See wetin human being wey God creat dey talk, chaiii there is God oooooo, all the people wey won help me build my home."
The strange thing is, opinion is divided as some fans agree with the lady who wrote it...
Angela Okorie replies fan who told her to start acting like a married woman!
My Life Threatened For Doing The Best For My Country – Allison-Madueke Speaks From London
Mrs. Deziane Alison-Madueke has alleged that her life is being threatened by members of a powerful cabal who benefited from petroleum subsidy fraud.
The Nigeria's first female Minister of Petroleum Resources and first female President of OPEC, said the cabal is resisting the reform in the sector.
According to her, despite her role in reforming the oil industry in Nigeria to the benefit of all, she found herself in the mucky water of Nigerian politics mostly in last few days of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.
In a three phase interview in London with freelance journalist reporting for African Free Press, Allison-Madueke bares her mind on how she reformed the oil sector in Nigeria and why the oil cabals are on her throat.
Except
Honourable Minister, thank you for granting me a few minutes of your time for this pressing discussion about the future of policy evolution in Nigeria. But I want you to quickly talk about the fuel scarcity that has come just weeks before the hand-over to the new administration.
The time of my appointment as Minister of Petroleum Resources five years ago was a time when the nation was in the throes of many years of continuous fuel scarcity and the abandonment of our fuel facilities. This was having such an adverse impact on the masses especially in terms of livelihood and quality of life. This situation certainly affected me and my household. I was one of those who went out to queue at filling stations and what left an indelible mark on me was the plight of the many, many women who were queuing for this essential commodity for their families. We are looking at time when women where losing their lives as a result of adulterated products as kerosene stoves were exploding all over the country. So the problem was not just about getting access to the product but also purchasing the right quality products to ensure the safety of the households of my fellow women. It was a time when cars were 'knocking' engines, generators that cost hundreds of thousands of naira were also breaking down because of adulterated products. People around the country were losing many millions of Naira as a result of loss of business incomes and we are talking of taxi drivers, face-me-I-face-you traders in the market, the lorry drivers transporting food to the markets, the okada drivers – basically the engine room of the economy was affected. I am a mother and grandmother myself and I understand the pressure that women go through in order to put food on the table for their families. I am very sensitive to the struggles of the Nigerian woman. So, when granted the opportunity to serve the country as Petroleum Resources minister, I made this my first priority. Dealing with the fuel scarcity was a key issue that I resolved to address as soon as I stepped into office. Nigeria is a country that relies on access to petroleum products for businesses to thrive, for families to survive and for communities to evolve. For me it was a fundamental issue. I immediately set to the task. Several inter-ministerial committees were formed to get to the root of the matter including liaising with marketers and the unions. A few things were identified such as the process of payment to marketers as well as the improvement of the distribution and monitoring mechanisms. The Ministry of Finance is charged with addressing the payment process while the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and its parastatals tackle production, distribution and monitoring aspects.
So what did you do in terms of tackling the issue of access to products?
Firstly sectorial reforms were put in place, and an attempt was made to establish a uniform pricing regime across the country, which still requires task forces to be put in place to oversee its success. Secondly, an aggressive strategy was completed to build as well as refurbish over 23 Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depots across the country many of which had lain fallow for several years. This is the result of the determined efforts of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the NNPC. The aggressive establishment of the depots occurred from Aba to Benin, from Gusau to Suleja, in an attempt to ensure a more robust delivery of products, to not only those areas but also all contingent areas. Thirdly many vandalized pipelines have been restored and expanded in addition, fuel products are now transported by rail where possible to ensure that the products get to the depots in good time to avert situations of shortage. Furthermore, NNPC now holds and maintains a 30-day stock of PMS, as part of the National Strategic Stock Reserve for products.
The Ministry has also increased the flash point for DPK (kerosene) from 44 to 45 (curbing the incidences of kerosene cookers exploding) – I cannot remember the last time a kerosene cooker has exploded; implemented inspection of trucks at each NNPC Depot for cleanness (preventing contamination) and lab testing of truck samples for quality control. DPR also introduced colour coding for all trucks loading any petroleum product this means the trucks cannot be used for any other purpose apart from what it has been coded to load. Many Nigerians will attest to the fact that before now, the country has been "wet" with products with even filling stations in remote areas, able to dispense products.
I also led the roll out of robust measures to identify and penalise those behind the activities of fuel adulteration as well as pipeline vandalism, in a joint effort between security agencies, the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). The first joint meeting between the key parastatals, the Service Chiefs and Inspector General of Police took place at the Oriental Hotel. It was the first meeting of its kind in the history of the sector.
So if all these measures have been put in place why has there been this crippling fuel crisis?
The fuel scarcity that we see today I can only describe as the 'fear of the unknown' in these last few days before hand-over. It is also a backlog following the attempts by the government to stamp-out the subsidy fraud and clean the system in November 2011. Identifying and cutting out up to 92 marketers who had been round-tripping reduced the subsidy payments by about 50%. This also brought about a few delays in payment, as the investigations to identify erring marketers were robust and took time.
We are faced with a situation where the marketers want this administration to pay them ALL the money they are owed before the tenure runs out on May 29. This is a difficult situation more peculiarly because this administration did not incur ALL the debt, which actually goes back 40 years. It is a rolling obligation. There has never been a time, when the debt obligations was reduced to zero it is cyclical. What the marketers are asking for is not just the outstanding amount to be paid but also for the exchange rate differential that they have incurred. This is in the light of the many conversations that are on going about deregulating the subsidy payments. The transition period is allowing the marketers to try to forestall any losses as a result of a change in regime, while this makes good business sense it is the polity that suffer. The Ministry of Finance and the presidency are giving this situation the priority it deserves.
The fuel scarcity was mingled with strikes by different unions (Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) etc.) what is going on?
The strike was about two things. First the union workers were demanding for salary increases at a time when the NNPC's running cost is already extremely high. How are we going to increase salaries when we are currently looking at ways to cap expenses and more especially keep things in a consistent and clear state for the new regime that is coming into effect.
Secondly, the strike by the NUPENG arm of NPDC has come about following the decision to move NPDC from a sole operator model to a joint operatorship model for some of its assets. This was done to increase the production volumes from those assets, which had remained consistently low for some time. The reason production has been low is as a result of the sheer cost that NPDC has had to bear in operating the assets. These joint venture partners that have been brought in to alleviate the cost pressure are operating under extremely stringent terms to ensure that the ownership of the assets remain with the government. The companies have also had to take out huge loans with moratoriums of up to 10 years in order to perform their activities to successfully meet the production volume expectations. So in many ways this situation can be regarded as a win-win for the government, NPDC and the JV operators, which would begin to yield great benefits for the generality of Nigerians, as the boost in volumes would inevitably lead to a boost in the nations revenue from the sector.
I am sincerely pleased that the unions have come to this realization and taken into consideration the sufferings of many millions of Nigerians during the period of the fuel scarcity. It was truly a heartbreaking time for me… heartbreaking as fuel scarcity is one issue I consistently fought to avoid given its impact on women and their families as well as businesses. Yes, I am very happy that life will begin to return to normal across the country as we have the National Strategic Stock Reserve ready to be distributed across the country.
Lets talk about some of the allegations that you face with regards ensuring stability of supply across the country more specifically about the debate on the subsidy. The memory of Occupy Nigeria is still distant but we see this same situation by marketers holding the country to ransom?
Let me start by making the distinction that the decision as to whether subsidy payments are made or not is entirely economic and outside my purview as Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are responsible for is the production, distribution and marketing aspects. What we also do is give a view as to the status in terms of these 3 areas and the decision becomes an economic one from the Presidency. In terms of my direct actions in November 2011, following the high incidence of subsidy claims, with a stroke of the pen, I removed 92 throughput marketers from the PPPRA scheme because we believed that within the group were the round trippers who were causing problems for the country in term of the burgeoning levels of subsidy payments. As a consequence of this action, the amount of subsidy payments dropped by over 50%.
A series of probes where kicked-off to investigate the transactions of these marketers and to begin to bring in a level of accountability and transparency into the system of subsidy payments. The lists of these marketers were also published in the local press and a series of probes ensued. The marketers had to justify their claims to the payments. This was the first ever-major cleanup of the subsidy programmes and yet again the ministry was vindicated and offending marketers are going through the legal implications of their actions.
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was also restructured and the processes in place for the determination of subsidy payments were comprehensively reviewed. But these actions led to major push back by many with accusations of corruption against the ministry and NNPC to get us to back down. I am sure I stepped on the toes of the greedy cabals that have dominated the sector for years, upset at the change in the system. The push back has come from many other sources beyond the marketers. The funny thing is these are the same people that shout corruption the loudest but yet are unable to accept the reforms that are being put in place to make the sector more accountable so we are almost caught between a rock and hard place in the sector.
[The minister at this point puts her hands on her head and sighs]
In fact this is where the bane of my problems as a woman in government began. I wonder why people seem to want to put a tag of corruption against my name when all I have ever tried to do is to open the sector up for more Nigerians and make it work better for the benefit of the country. If I were corrupt would we have achieved the extent of reform that has occurred in the sector to date? Ah my brother, I have worked tirelessly to curtail the excesses while ensuring that the country remains wet with products and the sector run more efficiently. I have constantly ignored the viciousness and focused on my job.
The most important point to make in terms of stability of supply is that today, marketers have a clear contract to deliver their products on specified dates. Marketers are put under strict terms to deliver products at dates specified if they miss the cut off date for delivery then their cargo goes into demurrage which in itself acts as an incentive to ensure supplies.
More recently, as part of the transition activity I have instructed that all of the swap operators across the board provide detailed and clear reports about their export and import activities so that a reconciliation can be conducted and published for all Nigerians to see. These swap transactions involve extremely high volumes and huge cost obligations to banks. The contracts with these operators are very stringent indeed and delivery specifications clear. There are serious ramifications to the operators for non-delivery most especially by the banks for non-delivery this is dependent generally on the lines of credit arrangements. This is being done as part of my commitment to accountability and transparency to Nigerians. It will also put to bed the various claims in the press about different alleged practices by the operators that are being associated to me. The operators deal with the NNPC according to tight contractual agreements.
All the swap operators were well vetted and passed as credible Nigerian corporations capable of executing such major stringent contracts with no room for any offences to the system. So when you have strict contracts in place and bank obligations it is surprising that mischief-makers can say that I am in league with some of these operators in acts of corruption! It shows that they have no idea how the system works and I would ask that they educate themselves before they speak. If Aiteo, or any other operator were cheating the NNPC it would be made public as the system has been reorganized to do this automatically. The publication of the reconciled transactions from the time the contracts were assigned to them will also be a testament to this commitment. Erring contractors will be made to face the legal implications of any wrongdoings that are uncovered.
Music: Pesso x Magic Mo – ‘Get Out’ (Prod. Young D.)
Having successfully launched the Old region Record Label (ORR) earlier this Month of May, the New school label decided to drop their Debut single "Get Out" featuring their 2 Acts Pesso and Magic Mo produced by Uber talented Producer Young D!
DOWNLOAD
Chimamanda writes about her father's kidnapping in the New York Times
My father was kidnapped in Nigeria on a Saturday morning in early May. My brother called to tell me, and suddenly there was not enough breathable air in the world. My father is 83 years old. A small, calm, contented man, with a quietly mischievous humor and a luminous faith in God, his beautiful dark skin unlined, his hair in sparse silvery tufts, his life shaped by that stoic, dignified responsibility of being an Igbo first son.
He got his doctoral degree at Berkeley in the 1960s, on a scholarship from the United States Agency for International Development; became Nigeria's first professor of statistics; raised six children and many relatives; and taught at the University of Nigeria for 50 years. Now he makes fun of himself, at how slowly he climbs the stairs, how he forgets his cellphone. He talks often of his childhood, endearing and rambling stories, his words tender with wisdom.
Sometimes I record his Igbo proverbs, his turns of phrase. A disciplined diabetic, he takes daily walks and is to be found, after each meal, meticulously recording his carbohydrate grams in a notebook. He spends hours bent over Sudoku. He swallows a handful of pills everyday. His is a generation at dusk.
On the morning he was kidnapped, he had a bag of okpa, apples and bottled water that my mother had packed for him. He was in the back seat of his car, his driver at the wheel, on a lonely stretch between Nsukka, the university town where he lives, and Abba, our ancestral hometown. He was going to attend a traditional meeting of men from his age group. A two-hour drive. My mother was planning their late lunch upon his return: pounded yam and a fresh soup. They always called each other when either traveled alone. This time, he didn't call. She called him and his phone was switched off. They never switched off their phones. Hour after hour, she called and it remained off. Later, her phone rang, and although it was my father's number calling, a stranger said, "We have your husband."
Kidnappings are not uncommon in southeastern Nigeria and, unlike similar incidents in the Niger Delta, where foreigners are targeted, here it is wealthy or prominent local residents. Still, the number of abductions has declined in the past few years, which perhaps is why my reaction, in the aftermath of my shock, was surprise.
My close-knit family banded together more tightly and held vigil by our phones. The kidnappers said they would call back, but they did not. We waited. The desire to urge time forward numbed and ate my soul. My mother took her phone with her everywhere, and she heard it ringing when it wasn't. The waiting was unbearable. I imagined my father in a diabetic coma. I imagined his octogenarian heart collapsing.
"How can they do this violence to a man who would not kill an ant?" my mother lamented. My sister said, "Daddy will be fine because he is a righteous man." Ordinarily, I would never use "righteous" in a non-pejorative way. But something shifted in my perception of language. The veneer of irony fell away. It felt true. Later, I repeated it to myself. My father would be fine because he was a "righteous man."
I understood then the hush that surrounds kidnappings in Nigeria, why families often said little even after it was over. We felt paranoid. We did not know if going public would jeopardize my father's life, if the neighbors were complicit, if another member of the family might be kidnapped as well.
"Is my husband alive?" my mother asked, when the kidnappers finally called back, and her voice broke. "Shut up!" the male voice said. My mother called him "my son." Sometimes, she said "sir." Anything not to antagonize him while she begged and pleaded, about my father being ill, about the ransom being too high. How do you bargain for the life of your husband? How do you speak of your life partner in the deadened tone of a business transaction?
"If you don't give us what we want, you will never see his dead body," the voice said.
My paternal grandfather died in a refugee camp during the Nigeria-Biafra war and his anonymous death, his unknown grave, has haunted my father's life. Those words — "You will never see his dead body" — shook us all.
Kidnapping's ugly psychological melodrama works because it trades on the most precious of human emotions: love. They put my father on the phone, and his voice was a low shadow of itself. "Give them what they want," he said. "I will not survive if I stay here longer." My stoic father. It had been three days but it felt like weeks.
Friends called to ask for bank-account details so they could donate toward the ransom. It felt surreal. Did it ever feel real to anybody in such a situation, I wondered? The scramble to raise the money in one day. The menacingly heavy bag of cash. My brother dropping it off, through a circuitous route, in a wooded area.
Late that night, my father was taken to a clearing and set free.
While his blood sugar and pressure were checked, my father kept reassuring us that he was fine, thanking us over and over for doing all we could. This is what he knows how to be — the protector, the father — and he slipped into his role almost as a defense. But there were cracks in his spirit. A drag in his gait. A bruise on his back.
"They asked me to climb into the boot of their car," he said. "I was going to do so, but one of them picked me up and threw me inside. Threw. The boot was full of things and I hit my head on something. They drove fast. The road was very bumpy."
I imagined this grace-filled man crumpled inside the rear of a rusty car. My rage overwhelmed my relief — that he suffered such an indignity to his body and mind.
And yet he engaged them in conversation. "I tried to reach their human side," he said. "I told them I was worried about my wife."
The next day, my parents were on a flight to the United States, away from the tainted blur that Nigeria had become.
With my father's release, we all cried, as though it was over. But one thing had ended and another begun. I constantly straddled panic; I was sleepless, unfocused, jumpy, fearful that something else had gone wrong. And there was my own sad guilt: He was targeted because of me. "Ask your daughter the writer to bring the money," the kidnappers told him, because to appear in newspapers in Nigeria, to be known, is to be assumed wealthy. The image of my father shut away in the rough darkness of a car boot haunted me. Who had done this? I needed to know.
But ours was a dance of disappointment with the authorities. We had reported the kidnapping immediately, and the first shock soon followed: State security officials asked us to pay for anti-kidnap tracking equipment, a large amount, enough to rent a two-bedroom flat in Lagos for a year. This, despite my being privileged enough to get personal reassurances from officials at the highest levels.
How, I wondered, did other families in similar situations cope? Federal authorities told us they needed authorization from the capital, Abuja, which was our responsibility to get. We made endless phone calls, helpless and frustrated. It was as though with my father's ransomed release, the crime itself had disappeared. To encounter that underbelly, to discover the hollowness beneath government proclamations of security, was jarring.
Now my father smiles and jokes, even of the kidnapping. But he jerks awake from his naps at the sound of a blender or a lawn mower, his eyes darting about. He recounts, in the middle of a meal, apropos of nothing, a detail about the mosquito-filled room where he was kept or the rough feel of the blindfold around his eyes. My greatest sadness is that he will never forget.
Nigerian Designer Wins Big At ADC Festival In Germany
One of Nigeria's most celebrated young designers Kayode Olowu has added to his growing list of distinctions after emerging as an award winner at the annual ADC Festival on 22 May, 2015 at the Smidt Tivoli in Sankt Pauli Hamburg, Germany. For his striking piece of digital work done for BOSE headphones, he was awarded the Bronze Nail in the Nachwuchswettbewerb (Young Talent) category.
Kayode has previously been recognised with a host of accolades including the Graphis New Talent Awards in March 2015 where he won Gold in the Advertising-Product category, the Australian Young Guns Awards in March 2015 where he was a finalist in the Student Design category and the D&AD (UK) Awards in May 2014 where he was recognised in the New Blood category.
Currently, he Kayode Olowu is a Creative at Jung Von Matt Hamburg, Germany, one of the world's most reputable advertising agencies. Prior to this role, he amassed a wealth of experience in Creative roles across Agencies such as THEY, Amsterdam, Young & Rubicam, Prague, Geometry Global, Hamburg, CreativeXone, Lagos and B-10 Eclectics, Lagos.
Over the years, he has accumulated an extensive personal portfolio of work for a range of clients including Pepsi, Zoom Mobile, Access Bank, Afrinvest, Lotus Capital, Ikoyi Club, Nigeria Cricket Federation, BlackHouse Media,De Zwaluwen Jeugd Actie Netherlands, O'bacana flip flops Netherlands, Notting Hill Carnival (Nigerian Corner), Toki Mabogunje & Co., OGQ2, Drake Outfits, Metro Taxi and others.
His recognition with the Bronze Nail is a further affirmation of his burgeoning reputation on the global Creative circuit. The ADC festival is the biggest advertising event in Germany that wraps up the creative year. Held annually, it features events including workshops, congresses, award shows and a party.
See the video of Kayode Olowu's stunning work for BOSE headphones here.
About Kayode Olowu
Kayode Olowu is a globally recognized creative designer who has built a successful career in Africa and Europe. He has provided creative art solutions to a range of clients in Nigeria, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Germany. When he is not working, he enjoys analyzing worldviews and power play (not like a conspiracy theorist.) He is also an alumnus and a faculty member of Orange Academy in Lagos, Nigeria.
Recent Awards
GRAPHIS NEW TALENT AWARDS / GOLD / ADVERTISING-PRODUCT
GRAPHIS NEW TALENT AWARDS / MERIT /ADVERTISING-TYPOGRAPHY
GRAPHIS NEW TALENT AWARDS / MERIT / ADVERTISING-FOOD & BEVERAGE
GRAPHIS NEW TALENT AWARDS / MERIT / ADVERTISING-PRODUCT
AUSTRALIAN YOUNG GUNS AWARDS / FINALIST, STUDENT DESIGN
GOLDEN AWARD OF MONTREUX / TALENT AWARDS / FINALIST / USE OF MEDIA
May 2014
D&AD (UK) NEW BLOOD AWARDS / IN-BOOK / PACKAGE DESIGN
August 2014
CLIO AWARDS (New York) / SHORTLIST, STUDENT DESIGN
September 2014
LUERZER'S ARCHIVE STUDENT OF THE YEAR / FINALIST
PUBLICATIONS
Luerzer's Archive Vol: 5 1310
PACKAGING OF THE WORLD
It was Tough Training My Boys — Osinbajo’s Mother
- What was your childhood like?
He was not a teacher in the school. He came on a visit and he saw me. I knew him before that day and when he saw me, we exchanged greetings and he began to visit me in the school. It was later he told me he that wanted to marry me. And because I had known him before, I did not refuse his proposal. He was from Ikenne, Ogun State.
I actually agreed to his proposal because I knew him as a gentleman. He was a very good person. Besides, he was a friend to my sister's husband. During that time, he was a student at the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo State. He was not rich then but I admired him for his other qualities.
- What did your parents say when you told them about him?
I told them that I knew him very well and could vouch for his character. They told me to invite him to our house and I did. When he came, they were impressed with his behaviour and they endorsed our marriage. But our wedding did not hold immediately after he met my parents because it was not long after that that he travelled to England for further studies. He actually travelled abroad to be trained as a civil engineer. When he was there, he kept in touch. It was when he returned from England that we got married on December 28, 1954.
- How was the union?
- What was the experience like bringing up four boys?
- Can you recall any of the tricks they played?
- Did you influence the career choice of any one of them?
- What happened to him?
- What happened to the business?
- What do you do each time you remember your husband?
- Is there any difference between the moral training during your days and what we have now?
- Do you have any special food?
- How do you relax?
- What special training did you give your children?
- Do you still see some of your childhood friends?
- What is your advice to parents?
Beau Biden, Son Of American Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. Dies Of Brain Cancer.
Joseph R. Biden III, the former attorney general of Delaware and the eldest son of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., has died of brain cancer, his father announced on Saturday. The younger Mr. Biden was 46.
In a statement Saturday night, the vice president said, "It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life." The statement went on to say, "In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known."
Buhari, Osinbajo Fulfill First Campaign Promise
According to The Nation, the two officials submitted their declarations to the Code of Conduct Bureau 24 hours before the inauguration ceremony held on May 29.
Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari's media aide, confirmed the development saying that the Bureau acknowledged the forms receipt.
"The Nigerian Constitution states in Chapter VI Section 140, that a person elected to the office of President shall not begin to perform the functions of that office until he has declared his assets and liabilities as prescribed in the Constitution.
"While seeking election into the highest office in the land, the president had promised Nigerians that he would publicly declare his assets as soon as he took over government."
The content of the declarations was not provided, however.
I Didn't Steal Up To 26 Phones -- Emmanuel Adebayor's Brother Tells His Own Story
Rotimi Adebayor who was accused of stealing and several other allegations levelled against him by his older brother has finally opened up on his own side of the story in this revealing interview with the Sun.
Read below...
Are the allegations levelled against you untrue?
I have my own story as well but 'Omo ti owo e o ti te eeku ida ko gbodo bere iku ti o pa baba re' (A child who is yet to take control of the sword should not seek reasons for his father's death)
But you have apologized to him; did he accept your plea?
No response from him yet. I apologised because he is my elder brother and we have resolved so settle issues amicably. My elder sister advised us to bury the hatchet.
You met him at a training pitch yesterday (Thursday, May 21)…
Yes, we met and he said, 'Omo Iya ba wo ni' (My brother how are you). However, I didn't play with them because I wasn't in the mood.
And you didn't wait for him after the training.
No, I was there till he left but he didn't greet me as he drove off.
He is a superstar indeed?
I agree, yes he is
And you annoyed him so much that he made such revelations about you?
Hmh! I can't explain what happened
But you know what happened to the missing 21 phones including play station games from 27 players?
(Smiles) No, 26 players excluding me. 'Mi o kin se ole' (I am not a thief)
Is it because you cannot steal your own phone?
'Mi o ji mobile phone, Mo ri he ni' (I didn't steal any mobile phone. I fortuitously found them and picked)
How did it happen and when?
It was at the FC Metz football Academy in France and I was 14 years old then. My mates were already at the training pitch on that day, so I was running to meet up with them when I found the mobile phone on the aisle within the training complex.
So you picked it and didn't declare that you found a mobile phone, which belongs to your teammate.
That was the mistake I made and I regretted it thereafter. Actually I kept it on the table in my room and my roommate wanted to know who owns the phone because he didn't have any then. I told him how I found it, and then he demanded to make use of it.
What's his name?
Kelvin. He is an American and the owner of the phone is from Asia but from an 'Arab country' The 'Arab' boy saw the phone with Kelvin and immediately reported the case to the management of the academy.
They informed my brother about it. He called me to hear my side of the story but I was later informed to pack my things out of the academy.
Your brother has released three posts on Facebook to paint a bad picture of the family?
It's really disheartening that such a thing is happening to us right now. My wife was mocked at the market after the first post Seyi (Emmanuel Adebayor) published on Facebook. She called me to inform me about what people are saying. Immediately I logged in and read the post. I felt very sad.
What did you do thereafter?
I called him and asked him why he had to do that but he got angry with me. We had a heated argument on phone, which led to unprintable words being used freely. As a matter of fact, we quarrelled over the phone for almost two hours.
You hurled insults on your elder brother who made you and the Adebayor family famous?
Yes I did that because I felt very sad and embarrassed. Then he made a decision to inflict more insinuations against me.
How?
He called my phone before he released the second post on Facebook. He asked me to go and read the second posts, which he wanted to release in 30 minutes.
And…
He did in exactly thirty minutes and before I could log into my F acebook account, my friends called me to quickly go and read the second part of my 'film'.
What film?
The post he released, the second rant against the family. It's sad because our mother, who poured her blood on our heads, received the greatest insult of her life. A woman who suffered so that we can live a good life is now receiving such a disgraceful accusation.
You mean the witchcraft allegation?
Yes and all those nonsense things he wrote against me and our elder sister in Ghana. Well, we have decided to leave it all in God's hand. Our mother is a not a witch neither does she practice witchcraft. How can your mother wish you bad luck? I play football as well and I know that players do suffer loss of form. He shouldn't put the blame on anyone.
He said that he sent a huge amount of money to save Peter's life but alleged that the family squandered the money?
To be honest, he did. Seyi sent the money but it was judiciously spent to meet his (Peter's) health needs. He suffered before he died.
Some people in Togo are of the opinion that Peter died as result of the hard substances he used to inhale?
No, he wasn't into such but he was hooked on 'Igbo' (Indian hemp), which affected him mentally. He was such great person who also helped financially to make Seyi achieve his football dream.
And the family didn't spend the money very well for his rehabilitation?
No, we did but he died. We lost him in 2013. His death and our father's in 2005 are factors that have affected the family in a big way but I wouldn't like to be drawn into such issues now.
What happened to Seyi's home in Ghana?
He has over 50 houses in Lome and currently lives in Didjole. He also has some others in Ghana. He has taken custody of everything.
What about the house he alleged your elder sister rented out?
'Oro ase ni yen se' (They are unrealistic words)
Opinions are divided among the citizens of Togo concerning Emmanuel Adebayor's biological mother?
People can say whatever they like. He is my elder brother and we know we have the same mother. I am less bothered about the rumour going round the city.
You blamed yourself for the lingering crisis in the family. What did you do?
A lot of people do not understand the beginning of this issue but I put the blame on myself because of the boy I wanted to help. His name is Masaudu. He's from the Republic of Benin. I brought him from the rough side of the border so that he can help us with some domestic work. He grew up with the family and betrayed us. Masaudu cooked up stories for Seyi to believe and he succeeded in destroying our family. He was the one that was sent to inform our mother to pack out of the house. But I believe that God's judgment will prevail. I will continue to appeal to him (Emmanuel Adebayor) to be considerate in his judgment. I want him to forgive and forget in the memory of our late father and forget what people are telling him. We have our children and we shouldn't let this issue degenerate into generational fight.
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