ORJI UZOR KALU DIDN’T STEAL ANYTHING FROM ABIA STATE, HE JUST STOLE ABIA STATE.

Orji Uzo Kalu

..and we will be happy to see others join him there.

If on whatever basis you defend any past or present Governor of Southeast extraction indicted and found guilty of looting/ embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds, you are worse than the notorious Anini and deserve to "be stoned to death."

I have read from a lot of people attaching tribal sentiments to Orji Uzor Kalu’s slam, with many brewing this ironical tribal sentiment, that his conviction is linked to his 2023 Presidential ambition or his ability to financially sponsor a candidate to the contest, and I felt a rude shock down my spine.

(Anyway, no Igbo man will be president come 2023) let’s forget it!

Like seriously? You don’t even care if the monies are looted from you? All you care about is using same monies to fund a puppet and a stool-pigeon to power, who they will still turn around to control and manipulate?

Joshua Dariyr, is from the North, he is a former Governor and APC senator as at the time, but he is in Prison today. Is this also war against Igbos?

Jolly Nyame, is from the North and a former Governor. He was an APC senator, but he was convicted too. Is this also a witch-hunt against the Igbos?

Orji Uzor Kalu’s case was established under PDP government and he was tried severally before APC took over at the centre and he is APC member as at today. Let us drop this tribal sentiments when all these politicians are facing the wrath of their own creation. THEIR EVIL CREATION!

How can you defend someone who doesn’t and will never defend you?

See, I don’t care if Hausa looters are tried or not; I don’t care if Yoruba looters are tried or not; whether they are tried, convicted or not, mental and physical poverty will still ooz from their region.

I am concerned about the greed, wickedness, selfishness and efulefuism of our Igbo political leaders. When they look into our faces, what do they see? Do they see a happy people?

A selfless leader will not marginalise his own people when the Northerners are marginalizing his region. Build your people, build your region with what you have, and we can even become better than those who claims to be Nigerian Monarchs.

There is no insurgency in the Southeastern Nigeria, the annual SECURITY VOTE of each state of the South-East is enough to build:

1. A standard Seaport in Southeast
2. An international Market in Southeast
3. The Second Niger Bridge
4. One good specialist hospital each state
5. Good road network linking all the Southeast states
6. Enhance agriculture in Southeast
7. Most importantly, human capital development.

THESE ARE THE SECURITY VOTES OF 4 SOUTHEASTERN STATES ANNUALLY.

IMO STATE: N333.333M Monthly (N4B Annually)

ENUGU STATE: N600M Monthly (N7.2B Annually)

ANAMBRA STATE: N850M Monthly (N10B Annually)[1]

ABIA STATE: N700M Monthly (N8.4B Annually)

EBONYI STATE: N291,666. (3.5B Annually)

TOTAL N129.1 billion each term. For 20years since 1999, this is enough to develop a region.

Security vote in Nigeria is a monthly allowance that is allocated to the 36 states within the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the sole purpose of funding security services (Not Salaries) within such states and the governors are advised to use their discretion in ways and how to spend the funds. It is not accounted for by them.

They steal these monies and still pocket 1/3 of our monthly allocations from federal, Including oil derivations and we are supposed to clap for them and shout marginalization for them when they are tried and convicted?

You that cannot feed 3 square meal daily is defending them? Your Mumu is factory fitted.

Stand with Igbo businessmen, defend them and leave these politicians to face their karma with the people they sold us to.


#LetsMakeAbiaStateAbetterPlace.🙏
#LetsMakeSoutEastAhomeForUsAll🙏

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Orji Uzor Kalu sentenced to 12 years jail over N7.2bn fraud

Orji Uzo Kalu

Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu was on Thursday found guilty of N7.2 billion fraud by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Idris.

Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited, he used to defraud Abia State was forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Also, his aide, Jones Ude who was the Director Of Finance in the Abia State House was sentenced to a five-year jail term.

The presiding Judge, Idris described money laundering offence as a crime against humanity.

Details later…

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Breaking News. Nnamdi Kanu: High Court reserves ruling on review of witness protection to April 25.

- The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday reserved ruling on whether or not it will reverse its order on witness protection in the ongoing trial of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu
- Counsel to Kanu, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor told the court that he had filed an application asking the court to review its stand on protecting the identity of witnesses in the case
- Justice Nyako adjourned the matter until April 25 to rule on both the application to review the witness protection order and bail.

Justice Binta Nyako, on March 27, insisted that she would not review her judgment on the issue of protecting the identity of the witnesses as long they were security operatives.




“I will not vary my order on protection of security operatives; It is either they wear a mask or are behind a screen.

 “Security operatives need to be protected not because of this case but because of the future, and so as long as the witnesses are security personnel, they will be taken behind a screen,”  Nyako said.

But counsel to the defendants maintained that since some of the charges against the defendants had been struck out, there was need for the order to be reviewed to reflect the current charges.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that the matter was slated for argument on the application to review the court’s decision on witness protection.

Counsel to Kanu, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor told the court that he had filed an application asking the court to review its stand on protecting the identity of witnesses in the case. Ejiofor said that part of the reason he filed the application was on the grounds that six out of the initial 11-count charge against the defendant were struck out. He prayed the court to vacate the order it made allowing the prosecution witnesses to give evidence behind a shield and to instead order the witnesses to testify in an open court. Mr E.I Eseme, counsel to the third defendant, Benjamin Madubugwu, in his argument, also prayed the court for the same relief, adding that his application was brought pursuant to Section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution. He urged the court to review the order it made on Dec. 13, 2016, to shield witnesses, set aside the order and direct that all witnesses should testify in public.

Eseme added that his client was not standing trial for any of the offences that required witness protection. According to him, Section 36(4) of the 1999 Constitution provides that it is mandatory for proceedings in all criminal trials to be public. He noted that there was no counter- affidavit from the prosecution, adding that it could only mean that the facts were not contradicted and so they were not opposing the application. Mr Chukwuma Ozougwu, counsel to the fourth defendant, David Nwawuisi, also towed the same line of argument and urged the court to grant the application in favour of his client. Labaran, in his reply, prayed the court to dismiss the three applications on the grounds that they were frivolous and a deliberate attempt to delay the prosecution of the case. He told the court that the claim by the defence counsel that since he did not file a counter affidavit, the court should assume that he was in support of the application should be discountenanced. According to him, if the defendants have a problem with the ruling of the court that witnesses should be protected, they should appeal the decision.

He added that moreover, it was only journalists and the general public that would not see the witnesses but only hear them as all the defendants, the lawyers and the judge would see the witnesses. He said the order was granted based on the discretionary powers given to the judge by Section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). Justice Nyako adjourned the matter until April 25 to rule on both the application to review the witness protection order and bail.

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Teenage Boy Arraigned On 4-Count Charge

Jail

A 17-year-old boy on Thursday appeared before a Mararaba Upper Area Court, Nasarawa State, charged with attacking a trader, Mohammed Bello, and inflicting injuries on him.

Ibrahim, who resides at Nyanya, Abuja, and is facing a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, trespass, mischief and causing hurt, denied committing the offences.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Steve Kwaza, told the court that the accused and one Danhayiya Abu, who is still at large, committed the offences on March 30, at 12.30 p.m.

“The defendant entered the shop of one Mohammed Bello at Ruga Market, Mararaba, destroying most his valuable properties, the cost of which is yet to be ascertained.’’

Kwaza said that the accused and his accomplice, also attacked the trader and inflicted severe injuries on him.

According to the prosecutor, the accused, while armed with a cutlass, attempted to forcefully gain entry into another premises belonging a military officer, Col. Idris and in the process destroyed the gate.

He said that the teenager was, however, apprehended and handed over to the police.

Kwaza said that the offences contravened Sections 97, 348, 327 and 246 of the Penal Code.

The presiding Judge, Ibrahim Shekarau, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

He said that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, must be of reputable character and have a substantive means of livelihood.

The case was adjourned until April 24 for hearing.

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Breaking News. Women lawyers rescue 14-yr-old from early marriage in Abia State, Nigeria.

A 14-year-old girl currently in SSS2 in Abia State University Secondary School, whose parents allegedly wanted to forcefully marry off to an older man against her wish, has been rescued by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).

The chairperson of the organisation, Chidinma Alozie, who disclosed this at the fund raising dinner for building of FIDA Legal Clinic and emergency rescue centre in Umuahia, said that invitation cards had been printed and a date set for the wedding, awaiting the girl to conclude her examinations, when FIDA got wind of the news.

The FIDA chairperson said the organisation moved to secure an emergency protection order from Magistrates’ Court and took the girl into protective custody immediately after her examinations, two days before her marriage.

Alozie, who enumerated several cases of child abuse in the state, observed that there was need for conducive and secured emergency rescue facility aimed at confronting these challenges in the society and appealed to government, corporate organisations, spirited individuals, foreign donors and friends of Abia to come and assist FIDA in its dream to facilitate the building of rescued homes.

In her address, the special guest of honour and wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu, represented by the wife of Deputy Governor, Lady Vivian Ude Okochukwu, commended FIDA for protecting women and child’s rights.

Mrs Ikpeazu, who assured FIDA of collaboration with her Vica Hope Foundation, charged women lawyers not to relent in their efforts, while she also enjoined well-meaning individuals to complement them so as to rid the state of child abuse and youths restiveness.

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Breakin News, Fake Army officer arrested in Lagos Nigeria.

The fake army officer

The operatives of the Lagos State Task Force have arrested a fake Nigeria Army officer who obstructed the enforcement unit of the agency from performing their legitimate duties around Lekki area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that the fake army officer was nabbed by the enforcement team of the agency during the demolition of shanties occupied by miscreants and hoodlums around White Sand School, Lekki, Lagos.

Egbeyemi disclosed further that the suspect obstructed the enforcement team and beat-up one para-military officer attached to the agency.

He said the suspect who claimed to be a Staff Sergeant in the Nigeria Army wore an Army cap on a mufti dress, saying that after diligent investigations, it was discovered he was a fake Nigerian Army officer who had been terrorising innocent members of the public around the area.

The Chairman enjoined members of the public to stop impersonating security personnel as everybody had equal right before the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Egbeyemi, however, confirmed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni had directed that the suspect be immediately charge to court.

The suspect, Usman Yaya (27 yrs) from Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State confessed that he stole the Nigeria Army cap from his brother in Abuja.

Yaya confessed further that since he came to Lagos in February, 2017 and had nothing to do, he decided to put on the army cap to extort money from innocent members of the public, particularly commercial buses plying Victoria Island and Lekki.

He claimed that it was his brother ( a Staff Sergeant with the Nigeria Army ) whom he lived with at Abacha Barracks in Abuja, who owned the cap.

Yaya pleaded with the government to temper justice with mercy as he was ready to stop the illegal dealings and return the army cap to his brother in Abuja.

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Ife boils again, 10 injured in fresh communal clash

Ife communal clash

Few days after the violent clashes between Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ile-Ife, a fresh communal clash has broken out in Osun state.

According to Vanguard, the clash broke out on Friday, March 31 in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun.

No fewer than 10 people were injured in the fresh violence.

Investigations revealed that the fresh clash was between the people of Ipetumodu and Asipa in Ife north area of the state.

According to an eyewitness account, the clash started on Wednesday evening shortly after an alleged misunderstanding that broke out after an inter house sports football competition in the Community High School Ipetumodu, not far away from Asipa.

Youths from both communities were allegedly involved in the fight. Some unidentified youths were said to have taken advantage of the face off between the students and set ablaze the popular Akinola Market in Asipa, a development that escalated the crisis between the two communities.

Gunshots were reportedly fired into the air to heighten tension in the area and no fewer than ten persons sustained injuries.

Policemen arrived later to maintain law and order.

According to one of the traditional chiefs who spoke on condition of anonymity, Asipa community was to blame.

He alleged that the other community turned a mere school riot to community clash to burn the market.

He also alleged that this was not the first time that such attack would be carried out against his people.

However, a leader of Asipa community, Julius Ogerinde denied the allegation saying that they were aggrieved because of the government white paper on the disputed land which favoured the other community.

“They only used the avenue of the Inter house Sport competition to perpetrate their grievances and three of our people were shot,” he said.

When contacted, the police spokesperson, Mrs. Folashade Odoro confirmed the clash, saying policemen had been drafted to the area to maintain law and order and normalcy has since returned to the area.

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Two fraudsters apprehended at their shrine in Ogun, Nigeria.

Two suspected fraudsters, Olayinka Adeola and Ibrahim Balogun, were recently apprehended by policemen in Ogun state at a shrine during one of their operations.

@TVOTWorld gathered that the operatives of the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), while on routine patrol at about 10pm, along Owode Obafemi Ofada road, on March 27, 2017, discovered a sienna bus packed in a suspicious manner.

The suspects at the shrine

The operatives moved close to the bus, accosted the occupants, and it was during interrogation that it was discovered that the occupants are suspected fraudsters who always lure people into a shrine and dupe them of their money. 

Upon further investigation it was discovered that the suspected fraudsters had lured their victim, a 64-year-old nurse named Goodluck Ogbodu of Effa street, Ughelli Delta state to Lagos state in the disguise to make him rich. The suspected fraudsters had obtained a sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000) from the victim. The loot was recovered from the shrine. The suspects who later confessed to the crime also stated that they have used the same mode to dupe many unsuspected victims.

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Rivers Police recovers empty bullion van as robbers escape with millions of Naira

Ibrahim Idris, Inspector-General of Police (IGP)

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the attack on a bullion van by some suspected armed robbers in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer DSP Omoni Nnamdi disclosed that the bullion van had been recovered but the robbers made away with millions of naira.

Nnamdi said the suspected armed robbers in a Toyota Highlander SUV shot at police officers escorting the bullion van and made away with undisclosed amount of money suspected to be in millions of Naira.

The police spokesman said the recovered bullion van is now in the custody of the police at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters.

Nnamdi also disclosed that a combined team of security personnel are now on the trail of the armed robbers in Ikwerre and adjourning local government areas.

Some witnesses of the incident said that the suspected armed robbers shot sporadically into the air before carting away the money.

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Navy destroy illegal refinery with 1.59m litres of stolen diesel

Illegal diesel depot on fire

The Nigerian Navy on Friday 31/03/2017 said it had discovered and destroyed an illegal refinery with 1.59 million litres of illegally refined diesel during a mop-up operation in Port Harcourt.

Speaking at the destruction exercise, Commodore Williams Kayoda, the Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, however, said no arrest was made during the raid.

Kayoda said the navy deployed troops to the site after it got intelligence report about the illegal refinery situated around Iwofe, Rumuolumeni area of Port Harcourt.

“Troops arriving at the site discovered 24 metallic tanks with each containing 60,000 litres of petroleum product suspected to be illegally refined diesel.

“Similarly, we discovered wooden boats with 150,000 litres of diesel believed to be stolen diesel.

“The petroleum product was evacuated to a safe location before troops destroyed the illegal refinery using a Swamp Buggy machine which completely crushed the metallic tanks.

“This new strategy is part of our efforts to end current air pollution in Port Harcourt while making it difficult for oil thieves to revive illegal refineries after it was destroyed,” he said.

The commander said the use of “Swamp Buggy” was part of tactics which involved complete crushing of metal tanks rather than setting both storage tanks and petroleum products ablaze.

The new strategy was adopted following reports that burning of illegal refineries was partly responsible for current air pollution in Port Harcourt.

The Swamp Buggy strategy adopted by the navy replaces a former approach which involved setting ablaze illegal refineries and illegal bunker sites with its petroleum products.

Kayoda said the navy was committed to protecting the environment and health of residents and assured that it would carry out its mandate in line with standard practice.

“The Nigerian Navy will sustain this strategy until we bring this menace to a stop because the economic prosperity of the nation cannot be compromised to criminal individuals and groups.

“Operation Rivers Sweep which was concluded in February and being consolidated with ongoing Operation White Valentine are part of efforts to stop illegal bunkering and oil theft,” he said.

Also speaking during destruction exercise, Prof. Roseline Konya, the Rivers Commissioner of Environment, said the Rivers Government had setup a task force which was mandated to discover and stop the source of the air pollution.

She said that Gov. Nyesom Wike had given the task force a matching order to locate the source of the air pollution which causes lung infection and cancer.

“We have seen that the military were in the past burning illegal refineries partly because they had no alternatives.

“We are glad to witness that they no longer burn illegal refineries; but destroy the sites by removing illegally refined petroleum products before they crush storage tanks with Swap Buggy machines.

“The Rivers government is pleading with individuals organisations such as the Army and Navy to assist us locate and eradicate the source of the soot,” she said.

Konya, who is chairperson of the task force, commended the navy on the new Swamp Buggy strategy.

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Exam applicants vandalise JAMB office

- The JAMB zonal office in Benue state has been vandalised by prospective exam candidates protesting their inability to register at the centers earmarked for the exercise - The candidates also took the protest to government house, expressing their disgust over the manner this year JAMB registration is been handled 

- Besides, the zonal controller JAMB, Samuel Moro, who acknowledged a lot of hitches in registration for the exam, advised prospective candidates to be patient.

The JAMB candidates are angry over their inability to register at the centers earmarked for the exercise.

The zonal office of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Benue state has been vandalised by hundreds of prospective exam candidates over the difficulty they are passing through to get registered for the exam.


Tribune reports that the windows and other valuables in the office located along George Akume were destroyed by the angry applicants who also blocked the major road with born fires which disrupted traffic flow. The candidates were protesting their inability to register at the centers earmarked for the exercise. “The process is stressful. We wait for two or three days at the banks to get the pin and going to jamb is another frustration. Let cyber cafe do it for us,” prospective candidates who identified themselves as, Lucy and Jimmy told the Tribune. Some of the candidates also took the protest to government house, expressing their disgust over the manner this year JAMB registration is been handled.

Speaking to the aggrieved candidates, the state secretary to the state government (SSG) Prof Anthony Ijor SAN, urged the candidates to remain calm, assuring that all their grievances would be addressed. Besides, the zonal controller JAMB, Samuel Moro, advised prospective candidates to be patient assuring that everybody will get registered. He acknowledged a lot of hitches from the banks and partly from the candidates themselves. Moro however, expressed displeasure over the attitude of the candidates whom he alleged, destroyed their signboard, windows and other facilities. Meanwhile, News has reported that candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) would from this year spend two hours instead of three hours to write the exam. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Registrar/Chief Executive Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Wednesday, March 29, stated this in Kaduna, during the opening ceremony of a strategic planning retreat on the monitoring, supervision and evaluation of 2017 UTME with the theme: “Inclusiveness and sensitisation of key external actors.” According to JAMB, a total of 240,000 candidates have so far registered for the examination which has been scheduled for May 20, barely one week after the commencement of the sale of forms which is expected to end on April 22.
 

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President Buhari cancels medical trip to UK

President Muhammadu Buhari’s planned medical trip to London has been cancelled with reports indicating doctors will instead fly in from UK for further ''medical examination''.

The president had gone to the UK on an extended medical vacation before returning 51 days later. On his return, the president had hinted that he would soon be returning to the UK for further medical examination but according to Sahara Reporters, the medical trip has been cancelled.

Instead, medical doctors are expended from London on Friday, March 31 in Abuja to meet with the president in order to carry further examination. It was reported that some of his closest aides advised again going on another medical trip as this would fuel rumour concerning his state of health all over again.

News  had reported that the president’s trip to the UK had generated speculation that he was seriously ill with some even saying he had passed away although this was refuted several times by his media aides.

Lai Mohammed

Meanwhile, the minister of information, Lai Mohammed said that the federal government's decision to release the medical expenses of President Buhari was on the basis of national security. He said: “This matter (the President’s medical bill) has come several times and our position on the matter is quite straight forward. “What are the President’s conditions of service? What are his entitlements in terms of his well-being and health care? The state is supposed to take responsibility for these. “We believe that asking for how much has been spent on the health of the President is an issue that we should weigh very well both for national security and also for moral issues. I don’t know why we must divulge such very sensitive information"

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I have never seen where democracy is mocked like in Nigerian – Dogara

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, yesterday, took a look at the ongoing controversy between the Senate and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Colonel Hameed Alii, describing the development as mere distractions.

Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara fielding questions from State House Correspondents after closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

Dogara, who fielded questions from senior journalists in Abuja, said the most important thing that should have been considered was whether the man had delivered on his mandate. Although he did not mention the upper legislative chamber in his briefing, Dogara said that it was also necessary to look at what the Nigerian laws say about wearing of uniforms by public officers and see whether any of the laws had been adhere to or breached by Ali. “So you have to look at all these issues before you come to a conclusion. As far as I am concerned these are mere distractions. They are not supposed to be; the main issue is delivery. What is it that we are delivering? That is it,” Dogara said. The Speaker said that although he could not say whether the House of Representatives would support the resolution passed by the Senate against Ali, he would only wait to see what happens when the discussion gets to the floor of the House for debate. He said, “But for a decision to be made in line with what the Senate proposed to the House, you can only wait till the matter comes before the House and that decision will be taken and Nigerians will know”. The Speaker, who also took at look at the performance of the federal government since coming to power in 2015, claimed that the administration could not be accused of disappointing Nigerians given where it was coming from and what it inherited from the previous administration. He said, “We have gone very far in trying to tackle this issue of insurgency and as a matter of fact all hostile spots have been liberated. This Government through various interventions has been able to ensure that the terrorists are not holding unto any swatch of land. “I believe this is one major thing that has given some hope to Nigerians, for the very first time that we are in a position to overcome this problem, and it is critical, even if it’s for nothing else that our citizens in the Northeast zone down to Abuja can move around more freely than before, that is something. “For me, I can say that a lot has been achieved even though unsung in most cases. In the context of our society, people want to see first-class roads, hospitals, they want to see the tangibles, but nobody places value on the intangibles. “For us who come from the Northeast, even some of us who live and work in Abuja, remember how dire this issue of terrorism was. We were all living on the throes of violence. The Police Headquarters here was bombed, U.N Mission here in Abuja was bombed, bombs exploded in Kaduna, Kano, Jos, in Nyanya as well and there was even threat of this mayhem being exported to the Southwest and other regions of this country. “If you look at it today, we have exited from that. The biggest problem of democracy is that with violence you cannot take the benefits of democracy. Democracy as we practice: Presidential democracy has three promises: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The number one responsibility of Government is the security and welfare of the citizens. But the Speaker expressed disappointment with the treatment meted out to the Peace Corps of Nigeria even with the passage of the bill to make it a national security outfit in Nigeria by the National Assembly. Dogara made it clear that the National Assembly would muster the required majority in both chambers to veto the President on the matter if he withholds his assent to the National Peace Corps Bill already passed and transmitted to the Presidency. He maintained that there could be no limit to spend in securing the lives and property of Nigerians since the government exists to protect lives and property. He warmed, “So the Bill is still there before the President for his assent. If he doesn’t assent to it for whatever reason, we are at liberty to recall it back to parliament and muster the 2/3 in the House and Senate and pass in spite of Mr. President’s veto. But right now that is not the discussion. The Speaker also express dissatisfaction with the way the executive has been treating resolutions from the NASS with levity and hinted that a committee had been raised to compile resolutions passed but not complied with by the executive for necessary actions. Mr. Dogara promised to take steps to ensure the amendment of the Local Government Law in Nigeria to give autonomy to the 774 councils in the country and return the conduct of local elections to INEC to ensure credibility, fairness and competitiveness as opposed to the current hijack of the process by the respective states. He said the removal of autonomy from LGAs had created middlemen who deny the councils of the needed development. “The current system is not working, and it has become a system whereby some have constituted themselves into middle men along the lines; they grab the resources meant for the development at the grass root and appropriate it the way they deem fit. “And, there is a twin evil which is that of state independent electoral commissions that gives birth to a total mockery of democracy in the way the State Independent Electoral Commissions conduct elections that are usually won by just one party in power in the respective states. “I have never seen where democracy is mocked like in Nigerian local government elections. I don’t know how we can continue to mock ourselves that we are practising democracy at the third tier of government.

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BREAKING: 140 killed by meningitis in Nigeria

BREAKING: 140 killed by meningitis in Nigeria

Officials say cases have been reported over the last week in six states and has so far infected more 

than 1,000 people, the Abuja Centre for Disease Control says.

 Meningitis causes an acute inflammation of the outer layers of the brain and spinal cord. 

We gathered that the current outbreak is the worst in Nigeria since 2009 when it killed at least 156 people.

 The disease is spreading amidst fears it could be out of control if refugee camps, prisons and police cells become affected through crowds, the BBC's Chris Ewokor in Abuja says. 

Vaccination is an effective way of preventing against meningitis. However, a new strain, which may have been imported from a neighbouring country is now prevalent in Nigeria and requires a different type of vaccine, Nigerian Minister of Health Isaac Adewole said. BBC reports that the seasonal outbreak has been attributed to cold nights, dusty winds and dry weather, which were aggravated by traditional beliefs, poor hygiene, and overpopulation. Nigeria lies on the meningitis belt, stretching from the Sahel region to the Horn of Africa, where outbreaks occur regularly. 

News had reported a few days back, that the Federal Government has deployed epidemiologists and vaccines to arrest the outbreak of a new a strain of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in parts of the country. The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said this on Thursday in Abuja that the new strain, which is not common in Nigeria, was imported from Niger Republic. Adewole said that the new strain requires a different type of vaccine and a team of epidemiologists have been deployed to address the challenge. 

He described the outbreak of meningitis in Sokoto and Zamfara states as an unfortunate incidence, stressing that the ministry is working hard to contain the situation. Meanwhile, in a nation where health is still not at its optimum yet.

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Nigerians boycott Coca-Cola drinks after court rules them 'poisonous'

* Lagos High Court rules Coca-Cola products dangerous when mixed with vitamin C
* Court orders Fanta, Sprite bottles to carry health warnings and awards damages
* Manufacturers argue their products comply with regulations


         Consumers of Sprite and Fanta have more to worry about than rotting teeth according to a Lagos High Court judge, who ruled that the Coca-Cola products could be "poisonous."

The court held that high levels of benzoic acid and sunset additives in the popular soft drinks could pose a health risk to consumers when mixed with ascorbic acid, commonly known as vitamin C, according to local media. 

Justice Adedayo Oyebanji ordered the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) to place written warnings on Fanta and Sprite bottles against drinking them with vitamin C, and awarded costs of two million naira ($6,350) against the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for failing to ensure health standards.

"It is manifest that NAFDAC has been grossly irresponsible in its regulatory duties to the consumers of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company," the judge said. "NAFDAC has failed the citizens of this great nation by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption products ... which become poisonous in the presence of ascorbic acid."   

Incendiary judgement

The incendiary judgment followed a lawsuit brought against regulator NAFDAC and the NBC -- a member of Coca-Cola Hellenic group which bottles Coca-Cola products in Nigeria -- by Lagos businessman Dr. Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo.

The claimant's company, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited, attempted to export Coca-Cola products to the United Kingdom for retail in February 2007.

But authorities in the UK seized and subsequently destroyed a shipment, Adebo claimed, because the products contained excessive levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid. The latter substance can form the carcinogen benzene when combined with ascorbic acid, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Lawyers for the NBC argued that the products were not intended for export, but Justice Adedayo Oyebanji rejected this defense.

"Soft drinks manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of color or creed," the judge said.

Mr Adebo was pleased by the verdict but vowed to pursue further damages.

"I'm happy that I'm victorious and we've alerted Nigerians and the entire world to what is happening in Nigeria," the businessman told the Media. "What the court fined NAFDAC is not one tenth of the amount I've spent on litigation ... We should have been awarded at least the amount that we spent in purchasing that product and in exporting it to UK. We are entitled to special damages for what we have gone through."

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