Oduahgate: Lagos denies requesting for N255m BMW cars

Oduahgate: Lagos denies requesting for
N255m BMW cars
on november 01, 2013 at 7:00 am in news
The controversy over the N255 million BMW bullet
proof cars yesterday took a new turn when the
Lagos State Government denied requesting for the
vehicles, saying “it didn’t use such cars during the
18th National Sports Festival hosted in 2012.”
But the state government also maintained that it
only requested for regular saloon cars, four wheel
drive vehicles and buses, which it got from
Coscharis in its capacity as the official vehicle
providers for the sports.
The denial came in following amid public outcry and
condemnation trailing the role the state government
in the purchase of two armoured cars by the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the
Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.
A source close to the Commissioner for Youths,
Sports and Social Development, Mr. Enitan Oshodi
said that the state government duly made a request
to President Goodluck Jonathan.
He explained that “the state government requested
for waiver of destination inspection charges and
duty exemption on 300 vehicles, which were to be
used for the festival.”
According to the source, “Following the offer of
sponsorship of and provision of vehicles for the
festival by Coscharis Nigeria Limited, the state
government made a formal request to the president
as requested by the sponsors, which was granted.
The source said “The request was duly granted by
the president to the issuance of a Certificate of
Waiver in respect of the duty payable on the
importation of the cars by Coscharis Nigeria
Limited,”
The source further explained that the state
government have documents to show the vehicles
were supplied and used during the 18th National
Sports Festival.
According to the source, the vehicles requested
from Coscharis Nigeria Limited, which was the
sponsor of the festival, were limited to saloon cars,
four wheel drive vehicles and buses to convey the
14,000 athletes and 10,000 officials who attended
the festival across the country.
He noted that the state government did not request
for any bulletproof vehicle BMW Level 7 or any
other bulletproof vehicle for use during the festival
hosted between November 27 and December 9,
2012.

The constitution we need and how to get it— Ethnic nationalities, others

The constitution we need and how to get
it— Ethnic nationalities, others
on november 01, 2013 at 6:15 am in politics
BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE & GBENGA OKE
WITH only two of the six geo-political zones yet to
be visited by the Senator Femi Okurounmu-led
advisory committee on national conference, how
Nigerians want the national dialogue to be held and
what they want the new constitution to look like are
beginning to take shape
The zones that are still awaiting the committee are
North-West and North-East. In the last two weeks,
the committee has traversed eight cities spread
among four zones. The 13-man team started with
Akure (South-West) on October 18 and went to Jos
(North-Central), October 21; Minna (North-Central),
October 23; Calabar (South-South), October 25;
Benin (South-South), October 28; Enugu (South-
East), October 29; Umuahia (South-East), October
30 and Lagos (South-West), today.
Next week, the panel is expected to hit Sokoto
(North-West) on November 4; Maiduguri (North-
East), November 5; Bauchi (North-East), November
9 and Kaduna (North-West), November 11. It will
round off with a sitting in Abuja on November 13
before submitting its report to President Goodluck
Jonathan on November 20 as scheduled, according
to the six-week time-line handed the committee to
do its work on October 7, 2013.
Afenifere seek sovereign powers for confab
In Akure, Ondo State, the Pan-Yoruba socio-
political organisation, Afenifere, called for a “national
conference with sovereign powers” according to a
memorandum delivered by Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
“Nigerians must sit down and discuss their union
and agree on a federal constitution to guarantee
stability, justice, peace, real unity and development
borne out of autonomy for the constituent units,” it
said.
The group suggested that only a referendum should
alter any of the decisions reached at the confab.
Afenifere suggested that 100 delegates should be
elected from each of the six geo-political zones in
the country and the remaining 100 delegates should
represent special interest groups. And the 100
delegates from each zone should be elected on the
basis of 10 per cent representation for all
established ethnic nationalities in the zones.
“The remaining 90 per cent should emerge from
equal number of elected delegates from all
senatorial districts representing the traditional
ethno-geographical contents of the region.”
It canvassed a six-month time frame for the
conference.
Also, the Arogbo Ijaw Community in a memorandum
delivered by Chief Francis Williams, said that all
nationalities in the country should be considered
equal for the purpose of the conference,
irrespective of their population. It sought a
Sovereign National Conference “where all decisions
reached will have the force of law” which will not be
subjected to the consideration of the National
Assembly.
On its part, the Yoruba Unity Forum suggested a
total of 400 delegates for the conference, 60 from
each of the six geo-political zones and four from
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
The YUF suggested that political parties should play
no role in the election or selection of delegates to
the conference and that the conference should be
given nine months to carry out its assignment.
The Pro-National Conference Organisation
(PRONACO) suggested a total of 600 delegates from
the six geo-political zones.
Conference must strengthen not dissolve Nigeria –
MBF
In Jos, the Plateau State Capital, the Middle Belt
Forum (MBF), in a position paper read by its
Chairman, Professor Jerry Gana, hoped that “the
conference will not be a gathering to discuss how to
dissolve our federation, but a patriotic platform to
finding durable and effective solutions to our
problems of nation-building” because “we are
resolute to come to the national conference to find
the best ways to ensure the unity, stability and
progress of Nigeria.”
In its recommendation, the forum said there was
need for Nigerians to live together in peace as one
nation, fiscal federalism, revenue allocation/
resource control, citizenship rights/protection of
minority rights, recognition of indigenes, creation of
states, fight against corruption, structure and
funding of local governments, management of
national economy and devolution of power among
others..
On the structure of the conference, it said “each
ethnic nationality should be represented at the
conference to ensure equity, social justice and self-
determination; each state should select/elect three
delegates from each of the senatorial districts and
the conference could sit for six months.”
Aliyu proposes 30 % derivation
When the panel stormed Minna, Niger State,
Governor Babangida Aliyu, proposed a hike in
derivation to 25-30 percent and a made a case for
the establishment of state police.
The governor advised that the national dialogue
should not be used as a platform to beat war drums
or sow seeds of disunity.
On the structure of the conference, he suggested a
900-delegate gathering with one representative
from each of the 774 local government areas; 100
participants to represent special interest groups and
another 36 representing traditional institutions.
While calling on the committee to critically examine
the derivation principle in revenue allocation, he
proposed 25 to 30 percent for derivation to oil
producing communities which he said should,
however, be channeled directly for the development
of the oil producing communities and not shared
among their leaders.
Governor Aliyu also kicked against the present
revenue sharing formula, saying that the 52.8
percent allocation to the Federal Government was
too much.
Calabar: Stakeholders canvass 50% resource
control, compensation for Bakassi ceding
In Calabar, Cross River State, Governor Liyel Imoke,
in a position paper, demanded compensation for the
ceding of Bakassi Peninsula by Nigeria to Cameroon
in compliance with the International Court of
Justice, ICJ ruling at the Hague.
Imoke, who was represented by his deputy, Mr.
Efiok Cobham, also called for a new revenue sharing
regime in the country where the states would take a
lion share of 45 per cent of the revenue, local
governments, 35 per cent while the Federal
Government takes 25 per cent
The governor advocated for the adoption of true
federalism and called for 50 per cent derivation. “On
derivation, our position aligns with that of the entire
South-South states to the effect that the constitution
be amended to read that a state on whose territory
oil is extracted be entitled to not less than 50 per
cent of the entire proceeds from exploitation and
exploration”.
Several other groups that made presentations to the
Committee also advocated for the restructuring of
the revenue formula with the states taking control of
their natural resources by having a greater
percentage of the revenue.
The Obong of Calabar, Ekpo Abasi Otu in his
presentation said the dialogue should be at three
levels: ethnic nationalities, geopolitical zones and at
the national level. “Two hundred delegates from
each of the geopolitical zone, which also would
include pressure groups like ASUU, MBA, NUJ, and
others should first talk at the ethnic level, from
there to the geopolitical zone before heading to the
national level and at the end of the dialogue, the
decisions reached should not be subjected to the
ratification of the National Assembly but remain
sovereign,” he suggested.
South-south seeks two more regions,
parliamentary system
In Benin, Edo State, the Midwest Consultative
Forum, led by former governor of old Bendel State,
Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, aside backing resource
control, called for the adoption of part-time
parliamentary system, creation of additional two
regions- a Midwest region out of the present South-
South and a second one from the Middle Belt,
making eight regions in the country.
On the composition of the conference, the forum
suggested that a delegate should be picked from
each of the 389 ethnic groups in the country, with
the total delegates not exceeding 460.
The forum said: “There should be no imposition of
delegates by governments. Ethnic groups should be
allowed to appoint their representatives themselves.
The conference should not last longer than six
months.”
The MCF suggested that the Federal Government
should continue to be in control of defence,
currency, customs and foreign affairs, while the
states should be allowed to control their resources
and take charge of many other ministries currently
under the Federal Government.
It said: “We are also going to discuss fiscal
federalism because it is our believe that revenue
formula should be reviewed to be based on revenue
generation not revenue allocation, so that you can
keep a substantial part of whatever you generate
from your region and contribute to the central
government.”
Ndigbo want equal representation
In Enugu, the apex and umbrella body of Igbo socio-
cultural organsiations, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, advocated
equal representation of 60 delegates from each of
the six geo-political zones.
On the structure and composition of the
conference,Ohanaeze President-General, Chief
Garry Igariwey, said: “We advocate equal
representation of each of the zones covering all the
ethnic nationalities – women, labour unions,
religious groups, youths and the persons with
disability. The political parties should not play any
role in the selection of the delegates because we
have more than 50 ethnic nationalities in Igboland.
“To ensure its legality and integrity, the legal
framework of the conference should be instituted
through an act of the National Assembly. The
executive should send an executive bill to the
National Assembly to legalise the conference.” he
said.
On time-line, Igariwey suggested that the
Okurounmu panel should conclude its assignment
by November; the National Assembly should
process the enactment of the Conference Act in
December; the delegates’ conference should sit
between January and April; the new constitution
should be drafted in May; referendum on the new
constitution should hold in June; and the
administrative restructuring of the new constitution
should take place between July and September.
He said there should be no ‘no-go-area’ on the
issues to be discussed which should include the
structure of the country, the form of the
government, tenure of office, devolution of power,
revenue sharing formula, fiscal federalism,
derivation, distribution, citizenship, armed forces
and other security agencies to improve the security
of lives and property.
In like manner, stakeholders in Umuahia, Abia State,
sought equal representation of the zones at the
confab. They said the representation should not be
based on ethnic nationalities.
Governor Theodore Orji urged the committee to look
at “salient propositions that will foster unity in the
country” from the avalanche of submissions that
they would receive.
The Governor said that the conference must among
other things resolve the issues of Nigerian civil war
and the marginalization of the people of South East
in the politics of the country; resource control and
equity in sharing of the nation’s resources; and the
conflict created by the Mamman Nasir boundary
demarcation committee.
The governor said that the outcome of the
conference should “form the basis of the Peoples
Constitution and that it should be adopted through a
plebiscite.
The position of Abia State was presented by Prof.
Joe Irukwu, a former president-general of
Ohanaeze.
Irukwu said that he “ hoped that there will be the
political will to implement the outcome of the
conference”, warning that if the problems bedeviling
the nation continue to drift “Nigeria can’t be great”.
The suggestions from the state which Prof. Irukwu
gave include equal representation at the conference
based on the six geo-political zones.
“Abia people said that they are opposed to ethnic
representation because has over 200 ethnic groups.
we suggest selection to be on six geo-political
zones”, Irukwu said and proposed further that
between 60 to 100 persons to be selected from
each zone. He suggested that ethnic nationalities,
civil society groups and people with disability from
the various zones be included.
He also proposed that a chairman and six vice
chairmen be appointed to handle the conference,
but added that the zone that produced the chairman
would not have a vice chairman.
On its part, the Igbo National Council suggested
membership of the conference should be through
election organized by INEC.

S-West govs open malls at former Daily Sketch space

S-West govs open malls at former Daily
Sketch space
on november 01, 2013 at 5:56 am in news
BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—Governors in the South West states,
yesterday, gathered at the commissioning of two
ultra-modern malls built by Odu’a Investment
Limited.
While Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State was
there, his counterparts from Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and
Ondo states sent their representatives.
The mall now occupies the space used by the
defunct Daily Sketch Newspapers, Dugbe, Ibadan.
While speaking at the ceremony, Governor Ajimobi
said: “For us as an administration and you as a
company, both of us with notable pedigree and
heritage, today is another icing on our historic
cake.”
Ajimobi who said the malls would provide 2,000 jobs
noted that the vision to construct malls of this
international class was conceived some years ago
by the board and management of the company.
He said the vision of Odu’a Investment was to
redefine business activities and improve the quality
of lives in Ibadan and other neighboring states.
In his address, the Group Managing Director of
O’dua Investment, Mr. Adebayo Jimoh said that the
development of the malls was borne out of the need
and demand by highly placed individuals in the
South-West who spent time and money traveling to
Lagos for shopping.
Also speaking, a former Chairman of Odua
Investment, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi stressed
the need for social and economic integration by all
the Yoruba-speaking states so as to bring the
South-West geo-political zone back to the path of
development as it was in the days of the late
Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief
Obafemi Awolowo.
The commissioning was well-attended by
politicians, captains of industry and royal fathers
from Yoruba land.

Driver kills 20-yr-old woman over NURTW’s N50 fee

Driver kills 20-yr-old woman over
NURTW’s N50 fee
on november 01, 2013 at 5:07 am in news
BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN — A disagreement between a commercial
bus driver and a member of the National Union of
Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Ibadan over a
union fee of N50, yesterday, led to the death of a
young lady.
The bus, with number plate Lagos XR 989 ISR, hit
the lady at Agodi Gate area of the city.
According to an eyewitness, the driver was trying to
avoid paying the fee when he ran into the lady,
whose age was put at 20.
The incident drew the ire of passers-by and traders
in the area, who attempted to lynch the driver and
burn the vehicle. The arrival of policemen put the
situation under control.
Vanguard gathered that the driver refused to stop
when the NURTW officer waved him down for the
daily fee. While struggling with the union member,
he reportedly lost control of the vehicle and hit the
lady, who was said to have died instantly.
Police took him away to their station, while the lady
was confirmed dead at Adeoyo State Hospital,
Yemetu, Ibadan.
The state Acting Police Public Relations Officer, Mr.
Inyang Ignatius, said contrary to the accusation by
the public that the police were protecting the driver,
he was put in protective custody.

OMG! Check out Iyanya's x-rated birthday cake

OMG! Check out Iyanya's x-rated
birthday cake
That's one super hot cake! Iyanya got this
'explicit' birthday cake from his manager Ubi
Franklin and the entire Made Men Music Group
team. This is officially the sexiest cake I've ever
seen. Haha!

Iyanya gets $25k Rolex watch from his manager, and world's most expensive perfume from GF

Iyanya gets $25k Rolex watch from
his manager, and world's most
expensive perfume from GF
Iyanya today got a $25, 000 Rolex watch from his
manager and partner, Ubi Franklin as a birthday
present. He also got one of the world's most
expensive perfumes from his current girlfriend.
See the pics after the cut...

Pics: Stella Oduah faces House

Pics: Stella Oduah faces House
Committee hearing over car scandal
Embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah today
faced House Committee Hearing over the BMW
car scandal. See more photos and read a
transcript of what was said at the hearing after the
cut...
Transcript from Premium Times
11:40
The minister has finally arrived at the venue of the
hearing, 100 minutes after the hearing was
scheduled to kick off. The lawmakers now setting
up to start the hearing.
11:56
Stella Oduah, the aviation minister has just taken
her seat before the committee. The hearing
begins.
12:00
Hearing committee chairperson, Nkiruka
Onyejeocha, gives her opening speech, explaining
the delay in starting the hearing and that the
committee would be just and fair.
Delay was because venue used for hearing
on Wednesday had been taken over for a
another hearing on Land racketeering.
“This committee is out to get to the bottom of
the matter. But committee is not on ‘witch-
hunting’”
12:06
Onyejeocha quips on the tense mood here. “We
are not mourning, there is no aeroplane crash; I
want to see everyone smiling,” she says. “Feel
free and relax.”
The minister is about to be called upon to testify.
She takes oath to say “nothing but the truth, the
whole truth.”
12:10
Ms. Oduah starts by apologizing for inability to
attend previous hearings. She said said her
absence was not out of disrespect and thanks the
committee for rescheduling her appearance.
12:17
Ms. Oduah says opportunity to appear will allow
her give her side of the story. “For the past week,
I have been bashed in the media, many have also
risen to my defence.”
She said her spokesperson’s admission of the
alleged purchase, while right on concerns for her
safety, was “inaccurate”.
She goes ahead to say online publications that she
compelled NCAA to purchase cars for her were
“false and malicious” allegations. “False in its
entirety!”
Says online allegations not substantiated but
based on “erroneous” comment of her aide.
12:19
“It is not true, cannot be true that NCAA
bought bullet proof vehicles for honourable
minister of aviation. My understanding is that
what NCAA has done is to plan for its vehicle
needs for the next three years under the
Medium Term Expenditure Framework,” —
Stella Oduah
12:34
Oduah: NCAA has real needs for new operational
vehicles. Insists armoured cars not meant for her
but foreign dignitaries.
“NCAA acted within the ambit of law”.
“Nothing in the stated documents mentioned
my name. I did not request for any vehicles.
All I did was to approve the purchase,
subject to the agency doing the needful
(following the law). NCAA followed due
process as required by law.”
“The Federal ministry of aviation under my
watch has always ensured we act in a
prudent manner and under the ambit of the
law”-Stella Oduah
12:40
The aviation minister still rendering her opening
remarks.
The “First Bank facility to NCAA to the tune of
N643 million mere understanding not an obligation”
she daid.
“Nigeria’s airspace is now rate among the safest
in the world”. She adds that allegation about car
purchase is meant to discredit her team and give
the impression her effort at reforms is not
succeeding.
NCAA has not spent any money not appropriated
by the National Assembly. The agency has even
saved the nation a cost and further
embarrassment that may occur in future.
12:51
The minister’s initial presentation is over. She is
now receiving questions from the lawmakers.
13:08
Minister insists NCAA did not exceed its limit or
violate the law.
She is reminded by by Jerry Manwe (Taraba
state) that the National Assembly rejected
armoured cars in the budget which she is
defending, the minister buckles: “NCAA will answer
that,” she says.
Minister is pressed by Zakari Mohammed(Kwara
state) why she exceeded her approval limit, she
said her comment on the letter to NCAA was not
final but advisory to NCAA to follow the law.
On the said letter, the minister wrote “Approved.
Do the needful”.
Brief game on semantics here. Minister says “Do
the needful” could mean anything”. But the
lawmakers are not having that. NCAA is called to
explain the “needful” it did. And the NCAA director
general shirks to the former acting DG who was in
charge then.
13:25
Blame briefly leaves the minister to officials of
NCAA over “do the needful” directive. For a
moment, lawmakers appear to agree with the
minister the all-encompassing comment
exonerates her. The former acting DG of NCAA is
tackled for even initiating a memo to Odua for a
purchase out of budget, and beyond approved
limit.
13:47
Jerry Manwe (Member) to minister: If the
armoured cars were not for you as you claimed,
who is using them now?
Former acting DG answers for minister: Any one
can use any car in the pool
Manwe: Do you mean a cleaner can use those
kind of cars?
Former DG: Anybody can use; but those kind of
cars are for VIP movement, including foreign
dignitaries, including the minister, and even you
honourable member!
Manwe; Thank you. But the law of the country
does not allow me to use those cars.
14:14
Attention has left the minister for more than half
an hour. Lawmakers again tackle Coscharis over
the disparity in chassis numbers of the cars.
A frustrated Chief Executive of Coscharis, Cosmas
Maduka,makes it clear his company has nothing
to hide as the committee would think. “We are not
doing monkey business here,” he asserted. Mr
Maduka was asked to withdraw the comment and
he promptly complied.
14:22
Reps wrapping the hearing. Chairperson
Onyejeocha said despite the testimonies from
those invited since last week, the committee has
received sufficient documents that will inform its
report. “We have given everyone fair hearing,” she
said.
“We assure everyone and all Nigerians we will do
justice”.
14:25
Hearing Ends. Thanks for following our updates.
Do stick around our site for the rest of the day as
we will put the proceeding in their correct
perspective for you.

Photo: Woman caught with dead day old baby in sack in Lagos

Photo: Woman caught with dead day
old baby in sack in Lagos
A 40-year old widow named Mujidat was caught
yesterday Wednesday October 30th with a dead
day old baby she hid inside a sack around her
residence at at the Iba area of Lagos, PM News
reports.
It was gathered that a member of the
community, High Chief Babatunde Balogun
caught the mother of seven when she was
trying to dispose the baby at about 5 p.m. on
Wednesday. When questioned on the content
of the sack, she claimed she was coming
from the market where she bought some
household items.
However, on a closer look, Balogun
discovered that the sack contained a dead
day old baby the woman allegedly had just
delivered. He then called the attention of the
other residents. Neighbours told P.M News
that after Mujidat’s husband known as Baba
Mushin died about three years ago, they
have seen men visiting her residence, the
house built by her late husband.
When asked if she planned to throw away the baby
because of an alleged paternity mess, she denied,
claiming that a welder turned block maker near
her residence was responsible for the pregnancy
that resulted in the birth of the dead baby she was
caught with.
She claimed she took delivery of the baby by
herself because she found it easy and therefore
did not go to any hospital or sought anybody’s
help.
At about 9 p.m yesterday when P.M.NEWS visited
the area, residents of the area were still milling
around the residence of the woman.
Officials of the Community Development
Association, CDA, in the area later accompanied
the woman and her sack of baby to the Isheri-
Oshun Police Division where the matter was
reported. At the time of this report, the woman was
still being interrogated.

Actress Liz Anjorin explains why she dumped christianity for Islam

Actress Liz Anjorin explains why she
dumped christianity for Islam
Popular actress Liz Anjorin surprised many
recently when photos of her on Muslim Pilgrimage
to Mecca surfaced online. She later announced
that she was changing her religion from
Christianity to Islam. She also dropped the name
Elizabeth and announced that she would like to be
addressed as Aisha, in light with her new religion.
Liz has finally opened up about why she made the
decision..
Liz tells City People
"It happened in a miraculous way which I
have been expecting for long, not that I woke
up yesterday and decided to change my
religion. By birth, I was half Muslim and half
Christian. My father was Christian while my
mum was Muslim. Growing up I went to
church because of my father. I didn't have a
choice at the time but I have always had
interest in Islam so immediately my father
died I switched over to my mum's religion. It
is a religion I love so much. Also Aisha is
now my official name though Liz is still my
name and I will continue to use the name to
do movies.

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NPF says this pic of an ACP fondling a lady's boobs is photoshopped

The photo above went viral last week. It shows a
senior police officer believed to be an Assistant
Commissioner of Police fondling the boobs of a
light skinned lady. The Nigerian Police Force
released a statement via their Facebook page a
few days ago claiming the pic is Photoshopped. It
doesn't look Photoshopped to me. Looks like the
lady took the photo herself...

Army destroys Boko Haram operational vehicles in Borno

Army destroys Boko Haram operational
vehicles in Borno
on october 31, 2013 at 1:15 pm in news
Maiduguri (NAN) – The Nigerian Army on Thursday
said it had destroyed two suspected operational
vehicles of the Boko Haram sect in the ongoing
operations in Maiduguri.
The spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian
Army in Maiduguri, Lt.-Col. Mohammed Dole,
announced this in a statement.
Dole said that the destruction was to clear the
insurgents terrorising motorists on high ways in
Borno.
“We have been able to identify camps used by the
terrorists in planning attacks against motorists and
innocent villagers in Kaga Local Government Area
of the state.
“Troops of the division, supported by the Nigerian
Air Force, have been able to destroy these camps
since we began the operations this week,” Dole
said.
He said three surveillance motorcycles believed to
be used by the sect in planning attacks had also
been recovered.
“They mostly used the motorcycles in spying to
plan for attacks on innocent people.
“The General Officer Commanding the division
(GOC), Maj.-Gen. Obidah Ethan, is happy with the
cooperation of the public towards supplying vital
information on the movement of the terrorists.
“I therefore wish to express our gratitude to the
public for the support and cooperation extended to
us so far.
“We have been able to dislodge the terrorists from
their camps which have been their hiding places.
“They are now in disarray, trying to save their lives
instead of planning attacks on innocent persons,”
Dole said.
He said the division had created patrol teams on
major high ways in the state to prevent isolated
attacks on motorists. (NAN)

Kidnapped Polish photographer escape from captors

Kidnapped Polish photographer escape
from captors
on october 31, 2013 at 4:32 pm in news
WARSAW (AFP) – A Polish photojournalist
kidnapped in Syria in July is safely back home after
escaping his captors, Poland’s foreign ministry said
Thursday.
Polish officials did not reveal how Marcin Suder was
able to flee or give details of his time in captivity,
saying only that he has been back in Poland for
“some days”.
Suder’s mother told Polish radio he had been held in
a dark basement before his escape.
“Marcin Suder is already back home,” Foreign
Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on his official
Twitter account.
“He was very lucky, he managed to escape,”
foreign ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski
told AFP.
He added: “He’s here since some days, surrounded
by his family. He is in good health.”
Masked gunmen abducted the 34-year-old
freelancer, who worked for the Corbis agency and
other outlets, on July 24 during a raid on a media
centre in Saraqeb in the northwestern province of
Idlib.
No reason was given for his kidnapping and no one
publicly claimed responsibility for the abduction.
“Polish consular services in the region helped the
photographer return home,” Wojciechowski told
reporters.
“We also want to thank the (Polish) defence ministry
for ensuring his air transport from Turkey to
Poland.”
Suder’s mother said her son was in shock but
otherwise mentally fine.
“Physically, he’s thin and, let’s say, some marks of
something remain on his body. But he really doesn’t
look that bad,” Krystyna Jarosz told Poland’s
commercial RMF FM radio.
Without explaining the marks, she said he was held
in a dark basement, without food at first: “Later he
got a bit of food. It wasn’t a spa, I’ll put it that way.”
Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders says
Syria is the most dangerous country for media to
work in, with around 15 foreign journalists still
missing or held hostage there.
At least 25 professional journalists and 70 citizen
journalists have been killed since the start of the
Syrian revolt in March 2011, it said.

N255m BMW bullet proof cars were not bought for me-Oduah

N255m BMW bullet proof cars were not
bought for me-Oduah
on october 31, 2013 at 4:49 pm in news
By Emman Ovuakporie and Levinus Nwbuhiogu
ABUJA-MINISTER of Aviation,Princess Stella Oduah
Thursday told members of the House of
Representatives Committee on Aviation that the
alleged purchase of N255million BMW armoured
cars were not bought for her personal use.
Oduah who astonished stakeholders with this
disclosure at the investigative hearing on the issue
in her 12 page presentation said:
“As you all are aware, what necessitated this public
hearing were the events that followed a false and
malicious online publication that I had compelled the
NCAA to purchase for me 2 nos BMW bullet proof
cars at the cost of $1.6million. ”
“Let me state emphatically that from the onset that
the allegation concerning the purchase of the 2 nos
bullet proof cars for me by the NCAA is false in its
entirety. ”
After reading her presentation, Rep Zakari Lafia
Mohammed asked her whether it is a loan or lease
that her agency obtained from FBN, she said it is
the same. She said the money NCAA would pay
would still be below the N240million at the end of
the year.
On whether she acted within the ambit of the law in
giving approval beyond N100 million , she said she
approved the money and asked the NCAA to do the
needfull.
What is the needfull?
The Committee and the minister disagreed on what
do the needfull meant.
She had claimed that in her approval she said kindly
do the needfull.
Rep Mohammed took on her that saying the needfull
means a go ahead to implement.
Responding, Oduah said”no you are wrong on that
the needfull does not mean full approval. ”
The NCAA DG Folu Akinkuotu was asked whether he
did the needfull, he said he was not In-charge at
NCAA when the order was given for the purchase.
The permanent secretary of the Ministry, George
Ossi was tackled for misleading the minister by not
appropriately advising her.
The committee said the permanent secretary ought
to have asked the NCAA to do the right thing.
The PS claimed that due diligence ought to have
been done by the agency before applying for the
approval.
He claimed that he was not available at the time
everything happened .
The DG said he would have followed the
procurement Act if he were the one the directive
was given to do the needfull.
He said the acting DG Joyce Daniel Nkemakolam
ought to explain why he did not do that.
Nkemakolam said we interpreted the directive to
mean to go through it in line with the procurement
Act. He said they did the due diligence but they had
a mindset that they were within the budget limit.
But he was asked why he didn’t do due diligence to
ensure that it was in tandem with the procurement
law, he said he thought since the agency had got
the approval of the National Assembly there was no
need for such diligence.
He was asked why he initiated a memo to approve
54 vehicles when what the National assembly
approved was 25 vehicles.
He was reminded that what was approved was
N240million and not N643million.
NCAA was asked whether the board sought
approval of the president to approve the car loan.
Nkemakolam said he was working on the mindset
that they were still within the approved limit.
He said that what NCAA discussed with First bank
was a lease. He was asked the date the board of
NCAA approved the loan facility.
The DG was asked how many trainings did he
organise for NCAA staff , he said he relied on
experts.
He said that his mindset has always being that they
did not exceed the amount approved.
He was asked whether the NCAA board approved
the money.
He said the NCAA has interim board. He said that he
was working on account that it was a lease not loan.
The drama continued with Rep Manwe asking the
former DG of NCAA to disclose who uses the
controversial bullet proof cars since the Minister
bluntly confessed that they were not bought for her
use.
“Who is using the vehicles now since the Minister
said they were not purchased for her?” he asked.
To the DG, that was one question that got him
jolted. Minutes passed before he could provide an
answer. And when he finally found his voice, he said
“Anybody can use the vehicles when they are in the
pool. They are operational vehicles.”
But the Lawmaker wouldn’t give up. He continued
with a rider to the question.
“Do you mean that a messenger or cleaner in the
agency can use the cars?” He asked.
At this juncture, the hearing room became deadened
in silence with the DG losing his voice for the
second time.
And when again, he found it, he answered this way:
“those categories of vehicles are for VIPs which
include the Minister, including you, the Honorable.”
Just then a blast of laughter erupted in the hall
which to some extent provided some comic relief to
everyone in the hall.
But Rep Manwe wouldn’t stop. He asked again, “can
we have the log book of the movement of the car?
With a subdued babbling voice which came in
separate minutes, the DG answered ” I am not a
transport officer. I don’t know whether they are still
keeping those log books.”
When it now became obvious that the DG was
exhaustive of all the answers he had, the
Lawmakers mandated the agency to bring the man
who received the vehicles at the point of delivery by
Coscharis Motors.
With that, the hearing came to a close.
In her closing remark, the chairperson, Onyejeocha
assured Nigerians that justice would be done to the
report of the hearing.
“Fact speak for itself. We have tried to listen to
people: Coscharis, the Minister, NCAA, First Bank ,
BPP and Customs, and we have their submissions
with us. We will consider what we have whether it
is in line with the extant laws and financial
regulations.
We assure everyone and all Nigerian that we will do
justice to this hearing,” Onyejeocha said.
Speaking with some Journalists shortly after the
hearing, the Minister, Oduah expressed gratitude to
the National Assembly for giving her an opportunity
to present her own side of the story.

No to tribal delegates! (2)

No to tribal delegates! (2)
on october 31, 2013 at 5:02 pm in people & politics
By Ochereome Nnanna
Left to me, this conference call by President
Goodluck Jonathan will be transformed to a great
opportunity for the nation. It would be an opportunity
to right the foundational wrongs that have worked
against Nigeria as a viable, progressive nation. We
would seize the opportunity to make amends and
turn a new leaf for the benefit of ourselves and
future generations.
In the first part of this essay, I tried to debunk the
tribal fundamentalism that drives our political
behaviour, same which benefited a few of our
founding politicians for only a brief moment and then
started working against us all. I posited that
tribalism is an otiose and overpriced political
template which is no longer suitable for the
globalised contemporary times where borders and
barriers are beginning to give way to new realities
both within and across countries.
It has long been acknowledged that a conference of
“ethnic nationalities” will simply not work. It will turn
into a tyranny of the Minorities, while the three
major ethnic groups – Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba –
which make up roughly 55 per cent of our
population will have virtually no voice. Besides, are
you going to group Igbo-speaking peoples of Rivers
and Delta states as separate tribes, more so as
some of them profess separate identities? What,
really, is the significance of putting tribe (or religion)
in front?
We should also discountenance the suggestion put
forward by Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of
Nigeria State, asking for representation based on
local government areas. According to him, the 774
LGAs should send delegates and by the time all the
people he suggested are counted they will total 910
delegates! How preposterous! Most of them will
merely be benchwarmers, as there will not be
enough time for each of them to speak for their
people.
Besides, the local government areas as presently
constituted, will not promote equitable
representation. The North will dominate the
conference with the superior number of delegates,
and the Igbo will have the least number. That is not
acceptable. It will extend the existing problems,
rather than solve them. The conference will gulp
unwholesome amounts of money without any
guarantee of success.
We should go to the conference determined that in
the new dispensation we will put things that divide
us aside and lead with things that unite us. That is
the way forward. If we continue to lionise the value
of ethnicity in our body politic, it will not take long
before dialectal groups among the Igbo (Ngwa,
Wawa, Owerri, Bende) and in Yoruba (Ijebu, Ekiti,
Ibadan, Awori) will, like the Igbo speaking groups in
Rivers and Delta, start claiming separate ethnic
nationality identities just to get more out of Nigeria.
The situation will be getting worse, not better.
How do we emphasise things that bind us? How do
we select the delegates to the conference? The
answer is simple.
Representation should be based on the six
geopolitical zones. These are the most appropriate
groupings of Nigerians based on the cherished
principles of contiguity and consanguinity. The
geopolitical zones contain roughly people of
common linguistic and geo-cultural affinities shorn
of the dominance of the Majorities over the
Minorities that the defunct three Regions (North,
East and West) had.
I call them the zones of equity. If there is
representation based on equality of the geopolitical
zones, we might decide to have a conference of 60
delegates made up of 10 delegates per zone. The
number could go to 80 when special delegates
representing the professions, unions, women,
youth, disabled, and the National Assembly are
added. Yes, the National Assembly should send
delegates to the conference, whose final document
should be legitimised through a national referendum
after a Constituent Assembly transforms its
resolutions into a new constitution. We are talking
about a new beginning, the sort that took place in
Kenya only recently.
Delegates will not represent the tribes in the
geopolitical zones. They will be people of integrity
which people in the respective zones can vouch for
based on their track records. Regional groups such
as Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, South-South Peoples
Assembly, SSPA, Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC
and Afenifere, Middle Belt Congress and the Arewa
Consultative Forum, ACF, can coordinate the
emergence of delegates from the respective zones.
They will be nominated and chosen through election
or acclamation by electoral colleges of delegates
from the various corners of the respective
geopolitical zones.
The delegates thus selected will not go to the
conference to beat ethnic drums. Rather, they will
go there to promote interests that bind the peoples
of the respective zones together. There will be a
very high tendency for the conference to reach
agreement on issues that will promote nation
building, peaceful co-existence, rapid development
and broader group aspirations, rather than pursue
the dominance of one ethnic group over the other,
advantages of one religious group over the other,
and the extension of the advantages of some zones
while the others are marginalised.
If the President is serious about using this
conference to contribute positively to the political
and economic development of Nigeria, it is very
possible and Nigerians, including even the
opposition parties that are keeping their distance
from it, will be glad to partner with him. But if he is
merely going to play to the gallery just like former
President Olusegun Obasanjo did in 2005/2006, it
will be unfortunate. The decision that the National
Assembly would work on the outcome is a greater
moral damper. But it is not too late to make
amends.

Nigeria spends $13bn on peace-keeping – Ex-Polish envoy

Nigeria spends $13bn on peace-keeping
– Ex-Polish envoy
on october 31, 2013 at 5:37 am in news
By JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU
ABUJA—FORMER Polish Ambassador to  Nigeria,
Grezgorz Walinski has said that Nigeria has spent
about $13 billion on peacekeeping operations since
1960 and has also sent over 250,000 members of
the Nigerian armed forces to the United Nation’s
sponsored missions worldwide.
Ambassador Walinski disclosed this at the
stakeholders’ dinner reception for the Nigeria
Security Exhibition and Conference, 2014, organised
by First Security Guards Limited in Abuja.
He noted that despite the numerous contributions of
the country in peace operations, it was assumed
that the country had not taken full advantage of its
active participation in the numerous peace
operations around the world by not getting
commensurate economic, military and political
remuneration for its participation.
He cited countries like Ghana that had also
participated in numerous UN PSOs but generated
funds through the process to defray the costs of
sustaining its military, while Nigeria on the other
hand had largely allegedly deprived itself of such
benefits.
According to him, the country started peacekeeping
operations few days after her independence in 1960
in Congo and since then, the country’s forces have
participated in many operations across the globe
under varying international legal authority executing
a variety of operational mandates.
He said: “Her contribution to the UN peacekeeping
operations is only surpassed by those of India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh. Over 250,000 members
of the Nigerian armed forces have participated in
UN sponsored missions worldwide.”
“Having been involved in 40 of the 55 peacekeeping
missions of the UN, Nigeria has now participated in
73 percent of all UN peacekeeping operations. Four
of these missions have been commanded by
Nigeria senior military officers. Nigeria currently
has about 6, 000 peacekeepers in various
flashpoints, 4, 000 of which are in Darfur, Sudan,”
he stated.
The former Polish Ambassador to Nigeria further
said that many potential conflicts were effectively
prevented due to Nigerian diplomacy. Therefore,
Nigeria’s direct involvement as chief mediator in a
number of territorial disputes and crises effectively
allowed to avoid them and in consequence
eliminated the threat of their development into full-
scale conflicts.
Ambassador Walinski noted that the international
community was getting fatigued and increasingly
reluctant to intervene in Africa’s conflicts, adding,
“During last two decades, we witnessed gradual but
inevitable shift from foreign intervention carried on
by European military contingents to establishments
and strengthening of Africa’s own capability to
prevent, to monitor and to resolve crises which
inevitably will erupt.”
He said that the country was faced with myriads of
security challenges but added that the “Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri has
assured the international community that Nigeria
would continue to work in the area of preventive
diplomacy.”
He said the main problem of the country was
terrorism, though it would not change the country’s
position as regional leader, stressing that the
country had always succeeded in learning from her
experiences and making her experiences the
source of even greater power.
He also said that the idea of organizing the security
exhibition at the FCT was important as it served as
a forum where all actors both state and private
sectors and those that have the right to use power
and those who can supply them with the products
would come together and discuss security matters
and also proffer solutions.
Speaking earlier, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of First Security Guards who also is the
chief organizer of NISEC, 2014, Frank Ohwafa said
the reception was organized to bring together all
stakeholders in preparation for the 2014 Nigeria
Security Exhibition and Conference, NISEC,
homeland security show.
Ohwafa said First Security Guards had in the past
collaborated with other security agencies in areas
of capacity building and competence needed in an
ever changing environment to fight and combat
crime and criminality.
“In year 2007, First Security Guards signed a
partnership with the Nigeria Police to train and
retrain her personnel in contemporary policing and
crime fighting,” he stated and commended the
National Security Adviser for using his office and
appointment to promote peace and security,
enduring lasting security platforms for better
coordination of the security agencies.

Severed head of Brazilian footballer discovered in a bag on his front doorstep

Severed head of Brazilian footballer
discovered in a bag on his front
doorstep
Police in Brazil have launched a manhunt after the
severed head of a former professional footballer
was left on the doorstep of his home. The horrified
wife of Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos, 35, made the
gruesome discovery as she left the house in Rio
de Janeiro for work early yesterday morning.
The player's eyes and tongue had been cut out
and his head placed inside one of his own
rucksacks, police said. Mr Santos retired from
football two years ago after a successful career
playing for several teams in Rio de Janeiro, as
well as for clubs in Sweden and Honduras.
He had recently set up his own business selling
health foods and dietary supplements. Continue...
Police said today that Mr Santos is believed to
have been snatched from outside the shop he had
opened in the Realengo district of Rio as he closed
up at around 7.45pm on Monday.
Witnesses said they saw several men bundling
him into his car, a Hyundai i30, and speeding off
just before midnight, a spokesman said. He was
reported missing by his wife at 9pm on Monday.
Mr Santos' brother-in-law, who didn't want to be
named, told Brazil's Globo G1 website that the
player's wife, Geisa Silva, 31, stayed up all night
after her husband failed to arrive home.
He said: 'Every time a car passed by she would go
to see.
'She was getting ready to go to work at around
5.30am when she heard a noise, opened the front
door and saw his rucksack.
'When she opened it she discovered it contained
his head.
'I did not want to look but the people who saw it
said they had gouged out his eyes and cut off his
tongue,' said the horrified relative.
Neighbours living close to the crime scene
reported hearing a woman screaming: 'My God,
it's Joao! It’s Joao’s head.'
From what I know, he didn't have any enemies
and neither did his wife,' the relative added.In a
statement Mr Santos' widow said the couple had
not been subjected to any threats.
Lead murder investigator Rafael Rangel from the
14th Military Police Battalion (BPM) in Rio, said
witnesses saw armed men kidnap the
businessman. 'We believe that the people who took
him knew the family’s routine,' said Rangel.
Investigators are working on the hypothesis that
Mr Santos could have been murdered by a drugs
gang because of Mrs Silva's work at a military
police base in a local slum.
The Police Pacification Unit in the Morro do Sao
Carlos is one of dozens set up in Rio's favelas to
retake control of the city's slums from violent drug
traffickers.
However, according to police chief Rafael Rangel,
Mrs Silva worked as a social worker in the base
and didn't patrol the streets or make arrests like
other police officers.
He told Brazil's O Dia newspaper the motives of
the murder are still unclear.
He said: 'Mrs Silva has no idea who would have
done this. Neither she, her husband or any other
member of the family have suffered any type of
threat as far as she knows.
'There is nothing that would justify such a
barbarous crime.'
Santos did not have a police record.
Later today Brazilian police said body parts
dumped beside a city river were believed to be
those of Mr Santos.
The player's brother-in-law told Brazil's Globo G1
website that family members had positively
identified a torso found next to the Guandu river in
Queimados, greater Rio de Janeiro, by a birth
mark on Mr Santos' stomach.
A police spokesman said other body parts had
also been found in the area and were being DNA
tested.
He said the murder bears the hallmarks of an
execution by drug gangsters, but stressed that
"every line of investigation" is still open.
The couple had been together for 11 years and
were described as ‘lovely’ by neighbours.
'They were a happy, quiet couple,' said a
neighbour, who asked not to be identified. 'But you
never know what may have motivated a crime as
stupid and as senseless as this.'
Mr Santos’ played as a professional footballer
between 1996 and 2005 - during which he scored
33 goals in 103 matches as a striker. Nicknamed
Humble Hero, he was signed to a number of
second division teams. He also played abroad for
Swedish Club Oster Vaxjo and Olimpia in
Honduras.
A recent United Nations report into drug
trafficking-related crime in Brazil found that more
than half of the homicides, robberies and thefts
have a direct or indirect link with this criminal
activity.
Culled from UK Daily Mail

Nigeria threatens Iran over age comment

Nigeria threatens Iran over age comment
on october 30, 2013 at 11:03 pm in sports
Manu Garba, head coach of Nigeria ponders
during the FIFA U17 group F match between
Sweden and Nigeria at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium
on October 22, 2013 in Al Ain, United Arab
Emirates. Photo by FIFA
By John Egbokhan reporting from Dubai
Golden Eaglets Coach Manu Garba has threatened
to lodge a formal complaint against Iranian coach Ali
Doustimehr for insinuating that the Nigerians were
playing with players over the age of 17 at the
ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup here in the United
Arab Emirates.
The Eaglets have been in scintillating form, where
they have netted 18 goals in four matches, the
latest being a 4-1 thrashing of Iran on Tuesday in a
round of 16 match at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium.
Mesmerized with the Eaglets strong show, the
Iranian coach, Ali Doustimehr,  made a subtle
remark, casting doubts over the true ages of the
Nigerians and responding to the jibe, Coach Garba
said that his players here passed all the MRI tests
conducted by CAF and FIFA, prior to the African
U-17 tournament and ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Coach Garba said that “we are going to officially
take it up with the Iranian coach if he does not take
back his words. Back in January before the CAF
U-17 tournament, a memo was sent to us that all
the players were going to do MRI tests for the wrist
bones and we did.
“A month before we came here, another test was
done by FIFA for all the players and the ones here
passed. So I do not know what he is talking about”,
Garba wondered.

Ghana arrests 47 illegal Chinese, Indian miners

Ghana arrests 47 illegal Chinese, Indian
miners
on october 30, 2013 at 8:56 pm in news
Abidjan – Ghana’s Presidential Task Force on Illegal
Mining has arrested some 47 illegal miners at
Dunkwa-on-Offin in the country’s central region, an
official has said.
Mr Samuel Sarpong, the Central Regional Minister
and leader of the team was quoted by Ghana’s
newspaper, the Ghanaian Times as saying this
when he spoke to newsmen on Wednesday in
Accra.
He said that those arrested included Chinese and
Indian nationals following a search by the task force
around the country.
“The task force also destroyed 13 locally made
machines belonging to some of the miners at two
different locations.
“At Kyekyewere, some of the illegal miners took to
their heels and crossed the Offin river upon seeing
the team,’’ he said.
Sarpong said that the mandate of the task force was
to stamp out the activities of illegal miners across
the country.
He said that the activities of illegal miners had
destroyed water bodies in the country including the
Pra and Offin Rivers.
“The situation is so severe that efforts must be
made to protect the land and water bodies from
total destruction,’’ he said.
The newspaper also quoted Ransford Ninson, the
Central Regional Police Commander, as saying that
the police was ready to support the task force in
carrying out its mandate.
He said that the exercise would be sustained in to
protect all water bodies and land in the mining
regions of the country. (NAN)

Okocha throws 40th birthday party for wife, gives her G-Wagon as present

Okocha throws 40th birthday party
for wife, gives her G-Wagon as
present
Nigerian football legend Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha,
threw a lavish 40th birthday party for his wife of 16
years, Nkechi Okocha on Friday October 25th at
Civic Centre in Lagos. Maestromedia reports that
Okocha gave his wife a brand new White
Mercedez Benz G-Wagon SUV as birthday
present. Nkechi was said to have gone down on
her knees to thank her husband for all his love and
support in front of the party guests. Happy belated
birthday to her!

Bauchi Police kill robbery suspect, arrest 4

Bauchi Police kill robbery suspect, arrest
4
on october 30, 2013 at 9:59 pm in news
BY SUZAN EDEH
BAUCHI— The Bauchi State Police Command,
Tuesday, killed an armed robbery suspect and
arrested four others in Gadar Maiwa Village in Ningi
Local Government Area of the state.
Police Public Relation Officer, Deputy
Superintendent of Police Haruna Mohammed, who
confirmed the incidence, said that the Police acted
on intelligence report that some group of armed
robbers were residing in Gadar Maiwa village. So
the Police laid ambush for them.
He said that Police recovered 11 AK-47 rifles, 1100
ammunition, one rocket launcher, three cartridges,
12 loaded magazines, eight empty magazines and
four handsets.
A security source in Bauchi said four suspects
escaped during the ensuing gunfight.

Who is this Nollywood actor?

I think the facial still the same...

Call Off Strike Or Face Confrontation, NANS

Call Off Strike Or Face
Confrontation, NANS
Tells ASUU
By: Matthias Nwogu on October 30,
2013 - 3:16am
Frustrated by over four months of
strike that has kept their future in the
balance leadership of the National
Association of Nigerian Students
[NANSzone ‘B’ has given the members
of the Academic Staff Union
ofUniversities [ASUU] seven days to
call off and return to the class room.
The Union warned that at the
expiration of the seven days
ultimatum they would be left with no
other option than to confront the
striking lecturers.
Speaking with journalists in Umuahia,
the NANS zone B financial secretary
and the leader in Abia state, Comrade
Eluwah Miracle, said that the students
are determined to take their destinies
in their own hands by invoking the
last “C” in NANS system of settling
issues which is confrontation
Eluwah accused the members of ASUU
of being selfish in their demands from
the federal government and politically
motivated adding that student would
no longer watch ASUU destroy
education in the country and
jeopardice the future of millions
Nigerian youths.
He said, “NANS Abia state chapter has
condemned in strong terms the on-
going nation-wide strike embarked
upon by ASUU, which timing is not
only wrong, but also detrimental to
the security and of the country.
Eluwah said that ASUU is claiming that
their demands are genuine, “But their
approach and timing is very wrong,
because the world is nows eeing it as
being politically motivated and if they
say it is not, they should go back to
the classroom, while negotiation
continues with the federal
government”.
He maintained that the federal
government has done well by offering
ASUU the sum of N600 billion in
addition to the N100 billion already
made available this year for the
funding of the universities, “which
ASUU has rejected under the fragile
nature of the country’s economy”.
On the issue that the funds from
federal government has not been
released, Eluwah said, “ASUU is
claiming that the funds have not been
released, why should the money be
released when they have not accepted
the offer by the federal government
and until they accept the money
cannot be released simple”.
He said that there are three Cs in the
student Aluta struggle which include
Consultation, Consideration and finally
Confrontation, adding that they have
made use of the first two Cs and will
not hesitate to use the last one which
is confrontation.

Fire guts Senator Balogun’s residence

Fire guts Senator Balogun’s residence
on october 30, 2013 at 9:46 pm in news
BY ÒLA AJAYI
IBADAN— There was fire outbreak at the Alarere
residence of a high chief in Olubadan Council of Oyo
State, Senator Lekan Balogun. The incident
happened Tuesday evening.
Although, no life was lost during the incident that
lasted for about an hour, several household
equipment were destroyed.
It took the combined efforts of neighbours of the
notable Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, member
and the fire service to put out the fire.
Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan yesterday,
Senator Balogun said: “I wasn’t there. I got a call
from my guard who said the fire was much.
“Ì got in touch with the Police Station in the area
and they called the fire service. I cannot really
estimate the property I lost, but thank God it did not
happen in the night.”

Ojude Oba: Eagle Schnapps Felicitates with the Ijebus

Ojude Oba: Eagle Schnapps
Felicitates with the Ijebus
Eagle Schnapps rolled out its drums to celebrate
with the Ijebus at this year’s Ojude Oba ceremony
in a collaborative effort with the Bobagunte group.
The festival which comes up annually on the third
day after the Ileya was well attended by dignitaries
including the Speaker of the House of Reps, Hon.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Horse-back riding and
homage paying by the Regbe-Regbe were
amongst the highlights of the occasion. Continue...
The Bobagunte group which won overall best in
the male category was adorned in beautiful
colours (dark chocolate for the males and purple
for the females)
The celebration climaxed with the social part of the
festival which featured Eagle Schnapps giving out
free Drinks and various branded items to Guests.
Mr Ladi Adekoya, the Sales Operation Manager,
Intercontinental Distillers Limited makers of Eagle
Schnapps, Chelsea, Veleta and a host of other
brands, said this initiative to partner with the
Bobagunte group was in line with the Brand’s
quest to help preserve tradition and pass its torch
from one generation to another.
Bobagunte Group has among its members, Iyalode
Korede Alatishe, a distributor of Intercontinental
Distillers Limited and Salawa Abeni, the popular
Fuji Musician.

Okrika agog for funeral of First Lady’s mum

Okrika agog for funeral of First Lady’s
mum
on october 30, 2013 at 10:02 pm in news
By JIMITOTA ONOYUME
PORT HARCOURT — OKRIKA, home town of the First
Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is agog ahead of
the funeral of her mother, Madam Charity  Oba,
which begins today. Despite the heavy security
presence in the community, residents are in joyous
mood.
Sources claimed that cows and bags of rice were
distributed to several families in the town as part of
efforts to decongest the venue of the funeral
programme tomorrow.
“They gave many families cows and bags of rice to
cook and eat at their residences, so that they would
not come to the venue of the burial because the
crowd being expected would be too large,” a
community source said.
Another native also hinted that some amounts of
money were also given to various families to buy
drinks and other condiments to go with the rice and
cow.

PHOTO: Light rail under construction in iganmu

Lagos is getting to being MEGA city...

We sold the best BMW B7 series armoured cars to NCAA – Coscharis

We sold the best BMW B7 series
armoured cars to NCAA – Coscharis
on october 30, 2013 at 7:22 pm in news
Stella Oduah, Aviation Minister
Emman Ovuakporie and Levinus Nwabuhiogu
ABUJA – IT was another round of startling
revelations Wednesday as the House of
Representatives Committee on Aviation continued
the suspended investigative hearing into an alleged
purchase of two armoured BMW cars at
N255million by the Minister of Aviation, Princess
Stella Oduah.
Despite the fact that the minister was visibly
missing at the hearing, the Nigeria Customs
Service, NSC, FirstBank PLc and Coscharis made
presentations on their level of involvement in the
purchase of the cars.
Also,
the
committee turned down the request of Oduah to
appear by noon today declaring that “she must
appear here by 10am on Thursday.
The Committee’s Chairperson, Rep Nkeurtuka
Onyejeocha declared that “tomorrow, is sacrosanct,
the minister must appear here by 10.am.
The letter the minister’s sent that she would appear
by noon was ignored by the committee.
But what startled stakeholders was when the
Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, DCG
Mannasseh Daniel Jatau who represented the
Customs CG, Abdulahi Dikko said a N10million
waiver given to Lagos state government as waiver
to purchase vehicles for Eko 2012 sports festival
was used to clear the cars.
Jatau said”the 10million import duty payable on the
300 vehicles meant for Eko 2012 festival was used
to clear the armoured cars. ”
He explained that since the waiver was still
effective the Customs had no choice than to allow
the cars cleared from the ports.
Jatau also noted that the office of the National
Security Adviser,NSA endorsed the clearance of the
armoured cars.
At this point, Rep Zakari Mohammed asked the DCG
to explain the procedure for such a waiver and the
exact number of vehicles cleared by the Customs.
Responding Jatau said” the armoured vehicles were
cleared because there  was an authorisation letter
from the Minister of Finance.
Asked whether such a waiver was transferable,
Jatau said,” to the best of my knowledge it is not
transferable and the total vehicles were 300 units. ”
Rep Ahmed Ali queried Jatau further whether it is
possible to use such an exemption for another
purpose other than what it was meant for as in the
case of NCAA.
Rep Jerry Manwe also demanded for evidence to
show that such a waiver was granted by the
Minister of Finance.
Jatau replied, saying”among the 300 vehicles only 3
were armoured cars and whether another
beneficiary enjoyed the waiver I cannot tell you that
because we are not magicians. ”
“At the clearance point, all the requirements of the
law were met and we are under the Ministry of
Finance, if you give us till tomorrow, Thursday we
will provide the evidence you demanded for. ”
But a copy of the letter authorising the Customs
was eventually presented which  reflected that “I
am directed to refer to your letter dated 23rd June
2012 in the above subject matter and to convey the
approval, of Mr. president and Commander in Chief
to the Lagos State Government for the waiver for
waiver of Import Duty, Value Added Tax ( VAT)
ETLS, CISS and other port charges in respect of the
importation of 300 units of BMW, Ford, Land Rover,
Range Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Escalade, Jaguar
and buses ( Petrol/Diesel) for use during the 18th
National Sports Festival ( EKO 2012) to be imported
through Messrs Coscharis Motors Nigeria Limited,
as indicated in the duly attached list.”
He further said that but for the waiver, the service
would have generated the sum of N10, 133, 533
and stated however, that the end user was diverted
from its original user, Coscharis Nig. Ltd and Lagos
state as the beneficiary not the NCAA which it was
unaware of.
He related that if the service was in the know of the
diversion of beneficiaries before the vehicles left
the port, it would have demanded that import duty
be paid on them. .
The Lenders, First Bank of Nigeria has refuted
claims by NCAA that it is in no way committed to the
Bank as regards the loan of N643m for the cars.
Group head, retail services of the bank, Seyi
Oyefeso, told the committee that NCAA is
committed to the bank having agreed to, and signed
all the documents for the loan that was meant to
cover 52 units of vehicles which does not include
the BMW armoured cars.
Coscharis Nig Ltd also maintained that due process
was followed in the purchase of the cars and
regards the exemption of duty, the President of the
company, Cosmos Maduka said it had an
agreement with Nigerian government to waive
import duties on cars it purchases for the
government at a given time.
While the committee insisted that the current price
of the vehicle shouldn’t have ordinarily exceeded 50
million Naira each, Coscharis out rightly rejected it,
saying it that could never be the case  with BMW B
7 series anywhere in the world.
But in a bid to state the fact, Coscharis revealed
that the NCAA demanded a jerk up of the prices of
the controversial vehicles from what the company
had submitted earlier.
According to the Chairman of the company, Mr.
Cosmos Maduka “NCAA told us that the initial price
is not proper”.
The hearing further revealed that the controversial
cars were originally purchased on behalf of the
Lagos State Government for the 2012 18th National
Sports Festival and later sold to NCAA.
Explaining the controversy, Maduka said that the
delay encountered when the company sought
clearance from the office of the National Security
Adviser (NSA) when the demand came made it
necessary to sell the cars to NCAA.
But the Committee insisted that Coscharis deceived
the public and the government by saying that the
cars were bought for NCAA when actually they were
purchased on behalf of the Lagos State government.
The committee also accused the company of ripping
Nigerians off.
According to the Committee, the change on the
prices of the vehicle from the initial amount of N70
million Naira to N127.5 even when the company
had admitted that it got waiver from the government
not to pay customs duties on the cars cast
aspersion on the company position on the prices.
Similarly, the hearing later took a dramatic turn
when the committee discovered  the company that
the vehicles supplied were of different make and
types.
For instance, a member of the Committee and
spokesperson of the House of Representatives,
Hon. Zakari Mohammed said that the chasis of one
of the vehicles inspected by a delegation from the
committee was DW68011.
He argued that the number differed from what
Coscharis gave in their correspondences with the
office of the NSA.
But in a swift response, the company refuted it.
It quoted the chasis numbers as 68044 and 68432
respectively.
It however promised to send the NSA certificate on
the cars to the committee.
Earlier, the company had requested to play a video
to demonstrate how exotic the cars were in a bid to
justify the prices  but was turned by the committee.

Forbes releases World's Most Powerful list, puts Putin ahead of Obama

Forbes releases World's Most
Powerful list, puts Putin ahead of
Obama
Forbes just released its World's Most Powerful
People list and put Russian president Vladamir
Putin ahead of US president Barack Obama. That's
wack! They also said Dangote is more powerful
than President Goodluck Jonathan. Dangote was
placed 64th most powerful person in the world,
Jonathan didn't make the list. See the rest after
the cut...

14 year old boy rapes 9 year old girl to death in Ikorodu

14 year old boy rapes 9 year old girl
to death in Ikorodu
Unbelievable sad story of how a teenage boy
raped a 9yr old girl to death in the Ikorodu area of
Lagos
From Punch
The police in Lagos State have commenced
investigation into how a nine-year-old girl
died, after sustaining injuries caused by
alleged consistent rape. According to police
authorities, the deceased was raped over
five times, by a 14-year-old student, Onyi
Adimabua, in the Ikorodu area of the state.
The father of the deceased, Simeon Jigo, told
Punch Metro that Onyi is the son of the
proprietor of the school his daughter
attended. He said his daughter opened up
about the rape when she started having
medical problems. The 77-year-old man said
his daughter died on October 3, 2013.
He said, “Up until my daughter’s death, she was a
pupil of Fulfilled Greenland School, Ikorodu, and
she was in primary three. One day, she came
home and started complaining of pains around her
vagina, stomach area. We rushed her to Ikorodu
General Hospital.
“A doctor checked her and after conducting some
tests on her, told us that my daughter had
sustained medical complications due to forced
sexual intercourse. I was alarmed by this; so, I
had a private discussion with my daughter.
“She told me that it was her school proprietor’s
son, Onyi, that had been raping her. The boy had
threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone about
it.”
The indigene of Ondo State told PUNCH Metro that
after initial treatments, he took his daughter to
Arogbo in Ondo State to be taken care of but her
condition continued to deteriorate.
A few days after the troubled father travelled to
Ondo State, Onyi, accompanied by his parents,
also travelled to Ondo State, to apologise to Jigo’s
family. The girl, however, was said to have died
that very day.
“On getting to the house where my daughter was,
we discovered that she was dead. Onyi confessed
that he had been raping my daughter prior to her
death,’ Jigo said.
PUNCH Metro learnt that after the girl’s demise,
irate youths in the area attempted to lynch the 14-
year-old boy.
The bereaved father was said to have intervened
and reported the matter to a nearby police station,
where the teenager was held for safe keeping. The
next morning, Onyi and his parents travelled back
to Lagos.
The alleged rapist’s parents, in company with a
chief in Ikorodu, reportedly visited Jigo when he
returned to Lagos. The group were said to have
pleaded that the bereaved father should not pursue
the case but he refused.
Jigo said, “I went to the Ikorodu Police station to
report the case but was surprised when the
policemen on duty said I should not write any
statement. They only told me to write down my
telephone number and said they would call me
later.
“After waiting for many days without any call, I
wrote a petition and the matter was transferred to
the State Criminal Investigation Department,
Yaba.”
It was however learnt that Onyi had been taken to
his father’s hometown in Delta State thereby
stalling police investigation.
The teenager’s parents, however described the
incident as the handiwork of the devil.
The 14-year-old boy’s father, Andrew Adimabua,
said, “I trained that boy in the way of the Lord and
expected so much from him. He has confessed to
the act; there is nothing to hide. He told me that he
learnt about sex by watching blue (pornographic)
films.
“We are not hiding him and we will cooperate with
the police. On the day the little girl died, he was
beaten up and made to stay in the rain for hours.
As a result, he contracted pneumonia so we sent
him home for treatment. When he recovers, he’ll
be taken to the police for questioning.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, who
confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the
telephone, expressed shock at the development.
Braide said Onyi would be re-arrested in the
course of investigation.
“It is appalling that a teenager could indulge in
such act. The matter is under investigation and the
culprit will be re-arrested.”