(Vanguard) There is an uncommon synergy of oneness among all the six African flagbearers in the World Cup. All the teams speak with one voice and wish an African team to go all the way.

CALL TO THE WORLD... Enthusiastic South African football fans usher in the World Cup with their noisy Vuvuzela.
The South Africans who are hosting the World cup, however, seem to be divided over their loyalty between oneness and the love for Diego Maradona. Maradona’s Argentina file out on Saturday against Nigeria’s Eagles in a match that has turned many locals to bet.

(SUN) Lagos State House of Assembly has expressed concern over activities of motorcycle riders popularly called Okada on highways in the state and has commenced plans to hold a public hearing to that effect.

The public hearing which date is yet to be fixed would be an opportunity for members of the public to suggest what could be done to check the excesses of the Okada operators and to consider the possibility of banning their operations completely from the state.

(Punch) Traditional priests in Benin, Edo State on Thursday led worshippers from the seven local government areas of Edo South Senatorial District, in a public show of dissafection over the spate of robberies and kidnappings recorded in the state.

The traditionalists, who were led by the Iyase (prime minister) of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, and the Chief Priest, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, were acting on the instruction of the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediuawa.

(Punch) How will 12-year-old Joy (not real name) explain to her child that his father also doubles as his grandfather? Joy is about four months pregnant and her father is responsible for the pregnancy.

Her father, Ben Philip, 37, an indigene of Itam, Cross River State, did not deny the incest. But he accused his daughter of seducing him and contested that Joy was 15 and not 12 as she claimed, adding that they only had sex twice.

(tribune) A dentist, Dr Osaro Osifo, was kidnapped on Monday night by unknown gunmen at his residence along Nekpenekpen Street in Benin City, Edo State.

Dr Osifo is with the Department of Dentistry at the Edo State government-owned Central Hospital in Benin City.

Osifo’s kidnap led to withdrawal of services at the dentistry department of the hospital as his co-workers protested his abduction.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the kidnappers who had earlier demanded N10 million ransom and had reduced it to N5 million as on Tuesday.

(Punch) An appeal by the son of ex military dictator Gen Sani Abacha, Abba, against a court order to return $350m in illegally gained assets has begun in Switzerland.

Abba Abacha was also convicted of being a member of a criminal organisation and given a suspended custodial sentence, according to the BBC.

Switzerland began investigating the Abacha family in 1999 and has so far handed back about $700m to Nigeria.

(Daily Sun) Elder statesman and one of the leaders of the pro- Yar’Adua camp, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has sent a clear signal to President Goodluck Jonathan that the battle is not yet over.

Yakassai, who spoke in Katsina, observed that their struggle against the administration of Jonathan drew its relevance from the desire to ensure that the North is not shortchanged in the scheme of things, adding that there are no indications, so far, that those behind the move to shortchange the North will stop now that Yar’Adua is late.

(PUNCH) There were indications on Sunday that the 36 state governors in the country were sharply divided on the appointment of a vice-president by President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was learnt that while some of the governors, especially those from the North, wanted one of them as vice-president, their colleagues from the South, canvassed that Jonathan should be allowed to freely make his choice.

It was learnt of this just as feelers from Abuja on Sunday showed that the 26 Peoples Democratic Party governors and the Senate might also clash over who becomes the vice-president.

(Sun) Many will remember Mujahid Dokubo-Asari for the gang wars that turned the Rivers State capital city of Port Harcourt into a garden of blood between 2003 and 2005. Pit against another dreaded gang leader at the time, Ateke Tom, their names evoked fear among residents of the famed Garden City.

(PUNCH) Barely 72 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan, assumed the leadership of the country, some leaders of the Niger Delta have said the new Nigerian leader has the right to contest the 2011 presidential election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Jonathan‘s kinsmen in the Niger Delta said the touted zoning arrangement in the PDP which ceded the presidential slot of the party in 2011 to the northern part of the country was unconstitutional and illegal.

As governor of Katsina State for eight years between 1999 and 2007, the late President Musa Yar’Adua bequeathed on the state a legacy of economic and political stability which has endured till date. On the developmental front he left behind massive road network and reforms in Agriculture.

Ailing President Umaru Yar‘Adua is dead.

He died at about 10pm in Aso Rock Villa Abuja.

Since his return to Nigeria in February, after extensive treatment in Saudi Arabia, Yar’Adua, has not been seen in public.

Worried by the huge non-performing loans, totalling over N1.5 trillion in the banking sector and the recklessness with which top bank executives grant questionable loans, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has concluded plans to enunciate a policy that will see banks in the country accessing the services of credit bureaus for credit information.

Under the new policy, it will be mandatory for banks to enlist the services of a credit bureau for credit information of prospective loan seekers with a view to tracking down serial borrowers and defaulters.

ABUJA—THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has given an Abuja high court sitting in Maitama, an account of how the incumbent National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, allegedly conspired with four others to defraud the Federal Government N2.3billion, in 2001.

The anti-graft agency headed by a former Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, listed other alleged accomplices as Emeka Ebilah, Henry Ikoh, Jude Nwokoro and Emmanuel C. Bosah, adding that all of them operated as a ring.

The commission which gave details of how the alleged fraud was committed said the modus operandi of the alleged ring members was a pro-rata sharing of the proceeds of the crime after each successful deal.

ICPC said that each time monies were shared, each ring member had his account bloated by millions of naira depending on the role played in the deal.

It added that though Vincent Ogbulafor initially tried to be evasive and slippery, ICPC nonetheless was able to get to the root of the alleged fraud because of its painstaking investigation of the petition.

ICPC probe took five years

The Justice Ayoola-led ICPC said that although the petition alleging fraud against Ogbulafor and others was received more than five years ago, it could not come to court until few weeks ago.

It said it did not believe in running to court each time a petition came on its table.
The reason, Vanguard learnt, was because its Chairman, Justice Ayoola, is a seasoned jurist who would not brook dragging people to court for either political or selfish reasons but upon establishment of prima facie evidence against the accused person.

ICPC establishes fraud allegation

While admitting that the petition was investigated for a relatively long time, ICPC, however, said that it was better late than never.

The commission through its lead counsel, Mr. Paul Ahmed Bassi, said that it followed standard procedure of investigation to establish a prima facie case against the accused persons before charging them to court.

The gang-up

The commission which claimed it had evidence in its disposal to nail each of the accused persons exhibited the statement of the leader of its investigating team, Mr. Basil Momodu, as part of its proof of evidence.

Basil, in the proof of evidence obtained by Vanguard narrated to the Abuja high court, how the ring allegedly headed by Ogbulafor allegedly operated to defraud the government.

Prince Vincent Ogbulafor

Basil said the commission’s investigation revealed that each of the accused persons held important positions in the Federal Civil Service, adding that that they in turn allegedly used their influential positions in government to steal.

For instance, he said that Emeka Ebilah was a member/secretary of the National Economic Intelligence Committee, NEIC, set up by the Federal Government to verify debts owed local contractors while the fifth accused person, Emmanuel Bosah was the director in charge of budget implementation in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

He said Ogbulafor was the minister of state in charge of the economic activities under which the NEIC operated, adding that his findings during investigations, revealed that in the course of operations of the NEIC, all the accused persons allegedly conspired to verify some fictitious contracts purportedly executed by companies in which they had interest and ensured that these companies were paid for the non-existent contracts.

He said during investigation of the petition against Ogbulafor and others, he said that the accused persons verified certain sums of monies for companies which executed no contract for the Federal Government.

He gave the names of such companies and the amount allegedly verified for them as follow: Henchiriko Nigeria Limited – N82,631,093.41; DHL Consultants – N11,519,906 and Chekwas Industries – N6,286,800.

Basil further told the court that investigations showed that at the time the various sums of monies were verified for the above companies, Henry Ikoh appeared before NEIC to present the alleged forged contract documents for verification of the debt purportedly owed them.

He said: “Henry Ikoh appeared before NEIC to present the forged contract documents for verification of the debt purportedly owed Henchiriko Nigeria Limited by the Federal Government and for his role, he was paid the sum of N7.5million only while Jude Nwokoro, the fourth accused was delegated to receive the payment on behalf of Henchiriko.

“For that role alone, Nwokoro was paid the sum of N6, 242,622.44 through one Col. Austin Akobundu. For his role in ensuring that the Federal Ministry of Finance settled the claims of the above mentioned companies, Emmanuel Bosah, the fifth accused person was paid the sum of N44million in two instalments of N15million and N29million through a company called Emotech Nigeria Limited.

“Emmanuel Bosah, the fifth accused person also instructed Ogbulafor to pay him his part of the loot through Emotech Nigeria Limited because he had an arrangement with the proprietor of the said company, one Mr Emmanuel Okocha, to clear the cheques for him and to avoid any direct link between Ebilah and himself. So, Emmanuel Bosah also received the sum of N10million from Emeka Ebilah through a proxy called B C Bosah.

“As regards Vincent Ogbulafor, Emeka Ebilah gave him N2million directly and other amounts totalling N28million through a nominee called, Chris Nwoke whom Ogbulafor, during interrogation, confirmed as his associate.

“Emeka Ebilah also ensured that the companies which he had personal interest in and which had executed contracts for the Federal Government were included among those whose debts were verified by NEIC and paid by the Federal Government.

Passengers aboard an Aero Contractors Abuja-Lagos flight on Sunday cheated death as the Boeing 737 plane had difficulty landing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos due to bad weather.
Former Transport Minister, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and Professor Olu Aina, who was on his way to attend a conference in Ghana, were among the passengers enveloped in fear as the pilot made several attempts to land.

The Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, has urged Nigerians not to support the presidential ambition of the former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).

He advised IBB to forget the ambition. According to him, IBB ruled the nation for about eight years and played some unsavoury roles, especially in the annulment of June 12, 1993 election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.

THE Benin Monarch, Omo N’ Oba Erediauwa, wants the Federal Government to involve traditional rulers in the on-going reform programmes to enable them pass the messages on to their subjects.
The Benin monarch, who made the call while hosting traditional rulers from the South-South geo-political zone of the country, also assured his fellow royal fathers of his support. He said that he has no reason to doubt the consideration of the proposals, already put forward by traditional rulers to the National Assembly to ensure that royal fathers are involved in the reform programmes.

A Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State on Wednesday rejected an oral application by former Governor James Ibori to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Police and the State Security Service from arresting him.

The EFCC had on April 14 declared Ibori wanted over alleged fraud involving the sale of shares belonging to the Delta State Government.

But Ibori, through his counsel, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), approached Justice Ibrahim Buba, with an application asking for an order of interim injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting him.

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday directed the Chairman of the Independent National Commission, Prof. Maurice Iwu, to proceed on a pre-disengagement leave.

The directive to Iwu, whose passport is believed to have been seized by the State Security Service, takes immediate effect.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ima Niboro, explained that the Acting President acted in line with Section 155 (1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution.

The embattled Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, stayed away from the party’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday as an Abuja High Court ordered him to appear before it on May 3.

A source in the party who defended Ogbulafor’s absence from office, said he chose the option for fear that he might be arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

The commission had dragged the PDP chairman to the Abuja High Court for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N170m in 2001.

From Simeon Nwakaudu, Makurdi and Armsfree Ajanaku Onomo, Lagos

NIGERIA'S democracy can only develop and impact on the wellbeing of the people if godfathers have no place in the political framework, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said.

His Jigawa State counterpart, Alhaji Sule Lamido has asked Lai Mohammed, the spokesman of the Action Congress (AC) to have a good grasp of issues before responding to them.

(Guardian) The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has barred money deposit banks from accepting banks' shares as security for credits granted for trading in stocks in the Nigerian capital market.

The action, according to the apex bank's governor, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is in line with the CBN's heightened risk management principles to avoid huge losses suffered by banks arising from high-risk portfolios.

Sanusi disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja yesterday on the outcome of a special Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and Board Meeting held on Thursday.

The shade of what to expect on the political scene in 2011 came to the fore yesterday as ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar questioned the democratic credentials of ex military President, General Ibrahim Babangida. Both former leaders clashed in Lagos, at the launching of a book, “The Force of Justice,” written in honour of retired justice of the Supreme Court, Justice George Oguntade and edited by Dele Adesina (SAN).

Atiku made his remark after Babangida spoke at the event, where he flaunted his past efforts at building a virile democratic institution in the country.

Gunmen kidnapped the personal driver to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Joe Frank on Tuesday abducted and demanding N200m ransom.

Frank, who has been the driver of Chief Godswill Akpabio since the inception of his administration was said to have been kidnapped along Aba-Port-Harcourt road in Abia State.

He was said to be driving one of the ‘treated car’ of the governor, when the hoodlums dressed in military uniform shot at the car.

Frank was later whisked to an unknown destination while the governor’s car was abandoned at the scene of the incidence.

The White House has confirmed that a "courtesy call" has been scheduled for Acting President Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow afternoon with Obama. It described Jonathan as a critical leader in Africa.

The confirmation came yesterday afternoon during a White House senior official press briefing addressed by Gary Samore, Senior Advisor to the President and Senior Director for Non-Proliferation of Arms and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications.

Rihanna has said she hates product placements in music videos in what could be interpreted as a swipe at Lady Gaga.

The singer told NME that, although she sometimes has brands in her videos, it is not her choice to do so and she is against the practice.

"I hate doing product placement in my videos," she told the news provider. "I hate it. I think videos should just tell the story of the song. And then with product placement it all just becomes this big ad campaign.

ABUJA-The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation yesterday uncovered monumental anomalies in the award of the contract for the construction of a second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The contract was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria (JBN) Plc with House of Reps accusing the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of breaching the country’s procurement laws.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raided two big banks and quizzed some top officials of the Delta State Government in its bid to establish the veracity of a petition filed against former Governor James Ibori. The anti-graft agency has also launched a fresh manhunt for the former Governor with its operatives now trailing him for arrest.

Ibori is wanted to make a new statement following the fresh petition sent to the EFCC by the Delta State Leaders, Elders and Stakeholders Forum.

Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has been scheduled to be hosted by US President Barack Obama on Sunday at the White House in Washington D.C.
It would be a rare meeting between an American President and a non-substantive president of a country.
The high-level meeting has not been officially announced by both countries.

P-Square - Paul and Peter, a Nigerian R&B musicians, were crowned Africa's best Artist in the recent Kora music awards held in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. About 3,000 people including the country's President, Blaise Compaore attended the the programme.

According to the Agence France Presse (AFP), the twins Paul and Peter who form P-Square beat Senegalese group, Black Diamond, Angola's Paul G and homegrown Amety Meria to scoop the top award, which is worth $1million, on Sunday.