Saturday, June 06, 2015

Church camps 900 Boko Haram victims in Edo



An Internally Displaced Persons camp with over 900 victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country has been uncovered in Edo‎ State.

It was gathered that most of the IDPs in the camp, located in a remote community in Edo South senatorial district of the state, were children between the ages of four months and 20 years.
It was ‎learnt that the camp, which originally serves as a centre for the needy and founded by the International Christian Centre for Mission, had provided food and shelter for the IDPs since 2013.

The camp covers a large expanse of land and has several blocks of rooms and halls, most of which were made of wood, serving as classrooms and bedrooms for the displaced persons.
It was gathered that the refugees included men, women and children whose families were killed and homes burnt by the insurgents.

The ‎camp, it was also learnt, depends on a generator to provide its own electricity and water.
When our correspondent visited the camp on Friday, most of the children seen receiving lessons from the makeshift classrooms, while some the them, who had been infected with chicken pox, were quarantined according to gender.

Some of the victims, who recounted their ordeal, said they lost all they had to the insurgents, who also attacked them in caves where they had initially sought refuge.
‎One them, Tani Philemon, stated that she had been abducted by the insurgent from her home, in Gwoza Local Government Area of Bornu State, but escaped miraculously after several day of fasting.

She said, “Boko Haram attacked us in our village and we ran to the mountains. But they followed us and killed some people, including my husband. At the mountain, there was no food; we were just eating leaves.
“I search for my dead husband and buried him by just putting some sand on his corpse.‎ After two days at the mountain, they (Boko Haram) came and abducted me and my children and took us to Gwoza where we spent about three weeks.

“After three days, we fasted and prayed. Suddenly, God made them (insurgents) fall asleep and we managed to escape by climbing a wall; we ran to Cameroon. We spent three days without food and water
“But God sent some people to us who took us to Yola (Adamawa State) and when we got there, we heard of a man of God who helps people in need. He was the one who paid for our transportation to this place (camp).‎”

‎The Overseer of the ICC, Solomon Folorunsho, told journalists, during a visit to the camp, that the IDPs were brought to the facility from Borno and Adamawa states, through Jos, the Plateau State capital.
‎Folorunsho said the displaced persons depended on donations from faith-based organisations, institutions and individuals.

#uclfinal #fcb Barcelona 3-1 Juventus UEFA Champions League final score: Neymar and Luis Suarez goals win Luis Enrique the treble

21.50

Andres Iniesta is the man of the match. He will covet the Lance Todd trophy which is the king of all MOTM awards. But he can't have it.

Full time

In 36 games together this year, the season of Barcelona's second treble, Messi, Suarez and Neymar have scored 87 goals.
What an enjoyable, absorbing match.
Barcelona have won their fifth European Cup in 23 years, their fourth Champions League in nine years. They have joined Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the quintuple stakes. They deserved it but Juve had them rocking and played very well, particularly in midfield. But the movement and passing, long and short, picked Juve off.
GoalGOAL!! Juventus 1-3 Barcelona (Neymar) And with the last kick of the game Neymar arrows an arcing shot past a hopelessly outnumbered but classily courageous Buffon. The keeper had taken the free-kick and then had to race back as Barca beat him with quick interchanges from Messi to Pedro to Neymar on the left of the box and he lashed home the proverbial cherry on the cake.

90+4 min

Suarez took so long to depart that there will be more time. Alves then handballs to waste more time. Juve free-kick on halfway. Buffon takes and is caught upfield when its headed clear.

90+4 min

Barca are kiiling it in the way they usually do, holding the ball high and inviting the foul, staying down awhile when they buy the free-kick. Suarez leaves to be replaced for the last knockings by Pedro. It's another farewell performance, then.

90+2 min

Long ball up from Lichtsteiner diagonally to the inside-left channel where Pogba runs around it to sell a dummy that allows Tevez space to shoot from 22 yards which he does but curls a comfortable shot into Ter Stegen's solar plexus.

90+1 min

Mathieu enters. Rakitic exits.

90 min

With Rakitic back Barca just about defend the corner and then win the second phase with a fine block tackle from Alba. There will be five minutes of injury time.

88 min

Coman for Evra as Juve go 3-3-4. And immediately Marchisio shoots low from 30 yards and Ter Stegen has to push it round his left post.

86 min

Extraordinary stretching from Suarez straight out of the Ministry for Silly Walks but he is all right. But they've started to look shaky at the back again as Evra opens them up down the left and passes to Llorente who shields it and rolls it just beyond Pogba's optimum reach and he can only stab a shot at Ter Stegen.

84 min

Juve throw on Llorente for Morata who has played very well. Suarez, after a tussle with Bonucci, goes down clutching his knee which seemed to be twisted when he planted his foot awkwardly.

83 min

Barca are playing for time with the referee but this past few minutes they ahve had no need to, using Juve's lack of minutes to exploit any gaps.

81 min

What a miss from Pique from a corner sent to the D that is cushion-volleyed over the top by Rakitic for the centre-back to Van Basten it in. He doesn't.
John McEnerney writes
E-mailCometh the hour cometh King Xavi! Fairytale script & all that. One of the all time greats!

79 min

Roberto Pereyra replaces Vidal seconds after Pogba wastes a header. Here's Suarez's goal.

77 min

Messi takes it and balloons his shot over. As he turns to walk back, up goes the number board and Xavi comes on to a raucous ovation for Andres Iniesta.

75 min

A breather at last for a beleaguered MBMer but then Ter Stegen almost gives Juve an equaliser when he dives headlong and punches a Pirlo corner on to the bar and over for another. Pirlo tests him out again but Pique is on to it and Barca break up the left and are only halted by a trip that Barca characteristically make the most of. Time is taken as is a free-kick, 22 yards out, five metres to the left of centre.

71 min

It's all go - first Suarez is booked for leaving a foot in on Bonucci then Neymar has a goal chalked off for a header that he glances on to his hand which knocks it past Buffon. The hitherto superfluous behind-goal official agrees with Juventus and the goal isn't allowed. Neymar almost loses it when he realises what's happened, wagging his finger like a demented Toni Basil.
GoalGOAL!! Juventus 1-2 Barcelona (Suarez) Barely a minute after Juve have a penalty appeal turned down when Pogba is forced to the ground with an arm wrapped round his neck, Iniesta and Alba work to release Messi up the left from where he skitters into the box and rasps a low shot across Buffon who blocks to the right of the area. Rakitic or Suarez are straight on to it, the latter winning the race to hook it in by the post.

67 min

Here's the Morata goal.

65 min

This is as absorbing a game as you could wish for. And damn open now, too. Pirlo plays a sumptuous pass from centre to left for Evra's run. He centres and it's Pirlo who stops the counter with a sharp tackle forty yards out when Evra's ball is blocked.

63 min

That came moments after Iniesta almost played Messi in in the box and is followed by Pogba screwing a low shot straight into Ter Stegen's arms after Evra went bombing down the left and scared the no doubt fancy pants off Alves

61 min

What a chance! Tevez on the edge of the box after Vidal opened up Barcelona on the left. Morata teed up the pass to the edge of the box but Tevez got under it and scooped it over.

59 min

Juve win a free-kick down the right. Pirlo, whose influence is growing, chips it into the area, where Morata heads over from the penalty spot. Juve are jabbing away like crazy here.
GoalGOAL!! Juventus 1-1 Barcelona (Morata) Tremendous move, made by Marchisio's backheel to diddle Alba on the right then sent in a cross just behind Tevez who turned just in the nick and stretch his leg to the extent of his hip-flexor limits to rifle a shot low at Ter Stegen from 12 yards. The keeper dropped to his left to save but couldn't smother it and served it straight to Morata to drive into an open goal.

53 min

Mascherano who was the weak link at the back in the first half has Jordi Alba helping him out this half. Morata beat the Argentine but back came Alba to whip the ball away.

51 min

Marvellous move from the front three with Messi peeling in from the right with the ball on his left foot. He shuttles a pass to Neymar 18 yards out, back to goal who walls it back to him as does Suarez. Two one-two's in succession. When he gets teh ball back 20 yards out on the left of centre, though, he fizzes his shot a yard over the bar.

49 min

Juve pour men into the box for the corner, lose the header and Barca break like the wind, five v three and tear up the left. Juve can't keep pace but Suarez's speed, given his hip problem, is the least dangerous which gives them a chance but they still need Buffon to dig them out of danger with a low save to his right from Suarez's scud.

47 min

Fine link-up play from Morata who made some space for Tevez with a crafty shove and then his partner wins the free-kick for a clip on his heels. It's 35 yards out and crossed in by Pirlo but pique meets it and twists his neck to head out for a corner.

46 min

Barca throw in on the right from the kick off and they shift it to the left, 40 yards out where Neymar tries to curl in a throughball for Suarez's run but its easily blocked by Bonucci.

20.45

After that word from our sponsors, I'm back, with heat that would singe the devil. Juve are still in this. They might think it's over ...

20.42

It could be worse for Juventus, of course. Their old-timer Gianluigi Buffonhas made a couple of fine saves - including a jaw-dropper from Dani Alves - so it probably won't surprise you that he made our top 20 goalkeepers in world football a little while ago. See who joins him here.

20.37

While the players eat whatever the modern equivalent of oranges is, here are some half-time talking points. It seems social media has decided that Alex Song - currently entertaining the viewing millions on ITV - isn't a very good pundit. Read all about it right here

20.37

Barca look pretty happy with themselves. And understandably...

Half-time

The half ends with Messi as advanced as we've seen him, sashaying through the box on the right. Evra and Bonucci are not mugs enough to fly in though and with diligent jockeying and disciplined positioning they force him out of space to concede a goalkick. The ref's whistle for that is succeeded with the triple peep that ushers them off the park.

43 min

I doubted Souness too about his scepticism over Buffon. But the great goalkeeper fluffs a clearance, read by Neymar, who gives Suarez the most difficult of chances. knocking it behind him and leaving him with the only option of bicycle kicking it in.

41 min

Perhaps he isn't labouring as much as I thought as he has a pair of shots, the first when he drops deep enough into the inside-right channel to perplex Bonucci who doesn't want to leave a gap behind him but Suarez screws itjust wide. Then he smacks a snap-shot purler against the bar via Buffon's fingertip. The corner comes to naught but Juve's counter breaks down rapidly so Pogba has to do the 'professional' thing on Messi.

38 min

Suarez is labouring not that Mascherano takes that into account with a 40-yard pass in the mixer over the heads of Pirlo and Bonucci but not Barzagli.

37 min

Juve have the vex over a possible foul on the edge of the box when Alba gets his foot across Pogba but he got the ball. But the pressure is building, largely through Juve's use of their extra man in midfield.

36 min

Here's a shot of Buffon's fine save.

31 min

Barca sweep it from right to left through Messi and Busquets to Neymar. He pauses then releases Alba on the overlap but his cross is blocked by Barzagli. Juve have tightened up considerably, giving Lichtsteiner the support he wasn't getting earlier. They're also cramping Dani Alves' ability to get out of his half.

30 min

And two conceded as per Damian's email below when Evra squeezes out Rakitic and then Bonucci bumps Suarez over.
Damian Durrant writes
E-mailRob based on the fouls given so far it seems if a defender touches anyone and that person falls to the ground a foul will be given. Truly on our way to no touch no tackle football ? Barcelona being well defended by the refereeing.

28 min

The Barcelona Hymn rings out as they make progress up the right. There's a view that Messi is playing so deep because he recalls the 2008 semi when Evra kept him quiet. I think he might also recall the 2009 and 2011 finals.

26 min

Excellent tenacity from Morata on the right, cutting in and refusing to allow a ball that is skipping away from him go, stretching and prodding it 25 yards out to Marchisio who belts a rising shot over the bar.

24 min

Juventus have had a couple of good moves from Tevez and now Morata curls a left-foot shot from the right of the D wide. It's bitty but they're slowly prising a crack open. What they need is a crevasse. Suarez is rubbing his back like Albert Steptoe after he's challenged by Bonucci.

22 min

Now Vidal decides to slap the cheek of Alves after a tackle. This is not going to end well for him.

19 min

Remarkably, though, Juventus are still in it and have twice broken forward very quickly. Mascherano does look shaky. And when Pirlo goes to feet and gets Tevez running at him they have looked dangerous. Pirlo gives it to Pogba who crosses for Tevez and Mascherano has to scramble it out for a corner that Pique clears.

17 min

Rakitic wins a corner on the left which he sweeps to Jordi Alba, who biffs a shot into the box that ends up missing by only a couple of feet.

16 min

Here's a nice view of the goal

15 min

Vidal has done it again, going off his feet and felling Alba. He'll be off in a minute. Lichtsteiner can't cope with Neymar's runs.

12 min

Breathtaking so far and Vidal goes into the book for a slide into Busquets. From the free-kick Suarez gets through on the left and pummels a shot at Barzagli then Messi again opens up a can of beans with his left foot, spinning another 30-yard pass from right to left into Neymar's run. He tries to hit it on a flying volley but succeeds in only centring it where Buffon comes to the rescue with an acrobatic double save, first one-handed from Alves, then to recover, leap up and catch the rebound.

10 min

But Juve break quickly up the right through Marchisio and then Morata with Tevez all over Mascherano, space opens up for Vidal to blast a shot over. Back come Barca at breakneck pace with Neymar approaching the D from where he smashes a shot over the bar. His movement has been superb so far.

8 min

Now he plays one from halfway, spinning it withhis left foot straight into Neymar's run. He cushions it on his instep and then hits it across the box, claiming a handball as he does so and it hits Barzagli.

6 min

That didn't take long. Messi's position on the right, deeper than we thought, and the slickness of the passing is causing problems.
Goal
GOAL!! Juventus 0-1 Barcelona (Rakitic) A terrific team goal, constructed by Messi's long pass from the right to the left of the box where Alba controlled it, scooped it to Iniesta who squared it to the unmarked Rakitic who sweetly buried his shot from 10 yards.

3 min

Barca now have their first spell of possession, Iniesta moving it out left to Neymar who runs infield, stops and via Alves knocks it out to the left again.

2 min

Good start from Juve, piling on the press, rattling Mascherano twice in 20 seconds and winning a corner that is hit too long. Their tactics didn't take long to reveal themselves. You press us? Not if we press you first.

1 min

Juve kick off and play it back to the centre-backs who interchange passes and Bonucci knocks it long. Pique wins the header, steering it to the right where Evra fouls Alves.

Obi of Onitsha, Anambra speaks against Oba Akiolu {oba of lagos} anti-Igbo sentiment

Igwe Ezeoba Alex Nwokedi, the Uthopo na Eze Achalla, Anambra State, is a man of many parts. He was Press Secretary to Head of State during the  General Olusegun Obasanjo military regime and also served in the same capacity during the early days of Alhaji Shehu Shagari administration. He was pioneer Public Relations Manager of Electricity Corporation of Nigeria, ECN, and General Manager, Public Affairs, NNPC. The former Chairman, Eastern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers, in this interview, speaks on the state of the nation, the last elections and the Igbo position. Excerpts:
What is your assessment of the polls? Particularly, how do you see the incoming President Muhammadu Buhari?
Buhari is a straight forward man. He is very disciplined and has, as his pivot, the fight against bribery and corruption. So, I think in this direction, our Lord has brought him to be utilised to fight bribery and corruption in Nigeria. As Catholics, we have two prayers. One is against bribery and corruption and the second is for our Lord to help Nigeria out of distress it is presently.

Some people who never wanted Buhari to win the presidential election but who have just managed to come to terms with the reality of his victory are saying with the people surrounding him, he won’t go a long way to meet Nigerians expectations. Do you agree?

With somebody like Chief John Oyegun and more other people who are very highly reliable working with him either as party leaders or people that will work with him as government officials, to a great extent, I will say that the claim that Buhari won’t go far is weak. There are also others like Prince Tony Momoh a journalist and a former Minister of Information.

Chief Oyegun, like Tony Momoh and others that I know around him as of now, is naturally intelligent, academically brilliant and has been tested and, put right on the ground, his integrity has never been challenged. And as Chairman of All Progressives Congress, with him behind or around Buhari, if they listen to him, he will assist to provide a formidable administrative team, which will enable him to succeed in his struggle against bribery and corruption in Nigeria. All I am pleading is that, everything we do must have a human face.

You said Buhari’s emergence was answer to the prayers of Nigerians. What should be the starting point for Buhari given your experience as a public relations and journalism expert deeply-rooted in presidential spokesmanship. How does his Press Secretasry make a good President of him?
In the first place, like I said about Reuben Abati in the past, a presidential spokesman is his intelligence officer. He collects information from the public for the President and makes the public to read the President’s mind on public issues through the media. So, he really requires a very good public relations crew to expose his inner thought and also help his media unit to collect information from the people.

For example, when  I was with my boss, General Olusegun Obasanjo, I think I have spoken to you about House of Geneva? Press personalities came there to speak their minds about government and, from there, I knew the minds of people, I knew how to relate it to my boss and how to handle situations.
So, the new President, Buhari, must get a public relations crew/press crew that will help him to study the minds of the people, advise him on what to do and ensure that his inner thoughts are properly interpreted to the people. There is no issue of his PR or media people trying to publicise themselves. 
The person they are projecting is the President, not themselves.

Igwe Nwokedi
Igwe Nwokedi

And as a matter of fact, no statement on issues of policy goes out without the President’s approval. So, let the public and media relations people of General Buhari’s Presidency not put the cart before the horse. They should always get the approval of the President for anything they do and the President must know whatever will be said with regard to his government. All these many mouths speaking for one President must stop. There should be change of attitude about many people speaking for the government and even for the party. I am saying this not because I want to dabble into politics but because no matter who you are in Nigeria, the attitude of political or government players affect your life. So, as traditional rulers, we owe the society the duty to properly guide those players as fathers; so we can get the best of them.

And I want to advise President-elect Buhari that, after he has made his speeches, he should invite the core leaders of his public relations/media unit and tell them the areas which should be emphasised and then they will kick on that. As Press Secretary to General Obasanjo, whenever he had made a speech and we were playing squash the next morning, as we were on, he would be telling me the areas, which should be emphasised and, as soon as we finished playing the squash, I would go and get myself ready for those things he asked me to do.

I want to also advise Buhari to tell his head of media, or I don’t know what that will be called, the areas of his speech that should be emphasised or stressed to the public. That should be the pivot of his image making. He should not allow them to just publicise his speeches. It is his duty to tell his media handler which areas that touch his mind, which should be emphasised. If he relates closely with them, like Obasanjo related with me as his Press Secretary, they would then be able to relate with the public.
You and Buhari served in the Obasanjo military regime as Press Secretary and Minister of Petroleum, respectively. What can you say about the secret of the relationship between Obasanjo and Buhari?
The secret is simple: truthfulness. General Obasanjo would never tolerate anybody who tells lies and General Buhari is a disciplined man, who equally would not tolerate a liar. For Buhari, I am quite sure that of all these people who are dancing around him, he knows the genuine ones and those whose dance around him for personal reasons and I am sure he knows how to handle them.

And what advice do you have for the people of Nigeria, particularly those feeling that because their candidate was heavily criticised, they too would put Buhari on his toes?
All I am saying is that, this is not the time for personal ego. This is the time for all of us to come together and give the incoming President hundred percent support. Loyalty has no percentage. Give him hundred percent support to enable him achieve his objective and, in that case, he will be able to succeed in changing Nigeria for better. That was partly, I think, what he was soliciting for when he met with the lawmakers-elect asking for their cooperation.

Asking for lawmakers-elect cooperation, what about that?
The incoming National Assembly should give that cooperation Buhari asked for because we have no alternative than to move forward. United we stand, divided we fall. So, we should all stand behind the new President so that he can successfully carry out his change programme, especially in the area of the fight against corruption.

What are the grey areas you want the new administration to critically address?
The grey areas he should look critically into include power supply. This idea of telling us they have injected so, so and so megawatt into the grid is neither here nor there? Now that Buhari is going to be there, he should, first and foremost, get experts, who should tell him what the problem with electricity in Nigeria is, what to do to have regular and steady power supply and when it is going to be feasible.

For example, transmission and distribution lines, transformer sub-stations, main unit stations, all these things have to be studied and he will be advised on what to do. He should move away from the practice by which government would say, ‘We have injected like 200 megawats’ because it doesn’t take us anywhere. He needs to have a proper briefing on the situation of power supply in Nigeria so that he will know how to tackle it. Nigerians, on their own side, should be patient with him while doing this because when you have a capable hand doing something, you allow him the time to study to be able to really do it. This is important because, if we have regular and stable power supply, the industries will work ad there will be employment.

Another grey area is this issue of fuel shortage. I think, with the Buhari government, it should become something of the past. What is the cause of fuel shortage? He can set a small committee to go into the matter and report back to tell him what to do.
Setting up a new committee on fuel shortage you mean?
Yes, setting up a committee….

(Cuts in) What about past panels on the NNPC which had their reports submitted….?
Yes. I am aware there were some panels in the past, particularly during the Abacha regime which did a good job on what to do about this problem. There were the General Abisoye Panel on NNPC and the General Tajudeen Olanrewaju Presidential Review Panel set up to review the General Abisoye Panel Report. Both reports are there.

By asking General Buhari to set up a small committee therefore is not for them to go and start afresh but you know reports are very usually voluminous things. The committee should in this case go into the General Abisoye and General Tajudeen Olanrewaju’s reports and bring out the vital areas and advise the President with a view to implementing them. Luckily, these two generals – Abisoye and Tajudeen Olanrewaju – are still very much around. In working on those reports, you need them to work with them. And I am very serious about this because fuel shortage must stop once and for all in Nigeria. It is unspeakable that a nation blessed with crude oil will have her people in difficulty getting fuel like we have presently.

The Igbo people actually concentrated on returning President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Now that it turned out the other way, what is next for the Igbo?
Let me tell you one thing, we the Igbo never met and said President Jonathan must come back. We voted according to our conscience. And some of us felt that allowing him to complete his term was not a sin. But the country said we needed somebody tougher and the people had voted for a highly disciplined personality.

So, the Igbo have not done anything wrong. We voted according to our conscience and I would not say we failed. We should be gracious in victory and noble in defeat.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is canvassing Igbo unity and working hard to prepare a new ground for them in the emerging era. How do you see this effort?
I have always respected Governor Okorocha because he is a philanthropist. Now about the issue of Igbo unity, it applies not only to the Igbo. Afenifere is talking of Yoruba unity; so is the northern group, Arewa Consultative Forum, talking about the need for a united North. So, there is nothing wrong in having a united Igbo nation.

If you read history, you will see that the Igbo were the people regarded, even in the colonial era, as a nation and there is nothing bad in coming together; not for tribal reason but for development of the Igbo land. If the Igbo are united, we are not united just for federal relevance. One, the Igbo governors, by the unity, will be talked to, to be mindful of the welfare of their people. That is the first thing that unite a people.
They should talk to the state governors to carry out projects which will touch the minds and lives of the people. They should also get it to their minds of the governors the security of lives and property of the people.

So, what Okorocha is doing is good. We should all stand up and rally round him in ensuring that Igbo become a united nation again for development of our children not for tribalism.

Although it is said now that socio-political, religious, ethnic unrest and economic challenges have dropped by 30 percent, according to a public analyst, if you agree with that, does the improvement affect your state of mind regarding the statement of Oba Akiolu of Lagos to the Igbo living in Lagos during the elections?
This issue came up in the meeting of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers and it was very well handled by the Chairman, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Achebe, and his deputy, Eze Ndigbo of Aguleri, Eze Christopher Nwabunwanne. It was very well handled and did not generate ill-feeling.
But every traditional ruler in Nigeria should know that all people living in his community should be taken as his children.

So, all people living in Lagos, whether Ashanti, Fulani, Hausa, Igbo and so on, are all the children of the Oba of Lagos. Se o ye e? (speaking in Yoruba). The same thing at Achalla, where I am the paramount ruler, all the people living in that community are my children. It is the duty of traditional rulers to regard those living in their towns and communities as their children, give them protection and security at all times. You cannot say you will throw your child to the river because he did not vote the way you voted. In my own house, I didn’t even know how my children voted.

For example, whenever there was trouble in the North, the first thing we do in the South-East is to protect northerners living in our communities. In some areas, the traditional rulers, supported by the military, would take those whose lives are threatened to the barracks. That is how it should be. Those living in your community are your children and they require your protection.

It was said that the Oba Akiolu’s comment was informed by Igbo living in Lagos feeling so rooted in Lagos that they now were said to be claiming to want to take over Lagos or at least be the ones to decide who rules Lagos. The oba now asked whether a Yoruba person in Onitsha can claim to rule in Igbo land?
Let me tell you that I have not heard of that statement. How can an Igbo man say he wants to rule Lagos or be the one to decide who rules Lagos? Is he saying that in his room? May be. I was following Ambode and Jimi Agbaje’s campaigns in the papers. Agbaje could have won that election but the very day he said that he was going to abolish the toll gate, that was the day he lost the election. We need such Lekki toll gate all over the country.
The last time I went to Japan, from Tokyo airport to the town, I counted up to 95 toll gates. I don’t know the position now. We need toll gates in Nigeria and we need to create special toll gates fund for the money collected to be utilised in modernising and maintaining the roads and building more roads like what Governor Babatunde Fashola has done in Lagos. Before Fashola did that road, it would take you six hours to drive from the Ikeja airport to Victoria Garden City, VGC. That has improved as he has got six lanes for that road. Jimi Agbaje was making good points for example, his points on education and so on, but he lost it when he said he would abolish the Lekki toll gate.
Another thing that made him lose the election was that he did not take his campaign to the people of Lagos. For example, I heard he went to Ajegunle, Surulere, Yaba, Ebutte Meta, Apapa Road, where you have non-indigenes. You didn’t go to the core people of Lagos and enunciate special programmes for them. What were you going to do at Ajegunle for instance? One of them was talking about the traffic on Apapa Road and said, ‘We are going to improve on transport system in Apapa’. What does that mean?

That is why Agbaje lost. That is gone now. He should go back to the drawing board against another time but in the meantime cooperate with Ambode.

‘Buhari, Osibanjo’s assets to be made public after…’

OFFICIAL PORTRAITS OF BUHARI, OSINBAJO



President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will make their assets declaration public after same would have be verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu disclosed this in a statement Saturday evening.
There has been an outcry over Buhari’s decision to not make his asset declaration public as he promised during his campaign tour.
The Code of Conduct Bureau had claimed that it lacked the constitutional powers to Make Buhari’s assets declation public.

But in a statement in Abuja Saturday, Garba quoted Muhammadu Buhari as saying that ” in fulfillment of one of their campaign promises, his declared assets and those of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will be released to the public upon the completion of their verification by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

“It is hoped that this process will be completed before the expiry of the 100-day deadline within which they said they would do this” he said.

Mal. Garba Shehu noted that “the duly completed forms by both the President and the Vice President were submitted to the CCB on March 28th, a clear day ahead of their inauguration.”

He said this statement was warranted by the need to clarify some suggestions that the President and the Vice-President may not, after all, declare their assets publicly.

“While such public display of concern is appreciated and valued, it must be said that it is a little precipitate.
“As required by law, the declaration and submission of documents to the CCB have been made, but there still remains the aspect of verification which the Bureau will have to conduct to authenticate the submissions made to it.
“In the circumstances, it is only after this verification exercise, and not before, that the declaration can be said to have been made and validated; and only after this, will the details be released to the public.
“There is no question at all that the President and the Vice President are committed to public declaration of their assets within the 100 days that they pledged during the presidential campaign.
“The President and the Vice President wish to thank Nigerians for their show of concern, and for the confidence they have shown in their leaders’ integrity, as evidenced by the high pedestal of uprightness and expectations on which they have placed them” the statement added

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