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Son of the Oba of Benin, and the caretaker chairman of Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Prince Ekpen Erediauwa, was allegedly beaten up at the weekend by the chairman of the Edo State Task Force on Petroleum Monitoring Committee, Osakpanwan Eriyo, following a disagreement over sharing formula for revenue collected in the local government.photos: Royal chiefs allegedly cursing out the perpetrator .Prince Ekpen in uniform.The Prince a lover of animals on stroll .

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
IRKED by the assault meted out on his son, Prince Ekpen Erediauwa, by the Chairman of the Edo State Task Force Committee on the Vandalization of Pipeline and also the youth leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Edo State, Mr Osakpanwa Eriyo, the  Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, yesterday, placed a curse on the alleged culprit after describing the action as a taboo in Benin Kingdom.

PROTEST: Chiefs and elders of Benin placing curses on the Chairman of the Taskforce Committee on the Vandalisation of Pipelines, over his alleged assault on the Oba of Benin's son, at the Oba's Palace, in Benin City, yesterday. Photo by Barnabas Uzosike.
This came as thousands of youths, dressed in red attire, market women and royal family members, protested round Benin City, yesterday, demanding for the banishment of Eriyo from the kingdom, explaining that assaulting a Prince of the kingdom was sacrilegious, and capital punishment should be meted on him.
Meanwhile, the Edo State government, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Peter Okhiria, yesterday, announced the suspension of Mr Eriyo as Chairman of the Anti-Pipeline Vandalization Committee, adding “all contracts in respect of revenue collection in Oredo Local Government Area are also hereby suspended.”
See more photos here
It will be recalled that  Eriyo, who also doubles as the Chairman Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, Edo State chapter, had weekend, assaulted the Transition Committee Chairman of Oredo Local Government Area of the state, Prince Erediauwa during a meeting of the leadership of the ACN in Oredo council. But Osakpanwa had denied that he assaulted the Prince in a statement.
Reacting swiftly, the Oba’s chiefs, led by the Iyase of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe; the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri; Obasogie of Benin Kingdom, Chief Eduwor Ekhator and the entire palace chiefs, went round the city, with pots of charms and placed curse on Osakpanwa after he was declared an enemy of the Oba.
In a statement by the Chairman, Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Oba’s Palace, Chief Eduwor Ekhator, it said “no one can demystify the monarchical value of the Benin Royal Palace of the Oba. Attempt by any person or persons to destroy the long existing peace and unity of the Benin will be checked with rebuked condemnation.
“The attempt on the Benin Prince was a demonstration of recklessness and lack of respect for a constituted authority. It is highly provocative, sacrilegious and unacceptable and thereby deserves total condemnation by every Edo son and daughter both at home and in the Diaspora. However, the palace of the Oba advises all sympathizers to obey the rule of law,” it added.

previously:

Two persons were killed yesterday as the rift between the son of the Benin monarch, Prince Ekpen Erediauwa and suspended chairman of Edo State Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalisation Osakpamwan Eriyo worsened.

Two casualties were recorded in a clash between the prince’s and Eriyo’s supporters. 

The clash, which occurred  about 9am on the popular Lagos Street in Benin City, saw motorists and traders scampering for safety when shootings started.

Several vehicles were destroyed;  traders did not open their shops out of fear.

The victims were identified as Raphael Oke, who died on the spot and Osamuyi Obazee, who died at the Central Hospital where he was taken to.

Two others, who were injured, are said to be in the hospital.

Sources said trouble started when Eriyo, who doubles as the State Chairman of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and State Youth Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, visited his in-law, Chief Arala Osula, to complain that Osula’s children had joined Erediauwa to fight him.

Osula said before he could come out of his house, Eriyo’s supporters had started shooting sporadically and three boys in the locality were shot.

His words: “I know there is a quarrel between Osakpamwan and the Prince. He knew my children were close to Erediauwa so he decided to bring them into the feud. 

“I am married to his elder sister and one of my sons is staying with him.” 

Osula refused to allow policemen to carry Oke’s body to the mortuary, insisting that he will take it to the Oba‘s Palace but he agreed after pleadings from the police officers.

Members of RTEAN went into hiding yesterday for fear of being attacked by aggrieved youths from the area.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday suspended Eriyo.

A statement by the Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah said Eriyo would remain suspended, pending the outcome of ongoing investigation.

Youths in the locality protested, asking for the government to arrest Eriyo.

Police spokesman Peter Ogboi said only one person died and that two others were injured.

Ogboi said those fingered would be arrested after investigation.

Eriyo could not be reached for comments.

The feud started last weekend after Eriyo allegedly beat up Erediauwa, who is the Transition Committee Chairman of Oredo local council, over revenue contract. 

LAGOS – Nigeria’s Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, standing trial for attempted bombing of an American airline on Christmas day in 2009 had considered launching the strike in the skies above Houston or Chicago but he could not afford the flight tickets to these cities. He therefore refocussed the mission on a cheaper destination: Detroit, United States, current and former counter-terrorism officials have said.

The report showed that Yemen’s branch of Al-Qaida does not strike at symbolic places but any place of opportunity.

There had been questions on why Abdulmutallab chose to bomb Detroit. Abdulmutallab considered Houston, where he attended an Islamic conference in 2008, current and former counter-terrorism officials told the AP. Another person with knowledge of the case said Abdulmutallab also considered Chicago but was discouraged by the cost. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the case.

While the target and timing were unimportant, the mission itself was a highly organised plot that involved one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorists and al-Qaida’s go-to bomb maker, current and former officials said. Before Abdulmutallab set off on his mission, he visited the home of al-Qaida manager Fahd al-Quso to discuss the plot and the workings of the bomb.

Al-Quso, 36, is one of the most senior al-Qaida leaders publicly linked to the Christmas plot. His association with al-Qaida stretches back more than a decade to his days in Afghanistan when, prosecutors said, bin Laden implored him to “eliminate the infidels from the Arabian Peninsula.”

From there he rose through the ranks. He was assigned the job in Aden to videotape the 1998 suicide bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 sailors and injured 39 others, but fell asleep. Despite the lapse, he is now a mid-level manager in the organisation. Al-Quso is from the same tribe as radical U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who had an operational role in the botched Christmas attack.

In December, Al-Quso was designated a global terrorist by the State Department, a possible indication that his role in al-Qaida’s Yemen franchise has grown more dangerous.

Al-Quso was indicted on 50 terrorism counts in New York for his role preparing for the Cole attack and served more than five years in prison in Yemen before he was released in 2007. On the FBI’s list, al-Quso ranks behind only bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri among the most sought-after al-Qaida terrorists.

After meeting with al-Quso, Abdulmutallab left Yemen in December 2009 and made his way to Ghana, where he paid $2,831 in cash for a round-trip ticket from Nigeria to Amsterdam to Detroit and back.

The Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, finally bowed to former president, Olusegun Obasanjo’s political supremacy, as he passionately begged for forgiveness and also admitted that Tunji Olurin is the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state for the forthcoming elections.

The meeting which took place at the Hilltop Private Residence of Mr Obasanjo in Abeokuta on Friday was facilitated by prominent lawyer, Afe Babalola, and lasted for over three hours. In attendance were: Adebutu Kensington, Kenny Martins, Olubara of Ibara, and Jacob Omolade (a traditional ruler), among others.

Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Mr Daniel said, “Well in all things we have to give thanks to God. And I think what has happened today is a manifestation of work of God and I want to seize this opportunity to thank the elders and to also thank Baba for the opportunity of the meeting.” When asked if he begged the former president for forgiveness, the governor said “Let me say this, to you, I am a true Yoruba son, and in Yorubaland it doesn’t matter who is right or who is wrong. It is the younger that will beg the older person, so I have begged Baba and I will continue to beg him.” Mr Daniel, who also admitted that Mr Olurin is the authentic governorship candidate of the ruling PDP in the state added, “Of course, Olurin is the governorship candidate of PDP. I don’t have any doubt in my mind that we can work things out.

Re-uniting the party

“What we have started to do today is a manifestation of better things to come. As you have always been aware, it is true that a large number of our supporters feel disenchanted and I think even if we have to sit down and begin to find a lasting solution, that is what we have started today,” Mr Daniel stated.

“I have no doubt in my mind that we will talk to ourselves. PDP still remains a very strong and united party. And you know that there was never a time that I left. The people who left felt very aggrieved. And we are starting the process of reconciliation.” In his own reaction, Mr Obasanjo said he has forgiven Mr Daniel, adding “Well you know one thing, if you are a true Christian your prayer would be our father who hath in Heaven, and you will end up with forgive us our trespasses and those who trespass against us whether knowingly or unknowingly.” “Of course as long as I pray to God to forgive me my sins, I forgive people who sin against me, particularly those who ask for forgiveness. Then I ask God to deliver me from evil and deliver those who sin against me.” Similarly, arrowhead of the peace meeting, Mr Babalola, spoke with journalists and said, “We are happy to say we have settled the rift in PDP and it has been properly resolved today, and Governor Daniel will be at the airport tomorrow as PDP Governor with PDP members to receive His Excellency the President. We are happy that all problems are amicably resolved.” It is believed that the sudden turnaround on the part of the governor must have been fast-tracked by the planned visit of President, Goodluck Jonathan, to the state tomorrow, March 12, 2011 in continuation of his presidential campaign tour across the country.

Yesterday was the first day of Lent, where Christians choose to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness by giving up certain foods or drinks or abandoning bad habits.

Even for non-believers, Lent can be an ideal time to set a target and break a few habits which can be bad for your health.

Candy

You may think that three wine gum packs a week are a reasonable indulgence, but at 170 calories per pack, over 40 days of Lent you could give up 2900 calories.

Likewise, if you usually go through three packs of chewing gum weekly, giving your jaw a break over Lent would also spare you about 2900 calories.

Chocolate

If,  you have resolved to give up chocolate for Lent, good for you. The average sized Mars bar contains 230 calories (as well as 12g of fat) and a Snickers bar contains around 218 calories.

If you are in the habit of snacking on these twice a week, you will be saving about 2500 calories if you give these up for Lent. As for chocolate being good for boosting your mood? So are friends.

Alcohol

Gram for gram, alcohol is nearly equal to fat when it comes to calories; one  unit of alcohol contains eight grams of alcohol and 56 calories.

A medium glass of red wine (175ml) contains around 120 calories. If you give up your evening glass of wine, you would reduce your intake by around 840 calories per week or 4800 for the period of Lent.

Similarly, giving up a bottle of shine shine bobo and odeku (5%) after work, would save around 1750 calories a week and 10,000 calories for the period of Lent. You would also be doing your liver a favour!

Cigarettes

Coincidentally, the first day of Lent is also a National No Smoking Day in some countries. If you smoke, the single best thing you can do is to quit. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and cancer and causes around 120,000 deaths every year. It's also expensive.

It usually takes more than one attempt to kick the habit, but studies have shown that people are four times more likely to quit with support compared with those who go it alone. So contact your GP or practice nurse to get the support you need.

Facebook

Not much of a sacrifice you might think. But calculate how much time you spend on Facebook. Many studies have linked "screen time" to an increased risk of heart disease and obesity. Instead of browsing on the internet, why not go for a walk?

Walking around 10,000 steps a day will burn off 300 to 400 calories, or up to 16,000 calories in total for Lent. It's good for the heart, helps with weight loss and can help lower your risk of cancer. It's also free.

Nollywood movies

we all know that nollywood movies are very addictive but we also know how many nollywood movies will end so giving it up for lent might just be what you need ! no mercy johnson for 40days !

ps.

you can also dump facebook for 9jabook.com which is attempting to rebrain nigerian youth lol !

Happy lent !

readapted for a nigerian audience

Have you ever known someone who really trusts God? When I was an atheist, I had a good friend who prayed often. She would tell me every week about something she was trusting God to take care of. And every week I would see God do something unusual to answer her prayer. Do you know how difficult it is for an atheist to observe this week after week? After a while, "coincidence" begins to sound like a very weak argument.

So why would God answer my friend's prayers? The biggest reason is that she had a relationship with God. She wanted to follow God. And she actually listened to what he said. In her mind, God had the right to direct her in life, and she welcomed him doing just that! When she prayed for things, it was a natural part of her relationship with God. She felt very comfortable coming to God with her needs, her concerns, and whatever issues were current in her life. Furthermore, she was convinced, from what she read in the Bible, that God wanted her to rely on him like that.

She pretty much exhibited what this statement from the Bible says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."¹ "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer..."²

So, Why Doesn't God Answer Everyone's Prayers?

It may be because they don't have a relationship with God. They may know that God exists, and they might even worship God from time to time. But those who never seem to have their prayers answered probably don't have a relationship with him. Further, they have never received from God complete forgiveness for their sin. What does that have to do with it you ask? Here is an explanation. "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."³

It's pretty natural to feel that separation from God. When people begin to ask God for something, what usually takes place? They begin with, "God, I really need your help with this problem..." And then there's a pause, followed by a restart... "I realize that I'm not a perfect person, that I actually have no right to ask you for this..." There's an awareness of personal sin and failure. And the person knows that it's not just them; that God is aware of it too. There's a feeling of, "Who am I kidding?" What they may not know is how they can receive God's forgiveness for all their sin. They might not know that they can come into a relationship with God so that God will hear them. This is the foundation for God answering your prayer.

How to Pray: The Foundation

You must first begin a relationship with God. Imagine some guy named Mike decides to ask the president of Princeton University (whom Mike doesn't even know) to co-sign a car loan for him. Mike would have zero chance of that happening. (We're assuming that the president of Princeton is not an idiot.) However, if that same president's daughter asked her dad to co-sign a car loan for her, it would be no problem. Relationship matters.

With God, when the person is actually a child of God, when the person belongs to God, he knows them and hears their prayers. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me...my sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."⁴

When it comes to God then, do you really know him and does he know you? Do you have a relationship with him that warrants God answering your prayers? Or is God pretty distant, pretty much just a concept in your life? If God is distant, or you're not sure that you know God, here is how you can begin a relationship with him right now: Getting Connected.

Will God Definitely Answer Your Prayer?

For those who do know him and rely on him, Jesus seems to be wildly generous in his offer: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."⁵ To "remain" in him and have his words remain in them means they conduct their lives aware of him, relying on him, listening to what he says. Then they're able to ask him whatever they want. Here is another qualifier: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him."⁶ God answers our prayers according to his will (and according to his wisdom, his love for us, his holiness, etc.).

Where we trip up is assuming we know God's will, because a certain thing makes sense to us! We assume that there is only one right "answer" to a specific prayer, assuming certainly THAT would be God's will. And this is where it gets tough. We live within the limits of time and limits of knowledge. We have only limited information about a situation and the implications of future action on that situation. God's understanding is unlimited. How an event plays out in the course of life or history is only something he knows. And he may have purposes far beyond what we could even imagine. So, God is not going to do something simply because we determine that it must be his will.

What Does It Take? What is God Inclined to Do?

Pages and pages could be filled about God's intentions toward us. The entire Bible is a description of the kind of relationship God wants us to experience with him and the kind of life he wants to give us. Here are just a few examples:

"...the Lord longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for [trust] him!"⁷ Did you catch that? Like someone rising out of his chair to come to your help, "He rises to show you compassion." "As for God, his way is perfect...He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."⁸ "The Lord delights in those who fear [reverence] him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."⁹

However, God's greatest display of his love and commitment to you is this: Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,"¹⁰which is what Jesus did for us. And so, "If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?"¹¹

What about "Unanswered" Prayer?

Certainly people get sick, even die; financial problems are real, and all sorts of very difficult situations can come up. What then?

God tells us to give our concerns to him. Even as the situation remains dismal, "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."¹² The circumstances may look out of control, but they aren't. When the whole world seems to be falling apart, God can keep us together. This is when a person can be very grateful that they know God. "The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."¹³ God may provide solutions, resolutions to the problem WAY beyond what you imagined possible. Probably any Christian could list examples like this in their own lives. But if the circumstances do not improve, God can still give us his peace in the midst of it. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."¹⁴

It is at this point (when circumstances are still tough) that God asks us to continue to trust him -- to "walk by faith, not by sight" the Bible says. But it's not blind faith. It is based on the very character of God. A car traveling on the Golden Gate Bridge is fully supported by the integrity of the bridge. It doesn't matter what the driver may be feeling, or thinking about, or discussing with someone in the passenger seat. What gets the car safely to the other side is the integrity of the bridge, which the driver was willing to trust.

In the same way, God asks us to trust his integrity, his character...his compassion, love, wisdom, righteousness on our behalf. He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."¹⁵ "Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us."¹⁶

In Summary...How to Pray

God has offered to answer the prayers of his children (those who have received him into their lives and seek to follow him). He asks us to take any concerns to him in prayer and he will act upon it according to his will. As we deal with difficulties we are to cast our cares on him and receive from him a peace that defies the circumstances. The basis for our hope and faith is the character of God himself. The better we know him, the more apt we are to trust him...

For more on the character of God, please see "Who is God?" or other articles on this site. The reason for our prayers is God's character. The first prayer God answers is your prayer to begin a relationship with God.

This should be in the  Guiness Book of Records  

The number of ‘tenants’ allegedly defrauded by an estate agent in Lagos, has risen to 64, even as policemen at the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, are still collating names of victims. The Police have also confirmed that Omotayo Balogun, who other victims claimed was not one of them, was actually defrauded by the estate agent, Olatunde Najeem.

 
According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the SFU, Ngozi Isintume, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Balogun paid the sum of N500,000, to Najeem for a mini flat.
She explained that after the payment, Najeem failed to give the flat to him. According to her, it was based on that, that he (Balogun) wrote a petition to the SFU on December 2, 2010, which led to the arrest of the suspect.
She disclosed that it was when other victims heard that Najeem had been arrested that they came to report that they were also defrauded by the suspect.
The PRO, however, wondered why some of the victims resorted to being hostile to the policemen, who according to her, were working to ensure that they get justice..
“It is not true that Balogun was not defrauded by the same estate agent. It’s not possible for all the victims to know themselves. The police are in a better position to know the victims because, they come to complain to us and not to their fellow victims.
“Omotayo was the first person who wrote a petition to the police. Those who are alleging that Balogun was not one of the victims, did not even report the matter to the police. It was when they heard that he had written a petition to the SFU, leading to the arrest of the suspect, that they started showing up,” she said.
Meanwhile, Isintume has advised people to always carry out thorough investigation before paying for accommodation. She also urged other victims in the rent scam to visit SFU for further information.
Daily Sun had in its Thursday, February, 17, 2011, edition published report of the estate agent, who defrauded 51 ‘tenants’ the sum of N16.9million.
 

 
 

Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole yesterday denied reports of accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of multiple voting during the 2007 general elections.

NEXT carried a report yesterday based on a US dispatch leaked by whistleblower site, wikileaks. The dispatch quoted US officials as saying Mr Oshiomhole said the vice president voted four times during the 2007 elections. But the state governor, in a press statement signed by his spokesperson, Tony Iyare said the vice president referred to by his boss was a former military vice president, Augustus Aikhomu.

The presidency also reacted to the story yesterday by accusing NEXT of ‘deliberately waging a malicious campaign of falsehood and calumny aimed at impugning the integrity of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.' The Edo statement said, in parts: "Our attention has been drawn to a story of the NEXT on Sunday ... that the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole told some US diplomats in December 2008 that President Goodluck Jonathan voted four times as Vice President in the April 2007 election.

"It is obvious that there was a clear mix-up in the story as the person in reference is the former military Vice President, Augustus Aikhomu, whose name was tendered in court for voting four times during the epic case to regain the mandate popularly given to Mr. Oshiomhole by the Edo people and not President Goodluck Jonathan. "In addition, what was tendered in court was the electoral register bearing the names of voters in Edo State which had nothing to do with Mr. Jonathan who voted in Bayelsa.

"Why we still ponder over the import of the strange linkage to the President, we are particularly moved not to suspect that NEXT is opening its flanks to the whims of mischief makers or some unscrupulous elements who deliberately wish to drive a wedge between Messrs Jonathan and Oshiomhole...

"We wish to place on record that there was no where either in the tendered court documents or the brief with the US diplomats where President Jonathan's name featured for voting four times. We want to plead that the media should endeavour to verify its facts painstakingly before going to press in order to avoid causing unnecessary disaffection." However, it is unclear why the wikileaks cables quoted by NEXT would be referring to Aikhomu as vice president in 2007.

Call for redress

The spokesperson to the president, Ima Niboro on his part alleged that NEXT was waging a campaign against Mr Jonathan. "In his largeness of heart and magnanimity, President Jonathan ignored all previous attacks on his person and family by NEXT but the newspaper has gone too far this time," Mr Niboro said.

"The Presidency therefore demands a full retraction of the offensive allegation of electoral malpractice against President Jonathan and an unreserved apology to the President published by the newspaper with the same prominence as today's false report. "If this is not done in short order, we will pursue every legal means available to seek redress for the president and the presidency."

comment: funny to notice that so many denials are coming from Edo State these days .

Oba gator kpe eh ! Ise 

Posters Comment:

Next what are you guys up to . Do you now work for the US Government ? 

We had just had elections in 2007 that, by most accounts, were possibly worst ever, and the legitimacy of the presidential poll that the authorities had declared won by Umaru Yar'Adua and his running mate, Goodluck Jonathan, hung in the balance.

Justices of our Supreme Court, the final arbiters of the disputed election, immediately became the objects of affection of interested politicians, who proceeded to shower them with cash to make sure they confirmed the legitimacy of the election of Messrs Yar'Adua and Jonathan, according to secret US diplomatic cables leaked to the whistleblower site Wikileaks and made available to NEXT.

According to the cables, filed to Washington by then US ambassador to Abuja, Robin Sanders, the source of this information was none other than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

Following a two-hour meeting with Mr. Bankole on May 5, 2009, Ms. Sanders filed a report to the US State Department in which she said the House Speaker told her he had proof that the venerable justices were bought and paid for with cash supplied by the former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

According to Mr. Bankole, Mr. Ibori, a convicted criminal, who is being held in preventive detention in Dubai while awaiting extradition to London to face the latest in his many corruption trials, got the then newly appointed federal attorney general, Michael Aondoakaa, to serve as bag man, delivering the cash to the unnamed Supreme Court justices.

Mr. Bankole also told the US ambassador that by accepting bribes to reach a legal condition favourable to President Yar'Adua and Vice President Jonathan, the supreme court justices had "tasted blood".

The cables made exclusively available to NEXT are part of a cache of more than 250,000 US diplomatic reports leaked to Wikileaks, the whistleblower web site now under legal siege in Europe and whose work has caused major embarrassment for the US government.

While the revelation from Mr. Bankole cannot be independently verified by NEXT, the cables themselves are indisputably authentic and the U.S government has never cast doubt on the accounts.

On May 6, 2009, a day after the meeting with the Speaker, Ms. Sanders filed a report to her principals in Washington, detailing her interaction with Mr. Bankole, whom she described as "sometimes elusive, but certainly ego-driven."

"Bankole claimed that he had proof that most of the judges had lined their pockets throughout the entire process of rerunning state elections, including the Supreme Court decision on President Yar'Adua's case in November 2008," the diplomatic cable read.

‘It is not true'

When contacted on Sunday, Mr. Bankole did not deny that he had met with the US ambassador but claimed he was misquoted.

"He could not have said what was attributed to him," Mr. Bankole's spokesman, Musa Ebhomhiana, said by telephone. "He is not an INEC official and could not have said that about the election. But how can you believe whatever Wikileaks says, given the damage it has been doing around the world?"

On his part, Mr. Aondoakaa said Bankole's allegation is ‘rubbish'. "I don't know whether he really said that or why he said it," the former AGF said by telephone. "But let him come out in the open and say it. Then, I will know what to say or do."

Mr. Aondoakaa denied that he passed bribes to the justices. "Yar'Adua is not a man who gives bribe, and Ibori did not give me a kobo to give to anybody. I didn't do anything like that."

The justices involved in the case could not be reached on Sunday.

When contacted, Sunday Olorundahunsi, the chief registrar at the Supreme Court who also doubles as spokesperson for our highest court, wouldn't comment on the statement credited to Mr. Bankole. Immediately our reporter posed his question to him via telephone, Mr. Olorundahunsi terminated the call. He did not answer subsequent calls.

A former Chief Justice of the Nation, Muhammadu Uwais, declined comment on Mr. Bankole's comment, saying he had retired at the time the Supreme Court decided the case.

Justices of the Supreme Court and other senior judges have lately been enveloped in the stench of another election scandal, in which senior judges have accused one another of manoeuvring to reassign judges in a way that friendly justices can determine the outcome of election cases.

The 2007 presidential election was characterized by irregularities and violence and was rated by both international and domestic observers as the worst election ever held in the country.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, two contestants, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC) dragged Mr. Yar'Adua to court, asking that the election be annulled.

In February 2008, the Court of Appeal upheld the election. The appellants then took their case to the Supreme Court. The seven-member panel of the Supreme Court concurred with the appellate court in November that year.

The four Judges who voted in favour of Mr. Yar'Adua were Legbo Kutigi, who was the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) at the time; Aloysius Katsina-Alu, the current CJN; Niki Tobi; and Dahiru Musdapher. Justices George Oguntade, Maryam Mukthar and Samuel Onnoghen, in a minority judgment, held that the election failed substantially to comply with the law.

Bribing the Judges

According to Mr. Bankole, the cable reported, the late president was actively involved in the bribery process and made special arrangement to ensure that the judges swing judgment in his favour. Mr. Ibori was the money bag while Mr. Aondoakaa, was the conduit.

Ms. Sanders explained that the disclosure by the Speaker was a confirmation of earlier reports the U.S. Mission in Nigeria had received regarding how the Supreme Court decision was manipulated to favour the late president and his then deputy (who is now president).

"We had also heard during the entire Supreme Court process on the Yar'Adua case that the judges had been heavily influenced and paid off," Ms. Sanders said in her report, quoting Mr. Bankole as saying ‘he had no faith in the transparency of the judiciary'.

There were reports in the media at the time that as much as $30million was spent to bribe the Supreme Court judges. But there was no concrete evidence to back the claim.

The Speaker reportedly said the judiciary had over-stepped its bounds in most of the rerun gubernatorial elections, and had "tasted blood," with its new found power to influence state elections and power politics in Nigeria.

Ms. Sanders also said that the Speaker's revelation was a confirmation of Mr. Aondoakaa's corruption as well as an explanation for why Mr. Yar'Adua refused to fire the former AGF in spite of the widespread calls for his removal.

"The Ambassador asked what this particular minister [the AGF] had on the president," the cable further reported. "Bankole said without hesitation he was the money conduit from Ibori to the Judiciary as regards to the President's Supreme Court case.

"The Mission was always aware that Yar'Adua would not touch him [the AGF], but also did not believe that the President was unaware of the AG's corruption. Evidently not only was he aware, but also had to use the AG as the avenue to secure the Supreme Court decision, if Bankole's comments are true," Ms. Sanders said.

Reacting to the revelation, Jiti Ogunye, a lawyer and activist said, "If Bankole says he has proof, he should bring it forward. He is the Number 4 citizen of this country. If he has proof and he has been sitting down like a lame duck and is not bringing it out to help the country, what are we to make of him? That is not a statesman. If there is that allegation, the public ought to be helped by the provision of evidence."

I was thinking about 2 naija supermodels Oluchi & Agbani who has more class ?

Early life
Onweagba grew up in the suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria with her two brothers and sisters. She is the daughter of a civil servant father and mother who was a nurse.[2] When Onweagba was 16 years old, she won the "Face Of Africa" contest.[2]

She was urged by a family friend to enter into the M-Net "Face of Africa" preliminary screening at the M-Net office in Victoria Island, Lagos.[3] The agency groomed her to be one of Nigeria's entrants for the 1998 competition (now called the Nokia Face of Africa). This despite the fact that, growing up, she had maintained a relative ignorance towards fashion and modeling.[citation needed] With the support of her family and friends, she decided to compete in the inaugural edition of the Face of Africa in 1998. This was the first-ever continent-wide model competition, organized by the South African channel M-Net in collaboration with Elite Model Management.[citation needed] She won the competition.[4] She was just seventeen years old. Elite Model Management awarded Onweagba a three-year modeling contract.

By GILBERT EKEZIE 

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Okoye

Peter Joseph Okoye who was last seen on November 21, 2010 could rightly be said to have just disappeared.

He is founder of Jesus the Man I Know Ministry and was to travel to his hometown in a week’s time before his disappearance to commence processes for his marriage. While Peter’s whereabouts remain a mystery his beloved fiancée, Ifunanya Umeh keeps waiting for the marriage.

The beginning of the gist is that Peter was allegedly sent to Ijebu Ode by a member of his ministry, Philip Enyabine to rescue a man struck by lightning.

In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, the family is alleging that Ifunanya was used as bait by his boss, Enyabine, to lure their brother to his waterloo. They claimed that the duo pricked by their sense of guilt, dramatically turned round to be the ones raising alarm about Peter, when the family still presumed that he was on one of his usual evangelical missions that sometimes kept him for days, except on Fridays.

Their story

Tracing his disappearance, his elder brother Uche, told Saturday Sun that his brother, an evangelist, spent little or no time in their house at 38 Osho Drive, Olodi, Apapa, Lagos. He recalled that on November 20, Sunday, Peter returned from a programme with a food flask supposedly from his fiancée. He told his brothers that his wife prepared a dish for him which he shared with his brother and friends. “Shortly after the meal he left for his usual work. Because of the demands of his ministry, nobody bothered to know whether he came back to the house or not. We became worried when on November 23 his fiancée, Ifunanya, called our sister, in Nsukka demanding to know if Peter was with her.”

Peter’s sibling wondered why Ifunaya who was a regular visitor at their home could call their sister in far away Nsukka. They immediately tried his mobile line to find he had switched off. They also called Ifunanya back to hear from her that Peter went to see one of the members of his ministry, Philip Enyiabine. The siblings visited Enyiabine, a familiar person to the family to know if he knew their brother’s whereabouts. Uche said Enyiabine told them that he sent Philip to rescue his friend who was struck by lightning at a monastery in Ijebu Ode.

“He said his friend was on his way to the east, when his vehicle broke down at Ore. He decided to go down to the Ijebu Ode monastery, where he was struck by lightning. He said he had spoken with Peter who confirmed to him he was at Ijebu Ode for the prayer and had promised to return as soon as possible.”

Confusion

All friends and allies were determined to help the Okoyes find their brother. To demonstrate his commitment, Enyabine, gave the team some money to travel to Ijebu Ode and its environs incase, Peter was involved in an accident. On November 26, the rescue team combed all prayer sites in Oyo and Ogun states and some of the monks on site told them that they did not see someone that fits their description of Peter who also was a regular visitor to the prayer mountains in the area. At the Ogun Monastery, the monk in-charge, told them that there was no incident of thunder strike in the area and called its Ijebu Ode branch that also affirmed that no one was struck. Back in Lagos they lodged a complaint with the police and Federal Road Safety Corp. Both told them they had no record involving their brother.

Back home and confused, the family kept on making frantic efforts to locate their brother, Pastors who claimed to have the spirit of vision visited them and promised to help them locate their brother. One of such persons was Peter’s assistant. But after sometime and search efforts, the family got threat calls from unknown persons warning them to stay off the effort and attempt to locate Peter or risk facing same fate.

However hope of finding Peter waxed on November 28 when the family received a call from a man who claimed to have abducted him. The caller demanded N5m ransom, but finally agreed to take N200,000 after much pleading to release him. Still determined to help the family find Peter, Enyabine also gave N100,000. They were directed to drop the money at a spot in Ajegunle, Lagos, which they did with the promise that Peter would be released the next day. They waited endlessly and Peter was not found nor released till now.

Accusations

The matter took another dimension when the family discovered that Ifunanya was allegedly hiding some important information from them. After much pressure, she told the family that Enyabine had alleged that Peter made away with his money. Taken aback, the family wondered why Enyabine or Peter’s fiancée never told them of this development all this while.

They confronted Enyabine who confirmed that Peter defrauded him of N20 million.

“I asked him to explain to the entire family, how our brother who he never had any business with duped him of N20m. He told us that he kept money in a special room and Peter asked him to mix the money with some dollars and pray so the money will increase. And true to his words the money increased and he was advised to keep it in that room. He never suspected anything till Peter disappeared. They opened the house and discovered that all the money, about N5m was gone. At that point it became clear that Enyabine could know the whereabouts of our brother, so we reported the case to the police.”

He narrated further that: “I introduced my brother to Enyabine when he had problem in his business. Months after the introduction, his life changed and in appreciation, Enyabine gave him a brand new bus and a flat at Iyana Iba. He also employed his fiancée as personal assistant. It was after this discovery that I recalled that Peter had told us that he was offered money by some people to stop praying for Enyabine. Even if, our brother owes him, let him tell us where to find him and he will surely get his money back. Why did it take him 13 days to open up and accuse my brother of theft if there is no hidden agenda? We felt betrayed that a woman our brother is planning to marry would do this.”

All efforts to get across to Enyabine failed as his phone numbers where out of reach. Our finding is that he has since relocated to Abuja where the matter is being investigated. Ifunanya who was also indicted told Saturday Sun on phone that she was arrested and taken to Abuja for investigation. “I have been released and I know that my God will vindicate me.”

Police investigation

When the suspicion heightened, the Okoyes reported the matter to the Lagos State Criminal Investigation, Panti, and Enyabine and Ifunanya were arrested and interrogated. Not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, the family sought the transfer of the case to the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele, Lagos.

The event however took a dramatic turn, when the suspect, Enyabine tired of harassment cried for justice and the Okoye brothers were arrested and transferred to Abuja where the Commissioner for Police, Special Investigation Unit is handling the case. At the time of filing this report Uche was still in detention for false accusation.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olusola Amore told Saturday Sun that the police are investigating the matter to find out what became of Peter. He also said in response to Uche’s detention that in the course of investigation, both the accused and the complainant are relevant and the police cannot be used to intimidate any person when investigation has not shown that the accused is guilty.

He called on the Okoye family to be patient as the police would bring anyone involved in the sudden disappearance of Peter to face the wroth of the law.

Strong indications emerged yesterday that former vice president Atiku Abubakar may be heading for the law court following the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s alleged indifference to his petition to challenge the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary.

Atiku lost the PDP presidential ticket on January 13 to President Goodluck Jonathan. He ruled out heading to court to challenge the outcome of the primaries. Instead he wrote a petition dated January 28, 2011 to INEC, which became a subject of controversy as the electoral body belatedly acknowledged the petition last Monday.
   
It was however gathered that following INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega’s charge to Atiku to go take his case to court, the former vice president may have given the go ahead to his legal team to begin court action on the matter.
Atiku’s bid to return to court received impetus from two recent court decisions by Justices Lawal Gumi and Ishaq Usman Bello, both of the Abuja High Court, who, in separate decisions upheld the sanctity of zoning and ruled that it was justiciable.

In the particular decision by Justice Bello, his opinion was that the suit challenging the President, Goodluck Jonathan’s right to run was premature since, at that time, the Peoples Democratic Party had not yet given him its ticket.
He added that a candidate in the primaries had a right to challenge Jonathan and the Party in court in the event of any such breach of the PDP zoning policy.

Sources said yesterday that the legal team led by a very senior advocate (SAN) of the Nigerian bar may file proceedings in court against President Goodluck Jonathan’s candidature in the coming days. They are of the view that Atiku will have a good day in court.  

It was gathered that the former vice president had up to this point warded off pressures to take legal action over the outcome of the PDP convention, but INEC’S “lack of interest and partisanship” in the handling of the petition he submitted to them, may have pushed the former vice president to the wall.
“How can Jega’s INEC claim to be enforcing internal democracy in Kano CPC on account of its monitoring of the primaries and then turn around to refer to Atiku’s complaints as internal party affairs,” a source close to Atiku’s lawyer queried.

The source said INEC’s dismissal of the Atiku’s petition after weeks of being in denial of the existence of the petition entitled “petition against illegalities of the conduct of the PDP presidential primary election on 13th january, 2011” amounts to double standard...

Uchendu, wife and babies

He was convinced that the parcel he picked was well loaded and among the best and, therefore, had no need to worry about.

But wishes, they say, are not horses. For 16 tortuous years, Uchedu lived with her wife, Judith, but without a single child to show for the marriage. Chief Uchendu did his traditional marriage on June 6, 1992 and church wedding on November 28 of the same year.

As the problem lingers, Uchendu who hails from Ibeme Ugiri in Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State set out in search for a solution.

This took the husband and wife from one place to another; from one medical prescription to another, yet there was no headway.

In a chat with Daily Sun, Uchendu said: “I did everything humanly possible for 16 years to see if I could get a child, but there was no way. I spent more than N10 million in the search for just a child, in fact, all the money I made within that period was all spent, and still there was no solution.”

But one thing that the couple had going for them was their absolute faith in what God can do.

“After sometime, we took a decision that we would not go to any where again in search of a child; if God would not give us one, we will accept His wish after all we’ve tried as human beings. After that decision, we stopped all medications towards this direction and hoped wholly on God”, Uchendu said.

Uchendu, a Christian of the Catholic fold, decided to put his faith in God in practice as he went into knighthood and was conferred with the Knight of Saint John International (KSJ).

Two spectacular things happened during the period that preceded his initiation into knighthood in September 2007.

First, his wife who although may have disagreed with him on some issues, but definitely not on the issue of child bearing, vehemently opposed his idea of going into knighthood.

Her reason, according to Uchendu, was that, “when one is initiated into knighthood, he would not marry two wives. She was afraid my family would accuse her of luring me into knighthood in order to stop me from marrying another woman who would bear me children. I told her to relax because all the while, she never knew there was no pressure from my family to marry another woman because we are a Christian family”.

The second and more spectacular thing which happened within the period was that as Uchendu was attending programmes preparatory to his knighthood initiation, his wife became pregnant and they never knew.

His words: “As I was attending programmes preceding my initiation into the knighthood, I never knew my wife had taken in. When it became evident, I asked her to go for scanning tests and the results showed he had only one child in her womb and we prepared for her delivery based on the result of the scanning.

“But God in His infinite way of doing things, my wife in February 2008, delivered twins (a boy and a girl). One came out at exactly 5.00p.m. on that fateful day and the second followed 30 minutes later,” he said.

As the twins, Prince Udochukwu and Princeness Adaeze were delivered, Uchendu said that at first he was confused, but later felt relieved.

He said everything around him changed as his house on School Road, Aba became a tourist site of sorts. People from far and near came to see for themselves if actually his wife given birth. Even some American doctors who attended to them in Nigeria when they were in search of the fruit of the womb, joined in the ecstasy of that moment. They went further to send gift items from America for the upkeep of the kids.

In the 16 years of waiting, wherever the couple went for medical tests, they were always said to be okay. But this never stopped people from cajoling them until it got to the point where they were in turn praised..

“Although within the 16 years of waiting, people said all sorts of things against us, but we were not bothered because we knew that one day, God will answer our prayers. After sometime, those who were cajoling and calling us all sorts of names, then turned around to praise and call us the best couple around,” he said.

Recently, the twins clocked two years and their father who had at their delivery presented a cow in fulfillment of the vow he made to God, treated them to a lavish birthday ceremony.

But like Oliver Twist, Chief Uchendu who asked for just a child, but God gave him two at once, is asking for more children, even as he said “at the same time, I will be contented with the twins if that’s all God has for me.”

He was only a candidate for vice president then but in 2007, Goodluck Jonathan is alleged to have taken matters into his own hands — literally. According to US diplomatic cables leaked to the whistleblower site Wikileaks, and which were made exclusively available to us, Mr. Jonathan helped himself gain the vice presidency four years ago by voting illegally four times. The astonishing accusation against Mr. Jonathan, now a president seeking validation at the polls next month, came from Edo governor Adams Oshiomhole, in a December 2008 briefing with US diplomats.

According to Mr. Oshiomhole, as reported in the US diplomatic cables, the court ruling voiding the supposed election of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Edo governor and declaring Mr. Oshiomhole the legitimate winner would not have been possible without documentary evidence that, Mr. Jonathan, among others, personally rigged the election.

Photo: Oshiomole presenting Benin Art Work to the president

“Oshiomhole told poloffs (‘political officers’ at the US embassy) that it proved impossible to use forensic evidence because of the poor quality of thumbprints and that claims of intimidation also proved difficult to prove in a court of law, but documentary evidence, such as proof that the ‘vice president’ had voted four times, for example, proved decisive in the courts,” the cables revealed.

Little birds

These particular cables from US diplomats stationed in Nigeria and reporting to the State Department in Washington are among a massive trove of documents made available to NEXT in a worldwide exclusive. The documents cover a whole range of people and events in our country from as early as 2003 to the last months of the poorly President Umaru Yar’Adua, whose death in office a year ago ended a constitutional crisis and resulted in the ascent of Mr. Jonathan to the highest office in the land. The cables provide an unusually unvarnished insight into the dysfunctional and ineffectual nature of our government at all levels, the various forces pushing and pulling at the country, and the vileness and rapacity of those we have allowed to govern us. Two unnamed political officers, or “poloffs,” in US diplomatic jargon, visited the governor on Dec. 17, 2008 shortly after his legal victory. It was during that meeting that Mr. Oshiomhole made his explosive claim, as dutifully recorded by his visitors. Their cable originated from the Lagos consulate. In the cable, dated Dec. 29, 2008, Mr. Jonathan, who was vice president at the time, is said to have violated the Electoral Act by voting more than once. The law stipulates a maximum fine of N1 million or 12 months’ imprisonment for violators. At a campaign rally on Thursday, President Jonathan repeated his recent declaration that neither he nor his party had any desire to rig the coming elections. He added that he would advocate transparent elections even at the cost of losing the election.

“I am assuring Nigerians that though I am contesting, nobody must manipulate votes in my favour. Our vote is very important,” he said.

Not so secret

The vote-rigging allegations against the president are known to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), according to a highly-placed source at the Commission. The source, who did not want to be named for fear of a reprisal, revealed that a petition had been filed at INEC since 2007 in which references were made to the fact that the former vice president and other public figures voted several times. The source said that the petition did not single out President Jonathan but used him as a high profile example of the rife multiple registrations that took place in Bayelsa, Mr. Jonathan’s home state, where he had served as governor, and other states in the broader Delta region.

“There was a petition which I was aware of dated November 2007 or so,” the source told NEXT. “It was filed by a pressure group in the South-South who named several people as being complicit in multiple voting. Jonathan was one of the people mentioned.

“We get hundreds of such petitions and most of them are without merit. Also, the truth is we just don’t have the time to look into all of them.”

Local and international observers condemned the 2007 election for being heavily rigged in favour of the PDP, with some classifying it as our worst ever. Even President Yar’Adua, in his inaugural address, acknowledged as much, promising to clean things up by 2011. Several cases are still pending in court over the four-year-old election, with successful upturns recorded in Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Osun states. Mr. Oshiomhole, who is himself a beneficiary of a successful legal challenge in Edo state, is described in the diplomatic cable as a “refreshing reminder that Nigeria possesses competent and honest leaders”.

During the visit by the US officials, the Edo State governor said that approximately 2,000 volunteers in 120 different polling stations had gone through ballots, result sheets and voter registration records to identify documentary evidence of fraud.

Double registration

A day before President Jonathan announced that “nobody must manipulate votes in my favour”, Attahiru Jega, the electoral commission chairman, revealed that several high profile individuals registered more than once in the recently completed voter registration exercise. Mr. Jega refused to divulge the names of the “high profile double registrants” but said that they could all face prosecution.

Several parties have responded angrily to Mr. Jega’s stark admission that influential Nigerians were planning to rig the forthcoming elections. Ibrahim Modibbo, a spokesperson for the Nuhu Ribadu presidential campaign, said that although the INEC chairman did not mention any names, almost all of the offenders were in the PDP.

“I don’t believe you will find ACN members in this act because we are disciplined people,” he said.

The party’s secretary, Lai Mohammed, denounced Mr. Jega’s decision to withhold the name of the culprits and demanded he publish them.

“If he has the names as he claims, what is he waiting for? He should publish their names and prosecute them,” he said.

The spokesperson for the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Emma Eneukwu, said the offenders should be taken to court,

“It is a criminal offence,” he said. “If the penalty attached to these offences are handed to the offenders, it will serve as deterrent. There is no sacred cow.

“The issue of multiple registration has been a problem in the country and until somebody is punished we cannot have transparent polls.”

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties(CNPP) spokesman, Osita Okechukwu, challenged the electoral commission boss to publish the names.

“We challenge Jega to publish forthwith the names of those involved and prosecute them in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act,” he said. “He should immediately ask all the RECs (Resident Electoral Commissioners) to audit the Authentic Finger Identification System (AFIS) so that they can separate the junk and the underaged.”

see attachment or click and judge for yourself 

i think it is a literary slant as he does not explain further 

Adams-Oshiomole-seeks-radical-change.pdf

culled from:

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5681378-146/story.csp

The 2011 Liveabililty Ranking and Overview has rated Lagos city as the fourth worst city to live in. Last year, the city ranked fifth after an assessment of living conditions in 140 cities around the world using 30 indicators across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

This was revealed in the latest summary of the EIU Liveability survey for the year 2010 where the state depreciated further from the fifth worst city it was ranked in 2009. With sub-indicators for each of factors such as the availability and quality of both private and public health care coupled with general health indicators, while prevalence of petty/violent crimes with threat of civil unrest/militancy are evaluated for the stability indicator.

The incessant rush-hour traffic congestion on major roads of the metropolis; insufficient low-cost housing, and its attendant impact on the housing needs of the rapidly growing population are glaring examples of the strained infrastructure needs of the city under the infrastructure indicators.

Lagos was ranked 137 in the list of 140 countries surveyed. The city with a population of 18million people had an overall rating of 39.0. The state also earned the score of 25 in stability, 33.3 in both education and health care and an above average score of 52.3 for culture and environment. The recent huge investments by the state government in infrastructure earned the state a score of 48.2.

However the deputy state governor, Sarah Sosan, who oversees the Ministry of Education disagreed with last year’s ranking stating that, “I don’t think the standard of education is low.” She said this during a press briefing held to mark the third anniversary of the current administration. “We need to improve on factors and we’ve been doing that through the rehabilitation of science laboratories, provision of libraries, putting of furniture in place, and so on. We are also aggressively putting structures in place to reduce congestion in our schools.”

On the first position of the worst city to live in the world is the Zimbabwean capital; Harare which was closely followed by Dhaka-the Bangladeshi capital which is currently hosting the cricket world cup and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Other cities on the bottom of the table are Algiers, Karachi, Tehran, Dakar and Colombo. The bottom list was populated mainly by African and Asian cities.

Vancouver again

Vancouver in Canada remained at the top of the ranking, as it did last year and according to the EIU; the position was maintained by the “successful hosting of the 2010 winter Olympics and Paralympics, which provided a boost to the infrastructure and culture and environment categories.”

The Australian city of Melbourne rises to become the second highest ranked city with Vienna; the Austrian capital coming third.

Two other Canadian cities; Toronto and Calgary completed the top five cities most suitable to live in the world according to the EIU liveability survey.

NEXT called up the senior special assistant to the Lagos state government on media; Hakeem Bello but he declined comment saying he will have to get across to the Ministry of Economic Planning which will be privy to such statements before the state government can adequately react to it.

Respondents who reacted to the previous ranking of Lagos were unanimous that the city has enjoyed a fairly stable atmosphere despite its peculiar characteristic as a meeting point for diverse ethnic groups. Yoruba residents in the state are particularly known for their goodwill and cheer, which gives rise to the numerous parties that dot the metropolis during weekends, and even, on some cases, work days. “Lagos is like a house of everything; a mix of everything,” said Justyna Kita, a Polish citizen from Krakow who was an intern at the Murtala Muhammed Foundation

“There is the traffic, the generators, and so much noise. But the people are very friendly and open. They shake my hands in the streets, and are always singing and dancing. I have made so many friends here, and I don’t miss my home for now.” A sociologist, Uwadiegwu Otisi, attributed the city’s stability as a factor responsible for its massive population growth. “Despite the aggression displayed by most Lagos residents, the city has won accolades as a peaceful city,” he said. “And I think it has been a major form of attraction to so many people who decided to relocate to Lagos. A lot of southerners have relocated to Lagos due to the incessant religious skirmishes in the north.”..

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano

Local prostitutes are fleeing Kano, North-West Nigeria, in their numbers following a recent clampdown on their activities within the ancient city by operatives of the Hisbah Command, a Sharia’ah enforcement agency.

No fewer than 1,362 women of easy virtues were apprehended by the Sharia’ah enforcement agency in recent times in line with the state government’s policy to keep faith with the Islamic injunction.

Most of these females were arrested at different times in different locations within and outside Kano metropolis, in most cases, with their patrons.

Records from the Sahrada headquarters of Hisbah indicate that about 152 males were arrested by the agency in the last quarter, bringing the total number to 1,514. “These suspects, mostly youths were apprehended while engaging in social vices, including prostitution and drug abuse,” Alhaji Saidu Dukawa, Director-General of Hisbah Board told P.M.NEWS this morning.

According to him, out of the number of suspects arrested, 33 were handed over to National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related matters, NAPTIP, while 27 of them identified as drug addicts and peddlers were transferred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

He revealed further that the agency charged about 364 of the suspects to Shari’ah Court, “360 were repatriated, including those taken to Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, because we identified them as Christians and we believe the best to do is to hand them over to CAN.

“Moreso, about 750 youths were warned and released unconditionally, after undergoing intensive counseling. We are also working with the state Directorate of Societal Re-Orientation to rehabilitate some of the youths who turned a new leaf as a result of counseling,” Dukawa added.

InvestigationS by by P.M.News, however, indicate that some of these local prostitutes who came from Borno, Adamawa, Plateau and Kaduna states have started fleeing Kano for the fear of the Hisbah.

This development has also given rise to unprecedented influx of Hausa prostitutes into Sabon Gari, an enclave in the ancient city predominantly inhabited by non-Muslims.

Some community leaders and sellers of alcoholic drinks and spirits had engaged Hisbah in a running battle over its operation within Sabon Gari, known as a “free zone.” The remnants of these local prostitutes who could not leave the state have taken refuge in the Sabon Gari axis where they believe the Hisbah sledge hammer will not reach them. P.M.NEWS checks revealed that they have increased the tempo of night-life in some cheap brothels within Sabon Gari, including the notorious Abedi Street, known as an abode for local prostitutes.