In an age when youths seem to be shying away from leadership issues in Africa, Professor Princess Halliday is determined to change the narrative. Born into royalty in Bonny Kingdom, Rivers State, Nigeria, Halliday had a stint with hosting ‘Kiddies World’ a radio programme at the young age of three.
She embraced education with the support of her parents and enrolled in University Benin for a degree in Petroleum Engineering. She would work in the oil sector briefly to face her passion, which is finding a bridge in gender issues in African leadership.
On account of this, Professor Halliday, who is in her late 20s has become internationally recognised and in fact doing Nigeria proud as a guest professor and guest lecturer at California State University in the US-arguably one of the youngest Africans to have attained this height in such a short space of time.
Doing great things through a charity, she founded, Empower Africa Initiative. Halliday will in August 2017 host world leaders at the World African Women Leaders Forum and Honours which will ostensibly have personalities like President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Hillary Clinton of USA and Aisha Buhari, wife of the President of Nigeria in Washington USA.
According to her, “The forum will avail a platform for distinguished personalities of both genders to converge and have a developmental discourse on issues surrounding leadership in Africa and the role of women.”
The global community is no doubt paying attention to these great works of hers. Some weeks back, Professor Halliday bagged two awards in seven days. One, by the Government of Canada was for “Outstanding Leadership to Africa,” while the other in London was for “Outstanding Achievement as Leadership Ambassador to Miss Commonwealth.”
Halliday, host of the Princess Halliday Show, achieved international consciousness for championing mindset empowerment, gender equality and giving equal access to quality education for all children, especially the African girl child; which she does through “Empower Africa Initiative.”
Commenting about the honour, Halliday in a post on a social media platform said: “This year has been gratifying. I am humbled and in awe of these blessings from God as a reminder that perseverance, hard work and knowing who you are -pay off! Two awards in the same week? It is not easy changing a narrative that has long been embedded in a culture, but like Hillary Clinton said: ‘Never stop believing that fighting for what is right is worth it.’ Never doubt that you are valuable and should have all the opportunity to pursue your own dream. I dedicate these awards to every young girl with a dream who refuses to be stopped because she is considered a girl. I love you all. I will continuously uphold our nation Nigeria to high esteem, promoting and educating African women to be authentic leaders.”
Before now, Halliday, who was an international business consultant, before delving into Leadership Studies at the prestigious Harvard University in US had severally been recognised by various international bodies for being an authentic voice for the young females in Africa, following her ability to lead with emotional intelligence and communicate with empathy.
Her TV show, which airs on MNET in over 48 African countries, and has featured many prominent and successful global citizens is seen as a pivotal gauge for the enormous potential of the female gender in Africa, especially as it highlights the need to change the narrative about the role of women in emancipating the African Continent from the clutches of bad leadership.
“Leadership Parity for young women in Africa is one core that I will continuously strive for till there is a significant balance. We must change the narrative, we must change the culture. We must continuously strive for a revolutionised shift in paradigm. The world is crying out for authentic leadership. There is a huge gap and need for great female leaders who will not be stopped by a stereotype understanding to identify their leadership parity and embrace power,” says Princess Halliday.
Meanwhile, African celebrities like Robert Peters, Jim Iyke, Joseph Benjamin, Patrick Elis, Neville Sajare, recently gathered in United States with Princess Halliday at the Empower Africa Initiative forum where the stars collectively harnessed their leadership parity to further boost mindset empowerment in America

Mostly found in Nasarawa State and southern parts of Kaduna State, Eggon people have come to be identified with butter beans as the central item that seals a traditional marriage between a couple. DONATUS NADI, takes a look at the traditional significance of the food as it relates to marriage ceremonies among the Eggons.

utter beans is the most celebrated food among the Eggon ethnic group due largely to its varied cultural significance, particularly so when it comes to marriage ceremonies. It is, however, not exclusively prepared for eating during marriages. This food derivative from beans is so central to traditional wedlock among Eggons that it has relegated bride prize to the background.
The beans, called ebiekpemre, in Eggon, is the most significant item presented to the parents of the bride by the groom’s family during the traditional marriage called algo ugu, which means clan food because it is the whole clan of the bride’s parents who gather round to either accept the beans or reject it as the case may be.
During the beans presentation or algo ugu, if there was any outstanding dispute or disagreement between the two families, such disputes are resolved at the occasion. Usually, series of conciliatory activities take place before the day of the presentation of the beans.
Its preparation also comes with specific recipe which includes generous use of palm oil and mixed in black beniseed or sesame seeds. The palm oil and beniseed are so generously used in garnishing the beans to the point where one often see the oil dripping from the basin or dishes when served.
Mrs. Cecilia Akolo, of Barkin Abdullahi (BAD) community said the more the oil the higher the likelihood that the beans would be accepted and marriage contracted. She said both the quantity and quality of the beans are taken into consideration which often times are expected to be well cooked and not broken to pieces.
Samantha Abimiku from Kagbu in Nasarawa Eggon local government said the quantity demanded of the groom varies from one clan to another and can be negotiated in some cases where the groom’s financial status cannot meet up the stipulated requirement.
She said in some cases intending husbands who do not have the money take a farming season out to cultivate the beans by themselves as a way of bridging their expenditure for the marriage. In some cases young men also go into personal savings over a period of time to enable them save enough money for the beans.
In most cases, she said, 10 basins of about 50 kilograms each are required of the groom but some accept seven or even five depending on how benevolent the bride’s kinsmen are.
Mr. Patrick Akwashiki, a community leader, said “If you are marrying an Eggon lady, wherever you come from, whether you are Kanuri, Yoruba or Igbo, no matter the amount of money you give to the family of the bride, if you do not present the beans, that marriage is illegal.” He stated further that “The beans must be given in a colourful ceremony before the whole clan members of the bride and the groom,” which means it is not an event to be carried out with a select few family members.
“And from the day that the beans is presented, it is now formally accepted that the girl is formally married out and if it is not done even when you would have had several children with your wife, you will not have the right to receive the beans on any of your daughters until and unless you have done that of their mother because until then you are only staying with her illegally,” Akwashiki said.
In addition, even if the beans is prepared and presented to the family of the bride and is not accepted, that marriage is not legal and would not be recognized.
Once the beans is accepted, the ordinary Eggon man would not expect the suitor to leave his wife in her parent’s house anymore because he would be charged with issues bothering on her upkeep.
The beans is the summation of the cultural marital values of the Eggon nation.
A retired civil servant, Dr. Joseph Audu, who noted that the beans is an intricate part of Eggon culture, observed that “The only negative effect of the beans demand is that the quantity could be much,” saying that “the quantity demanded should be reduced.
Hon. Joseph Simon from Kagbu said with proper negotiation a wife could be given out to an intending suitor who would perform the beans rites at a later time when he has the financial wherewithal.
“Without money you can marry in Eggon land. When the time comes at later days when you have the money you can now do the beans presentation. It is acceptable,” he said.
Although opponents of this cultural practice have complained about such a rite as burdensome, especially as the required quantity by some in-laws can be huge, others see it as an indispensable rite and a social event which consolidates the bonds and builds bridges of understanding and enhance relationship between the two families that are coming together in marriage.
The proponents of algo ugu, beans presentation ceremonies, insist that such tradition further defines the character and value system of the Eggon people, adding that each ethnic group has its traditional marriage rites which have been sustained for generations, arguing that Eggon people should not be an exception. Remarkable is that neither Christianity nor Islam has not affected the Eggon people’s dedication to this traditional marriage rites and surely looks like it would be around for many more years to come.

On the Mararaba-    Nyanya Expressway, it is common sight to see hordes motor cycle riders riding against the traffic, as they convey hurrying commuters desperate to beat huge traffic jam to work at the Abuja city centre and making the route one of the most accident-prone routes and unpredictable death traps for motorists and paedestrians. ISA BEST OMOREGBEJI writes on the growing menace and the helplessness of authorities who should be concerned.

typical commuter coming from the Nyanya-Mararaba axis suffers psychological trauma, stress, anger, anxiety and frustration in the middle of traffic gridlocks. For some, it is no more an issue; they have got used to it. For others, the mere thought of it is harrowing. For this reason, many have missed appointments, job interviews or, even, business deals, because they could not break free of traffic on time.
Understandably, many have opted for a quicker means of getting to their destinations: motorcyclists. The reason for the option cannot be far-fetched, because motorcycles weave through traffic, get into impossible places and are far more flexible than vehicles.
Sad thing is, these motorcyclists, in their bid to get their hurrying passengers to their destinations, sometimes as far as AYA or Nyanya, drive against traffic, hit pedestrians, are run over by oncoming vehicles and, worse, cause a lot of commotion.
During week days, from as early as 6am, motorcyclists and their passengers can be seen trying to get away from it all, as they race through tight corners, bearing their passengers, from Mararaba in Nasarawa State, to AYA in Abuja, for as much as N500 or N400, depending on the nature of the traffic.
For Saliu Ado, a motorcyclist, it depends on the heaviness of the traffic around Nyanya.
“Before I carry a passenger, I must know how the road be, then I charge am the money wey he go pay. If I no do like that, we go dey make wahala for road.
“If me and the passenger understand ourself, we fit go anywhere. If na Nyanya, na N200. If na AYA, na N400,” he said in vernacular.
For another motorcyclist who simply gave his name as Joe, he was bent on making ends meet by the only means he knew and would let nothing stop him.
“Oga, all of us dey hustle for this town o. I no go fit stop this one wen I do make another person come scatter am for me. I dey carry passengers go AYA and, even, Nyanya. Na money dey make the difference,” he said with a sly smile.
Well, how did Joe and others like him begin to flout traffic laws and get away with it? Well, simply put, they have been at it for so long that, since officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Directorate of Traffic (VIO) have failed to arrest or call them to order, it has become a modus operandi.
But it was not always so.
Upon the appointment of Lieutenant-General Yusuf Buratai as Chief of Army Staff, it was rumoured that he lived around the Nyanya-Mararaba axis. Proof of this could be seen as soldiers paraded the length and breadth of the Nyanya-AYA Expressway, maintaining law and order, whipping motorists into place and ensuring that calm and sanity returned to the area. Traders who encroached on the road were given their marching orders, shacks too close to the road were demolished and their owners warned. Careless drivers searching for passengers, who would rather be in the way calling out to their passengers than park well and do so, got a taste of the soldiers’ whip.
Very few people who never expected the situation to be corrected could not hide their awe at the role the soldiers played.
Sadly, all that changed when the soldiers were alleged to have abused a commercial bus driver who had flouted traffic rules, by making him climb the roof of his bus and keep on frog-jumping.
The soldiers were called off the road and the madness returned. Albeit it, uncontrolled by the FRSC and VIO officials.
At the time of writing this, commuters heading towards Mararaba, Keffi, Akwanga, Jos, Makurdi and other towns outside Abuja have to sweat through the traffic, as they wait for hundreds of law-flouting ‘okada’ men to speed past before they continue on their journey.
Worse, the FRSC and VIO personnel situated along the Nyanya Building Materials’ Market area and, even at the Abacha Road area, stare on helplessly as they speed past, hit pedestrians, collide with commuters and run into on-vehicles, most times, with more momentum and speed, killing their passengers instantly.
When traffic builds up along the road, the journey from the city-centre, which should be just about 25 minutes, takes almost two hours. When the menace of ‘okada’ men is added, the journey could take far more than two hours.
A resident of New Nyanya, Salisu Ibrahim, who works at the Federal Secretariat, managed to reach AYA round-about at 8.25am on Wednesday – four hours after leaving his home and staying stuck in traffic but had to alight to hop on an ‘okada’ plying one-way to be able to arrive on time, since “there was something very important I needed to do at the office,” he said.
Although he conceded to knowing that it was dangerous and against traffic rules to do, he would not be accused of having flouted the law.
“For goodness sake, this is the only route those of us here ply to town. Until government addresses that and solves the grid-lock of traffic we face here, just like it did to Lugbe and Kubwa, it won’t be sensible to start a clamp-down,” he said, a scowl on his face.
“When there were demolishing houses around the city centre, didn’t they know this will be part of the challenges? Let them fix the root problems and stop making live unbearable for the average citizens through their trial-and-error policies,” he said.
What is more worrisome is that motorist and motorcycles that drive against traffic, most times do this before the prying eyes of the FRSC officials.
More and more people now engage in the act making vehicular movement difficult for drivers who have right of way.
What has baffled many is what distracts or prevents the FRSC and VIO officials from nabbing these murderous, risk-taking ‘okada’ men. But, then, they come in droves every morning, making drivers who have false or no papers quake in their cars. How is it that they cannot have the same effect on the ‘okada’ lads who drive against traffic?
The consensus is that they are too busy ensuring that commercial and private car owners meet the requirements before they can ply the roads.
When LEADERSHIP Weekend attempted to speak to some of the FRSC operatives, they would say nothing. While many claimed not to be “authorised to speak,” a few ignored this reporter, while fewer still agreed to speak, on the condition that they would be referred to as “anonymous.”
When LEADERSHIP Weekend agreed to the condition put forth by the officer, he disclosed that, many times, the FRSC and VIO personnel took to their jobs with so much seriousness and, would have recorded tremendous success so far, but for the wealthy and highly-placed, who go around in their sirene-fitted cars, flouting traffic laws and driving against traffic, just to be punctual for their appointments.
“Security personnel such as military men and policemen, mostly from barracks along this axis, are some of the biggest problems we have and not the ‘okada’ men. How can you expect the ‘okada’ men to obey the law, when those who signed it can’t obey it?”
This is not to say, though, that they cower from doing their jobs at all times. No.
“Often, motorists caught in the act by committed law enforcement agents of the FRSC and, in most cases the military personnel, are either asked to pay a fine, have their motorcycles impounded or forced to go back and take the right way,” he said.
He, however, made an exception for bullion vans.
“Those ones need to be on their way, so that thieves do not take advantage of the traffic to rob them of peoples’ hard-earned cash,” he corrected.
A motorist, Kingsly Agada, who plied the road constantly, alleged that the menace would not hold off, since road traffic officers neglect part of their responsibilities and make drivers who drive without ‘papers’, instead of stopping those who kill pedestrians, while driving against traffic.
But many understand why these traffic officers are overwhelmed. They would need more than they have presently to contain the ‘okada’ riders who can become a mob as quickly as they can make away when they hit a commuter or pedestrian.
When this is done, the duty now falls to officers of both the FRSC, VIO and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to get the victim to the hospital to avoid obstruction of traffic flow.
According to the FRSC’s statistics, Nigeria is the second highest country with road traffic accident fatalities, out of the 193 countries captured by the World Health Organisation in a survey.
But, who owns jurisdiction and can arrest anyone who flouts road/traffic laws?
According to a bus driver known as ‘Lagos’ who spoke to this writer, said he has plied the road, driving a coaster bus, for 12 years.
He wondered why the ‘okada’ men could not wait in traffic like every other person, seeing as others could endure it for as much as two hours.
But another motorcyclist, Ahmed Rogo, thought differently,
“We dey only do wetin we dey see. If police and army and Road Sfety (FRSC) no dey drive one-way, why we go drive one-way? We for don stop since na,” he said.
When contacted for his reaction on this dangerous practice, FRSC Sector Commander, FCT, Sunday Oghenekaro, agreed that driving against traffic was a dangerous decision which more than a few cyclists around the Mararaba axis loved to toy with, despite the effort of the men to nip it in the bud.
According to him, analysis showed that the FCT recorded the most road crashes. Therefore, he called for more work to make the roads safer, just as he blamed government functionaires for encouraging the practice of driving against traffic with siren and escorts.
He would not agree that his officers deployed to such roads normally closed from work before the traffic started building, when they should be checkmating the activities of motorists who engage in the dangerous act.
Oghenekaro revealed that the command had arrested a number of offenders who were mandated to pay various ranges of fines, from N5000, depending on the nature of their offences, as penalty for violating traffic law and order.
“FRSC officers cannot stop a convoy which moves fast, even when the driver is violating traffic rules. If they do that, they may get killed. Therefore, the only option to take is allow traffic law offenders have their way, while the officers take their vehicle number plates and write to their organisations to caution them.
“Being a uniformed man does not make an officer above the law or give him the right to endanger the lives of innocent citizens.
“My men deployed to that area stay at work up to 11pm in the night, so I don’t believe it when you tell me that they go home before 5pm. No, I don’t,” he told LEADERSHIP Weekend.
While many try to fain ignorance, the FRSC Unit Commander for Nyanya, Mr. Narth Ugboh, insisted that many of the passengers who hop on ‘okada’ were not unaware of the risks they were taking.
“If you know the risks, why take them at all? If it would take a 30-minute delay for you to get to your destination safely, won’t that be worth more than losing your life? The most important thing here is safety and safety can take you to any length, so long as you are safe. The maxim is ‘walk safe, otherwise don’t’,” he added.
But would anything be done about the menacing incursion of the ‘okada’ men be reined in?
Ugboh would not trapped into committing himself.
“There are many factors which help those young men get away with what they are doing. While we try to control them from time to time, our public officials who feel that they must be punctual and get to any assignment, they must know that the citizens watch their example.
“If you break the law, you don’t expect those who look up to you to do any better. But, then, we Nigerians are subject to the constitution. It is not meant for some people; it is for everyone. If we all obey the law, we will be better off,” he said, as he warned truant motorcyclists who always flout the law to begin to learn or prepare to face the consequences, especially, around the Mogadishu Cantonment, Karu Bridge and the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi Highway.

Nigeria’s quest to borrow about $1.4 billion from international finance institutions may be under threat as the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) has dismissed the government’s economic recovery plan as unsatisfactory.
According to a report, by IMF, the reform plans are not enough to bring the country out of recession.
Reuters news agency reports that the development could delay talks  over $1.4 billion in international loans.
The World Bank has been in talks with Nigeria for a loan of at least $1 billion for more than a year and the African Development Bank, AfDB, has $400 million on offer, but discussions have stalled over economic reforms.
Nigeria is seeking the funding for infrastructure investment and to help plug an expected record deficit in this year’s budget as it boosts spending to try to end a recession.
Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, has rejected further devaluation of the currency.
According to the 68-page IMF report obtained by Reuters, the Washington-based fund will urge Nigeria, a major oil producer, to introduce immediate changes to its exchange rate policy.
It would also say its recent reform plan is not enough to drag
Africa’s biggest economy out of recession.
“Much more needs to be done,” the IMF said in the document, written after a final meeting between its representatives and top officials in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The Kaduna State Governor,Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, last night said the electronic voting machine prototype has been tested and that the Local Government elections will possibly hold in July this year.
El-rufai stated this when the outgoing Kaduna State Interim Management Committee Chairmen paid him a valedictory visit at the Government House, Kaduna.
The Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) had proposed electronic voting for the forthcoming local government elections in the state.
The Chairmen who are set to leave office on Wednesday, 29th of March have described Governor El-Rufai as a true leader and a gift to the state.
Speaking on behalf of the group, outgoing Chairman of Jaba local government area, Mr Ben Kure, said Governor El-Rufai has proven that local government autonomy is very possible.
The interim chairmen commended the Governor for his exemplary leadership, for trusting them with public funds and for teaching them to be accountable to the people.
Kure also noted that Kaduna State had been witnessing stunted growth, until Governor El-Rufai was elected into office.
On his part, Governor El-Rufai thanked the outgoing IMC Chairmen for the good work they have done so far, even in difficult times.
El-Rufai, urged anyone of the outgoing Chairmen who has the interest to contest in the coming Local Government elections to do so as the level playing ground will be for all aspirants.

The National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Sen Ahmed Makarfi, yesterday declared that there is no political solution yet to the leadership crisis rocking the party.
Makarfi, who said the party was working hard with the Governor SeriakeN Dickson-led reconciliation committee, and other organs of the party to reach a political solution, however reiterated that the effort is without prejudice to the Appeal before the Supreme Court of Nigeria  against the Court of Appeal Judgment of February 17, 2017.
Spokesman, PDP National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, stated this yesterday while reacting to what he said was some publication in the news media misinforming the public that the parties have reached a political solution.
Sheriff and Makarfi camps signed a cease fire agreement on Thursday which was brokered by Dickson’s committee.
But Adeyeye said yesterday “This is not true and we wish to state that The agreement signed yesterday before the Governor Dickson’s Reconciliation Committee was only to stop further  media attacks on officers, elders and other stakeholders of the PDP across the internal political divide.
“For the record, the agreement was not a Political Solution but rather an understanding reached urging representative of “the key actors” from both groups not to dissipate energy amongst themselves but to focus on how to unite as a formidable force capable of re-gaining power from the failed All Progressive Congress (APC) led government in the 2019.

Nollywood pretty actress and producer , Matilda Lambert is a native of  Ngo-Town, Andoni local government area  of Rivers State.  The graduate of Philosophy is currently running her Masters Degree in UNN. In this exclusive interview with ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM in Abuja , she speaks on her passion for the movie industry, her latest and first ever movie production ‘Deepest Cut’ and other sundry issues.

You have acted with a lot of people in the industry. Have you ever felt intimidated by some of the big names you come in contact with prior to when you became a star?
No! I won’t say I have been intimidated, I will only say wow! Within me, the first time I was on set with Mike Ezerounye and I was to play his girlfriend you know, like on the bed with him and all of that, he has this of intimidating look and just looking at you for you to just… but you know somehow he had to put me through and I got used to it. And it wasn’t even feeling as if I was playing with a mega super star and all so, it was nice. I wasn’t intimidated I was rather excited doing that at that time
Can you give us an insight of the challenges you have really encounter during your time as an actor?
One of the challenges I face  sometimes  is misconception. For instance, if you are given a script, to play a certain character, and especially if it’s something you haven’t done in real life something that is totally different from your character, catapulting into a different character entirely and I am trying to convince people that that’s not really my character let say for example, there are some roles you play let’s say you are acting the role of a  prostitute and probably you did it so well that  people start saying ‘Na so she dey for real life’ or maybe betrayals you know those kind of things. There are some characters that are very significant and then people begin to look at you from that aspect and to me, I think that is one of the challenges because it’s kind of trying to convince people that look this is just a script I am doing, of course it’s only those in the industry that really understand that you are only acting what you are asked to do. But people out there they judge you from what they see you do on TV and all of that.

Could you give us an insight to what really gave you that aspiration to start up your production?
Overtime, I have watched lot of Nollywood movies, I have also read scripts, and I have gathered a lot of experiences from here and there. But one day, I sat down and thought to myself if it’s not love story they are doing, it’s one epic story that has to do with one grandfather or ancestor that are dead. There are some things that are very relevant; there are some issues that are pressing in the country as it is. So why don’t you just put ideas together and make this film to really show he effects of crime and violence’s of wars, Boko Haram, and so that how I got the idea.
Was it stressful bringing out these A-listers to come and star in this movie?
To be honest, it was something else, it was a great experience, it was stressful, but like they say anything worth doing is worth doing well. So I   practiced with my first, and so I thought I should bring in the best of the best. You know the best hands to do this for me and I didn’t really find it difficult working with them because they are professionals. They have been into this and they know what it is for a young lady to come up and say I want to shoot this movie, and so some of them were very supportive from the beginning giving advice and they are still supportive. But you know as it is, it’s not easy to control adult because sometimes maybe, you might want to shout on one A-list actor and then when you look at him you will be this person is old enough to be my father let me respect myself so you wouldn’t want to shout at minor thing that they do that you know ordinarily you would have screamed at but you would want to control yourself. Like I said, I enjoyed every bit of it because I didn’t have too much headache working with them like using the up comers. But they were down to help. I really liked that aspect of it because they really made me feel what you are doing is really worth it and we appreciate you and we love the fact that you brought us into the movie. Of course so much money because you have to fly in some of them from Ghana putting everybody in a good hotel, the crew members, all the actors we thank God.
Let’s talk about the movie itself, were you the one that wrote the script?
No! I didn’t write the scripts but I gave 70% of the script like the idea of what I wanted.
How did you come about the location because I found out that some of the scenes were in Abuja?
But the location itself is in Abuja, I shot the film in Abuja, everything in Abuja. But each new scene has its own location.
You talked about wanting to depict urrent affairs issue, is it the reason why you shot the movie in Abuja or you just found out that the scene in Abuja  would cover up for it?
No! I live in Abuja, whenever you want to do your film, I think it’s better to do it in an environment you are comfortable and familiar with. So I live here and this is my first and I think this is best. To start from home, they say charity begins at home. In Nigeria most of the places doesn’t have IDP camps and IDP camps was one of my main locations, and it’s in Abuja so it helped. Most of the locations are here, it made everything easy, though it wasn’t really easy going from one location to the other because of distance from each other but we thank God.
What should people be expecting from this movie …like your fans and those people who have been following you right from the outset, what should they be expecting from this movie because this  movie is not like the usual movie you have acted?
Well they should be expectingsomething different from ‘Deepest Cut’. They should just be expecting another turn, another side of the matter by Lambert they’ve always known. Like I said this is something very different because I try to put in my best in it to make sure I interpret the part, to interpret the role very well. It’s a movie that you will definitely like. It a movie for everybody from the youngest to the eldest it’s not restricted because going to the IDP camp you find out that it’s a different world entirely and I felt like crying all throughout the shoot.
What was the motivating factor for the movie?
Yes! They will always say children are the leaders of tomorrow and all that . Whatever you are doing I feel it’s good to start with the kids, the environment were a child grows up matters a lot because it either contribute to building the child or destroy the child. For instance,  when the child is growing up ,seeing is parent killed at a very young age , creates a lasting trauma while he tries to revenge to give it back to the society in a bad way trying to revenge and take laws into his own hands by fighting back because of the experience he had. And sure if there was no crisis and his parents were not killed in such an environment, the case would have been different.
When is the movie coming out?
By God grace before the end of May the movie will be out.
When are you premiering the movie?
Yes I am actually doing a private screening in Port Harcourt and Abuja. Port Harcourt is going to be on the 13th of March and in Abuja is going to be on the 13th of April which happens to be my birthday.
Your colleagues have been complaining that since inception of this administration, there haven’t been any support for the industry, what will be your advice to the president and also to those who are in authority that will support people? And did you self-sponsor the movie?
I self-sponsor the movie, I did everything myself but I know by God’s grace I will reap the fruit. in every society, entertainment contributes to the growth of the society for example in Nigeria, Nollywood, is an industry that even outside the shores of Nigeria people appreciate it, people loved to watch our movie and this actually is a way of dissecting the economy. Government and those in authority should please come into the industry, it’s not just for entertainer alone but for all Nigerian, for Africa, it for the world at large. Nollywood needs you, the entertainment industry needs the government support in whichever way they can because trust me, the producers and the director and actors are trying to self-sponsor their movies and all of that. If the government comes in fully to help, it will also boost the economy and then also the growth of the society.
Is there any message to your fans?
To my fans, I love you all

‘Hakkunde’ is a movie that promises to be a classic at first glance. It is an intriguing story of a young graduate who battles everything including love, family, discrimination, drug abuse, tradition and insecurity. It follows his journey to self-discovery and actualization.
The producer, Asurf Oluseyi follows up 2015’s ‘Hell or High Water’ with Hakkunde. The official trailer for the movie which has been released features the hilarious Frank Donga alongside Ali Nuhu, Maryam Booth, Ibrahim Daddy, Isa Bello Ja, Rahama Sadau and Hadiza Soja.
Shot in Kaduna and Lagos, Nigeria, Hakkunde is produced and directed by Oluseyi and was written by Oluseyi, Tomi Adesina and Gift Imafidon.
The story is characterized by actions and reactions that define the everyday Nigerian society, with its ups and downs and with a particular focus on the life of a job hunting graduate named Akande who found himself in totality while searching for a job, and a better life.
Oluseyi Asurf says, “the script tells a story of the identity of an average Nigerian graduate’s struggle for an identity and livelihood. Hakkunde is aimed at challenging the youths about changing direction in their approach to the reality of current state of the country and taking advantage of opportunities that does exist in building wealth for themselves.” The movie is scheduled to debut on July 25, 2017.

Ndidi Dike has been selected for theprestigious 2017 Pernod Ricard Fellowship in France along with Mercedes Azpilicueta, Samit Das and Koki Tanaka from Argentina, India, and Japan.
The Pernod Ricard Fellowship is conceived as a research and artistic platform, experimenting with non-linear models of generating and distributing knowledge to encourage different possible connections between researchers, contemporary artists, cultural institutions, non-profit organizations and the general public.
Founded and run by Marie Vassilieff, the Fellows will enjoy one-on-one support, special meetings with researchers and art professionals relevant to their needs, and access to a rich network of institutions in France and abroad. Each project will develop into a program of exhibitions, performances, seminars and workshops, and a publication series.
Dike questions the way pre- and post-colonial histories and legacies of resource control have been shaping the African continent (or the Global South) politically, economically and socially. She haschosen to focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo, its past, and present, conducting research at the Centre Pompidou, Quai Branly museum as well as other archives.
The 2017 Pernod Ricard fellows were selected by an international Artistic Committee composed of Yuko Hasegawa, Artistic Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Sunjung Kim, Director, Art Sonje Center, Seoul, Victoria Noorthoorn, Director, Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, Sumeshwar Sharma, Curator & co-Founder, the Clark House Initiative, Bombay, Benjamin Seroussi, Director, Casa do Povo, Sao Paulo, Bisi Silva, Director, CCA, Lagos, Bernard Blistène, Director, MNAM CCI – Centre Pompidou, Paris, Colette Barbier, Director, Fondation d’Entreprise Ricard, Paris, Mélanie Bouteloup, Director, Bétonsalon – Center for Art and Research, Paris, and Virginie Bobin, Head of Programs, Villa Vassilieff, Paris.

Darlene and Lizzy Okpo are co-founders of the New York-based womenswear line ‘William Okpo’.  Seven years after starting their label the sisters are still turning out fresh, relevant ideas that thrive creatively in America’s competitive fashion industry that is known to be ‘unfriendly’ to upstarts andnot overtly welcoming to women of colour.
Founded in 2010 when Darlene and Lizzy were just 23 and 19 years old, respectively, the brand takes its name from the girls’ father, William Okpo, who immigrated from Nigeria to New York in 1976. The sisters have embraced his “strong, unwavering work ethic and unique style”, philosophies that ultimately inspired them to launch a label despite limited resources, limited experience, and youth all working against them.
The two had interned and worked all over retail; most notably at ‘Opening Ceremony’, where the line was picked up early on.  Though neither knew how to sew a garment when they decided to start a clothing label, Darlene said “I just researched how to start a line, and I Googled pattern and garment makers.”
The aesthetic of the brand has matured since its launch, but the sharp tailoring, rich colours, and mixed fabrications and hardware, combining materials like neoprene and silk chiffon in one garment, have stayed at the core of William Okpo’s look. It is with this approach that the brand pushes the boundaries and expectations of designers of the African diaspora.
“Just because we’re coming from a Nigerian background, that’s not what we’re about. We were born here also, so we wanted to break that stigma of black designers and African print,” Darlene expressed. “This is why the brand is named after my dad, William Okpo. When he came here, he didn’t fit into that stereotype. He came here, in our opinion, influencing people with style. There are pictures of him in three-piece suits, bell bottoms, and ‘fro, with a Members Only jacket, all white. My dad is the most stylish man you’ll ever meet.”
Throughout the collection, you’ll find pieces with subtle details that are just enough to make would-be mundane silhouettes somehow feel like show-stopping pieces. They are structural, made up of clean lines and folds, and yet don’t feel stuffy or overdone, the balance exists, and they’ve nailed it. Good examples of these thoughtful details live in pieces like the Crissle Shift Dress,  a solid black mini dress made fresh with two eyelet cut-outs that lay flat on the skin on the waistline, or the Spant, a pair of pants that exposes one leg entirely with a skirt-like slit.
These are pieces you just don’t see anywhere else, and today, that’s a (very) big deal. “The moment our friends and supporters starting saying ‘That’s very much a William Okpo look,’ it was like, ‘oh my god, they get us,’” Lizzy said. “We are telling a story and people are receiving our message.”
If feeling understood — by not just friends and family, but by clientele — was a turning point for the sisters, opening a brick-and-mortar shop was when things really gelled. The Okpos set up shop in New York City’s South Street Seaport in 2015, just down the block from friend and fellow designer Aurora James of Brother Vellies. James initially inspired the sisters to put to down roots in the redeveloped district, but the history of the area, specifically the black history, was just as compelling: The seaport is the former hub of the transatlantic slave trade (it’s the last stop on the city’s Slavery Walking Tour, a guided walk through Lower Manhattan).
“For me, even though the history is very dark, being two black women to own — to operate, not even own — a store at the Seaport for the past two years is such an accomplishment,”  Darlene explained.
But more than just this historic example of progress, the physical space offered a sense of validation for the brand and all the work, time, and pure hustle that had gone into the making of the line. Plus, it allowed the pair to put the stress of getting their pieces into other people’s stores on the back burner, letting them engage with customers face-to-face and organically spread the word about their brand and aesthetic.
“We really got to hone in on the structure of our business and where we wanted to go as far as selling direct-to-consumer, and also concentrating on our e-commerce site,” Darlene said. “People knew about us before, but having a shop, people really got to understand what our brand was about.”
Today, the attitude is still very much “nowhere to go but up.” The two run the line very intimately together, overseeing all parts of the business, from design to accounting to creative directing,equally. “We are essentially forced to work everything out with a positive outcome,” Lizzy adds over email. “Simply because we could never abandon ship, truthfully there would be nowhere to hide. There’s no such thing as quitting when you’re working with your sibling, and that’s what keeps us motivated.”
The brand continues to evolve, aesthetically and on the business side. In recent years, they’ve moved away from the traditional fashion calendar, which, let’s face it, doesn’t really work anymore for anyone,  in exchange for a schedule that fits the needs of the business as well as the wants of the customer. New products are dropped as soon as they’re ready, so you’ll see new items added to William Okpo’s e-commerce shop pretty consistently.
Lizzy even teases that shoes and handbags are on the way saying,  “I want to live in William Okpo

Mrs Omolola Olanipekun is the director of Abuja Environmental Protection Board. In this exclusive interview with Nkechi Isaac, she speaks on the boards intensified efforts to sanitise the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and abate begging, hawking and destitution as well as maintain the city aesthetics.

What’s on the update on the JICA recycle plant update, why is it not yet operational?
Its on-going, if you go to dumpsite you’ll see that activities are already going on there, the areas are earmarked and we’ve started collection in the pilot district. I am sure you might have seen a truck with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA)/AEPB partnership initiative inscription that is the vehicle we use to collect recyclables at the pilot areas and take them tour dumpsite.

It is when we transfer stations that you can recycle, what about the transfer station?
That’s a very big massive project and the systems have to be in place and these systems that have to be in place are infrastructural projects. You know the FCT on its own gave a contract award for setting up transfer stations and that is part of the start point and that project for some issues now have been stalled. But some of the equipment that you see in our office is for the transfer stations, for recycling, for compacting. We already have trucks and equipment that the government has procured to mount for effective take off of this; It’s not that the government has totally abandoned the project. So, the project will kick-start in the nearest future and there is also so many proposals on private initiatives that are coming, they need to be well reviewed to make sure they have what it takes to enter into a partnership with the FCT.
The issue of waste management is not for government alone and when the partnership wants to come in it takes a lot. And processing land for the project also takes time. These things are key to the take-off of the project but nevertheless we have a lot has been reviewed and that is waiting in the offing. Then the government also have the issue of the transfer station that they want to start with and I believe you will see transformation very soon because there’s a company already that the government has given part of the dumpsite to start this project already.
So, the initiative on that is that private companies are trying to come in to assist us with government mandate.

Are you expecting the take-off this year because as at three years ago we are hoping the dumpsite will be operational in 2017?
I hope so, but when you want to vet these companies   You look at their financial capabilities too because without the funds being there they might not be able to but these companies prove to have the funds available to kick-start this project so all hindrances and encumbrances that we’ve seen is what we have tried to look at so we’re expecting that very soon they’ll set up and we’ll start operation. Nevertheless the partnership with Jaika is on-going and we have started collection.

What sort of employment creation and generation are we looking at in this project?
I can assure you that once this project is up and running it will help to transform the face of environmental initiative of this administration. So, definitely a lot of people will be employed because there are different cadres because you’ll have sorting, compartment, you have different people working at different stages of implementation.
The FCT minister recently gave a directive that the city should be cleaned up, why wait for this directive before cleaning up the city?
If you look at the city honestly you’ll observe that there’s been an improvement with city sanitation, so I won’t really want to say the city is dirty but to the territory and different arms of government have responsibility. AEPB is not an implementing agency per say but rather a regulatory agency and our capacity most at-times are in intervention and there are arms of government that are supposed to deliver on their mandate and schedule in this area but when that is not done then the services of AEPB which is on intervention goes into that area. So, we have area councils and local government around it and they have as part of their mandate to ensure sanitation in these areas. So, when we see a gap and that is where the attention of the board is being drawn then that is when we swing into action. These axis include Nyanya, Jikwoyi, Kurudu, Orozo and some other areas. So, it’s not that our duties are left unattended to but maybe where some other people fail to deliver on their services, what we’re trying to do is to look for sustainable measures in these areas because whether we like it or not if a sustainable plan is not in place there will continue to be a repeat of such situation.

Are you working in collaboration with these areas to make the sanitation community driven instead of just intervening from time to time?
We have this and other plans as part of our sustainable plans which is currently in the offing because it takes both the generator of the waste and the arms of government to come together to ensure sustainability in that place because the people need to be educated that they’re the people bringing in this waste and they must be responsible for the waste they are generating. They also need to be sensitized on the health implication of indiscriminate waste disposal. They need to be taught proper containerisation of the waste. I am sure we’ll see a change when all three tiers involved, the community, people and government come together.

The man hole cover is being highly vandalised in the city center and environs. This is a very high risk for residents, what’s the board doing about it?
The issue of the stolen man hoe cover is a very important issue and very dear to the heart of the government. Doing all these has to do with budget but I must tell you that this was captured in the 2016/2017 budget. The facility management is working on some aspect and there’s already an on-going procurement process for the replacement of the stolen man-hole covers.
It is very embarrassing that the government will put facilities in place and you see people who don’t even understand the value of what government is doing trying to take it off to the detriment of the community. So, there’s an on-going procurement and part of it is to replace the stolen man-hole covers.

Open defecation is on-going in the city and it is a major concern to everybody.  What is the board doing to curb this?
A city is not termed as developed until you have certain key things in place. There are some Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and unfortunately Nigeria cannot be categorised to have fulfilled these MDG goals like having a FCC of this status, good roads network. It is an unfortunate situation. It’s not that there are no toilets in place but what AEPB does is to maintain the ones spread across in the city. Late last year we requested for proposal where we can place some mobile toilet pending when the government builds permanent ones because it takes time, they’ll have to give the contract, award it and it’ll take time. So to bridge the gap we have requested for approval on where to keep some mobile toilets, we believe it will some come way to alleviate this menace.

Any final words to FCT residents?
I must thank residents for how they’ve been support us. I want to tell residents that they are part and parcel of the government and therefore I encourage them to do more, where they don’t have the bins they should please get that. Also indiscriminate disposal of waste will not benefit the residents in any way and when we properly containerise our waste it will reduce incidences of communicable diseases. They should see themselves as the government and contributing their quota will lead to the proper development.
And for hawkers I want them to desist from it because the arm of the law will not cease to take its bit on them because the road is not supposed to be a market place where you can display your wares. It is environmentally unfriendly and has a lot of hazards associated to it.
Beggars and destitute, the enforcement arm take them off the street and we’ve discovered that people use it as money making venture to bring people to the city to come and beg and at the end of the day they share the proceeds. These are parts of what we have discovered in the courts and all that. And some people will go the extent of accommodating them in places, especially when it is evening or on Friday or during the week they release them.
A lot of thing have been unmasked in the process of trying to get beggars off the street, so, we try to liaise with border state so that this inter transit movement of  people in the name of,  I don’t know what they call it, maybe we can work together to reduce this incidents in the city. Maybe, the social development secretariat is also another arm of government that takes the responsibility of trying to rehabilitate these people. We have a Centre under the management of the SDS in Bwari, the government has done a lot in improving this place, so when some of these people are gotten off the road they’re taken ther

By juliana agbo, Abuja
Every year, Pakistani Day is celebrated on March 23 throughout the country to commemorate the adoption of the Pakistan Resolution by the All India Muslim League on March 23, 1940 at Lahore’s Minto Park which demanded a separate homeland for Muslims in South Asia.
The Pakistan Resolution which was originally known as Lahore Resolution-passed on March 23, 1940, holds an immense historic importance in the history of Pakistan movement.
The Founder of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah presiding the session where the resolution was presented. The resolution mainly stated that a Muslim state be made comprising of the areas where Muslim populace exists in majority.
A landmark named ‘Minar-e-Pakistan (Minaret of Pakistan) was also built at Iqbal Park, the venue of the conference in Lahore to commemorate the Lahore Resolution.
On Thursday, Pakistanis in Abuja, garthered at Pakistani embassy complex to mark its 77th National day which  was celebrated with national spirit and fervor.
Is a ceremony to mark the passing of the Pakistan Resolution on March 23, 1940, and the adoption of the first constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 making Pakistan the world’s first Islamic republic.
The ceremony commenced with the recitation of verses from Holy Quran, followed by the Nigeria and the Pakistani national anthem.
The High Commissioner Agha Farooq, in a short speech at a dinner to mark the occasion noted that his country was proud of its achievements over the years in different strata and was not relenting in its effort to retain unique agricultural and technological edge garnered over the years.
He also noted the importance of Nigeria -Pakistani bilateral relations.
The occasion was attended by high dignitaries from Nigeria and other countries ,including  senator Monsurat Sunmonu Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs who highlighted the importance of the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Pakistan and said that both countries share the dream of development, peace and security.
She urged Pakistani community in Abuja to continue to unite with Nigeria in order to keep good working relationship.
She also congratulated them as they marked their 77th national day throughout the world.
Just like in Nigeria, the  day was celebrated in other parts of the world, it was marked in Dubai where Pakistani expatriates gathered in large numbers at diplomatic missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to mark the 77th Pakistan Day that pays tribute to father of the nation Mohammad Ali Jinnah and those who sacrificed their lives for a separate homeland for Muslims.
It was a historic event for Pakistanis throughout the world, especially in Pakistan.21- gun salute in Federal capital and 31- salute in all the provincial capitals marked the start of the day.  Chinese, Saudi and Turkish troops for the first time joined the Pakistan Day parade in the capital Islamabad on Thursday, in a sign of deepening ties.
Before Pakistan showed off long-range rockets, tanks and other military hardware, armed Chinese troops marched past Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the chief of Pakistan’s powerful military.
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain said it was the first time Chinese troops participated in a parade in a foreign country, terming it a “historic event”, with the two countries embarking on building vast infrastructure together.
Soldiers from Saudi Arabia, a long-time Pakistan ally, also joined the parade, as did a military band from Turkey, another largely Muslim nation that has strengthened ties with nuclear-armed Pakistan in recent years.
Islamabad considers China an “all-weather friend” and in recent years the countries have grown even closer on the back of the $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a Beijing-funded network of road, rail and pipelines that will link western China with Pakistan’s Arabian Sea port of Gwadar.
The militaries of the two countries have in recent years also increased cooperation, with Chinese officials urging Pakistan to do more to improve security to help CPEC work.
The national day celebrations that aim at exhibiting strength glorifying the culture of Pakistan and portraying a courageous nation was celebrated was celebrated
Amazing facts about Pakistan cannot be disputed and has remained unchanged, the country has the sixth largest standing armed forces and the first Islamic state to attain nuclear power. Being the second in South Asia and the only nation in the Muslim world to have that status. Pakistan has a semi-industrialised economy with a well-integrated agricultural sector, and a growing services sector. The Pakistani economy is the 24th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power and the 41st largest in terms of nominal GDP (World Bank). It is characterised among the emerging and growth-leading economies of the world, and is backed by one of the world’s largest and fastest growing middle classes.

Russia said yesterday that six of its soldiers had been killed while successfully repelling a militant assault on a military facility in Chechnya.
The National Guard of Russia said in a statement that a group of what it called “armed bandits” had launched an attack under the cover of fog in the early hours of yesterday morning on an unnamed military facility.
It said a gun battle had ensued and that a number of Russian troops had been wounded in addition to the six who had been killed. It said six of the attackers had also been killed.
Moscow has fought two wars with separatists in the mainly Muslim internal republic since the 1991 Soviet collapse, but such shoot-outs have become relatively rare in Chechnya.
The wider North Caucasus region remains volatile however with unemployment and corruption pushing some young men to embrace radical Islam.

The top United Nations human rights body agreed on Friday to widen its investigation into widespread violations in North Korea with a view to documenting alleged crimes against humanity for future prosecution.
North Korea said it “categorically and totally rejects” the resolution adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council. The text had been framed by the United States and “other hostile forces” for political reasons “to strangle the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea),” its envoy said after boycotting the debate.
The 47-member state Geneva forum adopted a resolution, brought by Japan and the European Union and backed by the United States, on the final day of its four-week session without a vote.
The U.N. human rights office in Seoul will be strengthened for two years with international criminal justice experts to establish a central repository for testimony and evidence “with a view to developing possible strategies to be used in any future accountability process”, the text said.
The Seoul office deploys six staff who conduct in-depth interviews with dozens of North Korean defectors each week, recording their testimony, a U.N. official based there told Reuters. Some 1,400 North Koreans arrive each year in South Korea, most via China, he said.

A middle aged married man, Osofa Awube has revealed how fruits/food have restored his 9 years old marriage that was at the verge of breaking on the ground of weak erection/premature ejaculation.

Awube who suffered weak erection/premature ejaculation for 10 years said the abnormality was simply corrected by just fruits/food intake. Click here.

During the period of his weak erection and other sexual dysfunction, Awube said he was unable to satisfy his wife sexually and as a result the angried woman filed a suit seeking for marriage divorce in Court as she could no longer bear the situation.

According to Awube, the marriage was restored when he became a strong man on bed after taking the prescribed fruits/food and an herbal capsule to correct his weak erection/premature ejaculation.

Today the marriage is fruitful and multiplied according to the commandment of God (…be fruitful and multiply….”) as the abnormalities are being corrected. The same woman who filed a suit for divorce for lack of sexual satisfaction now complains of her husband taking too much time on her in bed. Perhaps, she will still file another suit for divorce because the man now last longer and hard on her in bed.

Not only that the fruits/food corrected Awube’s weak erection/premature ejaculation sexual challenges but his manhood is also being enlarged and longer to satisfy any woman in bed.

Click here to see the fruits/food that are powerful and capable of correcting weak erection/premature ejaculation, enlarge manhood and steps to take to correct yours and be in charge of your woman in bed.

Mrs. Taiwo Obasanjo who is one of the wives of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has dragged her husband and lottery business mogul, Sir Kessington Adebutu before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja seeking a court order to stop the wedding of her son, Olujonwo Obasanjo.

Mrs. Obasanjo is asking the court to mandate the former president and the father of the bride, Sir Adebutu, popularly known as  ‘Baba Ijebu’, to postpone the wedding of her son to Tope Adebutu which is already fixed for May 11 and 12.

Mrs. Taiwo Obasanjo who is the twin sister of Chief Kenny Martins, the former coordinator of the Police Equipment Fund, wants the wedding date to be postponed to sometimes after June 1.

She is also praying the court for declaration that as the mother of the groom, she has parental rights to take part in the deliberations, decisions and activities leading to the forthcoming ceremony.

According to affidavit attached to the suit, she averred that wedding invitations have been issued and she has been excluded from the preparations for the upcoming nuptials.

She stated in court documents that prior to the fixing of wedding dates, she had a premonition regarding her son who turns 34 on June 1.
According to her, she also received prophesies and spiritual warnings to the effect that Olujonwo should not undergo any elaborate celebration before his birthday which is two weeks after the wedding to avoid any impending calamity.

Mrs. Obasanjo stated in court documents that she commenced the suit to compel Adebutu and Obasanjo to shift the wedding to a date beyond June 1.

She also claims that she appealed to Adebutu, the father of the bride, Mrs. Rosemary Dacosta, the mother of the bride, Tope Adebutu, the bride-to-be as well as her twin brother Chief Kenny Martins.

Mrs. Obasanjo said her pleas fell on deaf ears and she was instead, insulted by members of the family.

The suit with number ID/262FPM/2017 which is before Justice Lateefa Okunnu has been fixed for April 10 for hearing.

Residents of Ijorgbor Street, Upper Sokponba Road in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo state were on Sunday terrified when an  inferno razed down a bungalow killing a 5 year-old boy.

The victim whose identity could not be ascertained, was said to have been locked inside a room with his younger brother while their father who left them went to buy food stuff.

Neighbours and eye witnesses wondered what may have ignited the fire because the building was since disconnected from power supply by Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC.

It was learnt that there was a generator and a cooking stove in the house but it couldn’t be confirmed if that was the remote cause of the inferno.

According to an eye witness, Omoye Oriameh, the intensity of the fire prevented some residents from rescuing the little boy who was trapped in one of the rooms in the building.

Oriameh who noted that they heard the children cry for help through the window, said one of the neighbors had used a axe to break down the door to rescue one of the child who is currently receiving treatment in the hospital while the other was stuck inside one of the rooms.

Oriameh stated that the Fire Service came late when the fire had completely razed down the building.

“They were two kids inside the house, they were shouting and we could hear their shout from the window. One guy from this house took axe broke the window protector and he was able to bring one of the kids out but could not rescue other one because of the intensity of the raging fire.

One of the neighbors who gave his name as Osamudiamen Edobor, said  it was shocking for the parents to lock their children in their apartment, only for one of them to die.

“They have stove and generator in that room. The man was cooking in the room. It is sad that one of the children died,” Edobor said.

Leadership  learnt that the child who narrowly escaped the inferno has been transferred to an Intensive Care Unit at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH for further treatment.

When contacted, the state police command spokesman, DSP Moses Nkombe, said he was yet briefed on the incident.

The NNPC/MPN Joint Venture in Akwa Ibom State

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation/Mobil Producing Nigeria Joint Venture (NNPC/MPN JV) has operated in Akwa Ibom State for 55 years, having been granted its first Oil Prospecting License (OPL) in 1961.

Since then, the JV has consistently delivered significant economic value to Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.

Current State of the Business

The current decline in oil prices has forced a global cut back in investments. There has been about 75% reduction in JV profitability compared to 2015, and JV partner cash call obligations have reached a cumulative arrears in excess of $1.3bn, and growing, undermining business sustainability. Additionally, vandalism and community unrest have resulted in significant production losses. The resultant effects on our business include: scaled down operations, limited new hire opportunities, reduced personnel, project deferments and contract renegotiations.

Surviving the Odds

These are trying times, indeed. A mind-set of stakeholder collaboration has become the irreducible minimum to assure business sustainability for continued value creation for all. An atmosphere/environment of ramped-up hostility expressed in threats, abduction of contractors, blockades and protests is counterproductive. It poses an existential risk to our operations with grave implications for the revenue base of the state and our capacity to provide employment and support on-going social investments in our neighbouring communities.

Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited has consistently discharged its corporate and Joint Venture duties and obligations to country, state and communities. We, therefore, expect to be treated as partners, as with anyone with rights and privileges.

We are part of the Community

MPN is made up of people: Over 1,700 citizens living and working in Akwa Ibom State, mostly indigenes. These individuals and their families are actively contributing to the economy of the state. We expect all people including our staff, as law abiding members of the community to be free to go to work without enduring threats and illegal tolls on the road.

We seek and appreciate the support and collaboration of all stakeholders, as we work to assure near term business sustainability. Our long term business outlook and community investments can remain positive only if all stakeholders genuinely collaborate towards maintaining an atmosphere that is conducive for business for everyone in Akwa Ibom State.

We invite all to continue to work with us to ensure continued value delivery and prosperity in Akwa Ibom State.