₦airaland Forum

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has threatened a legal action against the Dangote Group of Companies, owned by the billionaire business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, over alleged infringement on peoples’ rights.

While Falana disclosed that Dangote’s companies would be sued for the alleged killings of innocent Nigerians in various accidents across the country, he added that oil companies would be sued for not paying compensations to some communities where they operate.

Addressing journalists in his home town, Ilawe-Ekiti in Ekiti State at the weekend, Falana expressed disappointment on how the Dangote’s trucks have been killing innocent Nigerians on the highways without a challenge from the Federal Government.

He frowned at the way the company would deny the families of the victims adequate compensations, after killing their bread winners, describing it as a flagrant abuse of the peoples’ rights.

“It is no gain saying that Dangote companies have killed many innocent Nigerians across the country in one accident or the other.

I don’t have any grudge against any company plying its trade in Nigeria, but you cannot kill any human being and go scot free without paying compensations,” he said.

“We have received series of complaints from Nigerians about how their families are being cheated by some of these companies after their beloved ones had been killed.

“We will no longer tolerate this and steps must be taken to ensure that such families are compensated,” Falana said.

He said a team of lawyers, headed by himself and former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) is currently fine-tuning arrangements on these barrage of litigations , which he said were intended to correct some perceived social-ills in the country.

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=46646

Why Soldiers Must Obey Traffic Law – Fashola

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has urged the Nigerian Army to obey the state Road Traffic Law, saying since roads are shared assets, everyone is expected play their roles in managing them.

Fashola said the army should be part of a concerted effort to promote a culture of safety and healthy commuting on roads in the state.

The governor spoke at an interactive session with senior army officers and heads of army formations in Lagos on the law at the 81 Division auditorium, Onikan.
He said, “As a youngster, I took public buses on trips round the state. Now, many of the military officers here will hesitate to allow their children to ride in such public buses for safety reasons.

“In several democracies worldwide, the military have been responsible for fashioning democracy. George Washington was formerly a soldier before becoming an elected President.

“Even in Nigeria, the military gave the nation its present democracy. So, there is a need to have a sustained partnership to keep the democratic experience going and this can only happen in a situation where the rule of law prevails.”

The governor said traffic in the state could be predicted and where there were snarls, patience by drivers and other road users could ensure sanity on roads.

He said, “But from the time when somebody tries to jump the queue or use the siren to drive all of us away, you need to look behind you and see what happens afterwards. Once you have gone, everybody is struggling to follow you.”

Fashola said part of the options embraced by the government to solve traffic congestion in the state was the Bus Rapid Transit scheme which sought to make use of buses to convey more people and reduce the number of cars on the roads.

The General Officer Commanding of the 81 Division, Major-General Kenneth Minimah, said the military would conform and also champion enforcement of the law.

He said, “There is no reason why the new traffic law should not work. The military formations will go beyond just obeying the law but take part in enforcing it since it is a legitimate law of the state that has passed through the necessary processes before becoming a law.”

Minimah added that military officers were expected to obey the laws of the state, saying if soldiers obey the law, it will be difficult for any other group to disobey it.

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=46407

Aregbesola Presents N17.4bn Supplementary BudgetState of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola,last Thursday requested the state legislature for approval of additional Supplementary Budget of N17.4 billion (Seventeen Billion, Four Hundred and Twenty-Three Million, Fifty-Five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty Naira).

The approval of the supplementary budget by the state lawmakers will enable the state government to re-allocate additional budgetary provisions to some ministries and agencies in the 2012 Appropriation Law.

Aregbesola, in a letter dated October 15, 2012, directed to the Speaker, the State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salam, stated that there is urgent need to increase the size of the 2012 budget to accommodate, the increase in the state revenue, recurrent, and capital expenditure.

He stated that the additional provision, if approved by the state legislature, would enable affected agencies to execute their projects within this fiscal year.

The governor assured the lawmakers that his administration would continue to live up to expectation in terms of financial discipline, transparency, probity and delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.

Osun Assembly had in January passed the total amount of N150,124,703,880 (One Hundred and Fifty Billion, One Hundred and Twenty four million, Seven hundred and Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Naira) in the 2012 Appropriation
law.

According to the 2012 appropriation law, the capital expenditure was N79,047,780,520, recurrent expenditure; N71, 076,923,360 with overhead cost of N17,711,354,510, personnel cost; N28,395,905,450 and consolidated revenue charges; N24,969,581,400.

Projected revenue estimates also balanced the budget with capital receipts of N62,040,554,250, being expected revenue from government agencies and ministries, which was put at N88, 084,067,630, and formed the size of the 2012 budget (N150,124,703, 880).

In the 2012 budget, capital expenditure, the economic sector, which includes Agriculture, Rural Development, Livestock, Forestry, Fishery,Urban and Rural Electrification, Commerce and Transportation have the largest share of N38,330,303,150.

The social service sector, which includes education, health, information, culture, social development, youths and sports followed with N21, 102,049, 320.

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=46829

[quote author=Mrs.Chima]The fact that he has a website listed on his post...I didn't take any of this serious however for people who have lost loved ones and may still be struggling with the loss...may not find it funny or entertaining.

There is a section where people can soft advertise..then again this is not my site. I digress.

Carry on.[/quote]The website wasn't in the post originally.

It was when the thread was posted to the homepage and the OP saw it was getting many replies and views that he modified the post and inserted his website.

https://serving.thisdaylive.com/0bef99d6-acf5-4e2c-9779-8fa02ba3fcd4/assets/Accident-scene0512.jpg?maxwidth=400&maxheight=540

No fewer than 33 passengers were feared dead yesterday when a coaster bus loaded with passengers skidded-off a dual carriage bridge and plunged into a river at J4, Ogbere -Ijebu stretch of the Sagamu – Ore expressway, in Ijebu East Local government area of Ogun state.

The bus got drowned immediately it plunged into the river and was reportedly swept away from the point of entry to the river. It was learnt that, there were three survivors who include a pregnant woman who were said to have been hung between a tree branch.

Confirming the incident, the Unit Commander, Ijebu – Ode Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Seidu Isah Osilama, said the FRSC opera-tives arrived at the scene of the accident few minutes after it occurred.He however said that they were able to rescue the three survivors because,according to him, they fell off the bus and landed on a tree.

According to him, the rescue effort would require crane and divers to ascertain the location of the bus and the passengers inside the water. He said no one knows the exact number of passengers in the bus or the casualty figure as they are still in the water.

The survivors have been taken to hospital in Ore in Ondo state.The passengers were reported to be heading to Lagos from one of the Eastern States. The Head of Operation of the FRSC in Ogun, Mrs Cecilia Alao also, said that the accident occurred at about 12 noon when the driver of the 36-seater coastal bus slept off. Alao said that the exact number of passengers and the registration number of the vehicle were yet to be ascertained. She said that all the victims, apart from the driver, were women travelling from Lagos to Benin to attend a burial ceremony.

The FRSC head of operations, who described the rescue operation as difficult, said that the command engaged the services of local divers who helped to rescued three of the passengers. We also hired a crane to pull the vehicle from the driver but after trying from 12 p.m to 6 p.m, we could not find the bus and other victims apart from the three.

‘’All other efforts to locate the vehicle and the victims proved abortive, the operation will continue over the night as we are not going to relent in our efforts,” she said.

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=45578

By Ernest Chinwo

Two weeks after four students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) were killed by a mob in Omuokiri, Aluu, tragedy struck in another host community of the institution as unknown gunmen killed another student of the school, his girlfriend and an ex-member of the National Youth Service Corps.

The incident occurred at Rumuchakara village in Choba community, the major host community of the university.

THISDAY gathered that the former corps member, who only passed out on Thursday, decided to celebrate his graduation from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with his friends.

The ex-corps member was said to have gone out with the two friends to celebrate his graduation from the service and were returning from the outing when the car they were driving in skidded off the road and ran into a shop in the village.

Though no life was lost after the accident, an argument was said to have ensued between the owner of the shop and the occupants of the car.

It was at that point that some men in an SUV arrived at the scene of the incident and opened fire on the crowd, killing the ex-corps member, the Uniport student and his girl friend, on the spot.


According to an eyewitness who would not give his name, “The corps member and his friends were drunk while driving and their vehicle ran into a shop. There was a serious argument between them and the owner of the shop.

“Within a short time, a group of men in an SUV came out and opened fire on the three persons, who died on the spot. The gunmen immediately drove away without any challenge.”
The names of those killed by the gunmen could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

Reacting to the incident, the institution’s public relations officer, Dr. Williams Wodi, said the university was shut down while students were asked to leave the hostels and go back to their various homes.

Wodi explained that the reason for such directive was for the management of the institution to re-evaluate the security situation on campus, adding that he was not in a position to speak for students expected to be currently under their parents’ care.

Confirming the incident, the state’s police public relations officer, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, said security agencies had begun investigations into the matter.

Ugwuegbulam said the incident occurred around 9.30pm on Thursday. He assured the public that those behind the killings would be apprehended and brought to justice

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/gunmen-kill-another-uniport-student-ex-corps-member/128214/

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has described as an illusion and self deceit the current efforts being made by the Nigerian government to become one of world’s leading economies by the year 2020, saying indices showed that the government is only making efforts through statements and no much work.

Speaking through its representative in Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Kormawa, during the 45th Annual Report and Accounts of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ikeja Branch, the UN agency whose responsibility is to promote industrial development for poverty reduction and ensure globalization and environmental sustainability, said it was highly disappointed in Nigeria because those in government have continued to work in confusion.

Dr. Kormawa also said it was shameful that while the country cannot provide adequate room for the growth of domestic investors, its government officials are chasing shadows by travelling round the country in search of direct foreign investors.

“We at UNIDO are disappointed because this is a country that goes two steps forward and three steps backwards and this will not help our productivity.

“The country changes policies like it changes ministers and government and you cannot run things like that,” he said, adding that investors want to see consistency of policies and their implementation.

He explained that for any country to win the interest of investors, it must first create a solid business atmosphere for its domestic investors unlike what currently obtains in Nigeria with its tough bureaucracy and lack of government presence in the in the manufacturing sector.

Dr. Kormawa lamented that as a result of the harsh business climate in Nigeria, citizens now go to other countries like China to invest, bring back Chinese products for boys to go into the streets to sell.

He said this was a disservice the country and its government had brought upon themselves.

Comparing Nigeria with Tunisia in terms of business environment and global competitiveness, he said investors would prefer the latter because the government in that country had consistently strengthened the environment.

He lamented that Nigerian leaders have been travelling to other countries including Brazil, which it started the race for development with, yet had not learnt enough to transform the country.

He said though Nigeria is one of the fastest growing economies as a result of government’s effort, this had not reflected in the country’s unemployment challenges and poverty rate.

According to him, while other countries are looking for new ways to boost development and ensure they bring in more investors, Nigerian leaders are busy exporting its inherited wealth and wasting the funds without priorities.

“It is disheartening that the country with abundant wealth of natural resources, which I refer to as inherited wealth has failed to transform that wealth into productive wealth.

“Instead, it has continued to ship wealth across the Atlantic Ocean creating jobs and wealth elsewhere, and perpetuating poverty and joblessness for its growing population. It is bad business that must be reversed,” he said.

He also said Nigerians still carry money in Ghana-must-go bags while other countries have gone far in monetary policies, adding “Nigeria is very far from growth. I don’t know when we would get to the innovation-driven economy, but I know that one day, we would get there.”

Kormawa criticised the country’s interest rate which he put at about 20 per cent in comparison with some countries with just three per cent interest rate and wondered how the government expected businesses to thrive.

He also said that his organisation had a lot of documents to support Nigeria’s leap into one of the best economies in the world but that the government was yet to explore such assistance.

According to him, the Nigerian government must go back to the basics, know exactly what it wants and the best way to meet the goals.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/10/19/nigeria-cant-meet-vision-20-20-target-says-unido/

cap28: oh god this woman again!!

for christ sakes those of you saying this woman is fine are you blind? look at the size of this woman for christ's sake - she is over weight and her face is as wide as a 42" tv - a fat encrusted body does not equate to sexy, she keeps wearing skin tight clothes that make her look like a middle aged woman desperately trying to look young there is nothing remotely sexy about this woman's face or body.

Gbam!

LAGOS State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday, inaugurated the maternal and child care mortality reduction progra-mme in the state, stating that the state has built eight maternal and child care hospitals in the past five years, to provide life saving services to mothers and children.

The governor, who spoke at the Blueroof Hall, Lagos Television (LTV) 8 Complex, Agidingbi, said five of the hospitals had commenced full operation, adding that two had been completed with training of staff ongoing.

Fashola said the government had awarded contracts for another two more centres in Badagry and Epe, to ensure distance to hospital for pregnant women was reduced.

Fashola said between the time the first facility was opened in 2010 and June 2012, the five hospitals had delivered 45,249 babies, out of which 15,050 were through caesarian sections and 29,497 normal deliveries.

“It is a project within a comprehensive programme that started in 2007,” he said, adding that when he was elected as governor, one of the challenges he resolved to confront was the index of maternal and child mortality.

On diabetes and hypertension screening and treatment, which was one of the first to be kicked off at Ifako–Ijaiye on assumption of office, he said between 2007 and July 2012, a total of 96,468 people had been screened, while the programme continued.

In his address, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Professor Akin Osibogun, commended the efforts of the government towards the well-being of the people.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/49471-fashola-inaugurates-maternal-child-care-programme

The Senate has concluded the second reading of the 2013 budget with a hint that it will make changes to the estimates submitted by the Executive in order to set aside funds to address the humanitarian crises that followed the recent flooding of many parts of the country.

Most senators, who spoke on the general principles of the budget on Thursday, agreed that the fiscal document was unrealistic in that it did not take into account the recent flood disaster that ravaged many states in the country.

They argued that the budget should have provided some funding to tackle the humanitarian challenges facing the nation as a result of the disaster.

Presenting the lead debate, the Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, urged his colleagues to support the quick passage of the budget proposal, saying the government also planned to spend N971bn on petroleum subsidy next year.

He said there would be changes in the budget as a result of the severe flooding experienced in large parts of the country, which would impact on economic activities in 2013, especially agriculture.

Ndoma-Egba said, “The growth prospect may be improved, however, with the plan to boost agriculture. Similarly, the budget of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme was laid alongside the budget for our consideration. This will promote transparency in the oil subsidy management.

“It is a budget that gives priority to this administration’s concern for security, infrastructure, food security and human development sectors. It is a budget that introduces a series of innovative features.”

He noted that some of the important highlights of the budget included provision of N100bn as sinking fund for domestic debt reduction.

Ndoma-Egba said the budget underscored the intention of government to focus on building social infrastructure, promotion of agriculture and the industrial sector; women empowerment and employment; and wealth creation.

Senator Victor Lar said flood had ravaged many parts of the country, adding that there was a need for a supplementary budget to cater for the challenges resulting from the development.

He warned that leakages inherent in the system, which hampered the implementation of the 2012 budget, were still present and could stall the effective implementation of next year’s budget.

The senators were concerned about the poor implementation of the 2012 budget urging the government to pay more attention to the implementation of the 2013 budget.

Senator Solomon Ewuga said given the concerns raised, it could be concluded that the last two budgets had not impacted on the lives of the people.

Senator Olubumi Adetumbi, in his comments, said the National Assembly should help the Executive to shift from the ritual of annual budgeting to proper planning.

He said President Goodluck Jonathan should explain the input of the Oronsaye panel’s report in the budget, given the plans by the government to bring down recurrent expenditure.

Adetumbi recommended the creation of an oversight body by the Senate to monitor the activities of the SURE-P programme.

Senator Ayogu Eze expressed concerns about the piecemeal release of statutory allocations to agencies on the first line charge.

“We have N380bn as statutory transfers. I hope that it will be implemented in the spirit of statutory transfers. The agencies should not go cap in hand to the Ministry of Finance to ask for the funds,” he said.

He called for the amendment of the Procurement Act so that funding of projects would be beyond the usual 12-month funding plan.

The Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, expressed concern over the nation’s increasing debt profile despite the fact that Nigeria spent N591bn annually for debt servicing.

He said the oil price benchmark should be increased to reduce national debt to the barest minimum.

Senator Shola Adeyeye blamed the infrastructural decay in the education sector on lack of inspection and total neglect.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, David Mark, said the concern over the budget had been that of implementation.

He said, “We should do our oversight work properly. When we look at our reports, we should be able to know whether the budget was implemented or not.

“Revenue generation is important. We should get to the root of how much we realised at the end of the year and know what was utilised. Our committees should find out.”

http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/senate-plans-changes-to-2013-budget-over-flooding/

OSUN State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has said that 1,500 persons across the state’s 30 local government areas would undergo free eye screening and surgery.

The governor made this known on Tuesday, while speaking at the beginning of the medical mission in Iwo, headquarters of Iwo Local Government Area.

The programme was organised by the state government in collaboration with the Osun State chapter of Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Mrs Titilayo Tomori, said that the government fully sponsored the programme because of its recognition of the fact that “the eye is the light of the body.''

Aregbesola reiterated his commitment to providing quality health care delivery to the people, while overhauling the entire health care delivery system of the state.

He stressed that the government had spent N220 million on the procurement of drugs for the free health programme.

``Several other steps have been taken to uplift our health care delivery system from the deplorable state in which we met it; these include the renovation of nine hospitals.

``Others are the purchase of additional 19 ambulances, procurement of medical equipment, furniture and electrical appliances.''

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Mrs Temiotope Ilori, commended the society for the programme.

Ilori recalled that Aregbesola launched the maiden edition of the free health programme in March 2011.

She conveyed the governor’s pledge to organise such health care missions regularly so as to reach more indigent citizens of the state.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/community-news/49432-1500-to-undergo-free-eye-surgery-in-osunaregbesola