http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/236857
Worst of all the countries, Oprah surmised, is Nigeria.

According to her, “all Nigerians – regardless of their level of education – are corrupt.”

It is very pathetic that Oprah could ascribe to a larger population, the evil act of an insignificant number of persons in the world’s most populous black nation.

Oprah’s conclusion is based on the fact that a Nigerian of Igbo extraction was caught with $500,000, which was alleged to have been stolen from a foreigner through the Internet fraud popularly known as 419.

Oprah had sponsored an hour-long programme, which ran for several days on the CNN, with the sole aim of exposing the clever tricks espoused by this group of Nigerians to con their victims.

Much has been said about the greed of the victims themselves, and I need not say more about it.

However, at a time when Americans are committing heinous crimes against children and women, nobody has tagged all Americans as murderous.

So, why call all Nigerians rogues because of the sin of a few bad eggs?

Oprah regularly tells her life story: how she was sexually abused by close relations, how she ‘walked the streets’ (Americans’ euphemism for prostitution), etc., but nobody has ever deemed it fit to tag all American men as incestuous because of Oprah and others’ experiences.

She did drugs – just like the typical American teenager, but nobody has cast all American youths in the mould of drug abusers!

So, why should an individual that is supposed to know better sentence a nation to odium for the infraction of a tiny fraction of its population?

I urge Oprah and her likes to disabuse their minds about Nigerians.

Be wary of requests for money from strangers, and if you fall for a scam, blame your greed and not Nigerians.

Okoli Vitalis,

legendchyke@gmail.com]]> Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:57:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/236857 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/234089
There are no reports to tell us how universities, which have enacted dress codes for their students, have fared. We do not know how well the schools have enforced the codes or for how long. We also have no inkling into what motivated the authorities to draw up the codes. Did offended students complain about the dresses? Were teachers distracted from doing their job or conducting research? Did the provocative dresses engender cultism and affect standards negatively? And have the sociology departments in these schools researched the reasons female students flaunt what materialists call their assets?

It seems that the dress codes were a product of general feelings rather than deep-rooted research. Everyone appears to feel horrified in a vague sense and expresses it without knowing concretely why. And the authorities also play along with the horrified university public by surrendering to the same paranoia. The reasons often given for cracking down on outrageous dresses, some analysts volunteer, are basically connected with religion, ethics and culture. Religion, because they say the dresses offend God and morality; ethics, because they say the dresses are depraved; and cultural, because the dresses are at war with our traditions and values.

The dress codes have, however, not diminished the outlandish and obscene taste for the unusual. A cursory inspection of many institutions show clearly the tenacious hold female students have on expressionist fashion where both what is hidden and what is exposed speak loudly to the viewer’s fantasies. And judging from the wording of the dress codes themselves, the authors seem to have excellent and sharp eyes for anatomising both the dresses and the dressed. The war over indecent dresses on campuses obviously cannot be won at the level of imposing codes, in spite of their engaging simplicity, and enforcing them. Have the university authorities never heard of moral suasion? Can’t they try to reason these things out with the students and persuade them to opt for change?]]> Thu, 19 Jul 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/234089 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/226231 Do not waste these three: Time, Money, Energy"
Like these three: Kindness, Sympathy and Cordiality"
Hate these three: Injustice, Pride and Unfaithfulness "
Love these three: Bravery, Gentility and Affection "
Leave these three: Laziness, Too much talk, Hurried Judgment "
Value these three: Intelligence, Ability and Happiness " Control these three: Temper, Desire and Tongue "
Preserve these three: Good books (scriptures) Good deeds and Good Friends.
]]> Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:45:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/226231 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/223087
He added that democracy was being undermined by the unipolar situation, immorality in international politics and unethical business practices.

The ex-President further said that legislative checks, which were mearnt to strengthen the system of governance, were found wanting in Africa.

He said, “As far as I am concerned, I think the culture of democracy in Africa is being undermined by the unipolar situation, by the immorality in international politics and the unethical business practices that are going on.”

Rawlings also urged African leaders to imbibe what was obtainable in the Western world where the parliaments, congresses and civil societies had the power to correct any perceived abnormality in the system.

He said, “The Western powers and a lot of these European powers have what I call the “handbrake”.

Their parliaments, their congresses and their civil societies have the capacity to pull the hand brake, to prevent their vehicle from reversing.

“South America has demonstrated to an extent its electoral integrity, but not in Africa.

“So what do we have? We have a situation where we do not want military coups but at the same time electoral processes are seriously loosing their integrity.” ]]> Mon, 25 Jun 2007 07:17:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/223087 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/222041
Those who have this can easily be spotted even in a large crowd, because its impact can be felt. What is it? Do you have it? Are you putting it to use?

Without doubt, any leader or manager who possesses charisma and warmth but yet powerful presence stands at an advantaged position both in the business world and in life generally. It is important to note that the quality of this phenomenon called Presence is subjective and a-bit elusive to put into words, but the following are some key characteristics of people with presence. Use these to check if you have it or not.

1. Present: This simply means they are "fully here" spirit, soul and body, focused and aware.

2. Self-aware: They have a deep consciousness of there own feelings thoughts and responses.

3. Authentic: There is such a consistency in the expression of the individuality, and they do this without trying to prove themselves or be someone they are not.

4. Flexible: They know how to relate with different personality styles and cultures at different levels in a corporate organisation. They are at-ease with almost any group.

5. Charismatic: They transmit a radiant energy which other people feel and respond to positively.

Individuals with Presence consistently convey or transmit a strong energy; they have such strong aura around them. Their presence is felt by other even before they utter a word. They carry themselves with so much poise and self-assuredness that is open and neither weak nor arrogant .These individuals project a very strong image, an image that is congruent with their real self. They demonstrate graciousness and a deep compassion for others, they also possess an ability to blend well into a variety of circumstances environment .They also have a deep awareness of themselves, of people around them and what goes on around them.

There are various behavioural traits that demonstrate presence; the following are some you should look-out for;

•Instead of reacting, they respond: Even in the face of distasteful situations, conflicts, disturbances, and provocation, they choose to maintain a balanced attitude, they have the ability to think on their feet, judge a situation and respond in a cool, calm, and collected manner. They are in complete control of their emotions.

•They are deliberate: They don’t rush, and yet they are not slow. Their speech can be described as focused, articulate, and steady. By this they send a clear message to people around them that "powerful people never rush", their body language is purposeful and not distracting.

•They are appropriately assertive: Irrespective of the situation, they express themselves clearly without being either pushy or timid.

•Poised under pressure: Individuals with presence remain unruffled when pressure increases due to change, unexpected difficulties and conflict. This does not in anyway suggest that they don’t have feelings, but because of characteristic number (1.) above, they posses the ability to harness their feelings and control the expression of such feelings, this of- course with other people is the case.

•They are polished yet animated, they communicate in clear and concise manner, yet with an appropriate amount of gestures , voice inflections and facial animation’

•They maintain a balance in their talk time. When conversing with other, they maintain a relatively even exchange i.e. they listen as well as talk.

•Respectful: Even when they dislike someone, they maintain an openness that is to be admired and listened to, ensuring that the communication lines are open. They refrain from putting others down.

•They are open: Individuals with presence are willing to intimate, to reach-out, and to be flexible in their approach to mend fences when needed.

•They are of the power behind words and they use words carefully and effectively in their relationship with people around them and in the situations they find themselves.]]> Fri, 22 Jun 2007 08:19:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/222041 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/221287
"I hear what you’re saying but, with all due respect, it’s not exactly rocket science," begins one excellent example. "The bottom line is you wear your heart on your sleeve and, when all is said and done, this is all part and parcel of the ongoing bigger picture." Another declared, "let’s face facts here, this could be my conduit to a whole new ball game. Awesome, or what?"

Some of the entries mocked bureaucratese: "Our own cost-benefit analysis of the ongoing target shortfall is that this predicament needs to be addressed proactively." Others celebrated slang, either American ("chill to the max") or British ("I was gobsmacked") in origin. And all of them suggested an explanation for why it seems so difficult to follow the ludicrously early American presidential campaign: Too many of the candidates speak in prose crammed with as many infuriating phrases as possible.

The worst offender — and this week’s column is officially apolitical — is Hillary Clinton, who is "running for president because I believe if we set big goals and we work together to achieve them, we can restore the American dream today and for the next generation." Clinton also believes that"we can give people the education and opportunities they need to fulfill their God-given potential," and that "the foundation of a strong economy is the investments we make in each other." Who could possibly disagree?

But maybe that’s what it takes to lead the opinion polls, at least at this stage. "Folks, we’re a bit down politically right now, but I think we’re on the comeback trail, and it’s going to start right here," Fred Thompson said recently, speaking to an audience of apparently enthusiastic Virginia Republicans. And no wonder they liked him: This is a man who believes that "it’s time to take stock and be honest with ourselves. We’re going to have to do a lot of things better," and who tells audiences that "I know we’re here for the same reasons: Love of our country and concern for our future."

Well, I, too, feel love of our country and concern for our future, which is why I worry when Mitt Romney says that "it’s time for innovation and transformation in Washington" (was it ever not?) or that "America can also overcome the challenges and seize our abundant opportunities here at home" (does any candidate think otherwise?). Or when Rudy Giuliani promises a "mission of reform and change" (as opposed, presumably, to a mission of entropy and stasis).

Political campaigns only get interesting when the candidates stop speaking in ringing generalities and infuriating phrases — which doesn’t mean that they become successful, or even good for the country. John McCain’s campaign in 2000 appealed precisely because he eschewed prepared gobbledygook — though that wasn’t enough even to win the Republican nomination. I am also still convinced that voters initially liked George W. Bush’s inarticulacy: At least he didn’t sound quite as smooth, and ultimately meaningless, as everyone else. Only with time did his natural-born inability to speak English begin to produce infuriating phrases of unique pointlessness: "These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved" was a recent classic.

At the moment, the brightest new hope for the English language is Barack Obama, a fact I didn’t fully appreciate until I inattentively picked up what I thought was his best-selling new book, " Dreams From My Father." Expecting a dull political tract, I discovered an engaging story of his enigmatic father and his eccentric childhood, full of unexpected observations about race and identity in America and Africa, written with real elegance: ("Miscegenation," he writes at one point: "The word is humpbacked, ugly, portending a monstrous outcome: like antebellum or octoroon, it evokes images of another era.") Then I discovered that I’d read the wrong book: Obama wrote "Dreams From My Father" 15 years ago, before becoming a political candidate of any kind. Though his recent "elect-me-president" book, " The Audacity of Hope," has been praised for its prose, the jacket blurb describes it as "Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions" to create a "radically hopeful consensus."

I hear what they’re saying, but, with all due respect, I’m putting off reading it, afraid the deterioration might already have begun. Let’s face it, guys: No good writer, however eloquent, can possibly survive a two-year presidential campaign.

Applebaum writes for the Washington Post]]> Thu, 21 Jun 2007 04:12:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/221287 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/218759 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:31:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/218759 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/214897
Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections died in detention in 1998 in the struggle to claim the mandate to rule the country. His wife, Kudirat was murdered on June 4, 1996 while campagning for release of her husband from detention by the late Gen. Sani Abacha's military dictatorship.]]> Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:55:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/214897 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/214015
While Nigerians cannot wish away the murky April polls which Yar’Adua benefitted from in a hurry, the mien and gentle comport with which Yar’Adua is seen to be carrying about the business for now is making Nigerians have a rethink as to whether to give him a chance, to display this alleged characteristic which was touted to be his number one credential.

If Nigerians decide to place him on probation, then it will be necessary for Yar’Adua to immediately assert his independence and authority, and extricate himself from the apron strings of those who supposedly put him in power; as the job at hand is no tea party, so must the overall interest of the nation be held sacrosanct and not be compromised for the selfish interest of an atrocious clique.

How serious Yar’Adua is would be determined from the appointments he makes in the few days and weeks to come. If he choses to appease every Tom, Dick and Harry that claims to have tried in no small measure in his becoming president, dashing and throwing at them positions, then he must be ready to derail and loose focus as Obasanjo did in his first four years, when instead of appointing technocrats and brainbusters, he decided to invite accolades, campaign directors, party stalwarts, party chieftains... such that by the time he woke up from his slumber, it was already the era of a feast for all, where those saddled with responsibilities took their appointments as compensation meant strictly to come and partake in a "chop for one, chop for them government."

Nigerians are peace-loving people and generally friendly. While the government might want to pride itself at providing Sat 1, Sat 2 and Sat 1 million, it might interest Yar’Adua to know that these things do not make sense to ordinary Nigerians who at the end of the day are the yardstick to assess the impact of a government.

The ordinary Nigerian is not bothered with the person, tribe, religion or sex of the individual at the helm of affairs as long as his basic needs are met. It is for Yar’Adua to now use his wisdom to map out the basic needs of the Nigerian people.]]> Sun, 03 Jun 2007 10:01:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/214015 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/214001
Let me bore you with an old story. Writing under the heading: ‘The Public and the President,’ Prof. Erwin C. Hargrove says in his book ‘The Power of the Modern Presidency’ that “unlike the legislature or a court, executives are unitary and are easily personalised.” People, especially “children learn personal stories about presidents: Washington would not tell a lie; Lincoln split rails and read by firelight; Teddy Roosevelt overcame asthma by becoming a cowboy.”

Hargrove probably forgot to recall other myths about American presidents, especially Abraham Lincoln, who is still remembered as having married a woman “notoriously weak in money matters.” According to one account, owing to Mrs. Mary Lincoln’s “irrational thinking in money matters,” on many occasions, she overspent the budget for the maintenance of the White House. And since Lincoln would not tolerate that, he had to pay back from his pocket.

On October 11, 1861, for example, Mrs. Lincoln overspent the White House budget by $3,549. When the supplementary bill was brought to Lincoln for approval, he exclaimed: “It never can have my approval — I will pay it out of my pocket first — it will stink in the nostrils of the American people …The house was furnished well enough, and if I had not been overwhelmed with other businesses, I would not have had any of the appropriation expended, but what could I do? I could not attend to everything!” (See Henry Steele Commager et al, The World of History). That’s a typical American president for you. Never mind the clear exception that was Richard Nixon. Fond memories of a president depend largely on the enduring values he created while in office. Not just American presidents, but presidents or executive leaders everywhere.

Against this backdrop, what do Nigerian presidents look like? What personal stories could children learn about past and present Nigerian leaders? Baba Iyabo himself has the answer. “There are certain things they (presidents) cannot do,” he says. “But in our own case in Nigeria, look at what Babangida has done. He virtually made Minna the headquarters of Nigeria. And look at Abacha, he did not make Kano the capital of Nigeria, but he made his wife the Vice-President” (see Africa Today, September 1998).

What about he himself, the man who dey kampe and believes God had spoken to him in prison – the man who, on the eve of his recruitment for the presidential race eight years ago, promised to take us “as a nation towards spiritual and moral regeneration – practically vowing that unless we have these two things, “the chance is there that man will continue to do evil?”

Yet he supervised the 2007 elections. If President Washington would not tell a lie, Lincoln would not take government money, Teddy Roosevelt overcame asthma by becoming a cowboy, and if Franklin Roosevelt was “the president that remembered the man at the bottom of the economic pyramid,” how would history remember a Nigerian president who had within eight years raised the pump price of petrol from N20 per litre to N75? How would history remember the president who conducted the 2007 elections?

Perhaps Mike Awoyinfa came close to the answer. He said, “President Obasanjo came to power with a wing of hope that he would be Nigeria’s Atarturk. But after eight years, he has not succeeded as an Atarturk. Rather, what we have is the story of a crying ancient mariner with an albatross around his neck – the albatross of a rigged election, whose wind is not about to blow away” (Saturday SUN, 26/5/07).

But how wise is it to condemn the man so soon when we are yet to see the footsteps of his anointed political son? Remember that Baba is adept in the politics of succession. As a wilful president, whose tenure evoked mixed feelings in everyone, Baba chose a successor whose performance in office will by no means eclipse his.

Remember Shehu Shagari? Baba preferred him to Awolowo in 1979. Today, he has tantalised us with Attah, Duke and Odili but finally chose Yar’Adua. In that way, the dark side of his tenure will systematically pale into oblivion, leaving his meagre but positive accomplishments to tarry in the people’s memory by overshadowing that of his successor. History seems to be repeating itself again. Anyway, Umar Yar’Adua may prove us wrong; but we shall see.

Yet, it could be that President Obasanjo was a classic victim of the insatiability of man. Part of the irony of leadership is that no nation appreciates a weak leader. Every nation wants a powerful leader. Yet when that powerful leader emerges on the scene, the same people will be the first to condemn him. How do you explain that?

Enter Professor Hargrove again: “Human feelings are mixed by nature, and one does not feel all one way about anybody or anything. Perhaps the power of the… presidency to evoke awe also evokes ambivalence and fear of power: The greater the capability of an individual president to evoke strong, positive emotions among the public, the stronger the tone of criticism from the public of him. The bland presidents have evoked little response either way.” A powerful president, in spite of his arrogance and stubbornness, Baba Iyabo was by no means a bland president. Period.]]> Sun, 03 Jun 2007 09:34:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/214001 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/209769
Distraught Sarah told P.M.News in Ikot Ansa, a suburb of Calabar, that sometime in 2006, she was pregnant and after confronting her boy friends, non of them was willing to accept responsibility for the pregnancy and to avoid trouble from her mother and elder sisters, she concealed it for about four months after which her elder sister discovered and was furious with her.

As an apprentice with Rainbow Garment, a fashion designing firm, the pregnancy was going to prevent her from acquiring the trade since she had dropped out of school.

Her elder sister, Imaobong, furious that the N10,000 she paid for her to learn the trade would be wasted, she decided to pay another N10,000 to have the pregnancy terminated.

“When Imaobong discovered that I was pregnant she was furious with me. She, however, calmed down and decided that I should have the pregnancy terminated. Somebody directed us to Dr Adeyemi who demanded for N10,000 which she paid, but the doctor said the pregnancy had escaped to my back and he could not trace it and so I should then keep coming to see him.”

She said she kept visiting the hospital to have the pregnancy removed but the doctor only kept asking her to repeat her visit some other date until it became too risky to attempt an abortion. She then accepted her fate as her mother too was opposed to taking the abortion option. With abortion shelved, the doctor opted to be ‘monitoring’ the progress of the pregnancy.

This, she said, was to enable Adeyemi keep an eye on her to know when she would put to bed.

“I did not attend antenatal in his clinic, but occasionally, he would send for me to ask how I was doing. Because I did not have money to go to hospital, my sister took me to a midwife at RCC Road where I delivered on 29 April.”

A few days after delivery, Dr Adeyemi called Imaobong to “find out about my patient”. He was informed that the girl had delivered and was in the house. On Friday, 5 May, Adeyemi visited their home in the company of a nurse with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital , (UCTH).

The nurse gave Imaobong N200 to buy drugs.

“When my sister went out, Adeyemi took me to a corner of the house and told me to come to see him on Sunday in his hospital. That I should not allow anyone know that I was going to see him,” Imaobong said.

On Saturday, she said Dr Adeyemi visited again to further instruct her to ensure he she showed up in the hospital. As agreed, that Sunday she went to see Adeyemi “after my sister had left for church with Emem, our last born, and my mother off to her farm in Odukpani.”

Her stay in hospital took her far into the night. Her absence agitated the minds of her siblings as to where she had gone to. Later that evening Imaobong received a call from someone claiming to be the step sister to the boy who impregnated Sarah. The caller, Imaobong, said told her that Sarah was with her in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and that she was the step sister to the boy who impregnated Imaobong and would now take care of David.

“I was mad. Who is that boy that throughout Sarah’s pregnancy never showed up. It is now that he knows Sarah should be taken to his step sister. I warned the woman to return Sarah immediately or I would raise alarm.”

The caller, Imaobong said, cut the line and when she called back she refused to pick the call.

Meanwhile, Sarah said when she got to the hospital, Adeyemi gave her some drugs to take which made her feel dizzy.

“After taking the drugs he drove me in his car to White House Street where Mary Okon lives and collected the baby from the car and handed him over to the nurse.

“I was feeling too weak and confused and could not do or say anything,” Sarah narrated.

After returning to the hospital, Dr. Adeyemi she said gave her the key to his office to go in there and wait.

“After I waited for a long time in his office, he did not come. I decided to come out when my head cleared a little. When he came back, he was very angry and ordered me to go inside the office and he locked me up,” Sarah said in tears.

The girl was locked up in office until the following day which was a Monday. According to her, the doctor on Monday morning wrote a letter which he handed over to her to copy which he then dispatched to her sisters in Ikot Ansa.

The letter apologised and requested for forgiveness from her mother and sisters for handing over “David to his father’s step sister to take care of since we cannot take care of him alone.”

When Imaobong got the letter, she was furious and went the next day with her mother to Mambo Clinic where they met Adeyemi with two ladies.

“He pleaded with my mother to stop screaming. That David had been taken to the motherless babies’ home and he would soon go and bring him. That the women in charge of the home went for a burial and would be back two days later. When my mother heard this, she fainted,” Imaobong told P.M.News.

Imaobong who said she missed the last JAMB because of the case said they went back two days later but Adeyemi was no where to be found. They then reported the matter to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development but were advised to report the matter to the police.

At the police station, they were directed to, the anti-human trafficking unit said a nurse in the General Hospital, Calabar had observed the suspicious movement of two women and had called the attention of a doctor to them.

The women claimed they wanted to “spend the night in the hospital” this allegedly raised the suspicion of the doctor as one of them had a new born baby and a wrapper tied around her waist to indicate that she had just put to bed.

When the doctor examined them it was discovered that non of them had just put to bed. They were subsequently arrested and handed over to the police at the Akim Police station. There they were said to have made some useful statements to the effect that they bought the baby from a medical doctor and were at the hospital to “procure” another baby to take to their husbands since they have been without children after 30 years of marriage. They later bolted away after the confessional statement but without the baby as he was with the doctor.

When Dr. Adeyemi was invited by the police, he said “Sarah came crawling to him to assist take care of the baby since she was not able to care for the baby alone”.

When asked to get the baby from his wife’s friend, he could not. So, he was subsequently taken into custody by the police.

He was held for over five days before the AIG Zone Six, Alhaji Aina released him on bail.

When contacted in his hospital at 12 Atamunu Street, Dr. Adeyemi, said he had no time to talk to the “press because the matter as you have said is an allegation. The matter is with the police and if you want to know what happened get my statement from the police. Now please leave my office as I have patients to attend to.”

The Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association , Dr. Ikpeme Ikpeme said they have been several cases of ethical misconduct reported against Adeyemi but “ each time they tell us that he is an in-law to the state and should be forgiven.”

Another medical practitioner who prefers anonymity said that “it is a known fact that Mambo Clinic is a grave yard. So many girls have died there or have had their reproductive system destroyed by Adeyemi as the man does nothing than abortion or D and C.

“Those he does not abort, he sells to the highest bidder. If that man is not stopped, he will inflict untold damage on medicare in the state.”

Dr. Joseph Ana, the State Commissioner for Health was said to be too busy with the hand over process to speak with our correspondent.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the Cross River command, ASP Thomas Okpene, said the “man was asked to be released on bail by AIG Zone Six. When the Commissioner asked for the file because of the shoddy way the case was handled by Akim, it was reported that the AIG had given instruction that he should be taken on bail.”

Residents of the state are worried that if Adeyemi is allowed to continue to practice without any sanction he would inflict more damage on medicare in the state.

Culled from PM News]]> Fri, 25 May 2007 09:27:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/209769 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/208779
Two of them were identified to be final year Law students of Kogi State University, Anyigba, while the third one was a student of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State.

Observers said that the death might not be unconnected with rituals, as the river, popularly called Meme River, was said to be very shallow.

According to unconfirmed reports, two of the undergraduates had accompanied the third friend to Lokoja, allegedly to see her boyfriend, said to be residing near the river, along Lokoja - Ajaokuta expressway.

The body of one of the deceased was said to have been seen the following day on the river, while those of the two others were yet to be found. ]]> Wed, 23 May 2007 04:47:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/208779 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/208777
The development is coming even as it has been predicted that the same type of hurricane will again visit Nigeria soon.

Reaserch on the natural phenomenon, which was carried out by the Nigerian meteorologists, was finally confirmed in 2006 by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, the United States.

The meteorologists attributed the delay in the reaserch to their decision to come out with accurate information so as not to raise alarms.]]> Wed, 23 May 2007 04:45:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/208777 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/206501
Already, high-wire politics is currently going on over who of the two Africans may likely take over the position. It was gathered that while South Africa is already intensively lobbying to get the post by reaching out to the United States which may decide who will get the post, the Nigerian government is yet to make any contact on the issue.

According to a source in Washington, Okonjo-Iweala’s advantages over her rival include her experience and record on the key issues of aid to Africa, anti-corruption crusade and the credibility needed to raise the IDA. She is also a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C., one of the respected institutions in the world.

“Her experience, both as a secretary to the board of executive directors and as a long time career member that rose through the ranks to the level of VP also put her way ahead on both the question of building trust with the staff of the bank and also rebuilding the relationship with the board of directors,” the source said.

However, it was gathered that the only problems about Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala’s chances have to do with whether the United States, whose citizens have traditionally headed the bank, will be favourably disposed to allowing a black woman to take over Wolfowitz’ job.

“The only problems is if George Bush will be smart enough to name the first woman, the first African and the first non-American to head the World Bank,” the source added.]]> Fri, 18 May 2007 03:37:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/206501 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/203815
How many of us change our names when things aren’t going right in our lives? We simply focus on the problems and find means of solving them. The same goes for Nigeria. Things are going downhill but if we seriously cast our minds back, we’ll find that our problems as a nation go beyond our name. Imagine a Nigeria now called “Sunnyland,” what difference would it make? Would it erase corruption? Would it stop human trafficking? Would this new name change our terrible international image?

Imagine a citizen of “Sunnyland” (formerly known as Nigeria) wanting to travel abroad for legitimate reasons. Do you think just because his passport bears the new country’s name, he will not be subjected to the same scrutinity particularly conducted on the nationals of “Sunnyland” when they travel?

It is not a lie to say that the leadership of this country has failed us. They promise and fail, they lie to get their sticky fingers on the money. Yes, they cheat the poor and easily get away with serious artrocities because Nigeria is a place where wrong is right and right is wrong. However, good leadership cannot be effective without good followership. Have we good followers in this country? We heap blames on the government over every wrong. The government is our househelp, our cleaner, driver and even cook!

The Nigerian situation goes beyond leaving things for the government to do. What are you doing to make this country better? Does patriotism flow in your veins? Are you one of those who say it’s a waste of time to vote because your candidate might never win? He/she might not win but a journey of a thousand mile starts with one step.

True, the name ‘Nigeria’ is synonymous with fraud, yahoo-yahoo and all sorts. Yet the solution lies in the hearts and homes of the people. Whatever you call Niegria today, if things don’t change internally, “Sunnyland” or whichever name suits your preference, will always remain a dark nation with dark-minded people.

It is true that having a new name has brought changes to companies like the UAC, which is now Unilever, but Nigeria is a nation comprising varying tribes and tongues. Therefore, situations might actually vary. Indeed, Nigeria needs a re-branding but it is our hearts that need a new image and projection. People should learn that criticism will not achieve much. Joining forces to ensure a better nation is the key to our growth. I once heard a joke that Nigeria has over 140 million coaches but just one technical adviser.

Traffic worsens each day and we are all too ready to blame the government. Yet the problem lies in the mad rush we all seem to be making which sadly gets us nowhere on time. Observe the attitude of some people to traffic rules and you’d find the truth. Injustice has eaten deep into the core of this country, but how many of us can boldly stand for the truth at all times in all situations? Sadly enough, young people boast of following the principle of I chop, you chop.

Before accusing the leaders, evaluate your stand as a fellow Nigerian. Are you a good ambassador? Whether we like it or not, our image is dependent on our attitude to this call. Whatever we make of this country is what it will become. ]]> Mon, 14 May 2007 04:19:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/203815 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/201631
He defied cultural antecedent in his community by refusing to work either in the farm or in the coal mines being common places where his people seek for means of livelihood. Yeltsin displayed uncommon skills and interest in politics when he joined the Communist Party. The star in him was easily noticeable when in 1976, he was appointed Secretary of Sverdlovsk District Central Committee.

From the remote Sverdlovsk region, Mikhail Gorbachev heard of Yeltsin’s exploits and appointed him Secretary of Central Committee for Construction in 1985. Barely six months after, he was appointed first Secretary of Moscow City Party and was given a seat in the Politburo. By this appointment, he was able to play direct role in policy formulation and implementation in Russia as stated in Perestroika (restructuring) policy of the Gorbachev era.

Yeltsin’s criticism of Perestroika as “full of implementation without urgency” set him on collision course with Gorbachev. He was removed from his position and sent back to Sverdlovsk to build roads and bridges. In just two years of doing this, he contested and won a seat in the Soviet Parliament and his outspoken nature especially against corruption made him a popular figure in the country’s politics.

At the tick of the reforms in old Soviet Union, Yeltsin saved Gorbachev when some communists staged a coup putting him under house arrest in the process. It was Yeltsin who courageously climbed the armoured tank to address the hard line communists. Alongside leaders of Ukraine and Belarus, Gorbachev was made to resign four months after this incident.

In June 1991, Yeltsin became the first president of Russia to be elected by the people. By December 12, 1991, the Soviet Union became dead when the Belovezh Accords was ratified by the Parliament and four days after, Gorbachev resigned as president of old Soviet Union.

Yeltsin created a new Russia when he caused a new constitution with mass appeal to be made. The thrusts of the new constitution were the promotion of multiparty democracy, private ownership of property, human rights and guaranteeing of media freedom. These were hitherto a taboo in the dissolved Soviet Union.

When he should have consolidated on these achievements, Yeltsin relapsed into dictatorship in barely two years in office. He appointed and fired four Prime Ministers in barely two years in office. He attempted to dissolve Parliament by sending armoured tanks to ensure its closure when members defied him leading to violence and deaths.

The economic stagnation and suffering by workers and pensioners fell short of Russia people’s expectations when they elected Yeltsin. Inspite of these, he won re-election in 1999 before his eventual resignation on December 31, 1999. No doubt, Yeltsin will be remembered for his promotion of constitutional democracy in his country.

]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 03:58:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/201631 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/201089
I learnt that an argument ensued between the suspect, Nbige Akpabio, 26, and Boma, while watching a recent encounter between the two premiership sides.

Akpabio confessed to people that the argument started between him and Boma after Chelsea had conceded some goals to Liverpool.

“Emotions were very high because he had expected his team to win. When Liverpool scored the second goal, Boma was visibly angry and went out to fetch a broken bottle. As I wrestled with him, I mistakenly slashed at his throat,” Akpabio said.

Boma died on the way to the General Hospital, Badagry. His body has been deposited in the mortuary.

Akpabio, as at the time of filing of this report, was still being detained by police pending further investigation.

Soccer tragedy has taken a turn for the worse in recent times across the country, especially in Lagos where soccer fans are crazy about the English Premiership clubs they support. On 29 January, Dodiki Anjorin, a fan, was stabbed in his skull.

Anjorin, 26, who lives at 68 Adeniji-Adele Street, Lagos, loves the English Premiership League (EPL) and supports Arsenal Football Club, popularly called “The Gunners.” His 24-year-old neighbour, Akeem Salami, supports Bolton Wanderers FC.

With an impending English FA Cup clash between both teams, Dodiki and Akeem bragged about their team’s chances. Dodiki, naturally, tipped Arsenal, while Akeem gave the game to Bolton. Soon, passions started flaring. Unaware that he was working Akeem into a murderous rage, Dodiki continued to talk up Arsenal’s chances. Akeem responded by pouring lumps of hot coal on his friend’s body.

Dodiki turned away in pains, trying to knock the coal off his body. But before he could do that, Akeem produced a kitchen carving knife, buried it into Dodiki’s forehead and fled immediately.

He was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where the knife was surgically removed.

Before this incident, another one had taken place on 20 January at a viewing centre in FESTAC Town, Lagos. Happy that Liverpool had beaten Chelsea 2-0, a Manchester United fan started taunting a Chelsea fan, who responded with a violent attack. In the process, the Chelsea fan broke over 65 beer bottles for which he was forced to pay before leaving.

Last December at a viewing centre in Ojodu-Abiodun, a community on the boundary between Lagos and Ogun states, an Arsenal fan was beaten up by other viewers, including fellow Arsenal supporters. While watching Arsenal play Sheffield United (with Arsenal trailing by a goal and playing abjectly), the Arsenal fan, frustrated, switched off the television set. Incensed by the action, other viewers set upon him. He was, however, saved by the intervention of a few peace-loving watchers. But immediately the game ended, the fight resumed when the Arsenal fan attacked the first man to hit him with a broken bottle.

Last year on Marian Road, Calabar, Cross River State, over 50 persons were injured in a fight that broke out while watching the UEFA Champions League final between Arsenal and Barcelona.

The fight was provoked by a Barcelona fan’s decision to pull out of a bet he had with an Arsenal fan. With Arsenal scoring the first goal of the match, the Barcelona fan realised he could lose his bet and told the Arsenal fan he was no longer interested.

The Arsenal fan disagreed, arguing that he could not withdraw from the bet since the game was already underway and his team leading by a lone goal. For that, he was attacked by other Barcelona fans. Arsenal fans at the centre decided to save their colleague and it became a free-for-all.

Five years ago, students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, went wild after an F.A. Cup semi final in which Arsenal defeated Chelsea. The destruction yielded by the rampage forced the university’s authorities to close the school for two weeks.]]> Thu, 10 May 2007 04:45:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/201089 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200297 Just when attention was yet to shift from the duo of Chimamanda Adichie, the young literary prodigy, who won the 2005 Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book, and Professor Babafemi Osofisan, foremost thespian and winner of the 2004 National Order of Merit Award, two Nigerian writers, Ike Okonta and S.A. Afolabi, have swelled the rank of celebrated Nigerian writers.

The duo were among the five shortlists just announced for the Caine Prize, the leading prize for African writing. The writers are from North, South, East and West Africa, a development that once again echoes the pan-African philosophy of the Caine Prize.

This year, there were 105 qualifying entries for the judges to consider. The winners of the US$ 15,000 prize will be announced on Monday, 4 July, during a celebratory dinner at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, United Kingdom.

Apart from Afolabi and Okonta, whose entries Monday Morning and Tindi In The Land of The Dead respectively, made the shortlists, others include Ugandan Doreen Baingana for Tropical Fish, Jamal Mahjoub, a Sudanese, for The Obituary Tango and South African Mutual Naidoo for Jailbirds.

Doreen Baingana, who also made the shortlist last year, has an enviable record, as the first author to be shortlisted for the Caine Prize back to back. The entries for this year’s Caine Prize for African Writing are a rich mixture of “everything from folk to urban grit. The shortlist encompasses a variety of styles and perspectives and represents a really good read!” said Baroness Lola Young, who chaired this year’s panel of judges.

Baroness Young, member of the House of Lords, is a former academic whose publications include Fear of the Dark, Race, Gender and Sexuality in the Cinema (Routledge). She is a board member of the South Bank Centre and Chair of the Arts Advisory Committee of the British Council.

The other judges are Victoria Arana, Professor of English at Howard University in the United States, Aminatta Forna, broadcaster, journalist and author of The Devil That Danced On The Water, Romesh Gunesekera, author of Reef, which was shortlisted as a finalist for the Booker Prize in 1994, and Heaven’s Edge (2002); and Dr. Nana Wilson-Tagoe, Senior Lecturer in African Literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Last year’s prize was awarded to Brian Chikwava from Zimbabwe for Seventh Street Alchemy. Brian is currently working on his first novel, which he hopes to complete before the end of the year.

He is also a musician and his album Jacaranda Sketches has just been released.
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor from Kenya, was awarded the Prize in 2003 for Weight of Whispers. Yvonne is current Executive Director of the Zanzibar International Film Festival.

Kenyan writer and journalist, Binyavanga Wainaina won the Prize in 2002 for Discovering Home. Wainaina has since gone on to establish Kwani? Kenya’s only literary magazine.

Nigerian, Helon Habila, who won the Prize in 2001, has since enjoyed great success. He was awarded a Commonwealth Writers Prize for his first novel, Waiting For An Angel, which was also named one of the top five debut novels of 2002 by The Observer. Helon is now busy working on his second novel, Measuring Time as a writer-in-residence at the University of East Anglia, Great Britain.

The book is due to be published later this year by Penguin and W. W. Norton. Leila Aboulela, from Egypt/Sudan, won the first Caine Prize in 2000 for The Museum, which subsequently appeared in a collection of her short stories published by Polygon. Leila’s novel The Translator was also published by Polygon.

]]> Wed, 09 May 2007 04:22:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200297 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200295
The Bill Clinton speeches as compiled in this book were historic and epochal. They speak of a new awakening in Africa which America is yet ignorant of.

Each speech evokes a kind of regret and concern about the socio-economic and political state of the African continent, but at the same time was upbeat and hopeful about the bright future awaiting the continent if its leaders would invest in the people.

The first speech was the one delivered in Ghana on 23 March, 1998 when the American President began his 12-day trip to sub-Saharan Africa.
Clinton explored many issues which include democracy, economic reforms, education, bilateral relations between America and African countries and especially how the latter can benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act. All these issues were to be recurring themes of Clinton’s other speeches in all the other countries visited. Each of his delivery at different stops was a lesson in history, political-economy adumbrations, and ventilation on the commonalty and humanity shared by people of America and Africa, and the socially redemptive values of democracy and education.

In condemning the complicity of America in the slave trade and its parochial and arrogant attitude and disposition to Africa during the cold war era (between the US and the Soviet Union), Clinton probably committed an ‘unpresidential’ faux pas which depicts him as a frank statesman.

One unique feature of every speech is the candour and frankness of its delivery as well as the grit of sincerity that can be felt in it. Take for instance clinton’s admission about his country’s neglect of and ignorance about Africa.

“But, perhaps the worst sin America ever committed against Africa was the sin of neglect and ignorance. We have never been as involved with you, in working with you, in working together for our mutual benefit, for your children and for ours, as we should have been. (Bill Clinton’s Remarks At The Kisowera School, Mukono, Uganda, 24 March, 1998) (P.22).

While in Rwanda, Clinton did not mince words about the genocide that took place in the country in 1994 during which almost a million lives were lost.
In his blunt manner, he admitted that the international community did “not act quickly enough after the killings began”, stressing that the refugee camps should not have been allowed to become a safe haven for the killers.

In castigating the world for its laissez faire attitude and devil-may-care disposition to the Rwandan conflict, the American president was conscious of the implication of indicting the civilised world but he would not just sacrifice the truth for political/diplomatic expediency.

Beyond offering speeches, Clinton sought to solve the pains of survivors by contributing on behalf of his country, $2 million to the Genocide Survivors Fund. We may never know whether it is money to ease the pain of a stricken, convicted American conscience.

Mr. Clinton’s speech in South Africa also echoed the suffering and deprivations of the people under the apartheid regime of Frederick De Klerk. While he commended the sacrifice and perseverance of Nelson Mandela who symbolises the true African spirit and heroism, the visiting president recognised that only fundamental goodness and courage and largeness of spirit can prevail over power, lust, division, and obsessive smallness in politics.
And Mandela, he said, had imparted their lesson to the children of the world.

At the end of his speech, Clinton, as usual, announced some partnership packages that would benefit his host country.
On 26 August, 2000, President Clinton addressed the joint session of the Nigerian National Assembly, Abuja. He harped on the struggle for emancipation from military dictatorship and for a better society embarked on by the Nigerian people and also saluted them for their courage, while recommending a political culture that welcomes spirited debate without letting politics become a blood sport.

]]> Wed, 09 May 2007 04:20:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200295 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200293
Chiluba spent at least £600,000 on designer clothes bearing his FJT monogram, representing his names Frederick Jacob Titus, Mr. Justice Peter Smith said after a two-year legal battle and a four-month trial. “The most telling example of corruption,” he said, “was the clothing acquired by FJT.”

The former President “had a worldwide reputation as being a smart and expensive dresser. He had his own stylish suits with his initials, FJT, monogrammed on them, a large number of specially made signature shoes and thousands of monogrammed shirts.”

During Chiluba’s ten years in office, from 1991 to 2001, £600,000 was spent at Basile, an exclusive Swiss clothes shop, all of which was stolen from the republic.

The amount of clothing seized by the anti-corruption task force set up by his successor, President Mwana-wasa, in 2002, was “considerable,” the judge said. “First, there were 349 shirts. A large number of these bore the FJT monogram on them and they were from virtually every designer outlet.

“Second, there were 206 jackets and suits. A large number of these were from Basile, bearing the FJT monogram.

“Third, there were 72 pairs of shoes. A large number of these were made by Basile with the FJT logo. All were for Chiluba’s unique personal specification high heels. Many of them were in their original shoe covers and had not been used.”

This extravagant spending came at a time “when the vast majority of Zambians were struggling to live on 50p a day and many could not afford more than one meal a day,” the judge said. Much of the stolen money was unaccounted for, but was shared out to government officials by Chiluba.

The judge said: “The most serious revelation in this case is the cynical and unjustified misappropriation of funds for the private purposes of government officials.”

He added: “The people of Zambia should know that whenever he appears in public wearing some of these clothes, he acquired them with money stolen from them. He was the President at the top of the control of government finances. He was uniquely positioned to prevent any corruption. Instead of preventing corruption, he actively participated in it and ensured it happened. It is a shameful series of actions and he should be ashamed.”

Chiluba took no part in the claims brought against him in London by the Attorney-General of Zambia on behalf of the Republic of Zambia. The judge said that he had been given “numerous opportunities to explain” himself to the Zambian people but had failed to do so. He was paid just over £50,000 in salary during ten years in office and there was no evidence that he had the wealth to buy the clothes he owned. “It was simply stolen from the republic,” the judge said.

The action was brought in London because of the transfer of monies out of Zambia into bank accounts in London, which was at the centre of the wrongdoing by defendants in Zambia, England, Belgium, Switzerland and the US.

Janet Legrand, a partner in DLA Piper, which led the Zambian Government’s claim, said: “This is a major victory for President Mwana-wasa’s battle to stamp out corruption.”

Others found guilty by the judge of conspiracy were Xavier Chungu, former head of the Zambian secret intelligence services; Stella Chibanda, a former senior Ministry of Finance official; Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu, both financial advisers; Meer Care Desai and Cave Malik Co., English law firms that laundered the money; and Basile, the Swiss boutique.

The Times of London]]> Wed, 09 May 2007 04:03:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200293 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200291
Obviously, painting the nation and her compatriots in a bad light are members of the Nigerian movie industry, the supposed role models others look up to for engendering a greater Nigeria. They have suddenly made a dramatic volte face from the once laudable roles they played in movies. They now indulge in nefarious activities in their quest to make questionable wealth and stardom.

On a Friday in March this year, the media was awash with the sad news about the arrest of one of the Nollywood actors in connection with drug-related crimen. He was nabbed by men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The actor, Uche Odoputa, 38, a native of Imo State, was billed to travel to London via a Virgin Atlantic plane but it was not to be as that fateful day seemed to have been his day of reckoning.

Some of Odoputa's colleagues may want to plead on his behalf like they did on behalf of their remorseful colleague, Taiwo Hassanat Akinwande populary known as Yetunde Taiwo, after she was caught last year and jailed over attempt to export cocaine to the United Kingdom. She regained her freedom after she paid the N1 million fine slammed on her by a High Court was later granted 'amnesty' from the same offence.

Odoputa allegedly concealed wraps of cocaine. However, he was later reported to have excreted about 1.3336kg of the substance. What a mess unbecoming of an actor? Things have really fallen apart as the centre could no longer hold. It is a pity!

Understandably, Odoputa and Taiwo, the shrewd drug baronnes of a woman, may not be the only ones in this illicit 'business' among their colleagues in Nollywood. Prior to this time, it was rumoured that most of them had take this trade to augment their finances as they were said to be finding it difficult to have many roles and even when they got roles, the fees were not enought to keep pace with the ostetatious life-style they feel befits their star status.

If anything, Taiwo's travails ought to have served as a deterrent to other Nollywood stars who could be nursing theambition of making it rich by cutting corners. The misdemeaour of this self-acclaimed stars in this burgeoning industry undoubtedly have negative impact on our country in the comity of nations.

Nollywood has been too lilylivered when it comes to dealing with the bad eggs in their midst. The stakeholders ought to severely sanction the erring members to serve as a deterrent to other. A mere slap in the wrist would encourage others to engage in the despicable narcotics trade that has continued to attract opprobrium to Nollywood.]]> Wed, 09 May 2007 03:54:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/200291 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/198611
Meeting Kechi Okwuchi for the first time would ordinarily not be a spectacular event; she could have passed for just another Nigerian girl with dreams and prospects. But all that changed on Saturday December 10, 2005 on the runway of the Port Harcourt International Airport. It is no longer news that Kechi, along with 109 passengers and crew on board a Sosoliso Airline flight coming from Abuja crash landed minutes after which the plane burst into flames killing all but two. Kechi was one of the lucky two. Lucky? Yes, but not without visible and invisible scars to continuously remind her of that fatal trip, especially with the death of 60 of her school mates from Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja.

As we waited to interview her, we were filled with some trepidation especially as she had just returned from South Africa where she was flown for treatment after the crash. We didn’t mind the long wait as we’d been told that she needed to stay in bed longer. However, nothing prepared us for the sight that greeted us when Kechi eventually emerged from her room, accompanied by her mother and grandmother, the burns, the scars, the keloids. We were a bundle of nerves!

And just before we were engulfed by our own emotions, Kechi’s sharp, resolute voice jolted us into reality. Hers was a vibrant spirit which even the tragedy couldn’t cower. "I feel lucky, I feel extremely blessed… I don’t feel special, or any thing close to that because God in His infinite mercy could have chosen anyone else to survive that crash" she said simply as we wondered aloud about how she felt being one of the only two survivors from that tragic incident.

Not one to wallow in self pity or allow herself to be consumed by a wave of loss or sadness inspite of the physical damages and burns, Kechi was quick to assure us, "I never really feel sad. I’m one person who often takes things in her stride, and I feel no differently about this incident. I have come to accept the situation as it is; and I already know it’s going to get better. All these scars on my body are only temporary and are going to fade away after two years or so". Now, that’s courage in action, we concluded.

Considering that her trip to the United States of America was only a few days away at the time of this interview, she was also very optimistic that the reconstructive surgery would make her almost as good as new again. Her positive attitude soon rubbed off on us as we learnt to see things from her perspective. However, we couldn’t help but wonder if indeed a reconstructive surgery could reverse the intense damage done to this 17 year-old whose life has been steered in a totally different direction.

Asking her to recount the incident that has left her with these emotional and physical scars seemed rather insensitive of us but that was the reason we were there. Luckily for us, Kechi had long gone past being emotional about her situation or any interrogation by journalists and soon opened up although she claimed she didn’t remember too many of the details. One thing she did remember however was how happy she and her school mates were when the pilot announced that they would soon be landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

As Kechi recalled; "All of a sudden, the plane was going down… so fast that there was some sort of confusion. The plane didn’t land gently like it should, rather it sort of dropped to the ground, though not from a very high level."



There was a pause before she continued, "This set off a pain that engulfed everyone. Almost simultaneously, there was a loud, almost deafening sound… as if the engine or something in the plane was giving way… Then, I blacked out."



It was a blackout that lasted five weeks! Five weeks that saw Kechi hovering on the brink of life and death, travelling on one long seemingly endless journey until she suddenly found herself in a South African hospital. "I was certain I was dreaming all through, although I do remember one incident which my mum later told me was not a dream." She recalled shouting that there was too much pressure on her hands and feet, that someone should please reduce the pressure, because her hands felt like they were swelling up and about to burst. "My mum later told me that, that was not a dream, that it actually happened."



She also recalled that her seat number was 4D and that she was sitting right behind the first-class cabin. And…. Yes, she remember the screams, but not the fire that engulfed the plane. "When I became conscious at the hospital, I just assumed that since I was alive, every other person on board the crashed plane was alive. Besides, my mum said my friends and colleagues were all fine when I asked about them."



She however got to know the truth about the fate of her colleagues about six weeks later when her mum and the hospital counsellors felt the time was right for her to know. "One of the counsellors came into my cubicle and told me that even though I knew I was in a plane crash, what I didn’t know was that I was the only one out of all the students who survived. I was also told that Bunmi; Pastor Bimbo Odukoya’s Personal Assistant survived too."



As expected, Kechi was in shock at such revelation but like everything else which had happened since that crash she soon managed to put it behind her. Asked about her reaction the first time she woke up and saw her physical state, she said; "Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t see the burns because I was in bandages, head to toe." But when she eventually saw the burns when the bandages came off, she surprised even herself by her calmness although she admitted that the burns were really bad especially as she could see her bare flesh since the grafting hadn’t been done then.

While she’s got school on her mind, Kechi would rather focus on getting her surgeries and treatments out of the way first. School, she says spiritedly will continue later. For now what counts is that she is on the mend even as she takes each day at a time surrounded by so much love and affection from her family.



Culled from The Nation]]> Sun, 06 May 2007 11:10:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/198611 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/198609
The tragedy occurred seven years after a similar Kenya Airways plane crash in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, in which 169 people including scores of Nigerians, mostly businessmen and women died.

Other victims of the crash involving a Boeing 737 were 35 Camerounians, 15 Indians, the nine Kenyan crew members, seven South Africans; China and Cote D’Ivoire, six nationals each, Britain (5), Niger (3); Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Equatorial Guinea, two nationals each, while Ghana, Sweden, Togo, Mali, Switzerland, Comoros, Egypt, Mauritius, Senegal, Congo, Tanzania, United States (US) and Burkina Faso, lost one national each.

Three other victims were described as "unidentified".


Kenyan Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere led a delegation from Nairobi to Douala to investigate the cause of the crash.

Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutu said "the government is saddened by the tragedy, we have kept in touch with the Camerounian authorities and we have activated all rescue efforts.

"Key experts and officials are to undertake a mission to Douala."

Makwere, who led a team of Kenya Airways and government officials to Douala, said it was too early to determine what happened to the plane.

"We need to get information from the technical experts as to whether it was occasioned by the weather or pilot error or mechanical fault," he said.

Meanwhile, a crisis management centre has been set up in Nairobi, while the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was a beehive yesterday as worried friends and relatives gathered.

"We can only hope for the best and pray… We’re anxious and desperate," one man said.

The Kenya Airways website said the airline had a fleet of 23 planes. The airline is 26 per cent owned by Air France KLM’s Dutch company KLM.

In January 2000, a Kenya Airways plane crashed into the sea after taking off from Abidjan Airport in Cote D’Ivoire, killing 169 people. There were 10 survivors.

A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reporter, Karen Allen said the ill-fated Boeing 737-800 was just six months old and was part of a new fleet bought by the airline.

The flight left Douala in Cameroun at 0005 local time (0105 GMT) on Saturday and was due to arrive in Nairobi at 0615 (0315 GMT).

Kenya Airways said the last contact with the plane was made by the Control Tower in Douala, on Cameroun’s coast, shortly after take-off.

Cameroun radio initially said the plane came down near Niete, South along the coast from Douala, although spotter helicopters were later searching for wreckage further inland near the town of Lolodorf.

The search location has now been centred around 100kms (62 miles) south-west of Yaounde.

An extensive search of the area by low-flying aircraft had found nothing, and a second search team was on its way to the site.

The search-and-rescue operation proved difficult because it took place in a heavily-wooded terrain.


Among the dead was a British journalist, Anthony Mitchell, of the Associated Press basedin Nairobi, Kenya.

Officials of the airline said yesterday that the ill-fated flight which originated from Cote D’Ivoire, was reported missing after it failed to arrive in Kenya.

Kenya Airways Managing Director Titus Naikuni told newsmen that the last contact with the plane was shortly after it took off before it lost touch with the Control Tower in Douala.

A distress signal, he said, was picked up on the West Coast of Africa and a search-and-rescue mission was initiated by the Camerounian authorities.

"So far no report has been received from this mission," he told journal
]]> Sun, 06 May 2007 11:07:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/198609 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/196987
Deputy Commander, Narcotics at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Command of the agency. Mr. M.K. Jibrin told reporters yesterday that Mrs. Aluyi was intercepted while attempting to board Afriqiyah Airline to London en-route Libya.

The NDLEA chief, who paraded Aluyi along with other arrested drug peddlers, noted: "The mother of seven and 10 grandchildren and indeed three great grandchildren was found to have carefully concealed 3.8 kilograms of substance which on field test proved positive for cocaine in the false bottom of her travelling bag."

He disclosed that a cripple, Mr Odu Davis, aged 31 was also arrested on April 10, 2007 while attempting to board a KLM flight Number KL 0577 from Kano to Amsterdam.

Disclosing how NDLEA officials caught Davis, popularly known as Lekan in the act, Jibril said: "The officers conducted a thorough check on this passenger just like any other passenger and one kilogram of a substance suspected to be cocaine strapped in his pant and trouser was discovered. The drug was carefully wrapped in nylon and covered with socks."

Among others paraded was 43 years old Chioma Achinonu Raymond, who was arrested on the March 29, 2007 with 1.55 kilograms of cocaine while attempting to board a KLM flight to Germany en-route Amsterdam.

Jibrin disclosed that Chioma excreted 104 wraps of cocaine discovered through an x-ray conducted on him.

According to Jibrin, both Chioma and Davis were ex-convicts. Chioma, he said, was arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja in September 2006 while attempting to import cocaine into Nigeria from Guinea. He was prosecuted and convicted with an option of fine, which he promptly paid.

Davis on the other hand, was arrested at Seme border attempting to export cocaine to Cotonou in 2003. He was prosecuted and sentenced to two years imprisonment upon conviction, which he served.

The NDLEA chief, flanked by representatives of other security outfits, disclosed that a total of 62.4 kilograms of heroine were seized by the NDLEA MAKIA special area command between January and April this year.

Stating that the seizure is the first of its kind in NDLEA history of hand luggage in the country, he reiterated his desire to bring to book all perpetrators of the illicit trade of drug peddling.



]]> Fri, 04 May 2007 12:16:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/196987 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333 http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/196179
Let’s start with the case of Safiya from Sokoto, who was accused of committing adultery but nothing was said about the man whom she committed it with or is that the man’s superiority is also associated with sin?

Also in Masaka here in Abuja, there is the case of a woman who was glued to a man (who isn’t her husband) while they were involved in sexual intercourse. It was said that her husband had suspected her of adultery and therefore carried out a ritual act called ‘magun’ (a Yoruba word for “don’t climb”) in order to catch her in the act. Also, in Abuja along Airport road, two Islamic clerics got into a similar issue when the junior cleric started suspecting his senior cleric was having an affair with his wife but they both denied and the same gluing consequences happened to them.

How innocent are these men who are pointing accusing fingers at their wives? Why should the society consider that the man is free to get involved in this sinful act but the women are not? If we say it’s sinful, yes it is but God did not say in the Holy books that one party is free to commit sin while the other is not. This is not about advocating for equal rights, it’s about calling a spade a spade, not a shovel. What is good for the goose is good for the gander and I guess what is bad for the goose should also be bad for the gander.

Most men are into adultery whether with married or unmarried women (this is not a speculation) and no one is shouting over it. Let’s understand the fact that it is not good for both the male and the female, sin is sin no matter how we want to sugarcoat it to make it convenient for us.
]]> Thu, 03 May 2007 06:09:00 EDT http://desholakomolafe.tigblog.org/post/196179 9.0833333 7.53333339.08333337.5333333