What a night it was forth night ago at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos! The high and mighty who thronged the venue for intellectual fireworks got more than they bargained for in entertainment as the organisers gleaned the Airtel Night of Influence that featured Dr Fareed Zakaria with an unforgettable show put up by Lagbaja, who invoked nostalgia among eminent guests.

It was a surprise galore as Lagbaja drew thunderous applause from the elated audience as he emerged mysteriously to mount the stage.

Lagbaja

With his presence, the audience were full of expectations, and trust the masked one; he meandered from table to table “shaking hands” with dignitaries and their ‘mistresses.’ This masterful stagecraft got guests including former  president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, chairman of Airtel Nigeria, Oba Otudeko, guest speaker, Zakaria and Rajan Swaroop, Managing Director/CEO, Airtel Nigeria beaming with smiles.

A teaser of sorts, Lagbaja’s first appearance on the night was brief, leaving the audience who appeared to have missed him since his sojourn in the United States, joyfully joining Lagbaja in his lyrics; a move that filled the hall with melody. This only set the stage for Zakaria to mount the podium. Lagbaja and the organisers were not done yet, they had only wet the appetite of the audience.

Zakaria rode on the joyful atmosphere created by Lagbaja with his outstanding performance that put the audience in a relaxed mood for the night to deliver his paper. Zakaria held the audience spellbound,while speaking on “Africa’s Political Economy: The Challenge of Leadership.”

As soon as Zakaria was done, Lagbaja got back on stage with his trademark dance-steps. This time, Lagbaja connected with the audience from the stage making many drop their cutleries to sing-along with the world-class entertainer.

His performance was a scholarly exposition of African roots music and jazz as the world famous artist performed for a distinguished audience, leaving many without doubt that he rehearsed specially for the great audience he was presented with knowing that such opportunities do not often present themselves.

Other prominent guests who  graced the evening included, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd), former Africa Director of the World Bank and director of Bharti Airtel Oby Ezekwesili, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akinolu, Prof Pat Utomi and his wife.

Interestingly, Lagbaja who has relocated to Manhattan, New York, USA,  flew into the county that evening. His music over the years has evinced strong social consciousness and concern for the issues of the day, one of the strong points that might have influenced his being chosen to perform at the occasion.

Popular movie director, bass guitarist and script writer, Daniel Ademinokan talks about his divorce from Doris Simeon, relationship with Stella Damasus and his foray into clothing business

It’s already a year that you lost your dad. How has it been?

One thing I will tell you is that I have missed my dad’s stubbornness. He was a very firm and hardworking man. He was full of humour; no matter how bad things are, he’d calm things down with a joke. I didn’t have a strong relationship with my dad until the latter years of his life.

You will be launching your clothing line, Code 55, tomorrow. What should people expect?

It is a one-stop shop. I expect the business to mature so that I can get money. I invested money in it. I’m not a guy who sees himself as being just a filmmaker. I try to do as many things as possible. The building itself houses all the things we do. When we launch Code 55, people can just walk into the boutique and buy anything they want, but they should also know that the building is called Index Two Plaza. Inside the plaza is Code 55, Index Two Studio, a rehearsal studio I just set up. It is currently the biggest studio, where musicians can come to rehearse with their live band, in Abuja. I have a music recording studio and my film production house there as well. You can record your music video and everything you want there and, of course, we have offices there. So, when we open the place officially, I expect the place to make a big mark and pray that God will bless the work of our hands.

We named the clothing line Code 55 because you have to really sit down before you understand us. People say there is a mystery about me and they say the same thing about Stella. But trust me, may be you have to buy a decoder before you can decode who we are. For the 55, I was born 31 July and Stella is 24 April. If you add 31 and 24, you will get 55.

There have been many speculations about what caused your divorce from Doris Simeon. Can you clear the air?

People will always blab about what they know and what they don’t know. Doris and I have remained friends. We have a child between us and the most important thing we should focus on is the wellbeing of the young boy. I’m a human being, so I am entitled to have my own emotions and and issues. But people should learn to mind their business. Bankers and other professionals go for divorce, but you will never see it on the pages of the newspapers. Doris and I have retained our friendship. In fact, I just spoke to her few hours ago, so we talk all the time. Whenever there is something we need to discuss, we do that. We have moved on with our lives. Let people keep talking while Doris and Daniel continue to make their money. As far as I’m concerned, Nigeria has bigger problems that we all need to focus on. We have issues of oil, flood, kidnapping, Boko Haram and all that. We have the Niger Delta and amnesty issues to deal with. I’m surprised people are still busy talking about whose home is breaking up and whose home is not breaking up. As far as I’m concerned, Doris is living her life happily and I’m living my life happily, too. Our son is happy and we talk from time to time. Life is about ups and downs. People get married and get separated for reasons best known to them, so they should let us breathe.

There were rumours that Doris accused Stella of snatching you?

Who did Doris say that to? Whoever is saying that should come out to claim that Doris actually said so. People should leave Doris and Stella alone. The people saying these things have bigger problems. Some of them have one and half legs and then they will sit in one place to be fabricating stories.

Perhaps people are speculating because of the business relationship between you and Stella?

They are free to say anything; my personal issue is my personal issue. In fact, if people are looking for stories, tell them that Daniel and Stella now have 24 children. Also tell them that we have bought 24 houses in Abuja and hoping to buy 17 more in America. Let them keep talking.

Okay, let’s talk about the movie industry. What is your assessment?

The movie industry has come a long way and I believe that we are getting better. I always say that there are two sets of filmmakers in Nigeria. We have developmental films and commercial films. We have those who refused to move with time-they are still shooting movies with N700, 000 and N1 million. Such movies actually have shorter life spans. It is either you choose to grow or stay in one place. There are now some intelligent filmmakers, who are actually moving further. The industry is structured in a way that those who are making good films have continued in that direction. If you look at people like Izu Ojukwu, Kunle Afolayan, Amaka Igwe and even the people from Ghana, they have strived hard to put their money where their mouth is in making good movies. But now, the return on their investments is where the big question mark is. There is no proper structure on how to recoup investment in the industry; that is where the big problem is. There are people who can raise money to make the films, but how can the money come back to the investor? That is the problem. That is why I’m delving into other businesses, so that when I make my movies and the profits are not coming, there should be other things that will bring money to me. We have to be honest with ourselves; people are not really making money from movies.

For instance, if you invest N50 million and I take it to the cinemas, whatever I make from there, the cinemas take 50 percent immediately and the distributor will take 10 percent. So, what is left for me? Besides, I will still pay my tax. What will come to me at the end of the day will not be more than N10 or N15 million. Many filmmakers spending a lot of money are not making it back. Those who are doing it are doing it for the sake of passion. We don’t know the power of merchandising in Nigeria. Look at a film like Jenifa, some Igbo guys did Jenifa slippers and were selling it in Tejuosho Market and a dime didn’t go to Funke Akindele, producer of the film. Somebody also made Jenifa umbrella, but the money didn’t go to Funke. What I’m saying is that if your movie makes N10 million in the cinemas, you can even make more than that from merchandising. That is why I won’t even blame the people making cheap films in Alaba.

How do you think this problem can be solved?

Honestly, it is a tough question to answer. This is because a lot of practitioners have sat on this issue all to no avail. Unless we have a true distribution channel in Nigeria, it won’t work. We need a distribution channel that is not in the hands of a few people. And until distribution channel is properly controlled, filmmakers will continue to go hungry. Look at all the veterans, they are dying. They are poor, no pension, nothing. Until we can control distribution and there is a policy to hold people liable when things go wrong, actors will continue to live in penury.

How true is it that the Ghanaian movie industry now has more quality than its Nigerian counterpart?

I won’t lie to you. If you go to the US now, most of the films people watch are from Ghana. The Ghanaians spend money on their films and the filmmakers know exactly what they are doing and their environment is more conducive for the job. Who are the directors in Ghana? They are Nigerians: Paschal Amanfo and Frank Jaja. These guys were here, but were not doing it well. They went to Ghana and, because the environment there is more conducive, they are making it. Though they still have crappy films over there too, their films are generally better than what we have in Nigeria.

You recently shot a film in Cameroun. What was the experience like?

It was a great experience for me. Stella and I actually went to Cameroun in September to train some young actors, writers and producers. After the training, we made a short film for them. Then, their industry people begged us to shoot a major film for them. We used the actors we trained for the film. We shot the film, Unspoken, and it will be released in Cameroun sometimes next year.

Cameroun is a francophone country. How did you cope as an English-speaking person?

It’s a francophone country, but they speak English there as well. We also got help from a few Nigerians there. We actually got an interpreter at a time. It was quite challenging anyway, but at the end of the day, the movie came out better than what we expected.

Out of the many films you have directed, which one will you describe as the best?

Honestly, I believe that my best is yet to come. I have directed many films, but I still see them as stepping stones to where I’m going to. But if I want to choose among the ones I have directed, I will say it is Unwanted Guest, which I shot in New York. I had white people as crew members and Katung of Big Brother Africa was in it. Seeing the kind of response the film got at cinemas was quite interesting.

As a director, what is your strength?

My strength is in God. Recently, my mum came to Abuja on a visit and she was always telling me not to kill myself because I was like a crazy man. I don’t sleep. The problem I have is that I don’t know how to sleep. I don’t drink, smoke or go to clubs, but the energy is just there naturally. So, my strength is God. Also, when I look at my son and see how interested he is in what I am doing, it keeps me going.

How did your journey in the movie industry start?

As a kid, I was a TV addict. There was no TV programme that I didn’t know of. I was fascinated by how people entertained me. My life was like a triangle: I read books, watched TV and went to church. So, in the secondary school, I started writing scripts for producers. I would go to to meet producers. I can remember Teco Benson bought some of my scripts; Chuks Obiora and the rest, too. Later, I realised that I was more interested in bringing some of those scripts I wrote to life. At times, I wrote scripts for some producers and when they came out, they didn’t look like what I wrote. So, I said instead of these producers messing my scripts up, I can make use of them myself. That was why I started training, following people up and down and studying some directors. Eventually, I went to America to study film production and directing.

You and Stella flew actor Enebeli Elebuwa to Abuja some months back for medical treatment, but he died some days back. How did you feel about his death?

It is very painful, but it is a shame that most people abandoned him when he was ill. Now that he is dead, people are pouring accolades on him. I actually don’t want to talk about this because I can be confrontational. Let’s just remember the man for the good job that he did and pray for his soul to rest in peace.

The love chemistry that started between Nigerian singer and representative at the 2012 Big Brother Africa Stargame, Goldie, and her Kenyan housemate at the competition, Prezzo, seems to be grower bigger by the day.

Not too long ago, the Kenyan rapper relocated to Nigeria ostensibly because of Goldie. In one of his press conferences, Prezzo declared that he truly loves Goldie and would jump at the opportunity of getting married to her if she (Goldie) agrees to his wedding proposal.

Now, Prezzo has taken his love for Goldie to twitter, which is not a new platform where both 'lovebirds' display love for each other.

Wsup Prezz? What's the time? Ace♠" Goldie tweeted at Prezzo yesterday. While responding, Prezzo tweeted back and called Goldie first lady, "It's time 2 shine & make em fall in line, 1st lady!" Prezzo replied.

As if that wasn't enough, Prezzo further tweeted to refer Goldie as his best while him being the luckiest guy for having Goldie as his lover. Ur the bestest and I am the luckiest, stay on ur grind and let nothing or no one put u dwn coz ur a star #24K all day errday, Prezzo, who is One Campaign ambassador with JayZ ended his love tweets to Goldie yesterday.

Goldie and Prezzo have been attending events and some social functions together both in Nigeria and abroad.


Goldie with Prezzo at a wedding in Lagos

op Nigerian actor, Jim Iyke, has continued to prove a point clear that his 'bad boy' tag he has had to endure with for a long time now is nothing but a gimmick in the make-believe world of Nollywood. Thanks to his present media manager that is working endlessly to also help prove that Jim Iyke in real life is different from the Jim Iyke in movies.

The multi-award winning star, entrepreneur, model and philanthropist, who is currently on a charity tour of Central Africa, recently visited the Naguru Reception Centre for Children, Kampala, Uganda. The centre is a home for Uganda's orphaned and abandoned children.

Jim Iyke was accompanied by Ghanaian actress, Nadia Buhari, and her mum. Unlike most children from such homes, who have very little to be cheerful about especially in a season such as Christmas, the Nollywood hard man together with his sexy counterpart from Accra, Ghana, shed their glamorous pre-occupations to put smile on the faces of the forlorn.

"We have decided to throw a huge Christmas party for the kids" Jim Iyke told Untamed

Today, Saturday, December 15, 2012, father of Nollywood superstar actress, Genevieve Nnaji, Mr Nnaji, turned 77.

The actress posted her dad's picture on her Twitter page this morning and left an accompanying message "My dad just turned 77. So grateful to God for life and good health."

Already, her twitter timeline is filled with greetings and wishes for her dad on his birthday. Genevieve Nnaji has survived the 'turbulent' showbiz industry in Nigeria. She is one of the best actresses the country can boast of.

The Chairman of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Ezekiel Adeniji, has said that the Federal Government will soon reintroduce tollgates to federal roads across the country.

Tollgates were scrapped by former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo during his tenure. However, since his exit in 2007, there has been reports that the government was considering the return of tollgates to federal roads. This is likely especially as some states like Lagos have successfully introduced such on their roads.

The FERMA boss also said the agency would recruit 10,000 Nigerians from communities where it would be engaged in major road maintenance work before the end of the year.

In an interview with Economic Confidential, Adeniji did not give a specific date for the reintroduction of tollgates, but he said that tolling is for revenue generation and job creation.

“In developed countries, there is no place you go to that you don’t pay toll for the roads you use.

“If you are paying for water, electricity and communication, why can’t you pay for good roads? Tolling is universal. But the government that scrapped the tolling knows the reason why they scrapped it, and we also have reasons why we want to return it. It is as simple as that.

“Because when you toll, you get more revenue, you create more jobs and you have funds to maintain the roads.”

What do you think about his statement? Would it be wise to reintroduce tolling on all Federal roads in the country? Do you agree that reintroducing tolling on the roads would create more funds to maintain the roads?

The Naijapals Team in Ibadan on Saturday 28th of July, 2012 set out from their office to an area called Omi- Adio to visit the less privileged people.

We went to Oluwakemi Orphanage home, oke-Oloro, beside Christ the rock church Omi-Adio, Ibadan, oyo state, Nigeria. we were welcomed by the woman in charge of the place MRS VICTORIA ADELEKE and the children also welcomed us with beautiful song while we all prayed with them and gave them some word of hope and then played with them.

The woman took us to the various room in that house where we observed some things that are not encouraging because the place is not conducive for proper living just because they don’t have some social amenities in their rooms such as; bad, electronics, mosquito net and the rest.

The woman explained the challenges that they facing, some of them are:
 1. Building fence around the house and they were unable to build it yet just because of financial capacity.
 2. Some of these Babies are physically challenged and the need good medical care. These people are really trying but people that are financially okay should raise their hands up

The Naijapals team in Ibadan brought some them goods and food item and gave them some cash. We all played with them and we took some photographs

We want to use this medium to urge everyone that has the previledge to remember the less privileged people in our community, if you have anything to offer them, kindly visit them at OLUWAKEMI OPHANAGE HOME located oke-Oloro, beside Christ the rock church Omi-Adio, Ibadan, oyo state, Nigeria. Or visit their website: www.oluwakemiorphanage.8m.com or email: [email protected] or call them on: 08075311284, 07037200870.

The recent recruitment by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is lopsided in favour of some states and has not reflected the Federal Character principle, an analysis of the recruitment document obtained by Daily Trust has revealed.

The list, for instance, shows that out of the total 132 senior officers employed, there were no candidates from Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto. But Bayelsa, the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke, got 11 slots making it the highest.

Also, Kogi State, where the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Corporation Engineer Austen Oniwon comes from got nine while Rivers and Imo states followed with eight candidates each.

The North East’s states of Borno, Taraba, Niger got one slot each while in North Central, Nasarawa, Plateau states and FCT got one slot each.

Sources in Abuja told  that the official list might be released in August.

Insiders told Daily Trust that the lopsidedness did not only stop at the recruitment list but also postings to some of the core technical areas in the industry. The source said most of the northern staff recruited are to fill non-technical positions.

Unfortunately, when Daily Trust wrote NNPC demanding to know the recruitment procedure, the number of applicants from each state, points scored by each candidate at the test and interview levels, benchmark points set by the corporation, number of candidates that qualified with their states of origin and number of candidates employed by the corporation and their states or origin in line with Freedom of Information Act (FOI), the corporation said the provision of the Act does not bind statutory corporations like NNPC.

The complete list is as follows:
Abia 5, Adamawa 4, Akwa Ibom 4, Anambra 4, Bauchi 3, Bayelsa 11, Benue 4, Borno 1, C/River 3, Delta 4, Ebonyi 3, Edo 3, Ekiti 5, Enugu 1, Gombe 4, Imo 8, Jigawa 3, Kaduna 0, Kano 0, Katsina 2, Kebbi 1, Kogi 9, Kwara 3, Lagos 5, Nasarawa 1, Niger 1, Ogun 7, Ondo 4, Osun 4, Oyo 6, Plateau 1, Rivers 8, Sokoto 0, Taraba 1, Yobe 4, Zamfara 4, FCT 1, Total Experience 132. Total employed, 596.

I’m in a serious crisis in my home and I need help to get myself out of this mess otherwise I will be thrown out of my matrimonial home by my husband.

Please I beg you keep my name secret. Trouble started for me few weeks back when I was travelling to the university I passed out from to clear some documents and ‘sort’ one of my lecturers who whose course I didn’t really do we in.
I got to Abuja very late that night and I couldn’t get a bus to school due to the security situation, while trying to locate a small hotel where I can just spend the night I ran into my ex-guy who is now based in the city. He convinced me to pass the night in his place since he was single and lived in a two bedroom apartment, I accepted but when my husband called me I lied that I’ve gotten to school.

Later that night my ex came to my room and gave me a laptop as a gift, as if he knew I needed one badly. I was torched and one thing led to another and soon I was on top of him and we had great sex, I must admit. He dropped me at the park the next morning and on our way to Gwagwalada the bus was attacked and I lost the laptop and my bag with all my money.

I had to call my husband, not knowing that he had even confirmed that I didn’t get to school the previous night. He called me a prostitute and a liar. He said his friend saw me with a man leaving a hotel in Abuja city and that his friend even sent him a picture of us... I cried on the phone and begged him but he asked me to "go back to that man".

Now am back to Lagos but things are not ok at all, my friends have helped to beg him but he refused and I can’t involved my parents, I'm ashamed! Please I need  readers to help me out. In the last six weeks I’ve not had sex bcos my husband has refused to sleep with me.

Nigeria is in a mess and heading towards Somalia, this is the view of Pat Utomi, a professor of Economics.

He speaks on the state of the nation, the unrealistic transformation agenda, corruption, trial of indicted oil marketers and other contentious issues. Excerpts:
How has life been since 2011 when you made attempt to participate in the presidential election?
There are people who like to say that they are professional politicians and that life is politics 24/7; I think man is a political animal, all of us should be politically engaged. But I don’t see myself as a professional politician, I relieve in doing other things, but as a citizen, I am active politically.

Today, we are watching a very sad development in Nigeria. I am more or less spending all my time in reflection about how best can one affect the dignity of the human being in Nigeria, which was the very reason I became active in the political life and not for acquiring power for the sake of power; being able to use power for self or anything like that. In that sense, I have given myself to other ways you can make the world a better place if you can as a human being travelling that track.

I have been very engaged in my work in civil society, social enterprise, working with young people on how they can avoid the mess we have made of their country in travelling a bit internationally, looking at people who have changed the world, not necessarily through deploying of political power but deploying the power of social enterprise. I have been doing all of that and I have been following all the goings- on in the Nigeria political arena and providing some thought on leadership. That is how it has been.

When you mentioned the sad development in Nigeria, what do you mean?
I don’t think anybody who has a sense of self respect is happy about where Nigeria is. Today, Nigeria is now being classed alongside the Pakistans and the Afghanistans of this world. I can tell you this with a sense of authority as someone who has been all over the world. Mystery index is deepening in Nigeria. Clearly, Nigeria should not be where it is; with the kind of unemployment that is all over the place. The NIMASA, a government agency, tried to employ some people and on the day of the first test, the crowd that was supposed to take the exam in a school spilled over to the road outside the premises; many were injured, fracas broke out, just because people were trying to get jobs.

And if you are not being chased by bombs in the Northern part of the country, you are being chased by kidnappers in the South-East or South-South. Generally, there is a sense of despair and despondency in the land. What is more shocking is not just that things are bad but that people in Abuja are still busy sharing money. They don’t even understand that the country is in deep crisis, they are carrying on as if nothing has happened. It’s a very difficult situation. To be frank with you, I have lived through Nigeria’s independence era but I don’t recall things being as bad as this, not even during the civil war which I lived through. There is a certain sense of despair that is quite unusual.

You classified Nigeria with Afghanistan and Pakistan, why this?
It’s not me; it’s people. The number of people who have been killed in the last couple of months in Nigeria is more than in many active civil wars. Even in China they were saying Nigeria is not safe. The Chinese are tired of going to Nigeria because after they agree with one governor, there is a new governor the next day and everything is overturned. Our institutions are weak, our political culture is poor. Things are not as they should be. For many people, it’s about power over purpose, the very purpose is lost.

You said you lived through the Nigerian independence till date and you have never seen a situation as bad as this. Is this only in the area of security? In a more sophisticated environment, people publish what they call confidence index and confidence decides whether you will make investments for example, plan long term and stuff like that. There isn’t a confidence index that I know of in Nigeria but if there were one, it will be extremely low. Everywhere you see two or three Nigerians; they are wondering whether Nigeria can actually survive. So, from my personal rule of the thumb measure of the confidence index, I have never known it to be as low as this since independence.

But we have a government with a transformation agenda; how much of that do you see?
Every day you wake up; there is a probe about billions that disappeared. People read all of these things and you think it won’t affect them? They believe that they are being ruled by a gang of thieves. Whether it is correct or not, that is the perception – they are just victims in the hands of thieves.

I have not seen anything transformed. You have to reform before you transform. How can you be transforming when corruption is worse than yesterday? General Olusegun Obasanjo tried to change things in his first tenure and one of the things he suggested was the so-called low profile, they tried to cut down on the funding of public officials. But now we have abuse of resources beyond measure at a time when Nigerians are just starving to death, we have public officials spending money like it has no value, hosting conference of First Ladies of Africa and you wonder whether the people in public life are giving any thoughts to the fact that those they are presiding over are having worse times of their lives. This is not pleasant.

The recent index on failed states featured Nigeria prominently though those on the government side argued that it was incorrect. How do you see this as an economist? Whenever indicators that involve all the countries of the world are published and one country denies the authenticity, you can only wonder if the people who designed it just wake up to make one country look bad, that is unlikely. Of course, there isn’t anything that is perfect or that is not subjective. But for anybody in good conscience to assume that life is wonderful in Nigeria is to either embark on self deceit beyond imagination or to live in denial about our reality.

Things are bad in Nigeria, talk to any Nigerian on the street. American politics used to just resolve the matters simply by saying, ‘Are you better off today than you were four years ago?’ I am sure there are only few Nigerians, maybe those who have been receiving fuel subsidy, who can say life is better today than it was a couple of years ago. We all know from our experiences that life is worse off. Many of the young men and women who were employed in the banking industry have been laid off, the banks are still laying off and will continue and that was self-inflicted. The manufacturing industries have remained in comatose for many years now, so where is the good sign that we have a growth rate of about six per cent? We know that there is a growth that describes Nigeria’s growth as a jobless growth.

The World Bank studied our index economic performance some years ago anchored by its chief economists and out of it came a book that was entitled ‘Putting Nigeria to work.’ The book described the Nigeria situation as a jobless growth situation. How can Nigeria be growing without creating jobs? If you do a breakdown of the sources of growth, the growth in Nigeria is not so much about what we were doing as managers of the economy but essentially by development. The rain has been so generous that sometimes in one planting season people are planting twice. And since agriculture makes up a huge part of our GDP, it leads to rising numbers. Two, Nigerians who live abroad are remitting a lot of money home. A relatives in the village receives $50, changes it into naira and goes to buy soap to bath. But that has not been affected by policy; policy could be dramatic in the way it pumps things up. If anything, people will tell you that government has done more damage to their businesses than to enhance it in terms of policy instability and all kinds of abuses in office.

Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of Campaign for Democracy (CD)

REF/CD/ANSB/VOL 5/30/7/CP/AWK/ANA/NG.
                                                                                           

Mr Ballah Nasarawa (JP)
The Commissioner of Police,
Anambra State Police Command,
State Command HQTRS,
Awka, Anambra State.

Dear Nasarawa,

YOUR MEN ARE ON IT AGAIN, THIS TIME ANY ESCAPE? INCESSANT ARREST/FRAME-UP, DETENTION AND EXTORTION OF INNOCENT CITIZENS HAVE RISEN TO AN APOGEE SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF DPO FEGGE, CSP ROWLAND OMETEJE: A CALL FOR IMMEDIATE OVERHAULING WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.

The Campaign for Democracy (CD) South East Region writes to bring to your attention on the above subject public matter.

When a branch of the Conventional police force leaves its unambiguously stipulated constitutional duties to indulge in all facets of gross criminal conducts then, it become a murderous arm of the law.

The foregoing is an undisputable attribute of your present DPO Fegge Division, Onitsha in recent times.

It is at this juncture that we have resolved to bring to your notice the incessant and unlawful arrest in the pretext of conducting an investigation against the resident of No. 5 Ajaegbue Street, Fegge, Onitsha South L.G.A. Anambra State.

Recall that between 12th and 13th July, 2012. Some suspected burglary hoodlums broke into a ware-house which was parked with Pharmaceutical Products belonging to
one Ndubisi and made away with some quantity of his products, at this juncture, the Fegge Divisional Police was alerted who sent his men hence investigation commences.
The Police was led by one Sgt. David Andrew with GSM 07039774780 embarked on Massive arrest of members of the said residence both Children, Mothers, Women and Men was arrested and detained.

Our sources told this organization that huge amount of money was colleted as “Bail fees” from citizen Mr Chibuzo of (Flat one front) paid N5500. Mr Nonso Anosike N6500. (flat 2 front) Master Obiajulu paid N10,000 (flat 3 front) while her mother paid N5000, then Mr Ukpaka paid N5000 (1st floor back) Mr Eriobu 08069029841 paid N5000 and her mother also paid N2000 (2nd floor back) Mr Calistus Chibue paid N8000. (boy’s quarter) amongst other extortionist activities which stood to over N40,000. Your efforts in sanitizing and stamping-out corruption in all facet is total and uncompromising   

Since then, the said Ipo Sgt David Andrew and Cohorts has continue to demand huge sums of money from these resident. The said stolen product(s) has never being recovered nor the suspect(s) arraign to court of competent jurisdiction. Sadly, the members of the said resident have been groaning and undergoing criminal intimidation in the hands of the investigating police officers Ipo. We also learnt that two of the suspect was transfer to SCID Awka on 27th July 2012.

The foregoing is one of the hundreds of said events being experienced in the hands of your men by the innocent public since the arrival CSP Rowland Omoteje DPO Fegge Division. Innocent citizens always fall victims of his incessant arrest. Most of those unlawfully arrested, detained and extorted are members of the public, especially traders returning from their legitimate businesses, Okada riders who has become the highest victim in the name of ridding okada beyond 7pm.

Reports are flooding our secretariat on torrents and on daily bases over criminal activities of men of the Division including Inland Town Police Division.

Since the arrival of the present DPO, few weeks ago, his men have constituted themselves as Boko Haram in Igbo land, they have turned most of the strategic areas into no-go areas as criminals and kidnappers have a feel day.

We reservedly demand as follows:-
 (1)    That a well written code of conducts stipulating among other things on how to relate with innocent civilians as at is enshrine in 1999 constitution as amended and Police act Cap 359 and other relevant Nigerian Laws  .
(2)      That the above mentioned amounts collected by the said IPO’s and other officers be returned without  further delay including overhauling of the division.
(3)       That effort should be made to arrest the culprits who carted away citizen Ndubisi goods.

CD is confidence that this precious and brotherly advice will bring this rising tide of social upheavals to an end. We are of the view that it will be dangerous and amounts to sincere ignorance and conscientious fundamental error for your public office to turn this brotherly advice down. If within 5 days after the receipt of this brotherly letter and nothing is done to this effect.

CD maybe compelled to use every available resources within its disposal to effect the exposition of all anti-peoples policies and crime against innocent citizens including massive protest among others.

When this is done, it will definitely ruffle a few feathers and will be phantom nonsensical to negotiate with anybody. Legal redress is equally not ruled out should other legal avenue yield no satisfactory result.

We hope that our carrion call will not be toyed with or neglected.

Yours faithfully,

Signed:
For: The CD South East Region

Dede Uzor A. Uzor
Chairman

CC: The CD in-charge State CID, Awka
        The O.C, CIB Monitoring Unit Awka
        The Area Commander, Onitsha Area Command
        The DPO CPS, Onitsha
        The DPO Fegge, Onitsha
        The DPO Okpoko
        The DPO Inland Town.               
        The DPO Ogidi         

Three gunmen yesterday launched attack on the Zaria residence of Vice President Namadi Sambo located at Baba Ahmed Road in Tudun Wada, killing a shoe shiner and injuring two policemen on guard.

Witness said that the gunmen who are within the age range of 20 and 28, stormed the area at about 11:30am on a motorcycle and opened fire on the policemen on duty, but their bullets fell the shoe shiner who was said to be polishing their shoes just outside the gate.

Acting public relations officer of the Kaduna State command DSP Abubakar Balteh confirmed the incident, saying the policemen repelled the attack forcing the gunmen to flee.

“There were about three of our men on duty when the attackers came. They exchanged fire with our men and our men were able to repel the attack and force the gunmen out of the area. It is true that one cobbler was killed and one of our men was shot but he is now receiving treatment at the hospital. The cobbler was killed after being hit by a stray bullet,” DSP Balteh said.

The house which was torched during the post presidential election violence in 2011 was under renovation and armed policemen were said to have been drafted to secure the place. Daily Trust learnt there are no occupants in the building but residents of the area said the deployment of security to watch over the renovation might not be unconnected with the attempt to scare any person or group that may want to disrupt the work.

A resident who witnessed the attacks on the security operatives at the house of the Vice President in Zaria yesterday said: “Three of them (attackers) came on an old motorcycle and on arrival, they opened fire on the police men around. The shooting that ensued led to the killing of a cobbler and one of the policemen was shot on the shoulder. The other policemen took cover in the house where they were heard firing back. I think they were taken unawares.

“The gunmen came when the policemen were waiting for the cobbler to mend their shoes. I think the police couldn’t pursue because the guns which the attackers used sounded more sophisticated than the AK 47 the police had. The three attackers are all young men within the age bracket of between 20 and 28,” the resident who craved for anonymity said.

Shortly after the attack, the corpse of the cobbler and the wounded cop were evacuated to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria after which armed soldiers and mobile police cordoned off the area.

As at yesterday afternoon, calm had returned to the Tudun Wada area as armed security personnel allowed people to go about their normal businesses on the street.

Shortly before the attack on the house of the Vice President, at precisely 10:45am, two suicide bombers launched coordinated attacks on the zonal office of the Nigeria Police at Marna area of Sokoto, Sokoto State, and the office of the Police Officers’ Wives Association, POWA, at Angwar Rogo respectively. Both bombers died in the attacks.

Witnesses said the suicide bomber who attacked the Sokoto zonal police headquarter arrived in a jeep at about 10.45am and went for his target.  The explosion ripped through the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the zone Alhaji Mukhtari Ibrahim and his official car. The office of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and some nearby shops were also affected.

AIG Ibrahim confirmed that the bomber and a police corporal, Ismail, were killed and that eight other police officers sustained injuries.

“We had an unfortunate incident where a suicide bomber rammed into the headquarters with car and killed himself. A police corporal, by name Ismail was also killed and eight other officers were injured.”

In the Angwar Rogo Attack, a bomber described by witnesses as a teenager was said to have arrived in a Voxwagon Gulf car and drove though as though he was a learner before launching the attack. He was the only casually in the attack.

The Deputy Police Commissioner, Kudu Nma, confirmed that the office of the POWA office was attacked and that the bomber died. No policeman was reported injured in this attack but Daily Trust learnt that several civilians around the area sustained various degrees of injury.

No group had claimed responsibility for the multiple attacks in Zaria and Kano as at press time yesterday.

And now the real games begin…

I don’t know if you have heard but over 150,000 condoms will be handed out at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The Olympics are a 15 day event so that’s 10,000 condoms per day!

According to ESPN’s Body Issue:

    The Olympic Village is basically one giant sex-fest. US women’s soccer player Hope Solo was especially vocal on the issue, claiming she slept with a celebrity (that she wouldn’t name) and that people are having sex right out in the open “On the grass, between buildings. People are getting down and dirty.”

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics 70,000 free condoms available, and that was not enough, an additional 20,000 condoms had to be brought in to meet demand. Since then 100,000 condoms have been made available but it was upped to 150,000 this year because…well it’s London LOL!

To give you an idea of how crazy things get at the Olympics check out these Crazy Anecdotes From ESPN’s Story On Sex At The Olympic Village:

    At the 2000 Sydney Games, US javelin competitor Breaux Greer had sex with three women every day for 2 weeks.
    US soccer player Hope Solo snuck a celebrity into her room after winning gold at the 2008 Beiging Games, but won’t say who (rumour has it that it’s Vince Vaughn)
    At the 1994 Winter Olympic games, Skier Carrie Sheinberg said two German bobsledders tried to trade her their gold medals for “some group fun”
    At the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver six athletes from Germany, Canada, and Austria were involved in an orgy in a whirlpool at a house outside the Village.

Here’s what US Gold Medal Swimmer Ryan Lochte had to say just before leaving for the games “My last Olympics, I had a girlfriend, big mistake. Now I’m single, so London should be really good. I’m excited.”

So now you see why that many condoms are needed! Sodom & Gomorrah ain’t got nothing on the Olympic Village

President Goodluck Jonathan has turned to former Nigerian leaders for help in a fresh attempt to halt the raging violence in many parts of the country.

 
Former Military President  General Ibrahim Babangida  revealed this yesterday in an interview with Daily Trust in his Minna residence, Niger State.

 

Babangida spoke a day after he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo issued a joint statement decrying the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria and urged the government to utilise the “ample opportunities” available to dialogue with the insurgents.

He said the government had called upon people like him who had once ruled this country to come together toward charting a course for lasting peace.

“The president has called on us who were once head of government to come together toward working out modalities for lasting peace in the country,” he said.

He said the invitation by the government informed his first meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo in Abuja last week.

He, however, declined to make further comment on the last meeting and the agenda for subsequent meetings, saying doing so was tantamount to pre-emptying the forum.

“I am confident that in no distance future the present security challenge will be an issue of the past, because the federal government has started taking proactive measures towards the restoration of peace in the country”.

Babangida appealed to Nigerians who have meaningful contribution to make for addressing the present security predicament to come forward and do so.

In their joint statement Sunday Babangida and Obasanjo said, “As the Holy Month of Ramadan commences, Nigerians, wherever they are and whatever religion they profess, are accorded a great opportunity to turn the tide against insecurity, violence and hatred.”

The statement released by Babangida pokesman’s  Kassim Afegbua, noted that there are “ample opportunities” for government to dialogue with insurgents, in the interest of the future of this generation and its children and grandchildren.

They state their readiness willingness to do “whatever is possible” to achieve the country’s dire need for peace and harmony pointing out that the spate of insecurity, if left unattended to, could defeat the labour of the founding fathers of the nation.

“Unfolding events in our dear motherland, Nigeria, over the last few years are threatening to unravel the nearly-a-century-old labour of our founding fathers and subsequent generations in building a strong, united, peaceful nation that can accommodate and cater to the needs and aspirations of our diverse communities.

“Internecine crises are raging across the land unabated with damaging consequences on the social, political and economic life of the nation. And in the process, untold hardships are being visited on all citizens in one form or another on a daily basis.

“The loss of innocent lives being experienced by the day across the nation is simply unbearable. Currently, the nation is gripped by a regime of fear and uncertainty that virtually all citizens have difficulties going about their normal day-to-day lives without great anxiety and trepidation. This cannot be allowed to continue!

“A deeply worrying trend that is emerging from this terrible situation is that a pervasive cynicism is beginning to set in, so much so that millions of true Nigerian patriots are starting to question the platform upon which the unity of this country rests. This is simply untenable.

“The people of this country must not allow whatever sense of frustration, fear and despair we are experiencing now to supersede our hopes for a collective destiny, which lies in our continued existence as a nation. For us, and we believe for millions of other Nigerians, the continued unity of this nation is not only priceless but non-negotiable.

“While we are very much aware of the efforts [that] various governments in the country are making to confront the escalating security challenges across the country, we believe that it is time that these efforts are scaled up to be more involving and inclusive.

“In this regard, whatever robust security measures are put in place to contain the situation, as is normal in such circumstances, must be complemented with an equally intensive process of community involvement.”

“We, therefore, urge all governments in the country, starting with all the 774 local councils, to comprehensively engage their communities at the various levels including: elders, youth organisation, trade union and associations, women bodies, the clergy and other community stakeholders,” the statement continued.

“We also call on the federal and state governments not only to encourage these grassroots engagements for peace and beneficial coexistence but to work out the framework to sustain the engagement. In all these efforts it is important to emphasise that our diversity is a course for celebration not a cause for lamentation.”

Obasanjo and Babangida warned perpetrators of the acts of violence that the country could not record any significant progress in the currently high climate of insecurity.

“Finally, we need to reiterate that no meaningful development can ever occur in an atmosphere of violence and hatred. History has shown that any society that is built on the structures of violence and intolerance cannot prosper,” they said.

Multiple bombs rocked Sokoto, the capital of the Caliphate, for the first time yesterday, with attacks on the AIG’s office and two police stations. A total of five people; a police corporal, two suspected suicide bombers and a hair dresser died following the attacks.

The alleged attackers were said to have struck simultaneously at the office of the AIG, Zone 10, a Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) shop, Marina and Unguwar Rogo police stations in Sokoto, which also injured eight policemen and a civilian.

The AIG, Zone 10, Sokoto, Muhtari Ibrahim, who confirmed the development, said the corporal and the suspected suicide bomber died during the attack on his office.

He added that five offices and other parts of the one-storey building, the gate, the nearby Marina police station and some neighbouring houses were shattered .

According to him, the suicide bomber who attacked his office drove a Honda Accord car and forced his way into the premises after he was denied entry.

Ibrahim claimed that only the dead suicide bomber was in the vehicle.

He solicited the support of the members of the public to check the trend by providing the security agencies with useful information.

The official vehicle of the AIG Zone 10 was also damaged .

Confirming the Unguwar Rogo police station attack, DCP Kudu Nma said the alleged attacker could not gain access into the police station .

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the state police command, DSP Sani Salisu, confirmed the death of the fourth person, a woman who ran a hair-dressing salon, as a result of the attack at the POWA shop near Unguwar Rogo police station.

According to an eyewitness, the first happened about 11am at Marina AIG Zone 10 office, while the second suicide attempt occurred just three minutes away from the first, outside the police station’s premises, killing passers-by.

The Marna AIG attack was caused by a man riding a Mercedes Benz 190 V-Boot, who rammed into the building and caused a powerful blast that destroyed the entire building.

At Unguwan Rogo station, eyewitness said, the suicide bomber came in a Golf car and tried to force his way into the premises but he was stopped. In the process, he hit the fence of the station. “Many people sustained high degree of injuries; they were being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, but so far we have not noticed any dead person,” he said.

Nigerian faces death sentence in Malaysia 

An Australian nurse and a Nigerian man face the possibility of death by hanging after a Malaysian court in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday charged them with trafficking methamphetamines.

Emma Louise L’Aiguille, 34, was charged in the Kuala Lumpur court along with Anthony Esikalam Ndidi two weeks after police said they were arrested in possession of one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of methamphetamine.

L’Aiguille entered the court in tears and spoke briefly to Australian High Commission officials before sitting in the dock, hunched over in distress, for the hearing.

No plea was recorded but the Australian’s lawyer said she was innocent and was slapped once by a Malaysian police officer during interrogations.

Drug trafficking carries a mandatory death sentence by hanging in Malaysia, where hundreds of people are on death row, mostly for drug offences.

Anyone found to be in possession of at least 50 grams of methamphetamine is considered a trafficker.

L’Aiguille, from Melbourne, was in a car with her co-defendant when police arrested them, attorney Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters after the court appearance.

Police told L’Aiguille, who had been driving, that drugs were later found in the car, he said.

Muhammad Shafee said two other Nigerians — L’Aiguille’s boyfriend and another man — had also been in the car but had left the vehicle just prior to the arrests. Police are currently searching for the boyfriend, he added.

“She is completely depressed. She just does not understand how all this could happen to her. She was just driving the car,” Muhammad Shafee said.

He said L’Aiguille was a nurse who was in Malaysia as a tourist and had visited the country several times over the past two years.

He complained that defence lawyers were only allowed one ten-minute meeting with her before the court appearance.

The next court appearance was set for October 1. Pleas are not normally heard at the time defendants are charged.

No further details were immediately available on the Nigerian defendant as he was not represented by legal counsel at the hearing.

In March, Australian Dominic Jude Christopher Bird, 32, was charged with drug trafficking.

The truck driver from Perth in Western Australia was arrested on March 1 in Kuala Lumpur in possession of 225 grams of methamphetamine. The case is still in the courts.

Since 1960, more than 440 people have been executed in Malaysia, including two Australians put to death in 1986 for heroin trafficking that made headlines as they were the first Westerners to be executed under tough new anti-drug laws.

Few weeks ago, Nollywood’s controversial actress, Shan George got into the news for her reported outburst on some of her married
colleagues.

This was shortly after her ‘Finding Goodluck’ movie premiere in May, 2012. She reportedly alleged that some Nollywood’s married actresses sleep around like dogs.  You will recall that Shan George has been reported in the past to have dated younger lovers.

Just look at the picture properly,What do you think is going on between both of them?

Who wore it better? Rita looks eeffortless!

Singer and dance hall star Nyore on Saturday July 28th married her longtime fiancée, Aluya in Benin.
Nyore is part of the Naija Ninja crew, and has featured on various singles in the past. Happy married life to her!

Davina's boyfriend of three years, Eric Nwadinobi, proposed to her publicly after her performance at Entertainment Express first year anniversary bash that held on Saturday July 28th at Niteshift Coliseum, Ikeja.

After her performance, Eric stepped on stage with a ring and asked for her hand in marriage in front of all the guests...of course she said yes! Big congrats to Davina!