Tunde Ogunbitan's blog

Nigeria Labour Congress in Ekiti State says Fayose owes workers 8-months salary

2017-10-01T05:40:00.002-07:00

The State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Ekiti State, Ade Adesanmi has disagreed with Governor Ayodele Fayose that workers in Ekiti are owed only four months’ salaries.

He said state workers were owed about eight months’ salaries. Fayose had, while appearing on a television station interview programme in Lagos on Thursday, claimed that workers were owed just four months’ salaries.

Reacting to the claim on Saturday, Adesanmi said different categories of workers in Ekiti were owed between five and eight months’ salaries.

'As we speak, the civil servants are owed five months’ salary arrears; local government, eight months’ salaries; and institutions like College of Education, Ikere, College of Heath Technology, Ijero and Ekiti State Universities are owed Seven months' salaries' he said.

My Parents joked about dying together and it happened - Toke Makinwa

2017-10-01T05:33:00.002-07:00

In her book 'On Becoming', Toke Makinwa revealed how a gas cylinder leak led to the fire incident that killed her parents when she was just 8-years-old.

Yesterday, she tweeted that before the ugly incident happened, her parents once joked about

dying together and it eventually happened.

According to her, 'they joked about dying together, perfect ride/die and it happened. They were buried side by side'.

Her father, Caleb Ifemayowa Makinwa was 35 while her mother, Modupe Monica Makinwa died at the age of 34.

Photos: Nigerian man falls from fifth floor while trying to evade arrest during police raid in Malaysia

2017-10-01T05:30:00.001-07:00

A Nigerian man on Saturday, September 30, fell from the fifth floor while trying to evade the police at Flora Damansara apartments in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

The unnamed Nigerian said to be in his 30's, who broke his hand and nose during the fall, was among 51 foreigners nabbed in the Ops Black Flora on Friday.

Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat said 171 foreigners were screened during the

raid that lasted from 7pm to 11pm.

"Out of the 51 who were arrested, eight were women. The majority of them are from Nigeria while the others are from Nepal, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Kenya and Uganda," he told a press conference.

Ten of those arrested tested positive for drugs. The raid, conducted following complaints by residents of illegal activities at the apartments, involved over 400 personnel from the police, Immigration Department and the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council.

However, some residents said the raid was "unnecessarily heavy handed."

Frances Tan, 34, from Penang said the manner in which her Cameroonian husband of six years was hauled off, despite having proper travel documents, was too much.

"They took him away like a criminal in front of our two children. I told them that checking his documents is fine and there was no need to treat him like that but they refused to listen," she said.

Tan said her husband, Ngan David Pagbe, 40, a professional basketball player in the Urban KL Basketball league was leaving the house for a match when he was detained.

'Someone I'm yet to meet paid my tuition through university' - Nigerian graduate shares touching story

2017-10-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

This is quite an inspiring story by this Reedemers University graudate who narrated how a stranger paid her tuition from her 200-level days till she graduated.

Read her story below....

Let me tell you a short story...
You see when I got admission to study in Redeemer's university, I was so indifferent; happy & sad.. Happy because I finally got admission, sad because we couldn't afford a school that expensive..

Well, Ayo Olubiyo said hopefully he'd pay, so 100level first semester he paid... Then second semester came, that was when it dawned on me that man can only propose but God will surely be the one to do it, somehow my uncle could not pay so my friends had to start calling their parents and Boom I paid for my second semester 100level.. "How do I continue lord?? I can't drop out!! This would be a shame for me lord" these and many other thought were running through my head because it was so obvious that I could not further after my year one.. After last paper for 100l second semester, I decided to stay four days extra and do something.. I went to the auditorium on Redemption camp and did something that I never thought I had the strength to do.. I walked round that large auditorium SEVEN good times without stopping for once and I prayed my eyes out, at some points I could not even walk again so I started crawling, yes I crawled, Lol.. While doing this I had just one prayer in my mouth, "Lord, I DON'T want to drop out of school"

That's the one day I would never forget. I cried, prayed, cried, prayed... Well, the last walk to the auditorium, I fell asleep.. Woke up and went to my hostel, then came back the next day and the third day.. So I told myself "it haff do" Lol.. Then went home..

It was time to resume for 200level and I could not resume with my friends by this time Festus Ayo Olubiyo had already put his car up for sale to pay for my tuition. (My Gee) 8 weeks after my mates were in school receiving lectures, I was home (Lol) my friends had to go beg the porters to let me stay in the hostel because exams were fast approaching.
I was allowed to enter the hostel and go for classes with the hope that before exams festus would get someone to buy the car and I'd pay before exams.. But God who works in a mysterious way did something..

One week after I resumed without paying (making the 9th week) I was in my room when my Friend's mom; One week after I resumed without paying (making the 9th week) I was in my room when my Friend's mom; Mrs Adelaja, called me and said I should send some documents to one particular email address.. So I did. (This is the best part of my story)

So two days later, I got a call that changed my story.. The one phone call that paid my school fees from my second year to my final year, the one phone call that made me not to drop out of school, the phone call that sounded so gentle but had so much impact in my life, The phone call that I'm yet to meet the person behind those calls.. Yes.... Someone called me and said "is this Lois? I got the document you sent two days ago" that was it.. And this voice started paying my school fees from that day till my last semester.. MRS DARE AJENI who I'm yet to meet paid my school fees.. Hehe

I'm sure you would think I'm lying but the truth is when God decides to favour you, it would seem like a lie. Well, I DON'T KNOW MY SPONSOR and she doesn't know me as well.. All she knows is my name and school. Yes that is favour. It could have only been God... Thank you so much Mrs Adelaja, Mrs Dare, Festus Ayodeji and to all my friends who stood by me when it was so demn tough.. Note: I need to save up a lot and go look for my sponsor in Canada... But if you have her picture biko send it to me oh. Lol.. Every other person who contributed Earnestly to my success today.. I'm deeply grateful to you all.. Same to my other uncles.. God bless them. I love you mom..

Police Uncovers Kidnapper Evan's Alleged Multi-million Naira Truck Company

2017-10-01T05:09:00.000-07:00

As Nigerians await the trial of notorious kidnapper and billionaire Chukwudumeme Onwumadike Aka Evans, policemen attached to the IGP Intelligence Response Team(IRT) have uncovered a truck yard which he acquired from the proceeds of kidnapping.

This is even as police detectives have arrested Evans’ secretary, Ngozika Ezeokoye who went into hiding as soon as she learnt that police had nabbed her employer.

Evans had confessed to the police that he used the proceeds from kidnapping to establish several businesses including a haulage company that has not less than 10 trucks. He was said to have accessed the financial worth of some of his victims who patronised his haulage company.

He also told the police that four of the most recent trucks acquired were got from the N150million ransom paid by one of his victims, Pharmacist Donatus Duno.

Now in police custody, Ngozika insisted that she never knew that her boss was into kidnapping. “I used to work with a bank till I retired because of the poor condition of work. I got a job with CMT motors in 2015. Initially, our warehouse was in Apapa till they moved us to 235 Ago Palace way in Okota in 2016. My job was to take note of trucks that go to work, their destination and amount due for each trip. The company has eleven trucks and all the vehicles original documents in my possession. The name of my boss is George Onwuamadike and every money is paid into Chinwuba multi trade limited.

I was paid N70,000 a month. I only knew about it on TV. I did not run away, I only travelled to visit my Uncle in the village when I received a call that I should bring the documents. I was planning to come to Lagos when the police arrested me.

From Sunnews

Facebook, Google, Others Confirm Nigeria’s Requests for User Information

2017-10-01T04:49:00.001-07:00

A new report has confirmed what many Nigerians have long suspected to be true: that the federal government is spying on its citizens through the social media and email accounts.

The report titled, “The Growing Trend of African Government’s Requests for User Information and Content Removal from Internet and Telecoms Companies,” was released last month by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) established under the Catalysing Access to Information and

Communications Technologies in Africa (CATIA) initiatives funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).
The organisation analysed transparency reports released by telecommunications and social media companies.
The reports by these companies including Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Twitter and others showed that there has been a surge in African governments’ requests for user information.
According to the report, African governments’ requests are for subscribers’ data, content preservation, and content removal.Facebook listed Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Sudan as the African countries that made the highest requests.The social media giant said that the government of Nigeria had specified the highest number of user information on its user information requests with 113 accounts.
South Africa made 32 requests for user accounts, Egypt (31) and Sudan (24).Facebook said that Nigeria also made requests for content in six user accounts to be preserved.It said that Nigeria made requests for 96 users’ information during the second half of 2015, meaning that the requests were made after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015.
The report stated: “It is worth noting that the number of requests to Facebook by African governments is small when compared to the United States of America which made nearly 50,000 user information requests relating to over 80,000 user accounts and 69,437 preservation requests in 2016.
“Facebook’s compliance rate with the U.S.’ requests last year was over 80 per cent.”Tech giant, Google, also declared that Nigeria in 2015 made requests to it.
Google launched the first transparency report in 2009, followed by Twitter in 2012, and Facebook and Yahoo in 2013.The report stated: “Since 2013, Google has received user information requests from 10 African countries – Algeria, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, The Seychelles and South Africa.
“Over three years, Kenya made the highest number of user information requests to Google – 21 relating to 32 user accounts – followed by South Africa and Nigeria.
“Aside from eight requests made by the Kenya government during the second half of 2013 relating to 11 user accounts, of which Google complied with 63 per cent, all the other requests were rejected.
“Nigeria is the only government in Africa to have made a user information request to Google and it was fully complied with. The emergency disclosure request was made by the Nigerian authorities in the second half of 2016 and it related to five user accounts.
“Google had rejected all of Nigeria’s seven previous requests,” it explained.Twitter, in its transparency declaration, stated that Nigeria made three emergency requests, of which two were complied with.
It stated that the first request was made in the second half of 2015 while the second was made in the second half of 2016.Yahoo, however, did not list any request made to it by any African countries.
The report described MTN as not being transparent because it refused to provide details of requests made to it by governments of the 19 countries where it operates in Africa.
The report added: “In its 2016 Annual Sustainability Report, MTN reaffirmed its support for human rights including access to information, freedom of expression, privacy and security of its users’ communications and information.“However, the telecommunications company, one of the largest service providers in Africa with a presence in 19 countries, provides no information about how it handles requests from governments and private parties for user information or surveillance support.
“Similarly, MTN provides little information about its processes for handling such requests.
“The South Africa based company also does not disclose any data about the number of requests it receives or complies with, which places it a rank lower than the likes of Millicom, Vodafone and Orange when it comes to transparency about its policies relating to users’ freedom of expression and privacy.”
Recently, the Nigerian Army had said it was monitoring social media site as part of its surveillance programme. However, following a backlash, it recanted.

from thisdaylive

Uh-uh! Oprah Winfrey fuels rumour she's going to run for US president in 2020

2017-10-01T03:59:00.003-07:00

Back in March, billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey sparked rumors she was considering a run for the Presidency of the United States after realizing you don't need prior experience. Back then she told Bloomberg;

“I actually never thought that that was — I never considered the question even a possibility. I thought, ‘Oh gee, I don’t have the experience, I don’t know enough. And now I’m thinking, ‘Oh. Oh.’”

Last week, Oprah restarted the rumors by re-Tweeting an article calling her the Democratic Party's best hope for 2020.

Former Governor, Orji Kalu says, 'Nnamdi Kanu is in London, he went through Malaysia'

2017-10-01T03:55:00.003-07:00

The former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu has decared that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu has fled the country, following the military crackdown in the state.

Orji Kanu made the disclosure in an interview with Punchng saying the FG outlawed the activities of the IPOB because its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, ignored the elders’ advice. Speaking about his meeting with Nnamdi Kanu in the prison, he said: “I spoke with Nnamdi Kanu in the prison and gave him quality advice. I counselled him to embrace peace and agree with whatever terms that will set him free'.

Read Exceprts from the interview below...

Why did you say that the agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra cannot succeed and that what the Igbo should aim at now is to produce the president of Nigeria?

The Igbo should strive towards producing a president in the Federal Republic of Nigeria instead of agitating for the sovereign state of Biafra. I was the governor (of Abia State) for eight years and the issue of Biafra came up then. It even became a serious issue at a time that I decided to lead (Ralph) Uwazurike to see (former) President (Olusegun) Obasanjo but the former president refused to receive him. I was then surprised that the same Obasanjo was advising President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue with (Nnamdi) Kanu. That sounds very funny to my ears and I don’t believe that such statement could come from the respected elder statesman who once told me at the Villa that he will never engage in a dialogue with somebody who wanted Nigeria to break up. There are so many federal roads in the eastern part of the country that are in serious dilapidated conditions but President Buhari has been fixing some of them now. If the immediate past government led by my brother and friend, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had paid a little attention to the terrible infrastructure decay in the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones, there won’t be any form of agitation in the first instance. Some of these people involved in the Biafran agitation are doing so out of frustration. Climate change had really dealt with most communities in the South-East leading to flooding and massive erosion. So, the Igbo should produce a leader that will fix the economic and infrastructural challenges affecting not only the Igbo but the entire Nigeria.

But do you think that the agitation for Biafra will stop even with an Igbo man as president?

Biafra as a concept can never die but I want a situation whereby it will exist in the minds of everybody as an ideological issue and not as a geographical expression. The real Biafra should be a concept for development, and economic growth through planting of more agricultural trees for commercial purposes. The concept of Biafra should be on how to achieve an empowerment strategy for our people. We need a Biafran agitation that will strengthen our industrial base and bring prosperity to Nigerians. It is difficult to talk about Biafra as a republic when the Igbo are living and have investments everywhere in Nigeria. If you go to Birnin Kebbi now, the Igbo are in the majority there after the aborigines; the same is the situation in Ogbomoso, Osogbo, Kafanchan and other major towns across Nigeria. So why are we agitating for a republic? God decided to create us as Nigerians so that we can derive strength from our diversity. The young men who are championing the Biafran republic have never heard the sound of a gun before.

But you met with Nnamdi Kanu in the prison, did you explain all these things to him?

I spoke with Nnamdi Kanu in the prison and gave him quality advice. I counselled him to embrace peace and agree with whatever terms that will set him free. I also warned him against allowing his boys to be displaying Biafra flags, coat of arms, organising parades, establishing secret security service, and mounting a guard of honour. I told him that by doing all these, his group had subdued the sovereignty of Nigeria and are therefore looking for trouble. No government on earth including the United States will allow any group to be championing the cause of dividing their country. I believe most sincerely that with the situation on ground today, majority of the Igbo do not agree on the issue of Biafra as a separate country. I have heard some elite, including professors who are saying that they want Biafra but they should know that there is no way such agitation can be achieved under the law. There is no section of the Nigerian constitution where you have restructuring. There is no section that spells out the process for dividing the country. All those things are alien to the constitution. If willingly, we want to talk about constitutional amendment, then people can bring up various issues. Today, the creation of Biafra Republic is not feasible. The (Indigenous People of Biafra) boys have the right to express themselves but they do not have any right to engage in destruction of property, raping women or setting up a Biafran intelligence service. No country will allow that to happen. I am an Igbo man before being a Nigerian and I have no regrets being an Igbo man. I have lived outside Igbo land so I understand Nigeria. I sincerely want to say and maintain what I have said earlier that Biafra as a country is not an issue now. The issue is for the Nigerian government to give us justice and fairness. When some Igbo people cry of marginalisation, I tell them that if they go to other parts of the country, the people there are also crying because the story is the same. There is a wall between the rich and the poor. We don’t have any war of dialect or language. The rich people should start having a human face so that we can move the nation forward.

What was the response of Nnamdi Kanu to your explanations after your discussion with him in prison?

I will not tell you a lie. Nnamdi Kanu did not agree with me at all on my views about his activities. I did most of the talking throughout the two hours and ten minutes that I stayed with him. I told him many stories about life especially some of the stories that the Ikemba Nnewi (Odimegwu Ojukwu) told me when he was alive and also explained lot of things to him based on my experience in life but didn’t agree with me. I had to cut short my journey when I heard what was happening between his boys and the military. I returned to the country on September 14 and came straight to Abia State on the 15th to make sure that we talked to the IPOB boys so that they would stop what they were doing and allow peace to reign.

But people are saying that the Army aggravated the tension by launching the ‘Operation Python Dance.’

Nobody can say that the Army has no power to do training. Such argument is out of order. The army has the power to do training in any part of the country.

You said that majority of the Igbo do not agree with the agitation for Biafra as being championed by IPOB. Do you think that your position is justified based on the alleged foreign support that the group is receiving?

There is no foreign government that is supporting IPOB. I have consulted all the intelligence agencies in Germany, France, US, UK, China and I have discovered that there is no foreign government that is supporting Biafra. If foreign governments are supporting them, you would have seen the change in their approach and strategies. They are just using that as propaganda to deceive people. It is a lie.

There was apprehension and tension in the South-East following the military show of might in Abia State, and you offered to talk to the federal authorities to see ways of bringing about normalcy, how far have you gone in this regard?

Based on our timely intervention, the federal authorities have replaced the soldiers with the police on roads. The military are back to their barracks. Some of these things about tension are mere propaganda. Immediately I returned from the United States, I embarked on consultations. From September 15 to today, I have consulted fully with all institutions of the Federal Government involved and they all responded to my enquiries. I have since discovered that people are blackmailing the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the propaganda cannot stand. We are a nation and we must continue to live in harmony and do things the proper way. All these things are annoying.

But proponents of a Biafran nation have argued that the sovereignty of an Igbo country will bring rapid development to the people better than what they are getting under the Nigerian government.

No, no, no, nobody is talking about that. We are not talking about having a nation as the Igbo people any longer. We are talking about one nation that is one Nigeria. I know that after the war and in the process of punishing those who took active part in it, a lot of injustices have been perpetrated but we have also had opportunities as southerners to correct some of these things when our people were in power at the federal level but they failed to do anything. For example, since 1999 that Nigeria returned to democracy, there is no northern leader that has really ruled this country up to one term. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo did two terms totalling eight years, while Goodluck Jonathan did six years. One would have expected these two leaders to turn the South-East to paradise if truly the problem is between the North and the South. Roads like the Enugu-Umuahia-Okigwe-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway, Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway, Owerri to Port Harcourt, Aba, Ikot Ekpene-Calabar, Imo-Mbadon-Umuahia-Bende-Ohafia-Arochukwu-Cross River and the Okigwe-Nnewi highways. These are the roads that people are complaining about. At the moment, you can see construction work going on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, while work is also ongoing on the Awka-Onitsha Expressway. There is also work going on now on the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road. These are being done by the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Buhari. He once challenged me when I complained about the poor state of our roads. He said, “But we once had the secretary to the government of the federation, the minister of finance, minister of aviation, deputy senate president, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and many others in powerful positions but that they did nothing about the roads.” Now the minister of works has given marching orders to the contractors handling the road projects to start the jobs. If our sons and daughters who had held influential positions in the recent past had improved on the development of our area, we would not be where we are today. Sometimes, our people are fed with wrong information. We also have governors in the South-East, who didn’t really perform. If Jonathan had done these Roads, nobody would be talking about marginalisation today. If Jonathan had done the East-West road, nobody would be complaining. The problem of Nigeria is that most people who found themselves in the position of leadership were not prepared for it. You must be able to manage yourself before you manage others.

IPOB members are saying that the soldiers took Nnamdi Kanu and his parents away while the military authorities are denying it. As an Igbo leader, what is the position of things?

Kanu was not taken away by the military. Kanu went to Malaysia from where he travelled to the United Kingdom. Nnamdi Kanu is in London right now as we speak. He was not arrested by anybody. He left the country on his own. One of his relations has spoken to me and explained everything because I wanted to see him and talk to him wherever he was and see how I could meet some Federal Government officials on his issue. I also wanted to see ways of talking to the President about him, and find common ground but his family told me that he has left the country, unless they are lying to me. I believe, whether he had left the country or not, he is not with the military because I asked the Commander of the 14 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. A.K Ibrahim, who is a very fine and good soldier, well educated and dedicated, and he told me that they don’t know his whereabouts and I am sure, the Department of State Services have the same information. I also visited the commissioner of police and he said he didn’t know his whereabouts and that they are also looking for him.

What of his parents, where are they?

I don’t know. I visited them in December last year and I was not impressed with the discussion I had with the father and the mother because I expected them to have acted better. Since then, I have not visited them. I feel that they have not impressed me because they ignored my advice to them to talk to their son on the need to stay at home and avoid public outings. I said his people can continue to carry their flags around but that they should not disturb anybody again. They have a right to express themselves but that such rights should be within the limits of our constitution. They have the right to carry Biafran flags but they should do so within the limits of the constitution. Once your activities are within the limits of the law, you are in order. You cannot carry Biafra flags and be stopping vehicles and smashing their windscreens. You cannot carry Biafra (flags) and be raping young girls, you also cannot carry Biafra (flags) and be assembling young men every day. These are people who have no job and after doing that, they will go and engage in kidnapping or they will go and do armed robbery while some will go and do other things to make money. Hunger is a very terrible thing. The traders in the market have warned them to stop the nonsense they are doing. Why should you be extorting money from people in the name of Biafra agitation? They are extorting money from people in the market against their will. If the federal and state governments continue to watch and allow all these things to continue, there will be chaos in the state. If Kanu had not proved stubborn but listened to advice and kept to the rules of the court, we won’t be where we are now.

But some Igbo intellectuals and leaders have argued that Kanu has the fundamental human rights to…

Which fundamental human rights? When a court of law had given an order? It was not Justice Nyako speaking, it was the law of Nigeria speaking. If Kanu was dissatisfied with that ruling, the day he came out, he should have approached the appellate court where five justices would decide on his case. He is destroying business in Igbo land. The GDP of this area is going down every day. The people who used to come to Aba to buy shoes, dresses and all kinds of products and materials are no longer coming. There is no government that will leave a section of his country to be mismanaged this way.

Don’t you think that the decision to proscribe IPOB and tag its members as terrorists will further aggravate the tension in the land?

I really don’t understand why someone should sew uniforms for a group of boys under his control and start to make statements which he is not expected to say claiming that he disagrees with the law of the land. Disobedience to the law of the land itself can make you to be tagged as a terrorist because we have a law, the constitution. I am an Igbo man to the heart, I don’t care what anybody says, I don’t pretend and I have never asked any president to give me a job. Since I left office as governor, two presidents have approached me and offered to give me federal appointments but I rejected their offers. I even told one of them that I have a (court) case with you (your government) and he said, “Oh yes, I know about the case. It is political because I have read every file about the case.” The former president is the late Umaru Yar’Adua, may his soul rest in peace. I don’t want to go into further details because the case is still in court.

The argument of IPOB members is that tagging them as terrorists is a declaration of war against the Igbo because some armed herdsmen who are unleashing terror on innocent farmers were not tagged terrorists…..

Who tagged IPOB members as terrorists? Was it Buhari who tagged them as terrorists? The answer is no! Was it Buhari who proscribed them? The answer is no! It is only the people who live within the same enclave and area with them that said no, we will no longer collectively tolerate this (activities of IPOB members). The president has not said anything on this issue. The people are fond of attributing everything to Buhari. The governors went to Enugu for a meeting where the group was proscribed. In the first place, some of the governors mismanaged this issue. Go and ask Nwazurike, he is still alive; when he was doing this (Biafran agitation), there was a way we treated him. We gave him guidelines and warned him not do certain things. We told him (as governors then) that his group had the right to carry the (Biafran) flag but anytime they wanted to carry it, I usually invoked the law of the land and made it binding on them because that was the right thing expected of me as governor. You cannot be going to the market women to carry their foods and be eating. You cannot go to a woman selling akara with the little money on her, and carry her akara and eat. The boys would sometimes see a woman selling food by the roadside and decide to eat all her food without paying her. When I was governor, whenever such incident was brought to my attention, I usually applied the law instantly. The law is very clear. People should stop the sentiment, this is about saving this nation, it is about saving our people, it is about bringing back economic prosperity to the South-East.

What is your advice to President Buhari on the issue of the herdsmen attacks?

President Buhari has to come up fully with strong pronouncements on how the herdsmen should manage their cattle. He has scored high points in Boko Haram insurgency, and IPOB crisis. He should also address the herdsmen issue because these are some of the things that are causing dissatisfaction in the land. As the president, he should come out and put up a strategy on how the herdsmen could be put under check

When do you think the Igbo should produce the president of Nigeria, 2019 or 2023?

We have a sitting president in the All Progressives Congress and if he is not running again in 2019, the North should complete their eight-year tenure but I would advise President Buhari to run because he is entitled to a second term under the constitution.

Despite his state of health?

Are you his doctor? The man is very healthy. I told you then that he will come back healthier, you can see him now. He is back and healthy. People should stop spreading rumours about the president’s health. It is only at his will that he can decide not to run. If I was in Buhari’s position, I would contest again for a second term because other presidents before him did so as a right. There is nothing wrong with the man.

So, the Igbo should wait till 2023 to produce a president of Nigeria?

Yes. The Igbo will produce the president in 2023. If Buhari is not running in 2019, another Hausa man should be allowed to complete his second term. When Yar’Adua died, Jonathan came but if he had listened to the people’s advice, this situation will not be there because if I were Jonathan, I would have ruled for six years and allowed other people to run.

How do you think that the Igbo will be able to produce a president when the leaders are not speaking with one voice?

Other tribes have produced a president, so it is the turn of the Igbo too. Obasanjo was elected president in 1999 despite the fact that the Yoruba did not vote for him. He lost in his ward; I was there on the Election Day. So, any Igbo man that is widely accepted can be president of Nigeria. How did Obasanjo and Buhari become president? Are they better than any Igbo man? The answer is no! The issue is that if they know how they made Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari president, they should also make an Igbo man president so that there can be complete unity and we would forget about the civil war because not making an Igbo president will still remind our people that the marginalisation which started after the civil war has not ended.

Do you think that the Igbo presidency will bring about the desired development to the South-East?

There will be massive development in every part of Nigeria not only in Igbo land. The economy will change. The development will be channelled towards the entire country and we will appeal to the Igbo to make personal contributions to the development of their areas too. Make an Igbo man president today, I can assure you that the agitation will go down but first of all, let the Federal Government immediately implement the recommendations contained in the 2014 confab report. If the decisions are implemented and the Igbo have one more state like other regions, even before they produce the president, we will be moving. I call on the federal government to be magnanimous enough to present the 2014 confab report to the National Assembly for immediate implementation.

FIRST TIME TIPS FOR TRAVELLING IN IN INDIA

2017-10-01T03:12:00.001-07:00

For Western travelers, a first-time visit to India can be an overwhelming experience. The country is huge, heavily populated, and uniquely foreign. By keeping in mind a few

ew essential tips, you can have a better idea of what to expect and have a better experience.

Keep It Focused

Most first-time visitors to India exhaust themselves by trying to do everything in a short period of time. Don’t overload your itinerary.

Plan ahead, focus on a few activities each day, and give yourself space to enjoy the culture. Also, let yourself be spontaneous when a moment arises. You don’t have to see everything on the first trip to India. That’s what return trips are for!

Can You Hear Me Now?

If you’ve never experienced a loud, chaotic city, the urban hubs of India will likely take care of that for you. An excursion to one of these can be mentally exhausting, but enjoy the environment for what it offers in terms of a unique experience. The cities in India are probably unlike any you’ve been to before, so enjoy them to the fullest despite the sensory overload.

Head to the Countryside

The cities of India are huge. Make a point of getting out to the countryside to see smaller villages and towns. You’re more likely to experience the local culture instead of just observing it.

Check out the mountain regions or go South to the Kerala region where life moves a little slower.

Up Close and Personal Space

The idea of personal space varies from country to country, but in India it might as well not exist. Public transport is a contact sport, and the concept of a queue is laughable. Some questions even get too personal, but remember it all comes from a cultural and caring place, rather than nosiness or rudeness. Expect it, roll with it, and you’ll be fine.

Time Is Relative

Westerners are used to a fast-paced world. In India, time is a more fluid concept. Traffic is unpredictable, lines can be interminable, and people generally seem to move at a more nonchalant pace.

Check shop and business hours to make sure you catch them when they’re open – some do close for lunch. With time as more of a concept than a rule, the key here is to just go with the flow.

Can’t Touch This

Per cultural norms, certain things are considered unclean in India. Feet are generally taboo, so if you touch someone with your foot, apologize. Also, never use your left hand when eating and passing food. It’s unhygienic and considered offensive.

Keep Your Radar Up

A good travel tip for anywhere is to keep your eye out for dangerous situations. In India, pickpockets are an omnipresent problem, so carry only cash you need and be alert. Feel free to haggle at markets, but if things get testy, don’t let it get to you, and move on if you’re uncomfortable.

Be Card Cautious

ATM card cloning is a significant problem in India, so it’s wise to use cash when possible. Check with fellow travelers for recommended ATM machines or use only machines at major retail stores or banks.

When shipping things home, make sure the shop is reputable. Stick to the government stores for a trustworthy alternative.

Eat, Drink, But Be Wary

First time travelers often fall prey to gastrointestinal issues. Avoid raw vegetables and water that isn’t bottled, including ice in drinks.

You can still try street food, but try to pick from the most crowded, reputable stalls. When consuming fruit or vegetables, make sure you pick fresh, peelable fruits and that everything else be boiled or fried.

Stick to the Dress Code

India is a modest culture when it comes to dress for men and women. Keeping arms and legs covered is preferred. Taking your shoes off in homes or shops is also not unusual. Keep an out for shoes by the door and follow suit. And, of course, respect shrines and temple dress codes when visiting.

About the Author: Built by a team of service-focused travel fanatics with a background in design, Oasis is providing a new brand of hospitality. They’re dedicated to giving travelers an experience that’s off the beaten path, but doesn’t sacrifice service or comfort. By focusing on how to give people an authentic experience in a city or culture, Oasis is changing how people travel.

Meet Nigerian who’s first African mayor of Greenwich

2016-04-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

History was recently made in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, South-East London after a Nigerian was elected as the first African mayor.

The new mayor, 59-year-old Olugbenga Babatola was born in Nigeria but is now a British citizen.

He had previously served as a councillor in the district, a position to which he was elected in 2014 because of his inspirational leadership style.

In 2015, he became the first African to be elected as deputy Mayor and served alongside current Mayor, Norman Adam

Babatola will be inaugurated into office as the first African Mayor of Greenwich on May 25, 2016.

“Looking around Royal Greenwich there’s much to be proud of. The physical regeneration of our community continues apace, while there are many developments in our economic, social and community life,” Council leader Denise Hyland said.

“I was determined that we should open the inauguration ceremony to more local people to reflect on the role our community plays in achieving the successes we have enjoyed over the past year. It is also a way to welcome Cllr Babatola to his new role as Mayor, and to thank Cllr Adams for his hard work and service during his tenure,” she added.

The mayor is elected by council members at an annual meeting and the position is held for a year. He or she is the first citizen of the Royal Borough and acts as an ambassador at public affairs and at civic and ceremonial events.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Check Out These Hilarious Imitation Brands

2015-10-17T04:00:00.002-07:00

So hilarious. More after the cut.

Nigeria Does Not Appreciate Me, Therefore I’m Leaving - Kemi Olunloyo

2015-10-17T03:56:00.000-07:00

Kemi Olunloyo, a daughter of a former Oyo State Governor has said Nigeria does not appreciate her or her efforts, so she has made up her mind to return to the US where she lived for 29 years and 11 months before returing to Nigeria. According to her, she has done so much for Nigeria to be treated as a nobody and since the government at all levels will not appreciate her, she has decided to go. She also sent us a quick mail saying;

"I've done a lot for my communities here and the government state, local and federal have refused to recognize efforts of my community activism, pharmacist, journalist and pr specialist degrees. I enjoyed my time here"--#MadamKOO

Then she took to her Facebook page to explain more on why she has to leave. Also see her conversations with her fans when she broke the news all after the cut.

Saraki I Have the Facts, I Will Expose You – Governor El-Rufai

2015-10-17T03:52:00.001-07:00

*El-Rufai, four others to testify at CCT Oct 21

The Federal Government has told the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja that it now has sufficient evidence to establish that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as a public officer, corruptly acquired several assets beyond his legitimate earnings

The prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, equally told the appellate court that five witnesses lined-up against the Senate President, have all expressed their readiness to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on October 21, to testify and tender exhibits against Saraki.

It will be recalled that among those that the Federal Government billed to give oral testimony against Saraki are former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and current governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

A source said Governor El-Rufai said he's ready to testify and that he was the one who sold one of the assets that Saraki bought in Abuja which the government alleged he failed to list among the assets he acquired while in office as the governor of Kwara State. If he expose this in court, it will nail Saraki.

The prosecution also told the court that Saraki has already been furnished with all the proofs of evidence against him, including copies of four separate assets declaration forms that he earlier submitted before the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.

Jacobs urged the appellate court to dismiss the Saraki's appeal and order him to go to CCT and clear his name. He is also alleged to have owned and operated foreign bank accounts while being a public officer.

Saraki, in his appeal, has challenged the legal propriety of the 13-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Protect me from politically motivated witch-hunt, Saraki begs Appeal Court

However, Saraki, aside challenging the charges, also queried the constitutionality of the warrant of arrest initially issued against him by Chairman of the CCT, Justice Danladi Umar.

Besides, the Senate President, through his team of lawyers led by J.B. Daudu, SAN, wants the higher court to ascertain whether or not the Justice Umar-led panel subscribed to the appropriate legal procedure when it ordered him to mount the dock and enter his plea to the charges despite preliminary objections against his trial.

He raised 12 grounds of appeal against the CCT, supported by a 16-paragraph affidavit and four exhibits. Saraki also deposed another 17-paragraphed affidavit of urgency, wherein he urged the higher court to intervene and protect him from what he described as “a politically motivated witch-hunt.”

He specifically urged the appellate court to suspend the proceeding of the tribunal pending the hearing and determination of the substantive appeal against the CCT.

A’Court refuses plea to stop CCT’s proceedings
At the resumed sitting on Friday, a three-man panel of judges led by Justice Moore Adumein, struck out the application by Saraki for a stay of further proceedings of the tribunal. It was the view of the panel that the application has been overtaken by events.

Earlier, Saraki had through his counsel, argued that the CCT erred in law by going ahead with the trial despite that fact that “it was not properly constituted.” He contended that whereas the Constitution provides for a three-man panel to sit over cases brought before the tribunal, he said that only two judges sat on September 22 when he was docked.

He claimed the composition of the tribunal was in violation of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

But the Court of Appeal refused to give in to such trivialities.

- Olufamous.com

Indonesian Village Where Dead Babies Are Buried In Trees.

2015-10-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

These are the tree graves of Indonesia where dead babies are 'buried' inside the trunks of living plants so they can be 'absorbed' by nature.

The ritual takes place in the regency of Tana Toraja, a remote part of the mountainous region of South Sulawesi, 186 miles north of the capital Makassar.

Villagers hollow out holes in huge tree trunks before wrapping the deceased child in cloth and then placing the infant inside.

The hole is then sealed over with palm fibre and, as the tree heals over time, the body is believed to be absorbed. Dozens of babies are interred in each tree.

Only children who die before they have started teething are buried in this way with locals believing the wind then takes away their souls.

-Daily Mail

GOD HAVE MERCY ! Meet Saya The Japanese School Girl Who Isn't Real

2015-10-17T03:05:00.002-07:00

Saya is a Japanese schoolgirl who is not quite like you and me.

That's because she is the work of gifted Tokyo-based 3D graphic artists Teruyuki and Yuka Ishikawa.

The husband and wife duo made the lifelike image of Saya together, using their talents to replicate all the details of human skin, lighting and hair.

In an interview with gaming site Kotaku, Yuka said: "Since we’ve been working on this between jobs, it’s been somewhat hard.

"We’re going to give it our best when making it."

Since the image was shared by the graphic artists on Twitter,Saya has gone viral as internet users were stunned by how 'real' she looks.

-Images via UK Mirror

Na wah oh.

Meet The Nigerian University Don Who Says He Has Cure For HIV

2015-06-08T04:04:00.000-07:00

A University Don, Professor Maduike Ezeibe of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, has claimed his recent therapy for the dreaded Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is real and effective. According to Ezeibe, he discovered the therapy when he decided to join the medical world to search for a solution to HIV/AIDS.

His research into the therapy known as ‘Antivirt’ (Anti-Viral Therapy) started in 1994, but he was able to discover the therapy in 2013 when his research was published in the British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, Ezeibe explained.

Mr Ezeibe says two essential minerals, aluminum silicate and magnesium silicate, used in producing the therapy, are mostly found in Umuahia and parts of Abia State which then gives him an upper hand. It will also make the therapy which he claims would take an average of two or three months to cure cheaper and affordable.

Nigerian student Ufot Ekong solves 30-year-old maths equation and breaks academic record at Japanese university

2015-06-08T04:00:00.001-07:00

A Nigerian student has broken a 30-year-old maths equation and achieved the highest grades at a university in Japan for 50 years.

Ufot Ekong, who studied at Tokai University in Tokyo, achieved a first class degree in electrical engineering and scored the best marks at the university since 1965, the Flotilla Magazine reported.
He began his success early at the university, solving a 30-year-old maths equation in his first semester.
Throughout his university career Mr Ekong has won six awards for academic excellence.

The brilliant mathematician worked two jobs alongside his studies to pay his way as a student.
Mr Ekong also speaks English, French, Japanese and Yoruba and won a Japanese language award for foreigners. He is currently working for Nissan and already has two patents for electronic car design to his name.
Tokai University is a prestigious private university based in the Japanese capital, which was founded in 1924. It is focused on the sciences and technology and roughly 60 per cent of all students are enrolled in these schools.

Photos: Trailer falls on SUV, Bus, Keke Napep in Lagos

2015-05-06T05:14:00.001-07:00

A trailer carrying a container fell on a bus, an X-Terra SUV and a Keke Napep in front of Awolowo Market in the Mushin Olosa area in Lagos state this morning. See more photos after the cut...

10 Businesses That Will Suffer Under BUHARI

2015-05-06T05:06:00.003-07:00

1, Real Estate
Corruption influenced the high rise in the value of property in Nigeria. An area is mapped out and once politicians pick interest in the area, the value of property rises rapidly for no reason. Land that is worth 1.5m, the moment a politician comes and buys for 10m and starts building a mansion, every other land owner in the area starts selling from 10m upwards.The same goes to buildings. A politician sees a house he or she likes, the seller increases the price by 10 and the politician buys. Then every other property around the area is on the rise.

As the new administration takes over,politicians will reduce their spending.They will now be more interested in managing their loot wisely and no more buying properties anyhow for themselves and their girl friends, because they wont have access to funds to steal. This will affect the sales of property, as there will be more properties for sale and less buyers.

Even the politicians who are the target of estate investors will have to sell theirs to maintain their life style. Remember they have drivers, cooks, security and kids who are studying abroad. People who have raw cash, will buy properties for less than the actual value. A house that is selling for 20m can be bought for 10m. Because the true value of the land in those areas will surface. When you call unimaginable prices for properties, even the politicians will ignore you.

2, Contractors
By contractors, i mean road and building contractors. The budget of the ministry of works has been slashed by more than 50%. This means that fewer roads and houses will be built. Maintenance will even be reduced as the budget would hardly pay salaries . So Contractors will have to find an alternative source of funding .

3, Interior decor and furniture
As politicians invest less in property and govt invest less in housing, there will be less houses to furnish. Those importing expensive furniture that they sell to govt at inflated prices will reduce the stock they order, before they end up using it themselves.

4, Rental services
This invloves businesses that rent different types of equipements. Tractors, buldozers etc. With fewer contracts awarded, who will rent the equipments ? Even those who are into rental of events stuff, like chairs and canopy are not left out. Politicians and those who benefit from the corrupt system will go low key. So if they use to rent 10000 chairs and canopies during events, they might cut it down to 2000 now. They are no longer in power so they now spend from their pokcet and not that of govt. Those newly elected wont see so much money either like the previous administration .

5, Event planners
Those involved in event management, who plan big events and make millions from govt and politicians. The only thing i can tell you is to use your tongue to count your teeth. You have seen the president elect drinking tea with N30 millo abi? You will know the kind of events to plan for this administration .

6 Hospitality Industry
They will be affected seriously because gone are the days politicians will want to sitout and have fun, they will find one name and call the meeting. Taking up all the rooms in a hotel, eating everything with women from the purse of the govt. There will be less of such extravagant spending. Politicians that use to carry 10 girls and stay in the most expensive rooms, will begin looking for the cheaper rooms.

7 Car dealers
They will feel the heat. Imagine calling a politician who use to buy 10 pieces latest mercedes cars and give to people, and he tells you to help him find buyer for the one u sold to him last that he needs the money. There will even be less escort cars, as politicians who used 20 hilux cars might limit to 2 or 3. God help you.

8, Runs girls
You people are already complaining that the sugar chairmen are becoming stingy because of election. Now that most have lost, you will see the real stingyness. They will begin to appreciate their wives. Those that use to dash u 100,000 a night, might start to pay 10k. And if you say you wont take, hunger will kill you.

9. Human Hair delears
Anything that affects politicians affects runs girls, and anything that affects runs girls will affect human hair dealers. So you have to find alternative and more economic hair(Horse hair,Goat hair,Sheep hair or even chicken hair ).Because the runs girls have tight budget now.

10 .Boutiques
Those selling real expensive stuff will feel it too. As the politicians will be more interested in children school fees abroad, diesel for generator 24hrs, maintenance of the luxury houses they live in than clothes. The runs will spend less too. U dont expect a girl who use to make 100k a night and now getting 10k to buy a gown of 40k. Even tonto dike is now buying replica(fake) designers and refuse to pay ooo.
This one people are beginning to trek anyhow, i hope transportation wont be affected lol.

Well i will stop here, but one thing is sure. Save your cash, you will be surprised at what you will be able to buy with little. You might be able to buy a mansion with 1.5m .
Finally, Those that put their trust in GOD will not be put to shame. There might be scarcity of funds, but the children of the most high will not lack.

Inspector General of Police Caught Cheating During Law Exam

2015-05-06T05:04:00.001-07:00

Even the big man who is locking people up for stealing and cheating is also committing crime secretly.

The Indian Government on Tuesday in New Delhi ordered a senior police officer in southern India, to proceed on indefinite leave after he was allegedly caught cheating in a law examination.

Ramesh Chennitala, Kerala State Home Minister, said TJ Jose, an Inspector General of Police, was caught copying answers from pages torn from a textbook during the exam on Monday.

In fact, an inquiry had been ordered into the incident that he called 'shameful' for police and the state.

IGP Jose has denied the charges, and alleged a conspiracy against him. But he admitted that his superiors had called him to explain the incident.

India is becoming notorious for issues of exam cheat.

According to a report, in March, more than 1,000 men were arrested in the eastern state of Bihar for using impersonators to take police recruitment tests.

“Same month, more than 300 people, mostly parents, were arrested in the state for helping children cheat and copy answers in school examinations." (dpa/NAN)

BREAKING! Okada Men with Cutlasses & Bandanas Blocking Lekki/Ikoyi Link Bridge on Admiralty Way

2015-05-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Breaking!

Eyewitness reports state about 40 men on okada are blocking the roundabout on Admiralty Way in Lekki Phase 1, leading to Lekki/Ikoyi link bridge.

The men are armed with cutlasses, and most are wearing red bandanas.

Please be cautious and use alternative routes, while we will update you with more information.

About 40 men on okada with cutlasses are blocking Lekki/Ikoyi bridge according to eye witness reports. Please use alternative routes!

— BellaNaija.com (@bellanaija) May 6, 2015

Most of the men are in red bandannas. Some are riding, some passengers. On Admiralty Way, blocking Lekki/Ikoyi bridge. — BellaNaija.com (@bellanaija) May 6, 2015

Update: Toke Makinwa witnessed the situation as well.

Gosh just witnessed the scariest thing ever… Gun shot, Okada riders with machetes, what the hell is happening in Lekki

— Toke Makinwa (@tokstarr) May 6, 2015

This police man brings out his gun ready to shoot while there is traffic and pandemonium , who trains these people???

— Toke Makinwa (@tokstarr) May 6, 2015

Ex-militant, Boyloaf describes Jonathan as a disappointment, says he will not welcome him back when he leaves office

2015-05-06T04:53:00.001-07:00

Former Niger Delta militant Ebikabowei Victor Benakak aka Gen. Boyloaf has described President Jonathan as a disappointment to him and other Niger Deltans. In an interview with Premium Times, Boyloaf said Jonathan did not build any remarkable infrastructure in the Niger Delta, a region where he is from. He said he will not welcome President Jonathan to the region when he leaves office;

"To me, as a matter of fact Jonathan disappointed us. That is my own opinion. He might be good to some people. There is nothing to tell if you get to my own state. We didn’t benefit. People like us did not benefit from his government. His government focused on one side. The Bayelsans did not benefit. It is only the Arugbos – that is Ondo State and Delta State – that benefited from his government. So, someone like me will not welcome him. I will not welcome him at all. The struggle continues." he said

PT: Do you think the South West and the Northern part of Nigeria were marginalized under the leadership of Goodluck Jonathan?

Boyloaf: Did people from the South-South benefit? If you come to Bayelsa State, can you count how many people benefited? That is the president’s state. When the APC was going for campaigns, they made a statement that there is a town that they didn’t have light, and people said Otuoke. Then (Gov. Chibuike) Amaechi said “I didn’t mention name”. But can you imagine that in that place there is no road? You see, what Jonathan did was that he favoured the North and West. Go to the Niger Delta and see. He favoured the North. He did Almajiri. Then go to the West you will see the railway, you will see all what he’s doing there. What is happening in Niger Delta? Nothing! It is better to go there and see things for yourself. Jonathan did not do anything for his people, for his region.

PT: Maybe he planned to do that in his second term in the office?

Boyloaf: I don’t believe in that. Charity begins at home. Jonathan was supposed to have started from his area because anything can happen the next day like what has happened now. So, what are you telling me? What about (late President Umaru) Yar’Adua? He did the airport in Katsina. He started from his own area. See, that is what Jonathan was supposed to do to. I have that belief right from time because they never wanted a Niger Delta person to be in government. We know that one because they will seal a lot of deals. I am a mariner. I know what is going on at the sea. For instance, like we are talking about subsidy, we know the people that do deals.

PT: What about the East West road?

Boyloaf: If Buhari comes and if he wants the Niger Delta people to work with him, we will be ready to work with him. It was not Jonathan that started the East-West Road. Obasanjo started the road and then Yar’Adua inherited it. Also, after the death of Yar’Adua, Jonathan inherited it and it continued from there. Governance is continuous process. As Buhari comes on board he will also inherit it and finish it. That is my belief for sure.

PT: Are you afraid that the incoming government will terminate the pipeline contract?

Boyloaf: Well, to me I am not afraid of anything. I am fully confident and if they terminate it the better for us because we will know that the government doesn’t want peace. So, that’s my own belief. I’m not afraid of anything. We will be ready to work with any person that has the Niger Delta people at heart. If you come with good ideas I think we will also work with you.

PT: What if he terminates it?

Boyloaf: We will see what will happen. God is not a man. If he terminates the contracts, I think there are other ways we can make it from. So, nobody cares.

PT: How would you want to work with the incoming government?

Boyloaf: Well, we are one Nigeria. Since we have taken amnesty we are bound to take up and follow all the processes. If he (Buhari) wants to work with us we will be there to work with him. I think there is nobody that will come into this country that will not want the assistance of the Niger Delta. This is because that is where the major resource of this country comes from. So, you must need the Niger Delta people except you want division in the country. That is when you don’t have the love for the people of this nation.

PT: What do you expect the Buhari Government to do about the Amnesty Programme? Some people are pushing that it should be suspended?

Boyloaf: There is one thing you need to know. Let me tell you something – the production this time around compared to some years back is increasing and the amnesty is something that has come to stay. And if the government wants to scrap the amnesty it means the government doesn’t mean well for the nation. That’s my own belief. Let me tell you something – people were also inciting others that the government wants to scrap the amnesty. I have been in the Niger Delta trying to pacify them and telling them that it is a lie and that the government will work with them. They wanted to start destruction. There is no way that you will come out and say you will scrap the amnesty. How many people can you kill? How many? The Niger Delta terrain is very different and our struggle is very sacrosanct. That is one thing you get. So you cannot kill everybody. Look at Boko Haram – their area is a desert and it is easy for vehicles to move.

When you talk about our area it is not a desert. It is not passable by vehicle but strictly on water and by the time you use your chopper in the night and come and finish and go, what will happen in the night? All these are just sycophants that don’t mean well for this nation. With what I have seen in Buhari, he will want peace. That is my belief.

PT: What if he insists on scrapping it, what will happen?

Boyloaf: Nothing will happen but God is not a man. We will remain in Nigeria and see how Nigeria will be. That is my belief.

PT: Will you go back to the creeks?
Boyloaf: Time shall tell.

PT: Some people believe that the South West and the North worked against Goodluck Jonathan, what do you think?

Boyloaf: Really, our struggle is beyond the presidency and it was Yar’Adua that gave us amnesty. When he gave us amnesty there were some things he pronounced and some infrastructural development that he was supposed to put in place like the coastal road and all of a sudden he died. May his soul rest in peace! And when Jonathan came on board and you know just for the fact that he (Jonathan) is from Niger Delta, we just embraced him. But he is not the best. That is one thing that I will assure you. I believe more in Yar’Adua who was even on his sick bed. There was no way sycophants will go to Yar’Adua and say all sorts of rubbish. Yar’Adua will confirm from the end and know the real thing to do, not our brother Jonathan who surrounds himself with sycophants. And there is no way we will destroy his government because tomorrow other people from other ethnic regions will say the Niger Delta people are the ones responsible for the destruction of their own
government. So we just let everything like that. Since Buhari has emerged the winner, I think we will be there to work with him if he wants to work with us and put in place all what Yar’Adua was supposed to do. That is my own belief.

PT: Would you work with Buhari himself?

Boyloaf: Well, in Niger Delta we need so many works to be done. In Niger Delta we have some kind of security programme we are supposed to indulge our people in to also protect the system especially the oil facility in the region. I think all these things are there and also the infrastructural development that Yar’Adua was supposed to put on. It will be the responsibility of Buhari to carry on what Yar’Adua started. So, there are so many things to be done.

PT: You and other former militant leaders boasted that if Jonathan loses you will go to war. So, when are you going to war?

Boyloaf: Who will go to war? Is Nigeria for one ethnic region? Nigeria is for everybody. It is not for one ethnic region. When you want to oppress one region that is when the region will stand up for their right. But we are all Nigerians. Nobody will go to war. Who will go to war?

PT: What is your view on the outcome of the elections?

Boyloaf: Well, it has come and gone as you can see. Every man has its game to play but the only advice I will give this incoming government is that they should beware of sycophants and don’t listen to people that would create problems for the administration. With what I am seeing, you know people have been saying that during the time of Buhari, during his military era, when he took over from Shagari, the governors that were working with the South-South people were the people he jailed. So, people are saying that now as he is coming on board he wants to make sure that he deals with many of the South-South people in this government to recover so many things.

PT: What, if he wants to scraps the Niger Delta Ministry?

Boyloaf: Well, we will watch what he is coming with, not that we will draft something and say you want to push it. Gone are those days when you just want to intimidate some people from the same region. Nobody is scared of anything. That is my belief.

PT: Are we going to see you in a political party soon?

Boyloaf: I am not a politician. I think any government that comes so long as they have the interest of the Niger Delta at heart, we will work with them.

PT: Do you work with any particular party?

Boyloaf: I work with everybody. For instance, when the APC came to my place in Bayelsa state, I received them. Even my former governor, Timipreye Silva, slept in my house. I received many of the APC people. I even gave them breakfast and dinner before they left. I also received PDP people. I sponsored my younger brother to contest the House of Assembly election, which was rigged. You know the system of Nigeria where people hijack ballot papers and work without even using the card readers and they went and thumb-printed. I think we are going to the tribunal.

PT: How will the Niger Delta receive Jonathan now that he is coming back home?

Boyloaf: To me, as a matter of fact Jonathan disappointed us. That is my own opinion. He disappointed us. To me, he disappointed us. He might be good to some people. There is nothing to tell if you get to my own state. We didn’t benefit. People like us did not benefit from his government. His government focused on one side. The Bayelsans did not benefit. It is only the Arugbos – that is Ondo State and Delta State – that benefited from his government. So, someone like me will not welcome him. I will not welcome him at all. The struggle continues.

PT: Do you speak for a large number of people?

Boyloaf: They are even more bitter than I am. Jonathan empowered many foot soldiers, the Niger Delta ex-agitators, foot soldiers. But in Bayelsa, he didn’t empower people and that is the state he comes from.

PT: What of the importation of oil?

Boyloaf: We know about the importation; we know how they killed the refinery system just for them to be importing products. Government should be subsidizing for them. All those types of bad deals we know. We are not kids; they are just telling people they are increasing fuel price. That is rubbish. We know what is going on. I am a full mariner. We know what is going on. They know what they were doing. When Jonathan stopped all these things, that was when they were mad. Look, these people import 30 per cent of fuel into the country and they know their landing costs. As soon as they get to the country they will queue. Sometimes, they don’t come with the 50, 000 metric tonnes. They will come with 30,000 metric tonnes and sign for the 50,000 metric tonnes. They will look for a tank farm pump into it and take 10,000 aside to the neighbouring country and sell.

That is what is done. So, the masses don’t know because they are not in the river. We know the deals they are doing. So, when Jonathan came and saw these things and stopped them they were mad. They are ready to throw Jonathan. We know everything going on. So, that’s the deal they’ve been doing. Even Diezani (Petroleum Resources Minister) that you are talking about saw all the rubbish they are doing and she sacked some people and stopped so many things they were doing. That is why they are accusing Diezani. She didn’t do anything. She is from my region. They thought we are fools. Who are the major beneficiaries of the oil blocks? It is the northerners and a few from East and West. The northerners are the major owners of oil blocks. Is it their region? What are you telling us? Are we fools? Were we born to be a second class citizen in this our country?

PT: What is your impression about those stealing the oil?

Boyloaf: Nobody is stealing. Can you steal your property? Who are the people stealing oil? Does the oil belong to them? I don’t believe in the saying that people are stealing oil.

PT: What about the Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke?

Boyloaf: No matter her stand she is from Niger Delta. Even if she didn’t take care of her people we don’t care but sometimes Niger Delta people unite and I believe Diezani is a trap set for the Nigerian Government. They believe the Buhari Administration would want to deal with her and so she is like a trap, and that is my own belief. I have heard people talk about it and if you are a northerner in that position if he leaves they will not touch him. What about that man Diezani took over from? What is his name again? I think he is dead now. They did a lot of deals, oil blocks and all the rest. People are aware of it and even the northerners. When Yar’Adua was even sick, even dead, they forged his signatures and did all those things, nothing happen. So, Niger Delta people are not fools.

Photos: Boy Shares Story Of How Husband Abused Sister & How She Passed On Shortly After That

2015-05-06T04:47:00.002-07:00

The young boy shared the sad story on his Facebook page;

On 4/20 my sister passed away victim of domestic violence. We knew she had problems with her man but that night they went too far. Ladies I know what scumbags we men can be n if you find yourself in an abusive relationship, TELL SOMEBODY. Don't go thru it because one day it just might be too late. She left 4 kids behind n now we are faced with the struggle of having to do the best we can as a family to give her children a life of love without a Mother.

8 More Nigerians To Be Executed In Indonesia, Group Alerts FG

2015-05-06T04:46:00.002-07:00

And everything the group’s president said is a must read. The Government needs to start taking its citizens seriously.

A Group, United Nigerians In Diaspora, UNID, has called on the Federal Government to prevail on the Indonesian government to stay action on its plans to execute eight more Nigerian citizens for drug related offences.

Briefing newsmen in Lagos, the group’s president, Mr. Paschal Okolie, condemned what it described as the poor attitude of the government towards the recent execution of four Nigerians in Indonesia.

His words: ”Considering that the next batch of execution will take place in no distant time in Indonesia, we urge the good people of Nigeria and our government to rise up with the entire world to stop further executions of Nigerians. Enough of the killings. Nigeria should leverage on the strong bilateral relationship it has with Indonesia and negotiate to stop the execution of the eight waiting to be killed. In as much as we totally condemn drug trafficking and wish to sensitise intending traffickers on the consequences that awaits offenders, we also condemn capital punishment especially since it has not been able to quell the issue of drug trafficking in Indonesia.”

Okolie who gave names of those awaiting further execution as, Michael Titus Igwe, Kingsley Okonkwo, Uchenna Onyewuru, Eugene Ape, Hunphery Ejike, Obinna Nwajiagu, Benjamin Onuoha and Ikenna Abanukwu, said, ”Nigerian Embassy in Indonesia is longer concerned with passport renewals than the welfare or security of Nigerians. Those Nigerians killed were not giving fair trial, there is language barrier which made it impossible for them to defend themselves properly, Nigerian embassy did not even send representatives to court to assist them, so they were left at the mercy of Indonesia which was bent on killing them.”

‘’Most times Nigerians are thrown into prisons for more than four months without anyone knowing about it. They are tortured and some even die in the process. The way a country treats her citizens, is a reflection of how the citizens will be treated in foreign lands. Therefore, we feel it is high time our government rose to the occasion to ameliorate the plight of its citizens.’’

“we expected our government to show concern just like other countries whose nationals were involved. The way a government treats its citizens, is a reflection of how the citizens are likely to be treated in foreign lands. Therefore, we feel it is high time our government rose to the occasion to ameliorate the plights of its citizens no matter the circumstance.

We use this opportunity to appeal to the youth, to beware of the kind of friendships they keep as well as activities they engage themselves. One of the reasons there are many young Nigerians in prisons in different countries of the world today, is due to get rich quick syndrome, fast track. But in the end, they lose everything including their lives.”

Photo: EFCC Arraigns 19-Year Old Internet Scammer

2015-05-06T04:45:00.002-07:00

Here's a press statement by EFCC;

A 19-year-old suspected internet fraudster Ojosipe Adebayo, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice A.O Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on a two- count -charge bordering on possession of a document containing false pretences and forgery.

The defendant is allegedly a member of a syndicate of internet fraudsters that specialize in using fake cheques and scam mails to defraud unsuspecting victims.

When the charges were read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty. One of the charges read:

“That you Ojosipe Adebayo (a.k.a. "Marty Jason" and "Candice") on or about the 8th day of May, 2014 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division had in your possession a document in which you represented yourself to be a single lady called Candice from Trenton, New Jersey, United States who helps the needy to organise Charity concerts and also helps the homeless to get funds for Motherless Babies Homes which representations you knew or ought to have known to be false having regard to be circumstances of this case”.

In view of the plea of the defendant, the prosecution counsel, Ayokunle Fayanju prayed the court for a trial date and also for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody. However, defence counsel, Michael Asai asked for a short adjournment in order to file an application for bail. Justice Ipaye subsequently remanded the defendant in Kirikiri Maximum Prison and adjourned the matter to May 21, 2015, for hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.

Media & Publicity 5th May, 2015