Kanye West receives honorary Doctorate from The Art Institute of Chicago

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Kanye West has gone from being a college drop out to Dr. West. Kim Kardashian's husband, yesterday received an honorary doctorate degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

SAIC, one of the most prestigious art schools in the US, said the honorary doctorate is given to "influential individuals" who earned "this distinguished award through their work''. Kanye's selection  stirred up controversy amongst some students and alum, but SAIC President Walter E. Massey and Dean of Faculty Lisa Wainwright firmly defended the decision to award Kanye with a degree in an interview saying:

"The guy is smart, the music is beautiful, it's complicated, it's post-modern, it's hip, it's awakening," said Wainwright, "I couldn't be happier."

Congratulations to him. See photos below...

- See more at: http://www.lailasblog.com/2015/05/kanye-receives-honorary-doctorate-from.html?m=1#sthash.11AAk8Qf.dpuf

Nigerian lady refuses to marry boyfriend because he graduated from a Polytechnic

Daniel shared his story on Twitter earlier on Monday. Continues below

GRAPHIC PHOTO: Infection eats up lady's buttocks after butt enlargement shot

WARNING: The content you are about to view is horrifying, your discretion is advised.

Click HERE to see photo.

I hope Patience will not divorce me – President Jonathan

Monday, May 11, 2015

According to Vanguard, President Goodluck Jonathan, Sunday,  expressed fears that his wife might divorce him because of his decision to allow the just concluded election go on to its logical conclusion without interference.

Speaking at the Thanksgiving and Farewell Service in his honour at the Cathedral Church of the Advent Life-Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja on Sunday, President Jonathan cited the case of the former South African Apartheid leader,  F.W de Klerk whose wife divorced him for ending minority rule in South Africa.

He said:

“I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost. Some people come to me and say this or that person, is he not your friend? Is it not your government that this person benefited from? But this is what the person is saying. 

But I used to say,  worse statements will come. If you take certain decisions, you should know that those close to you will even abandon you at some point. And I tell them that more of my so-called friends will disappear. 

When F.W de Klerk took the decision to abolish minority rule in RSA, even his wife divorced him. I hope my wife will not divorce me. But that is the only decision that has made RSA to still remain a global player. If we still had minority rule there, by this time, nobody will be talking about RSA. 

If you take certain decisions, it might be good for the generality of the people but it might affect people differently. So for ministers and aides who served with me, I sympathize with them, they will be persecuted. And they must be ready for that persecution” he said.

Ogun Speaker explains why his convoy ignored accident victims

The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, has claimed that he was not in any vehicle in his convoy when it drove past an accident scene without offering assistance.

Three people were killed on Saturday at Onipepeye Village along Siun-Owode road, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, in the accident that involved two commercial vehicles.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr. Adekunbi’s convoy passed the scene of the accident, while rescue efforts were on residents of the area, without offering any help. The Speaker was also sighted in one of the vehicles in the convoy by their correspondent and other observers at the scene.

The lawmaker, however, claimed he was not in any of the vehicles.

‘I am a Rotarian and I know the importance of rendering assistance,” he said on Sunday. “I was not in the convoy when the accident occurred. My convoy drove past the area, and I was not in the convoy, but in another vehicle with some of my colleagues in the assembly.”

Mr. Adekunbi, however, admitted driving by the scene of the accident.

“As at the time I passed through the scene with my colleagues which include Honourable Tola Banjo, the Deputy Speaker, and Honourable Olayiwola Ojodu, we did not observe any accident. I was in Lagos when I heard of the accident,” he said, while explaining that he did not answer calls to his phone on Saturday because he did not know the identity of the caller.

The speaker said he sympathised with the victims of the accident and prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed.

Non-indigenes in Lagos must respect their hosts – Oba of Lagos

The Oba of Lagos, Riliwanu Akiolu, says there is a need for non-indigenes in Lagos State to respect the tradition and culture of their host.

The monarch said this during an exclusive interview with PUNCH.

While responding to a question on the threat he issued out to Igbo residents in Lagos State if they did not vote for Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, Akiolu maintained that he had no ill feeling towards Igbo in the state as some of his closest friends were Igbo.

He said:

 “Eze Odimegwu, who is a former CEO of Nigerian Breweries, is still my best friend as well as many others. The Obi of Onitsha came to visit me here a few days ago. When you go to a place, you have to respect the host leaders, particularly the traditional leaders there because you are coming to benefit from their success. 

The people of Lagos are the friendliest and most accommodating people in Nigeria.”

He said the video which showed him issuing threats to Igbo leaders was a misrepresentation of what truly transpired.

He said the issue was twisted by those who wanted to gain political advantage ahead of the governorship election but God put them to shame.

“Those who orchestrated the entire incident know themselves and I tell you, those (Igbo leaders) who came here on that day understand me a lot and have even been coming since then,” he said.

Akiolu said many of the non-indigenes were deceived by politicians in their quest for power. He continued:

 “The man that promised to hand them deputy governorship slot and four commissioner positions and would elevate the status of Eze Ndigbo to that of Oba of Lagos has since denied it. 

It was all a political gimmick because I am sure they know that he was only deceiving them. As a matter of fact, prominent traditional rulers in the South-East have been writing us to say that they are not happy about the large number of ezes in Lagos.”

He urged all Igbo who won elections in Lagos State not to disappoint the people. The monarch said he was confident that Ambode would do well in office.

He said Ambode would serve as governor for eight years not just because it was the will of God but because he would perform excellently well. He, however, said Agbaje was free to contest again in 2019 if he wanted. He said:

 “By the Grace of Almighty Allah and my ancestors in this house, the Governor-elect, Ambode, will rule for eight years with a good performance.”

He said he had nothing against the Peoples Democratic Party or its governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, but noted that all humans are equal in the eyes of God but are not equal in the love of God.

He said Ambode proved his competence by saving the state from financial hardship when it was deprived of funds from the Federal Government.

Akiolu said he was not a politician but was only interested in the prosperity of Lagos and would continue to support the bes.

"I was ready to die for Nigeria" - President Jonathan

Sunday, May 10, 2015

In a Thanksgiving Service today at an Anglican Church, President Jonathan said he was ready to pay the supreme price for Nigeria after all the benefits he has derived from the country right from his school days.

His said:

“When I look at the whole picture of my life up to when I became the president of this country, I say that if soldiers and police officers that have not received 0. 5 percent of the benefits that I have received from the state can lay their lives for this country, I should do anything in the interest of Nigeria including paying the supreme price. 

As long as live, I will continue to do my best for the state because the state has helped
me as a person. I have to thank Nigerians especially my state for giving me the opportunity to serve as deputy governor and the whole country gave me the opportunity to serve as Vice President and then president, first was to complete the tenure of the late president and later serve as president from which I am exiting now as a very happy and fulfilled man. 

I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost, no doubt about that. That I have ran the government this way that stabilized certain things, the electoral process and other things that brought stability into this country. They were very costly decisions which I myself must be ready to pay for. 

Some people come to me and say this or that person is he not your friend that benefited. Is it not your government that this person benefited from? But this is what the person is saying. But I used to say worse statements will come. If you take certain decisions, you should know that those close to you will even abandon you at some point. And I tell them that more of my so-called friends will disappear.”

Zamfara State lawmaker and governor's chief driver fight over woman

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has mandated its Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate a fight that ensued between its majority leader, Alhaji Salisu Musa, and the governor’s chief driver, Idris Garba, over a woman who operates a restaurant in Gusau.

Hon. Salisu Musa Tsafe had on Monday engaged the senior driver in a physical combat over the woman identified as Madam Saratu Kaura-Namoda. Reportedly, one of his fingers was almost bitten off by the driver. According to claims, Idris had paid the woman's brideprice.

Narrating the incident to newsmen,, Tsafe denied having an affair with the lady and said rather, they have a long time business engagement and official friendship. He said:

“I called her on Sunday from Kaduna to inform her that I was coming to Gusau the next day and she pleaded that we should meet specially to discuss about the money she owed me.” 

Tsafe disclosed that it was during his visit to her shop at Tudun Wada Gusau, the state capital that he found his customer in company of the governor’s driver sitting in his tinted glass car after which he drove away to allow his turn for usual business.

 “A few minutes after Mallam Idris left, he turned back to park by my car and wound down his glasses to accuse me of visiting his girlfriend. I replied him that she is not my girlfriend and has no any relationship that is not legitimate, we only interact as business partners,” he stressed.

The Majority Leader said the driver continued with the insult but he could not engage in physical combat in the public as requested by Mallam Idris.

“The governor’s driver later requested that we should go to a bush to slug it out which I angrily agreed and drove after him. He parked as he reached the Low Cost Housing Estate which is a few meters away from the controversial girl’s shop. I did the same to confront him during which he stretched his fist at me, so I had to fight for self-defence. He bit my finger until I gave him formidable blows on his forehead,” Tsafe narrated.

He said the Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Criminal Investigation Department, CID, at the state headquarters had intervened into the matter and warned the governor’s driver that since he did not pay any bride price for his controversial girlfriend then, he had no right to stop her from mingling with anybody.

When contacted by NigeriaPilot, the governor’s driver said that the lawmaker should be the one to speak on the matter.

The State's Speaker, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, has now directed the committee to invite all parties involved, including the woman, security agents, eyewitnesses and other relevant bodies, warning that any invitee who failed to appear before the committee, headed by the Chief Whip, Alhaji Abdulmumini Isa, would be seen and treated as a law breaker. The committee is expected to submit its report on June 27.

Ogun Assembly Speaker ignores ghastly motor accident victims on highway

The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, on Saturday shunned victims of a ghastly motor accident which claimed three lives and injured 10 others, occurred along the Owode-Siun-Abeokuta expressway.

The crash, which occurred at Onipepeye village, along the Owode-Siun-Abeokuta dual carriageway, involved two commercial vehicles: a white Nissan Premiere, with registration number LSD 770 BZ and a green Space wagon, with registration number GGE 950CQ.

A Premium Times correspondent, who met the accident victims in company with other sympathizers, reported that Speaker Adekunbi got to the scene of the crash in his official car barely few minutes after the accident occurred, but drove past the scene even while bodies laid on bare ground and injured victims wreathed in pains.

He was in a convoy of his official cars, reportedly heading towards Lagos.

Onlookers wondered why he failed to demonstrate compassion and lend helping hands to the victims.

Witnesses say rather than stop to help in the rescue operation, the Speaker merely peeped at the accident scene through his car window and then ordered his driver to drive on.

The Speaker’s action baffled many sympathizers at the scene, who could not suppress their anger, some of whom rained abuses on him as his car drove away.

Mr. Adekunbi could not be reached to comment for this story Saturday night. He did not not answer or return multiple calls to his telephone seeking comments.

At the scene, one lucky survivor told PT that the Premiera car was heading to Sagamu from Abeokuta when the driver suddenly lost control and swerved to the other side of the dual carriageway.

It then had a head-on collision with the oncoming Space wagon car, heading to Abeokuta from Lagos.

The impact of the crash was disastrous as the two cars appeared to be over-speeding.

Three persons, including a toddler, died on the spot, while other passengers suffered various degrees of injuries.

A team of Ogun State Traffic and Compliance Control arrived the scene early enough and were seen evacuating the victims to hospital.

Man treks from Aba to Nsukka to honour Enugu State Governor-elect

Saturday, May 09, 2015

Joseph Iyoke, a 200-level student of the Open University of Nigeria, has trekked from Aba to Nsukka to honour the Enugu State Governor-elect, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Iyoke, who hails from Ukehie in Igboetiti Local Government Area of the state, told newsmen on Saturday in Nsukka, that he took off for the journey from CMS road in Aba on May 4, at about 4: 30 a.m.

NAN reports that the trekker arrived Nsukka town at about 1:02 p.m. on Saturday. Speaking on why he decided to trek for Ugwuanyi, Iyoke said:

“I did it to honour the governor elect of Enugu State; we have been waiting who will become governor of Enugu State from Nsukka for long time. I started on Monday at 4:30 a.m.; it is joyful journey I took, it is full of joy. I was not told by nobody to embark on this journey. If I have been told by anybody, I could have withdrawn because it is full of stress. I did it to know the governor-elect.

Iyoke, who was dressed in a polo T-shirt, shorts and white sneakers, said Nsukka people had suffered marginalisation for a long time, adding that ”it’s somebody from Nsukka that knows the needs of Nsukka people.”

“There are no good roads and electricity in Nsukka; only the people from Nsukka know the needs of Nsukka people. Nsukka people have been marginalised for a very long; I am happy that Nsukka man has been elected governor of Enugu State. This small signpost on my hand were many when I started this long trekking, I dropped many of them along the roads I passed. At night, I look for where to sleep in order to continue the journey by 4:30 a.m. the next day.”

Receiving the trekker on arrival in Nsukka, Paschal Ugwu, Director-General, Youth to Youth Campaign for the governor-elect, said that what Iyoke did was a landmark achievement as well as and his own best way to celebrate the governor-elect.

“It is not an easy task; it shows the governor-elect as man of the people. At the appropriate time, he will be taken to the governor-elect for special hand shake, as Ugwuanyi has been informed of what Iyoke did to honour him.”

NAN adds that Iyoke’s arrival in Nsukka was greeted with jubilation by his friends, family members, and well-wishers.

I will go back to school after leaving the Villa - VP Sambo's wife

Hajia Amina Sambo, wife of the Vice-President of Nigeria has disclosed that she will be furthering her education at the end of her husband’s tenure on May 29.

She made this known at a ceremony organised in her honour by the Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women at the National Mosque in Abuja today.

While addressing the women, Hajia Sambo said she will continue to remain accessible even when her husband leaves office, but will sometimes be busy because she intends to acquire more knowledge.

“I will like to continue to leave my doors open in case you will call on me. In case I say I am having exams (I am going back to school); so, do not be offended, I might be studying, but be assured that I will always be with you,” she said.

Hajia Sambo has a BSc in Political Science from the Bayero University, Kano.

WHO declares Liberia Ebola free

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Liberia free of the Ebola virus, as the country has had no new cases in the last 42 days.

Last September, Liberia was seeing 400 cases a week, with hospitals full and bodies lying in the streets. A public health campaign was launched to stem the epidemic, and the last confirmed death was on 27 March. The Ebola outbreak has claimed over 11,000 lives in the region, and remains active in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

BBC reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf  is celebrating. She is due to take a bus tour around the capital thanking healthcare workers and community people in a victory parade. She also indicated how traumatised she and the nation remain. "Even today if you hear an ambulance siren you shake a little bit," she said.

Sirleaf also expects her counterparts in Guinea and Sierra Leone to call to congratulate her on her victory. Officials say it was collective effort and resilience that eventually conquered Ebola.

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau reportedly flees Nigeria

As the military deploys its special force units to track the lead­er of the Boko Haram sect, Abuba­kar Shekau, there are strong indi­cations that the terror kingpin may have fled Nigeria through the help of Islamic State (ISIS) groups operating in East and North Africa.

Saturday Sun gathered that with the recent loss of his group’s caliphate headquarters, Gwoza to the Nigerian troops and the invasion of Sambisa forest by a detachment of the na­tion’s special force units deployed from their base in Makurdi, Benue State, the Boko Haram leader saw his capture as imminent.

According to dependable military intelli­gence sources, Shekau had to send emissaries to ISIS affiliates with strongholds in East and North Africa to pave the way for his escape to their region from where he intends to coordi­nate his group’s activities or ultimately relocate to ISIS headquarters
in the Middle East.

One of the sources revealed that:

“having discovered that he was being tracked through his Thuraya satellite phone, Shekau recently dropped the line and handset totally to evade capture. But the last satellite image of him and other intelligence pieced together by forces on the battle frontline show his desperation to es­cape from the country to parts of East Africa or North Africa where ISIS is having some foot­holds.”

The source, a red neck military chief further told Saturday Sun that:

 “As part of moves being made by Shekau, he now relocates with few­er guards and limited number of lieutenants knowing his movement schedule. This is to frustrate intelligence gathering efforts by se­curity forces and avoid attracting the focus of satellite image capturing technology deployed by some foreign super powers and shared with the Nigerian security forces.”

It was gathered that as part of his bid to es­cape the heat of ongoing military operations in the Northeast Nigeria, Shekau has in the last few weeks changed his look and physical ap­pearance dramatically.

“A recent intelligence from one of our foreign partners shows the Boko Haram leader clean shaven which total­ly alters his look. That heightens our curiosity about his motive, before we got other evidence that pointed to the fact that he was trying to cross the border”, the source added.

The militant group had on March 7 pledged allegiance to the leadership of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. A week after the pledge, ISIS leadership in a statement accepted the militant group into its fold, with a promise to work with it to establish an ISIS cell in West Africa.

As earlier exclusively reported by Saturday Sun, Shekau had stayed in crisis-ridden Northern Mali to coordinate the training and opera­tions of the militant group before they were flushed out of there by a joint French and Af­rican forces, including Nigerian troops. He thereafter crossed the porous borders to join his foot soldiers in Borno State.

“He may not find it easy to return to Mali this time round but we suspect he may be targeting East Africa or parts of North Africa such as Libya and Egypt where some islamist groups are causing instability now”, a senior military chief involved in the prosecution of the war against the militant group told Satur­day Sun, adding that he cannot categorically say whether Shekau had indeed escaped or still in the country.

“On whether he has successfully escaped from Nigeria, I have no such information but at the same time I cannot rule that out because of his level of desperation to flee and his links with some other groups with­in the region and even beyond”, the source stressed, adding: 

“What we strongly believe at this moment is that he is still within our reach or that of our neighbours; especially Niger and Chad. He may find it difficult to move beyond these borders and may end up returning to one of our remote villages in the North-East to hide.”

The source also stated that Shekau had told some of his close lieutenants that he would rather die from gunshot from his guards than being killed by the Nigerian troops whom he regards as “infidels.”

“One of his captured commanders once disclosed that Shekau had given instructions to his personal guards to shoot him dead in the face of a confrontation with our troops who he calls infidels. He believes that makes him a martyr”, the source added.

When contacted on the information that Shekau had fled the country between the last week of March and the first two weeks of April, the acting Director of Public Rela­tions, Nigeria Army, Colonel Sani Usman said,

“We have an ongoing war against ter­rorists in this country and we are determined by all means and what it takes to eliminate, capture all terrorists and destroy all their known camps. 

If in the process, any of their leaders is captured, so be it because the whole war is not about an individual. We are also deter­mined to arrest all of them dead or alive.”

Dangote cannot afford to buy Arsenal Football Club - Etcetera

You have sold some shares and you’ve got some money to spend. Now you want the ultimate: Your own football club. Hold on there, are you sure? 

Football clubs are a nightmare to run. In fact, almost two-thirds of premiership clubs have been in receivership at some point. Remember Portsmouth FC ploughed through four owners some seasons back and landed itself a debt of £60m and relegation in the Championship. Think of Leeds United’s tragicomic collapse; the balls-up at Cambridge United; Rotherham going into receivership in 2006 and 2008; Southampton’s sorry saga. And, of course, Crawley Town getting a winding up order years back. So, what do we know? 

Don’t buy a football club for the glory. So, before Dangote aspires to join Abrahamovic, Glazers and Al Mansours, he should make sure he knows his stuff. 

But does Dangote know how much these football clubs really cost? 

It is often mistaken that these clubs go for a quid. For instance, Swansea City was bought by investors for £100, and sold four years later for a £1. But beware: underneath those figures lies a pile of debt.

Does Dangote have the cash, can he do an Abramovich? 

No, he can’t. New UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations already in place, require clubs to balance their income and expenses. Dangote cannot operate under such rules. The premiership is too organised and transparent for any businessman to easily manipulate. The wage structure of footballers is too large for a businessman like Dangote to take on. 

Let us forget that those goons at Forbes have told us that Dangote is Africa’s richest man. As it stands, he cannot afford the outright purchase of a big football club like Arsenal. It is as simple as that. He will go broke. It is a possibility if we are talking about a club in the coast of West Africa. Dangote has most of his wealth in shares and physical assets and the football business requires liquid cash to sustain. 

Have we all forgotten that the same Dangote got a 3G licence and sold it to Etisalat? He is a very smart businessman who knows how to pick his areas of investments. 

Can he get Bank backing? 

Unlikely! No serious private equity firm would get involved with a football club. They are not proper businesses. Too much politics, too many egos. And there’s no proper exit route – the history of football clubs on the stock market is chequered, to say the least. They are rich men’s toys, great for entertaining your mates, and that’s about it. I don’t think Dangote can afford such an expensive toy. 

A lot of people think it is relatively easy to make a million pounds by being the owner of a football club. That all you have to do is put in that first two million pounds. But these people should also know that since the English Premier League was formed in 1992, football finances have dried up to the extent that making a million pound profit is no longer a walk in the park. 

It is also the case that buying a football club is unlikely to yield that much of a return. Despite the significant TV and other commercial revenues, football clubs in England’s top flight still struggle to break even. This is ironic, given the goal of setting up the Premier League was to stabilise club finances. 

Is Dangote putting his heart over his head? 

Yes I think so. Simon Jordan, in his autobiography, tells the story of how owning a football club can go terribly wrong. Jordan amassed a fortune of £75m in the early days of the mobile phone revolution. In 2000, he paid £10m to take control of South London football team Crystal Palace, becoming the youngest football club chairman at the age of 32. He was warned by many not to do it, but having watched the club since his childhood, he could not resist. 

Fast-forward 10 years and the club was in administration and Jordan’s personal wealth largely wiped out. It is reported that Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of Chelsea, has written off more than one billion pounds he ploughed into the club since acquiring it in 2003. Catching him up fast is Sheikh Mansour from Abu Dhabi, who has invested close to one billion pounds in Manchester City since 2008. Can Dangote write off such a huge amount of money? 

It is in fact the amount of money he borrows to invest in businesses. But again, I think Dangote is just trying to hype himself. Most of the serious money flowing into football recently has come from the Middle East. The Qatar Investment Authority (the country’s sovereign wealth fund) bought the French Ligue 1 side Paris St Germain in 2011 and has gone about transforming them in the same way Sheikh Mansour has Manchester City. Forget those guys at Forbes, Dangote is not in the same league as these guys. 

The Glazer Family bought Manchester United in 2006, recognising the immense value of its global brand as a cash generator and the opportunities to enhance it even further. The cost of buying the club was loaded on to the club itself, with the revenues it generates used to pay the debt and interest that the Glazers undertook to buy the club. Eventually, the hope is that the club will essentially pay for itself leaving its American owners in possession of a multi-billion pound asset but till date, the Glazers are still gnashing their teeth and are still neck deep in debt. 

When it was speculated that a Middle East consortium was willing to pay £1.5bn for Arsenal Football Club, it was stated that Stan Kroenke, the American who owns about 63 per cent of the shares in the club, would have made just £400m on his shares. So, given the appalling financial returns, why do people buy football clubs? 

Who can buy Arsenal football club? 

Anyone can buy Arsenal football club, but that anyone doesn’t include anyone who obtains bank loans to fund a business. Sir John Madejski, chairman of Reading Football Club, describes the ideal football club owner as having deep pockets, mercurial, and not faint-hearted.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: This Ghanaian hawks watermelon in suit

Friday, May 08, 2015

Daniel Nartey is a 25-year old Ghanaian teacher. Not satisfied with the salary he earns, Nartey takes to the streets shortly after school closes to hawk watermelon. 

However, what caught the attention of the BBC was that Daniel hawks in suit and office shoes.

Below is the reason Daniel gave for hawking in suit.

His reason:

My pastor always says dress well no matter the job you do, so I decided to wear a sui. 

“Some laugh at me, others encourage me and are willing to help me.”
  

“I make 100% profit. I think it is because of how I dress, people notice me easily and want to buy from me,” he said.

Businessman crushed to death during police stop-and-search

Four policemen have been arrested in Lagos for mounting an illegal checkpoint and conducting unapproved stop-and-search at the Mile 2 end of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

It was gathered that during the exercise, a tanker ran over a businessman, Mr. Henry Dimoji.

48-year-old Dimoji, who hailed from Imo State, and his wife were returning from a wake keep in the FESTAC Town area in a Honda car, only for them to be asked by the police to stop for a search when the incident occurred.

The policemen, reportedly attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Ikeja, had allegedly refused to allow Dimoji to park properly by the roadside, insisting that he came down to open his booth for the search. An oncoming tanker, said to be carrying diesel, hit the businessman and dragged him on the
road. The policemen were said to have avoided the tanker.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Linda had called on the officers and passersby for help, but the officers allegedly fled the scene.

It was gathered that the matter, which occurred at about 7.30pm last Thursday, April 30, was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, while the policemen had been arrested.

The truck driver and his conductor had also been arrested by the police. It was further learnt that the SCID was still searching for two policemen, who were also with the patrol team during the incident.

When PUNCH Metro visited the deceased’s residence on Okey Dimoji Drive in the Anthony Village area of Lagos, a relative, who identified himself simply as Frank, said Dimoji’s death was shocking to the family.

He said:

 “When Dimoji got to the checkpoint, the policemen asked him to park and open his booth, but they did not allow him to park properly. He told them to allow him to park when one of them brought out a gun and threatened to shoot if Dimoji disobeyed. 

He then came out of the car to talk to the officers. Hardly had he come down when the trailer approached. The trailer driver, who was probably aware of the illegal checkpoint, tried to speed past the policemen. In the process, the trailer hit Dimoji in the thigh and dragged on the road for a few metres. 

When the policemen saw this, they entered their van and fled. The wife started screaming and calling for help. It was even the trailer driver and the conductor who stopped and assisted to rush him to a hospital. 

We have been to the SCID, and the police boss assured us that justice would be done on the matter. I saw the policemen that mounted the illegal checkpoint. They do not deserve to be in the Nigeria Police Force.”

A friend of the deceased, who identified himself simply as Sola, told Punch that Dimoji still called him on Thursday to plan a media event.

“He was a very industrious man. He had huge investments in Courier services, Telecommunications, Designs and media relations. The police should fish out all the culprits and bring them to book,” he said.

Their correspondent observed a condolence register opened for the businessman, and a number of sympathisers who also visited the house. The deceased’s wife was unavailable for comment as of the time of visit.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident, adding that investigations were ongoing on the matter. He said:

 “What the police are investigating is a case of a fatal accident, and the culpability of the officers in the incident. Two officers are in custody over the matter, and investigations are ongoing.”

President Jonathan deceived us - Ohaneze Ndigbo

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-political forum, yesterday, told the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, that President Jonathan lied to the Igbo nation about awarding contract for the construction of Second Niger bridge and major federal roads in the South East.

Listing Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway and Enugu-Umuahia-Aba Expressway, the committee said that up till now, work was yet to start at the sites.

It added that no financial commitment had been made by the Federal Government to commence the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, saying that those were deceptive campaign messages to Ndigbo.

According to Vanguard, The committee made the revelation during its congratulatory visit to Buhari at the Defence House in Abuja.
The leader of the delegation, Chief Ralph, who spoke on behalf of the Committee, however, told the President-elect that the South-east was a silent supporter of his presidential ambition.
He also stated that the region would fully support the incoming government to succeed, urging him to reconstruct Nigeria.

Revisitation of the report of Oputa Panel and the issue of abandoned property in the country were also other matters the committee presented before Buhari.

He said:

“This is a delegation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee, who proudly took side with you, convinced that what Nigeria needs today is the leadership that you will provide to rebuild our battered and pulverised nation. 

“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee is fully aware of the difficult and daunting work that has befallen on your shoulders. And we are here to offer our commitment that Ndigbo will stand shoulder to shoulder with you on this mission to reconstruct our nation. 

“We are also aware that our cry of marginalization is not unique to our region, but ours stands out as an SOS case as a region criminally neglected and abandoned by the outgoing administration. 

“During your campaign tours, you saw things for yourself and needless reminding Your Excellency that South-east is an emergency case. You drove through the badly neglected and impassable Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway and the Enugu-Umuahia-Aba Expressway, needless to mention the Oba-Okigwe Highway. 

“Contrary to the election claims by the outgoing administration, no appreciable work is going on these roads, information has shown that no financial arrangement has been firmed up for the Second Nigeria Bridge. The Oputa Panel report has been gathering dust and Ndigbo have pleaded for the revisitation of the so-called abandoned property in Nigeria and its collateral reparation demand. 

“One common denominator is that unknown to a vast majority of Nigerians, Ndigbo were the silent majority supporters of General Muhammadu Buhari, but a twist of “what is wrong with Nigerian” electoral result cannot prove it."
Obioha also made a case for the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to be ceded to the South-east. 

“This body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee, is a baby conceived by Chris Ngige and delivered by Chief Mbazulike Ameachi and handed over to Ndigbo to check excesses of the people who were just agents of a pre-determined agenda. 

“Your Excellency, you were aware that the South-east was targeted by the PDP rigging machine which produced an election result that denied the zone of even a single senator and only three non-ranking House of Representatives members. 

“Ndigbo request that you adopt the principle of necessity to give the zone the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation which is your prerogative and in addition, a position of one Presiding Officer in the House of Representatives,” he stated.

According to the leader, Buhari assured them of equity.

“He gave us assurance that he is going to treat the entire nation as his constituency for all and we believe him,” he said

Also speaking, a member of the delegation, Senator Chris Ngige said that though the party was yet to make a categorical statement on the issue of SGF, he was optimistic that it would eventually consider the South- east.

“Well, I was in the first delegation that came the last time, but we cannot say for now that our party has zoned the position of SGF to the South-east because we have a Senate committee that is still working on distribution of party offices, executive and that of legislature which is where we have the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker of the House of the Representative as presiding officers."

28-year-old lady escapes from ritual killers in Ogun State

The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered another suspected ritual killers’ den in Unity and Peace Estate along Itele-Lafenwa Road, Ota in the Ado Odo-Ota Local Government Area after a 28-year-old lady escaped from an uncompleted building where she was bound hands and feet.

The lady was said to have been abducted, blindfolded, gagged and dumped in the den. She was reportedly told by her captors that they would come for her in the night on Wednesday. But she was struggled to free herself and rolled towards the entrance of the building.

It was learnt that some passersby in the area saw her and came to her rescue. Policemen from the Itele-Lafenwa Police Station, who were later invited to the scene, were said to have cordoned off the area.

Punch Metro reports that when the policemen combed the surroundings of the uncompleted building, decomposing bodies of two female victims were said to have been found. Suspected bones of other victims also littered the place.

The lady told PUNCH Metro that she had met one of her captors two weeks before the incident, and they started a relationship.

She explained that the man called her on Monday that he had secured a contract of N1.5m for her at a site in the estate. She added that the man told her that she would supply bags of cement worth that amount.

The victim said on getting to the site, the lover, was joined by another person, who abducted her.

She said:

“I met one of the ritual killers about two weeks ago and we started a relationship. The guy told me that he was a contractor and promised to link me up with people who would give me juicy contracts. 

The man called me two days ago and told me about a contract worth about N1.5m, but I could not meet him because I was sick. The man later came to my residence in Lagos and still persuaded me to come for the deal. 

On getting to the Unity and Peace Estate, we headed for an uncompleted building. One other person joined us. When we got to the building, I saw that the house had been plastered and the floor had been cemented. 

But both of them pounced on me, beat me up and attempted to rape me. I was having my monthly flow and that dissuaded them. They then tied my hands and legs, blindfolded and gagged me. They promised to come back at night to complete their assignment. It was a miracle that passers-by rescued me.”

Some residents of the community, who spoke with journalists, said they were startled at the discovery. Some of them claimed that they always smelt some unpleasant odour from the area, but believed it emanated from a poultry farm nearby.

It was gathered that the policemen had arrested the owner of the building, while the suspected ritual killers had fled.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident. He said two decomposing bodies and some human skeletons were recovered from the scene. He said:

 “The command has taken over the building and our men will take some samples from the scene for forensic analysis to assist in investigation.”

David Cameron wins UK election

David Cameron will be returned for a second term as the UK Prime Minister with an expanded mandate for his Conservative Party.

The BBC is projecting that the Conservatives will come within a single vote of being able to govern alone. But even if they come up short, Cameron will have a clear mandate to put together a government with the support of minor parties.

The scale of Cameron's win has come as a shock, particularly for Labour leader Ed Miliband who had
hoped to oust the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.

Miliband conceded it had been a "very disappointing and difficult night for the Labour Party".

Labour has relinquished dozens of seats and failed to grab key marginals. It has been all but wiped out by the Scottish National Party in seats north of the English border.

The Liberal Democrats suffered even heavier losses and party leader Nick Clegg appeared to indicate he will step down.

The Conservatives, on the other hand, have picked up a few seats. A Government in the UK needs 326 votes in the House of Commons to command a majority.

In its latest projection, the BBC predicted the Conservatives would win 325 seats, Labour 232, the SNP 56, Liberal Democrats 12, Democratic Unionist Party 8 and UKIP 2.

Source: stuff.co.nz

Marry a native of Nasarawa and get automatic employment – Governor tells corps members

Thursday, May 07, 2015

Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has promised to give automatic employment to any newly deployed corps member who marries an indigene of the state.

He made the pledge while addressing 2015 NYSC Batch ‘A’ corp members, during their swearing in- ceremony at Magaji Dan Yampa NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Keffi Local Government Area of the state, Vanguard reports.

He said that inter-marriage by corps members would not only foster unity, also promote peaceful co-existence among the people of the state and others states of the federation. He congratulated the corps members for the successful completion of their academic programmes at their various institutions of learning.

“I urge you to use the lessons and experience you gained during this orientation course to develop yourselves, your host communities, the state and the Nigeria at large."

“You should see yourselves as agent of positive change in the society. I want to advise you to discharge your duties without fear or favour and relate freely with your host communities."

“I promise automatic employment to any NYSC Batch ‘A’ corps member who marries an indigenes in order to promote peaceful co-existence among the people of the state and other states of the country,” Al-Makura said.