₦airaland Forum

In a recent experience most Nigeria flights/airlines are saddled with flight delays,over bookings and cancellation.
Passagers should be aware of their rights and possible compensations especially if the flights is Europe bound .
NLers please share your flights delays and cancellation experiences and lets see how we can initiate corrective measures.

UPDATE AS PUBLISHED:SUNDAY VANGUARD 24TH JANUARY 2009

Registration of Foundation at the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja,

HEALTH FOUNDATION FOR MATERNAL & CHILD CARE
The Trustees are
1.Mr xxxxxx
2.Mrs xxxxxx
3.Mrs xxxxxx
4.xxxxxxxx
5.xxxxxxxx
6.xxxxxxxx
7.xxxxxxxxx

The aims and objectives are
1.To raise women awareness on health issues
2.To enlighten and aid the rural women on female ailments.

benincitys:
greetings from benincitys2 all you headz out there, im on travel be in benin-city its tough and the electrix are off all the time, its mothafuckin hot sweeting cant go 2da internet its ocupied by yahoo-boys. miss you all, my white baby turn2black and is coverd by moscitobitez,da car is not working aircon is not workin, but after all its still a lot off fun, seee family and see life as it is or as it can be. (writen by mi guy) big shout2all & benincitys

Glad u are finally in naija.I left Benin this morning,it could be fun but is expensive to have a nice in naija without NEPA.Gen set was angry of me lol.
Have a nice time and wish u safe journey back.I am due back by weekend.
Cheers

lucabrasi:
i dont think fashola's wife has an ngo,besides i think the lady should be given the benefit of doubt till she abuses the trust,i dont think her husband will allow her to use the ngo to siphon funds,at least not at the rate the iboris dukes e.t.c did, i dont have any evidence of this just speculations though

The first lady is part of the government,so why do she need an NGO to function ?.Even with good course she is runing a paralel government with her husband.

JJYOU:
how did you know this?

I am in Benin City right now and with a copy of my source of information.Will be published here on NL on arrival to the UK.

JustGood:
Is she the minister for education?

She is not.
I am sure she in collaboration of his brother Victor Eboigbe are trying to derail her husband's administration.

The first lady of Edo state recently form a charity organisation to educate rural women on health issues.Could this be a means to waste government money when her initiative could be channelled through the ministry of health to make the Comrade Oshiomole's administration a success?.

benincitys:
how did you book the hotel you stay in?

I booked over the counter.
When are you coming into the country ?
Send me an email if you want brownbonno@yahoo.com.

Arrived in Lagos on saturday through BBellview airlines.Hotel was ok but reservation is always not a tradition with naija hotels.
I was in Benin city yesterday through air arik,spent a night,ad presently reporting Delta state.
Wish you a nice stay in Naija.

lerelondon:
@brownbonno, u make me laugh, u are very unserious, wht is ur business?.do u know wht terrorism is?guess not,, because I think u are a terrorist yourself because u have just said u hate people,,then check out ur spelling to make sure it is correct. I would advise u read and re read ur sentances well,, or my 10 yr old cousin cld help u out on spellings, yes Ican help him out of the UK in 3 days because I bethe is another illegal person like yourself who would not mind his or her business, funnily no messages was sent to any of u people but u chose to meddle in other people's affairs, If someone starts off trouble then I would let u knw I am trouble myself.My telephone number again in case u did not write it down is 07859730430, ok ,,u can leave urs too and maybe u want to meet up and discuss this u can leave ur number too and tell me where to meet u so we cld go for coffee and tell u somethings u do not know, when did u even come to the UK yourself??and when was the last time u talked about the values of Nig.talkless of london and I am sure u are some of those who hide the job they do,
Just sit down to ur eba and ogbona, iti

Now i can understand your naive sort of person,who have just manage to escaped from the shackles of poverty from Nigeria only to come to the UK and assume the life of a BIG MAN and a bully.Thank God for the internet,you are only a faceless human being and i sincerely believe the glorify university of the UK-SBU cannot hire a mannerless person like you as lecturer.We have seen better days and cannot succumb to your arrogant life style because you manage to send £500 worth cars to Nigeria.
You want to deport somebody in 3 days ?that shows your ignorance of the immigration laws/rules and a pure educated illitrate.
Well i cannot tell you what i do,but won;t settle for Southbank University job like you.
You are sick and need to see a therapist.I am sure you have (ASD).

lerelondon:
@jaybee, we are both in UK ,, problem solved,,If you are a man, leave ur number here or ur address,let me come and visit you, I would make sure i ruin ur family's only hope of bread, you would land in lagos 3 days from now, I swear!, my number is 07859730430,,

Hi LereLondon,
I usually don;t get involve in issue like this,but with exception i hate people threatening his fellow country man for what ever reason i don;t care.
Why do you thing you have got the right to send somebody OUT of the UK within 3 days and with the type of words you are using,this is terrorism and we frawn at it here in the UK.Your telephone number will be tagged to weigh the strength of your threats which is inimical to the societal values of this country UK.

lagos88:
[b][/b]China is a role model to all developing nations around the globe.

After centuries of oppression and domination by western nations, most developing nations are trying to pull their nations up from poverty. They look at China's rapid progress as an example.

China also give aid and technical help to these nations and have formed many bilateral relations for the benefit of everyone.

However, it is not only the developing nations that benefit from China. The developed nations benefit as well.

Recently, China has helped to arbitrate between the US and North Korea. There are also many more examples too numerous to mention.

A typical Naija idea!!!!
What China is doing is what any country with a large population should do.Similar to India jus creating internal market by taking advantage of the population strength.
Although have Nigerian business have China as a their prefered partners,don;t forget that the most products are substandard.The communist tendency is there,in some areas there in China all international telephone are routed throgh an operator to connect you to your destination.
On the international scene they are wash off.

angel72:
it's ok. I just wanted to help the poster, not irritate you

No wahala.

@JJYOU,why u wan pour water for our petrol fire brand relationship ?Lol

angel72:
My main language isn't english, but is it really important how i expressed myself over that hotel? I thought that we were trying to help the poster to get an answer to her question, not correcting eachothers grammar? I have been reading a lot on this forum and there are many people here that can't even write english, and your bothering yourself over the fact that i wrote that the hotel is very [i][/i]dirty? get a life!

Ok i hear U.No vex.

angel72:
Airport hotel is a very dirty hotel.

I am sure you forgot your Brighter grammar book on a better usage of your superlative abjective,or you need some college.

JJYOU:
o boy no vex na. i ask simple kwuerstion why you dey vex like this for new year?

your info is good i just wanted u to clerify the security thing. e be like say na you be the manager for the place as you get all these info under your pillow like this.

hapy new year

I no dey vex my dia,experience is the best teacher.It will unwise for me to give security info a-z here on this forum.
Manager ke,who dash me.I be dia customer ahev been patronising them for couple of years now after several disappointments from some top hotels there in Lagos.

JJYOU:
security interest as in? please explain.

I said "my security interest"

If you think the security in Sheraton Lagos Hotel & Towers
30, Mobolaji Bank -Anthony Way, is the best,then i wish you good luck.

FYI,Lagos Airport Hotel was one of the accredited hotel for 14th April 2007 election international monitoring team.

Ikeja
Lagos Airport Hotel
111, Obafemi Awolowo Way,
Ikeja, Lagos
Tel: 01-497870 - 9


Rates,range from N11000 per night + Breakfast.
Alot of Bureau De Change within the Hotel,registered car hire service,security staff within every lobby.Have been there several times and will always go back there,it might not be the best hotel in town it suit my security interest.
3mins walk to Alade market and tantalizer(Allen avenue)
If you wish to fly to Benin City try Aero contractor,Virgin Nigeria and Arik airlines.Rates,about N14k/N16k with 20kg luggage allowance and N150 per kilo for excess luggage.
Wish you the best.

lucabrasi:
students like the national association of nigerian students

Do we still have NANS in Nigeria ?Since the Ogagas of Uniben,The Maiyeguns of Unilag and Sowores of Unilag left the scene,the almighty NANS is dead.
Most Nigeria youths are betrayals,when they find a space within the political elites,sudenly they forget where they are coming from.
Example,when Dr Sam Amadi left us in UNICAL to law school and subsequently to Gani Fawehimi;s chambers we where of the hope that he will be groomed with the "Ganism" but today he went from SA to Ken Nnamani to the Director Ken Nnamani Center for Leadership & Development,Abuja.

asha 80:
@brownbono

Please suggest ways of bettering nigeria.

Firstly,Nigeria should practice true Federalism where the governance is closer to the people.That will effectively challenge our leaders to engage on a meaningful developmental strategies that will affect the lives of their people.
A clear interpretation of the recurrent and the residual list and functions will be well emphasise.
I could go on and on but first thing first,power should be returned to the people.

shotster50:
So now we are judging Igbo people too!!! gosh.

Sorry this is no judgement,but people should try and think outside of the box.There are better ways to solve Nigeria problem and not by glorifying the "no winner,no loser" slogan of the civil war.

luka1981:
this is the best politician in nigeria today, he has started fulfilling all his promises like compansetion of the victims of electoral voilence. he gave them 5 million naira each. now he is assuring the people that they are the leader of the goverment.

Well,the compensation paid to those families are only compersionate but not statutory.The family should have gone through administrative/constitutional means to seek a redress because the victims where performing a civil duty as enshrine in the constitution.
Personally,the 5 million naira each was a waste of government money and there was no need for that.rather encourage them to pursue a suite and eventually a compensation from the "state".

It is unfortunate that after 30 year  of the Biafra war,most people cannot understand the Ojukwu;s point of views.Ojukwu who was the arrow head of the Biafrans never represented the massess,he never saw the need for the poor because the wealth of his father was his backbone to wipe the Ekweres out mainland Port Harcourt and assume a feudal power over Rivers state.
Quickly did he forget he cannot just pocket other ethnics groups from the Ijaws,Efik ,Ibibios without a clear agenda for them in the new BIAFRA state.
Yes,Isaac Boro died as a Nigerian troop,because he saw the greed and selfish desire of Ojukwu to create a nation for himself.
The Ibos of today should shy away from the old and think how much they unite themselves.Former Governor Orji Kalu still belong to the old mentality of selfish desire minded people who are ready to kill to make ways for themselves.During his term as Governor of Abia state,Aba the business hub of the state was in a decay situation.The Aba-Port harcourt and Aba Owerri road was an eye saw,and this is the same person that form his own party because he cannot get a presidential ticket from PDP.
Personally,the Ibos are nice people and they should direct their energy to useful purposes and forget that evil behind that BIAFRA ideology
http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/826/48/

http://www.gamji.com/article4000/NEWS4657.htm

kosovo:
until we see his commissioners list, before we can tell if we need him at national level or not.
one thing about activists is NOISE.
he is very much confused now, he can't even select one name, when all the big fools have given him their list. MR Tony aneni has his list too. lol.
6weeks going and all we can do is sit down at look, before you know it 100 days in office and no lagacy.

Its quite understandable that the Governor cannot run the affairs of the State on a one man squad,but creating an executive council without assessing of affairs of the state is the best thing to do.

Governor Oshiomhole put the monthly internally generated revenue in the state at N350 million, while government expenses by way of overhead and other entitlements for civil servants, House of Assembly and other government agencies, stood at over N1.4 billion outside road construction and maintenance.

http://nigerianobservernews.com/30122008/news/news2.html

How can he maintain his Commissioners and Advisers when the finance is in poor state ?
The Asset Verification Team is still on their assignment,and it is evident that most party chieftains and executive council members of the Osunbor administration have absconded with government vehicles.
Well the deputy governor have assured the people of Edo state that the new executive members with constitute vibrant young men/women below the age of 40 to help re vigorate the state to an enviable status as the HEART BEAT OF NIGERIA

JJYOU:
wonders called naija

Its going to be a tough one for Oshiomole since the legislative arm of the state is constituted by the PDP members.

Why I sacked 95 transport company workers, by Oshiomhole 24/12/2008


From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said he sacked 95 workers of the state-owned transport company, the Edo City Transport Services (ECTS) because their appointment did not follow due process.

Oshiomhole, who spoke when he visited the company yesterday, said they were imposed by some godfathers.

His explanation came against the backdrop of the invitation of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon. Pally Iraise by the State House of Assembly to explain why the workers were sacked.

Acting Managing Director of ECTS, Emmanuel Evbuomwan told the lawmakers that the workers were sacked on the SSG’s instruction.

The governor decried the imposition of workers on government-owned institutions by godfathers and politicians.

This, he said, were responsible for the poor performance of the institutions.

"We cannot keep people who are employed because of godfathers. That is how all government institutions have been ran down. We said they should be removed because of easy come, easy go. If you were dumped on ECTS because you have a godfather even when the company does not need you, you don’t have any job doing here. Now, those godfathers who imposed you are gone, you have to follow them. It is not right for godfathers to impose people on organisations. There are a lot of jobs outside in the public works.

"When next the House invites you, tell them that these people were dumped on the company. Tell them that they make laws but those laws were not followed. The law that set up this place does not empower the governor to dump whoever he likes here. We must run this country on the basis of what is right and what is just. It is not about who has power. It is only Edo people that can intimidate you," Oshiomhole said

He added: "I affirm those who were sacked, remained sacked. They were not properly employed. They did not follow due process and they were put in there by people who think they were powerful. This government is not based on those principles."

Evbuomwan said in his nine years at the company, no vacancies had been advertised.

"I just see workers here. We don’t have vacancies for them. They come in because they have a godfather. No interviews were conducted," he said.

But the State House of Assembly yesterday said Oshiomhole lacked the powers to sack the workers.

It said all the actions of the Osunbor administration were legal and binding on his successor.

The Minority Leader, Paul Ohonbamu, representing Egor Constituency, said: "All the actions taken by Osunbor were legal. It was only the elections that were annulled. We are in a civilised society."

After contributions by other lawmakers, the Assembly adopted a resolution calling on all the workers to return to work.

The motion was moved by Hon. Kingsley Ehigiamusoe, representing Igueben constituency. It was seconded by Hon. Fred Omogberai.

http://www.thenationonlineng.com/dynamicpage.asp?id=73357

otukpo:
I feel very disappointed reading the opinions of brownbonno and his likes on this topic. It is the people like him that has made this country to be in this rotten state that it is. With people like them, corruption and hypocrisy will continue to be in Nigeria public service.

I really do not want to abuse anybody, cause it is not decent to do so. But i think it is only a daft, or a paid agent of those people they are promoting that will reason the way they do.

Obviously, some people really do not want Nigeria to move forward, they don't wish Nigeria well and they don't want Nigeria to be free from the clutches of poverty, hunger, hopelessness and sickness that the actions of our corrupt leaders have put us in.

With the Likes of brownbonno that are bent on supporting evil, the likes of Ribadu and El-Rufai, i feel very sorry for this country because the future might be more bleak than we imagined.

Those that are trying to shield Ribadu and El-Rufai from justice, i urge u to have a rethink, because those people paying you to do so, does not have the interest of u and ur future generations at heart. A word is enough for the wise.

otukpo,

I took the pain to read through your 18 post so far here on Nairaland for a thorough profiling.In all i am not surprise in your abusive attitude,even when you profess to be religious,with a good romance with all the Saints and Popes yet your lips are full with abusive words.
I will forgive you for your lack of knowledge and respect for other peoples opinion.
I wish you grown up soon so that you can fit in and enjoy a meaningful discuss that can reshape the face of the nation,Nigeria.

Femi Babafemi


Head, Media & Publicity

21/12/2008

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Nasir El-Rufai replies:


The Facts Speak for Themselves

1. On 18 Oct, 2008, the EFCC vide a letter with reference number (CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/BF.2/Vol.33/389) wrote my client, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to present himself before the commission to clarify matters relating only to petitions written against him with regard to a petition by Suleiman Yahya of Rosehill Nigeria Ltd, on:
i. Allocation of so-called PHCN land
ii. Allocation of NIPOST land

2. In a reply to this invitation dated 28th Nov., 2008, on behalf of my client Mallam El-Rufai, I intimated the commission about the strenuous nature of his studies abroad and impending Fall Term examinations he was about to take. I requested from the commission a questionnaire on the two subjects for my client through me, which he would gladly fill and assured that I will be at hand constantly to clarify any issue perturbing the commission since I am knowledgeable of the matter.

3. Strangely and most inexplicably, the EFCC proceeded to issue a 2 week ultimatum to El-Rufai to appear before it or it will declare him a wanted man for a matter that has endured for 2 or more years, is not of urgent national importance, and with a lawyer who has comprehensive documentary brief at hand to speak on his behalf at the EFCC.

4. Feeling apprehensive about the strange logic and difficult to explain nature behind this ultimatum, El-Rufai approached the Federal High Court on 15th December, 2008 for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights which are now under severe threat. Court papers were duly served the EFCC on 16th Dec., 2008 (copy attached).

5. In a bizarre and most disturbing turn of events, the EFCC, in utter disregard of a court order, validly served it, and as a servant of an administration that prides itself as a respecter of rule of law and due process, proceeded to declare El-Rufai wanted with fanfare, and in all available mass media channels, not for only the so-called PHCN and NIPOST matters for which he was invited to appear before it, but also for an unrelated issue of N32 billion proceeds from the sales of FGN properties in the FCT which has never been an issue between the EFCC and El-Rufai.

6. Regarding the issue of the N32 billion alleged unaccounted for proceeds from the sales of the FGN properties which the EFCC is now clutching unto as the basis for its ill-advised and illegal action, the records show the following:

i. Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai was FCT Minister Between July 2003 to May 2007 and supervised the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Sale of FGN Houses in Abuja during the period.

ii. The Committee for the sale of FGN Houses in the FCT functioned under El-Rufai’s chairmanship between 2005 and May 2007. Public servants handled the sales processes and all the proceeds of sale were collected by the Chairmen of the Ad-Hoc Committee (Dr. Abdu Mukhtar and Mr. Abbas Umar – who are still in the service of the FCTA). The FCT Director of Treasury, Mr. Ibrahim Ibrahim Habu Sule handled all financial matters relating to the proceeds of sale. He is still in the service of the FCTA.

iii. The Gross receipt as at 31st May 2007 stood at N55.88 Billion, from the seven rounds of public biddings. Walk in sales was also conducted in May, 2007. These accounts were jointly audited by Akintola Williams, Deloitte, Touche and Aminu Ibrahim & Co., and submitted to the Incoming Administration.

iii. It seems that the genesis of the alleged missing N32 Billion stems from the report of FCT Senate Committee that conducted public hearings on FCT Administrations (1999 – 2007). On page 44 of its report the committee claimed that:

“also on sale of FGN Houses, the total receipt is 96.7 Billion and deductions were N34.2 Billion and the balance was given as N62.198B The Bank statements show only N29 Billion, leaving a balance sum of N32 Billion unaccounted for despite all demands from him Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai and his officers.”

iv. Not only are these statements false, and this is partly why we have challenged the validity, fairness and legality of the entire report, in the Federal High Court - but also no one ever requested the officers named above (still in FCTA’s service, and not “El-Rufai and his officers”) to provide any information, which was not furnished.

v. It is clear that the Senate Committee reached it’s conclusion based on a submission of the FCT Adhoc Committee on sale of Government Houses, containing updated records of transactions up to April 2008. By this submission, total receipts have grown from about N55 billion to N96.74 Billion over 73% from the situation in March 2007. Most of these collections were made in the nearly one year that Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai was no longer Minister of FCT.

v. Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai wishes to place it on record that the Senate Committee, EFCC or any other body never at any point requested him to clarify or explain any issue relating to proceeds of sales of FGN houses. Even if they did he can only account for what happened when he was a Minister, and certainly not thereafter.

vi. The submission of the FCT Adhoc Committee on sale of FGN houses to the Senate Committee clearly accounted for the N96.7 Billion received at April, 2008 (and El-Rufai has nothing to do with collections beyond May, 2007) as the following data shows:

advertisement

S/No.
Item

Amount


Deductions



1
Total Receipts

96,736,323,257.76

2
Transfer to CBN (75%)
19,145,104,978.97


3
Transfer to FCT (25%)
6,381,701,659.66


4
Expenses
1,819,889,739.02


5
Refunds (to 2,191 persons)
6,734,636,354.26


6
Returned Drafts and Bank Charges
214,423,222.66


7
Total Deductions

34,295,755,954.58

8
Available Balance

a) General Accounts

b) Facility Accounts

c) Un-banked Drafts

Sub Total

d) Application Fee


45,410,268,273.50

17,019,170,447.53

57,910,800.00

62,487,349,521.03

11,128,582.15














62,498,478,103.18


Grand Total

96,736,323,257.76



It is clear that there was no basis for the Senate Committee to declare N32 Billion “unaccounted for”, and even if there are explanations to be made, it is for those in charge after May 2007 to do so. This is simply an attempt to smear El-Rufai’s reputation by blaming him for the incompetence, greed and sloppiness of his successor.

vii. Interestingly, the immediate supervising Minister in charge of FCT, Mr. Remi Babalola, was reported to have publicly declared that the accounts for the sale of FGN houses have been fully reconciled and N46 Billion was recovered and transferred to FGN accounts with CBN. Even though this has nothing to do with Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai or his tenure as FCT Minister, a more pertinent question to ask will be how the money was recovered and under what circumstances? Where had the money gone to when El-Rufai was being accused of “not accounting” for it?

viii. It is also pertinent to remind every agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria that the issue of the legality of the smear campaign against El-Rufai, including “N32 billion unaccounted for”, and indeed the entire Senate Committee’s report are issues for determination before a Federal High Court, a matter that should ordinarily not attract this kind of commentary but for the EFCC’s unwarranted action. During the substantive determination of the issues, we will evidence and witnesses that will answer some of the motives behind this whole charade, and will not want to say ay more.

http://www.saharareporters.com/Elrufai_v_EFCC.php

chidichris,

I appreciate your response.When i mean patriotic minded,i was not specific to El-Rufai but to other well meaning Nigerian with good heart to help the nation grow.
Firstly,The chairman and other members of the hearing committee have personal interest in the case because their own properties that where seized/demolished.Since you cannot be a judge in your own case,i can imagine what recommendation we should expect from such a committee.
Secondly,non of Nigeria public office holders are saints and we should be able to separate the sheep from the goats.The performance of some of the OBJ key officers in his administration will ever remain in the GOOD history book of Nigeria.
Nigeria can only be better if corruption is handled in a more drastic way,although Ribadu is not perfect but his efforts as EFCC man is worth emulating.The Mrs Waziri of EFCC is not ready yet to fight corruption and must start with herself before inviting another person(s) for interrogation.Did you care to ready about Former Gov Igbinedion plea judgement.He will only pay about N3.5m and a property in GRA Benin city,when there are clear evidence that he stole more than N4b from Edo state people.
Why has the EFCC not gone back and ask James Ibori why he did not declare his criminal past in the UK when contesting for the Governorship position?Legally,that will mean he was not qualify to contest in the first place.Did the Police do and background check ?So tell me who is the scapegoat ?

chidichris:
what kind of madness are we experiencing in the hands of our ex-office holders. why is it that self acclaimed messiahs of our country nigeria will always run away from questions as soon as they leave office?

What madness do you identify here ?This same man was called on a public hearing by the Senate,he is in the UK facing his study and have honestly appointed an attorney to represent his interest with the EFCC.Do you expect him to abandon his study for a visit to EFCC ?Get serious brother.
Nigeria is only scaring away the patriotic minded from serving their father land.

Nigerian couple battles to recover five children from UK local council    21/12/2008
     





Charles and Ronke Tejaiye, a Nigerian couple is frantically battling to reclaim the custody of their five kids, ages between ten, eight, six, five and two years respectively, who were curiously taken by the social workers at Greenwich Council, London, for adoption by different families in the United Kingdom, reports Sunday Oguntola .

“They watched helplessly, agonising inwardly as their children were shared to complete strangers. For their previous protests, they were labeled aggressive and mentally-unbalanced. With all of these, they believe they are simply victims of racial and class prejudice.”

When Charles and Ronke Tejaiye lost a close relation back in Nigeria few years ago, they had no idea it was one loss that could be too many. That loss, unknown to them, would trigger off further family losses.

As the funeral rites of the deceased relation approached, the Nigerian couple had left their United Kingdom base to pay last respects for the departed back home in keeping with tradition.

With no foreboding of any trouble, the couple left with three of their kids at the time, leaving Anita, the eldest child in the custody of a sibling/in-law.

They were persuaded to leave their teenage daughter behind because they reckoned she was safe. And she was safe until her custodian and wife had a family brawl that necessitated the invitation of the police. When the police discovered the teenager with the feuding couple, they decided to take her into custody.

Attempts to reclaim their teenage daughter upon arrival in UK by the parents proved abortive. If anything, it complicated the plight of the couple. The agency curiously took over the remaining three kids, claiming the parents could not cater for them. All entreaties and pleas by the couple fell on deaf ears. Before they knew what hit them, two of them had been adopted by different families in the UK. Plans have reached advanced stages to adopt the remaining three.

They include: Benedicta Tejaiye, a female child born on December 24

th, 2003 whowas seized and fostered in July 2004. By February 2008, an application for her adoption was granted. Anita Tejaiye (Female, DOB; 13th November 1998), Matilda Tejaiye (Female, DOB; 13th April 2000) and Gladys Tejaiye (Female, DOB; 27thApril 2002) who were seized on 09thNovember 2005 still fostered and given only one contact to date while adoption plans are brewing underground.


The case of little Israel Tejaiye, a male born on 21st August 2006, is particularly damning. He was seized on 23rd August 2006, three days after his birth through Caesarean operation. Application for his adoption was granted on 13thOctober 2008.




As it is, the Tejaiyes are without any of their five offsprings, a development they said is as saddening as callous. In a save-our-souls appeal made available to our correspondent, the couple alleged that depriving them the custody of their children is wicked and heartless. ‘’What we are going through with the combination of the Social Workers of Greenwich Council London, United Kingdom and the Courts of Law is simply repugnant to natural justice equity and good conscience," they protested in the message titled: We are being killed softly by the system using the law as an excuse for wickedness.



They claimed that splitting their children in three different families without their consent and any record of abuse or negligence is abrasive and smacks of deliberate conspiracy to torture them unjustifiably. The Tejaiyes debunked insinuations by the agency and police that they intended to use the kids as a cover to regularise their stay in the UK and later dump them as absurd. "People don’t have five children if you never liked children. To the Social Services, we are just some numbers for statistical data. Family unity means nothing to them. Nobody can ever love our children more than we can. The fact that we are not as well off as they expected us to be should not give the System the right to treat us like animals or any less than a human being,’’ they countered.

Besides, they pointed out that four of the children were born in Nigeria, meaning they could never have conceived such plans when it never even occurred to them they would one day relocate to the UK.

They equally punctured the second suggestion that the children had settled well with their adopted parents and that the adoption was in their best interest. "Our children will soon or later look out for their split siblings and their real parents sometime in the future," they pointed out, adding, "Is it not better now for a mild disruption if at all there is to be any, when they can bear it more easily than the trauma as teenagers or older when they have stronger ties even in schools and the community only to realise they belong somewhere else?".

With no evidence of abuse or negligence, the Tejaiyes wondered why their children were whisked away from them for adoption. If there is nothing more to it, they wonder aloud why the state and adopting parents will be interested particularly in their kids since they never gave their consent. Why not the many other children from orphanages, motherless baby homes and the likes that could have benefited from their kind benevolence? Why cause another family so much pain and anguish by snatching and adopting permanently their children? What is there to gain by splitting one family unit scattered into four different units?’’ they queried.

The couple’s spirited battle to reclaim their children has exposed them to further pains. The council’s agency has carried out several insanity tests on them, which they claimed has been dehumanising. During the hearing for the case at the Appeal Court, they were prevented from uttering a word. They watched helplessly, agonising inwardly, as their children were shared to complete strangers. For their previous protests, they were labelled aggressive and mentally-unbalanced. With all of these, they believe they are simply victims of racial and class prejudice.

In the UK, The Queen though is seen as the protector of children and welfare of infants; the power is conferred on the Court of the Chancery under the Law Reform Act 1949, which the Children Act 1989 reaffirms. The position of the local authority/social services to ward a child has been minimised under section 100 of the Act  .Section 100(4) requires the social services to apply for court order before a child be warded.

Though the parents lack immigration status, section 17 and 20 of the Children’s Act 1989 actually allows the social services to provide help to the children and their families until they are 16 years. The only ground for taking over the children is the assumed inability of the parents to cater for them because they lack papers. This is why the adoption of the Nigerian kids remains a wonder. Already, the couple are contemplating an appeal against the rulings. They lost the first appeal and the hope of winning the second one remains strongly tied to paying £5,000 and £10,000. In the alternative, they would have to secure legal aid.

But Mrs. Tejaiye is anxious to reclaim her kids. According to her, she would leave UK provided her children are returned.

Plans are on to gather signatories against the forceful adoption. Pressure groups are being mobilised to lead the campaign for the release of the Nigerian kids to their real parents while legal processes are also being fine-tuned. But their best chance remains the intervention of the Nigerian government. "A little pressure on the British High Commission in Nigeria could make the Home Office Secretary exercise the prerogative for their release to Nigeria,’’ says a legal expert.


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