My Boyfriend Made Me Dump Prostitution & Join Armed Robbery

24yrs old Sherifat Bakare, is a young lady one could describe at first glance as pretty. But as she sat on the ground in front of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Ogun State Police Command in Abeokuta, one cannot but imagine how deadly she might have been on operations with her robbery gang.

"I was hustling before Raji, my boyfriend, told me to join his gang," Bakare began. But When she was asked to elaborate on what she did as a "hustler," she explained that she meant prostitution.

"The gang asked me to sit in the front of the vehicle so that when we were stopped by policemen on the way, being a woman in the front seat would make them unsuspicious. But during the operation, the police cornered us and Raji was shot dead."

Bakare in company with four other members of her gang, were apprehended on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 by the men of Ogun State SARS, who had been on their trail after receiving a tip-off about the gang's plan.

It all began a few weeks ago, Bakare narrated. She said another member of the gang, Bola Onasile, (also in SARS custody) had approached her boyfriend about the availability of N70m in a wealthy man's house in Joju area of Sango, Ogun State.

"I have only gone on two operations with them. I don't know him (Onasile) well. I only know that he was the one who brought the job.

"Raji gathered other members and they snatched a vehicle (a Nissan Quest) around Iwo Road, Ibadan. We decided that the vehicle would be used for the operation."

Bakare did not betray any emotions as she narrated how the operation went.

Asked if she smoked Indian hemp like other members of her gang, she said, "I have never tasted it, I only smoke cigarette."

But when our correspondent asked about her parents, tears streamed down her face.

"I am from Idofian in Kwara State. My father is late but my mother lives in Ibadan. She has no idea I do this kind of job and she does not even know I am in police custody."

Bakare explained that she was a prostitute in Lekki where she was making up to N5,000 per day until about two years ago.

"I was living with a security guard in a house at Osborne in Ikoyi. The landlord of the house was out of the country. I was going from there to 'hustle' in Lekki every night.

"Raji was a good helper to me. That was why I decided to leave prostitution when he begged me. When he introduced me to armed robbery, I asked him if there would be no problem and he assured me that there would be none. When we started dating, I did not know he was an armed robber though."

Asked how much she was promised out of the N70m they were going to steal, Bakare said whatever went to her late boyfriend would have accrued to her as well.

The young lady said she learnt photography when she dropped out of secondary school but had not been able to practise the trade because she did not think she could make much money from it.

During Punch's visit to the SARS office in Abeokuta, 36-year-old Onasile, who brought the N70m job, was in a way evasive when asked how he knew about the money. He later said that an acquaintance of his, a man named Tunde, informed him about the money.

Onasile said, "Tunde is like a brother to me. He told me the man we were going to rob was his relation. He said the man had N70m at home. I told him I had no boys who could do the job. But he was always disturbing me about getting a gang together to do the operation.

"Few days later, I informed Raji about the operation and he told me he could get boys for the job. We planned to sell the vehicle we snatched after the operation but we did not know how police got to know about the operation. Tunde ran away when the police were after us."

Onasile said he was a revenue collector for a local government council in Lagos before he lost the job when a new chairman weeded out excess employees from the council.

Amosun’s planned defection will not affect Ogun APC -Party Chieftain

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Remi Bakare has said that the alleged planned defection of the state governor to another party would not affect the fortune of the ruling party in the state.
Bakare who stepped down for Amosun in 2011 governorship election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, said the party leaders were regretting the action they took by fielding Amosun as the party candidate.

Speaking with  few newsmen  yesterday, in Abeokuta,  over the crisis rocking the party in the state,  Bakare described Amosun as a stranger in the progressives party, acussing the governor of jettisoning  the party manifesto.

According to Bakare who described himself as the  better alternative to Amosun, let me tell you  that there would  probably  not have  been  opposition    in Ogun State  if those strangers had not destroyed APC.

" The truth is that,  almost everybody in Ogun State seems  to have just  one common goal and you will be shocked  that if today ,those strangers  decide to leave I can tell you almost four or five times number  that had left the party  will come back to APC.

"Whether we call it crisis or not, the truth is that we have a stranger in   the house and I see the stranger taking leave of the house very soon  when the heat is on, the heat is on already, but , when it is unbearable , the stranger will probably relocate and we will take things  from there".

While speaking  on the performance of Amosun in the last three years, Bakare, whose governorship posters  have flooded the state capital , said , yes, there  have been  massive spending on roads, but, ask yourself what is the volume of  vehicular traffic in Ogun State that justifies  such that massive construction?

"It  is like  a case of misplaced priority, when we were in Secondary School, in basic  Economy, there is something we call scarcity, choice and scales of  preference , is that what we really need in Ogun State.
Why embark on massive  road construction at the expense of education at the expense of  Health. I don't think that is the  priority, so, he must have his own  reason for choosing that as his own priority, but, that is not what people  need.

"The cost of constructing one road will employ 10, 000 people in the Civil Service and pay them for 10 years. So, there are better things we can deploy our resources on and this will  be the first government I have seen  whereby you have massive  spending going on and not yet impacting on the economy of the state .

"Let me say  this, the opposition within the party is even stronger than the  one outside, the fact remains, he is an outsider and he is  not implementing the manifesto in the party that elected him, rather, he is  doing what he wants not the party manifesto", Bakare claimed .

Via: Vanguard

Governor Kayode Fayemi has cried out to the police to come to his aid in the face of what he claimed as separate conspiracies between his two major rivals, Ayo Fayose and Opeyemi Bamidele and the police to intimidate him and his supporters.

Alleging clear bias on the part of the police, the governor in the petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone 8, also fingered Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo State and the AIG Zone 11, Osogbo who he accused of going outside his territory to foist illegal police orders in Ekiti State.
The petition dated May 27, 2014 authored on behalf of the governor by the All Progressives Congress, APC chairman in the state, Chief Olajide Awe cited several acts of intimidation by Opeyemi and Fayose against the APC and its candidate and as such listed 18 persons to be interrogated on the issues.

The petition titled: 'Complaint against incessant attacks on APC members and property in Ekiti State by agents of the PDP and LP candidates', read thus: "We write to intimate you about the political developments in Ekiti State in the build up to the gubernatorial elections on June 21. You will recall that Ekiti State under the watch of Governor Kayode Fayemi has remained relatively peaceful in the last 42 months that he has been in the saddle.

The peace of the State has however suffered a serious breach since the beginning of politicking from candidates and agents of the People's Democratic Party, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and that of the Labour Party, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele.

We also wish to intimate you with the fact that the APC successfully concluded its campaign across the 131 towns in the state without recording any incident of violence. The Governor as the Chief Security Officer of the State, and as a lover of peace, is always preaching peace wherever he goes to campaign.

Unfortunately, as the Governor strives as much as possible to ensure peace before, during and after the election, the aforementioned candidates have been frustrating his efforts. They have resolved to make the State ungovernable and present an artificial state of insecurity in the State.  Our members have been attacked in many towns where the PDP and Labour Party Candidates held their rallies.

The style of the PDP and LP candidates is usually the same. Once they are in a town, the thugs that always accompany the candidates who are mostly from outside the state would work with local thugs to unleash terror on any APC member in sight. Joints would be visited where APC members converge and would disperse them with hail of bullets. Billboards will be destroyed and our members would be maimed and sent out of town.

We chronicle below, instances where our members have been attacked, including a State Commissioner, who is over 65 years of age.

The petition also copied to the Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director, Department of State Security ended with the following prayers: 1.We want you to use your good offices to prevail on the Ekiti State Police Command to be more alive to its responsibility and be fair to all parties.

A situation where a State Commissioner was almost murdered in the presence of an Area Commander who looked the other way does not augur well for the image of the Nigerian police and can lead to a breakdown of law and order where the people would be forced to defend themselves.

2.To call the police authorities in Zone 11 in Osogbo to order because they are in the habit of clandestinely releasing policemen to the candidate of the Labour Party through the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Raman Olusegun Mimiko. The AIG of that zone is also in the habit of sending policemen to harass APC officials in Ekiti-State even though the state does not fall under his jurisdiction.

3. We want your command to appeal to the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to stop using the policemen in his convoy as cover for thugs and other miscreants who are not licensed to carry arms but do so regularly. They are the thugs that have been terrorizing the State from their Akure base. A prominent commander of the thugs is  Ade Basket whose name has featured prominently in this petition.

Via: Vanguard

Chibok girls may not be found if… — Itsekiri Graduates

WARRI— THE National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG, has called on the Federal Government to ensure the release of the over 200 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram, warning that if the spate of organised protests and politicisation of the abduction were not properly managed, the girls may not be found.

President of the association, Miss Alero Tenumah, in a chat with Vanguard, said that should the release of the abducted girls be further delayed, the girls may continue to undergo trauma that may affect their psyche even when they eventually regain freedom.

Tenumah said: "While the Federal Government should sharpen its intelligence machinery in the fight against terrorism, the security agencies should make sure that our territorial borders, especially the ones with Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic are properly protected."

Via: Vanguard

Father, son, 11 others gang-rape two teenagers

Malaysian police have arrested at least 13 people, including a father and his two sons, over the alleged gang-rape of two teenage girls, an officer said Friday.

The girls — aged 15 and 17 — were raped on May 20 for hours by a group of men in an abandoned hut in the northern state of Kelantan, Lai Yong Heng, the state's director of crime investigation, said.

Police have arrested 13 men, aged from 15 to 38, and are looking for "a few more" in connection with the gang-rape, he added.

Lai dismissed early reports that almost 40 people took turns in the rape, saying it was fewer but that some raped the girls more than once.

"It's definitely more than 10. We are still investigating," he told AFP.

All those detained are from the same village, where the assault took place, and some are related, Lai said. Most of them were believed to have been on drugs, and the girls were lured to the hut.

Suri Kempe, an official with women's rights group Sisters in Islam, said the frequent number of rape cases being reported was "extremely worrying".

"Boys are being raised in a culture where being masculine means being aggressive, and that it's perfectly acceptable to use violence to get what you want," she said in a statement.

Almost 3,000 rape cases were reported in 2012 in the Southeast Asian country of 28 million people, according to police statistics, with many of the victims aged 16 and below.

But activists say many more cases go unreported due to a continuing stigma for rape victims in the Muslim-majority country.

Via: Vanguard

Emir killed as terrorists ambush Borno monarchs

Gunmen suspected to be members of dreaded Boko Haram ambushed the emirs of Askira, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibn Muhammed Askirama II, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, Gwoza and that of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza II along Gombi-Garkida-Biu road in the early hours of Friday when they were travelling to attend the burial of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar who died in a London Hospital on Tuesday evening.

Unconfirmed report and sources said, the Emir of GWOZA died during the attack while that of Askira and Uba narrowly escaped death, even as report indicated that many entourages of the emirs are still missing when the gunmen opened fire on their convey at about 8am.

Gwoza Council Area is South and about 140 kilometres away from Maiduguri, while Askira /Uba is South and about 160 kilometres drive from Maiduguri.

It was gathered that the two first class emirs of Gwoza and that of Uba were travelling in the same vehicle when the terrorists struck.
Details later

Via: Vanguard

Nollywood stars march for release of Chibok girls

Lagos – Some Nollwood stars led by Patience Ozokwor on Thursday marched from Allen Avenue to Alausa Secretariat soliciting for the release of the kidnapped Chibok school girls.

The actors included Chinedu Ikedieze, popularly known as Aki, Ejiro Okurame, Mercy Aigbe, Femi Ogedengbe, Thelma Okaz and Tony Akposhere.

Nollywood celebrity Patience Ozokwor, aka Mama G, pleads for the release of the more than 200 abducted Chibok school girls in Lagos on May 29, 2014, during a demonstration by civil society groups and celebrities of the film and entertainment industries to press for the girls' release, seven weeks after their abduction by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, and on the occasion of Nigeria's Democracy Day. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan vowed on May 29 total war against terrorism as the country's security forces stepped up efforts to rescue more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists 45 days ago. AFP PHOTO

They said the march was their own way of celebrating the Democracy Day because they were unhappy that the kidnapped school children were still being held by the Boko Haram sect.

The actors, who marched with various placards with various inscriptions asking for the release of the girls, were addressed by the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

They pleaded for the release of the girls by the Boko Haram sect.

Ikuforiji assured the rally that government was doing its best to get the girls released.

He said that the public might not be aware of things that were being done to release the girls but that government was alive to its responsibilities.

He commended the actors for having the nation at heart and joining in the clamour for the release of the girls.

Ikuforiji assured them that he would take their request to the government and thanked them for their efforts.

NAN reports that some other professional bodies including hairdressers and tailors also joined the actors in the rally.

Via: (NAN)

125 Nigerian students Receive full scholarship to attend Northeastern

125 college students from Nigeria who received full scholarships from the Nigerian government will be attending college in Boston in the fall. The students are set to attend Northeastern University, and roughly half of them arrived in Boston on Monday May 26th.

The U.S. Pathway Program, which consists of a consortium of American universities offering an academic preparation program that becomes a pathway to a college degree, and the Nigerian government are working to fund the students' scholarships, which include money for tuition, books, room and board. Continue…

Fifty-three of the 125 students selected to participate in the program arrived in Boston on Monday accompanied by a Nigerian presidential adviser. They wore green and white colored scarves that represented the Nigerian flag. The students came from some of the most deprived regions of Nigeria, according to a press release about the program.

The soon-to-be Northeastern attendees are required to complete a summer bridge term at Northeastern before they join the University's sophomore class in the fall.

‘Nollywood films sending positive, negative messages to viewers’

Abuja – As the entertainment industry grows in leaps and bounds in the last decade, Nigerians with the passion for Nollywood films now hold divergent views about its impact on the general society, economy, social and the political class.

Nollywood in particular, has achieved a significant feat (behind India's Bollywood) in the global film markets, in terms of volume of production.

Therefore, stakeholders in the movie industry on Wednesday in Abuja expressed different shades of opinion on the impact of the industry.

Some of the stakeholders who spoke stressed both the pros and cons of Nollywood films in Nigeria.

Mr Kayode Aiyegbusi, Head, Performing Arts Department of Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture, said that Nollywood films were sending positive and negative messages to the viewers.

According to him, the movie industry is one that can break all kinds of barriers with the different messages in the films such as race, insecurity, and religion, among others.

Aiyegbusi said that the industry had not been doing enough in sending the right messages on issues that affected the society.

" I have been fortunate to be outside this country, where people were talking about Nigerian movies.

" The impression is that all our movies are targeted at witches, nudity, bad mothers-in-law, 419, rituals, money rituals and all sorts of negative things, '' he said.

He urged movie producers to produce movies that would reflect the good of the country and not to further give it a degrading image.

Mr Gabriel Enwerem, a teacher at Nurl Bayan International Academy, Wuse, Zone 5 Abuja, said that movies were being produced to entertain the audience.

Enwerem, however, said that movies should be geared to entertain and educate the audience on issues happenings in the society.

Mrs ifeyinwa Omowole, a journalist, described Nollywood as an industry which had gone very far and had achieved success in the branding, re-branding and shaping of Nigeria society.

She gave credence to Nollywood for projecting the Nigerian culture and image both at home and abroad, ranging from language to dressing and food.

Omowole said that Nigerian women were not portrayed decently in the movies; this was why some of them were dressing half-clad in the movie.

According to her, this has made some women to be dressing indecently in the real life, emulating what they are viewing in the Nollywood.

Also speaking, Mr paul Dung, a student of the University of Abuja, described Nollywood as a medium through which the image of Nigeria was being portrayed.

He said that Nollywood had assisted some people to be gainfully employed.

Mrs Bukola Adewumi, a civil servant, said the industry had not been producing movies with morals, rather it had promoted foreign culture and nudity in the name of fashion.

Adewumi called on government to impose sanctions on movies that promoted vices that tarnished the image of the country.

He suggested that government should ensure that movies were screened before releasing them for public consumption.

Hajia Sani, a civil servant, said that most Nollywood films highlighted vices in the society without proffering solutions to them.

She said this was more often than not the fault of the script writers rather than that of the actors.

She said that producers were more interested to produce movies that would attract consumers' interests rather than what would portray the good image of the society.

" I am highly disappointed by lack of professionalism of the actors. There is more to acting than appearances.

" In the past, there were movies like Mirror in the Sun, Village Headmaster, Itchoku, Magana Jarice that were well written, very professional as the actors were screened and cast for their roles,'' she said.

According to her, these are the lifeline for social broadcasting; families look forward to these programmes.

"We need to bring in more professionals to change the face of Nollywood and by extension, the face of Nigeria,'' Sani said. (NAN)

Uncertainty trails Nigeria’s digital broadcast migration

As the clock ticks towards the International Telecommunications Union, ITU's 2015 deadline for countries to switch over to digital broadcasting, there is palpable fear among stakeholders in Nigeria over the possibility of the country to meet the deadline.

This is following skepticism from the two important stakeholders in the process- the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC and the Broadcasters.

While NBC reminds that a whole lot of funds, which it does not have at the moment, was needed to pull the switching through, broadcasters doubt government's sincerity about the whole project, since many states and federal government establishments were still   ordering for analogue equipment, few months to the migration date.

At a Digital Migration Summit, in Lagos, organized by the NBC, Director General of the Commission Mr. Emeka Mba stated categorically that switching to the digital platform of broadcasting is not a tea party but a process that requires several billions of Naira to accomplish.

He however regretted that the commission does not have the kind of funds       needed at the moment to accomplish the task, stating that despite the obvious consequencies of failure, heavens will not fall if the country does not meet the migration deadline.

Although Mba was not making case for failure, he played down on the impression that any country that does not meet up with the deadline may lose her right of place in the scheme of things.

"The heavens will not fall if Nigeria fails to meet the deadline. Yes, there are implications like signal interference, missing out on new business opportunities that may spring up due to digitization and the country not being able to compete strongly in the global digital arena, but we will still move on as a country.

"Even if everything were to be in place as we hope it will be, switch off will not happen until we are sure there is near equal penetration of digital broadcasting to the current analogue system. At least 80 percent of homes will get the digital set boxes before we switch off permanently. If we do not get this till the due date, we may run a simulcast system where the digital and analogue systems operate simultaneously"

He hinted that the Commission was making some alternative arrangements to muscle funds necessary to push the project, hoping that things would work out at the end of the day.

However, despite hopes Mba relieved, other information that unfolded at the event, created additional fears that the road may not be smooth, after all.

For instance, when confronted on the issue of appropriating requisite funding for the commission to carry out a smooth task, deputy chairman, senate committee on information, Senator Bello Tukur, expressed concerns that the national assembly was not doing anything currently towards appropriation of requisite funding to support digital migration process.
He categorically stated that "the 2014 appropriation bill has not been signed into law and there are lots of reasons for the delay. We budget on the basis of what we have and the revenues we earn.

"But, for the digitisation project, it depends on how you present your case to the house. You can still make representations even if it means going through special funds."

As if that was not enough heart- break, deputy chairman, Radio, Television and Theatre Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), Mr. Sunday Olu Jetro, reminded the audience that "even as we speak, there is no legislation backing the digitisation process in the country.

I have my reservations about government's sincerity towards actualising the digital migration. State governments have not made commitment to digitization; in fact, many state governments are still placing orders for analogue transmitters. I think we should also take another look at the dangers of switching over without the enabling law in a country yet to distinguish between politics and governance."

Despite these perceived setbacks, there were some real inroads the Commission seemed to have made so far towards achieving the mandate.

Chairman of the digiteam- a body formed by the commission, to oversee processes to digitization, Mr Edward Amana, hinted on a white paper on the digitisation process which stressed the use of NTA as signal carrier for transmission.

To that extent, he informed that the Commission has created a new NTA which would transmit digital contents of all operators equitably without discrimination and at a price to be regulated by the NBC.

He also stated that as a caution, the commission has also decided to later license more two content carriers to ensure that NTA does not operate like a monopoly.
Amana also revealed that the commission has concluded plans to license a signal distributor which already, 19 companies have expressed interest.

According to him, nine out of these 19 have been prequalified, out of which only one will emerge as signal distributor.

Earlier, Mba had hinted that the NBC was planning to set up a broadcasting fund to drive content development in the sector, adding that NBC was weighing the option of multi-lateral funding agency at single digit interest rates to help stabilize the sector.

Meanwhile, he called on all broadcasters to dismiss fears and support the digitization process, saying that the digitization pilot scheme which is billed to happen in Jos June 5, 2014, will determine how far the reinvention of television in Nigeria through digital transmission will go.

Via: Vanguard

Emir of Gombe dies at 76

Gombe – The Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar, has died at the age of 76.

A statement signed by the Secretary to the Gombe State Government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Bage, said the emir died at a London hospital on Tuesday.

Bage said burial arrangements of the emir would be announced later by the government.

Born in Doma area of Gombe metropolis in 1938, Abubakar attended Elementary School and Bauchi Middle School.

He also attended Barewa College, Zaria in Kaduna State.

The emir started his working career as Engineering Assistant with the defunct Gombe Native Authority.

He later proceeded to the Technical Training Centre, Kaduna Institute of Administration.

Abubakar also worked with the defunct Northern Nigeria, North Eastern Government and the defunct Bauchi State Government where he rose to the rank of a Permanent Secretary, Parastatals, Local governments, Animals, Forestry and Establishment.

He succeeded his late father as the 10th Emir of Gombe in 1984, and was the Chairman, Gombe State Council of Emirs and Chiefs before his death. (NAN)

Via: Vanguard

Nollywood star seeks support for FG’s transformation of entertainment industry

Lagos – Miss Moji Olaiya, a Nollywood actress, on Monday called on stakeholders in the entertainment sector to support the Federal Government's Transformation Agenda.

Olaiya  in Lagos said that every Nigerian should be an entertainment ambassador.

She said Nigerians should create opportunities through attitudes geared towards the promotion of African music and culture.

Moji Olaiya

"The entertainment practitioners have to encourage tourists to visit Africa because earnings, revenues and resources are meagre and highly competitive.

"It is only when you attract them through quality songs and services that tourists and visitors will patronise Africa and increase our revenue earnings.

"So, it is high time the entertainers encouraged visitors and tourists to patronise the industry by producing quality songs and rendering good services required by foreigners,'' Olaiya said.

She said that the development of the entertainment industry was the collective responsibility of all.

Olaiya called on Nigerians in general to also join forces in making the entertainment transformation agenda of the Federal Government a reality.

She urged entertainment practitioners to partner with the Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP), to re-invent and reposition the industry for sustainable national economic growth.

Olaiya said that the entertainment industry would develop, if the Federal Government pays adequate attention to the sector.

"The industry will fetch the government huge revenue, if well funded.

"Adequate funding will make the Nollywood industry compete with its foreign counterparts on a near equal footing, " she added. (NAN)

VIDEO : See What UNN girls Do to Guys

Intelligent and beautiful girl on Campus begging a guy to be her boyfriend. Wonderful tho lol

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Credit: Akpraise

Confab: Clark, canvass pragmatic approach to addressing environmental pollution

Abuja – An elders statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, and some delegates at the ongoing National Conference have called for a pragmatic approach to tackle environmental challenges in the country.

The delegates made their positions known on Monday in Abuja while commenting on the report of the Conference Committee on Environment.

They underscored the urgent need for the development of the environment and the payment of compensation to communities that had suffered environmental pollution over the years.

Clark called for the cleaning of those areas, particularly communities in the Niger Delta region which had been polluted due to exploration activities.

"We, in the riverine areas, sit on drums of water but we have no water to drink or to cook.

"When I was young, all I needed to do was to put a plate or a pot inside water and fishes will come inside.

"Today, I observe that my people now eat iced fish, which was never known in our area before the exploration of oil.

"Even the mango trees that were very strong are all withering away; the ecosystem is bad; there is nothing we have in our area again, including farming.

"Recently, Chevron equipment in the area got burnt and the fire went on for three months.

''Up till today, the host community affected has been begging Chevron to pay them some compensation," he said.

Another delegate, Dr Abiola Akiyode, a delegate representing Civil Society Organisations, underscored the need to build the capacity of courts in the country, to properly handle environmental issues.

She equally proposed greater participation of women in the planning and management of issues concerning the environment.

"There is the need to build the capacity of our courts to handle environmental issues.

"I  also propose greater participation of women and other key groups in the planning, management and preservation of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources at all levels," she said.

On his part, Mr Godswill Iyoke, a delegate representing Christian leaders, called for the prohibition of indiscriminate sinking of boreholes because of its adverse effects on the soil.

"There should be prohibition of indiscriminate sinking of boreholes because of its adverse effect on boreholes."

In the same vein, Dr Hannatu Ibrahim, a delegate representing  Gombe State,  said  adequate attention should be paid to states, particularly Gombe State that faced problems of erosion and flooding.

"Gombe is one of the states faced with the problem of erosion, flood disaster and the resettling of refugees.

"This has added to maternal mortality rate because they are faced with diseases because of poor hygiene,'' she said. (NAN)

How To Fight Boko Haram Problems In Nigeria - Sat Guru Maharaj Ji

The Spiritual leader of One Love Family, Sat Guru Maharaj Ji says the best way to tackle the Boko Haram insurgence in the country is for people to go back to their various traditions and cultures.

 In an interview with City People this week, Maharaj Ji said the intervention of the international community was a welcomed idea and that it would make the fight against Boko Haram a lot easier because unlike Nigerians, the foreigners know that there is a Christ of this age, that is him (Maharaj Ji), walking on the planet and so carrying him along in the fight would bring a stop to acts of terrorism.

 Read excepts from the interview;

Asked what his take is on the present state of insecurity in Nigeria, Maharaj Ji said;

"Very simple. Because there is no security challenge per say, except for the fact that the Northern oligarchy believes Nigeria belongs to them. They don't believe in anybody whether you are from the South-South, South-East or South-West. They feel that Nigeria is an Hausa country and it is not, we have three regions.

We have major tribes. Yoruba in the South-West, Ibo in the South-East, then the South-South the Ijaws etc. The North must accept that Ibo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo...we are all one Nigeria, that is what is worrying them. Then again, religion. They should know that God has no religion. The only religion of God is accepting you the way you are. If I don't accept you, how will the place be okay for us?
He also spoke on the assistance being rendered to Nigeria by the international community, saying there is no shame in asking for help.

"There is no problem asking for what you need if you don't have it. No country has exclusive power over improvement in technology. There is no how under the present conditions Nigerians should fear asking the Americans for help or the British or the Germans. If there is going to be any fear, it is still going to be from the north. At the beginning, our fathers just gave in like that, but this time, we are not going to give in, no more. The only solution to Boko Haram menace is for us to go back to our traditions and culture. This time we have to go into tradition and culture to find the real ideal power to be able to sort or mediate and get things sorted out. People should not be afraid. They are going to assist.

 They are going to help and I know that. If I look at it from the higher point of view, it is time for them too to come and tap from the special grace from Nigeria because they unlike our people know that there is a Christ of this age walking on planet earth and so this situation is for them to carry him along so that all these up and downs, crises in all these places could actually stop" he said.

Sat Guru Maharaj Ji also spoke on the Super Eagles going for the World Cup. He said they can win the World cup only if they stay away from wearing blue pants throughout the competition.

"I have given my recommendations and I don't know how Nigerians feel about it. I have told them that they can win this cup if they stop using blue jersey. They have accepted but what about blue pants? They should do away with it. Keshi must inspect all the pants they are wearing. I am begging them throughout this competition, its a national affair and not Super Eagles of Lagos but Super Eagles of Nigeria" he said...

 

How i Moved From Bad Boy To The Good Guy – Actor Chidi Mokeme

Nollywood actor, Chidi Mokeme, has denied being a bad boy the way his roles might portray him to be because there is always a transition and there had been many different transitions in the course of his career.


According to the actor, you can't compare modeling with movie. As a model, there is a certain look you must always wear. But movies, the impression is that it is either this guy is a nice looking play boy or the other way round. These two personalities have the same look, but they are just different mentally.

The actor stated that the fastest role one can get when coming into the movie industry is the muscle or bad guy roles.

Chidi stated that he wanted to play the lead role, but there was something holding him back, and that was physique and looks. Adding that he had to change that and stop going to the gym, stopped wearing my folded T-shirts. "I started wearing nice shirts that made me look so cool. Then I started looking more like the play boy, so I started losing the bodyguard roles and I got more nice boy roles. It was just different transitions."

We will not negotiate with criminals, says Senate President

The Senate President, David Mark, has restated Federal Government's  resolve to fight insurgency and other security challenges, saying government will not negotiate with criminals.

Mark stated this in Ikom at an empowerment programme organised by the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, for his constituents in the Cross River Central Senatorial District.

According to the Senate President, the Federal Government has the resources to deal with insurgency, criminals and those blackmailing it.

"Anytime I have an opportunity in these times to make a comment, I take pains to say something very important. This government will not yield to blackmail.

"This government cannot negotiate with criminals and this government will not exchange people for criminals, a criminal will be treated like a criminal.

"This government will, at no distant time, bring the issue of Boko Haram and insecurity in the northern part of this country to a long term and logical conclusion.

"We will mobilise all resources. If people declare war on us, we will also declare war on them.

"If Boko Haram and their supporters are not ready for peace, we will be glad to deal with them in the manner people deal with terrorists and insurgents. It is not by negotiation,'' Mark said.

He expressed happiness that a cordial relationship exists between Ndoma-Egba and Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River.

The Senate President said the Senate Leader had attracted meaningful, sustainable development and empowerment programmes to the state.

Mark said if Ndoma-Egba was re-elected for another term at the Senate, he would no doubt attract more of such empowerment programmes to the state.

"I have not come here for a campaign. We are here to support Ndoma-Egba. There are two persons who make the Senate a very important institution in our democracy and very stable.

"These are the Deputy President and the Leader of the Senate,'' he said.

In his remarks, Imoke urged legislators from the state to engage in meaningful and sustainable empowerment programmes as well as give a good account of themselves.

"This is what the Senate Leader has done today. We want to see sustainable empowerment. He has made us proud at the National Assembly.

"Nigerians should continue to give our leaders all the support they need to succeed, to avoid distractions in their resolve to deliver on their mandate.''

Earlier, Ndoma-Egba had said the empowerment programme was the fifth this year in the health, education and agricultural sectors in his constituency.

"We have been giving out cars before now. Today, we are giving out 50 cars, a number of oil mills, a number of corn mills, and video viewing centres.

"We have done our scholarship for last year and we are doing more this year,'' he said.

Ndoma-Egba urged those yet to benefit from the empowerment programme to be patient as their turn would certainly come "for the rain to fall on you''.

Also speaking at the occasion, the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji  Adamu Mu'azu, said the party was happy that its representatives had been "building structures which promote the well-being of our people and democracy''.

"Through this, we will keep democracy alive. We should continue to empower people, promote goodwill and support government,'' he said.

Mu'azu was represented by Dr Steve Oru, the PDP Chairman (South-South).

The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and the Chairman of PDP in Cross River, John Okon, among other dignitaries.(NAN)

Nyako’s Impeachment: N250m donation splits Adamawa House of Assembly

Trouble is said to be brewing in Adamawa State House of Assembly over the alleged disbursement of  N250 million to facilitate the impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako.

The money, it was alleged, was to be shared to the 25 members to ginger them to impeach the governor, who, recently, accused President Goodluck Jonathan of committing genocide against the North in the name of fighting terrorism.

Each member of the House was to receive N10 million of the money said to have been given to a  member of the Adamawa House of Assembly by a popular governor in the country.

The officer, who collected the money, allegedly shortchanged the lawmakers by paying them N8 million each and pocketing the balance. Besides, the plot to oust Nyako was said to have suffered a setback when four of the members rejected the largesse, insisting that they could not work against the governor, who brought them into limelight. Apart from the four members, who rejected the alleged bribe, six others, who allegedly collected,  have reportedly sworn not to jump on the bandwagon to remove Nyako, leaving the impeachment protagonists in a dilemma.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the rejection of the money by the four and refusal of the six others to be part of the plot to remove Nyako is causing unease in the PDP in Adamawa State.
A source told Sunday Vanguard that to be able to remove Nyako, the lawmakers needed 17 members to make up the two thirds majority required by law.

The move to oust the governor intensified last week when the Speaker of the House threatened to declare vacant the seat of any member, who refuses to join the PDP.
Under the circumstance, four members who were in the opposition APC immediately switched their membership to the PDP, making the entire membership of the house to belong to the party.

It will be recalled that before Nyako defected to the APC last December, his former party, the PDP, had 21 members with the former ACN, having three and the defunct CPC, with one member. It was learnt that six candidates, including the deputy governor of the state, Bala  James Ngillari, had already positioned themselves as potential successors to Nyako.

 

You might also like

• House of Reps members vote in new Speaker
• I'd rather be mise

Via: Vanguard

Shocking News: 22yr old mother sells her one-month old baby for N430k in Onitsha

22 year old Chinelo Huma, (pictured above), who got pregnant while she was engaged in prostitution, sold her 1-month baby for N430,000. She, alongside 3 others, have been arrested by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Enugu State Police Command.

Sunday Sun reports;

Three other women, Nkechi Ugochukwu, Maria Asomba and Esther Obi, who allegedly played roles in the sale of the baby were traced to Onitsha, Anambra State and arrested by the police.

Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu who disclosed this, toldSunday Sun that Huma got pregnant while prostituting. Her boyfriend who was not quite ready to bear the responsibility of fatherhood rejected Huma's pregnancy.

Incidentally, Huma already had two children, who were being cared for by her mother. So having another child out of wedlock was not an idea that appealed to her one bit and she decided to relieve herself of the burden of caring for the baby.

Her words:

"I am a prostitute. When I became pregnant and it was close to nine months, my boyfriend rejected it. I decided to sell the baby. When I gave birth on April 13, 2014, one lady whose name is Maria Asomba, arranged for the baby to be sold to Mrs. Nkechi Ugochukwu, and she paid N430, 000, but Asomba gave me N150,000.

"When the police arrested Ugochukwu, I told them I didn't want the baby again, because I already have two children and my mother is taking care of them."

Adamu explained that 43-year-old Ugochukwu had for long desired to have a child of her own but was unable to conceive. The arrangement to source the baby was facilitated by one Esther Obi, who nursed the newborn for two weeks before handing her over to Ugochukwu.

The Commissioner of Police further revealed that Asomba, 35, specialized in looking recruiting pregnant ladies that were willing to dispose of their babies after giving birth.

The police learnt about the ignoble act, Adamu said the Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Supol Gloria Udoka (DSP) and her team swung into action and traced the suspects to a jungle in Onitsha, where the one-month old was rescued. The police team also arrested Ugochukwu.
Giving more insight to the sordid affair, the deputy head of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Supol Anyai Dennis (CSP) expressed disgust that even after the baby was recovered, Huma insisted she didn't want to keep the baby.

Supol Dennis added that Ugochukwu was reluctant to hand over the baby as she had led her neighbours to believe she had given birth and would feel a deeply embarrassed, given that she had made arrangements for the baby already named as Chinasa.

Expressing her pain at the turn of events, Ugochukwu lamented:

"I have been barren for years and I needed a child. My husband's kinsmen have been maligning and making jest of me because I don't have a child. I borrowed N430,000 to buy the child; my husband is aware of the baby. The baby was brought to me on April 17, 2014. When I took the baby to my compound all my neighbours congratulated me over the new baby; policemen came and took the baby from me. I don't want my money back. I need the baby. I have named the baby Chinasa and I am already planning to dedicate her in church."

That desire now appears to be a pipe dream as the Commissioner of Police has given a firm assurance that all the suspects would be charged to court soon for human trafficking.



Source: Sunday Sun

Expert expresses doubts over Boko Haram sanctions

Boko Haram is probably beyond the reach of global sanctions, but attempts to curb the Nigerian Islamists' reign of terror is an indication of growing international commitment, analysts said.

The United nations, UN, Security Council, last week, designated the extremist group as an Al-Qaeda-linked organisation, cementing long-held suspicions of its ties to militants in the global jihadi movement.

However, in spite of sanctions designed to cut off overseas funding and support for the sect, which kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls last month, there are doubts about what impact they might have on the ground.

"Boko Haram has for several years now existed beyond the formal parameters where an arms embargo or asset-freeze would affect the group," Jacob Zenn, from the Jamestown Foundation think-tank in the United States, told AFP.

 

Via: Vanguard