Lagos to crush, recycle 4000 seized Okada

Over 4000 commercial motorcycles seized for flouting the Lagos State Traffic Law 2012 will be crushed and recycled, Police Commissioner, Fatia Owoseni said yesterday.

The law prohibits Okada and tricycles also known as Keke Marwa from operating in at least 495 of the 9200 roads and routes across the state.

Owoseni told reporters at the Olusosun Refuse Dumpsite in Ojota that the clampdown on Okada was a fall out of the government’s renewed resolve to address the security issues since criminals operate mostly with okada.

He said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had directed the police and other security agencies to ensure the law is complied with.

The Commissioner said: “It would not be one-off. So far, we have impounded about 500 motorcycles since we started our renewed efforts and we now have a total of about 4, 000 bikes ready to be crushed. The law made provisions on how those motorcycles should be handled and the law also made provision on how to handle those that have flouted the law itself.”

According to Owoseni, the decision to crush and recycle the motorcycles accords with the law.

The enforcement, he said, would also affect Okada patrons, adding that mobile courts would be instituted to try offenders.

“The operators of the commercial motorcycles and those patronizing them, with time, you will get to see the Mobile Court going around to try some of those that have been arrested.

What we are saying here is that we want people in Lagos to know that there is a law and the law is made for a purpose and if all of us obey the law and conform, the better for us.”

The government, Owoseni said, was considering banning okada in some areas, , starting with the Lekki and Victoria Island axis.

He frowned at the way Okada and Keke Maruwa flout the law, especially by not obeying traffic light, which in most cases lead to avoidable accident and death.

Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Olanrewaju Elegushi said commercial motorcycles have been warned to clear off restricted routes.

“We have an enforcement unit led by the Commissioner of Police, the Task Force on Environmental and Other Special Offences, the Divisional Police Officers and the Area Commanders. They have started enforcement and we came to see how far they have gone,” Elegushi said.

My Buhari score card, by Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has rated President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance  high in  security and the battle against corruption.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at the weekend, Obasanjo said the president had done his best to develop the country.

“Whatever anybody says, President Buhari has not disappointed me from what I know of him,’’ he said.

Obasanjo said the president had delivered on his core areas of strength and ability, particularly in the anti-corruption crusade and the war against insurgency.

“In my book, I have said that Buhari is not strong on the economy and I did not write this to run him down.

“I also used to think that he is not strong in the area of foreign affairs, but I have realised that he has improved very well.

“He has actually done his best in the areas where we know him to be strong,” he said.

The elder statesman urged Nigerians not to relent in their support for Buhari and not to give up on Nigeria.

“Whatever you might see as bad in Nigeria, other societies have gone through the same at some period in their history.

“It is not for us to begin to condemn but to begin to join hands together and consider how we can make the best out of our present.

“Our present situation is a passing phase and we need to be resilient to ensure that we are not consumed by it.

“I will be the first to admit that we have not been where we should have been, but note that we have also been far from where we could have been because it could have been worse.

“It is the height of ingratitude for people to say Nigeria has not achieved anything or much as a nation.

“The generation before mine fought for Nigeria’s independence; that is great.

“My own generation, which is the next, fought to sustain the unity of Nigeria.

“Since 1999, Nigeria has enjoyed 18 years of unbroken democracy.

“We witnessed in 2007 a transition of power from one individual to another in the same party.

“We witnessed in 2015 a transition of power from an individual in the ruling party to another individual in the opposition party.

“All these should not be taken for granted,” he said.

Obasanjo also decried the call for national conferences or assemblies to negotiate the continued unity of Nigeria.

The former president who described such conferences as “distractions”, said he did not bother to read the report of the last one organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“ We Nigerians need ourselves and if anyone thinks he does not need another person, good luck to him.

“What I see in all those groups trying to break away is that they want more of the national cake.

“The fact that you want more of the cake means that it is good and you like it, else you will not be asking for more of it.

“I do understand the agitations of the youths in that the increased facilities that now exist as against our own time have not translated to adequate opportunities for them.

“But I think that rather than engage in violence, they should think of how to build on the sacrifices of the generations before them,” he said.

The elder statesman, who will turn 80 on March 5, said he had no regrets at such an age.

He said his hope that Nigeria would still be a great nation was intact.

SON seals N5b sub-standard tyres warehouse in Lagos

•Two Chinese arrested

Two Chinese are to be prosecuted for their involvement in the importation of fake and substandard tyres worth N5 billion into the country

MessrsTaolung Shen and Xu Jing Yao were arrested and their company Sino Nigeria Import and Export Limited’s warehouse in Lagos sealed by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

Director-General of SON Osita Aboloma, who showed reporters round the warehouse at Alakija area on Badagry Road in Lagos at the weekend, lamented that the importation of such tyres endangered the lives of millions of Nigerians.

He said many of the over three million tyres brought into the country in over 60 containers, had post-dated manufacturing dates –some of them with March 2017 date on them.

They also cloned different sizes of tyres under such brand names as Powertrac, Aptany, Harmony, Duraturn, Bearway, City Tour, Winda, Glory, Chachland, City Grand, Grandsonte (Tyre Type) and Sunny (for tricycle) among others.

Many of the tyres arrived in Nigeria stuffed into one another. In some instances as many as five stuffed into one. Many are bent and ruptured and looking weak and slack.

Aboloma described the tyres as “dead on arrival”, adding that allowing such consignments into the country could lead to motor accidents and loss of lives.

He said stuffing tyres through the long sea journey from China to Lagos had already compromised the quality let alone the crude way the tyres were separated on arrival in Nigeria and the poor storage facility, without sufficient aeration in the warehouse.

”The SON Directorate of Compliance intercepted one of their trucks on the highway, tracked it and then this. You can see the amount of danger that these people are posing to our people and our economy just because they want to make huge profit at the expense of the lives of Nigerians”, Aboloma said.

He lamented that the raid on the company revealed a lot of illicit activities, including re-labelling, high level of stuffing of tyres into one, tampering with expiry dates and staking the tyres in very adverse conditions.

“it is a clear case of investing millions in illicit business in order to take away the lives of millions of Nigerians. to destroy the lives of millions of Nigerians. If we should allow something like this, it will amount to killing Nigerians”, Aboloma said.

”I want to reiterate that there is no hiding place for those who deal in substandard products as they will be caught and their products confiscated. Today’s is an example”, he said.

”Nothing can be recouped from such stuffed in tyres, no need to test anything because the tyres have already been destroyed on arrival,” he said.

Aboloma promised to bring the Chinese and others in illicit trade to book.

He said SON was exploring all avenues towards nipping acts like that in the bud.

“For us, it is a continuous fight. Currently, we are prosecuting about five cases in different high courts in line with the mandate of the SON. We burn substandard products when there is need to, following laid down procedures.” he said.

Aboloma cautioned users of automobile tyres on the need to be extra cautious when buying products.

He said: “The nation’s laws must be made to work by ensuring that it is implemented to the letter.  l must reiterate here that the  full force of the SON Act that empowers  her to prosecute offenders will  be invoked on the perpetrators of this  economic crime  in no short time. It is left to imagine the number of lives that would have been lost to this wicked act by a few people”.

Photos: Fully loaded Petrol tanker goes up in flames in Apapa

A petrol tanker went up in flames in Apapa, Lagos state yesterday February 26th. Men of the Lagos state Emergency Management Authority LASEMA were on hand to put out the fire. Thankfully no life nor property was lost. More photos after the cut.

Chimamanda’s ‘Americanah’ for reading in New York

Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie’s bestseller novel ‘Americanah’ has been selected as one of the five award-winning books to be chosen for the ‘One Book One New York’ programme.

The concept of ‘One Book One New York’ is an initiative to bring together bookworms in the U.S. largest city to read the same book at the same time.

New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment said a committee made up of “the heads of the New York Public Library, the deans of the major academic institutions, and leaders of the book publishing industry,” all helped to select the five books among hundreds.

The Mayor’s office said the programme aims to get all of New York City on the same page literally adding, the idea is essentially a giant book club, or a “one book read campaign”.

The office has planned at least six community-based reading events, some of which will be with the authors.

“New York City is proud to be the creative capital of the world.

“The ‘One Book, One New York’ initiative provides the perfect opportunity to bring city residents from all five boroughs together through reading,” Mayor Bill de Blasio, said.

According to Julie Menin, Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, once the book is chosen, the city will host an author event at the New York Public Library, as well as a number of ancillary events at bookstores throughout the city.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate our enduring literary capital with the ‘One Book, One New York’ program.

“All five of the nominated titles are fantastic, and we invite New Yorkers from all five boroughs for the chance to vote for your favorite NYC read.

“One Book, One New York” will help readers connect with one another while rediscovering their libraries and their independent neighbourhood bookstores.

“Something that makes it incredibly timely in this moment our country is in is that all five of these books deal with themes of immigration, of race, oftentimes of being an outsider.

“These books are incredibly timely. These are really thought-provoking books that really speak to the age that we’re in,” Menin said.

The programme also features celebrity advocates who have all taped on-camera segments touting the importance of each book and urging New Yorkers to vote online.

The book to be read will be chosen by city residents, who have been voting for their favourites online at nyc.gov/onebook and at subway platform kiosks, which will end on Feb. 28.

The final book selection will be announced in early March, with events taking place around the city to follow through early June when the culminating event will take place.

The culminating event, in June, will be something of a big book club meeting, with fans of the book coming to the New York Public Library to take part in a conversation between its author and the senior book editor at BuzzFeed.

The publishers of the five nominated books have provided at least 800 copies of those books to New York City’s more than 200 library branches.

According to chimamanda.com, Americanah is a powerful tender story of race and identity.

Chimamanda’s works’ have been translated into over 30 languages and have won several prizes including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, the Orange Prize.

Others are, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and The Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Fiction as well as one of The New York Times Ten Best Books of the Year.

Those works include, Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun which was also adapted into a movie.

A recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, her works have also made a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, a New York Times Notable Book, and a People and Black Issues Book Review Best Book of the Year.

Army, DSS arrest Chadian terrorists

Troops of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with men of Department of State Services (DSS) on Sunday  arrested three suspected Chadian Boko Haram terrorists of the Albaranawi faction, in Gombe, Gombe State.

The three Chadian terrorists suspects, Bilal Muhammed Umar, Bashir Muhammed and Muhammed Maigari Abubakar were tracked down and arrested at Arawa and Mallam Inna Areas of Gombe metropolis after efforts by security operatives.

According to the Director Army Public Relations, Brig. General Sani Usman, the suspects were reported to be members of Albarnawi faction of the Boko Haram that operates in Chad and mostly northern part of Borno State but came to Gombe State for another assignment.

“During the operation, one of them, Bilal Muhammed Umar attempted to escape and was shot on the leg. He was however apprehended and is receiving medical treatment.

“The terrorists were also arrested with Improvised Explosive Device (IED), materials that they could have coupled and attack parts of the State. The suspects are in custody undergoing preliminary investigation‎,” Usman said.

20 years later: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon at the Oscars

Ben and his best friend Matt Damon at the Oscars in 1997 below and at the Oscars last in 2017 above. They are both in their 40s now...

Why most Nigerians don't believe in miracles...

The General overseer of the Liberation City church, Dr. Chris Okafor popularly known as the Oracle of God, owing to his unrivalled prophetic accuracy has said that two major factors militate against Nigerians’ belief in prophecy and miracles.

The man of God who in 2016 alone held miracle crusades in more than a hundred locations around Nigeria, Africa, Europe and North America has kicked off his 2017 crusade tours with resounding miracles to show for it.

At the Chris Okafor World Outreach Ministries (COWOM) crusade recently held in Asaba, a man who has been blind from childhood miraculously received his sight even while the man of God was just preaching. Then there were diverse miracles that left people in that region thinking hard about the source of his powers. From Asaba, the man of God proceeded to Oshogbo in Osun State where a mad man who was bundled into the crusade ground was healed.

People who knew the madman and how long he’d been mad simply didn’t know what to think about what happened. Then there was the highlight – when the man of God prophesied that there was a pastor in the congregation who had visited a witch doctor for power to grow his church membership. He prophesied that the witch doctors had made the so-called pastor to sleep in a graveyard for three whole days! 

                                      

At this, the mammoth crowd was thrown into frenzy. The pastor in question – Pst. Shedrach eventually came out and confirmed every word the man of God had spoken. The man of God later prayed for pastor Shedrach and destroyed the alleged “crowd-pulling” charm in his pocket, with which he intended to pull crowd away to his own church. There was also the case of a child who had lost consciousness and was virtually clinically dead.

The man of God grabbed the child and prayed fervently for life to come into its body and it did. When the news of all that had happened broke, some people reacted with skepticism. Some even said that it was all arranged. Others called it ‘Fake’. When the man of God heard about it, he simply said “My heart grieves for Nigeria. I kind of know why people in this part of the world hardly believe in prophecies and miracles. Go to YouTube and see the number of fake prophets who are out there performing magic and deceiving people up and down. I use to show those videos to my pastors. And I know some of these people.

My heart grieves. It’s hard to see all that and still believe that anyone can be real, doing what we do. See, there’s an autobiographical documentary on me that will soon come out. I want the world to see it and know that I was born to do what I’m doing. I invite those who think we arrange people for miracles to visit our church. If I see you, the lord will use me to tell you what you’re going through, and not only that; the same God will use me to provide you with solution. That’s the difference between fake and real.

A real prophet will give you solutions and that solution will be permanent. That’s what God has been using me to do in our church and I dare anybody who’s in doubt to visit. My advise to Nigerians is to not throw away the baby with the bath water.

The fact that there are fakes doesn’t mean that God hasn’t chosen a few of us to do what we are doing. If you don’t understand it, it doesn’t mean it’s not real. I pray that God will help us all” The man of God who also blamed some of Nigerians’ hostile approach to miracles on lack of sound knowledge of the bible said “rather than get angry with peoples’ opinion about prophecies and miracles, I have chosen to just bear with people, focus on what I’m called to do and then leave the rest to God.

More than half the people in our church today were first of all skeptics, before they became believers in Miracles and prophecies. Let God lead.” The man of God and his Chris Okafor World Outreach Ministries (COWOM) are scheduled to storm Complexe Jesses Jackson de Yopougon in Abidjan, Cote D’ Ivoire from Wednesday the 8 to Friday the 10th of March, 2017 for an expectedly massive crusade, and later proceed to the Ghana International Conference Center, Accra- Ghana between Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 March, 2017 for yet another impactful miracle crusade.

Killer of human rights lawyer Fadipe to die by hanging

Oluwaseun Oladapo, 27, who killed human rights lawyer, Kunle Fadipe, has been sentenced to death.

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja High Court sentenced Oladapo to death yesterday by hanging by the neck, for the death of the human rights lawyer, Fadipe.

Justice Ipaye, in her judgment  found Oladapo guilty of a five-count charge offence of murder, armed robbery and assault occasioning harm.

Justice Ipaye said: “On count one, you Oluwaseun Oladapo, is to be hung by the neck till you are dead.

“On count two, you Oluwaseun Oladapo is to be hung by the neck till you are dead.

 ”On count three, you Oluwaseun Oladapo, is to be hung by the neck till you are dead.

 ”On count four, you Oluwaseun Oladapo is sentenced to three years in prison.

 ”On count five, you Oluwaseun Oladapo is sentenced to three years in prison.

 ”The terms of imprisonment of counts four and five is that they should run consecutively.

 ”This is the judgment of the court. May the Lord forgive your soul.”

Earlier, counsel to the convict, Mr. Worer Obuagbaka, had  pleaded for mercy on behalf of his client.

But, the prosecutor, Mrs O.A Olugasa said: “the deceased was not given a second chance by the convict. His children were also not given a second chance to have their father with them.

Oladapo allegedly murdered the lawyer on July 4, 2014, at about 3 a.m. at his residence, located at No. 1 Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye, Iju, Lagos.

The prosecution was led by Mr Adeniji Kazeem, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Mrs Idowu Alakija, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Oladapo was also charged with the murder of Mrs Cecelia Owolabi, the mother-in-law to the late Fadipe, but the charge of murder was commuted to assault occasioning harm by the court. Justice Ipaye said: “The prosecution did not prove a direct link between the actions of the defendant and the death of Madam Cecelia Owolabi.

During the trial, the wife of the late lawyer, Mrs Kemi Fadipe, in her testimony gave a graphic narration of the events of the night of the murder.

Kemi, a school proprietress, said: “My husband came in late from the office at 10pm and he was preparing for a flight to Abuja the following day. We both had retired to our bedroom.

“Our home is a five – bedroom duplex and there was no electricity that night, the home was well lit because the generator was on.

 ”At 11.45pm, power was restored and my son, Folahanmi went to put off the generator. A few minutes after he left, he came running upstairs screaming for help.

 ”He had a wound on his head and was being pursued by the defendant who was armed with a knife.

 ”The commotion alerted my husband and I and we rushed to the anti-room upstairs where we saw the defendant and Folahanmi.

“We knelt down to plead with him and my husband instructed me to get a white envelope containing cash from the jacket of his suit.

 ”When the envelope was handed over to the defendant, he was dissatisfied and demanded for laptops and phones and we told him those items were downstairs.

“He, for no reason, lunged at Folahanmi with a knife and my husband stepped in to save him and he was stabbed in his neck and his chest.”

She said after her husband was stabbed, Oladapo ran downstairs where he unfortunately encountered her mother.

“My mother came out from her bedroom downstairs to investigate the source of the commotion and the defendant ran into her, stabbing her in the chest.”

 “I, the maid and my sister struggled with him in the living room downstairs, he was hit on the head with a stabilizer, but he was behaving in a wild and crazy manner and very strong and hard to subdue.

“My husband and Folahanmi ran out to get help, but my husband collapsed in the premises. But Folahanmi got help from the security guard of the estate who subdued the defendant by shooting him with a gun.”

She said that Fadipe was rushed to a hospital where he gave up the ghost at 4am, her mother who came to Lagos from Ibadan for an eye operation was discharged from the hospital, but died in Ibadan from the shock and trauma of the incident two weeks later.

A pathologist, Dr Sunday Soyemi in his testimony, revealed that Fadipe was rapid and severe blood loss caused by the severe cut of the left jugular vein.

However, Oladapo, while testifying in Yoruba language in his defence, denied committing the offence.

According to him, on the night of the murder, he left a viewing centre to go to his home and he had to take a shortcut through Harmony Estate.

“When I got to the Harmony Estate, an altercation occurred between me, the security guard and four men, they beat me up, subdued me and shot at my leg.

“I fainted and woke up the hospital, I fainted again and woke up four days later at the police station,” he said.

But the trial judge, Justice Ipaye, discountenanced his defence and sentenced the convict as charged.

Nigerian students give South African companies 48 hours ultimatum to leave Nigeria over Xenophobic attacks

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, have given all South African countries operating in Nigeria a 24 hours ultimatum to leave the country. This is in reaction to the xenophobic attacks meted out on Nigerians in South Africa.

NANS staged a peaceful protest on Thursday at some South African companies located in Abuja where they made their displeasure known and revealed that they will no longer be silent while Nigerians are attacked in South Africa whereas South African companies like MTN, DSTV and Shoprite are allowed to operate freely in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the students, the president of NANS, Kadiri Aruna, said South African companies in Nigeria had only 48 hours to leave Nigerian soil, else Nigerian students will retaliate by pulling down all MTN masts in the country in the country. DSTV and Shoprite were also not left out in the threats.

Aruna said:

“I don’t want to say we will be barbaric but we will not be lawful in our actions, we will do it and face the consequences, enough of this rubbish.’’

Aruna went further to reminisce on how Nigeria was instrumental in freeing South Africans from apartheid and Nigeria contributed 80 per cent of the freedom the South Africans are enjoying today because we saved them from the jaws of apartheid and have over the years supported South Africa financially. He said it was time to take action and called on the Federal Government to step up and work towards evacuating Nigerians in South Africa. He also suggestion cutting diplomatic ties with the South Africans due to the silence of their government in the face of the attacks.

"The government of South Africa is criminally quiet and they say silence is consent, and their police are folding their hands while they are killing Nigerians, this is conspiracy, enough is enough,’’ he said.

Ex-Customs chief forfeits 17 exotic vehicles to FG

A former Comptroller General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, on Friday forfeited 17 exotic vehicles to the Federal Government barely 72 hours after the vehicles were uncovered from his warehouse in Kaduna.

There were strong indications last night that Inde might face trial any moment from now.

But his arraignment will begin when he returns from a medical trip abroad.

According to a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on Friday night, the forfeiture order was given by Justice S.M Shuaibu of the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

The statement said: “Justice Shuaibu gave an interim order forfeiting the 17 vehicles found in the warehouse of former Comptroller General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, to the Federal Government.

“The order was sequel to an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission seeking among others, the forfeiture of the vehicles to the Nigerian Government, pending the conclusion of investigation and determination of the case.

“In his ruling, Justice Shuaibu held that the 17 vehicles which are now in the custody of the applicant ( EFCC) and as properly described and listed in the schedule marked exhibit EFCC 2 attached to the affidavit in support of the application are hereby forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria in the interim pending conclusion of the investigation.”

“Operatives of the Commission had on February 20 stormed the warehouse of the former Customs boss on Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna, and discovered the 17 exotic vehicles worth hundreds of millions of Naira, suspected to be proceeds of crime.”

FUT MINNA shut as student’s death sparks riot

The Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA) in Niger State has been shut, following a riot sparked by the death of a 300-Level Chemistry Education student, Emmanuel Olalekan, who slumped while playing football. The protesters burnt down the Health Centre and destroyed other properties. MAHMUD ABDULSALAM reports.

THE game was going on fine until a player slumped. The player’s collapse ended the game as his colleagues rushed him to the clinic. And there, trouble started. The clinic declined to treat the unconscious Emmanuel Olalekan, who was a 300-level Chemistry Education student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA) in Niger State, insisting on his “proper identification” first.

Emmanuel died and his colleagues went on the rampage, destroying properties. It was a black Wednesday for FUT MINNA.

The late Emmanuel usually joined his colleagues to play football after lectures. But the routine exercise turned fatal when he collapsed, following a “rough tackle”.

The incident happened at 5:30pm last Wednesday at the Bosso Campus football pitch, where students usually converged for sports.

At the clinic, it was alleged that the medical staff did nothing to resuscitate the late Emmanuel despite his colleagues’ plea.

The student died three hours after he got to the clinic. His colleagues accused the staff of negligence and insensitivity, saying their dithering led to his death. He was pronounced dead at 8:30pm.

Emmanuel’s death provoked violence. Some buildings, including the clinic, were torched and properties vandalised.

Vehicles’ windshields and offices’ louvres were smashed.

Sections of the dining hall, the library and a microfinance bank were vandalised. A car said to belong to the Dean, Students’ Affairs was smashed. Windows and louvres of the Geography Laboratory and female hostels were shattered. The rioters were said to have carted away bread from the bakery.

A student, who simply gave his name as Abiodun, described how Emmanuel died. He said the deceased slumped after a “rough tackle” during the match. “He hit his head on the ground and held his chest as he fell,” Abiodun said.

The eyewitness added that the late Emmanuel was rushed to the clinic in a coma.

“To our surprise, the medical personnel at the clinic refused to attend to him hours after we rushed him to the clinic. They requested for his identity card, which was not with him at that time. We pleaded that he should be resuscitated while some of us went to look for his ID card, nobody answered us. After they verified from their records and discovered he was a student, they made attempt to revive him. But, it was late,” Abiodun said.

Another student, Prince Adeolu, who was on the field when the late Emmanuel slumped, blamed the clinic staff for his death.

He said: “It is unprofessional for medical practitioners to ask an unconscious patient to present his ID card before he could be given medical attention.”

When the protest spread, the school’s security officials moved female students to the Central Mosque and Chapel, which were secured by armed personnel. Some students fled the campus out of fear.

Normalcy returned after a combined team of soldiers and policemen was deployed in the campus. The presence of armed security operatives made it easy for fire fighters from the Niger State Fire Service to move into the campus to put out the clinic fire.

The Niger State Police Command said three suspects were arrested in connection with the violence, but their identities remained unknown at press time. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the arrest, saying: “The police have brought the situation under control and we have three suspected arsonists in custody. Already, the Command has commenced investigation into the arson.”

The following day, management held an emergency meeting to take stock of the destruction. The school said it regretted the incident and shut the campus till March 2. Management said it had set up a panel to probe the student’s death.

A statement signed on behalf of the Registrar by the Acting Academic Secretary, Dr Shakirudeen Yusuf, reads: “The management has approved a two weeks mid-semester break with immediate effect. Consequently, all students are to vacate the two campuses latest by 4pm on Thursday, February 16. Academic activities resume on March 2.”

CAMPUSLIFE could not reach the  Director of Health Services, but a worker in the clinic, who did not want her name in print, denied the students’claims of negligence and insensitivity.

She said: “As professional healthcare givers, there is no way the staff on duty would have violated the sacred ethics and oaths of medical practice. In what ways would it profit them to deny a student proper treatment or medical attention?”

A student, Mukhtar Sani, said the allegation of negligence and insensitivity against the medical personnel was true. He shared his experience at the clinic.

He said: “I went for treatment at the clinic, because I did not have money to leave the school. I had high temperature and was shivering terribly. When I got to the clinic, I explained my situation to nurses on duty. To my surprise, they told me to wait for the doctor who did not come. When I complained, they said I should come back the following day.”

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the  first semester examination was scheduled to start in three weeks, before the protest. The closure of the school was greeted with mixed feelings among students. Some described it as unnecessary; others hailed management’s decision.

Amina Shamsudeen, a final year student, said it was better the school is shut to prevent further breakdown of law and order. She appealed to management to fulfil its promise to re-open the school in two weeks to enable students write their examinations.

The Students’Union Government (SUG) called for calm, urging students to leave the campus as directed by the management. The SUG President, Lateef Hamzat, described the late Emmanuel as a “lovable student” and “skilful footballer”.

Ola Yusuf, the late Emmanuel’s close friend, described him as “a talented young man”, saying he was charming and peace-loving.

Ola said: “Emmanuel was caring and humble. He was also serious-minded and peace-loving. I knew him to be a hardworking student and talented young man who loved football. He was a devoted Christian. I have not overcome the shock since he died.”

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that Emmanuel’s body has been taken to his home town in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State for burial.

Smartphone: Gionee to launch A1 at Mobile World Congress 2017

Gionee Communication Equipment Co. Ltd, will launch a brand new smartphone A1, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).

Mobile World Congress is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry, organised annually by the Groupe Speciale Mobile Associatio (GSMA) in Barcelona, Spain.

Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) is an association of mobile operators and related companies devoted to support the standardization, deployment and promotion of the GSM mobile telephone system.
It represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.
Speaking ahead of the February 27, world forum, the Marketing Director, Gionee Nigeria, Mr Somoye Habeeb, said the phone which has a long-life battery and equipped with sensational selfie camera, and dual cameras for enhanced photo quality will be in the class of high end devices tat will be officially launched in Spain.
According to Gionee’s research into consumer needs in India and Africa, Habeeb said: “Handsets with a better selfie performance and seamless user experience are becoming increasingly popular with local consumers.

Users expect to be able to take bright, beautiful and natural-looking selfies at any time of the day or night. The younger generation regard selfies as an expression of themselves and they tend to share their photos through various social channels whenever and wherever they are.”

A Strike Against Snapchat? WhatsApp Introduces New Time Limited Feature, 'Status'

This is trending on Nigerian Twitter at the moment. WhatsApp has a new feature called Status, which is available to all users, iOS and Android. It allows people to update their statuses with photos, videos and more. These updates will disappear after 24 hours. 

The icon for Status is located between ‘Chats’ and ‘Calls’ on the navigation bar of your WhatsApp home-screen (as seen above). Once your Status is created, you can control who sees it by specifying so in your privacy settings. You can also discover which of your contacts has viewed your Status on a ‘view counter’ at the bottom of the screen.

WhatsApp currently has over 1 billion monthly users and hosts a daily thoroughfare of about 60 billion messages. "By milking its potential for multimedia usage, WhatsApp can augment itself from a functional messaging tool to a platform that users go to for entertainment."

It opens up fresh avenues for monetisation, which can help offset the opportunity cost of the scrapping of its earlier $1 nominal fee.

Looks like Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, is still bent on beating Snapchat at their game.

Wonders! Football supporter says Manchester United striker is her 'God' (photo)

A female Manchester United fan has taken spiritual matters to a new height as she inscribed on her shirt that club striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is her god.

The message on the shirt asked a further question if she could be the girlfriend of the Red Devils’ defender Phil Jones.

“ZLATAN U R MY GOD! P.JONES CAN I BE UR GIRLFRIEND” she customized on her United jersey.

This is coming barely 48 hours Swedish supporters responded to Donald Trump’s travel claims that the country is having problems. They protested in a video that they do not have a god, but they have Zlatan.

"In Sweden, we don't have god. We have Zlatan. He is huge,” the protesters said in a video.

The Scandinavian country cleared the air to comments which the United States president may have been referring to, and educated him on their top religion.

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Riot broke out in Sweden after the US president used the country as an example of one of the countries facing refugee problems.

"We've got to keep our country safe... You look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden,".

Solar Eclipse To Occur On Sunday – NASRDA

The National Space Research and Development Agency has said that there would be a partial Solar eclipse across the country on Feb. 26.

The Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr Felix Ale, in a statement on Thursday said, “A partial solar eclipse will be visible all over the country with different degree of totality to occur on Sunday, February 26.”

According to Ale, the highest degree of obscurity of 33 percent will be observed in the country during the natural occurrence in the southern part of Nigeria, particularly Port Harcourt, Uyo and Calabar.

He said that the lowest degree of obscurity would be about nine percent in the northern part of Nigeria, particularly in Kebbi.

Ale noted that in the South - West, the level of obscurity would be 23 per cent at about 5:42pm and 6:30p:m.

He, however, said it would be recording 28 to 30 per cent between 4:45pm and 6:33pm in the South - East.

“Meanwhile, the level of obscurity in Abuja, the Federal Capital City (FCT) will be 20 per cent between 4:54pm and 6:30pm, ”he said.

He stressed that the solar eclipse would be observed across the nation, thereby making each part of the country a great site for viewing the eclipse at different degree of obscurity.

According to him, the solar disc will be covered by the moon as seen from the earth and the eclipse will be visible as much as there is clear sky without rain or cloud.

He, however, said there was no cause for alarm or reason to panic as the solar eclipse was a natural occurrence and should be seen as part of the beauties of nature. (NAN).

Trouble Looms! Nigeria Telcos Set To Block Whatsapp And Skype To Generate More Revenues

Telecommunication companies in Nigeria may block calls made on instant messaging applications like WhatsApp and Skype, in a bid to increase their revenue.

According to The Punch, the telcos are seeking to address their loss on international calls and are looking to raise a revenue of N20trillion.

This may lead to subscribers being unable to carry out voice and video calls on WhatsApp, Facebook and some other Over-The-Top (OTT) services.

“It is an aggressive approach to stop further revenue loss to OTT players on international calls, having already lost about N100tn between 2012 and 2017,” a manager at one of the major telecoms companies in the country said.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he added: “If we fail to be pro-active by taking cogent steps now, then there are indications that we may lose between N20tn and N30tn, or so, by the end of 2018.”

The source also revealed that the proliferation of apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook, BlackBerry Messenger and Viber, was taking a big chunk of the voice revenue of telcos in the country.

In reaction to the news, the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, said: “We don’t have any evidence of that. We do not regulate the Internet.”

“I am not aware of this development but globally, operators and network equipment makers don’t really embrace Skype,” the Managing Director, TechTrends Nigeria, Mr. Kenneth Omeruo, said.

“They liken Skype to an individual who takes undue advantage of other people’s generosity without giving anything in return.

“Globally, there is this apprehension among telecoms operators that Skype only steals their customers, while they invest billions of dollars to build, expand and upgrade networks”.

LUIS ENRIQUE SET TO DITCH 4-3-3 IN BARCELONA TACTICAL REVOLUTION

The Barca boss is contemplating a formation change following his side's disastrous defeat in Paris last week, as a La Liga clash with Atletico looms.

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is considering a change in the Catalans’ traditional 4-3-3 formation after recent poor performances against Paris Saint-Germain and Leganes.

After the humiliating 4-0 loss at the Parc des Princes last Tuesday, Luis Enrique was involved in a heated exchange with TV3 journalist Jordi Grau in the flash interview following the match and when he was asked why he had not made changes earlier, he said: “Obviously you weren’t watching very closely because we changed from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 in the second half.”

However, there was scant evidence of the tactical tweak as PSG continued to dominate the match and went on to score two more goals. And against struggling Leganes at home in La Liga on Sunday, there was little improvement as Barca needed a late Lionel Messi penalty to win the match 2-1 in the last minute.

In light of those two poor performances, Luis Enrique is now contemplating a change in tactics as he digs deep into his memory bank for inspiration.

Unlike Pep Guardiola, the Asturian never featured for Barca under Johan Cruyff in the Dutchman’s 3-4-3 system, which the Catalan coach later used to surprise his rivals in important matches. Although Luis Enrique was brought to Camp Nou on the recommendation of Cruyff, the Oranje icon had already left by the time he arrived and it was as part of Bobby Robson’s team that the current Barca boss made his debut for the Blaugrana.

That was in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the Brazilian Ronaldo as the focal point in attack in a team that missed out on La Liga but went on to win three trophies: a Spanish Supercopa, a Copa del Rey and a European Cup Winners’ Cup, beating PSG in the final.

The idea of the system this time would be to use Luis Suarez as the lone striker, with Neymar, Andres Iniesta and Messi (in a free role) behind the Uruguayan. Further back, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic (or Andre Gomes) would form a two-man shield for the defence, which would stay as it is now (although Javier Mascherano could return alongside Gerard Pique in the centre). Aleix Vidal, out for the season with a serious ankle injury, would have been ideal for the formation as it allows more freedom for the full-backs to get forward.


Before Barca can think about the return leg against PSG, however, there is an important Primera Division match on Sunday away to Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon, the scene of the Catalans’ European exit last season.

It will be the last time Barca play Atletico at the stadium, which will be knocked down later this year as the Rojiblancos move to a new home, and it will be a good opportunity for the Blaugrana to find their feet with an improved performance - perhaps even one that will help the team believe in a historic turnaround against PSG.

“I can’t talk about a comeback right now,” a crestfallen Iniesta said in the mixed zone at the Parc des Princes. Busquets, meanwhile, was more critical and admitted that “we were overcome tactically” by Unai Emery’s side.

That paved the way for a rethink ahead of the second leg on March 8 and only Suarez has spoken of a “remontada” since the defeat in Paris. In order to achieve it, however, Barca will need not only a result but also a much better performance in the game at Camp Nou - be it with 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.

Prophet Claims He Has God’s Direct Phone Number

Popular Zimbabwean prophet, Paul Sanyangore has said he has God’s direct phone number and receives calls from him on how to help his followers. Speaking to H-metro, about a video where he was seen prophesying to a church member while on the phone during his Sunday service, he said: ‘I have a direct channel, actually I have his number and I can call him when need rises.

People believe that the prophet could have been on the line with someone with information on the church member, but he responded saying:

‘It is possible to talk to God, why would you doubt that I got a call from him? I actually have a direct line which I can call him and get instructions on how to proceed. I got this when I was praying and I heard a voice telling me to call direct.

I got instructions on the phone on what to do or say and that is what happened on Sunday. If the heavens spoke to Abraham why not us? You are of faith and people will always have doubts while others are being delivered,’ he added.

The man of God also revealed that a television channel called ‘Heaven Online’ will be launched soon, where more of his conversation with God will be hopefully heard.

‘You will actually see more of this. We are hoping that we will be on TV this year and we actually have a session called ‘Heaven Online.’ 

Why is Nigeria's President Buhari still in London?

          

As Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was beginning his latest visit to London more than a month ago, a new series of Big Brother Nigeria was getting under way.

A former military ruler known for his no-nonsense style would appear to have little in common with a reality TV show where contestants engage in attention-seeking behaviour.

But both subjects were soon generating headlines for the same reason - neither of them were in Nigeria.

It turned out that Big Brother was actually being filmed in South Africa - a decision that led Nigeria's information minister to launch an investigation.

While the howls of protests from outraged Big Brother fans soon died down, the clamour over Nigeria's leader's extended medical stay in London is not going away.

President Buhari's absence comes as Africa's most populous nation is gripped by its worst economic crisis in decades, and faces the threat of famine in north-east Nigeria, which has been devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency.

And unlike Big Brother, there are no constant updates - in fact, President Buhari, 74, has not given a single interview since arriving in the UK.

Instead, the Nigerian public is relying on pictures - posted on Twitter - of their leader meeting senior UK officials as proof that he still is alive.

The latest statement issued by the government said there was "no cause for worry" about the president's health but his medical leave was being extended.

His month-long stay so far has angered some Nigerians after he promised to crackdown on "medical tourism" by officials last year.

Last June, President Buhari spent nearly two weeks in London receiving treatment for an ear infection.

But the bigger issue this time is that officials have repeatedly refused to disclose his illness and are not saying when he will return to Nigeria.

'Urgent decisions'

In a country where rumours are rife, the presidential statements have done little to dampen the speculation about the leader's health.

Nigerians are acutely sensitive to leaders travelling abroad for medical reasons after President Umaru Yar'Adua died while in office in 2010.

For months, the public was kept in the dark while he received treatment in Saudi Arabia.

The period of uncertainty created deep political instability in the country.

The current president's supporters say that is emphatically not the case this time.

They point to the fact that President Buhari constitutionally handed over power to his vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo, as he has done on previous trips, rather than governing from afar.

He did take one phone call while in London, however, from the US President Donald Trump - the first between the two leaders.

"There is no vacuum at the top," says political analyst Jibrin Ibrahim.

"President Buhari takes his constitutional role seriously, and has not personalised power, unlike other African leaders.

Lack of authority?

"My chief criticism is that his government has been acting like it has all the time in the world, when in fact urgent decisions needed to be made in regard to the economy."

But, perhaps, one of the most striking things about President Buhari's absence has been the go-getting style of the acting leader.

Yemi Osinbajo is preparing to launch an economic recovery plan.

He also led a high-profile delegation to the Niger Delta to voice support for a government agreement with local militants groups that have seriously disrupted the region's oil production.

But critics say that despite all his activity, the vice-president has no real authority.

"He cannot perform because ministers and other political appointments are not obliged to be loyal to him as he didn't appoint them," said Isuwa Dogo, a political analyst, and a member of the opposition party.

"President Buhari is a public figure and there is no need for him to hide behind his health issues.

"I want him to be back in the county. If there are successes, he will get the credit. If there are failures, he will get the blame."

So, while Big Brother fans will know in April who has been crowned the series winner, for now, no-one seems to know when Nigeria's president will come back home.

8 Tips To Protect You From ATM Scams

Having highlighted five common ATM scams above, here are eight tips on how you can avoid being a victim. Knowledge, they say, is power:

1. Get in the habit of using the same ATM machine for your transactions. Become familiar with it and be able to recognise changes to the machine.

2. Use ATM machines inside banks rather than on the street where they ’re easier for thieves to access.

3. If you’ re visiting an unfamiliar ATM machine that is not inside a bank, examine it carefully for devices. Card or cash trapping devices need to be glued or taped to the card reader or cash dispenser. Look for ‘extra’ cameras beyond the basic and generally obvious ATM security camera.

4. Never rely on the help of strangers to retrieve a confiscated card.

5. Never use an ATM machine when other people are lingering.

6. Report confiscated cards immediately. If you can, don't leave the machine. Instead, call the bank from the ATM where your card was taken using a cell phone.

7. Don’t use ATM machines with extra signage or warnings posted on the machine.

8. Never follow a link in a supposed bank email notice. If you are wondering if your bank has really contacted you via email, then close the email and directly type your bank’s website address into your browser. Visit your account and look for update notices directly on your account or bank’s website. The email is almost always a phishing scam.
While ATM theft isn’t going to go away, the Global ATM Security Alliance reports that just .0016 per cent of all ATM transactions worldwide are affected by crime or fraud . Additionally, with a little bit of care and attention, you can avoid these scams and keep your money.

For more information on how to keep your bank account safe from predators , contact your bank.

Tekno May Have Sold His Soul To The Devil, See Reason.

We all know that the year has begun on the bright side for the TrippleMG songster, Tekno, who recently sealed a mammoth deal with Sonny Music. Even Wizkid and Davido, who have been running things on the international scene for about a year now have not gone close to sealing such deal. But Tekno, on the wings of Paul Okoye, the CEO of Upfront and Personal, just signed a $4million deal with Sonny Music.

This places him far over Davido and Wizkid in terms of cash, and questions have arisen as to how the singer suddenly bagged such mouth watering deal with the much coveted international music powerhouse. Only one thing has come to mind, and that's the possibility that the singer has crossed over to the other side.

Sony Music has been labeled devilish by many musicians in the past. The likes of the late legendary musician Michael Jackson came out openly to criticize the music powerhouse and its leadership, tagging them devilish. Barely some years after the singer made that revelation, he died. Going by this detail and much more, fans don't suppose that Tekno could attain such height with Sony Music without pledging his allegiance to the devil.

Latest Mtn Free 1gb Data Without Imei Tweaking 2017

Finally mtn has decided to put smile on some of there subscriber face by giving them free 1gb data, that will be valid for 7 days (a week). Note that this for free 1gb data from mtn doesn't involve imei tweaking. And like I said before is sim selective but am going to show you a trick to get yours !!

How to Get The Latest MTN Free 1GB Data without imei tweaking 2017
If you are on mtn zone you might have received the message from MTN that
Congratulations! You have been gifted FREE 1GB data, valid for 7 days, to surf the internet. Dial *449*2# to activate your offer.

Deal Zone, kindly dial the code above to get the latest mtn free 1gb data without tweaking your phone imei.

But if you are not on mtn zone or you didn't receive such message kindly Dial the code below to get your own free 1gb data from mtn Dial *449*2# on your phone to try and Activate the free data.

In less than a minute, you should receive a message just like the one below.
"Congratulations! You have been gifted FREE 1GB data, valid for 7 days, to surf the internet. Dial *449*2# to activate your offer. Deal Zone.

See The Biggest Ponzi Scheme After MMM Nigeria

MMM has made its made its impact on Nigerians and set the pace for other Ponzi schemes to follow including NNN Nigeria. 

People are being warned everyday of the dangers of joining these online quick cash schemes, but amidst the ongoing recession, stagnant salaries and the ever-increasing cost of goods and services in Nigeria, people have no choice but to look for other means of making quick money to cater for their daily needs.

According to their website , NNN Nigeria started around October 2016, and has been paying people 35% on their initial donation for local currency (i.e. Naira) and just recently introduced 55% for Bitcoin payments in January.

The payout time for the interest is 21 days. But really why would people still fall for this. Well, its all about the money ain’t it?

• 16hrs daily customer support from 7am - 11pm —> Online consultants help users to solve any issues, inquiries etc.

• About 50,000 - 75,000+ daily page views
• Estimated user base of about 100,000 users.
• As at 20th Feb, 2017 the website claims to have paid out over NGN 3,177,049,500 and $634,160 BTC. :-))

A lot of promotional videos have been done for this website in order to attract a lot of users to it.

Amry Arrested Two Boko Haram Members,15 Others In Kogi State

The Nigerian Army on Wednesday paraded 17 suspected criminals including two Boko Haram members arrested in Okene, Kogi State.

The suspects were paraded before journalists at the Command Army Record in Lokoja with various dangerous weapons, including 10 AK 47 rifles, locally made guns, 12 masks of different sizes, munitions, a local dagger knife, pump action guns, grenade and five Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs).

The Commandant, Army Records, Brig.-Gen. Henry Ayamasaowea, while parading the suspects said in the last three weeks, troops have been working round the clock alongside other security agencies in the state to end kidnapping and the invasion by insurgents.

He said all the 17 suspects, including Fulani bandits terrorizing the area were arrested in Okene and environs, noting that following the capture of Sambisa forest by the military, many of the insurgents have invaded Kogi State.

“Boko-Haram members have scattered and many of them have made their ways to Kogi State. We took the security situation very serious and that is why we went after them,” he said.

Police Arrest 15 FUTO Students Over Violent Protest

No fewer than 15 students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), in Imo, were arrested following violent protests in the institution on Friday, last week.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the arrest in Owerri on Monday, said that the students were arrested for vandalism and looting of the university property.

Enwerem said that the students would be charged to court when investigations into the incident had been concluded.

He dismissed claims by the students that the protest turned violent when policemen allegedly fired teargas at them.

He said the police intervened at the instance of the school management when the protest degenerated into violence.

The students embarked on the protest over alleged increase in their school fees.
The university facilities were damaged by the protesting students who also made away with some valuables.

One of them, Chinedu Nwakuche, alleged that the university increased fees for first year students from N48, 000 to N54, 000 per session while second and third year fees increased from N32, 000 to N49,000.

According to him, fees for students of fourth and final years also went up from N28, 000 to 39,000, while acceptance fees has gone up to N45,000 from N25,000.

Nwakuche said that students now paid as much as N1,500 to register a course every semester.

The Public Relations Officer of FUTO, Mr Chike Ezenwa, said the management of the university would comment after determining the extent of the damages.

LAUTECH Lectures Suspended 8 Months Old Strike

Lecturers at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso have suspended their eight months old strike.
Dr Biodun Olaniran, Chairman, LAUTECH chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), announced the suspension of the strike in a statement on Wednesday in Ogbomoso.

ASUU said that the strike was suspended following the union’s congress held on Tuesday at the university.

“After comparing the demands of the union and what the management has met out of the demands, and after extensive deliberations on the struggle so far, the union has resolved to suspend the strike immediately,” Olaniran said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the institution had been shut since the lecturers went on strike eight months ago.

The union had embarked on the strike over unpaid salaries and allowances, as well as the failure of the owner states of Oyo and Osun to release subventions to the institution.

LAUTECH Vice Chancellor, Prof. Seleiman Gbadegesin, recently told newsmen that the two owner state governments had paid N584 million out of the N7.6 billion they owed the institution.

NAN reports that the owner states had in October 2016 set up a visitation panel in their efforts to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

The panel, headed by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has submitted its report.

House Of Rep Investigate Scarcity/High Price In Cooking Gas

The House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday mandated its Committee on Gas Resources and Petroleum Downstream to investigate reasons for the scarcity and incessant hike in the price of cooking gas.

This followed a motion by Rep. Sergius Ogun (PDP-Edo) which was unanimously adopted by members through a voice vote.

Moving the motion, Ogun explained that the price of the cooking gas had been subjected to incessant hikes with the various players in the sector trading blames.

He explained that the players ended up doing nothing to stem the rise in price which was usually preceded by the scarcity of the product.

According to him, in 2016, the price of 2.5 kilogramme of gas increased from N2,700 to between N3, 500 and N4,000, depending on the vendor.

“The same quantity of the product is currently selling between N5, 000 to N6,000, he said.

Ogun expressed worry that the lack of information as to the exact reason for the constant scarcity and hike in the price of the product did not go well for the nation.

This, he explained, had given the impression that the sector was completely unregulated.

‘Hike in kerosene price will aggravate environmental challenges’
He noted that citizens were at the mercy of the players in the cooking gas industry.

“If the reason for the incessant hike in price and the scarcity of gas which is locally produced without any foreign exchange component is not investigated, the citizens will be further impoverished by the hike in price.

“If not checked, the citizens can also be forced to adopt alternative but less healthy methods of cooking,” he said.

In his contribution, the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Yusuf Lasun, blamed the hike in the price of cooking gas on the activities of the militants in the Niger Delta region.

He added that the issue went beyond the price of cooking gas but also had effects on the country’s economy.

Lasun, therefore, called for more efforts to address the restiveness in the region.

Rep. Bashir Babale (APC-Kano) in his contribution decried the hike in the price of cooking gas, kerosene and coal as the common man could not afford it.

Also, Rep. Aminu Shagari (APC-Sokoto) said that the parliament needed to do something as the hardship was becoming unbearable for Nigerians.