₦airaland Forum

The Nigerian Law School has released the summary of the final examination results conducted from April 22 to 28.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Olarewaju Onadeko, (SAN), made this known in a statement on Saturday.
Onadeko said 2,125 students participated at the examinations, with 1,393 were successful.
According to him, candidates with Conditional Pass are 196, while 596 failed.
A further breakdown of the results showed that candidates with Pass accounted for 65.6 per cent, those with Conditional Pass represented 6. 4 per cent, while those who failed were 28 per cent.
Onadeko said that the Call to the Bar ceremony for the successful candidates will hold on July 13 in Abuja.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday officially reacted to the quit notice served on Ndigbo in the North.
The pro-Biafra group expressed opposition to calls for ‎the arrest of the Arewa Youths and Ango Abdulahi of the Northern Elders’ Forum.
Instead, it welcomed the ultimatum and asked Igbos to start relocating immediately.
A statement by the IPOB’s director of media and publicity, Comrade Emma Powerful read in full:
“We the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and it’s leadership worldwide wish to sincerely thank the Arewa Elders Forum(AEF), Arewa Youths and Arewa Consultative Forum for seeing sense in what IPOB has been saying about the need for a referendum to be conducted in Nigeria to decide the fate of the component ethnic nationalities criminally lumped together by the British in 1914.
“Biafrans in general also wish to thank these vocal Northerners for at least having the courtesy to issue advance warning this time before embarking on their routine massacre of Igbos and other Biafrans living in Northern Nigeria; unlike what their fathers did in 1966 when death, destruction and mayhem were unleashed upon unsuspecting innocent civilian populations from the South comprising of mostly Igbo men, women and children. Igbo massacres in Northern Nigeria has occurred so many times that it has almost become some sort of an annual sporting activity for blood thirsty Northern youths. That is why we are particularly grateful to Arewa Youths and Elders for having the decency to give us prior notice before the slaughter commences.
“We promise to adhere to your warning to leave Northern Nigeria because a word is enough for the wise. Biafrans and other Southerner should start packing their properties to come down to the South. We also advice the Northern youths and their Elders to keep it on because all they have done is exercise their right to free speech which is not a crime under any law known to man. We are therefore against those calling for the arrest of these Arewa Youths and their Elders.
“It is abundantly evident from the genocidal statements coming from certain influential segments of Northern Nigeria that the British socio-political experimentation and economic fraud we know today as Nigeria, should not have been created in the first place. IPOB is very much aware of the covert blackmail and implied threat inherent in the utterances emanating from Islamic Northern Nigeria.
“Furthermore, the assumption that economic investments of Biafrans in the Northern part of the contraption called Nigeria is an impediment to Biafra restoration project is misguided and most definitely misplaced. This is cheap blackmail designed to trigger rancour among Biafra populations because the North have always assumed and wrongly too, that Igbos will place economic well being over and above their life. This assumption is based on a false premise and one we are determined to prove same as events unfold in the coming weeks and months.
“IPOB under the divine leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is the instrument Chukwu Okike Abiama (God Almighty) is using to restore Biafra, therefore we are not afraid of our enemies, neither will any threat or violence from any quarter deter us. We remain peaceful in our noble quest to restore Biafra but we must caution that we always retain the right as a people to defend ourselves should the need arise.
“The civilised world is aware that we IPOB have been adopting peaceful means to restore Biafra since 2014. It is the Arewa Islamic Northern Nigeria dominated Army, Police, Navy and Civil Defence that has brought torture, killings, massacres and mayhem to communities and populations in the South. Till date, nobody has been held to account despite the existence of a comprehensive Amnesty International report to this effect.
“We are aware that these Northern youths and their sponsors, Britain, have perfected plans to begin another round of killing of innocent people as the did in 1966. We advise them not to make this mistake because Britain will no longer protect Islamic Northern Nigeria because in this digital age, the world is watching. Allow Biafrans time to relocate peacefully back to BIAFRALAND, that is all we ask.”

A kingpin of kidnappers, simply identified as Evans, has been arrested by the police, we learnt.
Information available to us has it that the kidnappers’ kingpin was arrested at about 1pm in his palatial Lagos home in Magodo Estate.
We were was told that Evans was arrested by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.
He was described as the most brilliant and notorious high profile kidnapper in the history of Nigeria.
He is believed to have made Billions of Naira from ransom in the last seven years, while coordinating the activities of several kidnap groups.

Legendary Nigerian singer, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as Tuface, has pledged 60 per cent of the proceeds from his yet-to-be released song to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Nigeria, to assist refugees and internally displaced persons.
The song would be launched in commemoration of the World Refugees Day on June 20.
Tuface, who is also the chairman of the Tuface Foundation, made the pledge on Thursday, when he visited the UNHCR office in Abuja.
He said, “I have decided to dedicate my time, resources and my voice to support the UNHCR in this massive endeavor of alleviating the sufferings of displaced persons. On the June 20th, which is the world refugees’ day, I am going to be commissioning a song and this song will be monetized,” he said.
“60 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to the UNHCR to further its humanitarian effort to alleviating the plights of refugees and IDPs. We want people to join in this campaign by downloading the song to use it as their ring tones, caller back tones.”
2baba also revealed that the downloads, which would cost between N50 to N100, would afford every Nigerian an opportunity to contribute in their own little way to the course of assisting displaced persons.
Deputy Representative on Protection, UNHCR, Bridgette Mukanga-Eno, appreciated the Tuface Foundation for supporting UNHCR in its intervention in the North-East.
She said the collaboration began when the agency received a donation from the foundation in February to support its activities in the Northeast.
She added that from the donation, vocational facilities including mechanic trainings, iron bending, and carpentry for the men and sewing for the ladies among others.
2baba had earlier donated N3.5 million to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, because he wanted to “put smiles” on their faces in February.
TuFace made the donation through United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, in Lagos.
The entertainer who kick-started the fund-raising with a N1 million donation in December has also called on his colleagues and well spirited Nigerians to do same.

The spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Ango Abdullahi has alleged that resources from the North was used to develop other regions of Nigeria.
Abdullahi made the claim while berating people of the South for saying people of the North were cheating them in the area of resource control.
Speaking in Zaria on Friday, the NEF spokesperson said it was the money from the North that was used to construct Nigerian Railways, refineries and other facilities.
The former Vice Chancellor recalled that the tradition had remained during the colonial masters and nothing changed after they left the country.
He said, “These people always pretend that the North is cheating them, not minding the fact that Southern Nigeria was developed by resources from the North.
“Please, look for a book written by Adamu Fika, the Waziri of Fika on Nigeria’s budget before and after independence.
“Each year, up to the time Nigeria gained its independence, none of the two regions was able to provide for itself.
“I mean none of the Western and Eastern regions had the money to effectively run the affairs of its region until they got financial support from the Northern region.
“First oil exploration was conducted using money from groundnut pyramid, cotton, hide and skin among other cash crops from Northern Nigeria.
“However, these people tend to forget all these goodies provided by the North towards ensuring the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.
“They always look down on us, feeling like Northerners are parasites in this country.”

Police in Lagos have arrested a pastor, Adedoyin Oyekan, and his accomplice for allegedly beheading a seven-year-old schoolboy at Ikorodu area.
The suspects, Adedoyin Oyekan and Eric, were arrested at Odokereke, Odogunyan yesterday after they allegedly beheaded the boy and buried his head on the church’s altar.
The suspects were rescued from being lynched by some angry residents after they allegedly committed the offence at 16, Apata Abo Street, Odokekere, Odogunyan.
Eric, who is said to be a friend to the victim’s father, allegedly abducted the boy about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, after his father left him in his custody. The suspect was said to have taken the boy to the pastor’s church where they beheaded and buried him between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Wednesday night.
When the victim’s father came back to take his son, Eric claimed he had sent him home. According to a resident, the police arrested Eric, who confessed during interrogation and led detectives to the pastor’s place where the child’s mutilated body was buried. A resident said: “A little boy was beheaded.
He is about seven years old. His father’s friend took him out to an unknown pastor around Odogunyan, Ikorodu, who has reportedly fled.”
“The boy’s father asked his friend where his son was and he responded that he had already asked him to go home, which was a lie.
They beheaded the boy between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and then buried his head underneath the altar of the pastor’s church. “The father’s friend was arrested. It was then he confessed what they did with the boy’ body. The body was later exhumed and brought to the police station,” a police source said.
The Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, said he would make sure the perpetrators were brought to justice.
It was learnt that angry residents had stormed the police station, demanding jungle justice for the suspects. They destroyed a part of the police station’s perimeter fence and also attempted to set the station ablaze if the suspects were not released to them.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said policemen on patrol apprehended the suspects.
The PPRO said the policemen clamped down on Eric whose confession led to the arrest of the other suspect and the recovery of the boy’s body.
He said: “On investigation one of the suspects, Eric, confessed to the crime. He led a team of policemen to Odokekere/Odogunyan to apprehend Oyekan, who later led the team to where the seven-year-old boy was beheaded and his head buried. “They hid the body inside canal.
The two suspects involved have been arrested and the body and the head of the boy were brought to the station
Investigation has commenced and the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.”

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, says he may soon be arrested over his comments, but his colleagues should note that prisons are built for human beings and not animals.
Melaye, who has been involved in different controversies of late, said this on Friday while querying the decision of the executive to retain Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after the senate refused to confirm.
Magu has been rejected twice by the upper legislative chamber, which cited a report of the Department of State Services (DSS) report that indicted the anti-graft czar of corruption.
Charging his colleagues not to allow selective application of the country’s laws, Melaye said President Muhammadu Buhari recognises the powers of the senate to confirm nominees.
He said Buhari had replaced candidates rejected by the senate, but wondered why Magu’s case is different.
“I may be arrested immediately after this programme… prison is built for people and not for animals,” he said.
“Posterity will not forgive us when we keep silent in the face of lies and persecution.
“The persecution we went through in the first two years must not continue in the second half. Mr President in leading us in this second half you must put on your seat belt; it is dangerous to drive without a seat belt.
“Where we need to speak the truth as senators, we must speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored. We must begin to identify that there is a uniform law in the federal republic of Nigeria.
“No longer shall we allow the selective application of the law of the land. What is good for Abubakar is good for Nnamdi. Mr President, we have passed some people on the floor of this senate and those people that we have also disqualified by confirmation have been replaced by Mr Pres
“That means that the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari recognises the powers of the senate to confirm.
“Why is Magu still in office? Mr President the truth is the truth, we should not have selective application of the rule of law; one law for everybody. We must as a senate we must preserve the integrity of this institution.”
The 8th senate is marking its second anniversary.

Prophet T.B. Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations has reportedly escaped assassination attempts on his life after a suspect who pretended to be a worshiper moved to attack him.
However, the attempts was foiled after policemen attached to the church foiled the moves and arrested the suspect. The incident happened at the Church mountain at Agodo Egbe in Ikotun, Lagos where Joshua usually went for special prayer.
The 40-year old suspect, Segun Oladunni has been arrested and charged before a Lagos court over his alleged involvement in the assassination attempts. He has since been remanded in prison custody.
We gathered that Oladunni pursued the popular prophet with a motorcycle while he was going to the mountain where he usually go for meditation.
However, before he could attack Joshua, the security details intercepted and prevented him from accomplishing his mission. Our correspondent gathered one of the securitymen detailed in the Mountain identified as Ogechi was seriously wounded and injured.
It was also learnt that the Church’s Peugeot 505 security vehicle and that of the police attached to Ikotun Division were destroyed in the process.
A police sergeant attached to the church, Suara Tiamiyu was injured with a fractured finger during the mayhem that ensued as they prevented the assailant.
Some worshippers who are aware of the incident expressed shock and was wondering what would have made Oladunni to attempt to attack Prophet Joshua was not yet known considering the fact that the man of God is known for his generosity.
Some said it might be a way to get the attention of Joshua to seek for his assistance. Oladunni was charged before Ejigbo Magistrates’ court for the alleged offence under the Criminal Code. He pleaded not guilty. The presiding Magistrate, Mrs J.O.E. Adeyemi granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.
He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition. The matter was adjourned till 11 July 2017.

Stephanie Okereke-Linus, award-winning Nollywood actress has debunk allegation of copyright infringement battle over her much acclaimed movie ‘Dry’.

The award-winning actress and producer, who was recently accused of movie script theft by a lawyer and scriptwriter, Daniella Madudu and demanding the actress pay compensation of N60 million has said all allegations are baseless.

According to the actress stamen made available to THEMOMENTNG.COM, she said: “Ordinarily I would not have dignified it with a response but for the sake of posterity and lest my silence be termed an admission of any wrongdoing whatsoever, I will simply proceed to state the facts here, viz:

THE STATEMENT IN FULL:

“Character assassination is at once easier and surer than physical assault; and it involves far less risk for the assassin. It leaves him free to commit the same deed over and over again, and may indeed win him the honors of a hero in the country of his victims.” – Alan Barth (1906 – 1979)

On the 19TH of May, 2017, I received a letter from one Rafiu Bello acting on behalf of one Daniella Madudu accusing me of appropriation of an “original literary work” that was allegedly stolen from her by Ms. Joy Ndidi (an allegation that has been roundly refuted), copyright infringement and all manner of impropriety as relates my movie ‘DRY’ and demanding that I credit this Daniella Madudu with ownership of my work, pay the sum of N60,000,000 (SIXTY MILLION NAIRA) and royalties; or face a “campaign of calumny”(which by the way is already afoot) both home and abroad.

Naturally, my initial reaction was to ignore it as something so ludicrous as to be able to find firm footing in the mind of any normal or rightly thinking individual and only routinely passed it onto my lawyers at a later date and thought nothing more of it. They (my lawyers), as a matter of course responded to it.

That these persons have since gone ahead with their premeditated plan to defame me upon allegations they know to be baseless, spurious and glaringly untrue is no longer news as the media is presently awash with the ‘fruit of their labour’ and ordinarily I would not have dignified it with a response but for the sake of posterity and lest my silence be termed an admission of any wrongdoing whatsoever, I will simply proceed to state the facts here, viz:

That since my undergraduate days at the University of Calabar, I have been very passionate and deeply concerned about Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), the plight of the girl-child and sexual violence against the female gender.
That in 2006 whilst still on crutches as a result of my ghastly automobile accident from the year before, I volunteered with the Mercy Ships Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Centre (as it then was) in Sierra Leone all out of my own personal savings as this was and will always be a cause very dear to my heart.
That in 2007/08 I visited the Mariam Abacha Women and Children’s Hospital, Sokoto where I personally made donations to the victims of VVF.
That in 2008 I was invited by The United Nations and the Government of Liberia to participate in the anti-rape campaign, Stop Rape and the Liberia Fistula Project.
That through my non-governmental organisation, The Extended Hands Foundation and our numerous partners, over 150 women and young ladies across the country have successfully undergone reconstructive surgery and have gone on to live wholesome fulfilling lives free of the stigmatization and the sheer pain and discomfort that comes with VVF.
That I registered the script for my movie ‘DRY’ with The United States Copyright Office on November 28TH, 2011.
That I registered the script for my movie ‘DRY’ with The Nigerian Copyright Commission on July 27TH, 2012.
That my movie ‘DRY’ was shot in the months of August and September, 2012 in Nigeria.
That the unofficial trailer for ‘DRY’ was released to lend my voice in support of the ‘Child Not Bride’ campaign.
That Ms. Joy Ndidi’s first ever contact with me was in 2013 (DRY was already a finished project at this time) and it was not until June 2013 that she was officially engaged to provide content and ad-placement for my personal blog, ‘The Stephanie Daily’ for all of six (6) months and this she did from the comfort of her home.
That the so called “original literary work” of the Daniella Madudu, I was supposed to have appropriated in my movie has never been registered at The Nigerian Copyright Commission even as we speak.
These are easily verifiable facts that any half-hearted attempt at investigative and responsible journalism would have turned up if indeed uncovering the truth for the benefit of the public was the primary motive behind the malicious publication.

It is truly a sorry pass we have come to as society when all it takes to ruin a person’s reputation overnight is the spewing forth of mere accusations just because he or she happens to be in the public eye.

I choose to speak out and address this vice that has suddenly become the norm in our society and the acceptable standard of modern day “journalism”. We used to be better than this as a people; my prayer is that we still are.

DRY is more than just a movie; it is a righteous cause for voiceless women and young girls who have suffered the most debilitating kind of emotional and physical abuse, and anyone who seeks to denigrate this painful sacrifice with a smear campaign, with the intent to make gain or attract cheap publicity, simply lacks wisdom.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all those that have shown tremendous support and spoken up these past few days to end these words the same way it began.

“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does the truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.” Mahatma Gandhi

Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has built and donated a multimillion naira, ultra-modern 2-bedroom apartment to victims of a devastating inferno, the Aina family, in fulfillment of its pledge to the beneficiary in the just concluded Airtel Touching Lives Season 3.
The Aina family, which was one of the several grantees that appeared in the philanthropy series, had been struck by severe vicissitudes of life and had lost four children in a shattering fire accident that also consumed their abode as well as all their material possessions.
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, led a team of Airtel executives comprising the Director of Corporate Communications & CSR, Emeka Oparah, to commission and hand-over the well-finished apartment to the Aina family, yesterday in Magboro, Ogun State.
Speaking during the brief ceremony, Ogunsanya expressed heartfelt condolences to Mr. and Mrs. Aina over the loss of their children while commending them for demonstrating courage, resilience and hope amid overwhelming challenges
“While we can do little about the past, there is so much we can do about the present and our future. And that is why we decided to step in to help this good family to rebuild their future. I must say the future of the Aina family is very bright and I encourage everyone to walk with them in getting the best out of the future,” Ogunsanya said.
He also stated that Airtel is committed to empowering the underprivileged to realize their dreams, noting that through the Airtel Touching Lives platform, Airtel has directly impacted hundreds of people and households just as it has positively impacted the lives of many Nigerians.
“Today is for the Aina family. Indeed, I am excited to handover this 2-bedroom apartment to the Aina’s, as we pray that God Almighty continues to reside with them, strengthen and enable them find peace in it. With this gesture, we believe that their journey to recovery from the unpleasant experience will be easy, smooth and much better,” he said.
Through the Airtel Touching Lives programme, however, the Aina’s have been able to pick up their lives with renewed optimism.
“Things had become extremely hopeless for us,” said Mrs. Aina, recalling the numerous inauspicious events that she, her husband and surviving child had to endure. “But we cannot thank Airtel enough for coming into our lives, for helping us, and for showing us hope again.”
Expressing similar sentiments, Mr. Aina thanked God and Airtel Nigeria for coming to the aid of his family. “Airtel has lifted a huge burden off me; they have walked with me in this very difficult journey, always comforting me and I cannot thank them enough,” he said.
Friends and family members joined to felicitate with the Aina family during the commissioning ceremony.

A consortium of four banks have dragged a limited liability Company, Metal Africa Steel Products Limited, before a Federal High Court in Lagos for recovery of a debt of N16.5Billion.
The banks are suing through their Trustee, United Capital Trustees Limited, and Receiver/Manager Gbenga Akinde-Peters.
In an affidavit sworn to by a litigation officer, Mr. Segun Omoshola and filed before the court by a Lagos lawyer Barrister Temilolu Adamolekun, the deponent averred that, Metal Africa Steel Product Limited has a bank /Customer relationship with, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Access Bank Plc, First Monument Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust bank who are jointly referred to as lenders.
In the course of the Company’s relationship with the banks (lenders), the banks availed several facilities to the Company between November 2012 and June 2015, the facilities were drawn down and utilized by the company.
In order to secure the various loan facilities, the lenders and the company agreed to the creation of a charge over the assets of the company by way of a Trust Deed to secure the credit facilities granted by all the lenders together with interest thereon.
Pursuant to the above agreement the lenders appointed United Capital Trustees Limited as the Trustee to act on their behalf in respect of their interest in the Security /charge securing their respective exposures to the company.
As security for the various loan facilities granted to the Company by all the lenders, the defendant executed a duly registered deed of all assets Debenture in favour of United Capital Trustees Limited.
However, the Company was alleged to have failed to liquidate the facilities which have continued to accrue interest.

The company ‘s indebtedness to the lenders stood as follows:
Access Bank: N9,278,404,445.00
Ecobank: N6,257,203,229.21
First City Monument bank: N441,700,000
Guaranty Trust bank Plc: N618,004,854.73

Consequently, the outstanding indebtedness of the company to all the lenders as at 31st January, 2017.stood at a total sum of N 16,595,312,528.94.
Mr. Omosohola averred further that despite the lenders several letters of demand, the company has failed to liquidate its indebtedness which has adversely affected the lenders business who are custodian of third parties/Stakeholders funds.

Consequently, pursuant to the deed of all assets Debenture the Plaintiff appointed Mr. Gbenga Akinde-Peters as Receiver/Manager.
Upon the appointment of the Receiver/Manager, Mr. Akinde -Peters is statutorily empowered by law to take charge and remain in exclusive possession and control of the property and assets of the company in respect of which he was appointed as a Receiver.
Consequently the company and its Director may likely obstruct, hinder and interfere with the powers vested in the Receiver /Manager as contain in the deed of all Assets Debenture. Therefore the plaintiffs is urging the court to declare that the receiver/ manager appointed by United Capital Trustees, Mr. Gbenga Akinde Peters over the assets of the company, particularly but not limited to all the assets of the company at km 16 Ikorodu-Sagamu Road, Ewe Jagun, Ogun-State, is entitled to exercise all his power and perform all his duties as receiver/manager.
The plaintiff is also urging the court to declare that upon the appointment of Mr. Gbenga Akinde-Peters as receiver the company and its Director or its agents have no right, power or authority to deal in any manner whatsoever with the assets of the company.
Meanwhile in a notice of Preliminary objection filed before the court on behalf of the company, by Barrister Niyi Olopade, the company is urging the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that, the leave of the court was not sought and obtained before filling the suit.
The presiding Judge, Babs kiewumi has adjourned till 28th of September, 2017 for hearing.

Dare devil armed robbers on Tuesday stormed a Skye Bank branch directly located opposite Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State and killed four policemen.
Also, the robbers reportedly shot a yet-to-be-identified student of the university in the leg.
The student was about to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in the bank when the bandits stormed the area.
However, one of the robbers was said to have been gunned down by the police. The armed men, said to have arrived the bank about 4 p.m., shot sporadically into the air to scare away residents in the area.
It was learnt that the robbers also raided two other banks – First Bank and Sterling Bank – adjourning Skye Bank.
The policemen attached to the banks reportedly engaged the robbers in a shootout.
The raids caused confusion in the area as the people around the banks ran helterskelter. It also obstructed the free flow of vehicles in the area.
Meanwhile, the injured student was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the town for medical attention.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Mr. Gboyega Aderoju, told journalists that the robbers tried to enter the university when they first stormed the bank.
But confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Folasade Odoro, said the police would soon fish out the robbers.
Odoro, who said that the state Police Commissioner, Adeoye Olafimihan, was still at the scene of the incident as at the time of filing this report, did not speak on whether policemen were killed or not.

A manager of Zenith Bank Plc., Akanbi Oleyede and a businesswoman, Chidinma Okoro and who allegedly removed N1.2 billion over a period of time from a customer’s Zenith Bank account have arraigned at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

The accused persons are facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Peter Nwangwu, told the court that the accused committed the offence between February 2 and August 30, 2014.

He alleged that the accused fraudulently removed the N1.2billion from the complainants’ accounts, Mr Emenike Daniel and Mr. Utoh Chijioke.

“The accused absconded and relocated to an unknown destination until she was recently apprehended by the police,” Nwangwu said

The offences contravened Sections 285 and 313 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

Section 313 prescribes a 15-year jail term for offenders, while Section 285 stipulates three years imprisonment.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Y.O. Aje-Afunwa, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.

She said the sureties must show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and adjourned the case until June 17, for hearing.

An Executive Assistant at E-banking Unit of the Nnamdi Okonkwo-led Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Uchenna Abazu, and her husband, Tochukwu Philip Abazu, were last Wednesday 31st May, 2017, re-arraigned before a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, for allegedly defrauding the bank to the sum of N97 million.

The banker and her husband were re-arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, fraud, stealing and forgery, by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

At the proceedings, the prosecutor, Kehinde Bode-Ayeni, informed the court that the matter was slated for the plea of the accused persons to be retaken, and therefore urged the court to grant her request.

Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, granted the prosecutor’s application, and ordered that the plea of the accused persons be re-taken.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge. Consequently, their lawyer, Mr. Taiwo Adegbite, pleaded with the court to let his clients continue with the bail terms earlier granted them by the former trial judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, who is on compulsory retirement.

The application was not opposed by the prosecutor, but urges the court to grant accelerated hearing of the matter, on the ground that the case has been in court since 2008.

In his ruling, presiding judge, Justice Aikawa, ordered that the accused persons continue with the earlier bail conditions granted them by the former trial judge, while adjourned the matter till October 10, 11 and 12, 2017, for trial.

In a three-count criminal charge filed before the court by the prosecutor, Mrs C. M Efobi from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, it was stated thus: “That you Uchenna Abazu “F”, between the 29th day of February, 2008 and 12th day of February, 2009 in your capacity as executive assistant, Electronic Business unit of the Domestic Operations of Fidelity Bank plc with identity card number 1705, located at 23, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, conspired with your husband Tochukwu Phillip Abazu, to commit felony to forgery and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3(6) of the miscellaneous offenses Act CAP m17 of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and in conjunction with 1(2)(a)(B) (c) of the same Act.

“That you Uchenna Abazu and Tochukwu Phillip Abazu between the 29th February of 2008 and 12th of February 2009 at Fidelity Bank Plc, 23 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi did conspire with one another to steal and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of criminal code cap c38 of the law of federation of Nigeria.”

“That you Uchenna Abazu (F) and Tochukwu Phillip Abazu your husband between 29th day February, 2008 and 12th February, 2009 at Fidelity Bank plc, 23 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, did forged statement of account 027402010024417 belonging to Tochukwu Phillip Abazu and in furtherance of your common intention made false entries into Tochukwu Phillip Abazu’s account number 027402010024417 with Fidelity Bank Plc on the 6th of June 2007 in the sum of N97million knowing that they were false entries.

The said false entries were acted upon as genuine via eighty-two Fidelity bank Plc cheques with serial numbers 03097572 to 0397601, 00106503 to 00106542 and 01951151 to 01951161, to the prejudice of Fidelity Bank plc and Federal Government of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under sections 1a,b,and c of the offences miscellaneous Act.

“That you Uchenna Abazu and Tochukwu Phillp Abazu between 29th day of February 2008 and 12th of February 2009 at Fidelity Bank plc, 23 Awolowo road, Ikoyi, Lagos did steal the sum of N97Million belonging to Fidelity bank plc earlier mentioned and subsequently diverted part of the said money to two accounts in other commercial banks in Nigeria and thereafter withdrew same for your personal use and thereby committed an offence punishable under sections 390 (6)and (7) of the criminal code CAP c38 of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has claimed that Governor Rochas Okorocha sacked his commissioners as well as chairmen of the 27 council areas of Imo State because of the success of the sit-at-home protest that was ordered in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Biafra.

You recall that the Imo governor was reported same day that the sit-at-home order held as dissolving the state executive council and 27 local government transition committees.

While no reason was given for their sack, Okorocha was quoted in a statement issued by his Principal Secretary, Pascal Obi, as appreciating the invaluable contributions of the dismissed officials to his administration.

But in a statement issued on Saturday in Awka, the Anambra capital, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful stated that Okorocha’s action was aimed at pleasing the powers-that-be in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the separatist group, Powerful disclosed that Okorocha had instructed his commissioners and council chiefs not to allow the order to take place in the state.

IPOB added that to the surprise of the Imo governor, the exercise recorded huge success in Imo State, such that the governor became angry and ordered the sack of the affected officials.

“IPOB intelligence unit discovered that APC party led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari through her security operatives mandated Rochas Okorocha to do all he could to stop the sit-at-home order issued by our leader Mazi Nnamdi and IPOB family members worldwide but to his greatest surprise he could not stop the sit-at-home and remembrance of our fallen heroes and heroines.

“In line with this, Okorocha mandated his commissioners and his LGA’s transitional chairmen in all the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State to move into the villages and communities to sensitized them to boycott the sit-at- home order at all cost, unfortunately, those mandated to do so could not do it because power belongs to the masses not those in Government.

“The Governor of Imo State Chief Owelle Rochas Okorocha dissolved the commissioners and the leadership of all the LGA’s transitional chairmen in 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State because of their inability to do the job he paid for to discourage our people not to comply of the sit at home order issued by our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on 30th of May 2017 in honour and remembrance of our fallen heroes and heroines who paid the ultimate price during the genocidal war against our people in 1967 and 1970.

“The tremendous total compliance in Imo State particularly in Owerri and other parts of Biafraland marvelled the Governor of Imo State Chief Owelle Rochas Okorocha and other APC members in Biafraland both South East and South South.

“It is very pathetic that the governor of Imo State Chief Rochas Okorocha will be belittled himself to this level by going uncontrollably from house to house and one market to another calling people to come out and open their shops on that fateful day Biafrans were celebrating and honouring those who paid the ultimate price during the great war in the history against the people of Biafra between 1967 and 1970,” IPOB said.

Ms Amina Mohammed, Deputy UN Secretary-General, has said more than 36.7 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and warned that the pandemic was still far from over,
Mohammed told delegations at the General Assembly’s annual review of the Secretary-General’s report.
She called for a reinvigorated global response to HIV/AIDS and that tackling it required a life-cycle approach based on community-level solutions.
According to her, global optimism has fuelled a major push to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, the highest ambition within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“I am happy to report that, today, more babies than ever are being born free from HIV. Now we need to do a better job of reaching young women and adolescent girls.
“This is particularly true for sub-Saharan Africa, where adolescent girls account for three out of four new HIV infections among 15 to 19-year-olds.
“Achieving our aims on AIDS is interlinked and embedded within the broader 2030 Agenda. Both are grounded in equity, human rights and a promise to leave no one behind,” Mohammed added.
In 2016, the UN political declaration on ending AIDS set the world on a fast-track to stamp out the epidemic by 2030.
In the first phase, countries agreed to reduce new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths to fewer than 500,000 by 2020 and to eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
However, according to the report, with less than four years to go, progress on reducing new HIV infections among adults had stalled.
The report added that financing for the global response had dried up and more importantly, women and girls continued to bear the brunt of the AIDS epidemic.
“While more than 18 million are now on life-saving treatment, this is just half of those who need it, and there is no decline in the number of new infections each year.
“People living with HIV who are on treatment can now expect the same life expectancy as someone who is not infected,” the UN chief said.
Mohammed noted that key populations, including sex workers, people who inject drugs, transgender people, and men who have sex with men, remain at much higher risk of HIV infection.
More than 10 million additional people living with HIV must access treatment by 2020, while most of them are unaware of their HIV status.
On his part, President of the General Assembly, Peter Thomson, said that while major advancements have been made, the scale of shortcomings remained deeply concerning.
“Some 1,800 young people a day are being newly infected with the virus, with young women at particular risk.
“A blunt assessment would say that to date our achievements have been mixed,” Thomson said.
He stressed that ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 required a comprehensive and inclusive approach that also targets education, information and services to people living with HIV and to those at risk.
“Adequate funding remains critical to meet the objectives, he added, emphasizing the need to close the seven billion dollars funding gap for the global AIDS response. (NAN)

Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River has called for independent candidacy in the Nigerian electioneering process. He expressed this notion while speaking at the Nigeria Symposium for Young and Emerging Leaders held at the Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Mr. Duke highlighted the need to review the Nigerian Constitution regarding independent candidacy in order to encourage young and competent Nigerians to run for political office.

“Nigeria’s democracy is growing, but the country will fare better if young Nigerians play active roles in determining governance. The situation in Nigeria will not change unless the youths are actively invested in moving the country forward. Youths need to stop asking for things and start making demands,” Duke said.

Supporting his position, Ambassador Dayo Israel, Chairmanship Aspirant for Lagos Mainland, emphasised that young and versatile Nigerians have important roles to play in the long-term development of the nation.

“A system that consciously subverts merit, competence, ability, capacity and hard work cannot progress,” Israel said. “This is the tragedy of the Nigerian system, and if our democracy must grow, we must ensure internal democracy and independent candidacy form a part of our electoral process. Africa must open its space to emerging leaders.”

Powered by The Future Project in partnership with National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Y!/YNaija.com, the Nigeria Symposium for Young and Emerging Leaders brings together leaders in politics, business, media, and more to discuss issues and challenges of open government and active citizenship.

It was a night of glitz and glamour in Houston Texas, USA as Bini Epic movie, Esohe, premiered.

Nollywood celebrities who graced the event include Uche Jombo, Moses Efret, Bode Ojo, Alex Mouth, Charles Billion, Tila Ben, Bless Brown Vera, Christabel Momodu, President of Nollywood in Houston, Papa Gee.

Others include Nollywood actors based in Houston, Benin Club America, Houston and the eldest son of Iyase of Benin Kingdom and the current president of the Bini club of Houston.

The movie had to be screened twice to accommodate the mammoth crowd who came out to have a feel of African culture. Some of the cast were dressed in Bini regalia for the meet and greet session, arousing nostalgia among the audience of African descent.

Set in ancient Benin Kingdom, the movie stars Jimmy Jean Louis, Misty Lockheart, Desmond Elliot, Chris Attoh, Bimbo Manuel, Ufuoma McDermott, Toyin Aimakhuo, Jemaima Osunde and Monica Omorodion Swaida.

The movie also features fast rising Nollywood actors like Eunice Omorogie, Omoye Uzamere, Oghenekaro Itene and Osagie Elegbe.

In ‘Esohe’, the reincarnation and reunion of Ifagbai, the son of Eghosa the Oba’s warrior, his long-lost lover, Esohe, presents a puzzle to Gary Barbar (Jimmy Jean Louis). He suffers repeated nightmare and sees apparitions of events he knows nothing about.

Story by Charles Uwagbai and Efetobore Ayeteni, written by Bimbo Manuel, the movie is produced by Charles Uwagbai, Monica Omorodion Swaida and Robert Peters.

‘Esohe’ is directed by Charles Uwagbai and is expected to continue its tour in DALLAS June 3rd, AUSTIN June 16 and 18, while a release party will hold on June 17 in Boston. Other cities include Atlanta July 8 with more still in works.

More info visit: http://www.esohemovie.com./ @esohemovie.

Continental Broadcasting Service, the parent company of Television Continental, TVC and Radio Continental, on Friday rested one of its major arms, throwing about 145 members of its work force into the labour market, owing to restructuring process going on in the company.
The management of the media outfit, believed to be owned by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Friday delivered the bombshell to the members of staff after a general meeting with the company’s staff in Lagos.
The affected staff, it was learnt, includes outstation reporters across the 36 state of the federation, as the company had bureau offices in virtually all the states in Nigeria.
The outstation workforce were said to be among those that were in the Friday meeting as some of them reportedly arrived the Lagos headquarters on Thursday, only for them to be given the bombshell on Friday.
A top official of the organisation, who disclosed the information insisted that the restructuring was long overdue, lamenting that the company was paying a staggering N200 million every month as wages and salary.
A visit to the area by our correspondent showed an unusual presence of policemen, who were believed to be hanging around the vicinity on the orders of the company’s management for fear of a backlash from the sack action.
Meanwhile, the Human Resources Manager of the company, simply called ‘Stella’, declined comment, saying that she was not in a position to speak for the company. She then referred our correspondent to the Public Relations Manager for official reaction.
TVC is one of the largest broadcast stations in the country with outreach across the globe.

Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has called on industries operating in the country to adopt backward integration and import substitution policy in their operations, in order to reduce cost of production and maximise profit.
Speaking during the tour and Line Commissioning of Procter and Gamble factory in Agbara, Ogun State, yesterday, the VP specifically urged them to reduce importation of raw materials and locally source them.
He challenged the business community to key into the plans of the government by introducing a huge portion of the local content in their production as this will guarantee their viability and security in their host communities.
Osinbajo, who commended the company’s efforts in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility, especially on their safety water initiative and hygiene, appealed to them to do more as they are expected to invest in the development of the community they operate.
Earlier in his speech, Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun revealed that Ogun State has attracted the largest Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria, noting that this is a testimonial of the ease of doing business in the state.
Restating that the state government would fix the Atan-Lusada- Agbara road, he asked the companies in the axis to invest part of their profit on the project.
Amosun also reiterated the call by Osinbajo on companies operating in the state to source their raw materials locally, in order to reduce production cost and maximise profit.
He assured that his administration would continue to create conducive environment for businesses to strive, advising the industries to collaborate with the state government in the development of the model schools, vocational and technical colleges and invest in the training of young people, so as to produce employable workforce for investors in the state.
In his welcome address, Managing Director of Procter and Gamble, Mr. George Nassar appreciated the efforts of the Federal Government and Ogun State in particular, for their efforts in the ease of doing business in the country.

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday called for an upward review of salaries of traditional rulers in the state.
The House made the call in its resolution after adopting a motion for “the Upward Review of Traditional Rulers’ Remuneration and the Use of Yoruba Language as a Medium of Communication at Palace and t other Public Functions.“
Mr Lanre Ogunyemi, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, had moved the motion at the day’s sitting.
The House called on Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs to actualise the increase of salaries of Obas and Baales in the state.
The lawmakers said the step had become necessary with a view to enhancing the performance of their traditional responsibilities in their various domains.
They also directed the ministry, as a matter of urgency, to look into the alarming rate at which new stools of Obas were being created, and ensure that the process of upgrading the Baales to the status of Obas was strictly adhered to in the state.
The House also enjoined monarchs and Baales to always use Yoruba language as a medium of communication in their respective palaces and other public functions.
Ogunyemi, moving the motion, had described the current salaries of Obas and Baales as “embarrassing and ridiculous considering the enormous responsibilities of the traditional institution”.
He said: “This House notes the enactment of the law to provide for an approved method for the selection, appointment and recognition of Obas and Chiefs in Lagos State and for purposes incidental and supplementary to it, Volume 8, Ch.02 of the laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“The House notes that the institution of traditional ruler is an enduring part of our heritage that plays a critical role in the preservation of culture and tradition.
“It also notes that the stipend being paid to the traditional rulers as salaries, despite the enormous challenges in administration at the grassroots, could cause distraction in the performance of their traditional responsibilities in their various domains.
“This House observes that if traditional rulers are encouraged to perform their statutory roles, their wealth of experience would fast track the desired change in their various communities and add values to governance.”
The lawmaker also decried the use of English language to conduct most of the palace ceremonies and programmes instead of mother tongue.
He expressed worry over the discretionary process of upgrading Baales and Obaship positions in recent times, saying that such development would degrade the esteemed positions.
In his contribution, Mr Tunde Braimoh,the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, called on the traditional institutions to support the efforts of the government on security.
The Deputy Speaker, Mr Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni,a, also urged the House to include the White Cap Chiefs in the arrangements saying Lagos Island does not operate with Baales.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other assemblymen took turns to support the motion before it was passed by the House as its resolution through a voice vote conducted by the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa.
Obasa described the current salaries of the traditional rulers as shameful, saying it was important for the government to increase it.
He said that there was a need to sanitise the creation of new stools and upgrading of Obas, while the government should always screen anyone before assuming such position.
The House adjourned its plenary session until June 5.

Foremost African financial institution, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, is leading the future of digital banking with the launch of GTWorld, a mobile banking app that is designed to cater to all that’s important to customers easily and seamlessly.

Built on the back of the bank’s customer-centric digital strategy, GTWorld (available for download from the Google Playstore for Android phones and the Apple App Store for iPhones) features biometric authentication such as facial recognition and fingerprint, which recognizes a customer and adapts to how and when they want to bank.

The Mobile banking app also features a seamless switch to GAPS-Lite, the online banking platform for small businesses which offers a flexible and secure channel to make payments and collections anywhere in the world.

With the rapid growth of Smartphone penetration in Nigeria, there has been a steady increase in the adoption of mobile banking solutions.

Smartphone users are however very conscious about the security and efficiency and convenience of such applications and on those three fronts, the GTWorld app excels remarkably.

The mobile banking App offers customers access to more than 90 per cent of the Bank’s services on their Smartphones, guarantees further security through biometric authentication and ensures convenience through the Quick feature, which enables a user to perform transactions without signing in, among others.
GTWorld empowers customers, like never before, to make payments and access in-branch services swiftly and seamlessly, without going to a branch.

Some of the App’s many innovative features include sending money to people using their mobile phone numbers, withdrawing from an ATM without a debit card, and conducting self-transfers without having to login the App, amongst several others.

When switched to GAPS-Lite, the app offers small business owners access to real-time monitoring of all transactions and the ability to make bulk and single transfers on the go to any account in the world.
Commenting on the launch of GTWorld App, Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, stated: “We are delighted to be at the forefront of digital banking solutions that are making banking faster, easier and safer for our customers. The simplicity of GTWorld and innovations such as facial recognition and fingerprint also ensure that our customers enjoy a seamless experience, anywhere, anytime and anyhow that they choose to bank.
“GTWorld also reflects our commitment to driving digital banking solutions that not only enable our customers to make financial transactions, but also position us at the centre of an ecosystem that offers them benefits beyond banking.”
GTBank has consistently played a leading role in Africa’s banking industry.

The GTBank brand is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service, quality and innovation.

A Cameroonian Roman Catholic Bishop has reportedly committed suicide under a bridge near the nation’s capital, Yaoundé.
A report by Cameroon Concord News says Bishop Jean-Marie Balla reportedly killed himself under a bridge at Ebebda some 78Km from the nation’s capital Yaoundé.
The prelate’s car and a statement left by him saying “I am in the water” suggest that the Roman Catholic Bishop of Bafia would have committed suicide. Bishop Jean Marie Benoît Bala was appointed Bishop of the Bafia diocese with a Christian population of over two hundred thousand in 2003.
Jean Marie Benoît Balla was born May 1959 in Oweng Mbalmayo. He is originally from Mbankomo in the Mefou-Akono Division (Central Province). In addition to studies in philosophy and theology at the Major Seminary at Nkolbisson, he holds a diploma in Social Sciences and Management from the Catholic Institute of Yaoundé. He was ordained priest in 1987 by the late Arch Bishop Jean Zoa.
The vehicle of the Bishop of Bafia was found on the 31st of May 2017 beside a bridge at Ebebda, a small locality in the department of Lekié, Central region. According to the Senior Divisional Officer for Mban and Inoubou, Maurice Tchoffo, it is difficult at the moment to know what really happened to the Man of God. Indeed, the prelate’s personal documents were found in his vehicle, as well as a piece of paper containing the inscription “I am in the water” suggesting that he had indeed committed suicide. Bishop Benoît Balla, 58, to many around the world has committed sacrilege that will hunt the Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon forever.
The recovery of our nation from the ruling CPDM crime syndicate, if it is to happen, will require confident and reasonably clean religious leaders not priests who can’t keep their hands off teenage girls or other men’s wives, or whose bishops are unable or unwilling to deal with them. The sudden disappearance of Bishop Balla is an indication that our secular leaders have abandoned the outer defenses of our nation and civilization. Bishop Benoit Balla is among those Cameroonian priests who likely failed in the last stand at the inner defenses and was tolerated by the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy for too long.
It is hard to say at this point but the death by suicide of His Lordship Bishop Balla has stunned many people around the world. He is the first Cameroonian Roman Catholic Bishop to take his own life. Cameroonians are understandably shocked by the particular circumstances of the tragedy. But when the dust settles around the death of Bishop Balla, and his brother- Francophone Cameroun bishops and parishioners begin to pick up the pieces, it’s vital that some good can be brought out of this tragedy. We of Cameroon Intelligence Report believe and fervently too that there is a danger that when the shock dies down, we all get back to business as usual and there is no discussion about the wider questions.
We need to talk about the Cameroonian Roman Catholic Bishops and priests be they Anglophones or Francophones. This is not the suicide of one Christian whose wife dumped him for a pastor which would be statistically irrelevant. It is not even the suicide of two or three Anglophone priests which may find more correlation with the seven months old Southern Cameroon crisis. We are talking here about the suicide of a Roman Catholic Bishop in Cameroon in very shameful and disgusting circumstances.
A core Roman Catholic teaching which often emphasizes the rewards that come with good works or the punishment that comes with sin has been rubbished by Bishop Balla of the Bafia Diocese. So, God’s grace cannot be earned through good deeds if a Bishop who understands the Roman Catholic strictness of the teachings on suicide and how those teachings become internalized among Catholics could afford to end this way.
The end of Bishop Balla has also called into question the act of regularly confessing sins to a Catholic priest. It was generally thought that since suicide is the only sin that could never be confessed to a priest, a Catholic who finds confession important to avoiding Hell may be less inclined to commit suicide. (We will come back to this aspect later).
Roman Catholic teaching on suicide is clear. As set out in Blessed John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae (#66): Suicide is always as morally objectionable as murder. The Church’s tradition has always rejected it as a gravely evil choice. Even though a certain psychological, cultural and social conditioning may induce a person to carry out an action which so radically contradicts the innate inclination to life, thus lessening or removing subjective responsibility, suicide, when viewed objectively, is a gravely immoral act. In fact, it involves the rejection of love of self and the renunciation of the obligation of justice and charity towards one’s neighbour, towards the communities to which one belongs, and towards society as a whole. In its deepest reality, suicide represents a rejection of God’s absolute sovereignty over life and death, as proclaimed in the prayer of the ancient sage of Israel: “You have power over life and death; you lead men down to the gates of Hades and back again” (Wis 16:13; cf. Tob 13:2).
Suicide is indeed a mortal sin. If it be not only ‘as morally objectionable as murder’, but ‘always’ so, it is difficult to understand how it might be forgiven before the Throne of Judgment. It is right to say that Bishop Balla of the Bafia Diocese who committed suicide may not possess an informed intellect (ie know that suicide is wrong); and he may not have given full consent of the will (ie intended to commit the action). If he killed himself out of fear or psychological imbalance or emotional stress, there cannot be full consent since these impede the exercise of the will and mitigate responsibility. The Catechism states: ‘Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide’ (#2282).
But in this Bishop Balla suicide there is something which ought to alarm the Roman Catholic Church at the very highest level-the strong ties between the Francophone Roman Catholic Bishops and the barons of the ruling CPDM government.
All suicide is tragedy. So, yes, we need to talk about Bishop Balla. But let us not do so apart from institutional systems, outdated dogma and overbearing hierarchy. The suicide may as well be an act staged by hired security agents from the state or from abroad.

Bolanle Ambode, wife of the governor of Lagos State has urged women to embrace skill acquisition by applying to any of the skill acquisition centres provided by the State government for their economic and personal empowerment.
She made the remarks at the commissioning of Funmilayo Mobolaji Johnson Skill Acquisition Centre, in Ajah, a suburb of Lagos, donated by two firms, Huawei Technologies Limited and Fortis Project Services.
She noted that the Akinwunmi Ambode administration was committed to ensuring that residents are gainfully employed, stressing that, this can be achieved through direct employment or skill acquisition.
She explained that it is no longer fashionable for women to be idle and expect the husband to bankroll the family expenses, stressing that, having something to contribute to home upkeep will go a long way in lifting the family.
“It is not advisable that ladies and women should live entirely on the income of their husbands. It is always helpful that the woman has something to contribute to the upkeep of the home. It also puts her in a respectable position in the family,” she said at the commissioning.
Mrs Ambode 2She added that “Lagos State has no less than seventeen skill acquisition centres, located around the State, for the purpose of training people, especially women, ladies, widows and school drop-outs in various skills like leather works, computer studies, bead and hat-making etc”.
She lauded Fortis Project Services and Huawei Technologies Limited for building the centre, which according to her, had brought great empowerment opportunities closer to the people.
Also speaking at the launch, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Lola Akande, commended the companies for their corporate social responsibility initiative, noting that, the gesture would go a long way in reducing unemployment among women in the State.
Managing Director of Fortis Project Services, Mr. Richard Adebayo and his Huawei Technologies counterpart, Mr. Leo Li, noted that the building of the skill centre, was motivated by their firm’s passion, to improve the welfare of the ordinary people in the State.
Also speaking at the event was the Chinese Consul-General in Nigeria, Mr. Lao Xiao, described Lagos as the pearl of West Africa, adding that Nigeria and China will always remain strategic partners for mutually beneficial economic relations.

No fewer than 500 pupils participated in the Heritage Bank Plc-GTA Communications Limited Children Day Celebrations organised for 20 primary and secondary schools in different parts of Lagos State over the weekend.
Apart from the exited pupils and students who trooped out to participate in the celebrations, the event, held at Ronnie Event Centre at the Agege, also had in attendance parents, teachers, proprietors and proprietresses of the schools that took part.
In her remarks at the event, Chinenyenwa Ozoemena, Financial Literacy Analyst, Heritage Bank said as a timeless wealth partner in Nigeria, Heritage Bank considered the platform as a veritable one through which it could educate the participants about financial literacy.
Ozoemena explained that the importance of financial literacy cannot be overemphasised as it is essential to the young and the old. She said even the children present needed basic knowledge about activities of banks in the country.
She therefore, engaged the pupils and students with questions that bother on Financial Literacy in order to arouse their curiosity. Among the questions asked are: If you have N20, what will you do with it; what do people do in a bank; Name two types of bank account you know; and what is the name of Nigeria’s currency?
Besides, Ozoemena explained that Heritage Bank would be happy to partner with the schools represented at the occasion. She said: “We are here to partner with you and with your business. Heritage Bank has various banking solutions that can be deployed to grow your business even beyond your imagination. We do what is called business advising.”
According to her, record keeping is essential to the growth of any business adding that Heritage Bank has an enviable record keeping system that can effectively back up their businesses wherever it may be situated in the country.
For the children, who would like to be successful entrepreneurs, Ozoemena disclosed that Heritage Bank has specific banking solutions that are meant to nurture them to maturity.
In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Gbemisola Abdul-Olatunbosun, CEO, GTA Communications; commended Heritage Bank and the schools represented at the event. She expressed optimism that the financial literacy experience that the children would gain would surely add value to them and also help to shape their understanding about life.
Although, GTA Communications has been organising Children Day celebrations since five years now, Abdul-Olatunbosun said with the Heritage Bank’s involvement this year, the content is more enriched. With that, she stated, the participants would benefit more.
Among the pupils whose presence was visible at the event is Ossai Samuel, a JSS2 pupil from Bishop Kola Onaolapo Memorial College who played saxophone to entertain the audience.

Calcium fortified Loya Milk; a premium brand from the stables of Promasidor Nigeria Limited last Saturday, held the second edition of the ‘Loya Swim Meet,’ a swimming competition for Secondary School students in Nigeria.

The Loya Swim Meet is part of Promasidor’s efforts at promoting and enhancing talents in swimming among children.

A total of 17 secondary schools participated in the competition which was held at the Grange School at Harold Shodipo Crescent, Ikeja, where cash prizes of over One Million Naira and other consolation prizes were won.

Schools that participated in the “Loya Swim Meet” competition include Grange School; Straitgate College; The Bells Comprehensive School; Greenville School; Grace High School; Halifield Schools; Honeyland College; Queensland Academy; Avicenna International School; Chrisland Schools; and Supreme Educational Foundation School.

Others include Children’s International School; Lagos Preparatory School; Juiliard Academy; Corona Secondary School; Greensprings School; and Emerald High School.

Grange School outshined other 16 secondary schools by clinching the first position with cash prizes of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira in the 25 metres freestyle; 50 metres freestyle as well as the 100 metres freestyle relays in the boys and girls categories.

Loya Milk which is fortified with 50 percent more calcium believes in the development of children and this can be achieved not only by providing the best nutrition in the brand but also by identifying with a sport that fosters this promise, Abiodun Ayodeji, Category Manager, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, said at the event.

It was an evening of uncontrollable excitement and boisterousness as seasoned on-air personality and actor Yaw delivered the 9th edition of his annual stage play series titled ‘Apere’, held on 28 May, 2017 at Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
‘Apere’ which starred Yaw and legendary singer Sound Sultan as main characters saw the duo enwrapped in several situations which practically mirrored most of the problems we encounter in today’s society, including social media, corruption, reprehensible economic state, polygamy and more.
Directed by Ife Salako, the play depicted every scene in a manner which held deep and thought-provoking meanings to them, making it an entirely intriguing experience.
‘Apere’ is a direct follow-up to Yaw’s previous edition of his stageplay series ‘Shalanga’ and has further asserted the importance of enlightening the society through entertainment.
Yaw’s stageplay series have become one of today’s most pivotal annual events as each edition not only entertains attendees but also serve as an eye-opener to myriad of issues.
A large number of eminent guests which included A-list actors, comedians, artists and dignitaries bore witness to the remarkable night, including Saheed Balogun, Major Al Mustafa, Alibaba, Mary Akpobome, Tiwa Savage, Tuface, 9ice, Illbliss, Humble Smith, Duncan Mighty, Wale Turner, Kenny Blaq, Funny Bone, Ambassador Wahala and several more.

ONWUASOANYA FCC JONES


As Nigeria celebrates eighteen years of uninterrupted democratic governance, it is apposite for media organizations across the nation to carry out their assessment on the performances of public officials across the different levels of government in the country. As the fourth realm of the estate, one naturally expects the different news media that attempted an analysis of the activities of the State governments across the country to be fair and factual. Reports of this nature are not supposed to be compiled in a hurry. Time, energy and even huge finances should be invested to ensure that adequate investigations are carried out before going to press, to ensure that the people are not fed with cheap lies on how they are governed. For instance, no news medium can truly compile a report on the expectations and results of governance from any State without taking time to assess what the incumbent government met on the ground and how much improvement or otherwise that government has made on what it met on the ground.

In Imo State, one would be being insincere in carrying out any reasonable analysis on the achievements of the Owelle Rochas Okorocha administration, if the writer does not try to present to the reading public, what was met on the ground by this administration and how the government has tried to improve on them or otherwise. Leadership is really about improving on what was met on the ground and not about making all things perfect, for if all things become perfect, there will be no need to continue seeking new leadership. It will be unfair to rate a Chief Executive Officer who took over the reins in a firm at the time it was bankrupt the same way with another Chief Executive Officer who took over a highly solvent firm. This is because if the returns of the former is, say, ten billion Dollars, it is far higher than the returns of the latter, even if it is seventy billion Dollars. This is because, while one chief executive officer has got something to work with from start, the other had to start afresh to build the firm. Lagos State for instance has enjoyed very smooth transitions and continuity unlike any other State in Nigeria. Fortunately, too for Lagos State, it has been blessed with leaders who are passionate about the development and growth of the State for the past eighteen years of the current democracy.

The situation is very different from what is obtainable in Imo. Any truthful observer of politics and governance who experienced Imo before 2011 and is a witness to the Imo of today will tell you that any governance watch that does not rate Okorocha distinctively in every indices of governance is either mischievous or outright insincere. For Imo, everything may not have been fully gotten right, but the people have truly experienced good and responsible governance the way they have never done in the past. In this essay, I shall attempt to do a brief sectorial analysis of what was obtainable in Imo before 2011 and what is presently obtainable, with a challenge to anyone out there, to logically and factually prove me wrong. Imo was like a bankrupt firm with very disillusioned staff as at 2011, before the present administration came on board.

HUMAN RIGHTS: Before 2011, Imo was always in the news for the wrong stories, especially as it concerns the non-tolerance of opposing political views against the administration that held sway at that time. We had to contend with a situation where a sitting governor allegedly ordered an activist to be brought to his office and he personally whipped the activist till his skn tore. We also had other pathetic and shameful stories about how activists were humiliated, threatened and in some cases attempts were made on their lives, for criticizing the State administration. Today, the executive of Governor of Imo State has opened up the space so much that some people are wondering if he is truly a Nigerian politician. Owelle Rochas Okorocha has never ordered anyone to be arrested as a result of what he or she wrote or said against his administration, rather he continually listens to voices from the opposition and looks for ways to improve on his policies and programs, as he believes that is the best way to attack those who do not believe in his style of leadership. Through this method, the governor has been able to win over some of the most virulent critics of his administration, including Yours Sincerely. Today, critics of the incumbent administration do not need to go into hiding or make any special arrangement for their security as their safety is guaranteed. Conversely, it is the promoters of the government policies that are regularly exposed to dangers, as some leaders of the opposition have a very low threshold for criticism and do not waste time in plotting against those who shred their lies against the government.

EDUCATION: Even the most bitter hater of governor Okorocha will not deny the fact that he is passionate investor in qualitative and affordable education long before he delved into politics. Before the coming of the Rescue Mission administration in 2011, Imo schools were mostly dilapidated, teachers were in very scarce supply, while Imo children from Primary School up till university level had to pay one extortive fee or another before they could go to school. School furniture, books, stationaries were in very poor supply, while teachers and university lecturers were always at daggers drawn with the State government. From 2007 till 2011, Imo State University was closed for a combined period of about two years as a result of industrial unrest necessitated by the carefree attitude of the administration that held sway, then. The Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo was just a structure where nothing really went on, as staff were neglected and even insulted, students were paying through their noses, yet, the infrastructure was an eyesore. Today, free and qualitative education are realities at all levels of schooling in Imo more than four thousand teachers have so far been employed in the primary and secondary school system, more than five hundred new classroom blocks have been completely built, Imo State University, Owerri has seen more than thirty new structures built in the last six years, a brand new four storey Senate building has replaced the dilapidated matchbox that the Rescue Mission administration inherited, the university staff are regularly paid and allowed the opportunity to access necessary funds for overseas training, research grants and further educational pursuits for those who need them are also made available. The multi-campus idea of the university has been made a reality as the Imo State University Engineering faculty campus in Umuna and the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine campus in Ngor-Okpala/Mbaise have reached 90% completion stage. Students do not pay school fees, as against the average of 150,000 Naira school fees paid by most State owned universities in the country. A brand new State University has also been delivered, the Eastern Palm University, Ogboko in Ideeato North has been delivered and academic activities are set to resume this September. A new College of Education has also been delivered in Ihitte-uboma. The Imo State College of Education, Ihitte-Uboma is set to commence its degree and NCE programs this October as everything has been put in place for that, while the regulatory body, the National Commission for Colleges of Education has given its nod for academic activities to immediately commence. Other post-secondary educational institutions like the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, have been remodeled and modernized with capable management, non-teaching and teaching staff recruited.

SECURITY: As at 2011, Imo was at the mercy of armed robbers, kidnappers, and all other forms of hooligans. There were several cases of Rambo like armed robberies, including bank broad day light bank robberies that lasted hours, even very close to the Police Area Command Headquarters. The local vigilante service was unorganized and some of them turned themselves to terrors to the people they are supposed to protect. Notable Imolites avoided visiting home because they were not sure of their safety. On assuming office in 2011, His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha ensured that the Police were well equipped to combat crime. He set up a community policing program that ensured that the police were provided with enough vehicles to patrol localities that were deemed inaccessible before now. He also reformed the local security setup or vigilante services, by retraining a good number of them and recruiting able bodied young men and women who were trained by some of the best security experts, drawn among retired security personnel, spy masters and military men. He berthed the Imo Security Network, Imo Community Watch and other local spy groups that were charged with the responsibility of providing information to the Police on any threat to the breach of peace in the localities they are covering. This has ensured an unprecedented improvement in the area of security of lives and property and given Imolites a new sense of hope and confidence. Today, Imo State is records the highest level of social activities during weekends and its nightlife is second to none, especially within the Southeast and South-South.

POVERTY REDUCTION AND WEALTH CREATION: Before the coming of the Rescue Mission administration, opportunities were scarce for the children of the poor and those who didn’t have high level contacts with those in power were systematically handicapped. There was so much class consciousness and only people who held political offices or those who knew those who were in political offices could afford the good life. There were very few opportunities for job seekers, as insecurity scared potential investors away from the State. There was also minimal activity in the building and construction industry, as there was little money in circulation within the State and those who would have repatriated money from outside the State were not guaranteed of their security, hence, there was a drain of capital, thereby prompting a drain of opportunities for young people. With the coming of the Rescue Mission administration, activities picked up seriously in the building construction industry, with the State government embarking on and having completed more than 30,000 public buildings in the last six years. This no doubt, provided opportunities for artisans and even unskilled manual labourers to make some good income. There are thousands of young men and women who can boast of having been fully empowered as a result of their direct involvements in several construction sites going on across the State. It can be argued that the Okorocha administration has created the highest number of new millionaires than all the administrations that preceded it. More than 1,000 new hotels and scores of other small scale industries have been built since 2011 by private investors and this is as a result of the security and business friendly policies of the Rescue Mission government. These new industries have employed more than 100,000 Imo citizens who were previously unemployed.

PRO-POOR POLICIES: Imo had a governor who openly stated that education was not for the poor and his wife allegedly declared before a bemused and depressed Imolites that Owerri capital city was not for non-millionaires. Imo people had yearned for a State where people would not be condemned, insulted and abused because of their economic status and that contributed immensely to their leading a mass revolution that brought Okorocha to power. Apart from the free education program, which ensures that the children of the poorest of the poor do not just go to school, but also get the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with children of the wealthiest in the State and pursue their dreams no matter how tall, the Okorocha administration has ensured that basic amenities are made available for the poor, as well as the rich. Through the Imo Foundation, the government provides free health care to poor citizens who may not afford such healthcare. This Imo Foundation has seen very poor citizens flown abroad for medical treatment. Cancer patients can access palliative treatments in the Imo Foundation Hospital, free of charge. At the Ochiedike Diagnostic and Dialysis Center, some of the best medical examinations are carried out at highly subsidized charges. Seed money have been provided for our women who are into petty trading, while youths with good business ideas who lack the necessary capital to set up their businesses have been assisted with seed monies running into millions of Naira to start up their businesses. This policy holds the potential of making Imo State an industrial hub in the nearest future, especially if these youths put these monies into good use.

INFRASTRUCTURE: Before 2011, most roads in Imo were death traps. There was not a single four lane road anywhere in Imo State. The only attempt made at creating two lane roads were the less than one kilometer Orji and Egbu road. The immediate past administration only put a demarcation on the roads, without doing much work on the roads. Owerri was every commuter’s nightmare whenever a little drop of rain fell. Government offices were no better than kiosks and the Imo State government house was an apology of what a seat of power should be. Schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure were sorry sights. From 2011, Owelle Rochas Okorocha embarked on audacious infrastructural revolution that got some of us doubting the possibility of completing even ten percent of the projects. Today, there are eight lane roads in Okigwe road, Owerri, Egbu-Mbaise road, Owerri, Owerri-Orlu road, Owerri, Owerri-Aba road, Owerri. In Orlu and Okigwe, brand new roads have been completed. New satellite cities have been commenced in Anara, Akokwa, Nwaorieubi, Amaraku and other strategic towns in the State. Markets have been modernized, while brand new markets have been built. The now popular Malaysian Market in Obowo LGA of the State was non-existent before the Rescue Mission administration came on board, but today the market is bubbling and customers come from both Abia State and other neighbouring States to buy things from the market. There is a brand new industrial cluster along Aba road, the Naze Building Materials Market has been remodeled and given a breath of life, it is now one of the busiest markets in the Southeast. A new Owerri International Market is being rapidly constructed. There is a brand new electrical electronics market in Orlu. Almost every autonomous community in the State has got its local market remodeled. It will actually be impossible for anyone to completely record the massive interventions made by the Okorocha administration in Imo State infrastructure.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: Apart from making opportunities available to the youths through the deliberate opening up of the economy to accommodate them and help them attain their goals in life, the Rescue Mission administration has systematically pursued social programs and policies that benefit the youths and the vulnerable. Through the office of the First Lady, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, the governor has built skill acquisition centers across the 27 LGAs of the State and this has seen thousands of youths equipped with lucrative skills that will help them escape the grip of poverty. Also, soft loans had been given to youths across the State who are interested in going into agriculture to pursue that line of business.

Nneoma Anosike, Nigerian model based in the United States of America, has filed an action against Wema Bank Plc before a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court for allegedly using her photos for commercial purposes without authorization.

Anosike, 22, sued the bank through her father, Frank Anosike, who doubles as her lawyer, claiming N97 million as damages.

According to the plaintiff, the bank on April 11, 2016, used her photo for a commercial on social network platform, Instagram, without her consent or authorization from Ford Models Inc, her American management company.

Among her prayers, the plaintiff is seeking an order directing the defendant to pay N75 million for allegedly passing off her services.

She is also seeking an injunction restraining the defendant from passing off or causing others to pass off her professional services and a declaration that she is entitled to her privacy of her correspondence under Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution.

The plaintiff is also seeking an order directing the bank to pay her N20 million for the breach of her privacy by advertising her private correspondence; an order to publish a written apology in two national dailies in Nigeria and in the U.S.; and N2 million as cost of filing the suit.

According to the statement of claims attached to the suit, the plaintiff claimed that she is a reputable international model who had won many laurels within and outside the country, including the ‘Elite Model Look’ 2013 in Nigeria.

Anosike said based on her reputation, Pepsi-Cola Nigeria made her its brand ambassador for Aquafina water.

The plaintiff further averred that her contract with Ford Models Inc took her to the U.S. and that prior to the defendant’s advert of her, she was in negotiations with the company for a renewal of her contract.

But on April 11 last year, according to Anosike, the management of Ford Models summoned her to a meeting on April 12 wherein she was presented with her photo advert procured from the Instagram account of the defendant.

She alleged that the defendant mutilated and edited her professional photo for the said advert uploaded on the internet, adding that based on that action, her contract renewal with the American company has been jeopardized.

But in its statement of defence, Wema Bank Plc averred that the bank was not a party to the alleged modelling contract between the plaintiff and the American company and was not privy to it.

The bank also stated that the photo in question was sourced from social media for its weekly online motivational and educational series, intended to inspire going online users.

The bank denied using the plaintiff’s photo for any advertisement purposes or for any commercial gain but for purely free educational purpose under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Justice Ibrahim Buba adjourned the matter till June 15 for further hearing.

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, says Senator Dino Melaye and others asking him to resign are jokers.

Top members of All Progressives Congress (APC), in Kogi had asked Bello to resign over accusation that he engaged in double voter registration.

Dino Melaye, who led other APC members, at a news briefing in Abuja on Friday dissociated the party and people of Kogi State from the governor’s “criminal behaviour”.

Firing back, Bello through his Director General on Media, Kingsley Fanwo, called his opponents jokers, saying that the matter was overblown by opponents to score political goals.

Fanwo in a statement in Lokoja on Saturday said the governor would not resign, stressing that the “issue was straight forward enough as the Governor welcomes the decision of INEC to cancel the latter registration”.

“Resignation is completely out of the options and the Governor will continue his good work for the people of Kogi State. They and their corrupt sponsors should wait till 2019.

“The Governor will not resign. We have listened to INEC and we respect their decisions. Now is time for the Commission to fast-track the transfer of the PVC of the Governor to Kogi State from Abuja”, he stated.

Fanwo said it was unfortunate that some APC leaders had constituted themselves as opposition within the party, “simply because they have lost out in their bid to compromise the system and scam the people of Kogi State.‎”

“Ametuo has turned himself to a diaspora Chairman who doesn’t know what is happening in Kogi State. He is running from his own shadows and has joined forces with those who want to pull the APC-led government in Kogi State down.

“He and his co-travelers have not come to terms with a new Kogi State that cannot be compromised. Under Governor Yahaya Bello, it will never be business as usual,” he said.

BRIGHT EMEFIE

By every world standard, Prophet Temitope Joshua deserves more honour than he is getting, especially in his native country, Nigeria. Over the years, the highly revered man of God has become an influential universal figure going by the level of his involvement in causes that advance the lot of humanity all over the world. His recent hint about relocating abroad should be seriously looked into by the Federal Government which stands to lose billions in foreign exchange should the respected prophet relocate to Israel.
Prophet T.B. Joshua has become the singular benefactor of Nigerian deportees from Libya who usually throng his ministry for succour whenever they are dumped at the airport and left to their fate in a country blessed with oil and many other resources.
According to findings, the man of God has spent about N200 million in cash and kind towards the rehabilitation of these deportees most of who had been languishing in Libyan prisons for years. Most of the deportees who spoke to journalists recently cited unemployment as the major reason for their decision to embark on the risky journey to north Africa. According to a few of them, the number of Nigerian immigrants who have died on the Mediterranean Sea is even more than the number that come back alive. They therefore urged the Nigerian government to emulate the efforts of Joshua who never closes the doors of his ministry on them.
For the record, between Friday May 12 and Wednesday May 17, 2017, a total of 450 Nigerian deportees visited The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCAON) in Lagos where they were received and accorded love and care. According to a journalist who witnessed the event, they received the sum of N13 million with almost one thousand bags of rice. With all these charitable gestures, Prophet Joshua surely deserves more honour in Nigeria. Even though one may not rule out religious politics on the part of some envious men of God who are not happy with his prominence and achievements in both domestic and international arena, it is expedient for the government to realise that the man of God has been a shining light for Nigeria and Africa both economically and spiritually.
Lest I forget, I read with serious displeasure the response of Pastor Chris Okotie to Prophet Joshua’s plan to relocate to Israel and could not just swallow the anger that crept up in my heart. First, Okotie should know that he is not in any way equal to Prophet Joshua. He should just concentrate on his own ministry and stop antagonising the prophet. What locus does he has to pull down a clergyman like Prophet T.B. Joshua? And why does he like attacking and rubbishing the integrity of other men of God?
I have never met Prophet Joshua but I watch Emmanuel TV every other day. What impresses me about this man of God is his humility and love for all Christians and those who do not share the same religion with him. He is arguably the only Nigerian cleric who does not preach hate. Even Muslims love him on account of his impartiality in terms of extending charity to the needy. In Northern Nigeria, the name T.B. Joshua elicits feelings of nostalgia because of the wonderful works of charity God has been using him to do in the region.
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has also opined that the founder of the SCAON, must not be allowed to relocate from Nigeria.
Reacting to the report recently, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain said the prophet should not be allowed to relocate from Nigeria because he is needed now more than ever in the country.
In a series of tweets on his social media handle, Fani-Kayode wrote: “We will not allow T.B. Joshua to leave Nigeria and relocate to Israel. He is one of God’s end-time generals. We need him now more than ever.
“It is almost over. The beast is dying. The flesh is rotting. The vultures are gathering. Yet even in death he revels in wickedness. Fear God!”
Finally, I will like to use this medium to appeal to the Nigerian government to consider honouring Prophet Joshua with a national honour. He deserves even more than that. There is hardly any man of God in Africa that has attracted global attention like the Arigidi-Akoko-born cleric who has continued to pay more charitable attention on others and less on himself. It is not for nothing that YouTube recently gave an award to Emmanuel TV as the most viewed Christian network, and most visited site in the world.

*Emefie, a social crusader, writes from Lagos, Email: bemefie@gmail.com, Tel: 08067420329

Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, popularly known as D’banj, has welcomed his first child.

D’banj is married to Lineo Didi Kilgrow.

They tied the know in a secret ceremony in July 2016, which took place in Lagos and Abuja.

The 37-year-old musician and entrepreneur confirmed the arrival of the baby on his instagram page.

“#KingDonCome The christening of@danieldthird”, he wrote.

D’banj is the founder of Koko Foundation for Youth and Peace Development.

He is also Nigeria’s first United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace. Dbanj is a ONE campaign ambassador.