On Saturday 25th of January 2019, The Sun Publishing Limited amid pomp, held 2019 edition of the prestigious Sun Award, at the high brow Expo Convention Centres, Eko Hotels and Suits, Victoria Island Lagos. Some of the people honoured were Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Hon. Seriake Dickson, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Justice Suzzette Wike and Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe. Following; some personalities present at the event. By Uche Nwosisi
By Bayo Bernard
Few days ago, some eagle-eyed men of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS were faced with two enticing options.
They have received intelligence reports about the movement of trailer loads of cannabis and tramadol enroute Nigerian from Republic of Benin.
The importers have probably sent emissaries ahead to try to soften the ground, so that the killing materials could have an easy passage into Nigeria.
“The customs men were faced with even a bigger pressure from the cartel in Nigeria who have been expecting their cargo to arrive,” sources in the command told the magazine.
The officers have a competing options before them: to accept bribes and get rich at the expense of clusters of Nigerian youths dying from hard drug consumption or to uphold their oath of duty: to protect the country’s borders against the infiltration of smugglers of hard substances.
The patriotic customs officers under their Controller Muhammed Uba Garba, chose the latter.
“We as customs men have the patriotic duty to support the effort of the federal government to rid the nation of hard drugs in line with the directive of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd),” one officer in the team told the magazine.
He said Comptroller Uba has also issued a strict order to officers to step up their guard against smugglers of illicit drugs and other contraband into the country.
“There is no hiding place for smugglers at the Seme border.We have a duty to protect our economy from influx of harmful and prohibited items and we must do that tirelessly,” Uba told his officers recently.
The singular act of bravery has now led to the seizure of 56 rolls of Tramadol and over 40 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, also known as Indian hemp.
“Imagine what would have happened if the hard drugs were not intercepted. The drugs would have ended up in the hands of young men and women in places like Mushin and Ajegunle,” said Wahab Abdul, a security expert.
But Controller Uba Garba said he would continue to make sure that the Seme axis of the Nigerian Border with the Republic of Benin is policed day and night by his trusted officers.
The controller had mapped out his strategy against smugglers and economic saboteurs since he was redeployed to the command last year by the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd).
But he understands that to accomplish this difficult task, the hands of all stakeholders must be on deck.
Within the short period, the controller has had series of meetings with traditional rulers around the area, sister security agencies and most importantly, his counterparts from Republic of Benin.
Such meetings must be held regularly for maximum effect, Controller Uba said last week after a marathon meeting with some senior officers in the command at the newly commissioner Seme/ Karake Joint Border command with Benin Republic.
For instance, the command, last week embarked on joint meeting and sensitization, to enlighten the border communities on the need to engage in legitimate trade for the enhancement of economic growth for the two countries.
Controller Uba had during the sensitization warned smugglers and peddlers of hard drugs to stop the business in the interest of the country.
Within the week, another joint meeting between Benin and Nigeria held to foster ECOWAS common trade.
The event, Comptroller Uba said has become necessary” to straighten ECOWAS common trade policy for regional integration and economic development within the region.”
The seized drugs were last week handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA by the command
By Bayo Bernard
On Tuesday January 29, the Nigerian Senate will take a historic decision on whether the recent sack of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari was in line with the Constitution.
Nigerians are expecting a stormy session by the time the senators resume this week to deliberate on the matter.
Already, there are signals that the Upper Chamber polarized along party lines of two major political parties, PDP and APC will not take a uniform decision on the matter.
While APC senators are likely to throw their weight behind President Buhari, their counterparts in the PDP will oppose the action.
The magazine was told by competent sources in the senate on Saturday, that the upper chamber’s decision to reconvene supersedes its earlier plan to resume plenary on February 19.
Recall that President Buhari, on January 22 removed the CJN from office over graft allegation. The president said he acted on the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.
Justice Onnoghen was replaced by Justice Ibrahim Tanko, the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court by President Buhari at a brief ceremony in Aso Rock Villa, Nigeria’s seat of power.
Justice Onnoghen is currently facing trial at the CCT over allegation of keeping several offshore accounts running to several millions of dollars.
No chief justice of Nigeria has ever been suspended by the president.
According to Section 292(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, the CJN can only be removed by the president after a written address by the president supported by 2/3 member of the Senate.
The Section states inter alia “ A judicial officer shall not be removed from his office or appointment before his age of retirement except in the following circumstances…. In the case of the Chief Justice of Nigeria……by the president acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate.”
Senate President Bukola Saraki had earlier condemned the removal, describing the president’s action as a coup against the judiciary.
He said the suspension was reckless and unconstitutional, adding that President Buhari is behaving like a dictator.
Saraki the action could derail the nation’s democracy “This action is capable of undermining the nation’s judiciary, subverting the constitution, intimidating judges of all the courts of record, and creating uncertainty in the electoral process.
By unilaterally suspending the CJN without following the provision of the constitution, President Buhari has sent a dangerous signal to the entire world that Nigeria is no longer a democratic nation and that we have returned to the old, jaded era of military dictatorship.”
He said “Our constitution makes no provision for suspension of the nation’s highest judicial officer.
The constitution provides a clear process for removal of the CJN and specify the roles of the three arms of government, beginning from the National Judicial Council (NJC), the National Assembly and lastly, the Presidency, have different roles to play in that process.”
The action amounts to the usurpation of powers of the Senate, Saraki said because “There is no condition under which the President can usurp the powers of other arms of government. I do not know where the President and his advisers got this idea of suspending the CJN on the so-called order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal but this is novel, disingenuous and alien to our laws. It is strange that President Buhari is claiming to be taking orders from a Tribunal which has been ordered by a superior court to halt all actions on the trial.”
President Buhari should be called to order by well meaning lovers of democracy and international bodies like US, UK, EU and United Nations because “With this action, President Buhari has initiated a process the consequence of which nobody can predict. They have precipitated a constitutional crisis.
At this point, all democratic institutions in the country, the international community and democrats across the world should rise against this blatant act of impunity. We should jointly condemn this retrogressive, uncivilized and despotic measure”, Saraki stated.
But his opinion may not reflect that of the entire Senate which is now strongly divided along party lines. The Senate President is of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, while the president belongs to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC.
Sources in the Red Chamber as the Senate is called, informed the magazine at the week end that the nation may yet witness another rowdy session by the time the lawmakers resumed on Tuesday.
According to one source close to the APC caucus in the Senate “ the meeting is not expected to produce any tangible result beyond the normal resolution condemning the action of the president.
He explained that APC senators will not back any decision to condemn president Buhari’s sack of the CJN.
He said this will amount to working against the interest of the ruling APC “besides, the president took the right decision by suspending the CJN, so as to allow him face his trial by the CCT squarely.”
The magazine was also told that the ruling APC and the Presidency have been reaching out to its senators, through Senate Majority leader, Ahmed Lawan ahead Tuesday’s session
Meanwhile, close sources to the Senate President told the magazine that the opposition PDP senators are already meeting to chart a way forward before they all reconvene on Tuesday.
One PDP senator told the magazine that series of meetings have been held in the last few days.
He said the ”Nigerian Senate will not allow President Buhari to usurp the power of the senate on this matter. It’s very clear that the president does not have the powers to remove the CJN, the Constitution is very clear on the matter.”
Meanwhile, the United States of America and European Union has condemned the suspension of Justice Onnoghen, calling on the federal government to reverse the action.
By Uche Mbah
The United States of America, USA, and the European Union, EU, have both expressed strong reservations over the suspension of the Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The suspension of Onnoghen, and the swearing-in of Hon. Justice Tanko Mohammed on Friday, January 25, as the Ag. CJN by the President have elicited so much angst and condemnation both locally and internationally. Twitter was on fire, with Hashtag #TyrantBuhari trending all over the world, In condemnation of President Buhari, with some wondering whether Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, was consulted. The Judiciary is his primary constituency. Senior Lawyers have described the situation as a constitutional crisis.
It will be recalled that it was Osinbajo who sent his name to the Senate for approval when President Buhari was on Medical tourism in London after Buhari had foot dragged on Onnoghen’s confirmation by the Senate.Comfort
Besides the outcry by opposition parties led by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Civil society groups are also irked by the development. It is an assault on the Judiciary they chorus. The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, SAN is also under prosecution.
With the swearing- in of Tanko, most Southerners insist that the Northernisation of Nigeria is complete.
In the heat of the Onnoghen crisis, the Federal government also swapped the National population Commission headship from the South east to the North, replacing Eze Duru Iheoma, with Hassan Bashir, a northerner, as Chairman.
Justice Tanko has sworn in 250 electoral Judges for the 2019 elections, an assignment, it is alleged, for which Onnoghen was suspended in order to stop him from performing. What is not known yet is if there were changes in the previous list of members as was compiled by the suspended CJN.
To confirm the crisis in the Judiciary, all the Supreme Court Judges boycotted the swearing-in ceremony.
Suspended CJ Onnoghen was billed to swear-in election judges before his sudden and controversial suspension.
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association has been called. The sole agenda of the Onnoghen Saga. The NBA had earlier described Onnoghen’s as a Judicial coup.
Meanwhile, the European Union and the United States have reacted to Onnoghen’s suspension. In a release, the US Embassy said it was deeply concerned. In a release, it noted: “The Embassy of the United States is deeply concerned by the impact of the Executive Branch’s decision to suspend and replace the Chief Justice and Head of the Judicial Branch without the support of the legislative Branch on the eve of National and state elections.
“We note widespread criticisms that this decision is unconstitutional and that it undermines the independence of the Judicial branch. That undercuts the stated determination of government, candidates and political party leaders to ensure that the elections proceed in a way that is free, fair, transparent, and peaceful leading to credible results”
The US called for an immediate resolution of the issue to avoid Nigeria’s degenerating into crisis.
The European Union, on its part, through its EU Observer Mission, said Union is concerned about the timing.
“The EU Election Observer Mission is concerned about the process and timing of the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honorable Justice Walter Onnoghen, on 25 January…
“The decision to suspend the Chief Justice has led to many Nigerians, including Lawyers and Civil Society Observer groups, to question whether due process was followed. The timing, just before the swearing in of Justices for Electoral Tribunals, and hearing of Electoral related cases, has also raised concerns about the opportunity for Electoral justice.
“The EU EOM calls on all parties to follow the legal process provided for in the constitution and to respond calmly to any concerns they may have.
“The EU EOM will continue observing all aspects of the elections including the independence of the election Administrations, the neutrality of the security agencies, and the extent to which the Judiciary can and does fulfill its election related responsibilities.”
By Comfort Obi
Even though I’m not a great fan of the very many awards given to state governors by some media houses, I usually have fun when invited to the ceremonies. The yearly rituals have been reduced to an all-comers affair. Even then, there are two awards I think the Media should institute. One is that of the Worst Performing Governors. Awardees will never come to receive such awards, but they will take note and, work hard to get off the bottom of the table.
The second award, I have here set up. And I already have a winner. It is an award for “Nigeria’s Most Powerless State Governor.”
A couple of years back, this magazine carried a cover story entitled as such. And, fittingly gracing the cover was the Kwara state Governor, Abdul Fatah Ahmed. At the time, it was alleged that he could not cough without referring to his predecessor in office and political godfather, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. It was Ahmed who came between Saraki Jnr. and his father, the former Kwara state political strong man and former Senate Leader, Olusola Saraki, now late. The Senior Saraki, after installing his son, Bukola, as governor for eight years, and his daughter, Gbemi, as a Senator, wanted a great send-off from mother earth. And, what better way than for Gbemi to succeed Bukola as the governor.
The state was Senior Saraki’s empire. Whatever he said, so it was. He was Kwara’s equivalent of Lagos state’s Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
So, that year, Saraki Snr. just wanted an exchange of seats between his two beloved children – Bukola and Gbemi. It was simple. “Bukola, take over your sister’s seat in the Senate. Gbemi, take over your brother’s seat as the governor.” For him it was a done-deal. Afterall, he had been installing and de-installing governors and other political actors without a whimper from any Kwaran. But God works in mysterious ways. He met his waterloo in his son, Saraki jnr. He felt his father had reduced the governorship seat of the state to a huge joke. So, he disagreed with him, and refused to back his sister, Gbemi. For that decision, I admired Saraki Jnr. no end. Frustrated, father and daughter got another platform to realise their ambition. The old man was given a bloody nose. And he never recovered from the shock until he died. But I digressed.
I was talking about an award for the Most Powerless Governor in Nigeria. And, dear readers, I am happy to announce a fitting winner. It is no other governor than Lagos state’s Akinwunmi Ambode.
I had initially penciled down three of them for this award – Governors Ambode, Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara state and, Kashim Shettima of Borno state.
Yari is the Chairman of Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum – an office he obviously takes more seriously, according to many observers, than his governorship job. He is either in Abuja, or out of the country. And visits Gusau. He publicly resigned his position as the Chief Security Officer of the state. And this other day, he asked President Muhammed Buhari to declare a state of emergency in his state. He is overwhelmed by governance and banditry. He is powerless. But, so very Nigerian, he has no courage to quit.
So, enters, Borno state’s Shettima. This guy has been governing his Boko Haram ravaged state for nearly eight years. According to Shettima, before the advent of President Buhari, Boko Haram was in control of between 17 to 18 LGAs, he insists, and had their flags hoisted. Last week, Adams Oshiomhole, the APC National Chairman, upped the ante. He said Boko Haram was controlling 20 LGAs. What nobody has explained is this: The APC won in all the LGAs in Borno. If Boko Haram was controlling between 17 and 20 LGAs, it means there could not have been voting in those LGAs, unless INEC also hired members of the sect as their electoral officers. But these are questions only INEC can answer.
To have held on for almost eight years, Shettima must be lion-hearted. But this other day, the lion in him escaped. Before President Buhari, and Borno state stakeholders, Shettima broke down in tears. His vulnerability was clear. And so was his powerlessness.
Yet, of the three of them who I considered for this novel award, Nigeria’s Most Powerless Governor – Ambode carried the cake. He beat Yari and Shettima to the crown.
For the governor of Nigeria’s richest state, it is a tragedy. Lagos state governors are in a class of their own. A Lagos governor is a governor of governors. His state can survive without the hand-outs from Abuja. Ask Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. When former President Olusegun Obasanjo withheld the state’s funds because Tinubu dared create LCDAs, Tinubu was unmoved. He had enough funds, and some more to spare.
But Ambode has demystified that. In Nigeria today, he is the weakest governor, the most vulnerable. He cannot take decisions without taking permission. Worse, a perpetual impeachment sword is dangling over his head in case he dared do any of those without permission.
He is, without doubt, the most powerless Governor in Nigeria. Governor Ambode’s journey to winning this crown began when he picked a form for a second term in office without clearance from Tinubu.
He was asked to drop his second term ambition. That he has lost the confidence of the big boss and other stakeholders. He was threatened with impeachment if he refused to. Ambode ran helter-skelter. He ran from pillar to post. From Abuja, Lagos to several influential Nigerians, he asked for help to keep his job.
He was installed governor by Tinubu. Since he left office after a two-term tenure, Tinubu has been installing every political office holder in Lagos. He holds the yam, and he holds the knife. He cuts for who he wants. When Ambode lost him, he lost everything. President Buhari could not save him. Not even Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is the highest political office holder in the South West could save him. That’s how powerful the Asiwaju, Jagaban Tinubu is.
So, guided by Tinubu, the Lagos APC opted for direct primaries. The word went out. Nobody could disappoint the leader. And Ambode lost so badly. Almost four years as a governor, Ambode had no political structure. No good politician does that. He probably thought his accomplishments would automatically earn him a second term. But that’s naive. He neither arranged, nor played his political card well. You ignore your political godfathers at your peril. So he was abandoned, even by his Deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule. They preferred his aide, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to him.
Since that humiliation at the primary, Ambode has been humiliated some more. He has not only become a lame-duck, he is absolutely powerless. He has no executive powers. That has been withdrawn. All attention is focused on Sanwo-Olu. He is now the person people invite to social events instead of the governor. And, most of the places the governor goes to, even to receive dignitaries, he goes with Sanwo-Olu, the star.
I cannot confirm, but the story out there is that was the condition given to Ambode. Go with Sanwo-Olu, everywhere, or get impeached. So, he has been behaving himself. And enduring the humiliation.
Rumours of a pending impeachment against Ambode have been rife for months. And even though Speaker Mudashiru Obasa denied it, at a plenary in November 2018, Obasa had the courage to publicly say Ambode would determine his status – to be impeached or not. Only in Lagos can that happen. In other states, Speakers of Houses of Assembly grovel before the governor. And attend to their every beck and call. Obasa is clearly the most powerful speaker in Nigeria. Unlike his colleague-speakers, he can shun the governor. And nothing happens.
But at no time has Ambode’s humiliation been so total than since December 2018. He has not been able to present Lagos state’s budget to the House of Assembly. His efforts to present it have been rebuffed. When the delay was becoming very uncomfortable, like a lamb, he sent the Budget to the State House of Assembly on December 28, 2018, with a covering letter, promising to be available for any clarifications members would require. But, they insisted he must appear before them to present the Budget properly.
Since then, it has been a ding-dong affair. On January 8 when the House said it would reconvene to discuss the matter, there was no quorum. It adjourned to January 10, 2019.
Speculations have been rife as to why Ambode has not been able to present the budget. Some say he was compelled to send the budget to Sanwo-Olu for perusal, and final approval. You know, it has been taken for granted that Sanwo-Olu would be the next governor of Lagos state. Others allege it is because they don’t want him to implement the budget; that they want to deny him access to funds because they suspect he may pay them back in their own coin by supporting the PDP Governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje. His assurances, to the contrary, have not done the magic. They treat him with suspicion. Yet, others allege they don’t want him to complete a number of projects he started just so he would be permanently written-off by Lagosians as a no good.
The delay in presenting the budget came to a head on Monday, January 21, 2019. The governor’s office had issued a press release to the effect that the governor would finally present it to the House of Assembly. That day, reporters attached to the governor’s office trooped to the House of Assembly. So did the governor’s advance party. But no deal.
The reporters were locked out. They were asked to leave; that there was not going to be any budget presentation; that Speaker Obasa was in a meeting with members. And, so, Lagos state’s budget has still not been presented. See, this governor cannot even do anything. To present the budget, he needs to lobby the powers–that–be. Not a few Lagosians are watching. They are dumb-founded. And wondering how the state will run without a budget; asking when it will be presented, and how long it will take for it to be approved and signed.
An aide to the governor described the situation as “sad.” That is an understatement.
While politicians are playing their political game, it is the populace that suffer. It is Lagosians that are being used as pawns in this dangerous game. If roads are not completed, it is Lagosians that will suffer. If there are no facilities and infrastructure, it is Lagosians that will suffer. Not these big men.
It is a shame that Ambode, once the envy of his colleagues, will leave office with many negative firsts. First Lagos state governor to be denied a second term in office. The most humiliated governor. The governor who couldn’t present the budget as at, and when due. Now, he also would go with the crown of the Most Powerless Governor in Nigeria. It is such a big shame. Step out, Your Excellency, for your crown.
Obi is the Editor-in-Chief/CEO of The Source (Magazine), https://thesourceng.com. Email: [email protected], [email protected].
By Uche Mbah
President Muhammadu Buhari Today suspended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onoghen, swearing in Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohamed as the new Acting Chief Justice. Mohamed was sworn in inside the Council Chamber of Aso Rock Villa, after the signing of the Executive Order 007.
It is not clear the extent of his powers in this regard. The Constitution states Onnoghen can only be removed by two third majority of the Senate.
Since the information came in, there has been anger, particularly within the legal profession, where some lawyers fear the reign of constitutional crisis that may bring anarchy. Some claim that the Federal government is bent on causing crisis in the polity to retain power.
There has been rumors of the resignation of the CJN in the social media. He has, however, come out to debunk the rumors, saying he has not resigned.
Onnoghen has been on trial for false asset declaration at the Code of Coduct Tribunal, CCT. Three High courts, an Industrial court and an Appeal court have ruled that the Status Quo be maintained, that the CCT halt the trial, but they all appeared to be ignored.
Buhari was said to have based his suspension on an order by the CCT.
His suspension came on the heels of his swearing in judges that will handle the 2019 election petitions, fueling speculations that the presidency IS not comfortable with the list of Judges.
By Akinwale Kasali
An International Agency, Transparency International has slammed the federal Government over its TraderMoni Initiative which the FG says was created to forestall and curtail poverty in the country and to boost the capital of market women.
Transparency International has however slammed the FG saying that it was a device orchestrated in a way to buy the votes and the minds of the electorates.
By Akinwale Kasali
Robert Sylvester Kelly, popularly known as R.Kelly is presently facing integrity test, as thousands of people in Germany has petitioned the Rand B star, insisting that his concert in the Western European country be stopped with immediate effect.
Thousands of people in Germany have signed a change.org online petition calling for two concerts by controversial US singer R Kelly not to go ahead.
On Friday, almost 22,000 people had signed the online petition, the motto of which is “Don’t give sexual offenders a stage.’’
The petition calls for concerts planned in Ludwigsburg in southern Germany on April 12 and in the northern port city of Hamburg on April 14 to be cancelled due to allegations of sexual misconduct against the artist.
In a six-part documentary series aired on Lifetime in the US., Kelly is accused of manipulating women and controlling their lives, in addition to numerous accusations of sexual misconduct.
However, the singer has rejected the allegations.
Report says whether the protest will be effective remains to be seen.
The concert organisers were not available for comment.
A municipal official in Hamburg told dpa that a binding contract had been signed for the 7,000-seat venue Hamburger Sporthalle for April 14.
It was up to the German agency organising the concerts to decide whether the concert should go ahead.
R.Kelly has however insisted that he is a sex trainer.
In a report by BBC, it stated that for two years, Asante McGee was a girlfriend R&B superstar, R. Kelly, but in the summer of 2016 she went to live in his house in Georgia. There were other women there, she discovered – and very strict rules.
Whenever I was in my room alone, that was when I would call home to speak to my children, as when I was with Robert, he didn’t want us to have our phones and have contact with the outside world.
When I met Robert, or rather R. Kelly, it wasn’t like meeting Prince Charming who swept me off my feet. He didn’t wine and dine me, he was just a warm and funny guy. We did normal stuff; he took me shopping and we enjoyed having dinners together.
But there was a moment during a text exchange in 2014 when I think I should have known things weren’t what they seemed. It was really early on in our relationship and I texted him, addressing him as Rob and he said: “No, can you just call me Daddy.” There was no discussion – he just told me his demand. When I look back at that moment, reading the text message in my car, I should have questioned it. I should have seen his behaviour in that moment as a red flag.
I was first introduced to R. Kelly in September 2013 by a member of his entourage, when he was performing in a club in Atlanta to promote his next tour. However, we had a proper introduction in January 2014.
A member of his entourage invited me to hang out with R. Kelly and some of his friends. We went to the mall and we laughed and talked. We just hung out like two old friends. Before I left, he gave me his number and we immediately started texting each other.
We texted for weeks and one day he invited me to his concert in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which was being held on February 13. After watching him perform on stage, he invited me back to his hotel room and we had our first sexual encounter.
After Valentine’s Day, we kept in contact through text messages and he began inviting me to different concerts across America, and when he visited Atlanta, where I lived, I would stay with him from time to time.
While we were in a relationship together, he made it clear that I wasn’t the only woman he was seeing. The fact that he told me he was dating and sleeping with other women, it made me feel like he was doing his best to be honest with me, so I accepted that and decided to stay in the relationship.
For the first two years of our relationship, everything was great. I would fly out and see him perform, and we would spend time together – and it worked for both of us.
On the Easter weekend of March 2016, he flew me out to Chicago, but I didn’t hear from him for two days and then when I finally heard from him, he had someone come and pick me up to take me to the studio where he was recording.
However, I ended up being locked in a van from 11 o’clock in the morning to eight o’clock at night. When I was let out of the van, by members of his entourage and nephew, I found R. Kelly partying in the studio as if nothing had happened. He acted completely normal, but months later, I found out that locking me in a van was a test. He was testing my boundaries and playing mind games.
Then in May 2016, I flew to watch him perform in Dallas. After the concert, one of his assistants said you need to hurry up and get your clothes from the hotel.
I got my clothes and got into the van which was supposed to take me to Oklahoma, so I could catch a flight home to Atlanta, but the bus never stopped. We ended up in a huge house in John’s Creek, Georgia. When I got off the bus and walked into the house, Robert said: “Welcome home, baby.”
He gave me a tour of the house, showed me my room. So I thought I’d stay for the summer because my kids were staying with family for the holidays, which happens every year. So with my kids not going back to school until the end of August, I thought, “OK, I can stay and spend some time with him for a few extra weeks.” It was never a permanent arrangement in my mind.
As soon as I moved in, he started inflicting both emotional and sexual abuse. No, he didn’t force me to have sex with him, but he intimidated me to commit sexual acts and have threesomes with other women when I made it clear that I wasn’t comfortable.
If I said I didn’t want to do something he would shout at me and call me “stupid”. He would tell me that the other girls who were also visiting or living in the house at the time with us had no problem with his sexual requests, so what was my problem? I felt degraded by his actions and his desires.
What caused even more tension between us was his trainer. Her role? Her role was to train me and the other girls how to sexually please and satisfy Robert. According to both Robert and her, they had been sexually involved together for 16 years, since she was 14 years old.
As she had been with him for so long, it was like she was the head girl in school and she used her position to verbally abuse me. I remember one day she and I got into an argument and Robert said I had “black woman syndrome”. He said that I didn’t like being told what to do by a younger black woman and that he wasn’t going to let me, a black woman, tell him what to do.
There is a misconception that R. Kelly just preys on younger girls. That isn’t true. Yes, he targets young girls more so, because they are more vulnerable, easier to manipulate and more likely to be star struck. I was 35 when I met R. Kelly and he knew I had experienced abuse in a previous relationship. He had me exactly where he wanted me, because he made me trust him. He made me believe he would never hurt me by getting me to open up about my history of abuse.
The hurt and pain didn’t stop with sexual intimidation and emotional abuse. He was controlling.
Once, he grabbed my arm for wearing the wrong shirt. He had rules that I and the other girls who lived with him or had a sexual relationship with him had to follow.
One day, we were supposed to be going out and I was wearing a top with spaghetti straps and shorts. As soon as he saw me, he grabbed me and told me to change. I went upstairs and changed and instead of going out with the other girls, he made me come to the studio with him. When we got to the studio, he told me that my outfit intimidated the other girls in the house. He said that I needed to dress like the other girls, who were wearing tracksuits – but it was over 100F (38C) outside. When I said this, he didn’t care.
He controlled every aspect of my life, while I lived with him. Myself and two other girls who were living with him while I was there could only eat when he said we could eat. Sometimes you could go a whole day without eating because he would simply forget to feed you or he didn’t want to eat. I remember buying a bag of snacks when we went out and hiding them in my room, so I always had food. He even controlled when we could use the toilet or come out of our rooms. We would have to text or call and ask for permission to use the bathroom and if he didn’t respond, you were allowed to come out of your room and stomp on the floor until he heard you.
The abuse and control was pushing me to my edge, but it wasn’t just that. I would have to watch young girls, some as young as 18 years old, perform lewd sex acts on him and I just couldn’t take it any more.
I started plotting my escape.
I called a friend who worked in the area and asked if she would pick me up. Later that day, my friend called me but because of the security and gates she wasn’t able to drive up to the house. I knew I had to take my chance, so I packed my suitcase and decided to just walk out. Robert was outside talking to his staff and he looked shocked, he even chuckled: “So you are leaving?”
I just said: “Yes, I’m leaving.” I carried on walking towards my friend’s car and didn’t look back.
I stayed with R. Kelly for three weeks in total. The week after I left he called me and said that I needed to apologise for walking out and that I had to come back home. I didn’t.
A lot of the other women who have suffered abuse from R. Kelly have come together and keep each other lifted. I don’t have any regrets telling my story and coming forward, not just because of whom my abuser was, but because saying out loud what I went through will help other women in similar situations tell their stories and for others to believe them.
By Akinwale Kasali
Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, has joined Championship side, Middlesborough, in the England division one league.
After parting ways with Chinese Club, Tiajin Teda, after two years, the former Chelsea and Lyn Oslo midfielder, decided to retrun to England where his wife and his twins reside.
Mikel, 31, who penned a short term contract with Middlesbrough, was unveiled by the club on Thursday. He also had his first training at the Championship club same day.
The former Chelsea midfielder became a free agent in November after a two-year spell in China with Tianjin Teda. He is expected to boost the promotion chances of the Championship club.
The experienced midfielder, who won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, spent 11 seasons at Chelsea.
Mikel reportedly sealed the move back to England to join his wife and two young children in the United Kingdom from the Chinese Super League.
At the unveiling ceremony, Mikel said, “For me it’s looking at the project. I spoke to a few clubs and I also spoke to Tony (Pulis). I had a good chat with him. He’s told me where he wants to go with it and it definitely fits with what I want to do. The club wants to get promoted, so hopefully I’m here to help in any way I can.”
He added that his priority would be the team’s success just as he is braced up for the challenge at the club.
“It’s a family club and this is what I want. I like stability and this is why I was at Chelsea for a very long time,” Mikel said.
“We have to put our heads together and help each other. If anyone knows me from my years at Chelsea, I always played for the team. The team comes first and that’s exactly what I’m going to do here. Here is going to be a challenge, but I love challenges.”
Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis said, “I’m pleased to get him in. He is a man with a lot of experience and quality. He has a winning mentality and he wants to be here to be a part of what we are looking to achieve.”
Mikel becomes Pulis’ second signing of the January window, following the arrival of Rajiv van La Parra on loan from Huddersfield Town.
Middlesbrough, who are bidding to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2016-17, are currently fifth in the Championship table.
In another development, forgotten Chelsea midfielder turn right back, Victor Moses, has completed his move to Turkish Super League, after a frustrating season with new coach Maurizio Sarri.
Moses has been frozen out of the team since the exit of Antonio Conte from Stamford Bridge.
Moses has completed a medical before his proposed loan move to Turkish club Fenerbahce.
Moses is set to sign a deal until the end of the season after arriving in Istanbul on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old has made just six appearances for the Blues this season, and has played just 26 minutes in the Premier League.
That is in stark contrast to the previous two seasons, when Moses was a regular at right wing-back under Antonio Conte.
However, Maurizio Sarri’s arrival, and subsequent switch from a back three to a back four, has limited Moses’ game time.
Fenerbahce have won the Turkish title 19 times, but currently lie one place above the Super Lig relegation zone after winning just three matches this season.
By Akinwale Kasali
For the umpteenth time, Spaniard, Rafael Nadal and Serbian born tennis player, Novak Djokovic will be challenging each other for the grand slam title of the year.
Djokovic earlier today continued his quest for a record seventh Australian Open crown by swatting aside French 28th seed Lucas Pouille 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 to set up a final against Rafael Nadal.
The world number one committed just five unforced errors in a flawless display and moves into a first Melbourne final since 2016. He will face second seed Nadal in a 53rd career meeting and eighth in the final of a Slam.
In 2012 the pair contested the longest Grand Slam final in terms of time at the Australian Open when Djokovic edged past Nadal an epic battle 7-5 in the fifth set after 5hr 53min.
The Spaniard is optimistic of defeating the Serbian, saying that he is poised on winning the first grand slam of the year, with no one daring to stop him from actualising his dream.
