Photos: Hubby of killed banker arrested in Lagos State

PHOTOS BELOW

                                            

*Shonde with Lagos Police Commisioner

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/photos-arrested-hubby-banker-arrested-lagos/

*Shonde with Lagos Police Commisioner

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/photos-arrested-hubby-banker-arrested

FRSC to impound vehicles with expired, substandard tyres

By Solomon Okpere The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Monday said it would hence forth impound vehicles with expired and substandard tyres in the country. The FRSC Corps Marshal ,Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known at the Stakeholders’ Forum on Tyres with the theme `‘Promoting Safe Tyre use in Nigeria’’. The forum was organised by the FRSC in Abuja. Oyeyemi said that all the crashes the commission had recorded from February 2016 till date had been tyre-related. He said that this could be attributed to the ignorance in the use and management of tyres by most drivers. “We are going to start impounding any vehicle that has expired or substandard tyre and then we will arrange for the continuous journey of the passengers. That’s the new method to preserve lives. “ This is going to be done without fine but the driver will use money to go and buy genuine tyres with receipt before he would be allowed to continue his journey. “Enough is enough to this. We need to take stringent actions as soon as possible to save more lives. “Nigerians will have to choose between life and death. “Its either you use a fake or substandard tyre and then with the temperature of 41 degrees have a tyre blow out and a life is lost or you buy a genuine tyre and play safe. “New tyres are not so costly: with N11, 000 now you can get a new tyre, whereas these fairly used tyres cost between N5, 000 and N6, 000: the choice is yours “ Oyeyemi urged Nigerians not to put their lives at risk and consider the fact that life has no replacement and could not be bought with money. “You can buy tyres, vehicles can be replaced but lives can’t be replaced. The choice is yours, but on our part, we have decided that no vehicle can move forward with substandard tyre,’’ he said. He said that the support of the government and the private sector was needed in order for Nigeria to go back to having tyre plants. He said that the control of tyres coming into the country was made difficult as there were no longer tyre manufacturing companies in the country. Oyeyemi said that there was, therefore, the need to encourage local production of tyres. He appealed to the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), to explore how tyre manufacturing plants could be brought back to life. He said that the FRSC had been raising alarm on fake tyres since the Dunlop and Michelin tyre plants were shut down in Nigeria. This, he said, had led to people patronising bad tyres which in turn increased the rate of road crashes. He said this was because of ignorance of drivers and non compliance with instructions on tyre. Oyeyemi said many of the local vulcanizers use improperly calibrated measuring tools while some lack knowledge on the accurate gauge of each tyre. Also speaking at the forum, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing decried the incessant cases of tyre blowout resulting in fatal crashes in the country. Fashola, who was represented by Mr Abubakar Magaji, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said there were over 250 brands of tyres in use in Nigeria. He said that over 20 per cent of the entire vehicle population and 40 per cent of the commercial vehicles in the country use mixed tyre brands which was a threat to road safety in the country. The minister said that public awareness on tyres was very low while the maintenance culture among the people was poor, thereby increasing the level of vulnerability of the vehicles to tyre-related crashes. “It is also our hope that with the efforts being made by government to create conducive business environment for foreign investments, tyre manufacturing companies would be encouraged to invest heavily in the country. ‘’ He urged road transporters to avoid patronising fake and expired tyres, but make issues of safety uppermost in their minds. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, said of recent, the nation had been exposed to cases of frequent road carnages due to expiration, inappropriate inflation or wrong use of tyres. Lawal said as a responsible government, this administration would no longer tolerate senseless destruction of lives and property on the roads through use of tyres that were fake, expired or non-conducive to our environment. He called on all tyre manufacturing companies which relocated from Nigeria over the years due to harsh economic environment in the country to come back because things are now better.

Pastor Adeboye declares ‘holy war’ against kidnappers, killer-herdsmen

Angered by the growing violent crimes across the nation, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, declared ‘holy war’, when he led the congregation, at the May Holy Ghost Service, against kidnappers and killer-herdsmen. Just before his sermon, held under the theme, Victorious Grace, Adeboye led the mammoth crowd, that included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to pray against the shedding of blood and kidnapping across the country.

"our weapons of war are not carnal, but they are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds”, he said. And the congregation responded: “No more kidnapping; no more shedding of innocent blood all over the nation.” The three prayer points, in apparent response to the menace of herdsmen and kidnapping, include: “Father, anyone planning to shed innocent blood, send down your fire to consume them all; Father, anyone who has kidnapped or is planning to kidnap as we are praying, set fire wherever he/she may be now. Enough is enough; Father, beginning from now, let things begin to get better in Nigeria!” Adeboye, in his message, outlined some of the cardinal ingredients to attract victorious grace to include an insatiable desire to win souls for the kingdom. Addressing the church’s army of workers, the General Overseer urged them specifically to intensify efforts to win more souls forGod’s Kingdom especially because the parish pastors have been mandated to increase their membership by 100 per cent or risk losing their jobs.

Prices of building materials increase in Delta State

Prices of some building materials recorded six per cent increase in some major towns in Delta between January and April due to the rise in the cost of transportation.

Survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that the commodities affected during the period were sharp sand, iron rod, granite and cement blocks. The survey shows that a double tipper load of sharp sand which was sold for N13,000 in Asaba early January, sold for N14,000 during the last week of April. A single tipper load of the item which was also sold for N7,000 in January in Asaba and its environs went for N8,000 in April. The survey also reveals that within same period the price of granite also went up across the state. A double tipper load of the commodity sold for N15, 000 in Asaba, Ughelli, Agbor and Sapele in January sold for N16, 000 in April. A bag of Elephant brand of cement which was sold for N1, 600 in Sapele earlier in the year was sold for N1, 700 in April. NAN reports that the same brand which was sold for N1, 600 in Asaba and Warri in January was later sold for N1, 650. The survey also shows that the price of iron rod in Asaba and Issele-Uku moved up during the period under review. A single bar of 1.3-inch of the commodity sold for N1, 900 and N1, 100 in April in Asaba and Issele-Uku against N1, 850 and N1, 000 respectively in January. The investigation further revealed that cement blocks also recorded the slight price difference in Asaba, Warri, Issele-Uku and Agbor within the period under review. Nine-inch and six-inch cement blocks which were sold for between N110 and N100 respectively in the cities in January, sold for N120 and N110 respectively in April. Some of the dealers attributed the slight increase in the prices of the items to the rise in the cost of transportation occasioned by the rise in pump price of petrol during the period. For instance, Mr John Adebayo, owner of Adebayo Block Industry, Asaba, said: “the slight price increase we had between January and April was due to the increase in the price of fuel and transport fares. “The prices of sharp sand, granite and other building materials increased and this also affected the prices of our blocks’’.

2016 BUDGET: ‘Why implementation of capital projects must be given priority’

A financial expert, Mr Lawson Ayaele, has advised the Federal Government to give priority to the implementation of capital projects that can grow the economy of the country in the 2016 budget.

He said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday that if the government paid attention to such projects, the economy would recover rapidly. “It took a long time for this budget to be signed, I thanked the president for insisting on thorough work but the focus should be on implementation of capital projects. “ Our economy has been stagnant in the last couple of months, so i think the strength should be in revamping the sectors that can bring about turn around in the economy. “If that is done, jobs will be created and Nigerians will be happy for it,’’ he said. He advised that the government should focus on agriculture, power and transport, observing that the sectors were fundamental to bringing the desired change to the country. He further advised the government to review the projects of the past administration and execute those that could enhance the economy. “I am happy that this administration said it would continue with some ongoing projects that will make a lot of sense. “ If you look very well, the inflation is moving up, go to the market, things are so expensive, so, there are many things to be done,’’ he insisted. Ayaele said that although the N6.6 trillion-budget was huge, if the fight against corruption was sustained, revenues would be used appropriately. He called on the Federal Government to support the efforts of the Federal Inland Revenue Service to achieve its target in revenue generation. He advised that the government should monitor other revenue generating agencies to enable them contribute to economic growth and development of the country. He said the N38 oil per barrel benchmark was logical as there are expectations that the price would soon come up in the global market. “Although oil is about 46 dollar per barrel now, the diversification drive of the government is a better option for economic revival of the nation,’’ he said.

Claims, counter-claims trail alleged attempt on Governor Oshiomhole’s deputy’s life

By Solomon Okpere Benin-City- Saturday, April 30, 2016 was another tensed day in Edo State when the deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, visited delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area. While the deputy governor was inside the party’s secretariat addressing party leaders, hoodlums allegedly unleashed mayhem outside. Seven persons, including a policeman and an operative of the Department of State Security, were said to have been injured during the incident.

I got an altercation between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the deputy at a peace meeting initiated by party leaders in the state. In that meeting, the governor berated Odubu for allegedly contracting native doctors to kill him so that he (Odubu) can take over, a situation which will give the latter a smooth ride to Osadebey Avenue come 2016. While Odubu, vehemently denied the allegation, he equally accused his boss of starving his office financially and alleged victimization of his supporters in the APC. After the meeting, a road map for peace was established between the duo and that was why the Saturday incident became worrisome to leaders of the party. Unfortunately, the tension has been heightening since the people of Benin Kingdom commenced the mourning of the revered Oba Erediauwa who joined his ancestors. The announcement was made Friday while the Auchi incident occurred Saturday. Activities in the kingdom were paralysed following the announcement. As a matter of fact, one of the governorship aspirants, Godwin Obaseki, who was supposed to declare his intention to run the governorship race at the traditional Urhokpota Hall, Benin-City, suspended the event which later led to the rumour that he may have dropped out of the race. This actually elicited the attack from the League of Young Edo Professionals (LEYEP) against Odubu, whom they accused of embarking on campaign from the very day the demise of the Oba was announced. Secretary-General of the group, Dr Osatohamwen Nosakhare, in a statement, noted that while all other aspirants in the APC, including Engr Chris Ogiemwonyi, Obaseki, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor, Mr. Kenneth Imansuagbon, Chief Victor Atamah and Lady Tina Agbarha have since suspended their campaigns as a mark of respect for the late royal father, only Odubu, a Benin son, had continued to go about campaigning around Edo. But spokesman of the Odubu Campaign Organization, Mr Josef Omorotionmwan, said, “We were the first to show concern over the passage of the Oba of Benin; nobody expects he (Odubu) should mourn the way they mourn. We deeply respect the institution of the Oba of Benin Kingdom and more so the Oba just passed on. He was a nice father to all of us and we deeply regret his passage. Therefore, nobody should issue a template on how to mourn him”. However, Sunday Vanguard gathered that hours before the Auchi incident, Oshiomhole and the deputy attended a function at Udaba, Etsako Central LGA, where a member of the state House of Assembly was burying his grand mother. At that function, Oshiomhole and Odubu danced with their host before the governor left the place for his village. Before Odubu arrived Udaba, he had visited Fugar and Agenebode, in Edo North where the governor hails from. The deputy governor, with his supporters, left for Auchi from Udaba where the unfortunate incident occurred. Addressing journalists, on Sunday, Odubu’s Campaign Organization, led by a former House of Representatives member, Samson Osagie, called on the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to take measures to curtain the excesses of some powerful politicians within the party ahead of the gubernatorial election scheduled for September 10, 2016 or risk losing the state to the opposition PDP. Osagie alleged that the incident was purely an assassination attempt on the life of the deputy governor and it was geared towards disrupting the aims of the campaign and attempt to coerce the deputy governor dumping his ambition. He said the attack was perpetrated by those who are averse to a free, fair and credible democratic process with a view to intimidate, harass and put pressure on Odubu to quit the governorship contest. According to him, a number of persons considered to be loyal to the governorship ambition of the deputy governor were illegally removed from office. “We wish to notify the National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that they must pay proper attention to the happenings in the Edo chapter of the party as we move closer to the governorship election on September 10, 2016. Edo being the only state in the South-South geo-political zone being controlled by the party must be jealously protected in order for the party to retain its foothold in the zone. This, to us, is the height of naked display of power of cruelty, animosity, intolerance and man inhumanity to man.” Osagie noted that seven persons, including an escort commander who is a State Security Service officer attached to the Deputy Governor, sustained serious gunshot injuries during the attack on Odubu. But the Chairman of the APC in Etsako West LGA, Alhaji Abubakar Akokhia, who was said to be with Odubu inside the secretariat when the attack occurred, faulted Osagie’s account of the incident, saying it was not an assassination attempt on the deputy governor. Akokhia explained that he was with Odubu throughout the period the shooting lasted near the council secretariat and stated that the attack could not have been targeted at the deputy governor. He alleged that the attack was carried out by large army of supporters who accompanied Odubu to the place and admonished Odubu to reduce the number of supporters accompanying him on trips to avoid similar occurrence in future. On his part, the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Kassim Afegbua, described the alleged attack on the deputy governor as false. He said: “While we condemn in very strong terms the ugly incident at Auchi, we note, however, that the conclusion of the Odubu Campaign Organisation of alleged assassination attempt appears hasty as preliminary reports suggest that the fracas at Auchi was caused by men loyal to the Odubu Campaign brought in two truck-loads to Auchi who attacked other party loyalists not sold to the deputy governor’s aspiration. It is instructive to note that the deputy governor was inside the secretariat building of the APC in the company of the Party Chairman in the Local Government, Alhaji Umoru Akokhia, addressing the delegates while men loyal to him, who had become unruly, fired gunshots at other APC loyalists who were outside protesting against his visit. We gathered authoritatively that the first shots were, in fact, fired by Odubu’s security details in an attempt to scare away the party faithful who were against the men brought to their domain by the Odubu Campaign Organisation, before the men loyal to him fired at the party’s loyalists. It should be noted that among those who sustained injuries are APC loyalists who are presently receiving medical attention in the hospital. It is laughable that the Odubu Campaign Organisation will allege that the deputy governor, with full compliments of security details, was shot at yet no casualty was recorded on the other side and nobody apprehended. Given the above scenario, we find it lousy for anyone to impute assassination theory as propounded by the Odubu Campaign Organisation especially when investigations are ongoing and the police are yet to submit their findings on the fracas”. However, any one following the politics of the state in the past two weeks will not be surprised at the allegations and counter-allegations on the Odubu alleged assassination story. Two scenarios may have played out. One is that the governor’s kinsmen may have masterminded the attack to teach Odubu a lesson that he could come to Oshiomhole’s domain and be comfortable, particularly when he is perceived of allegedly waging war against their son. Oshiomhole may not have been involved but his kinsmen who always accuse the governor of always giving his enemies so much space to rubbish him politically, could have instigated the attack to tell Odubu to stay off Edo North. And it was learnt that Odubu, who had earlier planned to sleep in Auchi that night so as to proceed to Owan axis the next day, had to order his entourage back to Benin that night because Auchi became too hot for him. Another scenario which could have happened was that Odubu sympathisers could have arranged the attack in Oshiomhole’s back yard to make it look like an attempt on the deputy governor’s life particularly after his boss had accused him of allegedly paying native doctors to kill him. Odubu had been on the hot seat explaining to Catholic priests that he never did that. But Odubu’s supporters, who dismissed the allegation that the deputy governor’s sympathisers may have masterminded the attack to gain public sympathy for their principal, argued that they could not have shot their fellow supporters including Odubu’s aides if actually they were behind the attack. But the APC Chairman in Etsako West, Akhokia, countered that claim, saying: “Three of our people at home here were equally injured including one woman who is a delegate. Odubu’s security aides created the confusion by shooting outside”. It is expected however that the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who is an indigene of the state, will use his expertise to unravel the true perpetrators of the mayhem. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Chris Ezike, who had earlier met with the deputy governor, disclosed, last Thursday, that the IGP had decided to take over the investigation of the matter and assured that the truth would be unravelled.

Failed N100million ransome: Armed guards refused kingpin’s order to kill me – Senator Iyabo Anisulowo

Ogun State politician, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, who spent seven days in kidnappers’ den after she was abducted in Ilaro area of the state, narrates her ordeal.

What was the experience like, being in captivity for seven days? It was a wonderful experience. It tells the story of the face of God on anyone’s life, including myself. It’s an excruciating and unexpected pain that I went through in the hands of my captors. Since your release some 24hours ago, how has the feeling been? The last 24hours since my release, I’m really happy Your driver said some people crossed your path suddenly; narrate what actually happened on that fateful day? My driver and the occupants of the vehicle with me – a Civil Defence young man who was my orderly – were accosted and thrown out of the vehicle; I was prevented from running out; and their own team entered my car and drove off. They drove towards Imashayi. I was coming from my farm. They drove straight towards the forest and after we turned at Aiyetoro, they parked inside the bush. They organised an Okada rider – it looked as if the Okada rider had been used for this type of operation before. One of the men was armed. We mounted the bike and rode into the Aiyetoro woodland. How did your captors treat you while with them? It was very tough, very very tough. It was tough initially. In the first forest where I was taken, I was moved to another place where they would not be found. Then their leader, who drove my car, came to join us later. He told me what he needed from me, N100million Did they torture you and did you sustain injuries of any sort? They did not torture me but the instrument of moving from one point to another was very stressful and painful We fell down several times on the bike in the forest and the exhaust pipe, the silencer of the bike burnt my leg. They didn’t allow me to cry; each time that happened, they would say I should shut up because they did not want people to suspect. While in captivity, what was going through your mind? In the beginning, I was confused because I never thought such could happen in our area. But what was going on in my mind, especially after we moved to the second bush, the gang leader said if I loved myself, I should make contact quickly for the payment of the N100 million ransom so that I could leave their camp. After the first negotiation, he disappeared. How did you make contact? Did they do it for you or you were allowed to make the contact? They seized my phones and the kingpin had everything. When he came again, it was at the third camp. According to what they were discussing, I think they got a wrong information. They were looking for money and they said they won’t release me unless they got money. All the contacts on my phone, the kingpin had access to them and then he would ask me who to call. He would make the call and make it conference call so I couldn’t say much because he would hear whatever I said. I think by the second day, I had a slight idea of where we were because there were some churches in the distance doing night vigil and they were talking about the area while praying, Obada, but I couldn’t disclose where I was. They started calling people that I had been captured by kidnappers and that they should bring N100million. People were saying they would negotiate and people were begging them that they should reduce the ransom. The kingpin said even if I didn’t have money, I had influence and I should be able to raise the money thorough people who would love me not to die. While there, who were you thinking of? I was thinking about the rocks of God. As in among family members or friends, who were the people you were thinking of? I was thinking of everyone that I had had contact with, that I love, especially the people around me here in Ilaro. What about the rescue? I didn’t eat. I was fasting. I told them I needed water, two bottles of water. I was taking that every day, But at some point, even the people knew the game was up. It was the armed guard among them who lamented that ‘madam, your people are not cooperating and we have been told to kill you’. But he said he didn’t have the mind to kill me. He then told me that, some times, even after people had paid ransom, they still killed their victims. But I said ‘God will not allow you to kill me’. I also told them that I had offered them what I could offer which they rejected and that if I had N100million, I would not be farming and even if I would be farming I would be a distant farmer. It was just the favour of God that I got, that made me survive the ordeal. It was just God. We were in the same forest for those days and we were moving from one place to the other – in the same forest. Even some Fulani herdsmen were moving about in the forest but they didn’t want people to know something like abduction or kidnap had happened. So each time the herdsmen were around, they would quickly move to another location. On the day I was released, I discovered that things were not getting any easier for them, so one of them came to me and said ‘madam, you are going home today’. I thought I would be left alone to move out in the bush but they said no, that they were calling the same Okada man to come and pick us at a particular time. I didn’t believe it would happen but at about 4pm, the man surfaced with food in a polythene bag and said I should eat but I refused and said no, that if I would eat, I would do that when I get home. Then suddenly, the rain started again. Even the day I was captured, there was a downpour. Would you forgive them? I have forgiven them, not my captors but the boys that were with me in the bush there. One of them said they had been told to kill me but that they could not. One even said they were not making any money from the deal. I said I knew, although I wasn’t too sure. Because what I had offered them would have at least helped them to clean up. I have forgiven those four boys and if I have an opportunity of a reform, I would do it for them. THIS INTERVIEW WAS FIRST AIRED ON CHANNELS TV

Our objective is to the boost Nigerian economy— Tyler Husby

By Solomon Okpere Tyler Husby is the Project Manager at Daktronics, a designing and manufacturing electronic scoreboards, programmable display systems and large screen video displays. In this interview, he shares his company’s focus on LED boards and why they are partnering Optimum Exposures on the largest digital billboard in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Elephant, in Lagos, among other things. How would you describe the trends in digital billboards across the world? Daktronics’ earliest products were an electronic vote tabulating system and a portable wrestling scoreboard. Over time we branched out to become the world-wide market leader in LED signs including scoreboards, message displays, highway displays, on-premise signs and digital billboards. In 2001 we produced our first digital billboard and in 2004 digital billboards started to take off world-wide. Amid the social and economic challenges in Nigeria, what made it attractive? We noticed that the Nigerian market was being receptive to digital technology and starting to experiment with it. We have helped many organisations and communities implement digital technology successfully and we continue to look for opportunities to get new markets up and running, so we noticed that the Nigerian market was ready for digital billboards. We are committed to the success of digital out of home business. We have been since the beginning. The success and growth of our business is directly related to the success of our customers’ businesses. We have been evolving our digital billboard product line for 15 years and have developed the most reliable, high-quality product with the best image quality available today. We want digital technology to be received well, operated correctly and used to its fullest potential, which explains why we partner not just supply technology to businesses. That’s why we are in Nigeria working with organisations like Optimum Exposures on the digital Elephant Board, that would be the largest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. We are optimistic it is going to have massive impact on the industry in Nigeria. We notice you are busy reinventing the Elephant. What are you up to at this time? We already pointed out that the Nigerian market appears ready for digital boards, hence the need to reinvent the Elephant. We are upgrading the board to be fully interactive and engaging with brands, consumers and prospects on all social media platforms. So we hope it gets the expected level of excitement from the people. It will also have the capacity to render social services, like time and news breaks on happenings in the city in addition to helping brands catch eyeballs and engage the public in an exciting manner. Why should brands crave to be at the Elephant board? It is an iconic landmark with superior technology that accurately projects brands and gets them noticed in the bid to wind mind-share, love and patronage. This display will allow advertisers to take their brands to a new level, particularly with the option for real-time content and engagement. our software allows the operator to provide reporting information back to the advertiser, which is challenging to get through other methods of advertising. It’s like being on the cover of the Rolling Stone. What does it offer the public and consumers? Versatility and flexibility! From versatility, our digital billboards provide advertising and real time information to the community. With the ability to run data feeds, the possibilities for advertisers are endless – from real time sports scores, social media, weather, time sensitive campaigns and brand offerings. On flexibility, advertisers have the ability to change content at a moment’s notice. The content on the display allows consumers to receive relevant, timely information like they are accustomed to in their daily lives via cell phones, social media and much more. What convinces you that the Nigerian populace is ready for this level of innovation? We are already seeing the implementation of digital technology in Nigeria. We are committed to helping outdoor companies choose a successful product that will represent their company and their clients well overtime, not just in the short term. By providing digital technology that is innovative and performs well, we can ensure that digital advertising is well received. Consumers are demanding information and advertising that is relevant and timely, digital billboards allow for both. You are a B2B business in Nigeria. Who are you partnering with on digital billboards in this market and why? Our objective is to help boost the Nigerian economy through the industry in which we play, the Out Of Home OOH. Our current project, is being executed in partnership with Optimum Exposures. Our decision to partner with them is based on their readiness to deploy top notch boards like the iconic Elephant. We are partnering with them because we are convinced that the innovation will boost the industry and the Nigerian economy. What should Nigerians expect from this partnership? We are vested in our partner’s success, it’s a long-term relationship. It will be sustained because we have dedicated out of home team that assists outdoor companies in getting started in digital, choose the right product and then continues to provide training and knowledge after the installation. Our team will be available to ensure that stakeholders, particularly patronising brands, continually get good value for investing in the Elephant. In your business segment, what’s the global perception of Nigeria? Available statistics show that Nigeria has Africa’s largest population with a large concentration of them being youthful. The stability of civil rule is also something that the world is pleased to witness in Nigeria, particularly with the current administration showing some resolve to deal with issues of corruption. However, the challenges of infrastructure, power supply and security threats are also there. To what extent are you guided by this perception? We know that Africa is the next destination for businesses and Nigeria remains an exciting destination for business in Africa. So we are guided by this in making efforts to get quality partners that can sustain our standard. Once, we find such we venture with optimism.

I don’t care about FIFA rankings— Akinwunmi

By Solomon Okpere The vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi has dismissed the monthly FIFA rankings as “too narrow” to give a true reflection of the actual state of a country’s football. “What determines a country’s ranking in the monthly exercise?” he asked rhetorically. “I don’t look at FIFA rankings because they don’t talk about the various aspects of football in a country. They don’t talk about grassroots development, for instance or how the referees are improving, the league and others. FIFA rankings only concentrate on games a national team plays, that is why I don’t bother myself about the monthly ritual.” Akinwunmi who was at the Agege Stadium, in Lagos to watch matches of the 2016 GTBank Lagos Principals Cup also spoke on the process involved in getting a new coach for Nigeria. “We are not sleeping,” he started, adding that the technical committee was still at it. “We are conscious of the diverse opinions regarding the issue of contracting a coach for the Super Eagles. Luckily, we are not under any pressure. We are not pressed for time as we do not have any immediate cause for a new coach. The technical committee will meet, take notice of the diverse views and come up with a strong position. “I have heard some people talk about the futility of hiring a foreign coach; asking questions like what have foreign coaches achieved that indigenous coaches have not. I have also heard others say, why should we go for another local coach because in their opinion, we have recycled all the coaches we have around. All this make sense but which is more sensible? That is the question the technical committee will look at,” he said. The NFF big wig said, the committee was not given any time frame to turn in their report because, “they are experienced men who want the best for Nigeria and will not go to sleep because they were not given a time frame. We have confidence in them to do a good job and on time too,” he concluded.

Condemnation trails militants’ attack on Chevron’s oil facility

Non-Governmental Organisation, Community Watch of Nigeria (CWN), has condemned the May 4 militants’ attack on Chevron’s off shore platform in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta.

Chief Samingo Etukakpan, the Coordinator of the organisation, made the condemnation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in the oil town of Eket, Akwa Ibom. NAN recalls that the militants identified as members of Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have already claimed responsibility for the attack. The facility is jointly owned by the NNPC and Chevron and is operated by the American oil firm. Etukakpan said that the re-emergence of militancy in the Niger Delta was a sad development and a threat to the unity and progress of the nation. He said that the Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government was an elaborate youths’ enhancement package aimed at ending militancy in the region. “We condemn in its totality the recent attacked on Chevron’s oil facility and wish to advise the perpetrators of the dastardly act to embrace the amnesty programme. “The recent clean-up exercise in the Niger Delta by the Federal Government shows the good intention of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration towards the Niger Delta region,” he said. Etukakpan described the attack as an economic sabotage aimed at discrediting the efforts of the current administration towards restructuring of the country’s economy. “We in CWN view it as an economic sabotage the recent act of vandalism by the militant group which is capable of resulting in a shortfall in electricity generation in the country. “We wish to call on Nigerians to join hands with the present administration in moving the county forward,” he said. He said that the organisation planned to convoke a peace conference for the youths of the Niger Delta to seek more ways of supporting the current administration.

Boastful Trump says no need for Republican unity

There may be much Republican hand-wringing over Donald Trump’s presumptive nomination to face the Democratic candidate for the White House, but the boastful billionaire says he doesn’t care, and it doesn’t matter. A growing chorus of senior Republican leaders have joined the “anyone but Trump movement,” including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and the last two Republican presidents, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. “Does it have to be unified?” Trump asked about the Republican Party. “I’m very different than everybody else, perhaps, that’s ever run for office. I actually don’t think so,” he told ABC’s “This Week” in excerpts provided ahead of Sunday’s broadcast. “I think it would be better if it were unified, I think it would be — there would be something good about it. But I don’t think it actually has to be unified in the traditional sense.” A group of conservatives opposed to Trump’s candidacy meanwhile announced it had launched a “formal effort” for an alternative candidate, though it stopped short of backing a contender from a third party. “This is not just a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party; it is a battle for the future of our country,” Conservatives Against Trump said in a statement. “This week, Conservatives Against Trump launched a formal effort to identify an acceptable alternative candidate to run for president against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.” The race is still “wide open for a qualified conservative candidate,” the group of activists said. “We will not vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton; but we will vote.” Trump, however, said he expected even some Democratic voters to throw their support behind him to win the general election. “I’m going to go out and I’m going to get millions of people from the Democrats,” Trump said. “I’m going to get Bernie (Sanders) people to vote, because they like me on trade,” he added, referring to the Democratic candidate in an uphill fight against Hillary Clinton to clinch the party’s nomination

Fulani Herdsmen obstruct Gov. Okorocha’s convoy in Owerri State

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on tour of projects in the state with some Journalists were held up for about half an hour at Amakohia Orlu Road in Owerri the state capital on Saturday between 4 and 4. 30 pm by Fulani herdsmen. Security men attached to the governor cleared the cows off the road. A citizen reporter sent the images.

Man absconds after the allegedly killing wife in Lagos State

A woman named Ronke Bewaji Shonde was allegedly beaten to death by her husband, Lekan Shonde.

Ronke lived with her husband and 2 kids at Tiemo Crescent off Awori street in Egbeda, Lagos state, and that was where she was beaten to death by Lekan. Reports say that the couple had fought on the morning of May 6th, with noises being heard from their apartment. The discovery began when the couple’s nanny arrived the home at around 7am, but couldn’t gain entry into the house because it was locked. She could not reach Ronke via phone, and heard the children crying through a window, saying they couldn’t wake their mummy up. Alerting the neighbors, the door to the apartment was forced open, and Ronke’s lifeless body was found, with Lekan no where to be seen. Ronke’s body has since been taken to the mortuary, while the hunt for Kunle continues. Domestic violence is an evil that must be stopped. See photos of the couple and their kids below.

Morgan lifts up trophy to complete Leicester fairytale

Leicester City captain Wes Morgan hoisted the Premier League trophy aloft to a burst of pyrotechnics on Saturday as one of sport’s most captivating stories reached its giddy climax. Following a 3-1 win over Everton in their final home game, the 5,000-1 outsiders, whose exploits have captivated fans around the world, got their hands on the prized trophy at an exultant King Power Stadium. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (2L) jokes with Leicester City's English defender Wes Morgan (C) as Leicester players celebrate with Leicester City's Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (C-R) with the Premier league trophy after winning the league and the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Everton at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on May 7, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (2L) jokes with Leicester City’s English defender Wes Morgan (C) as Leicester players celebrate with Leicester City’s Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (C-R) with the Premier league trophy after winning the league and the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Everton at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on May 7, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. After the players had been called up one by one to a hastily constructed on-pitch plinth — the biggest cheers reserved for star players Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante — Morgan was handed the trophy by competition winner Steve Worthy, a lifelong Leicester fan. The club’s inspirational manager Claudio Ranieri was at Morgan’s side as the Jamaica international centre-back raised the trophy above his head, to a backdrop of fireworks and spiralling blue and gold streamers. The 25kg trophy was decorated with ribbons of blue, for Leicester, and yellow, representing the royal house of Thailand, home country of club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who looked on admiringly. As the players embarked on a lap of honour, Leicester’s fans, who saw their team narrowly avoid relegation last season, burst into a chorus of “Leicester till I die!”. It was followed by “Barcelona, we’re coming for you!”, in a nod to next season’s hotly anticipated Champions League campaign. Vardy scored a brace and missed a penalty in the victory over Everton, which took Ranieri’s men 10 points clear of second-place Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the London club’s game with Southampton on Sunday. Banned for Leicester’s two previous games, Vardy struck in each half, with Andy King also on target, and would have had a hat-trick had he not blazed a second-half penalty over the bar. Prior to kick-off, fans were treated to a performance by renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who prompted roars of approval from the flag-waving home support by removing his jacket to reveal a blue Leicester shirt as he sang. Leicester play their final game of the season next Sunday at outgoing champions Chelsea, Ranieri’s former club, before an open-top bus parade in Leicester on May 16. – Vardy closes on Kane – Tottenham’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea last Monday, which gave Leicester the title, sparked a week of celebrations in the city and fans arrived at the stadium several hours before kick-off on Saturday to drink in the moment. Supporters formed a snake-like queue for blue team jerseys stamped with a gold and white “Premier League Champions 2015-16” sleeve badge, while souvenir scarves, flags and programmes were eagerly snapped up from stalls around the ground. Bright sunshine gave way to heavy spring downpours as kick-off approached, but the atmosphere inside the stadium remained fervent. The sell-out 32,140 crowd witnessed a stirring pre-match performance by Bocelli, who fulfilled a recent promise to his compatriot Ranieri by singing ‘Nessun Dorma’ and ‘Time to Say Goodbye’. Everton’s players gave their opponents a guard of honour as they emerged onto the pitch and it took Leicester less than five minutes to go ahead as Vardy converted King’s lofted cross for his 23rd goal of the campaign. King made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute, sweeping home right-footed after Riyad Mahrez’s jinking run into the box was halted by Leighton Baines. Vardy added a third 20 minutes after the interval, drilling a penalty past Joel Robles after he had been fouled by Matthew Pennington. It would have been a hat-trick, but after Jeff Schlupp had been poleaxed by fellow substitute Darron Gibson, Vardy blazed his second penalty into the stand, prompting a shake of the head and a rueful smile. Kevin Mirallas replied late on for Roberto Martinez’s Everton, who slipped one place to 12th in the table. Vardy now has 24 goals for the campaign, one behind Tottenham’s Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot.

Rio Olympics: Siasia faces selection headache over the over-age players

With about 90 days to the start of the Olympic Games in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, Coach Samson Siasia is facing a selection headache over which over-age players to select to strengthen the side for the men’s football tournament in the summer. While the qualifying campaign, which Siasia’s boys won late last year in Senegal is restricted to players aged under-23, three overage players can compete at the Olympics, with Nigerians set to spend the next weeks debating the identity of the trio of overage players Siasia will pick as he has little time before submitting preliminary lists for the August tournament. . The local media has already dished out plenty of column inches to speculation over the identity of the Dream Team’s over-age trio to the Rio Games, as the search for a second gold medal in soccer reaches feverish peak after the heroics of the 1996 Olympic Team managed by Dutchman Jo Bonfrere won gold in Atlanta in 1996. Top on the list is John Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo, two players from the Premier League, and also goalkeeper Victor Enyeama, who is a strong candidate. The France-based goalkeeper had quit the national team last year when dropped from selection, but now could return. Ighalo has been one of Nigeria’s stand-out performers in the Premier League this season, netting over 14 goals for Watford in the current English Premier League campaign. Other Eagles regular like Ogenyi Onazi, Godfrey Oboabona, Ahmed Musa and Aaron Samuel are also reported to be targeting a place in the Rio Games, all the more complicating the situation for Siasia, who guided the Olympic team to win silver at the Beijing 2008 Games. The Olympic Games football tournament might be seen as something of a misnomer at an event where all the world’s finest athletes are competing ... except in football. But for Nigeria and Africa, it is important and it marked the early breakthroughs for the continent in the international arena. Zambia’s upset win over Italy in 1988 was followed by a bronze for Ghana in Barcelona four years later. Then came the magical Nigerian performance of 1996 and gold again for Africa in Sydney in 2000 when Cameroon emerged victorious. Brazil and Neymar will have the tag of favourites and be the firm focus of everyone in August, but the African challenge will be a very real one — with the right over age players to spur on their chances.

I want to impact on the lives of me — Nina Orji

She once was a player in the corporate world, where she worked in a leading Nigerian engineering company that also runs one of Nigeria’s largest and most successful airlines. But when she heard the voice to leave the secular work and channel her potentials into gospel music, Nina Orji wasted no time in heeding the call. Today, she has some singles in the market, turning hearts towards heaven. But the Abia State-born singer says she’s still far from where she wants to be. According to her, she wants to be up there with the Joyce Meyers, Anita Bynun and Les Brown of this world while remaining as source of inspirations to generations of Nigerians. Having done some work in the music industry, where do you think you are now? Well, I would say I have taken off. But you know starting something new is not always easy and you need the grace of God and the support of the people to achieve set goals. For now, I am doing well, given where I started from and where I am going. I am also a music minister and a motivational speaker. What really moved you from the corporate world into music? What brought me into music is first of all, my desire to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ via music. Again, music has always been in me right from when I was young. I remember as far back as when I was in primary and secondary schools I would make songs which were used in our school events and activities, for example, inter-house sports competitions and all that. It was awesome but then we took it like a child’s play. But as I grew up, I realised that this thing cannot just be shut up in my bones and I went into gospel music to actualise that God-given talent. So, I can say that I sing gospel because of the call of God on my life, secondly, my love for the gospel of Jesus makes me to find a medium of expressing it, and music remains the best route to preach it and finally, my desire to impact the lives of men positively.

The PDP LG Congresses first step towards reclaiming FG – Ojugboh, Akobundu

National vice-chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the South-South and Southeast, Dr. Cairo Ojugboh and Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) have expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the party ward congresses in the two geopolitical zones. The two party chieftains speaking to Saturday Vanguard ahead of today’s local government congresses in the two zones said issues arising from last weekend’s congresses were being articulated even as they expressed readiness for today’s local government congresses to elect new executives for the local governments. Col. Akonbundu speaking on the ward congresses in the South-East said: “We are still articulating the reports, but it was successful. We are seriously preparing for the LG congress and we hope to also make it a success.” Dr. Ojugboh on his part said the success of the congresses was the party’s first step towards reclaiming power at the centre in 2019. Ojougboh in a telephone chat with the Saturday Vanguard, held that the congresses which held last weekend were transparent and devoid of rancour in the South South. Saying he was in touch with the PDP State chairmen in Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross Rivers and other States in the region, he said they would build and consolidate on the successes of the ward congress.

President Buhari visits his hometown, Daura

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, arrived his hometown Daura in Katsina State to begin a four-day visit to the state. The President’s plane landed at the Katsina airport at about 4.25 p.m, from where he was taken in a chopper to Daura, near the Nigerien border.

He was received by the state governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari and top federal and state government functionaries at the airport before leaving for Daura, his hometown. The president is expected back in Katsina on Monday, where he will be engaged in official assignments. He is scheduled to declare open and participate in the Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit, aimed at diversifying the state’s ailing economy. The summit, which is scheduled to take place between Monday and Wednesday, is designed to attract investors and leaders of the corporate world, within and outside the country. Earlier, Governor Masari had told State House correspondents in Abuja that the summit was conceived as a platform to showcase the state natural economic features to the outside world as well as to attract investors to the state. “The Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit is about diversification of the state’s economy. “It is about creating awareness among the citizens of the state about the need to be entrepreneur-conscious, to be creative and self-reliant,’’ he said.

The Street Credibility and Back to Back feud.. MUST READ

...the new face of industry perception By Solomon Okpere The streets must have really taken over indeed; I have no scintilla of doubt about that. What I can’t quickly fathom however, is how the street made it from being the obnoxious bad habit to the celebrated and money generating code. From popular music to brand endorsements and the entire entertainment circle, the tides are quickly changing to accommodate the firmly established street credibility mantra.

The stories of street kings like Olamide, Phyno, Reminisce and others dropping hit tracks consistently and bagging mouth watering endorsement deals proves beyond doubt that the street can no longer be jettisoned either in the space of entertainment’s public opinion or in the caucus of brand ambassadors. A section of music lovers, who have deliberately decided not to join the bandwagon of the street music enthusiasts in the name of calling a spade a spade on the unacceptability of the crafted music genre, sometimes inadvertently forget their position and groove to the rhythm of the masses and even learn to master accompanying dance moves. A long road to acceptance For some of us who grew up in the kite age, the tendency of always comparing what is obtainable now with our very own good old days seems a constant mannerism. I remember vividly how I struggled with other lads to be the first to memorize Craig David’s album “born to do it”. I had my fair share of learning dance moves too, Galala, Suo, Makossa, Konto, Yahooze, Azonto, Alingo, Kukere Shoki, Shakiti Bobo and the latest Dab were some of the interesting dance steps we struggled to master alongside their accompanying songs over the years. So I was vigorously dancing my Galala to Daddy showkey’s Fire Fire after school, and my Uncle looked at me and hissed “my friend go and sit down, do you think you can dance, where were you when we were dancing “twist” by Chubby Checker? He said. I laughed out loud as he tried to demonstrate the twist dance to me, I guess age must have prevented his waist from helping him achieve his intention on the day. From then till now, the Nigerian music industry has experienced a steady but progressive journey to a destination of superlative acceptance for homemade sounds and music of indigenous flows and languages. In fact, little is remembered of the time when albums and hits of international charts took the larger part of our shelves and the period when foreign artistes took the shine with pride, even replacing themselves as rave of the moment in our musical consciousness.  

Back to Back beef and Brand Endorsement It appears that there has never been a time as now, when beef and hard confrontation is being served consistently with actors and stagers calling themselves out at the mercy of public opinion. Truth be told, this is not the first time that a pint of bad blood will flow in the veins of Nigerian entertainers, I listened to beef tracks in the 90s and I loved the tension since it comes once in a while and slowly dies a natural death. But 2016 didn’t start like any other year, from Wizkid vs Dammy crane, to Blackface vs Tuface/wizkid and Psquare together. The faceoff between lolo 1 and comedienne princess and the public assault on beat fm OAP Gbemi by the Olumofin brothers, the list of cases continues to update itself by the day. Perhaps the most short lived but epic feud of all time in my analysis is the Olamide vs Don Jozzy post headies awards beef, for two solid reasons First because it took the intervention of the Richest Man in Africa to settle the rift between the two elephants and second, the tweets posted during the feud generated viral punch lines and copies, hugely leveraged upon by brands such as Guinness, Etisalat, Lawma and other top Brands who were quick to adopt the slangs to push their products and colour their adverts. For the blogs, it is certainly a free run for information dissemination thanks to the new media as they are quick to serve rumours of breakups and even predict disaster in homes of celebrities, From the Ice prince and Maima saga to the Davido, baby mama and Uncle dele’s story and just when comedian AY had to firmly assert that nothing was wrong with his marriage the media latched on to the dramatic story of Tiwa and Teebillz and even rumoured that the Mavin queen has been dropped as Pepsi’s brand ambassador until Pepsi debunked the rumour. Once again the people online or offline are exerting their powers on what trends and what doesn’t. Will the street be the last lane standing? Whether or not our music now is better or worse than it used to be in the much referenced good old days is a conclusion that has never been reached without adopting the lenses of bias and whether a period of relative calm is in the offing, where a celebrity’s predicament will not be the selling point of blogs generating diverse public opinion both online and offline, we cannot predict. But one thing is sure, the endurance of street music and attitude may have brought fame and fortune to several industry players as the new face of perception, I still think that a level of moral check and discipline should be taken by listeners to prevent a total loss of our cherished values in this everything goes age.

Football rules: Minister ignorant —- Paul Bassey

Paul Bassey is one of the very few Nigerians who knows football and understands its rules and statutes. He should know because he is also one man with too many caps decorated by FIFA, CAF, NFF, as a symbol of his knowledge of the game. A veteran sports journalist, columnist, Publisher, Chairman of Akwa United Football Club, member of NFF’s powerful Technical and Development Committee, CAF General Co-ordinator and instructor on Club Licensing, member of CAF and FIFA Security, member of FIFA Media Committee, amongst others. Today, Bassey who is respected and revered by many countries and goes as an emissary of world soccer-governing body to settle disputes in football is being ignored like the Biblical saying that a prophet is not recognised in his country. As the two combatants for the soul of Nigerian football, Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa ignore laid down rules and statutes of FIFA and risks suspension for the country, Paul Bassey has lashed out at the “ignorant” sports Minister the Federal Government imposed on sports for toying with the game of the people. ‘’I weep for Nigeria because we have people who know but are not consulted to resolve issues on our football. It is more annoying when you realise that these Nigerians are respected and called upon to settle scores in other countries that have similar challenges. Without being immodest, there are Nigerians who work for CAF and FIFA and yet our football administrators have failed to tap from their wealth of experience only to plunge us into needless debates. It is a shame. Myself and Aisha Falode, among other distinguished Nigerians, are not recognised. Maybe, because we are Nigerians’’, Bassey, one of the few Nigerians who has covered all the major sporting competitions in the World – African Cup of Nations, African Women Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Cups, Olympic Games, said. Bassey attributed ignorance on the part of the Sports Minister for escalating the crisis in Nigerian football. ‘’We’ve not been lucky to have knowledgeable sports Ministers. And this is the main reason why we are always swimming in crisis. And it is a pity that those that the Minister surrounds himself with have either not told him the truth or he has refused to listen to the voice of reason. Football laws and statutes are sacrosanct. They are not meant for ordinary courts and any Minister who does not know that is ignorant. “When we have the opportunity to meet with the Minister, we’ll tell him the truth. What they do not know is that whatever wrong decisions they take against Pinnick, no matter the years it takes, FIFA must return to status quo until Pinnick finishes his tenure.” Bassey also did not spare Pinnick. ‘’Pinnick has been acting alone. He knows that there are Nigerians in CAF and FIFA but he has simply ignored them thinking his wisdom is enough. We cannot continue like this’’, Bassey emphasised.

Photo: EFCC lays siege at Fani-Kayode’s Abuja home

Gun-wielding operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, stormed the No 5, Zuma Close, off Aso Drive, Abuja home of former spokesperson of Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Organization and erstwhile Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. The letter was signed by Mr. Mohammed Umar Abba on behalf of the EFCC acting chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Vanguard learnt that Fani-Kayode, in a letter through his lawyer, had assured the anti-graft agency that he would duly honour the invitation, even as he had severally insisted that he was not hiding from the EFCC, as he was yet to be invited for questioning. However, reacting to the siege by the EFCC operatives, Fani-Kayode who took to his Facebook page to express his bewilderment said: “Today, the EFCC invited me to come their office on Monday. I have their letter. I agreed to be there. Now they have surrounded my house. “The letter of invitation was served this morning and it was dated May 6. They said I should report on the 9th. Can someone please tell me why they are at my gate? They can’t even wait because they want to detain me so badly and keep me away for the weekend. “I never refused their invitation. Why all this? I leave them to God.”

Job seeker punches off man’s teeth over European football

Lagos - A 20-year-old job seeker, Toheeb Afolabi, was on Friday charged before a Surulere Chief Magistrates' Court, Lagos, for allegedly punching off a man’s teeth over European league matches. The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of assault. The Prosecutor, Insp. Gabriel Ekundayo, told the court that the accused had on April 27 assaulted his neighbour, Jubril Hassan, by punching him several times on the cheeks. ``The accused and the neighbour were fighting over football matches involving two rival clubs in Europe. ``The accused gave him several punches and in the process, removed his teeth,’’ he said. The offence, according to him, contravenes Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The section provides three years for assault occasioning harm. The accused pleaded not guilty. In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs M. I. Dan-Oni, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum. The case was adjourned to May 23 for trial. (NAN)

It is a great pleasure to sign delayed budget – President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed into law the 2016 federal budget after months of delay caused by mistakes and discrepancies in the original spending plan. Buhari had last December 22 presented a 6.08 trillion naira (around $30-billion, 26.5-billion- euro) budget to parliament but Friday's document was slightly lower at 6.06 trillion naira. "It is a great pleasure to sign the budget. It is a serious article of faith for the Nigerian people," the president said at a ceremony attended by ministers, the Senate president and officials. "The signing of the budget today will trigger concerted efforts to reflate the Nigerian economy, a key element of which is an immediate injection of 350 billion naira into the economy by way of capital projects." The budget for Nigeria's oil-dependent economy is based on a price of $38 per barrel, slightly below the current global market rate of just over $40. Buhari delayed signing the budget after finding errors that civil society groups indicated possible graft, such as multiple purchases of the same vehicles, computers and other equipment. The former military head of state, who has embarked on a widespread anti-corruption campaign since taking office last May, has claimed some lawmakers removed and replaced proposals. He has promised to punish those involved. The delay contributed to the stagnation in Africa's biggest economy caused by the slump in global oil prices, panicking investors already cautious about slowing growth and high inflation. Buhari admitted on Friday that Nigeria was "experiencing probably the toughest economic times in the history of our nation" but was pinning its hopes on the expansionary budget. The government is hoping to diversify the economy, produce more food, revive manufacturing and generate employment to help kick start growth. Infrastructure development is also badly needed, particularly in roads, housing and power supply for Nigeria's 180 million people.

One killed as gunmen invade Rivers state community

PORT HARCOURT - There is fear in Rumuche community in Emohua clan, Emohua Local Government area of Rivers State, as suspected assassins kill one person in the area. The unidentified gunmen who laid siege to the community, Thursday, with heavy gunfire murdered a resident of the area identified as Mr. Mini Ibuchim. It was gathered that the killers had stormed Rumuche community at about 6p.m and shot Ibuchim dead in front of his house. A cousin of the victim who related the incident to Vanguard said the murder had led to panic in the area. The relation of Ibuchim who pleaded anonymity said the actual cause of the killing was still unknown, adding that people of the community know the victim as a lover of peace. “Some gunmen just came into the community and killed Mr. Ibuchim whom everybody knows as somebody who does not have problem with anybody. “We are shocked that these hoodlums now operate even in broad day light. The killing has caused panic in Rumuche because we now go to bed earlier than before.

AGATU: Ortom decries crisis, calls for the Presidential enquiry

By Solomon Okpere.. MAKURDI—Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged the Federal Government to set up a commission of enquiry into the mayhem perpetrated in Agatu by Fulani herdsmen with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis. agatu1 Ortom, who made the call on Wednesday, when he led heads of security agencies in the state and top government functionaries to an on-the-spot assessment of the devastation in Agatu communities, expressed shock at the level of destruction in the area. While addressing the people at Aila, Okokolo and those displaced at Obagaji he described the level of destruction as monumental lamenting that the rehabilitaion of the affected communities was far beyond the financial capacity of the state. Speaking in an emotion ladened voice, the Governor said, “i have visited some of the places attacked by insurgents in the North East but the magnitude of devastation in Agatu far exceeds what happened in those places.” He solicited assistance from the Federal Government, global agencies, organizations, and individuals to rehabilitate the destroyed communities in Agatu and other parts of the state to enable the inhabitants recover and get their lives together again. The Governor noted that farming and grazing were incompatible hence the urgent need for the establishment of ranches in the country as a permanent solution to the recurrent clashes between farmers and herders in parts of the country.

The Mother of hip hop legend, Tupac dies at 69

Afeni Shakur Davis, the activist mother of slain rap legend Tupac Shakur, has died at the age of 69. She was the subject of his iconic “Dear Mama” song and controlled his estate. Marin County Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters responded to Shakur’s home in Sausalito, California Monday night after she suffered a possible heart attack, the sheriff said. She was taken to a local hospital and died just before 10:30 p.m on Tuesday. Marin County Sheriff’s Lt. Doug Pittman said; ``at this point, there is nothing to indicate to us that there was any foul play, nothing suspicious about this other than this being sadly a natural event that has occurred.” He said Shakur was in the company of a friend when she began to feel sick, ``she was experiencing some type of physical discomfort”. ``Attempts were made to try to remedy those problems at home, but when they got more severe, it was at that time the family friend called 911 and asked for medical help. ``Paramedics arrived around 9:30 p.m. and immediately began to provide Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, she was rushed to Marin General Hospital, where she was treated for about an hour before she died,’’ Pittman said. The investigation had been turned over to the coroner’s division, where officials would speak to family members about Shakur’s recent health history and research her medical records to determine whether an autopsy was needed. ``This is a tragic loss to this community,” Pittman said. Shakur, born Alice Faye Williams, changed her name when she moved to New York City and joined the Black Panther Movement. She and other party members were arrested in 1969 and charged with conspiracy to bomb multiple busy city landmarks. After her son’s 1996 shooting death, Shakur took over the late rapper’s estate, which reportedly earns about 900,000 dollars each year. Dina LaPolt, a California Attorney who handled Tupac Shakur’s estate for nearly 10 years, fought back tears as she described Shakur, who inspired the lawyer to open up her own firm in 2001. “She’s an advocate, she’s an activist. She taught me never to compromise your values, to always fight for what you believe in,’’ LaPolt said. The lawyer developed a close professional relationship with Shakur, who LaPolt described as “one of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with, she also influenced my personal life’’. ``I met her when I was 91 days sober, now I’m 18 years sober, she was very, very instrumental in my life. I carry her with me to this day.” Earlier this year, Shakur filed for divorce from her husband of 12 years, Gust Davis, and was in a legal battle over her son’s estate, TMZ reported. Davis demanded half of the monthly 20,000 dollars Shakur took home every month. In 2014, Shakur co-produced “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” a Broadway jukebox musical featuring her son’s works. A movie about Tupac’s life, “All Eyez on Me,” is set for release in November, with Danai Gurira cast as Shakur. Shakur served as an executive producer for the film.

I stabbed 9 customers with a broken bottle- Drunk

An Ikeja Magistrates' Court in Lagos on Wednesday reserved May 18 for judgment in a case involving a drunk, Sunday Micheal, who confessed to stabbing nine customers with a broken bottle in an hotel. The magistrate, Mr A.A Adesanya, remanded Micheal, 24, in Kirikiri Prison after he had pleaded guilty to the allegation. Micheal, a vulcaniser of No. 53, Oshodi Road, Mafoluku in Oshodi, Lagos State , was arraigned on a two-count charge of a breach of peace and assault. The prosecutor, Insp. George Nwosu, said that the accused committed the offences on April 3 at Marina Hotel, Alagbado, a suburb of Lagos. He said that the accused assaulted one Wasiu Adenekan by beating and stabbing him with a broken bottle. ``The accused stabbed the victim all over his body with a broken bottle," he said. Nwosu said that the accused also caused a breach of the peace by chasing away the hotel’s customers with a broken bottle. ``There was a night-show at the hotel and, suddenly, the accused who was drunk started chasing viewers with a broken bottle. ``Everybody started running helter-skelter for their lives, but he succeeded in stabbing eight customers with a broken bottle. ``The accused also pursued the complainant; the complainant fell and the accused caught up with him and stabbed him severally all over his body. ``Blood gushed out from the complainant's body and he fainted, he is still lying critically at a general hospital," he said. The prosecutor said that the accused also damaged 28 plastic chairs and tables as well as five crates of empty bottles, all valued at N47,400. The offences, Nwosu said, contravened Sections 166 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. Section 171 prescribes a three-year jail term as penalty for offenders.

Man, 56, docked in Lagos for allegedly defrauding customer of N8million

A 56-year-old, Abiodun Akande, who allegedly defrauded a businessman, Felix Obichukwu, of N8 million, was on Wednesday docked at a Surulere Chief Magistrates' Court in Lagos. Akande, whose address was not provided, is facing a three-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing. According to the prosecutor, Insp. Gabriel Ekundayo, the accused committed the offences at Alafia Bus Stop, Orile-Iganmu, Lagos, at about 10.30 a.m. on May 12, 2012. He said Obichukwu came to the station to report that the accused collected N8 million from him on the pretext of selling two containers laden with Tiger generators and kitchenware. ``Since he paid the money into his account, the accused failed to make available the containers and efforts to recover the money proved abortive.’’ The offences contravened Sections 285 and 312(2) and (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 285 provides three years as penalty for stealing, while Section 312 (2) prescribes a 15- year jail term for obtaining by false pretences. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty. Ruling on the accused’s bail application, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs M.I. Dan-Oni, granted him bail in the sum of 500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum. She directed that 10 per cent of the bail sum should be deposited into the account of the court’s Chief Registrar. The case was adjourned to May 30 for mention.

Two years now without Chibok girls: Children want celebration of victory, not hope

By Solomon Okpere Marking the second anniversary of the abduction of 219 female students from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram without any clue, where they are and when they will be reunited with their parents should be the concern of every citizen and government . A saying in the western part of Nigeria goes thus, “It is better to hear that the child is dead than to hear that the child is missing or lost”. This means that when a child is dead, parents can grieve and then surrender to fate knowing that there is nothing they can do to bring the child back. But when a child is missing, it is every day sorrow that put parents in a position of endless hope, ill- health or even death. For the two years since the abduction, civil society organisastions (CSOs) did not relent in their struggle to have the girls freed despite the claim in some quarters that it was to score a political point. If not for the CSOs, especially the Bring Back Our Girls group that steadfastly rallied in Abuja, the abduction may not have remained on the front burner. They brought together people from all walks of life and dedicated their lives to calling on the military to live up to its responsibility and making the world aware that we can’t keep going when the over 200 girls remain in captivity. The Child Rights Act makes copious provisions on abduction of children. Section 27 of the Act states: “(1) No person shall remove or take a child out of the custody or protection of his father or mother, guardian or such other person having lawful care or charge of the child against the will of the father, mother, guardian or other person. (2) A person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction (a) where the child is unlawfully removed or taken out of Federal Republic of Nigeria (i) with intention to return the child to Nigeria, to imprisonment for a term of fifteen years; or (ii) with no intention to return the child to Nigeria, to imprisonment for a term of twenty years; b) where the child is unlawfully removed or taken out of the State in which the father, mother, guardian or such other person who has lawful care of the child is ordinarily resident, to imprisonment for a term of ten years; or (c) in any case, to imprisonment for a term of seven years.” It is a grave mistake to continue to keep these children, thus violating their rights. The government, though making efforts to rescue the children from Boko Haram, according to reports, should realise that violence against children goes beyond its negative impact on them and their families. The government should also know that violence weakens the very foundation of social progress, generates huge costs for society, slows economic development and erodes human and social capital. According to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, “Globally, an estimated US$7 trillion is lost each year due to violence in childhood, equivalent to 8 percent of global GDP. In Sub-Sahara Africa, violence against children is estimated to cost US$440 billion each year,” President Muhammadu Buhari should always remember his commitment to Nigeria at the launch of the Year of Action to End Violence Against Children that his administration ought to enforce all laws that will protect children from violence and to ensure that the rights of children are protected in the country. He should also note the statement of Amina Yusuf who represented Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly, last September, “I believe Chibok girls will soon return because change has come”.

Top 4 social media scams to avoid, Must view!!

By Solomon Okpere Social media rules the world. It is the new tech addiction that many young people cannot do without as they spend hours viewing, reading and posting content via the internet. This underscores the importance of social media in today's world. As the use of social media rises, there are others out there who are using it to swindle and scam unsuspecting users. In order not to fall for these scams, Jovago Africa's No.1 hotel booking portal reveals some of these scams. Fake customer service account Brands and corporate organizations are now on social media as such, it has become possible to resolve complaints and get a quick response to questions on social media. Some of these accounts representing corporate institutions are verified while others are not. Hence, the possibility of chatting with a parody customer service handle is high. If you are getting an unsatisfactory response, you should contact their official helpline. Comments on popular posts or articles A particular post or article may generate sizeable comments. And among the comments, you will notice some links directing you to other websites. These links lure you to websites that are either unsafe or offering scandalous services so it is better to ignore such links. False online discounts The false discounts are too fantastic to be true. It is not surprising because it is coming from a parody customer service account. They are not legitimate and you can lose your personal information if you fall for it because you will be asked to fill out forms that require your personal information. Online surveys and polls The rule of thumb is ‘if you do not trust the website, do not visit it’. One of the easiest ways to have your personal information stolen is via online survey and polls. Most fraudulent hackers often tweet or post a dangerous link urging users to complete forms for a survey. You can fill the forms but do not give out information like credit card details. Avoid live streaming videos This is another way of scamming people on social media as more media companies start streaming their shows and movies online. But these links they share on social media lead to fake websites which only ask for data of visitors. BEWARE!!

7milliion Children with disabilities demand review of education policies

By Solomon Okpere ABUJA – CHILDREN with disabilities across the country have demanded review of all legal policy frameworks on education at the national and state levels to accommodate more children who are physically impaired in the country. They said it was unfortunate that about seven million of them were out of school in spite of the provision of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act of 2004 in the country. The children, who spoke through the National President of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Ekaete Umoh, revealed that they remain out of school because virtually all primary and secondary schools in Nigeria were designed, built and managed in ways that was totally not inclusive of and not accessible to them. Ekaete was speaking at the media launch of the Baseline Survey conducted in Akwa-Ibom, Kwara states and the Federal Capital Territory as part of the ongoing project on Advocacy for Inclusive and Accessible Universal Basic Education for Children with Disabilities in Nigeria supported by USAID Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE) Programme in Nigeria, in Abuja. JONAPWD President said it was ironical that basic education remains free and compulsory in the country, but the door still remains shot against children with disabilities in their father land. She said; “Research has shown that children with disabilities constitute more than 50 percent of the over 10 million out of school children in Nigeria despite the provision of free and compulsory of basic education for all children.” According to her, the idea of special school for these categories of children is no longer working because it takes them away from their family and community lives. Ekaete explained that the number of out of school children with disabilities keeps on increasing “because their education is confined to the few, outdated, poorly funded and inadequately staffed special schools which are mostly sited in very distant hard-to-reach locations. “The system of special school is being rejected because of its contribution to the sustenance of negative practices against PWDs and the denial of the rights of children with disabilities to family and community life.” She further noted that though the country had signed and ratified several International Protocols/Conventions on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, they were abandoned or poorly implemented by the government. To correct this, the group called on all “stakeholders to review all existing legal and policy frameworks including the UBE Act of 2004, the draft National policy on special needs education and the National policy on Education. “State governments also need to initiate policies in this direction, while those states with policies on inclusive education should work towards full implementation.” Also, they stressed the need for the proper implementation of the 2016 budget with high consideration for persons with disabilities. “It is expected that a pilot or demonstrative implementation of inclusive education policy would have commenced in at least nine primary and secondary schools in each of the three project locations,” they added.

Troops rescue 80yr-old-man from Boko Haram hideout

An 80-year-old captive, Mallam Ibrahim Matuk, who said he had been subjected to severe hardship and torture by Boko Haram terrorists has been rescued by Nigerian troops in Borno State. This came as 35-year-old suspected mastermind of General Mamam Shuwa's death, Mohammed Sani Nafiu, claimed he was being framed up by the military. The 80-year-old Matuk, lamented that all his children were killed by the terrorist group while he was in captivity. A statement by Col Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, who noted that the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents defied any sane reasoning, said, “The atrocities of the Boko Haram terrorists know no bound. Troops of 29 Task Force Brigade on clearance operations of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists rescued an 80 year old man in Shaltimari village, Borno State on Sunday, May 1, 2016. The elderly man, Mallam Ibrahim Matuk stated that he suffered untold hardship in the hands of the Boko Haram terrorists who killed all his children while in captivity.” ‘I didnt kill Gen Shuwa' Meanwhile, Nafiu who was paraded by the military in Kano told newsmen that he knew nothing about the planning and assassination of the civil war veteran. Looking calm, the high profile suspect who spoke in Hausa language without mincing words said: “I don’t know anything about General Shuwa’s death. I was arrested in my house and moved to the detention centre. They are trying to frame me. I must make it clear, I have no hand in General Shuwa’s death.” The Boko Haram kingpin was arrested by the military at Hotoro General area of Kano municipal and a GSM phone, and N300, 000 cash were allegedly recovered from him. Reacting to his denial, a senior military officer told Journalists on condition of anonymity after a brief encounter with the suspect to disregard his rants, because he was a serial liar. The officer said “the suspect is a pathological liar. What we know of him was different from the picture he tried to paint before the world. Immediately after General Shuwa was martyr, this suspect relocated from his country home and his arrest was a product of sustained intelligence operation.”

Mad woman becomes a Choir Mistress after 35 years of insanity

By Solomon Okpere ONITSHA - To God, it was power above Satan. But to the human mind, it was a miracle. A 46-year old mad woman who had roamed the streets for 35 years insane, becoming a chorister shortly after she was delivered from the bondage of marine spirits who tormented for the whole period. Simply identified as Sister Chioma who hails from Ntigha in Ngwa area of Abia State, she automatically regained her consciousness as the evil spirits tormenting her fled during an encounter with Prophet Onyeka Chibuzo (Agina)of the Church of Last Born (a.k.a the Anointed Assembly). The miracle leading to her deliverance took place on March 11, 2016 at the premises of Onitsha Main Market where Prophet Onyeka and members of his church went to hold outreach prayers for the traders. On how the feat was achieved, the source stated that while the Prophet was firing his prayers during the outreach, Chioma passed through the arena and when he saw her in tattered clothes, God said to him that the hour of miracle had come. According to Prophet Onyeka who spoke in his church at Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, during a special dedication service where Chioma is presently worshiping, “I held Chioma by the hand as she was passing by and she shouted, ‘’hapu m!” (which means leave me alone!) and I immediately ordered her to bow down”. “Initially, she disobeyed me by repeating the command after me to also bow down but I knew I was not fighting with Sister Chioma, but the evil spirit that was tormenting her. It was, however, at the sixth command that she fell down and immediately realized that she was almost naked. “Sympathizers who were around and listening to my preaching, on humanitarian ground started donating clothes to her and among them, two women who had pity on her, took her to a secluded corner, cleaned her up and shaved her dreaded hair”, Prophet Onyeka stated. He disclosed that God made a startling revelation to him during the prayer session that Chioma’s case was exceptional it was marine spirit which was spearheaded by occult men who were desperate in amassing wealth through occultic and ritual practices that were responsible for her madness. Narrating her ordeal from grass to grace, sister Chioma who is now a strong member and chorister at the Church of Last Born (a.k.a the Anointed Assembly), said she didn’t know how she became mad nor what actually brought her to Onitsha. According to her, “all I knew was that my parents were dead long time ago before my madness started. My late parent had only two of us in the family, my sister, Nkechi and I but Nkechi was married before my sanity began”. Chioma also recalled that she worked as a labourer in peoples’ farms, a job she did to earn her living before she finally became insane. She said she did not know who or what was responsible for her past ugly condition which she must have passed through in the last 35 years, adding that she was told by a witness who could be in her late thirties that she (witness) was only seven years old when she (Chioma) became mad. Chioma who is now a melodious singer, singing beautiful gospel songs during their Church services, Thanked God for driving away the marine spirits that tormented her and for saving her from the hands of the cultists/ritualists that tended to use her for money spinning rituals, adding that many peoples’ lives had been ruined in this manner by the so-called ritualists and cultists who are being used by the Satan and his agents to kill and destroy the children of God. Two women who witnessed the miraculous work, Evangelist Rose Nwachukwu and Mrs Ada Jesus confessed to have known Chioma for years as she usually passed along major streets of Onitsha and Onitsha main market, where they transact their businesses.

KOGI State GOV TRIBUNAL: Wada hopeful of winning

By Solomom Okpere LOKOJA—Former governor of Kogi State, Capt Idris Wada has expressed hope of victory at the Election Petition Tribunal, saying he believes the tribunal will ‘right the wrong’ of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, proclamation. Wada, who spoke yesterday in Lokoja at the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stakeholders’ meeting, said what happened to the party at the last year governorship election was an ‘accident’ but the party was now recuperating. According to him: “I believe strongly that the Tribunal will vindicate me. I worked hard during the campaign and I meant well for the state during my first time. I adequately sold our programme for the future to the state and I saw us winning the election. But what happened during the election is best known to God. However I am sure that the Tribunal will do the right thing. All that is left is a matter of time.” Wada, who eulogized the state executive of the party for keeping the party together, urged members to stay together and help each other. “At present, PDP is going through a lot of challenges but we must remained determined, focus and prayerful and victory will soon come. What happened at the last year election was an accident but I urged members to assist each other until the accident corrected.”