Malaysia bans comic book for using 'Allah'

Malaysia has banned an Ultraman comic book because it uses the word “Allah” to describe the Japanese action hero.

The Home Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the Malay-edition of “Ultraman, The Ultra Power” contained elements that could undermine public security and societal morals.

“Ultraman is idolised by many children” and equating the lead character, Ultraman King, with Allah would especially “confuse Muslim children and damage their faith”, the statment said, according to an Associated Press news agency report.

Allah, the Arabic word for God, is commonly used in the Malay language to refer to God.

“Allah cannot be used by outsiders or Christians. People now may know the difference but our children will not know,” said Rosli Ani, a representative of a Muslim NGO known as Per3, the AFP news agency reported.

The government says Allah should be exclusively reserved for Muslims because of concerns its use by others would confuse Muslims and tempt them to convert.

Both Arab Muslims and Christians use the word Allah for God.

Ruling appealed 

Malay Muslims account for about 60 percent of Malaysia’s 30 million people, while Christians makeup about 9 percent of the country’s population.

The ministry said Allah is holy for Muslims and warned that such irresponsible use of the word can provoke the community and threaten public safety.

Ultraman is a fictional Japanese superhero who fights monsters and first appeared on television in the 1960s. A line in the book said Ultraman “is considered and respected as Allah, or the Elder, to all ultra heroes.”

“The Ultraman character itself is not banned and only this edition is prohibited,” the ministry said. Anyone caught distributing the book could be jailed three years, it warned.

The government’s tough stance over the word Allah has sparked controversy, as many Malay-speaking Christians commonly use Allah to refer to God.

Religious tensions have been high in the past five years after the Catholic church went to court to seek the right to use Allah in its weekly newspaper.

A lower court last year ruled in favor of the government, a ruling against which the Catholic church has appealed to the country’s highest court.

On Wednesday hundreds of Muslims demonstrated outside Malaysia’s Federal Court as it postponed its decision whether it would hear the case.

The church’s lawyer Cyrus Das said he was “quite confident” the panel would allow a full hearing.

Nigeria wasted over $600bn revenue in five decades -Ezekwesili

Former Vice President of the World Bank, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has said despite earning more than $600bn in revenues over the last five decades, government has been unable to improve the lot of ordinary Nigerians.

She said this while delivering a paper entitled: ‘The uncomfortable truth of elusive economic development- Nigeria’s century of old failures and prospects for a new Nigeria’, at the 1st National Summit organized by the All Progressives Congress in Abuja, on Thursday.

According to the two-time Nigerian Minister, poor governance especially the culture of corruption was largely responsible for Nigeria’s stunted growth when compared to its peers across the world.

She explained that several countries rated along with Nigeria in the 1960s have made greater progress in transforming from a country into a nation because the elite made a conscious effort to develop them.

Ezekwsili noted that the cost of rebuilding Europe after World War II was put at $148bn in today’s value but that this is less than half of the funds that were attributed to have been stolen from Nigeria since independence.

She said, “The expense of such funds transformed the manufacturing, service industry and competitive factors of Europe. It cost $2bn ($349bn in today’s value) to rebuild Japan after the nuclear attack.

“By conservative estimate, our country has earned more than $600 billion in the last five decades and yet can only boast of a United Nations Human Development Index score of 0.4 out of 1 proximate to that of Chad and maternal mortality rate similar to that of Afghanistan.

“Nothing reveals the depth of our failures than such performance indicators considering the vastly greater possibilities that we have been bestowed.”

She also observed that citizens now seek to fully participate and make demands for democratic accountability- they are not afraid to scrutinize all public institutions and to demand better results of
governance.

The former minister enjoined all those who seek politic office to put the interest of the people and the nation first before self.

She expressed regret that based on welfare indices, Nigeria was not much better than countries like Afghanistan and Chad.

According to her, the country has been rated 32 on countries with high corruption index, adding that whether we accept it or not Nigeria is presently engaged is systemic corruption and not much has come in
terms measures to put a check to it.

Ezekwesili cautioned the APC against focusing on just pushing PDP out of office by all means; adding that the party must realize that Nigerians whom it intends to govern must be alive to witness the promises of good tidings.

The highlight of the event came when all the leaders took turns to formally sign the code of conduct as a form of acceptance and commitment.

She said the recent massacre of students in Yobe state is an assault to the country, saying anyone who may be profiting from bizarre slaughter of innocent children and women will received appropriate punishment from God.

The former Minister of Education and Chairman of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative reminded everyone that in as much as the need to get things is a highly desired one, the application of requisite corrective measures may indeed unsettle even some who are now initiating the process.

She described the partying that accompanied the centenary celebration as unwarranted considering the floppy performance of the country, adding that what went on with the celebration “was nothing but a party
for the elite where all the leaders irrespective of the divide enjoyed themselves to the bewilderment of agony- stricken Nigerians.

“It is heart rending that the present state of affairs in the country now questions our oneness as country. We cannot develop and grow until you are bound in common sense of purpose and values,” Ezekwesili said.

Bida mega polygamist, Masaba, sues ex-wife, Magistrate

The Bida-based octogenarian mega polygamist and Islamic preacher, Alhaji Bello Masaba, has dragged a Magistrate and his former wife, Hajiya Azatu Adamu, before a Bida High Court.

Masaba and seven others are asking the High Court to quash the decision of Magistrate Rahamat Gado, referring a case of criminal force and assault filed by Azatu against the applicants to Attorney General for “possible prosecution.”

The applicants, in a motion exparte, applied for a writ of Certiorari quashing the proceedings in the case no BD/MC/DCR/43/2013 filed by Azatu and for an order for a stay of proceedings and actions relating to the case.

They also prayed the court to discharge all the applicants.

Counsel for Masaba, Oluwole Oluranti, in a statement in support of his application, based his prayers on the grounds of error of law on the face of record and breach of rules of natural justice or duty to act fairly.

The 3rd respondent (Masaba’s ex-wife) had on August 15, 2013 caused the applicants to appear before a Bida Magistrate (1st Respondent) for offences of criminal force and assault, causing grievous hurt contrary to Section 265 and 246 of Penal Code Law upon her direct complaint.

The court then referred the case to the Police for investigation upon the plea of not guilt by Masaba and others.

On completion of investigation, the Office of the Area Commander, Nigeria Police, Bida, submitted its report which indicated that no evidence could be established or found against Masaba and others on any of the allegations against them.

The applicants said they were taken aback on February 27, 2014, when the presiding magistrate (Rahamat Gado) ordered that the case file be referred to the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for possible prosecution or action.

The case is scheduled for March 20 before Justice Musa Abdul at Bida High Court.

Jonathan's adopted father's kidnappers reject N30m offer

The kidnappers of Chief Inengite Nitabai, cousin of President Goodluck Jonathan, have rejected N30 million offered by the family for the release of the septuagenarian, our correspondent learnt.

The kidnappers had, last Friday, opened communication with the family and demanded N500 million ransom as a condition for the release of Nitabai, Jonathan’s adopted father.

The family did not hide their feelings by telling the captors that the demand was outrageous.

Since that Friday, it was learnt that the family had been in a quandary as to how to ‘appease’ the kidnappers to avoid them hurting or killing the victim.

Nitabai was kidnapped on Sunday, February 23, by unknown gunmen, suspected to number 10, and whisked them away in his private Sport Utility Vehicle to yet-to-be-ascertained destination.

A security source, who craved anonymity, told our correspondent that the kidnappers said the N30 million was too small.

He said, “The kidnappers were said to have described the N30 million offer by the family as a huge joke.

“They said it was ‘unpresidential’ to give such a paltry sum to them. What will N30 million amount to when shared by all the interested parties in the abduction.”

The rejection of the N30 million offer came on the heels of call by the Ijaw Youth Council on the family not to offer any ransom to the kidnappers.

The IYC said a three-man committee had been set up by the council to work with security agencies to fish out the kidnappers.

Spokesman for IYC, Eric Omare, who made this known after the inaugural meeting of the council at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, said the identities of the three men would not be disclosed for security reasons as serious progress had been made to free the victim.

Omare said, “We have warned those concerned not to pay any ransom to the kidnappers because it (kidnapping) is a crime which the council is fighting against.

“Contacts have been established and we want to assure all that in no distance time the President’s uncle will be released.

“In consonance with the position of the IYC we have advised the relevant persons not to offer any ransom in order to effect the release of President’s uncle because if we offer ransom we are encouraging more kidnappings.

“IYC’s position is that criminality must be erased from Ijaw land, so we have told them not to offer any ransom, though he has not been released, we are very sure in the next few days or hours we would effect his (Nitabai’s) release.”

13 Lagos students hospitalised over gas leak

Thirteen students of Junior Secondary School, Ogba in Ikeja, Lagos State, were on Thursday affected by gas emission from a source yet to be determined.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency told the News Agency of Nigeria that the affected children included 12 females and a male.

The agency’s General Manager, Dr Femi Oke-Osayintolu, said that the affected children had been taken to the Ikeja General Hospital for treatment.

Oke-Osayintolu said the other children had also been evacuated from the school.

The general manager said that those in the hospital were being taken care of by the state government and that they were responding to treatment.

Oke-Osayintolu said that offices and shops around the area had been closed, while rescue operation was still ongoing.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim, Farinloye, Information Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, told NAN that his organisation was aware of the incident and would assist.

Tragedy hits Anambra, car crushes seven Awka pupils

Tragedy hit Anambra State on Thursday at the Umuokpu Junction along the old Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, Awka, when a Toyota Camry lost control and ran into about 30 students of the Community Secondary School, Umuokpu, Awka, and Union Secondary School, Amawbia.

About seven of the students were feared to have been killed in the accident, while 10 others were critically injured, with head, limb and body injuries.

The students had just closed from school and were waiting in their numbers to board a bus home at the spot where the accident occurred when the car ran into them.

One of the victims was an old man, who had his right leg broken, his right eyes cut open and a whitish substance oozing out of his forehead.

One of the students feared to have been killed in the accident was crushed in the head.

Another of the victims was trapped under the belly of a commercial bus that tried to avoid colliding with the ill-fated Toyota Camry.

The car also crushed the stands of people selling fruits, food items and recharge cards around the scene of the accident and left several women injured.

The entire atmosphere was charged as sympathisers, amid crying, scampered about to rescue the victims. The road was littered with items, fruits and destroyed tables and umbrellas on which they were previously placed.

The driver of the car, who was also injured in the accident, was able to climb out of the mangled car. He went back inside the car, retrieved some valuables and crossed the road to catch a cab to wherever he was headed.

Men of the Federal Road safety Corps arrived the scene 20 minutes afterwards. But the victims had been taken away to nearby hospitals, one of them was the Enugwu-Ukwu General Hospital. The FRSC men proceeded to tow the car away.

The Anambra State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, who confirmed the story of the accident, said he was waiting for his men to give him the details of the accident.

The Old Onitsha–Enugu road has become the preferred alternative route to the dualised expressway for many motorists after the state government reconstructed it.

Kwankwaso's dishonesty caused division among govs -Jang

Governor Jonah Jang

The factional Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, who is also the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, has given reasons for the inability of Nigeria governors to unite.

He said the activities of some of the governors, particularly the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, was part of the issues causing ripples among the governors.

Jang was responding to the allegation made by Kwankwaso on Wednesday that the Presidency was responsible for the division among the governors.

He said in order to create the division, President Goodluck Jonathan gave each governor in the camp of Jang among the governors N2bn each as ecological fund.

The Kano state governor, who said the money was taken from the common pulse of the country, was not given to governors who voted for the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi during the NGF chairmanship election.

Apart from this, he said the Presidency was benefiting from the division among the governors and appealed to his colleagues to come together in the interest of the people and their states.

The factional chairman however disagreed, stating that the “dishonesty and deceit of Kano state Governor, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is directly linked to the present division among the governors and not the Presidency.”

Jang said, in a statement by the Media Officer in charge of his faction of the NGF, Mr. Kassim Yakubu, in Abuja on Thursday, that if anybody received any bribe it must be  Kwankwaso, who he said nominated  him (Jang ) for the Chairmanship of the NGF when the northern governors met to agree on a consensus candidate.

Jang declared that the alleged act of dishonesty aided by a few other governors sowed the seed of discord amongst the governors, adding that it was a pity that Kwankwaso and his group were now finding it difficult to live with the consequences of their action.

He said because of this, the Kwankwaso group was busy throwing spurious and unsubstantiated allegations with the hope that Nigerians do not have any memory of the events leading to the division of the forum.

He said, “The opposition governors’ forum is getting desperate as they see their numbers dropping daily and think they can deceive Nigerians with baseless allegations.

“Governor Kwankwanso should tell Nigerians if I gave him money to nominate me. That grand deceit of nominating me and doing something else is the foundation of the division. He should tell Nigerians how and when the N2bn  was paid.

“When he proudly made it public that he was being smart by nominating me and leading others to vote against me, what was he expecting?

“That deceit and dishonesty was the beginning of playing politics with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and now he is not happy with what he created. He can always come back to the forum of the chairman he nominated.”

Jang called on Nigerians to always test the veracity of statements which he said could be designed to mislead and incite the public, adding that the promoters of such statements might be out to seek relevance at the expense of the nation.