Police Arrest JAF Leaders Over Protest of Commercial Motorbike Restriction in Lagos

Police and JAf activists argue during the protest today in Lagos

By SaharaReporters, New York

Shortly after a street protest in which demonstrators reiterated their call for the new Lagos State traffic law to be reversed, the police today arrested members of the Joint Action Front [JAF], the union which led the action.
It was a strange twist in the day’s activities because the policemen had been with the protesters during a similar protest on Monday, with no incidents, only to turn around and arrest the leaders of JAF today after the group successfully staged a peaceful protest.
The arrest, glaringly an after-thought, was ordered by DCP Tunde Sobulo, who was physically with the protesters in the short distance marched from the NLC building towards Ojuelegba bus terminal.  In that period, he agreed that the demonstrators had a right to protest, warning only against any violence.
Making the arrests, Mr. Sobulo curiously said that they lacked the right to embark on the protest.
Among those in police custody is the chairman of JAF, Dr. Dipo Fashina, and its Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu.  Members of JAF arrested along with them include Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Segun Oladunni and Usman Oloyede.
The arrested protest organizers are currently being detained at the Lagos Police Command in Ikeja.
A text message from JAF’s General secretary states as follows:

"What exactly happend was dat we had a successful procession & rallies and I was driving out of Olajuwon St Yaba by NLC headquarters in my car with four other occupants when about 5 bus loads armed police forced Dr. Fashina & Usman Oloyede out of my car to a police bus and 2 policemen enterd my car and forced us to drive to their police command. We were never arrested at the protest venue.
The national Human Rghts Commission lawyers are here with us already". -Comrade Abiodun Aremu, JAF Sec

I did not endorse Yakowa’s widow as deputy governor – General Lekwot

A former military Governor of Rivers State and leader of the Southern Kaduna Elders Consultative Forum, Major General Zamani Lekwot (rtd), yesterday refuted canvassing for the late Governor Patrick Yakowa’s widow to become the Deputy Governor of the state.
The retired general also denied meeting the new governor over the quest to appoint Dame Amina Yakowa as his deputy.
Lekwot said, “It is false. It’s a lie. The elders only paid a condolence visit to his Excellency, the Governor. The late governor’s corpse has not even arrived in Kaduna; so it will be improper for anybody to start making statements that I led a delegation. The person is not being fair to us. Let us bury the man first.
“No, the information is not proper. We went to pay a condolence visit to her Excellency, His Excellency and the Vice President. So, it’s out of decorum for anybody to say that.
“The elders are more responsible than that. Let’s bury him first, and other things will follow. But I am telling you, we have no hand in that story. We were not contacted, and nothing like that happened.”
“The visit of condolence has nothing to do with other things. After we bury him, we can start talking about that. The poor woman is mourning her husband. How can anybody in his right senses start meeting on that? We have not met and a decision will be taken after the burial,” he noted.
DailyPost

Obasanjo, Daniel’s supporters fight with charms over PDP secretariat

Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji

Factions loyal to Mr. Obasanjo and Mr. Daniel want control of the PDP
The five- year unresolved crisis of the troubled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ogun State Chapter, took a dangerous dimension on Wednesday as two factions loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Governor Gbenga Daniel, engaged themselves in a public brawl.
Members of both factions used charms and other weapons in a free for all fight at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Both factions fought over which group will control the party secretariat located along Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta.
The Police and the State Security Services, SSS, have as a result of the violence taken over the secretariat.
The faction loyal to the former President had few months back sacked the Gbenga Daniel faction from the secretariat, and controlled the building.
However, on Wednesday, Mr. Daniel’s faction, said to be financed by a multi-millionaire, Buruji Kashamu, stormed the party secretariat armed with a court judgement pronouncing the faction’s executive as the authentic PDP leaders.
The court judgement had been secured even before they were made to leave the secretariat earlier.
Reports said the leaders of the Daniel faction had sought for a meeting with the leaders of the other group at the party secretariat, to present the latter with the court order. Before the meeting could hold, violence erupted between supporters of both factions
The violence escalated as supporters used charms and other dangerous weapons freely on one another. A witness said some people fainted and became unconscious after being hit with charms.
The development paralysed activities around the area until the arrival of security operatives who eventually arrested five people.
The State Police Commissioner, Ikemefuna Okoye, had to hurriedly abandon a press conference at the Eleweran Police Headquarters to race to the troubled area.
He said his men were at the party secretariat to maintain peace and order, adding that he came around as soon as he heard there was “little problem in the PDP secretariat.”
The police boss, however, assured residents not to be disturbed and to continue with their normal activities; promising that the command has dispatched enough men to the area.
PremiumTimes

Anglican Pastor Had Sex In Church – President Mugabe

Followers of expelled and ex-communicated bishop Nolbert Kunonga engaged in illicit sexual intercourse in the St Mary’s and other church buildings.

The Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) has said just as it performed a massive cleansing ceremony on all church buildings which operations consumated yesterday(Sunday).
The sexual vices were that significant that President Robert Mugabe was alerted leading to the head of state deciding to dump Kunonga, his long time ally and a leading supporter in the Anglican clergy.
Sources have claimed President Robert Mugabe’s repulsion to the alleged activities is the reason why Kunonga has found no state support as before.
The CPCA’s Bishop Chad Gandiya, yesterday finalised a cleansing exercise that began late in November, concludiding it at the St Mary’s Cathedral in Harare. The exercise follows the takeover of all church properties that had been seized by the renegade ZANU PF former strong man bishop Kunonga.
The CPCA’s secretary Clifford Dzawo told reporters they were going to carry out similar cleansing ceremonies throughout the country to make churches usable following the alleged immoral defilement.
“We are going into all churches for cleansing as the churches had been turned into brothels when we were in exile. Kunonga had been made the custodian of the church by the court, but we want to thank the Lord because they have now understood that we are the rightful owners of the properties. The church has been rededicated to the Lord as we are now going to our rightful places of worship. Some places had been turned into crèches, receptions and bedrooms and were abused and now it (the cathedral) is now being used for the proper purpose it serves,” said Dzawo.
The ceremonies which include the burning of incense and sprinkling of holy water is meant to cleanse the properties of demonic or sinful entanglements.
Naijaurban

“There is nothing in marriage other than children!” Fathia Balogun

Yoruba sexiest actress and mother of three, Fathia Balogun who was once rumoured to be planning her third marriage has come out to deny it.

Fathia Balogun told a friend at a movie location recently that there is nothing else she left behind in marriage that she has to go and take back.
“I was surprised when it was rumoured sometimes ago that I have fixed another wedding date. What am I looking for again in marriage after three children? My prayer is just that, God should just bless me with riches and good health and help me in my career to be able to give the best to my children. There is nothing I need in marriage than children…” Fathia Balogun said.
Naijaurban

After Raw Sugar, Government Stops Importation of Cement too

Just as it has just been announced about the importation of raw sugar, the government said importation of cement has been cancelled with a view to promoting local production.
This revelation has been made by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga. Making the disclosure in Abuja, Aganga said the policy which entailed the stoppage of cement importation and the rolling out of a new set of policies that would force down the prices of cement in the country would be in place in 2013.
He added that the federal government made the move in fulfilment of President Goodluck Jonathan’s determination to make Nigeria one of the leading cement exporting countries next year. The minister, who informed that paper work on the policy had been finalised, said the present administration would ensure that the patronage of local goods is patronised by Nigerians as from 2013.
According to him, the acronym of “Buy Naija, create more jobs” embarked upon by his ministry, would not only be boosted next year, but also be sustained to improve the nation’s economy through jobs creation and increased wealth for Nigerians. He then explained that one of the aims of the ministry was to promote the patronage of local products to promote economic growth, create jobs and generate wealth for the populace.
InformationNigeria.org

If General Buhari Was President…–By Segun Dada

 Segun Dada

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In my lifetime, I have taken certain decisions. One of the biggest and most thoughtful however, was voting the Congress for Progressive Change in the 2011 elections. I remember arguing with most of my friends during his campaign trail on why GMB (General Muhamadu Buhari) being president would have been the best thing to happen to our country’s already diminishing state. I made a case for how GMB would have liberated our country from the shackles of corruption and corrupt elements parading themselves at the time as leaders.
Say what you will about the man, he remains, till date, the only individual we tested with the keys to our treasury and our funds didn’t disappear into thin air. Like any other world class leader, GMB isn’t perfect. He was alleged to have abused human rights while he was military head of state but he was never accused of stealing or overseeing the looting of government funds. He remains till date the only Nigerian head of state who never stole a kobo of government money. He remains the only Nigerian leader till date to have never condoned acts of corruption or corrupt elements while he was in the corridors of power. He proved this beyond reasonable doubt as Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Energy, 1976-78, Chairman, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and Head of State and Commander in Chief, Nigerian Armed Forces, 1984-85.
The purpose of this write-up is not to present GMB as a magician or a superhuman who could have waved the magic wand and made all our country’s problems go away in two years. But I am certain that under GMB as president, we wouldn’t have had;
1. A president who is not remotely in connection with the sufferings of the masses.
2. A president who would have been globe-trotting the world while the citizens of his country are driven out of their homes by flood.
3. N5,000,000,000,000 wouldn’t have disappeared under his watch within two years of his administration without a single conviction.
4. GMB wouldn’t have boasted on national TV that he didn’t give a damn about citizens asking him to declare his assets
5. A terrorist sect that has taken responsibility for murdering thousands of Nigerians wouldn’t have held the nation to ransom under GMB
6. N2,100,000,000 wouldn’t have put on shoes and disappeared from the Nigerian minting and printing company without people whose sole responsibility was safeguarding these funds answering for it.
7. Fuel subsidy thieves would have been answering seriously for the crimes of stealing from the Nigerian people.
8. GMB as president wouldn’t be spending N1,000,000,000 as feeding allowance.
9. He wouldn’t be leaving our unborn grandchildren with scores of debts that even their generations can’t ever repay.
10. Nigeria won’t be in so much mess both locally and internationally as it is today.
11. We wouldn’t be spending N2,000,000,000 on a banquet hall we don’t need when we have 112,000,000 out of a population of 167,000,000,000 who live on $2 a day.
12. We won’t be inside IMF’s back pockets right now with our neck deep in debt.
You may wonder if am psychic for pre-empting what Buhari would have done differently if he was Nigerian president today. His antecedents as a leader have brought me to this conclusions. He was a man who during his campaign, advised all criminal elements to flee the country or face prosecution if he became president. He attended every presidential debate to let his voice be heard. He didn’t abscond from confrontation and didn’t shy away from fielding questions.
Some days to the 2011 elections, GMB wept before a press conference. People claimed it was a political stunt to garner sympathy votes. He was a man who saw tomorrow. He cried so we could understand what he saw and wanted to change. We laughed at him. We scoffed at his pain and today we cry? Who is laughing last? We wail at the spate at which the man we elected as leader(God knows I never voted for him) rape the country dry. Today at least, some of us know better. Buhari was everything, but he was not a thief. He wasn’t a man to tolerate thieves either. He is a man who was willing to liberate the nation from the shackles of oppression and criminality. In my humble opinion, he is a living legend.
*This piece is dedicated to my mentor and my hero. To a man who saw tomorrow, to a great man as he clocked 70 on monday. Happy birthday sir*.
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