₦airaland Forum

Leonidis:
This is highly unfortunate. It appears wage increases for the rank and file of workers is inevitably followed by large job losses.

Why not find a way for a modest increase while keeping majority of the workforce? There is little capacity outside the public sector to absorb these workers and I doubt the 'after service training' will amount to much apart from lining the pockets of those who get the contracts.

While the wages might not be sufficient, a small wage is likely better than no wage.

Exactly!.

Kobojunkie:
I said earlier Naija story tire person. The members of the assembly are seeking for a huge increase for themselves and the president is instead looking to give a measly increase to lower level officers.

Now, if he is trying to get rid of GHOST WORKERS at the federal level, that makes sense to me but I don't think this is the right way to go about such, neither do I think this is the right time to lay people off in that country.

You are right. There are so many measures that can be taken, in stead of job loses.

1. You can look for loose ends in the pay roll, to curtail ghost workers.
2. You can also look for how to cut down on Public servants salaries and allowances, and systematically divert it to civil servants payroll.
3. Also, government can put a stop to employment (temporarily) etc.

In summary, set up one of those useless committees, and get them cracking, on how to raise cash to pay these guys, rather than letting them go. Already, the crime rate is nothing to write home about, as a result of job losses, and government being the largest employment of labour will only add to the existing problem.

top_kin:
Good news i guess. . . 

What is good about the news? This is not the first time they have said this. Let them implement it first. After all, it might take them another seven months to do so, if at all.

Kobojunkie:
I don't think he is going at this the right way.

How much are these people been paid per month (total wage bill )? Let him tell us know, and the reason to retrench some of them?

Even with meagre N18,000, FG still wants to retrench workers.

How much is the whole wage bill compare to what each Senator takes home, even on daily basis.

All Nigerian leaders are the same. No body should tell me any stuff.

Even Jonathan might be worst! .

Belgore committee submits N18,000 new wage to Jonathan
By Fidelis Soriwei
Tuesday, 1 Jun 2010


Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore
The Committee on Minimum Wage headed by Justice Alfa Belgore has recommended a minimum wage of N18,000 for Nigerian workers.


Belgore and members of his committee, comprising representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and employers of labour, were said to have submitted the proposal to President Goodluck Jonathan on May 22, 2010.


Indications that the Federal Government might put the expected new minimum wage at N18,000 emerged on May Day, when the TUC President-General, Mr. Peter Esele, said in his address that Jonathan would soon announce a new figure.


But the announcement did not come because of the reaction of the workers; who rejected the N18,000 minimum wage and insisted on N52,000 originally proposed by labour before the commencement of negotiation with the government.


It was learnt that prior to the announcement by Esele, the workers’ unions had agreed, after months of deliberation with government, that increasing the minimum wage from N7,500 to N18,000 was not a bad deal for workers.


A source said that the only snag in the N18,000 minimum wage was the fear that the Federal Government might reduce the agreed sum.


The source said that reducing the N52,000 recommended minimum wage would culminate in an industrial crisis in the country.


It was further gathered that representatives of labour accepted N18,000 because of the feeling that insisting on a higher sum could culminate in job losses.


However, it was gathered that the state governors were opposed to the new wage and were pushing for its reduction.


“There are fears that government may likely reduce the money. They are saying that how can you move from N7,500 to N18,000? Well, some labour leaders do not want to own up in public that that is the agreed amount.


“Let’s be realistic, you and I know it is not realistic to pursue N52,000. We had to do it across the board to get employers and manufactures to accept it.


“What the workers are expecting is N18,000. The President will raise a White Paper on it and put in place the requisite machinery to amend the national minimum wage,” the source said.


The Federal Government has already reduced the wide disparity between the salary of a permanent secretary and the most senior director in the Federal Civil Service.


Our correspondent gathered that the Federal Government had acceded to labour’s demand by increasing the salaries of the directors substantially, to bridge the existent gap between the remuneration of permanent secretaries and the director’s cadre.


However, the Chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Mr. Olakunle Olaitan, said on Monday that what was approved for the workers by the Federal Government was an adjustment of the disparity in the civil service.


He said that what was expected on July 1, 2010, as announced by the President on Democracy Day, was not salary review but a new pay emanating from the relativity in the public service.


He said that the disparity, which culminated in the disagreement between the JNPSNC and the Federal Government, had been bridged substantially.


Olaitan, who is also the president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, refused to explain what the reduction of the disparity between the salaries of permanent secretary and the directors would lead to when applied relatively to the various grade levels in the Federal Civil Service.


He said, “It is not a salary review; it is a wage disparity adjustment in the core civil service. A permanent secretary earns the salary of 10 directors. We have only said that that gap is too much. It has been bridged substantially, there is still unfinished business. A new salary will come with the minimum wage.


“The relativity will have a ripple effect on the economy. It is not a new salary. The new salary is for the Alfa Belgore committee. It is before the government now.”


The Federal Government under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua had constituted the Belgore Committee on Minimum Wage in August 2009, to look into the call for a review of the national minimum wage.


The move came even as a bill proposing a minimum wage of N30,000 in reaction to workers’ lamentations passed second reading in the House of Representatives in July 2009.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100601123114

London jury indicts Ibori's sister
By Ayo Okulaja
June 1, 2010 03:02PM


A 12-member jury deliberating on the money laundering trial of associates of the former Delta State governor, James Ibori, has found his sister, Christine Ibori-Ibie, guilty of all charges of money laundering and mortgage fraud.

The jury, however, acquitted Mr Ibori's former assistant, Adebimpe Pogoson, of the charges against her.

The jury is yet to announce its verdict pertaining to the third accused aide, Udoamaka Okoronkwo, who is Mr Ibori's mistress.

The money laundering trial involving Mr Ibori's female aides began in September 2009 at the Southwark Crown Court, London, after Ms Pogoson, (a personal assistant on confidential matters during his tenure as the Delta State governor) and his sister Christie Ibori-Ibie, were charged in December 2007 on three counts of conspiring "together with Mr Ibori, Udoamaka Onuigbo and others, to defraud the Delta State government".

The aides allegedly helped the former governor move an estimated £70 million worth of looted funds through several London banks.

Mr Ibori is currently detained in the United Arab Emirates where he was recently arrested by INTERPOL after evading arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5575062-146/story.csp

Eya!

Afam:
Do we still have editors working in these newspapers because the type of written english being published by national newspapers is getting out of hand.

I think the problem has to do with too much delegation, or neglect of duties or even being in a hurry to publish.

Why cant we for once in this nation, have a good news, such that, the whole world will celebrate with us, and give thanks to GOD for beginning of a new dawn.

Gosh! What a nation!

Poisonous gas: 500 Kaduna residents hospitalised
By SEGUN OLATUNJI
Sunday, 30 May 2010


TRAGEDY was on Saturday averted in Kaduna as over 500 people were hospitalised following the emission of a poisonous gas in the Kakuri Area of the state capital.


According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred when a welder operating along DIC Road in the Kakuri area attempted to cut open a big gas cylinder.


A resident, Ahmed Musa, said that at about 3 pm, several people in the area were noticed to have suddenly fallen and passed out, while several others started gasping for breath at about the same time after inhaling the gas that was later traced to an emission from the cylinder in the welder‘s shop.


The whole of the area was immediately thrown into commotion as residents struggled to rush those affected to the hospital, and at the same time tried to run for dear lives to escape the effect of the emission.


When our correspondent visited the St. Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, the Gwamna Awan Hospital and Maneks Hospital, where most of the victims were rushed to, the wards were overflowing with persons affected by the emission.


An unidentified Red Cross official, who said he received a call to come and help the victims of the emission, fell off the ambulance that was carrying the victims to St. Gerald, apparently affected by the gas. He was still on admission on Saturday night.


The doctor on duty at St. Gerald, Dr. Charles Elonuchukwu, said that those victims who were pregnant were affected most by the emission as many of them were still unconscious, expressing fears that gas inhaled by this category of the victims was capable of causing them to have stillbirth.


Elonuchukwu said many of the pregnant victims were still unconscious, while many others who were still having serious stomach pains were being kept under watch in the hospital.


”There was a gas emission and a lot of people inhaled it and we don‘t know the nature of the gas yet. But being a poisonous gas, it almost suffocated people. We had a lot of people here; they were approximately a hundred people. They were gasping for breath and most of them we had to do some palliative treatment,” he said.


”We had to send them outside after treatment to get some fresh air outside. Naturally, when they ventilate very well the gas will disappear gradually from their system. A lot of them actually got well here and they left. But some of them who could not get well spontaneously, we have to do something further in order to stabilise them and some of them are even still here.


”Most of them that have further problems are pregnant women. So we don‘t even know whether the gas is even a teratogenic kind of gas, that is the gas that can cause the baby in the womb to have problem. It can either kill the baby or harm it. So, we still have a lot of the victims that are pregnant women with us here, they are still having some stomach pain and dizziness. Some of them are even unconscious, like this woman here. They are just too many. It‘s so overwhelming and we can‘t see all of them at the same time. There are no deaths yet.”


The councillor representing the area in the Kaduna South Local Government Council, Mr. Adeleye Suraju, assured that after the evacuation of the cylinder the welder would be identified and necessary action would be taken against him.


Suraju appealed to the residents to remain calm and avoid the scene of the emission.


”The stench from the gas was so bad and people were just falling unconscious from its effect, but thank God there has been no case of death. More than 200 people are still unconscious in hospitals, but they are being revived. The doctors at the hospitals are trying their best to save the victims,” the councillor said.


”The local government has called on NEMA, SEMA and the health department of the Kaduna Polytechnic and they are on their way here now. I appeal to the people to remain calm and avoid the scene of the emission so that more people would not be affected. We don‘t know the owner but we have called on relief agencies to come and remove the cylinder. After it is removed, we‘ll identify the owner and then know the necessary action to take,” the councillor said.


Many residents of the area were seen going about in face masks, while others used handkerchiefs and other pieces of cloth to cover their noses.


Armed soldiers and anti-riot policemen from the state anti-crime outfit, Operation Yaki, have however cordoned off the area.


Sources said that the welder had taken to his heels to avoid arrest.


Usman Agonan, the Divisional Secretary for the Red Cross in Kaduna South, said most of the hospitals in the area were filled with children and women who inhaled the poisonous gas.


Agonan added that the Red Cross and other relief agencies were making efforts to evacuate the cylinder, which he said was still emitting smoke from the welder‘s shop as at 6.30 pm.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201005301645935

Saint Nasir and Saint Nuhu
By Ikenna Emewu [ikenna@sunnewsonline.com]
Saturday, May 22, 2010

It is the turn of two outstanding saints of the order of the fraudulent and questionable political leadership system of Nigeria to stage a comeback.
On their return, they will commence their bullying from where they had left off in 2007 when their imperial master of misrule failed to pick his third term ticket.
Today, the demons of misdeed that have made unrelenting attempts to conquer the author of light on dominance of the nation gave them back their mandate to come and do more of their damage.

They are the new saints of our clime, the super brats of our time who know it all and have the right to do as they wish. It’s funny how we handle them with soft palms to placate them for the wrong the ‘nation did them’ for making them embark on self-exile from where they threw brickbats at the late President Umar Yar’Adua until he could reply them no more.

They have stepped in to prove to us that we know nothing and that only them have the keys to the straightening of the bent nation. You can hear Nasir El-Rufai sounding it clear and loud that he did wonders in Abuja and for Nigeria when he was minister. Silly as it may sound, but it is true that while EFCC discusses arraignment of El-Rufai before a court for fraud and mismanagement of the FCT land allocation in his days as minister, his Kaduna State government listed him among the prominent citizens of the state that paid President Goodluck Jonathan visit to condole him over the death of Yar’Adua. What this means is that you are meant to believe that El-Rufai is pained by the death of the same Yar’Adua he dressed in all manner of odd robes and poured invectives on while he was away to further his studies as he told us.

While El-Rufai faces ‘trial’, he also visits the president as special guest. You can on your own deduce the manner of prosecution EFCC has embarked on. And to celebrate his triumph over all of us and the laws of the land, he came out from Aso Rock to commence a campaign backing Jonathan to run next year and pointing out the oddity of zoning in PDP.

So, all of a sudden, El-Rufai’s fight to frustrate Nigerians in his selective search for the Abuja master plan, his role in the third term bid of his master and the other ones involving selecting who was anointed president prior to election and the one to be dropped have been blotted out. El-Rufai has completely purged himself of these errors and has been crowned a saint of modern Nigeria to rule and dictate to us. His roles in fighting all those Obasanjo pointed out to him as his enemies in defiance of the law have been overtaken by time and space.

Today, El-Rufai is the crowned custodian of the puritan order of Nigeria.
The noise of how he demolished the homes of those who could not play ball and those who were of the wrong camp, including that retired judge of the FCT High Court from the North that later died of frustration after his household items were left in the rain and sun for day are over. The court orders that stopped El-Rufai from embarking on that demolition and the rest have fizzled out and null and void forever.

Because El-Rufai marked Bolingo Hotel in Abuja for demolition, six directors of the hotel came to Ota Farm to beg the god for his mercies and on their way back to Abuja; the Bellview plane they boarded crashed and killed them at Lisa. The justification of that move by El-Rufai and the role he played in making these people take the trip that consumed them have all been drowned in the jubilation heralding the triumphal entry of this new saint from Zaria.

After a thorough probe by the Senate, El-Rufai was grossly indicted for re-allocating those plots he said were out of the plan to his people. Senate also held he should not hold public office again because of his wanton ways. They found he allocated about 300 of such plots to his family members and cronies. Today, he stands a mock trial whose end is already known while his co-traveller had already received a state pardon to stay free. So, with the type of campaign this man who employed the services of a lady NYSC member and paid her N1m per month from public coffers only to snide that it was not easy to be a Harvard product is mounting for the man in power, who would not predict accurately how the trial will play out?

El-Rufai’s brother saint is Nuhu Ribadu – the lawyer crime fighter who had no regard for the law. Homes of prominent Nigerians were raided at night and searches embarked on without warrants. Nigerians were detained in defiance of orders enforcing their fundamental rights or even court orders for their release.
Nuhu wasted Nigerian money filing, withdrawing, amending and refilling charges that never got prosecuted.

He enjoyed double promotions in the police and refused to be redeployed from the EFCC. He stayed away from his duty post after removal from EFCC job and at last left the police on unclear terms, ran out of the country and declared wanted by the police. But when he sneaked in, nobody touched him again because the visit by Mr. Acting President to US was to pave the way for fugitives of justice to return home on red carpet with their ‘sins’ already atoned for. He is back to continue from where he punctuated his heedless drive. Very soon the new saint of the new and refurbished order of a failed third term three years ago will be appointed to the position for which he was brought in.

At the fullness of time, he and his brother, Saint Nasir, will take the centre stage and manage the nation as they wish.
The rule is: Do what you want to do, exercise all the impunity your mad mind could muster, when the heat is on, jump ship and abscond overseas. When the coast clears, come back and stampede everyone your usual old style. So far as you belong to the ruling cabal, nothing happens any more. These are indeed the days of the refurbished saints.

N40m and Emordi’s delayed ouster

Please, ask the Senate of the Federal Republic and the distinguished senators as they call themselves what N40 million quarterly constituency project allocation has to do with the pranks over the ouster of the Mrs. Joy Emordi from the Senate.

I heard, maybe, wrongly or rightly, that there is this money shared to senators, their distinguished highnesses, every quarter of the year. The booty is corporately called ‘constituency project fund’. You can see the sugar coating because I belong to a senatorial district like all of you reading this, and I can’t remember a project I ever saw or was told was executed by the senator representing me. I have seen neither infrastructure provision nor additional human resource contribution. The last I know in my constituency is the great stride Senator Anyim Pius Anyim took to hand us a brand new wonderful road (Okigwe-Afikpo road) handled by Julius Berger.

But I was told that Emordi was/is a very powerful inner caucus member of the hallowed chamber. That was why she had the juicy position of the chairman of the education committee.

When her ouster was pronounced, Mark, the oga, and his men decided to sit on appeal over the Court of Appeal decision. But the sole aim, I found out, was not about confusion in the letter and spirit of the verdict. It was rather to buy time in favour of Emordi so that she could pick the imminent N40 statutory and legal N40m constituency windfall as parting gift and also to make sure the one that would come in starts in a desert and in austere clime to teach him a lesson. So, the great Senate and senators, how true is this rumour?


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/columnists/thoughts/2010/ikenna-may-22-2010.htm

ON RIBADU: I beg to differ
ViewpointsMay 29, 2010
By Eziokwu B. Ndu

Let me say from the onset that I am not a big fan of Mr. Nuhu Ribadu. The only reason being that he was not a law abiding Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). I must however give it to him that he was bold, fearless and a strong crime fighter but perhaps he is probably a believer in the doctrine that “the end justifies the means” for achieving a goal. Ribadu’s tenure at the EFCC was a catalogue of arbitrariness and abuse of power.

He ran the EFCC as a sole proprietor and was not accountable to his board. You can easily count on the fingers of one hand how many board meetings he convened as chairman throughout his tenure at the helm of the EFCC. He therefore did not have the benefit of the plurality of ideas and statutory approval processes that come from issues being discussed properly before actions are taken. He virtually reported directly to the President and occasionally to the National Security Adviser (NSA). He was a lord to himself.

Ribadu also allowed himself to be used by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to settle political scores and buy loyalty. He has denied this but everyone knows the truth. Some governors were untouchable while others were earmarked for big time persecution and disgrace. How can you be fair and claim to uphold justice when two people commit the same offence and one is prosecuted and the other is not even accused let alone prosecuted.

Ribadu was also a media freak. Unlike the usual practice with seasoned law enforcement agencies, EFCC under Ribadu was more concerned with media shows than having the actual work being done correctly. Many innocent people have been ridiculed in public ahead of their being investigated by unnecessary media shows of arrests and being charged to court. How do you repair wrongly damaged reputations?
There have been countless cases of the former EFCC boss allowing himself to be used to settle private scores or financial disputes. There was a known case of a controversy over the ownership of some oil company and Ribadu was used to hound a respected businessman into detention for almost a week only for it to be proven that the man was innocent. No compensation was paid for the wrongful arrest and detention.

The EFCC under Ribadu was not particularly clean. Bribes were freely given and accepted from various people to the EFCC operatives. Some were given through lawyers that represented EFCC. One wonders how lawyers that represent EFCC will also be under the payroll of the so called accused persons.

A major feature of the Ribadu era was arrests and detention before investigations are carried out. This has continued even till today. The Farida Waziri era has also been characterized by the same arbitrary arrests and unlawful interrogation processes to hound people. Section 34(1) of the Nigerian constitution provides that “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly no person shall be subject to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment”.

Many people who have had contact with EFCC tell of cases of inhuman and degrading treatment in the hands of the EFCC
The constitution also provides in section 36(4) that “every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty”. Mr. Nuhu Ribadu’s EFCC did not respect these constitutional provisions in a number of cases. Mrs Waziri has also continued in the same footsteps.

There have also been cases where the EFCC invited people for questioning and instead of allowing the person to go, he is forced to sign a bail document when he was never arrested in the first place but simply invited for routine questioning.
This is a clear evidence of intimidation. The reason why EFCC has failed woefully in court in the Ribadu era is that in order to win cheap popularity they make a show of arresting people without first investigating their cases painstakingly. They are usually too eager to score some cheap popularity and therefore fail to be painstaking in their work.

This practice has continued with the EFCC till now. See what happened with NERC Commissioners. After charging the poor fellows to court, it became obvious that most of the charges were frivolous. NERC has therefore been for over one year, without a board of Commissioners. If a thorough job is done of investigating cases before charging people to court, obtaining justice would no doubt be swifter.

So it is therefore easy to understand why I am not a fan of Mr. Ribadu. As the saying goes, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. A new orientation is required at EFCC. Ribadu may need some explanations to do and possibly some re-orientation himself before being offered another high office in government as is now being muted.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/05/29/on-ribadu-i-beg-to-differ/

selingel:
What does he want with a criminal outfit then?

What a question?

netotse:
really? there was a time when government was open?. . .sounds hard to believe.

Guy, in Nigeria, government has never been opened!

selingel:
Can you compare fibre with metal?

In fact, just some hours ago, I saw a Peugeot 504 station wagon bought 1980, and the car is till clean, though you will know it has been worked on, several times. Which of these modern cars can last that long?

Fhemmmy:
Kinda funny how come they see what is wrong, when they care kinda affected by it.
I guess some of their kids are not passing.
BTW . . . .Whoever started that kinda exams must be a rogue . . . . .so all the money that has been generated has been used for what? cos i cant see the effect of such money in dem schools

It was one wicked woman minister, that had no idea about how to manage a ministry, that started it all.
I am sure shame will envelope her wherever she is, for that fraud she instituted.

Fhemmmy:
This is a good news, hope the effect will be good as well.
Or will it be more money for the CHief to freeze in an account for like 3 months before paying the cops?

In Nigeria, everything impossible is possible .

ayo84:
what is people's beef with nuhu, he is a national hero,he stood up to corrupt individuals and gave them hard time.he is apt and an expert in what he does,hoping and praying that he is called to replace faridi waziri and clean out the augean stables

Personal opinion I guess?

Enjoyment1:
I think, it has gone beyond religion to societal problem. Even if a religion permits this, if a society is against it, then it will never happen.

The Yoruba Moslems, does not tow the way of the northerners in this.

So, why is the case so rampant amongst the northerners? Could it be that, a typical northerner from inception has been caught in the web of child-marriage, or baby marriage as some prefer to call it?

Kobojunkie:
See, we don't have the evidence for that yet - I know we are talking of Nigeria where all things evil seem possible, but I still think there is so much of the details of this missing. We do not have access to the details . . . no one seems to, except the state, and I wish it would release information already so people start feeling more a part of the process. I remember when it used to be so in Lagos and I long for the return of those days.

You are very correct. In as much as the government is be alleged to have stolen so much, they remain innocent until proven guilty.

Spike88:
, hmmm, for a car of this 'quality' to burn to this level; looks like it may have been 'assisted'. Parked with a full tank of gas only the damage should have a very different pattern/behaviour.

That is the problem with all these modern cars. Can old Peugeot car burn like this?

Hardtalk:
Islam and Child Marriage


Randy Alfa
Defiles 14-yr-old, says I’m nurturing her for marriage
By CHRISTOPHER OJI
Thursday, May 27, 2010


Lagos-based Islamic cleric, who was arrested by the police for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl in a mosque, has denied the allegation. The 52-year-old suspect, simply identified as Alfa Okah, is undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

He, however, told detectives that he never defiled the girl but confessed inserting his fingers in her private part.
He was alleged to have made love to the girl (names withheld), in a mosque in Surulere area of the metropolis severally. The victim’s guardian, Marian, is said to be the wife of the Imam in-charge of the mosque.

It was the Imam’s wife who reported to the police that the victim had been missing for some weeks. During interrogation, it was found out that Okah might have been having amourous affairs with the young girl. He was arrested by the police and he admitted knowing her whereabouts.

One of the detectives interrogating him told Daily Sun that he later took them to Akute area of Ogun State, where he kept the girl. “When we got to the house, we only met a man, who revealed that Okah slept with a young girl and kept her in his custody. He also told how he couldn’t find the girl when he came back from his place of work.”

Okah later confessed to Daily Sun that he was actually dating the girl, adding that he had the intention of marrying her. “She is my lover. She was 12 years old when I started dating her, but I have not made love to her. I only romanced and manipulated her each time I had sexual urge. You know she is still young. I am only nurturing her to grow before I could start sleeping with her.” On the girl’s real age, he said: “The police are just saying that she is 14. No, she is 15. She is my girlfriend and I know her age.”

The level of child abuse in Islam is sky-rocketing. This is even a Lagosian (Yoruba Moslem).

Islam and Child Marriage


Randy Alfa
Defiles 14-yr-old, says I’m nurturing her for marriage
By CHRISTOPHER OJI
Thursday, May 27, 2010


Lagos-based Islamic cleric, who was arrested by the police for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl in a mosque, has denied the allegation. The 52-year-old suspect, simply identified as Alfa Okah, is undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

He, however, told detectives that he never defiled the girl but confessed inserting his fingers in her private part.
He was alleged to have made love to the girl (names withheld), in a mosque in Surulere area of the metropolis severally. The victim’s guardian, Marian, is said to be the wife of the Imam in-charge of the mosque.

It was the Imam’s wife who reported to the police that the victim had been missing for some weeks. During interrogation, it was found out that Okah might have been having amourous affairs with the young girl. He was arrested by the police and he admitted knowing her whereabouts.

One of the detectives interrogating him told Daily Sun that he later took them to Akute area of Ogun State, where he kept the girl. “When we got to the house, we only met a man, who revealed that Okah slept with a young girl and kept her in his custody. He also told how he couldn’t find the girl when he came back from his place of work.”

Okah later confessed to Daily Sun that he was actually dating the girl, adding that he had the intention of marrying her. “She is my lover. She was 12 years old when I started dating her, but I have not made love to her. I only romanced and fingered her each time I had sexual urge. You know she is still young. I am only nurturing her to grow before I could start sleeping with her.” On the girl’s real age, he said: “The police are just saying that she is 14. No, she is 15. She is my girlfriend and I know her age.”

He explained that he took her to Ogun State, because she complained of being maltreated by her guardian and was ready to go back to her parents, who also live in Akute. He said: “As a lover, who has her interest in mind, I decided to support her in the little way I could. I paid her transport fare and kept her in my friend’s house, while we were still tracing her parents’ whereabouts. I wonder why she left my friend’s house without either his consent or mine.”

When asked how many times he slept with the girl for the past three years, he claimed he had been her friend, Okah became furious and warned, “please, don’t ask me such a question again. I am an Alfa, I can’t tell you lies. I was only romancing and fingering her and nothing more. I romanced her on the road each night her guardian sent her on an errand.”

On the allegation that he organised a birthday party for the girl, he said: “Yes, she is my lover. I only marked it to show my affection and appreciation to her. She is my lover.” His friend, Antonio, who was weeping profusely, as he spoke to Daily Sun said, he did not envisage any trouble, when Okah brought the little girl to his house.

He said: “He only told me to accommodate the girl for the night. He slept with her on my bed while I slept on the floor. I left them there to go to work the following day. Okah had told me he would leave very early for Lagos, for prayers. He begged that I should take care of the girl till he came back, but when I came back from my office, I did not see her.”

He, however, appealed to the police to allow him to go home as any further delay could cost him his job.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/crimewatch/2010/may/27/crimewatch-27-05-2010-001.htm

Food strike: Lagos moves to stop illegal roadblocks, levies
National NewsMay 27, 2010
…as committee lists recommendations
By Monsorudeen Olowoopejo

Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN of Lagos State will collaborate with other governors in the country to abolish illegal roadblocks and collection of levies at checkpoints on all federal and state roads. He is to push for this measure at the next National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja.
This and 10 others are some of the recommendations advanced by the committee set up by Fashola on 23 March 2010 to investigate the recent one-week strike embarked upon by foodstuff dealers in the state and allegations levelled at the state government by the Amalgamated Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers Association.

Speaking on the recommendations at a press briefing in Lagos yesterday, chairman of the committee, who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Taxation, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said the government had accepted the recommendations.
Stressing the need to involve other states in the crusade, Ipaye said: “This shows that whatever Lagos State does cannot totally cure these challenges unless the Lagos State government collaborates with other state governments and Federal Government agencies in the country so that it will be a common action across the Federation.”

The chairman assured the general public that Fashola was already taking steps to realise the objective.
Other recommendations
Ipaye said other recommendations included making of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives the only state agency authorised to collect levies from traders at the border.

He added that the fees for inspection of cattle and other agricultural produce would be clarified and publicised in different languages for the benefit of members of the public, traders and truck drivers.
He said: “All collections purportedly made by agents along the highway on behalf of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation should stop forthwith.
“Government officials or agents of Lagos State operating on the highway for security, health and safety purposes will wear distinctive uniform and name badge for identification.

“The list of association drivers should be copied to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, and regularly update it and the association should ensure that it collaborates with Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, and Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, for proper training and necessary education to be given to the drivers which include enlightenment on traffic rules and penalty involved.
Joint security patrol

“The state government will set up a joint security patrol agencies in Lagos which will be saddled with the responsibility of checking corruption, extortion, harassment and illegal tax collection on the highways.”
Shading light on the security patrol agency, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, Mr Vincent Brown, said the patrol team would consist of army, police, the SSS, LASTMA and representatives of food dealers in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the foodstuff association, Mr. Sheu Usman assured that with the latest development, the escalating price of foodstuffs in the state would reduce drastically within a few months.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/05/27/food-strike-lagos-moves-to-stop-illegal-roadblocks-levies/

babapupa:
lol @ Post All Lagos Affairs Here.


u put medicine for mouth?

The jazz go soon catch you

Arrest of Olowolafe (Gov. Fashola`s Anchor man)…… The implication

It is most unfortunate that Nigerians have continued to avail self as an object of ridicule among the comity of nations as high profile corruption tendencies by its elected public officers freely thrive by the day. There are fresh indications that the
group which called itself True face of Lagos are sponsored individuals who are on pay roll of Senator Bola Tinubu. Facts available to huhuonline.com show that Governor Babatunde Fashola who believed so much that he has won the conscience and support of Lagosians could be ‘‘disloyal’’ to his god-father and predecessor Bola Tinubu. These sharp disagreements according to some classified hints revealed that Fashola has exposed too many secrets about former Lagos State Governor and the Party Action Congress to the members of the opposition; it was also learnt that at one point he wanted to defect to Labour Party having known that his second term in Lagos under AC ticket is glaringly dicey.

Meanwhile, when Fashola realised that his attempt to defect to LP may be fruitless and purposeless even as there are barrage of vicious plots by the State House of Assembly to impeach him, he quickly looked for some Party elders, royal fathers and religious/spiritual fathers to plead with Tinubu, and that ultimately afforded him some relief for about six weeks, thereafter when Tinubu men weighed the damage Fashola and his loyalists have done against Tinubu they decided to intensify fresh efforts to keep him out of office so that their own (core loyalist) Dr Muiz Banire Commissioner for Environment, could mount the stool of leadership in the state. Last week Friday a source in Alausa confided in huhuonline.com that House of Assembly members had returned the N20 million Governor Fashola gave them each, in order to bar his impeachment proceedings, indicating that his reign as Governor may end in May 2010, as outlined by his political haters in the State Assembly, and in the Party, Action Congress.

Part of the psychological attacks launched against Fashola was the Friday incident which led to the arrest of Dr. Tunji Olowolafe by the heavily armed men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Dr Tunji Olowolafe is a director in Lekki Concession Company, (the company resurfacing & expanding the Lekki Epe Expressway that will start collecting toll on the Lekki Epe corridor in May 2010) and he is also a close associate of Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola. His apprehension was not unconnected with the allegations of financial crimes levelled against the Lagos State governor, by the True Face of Lagos.

Although this high profile arrest was blacked out in most Nigerian media but huhuonline.com can confirm Olowolafe owner of Deux Projects Limited, a company which was used as front by Governor Fashola to execute inflated contracts was arrested on Friday (April 23) after investigators discovered that 27 contracts were awarded the company from the state Ministry of Health, while 3 came from the Ministry of Education. It is already stale information that Deux Projects Limited collected over N10 billion naira from Lagos state coffers. Investigation was still ongoing and that many more arrests are likely to be made in the coming days. The Lagos State House of Assembly has also instituted a probe into the allegations of fraud and misappropriation of state funds made against the Governor Fashola by the group.

Information made available to huhuonline.com on Saturday midnight have it that effective Monday (April 26), EFCC will invite for questioning, top government officials of the Mr. Babatunde Fahola administration in Lagos State over graft allegations. Among those to be invited for questioning are the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sarah Sosan, who oversees the Ministry of Education; the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; and the Commissioner for Finance, Prince Rotimi Oyekan. They are to be interrogated over alleged contract scams involving their ministries. Huhuonline.com can confirm that on Sunday operatives of the EFCC on Saturday searched the house and office of Olowolafe in Lagos. While his office is located in Dolphin Estate, Olowolafe’s house is in Ikoyi. The EFCC operatives successfully retrieved “some damning documents that have warranted the invitation of some of the head of the ministries being probed for interrogation.” Olowolafe, is still currently detained at the Lagos office of the EFCC.

Huhuonline.com painstaking checks revealed that if truly Lagos government and Lekki Concession Company (a company which Olowolafe is fraudulently appointed as director) are planning to bring any ease of life to Lagosians, they will not be running their construction activities under heavy presence of armed and combat ready mobile policemen, and billions of naira will not be doled out to the local media to cover their excesses, especially facts about the wrong doing of Lagos government on its citizenry particularly on those involving severe tax regime on Lagosians. Records also show that none of the LCC’s radio and press adverts have been presented to pass through the screening of (APCON) Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria for vetting before getting to the public domain, despite the fact the body (APCON) has been running advert in the print and broadcast media that all adverts in any form even obituaries, must be brought forward to them for screening/vetting. It was gathered that none of the contents of their commercials are true; they manipulate and play with words to hoodwink the people. For example LCC have told the world different end dates for their construction activities on the 49 km road, and also when the tolling will start on the same corridor.

Although Lagosians especially those residing along Lekki-Epe expressway, were fooled in 2006, with the claim that the project will be completed within three years. The concessionaire, LCC put the construction cost of the 2km upgrade at N5billion. However, some of the tolling booths have been constructed, and there are unconfirmed reports that LCC intends to start charging commuters for using a road that is technically, “still under construction”. The concept of Public-Private Partnership is not “Nigerian”. It’s a concept that was developed in the western world. However, it’s become common practice for governments in Nigeria to borrow a foreign concept and turn it on its head.

As PPP has now become a common place in government quarters at state and federal level, it is important that the government realise that concessions can sometimes create a private monopoly or extreme dominance, with consequent market power, which is prone to be abused. This makes the design of the concession agreement important so that adequate protection is given to consumers. Our investigations show that the Lekki-Epe contract defies the basic principles and world’s best practice on Public-Private Partnerships. There is no PPP contract that involves the tolling of a road without an alternative. Presently there is no alternative motorable road along the Lekki-Epe axis. Therefore, handing this road over to a private company to upgrade under a 30-year concession is contrary to principles of social equity. The concessionaire, LCC, has basically become a private monopoly by default.

A source from (LASAA) LAGOS STATE SIGNAGE AND ADVERTISING AGENCY confided in huhonline.com that LCC will make over 1billion naira from the proceeds of the commercial advertising generated on only 2km of the road, which translates to the generation of N25 billion naira per annum if the entire 49 km stretch is completed. What now baffles everyone is that if the company could generate such huge amount from commercial advertising alone why it would still bent on introducing 3 toll plazas on that road, and why 30 years. It’s been noted that there are plans by the LASG to build an alternative road along the Lekki shoreline. So why was LCC not encouraged to build the alternative road under a PPP agreement? And what’s the timeframe for the completion of this alternative road? Ideally, toll roads in major urban areas are aimed at making available a priced ‘premium’ service as an alternative to competing congested roads on the unprized network, while covering full costs, including a target rate of return on capital.

Huhuonline.com was on last week informed that Lekki-Epe Expressway toll plaza has been completed and may be commissioned for use in a few months time, and it will also be embracing the use of modern technology in its operations as against the usual manual employed in similar facilities in the past. Also private and commercial drivers who will ply the road upon completion of the plaza and commencement of tolling will have the option to either choose e-Tag or swiftPass card to be introduced by Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC) to drive past the facility which will later be known as “Admiralty Circle Plaza”.
However, the allegations by all concerned Lagosians are that, LCC is planning to commence charging road users soon, on a road that is still under construction is quite disheartening. It calls into question, the openness and transparency of the project procurement process. The key questions we need to ask LASG are, was the project subject to competitive bidding? What was the agreement between LASG and LCC in terms of toll charges and commencement of tolling? As we know, the project was meant to be completed in 2009, however, only 2km of road has been completed (!). So what does the contract say about completion date? Are there clauses in the contract that imposes penalty on LCC for failure to complete the project in time? One of the key benefits of Public-Private Partnerships is speedy, efficient and cost-effective delivery of projects through integration and cross-transfer of public and private sector skills, knowledge and expertise.
But if the private sector can’t deliver within the specified timeframe, as it’s currently the case, then what’s the purpose of the agreement and to whose benefit? It is ludicrous to subject commuters to endless months of road works without any form of compensation from the concessionaire. Some have argued that the global financial crisis may have affected LCC’s ability to secure loan, hence delay in the project, and perhaps, the reason for early introduction of toll charges. The reason why PPP have long concessions periods and different from traditional contract, is because there is a broad range of uncertainties and risks associated with PPP. The concessionaire assumes far more responsibilities and much more and deeper risks than a traditional contractor. And that’s why in most cases, the project delivery cost in PPP projects can be quite expensive.

And also, what if the concessionaire goes ‘burst’ before the completion of the project despite the Federal Support Agreement signed by the state, LCC and Federal Government? Does the state government have any mechanism in place to make sure that the road is completed? This is not an unlikely scenario, considering that LCC seems to be struggling financially. Or will it become an ‘abandoned’ project? This has been the common practice with most of the PPP contracts.
The operator of MMA II, Bi-Courtney Air services Ltd, was also recently fighting labour union over the takeover of the General Aviation Terminal. Proponents of PPP projects need to understand that extensive consultation and open communication with all stakeholders is necessary to ensure success. Stakeholders include employees and their trade unions, the public, the people who will use the assets and services provided local community groups and sector interest groups. It is also important that the economic, social and environmental concerns of those directly affected at local level should be taken into account along with the statutory rights and legitimate economic interests. There’s no doubt that private sector participation is necessary, if a sustainable infrastructure development is to be achieved, with sincerity of purpose and openness - especially in a country like Nigeria with massive infrastructure deficit. It is however important that it is done in a fair and transparent manner. It would also be fair if EFCC can interrogate Olowolafe about all these grey linings about LCC and the Lagos infrastructure Project. (LIP); Nigerians want to know.

http://www.huhuonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1459:tinubu-behind-true-face-of-lagos-as-olowolafe-may-sink-fashola&catid=103:more-news

Ajasa yet to benefit from Fashola’s projects
By Our Reader
Tuesday, 25 May 2010


Since his assumption of office, Governor Babatunde Fashola has been accomplishing series of social-economic development projects ranging from road construction, provision of water, transportation beautification to water projects - all part of the vision to turn Lagos into a mega city.


However, Ajasa Command, a suburb of Abule Egba and Ipaja Ayobo, is yet to benefit from these projects.


Virtually all the roads within the Community are in a deplorable state and they have no drainages. Now that the rainy season is approaching, the residents have their hearts in their mouths as this period is always nightmarish.


The level of hygiene of the residents is beneath what should be experienced by people who are faithful tax payers. The impact of LAWMA is not felt (PSP does not ply this area), thereby making people to dump refuse almost at every available junction.


Power outage is a common feature of the area. Ordinary street identification poles that are available at the junctions of every street in Lagos are not available, either.


We appeal to Governor Fashola to extend the dividends of democracy to us.


Owoade Oluwafemi,


Ladipo Shogunle,


Ikeja, Lagos.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201005252203273

Aregbesola Resonates In Lagos After 3 Years – Fashola

May 15th, 2010 | By Bankole Alao David | Category: Front Page Story


While some few politicians with an old order-mentality were busy attacking the popularity of the Ijesa-born erstwhile Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State in the name of politics, the image of the Osun State Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate has begun to reverberate in development chat of the Lagos Megacity project.

One of the numerous projects championed by Aregbesola’s plan to transform Lagos State provided the platform for the appreciation of the former commissioner, as the state Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola has acknowledged the initiative of Aregbesola on the Okota-Itire Link Bridge last week.

It would be recalled that Governor Fashola commissioned and handed over the bridge last Tuesday, a project that has opened up several communities with economic opportunities.

It was learnt that over seven local government council areas would be connected with the bridge; a feat attributed to Aregbesola by the governor.

Findings revealed that it was Aregbesola that conceived the project during his tenure as the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State during the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu.

It was learnt that the AC flagbearer in Osun State strongly argued and advocated for the construction of the bridge with a view to connecting some communities ranging from Yaba, Lawanson, Itire, Aguda Surulere and Mushin.

Acknowledging his role in the project, Fashola stressed: “The Bridge was not my idea. I first learnt of it as Chief of Staff in the last administration when Engineer Rauf Aregbesola put up the justification from it.

“It provided an alternative to the bridge at Isolo and helped to connect, at least, seven local governments without the need for them to travel all the way to either Isolo or Mile 2 inter–change to make the connection.”

Speaking on the development, the former governorship aspirant on the platform of the AC in Osun State, Otumba Jumoke Ogunkeyede said the acknowledgement of Aregbesola as a man with a fertile mind has further shown what Osun State was missing.

According to him, Aregbesola would have transformed Osun State to a beauty to behold if his popular mandate had not been stolen.

He said further: “When the Lagos governor said publicly that it was Aregbesola that conceived the idea of the Okota-Itire Millennium Bridge which has connected more than seven local government council areas, I could not imagine what Osun is missing.”

It would be recalled that Aregbesola picked the gauntlet of governorship race in 2005, a situation that made him to establish a political movement called Oranmiyan Group with the aim of using it as a vehicle of mobilization.

The fiery and colourful Ijesa-born politician had brought to Osun politics was could be said to have raised the bar for the stake of governorship in the state.

It was also observed that the way Aregbesola doggedly pursued his petition at the election petition tribunal that sat in Osogbo and the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State respectively when he stood his ground that he was robbed of his governorship mandate in 2007 governorship election is a rarity in the history of election petition in this country.

By ismail usman


http://www.osundefender.org/?p=9278

Fashola scraps salary delay for new employees
25 May, 2010 12:57:00 Mansur Oladunjoye


Lagos State Governor,Babatunde Fashola

Lagos State government has scrapped the age-long practice of delaying the salaries of new entrants into the state civil service for three months.

It has also organized quarterly retreats for the state executive council members and permanent secretaries towards creating an atmosphere of amity among them.

Disclosing this weekend was the permanent secretary in the office of Public Service, Mrs. Doyin Olusoga during the ministerial press briefing by the office of the Head of Service.

According to her, the retreat would afford the participants opportunity of brainstorming on the way to reposition the service for better productivity.

She also noted that "As a result of delay experienced by new entrants into the civil service who were not paid salaries until after three months in the service, the office Head of Service (HOS) has put in place a new arrangement to fast-track the payment of salaries to the first month of assumption.

"By this arrangement, all new entrants into the service resume on the same day of a particular month for documentation and data capturing. Thereafter, they are uploaded into the oracle database. This system enables payment of salaries to be made in the following month," she said.

She, however, said that the office of the HOS has within 2009 and 2010 recognised over 1000 public servants who were able to distinguish themselves in their various responsibilities, "The award covers all public servants including staff of local governments irrespective of cadre and level; a personalized plaque, certificate of service as well as gift items were given to each awardee," she listed.

http://www.champion.com.ng/index.php?news=32236

Fashola urges court to stay proceedings on ex-deputy governor’s suit
By Joseph Jibueze Published Yesterday News Rating:

A Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, yesterday fixed June 18 for ruling on an application brought by Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), urging it to stay proceedings in a suit filed by a former Deputy Governor, Mr Femi Pedro.

Justice Yetunde Idowu fixed the date after Fashola’s counsel, Mr Yemi Okewole, moved the application.

Fashola urged the court to suspend further hearing on the suit until an appeal against a ruling by Justice Kazeem Alogba is determined at the Court of Appeal.

Justice Alogba had assumed jurisdiction in the suit before it was transferred to the present judge, but Fashola said the court had no power to entertain it.

Pedro, through his lawyer, Mr Clement Onwuenwunor, opposed the application, urging the court to dismiss it with substantial cost, because there was no proof that an appeal had been filed.

Pedro is asking the court to declare that he resigned his office as Deputy Governor on May 8, 2007, and was, therefore, entitled to all the benefits of the office enjoyed by its former occupant, including a pension.

He said his impeachment on May 10, 2007, by the state House of Assembly had no effect, adding that he had resigned two days earlier.

Joined in the suit are the state Assembly, Fashola, and the state Attorney-General, Mr Olasupo Shasore (SAN). The application for a stay of action was brought by Fashola and Shasore.

Opposing the motion, Pedro’s lawyer said: "We are vehemently opposing the application. They cannot say they have shown special circumstances to bring this application. It has no chance of succeeding at all.

"It violates Order 54 (2) of this court’s Rules. There must be proof of record of appeal."

http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/47829/1/Fashola-urges-court-to-stay-proceedings-on-ex-deputy-governors-suit-/Page1.html