Lagos PDP hails Jonathan over Okupe's appointment as SSA despite unpatriotic criticism

Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State PDP has unequivocally thrown its weight behind the appointment and Service of the Senior Special Assistant on public affairs to the president,Dr Doyin Okupe.

The party is convinced that the appointment of Dr Doyin Okupe into the presidency at this time is the needed panacea to confront the unpatriotic and destructive criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan's Transformation Agenda for the Nation.

"This Solidarity is in reaction to the syndicated call for the resignation of the recently appointed SSA, Dr Doyin Okupe. We know that the call is coordinated by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the national Publicity Secretary of ACN. We wonder why the President's critics have suddenly become restless if not that they have been ambushed by the appointment of Dr Doyin Okupe, who surely will seal up all their sources of information in the presidency and even match them, intellect for intellect on all National issues. Alhaji Lai Mohammed is particularly restless now that Dr Doyin Okupe is in the presidency because only the Sagacity of Dr Okupe can checkmate his lousiness."

The Party opines that Alhaji Lai Mohammed has become a liability to ACN and a National embarrassment to the country by his frequent unsubstantiated condemnation of president Goodluck Jonathan's policies.

"Indeed Alhaji Lai Mohammed has lost focus and not fit and proper to enjoy any regard in the noble field of Publicity Secretaries and we caution the young Publicity Secretaries not to emulate his styles of destructive criticism"

On the contrary, the Lagos State PDP has reiterated its call for the resignation of Alhaji Lai Mohammed as ACN National Publicity Secretary while also calling on the Police and EFCC to immediately investigate the activities of Knightbridge Dredging Limited, a Company owned by Alhaji Lai Mohammed and his son, Folajimi Lai Mohammed.

For sake of clarity, the said Company was awarded the 9KM Lagos Channelization project. The project was not duly carried out and this led to the canals overflowing and causing floods which resulted into loss of lives and Property last year and beyond.

In the meantime, the party has warned Nigerians against taking seriously the criticisms of Lai Mohammed as he has shown himself to be immoral, unreliable, chauvinistic and a betrayer of trust.

"Alhaji Lai Mohammed has indeed become RABID attack dog whose only control is material wealth.
For avoidance of doubt,  he recently attacked the person of mallam Nuhu Ribadu because the young man opted to serve his Nation as Chairman of Petroleum Task force.

Long before then, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had exhibited his penchant for sycophancy and betrayer when he described former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, as a member of "Satanic Five" and an "unconventional Politician".

In exposing the rigging strategies of the former Governor, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated that "It was the strategic thinking of Tinubu that when you order a re-run in two or three wards, it means you have cancelled the results of election in those wards" and that in their days in SDP, they (referring to himself, Tinubu and Co.) "...had to do what we called ECOMOG. We brought people from everywhere. The strategy was to move people enmasse to make accreditation difficult"

Similarly, in his attempt to eulogise Bola Tinubu, Alhaji Lai Mohammed exposed his own dubious and fraudulent tendencies when he confessed that " I met Tinubu on a daily basis. He was still working in Mobil. He was raising Funds for us from his cooperate friends and I was the CHANNEL & CONDUIT for the money he raised. I would take it to the Party, Use it for Logistics and use it for election!

With these self confessions, one needs no further proof as to why Alhaji Lai Mohammed was appointed Chief of Staff by Bola Tinubu in a Government that had so much revenue but shortchanged Lagos State. For the umpteenth time, we challenge Alhaji Lai Mohammed to make Public his Asset declaration forms before and after being in d Government of Bola Tinubu if indeed he is a fit and proper Publicity secretary.

Ocean Surge: Lagos PDP urges FG to halt Fashola's barbaric sandfilling of Ocean and Lagoons in Lagos

Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State People Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Federal Government to halt the selfish and barbaric Sandfilling of the Ocean and Lagoons in lagos state in the overall interest of the country and to particularly forestall further loss of lives and Property arising from the apparent disregard of the LASG in managing environment.

The party also berated the LASG deceptive and diversionary evacuation of occupants from areas which direct government negligence has caused calamities.

The call is on the heels of the frequent Ocean surge which the latest started  on friday claiming lives & Property and even preventing fun seekers from enjoying their Sallah Holiday at the beaches in the State.

The Party opines that the unnecessary loss of lives and Property should be blamed on the. ACN led lagos State administration which has remained adamant, irresponsible and only pursuing business interest that it chose to sandfill the ocean in its purported Eko Atlantic Project where a Plot of land is being sold for Three Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (#350,000,000.00)

A statement made available to our Reporter and signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Barr. Taofik Gani on behalf of the state chairman, Tunji Shelle, stated that "we are very pained by the wanton loss of lives and property prevalent only along the coastal lines of lagos beaches. We sincerely sympathise with the affected families. We are however vindicated because we had continually criticised the unprofessional manners the State Government Particularly encroaches the  ocean and Lagoon without due Ecological and Environmental impact Assessment.

The lagos State Government has abandoned the welfare of the residents and embarks on all sorts of misplaced, bourgeoisie projects at the expense of the majority of ordinary lagosians. One of such projects is the Eko Atlantic Project, where the ocean is being sandfilled to build another"dubai" in Lagos and currently a Plot there is being sold at  Three Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (#350,000,000.00) with minimum of Two Plots to be purchased. The effect of the Project is the recurrent Ocean Surge and Flooding around the State after every Rainfall and which has led to frequent loss of lives and Property"

The Party stated that the ACN led government in the state is indeed fatigued and confused about what ordinary Lagosian needs and may lead the state into extinction if not checked by the federal Government.
"How on Earth can a focussed Government waste billions of tax payers Money to "Open Up" Ocean and Lagoon when it has vast undeveloped lands that would cost far less to open up. Surely the selfish consideration of the ACN led lagos State Government has beclouded meaningful development in the State. Imagine also the Contradiction in the state Government exercise of demolishing Makoko on allegation of lagoon encroachment, while the same state Government is actually sand filling our BarBeach"

The Party is consequently demanding  a stop to the Eko Atlantic Project and immediate Compensation. To the families who have lost members and Property as a result of the Surge.

New Curve: Yinka Johnson's Camp Says Lastma Official was Knocked down by a Danfo Bus.

The  Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) will never forget Friday, August 10 2012, in hurry when a Mother of 3 and Stanbic IBTC Bank Employee, Yinka Johnson was driving along the Lekki Expressway killed of one LASTMA officer.

She was stopped by one LASTMA officer who accused her of infringing traffic rules…

See Earlier Report Here

At this point, two versions of the story appear. According to LASTMA, Yinka killed one of their staff, Mr. Hammed Balogun by driving recklessly while attempting to evade LASTMA officials.
According to Yinka’s family and friends, a Danfo bus hit the victim, Mr Balogun and now Mrs Johnson is being falsely accused.



Statement 1
You might have heard the story going round about the Banker who allegedly killed a LASTMA official by knocking him down with her car.
Eye witnesses on the scene insist that the LASTMA official was in fact knocked down by a Danfo bus he was trying to accost AFTER he arrested the Banker for a traffic offence.
In fact, her car was about being towed as can be seen from the picture on the lastma website. You can also see from the picture posted there that the car was empty. How did she get back in, ram the towing vehicle and killed the LASTMA man?
LASTMA is trying to skew the story as murder and she is currently in detention. Please note that I have seen her car and it doesn’t have a single dent on it.
Kindly spread the word and encourage eye witnesses to come forward and give statements at Panti where she is being held.
She is a mother of 3 (including a 2mth old baby who is with her in detention). I know her personally.
Please note that the incident happened yesterday morning 10/08/2012 at Ikota, Lekki Express Way. She was on her way to work.
Please call 08037076890 if you have information or witnessed what actually happened. We need eye witnesses to counter their lies.

Statement 2
You may have seen the sensational headlines about a banker crushing a Lastma official to death. This is not true.
Yinka was sitting with a Lastma Official in her stationery car which was about to be towed when another Lastma official on the road was run over by a danfo (comercial bus) quite some distance from her car.
Her car bears no signs of impact as evidence and eye witnesses in the nearby taxi park confirmed this.
The stories accusing her of murder were instigated by unscrupulous Lastma officials who are peddling the false charges and trigger-happy journalists who published uncorroborated stories of the incident without visiting the scene, checking with eye witnesses nor checking with the accused.
A traffic offence and murder are certainly 2 different things. Yinka Johnson certainly did not commit murder. She’s a mother of three who instead of spending a peaceful weekend with her family is sleeping in a police station with her 2 month old baby, falsely accused.

Tiwa Savage, Wizkid now ambassadors

Months after heightened speculations, MAVIN Records star, Tiwa Savage and EME artiste, Wizkid were officially unveiled as Pepsi ambassadors.

The latest Blue, Bold & Beautiful ambassadors, who have been rocking the entertainment scene in Nigeria and beyond have joined Lynxx, another Nigerian artiste, who is also a Pepsi brand ambassador.

While Wizkid recently won the Best International Act trophy (Africa) in the prestigious BET awards held in Los Angeles, United States, Tiwa Savage was the co-host of the reality TV show ‘Nigerian Idol’ Season two.

Speaking at the event, Pepsi brand manager, Mazen Almasri, said, “Tiwa and Wizkid represent the Pepsi brand essence of inspiring a youthful lifestyle and refreshing the world of consumers.”

He further noted that the brand will support the two acts to take their music careers to the next level through promotions within and outside the country.

The glamorous event had in attendance the crème of society drawn from within and outside the music industry.

Rain sacks Plateau communities

Over 200 houses and property worth millions of Naira were destroyed by a rainstorm in the Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The rain was said to have started late Friday night and fell all through the night, causing the flooding.

Confirming the incident, the transition committee chairman, Mr. Abubakar Dashe, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH on telephone, said there was no loss of lives.

He said apart from the affected houses, farm lands were also destroyed as a result of the disaster.

He gave the names of the affected villages as Garga Mban, Garga Kupai, Lugu and kan kuross

He also said the affected persons had taken refuge in primary schools in the local government.

A resident, Mr. Sarki Zailani called on the authorities of the National Emergency Management Agency to come to their aid.

Man sentenced to 28 years for real estate fraud in Gombe

Justice  Sa’ad Mohammed of the Gombe State High Court, Gombe on Friday August 10, 2012, sentenced one Oluwaseun Abatan, a 34-year-old graduate of Quantity Surveying, to 28 years imprisonment.

Abatan who was first arraigned on 18th June, 2009 was convicted on four of the eight count charge of forgery and obtaining by false pretence brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The convict was arrested in 2008 following intelligence report on the illegal activities of Guarantee Investment Network International Limited (GINI), which was defrauding unsuspecting members of the public while masquerading as Real Estate Developers and Business Managers.  Abatan who claimed to be the General Manager of the outlet in Gombe, lured innocent persons to deposit sums of money with the promise of earning interest of 40 percent within six weeks on such deposits in the short term, and acquisition of plots of land or houses in the long term.

However, investigations revealed that GINI Limited which has its head office in Lagos was incorporated as a trading company that sells mostly domestic consumables. But unknown to the company, Abatan had devised means of using its name to carry out fraudulent activities. He collected a sum of N2, 505,700 from a total of 487 persons that  were registered  by him.

During trial, directors of the company testified that the company had no interest in real estate, that they did not appoint Oluwaseun Abatan as General Manager of the company’s Gombe outlet. They claimed that the flyer used by Abatan to promote his fraudulent business was different from that of the company.

In his judgment, Justice Mohammed held that the prosecution had proved its case against the accused person beyond all reasonable doubt on four of the eight count charge and sentenced him to 7 years on each of the four count charge without any option of fine.

Wilson Uwujaren

EFCC arraigns nine over N16.4m fraud scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on July 4 docked nine suspects at a Lagos State High Court in Lagos on two counts of intent to defraud, conspiracy and stealing of N16.4 million belonging to Mr. Aiyeola Matthew of Golden Treasures Investment Limited.

The EFCC said the money had been given to them to purchase them sum of $155,000.00.

The accused persons who appeared before Justice Oyekan Abdulahi were: Ebun Ashiyanbi,  Kunle Alli, Oluwatoyin Afolabi,  Zakariya Adamu (at large) and one Salisu (still at large).  The companies were Dunnex Concept Bureau De Change Limited, Whittis Bureau De Change Limited, Beauty Sky Bureau De Change and Glabund Nigeria Limited.  They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecution counsel Ezekiel Upah urged the court to expunge the 7th accused, Whittis Bureau De Change, from the charge sheet but the judge demanded a written application to that effect.

The judge granted grated bail to the accused persons in the sum of N10million, but they are to provide two sureties each in like sum, with evidence of tax compliance.  The sureties must own landed properties in Lagos and the properties are to be verified by the Alausa Registry and the EFCC for authenticity.

The judge also ruled that the third accused person, Oluwatoyin Afolabi, who is indisposed, be taken to the hospital, while the remaining two accused persons were asked to be remanded in EFCC custody.
The matter was adjourned to July 6, 2012.