Stephen Keshi could be set for a surprise return as coach of African champions Nigeria after the apparent intervention of the country’s President Goodluck Jonathan.
Keshi, who steered the Super Eagles to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2013 and the knock-out stage of this year’s World Cup finals, was sacked on October 16 after a string of poor performances.
But several senior officials at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have revealed that Jonathan had ordered Keshi be reinstated and given a contract.
Should that happen, he would be on the bench for Nigeria’s next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa in November.
Keshi, who was in talks on Thursday with sports minister Tammy Danagogo, said he was unaware of any presidential intervention.
But he added: “If the president of my country asked me to return, who am I to refuse?”
The 52-year-old coach had earlier refused to comment on speculation that he could be reinstated, with a power struggle for leadership of the NFF rumbling on.
New NFF boss Amaju Pinnick sacked Keshi and his coaching staff soon after his appointment last month, adding that the hunt was on for a foreign coach.
Jonathan is said to have met Pinnick and Chris Giwa, who briefly led the NFF in August, at the presidential villa in the capital, Abuja, on Wednesday night.
“Keshi is back as Nigeria coach and he will be the one to lead the Super Eagles against Congo and South Africa next month,” said one senior official.
In a separate NFF statement released on Thursday, caretaker coach Shuaibu Amodu said Keshi should be allowed to take charge for the last two AFCON qualifiers.
He said the executive committee should reconsider as he did not have enough time to prepare for the games.
“The timeframe is too short to start tinkering with the fabric of the team or attempt to build a new team altogether,” he wrote in an open letter to NFF bosses.
Nigeria play Congo-Brazzaville in Pointe Noire on November 15 and South Africa in Uyo, southeast Nigeria, four days later.
They need to not only win both matches but beat Congo by a margin of two away goals to stand any chance of automatic qualification for the finals in Morocco next year.
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Lagos court saves 6-year-old barren marriage
An Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday saved a barren six-year-old marriage between Mr Sodiq Oseni and his wife, Kemi, and rejected a plea for its dissolution.
The husband and wife, who had expected a dissolution of the marriage, got a “pleasant surprise’’ when the prayer sought was not granted.
It was reported that the court’s president, Mr R.I. Adeyeri, reconciled the couple instead of dissolving the union after series of counseling.
While striking out the case, Adeyeri admonished the couple to maintain peace always.
The petitioner, Kemi, 47, a teacher, had filed a suit on Aug. 5, seeking the dissolution of her six-year-old marriage, citing adultery.
She said her husband, Sodiq, was taking advantage of her childlessness to befriend several women.
“My husband has been bringing his girlfriends to our matrimonial home even to spend the night just because of my childlessness,’’ she said.
She also accused her husband of always raining curses and abuses on her, saying she inherited “bad behaviours’’ from her mother.
“Anytime we had misunderstandings, my husband would throw out my belongings and chase me out of the house,” said Kemi, a pupil instructor.
She further accused the husband of abandonment and lack of care and that he had turned her into a punching bag at the slightest misunderstanding.
She pleaded with the court to dissolve the union, saying “there is no love lost between them and he has no more emotional feelings for me.’’
“Please separate us, my husband does not love me again as he is flirting around with ladies.’’
In his defence, Sodiq, 53, a security officer, accepted responsibility for some of the allegations leveled against him by his wife.
“I always throw out her property because of her bad behaviours.
“I usually plead with her mother for her intervention to persuade my wife to come back home,’’ he told the court.
The respondent, however, denied bringing his concubines into their matrimonial home and that he only accommodated a female friend, who had accommodation problem.
He, however, pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage, saying “I still love her.’’ (NAN)
The husband and wife, who had expected a dissolution of the marriage, got a “pleasant surprise’’ when the prayer sought was not granted.
It was reported that the court’s president, Mr R.I. Adeyeri, reconciled the couple instead of dissolving the union after series of counseling.
While striking out the case, Adeyeri admonished the couple to maintain peace always.
The petitioner, Kemi, 47, a teacher, had filed a suit on Aug. 5, seeking the dissolution of her six-year-old marriage, citing adultery.
She said her husband, Sodiq, was taking advantage of her childlessness to befriend several women.
“My husband has been bringing his girlfriends to our matrimonial home even to spend the night just because of my childlessness,’’ she said.
She also accused her husband of always raining curses and abuses on her, saying she inherited “bad behaviours’’ from her mother.
“Anytime we had misunderstandings, my husband would throw out my belongings and chase me out of the house,” said Kemi, a pupil instructor.
She further accused the husband of abandonment and lack of care and that he had turned her into a punching bag at the slightest misunderstanding.
She pleaded with the court to dissolve the union, saying “there is no love lost between them and he has no more emotional feelings for me.’’
“Please separate us, my husband does not love me again as he is flirting around with ladies.’’
In his defence, Sodiq, 53, a security officer, accepted responsibility for some of the allegations leveled against him by his wife.
“I always throw out her property because of her bad behaviours.
“I usually plead with her mother for her intervention to persuade my wife to come back home,’’ he told the court.
The respondent, however, denied bringing his concubines into their matrimonial home and that he only accommodated a female friend, who had accommodation problem.
He, however, pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage, saying “I still love her.’’ (NAN)
Man, 28, bags 7 months in prison for stealing ram
An Upper Area Court sitting in Zuba, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced a 28-year-old man, Shamsudeen Usman, to seven months imprisonment for stealing a ram.
The Presiding Officer, Malam Aminu Sa’ad, sentenced Usman to two months in prison or fine of N5,000 for the offence of criminal trespass and five months, or pay a fine of N10,000 for theft.
The convict, who could not pay the fines, was, however, taken to prison.
Usman, a resident of Kubwa, was charged with the offences of criminal trespass and theft.
According to the report filed at Dutse-Alhaji Police Station, Usman unlawfully entered the premises of the complainant, Mr Sebastine Sossou, and stole a ram.
Sossou, a Pastor, had the ram given to him by one of his church members in Kubwa.
The convict, however, took the ram to livestock market at Dei-Dei with the intention of selling it, but was arrested by the police.
Usman pleaded guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Kelechi Echendu, informed the court that the offences contravened sections 287 and 348 of the Penal Code.
The Presiding Officer, Malam Aminu Sa’ad, sentenced Usman to two months in prison or fine of N5,000 for the offence of criminal trespass and five months, or pay a fine of N10,000 for theft.
The convict, who could not pay the fines, was, however, taken to prison.
Usman, a resident of Kubwa, was charged with the offences of criminal trespass and theft.
According to the report filed at Dutse-Alhaji Police Station, Usman unlawfully entered the premises of the complainant, Mr Sebastine Sossou, and stole a ram.
Sossou, a Pastor, had the ram given to him by one of his church members in Kubwa.
The convict, however, took the ram to livestock market at Dei-Dei with the intention of selling it, but was arrested by the police.
Usman pleaded guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Kelechi Echendu, informed the court that the offences contravened sections 287 and 348 of the Penal Code.
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
116 persons died in Synagogue Church building collapse – pathologist
A Consultant Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, on Tuesday said that 116 persons died in the Sept.12 when a guest, owned by the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), collapsed in Lagos.
Obafunwa, who is the Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, made this known while presenting a preliminary report to a Coroner’s inquest set up to investigate the cause of the building collapse.
Led in evidence by Mr Akingbolahan Adeniran, Counsel to the Lagos State Government, Obafunwa said that the final report and identification of the dead bodies would be completed in the next two weeks.
The inquest, which is being presided over by Mr Oyetade Komolafe, was instituted by the Lagos State Government.
Obafunwa said that autopsies conducted on the bodies revealed that the victims died as a result of crush injuries also known as “traumatic rhabdomyolysis”.
He said that 46 of the bodies were deposited at the Isolo General Hospital mortuary while 63 were taken to the Mainland General Hospital mortuary in Yaba.
According to him, six bodies were brought to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) morgue at Ikeja.
He added that the number increased to seven following the death of one of the victims rushed to LASUTH.
“Some of the bodies were at the decomposing stage and mutilated, severely crushed, suffered multiple injuries, fractured bones, fractured limbs as well as skull injuries,” the pathologist said.
Obafunwa said that a team of forensic pathologists and dental surgeons conducted various tests including DNA test and dental analysis on the bodies for the purpose of identification.
“At this moment, we are putting together the autopsy report, the dental report, the photographs; we will be including the microscopic findings on the autopsy report,” the expert added.
He said that the team was waiting for the report of finger printing, DNA analysis as well as the list of lodgers it had requested from the church before finalising its job.
Obafunwa assured one of the victims’ husband and a South African, Anthony Van Der Byl, that the body of his wife, Louise, would be released at the completion of the report.
“We are working closely with the South African Department of Health.
“They are assisting us with reference samples and I know that we are moving closer to the end of the process,” the pathologist said.
Confirming the development, Mr Louis Mnguni, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, told the court that the samples were still being analysed at the laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa.
Also testifying, Mr Oladotun Lasoju of the Lagos State Ministry of Works said that the ministry’s team of engineers had conducted tests on the materials used in constructing the building.
Lasoju said:” We visited the site as part of the rudiments in the investigation.
“I want to assure the court that the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory is working assiduously, and I believe the result will be out in a maximum period of three weeks.”
However, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Head of Operations, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that 86 bodies were recovered while 131 persons were rescued.
The case was adjourned till Oct. 29 for further hearing (NAN)
Obafunwa, who is the Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, made this known while presenting a preliminary report to a Coroner’s inquest set up to investigate the cause of the building collapse.
Led in evidence by Mr Akingbolahan Adeniran, Counsel to the Lagos State Government, Obafunwa said that the final report and identification of the dead bodies would be completed in the next two weeks.
The inquest, which is being presided over by Mr Oyetade Komolafe, was instituted by the Lagos State Government.
Obafunwa said that autopsies conducted on the bodies revealed that the victims died as a result of crush injuries also known as “traumatic rhabdomyolysis”.
He said that 46 of the bodies were deposited at the Isolo General Hospital mortuary while 63 were taken to the Mainland General Hospital mortuary in Yaba.
According to him, six bodies were brought to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) morgue at Ikeja.
He added that the number increased to seven following the death of one of the victims rushed to LASUTH.
“Some of the bodies were at the decomposing stage and mutilated, severely crushed, suffered multiple injuries, fractured bones, fractured limbs as well as skull injuries,” the pathologist said.
Obafunwa said that a team of forensic pathologists and dental surgeons conducted various tests including DNA test and dental analysis on the bodies for the purpose of identification.
“At this moment, we are putting together the autopsy report, the dental report, the photographs; we will be including the microscopic findings on the autopsy report,” the expert added.
He said that the team was waiting for the report of finger printing, DNA analysis as well as the list of lodgers it had requested from the church before finalising its job.
Obafunwa assured one of the victims’ husband and a South African, Anthony Van Der Byl, that the body of his wife, Louise, would be released at the completion of the report.
“We are working closely with the South African Department of Health.
“They are assisting us with reference samples and I know that we are moving closer to the end of the process,” the pathologist said.
Confirming the development, Mr Louis Mnguni, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, told the court that the samples were still being analysed at the laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa.
Also testifying, Mr Oladotun Lasoju of the Lagos State Ministry of Works said that the ministry’s team of engineers had conducted tests on the materials used in constructing the building.
Lasoju said:” We visited the site as part of the rudiments in the investigation.
“I want to assure the court that the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory is working assiduously, and I believe the result will be out in a maximum period of three weeks.”
However, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Head of Operations, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that 86 bodies were recovered while 131 persons were rescued.
The case was adjourned till Oct. 29 for further hearing (NAN)
Monday, 27 October 2014
Suspected cultists kill UNIBEN student
There was tension at the University of Benin, Uniben, weekend after the gruesome murder of a 300-level student of the Department of Chemistry, Mr Gendedio Ejyrognene.
It was learned that the deceased was gunned down at about 7pm Friday night by suspected cultists.
The University Deputy Registrar/ Public Relations Officer, Harris Osaze Osarenren, who confirmed the killing of the student in a statement, lamented that “UNIBEN has lost a student.”
While disclosing that the university authorities and the police were investigating the incident, the statement disclosed that the body had been deposited at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital mortuary.
Meanwhile, women and students of the university held a rally weekend commending the Federal Government for the transparent manner Prof. Faraday Orumwense emerged as the new vice chancellor of the university.
It was learned that the deceased was gunned down at about 7pm Friday night by suspected cultists.
The University Deputy Registrar/ Public Relations Officer, Harris Osaze Osarenren, who confirmed the killing of the student in a statement, lamented that “UNIBEN has lost a student.”
While disclosing that the university authorities and the police were investigating the incident, the statement disclosed that the body had been deposited at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital mortuary.
Meanwhile, women and students of the university held a rally weekend commending the Federal Government for the transparent manner Prof. Faraday Orumwense emerged as the new vice chancellor of the university.
Pregnant woman, six others roasted to death, 11 injured on Lagos-Ibadan expressway
Seven people, including a pregnant woman and a baby, were, weekend roasted to death, while five officials of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency TRACE, and an unspecified number of traffic police were injured by hoodlums at Kara, along Lagos/Ibadan expressway.
The accident, which involved an 18-seat bus, occurred at about 3.30pm as the vehicle, which took off in Lagos reportedly went up flames.
Journalist gathered that the commercial bus painted in white colour, with blue stripes suddenly developed leakages on the fuel tank, which spilled its contents.
One of the passengers was said to have noticed a spark from the engine and raised the alarm which made the driver to stop abruptly in order to check the cause of the incident.
Eye witnesses account said all the passengers scampered for safety as soon as the vehicle stopped but this was too late as the fire had made the vehicle’s door to jam.
Journalist gathered that before help could come, seven of the passengers, including a pregnant woman and a baby, were burnt beyond recognition while eleven others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Some of the sympathisers were said to have put a call across to the fire fighters in Ogun State but none arrived the scene until the situation degenerated.
Meanwhile, some TRACE officials were said to have rushed to the scene but were prevented from rendering any assistance as hoodlums descended on them, venting their anger.
In the process, five officials, including the Akute Head of Operations, were assaulted.
An eye witness said the traffic Police around the axis were not spared as many of them were injured by the hoodlums, although a distress call was later put across to both the Rapid Response Squad RRS, in Lagos and Quick Response Squad from Mowe axis, who eventually put the situation under control.
The incident was said to have caused a traffic jam on the expressway outward Lagos which lasted for hours.
Also, the bodies and the injured persons were said to have be taken to Ogun State University Teaching Hospital OSUTH, Sagamu.
TRACE Public Relations Officer Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the development, said the officials arrived the scene as soon as they received a distress call but lamented that the miscreants threw caution to the wind, causing further damage on the every busy expressway.
The accident, which involved an 18-seat bus, occurred at about 3.30pm as the vehicle, which took off in Lagos reportedly went up flames.
Journalist gathered that the commercial bus painted in white colour, with blue stripes suddenly developed leakages on the fuel tank, which spilled its contents.
One of the passengers was said to have noticed a spark from the engine and raised the alarm which made the driver to stop abruptly in order to check the cause of the incident.
Eye witnesses account said all the passengers scampered for safety as soon as the vehicle stopped but this was too late as the fire had made the vehicle’s door to jam.
Journalist gathered that before help could come, seven of the passengers, including a pregnant woman and a baby, were burnt beyond recognition while eleven others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Some of the sympathisers were said to have put a call across to the fire fighters in Ogun State but none arrived the scene until the situation degenerated.
Meanwhile, some TRACE officials were said to have rushed to the scene but were prevented from rendering any assistance as hoodlums descended on them, venting their anger.
In the process, five officials, including the Akute Head of Operations, were assaulted.
An eye witness said the traffic Police around the axis were not spared as many of them were injured by the hoodlums, although a distress call was later put across to both the Rapid Response Squad RRS, in Lagos and Quick Response Squad from Mowe axis, who eventually put the situation under control.
The incident was said to have caused a traffic jam on the expressway outward Lagos which lasted for hours.
Also, the bodies and the injured persons were said to have be taken to Ogun State University Teaching Hospital OSUTH, Sagamu.
TRACE Public Relations Officer Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the development, said the officials arrived the scene as soon as they received a distress call but lamented that the miscreants threw caution to the wind, causing further damage on the every busy expressway.
Friday, 24 October 2014
50 injured, shops looted as traders, revenue collectors clash in Onitsha
No fewer than 50 persons, yesterday, sustained various degrees of injuries, while about 20 shops were destroyed, following a confrontation between some revenue collectors from Onitsha South Local Government Area and traders at the Millenium Merchants and Importers Association Markets, Main Market, Onitsha.
Trouble started when Onitsha South Local Government Area Chairman, Lady Ann Chukwuneke, allegedly stormed the market with over 100 youths to collect revenue from the traders and at the same time clamp down on street trading in the area.
A source said the council officials started dismantling some of the shops, which did not go down well with the traders.
This, it was learned, resulted in a free-for-all between the traders and revenue collectors, following which over 50 persons sustained injuries.
Among those reportedly injured were the Vice Chairman of the market, Prince Peter Okoye and Obiora Otigba.
The traders began to protest, with placards bearing inscriptions such as “The council chairman is not a good mother,” “Governor Obiano should remove her,” “We have lost huge sums of money to hoodlums.”
Governor intervenes
Reacting to the development, the President of Anambra State Markets Amalgamation Traders Association, AMATAS, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, said the council chairman had no right to storm the market and destroy the wares of the traders, some of who, he said, lost huge sums of money to hoodlums.
He said: “The governor directed me to come and calm the traders and to reopen their shops, that he is looking into the crisis. I am happy the governor is aware because he does not want crisis in the state.”
Market’s Chairman reacts
Earlier, the chairman of the market, Mr. Valentine Ezechukwu, and former chairman, Chief Obiora Nwankwo, described the action of the council boss as uncalled for, adding that they had earlier discussed with the chairman on the way forward for the market and wondered why she stormed the market without notice.
They said: “We gave a token to the council, yet they stormed the market demanding N50,000 per shop.”
Three traders, Uche Okolie, John Achukwu, from Warri and one Joseph claimed to have lost N 2.5 million, N360,000 and N 100,000, respectively, to the hoodlums.
The timely intervention of the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Mr. Benjamin Wordu, saved the situation from escalating to other markets.
Trouble started when Onitsha South Local Government Area Chairman, Lady Ann Chukwuneke, allegedly stormed the market with over 100 youths to collect revenue from the traders and at the same time clamp down on street trading in the area.
A source said the council officials started dismantling some of the shops, which did not go down well with the traders.
This, it was learned, resulted in a free-for-all between the traders and revenue collectors, following which over 50 persons sustained injuries.
Among those reportedly injured were the Vice Chairman of the market, Prince Peter Okoye and Obiora Otigba.
The traders began to protest, with placards bearing inscriptions such as “The council chairman is not a good mother,” “Governor Obiano should remove her,” “We have lost huge sums of money to hoodlums.”
Governor intervenes
Reacting to the development, the President of Anambra State Markets Amalgamation Traders Association, AMATAS, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, said the council chairman had no right to storm the market and destroy the wares of the traders, some of who, he said, lost huge sums of money to hoodlums.
He said: “The governor directed me to come and calm the traders and to reopen their shops, that he is looking into the crisis. I am happy the governor is aware because he does not want crisis in the state.”
Market’s Chairman reacts
Earlier, the chairman of the market, Mr. Valentine Ezechukwu, and former chairman, Chief Obiora Nwankwo, described the action of the council boss as uncalled for, adding that they had earlier discussed with the chairman on the way forward for the market and wondered why she stormed the market without notice.
They said: “We gave a token to the council, yet they stormed the market demanding N50,000 per shop.”
Three traders, Uche Okolie, John Achukwu, from Warri and one Joseph claimed to have lost N 2.5 million, N360,000 and N 100,000, respectively, to the hoodlums.
The timely intervention of the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Mr. Benjamin Wordu, saved the situation from escalating to other markets.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
15 dead, as Fulani invade Nasarawa village
No fewer than 15 people were feared killed in suspected fresh Fulani herdsmen attack on Kompany village in Lafia East Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, early Tuesday.
An eyewitness told Vanguard that the insurgents invaded the village at about 2a.m. and started shooting sporadically.
According to the witness, over 15 dead bodies, mainly women and children, were reco-vered as at yesterday, with many still missing.
Worried by this development and incessant killing of farmers and innocent citizens by the herdsmen, the state chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Yunana Iliya, yesterday appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to quickly intervene to stop the activities of the herdsmen from degenerating into another insurgency.
An eyewitness told Vanguard that the insurgents invaded the village at about 2a.m. and started shooting sporadically.
According to the witness, over 15 dead bodies, mainly women and children, were reco-vered as at yesterday, with many still missing.
Worried by this development and incessant killing of farmers and innocent citizens by the herdsmen, the state chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Yunana Iliya, yesterday appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to quickly intervene to stop the activities of the herdsmen from degenerating into another insurgency.
Boko Haram frees abducted women, girls rumoured married off to insurgents
The Boko Haram insurgents, who reportedly abducted about 50 women and girls from two border villages between Adamawa and Borno states have freed the women among their captives.
This was disclosed in an interview by villagers, who spoke on the issue with newsmen on the telephone from their hide-outs.
They however, said that the exact number of those released could not be ascertained, but that no fewer than 45 girls were still being detained.
According to the villagers, the women and girls were abducted from Waga Mangoro which was between Gwoza in Borno and Madagali in Adamawa states.
Relatives of some of the abducted women who were later released by the insurgents also, told newsmen in Yola that some of the girls have been turned to cooks while others were married off immediately to some of the insurgents.
A relative to the one of the women who spoke on the condition of anonymity said; ”Initially, the insurgents captured 80 girls and women whom they later loaded into their vans and zoomed off into the bushes.
Later in the night, the insurgents separated the elderly women from the girls and released the women, who are now languishing in the forest because they could not relocate the towns because they were razed down by the insurgents.
“We are confused that hours after the so called cease fire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram insurgents, our girls are still being abducted by the insurgents.
“We are at a loss about government’s insincerity on the whole issue and we urge them to rescue our daughters without further delay as we are ready to die searching for our missing ones.”
This was disclosed in an interview by villagers, who spoke on the issue with newsmen on the telephone from their hide-outs.
They however, said that the exact number of those released could not be ascertained, but that no fewer than 45 girls were still being detained.
According to the villagers, the women and girls were abducted from Waga Mangoro which was between Gwoza in Borno and Madagali in Adamawa states.
Relatives of some of the abducted women who were later released by the insurgents also, told newsmen in Yola that some of the girls have been turned to cooks while others were married off immediately to some of the insurgents.
A relative to the one of the women who spoke on the condition of anonymity said; ”Initially, the insurgents captured 80 girls and women whom they later loaded into their vans and zoomed off into the bushes.
Later in the night, the insurgents separated the elderly women from the girls and released the women, who are now languishing in the forest because they could not relocate the towns because they were razed down by the insurgents.
“We are confused that hours after the so called cease fire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram insurgents, our girls are still being abducted by the insurgents.
“We are at a loss about government’s insincerity on the whole issue and we urge them to rescue our daughters without further delay as we are ready to die searching for our missing ones.”
Aborted trip: Pathetic story of fortune seekers duped by travel agents
TIRED of having to strugg
l e
everyday to keep hunger
and poverty at bay, three
young men decided to take
their fate into their own hands
by seeking to relocate to Switzerland
in search of fortune or
the proverbial greener pastures.
They had reckoned that
on getting to this European
country, they would settle
down, pick up whatever available
jobs that would bring in
dollars or pounds which they
would subsequently repatriate
to their respective families. It
was a dream, beautiful as it
was comforting. But what they
did not reckon with
was having that
dream rudely aborted
through the
t r e a c h e r o u s
machination of some
dubious travel
agents.
But to actualise their
dream, they needed a
helper. So entered
Mr. Uchenna Ulojiofor
who volunteered
to link them up with
one Mr. Joshua, a
Switzerland based
business man, who, it
later emerged, had been running
a thriving business of
helping people to secure free
visa to Switzerland as long as
they were willing to help him
with his drug pushing
business.
Speaking with Vanguard
Metro, VM, Mr. Abumchukwu
Obiaguru, said: “ I was in the
village when Uchenna came
and said he wanted to help me
get visa to Switzerland at a
cheap rate. He explained he
was an agent to Mr. Joshua
and that everything I needed
had been provided. All that
was required of me was a token
amount of money to make up
the required amount for the
purchase of the flight ticket. I
ran around and was able to
raise N50,000
which I gave him.
Unknown to me, I
had kissed my money
goodbye. But believing
it was a genuine
deal at the time,
I called my best
friend and told him
about the whole arrangement
and also
advised him to try
and raise some
money for the same
purpose. In fact, I had
to lend him N20,000
because he was unable
to complete the
required sum of money.
“After paying the money into
Uchenna’s account, he told me
and others who equally paid to
find our way to Lagos because
that’s where we would take off
and as well as collect our visas. I
travelled with my friend from the
East to Lagos. We were happily
waiting for the day we would bid
Nigeria goodbye which never
came up till now.”
Also speaking, Mr. Maxwell
Ifemme said that it was his friend
who convinced him to buy into
the idea of travelling out of the
country. “Abumchuckwu came to
me and told me about the
planned trip to Switzerland.
Initially, I had mixed feelings
about it. But then, I also didn’t
want to miss out on a great
opportunity in case it turned out
to be genuine. I succumbed and
gave him the only money I had
and asked him to lend me the
rest. I promised to better the lives
of my mother and my siblings
as soon as I reached
Switzerland. Unfortunately, all
my hopes and plans have been
dashed in the mud.
“When we got to Lagos, we
called him(Uchenna) on phone
and reminded him about our
passports. He said that all the
passports were in his possession
and he would give them to us on
the day we would be travelling
out. So on the appointed day,
we all came to the place he told
us to come and waited for him.
We waited from morning till
evening to no avail as he didn’t
show up. I tried calling him but
he switched off his mobile
phone. We all went home that
day. But two days later, he called
us and informed that it was because
of Ebola that prevented
us from travelling.
Prevention from
travelling
Now Ebola has passed and he
kept on postponing the date.
And now, he’s nowhere to be
found and his two lines are not
available. The only option left to
us now is to report the matter to
the Police and have him arrested.
But the problem now is that we
don’t know where he ran away
to.”
For another of the victims, Mr.
Onyeka Mmadu: “I couldn’t
have been in this mess if I had
heeded my cousin’s advice. My
brother told me that it was not
possible to use such amount of
money to travel outside the
country. But I ignored his advice
because I thought he was
envious of my great opportunity
of hitting big money. If that guy
fails to show up to refund my
money, I will probably have to
commit suicide because I gave
away the entire amount that my
Oga used in settling me to start
my own business. And now the
money is gone. I don’t have
money to feed myself right now.
My cousin is now laughing and
calling me a fool. God save
Uchenna if I set my eyes on him.
He won’t be alive to tell the story
if I see him.”If that guy fails to refund my
money, I will probably have to commit suicide
Five killed in Bauchi bus station blast
A bomb blast at a bus station in a north Nigeria area previously targeted by Boko Haram killed five people, police said Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest crack in the government’s purported ceasefire with the Islamists.
Police in Bauchi state confirmed overnight witness reports of a huge explosion at the terminal in the town of Azare at 9:45 pm (2045 GMT).
Area resident Musa Babale said the blast “shook buildings” and sent locals rushing for shelter.
“The whole place was a mess,” he told AFP after visiting the site late Wednesday.
Bauchi police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the bomb killed five people, leaving them “burnt beyond recognition,” and that 12 others were injured.
Several witnesses said they believed the bomb had been embedded in a parked car and was detonated remotely, but police did not give details on the nature of the explosive device.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Bauchi has been one of the hardest hit areas in Boko Haram’s five-year uprising against the Nigerian state.
Bus station bombings have also become something of a hallmark for the insurgent group after twin attacks at a terminal on the outskirts of the capital Abuja earlier this year killed nearly 100 people.
The station in Azare, a town roughly 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital Bauchi city, is a widely used transit point by travellers coming from Nigeria’s embattled northeast, which has been under a state of emergency since May of last year.
– Previous target –
Babale said locals were fortunate the blast went off later at night, as the Azare station is packed with commuters earlier in the evening and the toll could could have been much higher.
Azare saw a series of attacks blamed on Boko Haram through 2012, while Bauchi has been consistently targeted throughout the uprising, including through church bombings, coordinated gun raids and notably a massive prison raid in 2011.
Any indication that the latest explosion was tied to Boko Haram will further undermine the government’s claim to have negotiated a ceasefire with the extremist group.
The surprise deal was announced by the presidency and military on Friday but there are already strong signs that the pact was hollow.
Violence raged through the weekend in the northeast and the credibility of the so-called Boko Haram negotiator has been widely questioned.
A top aide to President Goodluck Jonathan also said the Islamists had agreed to release the 219 schoolgirls held hostage since their April 14 abduction in the northeast town of Chibok.
Like with the ceasefire, there has so far been no sign that the hostage release deal is legitimate.
Nigerian negotiators were reportedly set to resume talks with Boko Haram envoys in neighbouring Chad next week, but further questions will likely be asked about the identities of the so-called rebel negotiators.
Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria, is a fractured group with an unclear command structure.
Analysts doubt that the individuals in talks with Nigeria have the influence to enforce a blanket ceasefire.
Police in Bauchi state confirmed overnight witness reports of a huge explosion at the terminal in the town of Azare at 9:45 pm (2045 GMT).
Area resident Musa Babale said the blast “shook buildings” and sent locals rushing for shelter.
“The whole place was a mess,” he told AFP after visiting the site late Wednesday.
Bauchi police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the bomb killed five people, leaving them “burnt beyond recognition,” and that 12 others were injured.
Several witnesses said they believed the bomb had been embedded in a parked car and was detonated remotely, but police did not give details on the nature of the explosive device.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Bauchi has been one of the hardest hit areas in Boko Haram’s five-year uprising against the Nigerian state.
Bus station bombings have also become something of a hallmark for the insurgent group after twin attacks at a terminal on the outskirts of the capital Abuja earlier this year killed nearly 100 people.
The station in Azare, a town roughly 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital Bauchi city, is a widely used transit point by travellers coming from Nigeria’s embattled northeast, which has been under a state of emergency since May of last year.
– Previous target –
Babale said locals were fortunate the blast went off later at night, as the Azare station is packed with commuters earlier in the evening and the toll could could have been much higher.
Azare saw a series of attacks blamed on Boko Haram through 2012, while Bauchi has been consistently targeted throughout the uprising, including through church bombings, coordinated gun raids and notably a massive prison raid in 2011.
Any indication that the latest explosion was tied to Boko Haram will further undermine the government’s claim to have negotiated a ceasefire with the extremist group.
The surprise deal was announced by the presidency and military on Friday but there are already strong signs that the pact was hollow.
Violence raged through the weekend in the northeast and the credibility of the so-called Boko Haram negotiator has been widely questioned.
A top aide to President Goodluck Jonathan also said the Islamists had agreed to release the 219 schoolgirls held hostage since their April 14 abduction in the northeast town of Chibok.
Like with the ceasefire, there has so far been no sign that the hostage release deal is legitimate.
Nigerian negotiators were reportedly set to resume talks with Boko Haram envoys in neighbouring Chad next week, but further questions will likely be asked about the identities of the so-called rebel negotiators.
Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria, is a fractured group with an unclear command structure.
Analysts doubt that the individuals in talks with Nigeria have the influence to enforce a blanket ceasefire.
Terrorists kill four; raze churches, houses in Borno
Barely two days when eight people including passengers and motorists were ambushed by suspected members of dreaded Boko Haram sect around the hilly road communities of Dzur in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno state, no fewer than four Christians were killed, living two churches and over 50 houses razed down by suspected insurgents in Pelachiroma community of Hawul on Tuesday.
Pelachiroma is few kilometres away from Dzur which is a mountainous community harbouring terrorists camps along the Biu- Garkida- Gombi- Yola road where the late emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, and other innocent people were ambushed and killed by suspected Boko Haram sect early this year.
Hawul is a predominantly Christian community, south and about 210 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital that has been under series of Boko Haram attacks in the last couple of months ago with absence of security operatives.
Just last two weeks, some insurgents stormed Shaffa community which is about 10 kilometres away from Azare, the council Headquarter and killed over 20 people including a Pastor of Living Faith Church, Pastor Eluid Gwamna Mshelizza who was slaughtered on his way to his house after performing a public sermon programme at about 10pm in the community.
In that attack, no fewer than 6 churches were razed down with several houses and shops all belonging to Christians were looted and destroyed.
Fleeing residents of pelachiroma told our Correspondent that the insurgents who stormed the village at about 9pm started shooting sporadically at their targets with no confrontation as people scamper for safety.
” They came with motorcycles and well armed with ak47 rifles and petrol bombs targeting christian faithful and our places of worship.
” as I am talking to you now we have all deserted our community as the insurgents who were chanting Allahu Akbar ( God is great) vowed to eliminate Christians in Haul Local government area.
” we are really disturbed because, Hawul which is predominantly a Christians community has been under series of Boko haram attacks without confrontation or deployment of military operatives”. Mr. John Markus pelachiroma lamented in a telephone call but now taking refuge in Biu council area.
The Caretaker Chairman of Hawul Council area, Dr. Andrew Usman Malgwi confirmed the incident. He said, his people are under series of attacks by insurgents as security operatives particularly the military authorities have failed to deploy its personnel to Hawul despite all pleas.
He said, “Yes some of my communities are currently under Boko Haram attacks, the insurgents laid raid ambush along Dzur highway and killed several people before destroying many vehicles last week. This time around they wrecked havoc in Pelachiroma where they killed three persons with destruction of churches, houses and business centres, but as government we are making frantic effort to see to it that security operatives particularly the Military are deployed to safeguard lives and property”. Dr. Malgwi stated. End
Pelachiroma is few kilometres away from Dzur which is a mountainous community harbouring terrorists camps along the Biu- Garkida- Gombi- Yola road where the late emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, and other innocent people were ambushed and killed by suspected Boko Haram sect early this year.
Hawul is a predominantly Christian community, south and about 210 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital that has been under series of Boko Haram attacks in the last couple of months ago with absence of security operatives.
Just last two weeks, some insurgents stormed Shaffa community which is about 10 kilometres away from Azare, the council Headquarter and killed over 20 people including a Pastor of Living Faith Church, Pastor Eluid Gwamna Mshelizza who was slaughtered on his way to his house after performing a public sermon programme at about 10pm in the community.
In that attack, no fewer than 6 churches were razed down with several houses and shops all belonging to Christians were looted and destroyed.
Fleeing residents of pelachiroma told our Correspondent that the insurgents who stormed the village at about 9pm started shooting sporadically at their targets with no confrontation as people scamper for safety.
” They came with motorcycles and well armed with ak47 rifles and petrol bombs targeting christian faithful and our places of worship.
” as I am talking to you now we have all deserted our community as the insurgents who were chanting Allahu Akbar ( God is great) vowed to eliminate Christians in Haul Local government area.
” we are really disturbed because, Hawul which is predominantly a Christians community has been under series of Boko haram attacks without confrontation or deployment of military operatives”. Mr. John Markus pelachiroma lamented in a telephone call but now taking refuge in Biu council area.
The Caretaker Chairman of Hawul Council area, Dr. Andrew Usman Malgwi confirmed the incident. He said, his people are under series of attacks by insurgents as security operatives particularly the military authorities have failed to deploy its personnel to Hawul despite all pleas.
He said, “Yes some of my communities are currently under Boko Haram attacks, the insurgents laid raid ambush along Dzur highway and killed several people before destroying many vehicles last week. This time around they wrecked havoc in Pelachiroma where they killed three persons with destruction of churches, houses and business centres, but as government we are making frantic effort to see to it that security operatives particularly the Military are deployed to safeguard lives and property”. Dr. Malgwi stated. End
One dead, 16 thugs arrested at Amosun’s Ilaro rally
Pandemonium broke out, yesterday, at Ilaro in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State as two groups of hoodlums clashed, leaving one person dead.
An eyewitness, Biodun Sowunmi, who escaped the fracas, said the incident occurred during the assessment tour of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to the local government.
According to the eyewitness, who is also a public analyst, the gangs were fighting over territorial protection.
The incident reportedly left many people injured as a result of dangerous weapons used by the rival gangs.
It was gathered that the incident occurred outside the venue of the assessment tour and did not affect the programme.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, said one person lost his life.
Adejobi said the incident was masterminded by hoodlums who used dangerous weapons freely.
He disclosed that 16 people had been arrested, while weapons, including four pump action guns, cutlasses, axes and assorted charms were seized.
An eyewitness, Biodun Sowunmi, who escaped the fracas, said the incident occurred during the assessment tour of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to the local government.
According to the eyewitness, who is also a public analyst, the gangs were fighting over territorial protection.
The incident reportedly left many people injured as a result of dangerous weapons used by the rival gangs.
It was gathered that the incident occurred outside the venue of the assessment tour and did not affect the programme.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, said one person lost his life.
Adejobi said the incident was masterminded by hoodlums who used dangerous weapons freely.
He disclosed that 16 people had been arrested, while weapons, including four pump action guns, cutlasses, axes and assorted charms were seized.
‘Findings proved that some polytechnic graduates were better than their university counterparts’
The Bill for an Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First Degrees and Higher National Diploma in the same Profession/Field and related matters on Wednesday scaled second reading in the Senate.
The bill, which scaled second reading after heated debate at plenary on its relevance, seeks to resolve controversy over wage disparity and gross discrimination against HND holder in public and private sectors of the economy.
The Senate President, Sen. David Mark in his remarks, said it would be difficult to legislate on the bill, given that polytechnics were not originally established to be degree awarding institutions.
He said rather than canvass for abolishion of the dichotomy, polytechnics should be changed to degree awarding institutions.
“ The problem here is whether we can legislate on this. I think obviously that is not going to work for several reasons that we have all advanced here.
“We can’t legislate here and say you must employ an HND instead of employing somebody with B.SC.
“I think it is more of attitude than what we can legislate on but we can get an arrangement where the polytechnics begin to award degrees, in which case the polytechnics will no more be polytechnics; they will be universities,’’ he said.
Mark, who did not outrightly condemn the bill, said it should be sent for public hearing, to get the views of relevant stakeholders on the way forward on the issue of dichotomy.
He, however, said that “our attempt really to equate HND to a degree is not likely to work. Nobody who has done a degree has gone back to the polytechnic to do HND and you can’t blame that logic.
“The whole essence of allowing the bill to go through second reading and public reading is for us to get more ideas about how to get the way forward.education
“That will be the only benefit that will come out it’’, he said.
The lead debate, presented by Sen. Patrick Akinyelure (PDP-Ondo), highlighted the need to abolish the discrimination between HND and First Degree.
Akinyelure said the continuing discrimination against HND holders was threatening to ruin the nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a technological and scientifically based society.
He said that findings had proved that some polytechnic graduates were in some cases better on the field than their university counterparts.
“To all intents and purposes, a government employment policy that places degree holders ahead of HND holders without recourse to skill and ability of the HND holder thereof does more harm than good to the nation’s development plans.
“Therefore, the aim of the bill is to promote the technological advancement of our great nation by encouraging many qualified candidates to pursue polytechnic and technological advancement,’’ he said.
Some lawmakers, however, argued that rather than seeking to abolish the dichotomy, efforts should be made to transform all polytechnics to degree awarding institutions.
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, said even if the bill did not succeed, it would help to raise awareness on the dysfunctional nature of the country’s educational system.
He decried the growing trend where polytechnics offered courses outside their field, adding that in order to correct the abnormally, all polytechnics should be converted to degree awarding institutions.
“All we need now is to expand the knowledge base of our polytechnics, increase entry qualification and employ qualified teachers for the polytechnics.
“We should then make conscious effort to set up technical schools that would award only diploma to support our industries and help the system industrially.
“To say we will abolish the dichotomy is difficult. The committee to handle the bill should invite experts to look into harmonising the institutions,’’ he said.
On his part, Sen. ITA Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom) decried the poor standard of some polytechnics in the country.
He called on the regulatory body in charge of polytechnics to adequately regulate the establishment of the institution in the country.
“I have seen polytechnics operate in two bedroom flats and this is the situation that brings suspicion about the quality of our polytechnics.
“I have also seen standard polytechnics and the quality of their product compete favourably with universities.”
He called on relevant agencies to improve on the carrying capacity of universities to accommodate all those seeking admissions.
He also called for harmonisation of universities and polytechnics to help manage a situation where people went to polytechnics because they could not secure admission into universities.
“This bill should pass a second reading to find solution to the problem. I support this bill,’’ he said.
Sen. Chris Ngige (APC-Anambra) said in as much as he sympathised with HND holders, the bill should be dropped.
He said that relevant agencies should rather harmonise the institutions and make polytechnics degree awarding institutions.
“The bill evokes emotion but laws should not be made based on that to avoid mistakes. This has to do with fundamental structure of the education sector.
“Let us conserve the resources of the senate; it will not go through second reading,’’ he said.
Sen. Abubakar Bagudu ( PDP-Kebbi), a member of Senate Committee Education, said if the dichotomy should be abolished, there would be standardisation of policy.
He argued that standardisation of policy was vital because universities and polytechnics had different structures.
“The university is theory and research oriented as compared to polytechnic which is supposed to turn out industrial ready graduates,’’ he said.
Similarly, Prof. Olusola Adeyeye (APC-Osun), the Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Education, canvassed for the harmonisation of the institutions to enable polytechnics to award degrees.
“I believe that for as long as there is difference in admission standard and training for both institutions of learning, there will be difference in employment.
“ Let us go the U.S. way and equalise both polytechnics and universities and have specialised institutions to handle the technical aspect.’’
The lawmaker explained that Nigeria inherited the polytechnic system from the colonial masters, who thought of having a middle level manpower where people could be trained without the lengthy period in university.
He further explained that UK subsequently abolished the system after meeting the purpose for which it was established to meet its industrial need.
“We need to make the admission standard the same for polytechnics and universities; forget the dichotomy issue. It is a lie to say you need HND to run an industrial state,” he said.(NAN)
The bill, which scaled second reading after heated debate at plenary on its relevance, seeks to resolve controversy over wage disparity and gross discrimination against HND holder in public and private sectors of the economy.
The Senate President, Sen. David Mark in his remarks, said it would be difficult to legislate on the bill, given that polytechnics were not originally established to be degree awarding institutions.
He said rather than canvass for abolishion of the dichotomy, polytechnics should be changed to degree awarding institutions.
“ The problem here is whether we can legislate on this. I think obviously that is not going to work for several reasons that we have all advanced here.
“We can’t legislate here and say you must employ an HND instead of employing somebody with B.SC.
“I think it is more of attitude than what we can legislate on but we can get an arrangement where the polytechnics begin to award degrees, in which case the polytechnics will no more be polytechnics; they will be universities,’’ he said.Mark, who did not outrightly condemn the bill, said it should be sent for public hearing, to get the views of relevant stakeholders on the way forward on the issue of dichotomy.
He, however, said that “our attempt really to equate HND to a degree is not likely to work. Nobody who has done a degree has gone back to the polytechnic to do HND and you can’t blame that logic.
“The whole essence of allowing the bill to go through second reading and public reading is for us to get more ideas about how to get the way forward.education
“That will be the only benefit that will come out it’’, he said.
The lead debate, presented by Sen. Patrick Akinyelure (PDP-Ondo), highlighted the need to abolish the discrimination between HND and First Degree.
Akinyelure said the continuing discrimination against HND holders was threatening to ruin the nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a technological and scientifically based society.
He said that findings had proved that some polytechnic graduates were in some cases better on the field than their university counterparts.
“To all intents and purposes, a government employment policy that places degree holders ahead of HND holders without recourse to skill and ability of the HND holder thereof does more harm than good to the nation’s development plans.
“Therefore, the aim of the bill is to promote the technological advancement of our great nation by encouraging many qualified candidates to pursue polytechnic and technological advancement,’’ he said.
Some lawmakers, however, argued that rather than seeking to abolish the dichotomy, efforts should be made to transform all polytechnics to degree awarding institutions.
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, said even if the bill did not succeed, it would help to raise awareness on the dysfunctional nature of the country’s educational system.
He decried the growing trend where polytechnics offered courses outside their field, adding that in order to correct the abnormally, all polytechnics should be converted to degree awarding institutions.
“All we need now is to expand the knowledge base of our polytechnics, increase entry qualification and employ qualified teachers for the polytechnics.
“We should then make conscious effort to set up technical schools that would award only diploma to support our industries and help the system industrially.
“To say we will abolish the dichotomy is difficult. The committee to handle the bill should invite experts to look into harmonising the institutions,’’ he said.
On his part, Sen. ITA Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom) decried the poor standard of some polytechnics in the country.
He called on the regulatory body in charge of polytechnics to adequately regulate the establishment of the institution in the country.
“I have seen polytechnics operate in two bedroom flats and this is the situation that brings suspicion about the quality of our polytechnics.
“I have also seen standard polytechnics and the quality of their product compete favourably with universities.”
He called on relevant agencies to improve on the carrying capacity of universities to accommodate all those seeking admissions.
He also called for harmonisation of universities and polytechnics to help manage a situation where people went to polytechnics because they could not secure admission into universities.
“This bill should pass a second reading to find solution to the problem. I support this bill,’’ he said.
Sen. Chris Ngige (APC-Anambra) said in as much as he sympathised with HND holders, the bill should be dropped.
He said that relevant agencies should rather harmonise the institutions and make polytechnics degree awarding institutions.
“The bill evokes emotion but laws should not be made based on that to avoid mistakes. This has to do with fundamental structure of the education sector.
“Let us conserve the resources of the senate; it will not go through second reading,’’ he said.
Sen. Abubakar Bagudu ( PDP-Kebbi), a member of Senate Committee Education, said if the dichotomy should be abolished, there would be standardisation of policy.
He argued that standardisation of policy was vital because universities and polytechnics had different structures.
“The university is theory and research oriented as compared to polytechnic which is supposed to turn out industrial ready graduates,’’ he said.
Similarly, Prof. Olusola Adeyeye (APC-Osun), the Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Education, canvassed for the harmonisation of the institutions to enable polytechnics to award degrees.
“I believe that for as long as there is difference in admission standard and training for both institutions of learning, there will be difference in employment.
“ Let us go the U.S. way and equalise both polytechnics and universities and have specialised institutions to handle the technical aspect.’’
The lawmaker explained that Nigeria inherited the polytechnic system from the colonial masters, who thought of having a middle level manpower where people could be trained without the lengthy period in university.
He further explained that UK subsequently abolished the system after meeting the purpose for which it was established to meet its industrial need.
“We need to make the admission standard the same for polytechnics and universities; forget the dichotomy issue. It is a lie to say you need HND to run an industrial state,” he said.(NAN)
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Too much power, resources at the centre responsible for Nigeria’s under development – Ihedioha
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha yesterday said that the concentration of powers and resources at the centre was responsible for the country’s stunted growth and development.
Ihedioha, spoke during the visit of the Constitutional Implementation Committee of Kenya’s National Assembly, Kenya led by Hon. Njoroge Baiya.
He observed that Nigeria’s past and present constitutions allocated more resources to the central government, leaving the federating states to bleed.
Ihedioha, who is the chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution however said that the imbalances necessitated the amendment of the constitution.
His words: “A perusal of the various constitutions of Nigeria since 1960 shows that the Exclusive List had constantly been increasing mainly as a result of military involvement in governance.
“Resources are concentrated at the centre, such that the Central Government takes more than Fifty (50)’percent of allocation from the federation account.
“This state of affairs has created challenges of development at the constituent units where there are noticeable paucity of resources.”
According to him, the need to give more powers to the States was also one of the reasons why certain items had been removed from the Exclusive list in the recent amendment to the 1999 constitution.
“Certain items have been moved from the Exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list such as Railways, Stamp duties, Pension, Road Safety, Youth, Environment, Arbitration, whereas certain matters that are residual in nature like Health and Housing have been moved to the concurrent list. The idea is to devolve more power to the constituent units of the Federation,” he said.
Ihedioha, spoke during the visit of the Constitutional Implementation Committee of Kenya’s National Assembly, Kenya led by Hon. Njoroge Baiya.
He observed that Nigeria’s past and present constitutions allocated more resources to the central government, leaving the federating states to bleed.
Ihedioha, who is the chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution however said that the imbalances necessitated the amendment of the constitution.
His words: “A perusal of the various constitutions of Nigeria since 1960 shows that the Exclusive List had constantly been increasing mainly as a result of military involvement in governance.
“Resources are concentrated at the centre, such that the Central Government takes more than Fifty (50)’percent of allocation from the federation account.
“This state of affairs has created challenges of development at the constituent units where there are noticeable paucity of resources.”
According to him, the need to give more powers to the States was also one of the reasons why certain items had been removed from the Exclusive list in the recent amendment to the 1999 constitution.
“Certain items have been moved from the Exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list such as Railways, Stamp duties, Pension, Road Safety, Youth, Environment, Arbitration, whereas certain matters that are residual in nature like Health and Housing have been moved to the concurrent list. The idea is to devolve more power to the constituent units of the Federation,” he said.
After Sawyer’s death, First Consultants hospital had to be decontaminated – MD
Nigeria may have been declared officially Ebola-free but at the First Consultants hospital in Lagos, doctors believe it’ll take the facility that treated the first victim years to recover.
The 40-bed private clinic in the bustling Obalende area of the city paid a high price in the outbreak, after the first patient with the Ebola virus was admitted on July 20.
Not only has it taken a financial hit from having to replace every piece of potentially contaminated equipment but it also suffered the human loss of much-respected staff with decades of expertise.
“The most precious equipment in a hospital are the people. I lost four of my most important staff,” medical director Benjamin Ohiaeri told AFP.
A photo taken on October 21, 2014 shows the ward where the first reported case of the Ebola virus in Nigeria was brought by Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who contaminated nurses and health workers at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, Lagos. Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on October 20 in a "spectacular success" in the battle to contain the spread of a virus which is devastating Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia where more than 4,500 people have died. The World Health Organization said Nigeria -- Africa's most populous country where eight deaths had sparked fears of a rapid spread through its teeming cities -- had shown the world "that Ebola can be contained". AFP PHOTO
A photo taken on October 21, 2014 shows the ward where the first reported case of the Ebola virus in Nigeria was brought by Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who contaminated nurses and health workers at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, Lagos. Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on October 20 in a “spectacular success” in the battle to contain the spread of a virus which is devastating Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia where more than 4,500 people have died. The World Health Organization said Nigeria — Africa’s most populous country where eight deaths had sparked fears of a rapid spread through its teeming cities — had shown the world “that Ebola can be contained”. AFP PHOTO
“In the midst of this celebration (about Nigeria’s Ebola-free status), people died… and it’s because of them that this place is a safer place today.”
Liberian finance ministry official Patrick Sawyer was brought to First Consultants on July 20 and died five days later, sparking fear about its spread through Africa’s most populous nation.
The haemorrhagic fever, which has killed more than 4,500 in west Africa so far this year, was not initially diagnosed for three days and in that time, Sawyer infected 11 staff members.
In the entire outbreak in Nigeria, 19 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus and seven died.
– Decontamination, losses –
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday hailed Nigeria’s response to Ebola as a “spectacular success story”, saying every country should take note of how it handled the crisis.
Effective leadership and co-ordination were key to defying naysayers who feared the country, with its under-funded and ill-equipped public healthcare system, would struggle to cope.
For Ohiaeri, the most credit should go to Stella Adadevoh, his most senior doctor and the person he had expected to take charge after his planned retirement next year.
Adadevoh physically stopped Sawyer from leaving, despite pressure from Liberia, preventing potentially thousands of people in crowded Obalende and beyond from becoming infected.
“He didn’t want to be treated. He pulled off his drip, he made sure that blood was everywhere, he did all kinds of things that were unspeakable and that’s when people got infected,” Ohiaeri said.
Adadevoh contracted Ebola and later died.
“She had been working with us for 21 years, one of the most brilliant physicians you’d have ever met. Humble, diligent, brilliant, I had always trusted her,” said Ohiaeri.
Medical director of the First Consultants clinic Benjamin Ohiari
Medical director of the First Consultants clinic Benjamin Ohiari
“How do you replace someone like that?”
After Sawyer’s death, the entire hospital had to be decontaminated and every piece of equipment, from the emergency room and laboratory to washing machines in the laundry, had to be replaced.
The clinic, which the US-trained Ohiaeri founded in 1982, was shut for two months, running up losses into the millions of dollars
– Fighting stigmatisation –
First Consultants, though, also faces an uphill battle to regain the trust of patients, with the stigma of Ebola still present despite Nigeria’s official all-clear.
The hospital may be open and immaculately clean but patient numbers are down 10-fold, while some of its doctors and nurses who survived Ebola say they are still treated with mistrust.
The four children of one nurse who had worked for 31 years at First Consultants and died from the virus were evicted from their home and the hospital had to find them emergency accommodation.
Dennis Akhaga, whose wife was a nurse and also died from the virus, said he met rejection in his community, including being refused access to shops.
He even lost his job with a Nigerian oil firm when his employer found out that his wife had died from Ebola.
Medical officer and Ebola virus survivor at First Consultants hospital, Akiniyi Fadipe
Now, just as they were on the frontline of fighting Ebola in Nigeria, the medics say they want to help lead an awareness campaign about the virus.
“There’s a need to let people know more about this,” said Akinniyi Fadipe, a 29-year-old medical officer, who caught Ebola from Sawyer, survived and is now back at work.
“The same thing happened for HIV, too. Now, if you see someone with HIV, you won’t be scared because you know you can’t catch HIV like that.”
The hospital is steadily trying to get back to normal, with Nigeria told to remain on high alert while the spread of the virus continues in the west African region.
Ohaieri said the time was now right for Nigeria and others to help them, particularly financially, with other hospitals watching their situation closely.
“It needs to be put out there that how we are treated is very important going forward,” he added.
The 40-bed private clinic in the bustling Obalende area of the city paid a high price in the outbreak, after the first patient with the Ebola virus was admitted on July 20.
Not only has it taken a financial hit from having to replace every piece of potentially contaminated equipment but it also suffered the human loss of much-respected staff with decades of expertise.
“The most precious equipment in a hospital are the people. I lost four of my most important staff,” medical director Benjamin Ohiaeri told AFP.
A photo taken on October 21, 2014 shows the ward where the first reported case of the Ebola virus in Nigeria was brought by Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who contaminated nurses and health workers at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, Lagos. Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on October 20 in a "spectacular success" in the battle to contain the spread of a virus which is devastating Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia where more than 4,500 people have died. The World Health Organization said Nigeria -- Africa's most populous country where eight deaths had sparked fears of a rapid spread through its teeming cities -- had shown the world "that Ebola can be contained". AFP PHOTO
“In the midst of this celebration (about Nigeria’s Ebola-free status), people died… and it’s because of them that this place is a safer place today.”
Liberian finance ministry official Patrick Sawyer was brought to First Consultants on July 20 and died five days later, sparking fear about its spread through Africa’s most populous nation.
The haemorrhagic fever, which has killed more than 4,500 in west Africa so far this year, was not initially diagnosed for three days and in that time, Sawyer infected 11 staff members.
In the entire outbreak in Nigeria, 19 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus and seven died.
– Decontamination, losses –The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday hailed Nigeria’s response to Ebola as a “spectacular success story”, saying every country should take note of how it handled the crisis.
Effective leadership and co-ordination were key to defying naysayers who feared the country, with its under-funded and ill-equipped public healthcare system, would struggle to cope.
For Ohiaeri, the most credit should go to Stella Adadevoh, his most senior doctor and the person he had expected to take charge after his planned retirement next year.
Adadevoh physically stopped Sawyer from leaving, despite pressure from Liberia, preventing potentially thousands of people in crowded Obalende and beyond from becoming infected.
“He didn’t want to be treated. He pulled off his drip, he made sure that blood was everywhere, he did all kinds of things that were unspeakable and that’s when people got infected,” Ohiaeri said.
Adadevoh contracted Ebola and later died.
“She had been working with us for 21 years, one of the most brilliant physicians you’d have ever met. Humble, diligent, brilliant, I had always trusted her,” said Ohiaeri.
Medical director of the First Consultants clinic Benjamin Ohiari
Medical director of the First Consultants clinic Benjamin Ohiari
“How do you replace someone like that?”
After Sawyer’s death, the entire hospital had to be decontaminated and every piece of equipment, from the emergency room and laboratory to washing machines in the laundry, had to be replaced.
The clinic, which the US-trained Ohiaeri founded in 1982, was shut for two months, running up losses into the millions of dollars
– Fighting stigmatisation –First Consultants, though, also faces an uphill battle to regain the trust of patients, with the stigma of Ebola still present despite Nigeria’s official all-clear.
The hospital may be open and immaculately clean but patient numbers are down 10-fold, while some of its doctors and nurses who survived Ebola say they are still treated with mistrust.
The four children of one nurse who had worked for 31 years at First Consultants and died from the virus were evicted from their home and the hospital had to find them emergency accommodation.
Dennis Akhaga, whose wife was a nurse and also died from the virus, said he met rejection in his community, including being refused access to shops.
He even lost his job with a Nigerian oil firm when his employer found out that his wife had died from Ebola.
Medical officer and Ebola virus survivor at First Consultants hospital, Akiniyi Fadipe
Now, just as they were on the frontline of fighting Ebola in Nigeria, the medics say they want to help lead an awareness campaign about the virus.
“There’s a need to let people know more about this,” said Akinniyi Fadipe, a 29-year-old medical officer, who caught Ebola from Sawyer, survived and is now back at work.
“The same thing happened for HIV, too. Now, if you see someone with HIV, you won’t be scared because you know you can’t catch HIV like that.”
The hospital is steadily trying to get back to normal, with Nigeria told to remain on high alert while the spread of the virus continues in the west African region.
Ohaieri said the time was now right for Nigeria and others to help them, particularly financially, with other hospitals watching their situation closely.
“It needs to be put out there that how we are treated is very important going forward,” he added.
Man, 39, accused of raping 11-yr-old girl
The Police yesterday charged a man, Dunstan Ukaga, 39, before a Lagos Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Ebute-Metta, for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl (names withheld).
The suspect, who is facing a count-charge of having unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl, preferred against him, was docked before Magistrate A. A. Demi-Ajayi.
The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent Etim Ekankum, told the court that the defendant raped the minor several times between April 24 and September 28, at his residence at Road 311, Block 2, flat 6, at Festac Town area of the state.
He said the offence was punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.
The defendant, who claimed to be a freelance journalist with a magazine, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Magistrate Demi-Ajayi admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate ordered that the two sureties must deposit N30,000 each to account of the court’s Chief Registrar, and present to court evidence of three years tax payment to Lagos State government.
She also ordered that Ekankum duplicate the case file and forward it to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, for advice.
She adjourned the case to November 26 for the outcome of DPP’s advice.
The suspect, who is facing a count-charge of having unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl, preferred against him, was docked before Magistrate A. A. Demi-Ajayi.
The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent Etim Ekankum, told the court that the defendant raped the minor several times between April 24 and September 28, at his residence at Road 311, Block 2, flat 6, at Festac Town area of the state.
He said the offence was punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.
The defendant, who claimed to be a freelance journalist with a magazine, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Magistrate Demi-Ajayi admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate ordered that the two sureties must deposit N30,000 each to account of the court’s Chief Registrar, and present to court evidence of three years tax payment to Lagos State government.
She also ordered that Ekankum duplicate the case file and forward it to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, for advice.
She adjourned the case to November 26 for the outcome of DPP’s advice.
Pastor docked for ‘obtaining by false pretence’
A 45-year-old pastor, Bienose Chukwuka, was yesterday arraigned before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on a 33-count charge of stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.
The defendant was accused by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of stealing and obtaining N5.3 million by false pretence from 15 persons, including Pastor John Ezeugo and Rev. Peter Emeka.
EFCC counsel, Mr. Ben Ubi, informed the court that the offence was contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Justice Justice Lawal Akapo adjourned the matter till December 1, 2 and 3 for commencement of trial and held that the defendant should continue on the bail granted him by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.
The defendant was accused by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of stealing and obtaining N5.3 million by false pretence from 15 persons, including Pastor John Ezeugo and Rev. Peter Emeka.
EFCC counsel, Mr. Ben Ubi, informed the court that the offence was contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Justice Justice Lawal Akapo adjourned the matter till December 1, 2 and 3 for commencement of trial and held that the defendant should continue on the bail granted him by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
My agenda for Abi/Yakurr people of C’River —Alex Egbona
THE current occupant of the
Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency
seat is planning to return
to the House of Representatives
for the third term and you are also
planning to contest against him.
Let me start by thanking you for
the privilege of this meeting. My
brother Bassey Ewah has been
there for about eight years now. He
has the right to seek a third term. I
also have the right to that seat. He
has done his best and I think it is
time for a change of guard. Let me
also say that my relationship with
him is very cordial. I can tell you
that I was the person who moved
the motion that made him to go to
the House of Reps.
There was this clamour of who
will replace the incumbent as at
that time, Hon.Obeten Okorn.
There was a tussle on who will
My agenda for Abi/Yakurr
people of C’River —Alex Egbona
•Egbonna
come in and we in Abi decided
that it has to be the person who
indicated interest in Yakurr. We
endorsed Bassey and that has been
the story till now. Bassey has been
winning with Abi votes, all the Abi
men and women have been voting
for Bassey in all the elections.
I will tap from his knowledge and
experience. Incidentally, he has
experience in the legislature too;
he has been in the House of Assembly
as the speaker then, before
he moved to the House of
Reps. He has done his own bidding
and I’m actually going to improve
on what he has done. If there
is anything he has not done, I will
look at them and try to do it and
even do better.
What do you intend to achieve,
different from what has been happening
there?
I want to leave a legacy of
proper service. I want to leave a
legacy that people can feel and
enjoy within the next 48 months,
to put a cottage hospital. I want to
decongest the General Hospital
at Ugep and with the new
polytechnic that is actually called
school of management technology,
students of that school will
have the benefit of a nearby health
facility that is of standard because
my idea is that we will put a resident
doctor there to offer 24 hours
service. In 48 months, I think I
can achieve that and that is my
first target for my people.
There is a saying that a healthy
man is a wealthy man and because
in Nigeria people don’t pay
attention to health, that is why you
see people going to India. What
you just need to do is to provide
some facilities here, bring some
medical experts even from the
same India. With a conducive environment,
an Indian doctor can
work in Ugep, can work in
Mkpani, can work in Ekori, can
work even in Ekureku, can work
in Itigidi or any part of the local
government. An Mkpani person
doesn’t need go to Ugep because
for now that is the only hospital,
very far from Nko, very far from
Ekori. I have already started my
consultations and the response is
very interesting. I have met a lot
of very prominent Yakurr and Abi
people, men and women and I am
still consulting. I am already moving
ahead and as I told you I am
not working alone. My people are
with me and together we will get
there.
One would have thought that
as chief of staff to the governor,
you would not have the need to
seek other political offices
Life, for me, is all about service.
I have served as a councillor before.
I have served as special assistant
to the former governor, Donald
Duke. I have been deputy chief of
staff and then I moved up to
become chief of staff. These were
various platforms for service.
And now, duty calls again. The
only constant thing in life, as we
are told, is change. We must keep
moving. The more you move, the
more opportunities you have to
touch lives and this is my pre-occupation.
Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency
seat is planning to return
to the House of Representatives
for the third term and you are also
planning to contest against him.
Let me start by thanking you for
the privilege of this meeting. My
brother Bassey Ewah has been
there for about eight years now. He
has the right to seek a third term. I
also have the right to that seat. He
has done his best and I think it is
time for a change of guard. Let me
also say that my relationship with
him is very cordial. I can tell you
that I was the person who moved
the motion that made him to go to
the House of Reps.
There was this clamour of who
will replace the incumbent as at
that time, Hon.Obeten Okorn.
There was a tussle on who will
My agenda for Abi/Yakurr
people of C’River —Alex Egbona
•Egbonna
come in and we in Abi decided
that it has to be the person who
indicated interest in Yakurr. We
endorsed Bassey and that has been
the story till now. Bassey has been
winning with Abi votes, all the Abi
men and women have been voting
for Bassey in all the elections.
I will tap from his knowledge and
experience. Incidentally, he has
experience in the legislature too;
he has been in the House of Assembly
as the speaker then, before
he moved to the House of
Reps. He has done his own bidding
and I’m actually going to improve
on what he has done. If there
is anything he has not done, I will
look at them and try to do it and
even do better.
What do you intend to achieve,
different from what has been happening
there?
I want to leave a legacy of
proper service. I want to leave a
legacy that people can feel and
enjoy within the next 48 months,
to put a cottage hospital. I want to
decongest the General Hospital
at Ugep and with the new
polytechnic that is actually called
school of management technology,
students of that school will
have the benefit of a nearby health
facility that is of standard because
my idea is that we will put a resident
doctor there to offer 24 hours
service. In 48 months, I think I
can achieve that and that is my
first target for my people.
There is a saying that a healthy
man is a wealthy man and because
in Nigeria people don’t pay
attention to health, that is why you
see people going to India. What
you just need to do is to provide
some facilities here, bring some
medical experts even from the
same India. With a conducive environment,
an Indian doctor can
work in Ugep, can work in
Mkpani, can work in Ekori, can
work even in Ekureku, can work
in Itigidi or any part of the local
government. An Mkpani person
doesn’t need go to Ugep because
for now that is the only hospital,
very far from Nko, very far from
Ekori. I have already started my
consultations and the response is
very interesting. I have met a lot
of very prominent Yakurr and Abi
people, men and women and I am
still consulting. I am already moving
ahead and as I told you I am
not working alone. My people are
with me and together we will get
there.
One would have thought that
as chief of staff to the governor,
you would not have the need to
seek other political offices
Life, for me, is all about service.
I have served as a councillor before.
I have served as special assistant
to the former governor, Donald
Duke. I have been deputy chief of
staff and then I moved up to
become chief of staff. These were
various platforms for service.
And now, duty calls again. The
only constant thing in life, as we
are told, is change. We must keep
moving. The more you move, the
more opportunities you have to
touch lives and this is my pre-occupation.
Lagos flags off energy academy
LAGOS State Governor,
Babatunde Fashola, has
formally commissioned the
Lagos Energy Academy, to
groom electricity
professionals while inducting
the first batch of its students.
The governor said, “This
first key step will herald the
training of many batches of
power engineers and artisans
who will provide the
necessary human capital for
lighting Lagos and Nigeria.”
He stated that the academy
would provide training for
young people to become
technicians and electrical
engineers and provide
training in generation,
transmission and distribution.
Fashola explained that there
are modules on simulated substation
as well as transformers
and all sorts of learning
equipment and tools in the
Academy situated at the Lagos
State Electricity Board, LSEB
complex, GRA, Ikeja.
Fashola said, “The biggest
needs of this society today is
power, and as the Discos
(distribution companies) are
taking position, they are going
to need men and women,
boys and girls who will provide
the manpower the knowledge.
And this is where we have
decided to invest; to connect
these young people to jobs
that are waiting to be taken
so that they do not continue
to complain about
unemployment.
“So, we have taken them
from all levels, from
vocational centres, technical
colleges and through our
schools systems to give them
a chance to start out a new
career in power sector in
Lagos.”
“We believe that over the
years, there is a possibility to
produce as many as 200,000
graduates who would have
Siemens certification to be
able to work anywhere.
BRIEF
Oil companies
distribute 337m
litres of
petroleum
products
“We are also partnering with
a meter manufacturing
company which is training
them on how to diagnose faults
in meters - the old analogue
meters, the digital meters, the
card meters. So they are able
to render service in terms of
power generation,
transmission and distribution
and all other challenges.”
Mainland IPP
Speaking on the Mainland
Independent Power Project,
Fashola said it would be the
sixth IPP that the state will be
completing, and is currently
going through the precommissioning
testing.
He said that the project will
be commissioned before
October ends, adding that it is
designed to supply power to
Lagos State University
Teaching Hospital, LASUTH,
the High Court, the Lagos State
Police Command, and other
public institutions in Ikeja axis.
Speaking on the
opportunities available for
people from other states, the
Governor said there is always
room to take on people from
other states if they meet the
pre-qualification tests.
“You can’t just walk in here.
You have to satisfy basic literacy
competence and knowledge
and quantitative test to get
people in. At the first
application we had about 200
people, only about 90 passed
at that time, but I don’t have
final details of how many finally
qualified. But it is very serious
business because the certificate
you would be getting is a global
certificate from a brand like
Siemens,” he explained.
Babatunde Fashola, has
formally commissioned the
Lagos Energy Academy, to
groom electricity
professionals while inducting
the first batch of its students.
The governor said, “This
first key step will herald the
training of many batches of
power engineers and artisans
who will provide the
necessary human capital for
lighting Lagos and Nigeria.”
He stated that the academy
would provide training for
young people to become
technicians and electrical
engineers and provide
training in generation,
transmission and distribution.
Fashola explained that there
are modules on simulated substation
as well as transformers
and all sorts of learning
equipment and tools in the
Academy situated at the Lagos
State Electricity Board, LSEB
complex, GRA, Ikeja.
Fashola said, “The biggest
needs of this society today is
power, and as the Discos
(distribution companies) are
taking position, they are going
to need men and women,
boys and girls who will provide
the manpower the knowledge.
And this is where we have
decided to invest; to connect
these young people to jobs
that are waiting to be taken
so that they do not continue
to complain about
unemployment.
“So, we have taken them
from all levels, from
vocational centres, technical
colleges and through our
schools systems to give them
a chance to start out a new
career in power sector in
Lagos.”
“We believe that over the
years, there is a possibility to
produce as many as 200,000
graduates who would have
Siemens certification to be
able to work anywhere.
BRIEF
Oil companies
distribute 337m
litres of
petroleum
products
“We are also partnering with
a meter manufacturing
company which is training
them on how to diagnose faults
in meters - the old analogue
meters, the digital meters, the
card meters. So they are able
to render service in terms of
power generation,
transmission and distribution
and all other challenges.”
Mainland IPP
Speaking on the Mainland
Independent Power Project,
Fashola said it would be the
sixth IPP that the state will be
completing, and is currently
going through the precommissioning
testing.
He said that the project will
be commissioned before
October ends, adding that it is
designed to supply power to
Lagos State University
Teaching Hospital, LASUTH,
the High Court, the Lagos State
Police Command, and other
public institutions in Ikeja axis.
Speaking on the
opportunities available for
people from other states, the
Governor said there is always
room to take on people from
other states if they meet the
pre-qualification tests.
“You can’t just walk in here.
You have to satisfy basic literacy
competence and knowledge
and quantitative test to get
people in. At the first
application we had about 200
people, only about 90 passed
at that time, but I don’t have
final details of how many finally
qualified. But it is very serious
business because the certificate
you would be getting is a global
certificate from a brand like
Siemens,” he explained.
Empower states to explore minerals deposits and diversify economy
LACK of awareness about the
locations of mineral resources in
Nigeria makes the country almost
exclusively dependent on oil today even
though we established ourselves as an
agricultural society many years ago.
Industrial Great Britain derives great
wealth from the exploitation and the use
of kaolin and coal at home. She also exports
large quantities of these two minerals to
earn considerable foreign currencies.
Nigeria is very rich in these two minerals,
yet she does not use or derive any wealth
from their presence. Nigeria's coal deposit
at Udi near Enugu is among the best in
the world. We used it to run our railways
and generate electricity many years ago.
It is now abandoned. In the centre of
Minna, the capital of Niger State, lies a
rich deposit of kaolin the extent of which
will last more than one hundred years were
we to exploit it. This kaolin we can use in
the production of ceramics, paper filling,
paint making, etc, as well as export it to
earn foreign currencies.
The people of Minna don't even know
that such rich deposit exists. A state
hospital comfortably sits on this mineral
deposit; neither the contractors nor the
supervisors raised alarm about the look of
the unusual soil while the foundation of
the hospital was being laid. This writer
discovered the presence of the mineral
when he went to the site in 1989 to prepare
a report on the condition of the hospital for
the Federal Ministry of Health which was
in the process of taking a decision to
complete the construction of the hospital
for Niger State.
Every state of this country has one
mineral deposit or the other in its territory.
This writer picked sample of bitumen from
Imeri village near Ijebu Ode in December
1986 and informed of the presence of
bitumen in Ogun State later in the Comet
newspaper. Agbabu in Ondo State is
believed to have the largest deposit of
bitumen in Nigeria, spreading to Edo
State, Ogun State and Lagos State.
Reference to this deposit was made in
1896. One hundred and eleven years after,
foundation three centuries ago.
We can earn double what we earn from
the sale of crude oil if we care to add value
to the crude by refining it before we sell it.
The Japanese asserted this economic
advantage long ago in 1901, refining her
own crude oil obtained from the northern
island of Hokkaido and the prefectures of
Yamagata and Shizuoka in the the central
island of Honshu. We pass the gas layer
before getting to the crude oil layer. What
was the reason why we encouraged the
oil companies to waste away the gas by
flaring instead of first collecting it and
Imeri, Ijebu-Ode and see to it that the roads
on the campus can be up-dated with the
bitumen collected, maybe also extract
petroleum from the collection.
Involvements of this nature may even
dictate the directions of some of the
students as the process is bound to open a
lot of opportunities for them after
graduation. The universities in Enugu
should also, without delay, do something
positive about the coal near Enugu. Some
Nigerians who have made chemical
analysis of the coal are positive about its
quality. Besides using it to generate
electricity, it can be exported to earn foreign
currency, it can also be used for steel
production. The university at Makurdi may
wish to take advantage of the rock salt
deposit in Benue State and through small
scale prospecting and exploitation supply
the salt needs of Nigeria, thereby save large
sums in foreign currency used in
importing this commodity into the country.
Lagos may resume what it was best at before
its bombardment in 1851, by collecting
water from the sea, dry and make cheap
and high quality salt for use in Nigeria
today. The beach at Badagry is ideal for
this today.
Deposits of graphite exists in Birnin
Kebbi and Adamawa, exploitation of this
mineral will stimulate the production of
lead pencils and carbon bushes for our cars,
the universities nearby may get involved
to remain relevant! Mica exists in Kabba
(Kogi) and Dukku (Niger); this is relevant
in electrical insulation. Will the university
in Lokoja turn its face away from taking
advantage of this very valuable mineral
deposit? The list is endless.
We attend colleges and pass out, and for
several years we have no employment.
These are some of the ways we can bring
about a change in our society for the better.
Ideas change men, ideas shape nations.
By Omotayo Adeolu
THE Nigerian will always be
a Nigerian. When in other
climes, people accept
responsibility for their failure, the
Nigerian will always find reasons
and will be the last to accept his
fault. It traverses every part of our
being as a nation. Several
applicants died as a result of the
glaring incompetence of our
Immigration authorities, no one
opted to take responsibility. The
NNPC accounts have been
battling to be reconciled in the
past several months, no one has
volunteered to take responsibility,
though the account is supposed
to be up to date, at all times and
be ready for public scrutiny.
Because we are not tidy at doing
things, there are always
tardiness, as witnessed by the ongoing
South Africa and Nigeria
impasse over $15 million.
Nothing happens in Nigeria
without a reason. A person travels
home to his village, comes back,
maybe as a result of the stress of
the journey, he collapses and
dies. The death is attributed to
"juju" from the village, maybe
caused by an old grandmother
who never knew he existed. You
are sacked for incompetence and
you attribute it to tribal factors.
That is the nature of Nigerians
and that is why our leaders and
politicians are taking us for
granted, because they attribute
reasons for any obvious madness.
Fresh school graduates are now
made to pay N4000 to register for
the compulsory NYSC
programme that is supposed to
be a service to the nation. Why
should these young school
leavers be made to bear the cost?
Why can't the NYSC authorities
work out the cost and put it in their
budget for approval? Why must
people suffer because a negligible
few want to get rich? The NYSC
must reconsider this obnoxious
policy, it is not heard of.
The excuse syndrome recently
got to its peak when the coach of
our Super Eagles told journalists,
on his return from the Sudan
fiasco, that his team was
sabotaged and that is why they
lost to Sudan. So, who is the
saboteur? Coaches and players
who refuse to play until match
allowances are paid or the NFA
that decides to 'siddon look'? What
a reason! Simple "I am sorry we
have failed the nation" would
have been enough, but, not so for
a typical Nigerian.
Our representatives have failed
to realise that the glory for any
victory go to them, as individuals
first, before the nation. It gives
them the required international
exposure that catapults one to the
peak of the profession. There are
monetary rewards which are
sometimes accompanied by other
material benefits. The now former
Super Eagles coach, Stephen
Keshi, is a proud recipient of the
MON award. Victory, therefore,
is for their individual glory. So,
why are they careless with it?
The last time the Eagles played
good football was in the AFCON
competition in South Africa last
year. Since then, it has been on
the downward slide. A major
reason for this is that our players
and coaches have chosen the
pecuniary options over others.
You will notice that each time
Nigerian players begin to put on
airs, their form begin to decline.
It did not start today, past players
like Okocha, Oliseh, etc,
exhibited this trait and their
careers declined accordingly.
There was a time Okocha got lost
in London trying to locate the
Super Eagles camp base.
The Sudan game was a
complete eye sore. I do not know
how to describe it. Our players
were passing the ball to the
opponents and running away
from tackles, while shooting high
balls to no one in particular, it was
nauseating.
Keshi needs to asses his own
performance: eleven games, five
losses, five draws and, only one
win. So, the slide did not start
now, Sudan was only an
accumulation of the build-up.
Keshi has been building since
he came in and in the process,
he managed to drop useful
players who helped him to win
the Nations Cup like Sunday
Mbah, Brown Ideye - his
combination with Emenike, Ike
Uche and others was superb. In
their stead, he brought in very
average players who could not
rise to the occasion.
The absence of a creative mid
fielder has been there since Keshi
took over. Three years after, he
has not been able to fill that
vacuum; that does not show
competence.
All over the world, players that
excel from the youth teams are
drafted into the senior teams. We
did that with Kanu, Oruma,
Okocha and others. Why did
Keshi chose to ignore Iheanacho
who sparkled in the Under-18
World Cup tournament? To make
best player in any World Cup
competition is not a small feat.
Keshi should have included him
in his team. Mexico did it for Dos
Santos and Argentina did it for
Messi. Dropping Iheanacho was
not a good strategy on Keshi's part
and that is the sentiment issue that
critics are accusing him of. As far
as I am concerned, at least three
of those Under-17 boys should
have been drafted straight to the
Eagles. The right back, where we
still have problems till date, the
goal keeper and the creative
midfield, where we have
Iheanacho. The future of the
Eagles is in the hands of the
youths.
Keshi also displayed very
unpatriotic tendencies by openly
flirting with other nations like
South Africa for employment
while still in charge of our Eagles.
That was a big distraction which,
I believe, affected his focus.
His relationship with his
employers, the NFF, was not the
best. That is not a winning
strategy for a super coach. How
can you be fighting with your
bosses and expect to succeed? It
is also alleged that he dumped
all those who assisted him with
technical inputs during his
successful Nations Cup runs.
Keshi does not stay in Nigeria
to monitor his players. So, for the
period he was in charge of the
Eagles, he operated like an
expatriate coach.
Keshi displayed
very unpatriotic
tendencies by
openly flirting with
other nations for
employment while
still in charge of
Eagles; that was a
big distraction
which, I believe,
affected his focus
If we will
encourage
every state to
get involved
in the
exploitation of
minerals
within its area
of authority,
we shall begin
to talk about
“resource
development”
rather than
“resource
control”
depositing in the market before
coming to the crude oil itself?
We made ourselves poorer by
not asking questions and
getting positive replies for the
many years the gas remain
flared. This writer is aware the
flaring has been going on for
about 50 years. Why? Gas
flaring must cease. Time to
take our destiny into our own
hands is today, not tomorrow.
Our universities should be
encouraged to share in the
process of our industrial
development. They should
take the lead to investigate what
value they can add to a mineral
or what use they can put such
mineral to.
The University of Technology
in Minna may wish to
investigate further the kaolin
in Minna, use it for ceramics,
etc; the Chemical Engineering
Department of the University
at Ago-Iwoye many wish to
take sample of bitumen at
we have not taken any
decision to exploit it. If we will
encourage every state to get
involved in the exploitation of
minerals within its area of
authority, we shall begin to talk
about “resource
development” rather than
“resource control”.
The preparation of a
geological map of Nigeria
showing precisely what
mineral deposits exist in each
state will stimulate interest in
the mineral wealth of each
state and the desire to share
in the duty to mine such
mineral deposits of one's
state. Legislation empowering
states as well as individuals
to get involved in the
exploitation of minerals in
every part of the country will
make the growth of Nigerian
economy compare with that
of the United States of America
in her early years when she
was laying her own economic
locations of mineral resources in
Nigeria makes the country almost
exclusively dependent on oil today even
though we established ourselves as an
agricultural society many years ago.
Industrial Great Britain derives great
wealth from the exploitation and the use
of kaolin and coal at home. She also exports
large quantities of these two minerals to
earn considerable foreign currencies.
Nigeria is very rich in these two minerals,
yet she does not use or derive any wealth
from their presence. Nigeria's coal deposit
at Udi near Enugu is among the best in
the world. We used it to run our railways
and generate electricity many years ago.
It is now abandoned. In the centre of
Minna, the capital of Niger State, lies a
rich deposit of kaolin the extent of which
will last more than one hundred years were
we to exploit it. This kaolin we can use in
the production of ceramics, paper filling,
paint making, etc, as well as export it to
earn foreign currencies.
The people of Minna don't even know
that such rich deposit exists. A state
hospital comfortably sits on this mineral
deposit; neither the contractors nor the
supervisors raised alarm about the look of
the unusual soil while the foundation of
the hospital was being laid. This writer
discovered the presence of the mineral
when he went to the site in 1989 to prepare
a report on the condition of the hospital for
the Federal Ministry of Health which was
in the process of taking a decision to
complete the construction of the hospital
for Niger State.
Every state of this country has one
mineral deposit or the other in its territory.
This writer picked sample of bitumen from
Imeri village near Ijebu Ode in December
1986 and informed of the presence of
bitumen in Ogun State later in the Comet
newspaper. Agbabu in Ondo State is
believed to have the largest deposit of
bitumen in Nigeria, spreading to Edo
State, Ogun State and Lagos State.
Reference to this deposit was made in
1896. One hundred and eleven years after,
foundation three centuries ago.
We can earn double what we earn from
the sale of crude oil if we care to add value
to the crude by refining it before we sell it.
The Japanese asserted this economic
advantage long ago in 1901, refining her
own crude oil obtained from the northern
island of Hokkaido and the prefectures of
Yamagata and Shizuoka in the the central
island of Honshu. We pass the gas layer
before getting to the crude oil layer. What
was the reason why we encouraged the
oil companies to waste away the gas by
flaring instead of first collecting it and
Imeri, Ijebu-Ode and see to it that the roads
on the campus can be up-dated with the
bitumen collected, maybe also extract
petroleum from the collection.
Involvements of this nature may even
dictate the directions of some of the
students as the process is bound to open a
lot of opportunities for them after
graduation. The universities in Enugu
should also, without delay, do something
positive about the coal near Enugu. Some
Nigerians who have made chemical
analysis of the coal are positive about its
quality. Besides using it to generate
electricity, it can be exported to earn foreign
currency, it can also be used for steel
production. The university at Makurdi may
wish to take advantage of the rock salt
deposit in Benue State and through small
scale prospecting and exploitation supply
the salt needs of Nigeria, thereby save large
sums in foreign currency used in
importing this commodity into the country.
Lagos may resume what it was best at before
its bombardment in 1851, by collecting
water from the sea, dry and make cheap
and high quality salt for use in Nigeria
today. The beach at Badagry is ideal for
this today.
Deposits of graphite exists in Birnin
Kebbi and Adamawa, exploitation of this
mineral will stimulate the production of
lead pencils and carbon bushes for our cars,
the universities nearby may get involved
to remain relevant! Mica exists in Kabba
(Kogi) and Dukku (Niger); this is relevant
in electrical insulation. Will the university
in Lokoja turn its face away from taking
advantage of this very valuable mineral
deposit? The list is endless.
We attend colleges and pass out, and for
several years we have no employment.
These are some of the ways we can bring
about a change in our society for the better.
Ideas change men, ideas shape nations.
By Omotayo Adeolu
THE Nigerian will always be
a Nigerian. When in other
climes, people accept
responsibility for their failure, the
Nigerian will always find reasons
and will be the last to accept his
fault. It traverses every part of our
being as a nation. Several
applicants died as a result of the
glaring incompetence of our
Immigration authorities, no one
opted to take responsibility. The
NNPC accounts have been
battling to be reconciled in the
past several months, no one has
volunteered to take responsibility,
though the account is supposed
to be up to date, at all times and
be ready for public scrutiny.
Because we are not tidy at doing
things, there are always
tardiness, as witnessed by the ongoing
South Africa and Nigeria
impasse over $15 million.
Nothing happens in Nigeria
without a reason. A person travels
home to his village, comes back,
maybe as a result of the stress of
the journey, he collapses and
dies. The death is attributed to
"juju" from the village, maybe
caused by an old grandmother
who never knew he existed. You
are sacked for incompetence and
you attribute it to tribal factors.
That is the nature of Nigerians
and that is why our leaders and
politicians are taking us for
granted, because they attribute
reasons for any obvious madness.
Fresh school graduates are now
made to pay N4000 to register for
the compulsory NYSC
programme that is supposed to
be a service to the nation. Why
should these young school
leavers be made to bear the cost?
Why can't the NYSC authorities
work out the cost and put it in their
budget for approval? Why must
people suffer because a negligible
few want to get rich? The NYSC
must reconsider this obnoxious
policy, it is not heard of.
The excuse syndrome recently
got to its peak when the coach of
our Super Eagles told journalists,
on his return from the Sudan
fiasco, that his team was
sabotaged and that is why they
lost to Sudan. So, who is the
saboteur? Coaches and players
who refuse to play until match
allowances are paid or the NFA
that decides to 'siddon look'? What
a reason! Simple "I am sorry we
have failed the nation" would
have been enough, but, not so for
a typical Nigerian.
Our representatives have failed
to realise that the glory for any
victory go to them, as individuals
first, before the nation. It gives
them the required international
exposure that catapults one to the
peak of the profession. There are
monetary rewards which are
sometimes accompanied by other
material benefits. The now former
Super Eagles coach, Stephen
Keshi, is a proud recipient of the
MON award. Victory, therefore,
is for their individual glory. So,
why are they careless with it?
The last time the Eagles played
good football was in the AFCON
competition in South Africa last
year. Since then, it has been on
the downward slide. A major
reason for this is that our players
and coaches have chosen the
pecuniary options over others.
You will notice that each time
Nigerian players begin to put on
airs, their form begin to decline.
It did not start today, past players
like Okocha, Oliseh, etc,
exhibited this trait and their
careers declined accordingly.
There was a time Okocha got lost
in London trying to locate the
Super Eagles camp base.
The Sudan game was a
complete eye sore. I do not know
how to describe it. Our players
were passing the ball to the
opponents and running away
from tackles, while shooting high
balls to no one in particular, it was
nauseating.
Keshi needs to asses his own
performance: eleven games, five
losses, five draws and, only one
win. So, the slide did not start
now, Sudan was only an
accumulation of the build-up.
Keshi has been building since
he came in and in the process,
he managed to drop useful
players who helped him to win
the Nations Cup like Sunday
Mbah, Brown Ideye - his
combination with Emenike, Ike
Uche and others was superb. In
their stead, he brought in very
average players who could not
rise to the occasion.
The absence of a creative mid
fielder has been there since Keshi
took over. Three years after, he
has not been able to fill that
vacuum; that does not show
competence.
All over the world, players that
excel from the youth teams are
drafted into the senior teams. We
did that with Kanu, Oruma,
Okocha and others. Why did
Keshi chose to ignore Iheanacho
who sparkled in the Under-18
World Cup tournament? To make
best player in any World Cup
competition is not a small feat.
Keshi should have included him
in his team. Mexico did it for Dos
Santos and Argentina did it for
Messi. Dropping Iheanacho was
not a good strategy on Keshi's part
and that is the sentiment issue that
critics are accusing him of. As far
as I am concerned, at least three
of those Under-17 boys should
have been drafted straight to the
Eagles. The right back, where we
still have problems till date, the
goal keeper and the creative
midfield, where we have
Iheanacho. The future of the
Eagles is in the hands of the
youths.
Keshi also displayed very
unpatriotic tendencies by openly
flirting with other nations like
South Africa for employment
while still in charge of our Eagles.
That was a big distraction which,
I believe, affected his focus.
His relationship with his
employers, the NFF, was not the
best. That is not a winning
strategy for a super coach. How
can you be fighting with your
bosses and expect to succeed? It
is also alleged that he dumped
all those who assisted him with
technical inputs during his
successful Nations Cup runs.
Keshi does not stay in Nigeria
to monitor his players. So, for the
period he was in charge of the
Eagles, he operated like an
expatriate coach.
Keshi displayed
very unpatriotic
tendencies by
openly flirting with
other nations for
employment while
still in charge of
Eagles; that was a
big distraction
which, I believe,
affected his focus
If we will
encourage
every state to
get involved
in the
exploitation of
minerals
within its area
of authority,
we shall begin
to talk about
“resource
development”
rather than
“resource
control”
depositing in the market before
coming to the crude oil itself?
We made ourselves poorer by
not asking questions and
getting positive replies for the
many years the gas remain
flared. This writer is aware the
flaring has been going on for
about 50 years. Why? Gas
flaring must cease. Time to
take our destiny into our own
hands is today, not tomorrow.
Our universities should be
encouraged to share in the
process of our industrial
development. They should
take the lead to investigate what
value they can add to a mineral
or what use they can put such
mineral to.
The University of Technology
in Minna may wish to
investigate further the kaolin
in Minna, use it for ceramics,
etc; the Chemical Engineering
Department of the University
at Ago-Iwoye many wish to
take sample of bitumen at
we have not taken any
decision to exploit it. If we will
encourage every state to get
involved in the exploitation of
minerals within its area of
authority, we shall begin to talk
about “resource
development” rather than
“resource control”.
The preparation of a
geological map of Nigeria
showing precisely what
mineral deposits exist in each
state will stimulate interest in
the mineral wealth of each
state and the desire to share
in the duty to mine such
mineral deposits of one's
state. Legislation empowering
states as well as individuals
to get involved in the
exploitation of minerals in
every part of the country will
make the growth of Nigerian
economy compare with that
of the United States of America
in her early years when she
was laying her own economic
Keshi, Eagles and excuses
THE Nigerian will always be
a Nigerian. When in other
climes, people accept
responsibility for their failure, the
Nigerian will always find reasons
and will be the last to accept his
fault. It traverses every part of our
being as a nation. Several
applicants died as a result of the
glaring incompetence of our
Immigration authorities, no one
opted to take responsibility. The
NNPC accounts have been
battling to be reconciled in the
past several months, no one has
volunteered to take responsibility,
though the account is supposed
to be up to date, at all times and
be ready for public scrutiny.
Because we are not tidy at doing
things, there are always
tardiness, as witnessed by the ongoing
South Africa and Nigeria
impasse over $15 million.
Nothing happens in Nigeria
without a reason. A person travels
home to his village, comes back,
maybe as a result of the stress of
the journey, he collapses and
dies. The death is attributed to
"juju" from the village, maybe
caused by an old grandmother
who never knew he existed. You
are sacked for incompetence and
you attribute it to tribal factors.
That is the nature of Nigerians
and that is why our leaders and
politicians are taking us for
granted, because they attribute
reasons for any obvious madness.
Fresh school graduates are now
made to pay N4000 to register for
the compulsory NYSC
programme that is supposed to
be a service to the nation. Why
should these young school
leavers be made to bear the cost?
Why can't the NYSC authorities
work out the cost and put it in their
budget for approval? Why must
people suffer because a negligible
few want to get rich? The NYSC
must reconsider this obnoxious
policy, it is not heard of.
The excuse syndrome recently
got to its peak when the coach of
our Super Eagles told journalists,
on his return from the Sudan
fiasco, that his team was
sabotaged and that is why they
lost to Sudan. So, who is the
saboteur? Coaches and players
who refuse to play until match
allowances are paid or the NFA
that decides to 'siddon look'? What
a reason! Simple "I am sorry we
have failed the nation" would
have been enough, but, not so for
a typical Nigerian.
Our representatives have failed
to realise that the glory for any
victory go to them, as individuals
first, before the nation. It gives
them the required international
exposure that catapults one to the
peak of the profession. There are
monetary rewards which are
sometimes accompanied by other
material benefits. The now former
Super Eagles coach, Stephen
Keshi, is a proud recipient of the
MON award. Victory, therefore,
is for their individual glory. So,
why are they careless with it?
The last time the Eagles played
good football was in the AFCON
competition in South Africa last
year. Since then, it has been on
the downward slide. A major
reason for this is that our players
and coaches have chosen the
pecuniary options over others.
You will notice that each time
Nigerian players begin to put on
airs, their form begin to decline.
It did not start today, past players
like Okocha, Oliseh, etc,
exhibited this trait and their
careers declined accordingly.
There was a time Okocha got lost
in London trying to locate the
Super Eagles camp base.
The Sudan game was a
complete eye sore. I do not know
how to describe it. Our players
were passing the ball to the
opponents and running away
from tackles, while shooting high
balls to no one in particular, it was
nauseating.
Keshi needs to asses his own
performance: eleven games, five
losses, five draws and, only one
win. So, the slide did not start
now, Sudan was only an
accumulation of the build-up.
Keshi has been building since
he came in and in the process,
he managed to drop useful
players who helped him to win
the Nations Cup like Sunday
Mbah, Brown Ideye - his
combination with Emenike, Ike
Uche and others was superb. In
their stead, he brought in very
average players who could not
rise to the occasion.
The absence of a creative mid
fielder has been there since Keshi
took over. Three years after, he
has not been able to fill that
vacuum; that does not show
competence.
All over the world, players that
excel from the youth teams are
drafted into the senior teams. We
did that with Kanu, Oruma,
Okocha and others. Why did
Keshi chose to ignore Iheanacho
who sparkled in the Under-18
World Cup tournament? To make
best player in any World Cup
competition is not a small feat.
Keshi should have included him
in his team. Mexico did it for Dos
Santos and Argentina did it for
Messi. Dropping Iheanacho was
not a good strategy on Keshi's part
and that is the sentiment issue that
critics are accusing him of. As far
as I am concerned, at least three
of those Under-17 boys should
have been drafted straight to the
Eagles. The right back, where we
still have problems till date, the
goal keeper and the creative
midfield, where we have
Iheanacho. The future of the
Eagles is in the hands of the
youths.
Keshi also displayed very
unpatriotic tendencies by openly
flirting with other nations like
South Africa for employment
while still in charge of our Eagles.
That was a big distraction which,
I believe, affected his focus.
His relationship with his
employers, the NFF, was not the
best. That is not a winning
strategy for a super coach. How
can you be fighting with your
bosses and expect to succeed? It
is also alleged that he dumped
all those who assisted him with
technical inputs during his
successful Nations Cup runs.
Keshi does not stay in Nigeria
to monitor his players. So, for the
period he was in charge of the
Eagles, he operated like an
expatriate coach.
a Nigerian. When in other
climes, people accept
responsibility for their failure, the
Nigerian will always find reasons
and will be the last to accept his
fault. It traverses every part of our
being as a nation. Several
applicants died as a result of the
glaring incompetence of our
Immigration authorities, no one
opted to take responsibility. The
NNPC accounts have been
battling to be reconciled in the
past several months, no one has
volunteered to take responsibility,
though the account is supposed
to be up to date, at all times and
be ready for public scrutiny.
Because we are not tidy at doing
things, there are always
tardiness, as witnessed by the ongoing
South Africa and Nigeria
impasse over $15 million.
Nothing happens in Nigeria
without a reason. A person travels
home to his village, comes back,
maybe as a result of the stress of
the journey, he collapses and
dies. The death is attributed to
"juju" from the village, maybe
caused by an old grandmother
who never knew he existed. You
are sacked for incompetence and
you attribute it to tribal factors.
That is the nature of Nigerians
and that is why our leaders and
politicians are taking us for
granted, because they attribute
reasons for any obvious madness.
Fresh school graduates are now
made to pay N4000 to register for
the compulsory NYSC
programme that is supposed to
be a service to the nation. Why
should these young school
leavers be made to bear the cost?
Why can't the NYSC authorities
work out the cost and put it in their
budget for approval? Why must
people suffer because a negligible
few want to get rich? The NYSC
must reconsider this obnoxious
policy, it is not heard of.
The excuse syndrome recently
got to its peak when the coach of
our Super Eagles told journalists,
on his return from the Sudan
fiasco, that his team was
sabotaged and that is why they
lost to Sudan. So, who is the
saboteur? Coaches and players
who refuse to play until match
allowances are paid or the NFA
that decides to 'siddon look'? What
a reason! Simple "I am sorry we
have failed the nation" would
have been enough, but, not so for
a typical Nigerian.
Our representatives have failed
to realise that the glory for any
victory go to them, as individuals
first, before the nation. It gives
them the required international
exposure that catapults one to the
peak of the profession. There are
monetary rewards which are
sometimes accompanied by other
material benefits. The now former
Super Eagles coach, Stephen
Keshi, is a proud recipient of the
MON award. Victory, therefore,
is for their individual glory. So,
why are they careless with it?
The last time the Eagles played
good football was in the AFCON
competition in South Africa last
year. Since then, it has been on
the downward slide. A major
reason for this is that our players
and coaches have chosen the
pecuniary options over others.
You will notice that each time
Nigerian players begin to put on
airs, their form begin to decline.
It did not start today, past players
like Okocha, Oliseh, etc,
exhibited this trait and their
careers declined accordingly.
There was a time Okocha got lost
in London trying to locate the
Super Eagles camp base.
The Sudan game was a
complete eye sore. I do not know
how to describe it. Our players
were passing the ball to the
opponents and running away
from tackles, while shooting high
balls to no one in particular, it was
nauseating.
Keshi needs to asses his own
performance: eleven games, five
losses, five draws and, only one
win. So, the slide did not start
now, Sudan was only an
accumulation of the build-up.
Keshi has been building since
he came in and in the process,
he managed to drop useful
players who helped him to win
the Nations Cup like Sunday
Mbah, Brown Ideye - his
combination with Emenike, Ike
Uche and others was superb. In
their stead, he brought in very
average players who could not
rise to the occasion.
The absence of a creative mid
fielder has been there since Keshi
took over. Three years after, he
has not been able to fill that
vacuum; that does not show
competence.
All over the world, players that
excel from the youth teams are
drafted into the senior teams. We
did that with Kanu, Oruma,
Okocha and others. Why did
Keshi chose to ignore Iheanacho
who sparkled in the Under-18
World Cup tournament? To make
best player in any World Cup
competition is not a small feat.
Keshi should have included him
in his team. Mexico did it for Dos
Santos and Argentina did it for
Messi. Dropping Iheanacho was
not a good strategy on Keshi's part
and that is the sentiment issue that
critics are accusing him of. As far
as I am concerned, at least three
of those Under-17 boys should
have been drafted straight to the
Eagles. The right back, where we
still have problems till date, the
goal keeper and the creative
midfield, where we have
Iheanacho. The future of the
Eagles is in the hands of the
youths.
Keshi also displayed very
unpatriotic tendencies by openly
flirting with other nations like
South Africa for employment
while still in charge of our Eagles.
That was a big distraction which,
I believe, affected his focus.
His relationship with his
employers, the NFF, was not the
best. That is not a winning
strategy for a super coach. How
can you be fighting with your
bosses and expect to succeed? It
is also alleged that he dumped
all those who assisted him with
technical inputs during his
successful Nations Cup runs.
Keshi does not stay in Nigeria
to monitor his players. So, for the
period he was in charge of the
Eagles, he operated like an
expatriate coach.
Amosun’s impressive score card in Ogun
OGUN State was in 2013 awarded
the “the fastest-growing
economy and first choice for industrialists
and entrepreneurs among the 36
states in Nigeria by Business Day Newspapers.
According to the financial newspaper,
Ogun State, under the leadership
of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, won the
prestigious award “because it has the
highest number of businesses established
in its domain and the government
has made the environment more
attractive to investors.
Ogun also has the highest positive
number of Gross Domestic Product,GDP
in the last one year. The number of bank
branches has increased more than that
of other states in the last three years and
its financial inclusion, particularly the
embrace of cashless economy and use
of Automated Teller Machine by residents
had increased tremendously.”
If anyone thought that the breakthrough
was a fluke and was only a national
recognition, then wait for this. The
report of the World Bank, Doing Business
in Nigeria 2014, rates Ogun, out
of 35 states and FCT, as one of the 5
states “that made the biggest strides
towards the national frontier of good
practices.” The biennial report, releasedlast Monday, puts Ogun in the exclusive
club of the top reforming states in
Nigeria.
This, to many observers, is an extraordinary
performance by the current government
of Ogun State. The giant
strides made by the Ogun State Governor,
Senator Ibikunle Amosun in the last
three years are better appreciated when
compared to the situation of the state
before he mounted the saddle of leadership
in May, 2011.
The same World Bank, in 2008 and
2010 reports, ranked Ogun State as one
of the lowest overall performers among
the 36 states in Nigeria in terms of ease
of doing business. In other words, Ogun
State was by then not conducive to business.
If a student that had ‘Credit’ as a
grade in 2010 now has ‘Distinction’, we
say he or she has improved. But when a
student that secured ‘Failure’ as a grade
in 2010 now has ‘Distinction’, it is no
longer a mere improvement but complete
transformation.
The report observes further that in
Ogun State, “the construction permitting
system was radically overhauled, with
the state government authorities decentralising
the approval system and a new
committee monitoring delays. Building
permit applications and payments can
now be made simultaneously in district
offices.
Private professionals issue environmental-
impact assessments in accordance
with the conditions and templates
set out in a framework agreement. The
certificate of completion is issued on the
spot, immediately following the final inspection.”
Amosun has moved Ogun State from
F9 under the last administration to A1
in just three years of being the governor.
One can imagine how successful
Ogun would become by the time
Amosun, through the grace of God, concludes
eight yeas in office!
the “the fastest-growing
economy and first choice for industrialists
and entrepreneurs among the 36
states in Nigeria by Business Day Newspapers.
According to the financial newspaper,
Ogun State, under the leadership
of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, won the
prestigious award “because it has the
highest number of businesses established
in its domain and the government
has made the environment more
attractive to investors.
Ogun also has the highest positive
number of Gross Domestic Product,GDP
in the last one year. The number of bank
branches has increased more than that
of other states in the last three years and
its financial inclusion, particularly the
embrace of cashless economy and use
of Automated Teller Machine by residents
had increased tremendously.”
If anyone thought that the breakthrough
was a fluke and was only a national
recognition, then wait for this. The
report of the World Bank, Doing Business
in Nigeria 2014, rates Ogun, out
of 35 states and FCT, as one of the 5
states “that made the biggest strides
towards the national frontier of good
practices.” The biennial report, releasedlast Monday, puts Ogun in the exclusive
club of the top reforming states in
Nigeria.
This, to many observers, is an extraordinary
performance by the current government
of Ogun State. The giant
strides made by the Ogun State Governor,
Senator Ibikunle Amosun in the last
three years are better appreciated when
compared to the situation of the state
before he mounted the saddle of leadership
in May, 2011.
The same World Bank, in 2008 and
2010 reports, ranked Ogun State as one
of the lowest overall performers among
the 36 states in Nigeria in terms of ease
of doing business. In other words, Ogun
State was by then not conducive to business.
If a student that had ‘Credit’ as a
grade in 2010 now has ‘Distinction’, we
say he or she has improved. But when a
student that secured ‘Failure’ as a grade
in 2010 now has ‘Distinction’, it is no
longer a mere improvement but complete
transformation.
The report observes further that in
Ogun State, “the construction permitting
system was radically overhauled, with
the state government authorities decentralising
the approval system and a new
committee monitoring delays. Building
permit applications and payments can
now be made simultaneously in district
offices.
Private professionals issue environmental-
impact assessments in accordance
with the conditions and templates
set out in a framework agreement. The
certificate of completion is issued on the
spot, immediately following the final inspection.”
Amosun has moved Ogun State from
F9 under the last administration to A1
in just three years of being the governor.
One can imagine how successful
Ogun would become by the time
Amosun, through the grace of God, concludes
eight yeas in office!
Killing of 9 policemen in Arepo: court closes prosecution’s case
A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, closed the case of the prosecution in the on-going trial of suspected pipeline vandals, who allegedly killed nine policemen in Arepo, a suburb town in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, closed the case of the prosecution following an application by the defence team, though the prosecution was not represented by any counsel. The development prompted the judge to grant the defence’s application.
The court, meanwhile, adjourned till November 6, 2014 for hearing of a no-case submission which the defence said it was preparing to file.
The suspects, among them a 54-year-old woman, Susan Viana, are standing trial on a 14-count charge of conspiracy, pipeline vandalism, oil theft and unlawful killings.
The suspects, some of whom were said to have been arrested on May 29 by men of the Joint Task Force in Ondo State, are Felix Yayu (M), 25; Ijoufaya (M), 42; Yakubu Ebiwei (M), 45; Augustine Ebiwei (M), 28; Tamara Dembofa (M), 32; Owei Atile (M), 37; Agbara Tiewei (M), 43; Rufus Godwin (M), 45; Tiery Koiyetin (M), 22; Ebis Sobijoh (M) 22; Ibori Lawrence (M) 45; Eberebu Ibori (M), 30; Atinuke Odewale (F), 42; Fatai Ishola (M), 32; Ahmed Bashorun (M), 42; Odewale Waheed (M), 43; Susan Viana (F), 54; Tuesday Filatei (M), 36; Yeiyah Yellow (M), 28 and Ismail Abdullahi (M), 47.
The accused were alleged in the charge, to be involved in the oil bunkering incident at Arepo, near Ikorodu, Lagos State, which happened on May 24, 2014.
The suspects were alleged to have stormed the Arepo area in about 14 speed-boats to carry out an illegal oil bunkering deal
The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, closed the case of the prosecution following an application by the defence team, though the prosecution was not represented by any counsel. The development prompted the judge to grant the defence’s application.
The court, meanwhile, adjourned till November 6, 2014 for hearing of a no-case submission which the defence said it was preparing to file.
The suspects, among them a 54-year-old woman, Susan Viana, are standing trial on a 14-count charge of conspiracy, pipeline vandalism, oil theft and unlawful killings.
The suspects, some of whom were said to have been arrested on May 29 by men of the Joint Task Force in Ondo State, are Felix Yayu (M), 25; Ijoufaya (M), 42; Yakubu Ebiwei (M), 45; Augustine Ebiwei (M), 28; Tamara Dembofa (M), 32; Owei Atile (M), 37; Agbara Tiewei (M), 43; Rufus Godwin (M), 45; Tiery Koiyetin (M), 22; Ebis Sobijoh (M) 22; Ibori Lawrence (M) 45; Eberebu Ibori (M), 30; Atinuke Odewale (F), 42; Fatai Ishola (M), 32; Ahmed Bashorun (M), 42; Odewale Waheed (M), 43; Susan Viana (F), 54; Tuesday Filatei (M), 36; Yeiyah Yellow (M), 28 and Ismail Abdullahi (M), 47.
The accused were alleged in the charge, to be involved in the oil bunkering incident at Arepo, near Ikorodu, Lagos State, which happened on May 24, 2014.
The suspects were alleged to have stormed the Arepo area in about 14 speed-boats to carry out an illegal oil bunkering deal
Jonathan first non ambitious President ever produced in Nigeria -Clark
FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark has urged State Governors to find ways of solving their problems which should be addressed by them and leave President Goodluck Jonathan out of those issues, just as he stressed that in the history of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan remains the only president ever produced that has not been ambitious to govern.
The Elder Statesman who reiterated that President Jonathan was dragged to become the running mate to late President Umaru Yard’ Adua without his knowing about it when names like former Governors Peter Odili of Rivers, Donald Duke of Cross River where penciled down to take the position as it was zoned to South South geo – political zone of the country, said that Jonathan who later became the running mate was not on the list.
Speaking yesterday at his Asokoro residence when he received members of the Federal Capital Territory and Geo- Political Leaders Forum led by Amb. Ayuba Ngbako, Chief Clark said, “some people believe that they are governors of their states, when they have problems, they call on Jonathan; governors should solve the problems of their states.”
Chief Edwin Kiagbodo
The Elder Statesman who reiterated that President Jonathan was dragged to become the running mate to late President Umaru Yard’ Adua without his knowing about it when names like former Governors Peter Odili of Rivers, Donald Duke of Cross River where penciled down to take the position as it was zoned to South South geo – political zone of the country, said that Jonathan who later became the running mate was not on the list.
According to him, when President Jonathan was informed of the development, he refused because he said he would prefer to remain and work in Bayelsa State as governor, even as he stressed that as fate would have it, without struggling for it, he became the acting President, later the president, adding that Nigerians were presently pressurising and begging him to re- contest ad not him forcing himself out to contest.
Speaking further, Chief Clark told the FCT Indigenes that they had no choice than to support the president because of the development of the FCT, using the just concluded National Conference to give them a ministerial slot, Mayor for the inner nucleus; Additional Area Councils; additional Federal Constituencies; Commission for FCT, among others.
Speaking earlier, leader of the FCT Indigenes and Geo- political Leaders Forum, Amb. Ayuba Ngbako told Chief Clark that in support of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re- election, bid, the FCT indigenes and the leader would organise a rally where thousands of residents would match the streets of Abuja, urging him to contest, even as they asked for an additional Senatorial slot for the FCT to make it two.
According to him, the group will also mobilise the people of FCT to vote for the president before the primaries and after as well as other contestants on the platform of the PDP, adding that they will also show case the dividends and achievements of the transformation agenda of the president to the FCT indigenes and other Nigerians.
He also disclosed that the body as part of moves to institutionalise President Jonathan’s legacy, it has concluded plans to establish a fellowship titled ‘ Goodluck Jonathan Fellowship Centre for Young Leaders, adding that it was an initiative by some Nigerians in the Diaspora and the centre would be a flagship fellowship of the President’s young leaders initiative and an embodiment of the President’s commitment to invest in the future of Nigerian youths as well as to institutionalise his governance legacies in the minds of Nigerian youths.
One dead, 16 thugs arrested at Amosun’s Ilaro rally
Pandemonium broke out, yesterday, at Ilaro in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State as two groups of hoodlums clashed, leaving one person dead.
An eyewitness, Biodun Sowunmi, who escaped the fracas, said the incident occurred during the assessment tour of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to the local government.
According to the eyewitness, who is also a public analyst, the gangs were fighting over territorial protection.
The incident reportedly left many people injured as a result of dangerous weapons used by the rival gangs.
It was gathered that the incident occurred outside the venue of the assessment tour and did not affect the programme.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, said one person lost his life.
Adejobi said the incident was masterminded by hoodlums who used dangerous weapons freely.
He disclosed that 16 people had been arrested, while weapons, including four pump action guns, cutlasses, axes and assorted charms were seized.
An eyewitness, Biodun Sowunmi, who escaped the fracas, said the incident occurred during the assessment tour of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to the local government.
According to the eyewitness, who is also a public analyst, the gangs were fighting over territorial protection.
The incident reportedly left many people injured as a result of dangerous weapons used by the rival gangs.
It was gathered that the incident occurred outside the venue of the assessment tour and did not affect the programme.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, said one person lost his life.
Adejobi said the incident was masterminded by hoodlums who used dangerous weapons freely.
He disclosed that 16 people had been arrested, while weapons, including four pump action guns, cutlasses, axes and assorted charms were seized.
How Nigeria defeated Ebola
Ninety three days after the American Liberia Patrick Sawyer imported the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD into Nigeria, the nation is officially Ebola-free.
The response team comprised of the FMOH, WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Medecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). private companies, UNICEF, and the Lagos state and Rivers State health ministries, among others.
HEALTH PERSONNEL IN PROTECTIVE KITS AT THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY (12/8/14).Announcing the declaration yesterday, the World Health Organisation said 42 days had passed since the nation last reported a case. By the time the last case was reported on September 5, 2014, Nigeria had recorded 19 cases with eight deaths and 11 survivors.
Findings by Good Health Weekly, revealed that early preparation, proper coordination and a unified response and implementation plan, were crucial to the nation’s success in winning the war.
In what was described as by the WHO as “world-class epidemiological detective work”, Nigeria’s immediate and rapid response to the Ebola threat was triggered off with identification of the index (first case), Patrick Sawyer, and subsequent isolation at the First Consultant Medical Centre, Obalende in Lagos.
Public health emergency
First was the declaration of the Ebola out break as a public health emergency in the country. As a follow up, the Federal government through the Federal Ministry of Health, and in collaboration with the Lagos State government, set up an effective overall coordinating Ebola Emergency Operations Centre, EOC.
The response team comprised of the FMOH, WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Medecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). private companies, UNICEF, and the Lagos state and Rivers State health ministries, among others.
The training of local doctors and other responders was carried out with despatch even as adverts and requests for qualified medical staff were issued regularly to the public. Each suspected Ebola case was thoroughly investigated and treated on merit.
A robust contact tracing system in Lagos and Port Harcourt ensured that virtually every contact of all reported Ebola cases was identified, tracked down and closely monitored. The dedicated follow-up, supervision and regulated public enlightenment mechanism was deployed to manage the panic caused by the Ebola outbreak.
Managing the public fear and anxiety was one of the main challenges of the response, especially as it was the first time Nigerians were witnessing such outbreak
Sustained social mobilisation on the warning signs and prevention methods in the form of social-media messages, were deployed to improve education and awareness and also to demystify the myths surrounding Ebola.
There was heightened vigilance and screening at the nation’s borders which were kept open but screening of inbound and outbound passengers was stepped up significantly, even as preparations were being made to increase facility and manpower capacity in the event of more patients.
Reacting to the declaration of Nigeria as Ebola free nation, President, Association of General Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, AGPMPN, Dr. Anthony Omolola said it was welcome.
“WHO declaration is a welcome development for our country and it shows that when we are committed to doing anything we can do it well. Our effort in curtaining Ebola has remain a sample to the world. We need to commend all the health workers, the government in the manner in which the situation was reacted to and also the media need to be commended for their enlightenment role and dissemination of information at appropriate time.
“As the WHO is declaring us free, we should not forget those that had sacrificed their lives in ensuring that the country did not experience greater calamity,” he pointed out.
Corroborating their views, Immediate Past President, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele, said: “This shows that if the right support is given to the health sector and the players who are responsible for leadership play their part, Nigeria can begin to make move towards strengthening our healthcare system and all other countries are now learning from Nigeria’s experience, which shows that there are actually potentials that can be explore if there are some level of sincerity and leadership commitment. So the development is laudable and I think Nigeria can begin to look at other areas of healthcare and not just be responding to crisis situation alone.”
Also speaking on the development, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Pharm Olumide Akintayo said it was well deserved but cautioned against the country resting on its oars. “For once, response was very prompt and highly commendable. I have no doubt that this is recognition is merited but it is not time to go and sleep.
We must continue to put on the table, the finest tenets of professionalism.”“Akintayo who worried over the porous nature of the nation’s borders called for even greater alertness. “Let us give kudos to the Federal government and the Lagos State government. However, we must continue our surveillance and monitor people coming in from the endemic zones, namely Sierra Leone and Liberia to a large extent.”
The Immediate Past Deputy President, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Comrade Rasheed Tonade noted that for WHO to say Nigeria is Ebola free, judging from the fact that there has not been any case of Ebola in the last three weeks was a welcome development. “I can agree to it because available statistics have proven that.
There is nothing like Ebola now in Nigeria. We are only hearing about Ebola in US. I believe Nigeria should be declared Ebola free. We are up to the task but we should expand our treatment strategies to forestall future occurrence or outbreak as a nation. Our seaports and airports and other borders should be regularly and effectively monitored not only for Ebola but for other diseases that people may bring in from either land borders or any other border.”
Catholic priests fight dirty in Mbaise
The schism, which has been trailing the appointment and consecration of the new Bishop of Ahiara Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Peter Okpalaeke, by the Papacy, took a more dangerous dimension weekend, as priests allegedly got entangled in what people described as a dirty battle.
Journalist investigations revealed that Rev. Fr. Januarius Chima Ahaneku went to St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Nnarambia, at about 7.15p.m., following his posting to the parish by the Vicar General of the embattled Diocese, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebii.
While Fr. Ahaneku was accused of storming the parish with thugs and assaulting the resident priest, Rev. Fr. Marcellinus Nweke, Ahaneku, however, said he was there on legitimate posting.
Nweke confirmed that he had to alert the police and the people when his brother priest allegedly exhibited an act unbecoming of an ordained Catholic priest.
He said: “They started harassing us, using hammer and some iron bars to break the doors and gained entrance. Some of us even sustained injuries. I dislocated my left shoulder.”
Continuing, Fr. Nweke alleged that the police recovered pump action rifle, double barrelled gun and an electric shocker from Fr. Ahaneku and his friends.
Fr. Ahaneku’s story
In his own account, Fr. Ahaneku, who is a son of Nnarambia, said although he presented a letter from the Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebii, deploying him to St. Brigid’s Parish, as an Acting Parish Priest, he never attempted the use of violence as claimed by Nweke.
He explained that the men, who were arrested by the police as thugs merely accompanied him to the Parish, to assist him settle down with his belongings.
He said: “The Parish Priest left without the knowledge of the Vicar General/Delegate of the Diocese. So, I was detailed to go there and take care of the souls of the parishioners. I did not go there with a thug at all.”
Continuing, the obviously angry priest recalled that “when Fr. Nweke came out, we greeted each other and I explained my mission to him and he said he was not informed of the posting and insisted that the Vicar should call him.
“The Vicar General called him severally but he refused to pick his calls.
“I took him to my car and showed him my authority: the letter I was given. After reading it, he said there was no trouble.”
Continuing, the priest recalled that as he was trying to move his personal belongings into the parish house with the help of his friends, Fr. Nweke started making calls.
Ahaneku said: “They first raised false alarm to the police that some armed robbers invaded their house.
“In a matter of minutes, several people stormed the place. A lot of them were carrying machetes and other dangerous weapons.
“I wanted to leave in my vehicle but my brother priest stood in front of my car, insisting that I will not move an inch. In order not to smash him or commit any crime, I left the vehicle there,” Fr. Ahaneku recounted.
The Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, which Fr. Ahaneku drove to the parish was badly vandalized by the alleged angry youths and was still in the custody of the Church at press time.
Vicar-General’s confirmation
Reacting also, the Vicar General of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Ebii, however confirmed that Fr. Ahaneku had his approval to report to St. Brigid’s Catholic Church.
He said: “Fr. Ahaneku was sent there officially to go and do pastoral work. He had a legal paper from me.”
Meanwhile, Imo State Police Command has appealed to the Administrator of Ahiara Diocese, who doubles as the Archbishop of Abuja Ecclesiastical Province, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, to find a lasting solution to the lingering crisis bedevilling Ahiara Diocese, since the death of Bishop Victor Chikwe.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, who made the passionate appeal, while reacting to the mayhem unleashed by some supposed parishioners in St. Brigid’s Church, Nnarambia.
He said: “It is most shocking that priests can get to this level. The Catholic Church and its priests are supposed to show good examples for others to follow.”
Journalist investigations revealed that Rev. Fr. Januarius Chima Ahaneku went to St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Nnarambia, at about 7.15p.m., following his posting to the parish by the Vicar General of the embattled Diocese, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebii.
While Fr. Ahaneku was accused of storming the parish with thugs and assaulting the resident priest, Rev. Fr. Marcellinus Nweke, Ahaneku, however, said he was there on legitimate posting.
Nweke confirmed that he had to alert the police and the people when his brother priest allegedly exhibited an act unbecoming of an ordained Catholic priest.
He said: “They started harassing us, using hammer and some iron bars to break the doors and gained entrance. Some of us even sustained injuries. I dislocated my left shoulder.”
Continuing, Fr. Nweke alleged that the police recovered pump action rifle, double barrelled gun and an electric shocker from Fr. Ahaneku and his friends.
Fr. Ahaneku’s story
In his own account, Fr. Ahaneku, who is a son of Nnarambia, said although he presented a letter from the Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebii, deploying him to St. Brigid’s Parish, as an Acting Parish Priest, he never attempted the use of violence as claimed by Nweke.
He explained that the men, who were arrested by the police as thugs merely accompanied him to the Parish, to assist him settle down with his belongings.
He said: “The Parish Priest left without the knowledge of the Vicar General/Delegate of the Diocese. So, I was detailed to go there and take care of the souls of the parishioners. I did not go there with a thug at all.”
Continuing, the obviously angry priest recalled that “when Fr. Nweke came out, we greeted each other and I explained my mission to him and he said he was not informed of the posting and insisted that the Vicar should call him.
“The Vicar General called him severally but he refused to pick his calls.
“I took him to my car and showed him my authority: the letter I was given. After reading it, he said there was no trouble.”
Continuing, the priest recalled that as he was trying to move his personal belongings into the parish house with the help of his friends, Fr. Nweke started making calls.
Ahaneku said: “They first raised false alarm to the police that some armed robbers invaded their house.
“In a matter of minutes, several people stormed the place. A lot of them were carrying machetes and other dangerous weapons.
“I wanted to leave in my vehicle but my brother priest stood in front of my car, insisting that I will not move an inch. In order not to smash him or commit any crime, I left the vehicle there,” Fr. Ahaneku recounted.
The Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, which Fr. Ahaneku drove to the parish was badly vandalized by the alleged angry youths and was still in the custody of the Church at press time.
Vicar-General’s confirmation
Reacting also, the Vicar General of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Ebii, however confirmed that Fr. Ahaneku had his approval to report to St. Brigid’s Catholic Church.
He said: “Fr. Ahaneku was sent there officially to go and do pastoral work. He had a legal paper from me.”
Meanwhile, Imo State Police Command has appealed to the Administrator of Ahiara Diocese, who doubles as the Archbishop of Abuja Ecclesiastical Province, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, to find a lasting solution to the lingering crisis bedevilling Ahiara Diocese, since the death of Bishop Victor Chikwe.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, who made the passionate appeal, while reacting to the mayhem unleashed by some supposed parishioners in St. Brigid’s Church, Nnarambia.
He said: “It is most shocking that priests can get to this level. The Catholic Church and its priests are supposed to show good examples for others to follow.”
Monday, 20 October 2014
Death row inmate, Ebhos to be released after 19 years in prison
A death row inmate, Thankgod Ebhos is to be to be released from Benin prison, Edo State after 19 years of waiting for the hang man.
His release order has been signed by Governor Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State in exercise of his power of Prerogative of Mercy as outlined under Section 212 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Mr Ebhos is one of nine prisoners whose release order was approved to commemorate Nigeria’s 54th Independence Day celebration.
Ebhos came into the limelight in June 2013 when he narrowly escaped execution alongside the famous four inmates of Benin prison after their death sentence warrants were signed by the Edo State governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole.
Thankgod, the fifth inmate, was actually taken to the gallows but was not hanged unlike the four who did not escape the hangman’s noose.
The campaign for Thankgod’s Ebhos release began with the intervention of the international human rights organisation, Avocats Sans Frontieres France (ASF France) on the platform of their death penalty project, Saving Lives, SALI.
The pro bono team of SALI lawyers forestalled further threat of execution by immediately filing for an injunction at the ECOWAS community court of justice.
In February, the ECOWAS court ruled in Thankgod’s favour by granting the injunction and ordering the Federal Government to remove his name from the death row list.
The final judgment from the same court on June 10, 2014, reiterated the order to take off Thankgod’s name from death row.
The court at that time stressed that any attempt to execute Thankgod while his appeal was still pending at the Court of Appeal would be a gross violation of his right to appeal as contained in section 6(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR. Thankgod was sentenced to death by a military tribunal in 1995 and has been on death row for 19 years. The Family of the released convict expressed joy at the news.
His release order has been signed by Governor Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State in exercise of his power of Prerogative of Mercy as outlined under Section 212 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Mr Ebhos is one of nine prisoners whose release order was approved to commemorate Nigeria’s 54th Independence Day celebration.
Ebhos came into the limelight in June 2013 when he narrowly escaped execution alongside the famous four inmates of Benin prison after their death sentence warrants were signed by the Edo State governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole.
Thankgod, the fifth inmate, was actually taken to the gallows but was not hanged unlike the four who did not escape the hangman’s noose.
The campaign for Thankgod’s Ebhos release began with the intervention of the international human rights organisation, Avocats Sans Frontieres France (ASF France) on the platform of their death penalty project, Saving Lives, SALI.
The pro bono team of SALI lawyers forestalled further threat of execution by immediately filing for an injunction at the ECOWAS community court of justice.
In February, the ECOWAS court ruled in Thankgod’s favour by granting the injunction and ordering the Federal Government to remove his name from the death row list.
The final judgment from the same court on June 10, 2014, reiterated the order to take off Thankgod’s name from death row.
The court at that time stressed that any attempt to execute Thankgod while his appeal was still pending at the Court of Appeal would be a gross violation of his right to appeal as contained in section 6(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR. Thankgod was sentenced to death by a military tribunal in 1995 and has been on death row for 19 years. The Family of the released convict expressed joy at the news.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)