Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog |
- FG declares October 6th and 7th public holiday
- Four Families Battle for MDA8 Crown
- N503m Scam: EFCC to Appeal Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji’s Acquittal
- Beverly Osu releases hot new pics as she turns a year older
- Photo: IK Ogbonna & Colombian girlfriend Sonia loved up in a pool
- Shuga Drops Solo Single Married Today
- Photos: Would you rock Kim K's plunging black outfit?
- Omotola says she has mixed feelings about her national award nom
- S’African victims’ relations vow to sue TB Joshua, LASG begin DNA identification test
- In case you don't believe: N400 ‘won’ N7,560,040.82million from Surebet247
- Oh dear! British reality star Bobby Norris wears ballbag swimwear. 18+
- Another Journalist comes for Nicholas Ibekwe...says N50k was a honorarium not bribe
- Photo: EFCC declares NGO coordinator wanted over N76m DUD cheques
- New Video: Sean Tizzle - Loke Loke ft 9ice
- Timaya's babymama says she can never love another man...
- Ekiti boils as hoodlums destroy APC office, Gov declares 7pm-7am curfew
- A stripper is claiming Chris Brown is the father of her 3 year old son
- Jack Daniel's presents the 'House of Jack' party
- Gabrielle Union shares more pictures from her wedding
- 6 ministers with governorship aspirations set to quit GEJ's cabinet
- Chibok community doubts found girl is from Chibok, says she may be pregnant
- RunTown Releases new Pics from photo shoot in NYC
- Boko Haram kills Pastor, Teacher, 17 others in Borno state
- Amber Rose lashes out at cheating rumors, say Wiz cheated not her
- Pastor loses wife and four children in fire outbreak in Warri
| FG declares October 6th and 7th public holiday Posted: 26 Sep 2014 12:39 PM PDT  |
| Four Families Battle for MDA8 Crown Posted: 26 Sep 2014 12:36 PM PDT  The stage is now set for the epic dance battle that will showcase Nigeria's best dance family as the curtains fall on the Maltina Dance All(MDA) family television show. The winning dance family will go home with N10million, while the second and third will pocket N3million and N1million respectively.  The fate of the families is however in the hands of Nigerians as they - and not the judges – are the ones that would eventually pick the winning family. They can do this by sending their preferred family name through their phones to 20822. The family with the highest number of votes automatically becomes the country's number one dance family. The MDA,a consumer engagementplatform is sponsored by Maltina, a premium non-alcoholic malt brand from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc. After a rigorous, intensive and competitive process spanning more than two months, four families - the Utere, Unanka, Uzodinma and Odigie families - qualified for the grand finale taking place live at The Expo center, Eko Hotel and Suites on Saturday, September 27, 2014. The race started on September 7, 2014 with ten families in the picture; Six families were unable to survive the various dance styles that were introduced in the MDA Academy: the "Wazobia" (indigenous Nigerian dances), Jive, New Age Dance, Rhythm of Naija, Pantomime and Hip-hop. The four families that made it to this level were able to survive the six different dance styles. From the 10 families that made it to the academy, the first set to be evicted were the Leonard and Maisamari families; they failed to convince the judges after the Wazobia and Jive performances. The Jive performance had placed the Oladapo and Maisamari families for eviction while the Wazobia performance placed the Leonard and Dide families for possible eviction. The second phase of the show was the 'Rhythm of Naija' and New Age dances. After the performance the Nwaeze, Oladapo, Uzodinma and Utere families were put up for possible eviction. The Nwaeze and Oladapo Families could not survive at the eviction showdown and were asked to leave the academy. The Utere and Uzodinma were certified fitto remain in the academy. After the second eviction showdown, the families were introduced to the last two dance styles which usher them to the grand finale, the Hip-hop and Pantomime dance styles. After the hip-hop performance the Uzodinma and Williams families were put up for eviction. For the Pantomime performance, Odigie and Dide families were put up for possible eviction from the show. The William and Dide families however failed to convince the judges and they were evicted from the academy setting the stage for the four remaining families to compete for the grand prize. Callistus Uzodinma, the family representative of the Uzodinma family promised to give his best and said "being in the grand finale is a dream come true for my family and by the special grace of God we are going to come out with our best dance ever." Senior Brand Manager Maltina Mr. Adewole Adedeji said the MDA is one way among many that NB Plc is restating its brand values. "MDA is about the dancer's creative ability, knowledge of different dance styles, stamina and fitness. The task is no doubt enormous but it is a delight to see the result it has been producing in the last 7 seasons. Some of the dancers have taken their career further than the Maltina Dance All stage; while some are dancing locally others are doing it internationally. "We put a lot of work into it. Every year there is something bigger and better. What we are doing with the show is 'sharing happiness and to also create more emotional connection with consumers because families and dance are two winning components in the Nigerian environment. Nigerians love to dance. Maltina is continuously nourishing millions of Nigerians. It's still the most fortified malt drink in the market. It's also the biggest malt brand in the market." It would be recalled that the 2007 edition produced the Onye family as winners; in 2008 it was the Opuwari family that carted away the star prize; in 2009 the nation's best dance family were the Ibiams, in 2010 the Adejoh's held sway and in 2011 the Ekubo's showed Nigerians why they were crowned the number one dance family. In 2012 the Greens were crowned the best dance family with the unforgettable swinging moves of Opus and his sister. The Briggs family won the 2013 edition.                      |
| N503m Scam: EFCC to Appeal Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji’s Acquittal Posted: 26 Sep 2014 12:06 PM PDT  AFederal high court sitting in Lagos today discharged and acquitted the Lagos state House of Assembly Speaker, Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his aide Oyebode Atoyebi of the N503m money laundering charges brought against them by EFCC. EFCC now says they plan to appeal the verdict. Find a statement they posted on their Facebook page below... The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has said it will appeal against the ruling of Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which today set free the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeniyi Ikuforiji and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi. Both had been standing trial on a 54-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N503million. Justice Buba, today ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the accused persons, According to him, the trial was "anachronistic," adding that the prosecution ' misconstrued and mis-interpreted the Money Laundering Act". Lead defense counsel, Wole Olanipekun( SAN), had prayed the court to discountenance the charges preferred against Ikuforiji, saying that, the Money Laundering Act 2004, with which the accused person was charged, have been repealed and replaced with the Money Laundering Act 2011, and so should not have been used in charging him. Atoyebi's counsel, Tunde Akinbisi, aligned his submissions with the arguments of Olanipekun. Justice Buba upheld Olanipekun's submissions and ruled that "the first and second defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted". But EFCC expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling. "The learned judge erred in this ruling. The proof of evidence to the charge clearly showed that the provisions of the Money Laundering Act had been violated by the accused persons in receiving various cash payments from the assembly amounting to about N338.8 million. The Commission stated that it will explore the option of appeal to bring the accused persons to justice. |
| Beverly Osu releases hot new pics as she turns a year older Posted: 26 Sep 2014 12:07 PM PDT |
| Photo: IK Ogbonna & Colombian girlfriend Sonia loved up in a pool Posted: 26 Sep 2014 10:02 AM PDT  |
| Shuga Drops Solo Single Married Today Posted: 26 Sep 2014 10:02 AM PDT  The singer, who has performed at a lot of high profile events, seeks to thrill and connect with his fans with this high octane single. Married Today is a high life song with a contemporary feel. Shuga, who leads the popular Shuga Band, is signed to 800 Records as a solo artiste. Married Today is a high life song with a contemporary feel. Shuga, who leads the popular ShugaBand, is signed to 800 Records as a solo artiste. Married Today is his first single under 800 Records. He would be releasing more singles soon. Contact Shuga on twitter.com/akinshuga, twitter.com/officialshuga, Instagram.com/officialshuga. Below are the links for Married Today by Shuga, Hulkshare link: http://www.hulkshare.com/ To get Married Today as your ring back tune send the following codes to your network service provider text 014444 to 4100 (MTN) text 7052519 to 251 (ETISALAT) text 0294821 to 791 (AIRTEL) Listen to the song below... |
| Photos: Would you rock Kim K's plunging black outfit? Posted: 26 Sep 2014 09:50 AM PDT |
| Omotola says she has mixed feelings about her national award nom Posted: 26 Sep 2014 09:28 AM PDT   |
| S’African victims’ relations vow to sue TB Joshua, LASG begin DNA identification test Posted: 26 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT  The South Africans who were guests on a BBC programme this week said they are calling on other family members to come forward so that they can unanimously press charges against T.B. Joshua
Doro has since published an open letter in a South African daily calling on more families to come forward so they can all sue T.B. Joshua,
In a related development, the Lagos state government today announced the commencement of the DNA identification test of the 115 dead bodies brought out from the collapsed building. While announcing this, Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris called on families who lost loved ones to come forward with DNA samples so that the bodies can be properly identified and released to them for proper burial. He said loved ones of the dead victims are to visit the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital(LASUTH) from today to submit samples that could aid the forensic identification and DNA analysis of recovered bodies. He said only children, parents and siblings of the deceased are eligible to submit samples. The Lagos state government today September 26th also constituted a coroner inquest that will investigate the real reason the building collapsed. The Lagos state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye in a statement said Magistrate O.A.Komolafe who headed the Dana Air crash case will be heading the coroner inquest. |
| In case you don't believe: N400 ‘won’ N7,560,040.82million from Surebet247 Posted: 26 Sep 2014 09:35 AM PDT  1. Database record of slip 2. Winning tickets 3. Watch interview with the winner after the cut... BIG POCKET BETTING COMPANY PAY OUT AGAIN !!!! Top Nigerian bookmaker posted around N7,560,040.82 million in operating losses as they had one of the worst weekends since the new season starts on a single ticket following a string of unexpected draw ( X ) outcome results. A host of online/retail punters were left laughing all the way to the bank after 8 League sides all DREW their weekend's matches, causing a great deal of rich accumulators winning. This has seen bettors, land payouts well in excess of 23 million naira for very low stakes, causing Surebet247 bookmaker to call the previous weekend one of the worst seen in the new EPL season," spokesman Ahmed Jokotoye said.  This just goes to show that online/retail punters can beat bookmakers in their own game, and even if these kind of weekends do not happen too often, it is certainly good to know that even betting on football favourites can see you turn a nice profit especially when you bet with a company who has a BIG POCKET FOR WINNINGS like SUREBET247. |
| Oh dear! British reality star Bobby Norris wears ballbag swimwear. 18+ Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:56 AM PDT     |
| Another Journalist comes for Nicholas Ibekwe...says N50k was a honorarium not bribe Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:30 AM PDT 
There was something I was going to ask Nicholas after the session. A month earlier, Nicholas' Premium Times published an investigative report, Inside Nigeria's Ruthless Human Trafficking Mafia. It was a report that overwhelmed one with sadness. A few days later, however, critical observers began to expose the faults in the story everybody had bought. The most vocal of these observers was the literary critic, Ikhide Ikheloa. "This story is a faabu," Ikhide, on his Twitter and Facebook timelines, screamed morning, day, and night. He would eventually produce an article, Tobore Ovuorie's story: Fact or fiction? The critical pieces of evidence Ikheloa provided in that piece to suggest the story a fiction, are too weighty to be discarded. He ended with the line; 'There are many reasons to confront this story, its veracity being the least, but still a crucial reason to deal with it. The credibility of a nation is pretty much gone, but once our journalists lose their credibility, it is all over.' Day in, day out, Ikheloa would not relent. In every of his Facebook post, he pulled out the Managing Editors of Premium Times– Dapo Olorunyomi and Musikilu Mojeed– by the nape of their neck, to apologize to Nigerians for publishing what he called a fake story. Later that evening in Ikogosi, as participants trooped to the poolside, where we go to lounge, I hastened my movement to meet Ibekwe who was ahead. "Someone is discrediting an investigative report by Tobore Ovuore, one of your reporters at Premium Times," I opened the conversation with Nicholas after we had exchanged handshakes. "He calls your bosses out every day in his Facebook mentions to whip them. I don't like the way Ikhide is going about; rubbishing your newspaper which had become a household name, being a reliable news source." I needed a point from Nicholas (the man I had seen as a no-nonsense journalist from Premium Times), which I intended to use in a Facebook post to rebut Ikheloa's criticism. Nicholas looked at me, almost dismissively. He, however, managed to tell me that he knew nothing about all that. We couldn't talk further as I left his side. That was the first and only time I had seen Nicholas Ibekwe. If you do not know Nicholas Ibekwe, he is currently the most talked about Premium Times journalist who 'exposed' the bribery deal between popular Nigerian pastor, T.B Joshua and the journalists who went to his Synagogue Church of All Nation, where a collapsed building killed many. I have followed Nicholas' tweets as they were consistently retweeted into my Twitter timeline. He is angry about many things; that Lagos Governor Fashola met with Joshua behind closed doors, and after the meeting, dodged reporters, and perhaps his most prioritized anger; how Joshua offered N50,000 bribe to each journalist at the press conference of September 14. He soon released a recording of the bribery deal he had alleged. And then, on the 23rd of September [yesterday], he eventually came out with his story: "Why I exposed T.B. Joshua for bribing journalists." So, why did Nicholas publish the audio? "…when I woke up last Saturday morning and saw the picture of President Goodluck Jonathan shaking hands with a grinning TB Joshua with headlines like 'Jonathan consoles TB Joshua,' I said damn it! I couldn't stomach this blatant impunity." "Journalists shouldn't be seen or heard telling the prime suspect they would write 'just like you said' after he offered to buy their consciences with N50, 000," he also said. I hadn't listened to the audio. But in Nicholas' story published in Premium Times, the audio was reproduced. I reached for my earpiece and gave that audio a rapt attention. Four minutes or there about. Perhaps I didn't get the real thing, I played it again. And then, again. Time wouldn't allow me, I would have transcribed here. Only first-class thinkers would agree with me. That audio I listened to has nothing to do with a bribery deal. Wait, you can call for my head later. Go back to that audio and listen again! In the audio, we hear Joshua announcing some 750k; to be shared, 50k each to journalists, to fuel their car. Some ask questions about the issue at hand, and Joshua– in a tone that depicts sobriety– answers them. And, as they round off, Joshua asks, 'So, what are you going to write?' and they all laugh at what seem a sarcastic remark from Joshua. I laughed, too. In his story, however, Nicholas argued, "He clearly meant for the money to influence the reporting of the event, 'So what are you going to write?'" he had asked. That makes it a bribe. Simple.' Your head is in the air. Such is the problem when you are highly opinionated. By what logical conclusion do we pronounce that bribery? Let me quickly state that it is wrong for Governor Fashola and President Jonathan to be seen patting Joshua's shoulder over the collapsed building that was largely his fault. And of course, this is not an attempt to write in defence of Joshua. If you care to know, I may soon renounce my membership of the Pentecostal movement, following many atrocities within this Movement that do not stand well with me. We are only stupid to assume 750k is money enough a bribe from T.B Joshua to hush journalists. The story was already in the mainstream media. I have watched NEMA PRO on Channels TV lamenting the difficulties they were having with T.B Joshua's church authority. All had become clearer that there was illegal addition of storeys to the building which eventually resulted in the collapse. And even Joshua himself knows that the 'hovering craft' tale is not buyable. So, why exactly would he bribe journalists with 750k? What is my point? That 50k is appropriately called honorarium. If after the announcement of that 50k for journalists to fuel their car and that Nicholas had rejected, he was then called back to further negotiate an increase, then it becomes a bribe! They are desperate about hiding something! Oxford dictionary helps us with the definition of an honorarium: 'A payment given for professional services that are rendered nominally without charge.' T.B. Joshua is no fool to think 750k is okay to bribe journalists so the story is not exposed. That is simply honorarium, and it follows the tradition of the church. On the other hand, Oxford dictionary says this about bribe: 'A sum of money or other inducement offered or given to bribe someone.' Is Nicholas insinuating that 50k to fuel his car poses a bribery threat? Is it that Nicholas couldn't have accepted that 50k and still go ahead to publish his investigative findings? When such honorariums are doled out, no journalist is held by any obligatory terms to accept. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the story, I, as a [freelance] journalist may accept or reject such honorarium. It would take the next lifetime to have me bribed so I won't expose a story. If you decide to force the 'honorarium' on me, I will take it. I have a network of friends whose stomachs are an empty tank of beer. They will beer with that money and that story you are desperate in hiding from the public would have a smooth ride to the press. Many people are aware of my affiliation with the APC, and admiration for Kayode Fayemi. The report I did for The Scoop after the Ekiti governorship election did not, in a single sentence, favour APC and the party's flag-bearer, Fayemi. My editor was worried. He wanted a balanced feel in the report. "Do you mean you couldn't find anybody who spoke well of the APC candidate?" he asked me before pushing the report for publishing. I knew I could not write it with the bias I have for the APC. In the May 1994 edition of the American Journalism Review, Alicia C. Shepard writes; 'Critics say that taking money from groups falling under a reporter's purview raises all sorts of potential conflicts of interest or, at least, the appearance of one. The money also raises questions about a reporter's objectivity.' So, like Nicholas, if I were at the meeting with T.B Joshua, I would have rejected the honorarium offer. But, I will not refer to it as bribe. The globally recognized Associated Press, AP, recognises this honorarium thing. On its website, under the heading, AP News Values & Principles, we read this: 'Associated Press offices and staffers are often sent or offered gifts of other items—some of them substantial, some of them modest, some of them perishable—by sources, public relations agencies, corporations and others.' 'Sometimes these are designed to encourage or influence AP news coverage or business, sometimes they are just 'perks' for journalists covering a particular event. Whatever the intent, we cannot accept such items; an exception is made for trinkets like caps or mugs that have nominal value, approximately $25 or less. Otherwise, gifts should be politely refused and returned, or if that is impracticable, they should be given to charity.' End of discussion? I know some would say this is an attempt to euphemistically rebrand bribe as honorarium. If you are of this thought, I borrow the words of Nicholas and I throw them at you, 'I can't help you if you can't decipher that. I am a reporter not a brain surgeon.' Well, bribery is a criminal offense. And if Nicholas insists this is a bribe deal, he shouldn't hesitate in writing the lawyer, Femi Falana, on the need to take this case up. It is no news, that journalists in Nigeria are underpaid. Nicholas, in his story, admits this. According to www.payscale.com, a [USA] journalist earns an average salary of $36,834 per year. According to me, a Nigerian journalist's pay in a year is around $6,000. It is not totally a bad pay. What is bad is the delay and irregularities in the payment. While I was covering Osun election, I interviewed an academic, Babatunde Bakare, at the Bowen University. I didn't know him from anywhere. After the interview, he asked me how I was surviving as a journalist. I told him I have other things that I do that pay my bills. Even though I wasn't seriously investigating any story, I was just seeking the opinion of an academic on the election, Babatunde felt obliged to give me something to support my transport and logistics. He would later tell me that until his recent appointment as an academic, he was a senior producer/scriptwriter for one of Africa's largest TVs, AIT. And he wasn't paid salary in the last ten months he had worked with AIT. I also stopped taking Sam Nda-Isaiah's presidential ambition seriously the day I heard he owed his reporters at Leadership Newspaper, four month salary. It took a Twitter/Facebook protest to get Sam to bow to his employees' demands. These delays, irregularities, underpayment, are not justifiable reasons to accept bribe. No, they are not. These reasons, however, justify the collection of an honorarium, such type that does not mean you should report a black story as white. Nicholas, then, advises journalists to 'explore other related and legitimate means of making money like researching, writing, and editing reports for NGO…' This is the silliest of all advices. Journalism is a professional job. The burden of researching, investigating a story, is already time consuming. News are time bound, and Nicholas risks his job with Premium Times if he fails to beat deadlines for the kind of 'pending stories' he mentions in his piece. I make money as a private academic researcher. The months I have more than two research jobs, I suspend my journalistic activities. And the day I become a full time journalist, I should resign as a researcher. Journalistic work is enough work to get enough pay if things were right. As I conclude, I should raise an issue. After the three day media/blogger interactive forum in Ekiti in February, participants were each offered 50k honorarium by the organizers. My name is Femi Owolabi. I received the N50,000 (of course it never influenced my subsequent criticisms. Many who also accepted the money had asked Governor Kayode Fayemi harsher questions during the forum and even wrote critically about his policies after we had left). However, Stanley Azuakola, the editor of The Scoop and Chinedu Ekeke, the editor of Ekekeee in their separate critical reports, revealed that they politely rejected the N50,000. Out of about thirty participants, Nicholas Ibekwe inclusive, I am yet to read of any other apart from Stanley, Chinedu and Stanley Achonu (the Operations Lead of BudgIT), who didn't take that N50,000 honorarium. It is, therefore, logical to believe that Nicholas Ibekwe, who now accuses his fellow journalists of bribery when it was honorarium, received such in February in Ekiti. If he didn't receive that money, here is my apology in advance. |
| Photo: EFCC declares NGO coordinator wanted over N76m DUD cheques Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:24 AM PDT 
RexLawson in his capacity as the National Coordinator of Rebuild Nigeria Initiative NGO, allegedly issued several EcoBank and Zenith Bank cheques to Goshen Motors Limited as payment for 46 Vehicles. The cheques totalling N73, 600, 000.00 (Seventy Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira) were returned unpaid upon presentation at the Bank due to insufficient funds in the account. Dark complexioned Rexlawson is 41 years old and of medium height. He is an indigene of Buguma in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State. His last known residential address was No. 9B Constitution Avenue, Gaduwa Estate, Gudu, Abuja. Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should contact the Commission in its Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt and Abuja offices or through these numbers 09-9044751-3, 08093322644, 08183322644, 070-26350721-3,070-6350724-5; its e-mail address: info@efccnigeria.org or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies. |
| New Video: Sean Tizzle - Loke Loke ft 9ice Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:11 AM PDT A couple of weeks after he dropped his long awaited Perfect Gentleman video, Sean Tizzle hits again with Loke Loke featuring multiple award winning singer, 9ice. This is the first video the star act would feat anyone since he emerged in Feb 2013. The video portrays the hustle and challenges of an upcoming artiste and what he faces before fame/stardom. Directed by young cinematographer Unlimited LA and shot in Ramburg, South Africa. Styled by Jekwu D stylist. Enjoy... |
| Timaya's babymama says she can never love another man... Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:03 AM PDT     |
| Ekiti boils as hoodlums destroy APC office, Gov declares 7pm-7am curfew Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:31 AM PDT  Today's chaos is believed to be an aftermath of the assassination of the former chairman of the Ekiti state NURTW, Mr Omalafe Aderiye. Above is a pic of Governor Fayemi's campaign office after it was razed. He has since declared a 7pm-7am curfew in the state to halt the crisis. Continue to read the full text of Governor Fayemi's broadcast in Ekiti today as he declared the curfew... THE PEACE OF OUR LAND IS NOT NEGOTIABLE State Broadcast By His Excellency Dr. Kayode FAYEMI Governor, Ekiti State, following the Breach of Peace in the State Friday, September 26, 2014. In o kun o Ekiti Kete. It has become expedient that I address you today on account of dire happenings in the land of honour, Ekiti State. With tension mounting across the state, Ekiti has been the subject of alarming headlines in the news, following the tragic assault on the judiciary. On Monday, September 22, thugs acting on the incitement of an interested party, were involved in the sacrilegious sacking of the court while hearing on a political case was in progress. This happened in full glare of the law enforcement agents with inappropriate response. Clearly, these brigands exceeded the limits of acceptable behavior, even in the most liberal of democracies, and ventured into the realm of blatant criminality with this desecration of the hallowed chambers of the law. The fact that this assault did not meet with any strong deterring repercussions from the appropriate authorities further emboldened the miscreants. They subsequently attempted to prevent the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from sitting, yesterday, Thursday, September 25. I am advised incontrovertibly that thugs acting on the command of Mr. Ayo Fayose, who was also present to lend his clout to the travesty, brazenly assaulted a senior judge and urged his thugs to beat him up and tear his clothes. The court premises was thrown into confusion and those present scurried away in search of safety and security. This was on the back of his specious allegation that the judiciary in the state is compromised and biased against him. And the answer to that was to resort to jungle justice and take the laws into his hands. This has led to the closure of the courts indefinitely due to the inability of the security agencies to guarantee the safety of lives and property in our temples of justice. With the entrenched atmosphere of impunity, violence in the state has escalated with the unfortunate loss of one life and the willful damage to several properties to arson by rampaging thugs. Since the beginning of this development on Monday, which is unprecedented in the recent history of our state, I have been in touch with the Heads of all Security Agencies at the State and Federal levels, urging them to act quickly and firmly in the interest of public law and order. It is worrisome that the slow and inadequate response has occasioned the avoidable escalation of violence in our dear state. Against this backdrop, it is understandable that not a few stakeholders have expressed concern about what the development portends for our dear state. The brazen contempt of our hallowed law courts and the use of violence and intimidation to obstruct the course of justice is a clear invitation to anarchy of the scale and texture that characterized Ekiti State some years ago. Ekiti Kete, are those years upon us again? Already, there is widespread anxiety about this development coming at a time the state is going through the transitioning out of one administration and the ushering in of a new one. This is a very delicate period that all stakeholders must work together to ensure Ekiti State comes out stronger for it. During periods of transition, vital partners in progress adopt a cautious posture, watching for the slightest portents of the possible discontinuity of the regime of peace and tranquility, amongst other factors that have made our state conducive for investors and development partners. We must not disrupt our very bright prospects for sustained development in our state. Considering the cases that have triggered the recent spate of violence are politically related, the political elite in our state from all disparate quarters must exercise caution. We must rescue our state from the precarious slippery slope that some have desperately pushed us to. We should not imperil the very people we seek to serve by resorting to violence and brigandage. One does not burn down his homestead to establish his claim of ownership or leadership. Most assuredly, the course of Justice can only be delayed, but can never be truncated. The independence of the Judiciary is an inviolable tenet of any democracy. Accordingly, I have this morning directed the Attorney General of the state to issue a legal advisory to the Chief Judge of the state and all the parties to the existing cases in the State High Court and the Ekiti State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal, on the desirability of seeking an alternative venue for the hearing of these cases outside Ekiti State. The State can no longer afford to witness the bizarre spectacle of the beating up of judicial officers and wanton intimidation of lawyers and court personnel. Now that the security agencies appear to be fully seized of the situation, I call on them not to relent in performing their constitutional role of protecting lives and property in our state. Administrations come and go; politics can be frenetic when the stakes are high; but by the grace of the Almighty God, our state remains for all time, therefore THE PEACE OF OUR LAND IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. Ekiti Kete, consistent with our history of unity and love, let us work together to make our state a garden of concord where our children and their children will dwell in peace and safety. Even in the pursuit of politics and justice, let us conduct ourselves as kinsmen, bound by a shared love for Ekitiland but differing only in the choice of instruments by which to accomplish the same goal. Let us then temper our competitive zeal with civility and empathy. Let us deal truthfully with our youth, who are so liable to be led astray by unbridled political fervour, by seeing them as our children rather than as conscripts or fodder for our objectives. Ekiti Kete, in order to forestall further descent into anarchy in our state, I am taking the very difficult decision to suspend the 'Thank You' tour which I'm undertaking as part of our transitioning-out formalities. Also, I have taken the decision to institute a dusk to dawn curfew in the state immediately. Accordingly, there would be no movement between the hours of 7.00 p.m. and 7.00 a.m. everyday till further notice. We urge the citizenry to be vigilant and provide the security agencies with details of suspicious activities that can undermine the peace in our state. Let us work together to stop the violence and brigandage that has brought about serious embarrassment to our state in the last few days. Let Peace Reign in the land of honour, Ekiti State. God bless Ekiti State. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Dr. Kayode Fayemi Governor, Ekiti State Friday, September 26, 201 |
| A stripper is claiming Chris Brown is the father of her 3 year old son Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:27 AM PDT  The 32 year old woman, who used to work at popular club Doa, filed paperwork at Fulton County Court in Atlanta this week against Chris asking a judge to mandate him to take a paternity test. Chris has so far not reacted to the allegation... |
| Jack Daniel's presents the 'House of Jack' party Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:58 AM PDT  Imagine the best music, grills, cocktails, games and your friends in one place; This weekend, get ready for more! The anticipation is on for the first edition of the 'House of Jack' party which holds this Saturday. The party, a branch out of the #JackandtheBeats monthly parties is also in celebration of Mr. Jack Newton Daniel (founder Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey) birthday. The House of Jack is open to an exclusive celebrity and fans audience. So are you a friend of Jack? Do you want to magnify your partying experience? Post a picture of the flyer or tell us why you want to be at this party via Instagram/Twitter with the hashtag #HouseOfJack #JacksBirthday and an invite will be sent to you. Save the date and let's get the conversation going. Twitter:JackDaniels_NG Instagram:JackDaniels_NG This event is Strictly 18+ and is supported by Sincity and BeatFM Forget the formalities, just ask for Jack. Your Friends At Jack Daniel's Remind You To Drink Responsibly |
| Gabrielle Union shares more pictures from her wedding Posted: 26 Sep 2014 06:41 AM PDT   Meanwhile, biko I will be MIA for a few hours. Just a few. I'm in Dubai with my dad (his first time) and other family members and I need to go do some sightseeing with them. Will get back to blogging in a bit. |
| 6 ministers with governorship aspirations set to quit GEJ's cabinet Posted: 26 Sep 2014 03:13 AM PDT   While Mr Wike is bidding to take over from Rivers state Governor Chibuike Amaechi, Sen. Bala Mohammed is said to be gunning for the government house in Bauchi state. Sen. Obanikoro is to contest for Governor of Lagos state while Dr Ortom is to contest for Governor in Benue state. Mr Labaran Maku is gunning for the Nassarawa state governor's seat while Mr Wogu is said to be eyeing the Abia state governor's seat. A source at the Presidency who confirmed the Ministers impending resignation said;
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| Chibok community doubts found girl is from Chibok, says she may be pregnant Posted: 26 Sep 2014 03:07 AM PDT  Speaking with TheCable Nigeria, Dr Bitrus, said they are not sure the girl is from their community as her name is not on their list of the missing Chibok girls. He said a preliminary medical examination conducted in a clinic showed the girl was pregnant but a definitive conclusion on her pregnancy status will be carried out in a proper hospital to confirm "I was speaking Kibaku to her but she didn't respond. She was incoherent. She may be having mental issues as result of the trauma. When she was picked up, she was taken to a clinic, not a standard hospital where some test were carried out on her. From the test, it was said she is pregnant but that is still in the speculative domain because a qualified doctor has not confirmed she is pregnant. However we are still trying to establish if she is from Chibok because from our sources, the last name of the released girl does not tally with the surname of the person bearing the first name of the released girl captured in our records and whose father is a carpenter in Chibok so we are still trying to work out every detail" he said. |
| RunTown Releases new Pics from photo shoot in NYC Posted: 26 Sep 2014 02:57 AM PDT |
| Boko Haram kills Pastor, Teacher, 17 others in Borno state Posted: 26 Sep 2014 02:49 AM PDT  The sect men were said to have arrived Shaffa at about 8pm on Wednesday September 24th and after ravaging the village, proceeded to Shindiffu village on Thursday September 25th. They burnt down about 10 churches including E.Y.N No:I, E.Y.N No: II and III in both villages. Many of the sect members were however killed by Nigerian troops who came in from Adamawa and Biu during an ambush as the Boko Haram men were leaving the villages after the attack. |
| Amber Rose lashes out at cheating rumors, say Wiz cheated not her Posted: 26 Sep 2014 02:44 AM PDT |
| Pastor loses wife and four children in fire outbreak in Warri Posted: 26 Sep 2014 02:28 AM PDT  According to a neighbor, the fire started at about 11pm and rescue operation to save the woman and her children was very difficult due to the iron protectors the house had. "Last night at about 11pm, some men in the area were going around, it was like they noticed there was a problem with the light. They were like trying to trace where the fault could have come from. In the long run, they came like three times and since they couldn't get where the fault was coming from, they left. At midnight, I heard the woman screaming for help so we came out. When I got there, I saw the pastor's last daughter standing very close to the windows, banging on it. There was no way I could help her. I tried scooping water to put out the fire but it raged on. Later on, I saw the pastor's wife, struggling with the door, she was shouting for help while trying to open it. The three other children were not seen struggling at all. It was like they died of smoke inhalation because we found them right where they were sleeping. The windows and the doors were all guarded with protectors, it was difficult to go through, if not we would have broken through to rescue them." Bright December, a neighbor said Spekiang on the incident, the church secretary, Emmanuel Ogoigbe said the bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the mortuary "We have not been able to ascertain the cause of the fire, the people who would have been able to tell us are no more; that's the wife and the four children–two boys and two girls. The pastors had gone for a conference in Ikeji-Arakeji in Osun State, so they quickly alerted our zonal chairman, Pastor Orode. They are on their way, they should soon be in Warri. This is a tragedy, the kind we have never seen before. Our pain is that if the wife and the children had survived, we wouldn't have bothered even if the building was burnt, at least the church would have still been able to raise money to rebuild." he said Source: The Nation |
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