FLASH......Yoruba Actor Ojopagogo's Daughter Is Missing

Flash: Poular Yoruba Actor Ojoopagogo's daughter DAMILOLA OLAYIWOLA is missing, she left oyo town for Ibadan by 2pm on tuesday, she has not been seen ,anyone with useful information should pls contact any nearest police station or this number 08072778872.

I am still in charge – Rivers Speaker, Amachree debunks impeachment rumour

     
Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Hon Otelemaba Amachree has dismissed as untrue allegations that he had been impeached by five members of the House.
It was reported this morning that five members of the House said to be anti governor Chibuike Amaechi lawmakers pronounced Hon Evans Bipi as Speaker of the assembly. The members at a session in the House said they had impeached the Speaker, Hon Otemeba Amachree.
Amachree, who spoke shortly after  he presided over a session of the  House where twenty three members  gave approval to the governor to amend some sections of capital expenditure on the 2013 budget said there was no way five members could impeach principal officers of the state House of Assembly. Details Later
Source: Vanguard

AMAECHI: Junaid Muhammad Blasts ‘Illiterate’ Patience Jonathan

 Popular political critic, Junaid Mohammad has shown concern over the recent crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) warning that they are soon going to cause a major security crisis in Rivers State.

In a today’s press release in Kano, Dr. Muhammad said Rivers “coming to the limelight because of the irresponsible, unconstitutional and bizarre, illiterate actions, of the so called first lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan, who hails from the island village of Okrika in Rivers State and who sees not only Okrika but the whole of Rivers States, as her personal domain to exploit, abuse and destabilize as she sees fit because her husband Jonathan happens to be the president.”

He also noted that the constitution has no place for the post of the First Lady and confers no rights, privileges or responsibilities on the wife of our leaders

“It is therefore illegal and completely ultra vires the constitution for any citizen, president or his spouse to usurp executive powers, and go about throwing their weight, as if they were legally recognized holders of such offices according to the law,” he warned. “ As at the time of writing, the commissioner of police in Rivers, his command structure and other security services are at the command of Patience Jonathan, and by her and presidential orders, most security facilities due governor, the speaker and others so entitled, have been withdrawn. Mean-while professional thugs and all manner of criminals are being recruited and pressed into service to destabilize the elected government of Rivers State.”

Stressing that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat its mistakes, Dr. Muhammad pointed out that current developments in the PDP and especially in Rivers State bear an uncanny resemblance to the old Western Region, which led to the collapse of the first republic, with very serious and bloody consequences. Then and now, the popularly elected leaders of those parts of the country were prevented from exercising political power and control, and the operations of the police, the army and the rump of security services were interfered with in a brazen political manner.

“The current CP Rivers, is bending over backwards to accommodate the president, his cronies and his illiterate wife, to ignore or pervert the law and the constitution and norms of decent political behavior, to harass, intimidate Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and thus destabilize, a strategic state like Rivers. Those in the PDP who imagine that this serious and fundamental crisis can be contained by some band aid or artificial cordon sanitaire, have a shocker awaiting them,” he said.

He noted that the overriding attitude of PDP leadership, the PDP president, his cronies etc. is an open invitation to anarchy, for his party, his tottering crisis prone government and most unfortunately for Nigeria.

“The preponderance of the PDP in the governing processes is a clear and present danger to democracy,” the statement said. “Add to that the dictatorial proclivities of the party leadership and penchant for hand picking illiterates and corrupt thugs into key and sensitive positions; you have the making of an inevitable disaster.”

Dr. Muhammad stressed that the latest developments throw into doubt the very possibilities of elections in 2015, those elections being the very reason for the desperate manouvres now being undertaken.

“If the de-facto commander–in-chief, the de-facto defence Minister and army commander Gen. Ihejirika who is an in-law to Patience [Jonathan], and his police and S.S.S. counterparts, are behaving in openly political partisan manner as heads of Jonathan’s personal militia, it goes without saying that Jega’s INEC will hold no elections worth the name,” he declared, calling on all Nigerians who cherish democracy to stand up and be counted.

He stressed that Rivers State and the fate of its governor must be of enormous concern to all democrats and patriots, pointing out that within Rivers State and beyond it, evil thrives when good and decent people take their eyes off the ball or pretend it is of no concern to them or is unrelated to neighborhoods.

“Personally I do not know and have never met Gov. Rotimi Amaechi in person, in Port Harcourt or anywhere else on earth,” he declared. “I have not been to Rivers State since the expiry of my national service in the defunct OMPADEC (now NDDC) in 1996. I am however invested in Amaechi’s struggles because I believe democracy is the only way to govern a free people rationally, and to exercise legitimate power over a free people. If the PDP and its incompetent president treat this country like a conquered and vanquished people, they must be cured of their delusion, soonest.”

PASTOR OKOTIE FINDS NEW LOVE?

 

 

 

The answer is No! 

Our investigation has revealed that the story making the rounds on some blogs that respected man of God, Rev. Chris Okotie has found a new love is totally false.

According to our findings, the Reverend has no love relationship with Delphine the lady in question , who only attended the recent event of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, hosted by Rev Okotie’s Household of God Church, as one of the invitees.

Some guys who are trying to extort money from the young lady embarked on this campaign of calumny, on the erroneous impression that because she was spotted in the Household of God Church on one or two occasions, she is probably close to the flamboyant pastor, whereas Delphine only attends events there on the invitation of her friends.

Realising the frivolity of this story, the Reverend’s camp has so far ignored it to avoid it undue importance.

No More Gun Permit For Now- Police IG

(NAN) The Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, on Sunday restated that the ban imposed on the issuance of fresh licences for the procurement of firearms was still in force.

He made the declaration via a statement issued in Abuja by CSP Frank Mba, the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer.

The statement said that Abubakar also reminded the public that the ban was imposed in exercise of the powers vested in the President and the IG respectively by the Firearms Act, to restrict the proliferation of firearms in the country.

``Consequently, the Nigeria Police Force wishes to state that in furtherance of the subsisting embargo, it has not and does not intend to issue permits to any person, group of persons, organisation or agency of any state government, for the procurement or purpose of bearing firearms.’’

The statement noted the concern expressed by many Nigerians over the eligibility and rumoured desire of some groups to bear firearms.

``The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that the extant laws guiding the use of firearms explicitly prohibit the bearing of various categories of firearms, without requisite licences.

``Members of the public should therefore note that it is an offence punishable under the law for: (i) A person to have in his possession or under his control any prohibited firearms without a licence granted by the President;

``(ii) A person to have in his possession or under his control, a personal firearm without a licence issued by the IGP;

``(iii) Any person to import or export firearms or ammunition without the appropriate licence.’’

The statement said that the police headquarters, therefore, urged vigilante groups and other sincere community efforts aimed at ensuring the people’s safety and security to work in partnership with the local police authorities.

It, however, stressed that the conduct and practice of such groups must be in total conformity with the laws of the land, reiterating the determination of the police to uphold the existing restriction on the use of firearms.

``It is also in that vein that the force has closed down the armouries of all licensed firearms’ dealers, while keeping due surveillance on their activities.

``Government and non-government institutions with genuine concerns for the security of their environment are hereby advised to partner with the police and other legitimate security agencies for the safety of their environment,’’ it said.

The statement, nonetheless, pledged the commitment of the police to diligently work toward eliminating all the threats to internal security

Toyin Aimakhu finally Hooks Tinsel Star

Popular Actress Totin Aimakhu this morning Hooked Tinsel Star, Johnson at a Lagos registry. Here is congratulating the latest couple in town.

Uduaghan: The Cat With Nine Lives

 WITH his latest victory at the Supreme Court, it is perhaps time for the Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan to sleep, at least, with one eye closed. Oh yes, with his seemingly uneding travails in the seat of power in Asaba, there’s every reason for the medical doctor-turned politician to keep that second eye perpetually open; there may just be some more ‘battles’ to fight ahead of the 2015 elections.
The Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) candidate, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, had approached the court seeking for an order to set aside the March 21, 2012 judgment, which affirmed Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the April 2011 election.
Delivering judgment on the suit, Justice Suleman Galadima, who led a panel of four justices, said the application by Mr. Ogboru amounted to a gross abuse of court processes, which was capable of setting a dangerous precedence for the legal profession. Aside from affirming Uduaghan’s victory, the court also awarded a cost of N150,000 against Ogboru. What a sweet victory!
A little flash back. On May 29, 2007, Dr. Uduaghan was sworn-in as the governor of Delta State in Nigeria, under PDP. He was formerly the Commissioner for Health, Delta State and later the Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG). On May 29, 2011, he was sworn-in again as the governor of Delta State after the April 2011 general elections. But in between these two swearing-ins, was a third oath taking when on January 10, 2011, Uduaghan was sworn-in after winning the re-run governorship election in the state, following the landmark judgment by the Court of Appeal in Benin, Edo state, delivered by Justice Monica Domgbam-Mensen to annul the 2007 general elections in Delta State and order a re-run within 90 days. Now, you can at least understand why Uduaghan needs enough rest after that victory at the Supreme Court.
How he has managed to survive all these years as the governor of Delta State remains a mystery. From the point his cousin and predecessor, James Onanefe Ibori, anointed him as his successor, Uduaghan had been on a hot seat. His candidacy was a big issue because some elders of the state, who wanted things differently, would not let him be. Even so, incompetence was not among the points counted against the medical doctor, having been in the corridors of power for years. Both friends and enemies managed to agree that he could do the job but the latter just wanted a candidate outside what they described as the Ibory dynasty.
By the time he finally picked the PDP ticket to contest the 2007 governorship election, there was serious crisis in the party; some aggrieved party men left and ganged up against him.
Some, who stayed back, actually did so to fight the medical doctor from within. But Uduaghan won the election in spite of the stiff opposition and was sworn in. Expectedly, his victory was followed by a litany of litigations.
The Uduaghan’s candidacy was reportedly driven home on the principle put forward by the G3, one of the informal political groups in Delta State in 2007, which preached the need for power shift after Ibori, from Delta Central to either the South or North Senatorial zone. This group argued that since Uduaghan is from the South, he should be allowed to move in after Ibori.
However, this argument did not go down well with other aspirants, especially from Delta North, who felt that the South should come after the North had had its turn. This was the thinking that created the likes of Godswill Obielum and Godson Echegile amongst others. Other aspirants from Delta Central like Chief Obule insisted on full participation of all zones in the PDP Primaries. These were some of the huddles Uduaghan hat to scale to pick the PDP governorship ticket in 2007; how he did it is entirely his trade secrete.
Aside from his main opponent in these elections and the subsequent tribunals and legal battles, Great Ogboru, who has challenged every Uduaghan victory, elder statesman Chief E.K Clark became even a bigger thorn in Uduaghan’s flesh.
At different occasions, Chief Clark had maintained that Ibori imposed his cousin Uduaghan on Deltans, adding that the governorship of Delta was not a family affair. And for E.K Clark to stay on one’s neck, hmmm… it was pressure enough to drive away sleep.
In all, the onslaught against Uduaghan was prosecuted from two fronts; some fought from within, while the others fought from the outside. The arrowheads of the inner attack were Chief Clark and Godsday Orubebe. In fact the heat was so much that stakeholder had to arrange meetings to work out a power sharing formula between Uduaghan and Chief Clark even only to douse the rising heat.
On the other hand, the late Senator Pius Akpo Ewherido who left PDP to join DPP, teamed up with Chief Ogboru against Uduaghan; their camp fought from the outside. Somehow, all the weapons of mass destruction fashioned against Uduaghan failed to prosper.
On the far side was Mr. Peter Okocha of the Action Congress (AC), who stormed the election petition tribunal at that time, alleging that he was unlawfully excluded from contesting the 2007 gubernatorial election of Delta State. Okocha’s prayers seeking the nullification of Dr. Uduaghan’s election held no ground for the B.S Mohammed’s led tribunal; therefore, he had no difficulty in dismissing the petitioner’s case.
Not satisfied with the decision of the election petition tribunal, he headed to the Court of Appeal in Benin City, but the Justice Monica Duogban Memser also dismissed the appeal. This time, Okocha, who is more of a businessman than a politician, read correctly the handwriting on the wall, took a break and returned to his business.
The Supreme Court ruling is one of the many things currently going well for Uduaghan. His enemies have also turned against themselves. During their battle days, Chief Clark and Orubebe were the best of friends. Today, things have fallen apart between both men; a detail of their faceoff was widely reported in the dailies. In fact, some elders and concerned Deltans are now said to be mounting pressure on Uduaghan to come up with a plan to restore peace in the camp of his enemies.
In the DPP camp between Ogboru and Senator Ewherido before the latter’s passing away, there was also turbulence. Ewherido, who was rumoured to be nursing governorship ambition under the party, was at crossroads with Ogboru.
Having persistently suffered defeats at the polling boots and law courts, the late Senator must have reasoned that it was time for someone to retire Great Ogboru from the governorship race of Delta State. So, in effect, the storm in DPP before the death of Senator Ewherido had everything to do with who became the next governor of Delta State.
Sentiments aside, Uduaghan is a different breed of politician; he has a way of combining the two incongruous tasks of fighting for his mandate and working to justify his mandate. His tacitumity is a virtue of sort in this regard. He had defeated Chief E.K Clark with sheer silence. He listens more than he talks and most times he tries not to talk anyhow. He does not also have permanent enemies and friends. At all times, it is the situation at hand that determines a friend or an enemy. So, who says medical doctors don’t understand politics? With what Senator Chris Ngige did with ACN in Anmabra State and now the survival streak of Uduaghan in Delta State, in spite of big powers and principalities, there’s need for a rethink about doctors and politics, especially when the doctor is short.
Uduaghan also knows when to completely lower his guards, relegate politics to the back seat and push to the front row shared humanity. When Senator Ewherido took ill and was bedridden at the National Hospital, Abuja, Governor Uduaghan reportedly turned the hospital into his second home; he was there throughout the three days Ewherido was on admission and frantically made efforts to save the life of the late Senator, who was said to have slumped while making a phone call in his (the Senator’s) Abuja residence. What a brotherly love.
Today, the Supreme Court has finally laid to rest, all anxieties regarding the last governorship election in Delta State. Now, the so-called cynics and detractors have no other option than to seek some form of accommodation in Delta State under Uduaghan at least till 2015.
As for Uduaghan, the proverbial cat with nine lives, he can take a deep breath, laugh aloud, pop champagne and possibly go for some more thanksgiving. But it is also time for him to roll his sleeves and get down to real business; the remaining two years is an opportunity to show true leadership. No more distractions and therefore excuses for under performance. Time is of the essence.

Published by the The Guardian on July 8, 2013

I’m afraid of having a big stomach — Tayo Sobola

 

Background

My name is Tayo Sobola but I’m popularly called Sotayo. I am an actress. I attended Hopebay College, Lagos, had a Diploma in Law at the Lagos State University, and read Public Administration at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State. I have had two nominations this year-most promising Actress, 2013 Yoruba Movie Academy Awards and Best New Actress (Yoruba) City People Entertainment Awards 2013.

Foray into acting

In 2003, I joined the Actors Guild of Nigeria. Also, I featured in some movies with minor roles. I had to stop after my course in LASU and resumed for my degree programme in Ogun State. I returned to acting in 2006. Then, I was presenting on television, was modelling, and had music video appearances (a vixen) and red carpet hosting. With acting, I just wanted to harness my skills, creativity plus flexibility. My mother was not in support initially but along the line, my father made her accept my views. My first time with the camera was awesome. It was a dream come true! It was a musical stage performance in 2003.

 Intimidation

No, I don’t get intimidated with any big name when I’m on set. I am not a newcomer. I’m quite confident and I believe in my skills and ability. I look up to Joke Silva because of her humility and she is always ready to support young talents.

 Movies

 The major Yoruba movie I did was titled “Ewu Loko Longe.”  I also did the 2012 Rhythm Unplugged advert with Basket mouth, Bovi and Buchi. Followed by some other comedy skits for Bovi. The inspiration to produce, my movie, “Arewa Onijogbon,” came from a friend. She actually encouraged me to produce a movie for myself and after three years of producing my first, I did a review of the movie and decided to up my game with “Corper Jide.” I get inspired anytime I am working with good directors and casts. Also, a good script inspires me.

Life as an actress

It is a movie in itself. It takes a person who knows you well to believe you when you are talking because they see you as acting. You dump some friends; have new ones because you meet new people on daily basis. You try not to look too different from how you appear on screen and tolerate people that get on your nerves! It is a different life from the real life. What we do is mostly make-believe. It is not our personality.

Scandals

It’s my tenth year in the entertainment industry and as an actress, I try my best to stay away from troubles or anything that can lead to scandals. Even if I become one of the most popular actresses, I will still keep myself like I have always done.

Relationship

I’m neither married nor engaged to anyone at the moment.

Fans

I have my way of dealing with them. I try to be nice to people who come my way. I don’t look down on anyone but there’s a limit.

Fashion

I love to wear what I like and feel comfortable in. My mood determines what I wear and how I look. I don’t like to wear what others are wearing. I live in a different world and I love to stand out. My beauty routine? I try as much as I can to treat my face once in a week because I break out a lot. I also visit the gym when I’m less busy because I’m afraid of having a big stomach.

Dream

My dream is to become a well-respected mother and wife with fat accounts

Rape In Church: The devil used me – Bishop Confesses

MANY found it hard to believe. They made calls to confirm if those  close to the bishop had heard the story.
But the  ‘man of God’ himself told the story before journalists at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Bishop Chibuike Nwabueze

Bishop Chibuike Nwabueze narrated the story of how he allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl after ministering at Calvary Army Ministry, Rumuoji Eneka in Obio Akpor local government area of Rivers state.
He blamed it on the devil and also accused his host as the one who set him up. According to the cleric, after he finished ministering, he retired to rest. The girl later came for deliverance.
He said that while he was pleading the blood of Jesus on the little girl, she started removing her dress. Before he could restrain her, he said he found himself on top of her.
“But to my greatest surprise, I was surprised when I saw her pulling off her blouse and skirt. But, before I knew it, I had a carnal knowledge of her. That is the truth of the matter.”
His head suddenly dropped after the confession, then went up again; this time he said anybody could have fallen for it.
According to him, when he realised he had sinned against God, he called some junior pastors to tell them what he had done to pray for him.
Nwabueze said he took a second look at the little girl who probably was still lying nude and waiting for a second round and what he saw pissed him off.
“She started laughing at me. She said ‘are you angry?’ I told her that I did not know she had hypnotised me. She said I should not bother,” the bishop said.
“I was so angry and annoyed that I called some of my pastors and made a confession, that I did not know what was happening.”
Nwabueze said it was not true that he raped the girl, stressing that it was a consensual act. He also dismissed the  allegation that he later procured abortion for the girl when the father called to inform him that she was pregnant.  According to him, it was the girl’s father that did it but he paid the bills.
The bishop maintained that the pastor of the church where he went to preach set him up and he fell for it.
“We have different Colleges of Bishops. I am the Chairman of  the Communion of Bishops in Rivers State. Well, what actually happened was a set up. It was set-up by my enemies. I have so many people who are my enemies. The man in-charge of where I went to minister is my enemy. He is the person that set me up,” he stated.
“He invited me to his church for a programme, claiming  to be my friend. After the programme, he set me up because of  the tussle over the chairmanship of the communion.”
Meanwhile, the police have advised Christians to be vigilant and ask the right questions sometimes on the actions of some pastors. This way the police said, Christians could different between true and fake pastors.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of  Rivers SCID, Mr Samuel Okaula, who paraded the bishop and a male nurse who allegedly facilitated the abortion, also said people should be conscious of worship centres. He said Nwabueze would be arraigned before the court to serve as a deterrent.
Reacting to the development, Executive Director, Institute of Human rights and Humanitarian Law, IHRHL, Mr Ayankwee Nsirimovu, described the action of the bishop as unfortunate as  it was done by one in a position of spiritual trust.  He said the incident was one case out of  the experiences of under aged girls, married and single women in the offices of  randy bishops and clergy men.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/rape-in-church-the-devil-used-me-bishop/#sthash.TUq7SkF1.dpuf

Strange Things Ibadan Peeps Ask To Buy @ Shoprite....Iru,Locust Beans top list

A breath of fresh air seemed to have hit Ibadan city with the opening of Shoprite retail store on Thursday, June 27. Shoprite, located beside the famous Cocoa House, the city’s tallest structure, in Dugbe, attracted thousands of residents on its opening day on June 28.

The size of the crowd that thronged the mall made it the biggest attraction in the city. Various jokes also hit the social media about the crowd of people that greeted the store on its opening day. A famous joke says 102,000 people visited the store on that day, with only about N35,000 made from sales. Many, the inventors of the jokes claimed, were at the store to window shop and take pictures.

However, the situation had not changed much after one week. There was a large crowd of people milling in and out of the mall, filling up all the spaces within the store.

But so were the cash points; shoppers queued up at the 17 main cash points and the additional two points at the kiosk section, giving the cashiers no moment of rest on the job. Business owners, civil servants, students and even school pupils in uniforms made up the crowd, buying notebooks and other school items.

 

But in general, youths and middle-aged persons seemed to make up the bulk of people at the store, Saturday PUNCH observed.

A student, Mr. Wale Olusola, who was at the mall on the day it opened, said there was “mad human traffic” within and around the mall.  He said, “We had to move slowly because there were so many people coming in and going out. It was like forming queues all over the place. People also had to be vigilant so that their phones and wallets didn’t get stolen by pick-pockets in the crowd.”

A businessman, Mr. Biodun Azeez, described the opening of the mall as a “good thing”, saying he was happy with the development.

He said, “I’ve been here twice in three days and I always buy things. There is always something to buy because it’s hard to resist the lure of the goods here. It’s like they are all shouting ‘come buy me’. And you don’t need to haggle over the price, which is sometimes frustrating.”

Another shopper, Mrs. Olumide Abulude, described the mall as a ‘one-stop shop’ and a new feature in the city.

“You don’t even need to visit an open market like Agbeni because you can get everything here. Their prices are also reasonable. You can get groceries, meat and even locust beans here,” she said, adding that people generally have a wrong notion about the city.

“The truth is that Ibadan is up there and its people know how to enjoy life. You can see the crowd here and the number of people buying and buying things< Abulude added.

However, a shopper, Mr. Adewale Mayowa, said the crowd had been split between the real buyers and the window shoppers.

He said, “There are indeed, a large number of real shoppers, but there are also some who only come to see, take photos or buy something small like sausage.”

Shoprite is located within a merged stuctuer comprising the Cocoa Mall and the Heritage Mall.

The Heritage Mall, which occupies the old Sketch House, was financed by O’dua Investment Company at the cost of about N1.4bn, while the Cocoa Mall, which is an extension of Cocoa House, is being done in conjunction with a private developer, Topservices Limited.

Even though the malls were yet to be completed, as construction work was still ongoing, when Saturday PUNCH visited the place, residents were already excited about the prospect of having arguably the biggest mall in South-West Nigeria.

Aside from Shoprite, others like PEP, Mr. Price, Cash and Carry, Filmhouse Cinema, and Lifemate Furniture have begun operations, while other spaces are being prepared.

But with the addition of the shopping malls and Shoprite to the scores of other stores in Ibadan, the shopping culture of the residents will arguably experience a major change. Many already suspect that open markets like Agbeni and Aleshinloye might suffer now that people can get most of the products under a roof, without having to move from stall to stall, in the sun.

But a trader at Agbeni market, who identified herself as Alhaja Risikat, debunked the fears.

She said, “There will always be people who prefer to come to us; so I don’t think it is ever going to affect us. We used to have Kingsway and UTC in Ibadan and there were still other markets then, so it won’t make any difference at all.”

Similarly, the managements of some other big stores in the city have also said they are not threatened by Shoprite’s arrival.

The expatriate owner of Trolleys, a store a few blocks away from Shoprite, Mr. George Kay, described the situation as “give and take.”

He said, “It is true that Shoprite brings a lot of traffic to this place, but in that process, it is also opening the place up. So some people coming here for the first time will notice our store too and visit. “Sometimes, people who have been in traffic for long would stop by our place and not even get to Shoprite. And there is nothing they have that I don’t have, but there are things I have that they don’t have.

“But on the other hand, the traffic here at the weekend was so bad that the entrance to my shop was blocked. People coming to my store were hindered by the traffic situation. So there is the benefit angle and there is the damage angle too; but no fear from me.”

Also at Foodco in Bodija, which offers a variety of services and products, an official who did not give his name, said, “The sky is large for every bird to fly.”

The source also said nothing had changed at Foodco since the opening of Shoprite in Ibadan.

He said, “There is a big population in Ibadan and we have our loyal customers. Since they came, there has been no difference in our sales, so the sky is large enough. People may go there (Shoprite) and check what is happening there, but our customers know what we also offer.”

A representative of Zooma store, also at Bodija, who spoke to our correspondent, described the population of Ibadan as a huge factor to consider.

She said, “When you consider the population of Ibadan, it’s enough to go round. However, I don’t think their (Shoprite) coming to Ibadan will affect standard stores. I think it’s the open markets that will be affected. Since they opened, business has been the same here.”

At Challenge, a PEP store, which opened in December 2012, has been popular with residents around there.

An official of the store, who spoke in confidence, also said the store had nothing to worry about.

The source said, “We are not threatened at all because we have the cheapest prices in town and our customers know that; that’s what works for us.”

Meanwhile, an official of Shoprite, who spoke under condition of anonymity because he said he was not authorised to speak to journalists, said business has been good at the store.

However, when asked about sales figures, the official said employees were not allowed to discuss sales. He, however, noted that the store was worthy of the attention it had got in the city.

The source said, “Well, business has been good but we don’t ever discuss our sales. People have been coming to buy variety of things; bread has been doing well and people even come for locust beans.

“When you compare the kind of investment we have put in the place, you will know that it’s worth it. We offer our customers aesthetics and the very best.”