My father never had a champagne factory in France — Adisa Akinloye’s son

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My father never had a champagne factory in France — Adisa Akinloye's son Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 Olusegun Akinloye, the first son of a former chairman of the National Party of Nigeria, late Meredith Adisa  Akinloye, tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI how his father survived 10 years in exile How would you describe growing up with your father who  was a prominent politician? Growing up with my father was tough. I am his first son and I was born after he served as a minister in Nigeria. He was already in the mainstream of politics so he attended several political meetings. He was too busy at the time and he travelled a lot. When the crisis in the Western Nigeria started, there were lots of things going on and he was involved. So he hardly had the time to stay with the family because of political activities. But after the political upheaval, I knew the kind of father I had. He never missed any mistake of his children. He was meticulous and a very tough man with a high level of discipline. We learnt a lot under him because he wanted the best from us. He was a great father who loved his children. He would put me on his shoulders whenever we went out until I was 14. He called me soon after my birthday and told me that I was now a big boy and that I should learn how to do things on my own. He was also a man of humour.  In the morning, he would come to our bedroom and flash a torch light in our eyes to wake us. There were times when he would have gone before we woke in the morning and he could be gone for many days. What are you doing now? I am a lawyer like my father and I am involved in politics, having won a seat at the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011. I am back in law practice and I am also into some international businesses. What legacy did your father leave behind? I will describe him as an icon in many fields and an enigma. Many people hold various views about my father but those who were very close to him know that he did not keep bad feelings about anyone for long. He displayed a high level of mental ability and his approach to relationships was unpredictable. He could be your best friend in a moment and fought you the next minute if you out-stepped your boundary. He hated hypocrites so even if you were his best friend, he could fight you if he realised that you were dishonest. But beneath that behaviour was an extensive display of humility. He treated everyone the same way and he was always ready to help those who were in need. He said many times before he died that he scolded only people he loved and that once the affected person accepted his mistake, he would forgive immediately. These were what he lived for and we will always remember him for these outstanding qualities. How did he handle difficult situations? He addressed critical situations by exploring the funny side of them. He did that to ease the tension and calm everyone. Then he would go into his room and say a short prayer. He never appeared to be ruffled or unprepared in a difficult moment. In the midst of any problem, he would listen to everyone before taking a position on the matter. Many of his friends have praised him for the ability to proffer solutionS to big problems in a simple way. I learnt a lot from that and it has helped me a lot in life. What was his political ideology? My father's political ideology was hinged on total development of the nation. As the chairman of the National Party of Nigeria, he ensured that the party, which ruled between 1979 and 1983, came up with policies that brought growth and development to Nigeria. In those four years, Nigeria witnessed tremendous improvement that was not noticed during the military rule. When I was in the House, I brought up the issue of resuscitating some of the companies he helped Nigeria establish because they were part his legacies. Those companies are suffering because we played politics with the way they were run. Would you say your father's shoes are too big for you to fill? It is true that he left big shoes that will be difficult to fill and there are reasons why it is so. There were not many politicians around in his time and because he was one of the best at the time, people looked up to him. There was uniformity in the policies of the political parties then unlike what we have now. As the chairman of the ruling party between, he worked with people who had an idea of how a nation should be built. Another thing was that in his time, there was no much money around. Policies were made for the nation's sake. When he was the chairman of the Nigeria Airways, he did not fly any other airline. I was studying in England then and each he visited the UK, I would be at the airport to welcome him. Today, private jets are owned by politicians while our airline is dead. All these factors make it difficult for anyone to equate himself with my father. How often did he visit his children in school? He was a father who was proud of his children. As a politician, he was a busy man. In my first two years in England during which I did my A-Levels, NPN formation was just starting, so he had time to visit me. I left at a point with a group of Nigerian students to study French in France but returned later in 1977.  He had the time to spend with us during this period until 1979 when his party won the elections. How did he train his children? He was extremely strict. When I was in primary school in Nigeria, he beat me with two fingers and it hurt. He would come back from work, then call myself and my sister to recite the multiplication table. He would not allow us to do it the way we were taught in the school, but the way he taught us, which was the hard way. If we missed any one, he would beat us. It made us work harder in the house. But when we started growing up, he gave us a bit of freedom to choose the way we wanted things to be done but with strict rules. He drew a line we dared not cross and he encouraged us to save money instead of spending it on unwanted things. He came to England one day and told me that before I do anything in life, I must always think of the outcome. I don't know why he said it but it  was one of the pieces of advice that shaped my life. Did he choose careers for his children? He was a lawyer but he never told me to study law. In fact, my other siblings studied other disciplines. I decided to study law because I was impressed by the way he addressed the court in those days. I used to go to the court with him, so naturally, I chose to study law without having to ponder over it. After making my choice, he encouraged me and taught me how to become a successful lawyer. Your father is remembered in several quarters as a flamboyant politician… Contrary to what people said about him, he was a very humble man who displayed modesty in everything he did. At a time when everyone was buying Mercedes Benz, my father was using a Peugeot even though he could afford a bigger car. He had driven Volkswagen Beetle before and used simple Ankara material to sew his clothes. What about the champagne produced in his name? It was a lie. My father never had a champagne factory in France or anywhere in the world. The government of Gen. Muhamadu Buhari and the late Tunde Idiagbon, who took over power from NPN government in 1983, used a lot of propaganda to discredit the politicians. One of them was the issue of Akinloye champagne. Are you saying no champagne, with your father's name, was imported into Nigeria? There was, but what the military government told Nigerians was a lie. I am happy that they later apologised to my father. He had a friend called G.K. Animashaun who used to give champagne as gift to his friends during Christmas. He lived he England but each time he visited Nigeria, he would come with champagne bearing his friend's name on the label. He gave same to my father several times. My sister was to get married on January 3, 1984, a few days after the December 31, 1983 coup. But a few days before the coup, Animashaun visited my father's house in Oje, Ibadan and, instead of a bottle of champagne, he gave my father a carton which contained 12 bottles, as part of his contribution towards my sister's wedding. They were labelled Akinloye. Unfortunately, the coup happened some days after the delivery and when the soldiers came to our house, they found the wine and took them away. It was also unfortunate that the government handled the matter badly by giving the impression that my father had stolen so much money that he had established a wine factory where Akinloye champagne was being produced. Why was only one bottle of the wine displayed by the military at the museum in Lagos? Where is the rest of the champagne? I also find it ridiculous that before now, no journalist had done a thorough job to find out the truth about the champagne story. If our family had a champagne factory, only a few bottles would not have come to Nigeria, the product would have flooded the market around the world. How did the family cope when your father went on exile immediately after the coup? Because of the modest training that my father gave us, we were able to withstand the pressure. We lived with the trauma of soldiers' constant harassment. They came to the University of Lagos, looking for me and they also went to my mother's house but found nothing incriminating. One of my brothers, who was schooling abroad came home from the UK but he could he not travel back, so he wasted nine months in Nigeria while his colleagues were attending classes. What did the military men tell you that they were looking for? No one told us anything. They were probably looking for my father, who was already out of the country. It was all over the news that he kept N2bn in his house. But they did not find anything in the house. Later on, there was a report that they found about $700m belonging to my father in an account. Soon after that, another report said there was a mix-up because the money actually belonged to a woman named Chamba Mohammed. But the prominence given to the Chamba story was almost insignificant, compared to the earlier report of the $700m. Those who criticise others should come up with a solution to the country's problems when they have the power. Would you say being Akinloye's son is a burden? It is indeed a blessing to be his child. But during the difficult days, we knew our father's real friends and enemies. After my university education, I was looking for a job and I approached a friend who was a senior staff of a merchant bank in Lagos. He took my papers to his boss and I heard the manager asking my friend if I was not contented with the money my father had stolen and that after all, the bank paid my family for the use of a property my father owned in Lagos. I was shocked but I took it lightly. When my friend returned, I was already at the door. That was one of the burdens we shouldered for being Akinloye's children during the difficult time. Is it true that your father won a huge amount in lottery while on exile in the UK? It is not true. My father never played lottery even though he loved watching horse race. He did not win any lottery. How then did he survive in exile for 10 years without an income? That can be linked to the lottery story. When he got to the UK, he re-registered as a barrister because that was where he was called to the bar. So he was practicing, getting briefs and a few cases. In 1987, the Nigerian government sued him in England but it was dismissed and he counter-sued Nigeria, asking for damages. He won the case and was awarded £400,000 in damages. But he did not collect the money. I begged him to take the money and donate to charity but he refused on the ground that later, some people would say that he crippled the Nigerian economy by taking £400,000 out of it. That was a lot of money. Those who said he lived on lottery in England were only curious to know how he survived. Before he became the chairman of NPN, he had business partners in Europe and they never left him alone during his period of trial. What are the qualities that you imbibed from your father? I cherish so many things about his life. Like my father, I wear Ankara all the time except when I have to appear in court. I served in seven committees and I was the chairman of some of them when I was in the House. I ensured that 90 per cent of what came to me was donated to the public. When I left four years after, I returned to my only bungalow in Ibadan. There is no child of Akinloye that will acquire unnecessary luxury and wealth because my father never did. We are contented but not rich.

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SNG, others want NGF scrapped

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SNG, others want NGF scrapped Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 Some civil rights groups have called for the scrapping of the Nigeria Governors' Forum to forestall a breakdown of law and order in the country. They said this would allow the members to pay proper attention to the administration of their states. The groups – Save Nigeria Group, Campaign for Democracy and Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders – in separate interviews with our correspondent on Friday, said the forum had lost its value due to the crisis that followed its chairmanship election. Spokesman of the SNG, Yinka Odumakin, said the governors had abandoned the welfare of the people in their respective states, which was the primary reason for which they were elected. He said, "The governors were not elected to be active in unionism all over the place, they were elected to govern their states. Most of these governors abandoned that responsibility. They are now doing what they were not elected to do, which is NGF. The earlier the body is scrapped or proscribed, the better for us." The President, Campaign for Democracy, Joe Okei-Odumakin, equally said the governors should return to their states for adequate governance. She said, "One is in full support of its scrapping so that people will know the value of whom they have voted for. It is not even constitutionally recognised; it is nothing but a governors' club. Although they have a total freedom of association, but, it is getting terribly messy and embarrassing. It should just be disbanded." Okei-Odumakin, the Executive Chairman, CACOL, Debo Adeniran, also said although the constitution did not recognise the forum, it was legitimate and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, adding that the governors could exercise their freedom of association. He however noted that the electorate would not tolerate the governors, where the exercise of their rights infringed upon the rights of Nigerians. After an election on May 24, 2013, the incumbent NGF chairman and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, and his challenger, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, had both claimed to have won the poll. The Director-General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru, shortly after the election, announced Amaechi as winner after polling 19 votes to Jang's 16.

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I want to be a lawmaker — Baba Dee

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I want to be a lawmaker — Baba Dee Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 Dare Fasasi is also known as Baba Dee.  The dancehall artiste talks about his genre of music and other sundry issues You were away for a while, what have you been doing?  I have released an album and sometimes, I still travel. I shoot the videos abroad and bring them to Nigeria. Is it not more challenging to shoot videos abroad compared to what obtains in Nigeria? I don't know really because everywhere has its own challenges and peculiar problems.   The problem of electricity is peculiar to Nigeria. Abroad, you don't have to bother about such things but there are   challenges too. For instance, it is not my homeland and I cannot function at full effect and I still have to worry about what is going on in my country.  But in all, I thank God that I have had the opportunity to travel to different places at different times. Are you still shuttling between countries? No. I am based in Nigeria. I am gunning for the Osun State House of Assembly seat. Politics?  Are you not fulfilled in music? I have been in politics for a while now. I am a youth leader and  I am trying to see how we can influence the lawmaking process to be in favour of the youth. What is the age difference between you and your brother, Sound Sultan? I don't know. We have a sister who is a lecturer. Do you agree that he is more talented than you? Yes, he is a better songwriter. How was your childhood? I was forcing Sound Sultan to do everything, forcing him to sing and perform, but right now, he is doing very well   and we thank God. Did you also force him to have girlfriends? No.  Nobody teaches another person how to do that. Do you live together? No. Everybody has his own house but he is my business partner and we are working on some television projects together. He is also working on a comedy project with Tuface which I am directing. Tell us about the thrill of working in the music industry There is no thrill. The moment you start losing guard, you now realise that there are other people wishing to do what you are already doing. So, you have to keep working and improving on yourself. How would you define your personal style? I believe style is what makes you happy. It is how you present yourself.   Though I don't go over the edge to be stylish, one can still see those extra things in my style that stand me out and make me different. I like to stand out in a crowd. I could decide to wear a diamond stud when attending some occasions. Was that why you pierced your ears? I did not do it in Nigeria. Ironically, I come from a place in Oyo State where men pierce their ears. My father has double piercing. What is your style, A.M to P.M? My style varies a lot because I am a businessman and I go out often.  Most Fridays, I am in a shirt and trousers. Sometimes, I still have to make appearances as Baba Dee. So I still have my jackets,   jeans and joggers on. What is Baba Dee's trademark look? I don't keep a trademark look. Someone said it is very hard to recognise me and that is deliberate.  I am a chameleon when it comes to dressing. I don't want people to see me from afar and just recognise me. People who have known me   for years don't recognise me most times until I walk up to them.  It is fun for me to be that way; I have been in this game long enough. I am not trying to get attention at all cost.  I believe that talent is what you need at the end of the day. That's  why my brother and I don't force it. I think we are organic in our approach; a lot of people say, in show business; you have to make all the noise. I don't believe that. I believe you can do your thing and still function underground; we are doing gigs outside Nigeria and it is on the low. It is all about making your money and nothing more. Talking about making money, what is your net worth? That is the last question I will answer. Unfortunately, it happens that in Nigeria, the hardship has crept so deep into our lives that money matters more than the value we place on human beings. It is just so sad. Money and material things should never be the criteria or the essence of value in any society. But due to the level of poverty in Nigeria, everyone wants recognition. That is why an artiste, who just bought a new car, would want it on the pages of newspapers. It is just so pathetic.  We cannot raise our kids that way because we will all suffer for it in the end. Let's celebrate virtues and not materialism.

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Fashola advises ‘adopted’ athletes

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Fashola advises 'adopted' athletes Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has advised the 57 athletes, who secured sponsorship under the Lagos State Adopt –A- Talent Sports Programme, to combine sports and education, if they hoped to get to the heights as sportsmen and women. Fashola stated this at the unveiling of the athletes, which took place at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Thursday.  "Sport does not last forever; you will be lucky if you are still competing at 30. And that would need a life of discipline, good diet, good medical care and the one you cannot control, which is major injuries. If it happens, there is nothing you can do about it. And that is why it is important that you must have an education first," Fashola said. He added, "The bane of Nigerian sports is fixation on immediate results, which doesn't last and I believe we don't need to cheat to do well in sports. That is why Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme is a futuristic project designed to develop the talent of our young athletes and the same time give them the chance to excel in their academic pursuit." Fashola adopted 20 of the athletes; the Lagos State deputy governor adopted 10 while the state's Chief of Staff and the Sports Commissioner adopted two athletes in table tennis.

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Babalakin steps out with wife

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Babalakin steps out with wife Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 Billionaire executive, Wale Babalakin, was a guest at a wedding recently but he did not come alone. He attended in company with his wife. Pretty and demure in her ways, the woman, who was dressed in blue native attire, cut a picture of simplicity. With no airs around her, her face was almost bereft of any kind of make-up save for a hint of light -coloured lipstick.

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NGF brouhaha: The dispersal of a ‘forum criminis’?

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NGF brouhaha: The dispersal of a 'forum criminis'? Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 I am still trying to locate the clause which establishes the Nigeria Governors' Forum in the constitution. I concede that under the constitution, every person is accorded the right to freely associate with other persons as long as such an association is not intended for a criminal or illegitimate purpose as that would take it away from the path of freedom of association into the unlawful highway of criminal conspiracy. In other words, while it is perfectly legitimate for all Nigerians, governors and commoners alike, to exercise their constitutional rights to associate with each other, it is also forbidden for such association to be deployed into anti-social or negative purposes. That is why it is never a defence for criminal gangs like robbers, kidnappers and other purveyors of violence, secular or sectarian, to plead "freedom of association" whenever the law catches up with them. It is in that context that I want to look at the now dreaded Nigeria Governors' Forum, a trade union of sorts, eagerly serving the interest of governors at the expense of accountability and political prudence. There are three tiers of government known to the Nigerian Constitution, namely, the federal, states and local governments. Because there is only one president, it is mathematically impossible to have a union of presidents unlike the case of the multitude that constitute the lower layers of government: there are 36 governors and more than 700 local governments in the country. In Aristotelian logic, being social animals, they are imbued with the instinct to congregate and that is the case. "Birds of the same feather flock together" and in the specific context of politics, where who gets what, when and how, constitute the principal raison d'etre for every step, it follows that the pulling of numerical resources together would facilitate the best interests of each of the group jostling for advantages. These could be seen in the collective stance of the governors when demanding their fair share of the 'National Cake' through the revenue allocation formula. As desirable as this pulling of governorship powers vis-à-vis the other tiers of government may be, it has to be conceded too that since politics is a domino game, whatever additional advantage that is gained by any tier of government is a direct subtraction from those of other tiers. In other words, as the governors' forum became more and more powerful, it necessarily implies that the other tiers, and in particular, the presidency,was losing powers. We have already seen how the governors can decisively influence electoral outcomes at the centre through their wholesale grip on state delegates at party primaries. Governor Amaechi as the leader of the Governors Forum has demonstrated his dexterity in deploying the muscles amassed from the 35 other governors to secure huge political gains and it would seem that the other governors were quite happy with how he has deftly applied their unionist-type power to extract unusual concessions from the president on several occasions in ways that would have made the Adams Oshiomhole of the NLC days jealous. It is this awareness that has elevated the forum into a kind of political superstructure operating over and above what the Nigerian Constitution provides. Sensing that a governor who holds such a circumstantially powerful position of NGF leader could, at will, upset the political calculus of 2015, the President and his henchmen reasoned that the time has come to clip the expanding wings of Governor Ameachi through several shenanigans such the literary clipping of his aeronautic wings by grounding his executive jet. The calculation was and, still is; by grounding him, he would not have the ease of crisscrossing the nation's airspace spreading his new gospel of power shift which is nothing but apostasy to some. Next, he was attacked from several fronts including the direct accusation by ex-militant Asari Dokubo that he is an ingrate who bites the finger that fed him (I have always thought that Ameachi has the Supreme Court and God alone to thank for his good fortune as governor). There was an orchestrated march in Port Harcourt by "protesters" who questioned the integrity of the governor. The last attack was the well-calibrated effort to scuttle his attempt to secure a second term as the leader of the NGF. First, they sought to break the governorship forum by forming a parallel body known as the PDP governors' forum with Gov. Godswill Akpabio as the leader but the other governors, already aware of how much they could extract from the system through a united front, predictably rallied around Amaechi. The final show of shame was executed when, after the re-election of Ameachi by a majority of 19 to 16 last week, some governors undemocratically broke rank and rallied round Gov. Jonah Jang, the loser, as their 'leader.' Needless to say that it was a display of political irresponsibility and lack of personal integrity by individuals purportedly wielding political power by virtue of elections. If every loser in an election is given the liberty to refute the results, what meaning are we attaching to democracy? The bottom line is that the ensuing brouhaha is geared towards frustrating the actual and perceived potential of an alliance that could influence the 2015 elections. The immediate outcome is the dispersal of the forum from where a potential opposition could emerge. The reality, however, is that our constitution does not contemplate a situation in which a lower tier of government can effectively upstage a higher one: The sum total of the powers of all the governors of the federation cannot withstand the powers vested in a president who knows his onions just the same way we cannot expect the powers of all the local government chairmen in a state to withstand the powers of the state governor. That is the nature of the hierarchy the constitution has created in order to ensure discipline in our multiparty polity while reserving ultimate sovereignty to the people. What is expected are the cooperative deployment of powers within the tiers of government with a view to a governing synergy and not the mischievous deployment of same for mutual antagonism as it has come to be. It is safe to say that while all this primitive politicking is taking place, the security and welfare of the people, the only reason why we have governments, are unduly put on hold.

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ATMs dispense fake notes — Customers

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ATMs dispense fake notes — Customers Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 With several complaints about Automated Teller Machines dispensing fake N1,000 notes in recent times, banking authorities may have a worrying trend to deal with, writes ARUKAINO UMUKORO    There is a common joke: It is only in Nigeria that a customer has to count his money to be certain that a bank's Automated Teller Machine paid him the requested amount. But that humour was lost on a customer, Obaro Thomas (not real name), who visited one of the new generation banks in Lagos some weeks ago. In a hurry because of an appointment, he withdrew the needed amount from the ATM and without counting, he went away. It was only when he went to the supermarket that he realised, to his chagrin, that one of the N1,000 notes dispensed from the ATM was fake. He went back to the bank to complain, only to be told that the fake note could not have been dispensed by their ATM. After a long argument with one of the front desk officers, a senior bank officer intervened and agreed to replace the fake note with a genuine one, but not until they had conducted an investigation. It was almost impossible that any of the bank's ATMs would dispense a fake note because there were security checks during the loading process, claimed the official, who added that even if the process was tampered with, the machine would have torn the counterfeit note on discovery, at the tail end. Although Thomas got his money replaced a few days later after the bank claimed its investigations found nothing wrong with its ATM or the process of dispensing cash, a few other incidents have indicated that this glitch may not be an isolated case. A few weeks ago, a newspaper (not The Punch) reported that a customer withdrew some amount of money from an ATM in Ibadan, only to realise later that two of the N1,000 notes were fake. The same happened in Lagos, when, on getting to make a cash deposit in another bank, a customer found out that some of the N1,000 notes he withdrew from a nearby ATM were counterfeits. In the past, there had been reported cases of fake naira notes in circulation, but the incidents of ATMs dispensing fake notes seem a new and worrying trend. Interestingly, the cases have been of a particular denomination – N1,000 notes. Our correspondent learnt that there were two officials responsible for loading ATMs with cash. One bank official described this as "dual custody" of the ATM. "At every point in time, both persons are expected to be in the ATM room, while they carry out the loading. Also, you have to count the cash before you load it into the system. "There are also security cameras in the ATM rooms such that if at any point in time, someone tampers with the money, they will know." However, while it is often said that ATMs detect fake currencies and would not pay the fake note, the official stated that the process could be compromised by human error or failure of responsibility. A  financial analyst and Chief Executive Officer, Proshare Nigeria Limited, Mr. Femi Awoyemi, said the cases of ATMs dispensing fake N1,000 notes should be checked. "I haven't heard that it is rampant. So it may not be systemic issue. The key determinant to understand this would be to know which area these breaches occurred, was it a geographical or service point issue? The personnel working inside those service points may need to be seriously cross-checked," he said. So, how does one tell the difference between a fake and a genuine naira note? "Each naira note has its own special print features that deter counterfeiters from creating one. These features range from those we can see and feel to those that reflect or illuminate under varying light conditions. In the watermark, the eagle is replaced with CBN logo and letters 'CBN,' are in a vertical format which can be seen more clearly when the notes are held up against light," explained the Central Bank of Nigeria, in its website under its frequently asked questions section. With the recent scenarios, have counterfeiters devised a way to cover up their tracks? Maybe not, Awoyemi said, noting that the cases of fake naira notes in circulation seem to have dwindled in the last 15 years. "So far so good, the Nigerian economy is stable and these cases might just be random incidents, but those in charge should come out, properly communicate and curtail it. With these brought to their attention, I'm sure they would commence work immediately," Awoyemi said. Efforts to get CBN's official response were not successful. Its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Uzochukwu Okoroafor, promised to get back to our correspondent. But at the time of filing this report, he had yet to reply the e-mail and text messages sent to his phone.

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FG seeks increased trade ties with Japan

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FG seeks increased trade ties with Japan Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 The Federal Government on Saturday called for increased trade ties between Japan and African. Vice-President Namadi Sambo made the call at the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama, Japan. A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Umar Sanni, quoted Sambo as describing increased trade as critical to sustaining economic growth. The vice-president, who is representing President Goodluck Jonathan at the Summit, regretted the trade imbalance between Japan and Africa. He argued that if Africa was to sustain her recent economic development, the expansion of trade within the continent and also with the rest of the world, including Japan, was critical. "While the value of total two-way trade between Japan and ASEAN countries was over $205bn in 2012, trade between Japan and Africa was a paltry $29bn in the same period. To enhance the level of trade between Africa and Japan, therefore, there is an urgent need to promote private sector interface between Japan and Africa under TICAD," he stated. He, however, acknowledged the strides achieved under TICAD, since its inception in 1993, particularly in Nigeria, in the areas of rural water supply, basic education, health care delivery, rural electrification and women empowerment, among others.

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I’m a power dresser – Bisi Onasanya

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I'm a power dresser – Bisi Onasanya Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 The Group  Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of  First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Bisi Onasanya, talks about his career and family What propelled you into banking as a profession? I found myself in banking unplanned. It was unexpected. I chose to be a lawyer but I had grades in subjects other than I needed to read law. I had to take one year off after secondary school during which I worked in a firm of professional chartered accountants. Along the line, I fell in love with accounting. In applying to the higher institution, I opted for a course in accounting and became a chartered accountant five years after leaving secondary school. Having been in accounting, in the course of my career, I ended up in banking. Are there regrets for not reading law? Absolutely not. My love for law helped me a lot in my accounting career to the extent that my exposure to the law part of accounting deepened my knowledge of law as it relates to business. My knowledge of law is slightly deeper and I am a specialist in company and commercial law. Are your children interested in law? None. My first daughter is a computer scientist and works with an international consulting firm. My son is an accountant but he is much more interested in real estate. My second son is studying economics at the university. I am not too sure what my last son would do but I will not insist that any one of them reads a particular course. Did you have a privileged upbringing? Certainly not. I was born in August 1951 to middle-class parents in Ibadan. My father was an accountant and this helped in shaping my love for accounting. My mother was and is still a trader. I had a decent upbringing and I am the third child in a polygamous home. However, I am the first of the four children of my mother. We had a very decent upbringing. We were not spoilt and we were brought up to be hardworking.  We are all doing well in our careers. My father took pride in my career especially as I qualified as a chartered accountant in 1982 at the age of 22 which was a record in those days. Did you grow up in Ibadan? I was only born in a hospital in Ibadan but I did not live there. Throughout my life, I lived and schooled in Lagos. My primary school was St Paul's Anglican School, Mushin. I went to Eko Boys High School, also in Mushin, and then I went to study accounting at the then Lagos State College of Science and Technology. I did my professional accounting examinations while working with Arthur Young, an international American audit firm. Living in Lagos helped in making me what I am today. You are streetwise, very smart and you stand up to challenges because Lagos toughens you. No matter where I am and the level of comfort, if I am outside Lagos for one week, I miss something. Were there incidents that helped shape who you are today? Maybe at the point I joined First Bank in 1994. I never planned to work for the bank. I started my banking career with Wema Bank in 1985 as a senior accountant and at some point, I decided to leave. I was to run a mortgage bank as MD-designate and as part of the conditions for granting the licence, we needed to submit some documents including the profile and CV of the potential CEO. I was on my way to submit it when a friend of mine asked me to accompany him to KPMG. We got there and found out that they were collating CVs for an advert by First Bank to hire a principal manager in the accounts department. Given my experience as a chartered accountant and my exposure as head of accounts at Wema Bank, I just made a photocopy of my resume and submitted without even knowing that it was going to be First Bank. It was only after short-listing that I discovered. Joining First Bank in 1994 changed the course of my life because I never dreamt of becoming a group managing director. During my career, I was predominantly in the finance department and was the financial controller for about What things prepared you for the task of CEO? The bank prepared me very well for that job unconsciously. I had the opportunity in my days as the deputy general manager and financial controller to also combine that with being the co-coordinator of the enterprise transformation project. That gave me the opportunity to access and understand very deeply the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the bank. In addition, my foray into First Pension Custodian gave me the opportunity to use the services of the bank as a customer. I was able to see the bank from the viewpoint of customers. After six months of being an executive director of banking, operations and services, I was appointed group managing director. This was after Lamido Sanusi Lamido was appointed Governor of Central Bank. Though a challenging task, I am delighted at my achievements. How do you handle favour-seekers? There is no leader in Nigeria that will not be under that kind of pressure. I run a structured organisation. My policy is to surround myself with colleagues, who are encouraged and emboldened to challenge me even when I feel strongly on a matter. For me, the arguments are always won based on facts and not sentiments. We have set up a structure in the bank today that even if you put me under pressure and no matter what I feel, if the system feels it is not in line with the structure and governance of the bank, it does not happen. I have created structures around me, which make it completely difficult if not impossible, to abuse my powers. There is no organisation that can survive over a long period of time if you don't have structures, checks and balances. What is a typical day like for you? There are many sacrifices. You need more than 24 hours to do your job. My days are extremely long ones. I could get home at 11.30pm. However, my typical day starts with morning devotion with my family, which is between 6.00am and 6.30am. Then, I swim for 30 to 45 minutes religiously. My day starts really earlier than that because I wake up at 3am to work.  If you ask my staff, they will tell you my mails come in between 3am and 5.30am. That is when I have time to do serious work because in the office, you are under pressure. You hardly have time to do rigorous academic or technical analysis. I sleep for just about three or four hours and it has been like that for the past four years. That is why if one is really hardworking, the job of running a bank this big is not what you do for more than your tenure. I do not intend to spend one day longer than my tenure as the CEO. Do you have retirement plans? In First Bank, we have tenures. You have a contract, which is one term of three years and maximum two terms of six years. I am in the first year of my second term and I believe that it will be appropriate for me to respect the terms of the contract. Therefore, I want to complete my tenure and retire into a quiet private life. How do you combine your duties as a husband, father and a professional? I will give God the glory and I will also praise my wife for her understanding. There are many sacrifices on the part of the family and the only time we have to discuss is maybe when I am home or in the swimming pool. Due to my job schedules, I do travel a lot and because I don't have much time for them, my wife and I always make those trips together at my own expense. You will hardly see me in an aircraft travelling without my wife present. How did you meet your wife? Incidentally, I met my wife in the secondary school in 1978. We were just friends. I went to Eko Boys High School but what happened at that time was that some private schools were shut down and the students were distributed to the government schools. We parted ways, met again in 1981 and we started talking. On one occasion, I invited her out for lunch and I proposed to her. We are more of friends than husband and wife and that has gone a long way in strengthening the relationship between us. We got married in 1985 and each day of the 28 years has been like a new day in the relationship. If I did not marry her then, I am not too sure I would have found true love because I became a very successful person early in life. As a 22-year-old qualified chartered accountant, I had everything a successful young man should have. It would be extremely difficult at that time if you were not in a strong relationship to find someone who loves you for who you are and not what you already have. How do you relax? I like boating a lot. Whenever time permits, my wife and I cruise on a boat to a quiet location and spend the day there. On Sundays after church, we tend to go out as a family with the children. I try not to bring any work home because at the end of the day, you will leave the job and retire. A successful man is not just one who is successful at work. You are a failure if your home is unsettled. What informs your dress sense? I like to dress very simple but in the office, I am a power dresser. I am fully in charge of my corporate wardrobe while my wife is in charge when it has to do with traditional attire. How do you keep fit? I walk a lot when I am abroad. Time does not allow me to do golfing but it is something I would take up when I retire.

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Anti-Amaechi lawmakers deny impeachment plot

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Anti-Amaechi lawmakers deny impeachment plot Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 CONTRARY to claims in some quarters, five lawmakers believed to be against Governor Rotimi Amaechi in the current crisis rocking the state, have denied plans to impeach the governor. The lawmakers said they were only concerned about the suspension of Obio/Akpor local government Chairman, Mr. Timothy Nsirim, the vice-chairman and 17 councillors of the area. Spokesman for the lawmakers, Mr. Evans Bibi, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH in a telephone interview, maintained that they had never contemplated removing the governor. Bibi explained that rather than impeaching Amaechi, they (five lawmakers) would advise him to do the right thing by recalling the suspended chairman of the council and others. He said, "How can you suspend an elected chairman of a local government and go ahead to swear in a caretaker committee? The truth is that, if the chairman was not sacked, then why set up a caretaker committee. "There is no move to impeach the governor, but he should do the right thing by ensuring that the Obio/Akpor Council chairman and others suspended are recalled. He (Amaechi) should also recognise the Felix-Obuah led executive of the state PDP." Calling on Amaechi to prevail on the leadership of the House to pay them their outstanding allowances, Bibi pointed out that they (five lawmakers) had been deprived of their security votes, constituency project allowances and other imprests. Responding, the Press Secretary to Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Jim Okpiki, said the money due to the five lawmakers would be paid, and attributed the delay in payment to the crisis on the ground. "The money is there. But as it is now, Mr. Speaker cannot call them to take their allowances due to the issue of trust and security. Even the security of Mr. Speaker was at a time compromised. "Mr. Speaker is not happy about the crisis and that is why he is calling for the speedy resolution of the matter so that everybody would collect his dues. It is not in the character of the Speaker to withhold anybody's money," Okpiki said.

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Mexico draw good for Eagles — Taribo

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Mexico draw good for Eagles — Taribo Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 Former AC Milan defender Taribo West believes the Super Eagles are fully set to begin their packed June fixtures after the team earned a 2-2 draw against Mexico on Friday in a high-profile international friendly game played in Houston, Texas, USA. African champions Nigeria and 10-man Mexico settled for a 2-2 draw in a game watched by over 62,000 fans. "If the Eagles can put up such a performance against a big team like Mexico, it means we can be confident that they will claim maximum points when they play Kenya and Namibia in the World Cup qualifiers. "The new boys in the team gave their best and I believe with the guidance of the senior players, the Eagles will win their World Cup qualifiers and give a good account of themselves in the Confederations Cup in Brazil," the former Eagles centre-back said.  Javier Hernandez hit the bar in the 10th minute after he beat Austin Ejide in goal for the Eagles from six yards before the Manchester United forward put his side through in the 21st minute. Brown Ideye, who had a goal ruled offside after being put through by John Ogu in the 17th minute, converted a penalty after left-back Elderson Echiejile's goal-bound shot was handled by a Mexican defender. Ogu made it 2-1 for Nigeria when his 20-yard left-footed shot was deflected into the net in the 40th minute before Nnamdi Oduamadi's effort in the 63rd minute hit the bar. Hernandez completed his brace — his 36th goal in 46 games for Mexico — in the 70th minute when he tapped in from close range to ensure the game ended in a draw, like it happened in their last meeting six years ago.

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Nigeria losing advertising revenue to foreigners — Abraham

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Nigeria losing advertising revenue to foreigners — Abraham Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 The Chief Executive Officer, LT & C Advertising, Mr. Charles Abraham, in this interview with DAYO  OKETOLA decries the annual loss of advertising industry revenue to capital flight    When you started your advertising agency 25 years ago, did you know it would go this far? Though we started out as a small company with less than 250,000 share capital, if I said we knew we were going to go this far, I would not be truthful. We had a clear understanding that we wanted to build an institution that would outlast us but none of us could have imagined what had happened to us in the last 25 years. But I am  struggling with some aspects of the industry such as the quality of manpower. I have found out that one of the areas where I had the biggest trouble was finding the right people to do the job. So if we are going to raise the advertising industry in Nigeria,  manpower deficiency must be addressed. What will you do to transform the industry if you are given the opportunity? Apart from the things that Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria is doing right now, which I totally subscribe to, I would also spend a lot of time and energy developing manpower. I would establish institutions that will train people properly. I would benchmark against global institutions so that we can actually produce the kind of people that can work anywhere in the world. Are you satisfied that major advertising production jobs are still being done outside the country? It grieves my heart and my spirit so much when I see advertising productions such as TV commercials being done  outside the country. I consider it as a travesty and I could go as far as saying it is a misplacement of priorities because Nigeria has the talents to produce the works they need to produce. But you complained about manpower earlier. How do you reconcile the two positions? Yes, but that doesn't mean that we cannot produce quality work. The issue with production abroad is that most of the time, it has got nothing to do with the content of the script but with facilities. It is like post production things, which we are also beginning to develop in our nation. So, as far as I am concerned, I don't believe foreigners can run adverts for Nigerians. I don't. It would take a very special advertising expert to come into Nigeria and write better adverts than Nigerian people. He would have to be a creative person  and a genius to understand our local nuances; the way we relate with one another, and the way we speak with one another.  He would have to go through a lot of immersion. Do you have an idea of what the country loses to capital flight as a result of advertising productions being done abroad? I don't have the exact figure. I would only say we should be looking at 40 per cent of our annual revenue going outside. Does government have any role in stopping this capital flight? I believe government has a responsibility to protect all the industries in this country, advertising not being an exception. I believe the government through APCON, has taken up the responsibility of protecting this industry and I think APCON's reforms are far reaching and groundbreaking. And if we honestly uphold and implement the APCON reform,  our industry would improve and move forward significantly. There are people who believe if we regulate and restrict the practice of advertising industry in Nigeria by not allowing foreigners to come in and practise here,  our standards will drop. I don't believe, that because in Brazil, they regulated and the industry went from being just a mediocre industry to one of the best in the world. The same thing happened in Australia and Turkey. So there are examples all over the world about how people have regulated and have changed the industry. South Africa was contemplating it before we came up with our own. So I think we need to do that. Creativity is always something that has to do with the local people and our business is a creative business. So if we are given more protection, I believe our industry would develop. We must also understand that we cannot let our standards drop so that clients would not begin to think that they should give our jobs to expatriates. Are you saying all foreigners should be shut out of the advertising industry? I am not saying they should shut them out. I am saying they should determine terms of engagement and make it not as open as it is right now. Because what is happening now is that most of the foreigners  don't even have offices in Nigeria and yet, they come in to take the briefs, go out, implement them and send the work back to Nigeria to execute. All the talents and channels used are not Nigerians. So how is that going to develop our industry? Are you saying foreign companies have taken advantage of the lose nature of the industry? Oh yes, they have. And if we are not careful, they would overrun us completely because Nigeria is considered as one of the biggest investment destinations in the world at the moment. We have just been classified as part of the next eleven countries to watch out for in the area of economic development. So, everybody internationally is looking at Nigeria and the advertising agencies are not an exception. They will  overrun us if we are not careful. But don't  you think some people will feel you are afraid of competition? No, we are not afraid of competition; far from it. We are not scared of competition, we are just afraid of unfair advantages. There are clients working in Nigeria today, who would not work with Nigerian agencies and this is our market. They think the  competences are not there and I don't think they are correct. With over 100 million mobile subscribers in the country, how do you think the mobile phone will influence advertising practice in the country? The mobile platform in advertising is a huge potential. In fact, for me, I will  say the  mobile phone has one of the biggest reaches to consumers right now. The only problem is we do not have the infrastructure to do quality content on mobile. First and foremost, assuming over 100 million mobile phones are in circulation in Nigeria, I will say 80 per cent of them are not smartphones. However,  for good quality advertising, you need smartphones and at least  3G or 4G network. You need to be able to do MMS and we are not anywhere near there. What we have in Nigeria is still very small and I believe  that with the expected improvement in broadband connectivity  and network expansion,  access to mobile phone advertising will also improve.

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Governors shift battle to court

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Governors shift battle to court Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 The fight for the control of the Nigeria Governors' Forum between Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Plateau Governor, Jonah Jang, took a different turn on Friday as pro-Ameachi governors, represented by Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola, went to court to stop Jang from parading himself as the chairman of the NGF. Fashola, who filed the suit at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in his capacity as a member of the forum, asked the court to declare that Jang is not competent to be called the elected chairman of the NGF. Apart from Jang, other defendants in the suit are the Director-General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru; the Sole Administrator purportedly appointed by Jang, Osaro Onaiwu, and the Registered Trustees of the NGF vested with the power to administer and manage the trusts of the NGF. In the writ of summons filed by a former Lagos Attorney General, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and former West African Bar Association President, Femi Falana (SAN), Fashola maintained that 35 governors participated in the election that returned Amaechi as the NGF chairman. He, therefore, asked the court to stop Jang from parading himself "as the elected chairman of the NGF in any manner whatsoever and howsoever." Fashola is also seeking a declaration that the first defendant (Jang) is not competent to relocate the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors' Forum from No. 1, Deng Xiaoping Street, Off AIT Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja to No. 2, Nana Close, by Ene Crescent, Off Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja or to any other place. The plaintiff revealed that Okauru had been under pressure from Jang to handover the assets and documents of the NGF to him (Jang). He therefore asked the court to declare that Okauru "is not competent to handover the assets and documents of the Nigeria Governors' Forum to the first defendant, his agents, privies and servants in any manner whatsoever and howsoever." Apart from these, the Lagos State governor also asked the court to declare that the second defendant (Okauru) is not competent to use the name Nigeria Governors' Forum in respect of any other organisation which does not have the 36 governors as members and/or in any other manner inconsistent with the constitution of the governors' forum. He is also seeking an Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining Okauru from handing over the property and documents of the Nigeria Governors' Forum to Jang, his agents, privies and servants in any manner whatsoever and howsoever. In addition to these, Fashola asked for, "an Order of Injunction restraining the third defendant from parading himself as the Sole Administrator of the forum in any manner whatsoever and howsoever." In the statement of claim, Fashola stated that he would rely on the NGF's registered constitution at the trial. He averred that the election into the post of the chairman of the NGF took place at the Rivers State Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja on Friday, May 25, 2013. "The governors of Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara states took part in the said election. "The four candidates who submitted nomination forms for the election were the governors of Bauchi, Katsina, Plateau and Rivers states. The nomination forms will be relied upon at the trial of this suit. Before the said election, the governors of Bauchi and Katsina states withdrew from the election leaving the contest for the governors of Plateau and Rivers states. Thereafter, the 35 governors voted for the candidates of their choice. "At the end of the voting, the Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, scored 19 votes while his rival, the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, scored 16 votes. "Consequently, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was declared the winner of the election. At the trial of this suit, the plaintiff will rely on the video recording of the election which has been broadcast by the AIT and Channels Television stations." The Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, told SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday that pro-Amaechi governors were fully behind Fashola. Speaking through his Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Mr. Ajibola Basiru, Aregbesola said Fashola, as a member of the NGF, had the right to challenge any illegality by the forum. Aregbesola said, "Any action to further entrench democracy is supported by Osun. This suit is one of such actions. Jang's action is ridiculous. Recent developments have shown that he didn't win the election. "When he wanted to inaugurate the forum's secretariat in Abuja, he sent invitation cards to governors and only 16 governors, including himself, honoured the invitation. If you truly won an election and you feel you are being denied your mandate, you go to court. You don't resort to self-help." Similarly, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State said he was fully in support of his Lagos State counterpart action's to stop the pro-Jang governors from operating through the court action. Fayemi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said Amaechi won the NGF election which was credible and that the opening of another secretariat was illegal. He said, "Mr. Governor is fully in support of the court action. He is aware of it and he is throwing his weight behind Governor Fashola on this matter." Reacting to Fashola's court action, the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, Prof. Shedrack Best, said if pro-Amaechi governors were in the majority, there was no need for a law suit. "If Governor Fashola claims that his camp has the majority, he does not need to go to court. Let him call them and showcase them." Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who is in Jang's camp, also said governors were free to stop being members of the forum "because it is a free association." He said, "We are not proud of what has happened. We are saying we must sit for what is just. It is an association of equals. It is a voluntary association. Anybody can pull out without any consequences. "A situation where a chairman of a forum of equals decided to contest election while holding the position is not right. "Some of us argue that he (Amaechi) was there by consensus and we expected that he should step down. Immediately he indicated his interest, I said he must dissolve the house then elect a pro tem chairman. Yes, it has always been a consensus issue and we know that the PDP endorsed Jang. If somebody planted a camera somewhere because it was his own house or because of lack of respect for others,  it is too bad." Efforts to speak with the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, on Friday were futile. When one of our correspondents called him on the phone, there was no response from Metuh. Subsequent calls made to his phone were not picked. Jang who is believed to have the backing of President Goodluck Jonathan had lost the chairmanship election to Amaechi by 19 votes to 16. He, however, refused to accept defeat and instead proclaimed himself as the authentic chairman of the forum. Jang also appointed a sole administrator in place of the director-general of the forum. Few days after Amaechi won the election with the support of opposition governors, the PDP suspended him as its member. Jang's faction of the NGF also opened a parallel secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

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A stylish grandma

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A stylish grandma Jun 1st 2013, 23:00 Taiwo Taiwo founded the Aart of Life Foundation 11 years ago in memory of her daughter, Abioye. Since its establishment, the foundation has executed several projects. One other thing you cannot take away from her is this stylish disposition. In her 60s, she is bold and daring in her looks and this much she proved recently when she attended a music concert in company with her son, Ladi and new daughter-in-law, Yemisi. As if to prove her youthfulness, she wore a black see-through top that left many wondering how she plucked the courage to rock the attire!

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Photo:Oprah Winfrey In Tears As She Receives Harvard Doctorate Degree

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Photo:Oprah Winfrey In Tears As She Receives Harvard Doctorate Degree Jun 1st 2013, 22:27 US – One of the most influential women in the world, Oprah Winfrey, was in tears, today as she received a honorary doctorate degree from Harvard University during the university's 362nd commencement.                   The ceremony brought tears of joy to the 59-year-old media titan as she received [...]

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Video:Is Jesus Christ Back? Australian Man Claims To Be Jesus

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Video:Is Jesus Christ Back? Australian Man Claims To Be Jesus Jun 1st 2013, 22:55 The End times signs are here — A former IT Specialist in Australia claims to be Jesus and he's already gathered some followers.                   According to Sky News, Alan John Miller, or AJ as he prefers to be known, runs a religious movement known as the Divine [...]

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