Lasunpals: Ogun State Institute of Technology Closed Down, Rector Goes Into Hiding

Students of Ogun State Institute of Technology have crippled academic activities in the school.

According to the information, the pandemonium that ensued following the protest by the students made the Rector of the institute, Dr. Funke Akinkuolere to go into hiding.

It was learnt that the protest started when the students were stopped from holding their election by the Rector.

According to a source, the election was supposed to have been held last year December, but, was postponed by the rector who resumed office June last year.

Effort made to get the Rector to comment on the issue proved abortive.

Meanwhile the state government has directed that the institute be closed down till further notice.

Lasunpals: The Flying Car Has Finally Arrived

 

 

 

 

First, hear it all from the man who made it all possible. His name is Carl Dietrich, he is the chief executive and co-founder of Terrafugia, an aerospace company. Mr Carl has been working to bring consumers to the prospect of a practical flying car, envisioning a vehicle that does not require its operator to be a trained pilot. The company, Terrafugia, announced the concept of TF-X, a four-seat, plug-in hybrid electric car that can do vertical take-offs and landings

Lasunpals: So Length Does Matter…

Women are finally admitting what men have suspected for years: penis length matters

For some, anyway. In a recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, women who preferred intercourse (as opposed to other sex acts) – and often climaxed during it – said they orgasmed more easily with men who had longer penises. Researchers theorise this is because the longer size stimulates the entire length of the vagina as well as the cervix, all of which means locker-room measuring contests won’t be ending anytime soon.

Lasunpals: Sex positions women like

Abuja – Here comes that generalisation again, and with it the knowledge that at least one reader will say, “But I’m not like that”. Okay, let’s say that many – not all – women enjoy these lovemaking positions.

Call us indulgent, but most men enjoy seeing their partners having an orgasm. Here are a few of the positions many women find gives them the most pleasure, along with some tips for men on maximising the enjoyment for both of you.

Astride
You lie on your back, perhaps with a pillow under your bottom. Once she’s on top of you and you’re inside her, you can tilt your pelvis forward a bit, which allows her to grind hers more directly against it. Many

Lasunpals: Mikel’s Chelsea draw Atletico in UCL semis

Nyon – Draw for the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League made on Friday saw John Obi Mikel’s Chelsea pit against Atletico Madrid.

The other clash will see Real Madrid battle it out with defending champions Bayern Munich.

The first leg matches will be played on April 22/23, while the return leg holds on April 29/30.

Mikel has suffered less playing time in the Champions League, and the Nigerian has been linked with some clubs in Europe for a summer transfer.

Lasunpals: Jonathan reconciles Fayose, PDP aspirants

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, resolved the rift between the Ekiti State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Ayo Fayose and other aspirants.

The aggrieved aspirants had rejected the governorship primary on the grounds that they preferred a consensus candidate rather than participate in full blown primaries.

Nigerian Pilot learnt that President Jonathan and PDP national leaders held two meetings at the Presidential Villa late on Wednesday where the feud was resolved.

A source at the meeting which was attended by the 12 aspirants, said President Jonathan appealed to the aspirants to sheathe their swords and work together so that PDP can win the election.

He was said to have reminded them that the election was not just about the governorship but about the PDP as a political party.

The president was quoted to have expressed his displeasure over the conduct of the men whom he said, did not prepare for the contest properly but were mainly banking on dropping his name (Jonathan) to curry favour.

One of the candidates, it was said, tried to show obstinacy as he allegedly expressed reservations on the peace moves and pleadings made by party leaders at the meeting.

The President, it was said, told the obstinate aspirant that he was at liberty to leave the party and join the opposition if he believed he was indispensable.

At this point, one of the elders in the party was said to have apologised to the President on behalf the “unruly” aspirant and pledged that no one would work against Fayose at the poll.

At the Legacy House, Abuja yesterday afternoon, it was resolved that the N11million the aspirants paid for the PDP primaries be refunded to them.

In his reaction, Fayose said it was a welcome development and thanked the President for his intervention in the feud.

And ahead of the grand reception for PDP decampees in Kano on Tuesday next week, former governor of the state, Ibrahim Ahmed Shekarau, was in the State House yesterday to consult with Jonathan who is scheduled to lead other party stalwarts to the reception.

Shekarau told State House correspondents that the state chapter of PDP and Kano people would be happy to receive the President. He said the chances of PDP winning the state in 2015 were high.

“Let us wait and see. Fortunately, politics is about people and it is an open thing, you don’t play politics in the backyard or in the bedroom. People will see and it is not just getting the crowd, but the day we are voting, people will know whether Kano is for PDP or any other party. So, we assure you and I want to say, with all sense of humility that Kano belongs to PDP.”

Lasunpals: ASUU Accuses FG Of Reneging On Release Of N20bn

ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, ASSU, has accused the Federal government of reneging on some of the agreements that led to the suspension of a six-month strike that grounded the university system last year.

Specifically, the academic union, through its National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu, lamented that the Federal Government was yet to honour the agreement that N20 billion would be released at the beginning of each quarter to meet identified needs in the universities.

Lasunpals: How to Look Beautiful For A Guy In 5 Steps

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever wondered what it takes to catch a guy’s attention? Here are some tricks to make him fall for you.

Lasunpals: 10 Signs She Wants You To Ask Her Out

 

 

 

 

Sometimes it’s hard to know if a girl is sending you signals to ask her out, or if she is just friendly, or is actually obsessed with your friend, or what. But watch closely for these cues, because if she’s throwing them at you, it means she’s probably hoping you ask her out.So just work up the courage to do it and do it. Godspeed!

1. She starts liking something random you like after you mentioned you liked it. Oh, what’s that? She likes Neko Case all of the sudden? Wowza, what a huge coincidence. She knows all about the Manchester United game even though two days ago she knew shit about soccer? Holy smokes. She knows all about the new Kid Cudi album that just dropped after you were just saying how excited you were about it? Yeah, these aren’t coincidences, so don’t overlook them. Don’t make her feel dumb by saying, “Oh please you said you hate soccer!”

Follow her lead. Let her brag about her new knowledge. Teach her something new. Plan a date around it. Because you’re definitely going to want to ask her out.

2. She touches your arm a lot. Sorry, it’s all we’ve got, guys. We want to touch you but many places seem off limits. Touching your face would make us feel like we are in a Hallmark commercial, touching your chest would make us feel like we were in a Lifetime movie, and touching your junk would make us feel like we were in a porno. Basically, that leaves the arm. So we touch it a lot if we are interested. If you can think of something better let us know.

3. She laughs at everything you say. Yeah, even when you aren’t really saying anything that funny. Sorry. It’s something we can’t help and we probably aren’t proud of. It’s not that we are faking it, we are just really giddy to be around you if we have a crush on you. So everything seems a little lighter, a little more fun, and a little more likely to make us bust our gut or snort or… I’m just not going to say it.

4. She keeps asking you to do the most odd, unrelationships things. If she keeps asking you to do non-date things, like going to weird comedy shows that are sort of far away or going to her brother’s baseball game or feeding the neighbor’s cat, she is doing the dance of doing absolutely everything except for asking you out on a real date. So why don’t you do everyone a favor and ask her out? You both will have a better time doing something other than working her hectic charity event or helping her move.

5. She sends you mail. Real mail. She had to get paper and a writing device — which are increasingly becoming hard to come by. She had to write with her handwriting, which she hardly does anymore. She put way more thought into her words since she wasn’t just shooting them out on her keyboard. And she licked and sealed the envelope. That is love. Or at least mega-like. Ask her out, for goodness sake.

6. She always wants to be in pictures with you. Are there a disproportionate amount of pictures of you with her than with other people? Especially guys? She wants be be part of your life. She wants to show you off. She wants you to remember her. She is inserting herself into your life in the only way she can without asking you out.

She has agreed to do anything you have suggested so far. If you’re asking her to do anything with a group of friends or anything non-datey, and you hardly have to finish the question “Do you want to go rock climb…” or “Do you want to grab a bee…” before she says yes, she’d rather be doing these things as your girlfriend.

Especially if she says it like it’s not even a question. Of course she will! With gusto, she’ll be there with bells on! She’s psyched about anything because you will be there.

8. She hasn’t mentioned any other guys in your presence. That’s because she’s not thinking of any other guys. And she won’t even bring up friend boys, because she doesn’t want you to assume they are boyfriends.

9. She brings you something when you’re sick or similarly cooks you anything ever. Yeah, she’s showing you her nurturing side. It’s not because she’s filling some gender role, she’s just seizing the opportunity to be sweet. It’s an easy in to make you a casserole or drop by with some ginger ale.

10. You have met her friends and they seem surprisingly psyched to meet you. They are already excited to see you and already know what you do because they have heard about you. In fact, they might be sick of you. They might be thinking, “Will you just ask her out already?” So go ahead and do it.

Lasunpals: LOVE TRIANGLE: Actress Yvonne Nelson To Choose Between Ice Prince And John Dumelo

Day in, day out, actress Yvonne Nelson will stop at nothing to tickle us with her emotions. Love or hate her for that, that’s her persona.
She loves to be in a mood best described by her alone.
This week is starting on a very high note for the award winning actress cum producer who has another movie coming out early this year.
This time she isn’t talking about the movie but she is hitting it hard at one certain Ice Prince of Chocolate City in Nigeria.

Over the weekend we brought to you this, read Yvonne & John, what’s going on? , and many of her fans rained fire and brimstone on the news as been a ‘friendly gesture’, but what more can we say after the actress broke the silence by herself?
Yvonne who is currently on a movie location in New York with actor John Dumelo took to her Twitter page to dish her real boyfriend, Nigerian rapper Ice Prince.

In the twitter update yesterday, she said “Aboki (referring to Ice Prince)…. apparently John is my boyfriend he’s gonna kill you.. you don’t wanna see his aboki”.
If we choose to say, “this means nothing”, then was this piece, read Yvonne Nelson & Iyanya doing ‘kukere’ love? , false or a ‘friendly gesture’?

Lasunpals: My wife brings BIG BUTT LADIES to spend the night in my house.

I wonder the kind of friends she has. It seems she selected them from the slim and big butt market.

Each time they come to look for her, she will ask them to spend the night in my house. The other day, I was watching movies in the sitting room and one of them came to the bar to take a shot of wine with a short skirt.

I will not lie that I looked and I saw something. Her butt is huge but she is slim. Honestly, I had an attention disorder that day.

At night I told her to stop bringing those home breakers home again to spend the night else I will disappoint her.

Lasunpals: ‘How do I tell my husband that he’s not the father of our child’

I need to find an easy way of telling my husband that I am in love with another man and that our baby boy is not his child.

I am 38 and have been with my partner for 10 years. I met a man sometime ago.

We chat very often and one day he suggested we go for a drink. I told my partner I had a meeting. There have been lots of “meetings” since.

We make love in his car every week. I had been starved of love for years. When I started the fling it was just for the sex. I thought about it all day.

Then I fell pregnant. My partner just assumed the child was his and I didn’t want to destroy him by telling him different but I am 100 per cent certain our eight-month-old son is my lover’s child. He knows the baby is his and dotes on him.

We have fallen in love and are now planning on being together. My lover is going to tell his wife soon.

I know it will tear my partner’s heart apart to find out I am in love with another man and want to be with him, and that he will lose his little boy.

I never meant to hurt him but I need to find an easy way of breaking the news.

Lasunpals: MEN ONLY: 30 simple ways to make your GIRLFRIEND HAPPIER

It doesn’t matter whether she’s your girlfriend, girl you’re after, or your wife.. Here are a few tips to make a girl (in general) happier.

1. Be true to her. The truth might hurt, but when she finds out you’re lying, it’s worse.

2. Love what/who she loves. How can her little puppy at home be irritating?

3. Spend quality time with her! She wants your full attention.

4. If you’re really that busy, give her a call when you can.

5. If you’re not even free to make a call, or cannot call during working hours, a text message warms her heart as well.

6. Hold her hands in public. Be proud of her!

7. Hug her! Hugs are stronger than kisses.

8. Kiss her more, of course.

9. Don’t sweet talk. Say nice things to her but make sure they’re always true!

10. Respect her.

11. Listen to her. Spend some time everyday listening to what she has got to say!

12. Get to know her friends. Especially the people she mix around.

13. Remember the anniversaries. Men often time forget these dates. It’s time you have an organizer to remember them.

14. Care for her. Who doesn’t need some care?

15. Tell her you love her. Simple 3 words “I love you” isn’t so hard to say, right?

16. Send her a text and say good morning. She’ll feel good to see her boyfriend’s text early in the morning. It might wake her up, but she’ll still smile.

17. Buy her her favourite food. Not hard right? How about dining at her favourite restaurant?

18. Drop some vocabulary – such as ‘old’, ‘fat’, ‘ugly’. If you love her, these few words shouldn’t exist in your dictionary.

19. Praise her. Be it a great job done, nice make up or a nice dress she wore, she’ll be happy.

20. Compromise! She loves it but you’re not having pasta everyday, are you?

21. Let her feel loved (on bed). She needs good s*x as much as you do. Do I still need to elaborate?

22. Sing her a song. Just a verse would be good.

23. Share a joke with her. Laughing is the best medicine. 🙂

24. Be romantic. The beach and the stars? The park and the bench?

25. Don’t mention your ex-girlfriends. She hates it.

26. Don’t compare her with other girls. I know Jamie was good at this but every girl is different. Accept it. Move on.

27. Surprise her. Who doesn’t like surprises?

28. Massage her. She’ll feel you care.

29. Don’t quarrel over anything. Discuss about it. Problems can be solved with discussion.

30. Gifts! It doesn’t have to be any special day. Neither has it gotta be expensive.

Guys thank me later.

Lasunpals: 10 commandments of WOMEN…..LADIES READ this.

 

 

1. Don’t be in a hurry to move out of your parents’ house.

2. Don’t wait for a man before you start living. You can live a fulfilled life as a single
woman.

3. Stay away from alcohol. It has killed others and you are not special.

4. Don’t entertain a wrong number call, especially at night. It’s not the
right way to find a lover.

5. Develop a healthy eating habit. Always take breakfast and avoid sweets.

6. Dress well: Impression count. People will judge you by the way you dress even
before they talk to you.

7. Don’t use sex as proof of love. Sex is no proof of love, he’ll leave you after the sex.

8. Don’t marry for the money, else you’ll become one of his possessions.

9. Add value to yourself – get a career. Don’t be fooled that a man will solve all
your problems.

10. Beauty is not everything. If it is all you have, you’ll lose your place to someone beautiful, better more matured and competent than you.

Lasunpals: LIL WAYNE – Mirror ft. Bruno Mars

Lasunpals: My Oga At The Top (NSCDC)

Lasunpals: “How To Make Money Online”100% Free -2013 Fast & Easy (Work From Home)

                      “How To Make Money Online”100% Free -2013

Hi

Lasunpals: 12-Year-Old Girl Humiliated At School For Sleeping With Her Father

Reports reaching us say a five-year-old girl, Favour (other names withheld), who was allegedly taken from an orphanage by Anambra State Government officials, has been recovered by state police command from a couple based in London, United Kingdom.

The girl was taken by the government officials from Mary’s Perpetual Help Foundation, Nkpor, near Onitsha, during a raid by a combined team of government officials and police led by a director (names withheld) and later sold to a London-based couple for N750,000.

However, trouble started when the mother of Favour, one Sandra (surname withheld), who hails from Delta State, started searching for her child and went to the state Ministry of women affairs and social development only to discover that her baby had been sold. Favour, then three years old, was allegedly sold by the director, who thought the mother of the child would not come to claim her child to the couple.

A source disclosed that the Founder of Mary’s Perpetual Help, Mr. Johnmary Ihezue had lodged a complaint that the director connived with a police officer to sell one of the babies under his care, which led to the arrest of the director. “During one of the raids on illegal motherless babies’ homes in the state, we recovered a three-year-old girl in Nkpor. The police handed the girl over to the state Ministry of women affairs for safekeeping, and one day, I received information that the ministry refused to release the girl to her biological mother.

“It was recently that we acted on a petition, which alleged that the ministry had sold the child to a particular couple in London at the cost of N750,000. We intensified efforts to bring the child back.

“We made breakthrough when we established contact with the family that bought the child. They agreed that they bought the child from a director in the ministry and we asked them to bring the child back, which they did as law abiding citizens and the police had since handed over the girl to her mother after investigations and arrested the suspect,” the source disclosed.

It was further gathered that the couple had been on the director’s neck to refund the N750,000 since the child had been taken away, but he allegedly pleaded with them to give him some time to source for another child as replacement.

Meanwhile, when contacted on his mobile phone, the director described the allegation as a mere rumour, adding that nothing of that nature happened.

Lasunpals: Girl, 5, Sold for N750,000 to UK Couple

Reports reaching us say a five-year-old girl, Favour (other names withheld), who was allegedly taken from an orphanage by Anambra State Government officials, has been recovered by state police command from a couple based in London, United Kingdom.

The girl was taken by the government officials from Mary’s Perpetual Help Foundation, Nkpor, near Onitsha, during a raid by a combined team of government officials and police led by a director (names withheld) and later sold to a London-based couple for N750,000.

However, trouble started when the mother of Favour, one Sandra (surname withheld), who hails from Delta State, started searching for her child and went to the state Ministry of women affairs and social development only to discover that her baby had been sold. Favour, then three years old, was allegedly sold by the director, who thought the mother of the child would not come to claim her child to the couple.

A source disclosed that the Founder of Mary’s Perpetual Help, Mr. Johnmary Ihezue had lodged a complaint that the director connived with a police officer to sell one of the babies under his care, which led to the arrest of the director. “During one of the raids on illegal motherless babies’ homes in the state, we recovered a three-year-old girl in Nkpor. The police handed the girl over to the state Ministry of women affairs for safekeeping, and one day, I received information that the ministry refused to release the girl to her biological mother.

“It was recently that we acted on a petition, which alleged that the ministry had sold the child to a particular couple in London at the cost of N750,000. We intensified efforts to bring the child back.

“We made breakthrough when we established contact with the family that bought the child. They agreed that they bought the child from a director in the ministry and we asked them to bring the child back, which they did as law abiding citizens and the police had since handed over the girl to her mother after investigations and arrested the suspect,” the source disclosed.

It was further gathered that the couple had been on the director’s neck to refund the N750,000 since the child had been taken away, but he allegedly pleaded with them to give him some time to source for another child as replacement.

Meanwhile, when contacted on his mobile phone, the director described the allegation as a mere rumour, adding that nothing of that nature happened.

Lasunpals: Hoodlums rape, kill woman at Afaha Market in Uyo

Tragedy struck at Afaha Market in Ibesikpo/Asuntan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday when a trader was strangled after being raped by suspected hoodlums.

It was learnt that the woman from Ogoja, Cross River State, had gone to the weekly Afaha market when the incident occurred at night.

The woman, popularly called ‘Mama Oliver’, was said to have gone outside the house to urinate when four-man hoodlums swooped on her and took turns to rape her.

The hoodlums thereafter strangled her for fear that she might recognise one or two them.

An eyewitness, said, “Mama Oliver said she was going to urinate. It was in the process that the hoodlums seized her. They had bouts of sex with her.

“It was believed that they strangled her because she could identify some of the criminals. They feared that she might expose them if they let her go.”

A friend of the deceased , Mrs. Eno Edet, told our correspondent that the death of Mama Oliver was shocking.

Pointing to Mama Oliver’s space in the market, Edet said, “I would never assume that anyone could be so callous as to kill an innocent woman just because of sex.

“We have refused to sell things. The death of Mama Oliver is painful. She and her other sisters usually come from Ogoja on Afaha Market days.

“You can see her space in the market with her wares. We are really sad.”

Another trader, Mr. Ekong Okon, said what happened in Afaha Market on Tuesday could be attributed to darkness.

He said, “Where the women slept was not far from where Mama Oliver went to urinate. If there was light, we would have seen the men.

“I think Mama Oliver knew some of these men. This could be the reason why they killed her. I still believe that if the place had been properly illuminated, the sad incident would have been averted.”
When Punch Metro went to the market , the deceased’s corpse had already been taken to a mortuary in Ibesikpo/Asutan LGA.

All attempts to speak with Mama Oliver’s sisters were unsuccessful . One of them was said to have left for Ogoja while the whereabouts of the second were not known.

The state Command’s spokesperson, Mr. Etim Dickson, neither responded to text messages sent to his phone nor picked his calls.

Lasunpals: Sex worker in custody for trafficking minors

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old sex worker, Happiness Okon, for allegedly trafficking two unnamed minors.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, said at the police headquarters in Abeokuta while Okon was being paraded before journalists on Wednesday that she was arrested after the young girls were raped in the house where she brought them to in Abeokuta.

Okoye said, “Men of our Rape and Human Trafficking Unit arrested her when it was learnt that she was the one who trafficked the under-aged girls to Ogun State where they were raped.

“She is a sex worker, who specialises in bringing new workers to her boss. Investigation is still on to ensure all those connected with the case are arrested.”

Okon told Saturday PUNCH that she did not go beyond primary school level in her education and was brought to Abeokuta from Cross River State in 2012 to “sell things in a shop.”

She said, “But when I came here, I became a prostitute and get about N3,000 every day. My madam was the one who told me to look for girls that could help her with household chores and earn some money. I don’t know the name of my madam. We only call her madam.

“I went to my village to bring the girls. I told the mother of one of them that I planned to take her to Ogun to look for work. Her mother agreed but the other girl said she wanted to follow her friend too. So, I brought both of them.”

It was learnt that the rape was supposed to be an initiation of the girls into the world of prostitution.

The police have vowed to get to the root of the case.

Lasunpals: Farouk Lawan sacked as chairman, committee on subsidy

ABUJA—Speaker, House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal yesterday sacked the suspended Chairman of the House Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Farouk Lawan, from the position of Chairman, House Committee on Education.

Tambuwal announced the appointment of Aminu Suleiman (PDP, Kano) as the substantive chairman of the committee as replacement for Lawan, who is currently facing trial for allegedly receiving a bribe of $620,000 from oil magnate, Femi Otedola.

Tambuwal also appointed deputy chairmen for six other committees.

Until his appointment, Sulaiman was the deputy chairman of the committee on labour and productivity. Rose Okoh (PDP, Cross River), deputy chairman of the Education  committee had been operating in acting capacity.

Tambuwal said the appointment is with immediate effect.

Farouk Lawan was suspended at a special plenary of the House in June 2012, after billionaire oil marketer, Chief Femi Otedola alleged that the former chairman collected  $620,000 bribe from him to facilitate the removal of his companies: Zenon Oil and Synopsis International from the list of erring companies in the subsidy regime.

The House had temporarily stripped Lawan of his position as chairman committee on education as well as chairman of the subsidy probe committee pending the outcome of the investigation of its committee on ethics and privileges.

With this development, Lawan who has been in the House since 1999 would remain as a floor member. The ethics and privileges committee had concluded its assignment since last year but has not submitted its findings to the House.

Efforts by our correspondent to ascertain whether the speaker’s action was based on the findings of the ethics and privileges committee were however not successful.

Lawan, is presently being prosecuted for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribe for the purpose of compromising facts on the oil subsidy management in the country.

It was learnt  that Tambuwal’s sacking of Lawan may not be unconnected with the resolve of  the House leadership to purge itself of anything that might dent the image of the House.

Alamieyeseigha’s Pardon, A Symbol of Jonathan’s Corrupt Mentality —Soyinka

The Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described the state pardon granted a former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, by President Goodluck Jonathan, as an act of impunity and a symbol of corrupt mentality.

Also,the Nigerian Bar Association on Wednesday described the pardon as a bad signal in the anti-corruption campaign.

Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted of corruption charges, was pardoned alongside other ex-convicts, including Shettima Bulama, Lt. General Oladipo Diya, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, the late Major General Musa Yar’Adua and the late Major-General Abdukareem Adisa.

Soyinka, on Wednesday, lent his voice to those of civil society groups, international community and individuals who had stridently condemned the President’s action.

He spoke in Lagos during a programme ushering in the Lagos Black Heritage Festival.

Referring to a statement made by the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Media, Dr. Reuben Abati, who had, on a TV programme, described those who are criticising Jonathan over the matter as suffering from “sophisticated ignorance”, Soyinka said he did not mind being called such a name for bearing his mind on the state pardon.

“On the state pardon granted the former governor, I want to join the bandwagon of the ignorant persons. I am happy to be counted among them. For me, this kind of impunity is not unconnected to the controversy, which has been surrounding the N4bn allocation being sought by the First Lady Mission. It is part of the same corrupt mentality,” he said.

The renowned writer added that it was also disappointing that some ministers had given contradictory interpretations to the object of the pardon.

Soyinka said it was not right for Jonathan to lump Alamieyeseigha’s case with those of the other people granted pardon alongside him.

According to him, the cases of other ex-convicts were largely political, as evident in the antics of the late Sanni Abacha junta that implicated them in a controversial coup.

The Nobel laureate said, “What is going on right now gives the picture of a government that is floundering and justifying the unjustifiable. It amounts to encouragement of corruption. The felon is wanted by the United States Government. We have a case of an officer of the law – a governor – who went to another country and broke the law of the nation. He jumped bail.

“I believe that such a person does not deserve a state pardon. So, I have joined the league of the ignorant persons condemning the act. I criticise and deplore President Jonathan for granting pardon to the former governor.”

Reacting to the development after inaugurating the web-portal of the NBA in Abuja, NBA President, Mr. Okey Wali, SAN, said the presidential pardon had sent a bad signal in the war on corruption.

But he also noted that Jonathan acted within his constitutional powers.

“It is no doubt a moral issue; it is a bad signal in the fight against corruption.”

Noting that the President’s action was constitutional, in line with the provisions of section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, Wali added, “Nigerians have made their feelings known.”

He also reacted to plans by the Federal Government to finally remove the subsidy on petroleum products.

Jonathan had, at the Nigerian Economic Summit in Lagos on Wednesday, said the Federal Government would still remove fuel subsidy.

The NBA has, however, asked the Federal Government to fulfill its promise to implement far-reaching palliative measures before the final removal of fuel subsidy in the country.

The NBA President urged the Federal Government to make good its promise to implement some palliative measures in order to alleviate the hardship imposed on Nigerians as a result of the hike in the price of petroleum products.

Wali said, “We believe that the government will fulfill its promise to Nigerians.

“The NBA still has not seen much of the promise but we strongly believe that they will keep to their word by putting all the necessary infrastructure in place before taking any further action on fuel subsidy.”

Wali aso said the NBA was committed to enforcing discipline in the legal profession.

Features of the web portal include the full list of all the lawyers called to the Bar, as registered in the Supreme Court from the pre-Independence days till date.

It also contains the profiles of over 25,000 active lawyers, who have carried out their verification exercise, as directed by the NBA in 2011.

Jonathan insists on fuel subsidy removal

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, in Lagos, unveiled a platform of economic development for the country that must be predicated on full removal of fuel subsidy.

Speaking at the Nigeria Summit 2013 organised by The Economist with the theme Enabling and Implementing Change, Jonathan said the fuel subsidy just have to be removed, but after discussing with the public about the easiest way to do it.

He said: “We cannot continue to waste resources meant for a greater number of Nigerians to subsidize the affluent middle class, who are the main beneficiaries.”

It would be recalled that attempt by the Federal Government to remove the fuel subsidy on January 1, 2012 led to widespread protests in the country, forcing the government to partially reinstate the subsidy with fuel price set at N97 per liter from N65, prompting an increase in last year’s budget by N161 billion to accommodate the subsidy.

3-pronged security plan

The president also disclosed that the Federal Government had adopted a three-pronged approach to addressing insecurity and fighting acts of terrorism in the country, and said that importation of rice into the country will stop by 2016.

He said the three approaches to tackle insecurity are: counter-terrorism by working with neighboring countries, openness to political dialogue with the disgruntled, provided they come out to the open, and economic inclusion that will ensure that restful youths are gainfully engaged and therefore not susceptible to negative social or religious manipulation.

“There can be no development without security, which is why a large portion of this year’s budget was devoted to security,” he said.

Jonathan said government is working on massive production and storage of rice in the country, adding that the priority of his government is food security, hence the need to boost rice production which is Nigeria’s staple food.

He also noted that an improved agricultural sector will also boost job creation.

Jonathan said: “Our agenda on job creation is mainly focused on the agricultural sector. We are working hard to boost production of rice, sugar, cassava and oil palm. By 2015/2016, we should stop importation of rice into the country.

“Our aim is to go back to agriculture not only to export raw produce but to process and add value.”

He said Nigeria has what it takes to be self-sufficient in the production of these commodities, being blessed with arable land and favorable climatic condition all year round.

He declared that it was as a result of the tremendous progress that had been made in grains production that ensured that the prices of food items have remained stable in spite of the floods of last year.

Bogus agencies at ports

Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the summit, lamented the return of some sacked agencies into the nation’s ports.

The minister said the return of these agencies “is not good for business as their presence at the ports has made the clearance of goods more cumbersome and expensive.”

She explained that the issue of Customs and the ports had not been an easy one, adding that the government had concluded plans to computerize the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, with a view to reducing or eliminating physical contact with stakeholders.

He said: “All kinds of agencies are currently in the ports and this has brought about high cost of clearing goods at the port. It has been a constant fight against these agencies because the issue of ports reform is a global trend.

“When you think you have gotten rid of some of these agencies, they come in again under another disguise. This situation is not good for business that is why the government is making move to computerize the Nigeria Customs Service.”