Wande Coal Breaks Up With Don Jazzy's Mavin Records

Wande Coal after years of staying loyal to his bosses, Dbanj and Don Jazzy has allegedly finally parted ways with Mavin Records owned by Don Jazzy to form his own label known as Black Diamond Entertainment. During the post Mohit era which saw Dbanj and Don Jazzy parting ways to form their own record label, Wande Coal pitched his tent with the super producer, Don Jazzy and released a number of hits under the Mavin blueprint. With the likes of Wizkid and Iyanya running their own label and making it bigtime, Wande Coal finally summoned the courage to untie himself from the apron strings of Mavin to become his own boss. His new single ‘Kilaju’ produced by Maleek Berry, which dropped yesterday was released under his Black Diamond imprint. A member of his new team who pleaded anonymity confirmed the split saying WC’s twitter bio says it all, while attempt to reach Don Jazzy was not possible as at the time of filing this report.

Davido, Ice Prince to rock Kenya’s Boombaataa festival

Over the weekend, Nigerian acts joined Kenyan stars in a Pan African festival meant to foster African unity and boost the African talent. Dubbed Boombaataa, the festival held at Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi, and was headlined by Ice Prince and Davido who were joined by fellow Chocolate City stablemate Victoria Kimani. On the decks were DJ Caise, DJ Purpl and DJ Joe Mfalme. Kenyan acts included Sauti Sol, Amani, Fena and Sound Afrique. During a press briefing before the concert, BET award winning act, Ice Prince said winning the international award ‘doesn’t mean more cheddah. It means more work more videos and more music to be born. I will not just sit back and rest I have to work even harder.’ The Boombaataa festival will be a yearly pop festival that celebrates African music, arts and culture in a day filled with good music, good food and African arts. This festival is organized by AdrenaLIVE a branch of Adrenalin In Motion that specializes in organising live events. CEO and founder of Adrenaline in Motion Ahmed Mikwa told Nigerian Entertainment Today, ‘We are very excited about the Boombaataa festival. Just like the name of the Festival Boombaataa, which means celebration, we are hoping to celebrate in a unique way and embrace diversity which is one thing we stand for as Adrenalive. Kenyans should get ready for many more spectacular live events from Adrenalive.’

We must be grateful to Mourinho --Casillas

Iker Casillas insists he is grateful to former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for his contribution to the success of the club. Mourinho won three trophies during his three-year stint at Santiago Bernabeu, although the latter part of his tenure is best remembered for public fallout with Casillas which led to the club captain being frozen out of the first team. Casillas, however, has stressed that the current Chelsea boss' efforts in La Liga cannot be ignored, although he is relishing the prospect of beginning a new campaign under replacement coach Carlo Ancelotti. "I've only been training with Carlo, I don't know what differences there are (between Ancelotti and Mourinho), but it's not a question of looking back. You have to be grateful for Mourinho's contribution to Real Madrid, but now we have to start with the hope that the club can be at the top," he told a press conference. "He's a winner, that's obvious to everyone, but he'll make it clear from the beginning. This club was on the edge of titles last season; we want to complete our objectives in all three competitions." Casillas says competition for places at the club is good under Ancelotti -- but admitted he was desperate to regain his No.1 spot next season. "Competition is always healthy. There are very good goalkeepers here and we must learn to live with that. I hear a lot about competition for my post, but in other parts of the pitch there are two or three players for one position as well," he added.

UNILORIN expels five students

The University of Ilorin has expelled five students from the institution for alleged acts of misconduct. The Disciplinary Committee of the institution said after due consideration of all evidence before it, it was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the allegation of misconduct was established against the students. Vice-Chancellor, UNILORIN, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, in an interview with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, confirmed the expulsion of the students. He added that before any student could graduate, such must have been found worthy in learning and character. According to him, students are being monitored from their first day on the campus till the last day. Besides, he said the university believed in upholding the rule of law. He said, "We have various committees put in place to checkmate excesses either of the students or of the staff. We have rules and regulations guiding the conducts of staff and students on campus."

Visa bond: We will retaliate, FG insists

THE Federal Government on Tuesday insisted on retaliatory action against British citizens if their government went ahead with its plan to impose a £3, 000 visa bond on visitors from Nigeria and five other Commonwealth countries. It expressed displeasure that Downing Street, which had already set November as the discriminatory policy's commencement time, had not deemed it neccessary to formally communicate to it on the next step of action. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, had at a meeting with the British High Commissioner, Andrew Pocock, conveyed the desire of Nigeria to retaliate the policy. The spokesperson for the ministry , Ogbole Ode, said in a statement in Abuja, that the British authorities were already aware of the Federal Government's position on the matter. The statement reads, "Media reports in Nigeria on Monday, July 29, 2013, indicated that the United Kingdom Government will begin to implement from November, 2013, the £3,000 cash bond for first- time visa applicants from Nigeria, and five other Commonwealth countries. The other countries are India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. These media reports themselves were quoting the Financial Times of London. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to receive any official communication on the final decision of the UK government on this matter. The Federal Government has already conveyed its objection to the bond payment to the UK government. This was done when the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ashiru, summoned the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Pocock, to the Tafawa Balewa House, on June 25, 2013. "If and when a communication to that effect is received, the Federal Government will take appropriate steps to reflect its national interest. " When contacted, the spokesman for the British High Commission in Abuja, Rob Fitzpatrick, said, "No final decision has been made" on the controversial policy. He said, "As British Prime Minister David Cameron has said, we want the brightest and the best to help create the jobs and growth that will enable Britain to compete in the global race. So, for example, if you are an overseas businessman seeking to invest and trade with world class businesses, one of the thousands of legitimate students keen to study at our first-class universities or a tourist visiting our world class attractions, be in no doubt: Britain is open for business." It will be recalled that Ashiru, at the meeting with Pocock, warned that the government would retaliate the discriminatory policy. On Monday the British government defended a campaign advising illegal immigrants to "go home or face arrest." Two trucks, each displaying a large poster with a number for migrants to send text messages if they desired to return to their countries , were seen in six London boroughs for a week. It was learnt that posters, leaflets and advertisements in newspapers would run for a month to further promote the campaign, a pilot scheme by the interior ministry. A member of the Liberal Democrat Party, the junior partner in the coalition government with the Conservative Party and Business Secretary, Vince Cable, called the campaign "stupid and offensive." The opposition Labour Party's home affairs spokeswoman, Yvette Cooper, also said the scheme was "ludicrous." But Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman defended the campaign, saying it was clear that it was "already working" as some illegal immigrants had voluntarily agreed to leave the UK.

Madrid will Regret On Higuain selling – Mijatovic

JULY 31, 2013 8:51 AM The 44-year-old believes his former club should’ve retained the services of the Argentine because of his prowess in front of goal Real Madrid will live to regret letting striker Gonzalo Higuain leave the club this summer, according to former Bernabeu favourite Pedrag Mijatovic. The 25-year-old sealed a move to Napoli for €37 million last week and has subsequently been unveiled by president Aurelio De Laurentiis on Monday. However, Mijatovic – who enjoyed a three-year stay in the Spanish capital with los Blancos – is convinced the club’s hierarchy will struggle to find someone to replicate the Argentine’s goalscoring feats. The former striker told Cadena COPE: “When Real Madrid purchased Higuain he was seen as a kid with great talent. He was settled in Spain and did well in Spanish football. “He was key to winning the league title under (Fabio) Capello and has grown a lot at Madrid . “It is not easy to find a player that scores 25-30 goals a season.” The Argentina international, along with goalkeeper Pepe Reina, were presented to supporters for the first time since their respective moves to Stadio San Paolo before the 3-1 victory over Galatasaray on Monday. The duo sported the club’s colours as they were paraded around the field prior to kick-off but, having failed to obtain international clearance in time for the visit of the Turkish champions, were forced to watch on from the stands as Goran Pandev, Juan Camilo Zuniga and Lorenzo Insigne all scored to secure the win. Pandev put the hosts ahead in the first-half after guiding his header beyond the Galatasaray stopper. Nordin Amrabat restored parity for the visitors early in the second-half before Zuniga – who was initially booed by the Partenopei fans amid speculation he is set to join Juventus next summer – and Insigne put the result beyond doubt late on. Both clubs will now turn their attentions towards London as they travel to the English capital to clash with Arsenal in the Emirates Cup in August.

Two Men Lynched In Lagos, Accused Of Being Thieves

Policemen attached to the Badagry Police Division, Lagos State, and some hoodlums have been accused of killing a 25-year-old undergraduate of Delta State University, Ifechukwude Nwainokpor, and his friend, identified simply as Kazeem. An eight-minute video clip of the gruesome killing, which was made available to PUNCH Metro, showed the two victims handcuffed together. They were covered in their own blood and beaten to death with sticks. Tyres were also put round their necks. An irate mob could be seen in the video, shouting, "die, die, burn them, burn them." At some points in the video, a policeman was seen interviewing the boys. He asked who sent them (victims) to rob the area, an accusation they denied. One of the hoodlums, holding a sharp object attempted to cut off the private part of one of the victims. Nwainokpor could be seen pleading with the hoodlums and policemen to spare his life, saying he could identify himself if given a chance. His plea, however, fell on deaf ears. Our correspondent, who visited the family of Nwainokpor on Tuesday, learnt that the lynching took place around 3pm on July 21, 2013 in Ajara area of Badagry, a community not far from Nwainokpor's family home. His father, Samuel, told PUNCH Metro that his son was arrested while passing through a street in the area but a misunderstanding later ensued and the hoodlums pounced on him and Kazeem. He added that Nwainokpor, who was nicknamed Ify, was a final year student of Geology and Mining. He said, "On that particular day, I was in Ghana when I received a telephone call that I should come immediately. My wife was in Delta State taking care of her mother. "When I arrived two days later, my relatives and the caretaker of my house told me that my son was killed in the Ajara area along with his friend. I was devastated. "I got my son a temporary job with a Customs licensed agent since their lecturers were on strike. He worked everyday except on Sundays when he visited his friends. On that day, he went to see Kazeem and they were strolling around Ajara." Samuel said because there had been a robbery in Ajara four days earlier, some of the residents were on the lookout for strange faces. He added that when the youth saw two unknown young men, they accosted them and an argument ensued. He said the youth called the head of the vigilante group in the area, one Asiribo. He said, "Asiribo came to the scene with a locally- made pistol and handcuffs. He handcuffed my son and his friend before asking them questions. "Later, it was decided that the boys be taken to the Baale, Agano Oniyon of Agamade Ajara. But as they were going, Asiribo, while trying to return his gun into its pouch, mistakenly shot himself in the stomach and died." Samuel said Asiribo's death infuriated the youth, who blamed the boys for his death. "The mob picked up sticks and beat them to death. Policemen were there," he said. Holding back tears, the retired immigration officer added that the police treated the matter as a robbery case. Beating his chest, Samuel said there was no way his son would have been involved in armed robbery. He said, "I have been living in Badagry since 1982. I have only two children and Ifechukwude is the first. Ironically, he was born in that same area where he was killed. "I have lived in this area without any trouble and the residents can tell you that my sons are good boys." Nwainokpor's boss, Aloysius Onyenibedi, described him as an honest and hardworking person. "I trusted him to the extent that I used to keep a lot of money with him. He was good to my children and was honest," he said. The Nwainokpor family berated the Divisional Police Officer, Badagry Police Station, Dankoli Mohammed, for the manner he treated the case. Samuel said when he approached the DPO, he was told that his son was killed at midnight for armed robbery. He said, "When the policemen came to take the corpses, guns were planted on them. Policemen at the station told the DPO that they were robbers. Their corpses were taken along with that Asiribo to Badagry General Hospital's mortuary. "The following morning, the DPO released Asiribo's corpse for burial without investigation. My relatives went to the station and after showing the DPO the video, the matter was transferred to the Area K Command. "At Present, Asiribo's son has fled, while the DPO has been unable to identify the policemen who were present at the scene when my son and his friend were killed." PUNCH Metro however learnt that through the video, some people had arrested one of the perpetrators. The suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba. The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said, "The incident is quite pathetic. Even if they were armed robbers, no one has the right to take the life of another. Why then do we have the police and the judiciary? The Nigerian police as well as the law condemn mob action and jungle justice. The commissioner of police has set up a high- powered investigation body to investigate the matter."

Five killed in Taraba attack

Five persons were killed yesterday in Tapga Village of Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba state when armed militia group from the neighbouring Tarok Village of Plateau state attacked the Taraba village. It was gathered that many others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the attack while others were forced to desert Tapga village. The injured were said to have been taken to some clinics in Wukari and Ibi towns for treatment. It could not however be ascertained the reason for the attack. According to eye-witnesses, some of the refugees are taking refuge in Jibo -a settlement of Wukari. Chairman of Ibi council Adamu Ishaku, who confirmed the attack and killing to newsmen, said “the attackers took my people unaware”. Ishaku said the attackers had planned to invade Sarki-Kudu village of his council but they couldn’t succeed before “they ended up lunching the attack on the unsuspecting residents of Tapga,” Ishaku however gave the casualty figure at three while eye-witnesses said the death toll rose to five as at press time. Our source added that the fate of little children and women left behind was still unknown. The Ibi chairman said security in parts of Ibi has been porous especially at the coastal and border areas.

ASUU vows to continue strike until FG agrees to demands

BENIN CITY—Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Benin Zone, yesterday, expressed the resolve of members to stay at home for up to 10 years than call off the current strike action embarked upon by the union five weeks ago, if the Federal Government continues to shy away from the agreement it reached with the union in 2009. President Goodluck Jonathan had Tuesday, approved the implementation of the recommendation of the government committee on repositioning of federal and state universities. But the Benin Zone of ASUU described as a shame, government’s refusal to meet its end of the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, entered with ASUU in 2009, wherein government promised to release N100 billion immediately out of the N500billion it agreed to pay. The Zonal Coordinator, Benin zone of ASUU, Dr. Ighalo Sunny, said yesterday, that part of the MOU signed in 2012 between the Federal Government and the union was that government will increase the yearly budgetary allocation to the educational sector to 26 per cent among others. He said: “It is sad that government has failed to fulfill the agreement on the universities. The N500 billion is not to pay lecturers but to fund infrastructural decay in Nigerian universities. What that means is that government has not shown readiness to implement same. For us, the solution is simple, honour and implement fully the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement. We believe that the 2009 agreement is the antidote to the debilitating crisis bedevilling Nigerian universities.” Describing the rumour that ASUU will soon call-off the strike as a folktale, he noted that the union appreciates the interest shown by stakeholders and groups in the crisis, “ but that will not stop us from finding lasting solution to the decay in our education sector. So, even if it takes us another 10 years, we will remain at home until the right thing is done.”

Visa lottery winner, other arrested over scam marriage

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Two persons, Adetokunbo Adejayan and Juliet Adebisi, have been arrested by the police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos, for pretending to be married in order to secure a United States visa.

The crime was said to have been brought to the notice of the SFU through a petition by the Assistant Regional Security Officer, United States Consulate General.

Police investigation revealed that Adejayan and Adebisi were not husband and wife as claimed.

It was discovered that the false union was arranged by one Segun and his syndicate, which specialise in teaming up US visa lottery winners with non-winners   for onward “smuggling” to the US.

A statement by the SFU Public Relations Officer,  Ngozi Isintume-Agu, said, “Their method is to merge a visa lottery winner with a non-winner and package both to US.

“In this case, the sum of N1.5m was paid by Adebisi and she was purportedly joined in matrimony with Adejayan, who genuinely won an American Visa lottery.  Both suspects have made confessional statements that they are not legally married.”

Adeyanju, 35, who teaches in a secondary school   in  Mafoluku, Oshodi, was said to have won the lottery in May 2012.

His statement to the Police read in part, “It was my brother’s friend who played the lottery for me and he was the same person who called to tell me that I had won.  He advised me to get a ‘wife’ before coming to the US. He then introduced me to Segun, assuring me that he (Segun) would help.

“It was Segun that brought Adebisi for the arranged marriage and subsequent interview and visa.”

Adebisi paid N1m to Segun in June 2012 to process her visa and another N500,000 for passports, medicals and training.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of SFU, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, said, “It was Segun who booked the appointment for the suspects at the embassy as husband and wife. The fake marriage was arranged last year.

“Investigation is ongoing and effort is on top gear to arrest Segun and his cohorts.  The arrested suspects will be charged to court soon.”

MAIDUGURI — Suspected members of Islamic sect, Boko Haram, have killed more than 25 civilians, including five vigilante youths, when the youths attacked the sect members in Dawashi Village of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, a border town with Niger and Chad Republic.
The vigilante youths, also known as Civilian JTF and popularly called Yan Gora, in Maiduguri, who have been assisting the men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in arresting suspected Boko Haram members, were said to have been ambushed and killed, weekend, in Mainok Village of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
It was gathered that the Mainok incident took place when some volunteer youths from Ajilari, Gomari and Bulunkutu Kasuwa wards of Jere and Maiduguri metropolis, stormed the village in their patrol vehicles.
They were there to arrest suspected sects members. But the Civilian JTF, who went without the cover of the military task force were overpowered as the terrorists fired gunshots on their convoy, killing five of them, with one injured.

A handout picture released by the Nigerian army showing Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) medical officers treating civilians injured by suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect in village of Dawashe, in the Kukawa district of Borno. AFP PHOTO

Mainok, about 50 kilometers away from Maiduguri, is one of the areas dominated by suspected Boko Haram members until last month when JTF raided the village and killed over 40 terrorists, burning of over 100 motorcycles suspected to have been used for terrorists activities.
When news of the killings of the five civilian JTF filtered into Maiduguri yesterday, as their corpses arrived Umaru Shehu Specialist Hospital, some members of the vigilante youths mobilised to Mainok village with the back up of military JTF and set the entire village ablaze.
JTF spokesman confirms incident
Confirming the Mainok incident, JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, in a statement to newsmen said the vigilante youths were on operation in Mainok town over the weekend.
He said that in the course of their operation, they were attacked by suspected Boko Haram members.
Sagir said both the deceased and the wounded were in Shehu Umar Specialist Hospital Bulumkutu in Maiduguri metropolis.
He added that on hearing the news at about 11p.m. last Friday, JTF troops were drafted to the area and have been operating on Mainok and surrounding villages to apprehend the bandits, pointing out that the situation in the area was now calm.
On the killing of 20 innocent civilians in Dawashi, it was gathered that a group of volunteer youth from Maiduguri stormed Dawashi village in search of Boko Haram members when the suspected sect members came armed and fired sporadic shots that killed over 20 innocent civilians, while a dozen had serious gunshot injuries.
The victims, it was gathered were mostly fishermen and traders.
It was also gathered that the Dawashi, Daban Masara and Malan Karanti of Kukawa areas were considered stronghold of the sect.
Media Coordinator of the Multinational Joint Task Force, MJTF, in Baga town of Kukawa Local Government, Lieutenant Haruna Mohammed, also confirmed the incident.
He said: “At the time of compiling this report, the victims were still lying within the premises of MNJTF Field Ambulance, receiving medical treatment from the injury sustained during the attack.”
Oritsejafor
In a related development, President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oristejafor, weekend, regretted that policies and the inaction of United States of America had helped sustain what he said was the persecution of Nigerian Christians in Northern Nigeria.
He lamented what he described as failure of US to designate the Islamist group as Foreign Terrorist Organisation, FTO.
The CAN President also revealed that 70 percent of all killings targeted at Christians globally, are from Northern Nigeria with 3,000 killed and over 500 Churches burnt between 2010 and 2012.
Oristejiafor, who addressed the Christian Association of Nigeria in America, CANAN, in Washington DC, weekend, however hailed the activities of some Muslims youths in parts of Borno State, who have been tagged Civilian JTF, for assisting JTF in Borno State in hunting down fleeing members of Boko Haram.
His speech read in part: “I was recently re-elected into my second and final term as President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, an aggregation of all Nigeria’s 80 million Christians.
“The population of Christians in Nigeria is equivalent to the entire country of Egypt. The population of Christians in northern Nigeria is more than the entire population of Syria.
“We are by no means a minority, which makes what we are going through all the more alarming and a warning to countries who believe Islamist terrorism and insurgency could never happen in their territories.
Statistics
“In my first term, about 3,000 Christians were killed. Last year alone it averaged over 100 every month. In March 2010 about 500 Christians were slaughtered in one night on an attack on their villages.
“In April 2011 we lost over 500 churches, thousands of homes and businesses in a 48-hour period and in 2012 about 70 percent of all Christians killed worldwide were in northern Nigeria alone.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/25-killed-as-boko-haram-civilian-jtf-clash-in-borno/#sthash.xZLK0gcr.dpuf

Constitution Amendment: Majority had their say but minority their way

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (CFR), is the chairman Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. In an interview with Senate Correspondents, he spoke on Senate’s clause-by-clause voting exercise on the Constitution amendment process, noting that the requirement of two-third and not simple majority for amendments to sail through sank many proposed amendments in the Senate. Excerpts:
Your committee made recommendations that were largely popular among Nigerians. Are you surprised that some of them were not passed by your colleagues?
Let me say straight away that I am speaking for the Committee on Constitutional Amendment. I am just giving you the position of things regarding our recommendations to the Senate. People voted in accordance with their consciences and the dictates of their constituencies.
When we sent our recommendations, we had no delusions whatsoever that all the recommendations will go through. We believed that some will go through and some may not. But I believe that as a committee, we were justified in our conscience that we recommended to our colleagues what we believed to be in the best interest of Nigeria.
Constitution amendment
So, if people are protesting that we didn’t pass it, again I think it is a justification of the position taken by our committee that, that was also good. So for me it is like giving a nod to those recommendations we made. We believed that those things were right but of course, this is democracy and our colleagues are entitled to vote the way they wanted. So, the only thing I can say is that the issue of constitution amendment is a continuum. If in the future we have the opportunity of going through this process again, these issues that they feel strongly about will be revisited.
Just as the issue of independence of State Houses of Assembly, you will recall that though the Section in that particular exercise failed in the hands of the states Assembly themselves, but there were agitations that we need to ensure that it happens. Because of that, we have brought it back in this exercise and subsequently it has gone through the Senate and hopefully, it will go through the House of Representatives and we will send it to the states. If it passes through the states, it means that we were right to bring it back.
So what will happen to the ones that people are agitating for is to represent them again when the opportunities come, and recommend to our colleagues for possible consideration because we cannot be actively indifferent to the feelings of Nigerians. Possibly, by then our colleagues will be able to have sufficient votes to see them through.
Don’t forget that what is needed to pass any part of the amendments is two-third, which is 73 votes and some of the amendments got as much as 70, which is a majority. So, what we are saying is that most of the amendments that failed to pass had more than half of the Senate votes and this shows that they were quite popular with the Senate, but because we needed two-thirds, there was nothing we could do about. This is a situation where the majority will have their say but the minority will have their way. We believe that in the future, we will revisit them.
Is it possible to bring back some of the failed clauses into the amendment process during harmonization?
The answer is yes because once we have set up the harmonization committee, it is going to be with the mandate of the Senate.  If the House voted positively for it and we voted it out and we believe that the House members were right, then we will concur with them and it forms part of the harmonized version and then we bring it back to our people for voting. That is sincere enough. The fact that it failed in the Senate will not stop us from adopting it if the House recommends it and we are convinced that it is the right thing to do.

Sen. Ekweremadu

Your committee recommended that Section 29(4)(b) of the Constitution be deleted because it infringes on the rights of the girl child. The inability of the Senate to delete it has obviously put the Upper Chamber in the eye of the storm. What is the way out?
You are right. The decision of the Senate on this part has been widely misinterpreted, misreported, and totally taken out of context. In fact, a highly respected national daily wrote in its editorial that “Under Section 29 (4a and 4b) of the Constitution, a woman shall not be qualified for marriage until she is 18 years of age. The Senate, on Wednesday, proposed to change that provision to ‘a woman is deemed to be of full age once she is married’, irrespective of the age she did so”.
This, as you are aware, is totally untrue. First, Section 29 of the Constitution has absolutely nothing to do with child-marriage. Rather, the Section in question is about Renunciation of Citizenship.
The section reads: 29. (1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.
(2) The President shall cause the declaration made under subsection (1) of this section to be registered and upon such registration, the person who made the declaration shall cease to be a citizen of Nigeria.
Public policy
(3) The President may withhold the registration of any declaration made under subsection (1) of this section if-
(a) the declaration is made during any war in which Nigeria is physically involved; or
(b) in his opinion, it is otherwise contrary to public policy.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.
(a) “full age” means the age of eighteen years and above;
(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.
So, Section 29(4)(b) is specifically and unambiguously for the purposes of renunciation of citizenship, not marriage.
In doing its work, the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution went through the Constitution to fish out and recommend for amendment other provisions such as Section 26(2)(a) and Section 42(1) deemed to be discriminatory against Nigerian citizens. These were passed.
In the same vein, Section 29(4)(b) was recommended for deletion because the committee considered it discriminatory. Section 29(4)(a) has already defined “full age” as age eighteen and above. We considered it gender discriminatory and imbalance to place the man and woman on different scales in matters of citizenship renunciation.
If there is no gender discrimination in matters relating to voting rights, education age, driving age, and so on, we felt this discrimination was abnormal and, in fact, an inelegant drafting. As such, it was recommended for deletion, but could not pass eventually.
In essence, the Senate has not done anything new to that part of the Constitution. Therefore, on the issue of Section 29, I want to appeal to Nigerians to please show understanding, to possibly read this Section and understand that the issue has nothing to do with early marriage. It has nothing to do with Islam. Essentially, it has to do with the renunciation of citizenship.

Sen. Ekweremadu

So, you have to give it a proper perspective. I want to assure them that in the future, we are ready to revisit it if Nigerians feel strongly about it. We have no Bill to approve early marriage. We are not sponsoring any Bill against Islam.
Renunciation of citizenship
This particular provision has been in our Constitution since 1979. Ours was an attempt to remove that aspect so that men and women would have equal footing regarding the issue of renunciation of citizenship. And we will never support early marriage.
On the issue of Section 29, one of your colleagues addressed a press conference where he pleaded that he voted in error. What is your take on this?
I am not in a position to say whether they looked at it or not. The only thing I can say is regarding my colleague from Ondo State. It has been said that he made a mistake in the process of voting and I believe him because he had no reason to vote against that particular clause.
Secondly, in the Senate, just as in the House of Representatives, our pattern of voting is usually voice vote. You will recall that it is only when we are voting in constitutional amendment that we insist on electronic voting so it is almost a new thing and some are not used to it. So we tried to do it over and over before we proceeded. So, it was possible for anybody to make a mistake and press “No” instead of “Yes” and press “Absent” instead of “Present”. I understand that it was quite possible for one to make a mistake.
What is your take on comments that your Committee’s recommendations on Section 9 which was passed by the Senate to create a process for enacting a new Constitution is a ploy to silence the agitation for a Sovereign National Conference?
We are not trying to silence anything. Rather, we are trying to ensure that we cover all interests, including the interest of those who are asking for a new constitution or a constitutional conference.  Now, as you say in law, you can’t put something on nothing and expect it to stand. Our stand has been yes, Nigerians may need a new constitution, Nigerians may need a conference, but there must be a legal foundation for it. There is no way we can go and set up a group of people to start writing a constitution. On what basis? Where do you derive the authority from? So, that has been the problem.
As I said, you can’t put something on nothing and expect it to stand, otherwise, you are calling for anarchy. We decided after going round in other jurisdictions to do what others have done in the past- like Kenya, Zimbabwe and Brazil. They too had no such provisions in their constitutions and the first thing they did was to put in their constitutions the powers to make a new constitution or the processes through which that can happen, then thereafter, they proceeded to do a new constitution.
So you cannot be calling for a referendum or sovereign national conference, when there is no such provision for it. Where do you get the powers to do so? So, we decided to put in place a legal foundation upon which not only the National Assembly who has been given powers under Section 4 of the constitution to make laws for the country, to do so, but also to ensure that the people are directly involved in the process.
This is why we now decided to involve the people directly to have the final say on the constitution through a referendum. That is what we have done now. So that has taken care of all interests- the interest of those who are asking that Nigerians should be involved and the interest of the National Assembly who are saying it is our constitutional power under Section 4 to make laws for this country. So, Section 9 covers both  interests and we believe that if it scales through, that will be one of the best things to have happened to this country.

UK visa: Nigerians begin payment of £3,000 bond Nov

OUTCRY against its £3,000 tourists visa bond notwithstanding, Britain will commence the scheme in the six listed Commonwealth countries in November, Financial Times report quoted the Home Office as saying.

The Commonwealth countries to be affected by the policy which was announced in June are Nigeria, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The affected countries are considered to be source of “high risk” tourists to the UK.

Some visitors from the six countries, under the scheme, will be asked to pay a £3,000 cash bond in return for visitor visas that allow them to stay in the UK for up to six months.

According to official data, these six countries accounted for more than half a million visa applications in 2012.

There have been outpours of anger by governments of the affected countries, especially Nigeria and India against the policy.

A protest in India last month forced the British Prime Minister David Cameron to declare that final decision had not been taken on the policy, while the Nigerian government asked Britain to renounce the scheme.

The Federal Government, through the Foreign Affairs minister, Olugbenga Ashiru,  had in June expressed “the strong displeasure of the government and people of Nigeria” over the “discriminatory” policy.

Ashiru warned British High Commissioner Andrew Pocock at a meeting in the minister’s office in Abuja, barely 24 hours after the policy was announced, that the move would “definitely negate” the two country’s commitment to double trade by 2014.

The minister told the British diplomat that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, had “a responsibility to take appropriate measures to protect the interest of Nigerians who may be affected by the proposed policy, if finally introduced.”

The British High Commission in Nigeria after the meeting issued a statement quoting Pocock as saying that his government planned to undertake “a very small scale trial of the use of financial bonds as a way of tackling abuse in the immigration system (which occurs when some people overstay their visa terms).”

He said that the details of the pilot scheme were still being worked out and if it goes ahead in Nigeria, it would affect only a very small number of the “highest risk” visitors.

“The vast majority would not be required to pay a bond. Those paying bonds would receive the bond back, if they abided by the terms of their visa,” he said.

More than 180, 000 Nigerians apply to visit Britain each year and about 70 percent or around 125, 000 of these applicants are successful, he said.

A Home Office official said the six countries highlighted were those with “the most significant risk of abuse”

The Home Office said on Friday that only individuals deemed “high-risk” would be asked to pay the bond. But some officials admits that the mere mention of a bond would be enough to deter visitors.

 “In the long run, we are interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services,” an unnamed Home Office official said.

Ashiru said on Sunday that the UK embassy had not communicated to his office the plan to commence the bond scheme.

““They have not communicated with me,” the minister said when The PUNCH sought his reaction to the latest development.

In the UK, luxury goods retailers have denounced the plan as an “insulting deterrent” to wealthy tourists, which will hit sales and damage London’s reputation.

They are urging the government to drop the pilot, saying the restrictions will damage their business if Commonwealth tourists – particularly Nigerians, now the sixth biggest spenders on luxury goods in the UK – are put off.

“It’s embarrassing that our country would consider these measures against visitors who spend so much in our stores,” Managing Director of Harrods, Michael Ward, said .

“There seems to be a deeply frustrating attitude in Westminster that they should do whatever they can to actively prevent people coming to the UK,” Ward added.

Harrods is reputed to be the biggest department store in Europe, occupying a five-acre site in the royal precinct in London.

Court jails man eight years for raping girl, 12

The Ado Ekiti High Court has sentenced a middle-aged man, Innocent Eze, to eight years imprisonment for assaulting and raping a 12-year-old girl.

Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye in the judgment delivered on Friday held that Eze  was guilty of indecent assault and defilement.

The convict was jailed one year for the first count and seven years for defilement.

Oluwaseyi Ojo and Tayo Bade-Gboyega who had appeared for the state had told the court that the offences were contrary to Sections 360 and 218 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Prosecutors told the court that Eze, on August 31, 2011, in Ijan-Ekiti, grabbed the victim after assisting him to fetch water from a well and dragged her inside his room where he forcefully had carnal knowledge of the girl.

The court was also told that the convict stuffed a handkerchief in the girl’s vaginal to stop the bleeding after he had raped her. Eze was also said to have given the victim N100 to buy drugs after the defilement.

Confirming that the victim was defiled, a witness, Dr. Oluwagbemiga Alade, who treated the victim at General Hospital, Ijan Ekiti, confirmed that the girl’s hymen was “traumatised, with laceration along the vaginal wall.”

Counsel for the convict, Mrs. N. Nwafor, had pleaded that the court temper justice with mercy. However, the judge described the act as barbaric, saying the perpetrator should be punished to deter others.

The judge said, “It’s unfortunate that a 12-year-old girl was sexually defiled as was done to the victim in this case. It is more unfortunate that the matter came to the public domain.

“The convict, by his act, had succeeded in placing a stigma on the person of the victim, which may take a long time to erase. The trauma suffered by the victim would take a longer time to forget.

“The act of the convict is not such as should be encouraged. This is definitely a barbaric act and the sentence must be such as would serve as deterrent to the convict and others who still harbour similar tendencies.”

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Akin Oyedele, in reaction to the judgement, said such punishment would serve as deterrent to other sexual perverts on the prowl.

She urged rape victims to always speak out to stop rapists from their wicked acts.

ASUU denies plan to call off strike

ABUJA — ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has described as speculative reports that the strike embarked upon by the union over the inability of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 agreement it willingly entered into with the union would be called off this Thursday.
National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, told Vanguard that he was surprised to hear that the union was going to call off the strike on Thursday when the issues tabled before government had not been resolved.
Faggae said: “There is nothing like that (suspending the strike). I am also surprised to hear people say that we are going to call off the strike.
He said: “Our members have made it categorically clear what they want. This meeting we had with government on Friday at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, is just exploratory.

“We are trying to look at issues holistically and see how we are going to address them. So assignments were given to various people that attended the meeting and the expectation is that we will meet tomorrow (today), Monday and look at the assignment given and also look at it on Thursday again.
“So, that is why I’m surprised to hear people say that we are going to suspend strike on Thursday. The mandate of our members is very clear. So, we will wait and see what the Monday and Thursday meetings unfold and then we report back to our members.”
On how long it would take ASUU leaders to convene a meeting with its members after the meeting with government on Thursday, the ASUU boss said “we are in constant consultation with our members, we don’t really have problems with that.
“After the meeting, we will decide when to link up with our members depending upon what is placed on table on Thursday.”
Commenting on the speculation that the union might suspend the strike if the government met up to 50 per cent of the agreement, Faggae said the union would prefer to get to the bridge before crossing it.
He commended the positive disposition of the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Education towards the resolution of the crisis.
Fagge added: “For us, the interaction we have had with the Joint Committee clearly indicates that they are concerned like other Nigerians”.
“This is expected of the representatives of people. You see the problem has always been that the executive arm of government does not really hearken to advise that are given on how best to address the problems on education in this country.
“We are convinced as a union that the only thing the government can really do for Nigerians is to avail them of education.
“Once you are able to do that, you will see that people will be able to generate jobs and they will be able to take care of themselves and contribute to nation building. So that is the argument we are placing on the table.”

OkikiJesu Olawuyi, Nigerian Baby Girl Born Without A Skull Gets New Head In The US; Parents Seek Donations

With much expectation, the world is waiting to see OkikiJesu Olawuyi grab a fitting place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Many across the world want to see this happen. And what that means is that a Nigerian child is well on her way to making history once she scales the mountain of surgeries standing in her path of life. OkikiJesu Olawuyi was born without a skull but not without a will to live. Bones from her hands are being obtained to construct a skull bone to help her live. Amazingly, she is winning this battle for her life at John Hopkins University in far away United States of America. There, the best hands the world can assemble are with her every passing hour fighting a medical war to give life to a miracle child who has announced to the entire human community that she has something different to offer. First grade surgeons – irrespective of colour, race and tongue are tasking their expertise to see that this wonder of the 21st century lives to tell her story and reports say that they are doing a great job to save her. OkikiJesu is getting moral and material support from across the world to help her live. An avalanche of support is coming her way. Her parents are carrying the burden of pain and anguish with stoic patience. They are fighting to remedy a medical case they cannot tell how it all started. The child needs a lot more financial assistance to pull through, her father, Mr. Caleb Olawuyi, says. He disclosed that she needed an additional $500,000 to undergo the final operation that would enable her live a normal life. Experts say that is possible and they can achieve that. While appealing for generous support from government, corporate organizations and private individuals to help the baby live, Mr. Olawuyi, has equally urged government to set up funds to assist babies afflicted with critical ailments. Speaking straight from the heart, he noted that one needed to be close to a child in pains to know how it feels. Since news of the child’s medical condition was disclosed, the world has been aghast. She was born on May 11, 2010 with a rare birth deformity which means over 50 per cent of her skull doesn’t exist. The world has not seen anything of this stuff. In recorded history, Sunday Sun gathered that this medical condition has never been reported anywhere. The child’s condition is one that appears to have turned medicine on its head, having thrown up tremendous professional challenge to the human race. Now, the very best the world has known are fighting a crunchy battle to overcome this, leaving many – particularly those with hearts of stone- wondering if there is nothing they can offer to help. Now from the home sector, help is coming for three- year-old Okiki and her parents. Since the condition of the baby became public knowledge, a non profit organization had stepped in to assist. Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC) has been doing all it can to give life to the child whose medical condition is not traceable to her parents. With the assistance of the organization’s Coordinator and Project Manager, Mr. Nuhu Kwajafa, the child and her parents were on May 4, 2013, flown to the United States. There, she is currently undergoing skull reconstruction surgery at the John Hopkins University Medical Centre. Now, the child’s and her father’s cry for help comes ringing through the airways asking Nigerians to help her live. Here is a child the world is interested in. The non-profit organization is doing its best at that level to help her survive. Sunday Sun gathered that while the world was a short while away from screaming uhuru at the wonderful breakthrough, an unforeseen complication arose after over 14 hours of surgery. This followed inconsistencies in her medical history. Besides, her case marked a maiden attempt in paediatric neurosurgery. This, therefore, led to a further accumulation of medical bills totaling over US $500,000. This bill is spiraling every passing day OkikiJesu and her parents spend at the Johns Hopkins facility. Specialists in the USA have identified the rare birth deformity which OkikiJesu is suffering, as Congenital Cranial Deficiency. Before now, she had been to several hospitals but not cured, but luck flashed on her pathway when GIPLC, which is based in Abuja took up her case. Sunday Sun learnt that since then, the organization has recorded significant success in efforts to get medical care for her. Within just a week, it raised about $234,000, an equivalent of N37 million through kind gestures from individuals and groups for her treatment at John Hopkins Hospital. Kwajafa , just back from the United States, told Sunday Sun that “prior to the complications which arose, what made a determination of the full cost of Okiki’s surgery difficult is that in modern times, it is an extremely rare (perhaps singular) medical condition with no precedence to draw estimates from. “This latter fact also means that it is equally difficult to tell what other medical complications may arise. An example are fluids that were retained in her cranial cavity which have posed an unforeseen challenge and may have led to a fatal infection.” Kwajafa’s worry is that, “OkikiJesu may not be released from hospital until all outstanding bills have been paid. We and her parents are desirous of her condition being fully remedied before she leaves the hospital.” Against this backdrop, he said “We would like to appeal to the global public to support our cause in ensuring that OkikiJesu Olawuyi lives.” Medical analysts believe she will be a living testimony if she recovers. According to GIPLC, her case remains the only one of its kind in the world. When OkikiJesu’s father, Mr. Olawuyi spoke to Sunday Sun on telephone from John Hopkins Hospital, he expressed optimism that the girl was doing well and had remained in stable condition. He said “We thank God that she is responding positively to every operation performed on her. The doctors attending to her are also pleased with her present condition. They said she is a miracle child,because she is so far the only child in the world with this kind of health condition. “They told us that there is no case of her type in medical history at their disposal the world over. There are three renowned doctors attending to OkikiJesu and the experience is so great. “They keep assuring us that everything will be fine soon. We are also hoping positively and asking God to deliver our child.” In a voice laden with emotion, he appealed to Nigerians to assist the child to live through their generous donations, pointing out that with money available, the baby was sure to survive. “But our greatest challenge here is the cost of her treatment in the hospital. It’s indeed a very tough experience for us as parents. The medical bill keeps increasing daily and has since been piling up. The treatment has over-shot the initial bill that was given to us before we came, because her condition exceeded their estimation. The major issue is the hospital bill and not really our up-keep, that is, myself, my wife and our 15-month old baby, (Okiki’s younger sister). She is currently at the intensive care unit (ICU). This costs between $6,000 and $10,000 daily. Sometimes, two nurses are stationed to take care of her daily and it costs a lot of money. “The good thing is that they are not taking any chance. They are all over her all the time. They are monitoring her regularly especially as she is an international patient. The bill is growing higher,” he lamented. Okiki’s father further stated that for “every parent of a child with this critical health challenge, one only manages to sleep and to wake up hoping that the next day would be different. We have gone through this trauma all this while. Though, we have faith in God but every passing day, we are afraid for her life. Here in the hospital, as critical as her condition is , we are living and sharing her pains more so that the bills pile up every moment. “ We appeal to Nigerians not to give up on Okiki. With their support, God will not disappoint us because she keeps improving daily. All the operations have been very critical. They took bones from her hand and leg to construct her skull. And she is doing fine. “We appreciate efforts by all Nigerians including individuals, groups and corporate organizations. Everybody has been very supportive. We thank the Nigerian government, the National Assembly, and particularly the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal and other kind-hearted people and members of our family for their support. “On behalf of our daughter Okiki, and other children and parents in this condition, we urge government to institute a Special Trust Fund to take care of such rare and critical cases in the country. This fund should be adequately funded to cater for such critical needs. “For us, Okiki’s parents, we are in this condition but hope that one day God will deliver us. “In this situation, we repeat our appeal for quick intervention from the government and other Nigerians. Our wish here is that others should be spared this experience. We plead further with government to establish a fund to cater for such children in this condition.” Your donations go directly to Okiki’s account with John Hopkins Medical International. For more info call GIPLC on 08089693240, 08163183797, 08085101664

2 Nigerian Cultists Arrested In Calabar For Killing Fellow Students “The Devil Pushed Me” – Suspect

The Nigerian Police Force in Cross River state has arrested two students of the Army Day Secondary School, Eburutu Barracks and Technical Secondary School,Ikot Effanga Mkpa, Calabar on suspicion of murder. The two students – Godwin Ekpo (20) and Francis Jonah (19) – conspired and stabbed to death Boniface Odinaka who was the labour prefect of Army Day Secondary School. Police Commissioner in the state, Kola Shodipo said the two students,said to be cultists have confessed to the crime and would be charged to court soon. He said the command also arrested 20-year-old Gentle Moses at Bogobiri area of Calabar for negotiating to sell a 15-yearold Richard Lawrence from Akwa Ibom for N1.5 million. Moses, who was arrested in Bogobiri area of Calabar, told newsmen that the devil pushed him to try to sell his friend for money. “It was the devil that pushed me. I actually did not know what happened to me,’’ he said. Shodipo also said the command has arrested an armed robbery syndicate that operates between northern Nigeria’s Taraba state and Ikang in Bakassi Local Government Area of the state. Briefing newsmen in Calabar on the security situation, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Kola Shodipo, said the gang was into illegal arms dealings and car theft. He said the five-man gang was arrested with one Audi 80 with registration No. EA 80 ABC and one Mercedes 190 with registration No PU 854 AAA, believed to have been stolen. “They were also arrested with the sum of N300,000 cash meant for the purchase of two AK 47 Rifles, ‘’ he said. Police logoHe gave the names of the suspects as Lawal Bako, Abdulahi Isa, Umaru Haruna, Alhaji Ahmadu and Aniete Etim, an ex-militant leader in the Bakassi Peninsula. The commissioner said all the suspects are from Taraba. Shodipo said that on July 14, the command arrested two robbery suspects who specialised in robbing supermarkets and pharmaceutical shops in parts of Calabar Metropolis. He gave the names of the suspects as Hopeman Etim (22) and Edem Effiong (21). Shodipo said one locally-made pistol and two cartridges were recovered from them, adding that one Highlander Jeep with registration No. EKY 158 BH was recovered from a doctor in Abi Local Government Area’s place. The commissioner said 20 assorted cell phones, two unregistered motorcycles, two flat screen television sets, two electric welding machines and one generator set were also recovered from them. One of the gun runners, Lawal Bako from Taraba, told newsmen that they sell their arms to Boko Haram members and other inter-tribal warlords in the north

I’m Happy We Qualified For 2014 CHAN, Says Keshi

Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi has blamed the 0-2 loss in the second leg qualifier for Africa Nations Cup Championship (CHAN) to lack of composure of the players. In spite of the loss, Super Eagles however qualified on 4-3 goals aggregate. The team had gone into the second leg match with a 4-1 advantage, having outclassed the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire on June 6 in Kaduna. Keshi said in Abidjan shortly after the match that the game, though an interesting one, took Eagles about 25 minutes to get composure. " I must say that it was a good game. We played an Ivorian side that is quite good, my team was a little jittery at the beginning.'' An elated Keshi added that CHAN would provide good exposure for the team: "I am sure that my team will garner more experience by the time they play in South Africa.'' The Ivorian Coach, Saraka Nobert, said at the post- match news conference that his team did well. "It was not a bad play at all, we tried so hard to get a third goal but the chances were not there, I think my team did not play badly.'' Zougoula Ahmed scored the two goals in the sixth minute before converting a penalty in 26th minute of the match played at the Robert Champoux Stadium, Macory, Abidjan. The home-based Eagles will be playing in the championship for the first time since the start of the competition in 2009. The 3rd edition of CHAN was originally scheduled for Libya but will now hold in South Africa. The three un-replied goals would have robbed the Eagles of the opportunity to play in the tournament. Mike Umeh, Vice President of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said that he was impressed with the result. "It means we are going to South Africa. It will be a good exposure for our team. The result of this match is a good one for us.'

Nigerian Judge Caught On Tape Negotiating Bribe To Skew Justice

A senior Nigerian judge serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Gambia, Joseph Wowo, has been sacked for soliciting a N2.5 million (500,000 Dalasi) bribe from a Gambian-based Dutch businessman in return for a favourable judgment in a land dispute case Mr. Wowo, also a former President of the Gambia Court of Appeal, was caught on tape holding a surreptitious meeting with the former Gambian Justice Minister, Lamin Jobarteh (who has also been sacked), a Dutch national, André Klaarbergen, and his Nigerian Lawyer simply identified as Mene, negotiating the price of subverting the judgment of a Gambian High Court over a land dispute case, which Mr. Wowo agrees the Dutch rightly lost. "How much are you willing to offer first so that we can negotiate," Mr Wowo was heard saying on tape, now posted on Youtube. "You know my position based on my position I'm not even supposed to come here in the first place. I'm the President of the court of Appeal and now I'm acting Chief Justice," he continued, openly admitting he was sabotaging the course of justice by even agreeing to be at the meeting. "I've read your file at the Court of Appeal, [and] that is why I said you don't have any case at the Court of Appeal. You will lose at the court of Appeal because the way they deal with the case at the Court of Appeal, the lawyer messed it up. That is why I called your lawyer and said let us see how we can help you," confirming that the lower court had made the right call in the case. Mr Jobarteh then cuts in and suggested a quick resolution of the matter. "The fact of the matter is that the error has been made and it's irrecoverable. The issue now is how can we meet each other to correct the problem," he said. Mr. Wowo then demanded a bribe of 2.5 million Dalasi (N12.3 million) but Mr Klaarbergen, who complained that his business had been slow lately, offered to pay 500,000 Dalasi. The disgraced Attorney-General, with a tone of threat, then appealed to Mr Wowo to accept the bribe. "Come a time you people will come running to me and in view of all other consideration and the man financial predicament now, I appeal to you to accept the 500,000. "Because of Justice Jobarteh, honourable minister, that is why I'm accepting," Mr Wowo replied. Even when the Dutch businessman expressed some reluctance and suggested talking to his partner, Justice Wowo asked him to "go and borrow" if he could not raise the agreed bribe. Fearing prosecution, Mr Wowo is feared to have fled the Gambia furtively. His whereabouts is currently unknown, and he did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES' series of calls to his Gambian mobile telephone. Guinness and Brandy However, the Wowo bribery transaction also revealed a flabby underside and worldliness of the Nigerian judge. Once he was satisfied that the bribery deal had gone well, Mr. Wowo then complained about the choice of drink on offer. "You didn't bring my choice. Me I take only Guinness and brandy." When his host (Mr Jobarteh) offered to give him non-alcoholic wine apparently due to his religious leaning, Mr. Wowo complained that it would "run my stomach" and jocularly threatened to sue his host if that happens. Nigerian Mercenary Judges The report of the scandal in the Gambian media shows that Mr. Wowo and other Nigerian judicial officers have tainted reputation in that West African country. Many Gambian newspapers openly refer to Nigerians working as legal personnel in the country with derogatory monikers such as "The Nigerian Mercenary Judges", "the Nigerian Mafia" and the "Nigerian cowboys". The President of Gambia, Yayah Jammeh, had on June 13 named Mr. Wowo as replacement for another Nigerian, Akomaye Emanuel Agim. A source that asked not to be named told that Mr. Wowo was allegedly instrumental to the removal of Mr. Agim as the Chief Justice of the Gambia after he reported on him to Mr Jammeh. With his removal from office the somewhat astronomical career growth of the 47- year old judge came to a disgraceful end. Mr Wowo, a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was called to bar in 1991 and after a stint in private practice in the Gambia, he was appointed a Principal State Counsel and Deputy Head of the Civil Division Ministry of Justice, Banjul, The Gambia from 1998 - 2001. In 2007 he was appointed a High Court Judge, Criminal Division from where he became the President of the Court of Appeal. The Gambia, West African smallest country of less than two million people, lack qualified citizens to hold key positions, especially in the judiciary. So it has, since independence in 1965, hired many Nigerians to work as senior judges, and presidents of its Court of Appeals and Chief Justices of the country

Strike Killing Our Dreams — Varsity Students

The indefinite strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, which started on July 1, 2013, has come with both pains and gains and mixed reactions... , with students eager to return to academic work, writes MOTUNRAYO JOEL With the Academic Staff Union of Universities remaining adamant in pushing through their demands by going on strike, academic activities have been paralyzed throughout the nation’s universities leading once again to the loss of appreciable academic time by the students. This strike, which is on in protest of the non- implementation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government, is delicately poised with both parties not knowing yet what it will take to win. While some have described the action as just another strike that may produce no purposeful ending, the union leadership believes that it will bring a revolution to the country’s education system. ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge argued that the union had embarked on the strike to compel the Federal Government to address some other important issues endangering the quality of education in the country. He said, “We are embarking on indefinite strike because the Federal Government reneged in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with ASUU in 2009 to pay lecturers their allowance.” Throwing more light on the Academic Earned Allowance, ASUU chairman University of Lagos chapter, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, said it included allowances paid as part of excess work load, responsibility allowance and allowance for supervision of Post Graduate Programmes for lecturers, head of department, deans and exam officers, among others. He added that the highest allowance is not more than N12, 500 per month, wondering why it has remained difficult for government to live up to its promises. But the lingering strike has infuriated some of the students who seemed to have lost their patience with their lecturers and the Federal Government. Some of them told SUNDAY PUNCH that the feuding parties have no regard for their future. Sikiru Akinola, a Political Science student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, would have graduated in December but his hopes of stepping into the next stage of his life are thinning daily as the strike continues. He expresses his frustration at being idle as a result of the inability of both parties to resolve the issue, pointing out that irregular school calendar in public institutions places their counterparts in private institutions over them when looking for employment. He said, “I had my eyes set on December after four years at the university but with the strike, the calendar will definitely be affected and that is one of the things making graduates unemployable. “Imagine a private university student graduating at 20 and 21 while we graduate at 27. I’ve been in school since the last seven years (NCE and Degree). It would be unfair if my time in the university has to be extended because of a fault I did not have a hand in. One of the reasons why public university graduates are getting it difficult to be employed is because they usually graduate at the average age of 27 while those in private school graduate at 20 and 21.” He added that lecturers had taken the strike too far this time. “Though, we are in support of our lecturers, it is the belief of majority of our students that the union is being insincere with their latest showdown with government. Each time there is an ASUU strike, the students are always at the receiving end. Rather than embark on a strike which cannot solve their problems, they should use other means to press for their demands. Perhaps if there is a law that forces all political office holders to enrol their children in Nigerian universities, the schools would be better than what it is today. Dialogue and not strike, can achieve a lasting solution.” Akinola’s position on the strike is supported by Toyosi Oguntuase, who is studying Law at the University of Ibadan. Oguntuase said the strike had created a gap between the students and academic work. She said, “You cannot stay connected fully to your studies when you are at home and once the strike ends, examinations will start in order to make up with the time lost. The lecturers will not have the chance to complete teaching the content of our syllabuses. This utterly destroys our school calendar and curriculum. It also destroys the standard of our education and draws the students back.” The law student also wondered if the parties involved had children in the affected institutions. “I feel that this strike is really unfair to students considering the fact that some of the people involved in the strike don’t have their children in public universities. Also, it shouldn’t have come when students are preparing for their examinations. The union should use on other methods to make their demands instead of frustrating the students in their academic works.” A final year student of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Onigbajumo Adetunji-Bouquiey, said Nigerian leaders have failed to pay back the nation for the free education and scholarships thy enjoyed in the past. He said, “The generation is unlucky because they are not enjoying what our leaders enjoyed when they were going to school. They had free education and scholarships to study abroad even when their parents could not afford the quality of education they had. Our own generation has been cheated because the same leaders who had sound education in their own time now consider quality education unaffordable for the poor and less-privileged. Some of these leaders were products of the same universities but they no longer take pride in the same system that made them.” However, Ekong Utibe, who is a final year student of Mathematics and Statistics at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, urged the Federal Government to look into the demands of the academic staff. “The Federal Government should look into the union’s proposal as quickly as possible and agree to whatever issues they have brought up. The final year students are affected because they are doing nothing when they should be preparing for the final examinations.” But while the students are counting their losses, lecturers are waiting to reap if the Federal Government accedes to their demands. In the meantime, some of them are using the opportunity to focus on private projects.

FUTO Post-UTME Screening Exercise To Hold As Scheduled: July 30 - Aug 1st

This is to inform Candidates who applied for the 2013/2014 FUTO Post-UTME Exercise of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).... , that the exercise will hold as scheduled. Candidates are therefore advised to disregard any rumour of postponement as the FUTO Post-UTME Test will take place on the date already advertised in the print media and available in the University website.

ASUU UPDATE: ASUU, SGF To Meet Monday — Suswam

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, will meet with ASUU on Monday to address earned allowance and general university funding for infrastructure development.... Gov. Gabriel Suswam of Benue disclosed this to newsmen on Friday in Abuja after a meeting of ASUU with members of the committee on implementation of Needs Assessment Report to Nigerian Universities.

UNN Releases Post-UTME Screening Results

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka has announced the release of the results of the 2013 Post-Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examination (P-UTME) screening exercise held at the Nsukka Campus of the institution on July 18 and 19 respectively. The Communication Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor, Gabriel Ndu, who disclosed this in a statement, said that the candidates who participated in the screening were drawn from all the faculties of the university. According to Ndu, the results were released within 24 hours after the exercise was held on each day. He, therefore, advised the candidates that took part in the screening exercise to visit the university portal, www.unnportal.com to check for their results.

Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston Could Have Run-In at Toronto Film Festival

It's a small world after all. Eight years after their divorce, Brad Pitt** and Jennifer Aniston may find themselves face-to-face at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall. As revealed in the lineup, released Tuesday, July 23, both stars have movies set to premiere during the 11-day festival, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5. Aniston, 44, has the film Life of Crime, also starring John Hawkes and Mos Def. The movie will debut as the closing night film on Sept. 14, and though it's still early, a source tells Us Weekly that the actress plans to be there to support it. Pitt, meanwhile, has 12 Years a Slave, a historical drama based on the autobiography of the same name by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., in 1841 and sold into slavery. Costarring Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Alfre Woodward, and British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, the movie has no set premiere date but is included in the TIFF lineup. The last time Pitt and his ex-wife had films in the same festival was five years ago, at the 2008 Toronto fest. Pitt was in town to promote his Coen Brothers flick Burn After Reading; Aniston had the quirky romantic comedy Management. Much has changed since then. Both stars are now happily engaged to other people -- Aniston to her Wanderlust costar Justin Theroux**, and Pitt to longtime love Angelina Jolie**, whom he met while making Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004. This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston Could Have Run-In at Toronto Film Festival

Lady Gaga: Nude For ARTPOP, Little Monsters Everywhere

Lady Gaga is continuing to push the envelope in anticipation of her forthcoming ARTPOP album release, and that involves a whole lot of Lady Gaga nude. Not that we're surprised, or that her legion of Little Monsters is complaining. In her latest effort, Lady Gaga poses nude on computer equipment ... obviously. Check her out in black booties, futuristic glasses, whiskers and a brown wig. Mother Monster captioned the photo on her official site "TechHaus." What that means, who can really say at this point. All we know is that with a new single dropping and her performing at the VMAs in August, and ARTPOP coming in November, Gaga is back in the Haus of THG.

How Fathia Balogun, Iyabo Ojo Almost Disrupted Toyin Aimakhu?s Marriage

If not for the prompt intervention of some colleagues in the movie industry, the low-keyed but highly hyped wedding of Nollywood actress, Toyin Aimakhu to his Tinsel actor husband, Niyi Johnson would have been marred by drama. This is because Fathia Balogun and Iyabo Ojo nearly disrupted the ceremony with a fight. If you think a man might be the cause of the brouhaha, then you are very far from the 411. As we reliably learnt from eye witnesses, seniority claims led to the rise of their adrenalins. We were informed that Fathia Balogun first got to the event held on Monday, July 8, 2013 at Sabitex Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, after the marriage registry at the Ikoyi Registry, before Iyabo Ojo got there. It was while Iyabo was greeting her colleagues that trouble started, which led to a hot exchange of words between the two stars. Those who claimed to be at the event said when Iyabo got to where Fathia was sitting, she allegedly called the former wife of Saidi Balogun by her name, which angered Fathia. She was said to have told others at the event to warn Iyabo from calling her by her name if she cannot add the prefix ‘aunty’ to her name as a sign of respect in Yoruba land. We learnt Iyabo didn’t take this lightly with Fathia, who reportedly insisted on knowing what Fathia would do is she refuses to add the prefix to her name. The two were almost throwing punches at each other but for the quick intervention of their colleagues. The fight for the ‘aunty’ prefix is not new in the industry. Lizzy Anjorin and Iyabo only settled their bitter fight of many years because of the same reason. Efforts to speak with Iyabo Ojo on this issue proved abortive. When Nigeriafilms.com called her line, her PA picked and claimed she is on set. But when we insisted to talking to Iyabo, the actress' aide declined to give her the phone for us to talk to her on this story.

Musician JJ Cale dead at 74 From heart attack

JJ Cale, who was 74, won a Grammy award in 2008 for “The Road to Escondido,” which he recorded with singer-songwriter Eric Clapton. Born in Oklahoma City, Cale migrated to Los Angeles in the 1960s and flourished. Rock legend Neil Young once described Cale as the best electric guitar player he had ever seen other than the late Jimmy Hendrix. Grammy award winning singer and songwriter JJ Cale, one of the most versatile musicians of his era who played everything from rock and roll to blues and jazz, has died after suffering a heart attack, his official website said on Saturday. Cale’s official website said he died on Friday night at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California. There were no immediate plans for memorial services, the website said.

EFCC Arrests Princewell Arinze Chukwueze For $92,000 Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, July 19, 2013 arrested Dr. Princewell Arinze Chukwueze, an alleged serial fraudster, over a $92,000(Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars) scam. Chukwueze was arrested in Abuja by operatives of the EFCC following a two month frantic manhunt for him. His arrest followed an allegation of fraudulent transactions involving him and a notable Bureau de change operator in Lagos on May 10, 2013. Specifically, Chukwueze fraudulently introduced himself as Aboki J. Brown, a Director of African Development Bank based in Cote D’ Ívoire to the Bureau de change operator at Sura Shopping Complex, Sandgrouse, Lagos. He initially offered to buy $65,000 (Sixty-Five Thousand United States Dollars) from him but later increased it to $92,000(Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars). To pay the naira equivalent of the dollars, he requested the operator to meet him at a branch of Wema Bank Plc in Lekki, Lagos. When the operator got to the bank with the dollars, Chukwueze fraudulently changed the bank where he intended to offer him the naira equivalent of the foreign currency and pleaded with the operator to accompany him in his siren-blaring Toyota Hilux Pick- Up Van to a “nearby branch of Zenith Bank Plc”. En route to the bank, Chukwueze picked up two armed men on the road who forcefully dispossessed the operator of the $92,000(Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars). Chukwueze was arrested in Abuja while he was employing the same antics to defraud another bureau de change operator of $110,000(One Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars). He was also alleged to have defrauded several bureau de change operators in Lagos and Abuja using different gimmicks. One of his victims, a lady who would not want to be named, said Chukwueze duped her firm of $110,000(One Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars). The suspect is also implicated in some other cases being investigated by the EFCC. Items recovered from him included 21 different telephone handsets, complimentary cards of African Development Bank bearing Aboki J. Brown, fake $15,000 (Fifteen Thousand United States Dollar notes); different cheque books of different banks among others. Chukwueze will soon be charged to court.

2013 Batch C Corpers Time-table

NYSC Mobilization Time Table For 2013 Batch C S/NO Event Date 1. Pre-Mobilisation Workshop 20th August, 2013 2. Registration of Foreign-trained Nigerian Graduates 12th August - 11th October, 2013 3. Submission of Masterlist. Screening/Vetting by Mobilization Officers. 2nd - 6th September, 2013 4. Action by the ICT Department. 2nd - 20th September, 2013 5. Delivery of Preliminary Printouts to Mob Dept/CPIs 23rd - 25th September, 2013 6. Return of Corrected Printouts by Institutions to NYSC NDHQ 2nd - 7th October, 2013 7. Correction of errors and printing of call-up letters by ICT Dept. 2nd - 22nd October, 2013 8. Sorting and Packaging of Call-up letters. 22nd - 28th October, 2013 9. Delivery of Call-up letters to Institutions / NYSC Secretariats 29th - 31st October, 2013 10. 2013 Batch ‘C’ Orientation Course 5th - 26th November, 2013

Bible Was Untouched By Flames After Road Accident In Abuja - Religion

Miracles are experiential occurrences which spontaneously raise the conviction of believers and their devotion to spirituality across all faiths. One of such phenomena occurred in Abuja, last Saturday, when a Bible remained untouched by flames from a car that burnt into ashes. The car, driven by one Jeremiah Giwa, who arrived the country from United Kingdom about five months ago after completing his tertiary education, swerved off the road, tumbled and eventually landed in a ditch, exploding in flames. Jeremiah narrates his account of the event. “My younger brother, Joshua and I were going to pick our parents and elder brother from the airport, so we had an accident on the way at the road before Galadimawa. We were coming from our home in the Games Village. The car was very fine and it hadn’t developed any fault before. That morning, it was raining and the car began to swerve off the road. I tried to bring the car back on the road but the break was not holding anymore. I tried ceaselessly and I later lost control of the car. The car eventually tumbled twice after moving zigzag on the road and landed in a ditch. I have been driving close to five years and I was very okay when I drove the car. “When it happened, we immediately unhooked our seat- belts; I talked to my brother for a few seconds to ensure he was okay. We unhooked the belts; thank God it wasn’t jammed. We tried to open the driver’s door but the door was jammed. We tried to break the glass too, it refused to break. We managed to spot one of the windows at the back; we broke it and climbed out through it, under one of the chairs. We went far away from the car to ensure our safety because the car was already in flames. The two of us were the only occupants of the car and my brother was sitting beside me in front. We were so shocked that we both came out unscathed. “We watched the car go up in flames while other drivers initially drove past us. It was about a few minutes before 6am; so it was still a bit dark. By the time people began to stop, everything had burnt beyond recognition. To our surprise, the early morning rain which we thought could help save the car also stopped immediately the car was completely gutted by the fire. Sympathizers didn’t even know we owned the car. They all ran past us to see the burning car. They were wondering if people were still there and all that. “By the time my parents and elder brother were aware of the incident, they all cried, but I think it was for joy. Initially, when my dad was aware of it, he wasn’t happy that we were coming to pick them. We had intended to give them a surprise lift from the airport. But, when we took our dad to the scene of the accident, he couldn’t talk anymore. He was in tears. The car wasn’t the reason he cried. I guess he was just surprised and was grateful to God as to how we manage to come out unscathed and how the bible was not touched by fire. “I am sure God really loves us. We had just finished a youth vigil a night before the incident and prayed against destiny wasters. Shortly after we left the scene, we went to Garki General Hospital for necessary tests including x-rays. Nothing happened to us. We were given paracetamol and pain relievers, which to my knowledge none of us has been taking because nothing happened to us.” Jeremiah noted that the Bible was later recovered from the ashes of the burnt car while it was not scathed by the inferno, disclosing that many people had been coming to Christ Victory Life Church in the city to see the Bible and use it to pray over their problems. Bishop Napoleon Obayojie is the Presiding Bishop of the Church. He told said, “My reaction to the accident that happened is that God is God and that He takes care of his own and He shows forth His glory. The enemy had meant the accident for destruction, like the day of Shedrack, Mechack and Abednego. The Lord God came in and delivered the children. The Bible that was in the vehicle which the fire burnt to ashes did not burn; the Bible is still at my altar right now. That was a sign God showed to the world that He was the one that intervened and that caused everything that happened. If you had been to a scene of an accident, you will definitely know it is only God that can do that; no one else. “In these last days, I think there are many people whose faiths are wavering, whose beliefs are shaking, and who do not have the stamina to continue. Maybe one thing had happened to them or the other. They might attribute such to God’s failure or that God did not answer their prayers. But with this kind of thing that happened, they should understand and be convinced that God is still God and that He is in control of human affairs. He is in control of the entire world. So, if any man believes in Him and trusts in Him, He is very much reliable and He will never fail you. If your faith is already failing, you have to rise and be sure that the same God that did this would answer you. God is not partial, As He loves these children, so does He loves all brethren in other churches. If there is anyone that wants to know Him more, come closer to Him, you will experience Him. The Bishop noted that in the 17-year history of the church, no owner of any car in his church had died of accident “Christ Victory Life Church has been given a covenant since 1996. God declared it to me that you are going to serve people that are living, not the dead!”

Bible Was Untouched By Flames After Road Accident In Abuja - Religion

Miracles are experiential occurrences which spontaneously raise the conviction of believers and their devotion to spirituality across all faiths. One of such phenomena occurred in Abuja, last Saturday, when a Bible remained untouched by flames from a car that burnt into ashes. The car, driven by one Jeremiah Giwa, who arrived the country from United Kingdom about five months ago after completing his tertiary education, swerved off the road, tumbled and eventually landed in a ditch, exploding in flames. Jeremiah narrates his account of the event. “My younger brother, Joshua and I were going to pick our parents and elder brother from the airport, so we had an accident on the way at the road before Galadimawa. We were coming from our home in the Games Village. The car was very fine and it hadn’t developed any fault before. That morning, it was raining and the car began to swerve off the road. I tried to bring the car back on the road but the break was not holding anymore. I tried ceaselessly and I later lost control of the car. The car eventually tumbled twice after moving zigzag on the road and landed in a ditch. I have been driving close to five years and I was very okay when I drove the car. “When it happened, we immediately unhooked our seat- belts; I talked to my brother for a few seconds to ensure he was okay. We unhooked the belts; thank God it wasn’t jammed. We tried to open the driver’s door but the door was jammed. We tried to break the glass too, it refused to break. We managed to spot one of the windows at the back; we broke it and climbed out through it, under one of the chairs. We went far away from the car to ensure our safety because the car was already in flames. The two of us were the only occupants of the car and my brother was sitting beside me in front. We were so shocked that we both came out unscathed. “We watched the car go up in flames while other drivers initially drove past us. It was about a few minutes before 6am; so it was still a bit dark. By the time people began to stop, everything had burnt beyond recognition. To our surprise, the early morning rain which we thought could help save the car also stopped immediately the car was completely gutted by the fire. Sympathizers didn’t even know we owned the car. They all ran past us to see the burning car. They were wondering if people were still there and all that. “By the time my parents and elder brother were aware of the incident, they all cried, but I think it was for joy. Initially, when my dad was aware of it, he wasn’t happy that we were coming to pick them. We had intended to give them a surprise lift from the airport. But, when we took our dad to the scene of the accident, he couldn’t talk anymore. He was in tears. The car wasn’t the reason he cried. I guess he was just surprised and was grateful to God as to how we manage to come out unscathed and how the bible was not touched by fire. “I am sure God really loves us. We had just finished a youth vigil a night before the incident and prayed against destiny wasters. Shortly after we left the scene, we went to Garki General Hospital for necessary tests including x-rays. Nothing happened to us. We were given paracetamol and pain relievers, which to my knowledge none of us has been taking because nothing happened to us.” Jeremiah noted that the Bible was later recovered from the ashes of the burnt car while it was not scathed by the inferno, disclosing that many people had been coming to Christ Victory Life Church in the city to see the Bible and use it to pray over their problems. Bishop Napoleon Obayojie is the Presiding Bishop of the Church. He told said, “My reaction to the accident that happened is that God is God and that He takes care of his own and He shows forth His glory. The enemy had meant the accident for destruction, like the day of Shedrack, Mechack and Abednego. The Lord God came in and delivered the children. The Bible that was in the vehicle which the fire burnt to ashes did not burn; the Bible is still at my altar right now. That was a sign God showed to the world that He was the one that intervened and that caused everything that happened. If you had been to a scene of an accident, you will definitely know it is only God that can do that; no one else. “In these last days, I think there are many people whose faiths are wavering, whose beliefs are shaking, and who do not have the stamina to continue. Maybe one thing had happened to them or the other. They might attribute such to God’s failure or that God did not answer their prayers. But with this kind of thing that happened, they should understand and be convinced that God is still God and that He is in control of human affairs. He is in control of the entire world. So, if any man believes in Him and trusts in Him, He is very much reliable and He will never fail you. If your faith is already failing, you have to rise and be sure that the same God that did this would answer you. God is not partial, As He loves these children, so does He loves all brethren in other churches. If there is anyone that wants to know Him more, come closer to Him, you will experience Him. The Bishop noted that in the 17-year history of the church, no owner of any car in his church had died of accident “Christ Victory Life Church has been given a covenant since 1996. God declared it to me that you are going to serve people that are living, not the dead!”

Bible Was Untouched By Flames After Road Accident In Abuja - Religion

Miracles are experiential occurrences which spontaneously raise the conviction of believers and their devotion to spirituality across all faiths. One of such phenomena occurred in Abuja, last Saturday, when a Bible remained untouched by flames from a car that burnt into ashes. The car, driven by one Jeremiah Giwa, who arrived the country from United Kingdom about five months ago after completing his tertiary education, swerved off the road, tumbled and eventually landed in a ditch, exploding in flames. Jeremiah narrates his account of the event. “My younger brother, Joshua and I were going to pick our parents and elder brother from the airport, so we had an accident on the way at the road before Galadimawa. We were coming from our home in the Games Village. The car was very fine and it hadn’t developed any fault before. That morning, it was raining and the car began to swerve off the road. I tried to bring the car back on the road but the break was not holding anymore. I tried ceaselessly and I later lost control of the car. The car eventually tumbled twice after moving zigzag on the road and landed in a ditch. I have been driving close to five years and I was very okay when I drove the car. “When it happened, we immediately unhooked our seat- belts; I talked to my brother for a few seconds to ensure he was okay. We unhooked the belts; thank God it wasn’t jammed. We tried to open the driver’s door but the door was jammed. We tried to break the glass too, it refused to break. We managed to spot one of the windows at the back; we broke it and climbed out through it, under one of the chairs. We went far away from the car to ensure our safety because the car was already in flames. The two of us were the only occupants of the car and my brother was sitting beside me in front. We were so shocked that we both came out unscathed. “We watched the car go up in flames while other drivers initially drove past us. It was about a few minutes before 6am; so it was still a bit dark. By the time people began to stop, everything had burnt beyond recognition. To our surprise, the early morning rain which we thought could help save the car also stopped immediately the car was completely gutted by the fire. Sympathizers didn’t even know we owned the car. They all ran past us to see the burning car. They were wondering if people were still there and all that. “By the time my parents and elder brother were aware of the incident, they all cried, but I think it was for joy. Initially, when my dad was aware of it, he wasn’t happy that we were coming to pick them. We had intended to give them a surprise lift from the airport. But, when we took our dad to the scene of the accident, he couldn’t talk anymore. He was in tears. The car wasn’t the reason he cried. I guess he was just surprised and was grateful to God as to how we manage to come out unscathed and how the bible was not touched by fire. “I am sure God really loves us. We had just finished a youth vigil a night before the incident and prayed against destiny wasters. Shortly after we left the scene, we went to Garki General Hospital for necessary tests including x-rays. Nothing happened to us. We were given paracetamol and pain relievers, which to my knowledge none of us has been taking because nothing happened to us.” Jeremiah noted that the Bible was later recovered from the ashes of the burnt car while it was not scathed by the inferno, disclosing that many people had been coming to Christ Victory Life Church in the city to see the Bible and use it to pray over their problems. Bishop Napoleon Obayojie is the Presiding Bishop of the Church. He told said, “My reaction to the accident that happened is that God is God and that He takes care of his own and He shows forth His glory. The enemy had meant the accident for destruction, like the day of Shedrack, Mechack and Abednego. The Lord God came in and delivered the children. The Bible that was in the vehicle which the fire burnt to ashes did not burn; the Bible is still at my altar right now. That was a sign God showed to the world that He was the one that intervened and that caused everything that happened. If you had been to a scene of an accident, you will definitely know it is only God that can do that; no one else. “In these last days, I think there are many people whose faiths are wavering, whose beliefs are shaking, and who do not have the stamina to continue. Maybe one thing had happened to them or the other. They might attribute such to God’s failure or that God did not answer their prayers. But with this kind of thing that happened, they should understand and be convinced that God is still God and that He is in control of human affairs. He is in control of the entire world. So, if any man believes in Him and trusts in Him, He is very much reliable and He will never fail you. If your faith is already failing, you have to rise and be sure that the same God that did this would answer you. God is not partial, As He loves these children, so does He loves all brethren in other churches. If there is anyone that wants to know Him more, come closer to Him, you will experience Him. The Bishop noted that in the 17-year history of the church, no owner of any car in his church had died of accident “Christ Victory Life Church has been given a covenant since 1996. God declared it to me that you are going to serve people that are living, not the dead!”