Jimi Agbaje Launches Eko Initiative

Lagos State front runner in the forthcoming 2015 governorship race, Mr Olujimi Agbaje has launched his independent campaign organization called EKO INITIATIVE.
The organization is being headed by a former commissioner in Lagos state Mr Owokoniran.

Fashola’s successor: Jimi Agbaje, best candidate— DPA

Jimi Agbaje

LAGOS—More controversies have continued to trail the recent endorsement of Mr. Akinwumi Ambode by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu 1, to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos. The Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, weekend picked holes in the endorsement, saying the monarch was only expressing his personal opinion.

Abuja Centenary City To Gulp N2.4trn

The Abuja Centenary City Project will gulp N2.4 trillion ($18.6 billion).
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Eagle Hills, the official developer of the city, Mohammed Al-Abbar, who disclosed this while speaking at the ceremony, also hinted that the city is expected to be completed within 10 years.
Speaking at the event, President Goodluck Jonathan, who performed the ground breaking ceremony, noted that the centenary city will kick off with a 10-storey building and added that the concept of the city will include presidential archives.

Breaking News: Social Media Blogger, Omojuwa served court notice for libel and slander of Deji Adeyanju (@Adeyanjude9)

Social media blogger Japhet Omojuwa, has been served Court notice by Adeyanju Adedeji for libel and slander. Omojuwa has been actively criticizing Adeyanju, calling him a killer and a cultist on twitter.

Driver Protest In Akure Over Multiple Collection Of Fees By The Ondo State Ministry Of Transport

Human and Vehicular activities were today paralyzed on the always-busy Ilesa-Akure-Benin expressway, as members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the Ondo state branch blocked the road for almost three hours, preventing the free flow of traffic.

The blockage was a result of a protest staged by the drivers over allegations of multiple taxation on their members by the State Ministry of Transport which they said as been “a tongue in the flesh.”

SaharaReporters has learned that the aggrieved drivers were chanting anti-government slogans, and solidarity songs calling for the removal of the Commissioner of Transport in the State, Otunba Nicholas Tofowomo.

Many of the drivers who spoke, also allege that Officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, collided with the Men of the 'Sunshine Traffic Corps' of the State Ministry of Transport. The collision is over billings spokesmen from the group claim their members have been hit with 'unnecessary taxes,' which they believe is illegal.

They revealed that at every bus-stop where they dropped their passengers, officials from the 'Sunshine Traffic Corps' always stop them, with embarrassing claims that have them demanding money for tickets that are not remitted to the state government's coffers.

In the words of one member, who declined to identify himself, "it is unfortunate that FRSC officers have now joined the Sunshine Traffic Corps of the Ondo State Ministry of Transport in holding us to ransom. Both of them have now work out a theory that by stopping us, where we park, it is an illegal place, and illegal for us to pick-up passengers in the wrong place.”

"The most painful thing is that, before you know what is happening” the source said, “they will surround you and chain your vehicle. Thereby, booking anyone caught (by this roving band) with a N25,000.00 fine instantly. If you don't pay, they will impound your vehicle, and they won't release it until you pay."

"Just tell me, what type of government do we now have in Ondo State,” said another driver, “with all this taxation in different forms? We can't accept this anymore. Tofowomo (Commissioner for Transport) must go, or he should leave us with our job. This driving job is what we use in feeding our families."

The protesting drivers further alleged that over 20 vehicles belonging to their members have been seized by the Sunshine Traffic Corps, with the help of Officers of the FRSC in Ondo State, and even abandoned them in their office.

One passenger revealed his experience during the seizure of a vehicle belonging to a driver. He said after he had boarded a vehicle, the manner, and tone of the Sunshine Traffic Corps is questionable, rude, and aggressive, and needs a thorough investigation.

The passenger also disclosed that alerting the Traffic Corps of illegal parking has compromised the officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The claim of illegal parking, in effect was just wrong, and the official had booked the car of his driver for wrong parking, or illegally picking-up passengers at a wrong position.

"I am surprised that (the) FRSC men have joined this league of traffic corps in taxing and harassing our people in any circumstance. You will see them leaving their own job and running after transporters and taxi drivers, just to book them for N25,000.00. This aggressive activity is too much in this state, I do hope the government will intervene," the transport worker said angrily.

A source later told SaharaReporters that it took the effort of Officers from the Ondo State Command led by its Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, to quell the matter before it was later brought under control.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Transport in the state, Mr. Nicholas Tofowomo, said the drivers have been warned on several occasions to stop picking passengers up by the road side.

Tofowomo added that the State government built a Motor park for all transporters in the state, and they have been compelled to stay at their park to pick up such passengers. He stressed that all allegations against his portfolio are baseless.

SaharaReporters pressed further about the allegations of taxing the driver over wrong parking slots, but the Commissioner was fast to react, and said, "Yes, we always book them (with fines) ranging from N5, 000.00 to N25,000.00 if they go against the law of parking, and picking up passengers at a wrongful place. This is what they know.”

"Ondo state government has built a standard motor park for them. Let them go to the park and pick passengers and travelers up (from there,) instead of staying on the roads and picking up passengers, thereby causing traffic, and gridlock on our roads. We won't accept it," he said.

An official of the Traffic Control Corps in the Transport Ministry told SaharaReporters that the State government had given them a mandate in ensuring the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state through all available means of fetching money for the state.

With all of this, Tofowomo and his team had been receiving commendations from the state government especially during the weekly executive meetings (Exco Meeting) at the State House in Akure. At those meetings Tofowomo and other officials boast that through this initiative of 'booking' drivers who parked and picked passengers at a wrongful place, the state gains additional revenue.

Lagos Carnival To Hold On 21st April

Sanusi and the cover-up syndrome

Nothing has been more gratifying in recent times to many Nigerians than the dethronement of the man who went about as if he were the ‘Emir’ of the Nigerian financial instituions, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. As Mr Adebayo Adeleke, General Secretary, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), said in a report filed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and relayed on several news outlets, Sanusi’s suspension was long over-due. According to NAN, Adeleke also said that Sanusi’s tenure as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor should be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EXPOSED: The Many Fraud and Financial Recklessness that got Sanusi Fired

@ReporterTimes BBM: pin:2A215687

 The decision to suspend the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Sanusi Lamido was based on a report of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria dated June 7, 2013. The report was made after a review of Sanusi’s response to the query issued to him by the President over the apex bank’s financial statement of 2012. His response was dated May 20, 2013. According to a copy of the report obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the council indicates that the explanation provided by the suspended CBN governor is “a clear display of incompetence, nonchalance, fraud, wastefulness, and abuse of due process and deliberate efforts to misrepresent facts on the part of the leadership of the CBN.”

Atiku Abubakar joins Instagram today

Nigeria's Former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar today joined the Instagram Social Media Network. Atiku could be quoted as making this promise some weeks ago in the wake of the New Year while sharing his Thoughts and Opinions on Nigeria, Politics, Elections and Social Media. "Looking back it has been an interesting ride. I’ve met and interacted with a lot of interesting people, endured a lot of hostility, and generally learnt a great deal.

True story! Rough edge to good life by simpa samson

Two things make someone tell their story. Either regret or happy ending mine happen to be both. It all started some 25years ago in the rough street of Lagos, after I lost my both parent to a motor accident. My world came crumbling down. They were my all, I never lack and never beg, so leaving that height to the lowest point was something no one will wish to pass through. I started eating from hand to mouth, eating from the waste bin of other people, and begging on the street. Life was not easy, I had to put up with fight, injuries and rape so as to stay alive and get shelter over my head. I was raped four times on the street on different occasion. One particular time, I was raped by six area boys. The most horrific scene in my life. After years of being a street kid, I eventually ended up as a club dancer. Well dancing was one talent God gave me, the unfortunate thing was that I had to use it to put food on my table the wrong way. Dancing in the club, came with me sleeping with some rich guys in order to earn more money to sustain my life. Abortion was like a regular thing for me, because I can't get pregnant except I don't want to eat. A colleague of mine introduced me to drugs, so I became addicted, and this drug don't come cheap at all. I spent most of my income on drugs and alcohol, engaged in gambling. I became addicted to all this things. I was a junkie, well that's the world I find myself. No one is ready to give you anything for free, so I make the money the only way I knew. One evening after the show at the bar, i met a business man from South Africa, he wanted sex, so I charged him heavily, so he paid me for a night stand, we went to his room, he took his bath, I took mine, and left the bathroom naked, walked towards him to start, he refuse and ask me to but on my cloth and sleep that he is tired. I told him: "sir, there are no refunds, you paid for my service, so this is me, cos ones it day break, your time expire" he said "no problem" and he still refused to touch me and we had no sex throughout, i asked, he said; i should be a housewife of a good man, and not a Prostitute, i couldn't help it, I explained to him that no man can marry me at 34 years of age with all my addiction and problems, he calmed me down and was sincere with me while sharing his past too, i thanked him and he gave me his complimentary card to call him. And three days later, he found his way to my living house and said he will like to marry me, he was with me throughout that day, he still insisted on not touching me, and that was the only way I think I could thank him for everything. He first took me to a rehabilitation home, I got myself cleaned up, then to a shrink. After six months of rehabilitation, now we are planning for a better future. This is my testimony, i believe in God the more since this incident. If the Lord can still look down to me and show me mercy, upon my atrocities and dirty ways, well I guess he still consider me worthy. I engaged in smoking, hustling, gambling and countless abortions in the past. I got a second chance to life at age 34 and a better future after God save my life. Well, will I say that I'm a lucky one, all the girls I started with, some ended up in the hands of ritual, some died of disease, some with tumour, but I never had any of those not even HIV. Well that's my story. Happy ending with past regret, but I'm happy now. I'm much at ease after shearing my story. Thank you. WRITEN BY SIMPA S SAMSONS. Simpa Saint Samsons Indipendent film-maker CEO, S.O.S21 Pictures International, Inc +2348036457162, Saintonios@gmail.com, Saintonios@yahoo.com BBPIN:294F2D1F