A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
I'm a 28-year-old single mother of an adorable son. I'm currently involved with a man who is very nice to me and my son and I love him. The problem is that my ex has come back into my life. He was my first true love and we were together for over four years, we had the child together. Now he wants us to get back together and I'm afraid I might love him more than my current boyfriend.
The problem is that he has two sides, he's loving, caring and a lot of fun to be with most of the time, but he's also a skirt-chaser. I'm really confused as I don't want to make a mistake by getting back with him, only to regret it.
Jacqueline, bye-mail.
Dear Jacqueline,
A woman in love with two men needs to be extremely careful. Allow yourself to get to know this new man in your life better but encourage your ex to have a good rapport with his son.
As time goes on, it will become clear whether he can love you unconditionally or not. Just as you once had to accept that he'd played away with other women, he will need to accept that you continue to sleep with your man.
But is this what you really want?' In the end, you might discover that you love neither of them in any way that will last. Deep love is committing to only one person, unconditionally.
Oil and Gas Council has announced Mr. Tonye Cole, Executive Director and Founder of the Sahara Group, as the winner of its Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa Energy Awards. Tonye Cole
As an innovation leader, thought leader and business leader, Mr Tonye Cole has, over the last 21 years, built a leading African power, energy, gas and infrastructure conglomerate and was rightly recognised by the judges for his commitment to the provision of energy across Africa as well as his business agility and his commitment to philanthropy.
The council's Lifetime Achievement Award recognises Cole's individual role and Sahara Group's corporate role in promoting inclusive economic growth for poverty eradication, capacity building, food security and access to potable water in Africa.
The award will be presented to Mr Cole at this year's Africa Energy Awards in Paris on the 13th June.
The Africa Energy Awards take place on 13th& 14th June at the first evening of the Africa Assembly in Paris and are an opportunity to recognise the year's best performing companies and executives on the African continent as well as those who have achieved excellence, pioneered new frontiers, inspired others throughout their activities and achieved growth in challenging markets.
Founded in 1996, the Sahara Group has grown from a single entity to a group made up of ten companies across the energy value chain. The company is present in eight countries, three continents and employs 3,200 people with an annual profit of more than $12 billion.
In addition to his commitment to business, Mr Tonye Cole is passionate about giving back. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) and also the Private Sector Advisory Group of the United Nations Sustainable Development Fund (UN SDG-F).
In addition, Mr Cole has been dedicated to the establishment of his foundation, the Nehemiah Youth Empowerment Initiative and serves on the advisory boards of various youth focused charities such as the Africa 2.0 Foundation and the Sapinda Rainbow Foundation.
I'm 32 and in-between girl-friends. My first girlfriend was so troublesome, it was a relief when she finally left even though we have a son. She's put me off a permanent relationship for now and I'm thinking of going to a prostitute whenever I need a quick fix. Like the saying goes: bodi no be wood!
A friend has promised to take me to a joint where you meet 'decent' girls and as long as I play safe by using a condom, and don't get emotionally involved, what's the harm? It's become a bit of an obsession with me and the longer I put it off, the more it stays on my mind. My only fear is that if I start, I might be hooked to the point of not wanting a good relationship.
Patrick, bye-mail.
Dear Patrick,
You're kidding yourself and you know it. If it is a quick fix you really need, the answer lies in your own hand.
Masturbating should do the job nicely but as you're already obsessed with the idea of visiting a prostitute, there is a strong chance that after the first 'fix' you might get hooked. Not to talk of the danger you might be exposing yourself to if your condom splits.
I would keep my distance from your type of friend if I were you.
In the meantime, give yourself time to get over your current resentment over women enough for you to appreciate the joys of a meaningful relationship.
Can I trust this returnee boyfriend
Dear Bunmi,
I'm a 28-year-old single mother of an adorable son. I'm currently involved with a man who is very nice to me and my son and I love him. The problem is that my ex has come back into my life. He was my first true love and we were together for over four years, we had the child together. Now he wants us to get back together and I'm afraid I might love him more than my current boyfriend.
The problem is that he has two sides, he's loving, caring and a lot of fun to be with most of the time, but he's also a skirt-chaser. I'm really confused as I don't want to make a mistake by getting back with him, only to regret it.
Jacqueline,bye-mail.
Dear Jacqueline,
A woman in love with two men needs to be extremely careful. Allow yourself to get to know this new man in your life better but encourage your ex to have a good rapport with his son.
As time goes on, it will become clear whether he can love you unconditionally or not. Just as you once had to accept that he'd played away with other women, he will need to accept that you continue to sleep with your man.
But is this what you really want?' In the end, you might discover that you love neither of them in any way that will last. Deep love is committing to only one person, unconditionally.
My daughter needs to be brought down to earth!
Dear Bunmi,
My 30-year-old daughter has taken herself into the world of the high and mighty to such an extent that I hardly knew her any more. She's married to a very successful car merchant and lives in a very big house on the Island in Lagos. She has high- achieving friends and is talking like them. This was the same person who gave me
hell when she was growing up.
By the time she was 20, she'd had a couple of abortions and was always hanging around men, drinking and smoking. She's obviously brushed all these under the carpet now. The last time she was at my place, she went on and on about wanting more children. She already has two and her husband wants more.
I was so fed up with her moaning that I asked if her failure to get pregnant didn't have something to do with her past wild life and the abortions she had in the past. If looks could kill, I would have died instantly from the look she gave me. Now I'm very upset by the rift between us. She's my daughter, but her phony life-style is cracking me up. Chi, bye-mail.
Dear Chi,
Your problem definitely is different! Why shouldn't your daughter leave her mistakes behind and start again?
Teenagers are sometimes tear-aways who make mistakes because of their raging hormones. Most of them quickly get over their wild days and tow the line. Who then wants to be reminded of a mis-spent youth? Aren't you proud she's made something of herself? What's so phony about being such a success?
Are you in any way jealous of your daughter's achievements? Why else would you even think of humiliating her to her face? You need to get bigger than your resentment and be happy for your daughter and the wonderful grandchildren she's given you. She hasn't ended in the gutter where you were obviously expecting her to be. You need to be proud of who you are too.
If there are some things lacking in your life to m~ke you feel this resentment about a daughter you gave life to, this is the time to put ~ght.
Raped by my ex!
Dear Bunmi,
For 18 months, Greg and I had a very strong relationship and the sex was great.
Unfortunately, and for no reason, I fell out of love with him and had to break things off.
He was really devastated in spite of the fact that I let him down as gently as I could because he was very nice to me.
I'm now in another relationship and happy. Some few weeks ago, I met Greg at a lecture and he invited me to his flat for a drink. Since we both remained good friends, I went with him.
He told me he had a few girlfriends and I was genuinely happy for him. I'd scarcely touched my drink when he was all over me. I was shocked. He pinned me to the couch and started having sex with me and hurting me "in the process. I asked him to stop several times, but he didn't until I was able to free my hands and grab him round the throat to get him off.
He showed no remorse whatsoever and had the guts to tell me I shouldn't find lovemaking with him so repulsive since we were once lovers.
He still wants us to be friends. What I can't understand is why a man who was once a gentleman could turn into a brute.
Taiye, bye-mail.
Dear Taiye,
By going with your ex to his flat knowing both of you would be alone must have sent the wrong signal to him. You did the dumping and he obviously hasn't forgiven you for that.
It is important that you get this emotional trauma behind you and be wary next time you decide to go to any single man's apartment alone – especially if sex might be on the cards.
What happened to you is not uncommon – but that doesn't make it right. Your exobviously wanted to hurt you as much as he was hurt when you dumped him. But he went about things the wrong way. He's the brute, not you and you should put a lot of distance between you.
Haunted by his dead wife's memory
Dear Bunmi.
My current boyfriend compares me to his late wife in everything even sex. I'm 29 and he's 38 and he tragically lost his wife four years ago through a car accident. He has three children aged between four and 10. We met a year after he lost his wife and have been discussing marriage in the last six months. As a result, I virtually live with him though I still have my flat. I now help look after his children with the help of a relative of his.
I thought he was over her death but it seems I'm wrong. He's talking about her more than ever.
The worst time is when we've just had sex. I find oral sex a bit off-putting but he talks about how she loved it and the things she used to do. It is awful. The trouble is I feel I can't now complain since I'd kept quiet for a while now. As things are, I have to put up with a large picture of her in the bedroom too.
He says it's for the kids and I'd feel guilty if I asked him to remove it. He's told me that he still misses her and sometimes feel guilty for starting a relationship soon after her death. I'm starting to feel like nothing but a glorified baby-sitter to his children.
Henrietta, bye-mail.
Dear Henrietta,
This is a tricky problem but your man needs to separate his sense of loss from your relationship. It's only natural he should have fond memories of a wife with whom he had three children. But you need to agree times when he can talk about his wife and times when he should focus on the two of you, especially during intimate moments in the bedroom.
If you find her picture in the bedroom intimidating, why not suggest he puts it in the children's room? You need to meet him half-way with his sexual preference.
If you find oral sex revolting, maybe you should encourage him to teach you how to be comfortable with it.
My girl's gone off sex!
Dear Bunmi,
I'm the general manager of a fairly big supermarket and I'm currently tempted to stray with some of my sales reps as sex with my girl is virtually non-existent. We've been together for about three years and at the beginning, we couldn't get enough of each other.
Much as I didn't expect that kind of frenzy to last for ever I didn't bargain for it to be nearly extinct either. It looks as if I'm the one doing all the running and I get nothing in return.
When I try to get her in the mood, she's full of excuses. She's either too tired or just doesn't feel like it. Then we argue and she sulks.
We currently live together and I keep telling her I want our relationship to be full of intimate moments. But there's still no change. I get plenty of flirtatious remarks from my sales girls, so it would be easy to help myself. I must admit that I'm tempted to, purely for sex.
The fear of mixing business with pleasure is the current hindrance.
Unfortunately, my girl doesn't think we have a problem. How can I make her realise I need intimacy in our relationship? I'm 30 and she is 27.
Dipo, by e-mail.
Dear Dipo,
Your girl must know in her heart that things aren't right with your sex life, especially since it was once active. Her problem could be that she's not sure of how to tackle the problem. Do you think she's getting enough fun and satisfaction from sex with you?
Maybe it's about time you put more efforts into pleasing her. Have a talk with her that doesn't result in a shouting match to see if this can be resolved.
On the other hand, it could also be that you're focusing on the sex without realising that getting a girl in the mood starts with doing your share of things in the house.
You're both too young to be having relationship problems, especially in the sex department.
The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) has ranked Nigeria third in its Africa Affordability Drivers Index, out of 27 countries studied by the group.
The Africa Regional Coordinator of the group, Onica Makwakwa, made the disclosure at the unveiling of the Africa Affordability Report 2017 in Lagos on Tuesday.
The report is an annual publication of A4AI, examining the policy and regulatory framework that had allowed some countries to make internet more affordable, accessible and universal.
It suggested what other countries could do to catch up on internet affordability.
A detailed breakdown of the report showed that Mauritius topped the table with 61.70 per cent, followed by Morocco with 57.75 per cent.
Nigeria came third with 56.58 per cent, with Botswana on the fourth position with 55.37 per cent and Cote d'Ivoire scoring 53.25 per cent.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rwanda is on the sixth position with 61.48 per cent, while South Africa scores 51.20 per cent and Ghana, 50.01 per cent.
Benin and Kenya post 48.95 per cent and 48.82 per cent, respectively.
According to the report, only five out of the 27 African countries have affordable internet– they are Mauritius, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan.
"Affordable internet is one Gigabyte (1GB) of mobile pre-paid data for two per cent or less of average monthly income.
"However, 1GB of data costs an average citizen nearly 18 per cent of their monthly income.
"Overall, African countries score less than five out of 10 in all policy areas, indicating the crucial need for improvement."
The report cites the International Telecommunication Union as saying that only 25 per cent of the African population is online.
It said that the continent had 16 per cent of mobile broadband penetration and that there was 23 per cent internet use gender gap in Africa.
The Federal High Court in Abuja that granted the leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, bail, through its preceding officer Justice Binta Nyako, on Tuesday issued conditions said by public’s to be stringent, unconstitutional, unacceptable and improper in a constitutionally recognized and democratically practiced country like Nigeria.
Not quite some hours ago, Nnamdi Kanu was reported by newsmen to have been granted bail along with his cohorts in Bayelsa state. It is imperative at this point to file up mixed reactions of people over the bailing conditions of Nnamdi Kanu, but first the conditions.
Trial Justice Binta Nyako said her decision to release Kanu on bail was based on health grounds. This means that Kanu is sick and if he had not been ill he wouldn’t have been granted bail by the court.
IPOB members at Federal High Court Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
Similarly, that Kanu should provide a highly respected and recognized Jewish leader as a surety to deposit N100million. That’s a huge sum of money to provide in an economic recovery country like Nigeria.
In addition to the above it is required that Kanu provides another two sureties of "highly placed person of Igbo extraction such as a Senator", as well as "a highly respected person who resides and owns landed property in Abuja". These two mentioned people are equally meant to deposit N100million each. A rhetoric I moan how possible is this possible?
Furthering Kanu’s conditions of bail, Justice Nyako breached his constitutional right to associate with people, thus allows him for a dyadic association (not more than 10 persons). According to Justice Nyako "I must stress it here that the defendant must not attend any rally. He must not be in a crowd exceeding 10 persons."
Mixed feelings and peoples reactions:
Nnamdi Kanu outside court premises
At Umuahia, it was reported that the father of leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, His Royal Highness, Eze Israel Kanu with his wife Ugoeze Sally Kanu, have rejected the bail conditions given by Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja High Court to free his son, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, saying Kanu should be released unconditionally. On the other hand they expressed their happiness over the bail granted to their son and urged their son not to relent in his fight to gain Biafra. According to the mother, "No retreat, no surrender; God will deliver Biafra as He delivered Israel."
Meanwhile the leader of MASSOB, Comrade Uchenna Madu, expressed his happiness over Kanu’s bail and calls it ‘The beginning of the triumphant glory of Light over Darkness’. He equally admonished Kanu, IPOB and MASSOB memebers not to relent in their quest to get Biafra stand as a country.
According to him "As the people of Biafra erupted in jubilation all over the world in celebration of triumph of light over darkness, it shows that we are more united in our pursuit for Biafran actualization and restoration irrespective of our different organizations. We know that freedom can never be achieved on a platter of gold.
Furthermore, the Chairman of South East Caucus of Interparty Advisory Council, IPAC, Prince Emeka Okafor while welcoming the bail rejected the conditions attached to it, saying that it amounts to denying him his fundamental rights.
In Aba newsmen report that it was a celebration galore as youths and women took to the streets chanting pro Biafra songs and singing Kanu's praises. At the Flyover junction, Asa Nnentu, along the Enugu –Port Harcourt expressway, suspected IPOB faithful numbering over 15,000, lined the highway with green leaves waving at motorists.
Their joy was reported to knew no bound as they chanted peacefully to Kanu’s bail singing and ruining the streets of Aba.
Finally, they commended the Abuja High court and the preceding office Nyako for granting Kanu’s bail and urged the Federal government to stop harassing Nnamdi Kanu.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu has described as sheer mischief, the attribution to President Muhammadu Buhari, of the expulsion from the Villa of the Punch reporter, Mr. Olalekan Adetayo.
Shehu stated this in Abuja on Tuesday.
The presidential aide, who was reacting to the Guardian Newspaper's headline report entitled; "Memories of Decree 4", said it was wrong and improper to use the isolated incident to judge the character of the President as if he was responsible for what happened.Muhammadu Buhari
According to him, the President has not and would never approve the oppression and humiliation of any journalist in the course of carrying out their legitimate duties.
The presidential aide explained that the Guardian was behaving like someone waiting eagerly to attack the President at the slightest opportunity in order to portray the incident as evidence of his alleged dislike of the media.
He added that "despite the President dissociating himself from the unfortunate incident and the affected journalist being recalled, the Guardian still chose to go for the President's jugular, holding him personally responsible for an action he knew nothing about''.
Shehu noted that such headline was misleading and mischievous because it was seeking to portray the President personally in bad light, with the sinister purpose of making him look like an enemy of the media.
According to Shehu, since he was sworn into office, President Buhari has not oppressed any media house or journalist on account of writing unfavourable reports about him or his government.
He reiterated the President's respect for the freedom of the press and his commitment to protect their liberties at all times.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the State House correspondent of the Punch Newspapers Olalekan Adetayo who was earlier expelled from the beat on Monday, had since been recalled by the presidency.
A presidential spokesman Malam Garba Shehu in a statement on Monday night revealed that the recall of Adetayo followed the intervention of the Director-General of the Department for State Services (DSS), Lawan Daura.
However, the management of the Punch newspapers on Tuesday gave conditions which must be met before the resumption of Adetayo to the Villa beat.
"Our demands are simple: a full and unqualified apology from (CSO to the President) Abubakar and the presidency, and the unconditional restoration of the reportorial access and privileges withdrawn from our reporter.
"The apology should be addressed to our reporter and our newspaper,'' the newspaper said in its editorial on Tuesday
Kaduna – Dr Suleyman Ndanusa, a former Director General and Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission, on Tuesday attributed the high level of underdevelopment of the Northern region to poor leadership.
Ndanusa made the observation in a keynote address at a two-day summit on Security and Development of Nothern Nigeria holding in Kaduna.
According to him, although the region has produced more leaders at the national level, there is very little to show in terms of development and improvement in the social and economic development of the people.
He also identified " inadequate human capital development, lack of enterprising spirit, insecurity, over reliance on central government, dilapidated infrastructure, unemployment and poverty among others," as factors hindering development in the North.
Ndanusa advised Northern leaders to quickly establish a regional development and planning coordinating agency for the recovery and progress of the region.
" The region needs to revamp and refocus, " he said, adding that companies such as the New Nigeria Development Company, must be allowed to truly work for the region.
In his address, the Danmasanin Kano, Alhaji Maitama Sule noted that apart from bad leadership, breakdown of family values, disrespect for elders and constituted authority as well as insecurity, immorality and corruption has stunted growth in the region.
He noted that leaders that followed the first generation leaders of the region, completely deviated from establishing a cohesive, economically vibrant region in pursuit of self aggrandizement.
Sule, however, said that the region must not loose hope, adding that the problems would be overcome especially if leaders learn from history and plan ahead.
Justice Peter Affen of the F.C.T High Court, Maitama, Abuja has dismissed the four-count criminal charge preferred against a former House of Representatives, Nze Chidi Duru by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC as being vexatious and abuse of court process.
Duru
In a ruling delivered by the court on the preliminary objection filed by the defendant, the court held that the charge on which Duru was brought before it had been nullified and voided by a court of competent jurisdiction.
In the Preliminary Objection filed by counsel to Nze Chidi Duru, praying the court to quash and dismiss the four counts charge filed by the EFCC, the court declared it as a brief meant to embarrass Nze Chidi Duru.
He held that the EFCC had earlier withdrew a similar charge in a Lagos High Court relevant toa the four count charge filed against Duru, which the EFCC on its own volition withdrew with a clear statement that their is nothing criminal against Nze Chidi Duru.
Nze Chidi Duru had always contended that this particular case like the other ones brought against him is simply an alleged ploy by the sacked DG of National Pension Commission and one other m to allegedly appropriate his business, First Guarantee Pension Limited in the last six years.
The Federal High court in Abuja has ruled that Nnamdi Kalu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) should provide the following personalities as a condition for his bail.
Nnamdi Kanu outside the court premises
1. Provision of a highly respected and recognized Jewish leader as a surety to deposit N100million.
2.Provision of a highly placed person of Igbo extraction such as a Senator", as well as "a highly respected person who resides and owns landed property in Abuja
3. Disassociation from rally and group exceeding 10 persons.
These are the conditions given to him if actual he wants to be bailed out.
MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola wants to sign Tottenham star Dele Alli in a world record deal this summer, according to Barcelona legend Xavi.
The 21-year-old England ace is being tracked by Europe's elite, including Real Madrid.
And Xavi has revealed ex-Barca chief Guardiola is looking to snap-up the PFA young player of the year to help bring trophies back to the Etihad.
Spurs would demand a world record fee eclipsing Paul Pogba's £89m switch from Juventus to Manchester United last summer.
Spanish World Cup winner Xavi said: "I speak with Pep, and I know he thinks it is important to sign English players.
"I am sure in the summer he will look also across Europe for players to improve the squad, but also I expect him to look in The Premier League as well.
At the moment the best English player there is and also one of the best in Europe is Dele Alli.
We are looking at a very special player."
He added: "Technically he is the sort of player that Pep likes, the sort of player that suits the style of game that Pep likes his teams to play.
Star Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani has signed a two-year contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain until 2020, the French champions revealed on Tuesday.
Edinson Cavani
“This contract extension reaffirms the very strong confidence Edinson Cavani has in our project,” said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi of the 30-year-old, PSG’s top scorer with 44 goals this season.
The Federal Government on Tuesday challenged the Nigerian medical doctors in the Diaspora to use their knowledge and expertise to develop the nation's health sector.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, gave the task when the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America (ANPA) visited her in Abuja.
The association was led by its President, Dr Johnson Adeyanju.
The presidential aide also challenged the Diaspora working in the health sector to build a world class hospital in the country as it was done by their counterparts in Ethiopia.
"Nigeria is blessed with human and natural resources and we commend you for what you have been doing.
"However, it is quiet frustrating that we have your kind of calibre of Nigerian medical doctors in the Diaspora and we are having challenges in our health sector.
"We believe that by working with you through the ministry of health we can make a lot of difference, we believe that we can make more impact," she said.
She said that the present administration had developed an initiative whereby Nigerian doctors in the Diaspora could render assistance in the nation's health sector at their spare time.
The aide also enjoined them to develop a concrete medical mission that could have permanent structures whereby they could attend to patients.
"It is our thinking that medical missions that visit the country can translate into something concrete, just like Ethiopia that built a world class hospital by 250 of its doctors in Diaspora.
"With Nigerian doctors in the Diaspora constituting 70 per cent of the black doctors in America, we want to throw the challenge back to you that you can do the same thing.
"This medical mission can be properly coordinated that hospital can be built in every zone to enable you see patients and then you go back, but the challenge now is how can we get structure.
"So I think we can work with you to have this medical mission structure in Nigeria, we cannot have you and not feel your impact, we are glad you are here," she said.
Adeyanju had earlier said that ANPA was the largest association of the Nigeria medical practitioners in the Diaspora and had been in existence for more than 20 years.
He said that the mission of the association was to enhance the nation's health sector through partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and office of the presidential aide on Diaspora.
He said the group was concerned about the health of Nigerians which explained the decision of the group to embark on medical mission to the country.
Adeyanju, who noted that the group was able to see over 400 Nigerian patients, said they were willing to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure better life for Nigerians.
He also said that the group was on a surgical mission to Nigeria, with three mission teams working on various health issues.
In a related development, the SSA also received a delegation of the Centre for Integrated Health Programme (Cihp) led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Bolanle Oyeledun.
Dabiri-Erewa assured the leading implementation partner that the government was willing to ensure the success of the non-governmental agency.
Oyeledun said Cihp had over 120,000 patients on free HIV/AIDS treatment in the last six years.
Besides, she said the group has been able to prevent about 100,000 `mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
Cihp, she said, was also working in the area of skill transfer; stressing that the group want to see how to evolve a training programme to equip the capacity of health workers in the country.
More trouble has continued to come the way of officials who worked with former President Goodluck Jonathan as his former Chief Physician, Dr. Fortunate Fiberesima, was yesterday arraigned before Justice Peter Affren of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 6-count charge of money laundering.
According to the EFCC charge sheet, Dr. Fortunate Fiberesima, a former Chief Executive Officer, State House Medical Centre, Abuja, allegedly used his position as the Chief Physician to the President to award a contract for the supply of medical equipment in 2012 valued at N258.9 million to a company in which he had interest.
Jonathan
The defendant, who is said to also go by the name of Fortunate David and David Thank God Fiberesima, was initially meant to be docked by the EFCC on March 7, when the trial judge observed that, "all the charges preferred against him were under the ICPC Act not that of the EFCC" and consequently ordered that the charges be either amended or transferred to the appropriate authority for prosecution. However, at the resumed sitting on Tuesday, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him by the EFCC.
Count one of the charge reads: "That you , Dr Fortunate Fiberesima (a.k.a Fortunate David and David Thank God Fiberesima), being the Former Chief Executive Office of the state House Medical Centre, Abuja and Chief Physician to the President and while employed in the public service, sometime in 2012, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly and directly held a private interest in the contract for land reclamation at the State House Medical Centre, Abuja in the sum of N258,950,000.00), which contract was awarded to T. E & C Limited, a company in which you were a director, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000."
But Counsel to the defendant, U. B. Eyo, prayed to the court to grant his client bail on Liberal terms. He added that the accused has no previous criminal record and he would always be available for trial.
Y. Y. Tarfa, counsel to EFCC, did not oppose the bail application.
Justice Affen ordered that the defendant should continue on the bail conditions earlier granted him by the EFCC, but ordered that the defendant should submit his international passport to the court registrar and the case to June 6, 2017 for the commencement of trial.
The Anambra Youth Movement (AYM) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to retrieve the Certificate of Return issued to a National Assembly member, Mr Andy Uba.
Mr Dickson Okechukwu, who led the group in a protest on Tuesday in Abuja, said the call became necessary following allegations that Uba falsified his West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) result.
He alleged that Uba, who represents Anambra South Senatorial District in the Senate, falsified the result with the intent to deceive and defraud the government and general public.
Okechukwu called on relevant authorities to investigate the allegation, adding that the youths had already submitted a petition to the National Assembly, INEC and the Police.
He said the decision to submit the petition was to help to check injustice and assist law enforcement agencies in bringing culprits of criminal behaviour to justice.
He said that accelerated probe into the matter would help INEC in its decision over the certificate issued to the senator.
The AYM is a coalition of grassroots-based youth organisations in Anambra, with the objective to defend the masses and fight against impunity, corruption and injustice
A human rights group, The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has raised the alarm over what it said are the risks posed to the security of the country by activities of extremists groups, urging the federal government to pass stronger legislation that will clampdown on extremists and their foreign sponsors.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, SHAC Executive Director (Public Affairs), Moses Odoma said under the current trend, perpetrators of evil acts against Nigeria are able to evade existing anti-terror legislation once they invoke their foreign affiliation or claim international status.
He said though, Nigeria currently has the Terrorism Prevention Act but said the reality is that its implementation has exposed areas of shortcomings for which additional legislations are needed.
He pointed that one of such gaps is the ease with which foreign elements are able to influence the course of events in Nigeria. According to him, this ranges from countries and organizations openly supporting insurgents or extreme groups in the country to those that hide under the umbrella of NGOs to inflict havoc on counter-insurgency efforts.
“We urge the Federal Government, that is the executive arm working with the National Assembly to come up with legislations that will effectively put an end to this threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria. When the legislations are in place, the judiciary would be implored to give them the bite needed to deter the enemies of Nigeria,” he said.
He warned that these sponsors of extremists engage in the proliferation of arms and ammunitions to their agents who in turn engage in all manner of human rights abuses whilst leaving the society with deplorable humanitarian crisis in the country.
He said the federal government through the military and the security agencies are treating the issues of extremism, separatism and militancy with undeserved kid gloves which would in turn encourage armed struggle by any part of population that feels it is aggrieved.
He said, “The sad reality is that the Federal Government has until now refused to prosecute those who have been found wanting in this regards. This has to stop. The government must show the needed will by taking decisive actions against those that have engaged in acts of terror.
“We are warning that all these are the elementary stages of terrorism that must be addressed by the various stakeholders in the country before they have the chance to lead to serious human rights and humanitarian crisis in the respective regions .
“We urge the military and the police to do everything within their powers to ensure that based on the existing rules of engagement no individual or group of persons are allowed to throw the nation into mourning. The federal government must on its part tackle the numerous challenges confronting the citizenry.”
He said, “for Nigeria to defend itself against both internal and external aggressions by political and religious groups who go beyond their briefs for selfish interests, the country must put in place legislations that would make it impossible for either the citizenry or external agents within or outside the country to voluntarily torment the peace of the country at will.
The SHAC boss also noted with dismay the call for the release of the detained leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Sheik Ibraheem El Zakzakky or calling for his speedy trial without recourse to grave security implications that could arise thereof.
He urged the federal government to beware “of foreign agents bankrolling the pro-IMN protests in recent times.”
According to him, some foreign elements are hell bent on using the trial of El Zakzakky to invade the country to incite the populace against constituted authorities.
He said SHAC will be leading other civil society organizations to have a nationwide protests anchored in three states to march against terrorism, hate speech and extremism.
Russia on Tuesday defended restrictions on visiting journalists covering the Confederations Cup football tournament, after Germany’s biggest-selling newspaper said it would boycott the tournament.
Fifa
Official guidelines for the curtain raiser tournament ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia say that media representatives who receive FIFA accreditation will be allowed to “solely cover the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and related events.”
“Media representatives accredited for the FIFA Confederations Cup are allowed to work on the territory of the host cities and cultural sites located nearby,” the guidelines say.
Any journalist who wants to report from beyond the cities where matches are being held needs to get accreditation from the Russian authorities required as standard by all journalists working for foreign outlets in the country, FIFA said.
The alleged limitations on journalists sparked anger from Germany’s Bild tabloid, which announced Monday that it will not send any journalists to cover the Confederations Cup.
“A journalist who cannot report everything he sees is not a journalist, but a propagandist,” Bild wrote.
“Bild will not send any reporter to the Confederations Cup as long as this censorship applies.”
But Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko insisted reporters would be able to cover “everything they want, without any problems” and the rules on reporting from the rest of country were long established.
“In Russia there is an accreditation procedure for foreign journalists which has been in force since 1994,” Mutko said at a meeting with FIFA officials in Saint Petersburg.
ABA-There was jubilations in Aba, Abia state, today, as news filtered in that leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, have been granted bail by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Pro Biafrans celebrate release of Nnamdi Kanu in PH
It was celebrations galore as youths and women took to the streets chanting pro Biafra songs and singing Kanu's praises. At the Flyover junction, Asa Nnentu, along the Enugu –Port Harcourt expressway, suspected IPOB faithful numbering over 15,000, lined the highway with green leaves waving at motorists.
The jubilations were peaceful as they sang praises to God over the development, and stated that they are behind Kanu and urged him not to be deterred by his detention by the federal government.
A cross section of members of the group who spoke to Vanguard along Umuocha road, Aba, described Kanu as a freedom fighter who is committed to the liberation of the Biafra people. IPOB members at Federal High Court Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
They commended the court for granting him bail and urged the federal government to stop harassing him as Kanu cannot be intimidated into abandoning the struggle for an independent state of Biafra.
The IPOB faithful warned those they described as enemies of Biafra to change their ways or face the wrath of the Biafra people.
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA – Full-blown trial of the former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, kicked-off before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, with a police officer, Mr. Victor Ehiabhi, narrating how he helped the defendant to receive N26million from Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014.
Ehiabhi who testified as the first prosecution witness, PW-1, identified himself as an Intelligence Operative with the Force Intelligence Bureau. *Fani-Kayode
He told the court that he was deployed from the bureau's Very Important Persons Protection Unit, to serve as Fani-Kayode’s security aide, prior to the 2015 presidential election.
In his evidence-in-chief, the PW-1, said he was accompanied by Fani-Kayode’s domestic staff to receive the money from office of the NSA at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the money which was stuffed inside a Ghana-Must-Go bag, was handed to him at a time the defendant was out of town.
Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Johnson Ojogbane, the witness said: "On November 21, 2014, on that fateful day, my principal travelled out of town and he detailed me to be within town.
"The gardener and other domestic staff were also around within the premises. The house is at Aso Drive Abuja.
"One of the gardeners, called Francis, called me on phone and told me that the defendant had called him on phone that I should accompany him (Francis) and another domestic staff, Esther, to the National Security Adviser's office at the Villa.
"And not too long after, the defendant himself called me and told me the same thing.
"The driver named Kenneth was directed to drive us to the venue.
"We moved to the venue at Suleiman Barawo Street in the Villa.
"While at the venue, the driver, Kenneth, and the gardener, Francis, were asked to stay in the compound while I and Esther walked into the building.
"We identified ourselves as personnel of the defendant.
"The staff in the office asked who was Victor. I answered I was the one.
"They asked me to tender my identity card and I did.
"The man in the office brought out a paper and asked me to endorse it on behalf of the defendant.
"The sum of the N26m was written on the document for the defendant.
"I initially decided not to endorse the document on behalf of the defendant.
"But the man in the office insisted that since I was the policeman I should be the one to endorse the document, so I signed it.
"The man in the office brought out the sum of N26m in N1,000 denominations, and put it in one 'Ghana-Must-Go' bag. He gave it to us, Esther and I, for the defendant.
"We took it out of the office and beckoned on Francis and Kenneth to take it to the booth.
"So we departed from the house and departed to house of the defendant with the money.
"On getting to the house, we took it inside the house.
“As of the time the money was taken to the house, the defendant had not returned. As I said earlier he had travelled out of town."
The PW-1 told the court that Fani-Kayode, upon his return to Abuja, invited him and others involved in moving the money home and thanked them.
"The defendant had called me on phone and told me to ensure maximum security within the house until his arrival.
"On the same day, at about 11pm, the defendant returned. When the defendant returned from his journey, he acknowledged the money and he sent for us, myself, Esther and thanked us.
"Subsequently I was invited by the EFCC. On getting to the office of the EFCC, I was asked if I ever worked with the defendant and I said yes.
"While answering the question, the personnel brought out the document that I signed at the Office of the National Security Adviser on November 21, 2014.
"There and then I was made to write a statement", he added.
Meanwhile, counsel to the defendant, Mr. Wale Balogun, applied for an adjournment to enable him to cross-examine the witness.
Consequently, trial Justice John Tsoho adjourned the matter till June 6.
The former Minister who was the Director of Media and Publicity in the campaign team of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2015 election, is facing a five-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him over alleged N26m fraud.
He was accused of illegally receiving N26million from the detained former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd, before the election to organise media campaign for Jonathan.
EFCC maintained the he committed an offence contrary to section 17(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 17(b) of the same Act.
Three men were convicted on Tuesday by a Swedish court in connection with the rape of a Swedish woman that was broadcast live on Facebook earlier this year.
Two of the men, aged 18 and 21 who came to Sweden as minors from Afghanistan were convicted of rape, according to the ruling by the district court in Uppsala, North of Stockholm.
The younger man received a one-year prison term.
The court reduced his sentence by one year due to his age, while the 21-year-old was sentenced to two years and four months.
He was also convicted of minor drugs offences.
The two said the woman had voluntary sex with them after they had met at a night spot in Uppsala.
The court rejected that, saying the prosecutors had showed that the woman had been in a "vulnerable state" due to a high level of intoxication from alcohol and drugs.
"It is not possible for a person in such a vulnerable situation to give their consent," judge Nils Palbrant said in a comment.
A 24-year-old Swedish national was handed a six-month term over being an accessory to rape of failing to intervene to stop a rape and for slander as he filmed the attack with a mobile phone and made derogatory statements about the victim.
The court ruled that the crime was "aggravated as the film clip received widespread attention in Sweden and abroad, and caused great harm to the injured party."
The three men, who denied the charges, were arrested after police were alerted to the Jan. 22 crime that was filmed and live-streamed for a private group on Facebook.
In addition to prison terms, the court ordered them to pay damages totalling 330,000 kronor (37,400 dollars) to the unnamed woman.
During the course of the trial, prosecutors said they received a complete film clip from Facebook showing the incident, arguing it strengthened their case.
Testimony from several witnesses who saw the live stream was also part of the case.
At the closing of the trial, the prosecutors also dropped an initial request that the two younger men should be deported to Afghanistan, if convicted.
Most of the trial was held behind closed doors.
The court ordered that the identity of the victim, a woman in her 30s, remained sealed.
