ACN supporters celebrate in Ibadan!

Hundreds of broom-waving supporters of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) took to the streets in some parts of Ibadan yesterday to celebrate the anticipated victory of their candidates in the rescheduled National Assembly elections. 

They admitted official results were still being awaited from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but said announcements by presiding officers in different wards of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state, showed the party was carrying the day.   

The supporters besieged Bode, Idi-Arere, Bere, Yemetu, Popoyemoja, Challenge, Felele, Mokola, Omitowoju, Oke-Padre and Adamasingba parts of the capital. 

Voters arrived polling centres from 8am for the arrival of electoral officers.  

The exercise was generally peaceful in different parts of the state, except in Iseyin local government where three suspected Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) thugs who attempted to disrupt voting in Sagbo/Ilado in ward 08 were shot dead.

Sources said the thugs storming the polling centre and shot sporadically to scare away the electorate. 

But some policemen reportedly chased and shot them in the ensuing gun-battle.

Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, Mr. Ajimuda Olatunji confirmed there was reported violence in the area but denied anybody was shot dead.

He said Police officers only arrested two persons in connection with the violence.

At Onipe village in Oluyole local government, a council boss allegedly used fake policemen to chase voters from polling centres. 

Source said the fake policemen made room for supporters of the council boss to vote after chasing away eligible voters. 

Party agents at ward 04 unit 3 and 4 in Gbodu area of Isale-Bode in Ibadan South local government called the attention of security forces to attempts by thugs to snatch ballot boxes. 

In Iresa-Adu near Ogbomoso, the Personal Assistant to a Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Representatives was

caught with 50 voters cards, a pistol, 200 live catridges. 

The man, simply identified as Soji, was rounded up by a team of soldiers at about 8:00 am in the sleepy community and was handed over to the

police.

In Oyo, the chairman of a local government was also arrested with five supporters of PDP while thumb printing ballot papers at an unapproved

location in Fasola community outside Oyo town. 

They were apprehended about 12:50 pm with over 3,000 ballot papers.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and his wife Florence, voted at Unit 20, Ward 11 of

Ibadan South West local government.  He observed turn-out of voters was low compared to last Saturday, attributing the development to seeming confusion over postponement of the election in many states.

Ajimobi lauded the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, for doing a better job.

He advised voters not to allow any politician to force himself on them.

Voters were vigilant and readily challenged strange faces. It was too apparent they were determined to thwart any attempt to rig the election.

In many units where voting finished early, many voters stayed behind to watch the ballot boxes.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who voted at a unit inside his palace at 1:00 pm, described the election as peaceful.

He said INEC had improved in supply of materials and overcome logistic problems. 

"INEC has done a good job," he said

Source: Click link below»
http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/33336.html

INEC to prosecute senator for electoral malpractices, says Jega

A senator is to be prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for electoral malpractices, Prof. Attahiru Jega has said. 

According to the INEC chair, the senator "commandeered corps members and election materials to his house.

"We are discussing with security agencies about having him apprehended and prosecuted," he said. 

Jega spoke at the INEC headquarters yesterday while reviewing the National Assembly elections. He said the turnout was more than 75 per cent.

According to him, but for some isolated cases in parts of the country, the elections were peaceful. 

"We had reports of people trying to hijack ballot boxes in places like Delta. In Bayelsa, there is an unfortunate situation where a serving senator in Bayelsa commandeered corps members and election materials to his house. We are discussing with security agencies about having him apprehended and prosecuted," he said.  

According to Jega, a violent incident was reported from Biu in Borno State on Friday while a bomb explosion at a polling unit in the state injured several voters on Saturday.

Jega was at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada to see victims of the bomb explosion at INEC office in Suleja where 13 corps members died. 

He said: "When such things happen, some people will be scared. We received reports that some parents told their children not to do the work again and we had to get replacements," Jega stated.

However, he said in spite of the dastardly act, "more than 75 per cent of Nigerians went to various polling units to cast their votes," adding that such legislative houses' elections tend to record only about 65 per cent voter's turnout in most countries.

Speaking on the reactions that followed last week's botched polls, he said vested interests have been disseminating disinformation against the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but all those holding top positions in INEC are prepared to give account of every decision or act they did, INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega has declared.

He said about 25 injured victims of the Suleja bomb blast are being treated. He decried what he called the aggressive disinformation being sponsored by influential political elite. He said it would not succeed in creating the division that such persons envisaged at INEC.

Jega who gave assurances that INEC will take very good care of dead and injured youth corps members who work as ad-hoc staff, said that the group life insurance policy arranged by INEC covers all of them against disability, accidents or death.

 He also said that comprehensive details of all incidents of electoral violence and arrests made in various parts of the country will soon be released, adding that INEC has continued to learn lessons that would facilitate the continuous improvement in the conduct of electoral processes, adding that the leadership of INEC has nothing to hide.

"We are fully in possession of all the materials we need and there will be no problem with the presidential election; the adjustment of election dates has given us more time to prepare more adequately for the presidential election.

Jega further expressed regrets that "some people out there who are highly placed in politics and can get always get some of you to print whatever story without corroboration", adding that the list of companies that INEC was said to have given contracts for the printing of ballot papers is false.

"So many things have been happening… a lot has been made about re-run ballot papers arriving before that of the main presidential election.  We identified one of the best companies in the world and gave them the contact for the main and rerun presidential ballot papers.

"We changed some of the security features that we wanted on the ballot papers; although they assured us that they will be able to do that, subsequently, they could not. They got another company in South Africa that said it could do it and eventually that South African company later said that they couldn't meet the deadline of the presidential election. 

"So we had to cancel the contract for the main presidential ballot papers and they were able to supply the ones for the rerun and we had to get the main presidential election done by another company. Those who knew this and wanted to cause further confusion and division along with the impression that everything is wrong and that INEC cannot do this job were now making it appear as if we did the contract for rerun papers first because we are anticipating a rerun to take place.

"In a situation where there are so many vested interests looking for so many things to accuse us of, some newspapers get information from certain sources and they do not corroborate or give the other party the chance to respond. .. Everything the say are sometimes half-truths and conjectures because they got information from vested interests and they want to please such interests by publishing the stories.

"We are prepared to defend ourselves and everything we have done as a commission because we have done everything honestly and sincerely; we have not been partial to anybody. Some reports try to project us as if we are working for candidates; we feel terribly insulted and people who know us know that there is no way we can bring partisanship to this job that we are doing," he said adding that some people have concocted stories alleging secret meetings with some political parties.

Speaking further, Professor Jega disclosed that a mob burnt down the house entered by some persons who snatched ballot boxes in Zaria even though soldiers prevented the lynching of the ballot box snatchers who are now in police custody.

He said that while a high profile arrest is expected in Bayelsa, incidences of violence have been recorded in four states.

Source: Click link below»
http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/33338.html

Election saboteurs ‘ll fail -Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that attempts by some people to derail the 2011 elections would fail. Speaking in his community, Otuoke, Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State during the National Assembly elections, Jonathan said the explosion incident in Suleja, Niger State was the handiwork of those who do not want the 2011 elections to succeed.

Jonathan who in the company of his wife, Patience and mother completed the accreditation process under five minutes at the Otazi play ground polling unit 13 and came back to vote at 12.10 pm, stated that the re-occurrence of explosion in Suleja after the one that was detonated during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally was an indication that a cell of anti-social elements in the area, adding that the Federal Government would comb the area and fish them out.

While sympathizing with the families of those who lost their loved ones, he said the government would continue to encourage all individuals charged with the responsibility to ensure a successful conduct of the 2011 elections. His words: "There are some anti-social elements who want to derail the election process but they would not succeed. We will definitely conduct our elections. I am quite happy that the corps members are the ones used for this process. We sympathize with those who have lost their loved ones but they should know the hazards we all face every day while doing our work.

The risk which security agents, and journalists face does not mean you should run away from your civic responsibilities as a Nigerian. We would encourage them and they would be protected. During the rally there was an explosion, which means there is a local cell of anti-social elements over there. We are going to comb the area and get them out."

On the conduct of the elections, Jonathan expressed happiness that everything is going on smoothly, stressing that the impressive record is a pointer that the 2011 elections would be peaceful. "For me the process is smooth. We are saying the votes of every Nigerian must count. Nigerians must participate in the process to choose their leaders. This election and all other elections would be smooth," the President vowed.

Source: Click the link below»
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/apr/10/national-10-04-2011-010.htm

Ah-Haa....Texting in Lagos!

There's been no shortage of text messages in a bid to sway us one way or another; many forward these messages as if their lives depended on them. Maybe! So, should one cut off one's nose to spite one's face? In wanting something, should one deprive oneself of even more benefits for the sake of what one seeks to achieve? And this is so crucial to the overall success of the elections, including its overall aim, which is to bring development to the people via the combined effort of all arms of government.

Are we forgetting that this is participatory democracy? How effective will the governor of any state be, if he is the only one elected from his party without other party members getting any elective office? What type of government would that governor form? Would he always be able to call the bluff of hostile non-party members of his administration? Or can we hope as we have recently seen, that once elections are done and won, all other elected members of government who are not of the same party as the governor, will defect to the party of the ruling governor, to make everyone's life easier in the state and truly develop the state? This logic is warped.

Don't forget that there are three arms of government; none can be efficient without the other. Will a governor get co-operation from a hostile State House of Assembly for instance? Have we not witnessed how a state's legislature can hold any governor to ransom, just to fulfill some inordinate desires? Have we not seen a State House of Assembly closed for so many months in a state where both the executive and legislators were/are of the same party? What manner of relationship could we then hope for where legislators and executors are from opposing camps?

Nevertheless, one totally understands why these people are jittery: they rationalise that since a party's leadership decided to 'impose' candidates and admittedly so, then the people also have a right to NOT vote for those seemingly selected and imposed. The illogical argument conveniently forgets that Babatunde Fashola himself was imposed ab initio by this same party; so why are they now insisting on backing this old "imposed" and not the new? If it is because they feel Governor Fashola has 'performed' so well to justify a second term, how do they know that the new set of people imposed by the same party, won't do as well or better? After all, if the party got it right with Mr.Fashola, why can't the party also get it right for the leader's wife, son or in-law? Is one less efficient because one is related to the boss?

I suppose that is why Mr. Fashola's fans are behaving as if he is an independent candidate. They even recommend what party to vote for in place of ACN. But think about how this democracy works for a minute: ours is not built on the collective will of the elected to do good things or deliver dividends, as we say locally. How will Mr. Fashola push his manifesto without his party's elected? Ours is not an environment where politicking stops and governance begins; the difference is blurred. Our politicians NEVER allow the politics to end, never mind beginning the process of governing. In fact, if a party's candidate is elected as governor, after displacing an incumbent whose party has majority seats in the State Assembly, the new governor will know no peace.

Assemblymen often see it as their duty to rile the chief executive of a state, especially if he is not from their party. And the truth is, if they have a good relationship with the governor, people will say they've been bought over; If they don't, the governor's camp will say members of the Assembly don't want progress for the state, and are 'only' being selfishly hostile to the executive because they want some goodies.

We've even seen states where the governor's opponents from within his party, don't want him to achieve anything even if it affects their party's fortunes in providing deliverables. If a governor and president for that matter can be so opposed from within their own camps, is it another party that will embrace them more? If one votes Mr. Fashola alone from the ACN, then members of other political parties to the National and State Assemblies, will the governor enjoy support unhindered by party differences? Will they all look beyond party affiliation and agree to Mr. Fashola's ideas especially if the ideas are good? Or will they choose, after winning, to play politics with people's lives?

Source: Click the link below»
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/5688266-184/story.csp

I see President Jonathan winning the presidential election -Bakut

Major-General Ishaya Bakut, a retiree of Nigerian Army since1996, had served in different military formations in Nigeria and abroad, including UN Peace Keeping Force and ECOMOG. He was cornered in Abuja by a group of journalists for an interview on the current politics in Nigeria. The retired General predicts that President Goodluck Jonathan would win the presidential race against all odds. Idowu Samuel brings excerpts.

Who is Ishaya Bakut?
I have been in the Nigerian army from 1966 to 1996. I retired in that year and have been in retirement since then. I have been living a private life since, but I have been active in areas that normally dominate a retired life.

Ishaya Bakut

I am from Zankwa in Kaduna State. Zankwa is the capital of Zango Kataf in Kaduna State. I was born there and I attended my secondary school in Kaduna and my entire military career started as a cadet in the Nigerian Defence Academy after which I became an officer.

There have been apprehension over the April polls, given the spate of violence gripping the country in the past few weeks, are you worried about the trend?
No. You see, God Almighty has a way of doing things for this country. Normally, when people think there is going to be problem, there are usually none. I believe that people are informed enough. They are keen on voting and are interested on what is going on. The greater majority of the people do not want violence. I think that the greater majority are going to carry the day and we are going to have peaceful election at the end of the day.

From what you see so far, how would you rate the presidential candidates?
As far as I can see, the standing of the candidates is a direct function of the way they have moved around and who they have been able to reach and where. The person who is capable of reaching virtually every corner stands out tall in that order. One candidate has done just that is President Goodluck Jonathan, who has touched every corner of the country selling himself and manifesto.

I would have thought that what is prime is that every candidate should be interested in reaching as many of the electorate as possible and should grab every opportunity given. I think it is unfortunate if a bigger platform that is provided is abandoned, for whatever reason.

Some political analysts are sceptical about the candidature of General Muhammadu Buhari on the basis that he may be too rigid as president of Nigeria, do you share that sentiment too?
Being rigid is a relative thing. It is a perception. General Buhari is a senior officer and I have had opportunity of serving under him on assignments. And many Nigerians know him to be a thorough person.

Who among the presidential candidates have you met intimately and what strikes you about him?
This is an interesting question. I know President Jonathan, the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2007 and we have maintained some level of relationship. To the best of my knowledge, I believe he is thorough and a fortunate Nigerian who fate has charted his course to enable him get experience. It is as if he was being tutored by some divine forces at various levels.

He has conducted himself and organised himself in a commendable manner and has respected himself through all those levels. This is evident in what we have seen in the past several months. I believe that with time, when he consolidates, he would do significantly better.

So far, a lot of things have been stabilised in the country by his leadership style. You can see the various things that have been done in some areas in which we used to have problems.

Fuel supply is steady now; power is getting less problematic and several other things. If you put that side by side  and compared it to the situation we had before . I believe things are much better and will still be better, if he continues in the leadership saddle of this country.

Given your experience as the commander of international peace keeping efforts in Liberia and Lebanon, can you assess the challenge to peace in this country?
When you are considering peace, the thing that normally stand in the way of consolidating peace is the issue of communication. Your ability to communicate with the aggrieved; your ability to consult; your ability to reach out and sometimes people get upset because of lack information. So long as you consult enough and try as much as you can to carry people along, your chances of maintaining and achieving peace are brighter.

The president himself must be very pleased with himself; after going round the country, he has become more informed and has made discoveries that can be to his advantage.

Some critics say that Jonathan is too soft and may not be able to handle a complex country like Nigeria, what do you think?
As a matter of fact, those who have the capacity to remain calm and cool when others are getting excited have a trade that is not easily got by many persons; it is not a weakness to be calm and not to get excited when others are getting excited. As a matter of fact, it is strength not to lose your head easily and not to get angry easily, to remain calm and accommodate those who could be very belligerent. It is not weakness.

What is your assessment of the ongoing elections?
I try as much as possible to also learn; learning is a continuous process. I have come to understand that the electorate today is better informed than they were several years back. They have access to better communication equipment; IT gadgets which enhances the passage of information. Today, most people believe in going to cast their votes and insist that their votes count.

I call on Nigerians to do so with a positive attitude and not cause trouble. Every voter should be satisfied that he has been given to opportunity to express his franchise and has voted for whoever he wants.

From my personal judgment and observation, it will be difficult to find any party that can stand the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This is not because of many other factors, but because of their spread and the fact that their presidential candidate has worked much harder and has shown more record and he is on the job. I feel more convinced that people will work with the one who is on the job and is showing results than looking for birds that are flying elsewhere.

Source: Click the link below»
http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/politics/20154-i-see-president-jonathan-winning-the-presidential-election-bakut

4 arrested with fake voters’ cards in Kwara.

Four persons were on Saturday arrested in Kwara State for being in possession of fake voters cards at a polling booth, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The suspects, who were arrested at Ode Opobiyi, Agbaji Ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State, were taken away by security agents for further interrogation.

Meanwhile, the state's Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Chief Timothy Ibitoye, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election in the state, as well as the large turnout of voters.

He told NAN that INEC officials in the state had followed the guidelines and that it led to the success recorded.

Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, governorship candidate of Allied Congress of Nigeria (ACPN), said INEC had justified the confidence reposed in it by the electorate.

Saraki, who arrived at the Ode Opobiyi, Agbaji Ward around 11.50 a.m., commended voters for defying the scorching sun to cast their votes.

She urged security agents to be vigilant, adding that some politicians were making efforts to rig the election in favour of their candidates.

Dr Ahmad Alli, Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) candidate for the House of Representatives in Ilorin South/East Federal constituency, also commended the large turnout of voters and their peaceful conduct.

In Offa Local Government Area, that electorate conducted themselves in a peaceful manner, with heavy security presence, was noticed.

At Olofa polling booth, armed soldiers, navy, police, civil defence and immigration officers, were seen patrolling the town to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.

Meanwhile, 53 people were discovered to have engaged in double registration in a polling unit in Tahos in Riyon Local Government, Plateau.

NAN reports that the anomalies were discovered when voters came for accreditation at the centre.

The area's electoral officer, who declined to give his name, said that 915 people registered to vote at the unit.

At some polling booths in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Kuru, many women were seen on the queues, but NAN also noticed many underage voters.

INEC Electoral Officer in Riyom, Mr Danjuma Madaki, said he had heard of the presence of underage voters, but told NAN that he had directed presiding officers to confiscate their voting cards.

Source: Click the link below»
http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/news/3621-4-arrested-with-fake-voters-cards-in-kwara

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

Oyo: Missing names, non-availability of materials dog election!

THE elections into the National Assembly held in Ibadan on Saturday were generally peaceful and witnessed a large turnout of voters, although there was a heavy presence of military personnel. The elections were, however, characterised by a few challenges such as missing names of registered voters and non-availability of ballot papers in some units.

At Ikumapayi, near Olodo, about 100 voters were yet to cast their votes as at 6.20pm yesterday. INEC officials resorted to using a generator when it got dark. The election, however, was concluded at 7.00 p.m.

Unlike last Saturday when the streets were deserted, people moved about freely and even some shop owners opened for business.

The late arrival of Independent National Election Commission (INEC) personnel and voting materials, which marked the botched election of last week, did not crop up at all in Saturday's election as INEC personnel arrived early with election materials.

In some polling units in Ibadan South-East and Ibadan North-East local government areas, despite the early arrival of INEC officials and election materials as well as early accreditation of registered voters, ballot papers, which should have been used for voting, were not available. Thus accredited voters waited in vain and were unable to exercise their franchise.

The affected areas were Ward 5 unit 9, Aliwo, Ibadan North-East; Wards 11, 12, 13 of Labiran; and Bode all in Ibadan South-East.

At Lemmy House Units 14 and 15 of Ward 9, Ibadan South-West Local Government, about 270 names were missing.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune, a former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, commended the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for being able to correct all the wrongs of the previous election. He also explained that the elections were very peaceful and the process of accreditation faster compared to what happened during the botched election of last week.

The Minister of Sports, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, also commended the election stating that the accreditation started on time and it was crisis-free, adding that the turnout was more impressive than it was last week.

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, also descibred the election as peaceful because people were accredited on time.

According to him, "the process has been violence-free. Voters have been accredited and are waiting for voting to start."

The gubernatorial candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, also stated that the elections were peaceful and hitchfree, though, he added that there were some areas that were shortchanged with ballot papers, saying that about 31,000 people registered at Itesiwaju Local Government but only 23,000 ballot papers were brought in for the the Senate while 18,000 ballot papers were brought in for the House of Representatives.

Chief Bode Amoo, a leading industrialist, in his remarks explained that the INEC officials arrived on time at Unit 2, Ward 5 Ibadan North Local Government, while accreditation and voting commenced on time, adding that the process was orderly and the people comported themselves properly.

Caretaker chairman of the Ibadan South West Local Government Council, Alhaji Remi Alao, complained that there were some names that were missing and many were disenfranchised because they could not find their names on the list.

Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, caretaker committee chairman, Oluyole Local Government, described the election as very peaceful.

"INEC officials arrived early with their materials. The turnout is quite impressive. This is a proof that the people want to have an input in who leads them," he said.

However, at Ward 5, Unit 10, Akinyele Local government Area of Oyo State, hoodlums shot into the air and snatched the ballot box before votes could be counted.

Akala, Ilaka praise security agencies for peaceful poll
Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala has commended the country's security personnel, saying the security arrangement for the senatorial election was perfect.

He made the commendation while casting his vote, along with his wife, Oluwakemi, on Saturday, at Sabo Taara Ward 10 in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area.

Governor Alao-Akala, who cast his vote at 12:08 pm, also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its ability to conduct a well-organised election.

Saying that the early commencement of the accreditation of voters and voting was cumbersome, he said that the security arrangement was perfectly okay.

Also, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Layiwola Olakojo, commended the security arrangement put in place, saying that the policeman who manned his ward did a thorough job.

Olakojo, who was accredited by 10:00 am at Jabata Ward 7, Unit 7 in Oyo East Local Government Area, said that the activities of the law enforcement agents and INEC officials, as well as the turn out of voters were impressive.

Also, the Accord Party candidate for Oyo Central senatorial election, Chief Bisi Ilaka, said that everything was peaceful as at the time Sunday Tribune visited him at his Ilaka Family House in Oyo.
Contrary to apprehensions expressed about the possibility of a peaceful election, accreditation exercise commenced as early enough at most of the voting centres visited by Sunday Tribune.

Most of the centres also witnessed a large turn out of voters, particularly in areas like HLA Primary School, Oko and Iresa Market.

At Townhall Ward 8, Units 7 and 8, Oko, Honourable Segun Odebunmi, the PDP candidate for House of Representatives, representing the Surulere/Ogo-Oluwa Federal Constituency, said that the accreditation exercise was peaceful.

Accreditation started by 8:00 am at Unit 13, Oja-Oke, Operinde Market, Ilora and at Oja-Oke Phase 2.

The same situation was obtained at most of the voting centres in Ogbomoso, including Arowomole, Masifa, Ajaawa and Sabo Taara.

...As Ladoja commends military for decorum
The former governor and governorship candidate of Accord Party in Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has commended the security agencies including the military personnel for ensuring the peaceful conduct of the National Assembly election.
The former governor while speaking with news

men after casting his vote at exactly 12.10 pm at a polling center in Ondo Street, Bodija, Ibadan said that the security agencies had been able to tell the whole world that Nigeria has the capability of conducting peaceful election.

He however expressed dismay as some state government agencies were being used to cause insecurity in some parts of the state during the election.

According to him, some government officials, especially the council chairmen had been going about with thugs to prevent voters from performing their civic responsibility.

He said based on reports from the field, members of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were used to terrorize the people at the polling centers.

He said that for instance at the Ibadan North East Local Government secretariat, voters were sent away by the hoodlums.

While saying that the election had been peaceful, he said people decided to come out because they had the opportunity to participate, adding that it would be difficult to rig the election because people voted at the same time, hence hoodlums would not be going from one polling center to the other to disrupt the election.

Though, a few eligible voters in some units complained that their names were not found on the register in the wards where they registered, investigation by our reporter showed that such cases were reduced to the barest minimum.

For example, as against what occurred in Ward 10, units 29 and 30, at Youth Centre, Ososami Street, Oke-Ado, where 147 and 600 respectively registered, but only seven and 20 people respectively found their names on the registers, accreditation had been fully completed at about 12. 20 p.m., when Sunday Tribune visited.

In Ward 9, units 32, 33, 34 and 35 within the Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School compound in Ososami, electorate queued peacefully, got accredited, waited till the commencement of balloting and voted. There was also peaceful conduct of the exercise in units 38, 39 and 40 of Ward 9 at Oke-Ado visited by our reporter.

3 arrested for electoral fraud
Three people were on Saturday in Ibadan arrested for allegedly being in possession of charms and 10 voter cards with a view to disrupting the National Assembly election.

One of the suspects was arrested with 10 voter cards, another one with charms and the last person with an identity card which indicated that he works at the government secretariat.

They had stormed the Bashorun Ogunmola High School, Ring Road in a Ford vehicle with the registration number XY479 EKY to disrupt election exercise in the polling centers.

They were, however, unlucky when policemen, led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, stopped them and ordered that they should be searched.

When Sunday Tribune visited the polling center, the vehicle was seen with doors opened.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Olatunji Ajimuda, said the man was arrested.

In Ibadan North Local Government Area of the state, accreditation started in time and at exactly 12 noon, election began.

Initially, the people did not come out at old Bodija Housing Estate and at the University of Ibadan until INEC started appealing that people should come out.

In Ibadan North West, Oluyole, and Akinyele, things were not the same as many people were disenfranchised as they could not find their names on the voter register, non arrival of election materials and the presence of state agencies were preventing people to vote.

At Bode Wasimi in Basorun area, at wards 18,19, and 20, there was report that those whose names were at the voter registers were not allowed to cast their votes, as people were brought in through the back door to cast their votes.

In some local government areas, INEC had to intervene by the introduction of the manual registers which gave the eligible voters the opportunity to perform their civic responsibility.

...Another 2 arrested for possessing thumbprinted ballot papers
A man and the driver of the vehicle he was in were arrested in Ogbomoso on Saturday when almost 400 thumbprinted ballot papers were found with them.

The men were apprehended during stop-and-search by policemen patrolling the area to monitor compliance with the movement of restriction order.

The arrested man, whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of this report was said to have told the police that the ballot papers were those used during April 2 election before the postponement.

When contacted, INEC officials in Ogbomoso South Local Government identified the arrested men as staff of the Commission, saying that the thumprinted ballot papers were mistakenly packed with ballot papers meant for use during Saturday's election.

In the same vein, three men were arrested at Iwo Road in Ibadan for being in possession of one pump action rifle with 24 live catridges and charms.

Heads of security agencies in Oyo State, led by the Commissioner of Police, Barrister Saliu Hashimu, went round senatorial districts in Oyo, Ogbomoso and Ibadan metropolis to monitor how the conduct of the election was going on.

At Ward 2, Unit 11 in Kajola area of Ogbomoso, voters who spoke with the Commissioner of Police told him that everything was peaceful and they were all duly accredited.

However, there was still a very long queue at Ward 2, Unit 12 as at 12noon, as voters complained that the INEC officials were yet to conclude accreditation when the convoy of the heads of security agencies got there.

At Ward 11, Unit 23 Idi Ape area of Ibadan, voters complained of the disappearance of the electoral officer and the supervisor of the unit immediately after accreditation, saying that they had been waiting to vote but ballot papers were not brought by the supervisor who also refused to pick calls when calls were put through to her line.

Same thing was reported at Units 24,25,8,9,10,11,12,13 of the same ward under the supervision of the same electoral officer before the ballot papers and result sheets were eventually brought at 3.05p.m. while the Commissioner of Police and others were still at the polling centre.

Barrister Hashimu ordered the Area Commander in charge, Mrs Abiodun Ige, to bring the electoral officer, Mr Ezekiel Oyewale and the female supervisor, whose name was unknown, to his office after the election to explain what caused the delay.

The House of Representatives' candidate for All Nigeria's Peoples Party (ANPP) in Oyo Central Federal Constituency, Mr Seyi Obitade was arrested at Idi ayunre in Oluyole Local Government Area for moving around polling booths in the area and canvassing for votes.

Electorate complain of non-availability of ballot papers in Ibarapa
Accreditation of voters commenced as early as 8.00 a.m on Saturday morning in Lanlate and other areas of Ibarapa for the National Assembly election, with voters on queue ready for the exercise, though in many places visited, complaints of non-availability of ballot papers for senatorial election persisted.

This, coupled with the unexpected cancellation of the exercise last week, resulted in low turnout of voters initially in the morning. Some of the people who spoke with Sunday Tribune were reluctant to come out to vote, thinking the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, could repeat the same announcement of last week coupled with the fact that the electoral body did not hold election in some areas of the country.

Aside the apathy on the part of the voters, the election was generally peaceful and the voters were orderly as they performed their civic rights. However, many politicians spoken with expressed divergent opinions on the turnout, as many argued that there was improved turnout, while others said there was low turnout.

The presence of security men helped to ensure orderliness as witnessed in the area, as they were on patrol, conducting a stop and search operation on the few vehicles plying the roads. At Molete, Idere, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state, army personnel apprehended a man with charms disturbing the peace in the area and was handed over to the police for interrogation.

Some of the politicians spoken with by the Sunday Tribune, including an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain, Dr Adebayo Adewusi, member, House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency who is also the Accord Party House of Representative candidate, Honourable Oluyemi Taiwo, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate, Honourable Oladimeji Oladapo and the state Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Majekodunmi Aborode, said INEC had started on a good note, adding that the commission could improve on its current ratings.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune, INEC officials at Eruwa, Ibarapa East Local Government Area of the state, when the report of non-availability of some elections materials reached them, said they would make the materials available before the election, adding that last week's postponement had affected both the INEC officials as well as the voters.

By 6.00 p.m when Sunday Tribune visited Ward 4, Unit 5, Idi-Igbaro, Eleyele, Ido-Eruwa Road of Ido Local Government Area of the state, voting was going on, with many voters yet to vote. Some of the voters, who spoke with Sunday Tribune, complained of inadequate personnel and voting materials, calling on INEC to make available more personnel for the unit in subsequent elections.
Election peaceful in Oke Ogun
The Senate and House of Representatives election in Oke Ogun Area of Oyo State which held on Saturday was generally peaceful.
At Iseyin, Saki, Otu, Okaka, Igbojaye and other neighbouring towns in the area, where Sunday Tribune visited, election started as scheduled and ended as expected.
What would have resulted into crisis at Ward 7, Oje Owode area of Atisbo Local Government was quickly brought under control by INEC presiding officers, when party agents moved against accreditation of some elector...
Source: Clic the link below»
http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/news/3620-oyo-missing-names-non-availability-of-materials-dog-election

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We are ready for Presidential election, says Jega!

Professor Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission in a press conference today explained the circumstances that led to the printing of the rerun ballot papers for the presidential election before the one for the main polls.

Jega, who said he is ready to defend all the actions he has taken as INEC Chairman lamented that a lot of controversies is being deliberately created out of the issue.

His words: "It is true that we had challenges with the contract for production of the presidential ballot papers.

Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC chairman.

"We identified one of the best companies in the world and gave them the contract for the presidential ballot papers-both presidential main and presidential rerun because we believe that they could deliver and we had all the assurances that they could deliver.

"And they went and started to deliver and we changed some of the security features that we wanted on the presidential ballot papers.

"Although, they assured us that they could do that, but subsequently, they said they couldn't. And they brought another company another company in South Africa that said it could do it, and eventually, the company is South Africa that said they could do it came back to say they cannot meet the deadline that wanted for the election.

"So, we had to cancel the contract for the presidential main. And because we cancelled the contract for the presidential main, obviously, they were able to produce and supply the one for the re-run, but we had to have the one for the presidential main done by another company.

Jega attributed the controversies over the issue and insinuations that he is working for some presidential candidates as an "insult".

The Chairman of INEC accused some politicians with vested interests in the matter and those who want to portray the Commission as incapable of being the brains behind the story.

"Some people knew this and those who know this and want to create further confusion and create impression that everything is wrong and INEC cannot do this job were now going and making it to appear as if we deliberately gave the contract for the re-run as if we want the re-run to take place which really is not true.

"Every election body, when they conduct elections, must print the ballot for the main and the re-run, because you don't want a situation that if it becomes necessary to have a rerun, you don't go running helter- skelter to print ballot papers.

"We can defend everything we have done. We are prepared to defend ourselves, everything we have done as a commission, because we know everything that we have done, we have done it honestly and sincerely; we have not been partial to anybody.

"Some of the reports are trying to project as if some of us are partisan, as if some of us are working for some candidates.

"I feel terribly insulted and many of us feel insulted, people who know us and know our reputations know that there is no way we can bring partisanship to this job that we are doing, people are talking of meetings which never happened.

"They are concocting stories and saying we have held meetings with political parties because in our country everybody is looked at from the prism of religion or prism of ethnicity, nobody is ever given a chance.

Professor Jega also assured that all the materials for the presidential elections are now ready.

" I want to assure you that by next Saturday when we hold the presidential election, the question of inadequacy of materials will not arise. We are fully in possession of all the materials that we need for the presidential elections", he told journalists.

Source: Click the link below»
http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2011/04/10/we-are-ready-for-presidential-election-says-jega/

Femi Branch welcomes a baby boy!

Femi Branch,the popular actor/director welcomes a baby boy with his wife last saturday ,2nd April,2011 at a private hospital in Abeokuta , Ogun state . He has since named the boy Ethan Oluwatise Branch. A private party is scheduled to take place today at his home .

Director: Sidney Lumet Dies At 86!

Legendary director Sidney Lumet has died at the age of 86.

The New York Times reported early Saturday that Lumet, a four time Oscar nominee, died of lymphoma, according to his daughter.

Lumet helmed countless big screen classics. His first film, "12 Angry Men," established him as a top director in 1957, while his 1970's hits "Serpico," "Murder on the Orient Express," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Network" sealed his reputation as a screen legend.

While he never won an Oscar for films he directed, in 2005 he was awarded an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Lumet worked with Hollywood's biggest names, including Henry Fonda, Al Pacino, Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Robert Duvall, and Faye Dunawa

Source: Click the link below»
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/09/sidney-lumet-dead_n_847014.html

Man Dies in Car Crash the Day After His Wife Died of Cancer!

The day after his wife
died, Steven Tice knew he couldn't be alone in the house they had shared. So the Michigan man got in his pickup truck and headed to his daughter's house not far away.

But he never made it. Tice, 64, died after crashing his pickup truck Sunday, only a day after Lana, his wife of nearly four decades, died of cancer. The couple's daughter, Kellie Ittner, said the family was devastated, but grateful death didn't part her parents for very long.

"He said he couldn't go home without her there, and he never did make it home again. I feel like it was a very divine plan," she told AOL News in a phone interview today. "He was seriously heartbroken. He would have been miserable to go on without her."

 Ittner, 29, said she and her siblings were waiting for their father to arrive at her home Sunday to make funeral arrangements when they were visited by a state trooper instead, who told them Tice had died on a Michigan highway. No one else was seriously injured in the crash, according to The Saginaw News, which first reported the story.

Ittner said her young children, 7-year-old Brendan and 4-year-old Melodie, were close to their grandparents and are still struggling to understanding their deaths. "They keep asking me, 'When are Papa and Grandma coming back?'" she said.

 Steven Tice was a stoic man but had been unusually affectionate in his wife's final days, his daughter said. Lana had fought breast cancer for 16 years, and Steven was right by her side when she died April 2. "He's always been such a tough guy, and we're not an affectionate family," Ittner said. "But Saturday, after my mom passed, the emotions I saw ... I couldn't believe it. He even kissed me on the cheek."

The Clio, Mich., couple will be buried together, with Steven holding an urn containing Lana's ashes, as she had requested.

Ittner said her parents were partners to the end. "Before they died, [my dad] said, 'She's not losing the battle, I'm losing the

Source: Click link below»
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/09/steven-tice-dies-in-car-crash-the-day-after-his-wife-died-of-can/

Terry G out with his own range of shoes!

Terry G out with his own range of shoes



Dance hall star Terry G aka Mr bling bling, has just taken delivery of his own range of shoes which he calls Ginger Shoes and a pair goes for N40grand. Don't know if the shoes are in the market now.
Nice shoes, but a bit pricey. What about doing something for the masses instead? Can Terry G's fans afford to buy shoes for 40k?

Ten Killed in Bogoro Attack, Bauchi State!

No fewer than ten  persons were feared killed in Bar Arewa village in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State when the village was attacked by yet unidentified men at about midnight Thursday.

The killings is coming just as Governor Isa Yuguda ordered the suspension of the Chairman of Bogoro Local Government Area, Mr Marcus Bitrus Lusa and the District Head, Alhaji Haruna Yakubu, village and hamlet heads in the area.

THISDAY investigations revealed that the attackers numbering between 800 and 1,000 stormed the village at about 12 midnight  on Thursday well armed with guns and machetes.

An eye witness who escaped from the scene of the incident told newsmen that   almost all the houses in Bar Arewa were set ablaze.

According to witness who asked not to be identified," some elderly people were burnt to death in their houses, and after  the killings and burning which lasted less than an hour, the attackers fled the village''.

Last week the villages of  Yola and Goskam Bom in Bogoro Local Government Area were also attacked by marauders, killing at least five people

Source: Click the link below»
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ten-killed-in-bogoro-attack/89314/

Police discover 100 strands of dynamite in Kaduna!

⁠
The Nigeria police Kaduna yesterday uncovered plans to cause massive bombing of part of Kaduna with the discovery of over 100 strands of dynamites loaded in three sacks after one other sack exploded, killing one person, while the other is currently in hospital.

The state Police Commissioner, Haruna John, told newsmen at the St Gerard Catholic Hospital, Kaduna where one of the suspected bombers was admitted for treatment that the bombs were capable of bringing down any building in the state.

The police boss had on Thursday afternoon alerted of plots to cause violence during the National Assembly election by unknown people, saying that security agents would not tolerate any act of violence throughout the election.

However, a few hours after the police warning, a bomb was said to have exploded at Mahuta village on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, killing one of those carrying it, while the other was seriously injured.

The commissioner said "at about 5.00pm yesterday (Thursday) the attention of our DPO in Kurmi Mashi was drawn to the fact that two men bearing sacks were unconscious after the sacks they were carrying exploded.

"Our men rushed there and the two men, this one on hospital bed and one Lawal who is not dead were picked up and taken to several hospitals and eventually admitted here on the understanding that the police would pay the bills.

"We sent our bomb disposal unit led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police to the scene where they discovered a second sack which they detonated immediately.

They, along with the CID and the SSS, conducted a search in the area and discovered a house belonging to this man here (the injured bomber) that was securely locked.

"In that house, they discovered two more sacks that were loaded with materials for making bombs ready for detonation. Each bag was loaded with more than 30 strands of dynamites, the types used by construction workers to break rocks and I can tell you that those things can bring down any building.

"It was only God that saved this city from the hands of these people because if these things were used wherever they were intended for, it would have been terrible. These bombs are not things that even those of us in the service know much about. But thank God that we have one of the best bomb experts in the world. Our bomb disposal unit is one of the best trained in the world and it takes a lot of courage to work in that unit.

"Those bags were detonated by our bomb disposal units and the blast was heard over two kilometres 　away. The survivor here said some Nigerians and foreigners are involved in this. We are not dismissing this and so, we will treat him so that when he gets well, we can get more information from him.

"We have no doubt that there is a foreign connection to this. We have a link of where they intended to attack, but we are investigating the information we have so far. But the survivor is here and you can talk to him."

The survivor, who gave his name simply as Mohammed, alleged that the bomb was brought to them by Osama Bin Ladin, but was quick to add that his late friend never told him what the bombs were intended for.

He said: "My name is Mohammed. 　The bomb that was brought to my friend exploded　on me. I don't know what my friend intended to do with the bomb."

Mohammed, who said he works at a yoghurt factory, claimed to have met his late friend, Lawal, at Gadon Kaya in Kano, adding that "he just called me when he came in from Kano and asked me to meet him at the place where the accident happened.

"I don't know what he wanted to use it for. What happened was that when we met at Mahuta, he received a call and suddenly two people appeared in a black Mercedes 190 model. One of the occupants who is an Arab and the other a Nigerian gave him the parcel which he confirmed to me to be a bomb. The bomb accidentally exploded just as I was about asking him what he intended to do with it." 　

The owner of the house where the bomb exploded who gave his name as Abdullahi said that he was approached by one of his friends to give the house to Mohammed.

Source: Click link below»
http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/33232.html

Court Dismisses Igbinedion’s Suit On Seized Property

An application by the former governor of Edo state, Lucky Igbinedion, to have his property seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) released to him was on Friday dismissed by Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos for lack of merit.

In the meantime, the ex- governor speaking through his lawyer, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), after the court's verdict, vowed to appeal the ruling.

The judge, while delivering his ruling, noted that Section 13 of the Federal High Court Acts granted the anti-graft agency the power to temporarily grant injunction to freeze or attach assets suspected to have been acquired by proceeds of fraud.

According to the judge, the anti-graft agency acted within its power as sections 28 and 29 of the EFCC Act empower the commission to temporarily attach properties suspected to have been acquired through crime.

The judge also held that under section 19 of the Federal High Court Act and Section 220 of the constitution, the court has the jurisdiction under the act to make orders attaching the property, since the territorial jurisdiction of the federal High Court is nationwide and that there is only one Federal High Court in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that EFCC had on February 8 got a forfeiture order from Justice Idris to seize about 11 properties traced to Igbinedion in Benin, Lagos, Abuja and London over an alleged N3.2billion fraud suit filed against him.

However, Tarfa (SAN) argued that there was no basis for the order of forfeiture of his client's properties because he had already been convicted on the same matter.

He contended that his client was facing a pending charge of alleged money laundering in Benin division of the Federal High court, adding that if there was any need for an order of forfeiture, the EFCC should have gone there to secure it.

Tarfa, in arguing his reply to EFCC's counter affidavit brought pursuant to Section 36(9)(10) of 1999 constitution, urged the court to discharge the order

Source: Click the link below»
http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/news/3825-court-dismisses-igbinedions-suit-on-seized-property.html

Breaking News: Explosion At INEC Kills 25 Youth Corpers!

A dirty bomb which exploded inside the Suleja, Niger State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has killed 25 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and severely wounded about 48 others, according to multiple sources in Suleja.

THEWILL gathered that the explosion occurred at about 5.47. pm at the Kwamba area office of the commission just when corpers hired as adhoc staff by INEC for Saturday’s election were checking the notice board to know where they have been posted to.

Multiple sources told THEWILL correspondent in Niger State that the impact of the blast was so severe that it left many victims dismembered.

“The bomb must have been planted very close to the corpers because body parts were scattered all over the premises. The place was packed full when suddenly there was a loud bang,” one of our sources said.

THEWILL gathered that the remains of the dead and those wounded have been taken to the Suleja General Hospital.
The Niger State Police Commissioner Bala Hassan has relocated to Suleja while investigation into the incident has commenced, according to police spokesman for Niger State, Mr. Richard Oguche, who confirmed the blast.

He added that those who carried out the bombing would be apprehended.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Recall that last month, multiple blasts during a PDP campaign rally killed about 9 persons in the area.

Source...

I LEFT PDP TO SAVE MY MARRIAGE ----AKUNYULI

Former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, on Thursday said her husband, Dr. Chike Akunyili, forced her to quit the Peoples Democratic Party. Akunyili, who left the PDP last December to contest the Anambra Central Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, said her husband could no longer accept the violent nature of the PDP in Anambra State. 

She recalled how she called a stakeholders' meeting of the PDP in Awka in 2010 after the party lost the governorship election, saying developments at the meeting shocked her husband, who gave a choice between her marriage and the PDP. She said some PDP members organised hoodlums, who released tear-gas bannisters at the meeting venue and sent everyone scampering to safety. 


"There and then, my husband asked me to choose between my marriage to him and attending PDP meetings," she said. Akunyili said in contrast with the situation in the PDP in Anambra State, APGA was fostering peace and unity, fostered by the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi 

On her campaign for the forthcoming National Assembly election, she lamented the high cost of electioneering in Nigeria, but said she had been able to sustain her campaigns because of the goodwill she enjoyed from people both in Nigeria and abroad. 

She said, Akunyili said, "Politics is a rough and difficult terrain. It is crazy. It saps one emotionally. When you are dealing with agbero politicians, it becomes more stressful.

"My experience in the field is bad. There are all sorts of campaigns of calumny, but I am happy I have overcome all of them. I have to go to the market and dance like a crazy person."

Amazing: Undergraduate Americans teach Nigerians!

Five white American students from the University of Wisconsin, United States of America, who are undergoing a Language immersion programme at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, were some of the guests at the 2011 Yoruba Day at the Vivian Fowler Memorial Girl's College, Lagos. Their mastery of the Yoruba Language is raising fresh concerns among language enthusiasts on the need for parents to encourage their children to speak the language, MOTUNRAYO ABODERIN reports One man's meat is another man's poison is a witty saying that aptly describes the decision of some American undergraduates to obtain Bachelors of Art degree in Yoruba Language.
The American students are actually treading a path that many Yoruba parents will never encourage their children to tread. Due to civilisation, the usage of the language has become a taboo in many homes, let alone going to the university to study it. But this is not so for Lauren Halloran, Caraline Harshman, Kelvin Barry, Kelly Moses and O'Neil Keegan, all undergraduate students of the University of Wisconsin, United States of America. Apart from studying the language, they have even adopted Yoruba names. Halloran is Abike, Harshman is Titilayo, Barry has adopted Kayode, and Moses is Akinwumi while Keegan's Yoruba name is Kolade.
Yoruba Language is the language of about 40 million people living in the South West geo-political zone of Nigeria.
But the language is being threatened with extinction because of the poor disposition of some Yorubas to it. Yoruba Language and culture enthusiasts including Prof. Wande Abimbola, Prof. Akinwumi Isola and Prof. Ayo Bamgbose had at various forums, expressed fears that if care was not taken, the language might go into extinction in some years to come.
However, these students, who are currently at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, for a one academic session language immersion programme, were part of guests that witnessed the Yoruba Day organised for pupils of Vivian Fowler Memorial Girl's College, Lagos recently.
The school's proprietor, Chief Leila Fowler, said that the Americans were invited for the event to motivate pupils and parents to embrace the use of Yoruba Language in their homes and in school. As each of the students from the University of Wisconsin spoke the Yoruba language with such dexterity and passion, with the American accent, the audience was forced to clap and scream for joy. "Americans speaking Yoruba, our mother tongue! Should this be a slap in the face of Yoruba girls who can't even say a word in Yoruba?" a parent sitting close to our correspondent asked rhetorically.
The Americans have been at the UI since September 2010 to sharpen their understanding of the Yoruba language and culture. This involves living with Nigerian families for close to one year. The Nigerian families signed an undertaking to speak to the students in Yoruba as well as encourage them to speak the language.
Before coming to Nigeria, they had been learning the Yoruba language at the University of Wisconsin, in the US along with their major courses for close to three years. At their first day in the Yoruba class in America where they were taught by professors from Nigeria, they were given a list of Yoruba names to pick from, and were asked to choose the appellations that best suited them.
And since then, they prefer being called their Yoruba names.
Interestingly, they eat Yoruba food, greet in the Yoruba way, and speak the language better than many Yoruba-born persons.
Kayode, when asked what his best food was, said in Yoruba, "Any day, any time I will go for Oka and Abula (Okro and Amala). It's divine and I love it. Nigeria is one place I've always wanted to live. So, being here is like a dream come true. I wouldn't trade this opportunity for anywhere else.''
Being endowed with an unbeatable talent and skills on how to beat the talking drum came as a surprise to the audience. "I developed an intimacy with the language by listening to radio stations, reading Nigerian newspapers, and also watching Yoruba movies. I always listen to Radio Lagos 107.5FM from the US. That really helped in getting to know the Yoruba accent.
"Also, I leant through the Yoruba films, you can watch any type of Yoruba movie on YouTube from America."
Titilayo, who was the most outspoken of the group, said someday, she wants to become a West African correspondent for one of the top media houses in the world.
"I want to be able to communicate in various African languages without any barrier. After mastering the Yoruba language, I'm going to pick up other African languages," she said.
Living in the ancient city of Ibadan, she said, had been an interesting experience, bringing her closer to the Yoruba culture and its components,
"My experience in Nigeria so far has been better than what I expected. I never thought I would become a motivation for kids to take pleasure in learning their mother tongue. It has been a big experience. Everyone has been so warm and welcome. Well, I hope this challenges people to know that the Yoruba language is a beautiful one, and Yoruba-speaking parents especially should ensure that they teach their children how to speak the language. If I can do it, so can they," Titilayo said.
Kolade, the most reserved of the group, said because of his nature, naturally he didn't think he could stay in Nigeria other than the stipulated time his course required, but because of the warm nature of Nigerians, he might change his mind.
"I'm more of the quiet type, I don't really like talking. Nigerians are really great at making you feel at home. A lot of people don't know much about Nigeria, that's why they have the impression that the country is wild and dangerous. But I have discovered that this impression is not true," he said.
On some of the challenges he faces, one of their teachers, Mr. Moses Mabayanje, said despite the passion he has for his job, teaching foreigners was harder than teaching Nigerians. "I have passion for what I do, but it can be challenging teaching foreigners than Nigerians who already have an idea and the nitty-gritty of the language. For foreigners, you have to start from the scratch. Also, I have to make sure that the five of them master the Yoruba language," he said.
Responding to fears that foreigners would one day have to teach Yoruba people their mother tongue, he said, "There is every possibility that this could happen. It may look like a joke, but it could happen. However, I don't think this would happen as a result of me teaching foreigners the Yoruba language; rather it will be as a result of parents failing to teach and imbibe in their children the Yoruba culture."
Also, Yoruba author, Olarotimi Makanjuola, said children now prefered speaking either the British English, or most especially the American English to their peers and parents, and that in some years' time, there would be nothing left of the Yoruba culture if caution wasn't taken.
"Would our grand children know the English meaning of the Yoruba word, 'Wa'? Almost everywhere this issue is brought up, people lament on the neglect of the Yoruba language. As they speak, you can hear the pain and sadness in their voices. Very soon, the whites are going to be the ones teaching our children their mother tongue," he said.
However, the Chairman, Association of Yoruba Language and Culture Teachers Association, Lagos State, Mr. Atanda Olawale, has called on parents and stakeholders in the education sector to fight against the extinction of Yoruba language.
He said, "The greatest tragedy regarding language is the dominating trend of parents wanting to speak only English to their children, making it their first language, and then sending them to private schools which only teach English. This makes these children to value English above other languages."
"When I heard about the story of the five students from University of Wincosin who are currently in UI studying Yoruba, I was not so shocked because I've always said that if we are not careful, the Yoruba language will soon become extinct. Then we will have foreigners coming down here to teach us our own mother tongue," he said

Obama friend arrested for soliciting prostitute

One of President Barack Obama's close friends has been arrested in Honolulu on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute.

Robert "Bobby" Titcomb was one of four men arrested in an undercover sting operation late Monday and later released on $500 bail, according to Honolulu police.

Titcomb, 49, attended Punahou School in Honolulu with Obama in the 1970s. The president graduated in 1979, a year before Titcomb. The two often play golf and basketball, go to the beach and dine together when the president returns home to Hawaii for vacation.

Obama's family has also attended barbeques at Titcomb's beachside home in Waialua, located on Oahu's North Shore about an hour outside of downtown Honolulu.

Titcomb and Obama last spent time together in Hawaii during Obama's most recent vacation over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

The White House had no comment. Titcomb has not publicly responded to the charges, and he wasn't immediately available for comment.

Police said Titcomb was arrested at 9:40 pm. Monday near downtown at the intersection of South and Pohukaina streets, which is next to the Circuit Court building and a large parking lot. He posted bail about two hours later.

Titcomb has worked as a commercial fisherman and an airline employee, according to the spring 2007 edition of the "Punahou Bulletin," the school's alumni magazine.

In 1987, he was arrested on drunken driving charges, which led to the 90-day suspension of his license and a $150 fine, according to state criminal records.—

AP writers Jennifer Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report.

Source: Click the link below»
http://www.aolnews.com/story/obama-friend-arrested-for-soliciting/1715767/

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Gadhafi asks Obama to end air strikes in a letter!

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appealed directly to President Barack Obama on Wednesday to end what Gadhafi called "an unjust war," and he wished Obama good luck in his bid for re-election next year.

"You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action," Gadhafi wrote in a rambling, three-page letter to Obama obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility for that."

The White House confirmed the letter, but top officials shrugged it off.

"I don't think there is any mystery about what is expected from Mr. Gadhafi at this time," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, repeating U.S. and allied demands that Gadhafi's forces pull back and cease attacks.

Rebels and pro-government forces waged nearly stalemate battles in Libya, while a former U.S. lawmaker made an unendorsed private trip to Tripoli to try to convince Gadhafi to step down. An Obama administration envoy continued meeting with Libyan opposition figures in the rebel-held city of Benghazi, with no decision on whether to increase U.S. help for the rebels seeking Gadhafi's ouster.

The letter was sent to the State Department and forwarded immediately to the White House.

Gadhafi implored Obama to stop the NATO-led air campaign, which he called an "unjust war against a small people of a developing country."

"To serving world peace ... Friendship between our peoples ... and for the sake of economic, and security cooperation against terror, you are in a position to keep Nato (NATO) off the Libyan affair for good," Gadhafi wrote in the letter.

"I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility for that."

Neither White House press secretary Jay Carney nor State Department spokesman Mark Toner would discuss the details of the letter.

Gadhafi told Obama that a democratic society could not be built through the use of missiles and aircraft. He also repeated his claim that the rebels seeking his ouster are members of the al-Qaida terrorist network.

Addressing Obama as "our son" and "excellency," Gadhafi said that his country had been hurt more "morally" than "physically" by the NATO campaign.

The letter, composed in formal but stilted English, includes numerous spelling and grammatical errors.

"Our dear son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu oumama, your intervention is the name of the U.S.A. is a must, so that Nato (NATO) would withdraw finally from the Libyan affair," Gadhafi wrote. "Libya should be left to Libyans within the African union frame."

Gadhafi said his country had already been unfairly subjected to "a direct military armed aggression" ordered by then-President Ronald Reagan, who famously called the leader the "Mad Dog of the Middle East," in 1986, as well as earlier rounds of U.S. and international sanctions.

Although he listed a litany of complaints, Gadhafi said he bears no ill will toward Obama in the letter, which was dated April 5, 2011 in Tripoli and is signed by "Mu'aumer Qaddaffi, Leader of the Revolution."

"We have been hurt more morally (than) physically because of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you," he wrote. "Despite all this, you will always remain our son whatever happened. We still pray that you continue to be president of the U.S.A. We Endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaigne."

Meanwhile, former congressman Curt Weldon, a Pennsylvania Republican who has visited Libya twice before, arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday at Gadhafi's invitation. Weldon said he is on a private mission to urge the Libyan leader to step down.

Weldon was in Tripoli as U.S. envoy Chris Stevens was meeting rebels in their de facto capital, Benghazi, to gauge their intentions and capabilities.

Gadhafi has been widely excluded from international efforts to broker a peace plan, with rebels insisting that his four-decade rule must end. Weldon would be one of the few high-profile Westerners to meet with Gadhafi since the rebellion began in February.

However, the State Department dismissed the significance of Weldon's visit, saying he had been warned of the dangers of traveling to Libya, was not traveling on behalf of the administration and not carrying any message to Gadhafi from Washington.

"I don't know if it is helpful or unhelpful," Toner said of the trip. "He is not representing the U.S. government."

Stevens, the U.S. envoy to the opposition, held a second day of talks with opposition figures in Benghazi aimed at determining exactly how the administration could assist them.

"We hope that he will come away with a clear picture of the opposition so we can make decisions going forward," Toner said. The U.S. is considering giving the opposition financial assistance and non-lethal aid but has yet to make a decision on whether to recognize their transitional council as the legitimate government of Libya, something that U.S. allies France and Italy, along with Qatar, have already done.

The subject of aid to and recognition of the opposition was expected to be high on the agenda of a meeting between Clinton and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini later Wednesday in Washington.

The rebels, aided by U.N.-authorized airstrikes intended to protect civilians from Gadhafi's forces, have maintained control of much of the eastern half of Libya since early in the uprising, while Gadhafi has clung to much of the west. Gadhafi has been putting out feelers for a cease-fire, but he refuses to step down.

Neither government forces nor the rebels have made any serious gains in recent days and the conflict has shifted to smaller objectives on both sides such as control of the key oil port of Brega, where fighting has flared on the outskirts.

On Wednesday, rebel forces gathered outside Brega but made no clear move to advance. Many posed for photos for the gaggle of foreign photographers. One young rebel dropped a grenade on the road as his pickup truck sped by and then sheepishly got out and picked it up as the crowd looked on in concern.

Rebel leaders have complained that NATO airstrikes are coming too slow to give them a clear battlefield edge. But NATO and U.S. commanders acknowledge that pro-Gadhafi units have frustrated the air campaign by moving into civilian areas and new NATO tactics are needed.

"When there's a tank with dozens of people around about it, of innocent civilians, the best thing in that stage is to not to drop a bomb on the tank," said British Rear Adm. Russell Harding, deputy commander of the NATO operation, at a press conference in Naples, Italy. "So there's a limit, a physical limit, because we're not allowed boots on the ground."

Harding said NATO had flown more than 850 missions in five days — including a steady rise in daily sorties since Monday — but suggested that it was not NATO's job to satisfy rebel demands.

For the moment, it appears Gadhafi forces are concentrating on Misrata, 125 miles southeast of Tripoli and the only major rebel-held city outside their eastern enclave.

A rebel spokesman said Misrata civilians have fled to several areas along the coast that are farthest from the fighting.

Former Libyan military officers who have joined the opposition were trying to keep untrained fighters from advancing from the eastern gateway city of Ajdabiya toward Brega. But that was causing tensions within the rebel ranks.—

Associated Press writers Sebastian Abbot in Ajbadiya, Libya; Ben Hubbard in Benghazi, Libya; Jenny Barchfield in Paris and Slobodan Lekic in Brussels contributed to this report.

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