Question for the guys...

How long would you to date a lady before you expect sex from her?

1. A few days
2. A week
3. A month
4. Three months
5. Other (specify)

Obaifaiye Shem still NSCDC Lagos State commandant

Contrary to reports making the rounds that Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Mr. Obafaiye Shem, has been dismissed following his 'Oga At The Top' debacle during a live interview on Channels TV almost two weeks ago, he says and Channels TV says the report is false.

Shem said he was not suspended or dismissed but has been on casual leave to bury his father and will resume work next Thursday.
"I am still the State Commandant of NSCDC and I am determined to work hard to expose the vandals across the State.”
His wife also never went to Channels TV office to protest.

Are You Getting Married Soon? Bride/Groom? Then this is For YOU

Comedian AY and Wife Expecting Second Child.

Multi-talented, multi-award winning Standup comedian, and one of the most successful comic acts Nigeria has produced, Ayo Richard Makun, popularly known as AY and his beautiful wife, Mabel are expecting their second child any time soon. The awesome couple already have a 5 year old daughter, Michelle Adeola who once danced to actress cum singer, Tonto Dikeh's popular critically HI.

Are you prepared for menopause?

Many women cannot wait to get off the pain, cramps and, most times, the discomfort they experience during menstruation. Yet, when it eventually bids goodbye, many are ill-prepared for the medical and psychological challenges that follow.

Most women have said that instead of relief, they feel less feminine; others even thought they had contacted a disease.

Not to worry, doctors have said menopause, which is the permanent end of menstruation, is a turning point in a woman’s life, not a disease.

The net doctor defines menopause as the day a woman experiences her last menstrual cycle because her ovaries, which produce eggs, have slowed down.

It does not happen suddenly, it is a gradual process, but many women fail to see the warnings, hence they experience complications such as hot flashes and severe issues like heart diseases and osteoporosis says a gynaecologist, Dr. Jeni Worden, “Menopause is a milestone – it’s the day that marks 12 months in a row since a woman’s last period. It most time signifies that the ovaries are slowing down and the woman’s childbearing years are winding down.”

Age is the leading cause of menopause, says Worden.She notes that though few women start menopause as young as 40, and a very small percentage as late as 60, a woman should expect to stop seeing her menstrual flow between ages 45-55 years.

She also notes that there is no proven way to predict the exact age a woman would experience menopause.

Menopause affects women differently, say scientists at the National Institute of Aging.

Because hormonal composition varies in individuals, some women may reach this stage with little or no trouble; while others may experience severe symptoms such as discomfort during sex, hot flashes and sleeping problems, which drastically hamper their lives.

Worden states that for a woman to manage her health when menopause starts, she must be able to recognise premenopausal symptoms.

A major sign that menopause is approaching is a change in menstrual period but this change varies in length from woman to woman.

She adds, “Periods may get shorter or longer, heavier or lighter, with more or less time between periods. Such changes are normal,”

Here are other menopausal symptoms that would let you know that your menstrual cycle is winding down:


Hot flashes

According to Medicinet.com, about 80 per cent of women entering menopause experience hot flashes (or hot flushes) , a brief feeling of heat that may make the face and neck flushed, cause temporary red blotches to appear on the chest, back, and arms.

Sweating and chills may follow. Hot flashes vary in intensity and typically last between 30 seconds and 10 minutes.


Sex problems

Women complain that they have less appetite to make love or feel much pain during intercourse after or before menopause. Worden says since less estrogen is produced in a woman after menopause this leads to vaginal dryness, which may make intercourse uncomfortable or painful.

Therapists on WebMd.com have said using a water-soluble lubricant during love making may help.

They warn that libido may also change, for better or worse, but many factors besides menopause — including stress, medications, depression, poor sleep, and relationship problems — affect sex drive. “If symptoms persist, talk to your doctor, a woman should not settle for a so-so sex life because of menopause.”

Also, with menopause comes a greater risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. So it means it is time to step up and get serious about it, if you have not already.

According to a survey on WedMD.com, the number one cause of death in women in the United States is menopause-related heart disease and osteoporosis as the loss of estrogen plays a role for heart disease after menopause.

Physician-author Christiane Northrup says one of the smartest things a woman can do as she transits to menopause and afterward is to get regular physical activity. Instead of looking back mournfully, she should use this state to redefine herself with positive thoughts, love, explore what brings her pleasure, and revive (not retire) her sex life.

That includes aerobic exercise for her heart and weight-bearing exercise for her bones — both of which may help ward off weight gain and provide a mood boost.

Other treatments that experts offer to help women cope better with menopausal symptoms include low-dose birth control pills; antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, or other medications to help with hot flashes; and vaginal estrogen cream.

Your doctor may also have lifestyle tips about adjusting your diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management.

Tackle scurvy with Vit C

When Europeans first began sea voyages in the 15the century, a strange malady often sickened and killed crews. The sailors lacked energy, bleeding gums, loose teeth, swelling of the limbs, large purple marks on the skin (caused by bleeding into muscles), shortness of breath, heart palpitations

They also developed jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes), fever, convulsions, and, sad to say, many of them died. Their disease was named scurvy, and it was caused by the depletion of Vitamin C from their bodies because of their limited diets aboard ship.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that it cannot be stored in the fat cells of the body. It needs to be ingested every day. After about 30 days, any vitamin C stored in the body is used up. Fresh foods such as fruits that contain vitamin C were not available to the sailors, as the typical seaman’s diet consisted exclusively of cured, salted meat and hard biscuits.

No one, however, suspected that nutrition was the cause of scurvy. It was believed to be an infection passed from person to person, and one from which almost no one recovered. All of their symptoms were the result of a breakdown in the collagen in their bodies, it turned out.

Vitamin C is essential to the production of collagen, the connective tissue that holds together our skin, bones, muscles, organs, and nervous systems. It also helps the body’s cells to use other essential vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin C-rich foods include potatoes, pawpaw, peaches, guava, melon, spinach and tomatoes.

These foods are common ways that individuals introduce vitamin C into their regular diets. Think about how to use more fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals to benefit from some of the specific roles that vitamin C plays in developing a healthy body and promoting a long and healthy life

Your diet while pregnant can shape your baby’s health

Your diet while pregnant can shape your baby’s health

As a healthy, pregnant woman, your doctor is likely to tell you that you may eat anything that appeals to you, provided they are healthy for you and your baby.

It is also a fact that many expectant mothers crave certain types of foods, while others simply chow down on a single food for the better part of their pregnancy duration. Medically, this is referred to as ‘pica,’ and doctors further describe it as “eating non-nutritional substances.”

In fact, obstetrician/gynaecologist, Dr. Mayokun David, says pregnancy and food cravings go hand in hand. The only problem, she says, is that sometimes, these cravings represent a nutritional deficiency, particularly a need for iron.

David warns that the consumption of certain picas for cultural reasons can lead to infant and child developmental problems, with low verbal IQ scores, impaired hearing and motor skill development. “The neurological damage can be overwhelming,” she warns. She says a physician becomes concerned when food cravings replace good nutrition. “Then, a pregnant woman will fill up on the foods she craves and skip the nutritious foods her body and her baby really need. And, since, often, the foods women crave during pregnancy can be laden with empty calories, it can also lead to gaining too much weight,” she notes.

She advises, “If you do find yourself craving any non-food item, experts say see your doctor immediately and be tested for iron deficiency anaemia or other nutritional deficiencies such as zinc, which has also been linked to pica.”

What’s more, experts say our taste buds do actually play a role in how we interpret our body’s needs. David says studies show that the high hormone levels present during pregnancy can alter both a woman’s sense of taste and smell. So certain foods and odors can not only be more enticing but in some cases more offensive; a problem that often plays out as a pregnancy food aversion.

Experts further note that if a pregnant mom craves high-fat premium ice cream, chocolates, doughnuts and eating them all the time, her weight could blossom to an unhealthy level early in the pregnancy.

Diabetologist and Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki Phase1, Lagos, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe, warns that if a pregnant woman is at risk of gestational diabetes (diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy that can affect the health of both baby and mom), giving in to high-sugar cravings could cause even more problems.

“With gestational diabetes, you not only have to watch weight gain, but also what you eat,” Isiakwe counsels.

Worse still is the result of a new research published in The FASEB Journal, which claims that women who eat junk food while pregnant give birth to babies who grow to love junk foods.

The researchers warn that junk food stimulates the production of opioids in the body (the same opioids found in abusive drugs like morphine and heroin), which can cross through the placenta and breast milk from mother to foetus.

To investigate how exposure to these junk food-induced opioids during foetal development affects babies’ food habits, Australian researchers studied the puppies of two groups of rats. During pregnancy and lactation, one group of rat-moms had eaten normal critter food, while the other ate a range of human junk foods, including chocolate biscuits and potato chips.

Once the experimental puppies were weaned, the researchers injected them with an opioid receptor blocker to prevent the junk foods from stimulating the release of dopamine in their bodies. “By curbing the junk foods’ feel-good effect, blocking opioid signaling lowers fat and sugar consumption,” the researchers claim.

They found that the opioid receptor blocker was less effective at reducing fat and sugar intake in the puppies of the junk-food-feeding mothers. Their mothers’ crude diet during pregnancy caused reduced sensitivity in the babies’ opioid signaling pathway, the researchers found. In turn, these babies, born with a higher tolerance for junk food, needed to eat more of it to achieve a junk-food high.

Lead researcher, Beverly Muhlhausler, from the FOODplus Research Centre at the School of Agriculture Food and Wine at The University of Adelaide, Australia, says, “In the same way that someone addicted to drugs has to consume more of the drug over time to achieve the same high, continually producing excess opioids by eating too much junk food also results in the need to consume more junk food to get the same pleasurable sensation.”

Experts say a healthy diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding can give your child a healthy start. Muhlhausler says previous studies have shown that eating specific foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding can result in the child preferring those foods later in life. “And a baby’s pre-birth nutrition can either prevent — or cause — chronic health conditions,” he warns.

A nutritionist who specialises in pregnancy and post-partum nutrition, Dr. Cassandra Forsythe, says, “Whenever you eat sugary foods, all the sugar sinks right into the baby, making them more insulin resistant, more likely to crave junk foods and more likely to struggle with their body weight, not to mention more likely to develop glucose disorders like diabetes.”

Doctors say a poor diet during pregnancy increases the child’s risk of obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, autism, and attention deficit disorder at different stages of their life. Forsythe says adequate micronutrients, especially B vitamins, during foetal development, reduce the risk of neural tube, cardiac, or other birth defects.

Doctors say up to 90 per cent of pregnant women report food cravings, and sweets are at the top of their list. They counsel that to help manage cravings, pregnant women should consider taking a small amount of their picas.

The expectant women are also advised to eat small, healthy meals throughout the day to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels

Hoodlums rape, kill market woman in Uyo

Hoodlums rape, kill market woman in Uyo
March 20, 2013

Afaha market.

Tragedy struck at Afaha Market in Ibesikpo/Asuntan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday when a trader was strangled after being raped by suspected hoodlums.

It was learnt that the woman from Ogoja, Cross River State, had gone to the weekly Afaha market when the incident occurred at night.

The woman, popularly called ‘Mama Oliver’, was said to have gone outside the house to urinate when four-man hoodlums swooped on her and took turns to rape her.

The hoodlums thereafter strangled her for fear that she might recognise one or two them.

An eyewitness, said, “Mama Oliver said she was going to urinate. It was in the process that the hoodlums seized her. They had bouts of sex with her.

“It was believed that they strangled her because she could identify some of the criminals. They feared that she might expose them if they let her go.”

A friend of the deceased , Mrs. Eno Edet, told our correspondent that the death of Mama Oliver was shocking.

Pointing to Mama Oliver’s space in the market, Edet said, “I would never assume that anyone could be so callous as to kill an innocent woman just because of sex.

“We have refused to sell things. The death of Mama Oliver is painful. She and her other sisters usually come from Ogoja on Afaha Market days.

“You can see her space in the market with her wares. We are really sad.”

Another trader, Mr. Ekong Okon, said what happened in Afaha Market on Tuesday could be attributed to darkness.

He said, “Where the women slept was not far from where Mama Oliver went to urinate. If there was light, we would have seen the men.

“I think Mama Oliver knew some of these men. This could be the reason why they killed her. I still believe that if the place had been properly illuminated, the sad incident would have been averted.”

When Punch Metro went to the market , the deceased’s corpse had already been taken to a mortuary in Ibesikpo/Asutan LGA.

All attempts to speak with Mama Oliver’s sisters were unsuccessful . One of them was said to have left for Ogoja while the whereabouts of the second were not known.

The state Command’s spokesperson, Mr. Etim Dickson, neither responded to text messages sent to his phone nor picked his calls

Kano death toll rises to 75

Kano death toll rises to 75
March 20, 2013



Police authorities in Kano State and some security sources on Tuesday gave different figures as casualties of the Monday suicide bomb blasts at an inter-state commercial bus park in Sabon-Gari, Kano.

While the security sources, who were among those taking a tally of the victims, said the death toll had risen from 30 to about 75, the Kano State Police Command gave a much lower number of 22.

The blasts, which injured scores of passengers, drivers, hawkers and visitors, also destroyed five Marco polo luxury buses. A Marco polo bus belonging to Gobison Motors had on board over 70 passengers when it was attacked by the suicide bombers as it was about departing the ever-busy park for Lagos.

One of the security sources, who did not give his name because he was not permitted to do so, told our correspondent that the death toll was high because the luxury buses were parked close to one another since they were to move in convoy.

“The luxury buses always travel in convoy for security reasons and this was why the casualty figure was high. They were parked close to one another. Most passengers in the first bus which might have had at least 70 passengers, including those that were given seats called ‘attachment’, died,” he said.

The officer explained that each of the buses had about 75 or more passengers.

“One of the suicide bombers must have timed the attack because he drove into the park and attacked the first bus when the five buses were filled up and were about to drive out in convoy to Lagos and that was why he (bomber) achieved a heavy casualty rate,” he said.

But the Kano State Police Command which put the casualty at 22, said that 65 persons, mostly passengers were injured.

The Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Musa Daura, told journalists in Kano that the attack was executed by two suicide bombers, who rammed their vehicle against one of the luxury buses.

He said, “Two suicide bombers drove a blue Volkswagen Golf into the luxurious bus motor park along New Road, Sabon Gari. They attacked and hit a loaded bus belonging to Gobison Motors which was taking off to Lagos and sparked off a serious explosion,’’

He said this caused the bus to burst into flames which affected passengers, hawkers, traders and workers at the park.

Daura confirmed that five buses were burnt during the incident, adding that, ‘‘fire- fighters immediately raced to the scene and the flames were put under control after which the whole area was cordoned off.’’

The police commissioner said those who survived the attack were currently receiving medical attention in hospitals in the city, while many corpses were deposited in the morgue.

He urged residents of the troubled city to remain calm and go about their normal business, adding that security agencies were committed to the protection of lives and property.

Daura also confirmed the killing of a policewoman by suspected gunmen on Tuesday morning.

He said the victim, who was attached to Zone 1, Headquarters of the police, was attacked while replacing the flat tyre of her car.

Residents of new bus station in Sabon Gari on Monday night deserted the streets to avoid arrest by security personnel who took over the motor park area and surrounding streets shortly after the incident.

Findings showed that some of the residents even left their homes after the blasts which shook the buildings in the area to their foundations.

Intercity drivers and commercial bus operators also left the park with their vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, has described the blasts as “callous , unwarranted and wicked.”

Moro, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, George Udoh , said he was pained when he heard the news of the killing of innocent Nigerians by persons suspected to be Boko Haram members.

The minister “reiterated the need for prominent Nigerians, student union , civil society and religious groups as well as traditional institutions and professional bodies to voice out their resentment against the evil being perpetrated by members of the inglorious sect on the nation.

While condoling with the families of the blast victims, and the government and people of Kano State, the minister promised that the Federal Government would smoke out the perpetrators and expose their sponsors.

Also, the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, warned that Ndigbo would be forced to defend themselves from the killings in various parts of the North.

He added that the Igbo had been pushed to the wall by the Boko Haram, adding that the people would have no option but to defend themselves.

Uwazuruike said, “The killings and other senseless activities against Ndigbo must not continue . I know that it was this type of massacre that brought about the first civil war in Nigeria; I am disappointed in our people, when they were being slaughtered, I brought out buses to bring them back home, but they chose to remain in the North.

“What I did was to safeguard their lives. But I want to advise President Goodluck Jonathan that there is a limit to everything. Ndigbo can no longer continue to allow themselves to be senselessly killed in the North. I must warn that Ndigbo are not cowards; they will react if pushed to the wall.”

Nollywood actor, Pete Eneh, passes on

November 16, 2012 

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Veteran actor, Pete Eneh, famous for his ‘fatherly’ roles in Nollywood films, died on Thursday in Enugu State.

The actor who recently had one of his legs amputated by doctors at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital , otherwise called Park lane Hospital, on October 24, died in the same hospital.

Eneh’s death was confirmed by the Special Assistant to the state governor on Media, Afam Okereke, who is also an actor.

His travails began last year, after he sustained an injury that later led to a serious infection, thereby making treatment near impossible.

Feelers from his doctors showed then that the injury degenerated into a sore, which was further compounded by the fact that the actor was diabetic. He spent three months at the hospital before he was advised to get the leg amputated to reduce the risk of the infection spreading to other parts of his body.

The amputation took place after efforts to save the leg was unsuccessful. Until his death, the actor, who was often cast as Patience Ozokwor aka Mama Gee’s husband in movies, was then said to be taking the situation in his stride.

Eneh’s plight brings to the fore, the worsening health condition of some Nollywood practitioners, whose circumstances are generally compounded by financial constraints.

The deceased actor featured in several films including Heavy Rain, Arrows, By His Grace, Ngozi:Abeg Marry Us, Naomi, The Suitors and Not Your Wealth.

As ZAFAA nominates Nollywood stars

November 16

The 2012 nomination of the African Film and Television Arts Festival, ZAFAA is a deluge of stars. For an event that started in 2006 and holds annually in the United Kingdom, it is good news to many Nollywood actors/actresses as their names topped the list of the October 19 ceremony.

Veteran actor Olu Jacobs and star actress, Funke Akindele Oloyede have been nominated. Nominated for the Best Actor award, Olu Jacob’s role in the film, Adesuwa definitely worked in his favour. Also nominated in the same category were Joseph Benjamin, and John Dumelo. Funke Akindele was nominated for the Best Actress award, along with Monalisa Chinda, and Nadia Buari. Also nominated for awards were Nse Ikpe-Etim, and Martha Ankomah, who were both nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award. Lancelot Imasuen, Desmond Elliot, and Ruke Amata were nominated for the Best Director award.

According to Prince Samuel Anwuzia, Chief Executive Officer, ZAFAA Global Awards Limited, organisers of the awards, the 2012 edition remains unique, what with the crop of artistes nominated.

There were more nominees from Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom and the United States respectively.

“The plan is to partner with Ojez Entertainment to gain the confidence of the stars that built ZAFAA from inception to date and make it more reputable now that we have gained the support of foreign film-makers and recognition by the British Broadcasting Corporation. ZAFAA is an African pride just as the OSCAR and BAFTA are America and British pride.

“ZAFAA has made Nollywood, Ghollywood and other African filmmakers a huge industry to reckon with. Our culture remains our pride and there is no better place to celebrate this than the International and Economic City of London. This year, ZAFAA goes to the heart of London. Many more African countries are also participating, therefore, this year will be glamorous and sophisticated,” he said.

Healed by music when doctors said it was over

November 16, 2012 

The journey of Aimee to and fro the music studio is a classical example of the healing power of music

For six years, Aimee – Rita Alakija – experienced a debilitating illness that even the cruellest mortal can hardly wish for his enemy. The lady had hitherto bubbled with life, working in the aviation, financial and broadcasting sectors. She and the people around her had thought it was a short trial when she fell ill and was rushed to the hospital.

But as tough seasons rolled on seasons for her, she found herself being transferred from one hospital to the other. That was within and outside the country, until she became what she describes as a vegetable and someone on whom doctors had given up hope.

While she would not easily open the pages of her medical experience, she concedes that the challenges culminated in issues of blood, and as she started bleeding non-stop. At the climax of it, her body became a temple of some 15 complications, while she had to take an average of 15 injections daily.

“Doctors gave up on me. There was one crucial surgery that doctors were reluctant to take me through,” Aimee says in her Queen’s English that once made her viewers’ delight on a Lagos-based national television station where she was a broadcaster.

“My doctors did their best. But they felt I wasn’t going to pull through. They were asking me: ‘Do you still want to face it?’ You know, when you have had one or more surgeries before, and you are now faced with another crucial one in the same part of the body, it looks more like a matter of death than that of life and death.”

But what makes the case of the lady that studied English and later earned a degree in Business Administration ‘funny’ is that in the heat of her ordeals, God, according to her, placed it in her heart to go and sing His praise.

Were she in the frame of mind to laugh, she probably would have done so and mockingly roll on the ground for some minutes. Which kind of spirit would contemplate that the next thing for someone who had lost all strength, who had to be helped to do virtually everything, and who was practically on doctors’ death list, was to subject herself to studio rigour?

Alakija notes, “It was like a joke. When I had all the money and connections, this didn’t come. How come that it is in the midst of illness and pain when I should sit down and feel pity for myself because of my challenges?’’

‘Unfortunately’ for her, the voice insisted that that was what she should do. That led her to another palaver on how to tell her people and the physicians that her next agenda was to produce an album and a video. Like any other person would feel, they were likely to think that the illness had probably meandered into her brain zone.

Aimee adds, “It wasn’t that I couldn’t sing. I started singing in the church as a little girl. And I grew up with love for it. I had performed alongside others in churches and concerts. But I never wanted to take it farther than that. I never wanted to become an artiste.”

She had to eventually obey ‘Him’. While it was a tug of war getting everyone convinced that studio work was the next thing, people around her also eventually conceded. Her family, she says, was there for her.

“They would take me to the studio. And we moved from one studio to the other. I couldn’t stand up in the studio. I would just lay my voice and go back.”

This is how Aimee got out her maiden baby of creativity, Lost Without You, a seven-track album recently presented in Lagos. Besides, she, in the pool of the pain, shot five of the tracks into videos that have been on air for some time. Several gospel acts that include Femi Mikal, Victor Olayeni and Rose Yusuf also performed at the album presentation.

“When I watch the videos now, it is difficult for me to explain how I came by them. When on location, they would even dress me up. Now, music gives me reason why I want to live. It has taught me how to worship God. I am also bold to say that no matter how tough the challenges one might be facing, God is faithful.”

Aimee says she is healed now. She went through the surgery and survived it. A brother of hers, Jin, wrote the songs in Lost Without You. Currently, she is working on new songs while also writing a book as she is looking forward to having another concert soon.

Apart from her arrestingly poetic voice, Aimee has an intellectual base that can help her music. Despite the peculiar nasty situation she went through while producing the album, the songs generally come out interesting. One of the tracks, Oluwa mo mi, comes in a sober and expectant mood while Good Good inspirationally asks, “Is He good to you?” In Friend, in which she features Mix Master J, the artiste goes philosophical, reasoning that a good friend is like the oil put in an engine and the sweater worn during cold season.

The title track, Lost without You, is the theme song of re-dedication which seeks to situate Jesus as the compass of the singer’s life.

Police harass, brutalise us on unrestricted roads – Okada riders

November 16, 2012 

The police van that knocked down the rider; Okada riders at Magodo Phase II entrance.

Some men of the Lagos State Police Command and task force enforcing the state traffic law on okada riders in Ojodu and Berger area now employ brutal tactics to arrest riders who violate the law, findings has shown.

Our correspondents, who went around spots that served as okada parks in Isheri, a police van marked ‘Magodo GRA Phase II Residents Association Security Patrol Van’ swung by a motorcyclist riding along the road and hit him.

The rider fell into a ditch beside the road and the motorcycle fell on him.

The policemen jumped down from the van, pointed their guns at the rider as one of them immediately took the motorcycle and mounted it.

The rider, who sustained injuries on his head and leg, climbed onto the police van while one of the policemen rode the motorcycle behind.

Residents of the area said the incident was a common occurrence in the area.

Some of the riders, who spoke with our correspondent on Thursday, also accused the state task force of arresting and impounding motorcycles on roads that were not classified as out of bound to okada.

A group of okada riders on Kosoko Street, off Ogunnusi Road, Ojodu, said even though the street was not “off limit,” the Lagos task force had on many occasions impounded motorcycles on the street.

One of the riders, Ibrahim Adejobi, said, “After the vandalisation of a BRT bus on November 7 by some okada riders, the task force came here with a Black Maria and confiscated every motorcycle in sight irrespective of whether it was commercial or private.

“Since that day, it was like they renewed their wickedness. Any motorcycle close to the Kosoko Junction, even if the motorcycle is not plying the Ogunnusi Road, would be impounded.

“There was a time a motorcyclist at the junction saw them and sped into the street. They chased and impounded the motorcycle. They then proceeded to impound every motorcycle they saw on Kosoko Street that day.

A store owner at Ojodu, Caroline Ugwu, said that in the last two weeks, she had witnessed the brutality of task force members about four times in the front of her store.

An okada rider, who identified himself simply as Abubakar, said one of his friends sustained a serious injury when a van used by task force officials knocked him down while trying to impound his motorcycle.

“He sustained a burn from the motorcycle’s exhaust pipe when he was knocked down and the okada fell on his leg. They did not even care. They took the motorcycle and put it in their Black Maria and left,” he said.

Okada riders in Magodo GRA Phase II and its environs also lamented police harassment on routes that okada were not prohibited.

An okada rider, Ola Ishola, at the Magodo Phase II gate park said the police attached to the Ogudu Area Command had made it a daily routine to impound motorcycles in the outlying streets in the area.

He said, “Despite the fact that we ply Cele, Love All, Aladelola, Oluwalogbon, Dairo and Makinde streets, which are not part of the restricted routes, policemen still come into these places to harass us.

“These policemen usually come into these streets with rented commercial buses and as soon as they come, they will impound our motorcycles and whisk away the riders to their station.

“At the station, they will demand for sums between N10,000 and N20,000 while threatening to take the okada to Alausa unless their demand is met.”

Another rider in the area, Mohammed Isa, said the constant harassment had made many of them sustained various injuries in an attempt to evade arrest.

He said, “I wonder why people brazenly derive pleasure in meting out degrading and inhuman treatment to fellow human beings. For crying out loud, we are not contravening any section of the traffic law, yet they still harass us.

“The last time they stormed our park, about three of us got injured when they started hitting us with their gun butts.

“Even while riding on the road, they don’t bother if we are carrying passengers or not. They simply double park their vehicle sometimes, hit us and wound our passengers. We now live in perpetual fear despite operating lawfully on the road.”

In Isheri, residents said since the incident of November 7, when policemen attached to the state task force embarked on indiscriminate clamp down of okada, commercial motorcycle riders no longer operate in the area.

A resident, Segun Joshua, said, “On November 7, those policemen even went to the extent of impounding motorcycles parked inside residential apartments.

“Now you can hardly see an Okada plying inner streets of Isheri, Olowora, UNILAG Estate, Gateway Estate area and its environs. Government should really intervene and restore normalcy.”

When contacted, the police officer in charge of the task force, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman, said on the phone that the day the BRT was vandalised, some okada riders who fled into different streets were the ones arrested.

Sulaiman said, “We are talking about motorcycles that have two wheels.

How do you arrest riders without them falling down especially when they are trying to evade arrest?

“This country cannot develop when people keep opposing good things. All these reports that the task force is being brutal are just ploys to oppose the law which we all know is a good thing. The chairman of the riders’ association in the areas you mentioned knows the truth.

“About the policemen from Magodo Phase II who you say knocked down the okada rider, I cannot comment on that since that was not done by our task force.”

But the Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, was not available for comment when contacted.

After calls and text messages were sent to her phone, an assistant, who answered her phone, said she was “on air.”

However, subsequent calls were not answered.

Doctors leave bullet in banker’s body, extract four

November 16, 2012 

 

An employee of Access Bank, Femi Badejo, who was allegedly shot alongside a security guard, Joshua Musa, by policemen on Saturday at Ikota, Lagos, still has a bullet lodged in his wrist.

We learnt that the bullet could not be removed at the moment.

“I’m still in pain from the bullet wounds. I was shot five times. Four of the bullets have been removed but the fifth one is still lodged in my wrist and because of fear of complications, doctors can’t touch it for now,” he said.

However, Badejo has been moved from St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos Island, to an undisclosed location.

Meanwhile, Covenant University Alumni Association has written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, over the alleged shooting.

Badejo is an alumnus of the university and member of the association.

The Vice-President of the Abuja chapter of the association, Mr. Reginald Bassey, berated the police for lack of professionalism and failing to issue a public apology.

Bassey said the matter was more pathetic because Badejo is a promising young man, a husband and a father-to-be, who had been left incapacitated for days.

He added, “We have written a petition to demand for three things. First, we want a thorough investigation into the matter and we want the policemen who shot the victims to be brought to book.

“We see it as callous that those who are paid to secure lives could storm a compound and start shooting sporadically.

“Also, we want compensation for Badejo and the compensation must be commensurate with the extent of the injury.”

Bassey expressed dismay that rather than address the situation, the police resorted to harassing a journalist that reported the incident.

“We want a formal apology from the Inspector-General of police addressed to Badejo,” he said.

The Coordinator of the Lagos chapter of the association, Mr. Olufemi Fajemisin, who signed the petition, questioned the level of training of policemen in the state due to the incessant allegations of extra-judicial killings.

Badejo and Musa were allegedly shot by the policemen who responded to a distress call about a robbery in the banker’s home on Saturday at Ikota area of Lagos.

The residents of the house said when the policemen arrived the scene about an hour after the robbers had left, they started shooting indiscriminately resulting in injuring the banker and security guard.

Badejo was shot five times while Musa was hit twice.

The police claimed that Badejo was shot only once while the security guard had been shot by the armed robbers before they arrived

Meet the poorest president on earth- Jose Mujica

 

 

 

 

 

Meet the poorest president on earth- Jose Mujica of Uruguay since 2010.
He has no bank account, his only asset is a Volkswagen beetle, He donates 90% of his s
alary to charity. What a lesson to learn from dis man.
 it's a common grumble that politicians' lifestyles are far removed from those of their electorate. Not so in Uruguay.

Meet the president - who lives on a ramshackle farm and gives away most of his pay.
 Laundry is strung outside the house. The water comes from a well in a yard, overgrown with weeds. Only two police officers and Manuela, a three-legged dog, keep watch outside.

This is the residence of the president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, whose lifestyle clearly differs sharply from that of most other world leaders.

President Mujica has shunned the luxurious house that the Uruguayan state provides for its leaders and opted to stay at his wife's farmhouse, off a dirt road outside the capital, Montevideo

The president and his wife work the land themselves, growing flowers.

This austere lifestyle - and the fact that Mujica donates about 90% of his monthly salary, equivalent to $12,000 (£7,500), to charity - has led him to be labelled the poorest president in the world.

I've lived like this most of my life," he says, sitting on an old chair in his garden, using a cushion favoured by Manuela the dog.

"I can live well with what I have."

His charitable donations - which benefit poor people and small entrepreneurs - mean his salary is roughly in line with the average Uruguayan income of $775 (£485) a month.

In 2010, his annual personal wealth declaration - mandatory for officials in Uruguay - was $1,800 (£1,100), the value of his 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

This year, he added half of his wife's assets - land, tractors and a house - reaching $215,000 (£135,000).

That's still only about two-thirds of Vice-President Danilo Astori's declared wealth, and a third of the figure declared by Mujica's predecessor as president, Tabare Vasquez.

Elected in 2009, Mujica spent the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Uruguayan guerrilla Tupamaros, a leftist armed group inspired by the Cuban revolution.

He was shot six times and spent 14 years in jail. Most of his detention was spent in harsh conditions and isolation, until he was freed in 1985 when Uruguay returned to democracy.

Those years in jail, Mujica says, helped shape his outlook on life.
[b]"I'm called 'the poorest president', but I don't feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always want more and more," he says.

"This is a matter of freedom. If you don't have many possessions then you don't need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself," he says.

"I may appear to be an eccentric old man... But this is a free choice."

The Uruguayan leader made a similar point when he addressed the Rio+20 summit in June this year: "We've been talking all afternoon about sustainable development. To get the masses out of poverty.

"But what are we thinking? Do we want the model of development and consumption of the rich countries? I ask you now: what would happen to this planet if Indians would have the same proportion of cars per household than Germans? How much oxygen would we have left?

In contrast, his vice president Danilo Astori's declared wealth of £173,000 includes a house and car worth nearly 10 times Mr Mujica's Beetle.

The leftist leader, who shuns formal suits and ties, was jailed for more than a decade for his guerrilla activities during the 1960s and 1970s.