Outrage in Senate over rape of two year- old girl by a Nigerian Policeman

Senators on Thursday expressed anger over alleged rape of a two year old girl, Chinwendu Onwudiwe, by a policeman in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

Mararaba, a densely populated area of Nasarawa State, is about five minutes’ drive to the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja.


The alleged police rapist was as one Corporal Anthony Onoja.

The lawmakers voiced out their indignation over the incident after Senator Helen Esuene (Akwa Ibom South) presented what was described “a touchy” motion on the “Cruelty to infants” in the country.

Esuene in her lead debate noted that the country has been witnessing acts of cruelty to babies including their being kidnapped, abused and sold as commodities.

She invited the Senate to note “the recent case of criminality in Mararaba area of Nasarawa State meted against a two year old baby girl (Chinwendu Onwudiwe) by no other than a policeman who is supposed to uphold the law.”

The lawmaker said,” on October 20, 2013 the gory news that hit the airwaves as carried by Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was the sexual assault of a two year old female infant by a neigbour who is a police officer called Corporal Anthony Onoja.”

She noted that though the matter was reported to the police, it was yet to be taken to court.

She said that Section 31 and 32 of the Child’s Right Act “make this case a criminal offence which attracts life imprisonment or 14 years imprisonment depending on the nature of the abuse.”
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GRHAPIC IMAGE: Woman Caught With Day Old Baby In Sack

A 40-year old widow who simply identified herself as Mujidat was caught on Wednesday with a dead day old baby she hid inside a sack around her residence at 2, Reverend Alimi Street, NEPA Phase I, Ijagemo in Iba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria.


It was learnt that a member of the community, High Chief Babatunde Balogun caught the mother of seven when she was trying to dispose the baby at about 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

When questioned on the content of the sack, she claimed she was coming from the market where she bought some household items.

However, on a closer look, Balogun discovered that the sack contained a dead day old baby the woman allegedly had just delivered.

•Mujidat with the dead baby

He then called the attention of the other residents. Neighbours told newsmen that after Mujidat’s husband known as Baba Mushin died about three years ago, they have seen men visiting her residence, the house built by her late husband.

When asked if she planned to throw away the baby because of an alleged paternity mess, she denied, claiming that a welder turned block maker near her residence was responsible for the pregnancy that resulted in the birth of the dead baby she was caught with. .

She claimed she took delivery of the baby by herself because she found it easy and therefore did not go to any hospital or sought anybody’s help.

At about 9 p.m yesterday when reporters visited the area, residents of the area were still milling around the residence of the woman.

Officials of the Community Development Association, CDA, in the area later accompanied the woman and her sack of baby to the Isheri-Oshun Police Division where the matter was reported. At the time of this report, the woman was still being interrogated.

PMNews
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N255m BMW bullet proof cars were not bought for me - Stella Oduah cries out

Minister of Aviation,Princess Stella Oduah Thursday told members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation that the alleged purchase of N255million BMW armoured cars were not bought for her personal use.



Oduah who astonished stakeholders with this disclosure at the investigative hearing on the issue in her 12 page presentation said:

“As you all are aware, what necessitated this public hearing were the events that followed a false and malicious online publication that I had compelled the NCAA to purchase for me 2 nos BMW bullet proof cars at the cost of $1.6million. ”

“Let me state emphatically that from the onset that the allegation concerning the purchase of the 2 nos bullet proof cars for me by the NCAA is false in its entirety. ”

After reading her presentation, Rep Zakari Lafia Mohammed asked her whether it is a loan or lease that her agency obtained from FBN, she said it is the same. She said the money NCAA would pay would still be below the N240million at the end of the year.

On whether she acted within the ambit of the law in giving approval beyond N100 million , she said she approved the money and asked the NCAA to do the needfull.

What is the needfull?
The Committee and the minister disagreed on what do the needfull meant.

She had claimed that in her approval she said kindly do the needfull.

Rep Mohammed took on her that saying the needfull means a go ahead to implement.

Responding, Oduah said”no you are wrong on that the needfull does not mean full approval. ”

The NCAA DG Folu Akinkuotu was asked whether he did the needfull, he said he was not In-charge at NCAA when the order was given for the purchase.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry, George Ossi was tackled for misleading the minister by not appropriately advising her.

The committee said the permanent secretary ought to have asked the NCAA to do the right thing.

The PS claimed that due diligence ought to have been done by the agency before applying for the approval.

He claimed that he was not available at the time everything happened .

The DG said he would have followed the procurement Act if he were the one the directive was given to do the needfull.

He said the acting DG Joyce Daniel Nkemakolam ought to explain why he did not do that.

Nkemakolam said we interpreted the directive to mean to go through it in line with the procurement Act. He said they did the due diligence but they had a mindset that they were within the budget limit.
But he was asked why he didn’t do due diligence to ensure that it was in tandem with the procurement law, he said he thought since the agency had got the approval of the National Assembly there was no need for such diligence.
He was asked why he initiated a memo to approve 54 vehicles when what the National assembly approved was 25 vehicles.

He was reminded that what was approved was N240million and not N643million.

NCAA was asked whether the board sought approval of the president to approve the car loan. Nkemakolam said he was working on the mindset that they were still within the approved limit.
He said that what NCAA discussed with First bank was a lease. He was asked the date the board of NCAA approved the loan facility.
The DG was asked how many trainings did he organise for NCAA staff , he said he relied on experts.
He said that his mindset has always being that they did not exceed the amount approved.
He was asked whether the NCAA board approved the money.
He said the NCAA has interim board. He said that he was working on account that it was a lease not loan.

The drama continued with Rep Manwe asking the former DG of NCAA to disclose who uses the controversial bullet proof cars since the Minister bluntly confessed that they were not bought for her use.

“Who is using the vehicles now since the Minister said they were not purchased for her?” he asked.

To the DG, that was one question that got him jolted. Minutes passed before he could provide an answer. And when he finally found his voice, he said “Anybody can use the vehicles when they are in the pool. They are operational vehicles.”

But the Lawmaker wouldn’t give up. He continued with a rider to the question.

“Do you mean that a messenger or cleaner in the agency can use the cars?” He asked.
At this juncture, the hearing room became deadened in silence with the DG losing his voice for the second time.

And when again, he found it, he answered this way: “those categories of vehicles are for VIPs which include the Minister, including you, the Honorable.”

Just then a blast of laughter erupted in the hall which to some extent provided some comic relief to everyone in the hall.

But Rep Manwe wouldn’t stop. He asked again, “can we have the log book of the movement of the car?
With a subdued babbling voice which came in separate minutes, the DG answered ” I am not a transport officer. I don’t know whether they are still keeping those log books.”

When it now became obvious that the DG was exhaustive of all the answers he had, the Lawmakers mandated the agency to bring the man who received the vehicles at the point of delivery by Coscharis Motors.
With that, the hearing came to a close.

In her closing remark, the chairperson, Onyejeocha assured Nigerians that justice would be done to the report of the hearing.

“Fact speak for itself. We have tried to listen to people: Coscharis, the Minister, NCAA, First Bank , BPP and Customs, and we have their submissions with us. We will consider what we have whether it is in line with the extant laws and financial regulations.

We assure everyone and all Nigerian that we will do justice to this hearing,” Onyejeocha said.

Speaking with some Journalists shortly after the hearing, the Minister, Oduah expressed gratitude to the National Assembly for giving her an opportunity to present her own side of the story.
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ALL OUR PLAYERS ARE UNDER-17: NFF Replies Iranian Coach

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF has insisted that none of the 21 footballers currently representing the country at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates is overage.

The NFF’s clarification comes on the heels of the claims made by Iran’s coach, Ali Doustimehr that Nigeria is parading overage players at the tournament.



Nigeria outclassed Iran 4-1 in the Round of 16 at the tournament on Tuesday but Doustimehr was insistent that his wards lost to players older than 17.

The NFF has now officially reacted to Doustimehr’s accusations insisting that “not one player” in the Nigeria squad is overage.

“I can tell you that not one player from our U17 squad is overage. They all went though Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI scans before the tournament and those who failed the tests were dropped,” chairman of the NFF’s Technical Committee, Barrister Chris Green told supersport.com.

Nigeria will meet Uruguay in the quarter finals of the competition on Saturday.

The Golden Eaglets have been in impervious form at the tournament. Manu Garba’s charges are the joint top scorers in the competition with 18 goals racked up in 4 games.

Nigeria has won the FIFA U-17 title three times previously.
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Nigerian army shoot own refugees at border, Cameroon blamed

Cameroonian gendarme Gaitan Atouba was stunned when the Nigerian military opened fire on more than 100 Nigerian refugees under his protection, killing 15 and seriously wounding seven in the northeast Nigerian border town of Banki earlier this month.

 

Nigerian Muslims fleeing the military crackdown on Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria have fled to Cameroon's Minawao refugee camp, near Mokolo, Far North region. Photo October 25 2013

Atouba and his fellow officers had been ordered to round up refugees in the town of Amchide in Cameroon’s Far North region and hand them over to the Nigerian border authorities in Banki for questioning about their possible involvement with the rebel Islamist sect Boko Haram.

Around 8,300 Nigerians, fleeing both attacks by Boko Haram and the heavy-handed response of the security forces in northern Nigeria, have crossed into Cameroon’s Far North since Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck declared a state of emergency in June.

The Cameroon government believes Boko Haram members have infiltrated Cameroon posing as refugees, and are using it as a safe haven to launch attacks into Nigeria as part of their drive to establish an independent state based on sharia (Islamic law) in largely Muslim northeast Nigeria.

Hundreds have been killed in Boko Haram attacks and fighting between the group and Nigerian security forces in recent months.

“The refugees had already been warned that if they didn't relocate to the official refugee camp in Minawao, they would be treated as illegal immigrants or combatants and handed over to the Nigerian authorities,” said Atouba.

“In our search, we found evidence that connected them to Boko Haram, so we had to kick them out of the country.”

Shooting broke out when the Nigerians, under Cameroonian escort, reached the border on Oct. 5, Atouba said.

“When we arrived in Banki, we heard gunshots. Nobody knew where they came from, but the refugees panicked and made a run for it. To my disbelief, the Nigerian military started firing to stop them getting away,” Atouba told Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“There was no mercy, no respect for human life. Some died on the spot. We recovered the wounded and drove them back to Cameroon where they could get treatment. I never imagined they would shoot to kill unarmed people.

They might have been Boko Haram, we'll never know, but nobody deserves that,” said Atouba, who declined to use his real name for security reasons.

The Banki shootings have drawn criticism from the U.N. refugee agency, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which in a press statement on Tuesday questioned the ethics of the Cameroonian security forces for sending people back into an area of known insecurity.

In a statement, the UNHCR said it had been alarmed by reports of the attempted forced return of 111 people from Cameroon to Nigeria. In light of the security situation in northeastern Nigeria, people fleeing are likely to meet the criteria for refugee status as outlined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, it said.

The UNHCR statement did not say the refugees had been killed by the Nigerian military, and Nigerian authorities have not commented on the incident.

“The UNHCR has got to understand that they are looking at things from a humanitarian perspective, but we have to look at things from a security perspective,” Augustine Fonka Awa, Governor of the Far North region, told a European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) mission to Maroua last week.

“In the Amchide roundup, we found two semi-automatic rifles and over 80 rounds of ammunition, which suggests that they are Boko Haram, that they are combatants and not refugees,” said an angry Awa, banging his fist on the table.

Combantant or refugee?
Cameroon, lacking Nigeria’s military strength, has taken a number of unorthodox steps to try to separate refugees from combatants.

The Minawao refugee camp has been set up 120 km (75 miles) from the Nigerian border, more than twice the recommended 50 kms, as the government believes this will deter militants from using it and encourage only genuine refugees.

But Ndeye Ndour, the UNHCR representative to Cameroon, says the refugees do not want to move so far from the border.

“They have the same culture and speak the same language as the Cameroonian people, who have taken them in out of solidarity. They don’t want to leave that for the refugee camp lifestyle,” Ndour said.
“It’s the rainy season too, so many of the refugees are cultivating their land in Nigeria during the day and running back to Cameroon to sleep at night.”

Of the estimated 8,300 refugees in Cameroon, the United Nations has managed to transfer only 1,800 to the Minawao refugee camp.

Other ways used to try to distinguish between Cameroonian locals and Nigerian immigrants, refugees or combatants have also raised eyebrows among the humanitarian community.

“Some of the Nigerians have stolen Cameroonian ID cards, so we check to see if they speak French and then we check for vaccination marks, because all Cameroonians have a mark on their forearm,” said Awa, rolling up his sleeve to show a dark dot just below the inner elbow crease.

But aid workers say this is not a valid test of nationality. “The Far North has a very low vaccination prevalence, so not everyone will have a mark.

Also, vaccination campaigns tend to be uniform, so those vaccinated in Nigeria will have the same mark in the same place,” said Dr. Souleymane Kanon of UNICEF Cameroon.

"Differentiating between Nigerians and Cameroonians using these techniques will be very challenging,” Kanon said.

For Atouba, trying to distinguish between the two nationalities, this is disheartening.
“They came to us as our brothers at a time of desperation, but there are a few among them who have sinister intentions, and in the end everyone suffers because we can’t tell the good ones from the bad,” he said.

Reuters
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Man arrested for burying human skull in his house.

The police in Enugu have arrested a man, Emmanuel Chukwu, for allegedly burying a human skull in his house.


He hails from Enugu Obeagu Amuri in Nkanu West local Government Area.

Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said the command got information that the suspect buried a human skull at his building site and went there to find out.

He said the human skull was dug out and the suspect arrested.
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Do you wake up at night to pee?

It may be a sign that you drank too much the night before or it could be a sign of a significantly larger problem in men. Making multiple trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night is often a sign of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an “enlarged prostate”.


An enlarged prostate is not prostate cancer but often presents with many of the same symptoms. Like cancer, BPH increases the overall size and number of cells that make up the prostate. When enlarged, it squeezes the urethra, or the thin tube that travels through the penis from the bladder, causing an intense urge to urinate.

There are four key symptoms of BPH to look out for. An enlarged prostate prevents one from being able to fully empty their bladder. This results in urinating much more often than normal with a heightened level of urgency, especially in the middle of the night. With the semi-blockage, it’s common for one to strain starting and maintaining a strong urine stream.

BPH is a growing problem in the region due to ageing populations and doctors are not exactly sure what causes it. Despite the unknown, BPH affects half of all men between the ages of 50 and 60.

Some research is pointing to BPH being associated with the same risk factors that cause health condition such has obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and heart and vascular disorders. Lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, tobacco use and poor diet can possibly increase BPH
risk and worsen its symptoms.

A diet that is rich in essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals has been found to be beneficial in preventing and treating BPH. Vitamin C has the greatest protective effect and can be found in vegetable juices, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, cauliflower and bell peppers. Foods that are high in zinc also appear to be beneficial.

Don’t drink a lot of fluids all at once. Too much can go straight to one’s bladder versus having a hydrating effect on the body. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially within two hours of bedtime. It’s important to reduce stress and improve circulation by exercising regularly.

Other self-care techniques for BPH include not taking over-the-counter sinus and cold medications that contain decongestants or antihistamines. These medications have been found to increase the symptoms of BPH.

Couillard is an international health columnist that works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and global health care education. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsement. He can be reached through:

Email: drcorycouillard@gmail.com
Facebook: Dr Cory Couillard
Twitter: DrCoryCouillard
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WOMEN: 11 Ways To Know You Are Dating A REAL MAN And Not A Boy

1. A man knows what he wants, and goes for it. A boy may have somewhat of an idea, but not really. He doesn't think too much about it, and even if he does, doesn't exert much effort to get it. A boy is passive, a man is assertive.

2. A man plans for his future and is working towards building a foundation and infrastructure in order to have a family (at some point in his life). A boy lives only in the moment and his plans are mostly around which bar he's going to hit up on the weekend.

3.A man looks for a woman with intelligence, who is supportive, groundedWw and encompasses a shared set of values when choosing a partner. A boy cares mostly only for girls who are hot, wild and exciting.

4. A man knows a good woman when he meets one and will take initiative to get to know her. A boy may make an attempt if you're lucky, but gives up before ever really trying.

5. A man has the courage to have uncomfortable conversations. He is honest with his intentions and lets people know where they stand. A boy avoids. He ignores confrontation or any serious talks about feelings. Instead of dealing with a situation, he runs away from it or creates drama or excuses to mask the fact he's not that into you or a relationship.

6. A man knows when to invest in a woman and jump in with two feet. A boy is always "testing" - he doesn't fully commit because he never knows if he is quite ready. But the truth is, because he is a boy, regardless of who he meets, he will never be ready due to the stage of life he is in.

7. A man knows how to have a good time and be social, but is often busy making strides in his career and building his life. A boy is getting drunk with his buddies at the bar every weekend.

8. A man takes the time to reflect on the type of man he wants to be, the example he wants to leave and the vision for his life. He has put thought into his values. A boy has not established his moral compass or values and consequently, is often inconsistent.

9. A man has integrity. He means what he says, and says what he means. He has follow through and actions his promises. And if he can't he has the guts to tell you why. A boy makes promises but doesn't follow through.

10. A man is afraid of rejection but will put himself out there anyway. A boy is afraid of rejection and acts passive so that his pride and ego won't ever get too banged up.

Now, a lot of these differences require taking the time to know someone to figure out if the apple of your eye is indeed a man, or a mere boy. However, one of the quickest filters that you can notice from the beginning is this:

11. A boy plays games. A man doesn't.

Do you agree with the list above? Do you have any more tips you will like to share? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Glo drops BB tariff to N1,000

In a bid to accommodate new subscribers, the Second National Carrier (SNC), Globacom, has slashed the tariff on its BlackBerry plans by half, in an unprecedented move aimed at liberalising access to the modern tool for social and business networking.

Commenting on this new tariff in Lagos on Wednesday, the company’s Marketing Coordinator, Mr. Adeniyi Olukoya, said that in addition to the drastic tariff drop, there is also considerable increase in the data allowance for both BlackBerry 10 plans and the generic BlackBerry plans, adding that the Absolute Month platform, which hitherto was N2,800 with 3GB data, now goes for N1,000 with 3GB data.

The Absolute Week plan goes for N500, with 700MB and the COMONTH and COWEEK plans go for N899 and N400 with data allowance of 3GB and 700MB respectively.

The statement by Olukoya added: “Globacom is the first network to introduce Blackberry service in Nigeria and we have continued to maintain the lead by offering subscribers the best and most pocket friendly BlackBerry rates.

“Glo always has exciting offers for both existing and potential customers.

“We are offering these new tariffs to encourage Nigerians to use data more frequently.

“This will make life more abundant for our subscribers.”

According to the company, the new BlackBerry subscription tariffs are for both old and new customers.

The statement added: “Nigerians will recall that Globacom’s entrance into the nation’s telecommunications brought about dynamic changes.

“We have a commitment to continue to delight Nigerians and make telephone services not only available but also affordable.

“The drastic reduction in the subscription tariffs for all BlackBerry plans is one of such.

“The beauty of this is that the package comes with increase data allowance so that our numerous customers will have unlimited benefits while on the network.”

The post Glo drops BB tariff to N1,400 appeared first on The Sun News.

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Olamide Releases Tracklist For His Album, Baddest Guy Ever Liveth

Olamide has released the tracklist for his coming album, Baddest Guy Ever Liveth. The rapper, unlike his previous release YBNL which features established acts decided to feature talented rappers on the new album.
Album to be released November 2013

APC leaders, rebel PDP govs’ meeting rattles PDP

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party was rattled by the meeting of the leadership of the All Progressive Congress and some of the aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto, Sokoto State on Tuesday.



The APC leaders, who were in Sokoto for the inauguration of the Sokoto State University , where the meeting was held, were a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Members of the New PDP who were in attendance were the governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko; Governors Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).

Three of the aggrieved governors, Aliyu Babangida(Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), were absent at the event.

However, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, was at the event, where no Federal Government official was present.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that the meeting of the APC leaders with the rebel governors was a topic for discussion among members of the National Working Committee of the PDP on Wednesday.

A member of the committee, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said it was almost certain that the rebel governors were out of the ruling party.

He said the NWC of the party was surprised that the rebel governors were no longer hiding their disdain for the party.

He said though the issue was not on the agenda of the Wednesday’s meeting, the matter was discussed informally among the NWC members.

The source said, “Though the gathering was about opening of a university, why was the event dominated by those who are against us?

“We have been hearing that these governors are planning to defect to the APC. Maybe that was why they invited the leaders of the party and used the opportunity to concretise their discussions. We are watching.”

Reacting to the issue, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Ibrahim Jalo, told our correspondent that the party believed that the gathering had no political undertone.

Jalo said the party believed what Wamakko said, which was that the event was for the inauguration of the state university.

He said, “The event was a mere gathering. We also believe that it was, according to the governor, meant to open the state university as stated by the governor.

“Apart from that, we believe that these people are free to meet and discuss as guaranteed by the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees freedom of association.”

However, the party said it had directed party leaders in zones, states, local government areas and wards to establish disciplinary committees in accordance with its constitution.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the action was in tandem with the “focused determination of the national leadership of the PDP to ensure discipline and loyalty at all levels.”
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FG to launch gender initiatives to empower women

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communications Technology, has finalized plans to launch gender based initiatives that will empower Nigerian women and girls from November 5.

The Minister of Communications Technology, Omobola Johnson, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to her, the initiatives are the SmartWoman Nigeria initiative, 1000 Girls in ICT Training programme and the ICT Girls Clubs geared at educating, empowering, developing and making women and girls in Nigeria ICT savvy and self-reliant.

Two of the initiatives, the Smart Women Nigeria and the 1000 Girls ICT training programme, will be launched on November 4 in Lagos, while the ICT Girls Clubs will be launched in January 2014.

Johnson hinted that the Ministry is collaborating with some partners to launch the initiative.

The SmartWoman Nigeria platform, developed by US-based social enterprise ChangeCorp, will be launched in collaboration with WIMBIZ.

The initiative seeks to promote the development of women in Nigeria by harnessing the power of mobile communication tools provided by Information and Communication Technologies.

The SmartWoman initiative, which featured at the first meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development Working Group on Gender in Mexico City (of which Johnson is a member), is targeted at low- to middle-income urban and high-income rural women business owners.

It offers learning in communication skills, banking, financial, health, and family work/life balance issues.

The second Gender initiative to be launched by the Ministry is the ICT training for 1000 Girls in collaboration with Hauwei.

The training project will inculcate 1000 girls with crucial ICT skills necessary for empowerment and development of the girls.

The programme is a three-day programme that will train 1000 unemployed Nigerian girls within a year in specific ICT skills that will enhance their employment opportunities.

The girls will be trained in Telecommunication Networks, Transmission Network and GSM, LTE, WCDMA and other ICT skills.

The first phase of the training programme will commence on November 4, 2013.

On completion of this first phase, the top 200 students based on performance during phase 1 will be given further training to become Huawei Certified Network Associates

The third initiative, the ICT Girls Club, is perceived as a viable platform to create an enabling environment to encourage young girls to embrace ICTs.

The aim of these Clubs is to help to bridge the existing digital divide between boys and girls and remove the barriers that discourage girls from embracing ICTs.

The goal is to ensure that more girls embrace and adopt careers in ICTs.

The Clubs will teach animation, website development, blogging, software development, graphics design, games, computer programming, etc.

The Ministry, in partnership with two recognized NGOs (Women in Technology in Nigeria WITIN and Women Empowerment Centre WTEC), will set up the clubs in selected schools across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria in January 2014.

The Federal Government of Nigeria in a bid to further empower Nigerian women and girls developed an innovative approach to gender empowerment through the Ministry of Communication Technology, Agriculture, Water Resources, Health and Works.

To empower women and Girls, five Ministries signed MOUs with the Ministries of Women Affairs and Finance to develop the potential and earning power of women and deliver on specific services that will impact positively on the lives of Nigerian women.

The Ministry of Communications Technology, a key partner in the MoU signed through the specific technology initiatives listed above, is empowering women and girls to embrace ICTs to actualize their potentials and contribute to the economic development of Nigeria.

ICTs have the transforming power to accelerate the development of women by helping them to be more efficient and effective in their jobs, careers, and business and to generate new employment opportunities.

It also has the potential to significantly contribute to increasing the social welfare of women.

The post FG to launch gender initiatives to empower women appeared first on The Sun News.

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More shocking facts emerge on Oduah car scandal, as Coscharis Motors, First Bank testify

More cans of worms were thrown up on Wednesday in Abuja during the public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation on the controversial N255m bulletproof cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

But the woman at the centre of the scandal, Ms Stella Oduah, dared the committee as she again reneged on her promise to honour an invitation earlier extended to her.


Her absence however led to a near disagreement between the Committee Chairman, Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, and a member, Jerry Manwe.

Manwe had complained that the committee started proceedings without first clarifying why Oduah, who is the Minister of Aviation, was absent.

He said, “We adjourned (on Tuesday)to take the minister today (Wednesday). Why is she not here?

“She should have been the main issue today (Wednesday).

“The absence of the minister (Oduah) is a slap on the face of the House.”

Responding, Onyejeocha argued that the hearing was not about Oduah alone.

She overruled Manwe and moved on to hear the officials of the Nigerian Customs Service, Coscharis and First Bank Nigeria Plc state their roles in the purchase of the cars for Oduah by the NCAA.

The committee chairman later read a letter from the Ministry of Aviation in whicn the minister explained why she could not make the public sitting.

Onyejeocha told her colleagues that the Aviation ministry wrote to inform the committee that Oduah was on “transit” from Israel to Nigeria.

In the letter, the minister, who had allegedly failed to honour 12 invitations by the House, claimed that she would arrive in Lagos late on Wednesday and applied to appear before the committee on November 4.

• Oduah must appear today, says committee

But, Onyejeocha directed that the minister must appear on Thursday (today).

She said, “If she fails again, we take it that she does not want to appear. We are saying this in the spirit of fair hearing.

“Thursday (today) is sacrosanct and we will turn in our report whether she comes or not.”

The committee had on Monday issued a statement in which it insisted that the minister must appear before it on Wednesday.

It warned that it would not hesitate to take necessary actions against her if she failed to turn up on Wednesday.

The House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed, had also told newsmen on Tuesday, that sanctions that could be imposed on the minister if she failed to appear before the committee, included issuing a bench warrant to facilitate her arrest by security agents.

• Fresh revelations on the deal

But even with her absence, the committee, the NCS, Coscharis Motors and First Bank Nigeria Plc made fresh revelations on the controversial cars.

Among the fresh revelations made public at the hearing was the difference in the chassis numbers of the cars inspected by the committee members and those in the transaction documents between the NCAA and Coscharis.

Another is how the Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Security Adviser were made to believe that the two vehicles were for the 18th National Sports Festival (Eko Games 2012) hosted by Lagos State.

The Customs Service was the first to blow the lid when it told the committee that no duty was paid on the cars because Coscharis obtained a duty exemption certificate from the Federal Ministry of Finance.

According to the Customs, the government lost N10.1m due to the waiver, which covered 300 vehicles, including the two controversial bulletproof cars.

The Deputy Comptroller-General (Modernisation and Economic Relations), Mr. Manasa Jatau, who testified before the panel, disclosed that the Ministry of Finance granted the waiver after Coscharis wrote that it wanted to import 300 assorted vehicles for the EKO Games.

He added that the “end beneficiary” of the cars, including the two bulletproof vehicles was the Lagos State Government.

However,he hinted that the waiver was later used as a cover to import the bulletproof cars to evade the payment of import duty.

He revealed that there was also a third bulletproof car imported by Coscharis.

The Customs chief who did not name the owner of the third bulletproof car, added that the office of the NSA issued a security clearance for the two bought for Oduah.

Asked whether a waiver granted for a specific purpose, could be transferred to a different end-user, he replied, “To the best of my knowledge, end-user certificate is not transferable.”

The DCG said, “N10.1m was the duty payable on the 300 vehicles; but no duty was paid because there was an import exemption certificate issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

“The waiver was for a period of one year.

“The waiver showed there were 300 vehicles for the sports festival, hosted from November to December, 2012.

“Only three of the vehicles were bulletproof and the NSA gave security certificate for their clearance.”

Coscharis Motors was represented at the hearing by its Chairman, Mr. Cosmos Maduka, and the Managing Director, Mr. Josiah Samuel.

The company admitted that it got a waiver to import vehicles for the games, saying that “it is the usual practice for government to approach us to supply vehicles for major events.”

However, efforts by the committee to establish how the waiver was used to cover the bulletproof cars, did not yield results.

Samuel parried questions and chose rather to advertise BMW cars to members at the hearing.

• Coscharis accused of connivance

The committee however accused the company of conniving with the NCAA to inflate the cost of the cars. But Coscharis denied the accusation.

On the price of the cars, Samuel claimed that the BMWs were “7 Series, B7” security cars, which were costlier than their equivalent quoted by “independent amourers” on the Internet.

He argued that the cars in question had factory-fitted armour, as against buying a plain car before taking it to an independent firm to rebuild.

The Managing Director stated that the factory price for the grade of BMW cars it supplied the NCAA was €418,000, excluding other charges.

On how the company gets and utilises duty waivers, Josiah said most times, the waivers would come too close to the date of the event they were meant to cover.

“So, what we do is that we sign a Memorandum of Understanding with government to release the vehicles we have in our showroom. We then use the waiver to replace the vehicles we have supplied”, he added.

But, his response angered Manwe, who accused Coscharis of committing “fraud.”

Manwe said a quotation he received from an American firm showed that the same car sold for N42m.

He said, “We are not fools; you have been taking us for a ride.

“You imported the cars without paying duty, why are you selling one for over N127m? Are your own bulletproof cars manufactured in the moon.

“You got a waiver to import cars for the National Sports Festival, but you ended up using it to import bulletproof cars for the NCAA.

“You have been lying to us. You ripped off the people of Nigeria through the NCAA.

“That is the summary of what is before us here, so what are you saying?”

But, Maduka protested, saying his company did a legitimate transaction.

He said the whole scandal was “politically-motivated” for reasons he could not explain.

Maduka added, “We followed all the processes required. We sold vehicles to the NCAA and First Bank financed it.

“We were interviewed by the SSS(State Security Service), the NSA; we didn’t do any wrong.”

• More drama

But, more drama played out when the Aviation Committee’s Sub-Committee on Inspection, reported that the armoured cars Coscharis supplied were different from the ones quoted in its letter to the NSA.

The committee had visited the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on Tuesday to inspect the cars.

However, members discovered that the chassis numbers were different from the ones quoted in the transaction documents.

The leader of the inspection team, Mr. Ahmed Chanchangi, said, “We sighted the cars at the airport yesterday (Tuesday).

“The chassis numbers do not correspond with what you said you supplied. It looks like Nigeria was shortchanged here again”, he stated.

However, Maduka disagreed and insisted that a member of his staff ought to have accompanied the team to the airport to ascertain the cars they inspected.

The discrepancy in the chassis numbers was left unresolved.

• Our role –First Bank

First Bank which was the financier of the transaction, confirmed that it entered into a loan agreement, “not lease agreement” with the NCAA.

The head of the bank’s Lagos Mainland branch, which handled the transaction, Mr. Seyi Ojefeso, recalled how the NCAA approached the bank for a loan to purchase vehicles for its management staff.

Ojefeso claimed that it was possible that the NCAA “got it mixed up” when it described it as a lease agreement.

He explained that the NCAA applied for a total loan package of N643m to finance the purchase of 54 vehicles.

For the bulletproof cars, he said there was a Coscharis proforma invoice attached to the application in the value of N255m.

He added, “We offered an auto loan to the NCAA in May to purchase cars for its management staff.

“The application was for N643m; we financed the purchase of the cars based on the application they submitted to us.”

The committee observed that the original request of the NCAA to the Minister of Aviation was N564m, but First Bank eventually approved a loan of N643.

When asked to explain how the difference came about, Ojefeso said only the NCAA could answer the question since N564m was not in the agency’s communication with the bank.

• FAAN also bought cars for Oduah

The Senate Committee on Aviation also said that four of the 202 ‘operational’ cars bought by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria for its top officials are armoured vehicles.

It added in Abuja on Wednesday, that two of the armoured vehicles were for the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah and two for the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. George Uriesi.

“FAAN did confirm that among the operational vehicles they purchased, four of them are armoured vehicles, two for the Managing Director and two for the minister,” the committee Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodinma, told journalists on the sidelines of the investigation into the crises in the aviation industry.

Uriesi had while appearing before the panel on Tuesday said the operational vehicles included two Lexus limousines and two Toyota Prado jeeps.

But the FAAN chief did not state who the armoured vehicles were bought for. He said the limousines were bought for N60m each and not N70m being insinuated.

Uriesi, who said he did not have details of the cost of the Prado jeeps, also claimed that the vehicles were still in the custody of the bankers wthat funded their purchase.

He also did not give the names of the persons / company(ies) that ordered the vehicles and those they were meant for.

But Uzodinma told journalists on Wednesday that Uriesi had confirmed on oath that FAAN bought operational vehicles.

He said, “Investigation is still on-going and it will not be fair for me to preempt the outcome.

“We told them to go back and put everything in writing and make comprehensive statements on all vehicles purchased. Until they come back on Monday, we cannot rush into conclusion.

“The MD FAAN said they did a funding arrangement with a commercial bank.This investigation will be a very deep one so that at the end of the day, we do a holistic approach and look at how the sector will be repositioned so that all anomalies will be corrected.”

The Director-General of the Nigeria Metereological Agency, Mr. Anthony Anuforom; and his counterpart in the Accident and Investigations Bureau, Captain Muhtar Usman, told the committee that they were not involved in the purchase of armoured vehicles.

The Uzodinma-led committee will also inspect theN255m bulletproof cars bought for Oduah by the NCAA before the end of the week.
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Reasons Etisalat Nigeria CEO resigned

Bisi Olaleye

The quiet resignation of the brilliant Chief Executive Officer of the fastest growing telecommunications company in the country, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steven Evans, in September, may not be unconnected with some power play and office politics.

According to Daily Sun’s source who pleaded anonymity, before Evans’ resignation, each time there was a forum where the CEO was to attend, there was always a representation, which was becoming more regular than expected.

The source hinted that though Evans had contributed immensely to the growth of the company and by extension telecoms growth in Nigeria, but the power play from the company’s mother country, the United Arab Emirates, did not allow him to operate as he would have loved to.

The source noted that Evans’ tenure had lapsed but he could still come back on board if everything had been right and the environment conducive enough.

It would be recalled that Etisalat through Evans was able to hit over 15 million subscribers mark from zero subscriber.

Bloomberg reports that Evans has returned to the United Kingdom after having been chief executive officer at Etisalat Nigeria since December 2008.

Evans joined Etisalat after it started full operations in Nigeria.

Etisalat is Nigeria’s fourth largest mobile operator, with just over 15 million subscribers, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Etisalat Nigeria is a unit of the UAE Emirates Telecommunications Corporation.

Etisalat has not made an official announcement regarding the departure of Evans.

All efforts by Daily Sun to reach Etisalat Nigeria’s spokesperson, Ms. Chineze Amanfo, on the phone proved abortive.

Amanfo did not pick her calls.

Meanwhile, Etisalat’s Chief Commercial Officer, Matthew Willsher, has reportedly been appointed as acting chief executive.

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Doctor's Strike: Patients discharged prematurely by UCH regardless of their condition.

The strike by resident doctors has started taking its toll on the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

In-patients are being discharged prematurely by the management, regardless of their condition.


They were told to go home or patronise private hospitals, as doctors failed to report for work.

It was gathered that some in-patients, whose conditions were critical, were given first aid treatment by nurses before they were discharged.

Yesterday, the emergency wards were empty.

President of the the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), UCH chapter, Babatunde Babasanya, said the strike would continue until their demands were met.

UCH’s Chief Information Officer Toye Akinrinlola said the hospital’s management met with the doctors, but they insisted that they would not suspend the strike until their money was paid.

Akinrinlola said: “We appealed to them, but they stood their ground. We will continue to talk to them and we hope the strike will be suspended soon.”

Resident doctors have been on strike since October 1 over the non-payment of their four months’ salary and inadequate funding of residency training programmes.
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APC to Tukur: Let Nigerians decide how long PDP will rule

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has told PDP Chairman Bamanga Tukur that only Nigerians can decide whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan will rule beyond 2015, saying his statement that the President will rule till 2019 is nothing but an empty boast aimed at ingratiating himself to the President.


In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also asked the PDP Chairman to back up his statement, that it is time for Nigerian youths to take over the reins of power, by first stepping down from his post to pave the way for the younger generation.

It reminded Tukur that one of his predecessors once boasted, in another euphoric moment, that the PDP will rule for 60 years, only for him to leave office shortly thereafter.

”There is nothing on ground to justify Tukur’s empty boast, which is again being oiled in readiness for 2015.

”It is interesting that the Chairman said the future belongs to the youths and that the era of Gerontocracy is gone. The last time we checked, a 78-year-old man does not exactly belong to the generation of youths, even if he continues to hold away at the top echelon of the ruling party. The sincerity of that statement is therefore in doubt.

”As for the PDP Chairman’s admonition to the youth to start preparing to take over the mantle of leadership, the question to ask is whether or not the undergraduates in the nation’s public universities, who have been marooned at home for over four months now because the PDP-led federal government repudiated the agreement it signed with ASUU, are not part of the leaders of tomorrow?

”If Tukur believes they are, he should urgently prevail on the government sired by his party to meet its obligation to ASUU and end the strike by the university teachers. Then we will know that he is serious about his postulation. Until then, we say talk is cheap” the statement said.
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Police arrest five for gang-raping nine-year-old girl

The Plateau State Police Command has arrested five suspects for allegedly gang-raping a nine-year-old girl, (names withheld), in Jos.

The police also said they arrested a native doctor, Emmanuel Bala, for raping his 14-year-old patient.



They said another suspect was arrested for having a canal knowledge of a seven-year-old girl.

Speaking with journalists after parading the suspects in Jos on Wednesday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, said the suspects had confessed to the crimes.

The five who allegedly gang-raped the nine-year-old girl are Richard John , Zere Adams, Hamza Musa, Ugochukwu Raphael, Emmauel Ibrahim and Sok Davou.

Davou was said to be at large. Davou and the five others, who are already in police custody, allegedly conspired among themselves and raped the girl. The underage girl was said to be their neighbour’s daughter.

According to Olakpe, three of the suspects – John, Adams and Musa – confessed to raping the girl at the same time, while Rapheal, Ibrahim and Davou were said to have raped the girl on different days.

Olakpe said the native doctor, Bala, who resides in Rima village in Riyom Local Government Area of the state, raped 14-year-old girl, who was his patient.

According to him, the victim alleged that the native doctor had been having sexual intercourse with her since she was taken to his house in August 2013. She said the native doctor made her to believe that sex was part of her treatment.

The CP said the victim later exposed the native doctor to his wife, a development which he said led to a fight between the couple. Olakpe added that the native doctor descended on her wife, inflicting serious injuries on her in the process.

Olakpe said the victim was admitted in the hospital and that the State Criminal Investigation Department had commenced investigation into the case.

On his part, Abdullahi Adams aged 31 allegedly lured another seven-year-old girl to his room, tied her hands, gagged her mouth and raped her several times.

Olakpe said the victim sustained injuries in her private part and that she was currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Jos.
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U-17 World Cup: Abdullahi tips Eaglets for trophy

•As Maigari leads team to Sharjah

The Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has described the Nigerian Golden Eaglets prosecuting the ongoing FIFA Under 17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirate as phenomenal.

The Minister made this comment after watching the team beat the Iranians 4-1 on Tuesday.

Abdullahi said he was impressed with the “clinical finishing” of the Eaglets, noting that the technical crew did a good job of tutoring the boys. He further noted that the team is probably the best Under 17 side Nigeria has produced in a long time and that their prospect of lifting the cup is very high.

The minister had earlier spoken to the team on phone from his office in Abuja. He assured the boys that all Nigerians were behind them, praying for the team to lift the trophy. He conveyed the good wishes of His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan to the team.

“The President, His Excellency Goodluck Ebele Jonathan fully supports you and is happy with the victories you have recorded so far,” Abdullahi told the boys. He reminded them that the administration of President Jonathan has a policy of rewarding outstanding sportsmen and women, and so they should focus on winning the championship for a chance of meeting with the president.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday led the Golden Eaglets from Al Ain to the historic city of Sharjah-about 25 minutes drive off the commercial city of Dubai-ahead of their quarter-final match against Uruguay on Saturday.

The journey, which took about two-and-half hour by bus was seamless, as the Golden Eaglets land safely in the city that house “eye of the Emirates Ferris wheel” in time to keep a date with Uruguay for their quarter-final match on Saturday. Golden Eaglets are housed at the impressive Radisson Blu Resort complete with its idyllic serene environment complete with a beach.

“This is a beautiful place,” coach Nduka Ugbade. “We would do everything in our capacity to make it a memorable time by winning our next game here.”

Golden Eaglets had since settled down in their new abode and resumed training session on Wednesday as the coaching crew mapped out strategy against the South American side, Uruguay.

 

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Nigeria spends $13bn on peace-keeping – Ex-Polish envoy

Former Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Grezgorz Walinski has said that Nigeria has spent about $13 billion on peacekeeping operations since 1960 and has also sent over 250,000 members of the Nigerian armed forces to the United Nation’s sponsored missions worldwide.


Ambassador Walinski disclosed this at the stakeholders’ dinner reception for the Nigeria Security Exhibition and Conference, 2014, organised by First Security Guards Limited in Abuja.

He noted that despite the numerous contributions of the country in peace operations, it was assumed that the country had not taken full advantage of its active participation in the numerous peace operations around the world by not getting commensurate economic, military and political remuneration for its participation.

He cited countries like Ghana that had also participated in numerous UN PSOs but generated funds through the process to defray the costs of sustaining its military, while Nigeria on the other hand had largely allegedly deprived itself of such benefits.

According to him, the country started peacekeeping operations few days after her independence in 1960 in Congo and since then, the country’s forces have participated in many operations across the globe under varying international legal authority executing a variety of operational mandates.

He said: “Her contribution to the UN peacekeeping operations is only surpassed by those of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Over 250,000 members of the Nigerian armed forces have participated in UN sponsored missions worldwide.”

“Having been involved in 40 of the 55 peacekeeping missions of the UN, Nigeria has now participated in 73 percent of all UN peacekeeping operations. Four of these missions have been commanded by Nigeria senior military officers. Nigeria currently has about 6, 000 peacekeepers in various flashpoints, 4, 000 of which are in Darfur, Sudan,” he stated.

The former Polish Ambassador to Nigeria further said that many potential conflicts were effectively prevented due to Nigerian diplomacy. Therefore, Nigeria’s direct involvement as chief mediator in a number of territorial disputes and crises effectively allowed to avoid them and in consequence eliminated the threat of their development into full-scale conflicts.

Ambassador Walinski noted that the international community was getting fatigued and increasingly reluctant to intervene in Africa’s conflicts, adding, “During last two decades, we witnessed gradual but inevitable shift from foreign intervention carried on by European military contingents to establishments and strengthening of Africa’s own capability to prevent, to monitor and to resolve crises which inevitably will erupt.”

He said that the country was faced with myriads of security challenges but added that the “Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri has assured the international community that Nigeria would continue to work in the area of preventive diplomacy.”

He said the main problem of the country was terrorism, though it would not change the country’s position as regional leader, stressing that the country had always succeeded in learning from her experiences and making her experiences the source of even greater power.

He also said that the idea of organizing the security exhibition at the FCT was important as it served as a forum where all actors both state and private sectors and those that have the right to use power and those who can supply them with the products would come together and discuss security matters and also proffer solutions.

Speaking earlier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Security Guards who also is the chief organizer of NISEC, 2014, Frank Ohwafa said the reception was organized to bring together all stakeholders in preparation for the 2014 Nigeria Security Exhibition and Conference, NISEC, homeland security show.

Ohwafa said First Security Guards had in the past collaborated with other security agencies in areas of capacity building and competence needed in an ever changing environment to fight and combat crime and criminality.

“In year 2007, First Security Guards signed a partnership with the Nigeria Police to train and retrain her personnel in contemporary policing and crime fighting,” he stated and commended the National Security Adviser for using his office and appointment to promote peace and security, enduring lasting security platforms for better coordination of the security agencies.
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Subsidy fraud: Arisekola-Alao’s son accuses judge of bias

Abdullahi Alao, son of an Ibadan-based businessman, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, has petitioned the Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Philips, accusing the judge hearing his N1.1bn subsidy fraud charges of bias.



Alao and others are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, for alleged fraudulent collection of about N1.1bn from the Federal Government under the subsidy scheme.

Others, who are facing the charges along with Alao, are Olarenwaju Olalusi and Opeyemi Ajuyah, and their companies -Majope Investment Ltd. and Axenergy Ltd.

Alao has through his petition, asked the Chief Judge to withdraw the case from Okunnu and re-assign it to another judge.

His reason for the application was that he had been told that he would not get justice in the case as long as the case was being heard and determined by Okunnu.

This came after Justice Okunnu, in her ruling on October 21, dismissed Alao’s application seeking to quash the charges.

His counsel, Mr. Oluwaseun Awonuga, on Wednesday informed the court of an application he had filed seeking the court to set aside the October 21 ruling.

However, hearing of the application was adjourned till November 26 to enable the EFCC, through its counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, to respond to the application.
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Virgin school girl gang-raped to coma

• Suspects abandon victim in pool of blood

By CHRISTOPHER OJI

Police operatives in Lagos have arrested three persons and declared one other wanted for allegedly gang raping a girl to a state of coma. The young girl, simply identified as Vivian, is battling with death in a private hospital in Ikorodu area of the state.

Crime Watch gathered that the 15-year-old secondary school girl had gone to collect lesson notes from her colleague, Tabiola.

Tabiola was alleged to have lured her to a place where three others were waiting to devour her virginity.

A police source told Crime Watch that as soon as Tabiola walked in with Vivian, the suspects locked her inside a room where they forcefully stripped her naked.

According to the senior police officer, the girl was gang raped and was abandoned unconscious in the pool of her own blood.

The police officer, who gave the names of the three suspects as Yusuf, Rasheed, Oyedepo said, “When it dawned on the suspects that the girl was unconscious, they abandoned her in the pool of her blood where she would be seen and fled from the community.  I believe that the evil guys did not expect the girl to survive.

“Anyway, as the case is, it will take the grace of God and good medical attention for the girl to survive and be normal again.  Her pelvic, according to doctor’s report, has been so battered.  She was badly injured and she lost too much blood. More so, the girl was a virgin and was forcefully deflowered.  I feel for her because she is so devastated and psychologically traumatised.”

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ngozi Braide who confirmed the story told Crime Watch that the victim is a Secondary school girl.  “She was lured to the place where she was gang raped by four men.  She is presently recuperating in a private hospital.

Her condition was very bad as she was abandoned unconscious in the pool of her own blood.

“We have arrested three suspects and one other is still at large but we have declared man hunt for the fleeing suspect.”

She warned young girls to be wary of the male friends they keep as friends as some of them may be worse than beasts.  “Don’t visit your male friends alone and even when you go in company, don’t follow your male friends inside the house or a secluded areas,” she advised.

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Assistant Commissioner of Police didn’t fondle lady’s breast, it was photoshoped – Police

The Nigeria Police has described the photograph, which showed a senior police officer in the act of fondling the breast of an unknown lady, as fake. It said the picture, which went viral on the Internet, was deliberately fabricated with the aid of Adobe Photoshop technology to mislead the public.

The alleged amorous scene, the police authorities claimed, did not take place and the officer had nothing to do with the woman.


The police said it arrived at this conclusion after interrogating the policeman, who was seen in the type of uniform worn by officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.

On the official Facebook page of the police, the affected police officer was quoted as saying, “I don’t know this lady. I never took the picture with her.”

However, the authorities did not name the police officer nor give the details of the command where he is serving.

The police said that though it does not forbid its rank and file to pose with members of the public for photographs, it would not tolerate any display of affection for the opposite sex in full public glare.

“An image showing one of our officers in a compromising position with a lady has gone viral. Please check the hands in the so-called picture that is in circulation and you will agree that they were photo-shopped.

“Other citizens of this country are encouraged to pose for snapshots with our uniformed officers if they so desire, just as it is done worldwide. What we discourage is public display of affection by our uniformed officers,” it said.

After it appeared online, the controversial photograph provoked widespread condemnation from many Nigerians who have described the development as an act of indiscipline.

Claiming to be policemen, some people wrote on the police Facebook page that the phot0graph was the handiwork of mischief makers, who were clearly determined to drag the name of the security agency in mud.

They said that no uniformed officer of the rank of ACP would be so careless as to pose for a photograph in such a compromising position with a lady.

One Oluwasegun Samuel-Alalade commented on the wall of the Facebook page. “I know it is not real. Even a fresh recruit undergoing training at the Police College will not do such a thing, not to mention a top ranking officer. The Nigeria Police Force should kindly disregard the photograph, “ he wrote.

Also Kabiesy Ojeabulu wrote, “Photoshop or no Photoshop, all I have to say is that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, should always investigate issues before taking actions. It appears that a large section of the general public does not like the police. So they fabricate anything to tarnish our image. God help us all.”

Another policeman, Adegbola Olafiyin, stated, “I don’t know the offence we committed to deserve this from the public. Imagine here in the state where I am serving, commercial motorcycle riders will not give you a ride despite the fact that you have your money. This whole thing amounts to blackmail.”

But some Nigerians have disagreed with the police authorities on the status of the controversial photograph. They insist that it appears more real than fabricated.

One Lanre Bewaji wrote: “There are many angles to this picture. It is obvious the lady took the picture and the officer consented to it. No matter how awkward the scenario looks, if the lady was his wife or fiancée, would there be an issue? Until we know the real circumstances behind this picture, the matter is neither here nor there!”

In a tweet to the police, Hyke Ekeanyanwu expressed doubt that the photograph was faked. He said, “I may agree that the hand holding the breast was photo-shopped, but I will not agree that the hand around his (police officer’s) neck does not belong to the lady.”

Wale Bolanle, also on Facebook, queried,“What do you want us to believe? What else do you want him to say? He must surely deny. Is he not a human being?”

Meanwhile, the police authorities may have drawn the battle line with commercial banks in the country over the non-payment of the salaries of policemen.

The Force Headquarters wrote on its Facebook and Twitter handle on Wednesday that then Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, was “angry” with the banks over the matter.

“IGP MD Abubakar, is angry with bankers over delay in payment of Police salaries,” the message read.

Lamenting the situation, one Samuel Dogo, wrote, “The police authorities have allowed the commercial banks to deal with us the way they want because there is no proper monitoring. Nobody wants to know whether we have families and other dependants that are looking up to us for their upkeep.

“The police has the highest rates of deaths and causalities among security agencies in the country. In spite of our tireless efforts to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians, we are not appreciated. We earn the least salaries. Yet, we struggle so hard to ensure that this money is paid at the right time. If I may ask, is it a curse to be a policeman? I don’t understand. Can someone help me with a reasonable explanation?”
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PHCN assets handover: No going back on Nov 1 – FG

… Says 2,500 workers have no record 

From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, AbujaThe Federal Government yesterday insisted that it would go ahead with the physical handover of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) assets across the country to the new owners on November 1, 2013.

This came on the heels of threats by disengaged PHCN workers to begin nationwide strike on the same date should all their members not be paid by then.

Government also said over 6000 out of the 47,913 workers were yet to be verified and paid their entitlements.

Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the all stakeholders in the power privatisation process meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, assured of a successful handover.

Igali accompanied  by the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Benjamin Dikki and the Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu, disclosed that 40,093 out of the 47,913 identified disengaged PHCN workers had been fully paid their entitlements which he put at N294.4billion.

He said while N214.2billion was paid as their severance package, their pension was N80.2billion.

Igali explained that while the severance package went directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries, the gratuity payments were made to their pension fund custodian, adding that the documents of additional 605 workers, who were validated on Tuesday had been sent for payment.

He further disclosed that the government currently has issues with some workers whose biometric data were corrupted.

Those under this category are  1,478 from Enugu Distribution Company and 929 others nationwide, who would be invited to Abuja for recapturing.

 

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6-yr-old burnt to death in Lagos fire

A six-year-old boy was burnt to death in a fire that engulfed a building in Iyana-Ifako area of Gbagada Lagos, Tuesday night.


The deceased, identified simply as Abbey, was said to have been sleeping when the incident occurred.

Two of his elder brothers were said to have been rescued by sympathisers. The fire affected 10 rooms in the building located at 3, Ogunde Street, off Somori, Iyana-Ifako.

The cause of the fire, said to have started at 9p.m., could not be ascertained.

While occupants of the buildings scampered from their respective apartments for safety, eyewitnesses said shouts for help from some children in one of the rooms were heard.

Some of the sympathisers said to have gone for rescue mission, discovered that the door was locked.

One of the eyewitnesses said: “Their parents locked them inside and went out. Nobody knew where they went to. The door was forced opened and two of them rescued, though one of them was slightly burnt.

“It was while they got outside that the rescued children said their brother was still inside. By then the fire had engulfed the whole building and nobody could go in again.”

The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe, said fire trucks from Ilupeju and Ikeja responded to the distress call. He said the charred remains of the six-year-old boy was recovered.
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National confab: Another wasteful exercise –ACF

From NOAH EBIJE, Kaduna

Rising from its Board of Trustees and National Executive Council meetings yesterday, the apex northern socio-cultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has described the proposed national dialogue by the Federal Government as another wasteful exercise waiting to happen.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the national publicity secretary of the ACF, Anthony Sani, pointed out that since decisions of past similar conferences were not implemented by the appropriate authorities, the proposed national conference would suffer same fate.

However, as a mark of faith in oneness of the country, the forum urged northerners and delegates with proven integrity to go ahead and participate in the national talkshop.

This was even as the Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, Reverend Sunday John, told Daily Sun in a chat that the national dialogue would provide the opportunity for religious issues to be looked into and trashed for the common good of the country.

The ACF communiqué read in part: “The meeting considered the decision of the Federal Government to convoke a national conference/national dialogue against the backdrop that the decisions of past conferences are yet to be implemented by the appropriate authorities. ACF, therefore, expressed doubt that the outcomes of the current exercise would not suffer the same fate.

“However, as a mark of good faith in the hope that real issues of real concern to real Nigerians may be discussed, ACF urged northerners to participate in the national conference/national dialogue in the interest of national solidarity that goes with relative pluralism. Towards this end, only delegates with proven public intelligence and patriotic courage should be encouraged and supported to attend the conference.

“The meeting also considered the calls for representations on the basis of equality of geopolitical zones or of states or of ethnic nationalities and given the common place knowledge that any hype in ethnic nationalism is too divisive for furthering the cause of national unity, ACF urged the government to use local government areas as constituent units for representation to the conference at one delegate per local government area.”

 

 

The post National confab: Another wasteful exercise –ACF appeared first on The Sun News.

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I’ll contest 2015 Presidency if the people want me to - Aliyu

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu has expressed his readiness to take a shot at the Presidency in 2015, if he the people want him to join the race.

The governor spoke yesterday in Minna, the state capital, when he hosted delegates of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), led by its Chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa.


Aliyu said: “I always prepare myself for eventuality. I have never declared for anything. I didn’t declare to be governor; I was called upon. So, if my people call upon me, I won’t hesitate to contest.”

The governor cautioned against political intolerance of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at all levels of government to opposition.

He noted that a one-party state was undemocratic.

Aliyu maintained that a multiple-party system at any level would encourage healthy competition and enable the people to choose the best to be their leaders.

He said: “Every ruling party wants to have a one-party state. I encourage a multiple-party system so that there would be peer review and for the people to have choices of ideology and style. We need to show the people the differences in what is to be done and how we can run the affair of governance.

“A one-party state is undemocratic as it makes one to want to crush another over a little disagreement.”

Aliyu condemned the undemocratic forces in Rivers State, where the people were restricted from holding meetings or gatherings.

The governor stressed that this should not be allowed to continue.

He said: “Undemocratic forces are very active in Rivers State. People cannot meet or gather for activities. Even during the military era, people were still allowed to meet. This has already happened and, if we allow it to continue, it will ruin the peace in the country.”

Musa said he and his team were in Niger State for CNPP’s annual conference.

He said the CNPP was not an opposition party but an umbrella of smaller political parties and political organisations.
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