₦airaland Forum

Residents of Mosarajo village in
Atakumosa West Local Government
Area Osun state now live in panic
even as many have fled the village
following the discovery of an awful
shrine in the village by security
operatives.
Police and other security operatives
including the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had on
Friday discovered a shrine where
human parts were allegdly being sold
in the village located close to Ile-Ife.
Already, four persons have been
arrested by the Police for allegedly
operating the shrine, which covers
about an acre of land in the village.
Residents of the village now live in
fear and panic even as it was
gathered that many of them fled
overnight for fear of being arrested by
the Police.
Sunday Sun reliably gathered that a
good number of people from all parts
of the country patronize the shrine
and many of them had been duped by
those operating the shrine.
The shrine, which is a replica of the
dreaded Okija shrine, was discovered
by security operatives following a tip-
off by some residents of the village.
The owner of the shrine who was
simply identified as Aliyu (a.k.a
Aburagbaja) a native of Inisa in Odo-
Otin Local Government Area of the
state was said to be using the shrine
to defraud unsuspecting people.
Although no dead body was
discovered in the shrine located
inside a thick forest, a live python
was seen inside a coffin Aliyu
allegedly constructed to invoke the
spirit that produces fake naira and
foreign currencies.
He was also said to be using the
shrine to assist people seeking
appointments into high offices; those
in dare need of children and all sorts
of problems.
Those arrested along with Aliyu are
Eneji John (55), Tosin Olalekan (17)
and Segun Fakanyi (13). They were
said to be his aides.
The shrine consists of different huts;
underground tunnel; idols; tombs;
naira notes; fake dollar notes; black
native pots among others.
The State Commissioner of Police,
Mrs. Dorothy Gimba who confirmed
the strange discovery said the state
Police command had commenced
investigation and the suspects would
soon be arraigned in court.
The owner of the shrine (Aliyu)
confirmed ownership of the shrine,
saying he was formerly selling herbs
in Lagos and was introduced to the
business by a man from Ekiti State
simply identified as SOJ in 2003.
He claimed that the shrine was put up
in the village early this year, saying
the graves, masquerades and other
idols in the shrine were to terrify his
unsuspecting “customers” to do his
bidding by bringing money for
sacrifices to appease the gods to
answer their prayers.
Aliyu also disclosed further that he
committed N4million into the
business, adding that influential
people in the society were those
bringing customers for him.
He claimed that he received close to
15 customers every week.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/panic-osun-community-discovery-shrine/

bedane: I see this making front page.

Was this a prophetic declaration or just a mere prediction?

Can we now say Prof. Barth Nnaji is a man of impeccable principles and proven integrity? I seriously think so!
On a lighter note, Akpos attended a church service one Sunday. He sat beside a very ugly girl. While the pastor was preaching he said, "Tell the person seated next to you that he or she is beautiful" Akpos immediately stood up and the pastor said, "Where are you going?" Akpos replied, "I'm changing seat, do you want me to lie in the house of God?"
Abeg, Click 'LIKE' for Akpos

PHARMACEUTICAL Society of Nigeria (PSN) has attributed the increasing cases of cholera epidemic in many parts of Nigeria to consumption of sachet water, popularly called pure water, by most Nigerians.

Speaking at a press conference on the 86th National Conference of PSN, themed “Harmony 2013,” in Ilorin, on Thursday, the state chairman of the association, Chief Abdulmojeed Oderinde, said cholera was caused by lack of access to potable water, among other factors.

The PSN chairman, who called on elected office holders in three tiers of government to intensify efforts at providing potable water, added that people were not supposed to consume sachet water, which he said, was mostly unhygienic, if there was access to potable water by people.

Oderinde, who ranked access to potable water higher than food consumption, also identified other causes of cholera to include poverty, overpopulation and sickening or unhygienic environment.

The Kwara State PSN chairman also condemned salary disparity among health workers in the state, saying a situation whereby a medical doctor earns N180,000 monthly while a pharmacist gets N45,000 was discouraging.

He said out of a total 150 pharmacists in the state, only a few were employed by the state’s health sector, stressing that the development had led many qualified pharmacists to migrate and practise in neighbouring states.

He also said out of 16,000 pharmacists in the country, 5,000 practicse outside Nigeria, adding that an average of one pharmacist was available to about 10,000 people.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/news/item/25292-sachet-water-causes-cholera-—psn.html

I got a text from MTN to recharge #200 and win an aeroplane. I quickly dashed out and recharged my account. I called their customer care unit to book appointment for my aeroplane. To my greatest surprise, the female voice only responded, "Thank you for choosing MTN". Till this moment, I'm yet to get my well deserved Aeroplane. I'll consider taking a legal action against them.

What a Wicked World!

I see!

Bayelsa State Government on
Wednesday demolished a one-storey
private building owned by Governor
Seriake Dickson because it
obstructed the Right-of-Way as well
as intruding on the state Capital City
Master Plan. .
The demolished building, which had
been marked by the Capital City
Development Authority on June 28,
2012, was situated along the Opolo/
AIT Road, Yenagoa, the state capital.
The demolition, which began about
12.48 pm, was supervised by the
Deputy Governor John Jonah;
Commissioner for Works and
Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence
Ehwrudjakpor; Commissioner for
Information and Orientation, Mr.
Markson Fefegha; Commissioner for
State Capital City Development; and
Mr. Konugha Zuwa.
Other structures affected by the
demolition exercise included that of
the Director General of the State
Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr.
Temple Iluma.
Jonah told journalists that the
location of the Governor’s house
obstructed the Right-of-Way, hence
there would be no compensation for
him.
He said, “In line with the development
control of the CCDA and urban
renewal of the state, the government
awarded contract for the dualisation
of the road. Anyone who has built
structures on the Right-of-Way
should expect such buildings to be
demolished.
“We have been talking about the
master plan as well as some areas
where we have to carry out urban
renewal. For the master plan, we
expect every builder to go and get
clearance before he or she starts to
build to see the extent that he can go
outside the road.
“One of the houses we have found to
have interfered with the plan of
Yenagoa is this one-storey structure
belonging to the Governor. On the
advice of the CCDA that is concerned
with development control of the state,
the house was marked since last year
for demolition. And you know we
have awarded contract for the
dualisation of the Opolo Road.”
However, some Yenagoa residents on
Wednesday said the exercise was
politically-motivated,
notwithstanding that the governor’s
house was affected.
The residents, who claimed that only
a section of Dickson’s building was
demolished, said the exercise was a
strategy to enable the government to
demolish buildings of perceived
opponents without causing public
outrage.
None of the complaining residents
however agreed to be quoted.
In his comment, Ehwrudjakpor said
the demolition had been on for some
time and listed the affected areas to
include Ovom, Igbogene, Imgbi,
Diete_Spiff and Eradiri road
expansion.
http://www.punchng.com/news/right-of-way-bayelsa-demolishes-dicksons-private-home/

Should they decide to dump their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will welcome into its fold the seven embattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, declared yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

“They are welcome if that is their final decision. The development will strengthen our party towards 2015 election,” he said.

Mohammed affirmed the readiness of the party to effect a positive change in democratic system to uplift the country.

According to him, APC is built on the principles of democracy and popular participation.

The national publicity secretary maintained that the party would begin the registration of its members nationwide next month.

Mohammed told NAN that the party was intensifying efforts through robust logistics to ensure successful membership registration.

He added that the nationwide membership registration would strengthen the party and enable it to contest all future elections.

According to him, the party had resolved to maintain inclusive party machinery where all parties that merged into the APC, would fully participate in all its activities and membership registration due to begin next month.

He said he was optimistic that Nigeria would be better if everybody could truly contribute his quota.

Also yesterday, the APC told PDP chair Bamanga Tukur that only Nigerians can decide whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan will rule beyond 2015, saying his statement that the President will rule till 2019 is nothing but an empty boast aimed at ingratiating himself to the President.

In a statement in Abuja by Alhaji Mohammed, the party also asked the PDP Chairman to back up his statement, that it is time for youths to take over the reins of power, by first stepping down from his post to pave the way for the younger generation.

It reminded Tukur that one of his predecessors once boasted, in another euphoric moment, that the PDP will rule for 60 years, only for him to leave office in disgrace shortly thereafter.

“There is nothing on ground to justify Tukur’s empty boast beyond the PDP’s rigging machine, which is again being oiled in readiness for 2015, going by the barefaced vote stealing and unbridled brigandage that the party exhibited in the recent bye election in Delta Central Senatorial District.

“The PDP which, has presided over the affairs of Nigeria for the past 14 years, has only succeeded in pushing more people into poverty, with 112 million people now living below the poverty line and millions of children out of school. No sector has been spared the effects of the cluelessness and visionlessness of the PDP and its leaders. What then is the empirical basis for the PDP to continue to rule.

“It is interesting that the chairman said the future belongs to the youths and that the era of Gerontocracy is gone. The last time we checked, a 78-year-old man does not exactly belong to the generation of youths, even if he continues to hold away at the top echelon of the ruling party. The sincerity of that statement is therefore in doubt.

“As for the PDP chairman’s admonition to the youth to start preparing to take over the mantle of leadership, the question to ask is whether or not the undergraduates in the nation’s public universities, who have been marooned at home for over four months now because the PDP-led Federal Government repudiated the agreement it signed with ASUU, are not part of the leaders of tomorrow?

“If Tukur believes they are, he should urgently prevail on the government sired by his party to meet its obligation to ASUU and end the strike by the university teachers. Then we will know that he is serious about his postulation. Until then, we say talk is cheap, because all that we can see now is that the PDP-led Federal Government is doing everything in its power to mortgage the future of tomorrow’s leaders,” it said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/apc-ready-receive-g-7-pdp-governors/

I hope the Minister drove one of her bulletproof cars to Israel. At $800,000 apiece, those cars should be able to fly and sail.
It's still Nigeria for you. Soon this matter will be swept under the carpet and the news will go back to Governor Amaechi and from there to the rebel Governors. All these are propaganda. Jonathan is just waiting for the media rants to die down, then everything gets back to normal. I CAN'T BE DECEIVED ANYMORE!

MRS. Otiti Esegba, a 76
year-old grandmother, escaped from
the den of her abductors about five
hours after she was abducted,
Monday.
She was abducted at 2a.m. by a five-
man kidnap gang at Akperhe
community in Olomu kingdom,
Ughelli South Local Government Area
of Delta State and taken away on a
motorcycle to their den at Oviri
Olomu.
Mrs. Esegba is the mother of the
Managing Director of Ben-Segba
Technical Services Limited, an oil
servicing firm in Ekpan.
Same day, a medical practitioner, Dr.
Richard Kofi, a native of Okpare
community, also in Olomu kingdom
was seized as he was entering his
clinic in Ughelli. He also escaped
from his kidnappers.
Prior to the Esegba and Kofi episodes,
a lawyer, Mr. Omonemu, was
kidnapped by the gang and kept for
20 days before he regained freedom.
Mrs. Esegba, whose pleas to the
kidnappers to free her fell on deaf
ears, said she began to pray that God
should make the two kidnappers
guarding her to fall asleep. She said
they actually fell asleep. That was
when she ran.
The other three had left to go and
abduct more victims, saying they
needed more money.
She told Vanguard: “At about 2a.m.,
while I was asleep, I heard a
deafening noise but before I knew it,
two heavily armed men stormed into
the house and seized me after pulling
down my door.
“Three others, also armed, joined
them and ransacked the house, took
my jewelries, my clothes and money.
They started beating and hitting me
with guns.
“Thereafter, I was dragged onto one of
the waiting motorcycles, popularly
known as okada. One sat behind me
and the three others took the other
okada. The one seated behind me
held my mouth and I was blind-
folded.”
When she escaped, a fisherman took
her in.
She said: “He took me to his home at
a place I later found out to be Oviri-
Olomu, after hearing my story.
“At his home I found out that he was
married to my niece. They clothed me
as I was almost naked.”
“This man called my people at
Akperhe at 6a.m. They came and
alerted Oviri community leadership.
That is my story.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/76-yr-old-woman-escapes-kidnappers-den/

Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella
Oduah, has asked the House of
Representatives to shift her
appearance before the committee on
aviation investigating the
controversial purchase of
N225million BMW bulletproof cars to
a later date.
The committee, in reaction, said it
would be compelled to clampdown
on the minister if she fails to honour
the invitation.
In a letter to the committee, Oduah
pleaded to be given till November 4,
to appear before the committee.
Explaining why she would not appear
before the panel, she told the
committee that she is on a national
assignment in Israel and will not be
through by tomorrow, when she is
expected to face the committee.
Oduah’s letter read: “You will recall
my sincere and utmost regrets
conveyed to you at my inability to
personally appear before your
committee on Thursday due solely to
my ongoing official assignment here
in Israel on behalf of our country.
“The official schedule for the signing
the Bilateral Air Services Agreement,
BASA, including the travel logistics
from Israel back to Nigeria physically
prevent me from arriving on time to
appear before you as scheduled in
your current invitation.”
Also, the Permanent Secretary of the
ministry, in a letter with reference
number PS/FMA/PC/2013/Vol.1/70,
written on same date, pleaded with
the committee to allow the minister
appear on November 4 or 5 in view of
her flight schedule.
However, in a counter-letter dated
October 28 and signed by the House
committee’s clerk, Abubakar Chana,
the panel insisted that Oduah must
honour the invitation. It vowed to
clampdown on her if she fails to
appear.
The letter entitled: “Re: Invitation to
public hearing and request to submit
documents,” read in part: “I am
further directed to inform you that
your inability to appear before the
committee has become a serious
constraint to the committee to submit
as the House of Representatives has
mandated the committee to submit
its report within one week.
“Moreso, the committee has been
utterly gracious for postponing the
hearing to Wednesday. It is the
directive of the House of
Representatives that you should
appear on the scheduled date of
which failure to do so will leave the
committee with no option but to
enforce the appropriate laws and
apply necessary sanctions.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of House
Committee on Bureau for Public
Procurement (BPP), Hon Olajumoke
Okoya-Thomas, said the NCAA
overshot its threshold. She contended
that the aviation minister risks being
jailed five years based on the
provision of the Public Procurement
Act.
She said: “Section 58 (5) of the
Public Procurement Act states: “Any
persons, who, while carrying out his
duties as an officer of the Bureau or
any procuring entity who contravenes
any provision of this Act, commits an
offense and is liable to a conviction of
cumulative punishment of (a) a term
of imprisonment of not less than five
calendar years without any option of
fines and (b) summary dismissal
from government services.
“I did not put this law there, but the
will to implement it is key to sanity in
this country and check excesses.
Argument of lease purchase does not
hold, as long as they are going to pay
with public funds and to say that
NCAA is within the threshold makes it
look like splitting the budget, which is
another case on its own under the
Procurement law.”
According to the Committee
chairman, Oduah has issues
bordering on procurement with her
committee. She said: “Our committee
has the responsibility to oversight
BPP and since the core objective of
public procurement is to ascertain
value for money, we have been
having issues with the Ministry of
Aviation and agencies under it for
sometimes now.
“It might interest you to know that we
have issued out not less than 12
invitations to the minister of aviation
but she has not deemed it fit to
respond even for once. She has
always been giving us one excuse or
the other.
“Apart from the fact that there are
issues on the rehabilitation of
airports around the country over
issues of value for money, which
Nigerians are not getting, if she had
taken her time to honour our
invitation, maybe she would have
been able to avoid this issue of
threshold. What these heads of
agencies don’t realise is that when
we send out letters like that, it wasn’t
to intimidate or witch-hunt them but
to rub minds and enlighten them on
the nitty-gritty of the provisions of the
procurement laws.”
She however blamed the Presidency
for deliberately weakening the BPP as
well as refusing to comply with the
procurement law on the issue of the
bureau’s board.
She stated; “The issue of the
constitution of the board of BPP is
embarrassing as it has not been
constituted till date. Sometimes we
need the cooperation of the Executive.
When we go out there, we want
people to adhere to the provisions of
the law.
“The impropriety that we are
witnessing in this country is
embarrassing to the nation. And if
you don’t take care of a particular
aspect of the law but go ahead and
implement another aspect, this
means you do not wish the law to
succeed or be effective.
“The law must be implemented
holistically for sanity to prevail in a
nation. We have pushed for the
implementation of that they are
implementing, but they are not
willing to apply that particular
clause.”
According to the Committee
Chairman, government cannot
absolve itself in the weakening of the
powers of the BPP, as the agency
lacks capacity to execute its duties.
She said that BPP should not be
blamed for lacking capacity to
monitor all government agencies, the
lawmaker added: “Even the BPP
cannot capture all the agencies in
this country because they do not
have the technological capacity to do
so. They do not have the software I
am talking about.
“So, if we really want to beat
corruption in our procurement sector,
then we must have the will to put in
place those things that are necessary
to facilitate investigation, which I
believe we are lacking.”
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/n225m-bulletproof-cars-oduah-seeks-shift-appearance-date/

• Demands apology from Ngige, ex-
gov differs
• PPA candidate, Ezeemo, holds rally
in Onitsha
AHEAD of the November 16, 2013,
governorship polls in Anambra, a
group, the Catholic Youth Awareness,
has condemned what it called the
incessant manhandling of priests by
politicians in the state.
This is coming on the heels of an
alleged manhandling of Rev. Father
Evaristus Ezeokwonna, the parish
priest of St. John’s Catholic Church,
Ezinifite, while carrying out his
priestly function on October 24, in
Nanka by the All Progressives
Congress (APC) governorship
candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige’s group,
during the burial of the mother of
Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev.
Paulinus Ezeokafor.
The group also demanded a written
and published apology from Ngige,
but the former governor has refuted
the claim, saying that such an
incident never occurred.
Meanwhile, the Progressives Peoples
Alliance (PPA) candidate in the
Anambra State governorship election,
Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, yesterday held a
rally in Onitsha to present his
manifesto.
A statement by chairman of the
group, Mr. Benjamin Nnoli, said the
apology to the entire Catholic Church
should be copied to the bishop, the
priest involved and published in two
national dailies and the Diocesan
newspaper, Fides.
However, the Ngige Campaign
Organisation has debunked the
allegation, describing what they
termed “the Ngige slap tale” as a
manifestation of ‘typhoid fever’.
As early as 9 am, thousands of
traders, including youths and market
women, were already seated at the
venue, All Saints Playground,
Onitsha, to welcome Ezeemo.
Youth organisations and other
professional groups, who had
gathered at the venue, defied the
scorching sun of the day to catch a
glimpse of the PPA candidate.
Speaking to the mammoth crowd,
Mr. Godwin Ezeemo urged Anambra
people to wipe their tears as he had
come to bring positive change if
elected governor of the state.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/news/national-news/137005-anambra-catholic-group-deplores-attacks-on-priests#

SECURITY has been beefed up in
Okrika, Rivers State, ahead of this
weekend’s burial of Mrs. Charity
Tamunowaritoku Francis Oba, the
foster mother of President Goodluck
Jonathan’s wife, Patience.
Meanwhile, Rivers State government
has described as baseless claim by
the state Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) that six commissioners in
Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s
executive council will by next month
defect and resign.
A Joint Task Force (JTF) gunboat has
been deployed to the Okrika jetty as
part of security measures put in place
to ensure a hitch-free burial
ceremony.
Mrs. Oba died in a ghastly motor
accident on July 22, 2013, along
Isiokpo-Elele Road in Rivers State on
her way to Bayelsa State. Several
other security posts manned by men
of the Nigerian Army have been set
up around the town.
In Port Harcourt, scores of
policemen, including men from the
Rivers State Police Command anti-
bomb unit, have been deployed to the
President wife’s residence off
Obagana Street in old Government
Reserved Area.
A boat driver, who conveyed The
Guardian to Okrika through the
Abuloma jetty, explained that they
have been cautioned by the military
to reduce their speed when
approaching Okrika shores.
According to him, the speed
reduction is expected to commence at
about 500 meters away from where
the gunboat is situated.
When The Guardian visited Okrika, an
exceedingly large air-conditioned
tent has been erected at the Okrika
National Secondary School football
pitch for guests attending the burial
ceremony.
The Commissioner for Information
and Communications, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari, said in Port Harcourt
yesterday that rumours of a crack in
the State Executive Council was false
and a sheer figment of the PDP
chairman, Felix Obuah’s,
imagination.
“Its obvious that the achievements of
Governor Amaechi far exceed what
the grassroots initiative can bring
against the administration. The
cabinet of Amaechi remains intact.
No commissioner has any plan to
resign and no commissioner is
joining GDI. The commissioners in
this cabinet had a commitment to
deliver to Rivers people based on the
vision of our leader, Governor
Chibuike Amaechi”, she said.
Obuah had last Sunday during the
inauguration of the Minister of
Education, Nyesom Wike-led GDI
Wards Leadership in Port Harcourt
Local Council Area, alleged that six
serving commissioners have
contacted him that they want to
defect from Governor Amaechi’s
cabinet to join GDI.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/news/national-news/137014-security-beefed-up-in-okrika-over-burial-of-jonathan-s-mother-in-law#

sagombugo: Keep fooling yrself! So how many hours is flight from Isreal to Nigeria? Or did they tell you that those who went on Tourism-Pilgrimage with GEJ totally relocated from Nigeria hence won't come back again?

Or you are privy to the itinery of Peter Obi to know he is still holed up in Isreal?

I believe U ain't informed. They will be back from Israel this Wednesday. If u claim this story is true, kindly post a picture of either Peter Obi or Obiano in the market today. Or is that none of the traders uses a camera phone? I still maintain my stand! This is FAKE NEWS!

FAKE NEWS! This shows how gullible some readers can be. Peter Obi is currently in Israel with Jonathan. So how come Peter Obi was seen in the market? LIES!

No ethnic nationality has yet
indicated a willingness to break out
of Nigeria, the chairman of the
National Conference Advisory
Committee, Femi Okurounmu, said
Monday as the committee sets out for
more consultations ahead of the full
talks.
The committee is to prepare the
details and procedures of a planned
national conference due for yet an
unscheduled date.
The conference committee is
presently in Benin, Edo state, for the
South-South zone, and had earlier
visited Minna, Akure, Jos and
Calabar.
Mr Okurounmu said the turnout have
been “impressive and overwhelming”.
Ahead of the talks which many
Nigerians have supported, there have
been concerns some nationalities
may table a proposal to leave the
Nigerian nation.
Mr Okurounmu said throughout the
hearings at various centres across
the country, no group has yet
threatened to pull of the country.
“We have been listening to different
groups and views, but no single
group who threatens to dismember
Nigeria has come before us,” Mr
Okurounmu said on Monday.
He expressed happiness over the
turnout by Nigerians at the different
venues of its sittings.
“Nigerians have accepted the need to
have this conference. In all the
centres, Nigerians came from the
rural areas, even from the remotest
villages to make presentations to us
and there are “no-go areas at all”.
“We are to listen to all Nigerians and I
am happy that the turnout has been
encouraging to the extent that we
requested for bigger halls,’’ he said.
He said Nigerian outside the country
can also participate in the
committee’s work by sending in their
contributions by mail.
“Nigerians all over the world are
entitled to submit their views, but
they must not be in the committee to
air their views.”
“They have our e-mail address. Let
them submit their memo to us and
their views will be acknowledged.
This is the essence of the committee”.
“That is why we are going round to
know what are the things agitating
the minds of Nigerians”.
“We will include these views in our
report and these will definitely set the
agenda for government and tell
government how they want to be
governed,’’ he said.
premiumtimesng.com/news/147414-group-threatened-pull-nigeria-yet-okurounmu.html

The supervising Minister of
Education, Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike,
has declared that his political
structure, the Grassroots
Development Initiative (GDI) has
weakened the Powers of Rivers State
Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
This is even as the state chairman of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Felix Obuah, has stated that about six
commissioners in Amaechi’s
government had declared interest to
join the GDI.
Wike and Obuah made the
statements yesterday during the
inauguration of executives and wards
officials of Port Harcourt City Local
Government Area chapter of GDI, held
in Port Harcourt.
In his address, Wike stated that
Governor Amaechi had become a
complainant by appearing before the
Human Rights Commission. He said
further that if not for the doggedness
of the group, nobody could challenge
the governor, adding that before,
Amaechi could easily order a
Commissioner of Police to arrest
somebody and charge him for
cultism, but that has stopped.
“In fact, if for nothing, they have
succeeded for the first time in the
history of this country, where you
have pushed a governor to now
become a complainant in the Human
Rights Commission.
“If for nothing, the governor has now
turned to a complainant; the
governor, would tell a Commissioner
of Police to arrest and charge people
for cultism. He is, today, complaining
to Human Rights Commission.
“If for nothing, he should go home
and ask God ‘is it how this world is?
That, because of the challenge we are
giving to them now, they are now
calling everybody and giving fictitious
names.
“If not for what you are doing, nobody
would talk to anybody; nobody would
even know anybody is there. They
turned themselves to demi-gods.
Today, power has returned to the
people and you have the power,” Wike
declared.
The supervising Education Minister
pointed out the the clamour for the
withdrawal from the state
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu
Joseph Mbu, was because he failed
to take order from them.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/national/weve-reduced-amaechis-powers-wike/

The national leadership of the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP , has
slammed the Imo state governor,
Rochas Okorocha, for accusing
President Goodluck Jonathan of
planning to influence the Supreme
Court on a pending case challenging
Mr Okorocha’s emergence as
governor.
The party said the allegation was
part of the governor’s strategy to
whip up sentiments to sway the
judiciary by portraying himself as
being under attack.
The party accused Mr Okorocha of
attempting to divert the attention
from the substance of the Supreme
Court case slated for October 31,
2013.
The court will rule on the case
challenging Mr Okorocha’s mandate
as governor.
Mr Okorocha reportedly accused Mr
Jonathan of planning to influence the
judgement of the Supreme Court on
the suit challenging his emergence as
governor, which has been fixed for
Thursday.
In a statement issued by its National
Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the
PDP said Mr Okorocha had always
been jittery that justice would prevail
against him for allegedly stealing the
peoples’ mandate in 2011, hence his
recent deployment of blackmail and
attacks on the Judiciary and the
Presidency ahead of the apex court’s
ruling on the case.
“This governor has been living in
morbid fear of having justice
prevailing against him at the
Supreme Court for stealing the
mandate of the people in 2011,” the
party said in a statement.
“As such, he now seeks to use the
instrumentality of blackmail and
political subterfuge to divert the
attention of the Supreme Court from
the substance of the case against him
ahead of the apex court’s ruling on
October 31, 2013.
“It is to say the least, despicable that
a state governor who swore to defend
the constitution, will in a desperate
bid to retain a stolen mandate,
condescend so low to attempt to
hoodwink and undermine the sacred
institution of the Judiciary, even the
Supreme Court.”
The PDP said while it remains
steadfast in its belief in the
impartiality of the judiciary, it was
calling on this institution to note the
activities of such undemocratic
elements who seek to use every
means to undermine and derail it.
“Moreover, the APC is aware that it
will lose the 2015 general elections
and even the governorship of states
presently under its control. As such, it
is now using the Imo state governor’s
attempt to blackmail the Judiciary a
test for a bigger plot to weaken this
institution ahead of 2015,” the party
said.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/147377-pdp-blasts-okorocha-attack-jonathan.html

The Nigerian government is exploring
the possibility of using an electronic
pipeline surveillance to track oil theft
in Nigeria, President Goodluck
Jonathan, said on Saturday.
Jonathan gave this indication in his
closing remarks at a two-day oil and
gas investment forum in Onne, Port
Harcourt, Rivers State.
Jonathan, who was represented by
the Senate President, David Mark,
described the menace of oil theft as
worrisome, stressing, however, that
government was ready to tackle it
headlong.
“Relevant regulatory agencies are
working round the clock to combat
the challenge, considering the
strategic position of oil and gas in the
economy.
“My administration has embarked on
a number of far-reaching measures to
combat these unwholesome
activities. Government is exploring
the possibility of using electronic
pipeline surveillance to track down oil
theft.”
While stressing that the government
was putting in place mechanism to
ensure that vandals found it
extremely difficult to access
petroleum pipelines, the president
gave assurance of continuous
support to an investment drive in the
sector.
“To this end, I am calling on all
relevant industries to ensure that all
oil and gas related cargo are
discharged only at the designated
terminals,” he said.
The President directed that the
agencies concerned should also
ensure strict enforcement on the ban
on the illegal discharge of cargo and
receiving of vessels at private jetties.
He said that steps should be taken to
guard against the breach of national
security and loss of revenue to the
government.
Jonathan said the choice of the Onne
oil and gas free trade zone was
strategic, as it will showcase the
investors’ confidence in the Nigerian
economy as “seeing is believing”.
According to him, government
generated revenue in the zone has
increased from $5.4 billion to $7.1
billion in 2013 and the FDI from $4
billion to $4.2 billion dollars in 2013.
“Available statistics indicate that the
companies operating in the free zone
have increased from 150 in 2011 to
170 in 2013, employment
regeneration has increased from
30,000 in 2011 to 34,000 in 2013.
“Support to family livelihood has
grown from 180,000 in 2011 to
200,000 in 2013. If these indices are
not indicating an attractive
environment for investors, I wonder
what else they are,” he said.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and
Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga,
said the Oil and Gas Free Zone
(OGFTZ) would continue to be a
catalyst for the diversification of the
economy.
“The oil and gas industry remains the
prime mover of Nigeria’s economy,
while the OGFTZ concept continues to
be strategic in the facilitation of
private sector investments in the
sector.”
The Rivers Gov., Mr Rotimi Amaechi,
in an interview with newsmen, called
on investors to ensure optimum
utilisation of investment
opportunities in the state, to promote
maximum economic growth in the
country.
He said that investments in the
OGFTZ over the years, had been
successful due to the existing climate
that is peaceful and conducive to
business..
“I call on investors to take advantage
of the peaceful investment that is
conducive to the business climate,
put in place by the present
administration,” Amaechi added.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/147368-nigeria-combat-oil-theft-electronic-pipeline-surveillance.html

Tragedy has hit the industrial city of
Aba, Abia State where a whole family
comprising a man, his wife and their
only son as well as their dog passed
on in their sleep.
The tragic incident which happened
last weekend shook the city and sent
tongues wagging on what could have
led to the death of a complete family
in their sleep after going to bed the
previous night all hale and hearty.
Saturday Sun gathered that the head
of the household, Boniface Ejiagwu,
58, his wife Rebecca Ejiagwu, 50, and
son Chukwudi Ejiagwu, 28, who
hailed from Ezi-Owelle Anambra
State and lived in their family house
at No. 23 Onitsha road, Over Rail,
Aba had in the morning of Saturday
last week, gone out for their normal
daily businesses.
As usual, in the evening, they all
came back to their house hale and
hearty. It was further gathered that
after their return home, the man’s
wife prepared food which they ate and
after a while, went to bed. That was
their last meal on earth as the three
members died in their sleep same
night. It was believed that their dog
which also died same night must
have eaten from the same meal.
The irony of it all was that they died
and nobody, not even their
neighbours got wind of their death
until after four days when their bodies
had started decomposing and
offensive odour began to ooze out
from their room.
It was then that neighbours on
Wednesday, reported the incident to
the police who after coming to see
things themselves, gave order on the
request of some family members that
the corpses should be taken for
burial.
The question police detectives will
need to find answer to is ‘What could
be responsible for the death of the
three family members in such
circumstance when they did not put
on any generator before going to bed
as to say they died of generator
fume?’
Nobody was ready to speak about the
fate that befell this family while the
pressure of close relations on the
police to have the corpses released to
them for burial without conducting
autopsy was said to have
compounded the crisis.
There are however insinuations the
deceased might have died of food
poisoning in their apartment which is
commonly referred to as ‘face me I
face you’.
The state police command public
relations officer, PPRO, Geoffrey
Ogbonna could not be reached for
comments but a senior police officer
who spoke on the condition of
anonymity said they are suspecting
the deceased might have died of food
poisoning.
“Nobody can say for sure now what
killed them, that could have been
found out through autopsy but we are
suspecting they may have died of
food poisoning”, the police officer
added.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/tragic-family-wiped-man-wife-son-dog-die-sleep/

Increasing your chances of getting the
job are pretty simple if you’re well
prepared for your next interview. If
you’re ready to answer some of the
most common interview questions,
you’re a step ahead of your
competition. Here are six questions
you must be prepared to answer
during interviews:
1.Why Don’t You Tell Me About
Yourself?
Approach this question as it relates
to the job for which you are applying.
Develop a 30-60 second personal
branding statement that touches on
your work history, your education,
and briefly highlights your
accomplishments. Practice this a bit
– if you’re going for a sales or client
facing job, the employer wants to
make sure you’re more than just a
capable communicator.
2.What Are Your Greatest Strengths?
For this particular question, you’re
going to want to provide tangible
skills. Don’t waste your time or the
employer’s with, “I’m really a great
team player or I have excellent
communication skills.” Instead,
describe your ability to bring new
clients on board or talk about your
knack for increasing sales even in
highly competitive markets.
Here’s an example, “While I was in a
sales internship with ABC Company, I
increased sales by 29% in March and
had the highest sales in the
department five months in a row.”
3. Tell Me About Your Weaknesses.
A good tactic is to talk about a
weakness you had and show how it
has since worked to your benefit,
“There was a time when I was a bit
impatient with co-workers who
weren’t able to complete their work
by the required deadline. I have come
to realize that my personal standards
and expectations are different from
my co-workers and it is no longer an
issue for me.” Remember, you don’t
have to mention your every quirk, tic,
or foible.
4.What Are You Looking For In Terms
Of Salary?
Certainly, if you are in your first
interview you really don’t have a
clear sense of what the job entails. At
this point, defer by saying, “I don’t
have enough information about the
job yet; what are your expectations in
the first 90 days? 6 months?”
Another approach is to ask if the
employer has a range in mind for the
position. As a last resort, you may
decide to give the employer a broad
range based on past salary, bonuses,
and other benefits.
5.Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?
There are all kinds of reasons for
leaving a company; however, you
really need to be truthful with your
answer. That said, you should
carefully craft your answer to ensure
it is appropriate. If your company
downsized, mention it. If you made it
through seven rounds of downsizing
and were one of the last to go, by all
means mention that, too!
Maybe you did everything you set out
to do with your company and there
was no real room to grow. Then, “It
was time for me to find a position
where I could further hone my skills
and continue to grow.”
6.Why You? What Do You Bring To
This Job That No One Else Does?
If you’re a sales person, this is the
time to show what you’ve got.
Formulate your answer as it relates to
their job requirements and clearly
demonstrate how your expertise is a
perfect match for their every need.
Do your homework and be well
prepared for your next interview. If
you can answer these six questions
easily, you’re on your way to the job
of your dreams.
http://leadership.ng/news/241013/6-questions-you-must-be-prepared-answer-during-interviews

National Chairman, Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji
Bamanga Tukur, yesterday described
the First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan as a “special gift” to her
husband and the country.
Tukur, in a statement on her birthday,
hailed the first lady’s “exemplary life”
in being able to provide an enabling
environment for President Goodluck
Jonathan to give the nation
“purposeful and proactive
leadership.”
Tukur wrote: “We felicitate with you
and give thanks to Almighty God for
giving to our dear nation, a veritable
woman of virtue and a vessel of
honour as our first lady at this point
in our national development.
“You are a special gift not just to your
husband and family but to the down-
trodden, the poor, the proverbial
hewers of wood and drawers of water
and indeed to the nation and
humanity at large.
“We are proud of your exemplary life
and able way you have held forte in
the home front, thereby providing an
enabling environment for peace of
mind and good atmosphere for your
doting and amiable spouse, President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to continue
to give our dear nation purposeful and
proactive leadership.
“Truly, behind every success man is a
woman of substance like your revered
person. You have stood solidly
behind your husband like the rock of
Gibraltar and giving him the support,
warmth, care and the love he need in
his arduous task of taking our country
to the land of promise. Your faith in
the unity and oneness of our country
is total.”
http://leadership.ng/news/261013/patience-jonathan-special-gift-nigeria-tukur

The legal battle over the controversial
‘$15m Ibori bribe money’ came to an
end on Friday when an Abuja Federal
High Court awarded the cash to the
Federal Government after rejecting
the claim to the money by Delta State
Government.
The court, presided over by Justice
Gabriel Kolawole, held that Delta
State was not able to prove its claim
that the money belonged to it.
The $15m was said to have been
received by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission from
an undisclosed agent of former Delta
State Governor James Ibori in 2007 to
compromise the agency’s probe into
his handling of the state finances as
the governor from 1999 to 2007.
The money was kept in the strong
room of the Central Bank of Nigeria as
an unclaimed property since August
2007, but a legal battle ensued over
its ownership after the court, on July
24, 2012, granted an interim order
forfeiting the cash to the Federal
Government.
With the Federal Government, through
the EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs,
SAN, asking the court for a final order
of forfeiture, so that the money could
be deposited in the national treasury,
Delta State filed an application,
claiming that the money belonged to
it.
Justice Kolawole, however,
maintained that there was no
evidence linking the state government
to the $15m.
He said, “It is not enough to depose
that Delta State Government owns the
money, Chief James Ibori had denied
knowledge of how the money came
about.
“If the claimant (Delta State) had
been able to file an admissible
evidence to prove that the $15m
belonged to it, the court would have
no option than to accept its claim.
“The Delta State Government had
filed an application, asking the court
to quash charges against Ibori, that
was inconsistent with a government
that is looking for its looted funds.
“The claimant has not been able to
link the $15m to its accounts, the
claimant has not been able to prove
on the balance of probability that the
said $15m belongs to it.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/court-awards-15m-ibori-bribe-cash-to-fg/

I'm also worried!

MINISTER of Aviation, Ms Stella
Oduah, has taken the lobby to retain
her job to Israel, where she plans to
see President Goodluck Jonathan.
The minister, who was said to have
found it difficult to see the President
in Abuja since the scandal broke out,
was said to have also sent many
emissaries to speak with the
President on the matter.
Though official sources said Oduah
was in Israel to sign Bilateral services
agreement on behalf of Nigeria with
Israel.
It was gathered that she would use
the meeting to inform the President
that those mounting pressure on him
to sack her were his political enemies
who did not want him to contest the
presidential election in 2015.
A source close to Oduah said, “The
minister would use this argument to
sway the President to her side.
“She would inform the President not
to allow his enemies triumph over
him and should also know that if
those enemies succeed in pushing her
out, then many of the trusted aides of
the President would be the next
target.”
It was also gathered that the meeting
would also afford the minister the
opportunity to seek audience with the
National Security Adviser to the
President, Sambo Dasuki, who is one
of the members of the administrative
panel set up by the President to
investigate the minister. Sambo is
also in Israel.
The minister played an important role
during the 2011 presidential
campaign by overseeing Neighbour-
to-Neighbour , which was considered
to be one of the potent propaganda
arms of President Jonathan
campaign organisation was then.
She is said to have been also
pencilled down to play a more
important role in 2015 for the
President.
Apart from this, the minister was said
to have marshalled out some points
concerning the purchase of the
controversial vehicles.
One of which was that the documents
of the vehicles did not bear her name.
A statement signed by the
spokesperson for the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authorities, Mr. Yakubu Datti
on Tuesday confirmed this.
Datti said, “No mention is made of
the fact that, of all the documents
paraded for the vehicles, none
mentioned the name of the Minister
of Aviation.
But the Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity, Dr.
Rueben Abati said, Oduah decided to
travel to Israel ahead of the President
rather than waiting to be part of his
entourage, because presidential
delegation was usually divided into
segments.
He said in most of the trips, relevant
ministers were expected to travel
ahead in order to do the ground works
for the President and brief him on
arrival.
He said, “Presidential delegation is
divided into segments. The President
has a main body team that travels
with him. Some people can travel
ahead of him, it is not everybody that
can travel with him. How many
people can the presidential aircraft
carry?
“That the minister travelled ahead of
him is not an issue. Ministers usually
go ahead of the President to do
ground work, if there are meetings to
be done before the President’s arrival,
they would have done them. That is
how it is done.
“In many of these trips, there will be
pre-event meetings that ministers
would have attended so that when the
President comes, they will brief him.
This is not an issue.”
Abati also said that the Presidency
did not grant the NCAA any approval
to procure the controversial N255m
vehicles for the embattled minister.
In an interview with one of our
corespondents, Abati, dared the NCAA
to produce the approval if indeed
such existed.
“That is not true. If they have a
presidential approval, let them
produce it. People are just trying to
politicise the issue. The President has
already set up a panel to investigate.
That panel has the responsibility to
look at all issues that may come up
and all issues that have already
come up.
“I think people should stop
speculating. We should allow that
panel to do its job. We should not
politicise its work. What they can
remain assured of is that the
President is interested in the matter,”
Abati said.
http://www.punchng.com/news/aviation-minister-to-lobby-jonathan-in-israel/

A Kuje Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on
Tuesday ordered a 32-year-old
mechanic, Johnson Ohis, to cut grass
for seven days for causing mischief.
The presiding judge, Okeagwu
Azubike, passed the sentence after the
convict pleaded guilty to the offences
of criminal trespass and mischief,
and begged the court for leniency.
Mr. Azubike gave the convict an
option to pay N2, 000 in fine and
ordered him to pay N15, 400 in
compensation to the nominal
complainant for destroying her
television set.
The police prosecutor, Cpl. Samuel
Ocheche, told the court earlier that
Hauwa Hassan of Anguwan Gade,
Kuje, reported the matter at Kuje
Police Station on Oct. 20.
Mr. Ocheche said the convict, who
resides at the same address as the
complainant, entered her room and
destroyed her television set valued at
N15, 400.
He said that during police
interrogation, Mr. Ohis admitted to
committing the offences.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/147063-abuja-court-orders-man-cut-grass-seven-days-destroying-neighbours-tv.html

And yet our politicians that embezzle billions go free. We even celebrate them as accomplished politicians. Different laws for different class of people!

kul

cool pix. But where is the masquerade himself, LAGBAJA? I think say I go see him real face here. I give up!

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!