Lagos monarchs visit Ambode, laud prompt rescue of abducted school girls

Governor Ambode with Lagos Monarchs

...Counsel Lagosians On Security Alertness
...Commendation Will Spur Us To Do More, Says Gov

The Lagos State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs on Thursday commended the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and all the security agencies in the state for the prompt and successful rescue of the students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu who were kidnapped by gunmen at their school on February 29.

The traditional rulers, who stated this when they paid a courtesy visit to the Governor at the Lagos House in Ikeja, said the swift response and collaboration between the state government and security agencies which culminated in the rescue of the three affected girls and arrest of the hoodlums, was highly commended and that same was an eloquent confirmation that security and welfare of the people is paramount to the current administration in the state.

Briefing journalists at the end of the visit, Oba of Lagos, HRM Rilwan Akiolu said the kidnap of the girls had again brought to the fore the need to remind Lagosians to be security conscious and be alert at any given point in time.

He said: "We are here to appreciate what God has done in the recovery of the abducted school girls and to thank the Governor, the security forces, particularly the Commissioner of Police, the State Director of DSS, the Commander of 9th Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army and all other security forces who worked tirelessly in the recovery of the three children.

"They really moved in on time and they achieved success with God's guidance and help. So, we are here to appreciate them and to alert the people on the need to be security conscious. We are also here to pray for the success of the Lagos State Government and to brief the Governor on the outcome of my visit to Saudi Arabia with Mr. President.

"We were very happy when we heard the news of the rescue of the girls and you see the efficacy of prayer is not in doubt. All hands were on deck and God heard our prayers and we were very happy. The Governor played the role of a father, an administration and of a man who cared for the welfare of his people, and our prayer is that God almighty will continually be with him and all of us," Oba Akiolu said.

Responding, Governor Ambode said the primary purpose of government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people, assuring that his administration would not renege in keeping faith with that role.

He thanked the monarchs for finding time to come and appreciate what his administration has been doing especially in terms of security, saying that the visit would further spur him to do more for the people.

"I just want to say a very big thank you to my royal fathers, my chiefs and this is coming from the bottom of my heart because for you to have thought it necessary to come and show appreciation about what has happened about our security situation in the last one week means that the concern that you have brought here is about the progress and unity of Lagos State in general.

"What you have done will more or less inspire us to do more. Your visit to the Lagos House today in respect of the three children that were kidnapped and later recovered is to send a message that you are in support of all our security agencies and you are also in support of the government with the way we have given security the required attention.

"You will recall also that the paramount reason why we are in government is for the safety and welfare of all Lagosians and we would not renege in ensuring that we keep Lagos safe and ensure that the lives and property of all Lagosians are of paramount importance to us," the Governor said.

STATEMENT REGARDING TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHICAGO RALLY POSTPONEMENT

Donald Trump

Mr. Trump just arrived in Chicago and after meeting with law enforcement has determined that for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight’s rally will be postponed to another date.

Thank you very much for your attendance and please go in peace.

Ambode restates commitment to civil service reforms

…Says only a viable workforce can drive govt policies, programmes

…Oyo-ita commends gov, seeks stronger fg-lagos collaboration

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday restated his administration’s commitment to reforms in the state civil service, saying that only a viable workforce can drive the policies and programmes of any government.

The Governor who spoke when he received the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, on a courtesy at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said he remains a strong supporter of public service reforms, adding that any government desirable of making positive change in the lives of the citizenry must have a motivated and trained workforce.

“We do not have any choice, because the engine room of whatever it is that is our policy or programme is actually in the public service and in the civil service, so it is important that we must tag along on the same wave length with all the civil servants for us to be able to achieve all the programmes our party, the APC has decided to put across to all Nigerians,” he said.

He assured Mrs. Oyo-Ita of his administration’s continuous support to enhance the partnership between the state and federal government in the areas of training and retraining of public servants, saying that it was germane to ensuring continuity in governance.

“So it is in our better interest that we enhance this relationship. I give you my commitment further to say that there is value in it, it is important that we build a virile civil service that can stand the test of time that even when programmes do change or parties do change, the bull work of the machinery of deliverables to our people which is the civil service, remains very strong. That is what I am committed to”.

He also pledged his commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government on enhancing the commercial nature of the public service, expressing optimism that it if put in the right perspective, it could engender economic growth and increase the GDP of the nation.

Earlier, Mrs. Oyo-Ita said she was in Lagos to visit some of the federal institutions in the state, just as she sought the Governor’s support towards revving the comatose nature of some of the federal training institutes so as to make them efficient.

“I am very passionate about training and retraining civil servants. No doubt, you will agree with me that no matter how eloquent and excellent the policy thrust of government may be, the civil service is the engine room and if the workforce are not well trained they cannot in anyway bring to realisation, the lofty goals of that administration and that is why we are looking back into what we have already developed over the years but somehow, it has been left to decay.

“When you see what is going on in our training institutes, for example, the Federal Training Centre in Lagos that I visited yesterday it needs a lot of work to bring it back to the level that it is expected of it. That is why I am putting a lot of effort into restructuring our training institutes, the facilities, they have the infrastructure and the resource persons, its curriculum and so on, so that we can bring it up to an international level whereby we have people coming from other African and West African countries as it happened in times past. This is one place we need your support,” she said.

Oyo-Ita also highlighted the intentions of her office to improve on the commercial orientation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government, saying the economic downturn has made it imperative for MDAs to become more commercial oriented.

She lauded Governor Ambode’s strides in the last nine months, saying that the impact of his policies and programmes are already being felt across the state.

“Indeed it is an honour to be given this opportunity to visit and pay a courtesy call on my own brother and classmate. When we left UNILAG in 1984, we never thought that when we meet, we would be meeting in this capacity because we were wearing jeans and tee-shirt and snickers and just going our happy way. We thank God for what he has used us to do in our various environments.

“That is why I am here to congratulate you on your well deserved election and appointment as Executive Governor of Lagos State, we are already seeing what you are doing in this state, you are continuing with the zeal and passion of your predecessors,” she said.

The Love for Selective Amnesia By Ayobami Oyalowo

Ayobami Oyalowo

A nation that forgets its past can function no better than an individual with amnesia. - David McCullough

"Maybe they were saying chains when we thought it was change", blurted a certain social media senator, who has made the cyberspace his default "chamber". And before you could say Jack Robinson, a hashtag,‪#‎ChangeToChains‬, metamorphosed on twitter with various irascible characters jumping on the bandwagon with little or no understanding of what they were saying. Worse still, they could not muster concise and intelligent reason(s) for their anger aside the fact that they just want to be seen as angry.

What seems to be the cause of their anger in the first instance? Some said there were fuel queues; others said the economy was in comatose etc. Justifiable anger, won't you say? No, you are wrong. Most of the folks pouring expletives actually have conveniently forgotten so soon (like the Israelites who were liberated from over 400 years of captivity in Egypt) where we were coming from. As at middle of May 2015, most of the telecommunication companies were sending emails and text messages to their customers appealing to their understanding on why they should expect serious disruption in services due to the twin problems of power failure and lack of petroleum products to run their offsite generators.

Last Friday, 4th March, a Muslim friend of mine was rushing to the mosque for jumat prayers and we stuck a casual conversation. We both reminisced on how just a few months ago, going to the mosque or church on Sunday for prayers could be your last as there may either be a bomb blast or some deranged fellows lurking somewhere with sub machine guns. But today, we have almost forgotten that our lives were lived in such fears that daily living was a miracle.

Yes, Nigeria is not yet an Eldorado, sadly so, but while we are not where we ought to be, the truth is that we are not where we used to be. For those screaming economic downturn, I am wont to ask what economy? We have been a country with no economy aside being the dumping ground of finished goods from China and other countries. While the Asian Tigers are competing on how to be the best in terms of production, privileged elites in Nigeria are competing to outdo one another on consumerism.

Our shame as a nation reached abysmal levels when we became the butt of jokes of others as it relates to a product that we used to be its sixth largest producer. Petroleum was our major, if not the only product, yet we unashamedly sold it in its raw form, and then spent our hard-earned foreign exchange to import the same product in its refined form, thereby costing us not just several by products but millions of primary and secondary employment.

The current government, however, came with a three-pronged approach of security, anti-corruption and revamping the economy. In the last ten months even the blind can see that the North East that was almost totally lost to the rampaging Boko Haram murderers has regained relative peace and the monumental corruption that had hitherto hampered our growth as a nation is now being fought with renewed vigour. The erstwhile comatose EFCC has regained a new impetus to take on economy scavengers headlong (never mind the Awada Kerikeri posturing of former President Obasanjo).

There is no gainsaying that until security is fully in place, the economy will continue to suffer gridlock. But be that as it may, the federal government is doing its best under the circumstances it found itself. The Nigerian custom service is declaring revenue within months beyond what the revenue agency has ever declared in the past years.

Make no mistake about it, the Nigeria that president Buhari inherited was almost a broken entity characterised by dwindling revenue due to the plummeting international crude oil prices, mounting domestic and foreign debt, tumbling foreign reserves and a wicked gang up of supposed leaders who were doing nothing but stealing and looting the country with reckless abandon.

Recall that when this administration took over, 27 states owed between 5-12 month arrears of salaries of civil servants. Yet, I hear people wailing that the president Buhari has done nothing? Bombs were exploding all over the country like firecrackers, but today we have relative peace and people still think the president is sleeping? Military chiefs saddled with security of our lives and properties are today singing like canaries and confessing to how much they stole individually and collectively, and I still hear some trumpeting that Buhari has done nothing? Over N3 trillion which would have been stolen by "ghosts" have been saved due to strict adherence to TSA yet some say Buhari isn't doing anything?

Frankly speaking, we are not where we should be. But it was Cheryl James, who posited that Change is not an event, it's a process. If in ten months we have come this far, the least we can do as patriots is to support the government to do more.

We are not helping anybody by wishing the government to fail just so that we can say "I told you so". What patriots should do in times like this is to support the government with intelligent criticism and advice on getting it right, not moaning for the heck of it or wishing for the failure of government.

I have seen a lot of positives in the past ten months. I have also observed some things that can be done better. However, I will opt for where we are today rather than where we were about twelve months ago.

This brings to mind George Bernard Shaw's poignant counsel that "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

Agreed that Nigeria deserves more than it is getting, but who can build without a foundation? President Buhari is uniquely placed to rebuild Nigeria from the shambolic country he met. But to make Nigeria work for Nigerians, the one they fondly call Mai Gaskiya needs the unalloyed support of the long suffering masses because as John Kenneth Galbraith posits "People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage. Intellectual myopia, often called stupidity, is no doubt a reason".

Ayobami Oyalowo, a deputy director of media and publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, writes from Abuja.

"Budget Padding": 22 Budget Office directors moved

Twenty two directors were yesterday redeployed from the budget office as part of the cleansing ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari after it was discovered that Budget 2016 was  “padded”.

First to be moved was the Director General of the Budget Office, Alhaji Yahaya Gusau, who was appointed last August.

A former Commissioner for Budget and Planning in Lagos State Mr. Ben Akabueze, was appointed as the Special Adviser to the President of National Planning. He will work with the Minister of Budget and Planning, Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma.

Also yesterday, 162 other directors in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were swapped.

All redeployed officers were mandated to resume latest today in their new offices or risk termination of their appointments.

It was learnt that the government wielded the big stick in line with the pledge of President Buhari to clean up the Budget Office.

A source in the Presidency said last night: “The government has approved the redeployment of 22 top officials of the Budget Office to other MDAs. Those posted out are four directors, six deputy directors and 12 assistant directors

“But based on efficiency auditing, 14 others have been brought from other MDAs to the Budget Office”.

The source added: “Actually, the posting affected 184 civil servants, 22 of who were redeployed from the Budget Office. The other 162 officers from some MDAs were swapped around too.

“There is a circular to this effect already from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).”

Mr. Akpandem James, Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Budget and Planning said last night: “I can confirm that some directors have been posted out of Budget Office and others brought on board.”

Addressing the Nigerian community in Saudi Arabia last month, President Buhari vowed   to deal with those behind the shoddy preparation of the 2016 Budget.

Source: The Nation

Rev. King’s death sentence caused by witches, wizards, says Church

Rev. King

Last Friday’s confirmation of the death sentenced passed on General overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (aka Rev. King), has been attributed to the handiwork of witches and wizards by his church members.

The members also reaffirmed their belief that Rev. King will be spared the hangman’s noose and “return to join us.”

The self-styled cleric was sentenced to death in 2007 for the burning to death of a member of his church in 2006. He appealed the judgment and lost before the apex court sealed his fate last Friday.

Read: http://dejiabiri.blogspot.com/2016/02/supreme-court-rev-king-must-die-by.html

But yesterday during the first church service after the Supreme Court decision at the Lagos headquarters at Ajao Estate, off the Murtala Muhammad Airport Road, Pastor Ifeanyi King, who preached said:  “Our G.O. (General Overseer) the most holiness, Rev King, is coming back. He said he would come back and we believe the words of his mouth. We believe his report that he is coming back. Everything happening now we know is the handiwork of witches and wizard. Soon a new story will emerge.”

The preacher added: “Whether people realise it or not, everybody now knows his holiness, our G.O. Rev King. The front pages of newspapers are flooded with his name. People are yearning to read about him in the social media. I can confirm to you that by all these, a lot of people have become endeared to him. Our Daddy G.O. shall live forever for us in Jesus name.”

To every word he uttered, there was a chorus of Amen by the congregation. They sang hymns and danced to mark “the birthday of the G.O.” His death sentence was confirmed on his birthday last Friday.

Pastor Ifeanyi, sported a shaved head and beards like Pastor king. A number of male in the congregation also appeared in the same way. Most of the pastors also use the name King as substitute for their surname.

Source: The Nation

Supreme Court: Rev King must die by hanging

Chukwuemeka Ezeugo a.k.a Rev. King

Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King ,the General Overseer of Lagos-based Christian Praying Assembly, yesterday lost an eight year legal battle to save his neck from the hangman’s noose   after the Supreme Court insisted he must keep a date with the executioner.

The apex court affirmed   the conviction and death sentence given to him by the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja, on January 11, 2007 for attempted murder and murder.

Justice Joseph Oyewole, now of the Court of Appeal, had found him guilty of setting ablaze six members of his church on July 22, 2006.

One of victims, Ann Uzoh, died 11 days later in a medical facility from the burns she sustained.

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, in a judgment delivered by Justice Fatimo Akinbami on February 1, 2013, affirmed the judgment of the High Court.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the Supreme Court’s lead judgment of the unanimous decision of a five-man bench yesterday  said: “Facts of this case could have been lifted from an horror film.”

Reviewing the case before his ruling, Ngwuta said: “It was agreed by parties that the appellant was the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) with headquarters in Ajao Estate, Lagos. It was also agreed that he had a father-son/daughter-relationship with the victims of the incident. And this is the point where they depart:

“The prosecution’s case is that the appellant accused six of his people (followers) of immoral behaviour. He called them together, beat each of them with hard objects and after the beating, he assembled them downstairs, made them kneel down, hobbled together and he caused petrol to be poured on them, and he struck a match and threw same at them.

“They all sustained various degrees of burns. While five of them escaped. The sixth person, who later died, suffered 65 per cent degree burns. You can imagine what she went through in her last days at the hospital.

“The appellant denied this. But said though he punished them for immoral behaviour, the punishment was different from the incident that gave birth to the charge. He said they (the victims) sustained injuries when a generating set exploded. That was his case. But throughout the proceedings (trial), this mysterious generating set was never produced.

“The trial High Court convicted him as charged. And on each of counts one to five, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment which was to run concurrently. On the sixth count of murder, he was sentenced to death by hanging.

“He was dissatisfied with the judgment and appealed to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgment of the trial court. And he appealed to this court.

“Twelve  issues were distilled from the grounds of appeal. The respondents had nine issues. The nine issues were encompassed in the appellant’s 12 issues.

“I decided to determine the appeal on those 12 issues. I considered each of them and at the end, I came to the conclusion that the appeal has no merit.

“Having considered all the arguments by learned counsel for the parties in addition to the records, I resolve the 12 issues formulated by the appellant against him. Consequently, I hold that the appeal is bereft of merit and it is dismissed. The judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the judgment of the trial court, is hereby affirmed.

“The prison terms for attempted murder are no longer relevant and are discountenanced in view of the death penalty hereby affirmed. Appeal dismissed.”

King could only be spared from hanging, if the Lagos State Governor decides to commute the death sentence to imprisonment.

Source: The Nation