Kris Jenner's new BF dates rich celeb women& takes their money?

This is according to a report by
MediaTakeOut. MTO has no chill at all..lol.
According to their report, Kris Jenner's 33
year old new man, Corey Gamble used to date
Sheree Buchanon from R&B exes.
Below is a report they claim they got from one
of Sheree's friends:
Corey Gamble used to date Atlanta exes star
Sheree Buchanan for 3 yrs and according to
her he was an opportunist who preyed on
divorce women with money. He was extremely
possessive and would follow her when she
was out with her girlfriends.
He used his connections with celebrities such
as P. Diddy to move up into the inner circles
to get close to certain women. And according
to Sheree when she ended things with him he
informed her that his next girl would be a
rich older white woman.

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Graphic pics from scene of the blast atYobe secondary school

AP has obtained some photos from the scene
of today's blast at the Government Science
Secondary School Potiskum in Yobe state.
Above are some injured students being
attended to by doctors at the Potiskum
General Hospital. 47 students have been
confirmed dead, while 79 were injured. See
more pics from the scene after the
cut...*graphic content when you continue*...

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25 people buried en-masse after herdsmenattack in Nasarawa

25 people, including women and children, were
killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen at
Arikya-Soni, a boundary area between
Nasarawa-Eggon and Lafia LGAs of Nasarawa
State yesterday Sunday November 9 in the
morning.
A mass burial was conducted for the victims
after their remains were recovered at Umme, at
about 1 pm, same day.
The victims, who are all from Eggon ethnic
community, were from Umme, Arugbadu and
Bakyano villages of Nasarawa Eggon local
government areas.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations
Officer, PPRO, of Nasarawa State command,
confirmed the incident and said investigation
had commenced to unravel the perpetrators of
the criminal act.
A survivor, Mrs. Saratu Mustapha, told
newsmen at Ashangbo clinic in the locality
where she is receiving treatment for gun shot
wounds, that she was returning from the farm
in company of her husband and sister on a
motorcycle when the gunmen attacked them.
She managed to escape into the bush but her
husband and her sister were among those
killed during the attack.
Photo credit: Vanguard

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Military helicopter on surveillance crashes in Adamawa state

A Nigerian military helicopter on surveillance
mission has crashed in Damariea in Girei
Local Government Area of the state. Residents
of the area said the helicopter crashed close
to the temporary camp of the National Youth
Service Corps, NYSC, which is now being used
as a camp for Internally Displaced people in
the state. Details later.

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Chris Okotie asks GEJ to focus on tacklingBoko Haram more than his re-election

Rev Chris Okotie took to his Facebook page to
address the Boko Haram horrific advance in
some parts of Northern Nigeria, asking
President Jonathan to pay more attention to
the menace and advised him to sack all his
generals and advisers. Find his incisive piece
below...
"No God condones this terror. No grievance
justifies these actions. There can be no
reasoning – no negotiation – with this brand
of evil. The only language understood by
killers like this is the language of force” –
President Obama on ISIS terrorist group.
The FG’s widely publicized ceasefire
agreement with the Boko Haram insurgents
was met with more violent attacks, and the
capture of more territories by the Islamists.
Their leaders even went ahead to disavow any
negotiations with our government, with a firm
promise never to make peace.
Of course, Boko Haram has made good its
threat. The bombings have continued
unabated; and as you read this, the North
Eastern towns of Gwoza, Mubi, Michika, Gulak,
Madagali, and several obscure villages are
still occupied by the insurgents. During the
week, Gombe and Potiskum were attacked,
with a lot of casualties. Same familiar story!
Atrocities being committed by Boko Haram in
these captured territories include rape, forced
marriages and conversions to their bizarre
brand of Islam; beheadings, random
executions and looting. As far the insurgents
are concerned, we are all infidels.
The Chibok Girls remain in captivity, with no
hope they’d be freed soon; we have reportedly
lost some of these hapless girls to snake bites
and sickness. This current level of pessimism
is informed by the hopelessness of the war
effort and the government’s apparent lack of
an effective strategy to defeat the insurgents.
Clearly, our military is now in disarray, with
soldiers fleeing the front as the insurgents
advance, almost unchallenged.
So sad, the Cameroonians, supposedly our
partners in this terror war, gleefully advertise
stories of deserting Nigerian troops who seek
refuge from advancing Boko Haram fighters in
their territory. Obviously, for a country like
Nigeria which prides itself as the largest, most
powerful black nation in the world, with the
biggest economy in Africa to boot, our
management of this war does no justice to our
image.
Indeed, it merely exposes the false optimism
which our outlandishly great power image
confers. How is it possible for a middle –
sized regional power, which defected Ebola
with adroit, efficient execution, that even the
world powers envy, seem powerless against
about 10,000 bandits and terrorist?
Defeated Ebola and a successful war on terror
are all about logistics, efficient management
of crisis and coordination. Why we can’t
replicate the Ebola winning strategy in this
terror war is confounding. Ebola is as lethal as
Boko Haram, with potential to decimate
populations much faster than terrorists. Yet,
we acted swiftly and contained it, to the
admiration of the world.
In Ebola’s case, we adopted an effective bi-
partisan approach, not often seen in our
strife-ridden polity. What has aggravated this
terror war and made it so difficult to manage
is, chiefly the failure of a divided, acrimonious
and antagonistic political class, to unite
against the common enemy of the nation.
There are Boko Haram sympathizers in the
political parties, in the military, Intelligence
Services and the Jonathan Administration.
Therein lays our failure to win this war.
It was easy for Gen. Yakubu Gowon to lead
federal forces to overcome Biafra in just 30
months, because he had behind him a
cohesive administration and competent,
efficient war machine. And he acted swiftly to
replace even his most popular commanders
when they performed below expectations.
President Jonathan, who has neither a strong
war machine, nor a loyal, cohesive
administration behind him, may need to look
at Gowon’s template in his execution of this
terror war.
You don’t keep a failed group of war
commanders when your troops are being
routed on every front, and territories lost
randomly, almost on a daily basis. I made this
point in my latest syndicated article coming
out shortly. Even, football coaches replace
under-performing star players when the team
seems to be headed for defeat. President
Jonathan should have wasted no time in
sacking his entire war team and replace them
with more proactive generals and advisers, in
view of the vanquishing of our forces by a
rag-tag, but well armed Boko Haram fighters.
He should not wait until the insurgents march
towards Abuja before he does something
drastic to save the situation, which is
becoming fiercely urgent. More urgent, in fact,
than his re-election bid, which obviously
dominates his agenda at the moment.
Nigeria’s survival comes first before anything
else, including a Presidential election.
The ruling PDP tends to give greater priority to
perpetuating itself in power than destroying
the insurgents who pose such a potent threat
to our sovereignty. That’s not realpolitik, its
bad logic. Like I wrote elsewhere, this war
should be at heart of the President’s agenda;
without it, he cannot transform Nigeria, no
matter how effective his Transformational
programme is.
Boko Haram, like all Islamists everywhere,
espouse a virulent brand of austere, absolutist
Islam, driven by atavistic impulses. It takes
more than mere grandstanding to destroy this
barbaric group of deranged individuals

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Photos: 3 die in police/kidnappers shoot outin Anambra state

Six suspected kidnappers engaged Anambra
State Police Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in a
gun battle at Okpoko in Ogbaru local
government area yesterday November 9th, and
three members of the gang were killed, while
Mrs. Edith Maduekwe, who had been
kidnapped by the gang was rescued.
Mrs. Maduekwe, who was kidnapped by the
suspects on October 4th, at Oba in Idemili
South LGA, was rescued at an erosion site in
Oraukwu in Idemili North local government
area of the state.
After the shoot out, N776, 000, one AK-47 rifle
with 90 rounds of ammunition one pump
action gun and 10 live cartridges, assorted
charms and other weapons.
N1.4 million ransom had already been paid by
the family of the victim.
Parading the suspects yesterday, Anambra
State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Uche
Ezeh said the leader of the gang, Charlie
Parker has been on the wanted list of the
Police for 4 years. He said following a tip-off,
the state SARS commander, Mr. James
Nwafor, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP,
led his men to the place at Okpoko, where the
suspects were sharing the loot.
The suspects opened fire when they saw the
police and the police returned fire, killing three
suspects in the process.

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Update: 47 students confirmed deadfrom today's blast @Yobe Sec. school

Update from Nigerian police. Young children
just blown to pieces. Too sad!

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Explosion in Senior Sec. School in Yobe, atleast 20 students killed

A bomb went off this morning November 10th
during Assembly at the Senior Science
Secondary School Potiskum, Yobe state, an all
boys school. The bomber is believed to be a
student who was on the assembly ground with
other students. At least 20 students were
killed while several others were injured. Details
later...

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I have no enemies –Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has said he has no en­emies but critics who inspired him to fulfil his challenges in governance by meeting the expectations of 21 million Lagosians who gave him their mandates.

The governor, who was re­sponding to a question from one of the students, who took part in the Lagos State Science and Technology (LASSTECH) week , last Thursday, said his belief in the promise of a great­er nation inspired him to always give his best.
He urged the over 750 stu­dents at the event to ‘’work hard and hold on to your dreams, since all that had been thought impossible globally in the recent past have come to pass.’’
Meanwhile, state’s Com­missioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, said it was only the deployment of science and technology solutions that could confront the huge challenges presented by the rapid rural-urban migration into Lagos in order not to compromise the quality of life of the inhabit­ants.
He said these challenges in­formed the yearly LASSTECH week aimed at creating aware­ness and early promotion of practical skills, entrepreneurial education, as well as the study of science and technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), in the state’s educa­tional institutions.
Earlier, Permanent Secrtary in the ministry, Mrs Nike Animashaun, said science and technology provided the best options for development in all facets of human endeavour, while also serving as the yard­stick for measuring the rate of economic development in any state or nation.
She commended the pupils and students drawn from all over the state for taking advan­tage of the week’s activities to justify the huge investment on science and technology by the Fashola administration in fast-tracking economic develop­ment in the state.

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Oshiomhole to recall sacked Perm-Sec, CMD as Speaker pleads

Reprieve may have come the way of the sacked Permanent Secretary in the Edo State Hospitals Man­agement Board, Dr Ofure Eboreime and the Chief Medical Director (CMD)of the Central Hospital, Benin City, Dr Edith Kayode-Iy­asere, as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Uyi Igbe has pleaded for their reinstatement.

The duo were relieved of their appointment, last week, by Governor Adams Osh­iomhole for their roles in en­gaging casual workers in the Central Hospital.
Igbe who led the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Hon Philip Shaibu, Hon Eliza­beth Ativie and Hon Folly Ogedengbe to the Governor’s office to plead for the sacked doctors begged the Governor to temper justice with mercy.
He said: “We are here, the leadership of EDHA, to see you concerning Dr. Ofure Eb­oreime, the Permanent Sec­retary, Hospital Management Board and Dr. Mrs. Edith Iyasere, Chief Medical Direc­tor, HMB. The House Stand­ing Committee on Health one time went to the Hospital and did oversight functions there and we found that Dr Ebore­ime is somebody who is very competent and capable.
“We are here to appeal to you sir, to on compassionate grounds temper justice with mercy and recall these two persons, Dr. O. Eboreime and Dr. Mrs. Edith Iyasere”.
He added: “We know that normally, you will not com­promise on standards. We appreciate that, because that is the reason Edo State has moved to the position it is to­day. Sir, I am sure, every now and then, people make mis­takes and I am sure this is one of the mistakes that people make and I ask on their behalf that you please forgive them”.
Ogedegbe, who represents Owan East constituency, also joined his voice in appealing to the Governor to temper justice with mercy and rein­state the duo.
According to him, “Even then as NLC President, we know your stand on casu­alisation, you fought against casualisation of workers and I can imagine how embar­rassed you were when you got to know that there were casual workers in the state service, where you have long given di­rectives that it should not be.
“So on behalf of my own constituency, Owan East and the good people there, I want to appeal to you to please temper justice with mercy and forgive Dr. Ofure Ebeo­reime and his colleague, Dr. Mrs. Edith Iyasere, the Chief Medical Director and rein­state them .  Responding, Governor Os­hiomhole said, “As a parlia­ment that is representative of the people, one that has its ears to the ground and one that is committed to the elec­torate, I know that when we take decisions, we do receive pressure, but let me explain the reason why I took the de­cision.
“I am very privileged to be here and I myself I am an em­ployee and all my life, what I have done for a living is to defend workers”.
He however assured the leadership of Edo State House of Assembly that as a respon­sible parliament, he will not fail to heed to their plea and urged them to bring the af­fected persons to his office on Monday, the 10th of No­vember, 2014 to explain the rationale behind their actions and properly apologize to the people of Edo State after which they may be reinstated.

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Enugu guber: Calm in Enugu as Chime, Ekweremmadu settle differences

Peace is gradually returning to the Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the two major contenders in the power struggle for the party structure, Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, may have finally resolved their differences.

Daily Sun gathered at the weekend that Governor Chime and Senator Ekweremmadu resolved the deadlock, which almost tore the Enugu PDP apart in a highbrow meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
A top member of the PDP in the state told Daily Sun that in the meeting, which was held at Abuja, the president told Governor Chime to allow Ekweremmadu to go back to the Senate while he controls the remaining party structure in the state.
Our source informed that with the trade off, Chime, who initially wanted to replace Ekweremmadu at the Senate, sacrificed his ambition but would now control the structure that would produce his successor, Senators of Enugu North and East and other elective officers of the state.
It was gathered that with the development, the coast is now clear for Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who has been adopted as the popular governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.
Yesterday, it was gathered that in spite of news reports, suggesting that a faction of the party appeared to have had a better part of the fight, feelers on the outcome of the Abuja meeting doused the tension, as it was learnt that Chime and Ekweremadu have made up their differences.
Our source said: We gathered that whereas the close supporters of the two gladiators, who have been at daggers drawn over the Enugu West senatorial ticket of the party seemed to have carried on as if war was imminent, even at the weekend, the truth is that the two alongside some top leaders of the party in the state have reached a truce in Abuja and that they did that in liaison with Mr. President.
He said that perhaps, the agreement to work in harmony once again, was the reason the deputy chairman of the party, Elder David Aja, who has been claiming to be the acting chairman since the resignation of Chief Vita Abba, was reported to have signed the statement releasing the result of the special local government delegates billed to hold last Saturday.
Many of those who made the list in the Enugu North zone, it was gathered are said to be allies of Chime.
Aja has been fighting the factional war on the side of Ekweremadu, a reason those who would not know what has transpired between the leaders of the factions were wary of the name of Aja associated with the list published yesterday.
At the weekend the candidature of Hon. Ugwuanyi was further boosted as the Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Councilors’ Forum joined several other groups in support of him.
According to the statement of the forum signed by Hon. Hyginus Makata, chairman of the Enugu chapter and its secretary, Barrister Francis Ani, the councilors expressed their support for the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North zone (Nsukka) by the party in the state even as they joined all the levels of authority of the party in the state in endorsing Ugwuanyi, who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport.
“We express our support to the leadership of the party in the state on the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North senatorial zone in fairness and equity and thank Governor Sullivan Chime for all the programmes he has been midwifing to ensure a smooth political transition in the state.
“We are not just supporting the endorsement of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi but are part of his endorsement by the state caucus of our party, PDP, and the entire stakeholders in the state”, said the group.
The leaders of the councilors said the choice of the consensus candidate “is one singular action that has saved the state from what onlookers thought was going to be a very knotty governorship race that would have torn the party very much apart in our dear state because he has remained a solid bridge builder whose main attribute is calmness in the face of all provocations”.

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2015: Presidency, senators’ deal sparks fresh crisis in Bayelsa

The recent deal be­tween the Presidency and members of the National Assembly over the 2015 general elec­tion has generated fresh cri­sis in Bayelsa State.

Daily Sun learnt that the state governor, Hon Seriake Dickson has vowed to stop all National Assembly mem­bers as well as state lawmak­ers from seeking re-election in 2015. The governor’s resolve is coming just as the Presi­dency and aggrieved senators settled for the return of at least two senators per state.
Governor Dickson, accord­ing to an informed source, has already rejected the deal, vow­ing to ensure that most of the senators and House of Repre­sentatives members from the state do not get their return tickets to the National Assem­bly in 2015.
The source said the agree­ment between the Presidency and the senators was not bind­ing on Bayelsa, because the state ‘is peculiar’.
Daily Sun learnt that Gov­ernor Dickson was ‘livid’ with the new deal with the National Assembly members.
“We are watching events as they unfold; I think at our end in Bayelsa State, what­ever agreement the Presidency must have reached with the senators is unlikely to have any binding effect on us be­cause Bayelsa state is peculiar.
‘When we heard the news, some of us tried to know from the governor if it was true, but he assured us that none of the National Assembly members affected by the zoning for­mular will return, even if an agreement has been reached in Abuja; in fact he was very livid.
“This matter is not for the Presidency to discuss with the senators, because most of them, especially those from Bayelsa are unelectable ele­ments who cannot even win their wards; this time around,, we will impress it on the Presi­dency to stay away from this, because we are tired of this back and forth development.
“As far as we are concerned, Abuja cannot decide for us in Bayelsa here; we have a leader of the party who is the gover­nor and self-seeking National Assembly members cannot hide under the Presidency to return to their businesses un­der the guise of aspirations.
“What we are saying in Bayelsa is that our earlier zoning stands, irrespective of whatever Abuja had decided and it is only the grassroot people that will decide who re­turns, and we shall ensure that this stays in the conscious­ness of the people because their decision has to stand,” he said.
Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) alleg­edly supported by Governor Dickson, had four weeks ago, purportedly adopted a zoning formula across the state for elective offices in 2015.
Curiously, the zoning of the offices saw to the shutting out of all current National Assem­bly members from the state.

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Constitutionality of Tambuwal’s defection: Have the courts not spoken?

The title to this article flows from the nature of our legal system, since it is only when the courts have not spoken that Dicks and Harrys can proffer their own understandings of provisions of our written laws.

However, in making the above quoted statement, Justice Holmes, Jr., the most celebrated advocate of legal realism in American history, was suggesting that the true meaning of any written law as to justify a given action or use of certain force is determined by judges, and until a judge has done that on a legal issue, any action based only on the letters of a written law is essentially no more than an exercise in trying to guess the way a judge will rule in fact in the matter. In crass Nigerian parlance, it means that the operative part of a written law like our Constitution is not what that Constitution says, but what the courts view it as saying. Thus, when public officers assume office, what they do essentially is to swear to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as interpreted by the courts.


If the question is asked of the authoritative LAW on defection by a member of a legislative House in Nigeria, most people always cite Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution. To support the view that the section is simply one of the most cited, a simple Google search of “Section 68(1)(g) Nigeria” returns an amazing 3.4 million results. But because when you lock up two lawyers in a room and ask them to tell you what exactly that section means, they will certainly come up with no less than three different interpretations. So under our jurisprudence (and this is not always the case in all legal systems), the courts to the rescue.
But have the courts not interpreted this section on defection? Of course, they have, including the Supreme Court. Many commentators seem oblivious of this fact and little reference is made to court rulings on the section. Attempt is made here to draw attention to this gap in our debate. As far as defection is concerned, the right thing to do in Nigeria today in any discourse is to make whatever argument one wants by citing the section but as interpreted by a certain court. Before relating the pronouncements of our courts, we all know Section 68(1)(g) is all about tenure of seat of legislators and it provides that a Senator or member of the House of Representatives (or a member of a State Assembly – S.109(1) (g)) must vacate his seat if he decamps to a new party. But there are exceptions and the section continues: “Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored”.
Supreme Court
As the saying goes, everyone knows the rule, only lawyers know the exceptions, the Supreme Court as far back as 1983 dwelt more on the two exceptions where a member will not lose his seat as a result of cross-carpeting. The import of the decision of the Supreme Court is that the general rule is to the effect that as a legislator, you lose your seat when you defect. If however you can show either of the two circumstances then you can save your seat. That is, if there is a division/ faction in your former party or a faction of your old party decides to merge with another party. Delivering the unanimous decision of the Court, the revered Justice Aniagolu referred to the then equivalent of Section 64(1)(g) when he proclaimed the law:
“But under the proviso to the said section 64(1)(g) if his membership of the new political party occurred because- (i) THERE WAS A DIVISION in the political party which sponsored him and as a result (a) he joined the new political party; (b) he and his dissidents or faction joined the new political party; OR (ii) THERE WAS A MERRGER of two or more political parties with – (a) the political party which sponsored him (b) his own faction of the divided political party which sponsored him, he does not lose his seat.”—FEDECO Vs. Goni, 1983. Emphasis not mine.
The Federal High Court Abuja
The Supreme Court’s clear pronouncement should have rested this non-controversy on defection but this is the era of pre-2015 and so a few other cases on the same section came up in 2014. Notable among them were the two cases before their Lordships, Justices Ademola and Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja. We may not dwell so much on the two cases as none is conclusive as yet. One is on appeal and final judgment is being awaited on the other. Thus, status quo has to be maintained for now. But the suspense coming from the Abuja courts can be dispensed with by the final judgments of the same Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin and Sokoto. The remarkable thing is that in all the non-Abuja cases of the Court, all the feuding parties were satisfied with the judgments and no appeals are currently pending. That means finality of the law on matters of defection among PDP and APC members.
The Federal High Court, Ilorin
In his 37-page interpretation of the 82-word section, delivered on Thursday 26 June, 2014 Justice A. O. Faji, one of the prides of the Nigerian judiciary, authoritatively held: “On the whole, I find that the defection of 1st to 20th Defendants on 22/1/2014 from PDP to the APC being as a result of a division within the PDP is constitutional. They cannot therefore be ordered by this Court to vacate their seats… This is because the seats of the 1st to 20th Defendants are not vacant neither have they been vacated.” Emphasis supplied.In that suit, a PDP member of the Kwara State House of Assembly sued 20 new PDP members of the Assembly including their Speaker who had defected to APC, seeking to declare their seats vacant and for INEC to conduct bye elections.
The Federal High Court, Sokoto
While Justice Faji’s refusal to declare the seats of the defecting members vacant was anchored on division within the PDP, the Sokoto judgment was anchored mainly on the fact that the PDP faction of the defecting Speaker and members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly had merged with APC. The PDP and two of its members sued the 27 newly defected members to APC seeking similar reliefs with those of the  Ilorin matter. On a sunny Thursday July 3, 2014 Justice R.M. Aikawa ruled that “at the time the 1st – 27th defendants defected to APC, there was not only a division but also a faction in the PDP. I also believe their averments that the said defection was as result of the merger of their faction of the PDP with the 31st defendant.”Emphasis supplied.
Justice Chukwu’s judgment
Prior to the unnecessary problematisation of defection was the issue of whether there was division in PDP. The PDP and, surprisingly, its lawyers had put words in the mouth of the Honourable Justice E. S. Chukwu that he said there was no faction in PDP. In his 75-page judgment in a case between then Alhaji BamangaTukur’s PDP and Alhaji Kawu Baraje’s PDP, the Judge recognized Tukur’s faction and disbanded Baraje’s. In his well-reasoned judgment, Justice Chukwu restrained Alhaji Baraje and all his agents and privies “from presenting, parading and holding out themselves as National Officers of the Peoples Democratic Party and they are accordingly restrained from operating parallel National, State, LGA and Ward Secretariats of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).” Every subsequent judge that had opportunity to interpret what Justice Chukwu had said agrees he never said there was no faction in PDP. He only recognized one faction and disbanded the other. And that means in fact there is faction, as stated by his brother judges.
Justice Aikawa had this to say: “I have read the judgment of my learned brother E. Chukwu, J., which was supplied to the court by learned counsel to the plaintiffs. My understanding of that case is that the court did not declare that there were no factions or division in PDP. Rather it only made pronouncements as to which of the factions is valid. In effect therefore the decision confirmed that there was division and there were factions.”So held Justice Faji too: “It therefore seems to me that at all material times there was a division within the PDP. Rather than show that there was no division therefore, the decision brings out in bold relief one of the fall-outs of that division, if two groups within a party can be jostling for its Principal Offices with each claiming same as his.”
But even if Justice Chukwu ruled there was no division in PDP, his brother judges have now ruled there was division. The issue now is whether Tambuwal can come under any of the two windows: Justice Faji’s window on division in PDP, or Justice Aikawa’s on merger of nPDP in Sokoto with APC.
Tambuwal’s defection
I have gone to this length just to bring to our attention the materials that are necessary for everyone to shape his own opinion. And I have heard comments to the effect that Tambuwal’s defection to the APC would have been a non-issue if the courts had ruled on it. Now that we know the courts have indeed ruled on the issue of defecting from PDP to APC, the defection is indeed a non-issue but some would want to cry wolf where there is none.
In the brief speech announcing his defection on October 30, the Speaker based his action on political events in Sokoto PDP. Nigerians are all aware that one of many factions of PDP in Sokoto defected to APC and there is still battle raging on among the remaining factions. As late as October, the PDP BOT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, was widely reported to be in Sokoto as the head of PDP Integration Committee to reconcile members of various factions. For me the argument PDP should be making is that Tambuwal may not base his defection on division because as at 30th October, 2014 that division has been mended. But that is merely an argument and for you to visit him with coercive power of the state as to withdraw his security, you need a court order.
Now even if, for the purpose of argument, he cannot come under the window of division, what about merger? The merger of Sokoto PDP with APC has not been reversed!If the Speaker’s membership of the House of Representatives cannot be saved by the Ilorin judgment relating to factions in PDP, it is undoubtedly saved by Justice Aikawa’s Sokoto judgment on the fact that his own faction of the PDP has merged with APC. Since Speakers of Kwara and Sokoto States Houses of Assemblygot judgment in their favour, subsequent speakers took advantage of the judgments such as Speaker JumokeAkindele of Ondo State House of Assembly who decamped from Labour to PDP, and Speaker AhmaduFintiri of Adamawa State House of Assembly who decamped from APC to PDP. If Tambuwal would be denied the fruit of the Sokoto or Ilorin judgments, then it is elementary that only the courts can so deny him.
But even if all the above facts are by some reasons not convincing to some people, the fundamental issue is that the situation is one of dispute: Speaker has decamped, PDP is justifiably grieving about it and wants to deal with him, who between them is right? Where there is such a dispute, only the courts can resolve it, not an official of government. The mere fact that Nigeria operates a written constitution is an indication that its people are made up of fundamentally differing orientation. And the only referees are the courts.
Yes, it has been said Nigerians are gullible and that is the reason a govern­ment official would do violence to the Constitution he would come out the next day to proclaim that his action was based on the Constitution. However, on the withdrawal on Tambuwal’s security details, it seems Nigerians are wising up and they are not buying the explanation that it was done pursuant to a S. 68(1) (g). From the reactions so far, Nigerians are beginning to draw the line between politics or politicking and constitution­alism. There is a near consensus that Tambuwal has done nothing wrong and that he is still the Speaker.
Under our legal system when an erudite legal mind strives to predict what the courts will say on a new matter, we call it an “academic exercise”; when non-legal minds do the same, we call it “pedestrian”, but I am at a loss over how to describe a situation where someone conjures up something as the lawAFTER the courts have spoken on the particular matter. It amounts to contempt of the court. Indeed, it is a race towards anarchy.
These quasi-judges should note that for all the hundreds of defections that have occurred in the Republic history of Nigeria, only one has been declared vacant by the court, the Abegunde’s case relating to a former member of Labor Party in the House of Representatives from Ondo State. Even that is not final as it is currently pending at the Supreme Court.
And although I am only an Assistant Professor of law, I can in fact prophesy that when the courts, which have jealously protected their turf, have the opportunity, they will descend heavily on such people or institutions that try to usurp their powers.If Nigeria is still a constitutional democracy, I will still bet that the courts will order for the return of Tambuwal’s security details. The courts have done it before. Am referring to withdrawal and return of security details of Governor Kwankwaso, Senator Saraki and many others. One can imagine what the effect would be on our nation when a wrongfully reconvened House “passes” the PIB, the Electoral Act amendment for the forthcoming elections, and the 2015 budget. During the Shagari era the courts struck down wrongfully passed revenue sharing formula for the federation and it will do so again on any infraction of due process.
True, losing the number four man to a rival party is a bitter pill to swallow but it is for PDP to be mindful of due process of the law in its responses. We all remember that but for Justice Ademola’s court that stopped APC from changing leadership of the House when it had majority, the opposition would have been in control of the House a long time ago. PDP has benefitted from judicial intervention, it cannot now undermine it. The current and planned responses of government to what may soon become Tambuwalgate would not succeed in court but would merely add to the statistics of embarrassing absurdities being unleashed on Nigeria. The issue of defection in Nigeria today is settled as the courts have spoken on it adequately and it is for all to live with it. Mr. President swore to uphold the Constitution as interpreted by the courts not by his lordship Suleiman Abba, the Acting Inspector General of Police.

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Ebonyi council empowers youths with N10m

Over the years, youth restive­ness has been the order of the day in the Okposi Com­munity in Ohaozara Local Government area of Ebonyi State. Here, criminal activities like kidnap­ping, robbery, cultism, violence and destruction of property worth mil­lions of naira have always held sway.

Recently, a renowned journalist, Nze Magnus Eze, was appointed Coordinator of Okposi Development Centre by the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi. And he has since put machinery in motion to checkmate the activities of the youths and put a stop to the ugly trend.
In a bid to curtail youth restiveness and reduce youth unemployment in Okposi Community, 35 youths have been empowered through various skill acquisition programmes worth N10 million by the Okposi Development Centre.
The first batch of the programme, which is in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), had earlier empowered over 768 youths from the development centre.
Eze, in his remarks during the formal inauguration of the youth capacity building and empowerment programme, said he was committed to extending the frontiers of result-based governance as represented by the administration of Governor Elechi.
“Therefore, in furtherance of the Chief Martin Elechi administration’s commitment to wealth creation and in a bid to mitigate our recent history where youth restiveness ravaged the community, Okposi Development Centre is today officially instituting a well-mapped out skill acquisition programme for the youths.”
He said he was determined to confront the challenges of youth unemployment within the limit of available resources.
Eze said the centre would also resettle each trainee on successful completion of the training with a minimum grant of N100, 000.00 or its equivalent in tools and equipment, saying that such support would enable the beneficiaries to start small businesses to be able to create wealth and employment opportunities.
The coordinator said that while the training lasted, the trainees would be entitled to monthly stipends ranging from N5, 000 to N10, 000, stressing that the programme would cost the Development Centre about N10 Million in a period of 12 months.
He recalled that three persons who were trained through the partnership with the NDE in May were already doing well for themselves while 10 other persons who commenced in August were currently undergoing similar training.
The coordinator also said that the 10 beneficiaries of the partnership with NDE, comprising six males and four females were being trained in welding, aluminium fabrication, printing, catering, auto electrical and electrical installation.
“We are totally averse to doling out handouts to the youths in the name of youth empowerment. Instead, we strongly believe that the best way to go in this circumstance is the Chinese approach of ‘teaching a child how to fish, so that he could go fishing by himself.’
“This noble path is the most ideal; it does not only engender self-reliance, but is sustainable. Our target in the Youth Capacity Building and Empowerment Programme is that at least 100 youths from Okposi Development Centre would be trained and fully equipped and empowered before the end of Governor Martin Elechi’s administration,” he said.
Eze apologized to the numerous beneficiaries of the monthly handouts dispensed by his predecessor in the name of poverty alleviation; which he stopped on assumption of office, saying that some of them were not even from the development centre.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Rural Development in the state, Mr. Celestine Nwali was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. P.C.I Umoke. He expressed happiness over the empowerment of the youths.
“I am particularly thrilled by what I have seen today. That a development centre is embarking on this kind of laudable programme to empower our youths and remove them from the streets is quite commendable. It is very auspicious because the coordinator understood that the white collar jobs are nowhere to be found; hence he has packaged this programme to engender self-reliance and create wealth amongst the youths of Okposi,” Umoke stated.
He said that the programme was timely due to the youth’s crisis that was recently witnessed in the area.
“There is a popular saying that an idle man is the devil’s workshop. So, I believe that the beneficiaries of this programme would not be tools for any form of social vices again in life.
“As for the trainees, I charge you to take this programme very seriously because your life and future depends on it. You are lucky to have a man who thinks deeply about your well-being. With the thorough manner the programme is packed, involving the NDE and a financial institution like First Bank, I have no doubt that it would bear good result.
“We are prepared to partner with the NDE at a larger scale to create jobs and wealth for our people. The ministry will give you any kind of assistance you may require because this is not a small project. Please don’t hesitate to run to us in case you need any assistance,” Umoke stated.
The Coordinator of NDE in the state, Mrs. Ngozi Ihenacho, said the NDE had found a good partner in the Coordinator of Okposi Development Centre.
She said: “I must confess that the coordinator has uncommon passion for his people, and that is why we are partnering with the development centre to create jobs and empower the youth of the area. So far, at least 15 youths from this development centre are benefiting from our various training programmes.
“With what I have seen today, we will continue to assist the development centre in training and empowering the youths. We will always consider your area in any opportunities we have.
I charge the trainees to be very committed and ensure that they do not toy with this golden opportunity you have offered them.
“My advice is that in resettling them, upon the successful completion of the programme, please do not give them cash. Our experience is that when you give trainees cash, it is usually subject to misuse. So, in resettling them, provide them with tools and equipment. Don’t give cash to them.”
Some of the beneficiaries commended the coordinator, Mr. Eze for the gesture, promising that they would utilize the opportunity by paying attention and learning the skills for their own benefit.
They noted that the coordinator had wipe their tears by engaging them in skill acquisition which they said would make them to be self-reliant after the completion of their programme. They enthused that social vices and hunger had become a thing f the past in their lives.

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2015: Sule Lamido as VP

IF propagandistic and powerdrunk governors who are performing abysmally are desperately and noisily agitating to retire to the Senate after eight years of systemic ruination of their states, what will their distinguished colleagues like Governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Barrister (Dr.) Ibrahim Shehu Shema (Katsina), Barrister Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) do? From all indications, President Goodluck Jonathan’s running mate in the 2015 election most likely would be the altruistic governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido.
I have the conviction that the two gentlemen will take this country to unimaginable heights and I therefore declare that the summit of good governance is here with this strategic pairing.
All the six helmsmen before Gov. Lamido in the administration or governorship of 23-year-old Jigawa State, particularly his predecessor, Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, put together cannot equal the present governor in terms of accomplishments as testified to by President Jonathan a fortnight ago—which is essentially why I am vehemently advocating their joint ticket for consolidation of transformations. If Gov. Lamido could do so much with a regime of poor IGR and stipends from the monthly statutory allocation (crassly incomparable to South-South and some South-East states’ fiscal superfluity) without domestic or foreign borrowing, what will happen when he gets to the pinnacle of leadership?
Latest developments in political circles are confirmatory of my two earlier submissions on this page not too long ago. I had declared unassailably that Gov. Lamido would either become president next year or in 2019. The slight modification I will make is that he will now systematically be vice-president and thereafter president in succession to President Jonathan in 2019. In my reference to this likelihood, one reader had accused me of playing God by being overtly futuristic, pointing out if I knew whether my candidate and I would be alive in 2015!
Fatalism has never stopped humanity from being adventurous, ambitious and daring. Shall we because of the inevitability of death live without planning, without strategy, without belief in tomorrow? Such fatalistic, pessimistic and defeatist attitude to life is antithetical to human existentialism and bizarrely retrogressive. Why do people go to war despite the high probability of death?
President Jonathan, Gov. Lamido and I will live to proclaim the Lord’s goodness.
And so shall it be. I can never be pessimistic about life because my present and future circumstances belong to God.
The pair of Dr. Jonathan and Alhaji Lamido will create a formidable leadership for the country because both of them have the same revolutionary attitude to development. Their commitment
to the re-engineering of their respective spheres of influence is unparalleled. I will concentrate on the candidacy and democratic credentials of Gov. Lamido because what President Jonathan is doing is manifestly clear for everyone to see. This same perception may not apply to Gov. Lamido’s far-away Jigawa, where you need to visit to appreciate
this intervention. I have been to all older states and others created 23 years ago like Jigawa. I tell you verifiably, Gov. Lamido has renewed the entirety of his state so much that you will never believe it is the same state that Alhaji Saminu  Turaki governed for eight years from cyberspace with nothing except an ICT relic as evidence of his virtual tenure! Gov. Lamido has graciously named the hilly ICT legacy after Turaki, his predecessor in office. I have the privilege of having visited Jigawa in its dark days and also in its illuminative currency.
Most Nigerians are unaware of the role Gov. Lamido played in the election of President Jonathan in 2011. There were plots for Alhaji Lamido to challenge the endorsement of President Jonathan and contest the presidential primaries of the PDP, sabotage the process that threw up President Jonathan and/or get the North West zone to embark on a protest vote that could have changed the outcome of the presidential poll. But Gov. Lamido chose the path of statesmanship and allowed sleeping dogs to lie while bidding the opportune time to actualize his dream of leading this country, ultimately, which
is about to unfold. President Jonathan cannot forget this in a hurry because Gov. Lamido’s unflinching commitment to the Jonathan presidency in 2011 and
beyond remains unparalleled.
One characteristic of Gov. Lamido which is rare among Nigerian politicians is his disgust for equivocation. This is one politician that calls a spade a spade no matter the circumstance or people involved.
He has no apologies or reservations for forthrightness. Gov. Lamido is dispassionate and loyal to a fault. In the Nigerian milieu, he is not supposed to be a politician because of his frankness,
uprightness and fear of his Creator. His peers conversely celebrate these negativities.
If you are looking for a reliable and trustworthy public servant who abhors gobbledygook and corruption, Gov. Lamido is the man. His quintessential altruism is inestimably indescribable. If he disappoints as vice-president to President Jonathan in the upcoming election, let him not succeed him as I had strongly canvassed. But, if he lives up to half of my expectations going by his profuse antecedents and robust leadership and administrative profiles spanning ambassadorial and foreign ministerial services to his fatherland—not forgetting the present redefinition of good governance in Jigawa State—let him be the consensual candidate of the PDP in late 2018 preparatory to 2019.
We need men driven by a passion to serve, not kleptomaniac looters, surrogates and bureaucratic bandits whose idea of leadership at whatever level is thievishness! Gov. Lamido’s humaneness is another developmental issue entirely which is better left for another day.
Another aversion of Gov. Lamido is poverty. Despite his aristocratic background and modest (not obscene) opulence, he is unusually touched when he sees people being ravaged by poverty
in a land of plenty, a rich nation. Most persons of his circumstance do not understand the challenges of poverty because they have never experienced it and as such do not comprehend what it is all
about as to empathize with the under-privileged population. This explains why he has been able to drastically reduce poverty to insignificance by empowering his people in and out of Jigawa State. Hardly can you see almajiris (beggars) in any part of Jigawa: they have been taken off the streets to citadels of learning or craft centres that dot the state.
This is the kind of leader we need at the federal level who will work in conjunction with the president to fully transform the country. By the time he combines his
excellence in Jigawa with the experience of President Jonathan, the country will know that two good heads at Aso Rock are better than just two heads!
Last month, President Jonathan went to Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State, to inaugurate the multi-billion naira ultramodern airport started and completed by Gov. Lamido. I went to Dutse as an independent
observer to witness the reality for myself and on that occasion President Jonathan justified my trip, expense and time with these uncommon laudatory words that will remain evergreen: “From 2007 till now,
I have seen what Lamido has done. I have to thank him immensely for the transformation of the state. I know what this state was and I have seen what he has done so far to change the tide. Within
Lamido’s tenure, even the blind will see that he has performed.” With this unflattering presidential testimony, which other testament or endorsement does this man need?
President Jonathan needs Lamido’s clout, political deftness and depth to break Northern ranks ahead of 2015. I am confident that victory for the Jonathan-Lamido partnership is certain, irrevocable
and unimpeachable. God has annulled all oppositional forces. Alhaji, I will come to Aso Villa next year to celebrate with you, by God’s grace!

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Insurgency: Let the military sit up

The renewed violent attacks on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states by the Boko Haram sect underscore the ineffectiveness of the strategies currently being employed by the military to contain the insurgency in those parts of the country.

For instance, in the Yobe attack, the sect reportedly infiltrated the Muslim celebration in Potiskum and left 26 people dead and several others injured. It also launched a frontal attack on citizens in Gombe, which led to the death of 30 people with many others injured. Bauchi State has also not escaped the bombing spree of the sect. Konton-Karfe Prison in Kogi State was also attacked, with about 145 inmates freed.
The audacity of the sect in retaking Mubi in Adamawa State and renaming it “Madinatul Islam” which means the city of Islam, the introduction of Sharia and the amputation of 10 people, are pointers that the war should no longer be treated with levity by the Nigerian authorities. In Borno State, the insurgents are said to be in control of some towns including Ngala, Bama, Gwoza, Mafa, and Konduga.
With the frightening situation reports from the war zones in the northern part of the country and the continuing annexation of Nigerian territories, it is very clear that the military is yet to get its acts together as far as this war is concerned. Initially, the guerilla nature of the Boko Haram attacks was a credible excuse for the difficulty of the Nigerian military in overcoming the sect. But, with the current frontal attacks, the seizure of whole towns and declaration of “Islamic Republics” within the country, it is embarrassing that the Nigerian military with its superior numerical and financial strength is still finding it difficult to rout the insurgents in conventional warfare.
As things stand now, there is no doubt that something is basically wrong with the prosecution of the ongoing war on terror. The frequent reported desertion by troops to neigbouring Cameroon is not tidy. It does not show seriousness on part of the Nigeria military.
The Federal Government should do certain things to rejig the war on terrorism. The military should be completely overhauled. Emphasis should be placed on training, retraining and the competence of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Let the military be adequately equipped for the war at hand. There must  be continuous changes in the military command structure until the right people are put in the right places.
The indiscipline and the alleged presence of fifth columnists or saboteurs in the military should be attended to with utmost urgency. The unpreparedness of some Nigerian soldiers to fight the war is no longer hidden, hence the insubordination, mutiny and running away from battle. The fifth columnists and the saboteurs in the military should be fished out.
Intelligence gathering and dissemination should be intensified. There is the need for adequate information on the war situation to avoid the type of killing of civilians that were trapped in Mubi.
The enemy situation should be known and communicated to the civilian population to avoid being cut off by the insurgents. The military authorities should take the war more seriously that they have done so far.
This is a war in which the Nigerian military is at a great advantage. Unfortunately, that advantage has not been maximized. The loss of Nigerian territories to the insurgents is scandalous and unacceptable.
It is time the military sits up and reins in the insurgents. This war should be taken seriously in the same way that politicians are taking the 2015 general elections. It is only when there is a country that we can have elections.
In that regard, lawmakers should not be busy fighting over positions in Abuja while the nation is burning. The legislators ought to have been in the forefront of making effective laws to contain the festering insurgency. All Nigerians, irrespective of religious and party affiliations, should team up and work with one accord to end this raging insurgency.
The military top brass should meet more frequently to assess, monitor and give direction to the war. Let the military rise up to the challenge and rout the insurgents.
They should be dislodged from the territories they have taken as the military works harder towards a decisive end to their bloody campaign.

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How Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, deliberately infected our staff with Ebola — First Consultant Hospital

Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought Ebola into the country, was a bio-terrorist, bent on a mission to deliberately infect as many Nigerians as possible with the deadly virus, the Chief Medical Director of First Consultant Hospital, Benjamin Ohiaeri, has said.

In a detailed interview with ThisDay newspaper, Mr. Ohiaeri spoke of how Mr. Sawyer lied to his hospital that he had no contact with any Ebola case and how he plotted to be allowed to storm the streets of Nigeria to spread the virus.
He also revealed shocking details of how Mr Sawyer deliberately and systematically infected hospital personnel with the virus.
He said the Liberian- American was not interested in receiving treatment or discussing the option available to him. Rather he demonstrated a deliberate intent to be discharged from the hospital into the public where he would have posed dire public health risk.
According to Mr Ohiaeri, he even deceptively infected a doctor who had gone to appeal to him to be calm following his violent protest to be let out of the hospital to attend a seminal in Calabar.
Mr Ohiaeri said the coldblooded manner Mr Sawyer purportedly went about infecting medical personnel at the hospital even after he was told he might be infected with the highly contagious virus suggested he was on a bio-terrorism mission to Nigeria.
On July 20, 2014, after he became ill on a flight from Monrovia to Lagos, Mr Sawyer was taken to the First Consultant Hospital in Lagos which originally treated him for malaria. But as his health worsened and began to manifest symptoms of Ebola, including diarrhea and vomiting, he was prevented from leaving the hospital.
According to multiple accounts of what happened in the days after he was taken to First Consultant Hospital, Mr. Sawyer went into a fit of rage, yanking off his intravenous line and spilling blood all over the hospital ward after he was told he would not be allowed out of the hospital as he had requested.
Eighteen Nigerians, mostly medical officials of the hospital, were infected with the virus, with seven deaths. All of the infections were traced to Mr Sawyer.
In the ThisDay interview, Mr Ohiaeri said Mr. Sawyer was not “upset” or “surprised” after he was told that he was being investigated for possible Ebola infection suggesting that he already knew that he was a carrier of the disease.
“A reasonable man would flinch when he is informed that he is going to be tested for Ebola. A reasonable man would want to know why the suspicion and what his chances of survival are and how he is going to be treated.”
“A reasonable man would not say “I must leave the hospital now!” This was very strange to us because being an articulate forty-year diplomat we expected some measure of intelligent conversation on this dreaded disease. So, we could not understand why he was so desperate and determined to leave the Hospital when we were clearly trying to investigate his situation and find the way to treat his condition.”
A review of CCTV footage from the James Spriggs Payne’s Airport, Monrovia, by Liberian newspaper, The New Dawn, suggested that Mr Sawyer was already terribly ill when he left Liberia and deliberately avoided contact with people at the airport, which suggested that he might have known he was infected with Ebola.
Though Mr Sawyer told doctors at the First Consultant that he did not have contact with any Ebola case in the weeks before he travelled to Lagos, it has now been revealed that he cared for and attended the funeral of his sister who was killed by the virus in Liberia.
In fact he was asked to stay away from work after he told his employers, ArcelorMittal, an iron mining company, of having minimal contact with his deceased sister.
Mr Ohiaeri also told ThisDay that Mr. Sawyer also deceptively infected one of the doctors who had gone to calm him after he went into a violent rage.
“Dr. Abaniwo, of his own volition, went to try to convince Mr. Sawyer to calm down and give the hospital the chance to make him better. Dr. Abaniwo is a deeply religious man who would have felt convicted to speak to Mr Sawyer – to ensure that he was alright. Sawyer seemed to calm down a little, but he then did something terrible, which caused Dr. Abaniwo to contract Ebola. He asked Dr. Abaniwo to check his eyes because his eyes had been previously injected. It is through this singular act of kindness that Dr. Abaniwo contracted the disease. Sadly, it took the confirmation of Dr. Abaniwo as Ebola carrier for the fullness of his encounter with Mr. Sawyer to be told.”
Mr Abaniwo was one of the seven people who were killed by the virus.
“What was unique about Mr. Sawyer’s condition was that Mr. Sawyer did not want to be treated and he wanted to be a terrorist and go out of his way to infect other people. Ordinary patients don’t do that. It’s bad enough taking care of Ebola and trying to bring in other people to assist. Ebola victims all over the world are begging ‘please come and help me’. But Mr. Sawyer didn’t want to be helped,” Mr Ohiaeri said.
Mr Ohiaeri also disclosed how his hospital came under intense pressure, included the threat of legal action and diplomatic row from the Liberian ambassador, Al Hassan Koike, for Mr. Sawyer to be released to attend the seminar in Calabar.
He said his threats were rebuffed by the strong resolve of Ameyo Adadevoh, the Chief Physician of the hospital, who became infected by Mr. Sawyer and later died of the disease.
“As if Sawyer’s behaviour were not bad enough, we soon began to receive irate calls from the Liberian Ambassador, Al Hassan Koike, who had apparently been contacted by Sawyer. The Ambassador repeatedly badgered Dr Adadevoh, ordering that Sawyer be permitted to leave the hospital and telling her that we had no authority or right to keep him. All of Dr. Adadevoh’s attempts to explain the situation, and my subsequent attempts to intervene, were shrugged off. The only thing the ambassador wanted was for Sawyer to be released, otherwise we would face charges of ‘kidnapping’. The threats were ratcheted up to the extent that he accused us of threatening an international diplomatic row, the consequences of which, he insisted, we would sorely regret,” he said.
“I took the phone from Dr. Adadevoh and tried to advise Ambassador Al Hassan Koike about our position, to assure him about our regard for the fundamental rights of Mr. Sawyer, and to advise him of the risks to Sawyer and the general public of failure to properly manage a potential Ebola situation. The ambassador was having none of it.
“Well there have been many thoughts that have crossed my mind as to the role of the Liberian ambassador in trying to secure Sawyer’s release. There is no doubt in my mind that he was a reckless person because a diplomatic mission is supposed to have rules and there is only so much that they can interfere with. Did we tell him it was Ebola? Yes we did and what was his response to that? He asked us “how are you sure”. He accused us of just trying to disparage his country and embarrass Liberia. Even when the results were out and it was confirmed positive by W.H.O lab officials, he said he wanted to see the report. Of course by that time I didn’t have time for him anymore and I just disregarded his requests because I realised that this is someone that is unreasonable. He of course became a non-issue when President Goodluck Jonathan instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to come and talk to me when he heard about it. Once I relayed the full facts to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he immediately fired up a letter of protest to the Liberian government that led to the recalling of the ambassador. It was clear that he had contravened diplomatic protocol and that he had acted in bad faith.”
Mrs. Adadevoh has been posthumously praised for her good judgement in keeping Mr. Sawyer quarantined even before test result confirmed he was a carrier of Ebola at the expense of her wellbeing and for resolutely resisting pressure to discharge him from the hospital with its possible public health risk.
Mr Ohiaeri paid glowing tribute to Mrs. Adadevoh describing her as a “thoroughbred professional” and one of the most brilliant doctors the country has ever had.
He praised her for her resolve not to succumb to the pressure from Mr. Sawyer and the Liberian Ambassador and putting her life in line for the safety of the populace.
“We all knew Dr. Adadevoh. She is thorough, incisive, competent and compassionate. After 21 years of working with a person, you know them. We trusted her – We trusted her judgement. Here was one situation where the risks to us of getting it wrong was disproportionately insignificant to the risks to Nigerians if we unleashed an Ebola patient on an unsuspecting public. No one would be able to curtail the fallout.”
“Dr. Adadevoh, was one of the most brilliant physicians this country has ever produced. She always asked for the latest infrastructure and was always research oriented. Any medical course anywhere she will come and say “Oga there is something happening in South Africa and I want to go and do this course” and off she went. She attended various medical courses all over the world.
“As professionals, we always equip ourselves with new research orientations and best practices. Of course medical conferences help to build up knowledge, professional relationships and contacts – all of which proved invaluable when this Ebola crisis hit our hospital. We depended a lot and benefitted from our international relationships.”

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Two Lagos Teenage Boys Arrested for Alleged Homosexuality

Lagos state police authorities have arrested two teenage boys for alleged homosexuality.

The boys, Gideon Harrison 19, and Ifeanyi Ezeorji, 14, were caught having sex in the Ikotun area of Lagos, Punch reports.

Orji is said to be a student of Igando High School, where he is in SS1, while Harrison has graduated from secondary school.

The pair have been taken into police custody, and will soon be charged to court.

Toheeb Adekunle, the individual who reported the alleged incident to police, stated that Harrison is fond of sleeping with boys in the area.

Ezeorji’s mother has denied the allegations. She said:

“My son is just 14 years old. He does not do such things. He is not even mature yet. He takes his bath outside, some times in the presence of his sisters to tell you that he is young. His father had died in September this year, and we have yet to bury him. The family is still grieving him. All I know is that there is no truth in the allegation.

“I don’t know about the other man. I have not even met him. On the day of the alleged incident, my son had strolled to the motor park, and there was a street fight. My son then told me later on that he was simply watching the fight, and he had been arrested by the police.”

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu confirmed the case, stating that:

“Yes, they were arrested by the Ikotun Police Division, and they have been charged to court. In law, this offence is called sodomy, and it carries with it about seven to 14 years imprisonment if found guilty, going by an Act of the National Assembly.

You know, it is even against culture and religion. The Christian, Islamic and even the traditional religions condemn this in its entirety. So, the case has been taken to court.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Cavan Images *photo is for illustrative purposes only*

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Renowned preacher Myles Munroe and wife die in plane crash in Bahamas

Renowned gospel leader, transformational leader, business coach and author of many motivational books, Dr. Myles Munroe and his wife, Ruth Ann, died in a plane crash in the Bahamas yesterday Nov. 9th. The couple and 7 others (pictured above moments before boarding the plane) were killed after the Lear 36 executive private jet they were traveling in struck a crane at the grand Bahamas ship yard, as it approached for landing, exploding on impact.The plane which had nine people on board left the Lynden Pindling International Airport and was trying to make a landing at the Grand Bahama International Airport when it crashed. Everybody was killed. Continue...

Dr Myles Monroe was just 60 years old.

The group was on their way to the Global Leadership Forum, which was organized by Dr. Munroe and was scheduled for this week in Freeport.

Dr Munroe and wife were Senior pastors at the Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship and they leave behind two children, a daughter Charisa and a son, Chairo Myles Junior. May their souls rest in peace Amen. Scene of the crash above. So sad!

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Boko Haram parades captured town, preaches to residents

After the cut, you will find the video the Boko Haram sect released yesterday Sunday November 9th  to AFP, which shows the insurgents parading in an unnamed captured town and the group’s leader Abubakar Shekau preaching to residents of the town. Watch after the cut. Quite scary!...

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Explosion in Senior Sec. School in Yobe, at least 20 students killed

A bomb went off this morning November 10th during Assembly at the Senior Science Secondary School Potiskum, Yobe state, an all boys school. The bomber is believed to be a student who was on the assembly ground with other students. At least 20 students were killed while several others were injured. Details later...

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The #CHOAMVA14 Twitter league goes to war! Where do U stand?

How far would you go for your favourite artiste? The stakes have just gone higher as the countdown to Africa’s biggest music award showheats up. This time around, the nominee fan armies will be proving their allegiance to their favourite artiste by voting en-masse until Nov. 21, when voting ends.

“The #CHOAMVA fan army drive is back!” announced Leslie Kasumba, head Channel O Africa.

 

‘’This time, Africa’s biggest artistes will be determined by the number of votes their fan army can generate for them. It’s time for true fans to push their artistes to win!’’ she added.

Twitter League will premiere on Channel O on the 10^th of November at 15:30 Nigerian time and is voiced by DJ Black who will give daily updates on whose fan army is ahead of the league.

Here are your Channel O Music Video Awards Nominees and their Fan armies:

Davido: #OBOBADDEST

Flavour: #TheNabanias

2face: #2FaceManiacs

Niyola: The #Niniacs

Iyanya: #TheOreos

Seyi Shay; #Irawos

Tiwa Savage: #TeamSavage

Burna Boy: #BurnaBoyGang

Patoranking: #Kings

Phyno: #Alobams

Sarkodie: #SARKOHOLICS

R2BEES: #R2BeesNation

Shattawale: #ShattaMovement               

Dr Sid: #DrSidsAlphas

KCEE: #Limpopoteam

Orezi: #Gehngehnites

Jesse Jagz: #JagzNation

PSquare: #PSquad

Follow @ChannelOAfrica on Instagram and Twitter and join the conversation with #CHOAMVA14FanArmy

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Chinese men are approaching me for marriage - Comedienne Princess

In a recent interview with Yes! magazine, comedienne Damilola Adekoya popularly known as Princess said she's been getting a lot of marriage proposals from men since her marriage collapsed. She said some of these men asking for her hand in marriage are even Chinese.

"Plenty people have been coming from all over the world since the first day my marriage broke up. Even Chinese men too. I don't know. I don't understand because it is like they googled and watched my videos and a lot of them have also read about my marriage break up and they will tell me that they had wanted to marry me o! It's so surprising that even someone who is a Chinese and couldn't speak fluent English fluently would tell me he has interest but I always ask myself where I would start from.

A lot of people from all over the world  I just appreciate them and thank them for asking me out but I made them understand that I want to face my work for now and improve on my art and become a better professional in my chosen field and like I said, wait for what God has in stock for me but for now, I'm not thinking about marriage"she said.

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Popular LA rapper shot dead in broad daylight at McDonalds

Popular West Coast gangster rapper Big Paybacc (pictured above) was shot dead around 12.30 pm on Thursday November 7th while having lunch inside a McDonald restaurant in Palmdale, Los Angeles.The undergound rapper, whose real name was Habeeb Ameer Zekajj, was eating lunch with a friend inside a crowded restaurant with about 20 others around, when a gunman entered, walked up behind him, shot him point blank in the head multiple times and walked out of the restaurant. Big Paybacc was pronounced dead at the scene...

Eye-witnesses said the rapper never saw it coming...and the shooting was caught on CCTV. Police say they are currently reviewing the security footage to see if they can positively identify the shooter who has been described an black and was last seen wearing a grey hoodie & blue pants as he entered a getaway car after killing Big Paybacc, who was a self-proclaimed member of the Whitsett Avenue Gangsters, a Crip-affiliated gang in the San Fernando Valley. He leaves behind three children.

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Photos: 3 die in police/kidnappers shoot out in Anambra state

Six suspected kidnappers engaged Anambra State Police Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in a gun battle at Okpoko in Ogbaru local government area yesterday November 9th, and three members of the gang were killed, while Mrs. Edith Maduekwe, who had been kidnapped by the gang was rescued.

Mrs. Maduekwe, who was kidnapped by the suspects on October 4th, at Oba in Idemili South LGA, was rescued at an erosion site in Oraukwu in Idemili North local government area of the state.

 

After the shoot out, N776, 000, one AK-47 rifle with 90 rounds of ammunition one pump action gun and 10 live cartridges, assorted charms and other weapons.

N1.4 million ransom had already been paid by the family of the victim.

Parading the suspects yesterday, Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Uche Ezeh said the leader of the gang, Charlie Parker has been on the wanted list of the Police for 4 years. He said following a tip-off, the state SARS commander, Mr. James Nwafor, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, led his men to the place at Okpoko, where the suspects were sharing the loot. 

The suspects opened fire when they saw the police and the police returned fire, killing three suspects in the process.

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Chris Okotie asks GEJ to focus on tackling Boko Haram more than his re-election

Rev Chris Okotie took to his Facebook page to address the Boko Haram horrific advance in some parts of Northern Nigeria, asking President Jonathan to pay more attention to the menace and advised him to sack all his generals and advisers. Find his incisive piece below...

"No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning – no negotiation – with this brand of evil. The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force” – President Obama on ISIS terrorist group.

The FG’s widely publicized ceasefire agreement with the Boko Haram insurgents was met with more violent attacks, and the capture of more territories by the Islamists.

Their leaders even went ahead to disavow any negotiations with our government, with a firm promise never to make peace.

Of course, Boko Haram has made good its threat. The bombings have continued unabated; and as you read this, the North Eastern towns of Gwoza, Mubi, Michika, Gulak, Madagali, and several obscure villages are still occupied by the insurgents. During the week, Gombe and Potiskum were attacked, with a lot of casualties. Same familiar story!

Atrocities being committed by Boko Haram in these captured territories include rape, forced marriages and conversions to their bizarre brand of Islam; beheadings, random executions and looting. As far the insurgents are concerned, we are all infidels.

The Chibok Girls remain in captivity, with no hope they’d be freed soon; we have reportedly lost some of these hapless girls to snake bites and sickness. This current level of pessimism is informed by the hopelessness of the war effort and the government’s apparent lack of an effective strategy to defeat the insurgents. Clearly, our military is now in disarray, with soldiers fleeing the front as the insurgents advance, almost unchallenged.

So sad, the Cameroonians, supposedly our partners in this terror war, gleefully advertise stories of deserting Nigerian troops who seek refuge from advancing Boko Haram fighters in their territory. Obviously, for a country like Nigeria which prides itself as the largest, most powerful black nation in the world, with the biggest economy in Africa to boot, our management of this war does no justice to our image.

Indeed, it merely exposes the false optimism which our outlandishly great power image confers. How is it possible for a middle – sized regional power, which defected Ebola with adroit, efficient execution, that even the world powers envy, seem powerless against about 10,000 bandits and terrorist?

Defeated Ebola and a successful war on terror are all about logistics, efficient management of crisis and coordination. Why we can’t replicate the Ebola winning strategy in this terror war is confounding. Ebola is as lethal as Boko Haram, with potential to decimate populations much faster than terrorists. Yet, we acted swiftly and contained it, to the admiration of the world.

In Ebola’s case, we adopted an effective bi-partisan approach, not often seen in our strife-ridden polity. What has aggravated this terror war and made it so difficult to manage is, chiefly the failure of a divided, acrimonious and antagonistic political class, to unite against the common enemy of the nation. There are Boko Haram sympathizers in the political parties, in the military, Intelligence Services and the Jonathan Administration. Therein lays our failure to win this war.

It was easy for Gen. Yakubu Gowon to lead federal forces to overcome Biafra in just 30 months, because he had behind him a cohesive administration and competent, efficient war machine. And he acted swiftly to replace even his most popular commanders when they performed below expectations. President Jonathan, who has neither a strong war machine, nor a loyal, cohesive administration behind him, may need to look at Gowon’s template in his execution of this terror war.

You don’t keep a failed group of war commanders when your troops are being routed on every front, and territories lost randomly, almost on a daily basis. I made this point in my latest syndicated article coming out shortly. Even, football coaches replace under-performing star players when the team seems to be headed for defeat. President Jonathan should have wasted no time in sacking his entire war team and replace them with more proactive generals and advisers, in view of the vanquishing of our forces by a rag-tag, but well armed Boko Haram fighters.

He should not wait until the insurgents march towards Abuja before he does something drastic to save the situation, which is becoming fiercely urgent. More urgent, in fact, than his re-election bid, which obviously dominates his agenda at the moment. Nigeria’s survival comes first before anything else, including a Presidential election.

The ruling PDP tends to give greater priority to perpetuating itself in power than destroying the insurgents who pose such a potent threat to our sovereignty. That’s not realpolitik, its bad logic. Like I wrote elsewhere, this war should be at heart of the President’s agenda; without it, he cannot transform Nigeria, no matter how effective his Transformational programme is.

Boko Haram, like all Islamists everywhere, espouse a virulent brand of austere, absolutist Islam, driven by atavistic impulses. It takes more than mere grandstanding to destroy this barbaric group of deranged individuals

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