Impeachment: Fayose appeals to Buhari, CJN

Against perceived moves to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose, the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, stepped up pressure on President Muhammudu Buhari to prevail on his party faithful and security agencies to check the disruption of the peace in the state.

The impeachment moves allegedly spearheaded by the outgoing members of the State House of Assembly, remained a matter of speculation yesterday even as it was claimed that the 19 legislators belonging to the All Progressives Congress, APC, may storm the state today.

Governor Fayose, on his part, called on President Buhari and Justice Mahmoud to call the 19 APC lawmakers to order.

Fayose, who spoke with newsmen at the Governor’s Lodge over the tension elicited by the speculated move of the APC legislators, insisted that all the entitlements of the APC lawmakers have been paid contrary to Speaker Adewale Omirin’s claim that they were yet to be paid.

The governor flaunted copies of the Skye Bank cheques dated May 26, 2015, issued to the lawmakers to corroborate his claim. One of the cheques, which bore the name Boluwade Bolie Kehinde was received on behalf of the lawmaker and had a sum of N2,149,052 .37on it.

Fayose said it would amount to illegality for the embattled speaker, Adewale Omirin to continue to hold claim as the speaker when actually he had been removed from the post as far back as November 2014.
His words: “They have been dropping the name of President Muhammadu Buhari as giving them the backing to impeach me. How can an Assembly, whose tenure will wind up on Thursday be planning this? I wonder why the issue of the past should be allowed to come to play now?

“As at the date the court gave the order, I mean April 23, Hon Adewale Omirin was not the speaker. It will be wrong for the court order not to be respected. This is illegality and I want to raise this for the public to know.

“Omirin has gone to court to challenge his impeachment and later withdrew such, which means he accepted he had been impeached and a cost of N100, 000 was awarded against him. So, he is not the Speaker. I am calling on well-meaning Nigerians, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Mahmoud and President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in this matter.”

“How can somebody be living in another State and planning to invade his state? This is something else and I view this as a major crime anyone can commit against his people”, the governor added.

Commenting on the controversy over the payment of the salary and entitlements of the lawmakers, Fayose said they had been paid by last week Wednesday.

“They came to collect the cheques in Ado Ekiti in company of the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Toyin Ojo.”

Credit: Vanguard

How our father slept with us — daughters

Oyo State Police Command has arrested a man who allegedly defiled his two under-aged biological daughters and two of his nieces, all between 14 and 17 years.

The crime was allegedly committed at Moniya in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

Though the suspect, a herbalist, denied the incest allegation, saying he was being held for a crime he did not commit, the confessions of the four girls took many people at the state police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan by surprise as they narrated how the father had sex with them at different times.

While parading the suspect, identified as Tajudeen Awoniyi, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Katsina, said the accused person had carnal knowledge of his own daughters whenever he was drunk.

The commissioner alleged that the suspect would give black soap to the other two nieces before having sexual intercourse with them one after the other.

Nieces’ story

Speaking with newsmen yesterday, one of the victims (names withheld), said: “My sister and I are the nieces to Tajudeen Awoniyi.

“His daughters came to our house and asked us to follow them to their place. On getting there, her father told us he would give us soap by midnight which we must use to bathe.

“Around 1a.m., he woke me up, gave me a black soap and asked me to go and take my bath. After taking my bath, I went to him and he placed something under his tongue and asked me to sleep on a bench.

“He had sex with me. Afterwards, I was bleeding and he asked me to go to bed. By morning, he sent my sister and me out of his house.”

The sister, who is about 16 years old, corroborated the story, saying “after taking my bath at night, he tied my mouth with cloth so that people would not hear me when I cried.
“He had sex with me afterwards and by morning he sent me out of his house.”

He’s been sleeping with me since last year—Daughter

One of his daughters also said: “My father has been sleeping with me since last year. Whenever he comes home drunk, he sleeps with me and my sister (names withheld). He had slept with me three times now since last year.”

He once threatened my mother with cutlass—Sister

We lack power for now to display Buhari, Osinbajo’s assets – CCB

Nigerians who are itching to see the net worth of President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, may need to wait a bit longer, as the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, which keeps custody of the assets declared by the two leaders, says it lacks the power to make them public for now.

Chairman of the CCB, Mr. Sam Sada, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard through his Special Assistant, Mr. Gwimi Sebastian Peter, said only the National Assembly is vested with the powers to decide the terms and conditions under which such documents could be made public.

The chairman said even though the Constitution of Nigerian made it clear that the agency should make available to the citizens the assets declared by public officials, the same law vested the National Assembly with the power to decide the terms and conditions for making such materials public.

Sada explained that the CCB was ready to comply with the terms and conditions specified by the National Assembly on the matter but would only do so once the law was amended.

He said: “While the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act give the bureau powers to receive assets declarations, verify, examine, keep in custody and enforce compliance when there is a breach, the responsibility of determining how and on what terms asset declarations will be made accessible to the public was left to the National Assembly.

“Several National Assemblies have come and gone since the establishment of the CCB without addressing the matter.”

Lacuna in FOI Act

When his attention was drawn to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, which makes it compulsory for the CCB to make available to media houses and other interested Nigerians the assets of public officers, the chairman said the FOI Act could not override the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

He said that there was a lacuna in the FOI Act, which makes it difficult for the bureau to make public the assets declared by public figures.
Regarding what Buhari and his vice submitted to the agency, the chairman said while it was rather too early for Nigerians to ask the President and his vice to make public their assets, it was necessary for them to exercise some patience and see what the two leaders would do after having voluntarily filed their assets with the CCB.

What the constitution says
Sub-section 3c of Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution actually takes away the right it intended to give to the CCB to publicly display the assets of public officers by stipulating that only the NASS can decide the terms and conditions for making such assets public.

The section is yet to be repealed many years after it was made.
The same section also seems to have rendered impotent Section 4 of the FoI Act 2011, which states: “A public institution shall ensure that information referred to in this section is widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means, including print, electronic and online sources, and at the offices of such public institutions.”

Buhari and Osinbajo had last week secretly filed their assets with the CCB, thereby reneging on the pledge by the President to publicly declare his assets if elected into office.

But some aides of the President argued last night that Buhari might make a public declaration of his assets as his administration takes shape in the days to come.

They argued that the declaration of their assets by the two men was to demonstrate their determination to break away with the opaqueness that had attended government activities in the past and pave the way for change.

Credit: Vanguard

Why Buhari didn’t make assets public – Aides

Aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, explained why the president did not declare his assets publicly. They said he will make his assets known to Nigerians within the first 100 days of his stay in power in line with his assertions before the election.

Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions, yesterday, on the report that the president and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had submitted their assets declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau without immediately making them public.

A civil rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, argued that it was imperative for the duo to make public their assets. It said the action will indicate “their desire and commitment to ending corruption in the country.”

Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari swears to an oath during his inauguration at the Eagles Square in Abuja, on May 29, 2015. Buhari, 72, defeated Goodluck Jonathan in March 28 elections — the first time in Nigeria’s history that an opposition candidate had beaten a sitting president.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on its part, said it would allow Buhari to settle down for governance before taking him to task on his campaign promises.

However, some notable Nigerians disagreed over call for the public declaration of assets by the president and his vice president.
Among those who expressed divergent views were constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN; Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN; rights crusader, Mr Femi Falana, SAN; Mr Kayode Ajulo; Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed and rights activist, Mr Mohammed Fawehinmi.

A close associate of the president, however, debunked criticisms on the issue saying, yesterday, that the president still has 97 days within which to make his assets public as he promised during the campaigns.
President Buhari had in a document on his plan of action within the first 100 days of assumption of office as president promised to make his assets declaration public and influence his appointees to do the same.

“In the document the president said what he would do within the first 100 days and among them was that he would declare his assets publicly in the first 100 days. How many hours has he been in office? How many days after his inauguration?

“I think that the president should be given the benefit of the doubt. It is only three days since he came to office. Does he not deserve the benefit of the balance of the 96 remaining days? I think he deserves commendations”, the source close to the president said on the basis of anonymity.

He should declare assets publicly now— SERAP

Reacting to the development, yesterday, SERAP, in a statement by its Executive Director, Mr Tokunbo Mumuni, said: “We recall that the President had said before the election that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, and encourage all his appointees to publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. We now expect the President to fulfil this promise to the Nigerian people. SERAP trusts that the President and Vice President will move swiftly to publicly declare their assets and to publish widely the information on a dedicated website.

“Public disclosure of assets will give the general public a true picture of the assets of the President and Vice President and will send a powerful message that it is not going to be business as usual with this government. This will also follow the best practice set by former President Umaru Yar’Adua, boost this government’s fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators, and fully comply with the provisions of chapter two of the dealing with Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which among others require the government to take steps to eradicate corrupt practices and the abuse of power”, SERAP stated.

We’ll answer him later —PDP

In its reaction, the PDP said that it would respond to the issue in due season. Speaking with Vanguard, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said that the party would allow Buhari settle down for governance, and then come up with very strong opposition.

Metuh said: “We will allow President Muhammadu Buhari to settle down and address the promises made to Nigerians; we will talk on asset declaration later.”

That is where credibility starts—Sagay

Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, said it was compulsory for the president and his vice to declare their assets publicly saying, “that is where credibility starts”.

Sagay said: “I have no doubt that he will make it public because that is where credibility starts. That is where Jonathan started losing credibility. The late Umar Yar’Adua forced him to declare his assets in 2007, reluctantly, he did it. But when he was his own man, he said he does not give a damn and that is where he started sliding down. So, Buhari has no choice, it is absolute for himself and Osinbajo if change and credibility are going to be sustained. There is no other way out, so I expect in the next 24 hours or so that we would know what their assets are. He should apply it to every other appointee of his regime, not just himself and Osinbajo, it is compulsory and absolute.”

President and his vice didn’t err—Ngige

Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, argued that the president and his vice did not err in the declaration of their assets. Ngige said: “There is nothing wrong in what the President and his vice have done. Anyone who is not satisfied with that should go to the Code of Conduct Bureau to get the information they need on the declaration. If the Code of Conduct refuses, they can invoke the Freedom of Information Act. When President Yar’Adua did his declaration, he asked the code of conduct to make it public.

“Yar’Adua did not make his declaration public. People should desist from making noise about it because the President and his vice did the right thing. Getting information about the contents of the declaration should be done accordingly through the code of conduct and if it refuses, people can approach the court and the court can order the code of conduct to make it public.”

Let’s wait for the 100 days—Falana

On his part, rights crusader, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, opined that “these men just took oath of office two days ago and they declared their assets officially as required by law which stipulates 90 days. Meanwhile, they’ve promised to declare their assets publicly within 100 days. I hope it is better we wait for the 100 days.”

The courts should decide—Ajulo
A lawyer, Mr Kayode Ajulo said the courts should be allowed to make a pronouncement on the matter. Ajulo said: “All I know is that we Nigerians just want to be intellectually lazy. It is so clear that Buhari declared his assets, there is no fuzz about anyone declaring his assets or not.

When it comes to the declaration of assets under Code of Conduct law, you have to swear to an affidavit, that affidavit is pursuant to an old act, it is called the law of federation. In that act, any oath you are making in Nigeria, it is a public declaration.

Buhari should not be stampeded— Mohammed

Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed maintained that Nigerians should not blackmail or stampede President Buhari into declaring his assets publicly.

His words: “Nigerians must learn to live by what our rules and regulations say when issues like this come up. No democracy without rule of law and Buhari has done what he is supposed to do within the confines of the law”.

Mohammed added that “without sounding irrational, I can personally state everything owned by Buhari.

We have to be realistic and it is sheer nonsense when you are trying to tell a man what he already knows or what he is supposed to do. But no one should stampede him in publicly doing it the Yar’Adua way. I don’t mind him declaring publicly but I will oppose anybody trying to stampede him into doing what our law clearly states which he had already done”.

Code of Conduct should make it public—Fawehinmi

In his remarks, rights activist, Mr Mohammed Fawehinmi, said it was the duty of the Code of Conduct Bureau to make the declaration public.

Fawehinmi said: “They have done what is required by law by declaring their assets officially; it is now the duty of the Code of Conduct to make it open or published it. However, it becomes an obligation on Buhari and Osinbajo to publish their assets publicly as contained in their electoral promises. This will be the beginning of the fulfilment of their promises to Nigerians.”

Human rights activist, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome in his reaction, urged Buhari to declare his assets publicly in conformity with his campaign promises of breaking away from the old order. Ozekhome in a telephone chat with Vanguard in Abuja reminded Buhari that Nigerians now have a long memory and would watch him closely.

He said: “I think President Buhari should realize that all the promises he made with his party, the APC constitute a check list that Nigerians are keeping closely with a biro at hand ready to tick either performed or not performed. I wouldn’t want to believe that some of the promises he made were empty words customized to get votes from Nigerians and then refrains from them later.

Credit: Vanguard

Aisha Buhari closes beauty parlour in Kaduna

Soft-spoken but extremely eloquent, there are many things that make Aisha Buhari, wife of Nigeria’s new president thick. Blessed with an infectious smile; many, often as a result of her warm disposition, underrate the power that lies in her.

Though, only soaring in popularity in recent months especially in the build up to the March 28 presidential elections where her husband, Muhammadu, a retired military general and former Head of State, coasted to an overwhelming victory, Aisha has always been a known face especially among people who seek to pamper their bodies. The First Lady, until recently, owned one of the biggest spas and beauty institute in the country. Situated along Camp Road, a high brow area of Ungwan-Rimi Government Residential Area in Kaduna State, Hanzy Spa and Hanzy Beauty Institute was always a beehive of activities all week long. It is the first beauty institute in Northern Nigeria and is a National Board of Technical Education accredited vocational training centre and registered by the Ministry of Education with the aim of exploring the untapped wealth in the emerging beauty industry.

However, since the victory of her husband in late March before his swearing-in in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Friday, Aisha has since closed down the beauty parlour to take up the new role of Nigeria’s First Lady. The spa and beauty institute patronised by individuals across class, was sighted close to the private residence of the immediate past Vice President, Namadi Sambo. The institute was consulted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company to help train individuals under its Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Programme.

But as popular and strategically-placed as the spa and beauty institute was, not many knew Aisha was the brains behind it. Like her more popular husband who is famed for shying away from limelight and prefers to stay at the background most of the time, she operated the business only as a professional and not as wife of a former Head of State at the time. Many clients, who visited the place and also came across her, attested to how simple and impressive at customers’ relations she was.

But Aisha didn’t just venture into the business of pampering people’s skin and bodies – she worked very hard to learn the tricks of the business and how to succeed in it. A trained esthetician who obtained a diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom and a certificate course from the French Beauty School, Esthetique Academie Dubai, she is a member of the United Kingdom’s Vocational Training and Charitable Trust and the International Health and Beauty Council.

In an interview she granted Thisday Style last year, the beautiful Adamawa State-born mother of five said: “I’m a very busy person who does her things quietly. I keep to my profession as an esthetician, managing my spa and beauty institute both in Kaduna and Abuja. I also personally perform some advanced facial treatments like mesotherapy, gold facial and application of TCA etc. I have a number of documentations on my experience in this area including writing a book titled “The Essentials of Beauty Therapy.”

Though, now saddled with the bigger responsibility of giving her ageing husband the needed moral and emotional support required to bring massive transformation in a country craving for change, Aisha’s training and experience as a beauty expert could come to bear in the colouration of things within her control in the coming weeks. For neighbours close to the First Lady’s now closed beauty institute, they would miss the atmosphere she brought to the area.

Police uncovers underground cell, shrine in Ibadan

A shrine, suspected to be a hideout for kidnappers has been discovered by Oyo State Police Command at Isase, Ojoku, in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state.

Fake dollar notes and posh cars were discovered at the shrine, which is located in a very remote place, by a team of policemen led by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Katsina.

The cars include two Toyota Camry, with number plates LAGOS AAA-125 and LAGOS AAA-207 DH; and another Nissan Almera, with number plates LAGOS AGL 882 DF.
Other items found at the shrine include idols, charms, cowries and mats.

There was an underground cell where captives were believed to be kept. Also discovered in the place was a substance that looked like palm oil and salt, which were poured on some statues.

Though two of the suspects escaped, policemen arrested one of them whose name was given as Ismail Adesina, 43.
Confession

Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Katsina (left) and his men at a suspected ritualist den in Isese of Badaku village, Ibadan, yesterday. NAN photo.

He denied the allegation that they were ritualists, but confessed that he and others at large were using the shrine to dupe their victims.

He added that they collected between N150,000 and N250,000 from their victims, depending on the extent of deceit.

The suspect said they had been using the shrine for the past four years.

He said: “We have deceived up to five persons, comprising four men and one woman. The woman came to us because she was barren. We asked her to bring N150,000 or N200,000.

“We built this place ourselves. We do the work of Babalawo here. Our clients used to come from as far as Abuja.

“I hail from Beyerunka, Ibadan. My father was a Babalawo. But my father was not a fraudster like me.

“The owners of the cars are our partners that usually bring customers to us.

“My wife divorced me and went away with the two kids she had for me. She left me about two years ago because she asked me for money and I did not have.

“I have been into this business before the divorce issue came in.”
The police commissioner said he had spread his dragnet to catch the fleeing suspects wherever they might be.

Credit: Vanguard

Adebayor's family crisis gets messier

Following the recent posts published on Facebook by Tottenham Hotspur’s striker, Emmanuel Seyi Adebayor against his mother and siblings, Ikenna Oka­for caught up with the former Manchester City’s star younger brother, Rotimi Adebayor in Lome, Togo to hear the family side of the story. Although Sunday Sun met with Hajia Adebayor, the mother of Togo’s most famous football player, she revealed that she is under instruction not to talk about the issue while Iyabo, the elder sister of Emmanuel Ade­bayor was in Ghana, where she currently re­sides. Emmanuel Adebayor was said to have left his house in Didjole for Accra, Ghana.

Some people here in Togo said that you are always willing to give out to the needy. How are you able to meet their demands now that your elder brother, Emmanuel has withdrawn his proper­ties from your care?

It’s really tough now. The situation is no longer the way it used to be. I hardly go out because I have my own business to mind. As you can see that I run a bar very close to where I live.

What about your numerous fans in Lome…those who used to hang out with you?

I used to have many friends because of my brother’s popularity but today; they are nowhere to be found. They have all left me to face my travail. ‘Owo epo laiye n ba ni la won ki n ba ni la ti eje’ (People are willing to dine with you when the situation is perfect but you’ll never see them in difficult times). These are the people I used to dash out 5000CFA, 10,000CFA, even 20,000CFA without blinking but now things are not the same. I have accept­ed to carry the cross alone. Now I have learnt a big lesson. I don’t have any friend again.

Where is your mum now?

We have moved out of my brother’s house in Didjole. Now she stays a stone throw away from my place, I mean the same neighbour­hood. It’s a rented apartment.

How do you combine your bar busi­ness with your football career?

I have people that work with me in the bar. They are nice guys. They give sales report any­time I am in Benin Republic but I am around now because the season has just ended.

Tell us about your performance last season in the Republic of Benin?

I didn’t start the season with Royale FC. I joined the team in mid season and I scored 9 goals in 15 matches. I believe that’s a huge re­turn in terms of goals conversion rate.

Why didn’t you or your brother repre­sent Nigeria?

We were born and brought up here in Togo. This is the culture we understand and for me, I never thought about representing Nigeria. It never came across my mind.

You speak Yoruba fluently but have you been to your village in Nigeria.

We are from Osun State. Our dad is from Igbaye while our mum is from a neighbouring town called Ekusa. They are both in Odo-Otin Local Government Area. Yoruba is our first language then we are also fluent in Ewe and French. I do come to Lagos to see my friends and club mates but not Osun State.

Scouts may not be able to fish you out in Benin Republic. Why don’t you try a move to Europe?

I have received offers and I wanted my brother to help but he failed to do so because of the current family issues. I believe I can make it over there because I played some pre-season friendlies with Valladolid in Spain some years back but failed to sign for them.

I also received an offer from a club in Bel­gium but my brother isn’t willing to assist me again.

You don’t need your brother’s influ­ence or financial support if you are good enough?

Things are really hard for me right now as I hope my brother would accept my apology. He knows I am a good striker as well.

You seem to be confident of your football skills. Why haven’t you been invited to the national team of Togo?

I was in the national team when Stephen Keshi was in charge. He invited me and was happy with my performance in training. During a particular session he called my brother, Em­manuel and I aside. He looked straight into my brother’s eye and said that, ‘Watch out, this boy would be better than you soon’

And what was your brother’s reac­tion?

He didn’t say anything.

Did you feature in the next match af­ter the training?

No, I cannot explain what happened thereaf­ter. I was not invited again and then Keshi left the national team a few months later.

Did Keshi resign because he had a problem with your brother just before the World Cup?

Yes there were some issues but I cannot re­call what happened then because I was very young and unwilling to interfere in such issues.

Now your brother has a problem with you, which you can remember?

Ah! the Facebook rants. Everyone knows what happened because he decided to make a mountain out of a molehill. ‘Oro ase ni gbogbo e’ (They are words spoken out of context)

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.

Then you could have returned to complete your secondary school in Togo

No I love the game so much that I left for France just after my primary school

Where?

Amazing Grace Primary School in Aflao, the border town between Togo and Ghana.

So you didn’t attend any secondary school?

No, I didn’t.

What about the remaining mobile phones you were accused of stealing at the academy?

Mo ni mio ja ole se’ (I didn’t steal). I have just explained what happened.

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.

Now you have suddenly become spiritual?

I am not far away from God.

Where do you worship?

We are members of the Baptist church

How often do you go to church?

Hmnn! Not always sha! but our mother hardly misses church services. She’s always there every Sunday. She’s already preparing for the Pentecost Sunday tomorrow (Sunday May 24). It’s a big day in Togo and the next day is a public holiday.

Did you marry a Togolese woman?

No, She’s a Nigerian from Ife in Osun State. Her name is Shantal and we are blessed with a two and half years old boy- Kingsley.

You’re trying to bring up a good fam­ily but there were allegations made against Kola, who is based in Germany about his inability to cater for his fam­ily.

He is my elder brother and I am not going to make any comment about him. All I can say is that he is a very nice person and contributed immensely to the family needs in the past and at present, he is doing well.

Your mum is back at where she sells polythene bags, padlocks and other things at the border.

It’s really sad to see her return to a business she left a long time ago. No one would be hap­py to see her mum in this sort of situation. Well, I leave it all in God’s hand. He will judge every situation. ‘Ayanmo ni gbogbo nkan’ (Destiny will always prevail).