Oil Spill: Kukah Tasks Niger Delta Youths On Peaceful Resolution To Grievances

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has admonished Niger Delta Youths not to resort to violence while trying to explore solutions to their grievances.

He made this known while addressing a delegation from the Ogoni Generation Next Project.

Bishop Kukah, who is the Presidential Mediator on Ogoni, promised to draw President Goodluck Jonathan’s attention to the non-implementation of the report of the United Nations Environmental Programme on Ogoni oil spill.

He thanked the group for seeking a peaceful resolution of the oil spill crisis and promised that the President will take necessary steps to address the environmental degradation in Ogoni land.

PHOTO: Fearless Mouse Attacks Snake To Save Friend

A mouse has been given its freedom after it tackled a poisonous snake in a bid to save a fellow rodent at a zoo in China.

The two mice were served up as a live dinner for the snake at Hangzhou Zoo in Zhejiang province, eastern China.

Keeper Wen Shao said: “We always give the snakes live food and we put the two mice into the snake enclosure, but instead of trying to hide like they usually do one of the mice attacked the snake when it saw it trying to eat the other mouse.

“I have never seen anything like that before, usually the mice keep as far away from the snake as possible but this one caused a lot of damage.

“It was biting the snake on the head as the snake was trying to eat the first mouse.”

He added that the mouse had deserved its freedom after putting up such a brave fight.

“In any case it didn’t do the snake any good either, it was expensive and the mouse did a lot of damage by biting it on the head,” he added.

Sadly the mouse did not succeed in its bid to free its pal. It died and was later eaten even if mighty mouse was no longer around to witness it.

“President Goodluck Jonathan Lied”

President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent Facebook claim about three weeks of uninterrupted electricity supply to Anambra state capital, Awka, is nowhere near the reality, residents of the town said in a quick rebuttal that again casts doubt on the president’s public claim about his achievements.

Residents from several streets of Awka said while power supply had improved in their areas in the past couple of weeks, the difference was fairly minimal to be regarded as “steady” since interruptions have continued.

“They give us light mostly in the day time and take it during the night when we need it most,” said Mike Nweke, who lives along Zik Avenue, and runs a shop at Eke Awka market. “In spite of the fact that our NEPA credit finishes within days of recharge. There is nothing to celebrate.

Four other residents of the area corroborated that claim of improved power supply over the past three weeks, but they all added that the usual power failure persisted.

At Ifite Awka, mostly habited by students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, residents said the only difference they witnessed in recent weeks has been the stoppage of the power rationing called “One day ON, one day OFF”, which makes light available to different areas on alternate days.

“Before they use to share light for us and that made us to be having light once in two days but now that has become history because they are now giving us light everyday though the power supply has never been stable as claimed by the president,” one student said.

The responses, randomly drawn from several parts of Awka, particularly refuted the president’s claim about “uninterrupted public power” in a Facebook comment on Thursday.

In the unusual post, which the president said was meant to “drown out the unacceptable negatives in the polity”, Mr. Jonathan highlighted the appointment by telephone company, MTN, of its first Nigerian Chief Executive, as the proceed of his administration’s resolve to build local content; and spoke of steady electricity in Awka, and the registration of the new party, All Progressives Congress, as a reflection of the success of his government’s reforms.

“The second occurrence is the celebration by the city of Awka, in Anambra state of three weeks of uninterrupted public power supply and counting,” Mr. Jonathan wrote. “More cities will soon be able to have such celebrations because the Roadmap to Power Sector Reforms is having the desired effects with almost all of Nigeria’s electricity Distribution companies (Discos) and Generating companies (Gencos) now in private hands as I promised on the 26th of August 2010 in Lagos when I launched the Power Roadmap.”

For a president whose past claims on achievements, particularly about power supply had all turned out fictitious, and were roundly refuted by Nigerians, his remarks about Anambra state immediately stirred swift reactions from Nigerians.

Readers who responded to PREMIUM TIMES’ call on Facebook, asking Awka residents for response, provided mixed opinion of the situation in the commercial state.

While a majority denied the president’s claim, a few admitted the situation had improved.

A respondent, Oraneto Ndubuisi, affirmed, “For real, four weeks now”, while another, Toby Obaji, interjected, “Wait a minute, are you guys trying to say three hours or three weeks. Well, if its three hours …yes, sometimes. If you actually mean three weeks, then it’s not this Awka, might be the Awka in Japan.”

Other residents from different parts of the town, interviewed by our reporter in Awka, returned a verdict that largely disclaimed Mr. Jonathan’s.

At Ogechuckwu Street, five people interviewed said there was no difference in power supply in the area over the past three months because they still used generators at night.

At Emma-Nnaemeka Street, residents also denied there was stable power supply in the area as claimed by the president.

“Enough of that lie and those people presenting those lies to Mr. President should stop it,” one man, visibly angered by the question, said.

In Akoyele Street, one resident who gave his name as Uche, said although an equipment was stolen from the transformer in his neighbourhood weeks ago, resulting in total outage in the area, the situation has only improved to the previous unstable power after residents contributed money to replace the equipment.

“Light no dey my house now as I dey talk to you,” he said in pidgin English.

At Ichida Street, two residents there dismissed the president’s claim as political rhetoric that sought to woo supporters ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

“I think this is a campaign style of the PDP, they want to use lies to capture Anambra in the forthcoming election and we shall resist them,” a resident who refused to disclose his name said.

Those who spoke at Araba Street, said although they had witnessed a little improvement in power supply over the past few weeks, the power was never stable. One resident in the area further said that while power in the street improved minimally in the past three months, it was “nothing to celebrate”.

A similar reaction came from Arthur Eze Avenue, where locals chided the president for often failing to verify information passed to him.

“Oga Goodluck should always cross-check every information given to him before announcing them to the public. He should stop betraying our trust in him,” one residents who gave her name as Florence said.

At Dike Street, a resident who gave his name as Nzekwe Echezona, gave a similar response about improved but never stable electricity.

I Would Have Proposed To Omotola —Ali Nuhu

Ali Nuhu is one of the most popular actors in the Hausa movie industry. A producer and brand ambassador, he talks about his job, his 10-year-old marriage and other sundry issues

 How challenging is the job of producing Hausa movies? 

Most times, challenges come up when you don’t do your homework the way it should be done. I don’t produce more than one or two movies a year and I do a lot of pre-production planning before going on set. That removes all the challenges.

It seems just a handful of producers are from the north

Yes. There are just a couple of us. The reason could be cultural barriers; people seem to be just contented with what they do and they don’t want to branch out into wider areas.

How did you break into the English movie sector?

When I first started appearing in the English movies, the challenge I had was the perception of my people. Most people misunderstood what I was trying to do. But with time, when the movies started coming out, they became acquainted with what I was trying to do.

At 39 you have already been married for 10 years, why did you have to marry so early?

I was fortunate to meet a wonderful lady when I was 29. I did not want to let the opportunity slip by; it would not have been easy to find another like her at any other time.

Which means as a Moslem, you are not contemplating polygamy?

I am not contemplating polygamy. I know that my religion permits it but then, you don’t just jump into it because you see others doing it, it has set conditions and none of the conditions affect me, so there is no reason for me to practise it.

Is your wife comfortable with some of the roles you play?

A couple of times she told me she was not very comfortable with some actresses that I was paired with and I had to turn down the job. The peace and comfort of my home is more important than any movie role.

In the soap ‘Wetin Dey’ you played Ibrahim, an AIDS carrier who deliberately infected his cousin with the virus, how were you able to relate with the character?

I had to go through counselling before I could take on that role but after the programme, I stopped being afraid of AIDS victims. I now sympathise with them and I understand their situation.

You spent almost two years on that project, was the price worth it?

It was worth it.

How much were you paid?

In movies we don’t discuss our fees.

You were quoted as saying Omotola is your most favourite colleague, if circumstances were different, would you have married her?

I was pretty young when I first saw Omotola in ‘Thorns of Roses’ and liked her performance. After that, when I saw her in ‘Mortal Inheritance,’ I fell in love with her as a person because she gave a perfect interpretation to the character. Of course, if we were both single, I would have proposed to her.

How many phone calls do you receive from fans in one day?

I cannot count them.

Are they up to 1000?

They could even be more than 1000, sometimes. The phone keeps ringing and I don’t want to change my number because it is my contact point. But if I leave it open all the time, the calls could be very distracting. For instance, someone calls and says, ‘I just want to say hello to you.’ Then another person calls and says, ‘I just want to say hello to you.’ Sometimes, I need to work and also spend time with my family. I cannot concentrate and I had no choice than to install a blocker on my phone.

How does it feel to be an ambassador to two huge brands?

They are very caring brands and they deliver when it comes to paying the model.

What determines the way you dress?

I don’t have a particular mood or pattern of dressing but I have designers that make clothes for me. One is based in Lagos and he provides clothes for me when I am in the South. The one based in the North also styles me when I am in the North.

What is your favourite fashion accessory?

I love shoes a lot as well as wrist watches. I love silver wristwatches but I don’t have a particular designer.

What is your favourite food?

It is my local language dish—Tuwo shinkafa

What was your childhood like?

I grew up in Kano—in no man’s land. It is a society that consists of people from the South and North. We have a lot of Yoruba, Igbos, the Igalas, Idomas etc. I am sure this is responsible for my perception and the fact that I feel very free in whatever part of Nigeria I find myself. When I go to Asaba, I eat pounded yam and when I come to Lagos, I eat amala and ewedu.

By next year you would be 40, what are going to do before then?

There is the saying that you may make plans but at the end of the day, it is God who determines the outcome and the course that your life is supposed to follow. I am leaving everything in His hands for the moment.

Illuminati: Locals call Beyonce and Jay Z Demons in Washington D.C.

It is no longer news that most religious people think power couple Jay Z and Beyonce are occultic and belong to the acclaimed evil cult – Illuminati.
However, this is officially the first time any individual has publicly accused the couple.
Two protesters, probably husband and wife, held cardboard papers with words written on them accusing the infamous couple.
They stood outside The Mrs. Carter Show at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. warning  Mrs Obama and the general public that Beyonce and Jay Z were possessed by demons.

Founder of the Pray at the Pump movement, Rocky Twyman, tells Afro.com

“We believe that this couple is virtually destroying our youth. If you go on the Internet, you’ll see stories about how they’re both part of the Illuminati and you can see Jay-Z’s use of the Satanic triangle symbol when he performs.”

“Jay-Z even declared himself to be God by referring to himself as Jehovah, and we don’t think that this is the image that our young people need to be glorifying.”

The pastor also hopes his movement will catch on with protests in every city on the rest of Beyonce’s tour.

Amaechi’ll Not Sleep With Two Eyes Closed Again Until He Comes And Beg Me – Wike

NYESOME WIKE AND SOME CHIEFTAINS OF THE PDP AT THE RALLY OF THE GDI IN PORT HARCOURT YESTERDAY

The political crises in Rivers State which seemed to have simmered down a little bit was yesterday fired-up by the Minister of State for Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who has promised that Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his supporters will not sleep with their two eyes closed again because danger will be lurking around the state.

The minister’s latest warning shot was a veiled reference to Gov. Amaechi’s recent statement to a delegation of Niger Delta Bishops who paid him a visit in Government House, Port Harcourt, the State capital on Friday over the lingering political logjam in the state.

The governor, who initially noted that he refrained from making comments about Wike because he is a subordinate, was quoted as saying: “Nyesom Wike was appointed Chief of Staff by me. Nyesom Wike as a Minister of State, I nominated him. I was under pressure by the President to drop him, I refused. The President persuaded me to drop him and bring a woman but I refused.

”I heard he is going all over town saying I didn’t appoint him, I didn’t appoint him, the President appointed him but I nominated him to be a minister as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum. I did, but you know character doesn’t come easily, character is a very difficult thing and I am a man of character.”

But Wike has taken serious exception to his description as a subordinate as he used the occasion of the inauguration of executive members for Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of his Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) sponsored programme in Port Harcourt on Saturday, to address the governor’s remarks against his person.

“They said we are nobody”, the minister started. “Then they have seen; when you are dealing with nobody, be careful. The nobody will show you that he is somebody. We will make sure they will not sleep again. As they are sleeping, they will not sleep with their two eyes closed. One eye will be open, because they know there is danger.”

On the governor’s remark that he resisted pressure from President Goodluck Jonathan to drop Wike as his nominee for minister, he stated:

“Those who are saying they must remove me, I have even overstayed. For you to be minister for two years, you must thank your God. If today we are no longer minister, do not worry yourself. It will not change us. We will continue to fight for what we believe in.

“We were not minister when we fought for them in 2007. When we were here, they were not having problems. Now, we have gone, they are having problems.

“We have always told them: you cannot do it. What you do not know, you do not know. It does not matter, whatever money you have, money cannot buy everything. Now, they are having sleepless nights. When we were here, were they having sleepless nights?

“When we were here, were they not travelling up and down? Are they travelling again? Tell them, they should come and beg us. Tell them to come back and beg us. We will tell them the secret. What God has not given to you, you do not need to do anything about it.”

Putting up an indifferent posture to the repeated demands for the removal of Mr. Joseph Mbu as the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Wike said, “I can assure you, all they are asking for: they want a commissioner of police that will be arresting you. Anytime they call the CP, he will arrest you. But let me tell you, we are not interested in whoever comes here (CP), all we are interested in is to have somebody who will not be partial.

“Let them bring whoever they want to bring (as CP).We want somebody who will want democracy to be practised in Rivers State. They said one man, one vote. Now, they do not want one man, one vote again.”

Deriding the governor for suspending the Obio/Akpor council officials, Wike said Gov. Amaechi and his supporters thought the move would bring them ‘sleep’ but unknown to them, they ‘touched the Lion’ and it came with consequences.

“The party has suspended them, because they have touched the lion and when you touch the lion, you know the consequences. Since they said the councillors will not take their salaries, they also will know that they will not belong to the PDP”, he said.

The minister boasted that Gov. Amaechi and his supporters would lose all the pending cases they have before the courts because according to him, “All the ones they have gone, we have been winning them and we will continue to win them.”

“They are doing everything they can. They are using their power and their money. Money cannot solve all problems. Sometimes, you have to come back home and realise that the people matter a lot. It is the power of the people that has put us in positions and you must come back to thank the people.

“Forget about what they are doing to you (his supporters). Do not worry. We are all together. Do not lose hope. God is on the throne.”

Wike, who revealed that the suspended Chairman of Obio/Akpor LG, Mr. Timothy Nsirim and his deputy, Solomon Eke, and the 17 councillors have been denied their salaries since April, said it is a sacrifice they have to make to make democracy survive.

The minister drummed up support for President Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid at the event and charged members of the GDI; of which he is the grand patron, in particular, to go to all the wards, communities and families in the state to support the President.

Wike added: “In Rivers State, Jonathan is our son, Jonathan is our in-law and his wife is our daughter. So, we have no choice, but to continue to support him. Your duty is to mobilise the entire state for our son when he decides to run eventually.

“We believe that the people of South-South cannot sacrifice, whatever it is, our own son for anything less than President,” he said.

Wike, who is aspiring to become governor of Rivers State in 2015, is an Ikwerre man just like Amaechi and hails from Obio/Akpor where he was a two-term chairman of the council.

Why Five Northern Governors Are After Jonathan – Presidency

The Presidency, yesterday, raised the alarm that five northern governors, who are currently moving round the country holding consultations with political stakeholders in Nigeria, have a hidden agenda to ease President Goodluck Jonathan out of the 2015 election “in order to enhance their selfish political interest”.

 According to the Presidency, the so-called consultations by the governors, which had not been authorised by any organ of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, or the Presidency, was a selfish political move aimed solely at distracting President Jonathan from his people-oriented programmes and heat up the polity, so as to give the erroneous impression that the country was on fire. = Wammako, Aliyu, Lamido, Kwankwaso and Nyako Wammako, Aliyu, Lamido, Kwankwaso and Nyako Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, made the accusation by the Presidency notwithstanding, the governors, yesterday took their grievances against President Jonathan and the Tukur-led PDP, to former Vice President and founding member of the party, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, in Abuja.

We have gathered that four out of the five governors – Sule Lamido, Murtala Nyako, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Aliyu Wamakko, met behind closed doors for several hours on Saturday with the former Vice President on what a source close to the governors described as a ‘further consultation’ with the founding fathers of the PDP.

“We met with the former VP and explained our grievances to him as a member of the G-34, which founded the PDP,” one of the governors said, without disclosing the details of their discussion. The meeting with Ekwueme brought to five the number of top profile Nigerian leaders that the aggrieved governors had so far visited and explained their grievances to.

The Presidency, which initially spat fire over the action of the governors for their audacity to confront the President on issues relating to the PDP and the 2015 election, has however soft-pedaled and begged them to give peace a chance. The Presidency which, though accused the five governors of having a hidden agenda against President Jonathan, also admonished them to desist from such antics in the interest of the nation.

The Political Adviser also pleaded with the quintuplet to sheathe their sword and allow peace to reign in the land. Gulak said, “I want to plead with the four or five governors from the north, who are trying to precipitate crisis to give peace a chance and spare the country avoidable trouble. “They should realise that without peace none of them would be governors.

They should subsume their interest. That is my plea to them”. Reflecting on the current crisis in the ruling party culminating in predictions about Nigeria’s disintegration in 2015, Gulak stated that the nation would wax stronger rather than break up.