The kidnapers struck at about 8:30 pm on Wednesday while
the local vigilante members, majority of whom are football
lovers were preoccupied with watching the Arsenal match
against Turkish football club in the on-going European league.
The gang which is said to specialise in kidnapping
children of Kindergarten and nursery school age, stormed
Ikot Onim for a victim and on arrival at the community, drove
to Mr. Edet's compound , Effiong's father where they
sighted the boy and his friends playing around while his
mother was selling fried yam.
The hoodlums which our source said did not have a target in
mind first attempted to whisk away a six-year old boy
identified as Joseph, who strongly resisted his assailants by
crying and biting one of the kidnappers on the hand causing
them to abandon him and then swiftly seizing Edet whom
they bundled into their car and sped off.
Since most able bodied residents of the area were busy
watching the football match, there was no one to go after the
kidnappers. "By the time we got to hear what had happened,
the boys had gone far and besides, there was no available car
to go after them.", the father of the kidnapped boy said.
The matter, the father said was immediately reported at State
Housing Police Station, Calabar where the police demanded
for the photograph of the 4-year old child to enable them carry
out investigations, assuring Mr. Edet and his wife that the
perpetrators will soon be apprehended.
At press time, no ransom had been demanded just as family
sources said no contact had been established with the
suspects.
When contacted, the state Polic Public Relations Officer,
Mr. Hogan Bassey said the police authorities were working to
rescue the victim without any ransom paid, as Junior's father
was a worker earning just N6, 000 per month as security man.
In suspending Mr. Sanusi last week, President Jonathan accused the CBN governor of "financial recklessness". PREMIUM TIMES had reported exclusive details of the president's second query to Mr. Sanusi early 2013, in which Mr. Jonathan demanded prompt clarification on key spending in excess of a trillion naira.
The president's query followed the submission of the CBN's audit report by Mr. Sanusi to the president on February 26, 2013. The president claimed in his letter that Mr. Sanusi's swift response on the issues raised would be helpful in providing proper "appreciation of the nation's economic outlook". It was, however, Mr. Sanusi's reply that the president forwarded to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, on whose recommendation the president said it relied to suspend the embattled governor.
In the 22-point query, the Mr. Jonathan demanded amongst other things, the domestic report on the CBN's 2012 financial statements by external auditors and the financial reporting framework under which the financial statements were prepared.
He also directed the CBN governor to provide names of the trustees of the CBN's self-insurance, including the board minutes approving the said self-insurance scheme and trustees and the entries of the annual appropriations indicating where it was posted in the financial statements.
Mr. Sanusi was also directed to explain the composition of CBN's gratuity of N72.653 billion in 2012 and N64, 280 billion in 2011 and how it was determined as well as the board minutes and approval practice of making provisions for internal currency insurance based on the premium that would have been payable to external insurers had they been engaged. The president also wanted names of the insurance companies that were filed tested in the exercise and the modalities thereof.
The president also demanded the justification for the "Repairs and maintenance expenses" of N2.268 billion in 2012 and N2.070 billion in 2011 and the extent of repairs of printing machines and intervention activities of N19 billion in 2012 and N23.865 billion in 2011 as well as the administration of expenses of N42.596 billion and N48.340 billion in 2011.
This newspaper learnt that the query raised by the president contained basically the same questions that the Financial Reporting Council had asked CBN's auditors who had sent a copy of the audit report to it. The auditors, Ernst and Young and Pricewaterhousecoopers had responded to the questions, attaching relevant documents to back their submissions.
Those familiar with the matter said it therefore came as a surprise to the CBN when the president wrote to Mr. Sanusi asking the same questions to which the auditors had provided "satisfactory answers". Our sources said in responding to the president, the CBN governor simply reproduced and forwarded the same answers that the auditors provided to the Financial Reporting Council. In his response to the president, obtained exclusively by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Sanusi said the repairs and maintenance expenses relate to "general office equipment and ICT maintenance".
The letter is dated May 20, 2013, two weeks after the president's query. The CBN governor said about 92 percent of the maintenance expenses were for information and communication technology equipments.
The CBN does not have printing machines, he said. On why he granted N50.06 billion as loan to Wema Bank and another N500 billion to Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, the CBN governor said the loans were necessary because AMCON was sustaining "heavy losses" while WEMA was still having liquidity challenges. He said the bank was working to recover the loans.
On the composition of the CBN's N72.65 billion gratuity in 2012 and N64.28 billion in 2011, Mr. Sanusi said employees of CBN are entitled to gratuity payments after completing five continuous full years of service with the bank. He said the gratuity is computed based on the number of years of service, gratuity rate, and gross emoluments for final year of service.
The CBN governor, defended his spending of N19 billion in 2012 and N23.865 billion in 2011 as "intervention activities" of the bank, saying the funds were channelled to critical sectors of the economy. "These activities were carried out as part of the bank's developmental role," he said.
Via: Premium Times
He currently has 120 unreleased songs.
"Before now we charged between N100, 000 and N2000, 000
for a song. Today I charge as much as 1million to write a
song. Truth is, Nigerian artistes have begun to appreciate
songwriters. They pay me my money and appreciate me. I
have written a lot of songs but I don't talk about them because
Nigerian artistes don't like it when the songwriters take credit
for composing songs for them." he told Punch newspaper in a
recent interview.
He recently made a profit of N50m from the Mandela Caller
tunes on MTN.
Narrating how, Harrison excitedly said
"The proceeds from the caller-back tune is actually worth
more than N50m. Truth is, I was paid a lot of money; you
know - when they say money that can change someone's life.
That's the value of what I received.
I can't reveal the exact amount because we work as a team.
So, all the money realized is shared among us. You just want
to forget all the years of suffering. It's not a mere hype
because the money is there. The song is everywhere. You go
to South-Africa , the girls are crazy about it."
According to him, the track which is a Tribute to the late
South African leader Nelson Mandela, released on December
11, 2013, received a stunning one million downloads in a
single day. It is said to have become the most downloaded
caller tune in Nigeria and Africa.
To further reward him for the success of the callertune, MTN
sponsored his recent trip to the recently-held Grammies in the
US.
"The trip was fully sponsored by MTN and a reward for the
success of the Mandela caller tune. We were chauffeur-driven
in a limousine from the house to the airport and it was the
same when we landed in America. I experienced firsthand
some of the things I only see on TV. We flew first class and it
was my first time in America as well. Caller tunes and ring
back tunes are the future, I tell you. I never knew all this
before now."
Culled from Kemifilani
How would you describe your journey in the Nigerian Music Industry and what are some of the challenges you've faced along the way?
The journey has been rough, I must say, though it has been one of those experiences that certify that God is with you and carrying you through the tough times. Along the way challenges can be found in every corner (being a woman in the industry was always a big one) and having to fight for the opportunity to be seen or heard so that you can prove your worth… and not always getting that chance in the end, are just some of the issues.
At what point in your life did you decide that you wanted a career in the arts?
I started singing from childhood you know and, gradually, music started becoming more than just something I did in the shower. It started to seem more like something that would define me eventually. When I became a teenager, I started to embrace the drive for a career in the arts. By the time I was 18, I was certain I was going to keep singing on and on.
What are your thoughts on the Rn'B/Afro-soul genre in Nigeria?
Afro-soul, for one, is a genre that now has its own fan base. Obviously, it has come a long way, especially in these parts where we like groovy jams and beats to shake to and all that. The present rating of the RnB genre in Nigeria deserves a thumb-up. If you tune into a radio station, sometimes, you get to listen to songs which make you proud to be Nigerian.
You are known for your 'electrifying' performances on stage. Do you have any special routine you go through before you get on stage?
I'll say my prayers first, then just get into the moment. I suck in all my stage chakra, hold in all the energy and just let it all out when I get on stage [hearty laughter].
How did you feel when your album Words Aren't Just Enough was nominated for the World Best Music (in Africa) Album of the Year category?
Oh, I felt much appreciated. I swear, it was cool. It was like being told; 'we see you, we hear you', and you present some real good stuff. That's what the nomination feels like. I was thrilled naturally, but then it gave me this drive to up my game and put in 150 per cent in forthcoming projects.
Your song Omini Knowest remains a personal favourite of many music lovers. Tell me, what were the thoughts going through your head when you wrote the song?
[Laughs]It is all these I-too-know-people and haters, the amebo society people. I just felt like addressing the issue of non-stop chatter by people who are judgemental and far too opinionated when they should be focusing on their own lives and achieving their goals. But again part of it na just normal yarns.
What are your thoughts on the state of the Nigerian music industry and what do you think should be done to better improve the industry?
The industry, as you call it, is presently in a progressive state. If you had looked at it five years back and compare it to the present, you'll see some undeniable improvement. Also, as far as what should be done to improve it beyond its present state, I think the industry as a whole needs to broaden its horizons. It should tap into more concepts, methods and ideas of doing everything music-related, whether its production, performing, recording, organising concerts, writing lyrics sef…everything in fact.
You describe your NGO Waje Safe House as a safe place for those rejected by society. What led to your establishment of the NGO?
You've just said part of it; it is about those who have been rejected by society. I started coming face-to-face with too many cases of rejection of kids, widows, nursing mothers and many others and, so, I felt the need to make my own contribution to giving them a better deal. We can all bring about some positive change in the world by doing even the least notable things. God has blessed me and I feel that I must pass on my blessings.
How do you spend your free time and what are those simple pleasures you enjoy?
I like to chill out oh. I consider some 'home time' very precious. This is a time I sit at home and just watch movies. I love to read too, just kick-back and flip through pages. Sometimes, too, I like to relax and listen to instrumentals; it puts me in a zone, a very relaxing zone.
What is your ultimate goal as an artiste?
Besides being the Number1? Well, there's also the goal to remain original forever and ever.
Who is that person you'll do almost anything for?
My daughter.
Via: Leadership
