Oyerinde’s Assassination: Oshiomhole’s Allegations Are Unfounded – IGP

Yesterday, Thursday, at the launch of the code of conduct for officers and men of the Nigeria Police in Abuja, Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, accused the police of having a hand in the assassination of his private secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde and went further to call for the sack and possible prosecution of the DIG in charge of criminal investigations for covering up the facts.
However, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, says the issues raised by Mr Oshiomhole on investigations into Olaitan Oyerinde’s death are unfounded.
“In the first place, this case is in court and it may be subjudice if I comment on it, but we are going to reply that comment at the appropriate time and soonest because he (Oshiomhole) made allegations that are unfounded,” he said.
InformationNigeria

Budweiser, Pepsi Join Forces Against Coke For Super Bowl Dominance: Report

 By Sara Gates

Budweiser and Pepsi have struck a deal to join marketing forces leading up to Super Bowl 2013 to take down Coca-Cola. (Photo via Alamy)

Budweiser and Pepsi have reportedly set their sights on a common enemy: Coca-Cola. According to an internal email obtained by Ad Age, parent companies Anheuser-Busch InBev and PepsiCo have teamed up against the rival brand on joint promotions and in-store marketing ahead of this year's Super Bowl.
Together, the two Super Bowl sponsors will tout Bud Light, Pepsi and Doritos -- also owned by PepsiCo -- in campaigns leading up to the big game, such as "Super Bowl. Super Team. Super Party." However, the alliance will not extend to in-game coverage, Paul Chibe, InBev's vice president for U.S. marketing, told Ad Age.
Despite their co-branded partnership, Budweiser and Pepsi will air separate commercials during the game. The average price of a 30-second Super Bowl spot is estimated to cost $4 million.
In an internal memo sent by InBev to distributors, the beer company called the partnership with Pepsi a "National Big Bet" and noted that the three brands are "trying to work together to have flawless execution at retail," Ad Age reports.
Beverage Digest's editor and publisher John Sicher believes the combination of the three brands has the potential to be "very powerful." After speaking to Pepsi bottlers, he told Ad Age: "they believe this could have strong competitive potential."
As Business Insider notes, Pepsi has the most to gain from the Super Bowl deal, since its cola lags behind Coca-Cola's Coke (No. 1) and Diet Coke (No. 2) in the U.S.
This is not the first time, Budweiser and Pepsi have joined forces. In 2009, the two teamed up to cut costs on material purchases, and, in 2010, the companies made a pact to pool their media budgets. However, as Brand Channel points out, this will be the first campaign in which the two companies pair their beverage brands together.
HuffingtonPost

Woman Crushes Corps Member To Death, Claims He Was Busy Pinging On The Road

The Ogun State police command yesterday [Jan. 10] arraigned a 52-year-old woman, Mrs. Kehinde Olubanke, before an Abeokuta Magistrate’s Court sitting in Isabo, for allegedly crushing a 28-year-old youth corps member to death.
Olubanke was said to have committed the crime by driving and speeding dangerously in her Nissan Almera car, thereby causing the untimely death of the youth corps member identified as Egbe Ogbu, who was serving in the state.
Ogbu was said to be among those that would be rounding off their compulsory National Youth Corps Service next month.
Police Prosecuting Officer told the magistrate that the accused committed the offence on Tuesday, January 8, while driving within the Ogun State secretariat complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Emmanuel further charged that Olubanke, who drove the car with a learner’s permit, was not accompanied by a licensed driver as required by law.
The accused, Olubanke, who was not represented by any counsel, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Magistrate Martins Akinyemi.
She claimed that the late corps member, Ogbu was gripped by the fun he was enjoying in the use of his blackberry phone while crossing the road. She further said that late Ogbu had completely forgotten himself that he strayed off the footpath and suddenly landed in front of her moving car, thereby causing his death.
“Ogbu was busy pinging on the road; I did not know when he got in front of my car. I have been driving for over eight months now and I have been very careful”.
Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Akinyemi, who granted the accused bail, further held that the case was that of manslaughter as there was no motive behind it.
The magistrate, who described the incident as “a very sad thing”, particularly for the family of the late Ogbu, thereafter, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
He also adjourned the matter till March 7, 2013 for further hearing.
InformationNigeria

No More Marriage For Me – Pastor Chris Okotie

Lagos Pastor and presidential candidate for the Fresh Party, Pastor Chris Okotie, has said that although his separation from his wife in 2012 is “final and irrevocable,” he will not remarry.
This was contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Communication Strategy of the Household of God Pastor, Mr. Ladi Ayodeji, on Thursday.
Ayodeji said in the statement, “The pastor of our great church, the Household of God, Oregun, Lagos, Rev. Chris Okotie, has finally laid to rest speculations about his future marriage which has been the subject of media controversy since his separation from his former wife, Stephanie Henshaw last year.
“He announced to the church during the evening service on Wednesday, January 09, 2013, his decision not to remarry which, he said, is final and irrevocable, having already settled the matter with the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Taking cognisance of the wide media interest that this issue is likely to generate, we decided to make this statement to pre-empt mischief makers from distorting the facts.
“The pastor assures his well wishers, friends and numerous supporters around the world that he is completely at peace with himself and his God in arriving at this historic decision.”
InformationNigeria

Update: Hundreds Rendered Homeless As Fire Guts Lng Gas Plant In Bayelsa

 OSA OKHOMINA

A huge fire is ravaging an LNG gas plant in the oil rich host community of Oluasiri/Soku in Nembe Local Government area of Bayelsa State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that hundreds of fishing settlements and homes have been razed and residents rendered homeless.
It was gathered that indigenes of the communities were left helpless and waiting for an emergency response from the fire fighting unit of LNG Gas Supply Plant until the early hours of today.
Leadership

UPDATE: Court Sacks Oyinlola As National Secretary Of PDP

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Ogunsoye Oyinlola, to vacate the position.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Abdul Kafarati held that the election of Oyinlola to the position was a ``flagrant violation of two court orders’’.
 Kafarati said that evidence existed before the court that two separate orders from a court in Lagos dated 27/4/2012 and 2/5/2012 ordered stoppage of the conduct of Congress that made Oyinlola as South West candidate for the post.
``The court is convinced that those orders were given based on the pendency of a suit against the nomination of the second respondent (Oyinlola) to via for the position.
``The action of those officials who went ahead to conduct the congress was criminal and against the rule of law and they could have been committed to prison.
``Oyinlola is to immediately stop parading himself as the National Secretary of the PDP,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Chief Adebayo Dayo and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo filed the suit against Oyinlola, PDP and INEC on behalf of the Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP.
The plaintiffs sought the determination of the question whether the candidacy of the third defendant (Oyinlola) as a nominee of the South West Zonal Chapter of the PDP and his subsequent election into the office were valid.
The plaintiffs further sought the determination of a question whether the candidacy of Oyinlola’s election to the position of National Secretary at the National Convention of the party in March 2012 was invalid.
According to them, the candidacy of third defendant is not recognized by the South West Zone of the PDP.
They further said that the zone had no inputs in the nomination and subsequent election of Oyinlola to the position, adding that position was zoned to the area in accordance to the constitution of the party.
The plaintiffs further sought for the determination of a question whether the conduct of the convention which produced Oyinlola a National Secretary of the party was valid in spite of two pending orders against the action.
 They, therefore, sought a declaration that INEC could not in the circumstance of the ineligibility of Oyinlola and his act of ``criminal contempt continue to be recognized as an official of the PDP''.
They prayed for an order committing Oyinlola to prison for period as the court might see fit in the circumstances of his (Oyinlola) commission of criminal contempt.
 Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria after the proceedings, Oyinlola said that ``there was certainly a misrepresentations of facts in the matter and I shall appeal it’’.
 Leadership

Eminent Nigerians Task Jonathan On Corruption

Lagos — On Thursday, the Patriots, a group of eminent persons, criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for the way he is handling high profile corruption cases in the country.
The group blamed the president for "failure to punish appropriately and promptly the few persons in high positions found guilty of corruption following due process of prosecution."
The group also lamented the accelerating descent of the country towards becoming a failed state insisting that the president must convene a National Conference to address problems affecting the nation.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, yesterday, members of the group led by Professor Ben Nwabueze, Olorogun Felix Ibru, Gen Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Sir Olaniwu Ajayi, Chief Philip Asiodu, Otunba Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, Engr Chris Okoye, Chief Solomon Asemota, Sen Ben Obi, Mr Michael Orabator and Chief Ayo Adebanjo expressed worry over the alarming height corruption has attained in the country.
Prof Nwabueze noted the challenges threatening the country to include "all pervasive corruption, exhibition of insatiable greed and the pursuit of self-enrichment on the part of members of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary; the payment of outrageously inflated remuneration in salaries and allowances to political office holders in total disregard for our very low per-capita national income and of international norms and in the context of increasing pauperization of the people with 70% of Nigerians living below the poverty line."
He said to attain the positive revolution needed in the country "a president imbued with a revolutionary ardour for national transformation can in a matter of weeks begin to make the people notice a change in the purpose and pace of government."
Naij