₦airaland Forum

Beaten by Hajia, violated by two men

She is traumatised, scared and looks hungry. She’s been abused, beaten and violated. ’NONYE BEN-NWANKWO relates the experience of eight-year old Endurance ‘Favour’ Obilor.


Her aunt, Chioma, who brought her to the commission, unwillingly and after much persuasion, agreed to tell Saturday Punch how Favour’s trauma began.


Favour’s dad, Chioma said, is her elder brother who married a ‘Calabar woman’ that abandoned her three kids and took off. Chioma, who claimed she was a petty trader in Agbara, a suburb of Lagos, said the burden of taking care of her nieces became too heavy for her to bear. As such, she had to look for help to relieve her.


Eventually, she said, her friend, Ebere, came into the scene and decided to help her. She (Ebere) took Favour to stay with her.


When Saturday Punch asked Chioma if she sought the consent of Favour’s father before giving out the child, Chioma got so angry, feeling the question was insulting.


“Why should you ask me that kind of question? He couldn’t have stopped me from giving out the child,” she exlaimed.


Anyway, Chioma said she never knew that her friend handed her niece over to another woman named ‘Hajia.’


“One day, I called my friend and asked after Favour. She told me she had to take her to one Hajia house. I asked her why she didn’t bother telling me. I asked her if this was our arrangement. I wasn’t happy. But Ebere told me not to worry, that Hajia would take care of Favour, that was when I relaxed,” she says.


Saturday Punch asked Chioma if she ever collected money from Ebere or Hajia, in exchange for Favour’s services. She said, ‘no.’


And since her friend told her Favour was in good hands, Chioma said she never bothered to go and check out the welfare of her niece.


“I thought she was okay. Ebere told me she was okay and I believed her. I didn’t go to check where she was because Ebere told me Favour was okay,” she says.


And if not for a phone call, according to her, she wouldn’t have known that her niece was in a terrible state.


“I was at home one day and somebody ‘flashed’ me. I had to call the number and the person said she was Hajia. I quickly cut off the phone. How can Hajia ‘flash’ me? She is a big woman! But later, she called me back and she was shouting and said I should come and carry Favour from the house because she wouldn’t want somebody to die in her house. I didn’t understand what she was saying. But she insisted I should come to the house, that was how I went to her house,” Chioma narrates.


Chioma said she got to the FESTAC home of ‘Hajia’ and saw somebody who looked like her niece.


“I couldn’t believe the person I saw was Favour. I saw her body and tears started rolling from my eyes. Her eyes were swollen. I asked her what happened to her and she said it was a stick. It was later that one of Hajia’s children told me Favour was lying and that it was an Aunty Akunna and an Aunty Oluchi that beat her because Favour stole sausage roll,” she says.


Chioma told Saturday Punch that she immediately called Hajia, who said she was out of town, to find out why her niece’s body had so many scars.


“When I took my niece to Ebere, she never had a single mosquito bite spot. I had to ask Hajia what happened. She said Favour’s body was like that when Ebere brought her. She insisted I should leave with Favour. She asked me to drop my account number that she was going to pay some money into it. I don’t have money let alone having an account number. So I took Favour and went home.”


Chioma said Favour’s father came to her house and took her to the hospital.


“He was the one that took Favour to the hospital. He dumped her there, and went away. I have not seen him since then,” she says.


And it was at the hospital that it was discovered that Favour had not only been physically abused, she had also been violated.


According to medical reports from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja, Favour had stretch marks all over her body, her hymen was not seen and she had tenderness around her womanliness area, showing that she had been sexually abused.


Favour, crouching at a corner in the commission’s office, looking afraid, refused to answer the questions Saturday Punch asked her.


It wasn’t until she was eventually promised that Hajia was not coming around that she decided to open up.


“They were always beating me in the house. The last time, they beat me so bad because I ate ‘Gala’, I hadn’t eaten in the afternoon and it was late in the night, so I took the ‘Gala’ and ate it. That’s why Aunty Oluchi and Akunna started beating me,” she recalls.


According to Favour, Oluchi and Akunna are not her only worry, her main fear, Hajia, pounces on her at every opportunity.


“She will lock me inside the house and beat me. She will also tell her children to be beating me as well,” she says.


Favour, said that she never tasted dinner in the house.


“I slept at the ‘gather’ (balcony). I slept on bare floor. I only ate in the morning and afternoon. I had never eaten at night in the house. Nobody had ever bought any clothe for me. I wore Hajia’s children’s discarded clothes.”


When asked if there were males living in the house, Favour said, “Yes. Aboy and Japan stayed in the house with us.”


And the two males, according to Favour, were the ones that abused her sexually.


“Every night, they will tell me to come inside the room. They will tell me to lie on the bed and they will ‘use’ me,” she cries.


Favour said she couldn’t tell her ‘aunties’ because the guys threatened they would kill her if she told anyone.


The coordinator of the Lagos State chapter of Human Rights Commission, Mrs. Mausi Segun, said they would deal with the matter properly.


“This is a criminal offence. We are not the police, but all we know is that everybody who in one way or the other abused this child, will pay for it. Those who beat her, those who violated her and even those who handed her to Hajia as a maid will pay. She is a minor. This is child trafficking. We will certainly not allow the matter to die. You can take that from us,” Segun said.


At the FESTAC home of Hajia, her neighbours confirmed that Favour was a terribly abused kid.


According to them, the child was always crying and her cries could be heard across the street.


“They will beat her morning, afternoon and night. The other day, one of them living in that house claimed Favour turned into a witch. But we knew it is a lie,” he said.


Another neighbour claimed Favour was treated in a better manner whenever Hajia’s husband was around.


“Her husband is always travelling. But whenever he is in town, they don’t beat Favour. We don’t hear her cries anymore,” she added.


Meanwhile, Aboy and Japan, who Favour claimed abused her, are still living in the house and yet to be arrested.


In her reaction, Hajia Ukaegbu said, “My dear, please I cannot talk now. I am somewhere. I will call you back later.”


Some minutes later, a male voice who identified himself as Hajia’s husband called Saturday Punch and demanded to know the reason the correspondent called.


When Saturday Punch explained briefly the reason for the call, the obviously irritated voice said, “You can call the police and get answers to what you are asking. The matter is with the police. The matter is with the Senate Committee on Police Matters. I must tell you that all those policemen who handled the matter so far are going to be sacked. You had better be careful with what you write. I have told you now. You had better be careful because I will sue you and sue your newspaper house.”


Much later, apparently wanting to exonerate herself from the tale, Hajia called Saturday Punch to react to the story.


According to her, Chioma, is a criminal and a blackmailer who wanted to extort money from her through all means.


Hajia claimed she had paid Chioma money many times, said she was surprised Chioma would deny ever getting a dime from her.


And as for Favour and the beatings, Ukaegbu swore that she never beat the child.


“The girl was staying at Okokomaiko before she was brought to my house. All those marks were on her body before she was brought to my house. I drive two jeeps. I am a successful business woman. I am not inhuman. I couldn’t have beaten the girl up like that despite the fact that Favour is a very bad girl. She steals a lot. The other day, she went to one school and she stole. I had been begging Chioma to come and take the child away from my house but nobody saw her,” Ukaegbu said.


On the issue of violation, Ukaegbu said there was no way anybody in her house would have abused Favour?


“Forget the medical reports you said you have. Anybody can go to any length to get a medical report if they want to incriminate somebody. Chioma told Favour to say she was violated. If she was violated, how come the police threw the matter away? Why didn’t the police arrest the boys? They know Favour is lying and that she was told to say she was violated. The Japan she is talking about is a big man. I have more than four big girls in my house. How come Japan didn’t violation any of them but Favour.


“How can she say Aboy violated her? Aboy is my husband’s nephew. He just came to the house two weeks ago. He doesn’t even live with us. How can Favour say Aboy violated her? Anybody that wants to write any story should be concerned about the truth. I have trained so many people in my life. I wonder why I should have a problem when all I wanted to do was to help Favour who the aunt claimed her father abandoned?” she said.


Public Relations Officer, The Lagos State Police PRO, Samuel Jinadu, claimed he wasn’t aware Favour was violated.


“It wasn’t reported that she was violated. I will find out the details and get back to you,” Jinadu said.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201109102555659

About time GEJ takes serious action. This has got to stop.

nasoeb:
Is Patients Ozokwor the Special Adviser to this Administration?


Why the TALK-TALK-TALK Everytime

even patient sef dey carry actions

[size=13pt]PDP Targets 40m Members[/size]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it was targeting to register 40 million Nigerians in its current registration and revalidation of membership exercise.


Speaking at a press conference at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, the acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, said the party would welcome back members who dumped the PDP to run elections in other political parties in the last general elections.


Also, in an apparent reference to former President Olusegun Obasanjo who said the South-west would not let go the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives that was zoned to it, the chairman said the issue of breach and violation of the zoning was a foregone issue and should be allowed to rest.


Baraje said: “As far as the PDP is concerned, we have put the issues of the violation of the party’s zoning arrangement that threw up Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker and Emeka Ihedioha as Deputy Speaker behind us.


“They have apologised and we have accepted their apology. When a child offends and knows that he has offended and apologises, you don’t go further to punish the child again. The punishment is that they have apologised and that the party has accepted their apology. So, we have put that behind us.”


Against the back ground that the former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and Chief Ayo Fayoshe may be stopped from re-registering as members of PDP, Baraje said the party was throwing open the membership registration exercise to all members, whether they had left the party in the past or not.


“Let me use this opportunity to clarify the purpose of this exercise. The ongoing membership exercise is open to all Nigerians from 18 years and above who fulfil the criteria for membership of our party.

It is also an opportunity for current members to revalidate and renew their membership of our great party. It is not intended to witch-hunt or exclude anybody from our party,” he said.


Speaking further, Baraje said: “For the avoidance of doubt, our executives at all levels must be informed in clear terms that this is not a de-registration exercise, nor is it an opportunity for anyone to whimsically deny any Nigerian who is willing and ready to join our Party.”


He said the registration project was conceived to be an all-inclusive philosophy of the PDP and must be insulated from selfish interests and unwarranted controversies by uninformed and over zealous persons who may try to create unnecessary obstacles to those who genuinely want to be part of the Party.


“Let me warn very strongly that the National Working Committee shall take decisive actions against any member of the Executive Committees or group of individual at any level found to be engaged in unwholesome activities during this registration and membership revalidation exercise”, the acting national chairman warned.   


In this regard, he said: “All current members are required to update their membership dues. Members who have outstanding dues to pay must do so during this registration window if they are to remain bona fide members of the Party.

In states where, for whatever reasons, disputes exist as to who the authentic executives are at the ward, local government and state levels, specific instructions have been given to the National Vice Chairmen of the six geo-political zones and members of the National Working Committee from the National Secretariat who will be overseeing the smooth conduct of the exercise in the zones to ensure that the various ‘factions’ are brought together and encouraged to partake in this exercise with the view to arriving at a common register for our party in the states. This is what we refer to as ‘consolidation of registers’”.


He said that the registration and revalidation exercise was expected to end by December 7, with some days set aside for aggrieved members to address their grievances where necessary.


Baraje said that although, the current membership register put the registered members at 30 million, the party was targeting 40 million members in the on-going registration exercise.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/pdp-targets-40m-members/98128/

[size=13pt]Nigeria Plans to Overtake Egypt, S’Africa on Economic Growth[/size]

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said he was poised to ensure that Nigeria recorded steady economic growth, as he outlined steps to be taken by his administration to overtake South Africa and Egypt, which are the only nations that are currently ahead of Nigeria in Africa in terms of economic growth.


The president, who spoke at the 39th Annual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Lagos, stated that Nigeria currently stands at the 44th position in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), trailing South Africa and Egypt.


“The Nigerian economy is currently ranked 44th in the world in terms of GDP, behind South Africa and Egypt. It is my firm belief that with the right conditions coupled with our vast resources and manpower, the manufacturing sector can provide the impetus needed to uplift the economy and surpass the African countries currently ranked ahead of us,” he said.


Jonathan, who was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Mr. Samuel Ortom, assured the people of his administration’s firm commitment to the transformation of the manufacturing sector, declaring the sector as the fulcrum of his government’s plan to ensure that Nigeria’s economy became number one in Africa.


He said in his plan to make Nigeria the nation with the largest GDP in Africa, the emphasis would be on further diversification of the economy; increasing investment in agriculture and industrial-based commercial farming; reduction in the cost of production and improved productivity in the manufacturing sector and job creation for the teaming youths.


He however noted that the achievement of unprecedented growth in the country was seriously hindered by various factors including poor power availability and supply as well as acute dearth of adequate infrastructure.


“We are vigorously pursuing the implementation of our road map on power sector reforms and with the completion of the on-going interventions, I am confident that we shall, very shortly, begin to see improvements in this respect,” Jonathan said.


“The transformation of the manufacturing sector cannot be complete without the achievement of energy efficiency in our industries. We must therefore begin to upgrade our production technologies to save energy and produce quality goods at very competitive prices in tune with modern practices,” he added.


He noted that the economy currently required massive infrastructural development to support and sustain rapid economic development, admitting that the task of rapid transformation of Nigeria’s deficient infrastructure was beyond government’s capacity to achieve working alone.


“The private sector is therefore being encouraged to participate in funding of capital intensive infrastructure projects across the country. We shall continue with the privatisation of key infrastructure services as well as put in place a strategic plan for the protection and management of such national infrastructure,” he added.


The president of MAN, Kola Jamodu, in his address there was need for speed and careful prioritisation of execution of programmes and activities to achieve maximum impact within the limited time.


“MAN fully supports the transformation agenda of the present administration and will do everything possible to make it a success. We are particularly delighted with the emphasis on job creation and the improvement of the living standards of Nigerians,” he said.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigeria-plans-to-overtake-egypt-s-africa-on-economic-growth/98120/

[size=13pt]Lagos, Ogun, A’Ibom to Get Four Deep Seaports[/size]

By Francis Ugwoke

As part of the efforts to boost operations in the nation’s seaports, the Federal Government    plans  the development of green fields with the construction of  four deep sea ports.

The states where the seaports will be developed  include Lagos,  which will get two seaports,   Akwa Ibom  and Ogun.

Minister of Transport, Senator  Idris Umar   who disclosed this in Abuja at a press briefing   said that  two deep seaports will be built at Lekki    and Badagry  in Lagos.

The other seaport  will be constructed at  Ondo/Ogun, while the fourth will  be at   Ibaka in Akwa Ibom  state.

It would be recalled that  the Managing Director of NPA, Engr Suleiman Omar had said that the  Lekki  deep seaport project will commence early next  year, while that of  Akwa-Ibom will  follow.

The take-off  date of the  other deep seaports was not disclosed.

However,, the Minister said  that the  ports terminals have been concessioned to both  indigenous and foreign private terminal  operators  to improve efficiency, decrease cost of operation and accelerate development of the seaports.

He said that this will go a long way to situate   Nigeria as a hub for international freight and trade in West and Central Africa.

Umar said that the Transport Ministry   was  determined to  attain the  vision 20:20:20 objectives  by evolving a world class transportation system in Nigeria  and to reposition the country as a hub in West and Central Africa.

He said that his mandate was to formulate and implement government policies for effective and efficient transport system in the country, as well as set guidelines on transportation for stakeholders, among others.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/lagos-ogun-a-ibom-to-get-four-deep-seaports/98159/

Jang Blames FG For Recurring Jos Violence

https://www.ngrguardiannews.com/images/resized/images/stories/2011/september2011/jonah_jang_200_160.jpg

PLATEAU State Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau says Federal Government’s indecisiveness in dealing with perpetrators of the violence in Jos is responsible for the recurring crisis in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

He made the observation in Jos yesterday at the state’s Executive Council meeting, the first to be held since he returned from a two-week medical vacation.

He expressed sadness over the recent violence in the state and the entire nation, saying such was disheartening, considering recent efforts made particularly by the state Security Council.

“I have always said that when investigations are carried out in Abuja and you don’t see any report and no action is taken, then it becomes difficult for Plateau to act.

“Until the federal government makes up its mind that we should really sit down and put an end to this nonsense, there is nothing Plateau can do on its own.

“I want to assure the good people of Plateau that honestly, we have had enough. The federal government and I are going to take every action to ensure that the crisis comes to an end in Plateau and also in the country.”

He added: “If after the elections we have enjoyed some peaceful periods, then it started in other parts of the country and came back to Plateau again, then it has to be dealt with through combined efforts.

“I also want to task all the security agencies in the country to rise up to this embarrassing security challenge and put an end to this nonsense here in Nigeria.”

Jang stressed the need for the security agencies to re-strategise, saying that a situation where a few people plunged the whole country into crisis was not acceptable.

“I want to assure the people that the teamwork in our administration will drive away all enemies of Plateau out of the state, because we just won’t allow this madness to continue. Never again!

“We are not driving anybody from Plateau, but if you don’t want to live in peace, then go elsewhere. Peace, we must have in Plateau, and this peace is not negotiable,” he stated.

The governor stressed that government would stop at nothing to ensure that peace and security of lives and property were guaranteed in the state, promising that government would take a decisive step to address the security challenge and appealed to the citizens to remain calm.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60585:jang-blames-fg-for-recurring-jos-violence&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Plateau Crisis 12 Killed In Fresh Attacks

https://www.ngrguardiannews.com/images/resized/images/stories/2011/september2011/jos-killing_200_160.jpg

THE SinParty of violence in Plateau State is yet to abate, as nine people were killed yesterday around 1.20am in Tsohon Foron, while three others were gruesomely murdered in Kunzen Gashish, all in Barkin Ladi council.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ayuba Pam, confirmed the casualty figures from the attacks, which happened almost simultaneously.

Bala Adamu, a former legal adviser to Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Jos North Council and currently the Special Adviser on Youth Mobilisation to Governor Jonah Jang, led journalists to the scenes of the killings.

Addressing journalists at the end of the tour of scenes, the Chairman of Barkin Ladi council, Emmanuel Dacholom Loman, said: “This is a genocide. This is religious or ethnic cleansing. We are tired of this nonsense. We have reported this to the federal government, which are very slow in their actions.”

He said the attackers came and changed their mode of attacks, explaining that they came in, all wearing black uniforms to disguise their identities.

“This thing is an attack on my people, who are peace-loving and accommodating people,” he said. “But that we are peace-loving and accommodating does not mean we are fools.

“We have been pushed to the wall presently. You can see that the youths are not happy. We don’t want to take the laws into our hands, but the fact still remains that if the federal government is not doing anything, we will have no option than to do whatever we can do to protect ourselves.”

Loman called on other people living in Plateau to be vigilant, “because this is not only the issue of Barkin Ladi, but targeted at Plateau State as a whole. If they finish with this local government, the next local government could be yours.”

“This is an act of terrorism and some people are bent on using the state as a launch pad. There are a lot of external forces, despite the efforts of the traditional council.”
The council chairman warned of possible reprisal attacks from southern states, stressing, “you don’t expect people in Anambra State to hear that their people in Plateau State have been killed and continue to keep quiet.”

“They will one day react there and this is going to be a problem. The government, especially the federal government, should, therefore, rise to the challenge.”

Former Deputy Senate President, John Wash Pam, who hails from the area, was shot of words to express what happened yesterday.

Describing the scenario as guerrilla warfare, he said: “If you see the killed people lying down there, you will believe that this is the work of marksmen. They were all shot in the stomach almost at the same place. This is strange; it is suspicious.

“This is beyond the state government; it can only be handled by the federal government. The soldiers that have been put here have been unable to do anything positively. So, I believe the best thing is for the federal government to evacuate them and replace them with state police.”

Addressing a press conference yesterday, the spokesman of the Plateau Caucus in the House of Representatives, Bitrus Kaze, condemned the recent outbreaks of violence in Jos and some parts of the state.

“We sympathise with victims and their relations over the loss of lives and property, which they suffered in the wake of the wanton destructions,” he said. “We pray that God in His infinite mercy will grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses.”

Even as he commended the federal and state government, as well as the security agencies for their concerted efforts in arresting the situation, he said there was room for improvement, especially following the avalanche of complaints that trailed the handling of the situation.

“Notwithstanding the foregoing, it has come to our knowledge that certain misguided elements are hell-bent on destabilizing democratic structures on the Plateau in the name of emergency rule,” he said.

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible and totally reject their obnoxious call for the declaration of another emergency rule in Plateau state.

“It is highly suspicious why they single out Plateau State for persecution notwithstanding the precarious security situation in many parts of the country, including post-elections violence and bombings.

“We make bold to state in clear, unmistaken and unequivocal terms our determination to resist any attempt to plunge our state into crisis. Plateau State cannot be treated as a scapegoat.”

He called on citizens of the state, irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds, political or religious persuasions, to eschew violence and remain calm, adding that the federal and state governments and all the security agencies were working round the clock to ensure the sustenance of lasting peace.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60584:plateau-crisis-12-killed-in-fresh-attacks-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Am happy it all worked out well. All the best.

[quote author=isale_gan2 link=topic=590933.msg9116515#msg9116515 date=1315618386]I could so pick you apart. 

This is an outrage!   "Regards to" whom?  No one else asked about him!!!  [/quote]Well in case you dont know, you are not the only one who is in love with him asked after him, there are many of you

P.S. Now put on your detective cap, and find out where Katsumoto is hiding/pillaging/lollygagging. 

katsumoto is very fine. He has just been appointed as a snr special adviser to the new Japanese PM. So you should understand why he is very busy.

way to go. Good one!


I hope Ileke Idi contributed.

@Bliss4Lyfe

Please dont forget to always add your source link. It is very important. Thanks.



Source: http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/27992-boko-haram-plans-to-bomb-defence-headquarters-report

BTW.

Kilode? got in touch with me today, he is doing fine. He said "Oke ibi ni ko je ka ri ti ohun o!". He is involved with some projects that is taking a lot of his time and he will be back soon to continue doing what he knows how to do best.

Sent his regards to all of you.

[size=13pt]Ovia, Otteh, Otedola Join Economic Team[/size]

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday further expanded the membership of the National Economic Management Team (NEMT) with the inclusion of the Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mrs. Arunma Otteh; former Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Mr. Jim Oviah; and businessman, Femi Otedola.


President Jonathan also unveiled a roadmap to attain food security and generate nearly 3.5 million jobs by 2015.


Briefing State House correspondents after a meeting that spanned nearly four hours, the Coordinating Minister of the Economic Team and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; with Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Akinwunmi Adesina; businessman Aliko Dangote; and the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, said the country would aim at improving food production both for local consumption and export from 43.745 million tonnes to 728.4 million tonnes.


Out of the total production, 20 million is expected to be for local consumption while it will also aim at reaching 20 million farmers with fertiliser and improved seedlings as against the current rate of 550,000 which aggregates to less than 11 per cent.


Tagged “Agricultural Transformation Action Plan for Nigeria”, the team said it was aimed at creating wealth and jobs for Nigerians as well as diversify the economy from an oil dependent one to a broader-based and multi-sectoral economy whereby it would be investment as against development driven.


Okonjo-Iweala, who handed over to the Minister of Agriculture, Adesina, who explained that the period would see Nigeria concentrating on food production in areas of comparative advantage instead of the current system where the country imports what it could produce, it would aim at self-sufficiency and export under an environment of investment, partnership and accountability.


Adesina said the country currently spends N356 billion on rice importation which was not acceptable politically and economically and aims at achieving combined production of paddy and high quality processed rice of 9.9 million metric tonnes local production by 2015.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ovia-otteh-otedola-join-economic-team/98135/

@iwonbaoko1

I am going to respond to you this once.

1st, you must learn to separate biased opinion from insults.

When people open a thread or make a post with a wrong/bias/silly opinion, they expose their ignorance to the www and the best we can do is to educate them and where they refuse to learn we ignore them. But when people like you go about responding with insults or another warp opinion, then you will be making a point that you are not different from the same person you are correcting.

If someone should open a thread and say All Yoruba men are dirty and ugly and I respond by saying all Hausa and Igbo men are crazy/lazy/killers/etc or I start to insult his/her mother/father/sister etc, I will be making myself a bigger fool. The best approach is to educate the person or ignore him/her.

Also there are rules that govern this site. When someone makes a thread or post you consider insulting, simply report it and the mods will respond and act base on their judgement, and where the mod judge the thread/post as an opinion and not an insult, you have to accept it as such because when you respond with what the mod consider as an  insult you will be penalized.

Thank you.

[quote author=isale_gan2 link=topic=590933.msg9109765#msg9109765 date=1315530006]Wolf+dog=man's best friend. Good job!  https://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/41.gif
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-754330.0.html#msg9105805

Never mind about my last post to you from a couple of days ago.  That was [size=14pt]OAM4J[/size] modifying my post.  I know you're not a hater.

BTW, I typed up a short critique of your site - yes, your site, you're an NL moderator afterall - but decided I don't care enough and the owner's probably chuckling all the way to the bank anyway.  [/quote]Back in the days while I was a kid and those beggars used to pray in funny Yoruba accent "Akoba, Adaba, Olorun ma je a ri", I should have given them more money and say a louder "Amen", may be if i had, this post wouldn't have surfaced. 

BTW, Am sure Ajelenkoko  and I wouldn't mind to have this your short critique of NL. So please let us have it. Thanks.

OP, Congratulations!

Mod Nike; can you please ban the poster above me? So that she will spend more time cooking my food than browsing NL. I trust you to promote Family values.

Thank you.

[size=13pt]Nigeria loses N775bn yearly to non-metering of oil wells[/size]

BY FAVOUR NNABUGWU
ABUJA—Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga yesterday said Nigeria loses N775billion annually over non-metering of oil wells and inaccuracy ship-to-shore loading and offloading of vessels

Dr Aganga, who made this known while speaking on the ministry’s achievements in the last 100 days. said: “More than US$5 billion, representing about 10 percent of the total annual revenue from the export of oil and gas from Nigeria, is lost to non-metering of oil wells and inaccurate ship-to-shore differences while loading and offloading vessels.”

Metering, he said, is an important part of oil field which is responsible for the three-phase metering of the liquid, oil and gas of each well, and provides oil reservoir engineering information for geological authority. The external segregator of oil field metering station separates natural gas, oil and water

The Minister noted: ‘There is an unfair trade resulting from under-dispensation of petroleum products at petrol stations and charges to consumers/subscribers of electricity, water, telecommunication etc.”

Aganga stated: “I am however delighted to inform you that in the first 100 days, we have sought and received approval from Mr President to commence legal metrology in those areas. This will lead to a significant increase in revenue/savings to the government; promote confidence and trust in local and international trade transactions and protect the consumers from unwholesome trade practices”

Meanwhile, the minister has denied that the Federal Government gave concession to any body or organisation to import Volkswagen into the country.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/nigeria-loses-n775bn-yearly-to-non-metering-of-oil-wells/

[size=13pt]NITEL: FG Brainstorms on Globacom's Offer[/size]

By Efem Nkanga

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The Federal Government might have considered Globacom’s bid to acquire the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) through the willing buyer, willing seller option.

THISDAY gathered that the government favoured Globacom because of its experience, clout and reach.
The belief is that Globacom will not just to acquire NITEL, but also to turn around the ailing entity.

The President was said to have been persuaded that two years after the commencement of GSM in the country, Globacom was able to swing the pedulum in telecoms sector by coming from behind to grab the number two position today.

The decision to give it to Globacom despite the fact that some other firms like Brymedia, the third place bid winner of the terminated bid and other firms were offering double what Globacom is offerings was because it will turn the ailing entity around for the benefit of Nigerians.

Though the federal government is said to have invited some interested firms to a negotiation table for NITEL, it has its radar on Globacom.

The fact that the Mike Adenuga-led Globacom had performed a feat in the telecoms sector by taking Glo to such a height, is an attractive option the federal government is willing to adopt to sort out the NITEL crisis once and for all.

Another factor that helped Globacom’s case is the fact that the other companies that participated in the bid and offered huge amounts could not pay what they offered.

The fear in government quarters is that if these firms are having difficulties in paying to acquire NITEL, they will be able to turn it around.

The privatisation process of NITEL was terminated recently by the BPE for the fifth time following the inability of Omen International, the reserve bidder to revalidate its bid for NITEL.

The failure of Omen not too long after New Generations could not come up with the $2.5 billion it offered for NITEL was said to have exasperated the government.

The failed attempt to sell NITEL, made the federal government to decide on the willing buyer willing seller option after President Goodluck Jonathan was presented with three recommendations of the Bureau of Public Enterprise BPE, the government agency that had been charged with the privatisation exercise of NITEL.

President Jonathan was said to have favoured the willing buyer, willing seller option because it is the option that will not only remove the gridlock that a fresh process might entail, but will also address the time factor and all the logistics that will go into conducting a new exercise.

Recall that New Generation Consortium, made up of China Unicom of Hong Kong, Minerva Group of Dubai and Nigeria’s GiCell Wireless Ltd, had in February, 2010 emerged the preferred bidder for the privatisation of NITEL and M-TEL with a price offer of $2.5 billion during the opening of financial bids for the privatisation process.

The reserve bidder, Omen International came second with an offer of $956,996,091, Brymedia emerged third with $550 million and AFZI/Spectrum Consortium, emerged fourth with a bid of 375.5Million.

MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd, bided $25million for SAT-3 only. But since then, the process has been bedevilled with one problem or the other that finally led to its termination. First was the shocking revelation by China Unicom, a partner to some consortium members that they were not part of the deal.

This denial coming almost immediately, the bid winners emerged, threatened the integrity of the process and consumed the job of the then DG of BPE, Dr Christopher Anyanwu


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nitel-fg-brainstorms-on-globacoms-offer/98024/

[size=13pt]'Shut Up' ,CJN Orders NJC, as it Sues Salami[/size]

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From Tobi Soniyi, Adebiyi Adedapo and Racheal Obewhere in Abuja

Determined to ensure the judiciary is not further dragged into a mire of crisis, Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, yesterday in Abuja barred all institutions under the judiciary from commenting on matters pending before courts.

The Acting CJN’s directive may not be unconnected with the press conference held by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on why the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Ayo Salami, was suspended.

Meanwhile, the NJC has filed a suit against Salami, urging the court to dismiss the latter’s case based on its incompetence and lack of jurisdiction by the court. A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr. Sunday Olorundahunsi, said all heads of judiciary organs should get clearance from the Acting CJN’s office before making statements on pending matters. The brief statement reads: “The Acting CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, has barred all organs of the Nigerian judiciary from commenting directly or indirectly on matters pending before any court of law.

“The CJN has directed that henceforth recourse should be made to his office by heads of all judicial organs before any comments or information could be made public to avoid misrepresentation or pre-empting court decision.”

NJC had on Monday addressed journalists in Abuja, in an effort to correct what it described as misconception of facts surrounding Salami’s suspension from office. At the briefing, the council insisted that Salami was suspended for grossly breaching the Code of Conduct for judicial officers. It argued that prior to his suspension, several other judges had also been sacked for similar offences just as it debunked insinuations that there was no quorum when it sat on August 18 to recommend the suspension of Salami.

It stated that members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who were members of the NJC, could only sit when the appointment of judges to superior courts of record was to be considered. It further pointed out that the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Moses Bello, who presided over the said meeting of August 18, was eminently qualified to chair the emergency meeting, adding that: “In the absence of the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the NJC, all other members are equal according to the law that set it up.”

The council’s Director of Administration, Mr. Eugene Odukwu, who briefed journalists said: “By virtue of Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the quorum for a meeting of the bodies established under this section of which the NJC is one shall not be less than one-third of the total number of members of that body and contrary to what is being fed the public, the total members of the NJC is 24 and not 28.”

According to him, “In view of paragraph 20 of part one of the third schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended and section 159 thereof, the number of members of council including five NBA nominees for the purpose of considering persons for appointment to the superior courts of record only at such meeting shall be 24 otherwise, the relevant number of members of Council shall be 19.”

“As to what number of the members of council shall form a quorum which is one-third in any of the council meetings with or without the NBA members, the court will determine,” he added.

He said that the council would tender the register of attendance to show the number of council members who attended the meeting at which Salami was suspended.

In the suit filed against Salami yesterday at the Federal High Court, Abuja by the Chambers of Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and served on Salami through his counsel, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi (SAN), NJC based its objection on the grounds that Salami could not ask for an interlocutory order, which have the effect of determining the substance of the main suit pending before the court and of which evidence viva voce will be required. NJC argued that an order setting aside an act already completed cannot be granted by way of an interlocutory application, as doing so would amount to granting a relief and asking the maintenance of the status quo of an act already completed.

NJC asserts that Olujinmi (SAN) is a principal partner with Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) in the law firm known as Olujinmi and Akeredolu, while Akeredolu is a member of NJC, the defendant in the suit. As a result, NJC believes that there is obvious conflict of interest since Akeredolu, knowing the secret and inner workings of the NJC of which he is a member, cannot possibly litigate against the NJC using his alter ego, Olujinmi.

In the same vein, the court room turned theatrical yesterday during the suit filed by Salami, as Lucious Nwosu (SAN), counsel to the retired CJN, Aloysius Katsina-Alu, objected to the appearance of Salami’s counsel, Emeka Ngige (SAN). Argument ensued when Nwosu raised an observation regarding the appearance of Ngige and A. J. Owonikoko (SAN) as the duo had not been listed among the legal team on the process before the court. Nwosu sought clarification from the court.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/shut-up-cjn-orders-njc-as-it-sues-salami/98037/

[size=13pt]FG to Activate All Abandoned Dams[/size]

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday decided to maximise Nigeria’s power generation through the reactivation of all hydro dams and fast-tracking implementation of the gas master plan to ensure availability of gas to power the plants already nearing completion.

There are dams in Gombe, Osun, Kano and Katsina that can generate considerable megawatts of electricity but are waiting for turbines to be installed.

Briefing State House correspondents, Information Minis-ter Labaran Maku said the council deliberated on the report of the Presidential Projects Assessment Commit-tee, headed by Ibrahim Bunu.

He explained that they concentrated on how to achieve stability in power within the lifespan of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.Maku said that the committee had noted in their report submitted a few months ago that there were many dams across the country and that their hydro generating capacity would add a lot of power to the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

He explained that it was discovered that gas supply to the power plants posed the greatest problem to stability, but he was quick to add that the Gas Master Plan would on implementation address the problem when the Ministry of Power synchronises their work agenda with that of Ministry of Petroleum.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fg-to-activate-all-abandoned-dams/98041/

[size=13pt]Okonjo-Iweala vows to tackle corruption[/size]

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Thursday vowed to tackle corruption in the ministry, saying the move would help the ministry to effectively deliver on its mandate.


She also pledged to put in place equitable training scheme that would help to develop capacity of government officials in the ministry.


The minister said these in Abuja during a meeting with officials of the ministry.


A statement from the ministry quoted her to have urged the members of staff to adopt effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as their watchword in handling their official functions.


It said, “The Coordinating Minister for the economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged staff of her ministry to adopt efficiency, effectiveness and delivery as their constant watchwords in handling their official functions.


“This, she says, would lead to better service delivery which is necessary for the success of the present administration’s Transformation Agenda.”


The statement also said, “While laying emphasis on efficient service delivery, Okonjo-Iweala promised to put in place an equitable training and re-training scheme that would enable staff to acquire new skills and knowledge for improved performance.


“During the interactive session, Okonjo-Iweala promised to take a second look at the anti-corruption measures currently in place in the ministry with a view to bringing in measures that would effectively tackle corruption.”


In addition to the official training and re-training programme, she also advised the workers to take advantage of the various e-learning programmes on the Internet to improve themselves, promising that evidence of such self improvement would be rewarded.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201109081465596

[size=13pt]New agric strategy targets 3.5m jobs, others[/size]

HE National Economic Management Team (EMT) held its second meeting since its inauguration on August 17 this year at the Presidential Villa Abuja, unveiling an Agriculture Transformation Action Plan (ATAP) that will create a total of 3.5 million jobs in the next four years through a massive focus on five crops – rice, cassava, sorghum, cocoa and cotton.

The ATAP programme is also expected to inject a total of N300 billion ($2 billion) additional income into the hands of Nigerian farmers and N350 billion ($2.2 billion) into the economy through rice sufficiency.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, along with Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako and chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, told journalists at the end of the meeting that the aim of the new programme is to take agriculture as a business with emphasis on partnership, investment and accountability, and not as a development issue.

To drive the programme, government would hands off the sale of fertilizers. Okonjo-Iweala explained that the aim of government in the removal of the subsidies on fertilisers is to get “fertilisers to 95 per cent of farmers as against the 11 per cent today.”

The end game, Adesina noted, is to diversify the agriculture sector, using it to “enable Nigeria to be food secure by increasing production of key food staples by 20 million metric tons.”

Under this programme, government intends to move the production of paddy high quality processed rice from 3.4 million metric tons presently to 7.4 million metric tons by 2015, with one million additional jobs in that sector.

Specifically, cassava tuber production is expected to increase from 34 million metric tons (12.5 metric tons/Ha) to 51 million metric tons (25 metric tons/Ha) with 1. 2 million additional jobs by 2015. Sorghum production is expected to rise from 9.3 million metric tons and a yield of 0.75 metric ton/Ha to 11.3 million metric tons and a yield of 2.5 metric tons/Ha with 150,000 jobs created.

Cocoa beans production is projected to increase from 250,000 metric tons with a yield of 300 kilogrammes/Ha to 500,000 metric tons with 500 kilogrammes/Ha with a job target of 360,000 by the same 2015.

For the cotton lint sub-sector, the agriculture ministry aims to achieve a record increase of 140,000 metric tons with 400 kilogrammes/Ha yield and a job projection level of 125,000 from its present dismal production level of 20,000 metric tons and a 150 kilogramme yield.

Adesina stated that Nigerians should not worry about implementation of the new programme because “what you will find in this new administration by Mr. President is a laser focus on execution. I don’t know what countries you go to where the President sits down for three hours on one key sector, asking questions on what needs to be done, how will it be done and when it will be done, how you will monitor and evaluate it and how do you hold people accountable. That is the kind of discussion we just had and I think that it is fantastic for the country. This is because words don’t matter. People don’t eat words. They eat food as far as my sector is concerned.

“We intend to use four key principles in executing the programme. First is a principle we call subsidiarity. We are not going to sit in the Ministry of Agriculture and tell states what to do. We are going to start with the states to identify the cultural value chain whether it is sorghum, cassava, or yam, whatever it is that they want to play in. We will work with them from the bottom up. That way, everybody knows what they are accountable for. Secondly, we are going to work within a framework of partnerships. Partnerships by the private sector, civil society and particularly with farmers. Third is that we are going to focus on investments because investment must generate a return. If an investment is not generating return you must know.

“So, that is the discipline we are bringing into the sector now for agriculture as a business. We are going to monitor all the monies and things we are doing as projects and investment. Finally is accountability. We are going to produce an agricultural scorecard in which we are going to look at the progress we are making and not just the Federal Ministry of Agriculture but a lot of ministries that are critical to making that sector work. The issue of power, water and roads, so we are going to come up with a plan in which there is going to be accountability at all levels. I want to emphasize that in this new administration, we are going to hold ourselves accountable, because Nigerians deserve to see results.”

Asked how this is possible given the state of infrastructure in the country, Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged that “there are so many problems in our economy but we can’t wait for infrastructure to be perfect before we try to improve. So what are we going to do? We have to select a few things. What we are looking at now and saying what are the major arteries in terms of roads in this country that need fixing.

Not all of them, because when you try to tackle everything you end up tackling a little and nothing happens. So the minister of works is also part of the implementation team and that is why it is important to have this implementation.  We are sitting down to say if you have a value chain in rice, where is it likely to come from and where are we going to transport it to, which of the roads we need to look at to make this work, and then we will tackle that. We will not be able to tackle everything at once. We just have to select one by one and then do the ones we can link to the major food production that we have. That is the way we are going about it, therefore you are not going to see a miracle overnight.”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60503:new-agric-strategy-targets-35m-jobs-others&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

[size=13pt]Power projects at 80% completion, says govt[/size]

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) promised yesterday that under the lifespan of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, power generation and distribution would stabilise at 4,000 megawatts (mw).

The cabinet, which met yesterday in Abuja to receive the report on the power sector from the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC), said most of the National Independent Power Projects (NIPPs) to raise the national output to 4,000mw were at 80 per cent completion stage.

But the government is not relying solely on the NIPPs to meet the national power demand, as it is exploring the potential of dams scattered in several parts of the country to boost electricity supply. The government also directed the completion of ongoing gas projects to further raise generation.

The panel is headed by former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Ibrahim Bunu.

FEC directed both the Ministries of Power and Petroleum Resources to implement the gas master plan to ensure the efficiency of the gas projects.

The Council also approved the payment of N65.8 billion ($43.3 million) as counterpart funds to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development.

At the end of the FEC meeting, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said there were many uncompleted dams, which could generate a lot of hydro-electricity for the country.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, said ahead of the panel’s report, his team had planned to ensure that the hydro-electric component of the multipurpose dams, was implemented in good time to generate more electricity.

Maku said the Council, presided by President Jonathan with the other members in attendance, “took a lot of time to receive the report of the committee set up by the President on the power sector.”

The President was said to have insisted that because of the significance of the committee’s job, there was need for FEC to examine it sector by sector, so that the government would derive maximum benefit from the recommendations.

Maku said: “The chairman and members of the committee in today’s (yesterday) meeting therefore focused on the power sector projects that are going on in some parts of the federation. They gave the Council a rundown of their tour of the projects, the level of progress and issues in the field.”

The report focused on what the government must do to ensure that the power projects were delivered in good time so that the major sector in which this nation is looking upon the government will give results in the lifetime of this administration, he said

The presidential panel toured all the NIPPs, the gas power projects, and recommended that the lapses in gas supply be addressed.

“Today (yesterday) the Ministries of Power and Petroleum Resources informed the Council that the gas master plan is already on ground and everything is being done to ensure that it is delivered, so that by the time the power projects are completed, there will be gas to run them.

“The NIPP which will give this country over 4,000mw of electricity are at about 80 per cent completion in the field. Government was happy about the progress being made in the field but we said we must not rest on our oars. One key recommendation, which the committee made, is that all over the country, there are uncompleted dams, which could generate a lot of hydro-electricity for the country. It particularly noted the Dadinkowa Dam in Gombe State, which has the capacity to deliver 34mw of electricity and there are several other dams stretching from Gombe, Osun, Kano and Katsina states that are also simply waiting for turbines to be installed to generate electricity.

“Also, the minister of power informed Council, that ahead of this report, they have planned to ensure that the hydro-electric component of this multipurpose dams are implemented in good time to generate additional power particularly in other parts of the country to stabilise electricity supply.

“So, if this is done in addition to the gas power projects on ground, it is expected that power will be delivered and it is expected that there will be some stability in power supply in the life span of this administration.”

Continue Here

[size=13pt]Panic as bomb is discovered in Lagos[/size]

By Evelyn Usman and Ifeanyin Okolie


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Ikeja area of Lagos was, Wednesday, thrown into panic following report of the discovery of substance suspected to a bomb, in one of the offices in Ikeja Local Government.

Staff and those who came for different transactions, rushed out of the building with some car owners abandoning their vehicles as they fled for dear life.

A multiple auto crash was also averted as motorists including commercial motorcyclists plying the route hurriedly made u-turn.

Traders were not left out as some of them managed to lock up their shops and vacated the area.

Report said the combustive substance was planted and connected to an air conditioner behind the councils’ doctor’s office. It was reportedly discovered by one of the staff who was at the verge of putting on the air conditioner.

Unconfirmed reports said bomb experts who arrived the scene later stated that the substance would have exploded if the air conditioner was put on.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Yakubu Alkali, who was having a security meeting with his senior officers at the time of the incident, reportedly drafted some policemen to the scene.

Policemen from the Bomb Disposal Unit who promptly arrived the local government, directed that all vehicles be removed from the premises as they went about their search for the combustive substance which they later discovered.

The Council Secretary who gave his name as Hon. Ayodele told Vanguard that the policemen from bomb squad promised to take the substance to the laboratory to ascertain whether it was an explosive or not.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Samuel Jinadu, who was also at the scene, told journalists that the substance was not an explosive . But he did not state what exactly it was.

Jinadu disclosed that prior to the bomb scare, policemen from Bomb Disposal Unit had gone on awareness campaign on bombs round many institutions in the state.

However, despite assurances by the police that the substance was not bomb, none of the local government staff dared to go inside as they all stayed out of the area for fear of another explosive material. As at the time of going to press, story of the bomb scare had spread all over the city heightening earlier fears that the dreaded Boko Haram group may have finally focused attention in Lagos.

It would be recalled that in the past weeks, rumors of threats by the group to bomb the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos has been on the air with security agents assuring that there was no truth in it.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/panic-as-alleged-bomb-found-at-ikeja-lg/

sleekdot:
OAMJ

Abeg the spambot has banned Dayokanu https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?action=profile;u=24083

and Coogar https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?action=profile;u=686159

Kindly assist

OK. Admin and Supermod already informed. Should be unbanned shortly. Sorry abt it.