Abortion law: Imo Govt moves against whistle blower

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OWERRI—Imo State government has visited its anger on the Chairman, Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, who blew the whistle on the obnoxious abortion law foisted on the citizenry by Rochas Okorocha’s administration.

Already, Dr. Njemanze’s plot of land meant for the building of a N50 billion modern specialist hospital in Owerri has allegedly been revoked by the state government.

Afric TV24  investigation revealed that the 5.5-hectare piece of land, where construction work started before Okorocha’s administration came on board, has been taken over by the state government.

Confirming this ugly development to Vanguard in Owerri, Dr. Njemanze said the land, which has Certificate of Occupancy Number 46 Page 46, Volume 308, assigned to Chidicon Medical Centre, was situated in Plot C, Parcel B, Naze Road and New Naze Industrial Layout.

“Since I broke the news on the abortion law foisted on Imo people by the state government, the Director of Lands was ordered to revoke the land for the construction of new mega hospital complex,” Njemanze said.

While explaining that the new multi- billion Naira medical establishment was one of the six mega hospitals in Nigeria, Dr. Njemanze also said that the project was to be partially funded by the Federal Government.

“Although I am the coordinator of the project, other doctors from the United Kingdom and the United States of America are involved.

“Fidelity Securities, an affiliate of Fidelity Bank Plc, is providing the fund,” Njemanze said.

He explained that project would initially gulp N5.5 billion, adding that the total cost was worth N50 billion.

He said:  “When completed, the hospital complex will have a helicopter landing pad, which will assist in moving patients in and out of the establishment at the required speed. It will also have state of the art facilities.”

Some concerned citizens who spoke on the issue, pleaded that the abortion law saga should not be used to truncate or damage what ordinarily should be of benefit to the people.

Efforts to get government’s side of the story failed as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Imo State governor, Mr. Chinedu Offor, failed to reply the text message sent to him on the issue before press time.

Students Threaten To Shut Private Varsities Over ASUU Strike

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Ado Ekiti — UNIVERSITY students under the umbrella of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, yesterday, took to the streets in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, calling on the Federal Government to accede to the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

They equally threatened to shut down activities in the private universities in the country should the crisis linger on.

The students who displayed several placards with various inscriptions, lambasted the Federal Government for its failure to honour  the agreement it  entered into with ASUU since 2009.

Protest: Polytechnic students protesting against ongoing nationwide strike, on Ikorodu Road, Lagos, yesterday.

File: Protesting students

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues,  Asafon Sunday,  Director of Action and Mobilisation NANS, South–West, claimed between 2000 and 2011 the Nigerian government earned about N48.48 trillion from the sale of oil alone, against N3.10 trillion earned between 1979 and 1999

He said the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, in 2012 financial year alone generated N5.12 trillion from tax paid by the masses.

According to him: “With this tremendous upswing in the revenue at the disposal of the Nigerian government, one would have expected such to translate to commensurate improvement in the quality of Nigeria’s public education as well as other social services.”

He condemned the refusal of Federal Government to budget a reasonable amount of money to education sector as recommended by UNESCO which is 26 per cent of the country’s total budget.

Sunday noted that some countries with smaller Gross Domestic Product, GDP, like Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Morocco and Botswana had budgetary allocations to education sector as follow, 31 per cent,20 per cent,23 per cent ,17.7 per cent and 19 per cent respectively to 8.5 per cent that Nigeria government had budgeted for education in 2013.

Also speaking, Steven Adara ,a student leader from Ekiti State University,  EKSU , lamented that government officials and prominent Nigerians were not bothered about the crisis in the public universities because their children were in private schools overseas.

According to him: “We will mobilise  and disrupt academic activities in the private universities because it is the sons and daughters of the rich that are in these schools.”

ASUU: Students Protest Alleged Govt Insensitivity

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Some aggrieved students, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students, on Thursday took to the streets in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, in protest against the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The students, who carried placards with different inscriptions, accused the Federal Government of failure to honour the 2009 agreement with ASUU.

They expressed worries that the strike would further worsen the standard of education.

Speaking on behalf of the students, the Director, Action and Mobilisation, NANS, South-West, Asafon Sunday, noted that between 2000 and 2011, the Nigeria government made close to N48.48tn from the sale of oil, against the N3.10tn earned between 1979 and 1999.

He added that the Federal Inland Revenue Service in the 2012 financial year alone made the sum of N5.12tn from tax.

“With this tremendous upswing in the revenue at the disposal of the Federal Government, one would expect such to translate into commensurate improvement in the quality of education as well as other social services,” he said.

He stressed the need for the government to embark on “reasonable budgeting” to education,in line with the UNESCO recommendation of 26 per cent of the total budget to education per year.

Edo To Sponsor Teenage Stowaway’s Education

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The Edo State Government has offered to sponsor the educational career of stowaway teenager, Daniel Oikhena, up to the university level.

The Edo offer is coming on the heels of a similar sponsorship promise by Osun State-based voluntary organisation, De Raufs Foundation.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louise Odion, said the promie to sponsor Oikhena’s education was borne out of the determination by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that the JSS  I pupil receive the best education.

The commissioner however expressed Oshiomhole’s regret over the seeming crack in the relationship between the boy’s parents which he said had affected the young boy.

He said, “Edo State government is already taking steps to ensure that Daniel gets not just material but also psychological support to enable him achieve his God-given potentials. As a doting parent himself.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole has followed the development closely. As a matter of fact, he personally engaged Daniel.

“From his interaction with him and his parents who unfortunately are separated, it is obvious that there is a deficit in terms of parental care, even though he sounds quite intelligent. We will ensure that

Daniel benefits first of all from the intervention of clinical psychologists. His psyche needs to be weaned off destructive anger.

“Thereafter, Edo State government is ready to assist Daniel to get to university level, consistent with the philosophy of Comrade Oshiomhole that every Edo child gets quality education that not only address the cognitive, but also the affective and psycho-motor domains as well.”

Daniel’s mother, Mrs Evelyn Oikhena, had indicated all was not well between the husband and herself, claiming the man and his family showed up solely because of the offers coming Daniel’s way.

Evelyn had said, “He (Daniel’s father) decided to appear now thinking that money is involved but he abandoned the children all these while, it is shameful.”

PDP’s Impunity In Offa Cannot Stand – APC

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The All Progressive Congress on Thursday said the victory claimed by the Peoples Democratic Party in the election in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State was daylight robbery. It vowed to resist what it described as the ‘PDP’s impunity.’

The APC, in a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, condemned the results of last Saturday’s rerun at the Offa Local Government Area, as announced by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission.

The statement read, “All Progressives Congress has condemned the daylight vote robbery by the PDP in last Saturday’s rerun at the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, saying it shows that the PDP, whether old or new, is irredeemable.

“Rising from its NEC meeting in Abuja, the APC said everyone who witnessed or monitored the election has confirmed that it was won convincingly by the party.

“The impunity perpetrated by the PDP has started hunting it, after its candidate in the Shawo South West Ward, Mr. Afolabi Jimoh Olawole, repudiated his so-called victory, just like one of the presiding officers, Mr. Oyetunji Akeem, said the APC won the Councillorship and Chairmanship in Shawo central ward.

“This is damning evidence that should make it clear to the PDP that its impunity cannot stand, that there are still Nigerians who have conscience and would sacrifice even their political and other careers for their integrity.

“In view of this, the APC calls on the PDP, which has been working in cahoots with the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, to regurgitate the victory it willfully swallowed, and from which it has now become so constipated and uncomfortable.”

The APC hailed both Olawole and Akeem for their decency and honesty, saying what they did was very rare in today’s Nigeria under the watch of the PDP.

The party expressed hope that all other partakers in Saturday’s “monumental electoral heist” would emulate “these rare species of mankind.”

Mohammed said that APC had thought that the ‘New PDP’ would use the Offa election to show that it was different from the old PDP, which it accused of lacking in internal democracy and having disregard for the rule of law.

He said, “It is now clear that the saying that ‘fruit does not fall far from the tree’, is true for the so-called New PDP.

“Presented with a chance to show that it is different from its vote-stealing, violence-peddling and impunity-prone ‘father’, the New PDP failed the test by engaging in bare-faced conversion of defeat to victory in Offa and then daring the party that has been robbed to go to court.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the APC on Thursday said the protracted crisis rocking the PPD was good for the country.

It said the PDP crisis was a good omen to free the country from the grips of the people that had not run the nation well in the past 15 years.

In a statement by the Interim Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Joe Igbokwe, the party said the disintegration of the PDP was long overdue.

The party said, “What is happening in PDP today is a reflection of the base foundation that has been responsible for the artificial growth of the party. The contradictions in the PDP and its continued manipulation of the country’s electoral process to stay in power is returning horrible results for the party presently and we see this as a natural outcome of a party built on false grounds and grown by intense corruption and brigandage in governance.

“We see the implosion of the PDP as a great necessity for the progress of the country and the present democracy and we restate out belief that this is of tremendous positive impact to the general life of the country and indeed all Nigerians.”

Anambra: Court Strikes Out Uba Brothers’ Motion

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A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday struck out an ex parte motion filed by Senator Andy Uba; his brother, Chris; and three others against their suspension from the Peoples Democratic Party by the National Working Committee of the party.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed struck out the ex parte motion that had been slated for hearing after counsel for the plaintiffs and the PDP agreed that the court should ignore their interlocutory applications and instead hear the substantive suit due to the urgent nature of the matter.

Also, PDP lawyer, Chief Joe Kyari-Gadzama, SAN, assured that the party would not take any action against the plaintiffs until the determination of the suit.

Justice Mohammed thereafter fixed September 17, to hear the substantive motion.

The PDP NWC had on August 29, 2013 suspended the Uba brothers, as well as Chief Benji Udeozor, Ejike Oguebego and Mrs. Tonia Nwankwu for conducting a parallel state congress for the nomination of a governorship candidate in Anambra State.

Andy Uba emerged the party’s candidate in the said congress but the PDP national leadership endorsed Mr. Tony Nwoye, who was also elected as the party’s candidate for the governorship election in another congress.

However, the suspension of Uba others was on August 30, 2013, stopped by the Abuja FHC, following an ex parte filed by their lawyer, Mr. Abe Taiwo.

The motion was granted after the PDP failed to comply with the court’s order that it must come before it to explain why the application should not be granted.

As a result, Justice Mohammed granted an interim order “suspending the suspension” pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion.

He gave “an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants/respondents (PDP, IG) by themselves of their agents, privies, servants, national officers, disciplinary committee or whatsoever from enforcing or carrying into effect, acting upon or giving effect, or doing anything whatsoever pursuant to the suspension letter issued and signed on all the plaintiffs/applicants by the Acting National Secretary of the 1st defendant/respondent dated 29 August, 2013, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 28 August 28, 2013.”

In the same vein, the judge also made an order of interim injunction “restraining the disciplinary committee constituted by PDP to try the plaintiffs from proceeding to take any actions that may jeopardise the plaintiffs’ membership status at the PDP pending the hearing and determination of the motion.”

2015: Ex-militants Caution ‘New PDP’ Against Stopping Jonathan

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SOME former militants in the Niger Delta have cautioned the ‘New Peoples Democratic Party’ and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi against stopping President Goodluck Jonathan from having a second term in office.

The ex-fighters, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital,  on Thursday, expressed anger over the emergence of a new PDP, adding that the development was targeted at preventing Jonathan from being re-elected in 2015.

The ex-militants who spoke under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, described the action of the breakaway politicians in the new PDP as a ‘dissident act.’

National President of the group, ‘General’ Reuben Wilson, a.k.a Pastor, who signed the statement with three other former militant leaders said that they would adopt lawful means to stop those fighting against Jonathan’s second term bid.

The statement read in part, “Niger Delta freedom fighters, who have now regrouped under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative are angry with the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi and the break-away members of the Peoples Democratic Party for their dissident act, which is targeted at preventing President Goodluck Jonathan from being re-elected in 2015.

“We will adopt every available lawful means to stop those who are fighting against the second term agenda of the President. As former freedom fighters in the Niger Delta, we are aware that oil production figures have risen appreciably because we accepted the amnesty agenda of the administration in which Mr. President was a key player in his capacity as Vice President at that time, and now as President.

“But because oil revenues have appreciated, all sections of the country have got some good revenue for their states. Unfortunately, these funds are being used for deadly and selfish political fights that are not in the best interest of the country.”

They accused members of the new PDP of working against the interest of the Nigerian masses and working to smear the character of the President.

They added, “The gladiators are all out to smear the character and person of Mr. President and ensure that he does not enjoy a re-election in 2015 so that they can take charge and continue to enslave us as was the case for decades.

“We will not fold our arms and watch a section of the country which believes that it is their birthright to rule Nigeria to chase Mr. President out of office. If their argument is that he is not performing, it would have been understood.”

Others who signed the statement are Henry Binidodogha (Edo), Granville Ideye (Rivers) and Ezekiel Akpasibewei (Delta State).

Reacting, the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Mr. Tony Okocha, said the ex-militants were wrong in concluding that the President was being prevented from vying and winning the 2015 election.

Govt Advises Fast Food Operators On Hygiene

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Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, has urged operators of fast food outlets to compliment government’s efforts in rejuvenating the environment by improving on their sanitation.

A statement on Thursday quoted Bello as saying this at the 2013 Annual Conference of Fast Food Operators of Nigeria held in Lagos.

He stated, “This administration is looking forward to improved disposal of liquid and solid waste generated by your numerous members and outlets.”

He added that the government was working to entrench all-round sanity in the state’s environment, adding that deliberate environmental renaissance had been at the forefront of  government’s relationship with both corporate and individual concerns.

The commissioner urged the operators to ensure provision of adequate parking spaces on their premises to avoid traffic congestion.

Reps In New PDP Dare Tukur

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Some  House of Representatives members  supporting  the New Peoples Democratic Party have challenged the Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamaga Tukur, to  carry out  his threat of declaring  their seats vacant.

One of the aggrieved  lawmakers, Mr. Sekonte Davies, in a statement issued on behalf of his colleagues,  on Thursday  said that  Tukur lacked the    powers to  carry out the threat.

He said,  “The PDP was founded on the principle of national consensus-building and to be a platform for  uniting the various sections and interests in the country.

“The nation was going adrift and well-meaning leaders and patriots decided to form  an  all-embracing political party which every Nigerian will be proud to belong to and to provide a nexus for nation building.”

Davies maintained that both the  1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act did not empower Tukur to declare their seats vacant.

He added, “From all relevant sections of these laws and as severally pronounced by the Supreme Court, you cannot declare anybody’s seat vacant ,especially when there is a division in the  party.

“We don’t know when disagreements within a political party become a state offence such that he  should ask security agencies to harass and arrest his opponents.

“We thought this was what the military and   political cowards did.

“On this note, we also hope that the relevant authorities will call him to order so that they would not be accused of supporting impunity.”

The lawmaker also appealed to the Presidency and security agencies not to participate in any illegality in order to avoid crisis.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party had dismissed rumours that the whereabouts of its certificate of registration were  unknown.

Rather, it said the certificate  was  in safe hands and had not been declared missing by any organ of the party.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday, said those peddling the  rumours  had   no  knowledge of the  workings of the party.

He said, “Our certificate is not missing. It is in safe hands. We have not declared it missing. We have seen it and anyone saying that it is missing does not know the workings of our party.”

Metuh subsequently asked members of the party to disregard the rumours.

There   had been   speculations  on Tuesday  among some senior members of the  party  about the whereabouts of the certificate

Some  of them had  said that  the  document was with a former leader  who had yet     to return it to the Wadata Plaza  national secretariat  of the party in Abuja.

The   said  certificate was alleged to have been with the said officer when a former National Chairman of the party, Chief Audu Ogbe,  was asked to resign.

APC, PDP Trade Words Over Offa LG Rerun Election

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The All Progressives Congress  has condemned the alleged vote robbery by the Peoples Democratic Party in last Saturday’s rerun election  in  Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The APC, after   its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja,   said people who witnessed or monitored the election confirmed that it   won convincingly.

It added in a statement  on Thursday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,   that  the alleged impunity perpetrated by the PDP had started haunting it, after  Mr. Afolabi Olawole,  who claimed to be the  PDP candidate in  Shawo South-West ward, rejected his so-called victory.

The statement reads in part, “This is a damning evidence that should make it clear to the PDP that its impunity cannot stand;  that there are still Nigerians, who have conscience and would sacrifice even their political and other careers for their integrity.”

But the  Kwara State Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Yemi Afolayan,  said the Offa rerun election was free, fair and transparent.

He accused Mohammed of losing touch  with  the realities in Kwara politics.

He said Olawole had defected to  the ACN  and was replaced by another candidate.

Afolayan  challenged Muhammed to a debate on political and contemporary issues in Kwara State.

He said, “Muhammed  and I come from  the same local government.  He was not in Kwara State  and was not in Ofa during the election.  He did not see anything. Usually he  does not see anything when he reacts to things that happen in Kwara State . He bases his own views on hear-say.

“He does not even know the difference between what happened to someone who left PDP for the ACN or somebody who has been in  the ACN all along.

“The young man in question is a political prostitute.  He was in  the PDP and immediately he saw that PDP went to court, he jumped to  the ACN  thinking that  the ACN will win. But unfortunately,  the ACN did not laugh last.”

Taraba: Ex-minister Seeks Support For Acting Gov

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A former  Minister of Water Resources,  Dr. Salome Jankada, has urged all sides in  the Taraba State crisis  to  avoid plunging the state into  political chaos.

She also solicited for support for the acting Governor, Alhaji Umar Garba,  to enable  him   to pilot the affairs of the state pending the full recovery of Governor Danbaba Suntai.

Jankada told journalists  in Jalingo on Thursday,  that rather than continue to   cause  disunity among the “peace loving people” of the state, all hands  must  be on  the deck  so that Umar  would effectively run  the   state.

She cautioned  those   beating war drums in the state to desist  as their action could  further worsen the plight  of the “ordinary Taraban.”

She expressed worry  over comments credited to Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, stressing   that such  were  not the reflection of the people of  Southern Taraba,   who according to her,  are in support of the decision   that Umar should continue as the state’s acting governor.

She said that information available to her showed that  contrary  to speculations that members of the aggrieved parties were not allowed access to the Executive Chamber where a stakeholders meeting took place, Jankada said “all parties were represented.”

The former minister said she was reliably informed that the wife of the governor, Hauwa,  and his younger brother,  Babangida,  were  in attendance.

She said, “As mothers, we cannot sit down in  our homes  with our hands folded while things are going down the drain.”

NAFDAC Alerts Nigerians OnToxic Substance In Food

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The National Agency for Food  and Drug Administration and Control on Thursday  warned  Nigerians about the presence of  mycotoxins,  a toxic substance  in foods  and feeds.

The Director-General of  NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, gave the warning  at a workshop organised by the agency in Ibadan,  Oyo State  on Thursday for stakeholders in the South-West .

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the forum was organised  in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan.

Represented by  the agency’s Director of  Laboratory Services, Mrs. Stella Denloye, Orhii  said   the  substance  could cause liver cancer.

He added that the need to create awareness  was  necessary in view of the dangers inherent in the consumption of the substance.

The DG said, “Records have shown that there are concerted efforts all over the world directed at the introduction of preventive strategies to reduce the risks associated with aflatoxin contamination.

“These efforts  are seen from the backdrop of introduction of mitigation products and stringent monitoring and control measures of the quality of food products by national and international control authorities.”

B’Haram Strikes Again, Kills 20 In Borno State

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Suspected members of the Boko Haram sect on Thursday attacked two towns in Borno State killing 20 people.

It was reported that the terrorists started their attack by opening fire in a market and killing 15 people in Gajiran Local Government Area of Borno State.

They later went to a nearby village, Bulabulin Ngawra in Konduga LGA of the state where about five other people were killed.

Our correspondent gathered that the attack which was carried out in two Local Government Areas in Borno State occurred between 10pm and 2am on Thursday.

According to a source, as a result of the destruction unleashed on the two towns, the surviving residents fled their homes through bush paths.

Gajiran residents speaking to journalists in the state capital, Maiduguri said the gunmen pretended to be traders attending a local market.

“Some of them came aboard trucks while others came on foot to beat the security checks at the entrance of the town,” resident Ibrahim Bulama told AFP.

They then “blended among traders conducting business,” before opening fire in the market, killing 15 people, he told reporters.

They also set fire to a  building belonging to Ngwara LGA and a police post.

Gajiran is roughly 85 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital.

There has been no mobile phone service in Borno since the middle of May, when the Federal Government declared a state of emergency across most of the northeast and launched an offensive aimed at crushing Boko Haram’s insurgency.

The military has said it switched off the phones to block the Islamists from coordinating attacks.

It has also claimed the offensive left the insurgents in disarray and curbed their ability to attack to civilians.

While the violence has persisted amid the military campaign, the pattern of attacks suggests that the insurgents have targeted more remote regions, perhaps where the presence of security forces is reduced.

Dozens Injured As 130 Vehicles Crash In London

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Sixty people have been injured as more than 130 vehicles were involved in a series of crashes in thick fog on the Sheppey crossing in Kent.

The BBC reported that eight of those hurt in the collisions, which took place in thick fog, sustained serious injuries.

Ambulance crews said 35 casualties needed hospital treatment in what were described as “horrendous scenes”.

The A249 bridge was closed for more than nine hours and reopened to traffic at about 17:30.

One witness said visibility had been very poor at the time of the crash but drivers were approaching the crossing with no lights.

Others at the scene described a mass of tangled cars, lorries, and a car transporter. Some reports said the crash went on for 10 minutes as cars continuously collided with each other.

South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) said a further 200 people were either treated for minor injuries or given advice should symptoms develop later.

Firefighters had to free five people from their vehicles on the southbound carriageway.

The injured people were taken to six different hospitals in Medway, Ashford, Margate, Maidstone, Canterbury and London.

Medway Maritime Hospital declared a major incident and cancelled all its routine planned surgery, to help deal with the incident.

Service returned to normal at the hospital at about 14:00 BST.

Secamb said the first ambulances left the crash scene at 08:50 BST because much of the triage and early treatment was carried out at the scene.

Patients started arriving in hospitals shortly after with Medway admitting its first casualty at 09:45 BST.

The national speed limit applies to the dual carriageway crossing, with cars able to travel up to 70mph, the Highways Agency said.

Driver Martin Stammers said the scene was “horrendous” and described seeing cars under lorries and people lying on the floor.

He said visibility was about 10 to 20 yards when he approached the bridge and saw five cars smashed into each other with one across the outside lane.

He managed to squeeze through a gap between that car and the central reservation.

“For 10 minutes afterwards, all we could hear was screeching, cars thudding into each other, lorries crashing,” he added.

He said he and his son ran to warn other drivers and warn cars to slow down.

Obasanjo, Others Meet PDP Govs Today As Crisis Festers

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The truce talks between elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and governors elected on the platform of the party will on Friday (today) continue in Abuja.

The meeting, initiated by a former President, Chief  Olusegun Obasanjo, is aimed at seeking a solution to issues that led to  the factionalisation of the PDP.

Six PDP governors had last Saturday stormed out of the party’s mini-convention in Abuja and joined some aggrieved prominent members of the party, including the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi,  to announce the emergence of  a faction known as the New PDP.

The  governors are Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Aliyu Babangida (Niger); Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara);  Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); and Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano).

They named a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, as the leader of the faction. An ex- National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Mohammed Bugaje,  was appointed the national chairman;  Dr. Sam Jaja, deputy national chairman;  and Prince Olagunsoye, national secretary.

Jolted by the development, President Goodluck Jonathan initiated a series of reconciliatory meetings, first with Obasanjo and then the PDP governors.

The meeting Jonathan held with the governors did not reach any conclusion as it was postponed till next Tuesday to enable the parties to consult more on the crisis.

  Obasanjo, who had earlier appealed to the  parties  to maintain the peace, said elders of the PDP would meet on Friday(today)  to mediate in the crisis.

Expected at the meeting that will take place in the Presidential Villa, Abuja,  are former a Vice-President, Dr.  Alex Ekwueme, a former National Chairman of the party, Chief Solomon Lar; and ex-Military President Ibrahim Babangida.

Some other people considered to be founding members  of the party like the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, are  also expected to be in attendance.

In spite of the ongoing peace efforts,  the leaders of the parallel factions on Thursday continued their war of words.

While the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, described those behind the Bugaje-led faction as prodigal sons,  Oyinlola, described Tukur as  a dictator.

Apparently worried by the verbal attacks, Anenih  called for caution among them.

But barely 24 hours after he  threatened about 124  National Assembly members backing  the New PDP with the loss of their seats,  Tukur described Abubakar,  Bugaje, Oyinlola and others as   prodigal sons who might be left behind by the PDP.

He  spoke  at the opening of  a seminar jointly organised by the offices of National Woman and National Youth Leaders of the  PDP  for all women and youth leaders in the party drawn from the 36 states of the federation.

The PDP chairman  said, “What is going on in the party is something of concern but it is also something that can happen in a family.

“You can quarrel but it  should  be resolved within the house not outside.If a son or daughter leaves home, he  or she is  called a  prodigal son or daughter. If they go  and come back, we will  say welcome back prodigal son/daughter. We will  tell you, you are still accepted because in the  PDP,  a  son or daughter is always regarded as such.

“But of course, if you are coming back , you will also  know the  consequences of  taking a wrong step. You have to reconnect and correct your wrong step. If you don’t, the PDP train will move without you.”

The faction led by Baraje has however  said it would  slam  contempt charges against Tukur.

It said its  lawyers would press a contempt charge against  him  for  flouting the orders of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja  which  asked both sides to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the case before it.

The faction, in a statement by  Oyinlola condemned the press conference  in Abuja on wednesday where  Tukur threatened to sack  the members of the National Assembly who have declared  their support for it.

It said, “We have asked our lawyers to press contempt charges against Tukur because his statement was made in clear contempt of the orders of the Lagos High Court which three days ago asked both sides to maintain the status quo. We will ask the court to commit him to jail for his disdain for the law and the judicial system.

“We have always been saying it that Tukur represents everything that must not be seen in a democratic organisation.

“His statement demonstrates not just impunity but also lawlessness and crass ignorance of the tenets of the law and democratic ethos. Tukur displayed his disdain for law and order with his threat to order the arrest of  law-abiding persons in a democracy.

“Fortunately, our country is a democracy under the rule of  law and not under the rule of man. The police and  other security agencies cannot be used to further such an agenda as being nurtured in the dictatorial mind of Tukur.

“Again, we believe only an ignorant person would threaten to sack elected Senators and Representatives for staying on the side of truth, justice and fairness.

“Tukur needs to be reminded that members of the National Assembly were elected by the people of Nigeria and are not his appointees who he could dismiss like the minions in his private residence.”

Oyinlola challenged Tukur   to realise  that his reign of terror was over in the PDP.

“We challenge him to call out those who are with him in his clear journey to perdition even as we add that  Tukur should come to terms with the reality of the end of his reign of terror, impunity, dictatorship and lawlessness in our party,”  he added.

Fearing that the angry statements by the  factional PDP leaders may stall the ongoing reconciliatory efforts by Jonathan and Obasanjo,  Anenih  called for an end to open confrontations by the parties involved.

He said in a statement entitled,  “A Call for Caution,”  in Abuja on Thursday, that making preemptive  comments  amid reconciliation process was disrespectful to   Jonathan and the PDP leadership at whose instance   the reconciliation efforts were being made.

 The BOT chairman added, “It is unfortunate that while the reconciliation efforts are being made, some of our members are making inflammatory statements, intimidating one another and issuing threats of court actions. Such actions do nothing but harm the efforts at reconciliation.

“Like a good family, we must avoid open confrontation and allow the leadership of the party to effect genuine reconciliation.

“Conflict is not new to the PDP and, as in the past, I am confident that, in spite of the differences, the current one will be resolved, with the party coming out even stronger and more united than ever.

“To make preemptive statements while the process of reconciliation is still on, is disrespectful not only to the President but also to the party leadership. Such statements undermine the party and the enormous efforts being made under the transformation agenda of  Mr. President.

“I therefore call on all members of our great party to exercise restraint throughout this trying period.”

But a   group, known as Congress for Equality, which met at the residence of Chief Edwin Clark in Abuja,   asked Anenih to distance himself from the aggrieved governors.

 It said that it was wrong for him (Anenih) to say that the aggrieved  governors had genuine complaints.

A statement  issued at the end of the meeting and  signed  by Senator Ameh  Ebute advised Anenih to join hands with Tukur to support the party and Jonathan.

A former Police Affairs Minister,   Maj.Gen. David Jemibewon   and Gen. I.B.M. Haruna  attended the meeting.

Lagos, Ekiti, Seven Others Are Heavy Debtors –FRC

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Nine states of the federation are in serious debts judging by their revenue profile, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission has said.

The states are: Lagos, Ekiti, Kaduna, Cross Rivers, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Ebonyi and Kwara.

 In its Annual Report and Audited Accounts 2011, which was released in Abuja on Thursday, the FRC listed the nine states as being under the weight of huge debts.

The FRC also raised the alarm that given the rate of growth of the national debt and debt servicing, the nation’s debt was unsustainable except action was taken to reduce the rate of growth or increase the Gross Domestic Product growth rate.

According to the report, the total indebtedness of each of the states as of December 31, 2011 was beyond the limit set by the Debt Management Office.

The DMO had said that states’ indebtedness should never rise more than 50 per cent of their annual revenues in the previous 12 months, while the nation’s total indebtedness should not be more than 40 per cent of the GDP.

For each of the nine states, however, the total indebtedness as of December 31, 2011 was more than 50 per cent of their revenue profile.

For Lagos State, the debt to revenue ratio stood at 155.4 per cent, with the annual statutory revenue standing at N125.48bn and a debt profile of N193.44bn.

On a revenue profile of N44.97bn and a debt profile of N35.98bn, Ekiti State’s ratio stood at 80 per cent. Kaduna had a revenue profile of N63.94bn, debt profile of N40.08bn and debt to revenue ratio of 62.68 per cent.

For Cross River State, the ratio stood at 61.44 per cent on a revenue of N56.92bn and a debt of N34.97bn.

The ratios for Edo, Ondo, Bayelsa, Ebonyi and Kwara states stood at 56.03 per cent, 55.12 per cent, 54.5 per cent, 51.85 per cent, and 51.75 per cent, respectively.

Four other states whose debt to revenue ratio exceeded the states’ average of 36.36 per cent are Imo, 49.4 per cent; Ogun, 45.45 per cent; Bauchi, 41.97 per cent; and Osun, 36.52 per cent.

The least indebted states by the debt to revenue ratio include Rivers, 2.02 per cent; Borno, 3.28 per cent; Akwa Ibom, 3.88 per cent; Taraba, 6.79 per cent; Plateau, 8.02 per cent; and Adamawa, 8.72 per cent.

The FRC said the debt profile included external debts; money borrowed from banks and the capital market, but excluded debts owed to contractors, which could not be ascertained.

The FRC explained, “Only statutory revenue is used in the analysis because the states refused to supply data on their IGR. In any case, the IGR is not more than eight per cent of the states’ total except Lagos, which also refused to furnish its IGR. In essence, the omission of the IGR may not distort the result of the analysis.

“It is also pertinent to observe that the non-inclusion of the outstanding debt owed to contractors and contingent liabilities may more than offset the omission of the IGR.

“The Federal Government owes 111.63 per cent of its statutory revenue. In terms of debt to GDP ratio, the Federal Government debt stock is about 14.5 per cent. The national debt of N8.29tn is, however, about 22.1 per cent of the GDP. This is higher than the publicised figure of 17.5 per cent.

“At present, Nigeria’s GDP is growing at 7.45 per cent. The stock of debt is growing at approximately 23.75 per cent, while debt service is growing at 26.81 per cent.

“In a situation in which the growth rates of debt and debt service outstrip the growth rates of revenue and GDP, it is safe to say that debt is hardly sustainable, unless the rates of growth and GDP are stepped up and the rate of borrowing is reduced or held constant.”

For the Federal Government and its agencies, the statutory revenue stood at N5.54tn; while the debt stock stood at N6.19tn, thereby taking the debt to revenue ratio to 111.63 per cent. The entire country had a debt to revenue ratio of 85.38 per cent as of December 2011.

However, the Commissioner for Finance, Lagos State, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, said he was not aware of the FRC report, but noted that the state’s revenue and expenditure profiles were available for free on the government’s official website.

His counterpart in Ekiti State, Mr. Dapo Kolawole, said the claim by the FRC that the state was among the most indebted in the country was false.

Kolawole said, “The information is false and the data is wrong. Ekiti is one of the most efficient states in the country. In terms of financial management, we are very efficient and prudent.

“What I am saying is that it is embarrassing for somebody sitting somewhere in Abuja to tell me that Ekiti is one of the states that over-borrowed without crosschecking. What is the basis of statistics and how much have we borrowed compared with the state’s GDP?”

Similarly, the Ondo State Government said the report did not capture the present state of things in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said things were now different from 2011, the year covered by the report.

He said, “Going by the date of the report, this could not have been the latest status of Ondo State’s debt profile because this was 2011 report.

“However, from time to time, we go to look for finance from the money and capital markets. Every state carries some debt profile, ours is very sustainable, our debt to revenue ratio is below 20 per cent.”

Fashola Bars Molue From Lagos Island

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The Lagos State Government has barred big commercial buses, popularly called Molue, from operating on Lagos Island.

The government explained that it also did not expect the buses to ply  Third Mainland, Eko and Carter bridges, adding that operating in the Central Business District had become history for the buses.

A statement from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority on Thursday said the move was to ensure adequate monitoring of the operations of commercial vehicles and compliance with traffic rules and regulations.

The statement said the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Babatunde Edu, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting with branch chairmen of the Lagos Urban Bus Owners Association of Nigeria, the operators of Molue buses in the state .

Edu said, “This directive had become effective since August, 2012, but Lagos State Government, being a responsive and responsible government which believes in enlightenment before enforcement, decided to shift the enforcement to September 2013.

“LASTMA officials have been mandated to ensure strict compliance and impound any Molue that is found to have flouted the directive after September 4, 2013.”

The General Manager told the operators that the government had not banned them, therefore they could perform their operations in any other parts of the state apart from the restricted areas.

Edu said, “The government has not banned the operations of Molue in the state. Rather, it has restricted their operations to areas like Orile, Iyana Ipaja, Mile 2 and Mile 12.”

He said the prohibited routes included Iddo, Ebute Ero, Apongbon, Obalende, Idumota and CMS.

The leader of the team, Mr. Taofeek Adesina, commended the government for its effort to restore sanity and order in the state and pledged the readiness of his union to support the new cause.

ASP Shoots Dead By Corporal During Argument At Station

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When on April 6, 2013, Jane and Olusoji Elegbede got married in Lagos State, their joy knew no bounds.

Although Olusoji was a policeman serving in Yobe State, which is fraught with security challenges, Jane did not mind living there with him.

 Their plan was to settle down, have children and grow old together.

Unfortunately, this was not to be as Olusoji, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, was gunned down by a police corporal  in Gashua Bade Local Government, Yobe State, while on duty less than five months after their wedding.

Olusoji’s widow, who spoke while fighting back tears, told Afric-tv24 that she was still in shock over the incident.

Narrating what led to her 39-year-old husband’s killing, Jane said her husband, who was the Administration Officer at Gashua Police Division, was killed by a 53-year-old corporal, Andrew Bitus.

She said, “The station is situated in a barracks and we all live in the barracks. The corporal (Bitus), was dating an elderly woman and they had a quarrel. Bitus wanted to part ways with the woman, so he told her to refund the money he had spent on her but the woman refused.

“The corporal dragged the woman to the station but the Divisional Police Officer intervened, saying it was a civil case and told the corporal to take the matter to the court.

“The DPO travelled some days later, on August 30, 2013 to be precise. The corporal arrested the woman again.

“My husband, who was the most senior officer in the station at the time, reiterated what the DPO said and ordered the corporal to let the woman  go.

“The corporal, instead, started harassing the woman at the station. My husband then told other policemen at the station to register a case against the corporal for his behaviour.”

Jane said the corporal became infuriated and insulted her husband who was over 10 years younger than him.

She said in the ensuing argument, the corporal brought out his rifle and shot the deceased many times.

She said, “I was in my house when I heard gunshots. Initially I thought it was Boko Haram members that were attacking the station. It was a few minutes later that someone informed me that my husband had been shot.

“When I got to the station, I was told by policemen that the corporal brought out his gun and shot my husband in front of the counter. My husband was said to have fled, but the corporal chased him and rained bullets on him. I met my husband in a pool of blood.

“When I asked why they could not stop the trigger-happy policeman, they told me that they had to run for cover for fear of being hit by the bullets.”

Afric-tv24 learnt that Olusoji was rushed to the General Hospital, Gashua, and was taken to the theatre where a surgery was done to remove the bullets from his body.

“The doctors told me that he survived and was going to be taken to the Federal Medical Centre, however, they later opened up to me that he died during the surgery,” she said.

Jane insisted that the corporal must be brought to book, adding that her husband was not involved in any love affair with the woman who was at the centre of the feud.

Afric-tv24 learnt that the killer policeman had been dismissed and was being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Damaturu.

The unidentified woman, who was being harassed by the corporal, had also been arrested.

A cousin of the deceased, Kunle Bajela, said apart from getting justice for the killing, the family wanted his widow to be well taken care of by the police authorities.

“My cousin died in active service and we want those who depended on him for their upkeep are not neglected by the police,” he said.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, told our correspondent on the telephone that he would call later to brief him on the incident.

Jonathan Decries Nigeria’s Level Of Indiscipline

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President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday decried the level of indiscipline among Nigerians, especially those in the public service.

The President charged members of the newly constituted National Assembly Service Commission to make a difference in their area of assignment by ensuring discipline at all levels of its operation.

He spoke while swearing in members of the Commission at a ceremony which held in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

“One of the greatest problems we have as a nation is the issue of discipline. Everywhere from the least office to the highest and in most cases people don’t take their responsibilities seriously, and it is your duty to make sure people are disciplined, where they need to be disciplined,” the President said.

He also charged the Commission headed by Alhaji Adamu Fika to ensure that they work in conformity with the sayings of philosophers that “in a system where equals are treated unequally or where unequals are treated equally, that system is corrupt.”

“So make sure that equals are treated equally and unequals are treated unequally, to distinguish yourselves from others,” he added.

He expressed gratitude to the members for accepting to serve in the commission, saying “we all are called to serve our father land in one capacity or the other”.

The President outlined the key responsibilities of the NASC to include the appointment of persons to all offices of the National Assembly; to promote, transfer and confirm such appointments; and apply disciplinary measures, including recommendations for dismissal from service.

He also said they were to manage the civil servants and work to ensure that elected officers excel in their responsibilities.

Responding on behalf of other members, the Chairman expressed gratitude to the President for the honour done him and members of the commission.

“We are aware of the enormous task before us, we wish to assure your Excellency that we will do all possible to justify the confidence repose in us,” he said.

Court Orders CP To Produce Armed Robbery Suspect

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A Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on Wednesday gave the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, until September 9 to produce a suspected armed robber, Mr. Femi Ilesanmi, in court.

Justice Ganiyu Safari gave the order in a short ruling on an ex parte application filed on behalf of the suspect by his family members, who were apprehensive that the police might have killed him in their custody.

Safari granted the prayer by the family’s counsel, Mr. Taiwo Adedeji, who had urged the court to order for the production of the suspect to allay the relatives’ anxiety.

The suspect’s brother, Mr. Bayo Ilesanmi, alleged in an affidavit in support of the application, that Femi was on June 21, 2013, detained at the Abattoir Police Station, Oko Oba, Agege area of the state, where he was allegedly killed.

He stated that there was “the rumour going round that the applicant (Femi) was tortured and killed extra-judicially” by the police and the other defendant in the suit.

Apart from Manko, the other defendants are the Officer in Charge, Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Mr. Abba Kyari, and the Divisional Police Officer Officer, Abattoir Police Station, in whose custody the suspect was said to have been killed.

The fourth defendant is the head of Oodua People’s Congress in Orile Agege, Mr. Wasiu Elemere, who was said to have arrested Femi in Orile Agege on June 21, 2013 and subsequently handed the suspect over to Abattoir Police Station on the same day.

“We have severally requested for the body of the applicant to be released to us even if it is true that he was murdered by the respondents but they have refused to do so,” Bayo’s affidavit read in part.

Bayo stated in the affidavit that his 36-year-old brother was not an armed robber but a businessman, who was “hardworking, resourceful and full of life”.

He claimed that his brother was a victim of “a set up cleverly orchestrated by his rivals in their association who see him as a threat to their ambition of becoming the chairman of the association.”

He added, “The applicant’s rival in the association connived with the fourth respondent (Elemere) being the head of Oodua Peoples Congress to arrest the applicant on allegations that were cooked up against him.”

In the subastantive suit, the lawyer is seeking the court to, among other prayers, award the sum of N100m against the respondents “being compensation for the violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights.”

He said the violations were contrary to sections 33(1), 34(1) (a), 35(1) and other sections of the Constitution.

PDP Asks Court To Jail Baraje, Oyinlola

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The Peoples Democratic Party has asked a Federal High Court, Abuja, to commit to prison the New PDP officials led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje for alleged contempt of court.

The PDP under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur also urged the court to jail the Baraje-led faction’s National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Dr. Sam Jaja.

The three had sued Tukur; the Deputy National Chairman, Uche Secondus; National Women Leader, Dr. Kema Chikwe; and National Publicity Olisah Metuh.

The Tukur faction in  response to the Baraje faction’s court action, filed the contempt suit against the three on Wednesday.

Counsel for Tukur’s PDP, Mr. Ajibola Oluyede, who made the court papers available to journalists at a briefing in Lagos, said he was directed by the faction to file the contempt suit..

Oluyede also added that he had also filed a preliminary objection against the suit filed by the Baraje faction at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja.

Baraje and his faction had filed the suit seeking an order to restrain Tukur and other members of his executive council from further parading themselves as officials of the PDP.

But the Tukur faction, through its newly-filed contempt suit, is seeking to jail Baraje, Oyinlola and Jaja for a minimum of one year each for allegedly violating a judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The judgment was said to have been delivered on January 11, 2013 in a suit tagged FHC/ABJ/504/2013.

The contempt suit was filed on behalf of the Tukur faction by Chief Adedayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo, who had initiated the suit which its judgment was allegedly flouted by the Baraje group.

Dayo and Sodipo had filed the suit on which judgment was delivered on January 11, for themselves and the Executive Committee of the party in Ogun State.

The alleged contemnors  were said to have violated the judgment of the Federal High Court, which nullified Oyinlola’s candidacy as a nominee of the South-West Zonal Chapter of the PDP.

The Tukur’s PDP said Oyinlola, “with guilty knowledge” “appointed and declared” himself as the National Secretary of the PDP “for the purpose of rendering the judgment of the Federal High Court nugatory.”

The faction alleged that Oyinlola conspired with Baraje and Jaja to take actions in violation of the court’s judgment and by so doing, “obstructed the administration of justice.”

The applicants said the alleged contemnors acted to subvert the appeal filed by Oyinlola against the Federal High Court’s judgment  by taking it upon themselves to overrule the judgment and appoint Oyinlola to the office.

“The alleged contemnors have, since the delivery of the said judgment, committed additional acts of criminal contempt by conspiring to flout the purpose of the court as pronounced in its said judgment and the authority of the court in so pronouncing,” the applicants  said.

4 Die, 19 Houses Burnt As Herdsmen, Farmers Clash In Niger

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Four persons have been feared dead and 19 houses burnt in a clash between Fulani herdsmen and people of Dakogi Village in Kudu district of Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State.

Afric-tv24 gathered that the clash started last Sunday and cumulated in the herdsmen taking refuge at the Divisional Police Office in Mokwa as their huts were allegedly burnt to ashes.

It was gathered the trouble started when the herdsmen allegedly led cows to destroy some farmlands belonging to a farmer in the community. A source said when the villager confronted them, the herdsmen, numbering six, allegedly attacked him with daggers.

It was learnt that when the news of the attack reached the villagers, the villagers mobilized themselves to attack the Fulani settlement, leading to the death of four persons and the burning of 19 of their houses.

Afric-tv24 gathered that there is tension in the area now because of the likely reprisal attack by the herdsmen, who, it was gathered, are for now squatting at the Divisional Police Headquarters.

Niger State Police spokesman Mr. Richard Adamu Oguche confirmed that the herdsmen are taking refuge in the police station but stated that no arrest had so far been made.

Undergraduate Commits Suicide Over Failed Manhood

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Apparently frustrated by his inability to make love to his girl-friend, a university undergraduate Emeke (surname withheld) in Igbiegwa Quarters, Ute-Erumu, Ika North East local government, Delta State has committed suicide.

The said Emeke, an under-graduate of the Delta State University, reported to be in his late thirties, was said to have jumped into a well in his family compound, after desperate efforts, including visiting several herbalists to revive the failed genital.

While the problem persisted, the deceased was said to have also visited several churches, especially white garment churches where he was subjected to 31 days fasting and prayers to solve his problem but to no avail.

Emekus as he was fondly called by family members and friends was said to have had a heated arguement with his girlfriend, Kemi, over his inability to make love and he had promised to make it up to her after which they checked into a guest house at nightfall but his manhood failed him again.

A family member who gave her name as Emilia said on the fateful Monday, after the episode with his girlfriend at the guesthouse, Emeke sold his clothes and shoes after which he left a suicide note on his bed.

She said she had heard him shouting and came out of the room to find out what was wrong with him only to see him jump into the well.

Many people in the neighbourhood who spoke with LEADERSHIP described the circumstances surrounding the act as rather mysterious.

The deceased was said to have been buried after payment of a fine fixed by elders of the community, who described his action as a taboo, by his family.

Atiku Seeks Economic Diversification Beyond Oil

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Former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar has expressed regret that Nigeria’s excessive dependence on oil revenue has led to the collapse of the other contributing sectors of the economy, mainly agriculture.

He noted with concern that since the discovery of oil in 1956, other sectors of the national economy have been suffering a setback.

In a policy paper entitled, “Moving Nigeria Beyond Oil”, delivered to the Nigerians in diaspora at an International Conference at the London School of Economics (LSE) yesterday, Atiku said the country’s over-dependence on oil produced many unforeseen consequences, including what he called “wealth without labour and producing a generation of youth aspiring to be employed rather than thinking of how to create jobs for themselves.”

According to the former vice president, the over-reliance on oil revenues has virtually destroyed the initiatives by the state governments to double efforts towards improving their internally generated revenue sources.

He commended the Lagos State government under Governor  Babatunde Fashola for being able to generate 50 percent of its revenues from internally generated revenue sources, which he said, reduced its undue dependence on federal subventions.

Atiku, however, fingered corruption as the worst consequence of Nigeria’s over-dependence on oil, compounded by the lack of transparency and accountability in the oil industry, which was exposed by the various investigative reports.

He said inconsistent production figures and what is actually coming into the government coffers is a reflection of the absence of accountability and transparency.

Atiku Abubakar also regretted that the oil industry contributed little in terms of direct employment relative to its contribution to the government revenues.

On the way forward, he said if other oil producers such as Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Japan, the U.S. and Canada could reduce their dependence on oil and diversify, Nigeria could do the same thing

Leaders Must Respect Limits Of Their Powers – Tambuwal

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Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has stressed the need for leaders to understand the limitations of their power in order to create effective leadership and good governance.

Tambuwal who was speaking at the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday, said only by doing so will they be able to gain the trust and confidence of their citizens.

“We are talking here of the need for leaders to accept and practise the norms and values of democracy, appreciate and understand both the scope and limitations of their powers, and the need to follow the democratic norms of accountability, transparency and respect for the rule. Of law”, he stated.

Delivering a paper entitled, “Inequitable Resource Sharing: A Threat To Democratic Governance”, the speaker added that for democracy to thrive, effective leadership is the only tool that can make good governance possible.

“This requires that leaders steer away from self-indulgent policies and attitudes of the past and focus on creative ways of providing solutions to the nation’s myriad of problems. Without attitudinal change, the dream of institutionalising good governance will remain a mirage,” he said.

He added that government must focus on consistently pursuing the right policies and programmes that will elevate the moral and material well-being of their citizens who look up to them for good governance.

Speaking to the need for equitable distribution of resources in Nigeria, he lamented that the case of marginalization or inequity in resource sharing had constantly threatened the peace of the country which propelled the 7th Assembly under his leadership to “outline a programme of action to achieve developmental goals and address the specific question of inequitable resource allocation and management”.

He concluded by urging the Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of lawmakers of legislatures in member countries to enable them to use their powers and influence to make their countries better for the citizens.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly would soon conclude deliberations on the Diaspora Bil, now before the House.

Tambuwal said this on Tuesday night at a dinner organised for him and other members of the National Assembly attending the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Johannesburg.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner was hosted by the Nigerian Consulate in South Africa.

According to the Speaker,   the Diaspora Bill was designed to integrate the potential of the nation’s citizens living abroad.

Govt May Shut Down If ASUU Demands Are Met – FG

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The federal government said yesterday that its activities in the country could possibly shut down if the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other sectors in the country insist on the total compliance with their demands.

This is even as the minister of education, Prof Ruqayyat Rufa’i has alleged that ASUU was bent on portraying the federal government in a bad light by claiming that after signing the agreement in 2009, nothing has been done.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, who stated this while addressing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, noted that the federal government had been spending a lot of money on the development of tertiary education across the country.

According to Maku, although government nurses with passion to sustain a good working relationship with ASUU, the union must have a rethink on its demands by taking into consideration the fact that there are many competing demands on the federal government from other sectors.

He added that but for the proliferation of violence in the northern part of the country perpetrated by Boko Haram, which has also cost the federal government huge amount of money in terms of restoring normalcy, much would have been done to upgrade the education sector.

15 Borno PDP Executive C’ttee Members Defect To APC

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There seems to be no end in sight to the crisis plaguing the PDP as 15 executive committee members of the Borno State chapter of the party voluntarily resigned and withdrew their membership.

In a statement made available to journalists yesterday, the 15 committee members declared their loyalty to the newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC). According to them, the reason for the defection was to enable them carry out developmental activities that will affect the ordinary man in the state.

The defecting members, however, pledged their continued support for the present administration and acknowledged its tremendous achievements despite the security challenges facing the state.

The defecting members include Habu Hamman – deputy state chairman; Mallam Gana Ladu - state secretary; Hajiya Fati Kakenna - state women leader; Hon. Nuhu Clark - state youth leader; Liman Mustapha - state org. Secretary; Hon. Audu B. Walama - state Treasurer, and Hon. Modu Allami- State pub. Secretary.

Others are Alh. Audu Gambo- state auditor; Modu Abba - asst. org. sec., north; Gambo Birma - asst. org. sec. South; Hon. Abdulraman Abdulawan - asst. sec., central; Mohammed Danjuma - asst. pub. secretary; Hon. Mustapha Ali - ex-officio; Aja Eli Wakil - ex-officio; and Hajiya Bintu Bukaram - ex-officio.

Nigerian Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated In India

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NEW DELHI (AFP) – Doctors declared Wednesday that a pair of formerly conjoined twins were healthy and happy after they were successfully separated in a marathon “nerve-wracking” operation in India by a team of 40 specialists.

The one-year-old girls from Nigeria, sporting matching bright pink dresses, sat patiently on their parents’ laps as doctors explained the separation last month during an 18-hour operation at a New Delhi hospital.

“They were fused at their back when they came to us which is very rare,” paediatric surgeon Prashant Jain told AFP.

Badaru Mannir (L) holds his daughter Hassana Badaru (2L) while Hussaina Badaru (R) is held by her mother, after a surgery to separate the conjoined twins at BLK Super Specialty Hospital in New Delhi on September 4, 2013.

Badaru Mannir (L) holds his daughter Hassana Badaru (2L) and Hussaina Badaru (R)  after a surgery to separate the conjoined twins at BLK Super Specialty Hospital in New Delhi on September 4, 2013.

“Usually the twins are joined in the head or the upper body. It posed a huge challenge to our team of doctors,” Jain said.

Doctors held the media conference as the twins, Hussaina and Hassana, sat happily, grabbing at a mobile phone, clutching a rattle and trying to pull off their mother’s earrings.

Malama Badariyya Badaru, the mother of the twins, said she was overjoyed at finally being able to hold the girls in her arms “individually”.

The girls, sporting hair bands of different colours to make recognition easier, looked curiously at the cameras during the conference at the BLK Super Speciality hospital.

“It was all nerve-wracking work. But it feels great to see them happy, healthy and independent,” Jain said.

The single surgery was carried out in three stages, preparation, separation and then reconstruction of their shared organs which include the lower spine, lower intestinal and urinary tracts as well as genitals.

“We carried out rehearsals using dummies. All tubes, wires, injections and drugs were colour-coded in pink or blue (for each girl) to avoid any mistake,” he said.

Jain said only 15 percent of all conjoined twins are born with this type of condition, known medically as pygopagus. Medical literature lists just 32 such cases, he said.

The family, from Kano state in northwestern Nigeria, were told by doctors in their country that one of the girls may not survive if they went ahead with the surgery there.

An unnamed philanthropist then stepped in to help, and suggested they travel to India which offered good facilities at relatively low medical costs, Jain said.

The family can head home to Nigeria after a series of month-long check ups, he said.