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Mr Olukayode Salako is a social critic and President, Fasholamania Independent Support Group Worldwide, an organisation that was founded to support Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and also worked vigorously for his re-election for a second term.

In this interview with BIMBO OGUNNAIKE, Salako speaks on why his group is still in existence even after the election of Fashola, the issues of Islamic banking and the proposed six -year single term.

After your organisation worked vigorously for Governor Babatunde Fashola’s second coming into office, what next for the organisation?

Fasholamania is a project that has come to stay. It is a baby that has been born and that baby will continue to live. For as long as Governor Fashola continues to do well in both public and private practice, for as long he continues to be one of the leaders that we continue to count on in Nigeria, for as long as his legacies are still available for us to celebrate, definitely the Fasholamania project as a vision created for him to celebrate him, to encourage him, will continue to exist.

The Fasholamania project, as you may have known, has been in existence for over four years now. And for over four years, we contributed to the agitation and advocation of good governance. Fasholamania is a project that has come to stay. It is a baby that has been born and that baby will continue to live. For as long as everything we are celebrating about Governor Fashola is still there and is still existing and the man Fashola does not change, then there is no reason for Fasholamanians not to continue to root for him. As a platform, we will continue to exist to encourage him, support him and encourage him in the position of leadership and governance.

He is the kind of a leader the Nigerian nation should continue to have. That is the fact. We need more of his type. His government has been able to change the face of politics, leadership and governance in Nigeria. I am proud of him and I will always be proud of him and I will always remain a proud Fasholamania. Fasholamania is a vision of the future for him. I see Fashola as a president of Nigeria in the nearest future

What would you want Fashola to focus on in his second term in office?

I would want Fashola in his second term in office to continue to consolidate on the gains of his efforts, performance and achievements of his first term in office. He must also continue to take the issue of security of Lagos State as a priority. There cannot be peace, there cannot be sanity, there cannot be pleasant life in a society where there is no security. One of the best achievements of Governor Fashola during his first term was security. He did it to an appreciable extent and Lagosians were proud of him.

We all knew the Lagos of the past. We all know the Lagos of the past was a terrible one. It was a Lagos society that was practically dominated by anti-social and criminal tendencies. There were many dark spots everywhere. But today, many of these dangerous zones are now being reclaimed from the kingdom of hoodlums and street urchins and transformed for the overall good of Lagosians as useful, guided public facilities. These are some of the gains of his first term in office. He must continue to work on that aspect. This is very vital for the socio-economic development of Lagos State.

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The Federal Government yesterday gave N5 million each to the families of 10 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members killed during the post-election violence in the North.

The gesture came on the heels of the planned inauguration of a 20-man committee to investigate the violence.

Speaking during a visit to him by family members of the slain Youth Corps members at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan vowed to deal with those found to have been responsible for the mayhem.



“I have decided that each of the 10 families of these gallant young men and women will receive a token monetary compensation of N5 million. I appreciate the fact that no amount of recognition can adequately compensate for the deep void that their passing has created in your individual families,” he said.


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SENATE President David Mark will retain his seat next month during the inauguration of the new National Assembly.

President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and many governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took the decision yesterday after a meeting in Abuja.

Also at the meeting, chaired by Jonathan, were members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The meeting resolved that the North-Central, where Mark hails from, should produce the number three citizen while the South-West should produce the Speaker of the House of Representatives. An indigene of the South-East will be made the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The chairmanship of the party will be retained in the North-East.

http://www.compassnewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5870:-jonathan-vp-govs-back-mark-as-senate-president-&catid=308:headlines&Itemid=600

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) might raise interest rates again this year, if the government fails to rein in spending.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said yesterday at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London (Chatham House), that the apex bank was ready to tighten monetary policy to curb inflation, if a much-needed fiscal contraction doesn’t materialise.

“I believe that, in an environment where there are still lots of concerns about sovereign debt, the government will have to face up to the fact that the markets are jittery about debt,” Sanusi said

Sanusi said the apex bank “wishes to see the new government (Goodluck Jonathan administration) not only reduce overall spending but also cut its overhead costs, in favour of a greater proportion of capital spending”.

“It is not so much the size of the deficit but the very low levels of investment and capital. Lots of the money is being spent on salaries and overheads, and that is inflationary.”

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REPENTANT militants currently undergoing the non-violence rehabilitation training at the Obubra Camp in Cross River State have decried the slashing of their monthly allowances by their various commanders.

In an interview with reporters at the Camp, the 13th batch of ex-militants, numbering about 1, 200 and all from Bayelsa State, called for their money to always be paid directly to them.

According to them, the N65, 000 monthly allowances have always been consistently paid by the Federal Government, but their leaders take most of the money before giving them part of it.

Kurotimi Poki, a former member of Asupa Camp, said: “The government should also give us what we want as we have accepted this programme. Let the FG not fail us. We love the programme, but they should pay us our salary direct. When our salary which is supposed to be N65, 000 comes, our commander would cut the money. Sometimes it is just N10, 000 that would get to us. Our commanders are taking our money. The government should stop this by paying our money directly to us. They pay to their accounts and then they come and pay us by hand these peanuts. We do not like it and we are not happy about it.”

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned the former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Okey Nwosu, and three other bank chiefs before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos.

Nwosu, alongside the trio of Mrs Agnes Ebubedike, Mr Danjuma Ocholi and Dayo Famoroti, were arraigned on a 26-count amended charge bordering on stealing.

They all pleaded not guilty to all the charges when it was read to them.

The commission in the charge dated March 29, 2011 and signed by one A.M Yusuf on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, alleged that the four accused persons stole N10,934,704,402 whilst being executives of Finbank from September 2006 to November 2007.

EFCC maintained that the stolen money was converted to the use of Springboard Trust and Investment Limited, Omden Oil and Gas Limited, Ferbond Real Estate Limited, Busch Modern Machine Tools Limited and Tyco Food Processors Limited, belonging to them.
Full story: http://www.compassnewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5866:-efcc-arraigns-finbank-ex-md-others-over-n10b-fraud-&catid=308:headlines&Itemid=600

A FEW days after he ruled out reconciliation with his son and Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on the outcome of last month’s general elections, during which his party, the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), was thoroughly trounced, the Founder and Leader of the party, Dr. Olusola Saraki, insisted yesterday that his party was robbed of victory by an administration he described as ‘desperate’.

In the just-concluded elections, ACPN could not win a single seat in the state and National assemblies, while its star candidate, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, who was the governorship candidate of the party in Kwara State, came a distant third in the gubernatorial race.

While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Fatai Ahmed, scored a total of 254, 969votes to win the governorship seat, Gbemisola polled 72, 456, with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Mr. Dele Belgore, polling 152, 580 to clinch the second position.

Yesterday, however, the elder Saraki said his party was robbed by the PDP and commended his followers for maintaining the peace since the election ended.

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All is not well within the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and the Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, are no longer best of friends. The former

recently gave an interview where he said Folarin has murdered sleep and would sleep no more, thus sending jitters to the spines of the entire party supporters in the state. Folarin tells ADEMOLA BABALOLA his own side of the story insisting that the governor has not given the needed leadership that could make the party win the 2011 elections.

Governor Alao-Akala has just said that you have murdered sleep and that you would sleep no more, what do you have to say on this?
Let me start by saying that I had about this interview almost immediately it was done. Surprise, Surprise, surprise and my sense of reaction was not possible but to my shock I read it this morning. But I think we should stick to the issues. A governor is a governor of the state and there is no doubt about that. I am the Senate Leader. The governor is a member of NEC (National Executive Council) and I am also a member of NEC, I am a National Leader but the issue here is about expanding the party’s base. That is just what the issues are. It is nothing personal. That is what we are saying, my personal feeling is that we shouldn’t shut people out of the party. That the party at the national level in its wisdom set up a reconciliation committee has absolutely nothing to do with me. They knew that there were states that had crisis and Oyo State was part of those listed. They started with Chief Alex Ekwueme Reconciliation committee, then to Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun and later to Senator Ike Nwachukwu and I am not a member of any of these committees. What I am saying is that I have no apology to anybody on insisting that there are some people who should not be shut out of the party. For this party to move forward we must expand our support base. We cannot afford to shut out the likes of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, Senator Lekan Balogun, Chief Adeojo among others.

And I say that let us go back to election results in 2007 where we lost nine local governments in Ibadanland. We would have lost all the 11 councils in Ibadanland if not for the two that were cancelled. We lost all the four local governments in Oyo. So, how can we say the party is healthy? Nothing personal, what we are insisting is that let us bring as many people into the party as possible, that is all. And if that is my aspiration for the party, how does that amount to murdering sleep? Tell me. We are saying let us build this party, Senator Ladoja is a founding member, Adeojo is a founding member of the party, we all know how strong Senator Balogun and others are. Chief Akintola in Ogbomoso too and others, and we are saying look, we must carry everybody along. Let me also make this crystal clear; If I am throwing a social party, I will invite only my friends but a political party belongs to everybody and that is what we are saying. Nothing personal! You can’t say you don’t need people, of course, we need them. We need Senator Ladoja, Chief Adeojo, Chief Oyelese, Chief Balogun, Chief Akintola in Ogbomoso. The moment we have all these people, we can go to sleep. The Action Congress (AC) has an expansionist agenda, particularly in the South-West, and we know the AC is waxing stronger and stronger. So, we must put our house in order, let’s carry everybody along, that is what we are saying. The issues are clear.

What do you have to say about the party’s exco?
What is happening is very simple. Legally speaking, there is no executive. I repeat, legally speaking, there is no executive. And when the Nwachukwu committee came, it set up an elder forum and a 19-man committee to go and harmonise the party and to register new members. What is wrong with that? How does that offend anybody?
Alao-Akala faction’s argument is that some of these people like Senator Ladoja did not work for the party in 2007 and that if the party did not win in the first instance, they would not have been asking for anything today in Oyo PDP.

I am not holding brief for Senator Ladoja but let me ask this question. Was the party fair to him? At that time, was the party fair to him, you can read whatever meaning you want to it. It doesn’t matter, after all, Professor Taoheed Adedoja who was AC governorship candidate against the governor is today a serving Commissioner for Education in the state. Did he work for the party? We have two other Commissioners like that in the South-West who have come from other political parties, who are today Commissioners. So, once you decide to join a political party, you are a full member. If anything, we should even be happy to have him in the party. We have somebody like Ladoja who says he is still a party man, we should be thankful to him. If we lost nine local governments in Ibadanland, we lost all the four in Oyo and we lost in Oke-Ogun, and we are now saying that the man who may have caused that defeat or who may have been responsible for it wants to come re-join the party, what should we do, shut him out? I don’t think so.

What is your position on the unconstitutionality of the position of the Senate Leader which the governor was said to have stated in the interview, (cuts in)

What has that got to do with the issue that we are talking about; about expanding the party’s base. Even a Councillor can say let us expand a party’s base in the overall interest of our political party. I have never said the post of the Senate Leader is in the constitution. In any case, I don’t intend to join issues with him on this.


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•Charms fail suspects
THe Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS), Adeniji Adele, Lagos have arrested a highly respected car dealer, based in Ilorin, Kwara State, for buying stolen vehicles from car snatchers.


The car dealer identified as Alhaji Tajudeen Shina, 49, a father of four was arrested early October for buying stolen cars and kept in police detention. But just when he was about to be charged to court, detectives arrested another set of car snatchers, who saw Shina in cell and fingered him as one of the men who used to buy their stolen items.

Shina, who had been trying to sweet talk his way out of the first jam, knew he was sunk when the new set of robbers fingered him. Knowing the game was up, Shina quickly confessed his crime. He admitted buying stolen cars from the first and second set of car snatchers. He also admitted knowing all the cars were stolen ones.

The second set of robbers who fingered Shina as their buyers are; Johnson Abiodun 26, Feyisayo Olufemi 29, Mohammed Kalejaiye 22 and Lonade Oluwole, 26.

According to them, they used to meet with Shina in any of the eateries in Ilorin to know the type of cars he wanted before they strike. It was also at eateries that the cars and money exchange hands.
Detectives broke into laughter when Oluwole said he used to read the bible assiduously, especially Psalm 23, before going to steal cars. In deed all the suspects revealed that they can’t step out for operation without first seeking the face of God.

Shina first became a guest at FSARS after a deal with some of his partners in crime, fell apart. The Nigerian Compass gathered that detectives who were working underground apprehended two women, whose job was to prepare charms for Shina. The charms were to protect him and make him invisible to policemen on highway as he drives the stolen vehicles to the destinations where he would sell them.
The Commissioner of Police, FSARS, Mr. Jubril Adeniji said: “The suspects were arrested by a team of Policemen. Some of the suspects had already confessed to snatching cars. Shina had also confessed to receiving stolen vehicles from the car snatchers.”

Detectives said that if Shina was not buying, the suspects would not had kept going back to steal more cars. “It is because there are people like Shina, who give them easy avenue to lay off these cars that makes them to keep snatching cars. The thing is, if there are no buyers, car snatchers would not continue to steal,” said a police source.

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Nurses at Medway Hospital, Obalende, Lagos are still surprised by the cold-hearted way in which a mother who they claimed seemed to care little for the wellbeing of her baby, maltreated the baby who was less than a week old.


As a matter of fact, as at press time, the said baby no longer had a mother to call upon. This is because, after days of threatening to abandon the little baby each time the baby girl cried, the 25-year-old mother finally made good her threats by crawling out of the hospital unnoticed, leaving behind the poor girl.

The mother, who was named as Uche Believe, was eight months pregnant when she walked into Medway to register for ante-natal care. Workers in the hospital said that nothing in her manners suggested to any one of them that the young woman would later abscond, leaving her baby to the care of total strangers.

“She had seemed genuinely in need of help and all we wanted to do for her was to make sure she had a safe delivery,” a nurse at the hospital said.

The medical director of Medway Hospital, Tuyi Mebawondu-Olowu, said on November 24, 2009, when Mrs Believe came to the hospital, she was told that some tests needed to be conducted to ascertain her and the baby’s health status. The woman was said to have agreed and promised to attend the clinic regularly as expected. Curiously for the hospital workers, the woman never did.

Dr. Mebawondu-Olowu, a medical doctor with over 20 years of experience, narrated the events leading to the woman’s mysterious disappearance.



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MANCHESTER CITY captain, Kolo Toure, is determined to prove Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson wrong.


Ferguson backed Arsenal rival Arsene Wenger's decision to sell Toure in the summer.

But the Ivory Coast defender told the News of the World: "I respect all my critics but there are always ups and downs. "Ferguson should remember that he suffered bad times in his career as well. I had periods when I was at the very top of my game and now I have to work hard to get back there. "The most important thing is to realise when you are having difficulty. I strongly believe that at the age of 28, my best is still to "When I hear critics like Ferguson and Lee Dixon, who I learned so much from at Arsenal, it makes me play harder and work harder to prove them wrong.

"At the moment it's a great challenge to come to a lower club and help make them big.

"I stayed at Arsenal for too long and, when you do that, everything becomes a habit. Every day is the same. You become like the marble or the furniture in the house.

"And sometimes the importance of the furniture isn't always noticed. I became very relaxed and I lost my focus and my sharpness.

"Now at City there is a new expectation and pressure and it's so exciting."

Full review on
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Terngu Tsegba is a third term member of the House of Representatives representing Gboko/Tarkaa Federal Constituency of Benue State and former protem Speaker of the House. When JEREMIAH TYOSASE met him in Makurdi, the politician said the present

representative of Benue North West Senatorial district, George Akume, has not given the constituency adequate representation. He boasted that he was ready to take the ticket from the former governor in 2011.

We heard that you were attacked by gunmen recently, how did this happen?
I was actually attacked. I attended the governor’s thanksgiving service in Anyiin and I had barely left Logo local government area when I came under heavy attack. I thank God that I survived it.

Do you suspect anybody?
I’ve made a report to the police, and without trying to prejudice the investigation of the police, I think that the police is capable of investigating it. I mentioned those I suspect to them.

Why have you decided to run the Senate race?
One of the reasons that I’ve decided to contest for the Senatorial seat of Benue North West is that we’re not being properly represented in the Senate. Our incumbent senator, with very due regard to him, I believe that he may be best at an executive position. If he wants to be a president or a vice president I will support him. But for the position of a Senator, I think that I’ll be much better than him. Judging from his attendance at the National Assembly, his contributions and his inability to attract any single project for the duration of his stay in the Senate, I think I will be a better person to represent our constituency in the Senate.

Full Interview on
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ONCE upon a time there was a King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.


He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another. He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times. The King's 1st wife, whom he did not love, was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom.

Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her. One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his life and wondered, "I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone." Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company ?"
"No way !", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.

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Chinwoke Mbadinuju, former governor of Anambra State between 1999 and 2003, speaks with TONY OKAFOR on politics of the South-East state and other partisan issues.


Why have you not been active politically for some years now?
It is not true that I have not been active in politics for years now. I’m lucky to have been in several professions. I began as a primary school teacher in Imo State, then later in life I rose to become an Associate Professor in New York State. Later, I became a journalist working in Daily Times as editor of Times International, later I joined the legal profession, and later still I became a politician by profession. I have often observed that when a person goes to the university and took degrees in Political Science / Government, and degrees in Law, ,as I did studying in various American and English universities, such a person obviously was preparing for a carrier in politics and government. I don’t mind if anyone who read another subject decides to venture into politics but we must ask that person if he has read any text book on politics and government, to make sure he is not a square peg in a round hole.

But some people say that academic qualifications alone cannot make a good politician and I agree, just like someone observed that not all who acquired degrees are educated. But for me, I didn’t just acquire degrees, I’m not only educated, I’m also learned with such working experiences in Daily Times as I said before, and served in the government of Jim Nwobodo, and in the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, apart from my private legal practice, and culminating in the governorship of Anambra State for four years.

Detail Story on;
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Maximus Uba is the Executive Secretary, Imo Democratic Congress. He is also the Managing Editor, Weekend Mail, Abuja. A warrant of arrest was recently issued against him by the Imo State House of Assembly. When STEVE UZOECHI met him, he said that he would not lose his sleep over the matter. He also spoke on his relationship with Governor Ikedi Ohakim and other prominent politicians.


It’s now more than two weeks since the Imo State House of Assembly issued a warrant of arrest on you. Have you been invited by the police yet?
I have not received any invitation from the Police, whether in Owerri or Abuja, but if I am invited, I shall surely honour it. The last time Ohakim wrote a petition to the Imo State Police Command alleging all sorts of things, the Police invited me and under 24 hours I honoured it. So, I am not afraid of Police invitation, it is not a death invitation, the Police is our friend, it work for us.

A lot of people are confused about the intervention of Imo House, did you have a previous brush with her?
I know I have not been having a smooth relationship with them, so I am also confused because in the said publication there was no mention of Imo House, I never sent a petition to the House. I don’t have problems being invited by the Imo House of Assembly, but I only asked them to take the venue to the High Court or bring it to Abuja since they have already shown bias in the matter. I asked them to compel the Accountant General to reply my letter on certain clarifications; I further demanded that they also invite Emma Ohakim, the Chief of Staff, the governor himself, his deputy, the Commissioners for Local Government, as well as Finance.

Ironically till they wound up proceedings, it is only me and Orji Kalu that they invited and the public is aware that they are unfair, they are acting Ohakim’s script, but that’s their business, I wish them luck in their illegal ways.


Continues this interview on
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