

An unhappy marriage is like something toxic. When living with a spouse who has several complex characters, it makes it extremely difficult to enjoy a good marital relationship. Below are five common characters which can ruin your marriage.

Criticism

No one deserves to feel humiliated, especially when it is coming from your spouse whom you vowed to spend the rest of your life with. Criticism is a deceitful character that can ruin your marriage. Your marriage is meant to enhance and not to diminish you; when your spouse becomes critical about every action you take, they will never find the reason to appreciate you even when you deserve it. Criticism can be in the form of small comments which can sometimes breed huge arguments, causing hurtful and degrading comments too.

Being contemptuous

Marriage as an institution symbolises respect and dignity as love can only be made possible through admiration and self-worth. It is impossible to love someone when you do not have respect for their feelings.  Contempt is an attitude of dominance and dislike, a sign that your spouse is totally and ultimately in control of your marriage while you become their subordinate.

A contemptuous spouse does not value your feelings or opinions and is reluctant to identify with anything concerning your growth and development either within or outside the marriage. It is certainly dangerous to remain in such a marriage if your spouse is indifferent and unwilling to change.

Cautiousness

As much as being cautious comes with some advantages, nevertheless, an overcautious spouse can be a great disfavour to your marriage, especially if they are always paranoid and cynical too. Marriage is a risk on its own because it exposes the vulnerability of two separate individuals as they embark on this journey, giving it all it takes to experience true happiness.

A cautious spouse will find it difficult to plan and invest in their marriage because of uncertainties plaguing their thoughts. It will be impossible to build a fruitful marriage with an overcautious spouse; it is a case of taking one step forward and two steps back.

Callousness

A callous spouse is a dispassionate individual who has persistently neglected their spouse and shown a lack of empathy too. Callousness can manifest in your spouse’s character because of certain life changing situations which have had an adverse effect on their lives, changing their personality and behaviour in total. Living with a callous spouse can be very difficult, especially if they have had a bad share of life’s experiences and have suddenly begun to take their frustration out on others.

 Compulsiveness

Have you ever thought that your spouse may have a compulsive disorder affecting their behaviour but unfortunately, they may either be ignorant of their situation or simply too haughty to understand the condition.

Compulsion is a behaviour which becomes repetitive and typical when it is linked with relief from anxiety. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a mental illness that afflicts people due to genetic and hereditary factors. Chemical, structural and functional abnormalities in the brain are also the cause.

Your spouse may experience obsessions, compulsions, or both which can cause a lot of distress. Obsessions are frustrating and repetitive thoughts, urges and images that don’t go away easily.

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The United States of America has warned Iran that it would respond promptly and appropriately to any attacks against any of its citizens, entities or allies.

US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, stated this in response to threats of attacks on the US Consulate in Baghdad.

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Pompeo said, “The President and I have no more important priority than the safety and security of American citizens, including our diplomatic, military and other officials serving abroad.

“Threats to our personnel and facilities in Iraq from the Government of Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, and from militias facilitated by and under the control and direction of the Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani have increased over the past several weeks.

“There have been repeated incidents of indirect fire from elements of those militias directed at our Consulate General in Basrah and our Embassy in Baghdad, within the past 24 hours.

“I have advised the Government of Iran that the United States will hold Iran directly responsible for any harm to Americans or to our diplomatic facilities in Iraq or elsewhere and whether perpetrated by Iranian forces directly or by associated proxy militias.

“I have made clear that Iran should understand that the United States will respond promptly and appropriately to any such attacks,” he said.

Pompeo added, “Given the increasing and specific threats and incitement to attack our personnel and facilities in Iraq, I have directed that a temporary and appropriate relocation of diplomatic personnel in Iraq take place.

“We are working closely with our partners in the Government and Security Forces of Iraq to address these threats.

“We look to all international parties interested in peace and stability in Iraq and the region to reinforce our message to Iran regarding the unacceptability of their behaviour”.

The Secretary of State also said he had placed the Consulate in Basrah on “ordered departure.”

(NAN)

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has chided Nigerian elite for remaining silent in the face of alleged misrule of the country by the Peoples Democratic Party between 1999 and 2015.

He said while they allowed Nigeria to be mismanaged for 16 years without raising a voice in consternation, they had been accusing him of being too slow.

According to a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke at a meeting he had with the Nigerian community in the United States of America on Thursday in New York.

The meeting was held on the margins of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly holding in New York.

Buhari said he had taken Nigerians as his constituency because of the way they had been standing by him, saying this was the reason he had been conscious of them.

The statement quoted him as saying, “They (Nigerian elite) didn’t say a word. Under the Petroleum Trust Fund, we did roads from Lagos to Abuja, to Onitsha, to Port Harcourt. Since then, the roads were not done, between 1999 and 2015, yet the elite did not say a word.

“I was called Baba Go Slow. Those who were going fast, where did they get to?

“In 1983, military officers gathered and made me Head of State. I packed the politicians into jail, told them they were guilty until they could prove their innocence. We seized what they had looted, but after I myself was put in detention, the politicians were given back what they had looted. How many elite complained about that?

“Three times I contested elections; three times I went to court after the elections were rigged against me. No justice, but I said ‘God dey.’ It was mainly the people that stood by me. That is why I am always conscious of them. They are my constituency. Even pregnant women in the queue would fall into labour, go to have their babies, and still come back to vote for me. I will keep doing my best for the country.”

Buhari told the Nigerians living in the US that if he wins the 2019 election and spends another four years in office, he would leave some difference in the office.

The Nigerians in the US and Canada who met with the President in their scores, were top professionals, drawn from fields like medicine, engineering, sports, arts, investment, academic, politics, agriculture, transport, education, publishing and many others.

The President added, “If you want to help back home, invest in education in your constituencies. If you educate people, they won’t then accept nonsense from anybody.”

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Justin Tyopuusu, Jalingo

There are strong indications that the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Alhassan, may dump the ruling All Progressives Congress to the United Democratic Party.

An aide to Mrs. Alhassan, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the former minister resigned her appointment on Friday morning.

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She was said to be waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari’s response before joining the UDP.

However, when contacted, the media aide to Alhassan, Mr. Bala Maina, said the resignation remained a speculation and that the former minister would react at the appropriate time.

He said, “We can’t say anything for now, but note that the masses own the party and we shall always align ourselves with their verdict.”

A source close to the minister said her resignation had to do with the decision of the National Working Committee of the APC, which refused to grant her clearance to contest the governorship primary of the party in her home state of Taraba slated for Sunday.

Alhassan and the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, who is from Oyo State, were not cleared to contest for the governorship primary by the National Working Committee of the party.

Though no reason was given in the case of Alhassan, Shittu was not cleared following his failure to participate in the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps scheme.

Another source told Saturday PUNCH in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, that Alhassan was not surprised by the decision as she was privy to an alleged plot by the National Chairman of the Party, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, to frustrate her ambition of becoming the next governor of Taraba State.

Our correspondent gathered that the open declaration by the former minister in support of the presidential ambition of a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, put her in the bad books of the APC leadership.

The source said, “The minister is a force to reckon with in Taraba and nobody can win her among those contesting for the party’s gubernatorial ticket in the state.

READ ALSO: Kwara rep, Adedoyin, is dead

“Her political weight became a threat to the bigwigs in the party who are out to satisfy their personal interests. Clash of interests in the APC led to the decision not to clear the minister whom they believe will win the ticket against their preferred candidates given whatever mode of primary that would be adopted by the party.”

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The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has summoned the managing director of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation over shortage of equipment deployed for the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan standard guage rail project.

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday, Amaechi issued the directive during the monthly inspection of the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor in Ibadan, Oyo State.

He said though he was impressed with the level of progress on the project, more equipment must be purchased for the launching of beams for more to be done before the December deadline.

According to him, the CCECC needs to launch the beams in three months with more equipment, adding that one will be launched toward Ibadan and the other toward Papalanto and Abeokuta.

Amaechi, however, scheduled a meeting with the CCECC MD for Monday to deliberate on the way forward on some of the challenges limiting the progress of work on the site.

He said, “We are impressed with the work they have done from Ibadan to Abeokuta. They have relatively done well. I think by December the whole work should be ready. The problem is the launching of beams to cross the bridge and the laying of tracks because you can’t lay tracks unless you cross the bridge.

“They have about four or five (bridges) to Lagos and even if they want to launch them together, it will take three months because if they don’t launch it, we can’t cross. That is why I said they need to get more equipment. If they don’t get more equipment then we have a problem.”

Amaechi, however, said government was still on course to meet the December deadline, adding that the issues on the stations’ design would be concluded in two weeks. He noted Nigerians were eager to see results.

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday alleged that some international collaborators were hiding in secret jurisdictions to encourage corruption.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke during a forum tagged, High-Level Roundtable on Corruption, Migration, Bridging Africa’s Infrastructural Gap for Sustainable Development at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The forum was organised by the New Partnership for Africa Development/the African Peer Review Mechanism.

Buhari said checking the menace of corruption would create major sources of funding for developmental programmes and projects for African economies.

He expressed regret that huge amounts of funds were still being squirreled out of the continent.

He said, “It is still worrisome considering that billions of dollars, great talents and professionals are continually drained out of the continent through various corrupt activities thus causing poor investment inflows, undermining the rule of law, stifling trade, worsening macro-economic conditions and escalating level of poverty in our countries.

“These detestable practices are being perpetrated by some international collaborators hiding in secret jurisdictions.”

Buhari, however, expressed delight that efforts are being made by African leaders to ensure greater transparency and accountability in government business, fostering regional integration as well as creating enabling environment for the youth.

He added, “We must adopt laws, regulations and policies that encourage transparent financial transactions, youth and women’s empowerment programmes as well as establishing good infrastructural links among member states towards sanitising the continent of these ills.”

He described the New Partnership for Africa’s Development as a strategic framework document designed for the “socio-economic development of Africa and a policy framework to address our economic and social challenges.”

…blames youth migration on climate change

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu has identified climate change as one of the reasons Nigerian youths embark on illegal migration to Europe.

He listed other causes of illegal migration from developing to developed countries to include lack of security, education and healthcare among others.

According to a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke on Thursday while receiving Mr. Toni Iwobi, of Nigerian origin who is the first Blackman ever to be elected senator in Italy.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly holding in New York.

Iwobi met with Buhari along with a high-powered team from the Italian Senate.

The President said, “Climate change has had negative impact on a big country like Nigeria.

“That is why our youths often defy the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, to try and get to Europe. It is a problem that needs to be solved.”

Buhari also congratulated Iwobi who was elected in March this year, on the platform of the far-right League Party.

While also congratulating Italy, the President said Iwobi’s election showed the advanced respect of Italians for human beings, in spite of colour, saying it was very impressive.

The team from Italy discussed issues like illegal migration and how it could be curbed through investments in Africa, recharge of the Lake Chad via inter-basin water transfer, among others.

“Africa doesn’t need charity, but collaboration to develop,” Iwobi declared.

The Italian Senate delegation plans to visit Nigeria soon.

In another development, Buhari has pledged that Nigeria will always live up to its financial commitments to the Economic Community of West African States in order not to be seen as “big for nothing.”

President spoke in his capacity as the chairman of ECOWAS while receiving briefing from the President of ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Brou, in New York on Thursday.

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Jesusegun Alagbe

After using your money and strength to cook some food or buy fruits to store in the fridge, your nightmare would be to see the foods get spoilt. However, your fear can actually become a reality if your fridge decides to frustrate you. As soon as your fridge stops cooling to around 37ºF (or 2.8ºC), it’s time to take action to prevent your food from getting spoilt. And here’s how to get through the disaster quickly, until you can get your fridge repaired or get a new one

Make two piles

First, you need to decide which foods you really need to keep cold and which ones are safe to leave on the counter until you have a functional fridge.

Note that foods that don’t need to be kept cold include: Peanut butter; most cooking oils, with the exception of nut oils; herbs; potatoes; most fruits and vegetables; bread; coffee; honey; ketchup; mustard and hot sauce.

Meanwhile, foods that you need to keep 37ºF or lower to prevent bacteria growth and spoilage include: dairy products (cheese, milk, whipped cream, sour cream); eggs; leftovers and meats (cooked or uncooked).

Store food safely

Now that you have food in two separate piles, it’s time to store the foods that need to be chilled.

Grab a food cooler (or ice chest) and put a layer of frozen foods in the bottom. Then put a layer of foods from the fridge on top of that layer. Top it off with another layer of frozen foods. The frozen foods will keep everything cold while you run to the store to get a bag of ice and a fridge thermometer.

Remove the ice from the bag and nestle it around the food items in the cooler. Don’t just set the bag on top and call it good! Distributing the ice will keep all of the food at a more consistent temperature.

To be sure that your food isn’t getting too warm, keep a fridge thermometer inside the cooler.

Professional tip: If you don’t have a food cooler, use your freezer, if you can. It’s insulated and will keep your food cold as long as you keep the door shut and keep a fresh supply of ice in it. To prevent melting ice from turning your freezer into a pond, put ice in bowls and place them around the foods.

Source: cnet.com

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Tunde Ajaja

The shame that confronted both of them as they were ushered out of the office premises that morning could make anyone in their shoes want to attempt the unthinkable – like entering the ground, if possible – at that moment. It all happened in the full glare of their colleagues.

The incident happened in East Anglia, United Kingdom, few months ago when two co-workers of Tesco Superstore were caught having a romp in the sack in the office after the close of work. In fact, it wasn’t the conventional way, the guy, 35-year-old Neville Fox, who was the Fresh Produce Manager, was performing oral sex on a younger colleague, who was 19.

They were recorded by a group of youngsters who saw them through the window from somewhere in the neighbourhood, and after the video went viral and the firm investigated it, they were both fired from their jobs. UK Sun reported that the lady cried as she was escorted off the premises, alongside a distraught Neville.

Frankly, it goes without saying and it’s entirely understandable that romance (not necessarily sexual) in the workplace is one thing that has been there for a long time and might not fade out completely. It is even more pronounced in offices where employees spend lengthy time at work, which makes it more probable for one or two of them to start having attraction for one another and from there take things beyond official.

On why people actually go into relationship in the workplace, a consultant psychologist, Prof. Oni Fagboungbe, said, “There is always a setting that brings people together and so, when two people meet consistently in a setting, maybe in the office, market or even in the airplane, and since stimulus and response influence people’s actions and behaviour, that is why people meet anywhere and they fall in love.”

While that of Neville and the 19-year-old lady led to sexual intimacy, some do not get to that level and it’s just a matter of enjoying each other’s company. Also, while some, including married persons, do it as a fling, some others initiate it with the intention of getting married to such persons. However, the latter is the focus of this piece. Thus, for people considering engaging a co-worker in a serious relationship, and not just based on shared feelings about something wrong at work, here are things to note before giving it a go.

One should quit if company policy forbids it: This is arguably the most important factor, as it even determines whether the lovebirds would still remain employed once a third party finds out. While there is nothing wrong with falling in love with a (junior or senior) colleague at work, everything could be wrong with it if it’s against the policy of the company. This is because it could lead to the sacking of either or both of them if the company policy does not support it. Thus, before going into any relationship in the workplace, people are always advised to find out whether the company allows it or not. If it’s not allowed, such persons, provided they are both serious and confident it would lead to marriage, should have a tete-a-tete about it to determine who would go and who would stay. This is necessary before the company finds out and one or both are sacked. Notably, the decision is often but sometimes arguable that the person with the brighter prospect and higher pay should stay while the other should leave. Fagboungbe said such persons should weigh the cost benefit analysis and put other variables into consideration.

He added, “Offices have organisational policies and conditions of service, so, people should understand the condition of service of the organisation and that is why organisations should also do orientation for their workers. Romance is infectious, and if care is not taken, before you know it, you have carried it to an extreme level that is not tolerated by the office and someone could lose their job.”

Be ready to separate work from romance: Being in love has been found to create the same feeling with being high on cocaine. A biological anthropologist and relationship researcher, Dr Helen Fisher, once revealed after a series of studies on the brain chemistry of being in love that the same huge volume of brain chemicals, dopamine and norepinephrine, are released and that many of the same brain pathways and structures are active when people are in love and when they are high on cocaine. Thus, with that background, being in love tends to make people do what they ordinarily would not do at work. But, according to experts, people in a relationship at the workplace should learn to separate work from romance. Thus, such persons are advised never to bring in unsettled quarrels into the workplace and should never be caught fighting or flirting. This would not only make them unproductive, as it would lessen their concentration, it could as well give an employer a good reason to sack them. Thus, let relationship squabbles stay outside the office.

Don’t be all over each other: It is equally helpful for such persons to create as much space for each other as necessary, so that an employer does not get an impression that the relationship would overshadow their primary responsibilities in the office. Thus, such persons should not be seen to be eating from the same plate, cuddling, holding hands on the hallway or frequently visiting each other’s offices for reasons that could not be seen as official. These, no doubt, could send a wrong signal to an employer. In addition, normal courtesies should be sustained during meetings and on the phone or in an email as such email exchange could be needed for future official purposes.

Never do ‘it’ in the office: While there could be the temptation to hurriedly touch a lover in some sensual parts, perhaps when no one seems to be around or when the walkway is quiet, persons involved in office romance are advised never to give it a try, as they could be caught. Even though giving such a try, especially in unexpected places, could qualify as an adventure, it can equally lead to a lasting embarrassment, if caught. Perhaps, Neville and the teenager he was dating with would have kept their jobs if they had left the romp in the sack for somewhere outside the premises. Also, given that there would have been some close interactions before such could come up, chances are that some colleagues could be curious or monitoring them closely.

Keep it a secret as much as possible: No doubt, some things are better kept secret, and office romance could be one of them. Apart from the fact that it keeps the affair out of general (public) scrutiny, if anything goes wrong, the gossips, which could easily make things worse for both persons, would have been eliminated. Thus, before announcing it to everyone in the room or sharing the information online or tagging them in suggestive manners on the social media, it is advised that such persons should exercise caution. Also, at social gatherings organised by the office, there is the temptation of hanging around such persons and even cuddling, but experts say bosses and other staff members tend to remember whatever happens in such places. Fagboungbe said, “Discussing personal issues could have official implications and so one should be very careful in such places.”

Have a life outside the workplace: In order to avoid boredom or regimented experiences in the relationship, people engaged in office romance are often advised to have an active social life outside the office and of course maintain other relationships with friends and distant acquaintances so that all their discussion with their partners would not be all about happenings in the office. They are also advised to go for picnic and occasional vacations. This would add spice to the relationship.

Note that break-up could be hard to deal with: While the thought of having a loved one few metres away can be comforting, it could equally be hard to deal with when the love affair goes sour, and sometimes, either of the two persons might be constrained to quit working in the office because of the psychological worries. The emotional strain can be overwhelming, especially when the former partner is now seen to be very close to another person of the opposite sex in the office. Thus, people engaged in office romance should always bear in mind that dealing with a break-up could be hard to deal with, especially as they would often see each other.

Be mature about your expectations: While people tend to nurse a sense of exclusivity and even ownership, it is pertinent for people engaging in office romance to remember that the other person is an adult and would have friendly relationship with other people in the office. Hence, to avoid unnecessary jealousy and ill-feeling, such persons should keep this is mind. Also, public display of affection and use of pet names should not be entertained.

Avoid having affair with married persons: Apart from being a religious or moral offence, everything is wrong with having an affair with a co-worker that is married. While the office space could seem like a haven for such illicit affair, especially as the person’s spouse is not in the same office, findings show that it’s a quick way to lose respect and a ‘concerned’ co-worker could inform the spouse about the affair.

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Jesusegun Alagbe

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said the recent report that Nigeria is the poorest in the world is the hypocrisy of the West against Africans.

Notwithstanding the report, the cleric said it should propel Nigerian leaders to do more in the fight against corruption and fighting poverty.

According to a statement, Adeboye stated this recently in Lagos at a special prayer and thanksgiving service for men, organised by the RCCG National Headquarters, Throne of Grace Parish.

At the programme tagged, “Dominion over the mighty,” the cleric said western countries also had the “poorest of the poor” among them but oftentimes were underreported.

He said, “You will move round some so-called developed countries and one will be shocked by the level of poverty that the people are experiencing.”

Adeboye, who spoke through his Assistant General Overseer, Personnel and Administration, Pastor Johnson Odesola, asked, “Who is doing the categorisation of developed countries and some undeveloped countries. It is the opinion of the few people whose facts can be contested.

“When they talk, they talk about the things that favour them and they want us to continue in the trajectory that our system is failing so that they will continue to benefit from our failures.”

Still, he urged the government at all levels to use the report as an opportunity to double their fight against the scourge of poverty and inequality ravaging our country.

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The Elekole of Ikole-Ekiti, paramount ruler of Egbeoba Kingdom, Oba Adewunmi Fasiku, Aladesekole I, tells GBENRO ADEOYE that some cultures are dirty and should be stopped

How would you describe your experience on the throne?

We thank God as everything has been going on smoothly with the help of the people of the town, particularly my chiefs – the ‘Afobajes.’ So with the assistance of God and the various segments of the chiefs in the town, things have been going on well. Everything depends on God; we serve God so He is faithful to us. Everything has been made easy for me.

What have you enjoyed the most about being the King of Ikole?

I enjoy serving my people because the essence of being a leader is to serve the people. I serve them wholeheartedly and in return, I am appreciated by my people for my little contribution to the town.

When you got to know that you would become the king, what went on in your mind? How did you feel?

Initially, I never thought in that direction, but when it happened, I thanked God for the blessing and I was very grateful to Him. It was a thing of joy to me, but I was not desperate for it at all. And for what God has done, we give glory to Him. I thank God for everything and I kept thanking Him for the glory bestowed upon me.

How did your wife accept this news?

I got married to my wife as far back as 1977; there was never a day I told my wife that I would become a king. So when my name was brought up; we began to pray to God that if it was something that would bring progress and development to Ikole-Ekiti and not bring any problem to the people, let it come to pass. But if it is the other way round, God shouldn’t let it be. So, when it came to pass, we appreciated God and my wife and I were happy about it.

You were working with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation before you ascended the throne. How difficult was it to leave your job when you were told that you would be king of Ikole-Ekiti?

Everything is in the hands of God, whether you are in a lucrative job or not, if you have been destined to become something in life, definitely it is going to come to pass. So I didn’t mind that I was working with the NNPC at that time. It was the working of God and not by my making. When your people ask you to assume such an important position, they are giving you recognition and you must honour it. So serving in the NNPC was never going to go on forever because one day I would have to leave. At that time, I was getting close to my retirement age so it was my pleasure to come home to serve my people, and I thank God for everything.

You are a chartered accountant and also a lawyer, how has that helped you in governing your kingdom?

Yes, being a lawyer and an accountant has really been helpful. All professions are good; you will enjoy your profession if you make good use of it. I have made the best use of my profession in governing and I am enjoying it. Being a lawyer, particularly on the throne, a lot of disputes are brought to you for your intervention and judgment. One of the basic things of understanding a dispute is to listen to the two sides; it is when you listen to both sides that you will be able to air your own view on the matter. If someone is angered, you do not just pacify them; instead, you allow them to state their case. It is only after that has been done that they would listen to you. Also, you cannot be a judge in your own case; basically, you have to listen in order to pass a fair judgment

As regards accountancy, you have to make sure you are transparent; if a leader isn’t transparent, that isn’t good because the people will not have confidence in such a leader. You have to be accountable for any money that comes into your care. Also, the ability to speak the truth is really important as a leader and you have to carry your people along likewise.

I also studied business administration in school; this shows that all along, God has been preparing me for this role. It is His making and I thank him for this.

There are many kings now in Ikole Local Government Area now unlike in the past when it was just the Elekole of Ekiti. Does it undermine your authority in any way?

Up till today, I have not done anything without consulting with others. I get the chiefs as well as the other kings in the local government involved in whatever decisions I make. I carry them along and we work as a team; this is why we haven’t had any problems. In other places, they have been asking me how all the kings have been relating with one another without acrimony because we have kings in every local government. I just tell them that it is by the grace of God and not by my own power.

Also, I believe in the principles of delegation, every town has its own king. For instance, as the king of Ikole-Ekiti, I cannot go and ask the Oni of Ife to assist me in leading my people, just like how I cannot go to any town in Ikole to be the king of there. I must allow the king of that town to function, but if there is any need to contact me, then they can do that. This is how we have been operating here.

To your question, things have changed now, life isn’t static. Even the things that are permanent change. Several years back, we used to have the baales (chiefs), and Elekole was the only paramount leader at that time. Before 1960, Nigeria was under Britain. That was before our independence and then, we became a republic in 1963. Nigeria was a country on its own, just like these other towns moved from having baales to kings and they are being recognised as towns on their own, so no town in Ekiti is under any other town; this is how we operate and there is no problem at all.

Could you tell us a brief history of Ikole?

Ikole is one of the towns in Yorubaland and all the towns in Yorubaland started from Ile-Ife, where Yoruba people migrated from. And that is how we migrated from Ile-Ife to this place. The first Oba of Ikole is Oba Akinsale and he was from Ile-Ife. When he came from Ile-Ife, he came with 240 deities. He first settled at Ita Juju and then moved to Igboyeye, then to Erinjiyan, then to Obaofo and eventually, he settled in this palace.

We have chiefs who handle the administrative aspect of the kingdom in Ikole, we have the king as the paramount ruler and he is supported by six kingmakers. We call them ‘Iwarafa mefa’. We also have the seven eku (quarters) in Ikole, these are the senior chiefs and we also have other chiefs supporting these ones.

What are the unique characteristics of the Ikole people, in terms of culture?

Ikole people believe in culture a lot; in the past, they believed in 360 deities. Ado is noted for masqueraders, while Ibadan is noted for the Sango festival. This is very unique because most of these festivals are still celebrated in Ikole till tomorrow, particularly the one called ‘Odun Oba’, formerly known as ‘Odun Ogun’, which is known as the Ogun festival. Ogun is very important to everybody and everyone who worships him. There is no day that we do not touch Ogun (iron); we are surrounded by it even in preparing our food, we make use of knife, which is iron.

We have other traditional rites that we perform apart from the Ogun festival. We have a particular one usually done early in the year, in March/April; it is called the ‘Oro Olukole.’ These traditions have their significance; it is now that religion has taken over everything. In those days, we had peace rituals were performed to bring peace to Ikole. All these rituals are to pray for the progress and happiness of the people of Ikole and nothing other than that. It is a taboo in Ikole to use cutlass to kill anyone.

Also here in Ikole, every morning we go to ‘Oki’ to pray for the peace and progress of the town, and also to pray for all the citizens of Ikole. Oki is a special form of prayer where they pray for the kings and the whole people of Ikole. There are usually four groups of people present at the prayer session every morning. They are the king, the Agba Omowa, the Emese, and lastly, the Omowas.

Are there taboos that strangers need to know about the town?

There are certain places that strangers are not allowed to go to. At times when our traditional rites are held, strangers are not allowed to be there. Apart from strangers, during certain rites, not all people of Ikole are allowed to be there except members of the families involved in performing the ritual. There is one ritual called ‘Ere Ile.’ You are not allowed to be out when the ritual is going on whether you are a visitor or even the son and daughter of the soil. We have another ritual we perform during which women are not allowed to come out; it is called ‘Isemole.’ They do it in other towns in Ikole too. A notable town where they do it is Ikorodu. They announce that women should not come out during the period.

With modernisation, are these rituals not being questioned?

If they say this what happens in a town, and you disagree, it is for you to question it, and you have the right to question. But if you have been told what should be done and not to be done in the town and you dare to do them, whatever consequences that follow should be accepted. There was someone from a royal family who did it, she thought she could use her influence as some from the royal family to do it. Women were told not to come out, but she went out and dried up immediately. She died immediately. If they say they don’t something in a community, don’t say you want to go and do it. You have been warned and whatever repercussion you see, you are on your own.

Are there things that you used to do before, but do not do anymore by virtue of your position?

There are lots of things that I can no longer do. I cannot go out anyhow. For instance, I can be told not to go to a place. And when I am told not to go out, I do not do so because there must definitely be a reason for it. If I dare try to disobey, I would definitely pay for it and I would never do it again. There is a saying that ‘Ikole would never reject my advice, so also I would not reject their advice.’ I know of a town in the northern part where I used to work before, the Emir was warned not to go out, but he disobeyed, on getting back home, one of his wives had died. Even about a month ago, I was asked not to go out and I didn’t. Being a king is different from being a pastor. You can believe in God; but you are not a pastor. So if you want to become a pastor, go for that. If you want to become an Oba (king), then go for that. Even as a king, if you want to change things, it has to be gradual, you cannot just decide to change everything.

The Oba cannot just do anything, there are people called ‘Eso;’ who look over my activities to ensure that I do not do certain things.

What are the things that you used to do in the past, that you probably miss doing now?

I miss being able to move freely. In the past, I used to move freely without any control. I could decide to buy corn on the main road to eat, but I cannot do that now. I am no longer a free man, I am now a symbol of honour and authority, and people look at me to imbibe good behaviour. I shouldn’t be seen where there is commotion or chaos, because at the end of the day, the rift would be brought to me.

We know that you loved sports when you were young and participated in sports competitions while you were in school. How are you able to keep fit now considering the fact that you are now a king?

Like you rightly said, I used to run to represent the Western Region when I was in Ifaki Grammar School, Ekiti State, before I moved to Oyemekun Grammar School (in Akure, Ondo State). I was a sportsman at that time. I used to run what we call 500 and 800 metres now, representing various schools, states, and region. But what I can say is that our time was a wasted generation and where I was at the time contributed to my not being exposed to things happening in the world of athletics. When I was to go to Ghana for a competition, I was still a student of Ifaki Grammar School. As some people will say – once a soldier, always a soldier. I still try my best to keep fit but not by running up and down as it is not advisable to do that at this age. I wake up in the morning and do some walking, stretching and breathing in and out. That’s just the basic exercises I do.

What do you do in your free time?

There is no free time for a king. At anytime, you can be called upon. But when there is no activity, I take my rest by sleeping.

Did you know your predecessor, Oba Adetunla Adeleye?

Yes, I knew him.

What kind of relationship did you have with him?

He was like a father to me, and he used to call me Jameson then because my name is James. He had a lot of interest and respect for me and I equally took him as my father also. In fact, when I was asked to come and become the king, this is one of the things I thought about. So I was very reluctant to take over from him because of the intimacy between us.

People often say that when a new king comes, he would eat the heart of the late king, how true is that?

I cannot say anything about that because nothing like that happened to me and nobody told me anything about that. So, whether it happened in the past or not, I do not know.

Why did you decide to still go for law even after studying business administration and accounting? What attracted you to it?

There were so many things. It is like being a young man and having nobody to guide you. When I was in school, I was taking three examinations together. I was taking an internal examination in business administration. I was also reading for an examination of the (Chartered) Institute of Marketing in London, and also Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, when I was in Yaba, Lagos. I knew that once I passed the intermediate examination of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, it was automatic admission to go for my Higher National Diploma. Where I worked before, I was a marketing officer, so that introduced me to marketing, so I developed passion for marketing.

As students at that time, once they were studying business administration, they registered for the ACIS (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators examination), and I thank God I passed. Then, the examination that gave me the most problem was that of the marketing institute in London. In it, we had certain courses in law, such as Commercial Law and English Law. By the time I finished my ACIS examination, it was only few subjects that I didn’t do in law. By the time I went to study law proper, it made it easier for me. We used to have a law course then – it was equity of law – which I have even applied here on my throne. You cannot come to complain about somebody when you yourself have committed the crime or have been committing a similar crime.

What do you remember most about your childhood that makes you smile?

I thank God for my parents; we were not indulged at all. Whenever I was wrong, they didn’t fail to beat me or correct me to make me realise my foolishness. I also thank God for the life and education that I have had. Those days in primary school, I didn’t know that when you got home, you had to read anything other than to play around, but when I went to modern school, we started studying hard. Our parents gave us good training and took us to church to serve and believe in God.

Like you said that you are a Christian, most kings have more than one wife but you have just one, is it a personal decision to have just one wife?

I have told you that things are changing. Even in those days, our fathers who were not kings had several wives because of the situation at that time. Then, wives were taken to the farms, and the kings then had so many wives. What is the essence of marrying so many wives? If you are a 60-year-old man and you still have new children, how will you train them? And if you want to have peace of mind, why would you have so many wives? You will never have peace. I thank God that when I was being interviewed for this position, nobody spoke to me about marrying more wives. So this is the trend in the country- one Oba, one wife, if you want to enjoy yourself.

In those days, some kings even inherited the wives of their predecessors. Does that happen here?

Those are the dark days. How can you inherit the wife of your father or an Oba? It is very dirty, it is a dirty habit. There are traditions that are bad and those habits should be taken away. There is where if man wants to marry a woman, he will be stripped naked and beaten to show that he is capable or strong enough to control a woman. Does that make sense? Is that what he needs to have a wife? What he needs for marriage is maturity, education and experience.

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