Bomb Scare at Port Harcourt Airport

A Lagos-bound Aero Aircraft was  Friday  delayed for hours when a haggard-looking passenger attempted to disembark from the plane at the take-off base.

The passenger’s action created fear among co-passengers who believed he must have planted a bomb in the plane because of his insistence to leave the plane at all cost.

Trouble started when the suspect insisted he must disembark, damning all pleas by hostesses, a development which prompted the captain’s immediate intervention.

The Captain, according to an official of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Ebele Okay, resolved to call for arrest of the odd passenger.

It was gathered that the captain also asked every passenger on board to disembark for a second round of screening as part of measures aimed at restoring the confidence of all passengers already booked for the 3.00 pm flight to Lagos.
The flight was initially billed for 12.00pm  but was rescheduled to 3.00pm because of weather conditions.

However after the odd passenger had been arrested for interrogation, the remaining passengers refused to re-board the plane for fear that a bomb might have been planted there.

The passengers had briefly held a meeting at the International lounge of the Airport where they were initially moved, concluding on prevailing on the management of the Aero airline to produce a new plane for their flight to Lagos.

A combined team of FAAN officials, police airport security, the anti-bomb unit and the Aero Airline management moved to address the aggrieved crowd with assurances that proper screening had been conducted on every department of the plane and baggage of every passenger.

UNILORIN hails S’Court ruling on sacked lecturers

The management of the University of Ilorin  on Wednesday hailed the Monday’s ruling of the Supreme Court in the suit  between  UNILORIN and 44 of its lecturers who were sacked but later reinstated based on the court’s directive.

The lecturers prayed the  court to compel the UNILORIN to pay them for their sabbaticals.

The court presided over by Justice Mohammed Mahmoud, ruled against the lecturers.

UNILORIN’s  Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, in a statement on Wednesday   said the judgment  had laid the matter to rest.

He  added that the  efforts of the management would now be directed at pursuing its set goal of running a first-class institution.

He added that with the judgment, it was hoped that the lecturers would settle down to their academic activities.

Akogun said, “The ruling is consistent with the university’s argument that the June 12, 2009 judgment of the same court that ordered the reinstatement of the lecturers, was clear and unambiguous. It only covered the payment of their salaries and allowances, conditions which the university has since fully complied with.

“Right from the beginning, the university has always drawn the attention of well-meaning members of the public to the fact that the suit was frivolous and tantamount to abuse of judicial process by the lecturers. The management will continue to build on the progress already recorded by the university, especially its unbroken record of academic stability as well as its top rating among the universities in Nigeria.

“We are very passionate about these records and we intend not only to sustain them but to break more grounds so as to serve the country and humanity better.

“We are however happy that the landmark judgment of the apex court has put to rest all the antics to draw the hand of the University’s clock backwards.

“It is hoped that the lecturers will now settle down to their primary responsibilities of teaching and research and put behind them other distracting activities that will, in the long run, not be in anybody’s interest.

Oshiomhole wants DIG sacked over Oyerinde’s death probe

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Thursday in Abuja called for the dismissal of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Peter Gana,  who supervised the investigation into the murder of his private secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde.

Oshiomhole alleged that the DIG was shielding  the real killers and urged  President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the matter.

He said the State Security Service apprehended Oyerinde’s suspected killers while the police arrested and detained an innocent civil rights activist, Rev. David Ugolor, for two months without trial in disobedience of a court order.

The governor, who canvassed for the scraping of the Police Affairs ministry on the grounds that it politicises the Force, noted that with a functional Police Service Commission, the country would not need a ministry in charge of police affairs.

The governor said this while delivering a key note address at the inauguration of a Code of Conduct for officers and men of the Nigeria Police, Vice-President, Namadi Sambo represented President Goodluck Jonathan.

Oshiomhole said, “I am aggrieved; I am aggrieved over the murder of my private secretary and the way in which it was trivialised.

“I am saying it knowing that the Vice President is here. My secretary was murdered in cold blood and you dispatched a DIG to supervise that investigation; a DIG is a sufficiently senior officer. They came to Benin and they did what Fela (Ransome-Kuti) would have called police magic.

“At the end, they went for a civil rights activist and charged him for the offence of murder.”

Oshiomhole alleged that the DIG conspired with other officers involved in the investigation to shield the killers of Oyerinde, saying they were no longer fit to wear police uniform.

He added, “The DIG Force CID has a case to answer; it is either he is guilty of conspiracy to murder or is guilty of conspiracy to shield murderers or both. In which case he cannot wear his police uniform, he must be dismissed.

“The Deputy Commissioner of Police that he used claimed that they had done a thorough job. He has no business wearing police uniform because by my judgment, in his own narrative, he is a criminal.”

The governor lamented that one of the problems of  Nigeria, including the police and even the civil service was the culture of impunity where people do things wrongly and got away with it.

In his response, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, said the case was still under investigation and assured the governor that the outcome of the probe would be made public.

Jonathan charged officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force to exhibit the finest ideals of professionalism in the discharge of their duties, and directed the IG to furnish him with details of assessment of police conduct on a quarterly basis.

NAFDAC probes AIDS cure claim by UNIBEN don

National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control has  begun a probe into Prof. Isaiah Ibeh’s claim on Tuesday  that he had discovered a herbal drug capable of curing AIDS.

Reports quoted the Dean of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Benin  as saying  the drug had undergone “a series of successful tests”.

 The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who addressed a media conference  in Abuja  on Thursday, said the agency had invited Ibeh to prove his claim. He warned members of the public  against  buying  the drug  because it had  not been subjected to standard scientific protocols.

He said the don was wrong going public, saying it was  the duty of the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to make the announcement   after  tests by NAFDAC.

Orhii said  the product was never brought to his agency for vetting and neither was it subjected to any institutional scrutiny.

He said, “I wish to caution other persons who might want to follow in the footsteps of Prof. Isaiah Ibeh in making public claims for products whose safety and efficiency have not been scientifically proved  to desist from such acts .

“There is a procedure laid down for determining  the efficacy and safety of new medicines and this must be strictly adhered to.

 “We have started by disassociating ourselves from the so-called cure.  We will decide the appropriate sanction. We have invited him for further investigation. If our laws don’t have appropriate punishment for such persons who don’t follow scientific protocols in making such pronouncements, we will review the law and ensure that such does not occur again.”

Orhii  added, “The agency wishes to state that this herbal drug, which he claimed to have undergone a series of successful tests, has never been presented to NAFDAC for evaluation of efficacy and safety.

“This bogus claim of efficacy without following the appropriate procedure for drug evaluation is capable of misleading the public, especially those that have HIV/AIDs infection as there is no known official or scientifically proven cure for HIV/AIDS infection till date.

“You may recall that Nigeria was inundated with similar spurious claims in the past when individuals announced cure for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and diabetes, which later turned out to be false after thorough investigations. This is usually at the expense of innocent citizens, who have risked their lives, wasted their time and money in search of the elusive cure for their ailments. Nigerians deserve better than to be used as Guinea pigs, no matter how noble the intention of the researcher.

“Also recall that in September 2011, NAFDAC arrested the Managing Director of Winners Medical Diagnostics and Research Institute, Dr. Jacob Abdullahi, for dealing in expired medicines claimed to be cure for HIV.

“Similarly, in November 2011, one Dr.  P.S.A. Bondima Young of Bondima   Hepatoviral Centre, Jos was apprehended by  NAFDAC for administering unregistered drugs on patients for the treatment of hepatitis.”

EFCC arrests Soludo over currency contract scam

A former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles  Soludo, was on Thursday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes  Commission over his role in the Australian polymer banknotes bribery scam which occurred between 2006 and 2008 when he was in office.

The PUNCH was informed by sources in the commission that Soludo arrived the EFCC  Headquarters about 2pm from his Abuja residence and  immediately faced a team of operatives who quizzed him for several hours to ascertain his level of complicity in the scandal.

It was learnt that the decision to look into the polymer deal was followed  a petition by  Human and Environmental Development Agenda.

According to the chairman of HEDA, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, the group’s petition had demanded the investigation and possible prosecution of those involved in the alleged contract scam.

The petition had demanded that both the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission  pursue the investigation and prosecution as provided by laws establishing both anti-graft agencies.

Sources also indicated that other top management staff of CBN, who had worked with Soludo, were also picked and currently being held alongside other ex-staff of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.

However, all efforts to get the identities of other  detained suspects  proved abortive, as no one was ready to volunteer information.

It was not clear whether the ex-CBN governor would be remanded at the EFCC detention  as he was still being held as at 8pm on Thursday.

Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest, but could not be categorical on whether the embattled former 2010 Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Anambra State would be detained or not.

He said, “We have Soludo in our custody and it is part of an ongoing investigation over his involvement in the award of contract and printing of polymer banknotes when he was the Governor of the CBN.”

Fashola urges FG to relocate tank farms

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has urged the Federal Government to relocate fuel discharging facilities (tank farms) from Tin Can Island.

The port complex houses MRS Oil tank farm/depot which exploded on Wednesday, injuring about four persons.

Fashola spoke during a visit to the scene of the fire on Thursday, adding that the incident was a wake-up call for the government.

 He said, “The nation presently does not have the wherewithal to contain any sort of fire incident involving oil installation facilities. I don’t think we should wait, this is enough”

The governor also called on the Federal Government to live up to its responsibility of managing maritime safety, fuel management, fuel importation, port management.

He said, “Government must understand that its business is the welfare of its people and it cannot deliver that by amateurish standard. This place was not designed for fuel discharge, but they have converted it for that with all sorts of permits given by regulatory agencies, DPR, PPMC.

“I think that agencies of the Federal Government must step up their safety compliance levels, everybody must do his job and that is short term. The long term is to relocate all these facilities away from residential areas. Lagos state is ready to provide these facilities.”

Fashola urged the Federal Government to take advantage of the Oil and Gas Section at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in its relocation plan.

In a related development, Fashola said the government would not allow immediate reconstruction of Oko Baba Plank Market which was razed by fire on Tuesday.

The governor said the government would, instead, redesign the entire area and make it compliant with modern trend.

He spoke during a visit to Oko Baba to commiserate with the residents of the area on the inferno.

Fashola said, “First I am going to send the Ministry of the Environment to come here and clear all the drainage, clean the place up and nobody should build here without town planning approval. We won’t let you do it.

“We need to sit down and talk on how we want this place to be. We need to separate sawmill business from residential area. Do we want to do everything here or get a place where we can divide our logs and bring the planks here to sell.

“We are preparing a place with machines that can saw your logs. We are also constructing 3, 000 housing units there for you to live in. There will be water and power supply among other things.

“Government has done its bit; it is now left for you to decide whether you want to live in this dirty place or move to where you have everything to enhance your work.”

Pastor Oritsejafor gets private jet as birthday gift from Church members

The President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has now joined the elite league of Nigerian clergies, who own a private jet.
This was affirmed on Saturday as members of The Word of Life Bible Church, in Ajamimogha, Warri, Delta state, presented the Pastor with a private jet as his birthday gift.
The leader of Christian community in Nigeria, who is fondly called Papa Ayo, was celebrating his birthday and his 40th anniversary on the pulpit, when he was presented the gift.
Present amongst the congregation to felicitate with the Pastor was President Goodluck Jonathan.
The ceremony kicked off immediately with the entrance of the President with the singing of the national anthem.
The president in a short remark, asked Nigerians to continue to build bridges across tribes and states to allow for a more unified country. He noted that it is better to have a more united Nigeria that will present a formidable force in both the sub-region and the global community.
President Jonathan also gave a brief address on the celebrant and wished him many more years ahead.
Responding to all the good wishes, Pastor Oritsejafor thanked the President, the Delta state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Speaker, Delta state House of Assembly, Engr. Victor Ochie and all other dignitaries at the occasion.
The high point of the ceremony was the presentation of a private jet as birthday gift by members of the church.
A brief sermon was given by an international preacher, Dr Mike Murdock on seven laws of success.
He urged all Nigerians to build their faith and work with God.