Contact lenses are corrective plastic discs that are inserted on the eye’s cornea to correct the wearer’s vision. They have the same function as eye-glasses.

 Unlike eyeglasses, however, they are worn directly on the eye, are light-weight and almost invisible. Contact lenses are mostly used to correct blurry vision caused by far-sightedness, etc.

 These are conditions in which images are not focused properly on the retina, therefore cannot be relayed clearly to the brain.

 These lenses stick to the tear film that covers the front of the eye, so that each time the eyelid blinks, it passes over the lens and causes it to move slightly. This motion allows fresh tears to flow under the lenses providing necessary lubrication and oxygen to the underlying cornea.

 In Nigeria today, people put on contact lens for a variety of reasons. Some wear it to correct their vision as well as to ease the burdensome nature of wearing glasses all the time, which some say alters the way they look and affects the way people address them. In some other instances, contact lenses are not worn for vision correction at all, but for special effects or fashion. People use it for cosmetic pur-poses, such as changing their eye colour, for example, from black to gray or blue to suit their fashionable look. This is mostly seen on ladies at parties and high society events.

 While contact lenses are safely used by millions of people every day, they do carry a risk of eye infection.

 Speaking with Sunday Mirror on this issue, an Optometrist with Clear Vision Clinic in Lagos, Dr Clara Ochigbo, explained the various problems that can occur while wearing contact lenses. “Because contact lenses are worn directly on the eye, they can potentially cause side effects.

 The lenses, roughly the same diameter as a person’s iris, float on a layer of tears right in front of the cornea. When they are prescribed and fitted properly, contact lenses provide great vision, including peripheral vision, and they are hardly noticeable; but when they are not prescribed, they pose a great threat to the vision of the wearer,” she said.

 It is important to note that the lens are not “one size fits all,” as some people erroneously believe. In fact it must be carefully prescribed to match not only the person’s prescription, but his eye size and shape.

 Dr Ochigbo condemns the wrong use of contact lenses in Nigeria especially by young ladies.

 “This is the mistake we see in Nigeria today. People just go to the market to buy various colours of contact lenses for cosmetic purposes without proper prescription from an eye doctor. We see this trend especially in the young ladies in the university who do so mostly for fashion purposes. They only come to us when they begin to experience the side effects associated with wearing the wrong size of contact lens without prescription,” she decries.

Men of the Nigeria Police Force from Abeokuta, Ogun State Command, have arrested two Pastors for possessing and driving vehicles stolen by armed robbers.

 The Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Ikemefuna Okoye, said the suspects were arrested with the cars, which were on a police list of stolen cars.

 The Pastors are Promise Ozavehe of ‘Champions Shorph Ministries’, Igando, Lagos and Muyiwa Olayeni of ‘Cherubim and Seraphim Church’, Isara, Ogun State.

 CP Okoye said the car found with Pastor Ozavehe, was robbed in Ilorin, Kwara State; while he was arrested along Ibadan-Lagos Expressway.

 Also the car found with Pastor Olayeni, was robbed in Ogbomoso in Oyo State, while he was arrested in Isara, Ogun State.

 In his reaction to the theft allegation, Pastor Ozavehe said the controversial car was given to him by another pastor colleague. He accused the police of denying him access to his family and lawyer as he languishes in detention.

 Hear him, “why should they put me into this mess, I am a pastor with five years experience, the car was given to me by a colleague pastor in Ilorin, who now made a detour that he wants his car back, and next thing I see is my arrest. I have been in detention for over 24 hours, the police beat me mercilessly, seized my phone and never allow me to have contact with my family and lawyer."

 Pastor Ozavehe said he is a PhD holder in Theology from South Africa.

 On his part, Pastor Olayeni said that he could not explain what befell him as he was confused about the whole situation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a 24 year-old Nigerian, Abubakar Tijani Sheriff for attempting to travel with the sum of $7 million (N1, 120,000billion).

He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International airport, Lagos as he was trying to travel to Dubai aboard a United Arab Emirates flight on Thursday.

After his arrest, he said that he had a total sum of $4.5million. But when he was thouroughly searched, he was found to have $7,049,444 on him. Click to continue.


He later confessed that he was a courier for 20 individuals who hired him to take the money for them to Dubai. Authorities said that the money was proceeds from illegal deals and he is a suspected money laundering courier. He has already mentioned 20 prominent Nigerians who are the owners of the money.

The EFCC in a statement released by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren to Sahara Reporters yesterday said that “Investigations by the EFCC showed that Sheriff is a regular traveller and one of several couriers of illegal cash suspected to be proceeds of crime.”

“Travellers leaving the country are statutorily required to declare cash in excess of $10,000. However, under the provisions of the Money Laundering Act, it is not sufficient to declare excess cash; the onus is on the person making the declaration to explain the source of the excess cash and the reason for the export.”

He is now being detained at the EFCC’s holding facility in Lagos pending his arraignment in court.

The resolve of Nigeria's security agencies to flush out the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram from parts of the North, yielded more fruits culminating in the arrest of agents of the terrorist group in some paramilitary agencies



 Among those arrested in the latest onslaught was Ahmed Grema Mohammed, a top immigration officer whose confessions led to the arrest of others who have been carrying attacks on government officials across some States of the North.

 According to the Spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Colonel Sagir Musa, those already apprehended are some security personnel who have been carrying out attacks in Borno and Yobe which he said was a major breakthrough in their efforts at flushing out insiders in the security forces collaborating with the deadly groups.

 A Statement by Musa said that those arrested have confessed to being active members of the Boko Haram sect who joined the sect well before the 2009 crisis and received a lot of training in and outside the country.

 He said that Grema also confessed to have been trained alongside 15 other members of the sect on weapon handling, assassinations and special operations in Niger Republic.

 Musa said Grema was arrested at a checkpoint on his way to Maiduguri while impersonating as a Nigeria Army lieutenant.

 He further said during the trip Grema had planned killing a former special adviser to the immediate governor of Borno state. He also disclosed that Grema had equally confessed to the killings of some senior civil servants, security agencies and politicians in Yobe and Borno States who spoke against the activities of the sect, including the slain former chairman of Damboa LGA, Alhaji Lawal Kawu.

 Grema was also among those that led attacks on Yobe Police Command, Damaturu Prison, some primary schools, among others.

A new documentary is set to reveal the astonishing true life story of a woman who testified falsely to murder but was found innocent on the grounds that her burgeoning obesity could never have allowed her to commit the crime.

TLC’s Half-Ton Killer? tells of how, in March 2008, Texan Mayra Rosales, 31, told police officers that she had killed her two-year-old nephew, Eliseo Jr, by accidentally rolling on top of him while babysitting.

Such was her 1,100lb frame, Mayra imagined her story to be believable, but after doctors revealed that the boy could only have died from a blow to the head, the reality that she was so big she couldn’t move her arm, became her attorney’s main argument for her defence.

Lagos – A Nollywood actor, Rasaki Olaniyi, 45, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly robbing, Abayomi Arinde, of N2.6 million.



Olaniyi of No. 7, Aduke Salako St., Agbado, Lagos, was arraigned on four-count charges of robbery, stealing, conspiracy and impersonation.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutor Sunday Aggoi said that the accused had on Sept. 5 at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, robbed Arinde of N500, 000, $10,000, three gold jewelries valued at N150, 000.

Aggoi said that the accused also unlawfully locked up the complainant in one of the hotel rooms after robbing him.

He said that the complainant was robbed of cash and goods totaling N2.6 million.

The prosecutor said that the accused was apprehended by the hotel securities following alarm raised by the complainant. .

Aggoi said that the offences contravened Sections 297, 296, 299, 270 and 378 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The counsel to the accused, Mr Olusegun Ajanaku, urged the court to grant bail to the accused.

The Magistrate, Mr Jacob Adegun, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N1million with two sureties in like sum.

Adegun said that the sureties must reside in Lagos State and be employees of the State Government.

The case was adjourned to Oct. 5, for mention.

The present state of health of veteran Nollywood actress, Ngozi Nwosu has raised concerns among her friends. It has also caused some of sleepless nights as they (her friends)now rally round to save her life.

Since the story went viral last week Wednesday, some of her friends have tried to raise fund for her in order for Ngozi to run the necessary tests. Reports say that she has kidney related problem. We got from a source that Ngozi has kidney leakage.

A source told Gistmania that a sum of 50,000 Naira was given to Ngozi last week to run the test in the hospital so as to know where exactly was affected.

Right now, her friends are thinking of flying her to India to do a kidney transplant for her. Already, her friends have started calling for donations to help save the Imo State-born actress.

Bank Name: GTB
Acct No: 0052851673
Acct Name: Ngozi. M. Nwosu.

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed different resolutions asking President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the Central Bank of Nigeria from introducing its controversial N5000 note.

Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives resumed from their recesses on Tuesday with the controversial plan by the CBN taking the front burner.

 While the Senate unanimously adopted a motion urging “The President and to direct the CBN to stop all actions on the issuance of the proposed N5000 note and all matters connected therewith,” the House members directed the apex bank to put the plan on hold for four weeks.

The House also queried the legality of Jonathan’s Economic Management Committee and its competence in approving the currency review plan.

The Senators said the CBN’s plan to introduce the N5000 note without the input of Nigerians representatives is illegal because Section 4(1 and 2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 8(2) of the CBN Act of 2007 require the National Assembly to be part of the process of introducing a new currency review.

The resolution arose from a motion by Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North), asking Sanusi to halt action on the proposed currency.

Leading the debate on the motion, Enang said the Senate was aware of section 18 of the CBN Act, 2007, which conferred on the bank, the power to arrange for the printing of the currency notes and minting of coins among others.

He said the Senate was also aware of section 19 of the Act which allowed the bank to issue denominations and fractions with the approval of the President on the recommendation of the board.

He said, “The power being granted by the Legislature is subject to the supervisory powers of the Legislature which granted or donated the powers under the Act if the exercise of the powers is contrary to good economic conscience and the wellbeing of the people and the national economy.

“The introduction of the said N5000 note and the withdrawal of notes, conversion of some to coins and general redenomination of the naira has the ultimate effect of devaluing the naira, making lower currencies to be coined, almost non-value monies for transactions and subtly yield to the off-demand of certain international financial institutions for the devaluation of our currency.

“Section 4(1 and 2) of the constitution vests the legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the National Assembly to make laws for the peace and good governance of the federation or any part thereof; whereas this policy of the bank on the Naira may not lead to good economic and monetary governance of Nigeria requiring re-examination by the legislature.”

Enang also said that the currency plan negated the the newly introduced cashless transaction policy. “In cashless economies, high bills or currency notes such as the proposed N5000 is not required as transactions are conducted from the payer to the payee’s accounts without any need for physical exchange or handling of cash by any of the parties," he said.
 When asked for his reaction, Sanusi said "no comment!"

The Gistmania further said, “this latest encounter with the terrorist group have foiled its planned attack to wreck havoc on the good people of Kano state. It has equally further depleted the capacity of the terrorist group to operate. The Gistmania would like to use this medium to reiterate its resolve to continue to work assiduously towards the protection of lives and property in the state.

“The relative peace which Kano enjoys today can be attributed to the collective effort and prayers of the good people of Kano State.”

The Gistmania appealed to the general public to continue to volunteer information while assuring the utmost confidentiality in dealing with such information.

“Residents are therefore enjoined to go about their normal lawful business activity without any fear as security agents are ready and will respond swiftly to any treat to life and property in any part of the state,”

The hope that the former Presidential Candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC], Gen. Muhammadu Buhari will secure a ticket for the 2015 election is almost slipping away, as the party’s prominent members may opt for the incumbent Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN], Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the Presidential candidate of their party.

The party inside source had disclosed that the party’s resolution was to use young and vibrant Nigerian whose ideology and philosophy would be in line the interest of Nigerians.

Sources have revealed  that the party has decided to go for a younger Nigerian because Buhari, who has been contesting for the same position since 2003 may not be appreciated by Nigerians due to his age.

It was also noted that few days to the 2011 general elections, Buhari reportedly said that the last year election would be his last political struggle in the country. This contradiction has created room for serious deliberation over the choice of his candidacy, says the source.

Buhari who has been on Jonathan’s neck since his renewed interest to contest in the 2015 election, has been approached by the party’s chieftains to back the candidature of the CBN Governor as the party Presidential candidate in 2015.

It was also gathered that Sanusi has decided to give the contest a trial, while leaving his acclaimed interest in the Kano emirate stool in the cooler.

Meanwhile, so much is yet to be done regarding the alliance between the CPC and the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] for the 2015 general election. The National leader of ACN, Senator Ahmed Tinubu had on several occasions met with Buhuri on the need to merge in order to overpower the PDP in 2015.

Tinubu, who is the exponent of the alliance, had disclosed that the alliance will enhance result, as the two parties are very strong in the country, and can as unseat the PDP government.

However, an attempt to form such alliance in 2011 under the platform of Mega Party did not yield any positive result.

Report from Borno State Nigeria indicates that some gunmen belived to be members of the Boko Haram sect killed the Borno State Justice Commissioner in Bama yesterday.



Until his death, Barrister Zannah Mallam Gana was the Borno State commissioner of Justice.

I remember few years back when myself and some friends were deliberating on who has a greater jealousy between a man and a woman.From all indications and reports we have been receiving for months,it is clear that a man`s jealousy can be deadly and brutal.

 How would you explain this wicked act from Mr. Kehinde Adesamuye, 39,who set his lover on fire because he was angry and jealous over her relationship with other men.35-year-old Janet Udegba narrated how her live-in lover poured fuel on her and set her ablaze in Ikotun area of Lagos State.

 She said she was at the Junction where she does her business of selling cooked Indomie before kehinde came that night, poured petrol on her and lit it with fire.
  
 Janet however says Nigerians should not let kehinde go scot free with what he has done to her. Janet narrates how it all started
  
 ‘’My husband has always been jealous. He used to beat me every time, under any guise and excuse.
  
 I’ve tried several times to leave him, but he always threatens to harm me. I stayed with him because I was afraid of him and my life. He always told me that I could never escape from him, except I leave Lagos State. Anytime I said I was leaving him, he would say, no problem, but that he would do something to me which I would not forget. Now, see what he had done to me. He wanted to kill me.
  
“I used to sell indomie at Ikotun round about. There are other men and women selling there too. We’re all friends. Last two weeks Friday, one of the traders had a baby. We went for the naming ceremony. Kehinde was there with me. One of the traders gave me a drink; I just took a sip because I was in my flow.
 
“That was how it all started. He said I was kissing another man in his presence. He said that I sipped from the bottle that the man drank from. Right there, he started threatening that he was going to deal with me when we get home.
 
To be on the safe side, I called my younger sister, telling her that I might come over to spend the night at her place. I didn’t want him to beat me. When we got home, he cursed, abused and said all sort of things, but I didn’t respond or reply because I didn’t want him to pounce on me. This behaviour continued till Saturday. He even kicked off the bed, but I didn’t mind. I slept on the floor.
 
When I woke up on Sunday, he had gone out. I rushed to take my bath because I wanted to leave the house before he came back. But he suddenly came back, and started beating me for no reason. He beat so much that I thought he was going to kill me. It was due to the intervention of our landlord that he left me. After that beating, I moved in with my younger sister.”
 
Government should make sure Kehinde pays for what he did to me. I am an orphan. I have no father or mother. I sell Indomie to live. Now, I’ve spent all my money. In fact, I need help she said.
  
 For reasons best known to Kehinde, he started sending friends to Janet’s shop, to beg on his behalf. He wanted her to forgive him and come back. But she refused. Last week Tuesday, Kehinde came to the shop with another friend to beg once more, but Janet told him that she was through with the relationship. Fuming, Kehinde jumped up from his seat, told her that he had nothing against her leaving, but that he was going to deal with her. He made good the threat by dousing her.
  
 The following day, Kehinde was arrested by policemen as he was strolling along the streets of Ikotun.

Eyewitness News Anchor Shamima Muslim received the award on behalf of the company

Citi 97.3 FM has been adjudged the most innovative African newsroom in the use of digital media including online, social and mobile media in their news programs.

This award comes a few days after the station’s flagship Eyewitness News was adjudged Radio Programme of the year 2011 at the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) Awards.

The Innovative Newsroom Award was presented at the 16th Telkom Highway Africa Awards 2012 at the Rhodes University in South Africa on Tuesday.

The judges considered the use of new media technologies to advance newsroom operations, increase reach and diversifying content as well as encourage social empowerment amongst marginalized communities through relevant topical community and/or African issues and innovative use of online media interactive platforms.

They also considered how newsrooms highlight innovative and creative applications of technology for the benefit of the continent’s overall media development.

The award was presented to the Citi FM delegation at the conference, comprising Shamima Muslim, Anchor of Eyewitness News, Philip Kofi Ashon, producer of the Citi Breakfast Show and Vivian Kai Mensah of the Citi Business Desk.

Citi 97.3 FM has successfully incorporated a mixture of social and digital media tools in its news coverage and interaction with listeners.

The station pioneered Google+ hangouts in its current affairs programs with high profile videoconferences with the NPP vice Presidential Candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the PPP Presidential Candidate, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom among others.

The station has a very interactive Facebook page, a highly active YouTube channel and regularly updates its news website www.citifmonline.com with videos and tweets regularly to its teeming body of followers.

The award reinforces Citi 97.3 FM’s mantra “Relevant Radio Always”, and establishes it as a radio brand that goes extra lengths to meet the needs of its ever-growing listener base that are consuming news in increasingly new ways.

According to the organizers, the Highway Africa New Media Awards, sponsored by Telkom, rewards innovative use of ICTs in journalism that serves Africa and its citizens.

The awards were pioneered to highlight the role that ICTs play to enhance journalism and the media in the process of uplifting communities.

Heavily armed gunmen numbering about six invaded a wedding reception in the Abule-Egba area of Lagos on Saturday and shot one of the female guest after dispossessing the other guests present of their valuables.

 gathered that the armed men, who stormed the venue with a bus, also robbed the wedding rings of the bride and groom.

 The unfortunate incident occurred about 6:45pm when some of the invited guests have started living the reception venue. Men of the Nigeria Police didn't arrive the event centre until the guys finished their operation and drove off.

A source said the female guest was shot because she tried to run away from the scene when the armed robbers ordered every body present to lay face down.

No arrest has been made as the Police are claiming that the owners of the event centre never reported to the station that they have such business in the area.

Actress Tonto Dikeh has paid tweeted heartfelt tribute to his late mother. Having lost her mum at a tender age of 3, Tonto Dikeh grew up with her father and stepmother.
 Tonto also revealed what her mother looked like when she tweeted a photo of her. Wow! The Actress had inherited her mother's looks. Good genes!

My interest today on the new N5,000 currency note about to be issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has nothing to do with the controversies of whether it should be issued or not. From all indications it is already a done deal.

I want to examine the three eminent Nigerian ladies chosen to grace the obverse (front) side of the note. These are: Dr Margaret Ekpo, Mrs Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba. Who were they?

Ekpo was born into the family of an Igbo father, Okoroafor Obiasulor and an Ibibio woman, Inyang Eyo, in Creek Town, Calabar in 1914. She married an activist medical doctor, John Udo Ekpo and spent most of her political life in Aba, specialising in the mobilisation of women to fight for their rights and fully participate in the politics of decolonisation on the platform of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC.

She earned high political offices such as member of the Eastern Nigeria House of Chiefs and later, the Eastern Nigeria House of Assembly.

Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas was born into an Egba family in Abeokuta in 1900. She later married Rev Israel Ransome-Kuti. Both were educationists. But Funmilayo was a radical fighter for the rights of women, becoming the first woman to ride a car in Nigeria. She was, like some of her equally radical children, often punished by government for her revolts against dehumanising colonial and traditional practices. Both Margaret and Funmilayo were so high in the political calculations of the pre-independence era that they were selected as part of the Nigerian delegation to the talks that produced our independence.

Hajiya Gambo Sawaba had a more daunting struggle. Born of Nupe parents, she spent most of her time in Kano and environs where she carved a niche in the Mallam Aminu Kano school of politics (democratic humanism) which ranged itself against the entrenched Sokoto Caliphate system that relegated women to the background and pandered to the royalty and elite. Unlike Margaret and Funmi, she did not have much formal education.

Sawaba shared everything she had with the poor and was passionate about one united Nigeria where religion, region and gender would not be a barrier to anyone’s development. During military President Ibrahim Babangida’s reign she once famously warned:

“If I hear that the President is oppressing his wife I will go and put my mouth in it!”

Whoever made this selection must be commended for picking exemplary women pioneers; the foremost Founding Mothers of Nigeria, whom the nation has let down by beating the track of tribalism and sectionalism that have thwarted the Nigerian Dream. These national icons should inspire both men and women of Nigeria to strive towards one united, progressive nation free of primordial discontinuities.

Drop Ajami from the notes

But the item I will like to see withdrawn from our currency notes is the Arabic inscriptions (Ajami) still on our N100, N200, N500 and N1,000 notes. Indications are that the sample of the N5,000 does not have the Ajami, just as Charles Soludo’s CBN dropped it from the polymerised lower currency notes. We should only have objects, persons and figures that bind us together as a nation on our national flag and currency. Anything that concerns only one religion or section should go. They were unilaterally imposed. Majority of Nigerians do not even understand what they mean. However, if the issue is debated in the National Assembly and two-thirds majority agree to let sleeping dogs lie then so be it.

Mike Adenuga, GCON, at last!

Around this time last year when Alhaji Aliko Dangote led the pack of National Honours Award winners to bag the second highest honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCON, with the name of Dr Mike Adenuga conspicuously missing, I cried foul. I did not protest that Dangote did not merit the award. I had also complained when Nollywood star, Aki was given an Award with Pawpaw, his “twin brother” left out.

I argued that even though both men were great industrialists and world acknowledged successful businessmen, with thousands of Nigerians and foreigners alike on their payrolls, Adenuga made himself more relevant to Nigerians outside his business sphere through phalanxes of philanthropic outreaches on a scale not seen since the days of Chief Moshood Abiola.

His Glo Group was the first to pump enormous amounts of money into sponsorship of Nigerian football, a venture that was suspended due to lack of accountability by the football ruling authorities. Glo financed many players in the Nigerian movie and music industries and played a leading role in launching our celebrities to the world stage through sponsorship.

They even went into the sponsorship of rich cultural festivals, and my community, Abiriba, was a profound beneficiary of it in July 2012. Our musicians thrilled the youth on campuses and cities around Nigeria on the Glo bonanza. They helped the entertainment industry boom for the first time ever.

Nigerians fought hard for the granting of operating licence to the company and when Glo eventually got it in 2003, it bagged the prestigious portfolio of Second National Carrier. Glo gave back. Since my critique of Dangote’s low rating on corporate social responsibility there have been some noticeable wake-up signs.

We are glad that President Goodluck Jonathan is giving honour to whom it is due, just as he responded positively to Pawpaw after we complained.

Our people who have made money through hard work, putting thousands of young people to work and giving back to society through many acts of philanthropy must be encouraged to do more. Adenuga’s GCON is befitting. Monday, September 17, 2012 is the D-Day in Abuja.

OUR attention has been drawn to the  controversy over allegations that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, described Nigeria as “an Islamic country with the largest Christian population.”

He was said to have made the statement in a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme aired in Abuja on Wednesday, August 15, 2012.

Already, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has debunked such characterisation, calling for the sanctioning of the Minister. But in a rebuttal, Dr. Mohammed denied ever making such a statement.

According to him, he only said Nigeria was “the largest Islamo-Christian country in the world” during the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation  (OIC) which recently took place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This issue is causing quite a stir in an already super-charged atmosphere in a country wracked by the murderous campaigns of Boko Haram extremists demanding for the Islamisation of Nigeria. It sends a very worrisome signal.

Given the fact that as the Deputy Foreign Minister of Nigeria Dr. Mohammed is one of the foremost officials that represent the voice and face Nigeria in the international arena, it is important that we establish exactly what he said.

We want to know whether he actually said those words attributed to him or he is simply being maligned or quoted out of context. The NTA, fortunately, should have the records and should be able to provide it for independent and credible scrutiny.

It will be a most unfortunate disservice to this nation if indeed he said so. In fact, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed’s admission that he described Nigeria as an “Islamo-Christian country” shows he does not understand the true constitutional definition of Nigeria. Nigeria as an “Islamo-Christian country” means that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has accorded Islam and Christianity the status of official state religions of the country, which is definitely not so. Nigeria has no state religion.

But Nigeria has given Christianity and Islam special preferences, which account for the fact that offiicials are sworn into office with the Bible or Qur’an only because the overwhelming majority of Nigerians are followers of the two faiths. Professor Wande Abimbola once declined to be sworn in on the Qur’an or Bible, opting to be sworn in according to Ifa religion and he was obliged.

We call on the Federal Government to look into this matter and establish Dr. Nurudeen’s culpability or otherwise, as well as his motives for delving into this sensitive issue in this most inappropriate manner.

If found ill-qualified or psychologically too immature to hold such a sensitive high office he should be relieved of his position immediately. We cannot afford keeping irresponsible officers on the job when we are going through the worst region-related violent threat to our national survival.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima says no amount of attacks can lead to the Islamization northern Nigeria. Shettima said the North consist of different religious and ethnic representation that would allow for the Islamisation of the region  by some terrorist group.



The governor said that yesterday at the government House Maiduguri while playing host to the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar.

“No terrorist group can Islamise the north. The north is too big to be Islamise by any terrorist group.” Shettima said

The governor said his administration will continue to introduce policies and programmes aimed at alleviating poverty in the state.

Shettima stated the state and Federal government is currently winning the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist stressing that all hand must be on deck to ensure a total success against sect.

“This is the last lap of our fight against the boko Haram sect,I believe we are winning the battle but you all know that the last lap of every relay is always stressful and very demanding hence all hands must be on deck.”

Tinubu Media Office has cleared the air over reports in some online news sites and newspapers over the manner of invitation to the recently concluded Democratic National Convention, following reports that former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, was personally invited by President Barack Obama of the United States of America (USA).

A statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday said such reports were inaccurate, slanted and laced with a deliberate ploy to deceive the unsuspecting public.

It said: “The facts are that Tinubu, a long standing supporter of the Democratic Party, was invited by a senior member of the party to attend the convention. This invitation earned him a place on the Convention VIP list, a fact that can be easily confirmed from the DNC security clearance list.”

Meanwhile, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), has been asked by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept that it lied to  Nigerians over the gold card saga and to apologise for that.

The PDP asked  ACN to accept  that the party and its national leader, Tinubu, had lied to Nigerians that he  was sent a gold card invitation by the Democratic Party of the United States to attend its recent national convention.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said in Abuja that the action of the ACN was a smear  on the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

The Niger State government has said it will not stop or reverse its planned sale of government houses in Minna, the state capital.
Government’s stand was restated at a stakeholders meeting held at the Government House conference hall in the Niger State capital on Monday.

A statement by Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu’s Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo said that the decision was in the best interest of the people of the state and in line with government existing policy on monetisation.

Ndayebo stated that all those present at the meeting, including commissioners, special advisers, directors general, heads of boards and parastatals and selected senior special assistants as well board members gave their backing to the move to sell off the government buildings.

The buildings to be sold, constructed as far back as 1978, housed commissioners and state lawmakers.

The meeting, according to Ndayebo, took note of the monetisation policy of the government and resolved that only the governor, his deputy, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge and the state Grand khadi were entitled to live in government houses.

He, however, said the meeting resolved that occupants of the buildings would be given the first opportunity to purchase or reject the buildings.