WRITER AND PROOFREADER

Hat-trick duo lead Real rout

2010-12-23T07:58:00.000+01:00

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored hat-tricks as Real Madrid hammered Levante 8-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey fifth round tie.

GettyImagesKarim Benzema celebrates scoring a hat-trick

Madrid were 4-0 up at the break thanks to two from Benzema and a goal apiece from Mesut Ozil and Ronaldo. Benzema completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute and Ronaldo followed suit with goals in the 72nd and 74th minutes before Pedro Leon added an eighth in stoppage time.

There were eight goals too at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, where Sevilla twice came from behind to beat Malaga 5-3. Alejandro Alfaro opened the scoring for Sevilla after 11 minutes, but a double from Jose Salomon Rondon turned things in Malaga's favour before Alvaro Negredo levelled.

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie gave Malaga the advantage going into the break, but Ndri Romaric scored twice after the restart and Diego Capel rounded off the scoring eight minutes from time.

Almeria claimed a slender first-leg advantage as they beat Real Mallorca 4-3 thanks to Leonardo Ulloa's hat-trick. Ulloa twice gave the hosts the lead in the first half, but they were pegged back first by Jonathan De Guzman, then Victor. Goals from Kalu Uche and Ulloa made it 4-2 before Pierre Webo pulled one back to give Mallorca hope in the second leg.

Elsewhere, Simao Sabrosa's penalty gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol, while goals from Miku and Pedro Rios handed Getafe a 2-1 win at Real Betis, who pulled one back late on through Jorge Molina's spot-kick.

Hulk Hogan Undergoes Epic Back Surgery

2010-12-23T07:57:00.001+01:00

Hulk Hogan's new bride shouldn't have been offended if he couldn't carry her over the threshold.

The mustachioed wrestler is recovering after basically having his spine rebuilt Tuesday in a surgery that lasted roughly 10 hours, E! News confirms.

Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, is still in the hospital and is said to be doing well.

Aside from lugging around all that family baggage recently, the Suburban Commando star needed so much work on his back to repair wear and tear from injuries sustained over years in the ring.

He also had surgery in June for an old wrestling injury and was hospitalized in September after experiencing unrelated, yet "terrible," back spasms.

Landon Donovan Kicks Marriage to the Curb

2010-12-23T07:55:00.001+01:00

Landon Donovan has given his wife a red card.

The soccer star filed for divorce yesterday from actress wife Bianca Kajlich after nearly four years of marriage—one of which they spent separated, according to the petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

"We remain the closest of friends and will always be important parts of each other's lives," they said in a joint statement.

There was talk of a possible reconciliation this summer after the World Cup, but then Donovan became the target of love-child rumors when a British woman claimed the L.A. Galaxy forward had seeded her field while on loan to the English Premiere League's Everton club.

After finding out for sure, Donovan told E! News, "I know now that I will not be a dad anytime soon, which is good for me."

Speaking of which, he and Kajlich have no children together. Donovan cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split and is asking for spousal support from the Rules of Engagement star.

Guess someone isn't making David Beckham money out on the field.

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2010-04-22T09:45:00.002+01:00

OPERA 4.2,5 & 5.2(MTN & ETISALAT)

195.189.142.178
80.239.242.253
80.239.242.236
91.203.096.125
64.255.180.222
64.255.180.31
195.189.142.169
195.189.142.191
195.189.142.136
080.232.117.171
094.246.126.236
064.255.180.031
064.255.180.130
094.246.126.191
094.246.126.222
using port 80 for all

http://www.mtnonline.com OR http:172.16.84.42(4 mtn custom server)

http://mobile.etisalat.com.ng OR http://www.etisalat.com.ng(4 etisalat custom server)

OPERA 2.0,2.06 & Mopera
080.232.117.041 or 080.232.117.178
PORT: 80
www.mtnonline.com(mtn server)

www.etisalat.com.ng(etisalat server)

ebuddy, migg33 nand all handler apps...
use: ip-194.049.018.086
port 80
front query:wap.mtnonline.com/
cgi-bin/nph-
proxy.cgi/prof/http/

opera4.2 n 5b
ip-94.246.126.150,
190.129.10.245
port-80,
cheat-
wap.mtnonline.com/cgi-
bin/nph-
proxy.cgi/prof/http/

Etisalat & Mtn
opera4.2,5.0,5.2
ip:080.239.242.253 or
94.246.126.089 or
064.225.180.030
port:80
custom
sava:www.etisalat.com.ng/
gwt/n?q=operaserver.
MTN
http://172.16.84.42

opera 2.0
ip-cust03.opera-mini.net.
Or
80.232.117.178
P0rt 80
In Opera Mini Server
Erase whaeva itz there
and
Put =>
wap.mtnoline.com

fone browser proxies:
joeybug2.info,
webhoneynet.com,
hidden94.info
forexpip.info,
69.197.180.203,
tunnelkiller.co.cc

BOLT
Ip:209.139.208.078
Port:80
Change proxy server to
HTTP and the server to
wap.mtnonline.com
OTHER VERSION OF
BOLT
Ip:194.044.010.086
Port:80
Proxy
server:wap.mtnonline.com
UCWEB
Ip:074.124.210.255
Port:80
wap.mtnonline.com

MIG33 REMIX
Ip:090.055.185.049
Port:80
Change proxy to HTTP
and proxy server to
http:wap.mtnonline.com/
cgi-bin/nph-
www.cgi/prof/http/

GMAP
Ip:090.055.185.049
Port:80
http://
wap.mtnonline.com/cgi-
bin/nph-
www.cgi/prof/http/

AED
Ip:080.138.187.032
Port:80
wap.mtnonline.com

SNAPTU
Ip:080.138.187.032
Port:80
wap.mtnonline.com

SHMESSENGER
Ip:090.055.185.049
Port:80
http://
wap.mtnonline.com/cgi-
bin/nph-
www.cgi/prof/http/

TOGO TV
Ip:090.055.185.049
Port:80
http://
wap.mtnonline.com/cgi-
bin/nph-
www.cgi/prof/http/

FOR UR OPERAS
4.2,4.4,5.2 TAKE THIS
IPS...
064.255.180.192,
094.246.126.22,
080.239.242.36,
080.239.242.129,
080.239.242.175,
080.239.242.252,
0194.44.18.86
094.246.126.150
094.426.126.222
064.255.180.129
064.255.180.031
064.255.180.130
064.255.180.045
080.239.242.036
all port 80 trick:
172.16.84.42
Ip:75.127.98.148 Port:80
http://
wap.mtnonline.com/p/
nph-proxy.pl/prof/
http/opera server or
anysite

heres another
latest cgi trick
63.247.70.15
port 80
OR
www.gdn.net
port 80
http://
www.etisalat.com.ng/
~dbarr/cgi-bin/nph-
proxy.cgi/000010A/
http/
www.sharemobile.ro
OR anysite OR opera
server
OR
http://
www.mtnonline.com/
~dbarr/cgi-bin/nph-
proxy.cgi/000010A/
http/
www.sharemobile.ro
OR anysite OR opera
server
4 HANDLER APPS
63.247.70.15
port 80
OR
www.gdn.net
port 80
Front query put
www.etisalat.com.ng/
~dbarr/cgi-bin/nph-
proxy.cgi/000010A/
http/
OR
www.mtnonline.com/
~dbarr/cgi-bin/nph-
proxy.cgi/000010A/
http/
U CAN ALSO USE THIS
CGI STRING WITH THE
ABOVE IP
www.etisalat.com.ng/
~dbarr/cgi-bin/
anonymous.cgi/010110A/
http/
OR
www.mtnonline.com/
~dbarr/cgi-bin/
anonymous.cgi/010110A/
http/

ZAIN AND MTN FREE CALLS

2010-04-22T09:39:00.001+01:00

To make free calls,
collect your friends phone & dial 174 plus
your own phone number, e.g 17408033333333
it will tell you to drop a message then press #
after the message,
You can also tell that person to do the same on his/her phone.
A message will displayed, dial 100 to listen
to the message, press 2 to call that person back free of charge

ANOTHER METHOD

YOU CAN ALSO USE THIS TRICK ON YOUR MTN LINE DIAL *123*2#
FOR 5 DAYS FREE CALL

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ZAIN FREE CALLS

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ZAIN FREE CALL SETTINGS
----------------------

1. insert yur zainline,,,,,,
dial 333122.............
wen these is to setup ur voicemail box....

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after doing that
record a message for listenenrssss......to hear wen ur number redirects ...them

after that u can possibly off yur fone ....take an mtn number to call......

your numbers goes to a yur voicemail box...........

on your zain line.....you will get a message

saying u have a new message
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1st
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if 333122 is going call zain and tell them to put yor number on
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=======================================================
ATTENTION!!!

This codes only work on for high version phones

NOTE: I DONT KNOW MAYBE THE CODES WILL WORK FOR U, JUST TRY IT, PLS DONT CALL OR TEXT ME IF IT DOES NOT WORK COS I AVNT GOTTEN TIME TO TEST IT, I WAS NOT THE ONE DAT SENT IT TO U NTHE FIRST PLACE

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2009-10-14T07:17:00.001+01:00

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2009-10-14T06:41:00.001+01:00

MarketHealth.com

2009-09-30T16:36:00.001+01:00

2009-09-30T09:52:00.001+01:00

2009-09-25T07:25:00.001+01:00

Michael Jackson vs. Britney Spears: Pop Go the Singles!

2009-09-24T07:07:00.000+01:00

Get ready for two new singles from two—like it or not, Britney haters—pop icons: One whose recording career hasn't exactly been showing signs of life lately and the other whose, well, life hasn't exactly been showing signs of life lately.

That's right, just in case a feature-length documentary, unrelenting media coverage (you're welcome?) and a tribute milkshake weren't enough to slake the public's thirst for the King of Pop, Sony Music Entertainment today announced it will be releasing Michael Jackson's first posthumous single, "This Is It," Oct. 12.

We're guessing if sales go as hoped, this definitely won't be it...

Little is being revealed about the track, including when or where it was recorded, though Jackson had seemingly spent the last few years perpetually prepping for a comeback, with will.i.am and Akon among his confirmed in-studio collaborators.

And as with all things Jackson, the new single will be a family affair.

Jackson's brothers provided the background vocals on the song, which will play over the closing credits of This Is It.

"This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows—that Michael is one of God's greatest gifts," said Jackson estate coexecutor (and longtime music exec) John McClain.

Clearly, the man has been taking promotional lessons from Papa Joe.

The single will also launch a new two-disc greatest-hits collection set for release this October. In addition to the track, the set will include one album of Jackson's greatest hits and another featuring unreleased versions of said hits. The second album will also feature a spoken-word poem from Jackson, "Planet Earth."

As for Brit-Brit, she's been keeping a relatively low profile lately, but expect that to change soon. Like, next week.

Next Tuesday, Spears is releasing "3," a brand-new single that will hopefully also help springboard her own greatest-hits album into the charts.

The Singles Collection, to be released Nov. 24, marks 10 years since the risqué pig-tailed schoolgirl wedged herself into our pop culture consciousness.

The album will be available in two editions, both standard and an ultimate fan box set. The bonus-packed latter will feature B-sides and remixes, additional artwork and a DVD of Britney's video career in chronological order. It also boasts 29 tracks compared to the standard set's 17.

Bank MD loots N97bn • Invests N12bn depositors’ funds in personal firm

2009-09-24T07:04:00.001+01:00

Following the second round of banks’ audit exercise conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), officials of the apex bank found that a managing director (name withheld), whose shareholders have strong political influence in the current administration, allocated to himself share capital of N85 billion that is yet to be paid up.

Daily Sun source also revealed that the same MD allocated shares to a local airline to the tune of N18 billion as corporate investments. The airline, the source said, denied knowledge of the deal. The bank MD is also alleged to have invested N12 billion depositors’ funds in a supposed subsidiary of the bank.

The source said the company was found to be the MD’s private firm. The conclusion of the latest audit has already sparked fear in the financial sector. The CBN examiners were said to have concentrated on liquidity; loan verification such as loans to stockbrokers, petroleum products importers, performing and non performing loans; corporate governance issues; processes and resources spent on information technology.

The funding is contrary to CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido’s conclusion that the remaining banks were not as bad as the others.
According to him, he did not expect many surprises as the remaining 14 banks were not significantly different but latest development had proven him wrong.
It was gathered that the apex bank was yet to conduct what they described as forensic accounting investigation on any of the 24 banks in the country.

The managing director of at least one bank has reportedly visited the State Security Service (SSS), to deposit his passport. This is to prevent him from travelling abroad.
Bankers are of the view that two or three banks may be affected by the decision of Mallam Lamido not to allow family banks in the country anymore.
The CBN governor’s policy to end family owned banks, the bankers believed, may be partly responsible for the fate of Oceanic Bank and Intercontinental Bank, seen as being dominated by the personality of their managing directors.

Sanusi at a forum on Wednesday while briefing capital market operators warned that CBN would not allow banks to be run as a sole proprietorship but as institutions that would imbibe the tenets of good corporate governance, promising to treat shareholders of the affected banks fairly and also ensure that, henceforth, banks in the country were run as institutions rather than as sole proprietorships.

Sanusi also allayed fears of nationalizing the five troubled banks whose managing directors and executive directors were sacked following their gross misuse of shareholders’ funds and inability to meet up with other banking statutory obligations.

The governor said the results of the remaining banks would be made known in October 2009, but opined that their results would be better than those of the 10 banks examined earlier from which five were summarily sacked.
The CBN governor had on August 14 sacked the managing director of and executive directors of Afribank Plc, Finbank Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Oceanic Bank Plc and Union Bank Plc. The examination was conducted by a joint team of CBN and NDIC officials.

According to the CBN audit the major findings on the five banks were excessive high-level non-performing loans, which led to poor corporate governance practices, lax credit administration processes and the absence or non-adherence to the bank’s credit risk management practices, leaving the percentage of non-performing loans from 19 per cent to 48 per cent. The five banks will, therefore, need to make additional provision of N539.09 billion.

The total loan portfolio of these five banks was N2, 801.92 billion. Margin loans amounted to N456.28 billion and exposure to oil and gas was N487.02 billion. Aggregate of non-performing loans were N1,143 billion representing 40.81 per cent. The five banks accounted for a disproportionate component of the total exposure to capital market and oil and gas, thus reflecting heavy concentration to high risk areas relative to other banks in the industry.

The five banks were either perennial net-takers of funds in the inter-bank market or enjoyed liquidity support from the CBN for long periods of time, a clear evidence of liquidity problem. In other words, these banks were unable to meet their maturing obligations as they fall due without resorting to the CBN or the inter-bank market.

Further checks revealed that the outstanding balance on the EDW of the five banks amounted to N127.85 billion by end July 2009, representing 89.81 per cent of the total industry exposure to the CBN on its discount window while their net guaranteed inter-bank takings stood at N253.30 billion as at August 2, 2009. Their liquidity ratios ranged from 17.65 per cent to 24 per cent as at May 31, 2009. The banking regulatory minimum is 25 per cent as spelt out by the apex bank.

OPERAMINI WITH ZAIN and MTN SETTINGS...IT ROCKS!

2009-09-17T07:43:00.002+01:00

Happy to share this settings to u geez...it might not work for u but,it works for me...

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wap.mtnonline.com.beta.opera-mini.com:80, or
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For zain users use,

wap.ng.zain.com.sureproxy.server4.Operamini.com:80
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**AS GANI GOES HOME : How he ‘breathed’ life into political parties

2009-09-14T08:30:00.001+01:00

PRIOR to 2002, Nigeria had only three officially recognised political parties- Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

However, due to the various contradictions inherent in the three existing parties, coupled with the desire of many Nigerians who don’t believe in them and the necessity for fresh political alternatives, it became inevitable for the emergence of several political associations.

Buoyed by the liberal provisions in the 1999 constitution on the formation of political parties, these individuals formed about 33 political associations which applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) for registration.

Gani

However, the INEC, on May 17, 2002, rolled out what it termed guidelines for registration of political parties, contrary to the provisions of the constitution particularly sections 222 to 224. The 33 political associations under the aegies of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), led by Chief Gani Fawehinmi, met to reject this extra-constitutional guidelines.

When it became obvious that the INEC was still intransigent to follow due process, Fawehinmi filed a case at the Federal High Court to challenge the INEC illegality. But for the doggedness and resilience of Fawehinmi, who was the chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP), by going to court on this issue, there would not have been Action Congress (AC), Labour Party, Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and the rest of the opposition parties we have today.

The case was fought up to the Supreme Court which gave judgment in favour of the political parties, thanks to the resilience of Gani who literarily worked day and night for three days along side one of his counsel, Adindu Ugwuzor, to make sure that the appeals at both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court were filed within time and the briefs of argument ready on time.

Work in progress on Gani's final resting place

The case was lost at the Federal High Court. This led to an appeal at the Court of Appeal, which, in a landmark decision, upturned the Federal High Court’s decision and upheld the appeal, agreeing substantially with the submissions of Fawehinmi.

The INEC, in its attempt to buy time and stultify the implementation of the Court of Appeal epochal decision, decided to lodge an appeal at the Supreme Court which, in a monumental and historic judgment on November 8, 2002, altered the political landscape of the country by allowing for more political parties in the country, hence the deluge of parties that we have today.

The unanimous Supreme Court’s decision was given by Justices Muhammadu Lawal Uwais (who presided), SalihuAlfa Belgore, Idris Legbo Kutigi, Anthony Iguh, Akintola Ejiwumi, Emmanuel Olayinka Ayoola and Niki Tobi.

Excerpts of the lead judgment read by Justice Ayoola: “The plaintiffs were associations seeking registration as political parties. By virtue of section 221 of the Constitution, “No association, other than a political party, shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election.

Originating summons
The plaintiffs each applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (“INEC” or “the Commission) for registration as a political party. On 17th day of May, 2002 INEC released guidelines for the registration of political parties.

Being of the view that guidelines 2(c) and (d), 3(a), (c), (d)(iv), (e), (f), (g), (h); and 5(b) (“the impugned guidelines”) were “inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 relating to registration of political parties” and that they should not be made to comply with the guidelines, the plaintiffs commenced the proceedings from which this appeal arose by originating summons whereby they sought, among other things, declarations of invalidity of those impugned guidelines and also of sections 74(2)(g) and (h), 74((x), 77(b), 78(2)(b) and 79(2)(c) of the Electoral Act, 2001.

INEC is one of the Federal Executive Bodies established by section 153(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. Its composition and powers are by virtue of section 153(2) contained in part 1 of the third schedule to the Constitution, paragraph 15(b) of which empowers it to: “register political parties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution end an Act of the National Assembly”, while paragraph 15(c) and (d), respectively, provided that the Commission shall have power to “monitor the organization and operation of the political parties, including their finances” and “carry out such other function, as may conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly.”

“To put the issues in the appeal in proper perspective, it is expedient to pause to emphasise that by section 14(1) of the Constitution the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice.

Political parties are essential organs of the democratic system. They are organs of political discussion and of formulation of ideas, policies and programmes. Plurality of parties widens the channel of political discussion and discourse, engenders plurality of political issues, promotes the formulation of competing ideas, policies and programmes and generally provides the citizen with a choice of forum for participation in governance, whether as a member of the party in government or of a party in opposition, thereby ensuring the reality of government by discussion which democracy is all about in the final analysis.

“Unduly to restrict the formation of political parties weakens the democratic culture. However, to leave political parties completely unregulated and unmonitored may eventually make the democratic system so unmanageable as to become a hindrance to progress, national unity, good government and the growth of a healthy democratic culture.

Between the two apparent extremes over-regulation and complete absence of regulation is the need for balanced regulation. In interpreting the provisions of the Constitution and enactment relating to the formation, regulation and monitoring of political parties the recognition of the need for balanced regulation is essential.

“However, although section 40 of the Constitution entrenched the right of every person to form or belong to a political party, it is clear from the provision to that section and several other provisions of the Constitution that the makers of the Constitution did not opt to leave political parties unregulated by the State.

Regulation of political parties by the State manifests in the fact that the Constitution itself has set conditions for the existence and recognition of political parties – and empowered the National Assembly to legislate for the regulation of political parties that may have already fulfilled the conditions of eligibility to function as political parties as prescribed by section 222 of the Constitution.

Regulation of political parties by the State therefore comes in two forms, namely: regulation directly by the Constitution as in section 222 and regulation authorized by the legislature or other agency of the state as may be permitted by the constitution.

It follows that any attempt to regulate political parties not by the Constitution itself or by its authority is invalid.

In the final analysis, this case is about the supremacy of the Constitution. Section 1(3) of the Constitution provided that: “If any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail, and that other law shall to the extent of the inconsistency be void.

“The National Assembly has powers, by virtue of section 228(d) of constitution, to confer by law powers on INEC as may appear to the necessary or desirable for the purpose of enabling the Commission more effectively to ensure that political parties observe provisions of sections”

ASUU strike dangerous to growth of education – Ajibola

2009-09-14T08:28:00.000+01:00

FORMER judge of International Court of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola has said in Ibadan that the current face-off between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a dangerous signal in view of the low rating of the country’s university system.

He said other countries of the world had found alternative to incessant strike as a means of settling dispute and the earlier the Nigerian university system chooses a better approach, the better for our dwindling education standard.

Unless something is done that would bring about quick resolution of the crisis between ASUU and FG, both parties in the impasse would turn our country into an illiterate country considering the fact that none of our universities could be rated among the 1,000 universities in the world.

“It is sad and the earlier our people in the ASUU can sit down and see how best to keep our universities on, the better. If you go round the world, you will find that what is happening here is unique”, he lamented.

The renowed jurist,at the first annual lecture organised by the Muslim Ummah of South West of Nigeria (MUSWEN), weekend, said the fees paid in the government universities across the country could not be compared with what is paid in private varsities.

government and the academic in order to ensure that they can live together and can move things on and make progress. If we continue to say that the country is going down and everything is a failure, we are also contributing to that failure”.

Continuing, he pointed out further a lot of these things could be ironed out by ordinary dialogue, looking into the situation and finding solution anytime that we are having problem of this nature””.

He defended the action of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria , Alhaji Sanusi Lamido on the five prominent banks saying ““there is nothing wrong with the CBN’s line of action to look into whatever is wrong with our banking system and the activities of our private banks”.

“To start with, if there is anything wrong in the way they have been operating the banks, let them be done in a very judicial manner. Let the matter be taken to court; let the parties be heard and let the decisions of the court hold”” the legal icon stated.

“It is very frightening and very disturbing, with all the allegations that they have made against the banks, particularly those who are operating the banks as chief executives. Now, they are still all allegations. We have not heard their own sides of the story”.

“The principle of justice and fair play and fair hearing is such that they must hear them too. Once they are heard and if they have done something wrong, they should be accordingly sanctioned. If not they should be allowed to go on operating their banks, the way they have operating before now. That should be made abundantly clear”, said he..

CBN considers 3 sales options for 5 banks

2009-09-14T08:25:00.003+01:00

LAGOS — THE management of the Central Bank (CBN) is considering three options to recapitalise the country’s five troubled banks.

The banks are: Intercontinetal Bank; Oceanic Bank; Union Bank; Finbank and Afribank.
CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had said that the CBN will not sell the banks to foreign investors and that the N420 billion injected into the banks which he initially said, in his letter to the banks, was tier two capital was now long-term loan from the expanded discount window to the affected banks to be paid back over a long period of time

Option 1: Rights issue

However a CBN official who spoke with Vanguard said that “The Central Bank is considering three local options aimed at acquisitions of the five troubled banks following the seeming collapse of its offshore investment mission.

The three options which the apex bank is considering are: Rights Issue — in which the apex bank hopes to execute a rights issue, converting the tier two capital (the amount injected) to 80 per cent stake in the affected banks’ shareholding, leaving the other shareholders with 20 per cent.”

This will mean converting the N420 billion injected into the five banks into equity holding. But there is a division in the CBN ranks regarding this option because of its legal implication, moreover, CBN does not have the legal backing to execute a rights issue.

Government lawyers are said have advised the CBN against this option.
Insider sources say most of the more experienced Deputy Governors and Directors of the apex bank have also kicked against this option, pointing to the legal loopholes inherent in the current exercise which has attracted criticisms from some quarters.

“The argument here,” the CBN official said, “is that as a result of huge non-performing loans in the five banks, their capital has been eroded and so new investors hold greater share through fresh capital. But with the aggressive loan recovery, this may not stand the test of time as the positions of the banks have been highly enhanced.”

Option 2: Scheme of Arrangement

The CBN management is said to be considering the alternative of getting the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange NSE, to do a “Scheme of Arrangement”. The thinking in the CBN is that this option is the most viable now and if applied, it will involve a legal means of bringing shareholders of these banks to an extra-ordinary General Meeting to agree to a merger or acquisition arrangement.

According to the officials, only SEC and the NSE have the statutory power to initiate and enforce this option. It was learnt that the apex bank will, this week, commence discussion with other financial regulators on how to implement this arrangement.

Option 3: Acquisition

CBN insiders also told Vanguard that if the first two options fail, the apex bank would then go for the third option which is acquisition.

This involves nominating a bank in the country to acquire any of the five banks and then backing the action with statutory powers.

The implication of this new initiative is that for now, the ‘foreign investor’ route appears to have been jettisoned by the CBN.

It will be recalled that the CBN Governor, on August 14, said that “the huge provisioning requirements of the five banks have led to significant capital impairment. Consequently, all the banks are under-capitalised for their current levels of operations and are required to increase their provisions for loan losses, which impacted negatively on their capital.

“Indeed one is technically insolvent with a Capital Adequacy Ratio of (1.01%). Thus, a minimum capital injection of N204.94 billion will be required in the 5 banks to meet the minimum capital adequacy ratio of 10 per cent.

“The five banks were either perennial net-takers of funds in the inter-bank market or enjoyed liquidity support from the CBN for long periods of time, a clear evidence of liquidity.

In other words, these banks were unable to meet their maturing obligations as they fall due without resorting to the CBN or the inter-bank market. As a matter of fact, the outstanding balance on the EDW of the five banks amounted to N127.85 billion by end July 2009, representing 89.81% of the total industry exposure to the CBN on its discount window while their net guaranteed inter-bank takings stood at N253.30 billion as at August 02, 2009.

Their Liquidity Ratios ranged from 17.65% to 24% as at May 31, 2009. (Regulatory minimum is 25%).
“Consequently, the CBN is injecting a total of about N420 billion into these five banks with immediate effect in form of Tier 2 Capital to be repaid from proceeds of capitalization in the near future. This injection is sufficient to resolve and stabilize all the institutions and enable them continue normal business.

The injection of fresh capital by the CBN is a temporary measure as government does not intend to hold the shares for long and shall divest its holdings as soon as new investors recapitalise these banks”.

Court rules on bail application on bank chiefs today - As CBN may give soft landing to 11 bank chiefs

2009-09-14T08:10:00.001+01:00

Justice Dan Abutu of the Federal High Court in Lagos will today rule on the bail applications of some bank executives and others that were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the 31st of August over alleged insider abuse and financial crimes running into billions of naira.

Those who will know their fate today include Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, the former Managing Director of Oceanic Bank; the former Managing Director of Afribank Plc, Sebastine Adigwe and Peter Ololo, the Managing Director of Falcon Securities Limited.

Others are the Ex-MD of Union Bank, Bartholomew Ebong and his co-accused, Henry Onyemem and Niyi Albert Opeodu. The court will also rule on the bail applications of Mr. Okey Nwosu, Ex-MD of FinBank Nigeria Plc and the seven Executive Directors of Intercontinental Bank Plc on Tuesday.

At the last adjourned date, the court ordered that Sebastine Adigwe and Peter Ololo, be remanded in prison custody while the rest, including the seven Executive Directors of Intercontinental Bank Plc, were remanded in EFCC custody.

The anti-graft commission opposed the bail applications of all the accused persons. Meanwhile, there are indications that the release of the audit result of 11 banks which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) promised a fortnight ago may not materialise as the apex bank decided to give the banks a clean bill of health

The apex bank is said to be seriously considering the option of making the affected banks correct any unethical practice noticed in the course of auditing the 11 banks while a list of debtors in the audited banks would be made public.

According to the Nigerian Tribune findings, the apex bank decided to shelve the release of the audit reports to avoid the problems encountered when the audit results of the initial five banks were released.

Troubled banks begin audit of staff

2009-09-14T08:08:00.001+01:00

A major crisis that may exacerbate the fragile state of the nation’s banking sector is looming. This stems from the ongoing staff audit in the five troubled banks, which may see thousands of bank workers lose their jobs.

Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the mass purge would not be limited to the crisis-ridden banks but even some banks certified satisfactory by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and those whose audit probe reports were still being awaited.

Meanwhile, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the umbrella bodies of junior and senior staff of banks, and Trade Union Congress (TUC), which are yet to recover from the recent sack in FirstBank and Wema Bank are threatening to cripple the operations of the banks while the banks are insisting on going on with their plans.

A competent source at one of the troubled banks told the Nigerian Tribune in Lagos that the staff audit was in line with the mandate of the CBN to the new managements of the banks, stating that the apex regulatory body clearly instructed the banks to restructure their operations and cut costs accordingly.

In his reaction, CBN’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi, said the CBN governor, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s major concern now was to ensure the banking industry remained safe and sound.

Only recently, FirstBank was reported to have sent packing hundreds of its staff but the bank’s Head, Media Marketing and Corporate Communications, Mr. Steve Omanufeme, said there were no plans for a “mass sacking” by the bank, adding that on the contrary, as part of the bank’s staff replenishment strategy, the bank had employed a total of 506 fresh graduates in the last three months.

He noted, however, that “In our multi-generational existence, FirstBank will naturally have a number of staff that qualify for retirement each year. Their scheduled exit from the institution has, sometimes and regrettably, been misconstrued by some labour unions as “sacking,” thus fuelling misinformation in the press. In the financial year just ended, the number of staff due for retirement, by virtue of age and length of service, is less than 100 which is a far cry from the 450 reported in some newspapers.”

Wema Bank disengaged 151 of its workers, in what was described as the first phase of the work force trimming exercise. A statement signed by the bank’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Tunde Olofintila, said the decision to send packing some of its workers was to enable it to create a bank that could compete in the current banking landscape, adding the development was in consonance with the three-phase transformation plan of repositioning, stabilising and growing the bank to enable the 64-year old financial institution to regain its prime position as a leading bank in Nigeria.

He added that as part of the bank’s adjustments to survive these times, such internal services currently provided in the bank by workers like secretaries, drivers, security guards, office assistants and cleaners would henceforth be out-sourced.

According to Olofintila who said “the new management has implemented a new Service Delivery Model (SDM) with some redeployment effected to support the new SDM. The bank is already implementing some new initiatives which will dovetail into 500 former staff of Wema Bank Ventures of various cadres and over 200 former youth corps members being offered jobs in Wema Bank while another set of over 240 Wema Bank Ventures Staff would be converted into tellers to support the bank’s branch operations.”

In his reaction, NUBIFIE’s National President, Mr. Hassan Adeleke, said the union could not be a party to any sack of its members under any guise, stressing that the workers should not be made scapegoats of the current developments in the sector.

According to him, “as a trade union organisation, we wish to caution the new interim managements of the affected banks not to transfer, in any form or anyway, the effects of the reckless loan saga and other management failures to affect the continuity/security of jobs of employees who, often, are themselves victims of such unwholesome actions of management.”

Also, Acting National President and Secretary-General of the union of ASSBIFI, Mr. Olusoji Salako and Jarvis Erhomosele, stated that the respective managements of such banks must follow due process, as stated in Article 5(b) Part II (Section I) of the Collective Agreement relating to redundancy and S.20 of the Labour Act, adding that it was an irresponsible union that would fold its arms in the present circumstances.

They opined that they would ensure banks that dispensed with the services of their employees without due process were shut down.

N6.1bn V-mobile shares scam: FG orders probe of ex-govs’ clearance - Tinubu, Ibori, Attah stand cleared - AGF insists

2009-09-14T08:06:00.001+01:00

AS controversy rages over the alleged clearance of three former governors fingered in an alleged $38 million (about N6.1 billion) V-mobile shares scam, a new twist has crept into it with the Presidency said to have ordered investigation into the issues in contention between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN).

The former governors are Senator Bola Tinubu of Lagos State, Chief Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State and Chief James Ibori of Delta State. Aondoakaa stirred up the hornet’s nest when he said in Abuja, on Thursday, that the trio had been cleared by the anti-graft commission over alleged money laundering in the sale of their states’ shares in V-mobile through a private firm, African Development Funds Inc.

He also stated that he refused to cooperate with Britain, which was also probing the former governors over the matter, because the anti-graft commission had cleared them.

But the commission, in a swift reaction 24 hours later, put a lie to the minister’s claim, disclosing that the three former governors were still being probed over the alleged scam.

Aondoakaa is the commission’s supervising minister. The institutional crisis between the commission and the minister, according to a highly-placed source, could not be ignored by the Presidency, which reportedly ordered the anti-graft agency to get to the root of the controversy surrounding the alleged clearance.

Nigerian Tribune further gathered that the presidential directive had seen the commission swing into action with its intelligence unit after a purported letter said to have been written in the name of the commission to the Metropolitan Police in London clearing the former governors.

The letter, according to the Nigerian Tribune source, was said to have been made available to some media houses for publication by a certain top government official with the source, adding that the person that released the letter might have told those who had it for publication not to go ahead yet, due to the presidential intervention in the matter.

It was learnt that the commission had resolved to arrest and prosecute whoever signed the purported letter once it could lay its hands on it, describing the letter as forgery.

Nigerian Tribune source reasoned that since the commission could not exchange any correspondence with any country that has Mutual Legal Agreement Treaty (MLAT) with Nigeria without going through the office of the AGF, it stands to reason that the purported letter of clearance to the Metropolitan Police could not have been issued by the commission.

Investigation is also said to have been intensified on the alleged scam. However, the embattled minister has insisted that the former governors stand cleared on the shares saga, despite the commission’s protestation.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday and signed by his spokesperson, Mr. Taye Akinyemi, the minister stated that “If EFCC says that the ex-governors have not been cleared on the issue of the professional fee paid to the ADFI, we won’t join issues with the commission.

“But I want to think that the EFCC chairman was misquoted. “What I believe the EFCC Chairman could have said was the fact that they have been cleared on this issue of the professional fees paid to the ADFI does not mean that other investigations on other issues are not ongoing.

“Nevertheless, I can’t see any conflict in what the AGF has said and what EFCC is saying. “The issue in question is the professional fee and brokerage paid by these ex-governors to ADFI with respect to the sale of the shares owned by their respective states in V-mobile.

“The press statement issued by my boss on the case relates to the issue of the professional fees paid by them to the ADFI which is the subject-matter of criminal litigation before the London court.

“He has said that the Federal Government would refuse prosecution of any Nigerian before a London court on offences which ingredients are domiciled in Nigeria.

“In this case, the Metropolitan Police are before the London Court against ADFI on the grounds that the professional fees paid by the three ex-governors to it are proceeds of crime (money-laundering).

“And the fact of this case is that the issue of the professional fees paid to ADFI has been investigated in Nigeria by EFCC and those involved have been cleared.

“The court case by EFCC started in Nigeria against the ADFI itself has been withdrawn by EFCC upon its discovery that no prima facie case stood against the incorporation.

“The Attorney-General has no problem with EFCC, even on this issue. They have a cordial working relationship,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has described Aondoakaa as a man of doubtful integrity and stated that no amount of campaign of rebranding can clean the odious image of Nigeria in the comity of nations with men as the minister still holding public office.

Calling for his immediate sack, the group recalled in a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Osita Okechukwu, that for the first time, the EFCC had unveiled and exposed the serial role of the minister as a chief law officer whom it alleged blatantly obstructed justice, perverted the law and dampened the anti-graft war and exposed his comments to the effect that EFCC has exonerated three corrupt ex-governors when the matter is still pending in court.

It noted that it was a paradox that the chief law officer who requested the US Justice Department to invoke the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in the Halliburton matter is today obstructing and rejecting the request from the British to invoke the same treaty.

The CNPP was of the view that Aondoakaa never served the cause of justice nor the collective interest of Nigeria in the discharge of his assignment to coordinate Siemens, Wilbros, Halliburton and other scams he was mandated to oversee.

The group went further to allege that when the Federal Executive Council (FEC) mandated Aondoakaa to review the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee Report, he not only bastardised and mutilated the report but rejected the core ingredients which can guarantee a truly independent election commission and violence free and fair elections among others.

Also, the Monitoring Group (TMG) has condemned the statement credited to Aondoakaa that the EFCC had cleared the former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori and called for his resignation.

The TMG chairman, Mr. Moshood Erubami, in a statement in Ibadan on Sunday said that the statement credited to the minister but later proved to be untrue had reopened the doubt of Nigerians on whether the minister was not a big threat to the war against corruption by the Yar’Adua administration.

According to TMG, the statement was least expected from a number one law officer of the country and capable of tarnishing that image of Nigeria and Nigerians in the eyes of the international community.

I’m not on the run – Akingbola

2009-09-14T08:03:00.001+01:00

Deposed managing director of International Bank Plc, Dr Erastus Akingbola has said he was not on the run.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had declared Akingbola wanted over its investigation into the affairs of Intercontinental Bank and four other banks whose Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) were sacked along with Akingbola by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on August 14, 2009.

However, Akingbola who is also the President of Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB), has debunked the insinuation and speculation in the media that he had gone underground to evade arrest as he was in United Kingdom.

Speaking through his media assistant, Suleimon Adefajo in a statement, dated September 13, 2009, Akingbola breaking his silence for the first time since his dramatic removal from office, categorically stated that he was neither evading arrest nor ‘on the run’ as being claimed.
According to the statement, the detention of the ex-bank chiefs being was a deliberate move to silence and prevent them from presenting their side of the story.

The statement reads in part:
“He is not guilty of any wrongdoing but appears targeted for persecution and for character desmirchment. He is currently in the UK.
Our client believes that the prime objective of detaining all those arrested is to prevent them from presenting their side of the story.
“All persons should be presumed innocent until proved guilty by a court of law. As soon as it was alleged that he was evading arrest, Dr Akingbola notified the UK authorities of his whereabouts and provided full contact details through his legal representatives.”

The statement noted that Akingbola had already challenged his removal from office by seeking judicial review of the (CBN/NDIC) ad-hoc committee report that reportedly recommended his sack, while absolving himself of any wrongdoings to warrant his removal.
While calling on all parties to respect the ongoing judicial process in the matter, the statement warned against making prejudicial statement capable of undermining the court process.

Four ex-bank chiefs currently in detention whose bail application will be decided today by Justice Daniel Abutu, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court includes, Sebastian Adigwe of Afribank Plc, Okey Nwosu of Finbank Plc, Bartholomew Ebong of Union Bank Plc and Dr (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru of Oceanic Bank Plc.
They, along with some directors including non-executive directors of Intercontinental Bank are facing prosecution for sundry offences in which over N400 billion was said to have been lost by the banks.
Akingbola, following his removal filed a suit before Lagos Federal High Court challenging his alleged illegal removal from office.

In the suit filed by his counsel, Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), he joined both the Governor of CBN, Lamido Sanusi and the CBN as co-respondents.
Specifically, he prayed the court for an order of certiorari to remove into the court and quash the order of CBN governor of August 14, 2009 made on behalf of the apex bank which terminated his career as the CEO of the bank.

Following the permission sought and obtained from the court to serve the both Sanusi and CBN through substituted means, process in the matter were advertised in six national dailies as ordered by the court.
Among other reliefs, Akingbola in the substantive suit is praying the court to declare that no ‘special examination’ was conducted into the affairs of Intercontinental Bank by the ad-hoc committee of CBN/NDIC as statutorily required under the Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOIF) Act Cap. B3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (2004) during the management headed by the applicant.

He also prayed the court to make an order nullifying and quashing the appointment of Joseph Ajewole and Lai Alabi as the Deputy Managing Director and Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank respectively and order his reinstatement in office.
The suit which was commenced by the retired Chief Judge of the Court, Justice Mustapha Abdullahi will be taken over today for adjudication by Justice Ibrahim Auta.

Chelsea banned from making transfers

2009-09-03T14:05:00.000+01:00

FIFA have banned Chelsea from registering any new players until January 2011, meaning they will not be able to recruit any new signings for two transfer windows.

DarrenWalsh/GettyImages

Gael Kakuta up against West Ham's Moustapha Salifou on August 25

World football's governing body imposed the sanctons after investigating a complaint from Ligue 1 Lens over the transfer of Gael Kakuta in 2007.

FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber passed the decision on a contractual dispute between the French club and their English counterparts.

A statement from FIFA read: "The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such a breach

"As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of €780,000, for which the club, Chelsea, are jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

A restriction of four months on his eligibility to play in official matches has been imposed on Kakuta. Chelsea are banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision.

"Furthermore, the club, Chelsea, have to pay Lens training compensation in the amount of €130,000."

MY FREEDOM SETTINGS THAT STUN...

2009-09-01T13:44:00.002+01:00

After registering on freedom website ,install and input the following settings:
click on port;tick sock 4/5,web proxy port and open vpn.
click message: tick AUTOSCROLL and under MINIMUM LEVEL check DEBUG
click status-configure:SERVER CONNECTION enter (ems24.you-freedom.de).connection mode-udp..the port will automatically change to 53.
Also check:automatically switch server,automatically connect on startup,recconect after server shutdown,sock4/5,enable encryption,enable re-keying.save and exit.
click settings and check (do not allow pop up)
Click on proxy settings and enter 10.199.212.2 as proxy address and 8080 as port.username/pswd-web.save and exit.
After all the above settings,go to ur browser,click on tools,internet option and change your network i.p and port settings to 127.0.0.1 port-8080.
N.B- YOU HAVE TO INSTALL VPN AND RUN IT ANYTIME YOU WANT S TO USE YOUR-FREEDOM.
ENJOY!!!!!!!

5 troubled banks to be run as going concern until... –CBN •As Intercontinental Banks directors petition EFCC

2009-08-31T07:00:00.002+01:00

CBN GOV-SANUSI

entral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the weekend told prospective investors in London that the five troubled banks will be run as a going concern until new investors can be found to recapitalise them.

While wooing investors at a parley with international banks, lenders and rating agencies, the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi hinted that Nigeria was likely to see a robust non-oil economic growth of more than six per cent this year even after bailing out five banks earlier this month.

Sanusi assured prospective investors in the five banks that he would not stand in the way of any foreign banks taking a 100 per cent stake in the five Nigerian institutions, adding that the injection of N400 billion ($2.6 billion) into the banks and the sacking of their senior managers was because of laxed governance which made the five banks so weakly capitalised that they posed a systemic risk.
He noted that the banking sector is key to Nigeria’s economic prospects, saying that the private sector credit outstripped the entire spending of the country’s federal, state and local governments last year and this year banks are expected to provide much of the government’s estimated N1.6 trillion ($10.6 billion) borrowing needs.

The number one banker in Nigeria also said, in an agency report, that Nigeria’s consumer inflation dipped to 11.1 per cent year-on-year in July from 11.2 per cent the previous month. He said that he cut interest rates to 6 per cent from 8 per cent in July in his first monetary policy meeting as governor.

Amidst the outcry of the accumulation of more debts by Nigeria after the exit of Paris and London Clubs loans, Sanusi used the occasion to announce that the Federal Government has concluded plans to take another $2.8 billion Special Drawing Rights from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the country expects double digit growth between 2010 and 2011.

“We expect non-oil Gross Domestic Product(GDP) growth to be robust above 6 per cent in 2009. I have no doubts that by 2010-2011 we will be looking at double digit growth in Nigeria ... We were growing at 6 per cent without electricity, without peace in the Niger Delta. We are a country of 150 million people but with only 23 million bank accounts. So, there is a lot of room for growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, nine detained directors of the Intercontinental Bank Plc have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over their continued detention.

The petition dated August 28 and addressed to the chairman of the anti-graft agency, Mrs. Farida Waziri was also copied to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mike Aondoakaa.
The detained directors include Dr. Raymond C. Obieri, Chief Samuel Igbayilola Adegbite, Mr. Chris A. Alabi, Dr (Mrs.) Toyin Phillips, Mr. Bayo Dada and Elder (Dr.) Sanni Adams. Others are Engineer Hynacinth U.F. Enuha, Alhaji Isyaku Umar and Mrs. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs.
In the petition, the counsel to the detainees, Professor G.A. Olawoyin (SAN), called the attention of Waziri to the ruling of Justice R.I.B. Adebiyi of a Lagos High Court that ordered that all actions against the directors be suspended till the case was determined.

The court had last Thursday granted a leave to the directors to enforce their fundamental rights against EFCC. Justice Adebiyi held that the leave should operate as a stay of all actions that might infringe on the fundamental rights of the directors pending the hearing and determination of the proceedings.

“It is hereby ordered that the respondents admit the applicants to bail and release the applicants forthwith from detention upon the provision each of two sureties, either two sureties who shall be an individual employed in the civil service in Nigeria at a grade level not lower than level 14 or one civil servant and the second surety being an individual with landed property in Lagos,” Justice Adebiyi ordered.
The counsel to the detainees, Professor G.A. Olawoyin, appealed to Andoaka to use his good offices to ensure that EFCC complied with the court order.

The petition read in part: “We consider it imperative to draw your attention to the fact that in the case of our clients, there was a prior and subsisting court order in respect of the conditions of bail which by law supersedes your commission’s term of bail as stipulated during your press conference.
“In the premises, we therefore request that our clients be admitted to bail on terms as stipulated by a duly constituted court of law with jurisdiction to grant the orders. For the avoidance of any doubt on this pint, we draw your attention to Section 46 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 and Order 1 Rule 1 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules which states that ‘court’ means the Federal High Court or the High Court of a state.”

For the detainees to be admitted to bail, EFCC had sought for a deposit of a bank guarantee in the sum of N1 billion in favour of the commission, tax clearance certificate for the past three years and a serving Minister in the country who must provide a landed property in Victoria Island, Lagos or Ikoyi, Maitama or Asokoro in Abuja as surety in respect of each suspect.

The shake-up in banks: Matters arising

2009-08-31T06:59:00.002+01:00

One of the outcomes of the sacking of five bank chief executives by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on August 14, is that frenzied feeling still runs deep in the banking sector.

The fear factor has inexorably crept in. There is so much anxiety over the fate of other banks, whose financials are still being audited. All of these seems to have eroded confidence, which is critical in the financial service sector.

This does not bode well for our banks which play a pre-eminent position in the economy. It is, therefore, safe to say that without a return of confidence in the banks, the bearish run in the stock market will persist for a long time to come.

We have no reason to doubt that the leadership of the CBN under Lamido Sanusi means well for our country in the current effort to reshape and stabilize the financial system.

The recent bold decisions the apex bank took, among them, the removal of the five MD/CEOs, we believe, are geared towards making the banks safer. One of the lessons of history in countries that had faced similar crises is that government’s action through its key regulatory authorities can help stem the pain. That, the CBN maintains, is what it is determined to do.

The worry, however, is that the panic that has enveloped the sector should not be allowed to last too long. Urgent and pragmatic measures are needed to restore sanity in the system.
Again, the twist in the current quake in the sector is that every passing day, new developments are unearthed, suggesting that the extent of the crisis, especially that of toxic debts, is perhaps much deeper than had been earlier imagined. Nonetheless, we feel that a well-thought out solution should be devised immediately. Such solution has to be both systematic and comprehensive enough in order to achieve the desired results.

Solution to the failure of confidence in the sector must go beyond insolvency and risk, which some of the indicted banks were said to have indulged in. Our fear is that no aspect of our economy would be spared from the financial equivalent of a heart attack if the current effort to sanitize the banks is bungled. While endorsing the measures so far initiated by the CBN, we advise that the regulators, including the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), should henceforth take much firmer intervention measures, and indeed, show much more interest in the running of banks in our country.

They should not wait until things get very bad before intervening. Oversight on the banks should be a continuous exercise. More reasonable regulations need to be put in place, which must not be such that run the risk of blocking innovation and creativity in any of the banks. Also, this is the time for bank executives who are used to ducking behind corporate veil, to begin to develop a new mindset and embrace a new set of tools that will put the banks in good stead.

Beyond that, our economy must be strengthened through enhanced performance of the real sector. We are not unmindful of the fact that, of the four-point agenda of the CBN governor, the need to strengthen regulation and supervision through enhanced disclosures by financial institutions ranks high. We urge that the current reforms be tempered with reasoned discussions and dialogue with the key stakeholders.

This is time for the CBN governor to talk less. He should be guarded in his utterances in order not to be misinterpreted. There is no denying the fact that there is so much sleaze in the banking sector and this has not been helped by the ostentatious lifestyle of some of the bank CEOs. We believe they have learnt the necessary lessons and would, henceforth, adopt a more sedate lifestyle.

Altogether, the consequences of the ongoing happenings in the banking sector call for deep reflection. The stakes are too high and require a hands-on solution. It needs restating that a healthy banking system promotes not just confidence but corporate governance and social responsibility.

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2009-08-31T06:58:00.001+01:00

Sacked Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Chairman, Ambassador Sam Edem has said that he was not against peace and reconciliation in Akwa Ibom State.

Apparently reacting to news report that he was working behind the scene for a rapprochement with Governor Godswill Akpabio, Ambassador Edem said: ‘I am not against reconciliation in Akwa Ibom State, but I have not been approached and has not sent emissary to anybody”, noting that “peace and progress are of paramount importance to his people”.

The former envoy, who has been embroiled in a controversy that he paid N715 million to a herbalist to help restore his manhood, stated this while reacting to a newspaper story (not Daily Sun) that he had been sending emissaries to Governor Akpabio.

He stated further that “I call on the people of Akwa Ibom State to give peace a chance and provide the enabling environment for infrastructural, economic and man power development. Believe me when I say I have not wronged anybody and have no grudge against anybody.”
It would be recalled that Edem was removed as NDDC chairman on allegations that he had contracted a witch doctor to eliminate both Governor Akpabio and the former NDDC Managing Director, Mr. Timi Alaibe spiritually.

The controversy generated by the alleged assassination plot against the duo, led to his sack, arrest and prosecution in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

NAFDAC impounds N24m unregistered drugs

2009-08-31T06:57:00.000+01:00

The National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has impounded a truckload of unregistered medicines valued at N24million.
Director General of the Agency, Dr Paul Orhii, who made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja, said the truck with Benin Republic registration number, IPN 0955RB, conveying 5000 cartons of intravenous fluids in 500ml packs labeled in French language, was intercepted on Monday August 21, by the agency’s regulatory officers on routine surveillance along Dutse-Kano-Maiduguri road in Jigawa state.
Disclosing that the intravenous drug products had no NAFDAC registration number, the DG said the driver of the truck initially refused to stop when flagged down by the agency’s officers until after a hot chase.

“When the driver was interrogated, he claimed that the consignments were construction materials and he quickly brought out a document to support this claim. On close examination, however, it was discovered that the truck contains 5000 cartons of intravenous D5 Glucose A Drip. On the ground of this inconsistency the truck was impounded and the three foreign occupants were arrested and interrogated”, the DG disclosed.
Orhii said the main reason this agency impounded the truckload of the drugs was because they were unregistered and the source and destination of the products unascertained.
However, to ascertain the potency and quality of the drugs, the DG said samples have been taken to laboratory for tests.

He further disclosed that a similar seizure was made three months ago when a container load of fake Maloxine and Amalar, anti-malaria drugs, worth N32million was intercepted at Apapa Port in Lagos.
Announcing the promotions of the uncompromising officers on the operations as a reward and incentive to boost their morale and encourage others, the DG reiterated his Agency’s resolve to rid the nation of fake drugs and other consumables, warning that NAFDAC would deal decisively with anybody or companies who seek to compromise, harass, intimidate or blackmail NAFDAC regulatory officers in the course of discharging their lawful duties.

FG told to re-open talks with ASUU

2009-08-31T06:55:00.001+01:00

The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has never demanded 109 per cent pay rise. This was disclosed by a member, Federal Government/ASUU negotiating team, Dr. Suleiman Abdul in Bauchi.

Abdul of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi chapter who spoke at a one-day symposium organized by ASUU in Bauchi accused the Federal Government of avoiding its responsibility by blackmailing ASUU.

He opined that the Yar’Adua regime was 15 per cent grossly short of the mandatory international recommendation for funding education.
According to him, ASUU only demand for an average to curtail the country’s perennial brain-drain problem.
Explaining why ASUU was on strike, Abdul said the condition of service in Nigerian universities was deplorable.

He condemned in strong terms appeals by President Umaru Yar’Adua for ASUU to suspend the strike in the spirit of Ramadan.
“No one can practice his or her religion in bondage or in an unfavourable condition including empty stomach,’’ he stated.

The university Don said ASUU was the common man’s hope for any reasonable opposition in the country.
Earlier, the ATBU Bauchi ASUU Chairman Dr. Ibrahim Garba had asked the Yar’Adua government to forget Vision 2020.
According to him, the government negotiating team had resorted to series of lies and blackmail to address the rot in the nation’s education sector.
In his comment, Professor Agbo observed that Nigerians should be told that it was the Federal Government that is on strike and not ASUU, stressing that the Union has been doing everything possible to ensure that qualitative education is obtained in Nigerian universities.

To Babayo Jibril, a teacher with General Hassan Usman Katsina Primary school, teachers are willing to co-operate with ASUU in their struggle.
Yusuf Lawal who represented the Students’ Union President berated NANS leadership for selling out on the ASUU demands, which are meant to enhance quality education in the country.

How Clinton’s security guards dazed uss

2009-08-31T06:53:00.001+01:00

•Dr. Agary, former Perm Sec

Dr Timiebi Koripamo Agary made history in 1997. She was and still the first woman in Nigeria to host a president from the United States of America (USA). Her hosting of President Bill Clinton while she was the Executive Secretary of the National Women Centre in Abuja is today more historic. It remains one of the memorable events in her life. “

The visit of Bill Clinton to THE National Centre for Women Development when I was there was memorable. I remember in the report that it was only my name that appeared in the report from the US Embassy and I think it was a very good event. That was also the day I think HIV/AIDS pandemic was seen in human form.

That feat is proving stubborn for her to brush aside even though she is known more in the Civil Service of the federation. A former Permanent Secretary in three Ministries – Science and Technology, Labour and Information, she made considerable marks on the Labour Ministry. Timiebi has been at the very heart of policy formulation of key labour matters through her membership of negotiating committees. Since her retirement, she has been running an NGO.

Timiebi is definitely a woman to watch. She is an alumnus of the University of Ibadan where she read Biochemistry. After her graduation, she joined the Federal Civil Service. She rose to become the Permanent Secretary, recording in the process of history one of the few Nigerian women to attain such an office. She was retired in a rather curious circumstances, an act which forced those retired to place the matter before a court of law.

In retirement, she went into the running of an NGO and it climaxed with the founding of Gender Action. That NGO is to assist brilliant but indigent and less privileged children in the Niger Delta region. That she hails from Odi in Bayelsa State is beside the point of her setting up of the NGO. She is gradually spreading the message of hope to the hopeless children in Nigeria. And as she puts it, it is only a matter of time for children outside Bayelsa to benefit. “Don’t forget I am a retiree,” she said.

In the realm of politics, she also has a background. She was the mobilizer in her days at the University of Ibadan as a member of the Student Union Government. In Nigerian polity, Timiebi is emerging into something of a voice for the Nigerian government in the Niger Delta region. Her campaign now focus on the need for the militants in the region to drop their guns and embrace peace, believing that a peaceful resolution of the contentious issues in the Niger Delta can only be resolved through peaceful means.
Her minority background also informed her position on her involvement in the Niger Delta issue.

What have you been doing since you went on retirement?
Some consultancy: But mostly, my focus has been on my NGO. It’s a developmental NGO and my focus is on human capital. I also focus on my local community and I hope to expand to other communities in the Niger Delta. I think that I need to give back something to where I come from and I think education is so critical to the development of the human person. I’m talking here today because education opened the door for me and because my parents had the ability to also support me. There is pervasive poverty in the Niger Delta, but there are also very brilliant kids who need to be supported to be able to assess resources that are available and there are resources all over. I’m looking forward to having one or two kids score very high JAMB results and getting out of that place or even scoring very high SHA results and having a scholarship to go to Harvard. So, my challenge is to go there and challenge young men and women to focus on their education, be patient for the girls.

There is, of course, high teenage pregnancy, which is a fallout of the irresponsible actions of oil and gas workers. So, we also need to enter with reproductive health information for the girls. Whether we like or not, HIV/AIDS is real and we need to do some of those things. I also want to now begin to talk about the issues of democracy and governance. Until we all decide to take a stand for change, we will continue in this cycle of motion without movement. I want to begin to let people know they have rights to make requests and demands of their representatives in government. I want to give voice to not just the young people but the women.

The men are so much involved with your testosterones flowing in your veins and you don’t think that women need to be given a space. So, we need to work on the men to also open up space for women to join in the process of effective social, political and economic change; at least, in my community and by extension, other communities around the Niger Delta. I don’t have the resources because I’m a pensioner. But I’m willing to spend my money to start doing something. This year, I got teachers to work with the children and I managed to get past WAEC and GCE exam questions. My focus was on Math and English because these are challenging subjects where you don’t have too many good teachers in the rural areas.

So, my challenge was to assist them to improve on their grades in those key subjects. I was preparing them for JAMB, WAEC and NECO. But unfortunately, a few things happened. With this Gbaramatu incident, my coordinator advised that we stop because the kids were just coming in, writing their exams and taking off. Of course, Odi also had some real threats again, but fortunately, the community took a proactive action.

What is the name of this NGO?
Gender Rights Advancement and Development.

When you say you’ve been doing some consultancy, what area do you specialize and who are your clients?
I do consultancy in the area of labour. Some of my clients are in the oil and gas sector mostly. I also give advice to my friends in government.

As a woman from the Niger Delta, you have really made your marks on the national scene. What are the peculiar challenges of one being a woman and girl child from the Niger Delta?
My father believed in the girl child education. So, I didn’t have that challenge. My mother at 98 is literate. She is a very highly educated nurse midwife. My parents encouraged us to go for the sky and they were ready to give us the support. I must also say that at the time, we were in the university and the time we finished, life was good. With the encouragement of a father who tells you I’m sending you to school, so that you would be able to look after yourself, not because I want you to find a good husband, you know that’s a 21st century mind. So, with that kind of background, I was just encouraged.

When I finished, I wanted to do my post graduate. Diette Spiff was then the governor and scholarships were given to anybody who had the requisite qualifications. So, I just went on, did my doctorate and came back. I did my Masters in London; did my Doctorate in the US and I have another Masters degree from Belgium. Really, I now went into nutrition. I did cardiovascular diseases – metabolism of sodium and calcium in the heart, which results in high blood pressure.

My second Masters is on Statistics and Epidemiology, because we needed to monitor things and I wanted to have some capacity for doing monitoring and evaluation in quantitative terms not just qualitative; to be able to do statistical analysis of date. I’m fairly good in Mathematics and just to help prepare me to provide better service. Of course, I went on to do several other courses in project management abroad. I have an Advanced Management Certificate from ALSCON. Just to improve on my knowledge and skills, I craved for more training and I did a lot of reading on my own. When I was posted to the Ministry of Labour, I chose to just read up on the laws and the Conventions of ILO just to get understanding of what I needed to do and that’s the way it’s been.

I wouldn’t think every man that came your way always thought like your father in terms of giving you the chance to excel?
You know, if you work hard, the man will respect you. I tried to work hard and be productive. Wherever I found myself, whatever task I was given, I tried to be productive. So, I did my best. But I also must say I do not suffer fools gladly and I do not tolerate any attempts at debasing me as a woman. You can go and ask el-Rufai. I don’t accept it because I’m very conscious of what my rights are. In fact, I have copies of the Constitution littered my bed and table here. So, very quickly, I would go through the Constitution to know where to draw the line. You have to search your boundaries even in the office with your bosses and subordinates. Whatever the challenges are, I think I got on with the men as my boss and I got on with the men as my subordinates. I maintain good relationship with my clients, my messengers and directors and we stay with good friends. Life is a question of give and take. I’ve tried to strike good balance.

All the years you spent in the Civil Service, what would you say is your most memorable event?
The visit of Bill Clinton to National Centre for Women Development when I was there. I remember in the report that it was only my name that appeared in the report from the US Embassy and I think it was a very good event. That was also the day I think HIV/AIDS pandemic was seen in human form. One HIV positive man came and publicly declared he was positive and called his wife and daughter. I’ve stayed in very good touch with him ever since because he’s always been a good role model. It was a very memorable day for me in the sense that it was a very good event. It’s also memorable for me in the sense that I see the security challenges our President has in this country. It confirms to me, indeed, that Nigerians are very peaceful people because if you see the trouble the US security people took to protect their President and I knew who they were; they were there for two weeks before President Clinton came.

They asked for the plans of all the buildings. I got an architect to put the seats in the auditorium in a plan. It was so meticulous and I kept sending words to them that I have not seen the President’s people. The day they came, they took over the entrance to the auditorium. They practised how the President was going to arrive and come in. They did what they call a walkthrough. It was just amazing that my President’s security people had no clue and we had practised it everyday. So, it wasn’t a question of he was going to come in and walk straight down. They came in, turned left, went down, walked out, walked back in and entered from the back and my President security men in their trench coats blocked the doors, thinking as he comes, he would go through the auditorium and walk down. That day, I just said God is really with us. With all those seats, I knew all the CIA people and they were all sitting on the ground. Nobody was hanging around and I was just amazed. There was this young man who was screwing something on the stage and I went to him and said you are destroying my stage. He said Mam, you see I’ve signed my life to die for POTUS – President of The United States. You know, they call him POTUS.

He was screwing this thing and it was a bulletproof shield. You wouldn’t know it because we had to cover it with a cloth. Clinton was sitting there and in front of him was this shield. I’m told if you want to get him from anywhere, you couldn’t because of the way it was placed. We had to make new drapes on the stage and it was covered with the same material. At the end of the day, they unscrewed it and said Mam, thank you very much. Another memorable incident was when el-Rufai decided I was less a Nigerian and threw me out in violation of my rights. I was actually attending a meeting at the UN in London. Fortunately, he was stopped and my things were taken back. He was stopped because of the uproar by the unions and I remain eternally grateful to the Civil Service Union. But he still had his way. On the 25th of May 2007, I was still evicted. The first one was in March of 2007.

Did you have anything with him?
When I graduated in 1970, how old was he? He may have been in primary one or nursery one. The problem was that I was a political office holder and I was offered a house for N15 million. I raised my N1.5 million draft, which is 10 percent to go and pay, but they refused to take it. They sent me a letter that I was a political office holder and would have to bid for the house. I bided for the house but my bid price was lower. I think it was just contrived. Somebody actually bided N65 million and that house was offered to me at N65 million. I didn’t have N6.5 million to pay and I was away at a meeting in Geneva. This happened in 2006. I applied to the bank and it took exactly 60 days to get the draft. When I went to pay, they said it was late.

Fortunately, my government had given Bayelsa people some grants to help pay. So, I had N13 million within 63 days because we had 90 days to pay 20 percent. I went back to pay but my PA said they brought out a list, saw my name and the Minister said they should take money from me. I think he didn’t probably like my position on some labour issues because I subsequently heard he said I was using the unions to work against the reforms. I know the one time I had met with him was just to draw his attention to the fact that the laws were very clear on certain provisions.

As far as I’m concerned, the reforms were declaring some workers redundant and the provision of the law requires that an employer discusses with the unions and reaches an agreement in terms of the severance. He didn’t like that but I don’t also owe him an apology. There was a contract of employment for Public Service officers. You are to retire at 35 or sixty years and at the time all of these were happening, nobody had changed that contract of employment and if the unions suspect enough and go to court, I feel they would have been able to stop it. But my position as a mediator was not to take sides. Some people were removed because of additional qualification.

That was not part of their contract of employment. If you wanted to change those requirements, you need to give them a time limit for them to acquire the additional qualification before you remove them. If you still go back into the scheme of service, I don’t even think those things have been amended. I was a mediator and I was just sitting there watching the unions and the government flex their muscles. Otherwise, it was such an easy thing to go to court. But Nigerians don’t like to go to court and I don’t know why.

Is it not too expensive going to court?
There are people who will do it for you free of charge. There are lawyers who are providing pro vono service and that might be one of the things I might get engaged in. The Civil Service has come under so much bashing. Everybody is bashing civil servants. We are not the problem of Nigeria. If the head gives a direction, they would follow, knowing that there are certain things they could not do in my Ministry. They would not even bring it up because they know I won’t tolerate it. So, let the head leads and we will follow.

For those people who don’t see the benefit in the rule of law, please, let us try the rule of the jungle as I experienced. The rule of law may take time, but ultimately, it’s better than arbitrariness. There was so much arbitrariness during that time and as a beneficiary of the rule of law and fair hearing because immediately this President came on board, I sent an appeal with all my documents and with the support of the present Secretary to Government, who was then the Head of Service, the two of us permanent secretaries that were removed were reinstated. But my house has not been returned to me.

Who occupies that building for now?
I haven’t actually been there. But people who have gone there tell me nobody is really occupying it because there is still a subsisting injunction on that property. The property is at 85 Kwame Nkruma Way, plot 112, Asokoro District. I really don’t know whether somebody is occupying it or not. I just want it back because it’s my right. I served this country, I’m entitled to it and they should give it back to me.

Where do you stay now?
I’m renting a house. That’s why you think the Civil Service is corrupt. I’m renting a house with money that I could have put to other good uses. That’s why I really must get my house back. I worked very hard and at every point in time, I served this country well. In Labour, I hardly slept. We managed to apprehend many labour crises. Obasanjo himself admitted that, at least, he had some peaceful moments.

On a typical eve of a meeting with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, what kind of preparation would you do?
I have to read the labour laws, I have to study the issues in dispute and look at what the law says, whether the law supports it or not. Usually, we mediate between workers and the employers and we use the law. When it involves government, I use that law. I tell government you are an employer.

Do they listen to you?
I think there was relative calm. When the workers are wrong, I also tell them you are wrong. When employers are wrong, I tell the employers the law says this. Many employers in the private sector did not want unions in their organizations and I never mediated without the constitution and I tell them you cannot abridge anybody’s rights provided in the constitution. One has to be very familiar with the provisions of the law and, of course, the Constitution.

But mostly, it’s just good reasoning because one thing you must do when you are mediating in a labour dispute is to make sure that you settle the employer and the employee and they end up being friends because they are still going back to that environment to work. It’s not a law court. You appeal to people’s conscience and show them where they are wrong and I never did it with the two parties together. I always separated the employers from the workers. So, I would tongue lash the workers and screw the employers to concede to the demands of the workers.

Premier League: Utd beat Arsenal, Reds hit back

2009-08-31T06:47:00.001+01:00

Manchester United battled back after a wonder-goal from Andrei Arshavin to grab all three points against Arsenal at Old Trafford with a 2-1 win. The Russian gave the Gunners the lead, but a Wayne Rooney penalty and Abou Diaby's own goal gave United the points.

Arshavin smashed home an incredible strike in the first-half, but Manuel Almunia brought down Wayne Rooney in the second, and the England man converted his spot-kick. Diaby then headed a free-kick into his own net to give United the lead and Arsenal never looked like coming back.

Robin van Persie had the ball in the net late on, but William Gallas was ruled offside and there was even time for a piece of comedy as Arsene Wenger was sent to the stands, only to go and take his place above the Arsenal bench, in front of the United faithful.

Chelsea deposed Spurs at the Premier League summit by maintaining their perfect start to the campaign with victory over newly promoted Burnley in the lunchtime game at Stamford Bridge. The Clarets were brought down to earth with a bump following their recent victories over Manchester United and Everton as the Blues cruised to a 3-0 win.

A first-half strike from Nicolas Anelka set Chelsea on their way before Owen Coyle's hopes of springing an unlikely Burnley comeback were abruptly rubbed out with a quick-fire brace just after the break. Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole supplied the finishing touches for the home side who top the table on goal difference.

Liverpool's stuttering start to the season was given a late boost in their game against Bolton with Steven Gerrard riding to the rescue once more to bag the winner in a 2-3 win against a Trotters side who had yet to score in the Premier League prior to Saturday afternoon.

A 33rd minute strike from Kevin Davies opened his side's account and put further pressure on Rafael Benitez's currently shaky Liverpool side, but Glen Johnson bagged his second goal in Liverpool colours to settle the visitors' nerves.

Benitez handed new signing Sotirios Kyrgiakos his debut in the Liverpool defence and favoured Albert Riera over Yossi Benayoun on the left but his side were unable to prevent Tamir Cohen netting a 47th-minute strike for the Trotters who had Sean Davis dismissed shortly afterwards. Fernando Torres responded swiftly with a second Liverpool equaliser but Gerrard had the final word with an 83rd minute goal that puts Liverpool's title bid back on track.

Tottenham's flawless start to their Premier League campaign continued with a last minute Aaron Lennon strike securing a 2-1 win against Birmingham City at White Hart Lane. Aaron Lennon drew an early save from on-loan Birmingham keeper Joe Hart and Sebastian Larsson went close when he tested Carlo Cudicini at the other end but Peter Crouch's first Premier League goal for Spurs put Harry Redknapp's side ahead.

A groin injury had forced Spurs captain Ledley King off and Lee Bowyer was able to capitalise with an equalising goal in the 75th minute but Lennon broke Alex McLeish's mens' hearts with his goal at the death.

Goals at the start of each half saw honours even as it finished 1-1 between Hull and Wolves at Molineux. A third minute goal from Geovanni shocked Mick McCarthy's side but Richard Stearman's goal just after the break pulled Wolves level. Neither side were able to find a decisive strike in a game that leaves both teams with four points from their opening fixtures.

Stoke City secured a 1-0 win at home to Sunderland courtesy of Dave Kitson's first Premier League goal for the Potters. Kitson added to his midweek strike in the Carling Cup with the ex-Reading striker netting just before the break against Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium.

With Stoke's new £5m signings, Roberth Huth and Tuncay Sanli, having to make do with places on the bench, Tony Pulis' side celebrated their second home win of the campaign so far.

Blackburn secured their first point of the new season with a 0-0 draw at home to West Ham and hauled themselves out of the bottom three after Bolton were beaten by Liverpool. David Hoilet went closest to winning the points for Blackburn who had Pascal Chimbonda making his debut in a game which carried few attacking moments.

On Sunday, Manchester City kept up their 100% start to the season with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Portsmouth. Emmanuel Adebayor scored his third goal in as many Premier League games to give his side the win against Portsmouth, who were being watched in the stands by new owner Sulamain Al Fahim.

Everton hauled themselves off the foot of the table with their first win of the season, over Wigan, thanks to an injury-time penalty from Leighton Baines that sealed a 2-1 victory.

The visitors, who picked up six bookings, took the lead after 56 minutes with a Paul Scharner header, but Everton equalised soon after through Louis Saha. Still, they had to wait until the third minute of added time for their winner.

Aston Villa ended the weekend's games with a 2-0 win over Fulham. The Cottagers looked tired after their trip to Russia in the Europa League and were always facing an uphill battle after John Pantsil put through his own net in the 3rd minute.

Gabriel Agbonlahor raced through in the second half to seal the win, but it looked as if Fulham boss Roy Hodgson couldn't get away quick enough.

Wenger to get an apology after sending off

2009-08-31T06:46:00.002+01:00

Wenger takes up an unusual position after his dismissal.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been told he can expect an apology from Premier League referees chief Keith Hackett following his dismissal in the closing seconds of Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.

League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan has spoken to Hackett about the Old Trafford incident which saw Wenger sent to the stands by referee Mike Dean on the advice of fourth official Lee Probert.

And he has been told that Wenger will receive an apology from the Premier Game Match Officials Board which appoints officials to top-flight games in England.

The Gunners boss caught Probert's attention when he kicked an empty water bottle down the touchline following a disallowed goal for Arsenal.

There was then confusion as Wenger seemed unaware of where he was supposed to go - moving first to the back of Arsenal dugout then starting to walk down the touchline as the whistle was blown.

On the decision to penalise Wenger, Bevan said: ''Although correct in 'law', it was completely out of context in the game and it was followed by the nonsense which followed over where Arsene Wenger should sit.''

He added: ''I've spoken to Keith Hackett and he fully recognises the situation was an error and an apology will follow to Arsene Wenger.

''Lee Probert totally failed to manage the situation and created a needless pressure point taking the focus away from the pitch in a big event with only a minute to go.''

Operation attack Tunisia•Go all out and humiliate Carthage Eagles – Iroha advises Amodu

2009-08-31T06:39:00.002+01:00

Former Super Eagles’ defence marshal, Benedict Iroha, has advised Shaibu Amodu to line out the best in his arsenal against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.
On September 6, at the Abuja National Stadium, Nigeria’s dream of getting closer to South Africa 2010 World Cup ticket will either be realised or scuttled.

In a chat with Daily Sunsport before his departure to Tunis with Heartland FC of Owerri for CAF continental duel against Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, Iroha declared that he believes that the North African team could be successfully tamed in Abuja.

The FIFA Under-17 (Korea 2007) World Cup winning coach, said the best formula Amodu should apply against the Carthage Eagles would be attacking football.
Iroha stated that if the Super Eagles’ coach would use the best of his attacking formation, the visitors would definitely crumble like a pack of cards.
He expressed happiness on the list of invited players for the September 6 duel, adding that Tunisia lost the game on their home soil when they struggled to a goaless draw with Nigeria during the first leg encounter.

The Heartland FC of Owerri coach revealed that if his Naze Millionaires could bang in three unreplied goals against Etoile de Sahel that have most of their players in the Tunisian national team, during their CAF Champions League encounter, Super Eagles could equally do better in Abuja.
"Amodu should use the best of attacking football against Tunisia. He did it in Rades when we played the first leg, he should just intensify his formation in Abuja.

"I am happy with the players the coach has brought in for the September 6 encounter. I don’t see the Tunisian escaping from Abuja without defeat.
"In the CAF Champions League, Heartland were able to play the North Africans and won them with three goals in our favour. With this, I mean that Super Eagles can equally beat the Carthage Eagles, of which most of their players are in Etoile du Sahel. Based on our encounter with the team, I believe that we can subdued Tunisia with the best of attack," Iroha stated.

Super Eagles are trailing with five points behind Tunisia, who have seven points from three matches in Group B. Tunisia won two of their games against Kenya and Mozambique, but drew with Nigeria.
Super Eagles drew two of their games and won against Harambee Stars of Kenya in Abuja.

EFCC declares Ibru’s associates wanted

2009-08-31T06:37:00.001+01:00

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has declared the Chairman, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Dele Oye and Mrs. Nananshettu Bedell wanted in connection with the ongoing investigation in the banking sector.

Both suspects who are close associates of the former Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Oceanic Bank, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru are wanted for offences bordering on conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and money laundering running into billions of naira.
The anti-graft agency in a statement on Sunday said the suspects were declared wanted after all efforts to get them to honour the Commission’s invitation failed.

“The Commission enjoins anyone with useful information that could lead to their arrest to contact any of its offices in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Gombe, Port Harcourt and Enugu,” it added.
On August 14, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) headed by Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi had sacked five banks including those of Intercontinental Bank, Finbank, Oceanic Bank, Afribank and Union Bank over unethical and illegal practices.

The anti-graft agency quickly stepped in to recover the N747billion non-performing loans granted by the banks to corporate entities and individuals, with a seven-day ultimatum to the high profile debtors to pay up. The ultimatum expired last week. While at least N40billion has been recovered so far, the EFCC has stepped up manhunt for debtors yet to meet their obligations to the banks.

Mrs. Bedell, former personal secretary to Mrs. Cecilia Ibru’s husband, who is believed to be Priscillia Bedell and Nanashetu Abdulai, according to the list of debtors released by the apex bank, is said to be indebted to Oceanic Bank to the tune of over N16billion.

The former Oceanic Bank managing director who was declared wanted penultimate Sunday reported to the EFCC Ikoyi, Lagos office on Wednesday and has since been in detention. sunnewsonline

Abacha’s son set to join PDP• May contest 2011 guber

2009-06-23T17:23:00.001+01:00

Mohammed Abacha, the eldest son of the former Nigeria Head of State, late General Sani Abacha, is set to join one of the existing political parties in the country, a declaration that would symbolically mark the beginning of the family’s quest to return public life. The Abachas had abruptly been cut off the national leadership scene when their patriarch, Gen. Abacha, suddenly died some 11 years ago, while still serving as the Military Head of State.

A very credible source told the Daily Sun in Kano that Alhaji Mohammed Abacha, when he eventually steps out into the political fray in the days ahead, is most likely going to pitch his tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) adding that so far, discussions between him and some of the stakeholders of the party, both in Kano State and in Abuja, have reached an advanced stage.

It is speculated that the younger Abacha, upon his admission into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would immediately set his eyes on the Kano State Government House, hoping to emerge as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP and eventually, the governor of the state by 2011. Incidentally, the Abacha Abachas are believed to have had a long-standing romance with the All Nigerian Peoples Party Party (ANPP), especially in Kano, where the party, at some stage, even road on the seeming popularity of the Abachas with the common Kano folks. It is still not clear what brought about the u-turn to PDP.

A new power equation
At the helm of the coordination of the highly guarded proposal is Alhaji Umar Gano Bayero (not directly related to the emirate). Alhaji Bayero, a former gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 polls is a close confidant of the family and one of the associates of the former governor of the old Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi.

His central role in the entire project has since led to the belief that, should the proposal work out as projected, Alhaji Abacha might not be joining the Kwankwaso’s faction of the party, which sources told the Daily Sun is frightened by the prospect of this new factor to the political balance of the party in the state and yet hopeful, the young man might join the faction in the end.

Already, a proposal for the formation of an eight- man Central Working Committee that would manage this ambition is in the offing. Sources said the names of the members of the committee were carefully selected to represent the seriousness of the new deal, adding however that their initial meeting, which should have taken place by now, was placed on suspension pending the fresh registration exercise of the party in the state which is billed for next week. It was also gathered that the meeting was caused to slow down with a view to allowing the CWC have a glimpse of the nature of the party’s congresses and the shape of the incoming executive of the state.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) offers the young Abacha a number of benefits, including the fact that it is the party in government at the national level and a party that stands an average chance to win the next gubernatorial election in the state, if the right candidate and the right leadership is put to work,” said the source.

The source opined that a character from the Abacha’s family would invariably excite the top notchers of the PDP in the country, arguing that Alhaji Mohammed Abacha fits into the kind of personality the party and those sympathetic to the interest of president Yar Adua need to balance the power equation in the party in the state.

2011 guber in the mix
In reference to the 2011 battle in the state and for the survival of the president, the source added: “You see Alhaji Mohammed is very, very rich. PDP and indeed, Yar’Adua would be interested in such a person who can spend his own money for the sake of the party. This is typical of the Yar’Adua we now know, that is, getting others to do his work for him while staying aloof and watching from a distance”

A number of investigations carried out by the Daily Sun in Kano State recently confirmed that the relationship between the family of the former head of state and the incumbent President, Alhaji Umar Yar Adua, has been on the upward swing since the president was sworn into power, some two years ago. It was discovered that the pressure mounted on several fronts against the Abachas by the previous administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been gradually relaxed for the family, if not totally suspended.

Notably among them is the easing on the tight security around the matron of the family, Hajia Mariam Abacha, who, it was gathered, has since had an ease in the restrictions placed on her movement. A security source told the Daily Sun that she can now travel to any part of the world so long as she can get their visa. This new development is a sharp contrast from the restricted nature of her freedom during the eight-year rule of the past administration.

It is also on record that the former First Lady was one of the very first few jubilant Nigerians to rush to the Yar’Aduas in Kastina to celebrate their son’s election as the president of the country and on that occasion, she was well received by the then incoming First Lady, Hajia Turia Yar’Adua.

A burning ambition
Daily Sun also was gathered from another competent source that this is definitely not the first time that Alhaji Mohammed Abacha had plotted to join the politics of the state, adding that much as he was not in a hurry to stage a come back given the hostile climate against his family under Obasanjo, he had always kept an eye on the political development of the state, waiting for the right time to strike.

The source, a long time relation of the Abachas, recalled that the last time Mohammed had tried his hand on this long nurtured pet project, was some two and a half years ago, when the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had tried to wreck the ambition of some serving governors, including the second term ambition of the governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

The source stated emphatically that the Abacha son, sensing that the coast was clear, immediately flew to the Eastern part of the country to try to persuade the Chairman of the All Nigerian Peoples Party, Chief Edwin Umezeoke, to consider him for the gubernatorial ticket of the party in state in the event the incumbent governor was barred by the authorities. He observed that the move suffered a major set back when a court ruled against the barring of the governors by the EFCC.

On the chances of the young man in a complex political terrain like Kano State, the source noted that it is one thing to want to declare oneself for political service and another game all together when one is inside the political fray with all its ups and downs. He added that for now, many people are urging on Mohammed Abacha to join politics and based on this, it seems he is a popular choice of the people. He, however, expressed pains that some of these persons singing his praise worthiness are not singing it out of genuine concerns but are simply out to milk his purse.

He stated that in the political equation of Kano state, the family of the Abachas, no doubt, enjoy some form of love and respect, despite their demonization by a section of the media in the country, but he feared that Mohammed Abacha might be his own undoing, given that he is seen as a character that does not mingle with others outside his class of select friends, adding that he rarely steps out to visit people when they are bereaved and is hardly available for other kinds of social engagements in the community. This character trait, he stated, means a lot to the people of the north and Muslims generally. Efforts to reach out Alhaji Mohammed Abacha for comment were unsuccessful.

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2009-06-06T15:27:00.002+01:00

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2009-06-06T15:22:00.000+01:00

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2009-06-06T14:33:00.002+01:00

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Dejected Ferguson admits "the best team won"

2009-05-28T06:31:00.001+01:00

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Manchester United lost to the better side as Barcelona secured the Champions League crown in Rome, but he vowed to come back even stronger.

United were bright in the initial exchanges but after Samuel Eto'o opened the scoring after 10 minutes, there was only one team in the game as Barca over-ran their opponents in midfield.

Lionel Messi made it 2-0 after 70 minutes and the Red Devils could muster nothing in response.

Ferguson told Sky Sports 1: "In fairness we were beaten by the best team. We weren't at our best. The first goal was a killer, it was a bad start to the game. If you give them the ball they will keep it all night.

"But the best part of the game is that in adversity you always move forward quicker. We're all disappointed but we're a young team.''

Ferguson added a second striker at half-time, with Carlos Tevez replacing the ineffective Anderson.

Reflecting on that decision, the Scot said: "I brought on Tevez simply because I took the gamble of playing two through (the middle). Ryan Giggs, in the first half, provided something and some parts of his game were good but what we needed was someone to be there all the time.

"But they defended quite well. We had plenty of time and we had some half-chances which we maybe should have done better with.''

Ferguson claimed he was not surprised with the way Barcelona approached the game, even when they swapped Messi from a wide position up front into midfield.

And he put the blame for the loss squarely on his own players.

Ferguson said: "The disappointment was the use of the ball when we got possession. You have to wait minutes to get it back off them. Could be it was an off night. Could be it was a mountain too big to climb.

"We knew what a good football team they were. We had difficulty in defending against them. Messi dropped into midfield and they kept possession and made it difficult for us.''

Cristiano Ronaldo collected a yellow card for a foul on Puyol and it was a disappointing match for the United winger who went close with a couple of long-range shots but too often let his exasperation get the better of him.

Ferguson also admitted United missed the protective presence of Darren Fletcher in midfield who was suspended after being sent off harshly against Arsenal in the semi-final.

"He is one big-game player,'' said Ferguson. "It was a loss but they had losses also. And it is difficult to measure how big a loss it was.

"We've done well to get to the final, but we had to win it. It was a big opportunity for us. With the players we have we expected better, but losing the first goal was decisive for us. We couldn't recover from that.''

Ferguson, however, was generous in his praise of Barcelona and their manager, Pep Guardiola, who also won the Champions League as a player with Barcelona.

"You have to give credit to a very good Barcelona team,'' said Ferguson. "If they get in front of you they are very difficult to beat. They kept possession of the ball and made it very difficult to get back.

"When we did get possession we didn't do well with it. Credit to them, the better team won.''

On Guardiola, who has guided Barcelona to a treble of league title, domestic Cup and Champions League, he added: "It is a great achievement as a coach in his first year. Well done. Fantastic. Everybody enjoys their football and it is great credit to him.''

Veteran United midfielder Ryan Giggs admitted they did not play to their potential and that they were beaten by the better team.

"At times Barcelona can make you look silly because they keep the ball so well,'' Giggs told Sky Sports News. "At times we maybe chased it and didn't keep our shape as well as we should have. But still - we created chances and probably more chances than Barcelona.

"We said whoever turned up on the night would win and that proved to be the case. They turned up and played some great football - we didn't really. I think if we had gone a goal ahead, we're capable of keeping the ball like they are. But credit to them, they deserved it tonight.''

Lifeless Newcastle pay the price

2009-05-25T07:58:00.001+01:00

Newcastle United have been relegated from the Premier League after a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa.

Gareth Barry's 38th minute shot deflected off Damien Duff and wrongfooted Steve Harper for the only goal of the game.

Hull City's home defeat by Manchester United meant Newcastle only needed a point to survive but in a limp second half showing they failed to muster a shot on target.

Darron Gibson's superb strike sealed a winning end to Manchester United's season as Sir Alex Ferguson's second string proved too much for the battling Tigers.

Middlesbrough fell 2-1 at Upton Park as their drop to the Championship was confirmed. Goals from Carlton Cole and Junior Stanislas came either side of a Gary O'Neil effort.

Sunderland were beaten 3-2 by Chelsea at the Stadium of Light as Nicolas Anelka secured the golden boot. He lashed home a drive from 20 yards to give the Blues a 47th minute lead but Kieran Richardson equalised instantly.

Salomon Kalou and Ashley Cole re-established Chelsea's lead before Kenwyne Jones grabbed an injury time consolation goal.

Liverpool ended Spurs' Europa League hopes with a 3-1 win at Anfield. Fernando Torres and an own goal from Alan Hutton gave the Reds a strong lead before Robbie Keane scored on his return to Anfield.

A late Yossi Benayoun goal sealed Liverpool's win.

Arsenal thumped Stoke 4-1 at the Emirates. James Beattie's own goal began the rout while Robin van Persie netted twice for the Gunners. Abou Diaby added the other goal. The Potters could only muster a Ricardo Fuller penalty.

Two goals from Leon Osman helped Everton sink Fulham, who qualify for the Europa League, while Jason Roberts' red card was the only incident of note in the goalless draw between Blackburn and West Brom at Ewood Park.

Wigan beat Portsmouth 1-0 at the JJB thanks to Hugo Rodallega's goal.

At Eastlands, Felipe Caicedo's early strike was enough to beat Bolton Wanderers.

Alhaji Ladi Lawal is dead.

2009-05-25T07:57:00.001+01:00

Alhaji Ladi Lawal was the Group Managing Director of Daar Communications (owners of AIT, Raypower, Daarsat) and former Chairman of Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He died yesterday 23rd May after a brief illness. He has since been buried. He was aged 54. May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

Ekiti re-run: INEC declares Oni winner

2009-05-06T07:30:00.002+01:00

Segun Oni, an engineer and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got the nod to return to the saddle in Ekiti State on Tuesday with his declaration as winner of the controversial governorship election re-run.

The Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner and Chief Returning Officer, Mrs Ayoka Adebayo declared Oni as the eventual winner of the re-run poll, which had kept the state on edge in the past few weeks.

Oni defeated his main rival, the Action Congress (AC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, but spontaneous protests from the party’s supporters greeted the PDP victory.

Oni vacated the governorship seat on the order of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, which ordered re-run of the April 2007 poll in 63 wards across 10 local government areas of the state.
Reading the final results amidst deafening noise by AC and PDP supporters at the Christ’s Girls School Ado-Ekiti, collation center on Tuesday night, Adebayo announced that Oni polled the highest votes, scoring 111, 140 as against Fayemi’s 107,017.

The controversial ballots in Ido-Osi Local Government, which had the PDP candidate scoring 15,939 votes as against AG’s 3,793 votes were the decider.
AC had complained against the results, claiming to have won the legally collated results from three wards, while rejecting those said to have been collated in a police station.
It was alleged that the controversy led to the REC, Mrs Adebayo resigning her appointment and ‘disappearing’ for 48 hours, only appearing later to announce that she was still a “member of the INEC family.”

AC supporters booed as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official were led out of the collation centre by security agents to prevent them from being attacked.
Earlier, as the results of the four outstanding local governments that were announced AC chieftains, including Niyi Adebayo, former governor of Ekiti and Chief Jide Awe AC state chairman stood up to raise objection on the manner he results were announced.

They pointed out that the results ought to have been announced by Mrs Adebayo herself instead of electoral officers who also acted as the collation officers.
The collation center became rowdy as PDP and AC supporters were shouting on top of their voices.
Despite the plea by Acting Police Commissioner in the state, Yakubu Alkali, the crowd kept shouting “No more rigging.”

The REC, however, appealed to the people that any party dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll should go to court after the announcement of the result.
Earlier, the re-run election in Oye-Ekiti held amidst tight security, but characterized by low voter turnout, as the expected 18,000 votes projected by the political parties for grabs could not be realized.
The number of security men, including police, State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) could be rated as one security operative to one civilian in the town.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), John Ahmadu, State Director of SSS, Mrs Florence Ikanone and NSCDC boss as well as military personnel were in the town to ensure peace and orderliness.
Voting did not start until after 10 a.m as many natives had fled the town, while those who were around were scared by the heavy security presence.

The apathy displayed by the people of the town, in spite of the heavy presence of various party leaders, was so much that in some wards total votes cast were below 20, especially in Ward 2 Unit 15 where 768 people registered and the total vote cast were 9 with AC having 5, and PDP 4.
The excuse given for that was that most of the voters, who registered in the unit, were students and teachers of Government College, Oye where the polling booth was located.
The election was unique in the sense that the two prominent political parties in the election, AC and PDP, watched each other with eagle eye despite of the presence of security operatives in all the polling booths.

There were controversies in ward 2 as one Segun Ajayi, who was AC’s agent, complained that some people were coming with voter’s cards with blurred photographs, but the presiding officer, Arikwandu Augustine said those who came with blurred pictures were not allowed to vote at the unit.
No fewer than 15 policemen were stationed in each polling station, and no cases of ballot snatching nor stuffing had been reported in the two wards with 36 polling stations.

The leadership of both parties were in the town with the tags of election monitoring agent. The state chairmen of both AC and PDP, Chief Jide Awe and Bola Olu-Ojo respectively were in the town very early.

Former Governor Niyi Adebayo was also accompanied by Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Opeyemi Bamidele, who came in a black Honda CR-V with registration number Lagos LW 766 AAA, to Oye where he (Adebayo) was coordinating the AC agents.
Adebayo and Opeyemi did not leave Ward 1 Unit 9, which Rabiu Garba was the INEC presiding officer until the election was over in the area.

I once hawked ‘ice water’ in Lagos traffic –Yaw of Wazobia FM

2009-04-24T06:50:00.001+01:00

Since pitching his tent with the Victoria Island, Lagos-based pidgin English radio station, Wazobia FM (95.1) as an On Air Personality (OAP), Steve Onu, aka, Yaw has warmed his way into the hearts of many radio listeners in Lagos and neighbouring states.

Interestingly, the popular anchor of Make Una Wake, the morning show between 6am to 12noon, who recently bagged two awards including, City People Awards and Mode Men Awards for Best On Air Personality is just one year on the job.
Yaw beat other contenders for the awards including, American born Inspiration FM OAP, Dan Foster and Rhythm FM’s Wild Child.

As if to justify his popularity among Lagosians, the Theatre Arts graduate of the Lagos State University, Ojo (LASU), was greeted with shouts of ‘Yaw’ by fans as he cruised in his black Nissan Xterra Jeep with customized plate number Yaw 2 into a fast food outlet within the National Arts Theatre for this interview.
Onu, who also combines his job with stage acting, MC and voice over, in this interview unabashedly spoke about his poor background, his job as an entertainer and how he copes with female fans among other issues.

Talking about my past
There is nothing wrong with the past because it is past. As a student, if one fails Mathematics and today he does very well in other subjects like the English language or Biology, does that make one a dullard? No, I don’t think so. I don’t care about what anybody feels about my past, I will tell you my past for you to know.

Before Wazobia FM
All that time I have been with the BBC. After that, I acted in a couple of TV drama such as, Twilight Zone and Flatmates. I was also involved with others, such as Dear Mother and Fuji House of Commotion. I was constantly featuring in different events at the MUSON Centre doing stage productions. Really, it wasn’t an overnight thing, I have been there waiting for my time to shine. That is the mistake lot of people make. I also compere and do a whole lot of other things.

My background and my status
Anything I say on radio, I always recall my upbringing to buttress that point. Because there is always one experience or the other that will be relevant to the point, which I am trying to make, I always like to use it encourage people by saying ‘look men, don’t think it is the end of the world’. I have gone through what I went through in the past and by God’s grace, I am where I am today. That is where I get my major materials for the show.

How I became a broadcaster
I went to the station with a friend, Bunmi Davies to see Mr Ibrahim Abubakar and incidentally, during our conversation, Abubakar said they want to set up a pidgin radio station. I then told Bunmi that I wouldn’t mind taking up a job with the station. It took me about three to four months to write my C.V because I have never written any before. Eventually, I was able to write one. On the day of the interview, I just wore a shirt and a pair of jeans with a cap, which made me look very odd. The other applicants were all in suit and tie looking very corporate. But I ended up getting the job. They called us in one after the other and you drop whatever you want to drop.

Acting on stage with Koffi
The play was intended to show the other part of me that most of my radio fans don’t know. Most people know me just as an OAP but the real me comes out when I am on stage. They saw it and I am sure they enjoyed it. We did two shows and we recorded full house in both shows. I hope to do it better in July. I studied Drama and so that is the main thrust of the show, we just added a little comedy and music for variety.

Humility as a virtue
My mother always reminds me that without the people, you are nobody. If tomorrow, you and every other person stop listening to Wazobia FM, then who is Yaw. I will be nobody. So I have no choice than to remain humble. As a person, it is not even in my personality because I wasn’t raised that way although, some people test one’s patience by going to the extreme. Somebody see me one day and he just slap me for back and began shouting ‘yes, na you dey talk for radio’. I was really mad. Although, I was angry a bit yet I couldn’t do anything about it. Another instance, someone saw me and just removed my cap and began to hit it hard on my head. In such situations, if one should flare up, they would say one is proud or something. But I just try to be myself and remain calm in any situation.

Most interesting part of my job
I am just who I am. My brother, na like dat wey I be na im I be. Whatever you hear me say on radio is what I say on a good day. The good thing is that the management allows me to be who I intend to be. They have not told me what to do or how to do it, and I think that is what is making the programme sell.

Coping with ladies
Really, I don’t know whether I am getting attentions. But even before I became a presenter, ladies have always liked me. Even if you are good in only Mathematics or English language, ladies will surely like you, it is as natural as that. I just try as much as possible to keep them at arms length.

Is Yaw married?
(laughs) Any other question? We dey, we dey kakaraka.

But people say you are not yet married.
(more laughs) In short, I don’t really know whether I am unmarried or not except as I dey hear am for your mouth.

A lot of young ladies will be reading this…
Dem wan marry me? Anybody who wan marry me, I dey o make una come marry!

Music industry in Nigeria
Our musicians are trying but at the same time, I am worried that our kids are being unduly exposed to a lot of rubbish. If they don’t talk about sex, they think it won’t sell. We have a lot of people fooling themselves around that they are musicians yet they don’t have anything to offer. But, I will say that we are still growing. I think we still have quite a few good materials out there?

Do you reject musical CDs?
Anyway, I am not in the library department that handles such things but they reject a lot of CDs. I don’t have a say, my own is just to collect materials from the library whenever I need it. The library controls everything that has to do with musical materials.

Daily routine
I wake up in the morning around 5am, pray and prepare myself for the show. I hit the studio between 5:30 am and 5:45am and then I go on air from 6am and round off by 12noon. I still stay around to do some production jobs and I later leave office by 1pm. From there, I am on my own and every day I have one or two things to do outside of my radio job such as voice over and commercials among others.

Rising popularity
Well, I give God the glory for that. But I still have several people, whom I respect such as, Basket Mouth, Ali Baba, Koffi, my friend and so many others. People say I am funny but that is just me because everything about me is fun. I like making people happy.

From Grass to grace
I will say life is just okay at least from hawking ‘ice water’ not sachet water during traffic in those days to riding a car now. So, I just give God the glory for the good things he has done for me. I won’t say it is little, especially when I compared it to where I am coming from.

What are your plans for the future?
I never believed I would be an OAP, I take my time to achieve one thing at a time. Initially, it was home video, next it was stage, then TV and now radio. Whatever comes my way, I take. God is the author and finisher of my faith. I leave everything to God.

How old is Yaw?
Yaw is in his 30s and still has many things to achieve.

To your fans
I say a big thank you to Lagosians and indeed Nigerians, who have been voting for me for awards. I have received about four or five awards so far, including Best On Air Personality for Mode Men Awards and City People Awards among others. I am just one year on the job. I also won an award organized by Opa Williams for Best TV Actor (Comic) and when I used to do stage productions, I also won an award. sunnewsonline

It’s not yet over for Eagles – Kanu

2009-04-07T07:15:00.001+01:00

Portsmouth striker, Nwankwo Kanu, is still hopeful that Nigeria will pick the 2010 World Cup ticket in spite of Super Eagles’ not-too-impressive outing against Mozambique in Maputo recently.

The Atlanta Olympic Games gold medallist believes things can still turn around in favour of Nigeria in the qualifying series.
He, however, urged football pundits not to write-off Eagles, who are in the same group with Tunisia, Kenya and Mozambique, saying “in football, anything can still happen.

“Nigeria is a football-crazy nation and we have millions of good footballers. We know that many people are looking up to us to do well. That is one of the main reasons we have to put in our best anytime we are wearing the green and white kit of the Super Eagles.

“Yes, we hope to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and beyond. Our Under-17 team recently won the cadets World Cup, our Under-23 team also won silver medal in Beijing last year; they have all proved that talent still abound in Nigeria.

“We still have a chance in spite of our goalless draw outing against Mozambique in Maputo. You can see that we have picked ourselves up from a dismal African Cup of Nations in Ghana and having gone thus far in the qualifiers, we foresee no problems. We have to make sure we do things right, the administration, the nutrition, the medical aspect, other little things that can affect team performance. We will get there. When we get to South Africa for the World Cup, we can then proceed to focus on winning the competition.”

Kanu appealed to Nigerians not to lose hope as they were comitted to picking the only ticket in their group, come rain or sunshine.
“We have to approach these things with self belief, and if we can win tournaments at age-group levels and get to the finals in major global championships, we can get the best at the World Cup. But we must not get carried away yet. There is a job to be done, that is qualifying for the World Cup and we need to do that first.”
On whether he will still be around as a player in 2010, he said:
“Only God knows the future, but I still want to be playing by 2010 and beyond. It will be a dream come true for me to play for Nigeria in an African World Cup, the first of its kind.”sunnewsonline.

Atiku, a hopeless politician – PDP

2009-04-07T07:14:00.001+01:00

The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday sealed any hope of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar returning to its fold as it described him as ‘a hopeless and selfish politician.’

The party said that his bid to bounce back into political reckoning had fallen flat in his face and that his “selfish and overt political ambition” had made him susceptible to sundry miscalculations and misjudgments.

The former vice-president, who has made several efforts to rejoin the PDP in the last few months, had also incurred the ire of the Action Congress, a party on whose platform he contested the last 2007 Presidential election.

The PDP’s vitriol came a few days after former President Olusegun Obasanjo claimed at a function in Yola, Adamawa State, that Abubakar had begged him to assist him return to the party.

Ironically, Abubakar had at the weekend told journalists in Lagos that the PDP was not a credible vehicle for electoral reforms ahead of the 2011 polls.

“I do not think that the PDP government has the capacity and the ability to push through a real electoral reform that would satisfy all participants in the process,” he had said.

The former vice-president described the White Paper on electoral reforms as empty and called on ‘progressives’ to unite to form a mega-party that would serve as an alternative to the PDP.

But the PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said that Abubakar ought to have been grateful to the party (PDP) for giving him a platform through which he served the country as a vice-president for eight years under Obasanjo.

The statement reads in part,“The attention of the PDP has been drawn to the statement credited to the former vice-president (Abubakar) and widely published in Nigerian newspapers of April 6, 2009, in which he made uncomplimentary remarks against our party and the President Umaru Yar’Adua-led Federal Government.

“Our instinct has always been to ignore Alhaji Abubakar whose overt selfish ambition has left a hopeless politician susceptible to all forms of miscalculations and misjudgements.

“ However, it appears that the PDP tolerance of him and his cohorts is daily being taken for granted, hence we wish to state as follows:

“That the former vice-president be reminded that but for the PDP which gave him a platform to emerge first as governor–elect of Adamawa State and then, as the vice- president of Nigeria for eight years, Alhaji Abubakar would have remained an inconsequential political quantity, whose influence would not have gone beyond his Jadda ward in Adamawa State.

“The former vice-president should, therefore, be eternally grateful to the PDP and not be consumed in the sojourn of ill-fate to disparage a platform without which he would have remained irrelevant.

“It is an irony that the former vice-president has suddenly woken up to the realisation that Nigeria does not have a system that can bring brilliant people to leadership when the same system elevated him to the nation’s number two.

“Did Abubakar deliberately and selfishly slumber away while he enjoyed the same system?

“What a paradox that the same man who sang Hosanna yesterday is today singing crucifice eis – crucify him at the top of his voice.

“That his attack on the genuine efforts and commitment of the Federal Government on electoral reforms is clearly opportunistic as Alhaji Abubakar as vice-president of Nigeria for good eight years cannot today be credited with even a single suggestion he made on how to reform the electoral system.

“If the PDP cannot bequeath a good electoral system as Abubakar said, is it the AC with its barrage of demi-gods and cult personalities that will?

“Is it the AC that is bereft of internal democracy? “Where is Abubakar if we may ask? Is he in the opposition? Which opposition? Is inconsistency a mettle of an opposition politics?

“We are not surprised that Atiku now has his eyes in the so-called nebulous mega party having lost grip of the AC with his self-serving antics.”

The PDP added that Abubakar had become “rudderless” because he had lost control of the AC.

It said, “Nigerians have come to know Alhaji Abubakar more than he thinks. For all his pretences, he is definitely not one of the champions of democracy.

“His recent desperation to repair a battered image and bounce back to reckoning has fallen flat in his face, hence his latest remarks which are symptomatic of a drowning man, latching unto every available straw for survival.”

But in a swift reaction, Abubakar said he had no regrets for condemning the PDP and the government of President Yar’Adua.

Abubakar, who spoke through his media office in Abuja, said the attack on his person for calling on the PDP and government to respect the wishes of Nigerians for electoral reforms was another confirmation that the party had derailed from the noble objectives of its founding fathers.

He said, “There is no doubt that Nigeria needs an electoral reform. The failure of government and frustration of our people over the lack of effective governance is a fallout of the bad elections of 2007.

“The linkage between credible elections and performance in government is now very clear to Nigerians. It is a pity if some latter-day PDP joiners cannot see what every reasonable Nigerian sees clearly today.”

The former vice-president said the minimum requirements for credible elections as contained in the Justice Muhammadu Uwais-led panel report on electoral reform had been abandoned by the PDP.

He said, “Many of the politicians in the party are afraid of free and fair elections. If these politicians are credible as they claim, why are they afraid of effecting electoral reforms that will guarantee the inalienable rights of Nigerians to choose their leaders?”

A credible electoral system, Abubakar argued, must include the appointment of the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission and its board by an impartial body like the Nigerian Judicial Council.

Rooney, Scholes & Vidic Set To Return For Manchester Against Porto The Red Devils will welcome back a trio of stars in time for Tuesday's Champions Le

2009-04-07T07:11:00.001+01:00

Manchester United will receive a boost for their Champions League tie with Porto at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, as a trio of key men are set to return.

Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic, players whose absence would seriously weaken any side, were forced to watch their side's dramatic 3-2 home victory over Aston Villa today from the stands, but should be back in action against the Portuguese outfit.

Industrious South Korean winger Ji-Sung Park is also set to be available for selection once more, though there is less favorable news concerning defender Rio Ferdinand and Brazilian midfielder Anderson, neither of whom look likely to be ready in time after picking up knocks whilst on international duty last week.

"I don't think any of the injured players will be back on Tuesday," United manager Alex Ferguson told MUTV.

"But we do have the suspended players back which is good. Vida [Vidic] will play alongside Jonny Evans at the back with John O'Shea moving to right-back.

"Rooney and Scholes are also available which will give us a bit more penetration and experience, and Ji-Sung Park will also be ready so I've got some good options for Tuesday."

There was also a slight doubt over Ryan Giggs, though this was more to do with the effects of what fatigue might have on the Welshman's veteran legs rather than any injury.

Ferguson concluded, "I'll have to assess how Ryan [Giggs] is after playing the 90 minutes against Villa. It's a big ask for someone at 35 years of age to play another game two days later at the kind of level we play."

Fayose, siblings in dirty war over dad’s burial

2009-04-07T07:09:00.001+01:00

Disagreement over the final resting place of Pa Olorunfemi Oluwayose, renowned cleric and father of former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has snowballed into a dirty war among the deceased’s children.

Daily Sun gathered that the children of the late cleric are pitched in a battle over where and how to bury their father.

According to family sources, a meeting held at the Orita-Challenge home of the late Oluwayose went awry two weeks ago as Fayose, leading 10 of his siblings including the first born, disagreed with the 16 other children led by the second born, Ms. Modupeola Fayose, a United Kingdom-based nutrition expert and Apostle (Mrs.) Bimpe Oluwayose Sorinola, Fayose’s sister by same mother kicked against the burial arrangement for their father.

The Ayo Fayose camp which include the first born of the late Octogenarian, Olusegun Fayose and Mrs. Moji Ladeji want the old man buried in his home town, Afao-Ekiti, Ekiti State, while their other group insist on respecting an alleged last wish of the former Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) leader that he be buried in his Ibadan home, which adjoins one of the five churches he founded in his 50 years of work as an ecclesiastic activist and missionary in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Pa John Olorunfemi Oluwayose passed on February 14, but he is yet to get a befitting and quick burial as he reportedly instructed at his 82nd birthday celebration last year.
Both groups of his surviving children had published separate conflicting obituaries and funeral programmes.

While the Modupeola/Bimpe group fixed the rites of passage for between last Wednesday and Friday (April 1-3) to hold at the Orita Challenge residence of the deceased, Ayo Fayose’s scheduled theirs for April 9 and 10 at Afao Ekiti.

Although some of the children observed the April 1-3 programme, climaxing in a burial service at Oloruntedotimi CAC at Orita Challenge, Ibadan and interment, it was more of mockery, as the corpse could not be buried, having been ordered detained by the police allegedly on Fayose’s instruction.
Daily Sun gathered that when the Modupeola/Bimpe group got to the private hospital (names withheld) where the remains of the late cleric were being kept, the corpse could not retrieved as mobile policemen had been drafted to the hospital.

The group was said to have gone back disappointed with an empty casket, which they eventually interred with Pa Oluwayose’s priestly regalia and his Bible.
The development shocked mourners including relations and church members of the late priest.
The former Ekiti governor’s group is alleged by the Modupeola/Bimpe group to be backed by traditionalists in their hometown who allegedly had been cursing members of the camp for wanting to shame Ekiti.

An unrepentant Bimpe told Daily Sun last night: “They have given our phone numbers to Babalawos, traditional rulers and other dark principalities in Ekiti who have been cursing and making threats.”
The conflict has even assumed a frightening dimension as Bimpe alleged that she had been receiving threat messages on her mobile phone allegedly sent by her brother of same mother (name withheld), who is hand-in-glove with Fayose on the move to bury their late father’s remains in Ekiti.
Daily Sun gathered that the new Oyo State Police Commissioner, Baba Bolante has waded into the matter with a directive to the hospital in Ibadan, where the deceased’s body is kept not to release it to any of the parties.

A meeting of the family and elders of the late Pa Oluwayose’s church has been summoned by the police commissioner in his office at Eleyele headquarters today to broker peace among the feuding children.
A cynical Bimpe and Modupeola said they suspected the forum was to brow beat them into submitting to Fayose’s plan. But they vowed never to concede any ground against their “father’s last wish”
Contacted, former governor Fayose declined to comment on the development, asking when his father’s burial became an issue for newspaper publication.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Oyo police boss was out of town, attending a conference of commissioners of police in the federation with the Inspector General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro in Maiduguri.

But police spokesman, Miss Bisi Okuwobi, who confirmed the scheduled parley, said her boss had delegated two senior officers and herself to preside at the meeting.
Okuwobi also explained that the deployment of police detectives in the hospital where the corpse of Fayose’s father was being kept became necessary to avert a breakdown of law and order.
“In order to ensure that there is peace all over the state, the police have to step in to maintain law and order. Our interest is to ensure peace,” Okuwobi stressed.

Yar’Adua unveils logo, slogan on re-branding Nigeria

2009-03-26T06:36:00.001+01:00

Nigeria has unveiled a new logo and slogan for its national rebranding campaign which the Information and Communications Minister, Prof. (Mrs.) Dora Akunyili says signals the march towards national re-birth. The slogan selected was Good People, Great Nation while the logo is simply the word – Nigeria but creatively interpreted.

At the unveiling ceremony on Tuesday, March 17th 2009 at the International Conference Centre - Abuja, several prominent Nigerians and members of the civil society, organized labour, private sector and students took turns in expressing their hope for a better Nigeria and their desire for a corrupt-free Nigeria and one that guarantees individual rights and liberties.
Nigerian President, Umar Yar’Adua was represented at the occasion by the Vice President Dr. Jonathan Goodluck and he urged Nigerians to support the campaign through value re-orientation pointing out that nation rebranding should not be seen as just a one-event affair. He decried the situation where the activities of a few Nigerians have come to taint the world’s perception of Nigerians and Nigeria.

General Yakubu Gowon, ex-Head of State and Chairman of the Occasion praised the Pete Edochie led- National Rebranding Committee for their choice of logo and slogan selected from thousands of entries sent in by Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, Senator Ayogu Eze who represented Senate President Senator David Mark at the occasion said that the National Assembly will support the Ministry of Information and Communications in the re-branding project asking that all Nigerians should be carried along in the process.

His House of Representatives counterpart, Honourable Dino Malaye represented the Speaker Dimeji Bankole and he delivered a well received speech that had the whole house applauding him every step. In a firebrand but frank tone, he advised that Re-branding should start from the top, from the President and then cascading down to the Vice President and top Public officials who have a moral duty to uphold the rule of law at all times. He spoke on the need for genuine electoral reforms and care for citizen’s welfare. In a lighter mood, he advised that those entrusted with the re-branding campaign should not use the opportunity to rebrand their pockets promising that the National Assembly will be watching on behalf of Nigerians. Prof. (Mrs.) Akunyili had earlier in her speech promised that her ministry will publish twice yearly a statement of account of the re-branding project.

With this, it is hoped that Nigerians will begin to reject the negative labels and adjectives used to describe and qualify both country and citizens by the western media and even by Nigerians themselves, and strive to do good, to think of nation first and stand proud and tall amongst other citizens of the world. As the slogan suggests, Nigeria is a great nation of good people.

9ice to perform in Ghana

2009-03-10T07:44:00.000+01:00

Multiple-award winning singer, 9ice, is scheduled to perform in Accra for the very first time at the Accra International Conference Center, Accra, Ghana on the 28th March, 2009.The show will also feature Yes Record's flagship artistes, G-Xploit, whose hit track 'Bolu Molu Merete' has reached No.8 on MTV Base World Charts. In addition, rave-making Shank and fellow Yes! Record signee Steel will also be on the bill.SO,lets go there!!!!!!!!!!!!

Inter-banks’ lending rates hits 20.25%

2009-03-10T07:38:00.001+01:00

Inter-banks’ lending rates has risen to 20.25 per cent from 16.91 per cent last week as banks could not get enough naira to finance their operations.

According to agency reports, lack of cash inflow caused banks to scramble for the few cash around thus giving indication for a possible rise again above 20.25 per cent next week.

The agency further noted that most of the funds that came in through budgetary allocations to government agencies two weeks ago, have dried up, and many banks could not access the central bank’s repo window as they had no treasury bills to serve as collateral.

Also, it said, payment for foreign exchange purchased at the central bank’s bi-weekly auctions had also drained liquidity from the system as the CBN sold $849 million last week.
However, the liquidity crunch was worsened by the fact that there were no repayments in matured treasury bills in the week as none was due.

AC asks Alao-Akala to explain source of daughter’s stolen money

2009-03-10T07:33:00.001+01:00

The Action Congress in Oyo State, on Monday, asked Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala to explain the source of the $56,000 allegedly stolen from his daughter, Mrs. Olamide Alabi.

The said $56,000 was reportedly stolen when armed robbers attacked and took away Olamide’s Honda Accord 2008 Model car on February 13 in Ibadan.

The Secretary of the AC in the state, Mr. Dele Akinleye, told journalists during an interview that the amount allegedly stolen from the governor’s daughter as reported by a national daily (not The Punch) was too much for the lady to have in her possession.

Though the lady did not deny the robbery incident, she explained in a statement in Ibadan on Monday that no such amount was found in her car.

But Akinleye expressed surprise at the development and described it as unfortunate, especially at a time ‘when teachers and pupils of public schools were currently languishing at home over government’s failure to pay the Teachers Salary Structure.’

He insisted that Alao-Akala should explain the source of the money said to have been found with his daughter at this period of global economic meltdown.

He said, “I wonder how she (Akala’s daughter) could be taking such amount to a social event. That means she took more than that to the party because the report in the daily said she was robbed on her way back home.

“She must explain to us where she got the money because she is just a graduate of about two years from the Bowen University, Iwo. One wonders from where she got that type of money. That is the question we are asking Governor Alao-Akala to answer.”

Akinleye wondered why the governor claimed that he could not pay the TSS, yet his daughter was allegedly going about with huge sums of foreign currencies.

The story of Alao-Akala’s daughter’s robbery incident was broken on Sunday when the state police command paraded the hoodlums who had been the terrorising residents of some highbrow areas in the city, within the last two months.

The Deputy Commissioner Oyo State Command, Mr. Ralph Ibeazor, while briefing journalists, said luck ran out of the robbers on Sunday morning when they raided two hotels and some residential homes and were fleeing.

Ibeazor had said that his men gave them a good chase and caught them at Oluwo-Nla area of new Bodija, killing three of them while the other two were seriously wounded during a gun duel with the police.

He had said that two policemen also lost their lives in the process.

“These robbers had been terrorising residents of Ashi, Ikolaba, and Oluyole areas of Ibadan. it had been very difficult to get them. We are happy that we got them at last. This is one of our biggest catches this year. We will continue to get them.” The police chief had said.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in charge of the state command, Miss. Olabiisi Okuwobi, said on Monday that the command would soon track down a four-member armed robbery gang who are still at large.

Okuwobi also said that two of the suspects wounded by the police on Sunday had started responding to treatment at the hospital. She said adding that they had given useful information that could help the command in its investigations.

Electoral Reforms: Buhari raises alarm …they want to kill Uwais report

2009-03-10T07:32:00.002+01:00

Former Military Head of State and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Presidential candidate during the April, 2007 general election, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) has expressed doubt over the Federal Government’s sincerity as regards the much expected electoral reforms, saying the way the report of the exercise was being treated, right now, has shown that the whole efforts might, at the end of the day, become an exercise in futility.

Buhari, spoke in Lagos on Monday at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), where a book; Who really is General Muhammadu Buhari written on him by the former Petroleum Minister, Professor Tam David-West was launched.

He expressed apprehension that the way the white paper on the report was being tossed around, the government was set to reject the committee’s report and that Nigeria might return to status quo ante, regretting that the cynics might be proved right at the end of the day about the insincerity of the government.

The former Head of State, who, though lamented that the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Law were violated with reckless abandon during the 2007 elections, however, saw no need for any reform of the country’s law when the laws had not been properly tested and practised, insisting that it was the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and the people in government that needed to be reformed.

Speaking further, Buhari berated the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) intolerance of opposition with their “crush the opposition” attitude, saying, “PDP leadership are ignorant of the tenets of democracy.”
“It is not a crime to be in opposition, but it is a crime to threaten the opposition,” he pointed out, just as he charged the people that, “we have a duty to preserve peace and work for democracy,” saying, “if we cannot build on the legacies of our past leaders, we should be able to preserve them.”

And to make democracy work in Nigeria, Buhari said, “INEC must be independent and impartial, the Armed Forces/Police should be neutral, while the Judiciary should shun corruption and professional misconduct.”
Speaking in the same vein earlier, the chairman on the occasion and the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole advised the President to set up a committee of representatives of all the political parties that would chart a new electoral path for the country. He said it should not be the agenda of the President alone.

According to him, the reform should be the type that, “all of us can buy into, take it over and drive it,” stating that, “in 2011, people expect that elections would be finalised at the ballot box.”
“This is the time for action,” Oshiomhole charged Nigerians, while describing Buhari as, “an epitome of discipline, a patriot, accomplished soldier and complete gentleman.” “If Buhari was allowed to continue the crusade of cleansing Nigeria in 1985, the country would have been better for it because under Buhari, all Nigeria’s refineries were working,” he stressed.

According to Oshiomhole, something must be done to those who give government advice on which unworkable policies are made, warning that, if nothing is done to them, Nigeria would continue to be in crisis.
Former governor of Abia State and the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Progresssive Peoples Alliance, (PPA), Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, described both the author and the subject of the book as people of strong character, regretting that Buhari was a misunderstood personality simply because he wanted things to be done the right way.

While commending Buhari for resorting to the judicial settlement of the last election, he warned that, “when justice fails, what happen after that is violence,” just as he sermonised that, “What the nation requires now is collective oneness.”

Former minister of sports, Chief Alex Akinyele in his own comments assured Buhari that his admirers abound, saying he should not be discouraged by his critics.
Akinyele therefore seized the opportunity to regret that the war against corruption had not been won because everybody was guilty, saying until everybody agreed to change for the better the monster would continue to be with us.

While former River State military governor, General Zamani Lekwot urged writers to bring out people like Buhari to be recorded to serve as role model to other people, the publisher of the book, Mr. Agbo Areo advised the National Assembly to quickly pass the Freedom Of Information Bill if they had nothing to hide, saying it would minimize the tendency to write speculative stories by newsmen.

The overwhelmed author, Professor Tam David-West thanked those who made the occasion a huge success.
At the well attended event were former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111. Amanayanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom and of Opobo, Kings Edward Asimin William Dappa Pepple 111 and Dandeson Douglas Jaja respectively, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Dr. Lateef Adegbite, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and representatives of both serving and past states governors as well as representatives of the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri among others.

M.I at silverbird

2009-03-05T07:34:00.002+01:00

DATE: Thursday, March 5th, 2009
WHERE: Silverbird Concourse
WHAT: MI performing alongside those that collaborated with him on his album TALK ABOUT
MI Lyric Tee Shirts with fans favorite Lyrics on them
MI autograph signing session
TIME: 7pm-10pm
GATE FEE:FREE and also FREE DRINKS SPONSORED BY JOHNNY WALKER
You all need to be there

Ferguson: Newcastle Win Proves United Not Feeling Pressure Sir Alex Ferguson was in relaxed mood after victory at St James' Park.

2009-03-05T06:32:00.001+01:00

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was pleased to see his side beat Newcastle United and insisted his side had not felt any pressure before the game despite seeing title rivals Chelsea and Liverpool win yesterday.

The Red Devils had to come from a goal behind to claim all three points at St James’ Park, a victory that restores their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points.

Peter Lovenkrands opened the scoring for the Magpies before Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov handed the champions a 11th straight victory.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Ferguson insisted that victories for Chelsea and Liverpool yesterday had not affected his team’s performance.

“The team that plays first and then get a result, then the team that plays next will always says there’s pressure on them,” said the Scot.

“We’ve had that for years it’s never going to make much difference to us really whether we play before or after.

“We rely and trust the players to show their patience and show their experience and they’ve been through this time and time again it’s not like it's something new to them.”

Despite only winning by a solitary goal, Ferguson said he believed his side had fully deserved their win despite a strong display by the Tynesiders.

“We’ve come to Newcastle and it’s not an easy place and I think we’ve got quite an emphatic victory in the sense of coming back from one nil down and controlling the second half,” explained the United boss.

“I think tonight that we faced a different type of challenge.

“A Newcastle team pumped up, very aggressive, tackled everywhere, they really put a lot of work into their game.

“You’ve got to give them credit for that and we’ve withstood it and managed to get a result.”

The reigning champions are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, having played a game less than second-placed Chelsea.

EFCC arrests ex-gov Agagu over N25bn fraud

2009-03-05T06:31:00.001+01:00

Barely a week after he was thrown out as governor of Ondo State by Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, is back again in the news, as he was nabbed by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday. He was picked up at about 8:00am in Abuja.

As at press time, he was still being held at EFCC facilities in the nation’s capital.

According to Daily Sun investigation, the deposed governor who was at the helm of affairs in the south-west state for nearly six years and some of his commissioners were being investigated by the anti-graft agency for allegedly misappropriating a princely sum of N25 billion belonging to the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) when the operatives got information that Agagu was planning to escape from Nigeria to Austrialia via London where some of his aides were said to be waiting to assist him with relocation.

“Agagu and some of his commissioners had been under the EFCC scrutiny over allegations that he misappropriated N25 billion naira belonging to OSOPADEC. Then, the operatives got wind of plans by Agagu to flee the country tomorrow (today) and then, promptly nabbed him,” a source said.
He is said to be co-operating with the EFCC officials.
When contacted on phone, EFCC spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi confirmed Agagu’s arrest, but declined further comments.

An observer told Daily Sun shortly after the news of the arrest broke out that it did not come as a surprise. According to the source, but for the “bogus immunity cover which he has been enjoying, he should have been in jail long before now.”
Meanwhile, apart from the N25billion OSOPADEC fund, Agagu, former minister for power and steel under president Olusegun Obasanjo, according to sources close to EFCC, is also being investigated over several other cases bordering on corruption.

For instance, Agagu had earlier been indicted by the House Committee of on Power which investigated how $16billion was sunk into electricity power project without concrete result during his tenure as Obasanjo’s minister of power and steel.
When Agagu appeared before the House panel, he said the $16bn that the House had claimed was spent was no big deal.
It was, however, gathered that the EFCC, which had earlier interrogated Agagu while he was still governor, was not satisfied with his testimony as he was said to have answered only the questions that he liked and parried others.

Also, the EFCC had a cause to stop N14 billion cheques issued in respect of some contracts allegedly awarded hurriedly in the dying days of his occupation of Ondo State Government House.
The government was alleged to have awarded a contract to SCC Nigeria Limited for Owena Water Transmission Project for about N14.4bn.
According to the commission, out of the total amount, the Ondo State Ministry of Works paid N3.8bn as mobilisation fees to the contractor.

Similarly, the anti-graft agency had on Wednesday January 14, 2009 raised the alarm on the plan of the Agagu administration to spend about N8bn from the state’s treasury through the award of contracts.
Earlier in 2007, Governor Agagu’s Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Chief Tayo Alasoadura was invited by the EFCC for interrogation over N4 billion placed on fixed deposit account at the moribund Gulf Bank. The money was trapped at the bank while the interest of the money was claimed to have been collected by the former governor.

EFCC also invited the commissioner early last year over illegal deduction from all the 18 local government councils in the state since the assumption of office in 2003 amounting to N18billion. The anti graft commission also invited Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and other key officers of the ministry for questioning.
The commission and its sister anti-graft agency, ICPC also invited the Commissioner for Finance in 2007 over illegal diversion of fund meant to execute projects at the riverine areas of the state by OSOPADEC.

The commission’s chairman, Adewale Omojua was also invited to Lagos office of EFCC for interrogations
The EFCC also invited the state Accountant-General Mrs Funke Ogundojutimi over cars loans and other fictitious allowances approved by Agagu for all his Special Assistants, Personal Assistants and other aides running to several million of naria shortly after the state election Petitions tribunal led by Justice Garba Nabaruma nullified Agagu election. The commission eventually stopped the payment.

Also, the EFCC arrested the contractor and some bank chiefs in the state over N14 billion Owena project hurriedly awarded by Agagu government in November last year for which he paid 56 percent to the contractor as mobilization fee. The EFCC invited Agagu’s Commissioner for Works, Olaitan Ayeni and other key officers of ministries of works and finance. The EFCC was able to stop the payment through a stay-of-execution order obtained from a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Shortly after he was declared Governor of Ondo State by the Appeal Court, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko had told the world that he was going to probe the six-year government of Agagu, even as ordered the freezing of the accounts of the State.

How Could Rihanna Take Back Chris Brown?

2009-03-04T17:34:00.001+01:00

while Rihanna and Chris Brown's reconciliation after an alleged abuse incident has shocked family and friends, domestic violence experts say it's all too common for a woman to return – often repeatedly.

In fact, experts say, it's unrealistic to expect women not to go back to their abusers, be they husbands or boyfriends, as the victims grapple with feelings of guilt, fear, isolation – even love.

"It never surprises me," says Violent Partners author Linda Mills, who believes therapists and people close to couples in abusive relationships must accept this seemingly fact. "If you start with 'You shouldn't go back,' you very often lose the person [you are trying to help]. They won't talk to you."

Rihanna, 21, and Brown, 19, reunited last week in Miami about three weeks after he allegedly battered the singer early the morning of Feb. 8 in Los Angeles.

No Charges Yet Filed
Police continue to investigate the case and no formal charges have yet been filed against Brown, who was booked on a felony criminal threat charge. Brown has no known criminal background, and though people close to the pair say they've had a tumultuous relationship at times, there had never been any indication of violence until now.

After the arrest, Brown and Rihanna spent time apart. Brown released a statement at the time, saying, "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired" and noted that he was "seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones."

According to experts, there was nothing surprising in the reunion between Brown and Rihanna, who after spending time in Miami both returned to Los Angeles on the same plane Monday morning.

Reconciliation Period
According to psychologist and author Lenore Walker, the average battered woman endures three to five violent incidents, from having her arm grabbed to an all-out beating, before she gives up on the relationship.

The reconciliation usually happens during what experts call the honeymoon phase in the cycle of violence, that cooling-down period after the attack when the abusive partner often expresses remorse and begs for forgiveness.

"The man is saying he's sorry, he didn't mean it, that it'll never happen again," says Walker. "It's the loving behavior that reinforces a woman to stay, because they believe the violent act isn't a true reflection of their man."

If anything, the victim will often blame herself – and the attacker will agree with her. "The abuser also tries very hard to convince the victim that the attack was their fault," says Dr. Elizabeth Miller, a Sacramento, Calif., pediatrician and domestic violence expert. "It's common to say, 'Honey, if you hadn't upset me, this would've never happened.' "

In many cases, financial pressures draw a woman back, particularly if she has children and doesn't work outside the home. But even among those with money, there's still "psychological warfare," says Jeffrey Gardere, a clinical psychologist. "[An abuser says:] I'm going to isolate you. I'm going to put you completely under my thumb, under my power so if you leave me, then you are going to be in big, big trouble because you won't be able to take care of the kids or yourself."

Isolation and Love
But it's love, in all its complexities, that can often be the most powerful force for reconciliation for a battered woman. "They have insight into somebody in a way that none of us do," says Mills, who runs a program in Arizona that brings together couples with family members and a volunteer from the community to talk over what actually happened in a domestic-violence event. The process usually goes on for months.

"The ideal might be that we can separate people who are in a violent relationship, but the problem is that that's not the reality," Mills says. "I address the reality, which is that people go back, and they're looking for avenues for the possibility of working through this issue like any other rupture in a relationship, working through this issue to the point where the violence could stop."

Rihanna's Relatives Not Happy About Reconciliation

2009-03-04T17:25:00.000+01:00

Rihanna may have spent the weekend in Miami with Chris Brown, but her family isn't quite ready for the tumultuous couple to reunite.

"Everyone wants them to take a break, to cool off," a relative of Rihanna tells PEOPLE after the pair returned to Los Angeles together early Monday morning. "No one wants them back together."

Family thought that the relationship was over after Brown allegedly battered Rihanna on Feb. 8. The couple went their own ways for awhile – he went home, while she recuperated in Barbados and Mexico – but the separation was short-lived.

The pair reunited in Miami last weekend, spending time at the Star Island mansion of Sean "Diddy" Combs. A source close to the couple told PEOPLE that the couple was "definitely together" and working on a reconciliation.

"I'm concerned," continues the relative. "I don't want her to make a mistake, and I don't want her to ever go through this again."

But the entire trip wasn't devoted to the relationship. While in Miami, Brown did some recording at a studio designed by Lenny Kravitz located in the Setai hotel. "He was here to record," a source told PEOPLE. He also spent some time Jet skiing at the beach.

The couple left Miami early Monday morning on the same plane, arriving in Southern California.

How IBB robbed Nigeria of nationhood –Soyinka

2009-03-04T17:22:00.000+01:00

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has painted a vivid scenario of how the former President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida robbed Nigeria the golden opportunity to attain nationhood through the annulment of the presidential election of June 12, 1993 won by the late M. K. O. Abiola.

Soyinka, who was delivering a lecture, entitled, “Between Nationhood and Nation Space,” as part of the late Obafemi Awolowo Centenary activities at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Kofo Abayomi, Lagos on Tuesday regretted that one of the ways a country could attain the much-needed nationhood was allowed to slip away.
His words: “Sometimes there are events, even of a fortuitous nature,

such as a concerted resistance to external aggression and domination, that can forge such organic bonds of common identity, survival and internal consolidation, that the nation space becomes, virtually overnight, a nation.
“An election, in very special circumstance, can prove such a catalyzing agent. On June 12, 1993, this nation space did have a chance to claim the beginnings of nation-being. Would we have emerged effectively as a nation? I am no prophet and have no interest in hindsight. I insist, however, that the nation claim did stand a chance of embarking on the route to affirmation.

“A democratic election, let me repeat again and again, is only one of the several means – as witnessed in the very special case of post-apartheid South Africa. Most nations we know of on this continent cannot even boast of one defining moment, a moment when the possibility of nation actualization was handed to them. Our chance came to us on June 12 1993, and we blew it,” Soyinka lamented.
While exonerating other Nigerians from the sad episode that has caused the country undeserved setback, the concerned Nobel Laureate put the blame squarely on the door steps of Babangida and some of his co-travellers, saying he did not believe in undeserved guilt.

Hear him: “No. I do not believe in undeserved guilt. The insincerity, indeed hypocritical, double-talk and matching conduct of a handful of individuals, their abuse of the trust of the people, scattered the hopes of that moment of nation-becoming!”
Going down the memory lane, Soyinka recalled how a winner emerged after an election that was universally adjudged the freest in the annal of Nigeria and how somebody annulled it under a flimsy and unacceptable excuse.

“A candidate – may I please remind you? – won a mandate across the national landscape, unambiguously defeating his opponent. That contest was universally adjudged to be impeccably fair.
“The aspirant to the mantle of state subdued his opponent even in that opponent’s most intimate constituency – his local ward. Now let anyone tell me that this did not resound like the starting-pistol of a nation race, a marathon of course, not a sprint, but a leap forward from the starting-block after so many false starts, several of them deliberately planned and cynically executed.

“The overseer of that debacle, General Ibrahim Babangida, then embodiment of the state, has finally opened up and conceded the undeniable – that election was true, and a victor emerged. History has taken note of his confessions and History sits in judgment, no matter what excuses are invoked by him. (But) None is acceptable, least of all the totally incongruous plea that, as the then Head of State, he feared that, that nation enterprise would be aborted by a military coup. I find that plea an afterthought, and unconscionable.

His loss of nerve - if that is what it was indeed – constituted a gross act of governance dereliction at a crucial moment. There were consequences. There were casualties. Homes and businesses were destroyed. (And) Nigerians perished.”
To Soyinka, other leaders, who came after Babangida also did not help matters just as he also blamed religion for making attainment of nationhood a mirage.

He spoke further: “Given recent events, I cannot end without mentioning, albeit briefly, the increasing reactionary role of the religious factor. Religion is one enemy of anyone who aspires to dictatorship in secular matters, we can call ourselves a nation. A theocratic order is anathema to nation-being, since it implicates exclusion, not inclusion.

“Only the secular order embraces all. To Religion all its deserving – spaces of privacy, protection, and cultural identity. Any religious following can evoke parallel but opposing sets of protocols, citing the authority of some unseen and unknowable god in realms that have no perceptible contact with the actual.

“Religion must therefore submit to community, to nation, otherwise co-existence becomes impossible and the human entity reverts to a state of brutishness.”
The Nobel Laureate, therefore concluded thus: “And thus, finally, the question: is Nigeria a nation today? My answer is - Not yet. Is Nigeria aspiring to be a nation? The answer - Unsure. Can it? Possibly. Should it? My answer to that is absolutely non-sentimental, purely technical and subjective.
“I prefer not to have to apply for yet another visa when I need to travel to Enugu or Borno.

If it is any consolation – let us simply remember – we are not alone in this predicament. So, for now, we may continue to sleep, dream, open our eyes at dawn on the recurring vision of nationhood on the horizon, hopefully not receding, indeed, almost close to touch, requiring only the complete surrender of hegemonic dreams, the ethos of inclusivity, the recognition of religious privacy, community primacy, and the manifested will of the authentic landowners of – a designated nation space.”

exchange of blows in ogun state house of assembly

2009-03-04T17:18:00.002+01:00

It was a riotous session on Tuesday in the Ogun State House of Assembly as members disagreed on the suspension of two of its members leading to exchange of blows. The suspension came even as the Clerk of the House, Barrister Demola Badejo said that a State High Court had given an injunction that no member of the House should be suspended.

The 26-House members resumed plenary session after a one-month recess.Trouble started when the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Remi Hassan from the Odogbolu State Constituency moved the motion that Hon. Omosanya Solaja from the Ikenne Constituency should be suspended.

Solaja was alleged to have granted an interview in a television programme during which he allegedly cast aspersion on the leadership of the House, thereby running foul of certain Orders of the Legislative House.

Another member, Hon. Titi Oseni who was said to have instituted a legal action against the leadership of the House was also booked for suspension under the General Order 38 of the House.
This motion which was allowed by the Speaker, Hon. Egbetokun to be debated by members of the House did not particularly go down well with the G.11 members who saw the moves by the G.15 as victimization of its members.

For about 45 minutes, the House was literally a “Fuji House of Commotion,” with members of the G.11 led by the former Speaker, Hon. Titi Oseni and Hon. Oluseyi Moses shouting on top of their voices at the Speaker. Other membersand security agents which included the police and the operatives of the SSS watched helplessly as the verbal assault raged.
The charged atmosphere soon degenerated into members throwing missiles at one another. Some members of the G.11 and their counterparts in G.15 were seen pursuing themselves within the supposed hallowed chambers ostensibly to exchange blows.

At about 11.53 a.m. the official symbol of the House, the Mace which was about to be snatched by members of the G.11 was hurriedly removed from its original position (in front of the Clerk of the House) and put under the table of the Speaker. Still perceiving that the Mace was not secured enough under his table, the Speaker gave it to one of his aides who held on to the Mace firmly for about 45 minutes.
Attempts by the Speaker to bring the House to order failed with members of the G.11 rebuffing his pleas to return to their respective seats after holding the House to ransom with uncomplimentary remarks about the persons of the Speaker and his leadership.

At about 12.25 p.m. after several unsuccessful attempts by the Speaker to cool the frayed nerves of members of the G.11, the Mace was hurriedly placed in front of the Speaker who invoked Order 38 asking members who supported the suspension of the two members to say ‘yes’.

Although members of the G.15 supported the motion, the dissenting shouts of “No. No. No. from the G.11 rent the hallowed chambers. They described the suspension as illegal because the subject matter had not been thoroughly discussed on the floor of the House. They shouted at the Speaker asking him to suspend all of them (G.11)
Former Speaker, Hon. Titi Oseni while addressing the press confirmed that it was a rowdy session in the House. “It was a rowdy session today at the House. It is quite unfortunate. We have never witnessed this kind of thing in this House.”

Another member of the G.11, Hon. Ayo Odugbesan said the suspension could not hold because the House did not discuss the suspension. Citing various sections of the Orders of the House, he described the action as wrong and unconstitutional for the Speaker to announce the suspension when actually he did not follow the rules and orders of the House.

But Speaker Egbetokun while addressing the press at the Committee Room said the rules and regulations of the House were followed in the indefinite suspension of the two erring members.
His words: “The rules and regulations were not breached. The G.11 wanted to hold us to ransom, but we succeeded in placing the Mace and we succeeded in suspending two of our members indefinitely.”
Egbetokun who noted that the House had not known peace since his predecessor, Hon. Oseni was suspended last May 15 said “the crisis in the House is about oversight function and nothing more.”
Security within and around the House was tight with the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dipo Ayeni personally leading his men to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order while the operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) were also effectively in charge.

The Speaker and his deputy were not spared in the search by the security officials who wore stern looks.
Journalists, were thoroughly frisked down to their pants before SSS officials allowed them into the hallowed chamber.

One of the suspended members, Hon. Solaja before his suspension condemned the manner the search was done which he likened to what happened at the defunct Western Region House between 1965 and 1965.
Armoured Tank, with number plate NPF 2360 AC and several other security vehicles were stationed around the Assembly complex with a detachment of both the regular and anti-riot policemen taking strategic positions.

Atiku is a chameleon –Kalu

2009-02-24T06:46:00.001+01:00

Former Abia State Governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu,

Former Abia State Governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, on Monday, took a swipe at ex-vice-president Abubakar Atiku, describing him as inconsistent and a chameleon. Atiku had in a national newspaper, cast aspersions on Kalu, reportedly calling him a “political liability and unfit to question his controversial visit to discredited former President Olusegun Obasanjo. But in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, Kalu questioned the ex-vice-president’s record in office, as well as his credentials for his much desired presidential seat.

Reacting to what he called “Atiku’s unguarded comments” Kalu regretted that the ex-VP’s unstable, and self-serving approach to leadership casts a slur on his suitability for the seat of the president, adding that it was regrettable that Atiku, who lives in the proverbial glass house, is the one throwing stones when he should actually be burying his face in shame and ignominy.

The former governor alleged that on several occasions, Atiku had abandoned the collective cause of the people, and his followers midstream to go cozy with the common enemy.
Explaining further, Kalu said: “Atiku cannot keep to promises. That was why I refused to follow him to the Action Congress (AC). He is always changing and changing again like a chameleon.

I knew he would abandon the AC cause midstream, just like he abandoned some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, prior to the 2003 presidential elections. Many of us had stuck out our necks for him. Projected him ahead of Obasanjo and attracted the wrath of the vindictive president but he struck his on deal and abandoned all of us to our fate.”
Insisting that the Turakin Adamawa has a penchant for betrayal, Kalu, who is the chairman of the board of Trustees (BOT) of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, (PPA) challenged him to a debate on national television.

On Atiku’s accusation of Kalu saying he was in charge of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) in the newspaper report, Kalu said Atiku was just being smart by half. “He merely dressed it up as an arsenal against him, as he knew the truth of the matter. Even Atiku knows that I know he was not in charge of EFCC. He just raised the non-existent issue to find something to talk about.”

Advising the former VP to chart a straight line in his dealings with people and politics, he said many people, including him, have incurred monumental losses from his several reversals at ethical points. This he said, Atiku was fully aware of.
He further took on the ex-vice-president over his allegation that he, Kalu, aborted the formation of a mega party because of his vaulting ambition, and his alleged description of him as a political featherweight and jester.
The PPA chief said: “How can a “political featherweight” and “jester” abort the formation of a mega party? If I am truly what you said I am, then, why did you rely on me to form a mega party? It is illogical.”

Kalu said it was left for Nigerians to choose between him and Atiku, who is more credible and acceptable.
Dismissing Atiku’s description of him as a political liability, he raised posers: “Now that Atiku is a political asset, how come he did not begin by winning his state, Adamawa? Why is PDP controlling his state of Adamawa, down to the wards, while me, a political featherweight, according to him, I am able to help put together a party that is now controlling two states. A totally new party! Incidentally the same PDP that Atiku claims manipulated him out of Adamawa deployed even more intimidating machinery to Abia and we, withstood them.

Kalu also joined issues with him on his claims that he (Atiku) is undergoing trial and therefore not qualified to comment on the issue.
Again, he said: “Atiku should be the last person to comment on such issues like trials. What about his Customs records? If standing trial is a disqualification, how come h e still ran for political office in 2007?”
He is talking about corruption, here is a man who is being investigated by several foreign agencies for money laundering. What about the Potomac house, the PTDF and so on? Apart from working in Customs, he never did much to earn money. Let him tell us the source of his money. Let him even tell Nigerians the circumstances that led to his exit from the Customs.”

He continued: “Nigerian youths are jobless. The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) report is with the Senate. Atiku knows he impoverished this nation. I never said he used the EFCC against me. What I said was that Obasanjo used EFCC to fight me, because he felt strongly that I supported Atiku.
Kalu prayed Atiku to ask Nigerians for forgiveness, affirming that his new romance with his former boss and tormentor is only a furtherance of his cycle of inconsistencies and self-serving politics.

Power probe: Arrest Agagu now –Lam Adesina

2009-02-24T06:44:00.000+01:00

Former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, has called for immediate arrest of the erstwhile Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, over his role in the series of failed contracts in the nation’s power sector.

Besides, the former governor, fondly referred to as ‘Lam’ in the political circles, also commended President Umaru Yar’Adua for his non-interference in the judgment of the court, which nullified the declaration of Agagu as the winner of April 14, 2007 governorship election.

In an exclusive chat with Daily Sun in Ibadan yesterday, the former governor stated that as a former Minister of Power and Steel in the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, the ousted governor should be arrested and prosecuted immediately for the problem and fraud associated with the power sector contracts.

Said Adesina: “I think Agagu should be arrested now to answer questions on the power probe initiated by the National Assembly. Now that he has lost his immunity, he should be picked up by the anti-graft agencies to account for all the spending and spurious contracts awarded by him as Minister of Power and Steel under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.”

While commending the justices of the Court of Appeal for restoring the hope of the common man in the judiciary, Lam described the judgment as “a very good one which has done justice to justice in Nigeria.”
He charged the new governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to live up to the expectations of Ondo people by working assiduously to justify the confidence reposed in him (Mimiko) by Ondo people through their votes and commitment to his struggle and eventual victory at the court.

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Action Congress (AC) has applauded yesterday’s judgment that gave the April poll victory to Mimiko, who contested the election under the Labour Party (LP).
In a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, AC described the judgment as a vindication of the wishes of Ondo people as well as a bitter lesson for apostle of ‘do or die’ election in the country.

The party urged the victorious governor to teem up with the progressives in the country in the struggle to bail out the nation from the maladministration of “election riggers and electoral rogues masquerading as democrats in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.”
Meanwhile, the new governor has warned commercial banks in the state against transacting any business with any government official in the transition period
A statement issued and signed by the newly appointed Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, also appealed to civil servants to keep vigil on all government property, funds and other valuables.

He warned that all violators of these orders would be sanctioned
In further reaction to yesterday’s judgement, the Chairman of Yoruba Socio Cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, yesterday congratulated Mimiko on his victory, saying that the judgment was the wish of the people adding, “we are happy for this country and for the boldness of the judiciary.”
This verdict, he said, has rekindled the hope of the common man.

Director, Media & Research of the Progressives Coalition (the body of all opposition parties and groups) in the state Hon. Bola Ilori, has hailed the judgment regarding the change of guards in the sunshine State.
Ilori said it is “the restoration of the hope of the people and redemptive balm on the excruciating alienation of the people of the state after about six years in the throes of Agagu’s inflicted pains and labyrinth of economic hemorrhagic pillage. It’s a refreshing new day, pregnant with positive progressive possibilities.”

Ondo guber: Tears of joy as Mimiko gets final judgment

2009-02-24T06:39:00.001+01:00

Tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of Dr. Rahman Olusegun Mimiko as the Court of Appeal on Monday in Benin affirmed the decision of the lower tribunal, which on July 25, 2008 declared him winner of the April 14, 2007 governorship election in Ondo State.

In dismissing all the 12 grounds of appeal filed by the appellant and erstwhile governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, the court in a unanimous decision held that Dr. Mimiko, having satisfied sections 21 and 39 of the Electoral Act 2006 “is hereby declared duly elected Governor of Ondo State.

“The appeal is hereby dismissed. The judgment of the tribunal is hereby affirmed,” the court held in its judgment delivered by its President, Justice Umaru Abdullahi.
According to the Court of Appeal, Dr. Mimiko of the Labour Party won the election with 195,030 votes as against 138,155 votes scored by Dr. Agagu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The court held that Dr. Mimiko scored 25 per cent of the votes in 12 out of the 18 local governments in the state.

The court urged the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to learn to be neutral in electoral cases, just as it condemned the attitude of the Nigerian Police and the Army in joining the fray.
The court held that the appellants were wrong to have raised the issue that Dr Mimiko’s petition was not competition and that it should be struck out at the appeal state, stressing that the appropriate place to have raised the issue was the lower tribunal where the matter was tried.

On the non-joinder of the police and the electoral officers which the appellants contended was fatal to Dr Mimiko’s petition, the Court of Appeal held that where INEC is a party in electoral matter, the non-joinder of any of its agents would not have any effect on the petition, adding that joining of the police and other agents alleged to have committed electoral fraud was not necessary, as the Electoral Act 2006 was distinct from the 2002 Electoral Act which required such joinder.

The court also held that the argument of the appellants’ counsel that the tribunal sorted and counted the ballot papers on its own without involving the parties was untenable as records of the lower tribunal showed that the counting was carried out and witnessed by agents of all parties in the case.
It held further that the allegations of election rigging made by the petitioner against Dr. Agagu and the PDP was proved by a reply in a letter by the Secretary to the Ondo State Government, accepting to pay compensation to a 300-level student of the University of Ibadan who was killed while rigging election
The Court of Appeal, while okaying the lower tribunal’s decision to cancel election results in some units and wards on the grounds of irregularities and non-voting, held that the appellants’ argument that the election did not comply substantially with the 2006 Electoral Act was unmeritorious and therefore resolved in favour of the petitioner.

While holding that the appellants’ failure to produce forms EC8A was fatal to their case, the court further held that the appellants’ objection to the use of charts was unmeritorious, as the appellants ant respondents made the use of charts cornerstone of their case.
Reacting to the judgment, lead counsel to Dr. Agagu, Chief Lateef Fagbemi [SAN] thanked the justices for their effort.

On his part, lead counsel to Dr. Mimiko, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) described the judgment as a demonstration of the wishes of the people through the ballot box.
“When you delivered the Oshiomhole judgment, I said it is the best. This judgment is the very best of the very best. It has become the catechism of all judicial authorities. You have carried out a revolution but you might not know. It is redemption of our democracy. The Court of Appeal has never been greater than it is today,” he said.

Replying, Justice Abdullahi commended the counsel for their hardwork, saying that the case was a very complex case, even as he also commended his colleagues on the bench.
Soon after the judgment was given, supporters of Dr. Mimiko went into wild jubilation within the court premises
In his reaction at the Government House, Benin, Dr. Mimiko said nobody should assume that he could steal the peoples vote and mandate with impunity and assured the people of Ondo State that their hope would not be dashed.

On his part, Governor Oshiomhole of Edo State said “we in Edo State are privileged to be part of this history. I thank God for the wonderful things He has done for our country when some sections of the political class have continued to mess up the country,” adding that the judiciary has restored those votes the people of Ondo gave to the winner.

Cristiano Ronaldo: We Are Better Than Inter The FIFA World Player of the Year has sent out the battle cries ahead of his club's showdown with Italian

2009-02-24T06:32:00.001+01:00

England and Italy have had their fair share of battles this past century, let alone throughout their history. Perhaps the most notable of all - in a footballing context - was the pre-World War II international match between the two nations in November 1934 that was dubbed, with hindsight, the Battle of Highbury, due to the violent intensity that was displayed on the field.

England emerged victorious by a 3-2 scoreline, but had to make do with less men due to a robust Ted Drake challenge that took out Italian defender Luis Monte. Throughout the fixture, feet were broken, arms were fractured, and players were relentlessly punched as a chaotic free-for-all ensued.

Seventy five years later there could again be a historic showdown between the two countries as all the Italian Champions League representatives have been drawn against English opposition, and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has, ahead of their clash against Internazionale, sent out warring cries that it has to be: "kill, or be killed."

He further told the official website of UEFA: "From now on, all games are important. It's time to kill or be killed. Whoever loses will exit the competition and we don't want to lose, we don't want to get stuck along the way. It will be a difficult game, but I think that Manchester United have a better team, and we'll do our best to win it."

Ronaldo though, also spoke of the need to treat the back-to-back Scudetto winners with "respect," saying, "They're a good side and first in Serie A so we need to be very careful. They're a team with very experienced players, but we also have our aces and great players. We have a more experienced team, we're the reigning champions. It will be a good game, a well-contested game, and the better team will win."

Manchester United famously lifted the most prestigious trophy in club football in an all-English final in Moscow last year, and will use that taste of success as a source of motivation. Ronaldo scored a thumping header during open-play, but missed his penalty in the shoot-out, and revealed his relief at seeing Dutch international Edwin van der Sar beat Nicolas Anelka's effort clear of his line.

"I always had a great ambition to win the Champions League, because it isn't obtainable for every player. It was my first Champions League win, so the emotion was spectacular. I remember Edwin van der Sar saving Nicolas Anelka's penalty and for me it was like the earth stood still, it was a really brilliant sensation. Sometimes we can't control our emotions."

He continued: "The Champions League is unique. When you hear the music and you come out on to the pitch, you feel you're part of a game that is completely different to all the others. It is already the most evenly-balanced competition in football in my opinion and it is spectacular to play in.

"It's every player's ambition to be a part of the Champions League, and they would all like to win it. I've had that privilege, and I hope to repeat that very soon," he concluded.

At the time of writing, Manchester United had already embarked on their plane journey to Milan. Their clash with Inter kicks-off on Tuesday evening at 19:45 GMT.

There were various defensive worries for United, but both Jonny Evans and John O'Shea have travelled.

BREAKING NEWS : Chelsea Sack Scolari, Avram Grant In Frame For Return

2009-02-10T06:29:00.001+01:00

After a series of underwhelmingly unsatisfactory performances and results, Chelsea have been quick to ensure the rut does not continue by relieving Brazilian boss Luiz Felipe Scolari of his managerial responsibilities.

Chelsea's numerous weaknesses all over the park: from their static movement from defending set-pieces, to their midfield's inability to accelerate with the ball, to the forward line spurning the chances in front of goal, have been exposed and the club have won just seven points from a possible 15 in 2009.

Assistant manager Ray Wilkins - who was appointed to the role in September - will temporarily take control of first team affairs while the club search for a more permanent recruit.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Luiz Felipe Scolari has been dismissed as manager of Chelsea Football Club today (Monday) with immediate effect.

"The board would like to record our gratitude for his time as manager. Unfortunately the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season.

It continued: "In order to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for we felt the only option was to make the change now.

"The search for a new manager has already started and we hope to have someone in place as soon as possible.

"While that continues Assistant Coach Ray Wilkins will take charge of the team on a temporary basis," the statement concluded.

Sky Sports are speculating that Guus Hiddink - of the Russian national team - and Avram Grant, who guided the club to the League Cup final, the Champions League final, and second place in the Premier League, are the forerunning candidates, possibly together, with the former as Director of Football and the latter as head coach.

EFCC arrests electricity commission boss, directors

2009-02-05T07:48:00.000+01:00

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arrested the Chairman of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Ransome Owan, and six commissioners in the agency over an alleged N5bn fraud.

Their arrests occured hours after a Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, restrained 15 banks not to honour cheques issued by the Ondo State Government for some contracts.

Sources close to the EFCC said that Owan and the commissioners would remain at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, until investigation was concluded.

When contacted on the telephone, the EFCC Spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, sent a terse text message in which he wrote “confirmed.”

The Head, Media and Publicity of the agency, Mr. Michael Faloseyi, could not be reached as at 9pm on Wednesday for comment but a source in the NERC said, “All I can say is that they (Owan and the commissioners) were arrested by EFCC operatives at the close of work today(Wednesday).

The NERC is an electricity licensing and regulatory agency of the Federal Government that does not award contracts.

It was set up in 2006 following the enactment of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, which envisaged the privatisation of the power sector.

Part of the agency’s mandate is to regulate the Power Holding Company of Nigeria units when they are privatised. It also regulates the Independent Power Projects.

So far, it has licensed 29 independent power producers, some of which are at various stages of developing their power plants.

Its source of funding is largely through Federal Government’s subventions and revenue from licensing IPPs.

Six of the commissioners arrested are from each of the six geo-political zones of the country.

Except the chairman, who has a five-year tenure, the commissioners serve for four years each.

The power sector had in the last one year been enmeshed in controversy and non-execution of contracts, which forced the House of Representatives Committee on Power to investigate the sector.

The committee’s report is yet to be debated by the House, just as the legislature noted that about $13bn was invested in the sector without any commensurate results.

Some former aides of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and governors were indicted by the committee in its report. The committee also recommended some contracts and individuals involved in the scam for further investigation by anti-graft agencies.

Despite poor electricity supply across the country, NERC approved a new electricity tariff known as the Multi-Year Tariff Order, which took effect on July1, 2008.

The Federal Executive Council on March 30, 2008 approved the scheme.

From N6 per kilowatt hour since 2002, the new tariff regime was pegged at N11 per kilowatt hour.

It will cost government N177.95bn to take care of the shortfall in tariff for the next three years.

Early in January, the Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wya, had said that electricity generation would decide the 2011 elections.

The Federal Government is targeting the generation of 10,000 Megawatts by 2010 as against the current capacity, which is far below 3000 megawatts.

In Benin, the Federal High Court which restrained 15 banks holding the accounts of the Ondo State Government from honouring cheques issued by the state also stopped Governor Olusegun Agagu from awarding fresh contracts.

The court gave the orders while ruling on Tuesday on an ex-parte application filed by three applicants — Mr. Olawale James, Mr. Raymond Akadiri and Mr. Ibikunle Peters.

A copy of the Certified True Copy of the court order was made available to our correspondent in Akure on Wednesday.

Apart from the 15 banks, other defendants in the case included the state Accountant-General, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the EFCC and its Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri.

The banks are Zenith Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank, Skye Bank, Diamond Bank, Unity Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa, Oceanic Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Union Bank Plc.

Others are Intercontinental Bank Plc, Spring Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, WEMA Bank, Access Bank and First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

The plaintiffs had in the ex-parte application prayed the court to order the EFCC to conduct investigations into various contracts awarded by the state government between August 2008 and January 2009.

According to them, the contracts awarded during this period included water transmission projects being handled by SCC Nigeria Limited at the Owena Multipurpose Dam which cost N14.4bn and payment of N3.8bn mobilisation fee to SCC Contruction Company through the FCMB, Akure branch.

Justice Chukwurah Nnamani adjourned the case till Friday.

FA charge Wright-Phillips after Delap clash

2009-02-05T07:45:00.000+01:00

Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.

The charge relates to an incident between the 27-year-old and Stoke City's Rory Delap during City's 1-0 defeat at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, which was missed at the time by referee Martin Atkinson.

The player has until 6pm on Thursday to respond to the charge.

Everton dumps Liverpool out with late winner

2009-02-05T07:44:00.001+01:00

Everton celebrate Gosling's late winner
Teenager Dan Gosling scored deep into extra time to give Everton a 1-0 win over city rivals Liverpool in their FA Cup fourth-round replay on Wednesday.

The Merseyside neighbours, who had already shared two draws in just over a fortnight, were locked in another stalemate at 0-0 at the end of normal time after a physical game of few chances.

Playing with an extra man after Lucas Leiva's dismissal for a second yellow card in the 76th minute, Everton were rewarded for their livelier play when Gosling's shot went in off the post in the 118th minute.

Liverpool's night was further blemished by an injury to their captain Steven Gerrard, who left the field after a quarter of an hour with a left hamstring problem.

With Everton still playing without a recognised striker and Liverpool forward Fernando Torres looking out of sorts, goalkeepers Pepe Reina and Tim Howard had little to do for most of a scrappy match.

The best chance in normal time came midway through the second half when Everton midfielder Leon Osman thundered a shot off the right-hand post.

Everton had several chances in extra time, Tim Cahill went just wide with a header and Osman forced a good save from Reina before 19-year-old midfielder Gosling stole the headlines and set up a fifth-round tie against Aston Villa.

In another all top-division encounter, Blackburn Rovers got the better of Sunderland with a 2-1 extra-time win.

Blackburn's Aaron Mokoena cancelled out David Healy's early goal, sending the match into extra time at 1-1. South African Benni McCarthy avoided the need for penalties with a header in the 117th minute.

Villa scored twice in four minutes midway through the first half before running out 3-1 winners at home to Championship Doncaster Rovers in their third round replay.

Steve Sidwell and John Carew put the Premier League side ahead before Doncaster pulled one back in first-half stoppage time through Jason Price. Villa made sure of victory with Nathan Delfouneso's diving header in the 61st.

In the day's all-Championship replay, Derby County came back from two goals down to beat near neighbours Nottingham Forest 3-2 and earn themselves a plum fifth-round meeting with Premier League champions Manchester United.

Forest scored twice in the first 15 minutes through Chris Cohen and Nathan Tyson from the penalty spot, before headers from Rob Hulse and Paul Green put Derby level.

The visitors then snatched victory with an excellent long-range effort from former Forest winger Kris Commons.

President barack obama"s inaugural address and pictures.

2009-01-22T06:26:00.011+01:00

Following is the transcript of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions:

PRESIDENT BARACK Thank you. Thank you.

CROWD: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation...

(APPLAUSE)

... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

(APPLAUSE)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

(APPLAUSE)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality...

(APPLAUSE)

... and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

MR. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

(APPLAUSE)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

(APPLAUSE)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

(APPLAUSE)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those...

(APPLAUSE)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

(APPLAUSE)

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.

These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

(APPLAUSE)

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.

The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

And God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE).

President barack obama.

2009-01-22T06:26:00.000+01:00

Manchester United Go Second After Wigan Win A first minute strike by Wayne Rooney was enough for Manchester United to claim victory against Wigan Athl

2009-01-15T06:55:00.002+01:00

Manchester United welcomed Wigan Athletic to Old Trafford, hoping for the win that would see them leapfrog Chelsea and close to within just two points of league leaders Liverpool.

Yet the reigning champions had to cope without both Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand due to injury, with John O’Shea and Jonny Evans deputising in defence.

Steve Bruce’s Wigan, meanwhile, arrived at Old Trafford in the knowledge they had never beaten the Red Devils, yet on a current hot streak that had seen them win six of their last seven games and move into seventh place in the table.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men began the game in determined mood and it took them less than a minute to open the scoring.

Newly crowned FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo crossing from the right for Wayne Rooney to sweep past Chris Kirkland to give the home side the perfect start.

It was to be the striker’s most meaningful contribution of the match as minutes later, he hobbled off to be replaced by Carlos Tevez.

Indeed Tevez almost doubled United’s lead just shy of the half hour mark. A poor kick by Chris Kirkland was headed to the Argentinean by John O’Shea and although he rounded the Wigan goalkeeper he couldn’t capitalise.

Yet the home side couldn’t add to their lead and Wigan looked dangerous at times; Ryan Taylor having their best chance of the first half however he wasted the opportunity by firing over when well-placed.

The visitors grew into the game after the break with Maynor Figueroa, Wigan’s match winner against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, sending a warning to the home side with a firm shot that was just too close to Van der Sar to trouble the United keeper.

In stark contrast, United were looking flat and far from the side that cruised past Chelsea at the weekend.

With time running out Steve Bruce replaced Amr Zaki with Henri Camara as the visitors began to pile on the pressure as they sought an equaliser.

Yet with five minutes to remaining, United might have made the game safe. The home side finally got their passing game moving with Ronaldo finding Berbatov whose curling shot flew inches wide of Kirkland’s goal.

Wigan continued to press in the final minutes but the champions who had been well below-par, held on to claim a vital three points that sees them move ominously into second place in the Premier League.

Manchester United: Van der Sar, Rafael, Vidic, Evans, O’Shea, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes (Fletcher, 85), Nani (Anderson, 59), Berbatov, Rooney (Tevez, 7)

Wigan Athletic: Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Bramble, Figueroa, Valencia, Palacios, Cattermole (Kapo, 88), Taylor (De Ridder, 80), Heskey, Zaki (Camara, 75)

GOAL

1-0 Manchester United (Rooney, 1)

Why EFCC, ICPC should probe Obasanjo – Oshiomhole

2009-01-15T06:51:00.001+01:00

Edo State Governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday said that recent disclosures about the award of oil blocks and the $16bn allegedly spent on the power sector between 1999 and 2007 were enough grounds for the investigation former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

Oshiomhole, who also alleged that corruption thrived more in the Presidency during Obasanjo’s eight-year in office than in state Government Houses, said the fact that the former President was not under probe indicated that he still enjoyed immunity.

He spoke at the 6th Annual Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja where a former Secretary of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and an erswhile Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari, called for electoral process that would guarantee the rights of voters.

The governor, in a veiled call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission to go after Obasanjo, said there was “abundant evidence that some of our rulers ‘ate‘ while in office.”

Oshiomhole, whose paper was titled ”Democracy: Restoring Faith in Politics,” said, ”With the disclosures about large-scale corruption under the last administration such as the $16bn power sector scandal and abuses in the allocation of oil blocks, the former President is still not being investigated to the best of our knowledge, which indicates that even out of office, the system still confers immunity on him.

“The real challenge, therefore, is to strengthen the law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies and encourage them to overcome their apparent self-imposed restraint and official control.”

He lamented the “blatant nature” of corruption and its celebration in Nigeria, saying it was responsible for the erosion of public confidence in politics, democracy and governance.

Oshiomhole said, ”For instance, in a well-publicised confrontation with the late Chief Bola Ige, Chief S.M. Afolabi had said, and I quote, ‘Look at somebody we have called to come and eat, and he is busy abusing the party that rescued him.’

”There is abundant evidence that some of our rulers actually ‘ate‘ while in office at all levels.

“For instance, how else can we explain the transformation of a near-bankrupt proprietor (Obasanjo) of an insolvent farm into the proud owner of a private university and a large expanse of farmlands in all the geo-political zones of the country.

” The same man owns land and real estates in choice locations, other lucrative investments by proxy and a sprawling library complete with a five-star hotel openly funded by agencies of the government and beneficiaries of contracts, waivers, joint venture agreements and other forms of patronage.”

According to Oshiomhole, the damage that corruption has done to the country was responsible for the renewed debate for the removal of immunity clause from the 1999 Constitution.

He, however, argued that the fight against corruption was beyond removing the immunity clause.

The governor said, ”But the most compelling argument, which I am persuaded to adopt in toto, is that a hostile Federal Government, using federal law enforcement agencies, could abuse the removal of the immunity clause by harassing governors who are opposed to him whether they are in opposition parties or, indeed, his own party.

”Many Nigerians, including governors, may be comfortable with the removal of the immunity clause with a more civil, tolerant and broad-minded leader.”

Oshiomhole also said the last administration focused on governors in the fight against corruption whereas the Presidency had a lot to account for.

He said, ”To cap it all, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former EFCC chairman had disclosed, although without providing the evidence, that 24 serving governors had amassed so much at the expense of the people, but could not be prosecuted because of their immunity.

“Yet, Transparency International in a report towards the end of the tenure of the last administration had disclosed that 60 per cent of the corruption in the Nigerian system was domiciled in the Presidency.

”Therefore, if some of the governors were the proverbial 40 thieves, many will readily argue, based on the Transparency International report and other disclosures of corrupt enrichment, that the former President could be regarded as the Ali Baba, who had, skillfully managed to re-direct the focus from himself.”

He submitted that Nigerians would continue to lose faith in the polity because of the gap between what is promised by the rulers and the reality on the ground.

”In contrast to the abject living conditions of the people is the manifest offensive opulence of their rulers, which arises largely from the huge costs expended on office holders at the expense of the people,” he added.

Anyaoku, who was the chairman of the occasion, said that Nigerians could only have faith in the electoral process if there was a guarantee that their votes were important.

He implored politicians to avoid the winner-takes-all syndrome and the government to be transparent in conducting its affairs.

In his presentation, Masari recommended stiff penalties for those who engage in electoral malpractices.

According to him, when those involved in electoral malpractices go unpunished, the cycle of electoral fraud would remain with Nigeria for a long time.

He said, ”The 2007 elections left a terrible taste in the mouth of all Nigerians of conscience and the performance of Independent National Electoral Commission could be classified as the worst since 1923 when we started conducting election in this country following the provisions of the Clifford Constitution of 1922.”

Dignitaries at the occasion included Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State; his counterpart in Gombe State , Alhaji Danjuma Goje; and Etsu of Lapai, Alhaji Umaru Bago III.

Milan Set To Accept Manchester City's Kaka Bid - Report It's all up to the Selecao superstar now as the Rossoneri cave in to City's massive spending p

2009-01-15T06:49:00.002+01:00

UK tabloid The Daily Mail claims that AC Milan will accept Manchester City's €110 million offer for Brazilian superstar Kaka.

Mark Hughes, the Sky Blues boss, chose to chase to 26-year-old after the club's Arab investors handed him a short-list of January targets that also included Lionel Messi, David Villa and John Terry.

The former FIFA World Player of the Year's agent revealed recently that talks were underway between the two clubs, and that it was "not impossible" that a deal could be completed this month.

However, the player himself has been quoted this week as saying that he wants to remain at the San Siro for many years yet, even though he hopes to experience Premier League football at some stage in his career.

City are prepared to make Kaka the best-paid player on the planet, with reports suggesting that wages of €82 million over five years are on offer.

But while the former Sao Paulo star is uninterested in money - or so he and his agent claim, in any case - he hasn't ruled out the move entirely, according to The Sun.

Britain's top tabloid reports that Kaka could yet sign on at City, provided they agree to insert a series of get-out clauses in his contract.

Under his terms, the Rossoneri hero will only join the Eastlands outfit if the following promises are made: Shiekh Mansour and Abu Dhabi United Group keep control of the club; City qualify for the Champions League within the next two seasons; his representatives retain his image rights; and Robinho is not sold.

Paper talk at best, but it will be interesting to see how this burgeoning saga unfolds. Let's hope it's more entertaining thna the Cristiano Ronaldo-Real Madrid affair...

Gossip Girl Stars Wanted by Office Funnyman!

2009-01-15T06:47:00.002+01:00

Chace Crawford, watch out! That goes for you too, Blake Lively!

Office star Rainn Wilson wants to kiss both of you.

After presenting at the Golden Globes with Lively on Sunday, Wilson told me he'd welcome a gig on Gossip Girl—especially a smooched-filled storyline. But with whom? "Either Chace or Blake," said Wilson. "They have really nice names on that show."

Read on for more scoopage straight from the mouths of some of your favorite stars, like which raven-haired beauty is looking to do a Broadway musical with James Marsden and why Kevin Connolly's dispensing love talk.

• Amy Adams has dreams of reuniting with her Enchanted costar James Marsden—in a Broadway musical. "Hopefully," she said, "I could do Pal Joey with Jimmy Marsden!"

• Being one of the stars of the upcoming movie adaptation of self-help bestseller He's Just Not That Into You, Kevin Connolly finds his friends now thinking he's an expert in love. "I am getting a lot of questions about how to handle certain situations," he said. "I always refer them to the book."

• British babe and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz may not be an American citizen, but that doesn't mean she's not going to be watching the Inauguration. "Rachel's very excited," said her Brooklyn-bred hubby, The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky. "It's weird for her, because this isn't her country and she can't vote, but she thinks it's a victory for every single person on the planet."

• Jessica Capshaw insists Grey's Anatomy bigwigs are paying attention to the recent criticism of the hit ABC doctor drama. "They're very responsive and very excited about their fans," said Capshaw, who joined the series this season as a new doc at Seattle Grace Hospital. "I think they listen to them, and I think that should something not be working out, they hear that."

Let's hope so!

Yar’Adua admits impact of financial meltdown on Nigeria

2009-01-15T06:44:00.001+01:00

President Umaru Yar‘Adua on Wednesday admitted that the impact of the global financial meltdown was already noticeable in Nigeria and warned ministers that they must deliver visible results in 2009.

Yar’Adua said this in Abuja while addressing the ministers at the first Federal Executive Council meeting, which also marked the maiden outing by some of the new members of his cabinet.

Declining national revenue, sharp fall in the value of shares, and the continuing crash of the naira against foreign currencies, according to the President, are some of the major indicators that the global crisis is already affecting Nigeria.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, had at the 2008 Bankers’ Dinner in Lagos on December 5, 2008 said that Nigeria was insulated from the global financial meltdown.

Soludo had said, “The reason why we will not have a recession is simple, we have enough idle capital waiting to be put into productive use. Our growth rate is still driven essentially by peasant agriculture which was largely decoupled from the global problems.”

But Yar‘Adua said it was time to rise up to the global challenge and to deliver on his administration‘s promises, particularly as 2009 marked the mid-point in the life of his administration.

He told the FEC members that the government needed to double its efforts in the face of the global financial meltdown.

The President noted that “no time” could be more challenging for the government than now.

Admitting the enormity of the problems facing the Federal Government as a result of the global crisis, he said, “This year marks the beginning of our second full year in office and the mid-point of this administration.

“It also coincides with the time of profound economic worries in the world. The world‘s leading economies are in the grip of recession and the fear of a global contagion is becoming real.

“Already, we can feel the impact from falling oil prices, the declining exchange rate of the naira and the cascading prices of shares at the capital market.

“We are thus starting the year amidst persistent push and pull of both local and global realities.”

He went ahead to set agenda for the ministers in line with the challenges posed by the global recession.

Yar’Adua said, “We are saddled with the twin task of maintaining macro-economic stability in an environment of global economic meltdown, thus delivering shared prosperity to our citizens in the face of dwindling national revenues.

“No time can be more challenging but no time can be more auspicious for true leadership.

“The challenges of the moment come with opportunity to prove ourselves, dig deep into ourselves for the best we can offer and give full vent to our creative energies to lay a lasting foundation for the transformation of our country and for the wellbeing of the generality of our people.

“There is no better moment to rededicate ourselves to the urgent task of repositioning our country.

“There is no better time to recommit ourselves to imperative of meeting the mounting aspiration of our people and there is no better point to start redeeming our pledges of delivering good governance on the platform of the seven-point agenda.

“This is the time for action and visible results.

“It is the time for exemplary sacrifices in service; it is the time for unparalleled dedication and innovation. It is the time to make the lasting difference, nothing else will do.

“We must all put our hands to the plough with renewed vigour. This, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, is our sacred call to duty.”

While stressing his confidence in the abilities of the ministers, the President said they must prove themselves to Nigerians, who have been anticipating the dividends of democracy from government.

Hinting that there would be no excuses, Yar‘Adua told the ministers that the challenges of the moment meant that it was not time for an extended learning course.

“As a group carefully chosen to help revitalise the executive team, so much is expected of you. I am personally convinced that you are up to the task but all Nigerians need to be quickly convinced too,” the President said.

“This is not the time for an extended learning course; all of us, both old and new, need to be fully aware of the significance of the moment,” he added.

Welcoming the council members earlier, he had said, “It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the first council meeting of the year 2009.

“After the festivities and the break, it is my sincere hope that everyone is rejuvenated for the huge task ahead and to be sure that there is a lot of work to be done.

“For some of you, this is also your first council meeting following your swearing-in. Once again accept my warm welcome and well wishes on your well-deserved appointment.”

$350B bailout: Senate vote looms Reid says senators will vote Thursday on measure, led by Republicans opposed to TARP, seeking to block the second hal

2009-01-15T06:16:00.001+01:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A Senate fight looms Thursday over President-elect Barack Obama's attempt to secure the second half of the $700 billion financial rescue package.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced Wednesday night that the Senate would vote on a resolution that seeks to block the release of $350 billion.

A senior Democratic leadership aide told CNN that party leaders are hopeful they have enough votes to kill the resolution but conceded they did not know for sure.

President Bush, acting on behalf of Obama, sent Congress a formal request on Monday to release the second $350 billion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program funds to the Treasury Department.

Eight Republican senators, led by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said Wednesday they would do all they could to prevent Treasury from getting the remaining TARP funds.

"We should not give another administration a carte-blanche to do anything it wants, which is what TARP has become," Vitter said.

Under the bailout legislation approved by Congress in October, unless Congress passes a joint resolution rejecting the request within 15 days, Treasury can begin tapping the funds. Obama has vowed he would veto a resolution denying him the funds.

Several key Democrats who had earlier stated their displeasure with the handling of the first $350 billion are now changing their tune, saying they will honor the incoming Obama administration's request.

"I agree that the money should be made available under the appropriate condition," House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., said Monday. "We should not allow our disappointment at the Bush administration's poor handling of the TARP program to prevent the Obama administration from using the funds in more appropriate ways."

Frank authored a bill, which he hopes will pass the House this week, that sets conditions for the use of the funds, including foreclosure mitigation and improved oversight.

Vitter acknowledged that garnering enough votes may be difficult.

"Clearly our effort is uphill, it's a challenge," he said. "But passing this resolution of disapproval is a prerequisite for any of those [TARP modification] efforts to move forward in a meaningful way."

In the House, Republican congressmen on Wednesday also voiced their opposition to the release of the remaining $350 billion, arguing that the first half had been poorly handled with a lack of oversight.

"Until I know how we spent it, why we spent it and where it is and how it's going to be paid back, I think it'd be irresponsible for me to vote for the next $350 billion," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

The matter might not make it to the House, however. This disapproval resolution is not allowed to be filibustered, so it only needs a simple majority, 51 votes, to be defeated.

If the resolution is defeated in the Senate, Obama's request for the money will automatically go through, since the law says both houses of Congress must pass disapproval measures to stop the bailout funds from being released.

Chelsea Captain Terry Highlights Bridge's Professionalism Chelsea and England defender John Terry has praised the attitude of his former team-mate Way

2009-01-08T06:31:00.001+01:00

After failing to oust Ashley Cole as Chelsea's first choice left-back, despite being one of the first signings of the Abramvich era, Wayne Bridge decided to call the curtain on his Blues career and transfer to nouveau riche side Manchester City.

Chelsea and England captain John Terry has been quick to praise the 28-year old, who says his presence will be missed at Stamford Bridge.

"He'll be missed and I'm still in shock a little bit, because it's a shame to see one of the lads go who you have grown up with and been with a long time," he explained on the club's official website. "I'm disappointed but, for him, it was the right decision.

"We understand he's been here and tried to break in to become a first-team regular but with him and Ash being the two best left-backs around by far, it was difficult for him to break through and get as many games as he liked.

"I think he felt at 28 he had come to an age where he needed to play week in week out. He will definitely get that at Man City and show people he is right up there, as I said, with Ash [Ashley Cole]. Once Bridgey starts playing people will realise how good he is."

Terry went on to note the professionalism that Bridge oozes.

"He was great to have around the place," he said. "A great professional too, coming in at eight some mornings to do an hour on the bike when he wasn't playing, just to keep his fitness there so when he was called upon he did well."

Bridge will long be remembered in Chelsea folklore for being the player responsible for downing Arsenal's Champions League progression at Highbury five years ago.

"It was a great night at Highbury and the fans have a great song about him there," Terry explained. "They loved him as well, and the thing with Bridgey is he could play left-back or left midfield. He is a great crosser of the ball and gets up and down, so we will miss him."

Ghana's new president sworn-in amid fanfare

2009-01-08T06:29:00.001+01:00

New elected Ghanaian, President John Atta Mills takes oath of office on Wednesday.

John Atta Mills has been sworn in as Ghana's new president following a cliff-hanger election victory. Mr Atta Mills took his oath of allegiance in front of thousands of people in Independence Square for the inauguration in the capital, Accra. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate beat the ruling party's Nana Akufo-Addo in a hotly contested poll by a margin of less than 0.5% of votes.

President John Kufuor has stood down after serving the maximum two terms. He is the second elected head of state in Ghana's history to hand over to an opposition politician.

Crowds began forming at the stadium before dawn decked out in the national colours of green, yellow, red and black amid an air of intense excitement after one of the closest election races in Africa's recent history. Mr Atta Mills was dressed in a local kente cloth woven in the national colours, Reuters news agency reports.

After he was sworn in, he raised up the State Sword representing government authority to cheers from the crowd, the agency said. A military unit then fired off a booming 21-gun salute. On the eve of the inauguration, President Kufuor showed his successor around his new home, the presidential residence officially known as Jubilee House.

Ghana's new leader, who had lost two previous elections to Mr Kufuor, has pledged to be "a president for all". Mr Akufo-Addo won the first round but not by enough to avoid a run-off in last month's knife-edge polls. Mr Atta Mills was finally declared the winner on Saturday after a re-run of voting in the rural constituency of Tain, which was boycotted by the NPP.

Despite allegations of multiple voting and intimidation from both sides, electoral officials found no evidence of foul play and monitors praised Ghana's poll as a democratic example to others. The stakes were raised further in the election by Ghana's recent discovery of crude oil, with production due to start in late 2010.

Turnout was high for Ghana's fifth set of polls since it embraced multi-party democracy in 1992.
The former British colony was the first African state to gain its independence in 1957. A nation of 22 million people, it is the world's second biggest cocoa grower and Africa's number two gold miner.

Obasanjo graduates

2009-01-08T06:23:00.001+01:00

Former Presidents Shehu Shagari(left) and Olusegun Obasanjo congratulating each other at the first convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Lagos yesterday.

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) at the institution's first convocation ceremony held in Lagos on Wednesday.

Obasanjo who earned a post-graduate diploma in Christian Theology (a programme he started about two years ago) was commended by the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede for his determination to see to fruition his vision as exemplified by his enrolment at the institution.

Speaking on the former president's commitment to the NOUN dream, Jegede recalled how Obasanjo kept him and his staff on their toes just to ensure that they delivered.

The vice chancellor commended Obasanjo and his fellow 99 graduating students from the various schools of the institution for their determination to complete their studies. He also thanked the graduands for allowing themselves to be used as guinea pigs to test the waters of open education in Nigeria and the robustness of the school's system to handle the task.

Bemoaning the state of the Nigerian educational system as manifested by the illiteracy level, Jegede warned that Nigeria was nowhere near achieving the Education for All (EFA) goal by 2020. He suggested that a crisis management team be put in place to address the situation.
The occasion also featured the award of honourary degrees to three eminent persons, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, former Nigerian president, Senator David Mark, Senate president and Mr. Kochiro Matsuura, director-general, UNESCO.

BUDGET DEFENCE:Unspent allocation: Ojo Maduekwe to account for over N2.8bn

2009-01-08T06:21:00.001+01:00

With more revelations of discrepancies in the implementation of the 2008 budget and the inability of the Minister of State [1] in the Ministry of Affairs, Alhaji Jibril Maigari to defend two different budgets for 2009, the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has insisted that the senior Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe must appear before it next Monday.

Ojo Maduekwe is expected to provide details of N2,805, 631,483 standing as an unspent fund released for execution of projects in the 2008 budget and the sum of N499,908,051, which were not appropriated for in the budget, but were released by the Ministry of Finance.

When coming, chairman of the committee, Hon Umar Bature asked Maduekwe to come with the nominal roll of all staff in the nation’s foreign missions, in addition to written responses to discrepancies spotted in the performances of the 2008 budget.
Bature added that the committee was interested in the status of fees collected on visas issued by the foreign offices, the status of the Nigeria House in New York, the country buildings in Paris, the money given to victims of Tsunami and the status of properties belonging to the country in Washington DC.

Members queried the N1,351,391,240 released for the furnishing of the new headquarters of the ministry when works on the construction of the building was yet to be completed.
Likewise, members fumed that N1,506,009,963 released for installation of new mission/mission/headquarters communication equipment from the 2008 budget was not properly accounted for.

However, the Minister of State explained that the of new mission/mission/headquarters communication equipment contract for which N2.175 billion was appropriated for had been certified by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
Questions were raised over the sum of N63.5 million earmarked for Conakry/Guinea mission; N159.055 million released for Ouagadougou/Burkina Faso and N63.5 million released for Sao Tome mission.

The Committee expressed disgust over the administration of the ministry that had left most foreign nations in state of disrepair, particularly in New York, where the Nigeria House had been certified as not fit for habitation and had been marked for demolition.
Also in the 2008 budget, the committee wanted an explanation on the sum of N50million paid as school fees for children of only seven staff in one mission and the sum of N175million for the purchase of cars, which could not be found.

Bature warned that the House would not hesitate to invoke its powers to get anybody who should appear before the committee to do so, noting that the Foreign Affairs minister must have concluded assignments related to the crisis in Guinea.
He promised the cartel that had held the ministry down hell, stressing that the report of the committee on the budget defence would expose the rottenness in the ministry.

Lagos doctors suspend strike

2009-01-08T06:19:00.001+01:00

The Medical Guild, umbrella body of all Lagos State employed doctors has suspended its strike for 90 days (3 months) to give the government time to fulfill its promise of implementing their demands

The guild had on Monday embarked on an indefinite strike to protest some loopholes in hospital administration in the state, which include welfare of doctors, poor salaries and non-payment of salary arrears since January 2007.

The strike, which lasted three days, brought to a halt clinical services in Lagos State owned hospitals with few consultants and Head of Departments rendering skeletal services.

Speaking with Daily Sun, Secretary of the association, Dr. Maruf Agara, said: “Due to intervention of well meaning Lagosians and Nigerians at large which include the ex-governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, we have decided to suspend the strike for 90 days to watch the government fulfill their promise of implementing our demands.

“At the end of 90 days, we will reconvene. If members of the Guild are not satisfied with the implementation of our demands, whatever they say, will be binding on all of us.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola and former governor of the state, had on Tuesday appealed to the striking doctors to embrace dialogue and return to work.

Tevez To Ditch Manchester United For Real Madrid? Los Blancos are lining up a summer swoop for 'Apache' as Fergie and co continue to dither over his p

2009-01-06T06:54:00.001+01:00

The Sun, that blinding beacon of journalistic integrity, claims that Real Madrid will attempt to take Carlos Tevez from Manchester United at the end of the season.

The Argentine forward is approaching to conclusion of his two-year loan spell at Old Trafford, and yet still no permanent contract has been put on the table.

It was initially hoped that a deal would be signed, sealed and settled last summer, but Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to buy Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur scuppered those plans.

The Red Devils pre-agreed a fee of around €34 million with Media Sports Investment, the firm which owns Tevez's rights, but now the club are reportedly uncomfortable with that evaluation.

And now that the 24-year-old has slipped behind Berbatov in the pecking order, there is a very real possibility that he could leave United once his loan expires.

However, it remains to be seen whether the giants of the Bernabeu are actually interested in Tevez, given they already have Raul, Gonzalo Higuain and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar at their disposal - not to mentioned the injured Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Inter Milan have also been linked with Tevez.

Tim Allen Offers Condolences to Travoltas

2009-01-06T06:51:00.001+01:00

As a father himself with another child on the way, Tim Allen can sympathize with John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

Allen, who costarred in the hit biker comedy Wild Hogs with Travolta, today expressed his heartfelt prayers to his friend in the wake of Jett Travolta's unexpected death Friday.

"Jane, Kate and I wanted to extend our condolences to John, Kelly and Ella. We know how much they loved and adored Jett, and words cannot express how sad we were to hear about his passing," Allen said.

On a happier post-holiday note, the 55-year-old Allen also confirmed that he and his 42-year-old wife, actress Jane Hajduk, are going to have the opportunity to do some Home Improvement of their own, as they get a new bedroom ready for the impending arrival of their first baby together.

No word whether it's a boy or a girl, but the little bundle of joy is due in the spring.

Allen has a 19-year-old daughter, Katherine, from his first marriage to high school sweetheart Laura Diebel. The two divorced in 1999. He and Hajduk tied the knot in 2006.

‘Electricity will decide 2011 election’

2009-01-06T06:50:00.000+01:00

The Federal Government on Monday said that availability of electricity would be a major electioneering campaign tool in 2011.
It said that because of this, government would adopt a radical approach towards changing the status quo, as records indicated that current generation level vacillated between 2,000 and 3,000 megawatts.

The Minister of State for Power, Mr. Nuhu Wya, stated this in Abuja on Monday when he visited the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said that rural electrification was very vital to poverty reduction in the country, adding that as a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the government was aware of the role of power availability in tilting the pendulum in the next election.

Wya said, “As a faithful of the PDP, this is a vote- winning agency. We’ll deliver the dividend of democracy to the rural community. This is, therefore, a very fundamental and important agency to the power sector and to the nation.”

According to the minister, the delivery of electricity to the rural communities may turn out a way for the PDP to secure victory at the poll in 2011, since it plans to deliver on its promises on power generation.

He described the REA as a fundamental unit in the power sector and to the nation, adding that government would redouble its support to it.

Nigeria, the minister said, was currently in energy crisis, stressing that operators of the sector needed to generate more electricity to change the current ugly situation.

Wya also charged the REA to increase its efforts in the generation of electricity from non-conventional sources.

He directed the agency to collaborate with the Energy Commission of Nigeria and other relevant agencies in the sector to generate between five and 10 megawatts for the consumption of rural communities.

Earlier, when Wya visited the ECN, he stressed the need to pass the National Energy Policy and National Energy Master Plan into law.

He said that he would soon send a memo to President Umaru Yar’ Adua on the need to pass them into law.

The minister lamented that many discoveries of the commission had not been embraced by the private sector, stressing that there were many advantages in the use of alternative sources of energy.

He however, criticised the ECN for not marketing its discoveries at the various trade fairs in the country.

He said, “I cannot remember seeing your stands at the various trade fairs in Lagos, Kaduna, and Enugu.

“Place emphasis on exhibitions of your findings so that people will be aware of your findings; there is Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission.

“Also, partner with them and give them your findings so that they can help you propagate your findings. Talk to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and other bodies.”

The minister also challenged the agency to improve on its performance so as to assist in the delivery of 6000 mega watts of electricity by the end of the year.

Yar‘Adua had during his inauguration as president instituted a seven-point agenda, with which he hoped to transform Nigeria.

These are power and energy; food security and agriculture; wealth creation and employment; mass transportation; land reform; security; and qualitative and functional education.

He had added the Niger Delta and the disadvantaged groups as two special interest issues also to be focused on.

By making power and energy the first of the seven- point agenda, he said focus in that area would be on infrastructural reforms through the development of sufficient and adequate power supply to ensure Nigeria‘s ability to develop as a modern economy and an industrial nation by the year 2015.

Accordingly, he promised that more than 30,000 mega watts of electricity would be realised in the first five years of the administration, and assured that the ongoing reforms in the power sector would be sustained.

“Our plan is to launch a national emergency programme on the power sector because we believe that there cannot be any meaningful industrial development without steady power supply,” he said.

Yar’Adua had announced at a media chat in December 2007 that he would declare a national emergency on energy and power, to get Nigeria out of economic predicament, since power was the tonic for industrial growth.

The President expressed hope that power supply would rise to 10,000MW before the end of 2008.

He gave the assurance that the proposal was feasible, because the country needed to achieve at least 30,000MW in 2011 and 50,000MW by 2015.

He argued that improvement in power generation capacity would facilitate Nigeria‘s efforts in industrialisation and move the country from a consumer nation to a productive one.

However, more than 18 months afterwards, none of the promises has yielded fruits. If anything, the situation has grown from bad to worse with power generation dropping to less than 2,000MW in August 2008.

Autopsy Confirms Jett Travolta Died of "Seizure," Body to Be Cremated

2009-01-06T06:47:00.002+01:00

John Travolta and Kelly Preston's 16-year-old son, Jett, who had a history of health problems, was killed by a "seizure," according to the death certificate issued today.

While the official results of an autopsy today have yet to been publicly announced, mortician Glen Campbell of the Restview Memorial Mortuary in the Bahamas confirmed to E! News that cause of death was a seizure and "there was no sign of head trauma."

"The body was in good condition," Campbell said.

A source close to the proceedings also told E! News that a preliminary report on Jett's death determined "there is no foul play," corroborating what a Travolta family lawyer initially stated last Friday.

"It is not a suspicious death. The body wouldn't already be turned over to the mortuary if there was anything suspicious," the source said. Autopsies are standard procedure in the Bahamas in cases of sudden death.

Bahamian Minister of Health Hubert Minnis did not say when, or if, the autopsy findings would be made public. Bahamian official and close Travolta family friend Obie Wilchcombe tells E! News that the autopsy was completed at 12 p.m. local time.

Mortuary director Keith McSweeney also confirmed that Jett's body is being cremated. "The remains will be turned over to his family tomorrow," he said.
A funeral service was expected Wednesday in Ocala, Fla., where the Travoltas have a home.

Late Monday afternoon, a black hearse—apparently a decoy—traveled from the funeral home to the local airport, where two jets waited. Police in dress uniform blocked access to the tarmac.

The autopsy was conducted by two pathologists this morning. The local coroner in Freeport was joined by a U.S.-certified specialist, who was flown in from Nassau at dawn. The dual reports were intended to ensure accuracy and provide a more thorough analysis of what transpired.

Wilchcombe says the Travolta family doctor was also flown in to observe this morning's autopsy after getting special clearance from the health ministry.

The results confirm Travolta family lawyer Michael Ossi's statement that Jett suffered a fatal seizure. Jett's body was discovered by a caretaker Friday morning, and despite efforts to revive him, including an attempt at CPR by John Travolta, the young man never regained consciousness.

Jett, who suffered from Kawasaki disease, had a history of such attacks, Ossi said.

There is one minor mystery, however. The report that there was no indication of head trauma contradicts initial statements made by local police, who said that Jett had hit his head on the bathtub in his room at the Old Bahama Bay resort, presumably after suffering a seizure.

There's been no immediate comment from authorities on the discrepancy.

Yar’Adua’s govt visionless – CAN President

2009-01-06T06:43:00.003+01:00

As Nigerians settle down into the New Year, President of Christian Association of Nigeria [CAN], Rev. John Onaiyekan has launched a scathing criticism on the government of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, describing it as visionless.

Speaking exclusively with Daily Sun in Abuja, the CAN president, who is also the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese said with regret “that it is difficult to know the particular direction, which the present administration is heading to.

“It is not the issue whether one is slow or fast, but the issue is which direction are you facing and where are you going to?
“You can be fast and running the wrong direction, and so the important thing is are we facing the right direction and are we really taking the right steps? Even if it is slow.

“ We rather prefer a slow movement in the right direction than a headlong movement to disaster. It is difficult to say – in the area of the rule of law, we can see from the situation, how often and how much that is being respected. We can see now that it is difficult to take things on their face value, and by their fruits you shall know them,” the clergy stated.

Bishop Onaiyekan berated the Yar’Adua government for not being open to all and sundry, noting that expectations was that the government should by now be ruling beyond party lines.
The CAN president said that it was undemocratic for Yar’Adua’s political party, the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] to continue to insult the nation that it would rule for 60 years in the face of the mirage of problems that had been left unattended to.

He advised the opposition parties to remain and give the people choice to make in the next election, while decrying the action of politicians who changed political parties because they lost elections.
On the Jos crisis, the Archbishop said the issue of strangers, settlers’ syndrome as raised by some people in the state as the cause of the mayhem was not peculiar to Plateau State but a worldwide problem, stressing that only an amendment to the nations’ constitution could solve the problem.

According to him, “ I don’t believe that the recent Jos crisis was really a religion-induced crisis, and by the way, it is politicians who always make any crisis look like a religious one so as to achieve their objectives. But it is clear to us that we are talking to issue of interest, socially and economically. Strangers \ settler’s syndrome is not only peculiar to Jos but all over the world.

“ When we went to Jos with the Sultan of Sokoto recently, an old Hausa\Fulani asked a pertinent question that his grandfather came to Jos and the father was born in Jos as well as himself. Then, how long are they going to be in Jos before stop being strangers? I said that is a pertinent question, which should be asked not only in Jos.

We should go and ask it too in Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi that how long will an Igbo man live in those places before they stop being treated as strangers or settlers? And how long must a Yoruba man live in Onitsha before he stops being a stranger.

“ The issue of citizenship enshrined in our constitution should be addressed squarely. But no matter what you do, there will still be rivalry over scarce resources, which happens everywhere,” Onayeikan stated.

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Jet to Puerto Rico

2008-12-31T07:27:00.001+01:00

So much for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's big Valentine's Day demise. (Or so we're being led to believe...)

In the face of reports that the duo have been fighting and are headed for a split, E! News has learned exclusively that J.Lo and her hubby are spending a few days together in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Two days ago, Lopez and Anthony met up with friends and family for dinner at Marmalade, a trendy, upscale restaurant in the old-town section of San Juan.

"Jennifer and Marc looked very happy, so it is hard for me to believe the rumors that their marriage is in trouble," the eatery's general manager, Trace Donaldson, tells E! News. "They were laughing and seemed to be having a great time."

The couple were joined by a group that included Lopez's sister, Lynda.

On Monday, the Out of Sight star's rep denied to E! a New York Daily News report that had the seemingly cozy couple planning to announce their breakup right after Anthony's Feb. 14 show at Madison Square Garden.

"There is no merit to the article," the rep said.

Lopez was spotted Dec. 26 boarding a private flight straight to Puerto Rico out of Van Nuys Airport.

DMX Cuts a Deal on Dog, Drug, Theft Charges

2008-12-31T07:19:00.001+01:00

Perhaps DMX has seen the error of his ways and is looking to make a fresh start in 2009.

Just in time to make New Year's resolutions, the oft-arrested rapper has cut a deal in his pending animal cruelty, drug possession and identity theft cases in order to avoid being prosecuted for more than a dozen crimes.

Instead, DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Phoenix court to one count apiece of animal cruelty, theft, marijuana possession and possession of a narcotic, the last three of which are felonies.

Sentencing has been set for Jan. 30 in Maricopa County Superior Court. Additional charges will be dismissed at that time but DMX is facing at least 90 days in jail, according to prosecutors.

"I am pleased that this defendant will be held accountable for both his drug and animal cruelty offenses," said County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

The Great Depression artist had previously pleaded not guilty to mistreating a pack of pit bulls at his Cave Creek, Ariz., home over the past year. He had also maintained that he was innocent of possessing a significant amount of pot and drug paraphernalia, which authorities claimed to have discovered during two raids on the rapper's property in connection with the animal-cruelty allegations.

DMX had also been accused of trying to avoid paying a $7,500 hospital bill in April by giving a false name and contact info to officials at a Scottsdale clinic. He was subsequently busted on suspicion of identity theft in July.

An attorney for the Cradle 2 the Grave star, who also had a coke- and pot-related run-in with the law in Florida in June, said earlier this month that his client had checked into rehab.

Personalities that shaped the politics of 2008

2008-12-31T07:15:00.001+01:00

The outgoing year definitely has its fair share of dramatic political developments of note. Some personalities made this happened and their actions and inactions constitute part of the developments that shaped 2008.

President Umaru Yar’Adua

President Umaru Yar’Adua, by virtue of his position as the number on citizen in the country, remained a major focus in the outgoing year. His high level of political tolerance was exhibited earlier in February when the ruling Peoples Democratic Party was shopping for its national chairman. Yar’Adua was expected by the leadership of the party to back one of the candidates or manipulate the process to get his most favoured candidates elected as PDP chairman. This followed what was believed to be the meddlesomeness of his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, in the affairs of the party. But, Yar’Adua disappointed those who expected this continue when he said he had no candidate other than the one that would emerge from the laid down process.

But the health condition of the President became an issue soon after, when he had to jet out of the country for about 11 days on medical grounds. There were some anxieties when his return date was postponed on two occasions.

The country also witnessed a greater level of anxiety over the President’s health when, in August, he went for the lesser Hajj, but had to stay back for medical attention, leading to his absence from the seat of power for 17 days.

His return from the trip and the escalation in the criticism of his administration led to certain changes in the polity. First, the President sacked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, and replaced him with Alhaji Yayale Ahmed. Also, the President re-designated the position of Chief of Staff to the President as Principal Secretary. He also commenced the process of a reshuffle in the cabinet.

The cabinet change took so long a time before it was eventually effected last month with the sack of 20 ministers. It took another five weeks before new ones were appointed to fill the vacant position.

The December 12 decision of the Supreme Court which upheld Yar’Adua’s election had also, for weeks, put the President in the middle of the storm.

As the year ends, there are speculations that the President might go for a major holiday, a development which is already raising some concern.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo

For former President Olusegun Obasanjo, 2008 proved to be a year that confirmed the truism of transience of power. Obasanjo, who handed over power to Yar’Adua as the third executive President of the country, had thought he would carry on as a chaperon or sort to the President, but he was quickly checkmated early in the year, when his chairmanship of the party’s Board of Trustees was denounced my many leaders of the party. As a matter of fact, the re engineering process in the party, also saw to the recommendation that the clause which was inserted into the PDP constitution in 2006 and which ceded the BOT chairmanship to him, be revisited.

The recommendation, by the Dr. Alex Ekwueme-led reconciliation committee was also endorsed by the National Executive Committee of the party.

Even though Obasanjo still retains the BOT chairmanship, it is apparent that he is doing so because of the fact that no meeting of the board has been conveyed.

Even out of government, Obasanjo continued to be the issue (either for good or bad) in some quarters. The House of Representatives probe of the power sector which indicted some of his men, were seen as a probe of his eight years administration.

His face off with the governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, also provided a major excitement in the politics of the state. Even, despite the fact that Obasanjo’s name is not being mentioned in connection with the attempts to make his loyalists such as former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and his Aviation counterpart, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, account for their deeds in office, many believe that their trial amounts to a look into what transpired under his supervision.

Nuhu Ribadu

A substantial development in the politics of the outgoing year largely had to do with the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. His travails which only a few days ago led to his dismissal from the Nigerian Police, had started early in the year, when he was removed from the chairmanship position of the anti-graft agency.

For most Nigerians, Ribadu remains a hero, having done a lot as EFCC chairman to get a more positive image for the country in the comity of nations with his yeoman’s job on the anti-graft drive.

But, this year was very remarkable for the ‘Super cob’, as his name remained an household one in the country and made a lot of headlines with the various developments that have direct and indirect bearing on his person, and public office.

Adams Oshiomhole

His emergence as the governor of Edo State through the upholding of his election by the election appeal tribunal was perhaps the eight wonder in the country’s polity this year ending.

It was the first time a non-PDP petition won over a PDP sitting governor and set the record for this dispensation as the first governor to be so validated via the judicial process.

Oshiomhole’s resumption as governor of the state on November 12, changed the power equation not only in the state but in the country. Today, he is presiding over a state whose Assembly is peopled by PDP lawmakers, and whose local governments are manned by chairmen elected on the platform of the PDP.

Remarkably, however, Adams’ inauguration has reduced the number of PDP governors to 27 and increased the Action Congress from one to two governorship seats.

In less than two months after assuming power, his case has remained a reference point in the polity.

Justice Umaru Abdullahi

President of the Court of Appeal, Umaru Abdullahi remained a major issue in the polity. His position as the number one official at the Appeal Court has put him in a position to receive all the blames for all the controversial judgement made in respect of some election cases that reached the appellate court.

Apparently realising the enormity of the expectation on him, Abdullahi decided to take charge of the election petition involving Governor Adams Oshiomhole and ex Governor Oserheimen Osunbor, in view of the sensitive nature of the case.

The ruling which was delivered on November 11, also rekindled the confidence of many Nigerians in the electoral process.

James Ibori

Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has been in and out of the court room on sundry charges in the outgoing year, after the EFCC effected his arrest late in 2007.

In spite of his travails, he remains so relevant in the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua such that PDP insiders have dubbed him as Yar’Adua’s own “Mr. Fix it”.

He is said to be a major influence in many of the Federal Government’s decisions.

Bukola Saraki

As chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Dr. Bukola Saraki, scion of the Olusola Saraki political dynasty and Governor of Kwara State, remained an influential personality in the polity in 2008. He is seen as one of the most privileged worshippers in the inner sanctum of power in Abuja.

His leadership of the Governors Forum has transformed the group from just a mere fellowship of happy-go-lucky chaps, into a powerful bloc.

Whereas the group lost in its bid to install one of its ex-members as the Senate President in 2007, it bounced back in 2008 to determine who got what when and how at the PDP’s national convention. The group also sponsored some former governors as ministers in the new cabinet.

At the home front, Saraki has neutralised all opposition through a combination of deft political strategy and pro-people policies. The only opposition to his administration, is however coming from an unusual quarters. His estranged sister, Oyinkansola Saraki, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Progressive Alliance in the 2007 election, has remained a thorn in his flesh, as she has fought vigorously to sustain her legal battle against the governor’s election.

Dimeji Bankole

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, had his first dose of scandal that has become the hallmark of the lower legislative house, in the outgoing year, when the leadership of the House was enmeshed in N2.3bn car scandal.

It was a trying time for the Speaker as the scandal faced the possibility for his removal like his predecessor. Analysts however believe that Bankole’s displayed mastery of crisis helped greatly in dousing the tension raised by the crisis.

Prior to the crisis, however, the leadership of the House had been praised for its courage at instituting probes of some past activities of government, including the highly celebrated power sector probe, which revealed a lot of scam under the Obasanjo years. The reconstitution of the committees with emphasis on members’ credentials as a sine qua non to their headship of any committee, was also seen as a new and positive dimension in the conduct of the business of the House.

The Speaker has also been mentioned prominently in the crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of PDP, as he is said to be nursing a governorship ambition.

Lamidi Adedibu:

The death of the strongman of Ibadan politics, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, on June 11, marked a watershed in the politics of the PDP in the South-West and the Ibadan politics in particular. It was an end of the notorious “amala” politics which had held sway in the state for decades.

That Adedibu had been an issue in the politics of the South-West since the onset of the democratic dispensation in 1999 is to say the obvious. But the politics of the “Alaafin of Molete”, was further energised with the inauguration of Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala’s administration in the state in 2007.

Between January and June 2008, when he passed on, Adedibu, had rocked the politics of the state. His notoriety had compelled the police to hierarchy to get an undertaking from him to be of good conduct earlier in the year. This followed the problem he had with the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control led by Prof. Dora Akunyili, among other issues.

He had insisted on witnessing the ruling of the Appeal Court in the petition instituted against Alao-Akala’s election by the All Nigeria People’s Party governorship candidate, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, before going for his overseas treatment. He never made it! His death has thus redefined the politics of Oyo State, with new alignments and claims to leadership on the increase.

Feast in Warri At year’s end, GKS enlivens oil town with message of renewal

2008-12-31T07:14:00.002+01:00

For ministers and members of the God’s Kingdom Society (GKS), it was a joyful moment at this year’s celebration of the Christian Feast of Tabernacles held at the International Headquarters of the church, Salem City, Warri, Delta State.
Despite the attack of Thursday, November 21, 2008 on the church by armed robbers which caused the death of four members, the faithful still showed themselves faithful in their cause for the work of God’s kingdom.

They travelled from far and near in large numbers to observe the great feast.
The eight-day event, which generally held either at St. Urhobo Square or The Grand Stand at the Salem City was declared open by the President of GKS, Oseghale Emmanuel Aighalua.
With the general theme, Think of the end and be sober, by Aighalua, the feast was spectacular. The mammoth crowd dressed in diverse traditional colourful attire was delightful to behold. The people not only exhibited cultural variations but promoted tourism in the country.

The occasion, described by the National President, GKS Youth’s Fellowship, Brother Peters Edoja, as one of the best outings since the inauguration of the church also marked the end of the church’s biblical year and the beginning of a new one.

Indeed, the city of Warri stood still for GKS’ Christian Feast of Tabernacles also known as the Feast of Rejoicing. Anyone visiting the town for the first time would easily know that there was a celebration in town as there were banners for direction at different strategic points. There were many people on motorbikes and in cars heading towards Salem City, the feast ground.

Starting from Sunday, December 14, the annual feast kicked off with Christian processions by jubilant feast celebrants to different parts of Warri. A very large balloon with an inscription, GKS Feast of the Tabernacles, was in the air as long as the occasion lasted.

Two subjects were discussed on the first day entitled, The Essence of the Feast of Tabernacles by Brother O.E. Oriaku and Everlasting Peace of God by Brother L. O. Edemhanria.

According to Oriaku, the feast was ordained by God Almighty through His Prophet, Moses, as a memorial of the Israelites’ years of sojourning in the wilderness when they lived in booths. Oriaku said it was an occasion of thanksgiving to God by way of offerings, songs and dances and most importantly, a time for spiritual renewal as the word of God was read and explained to the entire congregation, so that they might do God’s will always.

He explained that the festival is being celebrated anti-typically now that Jesus Christ, the perfect tabernacle of God, is with men, and in keeping with the prophetic command in Zechariah 14:16-19.
In his discourse, Edemhanria highlighted the distressed conditions people all over the world are made to live in at the instance of Satan, the devil, while pointing out that it is only in God Almighty and His son, Jesus Christ, through their established kingdom that all people of goodwill would have a new order of things free from pains, anxieties, poverty, wars, diseases and disasters.
Station Minister, GKS Onitsha branch, Brother T.C. Mazi-Rapu, on the following day spoke on, Are Women Ordained by God to preach the Gospel?

Mazi-Rapu made it clear that from the beginning, God only used men to do His work. He said the references to women as prophetesses in the Holy Bible were owing to wrong translations. He added that women could preach to other women and not in the whole congregation where men were.
In the same vein, Publicity Secretary, GKS, Brother Benedict Hart, spoke on the subject, What Is The Anointing Of The Holy Spirit?

He said that the anointing with literal oil in the time of old foreshadowed the anointing with the Holy Spirit through which God commissioned Jesus Christ for his earthly ministry. Hart explained that the saints were known by God before they were born, adding that they were not taught by men and that their hallmark is the truth which they preach unmixed with lies. “The multitude of those now parading themselves as anointed men and women of God are being presumptuous in as much as they do not have the credentials for apostleship,” he noted.

While lecturing on, Speaking In Tongues, Brother Moses Bazunu, who cited 1Corinthians 13:8 said that, the gift of speaking in tongues or other languages have ceased as people in various parts of the earth could now read the Bible and preach the word of God in their languages, which was not the case at the time of the early church.

He pointed out that what people say today was nothing but meaningless sounds contrary to what happened on the day of Pentecost.
In the first lecture taken on Tuesday, the third day of the event, entitled, What Did Christ Mean When He Said, ‘A Little While And The World Seeth Me No More,’ Station Minister, GKS, Yenegoa, Brother A. Okocha, said that the world would not see Jesus Christ in flesh anymore.

He explained that only the saints would see him because they would be resurrected as spirits and taken to heaven at Christ’s second presence, while others who would be chosen in the last days would know of his coming by revelation and then they would go and educate the world about God and His kingdom.
Station Minister, GKS Abuja, Brother T.M. Ekiseowei, speaking on, The Marks Of The True Church hinted that a true church is not characterized by claims of miracles, speaking in tongues or long period of existence but by the doctrine the church preaches.

He added that churches which believe in doctrines such as trinity, immortality of the soul, hell fire, among others, are not true because such teachings are contrary to the Bible.
In his subject, Walking In Newness Of Life, Senior Executive Minister, Brother Ifeacho, said it was shameful that some professed believers were given to idol worshipping, owing to lack of faith in God.

He condemned homosexuality as offensive to the ears and charged the faithful to show forth virtues which are fruits of the spirit such as love, joy, longsuffering, faith, temperance, among others.
On Thursday, Chairman of GKS Okota, Brother Felix Osifo, spoke on: Honour The Lord With Your Substance.

Drawing from the Lord’s injunction regarding the Feast of Tabernacles that the celebrants should not appear empty before the Lord, Osifo urged everyone to realize that they owe their creator the obligation to serve Him with all they have now that they are alive.

Also exhorting the people on the topic, In Your Patience, Possess Ye Your Souls, Trustee and Member of the GKS Executive Board, Brother Felix Adedokun, said that although the people of God suffer tribulations from time to time at the instance of the devil, if they should persevere with God, things would turn around for them and they would enjoy life and abundant blessing in the end.

General Secretary of GKS, Brother Ekireghwo, spoke on: Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. And the Vice President, GKS, Brother S. Nwaeke, dwelt on: Men ought always to pray and not to faint.

Nwaeke, who prayed for peace to continue in the Niger Delta for the growth of the work of God, spoke vehemently against women wearing men’s clothes just as he warned men against wearing women ornaments.

The event heightened from Friday, the sixth day of celebration. In the morning, GKS women from Nigeria and abroad converged on the St. Urhobo Square for the Christian women assembly. Two sisters, Grace Doku Gin and Funmilayo Alli addressed the sisters.

Also speaking on the occasion, Chairperson GKS Women, Sister Comfort Okandeji (Snr), urged the women to continue with the good work of God knowing fully that God does not forget their righteous work. While the Chairperson, London, Mrs. Victoria Atugba, highlighted how the GKS London fellowship fared.

The evening witnessed a celebration galore tagged, The Christian Music Festival. Men, women, children and even ministers displayed a high sense of appreciation to God with diverse languages and cultures through music, dance and costumes.
The music festival, which lasted for three hours with each group and branch performing for 10 minutes, had many dignitaries in attendance.

As early as 7.00am on Saturday, December 20, women dressed in wine-coloured wrappers and green blouses set out for a procession through the streets of Warri.
Activities came to a climax the following day, Sunday, with men and women dancing round Warri town as instruments of music moved about town in several vehicles were, a spectacle to behold.
Apart from these events, there were also meetings of different organizations, the aged, children and many others.

The President, Aighalua, charged everyone to meditate on the things taught at the feast. He reminded the people that those who keep God’s word will be blessed by Jehovah.
At the end, everyone was spiritually fulfilled. With the balloon deflated, it was the end of the feast and departure time for many who had travelled from within and outside the country to be part of the epoch-making event.

Ekiti lawmakers in free-for-all

2008-12-31T06:55:00.003+01:00

A free-for-all broke out in the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday as some lawmakers moved to forestall the presentation of the state’s 2009 budget by Governor Segun Oni.
Show of shame: Ekiti Lawmakers in a tussle for the state Assembly’s mace... on Tuesday.

Trouble started when the budget was called for discussion and the Action Congress Leader in the Assembly, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, objected, saying that Section 41 of the Assembly’s Standing Order must be adhered to.

The Section reads, “Any message from the governor shall be read on the floor of the House and the debate on such letter shall be slated for a future date.”

Oni sent the letter to the Assembly on December 24, notifying the lawmakers of his intention to present the budget on Tuesday. But due to the Christmas break, the letter was read by the Speaker, Mr. Tunji Odeyemi, the same day.

Odeyemi, however, overruled Afuye, quoting Order 65, which empowers him to take decisions whenever the Assembly ran into a hitch on any issue.

Before the Speaker asked the Leader of Government Business in the Assembly, Mr. Lai Oke, to usher the governor to the hallowed chambers, some AC lawmakers attempted to seize the mace, the Assembly’s symbol of authority, in order to prevent the presentation of the budget.

The action resulted in a fracas with a non-member of the Assembly, Mr. Bola Olu-Ojo, reportedly throwing caution to the winds by exchanging blows with some of the AC lawmakers. Olu-Ojo is the Peoples Democratic Party chairman in the state.

The PDP lawmakers and loyalists also joined in the shouting match, shoving and fisticuffs.

Our correspondent gathered that the AC lawmakers did not want the budget to be presented to show their displeasure with the Oni-led administration for going ahead to conduct the November 20 council poll in spite of their party’s protest against the perceived improper constitution of the state’s Independent Electoral Commission.

The leadership of the AC had asked the Ekiti High Court in Ado-Ekiti to stop the poll, but the judgment is yet to be delivered, owing to the ongoing judiciary workers‘ strike.

When Oni’s security aides eventually escorted him into the Assembly, some of the lawmakers still gathered around the mace.

The governor was apparently forced to spend less than 10 minutes presenting the 66-page appropriation bill, tagged “Budget of Consolidation.

Oni told journalists after presenting the budget that the lawmakers conducted themselves in the most dishonourable manner.

He said, “They have conducted themselves in the most dishonourable manner and these lawmakers would be known to their people.

“I want to make it very clear that this state belongs to all of us and nobody has a monopoly of anything.

“Let me say to the AC lawmakers that we have presented the budget putting the constitution in mind.

“Let me explain to you that the AC people are frustrated because they did not participate in the local government election but that should not be a licence for a dishonourable behaviour. It is a disgrace.

“The people should see the state beyond the frustration of a clique of people.

“We have presented the Budget of Consolidation. Anybody that is frustrated because of his political failure must know that the state is bigger than anybody.”

The AC leader in the House, Mr. Afuye, said as far as his colleagues were concern Oni had not presented the state’s budget.

He said, “The governor has not presented the 2009 budget to the House. He only came to be cheered by his supporters and PDP leaders. For Mr. Oni to have gone ahead to present the budget at such a rowdy session shows that he has lost self respect and self esteem. It is a continuation of Oni’s administration illegalities.”

The state government intends to spend N24.7bn on recurrent matters and N41bn on capital projects in 2009.

The budget will be financed through statutory allocation of N17.2bn, Value Added Tax of N5bn, internally generated revenue of N10.4bn, internal loan totalling N15bn and Ecological Fund remitance of N2bn.