₦airaland Forum

okada_man:
"we" supporters of our able president are supporting because of his kindness to all, his giving spirit and his accomodating politics.

Only Two groups of people believe in Oga GEJ

1. The Gullible Ignorants < - na dem full name be that o. 

2. The Beneficiaries. < -- correct people


I'm not dumb, I'm a beneficiary.

So, I'm loyal to Oga GEJ, because man must chop, man must flex, man must oppress.

noblezone:
If Buhari had won the April polls:

1. The bombs will not be going off like this in the North! Reason, the bombers will consider the fact that one of their own is power, so they will give him chance to reign in "peace" just like the ND militants decided to allow Jonathan to reign in "peace".

2. The Boko haramist will be called militants and not terrorists and they of course will accept Amnesty.

3. The ND militants will be back to the creeks because Buhari will not negotiate with "Terrrorists". The government would have released the full force of the Nigerian Army to wipe out the militants.

4. Of course, the Ihejirika wont be the head of the Army, it would be one Hassan Aminu

5. Sanusi would have taken over more banks (3 is too small)

6. Uwazurike and his Massobians will be facing treason charges now instead of being released.

6. Okonjo Iweala won't be a minister let alone finance. It would be one Mallam Sambo

7. The south will be crying of marginalisation becuase all the key positions will be "zoned" to those who can "work" with the president.

8. There will be so many probs and arrests going on in the name of fighting corruption, but the real corrupt guys like OBJ, Atiku and IBB will be dinning with Buhari.


9. Etc

What am I saying folks?
The problem of Nigeria is the ethnic/religious divide. Let us call for a conference now and negotiate Nigeria.

knorkle2:
haha that's awesome PointB!

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FIVE contracts valued at N3.2 billion have been awarded by Abia State government for the reconstruction of three roads, construction of new workers' secretariat in Umuahia, the state capital and the evacuation of electricity from the 132 KV substation at Ohiya in Umuahia-North Local Council to designated areas.



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Information and Strategy Commissioner, Okwubunka Don Ubani, who announced this yesterday, put the cost of evacuating electricity at N287 million awarded to Mechanical Systems Ltd.

The new state secretariat contract was awarded to J&J Techno Nigeria Ltd at the cost of N1.08 billion. The reconstruction of the 4.7-kilometre Ohanku Road, Aba, was awarded to Coduc Nig. Ltd at the cost of N733.32 million; the 6.75-kilometre Owerre-Ezukala road will gulp N390.50 million and was awarded to Bok Company Ltd; and the 8.4-kilometre Obohia-Ugwunagbo road was awarded to Coduc Nig. Ltd at the cost of N1.72 billion.

Ubani, who said the contractors were selected competitively, added that a committee headed by the immediate past vice chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu, who is now Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa, has been charged with coming up with modalities for the relocation of the university's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences from the Uturu main campus to Umuahia, the state capital.

He also disclosed that this month's salaries would be paid on physical identification, with a view to checking ghost workers.
Ubani said the scheduled three-day retreat for commissioners and permanent secretaries in Enugu would still hold from August 28, 2011.

According to him, the 20th anniversary of the creation of Abia State, which falls on August 27 and the 100 days in office of Governor Theodore Orji, would be celebrated jointly from September 6 to 8, 2011.

• No school, no hospital, no electricity


Community Primary School, Itu-Agan with Headmaster’s office


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• ’Government remembers us only during elections’

They live in Lagos State, the Centre of Excellence. But their lives are far from being excellent. At best, it is one of profound deprivation. Ironically, they reside in settlements that could be naturally regarded as having good ambience –it is blessed with abundantly flowing natural breeze and surrounded by a kind of aquatic splendour that brings out nature in its pure innocence.

The greenery and landscape are as alluring as they are therapeutic. But then, nature is the only thing they have to boast of as every other basic good things of life are alien to them. Welcome to the cluster villages opposite Tin-can Port, Apapa, Lagos. These are Igbo-Alejo, Itu-Agan, Ilu-titun, Tomaro and others with a total population of close to 100, 000 people.

They are under Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area.

The residents of these communities could have easily been mistaken for the people of Koma in Adamawa state, who were still living in the pre-historic age when discovered some years ago, save for some aspects of their lives that are in sync with modernity. Unlike the Komas, they wear clothes, eat good cooked food, listen to radio and do every other thing a civilized people do. Yet they are as civilized as they are deprived.

As you alight from the boat to the bank of any of these communities, the first thing that would strike you is evidence of a hard-working people epitomized by an array of fishing boats that dot the river banks with their nets careful twined. As you get closer, the perception changes, especially at the sight of people of different age and gender sitting idly away with line of depression running across their foreheads.

When they manage a greeting perhaps because you are a stranger, it does not come across as the typical African warm welcome. But they are good people worried and troubled about their lot in life because after a day’s work, when they need to rest or relax, they are denied of it. Since these communities’ came into existence , they have never had a minute of electricity.

The traditional ruler of Igbo Alejo community, Chief Owode Ogunmoriti, painted the plights of the people in a moving tone. According to him, darkness has become part of the community for ages and there seems to be no light at the end of their tunnel as there appears to be no conscious effort from any quarter to help.

“Here there is nothing like electricity. We depend on generators and lanterns”, the septuagenarian said with total indignation, adding: “The government only remembers us during elections and census”.

The story is not different from what obtains in Itu-Agan, which came into existence in 1905, and others. The Chairman of Ituagan Community Development (CDA), Mr. Mathias Esanmoore, corroborated this: “It is as if electricity is taboo here. Until now we have always had hope that sooner than later we would have but our hope has waned because there is no sign that something like that will come to fruition in the nearest future”.

The immediate past councilor representing the communities at Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Napoleon Iwalokun, stated that several efforts have been made to let government see reason on why they have to make electricity available to people but it has always been promise without fulfillment.

“Both state and federal governments appear not ready to respond to our calls. Here we are very close to Apapa which is supposed to be an advantage but we have nothing to show for that proximity. Our problem with electricity is a long-time one.

Two years ago, we went to government, they said we would get it going during the third phase. Our neighboring communities enjoy electricity but here we are living on generators. With the cost of fuel, we are spending the little we have and we can’t save”, he said.

And true to his words, the communities are sandwiched between opulent communities where they ought to enjoy the crumbs of the goodies from them. To their North, is the Snake Island; in the South is Naval Dock Yard/ Bar Beach and in the East is the ever-busy Tin-Can Port while their Western neighbour is Tarqua Bay beach.

All these places are just stone throws away and always illuminated with electricity. In fact, it takes just few yards of cables to connect them to Igbo-Alejo, Ituagan and those other communities that are united with them by bitter fate. Yet theirs remains a life of total darkness. All year round their feel of electricity is the rays that they are continuously assailed with from Tin-can port and their other neighbours.

And in these deprived communities too, the saying water is life does not meanv so much to them because they do not have portable water to drink neither do they find it easy getting from vendors. In Igbo-Alejo, for instance, the only available borehole is almost as old as the community but even that is not fit for human consumption because apart from being unclean, it is equally salty.

It is only used for house-hold chores.

Worried by the living condition of the inhabitants, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) intervened by supplying them with 1,000 litre surface tank. Apart from being insufficient for the populace, it is scantily available because of lack of electricity to power the pumping engine. A generator is provided by the NGO, but it is made available by the man in charge only on Mondays.

“If the man in charge of the generator does not come to pump water, we will not have water”, said Iwalokun, adding that even then “it is grossly adequate”. So, the only way out for the communities in this part of Lagos is to rely on water vendors who are not dependable as they only come around when they need money.

“People come to sell water to us. They use canoes and surface tanks. If they don’t come sometimes our people would take canoes and go to either Kiri-Kiri, Apapa, Coconut (in Olodi-Apapa) or Ijorara”, said the residents.

Their case in indeed a complete negation of the aphorism that he who lives by river bank ought not to be thirst for water.

By far the most challenging problems to these communities are education and health infrastructure. What goes for schools in the areas are nothing but glorified poultry and piggery. The only school in Igbo-Alejo, which also serves the neighbouring Ilu-titun has only three classrooms and was established in 1954. Apart from the fact that the decrepit building looks more like a relic of a colonial slave trade camp, nothing qualifies it to be called an educational centre for leaders of tomorrow. In Itu-Agan, they have Nursery/Primary school and Junior Secondary School. But they only exist in name as well.

They are more like refuge camps. The Nursery/primary only have corrugated iron sheets as roof while the floor is bare sand. There arte no walls except one or two raffia palm hanging precariously and once it rains it is deserted with alacrity. The three-classroom secondary school building collapsed after a torrential rain recently. The schools are both community efforts established in February 2009 to ensure that the children do not die in intellectual darkness like the community itself which is suffering from darkness from PHCN. The future of the schools is not certain, as the community presently owes the teachers seven months salary.

“We are appealing to government to come to our rescue; the situation is too bad”, said Mr. Esanmoore, who revealed that the state government only provides the Headmaster, his assistant and one teacher along with a few benches. “We have explored different means of communication to attract the government to our suffering”, he added, stressing that because of the precarious situation many of the students now cross the canal to Apapa and Tolu School Complex despite the danger involved. According to him, there was a time two of the students died in boat mishap as they were crossing. The 76-year old head of the community, Chief Lot Ikuesan, appealed to the local and state governments to look into their suffering.

“I appeal to the government to please come and help my community. This burden is too heavy. The money we are supposed to use to feed ourselves is what we are using to pay the teachers”, he said.

And like education, the communities are deprived of the least medical care. No clinic, health centre, let alone a standard hospital. There are no pharmacies and the only drugs the residents easily have access to are the likes of panadol, Alabukun and Karaole, which are sold in the provision shops. The implication of this medical deprivation to the community manifests whenever anyone falls sick or women go into labour.

“ If our children are sick of ordinary diarrhoea, we have to take them across and when our wives are in labour at night we face serious challenges”, said the male residents.

According to Esanmoore, two years ago, the community lost a woman who was in labour and being transferred across the canal to a hospital. A woman was also said to have faced near similar situation when she was in labour with a triplets. She delivered one at home, and almost delivered another one inside the boat they used to convey her to a hospital in Tolu. In fact, she delivered right as she was entering the gate of the hospital.

But Mrs. Justina Asemudara was lucky because her own case was just like divine intervention. When she was suddenly gripped by labour, there was no competent hand to assist and as she wriggled in pains, the unexpected happened and she delivered without assistance from anybody.

“I delivered on my own but I believe it was God’s doing”, she told the Sunday Sun.

The only succour the women have when in labour in the communities come from a traditional birth attendant (TBA) known as Ojo Obakpolor. According to him, sometimes more than four women deliver daily in his trado-medical centre. So, without him, the community may have to contend with the death of more pregnant women.

“The women rely on me for delivery but they will have to register first. If am not around and they are in labour, they have to go across to Apapa or Olodi-Apapa where they can have access to hospital”, he said. But then getting across in such a situation is in itself a tough task because there must be a boat ready to go if not the woman is left in pains perhaps waiting for divine intervention like that of of Mrs. Justina.

unphilaz:
haha i laughed @ dat joke and "newspaper" report about women and inability to born because of no nepa >:!

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has set up a six-man committee to probe the abuse of the party’s zoning formula by members.

The committee, a senior official told our correspondent, would recommend punishment for those who flouted the party’s rule on zoning and proffer ways to stem recurrences.

The inauguration of the committee, headed by Sen. Onyeabor Obi, was performed by the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, at the PDP Legacy House recently. Our correspondent learnt that the inauguration was done in secret and without the usual grandeur.

Our correspondent gathered that the setting up of the committee was sequel to the advice by the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, and his deputy, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, should resign after two years in office.

Both Tambuwal and Ihedioha had defied the zoning formula of the party in June to contest and emerge the leaders of the House.

But Obasanjo at the board’s meeting had said that if the action of the leadership of the party was allowed to go unchallenged, it would alter the zoning policy of the party.

Apart from this, the former president also said that it would be difficult to enforce discipline in the party in future, as those who broke the party’s directive and flouted its constitution would cite the actions of both officers of the House as a precedent.

A party official who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said the committee was made up of six senior party members from the six geo-political zones. They are the party’s acting National Secretary, Dr. Musa Babayo (North-East); Chief Ebenezer Babatope (South-West); Sen. Abdullahi Adamu (North-Central); Sen. Stella Omu (South-South); and the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, who will represent the North-West.

The committee was asked to advise the party on the implications of the breach in the zoning arrangements of the party by Tambuwal and Ihedioha.

Our correspondent learnt that the report of the committee would be submitted to the NWC, which would take it to the BoT. The board’s recommendations will then be sent to the National Executive Committee meeting for appropriate action.

After Tambuwal and his group defied the party, its leadership, after consultation with the Presidency, had to re-arrange the zoning of national offices among the six geo-political zones in the country.

The party had initially zoned the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the South-West.

But the majority of the Representatives, backed by members of the opposition political parties like the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Political Change, had kicked against the zoning formula and elected Tambuwal and Ihedioha.

A member of the committee, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said they were also asked to reconcile aggrieved members of the party, especially in states where governorship elections are to be held between December 2011 and 2012.

okada_man:
^
Bros dem never confirm me o, I still dey trial and training.


https://www.motortrendinformations.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/wunderlich-bmw-5.jpg
I wan buy this baby, this is my year

Eko Ile:
Just like GEJ, his FB fans are all incompetent and dumb. Many of them are ignorant illeterates [/b]wrongly blessed with [b]constitunal [/b]ability to cast votes in elections. We all know GEJ has nothing to do with FB and the dumb updates posted by his useless and worthless [b]aids, but these dumb clowns eats everything up with silly shants like GEJ carry go, nothing do you and other ridiculous nonsense.

I remember reading many of their ignorant comments before the election and all I could do was shake my head in disgust at their level of ignorance and lack of any kind of political or civic knowledge.

akinwole21:
FACT(S)! Even if someone's wife is not pregnant now, its GEJ

Ileke-IdI:
Why would the UN make such a huge claim when it can be easily challenged by Nigeria?

Any why has Nigeria not challenged it?

BTW, I guess nobody is perfect. Muttallab's father also warned USA embassy about his son, but the warning was ignored and overlooked

Security agencies have made some arrests in connection with last Friday’s blast at the United Nations House in Abuja, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Alhaji Hafiz Ringim, has said.

However, he was silent on the number of arrests as well as the identities and the nationalities of the suspects.
Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja yesterday at a media briefing held to reassure diplomats of their safety in Nigeria, Ringim added that President Goodluck Jonathan would soon brief the nation on the arrests.

“I wish to inform you that our security agencies have made some arrests and His Excellency (Jonathan) would soon make pronouncements in that regard to you and the nation where this is concerned,” he said.
He added that all security agencies in the country had been ordered by the president to liaise with foreign missions operating in Nigeria to ascertain their security needs around their staff and their facilities.

“It is in that regard therefore that I was asked to appear before you and try to explain some of the things that have happened and also government’s decision as far as security of yourselves and your missions are concerned. To start this, we have assessed the threats not only in this country but to the entire sub-region of West Africa,” he said.

He also disclosed that all security chiefs met with the president to discuss modalities to ensure the safety of all diplomats in the country.

“On behalf of the security agencies in this country, I assure you that we will go round from mission to mission and discuss what specific security assistance you require that would make you feel more secure,” Ringim said.

The IG also informed the over 50 diplomats present that his office had been inundated with mails from embassies seeking information on the blast and requesting additional security since Friday.

Speaking earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, said the meeting was necessary to reassure diplomats of their safety in the country which the government was working “assiduously” to guarantee.

Relatives of the dead victims in the blast have been mounting pressure on authorities of the National Hospital, Abuja to release the corpses.

THISDAY checks revealed that the pressure started on Saturday, prompting the management of the hospital to call upon the FCT Police Command to help prevent any ugly incident. When THISDAY visited the hospital mortuary, security officers were guarding the place. Speaking to the newspaper, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Tayo Haarstrup, said the hospital was still carrying out documentation before family members could come forward to receive their dead relatives.

He further stated: “They (families) must bring all documents. We are also awaiting the coroner reports before relatives can come for their members. The minister has directed that until such directive is met, we are not allowed to release any corpse to anybody.”

Sources said some of the relatives who had approached the hospital with such demands were relying on religious grounds as the reason for pressuring the management. Also, three more victims of the blast have been flown abroad for proper medical attention, bringing the number flown overseas to seven.

The number of patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has reduced drastically as some have either been moved to the female ward or abroad. The FCT Police Command said that efforts were being made to improve and beef up security in the nation’s capital despite the fact that police and other security agencies were yet to unravel the identity of the group behind the attack.

The command’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mike Zuokomor, disclosed yesterday at a press briefing after a joint security meeting chaired by the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, that contrary to some reports, police were not aware of any prior information on the attack.

Zuokomor, who was joined at the briefing by the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Alhaji Musa Yashi, assured residents that security personnel had been deployed in various prayer grounds to ensure a hitch-free Eid el Fitri festival. He also stated that security was being beefed up at all the foreign missions in Abuja, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the Federal Secretariat and other key places regarded as flash points.

Zuokomor noted that it would be difficult to tackle the recent security challenge posed by Boko Haram because “suicide bombing is still new in this part of the world”.

The police chief also noted that the law, which limits the use of firearms in the premises of any UN body, made it possible for the suicide bomber to penetrate the exit gate of the UN Building despite the presence of security operatives, unlike in Maiduguri where the police were able to gun down a suspected suicide bomber.

Meanwhile, France and Israel have lent their voices to the worldwide condemnation that has continued to trail last Friday’s bombings of the UN House in Abuja.

NIGERIA is now rallying other African states in a bid to stave off feared civilian loss of lives following the taking of Libya by rebel forces.
Nigeria had earlier joined the community of nations that recognised the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the government to do business with in the oil-rich north African country.
After a consultation meeting on the heels of the summit on drought in the north of Africa which ended at the weekend, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru signed a statement which the Federal Government authored jointly with the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia seeking for African support of the new leadership in Libya.

Meanwhile, the Senator Rufai Hanga-led faction of Congress For Progressives Change (CPC) has condemned the position of the African Union (AU) over Libya while applauding the Federal Government of Nigeria for taking bold step in speaking out the truth by recognizing the populist movement of the majority of Libyans (NTC) as the official government in that country.
The party had in a statement by its protem National Publicity Secretary, Denis Aghanya, in Abuja, described the Federal Government move as wise step, which it stated, was in line with the principle of being our brothers keepers.

While commending the Federal Government, the party noted that when a similar step was taken over Ivory Coast, it yielded the desired result with peace gradually returning to the country.
Maintaining that the recent unfolding events in Libya have amply demonstrated that the NTC is in control of the greater part of Libya, Nigeria stressed that in line with its foreign policy built on consensus, it is not only giving its full support to the Libyan council but calls upon “all states who uphold democratic tenets to do likewise” 
The joint statement by the two nations made available to the Guardian yesterday read “In the interest of peace and stability, and the well-being of the people of Libya, the governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia have decided to jointly recognise the National Transitional Council as the interim legitimate authority in Libya, ”

“We call upon all peace loving countries in general, African countries and the African Union, in particular to contribute to peace and stability in Libya by recognising the authority and legitimacy of the NTC.
“Ethiopia and Nigeria are on the side of the NTC at this important juncture of the history of Libya. We stand ready to extend to them the support necessary to facilitate the achievement of the difficult tasks of establishing an inclusive transitional government, reconstruction, national reconciliation and peace building in order to meet the yearnings and legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people for human rights, democracy, the rule of law and good governance.

“To ensure the realisation of the lofty objective, we urge the African Union and its members to be consistent by extending to the NTC the type of support and recognition that was extended to Tunisia and Egypt.”

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Anti-corruption agencies in the country have said they are not aware of the three big corruption cases the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi-Okonjo-Iweala, wanted them to prosecute.

Okonjo-Iweala last Wednesday said there were three big cases of corruption and graft the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission were going to prosecute.

With the transformation of the Bayelsa College of Arts and Sciences, Yenagoa, learning is sure to be fun, writes Mike Odiegwu



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Astonished and bewildered are some of the words now being used by those who visit the old Bayelsa College of Arts and Sciences located in Agudiama-Epie in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State. This is because the former pre-degree awarding institution has been transformed. Its ugly past, characterised by dilapidated infrastructure, has been phased out. It is now a tourist haven, a beauty to behold by visitors.

The geographical area which hitherto accommodated BACAS, as it was fondly called, is now housing the South-South campus of the Nigerian Law School. Indeed, the campus is strategically located. It is easily sighted by people who are either leaving or entering the capital city. In fact, it is the first major attraction that anybody coming into Yenagoa will see.

A visit to the campus shows several shapes and shades of buildings constructed with fine taste for architectural designs. It is one of the newest public facilities built by the state government. It is constructed to accommodate 1,500 students.

Its centre for Information and Communication Technology is designed with 265 wireless computers to enable students access legal information and documents online. The library is built to accommodate 80 students at once. Though the library is lacking all the required books and documents, the librarian, Mr. Olayinka Akiwumi, promises that the library will soon be competing with other older ones in the country.

He says the library software packages have been ordered and that the management has approved the installation of legalpaedia, a special legal software package designed to function like an encyclopaedia. "This is just a new library. It is still growing," he says.

For any ill student, employee or someone with a health-related emergency, there is a well-equipped clinic in the compound. The clinic has two nurses, a matron and a doctor, male and female wards, each with four bed spaces. The doctor attached to the clinic, Mr. Enyiche Chris, says the clinic is capable of handling most health-related cases but that critical health issues are referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

The facilities on the campus are the administrative block; a state-of-the-art auditorium; four Internet classrooms and others. A massive twin building is further constructed to provide hostel accommodation for students. Even the administrative and academic members of staff are happy to have 32 apartments to satisfy their need for shelter.

Building the campus is a unique project involving the state government, a task force and the Council on Legal Education.

Chief Gerard Olorogun, the Special Adviser to Governor Timipre Sylva on Legal Education, recalls that the task force that supervised the building of the campus was inaugurated by Sylva in July 2010.

He says the Chief Justice of the state, Justice Kate Abiri, was appointed the chairman of the task force with a mandate to put in place all the facilities required by the council to enable the project to take off.

He says one of the initial headaches of the task force was the attitude of the contractors. He said that the contractors were not forthcoming as they viewed their jobs as a government assignment. On how they were able to deal with the problem, he says, "We made them to understand that a task force was in charge and not a ministry. We ensured physical supervision of works. We gave contractors deadline of three months to complete their assignments. Luckily, the contractors performed to expectations."

He notes that jobs were given to contractors who had evidence of some jobs they successfully executed in the state. The council visited the project site twice a week to ensure that jobs were done to specification. Apart from regularly releasing money for the project, he adds that that Sylva was fond of visiting the site sometimes with the members of the state executive council and lawmakers.

"The contractors were recommended by the council. So, the Council on Legal Education, the state government and the task force worked together to produce the structure on ground," he says.

He adds that the campus gulped N1.5bn and that it was built to accommodate 1,500 students. Despite the cost, the presence of the campus has redefined the image of the state from that of militancy to intellectualism. It has changed the perception of most people about the state.

Most members of staff state that they were apprehensive when they were asked to resume at the Yenagoa campus. Even the school's Deputy Director of Administration, Dr. Francisca Anene, entertained such fear. She had said earlier that the state was a hub of militancy and other forms of violence. "That was my fear before. But since I came here, my perception of the state has changed," she says, adding that the management of the school has been having a good relationship with the host communities.

While noting that the facilities in the campus were of world standard, she says everything required for the effective commencement of a law programme was present. According to her, students are comfortable and the government has made the environment conducive to learning.

"I commend the efforts of the state government in providing the facilities here. The government has regularly intervened to solve other daily logistics problems. It has also provided us with 32 housing units for staff," she says.

Ihuoma Chiedozie, Abuja

Lawyers and 30 newly appointed Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Friday disobeyed a directive from the Nigerian Bar Association not to attend the 2011 investiture event, which was scheduled to take place in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.



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The NBA had directed all its members to boycott the ceremony in protest against the suspension of the president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, by the National Judicial Council.

Despite the order, the 30 new SANs turned up for the event at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, alongside several other lawyers who came to witness it.

However, the bar association made good its pledge to boycott the event as a body.

The SANs inaugurated on Friday were those selected for 2010 and 2011.

Some of them are Pat Onegbedan, Isaac Nwazue Ijioma, Agatha Obiozo Mbamali, Dan Ose Okoh, Kenneth Ekene Mozia, Yahaya Mahmood, and Ferdinand Oshioke Orbih.

Others include Olanrewaju Ayodele Ogunlesi, Anthonia Titilayo Akinlawon, Oluwemimo Adepoju Akinlanwon, Oluwemimo Adepoju Ogunde. Prof. Imran Oluwole Smith (Academics), Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, Okechukwu Amechi, Nnadi Jude Ositadinma and Abiodun Jelili Owonikoko.

BENIN CITY- President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday, accused the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, of initiating policies capable of destabilizing the nation.

He declared that Christians cannot be treated as second class citizens in Nigeria and admonished the CBN Governor to be prepared to spend the same amount of billions which he said had been expended by the CBN Governor in setting up structures for the take off Islamic banking.

He spoke yesterday in Benin City, at the 36th Annual Convention/AGM of the Nigeria Christian Graduate Fellowship & 14th Anniversary of Africa Vision Tract House. According to him, "we are not against Muslims but all we are saying is that we must not be treated like second class citizens in this country. What we said was that there should be a uniform guideline for all non interest banking.

"The CBN cannot spend the nation's money promoting a sectional banking system. As we speak today, the CBN Governor has employed thousands of people, training them to drive home his Islamic banking. Some of them were taken to Sudan and other countries for training. There cannot be peace without justice in this country.”

He has also trained Sharia Council of experts, these are Islamic scholars but he is trying to give them another name to deceive Nigerians" he said.

Pastor Oritsejafor added: "some have said why don't we have our own Christian bank but I said that is not the issue. Even if we come up with our own bank, what will be the guideline and that is why we have insisted that we must have a uniform guideline as it is now, the guideline is made for the Muslims and that is why we said it is a sectional thing.

"But the CBN Governor should get ready because when the Christians wants to set up their own bank, he should also make available the billions he has spent training Muslims for the Islamic banking. We are aware that he has a Special Adviser on Islamic Banking whom he pays with our money. He should also be prepared to pay a Christian who will serve as his adviser. This country belongs to all of us and we must all speak against injustice" he stated.

State Security Services (SSS) yesterday picked up former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.


El-Rufai


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The SSS said el-Rufai had accused the security forces of receiving N286 billion for their operations but had nothing to show for it, which was why insecurity in the country continued to persist.

Spokesperson for the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, in a telephone chat with Sunday Sun said the SSS would want el-Rufai to clarify his allegation on the said money because what the security forces got through the National Security Adviser (NSA) was just over N100 billion.

Mrs. Ogar further said the former minister by his allegations published in one of the national dailies on Friday bridged the Freedom of Information Bill (FoI) by not cross-checking his facts before going to the press.

“The SSS only wants to verify from the former Minister of FCT his allegations that the security forces through the NSA received a whopping sum of N286 billion without showing anything for it. By his allegation, he has bridged the FoI law by not cross-checking his facts,” Ogar stated.

Sunday Sun also gathered that the former minister would be arraigned in court tomorrow.

El-Rufai, who was returning to the country from London alongside General Muhammudu Buhari, was led away by the SSS in the early hours of Saturday. The former FCT Minister is currently cooling his heels in an underground cell.

After weeks of keeping quiet, in the face of series of allegations by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the erstwhile chief security officer to the late General Sani Abacha, over the death of Chief M. K. O. Abiola and the killing of his wife, Kudirat Abiola, reactions have finally come from the camp of the former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.



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Speaking on his behalf, in Minna, Niger State capital, Alhaji Shuaibu Badeggi, one-time director-general, publicity under the administration of Governor Abdulkhadir Kure of Niger State and spokesman of the former head of state, described Al-Mustapha’s testimony in court as tales by moonlight.

To Badeggi, Al-Mustapha is either mentally deranged or a perpetual liar, who believes that such lies, if told persistently, would hoodwink the gullible and confuse the judge.

He also gave a graphic account of how Abiola died, submitting that neither the United States government nor General Abubakar had hand in his death. He also threw a bombshell on the alleged coup in which former Chief of General Staff, General Oladipo Diya in the Abacha government was convicted.

“As far as I am concerned, Diya did not organise any coup. Abacha and Al-Mustapha themselves did, in order to eliminate those he (Abacha) felt could antagonise his ambition to transmute into life president following his adoption by the five leprous parties,” he said.

He absolved Chiefs Abraham Adesanya and Bola Ige of any wrong doing, describing them as “too above board to receive bribe.” He charged Al-Mustapha: “Defend yourself against the allegations that you sent Jabilla Rogers to kill Kudirat Abiola and stop the rigmarole.”

Looking at the Nigerian judiciary critically, what is you assessment?

I believe in the capacity of the Nigerian judiciary to right the wrongs and also in the Nigerian constitution, as a tool that upholds the fundamental human rights of individual citizen. I equally believe that criminal justice in Nigeria may not be that perfect, when compared with what obtains in Europe and America, but our judges are trying their best under difficult conditions.

Recently, Major Al-Mustapha opened his defence, where he made several allegations over Chief MKO Abiola’s death and others. What’s your take on this?

These are nothing but tales by moonlight to divert the attention of gullible people to the fundamental case of the dastardly murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola. The diversion can’t help him and can’t set him free. He should know that the ascension of General Abubakar to power was a kind of rendezvous with fate, in the sense that by all imagination, the General cannot be counted among the people that aided and abetted the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. Secondly, he was not a hustler for power. He never involved himself in any coup, real or fathom. When Abacha died, his second-in-command, Diya, was in prison over a coup that was organised by Abacha and Al-Mustapha themselves to eliminate those he felt could antagonise his ambition to transmute into life president, following his adoption by the five leprous parties.

Abubakar was never perceived as enemy to Abacha, so his coming to power was ordained by God and not through any premeditation or ambition.

Al-Mustapha made allegations about Abiola’s death, to the effect that he was killed…

At the Oputa panel, we heard Al-Mustapha saying Abiola was beaten to death. Today, he is telling the world Abubakar murdered the man. What I know is that this guy is either mentally deranged or he is an officer trained in the art of lying. Abiola could have died of stress occasioned by frustration. First, look at the calibre of people that came to advise him to jettison his mandate. The like of Kofi Annan, Emeka Anyaoku, Susan Rice and Thomas Pickering advising him to drop his mandate could be frustrating for somebody who had suffered so much in the hands of Abacha. He was treated like a common criminal for four years only to come and be advised to just go home. It was more than enough to cause cardiac arrest and death.

Imaging Al-Mustapha saying Adesanya and Bola Ige collected bribe to kill June 12. That is a pathological lie as far as I am concerned. These men were too above board to collect bribe. Look at somebody, like Adesanya, only providence saved him from the Abacha killer gang. The allegations beat my imagination and that is why I say he has mental problem, thinking that if he implicates people, he could be granted state pardon.

A criminal like that would have been beheaded in a sharia state, like Saudi Arabia; even in Europe he would have been jailed long ago, rather than allow him to abuse court processes of seeking adjournments on flimsy excuses. They should have jailed him. Thank God the like of Dr. Ore Falomo are still alive. International pathologists conducted post- mortem examinations on the deceased politician. The same thing for Susan Rice and Thomas Pickering. These people can still be contacted, so that they can tell the world what they know about Abiola’s death.

What do you know about Abiola’s death?

What I know is that America has no reason to want to kill Abiola. What would (Bill) Clinton gain by Abiola’s death. Susan Rice does not work for CIA and Nigeria is not Cuba or any Latin American country, like Brazil, Chile or Argentina. Abiola was not murdered. The advice from the eminent persons could have shocked and frustrated him and caused him stroke and eventually, death. Al-Mustapha should defend himself against the allegation that he sent Jabilla Rogers to kill Kudirat Abiola. He should leave General Abubakar out of this. He should prove his innocence and stop creating diversion and legal confusion that will not save him.

alj_harem:
i laugh at how clueless u are

ok please let them come, SMH

so u think it is north they would come to we are watching