Why Jonathan sacked BPE DG, Onagoruwa

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday relieved Ms. Bolanle Onagoruwa of her appointment as the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

The decision was contained in a two-paragraph statement made available by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media, Mr. Umar Sani.

Though no reason was given for her sacking, our correspondents gathered that Onagoruwa might have lost her job following the controversies that surrounded the management contract for the Transmission Company of Nigeria awarded to a Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro International.

The Presidency had earlier announced the cancellation of the contract because of alleged series of infractions in the award process on the part of the BPE under Onagoruwa’s watch.

The agency was said to have awarded the contract in violation of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

But Jonathan, during his last media chat, claimed that the contract was not cancelled.

The management contract was later reported to have received ratification from the Bureau of Public Procurement.

The statement announcing her sacking read, “The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Ms. Bolanle Onogoruwa, has been relieved of her appointment with immediate effect. She is to hand over to the most senior Director in the Bureau, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki, who is to hold the position in an acting capacity.

“Mr. President extends his sincere appreciation to Ms. Bolanle Onogoruwa for her services to the nation and wishes her the best in her future endeavours.”

Onagoruwa has, however, been in the eye of the storm for a while now with the two chambers of the National Assembly separately calling for her sacking over the management of the privatisation process.

Apart from the Manitoba contract saga, some observers believed that the President might have bowed to pressure by the National Assembly.

The Senate had recently adopted the report of its ad hoc committee on privatisation and commercialisation, which called for Onagoruwa’s sacking for alleged gross incompetence in the management of the process and for alleged illegal and fraudulent sale of the five per cent of Federal Government’s residual shares in the Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited.

The House of Representatives had also made a similar call on the President to sack Onagoruwa.

While reacting to the development on Tuesday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Lawan, commended the President for finally removing Onagoruwa.

Lawan was the Chairman of the ad hoc committee that probed privatisation of government enterprises since 1999 till date and recommended the sacking of the former BPE director-general.

The committee also recommended the criminal investigation of past directors-generals of BPE and appropriately sanction them.

Onagoruwa’s alleged sins, according to the committee, include her role in the attempt to fraudulently sell off Federal Government’s five per cent equity in the Eleme Petrochemicals.

 Lawan said, “In addition to what has happened (Onagoruwa’s sacking), the Federal Government should implement the resolutions of the Senate.

“When the Senate takes a resolution, it is in the interest of Nigerians and not hurt anyone.”

He further cited the recent Supreme Court judgment, which invalidated the sale of the Aluminium Smelter Company to Rusal, saying that it was a fraudulent deal between BPE and the Russian firm.

Lawan said the judgment also confirmed the recommendation of the Senate that the sale be revoked.

He added that Onagoruwa showed gross incompetence in the handling of the privatisation process and ought to have lost her job a long time ago.

Punch Nigeria

Horror as Mermaid abducts and kills 18year old Man Who was Bathing in a River?

IN an incident that shocked Bulawayo residents, an 18-year-old was abducted by mermaids at Nyankuni River.

The bizarre incident occurred on Monday last week when Ndlovu of Silwayi homestead succumbed to the mermaid “attack” at Nyankuni River. Myth dictates that if the family of the abducted cries he is killed.

According to the stepfather of the deceased, Silwayi , said when they got the terrible news, his wife and other family members failed to hold themselves and cried which they suspect provoked the “queen of the waters”.

“When we heard of the news of the mysterious disappearance of Silwayi , some of the family members wept and we suspect that it angered the mermaid.

Villagers went to the river to search for him and spent the whole day and night worshiping by the riverside in a bid to appease the spirits, but all the efforts were in vain. He was however, released the following morning; dead, smeared with mud all over his body and the villagers paddled to remove him,” he said.

Silwayi step father said the incident is the first of its kind in the river as far as he can remember. They used to hear such stories from Maccufer River which is claiming more than 11 people every season.

“This anomaly is the first of its kind in Nyankuni since I was born. Maccufer is the only river in the area that is associated with mermaids,” he added.

The  mother who was in a shock and trying hard to admit that her son had passed on said she suspected foul play.

“It is hard to believe that he is no more. At least he should have shown me the sign, but if it is the will of God let it be it,” she said.

Circumstances leading to the alleged incident, is that  Silwayi went to the river with his friend who is a neighbor to look for cattle. Upon arrival he decided to take a bath and mysteriously disappeared in the water.

Despite no one seeing the mermaid they stuck to their story even though there is a possibility of a case of drowning.

Evil Spirit Is Behind Nigeria’s Darkness, Power Minister Tells South Africa Investors

 

power minister

The Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, yesterday told South African investors that evil spirit were behind Nigeria’s darkness preventing the country from taking her pride of place in the comity of Nations.
While addressing members of the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Ruling Party, which led a team of investors to her office in Abuja, the minister said, “We must resolve to jointly exorcise the evil spirit behind this darkness and allow this nation take its pride of peace in the comity of Nations.”

The minister in a statement by the Deputy Director/Head of Press of the ministry, Greyne Anosike, said, “Nigeria needs help, any nation that loves Nigeria must collaborate with it now to resolve her energy crisis...We are getting irritatingly slow.”

She told the delegation that Nigeria has a structured response to her power challenges with a Roadmap it is implementing with care and diligence and asked them to study the power sector roadmap and come up with their specific area of interest, assuring that there were a lot of gaps to be filed in the sector.

The Minister said that work had reached various stages of completion in rehabilitating some of the moribund power stations littering the landscape pointing out that, the revival of the abandoned power projects was critical in lifting the sector as billions of funds had been sunk into them.

“It would amount to lavish diseconomy to embark on new project and abandon the old ones in which huge tax payers resources had been sunk,” she said, and added that she was confident that the present Administration is determined to make a difference in this sector and break the jinx.

Uti and Matse to host Face of Peace Africa Pageant

 

Former Big Brother Africa winner, Uti Nwachukwu and Wazobia FM On Air Personality, Matse will jointly host the maiden edition of the Face of Peace Africa Pageant this year, the organizers have revealed.

The Face of Peace Africa Pageant is a new beauty pageant from the stable of Blu-Moon Imaginationz, a media and film production outfit in Abuja founded by the current Miss Peace Nigeria, Ify Concepta, the one-time runner up for Miss Imo and Miss Tourism. The auditions for the beauty pageant are scheduled to take place in two key cities; Abuja and Lagos.

Aluu4 movie in the making

 

The woman mayor who was kidnapped and murdered by a Mexican drug gang pleaded with her attackers for her young daughter’s life, it emerged today.
Maria Santos Gorrostieta, who had already survived two assassination attempts, was driving the child to school at around 8.30am when she was ambushed by a car in the city of Morelia.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238577/Maria-Santos-Gorrostieta-executed-surviving-assassination-attempts.html#ixzz2DRhXYJdH
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There's an Aluu4 movie in the making and it's being produced by Simony Productions, the Idumota marketers that brought you Blackberry Babes.

I hear the movie will be titled Aluu4. I kinda have my reservations about this movie...mostly because it's being produced by Idumota Marketers who only care about making money and not necessarily as a tribute to the memory of the young men who lost their lives on October 5th. And I'm almost sure no one from the production team contacted the family members of the murdered boys, or even visited the Omoikiri community in Aluu where these killings occurred...and they probably didn't interview anyone directly involved in the case, including the police, to get an insight to what really happened that Friday morning.

Their movie will probably be based entirely on everything written online, because I think you need more than a month of research work before you start shooting a movie based on a major real life event like this. I stand to be corrected tho. Let's keep our fingers crossed and see how the movie turns out...

Unknown terrorist Group emerges in Nigeria

By SaharaReporters, New York

A previously unknown radical Islamist sect, which calls itself “Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan,” says it was responsible for the attack, which left two policemen dead and set loose five dreaded armed robbery suspects at the headquarters of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad’s (SARS).
“Allah SWT has obligated us to help those that are oppressed, especially those oppressions that is taking place in the security cells, prisons and other detention centers etc. and has become part of the main functions and basics that form Jama’atu Ansasrul Muslimina fi Biladissudan,” the group said in an email sent to Desert Herald.
“The Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-sudan is hereby declaring by Allah’s grace to be the responsible for the attack held on 12th Muharram, 1334 – 26th November, 2012, on S.A.R.S. detention facility in Garki area II, Abuja Nigeria.”
It called on all Muslims to join hands with the group to carry ou the “noble duty” of setting free “many of those captured by the Nigerian security or by the Christian in Plateau state such as the women and children in Langtang, Yalwan Shandam etc to mention but a few.”
The security agencies have not commented on the latest development, which has considerably embarrassed them and the government.
Full text of the email:
“ In the name of Allah most Graciuos most Merciful
“The Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-sudan is hereby declaring by Allah’s grace to be the responsible for the attack held on 12th Muharram, 1334 – 26th November, 2012, on S.A.R.S.
detention facility in Garki area II, Abuja Nigeria.
“Allah SWT has obligated us to help those that are oppressed, especially those oppressions that is taking place in the security cells, prisons and other detention centers etc. and has become part of the main functions and basics that form Jama’atu Ansasrul Muslimina fi Biladissudan.
“we are stating loud and clear that many of those captured by the Nigerian security or by the Christian in Plateau state such as the women and children in Langtang, Yalwan Shandam etc to mention but a few. by Allah’s grace we are matching towards their freedom.
“Lastly, we are calling upon all Muslims to come and joined hands with us in carrying out this noble duty that Allah SWT has commanded us to do, Allah SWT said: “And what is the matter with you that you fight not in the cause of ALLAH, and for the feeble among men, and for women and children oppressed…”. Nisa’i:75.
“Abu Usamatal Ansari (Amir JAMBS).”

Lagos police arrest suspected serial murderer, robber

 

Ibrahim Balogun
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The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended Ibrahim Balogun, a 25-year-old man accused of perpetrating a series of murders in Somolu, Bariga and Fadeyi in the state.

PUNCH Metro had reported on June 25, 2012, that Balogun also known as Small Jpron, was declared wanted following a gang-related violence between Shaggy Boys and Downtown Boys which left at least five people dead in Ilaje, Bariga.

Balogun, who also goes by the pseudonym, Asarailu, which means death in Arabic, is said to be the deputy gang leader of Downtown Boys and a member of a sect, Eiye Confraternity also known as EFCC Boys.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Balogun was arrested on Bawahala Street near Pedro Police Station on Saturday.

A reliable police source narrated the circumstances that led to Balogun’s arrest to our correspondent.

He said, “On Friday, around 11:30am, Yusuf Adebowale, a resident of Somolu, took a commercial motorcycle to FirstBank branch in Fadeyi to withdraw N100, 000. As he was withdrawing the money from ATM, the okada rider, later identified as Dare, informed Balogun and his gang.

“As Adebowale left the bank, just a few metres away, Balogun and three other gang members attacked  him and stole the money, phone and a wristwatch.

“Adebowale reported the matter at Onipanu Police Station and also told youths in the area about his ordeal. Less than an hour later, Dare, the okada rider, was apprehended by residents and taken to the  police station where he confessed.

“Later that night, he led us to Balogun’s hideout but Balogun was not around. One of the policemen, identified as Abu, however released Dare without authorisation.”

Our correspondent learnt that the following day, around 11:30am, Balogun and four others allegedly went to rob residents of Bawahala Street and a woman alerted the police.

The police source said, “In broad daylight, Balogun and four gang members, heavily armed, went to rob. We received a distress call and policemen headed by Inspector Smart, rushed down to the scene.

“The four others escaped but Balogun was arrested and taken to Pedro Police Station where he identified himself as Ibrahim Oriyomi Folarin.”

Our correspondent learnt that the policemen could not identify Balogun even though the police had declared him wanted. However, scores of residents stormed the police station and quickly identified him.

It was learnt that there was pandemonium at the station as residents who had fallen victims to Balogun and his gang asked the police to hand him over.

Youths in the area were said to have brought a tyre and petrol which they threatened to set the suspect ablaze.

But the Special Anti-Robbery Squad took Balogun away and this restored normalcy to the station.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone.

She said Balogun had been on police wanted list for a long time.

“I just spoke to the officer in charge of SARS and he confirmed the incident to me. He said the suspect (Balogun) is accused of murders, attempted murders and robberies,” she said.

Boko Haram writes FG asking for dialogue

 

Members of the boko haram sect
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The Islamist militant group,  Boko Haram,  has distributed a letter requesting dialogue  with the Federal  Government.

The letter, which was  sent through head of journalists in Borno State, Aba Kakami, came less than 72 hours after a double suicide bombing  led to the death of  at least 17 people at the Protestant Military Church, Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, Kaduna State.

Kakami  has often received and distributed statements from the sect.

According to an  international news agency, Reuters, the letter was signed by Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man known  in  security sources to be a moderate senior member of the sect.

The letter, if  genuine,  would  mark a change  of departure  of  tactics by the  group which has been been responsible for  many  bombings in the country.

Nearly 3,000 people have died violent deaths related to the conflict since the sect launched its uprising in 2009, according to a count by Human Rights Watch. Boko Haram has replaced militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta over that time to become the biggest security threat to Nigeria.

Communication  with Boko Haram , which   wants  imposition of  sharia  on Nigeria, has been even more sporadic than normal since the military killed its  spokesman, Abu Qaqa, in September.

Abdulazeez first contacted journalists in Maiduguri earlier this month, setting conditions for peace talks in the teleconference and nominating former Head of State,   Muhammadu Buhari , as a mediator. Buhari has since declined the offer.

“We are by this letter of invitation to our respected elders proving to government that we are not joking with the government, but we are awaiting the response of those concerned,” Abdulazeez said in the letter.

Abdulazeez said he was speaking on behalf of Abubakar Shekau, the sect’s leader.

But even if Abdulazeez does represent Shekau, the extent to which Boko Haram is controlled by Shekau is in doubt, and analysts think military pressure has fragmented it.

The letter nominated  Imam Gabchiya, an official  of  the University  of  Maiduguri, Borno State as  mediator.

There was no immediate reaction from  Federal  Government officials, but President Goodluck Jonathan  had said on November 18 that no talks were going on with Boko Haram .

The handover of the letter came three days after  the  army offered a N290m  bounty for information leading to the capture of 19 leading members of the sect.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Olasa’ad Ibrahim, has  said  that due process will be followed in meting out punishment  to  soldiers on duty when suicide bombers attacked the military church in Jaji on Sunday

Ibrahim, who was in Kaduna on Tuesday,   noted that the board  set up to investigate the twin attacks  would spell out the appropriate punishment.

He described  the incident as sad and pointed out that the military  would  put some mechanism in place to forestall future occurrence.

The CDS, who spoke  with newsmen shortly after visiting the scene, argued that the  explosions  were  least expected.

He said, “We expect that the Board of Enquiry will reflect blame worthiness of the few and then we will treat it on its merit, but we cannot pre-empt what took place and how the bomb-laden vehicles got into the cantonment.

“We also respect  due process and the rule of law and there are codes out there that we must insist on because those are the only ways we can render justice but the report itself is the only thing that can define precisely who is to blame and who is not to be blamed and who is to be rewarded for exemplary actions.

“Perhaps with the lesson now, we could not afford to take anything for granted. So, we will put it behind us quickly after the board of inquiry and then we will put some other mechanisms in place to prevent such  incident in the future.”

Also,Canada has warned  its citizens against all un-essential travels to Nigeria.

In its travel advisory  accessed by one of our correspondents on Tuesday,  Canada  said that  “terrorist attacks could occur at any time and could target locations frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers, including hotels, bars, markets and shopping centres.”

It therefore enjoined  Canadians  “to maintain a high level of security awareness in these public areas.”

The travel warning noted that there have been a number of large scale coordinated terrorist attacks over the last few months.

The United Kingdom had   in its website, on Monday,  also   warned its citizens against  travels to Borno and Yobe states  as well as the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. Its specifically listed Warri and Kano  among the no go areas.

Sanusi to FG: Sack 50% of civil servants

 

 

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi
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Central Bank of Nigeria  Governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido on Tuesday lamented the high cost of servicing the nation’s  civil service and called on the Federal Government to fire at least 50 per cent of its entire workforce.

Sanusi, in his presentation at the  Second Annual Capital Market Committee Retreat in Warri, Delta State,  said the country  spends  70 per cent of its earnings on salaries and entitlements of civil servants.

He argued that having the Federal Government’s staff strength reduced by half would free up capital for infrastructure development in the country and buoy the economy.

The CBN governor had in a lecture  last year claimed that 25 per cent of the overheads of the Federal Government budget went to the National Assembly.

“Twenty five per cent of the overhead of the Federal Government budget goes to National Assembly. I have figures from the office of budget for the year 2010. Total government overhead is N536, 268,49, 280. Total overhead of the National Assembly is N136,259,768, 112 which is exactly 25.1 per cent of Federal Government overhead. The overhead of the National Assembly as a percentage of the Federal Government budget in 2009 was 19. 87 and in 2008 was 14.19”, he had  said.

Sanusi, at the retreat on Tuesday, advocated a more compact and less expensive system of government that would reduce overhead costs.

He said, “At the moment 70 per cent of Federal Government’s revenue goes for payment of salaries and entitlement of civil servants, leaving 30 per cent for development of 167 million Nigerians. That means that for every naira government earns, 70 kobo   is consumed by civil servants.

“You have to fire half of the civil service because the revenue  of the government  is supposed to be for 167 million Nigerians. Any society where government spends 70 per cent of its revenue on its civil service has a problem. It is unsustainable.

“The various tiers of government should cut down their recurrent expenditure and use the fund to provide basic infrastructure like schools, hospital, etc.

“How can we be using the proceeds from our major source of revenue to service recurrent expenditure, by paying salaries, allowances, etc. The country should be thinking of enhancing its productivity base rather than spending on things that cannot create wealth.”

 Sanusi  added that  the country did not need  over 100 senators,  400 members of  the House of Representatives to make laws. He said when the expenses of lawmakers, civil servants and those in the executive arm of government are totalled, Nigerians will find out that their national  revenue has been consumed by the Executive,  lawmakers and civil servants.

He also  faulted ‘wastage’ of funds on  the maintenance of 774 Local Government Area chairmen,  their   aides, councillors and other appendages of the  third  tier of government.

“Do we need 774 LGAs? Do we need 36 states some of which are  not viable? why not just remove them and have only state governments?,” he asked rhethorically.

According to him, “there are state governors whose monthly allocations are barely enough to pay salaries. I hear such governors complain and I say ‘why complain when the solution is simple?’ It is irresponsible to use all your money to pay salaries and wait for another month’s allocation and pay salaries and after four years, you would have done nothing.”

Sanusi also  maintained that the Federal Government  needed to totally remove petrol subsidy. He   suggested that those who stole subsidy funds  should be  punished. He said, “People have the right to demand transparency. If you want to remove subsidy, you have to show what happened to those who stole.”

The CBN governor  advised   the Federal Government to stop investments on infrastructure that  could  be  handed over to the private sector to run  so that it (FG) can concentrate on building of schools, health centres and the provision of  other social services.

But Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was also at the event, faulted Sanusi’s call for a purge of  civil service.

Although the governor agreed that there was the need   to cut  expenditure, he said,  “If we must do that, then we should provide alternatives where the sacked workers can become economically viable.

“The  reason why we are asking the Federal Government to provide basic infrastructure and enabling environment for private investors to invest is because they can employ workers who will be disengaged from public sector.

“Therefore, I don’t agree with the CBN governor that we should sack our workers to reduce the recurrent expenditure in our budget without providing alternatives.”

Shortage of basic facilities crippling varsities – Report

 

The report of the Needs Assessment Panel set up by the Federal Government to look into the challenges of public universities has uncovered a huge shortage of basic learning resources.

The Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led committee, which has since submitted its report to the Federal Government, noted among other things that basic learning resources were “unavailable” or in “short supply.”

The report, which was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, read in part, “For instance, less than 10 per cent of the Universities have video conferencing facility, less than 20 per cent of Universities use interactive boards (even the ones that deployed interactive boards are using them in less than 10 per cent of their lecture rooms/theatres),

“More than 50 per cent don’t use public address systems in the lecture rooms/ theatre, Internet services are non-existent, or epileptic and slow.”

The report said “library resources are outdated and manual. No university library is fully automated. Less than 35 per cent are partially automated.”

On the issue of student population, the report said there were about 1.2 million students in Nigerian public universities.

Of this number, 85 per cent are undergraduates, five per cent sub-degree, three per cent Post-Graduate Diploma, five per cent Masters while two per cent are PhD students.

The report added that “960,132 (76.6 per cent) are enrolled in 25 universities (16 federal, nine states). Overall, 798,661 students (63.7 per cent) are enrolled in federal universities, 34 state varsities have 454,252 students (36.3 per cent). About 43 per cent of the students are female while 57 per cent are male.”

It also noted that eight universities namely – Lagos State University, University of Abuja, National Open University of Nigeria, University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Port-Harcourt, Ekiti State University and University of Maiduguri – accounted for about 33 per cent of total enrolment in Nigeria.

In contrast, seven universities put together have a total student enrolment of less than one per cent of the overall national figure i.e 6, 868 (0.5 per cent). The universities are Ondo State University of Science and Technology, 212; Plateau State University, Bokkos, 328; and Bauchi State University, 445 students.

Others are Federal University of Petroleum Resources, 682; Akwa-Ibom State University 837; Yobe State University Damaturu, 2,113; and Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, 2,251.

The report also said the current enrolment figures, especially as it affect the Science and Arts/Social Science/Management studies students are “reversal of the National Policy (on education) as the current science to non science ratio of 68: 32 instead of 60:40 in favour of the sciences.

Amaechi orders seizure of lecturers’ salaries

 

RIVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said on Monday that he had directed the Ministry of Finance to stop paying striking lecturers of the State University of Science and Technology.

The lecturers had been on strike since August 13, 2012 over the reappointment of RSUST Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barineme Fakae, by the state governor.

Speaking during a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Amaechi declared that his administration would embrace a no-work, no-pay principle for the striking lecturers.

He said, “The university (RSUST) is not on strike. The school is open, but some teachers decided not to come. I have directed the Ministry of Finance not to pay the teachers.

“Lecturers are to teach and not to appoint a VC. I have appointed the VC whether they like it or not. The law said it is the governor that appoints VCs and not lecturers.”

Responding, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, RSUST chapter, Dr. Felix Igwe, said in Port Harcourt that the striking lecturers of the institution were already being owed three months salaries.

He recalled that the state government had not called the lecturers for a dialogue on the crisis since ASUU went on strike over the matter, adding that the circumstance leading to the lecturers’ industrial action had nothing to do with members’ salaries.

Churches, mosques should pay tax – Falana

 

 

Femi Falana
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Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has canvassed that churches and mosques should begin to pay tax in the country.

Falana, who expressed worry about the role of religious bodies in the fight against corruption, spoke against the backdrop of the acquisition of a jet by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said to have been donated by the cleric’s church members.

He stated this while delivering a lecture,  ‘Asking the unasked questions: society, corruption and punishment in Nigeria’ in Lagos on Monday.

The SAN, who represented Prof. Wole Soyinka at a workshop entitled ‘the dynamics of cashless economy and emerging methods in financial crimes,’ said both society and the government had failed in the fight against corruption.

He said, “Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, someone who just acquired his own jet a couple of weeks ago, took a swipe at Pastor Tunde Bakare for condemning their crave for jets and opulent life. He (Oritsejafor) said everything a pastor could get for evangelism should be acquired, not minding the economic situation of the people

“If this is the case then, the tax authorities must extend their dragnets to all religious centres where substantial income is generated on a regular basis in the name of God. The prosperity pastors, who are buying jets to preach the gospel to those who wallow in abject poverty should be assessed according to their wealth and be made to pay commensurate taxes.

“After all, they pay appropriate fees for parking their jets at local and international airports at home and abroad.”

Falana also noted that death penalty was logical but not necessary in curbing corruption.

According to him, death penalty for crimes such as robbery has not served as a deterrent and will not work in this regard.

He said, “Notwithstanding the horrendous effect of corruption in the society, we should not be frustrated to support the campaign for the brutalization of humanity through the death penalty.

“Even in Nigeria, our experience with murder and armed robbery has proved that death penalty is not a deterrent for violent crimes.”

National Stadium in ruins as festival begins

 

 

As the opening ceremony of the 18th National Sports Festival begins on Tuesday (today) in Lagos, it is shocking to note that the main bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, venue of field events, has not been given a facelift by the organisers and officials of the festival tagged Eko 2012.

The Local Organising Committee of the festival has been involved in last-ditch efforts to put facilities in most venues in place but the National Stadium –  which has been abandoned for several years – seem not to catch the eye of the organisers.

While workers were seen working vigorously to ensure that every facility was in top shape at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the event, on Sunday night, the reverse was the case inside the opposite National Stadium.

Close observers felt the long-abandoned stadium, which hosted the first two editions of the festival, would breathe a new lease of life because of the festival but a close look at the facilities there indicate that nothing has been done.

Rather, the stadium is bubbling with commercial life with potential sellers during the festival flocking the arena and setting up their stands here and there. Kazza, a fast food outfit, and several others have been renovated awaiting potential customers. 

But on entering the main bowl, the tartan tracks inside the facility are in tattered shape while most of the seats have turned heaps of dirt after a long neglect.  Apart from managing to get the grass of the football pitch cut, nothing seems to have been done by the organisers of the festival.

Also, unlike other facilities, the weather-beaten edifice was not painted or given a facelift. Apart from the AstroTurf pitch, other venues like the indoor sports hall and the table tennis hall were equally not looking ready for the festival.

Though the table tennis hall had new roofing, which was reportedly put in place by Lagos State, the facility has been noted for its poor lighting over the years.

During an earlier inspection of the facility, one of the inspectors had complained of the lighting but a top official of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation told him to write ‘Work in progress’ in his report.

But no work seemed to have been done on the facility apart from the roofing as the festival begins today.

However, it was learnt that the poor state of the stadium for the games may not be unconnected with division over who handles the renovation of the edifice.

“The National Stadium is under the care of the National Sports Commission, meaning they should have taken care of the renovation of the facility for the festival. If the Lagos State Government was given the directive to refurbish the facilities, I believe they would have done it,” an official of the games, who pleaded anonymity, said.

In stark contrast, the Main Organising Committee on Monday confirmed that all facilities were in the right frame to host a befitting sports showpiece.

The MOC secretary-general, Abba Yola, said, “From the MOC, I want to say we are satisfied that Lagos is ready to host the 18th National Sports Festival with all the equipment in place. This is the first time in recent years that a state will match its words with action by ensuring that all what they promised were ready even before the kick off of the game.”

Nigerian lady sentenced to 80 years in prison over deaths of toddlers in her care

 

24 year old Nigerian/American woman, Jessica Tata, was sentenced to 80 years in prison on Monday November 20th after being found guilty of the death of one of four children killed in a fire at her home day care in Houston.

16-month-old Elias Castillo and three other toddlers died after Tata left them unsupervised at her home while she went to a nearby store. Prosecutors say she left a pan of oil cooking atop a stovetop burner and that this ignited the February 2011 blaze. There were 7 children when the fire started, four died, three survived.

Tata still faces three more counts of felony murder in relation to the other children who died, and three counts of abandoning a child and two counts of reckless injury to a child in relation to three who were hurt. So she will be getting more years added to the 80 as other cases come up.

I'm sorry to say this, but I think she deserves the sentence! How the heck are you going to leave 1year olds unsupervised?

Cherished CCBiers: I cheated on my wife with ex I hadn’t seen in over 10 years

I HAD sex with my ex when my train was cancelled. Now I’m scared that I’ve blown it and derailed my marriage. I’m 26 and been married two years. My wife is 25. She’s the girl of my dreams and I love her to bits. I work up in London. The money is good but I have to work hard and spend hours commuting.

Back in the summer I jumped on the train and found myself next to a beautiful girl. She said, “Hello,” and I realised it was my first girlfriend. I hadn’t seen her nearly 10 for years. We chatted a bit but we couldn’t say much. The whole carriage was listening in. We’d just reached her stop when we heard the announcement that there was a signal failure up ahead and a bus had been laid on instead. My ex said, “Come back to mine and I’ll give you a lift.”

Back in her flat, she put on the kettle. Then my wife sent a text to say she’d be working late. It all seemed like fate so we opened a bottle of wine. Two hours later, two bottles down and I couldn’t think straight. I pulled her towards me and kissed her. She went for my belt and the next thing I knew we were down on the floor having sex. It didn’t last long as I suddenly thought of my wife. I said I was sorry, phoned for a taxi and left. That was three months ago now and I’m so racked with guilt. I’m sure my wife knows something’s wrong. That night was the biggest mistake of my life. Do I tell my wife what I did or do I keep quiet and just live with the guilt?

Banker on Hunger Strike Bows to Pressure; Finally Suspends Action

 

The 53-year-old former employee of Hallmark Bank Plc., Olubiyi Odunaro, who's protesting against non-payment of his terminal benefit, has finally suspended his 14-day hunger strike.

The suspension of the protest followed spirited appeal by a representation from the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, and officials from the Lagos office of the Public Complaints Commission.

Senior Special Assistant to Fashola on Justice Sector Reforms, Lanre Akinsola, who led a team of legal, welfare and medical officials to the tent Odunaro had turned to his home on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Lagos, promised to intervene.

Akinsola said, “The attention of the Lagos State Government was drawn to the various media reports about the protest being embarked upon by Odunaro and it’s quite pathetic.

“Governor Fashola who was worried about his state of health formed an inter-ministerial committee comprising medical, legal and welfare officials and directed me to lead the team to persuade him to end his hunger strike.

“As a responsible government we don’t want a dead casualty in our hands as a result of this protest. Once he ends this protest, we would first provide him medical service while the Lagos State Directorate of Citizens Rights would engage the authorities concerned in a comprehensive dialogue.”

Akinsola said the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, had given him his word on free legal services to Odunaro and other ex-workers of non-consolidated banks seeking the payment of their entitlements if the negotiations become unfruitful.

“We will mediate and talk to the right people and we believe reason will prevail in this matter and if not, lawyers from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice will work in conjunction with the lawyer of the group and ensure that justice prevails and everyone of them gets their entitlement,” he added.

Following persuasion and engagement by the state officials and consultation with members of the Association of Ex-Staff of Non-Consolidated Bank, who had gathered at the site which lasted for about three hours, Odunaro who clocked 53 on Monday announced the suspension of the protest.

He said, “This struggle is not only about myself; it’s about the right of over 14,000 ex-workers of non-consolidated banks who are ably represented here today.

“The Lagos State Government and the PCC have given me and my people their word and I would hold on to it. My other colleagues too have appealed to me to give the state government the opportunity to play their part in this matter.

“In view of this, I announce the suspension of my hunger strike for two weeks to enable me to go for medical treatment and allow the state government play its part in this debacle.”

Davido set to launch clothing line - O.B.O

 

Good thinking...

UNILAG STUDENT KILLED BY ROBBERS STRAY BULLET

Mr. Olaleye Sunday Olanrewaju fondly called Honorable LAS,  a final year accounting student of Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos was shut dead by armed robbers’ stray bullet on Saturday 24^th, 2012 on his way to church programme at Sango Otta, suburb of Ogun state. The Sudden death of the young man has threw his families, friend and course mate into mourning state. The young man is described according to one of his class mate Miss. Titilayo as finest gentle man, small but very intelligent and vibrant. She further states that he will be greatly missed by all.

We pray to God to grant him eternal rest as he was lay to rest today 27^th Nov, 2012 at his home state Ogun state. R.I.P Sunday

My Friend Want me Dead (Super Hot Gist)

                                    

My name is Eric a final year student in one if the universities  in nigeria, from a family of six, I met my friend Abolade on social media, he's based in south Africa he came home sometimes may for his elder sister's wedding, we were able to meet and he is a gentle young guy and we continued our friendship, after my final exams and project defense, abolade invited me to South Africa, where I met his friends, and his wife Anna a south African lady that has a baby for Abolade, and I planned to spend just two weeks In south Africa, Abolade and friends treated me very well,

On this faithful morning when me Abolade and friends were in the sitting room talking about their love lives, so when it got to my turn i was so honest I told them I never had a girl friend and they all made jest of me and they were like in south Africa girls will never f**k you for money as far as she liked you she's gonna do anything to have you, some minutes later Anna entered and greeted everybody Abolade then raised the topic that "I never had a girl friend"  and she was touched and told Abolade that she's gonna introduce a friend of her to me before leaving south Africa, she collected my number promised to give it her friend and we ended the gist, and I told them about the new developments in Lagos and how the clubs operates and stuffs.

Five days to when I was going to leave south Africa Anna popped up on my what's App telling me about her friend and she sent me several  pictures of her friend, the pictures were actually lovely, she requested for my pictures too telling me she wants to show them to her friend as well , I was so excited :)

The Following day she was the first to message me that her friend was gonna visit her later in the afternoon, I was gonna tell Abolade but he's gone to work already, I just called him that I wanna go hook up with Anna's friend later in the day, Anna sent me an address where to meet her and her friend, I got there exactly 1:15PM I saw Anna alone in the apartment she said they were, she smiled and told me her friend is in the bedRoom, she ask me to follow her and when we got to the room there was no one there, and she started taking off her Cloths and begging me to make love to her, I was like no I can't do this that she's my friend's wife I can't do this with, she then treated me that if I can't do it she's gonna tell Abolade that I was asking her for sex, we where both alone in the room I had no evidence to prove that she invited me to the apartment to meet her, so I made love to her, and she told me I was so sweet, I wasn't comfortable with my friends anymore, my attitude changed for the rest of my stay in south Africa, but I had to wait for the rest of my days in South Africa, so when I got to back to Nigeria she won't stop chatting to me she was now telling me that she's in love with me she wanna leave my friend for me, after two weeks we were going So raw on what's app, Abolade then saw our conversation, now he sent cult boyz in my school to get me and kill me,

Am so confused right now I don't know what to do

UNILAG ANNOUNCES SUPPLEMENTARY ADMISSION

 

 

The School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for admission into the under-listed postgraduate programmes of the University of Lagos in the 2012/2013 Academic Session, leading to the award of Masters degree:

MASTERS DEGREES BY COURSEWORK:

(a)      Master of Legal Studies (LL.S, Part-Time): This programme is open to all graduates of recognized Universities with a good honours degree in any discipline.  Successful applicants will be required to pass approved qualifying examination and interview.  Admission into the LL.S programme is subject to proven track record and demonstrable ability of the applicant to meet the intellectual and related demands of the programme.

(b)      Master of Conflict Management (MCM, Part-Time): This programme open to graduates with a minimum of Bachelor’s degree in any discipline of the University of Lagos or other recognized universities. Successful applicants will be required to pass approved qualifying examination and interview.  Applicants into the MCM programme are required to have at least 2 years of cognate working experience.

(c)       Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR, Part-Time): This programme is open to graduates with a minimum of Bachelor’s degree in any discipline of the University of Lagos or other recognized universities.  Successful applicants will be required to pass approved qualifying examination and interview.  Applicants into the MDR programme are required to have at least 2 years of cognate working experience.

(d)     Master of Natural Resources Management (MNRM, Part-Time): This programme is open to graduates with a minimum of Bachelor's Degree with honours in Sciences, Education Science, Engineering, Technology, Earth Sciences or other equivalent degree of UNILAG or any other approved University. Candidates may be required to satisfy a selection process.

(e)     Master of Risk Management (MRM, Part-Time): This course is open to graduates in any discipline from the University of Lagos or any other recognized University.

(f)      Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Actuarial Science (Part-Time.):

(i)  First degree in Actuarial Science from a recognized University. (ii) First degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Operations Research and other related areas. Candidates in this category may be required to audit some undergraduate courses to make up for the deficiencies.

(g)      Master of Aquatic Resource and Pollution Management (MARPM, Part-Time): The programme is open to candidates who possess a Bachelors degree in Sciences, Education Science, Engineering, Technology Earth Sciences and other related disciplines of the University of Lagos or any other approved University.

(h)      Master in Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (MDSS, Part-Time): Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognized university.

Please note that candidates are required to satisfy all other requirements of the School of Postgraduate Studies.

The Sale of Application Forms will commence on Monday, November 26, 2012 and close Monday, December 31, 2012.  Completed applications forms are to be submitted online while hard copies of the Application Forms with Credentials are to be submitted in the respective Departments.

GUIDELINES FOR FILLING THE APPLICATION FORM:

1.    Visit the School of Postgraduate Studies Website:

www.unilagspgs.edu.ng

, click on the  2012/2013 application link.

2.    Click on the pre-application from link; provide the required information and submit to obtain a Payment Voucher.  You are expected to print out the payment voucher.

3.    Make payment to any branch of: WEMA Bank Plc, ECOBANK Plc, ACCESS BANK Plc, United Bank fOR Africa Plc, ZENITH BANK, GUARANTY TRUST BANK and FIRST BANK Plc. The details of the designated Bank branches are listed on-line at the SPGS website.

4.    Applicants are expected to provide printed payment voucher for bank payment. Application Form is N20, 000:00 (Twenty Thousand Naira).

5.    After payment, return to School of Postgraduate Studies website:

www.unilagspgs.edu.ng

, click 2012/2013 Application Link.  Log-in with Payment Reference Number as Username and Surname in lower case as Password.

6.    Click the Edit Application Form link to fill the form and upload digital passport photograph (jperg format) which should not be more than 15 kb in size and must be white background.  The acceptable dimension width: 275 pixels or 35mm, height: 314 pixels pr 40mm. (Failure to comply with specified image format may led to disqualification).

7.    Click SUBMIT FORM button if the information is correct, else, click decline button.  After submission, applicants will be required to print the completed Application Form and Acknowledgement Slip.  This will be required for submission before entrance examination.

8.    Candidates are expected to LAMINATE their Acknowledgement Slip after printing.

NOTE:

• If payment is not made five (5) days after obtaining payment voucher, the pre-application would be deleted.  Applicants will then be expected to refill the pre-application form to obtain a new payment voucher.
• All academic Transcripts must reach the Deputy Registrar/Administrative Secretary, School of Postgraduate Studies on or before 7^th of January 2013.

For further information, please contact: Deputy Registrar/ Administrative Secretary, School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos. Tel. No.01-8902566 or 01-7403307.  E-Mail: dras@unilagspgs.edu.ng or visit SPGS website

www.unilagspgs.edu.ng