₦airaland Forum

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A Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State has slammed a N100,000 bail on a 28-year-old man, Bimbo Iseyin, who allegedly stole two vehicle tyres worth N15,000. Chief Magistrate Abiodun Etti, who gave the ruling, also granted the accused a surety, who must provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government. The accused, whose address is unknown, was arraigned on a charge of stealing. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Innocent Uko, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Aug. 11 at a tyre warehouse located at Joseph Dosu Way in Badagry. He said the stolen items belonged to the complainant, Mrs Akpan Udom. “The accused just came to the shop, took two tyres and started running away. “Onlookers gave him a hot pursuit and he was caught,’’ he said. Counsel to the accused, Mr Timothy Ukoha, pleaded with the court to grant him bail on liberal terms, noting that the offence is bailable. Further hearing in the case has been adjourned to Sept. 29.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/man-gets-n100-000-bail-theft-n15-000-tyres/

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government is set to rehabilitate the 414 grazing reserve centres and stock routes across the country, what it described as steps taken to end the clash between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in parts of the country. fulani National Coordinator, Grazing Reserve Rehabilitation at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mahmud Ibrahim, disclosed this while speaking during a sensitisation and mobilisation programme on the issue at Wawazange Grazing Reserve in Dukkku Local Council of Gombe State. Ibrahim said government would not rest until the lingering crisis between farmers and cattle breeders ended. According to him, the project, which is being carried out by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, is in conjunction with Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria to curtail the crisis among farmers and herdsmen in the country. He said 10 states had already been mandated for the rehabilitation of the grazing reserves and stock routes. National Secretary of the breeders’ association, Baba Ngajarma, lauded the effort made by the government, saying that the project would sensitise farmers and herdsmen, adding that they must shun violence and embrace one another.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/buhari-rehabilitate-414-grazing-reserve-centres-nationwide/

EFCC allow person hear word! "the money where una don collect where e dey?"

RIP

one nigeria forever!

RIP

Ibadan—PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, assured Nigerians that they would soon begin to feel the real impact of his policies in their lives just as South west governors put forward suggestions on how perceptions of marginalisation could be redressed. PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI President Buhari spoke at the South West conference of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at Ibadan, where the APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun charged party members to enlighten the public that effecting change in the polity would take time. Oyegun noted that 16 years of PDP rot cannot be reversed in 15 months. President Buhari was represented by his political adviser, Senator Femi Ojudu. He said: “You all may well know, the darkest part of the night is the period before dawn. Nigeria’s dawn is about to break. We are determined to turn things around. Change is not easy, but we are not relenting until we achieve a better life for all Nigerians. The change we advocate will be irrevocable when we are finally done. We just have to change from our old ways of doing things because things cannot be allowed to continue the way they were. Though, things may appear difficult at the moment, it will not be long before Nigerians start deriving the full benefits of the current policies of government which are designed to reposition the country and improve on the prevailing economic situation.” Speaking further, he said: “Already, there are signs that things are turning round for the better. In the oil and gas industries for instance, many investors are showing tremendous interest in building petroleum refineries. In no distant time, the issues of fuel scarcity will become a thing of the past.” We need to support Buhari — Ajimobi Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, the host governor said leaders of the party in the South West were not fair in their complaints of marginalisation by President Buhari, saying they have been too distant from the presidency. Oyegun calls for patience Odigie-Oyegun, on his part, charged party members to bear with the administration on the fact that the government met extensive damage when it came to power. There’s need for restructuring — Aregbesola Governor Rauf Aregbesola on his part made a fresh call for restructuring, genuine and true federalism and a Nigeria that is all-inclusive. Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Mrs Yetunde Onanuga said many people are tired in this era of change urging them to be strong-hearted.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/painsll-soon-buhari-assures-nigerians/

Kai! let us be prayerful against evil people...

long way to go......sai baba

Follow me i will make you a fisher of men.....Jesus said

let us be preparing..

God please give us ability to do it...

be prayerful...

Why these questions?

People are far away from the truth that is why things are falling apart...

hmmmm

Continue having faith in Jesus Christ for salvation...

obinim! you disgrace yourself and Christianity....repent God is not happy with you.

A legal practitioner, Mr Kayode Ajulo, in his remarks toed the path of the Appeal Court, but also warned that Justice Abang should not turn himself to “a notorious judge.”abang Ajulo said: “It is elementary law that when the Appeal Court sits on a matter, the lower courts or the trial courts ought to hands-off the case. If a judge chooses to do otherwise, I believe he is on his own; he is on a voyage of no return and there is law and procedure to deal with such errant judge. “As a lawyer, I am not in a position to castigate Justice Abang, what I need to do is to concur with the Court of Appeal. Why we should obey the law is because those who disobey the law, should be sanctioned. I am afraid that Justice Abang should not turn himself to a notorious judge.” The matter will get to the Supreme Court — Ngige On his part, Chief Emeka Ngige,SAN, averred that the issue may possibly get to the Supreme Court, where the apex court would adjudicate as it deems suitable. He said: “The matter is likely to get to the Supreme Court. At the end, the court would take decision in its wisdom”. I have been vindicated — Ozhekhome In his reaction, Human Rights activist and Constitutional Lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, said the pronouncement of the Appeal Court has vindicated him, adding that it was evident that Justice Abang placed the law on its head and he somersaulted. He also said every judgement given by Justice Abang on the Abia State case was a somersault and constitutionally an abberation and a great disservice to the judicial process. He stated: “Ordinary people on the street have been accosting me and asking why do Justices behave like that and I said I do not know. The truth is that the entire judgement on the Abia case was wrong. It dislodged logic and law. The judgment did not take cognisance of the fact that every affidavit says I swear as follows and you end it by saying I swear to this affidavit conspicously and faithfully which means everything you swear is true and correct. “Even if a fake or incorrect tax clearance had been given to the taxpayer and you attach it to your form CS001 which is the form you fill for governorship, how does that concern you and how do you question the tax office over the documents they gave? “How do you say because the tax clearance was issued on a Saturday, it means that is was fake. How does Justice Abang say Saturday is a public holiday when the public holiday act in Nigeria specified that public holidays are on Christmas day, New year day, Independence day and May day, otherwise all other days are working days and which is why tribunals sit on Saturdays and elections are also conducted on Saturdays and Sundays,” he stressed. He further said: “What Justice Abang should have done when they brought the case before him was to wash his hands off the case like Pontius Pilate. In all ramifications, every section of that judgement was a great disservice to law.” and I am happy the Court of Appeal has set it aside and I expect the Supreme Court to do same”.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/676926/

Mr Matthew Iduoriyekemwen has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of collaborating with the Ahmed Makarfi led leadership of the party in misinforming the people of Edo State, saying that INEC’s deliberate bias in the issues raised from the primaries could destroy the party in Edo State. Addressing journalists in Benin, Iduoriyekemwen who insisted that he remains the authentic candidate of the PDP and not Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, noted that INEC had deliberately refused to obey court orders on issues pertaining to the crisis between the mainstream of the party and the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP. According to him, “INEC has been behaving in a manner that has shown clear partisanship in the internal affairs of the PDP, openly making comments that tend to rubbish the court process. When we were busy campaigning, reaching out to voters, to show INEC’s bias, on the 20th of June, one Deputy Director of Public Affairs in INEC said they won’t monitor Sheriff’s primaries. In another event, the same man said INEC was yet to take a decision since Modu Sheriff has gone to court. And some people said INEC did not monitor our primaries.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/inecs-alleged-bias-pdp-crisis-destroying-party-edo-iduoriyekemwen/

Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida marks his 75th birthday today. In this interview conducted at his top hill residence in Minna by journalists, he speaks on some secrets about his life, how he proposed marriage to his late wife, Hajiya Mariam Babangida, among other issues. ADELOWO OLADIPO brings the excerpts:



You spent eight years as the military president of the country. Before then, you had distinguished yourself as an officer in the Nigerian Army. How would you compare the two positions?

I think being a military officer was more challenging than being a military president. It was challenging because as a military president, you still to had to seek people’s advice; you had to interact and discuss with people based on the situations you found yourselves before you could take any decision. But being a military officer, you were only responsible for the troop you were commanding. And as an officer, you were leading men into what was not necessarily good, but you were leading them into danger and if you led them well, you would keep a lot of them alive and they would depend on you and they would also protect you as a commander.

If you had any challenge, you would also fall along with them. As a result of this, your life and their lives depended on one another and especially on you as a commander. So, I considered being a military officer as being more challenging than the political one. But being a military president, has some limitations.



You fought to keep the nation one between 1967 and 1970. Which period would you say was your closest to death during the war?

I think it was the movement from Enugu to Umuahia. It was very tough, it was very challenging. You needed to be physically fit to be able to really undertake certain things because we were mopping up our fields and you had to go through the bombs, and so on. And you could never tell whether it was safe to pass through certain areas, that was when I got wounded.



During periods like this, you may wish that your wife was alive to felicitate with you. Now that it has been long since she died, how do you feel?

Well, it was not easy, but I thank God I have got children who show remarkable understanding and some of them are doing well by trying to improve on what their mother used to do for me. And I have started getting grand children who are also occupying my time. From my heart of hearts, I feel great and believe that what I was able to do 20 years ago, I cannot do them again. But despite all this, I am grateful to God for sparing my life till today to mark my 75th birthday.

We joined the Nigerian Army for the purposes of doing our best to protect our fatherland, and that has not changed. First, you subjected yourself to the constituted authority and for that reason, you had to undertake jobs or tasks given to you by government. And before you signed treaties and the rest of them, you were expected to serve in other situations. You must serve in the Economic Community of West African States, African Union or the United Nations. So, on the whole concept, I think the Nigerian Army still recruits people (into the Army) because it is a noble profession that requires much of courag. It is a profession where you find much of courage because of the services we render in the country .



Can you tell us why you have been misinterpreted over the years by some Nigerians following your refusal to debunk some of the things they said about you, as you are being described as an evil genius?

I think I am not the evil that quite a lot of people think I am. I have had a very excellent background and by training, we have to love one another and my feeling is that—I can understand that by virtue of the job I was doing, I was bound to be misconstrued ­— people would take that as one’s true character. But I consider it as an opinion as long as I am not what you thought I was, I feel satisfied. I joke sometimes about this.

When you said I stole N12.8 billion, in those days I used to say if I had N12.8 billion, I had no business staying in this country; I would have left for abroad. But that was one of those things one has to live with. I am hopefully thinking that the younger generations, who are going to come after you might come out with a research on leadership, about people, about individuals and what roles they played. And then, they may come out with a different thing from what is currently being said.



How did you feel, reading about your own obituary in the social media and some traditional media organisations who did not confirm their reports before they went to press?

The first thing that came to my mind was that it was not new in this country. They did it to the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, they had done it to Shehu Shagari not long ago and they did it to quite a number of people. So, what they were saying was not a surprise to me, coupled with the fact that, as a Muslim, whether I like it or not, I just have to die. You are stating the obvious, but only for you to find out it is not true. But with time, I cannot escape it, God Has seen certain hands. It is only three things you don’t know about death: you don’t know the cause, you don’t know the time and you don’t know the place.



Why are some people describing you as a cat with nine lives?

Maybe those who said I am a cat with nine lives know what dangers I went through and I escaped! What should have happened to me and it did not happen—those are all perceptions of the people. The first time I had a close shave with death was when I was in Lagos. I had a flight from one of the African countries back to Lagos and suddenly, the engine of our aircraft was hit by a stone and from 29, 000 feet we came down to 15,000 feet. But the good boys (pilots) were able to pilot the plane, we taxied (down) to 100 meters at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, and the other engine just went up. I had my entourage, before the sudden drop, everybody was drinking tea and cuddling and shouting. Suddenly when they heard it, nobody was talking again until when we disembarked from the airplane. I tried to chat them up, but I was not successful. That was the first time somebody said it and said I was a cat with nine lives .



Could you tell us one particular thing Nigerians and indeed the media practitioners are yet to know about you?

Well, you mean things that the people have not heard before about me?



Is there anything?

I have said everything that I wanted to say and the only addition, if you may decide to have one thing or the other with me (Laughs)—say when you have an additional thing, you may decide to.

Well, during my public life, there were quite a number of the institutions that I knew either as a military officer or a political officer (military president), when I was rehabilitated. I will give you one example that, if I had a chance I would have taken a honourary doctorate from some of them. In 1989, we proposed that membership of the National Assembly should be on a part time basis. If I have the opportunity to change the cause of events in this country, whether as a president, I still believe in that very strongly; all in an effort to cut the cost of governance. And I thank you for reminding me about it, because it skipped my memories for some moments.



Assuming you were involved in an accidental discharge as a military officer, how would you reconcile with the families of the deceased, and how would the Army react?

Well, accidental discharge, I almost had one but when I did, the person involved was not dead. I had one during the course of my service and it was in Dodan Barracks, Lagos. The person who witnessed it was my wife, so she escaped it. But, I also had a situation where I was moving with some of my junior officers. As we moved along, an ammunition came and hit one of them and he just dropped dead there. There was nothing we could do. As a commander, if you witnessed such a thing, you should be preparing to die also. Of course, I knew the families of that particular deceased officer; he was my brother. I went to them and I told them what happened and they accepted it as good Muslims and that was how God wished it then. But it was a very painful thing to me.



Recently, we saw a picture of your late wife in the 60’s in the newspapers as ravishing beauty, a very delectable a lady. Can you share with us, when you met her, how did you deliver your manifesto to her?

You must have studied William Shakespeare (Laughs). Well, when I was delivering the manifesto, she did not believe some aspects of the manifesto because of the reputation I had as a playboy . But I assured her that no, it was not going to be a problem, I was going to be a changed person completely. And I am glad, I was. Before then, I knew her, I knew the family, I knew everybody in the family , so I had no problems whatsoever, signifying the relationship. I delivered my manifesto to her straight to the point . Yes, I told her I wanted her to marry me.



How did you join the military?

Thanks to my training as a military officer. On the first question you asked, in my secondary school days, my principal wanted me to go into Administration at the higher institution. He was a British. I personally wanted to become an engineer. Then, politics came. The Minister for the Army, a late gentleman called Tanko Galadima, from Bida Local Government in Niger State, came to our school on a recruitment drive. He wanted people from this part of the country to enlist into the Nigerian Army because they were not many as at that time. He asked how many of us were interested, then a lot of us raised up our hands. He took all our names and the following morning, we had forms to be filled for our enlistment into the Army.

We went and sat for the examinations, we were determined to pass that exam because we did not want to disappoint him. There were about 15 of us. We went; we passed the exams. We had the interview, the medical tests and the aptitude test . So, myself and two of my friends, said maybe, the Army was going to be our profession.

We decided to go into the Army through there were others who wanted to read other courses. Besides, there was a many vacancies for northern candidates in the Nigerian Army, hence the late minister decided to encourage people like us from this part of the country to enlist into the Army and the rest is history today.



It was also noted that during your stewardship in the public pffice, you were hardly interested in taking honourary degrees from the nation’s tertiary institutions, what was responsible for that?

First of all I, decided not to take honourary degrees awarded then although I have one or two now from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the other one from the Federal University of Technology Minna. I accepted that of the FUT, Minna may be because it was established in my town and thank God, I brought about the institution being recognised as a university of technology during my time in office.

On the issue of chieftaincy titles, yes, I took one or two also. I refused to take plenty of these things because I did not need it to get a job and I had already got a job, so I turned down quite a number.



Recently, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency warned about dire consequences for people living along flood plains, asking them not to move to up land in view of likely heavy downpour that this period of the year, especially in Niger State. What is your advice to the people?

That is a tough point and I have known there is always this problem here. During rainy season— and I will use Minna as an example — a lot of people lose their offices, home and properties, while quite a number of children get drowned as a result of floods . So, the first thing I did was to make a big drainage for the city. I am happy it is one of the first modern drainages you can find in the country.

I hope the government will look at those areas that are prone to flooding and start putting measures in place to avert loss of lives and property. It is good if the money is there, then one can take the required measures. But now that the money seems not to be there again, Nigerians, especially those who are living in the flood plains, should heed the advice to move upland and away from their home lands for their own safety at least until towards the end of the raining season.

http://tribuneonlineng.com/i-narrowly-escaped-air-crash-ibb/

gooooooooooooooooooooooood....

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday said that he has found the original copies of his academic credentials, which had earlier been declared missing in a sworn affidavit.

Obaseki had, in the said affidavit submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the September 10 election, reportedly stated that his academic documents got missing while he was moving his office from one place to another.

The development had on Monday attracted criticisms from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, which described his reasons for not being in possession of the certificates as “flimsy” and “unconvincing.”

However, Obaseki, who spoke during an interactive session organised by civil societies for governorship candidates in Benin, noted that though he had no reason to search for the documents, he had to provide the photocopies and swear to an affidavit for the election.

He explained, “I have found them. The truth is that I have not had any reason to look for them in the last 25 years. I know that I kept them somewhere in a safe box and I had photocopies.

“When I needed them for the exercise, I could not find them. So, I swore to an affidavit that I cannot find the originals.

He said that the photocopies of the documents were certified by the issuing institutions.

Obaseki added, “I took the photocopies to the institutions that issued them and they certified the photocopies.

“So when the whole controversy started raging, my cousin called me from New York and said, ‘But your originals are here. I said, ‘Please, send them to me now.”

The APC candidate also reiterated that his administration would provide security and manpower necessary to attract investors.

http://punchng.com/ive-found-missing-certificates-says-obaseki/

Despite the N3.87bn allocated to it in the 2016 Appropriation Act, lack of drugs and other essential medical items have crippled operations at the State House Medical Centre, The PUNCH has learnt.

The centre provides medical services to the President, Vice-President and their families, aides, members of staff of the State House and other entitled public servants.

It is also a training facility for house officers and other medical personnel.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that the centre located in Asokoro, a highbrow area of the Federal Capital Territory, is gradually becoming a shadow of its old self.

A cross-section of the centre’s patients told The PUNCH that patients were now being asked to go and buy drugs from outside as they were no longer available in the centre.

Most hit, it was further learnt, are patients with kidney problems who are currently undergoing dialysis in the facility.

Although, some of them are expected to be undergoing the dialysis at least twice a week, the centre’s management has been cancelling such exercise lately, therefore putting the lives of the patients at risk.

In some instances when they attend to them, the patients are made to come with some of the items the doctors will use for the exercise.

Our correspondent learnt that the centre’s management had resorted to sending text messages to patients on items they should bring for their treatment.

In one of such messages sent to a patient which is in The PUNCH’s possession, the management wrote, “Mr. Bleep (names withheld), when u (sic) are coming for dialysis on Monday, buy IVF Normal Saline to be used for ur (sic) dialysis. The office doesn’t have it. Buy like four pieces.”

Normal Saline IVF solution is used in the treatment, control, prevention and improvement of conditions such as low sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium levels as well as blood and fluid loss.

It improves the patients’ condition by maintaining proper fluid balance and keeping the tissues hydrated.

Another patient who spoke with our correspondent said he had a crisis recently because the centre cancelled his routine dialysis.

He said the centre’s management cancelled the session because of non-availability of bloodline.

He showed our correspondent a message sent to him on the cancellation.

The message read, “Gudevening (sic), we can’t dialize (sic) you tomorrow because we don’t have bloodline. When it is available, I will get back to you. Pls (sic) dialyse (sic) somewhere else. Thanks.”

The patient said the first time the session was cancelled, he was referred to a private hospital in Garki where he paid N20,000.

He added that when he could not afford the cost the second time, he was directed to another hospital in Wuse.

“As a result of the stress I passed through, by the time I returned home, I was very weak. My health situation deteriorated midnight and my people rushed me to the hospital. I was discharged about three days after,” he said.

Many other patients who spoke with our correspondent said the medical centre could no longer boast of “ordinary malaria drugs.”

“The clinic does not even have ordinary paracetamol. Paracetamol was included in the list of drugs they asked me to go and buy recently. Before now, they were giving us drugs.” another patient said.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, did not pick his calls when our correspondent attempted to get his reaction on Tuesday.

He also did not respond to a text message sent to him on the issue.

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Alhaji Jalal Arabi, had while defending the State House’s budget before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties disclosed that N3.2bn of the budget was earmarked for the upgrade of State House Clinic to a Centre of Excellence.

Arabi had said, “The budget for the State House Medical Centre included N3.219bn proposed for the completion of ongoing work as well as procurement of drugs and other medical equipment.

“The Medical Centre provides health care treatment for the President and Vice-President, their families as well as numerous civil servants working in the State House and across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government and of course, with due respect, including parliamentarians and members of the legislature in addition to other notable dignitaries.

“Interestingly, Mr. Chairman, on a lighter note, not only those that have been captured here attend (the Medical Centre) there are poor of the poorest that attend because we receive reference from Gwagwalada, Garki, Wuse hospitals.

“So, if they come, we attend to them and interestingly too at no fee at all, we don’t charge.

“The anticipated improvement of the Medical Centre will propel it to serve as a Centre of Excellence and also reduce medical tourism.

“May I also add that the State House Medical Centre, unlike other medical centres does not charge any fees for its services and hence does not generate any revenue for itself.

http://punchng.com/drug-scarcity-hits-aso-rock-clinic-despite-n3-87bn-budget/

PORT HARCOURT – PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP has explained why it did not conduct elections into its national offices despite its earlier insistence that the convention will hold in compliance with a July 4 Federal High court judgement in Port Harcourt. Fielding questions Wednesday from newsmen in Government House, Port Harcourt, Publicity secretary of the National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye said the party did not want to create any atmosphere of chaos so it went for extention of the tenure of the caretaker committee in place of elections at the convention. He said some leaders of the party had mooted the idea of relocating to another venue to conduct elections of the party but it was resolved that security operatives could still come to disrupt the exercise. Adeyeye said the decision to extend the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Markafi Caretaker Committee had redressed the lacuna that could have arisen if the convention had not held. “The party inaugurated the new NEC today and it met and decided to go ahead with our national convention. The convention relocated to the secretariat of the party in Rivers state. The place was big enough to accommodate all the delegates of the party and other leaders of the party. The convention took some decisions that the tenure of the CTC be extended by 12 months, the CTC be expounded from 7 to 13. Members are not to contest for any elective office of the party”, he said., He said security operatives ignored an interlocutory order from a High Court in Port Harcourt to provide security for the convention, choosing to respect the Abuja High court order. Adeyeye said security operatives should also have complied with another High court judgement in Abuja that said Ali Modu Sherif was never a Chairman of the party. He further expressed strong hope that the party will come out stronger from the crisis.” Thank God we had our convention and within this twelve months everything will be settled. The federal high court in Port Harcourt made very sensitive pronucnements that the convention should go ahead but they were ignored by security agencies. We have a judgement of court delivered by Justice Mohammad Liman that gave legality to our convention “, he said.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/not-elect-national-officers-pdp/

APC govt is corrupt too!

it's the fault of APC govt...