₦airaland Forum

BY Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor,  VINCENT UJUMADU & Charles kumolu
MANY had in the past dismissed Governor Peter Obi as a kindergarten politician with no fighting fibre or political presence in the politically charged Anambra theatre. Purveyors of such claim have for long asserted that the governor lacks the capacity to hand over to a chosen successor.
It was, however, a different Obi that many saw last weekend after the APGA governorship primaries when the governor boasted of his readiness to ensure the party prevails in the forthcoming governorship election.
His boast followed the success of what many believe to be his personal candidate for the office, the former banker, Chief Willie Obiano.
Noting his political feats in Anambra, the governor said: “I was the first person to pursue his electoral mandate for three years and eventually get it. I was also the first governor to be impeached and the impeachment reversed by court.”
“Again, I was the first Anambra governor, both in old and new Anambra, to complete two terms and, by the grace of God, I will be the first Anambra governor to hand over to his party’s candidate after completing two terms.”
According to Obi, the forthcoming governorship election is crucial to APGA, reminding members of his party that the journey to enthrone another APGA government has just begun.
The first move, he said, is to bring everybody together, including those who aspired to be governor, but could not make it. “For us to win the medal, we must work as a team,” he concluded.
Who wants Ngige out?
The APC is yet to hold its governorship primaries, but some folks in Anambra are apparently not waiting for the primaries to tackle the party’s presumptive nominee, Senator Chris Ngige.
Ngige’s chances of picking the APC ticket brightened last week after his major rival and predecessor in the Senate, Senator Annie Okonkwo agreed to step down for him following strong persuasions by Governor Rochas Okorocha. In fact, Senator Okonkwo followed his decision by collapsing his own formidable political machinery into Ngige’s campaign and agreeing to become the campaign manager for Ngige.
Now, even before the formal endorsement of Ngige as the APC candidate, a civil society group, the Conference of Nigeria Registered Voters has petitioned INEC, over what it claims as the system adopted by APC in picking its governorship candidate for the November 16 gubernatorial election in the state.
Chairman of the group, Mr. Jezie Ekejiuba, in the petition addressed to the chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega said APC has hot followed the provisions of the Electoral Act in selecting its flag bearer for the election.
He said: “It may interest your commission to know that at the time of this petition, APC has not no interim state executive of state chairman of the party recognized by your commission. Also, the party has not conducted any congress or primary at the ward and local government levels and has not issued nomination forms for the three governorship aspirants of the party.
“Besides, it is improper for Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State to announce to the whole world that the party primaries of September 2 would be a mere formality because the party already has a candidate in the person of Senator Chris Ngige.
“The adoption of Ngige is a clear violation of the provision of Section 87 of the Electoral Act (as amended, which provides for nomination of governorship candidates of political parties where there are two or more aspirants.”
According to him, APC has, in addition to Ngige, two other aspirants namely, Mr. Godwin Ezemo and Mr. Hyger Igwebuike.
Ekejiuba threatened to lodge his petition at the Federal High Court under originating summons to seek the interpretation of the provision of the Electoral Act relating to the nomination of governorship candidates.
Nwoye seeks peace with past enemies
The PDP candidate, Comrade Tony Nwoye who was yesterday received by the national leadership of the party has been going out of his way to repair damages and hurt sensibilities that preceded his emergence.
But even more than that, the former student activist is also reaching out to established political interests in the state who took the posture of “siddon look” in the run up to the primaries.
As party chairman for about three years, Comrade Nwoye obviously hurt many political chieftains in the state, especially given the impression that he was at that time an associate of the then powerful presidential aide, Andy Uba who has now turned a senator. Indeed, Senator Uba emerged as governor of Anambra State in 2007 under Nwoye’s watch as party chairman.
Following his emergence as the party’s candidate, Comrade Nwoye it was learnt has been making a tour of many of those he may have hurt to appease them. Where not, Nwoye has equally been making phone calls to soothe frayed nerves of political chieftains.
Obiano is spotless — Menakaya
THOSE who have questioned the propriety of APGA choosing a political greenhorn to fly the party’s flag in the election can now be assured of one plausible reason the party machine moved towards Willie Obiano.
The chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tim Menakaya has disclosed that Chief Ralph Obiano’s victory was informed by the party’s resolve to present a candidate with an unquestionable record.
Menakaya, who said this in a chat with Vanguard in Akwa, also dismissed claims that those who stepped down for Obiano were forced to do so.
His words: “His emergence is an asset to the party because he is clean and has got good background. He represents a new dawn. That was why he was elected. He emerged because he will continue the good work the party accordingly.”
He further said, “People should stop peddling rumors and learn to appreciate a good product. No body was forced to step down. Those who did that acted on their own and in the interest of the party. At the end we are happy that are presenting a good candidate. What is left is for Obiano to go out there and win the election for the party.”
…He is no weakling — Obidigo
CHAIRMAN of Anambra East Local Goverment Area Mr. Chinedu Obidigbo has debunked claims that the APGA candidate, Chief Willie Obiano is a weakling who would be eaten raw by the candidates of the two major other parties, Chris Ngige of APC and Tony Nwoye of PDP.
He also dismissed assertions that Obiano has no structure in the state as he affirmed that with Obiano, APGA is certain to claim victory in the forthcoming election.
“What do they mean that he has no structure? What manner of structure are they talking about? Those claims are baseless and hold no weight. The party has spoken by presenting its best.”
“So the question of him being weak only exists within the imagination of the people making the claims.”
“I am saying this for the umpteenth time that there is no chance for any political party in Anambra State. APGA has done creditably well to deserve continuation. So what we are looking for now is consolidation”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/anambra-2013-i-ll-make-another-history-obi/

#teamfreshair

Mevlin has the spirit of almost there...That'll be my prayerpoint tonite...Every spirit of "Almost there" in my life, Fall down and Die.

owolabifunke14: Must he win at all cost? Please allow the forefathers to rest in peace

He must not win all but @ least win 1
Him village people hand must de am

Mevlin has the spirit of almost there...That'll be my prayerpoint tonite...Every spirit of "Almost there" in my life, Fall down and Die.

henrychubayo: hahshhoohohohahaha

Like serious the de guy need deliverance

2013 BBA WINNER IS DILLISH!!

Congratulations....U are now 300,000USD Richer...

Am not really happy...after seeing Melvin being the Second to leave d House... We Nigerians didn't try at all... I thought Melvin would hv been d winner... Dis is d 3rd final he's loosing... "ULTIMATE SEARCH, MR NIGERIA And now is BBA!! Brother u have to make Research from ur FOREFATHERS! Their hands are involved

Lol

The boy smart die

Bishop is a smart guy...... May God continue to bless u

Him tin self dey vex

It is no longer news that a
lot of Nigerians are obsessed
with the colour of their skin.
A lot of women (and even
men too) want to look
“yellow” and as a result have
turned to bleaching in order
to look fairer. I remember a
dark friend of mine telling
me that she never liked
hanging out with “yellow
girls” as she always felt less
beautiful in their midst.
Whatever happened to black
is beautiful?
Bleaching or skin whitening
involves the use of
cosmetics to whiten or
lighten the skin tone. The
World Health Organisation
(“WHO”) estimates that 77%
of Nigerian women use
bleaching products – this is
the highest in the world.
This statistic is alarming
because bleaching or skin
lightening is a very
dangerous practice. The
chemical substances used in
bleaching are harmful as
they include such strong
formulations as
hydroquinone, Arbutin,
Kojic acid and Azelaic acid.
These compounds prevent
the formation of melanin
and reduce its concentration
in the skin. If you are
unfamiliar with melanin, it
is the skin pigment that
protects your skin from the
damaging effects of sunlight.
It is the skin pigment that
ensures that human beings
are adapted to the tropical
environment of Africa.
Melanin is found in the skin
of every black African for a
reason so why is there such
a desire to get this pigment
out of the skin? One could
understand a desire to
develop a more even skin
tone. However, many
women go above and
beyond this in order to get a
lighter skin.
Skin bleaching has become
endemic in Nigeria. There
are a lot of women who feel
that using bleaching creams
of is the shortest road to
being beautiful. Apparently,
some women believe that
being fairer makes them
more beautiful and
successful and therefore
more likely to find a
husband. Even our
celebrities are not left out,
although you would hope
that they use more
expensive and sophisticated
products. The truth is
irrespective of price tag,
bleaching/skin lightening
products are extremely
hazardous. WHO has listed
the dangers associated with
skin bleaching as cancer of
the bloods (such as
leukemia), skin, liver and
kidneys as well as serious
skin conditions. These
conditions will not manifest
immediately but in the long
term, skin bleaching could
really put your life in
danger.
Some bleaching creams are
euphemistically branded as
toning creams due to the
negative perceptions of
bleaching, but a study of the
ingredients by a team of
researchers at a Bayero
University, Kano showed
that the ingredients are
equally as dangerous and
can cause mutations in
bacteria.
There is also the
psychological problem that
comes with attempting to
change the colour of one’s
skin. If you are not satisfied
with the skin God has
blessed you with, you are
bound to start feeling
inferior like my friend
mentioned at the start of the
article. If you start believing
that you need a lighter skin
to be successful in life, then
you are doing yourself a
huge disservice. Like former
South African President
Nelson Mandela once said
“whoever is not proud of his
colour is not fit to live”.
Ladies, please let us be
content and proud with the
skin colour God has blessed
us with. Indeed, black is
beautiful.

A teenager beat airline and airport security at the Benin Airport and sneaked into the tyre compartment of a Lagos-bound Arik plane, where he flew safely to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Saturday morning.
pandemonium at the airside of the Lagos airport when passengers disembarking from the aircraft saw the teenager as he emerged from the undercarriage (aircraft tyre hole) to join fellow travellers.
The adolescent stowaway, identified as Daniel Ihekina, was immediately arrested by security officials at the airport.
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and Arik Air confirmed the incident.
Although the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said full and urgent investigation had commenced into the mysterious circumstances that led to the huge breach in airport and airline security, the situation has continued to beat the imagination of aviation authorities in the country.
The situation, which has become a major source of worry among the authorities, has also led to a blame game between FAAN and Arik.
FAAN, in a statement on Saturday, said it held “Arik Air liable for the circumstances leading to the stowaway of a teenage boy on its aircraft at the Benin Airport.”
In a statement signed by Dati, FAAN, said, “Arik Air acted with impunity by not stopping the aircraft to check when the crew and ground personnel’s attention was drawn to an abnormality on the tarmac.”
According to the FAAN spokesman, the procedure for such infraction is for the crew to abort the flight and return to the apron for check-up.
He blamed the airline for the alleged impunity, warning that the airport authority would not tolerate such infraction from any operator.
He said, “This is arrant display of impunity. The aircraft should not have taxied further, but return to the apron until a proper check is carried out on all parts of the aircraft. FAAN will not tolerate such impunity henceforth from Arik or any airline. Any violation would be met with applicable sanctions.
Dati, however, said the teenager was already giving useful information to unravel this ‘misnomer.’
In a swift reaction, Arik, in a statement, blamed FAAN for the huge breach in security, noting that the incessant cases of security breaches at the nation’s airport had become a major source of concern to the airline.
The statement quoted Arik’s Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue, as saying, “We are worried by the incessant security lapses at our airports. We are appealing to the management of FAAN to immediately address the problem.
“The management of Arik Air has expressed shock over the incident, wondering how the teenager beat the aviation security personnel at the Benin Airport to get to the runway.”
Arik said its pilot had reported to the control tower the presence of a strange boy in the bush about 200 – 300 metres at the end of runway before leaving the airport.
Ndulue said the control tower had told its pilot that they were sending security men to the place to arrest the boy.
Ndulue, however, said, “As the captain was making his final turn, preparatory for take-off, a cabin crew called his attention to the information by some of the passengers that they saw a boy running towards the airplane. The First Officer confirmed that they had observed it earlier and alerted the control tower which responded that they had sent the patrol team to arrest the boy. The captain again reported to the control tower and was informed that the situation was under control and that he had been cleared for take-off.
“On arrival at the domestic wing of MMA, Lagos, a teenage boy, who apparently had sneaked into the aircraft main wheel well jumped out and was arrested by Arik personnel and handed over to FAAN security.”
The Arik aircraft with registration number, 5N-MJG Flight 44, which left the Benin Airport around 9am for Lagos, was said to have on board top officials of the Edo State Government.
A passenger aboard the flight, who spoke with Sunday Punch on the telephone said, “We felt the signs in Benin when the plane was about leaving and as it was moving slowly, we heard a loud noise as if the tyre crushed somebody on the ground and we all started shouting. It means the boy was already inside that tyre compartment before we left. We left for Lagos, but when we landed at Lagos Airport, the boy came out from the tyre hole, everybody started shouting.
“But speaking seriously, this shows that we have a serious problem as regards securing our airports. This is a serious security breach. If that boy was carrying bomb, it means he would have succeeded in blowing up the plane. How can somebody be in an aircraft without being detected; we are in trouble in this country.”
Though no official at the Benin Airport volunteered comment on the issue, it was gathered that the teenager may have gained entrance into the airport from the Akenzua road axis, where perimeter fencing is non-existent at different points.
In 2010, a desperate young Nigerian, Emeka Okechukwu Okeke, who tried to smuggle himself to the United States, died in the tyre compartment of a Delta Airlines aircraft and was discovered on arrival in New York.
Okeke, sneaked into the place at Lagos airport.
In 2012, the dead body of a young Nigerian man was also discovered in the wheel well, the undercarriage compartment of a domestic airline, after it returned from South Africa.
http://www.osundefender.org/?p=117858

Alomo Bitters is a popular name in most homes and drinking joints in Nigeria today. It’s not just popular among the uneducated, but even the educated, smart looking men on many streets in the country have one bottle of Alomo stuffed in their briefcases or cars.

Since its debut in Nigeria two years ago, Alomo Bitters is a well sought after alcoholic drink among Nigerians. Unknown to may consumers, Alomo is a huge money spinning business for its Ghanaian owner, Dr. Kwabena Adjei who has invested millions into its newly commissioned factory in Ghana.

Adjei says the idea of Alomo Bitters occurred to him in 1989, when there was a demand for good quality alcoholic drinks by Ghanaians. Unknown to him, the little business he began then will cross the ECOWAS borders to Nigeria, where there is a ready market for such herbal product.

“The dream started exactly 20 years ago, and I could remember that we started with only the gin,” he says. “I said to myself that if we are blessed with this forest and our tradition says our forefathers eat the things of the forest for different purposes, why can’t we modify it by applying scientific method? So, that day, I went to the Centre for Scientific Research and told them about the idea and it was accepted.”

The production that Adjei started at his residence in Nungua, a suburb of Accra, with four staff registered under the name, Kasapreko Company Limited, has transverse the Ghanaian shores. The Kasapreko products penetrated the Nigerian market in 2009, and between then and now, it has become recognised, especially among the middle and lower-class Nigerians. One of the company’s distributors in Nigeria, Ani Okwudili of Golden Ariwaw Limited, at Mushin, says Alomo is a good business for him.

“It is a good business, especially in my areas and I have been able to achieve a lot since I became their representative in Nigeria.” The Nigerian market, no doubt, is at the centre of the recent expansion of the company in Ghana, as Adjei admits that Nigeria is a major market where he has reaped a huge profit on his investment.

Andrews Akolaa, the company’s marketing manager, explains that the brand entered the Nigerian market in 2009. It is a registered brand under NAFDAC, but before that, Alomo has been in the market through the help of the traders who come to Ghana.

“Since then, it has been phenomenal,” he states, “due to the fact that Nigerian market is quite huge. But I want to tell you that people are really benefitting from the products. The Nigerian market is really helping a lot because Ghana has small market. Nigerians have shown that traditionally, we are brothers.”

In addition, he says the company began the expansions and mobilisation programmes in 2001 with the acquisition of new a plant. The plant housed sophisticated machines that help in effective manufacture of the products under good hygienic condition. To further enhance productivity, the company acquired another multi million Central Bottling International (CBI) machine, which was commissioned on Friday, September 30, 2011, at the company’s headquarters.  The machine, which can produce 15, 000 bottles of gin per hour and 250, 000 cartons in a month, was commissioned with factory expansion of about 7,500 square metres.

“We are doing this because there is more demand for our products and we don’t want our customers to come and beg us before we improve production. We’ve grown and we need to step up our game because the plant we had before couldn’t satisfy our customers, so there is need for expansion,” adding that, “Africa is for Africans and you don’t expect outsiders (Americans, Europeans) to develop Africa for us.

So we decided to use our own resources to develop our countries. In Kasapreko, we are creating jobs for other Africans as well,” adds Adjei.
The brand has not only conquered the Ghanaian brand market but has become a household name in other African countries and beyond, with demand from ardent consumers still on the high side.  “When the idea to choose a brand name came up, we didn’t want to use any foreign name, we decided to use indigenous name because the product is originated in Africa and we are proud to be Africans. That’s why we use Alomo, meaning friendship while Kasapreko means straight to the point.”
http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/travel-a-leisure/28503-what-is-it-about-alomo-bitters