Noise Pollution: Lagos Shuts Down 70 Churches, 20 Mosques

June 29, 2016

The Lagos State Government has shut down 70 churches, 20 mosques and about 11 hotels, club houses and beer parlours in a move aimed at reducing noise in the state.

The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Bola Shabi, who made this known, said that henceforth, the state government would no longer allow make-shift buildings to be used as places of worship.

Speakers of a religious outfit, Shabi said: “Precisely about 70 churches, 20 mosques and about 11 hotels, club houses and beer parlours were shut and we’ve given them some directives to follow.

“We’ve been so strict now that we are not going to even allow make-shift churches in the state any longer.

“What I mean by make-shift, using tents and uncompleted building, we are not going to allow that any further in the state.

“But I will strongly tell you that the level of compliance is more on the mosque area, because immediately you shut them, they instantly bring down their speakers or reduce the noise they make.’’

Shabi said that LASEPA planned to reduce noise in the state to 70 percent and to zero per cent by the year 2020.

“As at today, we are only able to reduce the noise level to about 35 per cent. That is not a pass mark yet. So, until we reach that target of 70 to 80 per cent, we will continue the enforcement. Enforcement is a continuous exercise and we have set a target for ourselves. We want to ensure that Lagos is noise-free by the year 2020. With our status as a mega city, by year 2020 we will be free of noise.” [myad]

Hospital Detains Woman With Triplets For Inability To Settle N35,000 Medical Bills

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

Seven weeks after she delivered a set of triplets, a housewife, Gloria Okore, has been detained by the management of a private hospital in Lagos over her inability to settle outstanding medical bills of N35,000 out of N120,000 incurred at the hospital.

Okore, who delivered two girls and a boy on May 10 in Bessylva Hospital and Maternity Home, located at 60, Surulere Street, Dopemu-Agege, Lagos State, has been begging for help to raise the balance and cater for the children.

The babies were said to have been delivered preterm (seven months), and one of the triplets, a female, died two weeks ago as there was no incubator to use for the babies.

Gloria Okore told Vanguard that due to the hash economic situation in the country, the family needed the goodwill of Nigerians to take care of the babies.

The 27-year-old Gloria said: “I had the triplets through normal delivery, but the babies were born prematurely. We were charged N120,000. My husband hawks fairly-used clothes (okrika). It took him time to raise N85,000, which he paid in installments.

“I am from Owerri in Imo State, while my husband is from Abia State. We got married three years ago. Before I had these triplets, I had twins who died immediately after birth. When I was pregnant for the triplets, I was very sick; I could not walk long distance because my belly was very big.

“I want government to help pay the balance of the hospital bills and also help us with basic necessities for the babies. Right now I cannot work because the babies are still young.”

She gave their bank account details as UBA: 2043213179 (Umeh Okore).
Source: Vanguard. [myad]

FCT Minister Honours 76 Youth Corps Members

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has given Ministerial Honours Award to 76 corps members that served and distinguished themselves in the service of the territory between 2011 and 2013.

The Minister who spoke through Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye at the closing ceremony of the NYSC FCT 2016 Batch “A”, stream 2, Orientation Course, in Kubwa- Abuja, on Wednesday, assured that his administration would continue to reward corps members who embark on programmes that impact positively on the wellbeing of the residents of the Territory.

“It will interest you to know that recently, I approved the Honours Award/recognition of 76 Corps Members, who distinguished themselves in the course of their service within the FCT in the 2011-2013 service years. I hope to do the same for outstanding corps members of 2014 to date.”

The Minister charged the corps members to accept posting to rural communities in the Territory, where their services would be greatly felt rather than lobbying to be posted to “juicy places.”

Muhammad Bello cautioned corps members against unwarranted and unauthorized travels that usually pose danger to their personal lives, adding that they must present themselves as true ambassadors of change in the various communities where they are posted.

The NYSC FCT 2016 Batch “A”, stream 2, had 2,654 corps members deployed to various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as communities for their primary assignments. [myad]

Peterside Rolls Out Medium Term Strategic Growth Plan For NIMASA

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has rolled out the Agency’s Medium Term Strategic Growth Plan for the maritime industry.

The Director General who spoke during an engagement with the maritime media in Lagos said that the Medium Term Strategic Growth Plan covering three years is built around his core mission at NIMASA, which is to Reform, Restructure and Reposition the Agency for sustainable growth and development of the maritime industry.

According to Dr. Peterside, the strategy document is built on five pillars including Survey, Inspection and Certification Transformation programme; Environment, Security and Search and Rescue Transformation programme; as well as Capacity Building and Promotional Initiatives which entail growing indigenous tonnage, ship building and human capacity.

Others are Digital Transformation Strategy; and Structural and Cultural reforms including changes to work ethic and attitude of staff as well as processes and procedures.

The DG who noted that NIMASA is committed to the actualisation of this mandate also said that “the Agency has competent and resourceful personnel who require a visionary and a committed leadership to achieve this vision.

“The times are quite challenging given the dwindling global economy, decline in crude oil price and foreign exchange and fiscal policies which have impacted the revenue of the Agency. This requires ingenious leadership to actualise our policy direction and we are committed to providing that leadership” the DG said.

According to Dr. Peterside, one of the ways to shore up the Agency’s income to actualise this strategy programme is to block revenue leakages through the full automation of systems and processes to eliminate human contact and increase efficiency.

On capacity building, the DG affirmed his commitment to providing sea time training to cadets of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme and the judicial application of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) to assist local operators to re-fleet and increase the nation’s tonnage.

Dr. Peterside said that in the short term, the strategic plan of the Agency aims to achieve full automation by the end of 2016, achieve 100% efficiency and effectiveness in processes within the same period and complete its rebranding process by the end of the first quarter of 2017.

He promised that under his watch, NIMASA will be run efficiently and transparently saying that the maritime media and maritime stakeholders in general should judge his performance by the achievement of the Medium term Strategic Growth Plan. [myad]

Legal Battle Between Ecobank And Honeywell: Bank Appeals Justice Dagat’s Ruling

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

Ecobank Nigeria Limited has appealed a ruling by Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court in Lagos. The court had struck out its winding-up petition against Honeywell Group Limited and its sister company, Anchorage Leisures Limited.
Justice Dagat delivered the ruling on Monday on the basis that Ecobank’s suit was an abuse of court process.
But, Ecobank, through its lawyer, Kunle Ogunba (SAN), has lodged two appeals at the Court of Appeal in Lagos against the companies on seven grounds each.
The bank is praying the court to set aside Justice Dagat’s consolidated ruling striking out the petition, as well as an order directing the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to re-assign the petition to another judge for hearing.
Ecobank also filed a motion for an order of injunction restraining Honeywell and Anchorage or their agents from taking advantage of Justice Dagat’s ruling as it relates to their funds of all the banks in Nigeria pending the determination of the appeal.
The appellant, in a June 28 letter to Justice Dagat, urged the court to “urgently assign a date for hearing of the duly filed injunction in the interest of justice and in pursuance of the abiding tenet to always hold the scale of justice evenly and balanced between contending parties.”
Ecobank filed the winding-up petition against Honeywell Group’s inability to pay an alleged debt to the tune of N5.5billion.
But the companies filed motion on notice seeking to strike out the petition, following which the court ruled in the companies’ favour.
Ecobank is praying the appellate court to allow its appeal because Justice Dagat erred in law on several grounds.
In one of the grounds, it said the judge occasioned a gross miscarriage of justice and erred in law when it struck out the winding-up petition on the ground that the indebtedness is disputed.
“Learned trial judge occasioned a gross miscarriage of justice by striking out the appellant’s petition on grounds of an alleged repayment made outside contract and on terms vehemently opposed by the appellant,” the bank said.
Ecobank said the judge also erred in holding that its petition amounted to an abuse of court process because of a suit by the companies pending before Justice Mohammed Idris of the same court.
“The exercise of a right to commence a fresh action rather than counter-claim in a previously commenced action by an adversary is not an abuse of court process,” the bank said.
The appellant said Justice Dagat also erred by holding that it did not observe all preconditions in commencing the suit because “there is no precondition to be fulfilled before a party can exercise his constitutional right of recourse to court.”
The bank added: “Rights guaranteed by the Constitution are inalienable, fundamental and ranks higher to all statutory provisions including the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.” [myad]

Court Clips Modu Sheriff’s Wings

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

An Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Valentine Ashi has sacked the embattled former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff.

The court, on Wednesday, nullified the 2014 PDP Constitution Amendment upon which Sheriff was appointed PDP Interim Chairman, describing the amendment as illegal and a violation of the Electoral Act and declared all actions carried out with it, including anybody parading as an officer of PDP, to be illegal.

This was even as men of the Nigeria Police Force swung into action to him from conducting another governorship primary in Edo state, as he day police cordoned off the entrance to Stadium Road by Akenzua Junction in Benin City with vehicles and ensured that the gates to the stadium were locked.

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium had been the scheduled venue for the planned Edo governorship primary of Modu Sheriff-led faction of PDP.

Mathew Iduoriyekemwen and Rep. Johnson Agbonayinma are the two aspirants for the governorship ticket.

Commissioner of Police in the State, Chris Eziken said: “I am not INEC. It is too early to find out if the primary will hold or not. You can call me back in the afternoon to find out.”

Asked if INEC would witness the exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Sam Olumekun, said only the national headquarters could comment on the matter.

A member of the Caretaker Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the primary would be held as scheduled but that they were looking for another venue.

The Ahmed Markafi-led PDP faction held its primary on June 20 at the same venue which produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its candidate.

Ize-Iyamu defeated Iduoriyekemwen and Chief Solomon Edebiri at the primary, but Iduoriyekemwen later joined the Modu Sheriff faction after he faulted the process of the primary. (NAN). [myad]

Man Allegedly Kills Girlfriend For Refusing To Marry Him

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

A man whose name was not immediately disclosed is now under investigation by Imo state police command over the death of a 22 year old final year student of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede local government area of the state, Miss Onyinyechi Okegbulam from Egbu in Owerri North Local Government Area.

The deceased was allegedly killed by her boyfriend for refusing his marriage proposal. She was allegedly shot in the head at close range by her supposed boyfriend in the village after she rejected his offer of marriage.

Eyewitnesses said that the deceased was lured out of her family home by the boyfriend at night after she rejected him and was then shot. Another source claimed that soon after shooting the girl, the young man tried to smuggle Onyinyechi’s lifeless body into his car but scampered for safety when a woman raised alarm, which attracted several people to the scene.

It is believed that the ditched boyfriend was responsible for the entire educational expenses

of the girl and it was this that infuriated him. Police are now said to be looking for the boyfriend, although it has not yet been confirmed if an arrest has been made.

One local resident said: “We heard that the boy picked the bills for the girl’s education but that the girl later abandoned the boy and opted to marry another man. We have even heard that the marriage has been fixed before the boyfriend struck.”

A spokesman of the Imo State Police Command said they are investigating the matter and the late girl’s parents are cooperating with them. If the boyfriend is caught, it is almost certain that he will be charged with murder. [myad]

Renown Novelist, Elechi Amadi Is Dead, Aged 82

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

One of the Africa’s finest novelist, poet and dramatist, Captain Elechi Amadi is dead. He died on Wednesday at the Good Heart hospital in Port Harcourt at the age of 82.

A member of the family, Wabueze Amadi, said the Novelist passed on at about 3: 45pm at the hospital. The late captain Elechi Amadi was among the first generation of African writers and novelists.

Some of his works include The Concubine, The Great Ponds, Isiburu, Sunset in Biafra, Dance of Johannesburg, Peppersoup, The Road to Ibadan, The Slave, Estrangement and the Woman of Calabar.

He celebrated his 80th birthday in Port Harcourt, in 2014 releasing a souvenir edition of one of his plays, Isiburu to mark his 80th birthday.

He was born on 12 May, 1934 in Aluu community, Ikwerre local government area. He attended Government College, Umuahia and went to the University College, Ibadan where he bagged a BSc degree in Physics and Mathematics.

He served in the 3rd Marine Commandos of the Nigerian Army. He was first Commissioner for Education in the old Rivers state and also served as Commissioner for Lands and Housing

He had several honours to his credit. He was Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Education and a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He was awarded a honorary doctorate degree by the University of Port Harcourt in 2011. He was abducted by unknown gunmen in 2008 and later released after some days in their custody.

He lived in his community, Aluu until his death.

The Director General, NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside described him as a great Nigerian who will be greatly missed.

“Captain Elechi Amadi, certainly was a man of many parts who touched lives in many ways. And he will be remembered for good by many people who met him physically or through his books. He was a well known author, publisher, soldier and statesman who was concerned about a better society.

“My generation will definitely remember him more for his great books like the Concubine, the Great Ponds, Sunset in Biafra, Estrangement, the Slave and a collection of poems.

“It is regrettable that Amadi passed away at a time when Rivers, our dear state is still far away from the aspirations of its founding fathers like him and most sons and daughters of the state. There is no doubt that Elder Elechi Amadi and other founding fathers will be weeping in their graves at the state of Rivers State. Nigeria and the international literary community has lost a creative giant.

“The departed patriot, no doubt, had a remarkable life and he will surely be remembered for serving humanity with literature and his interventions. May his soul find eternal rest in the Lord.”

Source: Vanguard. [myad]

Drowning Fayose, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Greenbarge Reporters

June 29, 2016

What does a man drowning in deep ocean do? He clutches all the straws? He gaggles water, reels in utmost fear with eyes all hazy; he attempts to shout for help, but the water would muffle his voice. He becomes helpless, confused and surrender.
The worse that can happen to a drowning man, therefore, like Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, for every straw he tries to hold on to for safety is filled with snakes and scorpions. And, for that matter, he tries to drag anyone he sees along with him into the water.
For Fayose, the first salvo was fired by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) when it froze his account at Zenith Bank after discovering that over a billion Naira part of which was used to execute Ekiti electoral fraud was still lying in such account. The money was traced to the looting network, with headquarters at the domain of the former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki.
When EFCC searchlight beamed at his questionable account in a state where toiling workers go hungry for lack of payment of their miserable salaries, Fayose first attempted to drag Zenith bank along with him into the water. He said it was the bank that begged him to finance his election, as if he was such an angel; the only one in Ekiti state to which a bank would have to kneel down for, to allow it to finance the fraud called election.
Just as the Zenith bank was gasping for air in the foul air emitted by the governor, he, the drowning Fayose clutched at the leg of Mrs. Aisha, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari. He inferred that before the EFCC would go for him, it should first arrest and prosecute Aisha for her alleged role in the Jefferson saga, a united States law maker who was involved in some kind of shady deals, a couple of years ago.

Fayose was just admitting that he actually was guilty of stealing Nigerian money to buy and do other unspeakable things to get into power via questionable election, and that Aisha should be made to join him.
Aisha did not only wriggle herself from the grips of a drowning man, she was also able to scare a hell out of Fayose with threat of legal action.

Just as Fayose was struggling to get at out of the troubled water, hungry and angry workers in his state, whose salaries and allowances he had refused to pay for many months started protest against him.

Things really went so awry that he had to slip into a kind of seclusion. He engaged his usual ‘babalawo to embark on spiritual cleansing; to do their incantations as a way of quenching the EFCC fire; to save him from the water that was trying to consume him.
He, like his brothers in the National Assembly, went for the usual shop-worn-trash, saying that EFCC was sent after him. And that the discovery of what his fast fingers and jaundiced brain had brought forth which the EFCC is legitimately exposing was a threat to Nigerian democracy! Ha!

I wonder what suspected looters who are being asked to return what they stole, or liars who are being asked to strengthen the facts of the matter has to do with democratic Nigerans of over 170 million people.
In any case, I hear that Fayose had hired a lawyer or lawyers to defend his looting of the nation’s fund; that his bank account which EFCC has frozen should be di-frozen so that the business as usual would go on as if nothing has happened.
That is in a Nigeria that is gradually changing from unruly stealing to orderly conduct of public, and even private service. [myad]

Court Sends Mrs. Nenadi Usman, Fani- Kayode To Prison Over Alleged N4.9 Billion Loot

Greenbarge Reporters

June 28, 2016

Former Nigeria’s minister of Finance and Director of Finance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization in the last general election, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman and former Minister and Director of Media and Publicity of the same PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Femi Fani-Kayode have been ordered by Justice M. S. Hassan of the Federal High Court Lagos, to be remanded in prison on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, corruption and making cash payments exceeding the amount authorized by law.

The accused persons were charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They were alleged to have stolen and illegally disbursed about N4.9 billion Naira belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria for political and personal uses.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.

Part of the charge reads:
“That you, NENADI ESTHER USMAN, FEMI FANI-KAYODE, DANJUMA YUSUF and JOINTRUST DIMENTIONS NIGERIA LTD on or about the 8th day of January, 2015, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to indirectly retain the sum of N1,500, 000,000.00 (One Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) & 4 of the same Act.

‘That you, NENADI ESTHER USMAN, DANJUMAN YUSUF AND JOINTRUST DIMENTIONS NIGERIA LTD on or about the 9th day of January, 2015, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly retained the sum of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira ) which sum you reasonably ought to have known form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: corruption, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) & 4 of the same Act”..

In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo asked that trial commence immediately and that the case be given accelerated hearing..

However, counsel to accused: Fred Orbih (SAN), Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), and S. I. Ameh (SAN) for first. Second and third accused respectively, informed the court of their applications for bail. But Rotimi said he needed time to respond to the applications and urged the court to remand the defendants in prison custody pending the consideration of the bail applications.

Justice Hassan ruled that “since the prosecution was only served bail application yesterday, and in the interest of justice, it will be fair if the prosecution is given the opportunity to respond”. He therefore ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody and adjourned to Friday, July 1, 2016 for hearing of bail applications. [myad]

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