Baby shot by robbers dies after seven months

Lawal

After seven months of battling with complications from a gunshot wound on the head, Taiwo Lawal, the one-year-old baby who was shot during a series of robberies in Lagos on September 9, 2012, has died.

 

Reports stated that Taiwo was shot at his parents’ home in Gbagada during the robberies which occurred simultaneously in various parts of the state, an incident now remembered as Black Sunday.

Following the injury and its publication in the press, telecommunications firm, MTN Nigeria, donated N500,000 for the baby’s treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba.

The story also drew public interest as concerned members of the public also donated undisclosed sums of money.

 

Sadly, Taiwo gave up the ghost on March 7, 2013 at Ward E of the hospital.

 

The deceased’s distraught father, Wasiu, said the death was more painful because of the amount of money the family had spent.

 

He said, “We spent all that we had but unfortunately my son did not survive. After MTN donated N500,000 and few concerned members of the public gave us money, more expenses kept coming up. The money was not enough as we had to keep spending on drugs and other things.

 

“After the MTN donation, Taiwo was operated on and he showed signs of improvement at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. A couple of weeks later, after the bullet had been extracted, he was transferred to the main ward but in late December, his health started to deteriorate, he lost weight and we had to take turns to watch over him.”

 

Wasiu said although doctors at the hospital initially assured him that Taiwo’s brain was not affected by the bullet, he was later told that the bullet had affected the baby’s brain.

 

Wasiu alleged that after sometime, the nurses at the hospital were no longer as caring as before and even advised him to take the baby home.

 

He said, “Initially we were told that Taiwo would require another surgery but later we were told that he was too young to have another surgery and that he should have the surgery in a few years’ time. The hospital wanted to discharge him but I objected to it because he obviously was not alright.

 

“In late January, his health deteriorated and he could not breathe on his own and was placed on Oxygen. At that point, the doctor advised that we flew him abroad for treatment as it was now beyond their capability. However, last week he showed signs of improvement and was even eating.

“We were already happy but unfortunately on Thursday afternoon, Taiwo passed on, leaving behind his twin, Kehinde and two other siblings.”

Calls made to the spokesperson for the hospital, Hope Nwokolo rang out. A text message to her telephone was not replied to.

Survey opposes use of hijab in public schools

Majority of online voters have said ‘No’ to the question on whether pupils should be allowed to wear hijab in public schools or not.

 

The question was posted on website following a series of protests over the punishment reportedly meted on a pupil for wearing hijab, a head scarf worn by female Muslims.

 

Muslim students, under the aegis of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, had on Thursday protested the punishment of two pupils in Lagos by their principals.

 

The Principal of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute Meta, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, had allegedly flogged Aisha Alabi because she wore hijab on the school premises.

 

Also, the Principal of Mafoluku Senior Grammar School, Elizabeth Omidele, was accused of harassing Barira by telling her to pull off her hijab outside the school premises.

 

The protesters, who reportedly turned the office of the Lagos State Governor into a praying centre, insisted on seeing Governor Babatunde Fashola before they would end the protest

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A total of 518 online users responded to the question-Should pupils be allowed to wear hijab to public schools? Out of this figure, 274 votes out of the total 518, representing 53 per cent of online voters, said ‘No’ to the question, while 235 voters, representing 43 per cent of the voters, said ‘Yes.’ However, nine voters, representing two per cent of the total votes cast, were undecided.

 

Meanwhile, MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit, under the aegis of its Council of Higher Institutions, has asked the state government not to renege on its promise of investigating the hijab crisis.

 

Addressing a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, Assistant General, COHI, Mallam Sulaiman Dhikrillah, said the group’s demands were the sacking of the principal of a school that suspended a Muslim pupil putting on hijab; the reinstatement of the pupil; and that victimisation and maltreatment of members should be stopped.

Oyo to rehabilitate 43 roads with N1.3bn

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The Oyo State Government has approved the rehabilitation of 43 roads at the cost of N1.3bn and the supply of 50,000 tables and chairs for its secondary schools.

 

The decisions were taken at the State Executive Council meeting held at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan, on Monday.

 

According to a statement, government will commence the rehabilitation of 43 roads across the state.

It said, “The procurement of 50,000 pieces of furniture for public secondary schools in the state,- the second phase of about five phases of procurement of furniture to schools, is also to commence with immediate effect.

 

“Some roads will be rehabilitated through direct labour; others will be executed through contract awards.”

 

The statement explained that indigenous road construction companies resident in the state would benefit from the road rehabilitation projects and that the state government had decided to share the supply of the furniture among 46 artisan associations in the state, in line with the implementation of the local content policy of the present administration.

 

It added that the state government approved the construction of eight Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories in selected public secondary schools in all the zones in the state.

 

According to the statement, the state government has approved the employment of 110 education officers and 3,000 teachers to fill the vacant positions.

 

The state government also approved the construction of neighbourhood markets at NITEL, Old Ife Road, Bode, Eleiyele, Sango, Temidire and the Ibadan end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Court dismisses Newswatch founders’ objection to Ibrahim

Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim
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A suit instituted by Jimoh Ibrahim as Chairman, Newswatch Communications Limited, publisher of Newswatch magazine, to restrain the four pioneer directors of the company, has survived the preliminary objection filed against it.

 

Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday dismissed the objection filed by the four pioneer directors and fixed March 21 for the hearing of the substantive suit.

 

He upheld the argument of the plaintiffs’ counsel, Mr. Adenrele Adegorioye, dismissing all the grounds of objection and the entire application for “lacking in merit”.

 

Messrs Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Yakubu Mohammed and Soji Akinrinade, who are the four defendants in the suit, had filed the objection, contending, among other reasons, that the suit disclosed no “reasonable cause of action” against them.

 

Ibrahim, his firm, Global Mirror Media Limited; and Newswatch Communications Limited had instituted the suit seeking the court to declare that the defendants had lost their positions as directors in NCL by virtue of their resignation.

 

Ibrahim claimed that Global Mirror Media Limited had, under the new shares structure, acquired the required shares in NCL and was subsequently appointed the chairman of NCL on that basis.

 

The plaintiffs therefore, want the court to declare that they (the pioneer directors) lacked competence to declare a trade dispute under the Share Purchase Agreement between them and the NCL.

 

The court also affirmed that the suit was competently instituted by Ibrahim, holding that he (Ibrahim) had sufficient interest to protect by instituting the suit.

ACN, ANPP, CPC submit certificates to INEC April

The three political parties that merged to form the All Progressive Congress are to submit their certificates of registration to the Independent National Electoral Commission in April.

 

This is after they must have held special conventions to ratify their merger.

 

The three parties are the Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party.

 

Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja, after the meeting of the merger committees of the three parties, confirmed this.

 

The merger committee for the three parties, headed by Chief Tom Ikimi on Wednesday morning, received the logo, motto and slogan of the yet-to-be registered party.

 

Also submitted were the drafts of manifesto, constitution and INEC/legal compliance from the three committees, which were given two weeks deadline to submit their reports when they were inaugurated a few days ago.

 

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is also a member of the merger committee, told journalists in Abuja that the new party’s logo, slogan and motto were unanimously adopted after the meeting of the larger committee and the opposition alliance governors which ended late on Tuesday night.

 

He said contrary to the rumours in some quarters the logo, slogan and motto were not imposed on the new party by the governors.

 

He said the committee worked in harmony with the alliance governors and that there was no member of the committee that objected to the logo, slogan or motto when they were presented for adoption at the meeting.

 

Mohammed said, “Only the merger committee has the final authority on any issue about the proposed merger.

 

“The governors explained that all their decisions arrived at in their own meeting was presented to the larger committee for approval and we all deliberated on them and arrived at a consensus on the grounds that there must be give and take by all the intending merger political parties.

 

“Amazingly, at Tuesday”s meeting, there was no descent from any group after the meeting of the governors with the merger committee.”

CP warns security agents against flouting traffic law

Lagos CP, Umar Manko.
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Lagos State Police Commissioner Umar Manko has warned security agents against flouting the state’s traffic laws restricting the operations of commercial motorcyclists (okada riders).

 

The CP’s warning came after the meeting of the state Security Council chaired by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

 

Manko, who spoke to journalists after the meeting held at the Lagos House, Marina, said the law was a general one, meaning that every one, including security agents, must comply with it.

 

He said, “We have seen the extent of the enforcement of this law on commercial motorcycles on restricted areas and we have discovered that the non-compliance aspect of it is involving more of our men in uniform. We want to restate that this law is not respecting any uniform. It is a general law and everybody is duty-bound to comply with it.

 

“Officers and men still indulging in flouting the law should desist in their own interests and obey the laws as they are. Anybody who decides to take the law into his hands will face the consequences.”

Manko also assured the students of Lagos State University, Ojo, that security agencies were on top of the situation on their campus.

 

He also said the police would soon arrest all the miscreants in their midst to enable them to go about their academic work without fear of molestation or threat to their lives.

 

He said, “For the LASU students, they should go to their classes and read; the miscreants among them are going to be fished out and dealt with according to the law. That should not be a problem at all. They should be rest assured that they are part of Lagos State and the security in Lagos State is intact. They are going to benefit from that.”

 

On the explosive device that went off at Mile 2 recently, the police boss said the incident did not depict a threat to the state, stressing that the various security agencies were on the alert.

He urged Lagosians to go about their normal businesses.

 

The commissioner said, “We want to reassure Lagosians that security in Lagos is still intact. People should go about their normal businesses. There is no threat from any quarters.”

 

Manko was accompanied during the briefing by Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Babalola; Commander NNS Beecroft, Apapa, Commodore Odogwu Ezekose; Commander 435 Base Services Group, Ikeja, Air Commodore Jan Wukangha, among others.

Army uncovers bomb-making factory in Kaduna, arrests nine

Recovered ammunition

The Nigerian Army said it had uncovered a bomb-making factory at Sabon-Birni, Kawo in Kaduna State.

 

Curiously, the factory is just a few meters away from the Kaduna Army headquarters, which was bombed last year by suspected Boko Haram members.

 

The Army said it arrested nine persons, including five children in connection with the bomb-making factory.

 

Addressing reporters at the Headquarters of the One Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, on Wednesday, its Internal Security Commander, Brig.-Gen Tagbo Ude, said the building housing the factory belonged to a former All Nigerian Peoples Party Chairmanship aspirant in the Federal Capital Territory, Husseni Dei Dei.

 

Ude, who said officers of the division uncovered the factory following a tip-off, also confirmed that the house, where the factory is located, was just some few meters away from the Division headquarters.

 

According to him, soldiers on Tuesday at about 5.30pm, found several Impoverised Explosive Devices, arms and ammunition in the premises following a cordon and search operation.

 

Ude said, “Following an intelligence report, a raid was carried out at the residence of Husseini Dei Dei. The residence is on Sabob Birni Road, Kawo New Extension, just behind Dalet Barracks Kaduna by 1 Division Internal Security Force on Tuesday, March 9, 2013 at about 5.30pm.

 

“During the operation, the following items were recovered-six AK 47 rifles, one light machine gun, 27 loaded and 17 empty AK 47 magazines and 58 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Also, found were 275 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one loaded light machine gun, nine prepared cans of Impoverished Explosive Devices, one reel of firing cord and 125 pieces of detonators.

 

“We would like to seize this opportunity to solicit more information about these terrorists and to assure you that any information received will be treated with absolute confidentiality.

 

“Once more, let me assure the good people of Kaduna State, in particular and Nigerians that the Nigerian Army in collaboration with other security agencies, will not relent in ensuring the safety of lives and properties of the good citizens of our dear nation.”

 

He added that the recovered weapons were in soak away pits and in the ground within the building.

He said in line with Army’s resolve to deter terrorists from their activities, the building would be demolished.

 

The commander, while commending efforts of well-meaning citizens, who alerted the authorities on the matter, reiterated the Army determination to fight terrorism in the country.

EFCC charges 2 e-mail hacking suspects

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raised alarm over the rising incidences of e-mail spoofing and account takeover by suspected fraudsters.

 EFCC said in a press release signed by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwajaren on Tuesday that the trend which targets influential personalities in government, the professions and the private sector has assumed a frightening dimension in recent time with not a few people losing their e-mails to the fraudsters who deploy the accounts to various nefarious ends; including soliciting funds from friends and acquaintances of the owners of the accounts.

The Commission observed that Yahoo account owners are the most vulnerable to this scam which has brought much agony to the victims. So far, effort to engage Yahoo to rein in on the perpetrators of this heinous crime has not been fruitful.

Yet their activities continue to pose grave threats to the image and integrity of the nation. In view of this, the possibility of a class action suit against Yahoo by victims who have suffered severe emotional and financial losses arising from the actions of the hackers may not be ruled out.

Nevertheless, EFCC said local banks that have cooperated with the Commission in the investigation of cases of spoofing deserve commendation for their diligence and sense of responsibility.

Onuabuike Chukwuebuka and Izuchukwu Emewulu: suspected to have hacked Bamidele Aturu’s mail

Meanwhile two suspects, Onuabuike Chukuebuka and Izuchukwu Emewulu, who allegedly hacked into the e-mail account of constitutional lawyer, Bamidele Aturu were today, March 5, 2013 arraigned before Justice Olasumbo Olarenwaju Goodluck of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Zuba, Abuja on a five count charge bordering on intent to defraud and obtain money by false pretence.

One of the counts reads, “that you Onuabuike Chukwuebuka and Izuchukwu Emewulu and another at large, on or about the 11th day of January, 2013, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire among yourselves to obtain money by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8 (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006”.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them. EFCC Counsel Samuel A. Ugwuegbulam then asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the accused persons in prison custody.
However, counsel to the accused persons, George C. Anuba urged the court to admit the accused persons to bail on the grounds that the first accused person is a sickle cell anaemia carrier and that the offence was bailable.

Though the bail application was opposed by EFCC counsel, Justice Goodluck, however, granted bail to the two accused persons in the sum of two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250.000.00) each, one surety in like sum. The surety must be a grade level 14 officer in the civil service and resident in Abuja.

Chukuebuka and Emewulu’s problem started on Friday, 11 January 2013 when the duo hacked into the mailbox of Aturu, and sent messages to his friends and relatives that he was in desperate financial situation and needed the sum of N120, 000; an amount he promised to pay once he returned to Nigeria.

Aturu’s friends and family members however contacted him only to discover that his mailed box had been hacked into by scammers. This prompted Aturu to report the matter to the EFCC. The complainant said he never gave authorization for his email account to be used by anyone.

The suspect in their e-mail messages asked that the money be paid into a First Bank and Diamond bank accounts respectively. The banks were alerted and the accounts flagged. One of the suspects, Onuabuike was arrested on Wednesday, 16 January, 2013 at Onitsha branch of Diamond bank in Anambra State when he attempted to withdraw money from the account. When interrogated by operatives of the Commission, Onuabuike claimed that the second accused collected his account number and that he did not know he wanted to use it for criminal purposes. The second accused person was consequently arrested the next day.

The case has been adjourned to April 30th, 2013.

APC agrees symbol

The merger committee meeting of the Action Congress of Nigeria, All Progressive Grand Alliance, All Nigeria People’s Party and Congress for Progressive Change, with nine of the governors in attendance Wednesday night in Lagos agreed on the party’s symbol, slogan and motto.

The slogan is CHANGE. The motto is ‘Justice, Peace and Unity’, according to a short statement by Chief Tom Ikimi, the merger chairman.

Shekau’s Boko Haram in new video beheads ‘informant’

Shekau: informant beheaded

The leader of Nigeria’s Boko Haram denied any ceasefire deal with the government in a video obtained Tuesday in which a man accused of being an informant appears to be beheaded on camera.

Abubakar Shekau also makes no mention of kidnappings in the video, including last month’s abduction of seven members of a French family in neighbouring Cameroon that was blamed on his group.

It was not clear when or where the video was made. The clip has been distributed to Nigerian journalists in the country’s north in recent days through intermediaries.

Sources familiar with Boko Haram say it was handed out in this manner because Nigerian authorities have been blocking the group’s videos from being uploaded to YouTube.

AFP could not verify the authenticity of the video but the man speaking closely resembles a person identified in previous clips as Shekau.

There are two separate parts to the video: one of Shekau speaking and another of the apparent beheading. Shekau cannot be seen in the second part.

The video is in part a response to a man claiming to be a Boko Haram commander who has appeared in public several times in recent months calling for dialogue and declaring a ceasefire.


There has been deep suspicion over whether the man calling for the ceasefire has truly represented Boko Haram.

“We have never made a truce with anybody, and no one represented us in any dialogue,” Shekau, wearing a knee-length green caftan and with an AK-47 dangling from his neck, says in the video, which is about 10 minutes long.

Speaking in the Hausa language common throughout northern Nigeria, he names the man who made the ceasefire claim, Sheikh Muhammed Abdulazeez Ibn Idris, and promises punishment for those who falsely represent the group.

“We have not entered into dialogue with anyone,” he says. “Which kind of dialogue, for God’s sake, when day and night our brothers are being arrested, imprisoned, including women and children?”
Shekau is flanked by six men holding weapons with their faces covered by headscarves, standing outdoors in an unknown location.

After he finishes speaking, the video cuts to another clip that shows a man with his hands and legs bound. A group of men pin him to the ground, while one appears to slit his throat.

They later appear to behead the victim, who is labelled an informant who provided information to the military. Shekau cannot be seen in the clip of the apparent killing and beheading.

Violence linked to Boko Haram’s insurgency in northern and central Nigeria has led to the deaths of some 3,000 people since 2009, including killings by the security forces.

A video that emerged on YouTube on February 25 showed the kidnapped French family as well as their abductors, who claimed to be from Boko Haram, though the video was significantly different from past footage attributed to the group.

Boko Haram had never before claimed responsibility for a kidnapping, though a splinter faction of the group, known as Ansaru, has appeared to focus on abducting foreigners in recent months.
The group is believed to have a number of factions with varying aims.

Anxiety mounts in Kenya over delayed result

Kenyans awaited presidential results with growing frustration Wednesday at controversial delays and mountains of spoiled ballots, five years after violence sparked by a disputed tallying process.

With counting continuing into the second day since polls closed, partial results put Uhuru Kenyatta — who faces an international trial for crimes against humanity over violence after the last elections — in the lead.
Kenyatta, the deputy prime minister, has maintained a steady lead in partial results over rival Prime Minister Raila Odinga, but political parties on both sides have raised concerns at delays in the tallying process.

Odinga says he was robbed of victory in 2007 when disputed results triggered bloody ethnic violence in which more than 1,100 people were killed and 600,000 were forced to flee their homes.

While millions of Kenyans turned out peacefully on Monday for the elections, how they react to the final results will be key to stability in the regional powerhouse. Leaders and election officials have urged people to remain calm.

Stalled electronic voter systems meant that by midday Wednesday just over 40 percent of the almost 32,000 polling stations had sent results, making up five million valid votes counted from the 14.3 million registered voters.

Kenyatta had won just over 2.82 million or 53 percent of valid votes cast against Odinga with 2.23 million or 42 percent, a gap that could still be overturned.


More than five percent of votes cast were rejected, and those were not initially included in total tolls.
To win outright and avoid a second round run off, a candidate must win “more than half of all the votes cast”, according to the constitution, as well as winning at least 25 percent of votes in more than half of all counties.
If these spoiled ballots were included, it would greatly add to the numbers needed for a candidate to break the 50 percent threshold for a first round win, raising the prospect of another round due within a month after the vote.

Kenya’s Daily Nation in its Wednesday editorial warned that despite largely peaceful holding of polls there was a potential “rocky road” ahead.

“Election-related violence last time occurred not during the peaceful voting and counting, but in protest after the announcement of suspect results following lengthy unexplained delays,” it noted.

Vote counting in Kenya. AFP

Despite appeals by leaders for patience, in the western town of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold and flashpoint in 2007-8 violence, concern was growing.

“It’s taking a long time, let’s hope that they are not doing something fishy,” said airport worker Jack Mwai.
There have already been multiple complaints at the widespread failure of electronic biometric voting registration (BVR) kits introduced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to frustrate potential rigging.

The failure meant stations used paper records and manual registration, and many returning officers were due to travel by road Wednesday to deliver results by hand.

Sitting in the near empty hall at Kisumu county tallying centre, returning officer Dolly Akili was waiting for results for one final constituency.

“Then I will get my security, they will take me to the airport to fly to Nairobi,” she said, adding that she hoped to travel by nightfall Wednesday.

Coronation rites begin for Attah-Igala

The new Attah-Igala, Idakwo Ameh-Oboni, has left Lokoja for Ugwolawo at the beginning of a week-long traditional rites for his coronation. Alhaji Yakubu Yunusa, the Majority Leader of Kogi House of Assembly, disclosed this on Tuesday at the house’s plenary session.

He said the performance of traditional rites for ascension to the throne was mandatory on the new Atta-Igala.

“After spending some days at Ugwolawo, the new Attah-Igala will proceed to Idah on foot to meet the Achadu-Oko-Attah, the traditional husband of Attah, where some aspects of the rites would be performed,’’ Yunusa said.

According to him, the Attah-Igala would then proceed to Ajainah in Idah to identify where he would be interred by the time he had vacated the throne to join his ancestors.

“On completion of the rites, the Attah-Igala will address the Area Traditional Council of Chiefs and thereafter ascend the throne in his palace,’’ he said.

The House Majority Leader enjoined all Igala sons and daughters at home and in diaspora, as well as all Kogi indigenes and Nigerians, to join the people in the celebrations.

“It is the heralding of a new era in the kingdom,’’ he said.

The new Attah-Igala was elected by the four ruling houses out of seven aspirants who contested the seat with him.

The body of kingmakers in November 2012 submitted Idakwo Ameh-Oboni’s name to the Igala Area Traditional Council for ratification after his election.

Chief Abel Etuh, the head of the kingmakers and Etemahi of Igalamela, then issued a statement announcing the election of the Attah designate from among seven contenders.

He said then that the members of the body were unanimous in their choice.

The Attah-Igala seat became vacant on 16 July, 2012 following the demise of Alhaji Aliyu Obaje, after 56 years on the throne.

Fashol-Lagos economy rated above Ghana, UK

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has said the economy of the state is rated above Ghana and the United Kingdom. He also said his administration is currently executing about 1,966 projects across the state.

 

He said the projects would boost government’s plan to transform the state and turn it into “Africa’s modern” mega city.

 

The governor said this during the inspection of ongoing projects in Lekki and Victoria Island in Lagos.

 

Fashola said, ”Currently we are executing about 1,966 projects across the state. The projects we have visited really are the ones that have problems. We have been going round to see what the problems are instead of just reading reports.

 

“Now we are having a feel of the challenges and see whose ministry is responsible and what we can do to ensure that the ministries and contractors are communicating. These inspections are to ensure that we get many of those projects completed.”

 

Fashola insisted that on completion, the projects would further endear the Action Congress of Nigeria to the electorate.

 

He said the party would beat the opposition with a wide margin during the 2015 general elections in the state.

 

He assured the residents that the Ikoyi-Lekki Link Bridge would soon be inaugurated, saying the bridge required finishing work and toll plaza.

 

The governor, who also flayed the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku’s assertion that the ongoing national good governance tour was muted at the Governors’ Forum, said it did not mean all the governors supported the initiative.

 

He said, “The question I asked then was of what purpose is the tour? Do the people of Nigeria need a tour to know that they are being well governed? What is the tour supposed to achieve? Are they resolving problems at project sites? Where are their projects? What is the value of tour when you can’t implement a budget? I can go on tour of projects because my budget performed 89 per cent last year.

 

“I am not on a good governance tour. I am on a project inspection tour trying to solve problems at project sites.”

 

Fashola argued that the yardstick for measuring good governance could only be done by those who know, adding that the economy of Lagos is now rated ahead of Ghana and the United Kingdom.

The governor said, “Currently, the Lagos State economy is being upgraded from stable to positive, that’s good governance, you don’t need any campaign to do that.”

Mimiko’s wife disowns Facebook account

Wife of the Ondo State Governor, Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko, on Tuesday raised the alarm over activities of swindlers, who have been operating a fake Facebook account in her name.

 

Mimiko, in a statement in Akure on Tuesday, said the fraudsters had used the fake social media account to fleece innocent people.

 

She said, “My attention has been drawn to the existence of a fake Facebook account created by some cyber criminals in the popular social media network.

 

“The purported Facebook-social media account with the name Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko has my personal and official pictures.”

 

She also appealed to members of the public to be vigilant, insisting that she never operated any official Facebook or social media network account or page.

 

She said, “Any person who transacts any business or makes any comment in the said fake Facebook or social media accounts does so at his or her own risk.”

Diet for healthy students

          Diet for healthy students

Once you’re used to eating nutrient-dense food, your body will feel slow and sluggish if you eat less wholesome fare. Here’s how to get in the habit of eating well.

•REDUCE SODIUM (SALT): It helps prevent water retention and high blood pressure. Look for the “low sodium” label and season meals with garlic, herbs, and spices instead of salt.

•ENJOY GOOD FATS: Reap the rewards of olive oil, avocados, salmon, walnuts, flaxseed, and other monounsaturated fats. The fat from these delicious sources can protect your body against heart disease by controlling “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and raising “good” HDL cholesterol levels.

•ADD FIBER: Avoid constipation, lower the risk of chronic diseases, and feel fuller longer by increasing your fiber intake from foods such as raw fruits and veggies, whole-grains, and beans.

 Nsala soup or White Soup is a tasty, fast and easy soup recipe that has its origins in the Riverine areas of Nigeria. Nsala Soup is perfect for a cold rainy day due to its spicy taste. Because it is so easy to prepare, you can count on it to save the day when you run out on soup a few days before the big soup day

Ingredients

·         Cat Fish: 4 one-inch thick pieces

·         Fresh or dry Utazi Leaves (Gongronema latifolium)

·         Thickener: Raw White Yam / Yam Powder / Potato Puree

·         Habanero peppers: to taste

·         Salt (to taste)

·         Crayfish (a handful for 4 cuts of fish)

·         Seasoning – 1 stock cube (Maggi / Knorr) and Ogiri Okpei / Iru (Nigerian traditional seasoning)

Alternative Ingredients for Nsala Soup

·         You can use Conger Eel (Congrio in Spanish) instead of Cat fish. Buy the part towards the tail because the pieces you'll get from there are smaller and do not have large holes in them.

·         When using yam powder as thickener, mix the powder with hot water first to make a thick smooth paste (as if you are making pounded yam) before adding it to the soup. Adding the powder directly into the soup will make the soup mushy and you may end up with lumps.

·         In the absence of habanero pepper, you can use dry chilli pepper.

·         Utazi leaves do not have any good alternative. If you don't have it, no worries because it only adds a slightly bitter flavour to the soup.

Before you cook Nsala Soup

1.      Cut the catfish into 1 inch thick cylindrical discs and remove the intestines. Place in bowl and pour very hot water on the fish. This process of pouring hot water on the fish toughens the skin of the fish so that the pieces do not disintegrate while cooking the soup. Leave for about 2 minutes and wash the fish with cold water. You should also wash off any slimy substance on the outer skin of the fish at this time.

2.      Boil a few cubes of raw white yam. When soft, pound with a mortar and pestle till a smooth paste is formed, then set aside. You can substitute white yam with yam powder or potato puree for the thickening.

3.      Wash and pound/blend the utazi leaves, the chilli pepper and the crayfish and set aside. Utazi is bitter in taste and only used for flavouring so one or two leaves should be enough especially when using the fresh leaves.

Cooking Directions

1.      Place the catfish in a pot and pour enough water to cover the fish. Add the seasoning and cook till done. Feel free to add beef and dry fish to this soup recipe.

2.      When the catfish is almost done, add the crayfish, pepper and utazi leaves blend. Also add the yam paste in small lumps and salt to taste.

Note: Catfish is what makes Nsala soup what it is, giving it the unique taste that it has so it is essential to this recipe. The only other fish that I have found to be close to Cat fish as regards to this recipe is Conger Eel.

3.      Cover the pot and allow the contents to cook at high heat till all the yam paste have dissolved. While cooking, if you think that the yam paste will make the soup too thick, you can remove some that are yet to dissolve.

The Nigerian Nsala Soup is ready to be served with Eba (Garri), Semolina, Amala, Pounded Yam etc.

Cleric gives scholarship to indigent students

Moved bypitiable condition of some members of the society, the General Overseer of Abundant Life Evangelical Mission (ALEM), Port Harcourt, Apostle Eugene Ogu has given scholarship to about 700 indigent students to enable them to pursue their desired disciplines in various higher institutions in the country.

Most of the beneficiaries of the scholarship are not members of his church. Rather, they cut across orthodox and Pentecostal churches.

Ogu, who made this known in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said he decided to shun ostentatious lifestyle which some men of God indulge in, to enable him to render some helps to indigent people.

Besides offering scholarships to needy students, Apostle Ogu, through his Arm of Hope World Outreach, a non-governmental organisation, has rendered assistance to thousands of orphans, the less-privileged people, widows and other needy persons across the country, not excluding victims of religious crises.

The cleric said: “I have chosen to live for others and derive my own joy from the happiness of others.” He also condemned the wrangling that reared its ugly head in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the past few weeks, even as he said that the body should “to ensure that the family of Christ remains undivided to be able to speak with one voice against any issue of common interest. Such situation should not arise again.

Ogu, who is also the immediate past Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rivers State branch, also noted that despite the various Christian denominations, the body of Christ remains one and should not allow internal strife and bickering.

Since Christians profess “one God, one baptism and one spirit, all Christians in the country should see the need to co-operate and see one another as brothers and sisters,” Ogu advised. He appealed that “the Catholic Church as the father of the big family, is supposed to be proud of the progress of his children (the Pentecostals) and rejoice for the steady growth of the branches of the Christian faith as all the appreciations still go to Him.”

He further condemned the idea of going to press over minor issues that ought to be settled in-house, stressing that threatening to pull out of the umbrella body should not have been contemplated as such could create a false notion of disunity and disaffection in CAN and expose the entire Christians to danger in the face of unprovoked attacks against them as witnessed in other parts of the country in the past.

“The focus,” Ogu noted, “should be righteousness and holy living and using our positions to advance the good news of salvation through good works, evangelism, church projects, helping the less-privileged and sacrificial giving.

“In heaven, it’s all this that will speak and testify for us and not which denomination, since there is no particular church in heaven.”Moved bypitiable condition of some members of the society, the General Overseer of Abundant Life Evangelical Mission (ALEM), Port Harcourt, Apostle Eugene Ogu has given scholarship to about 700 indigent students to enable them to pursue their desired disciplines in various higher institutions in the country.

Most of the beneficiaries of the scholarship are not members of his church. Rather, they cut across orthodox and Pentecostal churches.

Ogu, who made this known in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said he decided to shun ostentatious lifestyle which some men of God indulge in, to enable him to render some helps to indigent people.

Besides offering scholarships to needy students, Apostle Ogu, through his Arm of Hope World Outreach, a non-governmental organisation, has rendered assistance to thousands of orphans, the less-privileged people, widows and other needy persons across the country, not excluding victims of religious crises.

The cleric said: “I have chosen to live for others and derive my own joy from the happiness of others.” He also condemned the wrangling that reared its ugly head in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the past few weeks, even as he said that the body should “to ensure that the family of Christ remains undivided to be able to speak with one voice against any issue of common interest. Such situation should not arise again.

Ogu, who is also the immediate past Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rivers State branch, also noted that despite the various Christian denominations, the body of Christ remains one and should not allow internal strife and bickering.

Since Christians profess “one God, one baptism and one spirit, all Christians in the country should see the need to co-operate and see one another as brothers and sisters,” Ogu advised. He appealed that “the Catholic Church as the father of the big family, is supposed to be proud of the progress of his children (the Pentecostals) and rejoice for the steady growth of the branches of the Christian faith as all the appreciations still go to Him.”

He further condemned the idea of going to press over minor issues that ought to be settled in-house, stressing that threatening to pull out of the umbrella body should not have been contemplated as such could create a false notion of disunity and disaffection in CAN and expose the entire Christians to danger in the face of unprovoked attacks against them as witnessed in other parts of the country in the past.

“The focus,” Ogu noted, “should be righteousness and holy living and using our positions to advance the good news of salvation through good works, evangelism, church projects, helping the less-privileged and sacrificial giving.

“In heaven, it’s all this that will speak and testify for us and not which denomination, since there is no particular church in heaven.”

Coroner blocks AIB’s objection to pathologist’s claims

Dana air crash site
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A Lagos coroner court investigating deaths arising from the June 3, 2012  Dana crash on Thursday rejected Accident Investigation Bureau’s request to call a witness to refute certain claims by Consultant Pathologist, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Prof. John Obafunwa.

The MD-83 plane belonging to Dana Air crashed in Iju-Ishaga area of the state, killing the 153 persons on board and others on the ground.

Counsel to AIB, Mr. Chinedu Anene, had said that certain claims by Obafunwa during his testimony on the medical examination conducted on the victims of the crash needed to be refuted.

Anene said the AIB disagreed with Obafunwa’s “far-reaching allegations” about his client and Kunbi Banjo, a professor of anatomical pathology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

Banjo had consulted for AIB to conduct medical examination on victims of certain air accidents in the past.

Referring to an earlier letter written to the coroner urging the court to issue summons on Banjo, Anene said a summon on the woman would serve the interest of fair hearing.

“There were assertions by Prof. Obafunwa at the last proceedings of what AIB did or did not do; what was said and what was not said; what Prof. Banjo said or did not say. We need to have the opportunity to refute, challenge or even corroborate the testimony,” the lawyer said.

But the presiding coroner, Mr. Oyetade Komolafe, turned down Anene’s request, saying it was belated.

“AIB had had the chance to call several witnesses. All parties had had adequate time to come. We are concluding because there must be an end to litigation. Asking the court to summon another witness has no relevance at this time,” Komolafe said.

The lead counsel for AIB, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, had at the previous proceedings on February 8, queried the exclusion of Banjo from the team of pathologists who carried out the post-mortem tests on the deceased.

Obafunwa, a forensic pathologist, had said Banjo was deliberately excluded from the team because she did not share the belief that autopsy needed to be carried out on all the victims.

He said like Banjo, two engineers of AIB he met with in the wake of the incident had said the post mortem tests should only be restricted to the pilot and the co-pilot.

Dana’s lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), and counsel for Nigerian Airspace Management Authority, Mr. Obi Okusogu (SAN), both supported the call for Banjo to appear before the court.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned till April 18 for Obafunwa to be further cross-examined by Ayorinde.

The coroner however fixed March 15 for further cross-examination of Dana’s Director of Flight Operations, Mr. Oscar Wilson.

Counsel for the state government, Mr. Akinjide Bakare, was unable to finish cross-examining Wilson who was in possession of certain documents needed for the purpose.

Wilson was therefore directed to produce the documents in court, which are his certification licence, his personal logbook as flight operation boss, and the leave roaster for the flight crew of the day of incident.

Crisis looms in varsities over NEEDS report, allowances

Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities on Thursday gave a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to stop the implementation of the report on the NEEDS Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities Committee or risk an industrial action.

The association also accused the Federal Government of insincerity in the payment of its members’ allowances.

The association’s Federal University of Technology, Akure branch Chairman, Mr. Benedict Chukwuma, who addressed reporters in Akure, said the NEED report was targeted at retrenching non-teaching staff of the nation’s public universities.

According to him, the association is rejecting the report because it aims at downsizing members of the association.

Alleging that the report was ill conceived, Chukwuma added that it recommended the transfer of non-teaching staff to federal and states ministries of education.

He said, “The government position is unrealistic and unacceptable. We therefore call on the Federal Government to do away with the report submitted by the NEEDS Assessment Committee because it was made in bad fate and therefore leaves much to be desired.”

Chukwuma explained that the Joint Action Committee of the non-teaching staff had met with the Federal Government team led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, where it submitted the association’s reaction to the report.

Calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to review the report, Chukwuma said, the ultimatum was to enable the Federal Government to respond to the association’s grievances over the matter.

Muslims protest punishment of pupils for wearing hijab

Muslims protest punishment of pupils for wearing hijab

Muslim Students under the aegis of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit,protested the punishment of two pupils in Lagos by their principals.

The principal of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute Meta, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, allegedly flogged Aisha Alabi because she wore hijab, a head scarf worn by female Muslims, on the school premises.

Mafoluku Senior Grammar School principal, Elizabeth Omidele, was accused of harassing Barira by telling her to pull off her hijab outside the school premises.

The protesters, who turned the office of the Lagos State Governor into a praying centre, insisted on seeing Goveror Babatunde Fashola before they would end the protest.

When our correspondent left the scene of the protest at about 2.45pm yesterday , the protest was still on.

Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Religious Matters, Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Kosoko, had earlier assured the protesters that government would attend to the matters judiciously.

He said, “The governor is not around. He is not in the state. If he is around, he would have attended to you on the matters. Our governor is a friendly person and does not want crisis in the state.”

The group’s secretary, Shuaib Okuneye, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, complained that the pupils were deprived of their rights.

He said, “Ironically, these principals have no problems with other female students wearing mini-skirt and mini-gowns as school uniform.”

Akwa Ibom to dualise Eket-Ibeno Road

Eket youths protesting

Akwa Ibom State Government says it is set to dualise Eket-Ibeno Road in Eket Local Government of the state.

The government’s promise is coming on the heels of protests by Eket youths.

Reports said that the youths protested the death of some pupils on the road allegedly due to its dilapidated state.

The government in a statement on Thursday by Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Aniekan Umana, stated it did not neglect road as speculated in some quarters.

Umana said the government understood the pains and discomfort the road was causing the people.

However, he explained that the project had been awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission.

He said in a recent inspection tour of the road by Governor Godswill Akpabio in company with NDDC leadership and ExonnMobil helmsmen, the governor was not satisfied with the pace of work.

He said the development made the governor request that the project be handed over to the government for immediate completion.

Umanah said, “Although the contractors seemed to have abandoned the project on account of various issues with the NDDC, it is difficult for the government to mobilise to the site because there is a subsisting contractual obligation and liabilities between the NDDC and the contractors

“The governor, in demonstration his interest in the road project, only last week, called a meeting between the NDDC and other stakeholders in the project.

“The allegation of abandonment of the project by the government does not arise at all.”

He said Eket would soon benefit from the phased urban renewal initiative of the state government.

Cultists kill musician at LASU

Damilola Olaniyan

Some suspected cult members operating on a motorcycle allegedly shot and killed a student of the Lagos State University while the latter was leaving the school through the Iba Gate on Thursday.

It learnt that the deceased, Damilola Olaniyan, was an upcoming Hip Hop artiste who went by the pseudonym Damino Damoche.

According to reports, Olaniyan, a student of Banking and Finance, was killed after writing a test at Faculty of Management Science.

A student of the institution, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the deceased had a misunderstanding with some members of a cult group over an undisclosed issue.

 The source added that after shooting the deceased, the attackers also stabbed him repeatedly.

He said Olaniyan, a native of Ogun State, was popular on campus having produced songs with DJ Zeez and Konga in the past which had received considerable airplay.

He said, “The incident happened around 4pm when Damoche (Olaniyan) was leaving school. Some guys wielding guns and machetes on a bike started shooting at him and even after he fell to the ground, they stabbed him repeatedly before fleeing.

“At this point, everyone took cover for fear of being hit, but it was obvious that Damoche was the target.”

Asked if the deceased was a cult member, the source said it could not be ascertained immediately saying, “It is very hard to identify a cult member but Damoche was very popular, sociable and was always at every social gathering involving students.”

Meanwhile, it was learnt that policemen attached to Igando Division had evacuated the corpse.

When contacted on the telephone, LASU spokesperson, Sola Fosudo, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, but said Olaniyan was not killed on the school premises.

 “I have just confirmed from the security men on the campus and they told me that a student of the Department of Business Administration was shot. It did not happen on the campus. I was told it happened along Igando Road and he was shot by gunmen on a bike,” he said

The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, told our correspondent that the Olaniyan’s remains had been deposited at Badagry General Hospital Mortuary.

“The incident occurred around 4pm. He was shot and killed while exiting the school’s other gate located at Iba. Apart from the gunshot wounds, several cuts were observed on the corpse. The remains have been deposited at Badagry General Hospital Mortuary while investigations have begun,” she said.

LASU, which was established in 1983, is no stranger to gang-related violence as many have either been killed or injured in the past.

Meanwhile, our correspondent, who visited the deceased’s Facebook page, discovered that he had over 5000 friends.

On his profile, the deceased, who released an album titled, ‘Fall in the Circle’ on May 2011, said it was his dream to do music collaborations with top Nigerian performers like D’Banj and 2Face.

The deceased was also described as a hardworking artiste who was desirous of making it big in the industry.

The profile reads in part, “Damino Damoche started his music trade with some guys called ‘Middle Guys’ but when things did not go well, he became a solo artiste and got parties rocking, picking up the microphone at a very tender age, doing music underground and as well organising street shows.

“Damoche is well known for being down to earth, genuine and honest. Peace always seemed to roll up naturally around him.”