Diary of an Abuja Billionaire: Week 20

Jamal is an Abuja-based billionaire bachelor and businessman who works hard and parties hard. Welcome to his world.

 

Week 20

 

Monday

I was in hot soup again. Zainab had driven off from my wine bar in her Mercedes Benz CLA Class in anger. I’d grabbed the drunk girl by the throat and threw her to the floor before my security removed her from the bar. Zainab remained calm, but after she finished her cocktail, she left without saying goodbye. I fired all my doormen on the spot for disobeying my orders not to let any young woman inside when I was there. I went to Zainab’s office this afternoon, and she told me she’ll never go anywhere with me again.  

Tuesday

Ishaya Gumbo came to my office and said he wants to manage my Kaduna chain of hotels. I laughed. I told him he can start with being chief of staff in one branch and he was insulted. “Look, in Nigeria, nobody knows who you are. If not that you speak through your nose nobody will even look at you,” I said. He left my office in anger. I sent out a notice to all the security and management in all my bars, restaurants, outlets, malls, hotels and offices in Nigeria, that under no circumstance should a woman under 40 be allowed within 50 feet of the establishment when myself or my fiancée were there. 

 Wednesday

Zainab was joining three of her friends on a shopping trip to New York this weekend, and a fourth woman she didn’t know was also joining them last minute. “Hope you haven’t slept with her too,” Zainab quipped. We were seated at a table at an Ambassador’s reception. “Just how many women have you been with Jamal?” She wasn’t joking this time. “I never kept count my love. They’ve all paled into insignificance; they’re all just a hazy, indistinct memory now that I only have eyes for you.” She kissed her teeth and flicked her long, glossy hair in my face. I grabbed her chin, turned it towards me and kissed her. 

 Thursday 

I hosted a state governor at my office, very nice guy, but a terrible businessman: all his overseas investments where failing and he wanted my help. I paid for Ishaya’s mother’s medical bills in America and arranged for her to stay at a high-level hospice. “But my son,” she said weakly, after thanking me profusely for helping her. “Please look after him.” I sighed. “Your son has delusions of grandeur. He doesn’t know he has to start from the bottom. He doesn’t even have a degree!” She said she was also disappointed with his life choices. “He’s been very depressed.” Nonsense.

Friday 

Zainab left for New York for a week today. Her personal shopper Vivien had arranged their flights, hotel, restaurant reservations and transportation around the city, and as I dropped her off at the airport in my new Maserati, she kissed me goodbye. “I’ll miss you so much” I told. Her Louboutin heels were already out of the door and her Louis Vuitton travel bag on the crook of her elbow. “Just keep those women away and I’ll try and keep the men off too,” she smiled. Men? I frowned. If Zainab ever cheated on me I think I might kill her, then kill myself.

Saturday

 Aliyu’s wife’s sister was visiting them in London next week, so I sent one of my drivers to her house with sealed packages of fura and kilishi for him, as my chef Daniel knew where to get the best. Went with Stanley to a newly-opened nightclub in Maitama and drank too many shots. Before I knew it, five women surrounded the VIP area where we sat and one sat on my lap. Women. The public announcement of my engagement made them even more willing to sleep with me. I couldn’t even dance without one putting her hands over all over me. I got home and removed pieces of paper with phone numbers on them from the trouser pocket of my Paul Smith suit trousers.

   

Sunday 

Zainab was having fun in New York, they had dinner at a famous rooftop diner before going to a club. “I can have fun too” she said when we talked on Skype. Then I heard a man’s voice saying “C’mon Zee, let’s go!” I asked her who it was, but she covered her mouth in surprise and hung up. I called back but no answer. I called her phone an hour later and she said sorry they had to rush out. “But who’s the guy I heard?” I asked. “He’s just a friend,” she said. “I’ve known him for years. He lives in New York.” I wasn’t happy at all.

Centenary Celebrations in Pictures

The Abuja National Stadium was lit with fireworks and patriotism on Thursday 27^th February as Nigeria celebrated its 100^th birthday as a nation.

Hundreds of costumed dancers and performers from all over Nigeria participated in the multi-media onstage depictions of the country’s history, with a pre-concert featuring 2Face, Wizkid, Omawumi, Ara, Nazir Ahmed Hausawa aka Ziriums and Threadstone.

Ike Osakioduwa and Funke Akindele were the hosts on a memorable night which also featured nostalgic music from old school artists including Victor Olaiya, Victor Uwaifo, Ikemba Superstars, Nelly Uchendu, Rex Lawson, King Kennytone, Fela and many others.

The grand spectacle culminated in spectacular fireworks display, as President Goodluck Jonathan, First Lady Patience Jonathan and more than 40 world leaders from around the world looked on, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia and Prosper Bazombaza of Burundi.

Also in attendance was the President of Mauritania, Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, Ethiopian President, Mr Hailemarian Desalegh, and the European Union President, Mr Jose Manuel Barroso.

See pictures from the event below:   

Nigeria's amalgamation is celebrated

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Hundreds of costumed actors danced and acted on stage

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Actors on stage depicting Nigeria's history

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Montages and pictures of past leaders was projected

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Nigeria's amalgamation is celebrated

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Impressive lightworks at the Abuja Stadium

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Spectacular multimedia show

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Spectacular multimedia show

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Fireworks ended the night

Royale Express: New, Spacious, and Affordable

February seems to be the month for birthdays—five celebrations and counting. Maybe people born in February are the type of people who like to celebrate or are the type of people others want to celebrate. Whatever the case, any excuse for food and cake.  

 

Last week, I was at Royale Express (not sure about this name…it evokes trains, train stations and post offices, all not associated with good food). It is located at the Maitama Amusement Park off IBB Boulevard. In considering our options for where to go for a birthday dinner party of seven adults, five children and one baby, we were sold by the idea that it was new (a.k.a. ‘still undiscovered and eager to serve’) and spacious. 

 

Royale Express definitely has space. The restaurant eating area is one long rectangle; and there is a little waiting area by the door. Also on the left moving further into the restaurant is an open bar with bar stools while the seating area takes up the entire right side of the room. Our tables had been set up opposite the bar with one of those Chinese screens considerately providing us with some privacy from the other two diners who were there. Or maybe it was shielding them from us. 

 

Ordering for a large group can be tiring but that is why appetizers are necessary. Along with our drinks we had samosas and spring rolls to nibble on while menu deliberations were going on. Unfortunately, the spring rolls tasted sour and so were returned to the kitchen garnished with a few snarky comments. Minus two. 

 

Despite being one of the last to order just so I could get a sense of what everyone else was ordering, I still ended up with food envy; that dining-out related illness where everyone else’s order is better than yours. We finally got our orders in: two T-bone steaks, five lasagnas, one plate of grilled prawns, one chicken kebab, one Spaghetti Bolognese, several side salads and two burgers. 

 

Alas, the kitchen was short one T-bone steak and the waiters had no clue how large their lasagna portions were. While ordering, we asked how big the portions were so we could determine if the kids (five lasagnas) should share. The waiter said authoritatively that the portions were small. Let’s just say we went home with doggy bags. 

 

The Spaghetti Bolognese was excellent. The lucky diner made so much noise about it that we all had to go round to taste it. So were the prawns (not enough as usual), T-bone steak and the salads. However, the chicken kebab (my choice of course) was dry and tasteless just like the frozen-chips-in-a-bag which came with it. Nothing can beat freshly peeled and cut Irish potatoes when fried just right. When it’s slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, it is heaven.  As for the lasagna, while a few came out piping hot through and through, the half I ‘tasted’ was warm on the outside and cold inside…like it had not been microwaved long enough. Give it a miss – it was obviously not made fresh and raised the ghosts of the deep pain and suffering I was caused by days old lasagna served in one Italian restaurant in Wuse 2, a story I will save for another day. 

 

I never made it to the restroom but there were no tell-tale dried food on cutlery and plates, and I never got the urge to rub anything clean before putting it in my mouth. There is absolutely no ambience to speak of though, which might be a deliberate ploy to ensure nothing is competing with the food but it does not even whisper ‘spend hours here hanging out in comfort’.  And it was a shame that the restaurant did not have any high seats for toddlers…definitely worth an extra two points. 

 

That said, Royale Express’ management know about making their customers happy and we appreciated the free crepes and ice-cream for dessert which were obviously to make up for #SpringRollGate. The food is fairly affordable and the Maitama Amusement Park has lots of parking and other bars and restaurants. 

 

Royale Express gets a Drumbelle rating of 16.5 out of 30*

 

 

Category	Score
Food	6/10
Ambience	1/5
Service	3/5
Affordability	3/5
Sanitation	3/5

 

*Each Friday DrumBelle's Diary will visit a different restaurant in Abuja and rate the experience

Centenary Celebrations Disrupt Traffic in Abuja

Traffic in some central parts of Abuja were at a standstill for hours on Thursday evening as many roads were blocked because of celebrations marking Nigeria’s centenary taking place at the Abuja National Stadium.

A dense build up of traffic was visible around Garki, Jabi and Airport Road with many residents and motorists complaining of being stuck in their cars and not being able to get home for three hours, until around 9pm when traffic eased.

Some civil servants and other workers with offices located on Herbert Macaulay Way in the Central Business District, which is close to the stadium were unable to get to their offices because of the tight security and road blocks in place.

Many were forced to park some distance away and walk to work as traffic had been diverted and armed security operatives deployed at strategic points in the area.

The Centenary Celebrations began at 6pm, but President Goodluck Jonathan arrived at the venue around 8pm with the first lady and other officials. The event was also attended by several visiting heads of states, government officials, and members of the public and ended at about 9pm with a fireworks display.

   An international conference held as part of activities marking the centenary earlier in the day was attended by about 30 heads of governments and international organisations.

Yobe Killings - Police Disperse Protesters in Abuja

Police officers yesterday in Abuja dispersed youths protesting the killing of school children in Yobe state.

The protest was organised by a group identified as Nigerian Youths Protest against Boko Haram, headed by Mr Ibrahim Wala. About 50 persons had gathered at the Unity Fountain Park on Thursday morning to express their outrage over the recent killing and abduction of students by members of the Boko Haram sect in the north-eastern part of the country. The youths carried placards and sang solidarity songs. 

 Godswill Okoronkwo one of the protesters said that the protesters came together through social media sites like facebook, twitter and BlackBerry Chat.  

Mr. Wala, who spoke to newsmen as the protest took off, said hundreds of armed police men arrived at the venue and dispersed the gathering with teargas. He alleged that the police arrested 10 of the protesters and briefly detained them.

The police allegedly beat some of the protesters and used other riot dispersal techniques to chase them out of Unity Fountain.

Mr Wala further alleged that some journalists were molested in the process.

Mr. Okoronkwo explained that, "all we wanted to do is show the relevant authorities that we are fed up with the senseless killings in the northeastern part of the country."

World Leaders Promise to Help Nigeria Fight Terrorism

A number of world leaders, including the President of the European Union (EU), Mr Jose Manuel Barroso and French President, Mr Francois Hollande, have pledged to assist Nigeria in its fight against terrorism in the country.

They made the promise yesterday in Abuja at a conference on human security, peace and development which was part of activities to mark Nigeria’s centenary anniversary celebration.

Mr Hollande said that the fight against terrorism was a fight for democracy. He promised that his country will always stand ready not only to provide political support, but also to give help every time it is needed. “Your struggle,” he said, “is also our struggle.

He however noted that in spite of the crises in the continent, there was reason for optimism in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

World Cup 2014: FG Approves Extra N1.6bn for Eagles

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved a special grant of N1.6bn for Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup campaign, in addition to the official budgetary allocations of the Nigeria Football Federation.

The extra amount will go towards training programmes before the trip to the FIFA tournament, to be held in Brazil in June, and arrangements for the Super Eagles’ stay in the United States of America.

The Minister of Sports Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said that the government was giving Nigeria’s World Cup participation the highest level of attention in order to encourage their success.

“We are aware of the financial challenges of Nigerian teams while preparing for big events. It is not just about football but sports in general, including the Commonwealth Games and the World Youth Olympics also coming up this year. In view of the challenges posed by the budgetary process, we had to work ahead to get funding for the teams in a way that funds will not hamper the entire plans.

“President Goodluck Jonathan has keenly followed the problems over the years and that has made it possible for us to find a solution that will be beneficial to the athletes and their aspirations and the entire country at large.”

Reports also indicate that the minister was canvassing for extra funds from private donors to add to the official allocations, to ensure that poor funding will not be a factor in the team’s performance.

Bishop Kukah Gets His Audience Laughing

“To pass an anti-corruption law in Nigeria you have to bribe somebody,” said Bishop Hassan Matthew Kukah, quoting Mr Segun Adeniyi.

He made the remark halfway through his keynote address at a fundraising event organised by the Parent Teachers Association of Loyola Jesuit College (LJC), Abuja, towards the building of a memorial staff residence in honour of 60 students of the college who died in the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash, and for the first time in many hours, the audience laughed.

This expression of mirth was a significant event, a vivid change of the pervasive mood. The audience had not been in a jolly mood, neither did they merely have the dispassionate, attentive countenance of listeners; they had been mourning. They had been ruffled by a series of depressing images. Pictures of 60 LJC victims of the crash had been shown on the projector, pictures of Kechi Okwuchi, then a student of LJC and one of two survivors of the crash, before and after the accident was shown, and later a video in which she addressed the gathering. And in the hall were people particularly affected by the event, relatives and friends of the victims and LJC staff; people who do not need a formal gathering to be reminded of the tragedy but had gathered all the same to be formally reminded of a tragedy.

The situation demanded that they be sober, but Bishop Kukah was not going to be just another sequence in a dark narrative. He came up stage and removed the cloak of melancholy covering the room, first with a joke about his unfulfilled desire to join the Jesuit order of priesthood. The hilarity was at this early stage tempered with self-control, as they were yet to recover from the poignancy of the preceding stories. Only sounds of chuckling could be heard. But in time there would be full-throated laughter.

He said that the organisers had more or less summoned him for the event, giving him no option to either reject or accept the invitation/command and confessed that he just finished editing his speech in the car on his way to the venue; a warning that he might be rambling a bit till his time was exhausted. But his speech was far from prattle.

He was speaking on the effects of air disasters on national development and had arrived at the Segun Adeniyi quote by way of digression and anecdotes, as is common among men of eloquence. Plane crashes he said, returning to the subject, were not greater than, but equal to seemingly common place tragedies that are paid no attention, for instance the death of an infant from malaria, the death of a rural woman in childbirth, the unnamed victims of numerous road accidents, fatalities from infernos, building collapses, etc. Considering the composition of the audience, it takes some measure of courage and being Bishop Kukah to make such a statement.

Returning to the trivial, he likened pilots to nurses in their use of deceit in calming clients in difficult, even hopeless situations; nurses, for instance, assuring patients just before giving them a jab that everything is fine and pilots telling passengers same in the most turbulent conditions.

Bishop Kukah loves to talk and he knows it. “I decided to take responsibility for speaking because I couldn’t find a speaker,” he said once in Abuja at a roundtable on the implications of freedom of expression. And people love to listen to him. “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” he said at the event.

Who wouldn’t listen in awe to a priest that references Leo Tolstoy in the same sentence as he mentions Schindler’s List? Shakespeare is cheap but to quote accurately the first line of Anna Karenina is jaw-dropping, eye-popping awesomeness.

His speech, as it progressed, provided many cues for laughter and it became increasingly difficult to hold back. The options were to join in the amusement or hold in the humour and burst out at an incongruous hour, jerking hysterically. In any case, there is nothing against laughing with eyes still moist with tears. After all, emotions are mutable.

By Ladi Opaluwa

World Leaders in Abuja for Centenary Celebration

More than 12 Heads of State arrived in Abuja yesterday ahead of today’s centenary celebration, reports News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The Heads of State include Presidents Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia, and Prosper Bazombaza of Burundi.

Others are the President of Mauritania, Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, Ethiopian President, Mr Hailemarian Desalegh, and the European Union President, Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, and President Helen Sirleaf of Liberia.

Meanwhile the Zambian Minister of Defence, Mr Edgar Lungu, will represent the Zambian President, Micheal Saata. Israel was also represented by its Minister of Agriculture Mr Yair Shamir, and Salim Ahmed Salim, the former Secretary General of OAU led the Tanzanian delegation.

The dignitaries were received at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by some members of the Federal Executive Council.

TuFace Join Other Indigenous Musicians for Centenary Celebrations

A number of Nigerian musicians are billed to entertain dignitaries at the centenary anniversary celebration billed to take place tonight at the national stadium.

Among the musicians are Prof Laz Ekwueme, Sir Victor Olaiya, Tuface Idibia, Cobham Asuquo, and Omawunmi Megbele.

Cobham Asuquo, who spoke to City News during the final rehearsals, said he was humbled by the experience. “As history and as people, it’s really the highest point of my career,” he said. “It’s amazing working with the people to recreate the story of the people.”

On his part, Prof Ekwueme said it was going to be a big show. “I am here with my 60 voices members of my choral group,” he said. “It is going to be more of dance and masquerade so spectacular, we will sing patriotic songs; we have to imbibe the sense of patriotism as a country.”

Boko Haram: Nigeria Asks Francophone Neighbours for Help

Nigeria issued an appeal to Cameroon and its other Francophone neighbours in the continent on Tuesday for help in the battle against militants and religious insurgents.

On the day suspected Boko Haram insurgents murdered 43 students in a school in Yobe, Nigeria’s information minister Labaran Maku warned that further attacks could harm French interests in West Africa if left unchecked.

“What we need is international cooperation from the French, from the French-speaking west African countries to work together to deal with this problem before it becomes a major problem for France, for western interests operating in west Africa,” Labaran Maku said.

 The comments came ahead of a planned visit by French president Francois Hollande on Thursday and Friday to join in Nigeria’s centenary celebrations and also attend an international conference on security in Africa.

Maku said much of the problem stemmed from Nigeria’s border which it shares with Cameroon and called for “increased partnership” with its northern neighbour.

He described Cameroon’s participation in the international military joint task force policing the borders – comprising troops from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon – as weak, making the northern part of the border a safe haven for the insurgents.

“[Boko Haram] strike; when we pursue them, they retreat into Cameroon,” complained the minister.

Nigeria last week sealed a portion of its north-eastern border with Cameroon, situated in Adamawa State, to block the movement of insurgents and other criminal groups.

Presidential Aide Blames Sanusi for Yobe Killings

A close aide of President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokiri, was implicated yesterday in a press release accusing suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi of sponsoring Boko Haram.

Omokri, the Special Assistant to the President on New Media, is believed to have used a pseudonym, Wendell Simlin, to circulate an article to select media companies linking the recent rise in Boko Haram attacks in Yobe and Borno to Sanusi’s suspension, but the digital footprint of the article was traced to his computer.

"Given the quantum of funds that were appropriated by the Sanusi-led CBN on non-banking related activities and donations, and the strong desire that he and Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab have for proselytizing Islam as well as their circumstantial links to terror (Sanusi via Gideon Akaluka and Mutallab via his son,) it is not such a leap for them to facilitate the activities of terrorists," the article stated.

The write-up was sent to bloggers and journalists on Wednesday from the email address,   wendellsimlin@yahoo.com, but an analysis of the document's metadata revealed that Omokri was the author.

Social media erupted in anger over the slander with many calling for Omokri’s dismissal.

"If it is true that this guy tried to capitalize on this tragedy by forging documents to implicate somebody else, pressure should be placed on the presidency to fire him," said Pius Adesanmi, a professor of English and respected social critic on his Facebook page.

"Some of us who know him know he establishes spurious online accounts to malign opposition," said journalist Tolu Ogunlesi.

The presidency has so far remained silent about the allegations.

The Rise and Fall of Oga

It is all a game. The demure gaze into the space between both your feet or to your right or left, when he speaks to you. The standing at attention, arms tucked away behind his back. The affected dance of urgency in matters that require none. The receiving things with two hands and the offer to take whatever you are holding when you return.

He doesn’t know yet that apart from a couple of young ladies at the back of the compound, you are the only one who does not own a car in the compound. Despite your reluctance to enlist his help, you need him, because you cannot carry in the fridge you have brought home alone. You give him some money when he does, not because you are a generous person, but because you think his job at the security post does not make him a domestic servant; because you do not understand people who make shared security men do their private chores; because you believe in dignity in and compensation for labour. 

You suddenly remember it is Valentine’s day on your way back to the house. You decide to give him one of the three packs of juice you have bought. He doesn’t expect it and almost tumbles over receiving it. He attempts to take the other things you are holding, to carry it from the gate to your apartment. You refuse and walk away.

He starts referring to you as ‘oga’. He genuflects and greets you with shouts and exaggerated gestures just in case something would, god forbid, make you not hear his greeting. You hope he will not begin to expect things from you. Worse, you hate this unnatural show; you want to tell him that being a security man means only one thing: that he does his job and nothing more. He does not owe you anything else, not even a greeting. 

After many days being oga, the mystery about you is diminished. It is clear now that you have no car. That you do not leave the house in the mornings like most other tenants. Enough time has passed to convince everyone that you are not on leave or anything. Worse still, you have not given any gifts after that pack of juice. You see how people wonder about men who do not leave their homes in the morning. With women they make easy assumptions: she is either a kept woman or a sex worker. With a man the gossip is more complicated. Is he a yahoo boy who works out of a laptop? Is he some other type of fraudster? Is he some madam’s boyfriend? Or is he, god forbid, unemployed?

He could not hide his shock one Monday morning when you emerged at midday in shorts. His eyes asked, ‘oga, why are you not at work?’ It is interesting to you how in a country with such poverty, people are unkindly judgmental about underprivileged or unemployed people. Or people who cannot be defined in familiar terms like formal jobs and businesses. 

On the eve of the second week after the juice when you are heading out in the evening with a friend of yours, having spent all day indoors, he strips you of your unsolicited title, without the ceremony with which he bestowed it upon you. At the gate he performs the christening ceremony. ‘Well done bros,’ he says, sitting on a bench, waving at you.

Somehow you are relieved that perhaps this means things are back to normal, that perhaps he is one step closer to seeing you as an equal human being. Because you would rather be bros, than oga.

Jonathan Commissions N3bn Turkish Hospital

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday opened a N3.23 billion Nizamaye hospital in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, President Jonathan noted that the commissioning of the hospital represented an important landmark in the existing cordial relationship between Nigeria and Turkey. He expressed delight at growth of the relationship into several facets of Nigeria’s national economy, including the education and health sectors.

He then called on private investors within and outside the country to take advantage of the investment-friendly policies of the Federal Government to invest in the health care delivery sector of the country.

In his address, the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Mustafa Pulat said that the construction of the 80-bed, world class hospital was another token of his country’s interest and determination to come to Nigeria in the best way possible.

Nigeria and Turkey have maintained bilateral relations in business since the Nigerian-Turkish group began its gradual creep in 1998 into the Nigerian education system. The Nigerian-Turkish International Colleges (NTIC) now runs 16 schools, including Nile University launched in Abuja four years ago.

Sanusi’s Suspension: Okonjo-Iweala Allays Fears of Negative Impact on Economy

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has assured Nigerians that despite the suspension of Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the federal government would remain resolute in the management of the nation’s economy.

The minister, who made this known to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, also stated that the government would continue the pursuit of macro-economic stability, which has become the hallmark of the present administration.

“It is the macro-economic stability we maintained that has enabled us to continue to transform the different sectors of the economy, and that will not change,” she said. “We will maintain tight fiscal policy. We expect a continuation of the tight monetary policy that has been on at the central bank.”

She therefore urged market participants to carry on with businesses without fear.

NSC – Super Eagles Hope for Early Release of Funds for World Cup 2014

The Super Eagle’s plans for the Brazil 2014 World Cup have been submitted to the Presidency to ensure the early release of funds, according to theThe National Sports Commission (NSC).

 

The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated in Abuja that the timely release of funding would enable the national football team to prepare adequately for the tournament and avoid last-minute difficulties, as witnessed in previous World Cup preparations.

 

"The Nigeria Football Association has submitted their financial plans to the National Sports Commission and we have worked on it. We have sent it to the appropriate quarters. We believe that it will receive due attention.  

“So, I have no doubt in my mind that the plans for the World Cup will go very well. We will give all the support that is necessary to the NFA to succeed because if they succeed, everyone is happy," Mr. Abdullahi said.

Cars Smuggled into Nigeria Will No Longer be Registered - NAC

Starting from June, buyers of cars smuggled into Nigeria from neighbouring countries or abroad will not be able to register or license them for use, the National Automotive Council (NAC) has said.

The new directive, which was revealed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Director of Policy and Planning, Mr Luqman Mamudu, is part of the new National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) efforts at curbing vehicle smuggling in the country.

 

"Smuggled vehicles will sooner or later become unattractive because those who buy them will certainly no longer be able to obtain registration numbers from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

"They will not also be able to obtain vehicle licence from various state vehicle registration offices. The policy has an in-built program to pursue this course," the statement said.

NAC’s Executive Officer of Information, Mr Bello Rasheed, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the council was collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies.

"The policy requires the Nigeria Customs Service to build a data base of all vehicles that are legally imported into the country. The FRSC, vehicle inspection officers and state vehicle license offices will be given access to the customs data base.

"So, if any vehicle is brought for licensing or number plate registration, the relevant agency will first check the list of legally imported vehicles in the customs data base. Any vehicle not listed there is deemed smuggled and will not only be denied registration, but will also be impounded and the owner arrested," Rasheed said.

However, the Freight Forwarders Association of Nigeria (FFAN) fear the new policy would cause a 150 per cent hike on used vehicles, deny freight forwarders their main source of income and also cause massive lay-offs of its workers.

The Demystification of Ese Walter

Remember her? Ese Walter; the lawyer, writer, and radio personality, but better known as the woman who wrote publicly of her affair with COZA Church’s Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, or as some (defenders of the gospel) would say, the lady who claims to have had an affair with the Pastor. Either way, you remember now.

Well, I once had an encounter with her but did not realise my fortune until her wedding pictures emerged online some days ago and I thought, darn! She was the lady with the peculiarly short gown and long hair and nails, with whom I shared a table some months ago at the launch of Studio 24’s flagship store.

So while I was fixated on meeting Brandy, the American musician, I missed out on the sideshow right before me and a chance to get an autograph. One never expects to meet people like her who have come to fame unconventionally. If I wanted to see M.I, for instance, I will go to an M.I concert, or to a Last Flight to Abuja premiere to see Omotola. Where does one go to purposely collide with Ese Walter? Besides, I believed that a Nigerian living in Nigeria could never have the aptitude to kiss and tell― there is no polite way of putting it.For that reason I thought that Ese, like Sahara Reporters, existed only in virtual space, uploaded her bombshell from a safe location abroad, shielded from physical reaction and far from the madding crowd. But there she was in Wuse 2.

As an unidentified, random guest, she was interesting enough. She kept reapplying her lip-gloss in the course of her stay at the event. She seemed the centre of a group of three girls. The group enthusiastically participated in the question and answer games the MC invented to make pleasant the wait for Brandy. I remember trying to put them into one of two categories: real home-bred ajebutter and just another-girl-makes-it-big-in-Abuja.

When she stood to leave with her friends in tow, I fell in awe at the height of their shoes. As they stood by her car for last minute chit chat, I took pictures of them from the ankles down just to show what girls put their feet in. Had I known, I would have asked for a photo session instead.

Good thing I didn’t know though. I would have stared at her for far too long. It’s unlikely she would have cautioned me though, having recently retweeted Jon Winkur’s (@AdviceToWriters) tweet: “The writer should never be ashamed of staring.” Assuming retweets are endorsements. 

And after I have recovered myself, I would have launched a series of questions beginning with an inquiry into the authenticity of her story. And though I may believe her, I will never know the truth, because there would be another truth with its set of believers casting a shadow of doubt over mine. As she has succeeded in polarising the public on a private matter, the important task would be to probe her motive for a public confession. Fame? Catharsis?

I have read part of her story and consider her a good story teller, or at least a writer with good material that has entertained people in need of comic relief. The story, after all, has not upset the lives of the characters in any major way. It is a fantastic tale in which both characters seem to be living happily thereafter. The antagonist, Pastor Biodun, has remained married and for his trouble is said to have received from the American televangelist Mike Murdock the gift of a Rolls Royce. And the narrator, Ese Walter, well, she got fame, and then she got married.

By Ladi Opaluwa

28 Heads of State Expected in Abuja for Security Conference

As part of activities to mark Nigeria’s centenary anniversary, 28 Heads of State are expected in Abuja for an international security conference to be hosted by President Goodluck Jonathan next Thursday.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, made this known yesterday while briefing journalists shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. He said that President Jonathan would present the lead paper at the conference.

The paper, he said, would focus on how to secure the continent against activities of terrorists. “We are not just celebrating,” he said. “No! It will focus on the impact of insecurity because these challenges are being experienced all over Africa.”

He further disclosed that the federal government has set up a Board of Trustees to be chaired by former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon. The board, he said, is expected to manage funds realised from the Centenary Fund Raising Ball to be held on February 25 in Lagos.

Also at the briefing was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim who disclosed that the centenary events will include an awards presentation conferring honours on 100 Nigerians, out of which 40% of the awards will be given posthumously to people who had made contributions to the development of the country in the last 100 years.

Maku added that “there is going to be a centenary lottery and the proceeds will go to support this celebration and all the telecoms companies  and every Nigerian are being encouraged to be part if this programme.”

The celebrations will conclude with a thanksgiving service at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja with a multimedia show at the National Stadium, Abuja also planned.

“Every state has been mandated to sponsor at least 200 delegates and one traditional ruler from each state of the federation, including FCT,” said the FCT minister Bala Mohammed, who was also at the briefing.

FCTA-Brazilian Partnership to Yield $3bn

The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has said the partnership between the FCT administration and Brazilian investors is expected to yield about $3 billion when fully implemented.

The minister made the disclosure when he received a delegation of Brazilian investors, led by the former Ambassador of Nigeria to Brazil, Mr. Vincent Okoedion, in his office recently.

The minister further disclosed that the delegation had indicated interest to partner with the administration in the areas of housing and transport, and road development. He added that the administration will continue to provide an enabling environment for investors to thrive.

The director of Bitello Group, Frederico Joao Stella who was part of the delegation, commended the minister for the opportunity to participate in the territory’s development. He said the company would build 1,000 houses in the FCT within a few months.

Africans Gather in Abuja to Honour Mandela

Dignitaries from all over the continent gathered in Abuja to celebrate the life and times of the late former South African President, Nelson Mandela.

  

Ambassadors of South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Jamaica, Cuba, Gambia, Namibia, Botswana and South Sudan were in attendance of the event tagged ‘Africa, liberation struggles and the future of the continent’ organized by the Abuja Collective, which was held at the Yar’Adua Centre.

 

Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information and Supervising Minister of Defence represented the government of Nigeria, said in his speech: “Sometimes when we praise Mandela, we forget to appreciate those who nurtured him, people like the founding fathers of the ANC. People who put Mandela up as a symbol of hope in the spotlight content to stay in the background. This is not the case in Nigeria; everybody wants to be the one.”

 

The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Louis Mnguni, thanked Nigeria on behalf of the South African people for its contributions to the fight against discrimination in South Africa. He urged Africans to learn from Mandela and strive for peace and unity in Africa.

 

The daughter of former Nigerian Head of State and Executive Secretary, Murtala Mohammed Foundation, Mrs. Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode described Mandela as an epitome of humanity to displayed extreme generosity of Spirit.

 

She said, “Africa as a continent, has been saddled with so many negative labels, but we can stand taller than most because Nelson Mandela is one of ours.”

Media Must Stop Advertising Fake Drugs - FG

The Federal Government has declared a zero tolerance approach on any media organizations found advertising pharmaceutical products that have not been registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC.)

  

The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said this at the inauguration of the revived federal and state task forces on counterfeit, fake and unwholesome processed foods in Abuja, yesterday.

 

The minister described the media’s attitude as embarrassing to the government and called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to regulate the advertisement of unregistered medicine and similar products.

 

"We will soon use some media organisations as example for others to know that the government is serious," he threatened.

 

He said the reconstitution of the task forces was to ensure a strict approach against fake drugs as declared by the President.