Jonathan gave Fayose $37m to defeat Fayemi – PDP secretary

Embattled Secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party Dr. Temitope Aluko, has alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, $37m cash to prosecute the June 21, 2014, governorship election in the state.

 

Aluko said the money was effectively used to defeat the then Governor of the State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

 

He spoke with reporters in Abuja on Sunday.

 

Aluko, who said he was part of the team that prosecuted the election and also added that he was the chairman of the Intelligence, security committee  for the campaign.

 

Beside, he said he handled the waiver Fayose got from the PDP at the national level to enable him qualify to take part in the governorship primary.

 

To further buttress important roles he played in the emergence of Fayose, Aluko also said he delivered the congresses that produced Fayose and was also the governor’s principal witness at the Election Petition Tribunal.

 

He said Jonathan initially gave Fayose $2m in March 2014 for the primary election and that this money was collected at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.

 

Aluko said, “It was about $35m dollars which is about N4.7bn he gave us for the real election and for the primaries, he released 2 million dollars to Fayose.

 

“I have details for all I am saying and I was present when they brought the money and it was Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro that brought the money, the 35 million dollars which he delivered to Fayose at Spotless Hotel.

 

“I can name eight people that were there. We were all there because he said he will want us to take delivery so that there will be transparency and accountability.

Driver, 58, in court for allegedly defiling a minor

A 58-year-old driver, Emmanuel Egejuru was on Monday arraigned in an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old girl. The accused, a resident of No. 10, Mutiu St., Ipaja, Lagos, is charged with defilement contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The law prescribes life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of the offence of defilement. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor, Mrs Mosunmola Balogun told the Court that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 22, 2015 at his residence.
She said the accused, a father of five, accosted the victim (name withheld) who is his neighbour, when she went to use the toilet. “He over powered the child and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her in the toilet,’’ she said.
Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya granted the accused bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum. She adjourned the case till March 23 for trial.

Virgin Atlantic’s hostility to Niger

Since the collapse of the effort of the Federal Government to partner with Virgin Atlantic Airlines to create a national carrier known as Virgin Nigeria, the deteriorating relationship between the British aviator owned by billionaire Richard Branson and Nigeria has hit a new low with the sack of all Nigerian cabin crew from its employ.

The airline, which had earlier on closed its call centre in Lagos reportedly disengaged the Nigerian staff after only three weeks’ notice and without any severance package. The representative of the Airline in Nigeria, Mr John Adebanjo, explained that the measure was part of a routine staff load shedding which affected 2,000 jobs, pointing out that staff layoffs are not peculiar to his company. The company’s marketing and communications manager, Kudirat Scot-Igbene, said bluntly that the local staff had to go because the company no longer had any need for them.

However, industrial unions within the Nigerian aviation industry – Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Union of Air transport Employees (NUATE) have vowed to fight Virgin over what they described as “acts of racism”. The unions accused the company of not having a “workable” condition of service for its Nigerian staff and discriminating against Blacks (Nigerians) aboard its flights.

The time has come for the aviation industry regulator to wake up from its slumber and find out what is really going on with a view to fixing it. While we acknowledge Virgin Atlantic or any other private company’s right to hire and fire its staff to maintain its operations, we cannot see any reasonable excuse for the termination of the employment of all Nigerian staff members of any foreign company operating in Nigeria.

We recall the grouse that the founder of Virgin Atlantic, Branson, had in 2012 when, after bitterly complaining about how corruption led him to pull out of the partnership with Nigeria, he vowed, in a publicly circulated statement: “Nigeria is a country we SHALL NEVER consider to doing business again”.

In spite of this disclaimer, Virgin Atlantic continues to operate lucrative flights on its Lagos-London route, thus living off the fat of our country without, feeling any obligation to give back. This we find unacceptable.

We hope the federal government’s regulatory agencies will bring the company and the unions to a round table to ensure that the right things are done and Virgin is made to fully discharge its corporate obligations to Nigerians.

Otherwise, we will support any lawful and peaceful step taken by the unions to assert the rights of Nigerians, even if it means denying Virgin Atlantic the freedom to operate within the nation’s airspace or the use of her facilities.

NAFDAC calls off strike

NAFDAC calls off one week strike

Staff of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, yesterday called off the one week national warning strike embarked on as a result of the failure of National Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC, to review their monthly allowance.

The workers also urged the Federal Government to order Salaries and Wages Commission to review their allowance.

Speaking during a press conference in Lagos, the Chairman, Federal Area Council, FAC, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, Comrade Ibrahim Isah said the workers were resuming tomorrow (today), adding that they were giving the government more time to review their allowance.

He said: “We have been on NAFDAC job specific allowance since 2013, pleading with NSIWC, to review our allowance, but NAFDAC was denied the review by NSIWC in 2014. Tomorrow (today) our people will go back to work for the good of the country, but the commission should review the allowance to avoid subsequent illuminate strike in NAFDAC.”

He stated that the issue of allowance started when NAFDAC was moved from Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) to Consolidated Research and Align Structure (CONRAISS), adding that NAFDAC was not a research institute but a regulatory agency.

Isah however faulted the Director of Admin/HR, NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni as the cause of the internal and external problem bedeviling the agency among which are: persecution of union executives, illegal suspension of staff without due process, payment of 2015 productivity allowance, among others, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to redeploy her before she destroyed the agency.

He said: “Staff has generally requested the redeployment of the Director Admin/HR, Mrs. Yetunde Oni from the agency, as a result of her highhandedness, lack of administrative acumen, mis-managing staff welfare and creating confusion in the agency with respect to staff and management relationship.”

Fayose to Buhari: Tell Nigerians who the looters are, how much they returned

* Says President making noise in foreign lands about non-existing fight against corruption

* Urges him to get to work, instead of junketing around the globe

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, on Thursday, berated President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that many of those who looted the public treasuries in the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan had started returning the stolen funds to the government, saying the President should rather stay at home to govern the country instead of junketing around the globe and acting like a saint before the international community.

Fayose and Buhari

In a statement issued in in Ado-Ekiti by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose challenged President Buhari to tell Nigerians how much was returned and the looters who returned the stolen funds, adding that “Since the purported looted funds belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it ought to have been paid into the Federation Account and shared by the Federal, State and Local Government.”

Fayose advised Buhari to tackle the collapsed economy of the country headlong, instead of going from one country to another, casting aspersion on Nigerians with his sing-song of fighting corruption.

He said the President’s attitude was yet to change from that of 1984 when he was military Head of State, adding that, “Buhari’s statement in Tehran, Iran that it was easier for him as a military Head of State in 1984 to arrest corrupt individuals and put them in protective custody was a pointer to the fact that he has not changed from the dictator that he was then.

“The truth is that Buhari did not fight corruption in 1984. Rather, he persecuted great Nigerians, especially the likes Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Ambrose Ali, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Bola Ige, who served the people meritoriously. Is Buhari justifying the imprisonment of Dr Alex Ekwueme, who was only the Vice President or All Progressives Congress (APC) leader like Chief Bisi Akande, who only served as a Deputy Governor?”

While urging the President to stop acting like the sole-administrator of Nigeria and the only honest man among Nigerians, Governor Fayose said: “Nigerians are desirous of concrete developments, not rhetoric about fight against corruption that is only being used to persecute perceived political enemies of the President both in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and within the APC.

“As at today, Nigerians are faced with serious hardship occasioned by prolonged fuel scarcity that the Federal Government does not have any solution to. Multi-national companies are laying-off thousands of workers while contractors working for the Federal Government have left their sites.

“Yet, what we get to hear from the President is noise in foreign lands about non-existing fight against corruption. Honestly, this President should get to work and stop lying to Nigerians and the international community.”

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Two in court for allegedly gang-raping a 21-year-old lady

Two men, who allegedly gang-raped a 21-year-old lady on Thursday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court. The accused are a trader, Adeniyi Gidado, 25, who lives at 5, Osanyinpeju St., Agege, Lagos and Simeon Nwaugo, 25, also a trader, who lives at 9, Akeem Boye St., Iju-Ishaga, near Lagos.

The accused are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and rape. The Prosecutor, Cpl. Felicia Okwori, told the court that the offences were committed on Nov. 24 at a hotel situated at 156 Dopemu Road, Agege, Lagos.

Okwori said that the first accused, Adeniyi, who was a boy friend to the victim invited her for a date at the hotel. “On getting there, they both decided to sleep in the hotel since it was already late to go home but unknown to the victim, her boy friend had invited the second accused.

“It was after the victim had slept that the second accused came in to the room and they gang-raped her,” she said. The prosecutor said that it was the screaming of the victim that woke the people in the hotel and the duo were apprehended. He said that the offences contravened Sections 258(1) (2) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate, Mrs Taiwo Akanni, granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N250, 000 with two sureties in like sum. The case was adjourned till Dec. 15 for hearing.

HOW TO LAND YOUR DREAM JOB

Why it's time you stepped out of your comfort zone

Face your fears by doing something that scares you and watch your career soar (Shutterstock.com)

Sleeping, resting, chilling, cruising: we all yearn for a stress-free and easy life. We believe that being comfortable is good for us.

However, most successful people greatly disagree. Their experience has taught them that being uncomfortable is exactly the place where their potential thrives. Testing your limits, defying your boundaries, trying new things, putting yourself out there… that’s what takes you to the next level.

But people are usually afraid of failing and making mistakes and therefore opt to stick to exercises and activities that have known outcomes with little to no risk of embarrassment.

Read: How to boost your confidence and get ahead

But that’s the surest way to stay stuck.

“I wan chop so I'm going to order what I know tastes good.”

But there could be something even better in the menu if only you’d spread your wings.

“I know I do this well so I’m always going to do it. It’s better than falling on my face by trying something else.”

But what if you are better at the something else too?

Warning:

The danger in always sticking with what is most comfortable is that you’ll always only know what you know. You'll always experience what you've experienced before. No new opinions, no new memories, no new feelings, no new accomplishments, and no new nothing. This is especially true in your career, for example:

• Passing on the opportunity to do a presentation (thanks to your glossophobia) means your colleague will always get credit for work you can do too. That's a missed opportunity.

• Saying no to extra work (because you think you're incapable) means it’ll be passed to someone else that gets to grow their skill set instead of you. That's a missed opportunity.

• Not sharing a new idea you have (do you think you’re too young/too new or that the idea will never work?) means that your superiors will continue overlooking your potential. You're missing out on new opportunities.

In addition, because your manager knows that you are unable to confront your fears, they'll stop offering you new opportunities all together. Have you ever noticed that there's usually only one person in the office that seems to get offered all the new opportunities? It's probably because they  take the chances you're too scared to take.

So, here’s why Neale Donald Walsch’s "life begins at the end of your comfort zone" quote should push you out of it:

Growth is at the end of your comfort zone

• You learn something new

With each new experience, you'll be able to see something in a way you've never seen it before.

• You’ll find out more about your strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes.

With each new experience, you'll know why it worked, what will make it work better next time, and if you'd enjoy a career that enables you to experience that regularly.

• You’ll feel more confident.

Achievement, pride and the realisation that you didn't die after completing an anxiety filled task, will make you believe in yourself so much more.

• You will get noticed.

If you put yourself out there, others will see you out there.

• You’ll begin inspiring people around you.

People will look at YOU and say: If she can do it then so can I.

It's true that people generally do not like to roam outside their comfort zone. And that's why most people aren't successful. Outside is where we grow, learn, and develop in a way that expands our horizons beyond what we ever thought we were capable of doing. Don't worry, you can fake it 'till you make it. Take the first step out of your comfort zone by growing your skillset, applying for that promotion, climbing the corporate ladder, leaving the job you hate,  and by finding better opportunities in other companies.