Timaya still sees me as a threat – Oritse Femi

Oritsefemi Majemite,simply known as Oritse Femi took the music scene by storm when he released his hit tracks “Mercies of the Lord” and “Oleju” which enjoyed massive airplay and an evergreen status in the hearts of music lovers. Though he plays gospel,  there is so much of dance-hall infusion into it that it cannot be ignored by a wide spectrum of the society. In this encounter with WG, the Delta State-born Itsekiri Femi, born and bred in Ajegunle, bares all on his journey from the shanty settlements of Ajegunle to the limelight. Excerpts:
How have you been surviving ?
It’s hardwork and most especially, you must be prolific and realise you must change as your environment changes. Presently, Afro Hip-hop rules the music industry. For instance, if you are a Fuji musician, Reggae star or a rapper, you must infuse Afro into it because it is what rules the scene now. This Afro is generated from Fela Anikulapo Kuti. If you listen to Fela Music, he usually sings with our local pidgin English which they call commercial. So, you must infuse that commercial and Hip-hop in it. So, I keep including that in my music.

Foreign private jet operators scramble for Nigerian market

Private jet and chartered aircraft companies from Europe and North America, especially the United States and Canada, are bracing for a boom in the Nigeria’s private jet market as the nation gets ready for general elections in 2015, findings have shown.

Top aviation officials disclosed that a significant number of the companies from Europe, the US and Canada were already submitting applications through local representatives to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Aviation to bring in aircraft into the country for charter operations.

It was also learnt that some foreign private jets had started coming into country in preparation for the boom, expected to begin as early as the first quarter of 2014. The source said, “I think 2014 is going to be a very booming year for private jet operators in the country. The local operators are warming up for this seriously. But the interesting and surprising thing about this is that a number of foreign companies, especially from Europe, the US and Canada, have submitted documents, seeking permission to bring in private jets into the country for charter operations.

Obama signs two-year cross-party budget bill

US President Barack Obama has signed a two-year bipartisan federal budget bill, averting the risk of a government shutdown in January.
The hard-fought legislation was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives earlier this month.
The bill had been drafted by a cross-party budget committee set up after October’s 16-day government shutdown.
Mr Obama also signed a bill cracking down on a sexual assault in the military and six other bills.
He did so while holidaying in Hawaii at the end of the year that has seen a political gridlock over his signature healthcare law, the federal debt limit and issues ranging from immigration to gun control.
Congress will now have until 15 January to pass a $1.012tn (£617bn) fiscal spending bill for 2014.
But any hopes that a new era of cross-party unity between Democrats and Republicans could be dawning in Washington DC may be premature, analysts say.

Banker arrested for withdrawing N50m from customers’ accounts

The Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos State, has arrested an account officer with Guaranty Trust Homes, Adeola Olokojobi, in connection with a N50m fraud at the financial institution.

Prior to his arrest, Olokojobi was said to be working at the GT Homes, Saka Tinubu branch, Victoria Island.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the SFU had received a petition in October 2013, from a customer of the branch where Olokojobi worked. The customer had alleged that Olokojobi, who was his account officer, had “not been forthcoming with his account balances.”

A statement by the SFU Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, said, “The petitioner also alleged that the balance given to him was at variance with his actual balance in the account.

“An internal investigation conducted by GT Homes into the account revealed that Olokojobi in April 2013, forged an instruction, transferring N15m from the petitioner’s account, to an unknown account.

“The bank also discovered other various fraudulent withdrawals made by the account officer from other customers’ accounts in his care through fake transfer instructions. It amounted to over N50m.

Jonathan orders probe into battering of pregnant woman

 President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered a probe into the case of a 34-year-old woman, Mrs. Alexandra Ossai, who accused her Lebanese boss, Kaveh Noine, of causing her to lose her seven-month pregnancy after he kicked her in the stomach.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, disclosed this in his Twitter handle as well as his Facebook page on Thursday.

PUNCH Metro had on Tuesday published the story of Ossai, who until December 13, 2013, was a supervisor with a Lebanese owned firm, Toppan Printing Company. She had alleged that Noine assaulted her many times during her eight months stay at the company.

Presidency, APC clash over Obasanjo-Jonathan letters

 The All Progressives Congress  and the Presidency returned to a  familiar turf  on Thursday  as they engaged each other in a war of words over the exchange of letters between President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

While the APC accused Jonathan of   desecrating  his  Presidency by responding in an indecent manner to Obasanjo’s letter, the Presidency said it was the opposition party that was doing a damage to the Presidency.

The APC , in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,  said the    President   crossed the threshold of decency and brought the Presidency – and indeed the country -into disrepute by not exercising caution in its response to the letter  written to Jonathan by Obasanjo.

It added that Jonathan  had further diminished  the  Presidency with the way he replied   Obasanjo’s letter.

It  argued that in other climes, the President would have simply issued a terse response to such a letter denying the allegations that border on national security, if any; as well as saying the former President’s observations had been noted.

Jonathan, Sambo’s 2014 trips to gulp N2.47bn

The Presidency will next year spend N2.466bn on the foreign and local trips of President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Jonathan alone will spend N2.4bn on travels and transport while Sambo will spend N67m.

These are contained in the details of the 2014 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly last week by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on behalf of the President.

A further breakdown of the sum shows that Jonathan will spend N1.159bn on international travels and transport
while he will spend N1.219bn on local travel, and transport.

On his part, Sambo will spend about N29m on local travels and transport and N39m on  international travel, and transport.

These figures are apart from the N239.8m (N124m for foreign and N115m for local) that is budgeted for travels and transport for the State House itself.

15 soldiers, 55 others died in Bama attack –DHQ

No  fewer than 70 persons, including 15 soldiers,  died  in the military operations to track down the  insurgents who carried out the last Friday’s  pre-dawn attacks on Mohammed Kur Barracks in Bama, Borno State.

The remaining 55 comprised of 50 insurgents and five villagers.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who made this known in a statement on  Monday, added that 20 vehicles belonging to the insurgents were also destroyed during the attack.

Olukolade said the vehicles were sighted during an air connoisseur exercise while  they were about  to escape to Cameroun.

He  said that some of the insurgents were arrested while several  others escaped with gunshot wounds.

Olukolade’s statement reads in part,  “The military operations to track insurgents who carried out the last Friday pre-dawn attacks on Mohammed Kur Barracks, Bama,  has led to the destruction of over 20 vehicles conveying escaping terrorists.

Ogun fire truck kills woman, son, grandpa

It was tears at Ijako Owode Road, Sango Ota area of Ogun State after an emergency fire service truck belonging to the Ogun State Government Fire Service swerved off the road and crushed a trader, Bunmi Fatoyinbo, her seven-year-old son, Emmanuel Fatoyinbo and her 76-year-old father, Pa Moses Sogunro.

The incident, which happened on Friday afternoon, was said to have thrown residents into confusion and caused a gridlock for hours.

An eyewitness, who identified himself as Baba Vulcaniser, said the crimson-coloured Mercedez Benz 911 water truck, marked, Ogun AG 123 A09, was occupied by two men and a woman.

Our correspondent learnt that it was driven by one Sokunbo Michael of Ogun State Fire Service, Ota.

The eyewitness added the driver was on top speed, before he  lost control and rammed the vehicle into where the victims were sitting.

He said, “We have all been here together for the past eight years and Fatoyinbo (Bunmi) had been the one selling food, recharge cards to all of us.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

Behold, the virgin shall be with a child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, Jehovah, The Saviour, Everlasting Father, Ancient of days....

May the birth of Jesus Christ bring about greater joy, peace, wealth, love and other wonderful things in your life in Jesus name, amen.

Here's wishing all my blog readers Merry Christmas and a prosperous year ahead. SEASON'S GREETINGS

Nigerians slam Kumuyi for preaching against Christmas

An outrage has trailed the sermon of the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, in which he described the celebration of Christmas as “idolatrous.”

The cleric had during the annual December convention of the church which ended on Sunday warned his members against partaking in celebrating  Christmas.

But a cross-section of Nigerians have disagreed with Kumuyi saying observing Christmas was erroneously being tagged a sin.

Those who dropped comments online argued that it was wrong for the pastor to tag the day set aside worldwide for the observance of the birth of  Jesus Christ as idolatrous.

Those who said they had collected Christmas allowances in their work places also wondered if they were expected to return such bonuses.

Anambra PDP candidate, Nwoye, heads to tribunal

The  governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November 16 election in Anambra State, Mr.  Tony Nwoye, has filed a petition at the election petition tribunal to challenge the election of Chief Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

Nwoye, who disclosed this in Awka on Monday during an interactive session with some stakeholders of the party in the state, said he was challenging the election because it was fraudulent.

According to him, the  party heirarchies at the national, zonal and state levels are in support of the decision to challenge the election result, contrary to widely-held notion that PDP will not go to court over the governorship election.

Nwoye said the party would turn out victorious at the tribunal.

He commended the party loyalists for supporting the PDP to come second in the election not minding the conspiracy and distractions as a result of which the party was only able to campaign for just two weeks before the election.

EFCC arrests Kano Speaker, 10 other lawmakers

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arrested the Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Gambo Sallau and 10 other principal officers of the house.

The PUNCH gathered their arrest followed a petition over the N25bn supplementary budget presented by the governor, Rabiu Kwakwanso to the lawmakers on December 5.

There are suspicions that the supplementary budget is a cover up to financial misappropriation.

Kwakwanso recently left the ruling Peoples Democratic Party with four other governors to join the opposition party-All Progressives Congress.

The EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest to our correspondent in Abuja.

He said, “It is true they were invited. They are still with us. They were brought in from Kano today (Monday).”

First ladies are ‘executive prisoners’ –Aregbesola’s wife

Wife of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola,  Sherifat, on Monday described all first ladies in Nigeria as ‘executive prisoners.’

The first ladies comprised of the wife of the President and wives of the state governors.

Mrs. Aregbesola, who spoke in an interview with journalists before the end of the year party she organised for children in Osogbo, said contrary to the belief that first ladies were enjoying, she said that governors’ wives had no freedom to live the way they liked.

She said that herself and her colleagues were involved in some projects in order not to be useless throughout their stay at the various Government Houses.

She said, “All first ladies are executive prisoners. They are all here now (referring to security aides) and I can’t go to anywhere without them following me.

Adebayor slams Tottenham

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor has accused Tottenham of disrespecting him.

He scored twice on his first Premier League start of the season as Spurs beat Southampton 3-2 on Sunday.

But the 29-year-old forward was not included on the club’s official photograph and trained on his own while Andre Villas-Boas was manager.

“It was difficult,” said Adebayor. “When I come to train and see the team picture, which I’m not involved in, that shows me a lot of disrespect.”

Adebayor spent a season on loan at Tottenham from Manchester City in 2011-12 and scored 17 goals in 33 Premier League matches, before joining Spurs in a permanent deal for £5m in August 2012.

However, he only found the net nine times in 36 appearances in all competitions in 2012-13 and had only played 45 minutes of first-team football under Villas-Boas this season.

“I’m a professional footballer, I had to keep my head up and I did what they asked me to do,” said the Togo player.

“They asked me to train with the reserves, which I did with pleasure, and they asked me to train on my own, which I did with pleasure.”

Source 

Edo sacks 836 teachers

The Edo State government has sacked 836 teachers following a verification exercise carried out by the state’s Department of Information and Communication Technology.

The affected teachers were said to have learnt of their lay-off when they discovered that their names were missing from the December salary voucher.

Those sacked were said to have either over-stayed their number of years in service or falsified their age and credentials. Others were those who have become mentally unstable and the blind.

A man, who gave his name as Osahon, said his wife was affected by the lay-off.

The Commissioner for Basic Education, Patrick Aguinede, who confirmed the retrenchment, said those affected were de-certified by the ICT after the screening.

Mikel gives us balance – Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has again singled out his midfielder Mikel Obi for praise. Barely two hours before the big match against Arsenal on Monday at the Emirates, Mourinho told Chelsea FC website that even though the Stamford Bridge had not done exceptionally well in their last few games, they have been able to retain some respect and points because of the work rate of the Nigerian national player.

Mourinho said, “We have a lot of possession but are not killing opponents, they are killing us and we are exposed. Mikel (Obi) gives us balance.”

This is the second time within two months that the Portuguese has specially mentioned the Nigerian preparing to lead the Super Eagles midfield at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. In November Mourinho attributed Frank Lampard’s quality attacking display largely to the presence of Mikel on the pitch.

Aggrieved PDP senators may join APC in January

SOME Peoples Democratic Party’s senators are set to dump the ruling party for the opposition All Progressives Congress as soon as the senate resumes in January.

A source told our correspondent in Abuja on Monday that the number of PDP senators, who have concluded their defection plan, was “enough to alter the configuration of the upper chamber.”

The senators are said to be aggrieved over what they described as the shoddy handling of their party affairs by its elected officials and they are set to join their 37 colleagues in the House of Representatives who defected from the PDP to the APC last week.

One of the senators confirmed to our correspondent in Abuja on Monday that their movement to the APC had become fait accompli.

The senator, who craved anonymity, said, “The country should be restructured on the foundation of truth. That is our position. We will soon join the APC like our governors and our colleagues in the House of Representatives. This will happen in January by God’s grace.

I will not react to Jonathan’s reply –Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said he will not react to the response of President Goodluck Jonathan to his letter.
Jonathan had on Sunday sent an 11-page reply to Obasanjo’s letter, dated December 2 and titled ‘Before it is too late’, where the President debunked various allegations leveled against him by the Obasanjo ranging from corruption; Jonathan 2015 ambition; to training of a killer squad.
In a statement on Monday by Obasanjo’s Media aide, Tunde Oladunjoye,  the ex-president said he had fulfilled his desire to call the attention of Jonathan to salient issues, adding that he would no longer elaborate on the content on the letter.

APC’ll collapse soon –Presidency

The Presidency on Sunday boasted that it was not  perturbed by “the parade of the All Progressives Congress.”

It said it  was evident that the party was suffering from a leadership deficiency and  hence its  penchant for   embarking  on   journeys  in search of leaders to give  it direction.

The Presidency, through the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, therefore predicted that the APC would soon collapse.

Okupe, in an interview with journalists after addressing a press conference on the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan in Lagos, was apparently referring to the visit of the opposition party leaders to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday.

The APC leaders had also paid a similar visit to a former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Made-in-Nigeria vehicles to sell for N1.2m – FG

The Federal Government, in a bid to ensure the successful implementation of its recently approved National Automotive Industry Development Plan, said it would encourage local auto manufacturers to produce less expensive models with price range of between N1.2m and N1.5m.

It also said it would collaborate with auto manufacturers, franchise holders, reputable motor dealers and selected banks to put in place an all-inclusive domestic dealership network through which a user-friendly vehicle purchase scheme could be funded by the National Automotive Council.

These are contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the NAC and obtained by our correspondent in Abuja.

The statement said, “Under market development, the NAIDP anticipated that higher-end expensive models will still be imported into the country in the initial stage, but the new strategy is to encourage local auto manufacturers to focus primarily on lower-end less expensive models with price range of between N1.2m and N1.5m; which is affordable to the middle class, coupled with other finance options.”

Daddy Time - President Obama Jokes About His Daughters Beginning to Date

President Barack Obama says his daughters Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12, are "very sensible, and that "he's not worried about them starting to date because he's got help keeping an eye on them. Obama joked that he's "got men with guns following them around all the time," referring to the Secret Service protection that the first family has.          

This is the main reason I ran for re-election. You know I'm going to have them covered for most of high school." He added.

Obasanjo’s letter: Jonathan sees landmines, other dangers ahead

President Goodluck Jonathan has hit back at ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, describing the former president’s letter to him as “distinctly ominous” and “a threat to national security.”
In the President’s response to Mr. Obasanjo’s letter titled “Before It is too late” released by his media aide, Reuben Abati, on Sunday, Mr. Jonathan said the letter “may deliberately or inadvertently set the stage for subversion.”
On December 11, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively published Mr. Obasanjo’s strong-worded 18-page letter to the President. In the letter, which subsequently dominated political discourse in the country, the former president accused Mr. Jonathan of incompetence, encouraging corruption, being dishonourable and leading the country to destruction.
Mr. Jonathan, in a tone that unsuccessfully tried to be polite, said Mr. Obasanjo’s letter was calculated to further embarrass him at a period he was accused of encouraging corruption by the Speaker of the House of representative, Taminu Tambuwa and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi.
“The timing of your letter coincided with other vicious releases. The Speaker of the House of Representatives spoke of my “body language” encouraging corruption. A letter written to me by the CBN Governor alleging that NNPC, within a period of 19 months did not remit the sum of USD49.8 billion to the federation account, was also deliberately leaked to the public,” he wrote.

Deeper Life Kumuyi says Christmas is idolatrous, warns members against celebrating

The General Overseer of The Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor W.F Kumuyi warned his church members during their annual National December Convention which held on Saturday Dec 21st, against celebrating Christmas, because according to him it is idolatrous and unscriptural.

Kumuyi said;

“We don’t celebrate Christmas. It actually came from idolatrous background. That is why you don’t hear us sing what they call Christmas carol, Never! We always say it is the December retreat. We are only gathering together because it is the holiday period and love the lord more, and rededicate ourselves more.