Oodua group warns of possible war
By Agency reporter
Published: Friday, 22 May 2009
The Coalition of the Oodua Self- Determination Groups has condemned the reprisal attacks on youths in the Niger Delta saying it smacks of genocide.

It also called on the Federal Government to call the Joint Task Force to order and warned that if stringent steps were not taken to curtail the excesses of JTF, the attacks could lead to war.

The position of the group was contained in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Gbenga Soloki, and made available to our correspondent in Lagos on Thursday.

It flayed ‘‘the genocide in the Niger-Delta region,‘‘ in particular, the killing of innocent people it described as the nation‘s future leaders.

According to COSEG, “We strongly condemn the action of JTF; the way the President is handling the matter in the region is uncalled for because declaring war on the region by the Federal Government is not the best.

“Look at the way the armed forces are killing the innocent and future leaders of this great country, burning of traditional palaces, shrine and populace just because the youth of the region are trying to extract good governance from the government.”

The government, it added, has failed at first instance to live up to its responsibilities to the people of the region and Nigeria as a whole.

Becomrich:

we all know which ethnics gorup kill thief in public, the yorubas.

Not only Yoruba. The last time I checked, Bakassi boys in Abia and Anambra were killing Igbo thieves in public. Was that period lost to your small, narrow-minded self?

@Abagworo

What does your topic say, but you ended up with only Bayelsa (Niger Delta)? What did you say about the other tribes you mentioned in your topic? Is Bayelsa the problem of Nigeria?

Teenage Ritual Suspect In The Net
May 18, 2009 11:11, 323 views


Olamide Akinlomi, 15, is arrested for atempted ritual murder





By Wole Adeboye





On Sunday, 10 May, 2009, nemesis caught up with Olamide Akinlomi, a 15-year-old student of Great Hills Secondary School, Denro Ishashi, Akute, Ogun state, when police arrested him while he attempted to kill a girl, Tolu Bakare, for money making rituals. Lamide and other members of his family, have been arrested and detained at the Ajuwon police station in connection with the incident.



Olamide, that day, had gone to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ayo Ni O, Aina Street, Ojodu, with his father, Akinwomi, a retired civil servant and mother, Yemi Akinwomi, a trader. Unknown to the family, Olamide slipped out of the church while the service was on and rushed home. Tolu was abducted by Olamide and his other accomplices who knocked her down with a piece of wood before she was taken to their hideout, an uncompleted building. The medium further gathered that it was a commercial motorcycle rider who was passing by the building where the girl’s body parts were being removed, that raised an alarm when he heard the girl screaming. According to police sources, “the ritualists had already removed her ear, they had also tried to remove her eyes and were slashing her neck to kill her when she was rescued.”


Olamide told TheNEWS : “When I got home, the small girl, Tolu, came to grind pepper, and I called her inside to help me carry the grinding machine outside for use.” Then there was a twist from carrying this machine to something else. The boy narrated further: “I attempted to rape her but my penis refused to move and as she struggled with me, I picked a wood to hit her on her face and body.” The boy told the police that his victim ran into an uncompleted building where a commercial motorcyclist sighted her and asked him who the girl was. “I replied that her mom was a known person to me. I immediately rushed to tell her mother that her daughter was groaning in pains that she should come and see her. As the girl was bleeding profusely, she pointed at me and I was handed over to the police.” Olumide explained.But this rape story shows that Olamide is a practiced liar even at his young age, for it totally contradicts his initial statement to the police. When he was asked to respond to the accusation that he attempted to remove the eyes and ears of Tolu, Olamide, in his confessional statement, said then that he had wealthy men who buy body parts from him, particularly the ears, for money making rituals. ” I was sent by one Brother Matthew,” he noted. How much was he paid? “We have not negotiated”, he replied

http://thenewsng.com/news/teenage-ritual-suspect-in-the-net/2009/05

AjaraEwuro,

I see you are in London. So please tell us how many times you have been in and out of prison for fraud, like most of your brothers over there. You can whisper the answer in my ears so others won't hear. I promise to keep it a secret.

How can we force the Yoruba thief Bankole to resign? He was indicted in millions of naira fraud, much more than 2000 pounds for which the british speaker resigned.

No one is protecting any white man. Some of us are not just hypocritical like most other Nigerians are.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/21052009/news/news16.html

Forgers of NCE, primary school certificates nabbed in Zamfara-Yorubas involved in forgery in the north

Muhammad Sabiu, Gusau - 21.05.2009

The Zamfara State police command has arrested 18 suspects in connection with the sales of fake primary school certificates and the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in Zamfara.

Parading the suspects at the premises of the police command, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Lawal Abdulahi, said a headmaster in one of the primary schools in the state was arrested along with 17 others, including the prime suspect, Bello Hussaini Mada, who was alleged to be the brain behind the nefarious activities.

According to the PPRO, the suspect indicted Sunday Ajayi and Abiodun Ajayi, both in Kaduna State, to be the manufacturer of the fake certificates which they confessed to have sold to more than 20 persons

The police disclosed that the calligrapher of the illegal certificates, Richi Amisa, was arrested and had confessed to be involved in the illegal business Primary school leaving certificate is sold for N6, 000, and NCE certificate N30, 000.

According to the police image maker, the police have recovered eight copies of the NCE certificates and 100 primary school certificates and testimonials from the suspects.
 
back

http://www.tribune.com.ng/21052009/news/news16.html

Forgers of NCE, primary school certificates nabbed in Zamfara-Yorubas involved in forgery in the north

Muhammad Sabiu, Gusau - 21.05.2009

The Zamfara State police command has arrested 18 suspects in connection with the sales of fake primary school certificates and the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in Zamfara.

Parading the suspects at the premises of the police command, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Lawal Abdulahi, said a headmaster in one of the primary schools in the state was arrested along with 17 others, including the prime suspect, Bello Hussaini Mada, who was alleged to be the brain behind the nefarious activities.

According to the PPRO, the suspect indicted Sunday Ajayi and Abiodun Ajayi, both in Kaduna State, to be the manufacturer of the fake certificates which they confessed to have sold to more than 20 persons

The police disclosed that the calligrapher of the illegal certificates, Richi Amisa, was arrested and had confessed to be involved in the illegal business Primary school leaving certificate is sold for N6, 000, and NCE certificate N30, 000.

According to the police image maker, the police have recovered eight copies of the NCE certificates and 100 primary school certificates and testimonials from the suspects.
 
back

mikeansy:

if Nigerian MPs are as honest as they are  . . . . . our standard of living would have been a lot better

Gbam. Even the thief speaker BANKOLE could not resign and Madam Etteh almost wanted to die there after a heavy indictment. This is unlike the British paliamentary speaker who resigned over a mere 2000 pounds in a matter of days. Shame to the poster and his hypocrisy.

Becomrich,

I have seen the website where you copied your response from. Poor you, you could not even edit the wordings but just pasted them as is. My question was very simple but you failed woefully. As an expert, did you think I will ask you a direct question you could lift from the internet? Go back and answer my question which is the main disadvantage of cloning genes of higher organisms (name withheld) using smaller organisms (names withheld) and how you can circumvent this disadvantage. This question is also linked to human medicine/health. Please establish that link in one sentence.

All na dagbo; oluwole profs who cant speak good english, thereby bring up undesirable elements like Becomrich who does not know his right from his left hand.

Becomrich,

Whats is a major disdvantage of gene cloning and what alternative route would you take? My worst prof is better than your best prof. You guys are all fake with fake degrees

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200902223264739

I got my fake Ife, UI, NYSC certificates for N350,000
By AKIN OYEDELE
Published: Sunday, 22 Feb 2009

NOTHING in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Ingenuity will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press on‘ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
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Ogunshola

Had Olusola Ogunshola come across this wise saying of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States of America, in his quest to earn a living through honest means, maybe he would have been singing a song different from the one he now sings at the headquarters of the Oyo State Police Command, where he is now cooling off.

Born 51 years ago in Sagamu, Ogun State, Ogunshola said he had tried his hands on many things since he finished from Oke Ibadan Boys High School, Ibadan, in 1974. He was a petty trader, clergy, and fish farmer at different times in order to secure honest livelihood. He didn‘t have a major breakthrough, he said.

In 1987, he said he struck an idea to travel abroad to seek the proverbial greener pasture, which landed him in trouble 21 years after.

Legitimately, Ogunshola did not possess more than a school certificate, but he goes about parading himself as a lawyer and pastor to swindle unsuspecting members of the public. It will be difficult for anybody to believe that the Bachelor‘s of Law certificate of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University); Master‘s of Law degree certificate of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan (which he ‘bagged‘ even before the university began postgraduate degree in law); the National Youth Service Corps certificate; call to Bar certificate and the identity card of the Nigeria Bar Association, found in his possession, were forged.

Not only that, the suspect confessed in an interview with our correspondent that he ”stole” the stamp and letterhead of a law firm, S. O. Alli and Co. And to complete his bogus identity, he said he purchased a lawyer‘s wig and gown, with a shirt to match in Lagos, when he finally decided to pass for a lawyer. Before he was excommunicated when his deals became known to the church authority, Ogunshola was also a ‘pastor‘ with the Global Harvest Church, where he ‘cast and bound‘ the devil and its agents for several years. The official stamp of the church, a disused locally-made gun, two international passports and some fake certificates of occupancy were also among his haul.

The Commissioner of Police at the state command, Mr. Bashiru Azeez, said that the suspect was nabbed over a N362,000 shady deal that went awry.

Azeez said, ”His cup became full when one of his victims reported that the transaction between them began on February 15, 2006 when the victim met the suspect at their church.

”The victim had told him that he needed the services of a lawyer to verify the genuineness of a property in Lagos State, which was introduced to him for purchase and to process the certificate of occupancy in respect of the property.

”To his enquiry, the suspect responded that he was a barrister and could render him the legal services. The victim was pleased at this development; that he had found a lawyer pastor in whom he could repose absolute trust.”

Pronto, the victim was said to have made available the sum charged by the ‘lawyer‘ in order not to lose the property to other interested buyers. That became his undoing. Ogunshola went to work and before you could say Babatunde Fashola, he had produced a purported C of O and other legal documents on the property, which the CP said were later discovered to be forged. Had the suspect refunded the money, probably the victim would have kept this secret, but he began to dilly-dally, as months of unfulfilled promises turned to years.

But on Thursday, Ogunshola cut the image of a pensive rogue, who having realised the gravity of his offence, would pose as a fowl beaten by the rain in his wig and robe.

Asked how he came about the certificates found in his possession, he said that it was in 1987 when he was desperate to travel out of the country that he encountered one late Ishiaku, who procured the documents for him at a fee of N350,000. Before his accomplice died in an auto accident (if he was not being economical with the truth), he said he was in the process of securing a Canadian visa with his fake certificates. Asked why he needed to go to that extent to secure a visa, he claimed that the idea was that of his late accomplice to smoothen the process. His dream however vanished with the death of Ishiaku.

His good command of English language notwithstanding, he said he could not further his education beyond secondary school due to lack of financial support from his struggling parents. His memory failed him when asked how he met the late accomplice and where.

He said the death of his partner dealt him a devastating blow that he did not know how to pick up the pieces of his life, having lost his life savings from his petty trading to the ambition.

Ogunshola insisted that he never defrauded his victim, who he identified as one Kayode Oresanya. Rather, he said that a link person that he contracted to secure the C of O from the Office of Surveyor General in Lagos ”collected the money and ran away.”

He said, ”I was no longer making use of the certificates. The police found them in my store. I never went to court or took a brief from anybody. I acquired those things when I wanted to travel abroad. When the Canada thing failed, Ishiaku still promised to help me before he died in an accident. I inherited the old gun they found in my house from my father. Go and check it very well, it is an old useless gun.”

In a rare display of ‘honesty,‘ he said that he stole the S.O. Alli and Co. stamp and letterhead when he had an opportunity of being at the law firm when they were relocating to another office.

His countenance dropped and he almost ended the interview when asked whether he was still a pastor, to which he declared ”I will not answer that question.”

Asked why he could not venture into any neat business with N350,000 as far back as 1987, he said his ambition was to live big and do well with his family. Now he said he had put his wife and two kids in a quandary.

Querying the rationale behind his arrest for a deal that was about three-years-old, he said he had already promised to refund the money to Oresanya before he (Oresanya) decided to invite the police. The suspect said that his income from his fish farming business could barely sustain him now, which explains why he told his victim to tarry a while.

If given another opportunity, he said he would turn a new leaf now that he had realised the position of law on his activities.

Hear him, ”I feel frustrated with my life because of the serious setback I suffered when I could not travel abroad. I have repented. I regretted my action. I can‘t do it again. I was a petty trader at a point, but I thought my life will be better. Now, I know better.”

OOU begins sack of indicted lecturers
By Ademola Oni, Abeokuta
Published: Friday, 8 May 2009

The Governing Council of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State has begun serving sack letters on some academic staff of the institution who were alleged by a visitation panel to have perpetrated unethical practices in the institution.

Our correspondent learnt at the Ago Iwoye campus of the university on Thursday that the lecturers, who were found culpable of misdemeanour by the Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe visitation panel to the institution, started receiving their termination letters on Monday.

As at the last count, according to a source in the school, no fewer than 15 academic staff had received letters to leave the institution.

The letters, signed by the Acting Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mrs. Olajumoke Owotomo, advised that the affected lecturers “look for work somewhere else,” stating that the 26-year-old institution no longer needed their services.

A source in the institution told our correspondent that the letters of other indicted staff were being prepared, dismissing claims that the Governing Council was under pressure to scale down the number of academic staff to be sacked.

“Remember, it is not just the academic staff that may finally be affected. The restructuring in the registry, especially, where it had been recommended that the 17 deputy registrars be reduced to seven may still necessitate the sacking of some of these staff members. The letters are being served in phases,” said the source, who pleaded not to be named.

The Ibidapo-Obe panel, set up in December 2008, over several complaints of lecturers excesses, falling standard of academic services and uncoordinated administrative style, alleged widespread malpractices among lecturers and the manners of promotion of workers.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, OOU, and its Students Union Government which submitted memoranda to the panel among other stakeholders, had urged the council of the institution to implement the recommendations of the panel to the letter

The type of university that Becomrich attended. All those Oluwole Profs who taught him are to blame.

Yes, you should cry for graduates like Becomrich who can't spell simple stuff. Olodo rabata

Becomrich,

Half of the half of Nigerian PhD holders and profs are fake and those fakes are Yoruba. . So only 25% of Nigerian academicians of Yoruba origin are genuine. The rest are Oluwole

The woman reminds one of Tafa Balogun and Sunday Ehindero, two highest law enforcers who turned out to be common thieves.

Massive looting at EFCC. Waziri fingered. -National Daily
Submitted by salstep
Today
Default Massive looting at EFCC. Waziri fingered. -National Daily
-SR

http://www.nationaldailyngr.com

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/main-square/32183-massive-looting-efcc-waziri-fingered-national-daily.html

Is this the beginning of the end of the incumbent Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mrs. Farida Waziri? The question becomes pertinent should one consider the precarious situation the former Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) has suddenly found herself. National Daily authoritatively gathered that the Presidency has ordered a comprehensive probe to be carried out regarding Mrs. Farida's handling of the commission's purse. In fact the probe of the anti-graft boss who has also been accused of collecting gratification from some individuals and sweeping their investigation under the carpet, we learnt , is nearing conclusion.

The directive, sources revealed, was as a result of a petition forwarded to the Presidency. Not happy with the content of the petition, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was reported to have invited the Chairman on Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) Rtd. Honourable Justice Emmanuel Ayoola to Aso Rock for executive briefing on the matter. By the time Ayoola left the Presidency, sources disclosed that, he was armed with enough conviction to speedily implement the task.

ICPC had since set up a special team which has commenced investigation into the damning allegation, most of which National Daily got hold of.
It was gathered that investigation into Mrs. Farida's tenure at the EFCC has revealed troubling details of her alleged involvement in direct stealing from the commission's coffer. She was accused of having specifically used, her "Special Assistant" to make cash withdrawals from the agency. These withdrawals have been made under the bogus heading of "Information Funds".

Further investigation showed that between June 23 2008 and October 22nd, Waziri with the aid of her blood brother, Yisa Terfa Moses, whom she hired as her 'Special Assistant' withdrew the sum of N75 million as "Information Fund" from the account of the EFCC.

Waziri had earlier recruited a police officer of her ethnic stock, a Tiv named James Vandefan Tersudh, to take charge of the accounts' department at the EFCC, A breakdown of Waziri's alleged "Information Fund" withdrawals showed that on Monday June 23, 2008, she took out N5 million. Three days later, on June 26, 2008, she made cash withdrawals of N15 million. She followed up with withdrawals of N15 million on July 22nd 2008 and another N15 million on July 28, 2008.

Waziri's alleged systematic looting of EFCC funds resumed on August 2nd 2008 with cash withdrawal of N2 million, followed by another withdrawal of N3 million on August 14th 2008. Mrs. Waziri on September 20th and October 14th 2008, respectively, also took out N20 million in two- installments of N10 million.
Sources revealed that it has been pretty difficult for investigators to determine any specific "information" projects that the withdrawn monies were used for. Also, no documentation on their usage were provided in the account books of the EFCC.

However, two sources within the agency informed that, Waziri used the funds to fete and "take care" of journalists in an attempt to shore up her badly battered image.

The cash withdrawals, National Daily gathered, coincided with the discovery of Waziri's curious purchase of Federal Government owned properties in the Wuse II Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. As a Retired Former Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Waziri owned only one plot of land in Maitama Area of Abuja. Investigations, however revealed, that on May 26th 1999, she was allocated plot 601 at 23 Aso Garden Estate, Maitama, Abuja. One Barrister Mike Ejeh submitted her application.

Since her assumption of office in 2008, Waziri, investigation revealed, has acquired several properties in Abuja. She purchased from Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) a Federal Government house valued at N50.04 million at number 10 Port Novo Street, Wuse 11, Abuja. The house was described in FCDA records seen by National Daily as a Five-bedroom detached house with boy's quarters.

Waziri paid N5 million for the property through a bank draft issued by Access Bank of Nigeria Plc, The property is currently renovated. A source confirmed that the Access Bank link was suspicious. On assuming office as EFCC chair, she was reported to have moved almost all EFCC Accounts to the bank where her daughter was employed. Shortly after her relocation of the agency's account, investigators confronted EFCC spokesperson Femi Babafemi who admitted that the Access Bank has EFCC account. However, he said only the EFCC salary accounts were moved there.

It was not clear how Mrs. Waziri paid she balance of N45 Million on the property, but a source at FCT told us that the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aliyu Umar Modibbo, grossly undervalued the property. "The Minister was in trouble because of serious cases of corruption, and he offered the house to Mrs. Waziri at a give-away price m order to secure her support otherwise a property of that type in Wuse 11 cost at least N150 million.”

Waziri, sources disclosed, "was responding to allegations contained in petition which accused El-Rufai of embezzling N32 billion. The Nigerian Senate was also simultaneously probing the alleged embezzlement. The funds at the centre of the investigation were monies which El -Rufai placed with an FCT-owned Loans and Savings Bank, Aso Savings, from which Federal Civil Servants were supposed to draw housing loans.

Unknown to Yar'adua, Modibbo had withdrawn the funds from Aso Savings and distributed it amongst various commercial banks leaving behind a meagre N7 Billion, In "gratitude", the banks paid Modibbo the interest generated from the deposits, Even a Presidency circular asking him to return the funds to the Central Bank of Nigeria was ignored. EFCC agents' found out about the extensive fraud as they interrogated Modibbo and took his statements - which were forwarded to the Presidency before Waziri could see them. Unaware of her agents' damning report, she commissioned another report on Modibbo, highly favourable, which was again dispatched to the Presidency,
Briefed on Modibbo's extensive corruption dossier with Presidency, it was reported in September 2008 that he was penciled for removal from office. While awaiting his removal from office, Modibbo hurriedly allocated lands to 24 individuals on September 24th 2008.

An FCT official informed that all ministerial approvals derive from land applications. Two editors of two major news media contacted, stressed the same point. Further insight was shared by an official at the EFCC familiar with details of Modibbo's corrupt deals who stated that the former minister's decision to allocate lands to Waziri alongside top newspapers editors was done to ensure that the transaction was not reported and that Modibbo's extensive scams at the FCT were covered up.

Waziri's Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) was offered to her the next day. The C of 0 read that she was allocated Plot 1460 of 25 Trent River Street, Maitama, Abuja with file number 60219 in Cadastral Zone, B06 of MABUSHI.


However, her plot soon assume a game of hide-and-seek. According to a source within FCT who knew about the transaction, Waziri and the former minister suspected that people were aware of the land allocated to her. Waziri, then, arranged with the FCT to change the ownership of her land. On October 13th 2008, the Federal Capital Territory Administration Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) wrote her a "withdrawal letter" titled "Notice of Withdrawal of Right of Occupancy", the short letter, addressed to Mr. Farida Mzamber Waziri, stated that her Right of Occupancy to Plot 1460 within B06 Mabushi was revoked by "DISCRETION BY AUTHORITY." The letter listed the Director of Development Control, Director Legal, and Director "URP" as the source of the letter.

Two days after the revocation, the same plot was allocated to Waziri's daughter, Zainab Naomi Salawu. The same plot was now assigned a new file number GO 60167. In an attempt to hide the exact identity of the re-allocated land, FCT Officials gave the address as 2 River Trent Crescent, Maitama - Abuja.

In a move that betrayed her stake in the land, Mrs. Waziri sent Mohammed A. Bako, the EFCC protocol officer, to sign a letter accepting the land. Bako, who signed on behalf of Zainab Naomi Salawu, foolishly gave his EFCC Office Phone Number 09-6441118, and Mobile Number: 0803-325-5447, his E-mail Address: abako@,  as well as his home address in Karu Phase 1 Area of Abuja. Zainab Salawu is believed to own a Hair Saloon in London known as "NAOMI DAVIDS",

The land grab by Mrs. Waziri is coming on the heels of a recent revelation of her receipt of a Mercedes Benz GL 450 gift from Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom.

Details of the ongoing investigation equally revealed that Waziri has since February 2009 been receiving the sum of N50 million monthly from Intercontinental Bank Plc,N20 million monthly from Access Bank and NI0 million monthly from Skye Bank Plc, These monies, sources disclosed, represent interests accruing to the over N300 billion recovered looted funds including the N17 billion from former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, placed as fixed deposits in these commercial banks by the EFCC. These funds, National Daily gathered, were supposed to be placed in the federation account instead of these commercial banks.

Between March and April 2009, Waziri, reports have it, singlehandedly collected the sum of N15 million from the commission's Account to bribe journalists so as to carry good stories to her credit. This expenditure was never provided for at the EFCC budget of 2009.

Waziri is also yet to account for the bogus N200 million she spent on behalf of the commission in organizing the 'Jamboree and Shenanigan' called ANCOR early this year. She spent N700 million each in the ANCOR launch, in Lagos and Abuja. Again, this was never provided for in either the 2008 or 2009 EFCC budgets.

Her corrupt practices also extend to collection of bribes and gratification. For instance, she collected the sum of N50 million from Dr. Olusegun Agagu (former Governor of Ondo State) to carpet investigation into his regime's serial fraud and looting as exposed by the petition from a renowned and fearless Anti-corruption activists, Barrister OgboIi Charles and Barrister Ugochukwu Osuagwu. N30 million was also collected as bribe by Waziri from Mr. Tayo Alasoadura, former Commissioner for Finance, Ondo State, This is in addition to the N50 million she collected in April 2009 from Aliko Dangote so as to soft pedal on the probe of his alleged fraudulent activities and economic sabotage.

Additional allegation revealed the breach of Federal Character Principles. Early last April, Waziri recruited 20 lawyers for the Agency's legal department and 11 senior staff. The said interview for these lawyers was conducted by her principal staff officer (PSO), Mr. Sango, without the knowledge of the commission's secretary who is the Commission's Chief Administrative officer. And to compound this violation, 11 of these lawyers and all the 11 senior staff were from Benue State, her state of origin.

Niga Lurva:

Since you obviously did not go to university how will you know?

Of course, I did not attend a Nigerian university; unlike you who is a product of those one-in-a-penny high schools that go by the misnomer of a university. Your grammatical skill already gives you away as a true Nigerian university graduate. I will not be surprised if you were trained by one of those phony academics.

The title is a question that begs an aswer. So far, no one has attempted an aswer to it; instead the jankara market woman TPIAH is running loose as usual. THE MAD DOG SHE IS.

OAU, OOU flush out dons to reposition varsities

By SEGUN OLUGBILE

Barely two weeks after the governing council of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, sacked the institution‘s vice-chancellor, principal officers and about 15 lecturers for alleged ineptitude, the leadership of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has relieved five of its lecturers of their positions for a similar reason.


File
Acting Vice-Chancellor, OOU, Prof. Soga Sofola

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OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Michael Faborode

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While the offences of the sacked OOU lecturers included mark boosting, alteration of results; presentation of fake Ph.D degrees and promotion without following due process, the offences of the OAU lecturers ranged from academic indolence, plagiarism to misdemeanour.

Other offences, allegedly discovered by the panel that recommended the sack of the OOU lecturers, included wrongful promotion and the inability of some of the lecturers to improve their academic qualifications 10 years after bagging their Master‘s degrees.

About a month ago, the council Chairman of OOU, Chief Alex Onabanjo, asked the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Osilesi Odutola, the Deputy VC, Administration, Prof. E.O.A. Ajayi; DVC, Academics, Prof. O. Otolorin; and the Acting Registrar, Mr. O. Osinulu, to proceed on compulsory leave. The acting registrar, Mrs. Olajumoke Owotomo, alleged that the dons were involved in unethical practices. She also accused them of academic misdemeanour.

Investigations at the OAU revealed that the five lecturers lost their jobs for various offences ranging from plagiarism, job abandonment, ineptitude, globetrotting and alleged criminal tendencies.

According to the Public Relations Officer of OAU, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, the sacked lecturers are, Dr. Ande Lamidi Kareem, Dr. Olusegun Fadiran, Dr. Edward Ogbonia Uche-Nwachi, Mrs. Victoria Abike Akalugo and Mr. Joshua Ayobami Ayeni.

Giving reasons for their sack, Olarewaju alleged that the lecturers flouted the law setting up the university. For instance, he said Ayeni, a Lecturer 1 in the Department of Computer Engineering, was sacked for plagiarism. ”You know that Ife is a first class institution that is well respected all over the world but unfortunately Mr. Ayeni sometimes in 2004, sent an article to an international journal based in South Africa.

”The article was published, but on January 10, 2005, the university received an e-mail from the publishers of the journal to the effect that the article was plagiarised. This is the height of academic fraud that a responsible institution will not overlook. So, the university set up a senate committee to look into the matter.‘‘

He said Ayeni was invited to defend himself, adding that the committee found him guilty at the end of its investigation. Though he was sacked this month, his salary was stopped in March 2007. ”But in reaching this conclusion, due process was followed, that is even why we are not having any problem with the Academic staff Union of Universities. All of us in Ife are for excellence and we are using this to send a clear signal that anybody that wants to work or study here must be ready to burn the midnight candle.‘‘

On why Akalugo, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Special Education and Curriculum Studies was sacked, the PRO said she could not provide evidence of progress on her Ph.D work since she started the programme over eight years ago. ”Her academic ability was nothing to write home about. In fact, her colleagues in the department and even students complained about her performance. It got to a stage that courses she meant to teach were withdrawn from her and given to other lecturers when it became obvious that she could not cope with the high standard expected from lecturers teaching in the university.‘‘

Olarewaju further alleged that Akalugo combined her teaching job at OAU with another one with the Ondo State Government. ”When the committee set up to try her case confronted her with this, rather than defending herself, she started employing various tricks to elongate the trial so as to perfect her plan to process her retirement with the Ondo State Government without the knowledge of the university,” he said.

Olarewaju added that the sacked lecturer was also involved in various acts that could tarnish the image of the university. A lecturer in her department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the academic incapability of the sacked don. He said the lecturer was in the habit of going in and out of police detention for cases that were not political. But efforts to get the comment of the sacked lecturer failed as most of the lecturers in the department said they did not know her whereabouts since her ordeals with the university started.

A staff of the Faculty of Education, who simply identified herself as Seun, said she deleted the lecturer‘s number when earlier calls to her mobile phone showed that the handset was permanently switched-off.

The other three dons, Ande, Uche Nwachi and Fadiran were said to have abandoned their duty posts while all efforts to contact them failed. Olarewaju said their actions violated Section 2 sub section 232 of the university regulation.

Before his sack, Ande, a senior lecturer in the Department of Cell and Morbid Anatomy, according to Olarewaju, allegedly refused to resume for duties after the expiration of his approved leave in 1991. ”He did not also apply for leave extension and efforts to contact him had failed and he has since failed to resume for duty,” he said.

The story of Fadiran of the Department of Surgery was similar to that of Ande. They were both sacked years after their salaries were stopped by the university. Efforts by our correspondents to speak with any of the sacked dons failed as nobody at Ife was ready to disclose their whereabouts.

Olarewaju also said that during their trial, none of the three that allegedly absconded from the university appeared before the various committees that looked into their cases. ”See, Dr. Uche-Nwachi left the university without approved leave in 1996 and failed to come back. On four different occasions, he was invited in 1998 but he did not turn up. The committee did not have a choice than to pronounce him guilty,‘‘ the university‘s public relations officer added.

He said that the university decided to embark on the academic cleansing in continuation of its renewed bid to reposition the university.

On why it took the university years before taking disciplinary action against the affected lecturers, the PRO said it was because the university wanted to give the affected dons ample opportunity to defend themselves. But he added that the institution did not lose any money during the period as the salaries of the dons were stopped years before their official sack.

”If they had been cleared by the various committees, the university would have paid them in arrears,” he said.

Efforts to get the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Michael Faborode, to comment on the issue failed. Calls to his mobile phone were not answered while he did not respond to a text message sent to his phone.

But members of the academic community particularly lecturers commended the university for the action. A lecturer in the Faculty of Science, who pleaded anonymity, said since the affected lecturers were given fair hearing and there was no allegation of witch -hunting, the institution should be commended. At OOU too, members of ASUU and students backed the management‘s action.

The President, Students‘ Union of OOU, Mr. Emmanuel Bada, said the students supported the action because the sacked officers had done little to enhance the status of the institution as a university.

Drug barons threaten political power in Nigeria, other African nations
By ADEMOLA BABALOLA and JIDE BABALOLA
Published: Sunday, 17 May 2009

There are fears that political power and decisions in Nigeria and the other West African countries risk falling under the control of wealthy drug barons who record annual turnover of $1billion, SUNDAY PUNCH investigations indicate.
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Chairman, (NDLEA) Ahmadu Giade.

Nigerian drug barons and other criminal syndicates in the West African countries are said to be presiding over a thriving trade in cocaine and other hard drugs with total worth enough to take over the weak political structures in the sub-continent.

The fear of the wealthy drug barons, a United Nations officer on Drugs and Crimes in Africa, Latin America and the Middle-East, Mr. Chris Van Der Burgh, said, was at the centre of the body‘s new strategy to combat drug trade in the region.

In the case of Nigeria, he said international bodies were partnering with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to police the banks through which he alleged the drug proceeds were being laundered.

Van Der Burgh, in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents said the political structures in West Africa were too weak and “are easy preys for global drug trafficking syndicates who seek to take over political power through associates among such countries citizens.”

The UN official said an average of 50 tons of cocaine from Latin America now passes through the affected countries annually, the monetary value of which he estimated at $1bn.

He said the fast and increasing level of drug trafficking as well as the volume of money laundering in the West African countries “could easily overtake all legitimate economic outputs within a few years if left unchecked.

“The cocaine being trafficked from Latin America through the region is having a devastating effect on countries in West Africa. For example, what passes through Guinea Bissau now is far in excess of Guinea Bissau‘s national economy.

“Of course, it is an indication of what a geometric problem it is; when you have drug trafficking, you have other forms of trans-national organised crimes.

”You have vast amount of money being generated and of course, this money has to be laundered in various manners. It is a geometric problem and it calls for geometric measures to be taken,” Van Der Burgh explained.

Although Van Der Burgh refused to disclose details of UNODC‘s intelligence reports on Nigerian drug syndicates, he stated that while some international drug barons send cocaine shipments through seaports and airports, others flood European countries with a huge number of ‘mules‘ who transport cocaine in small quantities.

“Obviously, shipments are passing through airports and through sea borders. When people are intercepted in European countries, one of the procedures they (drug barons) use is to flood a flight to a specific country with what they call mules or air couriers who either keep it on the body or swallow it.

“But obviously, the mules are not the main culprits. They are right at the end of the chains. It‘s the big ones behind the scenes that keep the business going on. The small people are lured by quick money and they easily get tempted with offers of $10, 000,” he stated.

Pointing out that Nigeria is not alone in facing serious challenges from drug traffickers and professional money-launderers, he explained that concerns about such problems made UNODC establish a special unit that helps the EFCC to monitor Nigerian banks.

“We have been on this project since early 2006 and it is basically aimed at helping the EFCC to assist banks to prune up their legislation and operating procedures up to international standards, so as to prevent money laundering taking place. I‘m really not in a position to comment on the level of Nigerian banks‘ involvement in this problem,” he said.

While acknowledging that official corruption remains a big threat to efforts aimed towards curbing crime, he said that the ultimate challenge was in the hands of each country‘s security and law enforcement agencies.

He added that various international bodies were helping to implement a cross-border action plan that was endorsed by presidents of ECOWAS countries.

“Of course, what people say and what people do are sometimes two different things. On this political declaration is the signature of the Heads of State and governments and it‘s an official record that they have committed themselves at the highest political level to put in place measures to deal with this problem,” he said.

In Nigeria, daily reports of arrests made by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency were indicative of increase in the drug trade in Nigeria.

There are many known drug traders said to be walking the streets of the country unhindered, while many of them dominate the social scene.

In fact, many of them have had records waxed in their praises.

Curiously, little was known about the world of the drug traders before 1984 when the trio of Batholomew Owoh, Bernard Ogedengbe and Akanni Ojuolape were publicly executed by the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari regime for trafficking in hard drugs.

At the height of the drug trafficking menace in 1989, the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida administration established the NDLEA via Decree 48 the same year.

In spite of past efforts of the anti-narcotics agency, the trade appears to be on the increase.

In one of its recent successes, the NDLEA in Ogun State last March 31 confiscated 6.5 tons of marijuana from the home of a 114-year-old man, Sulaiman Adebayo.

The illegal haul was packed in 254 sacks.

“The quantity of drugs suggests a large scale involvement , There is more to the case than Pa Sulaiman,” NDLEA chairman, Ahmadu Giade later said in a statement.

Lax customs control and corruption have also made Nigeria a conduit for hard drugs from Asia and Latin America into Western markets.

http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2009051715443210

when it comes to in literature nigeria ,soyinka,achebe etc are outstanding,
when it comes to music,tuface,dbanj,asa,m.i etc are oustanding,
when it comes to govt propaganda,chukwumerije,nweke etc are oustanding,
when it comes to govt stealing obj,ibb,abacha,atiku etc are outstanding
when it comes to formulating good policies in the financial sector,soludo.iweala etc are outstanding

when it comes to good governance (which is our point of arguement) fashola is outstanding(and i dont have to be yoruba to appreciate that)

so my good friend,name the ibo man that has been proven to be outstanding in governance

Mbakwe remains the best gov till date.

Edo: Community battles church over shrine

The people of Afasho near Auchi, Edo state, are set for a showdown with the Catholic Church over the alleged removal of the community shrine.

Sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the shrine, named "Itsede", was said to have been removed on April 28 by members of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Afosho.

Discovering that the shrine had been removed, some members of the community descended on the church and destroyed chairs and louvres.

The shrine, which is said to be about 300 years old, was situated right in the middle of the road leading to Fugar and Agenebode in Etsako Central and Etsako East local government areas, respectively.

According to the community’s age group leader, Mr. Vincent Okhani, the problem started when Rev. Fr Michael Omomile denied some elders Holy Communion at a Sunday service because they had refused to remove the shrine.

The source said Omomile insisted that the elders would continue to be denied Holy Communion until they removed the shrine.

Irked by Omomile’s action, the elders reported the matter to the head of the community, Chief Adedio Sule.

Adedio subsequently reported the matter to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese in Auchi, the sources said.

Adedio told NAN that Omomile had no right to deny the elders Holy Communion.

"I do not want crisis in my community which was why I took the matter to the bishop.

"That shrine has existed for many years. Even our forefathers met the shrine at that same spot. As I talk to you now, nobody knows how that shrine was removed but we know they did it like they have threatened," he said.

"Everyone has a right to religion but the Father is saying the shrine is the hindrance to the development of the community."

Omomile refused to speak to NAN on the issue, while the bishop of the diocese was said to have traveled out of town.

The names of the criminals are so skewed towards a particular ethnic group that it reminds one of the skewness of national corruption in Nigeria in the last several years.

Just saw these names on another post and they sound really interesting

''Adeseye Ogunlewe
Ganiyu Ogunleye (NDIC)
Bode George
Sarunmi
Obasanjo
Tafa Balogun
Gbenga Aluko
Etteh
Fani Kayode
Borishade
Speaker Bankole
Sunday Ehindero
Iyabo Obasanjo''

With such people and more as Yoruba leaders, that country is dead on arrival

Adeseye Ogunlewe
Ganiyu Ogunleye (NDIC)
Bode George
Sarunmi
Obasanjo
Tafa Balogun
Gbenga Aluko
Etteh
Fani Kayode
Borishade
Speaker Bankole
Sunday Ehindero
Iyabo Obasanjo
Senator Nwabara
El Rufai

FG may de-emphasise federal character
Written by .
Friday, 15 May 2009

The federal character policy might cease to be a key consideration for employment if it undermined Nigeria’s interest, Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe said yesterday.

Maduekwe said at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos that if the policy would result in incompetence in the civil service, it would be de-emphasised.

“That is why the government since 1999 has continued to emphasise merit in employment in the civil service. No section of the country, though, has the monopoly of the best, but efforts are being made to ensure that equity goes with merit,” he said.

He said the ministry was making efforts to relocate the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) from Lagos to Abuja.

According to him, the move is to enable the ministry to make the best use of the institute.

Maduekwe said the NIIA had been useful, and lauded its management for supporting the Federal Government in its foreign relations. (NAN)