₦airaland Forum

FORMER Super Eagles midfield maestro, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has been signed by Indian club Durgapur. Also on board is Samson Siasia who will be the coach of the team. Okocha will earn 550, 000 dollars (about N88.8m), while Siasia will take home 210,000 dollars (N33.9m).

Another Nigerian player, Robert Egbeta was signed by Kolkata for $350,000 (about N56.4m) These signing were part of an auction to herald the newly inaugurated India league, which will commence in March 2012.

Okocha and Siasia who were part of Super Eagles team to the USA’94 World Cup would play alongside other world cup stars like Argentine Hernan Crespo who signed for Barasat for $840,000, he is the highest earning player. Italy World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, is the next most expensive after costing Siliguri $830,000. Other players include Roberto Pires of France and ex England intentional Robbie Fowler

Organizers of the league hope to emulate the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the cricket tournament that attracts huge crowds and which inaugurated the auction system.


Siasia

They also believe that it will inspire more Indians to play football. India is ranked 158 of the 203 football-playing countries.

“I think that we are at the crossroads for Indian football. I am sure that the PLS will provide a new path,” Bhaswar Goswami, one of the organisers, told the BBC.

The tournament is expected to feature six teams. Each has a salary cap of $2.5m.

it is a big lie!

GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State , yesterday, rolled out palliatives that would cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government in the state and admonished political leaders in the country learn to set aside personal political calculations in the larger interest of the polity.

The Governor in a state Broadcast, abolished all fees and levies including PTA in all public secondary schools, reduced school fees by N15,000 for under graduate students of the state-owned Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma both for indigenes and noen indigens, adding that te total value of this reduction will be paid to the University by the Edo State Government en bloc in addition to the N210 monthly subvention.

Other palliatives put in place includes,free medical treatment for pensioners and senior citizens at the age of 70 and above, 50 per cent reduction in transport fare to pupils and students, purchase of more buses and others.

Oshiomhole who noted that Nigerians rejected the removal of fuel subsidy because the public does not trust that the proceeds will be utilized judiciously, assured the people of the state that “We are determined to ensure that the pains arising from the partial removal of subsidy translate to concrete gains for the generality of our people.

While appreciating the people of the state for their support and their unflinching trust, understanding during what he described as the challenging events of the past two weeks, I am deeply gratified by the appreciation of my position and role in the resolution of the crisis arising from the subsidy reduction.

For me, there are no easy solutions to the problems that confront our nation. However, to meet the multi-facetted challenges of good governance, I believe that leaders at all levels need to set aside personal political calculations in the larger interest of the polity.

Therefore, whereas it was convenient for me at this point to exploit the current issue to orchestrate my political interests, especially as elections are around the corner, the overriding interest of our country was utmost in my mind he said.

Serious matter!

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on December 19, 2011, dismissed two applications filed by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole to stop his trial, as the presiding judge, Justice Donatus Okorowa, insisted that there is sufficient evidence placed before the court linking him to the alleged crime. Bankole had lost similar applications at the High Court of the FCT.

Bankole who was arraigned on Wednesday, 08 June 2011, on a 16 criminal count charge of contract inflation and fraudulent embezzlement of public fund, had on June 13 and July 26, 2011, filed two separate motions seeking the court to quash the case against him on the ground that the proof of evidence did not disclose any shred of criminality against him and on another ground that Mr. Keyamo, the EFCC counsel, should be disqualified from prosecuting the case as he has though his previous antecedents, shown that his is biased and impartial towards the accused person.

He had sought the relief of the court to quash the 16th count charge case against him on the ground that the proof of evidence did not disclose any shred of criminality against him. He had also prayed the court to disqualify Festus Keyamo, the EFCC counsel, from prosecuting the case as he argued that he has shown that he is biased and impartial towards him; more so that there was no Attorney General in the office when the charges were filed.

But in his ruling, the judge cited section 4 of the constitution which states that the legislative powers of the House of Representatives shall be vested in the National assembly. He further said that under the Public Procurement Act, PPA, the National Assembly is a contemplation of the Act which makes it culpable.

On the question of who should be charged under the act, the judge pointed out that the PPA had shown in the extended scope of the Act that the National assembly can be charged and it is on record that there is a body of principal officers responsible for awarding contracts. He added that under the Criminal Code, the first accused is liable.

On whether a prima-facie case has been established, Justice Okorowa said there is enough evidence tendered by the prosecution linking the accused and the offences charged against him. He said that the case cannot be struck out because the prosecution filed evidences and that the insufficiency of prove of evidence is immaterial as it is the duty of the court to determine otherwise.

Also speaking on the disqualification of prosecution counsel, Mr. Keyamo from prosecuting the case, the judge said that it is on record that the EFCC has blanket permission from the office of the Attorney general, whether or not a substantive minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation is on sit.

"The office of the Attorney General is a legal creation, and can perform even if a substantive AG is not appointed". The charges, he therefore said remains valid.

Before adjourning the case till February 7 and 8, 2012 for trial, the judge said that the constitution does not question the subjectivity of a prosecutor but it questions the subjectivity of the tribunal or the court.

"A prosecutor can be biased in the cause of prosecuting his case; but the biasness of the prosecutor cannot influenced the court as it is the evidence before the court that influences the decision of the court", he added.

EFCC counsel, Festus Keyamo, had urged the court to dismiss two motions brought by Bankole’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN seeking to quash the charges against him and to disqualify Keyamo from prosecuting the case.

Keyamo argued that the former Speaker was in breach of certain Sections of the Procurement Act and stands accused in the 16 count charge over a N9billion loan scam.

While moving his motion, Keyamo pointed out that Sections 57 and 58 of the Procurement Act clearly emphasizes that ‘all other parties’ other than those mentioned such as contractor and procurement officers, can be prosecuted within that provision.

He further argued that parties to the offence can be those that have the authority to stop the commission of a crime as in the case of Bode George and others. "My Lord there is a striking similarity between this case and that of Bode George because the same arguments were made for them stating that they were not procurement officers but board members. Our argument then and even now, is that Section 7 of the criminal Code recognizes other parties who in one way or the other may have aided or abetted a crime."

He equally noted some loopholes in the defense arguments concerning his disqualification as a prosecutor which he said arises from their inability to support their claim of ‘personal bias ‘from their affidavit.

He said that his petition to the national assembly which they cited as a proof of his ‘bias’ was clear on its intention which stated that the former Speaker was not being accused of any financial impropriety but was being asked for explanation to Nigerians on his role in the matter.

Keyamo also said that he had written a similar letter to another former Speaker Ghali Na’aba as far back as 2005 seeking an explanation on a national issue which clearly shows that there was no personal interest in the matter, Keyamo had also stated that the law does not question in explicit language the impartiality of prosecution but that of the tribunal.

"The court’s role is to hold the scale. In fact, if a prosecutor does not believe in the guilt of the accused person, there is no need taking the brief.

Impartiality in this regard they want to put it means I do not have a mind and this is not correct.

" He pointed out that even if they want to ague on partiality or otherwise of the prosecutor, it should not have come now when the accused person has taken his plea. "My lord it is too late in the day to raise this objection because what qualifies the prosecutor to prefer a charge qualifies him also to proceed with the trial why they didn’t raise it before taking of plea or even filing of charge", he questioned, adding that all the motions by Bankole were subterfuges to truncate the trial.

Awomolo, while making his submissions posited that under Section 58(4a) of the Public Procurement Act, offences can only be committed by specified person namely contractors, suppliers and procurement officers and that his client is none of the aforementioned.

Count one of the 9 count charge against Bankole who was arraigned on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 reads that "That you, Dimeji Bankole and others now at large on or about 28th of May, 2008, within the jurisdiction of Federal High court, being body of principal officers of the house of representatives for the approval of contracts in the house of representatives, with intent to defraud, did conspire amongst yourselves to inflate the cost of 400 units of 40-inch Samsung [LNS.341] television sets. By approving the purchase of said items at the rate of N525,000 per unit, instead of prevailing market price of N295,000 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58[4][a] of the public procurement Act No. 14 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58[5] of the same Act".

http://pointblanknews.com/new/news/3320-n9-billion-loan-scam-bankole-loses-bid-to-stop-trial.html

This is no Federal Government business!

Ijogz K:
During his 1st term in office,  Lagosians were successfully made to believe that Fashola was actually working, when less that 50% of generated income both from the federal level and internally generated tax was spent on Lagos state development. Its now Glaring and Obvious that all Fashola was interested in was his 2nd term bid, which he won on a platter of Gold. Same person that once claimed that 2nd term in office to him is like a child who went to school, failed and repeating the same class. Let's take a look at the current state of the Lagos roads, that our so called special governor is acting oblivious about. Let's not forget that Eti-Osa Local Government and Ikeja LG realizes well over N7Billion from taxes alone.

Let no one be deceived by the construction of the newly built Ikeja City Mall, as it was a joint project with majority of the equity coming in from the Private sector.

In conclusion: "Fashola is as Clueless as Goodluck Ebele Jonanthan presently"


For the 1st part of the Topic (https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-674518.0.html)

Some of you guys will just open your mouth wide and throw out rubbish! It's obvious that you just came to Lagos not long ago. The fact remains that Fashola has performed creditably well. Incase you wish to know, I will list all his accomplishment and you will be amazed. Don't be quick to forget history!

Someone described it as irresponsible journalism! vanguard's editors can do better, even prostate is being refered to as prostrate

If FOOTBALL were to be an academic institution in Nigeria then: Arsenal = FUTO: where the students work hard through out the year but fail to succeed. Manchester City = IGBINEDION: where the students purchase all the expensive items and live large but are never interested in dere primary assignment. Liverpool = UNILAG: where the students are very much proud of the academic achievements of dere grand fathers. Manchester United = UNIILORIN: where students don't perform well in class except dere final exams and achieve good results. Chelsea = OSU where students fail and put the blame on dere VC after which, d government will intervene to find a new VC for the skul every year. R.Madrid = UNIBEN where students think dey perform best and keep beefing d best students of other schools. Finally, Barcelona = U.I,where students work hard, perform well in class and achieve d best result in the whole country. Greatest Nigeria student!!! Greatest U.I!!! Pls pass dis if U̶̲̥̅̊ r proud τ̅☺ be a great U.I student!

rekeson:
U need to visit dat link and see how nigerians are hacking GEJ to death with their comments. Very interesting!!!

I also visited the page on FB, guys are not taking it with GEJ at all. The comments are full of attacks

The list is very real! A formal colleague was shortlisted, at least this person is not a ghost cos I still saw him yesterday

I almost did the same thing, but God has given me an accomodation close to my place of work. Not a bad idea!

IN France, President Nicholas Sarkozy has taken over the leadership of European affairs through the EU. His command performance role in the NATO bombing of Ghaddaffi’s Libya and his offer of assistance to help Nigeria overcome her security challenges over Boko Haram are all seen in Paris as an attempt to shore up his dwindling poll rating for the presidential battle coming up next year.

Conversely, President Calderon of Mexico has had a successfully uninterupetd battle with Mexico’s hard drug gangs because of Mexico’s six-year tenure which is, however, renewable.

But in Nigeria, because of our level of underdevelopment, nothing stops a newly sworn-in president from setting the foundations of his re-election machinery in motion same day as he is elected president. And from thence all funds meant for the infrastructural development of the state are channeled into his re-election bid. Governance is therefore sidelined and the masses groan without any effective means of changing the status quo as even the worst presidents and governors have always won re-election without the people voting for them.

The most salient reason why the seven–year tenure is unbearable for Nigerian politicians is because in Nigeria another election means the emergency of more millionaires. So, the more elections, the more millionaires emerge. In Nigeria, politics is a full time pre-occupation and coupled with the bitterness and acrimony that follow, apostles of “do-or-die” politics have elevated political violence to hitherto unimagined realms.

Most of those in the oppossion of Jonathan’s seven-year single tenure proposal have mishieviously imputed tenure elongation to the President’s proposal despite the President’s vigorous denial of such a plot on Thursday July 28, 2011.

The opposition argument that the seven-year tenure will encourage corruption, indiscipline and inertia in the incumbents is not only hollow and puerile but also lacks merit. There are statutory provisions in the Constitution to checkmate an erring President, with impeachment as the ultimate. Nigeria will from hence demand for no less than visionary and dedicated leaders who will one after the other unlock the hidden treasures of the nation and avail these to better the lot of those pauperized Nigerians who fall under the classification of Franz Fanon’s The wretched of the Earth.

The advantages of a seven-year single tenure which takes into cognizance the differences in tribes and tongues will have a sobering effect on our polity and allay the fears of Nigeria’s marginalised minorities.

Let us not allow partisan politics to derail our nascent democracy. Let us not allow Jonathan-phobia to derail us from our collective destiny of a glorious dawn. President Goodluck Jonathan is already on the mountain top. By virtue of this rare privilege and position, he has seen what ordinary Nigerians are not privileged to see. He has seen so many changes he can make to rectify the deplorable situation in the country. So many leaders have been to this same mountain top and they have seen this rot. And they have not done anything to change the status quo because they are reaping bountifully from the spoils of this anomie.

No matter what the critics say, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that President Jonathan has the vision to lead this country aright and change it from a wasted and wasteful generation to a prosperous nation, fit to be called Africa’s flagship in the comity of nations.

But let us give him time and support to carry out his programmes in spite of our political, cultural and provincial differences.

The Managing Director of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, Mr Gabriel Amuchi, an engineer, in this interview with Favour Nnabugwu in Akwa Ibom spoke on the palliative works on the nation’s roads in readiness for the festive season. Excerpts

FERMA’s funding?

We recognise the difficulty of appropriation and funding because of the several demands on government funds. So, we have started talking to the authorities on other sources of funding for the agency to be able to back up our arrangement for massive road repairs in the country. We have started looking at government having to approve certain areas of funding that may not have to depend strictly on appropriation.

FERMA is also making efforts to reduce its dependence on funding from the Federal government budget by way of collaborating with the private sector through the Private Public Partnership PPP, and mounting border posts like International Vehicle Transit Change, IVTC to fund the operations of the agency.

FERMA MD, Gabriel Amuchi

The number of Federal roads in good condition climbed from 15 per cent in 2007 to 27 per cent in 2010; roads in what could be called fair state moved from 20 per cent to 29 per cent, poor roads dropped from 30 per cent to 10 per cent while bad roads came down from 35 per cent to 34 per cent.

Transit International funding?

Immediately l assumed office, we renewed the request for the formal approval and as at last week, we have forwarded another letter through the Minister of Works to the President for us to commence the international transit vehicle collection on a small scale from every critical borders.

With time, we will develop the modalities to ensure effective collection, effective utilisation and publication of the process so we are very hopeful that the final approval to commence the operation will come.

Ministry of Works retreat

The management retreat of the Ministry of Works is a critical one. If you watch closely, you will see that all the stakeholders on road repairs and construction engineers are here. That is to tell the importance of the retreat. The Minister takes it very seriously and everybody is putting heads together to get the best result.

You can see further from the brainstorming so far that everybody is enthusiastic to get the best result; you can also see from the contributions made so far by the directors.

So, at the end of the retreat, we will be looking at how we can find lasting solutions to road projects without necessarily waiting on government appropriation alone. We can get funds from other options such as the concession, build, operate and transfer.

If you go to some countries and buy an exercise book, you will pay tax no matter how small and the token is channeled to road maintenance. Those are all the options we are putting together and lam sure at the end of the retreat, decisions will be reached to help government and the authorities on so many other ways of funding.

Attitude of Nigerians to roads: We are also going to look at our habit in this country. Road failure is related to habit such as road abuses that we need to stop on time. You build a road and Nigerians come soon after to block the drainage channels. Of course, it is an abuse to excavate on the shoulders of the road.

All those processes are what we are trying to put together in FERMA to check and stop those abuses so that we don’t willfully destroy newly built roads. The road is of great importance to the socio-economic life of the people.

In this country, road development started like foot part and moved to patch holes and then progress into simple surface dressing before we started designing roads and a lot of roads were built during the oil booming era but there were no maintenance programme in place to repair those roads as they were getting old.

So, with non-performance of the rail lines, all our transport came back to the roads and they got distressed and collapsed. So, we what we are doing is continuous recovery in FERMA for preventive maintenance. That is to say if we recover a road, we don’t allow the road to degenerate back to the original state. In the next few weeks, we will be launching the first preventive maintenance programme.

We have commenced patch works allover the country because most of the roads have degenerated a lot and we realise that patching alone will not provide all the solutions. All our road engineers across the country have been directed to continue road patching from now to December to make the road motorable.

That is in progress as we speak and within the available resources, we send funds on a monthly basis to our offices to ensure that the programme continues. We have also deployed patching equipment to critical and economically viable roads to ensure those roads don’t fail between now and December.

Any one who has gone through the programme on papper will surely support the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, but can we trust our government? We have had such promises in the past to no avail!

warrior01:
@ Beaf, you are right on point; just wish some people can think objectively even for a minute. no doubt, with subsidy removal there will be some pains but on the long run, nigerians will be better for it though still waiting for the disclosure of the palliative measure promised by the F

He is such an insensitive fellow!

Beaf! You are the one that is ignorant and uniformed about the susidy of a thing.

Adamawa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of three police officers, including an Assistant Superintendent, ASP, and two inspectors for allegedly renting arms and ammunition from the police armoury to robbers, as exclusively reported by Vanguard a fortnight ago.

They were alleged to have stolen different categories of arms and ammunition which they gave to robbers for certain amount of money for every operation they reportedly carried out.

At a briefing, in Yola, state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adenrele Shinaba, noted that the issue of insecurity in the past two weeks had generated a lot of anxiety between the police and the public.

Shinaba said those arrested in connection with the large-scale stealing of arms and ammunition include a retired armourer, one ASP Abuna Mainasara, from Gombe State as well as Inspectors Daniel Eliphas and Abubakar Hali.

He added that the two serving officers had been dismissed from the force after undergoing orderly room trial, preparatory to being charged to court.

The police chief said, following consistent reports of missing firearms from the police armoury, he ordered an investigation which revealed that the theft was perpetrated by the retired armourer, whom he described as the chief supplier of arms with which armed robbers used for their nefarious activities in Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe states, with one civilian, identified as Stephen Tizhe, as their accomplice in the business.

The arms recovered from the dismissed police officers include AK 47 rifles, 1,200 rounds of live ammunition and one empty magazine with which the rifles were said to have been rented out to the robbers at the rate of N200,000 per operation.

Shinaba, however, denied reports about a certain text message from an officer in the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, which led to the arrest of an ASP and 20 other policemen by a vigilante outfit leader in the state, Alhaji Ali Kwara, saying the rumour was not only false but aimed at tarnishing the image of the police.

He said there was no truth in the speculation, as Kwara had worked closely with the police to reduce robbery in the state


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/asp-inspectors-sacked-for-renting-arms-to-robbers/

manchy7531:
That is a lazy man's thinking.without oil it will be easy for us to split and  am very confident  Biafra will be the most industrialized.I trust my people.We dey kampe.

I just pity the south south people.This is the time to develop themselves but they are playing politic with their future,forgetting the the oil as we were told is non replaceable.if the oil finishes? I know the south south people aside maybe the ibibio and efik are very lazy and useless especially the ijaws,urobo and itsekiri.They have all the wealth but still their people are still the most backwards people in the south.illiteracy is high,joblessness is their hubby,ogogoro is their best friend,waiting for oil company monthy/yearly allowance is their Savior.obviously the igbos in the south-south will go back to their root when then time comes back no doubt about that cos they will not want to be with the next somalia.the SS are afraid of the igbo domination at the same time they so hate themselves.whether oil or on oil the igbo themselves are an economy.for the south west am sure they will be fine as well and they will lure the igbos to come and do non-oil business with them but i don't know where to place the south south asides oil.look at their environment(air,land & water).its one of the worst in the world.that means they cant even do agriculture.the fishes which the can sell are all been killed.fertile farmland are been destroyed.fresh air is been polluted with gas flaring which causes all sorts of illness.who will want to live in the kinda environment?

Jona is their president but he prefers to dance around with dangote and the like in government house instead of remembering his root(i don't blame his imbecility any time i remember he is an ijaw man).BTW am not even sure of an ijaw man ruling this country again till after 100yrs cos the next time it comes to SS it will either be Efik or ibibio.(i love this people.they are our true and trusted brothers).

At least, you made a contribution.

manchy7531:
pray and hope it dries up faster and earlier than that so that we can face d reality of life.


By the way.can water the ground dry up??Am ye to believe oil will dry up.it is God given just like day and night.

Even with it, Nigeria is in bad shape. How do you think Nigeria will look like without it. I don't think it will be a good thing

EXCEPT the Federal Government urgently creates aggressive policies of hydrocarbon reserves replacement, geologists and other stakeholders in the oil sector have raised an alarm that the nation’s crude oil reserve would be totally depleted in the next 37 years precisely by 2048.

Stakeholders are currently worried that with a production output of 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, Nigeria currently depletes about 1 billion barrels of crude oil annually from its 37.2 billion barrels of hydrocarbon reserves.

This was the position of Mr. Guy Maurice, Managing Director of Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, at the opening of the 29th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, in Lagos, yesterday.

According to him, policies must be put in place for industry to gain a lot of time in the contracting cycle, especially by drastically shortening and reducing the time to access rigs for exploration in the Nigerian waters, “the country should make reserves replacement a priority.

“If we take a critical look at perspectives for growing reserves in the next decade, the answer is exploration, exploration and more explorations to run parallel to development projects, which are also becoming more and more expensive to execute, due to slippages in complex contractual environment, couple with security challenges.”

Several stakeholders and operators in the nation’s oil and gas sector have lamented the highly noticeable absence of the Federal Government, especially the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Austen Oniwon from the opening ceremony.

The conference which had the theme “Perspectives on Growing Hydrocarbon Reserves in the Next Decade” is one of the annual major conferences and exhibition in the oil and gas industry.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/11/nigeria’s-crude-oil-to-dry-up-in-37-years-except…/

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Tuesday returned to his alma mater, Birch Freeman High School, Surulere to hand over a new block of 21 classrooms, acknowledging that his character was formed at the school.

The Governor who spoke at the School premises in Akobi Crescent, Surulere before a gathering which included Old boys and present students, said, “This was where I was made. My character was formed here. I learnt leadership and punctuality here as a school prefect”.

Governor Fashola recalled with nostalgia that in the course of his schooling years at Birch Freeman High School, he met a lot of good people and made lifelong friends many of whom he still keeps today.

“I was also privileged to have met great teachers; humanists, who were absolutely committed to the development of young people and enriching the human capital of this country.

“The school blocks and buildings were largely made of concrete foundation and wooden walls except the dining hall, the Principal’s block which contained the science laboratories and the new block behind it that later became the seniors block”, the Governor recalled.

The Lagos State Governor however stated that nothing could prepare him for what he met, when he visited the site of his alma mater sometime in 2007 after assuming office as the Governor.

“Not only had the classroom blocks made of wood walls disappeared, the dining room, the Principal’s block and the Seniors Block were shadows of themselves. My treasured memories were shattered. A shocking and painful reality had supplanted it”.

“It seemed that everything that I could point to as references of who I was had evaporated. All of it almost, except for one thing, the Old Boys. Some were my classmates, some my juniors and some my seniors”.

He said even in that broken environment, the presence of the Old Boys was a huge comfort because there was stil a past made by boys who had become men, who refused to surrender their dream.

Governor Fashola stated that, the credit for the new building should go to them because they kept hope alive and lived the motto of the school, “they were trained for duty and for God. And in serving God they promote the fortunes of the present generation so that we can achieve the torch passing moment of today”.

“So it comes to be that with the inspiration of dedicated Old Boys and a concertion of efforts, Government is driven to act in areas of compelling need such as infrastructure”.

The Governor noted that the work is not yet finished because there are still drainage issues to resolve which will require the recovery of every inch of land that belonged to the school.

He notified all squatters or occupiers of land that belong to Birch Freeman that their trespass has ended while directing they start relocating henceforth adding that he intends working with the Old Boys Association to reclaim and return back to the school every inch of land that used to belong to her.

The Governor who said no honour can be too much as a gesture of appreciation for the men and women who led the Old Boys while they were students and thereafter dedicated the block of classroom to the memory and honour of a former Principal, Reverend T.A. Ojo.

Earlier in his address, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye said the present administration remains committed to the provision of qualitative education to the people.

She said the new block of classrooms is one of the policies of the State Government to enhance teaching and learning in public schools and also address the issue of over population in classrooms.

Mrs Oladunjoye who stated that enrolment will increase with the new block of classrooms which has been facilitated by the Governor who has not forgotten his roots also appealed to the school authorities to take proper care of the facilities in the school.

She also appealed to parents and guardians of pupils to take more than a passing interest in the school activities of their children and wards to make them good children.

Also speaking the President of the Birch Freeman High School Old Boys Association, Mr Temi Diyan commended the Governor for fulfilling his promise to his school to do something about its present state.

He stated that Governor Babatunde Fashola is an inspiration to all the Old Boys whom they are all extremely proud of.

He gave a commitment that the Old Boys are committed to work with the State Government in developing the school, stating that the Old Boys will also build a school hall that everyone can point to.

Mr Diyan sought the Governor’s intervention in addressing the issue of encroachment of the school’s property as well as fencing the round the structure to secure the environment.

Prominent among those who witnessed the ceremony were members of the State Executive Council including a classmate of the Governor and Special Adviser on Revenue and Taxation, Mr Abimbola Shodipo, Onitire of Itire, Oba Lateef Dauda and several Old Boys, pupils and teaching staff of the school.

The Governor later handed over the building which is made up of 21 classrooms with a capacity for 1050 students, a hall with a capacity for 450 students, state of the art laboratory, two staff rooms, a Vice Principal’s office, a modernized Principal’s Office, borehole for water supply, toilet at all floors, janitors room at all floors, landscaping with walk ways, gate house with fence and student furniture while being assisted by the Onitire of Itire.

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=news&nid=1620

manchy7531:
Pls lagosians is Fashola still working cos i have not heard of any new project that has been commissioned in Lagos anymore, and the popular "Fashola is working,Lagos is working"slogan seem to have faded.was the slogan use to re-elect him for a second term or what.

what is happening to Lagos,is Lagos still working ACN??

Yes, Fashola is still working! He just approved another road that starts from NNPC @ Ejigbo linking Ajao Estate with a bridge, the 10 lanes with a light rail from Badagary to CMS  is ongoing and the second phase has just been approved. Also, Ago/Okota road is in pogress also, too many to be mentioned! Fash is working, Lagos is working!

To help boost the fight against hunger and poverty in Africa, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accepted to be a “Goodwill Ambassador ” of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

A statement issued by the IITA in Ibadan said Dr Nteranya Sanginga, the institute’s Director-General, announced Obasanjo’s acceptance after a closed door meeting with the former President in Abeokuta.

The statement said Obasanjo as Goodwill Ambassador would help in advocating for policies that would advance research and bring to reality the long-awaited African Green Revolution. It further said that the former president would help extend, amplify and help focus on the work and mission of IITA in sub-Saharan Africa.

Obasanjo’s work, it added, would involve helping to raise 20 million Africans out of poverty and to redirect 25 million hectares of degraded lands for sustainable use in the next 10 years. Sanginga said the institute was honoured by Obasanjo’s acceptance of the offer.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ and former President of Nigeria, eating bread with 50 per cent cassava content; and IITA Scientist, Dr. Gbassey Tarawali in Abeokuta yesterday. Picture Wunmi Akinola.

Born in March 1937, Obasanjo became the first Nigerian Head of State to hand over to a democratically elected president; first as a military head of state in 1979, and second in 2007 as a civilian president. Before Obasanjo’s administration in 1999, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product growth was painfully slow since 1987 and only managed three per cent growth between 1999 and 2000. However, under Obasanjo, the growth rate doubled to six per cent until he left office, helped in part by higher oil prices.

Nigeria’s foreign reserves rose from $2 billion in 1999 to $43 billion on his leaving office in 2007. He was also able to secure debt pardons from the Paris and London clubs amounting to some $18 billion and paid another $18 billion to be debt free. Most of these loans were secured and spent by past officials. In 2005, the international community gave Nigeria’s government its first pass mark for its anti-corruption efforts. In the agricultural sector, Obasanjo initiated the presidential initiatives on Nigeria’s major commodities including cassava, maize, rice and cocoa.

His 10 per cent cassava policy mandated flour millers to include cassava flour in wheat.

This boosted cassava production by 10 million tonnes between 2002 and 2008 and made Nigeria the world’s number one producer of cassava and maize. As a statesman, Obasanjo had been involved in mediating peace in conflict-stricken countries such as Cote d’Ivoire and DR Congo. In accepting IITA’s offer, Obasanjo said the fight against hunger and poverty was a ‘battle’ he intended to fight in retirement.

Good day guys, I have been invited for an interview at interswitch as a Quality Assurance Analyst. Please I need general info about their interview pattern and other things that can help me to succeed.

Thank you

@ Pukkah, fella, have you gone to sleep or you have gone to reinforce? Nihilarian!

@ Pukkah, blathering like the silly billy that you are. You had better save your save from the unnecessary haedache you may cause yourself

@ Violent, you have spoken like a matured fellow! Leave that silly billy

lucenzo:
lol,   Pukkah, which way "na". That dude could be someone's dad. I pity his kids. You want to correct your first lady.  Dunce.

You! Why do you have to pity my kid even if I had one?