Afenifere insists on convocation of Sovereign National Conference SNC

AFENIFERE, the Socio-Political group yesterday reviewed the myriad of Problem threatening the cooperate existence of the Country and reiterated its call for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference SNC.

Rising from a meeting held in the residence of its National Leader Chief Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the group called on President Goodluck Jonathan to as a matter of urgency put machinery in place to convoke the SNC.

Reading the communique after the over four hours meeting its Publicity Secretary Yinka Odumakin said in Akure that so many ugly incidences are overheating the politik.

Odumakin said the rampaging activities of the dreaded Boko Haram and the drum beat of war by ethnics groups calls for urgent address via the convocation of the SNC.

He allay fears that all political structures would be dismattled by the convocation of the SNC but rather that the voice of Nigerians would matter in the running of the affairs of the Country.

Odumakin who lauded both President Jonathan and the Senate President David Mark for not objecting to the idea of convoking the SNC however appealed to others who are expressing fears that they would loose out to consider the interest of the country and not their selfish interest.

” To avoid the ship of this Country, we have no other option than to convoke SNC. The tension in this Country is heightened, the politik is been overheated and the warning signal is too glaring.

Speaking on ASUU strike, Afenifere appealed to the lecturers and the government to resolve their disagreement so as not to further jeopardize the future of the students.

The socio political group expressed concern over political intolerance in some States in the South West where opponents are intimidated by govern$ent in power.

It appealed to political actors to stop the use of thugs to intimidate their opponents ahead of the next election.

The group asked the Police to remain neutral in discharging its constitutional role and stopped been used as Political thugs.

On the re election of President Jonathan, Afenifere said the nation’s constitution allows him to recontest if he so wishes.

” Our group is not against anyone contesting or not contesting. Let the electorate decide the fate of any politician seeking political Office.

“Nigerians should stop overheating the politik, create divisions. If care is not taken this can creat division and before you know it a politician would not be allowed to campaign in one areas of the country while another will be allowed.

” Let Nigerians decide who they want through their votes. Afenifere is not against anybody contesting or not contesting. The Nigerian constitution guarantees any Nigerian to seek for any Political office.

Present at the meeting include Chief Olu Falae, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Supo Sonibare, Jimi Agbaje, Iyiola Omisore,Segun Ojo, Kole Omotosho, Akinyemi Onigbinde, Sehinde Arogbofa and Korede Duyile. Amongst other Yoruba leaders across the South West. END

Trailer crushes five persons in Ibadan

IT was a pathetic sight yesterday at Eleyele in Ibadan North West Local Government area of Ibadan when an articulated lorry crushed about five persons.

One young lady was crushed beyond recognition while four other persons sustained serious injuries. The accident happened around 12:25pm some metres away from Eleyele roundabout.

The truck which was marked XA 178 BDG loaded more than one hundred bags of cement and was coming from Dugbe end before the accident happened.

When the driver, who looked like a 23 year old man could not control the truck, it ran into an 18-seater commercial bus, some motorcyclists and other passersby.

After crushing the victims, it headed to another story building by the road side. But the locked iron gate of the house prevented it from going inside the building.

The remains of the young lady whose passports and other personal effects scattered on the road were left as people who could not withstand the gory sight ran helter skelter.

After a distress call to the Oyo State Mobile ambulance, it came and took the injured ones to the hospital. Though, the two drivers tried to escape, the people in the area chased and got them arrested.

In a related development, another truck that loaded scores of bags of cement also ran into a Church, Save and Serve, Eleyele just some close distance to the spot of the other accident.

An eyewitness said the truck was trying to ascend a hill when its brake developed faults, turned back and broke the fence of the Church. But, there was no reported casualty.

Residents in the area complained that  trucks always have accident on daily basis because they carry more than the capacity of the truck.

Policemen were at the scene controlling vehicular movements to prevent traffic snarl.

Babafemi, 33 appears in U.S. court for providing support to Al Qaeda

New York – A Nigerian, Lawal Babafemi, was on Friday arraigned  in a U.S. Federal Court, Brooklyn, on charges of providing material support to al Qaeda and criminal use of firearms.

Babafemi, 33, also known as “Ayatollah Mustapha’’, was arraigned on a four-count charge of indictment, conspiracy, providing material support to AQAP, and use of firearms.

He allegedly provided the support to the group in the Arabian Peninsula, the terrorist organisation’s Yemen-based affiliate.

A local media stated that between January 2010 and August 2011, Babafemi travelled twice from Nigeria to Yemen to train with leaders of al Qaeda, known as AQAP.

According to the media, a statement by U.S. prosecutors said that he helped AQAP’s media operations, including the publication of its magazine, called “Inspire’’.

It said that the group’s leadership, including Anwar al-Awlaki, paid Babafemi almost $9,000 to recruit English-speaking people from Nigeria,

According to prosecutors, Awlaki, a U.S. citizen born in New Mexico, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011.

Babafemi faces life in prison if convicted on firearms charges and up to 15 years in prison on the material support charges.

The media also quoted a U.S. District Judge, John Gleeson, as having ordered that Babafemi to be held without bail.

It noted that in August, a Nigerian Court granted a U.S. request for Babafemi’s extradition.

In another statement, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Loretta Lynch, said Babafemi supported al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s media, recruitment, and weapons training campaigns.

Lynch said the support was part of effort to strengthen the terrorist group’s grip on the region and extend its reach throughout the world.

“We will use every tool at our disposal to combat al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in a manner consistent with our laws,” Lynch said.

Jonathan holds media chat tomorrow

President Goodluck Jonathan will tomorrow speak on current national issues during a Presidential Media Chat to be broadcast live at 7pm, local time.

In a release by Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, said, President Jonathan will in the course of the programme, answer questions from a panel of journalists on current national issues and events, as well as policies and actions of his administration.

File photo: President Goodluck Jonathan addressing the Nation at The State House in Abuja

 
He further asked members  of the public who have questions for President to respond to on the programme to send via Twitter to @mediachatng1. 

According to Abati, the  programme will be broadcast live on the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Voice of Nigeria (VON).

What are your expectations on the President’s chat? What are your questions? 

Lamido blames ASUU’s strike on lack of trust

Dutse – Gov. Sule Lamido of Jigawa on Saturday appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the ongoing strike in the interest of the students.

Lamido made the appeal when he received a delegation from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Dutse.

He said it was unfortunate that the industrial action was still on almost three months since it began.

The governor blamed the protracted strike on lack of trust between the Federal Government and ASUU.

“It is really unfortunate that the strike has lasted up until this time. There is no trust between the two bodies and when there is no trust it will be difficult to have a common ground.

“As a parent, I am so worried seeing our children that supposed to be in school at home.

“I am appealing to ASUU to go back to the classroom while the negotiation with the government continues,” he said.

Lamido, however, pleaded with the Federal Government to continue to dialogue with the union, even after the strike had been called off.

He said this would enable the two parties to sort out the gray areas in the dispute, adding that ASUU and the Federal Government should approach the dialogue with sincerity.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr Ahmed Jibril, appealed to Lamido to intervene to end the lingering industrial action.

Jibril, who is the Vice President National Affairs, NANS, said that it was unfortunate for students to be allowed to stay at home for more than three months as a result of the strike.

According to him, parents and students are left to bear the consequences of the strike.

He told Lamido that they were in the state on tour of education facilities.

Flood claims two school pupils in Ondo

THE three-day heavy downpour which resulted in flood in Akure, the Ondo state capital have claimed the lives of two Primary School pupils.

Police in the state said that the two boys Adebori Timilehin (5) and Olugbenga Martins(6) are cousins and   were returning from school when the flood swept them away and were drowned.

Their bodies were discovered by men of the State Fire Brigade after three days of intensive search inside the Elegbin river.

*File: Flooded community

Findings showed that they reside with their Grandmother   at No 14 Familusi street, Akure.

This is coming on the heels of Save Our Soul (SOS) by the state government to the Ecological Department of the presidency over the menace of flood across the state.

Environment Commissioner Sola Ebiseni during an inspection of the havoc wrecked by the rainfall in Ondo town said government had at various times made representations to the ecological funds department of the presidency over the funding of its environmental related projects.

Meanwhile, the Police Image Maker Wole Ogodo said that the proprietress   of Newlife   Academy, Idanre road, Akure   Mrs Bola Olufemi reported that two pupils of her school have been swept away by the flood. It was discovered that the pupils were rushing home because of the rain only to be swept away by the flood occasioned by the heavy downpour.

However the Police Image Maker said detectives are investigating the incident to know if the death of the pupils was as a result of the negligence of the school authorities.

NYA demands Marilyn Ogar’s sack

The Nigerian Youths Assembly (NYA) has asked the Federal Government to relieve the Media Director of the Department of Security Service (DSS), Mrs. Marilyn Ogar of her job or face an unusual public protest by the Nigerian Youths next week.

The demand was chief among four others marshalled out by the group as a panacea for peace.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the National Chairman of the Assembly, Comrade Nurudeen Mustapha said that Ogar goofed in her first statement to the world concerning the shooting that saw 7 persons dead.

SSS spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar

He said that such unprofessional error smacked a feeling of compromise on the part of Ogar.

Mustapha hinted that it was in the light of acceptance of these conditions at a meeting with Representatives of Federal Government from the Federal Capital Territory Administration that the Assembly deferred it planned protest on Wednesday.

He said: “these are the conditions that we have set for the government to fulfill so that the Nigerian Youths will not go to the street come next week.

”Marilyn Ogar must be sacked. We believe that her stand on the issue was compromised because immediately after the incident she said these people were Boko Haram members. The first thing she would have done was to investigate the issue. She defended those people that perpetrated the act. With that she has taken sides.

”At the same time,we want the family of the deceased to be compensated adequately and we want the government to provide the bodies of all the squatters be it dead or alive.

”There must be an Independent probe panel consisting of the National Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Activists that would ensure that the perpetrators of Apo Massacre are exposed and punished.”

”They must ensure that those that perpetrated the act are punished according to the law and there should not be any sacred cows. All that are involved be it the security agents and the owner of the building must be punished.

”We want them to ensure adequate protection of lives and property of all Nigerians and we do not want any harassment whatsoever from any security agents towards Nigerians which has been the daily tradition amongst security agents who exploit Nigerians. We want it to stop immediately and security must not be politicized henceforth.

According to the President, failure to heed the demands will prompt a massive protest by over One Million Nigerian Youth to the National Assembly in Abuja.

Photos: DavidO and his crew hang out with footballer, Samuel Eto'o

The two stars showing off their Rolex watches as they hang out in London. See more photos after the cut

Oprah Winfrey says she'll leave this earth as a 'never married' woman

Billionaire talk show legend and actress Oprah Winfrey 59, has been dating Stedman Graham, 62, since 1986. That's 27 years - longer than a lot of marriages. Oprah said in an interview recently that although she considered marriage after she attended Tina Turner's wedding in Switzerland in July, she's pretty sure she will leave the world as a woman who 'never got married'

When asked if she would leave earth as a “never-married” woman, Oprah made her feelings very clear. “Yes,” she told Access Hollywood. “Yeah, I think that’s my final answer.”

“I think that it’s interesting that you would ask it because I thought about it again at Tina Turner’s wedding. Because Tina was like, ‘Oprah, you need to do this. You need to do it.’ I was just thinking, ‘Well, OK, would things really be different?’ And no, I don’t think so. If you ever interviewed him (Stedman), he would tell you that had we married, we would not be together today, because he’s a traditional man and this is a very untraditional relationship.”

Oprah also explained that she couldn’t be a wife because the word holds responsibilities she doesn’t feel capable of handling.

French national kidnapped by Ansaru calls for “negotiations”

Nigerian Islamist group Ansaru (Ansar al-Muslimeen) on Friday released a video of a French national kidnapped in December, the SITE jihadi tracking website said.

In the video, posted online, the hostage identifies himself as 63-year-old Francis Collomp, an engineer with the French firm Vergnet, who was “kidnapped in Rimi in Katsina state on 19 December 2012 till today, 25 September 2013.”

This image taken from a video released by the SITE Intelligence Group shows French enginner Francis Collomp, who is being held hostage by the Nigeria-based Ansar al-Muslimeen. Photo AFP

The hostage appears wearing a white t-shirt, with an unidentified person holding a weapon in the background.

If authentic, it would be the first video of Collomp to emerge since his abduction.

Parts of the short statement are not clear, but he can be heard calling for “negotiations” for his “safe release.”

In the latter half of the three-minute video, the camera focuses on an Arabic statement that addresses “the government(s) of France and Nigeria,” according to the translation provided by SITE.

While there is no direct threat of further attacks, or on Collomp’s life, the statement vows to treat “treachery and treason” by the French or Nigerian governments with “reciprocity.”

France’s foreign ministry told AFP it was trying to authenticate the video and was in contact with Collomp’s family.

Ansaru is considered by some to be a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, Nigeria’s more prominent Islamist group which has waged a deadly insurgency since 2009.

The links between the two organisations remain in question, but some analysts have said that Ansaru might have emerged from a faction within Boko Haram that sought to specifically target foreign interests.

Ansaru has been blamed for the 2011 kidnapping of a Briton and an Italian national in northern Nigeria. Both hostages were killed in March of last year.

Britain, which has formally labelled Ansaru a terrorist organisation, said the group likely has ties to Al-Qaeda’s north Africa franchise, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb

Collomp, who had been working on a wind power project in Katsina, was taken after a group of some 30 gunmen stormed the compound where he was staying.

The gate outside his home was said to have been riddled with bullet holes after the attack.

Ansaru claimed the abduction days later, citing as a justification France’s push for military intervention against the Islamist rebels who had seized northern Mali.

Ansaru also claimed the kidnapping of seven foreign nationals working on a construction project in northern Bauchi state in February.

A video later posted online appeared to show some of those hostages being killed.

After raising its international profile, Ansaru’s prominence faded and it has not been linked to an attack for several months.

The Islamist violence in northern Nigeria has however continued unchecked, with hundreds of people killed this year in attacks blamed on Boko Haram.

Northeast Nigeria has been under a state of emergency since mid-May, when the military launched an offensive aimed at crushing the insurgency.

But the slaughter of dozens of people in recent weeks, mainly civilians, has cast doubt on the success of the military campaign.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and top oil producer, where most in the north are Muslim and the south is predominately Christian.

Boko Haram has said it wants to create an Islamic state in the north and is thought to primarily have a domestic agenda.

Ansaru is seen by some as having a more international outlook, perhaps more closely aligned with Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups.

Abuja Killings: The truth, lies and politics

W ere the victims of Apo Shooting on September 20, 2013 really members of Boko Haram as advanced by the Department of  State Security Service (DSS) or mere squatters in an uncompleted building allegedly owned by a retired Army General? Was that a case of another extra Judicial killing in the Federal Capital Territory by the operatives of security agencies? Saturday Vanguard in this special report reveals all the sides of the story.

Like almost always, mum is the word. But the rage is on. The anger and the public outcry have reached a crescendo. Questions are flooding the streets. Whodunit? But no one, not even the Department of Security Service (DSS) which is obviously, centrally involved in the controversy could lend a more convincing voice. And the Army whose men provided military back-up from Guards Brigade, according to reports, is yet to officially tell their role in the development. The whole thing appears highly shrouded in secrecy. And the result is the festering hearsay in almost every quarter of the society.

On the day of the incident, Friday, September 20, 2013, Marilyn Ogar, Director, Public Relations of the DSS had said a shoot-out occurred between her men and suspected Boko Haram Sect members which unfortunately resulted to the death of some of the ‘insurgents.’ She also said it was a joint operation with the Army. But not many people heard Ogar say the Police was involved. Many Nigerians did not only describe Ogar’s submission as tacit, they also dismissed it with a wave of hand, saying it lacked reasoning and logic.

But then, deaths were recorded. In one fell swoop, seven persons died instantly in what seemed to Ogar as a gun duel. At the last count, the death toll was 10 and other victims whose whereabouts were unknown as at Wednesday were over 26. When Saturday Vanguard called Ogar for more enquires, she conspicuously sounded regimental and swiftly dropped this: “I have no comments. I am the one who gives releases to the press when I have.” And then she ended the call from her end. But hers was better compared to Frank Mba, the Police Force Headquarters Public Relations officer (PRO) who did not respond to the text messages sent to his phone.

Survivors in hospital

Could this be another case of extra judicial killing by security agents whom the law requires to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians and in most cases, arrest and bring to justice, culprits instead of summary killing? Fears and suspicions really abound.

Now, recall the controversial ‘Apo Six’ in June 2005, which claimed the lives of six young traders at the MechanicVillage including a woman who was said to be a fiancée to one of the traders. Recall also the underhand developments which indicted the Police over the shooting. Sadly, till date, justice is yet to be served on the case after eight years.

Indeed, like the “Apo six”, the incident on September 20 is also another Apo killing. And because of the number of casualties, many have come to tag it “ Apo 10.”

The “Apo 10” happened in an uncompleted building located at the Kyari close, Zone E Apo Legislative Quarters, near the GuduCemetery in the FederalCapitalTerritory , FCT.

The story

The story is told in two parallels that prompt discrepancies. While the official position, being Ogar’s preliminary statement that swayed many Nigerians, corroborates the presence of ‘terrorists’ in the uncompleted building and a vexing fire-shot that got the DSS operatives and the soldiers triggered during an operation meant to excavate a cache of arms said to have been buried by the “insurgents” around in the building, counter-arguments from the sorrow-stricken survivors of the shooting, eye-witnesses, concerned citizens including a member of the House of Representatives, the neighborhood, Human Rights Activist and sympathetic members of the public vehemently reject the official view.

Agreed that the dead were squatters in the building, they posited that the victims were young Nigerians who engaged in various businesses such as operating commercial tricycles otherwise called “Keke NAPEP”, Mai-ruwa (water suppling), sachet water selling, amongst other petty trading as means of livelihood. To them, linking the young chaps to Boko Haram was unacceptable.

Another aspect of the story has it that the building belongs to a retired Army General who became greatly irked upon a knowledge that squatters had taken over his house. Sources said that a few days before the raid, someone in the toga of the owner of the house had issued stern threats to deal with the squatters without further pre-information. But at the moment, the person’s identity is still not known.

And here a few questions arise. Why is the identity of the General or the owner of the building not disclosed yet? Why would the security operatives embark on a nocturnal digging of arms without first securing the environment till daylight? Where are the arms now? If the story of non-Police involvement is worth the salt, why would there be an operation of such nature without the Police? Why were the survivors of the shooting left without police protection even around their sick beds in the hospital since Boko Haram cases are considered high profile? Many questions, less answers.

Many Nigerians including Hon. Amiru Tukur Idris Nadabo, Member representing Bakori/Danja Constituency, KatsinaState in the House of Representatives who spoke to Saturday Vanguard explained that such sites with heavy presence of young men who try to eke out a living were common within Abuja and its environs. Nadabo however said that the boys usually enter into an agreement with perhaps, the Mai-Guard (local Guard) in and around such buildings which would see them pay a token ranging from N100 to N300 each as accommodation charge per night. He said  that was the case with the victims of the shooting of which four of the dead were members of his Constituency in KatsinaState .

Hear him: “: “As of now, we have four of my constituents killed and about nine of them are missing. We don’t know where they are. Since Friday, we have been trying to get in touch with those that arrested them. We are trying to locate where they have been taken them. They are about 26. Some are from Zamfara, two are from Yobe ; two are from Kaduna ; and others from Sokoto and Kebbi States .

“I have visited the scene of the incident. Actually, it’s an uncompleted building. You see similar buildings around Wuse 11, Apo and Asokoro. You see these buildings being occupied by these hustlers, these Keke Napep drivers; people who push trucks and pure water sellers.”

The  rent/threats

Nadabo told Saturday Vanguard that his late constituents had brought to his knowledge a threat by the  supposedly owner of the uncompleted building who threatened fire and brimstone. He also recalled an earlier disagreement between the boys and the “caretaker” of the facility which was later settled. According to him, he had plans to relocate the boys amid the conflicts but hesitated when apparently, relative peace returned.

It's finally happened. Khloe Kardashian drops Odom from her name

Khloe has removed her husband's name from her instagram page and now from her Twitter page. 5...4...3...2.. before they announce the divorce...

Meanwhile friends of Lamar insist he didn't send the Tweet that bashed his father for calling out the Kardashians. Sources told TMZ that Lamar Odom is holed up without Internet (by choice) and has no idea his father even gave an interview. So someone else must have sent that Tweet from his account

Deportatio: S-East APC begs Ndigbo to forgive Fashola

Following the unqualified and unreserved apology tendered by Governor Babatunde Fashola for the controversial deportation of 14 Anambra indigenes from Lagos State to Onitsha, the All Progressives Congress (APC), South-East zone has appealed to Ndigbo and Anambrarians in particular to forgive and forget.

The party also appealed to Ndigbo, to put the matter behind them, especially those who wittingly or unwittingly are transferring the aggression on Senator Chris Ngige’s bid to return to Anambra State government to complete the good works he started.

In a statement through the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, South-East APC warned that the mistake of some Lagos State government officials should not be used to deny Anambrarians the golden opportunity to elect Senator Ngige to complete his blue print.

It maintained that Anambrians must be weary of those money mongers and big bankers whose only manifesto is propaganda and whose only interest is profit motive.

The statement reads in part: “Now that Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, BabatundeRajiFashola has tendered unqualified and unreserved apology, we plead with Ndigbo and Anambrarians in particular to forgive and forget.“To err is human and to forgive is divine.

Accordingly, we appeal to our people to put the matter behind us, especially those who wittingly or unwittingly are transferring the aggression on Senator Chris Ngige’s bid to return to Anambra State government to complete the good works he started.

“Ngige we must recall opened our eyes to what prudent management of state revenue can achieve, before then the governors only share the money and abandon projects. He did 20 percent of his Blue-Print, Governor Obi did  and we need Ngige to complete it for the interest of future generations.

“It is also germane to note the roads Ngige tarred years ago are more durable than that of Governor Obi” the party stated.

It enjoined Ndigbo to all bear in mind that it pays to place the bigger picture ahead in their calculations and the bigger picture in this instance is to elect Senator Ngige, who is a tested and trusted hand. The statement stressed that “They will tell you that Ngige is stingy. Yes Ngige is stingy, because he defends the interest of the greatest number of Anambrians and not the few big men.

“In sum, now that Governor Fashola has tendered an unqualified and unreserved apology, we should forgive and forget, for we must not use the mistake of some Lagos State government officials to deny Anambrarians the golden opportunity to elect Sen Ngige to complete his blue print” South-East APC stated.

Ohanaeze Welcomes Fashola’s Apology, Unveils Plans For 2013 Igbo Day

APC Begs Anambrarians To Accept Apology

OHANAEZE Ndigbo, Lagos State chapter, Friday said the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) “did very well” in a apologising to Ndigbo over the deportation of some citizens to their state of origin, Anambra, recently. 

  This is as the All Progressives Congress (APC), Southeast zone, has appealed to Ndigbo and Anambrarians in particular to forgive and forget the incident following Fashola’s apology. 

  Addressing a press conference at its Ikeja office to announce the programmes for this year’s Igbo Day Celebration holding on October 5, 2013, at the Basket Ball Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere at 10a.m., president of the socio-cultural organisation, Chief Oliver Akubueze said Fashola’s apology serves as an assurance that he would not repeat the action in future. 

  He said: “When somebody does something wrong and pressure is mounted on him to have a re-think on what he has done, the right thing for the person to do is to either apologise or to keep to what he has done. Fashola did very well by apologising to the Igbos; all we were fighting to achieve was for him not to repeat what he had done. We don’t want it anymore. His apology has come a long way to deliver a message to us that it will not happen again. That was just what we wanted. We were not trying to fight him; we were not trying to do any other thing than to let him know that he had done us wrong and we wouldn’t want that to happen again.”

  Akubueze said the Igbo Day Celebration, which will hold with the theme ‘Kwadoo Asusu Igbo’ (support Igbo language) would be attended by the governors of the South-East states and Governor Serieke Dickson of Bayelsa State. 

  He added that the event would be used to raise N200 million for the construction of an Igbo Language Support Centre, which would be like a school where Igbo sons and daughters shall be learning Igbo language, culture and values.  

   “The celebration will also be used to showcase our rich cultural heritage, values, fashion and food. It will also serve as a point of interaction amongst Igbos and non-Igbos in Lagos State,” he said. 

  APC appealed to Ndigbo to put the matter behind them, especially those who wittingly or unwittingly are transferring the aggression on Senator Chris Ngige’s bid to return to Anambra State government to complete the good works he started.  

  In a statement through the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, South-East APC warned that the mistake of some Lagos State government officials should not be used to deny Anambrarians the golden opportunity to elect Senator Ngige to complete his blue print.  

  It maintained that Anambrians must be weary of the money mongers and big bankers whose only manifesto is propaganda and whose only interest is profit motive. 

  “Ngige, we must recall, opened our eyes to what prudent management of state revenue can achieve. Before then the governors only share money and abandon projects. He did 20 per cent of his blueprint, Governor Obi did seven per cent and we need Ngige to complete it for the interest of future generations. It is also germane to note the roads Ngige tarred years ago are more durable than that of Governor Obi,” APC said.

Cashless Policy: CBN to apply charges on withdrawals, deposits from Oct.2

Abuja – The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it will start applying charges on withdrawals and deposits above N500,000 for individuals and N2 million for corporate bodies from Oct. 2.

Mr Tunde Lemo, Deputy Governor, Operations, said this in Abuja on Friday while briefing newsmen at the end of the Special Forum on Financing the Power Sector Reforms for Economic Development.

He said that the action would ensure effective implementation of the cashless policy.

HEWETT BENSON AND SANUSI LAMIDO

The  CBN had given a three-month moratorium for the full implementation of charges to customers who withdraw or deposit money higher that what was stipulated in the Cashless policy document.

“We will start applying the charges from the second of October which is Wednesday because the three months moratorium would have expired.

“We are glad to announced that having worked with stakeholders, we’ve been able to ramp up facilities in Abuja and five other locations and then we are set to build up the critical mass requirement in the cashless in those areas.’’

Lemo said that from Oct. 2, any customer that deposited above N500, 000 per day would be charged two per cent payment on it while withdrawal would attract three per cent charge.

“For corporate, the threshold is N2 million, if you deposit or withdraw any money above the threshold per day, if it is deposit, it will attract three per cent charges and if it is withdrawal it attracts five per cent.

“Those are the charges that are already applicable in Lagos area that we are now bringing to this location.’’

He said that customers needed not to pass through the onerous task of depositing and withdrawal over the counter but advised the use of electronic fund transfer.

He said that electronic payment in Lagos accounted for 70 per cent to 80 per cent of high value transactions on daily basis.

Lemo said that the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) driven by Nigerian Inter Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), together accounted for three times the volume of cheques used in transactions.

On Connectivity of Point of Sales (POS) and efficiency of Automated Teller Machines (ATM), he said that the apex bank was working with the Telecoms to expand the bandwidth for service delivery.

“Now, we are also working with other service providers to provide the roaming facility.

“What will happen is that if you have a POS that is linked with MTN, if MTN is not working, it can then roam to hit other service provider and then settlement will be done at the end of the day.

“We are going to see a lot better connectivity in the next couple of weeks in those areas.’’

He said that POS availability had been increased in Abuja and five other locations by five folds between January and September with the available statistics.

Lemo said that before the introduction of the cashless policy in Nigeria, only two per cent of retail transactions were done electronically, but noted that in one year, it had gone up to 20 per cent.

Soyinka, others mourn Ghanaian poet killed in Kenya attacK

Nigerian Nobel literature laureate Wole Soyinka and other writers on Friday paid tribute to renowned Ghanaian poet and statesman Kofi Awoonor, among the 67 killed in last weekend’s Kenyan mall attack.

Awoonor, 78, was killed and his son was wounded in the Westgate mall in Nairobi by the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab on September 21. He was in Kenya for a literary festival at the time of his death.

“We denounce these enemies of humanity,” Soyinka said, accompanied by several writers and authors at a press conference in Freedom Park in central Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.

Soyinka, who became Africa’s first winner of the Nobel prize for literature in 1986, called for renewed efforts to end such violence.

“It is not the first time that Nairobi has been assaulted,” he said, recalling previous deadly attacks in the Kenyan capital by those he called “cowards who turned their guns on unarmed people.”

Other writers read poems in honour of Awoonor and said his death was a major blow to African literature.

John Pepper Clark, a Nigerian poet, recalled Awoonor’s contributions to diplomacy and politics in his home country, adding that his legacy would live on.

Awoonor was a renowned writer, most notably for his poetry inspired by the oral tradition of his Ewe people.

He was also Ghana’s representative to the United Nations from 1990 to 1994 as well as president of the Council of State, an advisory body to the president, a post he left earlier this year.

Church has a distinct role to play as a moral beacon of society – Ighodalo

Pastor Itua Ighodalo is the Senior Pastor of Lagos-based Trinity House, and an accomplished chartered accountant working as a managing partner in SIAO, an accounting, auditing, and financial advisory firm. In this chat with Ebele Orakpo, he speaks on the Church’s annual Honour Nigeria Awards programme scheduled for October 6, 2013. Alluding to the Bible passage that says that three-fold cord is not easily broken, he says the Church must unite for more impact on society, adding that Trinity House has various programmes aimed at putting Church at the forefront of society. Excerpts:

What is Honour Nigeria all about?

Honour Nigeria is a programme we have once a year, usually around Nigeria’s independence time because it is part of our social responsibility efforts as the body of Christ. One of the things that we like to do in Trinity House is to bring the Church into the relevant aspects of society that it should be part of.

Pastor Itua Ighodalo

A lot of people think that Church and society, Church and politics or Church and leadership should be separate.

Spiritually, there can be some kind of separation of duties and attitudes and whatever, but physically, there should be interaction and association. Church is part of society and society is part of Church and Church has a distinct role to play as a moral beacon, an ethical voice, as the direction of society. So the Church must make sure it plays that role.

Could you tell us more about the Church’s other programmes?

We have come up with various programmes in Trinity House to put Church at the forefront of society.

One, we have 14 related non-government organisations (NGOs) that deal with various aspects of society. One of the NGOs takes care of the deaf, another looks at the blind, one takes care of motherless babies’ homes, one takes care of street girls and prostitutes and some take care of the weak in society. We have scholarships for indigent students and we have teacher training programmes.

Two, we have what we call a Community Impact Group where we take segments of society, look at the challenges of that segment and see how we can proffer solutions. For instance, we can take a geographical area like Ibeju-Lekki in Lagos, we do a poll/survey of the people to see what the problems are. They could be roads, water, clinics etc.

We try and provide solutions to those problems. Then we have our leadership training for leaders in society – spiritual, economic and political leaders. We call it Trinity Nigeria where we try to educate our people as to the importance of getting involved in politics and leadership, in governance and transformation, the various strategies that we need in order to have a better Nigeria.

Then we have Honour Nigeria which is like a service, praying for Nigeria, recognising Nigeria as a geographical content/political entity and then recognising a few people in society that have contributed over the years, hopefully with an unblemished record, to the wellbeing of Nigeria; to lift them up as signs, as mentors, as ethical standards and as people that the younger people can look up to because they have done outstanding things in the society.

Who and who are billed to receive the award?

This year, we are honouring about three people. One of them is Professor Grace Alele-Williams, the first woman vice-chancellor in Nigeria, for her great contribution to education, her sense of leadership, sense of duty and her fighting spirit. We are giving her the Women’s Leadership/Female role model award. In the past, we had given that award to Chief (Mrs) Opral Benson and Chief (Mrs) H.I.D Awolowo.

Segun Osoba. He was also the first Nigerian director of the Central Bank of Nigeria. So one of the things we try to do is to look for Nigerians who you don’t hear their names but who have contributed greatly to the development of Nigeria. People like Taiwo Akinkunmi who designed our national flag, the founder of Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice, some heroes in sports etc.

All these people deserve recognition. Two years ago, we honoured a man called Muftau, who, although crippled, has done so much working with Lagos State Government in traffic control. Again, there is a man like that this year that we are going to honour but I will not disclose his name at this point in time. It will be a surprise.

What is the way forward for Nigeria?

As I said, the Church must be the moral conscience of the nation. The hand of the prophet is always on top. We must be able to challenge leadership and speak what I call Truth to leadership. We are not fighting, we are not being rebellious but we are just telling our leaders there is right and there is wrong, according to the word of God, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ We don’t hear such voices anymore.

So these are the things we are trying to bring back to society. We consider ourselves to be inter-denominational or non-denominational so that every aspect of Christianity is welcome to come and preach. We preach the five-fold gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are convinced that Nigeria has a great future, that Nigeria is one of the best countries in the world; that Nigeria has tremendous potential and that if Nigerians can shun evil, greed, and selfishness and put nation and others above themselves, this country will be transformed.

The problem with Nigeria is greed, evil, corruption and selfishness and if we can remove those things, enlighten our people and then have leadership that thinks beyond itself, that thinks for the people, then Nigeria will be transformed.