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passes (9)

Petroleum Industry Bill: Long awaited PIB passes second reading

Posted by 9jabook.com on November 15, 2012 at 9:30pm

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri  Tambuwal, has constituted a 23-member special Ad-hoc committee that would further fine tune the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB.

The bill after extensive debate that lasted for two days on the floor of the Lower Chamber, passed through second reading attracted overwhelming support of the lawmakers.

The newly constituted committee is to be chaired by Ishaku Bawa, the Chief Whip of the House while the Minority Whip, Samson Osagie will serve as the Deputy Chairman of the committee which is expected to conduct a public hearing on the bill.

Members of the special panel include - Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Muraina Ajibola, and his Deputy,  Moshood Mustapha, Chairman, Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Peterside Dakuku and his Deputy, Yusuf Galambi, Chairman of the Committee on Environment, Uche Ekwunife and her Deputy, Abubakar Musa, Chairman of the Committee on Gas Resources, Basey Ewa, and his Deputy, Gerald Ironna, Chairman of the Committee on Justice, Ali Ahmed and his Deputy, Emeka Nwaogbo, and Chairman of the committee on Local Content, Asita Honourable and his Deputy, Nasir Ali Ahmed, Yusuf Manu, Hassan Saleh, Daniel Reyenieju, Musa Sarki Adar, Kadija Bukar Ibrahim, Rafeesuat Bamiro, Uzor Azubuike, Peter Akpatason, Rotimi Makinde.

The Deputy Leader of the House Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP/Delta) who reintroduced the bill for debate stated that the bill would promote accountability, transparency and openness in the nation’s petroleum sector should it be passed the way it was presented by the executive.

The Bill entitled "A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of a legal, fiscal and regulatory framework for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria and for other related matters and a Bill for an Act to establish the National New Frontier Agency for the purpose of  exploration and production of oil and gas in the Frontier of Chad Basin, Dahomey Basin, Imo Basin, Benue Trough, Bauchi Basin and Sokoto Basin and for other matters connected therewith" was introduced yesterday by the Leader of the House Hon. Mulikat Adeola Akande.

Reps okay PIB, oil exploration agency for north

 

Written by Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel, AbujaFriday, 16 November 2012

After a long time of politicking and horse trading, the House of Representatives, on Thursday, passed for the second reading, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the National New Frontier Agency for the purpose of exploration and production of oil and gas in the Frontier of Chad Basin, Dahomey Basin, Imo Basin, Benue Trough, Bauchi Basin and Sokoto Basin.

The debate on the PIB, which kick-started on Wednesday and deferred for final debates, saw most northern lawmakers picking holes in it but wholeheartedly supported  the creation of the National New Frontier Agency.

The PIB, an executive bill, was merged with National New Frontier Agency, sponsored by Honourable Kaka Gujibawu.

The House Leader, Honourable Mulikat Adeola-Akande, had on Wednesday introduced the bill entitled: “A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of a legal, fiscal and regulatory framework for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria and for other related matters and a Bill for an Act to establish the National New Frontier Agency for the purpose of  exploration and production of oil and gas in the Frontier of Chad Basin, Dahomey Basin, Imo Basin, Benue Trough, Bauchi Basin and Sokoto Basin and for other matters connected therewith HB. 360” for second reading with the debate inconclusive and deferred till Thursday (yesterday).

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Senate passes FoI Bill

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on March 20, 2011 at 11:06am
ABUJA – The Senate has set up a six man conference Committee to harmonise the grey areas with the House of Representatives in the Freedom of Information Bill, FOIB.

 
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Senate President, David Mark, while constituting the conference Committee, Wednesday, after the passage of the bill charged the media to act responsibly with the new law in gathering and dissemination of information.
The bill which was overwhelmingly endorsed by Senators before its passage grants Nigerians the enforceable right to access and use public information as long as such is not against the national interest.
Specifically, clause 2 of the bill provides that, “Every citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has a legally enforceable right to, and shall, on application be given access to any information or record under the control of a government or public institution or private companies performing public functions, provided the disclosure of such information or release of such record(s) shall not compromise national security”.
The Senate President in his remarks after the passage of the bill applauded the bill and cautioned the media to make good use of the bill.
According to him, "This bill will make information freely available, provide for public access to public records and information and protect public records and information to the extent that it will be consistent with the public interest and protection of personal privacy. Protect serving public officers from adverse consequences for disclosing certain official information and established procedures."
Senator Mark also applauded his colleagues for ensuring the passage of the bill, saying, "I want to thank you my colleagues once more for taking the pain to pass this bill which has being in the public domain, we have been the subject of discussion in this country because of this bill on freedom of information.
"At the risk of sounding like a broken record let me say once more that this bill is not a media bill and when the media wants to hijack the bill and give an impression that we don't want to pass it because people in public offices have something to hide is wrong.
"With this we now have opportunity to tell the media to tell us their source of information, because they also will always say that they cannot disclose their source of information, because with this bill everybody will now get information freely and I think they are very much aware of this bit of it."
The Senate President while setting up the conference Committee noted that there is a difference between the FOI bill passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
He noted, "Obviously there is a difference between this one and the one that is passed in the House of Representatives and we are going to have a conference committee on it and as quickly as possible I think we should get the names of the conferees so that we can get this bill out of the way. "
Members of the Committee are Senators Ayogu Eze, Anthony Manzo, Kamarudeen Adedibu, Garba Talba, Otaru Ohize and Victor Ndoma-Egba
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Africa warned of 'slum' cities danger as its population passes 1bn

Posted by 9jabook.com on November 24, 2010 at 12:30am
Africa has joined India and China as the third region of the world to reach a population of 1 billion people, and it is expected to double its numbers by 2050, the UN says. By then, there will be three times as many people living in Africa's cities, and the continent that had fewer than 500,000 urban dwellers in 1950 may have 1.3 billion.Crowded-Oshodi-Market-in--007.jpg
photo:Lagos, with a population set to reach 12.4 million, should, by 2015, overtake Cairo as Africa's largest city. Photograph: James Marshall/Corbis
The breakneck transformation of a rural population into a predominantly urban one is neither good nor bad on its own, says UN-Habitat, the Nairobi-based agency that monitors the world's built environment. But in a report it implored African countries to plan their cities better, to avoid mega-slums and vast areas of deprivation developing across the continent. "The pattern is ... oceans of poverty containing islands of wealth. Conditions in African cities are now the most unequal in the world. They are already inundated with slums and a tripling of urban populations could spell disaster, unless urgent action is initiated today. This situation threatens stability and also entire nations," it said.

Cairo is now Africa's largest urban area, with 11 million people, but the UN said that by 2015 it will have been overtaken by Lagos, with around 12.4 million inhabitants. By 2020 Kinshasa is expected to be the continent's second largest city and Luanda the fourth largest, projected to grow to more than 8 million by 2040.

The speed of growth of some cities "defies belief", said the report. Africa is expected to grow by more than 500 million people in the next 17 years, and a further 500 million by 2050. By then more than 60% of its population will live in cities. The population of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is expected to soar by more than 80%, from 1.9 million in 2010 to 3.4 million in 2020. The populations of nearly all sub-Saharan cities with more than a million people are expected to expand by an average of 32% in the next 10 years....

"Kinshasa is the fastest-growing city in absolute terms, with 4 million extra people expected, a 46% increase for its 2010 population of 8.7 million. Lagos is the second fastest, with a projected 3.5 million extra people, a 33.8% increase. Abuja, Bamako, Luanda, Lubumbashi and Nairobi are all expected to grow by between 47% and 50% in the next decade, while Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Mbuji-Mayi and Niamey are projected to grow between 50% and 57% ."

The report said providing food and water for the billion extra people on the continent by 2050 will be a huge problem, especially because Africa expects to be hit hard by climate change.

The UN urged governments to strike harder bargains with foreign countries eager to buy up land and water. "Governments should heed the warning bells of 2008 and seriously consider the potential effects of future urban food and water shortages. Significant amounts of African land and water resources are being purchased by foreign governments and foreign food processing corporations. Some even bring farm workers into Africa. Governments must bargain harder for better deals, which contribute to Africa's food and water security."

The authors suggested governments move much of their administrative business out of the capital cities. "They should consider relocating to their secondary cities all government departments and agencies that have no overriding reason to be located in the capital. Relocation would spread economic activity, relieve congestion and the pressures on urban land."

The report found many countries struggling to reverse the tide of slums. Egypt, Libya, Morocco have nearly halved their total number of urban slum dwellers, and Tunisia has eradicated them completely. Ghana, Senegal and Uganda have managed to reduce urban slum populations by more than 20%. More than 75% of Nigeria's population lived in slums in 1990, but that is now 61.9%. In South Africa, slum numbers dropped from 46.2% to 28.7% of the population between 1990 and 2010.

However, numbers of people living in slum conditions have grown in many cases because of the population increases. "As the fastest urbanising continent in the world, Africa is not only confronted with the challenge of improving the lives of slum dwellers but also the challenge of preventing the formation of new slums," said Joan Clos, executive director of UN-Habitat. "This will take considerable political will and financial resources. Most of all, it will require a commitment to strategic urban planning so that the needs of the poor will be met."
African population
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Babs Fafunwa is dead : former minister of education passes away at 87

Posted by 9jabook.com on October 11, 2010 at 7:29pm

Babatunde Aliyu Fafunwa, former minister of education, died yesterday morning at the National Hospital, Abuja. He was aged 87.

According to a hospital official, he died a few minutes before 7am. Although the hospital staff refused to disclose the cause of death, it is believed that Mr. Fafunwa had fallen ill during a recent trip to Abuja, where he was expected to deliver a speech at the Open University.

Widely credited as introducing the 6-3-3-4 educational system in the country, the late Mr. Fafunwa was also the first Nigerian to receive a doctorate degree in Education. His teaching career began in 1961 at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Following the advent of the Civil War, he moved to Ife, and taught at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he remained until his retirement.

Innovative methodologies

He is accredited with introducing several innovative teaching methodologies during his days at Ife. It was his contemporary methods that brought him to national prominence when he served as an education minister for three years under Ibrahim Babangida..

President Goodluck Jonathan had last week blamed him for the failure of the 6-3-3-4 education system.

He is to be buried today according to Islamic rites. He is survived by his wife, Doris, four children, and several grand children.

Fasasi Gbagba, the president of Jama’atul Islamiyya Society, the Islamic sect to which Mr. Fafunwa belonged, said the members were awaiting the body from Abuja. He is to be buried at his residence on Victoria Island, Lagos, today.

The Ogun State government has described his death as the loss of a major pillar of the education sector who worked tirelessly throughout his lifetime for the enhancement and development of the sector.

“A great mentor and outstanding person of character has just left us,” said the cultural activist, Segun Olusola, adding, “His relationship cuts across the entire nation and though a very religious person, he never allowed religion to affect his relationship.”

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Interview with Goldie: I make passes at men; I'm a shameless flirt! - Goldie

Posted by NollywoodMohits on July 20, 2010 at 2:00am
Golden Girl Susan Oluwabimpe Harvey is the real name of Nigeria's reigning pop queen, Goldie. The Business Management graduate who is now a musician hails from Ekiti State and in this interview with, she speaks about her life, growing up, her interest in music, among other issues.

Tell us about yourself.

I'm the first born of my parents. I hail from Ikole, in Ekiti State; I attended Green-springs Montessori Primary School, Saint Johns College and then went on to get a degree in Business Management at the University of Sunderland, United kingdom.


How did it all start, your journey into music?

I came from a very religious family; my parents are very strict and academic. Though, I was a member of the junior church choir when I was younger, I was never encouraged to take it to a professional level.

I always knew I had a flair for the arts though, even at a very tender age; I was always part of the cultural dance groups in school and stuffs like that. Music for me started in Nigeria not by chance but by God's design, who ordains all things. I released my first video "Komole" in March/April 2007.

How rewarding is the business and what are you doing against your works being pirated?

It is quite rewarding, I thank God for every penny I make, no matter how small and pray that it gets more rewarding, as time goes by. The fight against piracy is not and cannot be a solo effort, it would take my fellow artistes, industry bigwigs, and the government to help combat this problem. Right now, I leave it in the hands of my record label, KennisMusic, to deal with it on a small scale as they deem fit.

What other business do you do?

Music is a 24/7 business for me, I have little time to focus on anything else.

What was your parent's reaction when you decided to go into music and who are your role models in the industry and the artistes you wish to feature in your album?

My parents were like, you can do whatever, but please make sure you go to school and get a degree, so that, not only will you be showing your younger ones good example, you'll also have something to fall back on in terms of getting a job if the music doesn't work out. My dad still has problems with my music, but, its not as bad as when I first started out though.

My mum is my role model, hardworking, highly intelligent, kind, generous and very loving. I really don't have any artiste in particular I'd like to feature, I'll record with any artiste that is in the same frame of mind with me, especially to add value, so to speak.

How many albums have you now? When is your next album coming out?

I have no albums for now. I released a limited edition (CD) compilation late 2007, but it wasn't a full album released for commercial purposes. I'm working on a commercial album now, scheduled for release later this year, hopefully before October, God's willing. I'm going to be expressing myself more in this album, talking about my personal perception of inter-human relations as I see it. I already have tracks with ElDee the Don, Ruggedman, Magnito, Banky W, to name a few.


How will you rate your music in Nigeria, what is the acceptance level?

Oh! So far, so good, I thank God. In the beginning, it was like I was hitting my head against a brickwall, an unyielding mind-boggling surface. Now though, people have come to accept me, my style and my sound. Its great and I feel good about the development.

How has your chosen profession lifted your life?

I've never been proud or snobbish. As a public figure, I owe it a duty to my fans to be polite and sweet even on my "off" days. And oh yes, I've performed in a couple of places in the UK. I learned new things everyday; by and large, I think my fame has made me more of a people-oriented person, I think, where I was more introverted before.

You are no doubt beautiful and I'm sure men will run after you. How do you curtail the rush, the passes? Are you engaged?

I'm flattered if you consider me beautiful. I think I just clean up well. As per the men, I really don't go out much apart from social or entertainment events and I don't get hassled. I literarily don't. Sometimes, I even wonder if there's something wrong with me and I keep asking myself "why don't men toast me sef? na wa o! " As per when I'm going to the altar, don't worry, everything will reveal itself in time, you will surely be in the know when the time comes.

If you see a guy you are fascinated with, can you make a pass at him?

Is it wrong or abnormal for a lady to make a pass at a man? Ah! That's my job oh! I make passes all the time. Yes! I'm a shameless flirt! Its embarrassing, I know, but I can't help it. Making a pass at a man is like going to the market and seeing a dress you like! If you walk by without pricing it, you'll go home and feel bad the rest of the day. You'll never know if it would have been your size, if it would have been available, etc. But if you make a pass and he doesn't accept (meaning the dress wasn't your size or it was too costly), then at least you'll know you've tried and it wasn't meant to be. In my opinion, I see nothing wrong in a woman making a pass at a man. Anybody that says otherwise is old school. Come on, either of the sexes can make the pass.

What dictates your fashion sense, how do you get your clothing because you dress like the Madonnas, Mary J Bliges etc, why?

I think Zizi Cardow isn't doing a bad job. I believe everybody should wear what they are comfortable in. If you like ankara, adire or lace, feel free to wear what looks good on you and what you feel comfortable in.

In my case, I dislike patterns! Too many colours and patterns on a fabric give me headache. My mood and the occasion of course dictate my dressing. Yes I like leather; simple, shiny and strong.

I also feel my stay in the United Kingdom influences my fashion sense; coupled with the fact that when I was growing up, my parents always got us ready-made clothes. I don't remember ever having any native clothes as a child.

A lot of my dresses are Karen Milan dresses. Leather wears. You will find shoes from four to six inches high heel shoes. I prefer wearing shorts. When I wear shorts, I am extremely comfortable. I can do anything in shorts, you feel very free. Naturally, I love shorts because I could go to the market, to the movies or clubbing in shorts but in dresses, one is really restricted. You cannot really be playful and I like being playful, you know jumping around. I love lace underwear, they are sexy. I love perfumes and clothes a lot.

You expose your beautiful body a lot. What is your impression of boobs' exposure, bum and thighs?

My personal opinion is this, if you got it, then flaunt it. If I think I have it, I do flaunt it, but there are some days I think I don't have it, so I won't flaunt. I like to be sexy, comfortable and trendy. To ladies out there, watch your body shape before you follow a trend because it is not everything that you put on that would look good on you.

What is your general perception of the entertainment industry in Nigeria? Do you see known names as a threat?

I don't perceive anyone as a threat, because everybody is different. Fingers are not the same. If anybody sees me as a threat, I wouldn't know about it, nor would I care. I don't like dwelling on negativity; it disrupts my aura. The industry is improving rapidly and that's a plus.

What edge do you have over the known names, I mean what stands you out?

I'm unique I think, my music is different; I dress differently, I also reason differently. Yes, its obvious that my uniqueness stands me out.

Is there any international artiste you admire and wish to feature in you album in future?

Hmmm... I've always loved Ludacris. If God wishes, why not?

Where does Goldie wish to be in the next five years?

To have achieved all God has lined up in store for me, and also to help as many people as I can; within my capability..

What is your favourite food? Colour? Car?

I can eat French fries and peppered snail anyday anytime. I love black, creams, purples, greens, I like down to earth people; this applies to both sexes. I've always been a Mercedes cars lover. I think I'll name my first daughter Mercedes.

Can you remember any embarrassing moment?

I have so many embarrassing moments, day in day out, it's a struggle to keep up with everything. I've had wardrobe malfunctions, where I've unintentionally revealed some parts of my body in public. I sometimes forget what I'm about to say at public functions/meetings. I'm in a roll and all of a sudden, zap! My brain freezes, it can really be embarrassing, you know? It happens to me atimes.

What can you not be found doing?

Goldie can never be found fighting, quarrelling, or raising my voice in public. I made a vow to myself never to degenerate to the level of an animal in public or otherwise. Nothing is solved using violence.
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Toun Oni is Dead. Veteran Television star (Fuji house of commotion Mama Moji) passes on the way to hospital

Posted by NollywoodMohits on July 8, 2010 at 7:03pm

Veteran Nigerian actress, dancer, and vocalist, Toun Oni is dead. The actress passed away Wednesday morningwhile being rushed to the hospital.

“She complained about not feeling too well last night and thenthis morning she felt very weak so we had to rush her to the St Paul’sHospital, Ebute-Metta, but she passed away before we arrived there,”said her son, Toyin Oni. “We were rushing her to the hospital from ourAjah home.” The body of the late actress has been deposited at St Paul’sHospital, while funeral arrangements are currently being finalised atthe family house at 66a Brick Field Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos.

Fondly called Mama T, Toun Oni was one of Nigeria’s most successful cross-over actresses. She was also arecipient of the prestigious Order of Niger (OON), conferred in 2006. Astaunch Jehovah Witness, she will be remembered for her many movieroles. Her most memorably roles were undoubtedly on television, withparts in one of Nigeria’s longest running soap opera, ‘Checkmate,’ andthe popular ‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ where she played Mama Moji.

Equally at home in movies and television, she tended to feature more in soap operas, and it is forthese that she will be remembered by most fans. Amaka Igwe, who produced‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ could not be reached for her reaction on thelate actress’ death as at press time. Toun Oni’s career dated back tothe 70s. She was aged 67..

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Senate passes budget of N4.6 trillion More Money to Loot

Posted by 9jabook.com on March 25, 2010 at 4:00am
HOW MUCH SHALL THE COMMON MAN SEE OF THIS MONEY ?? They will be dancing everywhere waiting for this money to be released . Criminals that call themselves leaders.God has said it will be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven .I am sure in the case of our Senators It would take at least five camels .Obama fought tooth and nail to instill healthcare for the poor What do these leaders do for us ? .God have mercy on us

Story:
The senate has passed a buget of N4,608,616,278,213 of which N180,279,158,994 is for statutory transfer, while N497,071,797,452 is earmarked for debt service. N2,077,358,560,347 is for recurrent expenditure and N1,853,906,761,420 is for contribution to the development fund for capital expenditure for the year ending 31 December 2010.

The budget is based on the projection of $67 per barrel benchmark oil price and crude oil production of 2.350 million barrels per day. The Joint Venture cash call projection is $7billion, GDP of 5.47%,inflation rate of 11.2% and the exchange rate of N150 to a US Dollar.

The budget had a total additions and adjustments by the executive in the sum of N336 billion, showing a rise of executive proposals of the budget from N4,079 trillion to N4,415 trillion.

The budget passed today has been harmonized with the House of Representatives. It will now be transmitted to the Acting President for signing into law.
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Obama wins again as US House passes key healthcare reform bill Yes

Posted by 9jabook.com on March 21, 2010 at 9:29pm
Obama: 'It's a victory for the American people'

The US House of Representatives has narrowly voted to pass a landmark healthcare reform bill at the heart of President Barack Obama's agenda.

The bill was passed by 219 votes to 212, with no Republican backing, after hours of fierce argument and debate.

It extends coverage to 32 million more Americans, and marks the biggest change to the US healthcare system in decades.

"We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things," Mr Obama said in remarks after the vote.

"This legislation will not fix everything that ails our healthcare system, but it moves us decisively in the right direction," he said.

Mr Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law shortly.

But a new challenge is expected in the Senate, where Democrats hope amendments to the bill will be enacted by a simple majority. Opposition Republicans have vowed to repeal the measure they argue is unconstitutional.

Historic vote

The president has pulled off the most significant victory since his election 16 months ago, the BBC's Paul Adams reports from Washington.
When the vote count hit the magic number of 216 - the minimum needed to pass the bill - Democrats hugged and cheered in celebration and chanted: "Yes we can!"

Under the legislation, health insurance will be extended to nearly all Americans, new taxes imposed on the wealthy, and restrictive insurance practices such as refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions will be outlawed.

The Republicans have vowed to continue resisting it.

They say the measures are unaffordable and represent a government takeover of the health industry.

"We have failed to listen to America," said Republican party leader John Boehner.

Speaking moments before the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the health care reform honoured the nation's traditions.

"We will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare and now, tonight, healthcare for all Americans," she said, referring to the government's pension program and health insurance for the elderly established nearly 50 years ago.

Although Democrats pushed the measure through with three votes to spare, 34 members joined Republicans in voting against the bill, worried about paying a political price in the November mid-term elections.

In a last-minute move designed to win the support of a bloc of anti-abortion lawmakers, Mr Obama earlier on Sunday announced plans to issue an executive order assuring that healthcare reform will not change the restrictions barring federal money for abortion.

Next steps

The bill's final approval represented a stunning turnaround from January, when it was considered dead after Democrats lost their 60-seaty majority in the Senate, which is required to defeat a filibuster.

To avoid a second Senate vote, the House also approved on Sunday evening a package of reconciliation "fixes" - agreed beforehand between House and Senate Democrats and the White House - amending the bill that senators adopted in December.


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Matt Imerion is dead Benin based ageless Hotel De Jordan Actor and Entertainer passes on

Posted by NollywoodMohits on March 18, 2010 at 9:04pm

Rites of passage for Matthew Imerion, the entertainer obituaries_20100130_thestate_kbo99207_184029.jpgBy Alemma Aliu Ozioruva

It was tributes all the way on Sunday, as family and friends of late artiste and script writer, Matthew held a memorial service in his honour. Imerion died in Carolina, United States of America on January 27. He had cancer of the liver and pancreas.



Though his remains were interred in the US, the family had the traditional burial rites in Ewohimi, Esan Central Local Council and then the church service at St Paul's Catholic Church, Benin City.

His first son, Matthew Imerion Junior, an advert executive described his late father as very strict and a perfectionist who would be missed greatly. "He was a perfectionist, he likes doing things well, I will miss his pursuit for perfection although it gets us into trouble with him a lot of times but that is what I will miss most because he always tried to make sure we did everything the right way and I will remember what he always said and by that I will live accordingly."

His wife, Princess Ajoke, however, said she is now married to Jesus the husband of all widows for protection and ability to carry on the family pursuits. "He was my best friend, a loving father and a loving husband. I am going to miss his wahala. There is a saying that Jesus is the husband of the widow so I am Jesus' wife now and he will manage my home for me".

Ajoke's younger sister, Mrs Lawuyi Lawal, a Kaduna- based poultry farmer confirmed the Imerion's family insistence that their late father was a disciplinarian; "Matt Imerion, Bross Matto like we normally called him was a nice guy, a very good disciplinarian, very faithful husband, a loving husband and a brother-in-law, he was a nice man.

"We are really going to miss him, since he died, we've been crying, he was a nice man, a very good father and husband. God will help her (Princess) to fill the vacuum.

A close friend of Matt as he was fondly called, Okoye Frank, an ICT Engieneer, said his loss was a blow to the entire nation and urged the children to sustain the legacy he has left behind.

"Matt was a friend and a father to so many of us, he was a legend in his own right and unfortunately we cannot challenge God's will and in all things we are supposed to give thanks to God but I will say we've lost a rare gem both in the family and as a nation, we pray that wherever he is, he goes and intercede for Nigeria and not just his family. The people he left behind should live according to the tenets he preached while he was alive and to do what it takes to ensure that his does not die in vain, his work should live and precede him.

He was diagnosed of cancer in August 2009 and was told he had just six months to live but he succumbed to nature's call few weeks to the six months estimated. "His death is a big vacuum which I cannot describe and in fact since August when we heard the news we have been crying everyday and I even told my children I am not sure I will cry if he dies because they told him that he had cancer of the liver and pancreas normally people have one kind of cancer but he had two and we've been crying since August last year, he told me that the doctors gave him six months to live and if you count six months to today, February would have made it six months, so he died on the 27th, on my last born's birthday, so it was a big blow to," the wife had told The Guardian shortly after the man's death in January.

The late Matt wrote the script of the famous television drama, Hotel De Jordan.

Imerion was born April 4, 1945, in Warri. He was educated in the Nigerian school system, and was a graduate of Pat Robertson University in Virginia Beach. Mr. Imerion had also been invited by Benedict College and other universities in Nigeria, to host several workshops on Theater and African Dance.

In 2004, he retired from CBN Studios Nigeria as director of programmes - state and local. He then moved to America, where he realised his dream of becoming a permanent resident, passing away shortly before becoming a U.S. citizen.

He is survived by his wife, six children, Ruby, Naomi, Matthew Jr., Ose, Amy and Duke Imerion, all of Benin City. He is also survived by siblings, Ceceila and Mary of Benin City, Nigeria, and Grace of Columbia. He leaves behind very special nephews, Dr. Sylvester Osazuwa Odigie of Atlanta, GA, and Fredrick Odigie and wife, Bernadette Odigie of Columbia.

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