Knowledge of Abacus will improve performance in Mathematics'

The Proprietress, Heyday Nursery and Primary School, Festac Town, Lagos, Mrs. Suzan Amuta, says the knowledge of Abacus will help to improve pupils’ performance in mathematics.

She said this during the award of Abacus certificate to outstanding pupils of the school on Thursday.

Abacus is a mathematical learning apparatus in a frame of two segments.

The educationist described teaching of Abacus at primary schools as a privilege, adding that it would  prepare the pupils’ brain for future challenges.

According to her, the knowledge gathered from it would serve as a motivation in studying mathematics and other related subjects.

She said, “This initiative has made the pupils better than their contemporaries in other schools not running the Abacus programme. You know Abacus demystifies the phobia for mathematics in the child.

“It sharpens the pupil’s mind and increases mental agility and intelligence 15 times faster in learning mathematics than the conventional methods applied in teaching mathematics in most schools.”

Amuta commended the parents for their understanding in embracing the idea of the Abacus learning programme.

Responding to a question on the need for Abacus in schools, representative of Edusoft Associates Limited, Consultants on Abacus Educational Programme in Nigeria, Mr. K. Devesh, described it as a learning system designed to aid innovation.

Lagos College reels under overcrowded hostels, dirty environment

From a distance, the Lagos State Model Junior College, Ojo, looks like an ideal citadel of learning. Its gates and fence are a beauty to behold. Even the “model” attached to the school’s name is an attraction on its own.

The college has enough and sizable well-painted classrooms. Also, there are spacious playgrounds for its hundreds of pupils, who are all boarders. Add this to the large number of teachers, one would easily conclude that the institution must be a place to be.

But beyond all these, there are still hurdles in actualising qualitative education in the school. In fact, for pupils  of the college, learning and living in a right and healthy environment seems to be a luxury of sorts.

There is nothing to cheer, considering the conditions in the boys’ hostels. The hostels are not just overcrowded,they are also unkempt. Besides, there are no standard bathrooms and toilets, as the boys defecate in a makeshift latrine in the premises.

The latrine, covered with planks, interestingly also serves as a bathing place for the pupils.

Little wonder, the offensive odour around the scene leaves one to wonder how the pupils are coping with the situation.

Our correspondent gathered that the living condition in the hostels is a big source of concern to parents. For instance, it was learnt that the boys’ hostel accommodates a far number of pupils.

A source told our correspondent that one of the hostels prepared for Junior Secondary School 1and 2 pupils now “husbands” no fewer than 200 pupils.

The hostel for the JSS 3 pupils is also facing a similar condition. In the boys’ hostel, the pupils’ lockers and boxes contend with the little space, in the hall, leaving their occupants to be perpetually hanging around, as it were.

The bungalow, partitioned into two sections, also has a few double-bunk iron beds in the first section. Instead of a modern building with spacious rooms, it is an old unpainted structure with wooden windows and roofs that are vulnerable to windstorm during rainfall.

When our correspondent visited the school last Sunday, a junkyard environment stared him in the face, particularly in the boys’ hostels. The pupils’ mattresses and pillows were not only in the sun, they were also in a disorderly manner.

One of the boys, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity narrated how they sleep at night.

He said, “Most of our mattresses are outside in the open fields. The housemasters usually ask us to pack them in by between 8 and 9pm when we are about to sleep. Then, they come back around 5am and ask us to move them out again. This is the custom.”

It is learnt that pupils, in the daytime, due to the heat and rowdiness in the hostels, prefer to hang around their classrooms where they sometimes take their siesta.

Concerned over their children’s plight, parents, who came for visitation to the school last Sunday, gathered under a tree shade to discuss some of the challenges facing the college. Numbering about 50, the parents particularly noted that they were not happy with the state of affairs in the hostels.

The parents, who alleged that officials in the school kitchen were starving the children, giving them breakfast around 11.00am, and in ridiculous quantities, also demanded to see the school principal, simply called Mr. Salton, to address their grievances.

One of them, obviously annoyed, said, “I cannot recognise my daughter again. Her face has become gaunt due to negligence on the part of the school authorities.”

Another parent added in frustration, “When I was young, I attended a boarding school too, and I felt things were still good like I had in my days. That was why I brought my son here, but it is unfortunate that our children are treated as if they were orphans.”

However, one of the housemasters, simply identified as Mr. Olorunfemi, promised the parents that the authorities would soon correct some of the lapses.

He said, “Pupils henceforth would be asked to adequately monitor how their foodstuffs are being cooked. They will have representatives in the school kitchen who will act like watchdogs.”

Some parents also drew attention to a newly constructed six-room apartment within the school, which according to them, is to serve as the new boys’ hostel.  The facility is at present not in use.

At the Sunday emergency meeting, our correspondent learnt that parents and guardians contributed N2,500 each to renovate a section of the boys’ hostel.

Indeed, carpenters were on site working on the building last Sunday.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, who said her ministry was aware of the situation, promised that the problems would be resolved soon.

In a text message to our reporter, she wrote, “Thank you for the observation. I am quite aware, and we will deal with it very soon.”

What does the North want?

This piece is not a response to the North’s position on the National Conference. I believe every individual or group has the right to respond to the conference as they deem necessary. Rather, it seeks to address the crisis of identity which is at the root of the Nigerian tragedy.

Who are we? What is Nigeria? The answer to these questions can help us understand the various issues confronting us as a country and what our responses have been, whether it is the politics of oil, religion or geo-political space.

There is nothing new about the comments of those who claim to represent the North. If we look at developments in pre-independence Nigeria, the North’s response to the Unification Decree No. 34 of May 24, 1966, by the military junta led by Maj.-Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, or the introduction of Sharia law in some states in the North, historically, the North has always been in favour of political autonomy and fiscal federalism. It is strange, therefore, that there is so much angst in the North when it comes to the issue of autonomy and fiscal federalism.

When we listen to people talk about the “North” in Nigeria, what exactly are they talking about? Is it a people bound by a common religion, culture, history or geography? Are there really “Northerners” in the sense that there are Fulani, Hausas, Jukun, Tiv, Igbo, Egon Yoruba, Ijaw, Efik, etc? I assume that just as the Afenifere Renewal Group and Odu’a People’s Congress can’t claim to represent the West, Ohaneze Ndigbo and the Biafra Zionist Federation can’t claim to represent the East, the NEF and the ACF can’t claim to represent the North.

Which people or what interest do our northern hegemonists represent? That of the major ethnicities in the North or that of a particular religion?  Will the proponents of the theory of the North accept, for example, a President David Mark or Bukola Saraki – not that I wish for either man to come anywhere near the Presidency – as truly representative of the North?

I don’t know what goes on in the minds of the likes of Usman Bugaje, Junaid Mohammed and their fellow travellers in the NEF and ACF when they have to refer to themselves as Nigerians or when they see Nigerians who are not from the North. They approbate and reprobate at the same time. Bugaje, for example, appropriates 72 per cent of Nigeria for his North; the NEF talks about the “exploitation and management of ITS OWN (emphasis mine) human and other resources,” yet, they deny other people the right to lay claim to “their land” and its resources!

The political and intellectual class in northern Nigeria talks and acts as if the North is a separate country from the rest of Nigeria. But the North, just as the concept of the West and the East, is a myth; a convenient alibi for those who seek to perpetually keep Nigeria disunited in the promotion of their personal agenda.

Of course, northern Nigeria may have peculiar problems which are the result of the activities of the criminal band called rulers (many of them from the North) Nigeria has had since independence, but if we see the North as part and parcel of Nigeria, then these problems become the problems of Nigeria rather than the problems of the North.

Perhaps, the belief in the theory of a monolithic North explains the warped view of some commentators who, rather than hold military dictators like Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha responsible for ruining the country, make reference to the North as being responsible for the country’s woes. As if the majority of the downtrodden in the North gathered and agreed to give power to these iniquitous generals and join them in the ruination of Nigeria.

We can find many Bugajes and Mohammeds around the country; people who still live with the pre-1914 and civil war mentality. When we talk of the North, East or West the way Bugaje and others describe it, we set ourselves in perpetual conflict with Nigeria. The political and military class from the North has ruled Nigeria for the better part of its independence. What have northerners, let alone the rest of the country, to show for it?

It is scandalous that after more than 50 years of independence, we are still embroiled in the debate of “who owns the oil”. While other countries are working hard to wean themselves off oil and develop alternative sources of energy, we are busy wasting scarce human and financial resources searching for more oil. Rather than planning for a life after oil and developing other resources in the country, our indolent military and political rulers luxuriated in the easy and quick wealth that crude oil provided.

They became drunk on crude oil and nourished a generation of Nigerians for whom nothing else matters apart from oil. Perhaps, if that vermin, Abacha, and the “Evil Genius”, Babangida, both military dictators from the North knew that the oil belonged to the North, they would have used the proceeds judiciously in the interest of the working and toiling people of the North whose names are invoked at every opportunity.

Nigeria will not be great simply because our rulers say so. Nigeria will not be united just because our politicians say at every opportunity that, “The unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable” or that “Nigeria will not disintegrate”. Nation-building is not a whimsical business. Our rulers have done absolutely nothing to advance the unity of Nigeria. What our rulers have succeeded in doing is that where we should see Nigerians we see Christians or Muslims, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulani, Ijaw, Jukun, Efik, Tiv, northerners, etc.

We argue that there are more Muslims in the North and more Christians in the South, so we talk about “Muslim North” and “Christian South” and give ammunition to those whose interest is to keep us perpetually divided as if it matters to the Muslims and Christians in Sokoto, Owerri or Lagos who earn N18,000 a month what label they wear.

Let’s take four major cities (Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kano) as examples. Have we asked ourselves why more than five decades after independence, an “Igbo man” born and bred in Lagos, a “Fulani man” born and bred in Port Harcourt, an “Ijaw man” born and bred in Kano or a “Yoruba man” born and bred in Enugu can’t aspire to be a local government chairman let alone a parliamentarian. There are politicians across Nigeria who can make this happen but won’t because of their provincialism and greed. Yet, we go to foreign countries and aspire to run for political offices in places where we have no roots.

The fact that the North, according to Bugaje, has 72 per cent of the land mass does not make northerners more Nigerian than the rest of the country or give them more right to anything that Nigeria has to offer. The delusional theory of the North simply explains why the so-called representatives of the North are paranoid about the Presidency of Nigeria. If you have 72 per cent of the country and 60 per cent of the population, it is only natural to assume that the Presidency of the country is your birthright; after all, democracy is a question of numbers.

Back to the structure of Nigeria. There is nothing like the North. It only exists in the imagination of those who are benefiting or seek to benefit from what that agenda offers. The so-called North came to an end on May 27, 1967, when Gowon divided the country into 12 states. The North is a fairy tale. We shouldn’t buy it! The Constitution of Nigeria recognises only states and local government areas, not regions. Perhaps, we can talk about geopolitical zones for planning and administrative convenience.

We gloss over these issues at our own peril. We can’t talk about building a united Nigeria, a new nation that will be a global contender, while still clinging to the old ethnic, religious and regional stereotypes and fault lines that do us no good.

Beyond the sleeping delegates and the squabbles over allowances for personal aides, pimps and prostitutes, the National Conference is bringing into sharper focus the many prejudices in the country. How do we overcome these prejudices?

This is the discussion we must have – of course, in a civil manner

Building your business with Google online maps

Everyone knows that if you own a business nowadays, you need a website. In fact, people will go further and say you need a website plus other online platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.

One of the major reasons it is essential to have some online presence is because you need your business to be found. Where do people go when they need to find something? Online search engines, of course!

Personally, when I am looking for a type of business, I usually head to Google Maps and run a search that includes the city and state or even nearest address.

Google makes checking out businesses easy with well-detailed listings of all sorts of information. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, try Google Maps (www.google.com/maps) and search for a local business.

Let us assume that you are running a search for a Nigerian fashion accessories outfit in Google’s search bar. Notice that when you find the business in the search results there is a “more info” link. It also shows you a complete address of where the business is located as well as a map of the location.

It is this type of detailed listing that I am referring to. As a business owner, did you know you can now actually control what your business listing says about your business? Let me introduce you to what Google calls Google Places.

The process is simple. Let’s go through it step by step.

Go to Google Places (www.google.com/places), sign in with your Google account and click “Add new business.”

Next, you will be asked to begin to enter your business’s details. This is mostly location based information (address, etc.), contact information (like email, phone, web address), and descriptive information (a short description and categorisation).

Now you’ll be asked to give more details to be included in the listing. It is good for potential customers to know about your service location, hours of operation and payment options. You’ll also have the opportunity to include photos and even videos in your listing.

The last part of the Google Places listing process is validating that all of this information is actually coming from the owner of the business being listed. You can choose to validate by phone. Believe it or not, going the phone route would be a lot easier and faster.

But Google Places offers more!

In this article, I have focused on how to take control of the information in your business’s Google listing. You must realise that Google Places also offers business owners other valuable tools, such as printable coupon, and a dashboard full of statistics and trends to help you choose how to better meet the needs of your customers.

In the near future, maps might also understand the fundamental relationships between activities. For example, when you initially search for your meeting location, your map could highlight nearby parking garages or spaces for your car, preventing the need for you to scrabble for one when you arrive. Or if you prefer to travel by public transport, the answer to your problem might be a map that highlights transit stations rather than a more traditional roadmap.

Of course, this concept goes beyond just directions. If your next business meeting happened to be abroad, your phone can offer up information on the local weather, the exchange rate and language translation tools as your plane touches down. Think of the technology as a helpful assistant that makes suggestions then retreats from view just as fast-letting you get on with your day.

Perhaps the ultimate innovation in maps and technology will be realised a bit further down the road, moving beyond offering suggestions to defining what’s next for the world. In fact, you might not have to drive to that business meeting at all-with maps eventually helping automated vehicles drive themselves, with us as passengers.

Now business owners can have the control they need to maximize the benefits of Google free of charge!

Which president will not smile?

President Goodluck Jonathan went to many places late March. He saw many people too, high calibre people in Africa and in Europe, and all of that in six days. There were issues to those visits. What happened in Namibia, his first place of call, is one. What he said to Nigerians residing in that country is another; and there is yet what he told Nigerians residing in The Netherlands. One other place the President visited stands in a class of its own though; no, the personage he met stands yards apart from others. And if many Nigerians didn’t remember every other person that had hosted the President, they remembered this one: Pope Francis, the Catholic Pontiff. It happens that it’s ever fashionable to visit the pope, and it’s even better for anyone to so do at this time. That’s because Pope Francis is popular around the world. That rubs off on any guest, a reason the Americans who will never do a thing without carefully calculating the benefits for their national interest also came to see the pope. Or, has the reader ever heard of a Unites States’ president visiting an unpopular and controversial figure before? Then, that reader will understand why even America’s president went to the Vatican at this time. Of course, Nigerians couldn’t have missed the fact that Nigeria’s leader and his delegation arrived days ahead of the American president. And there is no gainsaying it that the ever religious citizens here don’t fail to see the implication in that. Nigerians know it means their leader had got all the blessings from the Holy Father before the Americans who like to be first in all things arrived the scene!

Yet, that wouldn’t stop some of Jonathan’s men from pointing out how significant the visit to the Vatican was for Nigeria, the same thing they did about another visit to Israel earlier in the year. Nevertheless, the other places that the President went to and the presidential proclamations he made are of relevance to this writer. Take Namibia, for instance. There, Jonathan started his six-day working tour. The country had had its own rough times in the hands of white supremacists. Nigeria had been there for Namibia’s freedom fighters that time, one reason Nigeria, though far away from the scene of the struggle for freedom was tagged a frontline state. So, when Namibians marked their 24th Independence Anniversary in March, they invited Nigeria. Namibians  didn’t invite Jonathan and send him away without according his country the front seat on that occasion; they didn’t treat Nigeria the way South Africa with its leaders’ grand sense of rivalling Nigeria have always been doing, refusing to publicly accord Nigeria the recognition of a comrade-in-arms after apartheid eventually caved in, and neither did they consider it significant to honour Nigeria by letting Jonathan mount the podium and put in a word during the burial of former President Nelson Mandela. Instead, leaders of countries that had sustained apartheid got the honour.

But Namibians were not like that. They awarded Jonathan the highest honour they had for what his nation did for Namibians in their time of need. And the gesture was more exciting for the simple reason that it was not the better known freedom fighter and former President, Sam Nujoma, although present, that so honoured Nigeria. It was his successor, President Hifikepunye Pohamba. Namibians have long memories. And after Jonathan was awarded, he made the often-heard highly contentious statement to the Nigerian community in Windhoek to the effect that corruption is not Nigeria’s number one problem. He said, “Corruption is everywhere” but it is over-celebrated in the country (Nigeria) to the extent that the nation and its people are stigmatised. He got on the airplane thereafter, and headed for the Vatican.

His arrival later in The Netherlands formed the final leg of his tour. There, he had joined other world leaders at the 2014 global Nuclear Security Summit. The summit had focused on what was  achieved so far in securing nuclear material, as well as its future. The organisers said they picked The Netherlands as host because of its history as an advocate of peace and human rights. The first of such summits had been in Washington DC, USA, in 2010. That Nigeria’s leader attended both the Washington DC edition and the latest is good, but what’s of greater interest to this piece was a comment he made to the Nigerian community in The Netherlands. In the event, the comment brought his previous statement about corruption in Windhoek into sharp relief. “I appreciate you, my brothers and sisters, who find time to come and see me,” he had said to Nigerians in a Town Hall meeting in The Netherlands. And pleased with the calibre of people present, he asked rhetorically, that when such calibre of compatriots gather anywhere, “which president will not smile?”

“President Jonathan also considered creating avenues for a media chat with the Nigerian-oriented TV stations in the Diaspora as a platform to counter the negative projection of Nigeria in the western media.” That was part of a TV news report on the meeting the President had with Nigerians in The Netherlands. Having a media chat will throw light on some issues and let the world know how the mind of the Presidency works on some crucial issues, of course. But a media chat is one thing, the official view from any government that can never shoot itself in the foot is also one thing; but what the world sees and reads about Nigeria are another. What is reported in a nation about government officials that steal like hungry rats can’t be controvertible; it can’t be, like the actions of delegates to the National Conference which media houses reported, but which got some delegates upset to the point of saying the media should be banned from doing its job.

Yes, the President proposed to use media chats on Nigerian TV stations in the Diaspora to counter negative coverage of the country in the western press. But one wonders if, Nigerians abroad who are actively fed about news from home, and who are active on most Nigerian-based online newspapers where they make eye-popping negative comments, will believe whatever is said in the course of such image laundering effort, not to mention foreigners. And, apart from what Nigerians see their government officials loot, they have also noted the Transparency Index published in December 2013 by Transparency International. In it, Nigeria was ranked the 34th most corrupt nation in the world, taking the 144th position, among 177 nations. In the group’s Corruption Perceptions Index for the same year, Nigeria scored 25 points out of a possible 100 points, a performance that was poorer than in 2012, when Nigeria scored 27 points. The nation shared the platform of graft with the collapsed and crisis-torn Central African Republic and the neighbour, Cameroon. And there are those billions being serially discovered lately at parliamentary committee hearings, said to have been expended by government officials without following standard practice. TV stations regale Nigerians with them each day. There are also the billions that the lawmakers lately say crude oil managers can’t account for, and the phoney manner high state officials use their positions to put the nation’s resources and assets to illegal uses, all of which makes one wonder if these reports in the public space do get to the President’s table. And when the President said earlier this year that anti-graft agencies had been working hard like tireless camels, that he knew they had been working even though Nigerians might not know it, one had had reasons to scratch head, turning around in search of any Nigerian to corroborate what the President said.

 By the way, the strategy for attracting mass attention can’t follow the same pattern in all places. Whoever has organised events both in Abuja and Lagos understands this, not to mention media chats targeting TV audience in foreign countries where the more interesting TV stations are available mostly by subscription, remote boxes are ever ready to switch among over 500 channels, unlike in Nigeria where most citizens can be forced to watch dreary six hours of sponsored programmes. In any case, Nigerians know that whatever effort to combat corruption here hasn’t been what it should be. So this is where more efforts should go, rather than an attempt at image laundering, as well as expending resources to catch the minds of an international TV audience that hardly pays attention unless the news is red hot negative and scandalous. And of course if corrupt government officials here aren’t so celebrated but are put away where they belong, there’s a group ready to smile long before the President does – Nigerians.

Babangida urges NFF not to distract Keshi

A former Nigeria international, Tijani Babangida, on Thursday urged the Nigeria Football Federation and well meaning individuals to support Stephen Keshi and the Super Eagles ahead of the World Cup.

Babangida said in Abuja that by so doing, the team would be spurred to improve on what other African countries had done at the World Cup.

“We must avoid any pitfall. I read about the query they gave him (Keshi) in the newspapers. All that is unnecessary at this stage, such distractions, shouldn’t even be made public. It is not good at all. Keshi is someone I’ve known for a long time and I have no doubt that he will do the nation proud if the NFA can give him all the necessary support he needs. I have a good feeling Nigeria will do well at the World Cup,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria.

The former winger endorsed the country’s quest for a credible performance at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, adding that he was optimistic that Keshi was the right man for the job.

On players’ selection, Babangida, who played professionally with Ajax FC of Amsterdam, advised that Keshi should be allowed to pick the players of his choice against the backdrop of undue pressure on him.

“I will advise that we all allow Keshi to select whom he wants. If he feels he needs the experience of Osaze Odemwingie, or the sharpness of Ikechukwu Uche, that’s fine. If not, so be it.

“Win or lose, the buck stops at his table. Nigerians are very difficult to please. We are going to the World Cup as the current African champions. Surely that must count for something.

“I think we need to respect Keshi more and allow him do what he feels will be good for Nigeria,” he said.

Babangida, who was also part of the 1998 World Cup squad in France, said the Eagles should be wary of Iran, who might turn out to be the spoilers in the group.

“A lot of people are looking at Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina, while forgetting Iran as a potential threat. Argentina are familiar foes. Bosnia-Herzegovina we know a bit, but Iran being an unknown quantity can spring a surprise or two. It shouldn’t be against us.

“I think we need to be at our best in all games. No team will be a pushover. Our first game against Iran should be like a cup final,” Babangida said.

Nigeria is grouped alongside Argentina, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Group F in the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

The Super Eagles will play their first group match against Iran on June 23.

Wenger won't talk

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is refusing to be drawn on whether an FA Cup victory or qualification for next season’s Champions League is top of his priority list, BBC reports.

The Frenchman insists he is looking no further than Saturday’s semi-final against FA Cup holders Wigan before setting his sights on the title run-in.

And speaking at the pre-match press conference, he is adamant no wholesale changes to his squad will be require this summer, claiming injuries to key players have proved destructive to the club’s ambitions in recent months.

Arsenal currently lie fourth, just one point ahead of Everton who have a game in hand over the Londoners following their 3-0 victory at Goodison Park last Sunday.

$510bn GDP: FG has ridiculed itself, says APC

The All Progressives Congress has dismissed Nigeria’s rebased Gross Domestic Product as a public relations gimmick of the Federal Government.

The party, in a statement in Washington DC, United States by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government had by the rebased GDP only succeeded in ridiculing itself.

But the Federal Government insisted that the emergence of Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy   would guarantee prosperous future for Nigerian youths

The APC noted in its statement that it was clear that the GDP rebasing was done after a World Bank report declared Nigeria as one of the countries with the largest population of poor people in the world.

The party said it was not surprised that the rebasing was government’s response to the World Bank classification.

It added, “The Federal Government has only succeeded in opening itself to ridicule. This is because if ever there was a clear play at oxymoron, this is it: The largest economy with the largest population of the poor; the largest economy with the largest population of the unemployed; the largest economy with the largest population of citizens living in darkness, and the largest economy with the worst infrastructure.”

The APC said there was too much poverty in the country, adding that the economic growth which the government had been trumpeting was not a result of deliberate policies.

It stated that government policies were expected to result in reduction in unemployment, increase in capacity utilisation by manufacturers and access to basic needs of life.

The APC said the government carried its joke too far by giving the impression that the emergence of the Nigerian economy as the largest in Africa was a function of the economic policies under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

It stated that it was a function of “re-jigging of figures calibrated to fool an unsuspecting public.”

The party said the government must begin to realise that it had fooled no one by rebasing the GDP and claiming that the Nigerian economy was Africa’s largest.

It noted that the government had succeeded, at least temporarily, in diverting attention from the worsening insecurity and the hopeless power situation in the land.

The  statement read in part, ‘’The reactions of the economists  and the business community within Nigeria as well as at the World Bank level to the rebasing hubbub have taken the sail out of the government’s wind and dampened its undue ecstasy over what is nothing but window dressing.

“For example, the business community has noted that while Nigeria, with the rebased GDP, is now ranked number 26 with regard to the size of the economy in 2013, it is ranked 147 in the Ease of Doing Business Report of the World Bank, out of the 189 countries profiled.

“Even Sierra Leone and Liberia had better ranking. In the same vein, our ranking in the UNDP Human Development Index is 153 out of 210 countries. There is no better illustration of the disconnect between growth and development; between growth and quality of investment climate.”

The APC said the World Bank had made it clear that the living standards of the citizenry and the productivity level of companies were the key issues.

The party stated that investors in London, New York, Beijing or Tokyo were not necessarily looking at the GDP statistics, but how profitable their investments would be in a country.

It said, “President Jonathan and his shadow-chasing economic team should therefore quit wallowing in unnecessary chest-beating over the re-jigging of figures and the play on statistics and put their shoulders to the wheel to push our nation forward.”

But the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, in a statement in Abuja, said that Jonathan’s transformation agenda had returned Nigeria to the path of economic growth.

Maku, according to a statement by his Press Secretary, Mr. Joseph Mutah, made the remark when members of the Youth Solidarity Forum, Nasarawa State visited him in Abuja.

He said through the economic expansion, youth unemployment and under-development would be surmounted.

“In spite of all these crises, the President has managed to raise the Nigerian economy to be the number one in Africa, and in the world, we have moved from number 37 to number 26,” the minister boasted.

According to him, if Jonathan continues as the President, Nigeria is likely to be among the first 20 largest economies in 2020.

Maku said although the President had not declared interest in the 2015 presidential election, the successes witnessed under his leadership, were enough motivation for youths to support him.

He said, “This President is different.  He wants this country to move. He wants development to occur and he is making progress; so I am appealing to you, please work hard to ensure that the President gets elected in 2015.

“He hasn’t said so. He has not come out to say I am contesting but we know that he is qualified to contest.  We know that he is working for this nation more than any President in recent times.

“With everything that has happened so far in this country, I have no doubt that if the President can move Nigeria so fast in four years and made her the largest economy in Africa even in the midst of crisis imposed on him, then that President is the one that will carry this country to the next level and he is already doing so.”

Speaking earlier, the leader of the Youth Solidarity Forum, Rebecca Sunday, decried the current level of insecurity in Nasarawa State.

But the Presidency dismissed the APC comments, saying the party had become a global irritant with the manner at which it played politics with everything.

The Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, regretted that rather than  commending the government for rebasing the GDP after many years of lull, it was only interested in criticising it.

“For many years, the rebasing of the GDP has not been done in this country. This administration has just done that and instead for them to come and aid the government, they are playing politics as usual. APC is a global irritant,” it said.

Pregnant woman, daughter, three others die of electrocution

Tragedy struck in the early hours of Thursday after a live wire electrocuted a pregnant woman, identified only as Mrs. Ameh, and her three-year-old daughter in front of their home on Onabanjo Street in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that another woman, identified as Iya Fatimah, her daughter and one boy, identified only as Basheet, were also electrocuted, bringing the total mortality figure to five.

Two vehicles were burnt beyond recognition in the incident that claimed the five lives.

Our correspondent, who visited the area, learnt that the incident occurred around 2am when it was raining.

An eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said about three other persons were also injured.

He said, “Around 2am, I was by the balcony of my house when I saw a wire spark. The wire then fell on some wood and caught fire. The fire spread to the tyre of a Toyota car.

“The Toyota car had some jerry cans of petrol inside it and when the fire got to it, the vehicle exploded in front of house number six.

“Some of the occupants of the house, who were trying to run for their lives, passed the back of the house and came out through the front of house number eight.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that as the victims were running away, they mistakenly stepped on parts of the wire and were electrocuted.

The eyewitness said, “The pregnant woman (Mrs Ameh) and her daughter were electrocuted by the wire. However, I quickly pulled away Jonathan, their son, and he survived.

“Three other residents, Basheet, Iya Fatimah and her daughter were also electrocuted.”

It was learnt that about an hour later, electricity officials disconnected power from the affected lines.

Residents told PUNCH Metro that by the time rescue officials arrived, rescue efforts had been concluded.

A landlord on the street, Audu Owosho, attributed the extent of the damage to the petrol in the car. He said the street had become notorious for illegal sale of petrol.

He said, “Unscrupulous elements have turned this area to a depot of sorts. We have been warning them to desist from selling petrol here, but they have refused.

“We reported them to policemen at Oworonshoki Police Station, but they refused to do anything about it. If those selling fuel had been arrested, this calamity would have been averted.”

The councillor in charge of Ward B, which the area falls under, blamed the Power Holding Company of Nigeria for the incident.

The councillor, Olayinka Awotubo, said there was a need for the electricity firm that recently bought over PHCN to carry out mass repairs.

 “We learnt that the high tension wires had been showing signs of wear and tear in recent times. Since PHCN was acquired, the new company has not carried out massive repairs on the equipment. I think more should be done as regards maintenance,” he said.

Another tragedy was averted when news filtered that the pregnant woman’s husband, who was inconsolable, had eaten poison.

Our correspondent observed that the 45-year-old man, Matthew Ameh, was rushed to Afolabi Hospital.

Matthew’s friend, Harrison, told our correspondent that Matthew was seen rolling on the floor clutching his stomach.

When our correspondent visited the hospital, Matthew was unconscious. The doctor in charge of the hospital, James Afolabi, told our correspondent that it was too soon to call it a case of poisoning.

Afolabi said, “It could have been shock, it is too soon to call it a case of poisoning. As I was told, the man just lost his pregnant wife and daughter.

“When he wakes up and when we have conducted necessary tests, we will know what happened.”

The General Secretary, Council of Oworonsoki Youth Forum, Babajide Kabiawu, told our correspondent that the corpses had been conveyed to Mainland Hospital, Yaba.

2015: Stay away from Niger Delta, APC tells Jonathan

THE All Progressives Congress has asked President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to stay away from the Niger Delta region ahead of the 2015 general elections.

The APC stated that the President and the PDP had no moral right to campaign for re-election in the Niger Delta due to their alleged neglect of the region.

Rivers State Interim Chairman of the party, Dr. Ikanya Davies, said in a statement on Thursday that the President should avoid campaigning in the oil-rich region since his kinsmen had rejected him for disappointing them.

The statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the state APC chairman, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, recalled that the former Bayelsa Governor, Mr. Timipreye Sylva, had declared that the majority of Bayelsa people were not happy with Jonathan and wanted a change.

According to the statement, “Even though they lack shame, President Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party should for once respect themselves and stay away from the Niger Delta since even his kinsmen in Bayelsa State have rejected him for disappointing them.

“This fact was made clear by the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, who during his solidarity visit to Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, declared that most Bayelsa people were frustrated with the Jonathan administration and wanted change even though the President is from the state.

“As Chief Sylva rightly said, Jonathan’s Presidency has brought nothing but shame and opened cracks in the unity of the people of the South-South geo-political zone.

“Jonathan’s occupation of the Aso Presidential Villa has proved to be a curse rather than a blessing to the Niger Delta. The situation is so bad that the Jonathan Presidency has failed to reconstruct the East-West road, which links the South-South with the South-Western parts of the country.

“Certainly, President Jonathan and the PDP have lost every moral right to come and ask the people of the Niger Delta for their votes in 2015 considering the wickedness they have exhibited towards the people of the region.”

Commending Sylva for having the courage to speak the truth despite his blood relationship with President Jonathan, the state APC chair expressed the readiness of the party to work with him and other progressives in Bayelsa to unseat the ruling party.

Reacting, the State PDP Secretary, Chief Walter Ibibia, explained that contrary to the position of the APC, President Jonathan and the PDP had done well for the people of Niger Delta and Nigeria in general.

Ibibia explained that apart from achieving 70 per cent completion of the East-West Road, President Jonathan’s administration had achieved aviation rejuvenation and power stability.

Abuja jailbreak: SSS detains engineer for posting pictures

A Thirty-two-year-old engineer, Isiaka Yusuf, is reportedly being held by the State Security Service for posting pictures of the March 30 jailbreak by some detainees suspected to be members of the Boko Haram on Twitter.

Investigations by iPUNCH on Thursday showed that Isiaka — an employee of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company attached to the Aso Villa substation — was picked up from his office by SSS operatives on March 30, a few hours after the incident.

The Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was allegedly busy at work while the security breach lasted.

He had posted six live pictures on his Twitter page, showing how SSS officials and soldiers battled to regain control of the secret service’s headquarters, located behind the Villa, from the detainees.

Further checks by iPUNCH on his Twitter page revealed that Isiaka’s last known public communication on the social network was the pictures and the accompanying tweets he posted in connection with the jailbreak on March 30.

In a telephone interview with iPUNCH, Isiaka’s immediate younger brother, Sanusi, said he last heard from his brother on March 30, adding that the latter’s telephone had since been switched off.

Sanusi explained that a close friend of Isiaka in Abuja, who has been leading the search for his whereabouts, was informed by a senior management staff of the AEDC at the Asokoro substation that his brother had been arrested by the SSS.

Speaking in an emotion-laden voice, Sanusi said, “I last spoke with my elder brother on March 30 when the SSS jail break incident occurred. As I speak with you, Isiaka’s Toyota Camry saloon car is still on the premises of the Aso Villa substation, where he parked it on March 30.

“When has it become a crime in Nigeria to post pictures on Twitter? Did he give any wrong information to the public with his Twitter post? Was it not what happened that he posted?  Why are we treating fellow Nigerians this way?

“This is unfair. It is not as if my brother sneaked into the place to take pictures; he works in the environment.”

Lamenting that his family has been thrown into confusion over the “continued illegal detention” of his brother for 11 days, Sanusi explained that their mother slipped into a coma as soon as she learnt of Isiaka’s detention.

He said, “Is it not wrong for the SSS to detain someone for 11 days without informing any members of his family? When the news got to our mum on the same night, she passed out. Now she is lying unconscious in a hospital in Okenne, Kogi State.

“The SSS should release my brother. He has suffered enough in detention. The whole family is in pain. Though I’m not against taking him away for questioning, doing so without due regard to his constitutional rights is wrong.”

While calling on well meaning Nigerians, human rights and civil society groups to intervene in the matter and ensure the prompt release of his brother, Sanusi challenged the SSS to press charges against his brother if they were sure he had committed a crime instead of keeping him in detention.

“If they want to caution him, let them do so. If they are taking him to court, they should tell us the offences he has committed. It is unfair to detain him without charges. I have been having sleepless nights over this matter. I don’t know who to turn to for help. Do I know if he has been poisoned or facing torture? They should release him and save our mother from untimely death,” he said.

Meanwhile, an outrage has greeted Isiaka’s detention by the SSS, just as a Lagos-based lawyer, Ayo Sogunro, has started an online campaign for his freedom.

Leading the campaign for Isiaka’s release, a former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, asked the SSS to act wisely so as not to worsen the situation.

She lauded Isiaka’s actions as a “model of citizen’s adoption of social media” to inform the public, saying that “what can never be acceptable to citizens in our democracy is an attempt at strangulating citizens’ voice and their democratic rights.”

When contacted on the telephone, the SSS Assistant Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Oga, said, “I do not even know who you are talking about. I picked your call because I thought it was someone in distress.”

When pressed further, she declined giving any other comments, saying this correspondent is not accredited to speak with the SSS.

Also, subsequent calls by one of our correspondents in Abuja to reach her on the matter proved abortive, as her phone rang out. A text message sent to her was also not replied to as at press time.

2015: Insecurity, govs plea and INEC's challenge in North-East

The plea by the governors in the North-East, whose states are under emergency rule, that the Independent National Electoral Commission should take its cue from war-ravaged Afghanistan to conduct elections in their states in 2015, seems to have thrown up a new challenge to the electoral umpire, writes JOHN ALECHENU

The government and people of war-ravaged Afghanistan won international acclaim for the successful conduct of an election amid threats and intimidation by a recalcitrant terrorist group, the Taliban.

Afghans, more than everyone else, know first hand what the alternative could mean. They had been subjected to the whims of religious extremists, who forced their way to power and unleashed a system of government better imagined than experienced. This, perhaps, was the reason behind the decision by many Afghans to step out of the comfort of their homes at great personal risk, to perform their civic duty when an opportunity presented itself.

Some members of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the All Progressives Party, see the success of the Afghan elections as a vindication of their position that fears that elections cannot hold in some states because of the Boko Haram insurgency are unfounded. They have always held the view that elections can hold in states under emergency rule.

0pposition members had raised objections to a pronouncement by the National Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, that the election management body might not hold elections in states considered to be violence prone.

He had, at a stakeholders meeting, argued that the INEC could not hold elections in states under emergency rule.

Jega further explained that if the commission insisted on conducting elections in such insecure places, not only would the elections not be free and fair, they would also be disrupted.

He said, “You can’t conduct elections under emergency rule because of generalised insecurity. And if there’s insecurity, how can you conduct elections?

“If you hold elections, the situation is that you can’t have free and fair elections under emergency rule. Otherwise, you’ll be going through the rituals – either the elections will be disrupted or people will not come out to vote. Ideally, elections can’t hold under emergency rule.”

Emboldened by the example set by the people of Afghanistan, Governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe and Kashim Shettima of Borno, whose states are currently under emergency rule, urged INEC to take a cue from its counterpart in that country.

The governors gave the advice in a joint statement signed by their spokesmen.

They argued that by going ahead with the polls despite visible threats by insurgents, the people of Afghanistan liberated themselves from the scourge of fear.

This, they added, sent a strong signal to not only the insurgents but also the rest of the world that no amount of threat would prevent them from performing their civic duties.

The statement partly read, “Our Independent National Electoral Commission should please learn from the landmark election that took place in Afghanistan, during which election officials took the bold step of going on to conduct elections in spite of threats by the Taliban to send the country into extinction if the elections were held.

“The Central Government in Afghanistan provided adequate security for the conduct of the polls. It was also reported that there was a 53 per cent voters’ turnout during the elections and it went on peacefully in most places.”

While admitting that insurgency, which has become more pronounced in the three states, has a similar attribute to the Taliban doctrine in Afghanistan, the advised INEC to work with the relevant agencies of government to ensure that no part of the country is excluded from the 2015 elections on account of threats.

They argued that suspending elections on account of threats by insurgents and other sundry social miscreants would amount to succumbing to their doctrine and conceding victory on the part of Nigeria.

The three governors also expressed the opinion that it would even be more damning for Nigeria’s democratic credentials should INEC go ahead to exclude Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states from the 2015 elections.

They posited that all criminal gangs needed to do was to extend the attacks to other parts of Nigeria and have more places excluded from future elections.

While admitting that no election was worth the loss of any human life, the governors are of the view that denying a people the right to choose a leader at any level based on real or imagined threats by criminal gangs, would amount to succumbing to the wishes of such gangs.

They reiterated that it was also the inalienable right of citizens to elect their leaders in a democracy. To that extent, it also becomes an important obligation of the Federal Government to protect all citizens while they do so.

A delegate to the ongoing national conference, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, agrees. He, however, said an election was not an end in itself but a means to an end. According to him, the way elected public officials in Nigeria conduct themselves, especially during elections leaves so much to be desired.

He said, “We have had a very poor record of elections in this country in recent history.

“The 2003 elections were rigged, the 2007 elections were massively rigged and the 2011 elections were even worse. We appear to be progressing in the wrong direction with each succeeding election becoming worse than the previous one.”

Junaid believes that this challenge notwithstanding, the right of individual citizens to participate in the process, which will culminate in the choice of who should govern them and how they should be governed, is non-negotiable.

He explained that the social contract entered into by individuals, who come together to form society, requires individuals to surrender privileges which manifests in the powers exercised on their behalf by individuals elected to do so; be it at the executive, legislative or the level of the judiciary.

He explained that the right of individuals to choose people to exercise such powers on their behalf is the reason for the existence of all human societies. This, he further argued, made any attempt to truncate the process a criminal offence.

The APC previously claimed that it uncovered a plot by the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government, to create an enabling environment to deploy “Special Forces” to suppress votes in opposition strongholds.

The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the plan was to single out the North-West and the North-East for this treatment.

He also alleged that these areas were picked because of what the Presidency termed the “voting demographics” in the zones in 2011.

The APC spokesperson said, “The North-West had 18,900,543 registered voters in 2011 while the North-East had 10,038,119. By contrast, the President’s ‘safe support base’ of South-South and South-East had 8,937,057 and 7,028,560 respectively; the total of which was less than that of the North-West alone!

“The PDP/Presidency therefore believes that unless the votes in these two zones are suppressed and those of the South-West (14,298,356) stifled one way or the other, the chances of the President winning re-election are very slim.”

In response, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Ibrahim Jalo, dismissed APC’s claims as part of a smear campaign by the opposition.

Jalo said, “2015 is in the hands of God and only Him knows what will happen then. However, let me say that both the President and the PDP are only interested in the provision of good amenities for the good people of Nigeria.

“APC is not interested in testing its popularity and even two years before the general election, it has started crying wolf where there is none. It is a losing party.

“The APC has lost confidence in itself and that is why it is crying now even when it has not been beaten. It should wait till 2015 when it will know that its popularity is on the pages of newspapers.

“Mr. President is a patriot, who loves every part of this great country equally. He does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of tribe or religion; there is no way he will support or encourage anything that would destabilise any part of this country.

“He has demonstrated this time and time again with his resolve and commitment to restore peace, law and order in troubled areas especially in the north-East.”

ICPC nabs nine for operating parallel office

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has nabbed nine suspects for allegedly running a fake office of the commission in Ibadan.

This is contained in a statement by ICPC spokesman, Mr. Folu Olamiti, on Thursday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

It said the suspects were arrested following a raid carried out by the commission’s operatives at the alleged parallel office.

The statement said the office was located at Abonde Road, opposite Elekuro High School, Akanran Road, Olorunshogo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

It added that the suspects were being interrogated at the ICPC Ibadan office.

The statement read, “The nefarious activities of the impersonators came to light when a female petitioner blew the whistle on their operations. The petitioner alleged that the suspects were in the habit of collecting N2,000 before treating complaints from their victims.”

The statement said the suspects were arrested in the act, adding that the alleged office had been in operation since 2012.

It said some items, including one bullet proof vest, 10 wooden guns, 58 case files, one photocopy of ICPC Act, attendance register and weekly duty register, were recovered from the office.

NSCDC raids stolen fuel distribution centre, arrests three

The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested three suspected pipeline vandals and also discovered a distribution centre for stolen fuel in the state.

The suspects, including a woman, were said to have been arrested in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The state NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Mr Kareem Olanrewaju, said the suspects were found in possession of large volume of petroleum products in kegs, drums and  water-pots in the suspects’ residential apartment at Lukosi Village in Ogijo,Ogun State.

He said, “The three suspects – Rahmon Yusuf,37; Nwoke Chi, 34;  and the female,  Sekinat Yusuf,32, were living in the house. The place serves as a distribution centre where petrol, diesel and other vandalised petroleum products are received, stored and supplied to their customers at cheap prices.”

Olanrewaju explained that the NSCDC anti-vandal team had been on the trail of the suspects since December 2013.

“Our effort paid off yesterday (Wednesday) when we were able to trap the suspects and recover a number of exhibits,” the PRO added.

Kareem said the state Commandant, Aboluwoye Akinwande, had ordered a  comprehensive investigation into the case.

He said, “The fact that the location of their residence where a large volume of petroleum products were found, is very close to NNPC depot at Mosinmi, and the alleged vandals claimed to be working with some security operatives and NNPC officials should not be swept under the carpet.”

He added that the exhibits recovered from suspects were 1,645 litres of petrol, one long hose, two short hoses, two phones and N75,000.

The female suspect said the gang’s customers were people who use the products to power generators, motorcycle riders and motorists. She said their product was cheap and readily available.

In his own statement to the NSCDC, Rahmon Yusuf, said regular supply of the products had been guaranteed by their collaborators.

He said, “Our collaborators are members of a security agency, who sometime connive with some officials of the NNPC. I have been in the business for a long time.”

Boat accident: Family says Isaac divorced first wife

The Akere family has said Isaac Akere, who died in the Ikorodu boat accident along with his fiancee, Foluke, few days to their wedding, was separated from his first wife, Feyi.

The family said Isaac, prior to his death in the ill-fated boat, had instituted a divorce suit against Feyi.

PUNCH Metro had reported that Isaac and his fiancée, Foluke, were among the people that died after a commercial boat belonging to Bell Marine Services, capsized on the Majidun River.

There has, however, been controversy over Isaac’s proposed marriage to Foluke, after 36-year-old Feyi came out to say she was the legal wife of the deceased.

A report of PUNCH Metro on Wednesday had shown the marriage certificate of late Isaac and Feyi, dated 2006, and their engagement picture.

However, in a swift reaction, the family said Feyi’s marriage to Isaac had been dissolved.

Lawyer to the family, Bamidele Olayemi, showed our correspondent a court document dated April 21, 2011, which was allegedly authored by Isaac seeking dissolution of the marriage and custody of the two children the marriage produced- Ibukun Akere (nine years) and Ifeoluwa Akere (seven years).

Olayemi said, “There was a sharp disagreement between them when they were still together and as a result of that, Mrs. Feyisayo Akere decided to leave her matrimonial home. She had two girls. She left them behind.

“Her husband, who was a career man, was forced to institute an action at the High Court of Justice, Ogun State, Sagamu Division, seeking an order of divorce and termination of the marriage. This is in suit no. HCS/61/2011.

“A decree nissi, separating them was granted in 2011. The law states that after three years, such an order becomes permanent; meaning it can no longer be changed or appealed.”

“I advise Feyi to know she is no longer legally married to Mr. Isaac Akere and all the falsehood she has been spreading should stop. I expect her as someone who has lost her ex-husband in such a terrible accident to be sober,” he added.

However, Feyi insisted she was legally married to Isaac and was not aware of any divorce suit.

She said, “This problem started when my husband impregnated this woman in question. He rented an apartment at David Crescent in Ikorodu where he started living with her.

“I am not aware of any divorce papers. Can I be divorced without being informed? Let their lawyer talk to my lawyer.

“All I want is to have my children back. I have not seen them or talked to them since this incident happened. I never abandoned my children.

“Before Isaac died, we were already communicating. He had been begging me to forgive him. We were already developing rapport again. None of these people know anything about him.”

Her lawyer, Mr. Debo Olufeko, also dismissed the divorce as non-existent, challenging the Akere family to produce the court papers that sanctioned it.

Ghana urges restraint over death of Nigerian student

The Ghanaian Consulate General in Lagos Mr. Abdulai Abukari, has called for peace as investigations continue into the death of Godwin Anyogu, a Nigerian student who was murdered in Ghana last month.

This appeal was contained in a statement sent by the embassy to the Path of Peace Initiatives, a nongovernmental organisation, in Lagos.

The NGO had last month staged a protest at the Ghana Embassy in Lagos. Godwin’s family and other civil rights activists, who were present at the protest, had condemned the attitude of the Ghanaian authorities in handling the case.

Prior to his death, 19-year-old Godwin was a 300 level student of Economics at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Godwin was allegedly killed by yet-to-be identified friends for attempting to collect $5300 loan which he gave them.

A copy of the statement made available to PUNCH Metro and signed by the Consul-General read, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of the Republic of Ghana, in collaboration with the competent Ghanaian authorities have taken the necessary measures to unravel the circumstances surrounding Godwin’s death.

“Ghana is committed to maintaining the existing excellent relations with Nigeria and wishes to assure our Nigerian brothers and sisters, who visit or reside in Ghana, of their guaranteed safety at all times.

“Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of the Republic of Ghana has conveyed through the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, its condolences to the bereaved family and appealed to them to exercise restraint as the investigations continue.”

President of Path of Peace Initiatives, Mr. Dandy Eze, commending the gesture said, “It is good that they have written to us to show their seriousness in investigating this case. However, it is one thing to write a letter and another to make a promise. What we want is concrete action. We just want them to fish out Godwin’s killers. We cannot continue to watch while Nigerians are continually killed outside this country.

“Although the time we gave to arrest Godwin’s killers has elapsed, we still intend to exercise more patience to allow them continue with their investigation. However, if nothing is done, we shall do something more drastic than the peaceful protest which we staged last month.”

Rainstorm kills three,destroys properties in Kwara

No fewer than three people – two children and a young man – drowned in floods following a downpour and rainstorm in  Ilorin, the Kwara  State capital which started about 11pm on Wednesday.

Properties said to worth millions of naira were destroyed. About 25 cars were swept off where they were parked.

The flood also swept off a large amount of soil under the rail track of the  Nigeria Railway Corporation, which cut the road into two and made it impossible for trains to move. A section of the rail track behind Kingdom Heritage Secondary school was also affected.

Consequently, no fewer than 1,000 passengers on a train travelling from Lagos to the northern part of the country were stranded. One of the passengers, Sofi Mufiu, said they had been stranded for over nine hours.

Our correspondent who visited the areas on Thursday observed that relatives of the dead victims were in a mournful mood while other victims that lost their valuables lamented their losses. The worst hit were the Offa Garage and  Asa Dam areas.

Fences of many of the buildings around the areas collapsed, while big trees that had been uprooted by the flood blocked the ever-busy Ajasse-Ipo Road, causing gridlock.

The police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and Road Transport Management Authority ensured security and traffic control.

The two children that died were identified simply as Basirat,5; and Garfa, 3.

They were spending the holiday with their grandmother who lives at the Offa Garage area.

An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the children were inside their grandmother’s residence when the rain started.

He added that when the flood became intense, water started trickling into the house. One of them opened the front door so they could escape from the flood, but they were overpowered by it.

Enraged youths made attempts to attack a hotel owned by Senator Smart Adeyemi. The youths said the construction of the hotel narrowed the water way which caused the flooding.

The youths hurled stones at the property, but the timely arrival of security personnel prevented them from damaging the hotel.

The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, confirmed the death of the two children.

Project Director, Ambico Senderian Nigeria Limited, the company handling the Asa River Channelisation, Mr. Idowu Salawu,  said the downpour had increased the water level of the Asa River.

He added that the river, which runs across the town, was being dredged to reduce incidence of flooding.

The Kwara State Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Abubakar Mora,  who visited the affected areas, said, “We have seen the cause of the flood; it is the blockage of the drainage channels. We will clear them on time so that this tragedy will not happen again,” Mora said.

Pistorius faces third day of cross-examination

Oscar Pistorius is to face a third day of cross-examination at his murder trial, a day after the prosecution tried to portray him as a selfish liar.

On Thursday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the South African athlete had an enthusiasm for firearms.

He also said the Olympic and Paralympic runner was contemptuous of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, 27, admits killing Steenkamp but denies murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder.

He again insisted in court in Pretoria on Thursday that the shooting on February 14 last year was a terrible accident.

Pistorius said he had not intended to pull the trigger, even to fire at an intruder, and could not explain why he fired four shots through a toilet cubicle door.

“I didn’t have time to think about it,” he said in a trembling voice.

Nel, known as the “bull terrier” in South Africa for his fierce questioning, set out what the prosecution believed happened in the early hours of February 14, 2013 in Pistorius’ Pretoria home.

He said the two had an argument in the bedroom, and Steenkamp ran screaming into the toilet.

The chief prosecutor showed a police photograph of the bedroom, taken three hours after the shooting, which he said contradicted Pistorius’ account of where various items – including electric cooling fans and a duvet – had been placed at the time of the shooting.

“Your version is a lie,” Nel said – something the defendant denied.

Nel also suggested Pistorius was only concerned about himself during the couple’s three-month relationship.

“It was all about you, Pistorius,” he said, repeatedly.

The double amputee faces life imprisonment if convicted of murdering the 29-year-old model.

If he is acquitted of murder, the court must consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive up to 15 years in prison.

Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors

US health secretary resigns amid Obamacare row

US Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning following the problematic launch of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, US media report.

The law – regarded by the president’s supporters as one of his main domestic achievements – has been marked by early technical problems and delays.

Sebelius has been health secretary since Obama took office in 2009.

The reports say Obama will nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the current budget director, to replace her.

Sebelius had made the decision to resign herself, the New York Times reported.

The US president had resisted calls for the health secretary to stand down after the websites where people could enrol for health insurance ran into problems last October.

After the rocky start, the White House now points to the more than seven million people who have signed-up for coverage on federal and state-run marketplaces sites created by the Affordable Care Act.

Obama says the programme was “here to stay”.

Republicans see it as inappropriate government intrusion into the healthcare industry. US residents face a tax penalty next year if they do not have some form of health coverage.

The 2010 law is intended to extend health insurance to the roughly 48 million Americans who do not receive it through their employers, the government, or a privately purchased plan.

It also aims to slow the growth in the cost of healthcare and requires private plans to meet a certain level of coverage.

Analysts say Republicans in Congress may use Burwell’s nomination proceedings to focus on criticism of the law ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The law remains controversial among the American public, as some people have seen their insurance costs rise or their old plans cancelled, and others object to having to purchase insurance at all.

Confab: Nigerians in diaspora want special commission

A delegate at the National Conference, Mr George Anibowel, on Thursday canvassed for the establishment of a Diaspora commission to address challenges faced by Nigerians living in foreign countries.

Anibowel, who is based in the US, is representing all Nigerians in the Diaspora at the conference in Abuja.

The delegate made the request while contributing to President Goodluck Jonathan’s speech at the plenary.

“I am here to canvass and advance issues that are very important to some of us in the Diaspora, including the need for a Diaspora commission,” he said.

The delegate also canvassed for true federalism so that states would have the autonomy to govern and control their respective resources.

He said, “I want to align myself with those calling for true federalism and fiscal federalism in Nigeria.

“This is very important because these are issues that go to the very root of our coexistence.

“Although opinions may differ as to what a true federal system is, true federal system is a system where the states, not the regions or zones, will have power to govern their respective states.

“It is only when we do this that we can effectively consolidate our democracy and bring dividends of democracy closer to the people.”

Anibowel, who is a lawyer, argued when the federating states had autonomy to manage their respective resources, leaving the centre with very limited powers, tension, mutual suspicions and distrust among the federating states would be minimised.

He explained that the practice of true federalism would promote unity amongst the people and the unity would translate to changing the country’s name from Nigeria to United States of Nigeria.

Nigeria child bride poisons older husband

A 14-year-old girl in the northern Nigerian state of Kano has confessed to killing the man she was forced to marry, police say.

Wasilu Umar admitted killing her husband, who was more than twice her age, by concealing rat poison in his food, the police in Kano said.

Three other people also died and 10 were taken to hospital apparently after eating the same food.

Child marriage is common in Nigeria, especially in the mainly Muslim north.

The girl’s father had forced her to marry the 35-year-old man, police said.

The marriage took place last week, police superintendent Musa Magaji Majia told the Associated Press news agency.

The BBC’s Will Ross in Nigeria says Islamic police are trying to stop parents from forcing children into marriages against their will and the father could be charged.

The teenager is likely to be tried in a juvenile court.

Senate summons FCT minister, Julius Berger over airport contract

The Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, on Thursday,  summoned the FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, and Messrs Julius Berger Plc over the state of the multi-billion naira Abuja Airport dual-carriageway.

Both parties are expected to appear before the committee immediately after the chamber resumes from the Easter break.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Smart Adeyemi, stated this during a tour of the site in company with other members.

He expressed concern that in spite of the huge contract sum, the drainages were left open, thereby causing fatal accidents on a daily basis.

The contract, categorised into lots I and II, was awarded at the costs of N49bn and N59.2bn, respectively, in 2009.

While Lot I would be delivered in December 2014, Lot II, which according to the Director, Engineering, FCT Administration, Abu Alfa, an engineer, is 99.5 percent completed and would be delivered this month.

Speaking on the open drainages, Alfa said the construction was based on 1991 drawing.

However, Adeyemi noted that though the quality of work on the road was commendable, the contractor must device means of closing the drainages.

He said the interface between the committee and other stakeholders on the road contact would serve to fashion a way forward.

He added that since the contract sum was huge and the contractors made use of free raw materials, they should bear the extra cost of closing the drainage as part of their social corporate responsibilities.

He said, “There is no city in the world where drainages are left opened; even in many states where you have projects, you are not doing open culverts. So, why in the FCT? This constitutes hazard; it is a death trap and we must sit down and talk on the likely solution.

“The total cost of construction is high.  Yet, you extracted granite stone free. You must do something about it. If not, we will use our powers to compel you to do something.  It is very uncivilised.

“If this is the road design given to you, as you said it is 1991 drawing, it is obsolete and must be upgraded.

“I am not condemning the job: It is not bad. They have done a good job, except for the open drainage. The summons will be around the first week of May. Whatever is to be done on the road must be done before completion of project. If not, we will withhold your payment.

“Laterite, granite and water were obtained free. You have not answered our query on these raw materials you took free. If you didn’t pay for granite here, then, you should be able to do so etching about these open culverts.

“We had our reservations about the cost but it is now history,” Adeyemi said.

Also speaking, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, said that there was a lot of appreciation of the work done but noted that there was also a lot of room for improvement.

He said the relevant people who have authority over the design would be met to see what can be done on behalf of the people of the nation.

He said, “Something needs to be done, and urgently too.”

Meanwhile, the senate has commenced the consideration of the report of the Joint Committee on the Federal Capital Territory and Finance on a Bill for an Act to establish the FCT Internal Revenue Board.

The Bill seeks, among other functions, to set up the FCT Internal Revenue Board for the collection and administration of revenue generated within Abuja.

North East people's security more important than elections - Shekarau

A former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, on Thursday urged all stakeholders to thoroughly assess the security situation in the North-East before deciding whether to conduct the 2015 elections in the troubled states in the geo-political zone or not.

He said security of lives was more important than any election.

Shekarau, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party, spoke with State House correspondents shortly after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said, “As a democrat, I always insist that let there be elections to allow people to decide their fate, but this does not necessarily mean we should conduct elections under a volatile situation.

“If there are threats to lives, who are you going to govern, even if you win the election?

So, it is not safe and I don’t see anybody spitting fire on it. The truth is that let the state governors, the Federal Government, and all concerned join hands together and assess the situation.

“What will the Federal Government gain or INEC gain if they don’t conduct elections  in any state? But if it is in the interest of the public, the life and security of the people is far more important than any election that you can think of.”

Shekarau boasted that despite the recent defection of the incumbent Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to the APC, the PDP was still in charge in the state.

He said the next elections would show clearly if the state belonged to the PDP or not.

“Politics is about people and it is an open thing. You don’t play politics in the backyard or in the bedroom. People will see and it is not just getting the crowd but the day we are voting, people will know whether Kano is for the PDP or any other party.

“So, I want to say with all sense of humility that I was in APC and I have moved away with my supporters to the PDP. As for the APC, in Kano, the governor is APC,  his government is APC, there will always be pockets of other parties.

“If you go to Kano, you will discover that every other parties will have its shares. Definitely the PDP is on the grounds, we are in charge in Kano,” he added.

Meanwhile, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State on Thursday urged the Federal Government to investigate the composition of the chemicals used on Tiv farmers by the  herdsmen in the ongoing crisis.

Suswam said this when he received the Senate Joint Committee on National Security, Intelligence, Defence, Police and Interior.

The joint committee was in the state on a fact finding mission on the Tiv/Fulani crisis in Makurdi.

“We need to assure Nigerians and the international community that the chemicals are not weapons of mass destruction and also to know exactly the kind of danger we are likely to face if they are chemical weapons,” he said.

Borno, Yobe elders demand N300bn

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, and two others, have asked the Federal Government to raise N300bn emergency special intervention funds for the reconstruction of Yobe and Borno states.

This, they said, should be at N60bn a year over a period of five years for reconstruction projects.

The two others are Ambassador Baba Kaigama and Ibrahim Bunu, an architect.

 They stated this in the memorandum on the security challenges in the two states  the elders submitted on Thursday to the  National Conference, in Abuja.

The elders accused security agencies of being responsible for some of the atrocities visited on innocent civilians in the North-East.

They recalled how the Boko Haram started its violent activities in 2003.

They also explained how the killing of the Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, had led to “distrust between the public and members of the security agencies who up to now had failed to win the hearts and minds of the people.”

The elders queried the decision by the government to disband the civilian JTF without any alternative plan to secure the cities.

“Both Maiduguri and Damaturu had experienced a rare period of peace before bombs and wanton shootings returned to Maiduguri recently,” they stated.

The writers appealed to Boko Haram members to dialogue with the Federal Government in the interest of all.

While thanking government for its efforts to alleviate the suffering of victims of insurgency, they added that the 600 trucks of grains releases to victims in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa were “nowhere near adequate”.

They urged the government to make proper budgetary allocations to address the effects in the affected states.

They also urged the Federal Government to deploy additional troops to forestall a return by the insurgents after the current government offensive succeeds.

The writers appealed to government “as a matter of urgency, transfer all students of secondary schools and colleges in the affected states to other states.

Corruption: FG summons Zimbabwean envoy over Mugabe's comments

The Federal Government on Thursday summoned the Zimbabwean Head of Chancery, over remarks credited to President Robert Mugabe, which depicted Nigerians as very corrupt people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Zimbabwean Head of Chancery, Stanley Kunjeku, in Abuja to formally lodge a protest.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Martin Uhomoibhi, described Mugabe’s comment as “vitriolic and denigrating on Nigeria and Nigerians.”

“We were very concerned when we read that on the occasion of the 90th birthday of President Mugabe, he took off considerable time to vituperate about Nigeria.

He said Mugabe’s comments reflected “what we consider to be a strong aversion of our country, remarks which we consider denigrating and un-statesmanly on Nigeria and Nigerians in general.”

He was reported to have said Nigerians are corrupt people when he hosted service chiefs on his 90th birthday.

“We want to present the strongest protest in that statement; not only does it not reflect the reality in our country, but to come from a sitting President of a brotherly country is most unkind and very dishonourable,” he said.

Uhomoibhi said the Zimbabwean president’s comment was unfortunate, given the role played by Nigeria in the liberation struggle in southern Africa.

He said Nigeria had always stood by Zimbabwe “shoulder to shoulder’’ since independence and was one of the first countries to congratulate Mugabe on his re-election.

“At the point sanctions were imposed on your country, Nigeria empathised with Zimbabwe,’’ he said.

Later, the permanent secretary told newsmen that Nigeria’s reaction to the comment was not belated, given that it had been in the public domain since March 15.

“In our diplomatic parlance, we do not react the way people would want us to react; we have to verify and articulate our position,’’ he said.

In his response, Kunjeku said Nigeria’s protest would be forwarded to Harare.

Meanwhile, Uhomoibhi has condemned the reported attacks on Nigerians in South Africa last week.

“We condemn in strong terms, any acts of racism, xenophobia and discrimination perpetrated by whomsoever, including that particular country.

“We are appalled that these incidents occur from a country that we hold in highest esteem and which is a brotherly country to Nigeria.

We hope that due processes would be taken so that this does not happen (again).’’

The permanent secretary also called on the South African Government to take appropriate actions against those responsible for the attacks.

He urged South Africa to abide by its commitment to international standards of behaviour and cordial relations between both countries.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that on April 2 and 3, some Nigerians were hospitalised in Pretoria after attacks by organised gangs in South Africa.

Also, no fewer than 25 shops owned by Nigerians in Johannesburg and Pretoria were looted by the South African gangs.