Sad News: Adefarati, Akoko SW LG Chair dies in road accident

Lady Opeyemi Adefarati, the Caretaker Chairman of Akoko South West Local Government is dead!
She died in a ghastly motor accident about 45 minutes ago at Iwaro -Oka junction along with many others yet to be identified as a trailer lorry lost control and ran into them.
The news was broken by Tolu Babaleye this evening.
May her gentle soul rest in peace.

LibertyReport

Governor Akpabio Takes Possession of $45 Million "Private" Jet

By SaharaReporters, New York

The government of Akwa Ibom State has confirmed that Godswill Akpabio like his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, also owns a brand new jet.
Akpabio took possession of the $45 million jet in June 2012.
Responding to SaharaReporters inquiries, Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Ummanah, confirmed that Mr. Akpabio bought the Gulfstream jet manufactured in 2011, but insisted that that it is Akwa Ibom State property.
As already published by SaharaReporters, Governor Amaechi’s gleaming new toy is a Bombardier Global 5000 (N565RS), which he acquired for his exclusive use.
Governor Akpabio’s state of the art jet, which carries FAA registration number N224BH, was interestingly purchased by the same Bank of Utah Trust account used by the Rivers state government.  The deal was handled by a trust attorney at the bank and delivered to Mr. Akpabio.
Records show that Governor Akpabio, whose deputy resigned yesterday, has travelled abroad in the jet regularly, especially to and within the United States, since the acquisition.
A flight tracking website provided the following information regarding Mr. Akpabio's penchant for traveling on the jet.  These flights do not show Nigeria movements:
     Origin           Destination                Departed                                             Arrival
28-Sep-2012     GLF4/Q     Westchester County (KHPN)     Cologne Bonn (EDDK / CGN)     11:50AM EDT     12:28AM CEST (+1) (?)     6:38
28-Sep-2012     GLF4/Q     Savannah/Hilton Head Intl (KSAV)     Westchester County (KHPN)     07:00AM EDT     08:42AM EDT     1:42
24-Sep-2012     GLF4/Q     Westchester County (KHPN)     Savannah/Hilton Head Intl (KSAV)     11:23PM EDT     01:05AM EDT (+1)     1:42
24-Sep-2012     GLF4/Q     Dusseldorf Int'l (EDDL / DUS)     Westchester County (KHPN)     08:20PM CEST     10:21PM EDT     8:01
06-Aug-2012     GLF4/Q     Westchester County (KHPN)     Malaga (LEMG / AGP)     01:49PM EDT     02:42AM CEST (+1) (?)     6:53
05-Aug-2012     GLF4/Q     William P Hobby (KHOU)     Westchester County (KHPN)     08:01PM CDT     12:06AM EDT (+1)     3:05
03-Aug-2012     GLF4/Q     Dallas Love Field (KDAL)     William P Hobby (KHOU)     08:48AM CDT     09:25AM CDT     0:37
01-Aug-2012     GLF4/Q     William P Hobby (KHOU)     Dallas Love Field (KDAL)     03:53PM CDT     04:35PM CDT     0:42
01-Aug-2012     GLF4/Q     Dallas Love Field (KDAL)     William P Hobby (KHOU)     10:49AM CDT     11:26AM CDT     0:37
29-Jul-2012     GLF4/Q     William P Hobby (KHOU)     Dallas Love Field (KDAL)     10:05AM CDT     10:47AM CDT     0:42
28-Jul-2012     GLF4/Q     Bangor Intl (KBGR)     William P Hobby (KHOU)     01:40PM EDT     04:30PM CDT     3:50
28-Jul-2012     GLF4/Q     Dusseldorf Int'l (EDDL / DUS)     Bangor Intl (KBGR)     11:44AM CEST     12:44PM EDT     7:00
It would be recalled that one week ago in Yola, Adamawa State, Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State crashed a Cessna 208, 5N-BMJ, he was flying personally at the time.   He has since been airlifted to Germany for treatment, his injured passengers left in a local hospital.
These expensive jet-buying and flying stories concerning Nigeria state governors provide greater proof of muddled priorities, and sometimes, outright corruption, in the administration of the States, where the chief executives and their inner circles live in insensitive luxury despite the despicable general condition of the average citizen.  When they get off their jets, they usually have waiting for them all kinds of exotic cars and long convoys.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Mr. Suntai, an aviation enthusiast, owns two aircraft and a helicopter. Aviation sources also said he also owns an airstrip in his village which he built with embezzled state funds.
Governor Akpabio’s new jet puts him squarely among Nigeria’s new jet set of top government officials, connected businessmen and lavish-spending pastors, among whom luxury private jets are the new status symbol.

Sorry, we are not Nigerians’ say Williams sisters

The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena Wednesday put paid to insinuations that they were from Nigeria, when they said that they were proud to be American citizens.
Speaking at the Federal Palace Hotel, Venus, in a response to a question on their true origin, said that while they love Nigeria, the fact was that they were from the United States of America.

“This is another country that we would love to come from but we are from the United States and are proud to be from there as well”, said Venus
On their mother’s decision to name their late sister, Yetunde, after a Nigerian, Venus said that it was because of the mum’s love for Africa.
“My mum named my late sister after an Africa name because she loves Africa and that is all to it”, she said.
InformationNigeria.org

JAF, Workers Unions, Human Rights Groups Join Motorbike Operators to Protest Lagos Ban; JAF Advocates System Change

By SaharaReporters, New York

Pro-labour welfare movements, labour unions and civil society groups today expressed their solidarity with the motorbike operators’ union which is protesting the recent ban on them by the Lagos State government preventing operation on major streets of Lagos.

In a symposium organized by the Joint Action Front [JAF] at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Secretariat in Lagos, the NLC, Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU], Nigeria Union of Teachers [NUT], Nigeria Medical Association [NMA], Center for the Defense of Human Rights [CDHR] and United Action for Democracy [UAD] jointly condemned the implementation of what they called a cruel law.  

They criticized the government for implementing the new regulation without due consultation or provision of a social safety net before phasing out operators of commercial motorbikes in the State.

The counsel to the motorbike operators in a suit brought against the Lagos State Government for the ban, Barrister Bamidele Aturu, accused the government of trying to copy the advanced cities of the world at the expense of the poor people of Lagos State.

Evaluating the policies of the current Lagos State Government since inception, the civil society bodies and workers’ unions described the government as an anti-people administration.

Although the symposium was convened to assess the myriad problems confronting the nation including the recent flooding in some parts of the country which rendered many people homeless, the Lagos State ban on commercial motorbikes dominated the discussion. 

Moderated by Dr. Dipo Fashina, the meeting, which lasted more than four hours, resolved to protest the ban and resist further anti-people laws being promulgated by the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] in the State.

JAF announced that it would mobilize the masses to protest the ban, and condemned the call by the Lagos State Governor on the military to deal ruthlessly with the poor motorbike operators wherever they are seen in the restricted areas.

JAF called for system change, accusing Governor Babatunde Fashola of militarizing the State and stressing that it took a lot of civil struggle to rid governance in Nigeria of the military.

Other civil society groups at the symposium include Community Network Alliance [COMNET], Moshood Abiola Vanguard for Democracy [MAVD] and Social Workers Link.

Saharareporters

Kaduna State Governor Dares Boko Haram, Says, “…I Will Not Resign”

Gov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State on Thursday reiterated his resolve to see through his tenure despite the spate of bombings by radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram in the state.

This was disclosed by the governor at the PDP National Headquarters in Abuja while fielding questions from newsmen.
The governor disclosed that the state government was on top of the situation, adding, “me say to you out rightly that I will not resign. There is absolutely no reason for me to resign.
“We are on top of the security challenges we are facing in Kaduna State,” he stressed.
He said that the state government was working with the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure the security of the state.
InformationNigeria.org

“They didn’t take the money, they wanted documents” – Dino Melaye speaks on burgled office

Former House of Reps member, Dino Melaye’s office in Abuja, has been burgled by unknown men. The Kogi-born lawmaker, is currently fighting the Ministry of the Niger Delta, over alleged fraud, and he was quick to point them out as suspects.
“Our office was burgled overnight. They were looking for documents. And I suspect it is those from the Ministry of the Niger Delta,” Melaye told DailyPost in an exclusive phone conversation.
“Sadly for them, we don’t keep documents in the office, so they did not steal anything. There were even money in the office, about one million naira, but we found it when we came in.”
Honourable Melaye also told us that he had reported the matter to the police, amidst threats.
“We have reported the matter to the police and we have also informed them about some text messages threatening to kill us. But we won’t back down. No retreat, no surrender,” he fired.

 DailyPost

2face Idibia acquires two Haven homes in Lagos

2face Idibia broke the news to fans on micro-blogging site Twitter with a photo of him signing some documents
‘Just bought me 2 HAVEN homes,‘ he tweeted.
His wife and mother of one Annie Macaulay-Idibia was obviously super excited as she also tweeted; ‘Thank U father……Awesome God ! We are gratefuL‘.
We can not immediately confirm the location of the homes and how much they cost.
E-mails sent to Idibia’s real estate consultants 3INVEST concerning the details of the house had not been replied as at the time of this report.
HAVEN Homes are ultra modern houses being built in different parts of Lagos: Magodo, Lekki and Banana Island.
They have different high tech features including automated light switches, central audio systems, open plan living spaces, walkways and more.
 DailyPost