FG has lost B'Haram war - CNPP

THE Conference of Nigerian Political Parties on Thursday declared that the Federal Government had lost the war against the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The CNPP explained that any form of arrangement for the 2015 general elections in the northern part of the country was under threat as a result of the continued destructive activities of the members of Boko Haram in the area.

Rivers State CNPP Chairman, Dr. Menaigbi Dagogo-Jack, who made this declaration while speaking with The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Thursday, described the killing of innocent people on a daily basis in the North as an indication that the Federal Government had lost the war against terrorism.

Dagogo-Jack pointed out that government appeared to be helpless over the attack on the people by Boko Haram members, adding that if nothing was done, the 2015 general elections would be difficult to conduct.

He stated that the situation had made it necessary for Nigerians to engage in prayers, disclosing that clergymen in the state under the leadership of Bishop Friday Nwatu had decided to pray for an end to the carnage by Boko Haram in the North.

“It is clear that the effort of the Federal Government is not enough to put an end to Boko Haram onslaught against innocent Nigerians. The method of sending troops to an area where Boko Haram strikes and leave the area after 10 days cannot work.

“Clergymen in the state led by Bishop Friday Nwatu of the Integrity Christian Ministry have looked at the situation and decided to gather to pray for this country. We need God to intervene because if we don’t do that, the 2015 elections will be under serious threat,” the state CNPP stressed.

Dagogo-Jack maintained that Nigerians were not satisfied with the way government was handling the challenge of Boko Haram, even as he urged the Federal Government to rely more on intelligence to get at the terrorists.

He said, “This is a guerrilla war and the Boko Haram members are using sophisticated weapons and the declaration of state of emergency in some of the affected states appears not to be yielding fruit.

“To say the Federal Government is losing the war against Boko Haram is an understatement. The truth is that the Federal Government has lost the war. We must resort to prayers to save the situation.”

Dagogo-Jack, who commiserated with the families of the Islamic sect’s victims, urged Nigerians not to relent in speaking against the evil perpetrated by the dreaded group in the North.

Police officer knocks LASTMA official unconscious with his gun

A mobile policeman yesterday afternoon attacked three officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, and knocked one unconscious following an argument along Ashabi Cole off Lateef Jakande road Agidingbi in Ikeja.

Trouble started when LASTMA officials attempted to tow a vehicle parked in front of a bank which was causing traffic. The police officers guarding the bank challenged the LASTMA officials and tried to prevent them from towing the vehicle which was said to belong to a bank customer. An arguement ensued and before anyone could stop it, one LASTMA official was rushed to the hospital after a police man gave him a head butt and smashed the butt of his gun into his face.

When other LASTMA officials saw what had happened to their colleague, they turned the whole scene into a free for all show as both parties started arguing and fighting.

Head of LASTMA confirmed the incident and said the unconscious official is receiving medical attention.

Government should stop giving actors money - John Okafor

Popular actor, John Okafor, in a recent chat with Punch, criticised the recent visit of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria to President Jonathan.

Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, said he had beef with those who went to visit the president  because the president is yet to set his priorities right with regard to Nollywood.

“The government should stop giving Actors’ Guild cash, because we don’t know how to handle it. Some people will go to the office, process the money and squander it and we (actors) never benefit from such goodwill.

“If they (government) can give us a structure or land, we (actors) can go ahead and secure funds from investors to build five-star hotels and other facilities on it, because it will be a tourist haven. We can bring the Nigerian Censor’s board into the same arena." Okafor tells Punch. Continue...

"How can we be paying N50,000 to have one movie censored and then generate N5m from over 100 movies produced in a month and yet there aren’t any structures in place for Nollywood? “With such amount of money, government should be able to cater for us. If this is done, the industry will make a giant stride.”

Okafor also talked about homosexuality in the Nollywood industry...

 “Homosexuality is very rampant in our industry and it is one thing that aggravates my anger many at times,” he reveals.

He talks about fans not taking him seriously because of the 'unserious roles' he plays in the movies.

“Many people do not take me seriously because of the kind of roles I play in movies. But the truth is that those who know me very well know that I am a very focused and principled person.

“In fact, I teach and mentor many upcoming actors and also organise workshops and seminars regularly for them.”

He recalls when he knew he would be an actor.

“I think I got the gift of acting from my grandfather. I discovered this in the early 70s. My grandfather was a foremost comedian in his own right. Back in the days, he would take me to places where he performed. Growing up, I realised that I was going to become an actor somehow,” he recalled.

Okafor says acting has not made him rich

“Acting has not made me rich, but I’m very comfortable. I am able to feed and adequately take care of my family; neither do I borrow money.

“It has also opened many doors for me and it has taken me far and wide beyond my wildest imagination. It has exposed me to certain level where I can say that God has done it for me.”

B'Haram writes Army, threatens to attack Maiduguri barracks

The members of the Boko Haram Sect have written to the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army threatening to attack Maimalari Barracks on Friday (today).

Investigations revealed that security had been beefed up in the Maimalari Barracks which has the Headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division of the Artillery Corps, the Ordinance, the Signal and other crucial units of the Army in Maiduguri.

It was gathered that while security agents saw the letter as a ploy to instill fear into security operatives, all efforts were being made to ward off any attack on the foremost military formation in the North-East.

A source said that the insurgents might have compelled one of the drivers to get the letter to the military of their plan to attack the barracks.

The source said that the letter was written in Hausa Language.

“Yesterday, the Boko Haram sect wrote that they would attack the Maimalari Barracks. They wrote the letter in Hausa Language to give the notification of their coming.

“However, security operatives are praying for them to come to the barracks. The barracks is the biggest; it is the cantonment in Maiduguri.

“The barracks accommodates, the 7th Infantry Division, the Artillery, Ordinance, Engineering, Signal and other corps.

“People are even surprised how they got the letter to the barracks; one cannot rule out intimidation of one of the drivers to get the letter to the barracks.

“Soldiers are on the red alert. There are many soldiers there who are waiting for the attack. Soldiers are battle ready,” the source said.

The current threat is coming barely after the Boko Haram sect launched an attack on Giwa Barracks, the Headquarters of the 21 Artillery Brigade on March 15, 2014.

Authoritative military sources said that over 350 insurgents were killed in that attack while some soldiers were injured. A soldier was also said to have lost four children to the attack.

Our correspondent also gathered that the Special Forces had taken over the Gwoza Hills believed to be one of the strongest hideouts of the sect in the North-East.

Investigations revealed that the Special Forces stormed the Gwoza Hills and killed several insurgents in a combined operation with the men of the Nigerian Air Force on Wednesday.

The source said that a soldier was killed in the attack while some others were injured.

“There was an encounter in Gwoza Hills. Troops have taken over the place; it was another fierce encounter.

“A soldier was killed and some others were wounded. On the part of the insurgents, I can’t give you the exact casualty figure because the Air Force was involved and bombs were used.

“Gwoza Hills is one of their strong points. The Boko Haram took over the entire place before the battle but soldiers have taken over the place and have captured some of their arms and ammunition.

“That place is one of their main operational bases; corpses are smelling there. It is a joint operation involving the Air Force and others.

“The insurgents hide under the hills to launch attacks. It takes over three hours to climb to the top of the hills in some cases. The hills are massive,” the source said.

When our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, he asked to be called back as he was in a place where it was not possible for him to give a comment as of the time of filing this story.

Meanwhile, the Chairman Governing Council, National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, in Abuja on Thursday described the new approach adopted by the security agencies to fight terrorism as a welcome development.

Odinkalu told the News Agency of Nigeria  that many approaches were needed to tackle insurgency.

Reacting to the New Approach to Countering Terrorism by the Office of the National Security Adviser, he said both soft and hard approaches were required.

“You need the soft approach, de-radicalisation, investment in community, resilience and education to complement the hard approach which is the military approach,”he said.

Alleged missing N24bn Police pension fund: Reps committee faults Okonjo-Iweala

Alleged missing N24bn Police pension fund: Reps committee faults Okonjo-Iweala

THE House of Representatives committee on Public Accounts yesterday faulted the claim by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that N24billion pension fund was not missing and challenged her to a public debate on the matter.

At the resumed hearing of the missing money yesterday the Public Account Committee Chaired by Rep Solomon Adeola Olamilekan insisted that the N24bilion was actually missing accusing the Finance Minister of either being ignorant of the facts of the transactions or trying to mislead the country.

The hearing was attended by the Director General of Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD) Mrs Nellie Mayshak and her team, as well as the representatives of the office of

According to Adeola “we invited you people to appear before this honourable Committee on this serious transactions involving Tax payers’ money running into billions of naira and the new DG of Pension Transitional Arrangement Department was honest enough to say that she just took over and that there was no document to back up the disbursement of the N24bllion. We further requested for more documentation in order to get to the root of the matter only for the Minister to come up with a press statement that the money was not missing”

“We challenge her to a Public debate where all the media houses will be present and will be on live on all Television stations, so Nigerians will know whether or not the N24billion was missing”,he declared.

Olamilekan noted that ,”all these documents being brandished around in defence of the missing N24billion are fraudulent, forged and fake which can not stand the test of the time, they have nothing to do with the missing money. The minister claimed that the money was kept in an account, but which bank and how much was the interest since it was kept in the bank? She also claimed that the money had been paid into the treasury, where is the official receipt issued to that effect ?.

The committee then requested for the statements of bank account detailing how the account was operated at the First Bank Plc, between 2009 and 2012 which must be duly signed by the bank as its officials might be invited by the Committee to give evidence

GLO MAST FELL, KILLED TWO IN CROSS RIVER

Tragedy struck in Odukpani local government area of Cross River State on
Wednesday evening at about 6pm when a telecommunications mast said to
belong to Globacom fell and killed two people.
Those killed were an eleven year old girl, Lawrencia John Asuquo and a middle
aged man, Adindu Fynecountry.
Lawrencia was on an errand for her father while Adindu was in his drugstore
when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Two others were fatally injured, several other sustained minor injuries and
some houses were destroyed.
Those critically injured were carried to the General Hospital in Calabar.
The incident happened following a rainstorm that came with severe winds it
was gathered. It happened in Ntoe Edet Oqua Street in Odukpani Qua Town.
Father of the deceased girl, Mr. John Asuquo Etok, a staff of Odukpani Local
Government Council, was inconsolable yesterday.
His words, “It’s just unfortunate the mast fell and killed my daughter as she
went out to buy something from a nearby shop. Her name is Lawrencia John
Asuquo and she was about to sit for the Primary 6 exams. She was a pupil of
St. Theresa Primary School, Odukpani Qua Town. I want government to come
to my aid as my house was also destroyed by the wind .I am presently
homeless. I want the state emergency management agency (SEMA) and Glo to
come and assist me. I have seven children; five boys and two girls.”
Brother of the deceased Fynecountry, Mr. Henry Okeke from Akwete in Ukwa
East LGA, Abia state, said, “It was around 7pm I got a call that my brother
was dead in Odukpani. His name is Adindu Fynecountry. When I got to
Odukpani, I saw the corpse lying here. I could not do anything than to agree
with the police, then we carried his corpse in the police van and deposited it
in the mortuary. I am here to see the Glo people and the National
Communication Commission (NCC). There are lots of things we have to address
in the matter because it’s a big disaster. I have not seen any of them yet to
talk to. For now we are keeping our fingers crossed waiting for their response.
He has 7 children. For now I can’t quantify the losses in his shop.”
A lady who sustained some injuries from the incident, Mrs Blessing Edim, said
“the mast fell as I was busy packing my goods as a result of the strong wind. I
want government and Glo to come to our aid. The estimated loss of my goods
is worth over N100, 000.”
A Globacom official in Calabar who pleaded anonymity said he was not his
place to talk to the press.
He however said the fallen mast was that of his company.
He said, “The brand has sent emissary to the families of the victims to ensure
that there have temporary palliative while awaiting instructions from the
brand headquarters in Lagos on how to resolve the issues at stake.’’

10 Most Powerful People in Media

The YNaija list of 10 Most Powerful People in Media under the age of 40 has just been released and yeah, I made the list. Woop, woop! These are people who have gone beyond their own careers and their own empires, and are influencing trends, leading on success, and driving people to action. 

From OAPs to moguls, these are the most powerful in Nigeria’s media space. Check on it after the cut...


Alex Okosi
Okosi is the Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa. As an executive, he made his mark by bringing by bringing the urban-music themed MTV Base music channel to Africa back in 2005. It was perfect timing; African music was at the cusp of a renaissance and the presence of MTV Base on the TV screens led to an explosion of quality visuals and great video content from artists. Okosi was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and his influence in entertainment circles is undeniable. Only recently, Nigerian radio OAPs were nominated for honours at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and they probably have Mr Okosi to thank for it.

Ayeni Adekunle
Ayeni the great started his career as a journalist working for the likes of Enconium and Vanguard but has evolved to become one of the most important media men this side of the Atlantic. His Black House Media group has worked with a range of important clients from Nigerian Idol and Nigerian Breweries to superstars D’banj and Ice Prince and he publishes Nigeria’s biggest entertainment website The NETng as well its weekly newspaper equivalent. In 2013, he convened the Nigerian entertainment conference that attracted the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry and business world, sparking dialogue and creating networking links.

Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi
No one has a presence on radio quite like Gbemi. Sweet, sassy and slighty tart, she has been working on the radio for over eight years and has quietly built a formidable fan base and listenership that has followed her from her days at Cool FM to her present gig at Beat FM where she hosts the Drive Time Show in the evening. A graduate of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, Gbemi has also risen through the ranks to become head of programming at Beat FM’s sister station Naija FM. She is currently working on her upcoming television show.

Linda Ikeji
Everybody visits Linda Ikeji’s all powerful blog. It’s futile trying to deny, the Alexa rankings state otherwise. The blog has become the one stop shop for gossip, heart to heart dialogue, the occasional political commentary and yes, breaking news. Even the federal government is not unaware of the power of her platform, tipping her as one of the media partners for its centenary celebrations. She may do battle with a celebrity or two, but even they would agree that the publicity she offers is pretty much unparalleled. She generates millions in advertising but still manages to retain that girl next door persona.

Maupe Ogun
The television presenter and co-host of Channels television’s must-watch breakfast magazine Sunrise daily may be the only woman in the room most of the time, but she has managed to come across as one of the smartest. And articulate. And fearless. Always compulsively watchable, with her probing and unflinching questions, many an unprepared guest have been known to shrivel under her piercing gaze. Educated at the University of Lagos and the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, Ogun participated in president Obama’s town hall meeting with young Africans.

Mfonobong Nsehe
Nsehe’s prolific work with Forbes magazine Africa and Ventures Africa has resulted in the eventual recognition of previously under the radar Folashade Alakija as one of the richest people on the planet. As a staff writer with Forbes Africa, Nsehe’s brief is to profile Africa’s success stories and chronicle the lives of its rich and famous. Shunning the hype and the gloss, the Akwa Ibom-born journalist and blogger goes in to uncover the real picture.

Tolu Ogunlesi
Tolu is a two-time winner of the CNN/Multichoice African journalist of the Year, most recently in 2013 when he won in the Economic and Business category for his reporting on Eko Atlantic City. Ogunlesi once worked as a features editor for the defunct NEXT newspapers and his writing has appeared in various international media like The Huffington Post, CNN, UK Guardian and The Economist. He runs a weekly column on The Punch, Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper.

Toolz
Tolu ‘Toolz’ Oniru may get plenty of notice for her stunning physique but she has proved there is more to her than meets the eye. Bodacious, beautiful and brainy, she has parlayed her OAP duties on Beat FM into a position of power, being able to fast track or stall careers with her choice of playlist. Her other gig on the Guaranty Trust Bank sponsored Ndani TV is about to commence its second season and the accolades pouring in for that stint thanks to the probing-yet-breezy comradarie she exudes while interviewing her guests. Those skills translate from the radio to the small screen and her performance on the debut season of the X-factor Nigeria is sure to net her next year’s deal. Is there anything that Toolz cannot fix?

Toyosi Ogunseye
Ogunseye became one of the youngest editors of a major newspaper when she was promoted to editor of the Sunday Punch. She may be tasked with preparing the weekly but she still finds time to churn out powerful features like her three-part piece on the impact of gases released by a steel company on an upscale estate in Lagos state which won her a second CNN/Multichoice African journalist of the Year trophy, this time in the Environment category.

Uche Pedro
The now married founder of BellaNaija, the most popular lifestyle/entertainment website in the country has overseen the growth of BellaNaija from a single girl’s blog to mentions by Oprah Winfrey, CNN and a permanent home on internet web traffic assessor Alexa’s top 40 listings. Quiet, unassuming and loath to step out in public glare, Uche Pedro wields a lot of power as her site has been known to dictate the latest fashion trends, attract advertising mega bucks and corner the market on wedding photography.