Sex keeps you healthy

Men who have sex at least twice in a week can almost halve their risk of heart disease, according to new research. This study was conducted with over 1,000 men.

Sex is an activity that involves intense physical and emotional elements. Sexual intercourse may be a marker for a healthy heart because sex can be a form of physical activity which, like exercise, gives your heart a workout. People who have a desire for frequent sex, and are able to do so, are likely healthier overall; especially because men who have regular sex may also be in a supportive relationship, which offers stress reduction and emotional benefits.

The medical world is finding that regular sex is so good for you that when you go to see a doctor, they are asking many questions about your sex life to give them an indication of your overall health. Apparently, sex is not only good for your heart, it also keeps many other illnesses away.

For example, sex can actually cause you to get fewer colds. Research has shown that couples who have sex weekly have a 30 percent increase in immunoglobulin A, an antibody that fights infection. Sex can also help women have a more predictable period schedule, as a result of being exposed to male pheromones.

In addition, having sex reduces stress — for physiological as well as emotional reasons. Anything that will reduce stress is good for you, as too much stress can lead to many diseases, including cancer. Sex activates a nerve that has a calming effect. Having sex also lowers blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

Sex can even reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol! The following are other good health results that a good sex life can give you:

• Fewer colds because of an increase in immunoglobulin A, an antibody that fights infection

• Women can get more predictable periods because of exposure to male pheromones

• A better physical response to stress

• Lower blood pressure, which lowers your risk of heart disease

• Lower your bad cholesterol and increase your good cholesterol

• Help tone your abdomen and pretty much any muscle in your body

• Natural increases in estrogen, thus improving the appearance of your hair, skin and nails

• Improve your memory because blood flow  increases to your brain

• Increased feelings of motivation because of the release of endorphins

As you can see, a good sex life is one way to stay happy, healthy and fit. So, if your doctor starts grilling you about your bedroom habits, now at least you know why.

And this is actually only the tip of the iceberg. Sex has also been found to boost self-esteem and improve intimacy in your relationship. This is because sex and orgasms result in increased levels of the hormone oxytocin — the “love” hormone — that helps you feel bonded to your partner.

As oxytocin increases, so do hormones known as endorphins, which in turn lessens feelings of pain related to everything from headaches and arthritis to symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, PMS. It can also help you to get a better night’s sleep.

Further, for women, having sex can help strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor (the same ones used to stop urination). As you age, having strong pelvic floor muscles reduces your risk of accidents.

Of course, these benefits are assuming you’re having sex with a mutually monogamous partner, otherwise you risk catching a sexually transmitted disease.

Sexual pleasure begins in your brain

Your brain and nervous system control your sex glands and genitals, and this is why they also control your sexual desire, as well as orgasms. This is why, for example, visual images trigger sexual desire in both sexes.

Your brain stem also emits nerve impulses that control erectile function. These nerve impulses navigate through the erection centre of your spinal column to the erectile tissue of your penis, where they trigger a chain reaction in the membranes of your vascular muscle cells. This sophisticated chain reaction is dependent on a messenger molecule called cyclic guanosine monophosphate, or cGMP.

However, this works in reverse as well: an erection softens as soon as another enzyme, called phosphodiesterase, starts to degrade the cGMP molecules.

Drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis work by inhibiting phosphodiesterase, which may help maintain your erection. But, these pills will not create an erection in and of themselves. Your initial erection still has to be triggered psychologically. Without that initial impetus, potency pills will have no effect whatsoever. This is also why these pills are ineffective for many men who take them hoping for a magic jack-in-the box effect.

As you might suspect, because your sexuality is so intimately tied to your mind, anxiety, defensiveness, fear, and failure of communication are all destructive psychological forces that can take a heavy toll on your libido, whether you’re a man or a woman, by acting as road blocks to desire.

According to Professor Gert Holstege of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, fear and anxiety need to be avoided at all costs if a woman wishes to have an orgasm.

To be concluded

OLADAPO ASHIRU 

Kenya's President Launches Website to Report Corruption Directly to Him.

Sometime back i had an idea of naming and shaming people who take or receive the bribes through technology. Due to other commitment I let the idea rest for a future date. Well, the other day i found out that someone also was thinking on the same line.

Meet  www.ipaidabribe.or.ke,  a wesite crowd sourcing the guilty ones.  The website is aiming to to tackle corruption through the collective energy and goodness of Kenyans. many a time Kenyans see corruption as a problem within the government but the reality is corruption is much deeper problem rooted  to the core our values. Government officials only involve with corrupt practices because they know they can easily get away with such evil acts.

That is where the citizens come in. If every Kenyan starts looking at  corruption as evil act which is derailing  everything good about Kenya and something which needs to fought through all means necessary then…then….  The reality is, majority of people look for short cuts and easily pay bribe when in trouble or when they want something to be done in their favour.



Back to the site. You can report on the nature, number, pattern, types, location, frequency and values of actual corrupt acts on this ipaidbribe. The report of the people paying or receiving bribes across the country gives snapshot of the most corrupt places in Kenya.  Can this help Kenya ? I hope so, as the guys behind the site intend to use the reports from the site to  argue for improving governance systems and procedures, tightening law enforcement and regulation and thereby reduce the scope for corruption in obtaining services from the government.

And they are appealing for you to register and report any recent or old bribes you have paid. As always the first step of getting rid of a bad habit is accepting the problem. You paid bribe or taken one? Head there and report it!!

Structure of the site:

On the site there are bribe stories, where to report the bribe and the reports about the corruption from different towns in Kenya

Bribe fighters:

This the part of the site collecting the details of the bribe paid or not paid. Other details included are the location, the name and the nature of the bribes given or taken.

Bribe Analytic:

For those who love graphs and info-graphs the site gives you a  great analysis about the corruption in Kenya.

Naval Officers Beat Teacher to Coma in Ogun

About six naval officers Wednesday in Abeokuta beat one of the teachers at the Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Mr. Rashid Ibrahim, to a state of coma following an argument.

Ibrahim, who teaches Food and Nutrition at the school, located in Abeokuta, was said to have been rescued by another officer after which he was later rushed to the school clinic.

The school Commandant, Commodore M. A. Olatunji, who declined to speak on the incident, said he would have to get clearance from the naval authorities before he could make any comment.

However, the victim who spoke with journalists on his sick bed, complained of pains all over his body.

While narrating his ordeal, he said he was beaten for no just cause, adding that  the officers accused him of abusing one of them.

He said:  "Almost all the parts of my body are in pains; the major ones are my head and my back. My ribs are affected and I have bruises in my mouth because they gave me blows on my mouth."
On how it happened, he said: "When I got to the gate of my office this morning, normally when you get there, a rating officer will check your car. So, I was expecting them to come out, they didn't come out.

"There were two buses at the gate blocking the entrance. I called one of the officers, Aliyu, to ask for what was going on, but in the process, he just flared up.

"Suddenly, another rating officer, Oyerinde, who was at the security post, threw a stone on my car.   They were later joined by the most senior officer, Mr. Shodiya, ordered that the men should beat me and they all pounced on me.

"They used their iron belts to beat me and dragged me on the floor. They used sticks and every other available thing to beat me. People tried to stop them, but they refused until the commandant came out to stop them."

However, an eyewitness, who is the sports master of the school, Mr. Mathew Oduronbi, said the trouble started following an argument that ensued between the victim and one of the rating officers identified as Aliyu.

Man Tackles Hospital for Wife, Baby’s Death During Birth

A 46-year-old tipper driver, Yesiru Ajayi, has accused a private hospital, Iyaniwura Medical Centre, of killing his pregnant wife while conducting an operation on her.

Neither the mother nor the child survived the incident, which occurred on October 25 2013, in the Mowe area of Ogun State.

The hospital management also allegedly demanded the payment of N156,000 from the father of four, before the corpse would be released to him.

Our correspondent learnt that the bill resulted in a fracas in the hospital as relatives of the deceased fought with the doctors and nurses.

The atmosphere was still sober when PUNCH Metro visited the bereaved Ajayi at his Mowe residence on Wednesday. He was surrounded by sympathisers.

He said, “We were married for 11 years and  blessed with four kids. The first time, we had twins; so that’s why she was called Iya Ibeji.

“Rashidat was initially registered with the Sagamu General Hospital. Because of the doctors’ strike, I had to register her at Iyaniwura.”

Ajayi told PUNCH Metro that 40-year-old Rashidat had undergone two different scans. The first was done when the pregnancy was three months and again at seven months. They were allegedly told by the clinic that all was well.

Two weeks before Rashidat died, however, she reportedly complained of pains all over her body and was taken to the hospital. She was already past her Expected Date of Delivery.

“She told me it was not labour pain. After she saw the doctor, he told her to come back on Friday (last week). He said if she still did not feel any labour pain, that he would give her a drug to induce labour.

“Although I was surprised to hear that, but since I was not a specialist, I couldn’t say anything,” Ajayi added.

He said on the appointed day, he went to work and asked his brother to take his wife to the hospital. This was around 9am.

Ajayi said when he got to the hospital at 8pm, Rashidat was still in the labour room and complaining of severe pains.

 After two hours of waiting at the hospital reception, the presiding doctor allegedly rushed in and told Ajayi that they needed to buy blood.

“He told me the situation was getting worse and she was already bleeding so I gave them N10, 000 to buy blood.

 “I was also asked to sign some papers so they could carry out an operation on her. This I did. After a while, the doctor later called me to say that Rashidat did not make it. I thought I was dreaming,” Ajayi recalled.

He alleged that his wife’s death was caused by the drug she was given to induce labour. He also said the baby girl,  whom the doctors delivered, was still alive when he saw her. However, a few moments later, he observed a nurse blocking the baby’s nose, saying she had died.

A relative, Nurat Akande, implored the state government to investigate the activities of the hospital.

She said, “A medical doctor was already operating on Rashidat before another medical personnel was invited.

“We know our fate is sealed, but this should not continue. Many people who don’t have money will continue to fall victim if nothing is done about it.”

The Medical Director of Iyaniwura Medical Centre, was said to have travelled to Abeokuta when PUNCH Metrocalled at the hospital at Ogunjobi Falana Close, Mowe.

A doctor on duty, Ogechukwu Nnarom, however, dismissed the claim that the hospital was not competent to perform the surgery.

He said, “The owner of the hospital is a licensed consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology. The three doctors here are all qualified and we have been in this area for over 10 years. We are arguably the best around here. The woman in question had been coming for ante-natal checks.

“The problem was that she had had many children, so her uterus had expanded. She was in labour when she came that day and everything was fine until the uterus stopped contracting.

“She started bleeding because her uterus had ruptured.  The surgery was meant to save Rashidat’s life, not to bring out the baby. We asked for four units of blood, but they were only able to provide one. She died on the table while we were trying to repair the uterus.”

Nnarom made no mention of any drug given to Rashidat to induce labour. He also made no mention of the money demanded by the hospital before the corpse would be released.

Evans resigns as Etisalat CEO

Steven Evans

Steven Evans has resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian subsidiary of Emirates Telecommunications Corporation operating as Etisalat in the country.

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Evans resigned last month and returned home to the United Kingdom after leading the company for most of its five years in existence.

The Chief Commercial Officer, Matthew Willsher, was appointed as acting CEO in his place, the spokesperson for Etisalat Nigeria, Ms. Chineze Amanfo, was quoted as saying this by telephone on Wednesday.

Willsher did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comments and Evans’ Etisalat e-mail bounced back, according to Bloomberg.

Abu Dhabi-based parent Etisalat didn’t immediately respond to calls and e-mails seeking comments.

Evans was appointed in December 2008, two months after Etisalat began full commercial operations in Nigeria, according to the company’s website.

Prior to that, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the London-based BT Group Plc (BT/A)’s mobile unit.

Etisalat is the fourth largest mobile phone operator in Nigeria.

The company had 15.3 million subscribers as of June 2013, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Kirikiri Prison Escapee Caught With 20 Stolen Cars

The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended a 32-year-old convict, Kingsley Chibuzor, for snatching over 20 cars between 2011 and 2013.

Chibuzor was said to have escaped few months into his sentence from the Kirikiri Medium Prison in 2011, where he was serving a term for malicious damage.

After his escape, the suspect was said to have specialised in snatching cars in Lagos, Anambra and Ebonyi states but met his waterloo when he was arrested by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Lagos.

He was arrested alongside two members of his gang; Ozoemena Enebeli and Prince Nwafor.

Chibuzor said, “I was arrested and sent to prison for malicious damage. My prison sentence was supposed to be for three years but I spent only some months there. One day, around 4am, I told a prison official to help me get kerosene and he left the door to our prison open.

“I was able to sneak into a particular area of the building and jumped over the fence. The area was dark and nobody saw me. From there, I trekked to Ojo Barracks to visit my mother but when she asked how I left prison, I did not answer her.”

The father of four said he relocated to Imo State for about six months so as to evade prison officials and policemen, who were on his trail.

 He however said he returned to Lagos soon after because he could not survive in the village.

He said, “I became a commercial bus driver and every day, I delivered N5,000 to my boss while I made about N1,500. Sometimes, I also operated heavy duty equipment at my free time and I was paid for it.

“The money was not enough to sustain my family. I met Ozo (Enebeli) at a beer parlour in Mile 2 on a particular day. We became close friends because we spoke the same language and we decided to become armed robbers. I ‘organised’ N40,000 and bought two guns from Benin Republic.

“Our first operation was at Surulere in Lagos. A man was about to enter into his compound and we snatched his Toyota Camry 2000 model from him and we sold it for N200, 000.”

Chibuzor told PUNCH Metro that he never killed any of his victims but only snatched their cars from them after which he would sell them cheap.

He said he continued to work as a bus driver but only robbed whenever he was broke.

“We snatched a Toyota Highlander jeep as the owner was returning from a beer parlour in Asaba.  We sold it at N400,000 even though its value was over N1m. We snatched a Toyota Camry in Onistha, Anambra, and a RAV 4 jeep at the Igando area of Lagos. We sold the RAV 4 for N150,000.

“While transporting the Highlander to one of our associates in Ebonyi, we saw a Toyota FJ Cruiser and we snatched the vehicle from its owner. The vehicle is worth over N3m but we sold it for N500,000,” Chibuzor recalled.

The suspect was however arrested at the Igando area of Lagos while he was attempting to snatch another vehicle and meet with a buyer.

Through his arrest, the police were able to apprehend Enebeli, who was in Ghana.

Enebeli, in his defence, said he had given up robbery and had relocated to Ghana but was lured back to the country for one more robbery operation.

He said, “I am into computer graphics but I lost my job in 2010; that was when I met with Chibuzor. We carried out many robbery operations but we never killed anyone. We never even kidnapped.

“One day in Igando, a man left the key in his ignition and wanted to open the gate to his house when Chibuzor and I quickly jumped in and drove off. It was later that we realised that the man’s girlfriend was even in the vehicle.

“But we did not attack her; we let her go because we are not bad boys. I had even given up robbery and had settled in Ghana where I was living well and was even sending money to my wife and children. I was only tempted to come for one more operation.”

The Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone, adding that the matter would soon be charged to court.

Stella Oduah armoured car scandal House Committee hearing – Live Update

The House of Representatives committee on Aviation, will today conclude hearing on the purchase of two armoured cars for the aviation minister, Stella Oduah, for N255 million.

The hearing was adjourned from yesterday, Wednesday, to allow the aviation minister attend. The minister was expected at the Wednesday hearing but was absent because she was away in Israel for a bilateral air service agreement signing.

The highlight of today’s hearing would be the minister’s appearance. Her absence at the hearing yesterday angered many lawmakers who said it would be her last opportunity to be heard.

I'm linking up PREMIUM TIMES’ National Assembly correspondent, Ini Ekott, to provide you with updates as they unfold from the hearing room.

Refresh your browser to get latest updates.

14:25

Hearing Ends. Thanks for following our updates. Do stick around our site for the rest of the day as we will put the proceeding in their correct perspective for you.

14:22

Reps wrapping the hearing. Chairperson Onyejeocha said despite the testimonies from those invited since last week, the committee has received sufficient documents that will inform its report. “We have given everyone fair hearing,” she said.

“We assure everyone and all Nigerians we will do justice”.

14:14

Attention has left the minister for more than half an hour. Lawmakers again tackle Coscharis over the disparity in chassis numbers of the cars.

A frustrated Chief Executive of Coscharis, Cosmas Maduka,makes it clear his company has nothing to hide as the committee would think. “We are not doing monkey business here,” he asserted. Mr Maduka was asked to withdraw the comment and he promptly complied.

13:47

Jerry Manwe (Member) to minister: If the armoured cars were not for you as you claimed, who is using them now?

Former acting DG answers for minister: Any one can use any car in the pool

Manwe: Do you mean a cleaner can use those kind of cars?

Former DG: Anybody can use; but those kind of cars are for VIP movement, including foreign dignitaries, including the minister, and even you honourable member!

Manwe; Thank you. But the law of the country does not allow me to use those cars.

13:25

Blame briefly leaves the minister to officials of NCAA over “do the needful” directive. For a moment, lawmakers appear to agree with the minister the all-encompassing comment exonerates her. The former acting DG of NCAA is tackled for even initiating a memo to Odua for a purchase out of budget, and beyond approved limit.

13:08

Minister insists NCAA did not exceed its limit or violate the law.

She is reminded by by Jerry Manwe (Taraba state) that the National Assembly rejected armoured cars in the budget which she is defending, the minister buckles: “NCAA will answer that,” she says.

Minister is pressed by Zakari Mohammed(Kwara state) why she exceeded her approval limit, she said her comment on the letter to NCAA was not final but advisory to NCAA to follow the law.

On the said letter, the minister wrote “Approved. Do the needful”.

Brief game on semantics here. Minister says “Do the needful” could mean anything”. But the lawmakers are not having that. NCAA is called to explain the “needful” it did. And the NCAA director general shirks to the former acting DG who was in charge then.

12:51

The minister’s initial presentation is over. She is now receiving questions from the lawmakers.

12:40

The aviation minister still rendering her opening remarks.

The “First Bank facility to NCAA to the tune of N643 million mere understanding not an obligation” she daid.

“Nigeria’s airspace is now rate among the safest in the world”. She adds that allegation about car purchase is meant to discredit her team and give the impression her effort at reforms is not succeeding.

NCAA has not spent any money not appropriated by the National Assembly. The agency has even saved the nation a cost and further embarrassment that may occur in future.

12:34

Oduah: NCAA has real needs for new operational vehicles. Insists armoured cars not meant for her but foreign dignitaries.

“NCAA acted within the ambit of law”.

“Nothing in the stated documents mentioned my name. I did not request for any vehicles. All I did was to approve the purchase, subject to the agency doing the needful(following the law). NCAA followed due process as required by law.”

“The Federal ministry of aviation under my watch has always ensured we act in a prudent manner and under the ambit of the law”-Stella Oduah

12:19

“It is not true, cannot be true that NCAA bought bullet proof vehicles for honourable minister of aviation. My understanding is that what NCAA has done is to plan for its vehicle needs for the next three years under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework,” — Stella Oduah

12:17

Ms. Oduah says opportunity to appear will allow her give her side of the story. “For the past week, I have been bashed in the media, many have also risen to my defence.”

She said her spokesperson’s admission of the alleged purchase, while right on concerns for her safety, was “inaccurate”.

She goes ahead to say online publications that she compelled NCAA to purchase cars for her were “false and malicious” allegations. “False in its entirety!”

Says online allegations not substantiated but based on “erroneous” comment of her aide.

12:06

Onyejeocha quips on the tense mood here. “We are not mourning, there is no aeroplane crash; I want to see everyone smiling,” she says. “Feel free and relax.”

The minister is about to be called upon to testify. She takes oath to say “nothing but the truth, the whole truth.”

12:00

Hearing committee chairperson, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, gives her opening speech, explaining the delay in starting the hearing and that the committee would be just and fair.

Delay was because venue used for hearing on Wednesday had been taken over for a another hearing on Land racketeering.

“This committee is out to get to the bottom of the matter. But committee is not on ‘witch-hunting’”

11:56

Stella Oduah, the aviation minister has just taken her seat before the committee. The hearing begins.

11:40

The minister has finally arrived at the venue of the hearing, 100 minutes after the hearing was scheduled to kick off. The lawmakers now setting up to start the hearing.

N’Assembly ’ll frustrate national dialogue – Bishop Peter Adebiyi

Bishop Peter Adebiyi

The Bishop of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Lagos-West Diocese, Rt. Rev. Peter Adebiyi (retd.), has faulted the plan by President Goodluck Jonathan to send the outcome of the proposed national conference to the National Assembly.

He said the federal lawmakers posed a challenge to Nigeria and were not eligible to address the problems facing the country.

Adebiyi, while speaking on the state of the nation in Lagos on Tuesday, said those who had been part of Nigeria’s problems should not be allowed to be part of the solution providers.

He said the resolution of the proposed conference might suffer a setback, where the position of the conference was not favourable to the lawmakers at the National Assembly.

Adebiyi said, “I know that the National Assembly – the politicians – are 95 per cent part of the problem of this country. And if they are the problem, they cannot solve the problems themselves.

“What if we say this is the way we are going and they know that it cannot augur well with them. Are they not the same set of people who earn a lot of money in the national and state assemblies but cannot pay N18, 000 (minimum wage) to workers?

“If they know that they are not going to get all these things (allowances) with the kind of structure we want to make, definitely, they will scuttle it. They will not make it work.”

He said the previous conferences failed because the governments that convoked them had ulterior motives.

He alleged that the Federal Government had its agenda in the 2006 conference, which was opposed by participants. He said the refusal led to the indefinite suspension of the process.

Adebiyi said, “In 2006, it was the political conference that we had in Abuja. I was a member, representing the whole of Christians in the Western zone. We were there for about six weeks and it ended abruptly, when some agenda were slipped into our rooms.

“We saw the agenda and said ‘this is not part of what we have come to do.’ And then, what we heard the following day was the chairman who announced that the political forum had been adjourned. It was adjourned forever. We were sent home. Till today, there is nothing we have heard about it.”

Right-of-Way: Bayelsa demolishes Dickson’s private home

Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson

Bayelsa State Government on Wednesday demolished a one-storey private building owned by Governor Seriake Dickson because it obstructed the Right-of-Way as well as intruding on the state Capital City Master Plan.             .

The demolished building, which had been marked by the Capital City Development Authority on June 28, 2012, was situated along the Opolo/AIT Road, Yenagoa, the state capital.

The demolition, which began about 12.48 pm, was supervised by the Deputy Governor John Jonah; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence Ehwrudjakpor; Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Markson Fefegha; Commissioner for State Capital City Development; and Mr. Konugha Zuwa.

Other structures affected by the demolition exercise included that of the Director General of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS,  Dr. Temple Iluma.

Jonah told journalists that the location of the Governor’s house obstructed the Right-of-Way, hence there would be no compensation for him.

He said, “In line with the development control of the CCDA and urban renewal of the state, the government awarded contract for the dualisation of the road. Anyone who has built structures on the Right-of-Way should expect such buildings to be demolished.

“We have been talking about the master plan as well as some areas where we have to carry out urban renewal. For the master plan, we expect every builder to go and get clearance before he or she starts to build to see the extent that he can go outside the road.

“One of the houses we have found to have interfered with the plan of Yenagoa is this one-storey structure belonging to the Governor. On the advice of the CCDA that is concerned with development control of the state, the house was marked since last year for demolition. And you know we have awarded contract for the dualisation of the Opolo Road.”

However, some Yenagoa residents on Wednesday said the exercise was politically-motivated, notwithstanding that the governor’s house was affected.

The residents, who claimed that only a section of Dickson’s building was demolished, said the exercise was a strategy to enable the government to demolish buildings of perceived opponents without causing public outrage.

None of the complaining residents however agreed to be quoted.

In his comment, Ehwrudjakpor said the demolition had been on for some time and listed the affected areas to include Ovom, Igbogene, Imgbi, Diete_Spiff and Eradiri road expansion.

Anti-corruption protesters want Oduah jailed

Members of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders protesting at the Independent Corrupt Practices and other-Related Offences Commission office in Ikoyi, Lagos ... on Wednesday.

Protesters on Wednesday stormed the Lagos Office of the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission, requesting that the embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, be tried and jailed if found guilty.

The protesters, who stormed the ICPC office around 10.15am, defied confrontation by armed policemen who shot thrice into the air and civil defence officers to gain entrance into the premises of the commission.

Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adediran, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said that many lives had been lost due to corruption in the aviation sector.

He said, “The purchase of the bulletproof cars is outrageous. It is the ICPC that should deal with anything that has to do with official corruption. Their reaction has been that they have not got a petition to act and that  that is why investigation has not begun. Now we have submitted a petition, we want them to act.

“If Oduah is found guilty after the probe, we want her to go to jail; we want anybody found culpable to be prosecuted diligently, we want anybody found guilty to be adequately punished and until we get that we will not rest.

“It is saddening that the President who should set precedence for Nigerians to follow could be shielding the indicted and even include them in his entourage to Israel on holy pilgrimage. It is also not unlikely that Ms. Oduah is in the league of Mr. President’s benefactors.

“Though the President has set up a panel to investigate the allegations, but it must be noted that most of the time when President Jonathan sets up his panels, they are to bury the issues rather than bending it to justice.”

The protesters, who presented a petition to the ICPC,  prayed that investigations should be commenced into the activities of the minister; the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority; Nigerian Airspace Management Agency;  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria; and other relevant agencies under the Ministry of Aviation.

Chief Superintendent of ICPC in Lagos, Mr. Binga Shintema, who attended to the protesters, assured them that their petition would be acted on.

No regrets over clash with former CJN – Justice Salami

Retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami

Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress, including a former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and a former military Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday in Abuja, made a surprise appearance at the public presentation of a book written in honour of the retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.

The book titled, “Isa Ayo Salami: Through Life and Justice,” was written to mark Salami’s retirement from service.

The former PCA retired while still serving a suspension placed on him by the National Judicial Council following a disagreement he had with a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu.

The APC delegation, which arrived shortly after the commencement of the event, also included the party’s National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, the governors of Osun, Ekiti and Zamfara states, Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi, and Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, respectively.

Others include the APC party’s spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, as well as several national and state lawmakers in the party.

On behalf of ‘eleven progressive governors’ of the APC, Yari, the chief presenter, purchased 250 copies of the book in the sum of N55m.

According to him, the books are to be donated to Nigerian universities.

In an address at the event, Justice Salami, who retired after reaching 70 years on October 15, 2013, said he had no regrets for refusing to pervert the course of justice, as he was allegedly instructed by the former CJN, Justice Katsina-Alu, even though the development led to his suspension from office.

He said, “I realise the public interest that my feud with the NJC and former CJN Katsina-Alu generated. It is obvious that people want to know what the fuss was actually about, and briefly put, this is it.

“I was invited by the then CJN, Justice Katsina-Alu to his chambers on the 8th of February, 2010, using Justice Dahiru Musdapher’s phone, and when I got there, I met them together (Justice Musdapher was the next in line to him at the Supreme Court).

“He (Katsina-Alu) instructed me to direct the Justices of the Sokoto Appeal to dismiss the appeal of the Democratic Peoples Party governorship candidate and I responded that I could not do so.

“Contrary to the deposition of Justice Katsina-Alu that he called me into his Chambers in respect of leakage in the judgment of Sokoto matter which he gathered from petitions, there were no petitions against me or the Justices in the Sokoto Appeal Panel as at the 8th day of February, 2010, on Sokoto matter or any other matter.

“Ironically, the petitions in question only emerged on the 15th of February 2010, seven days after I had unequivocally informed the CJN that I would not direct a competent court on what its judgment should be.”

Justice Salami added that, after showing him the petitions on the 15th of February, Justice Katsina-Alu asked him to disband the Sokoto Appeal Panel in view of the petitions.

“I responded that I would not disband the panel as the petitions did not contain any allegation of impropriety against the members. In my response to the petitions, I made known what transpired at our meetings of 8th and 15th February, 2010.

“It was in his own submission to the NJC on my response that he now alleged that the reason for calling me was that the judgment in the Sokoto matter has leaked and that he gathered the allegation that the judgment had leaked from petitions written against me,” he said.

The former PCA maintained that the Investigating Panel set up by the NJC under Justice Umaru Abdullahi (former President Court of Appeal) rejected Justice Katsina-Alu’s claim that there was an allegation of leakage in the petitions.

“In spite of this they concluded that he (Justice Katsina-Alu) was acting in good faith. On this, I won’t say more.

“I thank the Almighty God that I refused to pervert the course of justice. Disbanding the panel or persuading them to dismiss the appeal was not the right thing to do.

“It would have offended the principle of the independence of judges which I so much respect and believe in.

“As a matter of fact, I will simply say that if I had done what the then head of the Nigerian judiciary had wanted me to do, I would not have this honour and if at all this book was published, it would be shameful and hypocritical of me to stand before you and talk about honour and integrity – two things which define a fine judicial officer alongside the grasp of the law,” he said.

The chairman of the event, and a former CJN, Justice Mohammed Uwais, stressed that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had no powers to suspend, or recall Justice Salami.

The NJC had after deciding to suspend Justice Salami, written President Goodluck Jonathan to approve the suspension.

Also, after deciding to recall him, the Council had written to the President to approve the decision. The President had declined, arguing that the matter was sub judice.

Justice Uwais said the NJC erred by referring the issue to the President.

He noted that the NJC was not fair to Justice Salami.

“It follows that Justice Isa Ayo Salami has been unfairly treated by the NJC. It is disturbing, to say the least, that the NJC, whose membership consists of eminent and experienced judges and lawyers, should act in the manner they treated Justice Salami,” he said.

In a short remark at the event, Tinubu extolled Justice Salami’s courage and perseverance.

“Thank you Justice Salami for teaching us courage, thank you for teaching us perseverance.

“In the ocean of corruption you have provided a craft.

“At this critical time in the history of our country we need more men like you who can stand and confront the abuse of power,” he told the retired PCA.

In a keynote address, titled “Justice is never siddon look,” Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, spoke against all forms of injustice in the country, particularly in the judiciary.

APC leaders, rebel govs’ meeting rattles PDP

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party was rattled by the meeting of the leadership of the All Progressive Congress and some of the aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto, Sokoto State on Tuesday.

The APC leaders, who were in Sokoto for the inauguration of the Sokoto State University , where the meeting was held, were a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Members of the New PDP who were in attendance were the governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko; Governors Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).

Three of the aggrieved governors, Aliyu Babangida(Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), were absent at the event.

However, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, was at the event, where no Federal Government official was present.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that the meeting of the APC leaders with the rebel governors was a topic for discussion among members of the National Working Committee of the PDP on Wednesday.

A member of the committee, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said it was almost certain that the rebel governors were out of the ruling party.

He said the NWC of the party was surprised that the rebel governors were no longer hiding their disdain for the party.

He said though the issue was not on the agenda of the Wednesday’s meeting, the matter was discussed informally among the NWC members.

The source said, “Though the gathering was about opening of a university, why was the event dominated by those who are against us?

“We have been hearing that these governors are planning to defect to the APC. Maybe that was why they invited the leaders of the party and used the opportunity to concretise their discussions. We are watching.”

Reacting to the issue, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Ibrahim Jalo, told our correspondent that the party believed that the gathering had no political undertone.

Jalo  said the party believed what Wamakko said, which was that the event was for the inauguration of the state university.

He said, “The event was a mere gathering. We also believe that it was, according to the governor, meant to open the state university as stated by the governor.

“Apart from that, we believe that these people are free to meet and discuss as guaranteed by the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees freedom of association.”

However, the party said it had directed party leaders in zones, states, local government areas and wards to establish disciplinary committees in accordance with its constitution.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the action was in tandem with the  “focused determination of the national leadership of the PDP to ensure discipline and loyalty at all levels.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police didn’t fondle lady’s breast –Police (See PHOTO)

The Nigeria Police has described the photograph, which showed a senior police officer in the act of fondling the breast of an unknown lady, as fake. It said the picture, which went viral on the Internet, was deliberately fabricated with the aid of Adobe Photoshop technology to mislead the public.

The alleged amorous scene, the police authorities claimed, did not take place and the officer had nothing to do with the woman.

The police said it arrived at this conclusion after interrogating the policeman, who was seen in the type of uniform worn by officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.

On the official Facebook page of the police, the affected police officer was quoted as saying, “I don’t know this lady. I never took the picture with her.”

However, the authorities did not name the police officer nor give the details of the command where he is serving.

The police said that though it does not forbid its rank and file to pose with members of the public for photographs, it would not tolerate any display of affection for the opposite sex in full public glare.

“An image showing one of our officers in a compromising position with a lady has gone viral. Please check the hands in the so-called picture that is in circulation and you will agree that they were photo-shopped.

“Other citizens of this country are encouraged to pose for snapshots with our uniformed officers if they so desire, just as it is done worldwide. What we discourage is public display of affection by our uniformed officers,” it said.

After it appeared online, the controversial photograph provoked widespread condemnation from many Nigerians who have described the development as an act of indiscipline.

Claiming to be policemen, some people wrote on the police Facebook page that the phot0graph was the handiwork of mischief makers, who were clearly determined to drag the name of the security agency in mud.

They said that no uniformed officer of the rank of ACP would  be so careless as to pose for a photograph in such a compromising position with a lady.

One Oluwasegun Samuel-Alalade commented on the wall of the Facebook page. “I know it is not real. Even a fresh recruit undergoing training at the Police College will not do such a thing, not to mention a top ranking officer. The Nigeria Police Force should kindly disregard the photograph, “ he wrote.

Also Kabiesy Ojeabulu wrote, “Photoshop or no Photoshop, all I have to say is that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, should always investigate issues before taking actions. It appears that a large section of the general public does not like the police. So they fabricate anything to tarnish our image. God help us all.”

Another policeman, Adegbola Olafiyin, stated, “I don’t know the offence we committed to deserve this from the public. Imagine here in the state where I am serving, commercial motorcycle riders will not give you a ride despite the fact that you have your money. This whole thing amounts to blackmail.”

But some Nigerians have disagreed with the police authorities on the status of the controversial photograph. They insist that it appears more real than fabricated.

On cknnigeria.com, one Lanre Bewaji wrote: “There are many angles to this picture. It is obvious the lady took the picture and the officer consented to it. No matter how awkward the scenario looks, if the lady was his wife or fiancée, would there be an issue? Until we know the real circumstances behind this picture, the matter is neither here nor there!”

In a tweet to the police, Hyke Ekeanyanwu expressed doubt that the photograph was faked. He said, “I may agree that the hand holding the breast was photo-shopped, but I will not agree that the hand around his (police officer’s) neck does not belong to the lady.”

Wale Bolanle, also on Facebook, queried,“What do you want us to believe? What else do you want him to say? He must surely deny. Is he not a human being?”

Meanwhile, the police authorities may have drawn the battle line with commercial banks in the country over the non-payment of the salaries of policemen.

The Force Headquarters wrote on its Facebook and Twitter handle on Wednesday that then Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, was “angry” with the banks over the matter.

 “IGP MD Abubakar, is angry with bankers over delay in payment of Police salaries,” the message read.

Lamenting the situation, one Samuel Dogo, wrote, “The police authorities have allowed the commercial banks to deal with us the way they want because there is no proper monitoring. Nobody wants to know whether we have families and other dependants that are looking up to us for their upkeep.

“The police has the highest rates of deaths and causalities among security agencies in the country. In spite of our tireless efforts to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians, we are not appreciated. We earn the least salaries. Yet, we struggle so hard to ensure that this money is paid at the right time. If I may ask, is it a curse to be a policeman? I don’t understand. Can someone help me with a reasonable explanation?”