Electricity: Protesters hijack IKEDC customers' meeting

Aggrieved residents on Saturday 22 March stormed the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC, customers’ meeting with the Ikotun community residents to express their displeasure over the non supply of electricity by the energy company to their communities.

Residents, mainly youths from the Oke-afa area and Diamond Estate stormed the hall at the Samkoll Gardens venue uninvited raising placard in protest, and marching round mounting their displeasure to the energy distribution company.

In the Business Manager, IKEDC, Engr. Ifeanyichukwu Ifeacho’s address delivered before the protest highjack, he acknowledged that the quality of services has not hit the expected levels, since some area are suffering from lack of energy supply for days.

He said, “ it is worthy of note  that our quality of service has not hit the most expected level as there were numbers of occasions when some areas suffer from lack of electricity supply for hours, days and weeks.”

Ifeacho, however, attributed disruption to energy supply to natural occurrences and activates of vandals that has not been put under check.

On the plans of the company to improve power supply, the power manger informed of the immediate plan to step up the transformer at Ejigbo and other areas.

 “ I must let you know that the problematic 30M.V.A transformer in Ejigbo whose capacity weight can no longer carry the now expansive network has been replaced with 100M.V.A and will be commission by month end.

“I must confess to you that the good times are here already. The management procured some transformers to replace the failed ones at the following locations recently…the long time benefits of these laudable projects cannot be over-emphasized,” he said concluding that he believes the communities will reciprocate these gestures by paying their bills promptly.

Engr. Ifeacho, afterwards, informed the customers that they still have huge debts profiles, which most customer have refused to pay under the guise that power supply has not improved.

According to him, “we still have a debt profile of 56 million naira and NON MD- of over 3 billion. Most customers have come under the cover of erratic power supply and have over

Policeman's Children, beat Pregnant Woman to Coma, Attack Husband

Medical doctors in an undisclosed private hospital at Idimu area of Lagos are currently battling to save the life of a pregnant woman, Mrs. Gloria James who was allegedly beaten to a state of coma by children of a Mobile Policeman attached to MOPOL 20, Inspector Richard Ekpo.

Unfortunately, for the woman, efforts by doctors to save her two months pregnancy failed.

Mrs. Gloria Oluwatomiwa James was allegedly attacked by one of the policeman's son identified simply as Olorunda in front of her shop at Idimu Mammy market during a verbal confrontation.

Trouble, as gathered, started when she demanded for an apology from Olorunda whom she said stepped on her while he was going to smoke Indian hemp from a local dealer around her shop.

Rather than apologise, Olorunda, as gathered, reportedly was not any remorseful but confronted her. He allegedly pounced on the pregnant woman for daring to ask him to apologise and gave her a thorough beating. Consequently she was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to her, "Last Friday, I was sitting in front of my boutique because there was no light, when a young man came to buy Indian hemp from one of the local dealers around. As he was trying to sneak in to avoid being seen, he stepped on my feet. As I bent to move his leg, he asked why I was touching him rather than apologise.”

Even when I showed him the sand from the sole of his slippers that was still on my feet, he still insisted that he didn't step on me. An argument ensued during which he threatened to deal ruthlessly with me if I opened my mouth to talk again. Before I could respond, he slapped and started hitting me.

"Other shop owners who came to rescue me from his grips withdrew immediately they discovered he was the one. This is because everyone is afraid of him in that area. That was how he continued to hit me, even when I ran inside my shop. It took the intervention of a policeman in uniform to rescue me from him."

When her husband went to report the ugly development to

Husband requests son's custody in court, ask wife to leave house

THE case between estranged couple, Mr Fatai Ajiboye and Mrs Beverly Ajiboye, came up on Wednesday at the Abule Egba Magistrate's Court, with parties ordered to meet with the Welfare Office over the custody of the lone child between them.

Both parties failed to reach a compromise on issues relating to child custody, compensations and damages, with the magistrate, T. A. Elias, directing them to the Welfare Office for further discussion.

It was gathered that the plaintiff, Mr Fatai Ajiboye, through his lawyer, Mr Murtala Lawal, denied all allegations of torture and maltreatment that his wife leveled against him.

He also reportedly requested the court to grant him custody of the only issue produced by the union  a boy of less than four years of age. He was also said to have requested that his wife, Mrs Beverly Ajiboye, vacate their house in Ayobo area of Lagos State, where she currently resides.

Those were the conditions Mr Ajiboye had reportedly tabled before the magistrate, as a response to the demands made by Mrs Beverly Ajiboye, who had asked that he (Mr Ajiboye) should be made to be responsible for all the medical expenses incurred in the process of treating herself as a result of her ordeal.

Mrs Ajiboye had also requested that she be paid damages for the trauma she had been made to go through in the hands of her husband.

Police shut down Church for Burying A Two-Year-Old Baby Alive

The Nigeria Police has sealed off the Christ Gospel Apostolic Church located in Egbeda area of Lagos and arrested the pastor for allegedly burying a two-year-old baby, alive.

Report says policemen attached to the Idimu Division invaded the church recently and exhumed the body of the victim for autopsy and subsequently arrested the pastor of the church whose name was given as Dare Ogunloye.

It was gathered that the Divisional Police Officer, Mike Ochuko, ordered his men to exhume the corpse from the church premises for autopsy.

Sources said the traditional ruler of Egbeda kingdom, Oba Samson Balogun who waded into the case had called on the Lagos State Government to shut the church if the allegation was true.

The man of God met his Waterloo when a resident close to the church who had gone out to ease himself at about 2 am saw the man burying the child within the church premise.

The Pastor is currently been detained at the police station.

State Power Plants Already Making Impact

The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, said that the power plants constructed in the state are already making impact in different sectors of the economy.
Addressing the stakeholders at the Lagos Economic Summit, Governor Fashola said that the two power plants at Alausa and Lagos Island, constructed after the last summit, had improved power supply in hospitals, 14 schools, police commands and some courts.
“The power plants generated 259 jobs during the construction alone.  It has impacted security in the state and over 42 streets have been lit-up across the state.
“About 198 generators have been decommissioned,” he said.
The governor, however, emphasised the need for more of such power plants to help boost power supply in the state which requires over 10,000 megawatts of electricity to meet demand.
It is currently getting only 1,000 megawatts from the national grid.

Governor Fashola pointed out that a study conducted by the State government among 22 traders in Iyana Ipaja area of the state, before and after lighting up some streets, showed that their average monthly incomes grew by 42 per cent, from 78,000 Naira to 110, 760 Naira, a development he said highlighted the impact power could have on the income of Nigerians if adequately provided.
He stressed that the traders attributed

Nigeria is in danger of Ebola virus

The Ebola Virus Disease, which has caused the death of scores of people in Central and West Africa may be heading towards Nigeria, the Federal Government has said.
Over 100 people have died from the disease in Guinea, while about 10 deaths have also been recorded in Liberia. Mali, Ghana, and other West African countries have also reported cases of the disease. The disease is believed to be spread through physical contact or contact with fluid of infected persons.
The World Health Organisation said, recently, that it expects the disease to continue in West Africa for the next few months.
Speaking to journalists after the weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation, FEC, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, however, said no case of the disease has been reported in Nigeria.
“Like you pointed out, Ebola has been moving eastward towards Nigeria. We are already facing danger from Central African Republic, even with what is happening in Congo; people are also migrating to Chad and Cameroon are also in our borders.
“So Nigeria is in danger,” the minister said.
Mr. Chukwu said the federal government will now do more to educate Nigerians on the Ebola virus.

“As I speak to you, we have already approved for jingles to be produced in various languages; produced for Nigerian Centre for Disease Control to be aired on Radio, TV and newspaper adverts.
“Then we are working with all groups, just like we are doing for polio, religious bodies, communities, traditional rulers and the media, which is most important in this venture. You (media) will help us to play your role by educating Nigerians,” he said.
The Health Minister also said there is no vaccine for the disease yet and “so it's not a question of government has not produced vaccines for Ebola or Lassa fever.
“If there were vaccines, government will certainly buy a stock and keep. There is no specific treatment.”
Mr. Chukwu explained that both Ebola and Lassa fever could be spread through animals.
“We know what spreads infection for Lassa is a special type of rat in Nigeria; the ones for Ebola are bats that even some Nigerians see it as bush meat.
“And bats eat fruits as well and so sometimes if you go and pluck fruits that they have contaminated with the virus so someone can get infected.”
The minister advised Nigerians to take their personal hygiene seriously.
“So all the things we said still apply. Personal hygiene: make sure that after every ceremony you wash your hands.
“The first thing I do after returning from work is to wash my hands before hugging my children or anybody; it is very important. The second thing is that before you eat wash your hands again, the fruits must be washed,

Bomb Blast in Nyanya Again

AS Nyanya struggles to recover from the recent bomb explosion which killed over 75 persons and wounded many others, another device exploded near the site of previous explosion, killing over 30 people.

This was confirmed in a statement issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The statement added that many others were injured.

It was also gathered that 11 unconscious victims were being attended to at an unknown hospital.

An eyewitness also confirmed that 30 dead bodies were lying on the streets after the explosion rocked the town on Thursday evening.

The perpetrators appeared to have targeted the temporary bus station which was created less than 100 metres from the main Nyanya Bus Terminal which was earlier bombed.

The scene is also a short distance from a military check point set up after the first explosion to detect bombs.

The blast on Thursday around 8.30 p.m. happened as many commuters were boarding buses to the city centre, with many of them caught in it.

A combined team of emergency services providers, including men NEMA, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police, were seen attending to victims.

Nyanya was a chaotic environment following the blast, as hundreds of onlookers rushed to the scene before they were dispersed by a detachment of military personnel.

While the crime scene had been cordoned off, people were seen going about their normal

My Super Eagles 23-man squad to Brazil 2014

The world, Nigeria football fans and the local media are waiting impatiently for Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi to make public a 30-man provisional list of players that will carry the weight of over 170 million people at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.I laughed in boredom following wide reports that a 40-man list would be release in the first week of April, but it never happened.To further show the anticipation of Super Eagles fans, another report started rolling out from the media that a list of 35 players will be released on April 22 after a meeting between Keshi and the leadership of the Nigerian FA.That again left a bitter feeling on most Nigerians as they were disappointed that they have to wait a little longer, with Keshi reportedly calling on the public to disregard any forged list being circulated.Following their success story at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa after 19 years, it is expected that a huge number of fans will throw their weight behind Keshi and his boys when hostilities get underway in June.Now as we await the ‘real’ 30-man provisional list of Keshi between May 10 and 13, (that will be pruned to a final 23), I will not waste time but name my final 23 players that I deem fit, capable, and willing to put on the green and white jersey of the Super Eagles, and give Nigeria a befitting representation at the 2014

FIFA World Cup in Brazil.Team AVincent Enyeama (Lille, France), Joseph Yobo (Norwich, England), Elderson Echiejile (AS Monaco, France), Efe Ambrose (Celtic, Scotland), Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough, England), Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio, Italy), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea, England), Victor Moses (Liverpool, England), Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce, Turkey).Team BAustin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel), Dele Alampasu, Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor, Turkey), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria), Ebenezer

Lagos closes illegal health centres

Lagos State has closed substandard hospitals and illegal pharmacies across the state for failure to comply with set standards.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said the 28 hospitals were closed for various offences such as the use of auxiliary nurses and poor environment among other reasons.

The commissioner added that the Taskforce on Fake, Counterfeit Drugs and Unwholesome Process Foods during the raid of illegal pharmacies in Lagos shut down 319 substandard pharmacies as they were not registered and breached the health standard rules.

He meanwhile said the State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), in the last year renewed the registration of 1 089 private health facilities and monitored 1 182 health facilities, of which 114

were found wanting and served with closure notices.

Nigerians demand rescue of kidnapped girls

Abuja - Nigerian activists planned to march on parliament Wednesday to demand the government and military do more to rescue scores of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists more than two weeks ago.

The protest, dubbed "a million woman march" and promoted on Twitter under #BringBackOurGirls, will not likely to draw a massive crowd.

But organiser Hadiza Bala Usman told AFP that the turn-out was less important than raising awareness about the plight of the hostages whose 14 April abduction at gunpoint from their school in the northeast has outraged Africa's most populous nation.


"We have put the word out on social media and we hope people will come. But even if only 10 people come, it will