Meeting with public/government officials such as governors, lawmakers and presidents among others is a big deal and one must act appropriately when given such an opportunity. Here are a few tips to follow to make sure you have a smooth experience

Stick to time

It is vital to be prompt and stick to the time that’s been finally scheduled. Elected officials run on very tight schedules. Be sure to show up on time for your appointment. Also, you must be patient when you get to their offices. It is not uncommon for legislators to be late or to have your meeting interrupted by other business.

Request a meeting

No one has the luxury of casually walking in to meet with a public official without having an appointment. To make it easier for you to meet with them and discuss what you wish to, make your request in writing and follow up with a call to the appointment secretary or scheduler. If possible, suggest specific times and dates for your meeting, considering your schedule and theirs. Let them know what issue you wish to discuss and make sure they know that you are a constituent.

Address them appropriately

You must realise that different officials could have different titles. When addressing royalty, Your Highness is the most appropriate to use. If you can, and you should, identify yourself with their traditional titles, if they have, so that regarding them is easier. Know who to use Your Excellency for – the President or state governors. The President can also be addressed as Mr. President or Madam President, where appropriate.

Dress appropriately

Meeting with public officials is a big deal and as such, must be done with regard. Dump your overly bright and pronounced outfits for more formal and conservative ones. Do away with skimpy clothes and tight and revealing clothes, for ladies. For men, casual wears like cargo pants and tee shirts should be replaced with suits or blazers, dress shirts and corporate trousers. Also, have your hairs properly groomed.

Be accurate

Keep it short and focused. You will have a limited amount of time to speak with or consult with a staff person, and much shorter than the above minutes if you meet with your elected official. Make the most of that brief time by sticking to your topic. Don’t incite frivolous and flimsy conversations that won’t do you any good when you have more pressing matters to discuss. Time is of the essence. However, you may bring up any personal, professional or political connections to the official that you may be meeting with. Start the meeting by introducing yourselves and thanking them for the time they have set aside to attend to you.

Be honest

Saying “I don’t know” can be a smart move when discussing with public officials. You don’t need to be an expert on the topic you are discussing. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it is fine to tell them that you will get that information back to them. This gives you the chance to put your strongest arguments into their files, and allows you to contact them again about the issue. Never make up an answer to a question; giving wrong or inaccurate information can seriously damage your credibility.

Set deadlines

If you are meeting a public officer to make a request, set a deadline for a response. Often, if an elected official hasn’t taken a position, they will not commit to one in the middle of a meeting. If he or she has to think about it, or if you are meeting with a staff member, ask when you should check back to find out what your representative intends to do about your request. If you need to get information to your representative, set a clear timeline for when this will happen. That way, you aren’t left hanging indefinitely. If the official or staff member doesn’t meet the deadline for action you agreed to during the meeting, ask him or her to set another deadline. Be persistent and flexible.

Obey noise policies

This goes without saying – turn off your cell phones and other devices, or leave them on silent mode till the end of your meeting with the official. Cell phone interruptions may most likely not be tolerated and could cause an abrupt end of meeting. Also, it makes you look unserious and ill-mannered when your phone goes off during such an important meeting. For whatever reason, you may be asked to wait for the official you want to meet as they may be in a meeting or busy when you get there. Maintain decorum while you wait and avoid making a noise in the waiting room where you are. Try and sit composed and properly, not sleeping or wandering around the premises while you wait.

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Recently, it was reported that some students and ex-students of the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State, were killed at a graduation party.

Though the management of the university has denied reports that the killing was cult-related, I find it rather intriguing that the university will trivialise the incident as a mere fight between friends while the police have already confirmed that it was a cult-related fight.  Is it that the students walk about the campus with guns and live ammunition?

There seem to be something fishy that the school is not telling Nigerians.

I don’t mean to sound biased but why is it always AAU? Does it mean that the school authorities have no control over their students? If the killing is not cult-related, will it then be regarded as an armed robbery attack?

It has come to the point where Nigerian university authorities will have to get their acts together. I know it is absolutely impossible to control the activities of all the students, especially in a public school, but the school authorities can do their best to ensure that things like this don’t happen.

I hope the university authorities know that all these happenings tell a lot about their administration and will further paint the school as a den of cultists. They should think about the effect it will have on the name of the school when companies start rejecting their students in the labour market.

I will advise the school authorities to do the needful in ensuring that this kind of dastardly incident does not happen again.

Ololade Salami, 24

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Gloria Ogunbadejo

As we slowly come to the end of the year, there are many things to consider, so much going on in the world, it feels difficult to focus on any one thing. This is the time to create space in your head and in your life to start taking stock and making preparations to close down certain things, regroup and consider new strategies in going forward.  How ready are you to make the changes you need to make to actually make a real difference in your life?

We all know there are changes about to take place all around us. What kind of Nigeria are we about to inherit going into the New Year? How will you fit into it?  Some things we have almost no control of, but the one thing you can birth, mould and nurture is yourself.

Twenty first century living has ensured that for many of us life sometimes feels completely out of control and worse still for a growing few they take it to the ultimate end through murder, suicide and devastating health problems. We all know the issue of mental health universally continues to be of concern for many. It is also quite clear that the challenges many of us are experiencing with our physical health suggests we need to pay a closer look to how we are living. Things can and will only get more challenging in all these areas. We don’t have the luxury to walk around uninformed in any of these areas. We have to ask more questions, expand our horizons and step out of our comfort zones in the aim to find better alternatives to some of the harmful, unhelpful habits we have engaged in for years

To feel stable and content we have six fundamental psychological requirements: physical and emotional security, economic wellbeing, a sense of belonging and recognition and control over our lives. As you read this most likely there will be some of us thinking possibly up to three of our basic needs are being compromised. Our sense of security is closely linked to our economic wellbeing and if these are threatened we start to feel less in control. Sometimes we may turn to temporary sources of sometimes less than helpful behaviours in an effort to alleviate our anxiety, only to find life feeling increasingly unmanageable. Events in the wider world often feel beyond our control, but the way we react, respond and adapt is entirely up to us.

If you sometimes feel like you are short of successes in life, you might not be including the small, everyday triumphs. We tend to dismiss so many of our achievements as trivial. Success does not always have to mean reaching for the stars. Stopping to have a good chat with someone, leaving someone feeling better than when you met them, a kind gesture offered to someone are all examples of success in one’s life.

If you put it into perspective, considering all the sadness and pain people are experiencing in the world today, it’s a lot easier to have some form of success in your life every day. I know there are many times I’m often surprised when I accomplish something, so I will attribute it to luck. However when you take away the idea of chance and see your achievements as the result of the steps you took, you’re likely to identify what worked, and be able to do it again.

We sometimes relate to the world not as it really is but to the way we perceive it to be. When we expend huge amounts of energy chasing worries, it may be a natural reaction, but in reality it is a self-defeating distraction from finding constructive solutions. I have been forced to stop, take a moment and reflect on what is possible, rather than automatically assuming the worst. Identifying and investing in our strengths will help us value ourselves and give us a sense of direction, which is crucial if we are going to feel more in charge of our lives.

As the list of demands on our time inexorably gets longer, we tend to prioritise everything but ourselves. It is possible to give ourselves the impression of slowing down time just by making more of the simple moments that are nurturing and fulfilling. If you don’t know what these are for you, that’s your first commitment to yourself, to find out!

When you neglect your own needs, you diminish your sense of self which can leave you feeling abandoned. Making time for ourselves in a meaningful way (and not in the way that entails coming home with bags that have contents with hefty price tags, or other mundane, unconstructive activities), actually reinforces the idea that we are in control of our lives, because we are reminding ourselves that we are important and matter. We begin to pay attention to the things that really matter in these uncertain times. Although times are tough, the things that bear the most value to us if we look after them will remain stable: our love for our family and children, friends, sense of values and purpose.

As a people, we have been blessed with a rich culture full of wonderful traditions and values which is being eroded and devalued in replace of a way of living, attitudes and values that should be taken with a pinch of salt or at the very least questioned. We must hold on to those aspects of our traditions that enrich us in all manner of ways.

Fear comes from over thinking and leads to feeling overwhelmed. As simple as it sounds which is why it’s probably so hard to do, action is the best antidote to procrastination and inertia. It’s possible by breaking down what we have to do into small steps that we might feel less scared.

When it feels as though you are being crushed by worries about future events or regrets about the past, meditating can help overcome this stifling sense of time because it calms your mind’s endless chatter and helps you embrace the quiet space that’s left. While organised religion is fine if it brings you peace, sometimes people get into a cycle where they are unable to draw from their own personal strengths and to develop their own inner powers, resulting in them being controlled by others.

When a problem arises, we can reframe the issue as a challenge rather than a disaster. Instead of having a knee jerk reaction, which a lot of times results in making hasty or irrational decisions, we can reflect on what is happening and take time to think and work towards a solution, using small manageable goals to guide us. While this might feel risky at first because instinctively we want to fix things immediately, I’m finding that taking time to reflect opens up the possibility of a more creative, lateral response.

When we feel out of control the slightest thing can be overwhelming. But by confronting rather than avoiding the issues we can all develop positive, flexible and meaningful responses to what may be going on for us at that moment.

It definitely feels like we are on the precipice of something big in our politics, communities and nation. It would make sense to look inward also and see where and what we need to adjust in our personal lives in order to live our best lives.

Positive emotions such as love, gratitude and empathy are a tonic for our heart, soul, and mind. A spoonful every day will certainly be beneficial to us so make sure you have your daily dose.

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Nollywood actor, Austin Emmanuel, talks about his fatherhood experience with DOLAPO AKITOYE

What does fatherhood mean to you?

Fatherhood is not an easy job but I thank God for His guidance.

How did you meet your wife?

I met my wife through my mother-in-law who is an actress. We became friends and dated and then when the time was right, I asked her to be my wife and she accepted.

When did you become a father for the first time?

It was 12 years ago because I had my daughter before I got married to my wife. My wife and I have two children together.

Were you in the labour room during the birth of any of your children?

No, I was not in the labour room but I waited at the hospital reception when the children were born.

How did you feel when you carried your first child?

I felt good because becoming a father is not an easy job at all. Ever since, I have had no problems and I have also been blessed with two sons.

Did you wish for a particular gender before any of your children was born?

No, I did not. I am happy with what God has blessed me with.

What made you become an actor?

I was once a writer. I used to write stories. One day, a friend of mine asked me what my plans were with the stories I was writing. At the time, my plan was to write a novel. Then, he asked me if I had considered movies rather than novels. I still insisted on writing novels but he explained to me that script writing would be more appreciated. I decided to explore that area.

I started looking for someone that would help me get into the movie industry and eventually, I met my boss, Jelili Erupo. It was through my boss at the time that I was able to get into the movie industry. I thank God for bringing me this far.

How have you been able to manage your career and fatherhood?

I am managing. One cannot be perfect but by the grace of God, I have been managing it the way God wants me to manage it. God has been good to me and I have been able to meet my targets. When it comes to my career, I pay attention to my fans and accept their criticisms. I am not perfect but I try my best to keep on getting better at what I do.

What values are you instilling in your children which you imbibed from your father?

Actually, I was not trained by my father. My grandmother trained and raised me.

What then prepared you for fatherhood having been trained by your grandmother?

The fact that I was not raised my father has no bearing with my ability to be a father. God has been a guide for me and I have been able to discharge my fatherhood roles to the best of my ability.

What has been a major challenge for you as a father?

I do not believe I have experienced any major challenges so far since I became a father.

How do you discipline your children when they err?

Actually, as a father, when my children see me around, they do not misbehave. They may misbehave with their mother but with me, they do not try that. It is important that my children are disciplined and because I am an actor does not mean that they would lack discipline. I have to teach them so that when they go outside, they can make themselves and their family proud. If they do wrong thing, I let them know that what they have done is not right.

How do you reward them when they make you happy?

I do not believe in waiting for them to do something good before I reward them. I have to make them happy all the time. It is not until they make me happy before I reward them. They are not my servants; they are my children.

How do you relax?

I don’t really go clubbing and I do not smoke. My way of relaxing is by staying indoors when I have time on my hands.

You were involved in a car accident not long ago. How was the experience?

It was a very bad experience. It is an experience that I do not want to remember. It happened about two weeks ago and it was a horrible experience. I have never gone through anything like that in my life. It was scary. I began to think about how short life is. I saw a lot of blogs carry the story and I began to think of how they would have reported it if I had died. I thank God for my life.

Did you sustain any injuries?

I sustained some minor injuries.

Which is your favourite in the movies you have featured in?

That is a big question. I say so because there are certain movies that I would have loved but the audience might not like them. It is a hard question for me to answer.

What makes a marriage work in your opinion?

To begin with, both the man and the woman must know how to calm down whenever something happens between them. A couple will argue; that’s a fact. But they must know how to calm down for each other. If the wife is really angry, the husband has to calm down and vice-versa. The wife must also know how to dance to the husband’s tunes in many ways and this also applies to the husband. The couple should be able to listen to each other. They are husband and wife and should be able to help each other to make the relationship strong.

Also, they should not listen to third parties. When third parties get involved in their marriage, it always damages the relationship. They must also shun gossips.

How do you appreciate your wife?

I appreciate her every day.

What advice would you give children without father figure?

They have to move forward. It is not only their fathers that will make them successful in life. Without a father, one must still move forward. I became who I am today despite not being raised by my father. I worked hard to get to where I am today.

What is your advice to would-be fathers?

They should sit down and plan their lives well. When they have children, they should also support them in whatever career choices they make. They should not force careers on them but rather allow them to make their own choices and provide the necessary support that they would need. They should not also be too harsh on their children and not too soft either. There should be a healthy balance.

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A human resources personnel, Mrs. Mary Ene, shares her joys of motherhood with TOPE OMOGBOLAGUN

What is your baby’s name?

He is Chidubem Bryan Ene.

When and where was he born?

He was born on May 4, 2018, in Dallas, Texas, United States of America. Incidentally, his brother’s birthday is on May 6.

Describe your labour room experience.

I had a contraction and was just dilating. On the week I gave birth, the contraction became more frequent.  On the Thursday before I gave birth, the contraction became much but I said I should watch it a bit more before going to the hospital. I didn’t want to go to the hospital and would be told it was false labour. The contractions relieved me in the afternoon. But by evening, the contractions came again. I was a bit disturbed so I prayed and kept observing. When my brother-in-law returned, he asked me if I was still having the contractions. When I explained to him, he also advised that we should watch it.

For how long did you watch it?  

When it was 12.30am, the pain became intense and I knew that it was real labour. We drove straight to the hospital and by 1am, we were at the hospital. By the time I was attended to, I was told that my doctor was not on duty and they would need to get across to her before I could be delivered of the baby.

I was told that my doctor said that she was on call anytime I was in labour. Over there, their system is different; I already have a relationship with my doctor. They don’t just tell any doctor to attend to pregnant woman because she is in labour.  They allow one’s doctor to handle such session because the person knows one’s history. One is more comfortable and over the time, one would have bonded with such person.

My doctor came in the morning and when the contraction came, I was tired and couldn’t wait to get delivered of the baby. They broke my water and I had to push really hard because the baby was quite big and enjoying himself inside my body while I just wanted to get done with the whole thing. Finally, he came out crying and I was relieved that the nine months journey had finally come to an end.

What did your baby weight at birth?

He weighed 3.5kg.

How did you feel when you finally held your baby?

I was very happy and thankful to God for the strength of the pregnancy and the grace to be a mother because not everyone who started the nine months journey got to the end. Although I was overwhelmed with the stress and tiredness from the whole labour, I was also full of gratitude.

Did the baby come on the expected due date?

No, he came earlier; he came in at the 39th week. You know the EDD is usually with a plus and a minus.

Did your experience from previous birth help you during your last delivery?

It was a totally new experience; just like my mother would say, different baby with different experience. What I experienced with my first son is different from what I had with my new baby.  For my first child, the labour came just a day before and I went to the hospital and gave birth almost immediately. The baby was not resting on the bladder like my second baby. Then, as a first timer, I was inexperienced, naïve and all but the experience was easier than this. Of course, I am experienced. I know what the labour room looks like but the experience was totally different.

How did you choose the names you gave him?

My husband and I had names we wanted to give him but we decided to honour our parents by allowing them to name him. My mother-in-law named him Chidubem while my father gave him Chibuzor and we gave him Bryan as English name.

Did you think labour is overhyped?

I don’t think it is. People’s experiences are usually different. People talk about the labour based on their personal experiences. Some people will go to the labour room and push easily, while some will take so much time trying to get the baby out. Some also have tear and others won’t.

For instance, after my first child, I would say labour room was easy. But with my second child, I wouldn’t say the same. Generally, with my experience, I would say it is not an easy thing especially with the kind of pain we go through; women are strong. It takes a strong person to bear that pain that we go through. You just have to be strong to give birth to the baby.

What were your first thoughts when you discovered you were pregnant?

I was happy and thankful to God. The baby came a little bit earlier than we planned. I got pregnant at a time my husband and I were planning on when we wanted to have another child. We are thankful that we didn’t have to start trying over and over again.

What food did you crave while pregnant?

I did not crave any food during pregnancy. In fact, I didn’t even have appetite. I had to eat for my baby to stay healthy.  Sometimes, my husband would ask me what I wanted him to get for me. But once I set my eyes on it, I got tired by the smell. All through pregnancy, I forced myself to eat to stay healthy and for the baby.

What did you enjoy the most about being pregnant?

I really cannot think of anything special except for my husband’s love and care. I couldn’t sleep well because I watched the position I slept. But now I can sleep in whatever position I want.

What do you consider as the best part of being a mother? 

When I carry my baby and I watch him smile, knowing how genuine such smile is, no matter how upset I am, it melts my heart. The smile of my baby pays the price of whatever stress I have gone through.

What do you miss the most about your pre-motherhood stage?

I miss having my time and sleep. I can’t sleep like I want. I will have to put my sons to sleep before I can get some sleep. Also, I can’t just go out or to the cinemas like I want to. I will start thinking of who to drop them with or who will go out with me in order to assist me.

What lessons has motherhood taught you?

Firstly, it has made me appreciate my mother more. Growing up, we saw just ourselves as privileged to have mothers. We really didn’t know the sacrifices they paid and the decisions they had to take putting us in mind. But now that I am a mother, it is easier to put myself in her shoes. I can really relate with the lyrics of the song, ‘Sweet mother’.

My mother is a blessing and I’m happy she is alive. Motherhood has made me think of others; I have to think of my children too. In the past I used to think of myself and my husband. Now, I have a sense of more responsibility.  Motherhood has really changed me like I have to think about my children and their future even though they are still young.

How do you combine taking care of the kids and home?

It is not easy at all. I do the much I can as I can’t do it all at once. In fact, one cannot finish house chores. I also have a very caring partner; he helps with whatever he can on weekends when he is around. Sometimes, I pay someone to help me do some of the chores.

How do you balance the attention between your husband and children?

My husband is very understanding. He assists me in taking care of the children. Sometimes when there is a need to attend to both, he always prefers the children. He would tell me to take care of the children. I also try to balance it up by making out time to have discussions with him. I also call him over the phone in the afternoon when he is at work. Now that I am more experienced, I try not to neglect him unlike when I had my first baby and I was overwhelmed not knowing what to do.  I am always putting him into considerations because he is my first baby.

What is your advice to pregnant women?

They should do whatever they can do. They shouldn’t try to do everything. Their body is not as strong as they think. They should eat well, rest well, take care of their bodies and pray.

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Programme Director,  Agrainnovate West Africa, Folusho Olaniyan, OON, shares her domestic schedule and work life with KORE OGIDAN

What can you recall of your childhood?

I was born as Folusho Borisade on June 13, 1967, to the late Hon. Justice Michael Ayorinde Borisade, a former President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, and Chief Oyeyemi Borisade. Although I am from Iloro Ekiti, Ekiti State, I was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, where I spent my early years, alongside my siblings.

My childhood memories are pleasant. I remember my dad treated my mum with so much love and respect. He protected her from any form of intimidation, either perceived or real from any quarters. His family knew his stand concerning his nuclear family. He was someone you could count on. Even though my mum was the homemaker, who personally supervised our homework, diet and other related things, my dad was overwhelmingly supportive and loving, especially to me being the only girl among his four children. God bless his soul. He passed on to glory on the September 2, 2002, at the age of 67.

Which schools did you attend?

For my elementary education, I attended Bodija International Primary School, Ibadan, from 1971 to 1975. I relocated with my parents to Akure upon the creation of Ondo State, which necessitated my completing my primary school in Akure from 1976 to 1977.  I gained admission to the Federal Government Girls College, Akure, in 1977 and was awarded a scholarship by the Federal Government of Nigeria, alongside eight other students on merit for exceptional performance. This was listed in the Gazette of the Federal Government of Nigeria. I remember this made my dad so proud of me. He actually brought a copy of the Federal Government Gazette home to show me my name as listed. After my secondary school education in 1982, I attended the Federal School of Arts and Science, Victoria Island, Lagos for my A levels from 1982 to 1983 and in the same year of 1983, I gained admission to the University of Ilorin. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1987 and later attended the University of Lagos, where I bagged a Master in Public Administration. I attended the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Cookham, UK, where I bagged a professional postgraduate diploma in marketing. I am a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom.

I spent my national youth service year at A. G. Leventis Nig. Plc from 1987 to 1988, and was appointed a trainee manager in the Leventis Stores division in September 1988 after my NYSC. This marked the beginning of my journey in the food industry, as the Leventis Stores division then was a chain of departmental stores focused mainly on food retailing, though they were also strong in clothing and hardware. Leventis Stores metamorphosed into Leventis Foods Limited, and in 2000, I was appointed the head of sales and marketing for Leventis Foods Limited. I held this position till May 2005 when I joined UTC Nigeria Plc as head of sales and marketing. In 2007, I was appointed Managing Director/CEO UTC Nigeria Plc, a position I held till October 2013 when I resigned to set up Contact Consulting Nigeria Limited. As managing director of UTC, I collaborated with the Federal Government on the Agricultural Transformation Agenda in 2012, to facilitate the commercialisation of the cassava bread project in Nigeria.

Tell us about your company, Contact Consulting Nigeria, and its affiliation with Agrainnovate West Africa

My firm, Contact Consulting Nigeria, is a business advisory, research and investment promotion firm. We have served organisations like Dalberg Global Consulting as expert advisors on agriculture related projects, Cassava Adding Value for Africa Project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Market for the Development of the Niger Delta funded by UK DFID, and the World Economic Forum. Contact Consulting Nigeria is the local partner of Informa Group, UAE, on the Agrainnovate West Africa conferences and exhibition projects. Informa is the world’s largest publicly quoted exhibition company, operating in over 150 countries. I am the Programme Director, Agrainnovate West Africa.

What are your other achievements?

I am on the Project Advisory Council of a Bill and Melinda Gates-funded project known as Building Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed systems in Nigeria, in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan. I also served on the judging panel of the Rockefeller Foundation Yieldwise Million Dollar Challenge in Cassava in 2016. This challenge was set up to encourage development of post-harvest solutions in the cassava value chain. I am a member of the Institute of Directors and also a council member and secretary of the HID Awolowo Foundation.

I was conferred with National Honours of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 2014 by the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in recognition of my outstanding virtues and service to Nigeria. This is a great motivator for doing more for my country.

My philosophy in life is to give my best whenever I am given the opportunity to serve, trusting divine providence to take care of the future. In the words of John Wesley, “Do all the good you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” I have experienced monumental blessings in every area of my life, for which I am eternally grateful to God.

Outside of work, who is Folusho Olaniyan?

I got married in 1989, to Dr. Yinka Olaniyan, a gynaecologist, and our union is blessed with three successful, God-fearing children, son-in-law and an adorable granddaughter.

Being on the other side of 50, I have cultivated the habit of relaxing constructively. I have a personal trainer who keeps me on my toes- fitness wise, and I cherish those daily fitness moments – the squatting, weightlifting, planking and dancing. I have realised that exercise is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain. The transformation immediately reflects in your body, looks and spirit. Exercise kicks out negative feelings that could lead to depression, especially at menopause.

I love playing in our garden with my granddaughter. She makes me run, laugh, shout, crawl, and jump. I love the experience of being a grandparent. Grandparenting is awesome, and even more fulfilling when one is a productive, comfortable grandmother.

I hold so dear Kofi Annan’s words, “When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life.”

I live my life as an all-rounder and that even reflects in my dressing. I don’t have a defined way of dressing, I dress for the occasion. The theme of my outing guides my outfit, and honestly, I am prudent in spending on clothing and items of subtractive resale value. I believe you can cut your coat according to your clothe and still look stunning.

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A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and ex-Minister of Finance, Chief Oluyemi Falae, talks about his life and career with PETER DADA

Please tell us more about your background.

From the story I was told by my parents, I was born in a dramatic way on September 21, 1938.  I was born in a village called Ago-Abo, now Ilu-Abo. I was told that I did not cry; so, I was presumed to be a stillborn. There was panic and for a long time nobody knew what to do. As I was told, there was a Christ Apostolic Church man in a village called Bolorunduro close to the place.

The man called another CAC man to pray for me. When the man came, he poured cold water on my body and spanked me lightly at my backside and I started crying for the very first time. It was then that my parents knew that they had a boy child.  Thereafter, I was told that I started a healthy, normal life. In those days, before one started school, one would stretch one’s right hand across one’s left ear to show maturity. If one’s right hand didn’t touch one’s left ear, one was presumed to be underage and one’s parents would take one back home for another year.

But in my case, when my right hand didn’t touch my left ear, my father refused to take me back home. I was five years and three months old then. I was taken to school in January 1944, exactly five years and four months. My father said he attended same school, St. Stephen Junior Primary School, Akure.

He said that he had to withdraw from the school when he took ill and that when he got better and returned to the school, they said he had lost much in terms of teaching and would have to wait for another year. My father said his parents didn’t send him back to school; rather, they sent him to his uncle who brought him up and this made him not to return to school. What pained my father most was that many pupils in the same class with him, who were not also doing well, went to St. Andrew College, Oyo, and later became headmasters and they refused to talk to him because he didn’t complete his education.

He felt he was better than them when they were in school. He then determined that his own child would start school as soon as he could and that was why he took me to school early. The name I bear Oluyemi was the name of the last teacher who taught my father in school. He gave me the name in memory of the man.

Which secondary school did you attend after primary school?

It was a usual thing in those days. When one was in Standard Six, various secondary schools would send letters to primary schools offering to sell entrance forms and announce the date of their entrance examinations. Several schools did that and I decided to take the entrance examination to Government College, Ibadan, Igbobi College, Lagos, and Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti. Those were the three schools I wanted to go but I had a friend who attended Aquinas College, Akure, a year before me.

I was not thinking of attending the school but the friend urged me to come to Aquinas so that we could be in the same school. I took the entrance form to Aquinas College and was invited for interview. But to my surprise, the school principal at the time called me first for the interview and when he saw me, he said asked me what I was doing in the school and I said ‘but you wrote to me to come for the interview.’ He asked me what I came to do after I had sent someone to replace me, but I said I never did such thing.

He told me he could not attend to me because he was busy and that was the first experience I had with people lying against me. I passed the examinations to Igbobi College, Government College and Christ’s School. The principal of Government College, Mr. Long, came to St. David Primary School, Akure, and said that I did very well. He came to see me in Ibadan and also sent for two people that also did well in the Akure centre then – the late Adewole Fatoyinbo and Jayeola Faloye.

He told us that there would be a final examination at Ibadan that I should be expecting a letter. But later in December 1952, when my cousin came home, he asked why I didn’t come for the interview. I said I didn’t receive any letter and he said my name was on the board that they were expecting me in Akure on the day of the examination. I never got any letter from Government College. But something miraculous happened five years later. I got admission to Igbobi College and I was in form five. Then Igbobi College hadn’t started the Higher School Certificate courses; so, it was only the King’s College and Government College that had started. The practice then was to choose the best 10 boys in Igbobi College to take the entrance examination to King’s College’s HSC course.

Ten of us took the entrance examination. I thought it was a simple exam. I was waiting for the admission but after taking the exam, we got no results. Weeks later, we were told that the examination we took to King’s College leaked and the authorities cancelled it.

What did you do after that?

We were invited for another examination after we took school certificate and when I got there, I saw that it was a different exam. The HSC was always in two types – arts and science. What we got were science and mathematics. I said there was no way I was going to pass the exam. Out of us, only one, Bayo Olumide, was taken. He was not the best in school but was brilliant.

I didn’t know what to do. Before we left, our principal asked us what we wanted to do. Some of us said they wanted to work at Kingsway Store; others Barclays’ Bank and so on. But I wanted to go for HSC. I left for Lagos because I had no alternative. My teacher remembered me and came to my uncle’s house. He asked me if I would like to go to Government College, Ibadan, which had then started HSC course.

I said yes. He said the school had done entrance exam but he would get me in without entrance exam since he could guarantee my performance. He asked me to go to Igbobi College to collect my letter. That was how I was admitted to Government College, Ibadan.

How were your childhood days?

During holidays, from primary school, we used to go to the farm. I loved farming and hunting. When I got to secondary school, I travelled to Lagos during holidays. I would go around with my friends and it was then we formed, Akure Divisional Students Union. In December, during Christmas, we organised dances, plays and dramas to make the area lively for members of the community.

Was it after your HSC that you joined the civil service?

No! After my secondary school, I went to the University of Ibadan where I read Economics. I later got a Federal Government scholarship. In fact, I didn’t want to work in the civil service and Lagos because I went to school in Lagos for five years.

I wanted to stay in Ibadan. I had already searched for a job in Ibadan. I applied to the Western Nigeria Development Corporation which was paying well but because I was a federal scholar, the Federal Government insisted that I must work for it and that was why I joined the Federal Civil Service in Lagos. I joined on July 2, 1963 as an assistant secretary.

How would you describe the civil service during your time?

It was an exemplary institution. There was discipline and commitment. Corruption was almost unheard of because there was occasional enquiry to certain departments where there were allegations of wrongdoing. Whenever that happened, the workers would be in fear. Corruption was strange then. How would people be stealing government money? In those days, I was really committed to my work. I always prevented anybody from insulting me for non-performance. I respected everybody at work and I wanted others to respect me even my seniors. I can say with all humility that no boss ever called to insult me. Throughout my career, I always did my best. I was not scared of any boss and was never rude to any boss. I maintained my confidence and integrity at all times.

At what point did you join the banking sector?

I became a permanent secretary at 38, meaning that at 38, I had got to the highest in the service with grade level 17. At 39, I moved to the second step and at 40, I moved to the third and final step. When Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo was the Head of the State, I was a permanent secretary working directly with him in the economic department.

People then thought that because of my closeness to him and performance, when Alhaji Shehu Shagari came, I would be the secretary; but I knew that wouldn’t happen. In the rank of civil service’s permanent secretary, I was one of the most junior. Also, I didn’t think it would be possible based on the country’s politics. Being a Yoruba man, I thought that a UPN (the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria) person, who is also a Muslim and I’m not a northerner, wouldn’t consider that.

When Shagari came, I was transferred from economic department to the Ministry of Establishment to train typists and that clearly showed that they didn’t want me in any sensitive position again. I later went to Obasanjo to explain to him that I had been transferred to Establishment, not for incompetence but because of political colouration. I told him that I was on my way out of the civil service. Fortunately, there was a vacancy in one of the banks for the post of a managing director. I got the information and I showed interest and the permanent secretary, ministry of finance, then was a friend and colleague. I told him my wish and he was very happy about it. He asked if that was what I wanted and I said yes. That was how I became the Managing Director of Nigeria Merchant Bank for five years.

How did you meet your wife?

My wife and I attended the same school, St. Stephen Junior Primary School. We both also went to St. David Senior Primary School. I was three years ahead of her. I didn’t know her in junior primary school. One of my seniors made me know her when I got to senior primary school.

By the time I was in UI, she was very friendly with Remi Kolade, Christopher Kolade’s younger sister. On one occasion, we met together and we eventually became friends in 1962. The friendship went on for five years. She graduated in June 1967 and we got married in April 1967 because I was to go abroad for a seminar in Washington, United States of America.

Did any of your parents object to your desire to marry each other?

When parents have known each other for a long time, their children will have no problem marrying each other. But when we were about to marry, she took me to her father. He asked me who I was and she told him that I was her husband-to-be. He didn’t like it that she did not inform him that she was bringing me to him. Nobody objected to our union. Again, she is a sister to Chief Reuben Fasoranti (the Afenifere leader), who has been a good brother to us. Over the years, we have become members of one family.

How did you retire? 

I didn’t retire then. After leaving the civil service, I went into the banking sector. After that, I served as a minister of finance and Secretary to the Government of the Federation and later joined politics.

The Structural Adjustment Programme of the military government you served attracted lots of criticisms from Nigerians. What is your take on this?

People criticised the government then out of ignorance. That was why I explained to the people. Don’t forget that after SAP, I contested a presidential election where people voted massively for me, especially in the South-West where I took 80 per cent of the votes. If SAP was a problem, they wouldn’t have done that. If they thought I did something bad in service, they wouldn’t have voted for me. Nothing was wrong with SAP. As a farmer’s son, SAP was a very good policy. Before SAP, the highest price of cocoa was N4,000 per tonne and when SAP came, it became N12,000.

What is your advice to fellow politicians as 2019 general elections approach?

I think we should be praying to God to intervene. These days, politicians are desperate. I am a politician and I was not desperate when I contested.  If I was desperate after the 1999 elections, the two parties that sponsored me held a meeting in Abuja and said that we should make Nigeria ungovernable that I won that election but our mandate was stolen. I disagreed because I joined politics to make things better for the masses and not to be involved in bloodshed.

A media professional, Dare Babarinsa, once wrote that it was not ex-President Goodluck Jonathan that showed good statesmanship. He said it was me in 1999; that the whole nation was waiting for me to make a pronouncement, rejecting the result of the election. There are millions of Nigerians who can be the President of Nigeria. Why should I feel that it must be me and if not me, there would be hell? Who am I? I felt like if I became the President, I would do my best to make Nigeria better and if they said no, so be it. We just pray that we would mobilise support for someone who has good intentions to run a fair government for all.

Do you have any regrets at 80?

I can tell you what I call my ‘seven crises.’ The day my mother died, I was with her. She was having a baby and she bled to death. I was just eight then but people were saying I should not cry. I waited for night to come to hide in darkness and cry my soul out. The second was the day other aspirants and me were disqualified from contesting the presidential election in 1991 after I had spent my money and wasted efforts. The third was the day I was detained in Alagbon by the late Sani Abacha’s regime for nothing and I spent 20 months there. I was treated like a criminal.

Another was the day Obasanjo was announced as winner of the election which I knew and Nigerians knew I won. The fifth was the day my son, Deji, died in a plane crash. The sixth was the day I was kidnapped by hoodlums, machetted and dragged on the floor. The seventh was the day I was invited by the EFCC on ‘Dasukigate.’ This is someone I have never met in the last over 25 years; but I thank God because He has been so wonderful to me and he supported me to survive.

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LEKE BAIYEWU

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has commiserated with the Nigerian Air Force and the family of the pilot who lost his life in a crash in Abuja on Friday.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Saturday, described the pilot and his colleagues that took part in the flying rehearsals for Nigeria’s 58th Independence Day on Monday as “true heroes dedicated to their national calling.”

The Senate President said, “I am saddened over the tragic crash of two Nigerian Air Force fighter jets in Abuja that led to the loss of an officer and injuries on others. The affected officers are true heroes among countless other military personnel who continue to put their lives on the line to defend and make the country proud.

“Nigeria has lost a truly dedicated and patriotic officer. The departed officer and his colleagues who survived the unfortunate crash deserve special recognition and a place in the annals of the nation’s military history.”

Saraki lauded the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies for the prompt and successful rescue mission, which he said helped to preserve the lives of other personnel on the rehearsal mission.

The Senate President also expressed deep shock over the death of the House of Representatives member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in Kwara State, Funke Adedoyin.

Saraki, in a statement, described Adedoyin as a loyal, hard-working and compassionate grass-roots mobiliser, and politician who spent the greater part of her life in the service of her people and humanity.

He stated that the demise of Adedoyin represented a colossal loss to her primary constituency in Kwara, the House of Representatives, the 8th National Assembly, and the entire country.

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WILLIAMS BABALOLA

The Chairman, Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mr. Buliaminu Ogundele, has commended the efforts of an industrialist, Mr. Dotun Sanusi, for restoring electricity to some communities in the area that have been in darkness in the last 14 years.

Sanusi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Ilaji Stadium and Resorts Centre, financed the multi-million naira project following appeals from the LGA.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the firm, Hafeez Ayansola, and made available to SUNDAY PUNCH, explained that Ogundele spoke when he visited the entrepreneur in appreciation of the gesture on Friday.

It added that Ogundele described Sanusi’s gesture as unrivalled and that his action would boost social and economic activities which had been paralysed in the area for one and half decades.

The LG boss added that the Amuloko-Akaran electrification project, which was financed by the industrialist, has brought power to many communities like Olorunsogo, Akanran, Olorunda, Muslim, Olomi, Arometa, Olosunde, Ojebode, Gbada-Efon, Jigan, Odeyale, Origbo, Lanleyin, Arotedo, Arotedo Oke Odo, Owaran, Alagbaa, Idi Koko, Agbeja, Oluku and many others.

Ogundele said Sanusi heeded the appeals by the Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, who urged private sector operators to partner with their host councils in the provision of social amenities as part of their corporate social responsibility.

He said, “I pleaded with Engr. Sanusi to assist in the rehabilitation of Oke-Eleshin portion of Amuko-Akanran road which was then a death trap. He gladly did the project and rehabilitated other roads.”

The chairman of the electrification project, Mr. Muyideen Abiola, also seized the opportunity to deny claims that he collected N40m from Sanusi.

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The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari 58th Independence of Nigeria holding on Monday.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Adesina said in his congratulatory letter,  Xi Jinping praised  Buhari for stabilising the country.

He qouted the Chinese leader as writing, “Under the leadership of Your Excellency, the Nigerian people have been committed to safeguarding the nation’s stabilisation, development of economy and elevation of livelihood and achieved gratifying outcomes.

‘‘I would like to extend my appreciation and attribute the success of the recent Beijing Summit of the Forum on Africa- China Cooperation to your Excellency’s participation and remarkable contribution.”

Meanwhile, Buhari has also congratulated Jinping, on the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China

The President also praised China for the achievements in recent years and blossoming relations with Nigeria.

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SUCCESS NWOGU, TED ODOGWU and  GBENGA ODOGUN

The anguish of patients of public hospitals across the country has worsened as a result of the ongoing strike embarked upon by the organised labour.

When one of our correspondents visited the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and some Kwara-owned hospitals, it was observed that many families had withdrawn their family members to private hospitals for a better health care.

Non-clinical staff of the hospital complied with the strike, leaving some doctors and senior workers dressed in mufti attending to the few remaining patients.

It was also observed that the hospitals ran skeletal services, while they had discharged patients whose cases were believed to have stabilised.

The new Director General, Kwara State Hospital Management Board, Mr Oladimeji Sa’ad-Aluko, on Saturday, confirmed to one of our correspondents that all the public hospitals under the Kwara State Government ran skeletal services since the strike commenced.

He said, “We want to make sure that at least patients are not endangered, so we had to discharge all the cases that were stabilised. We are not taking major cases. We only handled major cases that required emergencies.”

The Kwara State Government had stated that the strike had negatively affected the nation.

The state Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, who represented the state government during a special Jumat prayer to mark Nigeria’s 58th independence anniversary on Friday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the impasse with the workers.

A visit to the headquarters of the Kogi State Ministry of Health on Friday also showed that the gate was locked.

At the State Specialist hospital on IBB way, Lokoja, the compound was deserted.

Similarly, no staff was sighted at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.

However, some patients were still on their beds, while others were outside their ward due to the heat resulting from outage since the strike commenced on Thursday.

One of the patients who spoke with one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity expressed the hope that government would address the demands of workers so that they could return to work.

She added, “No one is considering moving out for now as we heard that only the nurses were on strike and that the doctors were not affected.”

But when asked if she had been attended to since Friday, the patient said no.

“No one has attended to us since Friday,” she answered.

The admin block was completely deserted with no staff in sight.

The Kogi chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association said it was in total support of the warning strike, adding that members had been ordered to join until otherwise instructed

The action, however, affected banking activities.

Customers at the France Road branch of Diamond Bank were not allowed to enter into the banking hall but could only make use of the Automatic Teller Machines for cash transactions.

Also, activities at government ministries and parastatals, like the Federal Secretariat in Kano, were paralysed, as their offices remained under lock and key, following the NLC’s directive.

Prior to the commencement of the strike, the Chairman of the Kano chapter of the NLC, Ado Minjibi, promised that as long as the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, failed to reach an agreement with Labour over the implementation of workers minimum wage, workers in the state should continue the strike as directed by the NLC national secretariat in Abuja.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday sympathised with the government and people of Indonesia over the latest Tsunami and earthquake that hit Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi Island.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said the natural disaster, which claimed nearly 400 lives, was devastating beyond description.

“No matter how distant we are away from others around the world, we remain connected to them by our bond of common humanity, and such bond creates automatic empathy and sympathy for the pains and tribulations of others,” the President said.

 Buhari said, “My administration and the entire people of Nigeria are with you at this difficult and tough moment when you struggle hard to minimise the impact of this tragedy and in your efforts to provide temporary relief and comfort to the affected victims.”

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’Femi Asu

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for the removal of import duty on all power supply equipment such as solar panels, batteries, inverters, wind mills and other accessories to enable the citizens to adopt individual power solutions.

The President, LCCI, Mr Babatunde Ruwase, who spoke during the Power Nigeria Exhibition and Conference 2018 in Lagos, said the power situation in the country had not witnessed any significant improvement since the handover of the power infrastructure to the new private owners in November 2013.

He said, “There are complaints across all sectors about high energy costs especially high expenditure on diesel. This continues to take its toll on the bottom line of investors in the economy as well as the welfare of citizens.

“The truth is that we cannot make any meaningful economic progress until we fix the power sector.  From all indications, we are yet to get it right. The current model is not delivering the expected results. In fact, it has given the phenomenon of privatisation a bad name. The high expectations of the power sector reform have not been realised.”

According to him, to make progress in the sector, there is a need to de-emphasise the national grid model and concentrate on the promotion of the energy mix approach proposed by the Minister of Power, Housing and Works, Babatunde Fashola.

“The national grid model is too vulnerable to sabotage and other forms of disruptions,” Ruwase said.

He said generous incentives should be deployed to promote renewable energy sources both from an investment and end-user perspective, adding that there should be greater emphasis on captive power plants to facilitate decentralisation of power provision by the private sector.

The LCCI president said, “Risk mitigation provisions in the reform process must be reinforced to inspire investors’ confidence. Gas sector reform must be put firmly on course to ensure the sustainability of the gas-to-power programme.

“Distribution companies should be supported to reduce technical and commercial losses in the power delivery process. It should be realised that the power sector is not just a business issue, but also a critical development issue. It has implications for job creation, welfare of citizens, growth of small business, poverty alleviation, agricultural development, sectoral linkages, etc.

“Therefore, the government still needs to provide some support to enhance development in the sector. The sector is too strategic to be left entirely to a purely commercial enterprise framework, where the main motive is profit.”

While declaring the exhibition and conference open, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Mr Barnabas Bantex, commended the organisers of the event for their consistency and continuity, describing it as beneficial to the country.

The Exhibition Manager at Informa’s Industrial Group, Sheetij Taneja, said, “It is this type of growth that drives our platform and allows us year after year to bring together a wide range of key stakeholders, from power manufacturers, suppliers, domestic wholesalers and distributors, to thousands of visitors from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries, all with decision-making competence.”

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ADELANI ADEPEGBA and TOBI AWORINDE

Delegations from the Missions of the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States said they observed widespread interference and intimidation of voters, journalists, and civil society observers by political party supporters and security agencies during Osun governorship rerun.

The observers noted that their findings mirrored those of leading civil society groups that also observed Thursday’s supplementary election, and noted that the situation contrasted with the findings of September 22 election.

READ ALSO: Giving positions to Buhari’s brothers creates imbalance –Ogbonnaya

In a joint statement on Saturday, the partners stressed that the neutrality of the security services and responsible conduct by party agents, both inside and outside polling units, would be essential to free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in 2019.

The delegations said, “In contrast to our overall findings on the vote of September 22, we were concerned to witness widespread incidents of interference and intimidation of voters, journalists, and civil society observers by some political party supporters and security agencies.

“Many of our findings mirror those of leading civil society groups that observed the election.”

They commended voters in the state for exercising their democratic rights peacefully and applauded the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission during both elections.

The missions called for calm from all stakeholders and urged that any challenges to the election result should be made through peaceful and lawful means.

“We restate our position of firm neutrality among all parties and candidates.   We remain committed to supporting the Nigerian people in seeing free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections,” the statement added.

CSOs endorse Osun election

Meanwhile, a cross section of civil society organisations commended the conduct of the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, lauding INEC for professionalism and neutrality.

The groups included the Centre for Women Agenda, the Campaign against Social Injustice, the Centre for Sustainable Dialogue, the Development Advocacy Group, the Rights Monitor Agenda, the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms, the Nigerian Human Rights Community and the Coalition for Peaceful Election.

The groups, in a joint statement on Saturday, said the election was largely peaceful and congratulated the people of Osun State for “their civil, peaceful and orderly conduct in jealously guarding their mandate and proving that the will of the people is supreme in a democracy.”

The rerun of the Osun State governorship election held in seven polling units across four council areas on Thursday with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola, beating the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke.

The statement read in part, “We, the undersigned civil society organisations as election observer groups, heartily congratulate the good people of Osun State for trooping out to the polls both on September 22 and for the September 27 rerun election, to elect the state’s helmsman whose outcome is a reflection of the will of the people as expressed at the polls.

“We congratulate INEC for exhibiting professionalism and neutrality despite threats, intimidation and blackmail before and during the election. We note with gladness that INEC’s deployment of its personnel and materials on election day was timely, efficient and has received accolades from all relevant stakeholders for a superlative performance.”

The groups, however, observed that there were reports of violence in some areas far away from the locations of polling stations where the rerun elections took place on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Buhari shouldn’t play politics with security matters —Agbekoya

“Inasmuch as we recognise that no election anywhere in the world can be perfect, we call on the security agencies to investigate these allegations and do the needful.

“However, we make bold to state with all emphasis that these allegations do not in any way distract from the fact that the will of the people, as expressed at the poll, has triumphed,” they said.

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JOHN ALECHENU

The All Progressives Congress has postponed its governorship primary elections in Lagos and Imo states.

The election was earlier scheduled to hold on Sunday but postponed till Monday. The party cited the problem associated with logistics in the two states for the decision.

The National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole said this in Abuja on Saturday; while inaugurating the 21-member National Convention Committee headed by the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

Oshiomhole also revealed that over 177 aspirants are currently jostling for the party’s governorship tickets across the country.

He said, “We have only 29 vacancies for governors and to fill the 29 vacancies, we have distinguished Nigerians, men and women, about 177, that have applied.

“This does not suggest any unusual level of political or executive unemployment. It just points to the level of interest, commitment, passion and above all the confidence that people have in the APC.”

He said the governorship primaries will go ahead in the remaining 27 states of the federation on Sunday as scheduled.

Oshiomhole assured  party members that the exercise will be free, fair and credible. He appealed to all party members to support whoever emerges after the primary.

He further said, “We have tried as much as we can to carry out a thorough screening exercise in way that will enable us to benefit from the recent things that have happened in our party that some of us believe that we can learn some positive lessons.”

Also the  National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has also postponed the party’s governorship primaries in both Lagos and Imo states indefinitely.

It however said that the governorship primaries in other states will still hold throughout the country on Sunday  (today).

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan stated this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday night.

He said, “The attention of theNational Working Committee of the PDP has just been drawn to rumour making the rounds that the PDP scheduled governorship primary has been postponed.

“The PDP wishes to inform all delegates, members of our great party and aspirants for the governorship election that the scheduled date for the primary remains Sunday, September 30, 2018.

“The rumour about the postponement should therefore be disregarded completely.

“However, the governorship primary election dates for Lagos, Kano and Imo states would be announced soon.”

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Dr. Sylvester Ikhisemojie

Sleeping positions are some of the most interesting questions people ask about and as it is on the question and answer segment of this page, there are no easy answers. Here, however, are some of the attempts made to explain what are known about the various sleeping positions. Generally speaking, a night time sleeping duration of seven to eight hours is considered healthy for the average adult. In many of Nigeria’s cities, due mainly to rapid urbanization and the various challenges associated with that, a good many people are unable to obtain an optimum level of sleep. As a result, they are bleary-eyed when they wake up, are irritable and unable to concentrate fully on their assigned tasks with the result that productivity falls at work over time. When people like these drive or operate machinery, they are a risk to themselves and to others. The reason is that the duration of sleep is below par and even the quality of such sleep is debatable. Of equal importance is the position in which good quality sleep can be enjoyed.

The first of these positions is the back. People who sleep flat on their back are usually able to avoid certain pitfalls such as low back pain and neck pain. It is claimed to be able to help women maintain the conical shape of their breasts and also help reduce wrinkles on the face. When a good pillow is used, one that is adequately puffy, it will ensure that while asleep the level of the stomach falls below that of the oesophagus so that food is less likely to climb into food pipe. When such a phenomenon is prevented, people are less at risk for suffering from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, a situation in which food passes from the stomach into the oesophagus, causing heart burn and difficult sleep. It helps to keep the spine, neck and head in a neutral position with it pressed against a firm surface. However, snoring is a major problem with sleeping in this position and that may even be bad for obese and overweight individuals who could even suffer from intermittent cessation of breathing known as sleep apnoea. This position is also bad for pregnant women in whom the growing baby lies on top of the spine which is pressed against a firm surface behind. This twin pressure compresses the abdominal aorta against the spine behind it and the womb in front and, could reduce the blood flow to the baby with various consequences.

Another good position to assume when asleep is the sides. In this position, the spine is simply not supported but is held in its normal place by the action of various muscles. Sleeping on the right side is said to be capable of making the pain worse for people who suffer from heart burn. Sleeping on the left side can ease heartburn. However, it places some degree of strain on some of the abdomen’s internal organs such as the liver, stomach and even the lungs way up in the chest. The habit of sleeping on the left side is said to help digestion, minimize snoring and help improve blood flow to the heart. When people are young and healthy, the sleeping position is not so important. However, this becomes very important with advancing age when medical challenges are also more likely. For all age groups, though, it is important that in whatever position you find most comfortable when sleeping, it is useful to switch off your electronic devices before you turn in. The use of these gadgets has been noted without question as a great disrupter of sleep.

These positions are even more useful during pregnancy. It is usually advised that pregnant women should sleep on their sides; it is better still to sleep on the left side. This position is believed to increase the flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta and thus help foetal wellbeing. This position also helps to keep the developing womb away from another large organ, the liver and allow it to carry on its functions at a healthy pace. The worst sleeping position among pregnant women is on the back. For all age groups and especially in pregnancy, sleeping on the left side is further aided by the placement of a pillow between both legs. Both knees should be bent in this position and another pillow can be placed at the back for further spine support.

Probably the worst sleeping position of all is on the abdomen or stomach; this position flattens out the natural curvature of the spine and will aggravate back pain. It can help relieve sleep apnoea and help minimize snoring but it is very bad for the back and neck. In the daytime, the pain acquired during the night interferes with activities and cause significant misery. The level of discomfort is severe and treatment is not easy to accomplish. If individuals have become so used to sleeping in this position, they are advised to support the abdomen with a small, firm and flat pillow that will diminish the sagging effect placed on the spine. It is this sagging potential that is mostly responsible for the pain that later develops in the lower spine.  Besides, in order to sleep with some comfort in this position, the neck has to be turned almost fully in the right or left position for several hours. This adds a considerable strain on the head and neck and pain can also be experienced in the neck as you might have it in the lower back. For pregnant women at any stage, in any of the three trimesters, sleeping on the stomach is absolutely wrong. The expanding abdomen and increasing weight will compress the abdomen and diminish blood flow to the womb and the baby. The pressure also would reduce the amount of space available to the unborn baby to move around in.

As can be seen from the trajectory above, it is good to get a good dose of sleep. The method of getting that kind of sleep is also important for our wellbeing and self-actualization. The consequences of not getting good enough sleep are far-reaching and the means are within our collective grasp. The average person who lives to be 70 years will sleep for approximately one third of that period in their lifetime. It is therefore evident that the events which occur in that time-frame should command more than a passing interest from everyone. It accounts also for why problems occurring during that period have such a profound effect on many aspects of our health.

Ask the doctor

Dear doctor, thank you so much for your past help. I take omega cod liver oil. Is it good for my health sir? Thank you doctor. 0817xxxxxxx

It is good for you. It contains polyunsaturated fats of vegetable origin which is the ideal kind of edible oil for your heart and blood vessels. Besides, it contains certain antioxidants that help slow down the aging process by boosting the immune system.

Dear doctor. I am about six foot, four inches tall. Each time I walk, I have sharp pains in my ankles. Is this as a result of my height? 0812xxxxxxx

Well, that is not likely. However, your age and weight would have been equally important here for me to make a judgment. Your height alone will not cause you to have ankle pains.

Dear doctor, I am a lady of 20 years. Recently, I started having a discharge from my right breast and my menstrual flow was kind of light and scanty unlike before. I did a hormone test as a result of that and my prolactin was 19, LH was 19, FSH 24 and progesterone  26. The doctor said I am not ovulating well but that he would not prescribe any hormone drug for me because I am not married and therefore not trying to conceive. Anyway, last month, I was given Bromergon to stop the nipple discharge and I noticed that my menstrual flow was normal. I stopped taking it after some time and now the nipple discharge has started again. As of today, my period is not even flowing well again; it is so light and I am so scared. Please sir, what should I do? Thanks a lot sir. 0813xxxxxxx

There is no need to fear. There is a dose for Bromergon and a way to use it. The possibility is there that you did not follow the instructions given. If the medication is properly used and follow-up tests are done to monitor the progress made, correction is achievable and the nipple discharge will eventually stop with a complete restoration of your normal menstrual pattern. At your age, some irregularities in your cycle are known to occur and should not cause you any alarm.

Dear doctor, if someone is vomiting and blood is coming out of the nose, what should we do? 0902xxxxxxx

Your role in helping the person has to be carried out rather quickly. The person may have burst a blood vessel inside the nose or that may have happened lower down within the area at the back of the mouth and the blood came up through the nostrils. First, place a clean white handkerchief over the nose and pinch it tightly against the said handkerchief. Do that for about five to eight minutes and if it does not stop, you must get to a hospital as soon as possible. Nothing is to be gained by delaying further.

Dear doctor, I am a stroke patient who had that experience four years ago. I want to come over to see you for medical treatment. I am based in Abuja so how do I get to see you in Abuja? 0806xxxxxxx

Quite frankly, I would not be able to help you because I am not a physician and if I was, I am not based in Abuja. A physician is the expert you will need for the treatment of your condition. There are many competent physicians in Abuja who can deal with your problems. If you would visit the National Hospital or the various general hospitals around the FCT, you would be well served.

Dear doctor, my father read about stroke on your health page and he will love to try the computerized tomogram scan. Hope to read from you.0902xxxxxxx

Your dad has not stated why he wants to try the CT scan; is he hypertensive? Did he just have a stroke? If he did, that request should be made by his doctors. If he did not, there is no compelling reason for him to have it done. A CT scan does not predict strokes if that is his intention and so I am unable to give you any advice regarding that investigation because his motive is hazy. Thank you.

Dear doctor, On Monday last week, when using the toilet, my faeces was strong and ever since then my anus has been paining me. It will stop but once I eat what is peppery and use the toilet, it starts paining me again. xxx@xxx.com

I believe that the tough texture of the stool you passed was enough to bruise the wall of your anus or even tear it. Considering what you now experience, such an injury will only heal when your stool becomes softer. You can achieve that by increasing the amount of roughage in your diet. This is a possible goal if you take more vegetables and fruits than you currently do. When the stool is less hard, the anus should heal and the pains you feel together with the peppery sensation you have should then stop.

Dear doctor, I was told I have a raised blood pressure six weeks after my delivery when I went for post-natal clinic. It was attributed to the stress of taking care of the baby alone. I did some lab tests that confirmed I am okay. I am on Aldomet tablets and was told that I will have to take it for life. Is this true? After taking the drug, I feel weak and unable to do anything. My baby is three months old now and I am 37 years of age. I have been doing exercises and eating lots of cucumber. Please what’s your advice on this?                                                                                                             0802xxxxxxx

I sympathise with you but it is not at all likely that the stress of taking care of your baby alone, as you put it, is responsible for your hypertension. Some women develop hypertension during pregnancy. Others do so shortly before delivery while others develop that problem after delivery. The treatment depends therefore on when it is discovered and at some point, you should become well enough to do without medications because this particular case has a definite cause. It is not accurate to say that you will have to take one particular drug for life because even if the illness persists, there will come a time when Aldomet will become ineffective and will have to be replaced with something else. Laboratory tests will reveal nothing in all likelihood unless certain complications have set in. you should also enlist some other help in the form of your mother, sibling or mother in-law to help you cope better with the stress.

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Some Nigerian lovers, who tied the knot on October 1 and 1960, talk about their dreams for Nigeria and why they chose the historic day for their weddings with TOPE OMOGBOLAGUN

October 1 is our Independence Day too — Oyebanjo

How did you meet your spouse?

I am Iyiola Oyebanjo. We met at a church programme. There was a general youth fellowship we had although we attended different parishes, and we exchanged contacts that day. Unfortunately, we lost touch. Again, we met at school when I attended a programme in her parish, but we lost touch until we bumped into each other at Ikorodu Motor Park. We took each other’s mobile and the relationship started before it graduated into marriage.

Why did you choose October 1?

It was a Saturday and seemed to be the only one available for us that year.  We wanted something unique and something that could not be forgotten. It’s likely that one forgets one’s wedding anniversary but because it is October 1, one cannot forget. It stands out being a national holiday that one can never forget.  We wanted to do it in June but it didn’t work out, so we opted for October 1 and it was a great day for us.

For how long have you been married?

Our marriage will be seven this year.

How do you feel that you got married on October 1?

It is Independence Day for Nigeria and also for us too. A man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife. We are not just celebrating Nigeria but we are celebrating our independence too. There is something about that day; there is no way I will want to forget the day.  It‘s a day to go out, visit the cinemas and do other things.

What do people say about your sharing same day with Nigeria in relation to your wedding?

I don’t think anybody has ever said anything out of the ordinary about the day to me. It’s a day I usually have a programme in church; I get busy in church but I don’t forget it’s my wedding anniversary.

Would you still pick October 1 if given another opportunity to choose your wedding date?

It all depends. I may still have to. If we had it earlier, I would love to have it on my wife’s birthday if it falls on a Saturday; that would be a double celebration. However, October 1 is a good date; it’s a day that I won’t forget. For instance, if there is a grand celebration like the 60th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, I would feel as if it’s our wedding anniversary that is being celebrated.

How do you feel about the state of the country?

All I can say is that all will be well. We are work in progress. All I know is that everything is going to be alright.

‘We got freedom from our parents on Oct 1’

Husband: I am Mr Tunde Oluwole and my wife is Mrs Tosin Oluwole.

How did you meet each other?

Wife: We met at a church programme a friend of his invited him to in 2010.

Why did you choose October 1 for your wedding?

Wife: He proposed to me in October 2010 and we got married on October 1, 2011.

Husband: To me, number 10 is very special. I met her on January 10, 2010. So, when we were preparing for our wedding and I needed to pick a date, I reminded her of the date I met her and we decided to reverse the date (1/10/2011) and that was how we chose October 1, 2011.

How do you celebrate your wedding anniversary?

Husband: There is always a special couple’s programme. We pray together and also have a nice time together.

Who chose the date between the two of you?

Wife: No, we both chose the date.

How would you compare your marital journey with the country’s progress since independence?

Husband: My marriage has witnessed much progress and development. In fact, I can’t compare both. My marriage has witnessed many things in terms of growth and development. We have achieved many things and made lots of progress but Nigeria is retrogressing. All we can do is to pray for the country.

How do you feel about the state of the country?

Husband: I believe that good things are going to happen, when all the cabals, citizens, politicians and leaders begin to do right things. We should all learn to do things right.

Wife: I am unhappy, I must confess.  There are many people who are happy that the country is not in a good state because they exploit the situation. We want change to come from outsiders when it is supposed to come from us. We need to accept a change of heart and attitude. I believe that in our lifetime, we will see the change. Those who tend to break the law easily in Nigeria obey laws abroad.

How did you celebrate you last wedding anniversary?

Wife: We celebrated it at a church programme.

How do you intend to celebrate this year’s anniversary?

Husband: We intend to travel to spend time with our family. That is our plan for now although it might change.

How do you feel knowing your wedding anniversary is same day with Nigeria’s independence?

Wife: I think we are privileged to share the day with Nigeria. Whenever I think of it too, I reason that it was a day we got our freedom from our parents to love each other as husband and wife.

We married on Oct 1 because people won’t forget the day easily –Opata

How did you meet your husband?

I am Mrs Vivian Opata and my husband is Frederick Opata. I met him in a church fellowship.

What inspired you to choose October 1 for your wedding?

Funnily enough, it was my husband that chose the date. He is a Ghanaian while I am a Nigerian. We wanted something memorable, so we chose October 1 because it is Nigeria’s Independence Day. It is not a day that people will forget easily. It was on a Saturday and a public holiday, so it was perfect for us to have the celebration that day. Though my husband is a Ghanaian, one would think he is a Nigerian because he has stayed for long in the country and he enjoys everything about Nigeria.

How do you intend to celebrate your wedding anniversary this year?

We intend to have a lovely time together because my husband will be around.

How do you feel when you celebrate your wedding anniversary along with Nigeria’s independence?

I feel positive. I believe that things will get better. We only need the right people in the right places. Although the current state of the country is not encouraging, our hopes are high.  People say many lovely things about Ghana but I think Nigeria is still more developed than Ghana.

I thank God I married in 1960 – Onanuga, 94

When did you marry?

I am James Onanuga. I am 94 years old. I am a former Bursar of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State. I got married in August, 1960.

Was there any reason you chose 1960 being the year Nigeria got independence?

There was no particular reason. I was old enough and I had someone I wanted to marry.

Would you describe your wedding on Nigeria’s independence year as coincidence? 

No, not really. It was a planned arrangement and not coincidence.

How do you feel that your wedding took place in that year?

Independence Day is October 1, 1960 but I was not looking at the then coming independence at the time. I just wanted to get married.

How would you describe the event?

It was a normal thing. We went to church and did the necessary things. It was a beautiful day.

How do you feel that you got married in 1960?  

I thank God that it happened on that day. One would then move on with life to face other things. Unfortunately, the woman I married died about 10 years ago. We had three girls together. I also have children from other women.

How do you celebrate the day?

My children rally round to celebrate the day with me every year. It is always devoid of noise-making.  All I do is to go to church and pray to God.

‘We’ve many memorable events linked to Oct 1’

How did you meet your spouse?

I am Mrs Tosin Egwu. We attended the same church and we were used to being together.

When did your husband propose to you?

He proposed to me on December 25, 2015 and we got married on October 1, 2016.

Was there a reason you chose October 1 for your wedding?

My parents got married on October 1; so, it is also their wedding anniversary. Thankfully, the day was on a Saturday and we felt it was a perfect day for us.

How did your husband react to your choice of the day?

My husband is an understanding person. We spoke on the phone that day and were individually holding calendars. We both picked the dates for our introduction and wedding.

How do you feel that you got married on October 1?

I feel great because I try to think about the many memorable events linked to October 1. I dedicated my son on October 1. I have many memorable events around the date.

Would you still choose October 1 given an opportunity to pick a date for your wedding?

Of course, I will. My parents’ wedding is on that day. I will pick the date over and over again.

How do you feel about your wedding anniversary being on the country’s independence?

Hmmn! I try not to think about the country because things are really not like we want it. People are only smiling with packaged faces but we are going through a lot. On that day, I only cool off with wine and forget the state of the nation.

What do people tell you knowing your wedding anniversary is on October 1?

People always check on me to send greetings. Even people who I don’t expect will call me to wish me happy anniversary. I guess maybe it’s because of the public holiday or the country’s Independence Day.

How do you celebrate your wedding anniversary?

It is just one wedding anniversary I have celebrated and that was on my child’s dedication. We had a couple of friends and family around.  We are about to celebrate another one and there is no plan yet.

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Ifeanyi Onuba

The Nigerian economy recorded a total foreign exchange inflow of $6bn in the month of July this year, figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria have shown.

The inflow of $6bn when compared with the $9.73bn recorded in June this year represents a decline of $3.73bn.

The $3.73bn based on analysis represents a 38.34 per cent decline during the period.

The apex bank said the inflow was recorded as a result of the continued stability in the foreign exchange market.

This, the CBN stated, was promoted by improved dollar liquidity at the Investors and Exporters’ window of the market.

The development, according to the findings, has been driving the exchange rates towards convergence at all segments of the market.

Findings revealed that the relative stability in both the Investors and Exporters’ window of the foreign exchange market was sustained by autonomous inflows during the period.

It was gathered that the CBN had also taken measures to deepen the foreign exchange market and curb speculative practices.

One of these measures is the circular to banks directing them to sell foreign exchange over the counter to eligible buyers who walk into any bank regardless of whether they are customers of the bank or not.

Finance and economic experts who spoke on the foreign exchange inflow said that the demand management policy of the Federal Government was responsible for the inflow.

They, however, said while the current administration had made remarkable progress in the area of reducing inflation and increasing external reserves, there was a need to intensify its economic diversification programme.

Speaking on the development, a professor of finance and Head, Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Uche Uwaleke, said, “The introduction of the Investors and Exporters’ window, on the back of crude oil price recovery, has equally helped stabilise the exchange rate, facilitating raw materials imports for local firms.

“That said, the CBN should continue to explore innovative ways to support domestic industries beyond the use of forex policies.

“There is no doubt that the CBN’s forex policies have helped the growth of local industries in Nigeria. Notable among these is the restriction to access official forex placed on 41 imported items.

“This measure was not only in support of the Federal Government’s import substitution strategy,  it was also a demand-management strategy which helped to conserve scarce forex especially during the period of oil price slump.

“Today, thanks to that restrictive measure, a number of products which were hitherto not produced here such as toothpicks are now being manufactured locally.”

He said to strengthen the rate of exchange between naira and the dollar, there is a need for well-coordinated fiscal policies to pursue import substitution and enhance the competitiveness of local production with a view to curtailing forex demand.

He said, “The government should fast-track efforts to improve the ease of doing business and the state of infrastructure in order to attract foreign investments as well as develop multiple streams of earning foreign exchange.”

Also, a former Acting Managing Director, Unity Bank Plc, Mr Rislanudeen Mohammed, said the problem of exchange rate which the current administration met when it assumed office in 2015 had yet to be fully addressed.

He said, “The government met two major challenges when it assumed office in 2015. The first is the issue of foreign exchange and the second is petroleum subsidy which is a major issue that has yet to be resolved.

“After the recession, the economy trajectory has been showing positive signs even though the growth rate has been shaky. The fourth quarter GDP growth rate was 2.11 per cent  while we had a contraction to 1.95 per cent in the first quarter and 1.5 per cent for second quarter.

“If you look at the growth trajectory, we are growing but it’s shaking; inflation is going down; reserves are improving, but we have the problem of rising unemployment which the government is yet to deal with despite all the talk about the N-Power programme.”

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affe mudiaga

The Peoples Democratic Party has disqualified two aspirants challenging the reelection bid of Governor Ben Ayade for the party’s ticket in the governorship primary scheduled for Sunday (today).

The two aspirants – Mr Emmanuel Ibeshi and Dr. Paul Udayi – however , rejected their disqualification, saying it was an act of impunity and injustice.

While Ibeshi was disqualified on Saturday, Udayi got a letter from the party’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday informing him of his disqualification.

Both aspirants said no reason was given by the party for the action.

An aggrieved Ibeshi, who addressed journalists in Calabar, said he was earlier cleared to contest the primary by the PDP screening panel which sat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said, “There is no valid ground for my disqualification, and I have been provided with no such ground. Indeed, there has been no attempt by the PDP to justify or even explain its action in cancelling the clearance certificate earlier issued to me to contest the election.

“I, like other aspirants to the office of governor in the PDP in the South-South geopolitical zone, was screened by the zonal screening committee set up by the party, sitting in Port Harcourt. This committee was given a devious agenda – to disqualify all aspirants contesting the governorship ticket of Cross River State.

“I am ready to contest my disqualification and seek such redress and remedies as are available under the law in this country.”

On the other hand, Udayi had dragged the party before the State High Court over the issue.

Udayi was the first aspirant to pick up the expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the governorship primary in Cross River State from the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.

The defendants in the suit are PDP, the National Chairman of PDP, the Cross River State chairman of the PDP, the Chairman of the Governorship Screening Committee for the South-South geo-political zone, and members of the Governorship Screening Committee for the South-South geo-political zone.

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