Issue 19 - The Boss Newspapers

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ABDULSAMAD ISYAKU RABIU:
The
W
BUSINESSMAN WITH MIDAS TOUCH
Blessing Ehidiamen
hat could be
more fulfilling
knowing for a
fact that you are not just a
member of any club but a
member of the global billionaire’s club? One of
facturing, infrastructure
and agriculture with revenue in excess of $2.5 billion. BUA international
Limited was established in
1988 for the sole purpose
of commodity trading. The
Khalifah Isyaku Rabiu, one
of Nigeria’s foremost industrialists in the 1970s
and 1980s, he attended
the Capital University in
Columbus, Ohio, and returned to Nigeria at the
business and made better
gains than his father would
have made.
He is gifted with the
ability to turn situations
around. As a young Executive Director at his father’s
Nigeria’s top business
moguls,
Abdulsamad
Isyaku Rabiu, has the perfect answer. The tycoon
whom Forbes had estimated his wealth at $1.2
billion in 2013 is the chairman/CEO of BUA .
BUA a group is a
Nigeria- based conglomerate with interests in manu-
company is into the importation of Rice, edible oil,
flour and iron and steel.
Abdulsamad is not
only a top player in the
business sector, but also
has a stint with the financial world as he is the
Chairman of Nigerian Bank
of Industry. Born on August
4, 1960 in Kano, Nigeria, to
age of 24 to oversee his
family’s business.
At a time when his
father was unavoidably absent, he mustered the
craftsmanship and sheer
spirit of an industrialist
which he got from his father, Abdulsamad managed to turn around the
situation, sustained the
company, Abdulsamad was
proficient enough to steer
the family’s business out of
trouble created by the absence of their father. Prior
to this, Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu
was already one of the
richest Nigerians of his era,
sponsoring the National
Party of Nigeria, the ruling
political party at that time.
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His ascension
to high standard did
not come on a platter of gold, and this
much he said to
Forbes Africa
saddled with so
many things; I had to
make a lot of important decisions, and
don’t forget that this
happened suddenly,
It was following the resuscitation
of The family business and the land he
inherited from his father that he estab-
refinery in sub-Saharan Africa, breaking
the all year long monopoly in the sugar
refinery and distribution market, a feat
engineering service
provider, to construct a second production line at its
flagship Obu Cement
Plant, located in Edo
“It was very
difficult. When we
started, our dad was
not there. There was
this huge vacuum,
because of his personality. He grew the
business, he did
everything, everybody reported to
him, and then he
wasn’t there anymore. So at a very
tender age, I was
at the time, there
were three ships
being discharged,
rice and sugar ships.
The
government
agencies tried to
seize the goods; so
we were discharging,
they were taking, we
were taking back. It
was a big, big issue.
Those kinds of things
were really challenging“
lished BUA. BUA
International Limited
got a boost in 1990,
when it was contacted by the then
government owned
Delta Steel Company
to supply it with its
finished products.
His expertise
in business led to his
company, BUA, commissioning the second
largest
oil
that set him apart as
an entrepreneur of
distinction.
The quest to
leave his comfort
zone made him expand the company’s
cement production
by signing a $600
million deal with Simona International
Engineering, a Chinese cement equipment
and
State. His aim, which
he
graciously
achieved, was to
double the capacity
and expand BUA’s
then 10% market
share in Nigerian cement. Abdulsamad
became the Chairman of Cement Company of Northern
Nigeria PLC on February 2, 2010.
Abdulsamad
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worked his way to
transforming his millions into billions
through a series of
radical
decisions
after
another,
thereby giving debt
rise to the empire
that it as becom3
today. According to
him, during one of
his turbulent periods
when there seems to
be no way to ad-
coup. Then there
was the issue of the
planes; there were
two private jets and
we didn’t know what
to do with them. We
couldn’t fly them.
They
actually
grounded the jets.
We were able to get
the big one out and
we decided we didn’t
need it. I just got rid
of it. [My father] was
around.
They
grounded the small
plane for two years
but it was released
after [my father] was
released from detention.”
Abdul Samad
Rabiu understood
the dictates of to
whom much is
given… as he established the BUA Foundation which is used
Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital as well
as the construction
of the Centre for Islamic Studies at the
Bayero University
Kano amongst others.
Besides his assets in the BUA
Group, Rabiu owns
property in Britain
worth $62 million
and in South Africa,
penthouse at The
One & Only Hotel, in
Cape Town, worth
$12.6 million. Rabiu’s
taste for good living
is plain to see; he has
bought homes from
Eaton Square to
Bishop Avenue Road,
also known as Millionaires’ Row.
Rabiu
jets
around the world on
an 8-seater Gulf-
vance ahead:
“The biggest challenge was that there
were restrictions on
confirming letters of
credit because of the
in detention, so who
was going to be flying a private jet at
that time with the
Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari
for his philanthropic
activities.
These
include the construction of a 7,000
Square meter paediatric ward at the
worth $19 million.
Among his properties is a house in
Gloucester Square in
London worth nearly
$16 million and a
stream G550 worth
$44.9 million, powered by a Rolls-Royce
BR710 turbofan engine, as well as an
$18-million Legacy
600 aircraft.
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We Must Not Let Our Culture,
Heritage Die - Ooni of Ife
W
Eric Elezuo
hen the progenitor of the
Yoruba
race
speaks, it is like the oracles
have spoken; it is compared to the voice of a
deity. Not just any deity,
but a deity that has the last
cently when he reviewed
the potency of the black
man’s culture, using the
Yoruba tradition and the
events leading to the origin
of Lagos as a bedrock. In his
analysis, the Oba noted
that what many refer to as
gels, a part of his own who
are being set out for different assignments. As we
have the structure and the
throne on earth, so do we
have in heaven.”
The oba said that
the people’s culture is alive
the its passage to the next
generation is the only thing
that keeps it alive.
While eulogizing the
efforts of the forebears in
the creation of Lagos, the
Ojaja II noted that everyone in Lagos is there be-
say. The typical decider!
Who else could this description fit if not the first
among equals of all Yoruba
obas, the one and only
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye
Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.
The oba, who is reputed as
the custodian of the Yoruba
culture, was at his best re-
idol worship in the black
man’s way of life is far from
the truth, stressing that
‘we are not idol worshippers’. He said:
“We are all messengers of the Almighty Olodumare, the creator of
heavens and earth. We are
his servants; we are his an-
and remains alive so long
as people remain
“Our culture is
something that gives up an
edge that must be upheld,
that must be kept, and consciously followed, and the
same message must be
passed to the next generation,” he said stressing that
cause of the ancestors,
who gave their all to bring
to past the city called
Lagos.
“All of us in Lagos
are here because of our ancestors. The foundation has
been laid for all of us to
come together in one
peace and in one accord,
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and for all of us to benefit
from the celebration of one
of the greatest cities in the
world. Eko a gbe gbogbo
wa o (Lagos will be good to
awon asiwaju se adura lati
KO WA Ayo wo ilu Eko, Olodumare a tun Bo ma ko ire
wo ile gbogbo wa oo.”
He added that Lagos
cestors established great
emerging technologies,
and so they must not be
forgotten. He added that
the only way to remember
entourage got a place, the
‘ipese’ gave them a good
sign, ‘ipese ori, ipese ri, ase
ori, ise ori.’ Today, that is
what has become ‘iseri
all of us). Ilu Eko a Gbe WA
s’owo, a Gbe WA s’ola, a
Gbe wa si alafia (the city of
Lagos will bring to us
money, wealth and good
health).”
The Oba harped on
truth as the bedrock of the
ancestor’s existence, which
must reciprocated by the
people who live in the city
where it was founded on.
“Our ancestors founded
Lagos on truth, togetherness, peaceful co-existence, and that is why till
today Lagos is the most accommodating city in the
whole of this country. Ilu
Eko, ilu to gbo yin wa. Ilu
Eko o n moyin wole, lati
iwo orun. Egbo rin WA,
egbo rin wole lati ILA
oorun. Egbo rin wole lati
ariwa, egbo rin wole lati
gusu. Ire a wole gbogbo wa
oo. Olodumare a gbon ire
wole gbogbo wa oo. Bi
is one of the biggest
colonies in the world, because it has very ‘strong
link to our culture, a very
strong link to our tradition,
and a very strong lead to
our heritage’.
Like the biblical coin
with Caesar’s image, the
Oba agreed that honour
should be given to whom it
is due.
“I just gave honour
to our ancestors; they
came to this world to lay
the solid foundation for us
which we are all enjoying.
It shouldn’t be forgotten
because it is through the
landmark of tradition and
culture that we got all the
inventions that we are all
using today, including the
act of cloth making. Ani rin
ihoho oo. Omo araye oni ri
idi gbogbo wa oo.
The Oba emphasized that many of the an-
and honour them is to sustain their way of life, which
is culture.
He eulogised Olofin
Ogunfunminire, the Prince
of Ife, offspring of Olofin
Ajalaye, Olofin Oodua, reputed to have founded
Lagos, while challenging
the leaders of the great city
to follow the doggedness
of the founder because the
city is destined to be the
greatest city in the world.
He revealed that his words
are not his, but ‘it is message that all our ancestors
put together, and bestowed on me’.
Without knowing
where to go, he braced up
with the ‘ipese’, also
known as ‘ase’, which the
forebears call ‘ebo’, and
which today is referred to
as ‘onje’.
He narrated that
when Olofin, his wife and
olofin, iseri.’ ‘iseri olofin’.
He revealed that the invention of glass technology
started with the group, and
the western world developed it.
“These are landmarks of our traditions,
these are landmarks of our
culture, these are landmarks of our heritage that
must not be forgotten.”
He also elaborated
on certain landmarks like
the popular Iddo and
Ojuelegba, stressing that
the ancestors placed serious emphasis in establishing Lagos through those
routes.
“Who is here that
doesn’t know ‘Iddo? ‘Won
te do, won gba Ondo wole’,
and Lagos started becoming bigger and bigger. That
is the landmark we should
be celebrating. Another
great landmark in Lagos, is
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‘Ojuelegba’. Who doesn’t
know ‘Ojuelegba’ here?
Our ancestors placed a
very important deity there.
have set up to grow the
cities, stressing that such
should be tapped into, and
not neglected.
ing, it is part of everyone’s
day to day activity, and
should not be discarded.
He charged the Minister
‘Ojuelegba’ is very symbolic, very sacred for Lagos,
and there is no descendant
of ‘Olofin’ in Lagos that
doesn’t celebrate ‘Odun
“It is not only Lagos
that has wealth, other
states do, and it’s been
there from time memorial.
Why is Lagos special?
and commissioners of Culture to harness culture as it
is the easiest and the greatest access to foster development, eradicate poverty
Elegba’. Lagos is still the
centre of commerce. Nobody can take away that
from Lagos. It’s very rare,
for you to be very successful in Nigeria without passing through Lagos, in one
way or another.”
The Oba’s reasoning
lies in the fact that like
Lagos, other areas of Nigeria have various landmarks
which specific ancestors
There is so much explanation to it. Some people
would say our colonial
master came through
Lagos; They came through
other places too, but the
prayers of our founding fathers, our ancestors is what
is keeping Lagos alive till
today. ‘Eko Oni Baje oo’.”
`He harped passionately on the role of culture,
tourism and heritage, say-
and further emancipate
the less privileged.
“Today, culture and
tradition should be placed
very high; culture and tradition should be well taken
care of, and generation yet
unborn should know how
we started our journey got
far. Let us therefore, take
our culture, our tradition
very important,” the Ooni
said.
The Ooni rounded off with
a passionate appeal to
everyone to make culture
preservation and heritage
celebration a priority, saying that ‘we are not idol
worshippers’. He thanked
God for his encounter with
Lagos, saying the foundation Olofin and his group
laid gave him the impetus
to become the Ooni of Ife
today.
‘la gbara Olorun,
aye a ye gbogbo wa oo. A ni
rin ni jo ti ebi n pona.
Gbogbo wa la ma ri tiwa se
leko ooo.’ Afi n ju ido, lon je
oruko meji, Eko, Lagos. Ilu
Eko oni baje oo. E je ki
gbogbo wa parapo, ka
penupo, ilu toni asa ni, ilu
awon baba nla baba wa ni,
awon asiwaju wa lo te ilueko do. Won se adura,
adura yii ni afani ti gbogbo
n je.”
“That is my story for
today. That is the story of
our tradition. That is the
story of our heritage.
Please do not let our culture and heritage die. May
God bless us,” the highly
religious Ooni concluded
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Swap: End to Search for
Chibok Girls?
T
Eric Elezuo & Ajibade Morakinyo Temilorun
racking down the
Islamic
sect,
Boko Haram, by
the Federal Government of Nigeria, has
gradually turned into a
game of the hunter
and the hunted; a situation where each finds
a way to evade and attack the other.
The activities of
Boko Haram have
plagued the Nigeria na-
they devised another
strategy, and that was
brought to the fore
with the abduction of
276 school girls from
the Government Girls
Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on
April 14, 2014. The Chibok Girls, as they later
came to be called, became a defensive
mechanism for the
sect as their particular
certain Esther Maida
was recognized as one
of the girls abducted
over two years ago,
giving the sect the impetus to initiate a swap
system where members of their sect in
custody should be returned in exchange for
the much eluded Chibok girls. This is a follow up of videos with
brief message confirm-
ago at the Presidential
Villa, where security
operatives refused to
allow them entry to dialogue with the President.
Perhaps, the
sect’s demand in a new
video, on Sunday August 14, 2016, that the
only solution to bringing back the girls is to
swapped its members
who are detained at
The sect’s demand
which the Nigeria Military High Command
has dissociated itself
from, claiming it is a
political issue, calls for
caution as it is always
dangerous negotiating
with terrorist because
in the first place, they
have nothing to lose,
more so, negotiating
with reduces a country
sovereignty to ridicule.
tion and its neighbouring states for over 10
years. The Islamic
group, since 2002 has
perpetrated several ills
in their wake, affecting
the social, political, education and religious
lives of the people,
thereby drawing for itself world’s attention.
With the Federal Government’s massive action against the sect,
location was unknown
to the military.
And today, the
girls are not only a defensive mechanism,
but have also become
a bargaining chip,
which the sect is maximizing to the fullest,
going by their recent
demand after the latest video they released.
In the video, a
ing responsibility, and
threatening to sell the
girls, sent by the
deadly sect in the recent past.
Their activities
had been calling the
bluff of the world
whose attention was
specifically drawn to
the issue by the
#BringBackOurGirls
campaign group, who
were seen a few days
detention
centres
across the country as
negotiation between
Boko Haram and Federal
Government
seems to pick up may
just be the tonic the
Federal Government of
Mohammadu Buhari
needs to fulfill the
promise they made the
Nigerian
electorate
during the campaigns
to the 2015 elections.
“While one cannot tell
which negotiation will
bear good fruits, it is
always not adviable to
negotiate with anyone
who has nothing to
lose, especially a criminal who is not tired of
committing
more
crimes. So, the Boko
Haram’s request to negotiate and swap prisoners is a situation that
must be handled with
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caution,” said Barrister
Adeleke, a foreign affairs analyst.
He went ahead to recount
the experience of America, a
country which had hinged
one of its foreign policies on
the non negotiation of any
terms with terrorists.
“The case of the
United State of America
comes to mind instantly. It
will be recalled that the country negotiated with terrorists
during the Lebanon hostage
1500 anti-tank missiles and
got three hostages released,
three more were taken in
order to secure more
weapons, “which is why it is a
good idea not to negotiate
with terrorists”.
“From a conventional
point of view, swapping deal
with the group is a very difficult approach to get these
girls back, in terms of trust
and safe recovery of the girls.
Otherwise, what would
prompt a sovereign nation
crisis where over 100 foreign
hostages were taken in
Lebanon between 1982 and
1992, when the Lebanese
Civil War was ‘at its height’,
he said.
The hostages were
mostly Americans and Western Europeans, but 21 national
origins
were
represented. At least, eight
hostages died in captivity;
some were murdered, while
others died from lack of adequate medical attention to illnesses. US government was
under pressure to get Americans in the den of the terrorists released, and went on a
deal of supplying weapons to
the terrorist, in order, to swap
and get its citizens back from
the den of the insurgents.
Unfortunately, when
the terrorists received about
(Nigeria) to begin to negotiate with insurgents, despite
its standing army? Hence, it is
important that the government of Nigeria does what is
necessary to secure freedom
of these school girls,” the
legal expert added.
However, in the new
video, it is believed that the
identities of those new Boko
Haram leaders are unknown.
As a result, it is completely
difficult negotiating with unknown set of people in such a
situation. It is therefore difficult, if not impossible to enter
into agreement with someone with no known identity.
Lanre Awogbemi is a human
right activist, who believes
that the swap action should
be grabbed with both hands
considering the fact that the
insurgents are basically use-
less to the society unlike the
young girls whose lives are
just budding.
“But it would be unwise for
anybody to say that the Boko
Haram detainees should not
be released in order to get
the Chibok girls back, considering that the so-called detained members of the group
have zero usefulness to Nigeria,” he said, querying what
would it cost the Federal Government of Nigeria to swap
the prisoners for the girls. He
maintained that the detained
members do not add any
value to the society, rather
are draining the financial
base of the government, in
terms of feeding and accommodation.
However,
another
rights activist, Onyekwere
Orji, sees the demand of the
sect as unsual, and should
not be considered for any
reason. He questioned the rationale behind releasing
hardened criminals to the society in the name of realizing
Chibok girls, whose existence,
according to him, is subject to
debate.
“If the Chibok girls
have now turned to be the
amnesty, not to talk of unconditional freedom. Moreover,
nothing tangible seems to
prove the existence of the
girls. Somebody somewhere
is scamming Nigeria big time
in my own opinion. That
swap, wherever it originated
from, is not healthy for the
nation,” Orji said.
Some stakeholders
however, applaud the swap
idea that if it can bring the
girls back without confrontation or harm, knowing that
some of the girls have already
been murdered either by the
military air raids or many
other unconventional means.
They also see the swap
arrangement as an avenue
for bringing an end to the
menace of the Islamic sect as
they called on government to
expand the deal beyond just
swap on the group's side and
take the negotiation to a second phase.
But the questions that
must be considered before
negotiating with the Boko
Haram sect are: What evidence does the government
now have to show, after it
claimed it has won the war
against this group? This is as
government’s
bargaining
chip; then it’s a big shame.
Those arrested insurgents
should be hanged and not returned to the crime we are
trying to prevent. No reason
is good enough to release
those enemies of the people.
They don’t even deserve
the government claim that
the sect’s hide out, Sambisa
Forest, still remains functional and the abode of the
Chibok girls.
Again, one of the girls,
AminaAli, who allegedly escaped from the group with
her so called Boko Haram
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husband, can be use raw investigation for the hideout of
Boko haram and the girls if
the army is sincere about her
identity,
according
to
Awogbemi, asking what has
become of the ‘husband’ who
should have assisted the military by now in finding a lasting solution.
In an interview with
CNN, the senator representing Kaduna Central and former negotiator on the release
of the girls, Shehu Sani,
stated that impostors among
some of the negotiators had
been a challenge inhibiting a
breakthrough and suggested
that the source that facilitated the release of the video
should be engaged by the
government in the negotiation with the sect.
He said: “Negotiation
will make it possible for these
girls to be brought back home
alive. What has always been
the problem in the last few
years has been the very fact
that they are scam negotiators, who most times make
claims and don’t deliver. And
I think this is what we must
be very careful of at this time.
The very fact that we can get
such a credible video from
some sources, and those
sources are elements that
need to be utilised to be able
to achieve the goal of getting
these girls out.
“When
President
Muhammadu Buhari took
over, a section of our country
was taken over by the insurgence group. They hosted
their flags and even unleashed their version of theocratic Islamic group. But now,
with funding for the military
and support by the government, the morale is high, the
military had been able to
push them back and most of
the cities in the North-East
are safe. Buhari has not been
able to achieve 100 per cent
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success but he has made serious progress. I believe he
can still achieve more. With
the very fact that now, they
know clearly they cannot win
militarily and the only option
is to go for other ways. There
such a way that the chibok
girls are rescued and the terrorists retained still in government prison, fine, but if not,
they should go for the deal."
Dominic said.
“More so, I want to
girls are going through
presently."
She also exposed the
fact the girls are at the moment breeding a supplementary army for the sect
through child birth as it is
is no other way other than for
them to agree to negotiate
on the release of these girls.”
He added.
But according to a Lagos
based Journalist, Dominic Victoria, the swapping deal will
enable the group to terrorise
Nigeria the more, because if
the detainees are released
their strength of terrorism
will increase, stressing that if
swap is the only way to bring
those girls back, the government should press for it.
"As soon as federal
government has released
Boko Haram detainees, I
doubt the possibility of them
not terrorizing the country
the more. But it is lives of
young school girls we are
talking about here many of
them are only child of their
parents, and some of them
are from the same parents.
So, yes, government should
go for the deal, if that's the
only way to rescue them, or if
wisdom can be applied in
believe there is still a way of
bringing them back again, because this is a nation with
huge security forces, and of
which are capable of bringing
the girls back alive. After all,
we were the one who arrested the members of group
at first, so we can do that
again after the girls are in
save hands of their parents."
Dominic also buttressed reasons of swapping
the detainees for the girls as
including the pains they are
exposed to through sexually
agony, exposure to several
diseases, and given birth
through their undeveloped
sexual organs.
"Going into the deal
will also save the girls from
diseases they have been exposed to over the years with
the group, especially VVF
(Viscos Virginal Festula) because they are minors who
cannot withstand pain of
childbirth, and of course the
trauma the parents of the
likely that all the girls are
mothers today.
The fear of government, it is
believed is hinged on
whether the insurgents
would fulfill their part of the
agreement if government releases the detainees.
If the swap proposal is
the only light that can end
the long darkness, the country's government should not
allow the light to disappear,
but take advantage of it to release the girls.
However, it must be
noted that detainees swap
for the girls is generally not
an open-minded exercise. Adequate care must be taken to
ensure that the right group is
negotiated with, and government’s sincerity to rescuing
the girls should be paramount. There should be preconditions that would guide
the process, and the government of Nigeria should approach the process with the
required seriousness to give
Nigeria a relief of the girls if
they are actually there.
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Dissecting Tam David-West at 80
ith 80 years of very
fruitful living, a
man can conveniently beat his chest and
wish for the after life. However, this is even possible only
if the society is fed up with his
contributions. But while
some people may have done
all they could possibly do for
humanity at a certain age,
some are just limitless in
dishing out one good turn
after another to the people.
Consequently, it is difficult to
know they are getting old.
The above exemplified the live and times of the
latest octogenarian, Tamunoemi
Sokari
DavidWest,who was born on
August 26, 1936. He is popularly known today in both
secular and private life as Tam
David-West.
Tam David-West is a
prolific academic, social critic,
and to cap it all, former Federal Minister. Born in
Buguma, Kalabari, in today’s
Rivers State, David-West received his higher education at
the University of Ibadan
(1956–1958) and earned a
B.Sc degree at Michigan State
University in the United
States of America between
1958 and 1960. An astute
learner, he furthered his education and obtained an M.Sc
degree at the Yale University
in 1962, and followed it up
with a PhD degree at the
McGill University in 1966.
Returning home after
wards, David-West became a
consultant virologist and senior lecturer at the University
of Ibadan in 1969 and was
subsequently promoted to
Professor of Virology in 1975.
This marked the beginning of
a most remarkable and busy
Eric Elezuo
professional life.
David-West went on
to serve in the Nigerian government as Commissioner of
Education and a member of
the Executive Council of
Rivers State (1975–1979). He
General Muhammadu Buhari.
His zeal for service and attendant achievement gave him
recognition when the next
administration, which inadvertently overthrew the former he was serving in took
country. He was later proved
to be innocent of all allegations as he was discharged
and acquitted of these
charges by Nigeria's Special
Appeal Court on August 8,
1991.
was also a member of the
fifty-person
Constitution
Drafting Committee for the
Federal Military Government
of
General
Murtala
Muhammed (1979); a team
that today is referred to the
group that knowns Nigeria.
Bewteen 1984 and
1985, he served as Federal
Minister of Petroleum and
Energy during the regime
office. He was therefore,
called upon to head the
Mines, Power and Steel
under General Ibrahim Babangida in 1986 as Minister.
Well, things took a dramatic
turn soon afterwards as he
was eventually removed as
minister and arrested by the
Babangida regime for allegedly contributing to the
economic adversity of the
A friend of no particular government, David-West has
been an outspoken and controversial critic of the Nigerian government policy since
his purge and arrest under
the military regime of General Babangida. He criticized
the unconstitutionality of the
advisory council established
by President Goodluck
Jonathan in 2010, and he
NEWS
voiced caution against government unreservedly opening its doors to United States
intelligence.
David-West
can
openly say that he is not affiliated to any political party,
though
he
supported
Chibuike Amaechi of the then
Peoples Democratic Party for
reelection as Governor of
Rivers State in 2011.
Much as he is a historical ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, he has
described the Buhari-led Federal Government's decision
to hike the fuel price from
N86 to sudden N145 per/liter
as 'stupid' one.
The Professor of Virology and former Petroleum
Minister argued that the increase announced by Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe
Kachikwu, does not make
sense.
He had said: “It is stupid for two reasons. First, the
same NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) a few days ago was
filling petrol stations and selling fuel for N86. How can you
turn around a few days after
to say N145? No new petroleum has come in. It takes
two weeks for vessels from
Europe to arrive Nigeria.
There is something wrong
with the logic.”The second
abnormality with the increase, David-West insisted,
is the directive to marketers
not to sell above N145.
“How can you say
people should import fuel
and you tell them how to sell
it? It is stupid. You cannot tell
a private man to import fuel
into the country, and when it
arrives, the government will
now tell him how much to sell
it.
“It is stupid. It negates
basic economic principles.
When I see Buhari, I will make
a formal statement. I cannot
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
12
see how they can justify it.”
Still on petroleum
matters, which happened to
be his professional area core
of interest, David-West had
argued that he was wrongly
quoted that fuel was going to
sell for N40 per litre once
tion, a promise he made earlier if the administration
should derail.
During the controversy over who owns Soku oil
wells between Rivers and
Bayelsa States’ Governments,
David-West, who is also a
Soku, Idama, Elem-Sangama
and Abisse have existed for
over 300 years in Rivers State.
David-West is the author of academic papers in virology that have appeared in
scholarly journals such as
Journal of Pathology and Bac-
Buhari got into office. He clarifies: “I said if they removed
14 items they are adding to
pump price which should not
be there, petrol would sell for
N40 per litre.
“There are a lot of things they
added to inflate it. That is
cheating.
“They are adding NPA
(Nigeria Ports Authority)
charge, jetty depot price,
storage payment, margin for
retailers, bank charges, transportation from Europe, bridging, and all sorts of things. “If
they remove all these, petrol
price will come down to N40.
A Nigerian professor of petroleum in Texas has confirmed
my figure.”
As a man who keeps
his words, he is openly criticizing the Buahari administra-
rights activist, urged President Goodluck Jonathan
(who is a Bayelsa State indigene) to leave the controversial oil wells to Rivers State,
the known historical owners
of Soku.
Not only versed in
politics, virus and petroleum,
Professor David-West is also
at home with the history of
his people, and defends them
whenever it is appropriate.
He highlighted that the people of Kalabari kingdom are
prepared to fight the Presidency over the ceding of
Soku oil wells to Bayelsa State
at every level, stressing that
no part of Kalabari Kingdom
will be allowed to be ceded to
any other part of the country.
He revealed that the Kalabari
oceanic communities of Kula,
teriology (1966), Transactions
of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
(1973), Intervirology (1974),
and Journal of Hygiene
(1974). He also wrote the
book Philosophical Essays:
Reflections on the Good Life
(1980), in which he describes
himself as a follower of
British analytic philosopher
and social critic, Bertrand
Russell. David-West's lecture
in philosophy “God, Nature
and the Universe” (1981) was
delivered at the University of
Ibadan.
As today marks the
ardent professor’s 80th existence on planet earth, all
caps are raised high, saying
Happy birthday sir!
13
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
M
BUSINESS
Nigerian TOP 10 Business Icons
MICHAEL ADENIYI AGBOLADE
A
ALIKO DANGOTE
liko Dangote GCON (born 10 April
1957) is a Nigerian billionaire,
who owns the Dangote Group,
which has interests in commodities. The
company operates in Nigeria and other
African countries, including Benin,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana,
South Africa, Togo, Tanzania, and Zambia. As of June 2016, he had an estimated net worth of US$14.9 billion.
Dangote is ranked by Forbes
magazine as the 67th richest person in
the world and the richest in Africa; he
peaked on the list as the 23rd richest
ichael Adeniyi Agbolade Adenuga Jr (born 29 April 1953) is
a Nigerian business tycoon.
Adenuga, according to Forbes, is the second richest man in Nigeria but many believe that he may infact be the richest
and worth far more that the record
books suggest.
His company Globacom is Nigeria's second-largest telecom operator,
and also has a presence in Ghana and
Benin. He also owns stakes in the Equitorial Trust Bank and the oil exploration
firm Conoil (formerly Consolidated Oil
Company). Forbes has estimated his net
worth at $10 billion as of 2016, which
makes him second wealthiest Nigerian
behind Aliko Dangote, as well as the second richest person in Africa.
In May 2015, Adenuga made a
takeover bid to purchase Ivorian mobile
telecoms operator Comium Côte d'Ivoire
for $600 million.
In June 2016 it was revealed that
Adenuga was being pursued for a combined debt of USD $140.5 million, after
his company Conoil failed to pay debts
owed to, among others, the French oil
giant Total. Bellbop, another company
owned by Adenuga, has an interim injunction placed on it by the High Court
in Lagos, after failed to pay USD $9.4 million it owed to the US oil and gas firm
Baker Hughes.
person in the world in 2014. He surpassed Saudi-Ethiopian billionaire Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi in 2013 by
over $2.6 billion to become the world's
richest person of African descent.
The Dangote Group was established as a small trading firm in 1977.
Today, it is a multi-trillion naira conglomerate with many of its operations in
Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. Dangote has expanded to cover food processing, cement manufacturing, and
freight. The Dangote Group also dominates the sugar market in Nigeria and is
a major supplier to the country's soft
drink companies, breweries, and confectioners. The Dangote Group has moved
from being a trading company to being
the largest industrial group in Nigeria including Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Flour.
In July 2012, Dangote approached the Nigerian Ports Authority
to lease an abandoned piece of land at
the Apapa Port, which was approved. He
later built facilities for his flour company
there. In the 1990s, he approached the
Central Bank of Nigeria with the idea
that it would be cheaper for the bank to
allow his transport company to manage
their fleet of staff buses, a proposal
which was also approved.
In Nigeria today, Dangote Group
with its dominance in the sugar market
and refinery business is the main supplier (70% of the market) to the country's soft drinks companies, breweries
and confectioners. It is the largest refinery in Africa and the third largest in the
world, producing 800,000 tones of sugar
annually. Dangote Group owns salt factories and flour mills and is a major importer of rice, fish, pasta, cement and
fertilizer. The company exports cotton,
cashew nuts, cocoa, sesame seed and
ginger to several countries. It also has
major investments in real estate, banking, transport, textiles and oil and gas.
The company employs over 11,000 people and is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa.
Dangote has diversified into
telecommunications and has started
building 14,000 kilometers of fibre optic
cables to supply the whole of Nigeria. As
a result, Dangote was honoured in January 2009 as the leading provider of employment in the Nigerian construction
industry.
He said, "Let me tell you this and
I want to really emphasize it...nothing is
going to help Nigeria like Nigerians
bringing back their money. If you give
me $5 billion today, I will invest everything here in Nigeria. Let us put our
heads together and work."
BUSINESS
TONY ELUMELU
J
Jim Ovia
im Ovia (born November
4, 1951) is a Nigerian businessman who founded
Zenith Bank in 1990. After
gaining degrees at both
Southern University and University of Louisiana at Monroe, he attended Harvard
Business School. He served as
CEO until 2010, when he
transferred into the chairman
role. He has been the recipient of a Nigerian national
honor.
As an accomplished
banker with over three
decades experience, he intro-
T
ony Onyemaechi Elumelu (born 22
March 1963 in Jos, Nigeria) is an
economist by training, a visionary
entrepreneur and a philanthropist. Tony
is the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, the
United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and
founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation. Elumelu holds the Nigerian national honors, the Commander of the
Order of Nigeria (CON) and Member of
the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
In 2011, New African magazine listed
him as one of the 100 most influential
people in Africa and a year later, he was
recognized as one of "Africa's 20 Most
Powerful People in 2012" by Forbes
Magazine.
Elumelu is the originator of the
term Africapitalism. According to him,
O
ORJI UZOR KALU
rji Uzor Kalu (born April 21,
1960) is the chairman of SLOK
Holding and the Daily Sun and
New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria,
who served as the governor of Abia
State, Nigeria from May 29, 1999, to
May 29, 2007. Prior to his election, he
served as the chairman of the Borno
Water Board and the chairman of the
Cooperative and Commerce Bank Limited. Kalu was also a member of the Pro-
duced a great deal of innovations into the Nigerian banking industry. Jim is also the
Founder of Visafone Communications Limited. He is also
the Chairman of the Nigerian
Software Development Initiative (NSDI) and also Chairman,
National Information Technology Advisory Council (NITAC).
He is a member of the Honorary International Investor
Council as well as the Digital
Bridge Institute (DBI).
Jim Ovia is a member
of the Governing Council of
Lagos State University, Lagos
and also a member of the
Board of Trustees, Redeemer's
University For Nations, Lagos.
He was a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian
Investment Promotion Commission (1999 – 2007) and
also served on the board of
American
International
School, Lagos [2001 -2003].
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
14
Africapitalism is an economic philosophy
that embodies the private sector's commitment to the economic transformation of Africa through long-term
investments that create both economic
prosperity and social wealth. Elumelu
sees Africans taking charge of the valueadding sectors and ensuring that those
value-added processes happen in Africa,
not through nationalization or government policies, but because there is a
generation of private sector entrepreneurs who have the vision, the tools and
the opportunity to shape the destiny of
the continent. He insists that Africapitalism is not capitalism with an African
twist; it is a rallying cry for empowering
the private sector to drive Africa's economic and social growth.
gressive People’s Alliance (PPA) and the
chairman of the PPA Board of Trustees.
He was the party's candidate for president in the April 2007 general election.
As one of his love for business, Kalu is
the chairman of the Daily Sun, a Nigerian daily print newspaper founded and
published in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
Kalu is also the chairman of the New
Telegraph, Nigeria's first politically independent all-national newspaper, with a
circulation of 100,000 copies per day.
FOLORUNSHO ALAKIJA
Rose of Sharon Prints & Promotions Limited and Digital
Reality Prints Limited and the
executive vice-chairman of
Famfa Oil Limited. Alakija is
ranked by Forbes as the richest woman in Nigeria with an
estimated net worth of $2.1
billion As of 2015, she is
listed as the second most
powerful woman in Africa
after Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
and the 87th most powerful
woman in the world by
olorunsho Alakija is a Forbes. As of 2014, she is
Nigerian
business- listed as the 96th most powwoman who is the sec- erful woman in the world by
ond richest African woman Forbes. In May 2015 two
after Isabel Dos Santos and Nigerian women, Finance
also the third richest woman Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
of African descent in the and Alakija were listed
world. She is a business ty- among the world's 100 most
coon involved in the fashion, powerful women according
oil and printing industries. to Forbes. Alakija was 87th
She is the group managing di- on the list.
rector of The Rose of Sharon
Group which consists of The
F
15
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Femi Otedola (born 1962) is a
Nigerian businessman, entrepreneur
philanthropist, and chairman of Forte Oil
Plc, an importer of fuel products. He is
also the founder of Zenon Petroleum
and Gas Ltd, and the owner of a number
of other businesses across shipping, real
estate and finance. He is the second
Nigerian after Aliko Dangote to be included on the Forbes list of dollar-de-
April 9, 1939.
Dr Dozie studied at London School of
Economics, where he earned his degree
in Economics, and then a Masters in Administration from City University in London in 1963.
After his education, Pascal Dozie
set up his own consultancy, the African
Development Consulting Group in Lagos
Nigeria. As a matter of fact, Pascal never
worked for anyone. He was very fortunate to gather a lot of consultancies
Pascal Gabriel Dozie is a from big companies including Nestle and
Nigerian Business Leader and Invest- Pfizer. He later founded and is a Non-Exment Guru. He is a native of Egbu in the ecutive Partner at African Capital Alnorthern part of Owerri, Imo State of liance. He is also the founder of and the
Nigeria, born to court interpreter, on Chairman of Kunoch Limited. Among all
Jimoh Ibrahim is a
lawyer, politician, businessman, and philanthropist in Nigeria. He is the
C o s m a s
Madua¬buchukwu
Maduka, the Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer of Coscharis
Group of Compa¬nies, was
born to late Pa Peter and
Madam Rose Maduka of
Nnewi, Nnewi South Local
Government Area of Anambra State on December 24,
1958.
Dr. Cosmas Maduka is
a Nigerian Business man,
chairman and chief executive officer of Global Fleet
Group, a diversified conglomerate based in Nige-
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Coscharis Group of
Companies. His story is that
of grass to grace, a fighter,
survivor, winner, someone
who did not let the circumstance of birth prevent him
from achieving his destiny
and heart desires of making it
in his endeavours, though not
privileged to have a formal
education following the lost
of his father to the cold hands
of death at a tender age of 4.
Chief Cosmas Maduka went
on from just a young apprentice and a serving boy at a
very tender age of 7, to building one of Nigeria's great
brands, ranging from Auto,
Banking, Information communications
technology,
Manufacturing and other
businesses. These all started
BUSINESS
nominated billionaires. He has recently
invested in power generation as part of
the liberalization of the sector in Nigeria.
His business investments include Zenon
Petroleum and Gas, African Petroleum
that later became Forte Oil in late 2010.
He is also the owner of Swift Insurance.
This he has his hands in among many
others both home and abroad.
the companies he has founded, Dr Pascal Dozie is best known for his role as the
founder and former Chairman of Diamond Bank Plc.
Pascal Dozie was the Chairman
of the Board of MTN Nigeria, the biggest
telecom firm in Nigeria. His other business investments and interests include
ADIC Insurance Limited and Aluminum
Extrusion Industries PlC.
Pascal Dozie is a former Director
of the Central Bank of Nigeria and one
time President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and until recently, he was Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit
Group.
ria, with business interests and subsidiaries in
neighboring West African
countries.
from a one man business he
founded, Coscharis Motors,
Which from its humble beginning is now a large conglomerate, and he also served as a
non-executive director in Access bank board.
With the 300 naira ambitious
and determined Maduka
started Coscharis as a sole
proprietor, making some
good fortune from buying
and selling motorcycle spare
parts from Boulous Enterprises, through one of its innovation called motorcycle
crash ban, from this business
his capital rose from a 300
naira startup capital to 3000
naira in cash asset. The
money realized was later lost
to wrong importation and he
had to start back from
scratch.
In 1983 Coscharis Group was
incorporated, dealing in importation of auto spare parts
for Japanese vehicles and related auto products. The
company founded by Dr.
Maduka is one of the pioneering institutions for auto
and auto parts dealership in
Nigeria with its first head office opened in 1989 at 1-7
Coscharis street, Maza Maza,
Kirikiri industrial Estate in
Lagos.
His company with interest in
other sectors of the Nigerian
economy aside Automobile
and spare parts has several
branches across major cities
and towns in Nigeria and he
has an estimated net worth
according to lifestyle magazine, Forbes is placed at excess of 1 billion US dollars.
EVENTS
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
16
Lagos @ 50’s Third Festival Colloquium with Ooni of Ife
Story by: Egbeyemi Mariam
T
he culture of Lagos
was showcased at its
best recently at the
Shell Hall of the Muson
Centre, venue of the Lagos
at 50 Third Festival Colloquium. The event which
featured the custodian of
the Yoruba culture, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the
Ooni of Ife, exemplified the
fact that ‘our culture
speaks for us wherever we
find ourselves’.
The capacity filled
hall was entertained nonstop with the fascinating
displays from various
dance groups from Lagos
State including Footprints
of David from Bariga, Zang-
beto masquerade from
Ajido, the National Troop
of Nigeriia which performed the Olokun Dance
among many others.
The high point of
the event was the arrival of
Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in company of his elegant wife, Olori Wuraola
Zainab Ogunwusi. The arrival created much pomp
and pageantry as the combination of palace chiefs,
escorts well wishers, jourtnalists and the general
public gave it the fanfare
suitable for the traditional
custodian of the Yoruba
culture.
In his message, on
the theme:“Tourism po-
Photo by: Ken Ehimen
tential in Yorubaland:
Landmarks,Culture nd History” the Ooni of Ife, Oba
Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi,
said that there is need to
promote our culture because in the end, our culture will promote us, while
describing in vivid details
the history of Yoruba land;
how it came to limelight
and the formation of Lagos
(Eko).
The monarch’s message was succeeded by the
premiere of a film produced by Fola Onifade and
Bukky Wright titled Eko:
Iwure Olofin (The Blessing
of Olofin) which centred
on the origin and foundation of Lagos. It is on
record that the Ooni
showed character by remaining at the event until
the very end.
An event of such
magnitude was not bereft
of dignitaries as the likes of
the Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Muhammed, the
Speaker, Lagos State Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru
Obasa, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, Famous cinematographer, Tunde Kilani,
Former Cross River State
Governor, Donald Duke,
Chika Balogun, Rasheed
Gbadamosi, prominent
artists, entertainers, industrialists among many others were present.
17
The
EVENTS
BOSS NEWSPAPER
(R-L) Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) with His Excellency, Donald Duke
Chief Mrs. Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, His Excellency Donald Duke with Buky Wright
Adeleye Adesile, Olawale Ogundare, & Bisi Badmus
Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed with Buky Wright
Dr Michael Olawale-Cole, Adejuwon Alain, Chief Dr. Olawale Cole, & Folami Musim Olohuntele
Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi & his wife
Lagos State Speaker, Alhaji Mudashiru
Obasa
Alazia Azeezat Ololade Amoo
Akin Adelegan with Akin Adejuwon
Chika Balogun & DG Nihotour
EVENTS
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
18
Buky Wright
Chief (Mrss) Erelu Abiola Dosunmu
Chief Fola Onifade with Mr. Tunde Kilani
Iwna Pinka
Mrs. Taiwo Ajayi Lycet & Prof. Omofolabi
Ajayi-Soyinka
The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba
Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) and his
wife Olori Wuraola Zanaib Ogunwusi
Tunde Kilani
Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
19
The
COVER STORY
BOSS NEWSPAPER
One year after his death Remembering
O
Amb. Deinde Fernandez
n Tuesday, September 1, 2015, the
world woke up to the
shocking news that the enigmatic
Amb.
Antonio
Oladeinde Fernandez had
died in far way Belgium-and
one year after, many, especially his family members,are
still trying to process the fact
His fashion & fortune
By Eric Elezuo
that this giant of a man is no
more.
Very little is known
about his early childhood in
Lagos, but Amb. Fernandez
was one of the very few individuals whose life was the
stuff of tales. Many stories
were woven around his fashion, his fame and his fortune-
and some even swore that
Fernandez was a fable and
was nonexistent, this was the
story in town until he began
to actually make some form
of personal appearances at
high-profile events in Lagos
and his marriage to Lagos
Princess Erelu Abiola Dosunmu became public knowl-
Entertaining President Mandela (second left) and others at home
Fernandez (middle) recieving world leaders at home
President George Bush and Fernandez
edge.
A business magnate,
diplomat, mining tycoon and
Permanent Representative of
Central African Republic to
the United Nations, Fernandez was a man who lived life
in absolute style and class. He
was one of Nigeria’s most
mysterious and reclusive bil-
COVER STORY
The
Ambassador Herman Cohen (Sitting) and Ambassador Fernandez when he was picked ‘Best Businessman in Libreville’.
lionaires with properties in
several African countries as
well as in Europe and America.
Legendary for his
flamboyant dressing, Fernandez was one of those men
who lived life to the fullest.
He lived big anywhere he
lands in the world. He never
settles for anything but the
very best-in terms of class,
taste and luxury.
His intimating height, booming voice and fine taste endeared him to many. He was
friends with many world leaders and men of means, and
his luxurious homes located
played host to many of these
first-rate
international
celebrities.
Of course, whenever
he was in town, his presence
was felt. He oftentimes arrives in his private jet and is
received regally like a royal in
exotic automobiles.
His royal carriage was
not acquired, he is indeed a
blue blooded because he
hailed from the Olumegbon
Ruling House of Lagos and his
family motto is “agbomeji kii
momi nikoto”, meaning “two
rams cannot drink from the
same bucket.
In 1982, he shot to
monumental prominence as
BOSS NEWSPAPER
20
he was appointed an Advisor
to the Angolan Government
on Economic Matters.
Two years later, he became a
Deputy Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the
United Nations.
In 1992, he was made
a Special Adviser to the President of Mozambique on International
Economic
Matters, a position he held till
1995.
21
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
COVER STORY
Rob Angel & Fernandez
Fernandez visits Durban, South Africa, L-R: Mandela, Rob Angel with Fernandez on extreme riht
Fernandez & President Nguema in tete-a-tete
Fernandez, Kofi Anan & Dr. Mocumbi, Prime Minister
Life on a yacht, Fernandez (middle), Mobutu(right)
Former President Mobutu Sese Seko with Fernandez
COVER STORY
Note the Nigerian colours
The
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22
23
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
In addition to his diplomatic
duties, Mr. Fernandez ran a
string of companies such as
Petro Inet t, a mining firm
that had extensive oil, gold,
and diamond interests in Angola as well as in the Central
African Republic.
He also owned Sandcat Enterprises, View, Grantdale,
Inuola,
Sandcat
Goldfields,
Voguehope,
Woods, Goldfields, and PetroInett Equatorial Guinea.
Fernandez
also
owned a string of properties,
including a £3 million seven
storey Gerogian town house
in Edinburgh; a £4 million
New York estate; a 25-acre £1
million 19th-century Chateau
de Bois Feuillette in Paris; a
£10 million property on the
Premium Point peninsula,
New York, among others.
Amb. Fernandez was
once described by Ovation International as “the guardian
of panache and prosperity”
who surrounded himself
“with exquisite things only
money can buy”.
As much as he tried to shield
his affairs, and personal life
from the public, a messy,
record-breaking N90 billion
divorce suit parted the veil in
2003, and gave the public a
peep into the privacy of one
of the richest persons in the
world. It was one of the
biggest divorce cases in
British legal history! The case
which was tried in Scotland
supposedly cost him £5m
(five million pounds) and
some properties.
Popular
celebrity
journal, Ovation International
Magazine some years back
was given an exclusive access
to his private Island off the
Coast of New York, the aweinspiring pictures were a
wonder to behold. His yacht,
Yemoja was topnotch in
terms of its sheer magnificence.
According
leading
Scottish paper, The Scotsman,
his house in Scotland,
Drumsheugh Gardens, was
reportedly one of Edinburgh’s
more prestigious addresses.
It went further to state thus:
“The billionaire African diplomat Antonio Deinde Fernandez has already spent more
than £200,000 transforming
his seven-storey townhouse
by applying 1,000 books of
gold leaf to the ornate cornicing and balusters.
“The Central African
Republic’s Ambassador to the
United Nations travels across
the world in one of six private
jets and enjoys being chauffeured around in a pink RollsRoyce. When dining out, he
takes over the entire restaurants to avoid encountering
riffraffs” He also asked and
was granted permission to
build an orangery in his backyard.
At his burial in London, Popular man of God,
Pastor Tunde Bakare joined
his immediate family, close
friends and associates to pay
their last respects.
The choice of his final resting
place actually caused a rift in
the family. His wife, Halima,
and some of his children
COVER STORY
were not on the same page.
His children wanted him as an
African High Chief to be
buried in Lagos but Halima
would not hear of it-and so
the great Deinde Fernandez is
not resting in the land of his
forebears.
This burial palaver really blew over days later with
spats over his will and fortune-till date, the matter has
remained unresolved, though
many prominent Nigerians
have been making efforts to
unite the family.
Ambassador Fernandez’s eldest child is former
Lagos State Commissioner,
Chief (Mrs.) Olateju Phillips.
His other children include
Gbemi, Anthony, Akin, Titi,
Oyinkan, Atinuke, Koye and
Abimbola Fernandez, who is
an artiste (known as ‘Bim’
Fernandez, she is based in
New York and released a single “Let’s take it naked” in
2014. One of his grandchildren, DJ Caise, (Derin Phillips)
is also making his mark in the
entertainment industry.
24
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
COVER STORY
AT THE FUNERAL IN BELGIUM LAST YEAR
COVER STORY
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
25
26
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
COVER STORY
27
The
EVENTS
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Kehinde Osotimehin &
Oladele Olorunleke in
Grand Traditional Wedding
Story by: Ajibade Morakinyo
Photo: Falodun Abraham
Dr. & Mrs. Uwemedimo Esiet, Prof (Mr) & Mrs. Babatunde Osotimehin, Kunle Adeniyi, & Niyi Ojuolape
Happy parent with their daughter, Kehinde Osotimehin
The beautiful Couple
T
Groom’s Father, Mr. Ajibola Olorunleke, praying
Dr. Tokunbo Abiose, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, & Dr. Funso Onafowokan
Eyitayo Olukotun, Cap. Philip Olukotun, Chief D.A Olorunleke, Mrs. Olukotun, & Mrs.
Olorunnipekun
he aim and purpose of falling
in love with a special person
was fulfilled recently between
Kehinde Olukemi Osotimehin and
Oladele Olorunjuwon Olorunleke, in
a glamorous traditional (engagement) ceremony as both tied the
nuptial knot to begin a new life at
the Imperial, Lekki Coliseum, Lagos,
in grand style.
The event, which witnessed colourful attires from the
families of the bride and groom,
began with God as an opening
prayer was said by Pastor Tunde
Adisa.
The guests were entertained by live music band, Top Band,
as assorted foods and drinks flowed
with ease. This is even as the traditional Master of Ceremony, Titi
Adeleke, did a great job to ensure
maximum entertainment with subtle jokes.
The bride, Kehinde Osotimehin, who arrived with smiles in
her charming and well tailored aso
oke, accompanied by a retinue of
friends (bride's maids) in glowing
purple gowns, met her handsome
prince, Oladele Olorunleke, who
stunned in admirable 'agbada' with
neck and wrist beads like a titled
oba.
Thereafter, all gift items
asked for on the engagement list
(Eru Iyawo) were packaged and presented to the bride's family, as the
couple joyously wave away their
bachelor and spinster's era with engaging rings on their fingers before
cutting the cake.
The elegant ceremony,
which was host by two popular; the
fourth Executive Director of the
United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin and David Ajibola Olorunleke,
drew a good number of personalities as well as management and
staff of UNFPA.
EVENTS
Couple with maid of homour
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Abisoye Fagade & Hon. Abubakar Kannike
Dr. Tokunbo Abiose, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, & Dr. Funso Onafowokan
Dr. Tokunbo Abiose, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, & Dr. Funso Onafowokan
Arrival of Groom, Oladele Olorunleke, with friends
Mr. & Mrs. Muyiwa Onabolu, & Dr. Yinka Sogbesan
Derin Alabi, Abimbola Craig, & Oluwaseyi Fadase
Mr. Folu Aderibigbe, Wole Sowole, & Aremo Yemi Ogunbiyi
28
29
The
EVENTS
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Yoruba Tennis Club Unveils 90th
Anniversary Logo And Programmes
Eric Elezuo
I
n preparation for the week
long 90th Anniversary celebration of the Yoruba
Tennis Club, the leaders and
members of the club, have
held a press conference at
the club's premises in Onikan,
Lagos, to intimate members
of the public of the programmes lined up as well as
recount the enviable history
of the club, which has
spanned nine decades.
Welcoming the chairman, members of trustees,
members of club and the
press to the event, the Hon.
General Secretary of the club,
Bro (Engr.) Olawunmi Gasper,
reeled out the past chairmen
of the club, eulogising them
for their immense contribution, and also the present administration of Bro Ayodele
Martins.
In his address, the
chairman of the Club, Bro Ayodele Martins appreciated
the attendees and expressed
the fact that the 90th anniversary will commence on
September 13 with a thanksgiving service and berth on
September 17 with Gala Nite.
in between, according to the
chairman, there will be a lecture to be given by the Vice
President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on September 16.
During a question and
answer session conducted by
the Bisi Olatilo, the Chief Executive Officer of Biscon
Communications, the chairman fielded questions from
members of the press on various issues relating to the
club. In one of his answers,
the chairman noted that the
club is built on character, and
only persons of character are
absolved.
"The club is basically
for mature people. It does
not revolve round material
things, but on character. As a
result, mature people who
had seen life are more suited
for membership unlike
younger men who are yet to
know what life is all about.
We are our brother's keeper,
and we can't support anything illegal," he said.
The high point of the
event was the unveiling of
the anniversary logo by Bro
Dr. Bolaji Ajenifuja and the
unveiling of the anniversary
cap, gele, ipele by the
Women Wing of the Club.
The Vice Chairman,
Bro.
Prof.
Adetokunbo
Fabamwo, gave the vote of
thanks while the Social Secre-
tary, Bro. Obafemi Oduwole
said the closing prayers and
led the members in the
recitation of the club's anthem as the conference
rounded off.
Among
attendees
were top media executives
which include Azu Arinze of
Yes Magazine, Larry Izamoje
of Brilla Sports FM, Seyi Kehinde of City Magazine, Yomi
Badejo Okusanya of CMC
Connect, Yinka Amosu, Rector of Radio Nigeria; General
Manager of Metro FM, former governorship aspirant in
Osun State, Senator Iyiola
Omisore, Ovation International Editor, Michael Effiong,
members of the club, who
appeared in all while among
many others.
EVENTS
The
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30
31
The
EVENTS
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Skysigns and Adverts Floats Llegada
Arrival Lounge at MMIA
S
kysigns and Adverts
Nigeria Limited has
launched a new arrival
lounge at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos called Llagads
Arrival Lounge.
The launch, which
was supervised by the Managing Director, Olatunbosun
Onalaja, had other members
of staff in attendance as well
as friends, well wishers and
business associates
The managing director explained that the company has two other lounges
Mr. Tito Okpaise cutting the Lounge tape
in Abuja and Lagos, and are
desirous of rendering the
best quality services to travelers as well as determined to
bring about change in Nigeria’s economy by introducing
the first ever arrival lounge in
the country.
The lounge, according
to him, is opened to any
economy class traveler who is
badly in need of relaxation
before gathering the strength
to get home, noting that Llagads, which is a Spanish word
for ‘Arrival’ gives comfort
away from home. Among
some of its services are
freshen up shower, refreshment, napping and any other
thing a home can provide.
During his opening
speech, Olatunbosun appreciated the guests for coming
and stated the purpose of the
gathering, after which an inspection of the facility was
conducted, showcasing the
aesthetic and attractive nature of the lounge in and out.
The well-conditioned interior
was well decorated and endowed with various artworks
mostly depicting African cul-
ture. No one needed to be
told to feel at as the atmosphere provided a true home
away from home. The atmosphere was further lightened
with the provision of assorted
beverages such as snacks,
wine, tea, coffee among others.
Important personalities at the event include the
Regional Manager, West
Africa, Rashika Sunker Batoh;,
Ccaud Batohi, Oladimeji Onalaja, Muyideen Afariogun
and many others.
EVENTS
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
32
Cutting of the Lounge Cake
Mr. Bosun Onalaja with Ebenezer Fashola
Mr. CCaud Batohi, Mr Justin Bell, Mr. Olajide Onalaja with Mr. Percival Uwechue
Mr. Olufemi Adefope, Edith Udegbe with Mr. Percival Uwechue
Mr. Percival Uwechue with Mr. Bosun Onalaja
Mr. S. S. Sanni, Mr. Bosun Onalaja, Mrs. Francesca sonaike, Mr. Tito Okpaise with Mr. G.
E. Ikpekha
Mrs. Clara Uforo with Mrs. Joke Olatunji
Vivian Anyama, Rashika Sunker-Batohi, Mr. Bosun Onalaja with Esther Bibi
I Started Recording Music in
Wardrobes – Dj Coublon
33
The
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Emmanuel T. Edward
T
he Nigerian music industry has without
doubt made remarkable leaps and bounds, stemming
from
a
fierce
competition the industry has
assumed over the years
Photo: Ken Ehimen
which has gradually separated the minions craving
stardom by all means from
those endowed with profound talents which have
turned the country’s music
landscape into a money spinning sector of the economy,
working tirelessly hard to do
us proud.
One needs not be a
music connoisseur if you may,
to acknowledge great works
like "Lekwa ukwu, Duro,
Woju, Laye, Ferrari," to mention a few, which most cer-
tainly are the delight of listeners whether in pubs, radio request programs, countdowns
and other mediums of musical entertainment.
My ears swerved in
the direction of the music the
first time I heard the song
“woju ”in far away Dubai. As
the soothing melody of that
song gradually found appeal
with my soul, I spontaneously
began seeking information
about its producer.
I really could not hold back
my profound admiration for
this young talent, known as
Charles Ugochukwu Akwuba,
aka Dj Coublon whose musical production brings joy
across geographical boundaries.
The Aniocha born
music producer is definitely a
phenomenon. The evident
creativity he brings to bear in
his music production is a hallmark of exceptionality.
Born in Aniocha,
Anambra State, South-East of
Nigeria, where he finished his
primary and secondary education, Music to Dj Coublon
goes beyond passion. His
early baptism into the world
of music fostered his love for
the art, as he began playing
the keyboard and guitar at a
tender age; having no inkling
that one day his hands would
make sweet melodies that
will rock the world.
Being the first child in
a family of seven, Dj Coublon
by all accounts is a role model
for the youths whose exemplary standard inspired his
four younger siblings as it is
doing to many other youths
today.
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
34
The graduate of Physics and
Electronics from Veritas University, Abuja, took keen interest in the intrinsic
relationship that exists between Physics and sound to
create his own signature in
music production.
His break came in
2014/2015 in a most fashionable manner when he regaled
the music world with his afrogenius percussions on Tekno’s
Duro, having entered a two
year contract deal with Made
Men Music Group (MMMG).
And just when we thought he
to make music and we were
recording in our wardrobe,
because I stayed in the hostel
in my university days. My
friends and I would record in
the wardrobe which was
more like a makeshift studio.”
While studying in the
university, Dj Coublon began
to consider music as a his career path, and decided to give
production a try and so began
an adventure and love affair
that has propelled him to
prominence, well ahead of
many others in the industry.
“Physics had always
Early influences, challenges
and major break
Reggae music has for a longer
time that can be measured,
been a strong and early motivation to young music talents
with its rich unequivocal
rhythm and evoking lyrics
proven to be a source of inspiration for many budding
talents.
“I grew up listening to
lots of reggae music, because
that was what my dad always
listened to. And then, the
major connection I had with
music then was the choir. I
really easy, as much as we
trying to manage stress. It
was tasking balancing music
with my studies, because I
wanted to graduate with
good grades and at the same
time I was trying to harness
my skill in music production.”
His arrival in Lagos
kicked off on a rather sad
note, where he and his manager were victims of ingenious deceit whilst trying to
secure an apartment in the
city.
"Well, nothing good
comes easy. My manager and
had rested on his oars, he yet
hit us with other massive
songs; Woju and Laye, by Kiss
Daniel.
Craving appetite for music
Having cut his teeth in music
playing the keyboard and the
guitar at a tender age the
passion for music was discovered and easily fused into
production seamlessly.
“I started production
in 2007, that was when I left
secondary school, then I used
been my passion as well as
music, but my love for Physics
gives my production a unique
touch of dissimilarity that
readily makes the evident difference between me and
other producers. Physics allows me interact with sounds
both physically and mentally,
and also spiritually. It just enables me to have that versatility in creating sounds and
good music.”
was a bass singer. So, that
spurred a keen interest for
me playing the bass guitar.”
Disappointments and daunting challenges are unavoidable in climbing the ladder of
success.
Dj Coublon didn’t
quite find success on a soft
landing as the maestro had to
juggle between his music career and academics.
“I actually created a balance
between it, because it’s not
I were doing some productions for upcoming artistes in
Onitsha, when he brought up
an idea that we should move
to the big city to do something extraordinary. We
didn’t know anyone in Lagos
at that time, but we just felt
like doing something really
different. So, we took a bus to
Lagos and our first point of
contact was Berger bus stop.
We had to look for a place to
stay and we called a sup-
35
The
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
BOSS NEWSPAPER
posed agent on phone, who
then asked us to transfer
some recharge cards so he
could commence with the
house hunt. We did send the
recharge cards to him, but to
our greatest surprise the
agent switched off his phone
after some minutes.”
Despite falling prey to
fraudsters, Dj Coublon never
gave up on his dreams, and
ultimately fate played out in
“I am grateful to God for
everything because, he is my
source of inspiration and motivation. “
The world seem to be
attune with Afro beat music
and Dj Coublon has carved
out a niche for himself in that
genre. His sounds convey and
bring to life the rich smoothness of African instruments,
creatively laced in seducing
cadences. Little wonder, the
his favour when he made acquaintance with Mike Anyasodo, winner of MTN Project
Fame season 2. It was his passion and talent that informed
Mike’s judgment to introduce
him to the Kukere crooner,
Iyanya, with whom he later
worked with on Lekwa ukwu.
Motivating factor, Afro beat
sound and Personality
I wasn’t surprised
when Dj Coublon, said to me
that God is his source of motivation and inspiration, for
the reason that such phrase is
quite familiar with almost
every artiste in Nigeria.
likes of Wizkid, Davido, Tekno,
Reekado Banks and other Alist artistes have taken interest to muscle in on his act.
“I thank God that the
Afro beat sound is already
trending on a worldwide
scene, with the likes of Wizkid and other artistes representing our very own sound.”
Simple and fashionable; that’s what Dj Coublon
is! At first sight, he has a
charismatic figure, humble
yet, with an air of exceeding
intelligence. I was startled by
his honed accent and pleasing smile. Dj Coublon has a
penchant for good food and
believes that the right nutritional value only helps the
brain to process and work
well.
"I love good food and I'm not
shy to admit that. It really
does not matter what I eat, as
long it has the right nutritional value."
Future plans
Right now, Dj Coublon
can only appreciate the mo-
ment and be positively expectant.
“Well, it depends
on the direction; it depends on what I see myself
doing. Just to become a
better person for myself,
because we never know
what tomorrow has in
store for us. But I'll always
stay focused,” he said.
I
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
The
t has been an amazing and fulfilling year for so many Nigerian musicians
both
locally
and
internationally and we can testify to
this as fans, also we’ve had numer-
Ayodeji Balogun popularly called Wizkid or
Star boy has announced
that he will be dropping
his third studio Album
this year with a lot of foreign collabos, Wizkid
who just returned to
Lagos from his world
tour has been one of the
busiest Nigerian musician this year so far. The
title of his third studio
album is Sound from the
Other Side (SFTOS).
ous albums that are being reckoned
with home and abroad. Many of the
albums are now floating to the International charts.
Artiste like Kiss Daniel, Lil
BOSS NEWSPAPER
36
Kesh, Adekunle Gold and Patoranking
are doing good on the charts but
there are still many to come.
Here are reviews for yet to be
released albums by Nigerian artistes;
end of the day they bring
what they bring to the
terparts in the music table and I bring what I
bring to the table. I don’t
industry.
She in a recent interview see them as Male
with hip TV said “I don’t Artists, just as artists.”
get intimidated by male
artists because at the
I Don’t Get Intimidated By that she is not intimiMale Artists – Simi
dated by her male coun-
The alternative music
sensation and lover of
many, Simisola Ogunleye
popularly known by her
stage name Simi has
opened up to the fact
Olamide
Baddo Sneh! It has been
confirmed that Olamide
will be dropping his 6th
studio album this year.
This statement gets to be
repeated every year and
it is obvious that the
YBNL boss does not want
to give us any break on
listening to him. The
name of the album has
not yet confirmed, but it
has been said that songs
like Konkonbility and
Abule Sowo will not be
on the album. Kudos to
Baddo!!!
CDQ who has been in the limelight for
some time now has talked about releasing his album earlier this year and
he has lived up to his house word.
Few days ago he unveiled the album
art for his studio album which he calls
“Quality”.
Alongside dropping the artwork
the rapper expressed on his Instagram
page gratitude to his fans.
“A dude from the ghetto, slum, floor,
project resting on the shoulder of success all because you gave me chance
and believe in me…I can’t thank you all
enough my fans and well wishers God
bless you #Woss #QUALIssTY #ALBUMCOVER #GRL”#7DaysTo Go.”
37
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Cynthia Morgan
Northside INT artiste, Cynthia Morgan is getting ready to drop her
#Madrina album, which will be released this year too. When asked
what the fans should expect she said:
“Looking back at what I’ve been putting out as an artiste, I think I’ve tried
for myself, and then I’ve proved myself to an extent for people to trust
and believe. I’m gonna do my part,
I’m working hard to make sure my
fans feel the album, and then I wanna
be closer to my fans.”
Reminisce
Reekado Banks
Reekado Banks has announced his debut
album will be dropping
in August 2016! Reeky as
he is fondly called b fans
has twitted that his
album is going to be
massive and the best
album for the next ten
years.
as he has named
his album, has promised
to make headlines and
to international charts.
Not much has been said
about the album, but anticipation is the key.
‘Lafiaji’
Wizkid set to sign deal with
Sony Music
Nigerian music industry is
moving to the next level as
one of the most popular
Nigerian artist is set to sign a
deal with international record
label, Sony music, which has
featured some of the big
names of the international
music scene like late Micheal
Jackson, Beyonce, Usher
among others. Sony has also
signed Davido, which means
WizKid will be sharing the
same building with Davido at
Sony music’s New York office
nicknamed big apple. He recently featured in popular
Canadian artist, Drake's latest
album. The future, for the
Nigerian artist is buoyant.
YORUBA ACTOR, JIDE ALABI,
RETURNS TO ACTING
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
“Let tell you I’m gonna be
dropping like 25 songs on my album,
it’s something new, something that’s
never happened in Africa.”
‘Because I wanna be closer to
my fans, I wanna be able to relate, I
wanna be able to talk to them in different ways what they’re going
through in their lives, what I’ve been
through… Most times I write about
experience and stuff like that. So, just
trust me’.
We really should expect much from
the reggae dancehall artiste this year.
The winner of the
January 2016 headies
best collaboration
with ‘local rappers’
featuring rap wonders Phyno and
Olamide is set to re-
The popular Yoruba actor,
Jide Alabi has finally returns
to acting after 6 years of absence.
Jide Alabi quit acting
in 2010 to become the Manager, Radio programmes,
Rhythms 93.7 FM and also to
anchor sports programs at Silverbird Television.
He joined Silverbird Television
after the ex anchor, Wale
lease his third studio
album
‘ E l H a d j ’.
Following the
s u c cess of
his last
album
BabaHafusa,
which I
personally was
a big fan of made
waves and even
earned a nomination
at the last Headies
awards as rap album
of the year.
Scott left the station.
Jide Alabi, who studies
Mass Communication, won
the sports presenter of the
year at the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Award in 2014,
and has been seen in a new
movie titled "SADE PEPPER".
The movie also features Funsho Adeolu, Tunde Sobayo,
Bimbo Oshin, Lanre Hassan,
Monsuru Obadina.
38
S
The
SPORTS
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Rio 2016: The Philosophy of Golden Bronze
hould we say history repeated itself in disguise?
Do we say they are the
‘real
Nigerian
Olympians?’ Should
they be credited or
condemned? Do we
say there is glory after
disappointment
or
after being faltered?
How have we contributed our appreciative quota to them? So
many rhetorical questions, who will answer
them?
For the team
Nigeria, bringing home
the only medal from
the world’s biggest
sporting event, the
Dream Team VI should
be credited according
to some, and should be
scolded according to
others. In picking what
side to stay on, there
are so many constraints to be put into
consideration.
After bringing home
the gold medal in Atlanta ’96, the nation’s
football team has again
done Africa proud after
failing to clinch a
medal at the Olympics
football event in Sydney 2000, 2004 silver
in Beijing 2008, and
even failing to qualify
for football in London
2012. This medal according to the team
Nigeria captain and
soccer team skipper,
John Mikel Obi is seen
as the golden bronze
facing the fact that it is
the nation’s only medal
at the event this year,
ranking 78th on the
medal list.
Taking a glance at his-
David Adeyemi
tory or dating back to
20 years, the Olympics
team Nigeria was
stranded at exactly
around the same period and the famous
American
aviation
company, Delta airline
was there to come to
the rescue of the team
and fortunately or otherwise, the team was
able to clinch a gold
medal at the football
event. This feat repeating itself is what can be
years after. It was the
golden honour in Atlanta, silver in Beijing
and the bronze in Rio.
Or do we say the Delta
airline pocess some
favourable charms for
the Olympic soccer
team?
Grabbing the
3rd place (bronze) in
this year’s soccer competition, an Olympics
record has been set as
the only country to
have all medals in the
Nigeria at the tournament but was credited
by FIFA on their website, in their tournament review as the
keeper with the highest number of saves
during the Olympics
which is about the only
individual award secured by the team.
But on the contrary, taking to cognizance the ‘rigorous’
training they went
through in the US, the
Samson Siasia and
skipper Mikel had to
beg them to play about
two games.” These
were the words of
Kunle Adebayo of the
Morning Plight as he
scolded the Olympics
bronze medalists.
Can we liken
this to an act of discipline? Not even leaving
out the fact that many
other countries long to
participate at the
Olympics, but get
permitted to be called
the silver lining behind
the dark cloud. Having
being ‘neglected’ or
faltered, the same
American airline conveyed the Olympians
to Rio just 6 hours to
the kick off of their first
fixture all the way from
the US where they had
training sessions, making ‘history’ come
again by the same
‘helpers’ exactly 20
soccer event Gold (Atlanta ‘96), Silver (Beijing 2008) and Bronze
(Rio 2016). This memorable feat wouldn’t
have been achieved
without the ‘Golden
Bronze’ in Rio.
Also, our very
own goalkeeper, Daniel
Akpeyi was recognized
by FIFA as the best
goalkeeper of the tournament. Akpeyi kept
goal only one game for
defeats conceded by
the team by Germany
and Columbia could
and should have been
averted and avoided if
there was a ‘discipline
training’ in the camp.
“The indiscipline ate so deep into
the lads that they forgot the interest of
whom they were there
to protect and made a
fool of themselves
when the head coach
bounced at one point
of the qualifying stages
or couldn’t even get
close to clinching a
medal.
The
team
should be duly recognized, congratulated
and rewarded. Very big
congratulations first
for clinching the
bronze medal, and also
for setting an Olympics
record.
USAIN BOLT Creates Yet
Another Record
SPORTS
29 Year old, Usain St.
Leo Bolt, OJ, CD has
done it again. The incredulously fast Jamaican
sprinter,
known as the fastest
person ever timed,
beat his own personal record when he
ran 200m in 19.78
records during the
semi finals at Rio
Olympics. One would
think that this feat
would be momentous enough to
quench the thirst of
the multiple Gold
medalists.
“I
definitely
think I can try for the
world record, I definitely feel that “, Bolt
said. “I need to run
efficiently and get
into the straight and
perfect race.” Usain’s
unrelenting drive and
unending supply of
determination continues to inspire fans
all over the world.
Usain’s relationship
with excellence is a
love story that began
when he won his first
Olympic 100m title at
Beijing 2008. Ever
The
Story : Adeoluwa Atayero
since that Pandora’s
Box of athletic brilliance was opened, it
has been medal after
medal for the giant
like Jamaican. He
won his 11th world
gold in the 4 x 100m
relay in China and yet
another 15 Olympic
and world championship gold.
An integral part
of Bolt’s ascent to the
top is his inevitable
status as a pop culture icon. His trademark “shh” and
lightning bolt gestures have become as
iconic as the African
sprinter himself. His
ability to balance his
iconoclast status with
his determination to
push himself into
new heights really
does place the legendary runner in his
own lane. The world
still awaits Mr. Bolt’s
next legendary accomplishment which
will definitely come
with his meme worthy grin.
BOSS NEWSPAPER
39
40
F
The
OPINION
BOSS NEWSPAPER
BEDROCK OF FAITH: RIGHTEOUSNESS
Babatunde Jose
aith is more than how
you deal with certain
promises. It is a continual interaction with the spiritual realm. In the Bible, God
said; “My righteous one will
live by faith" (Heb. 10:38).
Faith is not a feeling you are
required to stir up. Faith is
not a static attendance to a
set of theological beliefs.
Faith is not something you
get out and dust off when
you want something from
earth your couch, and the
heavens your canopy; and
sent down rain from the
heavens; and brought forth
therewith fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye
know (the truth). (Quran
2:22)
Further proofs of
Allah's goodness to you are
given in this verse. Your
whole life, physical and spiritual, depends upon Him. The
"What means Allah by this
similitude?" By it He causes
many to stray, and many He
leads into the right path; but
He causes not to stray, except those that forsake (the
path). (Quran 2:26)
Those who break
Allah's Covenant after it is
ratified, and who sunder
what Allah has ordered to be
joined, and do mischief on
earth: These cause loss (only)
to themselves. (Quran 2:27)
God. Faith is a way of living;
righteous living. Until it becomes a way of living, it will
not have its full effect. Faith
is obeying the present-tense
voice of God. Faith is not believing something: Faith is
believing Someone. GOD!
Everything other than
God is called the creation, the
universe, which is called “nature” now. All creatures were
nonexistent. God is the One
who has created them all.
They all came into existence
out of nonexistence and
came into being out of nothing: Every being, from atom
to stars, has been created
with some calculations and
laws.
Who has made the
spiritual is figured by the
Canopy of Heaven. The truth
has been brought plainly before you. Will you still resist it
and go after false gods, the
creation of your own fancy?
The false gods may be idols,
superstitions, self, or even
great or glorious things like
Poetry, Art, or Science, when
set up as rivals to Allah. They
may be pride of race, pride of
birth, pride of wealth or position, pride of power, pride of
learning, or even spiritual
pride.
Allah disdains not to use the
similitude of things, lowest
as well as highest. Those
who believe know that it is
truth from their Lord; but
those who reject Faith say:
To Allah all His creation has some special meaning appropriate to itself; and
some of what we consider
the lowest creatures have
wonderful aptitudes, e.g.. the
spider or the fly. Parables like
these may be an occasion of
stumbling to those "who forsake the path"; in other
words, those who deliberately shut their eyes to Allah's
Signs, and their Penalty is attributed to Allah. But lest
there should be misunderstanding, it is immediately
added that the stumbling and
offence only occur as the result of the sinner's own
choice of the wrong course.
"Forsaking the path" is defined in Sura 2:27; viz., break-
ing solemn covenants which
the sinner's own soul had ratified, causing division among
mankind, who were meant to
be one brotherhood, and
doing as much mischief as
possible in the life on this
earth for the life beyond will
be on another plane, where
no rope will be given to evil.
All the prophets of God, irrespective of their greatness
and veneration were born of
woman, they all developed
from the stage of embryo into
creatures with head, arms
and limbs and of course,
human faculties. They all
went through the human
metamorphosis of childhood
to adulthood; from creatures
without speech to talking beings. For all intent and purposes, they were not
different from all God’s creation which we know as
human beings. None had two
heads and neither did any
have one eye. This is God’s
creation at work and it is one
of the groundswell of Faith.
Why are we all alike? Why are
we different from the Chimps
and other primates? Why is a
lizard different from a crocodile? No matter how long a
hen lives and eats, it will
never achieve the status of an
Ostrich. Each and every created must follow the laws of
creation: Each to its own
kind.
The regularity in the
known laws of physics, chemistry, astronomy and biology
bewilders the human mind:
Another groundswell of faith.
This is a bedrock of contemplation and an origin of faith.
Even atheists will acknowledge the existence of a higher
power that ordered these
regulations governing our existence and the universe.
Even Darwin had to say that
when he thought of the order
OPINION
and delicacy in the structure
of the eye, he felt as if he
would go crazy.
Air is a mixture of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%),
and noble (inert) gases (1%).
It is a mixture, not a compound. If the oxygen were
more than 21 percent, it
would burn our lungs. Were it
less than 21 percent it would
be unable to burn the nutrients in blood. It would be impossible for human beings
and animals to live. This percentage, 21, never changes,
nowhere, not even during
rains. And this, in its turn, is a
great blessing. Who did this
wondrous construct?
Construction of the
eye is nothing when compared to this wonder. Is it
possible that He who has created all the laws, delicate calculations and formulas taught
as scientific knowledge be defective? Moreover, we see
the above attributes of perfection also in creatures. The
Creator of all these worlds of
beings ought to possess all
the attributes of perfection
and superiority and none of
the attributes of deficiency,
for, someone who is defective
cannot be creative. Aside
from these reasonable evidences, Sura Mulk, Ayat 3
and Sura Taha, Ayat 50 explain clearly that Allah has
the Attributes of perfection.
Therefore, it is not permissible to doubt it; as Doubt
causes disbelief: And this is
the origin of atheism.
He Who created the seven
heavens one above another:
No want of proportion wilt
thou see in the Creation of
(Allah) Most Gracious. So
turn thy vision again: Seest
thou any flaw? (Quran 67:3)
The heavens as they appear
to our sight seem to be
arranged in layers one above
another, and ancient astronomy accounted for the mo-
The
tions of the heavenly bodies
in an elaborate scheme of
spheres. What we are concerned with here is the order
and beauty of the vast spaces
and the marvelous bodies
that follow regular laws of
motion in those enormous
spaces in the visible world.
From these we are to form
some conception of the
vastly greater invisible world,
for which we want special
spiritual vision.
He said: "Our Lord is He Who
gave to each (created) thing
its form and nature, and further, gave (it) guidance."
(Quran 20:50)
This answer of Moses to
Pharaoh is straightforward,
dignified, and illuminating.
He will not dispute about "my
Lord" or "your Lord," the God
of Israel, or the God of Egypt.
He and his brother were
proud to serve "our Lord,"
but He was the universal Lord
and Cherisher, the One and
Only God, Who had created
all beings and all things. It
was from Him that each created thing derived its form
and nature, including such
free-will and power as man
had got. He, Pharaoh, was
subject to the same condition. In order that the freewill should be rightly
exercised, Allah had given
guidance through His Messengers, and His Signs. Moses
and Aaron stood as such
Messengers, with such Signs.
Will Pharaoh now understand
and do right?
O ye who believe! Believe in
Allah and His Apostle, and
the scripture which He hath
sent to His Apostle and the
scripture which He sent to
those before (him). Any who
denieth Allah, His Angels, His
Books, His Apostles, and the
Day of Judgement, hath
gone far, far astray. (Quran
4:136)
If your belief is by habit or
birth or the example of those
you love or respect or admire, make that belief more
specific and personal to yourself. We must not only have
faith, but realize that faith in
our inmost being. The chief
objects of our Faith are Allah;
His Messenger, and His Revelations. To all these we must
give a home in our hearts.
The angels we do not see and
realize as we realize Allah,
who is nearer to us than the
vehicle of our life-blood, and
the Day of Judgment is for
our future experience, but we
must not deny them, or we
cut off a part of our religious
view.
Those who believe, then reject Faith, then believe
(again) and (again) reject
Faith, and go on increasing
in Unbelief, --Allah will not
forgive them nor guide them
on the Way. (Quran 4:137)
Those who go on changing
sides again and again can
have no real Faith at any
time. Their motives are mere
worldly double-dealing. How
can they expect Allah's grace
or forgiveness? Here is a clear
warning against those who
make their religion a mere
matter of worldly convenience. True religion goes far
deeper. It transforms the very
nature of man. After that
transformation it is as impossible for him to change as it is
for light to become darkness.
Allah has promised, to those
among you who believe and
work righteous deeds, that
He will, of a surety, grant
them in the land, inheritance
(of power), as He granted it
to those before them; that
He will establish in authority
their religion--the one which
He has chosen for them; and
that He will change (their
state), after the fear in which
they (lived), to one of security and peace: `They will
worship Me (alone) and not
BOSS NEWSPAPER
41
associate aught with Me.' If
any do reject Faith after this,
they are rebellious and
wicked. (Quran 24:55)
Three things are promised
here, to those who have Faith
and obey Allah's Law: (1) that
they will inherit power and
authority in the land, not for
any selfish purposes of theirs
nor by way of favoritism, but
in order that they may maintain Allah's Law; (2) that the
Religion of Right, which Allah
has chosen for them, will be
openly established, and will
suppress all wrong and oppression; (3) that the righteous will live in peace and
security, instead of having to
suffer persecution, or leave
their hearths and homes for
the cause of Allah, or practice
the rites of their Faith in secret.
This verse was revealed about the time of the
Battle of the Ditch (Khandaq),
also called the Battle of the
Confederates (Ahzab), A.H. 45, we can imagine the comfort it gave to the Muslims
who were besieged in Madinah by a force ten times their
number. The Muslims then
lived in a state of great suspense and danger, and under
arms for days on end. The security and authority they
were promised came to them
subsequently in abundant
measures.
Today, we are living under
similar circumstances; insecurity of life, property and
economic livelihood and a
life bereft of hope due to a
deficit in leadership. We are
a people under siege. But
Allah has promised in the
Ayat above that He will
grant the righteous ones
among us a bountiful inheritance.
Barka Juma’at and happy
weekend
42
The
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Recession: What It Really Means
By: Adeoluwa Atayero
EDITORIAL
BOSS
The
ISSN-2052-1979
NEWSPAPER
EDITORIAL TEAM
ISSN-2052-1979
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dele Momodu
[email protected]
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Mobolaji Momodu
EDITOR
Michael Effiong
[email protected]
[email protected]
G
iven the status of
the Nigerian economy and the seemingly global spread of
financial misfortune, the
term “recession” has become a household word
and popular topic of discussion. Many Nigerians use
the term haphazardly, especially when ranting
about the Nigerian economy and its wishy-washy
status. It should come as no
surprise, however, that although the term has become quite common place,
not many Nigerians fully
grasp or even understand
what the real meaning of a
recession is.
At the elementary
level, a recession simply
means two coherent quarters or periods of regressive or negative growth in
the economy. This period
of depressing growth is accompanied with a transitory decline in the
economy as a drop in Gross
Domestic Product (GDP)
gives way to a plummet in
industrial and trade activities. What many Nigerians
fail to realise as Finance
Minister, Kemi Adeosun,
rightly pointed out is the
fact that “We are not the
only country in recession;
many countries are doing
far worse than us. But for
Nigeria, what Nigerians
GENERAL MANAGER
Yacoba Stephanie Addy-Sackey
[email protected]
PHOTO EDITOR
Adekoya Adegbite
want to know is ‘how is
that going to affect me.”
Being a part of the global
community automatically
nullifies any chance that
Nigeria has of not been affected by the international
economic down turn.
Apart from not knowing that Nigeria is handling
this recession relatively
better than other countries, is the fact that many
Nigerians do not realise
that a recession is a temporary transitory period.
There is no permanent recession and one of the
sheer basic signs that a recession is about to take a
bow is the harshness of the
economic climate. Many
Nigerians find pointing fingers and passing blame to
be quite natural during this
time.
Making mockery of
President Buhari and his
“change” mantra has become the easiest way to
crack a cheap joke or ignite
a fiery conversation. In
doing this, people fail to realise or acknowledge the
fact what this present administration
inherited.
President Buhari inherited
less than little by means of
reserves. According to
Kemi Adeosun, this government “inherited significant
debt – contractor debt.
Cash calls of $5 billion out-
standing to the oil companies. I equally mentioned
the fact that many of the
contractors even though
we have paid them N107
billion, find it very difficult
to work because they are
owed and some of them
have not been paid since
2012.”
Undoubtedly the
President and his cabinet
would have prepared their
minds to work with very
disappointing statistics, but
when the statistics are as
disappointing as the aforementioned and the damage is as deep as they
found it to be, one can only
expect a lengthy and arduous period and process of
repair.
As a political scientist and analyst, Benjamin
Ogbebulu, said that “The
Nigeria economy is now in
a state of crisis, but not severely damaged. The cumulative results of past
wrong policies are now
slowly being addressed.”
Nigeria is so close
to the end of the tunnel;
the light is already piercing.
The moment that Nigerians
begin to realise that this recession is truly more of a
blessing than it was ever a
curse, the sooner the light
will flood into the shores of
this beloved country.
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NEWSPAPER
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ISSN-2052-1979