More Defections As Reps Resume Plenary

As members of the House of Representatives resumed from a three-week break on Tuesday, five of them officially notified the House of their decision to defect from their parties.

At the resumed plenary, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal read out separate letters from the affected members to that effect.

The members, who have changed their political parties are Hon. Eddy Ifeanyichukwu Mbadiwe who defected from All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA, Imo) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Mbadiwe specifically gave “irredeemably factionalisation” of his former party as a reason for his decision.

Others are Hon. Murtala Kayode Busari formerly of the Accord Party (AP, Oyo), who has now joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Similarly, Hon. Ibrahim Adeniyi Olaifa (AP, Oyo) has also moved to the SDP.

Meanwhile, the ruling PDP has lost two members from its fold in the House as Hon. Jerry Mamwe (Taraba) moved to SDP citing “shoddy treatment” meted to him and his supporters as reasons for his action while Hon. Ibrahim Eibo (formerly PDP, Niger) joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Leadership

Gunmen abduct Bayelsa NCP candidate contesting for Sagbama constituency 1 seat in BYHA

A National Conscience Party candidate for Bayelsa State House of Assembly election in 2015, Mr. Michael Agbalaze, has been abducted.

Agbalaze was whisked away from his residence at Azikoro Village Area of Bayelsa in the early hours of Monday by gunmen allegedly adorning police camouflage. It was learnt that when his assailants called, they took him away along with one of his aides, identified only as Monday.

Agbalaze, a former Tarakiri Rural Development Area Chairman, is one of the foremost contenders for the Assembly seat in Sagbama Constituency 1 where the current House Majority Leader, Mr. Peter Akpe, is contesting.

Agbalaze’s friend, Mr. Oyakemeagbeagha Kpoku, alias General Oyas, told Punch Metro on Tuesday that the victim was forcibly taken away by people in police camouflage around 3am on Monday.

Oyas claimed Agbalaze’s assailants came in three vehicles and bundled him into one of the vehicles with his aide.

Oyas, a former Niger Delta militant, urged Agbalaze’s captors to bring him unhurt, warning that hell will be let loose in the constituency if they refused to release him to enable him to campaign for the election.

He vowed that if Agbalaze’s abductors failed to release him before the election, no election would be held in Sagbama Constituency 1.

The abduction of the Assembly candidate has been generating tension in Governor Seriake Dickson constituency as sources said it was politically motivated.

A source, who craved anonymity, alleged that the abduction was an intimidation to make him stop his campaign to go to the House.

The source said Agbalaze is more popular among the candidates in the area, noting that his current travail was just to make him chicken out of the contest.

Efforts to get police position on the abduction were not successful as Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa Police Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, failed to pick several calls made to his mobile phone.

Punch

SHOCKING:46-Year-Old South African Woman Rapes A 22-Year-Old Man

A woman has been arrested by the police in South Africa on charges of rape for allegedly drugging and raping a young man until his private parts became swollen.

However, the Limpopo Police have released the 46-year-old woman of Bolobedu, who was accused of raping the 22-year-old man, after she posted $86 bail. According to the police, the woman lured the man into her home and gave him a drink that was spiked with drugs before raping him overnight.

She was said to have locked all the doors and windows of her home to keep the victim from escaping. However, in the morning, the man noticed that his genitals have swollen. At this point, the woman was said to have freed him from her home and he went to a nearby hospital for treatment, after which he was released.

The Police, however, described the man’s injuries as serious.

Euphoria as Nigeria’s Solar-powered Race Car Emerges

By Sola Ogundipe

Even as Nigerians look forward to the commencement of the forthcoming 2015 general elections in February, another expected highlight of the new year is the scheduled presentation of the prototype of Nigeria’s first ever solar-powered race car, the Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” Solar Car, to President Goodluck Jonathan within the first quarter of the year.

featurespixThe upcoming presentation of the innovative design to the president at the State House, Abuja, will be at the instance of the Nigeria Eco-Racing Team, a.k.a. Team Nigeria, which is competing as Africa’s sole representative at the World Solar Challenge at Adelaide, Australia, later in the year in October.

The 27-year-old World Solar Challenge, a globally reputed competition at which Nigeria showcases as Africa’s only competitor and for the first time, is the No.1 and most keenly contested technology challenge in the Renewable Energy category and Design ecosystem.

In addition to standing a good chance as Africa’s Ambassador at the global event, the greatest expectations of the 9jaBOLT Solar Car technology is its very probable application to cushion Nigeria’s domestic energy problems.

Indeed the story of the origins of the Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” has been nothing short of phenomenal, and one worth telling over and over. No one tells the story better than Mr. Ebisike Ebube George, the Creative Director of the Nigeria Eco-Racing Team at the World Solar Challenge.

In a chat with Vanguard Features, Ebube George recounted how over the  last year,  the team has been expanding its research in the first of its kind hardware and software technology design campaign whilst commencing building of the solar car at its Owode-Onirin base in Lagos.

It all began when Ebube George, an engineer and ICT enthusiast, along with a group of other Nigerian engineers, technologists and scientists got together to design and build the state-of-the-art, concept solar car following an offer to compete at the biennial technological project.

“We have designed and are building the State-of-the-art Eaglemobile “9jaBOLT” Solar Car and look forward to its possible successes whilst attracting the prospects of commercial adoption and mass manufacturing as a product to serve the African continent transportation needs.

The complete car is estimated to cost US$650,000 not including other research being developed in partnership with the Wolfram Research Europe Limited to build the advanced solar car’s intelligence capability,” he explained.

The World Solar Challenge covers 3,021 km through the Australian Outback, from Darwin, Northern Territory to Adelaide, South Australia. The objective is to promote research on solar-powered cars.

Already, Team Nigeria has successfully completed and achieved proof of concept in its manufacturing process given the birth of its mini model, a prototype made of styrofoam which passed through a carefully tailored process and precise chemical cocktail to achieve the final finish that is comparable to any fibre glass finish. The manufacturing and assembly processes over seen by Team Nigeria Assistant Director of Fabrication and Engineering, Mr. Dan Mba took 18 months.

Currently, Team Nigeria’s intelligent suit which will be worn by the driver(s) of the solar car at the World Solar Challenge in competition is being designed by MUDI Africa at its Anthony Lagos couture Headquarters. The MUDI Sport “9jaBOLT iSuit” as it is called will be impregnated with sensors to cater to the measurement of the driver’s biometrics and state of wellbeing on the 3000+km odyssey across the Darwin – Adelaide outback in Australia.

Recently, Team NIGERIA held its first speaking engagement event entitled the “American Management Perspective Forum (AMPF)” put together by Mr. Tobenna Okoli of Solomon Hunt Limited, a  Result Engineering Consulting Firm based in Lagos. At the event with the theme “Contextualising Emerging Trends, Defining Management Today”,  Ebube George discussed the direct impacts of Management styles on Science & Technology growth in Nigeria and across the African continent.

He spoke on the 9jaBolt project and African Design Medal & Festival billed for August 2015 where the solar car will be formally unveiled by Mr. President.  The ADMF is widely acknowleged as “Africa’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize”.

Explaining the benefits, Ebube George argued that the car  is designed and engineered to be a grossly efficient clean energy system where there is no release of emission of any kind and the manufacturing process is carried out with the most minimal of carbon footprint exposure.

“The conversion of electromagnetic energy of the sun into electrical energy through the use of photovoltaic cells and that into mechanical energy to drive the car with an electric motor playing a key role at that point is the simple guiding process that can lead an expert team of savvy technologists to achieve a proof of concept model.

“One single charge of its lithium ion battery should carry it for up to 550km and possibly over 750km if powered on its own solar cells. And once drained can be recharged fully in 10hours using a standard power socket at home and in 6-8hours using a commercial power outlet.” He explained.

Further, he noted that given the situation of the drop in global fossil fuel prices the 9jaBOLT has a better eco-friendliness and economic advantage when calculating its efficiency and cost. “For every 100km covered the 9jaBOLT would cost approximately $0.20 or N37 compared to the average $15 or N2,790 ($1@N186) for the conventional petrol fuelled automobiles.

The solar car’s windscreen is to be made of e-glass and given our developed and expanding relationships with firms as GE, EATON Industries, Siemens, Mahindra Commviva, University of Delft et al,  Team Nigeria will pick up further invaluable 23rd century technological know-how with diverse and unique scalable management capability.

“The entire system above can be applied to building designs so as to achieve similar efficiency needed to solve our power problem in Nigeria’s quest to cater to our population’s energy quandary as well as the coming of rapid urbanisation and the new media explosion across the country and continent.

“This use of solar panels/arrays and other power system components would be cost effective in the long run and adequate for the development of low cost urban housing that would be independently powered with individual structures contributing to a centralised power generator/ecosystem. And this can be sold to low and middle income families through a properly structured mortgage system,” Ebube George remarked.

VANGUARD

How to Lose The Presidential Four Times (4) – By Femi Aribisala

Muhammadu Buhari can conduct a coup and declare himself Nigeria’s head of state. But under no circumstance should Nigerians elect him as president. Nigeria is fighting a Boko Haram insurgency whose mantra is that western education is a sin. These people have kidnapped innocent young girls who dared to go to school. How then can we give our votes to Buhari, a man who cannot even be straightforward about his secondary school leaving certificate?

In Nigeria, if a university graduate does not have an NYSC certificate, he is ineligible for public employment. That is the law. Similarly, if a presidential candidate does not have a school leaving certificate, he is ineligible to stand for election as president of Nigeria.

Buhari’s missing certificate

The evidence concerning Buhari’s certificate lacuna is overwhelming. Buhari says: “I left home at the age of 10 or 11 and went to school, like I said. And I was in the boarding school for nine years. In primary school and secondary school, I was in the boarding house and from there; I went straight into the Army.”

A man should know at what age he went to school, but Buhari does not seem to know. If Buhari started school at 11 and he joined the army at the age of 19 in January, 1962; tha means it took him only eight years to finish primary and secondary school. That is not feasible. It would appear that, instead of completing school, Buhari opted to join the army.

Instead of providing his certificates to INEC, as required by law, Buhari deposed in an affidavit at a High Court in Abuja that: “All my academic qualifications documents as filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015, are currently with the Secretary, Military Board as of the time of presenting this affidavit.”

However, the military is not a bank for keeping the certificates of its officers. Organisations require the originals for verification only, after which they are promptly returned to their owners. In this regard, it should not be forgotten that Buhari was dismissed from the military in 1985. That is 30 years ago.

In short, Buhari’s INEC affidavit is deceptive. If his certificates are with the military board, he should go and retrieve them. If they are lost, their loss should have been the subject of his affidavit. Whatever the case, a man with no primary or secondary school leaving certificate has no business running for president of Nigeria.

This is my final instalment of Buhari’s prescription for being a serial loser of presidential elections.

Be a questionable manager

Be the chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund under a corrupt Abacha regime. Have the Interim Management Committee (IMC) set up by President Obasanjo to wind down PTF activities discover the organisation was riddled with corruption and financial irregularities. 500 million naira of PTF money deposited in a bank disappeared; withdrawn by unidentified persons. There were contractual anomalies in excess of 800 million naira in the PTF staff housing estate.

Leave PTF with a debt-burden of over 70 billion; owed to different contractors, consultants, manufacturers and suppliers. Have PTF import expired drugs, especially with regard to 28 billion naira worth of HIV/AIDS screening and confirmation kits.

Create an “unholy business relationship” between the PTF and the Afri-Project Consortium (APC) led by Salihijo Ahmad which operated as consultants to the PTF. Ensure that the PTF did not function as a real government agency. Instead, have APC consultants virtually manage it, becoming the real PTF even though APC was a private company.

Have about 620 consultancy firms affiliated to the PTF report to the APC instead of the PTF. Give the APC sole responsibility for the issuance of PTF certificates for payment. For example, when PTF lodged 1 billion naira in the Marina, Lagos branch of Credit Lyonnais in 1995, it was APC officials who made withdrawals for the various payments. Also give APC the authority to recommend the companies that were awarded PTF contracts.

Ensure in the process that a considerable amount of PTF finances (25 billion naira) was squandered. Look the other way while your PTF subordinates cart away lorry-loads of public funds. Watch, as a principal actor in the PTF consultancy scam commit suicide when the probe into the organization was instituted for fear of being exposed. So much for your anti-corruption crusade!

Be an instigator of violence

Threaten the country with violence if you are not declared the winner of presidential elections. Declare in 2003 that: “We would like to emphasize that any repeat of the fraud of April 12; a fraud we have rejected in totality, will result in mass action and its consequences, which no one can today foresee.” Make similar threats during the 2011 election campaign, leading to the slaughtering in cold blood of over 1000 innocent people and the displacement of over 65,000 by your supporters in the North after you lost the election.

Have the Nigerian human rights group, the Northern Coalition for Democracy and Justice (NCDJ), file criminal charges against you before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for your alleged role in the violence that followed the 2011 presidential election.

One innocent youth corper in the North killed by your murderous supporters wrote the following ominously on his Facebook page on 17th April, 2011, the day after the election: ““Na wao! This CPC supporters would hv (have) killed me yesterday, no see threat oooo. Even after forcing underaged voters on me they wanted me to give them the remaining ballot paper to thumb print. Thank God for the police and am happy i could stand for God and my nation.” He was killed by your supporters the day after.

Have your party, the CPC, bail 622 people accused of killing and mayhem after the 2011 election. Show no remorse for instigating the post-election violence by declaring in a statement made in Hausa in a BBC interview of 14th May, 2012 that: “If what happened in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood.”

Have the Deputy National Secretary of your party, Nasir El-Rufai, declare on 23rd January, 2014 that: “The next election is likely to be violent and many people are likely going to die. And the only alternative left to get power is to take it by force; this is the reality on ground.”

During the on-going campaign for the 2015 election, have your supporters send threatening text-messages to those perceived to be pro-Jonathan governors and supporters in the North warning them that if they do not stop working for Jonathan’s victory, they will be seriously dealt with. Provoke a regional backlash by having your supporters disallow Jonathan posters to be put up in the North and disallow Jonathan supporters to campaign for him in the North.

Be a Boko Haram apologist

Establish yourself firmly as a friend of the Boko Haram who are busy killing innocent Nigerians. In an interview with Kaduna’s Radio Liberty in November 2012, demand that the Federal Government should stop the clampdown of Boko Haram insurgents. Insist they should be given golden handshakes and special treatment like the Niger Delta militants. Say this: “They (the Niger Delta militants) were trained in some skills and were given employment, but the ones in the north were being killed and their houses were being demolished. They are different issues. What brought this? It is injustice.”

Make a statement saying you don’t believe there is a real movement called Boko Haram. Claim instead that the federal government of Nigeria is: “the biggest Boko Haram.” When the federal government declares a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, given the activities of the insurgents in those states, come out against it. Tell rebel PDP governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso at Kano Government House in 2013 that the Boko Haram is a “strategic plan” by the government of Goodluck Jonathan to “destroy the North.” Declare, therefore, that the war of the federal government against the Boko Haram is an excuse to wage war on the North.

Be so clearly identified as an advocate of the Boko Haram that, in November 2012, Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, the second-in-command to Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, in announcing a readiness to negotiate a ceasefire with the Nigerian government, names you as one of the few “trusted” Nigerians it would be ready to negotiate with.

Be unscrupulous and inhumane

Impound the passport of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and thereby deny the old man visits to his doctors at Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota, USA for the years when you ruled Nigeria. Arrest Tai Solarin for being against your government and deny him medication in jail for his athsmatic condition. Arrest Chief Bisi Onabanjo while he was still on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); just three days after undergoing surgery. Send him to prison in Bauchi without trial.

Refuse to allow Ayo Oyewunmi to get medical tgreatment, with the result that he became blind while you jailed him and died soon after you released him. Allow Busari Adelakun to suffer the same fate. He developed chronic ulcer complications after you arrested him and was not allowed to get treatment. The ailment eventually killed him.

Conclusion

This is El-Rufai’s appraisal of the anomaly of having 73 year-old Buhari run again for president: “It makes sense to ask those who have been recurring decimals in our country’s sorry history to leave the stage. It is time for a new generation of leaders with new thinking and wholesome democratic attitude to move our nation forward.”

Nigerian voters should not allow themselves to be conned. Muhammadu Buhari is not presidential material. We have said this resoundingly three times in the past. We need to say it without equivocation one more time.

The last word belongs to Wole Soyinka: “In Buhari, we have been offered no evidence of the sheerest prospect of change. On the contrary, all evident suggests that this is one individual who remains convinced that this is one ex-ruler that the nation cannot call to order.”

Predicting Nigeria’s Future

Contrary to the words doing the rounds that Nigeria will disintegrate, a revered clergyman and the General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi has said a bright and glorious future awaits the country.  Gboyega Akinsanmi writes

The General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church (DLBC), Pastor William Kumuyi, a few days ago brought Nigeria a message of consolation.
At the church’s December National Retreat, the cleric declared that 2015 “is a season of God’s visitation” for Nigeria. His message was a contrast to what has been said in other fora about Nigeria.

Also, at the church’s strategic leadership congress that brought thousands of Christian missionaries from Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe and North America to the Deeper Life Conference Centre (DLCC) on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Kumuyi brought the same word of assurance to every Christian faithful in spite of all odds in the world.

Kumuyi’s message came at a critical time, said Mr. Babatunde Alao, a church member, who attended the retreat at Epe location. Alao cited diverse odds, which he said, cast pall on the future of Nigeria and all her citizens. He mentioned the rising incidence of insurgencies in the northeast. He referred to the booming business of kidnapping in the southeast.

He said the recent economic downturn is disturbing and stunning.

But Alao believed that Kumuyi’s declaration has brought him assurance that God has not forgotten His people at this perilous time.

Likewise, Mrs. Maria Smart, another church member, said the promise of God’s visitation put to paid horrible predictions, which she said, different institutions have made concerning Nigeria and her people.

Smart, who attended the retreat at DLCC where Kumuyi declared messages that was televised to all retreat locations across the world, said: “The government has failed us. Our economy is in doldrums. Our health care sector is in terrible mess. Education is in a state of crisis. There is nowhere we can run to again than to seek divine protection…”

Also, a good number of participants at the just concluded retreat and leadership congress have different stories to tell when they were coming in and peculiar testimonies to share when they got divine assurance through Kumuyi’s messages.

At the end of the retreat, Smart said she was waiting for the manifestation of all God has promised His people in this year, despite the ugly picture that has been painted about the future of Nigeria in the past.

Really, as in the days of Israelites in Egypt, the detail of Kumuyi’s message rekindled hope that all is not lost for Nigeria, if her leaders and people can turn from darkness to light.

This forms the heart of Kumuyi’s message, who noted that “God has paid the ultimate price for our redemption and every human being has divine obligation to walk in the light of His word.”

So, contrary to the bleak condition of Nigerian economy, Kumuyi said a glorious future awaits Nigeria despite her diverse challenges.

He made the declaration at the church’s just concluded retreat that brought thousands of Christian faithful together in different locations across the world and at its annual leadership congress organised to prepare the Christian leaders, purely for the task of spreading the good news.

Kumuyi’s assurance of a new dawn was founded on God’s promises to visit His people. He noted that God is supreme and sovereign, saying, “ He will never renege on His words.”

But benefitting from God’s promises comes with obligations, said the cleric.

He said the promise of a glorious future does not stop with God. He insisted that every man has obligations to honour if God must fulfill His part of divine covenant.

Beyond human expectation, Kumuyi declared that 2015 is the year of God’s visitation, noting that God will give His people a cause to celebrate in the New Year.

“God will visit His people in the New Year. God will break everything holding His people down. He will bring His people to the Promised Land contrary to what some people have predicted,” he said.

Kumuyi said things will turn around for Nigeria.  “It is not about what you saw yesterday. It is not about what you see today. A brighter day is coming. As God has said, the coming days will be better for Nigeria and her citizens than the good old days. For you, the things past may be wonderful. But the things of today and tomorrow will be more wonderful,” he added.

The cleric therefore urged all the countrymen not to be like the complaining, critic and murmuring Israelites in the Bible. He also advised them not to magnify present and past challenges, which he said, had become palpable in the country’s public life.

Rather, Kumuyi said the secret of overcoming human challenges was to magnify the promises and plan of God above burdens and troubles that made life almost unbearable.

He passionately urged the Christian faithfuls to stand firm and walk upright daily.

He said: “For you to know that God has come to visit His people, nothing will stop your onward journey. God has not written His people off. God has not forgotten His people. There is a glorious day awaiting His people. Definitely, things will turn around for the country and her citizens.”

Categorically, Kumuyi said the bright future for Nigeria is starting today.

Kumuyi strongly admonished the Christian faithfuls across the world to take insightful look into their lives and prepare for life beyond now, which according to him, would count for or against them upon the return of the Lord.

He called on Nigerians not to seek powers outside the confines of the word of God.

“We do not need to kill ourselves to have worldly and ephemeral powers. This should moderate our conducts on earth,” he said.

Kumuyi argued that worldly attainments will fade away, whereas the word of God remains forever.

He admonished Christians to constantly feed on the word of God, which he said, should be their guide by the day.

By so doing, according to the pastor, a place is assured for them in heaven.

The cleric explained that it was pointless to fight for things that will not last beyond 60 to 70 years, when one can strive for the ideals of righteousness through the grace of God, and through a life that is well-pleasing to God.

Kumuyi, who blessed his congregation and Nigeria during the programmed reiterated that “the 2015 is an ordained year of God’s visitation for all.”
But he urged citizens to be satisfied with God’s kindness, which he said, was more than sufficient to take care of them both here and hereafter.

“At all times, God must be your pillar of strength and cornerstone and abiding refuge for every situation,” he said.

Undoubtedly, Nigeria seems to be at crossroads with the forthcoming general elections that has generated a lot of interest.

For instance, a retreat participant, Favour Olayemi said: “God is our refuge, because this is a critical year for Nigeria.  The programme has thus given us hope for a stronger and better country in 2015.”

In reference to Kumuyi’s word of assurance, Olayemi believed that God is ever present with Nigeria. “Insecurity should not push us out of our blessings. Economic doldrums should not breed fear of a gloomy future in us. This growing apprehension in the political sphere should not bring us to our knees. Rather, we should stand firm in the might of the Lord,” Olayemi said.

Olayemi’s confidence quickly brought to reminder a song by Ruth C. Jones, an Illinois-born Sunday School teacher, who passed away on August 31, 2009 at the age of 75.

The song reads in part: “In times like these, you need an anchor; in times like these you need a Saviour…” For those who have not resolved for the Lord, they can take the message of Jones’ song and the testimonies of those who received divine touch to heart.

Perhaps, this is a manifestation of God’s visitation, which Kumuyi had declared Nigeria would witness in the New Year. At least, many people, who had been under the bondage of Satan, shared testimonies of how God delivered them. Some, who were taken to the camp almost lifeless, testified to the power of resurrection that brought them up. Others, who suffered diverse impairment, leapt for joy again after years of torment.

For instance, Mr. Samson Anene explained how he was delivered from strange illness. He said he had been down with a strange and excruciating pain in the leg, which he said, almost paralyzed him. In a trance, according to him, I saw a hand dig into my knee and pulled out an object that looked like a calabash and the affliction ceased instantly.

One Mrs. Chijioke testified to how they encountered the power of God. After several years of miscarriages, she conceived and when she was supposed to put to bed, all efforts by the medical team for her to have a normal delivery failed. After 13 hours of labour, she was wheeled into the theatre for an operation.

But few days after the caesarean section, her abdomen began to swell up and a panic visit to the hospital. It was revealed at the interview that an object was left in her stomach when the first operation was carried out. She said her husband signed an undertaking, which suggested her chance of surviving was improbable and unlikely.
But Chijioke said she survived with the intercession of the saints, which she said, was a sign of new dawn Kumuyi had proclaimed for all the church members that there “shall be no loss, no lack and no limitation in the New Year.”

THISDAY

Oshiomhole’s Aides Accused of Beating up Catholic Priest

 Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State

•   Governor’s media aide denies incident

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
To Reverend Father Peter Udo, a Catholic priest, last weekend was one filled with ill luck as he was allegedly beaten to a comatose state by security aides attached to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.

The priest’s offence was that he refused to get off the road when Oshiomhole and his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fasola’s convoy drove along Amendokhian- Ugboha Road to commission it.

Udo, who hails from Ujogba, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, was said to have been on his way to his parish, St. Dennis Catholic Church, Ugboha, Esan Southeast, when he encountered the governor’s convoy.

A source close to the Catholic Diocese of Uromi disclosed that the priest is now receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital due to the heavy beating he received from the security aides of the governor.

According to the source, “It is true that one of our priests, Reverend Father Peter Udo, who is in charge of St. Dennis Catholic Church Parish in Ugboha was beaten into a state of coma by aides to Governor Oshiomhole along Amendokhian-Ugboha Road when he went to commission the road.

“From what we gathered, the offence of the priest was that he did not jump into the bush for the governor’s convoy to pass. He was humiliated even in his cassock. At the appropriate time, the Catholic Diocese of Uromi will react.”

When contacted on the phone, Reverend Father Stephen Okojie, Director, Benin Archdiocese Directorate of Communication, said he was yet to receive such information.

Also, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Peter Okhiria, denied the beating of any Catholic priest by the governor’s aides, describing the report as not only malicious and wicked, but one which portrayed the source as the “devil’s advocate”.

In a statement he signed and made available to THISDAY, Okhiria said: “We received with great shock the concocted news that was reported by Independent Television (ITV) owned by a PDP chieftain, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, stating that the governor’s aides beat up a reverend father at Ujogba.

“The said report is not only callous, malicious and wicked, but clearly portrays ITV and its proprietor as the devil’s advocates who churn out falsehood to denigrate the Oshiomhole administration.”

According to him, “While we state that the governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, the governor, Adams Oshiomhole, is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora.

“The state deputy governor, Rt. Hon. Pius Odubu, is also a practising Catholic as well as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe.

“It is a fact that the governor enjoys a robust relationship with the Catholic Church more so as a baptised practising Catholic. He is also in good standing with the archbishop, priests and laity of the Benin City Archdiocese, Auchi Diocese and Uromi Diocese.

“The governor, as the father of everybody in the state, would never encourage anyone to beat up anybody, let alone directing that a priest of God, from whom he receives the Holy Communion, be beaten up.”

Okhiria further argued that if the purported incident as reported by ITV was correct, why has the church, which has unfettered access to the governor, not reported the incident?

“To the best of our knowledge, the ITV report was deliberately fabricated to promote hate sentiments against the governor by the Catholic faithful.

“It is however heartwarming that the Catholic Church was able to see through this deliberate deception, utter blackmail and wicked machinations of the ITV.

“In spite of this crude attempt to rubbish the governor because of his faith, he renews his commitment to the Catholic Church, to all Catholics, all Christians and indeed people of all faith in the state.

“We use this medium to call on ITV to retract the said offensive report and tender an unreserved apology to the governor through the same station for dragging the governor’s name into a matter totally unconnected to him,” he stated.

THISDAY

Jonathan, Buhari Spend Night in Abeokuta

• President meets Obasanjo with Adeboye, Oyedepo present

Ademola Babalola in Ibadan and Sheriff Balogun in Abeokuta
With the fierce contest for the presidency well underway, the two main contestants for the office – President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major-General Muhammadu Buhari – both berthed in Abeokuta on Monday in their quest to woo voters to their side.

Jonathan, who arrived Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, after a rally in Ibadan earlier in the day, last night met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with Pastors Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and David Oyedepo, Bishop of the Living Church Worldwide (also known as Winners’ Chapel) in attendance, THISDAY was reliably informed.

Although details of the meeting were sketchy, presidency sources said Jonathan had met the former president, with whom he has had a thorny relationship, to solicit his support as the elections loom.

Buhari, on the other hand, arrived Abeokuta just before 10 pm to spend the night ahead of the APC presidential campaign rally in the town today.

Although both men did not meet, it was gathered that Jonathan was lodged at the presidential lodge while Buhari was accommodated right opposite him at the Government Guest House.

The Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was said to have shuttled between both premises to pay courtesy calls on the president and Buhari.
Meanwhile, Jonathan yesterday lambasted Buhari over the latter’s promise to scrap the office of the first lady if elected president.

He explained that the money used in funding the Office of the First Lady does not come from the government budget but from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Jonathan, while addressing the rally held at the historic Mapo Hall, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, defended the office, saying it was a necessity to assist in mobilising Nigerian women in the polity.

He also told the crowd at the event that he planned to deploy technology to fight corruption in Nigeria, stressing that it was not the number of people that are jailed for corruption that mattered to him, but the use of modern technology in blocking all the loopholes where people corruptly enriched themselves.

According to Jonathan, even if 10 million people were tried for corruption and 5 million of them are jailed, “that would not stop people from being corrupt”.

While urging his supporters to support his re-election bid, the president reiterated the need to encourage Nigerian women to participate actively in the polity, pleading that they should reject Buhari and the APC at the elections.

He said: “A vote for Buhari is a vote to condemn the womenfolk into the kitchen. The office of the first lady helps to mobilise women.  The money being spent does not come from the government budget.  It comes from NGOs.”

While maintaining that it is only the PDP administration that can effectively take Nigeria to the next level, onathan decried in strong terms the human rights posture of some leaders of the opposition APC whom he described as “hypocrites”.

He told the gathering that his administration had spent over N10 billion as educational intervention fund in Oyo State alone.

Jonathan added that a lot was being done by his administration in the area of agriculture transformation through its intervention in cocoa and cassava with a view to encouraging young graduates to go into commercial agriculture.

“This administration is the first government ever in this part of the country, after (Obafemi) Awolowo, to show great concern and commitment to Agriculture,” Jonathan stated, just as he pledged to sustain the ongoing rehabilitation work on the Ibadan airport and the Ibadan dry port respectively.

On the Boko Haram insurgency, the president said he had directed the security chiefs to submit a comprehensive report on the Baga incident, assuring the crowd that his government would “surely win the war against terror”.

PDP chieftains at the rally included the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Mu’azu; Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Ms. Jumoke Akinjide who played the role of chief host; Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, the House Leader; Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State; former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Alhaji Yekinni Adeojo; Senator Lekan Balogun; and Mrs. Olusola Obada, former Minister of State for Defence.

The high point of the Ibadan rally was the presentation of the PDP candidate for the February 28 governorship election in the state, Senator Teslim Folarin, with the party’s flag.

In Abeokuta, he vowed to continue his transformation agenda, pledging that he would create not less than two million jobs annually if re-elected next month.
He said he would give increased attention to addressing the challenges of the youths in order to prepare them for leadership roles.

The president, who expressed satisfaction with the rally held at Moshood Abiola Stadium, said Ogun was a great state that has produced great leaders in the country.

He pointed out that the state had produced leaders like Awolowo, Moshood Abiola and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, among others, noting that the state has also produced Obasanjo who governed the country as military head of state and civilian president.

He said he was in the capital city again to solicit the support of Ogun people to re-elect him as president next month, saying he would build on the “good work he started last four years”.

Jonathan recalled that his administration had established 14 additional universities, stressing that more would be established if re-elected.
The president, who stressed that he would continue to improve infrastructure in the institutions, said: “Many of the universities now perform open heart surgeries as well as kidney transplants in their teaching hospitals, due to our commitment to improving education.”

THISDAY

Cristiano Ronaldo Wins 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or Award

“Ronaldo with the 2014 Ballon d’Or award…

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Portugal and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged the winner of the 2014 FIFA  Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world for  the second year running. This is the third time the pacy forward will be winning the World’s Best Player award. He first won it in 2008 and followed up with the 2013 edition. He is just one short of the four wins by his Spanish La Liga rival, Lionel Messi.

Germany midfielder, Nadine Kessler was named the winner of the female version of the award to claim her first-ever FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award.

Expectedly, Joachim Löw who last summer led the German Machines to win the FIFA World Cup in Brazil emerged the best male coach while his compatriot Ralf Kellermann, coach of VfL Wolfsburg Ladies, was named as women’s football coach of the year.

The winners were chosen by the coaches and captains of national teams as well as by international media representatives invited by FIFA and France Football. The entire electoral procedure was overseen and monitored by PricewaterhouseCoopers Switzerland (PwC).
The awards were presented yesterday evening during a 90-minute show at Zurich’s Kongresshaus that was hosted by British journalist Kate Abdo.

Musical entertainment for the 1,100 guests and TV viewers in 190 countries and territories around the world was provided by Swiss singer-songwriter Bastian Baker.

International players’ union FIFPro also invited 24,000 professional players from around the world to vote for the FIFA FIFPro World XI, the best team of 2014, with the following result: Manuel Neuer (Germany) in goal; David Luiz (Brazil), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Sergio Ramos (Spain) and Thiago Silva (Brazil) in defence; Ángel Di María (Argentina), Andrés Iniesta (Spain) and Toni Kroos (Germany) in midfield; and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Arjen Robben (Netherlands) in attack.

The FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year was also presented to Colombian midfielder James Rodríguez.
The FIFA Fair Play Award was presented to all volunteers who have worked at FIFA competitions.

THISDAY

Enugu Prophet: Neither Jonathan nor Buhari will be President after February Election

About two weeks after the fiery Enugu Catholic priest, Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, stirred the hornet’s nest by predicting doom for the nation should President Goodluck Jonathan win the February 14 presidential election, another Enugu-based Prophet, Anthony Nwoko, on Monday foreclosed the possibility of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, winning the election.

Nwoko who had in 1993 prophesied the end of the military regime of former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), however added a new dimension to the entire political scenario predicting that President Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party will also not be president after next month’s election.

The prophet who had had a running battle with the authorities of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) over the church’s headship however refused to divulge what would become of the nation if either of the two leading presidential candidates “would not be president by May 29, noting that God will give the nation a new direction. Prophet Nwoko who had also in 1998 prophesied that late Gen. Sani Abacha, would leave government of Nigeria in a mysterious way, briefed journalists in Enugu yesterday on the state of the nation, lamenting that the nation was turning very ungodly.

“I had told Babangida in 1993 to leave office and it happened and in 1998, I prophesied that Abacha would leave office mysteriously, and you saw what happened,” he said.

Speaking on the current Jonathan presidency and the prospects of his reelection, Nwoko said:

“In 2010, I told Nigerians that they should not expect much or any miracle from Jonathan. Now, in this coming election, Jonathan will only serve as John the Baptist and Buhari has not got any heavenly crown to rule and he will not rule this country because he hasn’t got that crown.

“Don’t take my prophesies for granted because I had also told Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar(rtd) not to make Olusegun Obasanjo president and I had also warned Obasanjo not to make late Umaru Yar’Adua president and my advice was not heeded and you saw what happened,” he noted.

On what would happen since he has prophesied that the two leading presidential candidates would not be president after February elections, the 64-year-old prophet hesitated, saying: “I can see the glory of Nigeria in the Southeast and I don’t agree with Wole Soyinka that Jonathan is Nebucadnezar, Jonathan is a forerunner to the glory of God.”

Responding to Mbaka’s New Year message, the prophet said he was not condemning the priest but “I want to tell him that I can see the glory of God in the South,” an ominous projection that showed no definite direction for the country in the event that either of the two giants becomes president as he has prophesied.

The prophet who claimed to have hailed from Umuahia, Abia State, but had not stepped into the city in the past 45 years, and remains unmarried at 64, said the nation still has a glorious future which would materialise only when the righteous is allowed to preside over the affairs of the nation.

“All these crises in the country are the products of ungodliness. We have allowed evil to thrive so much in Nigeria and God has given the leaders ample opportunities to retrace their steps but now, He has decided to change things by Himself.“

Before the eyes of ordinary people, either Jonathan or Buhari will win the election but in the eyes of God, none of them will preside over the country’s affairs after this election,” he said.

Thisday