Lagos white cap Chief murdered

By Feyi Afisunlu

A Lagos white cap Chief and the Onimole of Lagos, Chief Kayode Adeshina, has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen.
DailyPost gathered that Chief Adeshina, 73, was killed around 3a.m on Thursday in his palace at the Onimole Palace, 5 Iga
Idugaran Street, Isale Eko, Lagos Island.
Narrating the incident, one of his children, Oyindamola Ikuforiji, who was in the palace when the incident occurred, said that the gunmen came around 3a.m and went straight to her father’s room.
“They held him down and pointed a gun at his head, and asked him for money but he told them that he doesn’t have money but his phone.
“They took the phone and shot him. Baba was shouting for help as he bleed but nobody came to his rescue. I was scared, I couldn’t do anything.I was
transfixed, the men were shouting at me and my sister. We couldn’t do anything.

“When they were going, they shut all the doors and took the keys away. They later came back to see Baba bleeding and left.
“By the time helpers came and forced the door open, Baba had lost so much blood.
“When we took him to a private hospital, doctors confirmed him dead and that he had lost so much blood,” the lady narrated.
The eldest daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Mosaku Abiola, described the incident as shocking and unfortunate. She said she could not understand the motive behind the gruesome killing of her father, adding that police investigation will reveal such.
She however confirmed that her grandmother’s clothes were taken away by the gunmen.
Sympathisers and traditional title holders in Lagos including the Obanikoro of Lagos, were at Adeshina’s palace to condole with members of his family.
DailyPost

Merger fallout: UPP woos Gov Obi

by Beatrice Onuchukwu, Awka

Governor Peter Obi

Following Tuesday’s endorsement of merger between the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the United Progressive Party (UPP) led by chief Chekwas Okorie has started wooing Governor Peter Obi to join the party to remain politically relevant.

Governorship aspirant on the platform of UPP, Okey Umeano told newsmen in Awka governor Obi at present has no political party following the involvement of APGA led by Rochas Okorocha in the merger arrangement.

“You can see that APGA is already dead in Anambra State. If UPP takes over in Anambra State, the mass movement into UPP will make it to capture the state and capitalize on that to spread of igbos in other areas to win nationally.”

He stated that UPP was formed out of a political calculation to give the South East geo-political zone a base and spread in other parts of the country.

He said sponsoring Alhaji Sadiq Masalla against Victor Umeh was a miscalculation as the tenure of Masalla like Umeh expired since 2010.

He said the Independent Nationasl Electoral Commission (INEC) would not recognize Masalla as the acting national chairman of APGA based on what he described as an illegal mandate.

Umeano  said he believes Umeh went for the merger to avoid having APGA deregistered adding that Umeh’s legal bid to arrest judgment of the high court which declared that he was not the national chairman of APGA was on account of the fact that he has no letter to present to INEC that he is still the national chairman of APGA.

Umeano described the merger as the coming together of strange fellows adding that UPP is not interested in going for any merger as the purpose of registering UPP after APGA’s alleged engineered crisis was to give the South East a power base.

DailyTrust

Robbers Forget Gun At Robbery Scene Where They Stole N2m

A robbery in Calabar, the Cross River State capital was nothing short of dramatic, as the robbers abandoned an AK-47 rifle after they got possession of N2million belonging to a politician.
The politician reports say, was caught unawares at a building construction site at Ekorinim, a suburb of Calabar Municipality at the weekend, as he was busy passing instructions to his construction staff when the gang invaded his SUV vehicle and carted away the money inside.
The money according to sources was for payment for the services of a bulldozer and over 15 casual workers at the close of work.
“When I arrived at the plot, I securely locked the doors of my car after I had alighted and walked down to the slope where the bulldozer was piling sand but after some time when I went to the car, it was open and the money was no more there.”

He said that while he was passing instructions to the workers who were some distance away from, the hoodlums, “apparently acting on information swooped on the car, used a master key and unlocked the vehicle and carted away my money”.
According to the politician, he and his workers including the bulldozer driver mounted a search operation, only to discover one AK 47 riffle, loaded with a magazine where the bandits had laid ambush.
He said he had since reported the matter to the Police at Diamond Hill and the AK47 recovered.
Spokesman for the Cross River State Police Command, DSP John Umoh said the police was carrying out investigation to fish out the hoodlums, and assured that they will be apprehended soon.
InformationNigeria

Okupe And Aso Rock: The Lonely Crowd By Bayo Oluwasanmi

One of the greatest mistakes of President Goodluck Jonathan is putting together a team that reflects only him. That’s why they think alike, talk alike, and act alike. It’s a trap that makes them think all is well with Nigerians.
The president’s team lack inspiration, imagination, trust, honesty, and steadfastness of purpose. Greed, timidity, and lack of vision are rampant among the current crop of pseudo intellectuals of Aso rock.
To a great extent, leadership is like beauty, it’s hard to define but you know it when you see it. The Aso Rock propaganda machine is so insane that it is hard to satirize.
The erstwhile World Bank Chief, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili in a convocation lecture at her alma matter, the University of Nigeria Nssuka stated that the administrations of late President Umaru Yar’Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan squandered $67bn from Nigeria’s foreign reserve account.
Dr. Ezekwesili then invited Jonathan’s administration for a national debate on this important fiscal mismanagement to set the record straight for the nation.
Doyin Okupe, special assistant on public affairs to the president denied the foreign reserve was frittered away as alleged by Dr. Ezekwesili.
Okupe, the president’s attack dog saw the debate challenge as a red meat and he immediately went on the prowl for Dr. Ezekwesili.
“It is obviously preposterous for Ms. Ezekwesili to be asking for a National debate on the outlandish and reckless disinformation she made to incite the Nigerian people against the government,” said Okupe.
My dictionary defines preposterous as “completely contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd; senseless; utterly foolish.”
Is anything “completely contrary to nature, reason, or common sense, absurd, utterly foolish,” for a concerned citizen to demand accountability from her/his government on how a particular fund from our commonwealth was spent?
Seeking information on important national subject such as foreign reserve is now deemed “outlandish,” “reckless,” and “disinformation”?
Well then, if Dr. Ezekwesili’s statement is “preposterous,” “reckless,” “outlandish,” and a “disinformation,” that’s the more reason any right thinking person would have grabbed the offer for a debate before the Nigerian people and clear up the doubts and fears on the issue.
To Okupe and Aso Rock, democracy means “inciting people against the government” whenever a citizen insists the government come clean of any malfeasance, misappropriation, misuse, or outright embezzlement of money.
With his baseless ranting, Okupe said: “This was a deliberately calculated albeit unsuccessful effort to bring the Jonathan Administration disrepute unjustifiably.”
“…a deliberately calculated albeit unsuccessful effort to bring the Jonathan Administration disrepute unjustifiably,” sounds familiar. Channels TV investigative reporting of the rot at Ikeja Police College was also a calculated attempt to embarrass the government and tarnish its image.
By the way, what reputation of the Jonathan administration is Okupe talking about? Reputation for doing nothing? For cluelessness? For not leading? For misplaced priorities? For inability to govern? For aiding and abetting corruption? I think we need a debate on the reputation of Jonathan’s administration.
Dr. Ezekwesili “decided to divert attention from the issues she raised by calling for a National debate on issues that are not in contention,” said Okupe.
Seems Okupe is mixing other propaganda issues on his laundry list. Calling for a national debate in order to shed light on a controversial issue is a diversion? Who defines or decides whether the foreign reserve is in contention?
“I regret to say that Mrs. Ezekwesili should show dignity and character by letting the Nigerian people, whom she sort (sic) out to fool, to know the source of her figures otherwise, she should be honourable enough to retract her statement and apologize to the government and people of Nigeria, “ said Okupe.
Is there any doctor at Aso Rock to examine and certify that the reasoning faculties of our highly criminally paid propagandists on the nation’s payroll are intact?
It takes not only dignity and character but audacity and love of a country to dare a government that’s pro corruption to a debate on how are resources are being managed. When we talk of dignity and character, we know Dr. Ezekwesili but who is Doyin Okupe?
“Else she should be regarded by all as a willfully perjured individual not worthy of any respect or recognition whatsoever,” said Okupe.
For Okupe to accuse Dr. Eezekwesili of perjury is hilarious and hypocritical. Needless to say, she’s not looking for respect or recognition; she’s an acclaimed citizen of high repute and regard.
Dr. Ezekwesili’s demand for how and when the foreign reserve was depleted touches on the important issue of the kind of political structure we operates.
It’s no secret that the political structure in place is one in which power is apportioned without intelligence. It’s a structure where the government is totally immune from accountability.
Our own form of democracy is governed by advocates of unreason who believe badgering, hammering, and haranguing of critics and opponents of the government is the best way to defend policies and actions of the government.
The emotional impulse to “get the better of one’s opponent” as demonstrated by Okupe in the insults and aspersions cast on the person of Dr. Ezekwesili is not only troubling but a misplaced scape goating.
The undemocratic nature of this regime to patent cover ups, lies, fraud, corruption, intimidation with brazen shamelessness is a constant irritation and apprehension for Nigerians.
In pursuit of political agenda, officials acting on behalf of governments will submit their opponents and critics to long unspeakable anguish. History is replete with examples.
Remember what the Nazis did to the Jews at Auschwitz? What about the mass cruelty that followed the expulsions of Germans ordered by the Russians?
What of the years of smoldering reign of terror visited on South Africans by the Apartheid regime?
How democratic is our democracy?
Mr. Jonathan has redefined democracy to mean license and anarchy. Our rights have been trampled upon and our civil liberty assaulted and threatened.
President Jonathan sent army of occupation to Lagos to crack down on critics on the removal of the imaginary fuel subsidy and to quash the “Occupy Nigeria” protesters.
Most recently, Mr. Jonathan’s smoldered rage was not for the rot at Ikeja Police College but for the effrontery of Channels TV to air in public the dirty linen of his administration.
Dr. Ezekwesili as a Nigerian has every right to criticize the government. As former World Bank chief, the doubts she raised about the volcanic dwindling of our foreign reserve ought to attract the prompt action of the government.
As usual, the Jonathan administration missed another opportunity to clear the air by refusing to debate Dr. Ezekwesili on the accusation leveled against his administration on the misspent of our foreign reserve.
Jonathan’s administration has a reputation of being on the wrong side of issues. And it’s no wonder Okupe and Aso Rock make up the lonely crowd.
What’s wrong in having a Socratic dialogue asking the right questions at the right time in order to discover the truth about the $67bn foreign reserve?  This is exactly what Dr. Ezekwesili asked for.
Like Freud reminds us “the goal of analysis is to make the unconscious conscious.”  The debate no doubt, would have clarified lingering doubts and misconceptions about the foreign reserve.
Dr. Ezekwesili might not be wrong after all. Take a look at the simple arithmetic:
According to available information, $45bn in foreign reserve and $22bn in excess crude oil account was left by President Obasanjo at the end of his term. If the two figures are added, it amount to $67bn. This is what Dr. Ezekwesili was talking about.
Which part of the math Okupe doesn’t understand?
Okupe is a stranger to probity, prudence, and honesty in matters of money and figures.
It’s been said that “to look forward with acuity you must first look back with honesty.”
Okupe has a reputation of worming his hands into public coffers. Whatever character, moral values, and integrity Okupe might have had atrophied longest time ago.
From stethoscope to megaphone, Okupe is an example of ugly breed of entrepreneurial parasite and a peddler of crack lies.
In spite of the brutal and challenging facts presented by Dr. Ezekwesili in her analysis, Okupe employs every irrational and savage mockery to divert attention from the real issue.
Okupe’s bashing of Dr. Ezekwesili was done with zeal without knowledge – activity without reality – which only leads to self-deception and false pride.
The furor and anger which Dr. Ezekwesili’s statement provoked would have been handled by a rational adversary with a sense of history and compassion for the governed.
For a government that is mired neck deep in corruption, fraud, and embezzlement, how can we believe the cooked up figures used by Okupe to make his point?
Dr. Ezekwesili is a first class World Bank expert. She has proved herself to be the efficacy of self-confidence, vision, virtue, plain guts, and reliance on blessed impulse.
She has learned from everything, more importantly from experience, adversity, and mistakes. She has learned to lead by leading.
Okupe is a small fish in a big pond. He lacks the intelligence and the intellectualism to go toe-to-toe in a debate with Dr. Ezekwesili.
Saharareporters

Kaduna Muslims, Christians demand legislation against hate speech

by Alex Abutu,Abuja, Hope Abah, Makurdi, Chris Eze, Yenagoa, Eyo Charles, Calabar, Aliyu AbdulLateef, Ilorin, Johnkennedy Uzoma, Owerri, Aliyu M. Hamagam, Minna & Christiana T. Alabi, Kaduna

Muslims and Christians in Kaduna State have demanded for legislation against hate speech that is capable of creating ethno-religious crises in the state.

The two religions in their hundreds yesterday marched to the Kaduna State House of Assembly under the aegis of Interfaith Mediation Centre in commemoration of the World Inter-faith Harmony Week demanding for a ban on hate speech as well as other factors responsible of fuelling ethno-religious crises in the state.

The group, comprising members of catholic cadets, boys’ brigade, and aid group of Christian and Islamic faiths among others in company of some religious leaders in a peaceful procession, marched from Leventis roundabout along Ahmadu Bello Way to Lugard Hall premises.

Speaking before the legislators at the house of assembly, leader of the group Imam Mohammed N. Ashafa said problems are bound to arise while trying to maintain peace in a society where there are differences in characteristics, religions, ethnicity and attributes of the people.

Responding, deputy speaker Dogara Mato assured the group that the house will work on the proposed bills and urged the group to write formally to the house intimating it of all the details of the initiative.

DailyTrust

The Modern Face Of Human Trafficking In Ghana, Who Should Be Blamed?

Unemployed graduates and some youth who are desperate to work to earn a living have fallen victims to the scheme of some scrupulous and greedy people in Ghana who enrich themselves by preying on the poor. These greedy people have sophisticated methods of recruiting people and trafficking them to work as prostitutes and slaves in other countries.

These recruiters openly recruit their victims with no fear of being arrested because of the nature of the approach. The last time I checked, it was illegal to practice human trafficking, and the world frowns on it. People who are caught in this type of act could face some jail term. But the threat of jail time doesn’t t curtail these traffickers to slow down by any means.

If anything at all, they have become rather aggressive in finding different ways to recruit and traffic their victims. In Ghana for instance, the new way of trafficking young people outside the country is to tell them that they are being sent out to work as store clerks, domestic servants or butchers in the Arab countries.

Apparently, the announcements for recruitments are made through radio stations and churches with permission from the church leaders. As such, most of these venerable young people tend to believe everything that is being said. They are made to pay huge sums of money in order to make these trips. Some pay as much as 4,000 ghc, which is equivalent of about $2, 170. Some of these youth end up in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, once they arrive in their respective destinations, they realize that they have been deceived.

According to some of the victims, immediately upon their arrival, all their personal belongings such as passports, clothing, and cellphones are taken away from them. They are forced to eat from the floor; some are chained to walls like dogs, while others are whipped on a daily basis. They stated that some of their friends die in the process because of the treatment that is meted to them. Ostensibly, this new way or should I say this bold way of recruiting and trafficking the youths is an open business in Ghana.  

According to Supt Quaye, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Ghana Police Service, investigations so far has revealed that the American embassy in Ghana has similar complaint against Princess Ocansey who is now on police enquiry bail pending investigations. Do you blame our leaders that the youths sought to seek greener pastures in these Arab countries because of unemployment in Ghana? Or do you believe people who seek to travel to these countries just want an easy way out?

TalkOfNaija

M.I writes love letter to agbani darego, ''marry me'' he says

My Dearest Agbani Darego,

Will you be my valentine?

Do give this the utmost consideration. If you will be my valentine, let me say that I am, first, of all men most privileged, and second, about to engage in heavy research about what being someone’s valentine actually entails.
If you will not be my valentine, I must assume this is only because you would prefer me to ask you to marry me. If so, poste haste and with rapidity in extremis, I would, My Sweetling, desire your hand- and as much of the rest of you as possible -in blissful matrimony.

But wait. I traverse ahead of myself. I have not introduced myself. Sure I have spent many hours ogling over your Instagram photos and following you closely on Twitter, but I have never, as it were, had the opportunity of introducing myself.

I am The Editor.

Ah, My Lollipop, I can see your sad smile now. You are shaking your head, wondering if I am just another one of those men struck by your beauty and effortless grace.
Yes, it is true I am one of those men, but if I might add, I am even more awestruck by your beauty. There is no hope for me.
Marry me, My Cupcake.

Consider the advantages. I have discussed them below.

My Fondant, If you marry me, you will be fully protected in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse. I have watched Walking Dead (Seasons 1 and 2), and every zombie movie there is. I know how to finish them off (destroy the brain), how to stay alive (Run like hell) and how not to get slowed down by unnecessary hangers on. (I know so much, I am in fact publishing a simple handbook on this very subject called “Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse” available in stores shortly. You will of course, get a free signed copy.)

Secondly, the possibility exists that with your incredibly beautiful genes, and my deeply rooted interests in you, our offspring could be the very first of the race of super intelligent and super powerful humans. I can see it now: Junior finds the cure for cancer. His sister brings about world peace. You and I will bask in parental pride, secure in the knowledge that our union has benefited the world immensely. As I said, the possibility exists.

Thirdly, You will never have to worry about me going off to be an astronaut or being called off on some secret government mission to topple some enemy regime. I won’t even join the Bolivian Army. I suppose these are some of the first things you worry about when you a potential suitor approaches. Rest your lovely head at ease, My Peppermint stick, I will do none of these things.

Have you seen Les Miserables yet? I’m only asking because I haven’t and everyone is going on and on about it.

My Sweetest Sugarplum, I know we have a lot to figure out, but let us ignore the little details of whether you love me or whether you want to get married at all or whether you will be able to stand me. You must believe me when I say those are minor details. Why, Presiden

Say you will be my valentine, that is all I ask.
And if you cannot grant that, grant me your personage in marriage.
And if that proves impossible, could I please have your phone number, house address and your word that you will never ever ever take out a restraining order against me?

Thank you, My Strawberry Tart.

Yours Infinitely,

TalkOfNaija