YOUTHS DISSOCIATE THEMSELVES FROM PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S 2015 AMBITION

The Nigerian youths under the banner of THE PROGRESSIVES YOUTH PLATFORM (TPYP) has declared that the youths in the country will dissociate themselves from President Goodluck Jonathan’sambition to return as the President of Nigeria in the 2015 general elections.

The Convener of the platform, Comrade Abiola Hamid and National Project Coordinator, Ahmed Somoye, said in a statement that the second term ambition of President Jonathan is not worth the trust of the Nigerian youths.

Abiola recounted how the Nigerian youths overwhelmingly declared to support President Jonathan in 2011, but later regretted it as the action was met with gross disappointments on almost all the promises made by the President.

“Another four years is too much to gamble with for Nigerian youths deprived of many good things which our counterparts in other parts of the world have surpassed. It is worrisome that out of the total population of the youths in this country, which is about 70 million, only 3% of that population is gainfully employed, while another 70% of same population is either unemployed or engaged in cheap labours not dignifying enough for humanity. Another 7% that manages to be self-employed have many issues to struggle with such as poor electricity and lack of enabling atmosphere to thrive”, Abiola noted.

Abiola, a former Public Relations Officer of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), which is the umbrella body for youth organisations in Nigeria retreated that hopes of Nigerian youths have been fatally dashed with growing failed promises, deepening corruptions, insecurity, unemployment and deliberate destructions of the education sector witnessed under President Jonathan’s administration.

Abiola said “as former PRO of the Youth Council, I was part of history that led to youth declaration for President Jonathan in 2011. We took a grave risk which we now regret seriously. What the Nigerian youths seek at the moment is alternative that can salvage the present state of danger that the Nigerian system has been plunged into”.

In his own words, Comrade Somoye said: “We have every reason to identify with the opposition platform. Globally, opposition engender check on the ruling party, which drives the society towards change and development. New ideas must be welcomed; we cannot afford to stand still and struggle between 3,500 and 5,000 megawatts for the nation of over 60 million people in a period of 15 years (1999-2014) since the ruling party took over power. Nigeria is the only country that is poor among the ranks of leading petroleum exporting countries in the world. It is sad and worrisome that Nigerian youths only live to survive while potentials deposited in them by God keep wasting and unexploited”.

He added that, “It is very pathetic and unfortunate the recent ugly incident that occurred at the NIS job recruitment that claimed the lives of over 20 Nigerian youths, who were in search of jobs that were not there. This is another major reason to confirm that the youths will not go with President Jonathan in the coming general elections”.

According to the convener, the group which has over 200 local organisations under the platform, also has 50 different organisations across various countries in its Diaspora network and more than 70 online platforms to drive the change agenda as 2015 general elections draw closer.

“The power of the youth is enormous and we will prove that once again in 2015. We shall continue to try possible options open to us until governance truly becomes the tool for development in our country”, Abiola concluded.

I LOVE DANCING A LOT

-Lagos Lawmaker, Ramota Akinola-Hassan

Getting to meet her in her office is often a simple task. Hon. Ramotalai Akinola-Hassan, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly from Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 2, which comprises Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and part of Amuwo Odofin LG, is a woman of the people, who has does not have any air around her as a public office holder.

The amiable woman is proud to tell you that she loves fashion just like her mother, and that fashion should be part of a woman’s life.

“In life, you should be conscious of whatever you put on; you must wear what fits you.

I wear anything that fits me. I buy my fabrics and fashion accessories in Lagos here, I used to sell fabrics before I got here, and I still do it now,” she stated.

The first term lawmaker also said that she uses all kinds of wrist watches and wears the ones that fit the cloth she is putting on.

One question the upwardly mobile politician also finds easy to react to is how she combines being a lawmaker with her home and she says; “My family is number one, after finishing here, I go to my family, so I take them as a priority. I go to the market myself, I shop for cooking and I sometimes cook because I love cooking. I have time for my family; we only sit in the Assembly for plenary sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I create time for my family and my little boy except if I am out of the country. I bath for my boy everyday and I dress him up. I cook for my husband in the morning, so I am a family woman to the core.”

When we probed further to know what Hon. Ramota does on her spare time, she quickly replied; “Oh, I love dancing a lot, there is no music I don’t dance to, I enjoy all kinds of music and I am very good at dancing.”

She also revealed that she didn’t use her body to get what she wanted, but that she is eating out of the labour of her late father, who she said was a successful politician and a devoted member of the progressive.

The lawmaker expressed appreciation to the likes of  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr. Muiz Banire and Cardinal James Odumbaku (Baba Eto), who she said God used to help her to compensate for the efforts of her father.

Hon. Ramota is one of the few lawmakers that mix freely with people around them and she said that she enjoys the company of all her colleagues, both males and females. “I am a friend to everybody, we came to the world with nothing and we will leave with nothing.  I play with everybody here, my staffers and others inclusive, I am a very straightforward person, I don’t close my door. My father was a dredger; he ate with the people working with him, so I got that from him,” she said with happiness written all over her face.

As a public officer, Hon. Ramota has been to many countries, but she still has phobia for traveling by air; she said; “anytime I want to travel out, I always pray to God to protect me, I have a lot of people I cater for. I have been to the United Kingdom, United States of America, South Africa and Kigali in Rwanda.”

She however, said that Nigeria needs to learn a lot even from neghbouring African countries like Rwanda.

“When we went to Kigali in Rwanda, I could see that they are so disciplined, when we were going to see one of their big farms, the motorbike rider that led us obeyed traffic light. In the hotel, where I lodged, I looked through the window to see if there would be a gunshot in the night, but there was nothing like that. It is a very peaceful place though they went through hell during the war there, now they are enjoying. If you see their farms, they are so good. We went for a legislative programme in the country and I enjoyed my stay there,” she said with nostalgia.

A devoted Muslim, the female politician believes that violence happens during election period because there are some people that are bad, adding that she believes in God (Allah), and that anything that comes to her is through God, which is why she is occupying the office of a lawmaker today.

“I did not use thugs during my campaign period. It was peaceful all through and God did not allow the opponents to harm me. God knows what you would be in life, the next Governor of the state, God knows, He knows those who would occupy offices in the state house of assembly tomorrow,” she said.

One other thing the woman is proud of is the fact that Lagos State has the highest number of female lawmakers in the states houses of assembly and even council chairmen and that a leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu love to see women in positions and that they are doing their best on that, especially now that APC is controlling many states.

Hon. Ramota also has some pieces of advice for the Nigerian government; “our major problem is poverty, it is very rampant. Our government can create employment through farming; it is not everybody that can work in the office.

“For instance, it is not everybody that would be a millionaire, if God says you would not be rich; there is nothing you would do that would make you rich. Some people don’t know their destination in life; God may want you to do vocational work rather than office work. What some of these successful artisans have, people who work in offices don’t have them.

“The Lagos State Government is trying to create agencies, where people can be employed such as the Consumer Protection Agency, which bill was recently signed into law by the state government, LAWMA is employing a lot of people and many others,” she said, while placing emphasis on the need for public office holders not to neglect their homes.

LOCAL COUNCILS DESERVE MORE ALLOCATIONS

-Dayo Saka Fafunmi

The Nigerian government has been urged to increase the statutory allocation to local governments in the country.

Making this call recently was a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Oludayo Saka Fafunmi, who added that the 774 councils in the country are closer to the people than all other tiers of government.

He used the opportunity to condemn the current sharing formula in the country, which he said is not targeted at improving the lives and economy of the nation.

“The federal government is earning about 52 %, the 36 states share 26%, while all the 774 local governments in the country share only 22% of the nation’s income.  When you break it down, the addition of what goes into the states and the local councils are smaller than what goes into the Federal Government. Why would the Federal Government hold on to so much money at the expense of the states and local councils that would help stimulate the economy and let the nation grow. It is quite pathetic that even at national level, for instance, the NNPC does not know the volume of crude oil that is being sold daily. I have never seen a nation that refuses to harness its resources properly, why is it that electricity remains a mirage, why is it that if you want to do a legitimate business, you cannot access the bank to get money, even when the money is available, the interest rate is about 23 or 26%, and it is not easy for such business to break even. If the government wants to help the country, it would be interested in how the medium scale and small scale industries can grow. A lot of people have ideas, but they don’t have financial backings to actualize the dreams. That is the difference between our economy and those of countries like the United States of America and other developed climes, where you can borrow at single digits unlike here,” he said.

The lawmaker, who is also the Chairman, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House said that Lagos deserves a special status, which will turn around the fortune of the state. He called on Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RAMFAC) to look at the peculiarities of the state, and give it more focus just like oil producing states that are being given 13% derivation fund from the sale of crude oil.

According to him: “The Federal Government has less responsibility than the states and the local governments, what is Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) doing in Lagos that Public Works Department in the state cannot do? If the money voted for FERMA is domesticated in Lagos and is executed by Public Works, most of these so called federal roads would have been done; I do not see why roads within the metropolis are being considered as federal roads. The Federal Government should be concerned about inter-state roads and some other things. Most of the roads in Ikoyi in Lagos are still regarded as federal roads. For instance, some roads in Lagos are budgeted for by the Federal Government and we are not aware to monitor them and at the end of the day, nothing would be done and Lagosians are the ones bearing the brunt.”

Speaking on his committee and the exercise it is currently undertaken on the councils in the state, Fafunmi said that  the work of the Public Accounts Committee is to look at the queries raised by the state’s Auditor General, adding that the office is responsible for looking into the books and the projects of the local governments and bring the reports into the House of Assembly, which is then handled by PAC.

“Basically, with what I have seen, I am not in a position to say the reports of the Auditor General are good or bad, it is now left for the committee to dig deeper and ask more questions on things and take positions on them. I would say that we are looking at their accounts for year 2012, PAC is different from budgeting, and we usually deal with money or expenditure that has been carried out over a period of time. The 2012 reports bother on ambitious and unattainable budgetary proposals, most councils would give you budget size that is unattainable. When you see a local government that depends largely on what comes from the federation accounts or what comes from Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASSA) or other sources of internally Generated Revenue (IGR) making budgetary proposal of over N2 or N3 Billion, you would agree that it is an over-bloated budget. That is when you see the chairman appropriating the fund in a manner that suits his own purpose. We have been able to trash this issue and I have equally directed that the budget performance of the local governments should be included in the Auditor General’s Report so that at a glance you would know if the council is really doing well as prescribed by the appropriation law,” he stated.

The lawmaker revealed that the committee has directed that the councils should demand for bank guarantees from contractors who want to collect revenue on their behalf.

He said that the previous agreement is drafted in a way that it would be difficult to collect this money from them most of the time.

“So, we have directed that the bank guarantee should be prepared and obtained before they collect revenue on behalf of the local governments so that if you do not remit the money as expected, the local government can approach the court and obtain an order to compel the guarantee to be implemented, we also intend to step up our oversight functions so that meaningful development can be achieved at the local governments and LCDAs in the state” he stated.

Nigerian Teenager Stabbed, Burnt To Death In Russia



Tears flowed uncontrollably when the Samson family received the news that their 17-year-old daughter, Forester Samson was stabbed to death in far away Moscow, the capital of Russia.

Sunday Sun gathered that she was murdered by yet-to-be-identified Russian gangsters. According to a family source, the perpetrators went further to lock her body in a room and set it ablaze. Though, the police took her to the hospital, it was rather futile.

The source revealed that Forester was sponsored abroad by one Mercy who is suspected to be trafficking Nigerian girls on the promise that she would assist them with decent jobs in Russia. The teenager without hesitation, but with the approval of her mother jumped at the offer with high hopes.

According to the deceased’s elder sister, Sonia Samson, they got a call from Mercy, on Tuesday March 4, 2014 that Forester had died in an inferno. She added that the family was later told that Forester was stabbed before being set ablaze.

Sonia said, “Her madam is the one that called us on Tuesday and told us she was locked in a room and set ablaze by some unknown Russians. She told us that she was rushed to the hospital, that they were treating her.

“Later that day, she also told us that she was initially stabbed before she was burnt. Not too long after, she told us that she was dead. The madam said she was not the only victim in the attack. She said there were five other Nigerians, that another one died four or five days after the attack.

“My sister died mysteriously, just as another sister of mine was also killed by armed robbers. Sincerely, I am confused because I don’t know why all this is happening to us. Particularly for me, it is so painful that I don’t really know what to say or do. This is a difficult time for the family and I believe we need to be more prayerful more than ever before.”

The late Forester, who would have been celebrating her 18th birthday on March 30 hails from Igbekhue in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State. She completed her secondary education in 2013.

Forester’s father, Friday Osazuwa Samson was killed four years ago in Benin by suspected armed robbers. He was shot in broad daylight in front of his shop at Upper Sakponba. Until Friday’s death, he was a successful businessman, a distributor with Sona and Bendel breweries.

Siblings and other relatives of the late Forester’s father are worried and pained by circumstances surrounding how Forester was lured into traveling to Russia, which they described as shady. Recognizing the fact that she did not travel to Russia for further education, even as they were not also informed of such plans, they are calling on concerned authorities to wade into the matter.

They are accusing Mercy of human trafficking and calling on National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to investigate the activities of this said Mercy. They also want the Nigerian Embassy in Russia to as a matter of urgency unravel the mystery surrounding the death of their daughter.

The dastardly act took place on March 3, 2014. Since the news broke, the entire family has been thrown into mourning.

Sonia, who still finds it difficult to believe that her sister was gone, lamented that Forester’s death was too painful for her to easily accept. To her, she would have better been dreaming and be glad that the story was not true.

Meanwhile, Forester’s uncle, Mr Saturday Samson Osazuwa accused Forester’s mother of conniving with the said madam (Mercy) to deceive and persuade the teenager to travel abroad. He queried why Forester’s mother, Elizabeth, decided to hide his niece’s whereabouts from him. Saturday, who now acts as a father figure to the children since their father’s death, said the mother refused to disclose where Forester was, even as he insisted on seeing her.

Said he: “The mother was aware that Forester had traveled abroad. Not just that, I believe she was part of the arrangement that her 17-year-old daughter should travel abroad. It is really unfortunate and wicked of her to have taken that decision.

“If my brother, her husband was alive, he would never allow such a thing for any of his children. What was Forester looking for in Russia? Was it to go there and school? Certainly not. Now, she has caused the entire family pain and sorrow. The girl was beautiful and intelligent. I still cannot understand what she was sent to Russia to do at her tender age.

“For more than five months, her mother was dribbling me whenever I wanted to see Forester. I sent for her to come and see me on a number of occasions but they kept telling me that she was residing with her mother’s relatives in Benin here only for me to receive a call from them that she was dead in a fire accident in Russia. This is the girl that they kept telling me was in Benin. Until her death, the mother refused to tell anybody in our family. If she thought that the children belonged to her alone, that is where she’s mistaken.”

Also, an uncle of late Forester’s father, Mr Evabayekha Christopher, described Forester’s mother as callous. He wondered why any reasonable mother would send her own daughter abroad for monetary reasons.

His words: “What exactly will Forester be doing abroad when she was supposed to be studying at the University of Benin or any other higher institution of learning in Nigeria? What she did is unacceptable to every member of our family.”

A DICTATOR MAY SOON EMERGE AS NIGERIAN LEADER -Prophet Sunday Iyunade

The country has never had it so bad since it gained independence from the British in 1960. We have had experiences of military coups, civil war, down turn in economy, social problems and numerous other challenges.

But the prevailing menace of the Boko Haram sect, amongst other challenges, appears to have overwhelmed the nation in recent times.

However, a shocking revelation that will amaze most Nigerians was made recently by the Presiding Pastor of Pentecostal Sanctuary Bible Ministries, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Prophet Sunday ‘Dare Iyunade.

The anointed man of God revealed that an emperor, who would be autocratic in his ways, might soon emerge in the country, adding that we must pray seriously to avert this ugly development.

“The violence that might erupt during the 2015 elections would not be enough to obstruct the results. The opposition would use all means such as violence and the judiciary to hijack power, but they would not succeed. We all know that there is corruption in the system, we are losing lives on a daily basis through violence and there is no real democratic party in Nigeria.

“But, we might find ourselves in the hands of autocrats, and powerful individuals. If this happens, it will cause serious setback to Nigeria. They will rule by force. We will be going into slavery if such leaders emerge in our nation because they are dangerous elements. Their plan is evil, so we should watch out because this could lead to the emergence of an emperor that would put Nigeria in his pocket,” he warned.

The respected man of God lambasted the opposition ‘for making noise about the programmes of the present government,’ saying that those that are making noise have their hands full of blood.

He stressed that those that are pointing accusing fingers at others are more dangerous to the nation and that they will pocket the nation if they get to power. They are not sincere; they are not making the noise because of their love for the country.

“They are being pushed by their love for wealth and power, and not love for Nigeria. I don’t see anyone of them as being sincere. It would have been nice for Nigeria if we had a very strong and sincere opposition,” he said.

Iyunade, who was speaking at an event to mark the18^th Anniversary and 12^th Annual Convention of the Ministry with the theme; ‘Be Prepared,’ and which holds between March 23^rd and 29^th, 2014, said that the nation’s present challenges will soon go down.

He said: “The insincerity of our leaders is much; we need a new breed of leaders. We should not blame Christians that are not participating in politics; the political atmosphere is not conducive for Christians. Christians believe in dialogue and peace, we don’t believe in killings, which is why Boko Haram sect is having a field day. If anybody commits murder, we will disown the person unlike other religions. The environment we found ourselves is not conducive at all.”

On the National Conference put together by the Federal Government, Prophet Iyunade said that it will solidify the unity of the country, and that the northerners wanted to reduce the number of Christians with the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram, which he said is not possible.

“There should be freedom of religion; freedom of movement, the confab will give us an opportunity to discuss as a nation. The issue of our freedom must be discussed there. It was God that opened the door for former president Olusegun Obasanjo to emerge as Nigerian president. He built the church that we have in Aso Rock now, see the time the mosque had been there. That shows to us that Christians are being marginalized in Nigeria. When you see the money the government is spending on sponsoring people on pilgrimage to Mecca every year and compare it to the one they are spending to send people to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, you will see that they are cheating Christians,” he emphasised.

He said that the theme of the church’s anniversary; ‘Be Prepared,’ was chosen because ‘many Christians are neither preparing nor prepared. He told us the signs of His coming in Mathew 24, when the disciples asked Jesus certain germane questions to which he gave them answers. The truth is that the coming of the Lord is closer. In Mathew 24: 3, during a personal discussion, the disciples asked Jesus three pertinent questions. These questions were meant to give them the privilege of having both an insight and foresight into the signs of His return and when the things shall be. Their questions were in threefold: 1. When shall this be. 2. What shall be the signs of His coming? 3. What shall be the signs of the end of the world,” he said.

Going personal, Prophet Iyunade revealed that he gave his life to Christ at a tender age and that since then, he has never looked back.

“Many pastors nurtured me in churches like The Apostolic Church, Apostolic Faith and Deeper Christian Life Ministry. I am not an angel, but I am trying all I could do to remain in the Lord. In 1986, God told me I would establish a church, but I served under authority till 1990,” he revealed.

He said that he didn’t regret answering the call of God, but that he has encountered many challenges in life.

The cleric, whose ministry has about three branches in London, recalled a time he had to rush to Oshodi in Lagos to buy s shirt he would wear to church on a Sunday only to mistakenly buy a ladies’ shirt.

“I went to buy Tokunbo wear since I didn’t have money for a new one and I ignorantly bought a ladies’ shirt. The Ibo man deceived me into buying it; when I complained about the shoulder pad, he said it was a new design; I then wore it to church on Sunday with a tie without anybody noticing. I have used ordinary water to break a fast as I did not have money for food. I have faced demonic attack because I pray for people, who have problems,” he said.

The widely traveled prophet also recalled that the Ijebu branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) tried to block the registration of the church by reporting to the State Security Service (SSS) that it was not a proper church, adding that their plans failed eventually as the church was registered by the government.

“When we wanted to lay the foundation of the church in year 2000, we had only N9,000 with us, but  God said I should go ahead. Miraculously as we were starting, people came from all walks of life to give us money that same day and we realized almost N70,000. We eventually built the church without obtaining loan or seeking for help from any quarters. On June 9, a section of the church collapsed close to my office, it was God that saved about 20 people that were there, it could have collapsed on them,” he said.

Furthermore, the said that he has some personal challenges, which he does not even tell his church members, but that he will always cherish the call of God as a cleric.

He carpeted some ministries, which he said were appointing un-regenerated souls to win souls for Christ in the church, adding that ‘by their fruits you shall know them.’

“The church is so desperate, we want to be everywhere and we want to capture everywhere, so we keep dashing people titles like the ‘obas’ are giving titles to people. Most times, we choose by sight, and not by the spirit, and the church is making errors. So, you find pastors that are not genuine everywhere.

“When the church experienced revival, we did not make good use of it. For example, only the learned are being used to head many churches, they have abandoned the illiterates; anyone that is not learned cannot get to a position, which is part of the problem.

“With this, the church is making a lot of errors. We want learned people in positions, we want them to head our churches, but that is not the purpose of establishing churches, so the church is making a lot of errors, I pray God will help the church to regain its lost glory,” he submitted.