DailyBells Nigeria: 2015-05-03

Friday, May 08, 2015

‘I have a divine mission to fulfill with music’

For Solagbade Sola, a gospel music minister, music is a divine assignment she has to fulfill. Born in Ikeja, Lagos about 37 years ago to the family of the Olanipekun Okusanya, she is the first daughter. In 2002, she got married to Mr. Segun Solagbade. In 2008, she came out with her debut album tilted Yin Baba.

Subsequently, she released her second audio titled Sounds of Praise in 2013, followed by another album in 2014 titled Yahweh Praise. In this interview with Mega StarNews, Solagbade who added a year to her age last week, speaks about her latest album ‘Ayo mi ti de’ scheduled to be released later this month among others.

The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal for Akwa Ibom on Friday ordered the inspection of 450,000 ballot papers used in declaring Gov. Godswill Akpabio as Senator-elect.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Akpabio the winner of the March 28 Senatorial Election for Akwa Ibom North West District.

This declaration prompted the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Senatorial District, Chief Inibehe Okorie, to petition the Tribunal asking that Akpabio’s election be nullified for alleged irregularities.

Two female employees of Vingo Beverages Food Ltd, who allegedly damaged the company’s car over unpaid salary, were on Friday charged before an Oshodi Magistrates' Court, Lagos.

The accused are Esther Augustine, 30, of Plot 1, Rebade Community, Odugbe in Ogun, and Beauty Edegwa, 37.

Both are being tried for conspiracy, breach of peace and wilful damage.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 15 at No.14A, Oshodi- Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

An Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun on Friday remanded 38-year-old Taiwo Coker in prison custody for allegedly raping a minor.

The accused, who resides at No. 4, Unity Road, Ijoko in Ota area of Ogun, is being tried for raping a minor.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered Ecobank Plc to pay Mr Uche Abrah , the sum of N8.5 million as his cumulative salary arrears and gratuity from 2006 to 2014.

The court made the order after considering evidences in a case of wrongful dismissal instituted by Abrah against the bank.

The judge, Justice Peter Lifu, in the verdict, declared that the claimant’s dismissal from the employment was wrongful and illegal.

He, however, said that the claimant shall be paid three months salary in lieu of notice as dated in the defendant’s termination of employment policy.

Top left: Osamor; top bottom: Onwurah; middle: Cameron; top right: Grant; top bottom: Umunna.

In one of the most keenly contested general elections in British history, four Nigerians won seats to the revered parliament, making it the first time such feat would be recorded

Against all odds, David Cameron has won his re-election bid in one of the fiercest polls in British history.

Cameron, Prime Minister of Britain, led the Conservatives to almost a landslide victory against the Labour Party – a development that forced arch-rival – Ed Miliband to step down as head of the opposition.

With the victory, Cameron returns to the iconic Number 10 Downing Street, the official residence of British Prime Ministers to continue with his work of massive reforms and making Britain greater.

But it is not only Cameron that has been left smiling following the announcement of winners – four politicians of Nigerian descent also tasted victory during the general elections in the Queen’s land.

The Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, has confirmed that troops of the Nigerian Army recovered video recordings of the heinous acts perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Olukolade, however, refused to disclose further information about the crimes against humanity captured in the videos in possession of the military.

“It is true that troops have captured some video recordings of the terrorists but I would not want to say anything on that for now,” he said.

He also confirmed to an Abuja based media consultancy firm to security agencies, the PR Nigeria, that the videos were being analysed by the military.

Denrele with Karen Igbo

Weird presenter, Denrele Edun might be sending a shocker to his numerous fans. Though his sexuality is still unclear to so many people, he is set to wed later this year.

Last February, the entertainer had said that although he had a lady in his life, he was not fully committed.

“There is somebody in the picture but we are not so sure of our status right now. We have been tossing it back and forth for a while. We are still deliberating. The person is fully committed but I am not really ready. I feel like I have frustrated her to a large extent and she has tolerated me for a very long time. We have been friends for a while. I am a very inconsistent person; she could call or send a message and I will not reply until after five days. I will not use my job as an excuse because it would be a wrong thing to do,” he said.

President Goodluck Jonathan and his successor-in-waiting, Muhammadu Buhari, are likely to meet the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja tomorrow, during which the man of God will pray for two of them.

The event is the annual “Day out with God of Daddy G.O.”, which is taking place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja at 5pm on Sunday and to be attended by other top-ranking Nigerian political, business and religious leaders.

The event, according to the organisers, is meant to provide an avenue for Adeboye to pray for outgoing President Jonathan and the President-elect, Buhari, and his new administration, which is coming at a time of great socio-economic challenges that require the prayers and support of all Nigerians to succeed.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has justified his call for the resignation of Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu ,the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ,saying Mu’azu should borrow a leaf from the resignation of British Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrats leader, Nick Clegg over their parties defeat at the poll.

In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka,in Ado Ekiti yesterday,Fayose said his position is premised on the issue on ground and that he had no personal score to settle with the PDP National Chairman.

“It is morally wrong for the National Chairman to remain in office after leading the party into its first national electoral loss.”

The President–elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, says he will kill corruption before it kills Nigeria when his administration takes off on May 29.

Buhari said this when members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akwa Ibom Chapter, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja recently.

He said the nation’s problems were not ethnic or religious corruption.

He said tackling corruption was third on his agenda, after insecurity and unemployment.

``So the point I want to make here is that the problem of Nigeria is not ethnic or religious, it is corruption.

``This is what we are fighting, that is why corruption is number three in my campaign.

The Chief Organiser of 2015 Lagos State Carnival, Mr Adeogun Adeola, has projected that Saturday’s (today) carnival involving elaborate costumes, pomp and pageantry would generate N1 billion to government’s purse.

Adeola, also the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The 2015 Lagos State Carnival will be held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos from 6.30 a.m. on May 9.

The Deputy Corp Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Charles Theophilus, has said that the commission has concluded plans to conduct drivers’ licence verification nationwide.

Theophilus made this known at a one day capacity building programme organised for the South-East FRSC staff in the driver’s licence centre in Enugu.

``We will commence verification of licence very soon to see if the licence obtained is actually produced by the FRSC, Vehicle Inspection Office and Board of Internal Revenue.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as diversionary and unnecessary claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it is not cooperating with the Presidency in the transition process.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Olisa Metuh, PDP National Publicity, in Abuja on Friday.

Metuh charged the APC to put its house in order, come straight and tell the nation the confusion in its camp instead of trying to shift blames.

Two men charged with mugging woman at Lagos ATM point

Two men were on Tuesday brought before a Tinubu Magistrates' Court in Lagos for allegedly mugging a woman at knifepoint and stabbing a man at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) point.

The duo -- John Luka, 21, and Bulus Amos, 23 -- who did not give details of their occupations and residential addresses, are

facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and assault occasioning harm.

The prosecutor, Insp. Livinus Okeke told the court that the accused committed the offences at 12.30p.m. on May 2 at the ATM of Union Bank, Ojomu Market, Lekki, Lagos.

SEX WORKERS

A Magistrates’ Court in Kano, on Tuesday remanded in prison custody a 29-year-old commercial sex worker, Chioma Okoro, for allegedly pouring hot water on her colleague over a customer.

Okoro, who resides at Ijebu Road, Sabon Gari Kano, is facing a three-count charge of inciting disturbance, causing grievous bodily hurt and criminal intimidation.

The Magistrate, Mrs Aisha Yahaya ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody until when the court was satisfied that the complainant was responding to treatment.

President Goodluck Jonathan continued his last gale of appointment and sack of public office holders on Tuesday with the removal from office of the executive secretaries of Petroleum Equalisation Fund, PEF and the Nigeria Content Management Development Board, NCMDB.

The presidency announced the appointment of Asabe Asmau Ahmed as the new Executive Secretary of PEF.

The new appointee, who is currently the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, takes over from Sharon Adefunke Kasali who has been Executive Secretary of PEF since 2007.

Okorocha, Chairman, APC GOV FORUM

Old and incoming governors elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, have accused President Jonathan of running the economy aground, leaving them with an empty treasury.

The governors under the umbrella of Progressives Forum also stated that the president-elect, General Mohammadu would be faced with unprecedented financial challenges as he takes the mantle of leadership from Jonathan on May 29.

Contrary to expectations that Lagos state People’s Democratic Party Governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje might have toiled the same line with President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat and decide not to challenge his opponent in court, the PDP candidate popularly called JK is not giving up in his quest to govern the Centre of Excellence.

Agbaje had petitioned the tribunal over the election, which he lost to Ambode of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Agbaje had alleged some irregularities during the election, which he said, contravened the provisions of INEC approved guidelines for the election.

As the legal battle begins, on Tuesday, the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal granted Agbaje leave to inspect all polling materials and documents used in the April 11 governorship election in the state.

Jonathan, Fayose and Mu'azu when the going was good during one of the campaigns

With the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still counting its loses after losing the March 28 general elections to the opposition, All Progressive Congress, APC, the blame game has continued as Ekiti State Governor has insisted that his call for the dissolution of the Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in good faith.

Fayose, whom the party had blamed for causing the PDP the presidential seat over his hate campaign approach, said the Party’s Chairman, Mu’azu should resign as he has no apology on his position because their responsibility as a party does not take away their failure in the last general elections.

The governor, who also challenged the NWC to provide evidence of money released to him to prosecute the last elections, added that “only N30 million was received for the last two elections and to the glory of the Almighty God and support of Ekiti people, we won all elections outrightly. I therefore demand for the mode with which money was released to me by the NWC.”

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has said he still wants to buy Arsenal despite failing in a 2010 bid to acquire a stake in the club.

The Nigerian billionaire is now worth nearly eight times as much as when he tried to buy into the Gunners, and the passionate Gooners has not given up on his dream of getting involved with the north London club.

“I still hope, one day at the right price, that I’ll buy the team,” Dangote, 58, told Bloomberg.

Shodunke, President, Olumo Progressive Association Canada Inc.

The Olumo Progressive Association Canada Inc, a group of indigenes of Egba and Yewa in Ogun State in Diaspora, has sent congratulatory message to their home Governor, Senator Ibikule Amosun on his re-election.

In a release over the weekend signed by the association’s President, Chief Femi Shodunke and General Secretary, Mr. Lukmon Afolabi Bakare, the group said the victory was well deserved.

Amosun, Ogun State Governor

The indigenes, who also congratulated the people of the state for re-electing Amosun, said they were not surprised by the decision of the electorates to return the governor for another term.

Members of the House of Representatives, Tuesday unanimously rejected a motion seeking the removal of fuel subsidy.

This was sequel to a motion promoted by Rep Sunday Kareemi, PDP, Kogi entitled: ‘The recurring crisis of fuel subsidy’ which was killed on arrival by members of the House.

Lawmakers in turn roundly condemned the motion saying it is anti-people to remove fuel subsidy.

Rather, lawmakers asked the incoming administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ( retd),‎ to sustain the subsidy regime.

Lagos records 12,120 rape cases in 4 years, lists 140 convicts in sex offenders register

The Lagos State Government on Monday said that 140 convicted sex offenders had been recorded in a Sex Offenders' Register created by the state government to shame offenders and serve as deterrent.

Mr Ade Ipaye, Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice made the disclosure at the 2015 Ministerial Press Briefing in Ikeja.

He said that the state had recorded no fewer than 12, 120 rape cases and other sexual violence matters in the last four years, describing such acts as threats to dignity and humanity.

According to him, the government is doing its best to address the problem through the law and other means.

Giving other statistics, Ipaye said that it had sentenced 5,834 offenders to community service for various offences in the last four years.

After the celebrated trek embarked upon by a man from Lagos to Abuja to celebrate the victory of Nigeria’s President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in a related development, another Nigerian, Oladele John Nihi from Kogi state has started trekking from Abuja to Otuoke, the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan, to celebrate him (Jonathan) as the hero of democracy.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Monday warned the President elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari against any attempt to remove fuel subsidy, saying such action would be vehemently resisted.

Similarly, it called on the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan not to assent to the budget when it gets to his table, if there was no provision for fuel subsidy in it.

In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Com. Nwanko Ezekiel, in Abuja, the group said removing fuel subsidy was anti-people.

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the extradition of a former Managing Director of Nigerian Security, Minting and Printing Company, Mr. Ehidiamhem Okoyomon, to the United Kingdom to face criminal charges.

Justice Evoh Chukwu ordered that Okoyomon be extradited to the UK within 30 days. He ordered the former NSMPC boss be remanded in prison pending the time the extradition processes would be completed. ‎

The court was delivering judgment on the extradition application filed on September 29, 2014 by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

Peoples Democratic Party senator-elect for Ogun East Senatorial District, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, has dragged the Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and 11 others to court over an alleged plot to extradite him to the United States of America to face trial on alleged drug-related offences.

Kashamu, who instituted a fundamental rights enforcement action before a Federal High Court in Lagos, is seeking a declaration that the move to abduct and forcibly transport him to the United States of America amounted to a violation of his rights to liberty, freedom of association and freedom of movement as protected by sections 35, 40 and 41 of the Constitution

He alleged that the plot was a further move in the the political designs of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to ensure that he (Kashamu) was denied the opportunity of enjoying the mandate freely given to him to represent the people of Ogun East Senatorial District in the Senate.

Barely three weeks to the end of his tenure, the Enugu State House of Assembly is set to impeach the out-going Governor of the state, Barrister Sullivan Chime.

Sixteen members of the Enugu State House of Assembly have served the out-going Governor Impeachment notice.

The sixteen out of the 24 members of the House on Monday morning served the governor the impeachment notice alleging gross misconduct.

Applicants for the last year's immigration exercise which led to deaths of many as a result of stampede. INSET: Abba Moro, Interior Minister

The Presidential Committee assigned to assist in fresh recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is set to hold the final phase of the exercise at all immigration state command centres nationwide from May 5 to May 7, 2015.

According to information contained in the web portal created to accomodate and manage the online recruitment process,www.nis.fedcivilservice.gov.ng, about 24, 678 applicants will participate in the final phase.

The Mega StarNews on Monday gathered that shortlisted applicants participating in this phase are to undergo physical examination, document verification and oral interview.

Recruited officers of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and Federal Task Force (FERMA) have accused the Lagos State coordinator of the programme of owing them three years salaries running into millions of naira.

The officers during a protest on Monday at the office of the National Human Rights Commission, Oshodi, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, equally protested against the fraudulent extortion of money from them by some executives of the programme.

The protesters accused their National officers and chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos as being responsible for subjecting them to such dehumanising condition and extorting money from them, adding that the management was using the SURE-P/FERMA job to exploit desperate job seekers for their selfish political gains.

Britain's Prince William and his wife, Kate, have named their second child Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, royal officials said on Monday.

According to the royal report, the name pays homage to the infant princess' great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth and now deceased grandmother, Princess Diana.

``The princess is the fifth great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth.

The sub-Saharan Africa's leading cement producer, Dangote Cement, says it will begin production of cement in Tanzania’s Mtwara region in August.

This is contained in a statement by the Office of Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete on Monday in Dar es Salaam.

It said the date was announced at a meeting between President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and Kikwete, over the weekend.

The alleged Boko Haram fuel and food supplier

Military authorities prosecuting the battle to dislodge the remnants of the Boko Haram terror group from Sambisa forest have arrested the supplier of fuel and diesel to the terrorists for use in the camps.

The arrest of the suspect whose picture is shown above, according to sources, followed the killing of several of the terrorists who at one point, tried to ambush Nigerian soldiers in the forest but met their waterloo as soldiers who knew the modus operandi of Boko Haram, had prepared for the ambush.

In the footage of the air and ground bombardment of the camps of the terrorists, many of the terrorists in their hundreds were seen jumping into several pick up vans, trucks and motorcycles and fleeing at very top speed even inside the forest.

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