[b]
A Combined team of Policemen and State Security Service (SSS) agents in Ekiti state have arrested two students of University of Ado Ekiti (UNAD) after rival cult groups, and Aiye confraternity clashed causing stampede in the University Community.

Also no fewer than 13 students of the University were said to have been wounded and hospitalised as a result of the clash.




The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Dada Adelowo had requested for police presence in the University to ensure security so that the ongoing first semester examination could go on uninterrupted.

The problem started when some suspected members of the attacked a member of Aiye Confraternity.

In reaction the dreaded cult group mobilised and embarked on a raid of the area in search of those that attacked their member.

As the raid lasted, some of the students who scampered for safety fell into a pit and broke their legs while some sustained serious bodily injuries and are presently receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr Mohammed Jimoh, said that the two arrested persons had been grilled to extract vital information from them on what actually transpired and to know the identities of the cult groups and their members in the University

The police image maker disclosed that those involved in the attack were helping police in their investigations and said the security agencies were closing in on them.
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/11654-10-injured-in-unad-cults-clash.html[/b]

[b]Post-elThe mass killing and destruction of property during the post-election violence in the North have been attributed to the failure of the Police to effectively intervene.

Igbo residents in Kano State accused security agencies, particularly the Police, of siding with the perpetrators of the violence, mostly “local terrorists, militants and unemployed youths” who were allegedly sponsored by politicians.

Ohaneze Ndigbo, the umbrella union of Igbo, Kano State branch, said in its memorandum to the Post-Election Violence Panel of Inquiry, that non-indigenes were subjected to harrowing experience during the crisis.

It expressed dismay over what it termed open display of bias and partisanship by security operatives.

The group estimated that the loss by the non-indigenes, particularly the Igbos, was  about N1.7billion.

It called for  the overhaul of the Police.

The group, in the memorandum by its Chairman and President-General, Leaders of Ethnic Communities Resident in Kano, Chief Tobias Michael Idika, gave detail of the killings and wanton destruction of  property.

It alleged that the mayhem was pre-meditated, saying from the utterances of politicians and the misguided youths, the conclusion was obvious.

The group accused officials of the state’s shariah implementing agency who they described as the Hisbah militants of perpetrating violence and acts of lawlessness against the non-natives before the post-election crisis.

It said there were instances where the police allegedly acted as collaborators in the violence, adding that security personnel, prompted by tribal and religious parochialism, sometime saw the hoodlums as brothers.

“They also see their ‘cause’ as a common ‘cause’. Sometimes some victims would run to the police for protection and they would chase them back to their predators. Sometimes you see the police themselves chanting “Sai Buhari” and you are confused, as you cannot know which is which again.

“So, here, we suggest that policemen and women should be posted to areas different from their tribal base and there they should be made to know that their allegiance is towards the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“These misguided youths thus vented their spleen on unsuspecting innocent citizens —especially Christians and non-natives. Houses were burnt together with the movable properties therein. Human lives were snuffed out as if human lives are no longer worth a penny.

“The modus operandi of the hoodlums is that they would move from one home to another in search of the igbos and other non-natives in places like Zango, Dakata, Badawa, Naibawa, Gingiyu, Hotoro Quarters,Ungwar Uku, Kurna Asabe Quarters, Brigade, Panshekara and B.U.K old and new sites located at Kabuga and Rijar Zaki  respectively.

“At Zango, characteristically, these hoodlums moved from one premises to the other. When they came to an apartment occupied by an Igbo or any other non-natives they would pack out the moveable properties, loot some valuable ones and burnt down the rest. If they can lay hands on the non-natives they would either kill or maim such non-natives.
ection violence: Ndigbo in Kano accuse Police of bias[/b]

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/11766-post-election-violence-ndigbo-in-kano-accuse-police-of-bias.html

[b]BY NDAHI MARAMA

MAIDUGURI – Igbo traders and other non-natives of Borno State have started fleeing the area and relocating to their home-states to avoid being killed by members of the Boko Haram who had murdered scores of people including soldiers, politicians, religious leaders and other security agents in the last two years.

Investigations by Vanguard  revealed that the majority of the non- natives, especially Igbo, have resorted to selling their houses and other landed property, saying that they no longer feel safe to carry out their businesses in Maiduguri and other neighbouring northern states.

It was gathered that those who reside in the crisis-prone areas like Budum, Abaganaram, Kumshe, Ungwar Shanu, Customs area, State low-cost Housing Estate, Gwange, Konar Yobe and London Ciki, among others, have fled their houses, while many of them have put their houses on sale at ridiculously  cheaper rates.

Four soldiers were killed in the latest bomb attack by the Boko Haram in Maiduguri, Borno State, just as two council bosses were earlier shot dead by the sect members.[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/boko-haram-non-indigenes-flee-borno/

http://www.pointblanknews.com/Photonews/os5205.html

Jesu

Lol

Even oshiomole is trying, its always fashola that gets on front page.

this need to be on the front page.

i love the ijaws.

OAM4J:

Very good one!

[b][b]BY NDAHI MARAMA

MAIDUGURI – SEVEN people including two policemen, a soldier, an assistant superintendent of customs  and three other people were,Tuesday,  killed in separate attacks in Maiduguri metropolis by gunmen suspected to be  members of Islamic Sect Boko Haram.

The two policemen whose rank cannot be ascertained as at press time were killed in Gwange area within a spate of three hours.

Sources said one of the slain policemen identified as Babagana Angus was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Gwange Divisional Police Station until the early hours of , Tuesday,  when he was shot.
Vanguard gathered that the gunmen had stormed Babagana’s residence at Gwange at about 11:00 am on a motorcycle and disappeared as soon as their mission was accomplished.

A police operational vehicle was seen with the corpse of Babagana in front of the Accident and Emergency Unit of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) at about 12.30 pm.

But less than three hours after the killing of Babagana, another policeman was mowed down at same Gwange area at about 3.30 pm.

Detail of the second killing was sketchy Tuesday afternoon, as residents were still gripped with fear.

Also at about 4 pm, a soldier was killed at London Chiki, a development which heightened the fears and apprehension of residents who have been traumatized in the last months following the increasing wave of killings and bomb blast[/b]

when will this end? [/b]
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/again-boko-haram-kills-7-in-maiduguri/

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-706828.0.html

lol i guess its only fashola  that gets to the front page.
fashola the only gov working in nigeria.

[b]Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has laid the foundation stone of two new Model Colleges in the state.
The Colleges are sited in Benin City, Edo South and Iyamho, near Auchi in Edo North. A third model College will be sited at Ewohinmi in Edo Central.

Each model College, when completed will be made up of 2 blocks of 27 standard classrooms, three fully equipped science laboratories, a fully stocked library, students canteen, 1,500 capacity hall and sporting facilities.

At the foundation laying ceremony of one the colleges sited in Benin City, Comrade Oshiomhole said what government was doing was to fix what is wrong and give Edo children the platform they need to realize their potentials.

According to the Governor “the school has been designed to ensure that when it is completed, it would compare favourably with any secondary school anywhere in the world. Our policy is that our people deserve the best and if you look at the schools we have renovated, you would agree that we are not just talking, we are practicing what we are talking. When the school is completed, Edo people will be proud of what they have.

“Whereas everybody may never become a graduate, everybody can be educated enough to be able to acquire skills to be able to contribute to the development of the society and to fend for himself and family”, he noted.

The governor who lamented the total neglect of public schools by past administrations, said “the last time I visited this school, I was shocked by what I saw. You will see how much damage that has been done to public education.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Barrister Ekpenisi Omorotionmwan said government’s enormous investment in education was to ensure that every Edo child develops his potentials.

He noted that in the last two years, government had made deliberate efforts to restore qualitative education through revamping of decayed structures.

In a goodwill message, the Oba of Benin whose message was delivered by the Isekhure of Benin described Comrade Oshiomhole as a divine gift to the State.

He lauded the emphasis on basic education, adding that wrong basic foundation would be difficult to correct in the University.[/b]

http://www.edostate.gov.ng/news/edo-begins-construction-model-colleges

[b]

FG flags off N2.57b dam project in Enugu

On July 5, 2011 · In Sweet Crude
,





TONY EDIKE

ENUGU—THE Federal Government has commenced work on N2.57 billion Adada River Dam project in Igbo-Etiti and Uzo-Uwani Local Government Areas of Enugu North senatorial district.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Ambassador Godknows Igali, who represented the Federal government during the flag off of the project, said the dam project is the biggest federal government project in the area since the establishment of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka over 40 years ago.

He warned the three host communities not to do anything that would hamper the expected hitch-free execution of the project billed to be delivered within 24 months, explaining that the dam is expected to provide portable water, electricity and irrigation for agricultural activities.

Igali described the project as a one of the several milestones of the federal government’s efforts in the sustainable development and economic empowerment of the people, adding that the effective utilization and management of the nation’s abundant water resources especially in construction and maintenance of dams, irrigation, water supply and sanitation have strong linkages to a cluster of sectors that are central to the achievement of national development especially the attainment of food security, improved health and income generation.

In his speech, the initiator of the constituency project, Senator Ayogu Eze representing Enugu North Senatorial zone assured that the people will do all it can as a community, as a people to ensure the project endures to the benefit of our people.

He described the Dam as one of the highest projects being initiated by the federal government; “we have a University quite alright, but the university was built and handed over to the government this is the first one of its capacity that the federal government is initiating on its own and it’s a very landmark development.

The senator who noted that the project has gone through reviews promised to ensure that there is budgetary provisions until the project is completed; “I am also going to work with my colleagues to bring a second Dam to the zone.”

“I want to assure you that this Dam will change the lives of our people; it will change the lives of the people of our senatorial district and above all it will provide one resource that our people have been crying for; it will provide water to Nsukka, because Nsukka is going to be the capital of the new Adada State,” the Senator said.

Eze assured his people that if there is any state that will be created, it will be Adada State; “we have made a resolution that we have proved that Democracy can work, that through consensus, discussion and through dialogue that we can amend the constitution, that we can do other things.

“We now want to prove that it is not only the military that can create state, that in a democracy, we can discuss amongst ourselves, through consultation, dialogue and reaching out to one another to create states and I assure you that Adada State would soon become a reality.”

Earlier the Deputy Governor Sunday Onyebuchi who represented Governor Sullivan Chime assured that the state government will provide all necessary logistics and support to ensure the successful execution of the project.[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/fg-flags-off-n2-57b-dam-project-in-enugu/

small group of women in the Lekki area air their grievances about persistent flooding

Article | July 5, 2011 - 4:30am | By Godwin Akanfe

About 50 women, residents of Igbo Efon, a suburb in the Lekki area of Lagos State, marched to the Eti-Osa Local Government secretariat, with leaves and placards protesting. The march was about the blocked drainage in their community.

Mrs Iyabo Agbogun, wife of the traditional ruler of Igbo Efon who led the protest, said: "The protest  is the best way we  can alert the government of the suffering we face. We have been living here for more that 25 years; we have never experienced the kind of flooding we are seeing today; all is because of the ongoing Lekki/ Epe Expressway construction carried out by Hi Tech Construction Company."

"When we noticed that they decided to construct a roundabout at the Igbo Efon Bus Stop, we wrote to the Chairman of the Eti-Osa L.G.A. and told him that the construction had blocked our drainage system. He promised to do something, but nothing was done about it. The rains are here now; all we have is flood destroying our homes and our property," she said.

Agbogun complained that the women arrived the secretariat as early as 8a.m. with placards saying; "Our property has been destroyed by flood," "We voted for ACN but what  we gained is flood," "Hi-Tech has blocked our drains," but had yet to be attended to at 11 a.m. She noted that it was not the first time the women had been forced to protest.

"After we voted them into power, all we got was arrival of policemen who threw tear gas at us without even finding out why we were protesting," Agbogun said.

Mrs Aisha Ologolo, one of the protesters, reports that they wanted the council to instruct Hi Tech to open blocked drains in the community or construct new ones to avoid  flooding.

"Igbo Efon can no longer leave a normal life. Our children no longer go to school; we are scared to let them out of our sight because every where is flooded. We want the government to come to our aid so that our children do not die," she said.

Mrs Maria Isibor, had lived in Igbo Efon for 18 years, said; "Such an attitude cannot create peace. The government should create an avenue for all stakeholders to sit down and see how the problems can be solved very fast. When they wanted our votes, they came here to campaign and we voted for them; now we need them but we cannot see them," she said.

http://dailytimes.com.ng/article/women-protest-flooding-lagos-community

By AUSTIN OGWUDA
ASABA— A female youth corps member was, weekend, stabbed to death by armed robbers, at Okpanam, behind a filling station, close to Asaba town, Delta State.

It was learnt that the lady, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, had travelled and ran into the robbers, as she was about opening the door of her apartment. The armed gang, which was operating in the area had  accosted her and asked her to surrender her mobile handset and other valuables.

She was said to have been stabbed on the neck following her alleged refusal to yield to the robbers’ demand.
She was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre immediately the robbers left, but gave up the ghost while on the way, following heavy loss of blood.

State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, confirmed the incident, saying, “it is true. We have commenced full-scale investigation into the incide
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/robbers-kill-female-corps-member-in-delta/

[b]BY CHIDI NKWOPARA
OWERRI— Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Umuapu, Ohaji/Egbema local council area of Imo State, has joined the list of parishes attacked by dare devil armed robbers in the state.

The invading armed robbers physically assaulted the Curate, Rev. Fr. Frank Ogbonna, carted away cash and personal effects of the resident priests before beating a retreat into the safety of their private homes with their loot.

Vanguard gathered that the robbers, numbering over six, used a wooden ladder to gain entry into the premises, attacked and bound the security man on duty hands and feet.

The hoodlums then descended on the parish rectory, cut the burglary proof mounted at the sit out and headed to the room of the Curate, Fr. Ogbonna.

The rampaging criminals slapped Fr. Ogbonna several times for telling them that the money raised the previous day for church renovation was not in the parish house.

Fr. Ogbonna confirmed that the robbers tied his hands and feet, removed his laptop, mobile phones, clothes and shoes, adding that they only dropped the sim cards and two pairs of trousers because of his plea.

Other things stolen by the robbers included teachers salary, mass intention envelopes and 10 percent of the offertory collection meant for the Archdiocese.

Vanguard recalls that early callers, after the ugly incident, were the traditional ruler, Eze Boniface Ihueze, the member representing Ohaji/Egbema in Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Luke Chukwu, and a prominent son of the area, Nze Hilary Ihueze.

Efforts made to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Linus Nwaiwu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, failed as Vanguard could not reach his mobile line for comments on the robbery incident before going to press[/b]

[b]COME AND SAVE THE BINIS FROM EXTERMINATION FROM THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH.

            Recently, an Igbo man commenting on the crisis in Benin City Diocese of the Catholic Church said that if the Binis would not accept an Igbo Bishop they should leave the church, accusing them of tribalism. I thank this person for divulging what the Benins have perceived as a grand design to effect their gradual extermination from the church.

            The genesis of this cleansing started with Rev. Tom Bartley in the 50s when the Binis complained of neglect. Prof. Uyilawa Usuanlele writing on this period of the Catholic Church in Benin said:

“The Igbo who have embraced Catholicism since 1885 and migrated to the city in large   numbers since 1900s were enabled by this late coming “of RCM” to constitute a majority population. As a result of this large population, an unusual development took place in Benin City RCM, which was the employment of an Igbo catechist alongside a Benin catechist to translate the gospel into Igbo and Benin respectively during masses.”



            According to this account, the RCM came to Benin behind other missionary churches. When in 1924 the RCM came, Christian organizations like the CMS, Salvation Army, UNA and Baptist had registered their presence in Benin City. The apparent large number of Igbo in the RCM church in Benin City stigmatized her as “Esosi Igbo,” meaning Igbo church. This stigma had been and remains a problem to the Binis till now because it makes the church unattractive to them. The Igbo are now asking the Binis to leave the church entirely because an Igbo man has been appointed bishop, thereby claiming ownership of the church. They accuse the Binis of tribalism.

            Your Holiness, the Binis are the most accommodating ethnic group in Nigeria. According to Uyilawa’s account, the Igbo have been attracted to Benin Land since 1900s because of its economic viability and sustainability. They remain there because of the accommodating spirit of the Binis with whom they live in peace and prosperity. It is even on record that the first person to represent the Binis in the defunct Western House of Assembly of Nigeria in 1951 was Mr. Chike Ekwuyasi an Igbo man.

            Most intriguing, Your Holiness is what the Binis have deciphered as a grand design to exterminate them from the church by the clergy and laity that enjoy quasi domicile status in the diocese. It is very easy to ascertain this tendency now that the diocese is mono ethnic. The first bishop of the Benin Diocese, Rt. Rev. P.J Kelly laid a very strong foundation for teaching and evangelizing the Binis. He built schools, trained catechists and translated the catechism and prayers in Bini language. He, could in fact, examine catechism questions in at least seven local languages and dialects. He sowed the seed of the catholic faith in Benin land, hoping it would be nurtured by his successors. 

            Unfortunately for the Binis, forty years after the glorious tenure of Bishop Kelly, catholic faith had dwindled and became confined to Benin City and environs. This is the grand design to exterminate the Binis from the church, the results of which are as follow,

1)      Benin people have become the only ethnic group in the world the church is refusing to evangelize in their God given language.

2)      Benin City has become the only place where the church and the people of God therein abhor the use of the people’s local language in their own land.

3)      Benin City has become the only place outside Eastern Nigeria, where at Sunday masses, all songs are rendered in Igbo from beginning to the end; the church they contribute near nothing to develop.

4)      Benin City is now the only place, where what concerns the wellbeing of the natives is considered only if it does not disturb the comfort and convenience of the sojourning majority of brothers and sisters from other parts of the country.

5)      Benin Diocese is now the only place where the church does not have catechism classes for the natives in their languages.

6)      Benin City is the only place where the few illiterate native Christians are excluded from the sacrament of reconciliation because they are not recognized by their priests.

7)      Benin Diocese has become the only place where the priests are not allowed to speak the native language because doing so is a taboo. Only expatriate priests may show interest.

      Benin City is the only place where a non Bini priest could disband a native choir that existed before he was born, with impunity and replace it with another choir of a group he liked.

9)      Benin City has become the only place where the pastoring prelate would refuse interpretation in the local native language because of the fewness of the natives in the church.

10)   Benin City has become the only diocese where a parish priest would tell his parishioners: “If the priesthood is not difficult, why can’t the Binis be priests?”

11)  Benin City is the only place where a priest could say: “I stop saying your Benin mass because I am not Bini”.

12)  Benin City has become the only Diocese where the saying of mass in the native language became the initiative of an expatriate priest who described it as a floodgate to bringing the natives to the church because of the goodwill the church enjoys among the Binis.

13)  Benin City is the only place where the choristers desert their choir stands when mass in the native language falls within their schedule.

14)  It is only in Benin City that a priest would say in sermon: “It is the majority sojourners who need interpretation and not the ignorant native minority”.

15)  Benin City is the only place where the native Christians can no longer pray in their language because all this stopped at the end of Bishop Kelly’s tenure. Those who could pray have forgotten and the younger generations have no idea of prayer in their language at all.

16)  It is in Benin Diocese that mass in the local native language is the concern of the lay faithful to arrange because the clergy does not consider it necessary.

17)  It is only in Benin City that the people get vexed and rush out of church when mass or interpretation is done in the local native language.

18)  It is only in Benin Diocese that the landlords have been relegated to the position of the tenants.

19)  It is only in Benin Diocese that the local native has to cringe to get consent from his parish priest to do what is rightly his duty.

20)  It is only in Benin Diocese that an octogenarian could lose contact with the Holy Catholic Church for 50 years after being baptized by a Caucasian priest during the glorious tenure of the great Bishop Kelly.

21)  It is only in Benin Diocese that the church, as a good shepherd ignores the natives and treats them as reprobates.

Your Holiness, this has been the lots of the Binis in Benin Diocese for the past four decades. This unfabricated catalogue of attitudinal apathy and abandonment meted onto the Binis for reasons unknown is made without prejudice, and in my honor as a catholic, so that forsaken souls may get rescue. Divine justice will be done if your Holiness will investigate the veracity of this alleged insidiousness which completely negates the spirit of Divine injunction given to the church by Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the Binis want their own son to be Bishop to evangelize them.

The Binis are disillusioned, but they are sure that their affection for the church is not in doubt. This is made obvious by the heavy investments they have made and are still making to develop the church in terms of donations of large parcels of land and building of churches. Only recently a non-Catholic Bini donated a large parcel of land in the heart of Benin City, in addition to a big ultra modern church with a parish house all worth more than a hundred billion Naira. The first school the church built in Benin City was made possible by a donation of one hundred and twenty-five pounds by Oba Eweka II of Benin in the 20s. This was a gesture that was not extended to other church missions that were even older in Benin City. This is the church from which the Binis are now facing eviction.

This eviction, Your Holiness, is eminent because, the Bini leaders who opposed the selection of the new archbishop are now facing victimization. These leaders are not impostors; they have all the Binis behind them. The rippling effects of this action can only be imagined. For the Igbo and their collaborators, it is all part of the plan to exterminate the Binis from the church.

It is to forestall this diabolical intention that the Binis have cried out since 1992 pleading for a change of heart. What they are doing is not even wrong or new in the church. Act 6:1-7 is an account of the discontent and neglect the Hellenists minority complained about in the early church. The infant church quickly and wisely addressed the issue. What, then, could the Binis have done wrong that the church should resolutely ignore their complaints?

To compound the mire for them, Your Holiness recently appointed a new Igbo archbishop to pasture them. Although, this ought to be a matter of happiness, but it is the most devastating thing to happen to the Catholic Christian Community of Benin City, except the Igbo and collaborators, who now gloat over the unfortunate Binis. For the Binis it is a psychological tsunami that is rocking their faith to its foundation, because of the implications and effects of this action. Can sheep follow the shepherd they don’t like?

Worst still, the people are scandalized in their local ordinaries in the way they had trivialized their problem. They grumbled aloud to archbishop Richard Burke and Bishop Anthony Gbuji (apostolic administrator) begging them to carry their appeal to Your Holiness to consider appointing one of their own sons to shepherd them, in view of the terrible neglect they had been subjected to. These men of God seemed to understand them and promised to do something. Trusting the integrity of these trusted men of God, the Binis became confident that their predicament would soon be over. Deep was their disappointment when they came to know that their trusted man of God, Bishop Gbuji, was in fact cutting corners to promote is kinsman. Absolutely worrisome is their realization that they were wrong to trust a man of God of esteemed age. It is also scandalous for them to get to know that the whole process of selection was riddled with corruption including nepotism linked to a godfather at the Vatican.

Your Holiness by this new development the church has reactivated and officially strengthened and endorsed the waning diabolical stigma, “Esosi Igbo” which has stunted conversion among the Binis for over six decades. For sixty years catholic faith cannot be domesticated in Benin Land because of this monopolistic and dominating game of the Igbo and their collaborators in Benin Diocese, and which underlay the rift between the Binis and Rev. Fr. Barthly in the 50s. All that the church has done for the past forty years is to tantalize the Binis with the Catholic faith; covering up this wickedness with the cliché “the Binis don’t go to church.” The church needs to answer the question: “What effort had she made to convert the Binis?”

For the Binis, your Holiness, they have got no bishop. Their feeling is that they are under Igbo occupation reminiscent of the Biafara invasion and occupation of Benin City in 1967. Meanwhile, Igbo priests have been imported from the east to Benin land in the name of “Rural Evangelization” which the Binis have discovered to be a hoax. The Catholics in the districts are Igbo who have lived in the area for decades exclusively keeping the faith to themselves. On Sundays, they gather together and conduct service entirely in Igbo language, a situation that popularizes the stigma: “Esosi Igbo” in the districts. The whole scheme of rural evangelization and the subsequent importation of Igbo priests were carried out in the interest of the Igbo by Bishop Gbuyi. If the incardinated Igbo priests in Benin diocese would not speak the Bini language to convert the people, the chance of the raw Igbo priests from the East doing this is zero. The entire idea is to solidify ground for the preplanned Igbo archbishop. Igbo and their collaborators had celebrated the appointment for months before Rome spoke. With the appointment of Igbo archbishop, your Holiness, the stage is set for the implementation of extermination of the Binis from the church. I know that the Benis cannot accept an imposed Igbo bishop for the following reasons:

a)      By the action of the authorities representing your Holiness in Nigeria, they have proved that they are only interested in exercising authority with no interest in the conversion of the Binis, or consideration of the reality on the ground.

b)      The Binis cannot understand why their own sons are condemned by the authorities as inferior who cannot shepherd their own people, whereas they are the only ones who can speak their language to shepherd them more effectively.

c)      Also they cannot understand why the authorities hide the untold treatments of the Binis from your Holiness. If they had made the situation clear, you would certainly have done something to save the Binis from this catastrophe. The catastrophe is overwhelming. The ratio of Benin seminarians to Igbos’ now is about 1-10. This shows that at the end of this tenure there would be no Binis in the church. The faith can never be domesticated in Benin Land. The Igbo, in fact, are not interested in the Binis welfare, they are here to exploit and plunder the Binis rich diocese as they have done since the beginning.

            Your Holiness, come and save the voiceless Binis from their helplessness and hopelessness for the sake of Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Vicar you have the privilege to be and who also died to save them.

[/b] http://ihuanedo.ning.com/xn/detail/2971192%3ABlogPost%3A38829

[b]Emmanuel Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South


*GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan

GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan is not a stranger to criminals and their devices, especially kidnappers. In fact, some years ago, as Secretary to the Delta State Government, he was a member of the Federal Government team, headed by the current president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who was then the vice president, which was established to end kidnapping in the region.

At that time, kidnapping was carried out by militants in the creek. Now, the action is on land, and, lately, profit-making hostage-takers are on the loose. The governor was cornered, penultimate Friday, by Sunday Vanguard, shortly after a prayer session at the Government House Chapel, Asaba, and he spoke on what the state government was doing to rein in the criminals. Excerpts:

You are just coming from church. Is this a daily thing or once in a while?

The Government House Chapel is just by the gate, as you enter the Government House. I have taken it as a practice, part of our daily activities to seek the face of God in the morning before doing any other thing in the office.

I know you believe in the Holy Ghost and its power, so did you rain Holy Ghost fire on criminals, particularly kidnappers, who are currently on the rampage in your state in the church?

(Long hilarious laughter) In actual fact, we prayed against everything, not just kidnappers, against anything that is evil. But having said that, let me correct an impression because when you used the word rampage, it is like you are saying the thing has become uncontrollable, that is not quite true. Yes, the number has increased, the rate of kidnapping has increased in certain parts of the state but it has not gone beyond control. It is still under control.

The first body you constituted on assumption of office in 2007 was the Delta Waterways Security Committee. That was when kidnapping was happening in the creeks. Today, it has shifted from the waterways to land, what is responsible?

Well, the history of kidnapping in the state goes beyond 2007, it was when I was Secretary to the State Government, SSG, that we had the first set of kidnap cases in which the current president was made the chairman of the team to go and rescue the victims and I happened to have represented Delta State in that team.

That time, the reason for kidnapping was mainly as a result of the Niger-Delta agitation, I think the armed youths engaged in kidnapping as a way of drawing attention of the Federal Government and the oil companies to the struggle. And so, it was mainly expatriates working in the oil industry that were being kidnapped and, because they were expatriates, they got attention whenever they struck.

Unfortunately, criminals now saw kidnapping as a quick means of making money, much more lucrative and “easier” than armed robbery. So, we now have cases of kidnapping all over, virtually every part of the country has been affected, but became worse in the South East at a time.

Now, the federal authorities have moved heavily to the South East, so what we now noticed is that many of those people who used to do kidnapping moved to some other states and, unfortunately, Delta State is one of the states they have moved into, eh, because from the records we have, from the number of people we have arrested, we have arrested over 30, many of them are from the South East, not even from Delta State. So, it has become a commercial venture, much more lucrative than armed robbery. That is the way it is now.

Kidnapping in the state is more in the Delta Central Senatorial District. Are people rebelling against something or what?

Yes, for now, it is more in the Central, although reasons have been mentioned as to why it is like that and one of the speculations is that it has to do with the amnesty programme in which there is unhappiness about the programme not extended to youths that did not carry arms, they felt that it was only youths that carried arms that government recognized and they kind of concluded that they should do something now to be recognized. That is one of the theories that is being bandied about.

Well, some people think that with the way kidnapers are practising their trade in Delta, the state is now the kidnapping capital of the country.

No, no, no, that is very wrong, it is very wrong and we must correct that impression. I was reading a report that the mother of somebody was kidnapped and it was in Delta that the plot was hatched (laughs), which is not quite correct.

You said that situation is not uncontrollable. How you are handling the matter, as the chief security officer of the state?

There is very little I can say about our strategy because once you start revealing your strategy, of course, the criminals know what you want to do and they move ahead of you. But you would have noticed that I stepped up a few things and we had an emergency security council yesterday, and by this morning, a few operations are going on. I am expecting good results.

The complaint, nevertheless, is that there are no jobs and government is virtually staring at the problem without solving it?

I usually disagree with people who tend to justify criminality with joblessness. A criminal is a criminal. Why do I say so, during his tenure, the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, gave some allocation to the Niger-Delta for employment into the security agencies, especially the police and I can tell you that till today, we have not been able to fill our quota.

Why, because many of these youths do not want to join the police, they don’t want to do this, they don’t want to do that, they want jobs that will give them very heavy money, they don’t want to gradually build up, they want quick money, so it is not quite correct that it is joblessness that is pushing people into kidnapping, criminals are just criminals.

There is also the contention that the Niger-Delta governors have not even managed available funds well.

Let us not go into managing and mismanagement of funds. Those are issues that if anybody wants to know how funds have been spent in Delta State, for instance, the records are there. We do our audit every year, audit report is there and nobody refers to audit report. I think we have gone beyond that.

Delta State House of Assembly passed a bill on anti-kidnapping, but you have not signed it into law. Why?

That law stipulates death sentence for kidnappers and I don’t believe in death sentence. I don’t believe that it will solve the problem because we have precedence; there was death sentence for armed robbers, in fact, it was open execution then, where the late Lawerence Anini and co were executed but that did not stop armed robbery.

Indeed, what happened was that armed robbers became more deadly, so death sentence has not stopped any sort of crime. I don’t believe in it. So, I think we are going to meet ourselves midway to arrive at something.

What is this midway because it is assumed that it is because you did not sign the bill into law that kidnappers are emboldened in the state?

Whether I sign the bill or not, there is already a law against kidnapping, kidnapping is a crime (laughs), there is already law against it. So, it is not this one that we are doing now that will stop it, this one is just putting an extreme condition.

They have to be sentenced to death, which I don’t agree with. So, by our law today, if kidnappers are found guilty, they will go to jail. What we are discussing with the House of Assembly is how long the person is going to stay in jail if found guilty.

You mean Deltans should be rest assured that the government has put feasible measures in place to save them from kidnappers?

Oh yes, a lot of measures have been put in place and anybody who gets involved in kidnapping will have himself or herself to blame.[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/delta-is-not-%e2%80%98kidnapping-capital%e2%80%99-of-nigeria-gov-uduaghan/#disqus_thread

A Nigerian church, the Universal Kingdom of God’s Church , Yoff road Dakar, Senegal, was Sunday, attacked by suspected Muslim youths in the area.

The church was burnt down by the rampaging youths while its more than two dozens members, all Nigerians , who were at a worship service during the attack were severely injured.

The victims are at present receiving medical attention at Philips Health Centre Manguillene Senghor.

The pastor of the church, Rev. Roland, said that,”it was around 10:00hrs during service that people armed with sticks and clubs broke into the church. And without any explanation, they attacked the faithfuls, they snatched mobile phones, before setting fire to the place of worship. ”

However, Babacar Diouf, à Yoff councilor on state TV blamed the incident on miscreants.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/nigerian-church-razed-in-senegal-by-citizen-okey/

Abidjan – Looking into the future of the global economy, the World Bank on Monday said Nigeria and other emerging economies would determine the new structure of the global economy by 2025.

Nigeria has a Vision 20:2020 aimed at becoming one of the 20 most developed economies in the world by 2020.

The report on the future of the global economy, entitled: “Global Development Horizons 2011’’, said the world economy would assume a different structure by 2025, with many emerging economies driving global growth.

The report subtitled, “Multi-polarity: The New Global Economy’’ listed other African economies among the 60 likely global actors, which include Ghana, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco and Kenya.

The report said the position of the advanced or developed countries would be less significant as growth would be diversified, with other currencies upstaging the dominance of the dollar in trade.

“The international monetary system is likely to cease being dominated by a single currency.

“The emerging countries, where three-fourths of the official foreign exchange reserves are currently held and whose sovereign wealth funds and other pulls of capital are increasing important sources of international investment will play key roles in financial markets.

“In short, a new world order with a more diffused economic power is emerging. There will be a shift towards multi-polarity,’’ the report said.

It said the Euro had gained wide acceptance in the international cycle, while the Yen and the pounds sterling remain “single digit shares of financial reserves”.

Another currency that would pose a competition to the dollar, according to the report, is the Chinese renminbi.

“China’s economy and the rapid globalisation of its corporations and banks will position the renminbi to take a more important international role, ‘’ the report added.

“By 2025, the most probable global currency scenario will be a multi-polar one centred around the dollar, euro and the renminbi,’’ the report said.

According to the report, multi-polarity implies a situation where numerous national concentration of power exists but no single centre dominates politically.

“At no time in modern history have so many developing countries been at the forefront of a multi-polar economic system.

“Within the next two decades, the rise of emerging economies will inevitably have major implication for the global economic and geo-political landscape,’’ the report.

It said that policy makers would need to equip themselves with the tools and capacities to effectively capitalise on opportunities, while simultaneously safeguarding their economies against risks.

The report said the emerging economies had become a “powerful force’’ in international production, trade and finance.

“Emerging and developing economies’ share of international trade has risen steadily from 26 per cent in 1995 to an estimated 42 per cent in 2010.

“Much of this rise has been due to an expansion of trade not between developed countries and developing countries, but among developing countries,’’ the report said.

It said that by 2025, six major emerging economies – Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation – would collectively account for more than half of all global growth.

According to the report, growth in 2025 will be largely driven by good policies, investment in technology and a healthy regard for research and development.  (NAN)
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/nigeria-others-to-determine-global-economy-by-2025-world-bank/

[b]BY OLA AJAYI, KOLADE LAREWAJU & GBENGA AKINWUNMI

TWO children and a  middle-aged woman were drowned in a flood after a heavy downpour that lasted several hours in Ibadan on Sunday.

According to an eyewitness, the  corpses of the victims were discovered in a stream along Lagos-Ibadan expressway yesterday morning.

Sympathisers who thronged the scene told newsmen that their corpses had been taken to the mortuary.

Also, last week property worth millions of naira was lost and several vehicles swept away on Bodija-Secretariat road.

The Sunday rain that wrecked another havoc started at about 2:30 pm lasted into the wee hours of yesterday.

The deceased were said to have been trapped in the flood while attempting to cross it.
The sad event was said to have taken place at the Old Ife Road area of the city.

Though the corpses had been taken away, some sympathizers were seen weeping uncontrollably for the lost souls.

A man, Alhaji Sulaiman Babatunde, who spoke with newsmen said: “We have pulled out over six vehicles from this river today due to the heavy rainfall that occurred yesterday. Also, three bodies including two little girls have since been recovered. I want to appeal to the State government to see to the newly built filling station that is hindering the easy passage of water. The government should also expand the river and stop people from throwing refuse inside the river”

Similarly, it was a terrible  experience for the staff of most of the Federal Government Institutions in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, at the early hours of yesterday as they were held up in a heavy traffic that occurred along Abeokuta-Ibadan road for over Five hours.

Aside staff of University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, UNAAB, Ogun Osun River-Basin Development Authority and Federal College of Education, FCE, all located along Camp and Osiele in Odeda Local Government Area of the state that were held up, commuters and traders plying the road were also affected.

Most of the staff of the establishments appealed to Ogun State Government to create
alternative roads along the axis.

A staff of UNAAB, Mr. Kola Adepoju, who said he had been in the traffic for hours, advised that though,the road is a Federal Road, the State Government should help to arrest the situation.

According to him, “This is just too bad today, we are civil servants and we have deadline but I am sure most of the people working along this route are already late.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, should help us to address as a matter of urgency by making it top priority by the time the government starts rehabilitation of roads in the state. There is too much concentration on this road therefore; government should create outer-ring roads such that there will be a meeting points here.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/3-drown-as-flood-wreaks-havoc-in-ibadan-abeokuta-2/[/b]

[b]BY Innocent Anaba
LAGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till July 28, 2001, for the arraignment of a 50-year-old farmer, Mr. Yesiru Onajobi, alleged to have impregnated his daughter.

When the matter came up, yesterday, the accused, who claimed to be an illiterate, told the court registrar that he had not been able to secure a lawyer.

The prosecuting counsel, meanwhile, told the court that a friend of the accused, who initially stood as surety for him, promised to secure a lawyer for him. He said the friend has disappeared.

According to the prosecution, the surety does not pick his calls.

The prosecution said Yesiru had been abandoned by friends and relations.

Trial judge, Justice Pat Ajoku, while adjourning the matter to enable the accused farmer  secure the services of a lawyer, said if by that date he fails to secure the services of a lawyer, he will be remanded in prison custody.

Yesiru Onajobi was arraigned before the court on June 7, 2010 by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trade in Persons.
In a two-count charge filed before the court, Yesiru Onajobi of Bobije in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, on or January 20, 2010 in Bobije, Ibeju-Lekki, was alleged to have seduced Kehinde Onajobi, 14, his daughter, who was under his custody.

According to the charge, the offence is contrary to Section 13(1) of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003 as amended and punishable under the same Section of the Act.

Justice  Ajoku had on June 7 adjourned the case till 27 June, 2010 to give the accused person the opportunity to secure the services of a lawyer. The judge ordered that he be remanded in the custody of the agency.

His daughter has since given birth.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/man-50-arraigned-for-impregnating-14-yr-old-daughter/[/b]

[b]Lagos grinds to halt as floods take over roads
By OUR REPORTERS
Saturday, June 18, 2011



Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section

For residents of Jakande area of Ajangbadi, Lagos, there was gnashing of teeth yesterday after an early morning torrential downpour that started from 5.30am till about 11.00am. The roads and streets in the area that are yet to receive the touch of Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola were submerged by flood.

The area was not alone in this crisis brought about by what should be a blessing. The entire Lagos State, the metropolis especially, was held to an abrupt standstill after the rains submerged the streets and major roads.
The volume of the floods made motorists and pedestrians move around the city for their daily businesses in uncertainty.

Most parts of Lagos were literally shut out from access by either vehicles or human beings for hours. Even sports utility vehicles, trucks and other heavy duty vehicles could not fare better as the entire traffic was locked up in a snarl that stretched into kilometers.
The residents not left with any option had to wade through the flooded roads to the bus stop.

Shops, warehouses and homes were totally overtaken by floods in most parts of the city. After the rain, many residents spent the rest of the day bailing out water from their flooded homes and shops.
At Abule-Osun on the Mile Two-Badagry expressway, the flood took over the lane that leads to Badagry which left motorists with only one lane with the attendant heavy vehicular traffic.

Rain boots rental
Some young Lagosians, however, acted fast and made a good brisk business of the problem as they positioned themselves at several places where the floods could not permit movement, renting out rain boots to people who needed them.
The experience of residents of Orile Iganmu, Amukoko and Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area, after the downpour, was harrowing.

Flood took over some of the streets like Coker, Raimi Ipaja, Owodunni, Alafia and many others.
One horrible experience was that many people could not go about their businesses as all the roads were heavily flooded. Those who were seen bailing water from their homes at Raimi Ipaja Street, Amukoko, said that that has become the tradition of most of the residents anytime it rains, especially in June and July. “What you see here is what we pass through any time it rains, and we have lived with this for more than 12 years. There are no good drainages here and no efforts to call the attention of government ever worked, they only give excuses. We are totally abandoned, it is only God that can save us from this menace.”
In some of the streets in this area, rain boots were rented for between N30 and N50 for pedestrians, while motorists never tried to make attempt in driving through the flood for fear of being trapped.

The situation at Mile Two was tense for both motorists and other road users as the downpour caused serious traffic jam. Motorists coming from Okokomaiko spent hours to get to Mile Two that had been a traffic nightmare for months now as a result of the road construction going on there. Accessing Mile Two from Orile, Apapa and Oshodi was not different. About three kilometres of the prominent Oshodi-Apapa expressway that links the outer Lagos, the international airport and the seaports in Apapa and Tin Can was hell. Flood stretched from Mile Two to Sanya Express end on both lanes.

Fare from Oshodi to Apapa and Mile Two was jacked up from the usual N100 to about N250 by bus operators who spent hours in the traffic gridlock. At the Ketu- Ojota axis, commuters were stuck in traffic as a result of the flood. Many private car owners who drove through the flood got stuck and with time the entire stretch of the roads was littered with broken down vehicles.
As the stretch of vehicles took over the roads, so also was a crowd of commuters who disembarked from stuck vehicles and walked long distances to their destinations. [/b]

Okpara varsity expels 13 over cult activities, exam fraud

On June 10, 2011 · In News
,





By Anayo Okoli

Umuahia- MICHEAL Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, has expelled 13 students for their involvement in cultism and examination malpractices.

Also, an unspecified number of students are  still serving suspension for similar offences, pending the determination of their cases by the Disciplinary Committee set up by the university to investigate them.

The new Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Hillary Edoga, who disclosed this at a press conference to mark his 100 days in office, noted that the action was taken in line with the university’s policy of zero tolerance for  acts of misconduct.

He also announced that serious measures had been taken to tackle indecent dressing among students, particularly females. Edoga said security personnel at the institution’s gate had been directed to restrain any student indecently dressed from entering  the campus.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/okpara-varsity-expels-13-over-cult-activities-exam-fraud/

[b]
L-R: Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji; his wife, Chief Mercy Odochi Orji; and Nigerian international footballer, Mr. Kanu Nwankwo, at the Governor’s Lodge after the interdenominational thanksgiving/dedication service for Abia State  at  the Umuahia Township Stadium…recently.




Armed militants, allegedly sponsored by wealthy individuals from Ogbunka community in Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State, have blockaded the Umunze federal highway, leading to Owerre-Ezukala, a border town linking the state to other South-East states.

Owerre Ezukala, also in Orumba South, is a border town to Isuochi in Abia State and Awlaw in Enugu State.

It was gathered that the militants are taking advantage of bumps at the Ogbunka axis of the expressway to attack Owerre Ezukala indigenes over a lingering land dispute between the two communities.

Those from Owerre Ezukala who have fallen victim to the hoodlums in the past few days include Ugochukwu Aladike, Chiemerie Onwumere, Linus Orji, Okechukwu Abasiri, Fidelis Okafor and Raphael Chukwusiri.

No fewer than four of the victims sustained gunshot injuries during their encounter with the militants, who also razed down a building at Boys Secondary School, Owerre Ezukala.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the hoodlums before journalists, Aladike said that he was rushing to Umunze and on approaching the former St. Paul’s Ikpebu, he saw some boys numbering about eight, who were armed with pump action double barrel guns.

He narrated: “When I was coming, I saw them crossing the road from left side to right side as if they are approaching Boys Secondary School, then I applied the break of my motorcycle.

“When I wanted to move, they rushed me and opened fire on me as if they were shooting an armed robber. The first bullet pulled out my side mirror. I turned, and they continued firing, and I swerved from right to left but they caught me on the leg. I drove to Boys Secondary School and told people what happened to me. Then I went to police to report and get extract to go to hospital and treat myself,” Aladike said.

Orji whose injury still looks fresh, said the militants, who were led by one Arinze, popularly known as Idi Marshal, laid ambush under a cashew plantation, from where they came out to attack him.

According to him, Marshal met me near the cashew trees and said that they would deal with me that they had ignored Owerre Ezukala people enough.

He said the militants caught him and told him to move, but as soon as he moved, Marshal shot him on the leg from very close range.

Orji said he crawled on the pool of his blood from the point he was shot, back to his home.

Recalling his own encounter, Okafor, a teacher, said that he was driving with his wife in his Nissan Sunny car when they ran into the hoodlums at one of their road blocks along the expressway and on identifying himself as an indigene of Owerre Ezukala, they pounced on him.

The indigene of Ogwuada village said the militants manhandled him before his wife and dragged him into a bush where he was kept until daybreak when he regained his freedom.

Okafor disclosed that his Nissan Sunny and other valuables in the car were yet to be recovered.

Hillary Ukomadu, the vice principal of the Boys Secondary School, disclosed that the burnt building accommodates the principal’s office, classroom, library and laboratory.

Ukomadu said that they finished studies in the morning on the fateful day, only to discover in the night that the building has been burnt.

He said: “Before then they have been shooting to scare students away and now they burnt the school.

“We reported to Commissioner of Education, Kay Onyechi. She told us to make a report, which we have done but nothing has happened. Our students who started their exam are taking exam at the primary school with hired benches,” Ukomadu lamented.

On what must have prompted the arson in the school, he said: “We are aware of dispute between two communities but the deputy governor has set up committee to look into it.”

Reacting to the mayhem, Prince of Owerre Ezukala, **Ezedioramma** Joel Madu, regretted that the Ogbunka community was not behind the violence against his people, but a few disgruntled elements from Awuka Ogbunka who want war instead of peace.

Madu, who maintained that the land in dispute (Ozu Nkputu) belongs to his community, said that the perpetrators should be able to know what peace could bring to both communities, rather than causing confusion for selfish interests.

He condemned the cases of violence and rape recorded lately over the land dispute, especially along the expressway and therefore called on the state government to intervene and stop those hoodlums from attacking innocent citizens.

Efforts to hear from the Ogbunka side proved abortive as at press time.[/b]



   
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=35182

[b]
Ojukwu discharged from London hospital


By Emmanuel Nzomiwu Correspondent, Enugu






Leader of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has been discharged from the hospital in London.

Ojukwu, who suffered a stroke last December in his Enugu residence, was flown to London in an air ambulance after spending few days at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla.

A source close to his family confirmed to Daily Independent in Enugu on Wednesday that the Ikemba Nnewi has indeed been discharged from hospital in London.

Our source said that he has been undergoing physiotherapy in a private apartment in London, but described his response to treatment as “very slow”, obviously on account of old age.

It was gathered further that the revered Igbo leader was being administered with manual therapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, speech therapy and exercises, to restore normal functioning of his organs and prevent disorders in future.

Ojukwu’s wife, Bianca, also confirmed to Daily Independent on phone that her husband has been discharged from hospital in London.

She said: “Yes, he is no longer in the hospital and I can tell you that God is great and gracious. God has shown us why he is God”.

“The condition of Eze Igbo has improved tremendously and he is now undergoing physiotherapy and I can tell you that his response has been encouraging”, Bianca, immediate past Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora Matters, said.

Asked when the ex-Biafran leader would return to the country, she said that he needs enough time to recover, noting that lately, he has been receiving so many visitors in London, including associates and relatives.

Ojukwu was APGA presidential candidate in 2003 and 2007 elections. On both occasions, he challenged the victory of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) up to the Supreme Court level.

However, in the last April election, not only that his party, APGA, which has reasonable followership in the South East, did not field a candidate, it adopted President Goodluck Jonathan of PDP as its consensus candidate.

Ojukwu had suffered stroke in December, three days after he received Jonathan and some state governors at his home in Enugu, named in Italian language ***Casa Bianca***, meaning Bianca’s home in English.

In an unconscious state, he was rushed to Accident and Emergency ward of UNTH and was placed on life support machines at the ICU for some days, before he was flown to London.
   

http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=35219[/b]

[b]AWKA— MEDICAL doctors in both public and private hospitals in  Anambra State, numbe-ring about 200, Wednesday, took to the streets of Awka and Nnewi to protest the kidnap of their colleague, Dr. Okwudili Udemezue.

Udemezue, who is a lecturer in the Department of Anatomy at the College of Medicine of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi, was kidnapped Sunday midnight while driving home from work.

The kidnappers were yet to make contact with members of his family or colleagues at press time.

Among places visited by the protesting doctors are  the Police headquarters where they were addressed by the Deputy Commissio-ner of Police, Mr. Austin Ebakhuvbokun; Govern-ment House, where they were addressed by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Emeka Sibeudu; and some media houses in Awka.

They carried placards, some of which read: Leave doctors alone; doctors need freedom to do their work, kidnapping is a bad omen, and Anambra is under threat of kidnappers.

Chairman of Nnewi branch of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Achukwu Nwabueze, said it was unfortunate that doctors had become targets of kidnappers, recalling that one of their members was also kidnapped last year and later released after some days in captivity.

He said: “Our business is to save lives and we do not see any reason we should be threatened.”

Mr. Emeka Sibeudu, who expressed worry that the issue of kidnapping which reduced considerably in the state, had been on the increase since the end of the general elections, added, however, that government had put in place measures to combat the situation.

According to the deputy governor, security reports have shown that most of those involved in the kidnapping came from outside the state.

He appealed to the people to provide security operatives with information on suspicious movements in their areas.
Also, the deputy police commissioner assured the doctors that his men had swung into action and urged them to be patient.

He commended the doctors for their matured approach to the issue, promising that security would be beefed up at Nnewi to forestall further kidnapping in the area

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/anambra-doctors-take-to-the-streets-over-colleagues-kidnap/[/b]

IBADAN – GOVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has said his predecessor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, in an attempt to empty the state treasury,  hurriedly withdrew a sum of N3billion just five days before he left office.

He revealed this during a meeting with some traditional rulers in the state over one of the bosom traps of implementing the payment of N18,000 for the workers in the state.

In order to prevent another round of industrial action in the state, Governor Ajimobi  sought the intervention and elderly counsel of major traditional rulers in the state.

But responding, Prince Dotun Oyelade denied the allegation saying “Akala’s administration did not withdraw N3b as alleged by the new administration in the state. What happened was that money was paid to contractors upon the presentation of certificates for job done and certified by the monitoring unit, the State Ministry of Works and the Due Process unit”.

He said.”this is the conventional way of paying for projects executed. The onus is therefore on Ajimobi to prove that the money was wrongly applied or prematurely released.

Among the traditional rulers invited to the meeting are the  Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the  Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana; Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi.

Though, the Olubadan could not attend in person, he delegated the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Omowale Kuye to stand in for him at the meeting.

The former Governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala had, at the twilight of his four-year tenure, raised the hope workers in the state that he would effect the implementation of the minimum wage of N18,000 monthly.

Ajimobi, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant, Dr. Festus Adedayo, expressed worry over the issue especially when the new wage bill exceeds the total monthly revenue of the state.

In an earlier meeting,  the governor held with labour leaders in the state, he explained to them that “while statutory allocation accruing to the state was, on the average, N2.4 billion monthly, the state’s Internally Generated Revenue nets about N1 billion, which, if added to VAT  and other revenues accruable to the state government, pushes the state’s monthly income to about N4.2 billion on the average”.

The governor further told the leaders that, with the hurriedly approved new minimum wage increase by the out-gone state government, the state would pay monthly salaries of N4.4 billion which  meant that the state government would have to borrow the sum of N200 million monthly to be able to pay the salaries of its workers.

He said further that even after borrowing N200 million monthly to pay workers’ salaries, government would not only find it impossible to provide the needed materials for civil servants to do their work such as pens and typing sheets.

He also added that it would be an impossibility to actualize all the lofty dreams which he swore to provide for the people of the state.

The governor, reportedly told the traditional rulers and other leaders that he was anxious to pay the May salary of workers immediately and pay whatever would be agreed upon with labour after appropriation by the House of Assembly.

He admitted that workers in Oyo State were among the worst-paid salary-earners in the South West adding that “If the Ekiti State salary model is adopted, the new salary will increase workers’ wages by between 45 and 100 percent, push up the wage bill by N800million per month and push the wage bill to N3.7billion,”.

According to the statement, Governor Ajimobi presented all these facts to the labour leaders and informed the traditional rulers, religious leaders and leaders of thought that his administration would continue to dialogue with the labour leaders towards arriving at an acceptable point where civil servants and the people he swore to provide their welfare will all beam smiles of satisfaction.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/akala-hurriedly-withdrew-n3b-in-five-days-ajimobi/[/b]

[b]A clergyman is one who feels himself called upon to live without working at the expense of the rascals who work to live.” – Voltaire (1694 – 1778)

The above quote, even though it is from the 18th century, is even truer now than it was then. A report highlighted at least three Nigerian pastors who own private jets: Sam Adeyemi, Enoch Adeboye and David Oyedepo. The latter owns four jets, the last one bought in March at a cost of $30m. Buying a jet doesn’t end there. The maintenance of it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Where is this money coming from? The congregations of these Pastors bankroll their lifestyles through weekly or monthly tithes paid into church coffers, special offerings for special prayers and so on. The idea is that by giving these people your money, prosperity and breakthrough follow. This is the contract, and this is why a lot of Christians seem indifferent. After all, they weren’t forced to give, or so they think.

There is something about religous practice that bypasses rational thought and goes straight for the emotions. If this weren’t the case, how can we criticise our public officials for taking such obscene salaries and allowances, and then give these "Men of God" a free pass? They should be subject to the same condemnation, because it is essentially the same thing. Religious leaders and politicians in this country are connected by the brazen, barely believable levels of excess they display. It is an excess funded by the collective wealth of the people. They also feed off each other: Politicians make hefty donations to churches with mostly ill-gotten wealth, while the pastors of those churches pray for them.

The proceeds from church business are second only to the benefits of being a government official in Nigeria. When congregations see their pastors display amazing wealth, they do anything to attain it as well. So when a preacher speaks out against corruption, moral decadence, and so on, the message is dead on arrival. Most don’t practice what they preach. The commercialisation of religion has been made possible by the proliferation of churches which concentrate authority in a single individual. He is the star of the show. In older denominations like the Catholic Anglican churches such displays of wealth are non existent because there are no stars, there is no special treatment and no one owns things like cars, houses, expensive suits and so on. For example, the Pope, head of a billion Catholics worldwide, flies Alitalia when he travels. They can do this because they have no wives or children to cater for, while Pentecostal pastors do. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they should be poor, but since religion is now unquestionably a business, it should be handled as such. Churches should be taxed.

Churches are tax exempt because they are non-profit organisations which engage in charity like feeding the poor, running orphanages and so on. Obviously, this is no longer the case. Many churches have taken advantage of government failure in education to build universities and charge astronomical amounts of money as tuition, to say nothing of the fact that these institutions have all kinds of draconian regulations. If every church had to justify their tax exempt status by showing proof of charitable activities they are engaged in, nearly all would fail the test. State governments, especially in the South, can increase their revenue base significantly by taxing religious organizations and using the money to expand social services. The religious organizations would most likely be more interested in what goes on in the state, leading to more accountability.

For as long as such huge inequality exists in this country, flagrant displays of excess on the part of anyone who does nothing but help himself to the commonwealth of the majority should be frowned upon. A wealth redistribution is overdue.[/b]

http://dailytimes.com.ng/

[b]William Okoro was arrested in 2009 for fraud. Samoan officials, however, failed to provide any evidence.
Article | June 8, 2011 - 3:41am
A Nigerian, William Okoro, was held in custody for over three months by Samoa police months without any charges laid.

Okoro was arrested in 2009 for fraud but police officials could not provide evidence in the case.

In February 2011, Okoro was ordered to be deported but his travel documents had been misplaced by the police. He was, then, issued a certificate of identity to allow him leave for Singapore and seek assistance at the Nigerian embassy there.

His lawyers said that Okoro was taken naked and handcuffed to the airport. Seeing the state he was in the pilot refused to allow him board the plane.

He was returned to custody and kept for over three months.

A court in Samoa heard an application by Okoro. The Court ordered his release but requested he remain in the country pending the hearing of his application for compensation.

Okoro, in an affidavit, claimed the police had not returned his belongings, which include $4,500[/b]