Fire fighters from the Federal and Lagos State Fire Services, who on 19 March, 2010 spent almost four hours fighting a fire at the Police Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos State, said the lack of fire prevention training by the police contributed to the fire which razed the exhibit unit, monitoring unit and surveillance section of the command.

‘Highly ignorant’

A fire superintendent attached to the Federal Fire Service, who did not want to be named, said the police did not have fire fighting equipment within its premises. He said if the police had fire extinguishers along with fire sensors and sprinklers, the damage of the fire, which razed substantial police evidence and documents, would have being minimal.

“The Police are highly ignorant of what fire precaution is about. They didn’t even have a single fire extinguisher, no fire prevention equipment, nothing. They have never called us to put them through basic fire precaution drill. We just thank God there was no casualty because they don’t even have any first aid,” said the superintendent.

Collateral damage

Assessing the damage of the fire which started at about 11am, the federal controller of works, Ejike Mgbemena, said the fire, which burned directly below the Five Cowry Bridge linking Victoria Island and Onikan, would have some negative impact on the bridge.

“From the look of things, it looks severe,” he said. “It is likely that the fire will affect the structure of the bridge negatively. We believe it is serious. We are working with Julius Berger and in some few hours we will be placing restrictions on the bridge as precaution measures.”

Some police officers NEXT spoke with gave various accounts of the cause of the fire. While some said the fire was caused by an electrical fault, others said the fire was triggered by flame from a food vendor’s stove that caught an electrical wire close to the exhibit room.

Under investigation

However, Azubuko Udah, who is the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, which oversees Lagos and Ogun States, said the cause of the fire is still being investigated. He said the situation could have being worse if not for the intervention of the fire services with additional support from some private companies which brought their fire service trucks.

“I was just alerted of the fire as I was away at a meeting. The cause of the fire is still being investigated and I will liaise with my men to know what happened. But I thank God because it could have been worse if not for the fire service that checkmated the incident and put out the fire,” he said.

A discharged soldier, Idris Oyinbo, and a dismissed police officer, Gideon Baba, both went to the Apapa Wharf on March 15, 2010 with one mission in mind: commandeer and escort a trailer load of bags of sugar to awaiting buyers in Mushin, a suburb in Lagos State.PHOTO:

At about 6:30pm the same day, the duo, partially dressed in army and police outfits, met with their sponsor, one Kingsley (at large), who is believed to have masterminded the operation. In turn, Kingsley introduced them to Soji Smart, who would drive the trailer to their destination.

Having understood their roles, they followed the trailer, which had just left the wharf outward Lagos, in a chartered taxi, till it got to the Marine Bridge in Apapa. They then intercepted the truck and dragged the driver out of the truck into the taxi, while Mr. Smart together with his escorts drove off.

Mr. Smart said he was contracted to drive the truck for N4,000. Narrating how they were caught, he said luck ran out on them when they were stopped by officers of the Nigeria Police and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) while in traffic.

"A woman Police Inspector stopped us in go-slow. She asked for my driving license but I did not have. The two men said they were Force men, so she asked for their ID cards. The policeman showed his own but because the army man did not have his own, she asked everyone to come down," Mr. Smart said.

Other police officers quickly gathered at the scene and arrested the suspects, though Kingsley successfully got away.

In his confession, Mr. Oyinbo, a 40-year-old pensioner and father of two children, said he was discharged from the Army in March 2005 while serving as a corporal in the army's 81 Division.

Since then, he had been involved in various crimes, including car theft, while parading himself as a serving military personnel.

"I knew Kingsley late 2009 at Apapa Wharf. It was him who approached me to carry out the operation. I then called my police friend to follow me to escort the goods. I know it is not legal to do escort, but man must survive," Mr. Oyinbo said.

On his part, Mr. Baba, who comes from Kaduna, said after a prolonged leg injury, leading to his dismissal as a corporal from the police in 2006, he also began rendering escort services to sustain himself and his family.

In his words, "I know it is wrong to use my ID card, but I have to help myself because I am a family man".

Commenting on the arrests, the Lagos State Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the suspects led the police to Mushin where one Rukayat Abubakar and her friend, Kudi (at large), were waiting to receive the about 300 stolen bags of sugar valued at several millions.

"Our detectives within a space of twelve hours were able to make the whole arrest. The lady is actually one of the receivers just waiting for the syndicate somewhere in Mushin. As soon as investigations are over they would be prosecuted," Mr. Mba said.

Everyone has a boss. Even if you "work for yourself," you're still an employee to your client.

A big part of maintaining the boss-employee relationship is to never allow a boss to think you dislike your work, are incapable of doing it, or--worse--consider it beneath you.

[See the best careers for 2010.]

These sound like no-brainers, but many statements heard commonly around the workplace violate these basic rules. Looking for an example? Here are seven heard in workplaces all the time. They may seem ordinary, even harmless. But try reading these from your boss's point of view. You'll see right away why it's smart to never allow these seven sentences to pass your lips:

"That's not my job." You know what? A lot of bosses are simple souls who think your job is to do what's asked of you. So even if you're assigned a task that is, indeed, not your job, refrain from saying so. Instead, try to find out why your boss is assigning you this task--there may be a valid reason. If you believe that doing the task is a bad idea (as in, bad for the company) you can try explaining why and suggesting how it could be better done by someone else. This may work, depending on the boss. In any case, remember that doing what's asked of you, even tasks outside your job description, is good karma.

[See the 50 worst job interview mistakes.]

"It's not my problem." When people say something is not their problem it makes them look like they don't care. This does not endear them to anybody, especially the boss. If a problem is brewing and you have nothing constructive to say, it's better to say nothing at all. Even better is to pitch in and try to help. Because, ultimately, a problem in the workplace is everyone's problem. We're all in it together..

"It's not my fault." Yet another four words to be avoided. Human nature is weird. Claiming that something is not our fault often has the result of making people suspect it is. Besides, what's the real issue here? It's that something went wrong and needs to be fixed. That's what people should be thinking about--not who is to blame.

"I can only do one thing at a time." News flash: Complaining you are overworked will not make your boss feel sorry for you or go easier on you. Instead, a boss will think: (1) you resent your job, and/or (2) you aren't up to your job. Everybody, especially nowadays, feels pressured and overworked. If you're trying to be funny, please note that some sarcasm is funny and lightens the mood. Some just ticks people off.

[See how to answer 10 tricky interview questions.]

"I am way overqualified for this job." Hey, maybe you are. But the fact is, this is the job you have. You agreed to take it on and, while you may now regret that decision, it's still your job. Complaining that it's beneath you only makes you look bad. Plus, coworkers doing similar jobs may resent and dislike you. And guess what? Bosses will not think, "Oh, this is a superior person whom I need to promote." Nope, they'll think, "What a jerk."

"This job is easy! Anyone could do it!" Maybe what you're trying to convey here is that you're so brilliant your work is easy. Unfortunately, it comes off sounding more like, "This work is stupid." Bosses don't like hearing that any work is stupid. Nor do they really like hearing that a job is easy peasy. It belittles the whole enterprise. If a task is simple, be glad and do it as quickly as you can. Even "stupid" work needs to get done.

"It can't be done." Saying something can't be done is like waving a red flag in a boss's eyes. Even if the thing being suggested truly is impossible, saying it is can make you look ineffectual or incapable. Better to play detective. Why is the boss asking you to do whatever it is? What's the problem that needs to be solved? What's the goal? Search for doable ways of solving that problem or reaching that goal. That's what bosses really want. Most of them do not expect the impossible.

Last words: When in doubt, remember that silence really is golden.

SOME of the 42 ministers sacked, Wednesday, are intensifying lobby to return to the cabinet, according to reliable Presidency sources.

Also, the names of the first batch of ministerial nominees will get to senators for screening by Monday while the number of ministers to be appointed will be reduced from the present 42 to about 30, the sources added.

The decision to prune the number of ministers was informed by the desire of the Acting President to run a compact government that would facilitate the delivery of the most needed change in the country.

Already, inputs from governors and other opinion leaders are to be submitted not later than today for such nominees to undergo security screening before their names are forwarded to the National Assembly.

Quoting renown Physicist, Albert Eistein, who said ”it amounts to insanity to keep doing the same thing and expect different result”, el-Rufai told THISDAY in an e-mail interview yesterday that zoning has failed the country in the past and that there is no reason why it should be foisted on Nigerians again.

He said if the arrangement has not given Nigeria the best leadership and yet we still want to continue with it, "the logical conclusion is that we do not desire the best leadership and are satisfied with mediocrity."

He added: "My opinion is that popularity with the electorate in a free and fair election should be the sole basis for winning elective positions and merit should likewise be the sole basis for appointive positions."

He said it is imperative for the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the full implementation of the report of the Justice Muhammadu Uwais' committee on electoral reform, warning that without the reforms, the country will witness the same mess it has seen in past elections.

The former minister said Nigeria has to mature in democracy, adding that the best way to achieve this will be to leave the assessment entirely to Nigerians who will appraise the aspirants with their votes.

On the choice of leaders to look for in making decisions at future polls, the former minister said Nigerians should look at the aspirants' past records.

"How can a person change his character in old age? If when an aspirant was in the prime of his life he was a failure at leadership, a champion of corruption and a setback to Nigeria, how would you expect a different result later in life? So my advice to Nigerians is to look at their past. By their past shall you know them," he added.

ElRufai denied reports in some quarters that he had offered himself to work with Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, saying what he said was he was willing to support the Acting President to run in 2011 "if he can show that he has the capacity to make the changes that Nigeria needs."

He added: "My preoccupation is to advance the cause of good governance and democracy in Nigeria without sitting behind a desk in a government office."

Rites of passage for Matthew Imerion, the entertainer By 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.

Nigerian Senate through its President, David Mark on Wednesday reprimanded the outspoken leader for his comments while referring to him as a 'madman.'

Gaddafi was addressing visiting students from multiple African universities in Libyan capital, Tripoli when he made the comment.

Sources at Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the recall was with immediate effect adding that Nigeria was formally protesting against the insensitive comments credited to the former Chairman of the African Union.

"The recall however does not affect the diplomatic ties between both nations," the source added.

In a related development, the House of Representatives today passed a resolution condemning Gaddafi for his comments and urged the central government to break ties with the OPEC member country.

The House summoned the Libyan Ambassador to Nigeria to appear before it to explain Gaddafi’s comments to legislators.

The resolution was moved by House Committee Chairman on the Air Force, Hon. Halims Agoda.

"Gadaffi’s statement is very inciting, we must condemn the man so that we can move forward as a nation.

"Our founding fathers worked very hard to bring us to where we are today, our differences have been our strength," Agoda said.

In a related incident :

Mark described the Libyan dictator as "a mad man" who did not deserve any form of publicity for his utterances.

He said this when Senator Ayim Ude drew the attention of the Senate to Gaddafi's comments published in the media.

Ude had while contributing to a debate on the bomb blast which disrupted the post-amnesty dialogue in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday, stressed the need for the Senate to caution individuals from making inflammatory comments.

Responding, Mark said, Udeh, with all due respect, why do you want to give a mad man that level of publicity? But I'm surprised that you are giving that any publicity at all.

"A mad man who said the same thing about Switzerland, he said the same thing about England, he said the same thing about every other country. And then you want to give that any other prominence at all.

"I don't think he deserves any mention at all. Truly, in my candid opinion, I don't think he even deserves our attention."

Other senators who spoke on the issue after the days' sitting also condemned the Libyan leader for speaking on Nigeria, a country they said he knew nothing about.

Commenting on the issue, Senator Abubakar Sodangi (PDP Nasarawa), called on Nigerians to discountenance the Libyan leader's comments because he lacked knowledge about Nigeria.

Senator Smart Adeyemi (PDP Kogi) said the fact that Nigeria and Nigerians had survived a civil war and various ethno-religious crises was "a clear message to all our enemies that we as a people are sworn to a common destiny."

According to him, "Gaddafi must realise that Nigeria is not Libya and (he) must therefore understand that he is not in a position to dictate to us how we live as a people.

"Nigerians are not religious bigots, even in the midst of poverty. We may have crisis now but certainly, we shall overcome the problems like we did in the past."

Gaddafi was quoted as having called for the division of Nigeria along religious lines. He had argued that such a split would end the religious crisis that has led to the loss of hundreds of lives in Africa's most populous country over the past 10 years.

AKEEM LASISI

A documentary film by award-winning filmmaker, Femi Odugbemi, directs attention to threatened Yoruba praise poetry, Oriki, writes AKEEM LASISI

As the tape rolls over, prolific chanter, Suleman Ayilara, popularly called Ajobiewe, zooms into view with his gripping voice. The artist that has navigated the length and breath of Yoruba theatre and film industry relishes opening his performances with homage chants and invocation on his Ila Orangun, Osun State root. In Oriki, however, he begins by singing the oriki of the Elese lineage.

By the choice of the artist who released an album titled Oriki Yoruba about two years ago, the producer and director, Femi Odugbemi, is able to capture the viewers' attention while also registering the import of the documentary. And while the didactic essence of the documentary is sustained throughout its about 25-minute duration, it is such dramatic interjection that keeps the viewer waiting for more even at the end of it.

As compact as it is, for instance, celebrated Yoruba actors such as Lere Paimo, Kola Oyewo and Peter Fatomilola, are made to play different roles to buttress the exposition that Odugbemi's resource persons offer on oriki, the Yoruba praise poetry, in the film. Among the most memorable scenes here is the one in which Paimo, otherwise called Eda Onileola, dances grandly to portray the overall concern of the researcher in the film - the desire to save African culture from unbridled westernisation.

The work is predicated on the fact that among the Yoruba and a lot of other cultures across Africa, a name is more than a means of differentiating one person from another. It is a serious and time-honoured means of giving a newborn child an identity. Amongst Yoruba families, a name communicates the rich, colourful and vibrant heritage and history of families. It also informs their hopes and aspirations for the newborn. Oriki is the oral Yoruba poetry chanted in salute of history and heritage often reaching back hundreds of years.

Globalisation trends have led to the blurring of borderlines, geographically and culturally. "Indigenous cultures are dissolving, clearing the way for one unified global phenomenon. Increasing urban shifts and a strong emphasis on global compliance have left important aspects of cultural identities under attack. And as more people adopt western ways of thinking and understanding, the threat of extinction becomes more glaring, more imminent, more inevitable," the producer asserts in an introduction to the documentary.

As Odugbemi's resource persons, which include writer and actor, Adebayo Faleti, culture scholar and promoter at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Adetoun Ogundeji, and a legal practitioner, Mr. Dele Farotimi, note in the documentary, Oriki has serves multiple purposes among the Yoruba. Apart from being a piece of poetry that excites and inspires the hearer, it harbours cultural and historical information about the person or community being celebrated. They identify four major types of Oriki - the one for individuals, one for prominent people like kings, one for a particular lineage and one for communities or towns.

According to Ogundeji, the Oriki usually reflects the circumstance of one's birth. It reflects the heroic deeds of one's forebears, just as it may indicate their weaknesses as well.

"Ãn Yorubaland, you don't just give names to children," Ogundeji says. "The elders would, in those days, consult the heritage as represented by Ifa. And in the case of oriki orile, it reflects connection between various families of the same lineage but who live in different towns."

Although Odugbemi secures another commentator who expresses grave concerns over fetish tendencies he locates in some elements of oriki, his sources are generally passionate about the orature. In the case of Farotimi, he recalls how he gives his children names that relate to his family chain, as exemplified by his naming a daughter of his Igbayilola, an invocation of his mother's name.

He notes, "When people say our names are demonic, I remind them that the English names many of them give their children have meanings they don't seem to know. 'Diana', is, for instance, actually the name of a goddess."

They all fear that westernisation is fast eroding the Oriki phenomenon, but Odugbemi cites a little hope in the fact that some modern musicians have begun to experiment with the praise forms in their works.

On the making of the documentary, he explains that his choice of the resource persons is based on those who not only have a deep knowledge of it, but also feel strongly that it should not die. "One thing about a documentary is that it must be based on facts. That is why your research must double-check facts because the preponderance of opinions must be in favour of the stated facts."

Odugbemi's exploits as a documentary film producer has been recognised in many places. Another recent work titled Bariga Boys is on the nomination list of the African Movie Academy Awards for 2010. In terms of what motivates him to work in this area, he says the need to spread information and preserve heritage is paramount. As a result, he adds, he often gives the documentary films to television houses to air. Ãt is more of a labour of love than anything," Odugbemi says.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in Abeokuta on Wednesday that the committee would be joined by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police among top police officers, who would visit the accident scene near the Babcock University, Ilisan, stretch of the expressway.

Adejobi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, who said the committee and police officers would visit the robbery accident scene in company with the officers of the state police command, did not, however, say why the committee had decided to visit the site.

Controversy had continued to trail the incident, which occurred on the night of July 31, 2009, but which some people posted on the internet, claiming that it occurred in the later part of February, this year.

The author of the internet version of the story equally narrated how the driver of the luxury (passenger) bus was ordered by the robbers, who had dispossessed the occupants, to run over some of the passengers who were commanded to lie on the road.

In the 2009 accident, a truck driver, one Idahosa, claimed he did not know that the robbers, who struck around 10pm on Friday, July 31, 2009, had placed a barricade on the road, ostensibly to shield some passengers they had ordered to lie on the road.

Idahosa, whose truck, loaded with garri, lost control and crashed into the bush after running over the victims, narrated how he had to climb a tree to avoid the rampaging robbers, who had trailed him and his assistant into the bush.

The committee had summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, and other police chiefs to appear before it while the driver of the luxury bus, which was coming from the Eastern part of the country to Lagos, and the driver of the truck, whose vehicle inadvertently ran over the distressed passengers, had appeared and testified before the committee.

It is unclear what the committee plans to do with its visit to the site eight months after the incident.