Landlord Plucks Out Tenant’s Eye

A landlord who damaged one of the eyes of his tenants will know his fate tomorrow at the Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State, western Nigeria.
The court will tomorrow sentence the landlord, Rasaki Elegbede, who pleaded guilty to the offence of damaging his tenant’s eye during a fight.
The police in the charge sheet accused him of using an object to hit one of the eyes of his tenant, Alfa Fatai Adekola, during a fight over payment of electricity bill.

Adekola’s left eye was damaged and doctors confirmed that he cannot see with the eye again.
The victim told the police in his statement that his eye was damaged beyond treatment by the accused during a disagreement over electricity bill.
The incident happened at 15, Adelaja Ojo Street, Egbe in Ikotun, Lagos.
Elegbede was arrested and charged before the court where he pleaded guilty to the three-count charge of assault, wounding and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace under the Criminal Code. The presiding magistrate, Mr P. E Nwaka ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri Prisons, pending his sentencing tomorrow.
In his statement to the police, the accused admitted collecting money from the tenants to pay the electricity bill but did not pay before their light was disconnected by PHCN officials.
A protest by the aggrieved tenants led to a fight during which the accused used a heavy object to hit Adekola in the eye.
When Elegbede was arraigned in court on Monday, he pleaded guilty to the charge and asked for leniency.
He told the court that he had already given the victim N20,000 out of the N65,000 needed for his treatment.
The court found him guilty as charged and adjourned till 4 December, 2013 for sentencing.

 

Bariga APC Secretary Drops Dead in Lagos

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bariga Lagos State was thrown into mourning on Monday when one of its own, Pastor Abiodun Adeboyejo, popularly known as JP, was found dead in his Akinramola Street office, Bariga, Lagos State, western Nigeria.
Until his demise, he was the party’s Financial Secretary in that area. Some residents who spoke to Here & There Gists at the scene of his mysterious death said he was hail and hearty on Saturday evening when he exchanged pleasantries with friends in the vicinity.

According to a son of Adeboyejo’s landlord, no one knew that the deceased was dead. His office was locked and nobody suspected anything until a foul smell filled the air around the part of the building he used as office. “We did not know he was dead inside his office until he started smelling. At first, we felt a rat had died there and we tried to call his line to inform him of the stench coming his office, all to no avail. It became clear that something was amiss when one of his wives came around to announce that their husband didn’t come home,” he explained.
“At that juncture, we called the police who eventually came to force the door open; and we found him dead on the floor,” he said.
Describing the deceased, the LGA chairman of the party who is also the Chairman of the conference of LGA Chairmen of APC, Lagos State, Otunba Dengel Anifowoshe, said the late financial secretary was pragmatic, disciplined  and dedicated. He referred to his sudden death as a shock and a blow to the party and people of Bariga. Otunba Dengel later organised for the evacuation of the corpse by an ambulance.
The deceased politician was also a member of the Estate Rent & Commission Agents Association of Nigeria, ERCAAN, Owututu, Ladi-Lak, Bariga branch.
Commenting on his death, the chairman of ERCAAN, Prince Taiwo Okeowo, described the late Pastor Adeboyejo as a man who was committed to the progress of the association, stressing that the news of his death was unbelievable and shocking.
The late Adeboyejo left two wives and children behind.

 

Nigeria under pressure to meet 700,000MT fish deficit

 

Prices of frozen fish may go up by January as the government moves to stop the importation of 700,000 metric tonnes of fish from December 2013.

Indications have emerged that frozen fish and other aquatic consumables may not be readily available in the market as from January next year if the Federal Government imposes a ban on their importation.

Already, the government had directed all fish importers, in a letter dated October 29, 2013, to ensure “all Bills of Lading must carry dates not later than October, 2013 and the fish cargoes (consignments) must arrive the Nigerian waters not later than December 31, 2013.”

A source also told our correspondent on Sunday that from January next year, shipping companies, including Maersk Line, Safmarine and Wasa Delmas, might not be allowed to bring frozen fish into the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, had at the inauguration of the Special Growth Enhancement Support programme in August, said the importation of fish was not a good business for the country, given its huge natural resources.

He said the ban would promote local fish production through the aquaculture value chain, which had been included in the 2013 GES.

Adesina had also said the Federal Government was addressing the problem of aquaculture, which he noted as the fastest way of growing fish, especially the tilapia and catfish species.

The minister had said the aquaculture value chain would produce 400,000 tonnes of fish, generate extra 250,000 of table fish and 100,000 tonnes of value added fish.

According to investigations, the country currently has a total local fish production estimated at 600,000 metric tonnes per annum, which is expected to rise to about 700,000 metric tonnes in 2015, while the importation is estimated at 700,000 metric tonnes.

However, experts say if fish is readily available, the nation’s consumption may rise to 2.6 million tonnes valued at $612m, with a per capita consumption of 13.5kg.

In other words, when the annual local production of 600,000MT is added to the total import of 700,000MT, there will still be a shortfall of about 1.3 million metric tonnes.

Although the price of fish has not risen significantly across the markets in Lagos State, the rise is expected to begin by January next year.

When our correspondent visited some markets in Lagos, the prices of catfish still ranged from N400 to N1,000, depending on the size while other species, including mackerel and croaker were between N450 and N700 per kilogramme, respectively.

A fish seller at the Ojodu Berger Modern Market, Mrs. Yetunde Ganiyu, told our correspondent that she heard ‘the rumour’ of the ban on importation but had not seen the effect as she still sold at the same price.

“We heard that the Federal Government has a plan to ban the importation of fish. The prices of fish are expected to go up in December because of Christmas but I don’t know if it will stay that way,” she said.

Another retailer at Ogba, who gave her name as Ajoke, said she expected that the prices of fish would soon rise because of the ban.

“I just hope that it (ban on importation) will not encourage smuggling as people are doing with turkey. It will be too bad if everything has to be smuggled into this country,” she said.

A stakeholder in the industry, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a total ban on the importation of fish would prevent the masses from having access to the protein source.

The country currently farms a few species of fish, including catfish and tilapia. With a total ban on the importation of fish, access to other species such as croaker, Sabala, silver smelt, Pescadilla Hake, among others will be restricted.

According to investigations, aquaculture in the country is expected to grow from its current 153,000 to 1,000,000 metric tonnes by 2020 at a continuous growth rate of about 26 per cent per annum.

However, even with the growth rate, the country might still require over one million metric tonnes to feed the growing population, it was learnt.

The minister had said the aquaculture value chain would encourage massive production of fish with the Federal Government aiming to achieve two million metric tonnes of table fish to replace what was being imported, adding that there were efforts to improve the deep sea fishing.

Efforts to get reactions from some stakeholders proved abortive, as most of them declined to comment on the issue, labelling it as sensitive.

When our correspondent contacted the President of the Association of Fish Suppliers of Nigeria, Mr. Ginger Mba, and members of the association, they all declined  comment, stating that they did not wish to give any information for now, as the development was multi-dimensional and sensitive.

But a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture, who did not want his name published, said the Federal Government had yet to make a formal pronouncement on the ban.

According to him, the government has been having meetings with stakeholders on the appropriate action to be taken.

“Nobody is banning the importation of fish; the government has not made a direct pronouncement that they are banning fish; we are working on it.

“What the minister is saying in essence is that the Federal Government wants to ban the importation of the farm fish that we are growing locally, like tilapia and catfish, but anything marine fish is not banned.

“There is a misconception within the government on the issue but we are trying to talk to them and they are trying to see reasons. Things will normalise because the government is not bent on banning the importation of fish,” he said.

Gunmen attack MFM headquarters in Enugu

Unidentified gunmen have attacked the regional headquarters of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in Enugu State.

In the attack, which was carried out on Saturday night, the two security men on duty at the church were injured.

Members of the MFM told Here & There Gists that the gunmen wielded machetes and other weapons.

Our correspondent noted that they pulled down the entire concrete fence of the church and burnt part of the altar.

It was gathered that the attack on the church lasted from midnight on Saturday to early Sunday morning.

The church recently relocated to the new headquarters at Emeka Ibila Street, off Agbani road, Enugu in October 2013, after the Enugu State Government demolished the old regional headquarters at Zik Avenue.

Regional Overseer, MFM South-East 1, Pastor Rotimi Olugbule, said he got a telephone call that armed men broke into the church overnight.

“They were armed with guns and other weapons. They were also armed with 25 litres jerry can of fuel. And they attacked our security men and others who were there.

“They demanded their phones and switched them off. They broke a chair on the head of one of them and he bled profusely. They also used the iron rods that they came with to hit him on the neck.

“Not only that, they pulled down the whole fence that was erected, from the beginning to the end.

“They tried to ignite fire to burn the whole church, but it was the altar cloth and part of the altar that were destroyed,” Olugbule said.

Former Assembly Pastor, South-East 1, Kennedy Udeogaranya, said he suspected that the attack on the church was masterminded by some people in the community.

Udeogaranya said his suspicion was fueled by the revelation of the security men that the gunmen were laying claim to the ownership of the land on which the church was erected.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the incident, saying, “Investigations are ongoing.”

 

Protesters call for nationwide strike in Ukraine

 

Nine years ago, a massive populist movement in Ukraine booted then-Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich from office.

Today, the eastern European country is in the midst of a new wave of anti-government protests, the likes of which it hasn’t seen since those turbulent days in 2004.

And this time, say protesters, they want to see Yanukovich — now Ukraine’s president — gone for good.

The protesters have called for a nationwide strike, beginning Monday.

They want to close streets and surround government buildings. On Facebook, they posted a map suggesting places where demonstrators can park their cars to block traffic.

“It is not about the European Union or the customs agreement with Russia anymore,” said protester Irina Zaloga. “It is about Ukraine fighting against the criminal authorities.”

What started out late last month as demonstrations against Yanukovich’s decision not to sign a landmark trade deal with the European Union has ballooned into something much larger. Demonstrators say they will stop at nothing short of new parliamentary and presidential elections.

“This is not a protest. This is a revolution,” protest leader, Yuri Lutsenko, told a crowd of thousands who packed Independence Square in the capital Kiev on Sunday.

 

Two Saudi women detained for driving

 

Two of Saudi Arabia’s best-known female advocates for lifting the ban on women driving were detained on Friday after being caught behind the wheel in the country’s capital.

Aziza Al-Yousef, who was driving the car, and her passenger, Eman Al-Nafjan, tell CNN they were pulled over and spent a few hours at a police station in Riyadh until being released into the custody of their respective husbands.

Al-Nafjan, one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent bloggers, and one of the organizers of the popular October 26 Women’s Driving Campaign, said she decided to go for a spin with Al-Yousef to attract more attention to her cause.

“We were looking for the police. We drove by the police station on purpose,” she explained, adding how she welcomed the detention.

Despite repeated attempts, CNN has been unable to reach Riyadh police for comment.

Al-Nafjan, who tweets as “Saudiwoman,” says she has grown tired of waiting for the Saudi government to allow women to drive.

Al-Yousef has driven before and was glad to get behind the wheel again on Friday but says she was not deliberately looking to be detained by the police.

“In a way it is good for the cause because you’ll the keep the issue in the mind of people,” said Al-Yousef. “However, some people might understand wrongly that we’re confronting the government and that might slow the process.”

 

APGA thanks President, Obiano woos Ngige, others

 

The All Progressives Grand Alliance on Sunday threw a huge party at the riverside town of Aguleri, Anambra State, to celebrate its winning the 2013 governorship election, concluded early on Sunday morning.

But the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Chris Ngige, described the elected Willie Obiano as an impostor and declared that the struggle to restore the right of the people to choose their leadership had just begun.

National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, thanked the people of Anambra State, Governor Peter Obi and, particularly, President Goodluck Jonathan, who he said used their faith in democracy to ensure that the popular vote, prevailed.

He dedicated the victory to the late Biafran leader, Chief Emeka Ojukwu, saying, “The light which our late leader put on while he was alive is now shining gloriously with this victory.”

With the victory of APGA in Anambra State, Umeh said he was now well positioned to hand over the leadership of APGA to another trusted hand.

Obiano, in his speech, thanked the people of Anambra for identifying with the vision of Ojukwu to bring the entire Igbo people under one political umbrella.

He promised to sustain the pace of development put in place by Obi, adding that the outgoing governor was overwhelming in his support.

“I must also at this point thank specially first INEC for conducting a very free and fair election; to the President for the great support he gave to ensure that this election was free and fair. I want to reassure him that all the support he got from Governor Peter Obi, I will very equally reciprocate or do much more.”

The governor-elect said the task of building the state was not one to be left for one person, saying, “I specifically urge my brothers, Tony Nwoye, Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Chris Ngige and Godwin Ezeemo to join us in the march to make Anambra a better place.”

But the APC, in a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of Ngige Campaign Organisation, Chief Charles Amilo, described Obiano’s election as “an Abuja-assisted heist,” which the people will surely struggle to overturn.

It said, “Since those who unjustly claim victory are not affording the luxury of even mere celebration, we whose right is lost cannot afford to slumber, let alone sleep.

“We encourage the majority that have been disenfranchised never to entertain any fear that their right will be lost, except, their country will also be lost.

“Every Anambra State voter, irrespective of background, class or creed shall have the right, subject to wilful refusal to vote. And so shall it be. We thank those who supported us with prayers and voted with their feet and mind.”