great news

The Executive Council of the Federation today said that President Umaru Yar’Adua is not incapable of discharging his office.

But the Senate has directed Yar’Adua to transmit a letter to the National Assembly that he had proceeded on vacation.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Dan Abutu, on Friday gave the council 14 days to pass a resolution to determine the state of health of ailing President Umaru Yar‘Adua in line with Section 144 of the 1999 Constitution.

The President has been receiving treatment for a heart condition in a Saudi hospital for over 60 days.

Rising from a meeting today, however, the Executive Council, through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, said that Yar’Adua was fit to continue in office, insisting that a medical treatment outside the country did not constitute incapacity.

The Senate during its session today directed the President to forward a letter to the National Assembly that he had proceeded on vacation in line with the Section 144 of the Constitution.




http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010012716302457

Enyeama

            Odiah              Apam                  Yobo               Taiwo

           Okoronkwo S.      Lukman         Mikel                Ibrahim         

                                     Ogbuke     Osaze

IT was another gruesome murder in Nigeria yesterday. The Guardian's Assistant News Editor and an ace political reporter, Bayo Ohu, was shot dead in his apartment in Egbeda, a Lagos suburb.

Ohu was just getting set to attend Church service after seeing off his wife, Ochuko, and sister-in-law, to the early morning service when the gunmen came knocking on his door at about 6.52 a.m.

According to eye-witnesses, the five or six men came in a white Toyota Camry saloon car, wearing white flowing gowns with matching skull caps. They made no attempt to enter any other apartment in the four-flat house. Ohu heard a knock on his door and as he opened the front door to ask who was knocking, the gunmen hit him with a volley of bullets. His blood made a huge splash all over the door. He staggered back into the house screaming for help, but his assailants followed him inside and rained more bullets into him.

Curiously, the assailants made away with only his laptop and mobile phone handset.

The landlady, who was just opening her shop that morning, was the first to come in contact with the assailants. She was ordered to lie face down by a man she identified as the leader of the gang. He warned her in Yoruba language to stay in that position if she didn't want any harm to come to her. She narrated in Yoruba: "The man went ahead to show me a big gun hidden under his flowing gown and I started pleading with him that he should please have mercy on me, that I had no money and was just a poor trader who sells soft drinks. He just told me not to worry, that nothing would happen to me if I stayed face down on the ground. From my shop, he started shouting orders to others." Soon after she was deafened by the gunshots.

The Guardian confirmed that no less than a dozen rounds of ammunition were fired. The police recovered most of the expended bullets.

One bullet went through the right side of Ohu's chest and exited through the left side, tearing through the arm. Two of Ohu's children, who were yet to go to church, had gone to fetch water from another house in the neighbourhood, ran into the assailants and were immediately chased into hiding. Those watching the gory scene from adjoining buildings said that the assailants, after completing their task, still had enough time to wash their hands and feet while two of their colleagues fired shots into the air to scare all in the neighbourhood.

One of the children told The Guardian that from her hiding place he heard one of the assailants shouting out jubilantly to his colleagues: "Olori buruku e ti ku (the fool is dead)."

But Bayo Ohu, a hefty six-footer, did not go down without a fight for life. One of his neighbours who rushed to his side after the assailants made their exit, noticed that his pulse was still strong and he was still breathing. Other neighbours were quickly mobilised to save his life. They rushed him to a nearby hospital, just three minutes drive from Ohu's residence. At the hospital, the staff on duty insisted on a Police Report before any first aid could be administered on him. Noticing that he was losing much blood, the neighbours decided to head to the Ikeja General Hospital. Ohu, however, did not make it there as doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

"There is no doubt that this is a clear assassination job. I have been in the police force for a long time and the kind of expended bullet cartridges found at the scene of the crime is really a source of worry. These are high caliber bullets that are not normal when attacking harmless people. You only go with this kind of weapon where you expect resistance, where you are going with the intent of war. It's not a regular thing", a police source said yesterday.

He then added in a tone dripping with frustration: "There is no cartridge that has the same groove pattern. The groove pattern on each bullet is akin to finger-prints. So, if we were in a situation where police jobs are made easier with good investigative capacity, the bullets could be used in locating the guns and sources, but my friend you know how things are here."

Speaking later with journalists, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mbah, said that the Force was looking at the case from the point of view of the gruesome circumstances, "we are leaving all options open in our investigations." Mbah also said that with more evidence coming to the Force after the recovery of the vehicle used in the operation, things were beginning to point to a possible case of armed robbery. But he quickly added that all leads were being followed.

A shaken Editor and Deputy-Editor in Chief of The Guardian, Debo Adesina, who had rushed to the General Hospital to ensure Ohu's prompt treatment, an effort which now turned out futile, told journalists that, "it is now left for the Police to do their job. I hope they would unravel this killing and let Nigerians know who did this as well as why?"

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, said that the police had already commenced investigation into the death, added: "We have commenced investigations into the killing. We are investigating a case of murder and robbery. We sympathise with our friend, The Guardian for what happened, we shall investigate the death discretely."

Shock and fear enveloped Ohu's residence as neighbours gathered around discussing the killing yesterday. Bayo Ohu, according to neighbours, was a very quiet person. "You never would know whether he lived in this house or not. He was not the regular kind of person known to everyone. He went about his life quietly. In fact, his wife and kids are better known in this area than he was", one of the neighbours told The Guardian.

One other neighbour watching the scene said: "The whole thing looked like a home video. We saw them, the way they made a U-turn with their car on a narrow road, the way they held their guns and shooting as if they were robbing a bank, was so shocking. We could not react immediately because we were shocked and we were scared. I just went blank. It was after they drove off that we could summon courage to check who their victim was."

Oyeniji Street, and the surrounding Odukoya Estate, though with one or two nice looking buildings, is generally a lower middle-class neighbourhood. Ohu's residence is an old-fashioned four-flat house, each flat with three bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Ohu's body has been deposited at the mortuary of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. He left behind five children; the eldest being 16 years, while the youngest is nine months old, a housewife, who is a part-time student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and an aged father.

Ogunbayo Ohu was born on June 18, 1964. He started his education at the Local Authority Primary School, Iseyin, Oyo State, from where he proceeded to Progressive Grammar School, Ado-Awaye, also in Oyo State, where he finished in 1976. He had his tertiary education at The Polytechnic, Ibadan between 1988-1990.

Bayo Ohu joined The Guardian in 1991 and distinguished himself early as a reporter. He covered Katsina State as a State Correspondent and his performance recommended him for promotion to Assistant News Editor. His flair for reporting made him move from the desk back to the beat to cover politics which he did very well.

Yesterday, publisher of The Guardian, Dr. Alex Ibru, said he was saddened by the incident and hoped the police would do a thorough job of investigating this killing. He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of Ohu and sent his condolences to his family.

Ohu's was yet another in the list of journalists' murder. Dele Giwa, Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed through a parcel bomb on October 19, 1986 during the military regime of President Ibrahim Babangida.

More recently, Godwin Agbroko, the Editorial Board Chairman of ThisDay newspaper, was gunned down on Oshodi-Mile Two Expressway in 2006 on Christmas eve.

Yet, another mysterious death was that of Abayomi Ogundeji, also a member of the Editorial Board of ThisDay newspaper on August 17, 2008. He was shot in his vehicle on his way from work late in the evening.

Anxiety has gripped the teeming fans of Fuji star, K1 The Ultimate, formerly known as KWAM 1 (King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal) following reports that he is plagued by cancer and has undergone surgery in Canada.

Although K1 The Ultimate has denied the rumour which has been spreading for the past couple of weeks, his fans across the world are still worried about his condition as he is yet to return to Nigeria.

The fans have been sending messages to one another on facebook, a social networking site on the internet, calling our newsroom and sending messages enquiring about the fate of their idol.

Though K 1 and his manager Percy Ibikunle Ademokun have dispelled the rumours, his fans have continued to show concern about his situation and wish him quick recovery from whatever ailment that has confined him to his home in Canada on the order of his doctors.

Investigation revealed that K 1 was operated upon for an infection of the throat at a hospital in Canada and has been confined to his home in that country on doctors’ advice.

P.M.News gathered that the fuji music act was advised against travelling back to Nigeria because he had to recuperate from the surgery.

“You know, travelling for 12 hours for a person who was recently operated upon is not healthy and can be counter productive, so he has to remain in Canada for now,” a source said.

Speaking with P.M.News on the issue, K 1’s manager, Ademokun said “he is doing fine and responding to treatment. He had infections of the lungs and was operated upon. I swear, he is not suffering from cancer as being speculated.”

The musician has reportedly called off some of his major shows in Nigeria, but may perform in Canada on 10 October.


source: http://thepmnews.com/2009/09/18/kwam-1-anxiety-grips-fans-i-don%E2%80%99t-have-cancer-he-says

Nigerian officials: 'District 9' not welcome here

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- One of the summer's biggest blockbusters — a sci-fi morality tale about aliens and apartheid — is not welcome in Nigeria because of its portrayal of Nigerians as gangsters and cannibals, Nigeria's information minister said Saturday.

Information Minister Dora Akunyili has asked movie houses in the capital of Abuja to stop screening "District 9" because the South Africa-based sci-fi movie about aliens and discrimination makes Nigerians look bad.

"We have directed that they should stop public screening of the film," she said. "We are not happy about it because it portrays Nigeria in bad light."

More on Parallel Universe: Welcome to 'District 9'

Akunyili said she has asked Sony for an apology and wants them to edit out references to Nigeria and to the name of the main Nigerian gangster Obesandjo, whose name closely resembles that of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

"We have written to the producer and distributor of the film, Sony Entertainment, expressing our displeasure and demanded an apology," she said. "We have asked that the areas where Nigeria and Obasanjo are mentioned should be edited from the film."

She and other government officials first saw the movie Wednesday during a private screening.

In one scene, Obesandjo tries to cut off and eat the arm of the film's protagonist, in an attempt to gain his supernatural powers. In others, Nigerian prostitutes are seen courting alien customers.

The film's portrayal of Nigerians has also drawn the ire of critics and bloggers, and has spawned a Facebook page called "Nigerians Offended by 'District 9,'" which had 57 members on Saturday.

Corlize Luttig, marketing manager for the South African cinema chain Ster-Kinekor, who represent Sony in South Africa, said they had no comment on the request by Akunyili. Ster-Kinekor does not distribute to Nigeria, she said.

Luttig said they were still waiting for comment from Sony's head office in Los Angeles.

"District 9" tells the story of an alien ship that mysteriously comes to hover over the South African city of Johannesburg. Its inhabitants are separated from the human population and segregated into a walled area known as District 9. But after nearly 30 years, government officials aim to relocate the extraterrestrials, with disastrous results.

The film is first feature from commercial and music-video director Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the script with Terri Tatchell. The film, which features a cast of mostly unknown South African actors, got its big-name backing from producer and "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson.

The film brought in some US$37 million during its U.S. debut weekend in August. In its five-week run at U.S. theaters, it has brought in an estimated US$108,000,000, according to studio estimates.

@nezan,
you said who sent them? most of these people are from a very poor family background, they want to come out of the hardship and help their people, they are not robbing people on third mainland bridge or lagos -ibadan expressway, they left the shores for greener pastures but unfortunately they met what they did not bargain for. I dont know if u were born in uk or US but most of them did not have the opportunity.

This NFF has conspired to destroy our common happiness, says Gara Gombe

Ahmed Gara Gombe was one of the brains behind the Stakeholders' Forum, which saw to the enthronement of the present leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after Nigeria's failure to qualify for the Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup. But his romance with the Sani Lulu-led board of the NFF soon turned sour when he discovered that 'the new body had no vision for the development of Nigerian football.'

Following Nigeria's 2-2 draw with Tunisia in a must-win World Cup qualifier on Sunday, Gombe, who has been at the vanguard of the call for the removal of the current leadership of the NFF, told CHRISTIAN OKPARA in Abuja that more of such failures would befall the country if the federation's board were not changed. He also spoke on the elections to the board of the NFF among other football issues.

LIKE many Nigerians did after the Super Eagles' disappointing 2-2 draw with its Tunisian rival in one of the most important matches of the South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifying series, Ahmed Gara Gombe could not leave his seat after the final whistle of the encounter played at the National Stadium, Abuja on Sunday.

He was a sad man disappointed by the repeat occurrence of the disaster that befell Nigerian football in 2005. That was the year he picked up the gauntlet, alongside other stakeholders of Nigerian football to fight for a new beginning for the country's football after the failure to qualify for the Germany 2006 World Cup.

A principal character in the coalition that saw to the removal of Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima as the chairman of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following the failure of 2005, Gombe could not believe that the NFF he fought for had taken worse steps than the ones the stakeholders fought against in the last era.

Although he had since severed his association with the current board of the federation, he still had faint hopes that the country would somehow manage to fight its way to South Africa 2010 with or without the aid of the NFF. But such hopes could not materialise after the debacle of September 6 at the National Stadium.

Now barely able to contain his anger, Gombe says the time has come for every Nigerian to rise and demand for explanations from the leadership of the NFF over the fate that has befallen the national team.

"These people have conspired to destroy our common happiness. Nigerians kept quiet hoping that we will somehow manage to beat Tunisia to get our qualification for the World Cup easy. But see what their incompetence has done to us," Gombe lamented.

According to the Gombe State former FA boss, Lulu and his board has failed top deliver on all the promises they made before taken over the leadership of the NFF.

"Lulu presented a programme on marketing, youth development, accountability, national teams and the secretariat when he was looking for our votes. Now three years after, he has no programme on ground for any of these things.

"Rather we have become the laughing stock of the football world. The world now sees us as a country of cheats who use over aged players in youth competitions. The MRI test has so ridiculed us that we cannot brag of our successes in age football because of these peoples' ambition to win minor competitions at all cost. It is shame.

"Look at marketing, no responsible company wants to deal with the NFF again because of the corruption in the place. Even the ones they had are pulling out, yet these people want to continue to damage our football. We must fight to stop them," he said.

Gombe also directed his anger on some people, whom he accused of foisting Lulu and his board on the country.

He was particularly sad at the roles of NFF former Chairman, John Obakpolor and Amos Adamu in installing Lulu, saying that these men have done a great damage to the nation.

"Obakpolor as chairman of the electoral committee was given guidelines, which stated that the minimum qualification for a board member of the NFF was the Secondary School Certificate. But he allowed some unqualified people to run and win election into the board. He did not bother to conduct aptitude tests for some of the illiterates on the board because if he had done so he would have discovered that some of the people couldn't administer football properly. Some of these people after three years on the board do not even know the rules of the game they are administering.

"Taiwo Ogunjobi was banned from holding any football office, while Amanze Uchegbulem was not properly elected as chairman of Imo FA. Yet they were allowed to contest the elections.

"Amos Adamu just wanted everybody on the board to be submissive to him so he could manipulate the electoral process with the aid of former FIFA Secretary, Urs Linsi, to install Lulu and his cohorts. That was the beginning of this problem our football is now facing," he lamented.

On the finances of the NFF, Gombe said it was ridiculous that the board kept preaching accountability when the body is riddled with corruption.

"Lulu cannot be talking about accountability when he spends money not appropriated, doesn't follow due process and cannot account for $238,000 belonging to the federation.

"It is strange that people have started campaigning for his re-election when in actual fact he should be in jail and not talk about re-election.

"When Lulu was campaigning for election, he came with a document entitled 'The hope for a new direction,' and part of his mission statement was 'where there is no vision the people perish. Now tell me have we not perished under Lulu.

"He promised an annual football summit, local football competitions as is the practice in other developed countries, zonal offices for the NFF, accountability and transparency, provision of facilities all over the zones and the training of administrators and coaches. Has he achieved any of these? The answer is no.

"Now they want to amend the statute to suit their re-election plans. Because the election is fast approaching he is giving N500,000 to each state association in the country. I shouted against the N500,000, which I see as a Greek gift because it will be accompanied by selfish demand of the giver. Why is the money coming now when his tenure is coming to an end," he queried.

Gombe did not spare the Minister of Sports for the rot in Nigerian football, saying that the Sports Ministry has been treating the NFF with kid gloves.

The minister, according to him, has every right to intervene when things are going wrong with Nigerian football.

"These people always try to fool us with the bogus claim that FIFA would ban Nigeria from international football if government intervenes to get things right. Article 19 of the NFF act empowers the minister to intervene, which is not tantamount to interference.

"They have killed our youth football, our women football and now the Super Eagles, yet people expect the minister to fold his arms and watch Nigerian football suffer this trauma during his tenure.

"FIFA gives the NFF $250,000 yearly for youth development yet we cannot raise a youth team without over aged players. What has happened to the $238,000 they lost? It is sad that Nigerians have forgotten that so soon.

"The NFF should be allowed to finish their tenure and go. It will be an insult on Nigerians if anybody thinks of perpetuating the current board in power," he said.

On the South Africa 2010 World Cup, which ticket seems to have slipped out of Nigeria's reach, Gombe said, "the dream is all over. We should declare an emergency on our football to cleanse the house. There should be a four-year programme that should encompass all aspects of our football.

"Also, the terms of the Presidential Task Force should be reviewed to include taking over the Under-17 and Under-20 teams so that we will start from the base to restructure our national team and

all state FAs whose tenures have expired should be dissolved for a fresh election to usher in candidates for the national elections. The EFCC should look into the accounts of the NFF, look at how match collections and all the money that have come to the body since it came to office were disbursed. That way we will know where the problem lies."

Rather than blame the Super Eagles' coaches for the 'failure' of Super Eagles on Sunday, Gombe says the NFF must take the stick, saying the technical committee failed to do its job properly.

He asked, "where were the NFF when Nigeria failed woefully against Mozambique? That was a game we should have won, but we drew.

"Why did not the Technical Committee not insist on friendly matches to check the fitness of the players irrespective of the coach's refusal to play? Does it not show that the committee and the coach were hiding the frailties of the team from the public?

"In 2005, we blamed the hot weather in Kano for the draw against Angola; now what do we blame Sunday's draw on? It is so simple: We had no plan for success. We will not be part of a second consecutive World Cup no matter what anybody wants us to believe. It is so sad," he lamented.


source :   http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/sports/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=090909&ptitle=This%20NFF%20has%20conspired%20to%20destroy%20our%20common%20happiness,%20says%20Gara%20Gombe

nairaland is a place to be, there are responses from every one , Reports monitored on Punch website says bellview offers ticket refund to stranded passengers , http://www.punchng.com/

This is the best i have read in a long time, for copyright purposes, am i allowed to copy and paste this article on my facebook page