OGD VS BANKOLE OTTA BOXING CONTEST. I Did Not Witness Bankole Slap Gbenga Daniel: Kayode Odunaro. Spokes Person to Speaker

"You this stupid minister, u are going to loose your job, this is your last assignment. You commissioned the project in my absence am going to deal wit u . To daniel he said, "who the hell do u think u are?" Credited to Speaker Dimeji Bankole. (Unverified)

"He dragged the key of the bus with the driver injuring him in the process and forcefully switched of the engine of the coaster bus carrying the Governor, Minister and other Exco members of Ogun State. For close to 15 minutes he held them hostage and pour invectives on them. OGD, the Minister of works, Sanusi Daggash, the Minister of state for works, engr Osa Ogemwonyin, info com kawonise and other exco members were all inside d bus . The ADC and CSO to OGD shielded OGD as Bankole charged towards him. In all these OGD ,Dagash and others were speechless as d power drunk speaker charged out of d bus."


"Among those who fled for their lives was the traditional ruler of Ota town, Alani Oloyede. The royal father had to tuck in his flowing gown, or agbada, as he fled the scene in the midst of his chiefs." 234next.com

Dimeji Bankole.

Axis of........?

Chief Kayode Odunaro, (Special Adviser (Communication) to the Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole via Niger Politics on-line platform:

I Just got to my house in Abuja (11.30 pm) as our flight from Lagos was delayed. It's been a long day and I read one or two account of Speaker Dimeji Bankole assaulting Governor Gbenga Daniel, Mr. Mohammed Daggash, the minister for works and some other person(s).

Let me state outright that I witnessed the whole incident and commonsense will out rightly indicate that Bankole could not have assaulted a minimum of three persons in a bus as alleged by persons giving second or third hand report of hearsay.

But for the benefit of all I think it will be appropriate to start from the beginning. Five days ago, Minister of Work called Speaker Bankole and intimated him that the Ota Bridge is to be commissioned on Thursday 29, July, 2010. He requested the Speaker to do the commissioning considering his role in resuscitating the project which was abandoned for over two years since 2007. The Speaker agreed on the condition that the minister will shift the timing from 10am to 3pm so that he can preside over the plenary session of the House before coming for the event. This was agreed to by the minister.

Unfortunately Speaker Bankole could not even preside over the House as a courtesy call on him by Nigerians in Diaspora (USA, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, Africa) turned out to be a brainstorming session and the Bankole asked his deputy to preside so that he can fully brief our brothers and sisters from abroad on some issues they raised.

At the end of the session, Bankole in company of Hon. Onyema Chukwuma, Chairman House Committee on Works and 4 other members went to the airport in Abuja and arrived Lagos around 2.30 pm. While at the airport and en route Ota, the minister of work called severally to inquire about Speaker Bankole's progress towards the commissioning event. We arrived at the foot of the bridge towards the Lagos end at about 2.55pm while the event was schedule for the other end. Our route was blocked by parked vehicles of TRACE and other vehicles. It took a while to clear the vehicles parked on the bridge for us to get to the event venue proper amidst cheering crowd hailing Bankole for the role they know he played in seeing the bridge project to fruition. Traditional rulers and chiefs came and welcome the Speaker midway and led him toward the High table. On citing our approach, The minister with the Governor in tow stood up and proceeded toward where they want to cut the tape for the commissioning. In the thick of the crowd Speaker Bankole and his entourage made attempt to join the minister and governor apparently to know what is going on having been invited to do what apparently they were about to do. In a most hurried manner Daggash and the governor may have commissioned the bridge but I was a bit way off to see what they did as they abruptly turn back and the Governor headed for a completely black tinted Coaster Bus with the minister chaperoned along by a handful of security aides (Body Guards). At a point somebody called the minister attention to the presence of the Speaker( he knew apparently with the crowds cheering the Speaker and all the siren alarm) but he was virtually muscled into the bus or played along(only himself can say which.

At this point the Speaker approach the bus and entered to inquire from the minister why he brought him all the way from Abuja only virtually run away on citing him. The Chairman of House Works Hon. Onyema also enter the bus after being roughen up by the Governor’s security aides and he confirmed to me that they only entered the bus to get explanation from the minister. As aforesaid the window of the bus was heavily tinted and only those inside can account to what happened and the only other witness I noted was Ogun Commissioner for Agric Mr. Akinosi but he was busy trying to prevent Hon Rasaq Adewusi from entering the bus and may not really have an accurate account of what transpired. The scuffle that I noticed was outside the bus when the ADC and CSO of Speaker try to gain entrance into the bus as their duty demands to be with their principal at all times. They were, against protocol, prevented from doing so peacefully by security aides of the governor and had to force their way in to perform their duty the Speaker. The whole bus episode could not have lasted more than 4 minutes as the Speaker came down and we left the venue back to the airport where the Speaker addressed the press that wanted to know where the minister behaved the way he did. Bankole told them that the important thing for him is that the bridge was completed and is now being used by the people. He equally denied that he allegedly threatened to sack Daggash as he said neither himself or the House of Reps have any role to play in the hiring and firing of minister.

To the best of my eye witness knowledge this was what happened. I know the spin doctors led by the one they call Kawonise or is it Comical Ali would hallucinate on alleged assault. They are free to exercise their imagination but forumites are equally free to base their comment and contributions on facts and eye witness account not some hearsay by those always on standby to misinform and mislead for selfish end.

Thank to all as we see how the minister explain his treatment of Speaker Bankole wasting tax payers’ money in the process. We can comment on the politics of Ota Bridge later but for now this is for those who called on me to get the facts as much as possible not some propaganda.

Chief Kayode Odunaro JP

PHOTO EVENT: THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE

The Commissioning of Sango-Ota Bridge, Along Abeokuta was held yesterday,Pix; show Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Speaker House of Assembly, inspect the Bridge after Commissioning, Mr. Kayode Odunaro, Special Adviser on Communication to Speaker, Photo by Joe Akintola,Photo Editor.

Bankole, Daniel exchange words at inauguration of Ota bridge

A fracas almost broke out at the inauguration of the Ota Bridge section of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway on Thursday as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, and the Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, engaged each other in a war of words.

Trouble started when Bankole, who arrived about an hour after Daniel and the Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash, complained that the minister had inaugurated the bridge before his arrival.

The Speaker, on arrival, started inspecting the project when Daniel and Daggash were making their speeches at the venue of the project inauguration.

The minister, after his address, moved in company with the governor, the Minister of State for Works, Mr. Chris Ogienwoyi; and the Olota of Ota, Oba Alani Oyede, to cut the tape, thereby formally declaring the bridge open.

Bankole, who noticed that the tape had been cut while he was still inspecting the bridge made for a coaster bus in which Daniel, Daggash, two Ogun commissioners and a few Special Advisers were seated.

One of our correspondents said that while it was difficult to hear what transpired among the men, it was obvious to those close to the bus that they were exchanging words.

Two of the passengers in the bus, who pleaded anonymity because of the volatile nature of the incident, said that Bankole questioned Daggash on why he had invited him to Ota to “embarrass him.”

The sources claimed that the Speaker thereafter turned to Daniel and lambasted him

Another source said that at that point, Daniel too got angry and responded. The governor then demanded to know why the Speaker was insulting the minister and the other personalities in the bus.

Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Sina Kawonise, who was in the bus, said that the governor, on seing Bankole approach them, co directed the driver to open the door of the bus so that he could greet him ( Bankole).

The Special Adviser to the Speaker on Communication, Chief Kayode Odunaro, later said that his boss would address the journalists on the incident at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

At the airport, Bankole said that he was only interested in Sango Ota Bridge being inaugurated, and not in any drama that took place at its inauguration.

He denied that he threatened to sack the minister, saying, “I have no power, to sack a minister.”

Below is the excerpts of the interview he granted airport journalists:

What is your reaction to the drama that played out at the opening of the Otta bridge?

No! No! No! I was not locked out of anywhere; The bridge is commissioned, and that is about what I would love to say.

How about the fracas between your supporters and the supporters of Governor Daniel.

No ! No! No ! there was no fracas among the supporters, that one I can assure you.

How about the drama that happened in the coaster bus?

Oh! I had a discussion with the minister and the governor in the bus.

Were you late for the programme?

No, I was not late.

What is your interest in the project?

My interest, as an indigene of Ogun State, is to make sure that there is federal presence in Ogun State; and that we have managed to do by Federal Government completing Otta Bridge, which is commissioned today (Thursday). Apart from that, I am not interested in any other thing that went on there.

But Kawonise, who later arrived at the airport, said that it was not the duty of the speaker to inaugurate the bridge since it was not a constituency project.

He said, “ We left Abeokuta in a coaster bus and got to Ota where the inauguation was slated for 2pm. When we got there, the governor made a speech and the minister also made his speech thanking the President (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) for the bridge.

“He also thanked former President Olusegun Obasanjo and acknowledged the Speaker for his contribution in facilitating the projects completion.

“The minister later cut the tape. The governor was sitting there because it is not a state project, so specifically it is the minister that should cut the tape he did.

“We should state very clearly that the commissioning is an executive job because this is not a constituency for the legislature or anybody.”

“When we started moving out, we got information that the speaker had arrived and the governor asked the driver to stop and instructed all of us to welcome him. But to everybody’s surprise, Bankole started abusing the minister, calling him all sort of names .

“ He also faced the governor saying that ‘you this governor, what do you think you are?; you the minister, you are going to be sacked; I am assuring you that this will be your lasting outing, so you can commission this project without my presence.’

“He then went into the driver’s side and pulled him out of the vehicle. He struggled for the car key and wounded the driver in his hand.”

Our correspondent in Abeaokuta reported that some street urchins took advantage of the incident at the inauguration of the bridge to harrass guests and residents of the area.

The confusion compelled the Olota to flee the vicinity while other traditional rulers followed the monarch as the situation of the place became tense.

The governor, in his address, had told the crowd that the Ota Bridge was the “good work” of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Daggash, in his address, said another history had been made in Ogun as the project had been pending for eight years, saying the third phase of the project would be completed in the next 15 months.

He promised that the next phase would not suffer the hiccups that delayed the project.

The Commissioning of Sango-Ota Bridge, Along Abeokuta was held yesterday,Pix; show the Bridge, Photo by Joe Akintola,Photo Editor.

The Commissioning of Sango-Ota Bridge, Along Abeokuta was held yesterday,Pix; show Senator. Sanusi Daggash, Minister of Work, Cutting the Tape, Gov. Gbenga Daniel, of Ogun State, and Olota of Ota, look on. Photo by Joe Akintola,Photo Editor.

"Among those who fled for their lives was the traditional ruler of Ota town, Alani Oloyede. The royal father had to tuck in his flowing gown, or agbada, as he fled the scene in the midst of his chiefs." 234next.com

How PDP governors plan to frustrate Jonathan [punch]

Indications emerged on Tuesday that some governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party were planning to work against President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 presidential race.

The governors, who are believed to have met with some pro-zoning elements in the country, are said to be pushing for the conduct of governorship primaries before presidential primaries.

A source close to the governors said this would give them (the governors) the advantage of determining who would be the party’s candidate in the presidential primaries.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said that if the party agreed to this proposal, the governors would become “semi-gods” during the primaries.

“They will use the advantage to either ask Jonathan to step down from the race or direct their delegates to vote for a candidate of their choice,” he said.

Already, the governors are said to be in constant touch with a former Head of State, who, it was learnt, had vowed that he would make sure that Jonathan did not become the PDP candidate in the 2011 presidential election.

The source said, “Those who are insisting on zoning are not relenting in their agitation, which they know might not scale through the party’s National Executive Committee meeting.

“This is why they have reached out to the governors and others who have sympathy for their cause to make sure that the party holds its governorship primaries first before deciding on who becomes the party’s candidate for the presidential election.

“If this is done, I can assure that the governors will then work against the President’s interest in the presidential primaries.

“The idea behind this is that the governorship candidates would have emerged and at that period, there is nothing the party or the presidency could do to stop them anymore. If their names are changed, they will contest it in the law court.”

Apart from this, the source added that the governors were waiting for the Independent National Electoral Commission to release its timetable for the election.

He said that this would enable them to decide on what he called their “Plan B.”

This plan, according to the source, was to make sure that INEC conducted the governorship election first before that of the presidential.

The “Plan B”, he explained, would enable those in favour of zoning to compel their supporters to vote for another candidate apart from Jonathan in the presidential election.

He said the proponents of zoning in the country, and those who were working against Jonathan, were not leaving anything to chance.

“Those are the two plans for now. But I don’t know the extent they can go; but in politics, anything is possible.”

The PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, had on Monday night met with governors elected on the platform of the party in Abuja, where several issues were said to have been discussed behind closed doors.

The governors, among other issues, were said to have advised Nwodo that it would be better for the party to leave the issue of zoning for now because it was capable of affecting the unity of the party.

However, the party chairman, who spoke with journalists after the meeting, refused to reveal the issues that were discussed.

He merely said that the meeting was part of the consultations he had embarked on after he assumed the leadership of the party. Nwodo said it was also his first meeting with the governors and that several other consultations would follow.

Nwodo had declared that the issue of zoning in the party had been jettisoned since 2002. The PDP boss said in an interview with journalists that zoning was only used during the party’s primaries in 1998.

Itsekiri women shut down $800m gas project [Punch]

The new Escravos/Warri Gas Pipeline embarked upon by the Federal Government in Delta State has been shut down by Itsekiri women of Ugborodo Community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The project being funded by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation/Chevron Joint Venture was designed to produce additional gas for the operation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the American energy giant was expected to fund the project to cross the Escravos River while the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of NNPC, was to sponsor the execution of the project from the creeks of the coastal Popo Community to the Warri base of NGC.

The project was valued at $800m. This includes the cost of procurement of pipes, pig launchers, valves and obligation to contractors.

The women seized the site of the contractors, Zakhem Nigeria Limited and Fenog Nigeria Limited, in the early hours of Saturday. The aggrieved women chased away the workers who were operating on the part of the project being funded by Chevron, Escravos River Crossing Gas Pipeline Project, and took over the place.

It was learnt that about three hundred women had turned the site to temporary abode on Sunday.

The women, including the aged, prevented the contractors from demobilising their equipment, especially drilling rods worth $50m, from the site.

The women were aggrieved that Ugborodo community was not being considered for the provision of electricity even though that the project was meant to enhance the efficiency of PHCN and improve power generation and distribution in the country.

They vowed to frustrate the project unless the Federal Government made a convincing arrangement for a steady electricity supply to the community.

The leader of the women, Mrs. Mercy Olowu, said they embarked on the action because of the insensitivity of the Federal Government, adding that the government had consistently ignored the peaceful overtures of the community for the provision of electricity and other life support facilities in the community over the years.

Babangida's Campaign Takes Delivery of 500 Cars [Leadership]

500 more expected in days || The campaign machinery of former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida is set to take the nation by storm.

A few days ago, the IBB Presidential Campaign Organisation took delivery of 500 vehicles consisting of 250 Prado jeeps and 250 Toyota Camry saloon cars, Leadership Sunday has learnt. The cars are now parked at a location in Abuja, said a source close to the campaign group. Leadership Sunday was also told that the last batch of 500 vehicles (250 Prado jeeps and 250 Camry cars) will be added to the lot, making a total of 1, 000 vehicles.

General Babangida, who was the country's leader between 1985 and 1993, has indicated his desire to contest the presidential election on the platform of the PDP. He has also been a vociferous advocate of the PDP zoning policy: the party had zoned the presidency to the North after Olusegun Obasanjo's eight years. Obasanjo was succeeded by Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who died on May 5, this year, and Dr Goodluck Jonathan took over according to the dictates of the Nigerian constitution. Some members of the PDP, including General Babangida, insist that the PDP should maintain the zoning arrangement for the 2011 elections.

President Jonathan's supporters, including the recently selected national chairman of the ruling party, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, have maintained that the zoning arrangement is not sacrosanct, especially after the force majeure (Yar'Adua's death) that changed the bargain. Other likely aspirants within the PDP include General Aliyu Gusau (rtd), the current national security adviser; former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar; Dr Bukola Saraki, governor of Kwara State; and Alhaji Danjuma Goje, governor of Gombe State.

The PDP governors obviously hold the key to the party's ticket. But it is doubtful if all of them will support the same candidate during the primaries. Another source close to the IBB presidential Campaign told Leadership Sunday that, if it becomes clear that General Babangida will not get the PDP ticket, he and his supporters will move en masse into another party, probably the ANPP.

ICRC (Red Cross) is Hiring :: Abuja

The ICRC is a neutral and independent international organisation
The International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) Delegation in Abuja is looking suitable candidates to fill the vacancy below;
1, Cooperation Assistant
Assist cooperate delegates In his/her role in all aspects of the cooperation files
Be a focal person and Saisort with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) and
other Movement partners present in Nigeria,
Provide technical support to the NRCS and contributes to the delegation objectives
and activities.
Develops and maintain contact with interlocutors Important to the cooperation fifes.

Required Qualifications:
University degree in humanitarian field and development
4 years’work experience in a similar field
Good command of written and spoken English (oral skills in local languages is a plus)
Good Computer Skills
Awareness of the socio-political environment and good analytical skills Good team spirit and leadership skills Good communication and negotiation skills
Must be a self starter dedicated to delegation tasks

Please submit your application (letter of motivation, CV, copies of certificates, referees) before Friday 30th July, 2010 to the Administrator, ICRC Delegation in Abuja,

No.29 Kumasi Crescent, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II Abuja, Please clearly indicate “Cooperation Assistant” on your mail

Only short’listed canflidates will be contacted.

NIGERIAN LNG LIMITED IS HIRING

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER HVAC
REF: PE/2010/002
Location: Bonny
The Job; The right candidate will be required to manage all aspects of HVAC preventive and breakdown maintenance while ensuring minimal unplanned main HVAC interruptions as well as long-term integrity of plant equipment through optimal HVAC systems operations. The right candidate will be reponsible for managing a contractor for the execution of HVAC engineering and maintenance activities with a large staff strength.
The duties will include, but are not limited to the following:
• Oversee execution of all company’s HVAC preventive
maintenance routines, breakdown repair and medium.
project work and ensure that relevant staff are aware of
and comply with applicable company HSE requirements.
• Undertake detailed performance analysis, fault
monitoring and repairs on all major HVAC equipments
including chillers, compressors, VSDS cabins and
integrated HVAC systems in the Industrial and
Residential Areas
• Act as the technical focal person for all HVAC
installations and its electrical distribution systems as well
as for the acceptance ofall completed projects,
• Ensure continuity of operation of all HVAC distribution
systems and the associated electrical, controls of the HVAC plant while implementing all applicable safety regulations and standards.
• Provide assistance for -pare-part reviews for all HVAC
items and prepare appropriate stock proposals related to
the HVAC installation- in the Plant, Residential Area and
the Port Harcourt support base
• Carry out reviews of civ. HVAC systems project
documents and its reb.u-d electrical aspects as parts of
projects at the various >uges and advise concerned
departments.

The Person:
The right candidate should:
• Possess a B.Sc/B.Eng in HVAC Engineering and
Electromechanical Engineering with HVAC bias
obtained at a minimum of Second Class (Upper
Division). Possession of ASHRAE professional
certification is an added advantage
• Possess between. 7-10 years’ post graduation work
experience of which a minimum of 5 years’ should have
been spent performing similar function in a reputable
organisation
• Be professional and disciplined, and possess good
communication, planning, computing and
organisational skills,
• Be able to work in multi disciplined teams.
• Not be more than 40 years.

2, BUSINESS RECORDS
ANALYST/ARCHIVE SUPERVISOR
REF:GRC/2010/001
Location: Lagos & Bonny

Thejob:
The
appointee will be required to supervise Archives in NLNG, give specialist advice to the business in
ensuring the proper maintenance of NLNG’S records in line with NLNG’s Records and information
management Policy and the Business continuity plan and formulate strategies for the NLNG records and information Management system.
The duties will include, but are not limited to the following.
Provide a cost-effective Records and Information Management service to the business by ensuring classification of records and maintenance of the NLNG catalogue database, long term storage of physical records; effective/controlled retrival of all archived records and required disposal of records in accordance with requisite procedues/standards
• Oversee and ensure the documentation, creation and
revision of NLNG Archive Code Scheme in NLNG
Archive Code database.
• Provide specialist advice and expertise to departments/units
in developing and reviewing File Plans and Vital Record
Registers and ensure the development/review of policies,
procedures and guidelines for Archives/Records
Management.
• Formulate strategies for guidance and training on the
Records Management process/tools to NLNG staff
through workshops/seminars and develop/disseminate
literature on Records Management,
The Person; The right candidate should:
• Possess a bachelor’s degree in Library Sciences or relevant
disciplines related to the performance of the key RIM
responsibilities for the job, obtained at a minimum of
Second Class (Upper Division).
• Have.a minimum of 5 years’ post NYSC work experience,
at least 3 years of which should have been spent in a
Records Management function in a reputable company,

• Be able to solve and address Records Management issues,
effectively use established electronic document
management systems (EDMS) and learn new applications.
• Possess good presentation, written, oral, interpersonal,
analytical, supervisory and coaching skills, and be able to
communicate effectively with a diverse range of
stakeholders.

3, BUSINESS RECORDS
ANALYST/ARCHimSUPEHVISOR
REF: GRC/2010/001
Location: Lagos & Bonny
The Job: The appointee will be required to
supervise the Archivists and Archives in NLNG, giving specialist advice to the business in ensuring the proper maintenance of NLNG’s corporate records in line with NLNG’s Records and Information Management Policy and the Business Continuity Plan, and formulate strategies for NLNG Records and Information Management System. The duties will include, but are not limited to the following:
• Provide a cost-effective Records and Information
Management service to the business by ensuring
classification of Records and the maintenance of the
NLNG catalogue database; long term storage of physical
records; effective/controlled retrieval of all archived
records and required disposal of records in accordance
with requisite procedures/standards.
• Oversee and ensure the documentation, creation and

• Not be more than 35 years old.
revision of NLNG Archive Code Scheme in NLNG Archive Code database.
Provide specialist advice and expertise to departments/units in developing and reviewing File Plans and Vital Record Registers and ensure the developmemyreview of policies, procedures and guidelines for Archives/Records Management.
Formulate strategies for guidance and training on the Records Management process/tools to NLNG staff through workshops/seminars and develop/disseminate literature on Records Management,
ThePerson: The right candidate should:
• Possess a bachelor’s degree in Library Sciences or
relevant disciplines related to the performance of the key
RIM responsibilities for the job, obtained at a minimum
of Second Class (Upper Division),
• Have a minimum of 5 years’ post NYSC work
experience, at least 3 years of which should have been
spent in a Records Management function in a reputable
company,
• Be able to solve and address Records Management
issues/good computing skills and effectively use
established electronic document management systems
(EDMS) and learn new applications.
• Possess good presentation, written, oral, interpersonal,
analytical, supervisory and coaching skills, and the ability
to com mimicate effectively with a diverse range of
stakeholders.
• Not be more man 35 years old.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER REF: PE/2Q10/002 Location: Bonny

HVAC

The Job: The right candidate will be required to manage all aspects of HVAC preventive and breakdown maintenance while ensuring minimal unplanned main HVAC interruptions as well as long-term integrity of plant equipment through optimal HVAC systems operations.
The Person: The right candidate should will be
reponsible for Managing a contractor for the execution of
HVAC engineering and maintenance activities with a large
staff strength.
The duties will include, but are not limited to the
following:
• Oversee execution of all company’s HVAC preventive
maintenance routines, breakdown repair and medium
project work and ensure that relevant staff is aware of
and comply with applicable company HSE
requirements,
• Undertake detailed performance analysis, fault
monitoring and repairs on all major HVAC equipments
including chillers, compressors, VSDS cabins and integrated HVAC systems in the Industrial and Residential Areas
Act as the technical focal person for all HVAC installations and its electrical distribution systems as well as for the acceptance of all completed projects.
Ensure continuity of operation of all HVAC distribution systems and the associated electrical controls of the HVAC plant while implementing all applicable safety regulations and standards.
Provide assistance for spare-part reviews for all HVAC
items and prepare appropriate stock proposals related to
the HVAC installations in the Plant, Residential Area
and the Port Harcourt support base ;
Carry out reviews of the HVAC” systems project ;
documents and its related electrical aspects as parts of
projects at the various stages and advise concerned ;
departments.
The Person:

The right candidate should:

• Possess a B.Sc/B.Eng in HVAC Engineering and
Electromechanical Engineering with HVAC bias
obtained at a minimum of” Second Class Upper
Division. Possession of ASHRAE professional
certification is an added advantage
• Have between 7-10 years’ post graduation working
experience with a minimum of 5 years’ relevant
experience performing similar function in a reputable
organisation
• Be professional and disciplined, possessing good
communication, planning, computing and
organizational skills.
• Must demonstrate ability to work in multi disciplined
teams,
• Not be more than 40 vears.

Method of Applying
Interested applicants should apply to The Manager, Manpower Planning & Resourcing, through ANY of the following

addresses:

Nigeria LNG Limited
C & C TOWERS
PLOT 1684 SANUNiSI FAFUNWA ST
VICTORIA ISLAND
PMB 12774
LAGOS

Nigeria LNG Limited
AMADI CREEK INTEGRATED SERVICE BASE
OFF EASTERN BYE-PASS
PORT-HAROCURT
RIVERS STATE

Nigeria LNG Limited
PLANT COMPLEX BONNY ISLAND
RIVERS STATE

Nigeria LNG Limited 8TI–I FLOOR
CHURCHGATE TOWERS CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ABUJA

forwarding their handwritten applications, photocopies of their credentials and detailed curriculum vitae with full details of contact address (not P O. Box) telephone numbers and email address. The reference number of the position applied for should be clearly indicated at the top left-hand corner of the envelope, which should reach the addressee within two weeks the of the date of publication of this advertisement. Only shortlisled applications will be acknowledged.

The curriculum vitae should be formatted in the order listed below:
• SURNAME
• FIRST NAME/INITIALS
• DATE OF BIRTH
• AGE
• STATE OF ORIGIN
• SEX
• MARITAL STATUS
• CONTACT ADRESS
• TELEPHONE NUMBER
« E-MAIL ADDRESS
• INSTITUTION(S) ATTENDED WITH DATES
• DEGREE(S) OBTAINED WITH DATES
• GLASS OF DEGREE ‘
• PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE
• REFEREES

British Council Nigeria needs Project Manager in Abuja

The British Council in Nigeria is looking for a qualified individual to fill the post of a 'Project Manager' in Abuja.

Responsibilities

			Product Delivery, Management and Impact
			Marketing and Customer Service
			Relationship Building
			Financial Planning and Management
			Line management and Professional Development

Generic Skills

			Project and Contract Management
			Marketing and Customer Service
			A track record of working in Project Management

HOW TO APPLY:
Read through the job description document. Download and complete the application form. To help you understand and complete the application form, read through the ‘How to complete the application’ and ‘Guidance for applicants’ documents to the left of this page. Listed within the job description document, you will find a number of listed ‘competencies’. Evidence against those competencies will need to be provided in your application form under the ‘Evidence in support of your application’ area. To help you understand the competencies, we have provided a 'Behavioural Competency' and 'Generic Skills' dictionary to the left of this page.

Please read all the documents carefully before you fill in the job application form. Telephone applications or enquiries will not be considered. Completed applications should be sent via email to: Gposts@ng.britishcouncil.org. Deadline: 10am on Saturday 31 July 2010.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted. We do not accept CV's, handwritten applications or expressions of interest.

How Governors Rig Elections by Donald Duke [Guardian]

A comprehensive expose on how elections are rigged in the country has been unveiled by one of the insiders in the political process and former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke.
Last Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Duke gave a blow by blow account to a gathering of pro-democracy advocates, including the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), of the modus operandi of State Chief Executives and Resident Electoral Commissioners to thwart the mandate of the electorate, not just in states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but all the others.

In his opinion, it is not just a question of replacing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, but getting a critical mass to come out to vote and ensuring that votes count.
The Guardian today delivers excerpts of his extempore speech:

“LET me start this way. Professor Maurice Iwu is truly an enigma; he enjoyed the limelight. He enjoyed all the attacks, thrown and meted at him, he remained undaunted. I think, he belongs to the school of thought that believes that bad publicity is better than no publicity. So, even though he was being attacked and scolded and all sorts of things were said about him, he didn’t shy away from even going to the United States and talking to Nigerians in the Diaspora about his work, he didn’t shy away from it. I was told he organized a rally to ensure that he will come back to do the work he was appointed to.

Why do I call him an enigma? The truth is, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission has little or no bearing on the success of elections, that’s the truth. To me, it’s actually immaterial because he is head of the administration he takes the brunt. The best he can do is perhaps, draw up a blueprint but the implementation of that blueprint is outside his control. So, if elections are rigged in say -Taraba State- we don’t do that stuff in Cross Rivers State (laughter),

Every one looks at Iwu and he proudly says we did this or that. Hogwash!
Let me now take you through the process of an election. We have a hundred and twenty thousand booths in Nigeria. At the hierarchy, you have the Chairman of INEC, then you have the zonal Commissioners, then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners and they are the heads in every state the zone as the name implies; we have six zones in Nigeria, so you have six of them. Then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners and there are 36 of them of course, and Abuja. Then for each local government, you have an electoral officer. Beyond that you have a hundred and twenty thousand polling booths, headed by presiding officers. The people think that at the end of the elections, the PDP would just decide who wins and who doesn’t and announces the results. I think the process is a bit more sophisticated than that.
This is what happens; the Resident Electoral Commissioner is usually from another state. The electoral officers, they move around. They are usually from that state, but for the conduct of elections itself, you would probably move from Cross River to Akwa Ibom or to Abia, but these musical chairs don’t mean nothing.

When the Resident Electoral Commissioner comes before the elections are conducted- of course when he comes to the state, usually, he has no accommodation; monies have not been released for the running or conduct of the elections and all that because we always start late. He pays a courtesy call on the governor. It’s usually a televised event you know, and of course he says all the right things. ‘Your Excellency, I am here to ensure that we have free and fair elections and I will require your support.’

Now, at that courtesy call, most governors, at least I did, will invite the Commissioner of Police because he is part of the action and he sits there.
After the courtesy call, the Resident Electoral Commissioner now moves in for a one-on-one with the governor the says, “Your Excellency, since I came, I’ve been staying in this hotel, there is no accommodation for me and even my vehicle is broken down and the last Commissioner didn’t leave the vehicle, so if you could help me settle down quickly;’ and the governor says, ‘Chief of Staff, where is the Chief of Staff here?’ And the Chief of Staff appears. Governor says: ‘Please ensure that the REC is accommodated–put him in the Presidential lodge, allot two cars to him, I give you seven days to get this done. Then the relationship has started; I am going to share some of these things with you so that we don’t leave here with any illusions. A lot of us, folks who have gone through an election or have been elected for one thing or another, see groups like Save Nigeria Group (SNG), the CLP as woolly-eye dreamers, you have to come down to the backsides, since I am now a hybrid between both. I want to bring you both down to backsides. Let me take you down to what happens so that you can change it because if you don’t change it, we here won’t suffer but I think of our children will.

We the elite, I am one of them, we send our kids to the best schools around the World, when they come back they are misfits, they cannot fit in and so ultimately we are designing a system that would destroy us in the end.

Let me take our minds back to Somalia. Somalia is mono-religious, mono-ethnic; they only have clans (but) they have one tribe. What has happened there? It’s a failed state because the elite in Somalia were so disconnected from the people that once they had some money, they buy houses in England, Washington and all those places; they were not investing, putting their best foot forward and I think that was what Pastor Bakare was talking about. If you want to be in a contest, you put your best foot forward; at the end of the day, there was such a disconnect that even till today, they cannot bridge it. Let me tell you, the last recognized President of Somalia is buried in Lagos-Siad Barre.

We are multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-problematic. The reason why most people worry about us is if we explode, who will contain us? Let me also say this, I know what I am saying now is an aside, I will go back to the elections. When we conducted the census in 2006 or so, the raw figures said we were over two hundred million; when they went and processed the figures it came down to 140million.

When you look at those figures and compare to those we had in 1991 at a growth rate of 2.1 or something like that, it is really just an extrapolation, because we were too embarrassed to admit our true numbers. If we get it wrong, we will fail like Somalia; in Somalia, half of them are in Kenya, Ethiopia, and a few are in Europe here and there; who will contain us in all of West Africa and Central Africa and for that it is imperative not just for ourselves but for the rest of the continent that we get it right.

Now, back to the elections, once that relationship has been established between the governor and the REC, if you are a governor who is ‘A Governor’, maybe two nights after you just pop by at the governors lodge and see the REC and say ah, ‘ah REC how are you doing? Are you OK?’ He says, ‘ah! Your Chief of Staff has been wonderful. He has been very nice to me; he supplied me the vehicles and everything is Ok’.

A few weeks to the elections, the REC sees the governor; you probably have on the average about three thousand five hundred, four thousand depending on the polling booths in every state. So, REC goes to the governor and says, ‘Your Excellency, could you please give us the names of about four, five thousand people so that we can hurriedly train them, we need them as Presiding Officers.’ You need experience. A good coach is one who has played and has lost matches in the past?

The REC now goes down and says, ‘we need to conduct a training programme for the presiding officers and em, headquarters hasn’t sent us any money yet, you know.’
And the governor is like: ‘How much would that cost?’
REC replies: ‘N25million for the first batch, we may have about three batches.’ Governor: ‘Ok, the Chief of Staff will see you.’

Now, the Chief of Staff, you call him: ‘Make sure, that we arrange N25 million this week and in two weeks time another N25 million and Seventy-Five million in all.’
Chief of Staff: ‘Your Excellency, how do we do it?’
Governor: ‘Put it under Security Vote.’

In other words, its cash, ok, now, cash in huge Ghana Must Go bags – some of my colleagues will shoot me- (turns to the audience) is any former governor here? (Crowd replies no!)
Good. Cash is lodged in huge Ghana Must Go Bags for the REC and of course, to be fair to them, they call their electoral officers and say the governor has been very benevolent; he has given us this and that. I say three batches because they have them in Senatorial districts. So, you have one in Calabar, you have One in Ikom and Ogoja, those are the headquarters of the Senatorial districts. Each one costs twenty-five million. Of course, the sums are not properly retired. I don’t know how much of this twenty-five million worked. But, there is a rapport this is going on.

The governor now turns round and says: ‘call me the party chairman.’ The party chairman appears and the governor says: ‘INEC requires 50 thousand people for conducting the elections. See to it that we meet their needs.’ The chairman goes and you hear in the evening on radio and television: There will be an urgent meeting of all chairmen and secretaries of XYZ party at the headquarters. They should report promptly at 10am (because) matters of urgent interest will be discussed. End of announcement. Now we have texts messages, so its easier, in no time everyone is here.

It’s a very short meeting, please go back and within 48 hours submit from each local government two hundred and fifty names of trusted party members. So in a week the deed is done. The names, sometimes even passport photographs if required are sent to INEC.

And the training programme is carried out. Let me pause a bit, this is at party level. They are usually civil servants. They may be teachers, whatever, but they are party members. The remuneration, for each of them for the elections from Abuja is 10,000 Naira for the day’s work. But the state in its benevolence gives 50 to 100,000 Naira to each of these folks right before this election.

This is even where it gets even more interesting. So, you have each of the three or four thousand polling booths; they are manned by party stalwarts. They are usually party stalwarts. You don’t send any peripheral member. The remuneration from Abuja has not arrived but that of the state was received 48 hours prior.
On the day of elections, each polling booth has no more than five hundred ballot papers, that is standard.

There is not a polling booth that is more than five hundred. So only two hundred people appear here, three hundred there, one hundred there, fifty there, four hundred there, at the end of election what happens. The Presiding Officer sits down and calls a few guys and says, ‘hey, there are a few hundred papers here, let’s thumbprint. This is the real election. Well, this is not a PDP thing. I am not here to castigate the PDP; it’s a Nigerian thing. This process may sound comical and jovial, it happens throughout the country, whether its Action Congress or APGA it’s the same thing. We are all the same. They start thumb-printing, some are overzealous. So at the end of the day you find some voting more than the number of people that were registered to vote.
Other wise they do it, you have 95 percent turnout. You start wondering where were the voters, I didn’t see so many people. And the election results are announced; XYZ party wins and it takes a week for this paltry ten thousand Naira for each presiding officer to arrive.

Listen to this before you ask your question: Who is the most important person in an election? – The presiding officer. And if there are a hundred and twenty thousand of them (booths) there are a hundred and twenty thousand presiding officers, they are the most important people in the elections, not the Chairman.

So, as long as we keep applying that same method, you will get the same results. Its crazy to think that because you substitute Iwu for Jega all will change. In other words, Iwu is a crook, Jega is a saint. Jega is great, he has an impeccable reputation. Iwu was great, now he seems not so great. Ok, they are both professors, they have reached the peak of whatever discipline that they profess. The point is that it is the system and the personnel and the chairman has little or no control over that.

Where are we now, we don’t even know when the elections will be. The Constitution amendment seems to be stalling somewhere. So it’s either in January or in April. Sometimes, we behave as if we invented democracy. We always want to draw new rules. We should know the day of elections. It should be fixed. We should know that on so and so date I think, America is the 4th of November or so and if it falls on a Sunday it doesn’t make a difference. The point I am making here is that date is fixed, you know; because in a democracy, election should be a norm, not an event. In our democracy, election is an event. Its like, we are going to spring on to you with fire works, hey, we are going to have an election, we are all running around- I know most politicians are broke right now, so we are all running around the field.

Secondly, if you have your ears to the ground there, are whispers that may be, we need to postpone this thing. The whispers are there. In a democracy, you postpone an election? You postpone things you didn’t plan for, not things that are there in the Constitution, that says you must do this, that and that, you can’t but –you know two ways of moving forward. This is where I like what SNG and CNP are doing.

We need a critical mass of Nigerians to get out and vote. It is important because the more ballot papers that are legitimately used on election day, the fewer available to be used to rig the vote, that’s the truth. Don’t keep to yourself and think that they will announce results. They are more sophisticated than that. And that’s why the aspirants who felt cheated and had the resources to employ forensic personnel, like those elections had the elections upturned in Edo and Ondo, because they could establish multiple voting by thumbprint.

So, if it’s an AC state the procedure is the same. I remember a state, that state will remain nameless. I hear the story that the then President was so determined that he must change the leadership of this state and he called the IG and said, ‘look, that Governor is a security breach. Let's have elections and flush the governor out, and the governor knows he is under siege. A week before the elections, a new police Commissioner arrives. And you know if you are a governor and a new Police Commissioner arrives before elections, you know something is wrong somewhere and he spends two, three days without going to see the governor, which is again a breach of protocol. The day he decides to see the governor, the governor says, I won’t be at the office. However, if he gives him a particular address they may discuss. Then the chap goes there and smartly salutes and it’s in a highbrow neighborhood of the city. (Shouts of Ikoyi rent the air.) ‘No! It’s Yobe!’ (The hall explodes in loud laughter).

The Commissioner of Police walks up to the governor and smartly salutes and says: ‘Your Excellency, I just came to introduce myself. My name is Mr. So, so and so. And the governor goes: ‘Ah, you are welcome. I heard you were here two or three days ago and I was wondering whether I won’t see you. Anyway, you are welcome. Have you settled down?’ ‘Yes I’ve been given accommodation and all that. And the governor asks, ‘where was your last posting?’ He tells him, he says fine.
Governor: ‘That car over there, this is the key and this is your house.

The Commissioner of Police now says: ‘Your Excellency, this Obasanjo is a very bad man. He is a very, very bad man. If you see all the things he has planned for you eh Olorun maje.’
How do we move on? How do we get out of here? What I have done is I’ve tried graphically to paint a picture of a process. How do we change this process?
One, I think, since we cannot change attitudes as quickly, we must ensure mass participation. In an election where there is a very high turnout, the results are usually genuine. The most celebrated election in Nigeria, June 12, 1993 what happened? People came out. The more people who come out to vote the fewer–there may be mago, mago here and there but there wouldn’t be much in such a critical manner to upset the will of the people. Beyond that, if you don’t vote in an election, you have no reason to criticize the government and I tell folks everywhere that guys, I would say, I have lived my life. You guys have not and you are all criticizing Nigeria but did you vote in the last election? Most of them say no then I say, you’ve lost the moral right to criticize what the government does because you were not part of the process.

Is there a way out? I think there is. I think we need to employ technology. It's just a suggestion and I want to share with you. I have said this in one or two fora and I’ve heard people say it has not been done in America or the West why should we do it here? I say they don’t have the attitude we have here. Necessity is the mother of invention. It is not necessary for us to do what I’m about to suggest.

For the purposes of this, 3455, this number is for a phone and that number is unique to you and valid for that election or the set of elections. And each party has a numerical equivalent. AC could be 1, the PDP could be 5, the Labour Party could be 3, whatever. And on the date of elections you decide that your number even if you don’t have a phone, you can go to a centre where they have a bank of phones and once you put in your number 3455 it recognizes you, it cannot be duplicated. Its only you that has that number and for that election on that date, once its used it cannot be used by anyone else. Then you can do this one from your house or anywhere, and any time between the hours of 9-12. When it says which party, you say 3 or 4 whatever the number, they ask you, ‘are you sure you say Yes’. You press it then you’ve voted. With that, I think we can conduct election but people say ah, it’s to technological and I say, why do you always underestimate the people in the rural areas? If you send them money this way, won’t they be able to cash it? Why is it that when it is to conduct their civic responsibilities it becomes high tech? I know this country, I ran a state for eight years, I know the nooks and crannies of my state. We are not the most enlightened of states in the country, but you see, I had a deal with MTN and Glo to ensure that every community in Cross River State has a base station; for that I gave them sites free of charge; so, virtually every nook and cranny of Cross River has a base station. Even the most rural of places; even in Bakassi when we still had control of it. And they all use it. They still use it to call their folks in the urban centres to say send us money. Why is that when it comes to civic responsibility it is high tech? Because the politicians don’t want to use it, that’s the truth.

I am not saying this is a perfect system, it can be fine-tuned, that will ensure that within an hour or two every one has voted and the results are near perfect.
Of course, once you design a system, there are those whose work is to un-design the system. There are people like that and they work backwards. Once you have that we also think the same way. How do we work backwards, where can this be faulted? It can be faulted in many ways. The service companies if you are able to break-through the integrity of the system, you know, here and there; but I think we are going to think outside the norm.

The point I’m trying to make is we have to think outside the box. I want to commend the federal government, each time the government talks about elections, it keeps on talking about credible elections with brilliant sound bite. But it must go beyond the sound bite and lets not kid ourselves, by thinking that by putting a Jega there that all is well. With Jega there, all will be well if he is able to design along with his team a system that is virtually fool proof. In other words, he himself must understand the system of elections, he needs to know how it works and how its been holding.
As I speak to you, we’ve not started voters’ registration. That exercise will take any where from three to four months. It will take at least, ninety days to run through its course, another six weeks to tidy up before it is published; lets not kid ourselves. You can have elections anytime, but you can’t have credible elections in January. So, for those thinking we can have elections in January, I think we have to rethink the process; we cannot have credible elections in January. We may have elections but it may not be credible. Where are we? We need to get out of these holes; we need to traverse the length and breath of this country. We need to recruit an army of people may be 5, 000 in each state, two hundred young men and women who will reach our (people), give each of them a task to ensure that he registers at least a hundred person. That alone, will bring twenty million people into the fold. This is what they did in the Obama election.
Fortunately, I was monitoring the Obama election, whether you attain voting age or not, you are able to send text and move around and get people to vote. It's one thing to register, some folk tell me, ‘how can I go to line up for hours to vote for this person’. This is again what pastor Bakare was talking about, if people are not excited about the candidates they will not come out. ‘Look at the four people running, they are all clowns. I’ m going to watch television; I’m not going to vote because either way a clown is going to win’.

So, we have to get involved in the process. We can’t all run for offices, we all can’t. ...”

Nigerian Parents give Birth to a White Baby [The Sun]

THE stunned black dad of a newborn, WHITE, baby girl declared yesterday — "I'm sure she's my kid ... I just don't know why she's BLONDE."

British Nmachi Ihegboro has amazed genetics experts who say the little girl is NOT an albino.

Dad Ben, 44, a customer services adviser, admitted: "We both just sat there after the birth staring at her."

Mum Angela, 35, of Woolwich, South London, beamed as she said: "She's beautiful - a miracle baby."

Ben told yesterday how he was so shocked when Nmachi was born, he even joked: "Is she MINE?"

Little 'miracle' ... Nmachi Ihegboro

He added: "Actually, the first thing I did was look at her and say, 'What the flip?'"

But as the baby's older brother and sister - both black - crowded round the "little miracle" at their home in South London, Ben declared: "Of course she's mine."

Blue-eyed blonde Nmachi, whose name means "Beauty of God" in the Nigerian couple's homeland, has baffled genetics experts because neither Ben nor wife Angela have ANY mixed-race family history.

Pale genes skipping generations before cropping up again could have explained the baby's appearance.

Ben also stressed: "My wife is true to me. Even if she hadn't been, the baby still wouldn't look like that.

"We both just sat there after the birth staring at her for ages - not saying anything."

Doctors at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup - where Angela, from nearby Woolwich, gave birth - have told the parents Nmachi is definitely no albino.

Ben, who came to Britain with his wife five years ago and works for South Eastern Trains, said: "She doesn't look like an albino child anyway - not like the ones I've seen back in Nigeria or in books. She just looks like a healthy white baby."

He went on: "My mum is a black Nigerian although she has a bit fairer skin than mine.

"But we don't know of any white ancestry. We wondered if it was a genetic twist.

"But even then, what is with the long curly blonde hair?"

Professor Bryan Sykes, head of Human Genetics at Oxford University and Britain's leading expert, yesterday called the birth "extraordinary".

He said: "In mixed race humans, the lighter variant of skin tone may come out in a child - and this can sometimes be startlingly different to the skin of the parents.

"This might be the case where there is a lot of genetic mixing, as in Afro-Caribbean populations. But in Nigeria there is little mixing."

Prof Sykes said BOTH parents would have needed "some form of white ancestry" for a pale version of their genes to be passed on.

But he added: "The hair is extremely unusual. Even many blonde children don't have blonde hair like this at birth."

Blonde bombshell ... parents show newborn
Nmachi to sister Dumebi and bruv Chisom yesterday

PETER SIMPSON & NEIL HALL

The expert said some unknown mutation was the most likely explanation.

He admitted: "The rules of genetics are complex and we still don't understand what happens in many cases."

The amazing birth comes five years after Kylie Hodgson became mum to twin daughters - one white and the other black - in Nottingham.

Kylie, now 23, and her partner Remi Horder, now 21, are both mixed race.

Even so the odds were estimated at a million to one.

The Sun told in 2002 how a white couple had Asian twins after a sperm mix-up by a fertility clinic.

Yesterday three-day-old Nmachi's churchgoing mum Angela admitted that she was "speechless" at first seeing her baby girl, who was delivered in a caesarean op.

She said: "I thought, 'What is this little doll?'

"She's beautiful and I love her. Her colour doesn't matter. She's a miracle baby.

"But still, what on earth happened here?"

Her husband told how their son Chisom, four, was even more confused than them by his new sister.

Ben said: "Our other daughter Dumebi is only two so she's too young to understand.

"But our boy keeps coming to look at his sister and then sits down looking puzzled.

"We're a black family. Suddenly he has a white sister."

Ben continued: "Of course, we are baffled too and want to know what's happened. But we understand life is very strange.

"All that matters is that she's healthy and that we love her.She's a proud British Nigerian."

Queen Mary's Hospital said: "Congratulations to Angela and her family on the birth of their daughter."

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3060907/Black-parents-give-birth-to-white-baby.html#ixzz0uGu1sPx5

Wear T-Shirts with 'POLICE' inscription and be arrested!

Individuals who wear T-Shirts on which the word ‘Police’ is inscribed will be arrested and prosecuted, the leadership of the Ogun State Police Command said at the weekend.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in Abeokuta, the state capital, that information at the disposal of the police has established that the T-Shirts are being use to commit various crimes in the society.

Similarly, the command warned that shops where such materials are being sold will be closed and the owners prosecuted. “The Command will beam its searchlight on dealers of shops where T-Shirts with Police inscriptions are stored or sold, for these shirts are being used to commit crimes in the state and enough is enough. The Command wishes to warn that anyone found in possession of these shirts or clothing will be arrested and charged to court accordingly,” Mr Adejobi said.

Source: 234next.com

He also appealed to the public to understand that these steps taken by the police are meant to ensure more effective policing in Ogun State.

Warning all motorcyclists

The command also said it will no longer allow commercial motorcyclists to carry more than one passenger at a time as some hoodlums are now taking advantage of the situation to rob innocent citizens.

“This development has built up a great threat to security in the state and the command is set to nip it in the bud,” the police imagemaker said.

The Command, however, advised members of the public on the need to always supply the police with information, in order to have a crime free society.

“This can be achieved by calling 08037168147,08032136765 and 08123822910,” Mr Adejobi said.

Kidnapped Journalists narrate Experience [234Next]

The four journalists and their driver who were kidnapped on Sunday, June 11, in Umuaforkwu in Obioma Ngwa local government area of Abia State were yesterday released by their captors.

Abdulwahab Oba, the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Lagos State; Sylva Okereke, the assistant secretary; Adolphus Okonkwo, a zonal secretary of the union; Shola Oyeyipo, a Lagos-based radio reporter and the driver, Azeez Yekini, regained freedom yesterday at about 1.30 am.

Mr. Oba, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, narrated their experience in captivity to journalists in Umuahia, Abia State. He said their captors drove them to the market square after giving them directions on how to get to the main road .

According to him, they waited for daylight before introducing themselves to the villagers who contacted the police.

Mr. Oba said though their captors did not manhandle them, they were initially chained together and frequently moved from one location in the jungle to another. He said they were fed only with bread once a day.

He also said their captors collected every item on them including laptops, wrist watches and about N3mllion.

According to him, their captors said they were not after journalists but were only using them to demonstrate their discontentment against bad governance in the state. The kidnappers were said to be dissatisfied with the lack of programmes for the youth, the poor state of roads as well as the amnesty programme for militants.

The kidnappers, Mr. Oba said, vowed to disrupt the 2011 elections in the state if they are not provided for as militants in the amnesty programme.

Kidnapped journalists arrive to warm welcome [234Next]

The four journalists and their driver abducted last week in Abia State by unidentified gunmen on Sunday, at about 6.30pm, arrived the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos to a large welcome party. The five men were flown to Lagos by a chartered Concord aircraft.

Receiving the journalists at the Concord Airlines terminal, Mohammed Garba, national president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), expressed happiness to have his colleagues released after being detained for about one week. Mr. Garba, together with over a hundred members from the Lagos State chapter of the union, sang songs of praise to God for the release of the journalists, as well as solidarity songs. “We are so grateful to God for the release of our colleagues,” said Mr. Garba while escorting the released journalists out of the tarmac.

Heat from police

Narrating their experience in the hands of the gunmen, Wahab Oba, chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the union, disclosed that the kidnappers moved them from one point to another in the bush where they were camped, adding that though the police on various occasions searched the forest, the kidnappers were regularly updated by their spies. “The police could not rescue us, for they really searched the bush but the informants of the kidnapers made it tough as they were telling them every move of the police,” he said. “It was when the bush became really hot for them, that was when they agreed to let us go, also reports from newspapers, TV, and radio stations made the kidnappers begin to wonder what kind of people we are.”

Mr Garba, while expressing thanks to the Nigerian Police for their efforts, called on the federal government to give the force all the necessary assistance it needs in order to be fully prepared to combat against crime in the country. “We want to use this opportunity to thank the police for their efforts in seeing that our colleagues were released, but we want to particularly call on the government to look into the force and provide them with all amenities needed to be able to function optimally,” he said.