EFCC Chairperson, Farida Waziri, Retired as Commissioner Of Police, Not AIG, Ringim Tells AGF Adoke.

Farida Waziri in police uniform

Documents obtained by SaharaReporters confirm that Mrs Farida Waziri, the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was duly promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in 1999 along with 12 other officers, but only in an acting capacity.

Although she was highly qualified under the regulations governing the Nigerian Police Force, she was never actually confirmed in the rank of AIG before her retirement in February 2000, on account of the absence of the Police Service Commission (PSC) at that time.  That makes her substantive position that of Commissioner, not AIG.

Responding to an enquiry by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, dated 21 July 2011, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, said that Police records confirm that Mrs. Waziri retired as a Commissioner of Police (CP).

The Centre for The Rule of Law, a non-governmental organization, had written a petition to the AGF on July 15, requesting, under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Law, to be furnished with Waziri’s rank at the time of her retirement from the police.  The group, citing its “concern about the dwindling performance” of the EFCC, said it had found conflicting information about the actual rank of Mrs. Waziri at her retirement from the Police.

Confirming the position of the IGP, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Parry Osayande, explained in his response to Mr. Adoke that police officers on an acting rank who are not promoted to the next substantive rank but are due to retire do so on their substantive rank, which led to Mrs. Waziri retiring as a CP.

Mrs. Waziri, an officer who served for 35 years and occupied several important positions, spent eight years as CP, where four years is the norm, which is probably why she does not appear to have taken her retirement as CP very well.  She has always referred to herself as AIG, perhaps in the expectation that the Police Commission would “correct” her status.  Her bio on the website of the EFCC describes her as “…retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG),” a rank to which she rose “as a result of diligence and by continuous training.”

Along with some other colleagues, Mrs. Waziri’s retirement in 2000 was never formalized, and she is therefore yet to receive her retirement pension and gratuity payments.

Her disaffection with this situation may have become even more frustrating in 2007 when she was appointed to head the EFCC, a position that Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, one of her predecessors and a man whom she trained in the police, had been fast-tracked to occupy at the level of AIG.  She continued to call herself AIG, an ego problem that may lead to her downfall.

In a bailbond signed by Mrs. Waziri to retrieve the international passport of the former governor of her home state  Benue, George Akume, she signed off as "AIG" (rtd) a position she did not legitimately earn according to police service rules.

But Mrs. Waziri has her defenders, including Mr. Abubakar Tsav, a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State.  Speaking to the Nation newspaper, Mr. Tsav described the allegation of the Centre for The Rule of Law against Mrs. Waziri as a scheme to shield corrupt politicians from prosecution.

“All along, no one complained about Mrs. Waziri’s rank, no one complained that she was powerful and no one thought of merging the EFCC with ICPC, until a former Speaker was arraigned for high-profile corruption,” he said.

Mr. Tsav is clearly referring to the efforts of the EFCC to prosecute Mr. Dimeji Bankole, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, on various charges of official corruption.

It is not clear whether the AGF, Mr. Adoke, is somehow connected with the allegations against Mrs. Waziri.  What is known is that he has dismissed the EFCC and the ICPC as being incapable of fighting corruption.  Speaking during his ministerial screening by the Senate, he proposed merging both agencies as a way of getting around the problem, without saying how that would accomplish the objective. 

Flying Eagles get surprise welcome in Colombia.

For an hour the country’s national police sang and danced in their honour

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria got a surprising welcome from Colombia national police when they arrived in Bogota; as members of the South American country’s police sang and danced in their honour.

The team were on their way to Armenia, the venue of their group stage encounters in the FIFA U-20 World Cup starting on Sunday.

Players and officials joined in the dancing, which went on for almost an hour, with some suggesting that the music was similar to the Tiv’s of Benue State.

Nigeria are billed to play the Group stages of the competition in Armenia but had to stop over for a connecting flight in Bogota.

Once aboard the Fokker 50, which was taking the team on the 40 minutes journey, celebration took a scary turn,  as the pilot, in salutation, tossed the plane in the air several times.

In Armenia, a singing welcome party was waiting to welcome the Nigerian crew.

The Flying Eagles are logged in Group D alongside Saudi Arabia, Croatia and Guatemala, their first opponent in the championships.  

They are booked to stay at the Las Camelias Hotel.

Senators urge release of Lagos funds.

ACN Senators seek immediate release of funds from the Federal Government in the aftermath of the Lagos floods

Senators elected under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have called on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to release without further delay monies due to Lagos State from the Ecological Fund following the destructions caused by torrential rainfall which left most parts of the state flooded.  

The senators made the call yesterday when former Benue State Governor and Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume led 15 other senators from the National Assembly to Lagos State on a tour of the State to assess the level of damages and strain to the state’s infrastructure. They were received by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Addressing reporters in Alausa, Akume said the senators trooped to Lagos to give the state support following the flood disaster adding that, “what is left is for the Federal Government to assist the state government with ecological funds.”

The visiting senators include ACN Senators Babafemi Ojodu, Oluremi Tinubu, Chris Ngige, Ganiyu Solomon, Gbenga Ashafa and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Senator Abu Ibrahim.

Earlier, Fashola in his address to the senators said the state was indeed overwhelmed with the ecological challenges facing the state, and begged the federal government to assist it with funding to deal with the issue.

Fashola solicited that the state be given a special status as it also doubles as commercial nerve of the country and home to millions of residents of diverse origins and culture.

He however assured that the state government would continue to remove structures that are not in line with the master plan of the state. 

Boko Haram Kills District Head And His 9-Year Old Daughter In Maiduguri.

Gov. Kashim Shettima inspecting Budum market after Boko Haram insurgents attacked the market

Suspected Boko Haram islamists  shot and killed Mohammed Ali Lawal, the district head of Bulabulin in Maiduguri around 8: am today in Maiduguri.

Since its resurgence about a year ago, the Northeasatern Nigeria based islamist sect has targetted and killed several districts heads, islamic scholars, local officials and security agents in a campaign of violence.


Alhaji Ali's attackers numbering 3 also shot and killed his 9 years old daughter. A neighbor's daughter was also caught in the cross fire. Family sources claimed she  sustained serious injuries.

Kerosene out of reach for oil-rich Nigeria's poor.

Most people now turn to firewood for cooking

It's been five months since Toyin Felix last cooked dinner for her family in her kitchen. The price of kerosene is so high this mother of four now builds a fire outdoors with wood instead.

"My son helps me to blow when the firewood won't catch fire," she says.

Gas stations in this oil-rich country advertise kerosene for 30 cents a liter, but it actually sells for about three times that.

When asked to sell kerosene to a customer, one gas station attendant compared it to royalty: "You are asking for the king," he said. "The king is not around."

The status of kerosene, long considered gas' poor cousin, only recently rose to become one of the most sought-after fuel products in the resource-rich West African nation. Many are taking advantage of the situation.

Because of government subsidies, kerosene is supposed to only cost 30 cents a liter. But middlemen are reselling it so many times among themselves that it reaches the end-users at highly inflated prices.

It turns into an expensive -- and time-consuming -- odyssey just to stay in business for many.

"You waste a lot of time buying kerosene and they tell you to pay money before they even sell anything to you," said Anthony Anyi, a 27-year-old kitchen assistant who feeds some 300 people a day at his roadside restaurant from a stove made out of a recycled car rim.

Levi Ajuonoma, a spokesman for Nigeria's state-run oil company, said the government is trying to rein in profiteering middlemen by delivering 30-cent-a-liter kerosene directly to households in a few neighborhoods.

"It's a pilot project for now ... but middlemen will see that if they do not sell as we tell them to, they will have to drink their kerosene," he said.

But kerosene is also becoming hard to find for cooking because it also can be sold as jet fuel.

"As a marketer I'm faced with the option of selling my dual purpose kerosene as household kerosene or as jet fuel," explains Agusto & Co Oil & Gas analyst Dolapo Oni. "Most settle for jet fuel and inadvertently create the scarcity that leads to household kerosene being sold at about the same price."

In the commercial capital of Lagos, heavy rains have reduced the combustibility of cheaper alternatives such as firewood and charcoal.

Funke Ola, known as Madam Charcoal in her neighborhood, is happy for the extra business at her wooden stall. But the seller, whose hands are covered in ash, acknowledges people still can't do without kerosene.

"When the charcoal is dry it takes less kerosene, when it's wet it takes more, but my customers always need kerosene."

Chukwuma Awaegwu, a 37-year-old fashion designer, had to borrow money from a friend to buy a gas cylinder so that he could start using gas.

"We used to think that gas was for the rich, but gas is more affordable and easier to get than kerosene," he says.

The issue with gas, however, is that it requires more capital. The most easily available gas cylinder (12.5 kilogram) costs $77 on average and just over $20 to refill. The cheapest gas stove goes for about $20 -- extra costs that the majority of Nigerians cannot afford.

Oando PLC, a major energy company, has introduced a 3-kilogram cylinder with an incorporated gas burner that costs customers about $32 plus usage. Gas may be dispensed into the cylinders using a metered pump.

"It makes a lot of sense," says Junior Kanu, a New-York based household energy consultant whose work has taken him to remote parts of Nigeria where open firewood fires are the norm. "Gas is so much better for your health, it's also cleaner and safer."

I didn’t walk, I ran out of my marriage! - Monalisa Chinda.

Excerpts from an interview the actress granted Azuh Amatus of E Express

Honestly, I don’t like talking about my past, but if truth must be told, I didn’t walk out of my marriage, I practically ran out of it. I truly respected my ex, besides he’s the father of my daughter. Again, for posterity sake, I want to be careful with the words I use in this interview. My failed marriage was far from being normal, it was not a normal union.

There were several cases of domestic violence on my person. I will be foolish if I do not admit there were several cases of violence and assault on me. At a point, due to the high level of violence, I started acting as if I was crazy, it was that bad. I carried on like a wounded lion for five years thinking it would get better, but it was escalating and killing me gradually until I said the final no. There were constant fights and l left when it was beginning to look like I was going to die in it. I left home on July 10, 2009.

Even though my mum, family members and close pals never supported my marriage then, they still felt very bad when it crashed. I am a princess on account of the fact that my dad used to be a traditional ruler of my community in Ikwerre. I am an Ikwerre woman, an Ada in the family. So, when my marriage crashed, my mother, in fact, was very bitter because it has never happened in the clan of Elelewon, in the history of the clan’s royalties; they never had a history of divorce, and unfortunately mine happened. I can’t blame anybody but myself, I can’t blame it on anybody.

I was naïve about love and got carried away. Each time I sit down to look at the whole thing, I usually end up laughing, because, the attraction for my ex then, was weird, funny and very silly. I now know that I was naïve, hoodwinked and completely carried away. He had all the nice things to say in his mouth.

Our meeting then was coincidental and it was in 2002. I remember that very day; I was going to church, while he was coming from church, somewhere in Lekki, Osapa London, to be precise. One thing led to the other and I thought I had found true love. But I fell into wrong hands and paid dearly for it.

We eventually got married in 2004. The major lesson the whole experience taught me is that people should look before leaping and we should always seek God’s face before making a major decision like marriage. We should also listen to the advice from elders and strive to get the blessings of our parents and family members at all times.

When my marriage crashed, my family members were not happy. It’s not something they are proud of. But it has happened. So we all move on. No life was lost; we thank God for a very calm break up. Even though they were not really happy about it, but there was nothing they could do. They wanted the safety of their daughter. It’s only natural, the other party too wanted to protect their own as well. So, it’s a matter of families protecting their interests. On the other hand, my family and close friends are very happy that I came out of that marriage alive. I could very easily have died prematurely in that marriage or be maimed or butchered. They are also happy that my whole body is still intact and there is no deformity, because I saw hell. Sincerely, I regret dragging my family into this mess because I was hell bent on getting married.

Me and Titilayo’s murder

I have been following the ugly story of Titilayo’s murder ever since it happened. My point is: Why send him (Akolade Arowolo), for trial when we all know where that will lead? Of course, life imprisonment and once the noise is over and the world is not looking, he will probably be given a lighter sentence via appeal. And do not forget, his family is also watching. The bottom line is that the law should be allowed to deal with this ugly crime against humanity. At least, we have laws in this country and they work. Titilayo’s murder has awakened a still aching nerve in me. Please, let’s leave it that way for now because the case has gone to court. The pitiable and helpless sight of his wife didn’t change him, until she gave up the ghost. Is that a human being? With my experience, my advice is that those who are still lucky to be alive like me should immediately go and get counsel, or some kind of retreat. Domestic violence cannot continue. Why do you want to remain in a relationship that is devoid of love and happiness, but with abundance of everything that is negative? There are other civil ways to deal with your spouse without physically abusing, debasing or killing her. Parties involved should seek counselling now.

Life as a single mum

Returning to life as a single mum is no fun. If I tell you it’s all rosy, then I’m lying. There are physical and emotional dimensions to being a single mum, but thank God we are coping very well. I have always wanted to have a child and a good career too. I am being celebrated, so is my daughter too. She is the greatest thing in my life today. In fact, she’s my life and everything. My entire world revolves around

Tamarlilly, my angel and princess. My daughter is not missing anybody except me. I do not think she knows who her father is right now. She’s also not bothered that her dad has not called her since we separated and later divorced.

Men, men, men

Whether you are single or married, men are always a factor in every woman’s life. It is more so when you are single and everyone thinks you are available for the taking.

I will be lying if I tell you I don’t get advances, from the opposite sex. I just tell them what it is. I politely and frankly tell them that I am not ready; I am not ready to give them what they want. Most times, I don’t know what they want from me. I tell them I am not ready to offer or give to them what they want. As a lady, men want you; men want to explore your body. So I am not ready for that. Otherwise, I still cope very well with men.

But the truth is that I’m not available for all those men looking for whom to play or toy with. I don’t want to be any man’s toy or play thing. All I want now is peace of mind whether inside marriage or out of it. For marriage, if it comes, I am a mature woman and would know when a man is serious. I’ve been deceived before, so for me not to fall victim again, I’m more careful now. So, when a man is trying to fake love and make it look like it’s serious I would easily know. I’ve been there before, so I’ve got experience on my side.

Honestly speaking, some times, I don’t really know if I’m psychologically ready for marriage again now. I keep having cold feet because of my first experience. I don’t know, but psychologically, I feel that I am not prepared.

I cannot take away the fact that I will get married someday, but definitely not now. Besides, what is there to miss about marriage? I have been there before, so there is really nothing to miss. All I ask for now is to make it right. If I have to be in another marriage institution, if I have to give it another trial, I just want it to be perfect.

My ex-husband

Sincerely, I do not want to talk about my ex because he’s remarried now. On my own part, even if there is a man in my life, I won’t say or make it a public topic.

I was happy for my ex when I heard the news of his re-marriage. I was also relieved. I heaved a huge sigh of relief and said a loud, thank God! I heaved because to me his remarriage means that officially, spiritually, mentally, physically and otherwise, I am free. Totally free indeed! That’s it. My only advice to him is to make it right this time.

Right now, my mind is not focused on any prince charming, but if a prince charming is coming fine, if he’s not coming, better. Either way, I am just okay with my life currently.

Honestly speaking, even if the prince charming comes, I am not going to make all the rules and look for the qualities he must possess. Basically, let him just have the fear of God. That’s number one factor. Everyone should have that fear of God in them. I have seen what marriage could be like where your partner didn’t fear God, but pretended to have it. Now, I want more maturity, I want the man to be in tune with himself, I want the man to also know that truth is constant, so he has to believe in the truth not in lies and deceit; people believe in lies a lot. I want to state this categorically clear: don’t lie to yourself. I want a man that would know that lying to himself is a sin before God. Don’t lie to yourself; be yourself at all times, and be truthful. You don’t need to have all the money, or all the fame, or everything. Just be truthful to yourself and be who you are.

My family wants me to be happy. My mum especially doesn’t even want to hear anything about someone that wants to manipulate her daughter again. She just wants me to be happy. My family just wants me to be happy. Happiness and joy, is all they pray for me and by the grace of God I am going to get there.

As a single mother I’m very happy, relaxed and most comfortable now. I am so fulfilled with abundant joy, it’s indescribable.

I am more relaxed and more in tune with myself. At some point I lost my self-esteem but now I got it back. You can say that Monalisa got her groove back. I am more pragmatic. I planned more basically because of the fact that I have responsibility to my child, which makes me more responsible and more focused; nobody is putting any pressure on me. From any angle, I am in control of myself. And I do not have any regrets for quitting my marriage, besides; I enjoy immensely, my single status.

How I got my groove back

I rediscovered myself and realized that I was probably not in the right place at the right time, but now I am in the right place and at the appropriate time and God is really moving with me and I also move with God. Whether you like it or not, there is something that is happening to me now, it’s more in the spiritual realm, the feeling is different. What is happening to me now is the fact that I have rediscovered myself. I am in tune with my femininity, I am in tune with the fact that I’m growing older and appreciating myself and all. All I’m thirsting for now is to give back to the society unlike before when I didn’t even know where I was headed. I was confused, I was anxious I didn’t even know where I was going; I was completely oblivious of my environment. But now I am so in tune with what I want and I hear more from the Man above, the author and finisher of my faith.

Despite all that happened to me, I still believe in love. Yes I do so strongly, even though I’m still searching for true and real love. I’m optimistic that true love will come my way soon.

Port Harcourt Girl

Because of my beauty and rare complexion at birth, my loving parents christened me Monalisa Chinyere Chinda. I am from the Niger-Delta, Rivers State to be precise; I am an Ikwerre woman by tribe and a proud princess for that matter. I am from a family of six and the first child,

my father is late, he used to be the traditional ruler of our community and my mother is a woman of faith.

So, you can see that I’m a proper Ada and Ikwerre princess. In my family, we have two boys and four girls.

I grew up in Port Harcourt, which was very fun. I was also born in Port Harcourt. I grew up in a healthy environment. We are very close in my family. We had great family values. My father and mother instilled that discipline, which is still in me. Each time I look back I thank God that my mother instilled that discipline in me and the rest of my siblings. Her name is Queen Franca Comfort Chinda.

As a human being, I am not perfect, I have made my mistakes, I am correcting them and that helps me to move forward as well, so growing up for me was fun and memorable , it was a healthy environment where everything was balanced.

For my primary school, I went to Army Children School in GRA Port Harcourt and later to Archdeacon Crowther Memorial Girls School in Elelewon, Port Harcourt for my secondary education, I was a boarder and afterwards, a day student. I went to the University of Port Harcourt where I read theatre arts. It will also interest you to know that my first movie in Nollywood was Pregnant Virgin, in 1996. Stars like: Ejike Asiegbu, Francis Duru and several others were in it. Both of them were my mentors in school, at the University of Port Harcourt. They were my seniors. And that includes Lancelot Imaseun. We were all popular faces on campus and were also acting as undergraduates.

I was honoured at home

Charity they say begins at home. It was a privilege and big honour to realize that my people appreciate my works greatly. The fact that I am making a difference in my hometown where I come from, the tribe of Ikwerre and beyond, is a great honour. It also means that I’m making great impact too. I’ve received several awards, but the most recent one from Ikwerre Mothers brought tears to my eyes because it is something very dear to me. It is a revered association, women’s association, my mother is in this association, and I grew up knowing this group of people. They found it worthy to honour me. What else can I ask for? I really appreciate it, I love my tribe, I love my clan, I love Ikwerre people with all my heart.

Away from the award, I have a big series coming. It’s called Catwalk. Catwalk is a series that I produced alongside Emem Isong, I did it last year November, for TV. We are going to do the première very soon, maybe, in the month of September or October. It’s a big project and I see it being another stepping stone in my career, we don’t have enough content on our local television and I believe this is going to be a good platform to entertain people who sit at home—wives and children. It’s an exotic, glamorous and fantastic storyline. Catwalk is a series that people would want to always be in tune with wherever they are. It’s a fantastic storyline and I pray it will make the difference among all other soaps and series.

God ordained my Glo Ambassador deal

I still cry and thank God profusely each time I remember how I got my Glo Ambassador deal. In fact, it still marvels me till date. The job was divinely ordained for me, I make bold to say this, based on the circumstances that brought the deal my way. I was outside Nigeria shooting in one of the African countries when the call came in. Initially, I thought it was some fraudsters trying to dupe me. I cut the calls thrice before finally accepting to speak with the person in charge. I immediately flew down to Nigeria when I was finally convinced that it was a real Globacom deal. With that I’ve come to understand that God works in mysterious ways. God bless Glo, because they gave us this ambassadorial appointment at the time when Nollywood was almost crashing. We are still trying to build Nollywood, we are still trying to have a structure, while Nollywood is trying to get its balance, and we have to do our works as ambassadors. And there is no way that my job as an actress will clash with my ambassadorial appointment with Glo, they both complement each other. I signed for the job and I’m so glad executing it. In fact, I’m much fulfilled working for Glo. Let me also confess again that it’s been awesome working for Glo. It has created a platform for me to shine. Whether you like it or not, Glo has made it possible for some of us to shine more, apart from being actresses. Glo has made it possible for us to shine better than how we used to shine before. I thank God for them.

My humanitarian projects

If God Almighty permits, which I know He will surely do, I want to actually have my own charity home. That is one of those things I know by the grace of God I am going to achieve because that is my calling. Again, I want to start my talk show, The Monalisa Talk show. It’s going to be basically talking about the family, domestic issues, things people do not really want to talk about, challenges they are facing domestically, violence, drug abuse, teenagers going astray, youths not being focused, because this is the end time, these are the issues we need to address. I don’t like shying away from the pending problems youths in Nigeria are facing.

We are starting very soon. I intend to start the talk show before the end of the year, by the grace of God. I have been saying this for more than a year now, I am still trying to tidy it up, I want it to be perfect, I don’t want to do the regular stuffs, and I don’t want to do anything wishy-washy.

KISSES

A lot of people have been asking me if the story of my debut effort as a producer, Kiss and Tell, is actually a true story of what transpired in my real life, especially my failed marriage. I always tell them no, with a capital N. Again, I also make them realize that as entertainers and actors, our main job is to mirror the society, especially the bad sides of the society so that it can get better. So, in Kiss and Tell, you will see all these, a combination of facts and fiction. Talking about the movie, which is a romantic comedy and my first feature work, it was shot in April last year and premièred on June 19, at the Silverbird Cinemas amid glitz and glamour. For me, it was one of the most glamourous events ever in the history of Nollywood premieres. The story is fantastic. It’s witty, it’s intriguing, it’s fun and I know that movie buffs are already having fun watching it in all the Silverbird Cinemas nationwide, where it is currently showing to the public. Aside from being the executive producer, I also featured alongside Uche Jombo, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Omoni Oboli, Joseph Benjamin and others. Desmond Elliot directed it while Emem Isong and I co-produced.

Back to the question of whether it is an autobiographical drama, I will say that 30 percent of the story is fiction and 70 percent is real life issues, but not directly connected to me. Kiss and Tell is basically the fact that people are in relationships and are not supposed to give out details of how they run the relationships. We want to send out a message that it’s immature to say what you have going with a lady, you don’t have to go about town announcing it; you don’t need a third party to come into your relationship. We are not completely confronting the guys even though it’s a gender thing. We are just telling them that it’s really not necessary to be in a relationship or in marriage and bring a third party in.

Please, don’t go thinking it’s my story; it’s not my story per se; well, part of it. And I got one of the most prolific scriptwriters who also gave it a lot of flesh. I am talking of Emem Isong and her team of writers.

As a first-timer, I was very scared and thought it would be tough and very challenging, but to my shock, it was so sweet and fun on set. I did not have much challenges, I just knew that I was working with friends and colleagues and of course I had experienced hands. I think they were the ones that were handling major parts of the issues. I was in the background; they didn’t want me to do a lot of things. It was fun for me, I am happy I had people who were shouldering the whole problems. And I really want to appreciate them, to say thank you in a very big way.

Apart from the recent première in Lagos, I also want to premiere it in my hometown, which is Port Harcourt, and I really want to do it there, which was where I grew up.

That is the place that made me, I really want to show my work there for them to appreciate me and also bring in my people in the government to also see what their first daughter is doing. I just want to say thank you to all those that made this dream a reality. 

Okorocha appoints aide for Lagos Affairs.

The Imo State governor employs popular actress, Nkiru Sylvanus, as senior special assistant.

Governor  Anayo Rochas Okorocha of Imo state appoints popular Nollywood actress, Nkiru Sylvanus as Senior Special Assistant, Lagos Affairs.

Nkiru who is the winner of 2010 edition of Face Of Hope(Rochas Foundation) is among the 32 special assistants appointed by the state governor. She took the movie industry by storm with her ‘crying’ roles in "A Cry for Help" directed by Andy Amenechi and was catapulted to fame. Ever since, Nkiru Sylvanus Nwuzor has been playing the high stakes featuring in more movies after another in the lead category.

Nkiru is the second child and the first daughter of Mr and Mrs Sylvanus Nwuzor from Osisioma, Aba. Her father is a policeman serving in Owerri while mother is a midwife. Beyond the sentiment that the lady is from Abia State, this appointment or nomination should be relevant in boosting the Socio-Economic welfare of the people of Imo State.

Kanu Nwankwo former Arsenal, Inter Milan star, and former captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, has been appointed Special Adviser on Sports in Imo state. Owerri born Kanu played for the state’s top club Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland FC) before he moved to Europe to pursue a professional career.

Rochas who was a special guest of honour at the gala dinner of the Kanu testimonal, announced Kanu’s appointment. Africa’s top stars like Samuel Eto’o Fils, Kolo Toure, ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Rigobert Song, Michael Essien and Emmanuel Adebayor were present to pay tribute to Kanu, who will now focus on his club career as well as his heart foundation. "The Governor announced Kanu’s appointment at the gala dinner after the testimonial on Saturday," says Onyebuchi Abia, head of the Kanu Heart Foundation (KHF).

Asaba airport opens.

The new airport in the Delta state capital receives its first commercial flight.

The first commercial fight with passengers from Abuja landed at the Asaba International Airport on Monday at 12.17pm.

The 48-seater Overland aircraft arrived the airport with 20 passengers on board. One of the passengers, Sam Arowosafe, commended the standards of the airport, adding that its completion would boost the economic development of the state.

"This is a good development," he said. "We are happy to be here and it will reduce cost."

Another passenger, Ezechi Nwoye, commended the state government for constructing the airport, adding that it has made air transport easy for people living in Anambra State.

Governor Uduaghan, who was also on the flight, expressed appreciation to God for a dream that has manifested into concrete reality. He said the completion of an airport takes a long time, adding that even the best airports in the world still has some minor works going on either in form of renovation or adding more facilities.

At the booking counter, intending passengers were seen purchasing tickets for their flights. Thereafter, they are frisked alongside their luggage with metal detectors before taking their seats in the departure hall. One of the passengers waiting to catch his flight to Lagos, Nosakhare Edokpayi, described the Asaba Airport as very unique and convenient.

British PM visits Lagos.

The British PM urges Nigerians and the media to hold our government to account.

Kayode Babalola

British Prime Minister David Cameron paid a visit to a clinic in Lagos, today to see for himself how British aid money is spent on the front line.

Mr Cameron saw babies at the Public Health Centre in the Sura district receiving vaccinations for yellow fever, which claims many lives each year in Nigeria.

The inoculations were provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (Gavi) as part of a nationwide programme to prevent illnesses like measles, polio, diphtheria and tetanus.

Mr Cameron spoke to some of the mothers queuing to be seen by Dr Wale Akeredoly and chief nurse Shakirat Bello, many of them carrying their babies strapped tightly to their backs in brightly coloured slings.

Admiring three-month-old twins Mubarak and Mubarakat, Mr Cameron - whose own baby Florence will be one year old next month - joked: "They are very well-behaved. Maybe I should get some tips!"

With Gavi's help, state-run clinics like the one in Sura have pushed immunisation rates in Lagos up to 65%-70% - far higher than in the north of the country, where diseases like measles are still major killers and polio has not yet been eradicated.

Britain's Department for International Development operates a scheme in Nigeria to monitor vaccination rates, train nurses and reach out to women who might otherwise miss out on healthcare for their children.

And Mrs Bello's clinic in a modest single-storey building near the Sura Market offers free maternal health checks, childcare advice and 24-hour facilities to deliver babies.

Following that visit, Mr. Cameron was at the Lagos Business School, Pan-African University in Ajah, where he gave a talk on opportunities between the United Kingdom and African countries.

He made salient points about the independence of the media and their ability to question the government. Giving the example the current News of The World Scandal in his native country, he said that the media was critical in driving national development. 

He also said that people should move from a state of dependence to a state of independence stating that aid should benefit both parties, not just the giver. 

Seated alongside Lagos governor, Babatunde Fashola and Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, the British Prime Minister also urged Nigerians to hold our government to account. The biggest applause of the day was reserved for the Lagos governor, whom the British PM praised as doing a great job in Lagos.

The PM is on his way to meet with President Goodluch Jonathan who also arrived in Lagos last night.

Controversial asylum seeker deported.

Pamela Izevbekhai and her daughters have been deported to Nigeria after six years of seeking asylum in Ireland.

Controversial asylum seeker, Pamela Izevbekhai and her two young daughters have finally been deported to Nigeria after six years of legal battle seeking asylum in Ireland.

Ms Izevbekhai, who fought a six-year battle against her deportation, and her daughters Naomi (10) and Jemima (9), were arrested at 0130 in Sligo, where they were living.

They were put on an 0600 commercial flight from Dublin airport to Amsterdam. They were then transferred to a flight from Amsterdam to Lagos.

Ms Izevbekhai had claimed that her daughters faced the threat of female genital mutilation (FGM) if they were returned to Nigeria.

The asylum case has been one of the most high-profile and controversial. Her deportation was originally ordered in September 2005 but was the subject of several legal challenges, culminating in a decision by the Supreme Court to reject her claims last July.

She then appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. However, the appeal was rejected last month.

In 2009, the Irish Independent disclosed that members of the Garda's national immigration bureau obtained affidavits showing that her claim that an obstetrician in Lagos delivered her baby Elizabeth in February 1993 and treated her before she died from complications after female circumcision were false.

Obstetrician Joseph Unokanjo admitted an affidavit sworn by him was a forgery. He said he delivered Ms Izevbekhai's daughter Naomi in 2000, and this was her first child.

Referring to her claims that her daughters faced FGM threats, the European court ruled that she had failed to substantiate that they could face a real and concrete risk.

Lovers die after inhaling generator fumes.

The man allegedly left his family in Lagos to visit his mistress in Port Harcourt for a tryst

A man and a woman, believed to be lovers, are believed to have died after inhaling generator fumes in their house in Port Harcourt, neighbours said on Tuesday.

The man, said to be in his 40s and the woman, aged 38, were found dead after powering their generating set inside their one-bedroom flat. 

One of the witnesses, who did not want his name published, said that due to electricity outage and a downpour experienced at the time, the deceased resorted to powering their generator inside their bedroom.

The neighbour alleged that the man, married with five children and resident in Lagos with his family, had told his wife that he was going for an “outside work” in Port Harcourt. Unknown to the wife, the man headed for Port Harcourt to meet with his mistress, who was a lawyer.

“On that fateful day it rained heavily, so they resorted to powering their generator right inside their parlour with the windows closed,” he said. “They must have thought that positioning the generator inside their parlour will not have affected them in the bedroom.

So between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., nobody suspected any foul play. The nearest neighbour to the victims said that when he experienced discomfort in his house due to the increase in temperature of his wall and smoke, he decided to call the attention of others. When we discovered that the fumes came out from her apartment, we decided to break in.”

The witness said the living room was covered with heavy and poisonous smoke, and added that the neighbours proceeded to the bedroom to discover the lifeless bodies of the couple. He said the victims must have fallen asleep when the incident occurred. 

Ben Ugwuegbulam, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, described the incident as mysterious, saying that investigation was ongoing to unravel the true cause of death of the duo. He said their bodies had been deposited at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, awaiting autopsy.

According to Dr Clarkson Omoniwari, a medical expert, when a person is exposed to carbon monoxide, it displaces oxygen from the haemoglobin, thereby causing heart and respiratory failure.

“When exposed between five to 15 minutes, the heart will no longer pump blood and which eventually leads to brain and respiratory failure,” he said.

He warned the people not to use generating sets close to their homes, advising them to keep the sets far away to avoid contact with emitted fumes.

FG urged to implement minimum wage law.

Opposition parties demand that the federal government honour its agreement with labour

Frank Ohwofa, the National Chairman, Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN), has urged the federal government to honour its agreement with labour unions by implementing the national minimum wage. 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have threatened to embark on a three-day warning strike to press for the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage. 

Owhofa said in Abuja on Monday that the government was going against the law it enacted by the non-implementation of the law, and advised government to choose its priorities right to ensure a better standard of living for workers. 

“I will advise government at all levels to honour every line of its agreement concerning the implementation of the Act,” he said. “We want sincerity on national issues, especially those bordering on improved condition of lives of all Nigerians.’’ 

According to him, Freedom Party has on its agenda, the payment of N50, 000 as minimum wage to a Nigerian worker. 

On its part, the Democratic People’s party (DPP) expressed support for the labour unions’ plan for strike if government failed to honour its agreement on the national minimum wage law.

Mohammed Danazumi, the National Secretary of the party, said the minimum wage law is binding on government. He said the party will join the strike to ensure the economic emancipation of Nigerian workers.

Mohammed Shittu, the National Secretary, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), urged the labour unions to continue with dialogue and shelve the impending strike. He said the strike will paralyse the nation’s economic activities and discourage foreign investors. 

He advised the labour leaders to consider the position of the government as it has accepted to implement the minimum wage law. “The federal and state governments have agreed to pay, I will advise the labour to consider dialogue as possible means of achieving success,” he said.

He called for patience with the new administration, noting that it was too early to begin strike against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Reps summon Sanusi over cash withdrawal limit.

Some of the lawmakers complain that the new directive would affect residents of rural areas

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, summoned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Lamido Sanusi to appear before it on Thursday to clarify the proposed daily cash withdrawal limit from banks. 

The CBN had proposed June 2012 for commencement of daily cash withdrawal limit of N150, 000 and N1 million for individuals and corporate bodies respectively. 

This resolution emanated from an amendment by Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi (PDP-Enugu) to a motion by moved by Aliyu Yakubu (PDP-Yobe) which was adopted. 

Leading the debate, Yakubu noted that the proposed deadline by the CBN would cause undue hardship for Nigerians, adding that some communities in the country had no commercial banks, micro finance banks nor Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in their localities. 

He said that inter-bank transactions carried out in major cities take at least 48 hours to be completed. According to him, the deadline should be extended to enable government put infrastructure in place for the effective take-off of the project. 

Ozomgbachi said the proposal and other policies by CBN required more explanation from the Sanusi to enable the House take a decision. He said that section 8 (4 and 5) of the CBN Act mandated the CBN governor to brief the House on bi-annual basis on the state of the economy and other financial matters.

“Before this House will take a decision, CBN has to enlighten us on the viability of this policy in line with section 8 (4 and 5) of the CBN Act,” he said.

Meanwhile, two new Bills: the Fiscal Responsibility Act (Amendment), and the Transfer of Convicts and Enforcement (Amendment), have been introduced on the floor of the House. 

The House also observed a minute’s silence for victims of the two road accidents on the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi Express Way on July 18 which claimed 15 lives.

Opposition supports 6-year single tenure for President, Governors.

The PPA also says that the business of legislation has become so lucrative that people can no longer permit a senator to go for more than two terms

Sam Nkire, the National Chairman, Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), said on Tuesday in Abuja that he supported the proposal for a six-year single tenure for president and governors.

Nkire also proposed that lawmakers at the federal level should enjoy the same term

According to him, the business of legislation has become so lucrative that people can no longer permit a senator to go for more than two terms. “I will also suggest that members of a House of Assembly should not go for more than two terms of four years each,’’ he said.

Nkire said the move would also encourage zoning of elective offices to make every part of  a constituency have sense of belonging.

“There is no experience you cannot get in eight years and I will rather suggest that members of state Houses of Assembly should be on part time,” he said. “But as long as they are not on part time, they should not do more than two terms of four years each.”

Nkire called for a reduction in the spending of governors to enable them to pay the minimum wage to workers.

“I think the minimum wage is something the governors can pay if they reduce what I have always called political spending,” he said. “They reduce the amount of money they take when travelling, placing adverts congratulating themselves and the amount they take as security votes.’’

UK to help Nigeria with security.

The British Prime Minister pledges to help improve our response to terrorist attacks and the Boko Haram menace.

The British Government will support Nigeria in its fight against terrorism and other activities that threaten security, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said on Tuesday in Lagos.

Cameron made the pledge at a news conference after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and the business community. He said that insecurity in Nigeria could affect the British economy.

“Britain sees Nigeria as a country with massive potential which should not be allowed to be overtaken by terrorism and other acts capable of breaching peace and security,” he said. “Because of common areas of interest, Britain would partner with Nigeria in fighting terrorism in any form.”

The prime minister said that he led a delegation to Nigeria to discuss areas of business and investment cooperation between both countries. He said that trade relations between both countries was impressive at the moment, and hoped that it would be better by 2014.

He announced plans by the British Government to also support Nigeria in realising the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health, adding that the British Government would equally support Nigeria in its fight against corruption.

President Jonathan said at the event that some Nigerians were frustrating their country’s efforts at checking insecurity.

“We need to deal with the situation now, and we are going to work with other countries to achieve our aim,” he said. “We will continue to work with the British Government because we have common interest that must be protected.”

Jonathan also appealed to the British Government to support Nigeria in its struggle for representation in the UN Security Council, and gave the assurance that Nigerian would continue to have cordial trade relations with Britain.

Need to clean up media

Earlier in the day, Cameron was asked about the phone hacking scandal during his stop at the Lagos Business School. He said that wrongdoing in the media needed to be tackled and allegations of police corruption investigated.

However, he defended his two-day trip to Africa, saying that he was focusing on priorities like boosting business and fighting crime.

"I just would want to give this reassurance to people that back at home...this does consist of big problems, but we are a big country and we're going to sort them out," he told reporters.

"At the same time we're not going to take our eye off the ball on getting our economy to grow, getting jobs for our people, making sure we've got..immigration and welfare policies and doing all the things that frankly the British people are crying out for their government to get on with."

Labour calls off warning strike.

After a meeting that lasted until the wee hours of this morning, the Federal Government and organised Labour finally reach an agreement.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its proposed three-day warning strike following an agreement reached with the federal government on the implementation of the N18, 000 new national minimum wage.

This was the outcome of a meeting between the congress, Nigeria Governors` Forum (NGF) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) which ended in the early hours of this morning in Abuja.

The proposed strike was expected to pressure the federal government to implement the new minimum wage which it signed into law on March 23, 2011.

According to a communiqué which was read at the end of the meeting, the federal government agreed to implement the new national minimum wage with effect from Aug. 1, 2011.

It stated that arrears of the new wage would take effect from March 23, 2011 and would be paid not later than Aug. 31 2011.

The communiqué which was read by the NLC President, Comrade Abduwaheed Omar, stated, "The federal government shall conclude negotiations with labour on the implementation of the New National Minimum wage not later than July 31 2011.

"Details of the relative implications of the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage Act 2011 will be concluded no later than July 31, 2011."

The meeting also resolved that no worker should be victimised in any manner or form as a consequence of the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage.

The communiqué also stated that the resolution to suspend the three-day warning strike across the country was in line with the agreement earlier reached with the federal government and state governors.

It was jointly signed by Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Omar, and Emeka Wogu, the Minister of Labour and Productivity.

Comrade Peter Esele, Trade Union Congress President and Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation also signed the communiqué.

Wogu in his remarks expressed gratitude to labour for its patience, perseverance and understating in the course of the negotiations. He also thanked the NGF for its efforts and understanding in making sure that the issue was resolved. The minister assured the public that the federal government "will meet the terms of the agreement".

Mr Owei Lakemfa, NLC Acting General Secretary, said that the strike was called off because "the governors had agreed on a detailed implementation of the minimum wage with a timeline".

Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomole, represented the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), an umbrella association of the 36 state governors of the federation, at the meeting.  The meeting which lasted four hours had been preceded a seven-hour meeting held by the governors earlier in the day.