WHY I DON'T WATCH NOLLYWOOD MOVIES - MERCY JOHNSON'S HUSBAND, ODIANOSEN OKOJIE

Husband to Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson, Odianosen Okojie, has disclosed that he had to do everything possible to ensure that he got the attention of his now wife Mercy.

He stated that he first met her on a flight from France and had tried to get her contact because he loved her attitude as she was different from others but she turned him down unlike some other rude actress.

Okojie explained that being a focused and a go-getter, he did everything possible to get Mercy’s contact which actually paid off later.

On whether he watches his wife’s movies, the building contractor said he doesn’t because he does not have the time to watch Nollywood movies but prefers to listen to news and watch football when he is less busy.

Abia Governor cuts own salary, travel allowance by 50%

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has announced the slashing of his salary and travel allowance by 50%.

Ikpeazu, who disclosed this Monday at the Government House Umuahia, while swearing in the state’s new Head of Service, Dr. Vivian Uma,  said he was deeply pained by his administration’s inability to pay salaries of workers as at when due following the dwindling federal allocation.

He said he had decided to personally identify with the suffering workers and would not lift the self imposed austerity until the salaries and allowances owed workers were cleared.

Some workers, especially those in the parastatals, as well as pensioners are being owed up to six months salaries.

The Governor, who is yet to move into the Government House, Umuahia, promised “to do everything possible” to  systematically defray the arrears of workers’ salaries.

He called on political  appointees to follow his example, stressing that there is need to cut down the cost of governance.

Meanwhile, he congratulated the new Head of Service on his appointment which he described as a milestone, saying that the appointment is part of his government’s desire to rejig  the civil service.

He charged civil servants in the state to be more proactive for the challenges ahead.

The Governor also charged the new HOS to fashion out innovative ways of doing things, especially in terms of increasing the Internally Generated Revenue of the state.

In his acceptance speech,  Dr. Uma promised to introduce new changes for efficient  service delivery,  adding that discipline and sound ethical conduct will be enthroned in the service under his watch.

Uma thanked Ikpeazu for giving him the opportunity to serve in that capacity and promised not to disappoint the people.

Credit: Punch

Nigeria police still operating on 1949 structure’

A former Chairman of the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, Maj. Gen. Ishola Williams (retd), has said the Nigeria police is still operating on its 1949 structure, hence its inability to provide security for elections in the country.

He therefore called for the scrapping of the Ministry of Police Affairs and canvassed for the placement of the force under the Ministry of Interior for effective supervision.

Speaking at a post-election management review organised by the CLEEN Foundation on Monday in Abuja, the retired military officer said it was not right for the National Security Adviser and the military to be involved in election security, stressing that this is not part of their business.

He said, “If well structured, Nigeria would have no problems with elections. States should organise their own polls, what is the business of INEC organising governorship elections? The Nigeria police is still based on 1949 structure and that is why it cannot provide election security.

“The Police affairs ministry should be scrapped and the Force placed under the interior ministry. It should have a Director-General in charge of intelligence and general investigation.”

Williams insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission erred by involving the NSA and soldiers in the 2015 polls, noting that in Ghana, for instance, there is a security coordinating committee that handles election security.

“In Ghana, they have the security coordinating committee which oversees election security; the NSA should not be involved (in elections) at all. When I saw their budget running into billions, I just shook my head and wondered what they are doing with such amount of money,” Williams stated.

According to him, the allegations of rigging that trailed Ekiti and Osun governorship elections should not have happened, noting that the deployment of soldiers for the polls should not have been done since other security agencies were available to assist the police in supervising the election.

Williams’ submission was however countered by Prof. Okey Ibeanu from INEC, who argued that the electoral agency had a basis in law for allowing the military to take part in election security.

He also defended the NSA’s involvement in the elections, stressing that its role was to coordinate the advisory from the various security agencies in the country, noting that the deployment of soldiers was to deter political thugs from disrupting the polls.

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase,  said there is a lot to be done in terms of organisation and securing the electoral process, adding that “this is the time to start planning for 2019 and other staggered elections like the governorship polls in Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo, Osun and Kogi States.”

Credit: Punch

Confusion in Ogun as passenger dies in taxi

Tragedy struck in Kemta-Idi Aba area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Monday morning as a passenger jerked suddenly and died inside a taxi on his way to buy herbal medicine.

The passenger, later identified as Michael Hogan, was said to have boarded the taxi from Odeda in Odeda Local Government and on his way to Idi Aba in the Abeokuta metropolis when tragedy struck.

Our correspondent gathered that the driver of the taxi got to know of the strange death of his passenger when he would not alight from the car on getting to his destination.

The driver consequently raised an alarm that attracted fellow taxi drivers and passers-by to the scene.

Hogan, who had been ill for sometime, was said to be hurrying to the home of a vendor of herbal remedies in Abeokuta, but he did not make it.

Passers-by were said to have encouraged the driver to carry the remains of the passenger to the nearest police station,  Kemta-Idi Aba Divisional Police Headquarters, Kemta.

At the police station, another round of confusion ensued as the police did not only detain the driver, but also had to contend with the curious crowd that  besieged the station in a bid  to catch a glimpse of both the driver and corpse.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi,  confirmed the incident, saying the driver discovered, around 7:45am, that his passenger, now identified as Michael Hogan, had died in his car at Iyana Mortuary area  and went to the Police station to report it.

Adejobi, a deputy superintendent of police,  said the family of the deceased  had been contacted, and they claimed Hogan had been ill for a long time.

He said, “The family said Hogan left home early in the morning for Abeokuta to collect herbal remedies not knowing that would be his end.

“The police will soon release the corpse to the family for burial as requested after due process must have been followed.”

Credit: Punch

Boyfriend, mum insert pepper into lover’s private part

A 34-year-old man, Solomon Ajisafe, has been arrested by the police for allegedly torturing his girlfriend, Tope Amuda, in the Igbo Olomu, Ikorodu West area of Lagos State.

Punch Metro learnt that Solomon, together with his mother, a leader in the Oodua People’s Congress, and some hoodlums flogged Amuda with canes for alleged adultery.

Our correspondents were told that afterwards, she was taken round the community, before ground pepper was allegedly inserted in her private parts. Continue…

The incident happened last Sunday at about 7pm on Aminu Toyin Street.

A resident, who identified herself only as Adunni, told PUNCH Metro that attempts made by neighbours to stop the torture was rebuffed by the OPC.

Adunni said Amuda, a 25-year-old Osun State indigene, lost her mind due to the trauma she suffered.

She said, “They did not allow anybody to rescue her. They made jest of her for hours as they took her round the community. I saw her; she was speaking to herself and was incoherent. That was when I discovered that she had lost her mind.”

The General Secretary, Igbo Olomu Community Development Association, and Coordinator, Women Arise Initiative in the area, Adebayo Obatungbase, said she reported the matter at the Igbo Olomu Police Division.

She said the community was planning to send away Solomon’s mother, whose name was given simply as Mrs. Ajisafe, from the community.

She said, “The suspect’s mother calls herself a prophetess, but she is also a member of the OPC. We have decided to send her away from this community.”

The Chairman, Igbo Olomu CDA, Michael Adekoya, described the incident as “sheer acts of wickedness.”

He said, “The police are trying, but we need special attention from the government. This community has turned to something else. Why would a normal human being insert pepper in a woman’s private parts?”

However, Solomon told our correspondents that he only slapped his girlfriend, adding that they had been dating for the past four years without anything to show for the relationship.

He said, “I am a hardworking man and I had a son before I met her. We have dated for four years and during that period; there was no child between us. She has been a thorn in my flesh because she always made trouble with my family.

“She later fought with my mother and because of that, she decided to pack out of the house. Nine months later, she returned and said she was three months pregnant for me. That was when I beat her. I confessed to the police that I beat her up, but it was only a slap which made her eye to swell.”

Solomon’s sister-in-law, Ayomide Ajayi, a nursing mother, who was equally arrested, told PUNCH Metro she was innocent.

Ajayi, 27, said, “I don’t know anything about the allegation. You can ask her.”

But the victim, Amuda, insisted that Solomon and his family members tortured her.

Amuda, who spoke in Yoruba, said, “He and his family members used bottle to insert pepper into my private parts. I am done with this relationship. Let everybody go their separate ways.”

A police source told one of our correspondents it was possible Amuda was also flogged with a charm.

The source said, “When we picked her from the general hospital, she could barely walk. They really dealt with her and she has been giving us some useful information on their occult operation.”

Our correspondents learnt that the Office of the Public Defender had equally shown interest, leading to the arraignment of Solomon and Ayomide before an Ikorodu Magistrate’s Court on three counts of assault.

Buhari orders removal of military checkpoints nationwide

President Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the removal of all military checkpoints set up in the wake of Boko Haram activities across the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Aliyu Ismaila, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting Buhari had with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Ismaila said the meeting had further encouraged the security chiefs to do more in the war against insurgency because of the leadership being provided by the President who is a retired military officer.

Sokoto Governor, Tambuwal visits hospital at 2:00am, catches staff unaware

The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, early Sunday morning, paid an unscheduled visit to the Murtala Muhammed state Specialist hospital, Sokoto, where he lamented the condition of patients and warned that government will not tolerate laxity from any of its workers.

The visit, which occurred at 2.00 a.m. On Sunday, caught the few workers on duty unaware.

A statement by Mr. Tambuwal’s spokesperson, Imam Imam, said upon entering the hospital, the governor observed that there was no electricity supply while many patients, who could not withstand the heat in their wards, lied down outside the designated wards.

“After going round the dark complex for 30 minutes to assess things for himself, Tambuwal was then recognized by a few of the staff on duty. Upon noticing his presence, the generator set was quickly powered on while the staff made attempts to hurry the patients into the rooms,” the statement added.

After speaking to the patients and wishing them quick recovery, Governor Tambuwal assured them that their health needs would not be toyed with by the government.

He also admonished the staff on duty to fear God, and warned that any repeat of what he saw at the hospital by any government worker will be met with appropriate sanctions.

He said unscheduled visits at odd hours to government agencies will continue so as to acquaint himself with how workers fulfill their obligations to the people.

Fresh crisis brews as Fayose rejects Mimiko as PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman

A fresh crisis appears to be brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has rejected Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko as chairman of the party’s Governors’ Forum.

Fayose has rallied some other governors in the party to kick against Mimiko’s emergence.

He has petitioned the national leadership of the party to intervene before the matter degenerates into a full blown crisis.

A source at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja was quoted to have confirmed the receipt of the petition against Mimiko.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) will be meeting the party’s governors today to ironing out the matter.

The aggrieved governors were said to have protested that the choice of Mimiko did not follow due process on grounds that Mimiko defected to the PDP only last year.

Mimiko emerged chairman of the Forum last week the governors’ meeting in Abuja, where only six of the party’s 13 governors and two deputies were present.

Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio is the pioneer chairman of the Forum, a position he relinquished at the expiration of his tenure on May 29.

Mosquitoes bite Oyinbo woman to death in Nigeria

Turkish Airlines (THY) flight attendant Selda Durmaz has lost her life on Friday night in an Istanbul hospital as a result of a mosquito bite in Nigeria, while she was on duty.

Durmaz flew with THY to Nigeria’s capital city of Lagos. When she returned back to Istanbul, she went to the hospital because of a persistent high fever.

Twice she was diagnosed with the flu, according to allegations, but the third hospital diagnosed her with malaria.

Durmaz was later given medical treatment in Istanbul at a private hospital, but she lost her life on Friday night at around 2 a.m.

10-year-old Nigerian Maths genius, Esther Okade plans to own a bank by age 15

The 10-year-old Nigerian Math Genius, Esther Okade has enrolled in Open University, UK. Esther who is a British-Nigerian hails from Walsall and enjoys the normal things every 10 year old does: dressing up, playing with dolls, and going out”.

The only difference is that instead of dealing with simple 2×2 problems, the young star is interested in extreme algebra and calculus.

Speaking on her current class level, Esther says;

“It’s so interesting. It has the type of maths I love. Its real maths – theories, complex numbers, all that type of stuff. It was super easy. My mum taught me in a nice way”.

Speaking on future endeavors, she says;

“I want to finish the course in two years. Then I’m going to do my PhD in financial maths when I’m 13. I want to have my own bank by the time I’m 15 because I like numbers and I like people and banking is a great way to help people”.

I’m sure you’re wondering how the parents feel about the rapid growth of their daughter, well Esther says;

“I actually wanted to start when I was seven. But my mum was like, “you’re too young, calm down.”

However, after three years of begging, her mother, Efe, finally agreed to allow her. It is so heart warming to see our younger generation growing up to be so smart and independent.

COMEDIAN JEDI PROPOSES TO GIRLFRIEND AT SPONTANEITY

It has indeed been the season of love and display of affection lately in the Nigeria entertainment industry.

Over the weekend Osas Ighodaro and Gbenro Ajibade had a glamorous traditional marriage in Benin- Edo State which attracted lots of stars.

On same day, Nollywood actress Chita Agwu was walked the aisle by her Malaysian based beau.

Then topping it all, popular comedian cum musician Jedi proposed to his girlfriend, Olajumoke on stage at a recording of Ali Baba's Spontaneity TV show.

The two love birds have been dating for a while now and has officially made their love open as they get set for marriage.

SANYERI FLIES TO AMERICA FOR BIRTHDAY BASH

Famous Yoruba actor, Olaniyi Afonja, well-known as Sanyeri, as you read this, is in the United States of America (USA) to celebrate his birthday party, which is expected to hold in New York.

Sanyeri arrived the US last week, where he is also expected to premiere his latest movie, ‘Alaagba’.

The actor was received at the airport in New York by US-based actresses, Lola Faduri and Toyin
Haastrup.

While in the US, Sanyeri will hold an all-white birthday bash on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at the Mira Lounge, Brooklyn by 3pm.

Sanyeri, a comic actor, is loved by followers of the Yoruba movie industry.

MEET OMOTOLA EKEHINDE'S FIRST BOYFRIEND

Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade, attributed her late father, Shola Jalade, to her husband, Captain Mathew Ekehinde.

Omotola while recalling how her father had prepared her for the future while growing up, stated that her late father was her best friend and best confident who taught her all she now knows today.

She noted that though her father understood her better than anyone, but she is happy because she has seen someone who does everything her father had done for her while he was alive.

According to her, “You were my first Best friend, my first confidant, my first boyfriend, my first Director. You thought me to think, to speak, to be strong. Just 12 years and it feels like I know you forever. You left but you knew you had done enough, you had been a FATHER. You prepared me to know what to look out for in my next father, I found him. He's so much like you... Okay you found me better... Even in heaven you didn't stop working ... Directing me... My kids are the best for it today. You left a legacy, Mr Shola Jalade . You gave me the best; I love and miss you, DAD.”

Amaechi reacts to Wike's proposed probe of his government

Read the press statement below...

“This so called Wike’s probe of Amaechi is dead on arrival. All the noise Wike is making is to grab media headlines with his lies of monumental corruption against Amaechi. It’s all drama made for the media. What is playing out is a script written and directed by Nyesom Wike.

Wike should move to Nollywood where his devious skills would probably be useful. Even while inaugurating his commission of Inquiry, Wike could not conceal his vendetta agenda.

He was clear to the panel members that their job is to indict Amaechi. While it’s no longer in doubt what would be the report of Wike’s sham probe commission. What may shock Nigerians is the extent Wike has gone and is ready to go to manufacture stories of corrupt practices, and the kind of bogus tales of corruption against Amaechi that he would soon be feeding the nation.

We are aware that even the Chairman of his Inquiry Commission, was shocked and protested when Wike gave him the litany of phony claims of corruption against Amaechi that the chairman would write in the panel’s report. But Wike had assured him not to worry that he had since been working towards arriving at that conclusion and he would provide the commission with all the (fake) evidence needed to arrive at that report. Truly, since May 29, that is all Wike has been doing; cooking spurious reports of corruption against Amaechi.

Wike has been intimidating, threatening, coercing and blackmailing officials of the past administration, especially civil servants into making false, phony and bogus statements that would make legitimate government transactions appear as corrupt practices. Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Finance and Administration (DFAs), the State bankers and even contractors are harassed, threatened and blackmailed to twist and distort, or even completely alter legitimate government transactions in his desperation to cook up, and fabricate sham cases of corruption against Amaechi.

This has been the one-point agenda of the Wike government, a vendetta mission against his former boss and benefactor. Amaechi will use every constitutional and legal means available to protect his name and image from this massive smear campaign, State-sponsored onslaught against him by this directionless, purposeless Wike led government. As governor, Amaechi served his people well and the good things he did with the resources of the state are visible all over the state. On the claims by his former deputy, Tele Ikuru while presenting a report to Wike, the statement condemned Mr. Ikuru.

We won’t dignify him with a response. He’s such a worthless piece of trash that we won’t waste our energy on. This is a man with no dignity, no shame. No self-respecting man would talk the way Ikuru is talking right now. This is a character that served the Amaechi administration for almost eight years. While he was there, he never for once complained that Amaechi or the government that he was the second-in-command was corrupt. As a matter of fact, he was singing and parroting everywhere that Rivers State was truly blessed to have a governor like Amaechi, that Amaechi will always be remembered and hailed for changing for good the fortunes of Rivers State.

Today, the shameless clown is the one shouting Amaechi is corrupt, everywhere. If the government was as corrupt as he claims, what was he doing there for almost eight years, telling the world that Amaechi is the best thing to happen to Rivers State? No character, no self-respect, no dignity, no shame. A character like Ikuru should never be taken seriously”, the statement concluded.

Confused mind: Caitlyn Jenner celebrates first Father's day with all the children

Catilyn Jenner celebrated her first Father's Day with her children yesterday. Caitlyn's kids from all 3 ex-wives came together for the celebration at his Malibu house, his first holiday as a woman.

Caitlyn never celebrated Father's Day with all the kids.  Kris organized Father's Day events, but his kids from his ex-wives never went.

Now that there are no wives to organize Father's Day parties, Caitlyn, like many single dads, is left to her own devices. We're told Sunday's festivities were initiated by Caitlyn.

Interesting some of the Caitlyn's sons are celebrating with her daughters, they don't really socialize together.

Caitlyn assured her kids she will always be their dad.

71-year-old Diana Ross shows cleavage at daughter's wedding

71 year old legendary Diana Ross attended her youngest daughter's wedding in Hawaii in a stunning white dress that showed off lots of cleavage.

Chudney - Diana's second daughter from her first marriage to music exec Robert Silberstein - tied the knot with her longterm partner Joshua Faulkner at the family ceremony in Maui, Hawaii and she also looked amazing in her white wedding gown.

Culled

Ambode declares second Lekki-Epe Expressway toll-free

Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, says residents of the state who live in the Lekki axis will no longer pay tolls at the second toll point on the Lekki- Epe Expressway. The governor made this remark at an interactive session with journalists at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos House, Ikeja yesterday.

The governor, in the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna, said his concern was ensuring the completion of the road.

He said, “We must start thinking of the future concerning that road. We said we will have an International Airport in Epe, and an Export Processing Zone in Lekki and a Deep Seaport also in Lekki. Should we not start thinking about how we will improve and create a 10-lane road between Ikorodu, Itoikin, Epe and Ijebu Ode so that people can go out from there? There is no point constructing the road, paying tolls and in five years’ time, the road is gone.”

The governor said once the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which was being expanded into 10-lane, was completed, the community would be opened up for business activities. He added that his administration would make careful efforts to grow the tourism potential of the state.

He said, “As more means of transportation come on board, the more than 600,000 private car owners and 120,000 motorcycles that are being put on the road in the state on a daily basis will reduce in number.”

He said his administration had decided to scale up governance by rearranging the civil service through the realignment of some ministries and agencies, while creating a new Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment.

Ambode said, “We have said this is a government of continuity, but it is continuity with improvement. It is about making life easier for the people. We are receptive to new ideas and that is why we are going to be creative, innovative and thinking out of the box.”

Credit: Punch

Movie producer Blessing Egbe speaks on Toke Makinwa's troubled marriage

Popular movie producer and former model Blessing Egbe has shared her opinion on Toke Makinwa marriage saga. The Lekki Wives producer, who is working on a new movie series called 'This Thing Called Marriage' says the storyline has nothing to do with Toke Makinwa. She also said the alleged busy lifestyle of the media personality is not enough reason for a man to cheat. What she said below...

‘I don’t know her personally and I don’t really know their story so I cannot talk much, I can’t even comment on it because I don’t know who the man was until I saw pictures of him. Obviously I read about it but all I can say is she is being strong about it which is good because some women would just break down and jump into third mainland bridge. I don’t really know them but I have heard so many people say that she was too busy for the man, that she is all over the place trying to make it but for me, is that enough for a man to cheat on his wife not only that but to get another girl pregnant?

What this story just says is that he was calculating every move he made because you don’t sleep with a woman without condom if you are not thinking pregnancy. She was probably she was his girlfriend, he knew at some point and says to himself “I would have preferred this one” maybe that’s what happened but why did he marry Toke then? Did you marry her to make a name? Did you marry her so that people would know and recognize your brand? All this while you were receiving from one and returning to another? So many questions we can never really say, because what goes behind closed doors, mouth cannot say’.

Mrs Egbe who gained national recognition with her movie, Two Brides and a Baby and critically acclaimed, Lekki Wives denies that her new movie series project, This Thing Called Love is about Toke. ‘It is not o, please we shot a part of it three to four weeks ago when fuel scarcity was on, but it is a series that would deal with issues like that, it would deal with issues relating to patience in marriage, to what to do, what not to do, the clashes that happen, the differences in people that are supposed to come as one, we are supposed to become one but for some reasons in the home we are two different people so this just goes to expand and showcase what everybody, every married couples really know, we just going to take it to another level and expose what people don’t share but we are able to really get close’ She told ICampus

Kim Kardashian confirms that she's having a boy

Kim K just confirmed she's pregnant with a son. Congrats to her and hubby- Kanye West.

Official portrait of the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari

This is the official portrait of the First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari.

Militants Are Taking Up Arms Again, We Will Deal With Them - CDS

Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh has revealed that intelligence reports available to the Armed Forces showed that the Youths from the Niger Delta region have started taking up arms and engaging in criminal activities along the creeks and the water ways of the region.

Air Mashal Alex Badeh made the revelation during the inauguration ceremony of the permanent complex of the Headquarters of the Joint Task Military Force, Operation Pulo Shield, along Igbogene/Okolobiri road in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

His words, “Criminalities in the Niger Delta, we thought, have stopped but now they are on the rise again. But I know that our gallant men and women are equal to the task. We are after the bad men, we are good men and darkness can never overtake light. No nation can develop in the presence of so much criminality.”

He said the increase in illegal arms and ammunition possession by youths of the volatile region has led to an increase in cases of oil theft, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the region.

Badeh said though the Nigerian Armed Forces entered into an agreement with the Niger Delta youths and former militants to disarm and partner with the Federal Government on empowerment and development initiatives, the recent cases of criminality may force the military to review such agreement and turn its arsenal on the region.

Graduate found dead after recovering from mental problem

The corpse of a 28-year-old graduate, known as Kehinde, who lived with his father on Omosebi Olugbo Street was found in an abandoned well in their house shortly after he had been declared missing.

 

It was gathered that Kehinde had a strange mental illness for about five years and was always indoors. He was said to have recovered recently from the illness before he was found dead in the well.

 Someone close to the family said: 

“Kehinde and his twin brother are well educated and they graduated from the university together. Their mother died a few years back, but their father stays in the house.

“He had been sick for the past five years and because of that, he was always kept indoors.

“His illness was strange because it was off and on. On a particular day, he absent-mindedly walked away from the house before somebody who knew him brought him back home.

“They used to chain his legs and hands to keep him indoors. A few times that he stepped out, he was in chains.”

It was learnt that Kehinde suddenly went missing from the house and the family began looking for him on Wednesday. He was found in the well on Friday.

 

A resident said,

“We were preparing for sahur to begin our fasting that morning when we saw an ambulance enter their house. We immediately sensed something was amiss.

“It was after the corpse had been taken away that the family told the landlords and some family friends that they found his body in the abandoned well.

“The well was always locked. The residents in the house depend on the community borehole for water. How Kehinde entered the well is a mystery.”

Family and friends trooped into his parents home to show their support for the family.

 

Kehinde has since been buried.

Credit: The PUNCH

My probe by Wike a witch-hunt, says Amaechi

THE immediate past governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, broke his silence on recent development in the state, including the move by his successor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to probe his administration.

Amaechi in a statement signed by his media office in Port Harcourt on Sunday, described the Wike probe of his (Amaechi) administration as a sham and a fraudulent witch-hunt designed to deceive members of the public.

The former governor specifically said Wike was a ‘sick man’ who was obsessed with rubbing him with his (Wike) mud of corruption and trying to gain popularity with ‘concocted bogus’ stories of his (Amaechi) alleged corrupt practices.

He noted that Wike should have moved to Nollywood where his skills would have been useful.

“This so-called Wike’s probe of Amaechi is dead on arrival. All the noise Wike is making is to grab media headlines with his lies of monumental corruption against Amaechi. It’s all drama made for the media.

“What is playing out is a script written and directed by Nyesom Wike. Wike should move to Nollywood where his devious skills would probably be useful. Even while inaugurating his yeoman commission of inquiry, Wike could not conceal his vendetta agenda. He (Wike) was clear to the panel members that their job is to indict Amaechi.

“While it’s no longer in doubt what would be the report of Wike’s sham probe commission, what may shock Nigerians is the extent Wike has gone and is ready to go to manufacture stories of corrupt practices, and the kind of bogus tales of corruption against Amaechi that he will soon be feeding the nation,” the statement read.

The former governor said he was aware the chairman of the commission of inquiry had expressed shock over the list of “phony” claims of corruption against him that was expected to be written in the panel’s report.

Amaechi said, “Wike had assured him (chairman, commission of inquiry) not to worry that he had since been working towards arriving at that conclusion and he would provide the commission with all the (fake) evidence needed to arrive at that report.

“Truly, since May 29, that is all Wike has been doing; cooking spurious reports of corruption against Amaechi. Wike has been intimidating, threatening, coercing and blackmailing officials of the past administration, especially civil servants into making false, phony and bogus statements that would make legitimate government transactions appear as corrupt practices.

“Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Finance and Administration (DFAs), the state bankers and even contractors are harassed, threatened and blackmailed to twist and distort, or even completely alter legitimate government transactions in his desperation to cook up, and fabricate sham cases of corruption against Amaechi. This has been the one-point agenda of the Wike government; a vendetta mission against his former boss and benefactor.”

The former governor vowed that he would use every legal means to protect his name from the current smear campaign and state-sponsored onslaught against him by the Wike administration.

“Amaechi will use every constitutional and legal means available to protect his name and image from this massive smear campaign, state-sponsored onslaught against him by this directionless, purposeless Wike-led government.

“As governor, Amaechi served his people well and the good things he did with the resources of the state are visible all over the state,” the statement partly read.

Amaechi also hit at his former deputy, Mr. Tele Ikuru, for describing his (Amaechi) administration as the most corrupt in the state’s history.

Explaining that no self-respecting man would talk in the manner Ikuru did, Amaechi recalled that his former deputy never complained that he (Amaechi) was corrupt while serving in the immediate past government for eight years.

Amaechi said, “…We won’t waste our energy on him. …No self-respecting man would talk the way Ikuru is talking right now.

“This is a character that served the Amaechi administration for almost eight years. While he was there, he never for once complained that Amaechi or the government that he was the second-in-command was corrupt.

“As a matter of fact, he was singing and parroting everywhere that Rivers State was truly blessed to have a governor like Amaechi; that Amaechi will always be remembered and hailed for changing for good the fortunes of Rivers State.

“Today, he is the one shouting Amaechi is corrupt everywhere. If the government was as corrupt as he claims, what was he doing there for almost eight years, telling the world that Amaechi is the best thing to happen to Rivers State?”

Also, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has described as a wild goose chase Amaechi’s probe by Wike.

The state APC said in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ikanya, in Port Harcourt on Sunday said that such investigation was laughable and fruitless.

The party noted that Amaechi ran a transparent administration and made it a habit to render account of his stewardship to Rivers people almost on a quarterly basis throughout his eight years in office as governor.

The state APC said it was aware that Wike’s desperate efforts to bring down Amaechi and rubbish his good name despite all his feats as the former state governor were aimed at stopping President Muhammadu Buhari from appointing him into his cabinet.

“One thing Chief Wike and his collaborators fail to understand is that President Buhari knows the politics of Rivers State as he knows his fingers. President Buhari is fully aware that Amaechi and his associates are being viciously persecuted by Wike because he engineered the ouster of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as the President of Nigeria and the election of President Buhari.

“Apart from the above, Chief Wike is embarking upon this worthless vindictive venture knowing very well that he will soon be ignominiously sacked by the Election Petitions Tribunal since he never won the election, but was imposed by Rivers INEC in collaboration with the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party.”

The party said it was not disturbed by Wike’s abracadabra and advised Justice Emereji and his co-panelists not to allow themselves to be used by Wike to cook up non-existent fraud cases against Amaechi.

Credit: PUNCH

Jonathan’s last-minute appointments tear civil service apart

THE crisis in the federal civil service appeared to have worsened with career civil servants protesting against the absorption of 530 aides and cronies of former President Goodluck Jonathan into the civil service in the last days of the past administration.

The new recruits into the service were also said to have been installed in high positions, from assistant directors upward.

Already, six deputy directors in the federal civil service are in court to protest against the manner the last promotion examination to directors’ level was handled by the Federal Civil Service Commission.

The FCSC released the list of newly-promoted directors in October 2014.

The six aggrieved deputy directors – Dr. John Magbadelo, Mrs. Ada Ihechukwu Madubuike, Mrs. Ganiat Ayodele, Mr. Olusegun Oginni, Mrs. Janet Ayorinde and Mr. Otajele Musa – filed an action at the National Industrial Court on March 26, 2015 to question the exercise.

Most senior civil servants are said to be unhappy with the FCSC, a situation which is said to have been made worse by the Jonathan recruits into the service.

Sources told The PUNCH in Abuja on Sunday that between the time Jonathan lost the presidential election of April 11 and the May 29 handover date, 530 persons from different backgrounds had their appointments into the civil service regularised.

A director in one of the sensitive ministries told our correspondent that the FCSC, through ‘‘crafty schemes’’, brought into the civil service “numerous aides of the former President Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and ministers.

The director, who asked not to be named, said, “These new recruits are placed on very high grades as assistant directors, deputy directors, and directors.

It was gathered from a reliable source that their appointments were made through a “regularisation window’’, which the FCSC backdated to December, 2014.

“Through regularisation, fresh graduate appointees were placed on Grade Level 12 instead of Grade Level 08, while some others were upgraded to very high levels in defiance of extant rules. We now have letters of regularisation flying around the ministries.

“No fewer than 530 people are being regularised into the service from different backgrounds, including unscheduled private enterprises. These atrocities are responsible for the depletion of vacancies, which ought to be utilised for the promotion of deserving serving officers in the federal civil service.”

Another aggrieved director in one of the parastatals under the Presidency said that the FCSC had, in the last six years, been under serious pressure by ranking politicians, who insisted on giving jobs in the civil service as rewards to their cronies.

The director cited the case of one political appointee, who was allegedly moved from Grade Level 09 to Grade level 16, and subsequently moved three months after to the post of director on Salary Grade Level 17.

He said this was just one of the many recent irregularities perpetrated by the FCSC, “while the chairman of the FCSC, Deaconess Joan Ayo, keeps saying that lack of vacancy was responsible for the non-promotion of most deputy directors who passed last year’s promotion examination.”

“Just anybody with the right connection or big purse can be promoted or transferred to the post of a director in the civil service today. These transfers are being done in violation of the extant public service rules, which the FCSC published and circulated to all government offices,” the official alleged.

Many of the directors, who spoke to our correspondent on the alleged rot in the civil service, called for the review of both the promotion exercise and “illegal” recruitment into the high cadre in the government offices.
But the FCSC has denied the allegation, saying it never recruited illegally into the civil service.

The Assistant Director of Press, FCSC, Dr. Joel Oruche, said the allegations of illegal recruitment for political reasons were all lies.

Oruche said, “At no time did the commission employ aides of former President, Vice President, ministers or any key political figure in the Jonathan’s government, either as a parting gift or in compliance with a directive from the above-mentioned political figures.

“The FCSC, in the discharge of its mandate, has put in place, internal checks and balances in the process of appointments and promotion. This guarantees transparent process that checkmates activities and antics of fraudsters, who are in the business of issuing fake appointment letters.

“For the avoidance of doubts, FCSC begins appointments only when the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation has forwarded vacancies to it. These declared vacancies are shared among the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. Appointments into the vacant positions are processed by honourable commissioners representing respective states.

“After processing the appointments by commissioners, all appointment letters are checked and signed by the director in charge of recruitment and appointment while the Office of the Permanent Secretary puts the commission’s seal on the letters.”

However, the Secretary-General of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Mr. Alade Lawal, confirmed that there had been rampant cases of illegal recruitment into the civil service.

Lawal said the FCSC had bastardised the recruitment process into the service on the spurious ground that it was acting on directive from the Presidency to grant waiver to some states.

He said, “But the commission cannot hide under a Presidential waiver to recruit incompetent and unqualified persons into the federal public service and impose them as seniors on those with higher qualifications, experience and competence. We have never had it so bad.

“One of the negative results of this ill-advised policy is that directors, who have served the country meritoriously for decades, cannot rise to the peak of their careers as all manner of persons are recruited into the service to take over top positions, including that of permanent secretaries and general managers.”

The ASCSN secretary lamented that graduates with eight years post-qualification experience were being drafted into the public service on grade level 16 or 17 because they have connections with top politicians.

“These illegal recruits are then made permanent secretaries after about two or three years. This is very unfortunate as it demoralises dedicated officers who no longer see any future in the service. The ASCSN has engaged the FCSC on the vexed issue and all indications point to the fact that the recruitments were deliberately made,” Lawal stated.

He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent steps to ensure that the FCSC abide by the public service rules, establishments circulars, scheme of service, and its guidelines on appointment, promotion and discipline in respect of recruitment into the public service.

“If urgent step is not taken to reverse this trend of illegal recruitment into the public service, the system may collapse and the government will not be able to effect the type of change it wants in the polity since the public service is the engine room that oils the wheels of government.”

Credit: The PUNCH