In 1964, I was the only Lagos reporter that had home telephone – Osoba

A former governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba, took a nostalgic journey to his early days as a reporter at Nigeria’s oldest newspaper, the Daily Times, in his new book ‘Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics.’

The book, a biography, will be launched in Lagos on July 8.

One of the three pioneer employees who joined the Daily Times in 1964 after passing their A-levels, Mr Osoba was put under the tutelage of Guy Walls, an expatriate training manager from Daily Mirror, London.

“As trainee reporters, whenever we went out on assignments along with senior colleagues, we would give our reports to Guy Walls to assess, correct and ensure that it conformed to the Daily Times house style,” said Mr Osoba, who recalled that he had earlier been advised to study Law

“The apprenticeship was successful as our output outmatched all projections. It turned out that our reports were even considered better than those of some seniors to whom we were attached.

“So impressed was Alhaji Jose (Babatunde Jose, the pioneer managing director of the Times) that two months on the job, he called me and talked me out of the idea of reading law.

“My editor, the famous Peter Enahoro [Peter Pan], was equally impressed that he wrote me and prophesied that would have a successful career in journalism.”

Those words of encouragement laid the foundation for Mr Osoba’s eventual glittering career in journalism, which kicked off with a nomination by Mr Jose to study Journalism at the University of Lagos in 1965.

That was followed by a fellowship at the Commonwealth Press Union in Bouverie House, London, in 1967.

By 1966, however, Mr Osoba had “written himself into recognition,” having reported so many exclusive stories that “the issue of whether I would remain in journalism or not did not arise.”

“Journalism was already in my blood and there was no looking back,” he said.

“Those were the days when I was a man-about-town riding my Vespa Scooter motorcycle with registration number LK 1444. I covered political stories, especially the parliament, but often veered to other beats wherever there was news to report.

“What helped me to succeed in those years was an early investment in acquiring a telephone at home, which was a rarity in those days particularly for a young reporter.

“And I had a small notebook which I always carried with me. It was filled with addresses and phone numbers of contacts, politicians and newsmakers. I built this extensive database from my years as a young reporter. My private telephone line was one of the tools that helped me to excel as a reporter – a source of easy and regular contact with powerful sources of news.

“I was the only reporter in Lagos in 1964 that had a telephone in his house.”

Nigerian media history locates Mr Osoba in a unique place as perhaps the most successful reporter of his age who proceeded to be doubly successful as editor and newspaper manager of two regional newspapers (The Herald in Ilorin and The Sketch in Ibadan) as well as a national newspaper, The Daily Times.

Battlelines chronicles many important periods in the Nigerian print media history, putting into focus the intrigues and power play in Nigerian newsrooms; the history of press-government relations and the rise and fall of The Daily Times – one of the most successful newspapers in Black Africa at its prime.

Above all, the book puts editorial politicking in a revealing profile and readers of this book will have many breathless moments such as the narration of the ‘coup’ to remove Mr Osoba as the Chief Executive Officer of Daily Times orchestrated by his one time deputy, Tony Momoh, who went on to become Mr Osoba’s boss as Minister of Information in the government of the Ibrahim Babangida, the former military Head of State of Nigeria.

INEC manipulated Akwa Ibom North west senatorial election, Akpabio insists

Senator Godswill Akpabio has insisted the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial district election was massively manipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said the election that produced Chris Ekpenyong of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as winner was highly skewed against him by the electoral umpire.

Akpabio made the allegation when speaking as evidence in chief in a petition he filed at the National Assembly Election Petitions sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, challenging the declaration of Ekpenyong as the winner of the election.

Akpabio said he contested against the PDP and INEC.

Led in evidence by his counsel, Sunday Ameh, Akpabio said: “If this is (election) how INEC is going to conduct the election in Nigeria, it is a pity.”

He said in his testimony that INEC showed a great deal of bias against him by mutilating result from many units and wards in the senatorial district to make sure votes to him were either reduced or invalidated to make them insignificant in overall result in the district.

Akpabio, who was visibly agitated in the witness box, told the court he felt so bad that the election which he got the majority of votes cast was mutilated to favour his opponent.

Akpabio accused INEC of hoarding election materials when he requested them to prepare his case.

“It was what INEC gave me that I relied on to prepare my case. Out of 169 units in the senatorial district, only in 116 polling units INEC gave us true certified copy of the result sheet.”

When told by the first respondent (Ekpenyong’s) counsel, U. U Njoku, that his claims to winning the election were based on invalidated votes, Akpabio said: “Majority of votes cast for me were lawful while those for my opponent were unlawful.”

In response to Solomon Umoh’s claims, counsel to the second respondent, the PDP, that he (Akpabio) did not vote during the election, because there was no election in his polling unit, Akpabio said it was a great disservice by INEC to say that the result from his polling unit 9, Ward 11 in Ukana West 2 was not recorded in final result sheet for the local government.

Also, answering the question from INEC’s counsel, Robert Emukpoeru, that he (Akpabio) did not apply for the smart card reader and voters’ register because they will not support his case, Akpabio said he knew that they were sensitive materials which were exclusive to INEC.

Earlier, the three-man tribunal had overruled the second respondent’ counsel, Umoh, who objected to the admissibility of the police report which confirmed that election was peaceful in the petitioner’s polling unit as against INEC’s claims that the result from the polling unit was cancelled due to violence.

But the tribunal in a ruling dismissed the objection raised by Umoh, that a witness cannot give evidence on an exhibit that he had not been listed in his deposition and affidavit on oath, insisting that it was not listed among the evidence in his deposition.

In a ruling, Chairman of the panel, Justice W. Akanbi, said the exhibits were conveniently covered by many paragraphs of the petitioner’s statement on oath and reply to respondents’ response to the petitioner’s petition.

“We are of the view it is the duty of the petitioner to tender evidence in open court. The court cannot sit in the confines of its home to sort out exhibits to be identified. We hold the view that the exhibits are conveniently covered. They respondents cannot say they were taken by surprise. They were lifted from evidence in court. Objection overruled,”

Earlier, a witness, Anitie Elong, who was subpoena by the tribunal said he would be surprised that there was no result in Unit 9, Ward 11 in Essien Udim Local Government Area, where Akpabio voted in the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Aniete Ekong, told the court that to say Akpabio did not vote during the February 23 election will be “ridiculous.”

He spoke under cross-examination after he was lead to present a video clip in the open court by Ameh which showed Akpabio and wife going through accreditation and voting during the election. He said he was surprised that INEC is saying there was no election and that Akpabio didn’t go through accreditation and voting in his polling unit.

BREAKING: Judge who ordered Diezani’s arrest, dies

A judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Valentine Ashi, who ordered security agencies to arrest and produce the former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke, within 72 hours, has died.

The Nation learnt the Justice Ashi, who sits in Apo, died on Thursday in an Abuja hospital from a yet- to- be disclosed ailment.

Authorities of the FCT High Court also confirmed the development but assured a formal statement will be issued on Monday,with the authority of the Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello.

“Some members the late Justice Ashi’s family has visited the court’s management to inform the court about the unfortunate incident.

“I can confirm that they said he died on Thursday in the course of an illness. But, the court will issue a formal statement on Monday, a senior official of the court said.

On December 4, 2018, Justice Ashi, upon an ex-parte motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ordered the agency, Nigerian Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSSS) and all other security agencies to arrest 72 hours.

The EFCC said it investigated the former minister with a businessman and Chairman, Atlantic Energy Drilling Company, Jide Omokore in relation to a petition by a group, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), dated October 2, 2013, which contained allegations of money laundering and official corruption
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EFCC added that its investigation showed that Diezani, as supervising minister of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, alegedly engaged in illicit and monumental fraudulent dealings in oil transactions, which she entered into on behalf of the Federal Government.

Details shortly….

E-yellow card goes into usage on July 1 —FG

The Federal Government has announced its plan to phase out the old version of Yellow Card and replace it with new e-Yellow Card with effect from July 1.

The information was in a statement by Mrs Boade Akinola, the Director, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health.

She stated that the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Abdulaziz Mashi, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja.

Yellow Card is the proof of vaccination against yellow fever, which is a requirement for international travellers from risk countries like Nigeria and as evidence that the carrier has been vaccinated against the disease.

Mashi said that the new card would contain enhanced security features that could be verified anywhere in the world by scanning the bar code or checking the card number on the yellow card portal.

According to him, the introduction of the new e-Yellow Card is to address the issue of fake cards which hitherto constituted a source of national embarrassment.

He said that with effect from July 1, the new e-Yellow Card would be the only valid documented proof of vaccination against yellow fever.

He added that yellow fever was a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by a virus transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito and may cause fatal illness but it was a vaccine-preventable disease.

The permanent secretary said World Health Organisation recommended that all international travellers, aged nine months and above and visiting Nigeria, must be vaccinated against yellow fever.

(NAN)

Apostle Suleman Takes Gospel To Four Nations In 30 Days

Within a space of one month, four nations of the world would have experienced the sweetness of divine healing and salvation, as servant of God and senior pastor at Omega Fire Ministries (OFM) worldwide, Apostle (Prof.) Johnson Suleman, takes to these countries the prophetic campaign and preaching the good news of salvation.

The crusade tagged ‘Open Heavens’,  which begun with Maseru, Lesotho between Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th of June, 2019, will be rounding up with the Cape Town conference of Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th of August, 2019, before the OFM team embarks on the next leg of the soul-saving world programme.

The central theme of God’s message as being delivered by Suleman is beyond words and concepts. “It is a communication of profound love that leaves the soul at peace and with a delight of the greatest sweetness,” he declares during one of his recent sermons, adding that, “Gods encounter with any man by this message is not a sentiment, it is a spiritual union.”

According to the ‘Restoration Apostle’ as Suleman is fondly addressed, the objective of his preaching is for the audience to know God in a real and tangible way.  His listeners, by the encounter, must be able to build a relationship with God, and by being in relationship with God wholeheartedly, he adduces, “then you will discover an inner sweetness that overwhelms any suffering or hardship that you endure.”

In between the Lesotho and South Africa conferences, Apostle Suleman and his ministers would visit Germany between Monday 1st and Tusday 2nd of July, 2019, and then Amsterdam, Holland on Wednesday 3rd and ends the conference on Thursday 4th of July, 2019.

During these four-nation conferences, God will move mightily and His powerful anointing will always be present, while the Holy Spirit will rekindle inspirations in individual hearts and ignite new bonds between the participants.

Fayemi canvasses collaboration against insecurity

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said on Thursday he had been in constant touch with his counterparts in the neighbouring Ondo, Osun, Kogi and Kwara states to secure boundary towns and villages which might be used by criminal elements to gain access to the state.

The governor, who canvassed cooperation of all security agencies, traditional rulers, community and religious leaders and all citizens to overcome insecurity and all forms of criminality, said collaborative approach by all sectors of Nigerian was needed to successfully tackle security challenges in the country.

Fayemi, represented by his deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, spoke in Ado Ekiti during the opening session of a three-day federal and states’ Security Administrators’ Meeting.

He warned that the security challenges in the country should not be politicised but frontally tackled in synergy with all stakeholders.

The meeting is being attended by officers of the police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Prisons Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, among others.

The governor, who lamented the unlawful possession of firearms, said, “With what we are seeing now, it has become imperative to seek the cooperation of all security agencies, community and traditional leaders and other stakeholders for a safe and secure business climate.

“We are quite aware that there might be incursion of criminals from outside the state. Therefore, I have started contacting my counterparts in the neighbouring states with a view to synergising for more protection of lives and property along the boundary towns and villages.”

FSSAM Chairman, Dr Amina Shamaki, praised the Ekiti State Government for hosting the meeting.

Shamaki, who is also the permanent secretary, Special Duties, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the Federal Government was concerned about the security challenges in some parts of the country and working hard to tackle them.

Loyal Party Members Mob Akpabio at Tribunal

By Wole Arisekola

Former majority leader in the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was recently held 'hostage' at the court premises last Tuesday by his admirers who had earlier trooped the venue of the tribunal in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

Akpabio is challenging the declaration of Chris Ekpenyong of the People's Democratic Party, (PDP,) as the winner of the February 23, 2019, Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district election in the state.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the election, Sen. Akpabio, is contesting the result of election, which he has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC,) and its Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC), in the state, Mike Igini, of manipulating the outcome of his last senatorial election results to favour his major opponent, Chris Ekpeyong.

Chris Ekpenyong, PDP, INEC, and Mike Igini are the respondents in the petition.

The mammoth crowd that witnessed his evidence-in-chief, on Tuesday, responded with shouts of victory at every answer to his cross-examiner. At a point, he could not go outside the courtroom, for fear of being mobbed by the crowd made up of mainly youth, men and women. At the end of his testimony, few minutes after 7pm, the crowd went wild with the song of, "all what we are saying, give us Akpabio!" They later burst into various cultural songs; all to the admiration and amazement of those present at the court premises. His security details had hectic time controlling the surging crowd that wanted to have a glimpse of him. They had patiently waited under the rain and sun for almost thirteen hours, to at least have a hand shake with him. This made him to remain in the courtroom more than it was necessary.

Meanwhile, Akpabio, who told the tribunal that he was so sad that INEC in the state could connive with his opponent to carry out such massive manipulations against his candidacy, insisted that he won the majority of the votes cast, as against INEC's declaration.

Led in evidence by his counsel, Sunday Ameh, Akpabio said: "If this is how INEC is going to conduct election in Nigeria, it is a pity." He said in his testimony that INEC showed a great deal of bias against him, by tampering with the final results from many units and wards in the senatorial district to make sure votes to him were either reduced or invalidated, to make them insignificant in the overall results in the district. He alleged the final results announced by INEC were different from the ones announced at the polling centers across the district, immediately after voting that day.

Akpabio, who was visibly agitated in the witness box, told the court that he felt so bad that the election, which he had clear majority of votes cast, was mutilated to favour his opponent in the election. He particularly accused INEC of hooding election materials when he requested them to prepare his case. "It was what INEC gave me that I relied on to prepare my case. Out of the 169 units in the senatorial district, it was only in 116 polling units that INEC gave us true certified copy of the result sheet."

The court adjourned till Monday, July 1, for the respondents to open their case.

Fayemi cautions against politicising security situation

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has cautioned against the politicisation of the country’s security challenges, saying such could work against the efforts being intensified to end the multifaceted crises in the sector

The governor said what the country needs now was concerted efforts by stakeholders to combat the scourge of kidnappings, insurgency and banditry pummeling the country, rather than reducing it to a mere political tool.

Speaking yesterday in Ado Ekiti while declaring open the Federal and State security Administrators’ meeting held in the state capital, Fayemi said the state and federal security meeting would firm a platform for the review of the security status across the states.

The governor, represented by his Deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, described the meeting as a well thought out security strategy that will help the nation to overcome its challenges in this sector.

The governor added that Fayemi said his administration places a high premium on the security of lives and property and perceived it as sacrosanct.

“Ekiti has been relatively peaceful since its creation, in spite of the initial hitches with investments and development springing up across the 16 local government areas.

“This meeting will serve as a platform to proffer solutions to kidnapping, killings, insurgency and insecurity issues like assassination and herdsmen-farmers problem.

“Let me also advised that the Security situation of the country should not be politicised. With what we are seeing, it becomes imperative to cooperative with all stakeholders to rid the nation of criminals.”

Fayemi drums up support for Ekiti at AfDB (PHOTOS)

The executive governor of Ekiti, Mr. Kayode Fayemi has sought for meaningful collaboration at AfDB for Ekiti and sub-national governance in Nigeria. In this determination to ensure that the state regains its deserved respect among other states in Nigeria, Fayemi has hoped to secured the African bank's support for Agribusiness, infrastructure development and knowledge economy in Ekiti.