Kidnappers release ex-UNIZIK VC

The former Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Anambra State, Prof. Ilochi Okafor, who was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from his home last Sunday as he prepared to leave for a church service, has been released.
The professor of Law, a two-time Attorney General of the old Anambra State and a candidate in the 2011 governorship election in the state, was reportedly dropped off blindfolded in the vicinity of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Emene, Enugu, saharareporters. com reports.
Following the kidnap, the Enugu State Police Command vowed to ensure  Okafor’s return, immediately embarking on an intensive search.
Sources said he regained his freedom after his kidnappers were able to collect a substantial ransom from his family, but that has yet to be confirmed.
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How my daughter’s fiancé bathed her with acid

The motive behind the acid bath of 22-year-old Chika Egbo by her estranged lover, David Sulaimon, remains elusive, but one thing is sure, the victim may not remain the same again.
Chika is a student of the Enugu State College of Education.
Last Tuesday, when our correspondent visited her at the Burns Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Egbo has become a shadow of the beautiful girl she was.
The substance Sulaimon allegedly poured on her had destroyed every visible skin from her chest upwards.
She mumbled to her father, a Taraba State-based businessman, as she could neither see nor speak properly at the time.

INSECURITY: National Assembly no longer safe – REPS

Following the brazen manner with which gunmen attacked both military and police facilities in Abuja and Jaji few days ago, killing soldiers, policemen and civilians alike, members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, declared the National Assembly complex unsafe.
The alarm raised by the lawmakers is due to worsening security situation in the country.
The lawmakers in a motion of urgent national importance said insecurity had reached a level where no security facility was safe again.
Hon Abubakar Momoh who led the debate said the Tuesday robbery in Auchi, Edo State which claimed the lives of three soldiers, some policemen and civilians, clearly showed that insecurity in the country was getting out of hand.

In a similar vein, Hon Raphael Nnanna said the successful operation by gunmen who invaded the headquarters of Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS) inAbujahas shown that the security personnel lacked the capacity to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.

VANGUARD

INEC to issue 10-yr electronic voters’ card – Jega

Temporary Voter’s Card

Abuja — Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said Wednesday, in Abuja that the commission had successfully prosecuted 200 of the 870,000 electoral offenders.
Jega who spoke at the INEC/civil society dialogue on plans and progress toward the 2015 elections, also said the commission was ready to issue permanent electronic voters’ card that would be valid for 10 years

He explained that the prosecution of electoral offenders was in respect of offences arising from the 2011 voters registration and general elections.
Jega said the prosecution had been “a big problem” because of paucity of fund and manpower.
He said: “In actual fact, some of those apprehended have been prosecuted and convicted but the number is just too small compared to those remaining. A youth corps member was also prosecuted and sentenced in Ondo for electoral manipulation.”
He noted that the police was in charge of prosecuting offenders until it was handed over to INEC, adding that the task was beyond the capacity of INEC and should not be left with the commission.
He said if INEC was saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offenders, its major mandate would suffer because the quantum of offenders would be too much for the commission.
Jega called on government to work on the “Uwais panel report, on electoral reform, that recommended that a separate body should be set up to handle electoral offences.”

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New electricity tariff coming soon – NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has announced impending review of the newly deployed Multi-Year Tariff Order, MYTO.
It said this was necessary following a series of complaints from electricity consumers, especially Small and Medium Enterprises, about high fixed fee they must pay every month irrespective of the power situation within any particular month.
Executive Commissioner, Government and Consumer Affairs at the NERC, Dr. Abba Ibrahim, confirmed this to newsmen on the sideline of Power Consumers Assembly in Dutse, Jigawa State by the commission.
Abba said having received the complaints, the commission had put a process in motion to resolve the complaints of the SMEs, adding that the new tariff regime provided for review mechanism in case of such complaints.
He said: “There have been quite a number of complaints that have been raised. MYTO in itself has a mechanism for review. It is a multi year tariff order that has safety guards within it. Wherever there are issues raised by customers or even a service provider, the commission has the responsibility to sit down, listen and review where necessary.
“MYTO already has a six-month window for regular reviews. Also within it, if there are complaints regarding the implementation of the tariff order and the complaints were brought in within sixty days of its deployment, then the commission is also obliged to sit.
“We have had complaints from commercial operators, specifically, Small and Medium Enterprises, complaining about high fixed charges, equivalent to industrial categories. It is a complaint that was laid and met these criteria for review within 60 days of the MYTO order. We are now in the fifth month of the implementation of the tariff.
“These complaints were made within the 60 days of implementation and we have sat down with all the stakeholders. My chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, is meeting with the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises on this particular issue as we speak. We have consulted the distribution companies. We have met severally and we are in the process of addressing this particular issue.
“So it is a review that is already being taken care of. It is unfortunate that some particular group has suffered this long but I can assure you we are putting all efforts to ensure that this is redressed.”
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Ramsey Nouah, Ini Edo, Mercy Johnson join Nadia Buari, Jackie Appiah and Chris Attoh for Ghana Movie Awards

Ramsey Nouah

Nollywood actors, Ramsey Nouah, Ini Edo and Tonto Dike have been revealed as nominees for this year’s edition of the annual Ghana movie awards billed to hold on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at the Accra International conference centre.

In a statement released by the organisers, a total of 14 Nigerians made the nominations list including Patience Ozokwor, Mercy Johnson, Uti Nwachukwu and Alex Ekubo. Others include Yemi Blaq, Rukky Sanda, Nse Ikpe-Etim and Desmond Elliot all of who were nominated for the Best Actro and Actress in African Collaboration category.

Jonathan Fires BPE Boss, Dikki Takes Over

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the Director General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) Mrs. Bolanle Onogoruwa to vacate office.
Accordingly, he ordered her to handover to Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki who is the most senior Director in the Bureau. Dikki is to hold for to the position of DG of the BPE in acting capacity until further notice.
Although reasons for Onogoruwa sack was not given as at the time of handling this report, LEADERSHIP gathered that the change of baton effected with immediate effect yesterday was not unconnected with the shabby handling of the on-going privatisation process in the power sector.
A terse statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President Namadi Sambo, Alhaji Umar Sani to this effect noted: “The Director General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) Mrs. Bolanle Onogoruwa has been relieved of her appointment with immediate effect.  She is to hand over to the most Senior Director in the Bureau, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki who is to hold the position in an acting capacity.
“Mr. President extends his sincere appreciation to Mrs. Bolanle Onogoruwa for her services to the nation and wishes her the best in her future endeavours”.
The Vice President is the Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation (NPC), while Onogoruwa, the erstwhile BPE DG and business man, Atedo Peterside are at the helm of affairs. They had always briefed the press at the end of the council’s monthly meeting.
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Patience Jonathan, Pastor Folu Adeboye and others bag awards

THE wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan will Thursday lead other distinguished women to receive the coveted Nigerian Royalty Awards at this year’s edition.which celebrates womanhood with the theme: Nigerian Womanhood; Distinctively Unique, Celebrating Excellence, A Catalyst For National Development., at  Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, at 6.30p.m. with Captain Chinyere Kalu as the guest speaker while the chairman  is Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, retired Inspector General of Police.
Others include Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye of RCCG, Hajia Amina Sambo, Dr Becky Enenche, Justice Aloma Muktar, Justice Mary Odili, Chief Kema Chikwe, Helen Onma Mark, Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufai, Maryam Babangida (post humous recipient), Sen. Joy Emodi, Hajia Ladi Hamalai, HRM Queen Florence of Kalabari, HRM Ugoeze of Obinugwu, Sen Zainab Kure, Hajia Zainab Maina, Rose Uzoma,  Patricia Etteh, Sarah Jubril, Diezani Madueke, Omobola Johnson,  Erelu Dosumu, Sarah Ochekpe, Mulikat Akande, Erelu Olusola Obada, Vera Oguejiofor, Zainab Okino, Tosin Dokpesi, Eugenia Abu, Sa’Adiyatu Dikko, Yeye Funke Daniel, Fatima Shema, Stella Okoli, Dooshima Suswam, Khadijat Bukar Abba,  Fatima Maikasuwa, Victoria Okojie and Fatima Bamidele.
Alhaji Mohammed Sa’idu will, however, receive trophies alongside other eminent Nigerians such as M.D Abubakar, Gov. Aliyu Wamakko, Gov. Seriake Dickson, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Sir Patrick Yakowa,  Eze Ilomuanya,  Gbong Gwon Jos,  Ona of Abaji among others.
This year’s edition is significant  because it dwells on women and national development, according to the National  Co-ordinator, Omooba Kenneth Aigbegbele.
The Nigerian Royalty Awards is a veritable platform for the growth of the traditional institution in Nigeria and conferred on individuals and organizations with distinct services to humanity.
This year’s event is supported by Zenith Bank Plc.
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Omotola stunning in black

This is what the actress wore to the ELOY Awards this past Sunday...

Nigeria to Export Cassava Bread by December

Barring last minute change of plans, Nigeria is set to export cassava bread to ECOWAS region starting with Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic.
The minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwunmi Adesina who disclosed this yesterday in Katsina said the export will begin by December this year.
“I am pleased to inform you that starting December 2012 UTC will start exporting cassava bread to ECOWAS region” Adesina said assuring that “Nigeria will become the largest producer of cassava bread in Africa and help other African countries to do same and reduce dependence on wheat imports”
The minister who revealed that the nation has secured a total of 2.2 million metric tones of dried cassava chips exports to China said the federal government was turning cassava from a non tradable commodity to a tradable commodity.
He said the initiative was part of the federal government’s value chains for cassava noting “we are expanding the production of high quality cassava for use in composite flours to substitute for some of
the imported wheat flour.”
It would be recalled that UTC in February 2012, commercialized the cassava flour bread with 20% cassava flour substitution for wheat flour.