Popular Yoruba actor Ajigijaga dies

Popular Yoruba actor, Mufutau Sanni Adio a.k.a Ajigijaga has died. The famed actor died at his residence at Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos today July 31st following injuries he sustained from a motorcycle (okada) accident two weeks ago. He was aged 60. May his soul rest in peace, amen.

Delta students threaten to shutdown Asaba over unpaid bursaries

Members of the National Association of Delta State Students, NADESSTU, have threatened to shut down the capital city of Asaba, if their 2013/2014 bursary was not paid in the next two weeks.

NADESSTU in a communiqué at the end of its emergency meeting at Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, said that the students were no longer happy with the development, adding that any further delay in the payment of the bursary may lead to students’ unrest in the state.

The communiqué by Shaka Emomine, National President and others, decried that the student community was losing faith in the national leadership of the association over the issue.

The communiqué, read:
“The national leadership of the association will no longer stand any chance of losing or jeopardizing the trust bestowed on us by our fellow students whom we were elected to serve and protect their interest.
“Therefore, the Delta State Government is hereby issued a two-week ultimatum to come up with the payment of the Delta State Students Bursary/Scholarships Award or risk a state wide protest from the students with its main target being the state capital, Asaba with a magnitude of protest capable of bringing all commercial activities in the beautiful city to a halt until the cries of the students are listened to.”


Vanguard

I’m not expecting ministerial appointment from Buhari- Tunde Bakare

In an interview with Sahara TV yesterday, the General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said he is not expecting to be appointed a minister in President Buhari's cabinet.
"As far as I am concerned, I am not expecting to be named a minister. If I am offered an appointment, when I get to that bridge I will cross it. I am already a minister of the gospel. Ministry is my calling and my life. The word minister means servant. When you expect nothing, you cannot be disappointed. I keep on doing what I am doing, to be a solid supporter of the Buhari movement and what he stands for in public life. I have no regret on what I did in 2011. If an opportunity presents itself, I will do it again. I am not seeking anything.
“Let’s not count chickens before they are hatched. The bible says the expectation of the righteous will not be cut off. That is when the expectation of the righteous is in tandem with God’s expectation. If you are expecting from God, the flesh can fail. Who knows tomorrow? In the next two months, when the ministers would be named, what if nobody is here or alive? ”

Lol. See what they did to two graduates in UNIZIK (photos)

These two fellows graduated from the Faculty of Engineering from Nnamdi Azikiww University and this is how their schoolmates congratulated them. The guy on the left doesn't look like he found it funny. Lol. More photos after the cut...

Photo: Crippled boy who works as a vulcanizer

Despite his disability, he's still working, earning a living, making himself useful. Like Auma Obama said 'poverty is not an excuse! :-)

Photos: Controversial South African pastor prays gay spirit into man

Remember the pastor who made his members swallow snakes and eat cloth during one of his deliverance services? Well he is in the news again. Last Sunday while preaching in his church, he prayed the gay spirit into the young man pictured above. See more photos after the cut...

Man butchers friend in Akwa Ibom, (Graphic content)

Residents of Itu Road, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Wednesday, woke to a horror sight, following the murder of a middle-aged barber by a close family friend who was supposedly his boss.

Steven Onowa, a graduate of Federal Polytechnic Oko, from Anambra State, was arrested by men of the Akwa Ibom State police command over the murder of Daniel Bassey Solomon, his close friend and employee.

It was gathered that Onowa, who tried to escape after allegedly killing his friend and dismembering him, was arrested with the aid of a GSM tracking device employed by officers and men of the Police Force.
Explaining the incident which led to the gruesome murder of the said barber, who hailed from Uruan Local Government Area, the state Police Commissioner, Mr Gabriel Achong, said the culprit confessed to have invited his friend to his house and offered him a drink he had already poisoned.

Steven said:
“At about 3.00 a.m, I decided to kill him.
“I gave him the first cut, the guy got up; I gave him a second one and he died and I butchered him to parts,” the suspect confessed.
The commissioner, who confirmed that a quarrel had been on for the past two years between the ‘butcher’ and his victim,  even as their case file was still with the SARS department of the command, said the police were successful in tracking down the culprit through the assistance of his landlord, who kept contacting him on phone, as the police kept tracking the calls.
“After stabbing him to death, he used matchet to chop off his hands, head and two legs. He packed the parts in a sack, pulled it out of the house to the major street of Itu Road.”
Apparently tired of evacuating the corpse to a safer place, he was said to have abandoned the deceased in a bag, removed the vital parts, including his two hands, which he dumped in a place along School Road and the head, which he hid in an abandoned dump site on the same Itu Road.

The suspect, who confessed to the crime, said he had called his victim on phone for an urgent meeting in his house, where he drugged his Orijin beer.

According to him, when the late Dan arrived, his killer entertained him with the drugged beer and it was not long before the deceased dosed off, giving his killer the opportunity to tie him, before stabbing him to death.

The suspect’s landlord, Mr Celestine George, who spoke to journalists at the police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, said the police was called after the incident was reported and he had to put a call to the suspect and demanded for the balance of his rent.
“The suspect said he was about travelling and that he was with the balance which he would pay me before travelling. I then asked him to meet me at Itam junction, within the premises of a church where I had already told the SARS men to lay ambush for him.
“I kept calling him until he arrived at the premises of the church where I tricked him to. He came in a car with three armed mobile policemen and I hinted the men of the SARS formation, who had laid ambush for him within the premises and he was apprehended and handcuffed.
“The three mobile policemen were eventually overpowered by the SARS men and the suspect was arrested and taken to the police headquarters at Ikot Akpanabia,” he said.
What annoyed the angry residents of Itu Road the most, according to a neighbour, “is the fact that the suspect, apart from being a close friend of the deceased, was also having an affair with one of the late Dan’s sisters.”

He disclosed that such close relationship led to the suspect opening a barbing salon for his victim along Urua Ekpa Road.

When interrogated by newsmen, Onowa claimed to have killed his victim for daring to raise his voice at him over his N750,000 he had refused to account for.
He said:
“We reported the matter to SARS about two years ago and he agreed on a timeframe to pay up the N750,000. Till today, he has refused to pay the money, so when I invited him to my house that day, he started shouting at and getting angry with me, so I killed him. I am not dealing in body parts. I only cut him to pieces to be able to carry him,” the suspect added.


The Nigerian Tribune

Ex Akwa Ibom gov, Akpabio announced as Senate Minority Leader

Immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio has been announced as the Senate Minority leader. His nomination is against the rules of the senate that exempts first time senators from becoming Senate Minority leaders. He was nominated by the South South Senators in the Senate. Senator Emmanuel Bwacha was named Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda becomes Minority Whip and Senator Bioudun Olujimi is Deputy Minority Whip.

16yr old kills 4yr old boy in Lagos, removes his intestines, kidney & penis (graphic photo)

This has got to be one of the most painful/heartbreaking news I've heard in a while. A 16-year-old boy named Tajudeen Azeez, lured his 4 year old neighbour to a primary school in the Ijaniki area of Lagos, stabbed him, strangled him and removed his intestines, his kidney and cut off his penis. He did because a man named Osho had approached him and asked him to get him fresh human parts and would pay him N50,000. N50,000 is what a human is worth to some. N50k. Unbelievably sad!
"At first, I did not want to succumb to the temptation but it kept coming. When I woke up this morning (Monday), I saw Ibrahim at the back of the house. I told him to escort me to a primary school not too far from the house. The name of the school is Anglican Primary School, Ijanikin. He followed me to the place and on arrival there, I stabbed him with a knife from behind. He fell down and I strangled him with a rope. I then cut his stomach open with the knife. I am sorry for what I did,”
He was of course caught and made to carry the deceased body. The photo is extremely graphic so please be warned before you continue...



 Tajudeen has been arrested by the Lagos state police command according to a report by Daily Trust and is currently at the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Yaba.

 According to the acting police public relations officer for the Lagos Command, Patricia Amadin, the body of the deceased has been deposited at a government mortuary. She said Tajudeen was arrested following intelligence information.
“Based on the strength of the information, the DPO and his men raced to the place. On arrival, they found the lifeless body of a four-year-old boy while the suspect was soaked in the deceased’s blood. From close observation, it was discovered that some vital organs such as the kidney and intestine had been removed from the deceased. All the organs were kept in a black nylon bag. The suspect was promptly arrested and taken to the station,” Amadin said. She said they are now looking for the said Osho

Uniuyo Post UTME form is out and all you need to know concerning the exam

The University of Uyo hereby invites Candidates

who made the University their 1st choice in the

2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination

(UTME) and had a MINIMUM SCORE as

indicated against the candidate’s course of

study to a Screening Exercise. Candidates

should note that the Screening exercise will

take the form of either Computer Based Test

(CBT) or Paper – Pencil Test as shown in the

schedule below:

A. PAPER – PENCIL TEST (PPT)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015 1. Faculty of

Arts Communication Arts (180), English (182)

Efik/Ibibio (182), French (182) History & Intl.

Studies (180) Linguistics (180) Music (180)

Philosophy (180) Religious & Cultural Studies

(181) Theatre Arts (180) Faculty of Social

Sciences Economics (181), Geography &

Regional Planning (189), Political Science and

Public Administration (186), Sociology &

Anthropology (180), Psychology (180) Slot I

8.00 a.m

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015 2. Faculty

of Business Administration Accounting (180)

Banking and Finance (181) Business

Management (185) Insurance (181) Marketing

(180) Slot II 10.00a.m

3. FACULTY OF EDUCATION Accounting Ed.

(180), Fine Arts Ed. (180), History Ed. (183),

Political Science Ed. (183), Social Studies Ed.

(182), French Ed. (194), Edu. and Social

Science (180), Econs Ed. (183), English Ed.

(181), Geography Ed. (181), Religion Ed. (190),

Edu. Arts (180), Guidance and Counseling

((181), Efik/Ibibio Ed. (226), Library Science

(180), Pre-primary & Primary Ed.((181), Special

Ed. ((185) Faculty of Law – Law (228)

Slot II 10.00a.m

B. COMPUTER BASED TEST (CBT)

S/N DAY/DATE SLOT TIME DAY 1 -

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015 1. Faculty of

Agriculture Agric. Economics & Extension (180),

Animal Science (180) Crop Science (180),

Fisheries & Aquaculture (180) Food Science &

Technology (180), Forestry & Wildlife (184)

Home Economics (180), Soil Science (183) Slot

I 7.00 a.m

2. Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences

Biochemistry (180) Botany & Ecological Studies

(180)

Slot II 9.00 a.m.

3. Faculty of Clinical Sciences Medicine&

Surgery (MBBS) – (227) Physiology (182)

Slot III 11.00 a.m

DAY 2 – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015 4.

Faculty of Pharmacy – Pharmacy (196) Human

Anatomy (182) Slot I 7.00 a.m.

5.

Faculty of Science/Basic Medical Sciences

Microbiology (180), Human Anatomy (182)

Slot II 9.00 a.m

Faculty of Science Zoology – (183), Chemistry

(180) Computer Science (180) , Mathematics

(181) Physics (181) , Statistics (180), Technical

Edu (180)

Slot III 11.00 am

DAY 3 – THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 6.

Faculty of Environmental Studies Geoinformatics

& Surveying (181) Urban & Regional Planning

(180) Building (180) Slot I 7.00a.m Estate

Management (182) Architecture (180) Quantity

Surveying (180) Slot II 9.00 a.m 7. Faculty of

Engineering Petroleum Engineering (186)

Agricultural Engineering (180) Slot III 11.00 a.m

REQUIREMENT

Eligible candidates should pay the sum of

N3,500.00 (three thousand five hundred

naira) only and obtain a PIN

Transaction Receipt which should contain a PIN

code at the following Banks

nationwide:

(i) Uniuyo Microfinance Bank (ii) Zenith Bank

Plc. (iii) Skye Bank Plc. (iv) United Bank for

Africa (UBA)Plc. (v) First Bank Plc. (vi) WEMA

Bank Plc. (vii) Ecobank Plc. (viii) Key Stone

Bank Plc.

Note: The same PIN will be used to access the

result of the Screening Test from the internet.

Candidates must provide their names and JAMB

registration numbers to the Bank during

payment.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

a. With the PIN Code, candidates should access

and complete the University of Uyo Post-UTME

Screening Test Form online at http://

www.uniuyo.edu.ng. From the Students E-

Portals Solutions navigation menu apply the

following steps: - Click the Post-UTME e-Portal

Link (Account login menu bar) - Select the Post-

UTME Account login link - Login with your UTME

registration Number and PIN Code. - Fill the

Post-UTME form and upload a recent passport

size/photograph scanned, with red background.

Webcam photograph will not be accepted. -

Submit the online application form and printout

a copy of the examination schedule slip. - Print

out a copy of the examination schedule slip in

colour.

9 Mechanical Engineering (180) Chemical

Engineering

Slot II 9.00 a.m.

10 Chemical Engineering (Contd) (180) Civil

Engineering (180)

Slot III 11.00 a.m

DAY 5 – SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2015

11.

Civil Engineering contd. (180) Faculty of

Education Computer Ed (180), Biology Ed. (180)

Integrated Science Ed. (180), Mathematics Ed.

(180) Chemistry Ed.

(180)

Slot I

7.00a.m

12

Agriculture Ed. (182) Home Economics Ed.

(181) Physical Ed. (180) , Physics Ed. (180)

Health Ed. (180), Vocational Ed. & tech (180)

Slot II 9.00 a.m.

13 Faculty of Engineering/Environmental Studies

Contd. Computer Engineering (180) Fine Arts &

Industries (180)

Slot III 11.00 a.m

DAY 4 – FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015

8 Electrical/Electronics Engineering (180) Food

Engineering (180)

Slot I 7.00 a.m.

Note: (i) The same passport photograph used

for the online registration will be

used during the Screening

Exercise and for registration after the offer of

admission. (ii) No complaint of wrong

Bio-Data or blank photograph will be entertained

after submission. (iii)Candidates

who up-load wrong bio-data will automatically

be disqualified. (iv) Only colour print out will

be accepted. (v) No GSM handset,

calculators or any other extraneous materials

should be brought into the screening halls. (vi)

Only candidates who comply with the

registration procedures outlined above will be

allowed to undergo the Screening Exercise.

( b ) Candidates are required to come for the

Screening Exercise with the following items: (i)

Four (4) copies of the University of Uyo 2015

ON-LINE registration form duly completed with

the passport-size photograph printed in colour.

(ii) Four (4) copies of 2015 JAMB(UTME) Result

printout (iii) Four (4) recent passport-size

photographs on red background (same

photograph as the one used for the on-line

registration) with the name, UTME registration

number and signature of the candidate on the

reverse side of the photographs. These should

be packaged in quarto- size envelope and

labeled with name, department and JAMB

registration number. (iv) HB pencil, eraser and

sharpener for Paper - Pencil Test (PPT)

candidates.

Venue: -Computer Based Test (CBT) -

Ibom e-Library, along IBB Avenue, Uyo -Paper-

Pencil Test (PPT) - University of Uyo (Town

Campus and Town Campus Annex)

Closing Date: The closing date for registration

is, Friday, August 21, 2015 at 6:00pm.

In the light of the above, all candidates who are

taking the Computer Based Test are advised to

familiarize themselves with the CBT

environment, by using the on-line CBT practice

Demo platform provided via the website:

www.cbt.uniuyo.edu.ng.

CONTACT: Admissions Unit: 08127691825,

08146129875 Bursary: 08175613695 ICT:

08165382618

"I won’t appoint people who lack integrity as ministers' - Buhari says

Yesterday during his live programme on NTA, President Buhari said he won't appoint men and women who lack integrity as ministers in his cabinet.
"We will try as much as possible to avoid appointing hostages; by this, I mean people who have been in the system but compromised their personal and professional integrity. From what I have seen so far, we need very patriotic Nigerians to be ministers; Nigerians that can work very hard with knowledgeable experience; committed Nigerians to be in charge of ministries. A lot of institutions in Nigeria are compromised, everybody for himself and God for all of us. It is most unfortunate. We have people, educated and experienced people, but everybody seems to be working for himself on how much they could get away with as soon as possible.
We have to look for technocrats and politicians. We have to look out for decent people in this class to give them the responsibility of being in charge of ministries and important parastatals. It is taking so much time to appoint ministers because a number of knowledgeable people have been compromised. They have been compromised by people who will like to depend on them to damage our economy and security; a lot of them have been compromised. The worst thing that I think can happen is to get a compromised person to be in charge of institutions.
There is no way he could be efficient or patriotic. Somebody behind the scene will be manipulating him at the expense of the nation. This is what we are trying to avoid and I assure you that so much damage has been done to Nigeria. We cannot rush to give this responsibility to people that have unfortunately been compromised. This is because there is no way you can effectively supervise, let’s say 20 ministries, you have to give it to people you trust and you allow them to perform according to the Constitution of the country. If you appoint compromised people, then we will be back to square one and Nigeria will be the loser.” he said (Punch)

Ortom: From a school dropout, motor park tout, bus conductor, taxi driver, now Gov.of Benue State

I remember sleeping on the mat and waking up to find larva and ants on your body and you battled to pick them out. I remember going to pick bones from the slaughter slab with which we made soup to eat. I remember the difficulties of going to the farm to make heaps for people in order to make money, carry heavy load on the head to make money in order to live. I remember when school uniforms were our Christmas wears
Guided by biblical principles and injunctions  I was very faithful as a motor park tout in Gboko
Dr. Samuel Ioraer Ortom is the Governor of Benue state. On Wednesday, 6th July, 2011, during his screening on the floor of the Senate as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he told Senators a moving story of his life which compelled them to ask him to take a bow and go.
Senators were stirred by an account of his background as a school dropout, a motor park tout and one who struggled to attain education through very difficult means. After running through his curriculum vitae, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, moved a motion, asking the Senate to allow him to take a bow without further questions because of his sincerity in uncovering his background. Senators described him as a veritable bridge between the poor and the rich.
In this exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard, he spoke more about his life. Excerpt:
So much have been heard about your life and your rise from grass to this enviable positions, how did all begin?
Well, I want to give glory to God. I was born on the 23rd of April, 1961 in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. My father , now late, was a retired Police Sergeant, David Ortom Adorogo of Mbabegha Clan, Nzorov District, Nongov, and my mother, late Wajina Ortom Adorogo. I was enrolled into the St. John’s Primary School, Gboko, in 1970 but moved to St. Catherine’s Primary School, Makurdi in 1974 where I completed my primary education in 1976. I   was admitted into Idah Secondary Commercial College, Idah in Kogi State in 1976.
Just like every other child. I had an aspiration to be a medical doctor right from my primary school and secondary school days. But unfortunately, my secondary education was truncated in form three in 1979 due to my father’s retirement from the Police. I came back to Gboko on holiday just like every other child from Idah, which was then part of the present day Benue, for holiday but   couldn’t go back to school because there was no transportation fare.
But instead of idling away or taking to social vices, I decided to join the motor park business. It was at the park that a Good Samaritan taught me   how to drive a car perhaps because of my honesty and dedication to duty. But just before that move, I must confess that I came in contact with the Lord Jesus Christ. I accepted Christ and gave my life to God completely, I became a born again Christian. In fact, the turning point in my life was that singular move and decision to embrace Christ.
And that was the time I completely embraced   the precepts of the Book of Job: 36 verse 11 which says “If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. And verse 12 which also says, “But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.”
From this passage I found that the recipe for success and failure was imbedded in the scriptures. God made it   clear to me that if I desired to succeed I must have faith in Him and also be determined and work hard, because God can make it happen. I remember that the Bible also says ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you.’
So guided by these biblical principles and injunctions   I was very faithful; as a motor park tout in Gboko. I was distinct and   different, I was decent in my conduct and behaviour because of my christian background. And as a motor conductor every driver clamoured to work with me. I later found myself as a taxi driver. I did well. I was disciplined, I conducted myself as a Christian. While there I found myself working with a Christian brother, Pa Samuel Ihugh, an elder in Gboko who loved the Lord   and was doing a lot for the Christian community there.
He employed me as a driver, I worked with him, and the job excited me because I could use his Peugeot vehicle at that time to move around to preach and propagate the gospel. He was very good and kind to me. I was excited working with him and I eventually got married and had a family. And he was able to take care of us and we continued with life.
But one day, I remember that even after close of work, I usually waited behind in case there was any errand I could run for him, just as I was waiting outside, I noticed that the wind blew part of a newspaper towards me, in my eagerness to read something while waiting, I picked the paper, and in it, I read an advertisement of the National School of Salesmanship Manchester, England, by correspondent.
That was the beginning of my being launched into academics. I went through it and I was interested. I applied, and   within two weeks I got a reply and received a brochure; of how people went through the school, even people who dropped out of school but made up their deficiencies got their masters and Ph.d degree and everything; and were working in prestigious places.
I got interested, and I wrote and applied and within two years I earned a Diploma in Salesmanship, and that inspired me. In two years, precisely in 1984 I studied hard and got it. I was indeed inspired to sit for tutorials to get my GCE. It may amaze you to know that I sat for GCE once and made four credits.
I kept toiling on, and continued working with my boss. But after sometime, with my Diploma I searched for greener pasture, so I went ahead and by the grace of God started work with Pepsi Cola International, then Gyado Foods in Makurdi, as a Salesman Driver; and within one one year, I got four promotions and rose to a substantive Sales Manager, chauffeur driven. It was God. I couldn’t imagine that I, who was a sales man, driving all those big trucks and trailers was being chauffeur driven.
It was amazing. But I gave all the glory to God. And after in 1989 I resigned from the work as sales manager and joined partisan politics. I won elections on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, to become the Chairman of Guma Local Government Area. I was there from 1991 to 1993 when the military truncated democracy and took over governance.
At the time I felt like upgrading my knowledge, I applied and secured admission at the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria and earned a Diploma in Journalism. And later enrolled to read political science at degree level, but before then, because the prerequisite for degree programme in the university was five credits passes including English and Maths; since I did not have Maths, I enrolled for GCE and got my credit in Maths.
So I got all prerequisite for admission to the university. But I could not continue with the Degree in Zaria because of family burden at home and again, I was sponsoring myself. There was no assistance from anywhere so I came back to Makurdi. I went back to politics again. Eventually I was elected the state publicity secretary of the Center Party. That process too was truncated by the military in 1996. The new parties came on board and I emerged the state treasurer of APP and eventually I defected to the PDP and was elected secretary of the PDP in Benue state, an assignment I did for six years.
The opportunity I had while serving as secretary was that I was able to enroll and studied for an Advanced Diploma in Public Admin. I also enrolled for a Masters programme in Public Administration; in 2004 I graduated. And I continued to search for more knowledge, I enrolled for Masters in Development Studies, this was around 2006. Eventually I was elected the National Auditor of the PDP.
So I could not continue with the Programme in Benue State Universitybecause it was a full time programme. So when I got to Abuja as National Auditor of the party, I saw this online programme that was convenient for me from Commonwealth University Belize. I applied and did it through distant learning. So that was how I got a Phd in Conflict Management in the year 2010.
You also know that In 2011 I was appointed Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment and later in 2014 the Supervising Minister of Aviation and much later same year when I resigned to contest in the governorship elections which I won. And so that is how the journey of my life has been. And God has been very gracious. I must say that the Bible is complete. When you serve God faithfully, God also demonstrates his faithfulness to you. That is what has been my story.
All along I’ve depended on God, I’ve looked up to God. And He has been gracious. I’ve always told my story to all the people that come my way. And I’ve also made it clear that it’s not about me, but it also applies to everyone that obeys and serves God faithfully. He would do the same to you. He will open the way and clear hurdles for you. I appreciate God because where I am today was made possible by Him. It is not by any other means.
I remember when I started the aspiration to be Governor of Benue state, many people came to me to tell me that, look this is the way to go. Some showed me how to become Governor and how I must pass through certain rituals and some concoction and so many other things. I refused and told them that the same God who elevated me from nowhere, who lifted me from the grass and the lowest ebb of life is still capable of making me Governor.
I maintained that, and I believe that everybody in Benue state can conveniently say that it was God that did it. How I emerged with all the forces that were against me and how God took me through all the rigors was amazing. So I give him all the glory for where I am today. And I believe that I’ll surpass all the challenges I met on ground because I still have my faith in God. I believe that God will show me how to surmount the challenges.
Interesting. So how would you describe growing up? How would you remember your family?
It was challenging and tasking. Some people may see me today and say I’m a lucky chap. Yes, but I went through difficulties. It wasn’t easy. I remember, times in our family, my father had two wives and we were about sixteen in the family and it wasn’t easy, especially when he retired and I remember that my mother had to work day and night to ensure that we ate food.
Several times we had to stay for a whole day without food. There were days we had to live on 0-0-1, and even that once that we ate was not a complete meal. I remember when we had to eat from corn meal without soup but just salt and pepper to keep life going. I remember when school uniforms for the year were my Christmas wears and that was same with my brothers and sisters.
When children were going out in their Christmas clothes we were in our school uniforms. It was quite humiliating but we passed through all those. I remember when we went everywhere without shoes. Going to school without sandals, though others had, but we just went barefooted. I remember life was pretty difficult. I remember sleeping on the mat and waking up to find larva and ants on your body and you battled to pick them out.
I remember going to pick bones from the slaughter slab with which we made soup to eat. I remember the difficulties of going to the farm to make heaps for people in order to make money, carry heavy load on the head to make money in order to live. But one thing that I must appreciate God for is that despite these difficulties, I never went into any form of anti social vices, like we have today in the society.
That is what I keep telling our young ones today. The determination to succeed and the faith in God. It’s not by a wayward life, it’s not by taking to these vices that can lead you to prison or even untimely death. It is a matter of being focussed and being determine to succeed. God will always make a way for you especially when you know God. And so I appreciate God that all those have passed away and we are here.
In my little way, I have provided a better platform for my children and many other families that I can also reach because I do not want the children of others to pass through the harrowing experience I went through. I believe that with this privilege God has provided me I will add value to people’s lives and make life better for them than what I went through.
What is your message to the less privileged and downtrodden who are looking up to you as a role model.
Please I want appeal to them that the Bible says ‘seek yea first the kingdom of God and it’s righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you.’ When you seek God and His kingdom, you seek to do the right thing. You’ll seek to sow the right seed. And as you do, it will germinate and bear good fruits as it had happened to me.
When you give yourself to God, God will give you protection, God will provide and supply all that you need. And so I want our people who are down there to arise and join God who is our maker. He knows our challenges and problems, he is our creator who knows how and when to address our challenges.
He knows our needs, and he has the capacity to take away the challenges that we face. So my appeal to our people is that instead of going the other way, or going wayward, please come to God and find peace. The Bible says ‘come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.’
That is the way to go, it is not by fighting, it is not by gossiping, it is not by envying, it is not by strive , it is not by might, it is not because you come from a particular place. Otherwise if you consider where I come from, a minority, obscure place in Tiv land, in fact one of the minutest tribes in Benue state where nobody is known, but today God has made me Governor of Benue state. So it can also apply to any other person, once you are faithful in serving God.
Remember I earlier quoted Job: 36 verse 11 which says “If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. And verse 12 which also says, “But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.” this is the recipe for success and failure.
Verse 11 talks about success and verse 12 talks about failure. And if you go to Deuteronomy 28 from verse 1 to 14, it talks about the reward for one who serves and obeys God, but for those who disobey God, verse 15 to 68 talks about the curses. That is what I have applied my life to in order to be where and what I am today.
Who were your schoolmates, are you still in touch with them?
I have so many school mates across the country, the ones from Idah Secondary Commercial College, my classmates and schoolmates from there will soon pay me a courtesy call. The group in my MBA class in BSU here will also soon come to show solidarity with me, the ADPM class has already paid me courtesy call, the ones in ABU have also done that already.
They are all proud of me and excited. And I have promised to make them proud . So that at the end of my tenure and Benue people are looking for my successor, they could identify one of my classmates to take over from me. They will definitely say that this man has done very well so we want one of his schoolmates to take over from where he stopped.
I am married with 10 children and four grand children. My hobbies include badminton, reading, philanthropy, farming, aerobics and evangelism. “ Governor Ortom’s parents are late now. How proud they would have been to see their son as governor of their state. His first wife left when things were tough for him.

Presidency, Boko Haram reportedly begin negotiations

There are reports that the presidency has started negotiations with Boko Haram. This comes a week after president Buhari told CNN's Christine Amanpour that his govt will negotiate with the terrorist sect for the release of Chibok girls if they are assured of the credibility of the leadership of the sect they will be negotiating with.

The Nation reports that some confidants of the presidency and leaders of the sect group are doing the negotiations.

A source who spoke on the recent development said
“The President’s appeal for peace in the Northeast is yielding dividends because a fresh facilitation of talks between the Presidency and Boko Haram has started. This latest negotiation, which is at the preliminary stage, is being promoted by some mutual confidants of the Presidency and Boko Haram. The new deal may lead to the release of some Chibok girls to set the tone for a comprehensive negotiation by both sides. The President is extremely cautious on this offer of negotiation. Buhari has ordered security agencies to screen or certify those Boko Haram commanders interested in facilitating this latest negotiation to ensure that they are bonafide leaders of the sect. The position of the President is that why he is not averse to a peace deal, the Federal Government must avoid the costly mistakes of the past which led to a waste of time and huge resources. The President wants the release of the Chibok girls and quick restoration of peace to the Northeast; he is ready to negotiate with the right people for sustainable results.”
But there are strong indications that the leader of the sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau, is yet to be involved in the new deal.
"I think we are still at the preliminary stage. At the right time, there is a way the negotiation offer will be forwarded to their leader. But the fact that some Boko Haram commanders, whom US placed ransom upon, might be part of the negotiation shows that the crisis can be resolved, if all hands are on deck, “ another source said.

Photos: Madonna University builds longest/largest exams hall in Nigeria

So Madonna University has built what they claim is the longest and possibly the largest exams hall in Nigeria. The hall is called 'Edeh's Ark', named after the school chancellor's name; Rev. Emmanuel Matthew Paul Edeh .
"The idea is that several exams will hold at the same time. If you are to write an exam in this hall, OYO is your case as students from different levels are made to sit side-by-side" a student of the school told LIB. See more photos after the cut...

Fayose approves N119m car loan for Ekiti workers

Press statement from Ekiti state government
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has approved the disbursement of a sum of N119m as car loans to 623 workers in the state public service. The state Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo, disclosed this in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, at the weekend. Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) got N82,120,000 while Parastatals and Agencies got N36.80 million.
Chief Ojo, according to a statement by the state Ministry of Information, today, said the loans, which ranged from N800,000 to N1.5 million, was "approved depending on the salary grade level of the benefitting officers."

The government statement said that the commissioner "stressed the commitment of the Fayose's administration to the welfare of workers in the state civil service," and added that he explained that "the loan is to be disbursed in one single tranche to the benefitting officers." It said he had "also promised that another batch of beneficiaries of the workers car loans will be announced before the end of this year."

If Buhari is sincere in his fight against corruption, let him probe Amaechi’s government - Wike

Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike says if President Buhari was really serious about his fight against corruption, he must start by probing the administration of former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi. The governor gave the charge in a statement released and signed by his special adviser on media and publicity Opunabo Inko-Tariah today July 26th. The governor added that an appointment of Rotimi Amaechi by Buhari will be an endorsement of corruption ..


“If Buhari is sincere in his fight against corruption, let him probe the Amaechi’s government and he will discover that there cannot be a government official that is more corrupt than Amaechi. From the genesis to revelation of his government, Amaechi’s fiscal recklessness and dictatorial policies and approaches are responsible for the financial woes of the state that should ordinarily be buoyant. A man like Amaechi must not be allowed to flaunt the fruits of his crime with impunity. He has to account for the monthly allocations he received in 8 years and the IGRs for the same period. He spirited so much out of the system with little or nothing to show for it.
The appointment of Amaechi by Buhari will be an endorsement of corruption by Buhari. If there are no skeletons in his cupboard, why try to frustrate the Hon Justice Omereji’s commission of inquiry? This obviates the need for further evidence that his hands are dirty. After all, he started and ended his reign with the late Justice Kayode Esho’s panel and the Prof Odinkalu’s commission of inquiry respectively -not to talk of that headed by Justice B A Georgewill. Do unto others, what you want others to do unto you’, our Lord Jesus admonished my brother Knight, Amaechi.
The attempt to stop the Hon Justice Omereji’s Commission of Inquiry from investigating his government is not only risible but shameful and highly provocative. It is ironical that the same man who sealed the judiciary for close to two years and turned lawyers into taxi drivers and artisans will now have the gumption to approach the same courts he desecrated for justice. If his successor had followed his footsteps, which court would he have approached to seek redress? How will he appear before those he almost turned into beggars? As a result of his callous and insensitive actions, most lawyers had broken homes as they could not sustain their families. Some even lost their loved ones in hospitals for lack of money to buy needed drugs.”.

Photos: President Obama arrives Ethiopia

US President Barack Obama left Kenya today and proceeded to Ethiopia for the last lap of his visit to Africa. He was received at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. Like Kenya, President Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country. More photos after the cut...

Why Obama owed me a ride in The Beast - Sister Auma Obama speaks out

Dr Auma Obama made history Friday by becoming the first Kenyan to ride in The Beast when she comfortably entered the car together with her brother, US President Barack Obama.

Well, some may argue that President Obama himself is a Kenyan –American: that's fine, but Auma is a full Kenyan.

In his Award – winning book and New York Bestseller, Dreams From My Father, Barack Obama talks very passionately about his sister – the one who gave him a ride in her Volkswagen Beetle to Alego K'Ogelo when he came here looking for his roots

In a speech delivered at Safaricom Indoor Arena at Kasarani, Kenya on sunday, Auma Obama introduced President Obama with touching words. “My brother, your brother, our son” she said. Her speech assuring Kenyans that her brother Obama was not lost from his roots.

Auma pointed out that she was worried when Obama told her that he was running for President of US back in 2008. Obama however assured her that he had read the job description and was ready to take up the job.

Acknowledging the humility that Obama displayed when he visited Kenya in 1992, she remembers picking him up at JKIA with her small Beetle vehicle.

“Together with him, we ate githeri, omena, chapati, sukuma wiki," she listed the African dishes that they ate then mentioning that Obama even slept on mat in their home”

“That’s why he owed me a ride. I picked him up in my beetle when he visited, and two decades later he paid back, gave me a ride in the Beast, but do I say” she told the cheering crowd.

Her speech encouraging Kenyans that no matter how difficult the circumstances are, it’s possible to pick up.

She used the opportunity to thank Americans for trusting her brother to be the President of United States of America.

She thanked Obama for bringing Global Entrepreneurship Summit(GES) to Kenya, because it showed “That Africa was the place of infinite possibilities.”

The orphan girl who gave Pres. Obama flowers on arrival in Kenya

The little girl's name is Joan Wamaitha. She attends a school in Mariakani and is an orphan. This is really admirable. Kenya did good. Some countries would have used someone from a privileged background. More photos of Obama in Kenya after the cut...he's leaving today...

 His plane is ready

The phone no longer rings by Reuben Abati

This is an article by Former President Jonathan's spokesperson.Read below:



The phones no longer ring By Reuben Abati

A very interesting article by former President Jonathan's spokesman, Reuben Abati. Read below...first published on Sunday Vanguard
As spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan, my phones rang endlessly and became more than personal navigators within the social space. They defined my entire life; dusk to dawn, all year-round. The phones buzzed non-stop, my email was permanently active; my twitter account received tons of messages per second.
The worst moments were those days when there was a Boko Haram attack virtually every Sunday.

The intrusion into my private life was total as my wife complained about her sleep being disrupted by phones that never seemed to stop ringing. Besides, whenever I was not checking or responding to the phones, I was busy online trying to find out if the APC had said something contrarian or some other fellow was up to any mischief.

A media manager in the 21st century is a slave of the Breaking News, a slave particularly of the 24-hour news cycle, and a potential nervous breakdown case. Debo Adesina, my colleague at The Guardian once said I was running a “one week, one trouble schedule”.

There were actually moments when trouble knocked on the door every hour, and duty required my team and I to respond to as many issues that came up. Top of the task list was the management of phone calls related to the principal. In my first week on the job, for example, one of my phones ran out of battery and I had taken the liberty to charge it.

While it was still in the off mode, the “Control Room”: the all-powerful communications centre at the State House tried to reach me. They had only just that phone number, so I couldn’t be reached. When eventually they did, the fellow at the other end was livid. “SA Media, where are you? We have been trying to reach you. Mr President wants to speak with you” “Sorry, I was charging my phone. The phone was off.” “Sir, you can’t switch off your phone now. Mr President must be able to reach you at any time. You must always be available.” I was like: “really? Which kin job be dis?”

The Control Room eventually collected all my phone numbers. If I did not pick up a call on time, they called my wife. Sometimes the calls came directly from the Residence, as we referred to the President’s official quarters. “Abati, Oga dey call you!” If I still could not be reached, every phone that was ever connected to me would ring non-stop.

Busy bodies who had just picked up the information that Abati was needed also often took it upon themselves to track me down. My wife soon got used to her being asked to produce me, or a car showing up to take me straight to the Residence. I eventually got used to it, and learnt to remain on duty round-the-clock. In due course, President Jonathan himself would call directly. My wife used to joke that each time there was a call from him, even if I was sleeping, I would spring to my feet and without listening to what he had to say, I would start with a barrage of “Yes sirs”!

Other calls that could not be joked with were calls from my own office. Something could come up that would require coverage, or there could be a breaking story, or it could be something as harmless as office gossip, except that in the corridors of power, nothing is ever harmless. Looking back now, I still can’t figure out how I survived that onslaught of the terror of the telephone.

Of equal significance were the calls from journalists who wanted clarifications on issues of the moment, or the President’s opinion. I don’t need to remind anyone who lived in Nigeria during the period, that we had a particularly interesting time. The Jonathan government had to deal from the very first day with a desperate and hyper-negative opposition, which gained help from a crowd of naysayers who bought into their narrative. I was required to respond to issues. Bad news sells newspapers and attracts listeners/viewers. Everything had to be managed. You knew something had happened as the phones rang, and the text messages, emails, twitter comments poured in. The media could not be ignored. Interfacing with every kind of journalist was my main task. I learnt many lessons, a subject for another day. And the busy bodies didn’t make things easy.

If in 1980, the media manager had to deal with print and broadcast journalists, today, the big task is the dilemma of the over-democratization of media practice in the age of information. The question used to be asked in Nigerian media circles: who is a journalist? Attempts were subsequently made to produce a register of professionals but that is now clearly an illusion. The media of the 21st Century is the strongest evidence we have for the triumph of democracy. Everybody is a journalist now, once you can purchase a phone or a laptop, or an ipad and you can take pictures, set up a blog, or go on instagram, linked-in, viber etc.

All kinds of persons have earned great reputation as editors andopinion influencers on social media where you don’t have to make sense to attract followers. The new stars and celebrities are not necessarily the most educated or knowledgeable, but those who, with 140 words or less, or with a picture or a borrowed quote, can produce fast-food type public intellectualism, or can excite with a little display of the exotic -Kadarshian, Nicki Minaj style. But I was obligated to attend to all calls. The ones who didn’t receive an answer complained about Abati not picking their calls.

My defence was that most editors in Nigeria have correspondents in the State House. Every correspondent had access to me. There was no way I could be accused of not picking calls, and in any case, there were other channels: instagram, twitter direct message, email, and media assistantswho could interface with me. But this was the main challenge: while in public office, people treat you as if you are at their mercy, they threaten to sabotage you and get you sacked, every phone call was a request with a price attached,you get clobbered; you are treated like you had committed a crime to serve your nation. Relatives and privileged kinsmen struggled with you to do the job - media management is that one assignment in which everyone is an expert even if their only claim to relevance is that they once had an uncle who was a newspaper vendor!

The thinking that anyone who opts to serve is there to make money in that famous arena for primitive accumulation partly accounts for this. And that takes me to those phone calls from persons who solicited for financial help as if there was a tree at the Villa that produced money. Such people would never believe that government officials don’t necessarily have access to money. They wanted to be assisted: to pay school fees, to settle medical bills, to build a house, purchase a car, complete an uncompleted building, or link them up with the President. Everybody wanted a part of the national cake and they thought a phone call was all they needed. If you offered any explanation, they reminded you that you’d be better off on the lecture circuit. Businessmen also hovered around the system like bees around nectar.

But what to do? “Volenti non fit injuria,” the principle says. There were also calls from the unkind lot. “I have called you repeatedly, you did not pick my calls. I hope you know that you will leave government one day!”. Or those who told you point blank that they were calling because you were in the position as their representative and that you owed them a living. Or that other crowd who said, “it is our brother that has given you that opportunity, you must give us our share!”

The Presidential election went as it did, and everything changed. Days after, State House became Ghost House. The Residence, which used to receive visitors as early as 6 am, (regular early morning devotion attendees) became quiet. The throng of visitors stopped. The number of phone c alls began to drop. By May 29, my phones had stopped ringing as they used to. They more or less became museum pieces; their silence reminding me of the four years of my life that proved so momentous. On one occasion, after a whole day of silence, I had to check if the phones were damaged! As it were, a cynical public relates to you not as a person, but as the office you occupy; the moment you leave office, the people move on; erasing every memory, they throw you into yesterday’s dustbin. Opportunism is the driver of the public’s relationship with public officials.

Today, the phones remain loudly silent, with the exception of calls from those friends who are not gloating, who have been offering words of commendation and support. They include childhood friends, former colleagues,elderly associates, fans, and family members. And those who want interviews with President Jonathan, both local and international - they want his reaction on every development, so many of them from every part of the planet. But he is resting and he has asked me to say he is not ready yet to say anything. It is truly, a different moment, and indeed, “no condition is permanent.”

The ones who won’t give up with the stream of phone calls and text messages are those who keep pestering me with requests for financial assistance. I am made to understand that there is something called “special handshake” and that everyone who goes into government is supposed to exit with carton loads of cash. I am in no position to assist such people, because no explanation will make sense to them. Here I am, at the crossroads; I am glad to be here.

Photos from singer Duncan Mighty's wedding

Duncan marriedhis girlfriend Vivien in Port Harcourt today. More pics after the cut...