Battered pregnant woman: Govt takes over welfare!

There are indications that some officials, said to be from the Lagos State Government, on Thursday took over the welfare of Alexandra Ossai, a former employee with Toppan Printing Company.

Ossai lost her seven-month pregnancy after she was allegedly kicked in the stomach by her manager.

It was learnt that the officials from the state Ministry of Women Affairs visited Mercy Hospital at Fagba, where Ossai was being treated, to pay off her medical bills.

It was learnt that the officials also wanted to move Ossai to a government guest house at Ayobo where she could be cared for while recuperating. The gesture could not, however, be effected because of a doctor’s appointment that Ossai had on Friday (today).

Her lawyer, Mr. Courage Erhuen, confirmed the development.

He said, “I got a call from Ossai that some officials of the government had come to visit her at the hospital. They had paid her bills and wanted to move her to another place at Ayobo where she could recuperate.

“I was not at Fagba at the time; I explained that it was not convenient as I had made arrangements to take her to a general hospital tomorrow for medical examination. The medical report we have from Mercy Hospital cannot be tendered in court because it is a private hospital. So, we need a new one from a General hospital.

“They told me they would come back on Friday when we must have been through at the General hospital.”

Erhuen also added that the surgeon who operated on Ossai and the Director of Mercy Hospital had already made their statements to the police.

PUNCH Metro had on December 24, 2013 reported that 34-year-old Ossai had undergone emergency surgery, four days after she was allegedly assaulted by her boss,KavehNoine.  Noine was later arrested by the Lagos State Police Command in Kano where he had allegedly fled to for safety.

It was gathered that the Office of the Deputy Governor via the ministry waded into the issue following a letter from Ossai to the state, which was submitted through the Lagos State Public Advice Centre.

The Public Relations Officer of the PAC, Mr. Alex Omorodion said, “Ossai and her lawyer filed some petitions through the PAC to the state government. As a result, the office of the Deputy Governor has decided to take over her welfare until she regains her health. Meanwhile, we are doing everything possible on the legal end to ensure that Ossai gets justice.”

Rivers lawmaker arrested for double murder!

The majority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd was reportedly arrested by the Nigerian Police based in the state for the suspected murder of Sgt. Urang Obediah and Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo, his kinsman and political opponent.

In a statement by its spokesman Ahmad Muhammad, the Rivers State Police Command said Lloyd was arrested while attempting to escape through the Airforce Base in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

According to the Police statement, “Hon. Chidi Lloyd on 30/12/2013 while pursuing his political opponent, he knocked down Police Sgt. Urang Obediah. In spite of his effort to stop him, rammed and killed him and went ahead to crush the Passat car Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo was driving and killed him”.

The Police further said that they thought the incidents were a mere accident which ought to have been a case of manslaughter.

“The Commissioner of Police directed ACP. Aliyu Garba, the Area Commander Metro to visit him in his hospital bed and commiserate with him. Conscious of what he did, Chidi Lloyd relocated to another hospital.

“ When facts emerged that Chidi Lloyd drove a bullet proof vehicle while pursuing his political opponent, late Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo whom he knocked down and who hailed from the same place with the Lawmaker from Emohua and is believed to belong to the PDP camp led by Elder Felix Obuah.”

According to the Police statement, Sgt. Urang Obediah died on the spot where Lloyd allegedly rammed his bullet proof car into late Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo Passat car.

Police said Lloyd sneaked through the hospital’s back door while being guarded by four policemen on his hospital bed and escaped only to be arrested on his way to the Airforce base in the convoy of three tinted bullet proof jeeps in his bid to flee from the long arms of the law.

Lloyd, who is facing a six-count charge of conspiracy and attempted murder before a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, was granted bail in August last year. Justice Latan Nyordee granted Lloyd the bail in the sum of N10million and three sureties in like sum.

Llyod was charged with the attempted murder of Mr.Micheal Chindah following the attempt by Chinda and four other lawmakers to impeach Otelemaba Dan Amachree, the Speaker of Rivers Assembly on July 9. Amachree has a commanding support of 27 lawmakers in the assembly.

There was no response from Llyod’s lawyers on this latest case.

Woman Slumps, Dies while giving Testimony in Church!

OMG!

A woman, identified as 25 year old Ifeoma Anozie reportedly slumped and died on New Year Eve while testifying of the goodness of God in her life at Saint John’s Anglican Church, Ndegwu, Imo State - Nigeria.
The late Ifeoma had returned to her country home to give testimony about her many achievements in the passing year and to felicitate with her kith and kin. However, she had barely said a word of her testimony when she slumped and died in front of the officiating cleric.

Her remains have long been deposited in an unknown morgue while the cause of her death remain unknown.

Nigerians Can Now Sue Power Sector Investors – Lawyer!

A legal Practitioner, Emmanuel Umoren, recently warned the new private investors and owners of Nigeria’s power sector of breaching their contract with the people, insisting that consumers now have the power to sue them to court.

“Every transaction is a contract and if there’s any breach whatsoever they can be sued,” he said.

Mr Umoren who was a guest on Sunrise Daily, commended the government’s decision to privatise the power sector, making it a business which is liable to be sued if consumers discover a breach in the contract.

“It is business now. It’s no more government money. Let these DISCOs know that (now) we can take them to court. That’s a very important part. We can now take them to court because they are business men,” he said.

He highlighted some circumstances in which consumers can sue the power companies, including power surge (which leads to damages). On cases of in availability of electricity, Umoren said “it is going to be very difficult to sue them for not providing you light,” but added that the position may change as time goes on and with the intellectual improvement in the judiciary system.

On complains of power shortage in some areas, Umoren said “my major problem is that we do not think these things through because you are creating monopolies in areas.” He explained that the issue of metering lies with the distribution companies (DISCOs) and added that efforts are being made by investors to check cases of power theft by citizens as such usages are unaccounted for.

He however complained about the unavailability of options for end users leading to monopoly which does not benefit Nigerians. He said there should be options in case consumers are not satisfied with the services of a certain distribution company and added that consumers should be able to switch to any DISCO of choice as such is obtainable in other climes.

On the increase in service charge(s) raised twice within the last year, Umoren questioned the activities of the new investors. “How did we arrive at the first price, if you did not do a thorough analysis of doing the business?” he asked.

On nationwide complains regarding fixed service charge of N750 which may be increased as well as payment of meter maintenance without getting the required maintenance services, Umoren warned the private investors that they are liable to court charges by citizens.

He also faulted the dominance of political cases at the Supreme Court which does not allow for the prominence of other issues, including business, which affect the citizens.

“The decisions that come from the Supreme Court and Appeal Court(s) are mostly political issues because they (politicians) have the money,” Umoren said.

Prince William takes selfie with nervous schoolgirl!

In another era, it would have been seen as undignified. But in the newly populist royal family, everyone seems to be getting in on the act.

After Prince Charles and the Queen set the trend by agreeing to pose for mobile phone photos with members of the public, Prince William has joined in.

And this time it was the royal who actually took the picture.

William, 31, photographed himself with Madison Lambe, 12, on her phone – because she was too nervous to press the button.

The Duke of Cambridge took the snap after she visited the Sandringham Estate on Christmas Day to watch the Royal family walk from their house to church. 

Madison is now the most envied pupil at her school after posting the image of herself standing with the future king on Facebook. 

She said: 'I couldn't believe it when William came over to me and I asked for a picture. He just said to me 'you can't beat a good selfie on Christmas Day' and took the picture. 

'It was really good, I didn't expect it.

'He was really nice and I was so excited. I've put the picture on Facebook. My friends think it is really good and they have been commenting on it.'

 

It was reported that Madison Lambe was too stunned to press the buttons herself so Prince William took the snap.

Jonathan signed single tenure agreement –Nyako!

Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako on Tuesday said that despite several denials, President Goodluck Jonathan signed a document agreeing to serve for a single term.

Nyako said this in an interview with journalists in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

He explained that genuine leaders were men of honour who would be sincere to their colleagues and the society in general, no matter the circumstance.

The governor said, “In the first place, when that agreement was brought for me to sign, I told them that this President (Jonathan), in the agreement signed in the year 2003, he was number 73.

“Did we not agree under (ex-President Olusegun) Obasanjo that the term 2007 and 2011 belong to the North?

“He was number 73 as deputy governor of Bayelsa State, so when they came, they said I should sign, they said he had agreed that he would not contest in the year 2015.

“In the first place, I said I did not believe him because he didn’t give his pledge for the agreement signed in the year 2003. They said ah, ah, Baba Maimangoro. I said ok, I will sign. So I signed.”

When asked who brought the agreement for him to sign, he said his northern colleagues, including the Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu; and his Katsina State counterpart, Ibrahim Shema, among others.

The Adamawa State governor noted that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo led Jonathan to ask him (Nyako) to support Jonathan, who he said had agreed to serve for only one term.

“Obj (Obasanjo) will tell you, he came here and pleaded with me to support Jonathan in 2011. He came here and virtually took an oath to serve only one term,” Nyako said.

Asked if Obasanjo came in company with Jonathan, Nyako replied “Absolutely! That he was going to serve for only one term.”

He said that when Jonathan went to Obasanjo to seek for his support for 2015, the former President reminded him of the commitment he made.

Nyako further said, “The Niger State governor has the agreement. We want to deal with people with honour, not people who want to drag us into civil war because of impunity, because of lawlessness, because of not fulfilling their pledges, that will only take us to civil war.

“Leaders must be honest with their colleagues and the greater society. I have my craw craw from the first civil war and if there is need to develop another craw craw in another civil war I will stand by.”

Aliyu’s spokesman, Danladi Ndayabo, could not be reached for comments as at the time of filing this report.

A response to the text message sent to him was still being awaited as at the time of filing this report.

The Presidency has denied in the past that the President signed any agreement not to seek reelection.

Nyako also said the declaration of a state of emergency in Adamawa State was purely political because the state had the security situation under control.

He explained that the state was not even among the first seven states, out of a list of 12, which had serious security challenges but that the President skipped several states to pick on his state for inexplicable political reasons.

APC chief asks Obasanjo to quit politics!

A leader of the All Progressives Party in Lagos State, Chief Ayo Akande, said on Tuesday that it was time for former President Olusegun Obasanjo to quit partisan politics and become an elder statesman.

Akande said in a statement that Obasanjo needed to take the step immediately, in view of the courage he mustered in his December 2, 2013 letter to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Obasanjo had in the letter, which was widely published in the media, accused Jonathan of condoning corruption in his government.

Akande said Obasanjo’s open criticism of Jonathan “speaks volume and goes a long way to give hope to the common man”.

“In the light of this, it is better for Chief Obasanjo to quit partisan politics and become an elder statesman,” Akande said.

The party chief, who described Obasanjo as a patriotic leader, said the bold step taken by the former President would help to bail Nigerians out of political and economic oppression.