Gen. Ihejirika said militancy has reached a worrisome level and blamed the escalating security challenges on porous borders, slacking Customs vigilance at the ports and proliferation of arms in the West African sub-region, among other factors.
He said Boko Haram, which struck on June 16 at the Police Headquarters in Abuja, away from its centre of operations in Maiduguri and the Northeast, has succeeded in breaching security a few times because of the general complacency towards security and the groups novel tactics of intimidation and hiding away in the midst of the people.
Gen. Ihejirika vowed that the Joint Task Force (JTF) code-named Operation Restore Order, which has just been raised to battle the extremist group, would check its onslaught, notwithstanding the fact that the JTF is not a purely Nigerian Army operation.
He said he would not be satisfied until Boko Haram is eliminated. The army, he said, will in the next 10 years concentrate on internal peace support operation as a means of ending insurgencies in the country.
Said the Army chief: "Nobody should be intimidated by Boko Haram. That is their tactic, to intimidate the people into not offering information about them. If they are not cowards, they should come out in the open.
"The terrorists live within the people and by that able to intimidate them into not giving them out to security agencies, but they need to be exposed to be arrested. Sometimes, they may not have those weapons in their individual houses, so that when they are arrested in their houses, you may not find anything incriminating, yet they are there.
"It is possible they have some hideouts where they hide their weapons to avert anything incriminating being found on them."
He said the JTF should not be misconstrued as a purely military affair, adding: "To say that Army will play a leading role would be grossly misleading because 90 per cent of the job involved requests intelligence and patriotism.
"The involvement of the military is mainly because of the sophistication of their operation, the type of weapon they use, among others."
He said the information from the generality of Nigerians would be vital in finding a lasting solution to the menace of Boko Haram. "Nigerians, religious leaders, traditional leaders, everyone must come out and expose these traitors," he said.
In his view, the latest attacks by Boko Haram should awaken security consciousness in Nigerians. "Nigerians are too accommodating, our borders are too porous and Custom officials have not done enough because arms and ammunition used by these groups are imported.
"All hands must be on deck; the Customs must change their attitude, especially as it concerns importation of arms into this country. All must live up to their responsibilities."
He advised Nigerians to be security conscious, noting: "Security can be breached in several ways and anywhere. That is why we are pleading with people to take security seriously."
On whether to dialogue with and grant amnesty to Boko Haram, Gen. Ihejirika said: "Amnesty is not the concern of the Army, for the Army, the issue is that innocent people are being killed unnecessarily. Committing crime for no just cause by whatever name cannot be allowed to happen.
"They have only managed to capitalise on the general complacency towards security to do one or two things they have been able to do. It is criminality that should not be given any chance at all under any guise".
The approved nominees include Emeka Wogu (Abia), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Diezani Alison-Madueke (Bayelsa), and Godsday Orubebe (Delta). Others are Onyebuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi), Caleb Olubolade (Ekiti), and Ruqayyatu Rufai (Jigawa).
Although the screening exercise generally took place without drama, it was evident Mrs Alison-Madueke and Mr Mohammed received preferential screening.
The opinion-swaying session was mediated by Smart Adeyemi (PDP, Kogi State) who recently claimed some major oil dealers have been lobbying some senators to block Mrs Alison-Madueke's nomination. Mr Adeyemi had also staged a counter lobby to ensure Mrs Alison-Madueke's chances of confirmation by the Senate are not hurt by reports of corruption against her.
Mrs Alison-Madueke, 51, from Bayelsa State, an architecture graduate, is pencilled for re-appointment as petroleum minister where she has spent the last one year. Her one year reign at the petroleum ministry is characterised by series of corruption allegations serially reported by this paper in several editions.
At the rostrum before the Senate as the sixth candidate, Mr Adeyemi was the first senator the Senate president, David Mark, called up to question her. Philip Aduda Taminu (FCT Abuja) was next. They had all met the nominee outside the chambers before her screening.
Ahmed Lawan (ANPP, Yobe State) interrupted by asking the nominee questions bothering on her disregard for due process. Thereafter, the Senate president returned to picking for her senators who carefully avoided questioning her about all the allegations against her in the media.
Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu State) led that batch. He had also met Mrs Alison-Madueke outside the Senate chambers during her lobbying session on the invitation of Mr Adeyemi.
Mr Ayogu praised the nominee for having "thick skin" to absorb the "barrage" of "blackmail" in the media arising from her stance on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
"I have found it most unfortunate," Mrs Alison-Madueke said, while denying allegations against her for the first time since she was first mentioned in a corruption scandal in 2008.
She denied reports that any Senate report indicted her for corruption and said she has documents to prove she followed due process in all her dealings as petroleum minister.
"There is nothing as a briefcase company, as has been alleged in some papers," she said, adding that she was just following the Nigerian Local Content Law which, according to her, encourages any Nigerian with the basic requirement to participate in Nigeria's oil industry.
"We are opening up the gas sector to all Nigerians who meet the basic criteria, and that is the way it should be and that is the way it would be going forward," she said.
Further questioning by Abdul Ningi bothering on her integrity was shouted down by some senators who quickly added "bow and go" chants and the Senate president eased her off the chamber.
Promises for Nigerians
Mrs Alison-Madueke attributed the scarcity of kerosene nationwide to activities of some independent marketers.
She said because kerosene imported into the country for household use had the same specification as the aviation kerosene, some marketers were buying the product at the household rate and re-selling to consumers in the aviation sector at a more expensive rate. She, however, gave the assurance that the scarcity would ease off in no time.
She also said the Nigeria Content Act had opened a new vista for Nigerians to participate in the oil and gas sector, although some multinational companies were adverse to its implementation.
"The Act has encouraged every Nigerian to come into the oil and gas sector," she said. "I must say that the Act has opened up oil and gas industry to Nigerians who have the capability to invest."
She said with the sustenance of the present reform in the industry, one million jobs would be created in the oil and gas sector over the next five years.
Mr Chukwu, who spoke about the need to review the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), said it was regrettable that less than two per cent of Nigerians were presently covered by the NHIS. He said if the percentage could rise to 30 by 2015, "we would have achieved a major feat."
Mr Mark wished the confirmed nominees well in their endeavours, saying he would make more comments after the exercise.
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The Falcons are currently on national assignment in Germany where they are participating with 15 other teams in the Women's World Cup. They play Germany tomorrow in their second group game.
The Female Football Foundation (FFF), a non-governmental organisation devoted to the development of women's football in Nigeria, convened by Baarong Tony-Uranta, a journalist and television presenter and which has Bola Jegede, a former member of the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) organised the walk to draw attention to draw attention to what they believe is the second class treatment meted to the Falcons despite their achievements since being founded twenty-one years ago.
Comprising female footballers, who turned out in their hundreds and celebrities, which included Jimi Agbaje, a former governorship candidate in Lagos State, Patrick Doyle and Agatha Amatha, television personalities, the group, which also had among them, Jarret Tenebe, chairman of the rebel Nigeria Football Association claiming leadership of Nigerian football and Harrison Jalla, president of the National Association of Nigerian Footballers, marched to the office of the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, where they hoped to present their case to the governor.
As it turned the governor was unavailable. Instead members of the FFF were met by members of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Rams for slaughter
Tony Uranta, husband of the convener of the foundation, Barong Tony Uranta, drew the attention of the legislators to the discriminatory treatment suffered by Super Falcons players in terms of match allowances and bonuses and general treatment. He added that the players are sexually harassed all the time with nobody ever punished by the authorities.
He told the law makers that whereas members of the Super Eagles each get $10,000 as winning bonus, the Falcons get less than $1,000 despite having achieved much in Africa.
"The Falcons have won the African Women's Nations Cup six out of seven times but they get nothing. The last time they won the trophy, they were ferried in a truck like goats and rams meant for the slaughter house. None of them have been given houses or national awards. I think they deserve more than what they are getting," he said.
Speaking in a similar vein, Jegede, president of the foundation, said the walk was organised to seek the assistance of the Lagos State government to support the efforts of the foundation at improving the lot of women footballers in the country.
Responding, Sina Agunbiade, who represented Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the speaker of the house, said the house would the grievances of the FFF today at a special session. He noted that the issues raised by the foundation were germane to the development of women's football in Nigeria and as such would be treated under the rubric of 'urgent public importance'. He said thereafter the house would recommend solutions to Governor Fashola for execution.
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"Top 10 Nigerian music artistes will be meeting 10 haute designers whose creativity is easy to relate with on one runway" the release reads.
The artists are Naeto C, Duncan Mighty, Dr Sid, D' Prince, Sasha, Shank, Show Dem Camp, Tiwa Savage, Dotstar from the UK, and the act, Davido.
While Tsemeya, Vonne Couture, Meena, Viva La Resistance, Toju Foyeh, Babuhska,
Grey, Virgos Lounge, Obsidian and Republic Of Foreigner will be showcasing diverse and trendy styles ranging from lingerie wears to haute couture.
Entertainment Express hits the stands
Entertainment Express, an entertainment only newspaper by, Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe, will hit newsstands on Friday July 1 2011.
Speaking on the new journal, Azuh Amatus who is currently the editor of the paper said the aim of the paper is to re-enact entertainment journalism in the nation.
"As a highly focused and socially responsible entity, our mission statement is to reinvent entertainment journalism in Nigeria and raise it to an unsurpassable height that would excite our readers, our journalists and the owners of the business.
We are fully poised to achieve all these with exciting, racy, fabulous, exclusive, authoritative and entertaining editorial contents," Amatus said.
He further explained that the publication will not only focus on entertainment as they intend to launch a full-fledged newspaper in the future.
"Entertainment Express is loaded with surprises and as we progress, we would be unveiling these surprise packages for Nigerians, especially the reading public," he assured.
Sound Sultan welcomes baby boy
R&B artist Sound Sultan real name Olanrewaju Fasasi and wife welcomed their second child, a baby boy, on Sunday June 26 2011. A statement from his management company Jarmzone Entertainment, revealed that the baby was born in a hospital located at Festac.
According to the artist who confirmed that both the mother and child are doing great, this is a sign of more blessings to come. "God is great. The birth of my son is a sign of great blessings to come" he said.
The Joker Comedy gets new venue
Organizers of the monthly standup comedy competition The Joker Comedy yesterday revealed that the show will now hold at the City Mall Cinemas, Lagos. Speaking on behalf of the organizers, managing director of Peekaboo Global Consulting, Darlington Abuda said the change was made to bring the show closer to its audience.
"With months of organizing the show, we have come to realize that one thing our guests yearn for is a closer venue so we decided to take the show to the City Mall Cinemas. The location is more central and we feel that taking it there makes us accessible to viewers," Abuda said.
Abuda further disclosed that the show will be taking on a new dimension with its new venue. "Because we are now using a cinema as venue, guests now have the opportunity to preview the previous editions before the actual show begins" he revealed.
The July edition will feature comedian AY who will once more anchor the show,
Seyilaw, Elenu, Ajebo, Mc Shakara and Filosopher winner of last month's edition.
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Authorities quickly blamed Boko Haram, which on Sunday night dropped bombs that killed 25 people at local beer parlours in the Borno State capital. Boko Haram wants strict Shariah law implemented across the North.
The continued violence surrounding Maiduguri has left the city in fear as the authorities seem unable to stop the group from attacking at will.
The Federal Government has raised a Task Force, headed by Major-Gen. Jack Okechukwu Nwaogbo, to hunt down the Islamic sect.
Yesterday's attack hit the Customs office as officials held a meeting, said Maj.-Gen. Nwaogbo. The assault included explosion of bombs and gunfire, which killed three people outside of the building, he said.
No fewer than two Customs officials were wounded in the attack.
On Sunday, Boko Haram members riding on motorcycles attacked three makeshift bars in the city.
Witnesses and others said about 25 people died in the beer parlour attacks. Nwaogbo declined to offer a casualty information yesterday during a news conference.
"What caused the killings of many people in the attacks were when about 10 gunmen riding seven motorcycles surrounded and took strategic positions at the beer sheds and shops and started firing at the people with their Kalashnikov rifles, before setting ablaze the entire makeshift shacks," he said.
While no arrests have been made over the beer parlour attacks, he said police arrested two men carrying explosives at a church in the city. He said they had pretended they wanted to convert from Islam.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the Hausa language, is responsible for a rash of killings which have targeted police officers, soldiers, politicians and clerics in the North over the last year — including attacks on beer parlours.
They have also attacked churches and engineered a massive prison break. However, authorities say attacks intensified after the April 26 governorship elections kept the same political party in power.
Senate President David Mark has said the security challenges facing the nation will top Senate's agenda as it reconvenes for the plenary session today.
The Senate President spoke when the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Andrew Lloyd visited him in Abuja. He said Nigeria will be delighted to explore the British approach to insecurity in order to arrest the situation in Nigeria.
He reiterated the commitment of the government to ensuring adequate security to the citizenry.
The man who bombed the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja on June 16 was a fairly well-to-do businessman who was actually on a suicide mission on behalf of the Islamic sect the Boko Haram, Blueprint can authoritatively report.
Mohammed Manga was a 35-year-old married man with five children who drove overnight from Maiduguri to Abuja in order to carry out the morning attack which left about five people dead, including a police officer, and many cars incinerated in the blast. He had left N4 million in his will for his five children:" two girls and three boys " before embarking on the fateful journey to the nation's capital.
There was proof also that Manga was accompanied on the deadly mission by at least a collaborator in the plot, who took his last photograph alive as he drove through the streets of Abuja. The collaborator(s) might have disembarked from the car before Manga reached the Louis Edet House headquarters of the Nigerian Police.
Blueprint can also authoritatively report that, contrary to a claim by the police authorities that the bomber had used a Mercedez Benz: a V Boot' car in his terror mission, he actually used a Honda 86 model.
These shocking details and others were made exclusively available to this newspaper by the leadership of the Islamist sect, Jamaatu Ahl-Sunnati Lil Daawati wal Jihad, popularly called the Boko Haram, in a telephone interview in the Hausa language, fielded by the groups spokesman who goes by the name Abu Zaid.
The group also e-mailed to our Borno State correspondent startling photographs of a grinning Manga as he undertook the revenge mission. It was the first time it was giving a glimpse into its operations. One of the most startling information given by Abu Zaid was that the attacker was one Mohammed Manga, who was better known and addressed by his friends and business associates as Alhaji Manga. He is originally from Adamawa State but he was born and brought up in Maiduguri, where he embraced the teachings of the late Mohammed Yusuf the spokesman said.
Mohammed Yusuf was the leader of the group and was killed by the police in 2009 following the bloodiest clash involving the Boko Haram in which thousands of the sect's members and other people died. Blueprint was also told by the sect that Manga was Fulani by tribe and that he started both as a commercial and private driver at different times in his adult life. A few years before the July 2009 Boko Haram uprising, Manga began to travel to Cotonou in Benin Republic and later Dubai frequently in order to buy all kinds of goods. He was a major contributor to the Boko Haram's arms build-up.
Abu Zaid also confided in this newspaper that Manga left a will of over N4 million to his two daughters and three sons and urged fellow believers to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Allah. This, the group said, is evident in the last-minute pictures of Manga, believed to have been taken at a camp somewhere in Borno State.The man's last will and the photographs are proof that Manga was on a suicide mission and that his death at the Louis Edet House headquarters of the police was not an accident.
He was calm and never hesitated or showed fear, Abu Zaid recalled, adding that everyone at the scene that night on the eve of the attack was envious, wishing it was their chance to act and gain entry into paradise.
According to him, the planning of the attack targeting the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim, was not in any way different from the way and manner they plan other attacks around the country, insisting that the only difference was that this mission was abruptly brought closer in response to the remarks made by Ringim that he would eradicate the Boko Haram within weeks. The IGP had on June 15 boasted, while receiving10 armoured personnel carriers donated to the police by the Borno State government, that the Boko Haram's days were numbered.
"Now that the (general) elections are over, our attention would be concentrated and I want to assure you that the days of the Boko Haram are numbered", Ringim had told a gathering at the Government House in Maiduguri, with the state governor Kashim Shettima present.
Abu Zaid also claimed that the bomb his group used in the attack was a ready-made one, which the sect acquired from abroad. And we are going to use several of them in future attacks, he warned. The group dismissed media reports and commentaries that suggest it might not have planned a suicide attack but that the bomb blast was merely an accident in which the attacker was trapped, insisting that it was really pre-planned. Everyone had waited patiently for the outcome of that operation, said Abu Zaid.
According to him, the car that was used was not a Mercedes Benz V-Boot, but an ash-colour Honda 86 model. I was surprised when the police said the car was a Mercedes V-Boot, he said. It was never a Mercedes. The car used for the attack was an ash-colour Honda 86. We are surprised over the way the police are confused anytime we strike.
Meanwhile, the group has discredited the conditions for dialogue ostensibly given by the Boko Haram by one Usman Al-Zawahiri and others, challenging them to give a single proof that they are with the authentic group.
We donot know Al-Zawahiri; he is not with us, Abu Zaid said.
In fact, our investigation revealed that he is an SSS (State Security Service operative) and was brought in to discredit what we are doing and give an impression that we are divided. There is no faction in our group.
Giving a reason why the Boko Haram chose Blueprint correspondent for breaking the news, Abu Zaid remarked: You were the first journalist who repeatedly wrote about us when we were not known to the world; you were the first journalist who reported when our brothers were shot at on their way to a funeral procession by members of a security outfit setup by the Borno State government, known as Operation Flush. We see you as an objective writer who is never afraid to say the truth; that is why our leader approved the idea to give you the final evidence that we were solely behind the suicide attack at the police headquarters. The Boko Haram is believed to be headed by one Malam Abubakar Shekau, the deputy of the late Mohammed Yusuf.
*Sighs*
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BLUEPRINT
The robbery attack on the warehouse, located on Medical Stores Road, Uselu, Benin City, left one of the two security guards on duty dead.
The security guard, whose name and identity could not be ascertained at the time of going to press, was said to have been killed for not co-operating with the robbers.
The permanent secretary in the ministry of health, Peter Ugbodaga, during his on-the-spot assessment visit to the stores in the company of other directors in the ministry to ascertain the extent of the robbery, condemned the incident, especially the killing of one of the security guards on duty. He expressed his displeasure over the robbery attack.
In a telephone interview Mr Ugbodaga said the state government had only recently embarked on the renovation of the warehouse in batches.
He charged the police authorities to "carry out a thorough investigation into the robbery attack because someone who did not know the place in and out could not have gone there to steal." Mr Ugbodaga thereafter directed the Chief Store Officer to take inventory of the stocks left in the store so as to ascertain exactly what was stolen.
Loss of value
Investigations revealed that the medical warehouse is an extension of Edo Pharmaceutical Company constructed by the military administration of Samuel Ogbemudia in 1972.
According to Godwin Erahon, who served on the board of directors between 1992 and 1993, at its peak, the company produced pharmaceutical products, cotton wool and drips at the Medical Store Road factory. Batteries were also produced at its Sapele Road factory.
The company was however privatised, with the exception of the warehouse, by the military government immediately after John Oyegun was removed from office. Mr Erahon alleged that the warehouses were also vandalised during the administration of former governor, Lucky Igbinedion.
The robbery incident has since been reported at the Okhoro police station. However, the Edo State police command spokesperson, Peter Ogboi, could not be reached by phone for comments on the robbery incident.
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The list includes names of some returning and newly appointed ministers from all the different states and geopolitical zones.
For the first time, some names on the list have been designated with some recommended portfolios, however many will still have no idea what job they are being considered for.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is set to make a controversial return to the executive council, is likely to retain the petroleum portfolio. Bello Haliru Mohammed, another controversial figure is in line to be handed the highly sensitive defence portfolio. Ruqqayatu Rufai and Mohammed Bello Adoke will retain the education and justice portfolios respectively.
NEXT had exclusively reported that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala would be given her old job as finance minister but with many added responsibilities and powers to drive economic reform. Olusegun Aganga, the immediate past finance minister, returns to the cabinet but will be considered for minister of commerce.
Names and designation
Other designated ministers include: Emeka Nwogu, Abia; Bala Mohammed (FCT) and Mohammed Pateh, Bauchi (Health), Mrs Allison-Madueke, Bayelsa (Petroleum); Godsday Orubebe, Delta; Onyebuchi Chukwu, Ebonyi; Caleb Olubaolade, Ekiti; Shamsudeen Usman from Kano (National Planning); Olusegun Aganga, Lagos; Labaran Maku, Nasarawa (Information) and Obadiah Ando, Taraba.
Others on the list include Zainab Maina, the chairman of the Nomadic Education council, Adamawa; Ita Okon Bassey-Ewa, Akwa Ibom; Stella Oduah, Anambra; Abba Moro, Benue; Samuel Loraer Ortom, the national auditor of the PDP, Benue; Bukar Tijjani, Borno; Martina Odom, Cross River and Mike Onolememen, Edo.
Others are Barth Nnaji, who was former special adviser to the president on power, Enugu (Power); Idris Umar, Gombe; Biola Viola Onwuliri, Imo; Abiba Isah Dutse, Jigawa; Yusuf Abubakar, Kaduna; Mohaeed Musa Saada, Katsina; Bello Haliru Mohammed, Kebbi (Defence); Bolaji Abdullahi, Kwara; Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, Niger; Gbenga Ashiru, Ogun; Akinwunmi Adesina, Ogun; Omobola Johnson Olubushol, Ondo; Olushola Obada, Osun; Jumoke Akinjide, Oyo; and Jonah Madugu, Plateau.
Also on the list are Tonye Cole, Rivers (Works); Yusuf Suleiman, Sokoto (Transport); Yerima Lawan Ngama, Yobe; Bashir Yuguda, Zamfara and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Abia.
Although the Senate is likely to move ministerial screening to the top of its agenda when it resumes tomorrow, it is not yet clear when President Goodluck Jonathan, who has been under tremendous pressure from both individuals and political parties alike, will approve the final list and forward it to the National Assembly.
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It is so amazing and quite disheartening too that documentary films, shot either on celluloid or video, have literarily disappeared from the screens of Nigeria-based television stations.
This is another example of the chronic Nigerian situation in which the rapid expansion of 'facilities' unexplainably and invariably translates into the scarcity of essential 'commodities.'
As I write this, in a situation where crude oil production has increased and, there are at least three refineries and many thousands of 'filling stations' across the country, we are at the mercy of a crippling kerosene shortage, causing hardship to households and an expanded indigenous aviation industry.
Time was, leading up to the real 'golden' age of television in Nigeria in the early and mid-eighties, when we had the Nigerian Television Authority network (viewed by up to 30 million people daily) and sub-stations in most state capitals. There was an excellent menu of daily programmes on TV that included an assortment of documentary programmes.
One would have thought, logically, that the opening-up of the electronic broadcasting sector under Babangida - which allowed for the participatory presence of a multitude of state government as well as private television and radio stations - would have been accompanied by a flourishing volume of a variety of television programmes including documentaries.
Commercialisation
Alas, the opening-up was accompanied by a devastating commercialisation policy which ensured that both the NTA and the new generation of state government and private TV stations opted for the line of easy financial resistance.
They drastically changed their programming from a rich menu of diverse programmes to essentially predictable 'cash-cow' fare, almost entirely sponsored, except for news broadcasts.
There is cultural and creative evidence that those who by design, rather than by merit, were chosen to run the NTA, were limited and prejudiced by their personal preferences, not to protect the preservation of documentary programmes. In the case of a particular head of TV, a renowned drama buff, there was a disproportionate proliferation of entertainment shows.
And, by this example, the trend was established for the new private stations to set store with entertainment programmes. These, by the power of their commercial sponsorship, have now become the huge chunk of TV programming on NTA and other fifty-odd TV stations in Nigeria today.
TV is about information
Those who are now acclaimed as the 'fathers' of TV in Nigeria, including the engineer, heads of NTA, definitely lost the plot on rich and balanced programming way before the mid-eighties when they failed to realise that news and current affairs aside, TV is about information.
Ideally, there should be a variety of documentaries in a higher proportion than entertainment. It is this proper mix and blend of information and entertainment that has created the 'new' concept of infotainment in mass communication. This explains why predominantly all-news TV stations like CNN, BBC World, and Aljazeera also feature documentaries and entertainment.
Three decades on, the multitude of Nigerian television stations really have nothing exciting to offer (apart from the obvious government-slanted news) than talk shows, phone-in-programmes, sponsored dance-and-music competition show, Nollywood movies, loads of religious slots, and the now in-thing, voyeur reality.
Relay stations
Where are all the documentary programmes on Nigerian television? Gone with the wind of commercialisation, one would say.
One is tempted to conclude that the state governments and private individuals who set up TV stations and chains in Nigeria, deliberately or ignorantly forgot the hard facts that TV is definitely capital intensive and very much about a rich programming menu.
Yes, with available lower-level technology, it is now possible to set up 'cheap' small TV stations, for use on campus to provide hands-on experience for mass communications students. And the vast majority of stations masquerading as TV stations in Nigeria can best be categorised as 'relay stations'.
It is very humbling to note that while many so-called TV stations in Nigeria have less than six cameras (VHS cameras in many cases), CNN used as many as 1000 state-of-the-art HD cameras to cover just the Democratic Party Convention to choose their presidential candidate.
The case for the prominent return of documentaries of varying lengths and on various subjects, on Nigerian TV screens cannot be overflogged. They make for excellent fillers between programmes as well as legitimate programmes with their own time belt. Music videos, usually sponsored, have now become fillers on most Nigerian TV stations.
Unfortunately, the rapid proliferation of radio stations in Nigeria has also resulted in the decline of content quality and variety on radio.
They hardly offer programmes like radio drama, book reviews, specialist women and children's programmes, and radio documentaries.
We need documentaries on both Nigerian TV and Radio. They are akin to features in the print media. They inform and educate and, God knows that we all need to be educated on a whole lot of things about and in Nigeria.
Back in the day
In 1984 alone, NTA Network's Documentary Unit, to which I was a consultant, produced many documentaries as diverse as Command and Staff College, Jaji, and Aladja Steel Mill, which were screened to great appreciation.
Then there was C.Y. Okonkwo's series on Agriculture (including NIFOR), Mansur Macaulay as cameraman. It was therefore no surprise that some decades after, Okonkwo's body of documentaries won him an award at the West African Documentary Festival in Accra.
And as far back as 1974, the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture produced a series of documentaries on various aspect of culture.
Nigeria has an excellent tradition of producing very good documentary films. There are many 'younger' filmmakers who are carrying on this noble tradition. The federal and regional film units have an amazing treasure of documentaties on various aspects of Nigeria that ought to be aired on TV.
Unfortunately, the political ideologues who wanted to rebrand Nigeria did not have the wisdom to realise that documentaries will effectively freshen up Nigeria's image abroad!
We need to tell our own visual stories; both good and ugly, for our own consumption as well for the world's.
Film your own
We grumble about BBC's documentary on the challenges of building a megacity like Lagos.
Recently, Aljazeera aired its own documentary, Streets of Lagos. Much the same, with visual emphasis on Makoko, street trading, and a slap-in-the-face shot of a scavenger waving a huge Nigerian flag in the middle of a rubbish-dump mountain. A few hours after the bomb attack on the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Aljazeera aired a quasi-documentary on Boko Haram.
The inability and reluctance of Nigerian TV stations to air many documentaries are down to twin reasons. A lack of a budget for documentaries tied to the reality of not wanting to pay well for independently-produced documentaries and, a lack of the creative foresight that most TV programmes other than the News are farmed out or sourced from independent producers.
Luckily, the Film Institute in Jos and Mass Communications departments in Nigerian tertiary institutions are yearly producing the needed manpower.
Depending on corporate and social documentaries for which the sponsors pay air-time cannot compensate for the relative dearth of a spectrum of documentaries Nigerian TV stations should screen daily.
To a great extent, it is their social responsibility.
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Talking of been RANDY the Alowa of Ilowa in Obokun area of Osun State Oba Adebukola Alli, who is standing trial before a magistrate court in Osogbo for allegedly raping a 23-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who served in his domain was Friday placed on house arrest by the court.
Chief Magistrate Adewunmi Makanjuola also ordered that Oba Alowa's travel documents be submitted to the court with immediate effect.
The traditional ruler who came to court in his green Rav 4 Toyota car was accompanied by his wife, pastor and driver. Instead of standing in the dock, the monarch claimed that he had no stamina to stand up because of the state of his health. He then lay on a bench inside the court.
At the Court, Oba Adebukola displayed a sphygmometer (device for checking blood pressure) which was attached to his left arm. To verify the monarch's health claim, the magistrate stood up and advanced to Oba Adebukola where he was.
The wife of the monarch was seen weeping profusely as the magistrate cross examined her in the court. The woman told the magistrate that the traditional ruler had developed high blood pressure and that he was gasping for breath when he was removed from hospital on the order of the court.
Counsel to the accused monarch, Victor Okpara, presented another medical report signed by one Doctor A.A. Adeyanju from Gold Cross Medical Clinic, a private hospital located at 36, Adeoyo, Ondo road in Ibadan, capital of Oyo state, where the monarch has been receiving medical treatment shortly after he was discharged from University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan on 10th June.
According to Okpara, "there are grounds of medical incapability which prevented the Oba from coming to court on the previous sittings and it's not intentional. It is true that the charge is a serious, heinous and hideous offence but it's only the living that can stand trial and the doctor has said in the report that not until 21st of July, 2011, the Oba will not be fit".
The prosecutor, a senior state counsel, Olufemi Adedokun, disagreed with the report presented by the defence counsel, stressing that the medical reports are now conflicting. Adedokun told the court that the traditional ruler was discharged from UCH on a sound state of health and urged the court to discountenance all the medical reports. The case has been adjourned till Friday, July 1.
Only yesterday Police officers and Soldiers clashed at Obanikoro, along the Ikorodu expressway in Lagos throwing the area into panic.
No deaths were recorded *Sigh* and no shots were fired in the crisis that lasted about two hours, but three officers of the Nigerian Army and a suspected police officer reportedly suffered injuries after being beaten up in the resulting fracas.*We can deal with that*
How The Wahala Started:
According to eyewitnesses, trouble started around 8a.m. when police officers and state agency officials attached to the State Task Force, numbering about 30, tried to impound a car, belonging to an officer of the Nigerian Army.
The army officer was reportedly caught by the Task Force for taking the BRT lane, traditionally reserved for BRT and LAGBUS mass transit vehicles only, and was beaten up for refusing to let his car be towed off.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as Dominic said another army officer, who had tried to interfere, was also beaten and locked up in the truck (Black Maria) brought by the Task Force unit.
"Everything was like straight from the movies," he said. "They (Task Force) stopped him for taking the BRT lane. They tried to tow his vehicle away with their truck but he resisted, so they beat him up seriously till he was unconscious. They were kicking and pulling and just beating him. They also beat another soldier that was passing on a motorcycle after he challenged them."
Another eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said the situation got worse when soldiers stopping to have a look at the thrashing, grew in number.
After reaching a sizable number, the soldiers reportedly came to their colleagues' defence by fighting back.
He said, "The police started retreating when the number of soldiers reached about eight; the soldiers charged and caught one of the officers attached to the unit, who was not in uniform, but in a black T-shirt and a black pair of trousers."
Eyewitnesses said other members of the Task Force unit, who had already retreated only watched their colleague being beaten by the soldiers, from about 50 metres away.
"The soldiers beat the officer not in uniform till he was unconscious; they just kept on beating him and his people were only watching from afar," said an eyewitness, Akeem Olusa.
All the while, the soldier initially beaten up by the officers attached to the State Task Force had been revived, and had taken a seat on a kerb by the road.
Mr Olusa said the soldiers later fled the scene after suspecting that the Brigadier Commander, 9th Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Ikeja, Sanusi Muazu, was on his way, to quell the crisis.
This also paved way for the Task Force officers to pull away their colleague and flee the scene.
Police and Army REACTS
This followed an incident that played out about four weeks ago in Badagry, where suspected soldiers attacked and killed three police officers, including Salihu Samuel, a chief superintendent of police and the divisional police officer of Badagry Police station.
The state police spokesperson, Samuel Jinadu, denied any connection with the Badagry killings, adding that no death was recorded. Also speaking on the issue, Mr Muazu, described the situation as unfortunate, stressing that the police and army still maintain a good relationship.
Mr Muazu confirmed that he had had the soldier arrested, and blamed the soldier for taking the BRT lane. He further said the Task Force unit was right to have stopped the soldier, adding that disciplinary actions would follow.
Mr Muazu took the opportunity to warn all operatives of the armed forces to desist from flouting the rules of the state.
Source:
234next
But the police public relations officer, Kaduna command, Aminu Lawan, said the command is on top of the situation and would do everything possible to prevent any bomb attack in the state.
"We are collaborating with other stakeholders, because this kind of issue is not going to be a one-man affair or a one business. It's going to be a collective responsibility of all stakeholders. We have community and religious leaders and we have different organisations.
"These organisations have roles to play in nipping this type of incidence in the bud. Everybody has a specific role to play so that we can be able to handle the situation that we are in," he explained.
Mr Aminu who explained that apart from the normal routine patrol and surveillance by security agencies, people should also be vigilant and have the level of alertness to report any suspicious object or movement to the police.
According to him, the anti-bomb special squad of the Nigeria Police is very much at alert to respond to any emergency situation.
The sect declared: "We are ready for the Nigerian state, after the training of our commandos in Somalia, northern states such as Plateau, Kaduna, Taraba, Benue, should watch out for us especially in Kaduna." The sect in an online statement, however warned all civilians to avoid military formations especially the police, stating that "we are stepping up our attacks in the coming weeks in all northern states. The failed assassination attempt on the Inspector General of Police will not deter us as we are going to attack the entire northern parts of the country including Abuja. People should, therefore, avoid crowded places and gatherings," the statement warned.
Security alert
The group claimed that its mission is to make the country ungovernable until all their members detained illegally by the police are released. They said they would revenge the unjust killing of their leaders and members by security agents.
Meanwhile, security was tight at the headquarters of the Kaduna police command yesterday as all the vehicles going into the premises were screened by anti-bomb police men as part of security measures to avert any breach of the peace.
The same was seen at the headquarters of the Nigerian Prisons located along Independence Way where members of the Operation Yaki security outfit positioned about six vehicles around the prison.
The tight security came on the heels of information of an impending jail break by the sect whose members are currently detained at the prison.
Also, security has been beefed up at the Sir Kasim Ibrahim House, the official residence of the state governor, Patrick Yakowa. A combined team of Mobile Police and soldiers are now guarding the main entrance to the Government House including all the major roads leading to the state's seat of power.
The accident claimed 28 passengers and the drivers. Among the deceased were four discharged members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who were returning to their homes after the national service.
Two persons who were seriously injured and went into coma were rescued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who rushed them to a hospital at Ninth Mile.

The accident in Enugu
The Peace Mass Transit bus marked 2258 was conveying passengers from Enugu to Nsukka and was said to be overtaking another vehicle when he collided with oncoming ENTRACO bus.
Several travelling bags belonging to the passengers littered the road as the FRSC rescue team and sympathizers discovered four NYSC discharge certificates in the luggage.
The FRSC Sector Commander in Delta State, Commander Lukas Ikpi who got to the scene of the accident while travelling on the road said he immediately alerted his men at the Enugu Sector Command who rushed to the scene for rescue operation.
Senator Ayogu Eze, representing Enugu North Senatorial District, who was returning to Enugu with some journalists after a function at Igboetiti local government area met the FRSC officials removing the mangled corpses trapped in the smashed vehicles.
Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Dr Godknows Igali, the State Chairman of PDP, Engr. Vita Abba, who also attended the flag off of the N2.57 billion Adada River Dam at Igboetiti council also witnessed the accident and expressed shock at the number of casualties.
18 die in Ibadan auto crash
At the Ibadan accident, 18 people were said to have died after a commercial bus fell off a bridge at Soka Bus Stop, Oluyole Local Government area of the city.
Among those who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident were two children whose ages ranged between three and five. There were only three survivors.
The commercial bus with number plate JIGAWA XB 633 DUT which was Lagos bound took off from Kano State and on getting to Ibadan, involved in an accident.
According to an eye witness, the accident happened around 7.00 am along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
A survivor who identified himself as Ahmadu, said since they left Kano, the trip was hitch-free until they got to Ibadan.
Since they all came from different places, he could not identify any of the deceased whose corpses have been deposited at the mortuaries of the Adeoyo General Hospital, University College Hospital while others are receiving treatment in another hospital.
Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and Oyo State Police Command were busy rescuing some of the survivors and taking them to the hospital.
The state FRSC Sector Commander, Mr. Godwin Ogagaoghene confirmed the accident saying reckless driving must have been responsible for the accident.
Source:
Vanguard
