Wizkid's First Girlfriend and Baby Mama Shows Off Her SEXY Stuffs

Since Wizkid broke up with Tania, his first babe Sola Ogududu has been showing off her rough stuffs in some raunchy photos. Could it be that she is positioning herself to return to his house?

Heavy downpour floods Lagos again

LAGOS—An afternoon downpour across Lagos yesterday flooded parts of the metropolis, causing serious gridlocks on major roads. Commuters and motorists plying the ever-busy Oshodi-Apapa Expressway saw hell as they were trapped in the gridlock for several hours as a result of the flooding of the dual carriageway. On Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, the situation was also pathetic as traffic snarl stretched from Ojodu/Berger to Ogudu following the flood on the highway. Motorists and commuters plying the popular Ikorodu Road inward Western Avenue were not spared of the traffic nightmare arising from the flooded road. Reports from various parts of the metropolis revealed that major roads in Alimosho Local Government Area, the Agege Motor Road, parts of Ikeja and Ogba were also flooded. Parts of Surulere, Iganmu, Orile and Ajegunle were also not spared by the floods that took over the entire areas. The flood, which created bottlenecks forced commuters to be stranded at bus-stops and causing many to arrive their destinations behind schedules. Also, several vehicles, which could not withstand the enormity of the flood, were stuck in the flood. Not unexpectedly, yesterday’s heavy downpour in Lagos prevented many picnickers from enjoying their Easter Sunday fun in various centres across the metropolis. At the Bar Beach, Victoria Island, it was noticed that many families that came to catch fun remained inside their vehicles, while others scurried in search of shelter. Mr Adewale Esan, a civil servant, who lives at Onikan, said he brought his entire family, who were visiting Lagos for the first time, to catch fun at the beach. “My family is just visiting this place for the first time but it is unfortunate that the heavy rainfall has denied us the opportunity to catch fun here. “Anyway, we can still come around here tomorrow, if the weather condition is conducive,” he said. Mrs Stella Okeke, a food vendor at the beach, said the rainfall had prevented them from making good sales. “Most of our customers have run away, due to the heavy downpour. There is flood everywhere; I don’t think that majority of the picnickers that left here will come back again. “Yesterday, we recorded good sales and that encouraged us to cook more food today but see what the rain has caused us,” she lamented. At the National Theatre, Iganmu, the situation was the same as families were seen under the Nigerian Brewery kiosks sheltering themselves from the rain. Some of the picnickers said they were waiting for the rain to stop, so that they could return home. Mrs Florence Akinfenwa, a resident of Surulere, said the rain had prevented her from relaxing with her family. “As you can see, what I did was to take my family inside Mr Biggs at the theatre and buy them snacks. We can’t blame God for the rain. “We are travelling to Abeokuta to celebrate with my in-laws tomorrow,” she added. Mr Tunde Jinadu, a trader, said that even with the rain, he would still enjoy the holiday. “I have prepared myself for the rain; I will not leave this National Theatre until later in the night,” he said.

Check It Out!!! Wizkid Turns Into Alhaji (Photo)

This dude is Blessed!! Enemies can keep Hating.

What Olamide does before show

Olamide Adedeji, known by his stage name, Olamide, has made excuses to anyone that he is from the ghetto of Bariga, a high density area of Lagos. He is a recording artiste that is riding jollyride of fame and sure smiling to the bank.

But as they say ‘You can take the man out of the jungle, but not the jungle out of the man’ and this could be the only explanation for Olamide’s post on Instagram last week. Where he posted a picture of himself, chilling with a bottle of small stout, before unleashing himself on stage.

Cossy Orjiakor Goes Wide On Easter Bunny Party [Photos]

Cossy attended an Easter party last night with her Play boy bunny outfit.Hugh Hefner would be proud.. - See more at: http://www.naijaloaded.com.ng/2014/04

Tonto Dikeh And Wizkid Spotted Together After Many Years -

After reports that they fell out after dating during the early stages of his career,they haven’t been spotted together and she has been very hostile when asked about him.. From the look of things, they have put their differences behind them..Wizkid shared this photo from a wedding and captioned it “Turn up with my girl @tontolet!! All Iove!!” After that, he tweeted “Everyones addicted to something..nd i’m addicted to u babe.. :

Ice Prince’s – My Ex’s Husband To Be Wants Me To Perform At Their Wedding

Ice Prince Jambo 500x313 Ice Prince’s – My Ex’s Husband To Be Wants Me To Perform At Their Wedding The rapper wants to know how much you would charge if you’re called to perform at your ex-girlfriend’s wedding. Most people told him to do it for free as a gift to the ex…what do you think? See tweets below:

FG’s N151bn debt threatens fuel importation— marketers

Indications have emerged that the current fuel scarcity across the country will not come to an end soon, following the Federal Government’s N151 billion indebtedness to oil marketers.

While the Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said that the Federal Government still owes oil marketers N151 billion outstanding fuel subsidy claims, the executive secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPRA, Mr. Ahmed Faruk, who did not specify the amount owed, admitted that the non-payment to marketers is partly responsible for the fuel crisis being experienced in some parts of the country. Faruk, however, said that over nine vessels were discharging about 200 million litres of premium motor spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol, across the country. He said: “From our report, we have over nine vessels currently engaged in discharging products in various depots across the country. From Calabar to Oghara, we have Lister Depot; it is supposed to be discharging for Oando. “We have Atlas Cove vessels discharging for Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC. We have vessels discharging in Apapa. All in all we have over 200 million litres being discharged by various vessels. ‘No need to panic’ “There is no need for any panic because we have the product. And I can advise the general public just to calm down and go about their normal businesses; not to panic as the product is available.” Reacting to the money being owed to marketers, Faruk explained, “Before then, some of the marketers were finding it difficult to secure credit lines to open letters of credit to bring their impor-tation. But I understand that payments were being made.” Also, Faruk said that rumours of alleged moves by the Federal Government to increase the pump price of PMS led to the scarcity of fuel as some marketers began to hoard the product. However, IPMAN said that sequel to the last fuel scarcity experienced nationwide, government made frantic efforts and released N41 billion for part-payment of what it owed marketers to enable them continue product supply. According to IPMAN, before then government had not paid marketers since September 2013. Scarcity, prices Notwithstanding the position of PPPRA, scarcity of fuel is being experienced in various parts of the country except Lagos. Though the long queues witnessed at filling stations in the thick of the fuel crisis some weeks ago are no longer there, fuel prices have hovered between N120 and N140 in different parts of the country. In Aba, the Abia State commercial nerve centre, residents have been buying a litre of fuel for between N120 and N125 in the last nine months. Kalu Ogbuka, a resident, told Vanguard that though he has been buying above the official price, his concern has been the availability of the product. He said: “Aba is a commercial city and people do not want to be distracted from their businesses due to lack of fuel. In some filling stations, you can buy at N120, while some sell at N125. “In the last nine months, we have become used to the situation that people hardly complain.” The story is similar in Owerri, the Imo State capital, where the residents have had to contend with the exorbitant price of between N115 and N125. According to Angus Ike, a civil servant, residents of the state have resigned themselves to fate as the only places fuel is sold at the official price are the few NNPC stations in Owerri, which are not enough. Abuja In Abuja, the nation’s capital, Vanguard learnt that outside the major filling stations, fuel is sold for between N100 and N110, while roadside vendors have been making brisk businesses selling 10 litres of fuel are sold between N1,500 and N2,000. The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, attributed the situation in Abuja to pressure from motorists in the neighbouring states. According to the Abuja Zonal Controller of DPR, Mr. Aliyu Halidu, most motorists in the neighbouring states come to Abuja to buy fuel because of the availability of the product. He said: “The supply to Abuja fluctuates between 80 and 120 trucks per day. Why we have queues, even if we have 120 trucks in Abuja, is because the environs are not being served and they are dried. “If anybody comes to Abuja, the tendency is for the person to fuel his car before going back. Those coming from Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi congregate here to take fuel. “There are commercial vehicles that come with dry tank and they fill their tanks here before they go back.” The Zonal Controller explained that DPR also tried to make sure that stations sold with maximum number of pumps, in addition to ensuring that the product is sold at the official pump price.

Boko Haram cannot break up Nigeria – Jonathan

Abuja — President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, said those fomenting trouble in the country in the belief that it will lead to its disintegration, would be disappointed, noting no criminal group within or outside the country could disintegrate it. The President, who spoke when some Abuja residents paid him Easter homage, added that the country would certainly overcome the Boko Haram challenge. The President said: “Nigeria will disappoint those who are thinking that the country will disintegrate. Despite the challenges, the country will not divide. ”Surely, we will overcome this tribulations. Those who think that this country will be divided into North, South, East and West, or whatever, will disappointed. Nigeria will not divide. Criminal group ”Boko Haram will not disintegrate this country. Most of you are aware when this incident happened in Nyanya; Nigerians from all religions, from all classes participated in the evacuation of all the people who were affected, even before the security people arrived.

”People came from every where, irrespective of their religious beliefs and persuasions. That shows that there is no criminal group, within or outside this country that can break this country. No criminal group will disintegrate this country. ”Boko Haram will come and go. We have overcome various challenges, God willing, we will also overcome Boko Haram.” Speaking on the unemployment situation and high poverty rate in the country, the President accused state governments of not doing enough to create employment and alleviate poverty. He called on state governments to work more for their people by applying their resources to alleviate poverty in states, rather than resorting to blame games and depending solely on allocation from the federation account. ”The current revenue sharing formula as recommended by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, indicates that local governments receive 20.6 per cent of the federally collectible revenue, states get 26.72 per cent while Federal Government gets 52.68 per cent ”Many of the states at the moment rush to Abuja every month end to collect their allocations without much to show for them; a situation that has created a challenge in which fiscal federalism in Nigeria has become like a cancer with many states blaming it for their poverty. ”Unfortunately in Nigeria, when you talk about the issues of development, people think that it is only the Federal Government that can solve the problems. ”The states as semi autonomous components of the federation, Mr. President does not control the resources of the states. They completely control their resources, so if all states and local governments can work in concert, we will solve most of our problems instead of blaming one another. ”I believe that government is one even in terms of separation of powers, whether the executive arm of government, the legislative arm of government and even the judicial arm. You talk about one government, it is just separation of powers. ”If all of us work collectively, if all of us are committed to serving the people of this country, surely, we will get to where we are going as a nation,” President Jonathan said. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, who led the FCT group on the visit, commended Nigerians for their response during Nyanya bomb blast and assured that his administration will work hard to ensure that the FCT was safe for all Nigerians He made a special presentation to President Jonathan and prayed for God’s protection for the President, his family and the entire nation. Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who was also on the entourage, noted that Easter represented one of the most important events in Christendom. He said Nigeria was lucky to have a President whose trust was in God, adding that because “we are a nation that trusts in God, Nigeria will abide for ever.” Earlier at a church service at the Aso Villa, Chapel, the Chaplain of the Aso Rock Villa Church, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba, urged the congregation to emulate Jesus Christ who laid down his life for mankind. In his message, entitled, Let’s Celebrate Jesus,’ he declared that ample evidence existed to show that Jesus Christ resurrected as was shown by the preachings of Apostle Paul, who after persecuting Christians, turned around to preach the gospel of Jesus, testifying and showing proofs that Jesus resurrected. Some of the dignitaries at the service included the Senator Representing FCT, Senator Philip Aduda, Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of power, GodsWill Igali, Dr. Amos Adamu, John Kennedy Opara, Executive Secretary, NCPC, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Edem Duke.

I’ve got a mean ass! — Daniella Okeke

Danielle Okeke, the Lagos Cougar voluptuous actress, is not one to walk the conservative lane when it comes to flaunting her God-given asset -her butts. The light-skinned actress, who studied fine and applied arts at the Delta State University, doesn’t just get attention in movies, she also uses the social media to flaunt her sensuality. Last week, she took to her Twitter page to express the hotness of her asset through a picture she posted. According to her: ’I ve got a mean ass, and I mean that’. Daniella sure knows her selling points.

Fashola’s successor: APC denies imposition allegation -

Lagos—Ahead of the 2015 gubernatorial election, a group within the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos is said to be spoiling for war against alleged plans by some party leaders to handpick one of the leading gubernatorial hopefuls as the party’s candidate.

The Visioners for New Lagos, VNL at the weekend vowed that it would resist what it alleged as attempts by the party hierarchy to foist a former accountant-general of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as the next governor without due process. However, the assertion was immediately challenged yesterday by the interim spokesman of the state chapter of the APC, Mr. Joe Igbokwe who told Vanguard that assertions of imposition credited to the immediate past governor of the State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu were the figment of the imagination of the group. He said that serious decisions on Lagos are collectively taken by a group of elders and not solely by Asiwaju Tinubu. Coordinator of the VNL, Mr. Bambo Akin-Johnson, however, in the statement said that the group was determined to stop what it claimed were clear signals that the party leadership was inclined to railroad Ambode as the next governor without due process. “Why no one is opposed to the person of Ambode aspiring to the office of the governor, we take exception to his imposition. If anything, he must be a product of a credible process in the emerging new Lagos,” he said. In his reaction yesterday, Comrade Igbokwe said: “I don’t know about it. If anybody is saying that Asiwaju can just decide what can happen in Lagos, that person does not understand the inner working of APC Lagos. We have elders of the party who are between 15 and 20 and if there is any important decision to be taken, they meet and after the meeting and if there is any serious decision, somebody must be mandated to speak and because Asiwaju commands the respect of Lagosians, he is always the one to deliver such.” “It is not a matter of one man getting up that this must be this. Lagos is a civilised place. It is a figment of the imagination of those people who are saying that.”

INSECURITY: It’s civil war — Gowon

By Soni Daniel, Victor Ahiuma-Young, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Umar Yusuf & Ndahi Marama LAGOS—General Yakubu Gowon, who led Nigeria through a 30-month civil war, yesterday, lamented that the country had fallen into full scale civil war with the spate of crises in the northeast. His assertion was corroborated by the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU. The assertions came as the governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shetima lamented that the last seven days have been the worst in his life following the abduction of 129 girls from a secondary school in the state. He disclosed that seven more girls had escaped from the hideout of the Boko Haram insurgents bringing the number of those remaining in captivity of the Islamic insurgents to 77. Meanwhile, despite Saturday’s formal lapse of the state of emergency in the troubled Northeast, the military remained fully deployed in the three states with strict restriction on the movement of persons in the states. However, telephone communications which were once curtailed after the proclamation of emergency rule by President Goodluck Jonathan last April have noticeably improved. Nevertheless, opinion on the sustenance of the state of emergency remained mixed among stakeholders from within and outside the troubled states. While some called for the full implementation of emergency rule with the suspension of the elected political institutions, other stakeholders differed. All parties were nevertheless agreed that the soldiers deployed to the region should remain. The president has not given notice of his inclination towards renewing or suspending the state of emergency. A security meeting between the president and the nation’s governors is expected to hold on Wednesday following which a formal announcement on the issue would be clarified. The state of emergency was first proclaimed by President Jonathan in April 2013 and renewed after six months last November. Gowon, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard on the sideline of events marking the 75th birthday of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette, said it was imperative for the government to firmly deal with the rising wave of terrorism in the country so as to keep the country one. The former head of state pointed out that what was going on in Nigeria was close to the challenges the 30-month civil war posed to his administration. He said that it was necessary for all Nigerians to team up with the government to ensure that the forces opposed to the continued unity and progress of the country were roundly defeated. Describing the insurgents as enemies of a united Nigeria, Gowon enjoined Nigerians to support the federal government with necessary prayers to God to end the cycle of violence being unleashed on the nation by the insurgents. It’s civil war — Gowon Gowon said: “What we are witnessing today is not too different from what happened during my administration as head of state and we moved ahead to checkmate the insurgency. “We need to pray and work with the government to ensure that this ugly cycle of violence comes to an end so that the unity of Nigeria is not threatened. It is therefore imperative for the government to take appropriate decisions to deal with the spate of violence sweeping through the country so that this country can remain as one united entity,” he admonished. While speaking at the birthday celebration, Gowon had said that he stood his ground to ensure that Nigeria remained as one during the civil war because he believed in the unity of the nation. He pointed out that although he was not the one who coined “Go Ahead With One Nigeria, GOWON”, the coinage significantly inspired him to resist all attempts by certain elements to divide the country. The former head of state therefore appealed to Nigerian leaders at all levels to ensure that they render quality service to their people and also resist the temptation to stay in office beyond the stipulated terms in the constitution. Gowon, who poured encomiums on Chief Ekaette, who had served him as Private Secretary between 1968 and 1975, said the former SGF was an embodiment of loyalty, hard work and transparency, who should be emulated by all well meaning Nigerians. NASU in a statement recalled the April 14, 2014 bombing at Nyanya Motor Park, Abuja, which claimed over 100 lives with over 250 others injured, and the abduction of several female students from a Government Girls Secondary School, GGSS, in Chibok, Bornu State, 24 hours after the Nyanya bombing. Speaking through its General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, NASU, argued that it was unbelievable that one week after, the whereabouts and safety of some of the abducted students had remained unknown till today, calling on the Federal Government especially, the military to live up to its responsibilities of protecting the nation both internally and externally. My worst days ever — Shetima Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima has described the last one week as his most troubling moment since he took over the mantle of affairs in May, 2011. The statement came as seven more girls escaped from captivity, bringing the total number of those who have escaped to 52 leaving 77 still in captivity. Shettima’s expression of feelings was contained in his Easter message released by his spokesman, Isa Gusau and followed the abduction of 129 school girls in the early hours of last Tuesday at Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. The Governor said though he had witnessed very dark days of insurgency inherited by his administration, none of the attacks had been more troubling for him as the abduction of the school girls. “I am also very much aware that the girls abducted consist of not just those with origins traced to Chibok but also from other parts of the state and the country which is typical of a good secondary school that should unite Nigerians. I am also aware that the abducted students include both Christians and Muslim faithful. “I am made to understand that the Ameera (spiritual head) of the Muslim Students Society in the school is among those abducted and yet to be freed. She was abducted alongside her Christian and Muslim colleagues without the insurgents worried about the religion any of the students practice. We must therefore remain united in our shared grief to pray vehemently for our girls as well as the patriotic security agencies and civilian volunteers currently in relentless search and rescue efforts. “Between last night and this evening, seven more girls escaped from captivity, bringing to 52 the number of those with us out of 129 students that were at the hostel on the day of that attack. This means 77 students are yet to be found.” CAN declares fasting, prayers, appeal for their release Meanwhile, the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno State, yesterday, called on all Christians in the state and Nigeria to begin fasting and prayers for the release of all the secondary school girls kidnapped by insurgents in Chibok. State chairman of the association, Rev. Titus Pona at a press briefing in Maiduguri yesterday equally appealed to members of the Boko Haram to release the school girls. “We are calling on all Christians in Borno state, Nigeria and the world to fast and pray for the release of the girls. He also called on the insurgents to lay down their arms and channel their grievances through dialogue with the federal and state governments.

Delta uncovers teenage gay cult in Warri

WARRI—Delta State Government, yesterday, said that a cult of teenage homosexuals patronised by gay men exists in Warri. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who made the disclosure in his Easter message to Deltans at the First Baptist Church, Warri, said teenagers from ages 15 to 18 belong to the sect named Yansh, and live in rented apartments close to Enerhen Junction, Warri, where men come to sleep with them. He said: “These are our sons and men come to sleep with them. It is through the Edu Marshals Programme that we discovered them. We used to know about female harlots, now we have male harlots. Unfortunately they are young boys. There is much government can do, but there is more we can do as parents.” Uduaghan, who noted that the country was going through trying times, challenged parents to be alive to the realities of today’s society as crimes committed daily were committed by children belonging to parents who are members of the immediate society.

APC postpones congresses over security meeting with President

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has postponed its state congresses scheduled for Wednesday to allow its governors attend the rescheduled expanded National Security Council meeting fixed for same day to discuss the security situation in the country. In a statement issued in Lagos, yesterday, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the postponement (to Saturday, April 26) was a confirmation of the party’s stated stand to be part of all genuine efforts to end the insurgency in the country. APC reiterated its earlier warning to the presidency and Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, not to politicise Nigeria’s security and to desist from seeking to profit from the current state of widespread insecurity in the country. APC said: “Cunningly edging out APC governors from last Thursday’s meeting of the expanded National Security Council is a bad strategy because despite belonging to the opposition, our governors are not any less of stakeholders on the issue of our nation’s security than governors of PDP or its satellite parties. “As a matter of fact, three of the worst hit states are presided over by APC governors, hence they are indispensable to any serious effort aimed at ending the security conundrum.” It wondered what the governors of PDP, Labour Party and APGA could have discussed with the President at Thurs-day’s meeting that they did not want APC gover-nors to know about. The party said: “Every trick in the book was employed to give APC governors the impre-ssion that the meeting had been called off, only for those who believe they are the ‘real stake-holders’ to go ahead with the meeting.”

NNPC debunks reports of feud between Petroleum Minister, GMD

ABUJA—The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has said that there was no rift between the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke and its Group Managing Director, GMD, Engr. Andrew Yakubu. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the Group General Manager, GGM, Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said that the two were “in harmonious working relationship.” Mr. Alegbe also said that the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the NNPC, in the last few months, have heeded countless number of summons from the National Assembly, wondering why the media would go to town with the reports that the Petroleum Minister was doing everything to thwart the proposed investigation into the alleged N10 billion purportedly expended on the charter of jets by the corporation. He said: “The Minister and NNPC are putting together all the documents that the House of Representatives Committee on Public Account had requested for. At the end of the probe, the Minister and the Corporation would be vindicated.” Alegbe said that the GMD of the corporation was in London last week for the board meeting of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, and that NNPC would remain focused on its core mandate of guaranteeing energy sufficiency for the country. On measures against fuel scarcity He said that new measures were being adapted to ensure round the clock availability of petrol. Under the arrangement, he said, the Minister had approved the allocation of 1,854,314 metric tonnes of petrol as supplementary volumes for the first and second quarters of the year. He noted that whilst the first quarter supplementary volume was designed to complement the earlier allocation in addition to covering any under-delivery by marketers due to unforeseen financial challenges, the second quarter (June only) quota was in consonance with the national consumption pattern of 40 million litres per day. The NNPC spokesman also noted that the second quarter quota also captured a 23 percent upper tolerance in the event of default or slippage into July. He said: “There are 27 oil marketing companies with proven performance records enlisted in respect of first quarter deliveries. For the second (June only), there are 40 marketers with good performance records and whose facilities are functional. “The idea of June only is to revert back to the normal quarterly sequence. That is July to September and October to December.”

Nyanya bomb blast: Why we’ve not released 12 corpses —Hospital mgt

National Hospital, Abuja, where some victims and corpses of last Monday bomb blast were taken to, said it had only released three of the 15 corpses that were deposited at the hospital’s morgue because of the medical processes involved in case government decides to compensate the relations of the deceased. Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital, Dr. Tony Okam, told Vanguard shortly after the Deputy Senate President visited the hospital to sympathize with the injured, weekend, that the hospital decided to follow all necessary due processes and documentation before releasing the corpses. Okam, who explained that part of the processes included forensic reports by pathologist, noted that the measure would facilitate identification of relations of the dead in an event government decides to compensate them. According to him, “the problem we had was that when government wanted to pay compensation on the immigration saga, there was the issue of relations coming to claim the corpses. “We now said that the forensic pathologists have to come and identify the casualties but you know religion came into play as some Muslims will like to bury their loved ones. “We now asked what we should do under the circumstance, and we agreed that we should prepare a letter of undertaking, which the family (of the deceased) will have to sign as well as the police. “Under that circumstance, we will let go but ideally, we agreed with the forensic pathologists and the police that there must be autopsy report but what do we do in a situation whereby the relations of the deceased want to bury the dead immediately according to their religious belief. “It was not easy trying to achieve what we can do and we made it clear to them that they have to sign it and the police also have to sign. So we have been able to release three corpses. “We had 14 (corpses). Remember if government decides to pay compensation now many people will come and say I am the relation, we had an issue with that just recently.”

Edo 2015: Ihonbvere’s, senator’s supporters clash

SUPPORTERS of the senator representing Edo North in the Senate, Senator Domingo Obende, and those of the Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), Prof.Julius Ihonvbere, are engaged in war of words ahead of the 2015 National Assembly elections in the state. Ihonvbere, from Owan axis, is seeking the senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo North, a move that has pitched him against his bosom friend, Obende, who is the incumbent senator in the area. Trouble started during the ward and local government congresses in the state as supporters of Obande, seeking re-election, accused Ihonvbere of using government machinery to cause crisis in the APC in Edo North. But a statement from the Ihonvbere Foundation countered the allegation, accusing the senator of using his supporters to disrupt the congresses in Owan West and Akoko Edo Local Government Councils of the state. “Prof is a thorough politician and knows when to separate issues of governance from his personal ambition. Government will not approve fraudulent duty tour allowances (DTAs) for anybody. If the senator and his group have evidence of his opportunistic, infantile, mischievous, provocative, distractive and desperate allegation, he should produce it,” the statement said. “These are signs of a confused campaign with little grounding anywhere in Afenmailand resorting to smear campaign. After insulting Etsako people, the next is Ihonvbere. We wonder who the next target for denigration would be. People who do not understand how government works should not depend on rumours or invented politics of bitterness”.

Terrorism: Presidency goes tough; stops N3b payment for Abuja CCTV

…Why FG’s N76 b project can’t capture, transmit images By SONI DANIEL The Presidency is angry with the entities handling the controversial Federal Government’s N76 billion closed circuit television (CCTV) project, otherwise known as Nigerian Public Security Communications System, NPSCS. Sunday Vanguard learnt, last night, that the Presidency, which feels embarrassed by the failure of the project to contribute to the fight against terrorism, has cancelled a request by the Ministry of Police Affairs to pay additional N3 billion to the NigComsat and the Chinese firm handling the scheme. The Presidency, it was learnt, is peeved at the failure of the project to capture the images of terrorists who have been carrying out lethal bombings in the federal capital and environs. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the Presidency turned down the N3 billion request, which Nigcomsat and the contractors dad demanded, as further payment in lieu of ‘contingency and consultancy fees’ for services rendered over five years. A top official, who was recently relieved of his post, reportedly facilitated the processing of the papers for the payment and made spirited effort to get the sum released to the two entities but eagled-eyed officials in the Ministry of Police Affairs immediately reported the deal, which they claimed was illegal, to the Presidency and pleaded that it should be ignored. The Presidency officials were said to have queried why such an amount should be paid as consultancy fees when the project was being financed by the Chinese Exim Bank under an arrangement with the Nigerian government. A top Presidency source, who is familiar with the deal, said that the Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP, found it rather curious that such a huge amount was requested as consultancy fees without documents to justify payment. “In other words, the BPP stopped the payment, which we considered as illegal and not in the interest of this country,” the official, who pleaded anonymity, said. It has also emerged that the multi-million security project has been unable to capture and transmit images because the transmission broadband allocated by the National Communications Commission, NCC, for the project, was sold to a private firm. Although the Chinese firm, which handled the $470 million project, claimed to have completed and handed over the scheme to the Ministry of Police Affairs to manage, the inability of the police establishment to secure a transmission platform has hindered its operations. As at last night, senior government officials were deliberating on how best to resolve the snag over the frequency to be used for the security project, which makes use of radio frequency and CCTV. Two entities- the Nigeria Police and a private telecoms firm, Open Skys- are located on the controversial frequency on 450 Mega Hertz, which the NCC allocated to both.

Comedians earn far more than actors in Nigeria — Okey Bakassi

Okechukwu Mac-Anthony known in the entertainment world as Okey Bakassi has been around in the make-believe world for over two decades. As an accomplished actor and stand-up comedian, Okey’s rich profile earned him appointment as Senior Special Assistant on Entertainment Affairs to the erstwhile Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State. He speaks with Richard Udofia on variety of issues, including his purported letter to God on the problems of Nigeria. Excerpts: As the former Senior Special Assistant to the administration in Imo State on Entertainment Matters, will you love to serve if given an opportunity under the incumbent government? The answer to this is dependent on my predisposition, and I don’t put such response in the public domain. But honestly speaking, I do embrace every opportunity to serve the people, but when the philosophy, ideology and beliefs of any administration are not in consonance with mine, I find it difficult to function. As for this administration in my state, I want to state it categorically that I will not want to serve in any capacity because we do not have the same philosophy and ideology. You were quoted as saying that, being a comedian pays more than an actor in the movie industry in Nigeria. How? An A- list stand-up comedian today in Nigeria earns more than an actor in the movie industry, that’s a fact. Forget about the glamour, the pictures or mansions you see, I speak as an authority. Aside the entertainment industry, that is, comedy and acting, which area would you love to give a try? I would rather love to stay in my area of strength, and maximize it. As a graduate of Agricultural engineering, I can function in sectors like agriculture, engineering, among others. In life, it is needful to always give your best to that which you see as being your area of strength and develop on it. You love being addressed as a comedian rather than an ex-politician. Why? I love being addressed as an entertainer, because as either a comedian or an actor, you entertain people and make them forget their problems. Entertainment industry is where I derive my joy from, and I won’t trade it for anything. Sometime ago, you were alleged to have written a letter to God. What prompted you to do it? Long before our so-called bigwigs began to write open-letters, I had written mine to God. I woke up one day and I started reminiscing on the fate of Nigeria, looking at all the corruption practices, wanton killings, high rate of inflation, political scheaming among others, and I said to myself, if I am given an opportunity to see God face to face, some of the questions I would love him to answers, and for me to get the items right, I needed to put them in black and white; that prompted me to write that letter that went viral. Although if you go through the items I wrote, they were mostly national issues and not personal. We live in a country where nobody is safe, street urchins are there daily, unemployment is having a multiplier effect on the economy, corruption is glorified, insecurity is sky-rocketing, insensitivity of government to the cries of the ordinary man are ignored. There and many more issues prompted me to write that letter. I want to correct the notion that I meant death for myself, rather, it was only logical for me to put down things I would have loved God to correct in our country. Or have you forgotten that comedians are very logical, sensitive and clinical in delivery of content? Recently, Nollywood celebrated her twentieth anniversary. How do you assess the industry? Honestly speaking, we tend not to know the value of what we have until we lose it. Nollywood has done a lot for this country, in terms of branding, packaging and delivery to the outside world. In my candid view, Nollywood is rated second or third in the world in the entertainment industry. I have met a lot of foreigners who were thrilled about our cultures and opportunities. Also, it has created more job opportunities for thousands of Nigerians. Nollywood is striving to overtake Hollywood. Have you asked yourself how Hollywood was when it celebrated its twentieth anniversary? With time and hardwork, Nollywood will grow to be a force to reckon with in the world. What can you say Nigeria needs in order to claim the ‘Giant of Africa’ status? Nigeria is suffering from leadership problem; and until we get it right, we won’t get anywhere. Corruption is the bane of Nigeria; and if we have leaders who are ready to serve, then our fortunes can be turned around. Parting words My wife is the key to my success in this industry, aside God. She is indeed a friend who did give me time to nurture my dream and craft to the best of my ability. Many people don’t know that I am twenty years in this industry. Although I did serve in government in Imo State, and also engage in other chains of businesses, people do think I am a rich man, in this industry, I don’t know of riches but one thing I know is that, I am a happy man.

Police stop pro-Jonathan rally in Bayelsa

The police in Bayelsa State, yesterday, stopped members of a pro-Jonathan group from holding a rally over alleged infiltration of the group by miscreants. Bayelsa is President Goodluck Jonathan’s home state. The group, New Dawn Initiative Development, it was learnt, is made up of members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state loyal to an aide of the President. A source told Sunday Vanguard, “The rally by the New Dawn group was to kick start series of programme and activities targeted at the grassroots so that the message would gain attention ahead of the 2015 election as well as provide a message loud enough to reverberate in Aso Villa to the hearing of our President that his people earnestly yearns for him to continue the good work he has started through the vehicle of this well thought out transformation agenda.” The event, billed for Opolo Secondary School field in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital was put on hold by the police based on alleged intelligence report of the plan by a group to cause mayhem at the venue. But the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, in a statement, said the police decision to stop the rally was based on intelligence report that a group had planned to attack and disrupt the rally. The statement reads, “This is to inform the general public that Bayelsa State Police Command has directed the members of the group known as New Dawn Initiative Development to reschedule their rally billed to take place at Opolo Secondary School, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State today. ”This was premised on the intelligence to the command that a splinter group had perfected plans to attack and disrupt the rally which could lead to breach of peace, coupled with the fact that the police did observe the actual gathering of the mob at the venue.”

Bomb scare in Yenagoa

Residents of PDP Road in the Yenizue-Gene suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, were, yesterday, thrown into panic following a bomb scare. The incident occurred at about 1.30pm, close to an estate housing air force personnel when a man reportedly dropped two bags suspected to be laden with explosives. Though the identity of the suspect could not be ascertained, his movement was said to have arouse the suspicion of some vigilant residents and air force personnel who accosted him. The unidentified man, when questioned, abandoned the two bags and took to his heels. This led to panic along the road as people fled the area while motorists were barred from using the road until men of the police anti-bomb squad were called in to ascertain the content. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, said he dispatched the anti-bomb squad of his command to investigate the bags. He said the operatives opened the bags and discovered they contained electric wire.

Drunk Lagos Mobile Policeman Dips Woman In Mud, Beats Her Blue Black [See Photo]

A drunk police officer with the “Mopol 20” was caught-in-the-act brutalising two women near Union Bank at Lewis Street, Lafiaji, Obalende on the Lagos Island. drunken police officer mud lagos5 Drunk Lagos Mobile Policeman Dips Woman In Mud, Beats Her Blue Black [See Photo + Video]

The officer, identified Tafa Mohammed, got mad after the female food seller was said to have declined to selling fish alone except to those buying food with it. The alcohol reeking mobile policeman, Mr Tafa, wanted this fish to finish up his beer. Mopol Tafa has also assaulted a female customer who was buying food at the time he got there. The woman got dipped in muddy water. Moreover, both of the victims were threatened with a gun. The torture caused internal injury for the victim.

Sight of Sergeant Rogers during Abacha’s regime meant death –General Diya

Retired General Oladipo DiyaRetired General Oladipo Diya Retired General Oladipo Diya was accused of planning a coup by the late head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha. In this interview withADEOLA BALOGUN and TUNDE AJAJA,he talks about how he escaped death and opens up on the arrest of late Chief MKO Abiola, his death and other sundry issues. When you became the de-facto second in command to General Sani Abacha, how did you feel? I felt completely fulfilled and satisfied that I reached the peak of my profession which was when I became the Chief of Defence Staff. That was the highest anybody could reach in the Armed Forces, be it Army, Air force or Navy. The post of the Chief of General Staff was a political office. So naturally, I was happy and suffice to say that it formed part of my achievements in life. So, because of ambition to be number one, you decided to plan a coup? If you say I planned a coup, I will order your arrest. Everybody, including the news media, knew and they all described it as a phantom coup. I don’t want to go into details of all that, but I thank God that even though men had their judgement, that of God was supreme. The Oputa panel looked into every detail of the allegation concerning the alleged coup. I know many people watched the procedure, but there was a report, which I advocated that should be published and implemented. It’s there on the internet for everyone to see. In the video of the Oputa panel proceedings with General Bamaiyi and Major Al Mustapha present, you were insisting that you didn’t plan any coup and anybody could have believed you, but your colleague, General Adisa, insisted that you planned a coup. No. Adisa wouldn’t say that. I think he was slightly misquoted, because he faced trial like me, and he did not say, during the trial, that he planned the coup. Being a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, he had his own view, because the view then was that the military should leave in October, but that did not go down well with some people within the government. So, should we because of that rope some other people in? I wouldn’t like to mention their names. For example, all the soldiers guarding us, including Adisa and Olanrewaju, were from Abacha. So, how do you plan a coup when the soldiers guarding you are from the head of state? It is not done. That was enough to show that it was a phantom coup. And, in any case, which other coup have we seen that people would be recording even before the coup was executed? It was obvious that all those that were planning the coup were there in government, not those that were suspected. What grouse did Bamaiyi have against you to have you implicated? We are all human beings. Everybody has ambition, and anytime you are going up on the ladder, there are people that are envious, very jealous and they are so many, even within your own group. They tend to question why you have what you have and how you became whatever. Those acts were envious, otherwise, I saw someone like Bamaiyi as a good man because I believed he also didn’t want the military to continue. Virtually everybody wore Abacha’s badge then but he didn’t wear it. I also refused to wear it and that was how he deceived me. But I believe that God used him the way he wanted. I choose to leave everybody with their conscience. I thank God for where I am today. You would have been close to General Abacha, being his deputy. At what point did things fall apart between the two of you? I will not open my mouth to condemn Abacha as a human being. I served him as the deputy and I believe that there is still a lot that could be said creditably about him. From the video that went viral then, you were seen pleading with him for fellow generals whom you thought were arrested. If you were that close to him, why did he find it difficult to forgive you? No. When it comes to people’s ambition, you have to be careful. We had to allow General Abacha have his ambition. If he felt there was nobody that he could hand over to in Nigeria and that the only solution to our problem was probably himself, he was entitled to that opinion, but it doesn’t mean that opinion would also be acceptable to me. I believed that was probably the beginning of our conflict. The moment he knew that I was not 100 per cent with him along that line, I mean his ambition, we started having differences which was showing in the open. The first step he took, for example, was about the late Chief MKO Abiola’s arrest. When Abiola was arrested and detained, (and I am still saying that up till today, I didn’t know where he was detained throughout), the law of detention at that time stated that it was only the Chief of General Staff who could arrest, detain, sign and agree on the location where someone should be detained. But that law was changed overnight and the Police IG was given the full powers, so that cut me off completely. Anybody reading between the lines would know that the difference was very clear. Some even said that people like you had to be crawling for Al Mustapha even as a General. Was it true? In my life, I can never crawl before anybody. And nobody can ever make me crawl before him, except God who is my maker. When that video was shown, I was surprised that a lot of people believed it. But I wondered why people were not intelligent enough to query why the video had no sound. Truly, I was pleading with Abacha to release those people that came to him about handing over in October. I was aware of it and I was a party to it. I told him to leave them alone that I was responsible because I thought they were arrested. However, on the day of the trial, they made the mistake of conducting the hearing in the open. They invited the world press to be there. When I went in and moved round, I saw Adisa and Olanrewaju, but I didn’t see Bamaiyi, Magashi and the rest. That was what prompted me and I didn’t care about what would happen anymore. I wondered where Bamaiyi and others were then. It was then that I understood that it was a phantom coup and a real set-up that was organised from the top against me. I was almost killed that night but God saved my life. You said you didn’t support Abacha’s wish to remain there forever like he wanted, was that the only issue that pitched him against you? Well, I wouldn’t know. Someone once asked if I was sure that Abacha wanted to release Abiola. That how was I sure that I was not actually going against his desire, which could have been the beginning of the problem. But I said I didn’t see any sign that he didn’t want to release Abiola. Even though, when Abiola was arrested, I didn’t know, I was in Enugu. When I got to Abuja, I asked Gen. Abacha and he confirmed it, but I was not privy to where Abiola was detained because the order of detention had been changed. So, the person who brought the detention paper to me did so in error. He didn’t know that the order had been changed. What made you go against his wish to remain there? I could not defeat the spirit of my profession. Being in an office that was political was not part of our assignment as soldiers. I didn’t join the army for political reasons and I wouldn’t have supported such idea. Look at what is happening in Egypt now where the Army Chief resigned to contest an election. That was a gentleman’s decision. So, if the election is free, fair and credible and he is elected, the Western world will accept him. In the midst of those troubles, why didn’t you resign and go? Haah…. That would have been worse. They would kill me somewhere and just find something to cover it up. You were still there and they did all that they did. The only thing is that they would just support it with law. It was just an unfortunate moment. But, like I said, let’s leave everything to God, but in my heart, I thank God and I still have a space to thank General Abacha, at least for the opportunity he gave me to serve. You had a close shave with death about three times. Some people would have thought that you probably had juju being an Ijebu man. Was there anything like that? Not at all. My parents were very good Christians. In fact, the church that I attend now in Abule Ijesha was founded by my father. So, when one goes through all these, you become more confident that nothing can happen to you. Otherwise, my saving grace was the 10 minutes lateness to the plane in which I would have been blown up together with those on my entourage. The plane would have been blown up and those people wouldn’t care. About 16 people were to travel with me and everybody would have been killed. The opposition claimed that the government which you were a part of promised that Abiola would be given justice. What was the commitment? There were divided opinions then. Some felt that Abiola should be given justice; some even said that he should be installed as the president. In fact, that view cut across the military and that was why the military came in to pacify things and to correct all the mistakes and that was the intention of the national conference then. Even the Yoruba wanted to boycott it but for the efforts of the Ooni of Ife who encouraged people to go for the conference because some had come out to say that the conference should be boycotted. Eventually, the findings and the recommendations of the conference became the nucleus of the 1999 constitution which we are still using up till now. Was it true that Abiola was granted bail? These are questions that you should be asking the right people. Because up till now, there are two questions that I have also been asking. People have condemned me but I still thank God. The first question is, why did Abiola refuse bail, and he did that in writing and he gave the reasons for his refusal. I don’t want to mention names, but somebody was there. These were the things that almost killed Dr. Onagoruwa because even as an insider, he fought for Abiola to accept bail. Also, Alex Ibru was on the phone for about two hours begging Abiola to accept bail but he didn’t. The Minister of Transport then, Ebenezer Babatope, arranged a plane with a pilot to take Abiola to anywhere he wanted, but he didn’t take the offer. An English adage says, he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. Look at Abiola’s estate today, all the people who said he should not take bail, what was their intention? Also, when General Abacha died, why didn’t these same people, who told Abiola to refuse bail, demand that until Abiola was released, they would not take part in any discussion on the transition programme with the government? These two questions have not yet been answered and I will continue to ask. The people who did their best suffered more; they were attacked and their children were killed. I still believe that Alex Ibru died as a result of that attack. It was suspected that you had sympathy for NADECO at that time. Is it true? There were so many allegations. Those of us who were in government were even called more NADECO than those outside, and you can see that even from the degree of hostility that we eventually went through. You would even pity those of us in government more than those who were outside, enjoying their freedom. We had it very tough in the government because the suspicion was that we were all NADECO people. From the experiences of people like Dr. Olu Onagoruwa whose son was even attacked and killed, Alex Ibru’s newspaper was shut for many months, all because of suspicion, but it’s okay. There are so many people also that I wouldn’t want to mention their names, they are too many. Senator Adefuye was accused of being a spy for NADECO but these are all part of history now. Apart from the bomb blast escape, how exactly did you escape after the death warrant that was signed against you? Well, if any death warrant was signed, I didn’t see it. If you were in an enclosure with people like Sergeant Rogers who were very hostile, you would naturally have thoughts because when you see Rogers, you have indirectly seen death. You don’t see Rogers and smile the following day. Colonel Omenka was not as terrible. We were brought to Kano from Jos for execution. At the end of the day, Abubakar came and there was no execution anymore. So, that was a narrow escape but we give that credit to one Sgt. Bush who became friendly out of the eight soldiers that came with Rogers for the alleged execution. What was the role of Sgt. Bush? He was one of Rogers’ men who took us, including Olanrewaju and Adisa from Jos to Kano. When we got to Kano, they hid us inside a jeep, took us to a bungalow and as usual, the rumour started that we were to be executed the following day in Kano. That night, Sgt. Bush went to buy battery for his radio. So, while he was out, he heard on BBC that Abacha had died, so that was when he made up his mind that he was not going to be party to the execution since Abacha had died. When he told Rogers that he was not going to be a part of the execution, he insisted we should be killed. Rogers said they had already been given an instruction which they had to follow. So, the camp was divided into two. Bush and three other men supported him and Rogers and the other men were on the other side too. That was how the camp split into two and nothing happened the following day. By the following morning, Abdulsalam Abubakar had resumed duty as the head of state. How did you feel when you heard that Abacha died? We didn’t know on time. We got to know through Sgt. Bush when newspapers came out in the afternoon, he got a copy of the newspaper and slid it to us through the door, so we read it in the paper that Abacha was dead. What was your reaction at that moment? Well, at that point, we were confused because we didn’t know who would take over. We didn’t know if the person who would take over would be nice or otherwise, or may even be worse than Abacha. So, there was no jubilation. It was a mixed feeling and we all kept quiet. We once had a positive expectation that didn’t work for us. When the judge of our court, Victor Malu, was appointed, we were jubilating because the judge was a principled man whom we believed would be fair to us, but when we got to court and saw him with Abacha’s badge, then, all the jubilation stopped. We couldn’t sleep in the cell that day because we knew things had changed. For Victor Malu to wear Abacha’s badge, it meant something to us. But like I said, we have to give God the glory. Someone even asked me if I had forgiven them, I said why wouldn’t I, I believe God will forgive them. You once said that you didn’t regret serving Abacha’s government, but with the kind of looting being reported, how do you feel, or were you hand-in-glove with him in looting? Let us be frank here. I read in the papers that Abacha looted $458m. One should wonder what a man would want to do with that kind of money. When I was Chief of Defence Staff, I worked with him for about three to four years before I became the Chief of General Staff. When I was the deputy, any memo, especially when it had to do with money, would pass through me, and when you write your memo and you talk of thousands, it would be very easy for Abacha to approve. The moment you start talking of millions, the answer would be no. So, when you hear that the man that was so strict, very careful in spending, stole millions in dollars, not even naira, after he died, it’s unbelievable. I mean, how do you spend that kind of money? Is it that you don’t believe that he stole as much or that he didn’t steal at all? How could a head of state have that kind of money? Was it through the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant General or the Central Bank? You see, we should talk with evidence and authority. We should be able to substantiate whatever we say with facts, so that it can serve as legacy for generations coming behind to know that these stories are real facts, not imagination. But, why didn’t Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar grant you pardon before he left? Don’t let us go into all these details, because if you do, you would mention names and when you mention names, (hmm…) I know that somebody told Abubakar not to pardon me, promising that he would pardon me when he took over as president, because he too had been pardoned after he had been rusticated to prison. Abubakar nearly believed him but I had to send another message to Abubakar that he shouldn’t believe the man, that if he believed him, we would all be in the prison till eternity. I requested that he should grant us release and that if the man chose to grant us pardon, that would be fine. The most important thing was for us to be out and that was what he did. I thank him for it and I remain grateful for that because if he didn’t grant that release, maybe we would still be in Potiskum prison. Human beings are different. You have some human beings that are just naturally wicked. It may not be their making, may be that was the way God made them. So, I don’t even hold any grudge against anybody. Even against Obasanjo? You are the one mentioning Obasanjo (Laughs…) Leave people to their own conscience and live your life. With all that happened, do you regret joining the military? Never. Nothing can make me regret joining a profession that has always been very dear to my heart. There is no profession, no matter how simple, that does not have some elements of risk. Anything can happen in any profession but I thank God everything worked out fine. As human beings, we all have our moments of trouble. So, I thank God I am alive to clock 70. Everytime I sleep and wake up, as a good Christian, the first thing to do is to thank God. You later studied law, was it an ambition that you hid under the military to accomplish? Yes. Also because I had the opportunity and I had the entry requirements. I had already graduated from the NDA. I was qualified to read law, so I applied to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, but I later transferred to Ahmadu Bello University. I applied to the Nigerian Law School and I was called to the bar in 1992 as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. You must have had godfathers to rise so fast in the Army? You are using the wrong words. You cannot have godfathers in the army. In the military, there is nothing you can get without struggling and working hard for it. Sixty of us entered the Nigeria Defence Academy, and when I was promoted to be a lieutenant general, we were only five. So you see, there is nothing like godfather and nothing is hidden.We all knew that military regime was not a permanent institution. It was just to correct one or two things and leave. No other form of government can compare with civilian administration. How are you enjoying your retirement? I’m enjoying it because I don’t allow anything to bother me. I always thank God because I went through all the trials, travails and God saved me, but the real one that encouraged me was the day they were unable to bomb my plane. I was to go to Makurdi and I was 10 minutes late and, they were trying to re-prime the bomb when it exploded and killed the two men who were to carry out the assignment. They had the same surname: Ishmaila. From that point, I believed that, I am, by the Grace of God, beyond human destruction. You can imagine how 10 minutes saved my life. As a Christian and church leader, why did you marry two wives? The issue of wives differs from one denomination to another. You have a denomination where you will not even marry at all, so, if anybody talks about two wives and you have a wife, why don’t you even take an example from the Catholic and don’t marry at all? The Bible says that those of you who want to be Canons, take unto yourselves a wife. In other words, those who want to be Canons and Bishops should take one wife. When Jesus was asked about a woman who married seven brothers from the same family, he said there is nothing like marriage when we get to heaven. This issue of marriage ends here, so the question about wives is the decision of individuals as long as one’s heart is pure and Jesus said it too, that Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Timaya Acquires Brand New Bentley And G-Wagon [See Photos]

Money indeed is the only way to humiliate poverty. Alfred Enetimi Odom, popularly known as Timaya aka Dem Mama Soldier, has taken delivery of a brand new Bentley car that would send tongues waging.

The south based musician, who is currently in America to perform at various shows was said to have paid millions of Naira for the car. It is, however, speculated that Timaya bought the Bentley to show off to Duncan Mighty his main competitor in the South South that he is far ahead in luxury. It would be recalled that Duncan Mighty was said to have sponsored a fake report that he bought a Bentley but later denied it, but Timaya’s one is for real.

Boko Haram: Women in clergy vow to strip, point breasts to God

Nigerian women in clergy yesterday trooped out in number in protest of the recent happenings in the country. The group which comprises female Pastors, Prophetesses, Rev. Sisters, Pastor’s wives and evangelists say they were ready to use every means, including their ‘breast’ to pray to God for intervention. The women of God said they were ready to use the power of women as manifested in the bible to rise against all kinds of violence in the country. The group who were all clad in black attires said they were ready to strip naked before God and pray to God, using the very ‘breast’ the Boko Haram insurgents sucked at some point to reach out to God in Protest. Speaking during the protest march that metamorphosed into a courtesy call at the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission in Abuja, where the Association took their protest to the Executive Director, one of the women of God, Pastor Mama Praise said, ‘’ we stand with the authority of the most high and declare today that all forms of violence in our land be put to an abrupt end. These Boko Haram members were all born by women, and at some point, we fed them with our breast, the same breast will be a curse unto them if we expose it while crying to God and pointing it to the high heavens.’’ Also speaking , the President, Nigerian women in clergy, Prophetess Nonnie Roberson said Nigerian women were angry over the ongoing event in the country, particularly the invasion of the country by Boko Haram terrorists. While introducing the group to the Director, she said ‘’we are ordained women ministers of God who have taken up our responsibilities as wailing women as posited in Jeremiah chapter 9. Our mission is taking a spiritual stand against injustice in the Land. We engage and operate in spiritual warfare and advocacy having been mandated to raise our voices for the voiceless woman; we are advancing against the wickedness in the land like Deborah, rebuilding the walls like Nehemiah and displacing the ungodly like Esther. We are also committed to intercession, projecting peace, supporting good governance and promoting righteousness in the leadership of our dear Nation.‘’ Speaking further on the current situation in the currently, especially with regard to incessant violence, she said, “we have observed with dismay, the deterioration which has characterized our beloved country in almost every facet of our polity. Indeed, death is no longer entering through the normal cause but has entered even palaces through windows and cut off the young men and children on the streets. The spade of wanton shedding of innocent blood is unprecedented, our women and girl children are raped indiscriminately. Kidnapping and child trafficking has taken notorious international dimension. There is absolute moral decadence among our youths who have been brainwashed into depraved pawns for use by self-seeking politicians, ritual wealth seekers, baby factory operators and so on. These and the satanic insurgency in the land are products of evil wind that cannot be stopped solely by conventional interventions. Winds are commanded to be still by divine mandate. Our voice is our weapon against all the ills that threaten the socio-economic development of Nigeria as a whole.’’ Responding, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Mr. John Kennedy, thanked the women for their patriotism. John Kennedy who had earlier been asked by the women to become their patron said being his mother; he had no choice but to accept the offer. While emphasising on the importance of women in nation building, Kennedy said whenever women cry to God, He listens, affirming that it was time they ask God to intervene on the ongoing violence unleashed on Nigerians. He said ‘’ I urge all of you to intercede for the nation. Pray for Mr. President. The trial is too much. Ordinarily, he would have given up, but many of us look up to him, and he can’t abandon us just yet. In this situation, if you do not have the heart of a Lion, you will give up. With prayer and your intervention as women, God will help us to overcome.’’ Kennedy who admitted that the women had over time been marginalized, especially with regard to activities of Christianity in the nation said that he would begin to involve the women in the activities of the Commission. He outlined the few activities of the Commission and asked the women to participate actively.(Daily Post)

Police detain Lagos DPO for rape

| credits: Goke Famadewa and Eniola Akinkuotu The Lagos State Police Command has arrested the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Onikan Station, Mr. Adekunle Awe for alleged rape and threat to life. Our correspondent learnt that two other policemen of the rank of inspector were also arrested as part of ongoing investigations. A 31-year-old cook, Idowu Akinwunmi, had accused Awe of raping her in his office on April 15, 2014. A reliable source told our correspondent on Friday that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, the Lagos State Government and other human rights groups were interested in the matter. The source said, “The DPO has been detained at the Special Investigation Bureau at the command headquarters. Two other inspectors, who were on duty when the alleged offence took place have also been arrested. “The state government frowns at rape and if you recall, a new law on rape was passed not too long ago so we shall be leaving no stone unturned. “The complainant and the accused persons as well as very senior officers of the command all had a meeting in the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration and I can tell you authoritatively that no stone will be left unturned.” Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, also confirmed the development to our correspondent on the telephone. She said, “As you know, allegation of rape is a very grievous one and we have commenced investigation into the matter. The DPO has been relieved of his post and is in custody so as not to interfere with investigations. “I want to assure the public that the command is not taking it lightly and will make sure that we get to the root of the matter.” It had been reported that the victim, who worked at an eatery on Keffi Street, Ikoyi, had been arrested by the police at the behest of her boss who accused her of allowing a stranger to sleep over at the restaurant. The police were said to have arrested five others including one Friday for disobeying the rules of the restaurant. The victim had said she was forced into having sex with the DPO after he had threatened to kill her and throw her and the other suspects in prison. -punchng.com

Did Christians really 'steal' Easter?

(CNN) - It’s that time of year again: the time when chocolate comes in pastels, cherry blossoms start to bloom and well-marketed religion exposés are released to the world. In other words, it’s Easter. Among the rash of sensationalist stories we can expect through the season, the annual “Easter was stolen from the pagans” refrain has sprouted again just in time for Holy Week. Don’t believe the hype. Perhaps most misinformed theory that rolls around the Internet this time of year is that Easter was originally a celebration of the ancient Near Eastern fertility goddess Ishtar. This idea is grounded in the shared concept of new life and similar-sounding words Easter/Ishtar. There’s no linguistic connection, however. Ishtar is Akkadian and Easter is likely to be Anglo-Saxon. Just because words in different languages sound the same doesn’t mean they are related. In Swedish, the word “kiss” means urine. But the biggest issue for Christians is the claim that Jesus’ resurrection - the faith’s central tenet - might have pagan roots. Even apart from whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead, many Christians claim that the very idea is unique. There are other biblical examples of people being raised from the dead – think of Jesus raising Lazarus. But those people went on to die again. Only Jesus was raised from the dead to live forever. But there’s a problem: Pre-Christian religions are replete with dying and rising gods. Dionysius, most commonly thought of as the Greek god of wine, is one such example. He was lured to his death by the Titans, who then boiled and ate him. He was revived by his grandmother, and from his ashes humanity was formed, the Greeks believed. Farther afield, Osiris – an Egyptian god-king who became ruler of the realm of the dead – was slaughtered before being brought back to life by Isis. A similar story is found in the case of the Greek goddess Persephone, the daughter of the harvest goddess Demeter. Persephone was carried off to the underworld by the love-struck Hades. Because she ate pomegranate seeds in the underworld, she was permitted to leave only for six months a year. Her annual resurrection is a metaphor for the changing of the seasons, and many scholars think that stories about dying and rising deities are essentially explanations for the coming of winter. Then there’s Mithras, an ancient Iranian deity popular among Roman soldiers. Among the many claims made about Mithras are that he was born on December 25, that adherents to his cult practiced baptism, and that he died and was resurrected. The connections between Christ and Mithras are further amplified by the fact that the church of St. Clement, near the Colosseum in Rome, is built on top of an ancient Mithraeum. The list goes on, and I’ll admit it’s a bit unsettling. That's why the accusations that Christians “stole” the Resurrection from the Pagans is so popular and rhetorically powerful. If, as many Christians claim, Christianity’s against-the-odds success is in some way proof of its authenticity and truth, then what does it say that parts of its truth were stolen from religious movements that no longer exist? Spiritual “Manifest Destiny” looks less persuasive when extinct religious traditions supplied the backbone for the modern-day Church. But there are ways around some of these problems. Lumping all of these stories of dying and rising gods into a single category obscures important differences between them. Some of those who rose as gods, for example, were mere human beings prior to their return. Jesus, in contrast, was divine before his death, according to Christian theology. Also, some of the parallels between the traditions come from a later period (post-Christianity) or are completely unsubstantiated. The arguments about Mithras and Jesus, for example, have completely fallen apart in the past 50 years because there simply isn’t enough ancient evidence to support them. We should also ask whether the fishermen who followed Jesus around Palestine would have known about (much less adopted) stories from ancient Egyptians and Babylonians. Greek and Roman mythology circulated widely on coins, but would the followers of Jesus who first claimed that Jesus was resurrected have known these stories in great detail? Perhaps, perhaps not. On the other hand, many Christians claim that Jesus’ death and resurrection is subtly different from that of other ancient deities and, thus, that the resurrection of Jesus was a wholly new idea. The problem is, these apologists are one archeological discovery away from disaster. In the meantime, they are trying to pry Christianity apart from other late antique religions in order to protect it. Perhaps the real problem here is with the idea of uniqueness. As the University of Chicago scholar Jonathan Z. Smith showed, there’s a huge ideological and religious investment in the idea that Jesus was unique. But there doesn’t have to be. Just because one idea is influenced by another idea doesn’t mean that its meaning is determined by the chronologically prior idea. The Founding Fathers may have been influenced by Greek classical tradition, but this doesn’t mean that we should interpret the Constitution in light of Aristotle. You can recognize both the importance and innovation of the Constitution and its roots in ancient European civics. Rather than battening down the hatches and looking for other signs of uniqueness, Christians need to think about how meaning relates to tradition. Christians didn’t steal Easter, but it probably wasn’t a wholly new idea, either. Candida Moss is the author of the “Myth of Persecution” and “Ancient Christian Martyrdom” and professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame. The views expressed in this column belong to Moss.

2015 Elections: “Nobody Can Stop My Presidential Ambition” – Tinubu

Former Governor of Lagos State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has declared that nobody can stop his ambition in 2015 if he declares for the presidency or any public office. Tinubu said he has the right to be the President of Nigeria regardless of his religion and state of origin, urging those mounting opposition against his political aspiration to find something else to do.

“We must choose the right person to lead the battle. And nobody, no one under the sun, under the United Nations Human Rights Charter can stop a Bola Tinubu’s ambition. “If I want to be the President, I have that right, regardless of which zone, religion and which state,” said the APC leader who spoke amidst heightened rumour that the opposition party was planning a Muslim-Muslim ticket, which will feature Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu in the 2015 presidential election. Speaking on Wednesday at the APC secretariat in Lagos, the former governor said APC will feature the best candidate in 2015 election, whether the person is a Christian or Muslim. Tinubu later told the party members, who asked him about his decision on the 2015 presidency, “I will let you know my decision.” Tinubu also took a swipe at the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the state of the nation, saying that President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP government has failed Nigerians in terms of security of lives and properties, youth employment and delivering dividends of democracy to Nigerians. “The solution to the suffering of the masses is not about the prayer of a pastor or about the Islamic cleric. What we are talking about is not an election of a vicar or bishop not of a Muslim Imam or cleric; it is about individual with the character and the brain and the capacity to govern. “If you are a Christian and you are good, you will win our support. “If you are a Muslim and you are good, you will win our support. At the time of need, we must choose right leaders to face the battle and confront the challenge facing the country,” Tinubu said.

Robbers Invade Uniosun Hostels, Church, Rap’e Students

SUSPECTED armed robbers invaded private hostels of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Osogbo, in the early hours of Friday, beating the occupants and making away with their possessions like cash, laptops and mobile phones. Saturday Tribune learnt that some female occupants of the hostels, located outside the campus, were r***d during the attack. ADVERTISEMENT A source said efforts by some male students to resist the attack were futile, given the sophisticated arms carried by the bandits. The bandits also visited a church in the area during a vigil and ransacked the place. The head of the church, Reverend John Ojo, told Saturday Tribune that the robbers chased out the worshippers, who included students of the university, during the vigil. He said many of the students sustained injuries while running away from the scene. According to Reverend Ojo, the robbers stormed the area around 1.30 a.m. and operated for nearly two hours. He lamented that the management of the university could not do anything to help the students. “The students have been experiencing incessant robbery attacks since January and the management has ignored them under the excuse that they are off campus,” he said. Two of the victims of the attack, Toyin Banjo (200 Biochemistry) and Ayeni Tosin (200 Electrical Engineering), said they were in the church when the robbers arrived. “They forced the windows of the church open after they had dealt with others in the hostels. Many of us sustained injuries while running in the night for safety,” one of them said. They added that the police arrived after the robbers had left the area. The state state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Folasade Odoro, confirmed the incident, saying investigation into it had begun.