Lagos lawyer threatens Buhari with suit over change of title

A Lagos-based lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, has faulted the decision of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to drop his military title of Major General after May 29 swearing in date, arguing that it is illegal and immoral. He, therefore, threatened to drag Buhari to court.

In a statement in Lagos, Adegboruwa contended that it will be unlawful for him to take such decision now, having enjoyed all benefits attached to that title as a former military officer and head of state.

According to him, “by virtue of Paragraph 1(1) of the 1st Schedule of the Armed Forces Pensions Act, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) is entitled to, and has indeed been receiving and benefiting from pension, as an officer who held a regular commission, before his retirement.

“Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) is the official and legal status, title, designation and appellation of our President-elect. He has no choice in the matter, but to continue to carry this cross for life.

“The military world over is a dignified institution, built on discipline, selflessness, courage, dignity, loyalty and patriotism.

“It is an institution that everyone should be proud of, except those of them who were trained and equipped by this noble institution, but chose to capture civilian power, through coup d’etat.

“Buhari attends the Council of State meetings as former Head of State, which office he held in his capacity as a Major-General, which officially qualifies him to earn some benefits, have security aides, salaries, emoluments, diplomatic passports as well as free medical treatment, home and abroad.

“From all the foregoing, I therefore humbly appeal to the President-elect to continue to bear his official name and status, by which he once climbed to power. I do sincerely sympathise with him on the very sad and distasteful memories that this title attracts to him. But it is his cross to carry.

“Nigerians voted for him in spite of his past and that should be enough encouragement for him to strive to erase any negative impression that it may have occasioned.”

Buhari is in order—Falana

Another Lagos lawyer and activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), disagreed with Mr. Adegboruwa, saying “Buhari’s decision is normal. General Obasanjo did the same thing. He was referred to as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

“There is nothing wrong in that. In the real sense of it, he remains a General. However, when you become an elected President, you cannot continue to be addressed as a General in a democracy. We cannot have a General in a democracy.

“Even his (Buhari) ADC, under the constitution, shall be a police officer not below the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police. Section 419 of the Police Act states this.
“The parade of the military as ADC by Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan is not part of our constitution.”

His wishes must be respected —Ubani, ex-NBA boss

Also arguing in support of Mr. Falana, former Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Ikeja branch, Mr. Monday Ubani said: “What Buhari did is right.

“If you are filling a form and you are requested to put your name as you want to be addressed, you may decide not to answer Barrister Ubani, but just Ubani or M. O. Ubani.

“What the President-elect wants is uniformity in addressing him as President Muhammadu Buhari, not Alhaji, or General. So, as somebody who wants to operate under a democratic dispensation, he decided to put aside all the military toga.

Our son hacked to death for confronting herbalist —Bereaved family

Mama Imaobong Titus refused to be consoled. She asked hysterically: Why did my son have to die?

The  cause of her anguish  is the  hacking to death of her first son and the breadwinner of the family,   Itoro, allegedly by a herbalist, Ette Okon Friday, following a misunderstanding.

Rita Emmanuel,   a cousin of the   deceased, a commercial motor cyclist, told the story of the murder. According to her, Itoro  lived with his parents in their   grass house   in  Ikot Abasi Effiom, in Akpabuyo Local Government Area   of Cross River State until he  rented a room in a house nearly in order to have more space since his wife was about to give birth. “About a month ago, he decided to rent  a room in the next street so that his wife who was about to deliver a baby could have more space and we all agreed that it was okay. He  got a room in  Ette Friday’s house and moved there”.

Rita explained that  everything was going on well until Ndarake, Itoro’s wife, gave birth and the baby died within  days. After  the death of the baby, the wife, according to the cousin, took  ill, suffering  epileptic seizures. Naturally, the  husband became agitated. Consequently, Friday, described as  a herbalist, was said to have claimed he could heal the woman and demanded for 5,000 naira which Itoro raised and gave to him.

Rita narrated that after Friday collected the money, he   assured that the wife would soon recover and commenced treatment. Later   that night, however, when the young man came back from work, he met his wife in a bad state and demanded to know from Friday, why the situation of his wife was growing worse instead of improving. This allegedly angered the herbalist who was said to have gone  into his shrine   and brought out a machete with which he cut  Itoro’s  throat.

Her words: “Last year, Itoro lost his first wife after she gave birth to their second daughter; so he   was worried that his second wife taking care of the two children was going to die too. He asked the herbalist why the state of his wife was getting worse when it ought to be improving since the man had been given the money he demanded and he assured that he would treat the woman . The man did not say anything; he simply went inside his shrine and brought out a machete   and cut Itoro’s   throat”.

A resident, who gave his name as Monday, said when people heard    Itoro’s cries that night, they rushed to the herbalist’s house and  met Itoro   in   a pool of blood. According to him, when  the herbalist saw them, he  threatened them with machete. This, he said, angered the residents who overpowered him, cut his throat, dumped the body   inside the shrine and set the place ablaze.
“The remains of the herbalist were eaten by dogs which he deserves because we could not  understand why he should kill a young man for asking why the state of his wife   whom he was treating was worsening   rather than improving”.

Mr. Luis Samba, the Divisional Police Officer for Akpabuyo, said the matter had been transferred to the homicide unit of the Cross River State Police Command  in Calabar. Mr Hogan Bassey, the spokesman  for the Command, said  the matter was being investigated.

Credit: Vanguard

Armed robbery suspect arrested on wedding day

Oyo State Police Command  arrested a suspected  member of a robbery gang on his wedding day.
Olumide Asiyanbi, 42,  told newsmen that nemesis caught up with him when he was at the registry to sign the dotted lines.

The police alleged he was a member of  a six-man-robbery gang who had  terrorised residents of Challenge area of Ibadan, the state capital.
The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Katsina, said the suspects included  a 62-year-old Ghanaian.

Asiyanbi  confessed that he had been involved in 10 different robbery attacks before he was arrested.
He said, “I was arrested on my wedding day. I met the gang leader, James Agba, last year. He told me  he knew how we could be getting regular money. He then initiated me into the gang. I have taken part in at least 10 operations since I joined them.

“We  used gun but I don’t know where James was buying them. Sulaimon and Alhaji, who are also in the gang, knew how the guns were bought for our operations. I have fired shots at our targets but nobody was killed.”

Credit: Vanguard

Jonathan, Sambo, others to declare assets within 30 days

With five days to the end of President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, the President, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, 29 governors and 42 ministers have been asked by the Code of Conduct Bureau to declare their assets, SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively reports.

Also on the list of public officials who must declare their assets before leaving office are the country’s 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.

The bureau, last week, issued the Completed Assets Declaration Forms to them with a 30-day deadline to return the completed forms. The deadline countdown starts from the day of the receipt of the forms.

Apart from the outgoing government officials, the forms have also been made available to incoming public officers, particularly members of the states and National Assembly.

The officers that will be assuming office in the incoming dispensation also have to return the completed forms within 30 days of receiving it.

The CCB, in an advertorial by its Acting Secretary, Kolade Omoyola, in some newspapers last Tuesday, had reminded “political office holders to declare their assets on assumption and vacation of office in accordance with Paragraph II of the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”

According to the law quoted by the CCB, failure of a public officer to declare his or her assets in line with law “shall attract on conviction any or all of the following: (a) Removal from office (b) Disqualification from holding any public office, (c) Forfeiture to the state any property acquired in abuse of office or dishonesty.”

Jonathan had, last year, rejected calls on public office holders to declare their assets openly, before and after office. According to the President, public declaration of assets is “playing to the gallery.”

The President said this during his third presidential media chat in Aso Villa, Abuja. The President emphasised that no amount of pressure would make him declare what he owned. He argued that making his assets public knowledge would not change the economy or solve the challenges in the security, power and agriculture sectors.

He added that as Vice-President to the late President Musa Yar’Adua, he declared his assets then because Yar’Adua forced him to.

Yar’Adua is the only Nigerian President known to have declared his assets.

Jonathan had said, “The issue of public assets declaration is a matter of personal principle. That is the way I see it, and I don’t give a damn about it, even if you criticise me from heaven. When I was the vice-president, that matter came up, and I told the former President (late Musa Yar’Adua) that let’s not start something that would make us play into the hands of people and create an anomalous situation in the country.

“The law is clear. A public officer should declare his assets, and if there are issues, then the relevant agencies would have a basis to assess whether you have amassed wealth or not. When it is said that people should declare their assets in public, it is not only the president or the vice-president; it includes everybody, including ministers.

“When I was a governor in Bayelsa State for about a year before becoming vice-president, I was investigated thoroughly. I have nothing to hide. But because I was under somebody and it was becoming an issue, because of the media, and because my boss had declared, it was said that the vice-president must. I declared, not because I wanted to.”

“Initially, I said they can talk about it from morning to night, I will not. It is not proper. If one amends the law to say that only the president and the vice-president should declare assets publicly, fine. But, presently, everybody who is holding political office is expected to and I say it is not right.”

SUNDAY PUNCH further gathered that so far, only seven senators and 40 House of Representatives members in the outgoing 7th National Assembly have submitted their forms to the bureau as required of them under the law.

Our correspondent also learnt that two of the 42 ministers have also completed and submitted their forms.

It could not be confirmed on Friday whether President Jonathan, Sambo and the governors had submitted their completed forms.

Identities of those who had complied with the provisions of the law under Paragraph II of the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria could not be ascertained as of press time.

The Governors of Rivers and Kogi states, however, confirmed receipt of the declaration forms.

The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Tony Okocha, told SUNDAY PUNCH that Governor Rotimi Amaechi would soon submit his assets declaration form to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Okocha said he was aware that his boss received the form.

“The Governor Rotimi Amaechi that I know will submit his form to the bureau very soon. He has no skeleton in his cupboard and has nothing to hide anywhere in Nigeria and anywhere in the world,” Okocha stressed.

The Special Adviser to the Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, on Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, also said the governor, his deputy, commissioners and all political appointees in the state had submitted the forms they collected to the bureau.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Ilorin on Saturday, he said, “Regarding the submission of the assets declaration form, the governor is not at fault; the commissioners and all other relevant political office holders are not at fault.”

In the same vein, Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, told our correspondent that Ajimobi had no intention of hiding his assets from the CCB. He said the governor had demonstrated uprightness and honesty as a public servant and that having declared his asset before he became a governor, he would not shy away from doing it again.

He said, “He certainly will. Don’t forget that Ajimobi was one of the few public office holders who declared his assets publicly in 2011.”

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Peter Okhiria, said the form had been submitted by the governor prior to his swearing in, as stipulated by law.

“In fact, before the governor was sworn in, he submitted the form,” Okhiria told one of our correspondents on the telephone.

In Akwa Ibom, Governor Godswill Akpabio’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Anietie Ukpe, refused to disclose if the governor had collected the form.

He said, “If my boss filled the assets declaration form, is it supposed to be made public?”

Credit: PUNCH

US behind Kashamu’s house arrest—FG

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), said on Saturday that the house arrest which the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency placed on the Ogun-East Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu, was informed by a recent extradition request by the United States of America.

Adoke told one of our correspondents on the telephone on Saturday that the request came last week.

On May 6, the minister had disclosed to one of our correspondents that there was no extradition request for Buruji by the US.

Adoke said this while responding to a suit filed by Kashamu to restrain the NDLEA and 13 others from extraditing him to the US.

“The request came shortly after I spoke with you. It came last week,” he said.

He said immediately his office received the request it was passed to the appropriate organ of government for implementation.

The implementation process involves filing an extradition request before the appropriate division of the Federal High Court.

Responding to further inquiry, he confirmed that he was referring to the NDLEA as the appropriate organ of government to take up the extradition request.

“Of course, it is a drug-related offence and the appropriate government agency that handles such cases is the NDLEA,” Adoke said.

The NDLEA confirmed the confinement of the movement of Kashamu to his Lagos residence on Oladipo Street, Lekki Phase 1 pending his appearance in court on Monday (tomorrow).

The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Michael Ofoyeju, said the action was to perfect his extradition to the US for drug-related charges.

In a statement sent via email to one of our correspondents by the spokesperson for the agency, Michael Ofoyeju, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, was quoted as saying the operation was in line with the legal process of extradition.

The statement further quoted Giade thus, “The agency has commenced extradition procedures against Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu in line with the laws of country. He has been in contact with his attorneys and will appear in court on Monday.”

He also confirmed that the residence of Kashamu was raided by the operatives of the agency at about 5am on Saturday.

No fewer than 10 operatives of the agency were said to have invaded the Lagos residence of Kashamu, around 5am on Saturday to effect his arrest following a purported extradition request from the United States on drug- related charges.

They were said to be heavily armed and were ruthless.

As soon as they stormed his residence, SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that some of the NDLEA operatives brought out a yellow tape and cordoned off the area, while others went straight to the gate.

After they (operatives) reportedly knocked on Kashamu’s gate, his security men were alerted about their mission.

Kashamu’s security men at this point demanded the arrest warrant from the NDLEA men but they could not produce any.

Based on this, they were prevented from entering the residence.

However, this action was said to have infuriated the NDLEA officials who stormed the compound after destroying the gate.

The media aide to Kashamu, Austin Oniyokor, in a statement made available to our correspondent on Saturday, explained that the NDLEA operatives after they had forcibly entered the compound, headed for the living rooms and began to destroy all the doors one after other, in a desperate move to arrest Kashamu.

An NDLEA source said they (operatives) closed in on the bedroom of the PDP chief who was said to have threatened to commit suicide if the agency tried to extradite him to the US forcibly.

Oniyokor described the latest onslaught on his principal as a confirmation of the alleged plot to illegally abduct him despite the pending suit against his abduction.

Oniyokor, however, accused a Peoples Democratic Party leader, Chief Bode George, as being behind the onslaught against his boss, “in a bid to score cheap political points.”

He said he is doing this through his wife who is the Director-General of the agency.

“We urge all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on NDLEA, Chief George and his wife to toe the path of the rule of law and follow due process.

“Nigeria is not a Banana republic. The United States being the bastion of democracy, the rule of law and due process, should not lend itself to this kind of illegality.”

However, George, who spoke to one of our correspondents from the United Kingdom On Saturday, described the allegation as a ‘huge joke.’

The PDP leader said he did not have the power to give his wife orders because she was not the chairman of the NDLEA and the agency adheres to due process.

He said no right thinking Nigerian would believe that he was behind Kashamu’s ordeal because his name had never been mentioned before now. He added that he had never been involved in Ogun State politics before and wondered how Kashamu’s detention could benefit him (George).

He said, “I don’t understand what this is all about. How does Kashamu’s arrest affect the price of milk? My wife is not the chairman of the NDLEA, so how can I give her orders when she has a boss? Also, that agency always follows due process.

“I am happy that the NDLEA has issued a statement to the effect that Kashamu’s arrest has nothing to do with me or politics. I do not dabble into Ogun State politics.

“Kashamu is like a younger brother to me and he is not known to speak in such a manner. I am sure it is his media adviser that concocted this falsehood.”

Credit: PUNCH

I fight my wife “Iya Hafusa” a lot –Reminisce “Baba Hafusa”

Nigerian rapper, Reminisce has opened up on his relationship with his wife of 13 years saying they fight a lot but she remains his friend and only love.

Speaking with The Punch, Reminisce said, ‘My wife and I fight a lot, we argue every time but she is my friend and I love her a lot.

She acts like a man and she is my best friend. We don’t see ourselves as husband and wife. I believe she is the only person I can live with and she is the only one that can look out for me.’

Speaking further, the 34 year old rapper, whose album, Baba Hafusa has found itself on Billboard World Album Chart and iTunes World Album chart, said ‘I value her opinion because she had been with me before I became popular and she really knows me.

She is a nice person and everybody is always comfortable around her.

‘Not many people know that I have been married for over 13 years because I do not announce it.

I choose to let people know whatever I feel they should know at whatever time I feel it is appropriate.

She understands my job and knows that I have to do certain things in order to make money.’ he said.

He forced me to abort 5 Pregnacies –Wife

A 51-year old tricyclist, Adetunji Adedoyin on Friday pleaded with a Lagos Island Customary Court to dissolve his 13-year-old marriage to his wife, one Yetunde Adedoyin, citing infidelity and threat to his life.

The petitioner who lives at 147, Tokunbo Street, Lagos Island, also alleged before the court that his wife was pregnant for another man while she was still living in his house.

“My wife was on admission at the hospital and I was visiting her there every day.

“But during one of my visits, one of the hospital cleaners told me that my wife was pregnant and that a particular man was always coming to see her also.

“I got annoyed because my wife told me she was suffering from malaria attack.

“After confirming the truth, I fought with the doctor for colluding with my wife. However the police arrested me but later released me same day.

“My wife aborted the pregnancy so that peace could return to our family as it were before. However, my wife kept visiting her man-friend,” he said.

Adetunji also told the court that his wife had had a son for another man before they were married and she was always going to the child’s father to collect his school fees.

“One day, she did not return home till 1:00 a.m., under the pretext that she had gone to collect her son’s school fees.

“Few weeks later, she felt sick and a test carried out at a medical laboratory confirmed that she was pregnant. I know that I am not responsible for the pregnancy which is now four months’ old.

“Also, I would not be the father of the unborn child because I have not had sexual intercourse with her since December 2014. She has only a two-year old child for me. I want the court to dissolve the marriage because I cannot condole her wayward life again,” he said.

Adetunji also told the court that his wife had threatened to pour acid into his tea.

While responding, the wife, Yetunde Adedoyin, 35, a trader, told the court that her husband wanted the marriage dissolved because she stopped giving him money she got from her previous marriage.

“My husband and I used to spend the money that I was collecting from the father of my first child.

“On some occasions, he would ask me to tell the man that his child needed to buy some things which were not true.

“But when the man stopped giving me money, problems started at home,” she said.

Yetunde told the court that she had aborted five times for her present husband alleging that he was always using the blood for his personal sanctification.

“Whenever I am pregnant, he would bring a nurse to the house to abort my pregnancy, and he would use the blood to rub his head after he had done some incisions.

“He has been begging me to abort this pregnancy but I refused. So, I am surprised to hear from him that he is not responsible for it and will not accept his responsibility as the father when the child is born.

“We made love two days ago and we still live together so it is not true for him to have said that it was last year we last made love,” she said.

She said that she still loved her husband because of the pregnancy she was carrying and denied ever threatening to pour acid on him.

The President, Chief Awos Awosola, told the couple to maintain the peace and adjourned the case to June 8 for further hearing.

 

Priests beaten to pulp as Enugu Govt battles Anglican Church

No fewer than six persons, including four Anglican priests, were on Friday allegedly beaten to stupor by some members a task-force working with the Enugu State Housing Corporation.

The victims were Reverends Collins Odoabuchi, Mbaka Peter, Eugene, and Maxwell Onyia.

Others members of the church affected were Ekpecha Okechukwu and Naomi Ibekwe.

The development, which is building up tension in Enugu, the state capital is coming one week to the end of Governor Sullivan Chime’s administration.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that trouble started when members of the task force, accompanied by armed policemen, invaded a parcel of land belonging to the Christ Church, Uwani, Anglican

Communion, sparking off anger from both clergymen and members of the church.

The Clerics were said to have tried to stop the Task force from carrying out the demolition exercise but were over powered by the government agents, who allegedly unleashed terror on the church leaders.

One of the victims, who gave her name as Naomi Ibekwe told journalists that she was hit with iron and hard objects, including stones, causing bruises and severe injuries on her.

But for the quick intervention of the State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Abubakar Adamu, who came physically to the scene, there would have been more casualties as the members of the task force insisted on going ahead with the exercise as allegedly directed by the state government.

Reacting to the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Mohammed, told the angry church leaders and their faithful that they should allow peace to reign as negotiation had begun.

“We have discussed with the church. If anybody is injured, we will not take it lightly. We have already asked that a formal report be made and we will follow it up. We have agreed on a peace move and we are following it up”, he stated.

Also speaking, the Priest in-charge of the Christ Church, Venerable N. Aghadi said,

“We have talked at length and discussed very progressively.

The Commissioner of Police is pleading that we should go home and rest.

He has promised that the matter is in good hands and that immediately the Archbishop returns, he will have meeting with him”.

However, a source told Saturday Vanguard that the state government revoked the land with an intention to build an estate christened “Transparency Estate”.

While the clash lasted on Friday, five bulldozers were being used to demolish the structures at the disputed land inside the church premises.

Findings by Saturday Vanguard showed that the Church was dedicated by His Grace, the Most Reverend C . J. Patterson, the then ArchBishop of West Africa and Bishop of the Niger in 1965.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Managing Director of the Enugu State Housing Corporation, Emeka Vitalis Onah, who led his team to the place, escaped being lynched by church members who had planned a reprisal attack.

Credit: Vanguard

7 reasons we love Actress Joke Silva

Over fifty years and still exuding great magnetic quality and radiant beauty, Joke Silva is a notable icon of the Nigerian movie industry.

A mother, an actress/director, a wife and partner to her husband at the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts and the pioneer managing director of Malete Film Village set up by the Kwara State University, it is a wonder how she juggles all her roles effectively.

We celebrate Joke Silva by sharing 7 attributes that make her an exemplary figure for Nigerian women.

1. Charisma: Joke Silva is one of the few women with an attractive personality just by the reason of being true to herself.

She carries herself with dignity while her charming smile draws one to her. From her beautiful personality, she exudes her capacity to influence and see the beauty in living.

2. Icon of the Nigerian Movie Industry: She is known as the “Silva” lining of the Nigerian Movie Industry. With the coming of Joke Silva and her husband, Olu Jacobs into the Nigerian Movie scene came something new and different.

Joke Silva and her husband were able to reinvent themselves as the light of change dawned on Nollywood.

The history of Nollywood cannot be complete without the mention of this great woman, and her husband, that has contributed in no small measure to lifting the industry to greater heights.

3. Her marriage: Her marriage has lasted for 27 years and is waxing stronger every day. Joke Silva would be one of the first persons to say that marriage is not an institution for the fainthearted.

She believes that for marriage to work and last for years, each party – man and woman must work consistently at it. She is not in support of women going through emotional hardship because society places the bulk of saving a marriage on her. ”Men have a part to play too,” she convincingly states.

There were rumors at a time that her marriage with Olu Jacobs was heading for the rocks, but they silenced all doubts by renewing their vows in 2012.

She talks about her husband as if she just met him yesterday. So far, we see a woman who has built up her home and we wish the couple more years of life and love on earth.

4. Aging gracefully: Joke Silva can easily pass for a woman in her early 40s as she still looks lovely and radiant even in her 50s.

When asked if there was a secret to her staying ageless, she says she has no beauty secret and that it has been “God who has been helping me”

5. A mentor: She nurtures upcoming actresses to become the best in the field. She is a role model and mentor to many entertainers in her field.

She works with Project Fame as the principal of the academy and as the Pioneer MD of Malete Film Village in Kwara, she has proven that building her trade skills in others is very important to her. She also serves as the Director of Studies at the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.

6. A great actress: She came into the acting industry in 1981 and had her first break in the English movie titled ’Mind Bending’ in 1990 and ‘Owurolojo’ in 1993.

Since then she has not looked back. Joke has received several awards and nominations for her works as an actress including awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2006 and Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2008.

When asked to recall how many movies she has featured in since the start of her career, it wa a surprise to learn that her total is about 40 movies because she is very selective of the scripts she accepts.

Now a director, she features in fewer movies. But Nigerians will always see her as one of the great actresses of our time.

7. Stylish: Her fashion style is usually a mix of elegance and casual. She likes to be ready for anything to happen.

As a trained actress, her ability to always be ready for performance is crucial but she does not lose her elegance in the process.

Her smile is always a ready accessory that complements perfectly anything she puts on.

Culled

Dele Momodu writes President Jonathan as he leaves office

He titled it, Go Ye Well, President Jonathan

Our dear President, please permit me to write my last epistle to you as our leader and Commander-in-Chief. By this time next week, I expect you to have flown back to Yenagoa via Port Harcourt. How I wish I could have the opportunity of being on that last trip, not to mock you but to capture your swinging moods in those few moments of realising that the end has come eventually. I would love to know how many of your big friends would take the pain to follow you or if most would abandon you to your fate and move on pronto to the new brides. Even as a writer with what I believe is vivid imagination, I’m not able to paint a picture of the sort of life or future that awaits you in Otuoke, Yenagoa, Abuja, Chad, Germany, Dubai or wherever you decide to hibernate in the short or long run.

Let us give thanks to God no matter the situation. You have been the luckiest man I know in Nigeria or anywhere else for that matter. You have been in high office for the past 16 years and I doubt if any other soul has had such uncommon favour. Therefore, it shouldn’t be any big deal to you, Sir. Though as a human being, one would still expect that you would feel the pain of rejection and dejection as they usually walk hand-in-hand like romantics do. It is sad that it had to end like this despite many warnings and prophesies foretold by me and a few others.

I’m not sure you saw or read any or all of the open letters published on this very page in the last five years or so. It was not that I was a busybody but I was genuinely concerned about the many afflictions that have kept our nation backward for so long. And my hope was that you would be able to fulfil a sizable proportion of your electoral promises of 2011. But that was not to be. Rather, your government waltzed from one crisis to another while you allowed yourself to be scammed by the scavengers of power who litter our political landscape.

All the appeals I made in good faith were rebuffed and pummelled by some of your aides, friends and supporters but I did not mind them because I knew a day like this would come when I would sadly have the chance to say I told you so, even though it was my fervent wish that it would not happen that way. I am never one to gloat over somebody’s misfortune and I will not do so now although I have been proved right.

However, the time has finally come to rewind and remind you of those efforts a few of us made to avert the sort of repercussions that we are now witnessing. How I wished you had listened at the time. Those who called us unprintable names and lied through their teeth that you’ve truly transformed Nigeria more than any other Nigeria have since abandoned ship. For me and my house, it is a grand opportunity for us to see man in his true colour and in animal skin. I have decided to revisit those letters hoping the incoming government would learn useful lessons from your example and avoid similar pitfalls.

It is perfectly normal for governments to get drowned in the cacophony of adulations from soldiers of fortune that have no scruples, and feel no remorse, about running their country aground. But to everything there is always a season and a reason. We cannot rule out the hands of destiny in the affairs of homo sapiens. That probably explains the obduracy of your government to take on board all reasonable advice.

I will now quote as copiously as time and space permits from some of the letters I wrote to you with religious fervour. The first passage comes from My Kobo Advice For Mr President (ThisDay 08 December 2012): “Sir, let me say emphatically that the biggest problem with Nigerian leaders is that once they attain power, they vacate this earth and migrate to another planet far away from fellow citizens. Leaders are elected to serve the people but in Nigeria we are compelled to serve our leaders… This is why it is difficult for most of you to know what goes on in the real world…

“I have decided to adopt a new approach in my column. I will take it upon myself to write this open letter as regularly as necessary and proffer solutions to different issues, in the hope that you will get to read it. I will tell you what your aides will never tell you. It is up to you to carefully read what I write and take your own decision. Let it be said that we told you but did nothing about it… I’m convinced that if you know the magnitude of problems confronting Nigerians you will work harder and change your style of governance unless you’re determined to fail spectacularly like others before you. I pray this will not be your portion…”

Sir, on March 1, 2014, I wrote My 20 Billion Advice to C-in-C. I doubt if you saw or read that as well but I will recap for the sake of this historical excursion:

“Our dear Commander-in-Chief, I write to you today with a bleeding heart. These past weeks have been extremely bloody in some parts of Nigeria. Every time I think of it, I get the feeling that those parts are not part of us. They belong elsewhere, probably in some remotest corner of the world. Those hapless and helpless citizens cannot be our own the way that we’ve allowed them to be treated. They are total strangers in a foreign land. As such, we’ve not been able to offer them the protection they deserve and the succour they desire. They have been manacled, mangled, massacred so mercilessly and ruthlessly. They’ve been butchered like rams in abattoirs. I’ve seen lurid pictures of fresh corpses and bodies of innocent victims sent to early graves without reason…

“Sir, please don’t get me wrong. I’m not blaming you for this unprecedented crisis. It did not begin under your watch, although some may claim, uncharitably perhaps, that it has escalated under it. I cannot reasonably suggest that you’re uncaring and nonchalant about this monumental tragedy. I think the problem is that of miscommunication, as is so often the case with your administration and this has been amplified by your body language. The problem of this magnitude requires a more resolute and concerted response. You cannot treat cancer with Paracetamol…

“In seeking to secure another term in office, you have allowed some people to amass enemies on your behalf. They did not know how to persuade people with reason and dialogue as demanded by democracy… Every critic must be stricken down and criminalised by the attack-dogs. They dissipate energy on irrelevant things while the roof is on fire… This is what has led to the implosion and conflagration in your party, PDP…”

On March 29, 2014, I painted the following scenario about how the election of 2015 would pan out (it was titled The Anatomy of APC and PDP 2):

“The way it stands is that PDP is poised to present President Jonathan without any shade of doubt. The PDP primary is going to be a rubber-stamp and a coronation at once. They are not about to leave certainty for uncertainty. Ideally Jonathan’s re-election would have been an easy walkover but not anymore. He now has many forces to contend with. The first is lack of physical development or visible performance on ground. Four years are more than enough for a serious and determined government to set a new tone and tempo for true transformation or transfiguration. What we are witnessed is too much movement but so little motion.

“Secondly, he has also brought the roof crashing down by not trudging the path of frugality that was laid by his dearly departed boss, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. The simplicity of his boss was hurriedly jettisoned for a psychedelic style of governance. ..

“Thirdly, the President’s inability to deal concretely with the grave security threats and everyday carnage may turn out to be his major albatross… The fourth problem the President now has to face is how to neutralise the combined strength of the new opposition called APC. He can no longer gloss over the danger they pose to his second coming. As a scientist, I’m sure the President understands that politics is a game of numbers… Relying on election rigging is becoming obsolete and increasingly difficult. Social media and mobile telephony are breaking down those walls that aided electoral malfeasance in our recent past…”

Please, let’s fast forward a bit. On October 18, 2014, I wrote what many have termed a most defining article I called In Search of Mathematicians:

“Let’s break it down into simple Maths. Jonathan had a good spread scoring 25% or more in 31 States. Buhari managed to score 25% or more in 16 States and yet got a cumulative result of over 12 million votes. A good Mathematician should be able to help us here because I wish to show our President’s handlers that they will pay heavily for complacency if they assume and take it for granted that they can beat Buhari easily like PDP had always done in the past…

“My free advice to the Jonathan campaigner is simple; stop projecting our President as a sectional leader whose only qualification is where he comes from. Stop raining insults on Northerners and avoid maligning innocent Muslims. The religious card you wish to play will never play out in favour of President Jonathan… Our President’s handlers should worry more about how the goodwill of 2011 got frittered away in such a jiffy. Above all, they should urgently search for competent Mathematicians. Believe me, the figures are no longer adding up…”

Sir, from the above, which represents only a few of the strident appeals I made for you to rise above the babble of your so-called adherents and listen to the real people who wished you well, you could see that I tried my best for you. I warned of the danger signals and the portending clouds of doom overhanging your administration and the campaign it was pursuing but I was dismissed as an alarmist. I was labelled with many names and tags by your Party attack dogs, false devotees and even obviously sponsored internet trolls who effectively said I was a rabid supporter of what had been a lost cause before and would be a losing cause in the imminent elections.

Nevertheless, I persevered as did a few others, not because of anything other than that your success in government would be the success of Nigeria and that is what is most important to the generality of the good citizens of this country.

The rest is history. What has happened is the inability of your team to read the mood of the nation and make the necessary sacrifices. All religions speak about the efficacy of hearkening to admonitions. In the Ifa literary corpus of the Yoruba there are examples of those who called the Oracle a liar and suffered dire consequences. My ardent prayer for the incoming government of Buhari and Osinbajo is that they will not depart from listening to the sincere voices of their passionate Nigerian followers. They will not take our people for granted and they will not treat them with impunity or claim they know what is best for them when the people do not feel the same way.

As for you Mr President you have run your race in government. God has been kind to you even at the end by giving you the grace to realise that you should concede defeat and congratulate your opponent. That has turned out to be an astute decision, a masterstroke and possibly the best thing that may ever have happened to you in all these lucky years of being at the helm of affairs of our great nation.

At the end of it all, I will leave you with this Ifa verse:

“Baba alawo a ku

Onisegun a rorun,,,” meaning the Oracle will die, the herbalist too must depart this world and in effect “everything must have an end”.

You came, you saw and it is left to history to determine whether you conquered.

I wish you the best as always.

Olu Jacob speaks on what has kept him attracted to his wife, Joke Sylva, of 30 years

Veteran Nollywood Actor, Olu Jacob in a new interview with the nation spoke on what has kept him interested and attracted to his wife of over 30 years, Joke Sylva.

According to the actor, his wife never goes out without him having the last word on her dressing. He says he’s his wife’s last mirror.

“She has not let go. She has not let go her loving and charming self. She still makes her hair, does her make-up, dresses well and still looks beautiful. That is the staying power. I am her last mirror. My wife does not go out without my last comment. After dressing up and looking at herself in the mirror, she still believes in me. She turns to me and asks how she looks every time she has an event and I just look at her and tell her she is smashing”

Wiz Khalifa reveals title of his next album

International star, Wiz Khalifa, has announced on Twitter the title of his next album, “Rolling Papers 2: The Weed Album”.

The album comes four years after his Rolling Papers album. “Rolling Papers 2: The Weed Album” will be its sequel.

The first Rolling Papers was released in 2011 on Rostrum Records and Atlantic Records.

Wiz Khalifa was not impressed with the way Rolling Papers turned out.

“The mistake I made on Rolling Papers was thinking it was time to move on from that genre not knowing that it had impacted people so much. The album did great numbers, but creatively wasn’t my best work,” he wrote on his Tumblr in 2012.

No release date has been announced for Rolling Papers 2: The Weed Album yet.

NDLEA speaks on Buruji Kashamu’s house arrest

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on May 23rd, 2015 placed Senator-elect Buruji Kashamu from Ogun State under house arrest. This is sequel to a formal request for extradition received from the Embassy of the United States of America pending his arraignment before the Federal High Court on Monday, May 25th.

Kashamu has been a target of both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for over 20 years and was indicted in the Northern District of Illinois, United States on charges brought against him by ICE.

Kashamu, who U.S. court documents allege was known in his days as the leader of a prolific heroin trafficking ring based in Chicago, Illinois as “God,” “Daddy,” and “Kasmal,” is wanted to stand trial on charges of conspiracy and importation of controlled substances, namely heroin, into the United States dating back to 1994.

Kashamu, who holds dual Nigerian/Beninese citizenship, has taken multiple preemptive actions to thwart U.S. extradition efforts such as making fanciful claims that his is a case of mistaken identity, and that his deceased brother is responsible for the crimes he is being sought after in the United States.

Kashamu has filed injunctions in federal court both in the Northern District of Illinois, United States and in Nigeria to prevent his arrest and prosecution. At the time of his arrest, NDLEA officers allowed Kashamu’s legal attorneys – Daniel Onamusi and Barrister Oloyede – and close family members including his wife and adult daughters to speak with him and attest to his well-being.

The NDLEA has assured Kashamu that he will be afforded all the protections of the law and will be given his day in court.

Assertions that he will be bundled up under cover of darkness and whisked out of the country are untrue and should not be given any credence. We expect Kashamu as a senator-elect to demonstrate confidence in the Nigerian judicial system and not insinuate otherwise.

Ofoyeju Mitchell Head, Public Affairs

“Why I advised my son not to marry a Nigerian woman” – Gov. Oshiomole’s mother Rlreveals.

Mother of Governor Adams Oshiomole, Hajia Aishetu Oshiomhole has revealed why she told her son not to marry a Nigerian woman and that she is happy he conceded her advise and married Lara Fortes. Speaking to Vanguard, Hajia Aishetu said Gov. Oshiomole’s new wife is very accomodating, understanding and also hardworking:

“I supported him to marry a foreigner so that the relationship between my son and his children will remain cordial. Our Nigerian women will go and destroy the family just because they want property.

That was the main reason I supported him to marry a foreigner when he told me about it. So I am happy about it. Besides, the new wife is a very good woman. She behaves like Comrade's late wife. Very accommodating, understanding and hard working. And you know my son travels a lot as a governor.
He needs a woman who understands his work and that is the kind of wife he married. She is just like Clara.

Normally, people spend two years or less before they marry again but Comrade decided to wait for five years due to the love he had for his late wife. And Clara was a good person, very lovely and nice to all of us. So we supported Comrade for taking time to re-marry because we loved Clara.

Comrade and the former wife lived very happily, there was no quarrel, nothing at all and that was why he mourned for five years. I am happy that he brought a wife that will bring him and the children together”.

Cousin to the governor, and also traditional ruler of Iyamho community, HRH Bashiru Itameso also said:

“I was happy seeing him remarry. I am happy because I never wanted him to marry a Nigerian because our people are wicked. I prefer it that he married a foreigner. If he had married a Nigerian, in-laws will come and start troubling him.

They will start tearing themselves apart for materials things and that will create serious problem between Comrade and his children. We all supported him to marry a foreigner”.

As fuel scarcity bites harder, MTN Nigeria may shut down within 24 hours as Arik Air cancels flights

Find below a notice from the Management of MTN saying that have low diesel supply and might shut down services in Nigeria within the next 24 hours if diesel isn’t available.

Diesel Scarcity Jeopardizes MTN Operations.

The Management of MTN states that the current diesel scarcity in most parts of Nigeria is posing a significant threat to quality of service and the ability to optimally operate the network.

According to the Corporate Services Executive, Akinwale Goodluck “Most of our base stations and switches are powered round-the-clock by Diesel Generators and the current fuel shortage has drastically reduced the availability of diesel supply to key locations”.

MTN’s available reserves of diesel are running low that the company must source for a significant quantity of diesel in the very near future to prevent a shut down of services across Nigeria. if diesel supplies are not received within the next 24 hours the network will be seriously degraded and customers will feel the impact.

MTN is working with all stakeholders to ensure services remain. MTN sincerely apologizes for any outages and inconvenience that may occur and seeks the understanding of customers at this time.

Management

Meanwhile, Arik Air have canceled most of their flights.

WHY I CAN’T AFFORD MY CHILDREN SCHOOL FEES -VAN VICKER

Handsome Ghanaian actor, Van Vicker, has disclosed that he is tired of the current electrical problem going on in his country as he has not been able to pay his children’s school fees.

According to the actor who was in tears while delivering his speech on May 16th, during the peaceful protest tagged ‘Dumsormuststop’ said he cannot use the little money he has on him to invest in buying of generator.

“I don’t see why my small cash I have; I should use it to buy a generator when I have school fees to pay. I am tired explaining to my kids why there is dumsor,” he told myjoyonline.

The actor, who was clearly fed up with the situation, said he does want his life to revolve around dumsor whereby he will have to call his friends first before going over to know if they have light.