BlazeLoaded

DEPUTY Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday, dissociated himself from the amendment of the 8th Senate Standing Rules, saying he was no longer  a senator when the rules were made.
Senator Ekweremadu spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu,  on a Ray Power Radio morning programme, tagged: “Political Platform”, where he responded to questions on the alleged forgery/amendment of the Senate Standing Rule, 2011.
He washed his hands off the allegation, saying at the time the said Senate Standing Rule/Order 2015 was made, he had ceased being the Deputy Senate President and so was no longer a principal officer to have contributed to the making of the document in question.
He said the making of a new Rule/Order for a new Senate or House was entirely the business of the National Assembly bureaucracy and asked those striving to frame him up to look elsewhere.
He said: “Let me just explain here that every National Assembly, that is every Senate or House has its Standing Rule/Order as every Standing Rule/Order normally has a life span of four years. So, if you go to the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly now, you are likely to find Standing Rules/Orders of 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and the current 2015.
“From the point of the valedictory session of the 7th Senate on 4th June, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Distinguished Senator David Mark and the rest of other members of the 7th Senate ceased to be senators until the 9th of June, when the 8th Senate was inaugurated; and as usually done, the new senators received new Standing Rule/Order 2015.
“The making of that 2015 edition of the Senate Rule/Order is the business of the bureaucracy of the National Assembly. What the 8th Senate can do, which its predecessors have sometimes done is to amend as suitable. And the process of the amendment is spelt out in the that document.
“So, if you say that the current Senate or Ekweremadu or whoever altered the Standing Rule that brought them to power, it is just like saying that former President Olusegun Obasanjo forged the 1999 Constitution upon which he was inaugurated as a president. You know it wasn’t his making and the governors that came that time too, it wasn’t their making. What happens is if Nigerians don’t like what is contained in the 1999 Constitution, they try to amend it. It’s the same with the Rules/Orders of the National Assembly. But you cannot even amend it until you are inaugurated as a Senator or Member. So, haven been inaugurated, anybody not comfortable with any part of the Standing Rule/Order 2015 upon which the Senate was inaugurated can follow the laid down procedure in the Rule within the lifespan of the Senate.
“So, you can see that what they call an amendment is a new document with a life of its own. It couldn’t have been done by any member of the 8th Senate. It is just impossible for it to have been made by Ekweremadu. I guess it is all politics”
Asked whether his principal did not work behind the scene to influence the alleged changes in the Senate Rule, Mr Anichukwu said: “How could he have worked behind the scene to amend it because from the 4th of June, when the 7thSenate ended, he ceased to be a senator, just like every other senator.
“You could remember that after the valedictory session on that day, Ekweremadu and Senator David Mark left without their usual official cars. That showed they were no longer senators or occupying their offices in the Senate. So, how could he have worked from behind the scene? And do not forget that even the main matter they are contesting is not Ekweremadu’s eligibility. They claim the old Rule for the 7th Senate prescribed open ballot in which you mention the name of the person you want to vote in as the Senate President or Deputy President of the Senate, while the Clerk to the National Assembly used the open secret ballot system in which your name is called, you are given a piece of paper to write down the name of your preferred candidate and drop in the box in the full glare of everyone and on live TV watched all over the world. No one has complained that the election was rigged. Even Senator Ali Ndume crossed over to Ekweremadu and gave him a very warm congratulatory embrace”
He explained further: “There is an important point I want to make here,  how a new Senate or House is inaugurated is entirely the business of the National Assembly bureaucracy
“Remember that in the 6th Senate, Senator George Akume ran against Senator David Mark for the position of the Senate President. You would remember that some people said no, he was not qualified to run for that office going by the old Rule because he was a new Senator. But the then CNA, Mr. Ogunyomi, said no, ‘this is how I want to run it.”
When told that some people, especially from the opposition APC felt that his principal took a seat that rightly belonged to the APC, Mr Anichukwu said the seat did not belong to any political party.
He said: “Going by Section 50 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, that Office doesn’t belong to anybody or party. It belongs to Nigerians. That is why APC lawmakers became Speakers in Plateau and Benue State Assemblies last June even when the APC was in minority. By the way, are some people trying to tell Nigerians that if the PDP had won majority in the National Assembly, which is an independent arm of government, and head both chambers, the President Buhari Administration would cease to function?”

It was very interesting watching the convoys of eminent dignitaries arrive the Eagle Square, Abuja, for the official hand-over ceremony on May 29: While President  Muhammadu Buhari, came in an Infiniti SUV, the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was seen earlier alighting from what was either a Land Cruiser or Sequoia, but clearly a Toyota. Just before the oath-taking, President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, arrived in a premium luxury Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The former Vice President, Arch. Namadi Sambo’s motorcade was not noticed on arrival, but a common denominator was that neither did any of the state dignitaries ride in a made-in-Nigeria car to the venue, nor did a car from the domestic auto industry seen in all the fleets of mainly black cars. Not even the open-body Mercedes-Benz G-wagon that drove the new president round the square was home-made.

Some auto industry stakeholders who also observed the scenario recalled above, have been wondering why locally made cars were denied their well deserved roles at that very important and symbolic national ceremony. It is not easy to forget that the last time a made-in Nigeria car was so honoured, was in 1979, when the then Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, rode in a Peugeot 505 produced by Peugeot Automobile in Kaduna, to the Tafawa Balewa square, Lagos, where he handed over to the incoming president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

Apart from the symbolic role he let the 505 play at that hand-over ceremony, Gen. Obasanjo, as a matter of policy, ensured that locally made cars were the official vehicles at all levels of government while his tenure lasted. And this helped to drive the patronage of the products of auto plants, like Volkswagen in Lagos and Peugeot (both car makers).

Ditto for truck assemblers, including ANAMMCO (Mercedes-Benz), Enugu, National Trucks Manufacturers (NTM, for Fiat/Iveco) in Kano, and Steyr in Bauchi.

Curiously, Obasanjo’s civilian regime that began in 1999, did not re-introduce the same policy of making vehicles from the domestic industry dominate the convoys of government officials. So, it did not surprise the auto makers that preference for imported vehicles in government circles was the order of the day, regime after regime, until the automotive policy (popularly called the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) took effect in 2014, one year to the end of the tenure of Dr Jonathan’s government.

But, with the May 29 ceremony in mind, it appears to industry watchers that government has not been promoting the products of its own policy, because Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company (IVM, Nnewi) which was the first to produce an SUV in the country, and VON Automobiles Nigeria Ltd with its own Nissan Patrol, have vehicles that can be added to the official state car fleet. The duo also has a line-up of other models of passenger cars.

Same for United Vehicle Assembly Limited (UVAL), the car-making corporate sister of Kia Motors Nigeria Limited which now produces, apart from sedans, Kia Sportage, Sorento and the top-of-the-range Mohave (all SUVs).Presently, PAN Nigeria produce sundry passenger cars that can conveniently fit into any official convoy.

And, if armouring is a requirement, the stakeholders argue, Proforce Limited, in Ode-Remo, Ogun state, has been rendering the service for years, in addition to partnering with the DICON (Defence Industries Corporation) to produce hardware for the military. So, why not to do same for government?

To one of the auto industry chieftains who watched the Eagle Square ceremony, Mr. Rasheed Adegbenro, the absence of locally made vehicles in the official convoys and the disdain for the extant laws and directives on the patronage of products of the assembly plants in the country, is unpatriotic and injurious to the interest of manufacturers in the sector.

“This development has made nonsense of government campaign concerning patronage of local industries. In addition, government has lost the moral right to galvanise the general public to support made-in-Nigeria products”, remarked Adegbenro, who was the Assistant General Manager (Sales/Public Relations), in the first generation Volkswagen of Nigeria, and until recently, the Ag. Director-General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

Recalling that the first unit of Nissan Patrol with V8 engine VON Automobiles produced last year in Lagos was presented to the then President Jonathan to show what the plant could do, the Managing Director, Mr Tokunbo Aromolaran, confirmed that the auto makers in the country have the capacity to produce car for official use and the local market.

Also reacting, an auto industry analyst, Mr. Banwo Omagbitse, drew attention to an existing law (Gazette No 28 Vol. 81 of April, 1994) and circular which prohibit all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) patronizing imported vehicles, except where such cannot be produced by the domestic auto industry. According to him, in line with the auto policy, PAN is migrating from SKD (semi-knocked down) to CKD (completely knocked down) production of the 301. Therefore, he said, the plant and other auto makers, should be encouraged through government-driven patronage.

Not only did the Jonathan regime discourage MDAs from patronising imported vehicles, it also introduced (through the auto policy) a tariff regime with a differential of at least 60 percent between fully built up vehicles and CKD imports by the local auto plants, which favours the latter.

The introduction of NAIDP has since encouraged Innoson, initially a bus, utility trucks, pick-up and SUV-producing plant, to widen its vehicle range to include passenger cars (Umu and Fox), while VON Automobiles, also rolled out sundry models of Nissan and Hyundai.

What this means, according to auto industry stakeholders, is that the domestic auto plants have the capacity to produce a variety of vehicles for local consumption, including the official state cars. Saying they are not unmindful of the advanced specifications of vehicles for use even at the presidential or gubernatorial level, including luxury, communications, special convenience features and armour plating (bullet-proofing), stakeholders believe that the industry is equipped for the task.

“It is patriotic and normal for the president, prime minister, governor, and other top government officials, to use vehicles made in a country”, argued the Chairman of the Innoson Group, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, who prides himself on being the owner of the first indigenous auto brand in Africa. “This is what happens in other countries of the world. Innoson has models of SUV plus other saloons. PAN has models of Peugeot, just as other assembly plants have others products. So, the industry can give government officials whatever they want”.

Chief Chukwuma is right: In the United States, the presidential car is a Chevrolet Kodiak-based, Cadillac-badged limousine often referred to as Cadillac One (made by General Motors of the US). In the United Kingdom, the Prime Ministerial Car refers to the British manufactured vehicles used by the Prime Minister – currently they are armoured, custom built Jaguar XJ Sentinel supercharged 5.0-litre V8 models, built by Jaguar Land Rover of the UK. The German Vice Chancellor’s official car is usually provided by the country’s leading luxury car makers – Mercedes-Benz, BMW and the Volkswagen Group, while the French President makes his choice from either Peugeot or Renault, both of them indigenous to France.

“I can understand President Buhari and his deputy not arriving in made-in-Nigeria cars on May 29. Maybe they simply made use of what was provided by the out-going regime. But, Nigerians will watch out to know what cars they and other government officials will be having in their motorcades”, remarked Dr. D.V.C. Obi, a vocal auto industry chieftain and MAN sectoral chairman.

COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji, is so passionate about reggae legend, Majek Fashek; he is calling on cor­porate bodies to reach out and save the singer.

Okoroji took to facebook to announce his new passion when he posted this recently: “We cannot afford to allow the prodigious talent of Majek Fashek to be flushed down the drain. I am therefore compelled today to ask my many friends at Nigerian Breweries, Guinness, Coca- Cola, Pepsi, MTN, Glo, Airtel, Etisalat and the other organizations who deploy music as their major communication platform to give Nige­rians a chance to once again enjoy the musical wizadry of the mystical and magical Majek Fashek. It is both a good business decision and a sound humanitarian decision. Please put Majek Fashek on your shows.”

Earlier he had posted: “Early in his career, I was involved in a tour that featured this guy. On a hot day, with the sun shining so bright at Crystal Park in Aba, Majek mounted the stage and once he started singing, ‘The sky is misty and cloudy’ the weather suddenly changed. It began to drizzle. As soon as he got to the chorus line, “Send down the rain’ the skies opened up and it began to rain like the stuff was getting out of fashion. This happened from city to city that it became difficult for me to insist that it was co-incidence. Majek became known as the Rainmaker. This born performer still holds his audience spell­bound.”

Are you a fan of Majek’s? Are you touched? Do you want to reach out to the rain maker? AMajek Fashek Fund has been set up at Diamond Bank.

“This is an appeal to all lovers of good music and all fans of Majek Fashek to please contribute today to the Majek Fashek Fund,” Okoroji pleaded.

Taylor Swift on Thursday announced that she had dropped her opposition to release her latest album “1989” on Apple’s new music streaming service.

The move came days after Swift blocked her multi-platinum album from the service to protest Apple for not paying recording artists during Apple’s three month free trial.

Apple later changed its tune and agreed to pay the musicians.

“After the events of this week, I’ve decided to put 1989 on Apple Music… and happily so,” Swift tweeted out to her nearly 60 million Twitter followers on Thursday.

“In case you’re wondering if this is some exclusive deal like you’ve seen Apple do with other artists, it’s not,” she said in a series of tweets. In a third, she added, “This is simply the first time it’s felt right in my gut to stream my album. Thank you, Apple, for your change of heart.”

On Sunday, Swift wrote a blog post entitled “To Apple, Love Taylor” that explained why she was holding back “1989” from the service.

The post went viral and led to Apple executive Eddy Cue to tweet, “we hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple.”

Apple said on Thursday, “We are thrilled to offer Taylor Swift’s entire catalog including 1989, along with over 30 million songs by other incredible artists when Apple Music debuts next week.”

The news on Thursday brings a resolution to the tiff between the 25-year-old pop artist and the tech giant while also allowing the new Apple Music to stream one of the biggest albums in recent memory.

Swift’s “1989” has sold 4.93 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music.

In November, Swift pulled her albums from Spotify due to a dispute regarding proper compensation for artists and streaming music.

Swift has yet to return to Spotify, but as for Apple it appears that this mini-break up has ended with a happy ending.

America-based Nigerian singer, D’eboyed, has recounted the day he met and took a snap shot with Pop legend, Michael Jackosn.

In a chat with Entertainer from his American base, D’eboyed said: “It was great meeting with the King of Pop. He was so humble and I even had the privilege of taking a snap shot with him. The news of his death came to me as a great shock. He is one of those musicians who influenced me greatly.”

Meanwhile, his twin singles, Let’s Celebrate and Chinyere, are still enjoying massive airplay. According to his Nigerian manager, Ray­mond Lasisi (Baba Ray)

“Deboyed’s popular tune, Let’s Celebrate, seems specifi­cally in tune with the wind of change blowing across Nigeria as the country celebrates a new dawn of change, courtesy of President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory during the recent polls as he preaches the gospel of change. It is time to celebrate change D’eboyed’s way. Both singles are available for download on Youtube and itunes.”

Added Lasisi: “D’eboyed has also promised his Nigerian fans to expect the best from him as he plans the official release of his 13 tracker album entitled Money Talks, which is billed for release later in the year. D’eboyed is also exploring ways of assisting the government of Buhari in improving the power sector via solar energy from repu­table experts in America.”

Up-and-coming R&B singer, M Young, is dreaming big. In this chat with Entertainer, he talks career and why he wants a collabo with contemporary highlife star, Flavour.

Tell us about yourself? My real name is valentine Chibuzo and my stage name is M Young. I do R&B. Currently I am working on my debut album but I have a couple of singles but they are not out yet.

I love the coolness of it and it’s close to my nature. I chose music because mu­sic is part of me. I see music all around me, it’s a talent that I can’t hide; it is the window through which I see the world. I have been doing music for as long as I can remember.

Yes, they are in full support but wait a minute, I won’t say my dad is in support because he’s not aware. I will still tell him when the time is right but for now, it is only my mum that is aware.

Hmmm…I think I would prefer 2nite Entertainment. Why 2nite Entertainment you may ask? It’s because I love Flavour. His works are just out of this world and he inspires me and I would be glad to work with him. Simply put, he is my mentor in the music industry.

I am not through with my education yet. I stopped for a while, hoping to bounce back someday. I dropped out because of financial issues.

At the moment I work as a full time beautician in a big saloon in Lagos.

Yes, I make hair. I also do facials and make up among others. I had my train­ing at Hair Wizard, a beauty institute in Oweri, Imo State.

I will say soon by God’s grace.

Telecommunica­tions solutions provider, Globa­com has signed-on Nigerian star actress, Patience Ozokwor, popu­larly called , Mama G as one of its new Brand Am­bassadors.

According to company sources, other new am­bassadors include hip-hop sensation Wizkid, popular comedians Ayo Makun (AY) and Bovi Ugboma, award-winning actor OC Ukeje, Odunlade Adekola, fast-rising Marvin Crew of Koredo Bello, Reekado Banks and Hadizah Blell (Dija).

Other entertainment stars who joined the brand as ambassadors include, Fulani-born trado-hip hop crooner, Sani Danja; foremost gospel musi­cian, Sammie Okposo; comedienne, Helen Paul; electrifying Peter and Paul Okoye popularly known as P Square; popular Nol­lywood diva, Funke Akin­dele of Jenifa fame and her colleague, Ini Edo.

Also in the league are Bezhiwa Idakula (Bez); popular comedian Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth); African Rapper Number One, Jude Abaga (MI ); Koko master, Dapo Oye­banjo (D’banj), Wande Coal, Chinedu Okolie (Flavour); Omawumi Megbele; Ego Ogbaro and veteran broadcaster, Bimbo Oloyede. Others are John Okafor (Mr Ibu); Ime Bishop Umoh; Chin­wetalu Agu and Damini Ogolu (Burna Boy).

Mama G is an accom­plished actress having won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 10th Africa Movie Academy Awards, for Best Actress in Supporting Role. A comprehensive list of its brand ambassadors shows that Glo retained 19 show­biz superstars who have consistently projected the network positively.

Pretty actress, Kay Samuel, made her Nollywood debut in Friendly Scorpion. The graduate of History from Imo State University (IMSU) has since featured in other movies such as Shattered Mirror, Sweet Potato, My Prince My Princess, Crown Princess, and Lonely Princess.
Having conquered Nollywood, Samuel is now making a foray into music, with a single in the offing.
The multi-talented artiste opened up to Entertainer at a function in Enugu State and she spoke on a variety of issues including her career, relationship and her soon-to-be-released work. Excerpts:

You look great, what is the secret to your beauty?
Thanks for the compliment. I always visit the gym and I am on constant diet. That’s what I do to keep fit. A woman has to do whatever she could to look good.
How much does it cost you to always look this good and trendy?
To be honest with you, it costs a lot. For you to look ravishing all the time is quite demanding. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been working out and trying to keep fit because in showbiz, aside the talent, you have to really look good. However, I also believe that I have a natural smooth face and a great body. I do not use anything extra-ordinary apart from the usual cleansers that help prevent pimples and burns on the face.
Looking beautiful usually attracts male admirers. How much of it do you experience?
Oh, don’t even go there. It is normal. It happens to women everyday and all the time. It happens in churches, market places, everywhere. But you must note that a substantial number of these admirers are fans. So, I think one should be cautious in handling them because we need our fans as much as they need us. I am a very polite person and I know how to handle male folk around me.
Are you hooked up?
That’s an issue for another day.
When will the wedding bells ring?
Any moment from now, just watch out.
In Friendly Scorpion, your first movie, you played company secretary and your boss’ wife felt insecure about you…?
(Laughs) Yes, that was what happened. It was a Coruma Movies’ production. She was actually suspecting that I was dating her husband but the reverse was the case.
You depicted that role so well. Can you date a married boss in real life?
First of all, I am against office romance and secondly, why contest for someone else’s husband when there are so many free men out there?
How would you like your man to handle you?
I like a man who can treat me like a queen, understand and appreciate me.
What if he treats you like a queen but turns out deficient in the bedroom?
Well, when we get to that bridge we will know how to cross it.
Is it true that virtually all women like men that are vulgar, I mean, no-holds-barred-men?
I would say that it is different strokes for different folks.
What about you?
Every woman desires a romantic man and I am not an exception.
How challenging was Friendly Scorpion?
The script was challenging being my first Nollywood outing. More so, I had to put up with popular actors like Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Mike Ezuruonye, Solomon Akiyesi, Rukky Sanda and the likes, so I sincerely found it challenging. Although, I grew up writing scripts and acting from my primary school days, but camera-wise, Friendly Scorpion was my first.
Your mum was an actress, would it be right to describe yours as an entertainment family?
Yes, it would. I think that we took after our mother. She was into acting and the creative arts. She told us that she joined a drama group as a toddler. Today, my siblings and I are into entertainment; we sing and act. But my only brother is late now so, it’s just my sister and I. My sister launched her album on June 21 and I am currently working on my debut single.
What genre would it be?
It’s gospel. It’s all about glorifying God for his goodness to me, especially for seeing me through this uneasy journey. God willing, the album will drop before the end of the year.
Why do you not wear tattoos or do you have them where the eyes cannot see them?
No, I don’t wear tattoos. I think the Holy Bible condemns it and I would not do what goes contrary to biblical teachings, because I love and fear God.

What would you not do as an actress because of your faith?
It depends on the circumstance. If I am faced with a challenge and it is against my Christian faith, I would not do it.
What about going nude in a movie?
I can’t. I wouldn’t do that for any reason or any amount. But I’m not against those who do it because they are comfortable with it.
Even with a N5 million upfront pay?
I will not even if you give me all the money in the world.
You’re supposed to be a professional, is going nude not part of make-belief?
It depends on how you view it. But like I said, it is a personal thing. I cannot go nude in a movie.
What special qualities must your ideal man have?
I desire a God-fearing person because I’m very God-fearing too. I like a man that has focus, vision and a goal-getter. And of course, he has to be romantic and understanding.
Is it possible to find a man with those qualities in Nollywood?
Yes, it is possible.
Can you marry an actor or entertainer?
Yes I can.
Don’t you think that challenges are usually higher when entertainers marry each other?
I think that one thing that keeps a relationship going, whether it is marriage or a dating, is understanding. Adequate understanding is all that matters.
What offence could make you deny your husband sex?
It depends because I’ve grown to be a very understanding person. Marriage is not just about relationship and sex; friendship matters a lot. Normally, men do things that shatter women’s hearts. But personally, I have come to a point in my life where I have realised that ‘hey, these are men for you; that’s what they are and you have to deal with it that way’. So, I’ll do everything to ensure we don’t have unnecessary issues that will degenerate to such a level.
Would you break your husband’s head if you catch him pants down on your matrimonial bed?
No, I would pretend that it is not a big deal and walk away.

You’d just walk away, speechless?
Yes, speechless. Maturity is not about making noise. If I start ranting, either the woman loses regard for me or my husband does. I would just make sure they see me before I walk away. So, it is up to my man to do the whole begging and apologies. I could even leave the house for a while or something of that sort. But such is not an easy experience because even if you have to cheat on me, it should not be on my matrimonial bed.
Do you think that all men cheat?
No, but I would say a majority do. There is this belief that 99.9 per cent of men cheat. So, it is just a minute fraction that doesn’t. The truth is that there are still one or two men out there who don’t.
What about women, don’t they cheat too?
Well, I wouldn’t say all women cheat because personally, I can’t cheat on my man. I can only speak for myself. But seriously, I think that men cause most of the problems that women face today.
Can you dump your man over ‘bedroom deficiency’; I mean poor performance in bed?
That is a complicated one I must confess. For my husband, marriage is for better for worse. So, that is a no-no. But for a boyfriend, if I try to explain to him and there is no improvement, I will leave because sincerely, no matter how you fake it, you will not be happy in such a relationship.

Striker Taiwo Awoniyi tops the list of 25 players picked by Dream Team VI head coach, Samson Siasia, for the final phase of prepa­rations for next weekend’s crucial 2016 Olympics quali­fier against the Red Devils of Congo at the Adokiye Amiesiemaka Stadium, Port- Harcourt.

The Flying Eagles’ rising star and 20 other home-based players will depart Abuja for the Garden City, Port Harcourt, tomorrow, ahead of the July 19 clash. Other home-based strikers on the list are Peter Onyekachi, Junior Ajayi and Etebo Oghenekaro while the goalkeepers are Daniel Emmanuel, Yusuf Mo­hammed and Emmason Daniel.

Captain Erhun Obanor tops the roll call of defenders on the list that also include Segun Oduduwa, Iroha Ebuka, Amuzie Stanley, Chima Akas, Atanda Sadiq, Ikechukwu Okorie and Nnaemeka Uzoma while the midfielders are Azubuike Oke­chukwu, Usman Mohammed, Tion­goli Tonbara, Godwin Savior, Emeka Kenneth, Etor Daniel, Olisah Ndah, Eteobong Elisha, Oladapo Augustin and Musa Yahaya.

According to Siasia, home-based players would be joined by four overseas-based professionals Imoh Ezekiel, Aminu Umar, Sodiq Popoola and Gabriel Abalo in Port Harcourt as the team fine tunes its strategies to confront the Congo Red Devils.

He urged the players that failed to make the cut not to be discouraged, but rather work harder to keep them­selves among the pool of players that could be called up for future assign­ments.

The U-23 gaffer instructed the players released to join their clubs for league games at the weekend to report at the team’s camp in Port- Harcourt tomorrow, unfailingly, or risk automatic ejection from the squad.

The Nigeria Football Federation has terminated the appointment of Stephen Keshi as Head Coach of the Senior National Football Team, Super Eagles.

A statement by the NFF Executive Committee on Saturday said this decision was made, “having thoroughly reviewed the reports/findings of the NFF Disciplinary Committee and NFF Technical and Development Committee, as well as having reviewed the actions and inactions of Mr. Stephen Keshi, in the performance of his duties as Super Eagles’ Head Coach, which we found to lack the required commitment to achieve the Federation’s objectives as set out in the Coach’s employment contract.”

The statement went further: “To this end and pursuant to the provisions of Clause 4.3 of the Employment Contract between Mr. Stephen Keshi and the NFF (The Contract) and the various clauses therein, the Nigeria Football Federation has decided to exercise its option to summarily terminate the employment contract of Mr. Stephen Keshi with the Federation with immediate effect.”

Otunba Gbolade Osunkoya is the former Chairman, Ogun State Library Management Board and erstwhile Special Adviser to the state governor on Library Services (2003- 2011). He was the Chief Librarian of David Sopolu Awolowo Library, Ikenne. In this interview with CHARLES ADEGBITE, the septuagenarian, who retired from the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) ex­plains how he influenced the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to will the library he built inside his Ikenne country home to the then Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago – Iwoye), among others. Excerpts…

Between 1979 and 1983, I was seconded to David Sopolu Awolowo Library from the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) to organ­ise the Library for Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and get it working. I organised the library and I superintended over the affairs of the library for sometime. But before then I have been with Chief Awolowo since 1955 when I became a card-carrying member of the Action Group of Nigeria. During that period, I was the Secretary of Awo Youths Vanguard for my local govern­ment area, Ilugun-Alaro local government dis­trict. I later became the Chairman of the Awo Youths Vanguard for that my local government district. Through that I interacted so much with Papa Awolowo before I later became his Chief Librarian.

We started the library in 1982 and concluded the setting up of the library in 1983. I was there until Papa Awo died in 1987.

When we were organising the library, I looked at the whole set-up and I thought with­in myself that if Papa dies this library may die with him (he was then over 70 years old). So, I advised him through a memo that he should please think of bequeathing the library to the then Ogun State University. So, Papa Awo put it in his will like that. And I think it was a good thing at that time because I thought they would keep the library going. By the time we finished organising the library we had 32,000 volumes of books, minus his law books. His law books at that time were in his house in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State . And he said those ones should be left for his grand children who studied law. Before and after he died I was still supervising the li­brary. If anything happened Mama, Chief Mrs. HID Awolowo would call me, because after Papa died, Mama went through the records and called me to come and brief her properly on the library. In fact, the conception at that time was to have that library and have a museum along side. The museum was to be built at the back of the library, on the land which Papa purchased at that time for that purpose. But unfortunately the issue of the museum did not come up before he died. And after he died, Mama called me and I briefed her on the matter that the plan was to have a museum at the back of the library, so that when you walk from the library, you can walk into the museum and see a lot of things. Mama took up the matter and built the museum in front of the library near the gate. With that we were able to build all those things Papa conceived at that time for us to do. The things are there with all the paraphernalia. The historical things are there. You see, you can see Chief Awolowo at a glance from that museum.

Papa Awo was a reader any day. It would surprise you to note that whenever Papa was at home he would work Mathematics till night and early hours of the next day. You will think that he has slept but by the time he came around 10 pm, when we were still setting up the li­brary, he would say, “gentle men you are still here ?” And we told Papa that if we don’t work that way we won’t be able to finish on time be­cause we didn’t know it would be so volumi­nous. We thought it would be something that we would be able to finish within three months. But it took a year and three months before we could finish; to classify, catalogue and set it up, and get the catalogue cards. Something that was wonderful at that time was that you know computer was not then that common or easy to see, but then with the little computerization that was going on in the country at that time, the library was fully computerized. We used one Dr. Alabi, now a Professor at the University of Ibadan Library School, he helped us to com­puterise the operations of the library as at that time. We did a lot of documentation that would definitely give anybody who comes in the required information about Chief Awolowo, about his educational appetites, and whatso­ever you want to know about. You can see at a glance, because we documented everything that needed to be documented. And we classi­fied everything that needed to be classified. At that time we had 2000 photo albums of events. We also classified all those things. We had a section for Bibles. He had over 200 Bibles of various shapes and sizes, Concordance, Bible Commentaries, everything. They were there and are still there. The copy of the first edition of Nigeria Tribune published in 1949 is there. You know Papa was the founder of Nigeria Tri­bune newspapers. So, we have newspaper sec­tion, album section, the general collections and, you see, by the time we finished those things any student of Political Science who wants to be rich in knowledge of governance in Nigeria from colonial days till present day, at that time would have to come to that site and get a lot of materials for his research. And there is a build­ing beside that library which Mrs. Oyediran is occupying now. That place was to be convert­ed to a guest house for whoever wants to do research in the library. Papa wanted to equip the place with kitchen utensils and everything, so that if you come for research, you can go there to sleep, prepare your own food and do whatever you wanted to do there. And when you finish your research you will go. And all these for free. That shows the passion which Papa had for education. Unfortunately when we handed over to the Olabisi Onabanjo Uni­versity, Ago – Iwoye, they didn’t manage the place well. In fact there was a time Ogun state government wanted to take it away from them. They pleaded and thereafter posted a profes­sional librarian there, but you will discover that not much activities are going on there as it used to be. Lately, I think in 2012 or 2013, the Law Faculty of Olabisi Onabanjo University came to Mama to say they wanted to make that place a centre of learning for law students. So, Mama called me, and we told them our reservations. But eventually we conceded to let them use the place since it is an arm of the university, to which it was originally bequeathed. That is how far that place is. Presently the Olabisi Onabanjo University is managing the place, while the Faculty of Law is using it, the library is under the management of the Olabisi On­abanjo University Library.

It is open to the public. People do come there to read. For some years now people have been coming there to read. Students from the Faculty of Medicine of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, and Obafemi Awolowo College of Health, Medical Sciences or so in Ikenne also come to use the library. Members of the public also do come there regularly to use the place.

Reading is part of the culture you can’t take away from the Awolowo family. Mama would read all the national dailies and the magazines which we did supply her that time. After she has gone through them she would send them back to the Library. But now, old age has come. She would soon be 100 years old. She could not read again for about two or three years now.

Late Chief Mrs. Ayo Soyode, mother of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s wife, Dolapo, was a lawyer and the one in charge of Papa Awolowo’s chamber, even when Papa Awo was still alive. That should tell you straight away that she was a learned person. She read a lot. Mrs. Omotola Oyediran is the one who takes after Mama HID in terms of being in business. I can not say much about her own reading culture, but you know she is the wife of Professor Oyediran, former Vice Chancel­lor of the University of Ibadan. Talking of late Chief Oluwole Awolowo, he used to stay in the library a lot to read when he was alive and was the Publisher of the Nigerian Tribune, whenev­er he was at home. And you know Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo – Dosunmu who was former Nigeria Ambassador to Switzerland, reads a lot.

It is unfortunate that Nigeria is not a read­ing public. When I was in the National Library of Nigeria, I happened to be the Secretary of the National Implementation Committee On Readership Promotion under the chairmanship of Professor Oladele Taiwo of the University of Lagos, now deceased. We went round the country to sensitize people about the culture of reading. We made handouts, T-Shirts, car stick­ers and all sorts of things, which we distributed to people. We met the governor of each state and the Commissioner for Education, with the State Librarian, telling them the importance of reading. We did that for about four years. And the programme is still in the National Library till today. We did a lot. And the National Li­brary has a lot of things to read, but we don’t read, compared to the people in the advanced nations. When I was in Britain, I was in Leeds, I worked briefly at the Leeds County Council Library. There you will see old people coming to the library to read. For those who could not come, there were mobile libraries which we stocked with books. They carried them to all the nooks and crannies of the area. Old people would come, borrow books, take them home and read. In another week we are there again, they will return the ones borrowed earlier and borrow another one. The National Library at a time, during the period of Dr. Aje, the first in­digenous Director of the National Library, the Rivers State Government had boat library. A boat was constructed as a mobile library which carried books to the riverine areas. I don’t know whether they still do that today. And the Nigerian Library Association has done a lot to promote reading culture among our peo­ple. But our children prefer, in fact the parents don’t even take this thing serious. You see, you can create small corner in your house, put some books there instead of leaving them to be watching pornography. They can go there and read. So, parents should encourage their chil­dren to read. In fact, when parents don’t even read how can they encourage their children to read. So, that is the problem.

Otunba Biyi Durojaiye, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Con­gress, APC, was a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 2003 and 2007. An astute banker and lawyer of repute, he delves into the past to exhume the economic magic President Muhamma­du Buhari used as head of state to stabilize the value of the naira, saying the same wiz­ardry may be handy again, this time around .

He speaks with the insight of a technocrat who worked in cahoots with the eggheads at the time to do it. He warns APC to be wary of the self-inflicted crisis in 2011 that cost the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the last elec­tions. Durojaiye, who is 82 years old, also speaks more on the late Pa Obafemi Awolo­wo, Yoruba leadership, the man who is Nige­ria among other issues. Excerpts:

I believe they are firm steps in the right di­rection. That is my candid observation.

Where is it written in the constitution? Where is it specified that from so so time to so so time you must appoint these officers? Tell me where it is said that from the date of swearing in the appointment of ministers should be done? Where is it in the constitu­tion? You must consider the circumstances of this country. The man has inherited a messy situation. He must be very sure that things are properly sorted out. You don’t just rush into the fray without being sure of the things on ground that will enable you know where you are going. Already, you people are wonder­ing whether he is sure-footed or not .Which will be better to stay some three weeks before announcing, or to announce within 24hours, only to find out that major mistakes had been made? So, I will say that he should be given some chance to sort things out. The anoma­lies of the past 16 years of PDP rule cannot be cured in three weeks, not in three months, probably not in six months. It takes some time.

Take note that there was supposed to be a proper handing over note. A committee was set up to take over. The committee could not get the cooperation of the outgoing govern­ment. Maybe the outgoing government was very busy tidying up its affairs. They didn’t hand over properly. They could not meet. This is in the public domain. So, there was no ef­fective handover until the inauguration. I don’t agree with you that the president ought to have started to run from the day of the election. No. It’s from the day of swearing in. And that is only three weeks so far.

Was it on holidays? Did he embark on holi­days? Was it on frivolities? He went on invita­tion and that was a great honour that seven of the most powerful nations in the world were having their routine meetings and they invited him to be there. That is something Nigeri­ans should be proud of. And they told him, “Tell us what your needs are and we will try to cooperate with your government.” That is tremendous goodwill. Remember that the last phrase, the last section of President Buhari’s speech on the day he was sworn in referred to Shakespeare that there is a tide in the affairs of men, which when taken at the flood leads on to fortune, and if omitted the rest of the tor­tuous journey is bound in mysteries and shal­low waters. Nigeria is enjoying tremendous goodwill within the country and throughout the universe and we should take advantage of that. If he said that on a Saturday and the following Monday or Tuesday, the leading nations of the world invited him to come to a meeting, as part of the flood flowing on our side, you think he should not oblige them so that it will go into nothing? I think he did well in honouring the invitation. Then he went to Chad and Niger. These are necessary steps be­cause the first thing a new government must focus on is stability and security. Security is the first challenge. Other things can follow later. Like in our own case now, I am not try­ing to chart his priority for him, but I think he got his priority right. Security and electricity will help the economy and are crucial. Then you fix other things. Roads, education and others will fall in line. These are the things the man is tackling headlong.

That’s a good focus. If you think that secu­rity, corruption, electricity and employment generation will take care of themselves then there is a problem. There are a lot of small and medium scale cottage industries which employ many people, because they are many. All over the world, you know it’s medium scale cottage industries that absorb the great­est number of people, than even the big firms. The big firms are few. The small and me­dium scale industries might be hundreds of thousands. And a little here, a little there, 10 in this one, 20 in the other one will generate more jobs than the very big ones. They run on electricity. Look at the situation in the tex­tile industry which has been moribund in the North? What should have been a spinner of good income for us hasn’t. Without electricity, you cannot power those things, which are the essential machines that power the works. It’s called spinning machines.

It’s possible. He did it before.

This is what I know personally.

Let me tell you, in 1984, this same man, Buhari and Idiagbon invited me from the Central Bank to come and meet the number two man in the mint, the Nigeria Security and Minting Company to change the colour of the currency notes of the country as a part of the mechanism to boost confidence in the currency and drawing a curtain against a lot of Nigerian currency that was floating outside Nigeria. We did a good job. We succeeded in doing the thing. It was an aspect of the job of stabilizing the currency, the confidence in it and all the rest of that. Look at what was the exchange rate during his regime. I think it was about N3 to a dollar. I can’t remember the exact figure now. You know you did not give me enough notice for this interview for me to consult some documents and books and you are talking about some 20 or 25 years ago. So, I don’t remember the exchange rate very well. It must be something like N3 or N4 to a dollar. Look at the situation we have found ourselves today. About N200 to a dollar? It is lamentable. Things will be done basically. At least on the basis of the economic theory on the issue of purchasing power, I mean the exchange rate, in as much as foreign industri­alists dictate what to pay for our products, in­cluding our oil which is the basic thing we do and our agricultural products and so on. And it is they who dictate what we will pay for our imports (and we import a lot) the advantage of fixing our currency, the exchange of our cur­rency is not within our capacity. Do you get the argument I am making? But where there is a will, there is a way. This man knows the road. He plied the road before. These are some of the things he must be hunting for. He will get egghead economists and practical tech­nocrats who can assist. You will be surprised when these things will be achieved.

I think it’s advisable. The only thing I am worried about is how you care about the clause in the constitution that a minister must come from each state. That is the only area that gives me some headache. And even at that, where there is a will, there is a way.

Eh! I don’t know. But as I just said, where there is a will, there is a way. There is need for change in this country. The system is too expensive for our economy to sustain. There are too many leakages. He wants to block them. Part of blocking them is to minimize the expenses we incur on running the admin­istration. Our recurrent expenditure is far, far out of proportion to our capital votes. And it should be the other way round, or it should be adjusted that the extreme will not be too far. We need to spend more on capital expendi­ture. The former Minister of Finance, Mrs Okonjo- Iweala said that we need to save for the rainy day. I am not sure that her govern­ment agreed with her on that, or practicalized it. But I remember she said that to her credit. In the past 16 years, the PDP government had been eating with 10 fingers into the bowl at the same time. So, these are some of those things we should look at. Even the structure of the country itself deserves attention. Thir­ty six states, and a good number of them in debt, 774 local governments, and many of the governors are planning to have local develop­ment areas and so on. We must consider to what extent we are going with this . Look at the economy .How big should our cabinet be? And how many cabinet positions can this country succeed with? And we are talk­ing like this, look at America. In the United States of America, whose constitution we have borrowed here, the state of Texas is big­ger in size than Nigeria. They have only two senators. We have three per state, even small states. It’s constitutional. These are things we have to sit down and look at and really adjust. When we went into the NADECO (National Democratic Coalition) struggle some 18 to 20 years back, what we had in mind was that there should be a national conference. We said sovereign, they said no, it must not be sover­eign, let it be national conference. Eventually, we had an imitation of it, not the real thing. We thought there should be a conference to draft the constitution, while we have a true federal structure. Perhaps, we get six regional set ups so that we shrink the level of expendi­ture and then adjustments could be made over the matter of states, whether it is states or local governments or provinces you call them. We were of the opinion that probably we should pursue parliamentary system of government and not the presidential system, because the parliamentary system will be less expensive. These were the things we had in mind. We thought we could sit down and adjust, but we couldn’t apply any of the things at the begin­ning of a new term, changing the rules when the game is already on. If we must do any of those things, it must be with effect from 2019. We now looked at the fact that remuneration of legislators should be allowances. You can only do that before another election, not when they have won an election on the current ba­sis of remuneration. That will be changing the rules when the game is on. It will be unfair. These are some of the things we have to re­ally sit down to thrash out and review . But it may not be an immediate thing I will expect this government to do now. There are more pressing things. Security is more pressing. Electricity generation, creation of jobs, fixing the roads, fighting corruption, blocking the wastages, all the stealing going on the high seas and the borders of the country. But if you look and listen well, you will know that there are good signs of happy days coming. Soon, some of the refineries will start working. We are counting on a matter of weeks. That’s some good news for the country

Look, look, does it matter? I have forgot­ten how the bible put it. It happened in some­body’s time. That is the bottom line. That’s part of the credit of the person who is there. Now, (Laughs)look at the heavy debts already accumulated. Who is going to pay? Was it not the erstwhile government that incurred it? But it’s this government that will pay it. Will it be paid by the old government that incurred it? It’s this government that will pay . Do you get my point?

It’s in their own time that it happened. It shows that there is hope. It’s at a time that a man that is seen as effective, a man that we all have confidence in is in charge. He is al­ready sending shivers down the backbone of the Boko Haram insurgents. It’s just a question of time the whole thing will be over. You will see it happen. So, let us be patient a bit and let us cooperate with this government. It’s nec­essary. If you want change, no one man can effect the change. You don’t expect President Buhari to be a magician.

I don’t like to judge people. He tried his best. Only that Nigerians felt that his best was not good enough for us. That is all. Let’s leave that man alone. He is not the issue now. The issue is how to resolve some of those things. If there are questions for him to answer, we can call him to come and answer but I don’t like kicking somebody who has fallen out of power. No, if he has questions to answer we ask him. Besides that, we should stop vilifying him.I won’t kick him. Nigerians are fond of that. Three months ago they said“ah he is the best president Nigeria ever had.” I don’t be­long to that sort of group. You remember the Abacha days? Somebody organized a march to say “this is the best government we ever had.” The era was said to be the best in the his­tory of the country. We were in detention that time. You could imagine how we felt. Some people were in exile, some were dead, and they said he was the best. We were praying for our lives in solitary detention and they were praising our tormentor. I will not fall into that trap of lily jelly people, without backbones who will always like to praise to high heavens whoever is in government and immediately that person is out of power they begin to kick and insult him. No.

Excuse me. You want me to be making value judgments? At my age, I have to reflect well. I cannot give a general answer, yes, or no.

Is it unhealthy for our democracy, if I can put it back to you? If a government gets to a position and finds out that there is heavy loot­ing, are you saying that we at the federal level will not recommend it? If you find that there was heavy looting, the governor should try to crosscheck. It is proper to dig into it through proper enquiry. But I must say that you don’t spend too much of your time looking back instead of looking forward. But if there are things you can still retrieve, you can go ahead. They may not have spent all the money they stole, there is nothing wrong if the governor has reasonable reasons to believe that certain things had been done badly, certain money had been taken from the coffers unlawfully, and this money can still be retrieved if he acts fast. Of course, such governors should go ahead. At the federal level, they should go ahead, if there are reasons to believe that some people have cornered some things unlawfully. Why should we waste time on that? But it shouldn’t be for the purpose of finding faults. No. Those objectives at hand must be con­centrated on. Maybe, 75% on the objectives, and 25% or even less looking backwards to see where we stumbled, where the previous government failed, so as to make corrections.

I cannot claim to know what has been responsible or the cause. If I knew the cause, I will certainly prescribe the solutions immediately. Chidi, if you know the cause of our crisis, please in the national interest offer solutions to us , we will apply them. In the nature of human be­ings, there can be crisis of expecta­tions. Things have gone so bad and then suddenly you have prospects of goodness coming in. It’s not un­natural that some people in the jol­lity and enthusiasm of happy days ahead, may stumble on some holes or something, or some may be ruf­fling some feathers. But I think as I said somewhere festina Lenten, we should make haste slowly in correcting whatever ills we found ourselves in. I have no doubt in my mind that wiser counsel will prevail. These matters will be in the past. We must learn from the experience of the party we just defeated, PDP. They had similar crisis immediately they won the 2011 elections. Those problems were not solved in time and were part of what led to their failure in the end. We can’t afford as APC members to allow that bad history to repeat itself, especially with all the plans we have for the development of Nigeria. We can­not afford to disappoint Nigerians. That is why I appeal to all con­cerned as an elder in the party that we should make haste slowly. We should let sleeping dogs lie and we should not ask for a pound of flesh on any issue. Those who have some advantages now should not believe that others are fools and therefore they should drive the advantages home at the expense of the stability of the country. We all owe a duty to this country to put into practice the change we promised them which was their basis for voting us in. We need all hands on deck to assist us to resolve whatever these problems are. It’s in our own interest. I think the Board of Trustees of the party should be able to meet and advise on how to solve the problem. It’s not a problem of the party, it’s a problem of the whole nation. We represent the whole black race and we cannot afford to falter.

(Draws a sigh) He was only be­ing consistent and I refer you to his inaugural speech. I was there and I listened very attentively. Study that speech again. That was why I quoted Julius Caesar in Shake­speare earlier. Part of what he said was that he will allow division or the principle of separation of power to operate. He will concentrate on his executive duties and will try not to interfere with the legislature and the judiciary. What do you expect a good statesman to say or to plan to do other than that? At the same time, he said though he will not in­terfere but that does not mean that if what is happening at the local gov­ernment is going to be out of hand, he would watch. Certainly, he will not abdicate his responsibility to en­sure good governance in this coun­try. He made that promise. Study that speech. This man will satiate the laudable, beautiful intentions he has for this country.

That he must not fail. That’s what Nigerians should do. What Nigeri­ans should do is to ensure he does not fail. If he fails we are all doomed .It will be a failure of not only Nige­rians, but the entire black race. That is why I am making this appeal to all the sides in the struggle that we cannot afford to fail. We must know how to manage success. We have succeeded. We must know how to manage success, so that it doesn’t turn into failure.Sometimes it has a thin dividing line . The line between success and failure is very thin and it’s tempting. Let nobody beat his chest either side and say “oh yes we had it.” No, it may be a pyrrhic victory.A very expensive one and if you lose it, it’s disastrous.

What does that mean to you? You are from the East. Who is the Leader of the Igbos?

(Laughter)Okay, our traditional rulers are our leaders.(more laugh­ter) That solves it. We are not repub­licans.

It takes more than that. It takes more than just holding the highest elective position. Papa Awolowo, did he hold the highest position? Yorubas are very diplomatic and exotic people. They have their ways of doing things. It is not for you to say this is your leader. They will reject him, if anyone imposes any­one on them. Leaders have always evolved. I was there at Ibadan, the day students nominated the late Senator Adesanya as Yoruba leader. It was at a conference in Ibadan and they said instead of everybody talking anyhow, let someone speak for the Yorubas. I think it was in 1998, just before the Abdulsalami-led transition programme. I cannot remember the name of the student, a very young man, he said let Abra­ham Adesanya be our leader, and everybody, including myself yelled “Yes.” That was how it happened.

When there is need for the pro­nouncement it will be made. But for that analysis you have just given me, you narrowed it down to three people. I don’t know of the fourth person. You want to make a pronouncement among the three?(laughs again). The answer will be found among that three.

I asked you this question before. What does that mean to you? You are an Igbo person. What is your interest there? Why do you want to know who the leader of the Yor­ubas is? You are not saying who the leader of Nigeria is because you are entitled to know that. But how is the leader of the Yorubas of concern to you?

No. Papa Ajasin stepped into his shoes. Pa Abraham Adesanya fol­lowed. Then after Adesanya, you, yourself stepped in. Whatever you may say, you want to draw me into saying it is Mr A or Mr B which I don’t want to say. It is the Yorubas collectively who should say who our leader is. But there are certain things you cannot take away from certain people by way of achieve­ments. If a person, by whatever method, even by luck, and I don’t think it is by luck alone, a lot of dedication, devotion, trick, intel­lect, wisdom and perseverance took our party from one state to get six states, from six states managed to talk and convince others and we got 16 states and got to the federal level, you cannot deny such a person the right to be called an achiever. But if say you have somebody who has done something bigger, let us see. He is an achiever. He has achieved a lot. And when I made that my ap­peal, I would rather appeal to him as a person, rather than through your newspaper.

My appeal still stands gener­ally to all sides that there are cer­tain things that even if we do not admit, history will confirm. When the history of this period is writ­ten, some people will hold the ace. Look at what happened to Winston Churchill. He gave more than any other person in the western world to confront the machinery of a brilliant strategist like Adolph Hitler. And he won, with the aid of America and so on. But it was with his abil­ity and ingenuity as a leader that he got America in to the war including the fact that his own mother was an American. America didn’t want to be involved initially. What hap­pened in the election that followed? People used the slogan, “Churchill of war is not Churchill of peace.” And they elected Artily. But every­body knew that Artily didn’t have 1/10 of the charisma and capabilities of Winston Churchill. My appeal is to anybody who is aggrieved now, that after all his achievements, some people are jealous of him. You can’t rule that one out. The game of life is not played according to the rule of logic. If it were so, the strongest man should be the richest man be­cause he is able to work hardest. And the roadman should be the rich­est, because he is able to work hard­est. Therefore, those who worked so hard to be where we are and seem not to be recognized should not overreact to the extent of spoil­ing the bigger picture. We should not destroy what we have built. In history, look at Charles De Gaulle of France. He was the hero of the French resistance. After the Second World War, he offered himself for election and was defeated. Very ar­rogant man, he retired to his village (Elyse, the village of two churches). The Time Magazine interviewed De Gaulle in January 1958. They asked him “you said you were retiring to your village and the nation had been ungrateful to you. Is there any hope of you coming back?” That was at the height of the Algerian uprising.

The French parliament was all inclusive of the colonies. There were parliamentarians from Algeria, Senegal , Cote d’ivoire, Morocco and so on in their parliament. He replied the interviewer that “France will send for me when she needs me.” I read the book The man who is France, quoting Louis 14 who said, “I am the state ( les stat c’est moiré).In the said interview he was asked” Do you still expect France to send for you?”. That was the period when France was changing gov­ernment like they were changing coats. Almost every 3 to 6 months they were changing governments. The Algerian Army said the only man who will talk to them and they would down tools was De Gaulle. In May that year, France sent for him. He was about 70 that time and he said he was too old. Yet France sent for him. This country needs peace to satiate the change and it’s APC that will do it.

It’s Buhari of course. It goes without saying. That is a man of destiny. Like Abraham Lincoln, he tried several times and won. And he performed. I pray that he will be able to live long and achieve all that he achieved for this country. We need to co-operate with him. What has just happened to APC was pre­dicted by Awolowo, the acclaimed leader of our tribe. That “someday will come when progressive minds in the East, in the West and in the North will come together to form a national government for Nigeria”. I believe this is the dawn of such a day. Not that we have realized it 100%, but we are just on the verge of translating it into reality. And that is why everyone must cooperate to achieve that dream.