Housewife, five children die in collapsed building in Kano

BY ABDULSALAM MUHAMMAD
KANO-Tragedy struck at Warure quarters, Kano yesterday when a 45-years-old housewife perished alongside her five children following the collapsed of a storey building that housed a family of 12.
The incident that occurred at about 1.45am also claimed the life of a three-year-old boy occupying the first floor of the 50-year-old mud structure.

Briefing newsmen on the tragic incident, Alhaji Sunusi Bello revealed the building caved in and buried his wife and four of his children.
Sunusi 55, explained that his elder brother who occupied the top floor also lost his three-year-old son, pointing out that “it was divine intervention that he escaped.
Sanusi who however escaped with injury on his right leg revealed that his sister-in-law survived with waist fracture, while his elder brother and two other relations were among the injured.
He gave the name of the deceased as Amina Bello 45, his wife, Ruqqayya Bello 20, daughter, Fidausi Bello 7, Abashiya Bello 6, Bello Sunusi Bello 2, and Abdul Bello 3. He added that the affected family members died as martyrs.
Sunusi Bello who was flanked by his elder brother Mansur Bello 58, and is taking refuge with the next door neighbour said that “I have not lost anything; Allah has simply taken back what He gave me in trust and they died as martyrs”.
He commended the prompt response of the Fire Service Department, and his neighbours who mobilized and retrieved the mangled bodies of the deceased, pointing out that “they have all been buried according to Islamic rites”.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/housewife-five-children-die-in-collapsed-building-in-kano/

Cholera hits Ibadan, kills 4,16 hospitalised

By OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—AN outbreak of cholera epidemic has led to the death of four persons while 16 others are lying critically ill in some parts of the Ibadan North West Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Victims who are still battling with the epidemic were said to have been taken to Ayeye Health Centre and another maternity centre at Oniyanrin.

To curb the spread, health officers on the directive of the caretaker chairman, Mr. Wasiu Olatunbosun have treated wells which are the major sources of water in the area. Also, adjoining areas have been fumigated.
Food vendors in the communities have reportedly been barred from selling any edible thing pending the time the epidemic will be checked.
Olatunbosun confirmed the development but said he had taken a decisive step to check it from spreading to other parts.
According to him, immediately he received the information he directed the health and environment management units of the council to start a one week intensive assessment and intervention in the affected areas so as to determine the cause and extent of the outbreak.
He also said he asked the health officers in the council to chlorinate all the sources of water that people in the area depended upon.
In addition, he told Vanguard that he would visit the affected parts which include Opoyeosa, Abebi, Idi Ikan, Ekotedo and Alawo.
He said: “I got the information on Saturday and directed the Director of Environmental Services to go to the areas and chlorinate the water that people of the areas drink. By tomorrow (Monday), I will personally visit the areas. We shall also try to build public toilets for them immediately.”
Also corroborating the chairman, the Director of Environmental Services in the council, Mr. Olalekan Olatunbosun, explained that Ayeye community was the worst hit.
On the casualty figure, he stated that three adults and a child were, so far, reported dead.
He noted that the cause of the epidemic was as a result of the absence of toilet facilities in most of the houses in the affected communities.
When they visited the places, he stressed they found out that most of the houses do not have toilets and waste bins.
“Their water sources must have been polluted because they dumped faeces carelessly all around their houses. During earlier routine visits to the areas, before the cholera outbreak occurred, we marked some houses and gave them two weeks notice to put up toilets.”
The director further added that the landlords in the areas were given ultimatum of two weeks to build toilets.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/cholera-hits-ibadan-kills-416-hospitalised/

Mikel Obi’s father rescued in Kano

I was brutalized • 5 Suspects in Police custodyThe father of Chelsea and Nigeria star John Mikel Obi was Monday found alive in Kano State. Michael Obi was last seen on 12 August in the city of Jos, where his car was found last Wednesday. Obi Senior told the BBC that he had been kidnapped in Jos before being transferred to Kano.
“I am very stressed,” he said.
His abductors are now in police custody in the northern Nigerian city.

Michael Obi, the kidnapped father of Chelsea footballer John Obi Mikel
sits at the office of of Kano state police commissioner in Kano after he
was freed on following a police raid in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.
"Obi was rescued and six suspects were arrested, five men and a woman,"
Kano state police commissioner Ibrahim Idris told journalists,. AFP PHOTO

The BBC’s Yusuf Ibrahim Yakasai says Michael Obi’s face shows signs of the beatings that he says he endured during his ordeal.

During the time of his father’s disappearance, Mikel Obi continued playing for Chelsea – starting matches against both Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion.
“I wouldn’t want to let the club down and if I didn’t play that game I think my mum would be very sad,” the 24-year-old said after playing against Stoke.
On Friday, Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas hailed the “amazing mental toughness” shown by the midfielder in the wake of his father’s kidnapping.
Police spokesman Olusola Amore told The Associated Press that detectives found Michael Obi in Kano. Amore said police arrested those suspected in the kidnapping.
Michael Obi was kidnapped on Aug. 12 while on his way home from work in the central Nigerian city of Jos.
Kidnappings for ransom regularly occur in Nigeria, though typically in its east and oil-rich southern delta.
Nigeria, an oil-rich country of 150 million people, is almost evenly split between Muslims in the north and the predominantly Christian south. Plateau state, in Nigeria’s fertile central belt, has seen thousands die in recent years in religious and ethnic violence rooted largely in political and economic issues.
Mikel’s family, from the Igbo tribe, is in the minority in the area. However, John Obi Mikel said the kidnapping shocked him because his family never had any problems there before.
Kidnappings in Plateau state are a rarity when compared to Nigeria’s oil-producing southern delta, where militants and criminal gangs often kidnap foreigners for ransom. Middle class Nigerian families also increasingly find themselves targeted in the country’s East as well.
It isn’t the first time a football player’s family has been targeted in Nigeria. In 2008, gunmen abducted the younger brother of Everton defender Joseph Yobo as he left a nightclub in Port Harcourt, the delta’s largest city.
The brother was released unharmed about two weeks later, though it was unclear if a ransom had been paid. Enyimba Chairman, Felix Anyansi-Agwu was equally kidnapped and released. Mother of former NFF President, Sani Lulu-Abdullahi was also kidnapped and released.
Michael Obi’s abduction came after a Forbes magazine survey in June listed Mikel as the seventh highest-paid African player in Europe. The magazine listed Mikel’s salary as $5.8 million a year.
Mikel thanks all!
Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi has spoken of his relief after hearing that his father, Michael Obi had been found in Kano.
Obi Senior was last seen on 12 August in the city of Jos, where his car was found last Wednesday but hardworking Police operatives Monday secured the freedom of Mikel’s father.
And in a quick reaction to the cheery news from Nigeria, Mikel’s management company confirmed that the Chelsea man had contacted his family to share in the joy of their father’s release.
Mikel has also expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported his family during the trying times.
Earlier today(yesterday) Michael Obi called his family to advise them that he had been released by his abductors,” Sport Entertainment & Media Group (SEM) said in a statement.
“SEM have waited until now to release this information, to ensure that Michael was safe.
“John Obi Mikel would like to thank everyone in Nigeria, his family and friends, Chelsea FC and their fans and his agents for their total support during this terrible time.”
NFF rejoices
The Nigeria Football Federation Monday  said the release of Mikel’s father came as a great relief to both the Obi family and the NFF.
In reaction to the news last night, chief media officer of the federation, Ademola Olajire said, “we are very very happy over this development. It is a sign of good things to come as we prepare for the crucial 2012 CAN qualifier against Madagascar.
It is good for the psyche of the boy and the entire team. We are happy,” Olajire said.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/mikel-obi%e2%80%99s-father-rescued-in-kano/

Gunmen kill five-year-old boy in Bajju community – police

KANO,  (AFP) – Two people were killed and three injured following an attack by unknown gunmen in a community in Kano town where 400 had been  killed in post-election violence in April, police said Monday.
“We received report of an attack by 10 gunmen on the home of the chief of Bajju community in which two were shot and killed, including a five-year-old boy, and three seriously injured,” Kaduna State police spokesman Aminu Lawal told AFP.
He said the incident happened on Sunday night in Christian-dominated Bajju village outside the town of Zonkwa in southern Kaduna State where post-election violence in April had  left at least 400 dead.
The police spokesman added that the attackers, dressed in black, fired sporadically in the compound, adding that some 30 bullet shells were recovered after the attack.
“We have arrested one suspect who is assisting us with our investigation and a team of policemen deployed to the village is still on the look-out for the attackers,” Lawal said, refusing to say whether the attack was linked to the April unrest.
The victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the April vote sparked deadly ethnic and sectarian riots in Zonkwa in which some 400 people, mainly Muslim residents, were killed with thousands displaced, according to rights groups.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/gunmen-kill-five-year-old-boy-in-kanos-bajju-community-police/

I was working for Obasanjo when I was arrested – Shofolahan

Major Hamza al-Mustapha’s co-accused in the murder of Kudirat Abiola, Lateef Shofolahan, has denied ever working for the deceased in any capacity throughout her lifetime.

Led in evidence by his counsel, Olalekan Ojo, Shofolahan testified at a Lagos High Court on Wednesday when he also said he was arrested on October 10, 1999 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as an aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The defence closed its case with Shofolahan’s testimony, in the 12-year-old trial after which the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, fixed November 10, 2011 for adoption of final written addresses by both parties.

Shofolahan, who described as “newspaper propaganda” that he was Kudirat’s aide, maintained that his relationship with the MKO Abiola family, did not go beyond serving as a protocol officer in Abiola’s Hope ‘93 Presidential Campaign Office, in Lagos.

During cross-examination by the prosecution counsel, Lawal Pedro (SAN), he told the court that his interaction with Kudirat was only limited to when she was coming to the campaign office for campaign materials.

He said, “I have never worked for Kudirat Abiola. I only met her when she was coming to collect posters and other campaign materials. She was not the only one. Even Dr. Doyin Abiola used to come and Bisi Abiola too.

“I never worked for the late Kudirat Abiola or personally with Bashorun MKO Abiola, either as a PA (personal assistant, protocol officer, driver, gardener or security guard. It is newspaper propaganda.

“I only worked with Hope ‘93 as protocol officer and protocol officer in the office is not the same as Protocol Officer at the residence. After Hope ‘93 was closed down, everybody was driven away, the office building was changed to a school and no more protocol officer.”

Shofolahan stated that the prosecution and the Special Investigative Panel, before whom he alongside others appeared in connection with the series of the assassinations in the Abacha regime, failed to prove that he was Kudirat’s aide.

Shofolahan said, “When I appeared before the SIP, I begged the panel headed by AIG Ojomo to ask any member of Abiola’s family to come and identify me. I also suggested that they should take me to his house chained in hands and legs so that his children can identify me. My Lord, I did not work in the house.”

He denied having any personal relationship with MKO Abiola, who was in detention when his wife, Kudirat, was gunned down in Lagos on June 4, 1996, Shofolahan said he was number 22 in the hierarchy at the Hope ‘93 campaign office.

In his response to Pedro’s question he said he moved with Obasanjo to the Presidential Villa when he won the presidential election and was subsequently sworn in as president in 1999.

Shofolahan said, “I was with Hope ‘93 organisation till July 1993, when it was dissolved. Then I went back to my beer business. I was there fully from ‘93 to ‘98 because when I was with Hope ‘93 I had people working there.

“The same year, 1998, My Lord, I joined Obasanjo Campaign Organisation and I stayed in his farm-based house in Otta.

“When he won the presidential election, we moved to Abuja together in 1999.”

“I was arrested in the Villa. I was arrested in the presidency. I told those who arrested me that I was working there.

“They asked me what I was doing at the Villa. I told them I was a staff. They then called Bodunde, the P.A, Otunba Fasawe was there, all of them was there and they told them I was a staff.”

He denied knowing how Kudirat was killed, saying “I only knew she died, but I don’t know what killed her.”

He also said he did not attend her burial because “area boys took over the whole of Ikeja that day.”

On his relationship with al-Mustapha, Shofolahan said he first met him at the two-million-man march of ‘Youth Earnestly Ask for Abacha’ rally that took place in Abuja in March 1998

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110818315898

How Dad beat my 11-year-old brother to death – Kid sister

  It is not certain that nine-year-old Kabirat Shitta will forget the death of her brother for a long time to come.

She was a witness to the August 10, 2011 murder of her 11-year-old brother, Toib, by their mechanic father, Tunde.

Kabirat recounted in graphic details how her father used a hose, a wooden stirrer and a stool to end Toib’s life.

PUNCH METRO had, on August 12, published the story of Toib’s death.

However, further investigations have revealed that Toib was killed in the presence of Kabirat and her younger brother, Muiz, 5.

PUNCH METRO learnt that family members were putting pressure on Toib’s mother, Shakirat and sister, Kabirat, to change their statements. They are being told to change the statement to the police to show that Toib fell and died.

But the girl told PUNCH METRO that her daddy killed her brother.

She explained, “On August 10, Aunty Ayo, my father’s second wife, sent Toib to go and buy Indomie noodles. Toib was sleepy and reluctant to go. When my dad came back from work, Aunty Ayo reported to dad.

“My daddy became angry and started beating Toib. He first punched him and Toib started to run around the house.

“My father ran after him and then got a hose and started flogging him with it. I don’t know why he was so angry but he was just beating him. He also took a wooden stirrer and hit him with it.

“As if the beating was not enough; my daddy picked a stool and hit Toib’s head with it. Immediately, Toib started to bleed and then died afterwards.”

She said after the incident, Ayo and one of her father’s younger brothers cleaned up the blood in the room.

“They said that I should assist them in cleaning up the blood. So, I used a rag to clean the blood.

“Afterwards, one of my uncles told me to tell people that Toib fell and hit his head against a stool when my father was trying to flog him so that people will not say that my father killed Toib. But the truth is that my father hit Toib’s head with the stool,” Kabirat said.

PUNCH METRO also gathered from a police source that Tunde, after killing his son, buried him immediately according to Islamic rites in his grandfather’s compound. The source added that Tunde did not report the incident to the police even though the Itire Police Division is less than 100 metres from his home located at 33 Adeniyi Street, Surulere.

The source said, “Tunde did not report the incident to the police. When quizzed, he said it was because he was a Muslim and the death occurred in the month of Ramadan. So, he wanted the corpse buried immediately.”

It was also gathered that during police interrogation, Tunde claimed that Toib fell and hit his head while trying to evade punishment.

Shakirat, a street sweeper with the Lagos State Waste Management Agency, told PUNCH METRO that although she still had three other children, the death of Toib, her first child, was painful.

She said “Toib was my first child and because he was the most mature among all my children, we were very close. I will never forget him because people still refer to me as ‘Iya Toib’ (Toib’s mother), as it is done in Yoruba culture.”

Shakirat told PUNCH METRO that her ex-husband is a violent man who flares up at the slightest provocation.

She said, “Tunde is very hot tempered. That was one of the reasons I divorced him last year. Even when I was five months pregnant with our last child, Rebecca, he would still beat me up and instruct me to sleep on the floor while he slept on the bed

“When he threatened to kill me, I moved out of the house. Less than a month later, he married another woman and banned me from coming to the house or visiting my own children.”

Shakirat said after Tunde prevented her from seeing her children, she added that she used to go to their schools to visit them regularly.

“I could not see my children as often as I would have wanted, but I used to visit them in their schools. They were on holiday when the tragic incident occurred, so I had no way of seeing them.”

Sakirat, who became emotional, narrated her last moment with her son.

She said “The last time I saw Toib was on Monday, August 8. He came to see me and I noticed a wound on his head. When I asked him how he came about the injury, he said his dad beat him up because he went to buy Maltina from a woman who was my friend.

“Toib was preparing to write common entrance examination. At his age, he ought to have started secondary school but because of the domestic violence he was witnessing, he could hardly concentrate in class.

“I remember in 2008, when Toib was about nine years old, his father beat him to a pulp for bringing home a toy that he picked up from the road.

“Toib sustained serious injuries to the extent that the doctor had to put plaster of Paris around his arm. I still have the doctor’s report.”

Since the tragic incident, Shakirat has taken custody of her other children.

She said, “On the day of Toib’s death, it was neighbours that informed me of the incident. I went to make a police statement but when policemen got to the house, Tunde had ran away. It was not until after policemen arrested his father, an Imam, that Tunde later came to the station to turn himself in.

“I took my children away but things are difficult, I can not leave them again with him.

“Toib had a talent for arts. He could draw anything. He would have been an architect or an artist had he lived long.”

The state police command’s spokesperson, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said investigation was ongoing. He added that after investigation, the suspect would be charged to court.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108182343146

Seizure of 130 houses sparks protest in Lagos

One hundred and thirty home owners in Ilamoshe community in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, on Tuesday protested against what they said was the illegal seizure of 130 houses in the community at the office of the state Attorney-General in the state government Secretariat, Alausa.

The protesters, who arrived at the secretariat around 11am with placards, demanded the immediate intervention of the government.

Some of the placards read, ‘Ilamoshe under siege;’ ‘our house are under lock and key;’ ‘Save our soul;’ ‘Save us;’ and ‘I am 87 years old, I can’t sleep under the bridge;’ among others.

The Chairman of the Ilamoshe Community Development Association, Mr. Val Iwuchukwu, told journalists that the residents had been locked out of their houses since August 5 by hoodlums.

He explained that the residents were first served with quit notices for illegally occupying the land which the notice said did not belong to them.

Iwuchukwu explained that the residents had purchased about 150 plots of land from one Odubada family about 30 years ago before another family, Samuel Ojo family, started laying claim to the land after a court judgment.

The residents said their investigation revealed that the Ojo family, which sent the quit notice, had won a land case against the Odubada family both at the High and Appeal Courts over the land in question.

They said they had inaugurated a committee to have dialogue with the family through their counsel, Cornelius Odunsi, but their efforts failed.

“That is why we have come to the governor to intervene. There are over 100 thugs now in the community that are tormenting our children. There are over 130 families that have been unjustly ejected from their homes by the hoodlums,” he said.

Chairman of the Council, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, who led the residents, said the protest was aimed at seeking the intervention of the state government to compel the plaintiff to enable the residents to have access to their homes.

He said in executing the court judgment, the family exceeded the stipulated boundary, thus harassing the residents who had nothing to do with the judgment.

“We are demanding the immediate unlocking of all the gates of houses that have been locked for the past one week. We are demanding that the Ojo family be brought to roundtable so that we can engage them,” Bamigbetan said.

“We insist that the Ojo family has to respect the rights of the residents to collectively engage them in bargaining for the best way out of the matter. These residents are also insisting that many of them are not affected by the court verdict, they are requesting that the plaintiff in this case should be transparent enough to present the exact boundaries and exact configuration of the territory they are talking about, so that we can identify the number of properties within this territory and then we know those who are actually affected and who are not.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Justice Sector Reforms, Mr. Lanre Akinsola who spoke with the residents, said the Commissioner, Mr. Ade Ipaye, had received the petition on the matter and had since set up a committee to resolve it.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108173503518

You can’t clarify contradictory statement again, court tells al-Mustapha

Major Hamza al-Mustapha lost the chance to clarify contradictions in his written statement he allegedly made before the Special Investigative Panel in 1999 and his oral testimonies in court at the Lagos High Court on Monday.


The trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, gave the order in a ruling to stop al-Mustapha’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, from re-examining the former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, after the prosecution closed cross-examination.

The prosecution, led by Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), began cross-examining al-Mustapha on July 8 and brought it to a close at the Monday’s proceeding.



Major Hamza al-Mustapha



Justice Dada, in the ruling dismissed the application of al-Mustapha’s counsel, Ojo, seeking to re-examine him on the statement on the grounds that his client had denied making the statement.

The judge had directed al-Mustapha’s counsel to address any ambiguity in his client’s statement in his final written address.

The judge re-iterated in the ruling that “whether or not the witness (al-Mustapha) made the statement is yet to be determined by the court.”

Ojo, in urging the court to allow his client give explanations on the content of the statement, said it would not be possible to do so in the event that the court ruled that the statement was that of his client.

He said, “Having been admitted as exhibit and since the witness cannot have a second bite at his cherry, My Lord, there two possibilities.

“If your Lordship holds that the witness made the statement there is no way the witness will be able to react to it.

But the judge insisted saying, “What is he going to react? He said it is not his statement and I refused the learned SAN (Pedro) to ask the witness questions on the statement.

Al-Mustapha was said to have made the said statement in 1999 before the SIP under the convening authority of Col. Kayode Are, the then Director-General of the State Security Service.

The SIP was convened in 1999 to investigate the murder allegations al-Mustapha and others were linked to under the military regime of Abacha.

The statement, which al-Mustapha read in court on Thursday after it was admitted as exhibit, contradicted his oral testimony on his relationship with Shofolahan with whom he was accused of conspiracy to kill Kudirat Abiola.

Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan are standing trial for the murder of Kudirat wife of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola.

Earlier, the court had admitted as exhibit, a certified copy of a Supreme Court judgment that absolved Mohammed Abacha, son of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, from the charge of the murder of Kudirat Abiola.

The judgment in the suit number SC/290/2001 and delivered on July 11, 2011 overruled a Lagos High Court, stating that there was no prima facie case against Mohammed.

It was tendered by the prosecution counsel to contradict al-Mustapha who claimed that the Supreme Court held in the judgment that their trial for the murder was “persecutorial”.

The matter was adjourned till today (July 16) for the defence to call another witness.
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108163205587

Sacked NLC secretary rejects N8.5m severance pay

  A former General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. John Odah, has rejected an N8.5m severance package from the NLC.

Odah, in an August 9 letter to the NLC President, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, said the congress had not told him what the money paid into his Zenith Bank account was meant for.

Describing the congress’ action as strange, Odah said he only got to know of the payment when he requested for his statement of account from the bank.

He said the payment might be part of the move by the leadership of the NLC to effect “the termination my appointment as the General Secretary of the NLC, which you communicated to me in your letter dated May 24, 2011.”

Odah warned the NLC and its leadership against the resort to ‘underhand tactics’ as the issue of his removal as General Secretary had not been concluded.

His lawyer, P.A Akubo (SAN), had warned the NLC to withdraw the sacking of Odah or face a legal action after 14 days of the receipt of a letter entitled ‘Legal demand for the reinstatement of Comrade John Ejoha Odah, as General Secretary,” NLC dated August 10, 2011.

He said the tactics being adopted by the NLC would not succeed as they were not different from those used by employers of labour which were successfully resisted by the NLC.

Odah, who said he had paid the exact sum into the NLC account, urged Omar not to make any further payments into his account until the matter was resolved.

His letter to Omar reads in part, “I can however surmise that this payment is in furtherance of actions to give effect to the purported termination of my appointment as General Secretary of NLC, which you communicated to me in your letter dated 24th May 2011.

“I have deposited the same amount of N8,471,870.00 only into the NLC Zenith Bank Account..at GarkI.”

But the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Mr. Owei Lakemfa, told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday that the NLC deserved praise for paying the severance package to Odah, who, according to him, was sacked by the congress.

He said as a responsible organisation, the NLC needed not wait for a sacked employee to begin sleeping at its gate before getting his entitlement.

Lakemfa said that Odah had the right to pay the N8.5m into the NLC account or go to court .

He said, “If Odah says he is going to court, there is nothing new in it. He has been threatening to go to court for five months.

“In any case anybody who feels aggrieved has the constitutional right to go to court., If people don’t patronise the court, the court will become useless.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2011081516155846

SERAP wants Nigerians to pressure Jonathan on free education

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP,  a non governmental organisation has urged Nigerians to send messages to President Goodluck Jonathan asking him to implement judgement of the ECOWAS Court directing the government to provide free, quality, and compulsory basic education to every Nigerian child.
In  a statement by its executive director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group urged Nigerians  “to send Facebook and Twitter messages to President Goodluck Jonathan to  fully implement the ECOWAS Court judgement requiring the government to provide as of right, free, quality, and compulsory basic education to every Nigerian child.”

According to SERAP, the campaign  will “ensure that the over 12 million Nigerian children of school age roaming the streets across the country are back in the classroom and afforded a free, quality and compulsory basic education by the government.”
It will be recalled that SERAP instituted a suit before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in November 2010 against the government, where the court in its judgement required the government to provide as of right, free, quality, and compulsory basic education to every Nigerian child.”
However, according to SERAP, “since the judgement was delivered, the government has neither acknowledged the judgement nor taken steps to implement the letter and spirit of the judgement. Yet, more than 12 million Nigerian children of school age still roam the streets and have no access to quality basic education.”
It further stated that in partnership with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), INTERIGHTS, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and Nigerian Guild of Editor (NGE), it had asked President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke to ensure the full and effective implementation of the judgement.
It added,  “We know that Nigeria has the resources and capacity to effectively implement the ECOWAS Court right to education judgement if the government is able to exercise the required political will. We plead again with President Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation for the sake of Nigerian children to publicly acknowledge the judgement and tell Nigerians how the government plans to fully and effectively implement the judgement.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/serap-wants-nigerians-to-pressure-jonathan-on-free-education-2/

10 killed in fresh Jos attacks

JOS – (AFP) – Ten people were killed in two separate overnight attacks outside the volatile Nigerian city of Jos, a local official said, leading angry residents to block roads to the area on Monday.
Local council chairman Emmanuel Lomang alleged that four identity cards and a cap belonging to soldiers were found at the scene of the killings, fueling rumours that troops may have been involved.
“Seven people were killed at Heipang while three were killed at Foron,” near Jos, the restive capital of Plateau State, Lomang told AFP.

He said both incidents happened around 12:30 am when the attackers opened fire on their victims after storming the two villages.

Army spokesman Captain Charles Ekeocha confirmed in a statement that seven members of a family were killed during the Heipang attack.


One of the buildings set ablaze by the protesting
youths in Jos, Plateau State



“At about 12.30 am on August 15 there was an attack at Heipang area of Barkin Ladi local government area. A house belonging to Mr. Nnaji… was attacked and seven members of the family were killed,” the statement said.

Local residents in the area opened fire on troops who went there to repel the attack, according to the statement. Soldiers shot one man who was armed with a rifle, and he later died on the way to the hospital, it said.



Angry residents have blocked roads leading to the area, an AFP correspondent reported.

Jos and the surrounding region have been hit by waves of clashes between Christian and Muslim ethnic groups that have left hundreds dead in recent years.

The region lies in Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt between the mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south of Africa’s most populous nation.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/10-killed-in-fresh-jos-attacks/

Drought in Somalia, warning for Nigeria — Environmentalist

The Executive Director of Environmental Right Action, Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, has called on the Federal Government to tackle the environmental challenges facing the country in order to prevent possible environmental disasters like the drought ravaging Somalia.

Bassey, who is also the Chair of Friends of the Earth International, said Nigeria was already faced with extreme environmental conditions, such as the rapid desertification in the North, gully erosion in the South-East, coastal erosion in the coastal states, and land pollution in the Niger-Delta.

Bassey said it was such neglect that resulted in the level of environmental degradation that was revealed in the United Nations Environment Programme’s report on the pollution of Ogoniland and that the report was a clue to what had happened in other parts of the Niger-Delta.

He said, “I think the UNEP report is something that everybody should welcome. At least for the first time, we have an official document that shows the extent of damage that oil companies did on Ogoniland and the impact on the people. We can now use this and extrapolate it to know what is happening in the other parts of Niger-Delta.”

Bassey urged the FG to take action on the report immediately, adding that the Ogoni people are expectant of results.http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108141392265

FG to establish free trade zone offices

The Federal Government is to establish Export Free Zones Desk offices to remove the bureaucracy that impedes easy access for foreign investors.

These strategic desks will be in the departments of Customs and Excise, Nigerian Immigration service, NAFDAC and the Standard Organization of Nigeria.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, said this when he paid a visit to Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State.

Aganga, who described the visit as his first official one outside Abuja since assumption of office, said modalities would be put in place to ensure Nigeria’s pioneer free trade zone in Calabar and the free trade retail shop, Tinapa, are functional to achieve the purpose for which they were established.

On the issue of visas to investors, Aganga, said he and the Minister of Internal Affairs are working on a plan to give visas at entry points, stating that out of the 28 free trade zones established in the country, only 12 are functional and that efforts are being put in place to make sure they attain their potentials.

In his response, Imoke condemned the idea of free trade zones being indiscriminately scattered all over the country while the nation’s pioneer free trade zone in Calabar was not effectively utilised.

States declare war against polio

Many states on Saturday expressed their commitment to eradicating polio by sustaining the campaign against the deadly disease.

Some of the states — Lagos, Rivers, Oyo and Anambra — made this known in separate statements after the launch of the quarterly Polio Eradication Sensitisation Campaign organised by the Nigeria Governors Forum, which chose August 13 as the Polio Eradication Day.

The Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said the anti polio crusade was an initiative geared towards eliminating the scourge from the country.

He said, “About a year ago, all the state governors in Nigeria signed an accord to create national awareness on the scourge and disability caused by poliomyelitis amongst our vulnerable children

“Nigeria is the only country in Africa still battling with this preventable polio virus. The three other countries where polio is still endemic are Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It’s in a bid to focus attention towards this debilitating disease that the NGF announced a national crusade to be led by the governors against the disease.”


Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who spoke at the sensitisation programme in Oshodi, said, “What is more profound about this programme is that it is taking place simultaneously in all the 36 states which is a follow up to the resolve of the NGF to lead the campaign to eradicate polio from Nigeria.

“It is not just going to be Lagos and a few other states that are polio free but we intend to ensure that the whole country is too.”

Oyo State governor, Mr. Abiola Ajimobi, in a live broadcast on polio eradication, pledged that his administration would commit financial, human and material resources to implement free immunisation for children in the state.

He said, “We are ready to back up our plan with adequate resources and committed political leadership.”

Also, Mr. Peter Obi of Anambra State, who spoke through his Commissioner for Health, Prof. Amaobi Ilika, said the state had remained polio-free for five years due to the continued immunisation programme.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108142123534

Famine: Jonathan pledges support for Somalia

 

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern at the famine in Somalia, and pledged that Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States would make appropriate responses at the forthcoming pledging conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on August 25, 2011.

A statement from the State House on Friday quoted Jonathan as speaking when former Ghanaian President, Jerry John Rawlings, who is also the African Union High Representative for Somalia, came to brief him on the situation in Somalia, and seek a response to the conference.

While describing the famine in the Horn of Africa as worrisome, he said African leaders must take action to help the unfortunate situation.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110813484789

Shareholders left thirsty by Coca Cola’s delisting, but NSE, SEC are bruised

The Nigeria Bottling Company’s decision to leave the  Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) after 38 years on the mainboard raises  questions regarding the attraction it  holds for quoted companies, writes Anthony Osae-Brown
There will be no more Coca Cola on the floors of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for Stockbrokers and investors from September 7, 2011, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), bottlers of Coca Cola confirmed on Monday.

Shareholders have given up their right to continue to drink from future Coca Cola dividends on the floor of the Exchange  to Greek based Coke bottler Coca-Cola Hellenic (CCH) in a deal said to be worth N21 billion ($136 million).

Each Shareholder in Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) which holds the Coca-Cola franchise in Nigeria will receive N47.71 per share under the deal. This represents an 11 percent premium on NBC share price of N43 on Monday.

Coca Cola had to put some sugar on the deal when shareholders had protested that the initial price at which it is asking them to give up their birthright on future Coca Cola dividends was too small. When Coca Cola put the proposal on the table in December 2010, it had offered N43 per share.  Then Coca Cola’s price on the floors of the Exchange was N33 per share. So when Coca Cola called an Annual General Meeting (AGM) this month asking shareholders to ratify the deal, it was forced to sweeten the proposal further to get shareholders endorsement as some shareholders asked for N65 per share for them to deal.

The board Chairman of NBC Olusegun Apata, said the final price of N47.71 per share was arrived at after consultation with institutional investors and various shareholders groups.

“NBC did its best to raise the pay-off from N37 per share initially proposed at the time of the notice of delisting was filed with the management of the NSE to N47. 71 per share, and we feel that the premium is huge enough.”
But minority shareholders and stockbrokers who have enjoyed Coca Cola on the Floors of the Exchange in the last 38 years are not happy with the deal. NBC is one of the oldest companies on the Exchange, having listed its shares on the floors of the NSE since 1973.
Adebayo Adeleke, Secretary General Independent Shareholder Association of Nigeria (ISAN) reacting to the company’s plan to delist on September 7 said “We are not happy with the decision. However as minority shareholders, we have had our say, but the majority shareholders have had their way.”
Coca-Cola Hellenic (CCH) already holds 66.4 percent of NBC.  The buyout of minority shareholders will give them 100 percent control of the company. NBC stated in a delisting document submitted to the NSE that being a full subsidiary of CCH will result in cost savings and allow it to fully leverage the financial strength and resource of its parent company. NBC has already stated it plans to invest about N45 billion in its operations after the deal.
While shareholders are not happy with the deal, their crave t for Coca Cola dividends may have caused NBC to take Coca Cola off the floor of the Exchange. As analysts at BGL, stated in a December report on the NBC delisting proposal “The Nigerian market is characterized by a high investor expectation for generous dividend payouts and dividend bonuses even at the expense of retained earnings for future business expansion and on the other hand overlooking return on equity (ROE).”
The analysis shows that “The price of NBC experienced impressive growth from 2000 to 2005 when it increased by over 600 percent from N9.00 to N65.00. At these times, the company’s dividend hovered above N1.00 per share. However, investors’ showed their displeasure in 2006 when year‐on‐year prices fell by about 45 percent because dividends payments were halved”
“Delisting may have become necessary In view of the management’s long term strategy to inject new capital and conserve cash flows to fund expansions” Stated the BGL report.
Adeleke however gets emotional telling CCH not to forget that “The Coca Cola Franchise was built in Nigeria and by Nigerians. They should not forget that. Nigerians also buy the products of the company. Besides it is the minority shareholders that created whatever value the company has today. The majority shareholders never traded in their shares. We however wish them luck in their future plans.” He said.
Adeleke is right. There was Coca Cola in Nigeria even before there was Nigeria as an Independent nation. NBC has been operating in Nigeria since 1951 even before Nigeria got its independence from Britain in 1960.
From a small bottling plant which started production in 1953 in Ebute-Metta, Lagos, NBC has grown to become a major company with 13 bottling facilities and over 80 distribution warehouses located across the country and over 200,000 sales outlets in the country according to information on the company’s website.
NBC is currently the largest bottler of non-alcoholic beverages in the country in terms of sales volume, with about 1.8 billion bottles sold per year, making it the second largest market in Africa and manufactures and markets 33 different Coca Cola brands. It’s consistent dividend payment history in the 38 years on the floor of the Exchange has also endeared it to both shareholders and stockbrokers.
This is why Shareholders and Stockbrokers also worry about the signal that NBC delisting will send to other companies on the floors of the Exchange.
“We are afraid that other companies may follow their lead” Adeleke stated.
Analysts at BGL expressed similar sentiment stating in their December report that “NBC represents a global brand and thus the delisting from the NSE may not be too good for the branding of the Nigerian capital market especially at a time when there is a strong push to diversify and deepen the market.”
The regulatory authorities have come under criticism from both shareholders and stockbrokers for not being able to discourage NBC from delisting.
Boniface Okezie, Coordinator, Progressive Shareholder Association, believes the successful delisting of NBC is an indication that the regulatory bodies in the capital market were “weak, because they could not persuade NBC not to delist from the Exchange.”
Faroog Oreagba, a director at Karaho Capital Partners expressing disappointment with the planned delisting of NBC noted that “Companies will continue to delist until the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) develop a value proposition that will encourage firms to list and remain listed.”
Giving an insight on what may have forced NBC to delist from the Exchange, Farooq noted that “There has been no equity capital raising from the capital market in two years. Why would they want to pay listing fees every year? I know that the NSE and SEC are busy working on addressing these issues but it appears that they need to work faster, especially as other exchanges and platforms are trying to take their market.”
Tunde Oyekunle, Managing Director of GTI Capital also asked the NSE and SEC to sit up if they do not want more companies to delist from the floor of the Exchange. He asks that “The NSE and SEC should ask itself why NBC is delisting? What value have they added to NBC since its listing? It is not about just being listed and giving them rules to abide by.”
A call and text message sent to Taba Peterside, NSE’s head of listing was not responded to as at press time.
The NBC delisting is not coming at a good time for the NSE and SEC which are actually working hard to attract more viable companies to list on the floor of the Exchange. Already the SEC has begun a series of road shows across the country in a bid to talk to company management to list their firms. With one of the flagship companies of the NSE delisting, the quest by SEC and NSE to achieve more corporate listing may have been dealt damaging blow.
Just as BusinessDay was going to press, United Nigeria Textile Mills (UNTL) Plc filed its intention to delist from the NSE.  The company says it is delisting because of the need to do a corporate and financial restructuring.
UNTL has been listed on the NSE even longer than Coca Cola. The company listed in 1971, and December would make it 40 years since its listing. Its intention to delist may confirm the fear by shareholders that  more companies may follow NBC’s lead.

http://businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/analysis/features/25671-shareholders-left-thirsty-by-coca-colas-delisting-but-nse-sec-are-bruised

I was ‘technically present’ where Abiola died – Al-Mustapha

By Ade Adesomoju
Wednesday, 10 Aug 2011

Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha told a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, on Tuesday that he was “technically present” where Abiola died.

Al-Mustapha, chief security officer to the late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha, and Shofolahan, an aide to the late Kudirat, are both standing trial for the murder of the woman, wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, Kudirat on June 4, 1996.

He had said Abiola was murdered by poisoned tea while having a meeting at the Aguda House in the presidential villa.

Earlier, while being led in evidence by his counsel, Olalekan Ojo, Al-Mustapha had also said Abiola slumped after the meeting and nobody among those arround him could lift him up.

At the resumed trial during cross-examination by the counsel for the prosecution, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), Al-Mustapha maintained that his “technical presence” at the place Abiola died was as good as his physical presence.

He said, “I was technically present when MKO Abiola died. I got and watched the video from a central recording by the people who were present with him. My technical presence by the virtue of my duty and profession is as good as my physical presence.”

“If I am not there I cannot confirm what happened on the video that I got and I cannot claim I know how it happened.”

He however said he was not with Abacha when he died on June 8, 1998.

He said, “I saw Gen. Abacha arround 2:30am. I later left him with some ministers, some protocol and some ambassadors. So, I was not with him when he died.

Though, the former security aide claimed he knew “how Abacha was murdered,” he added that he would refrain from speaking on it because it had no relevance to the charge.

The former CSO, said he was not sacked as the CSO to the Head of State immediately after Abacha died. According to him, he occupied the position until “I was asked to leave in August 1998.”

He said Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, who became the Head of State after Abacha, posted him to Enugu arround August 20, 1998 against the 16-point agreement he earlier reached with him.

He said,”As part of our 16-point agreement, we agreed that all detainees are to be set free and that was done.

“Obasanjo was released, but MKO was kept perpetually in custody. The question then is why? Pa Abraham Adesanya and others came to the presidential villa, the day after Abiola was murdered talking about the Government of National Unity not minding what had just happened to Abiola.

“Chief Bola Ige was asked to bring Abiola’s family members to the presidential villa on July 6, 1998, Chief Abiola died on July 7, one month after Gen. Abacha died. In just one month, two personalities who were political obstacles gave way. That raises the question and that is too automatic to believe?”

The CSO denied ever saying he had in his possession VHS tape showing where money was being shared to the Yoruba elders but added that, “I only said I had the video to show when the money was brought.

“If only the court can ask Gen. Abubakar to return my properties, or just the inventories of what they took from my home. With the inventory, I can prove that I have the video recordings of many other things that happened that I am yet to disclose.”

He alleged that Abubakar sent people to his house in Yobe State and packed 11 bags of “Ghana-must-go” containing his personal belongings, CDs and video tapes.

He denied that he told the court that Arthur Nwanwko was in the video he earlier showed in the court but admitted that the delegation to the presidential villa, allegedly led by Pa Abraham Adesanya, on the second day after Abiola died was made up of “elders of NADECO” and not the South-West leaders.

Al-Mustapha also told the court on Tuesday that he could not tell how Kudirat Abiola was killed or who killed her as it was not his duty to investigate the murder.

During the cross-examination, Al-Mustapha further denied complicity in the murder of Kudirat.

The witness said he knew about Kudirat’s murder through “the occurrence report” sent by the then Inspector-General of Police to the office of the then National Security Adviser.

He said, “There were arrests after the murder of Kudirat Abiola. The police effected the arrests. Confessional statements were made, a case diary was opened and occurrence report was sent to the National Security Adviser, for the attention of the President. That is how I got to know of the murder.”

“I was not the police. I did not do the investigation, but in the proof of evidence, there is a statement of one of those arrested in 1996, one Mr. Adesina. I read the statement, It was even the prosecution that even gave it to us. It’s in our proof of evidence.

“The Police CID in Panti, Lagos, carried out the arrests and investigations.

“My duty as the CSO begins and ends in the presidential villa. If Al-Mustapha is there in Abuja, that is different from policing the country.”

Meanwhile, the court, on Tuesday, also granted permission to Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan, to appeal a decision of the court dismissing their “no case submission” on July 14.

The defendants had asked the court to dismiss the murder charge against them, saying the prosecution had no case against them.

The court, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada, had on July 14 dismissed the defendants’ no case submission.

Justice Dada saw the nature of allegation levelled against them required explanations from them.

The prosecution’s counsel did not object to the applications for the leave to appeal.

Moving the application at the Tuesday’s proceeding, counsel to the accused persons, Ojo, said the application was necessary for their appeal against the court’s ruling.

He said, “The law prescribes that where there is interlocutory decision, in the proposal to appeal containing grounds of facts or mixed law with facts, the leave of the honourable court must be sought.”

Justice Dada, delivering her ruling on the applications, held that “the defendants have the right to appeal and the appeal if succeeds has the potential of terminating the whole proceeding in this court.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108105261760

London riots: Nigerians safe – Tafida

Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, says there have been no negative reports on any Nigerian following the on-going riots in some parts of London.

Violence and looting which entered its third day on Tuesday are taking place in Hackney, Peckham, Croydon and Birmingham.

The riots had started after police shot Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old man in Tottenham on Saturday.

Hundreds of youths were seen attacking shops and setting fire on cars on Monday night in the areas.

But Tafida told the News Agency of Nigeria that “the situation is still on-going, though we have not heard any adverse reports about Nigerians, especially in those two areas (Hackney and Peckham) where we have the largest concentration of our nationals in the UK.’’

He added that the High Commission was “in touch with the members of the community through their leaders to ensure that Nigerians, wherever they reside, are safe.”

According to the 2001 UK census, Peckham is home to the largest Nigerian community in the UK with seven per cent of the population having been born there.

Many of the local establishments are Yoruba-owned, including churches and mosques.

The Chairman of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK, Mr Bimbo Folayan, also assured that Nigerians in Hackney and Peckham were safe.

He said, “I can assure you that no Nigerian is affected or involved at the moment in the incidents.We are in touch with the community leaders in these areas and as the event keeps unfolding we will get the public informed.”

Folayan however dispelled the notion that the incident had a racial undertone.

The Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, UK chapter, Mr Kayode Ogunsola, while expressing his sadness at the act of vandalism and destruction, called for investigation into the incident.

“The alleged shooting by the police, which led to the riot in Tottenham, needs to be investigated and necessary action taken to ensure that fatal incidents that led to loss of lives are avoided,’’ he said.

“The government has called for peace and the security agencies are already taking remedial action. So, we are hopeful that the situation will soon be brought under control,’’ he added.

Also, Mrs Janet Ojo, a trader in Dalston market, near Hackney, said traders had to close their shops for fear of being attacked by the hoodlums.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108105412521

Fashola signs law against abandonment of pregnant women

By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, signed a bill into law, which allows for the prosecution and jailing of any man who impregnates and deserts any woman.
The bill presented to the governor by the state’s Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, at Government House, Ikeja, was among  three other bills presented for the governor’s assent.
Other bills include amendments to provisions of the Emergency Management Agency, EMA, Law and the Administration of Criminal Justice.
Fashola, while assenting to the bills, said the various amendments to the laws were needed  to  tackle the problem of crime and delay in administration of justice in the state.
He said the enactment of the laws represented the commitment of the state government to building strong institutions, that could tackle crime and corruption, which had crippled the country.
He added that the country needed strong legislation to fight corruption and moral laxity.
Fashola explained that the Criminal Code Law, used in the state before now was enacted in 1914 by the colonial masters, saying that such laws and their provisions had since become obsolete and could not  address challenges posed by present realities.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/fashola-signs-law-against-abandonment-of-pregnant-women/

NSE TO BROKERS: Withdraw accounts from 3 new banks

By Babajide Komolafe, Emma Ujah & Michael Eboh
LAGOS—The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday, directed stockbroking firms and dealing members to withdraw their settlement accounts from the three nationalised banks, even as the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) said that the three banks are still open to interested buyers.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials yesterday went round the nationalised banks to monitor their activities especially their response to customers and staff.
However the newly appointed management of the banks were yet to resume duties as at the close of business yesterday.

A visit to some of the branches of the banks in major commercial centres in Lagos revealed normal banking transactions with customers depositing and withdrawing money, except for a couple of customers who expressed concern about the safety of their money. There was no sign of mass action in any of the branches visited.

 

NSE directs brokers to withdraw accounts

Vanguard was reliably informed that the NSE held a meeting with stockbroking and dealing members where the issue of the three nationalised banks was discussed. Sources at the meeting confirmed to Vanguard that the NSE directed stockbroking firms and dealing members operating settlement accounts in any of the affected banks to move their accounts to other safe havens.
Confirming this development, the chief executive of a stock broking firm who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard “The meeting with Stockbrokers this morning centred on nationalization of the banks. Dealing members were informed that the stocks will be placed on full suspension preparatory to delisting since they no longer qualify to be listed. Dealing members were requested to move their settlement accounts from those banks to other PLC banks in line with the policy of The NSE”.
Corroborating the directive, the Chief Executive of another stock broking firm said the directive was part of the steps to delisting the banks and was necessary to protect the settlement system from whatever happens to the banks. “It is a natural reaction in this kind of situation. Just like individuals would move away their account for security so also the market has to be protected from any disruption that could arise from the new status of the banks.”
Meanwhile the NSE yesterday commenced moves to delist the three banks. The NSE, in a statement signed by Mr. Wole Tokede, Head, Corporate Communications, Monday, announced the suspension of trading on the shares of the banks, saying that, “This is the first step towards their delisting from the Daily Official List.”
Tokede said that the delisting becomes necessary since the banks no longer exist, following the revocation of their licenses by the CBN.
He, however, said that transactions in the shares of the three banks up to and including Friday, August 5, 2011 will be allowed to settle and also assured the investing public that the NSE will continue its efforts at protecting investors in the capital market.
Investors lose N237bn
Vanguard investigations also revealed that the nationalisation of the banks has cost investors about N237 billion. As at August 14, 2009, when the CBN first announced the take over of the management of the banks, Afribank with a total issued shares of 13.56 billion was sold at N5.49 per share, Spring Bank Plc, with an issued share of 11.32 billion went for N5.59 per share while Bank PHB Plc, with an issued share of 20.15 billion was being sold at N4.97. Put together, the total capitalization or investment value of the banks stood at N237.9 billion. As at the end of trading last Friday, when the banks were nationalized, the share prices of the banks were N0.64, N0.57 and N0.84 for Afribank, BankPHB and Spring Bank respectively.
Meanwhile, in a reaction to the development, there was a general decline in the prices of banks’ stocks and stocks in other sectors.
The value of investment on the NSE dipped by N138.932 billion, representing a decline of 1.86 per cent.
Banks open to buyers-NDIC
However, Managing Director/Chief Executive, NDIC, Alhaji Umir Ibrahim said that the three banks are still open to interested investors. He spoke while fielding questions from journalists, at the end of the opening ceremony of the International Financial Reporting Standards, IFRS, in Abuja, yesterday.
“They remain open to investors who want to buy them”, Alh. Ibrahim told journalists who sought to know the future of the banks.
The MD stated that the corporation had to take a proactive step by taking over the three banks, even before the September 30, 2011 deadline which was initially set by the Central Bank of Nigeria, for their recapitalization, as according to him, there was no hope for core investors buying into the institutions before the deadline.
He explained that if the banks were left to themselves up to the deadline, they would not only die but make resolution more difficult.
His words, “if they have not been able to sign irrevocable Transaction Implementation Agreement up to this moment, they will not be able to do so before the deadline and if we wait until that deadline, the banks will be more than dead”.
The NDIC boss said, however, that the banks still had bright future, given the fact that banker of proven integrity had been appointed to their Boards of Directors and that with the insistence of the new boards members to play according to the rules, they would turn the fortunes of the banks round.
“I believe the future is bright. They have excellent boards. There are prospects that they will be bought over by investors who will have all it takes to continue with banking business”, he said.
He added “like all insured banks we will continue to monitor them, continue to examine both onshore and offshore in a very comprehensive manner to ensure that just like other banks, they play by the rules. We will give them all the advice, all the guidance they require to remain in business”.
Alh. Ibrahim added that the interests of depositors and other stakeholders in the affected banks were of utmost priority of the NDIC and that every necessary measure would be taken to protect them.
CBN team monitors banks
Meanwhile, a team of CBN officials led by the Special Adviser to the Governor & Director, Risk Management, Mrs Folakemi Fatogbe was at Enterprise Bank (formerly Spring Bank) making enquiries about customers’ reaction to the change of ownership of the bank and whether the staff were at their duty posts. Vanguard reliably gathered that the team was on ground to monitor nationalised banks for first hand assessment of customer reaction.
At the headquarters of Keystone Bank (former Afribank) three senior management officials were at the banking halls monitoring customer reaction and to respond to enquiries. Leader of the team, Mrs Joke Giwa, who is one of the outgoing executive directors, told Vanguard that the bank is still awaiting the arrival of the new management of the bank.
Vanguard also gathered that the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Asset Management Company (AMCON), Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi visited the headquarters branch of Enterprise Bank to open account to assure depositors that it is still safe to do business with the nationalised banks.
Banks’ operate normally as customers ask questions
A visit to some of the branches of the banks in major commercial centres in Lagos showed that they were operating and attending to customers normally without any sign of a run or mass withdrawal by customers. It was observed that while some customers even deposited money with the banks while those that withdrew money did so for normal business transactions. It was also observed that the Automatic Teller Machines of the banks were in operation and dispensed cash to customers.
Although some customers expressed worry over the change of name, asking how it would affect the future of the banks, officials of the banks were seen explaining that the name change is just to signify that the banks now belong to new owners and that this would not impact their operations.
While a customer in one Allen Avenue branch of one the banks said that she was not comfortable with the change of name of the banks and hence came to withdraw her money, a customer at the Broad street branch of one of the banks, Mr. Sanya Ootosho said that since the government has assured depositors and injected money into the banks withdrawing her money, she doesn’t see any reason to stop dealing with his bank.
Analysts lambast NSE, SEC
Meanwhile financial analysts have lambasted the NSE and the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, for their inability to safeguard and protect the interests of investors in the banks.
Speaking on the planned delisting, Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje, Managing Director, Resources and Trust Company Limited said that the NSE has failed in protecting investors, adding that the NSE may be deemed complicit in the series of events beginning from the consolidation share offers and subsequent abuses that has led to the banks’ problems and nationalisation.
According to him, ordinary investors are the ultimate losers in this crisis. The bankers have become rich; depositors are protected; while CBN/NDIC/AMCON among others, flex muscles with the bank owners.
Also speaking, Mr. Tunde Adeyemi, Vice President, DHTL Capital Management Limited said, “This is a deliberate act to destabilise the whole financial markets and threaten the whole economy.
“The proper advice that people will be giving to investors is to stay clear of the Nigeria financial markets and start looking for alternative markets and economy, like Ghana, Cameroon, Sao Tome, Liberia, Gambia among.
“Investors’ protection is not on the agenda of SEC and NSE and like you’ve pointed out, the actions of the regulators and SRO’s, especially in the last three years have heightened the political and investment risks of the country, which means we have finally lost the confidence of foreign and local investors in our capital markets. No investors will invest where situation like this happens.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/nse-to-brokers-withdraw-accounts-from-3-new-banks/

Ace actor, Sam Loco Efe, dies at 66

By Ogbonna Amadi,Chidi Nkwopara, Benjamin Njoku, Jimoh Babatunde, Japhet Alakam & Prisca Sam-Duru
LAGOS—Ace  multitalented actor Sam Loco Efe died yesterday in an hotel room in at Rapour Hotel, Amakaohai along Orlu road in Owerri, Imo state shortly after returning from location. He was in Owerri, to direct a film titled “Unknown Prophet”
Sam Loco was said to have asked the cast and crew of the new film to return to their hotel rooms, hoping to continue the shooting the following morning.
 Sources told Vanguard yesterday that his colleagues who were worried when he didn’t come down for breakfast had alerted the hotel management and after  banging on the door of his room, forced the door open only to discover his lifeless body on the bed. There were conflicting reports as to the real state of health before his demise. While some said he was hale and hearty before his demise, others said he was ill while on the movie set.


Late Sam Loco Efe

Eye witness account said the Edo State born actor had gone to sleep after concluding the day’s shooting and was reported to have complained of a heart problem

Our reporter gathered that he had shared his usual jokes with colleagues before retiring to his room.
Sam Loco 66, died less than a month after the remains of another veteran actor Ashley Nwosu was laid to rest in his home town, in Umuahia
Actors Guild of Nigeria reacts
President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Mr. Segun Arinze  and Chairman, AGN, Enugu State chapter, Mr Ofiafuluagu Mbaka  confirmed his death .
They described the late actor as “a gentleman and a seasoned actor,”adding that the industry has lost a rare gem.”
“It is very shocking and sad indeed. The industry has not finished mourning the sudden death of Ashley Nwosu, before another death occurred. I’m heart broken. I’m confused, I cannot talk now”,  lamented Arinze.
Meanwhile Vanguard investigations revealed that Sam Loco, who had been sick for a while, was also hospitalized and later discharged before his death.
When Vanguard visited the scene yesterday afternoon, scores of sympathizers, who wore sad faces, were seen discussing the issue in hushed tones, while women wept openly.
All the staff that spoke to Vanguard on strict grounds of anonymity said, “You have heard the news. It is true he is dead but we are not in a position to tell how he died or what killed him”.
Continuing, the man said the late comedian checked into the hotel July 26, 2011, adding that a doctor had been visiting and treating him in the hotel.
“He was complaining about arthritis and asthma before he eventually died. He died at about 1.47 am Sunday morning”, the staff said.
Sam Loco is the father of  entertainment —Charles Awurum
Mr. Charles Awurum said: “Sam Loco is the father of the entertainment industry. We are deeply worried about his death. There is no way we can be happy about his death”.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Gingiri Abubakar, in a telephone interview, confirmed the death of the ace comedian.
“He died in Rapour Hotel, Owerri, last night. He had been sick, hospitalized and discharged before his eventual death. We are in the process of going to the morgue. I will give you details later please”, the Imo police boss said.
The CP further disclosed that “no arrests has been made but the hotel manager and his personal assistant are presently talking with us”, adding that the command will properly probe the incident.
Sam Loco’s body has already been deposited in Aladinma hospital mortuary in Owerri.
Nollywood mourns:
Sam Loco Efe was a talented Nigerian— RMD
The Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Barrister Richard Mofe Damijo said the death of the man who inspired him to study theatre arts was a shock and was surprised that “he had gone so soon. He was a fantastic talent and a detribalised Nigerian and a true Bendel man, He will be sorely missed. ”
RMD said he was glad to have shared the stage with him on a few occasions and he particularly influenced his decision to go into theatre.
He helped to propel my art —Charles Novia, actor and producer
I grew up in Benin City, watching Sam Loco on television. He played the role of Chief Ukata Bribri in a popular tv series ‘Hotel de Jordan’. His acting prowess over the years helped propel my art today both as an actor and producer. I’m sad I never got the chance to work with him but his work in Nollywood and on television leaves a rich legacy for many generations.
What’s happening in the entertainment industry?— asked Stella Damasus, actress
I’m in shock, after Christy Essien passed on, I do not know what is happening in the entertainment industry. We are yet to ascertain the cause of Sam Loco’s death.
I feel sad— Enebeli Enebuwa
I just heard the news, and I have been trying to get his relatives to confirm whether he is in coma or has passed on truly. I feel so bad because , we just lost Christy Essien some months ago.

Over 4m girls out of school in Nigeria – Minister

ABUJA – Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina has declared that over 4 million girls of school age are not in school in Nigeria.

The minister made this declaration weekend during an advocacy visit to states in the North East as part of a nationwide campaign.

Hajia Maina said, “rapid progress in girl’s enrolment, retention and completion will have to double as it is now, if Nigeria is to meet the Millennium Development Goals of achieving gender parity in education by 2015 and improve their participation in the socio-economic and political development of the nation.

She said the need for improved quality education and equal opportunities for both women and men in terms of access is essential to ensure that women of all ages acquire knowledge, capacities, aptitudes, skills and ethical values needed to develop and participate in national development.

The Minister explained that the term “gender equality does not mean women behaving like men but rather women being given the same rights and privileges, to achieve their full potentials as women”.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/over-4m-girls-out-of-school-in-nigeria-minister/

TRAFFIC CRISIS: FCT Minister assures that solution is near

*Explores alternative routes to ease congestion
By Oscarline Onwuemenyi
The FCT Administration is working towards meeting the target of freeing all the entrance and exit roads into the Federal Capital City from traffic bottlenecks which has resulted in the loss of human lives and waste of valuable man hour during the working days.
The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed gave this assurance in Abuja after reviewing all the measures put on ground by the government to reverse the trend, thereby reducing the hardship often experienced by Nigerians and foreigners’ alike dwelling in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister emphasised that President Goodluck Jonathan and by extension, the FCT administration has a covenant with Nigerian people and assured that his administration will not rest on its oars until all these encumbered roads are extricated.



Senator Mohammed revealed that apart from the efforts being made by the FCT Administration to provide alternative routes to motoring public plying the Karu/Nyanya axis road, it has also re-doubled its endeavour to deliver the Murtala Muhammed Expressway (Kubwa Road) as well as the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway (Airport Road) within a record of time.



He disclosed that the rehabilitation and expansion of Airport Expressway Lot I and Lot II are 43 percent and 70 percent complete respectively.



The Minister also revealed that the rehabilitation and expansion of Kubwa Expressway Lot I and Lot II are 53 percent and 58 percent complete respectively.





Traffic Gridlock in Abuja


Senator Mohammed further disclosed that the on-going work on roads B6, B12 and Circle Road in the Central Business District, Abuja is 45 percent complete.
In order to ensure safety and free flow of traffic within the Federal Capital City, he remarked that his administration is already working on the design, construction and delivery of traffic light signal at 20 graded intersections in the Abuja metropolis.
Meanwhile, in a bid to address the chaotic traffic situation along the Abuja-Keffi Road, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has given the contractor handling the Apo-Karshi road 90 days to make it motorable.
He explained that the FCT administration awarded contract for the 14-kilometre Karshi –Apo, valued at over N2.26 billion, to serve as alternative to the ever congested Nyanya/Karu road.
Mohammed stressed that the new roads were very important in order to ease the congestion on the Maraba-Nyaya-Karu corridor.
Apparently referring to last Monday’s accident wherein more than 25 people lost their lives, the Minister stated that, “We are here to emphasise the importance of this road to the well-being of the people of the FCT. People are dying on the other corridors due to massive traffic congestion and the recklessness of some drivers.
“We cannot keep living like this, more so as efforts to create byways and expand the other corridors is still ongoing. I shall be happy if this new road can be completed before December to allow its use by commuters who are presently suffering on the other corridor.
“We are carrying people along, and we are not taking anything or anyone for granted. We are providing roads now, by next year all the basic infrastructure including power, water, hospitals and telecommunications would be installed so that people can move in and occupy the houses.”
The Minister who was accompanied by the FCT Permanent Secretary and other top officials of his administration instructed that the contractor mobilise all his resources to ensure speedy completion of culverts and the necessary earth work within three months to enable motorists ply the road.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/traffic-crisis-fct-minister-assures-that-solution-is-near/

Exclusive breast feeding: Whither Nigeria in the campaign?

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE & CHIOMA OBINNA

The young lady, from the look of things, could be in her early 20s. She sat quietly in the bus, her baby fast asleep on her back.  Obviously, it was  probably her first child. The bus which was headed for Mile 2 from Oshodi, was full of passengers many of who were on their way home after a hard day’s work. Somewhere along the journey, the sleeping baby was suddenly jolted awake due to the dangerous potholes all over the Oshodi-Apapa expressway. Immediately, the baby  let out a loud cry.

All attempts by the young mother to pacify the child proved abortive as the little creature continued to yell The mother tried all she could to make the baby comfortable and even checked the baby’s diaper to find out if it was wet but none of these pacified the baby. This continued for a while until an elderly man in the bus who had been observing the situation now shouted at the woman saying: “This baby is hungry!  By this time,  all eyes were on this woman.

But she was not moved until another man shouted in Yoruba language and said “efun omoyi loyan” (meaning  breastfeed this child). “Why are you trying to deny this child what is naturally his? He remarked. Before she could respond, another male passenger seated at the back noted. “What is in that your breast that no eyes have seen? I beg breastfeed that child!”

This outburst generated a heated debate amongst other passengers in the bus, especially from the male passengers many of who descended very heavily on the woman, accusing her of being insensitive to the needs of the child. After much pressure, the woman reluctantly complied with the wishes of the child.

This particular scenario highlights the common trend nowadays among Nigerian women, especially the educated ones. Before now, breastfeeding was the only culturally acceptable mode of feeding babies in Africa and specifically in Nigeria within the first two years of life.
Breastfeeding is encouraged at any point in time be it, in the open / public or in isolation. The belief of Africans is that breastfeeding is an ingredient of promotion of closeness to mothers and a concept of bringing the mother and child closer to one another. It is even seen as taboo for a mother not to breasfeed her child.
Since the advent of Western education and introduction of feeding formula, many Nigerian women have practically  discarded what is culturally sees as a child’s right.

Breastfeeding in the African setting used to be a thing to be proud of.  But today, the reverse is the case.

Over the years breast milk has been known to be uniquely superior for infant feeding. Breast-feeding helps in infant growth, health development and all other short and long term outcomes.

According to experts, medically, breast feeding, should serve as the only food for babies under six months. Unfortunately, getting mothers to do it the right way is the problem. Up till now some people still have challenges with the issue of not giving water and herbs at all during the first six months of life.

In the past, every culture in Nigeria every mother is expected to breastfeed her child except for some serious reasons. In fact, in some societies, even neonates who lost their mothers during birth are usually breast fed by relations who re-lactate to do so, some are even breastfed by their grand mothers.

Then, mothers, breastfeed anytime and anywhere even in public places. Some even breastfed while working on the farms, for example while planting crops and baby who is strapped to the back is hungry, what the mother does is shift the baby to the side, still strapped to the mother, she brings out the breast, then sticks it in the baby’s mouth and continues her planting. Unfortunately, the educated women usually try to stay in secluded places to breastfeed not minding the right of the baby.
Critical observers are of the view that the situation is the major factor contributing to the drop in breast feeding in Nigeria.
According to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2003,  the rate of exclusive breastfeeding was put at 17 percent . Unfortunately, the rate dropped from 17 per cent to 13 per cent in the 2008 NDHS.
This is a  situation that experts say could be fuelling child mortality in the country.  Confirming the situation, Health Minister Prof. Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the rate of women who breast feed their babies has decreased drastically, which does not augur well for the health of the baby.
Research shows that the significant drop in Nigeria’s exclusive breast feeding rate from 17 percent in 2003 to 13 percent due to reasons ranging from ignorance to traditional beliefs one of which has to do with water. Even scientific evidence has shown that a child who is exclusively breastfed does not need additional water because breast milk itself contains 90 per cent of  water.
In the views of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, breast feeding is the most cost effective public health intervention for a child’s survival, yet many women do not breastfeed exclusively for six months.
In a study on the Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria by  Kingsley E. Agho and colleagues from School of Medicine, the University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia, Sydney School of Public Health, the University of Sydney, NSW, Australia and Department of Mathematics, the University of Benin, Benin, Nigeria, “Exclusive breast feeding (EBF) has important protective effects on the survival of infants and decreases risk for many early-life diseases.
The EBF rate in Nigeria is low and falls well short of the expected levels needed to achieve a substantial reduction in child mortality. Also, the study found that antenatal care was strongly associated with an increased rate of EBF.
They also stressed that appropriate infant feeding practises are needed if Nigeria is to reach the child survival Millennium Development Goal of reducing infant mortality from about 100 deaths per 1000 live births to a target of 35 deaths per 1000 live births by the year 2015.
It is also an established fact that EBF for the first six months of life improves the growth, health and survival status of newborns and is one of the most natural and best forms of preventive medicine.
It  plays a pivotal role in determining the optimal health and development of infants, and is associated with a decreased risk for many early-life diseases and conditions, including otitis media, respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea and early childhood obesity.
It has been estimated that EBF reduces infant mortality rates by up to 13 per cent in low-income countries It also could be recalled that in response to the importance of exclusive breast feeding, the Nigerian government established the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in Benin, Enugu, Maiduguri, Lagos, Jos and Port Harcourt with the aim of providing mothers and their infants a supportive environment for breastfeeding and to promote appropriate breastfeeding practices , thus helping to reduce infant morbidity and mortality rates.
Despite these efforts, child and infant mortality continue to be major health issues affecting Nigeria. The infant mortality rate for the most recent five-year period (1999-2003) is about 100 deaths per 1,000 live births and EBF rates in Nigeria continue to fall well below the WHO/UNICEF recommendation of 90 per cent EBF in children less than six months in developing countries.
According to Kingsley E Agho and colleagues, EBF rates in Nigeria are amongst the lowest in the world, and even compare poorly with other neighbouring countries in the region.
On the nutritional value of breast feeding, Deputy Director on Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health Dr. Abimbola Ajayi, said the breast milk contains every thing nutritionally that the baby needs for growth.  According to her, all the vitamins, the minerals, protein, fats and carbohydrate including all the water that the child will need to survive for six months is fully and complete in the breastmilk.
“The only problem is the fact that the stomach size of the child is small. So the child cannot take all that he or she needs at once that is why we talk about feeding the child on demand. You may feed the child now within the next minute the child will be hungry. This is because most of the breast milk is water.  Again, nature knows that the child needs water to satisfy his or her taste.  Almost 90 per cent of water in the breast milk. So the water will come then the nutrient will follow.”
Ajayi who advised on ways to get the best from exclusive breastfeeding explained that when a mother breast feed from one breast, that one breast will give the complete breast milk if she continued to breastfeed that child on that one breast until there is no more water or milk coming out from that one breast.
She explained “It is because once you put the child to the breast the first thing that will come is water.  That water is meant to satisfy the taste, it is assumed by nature that, that child will be taste first. then if you continue to breast feed and if you don’t change that breast at the end of that water, the next thing that will come out will be what we call the nutrient.
So those nutrients will enter into that baby’s mouth before breast feeding is concluded.  So when that is done that child is satisfied with subsidy and then within 10 minutes they urinate the water has gone out flushing and cleaning up the system of the child but the nutrient will stay. But because the stomach of that child is small, the child will be hungry again or cry. The next thing is to put that child to the second breast. The second breast will now give another set of water then the nutrients at the end. This is how you must continue for the first six month of that  child’s life so that the child will grow in his own capacity until he reach optimal development. So breast milk is enough and it has complete nutrients and it can satisfy any child that is under six months as far as the mother si doing it well.
HIV and breast feeding
In the wake of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, scientific findings show that HIV can be transmitted through breast milk, Ajayi counselled that exclusive breastfeeding hardly transmits the virus.
“By exclusively, we mean to breastfeed without adding water, no infant formula, herbal medicine or whatever; and also to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth is critical. Immediately after delivery, the baby should be put to breast, even before the mother is cleaned because that has other effects on the release of the placenta.
“The fluid of every human being that is HIV positive contains the virus but the thing is that it has been discovered that for a breast feeding mother, it is safer to still give the breast milk only to the child for the first six months positive or negative because the antibodies in the body of the mother  will protect that child
Ajayi stated that if breastfeeding is mixed with other modes of feeding, it create a lot of problems for the child. According to her,  it would not only dilute the nutrient value it would also create a problem for the child by making sure that the virus penetrate into the body of the child easier”.
“So the safest thing, she advised for an HIV mothers is to breastfeed exclusively for six months and after six months, she can use the various family foods to supplement whatever foods the child may need. The chances of the child getting HIV is so limited it is probably about 1 in 12 to get HIV virus if the child does not have it from the process of delivery.  If the child is still negative,  the likely hood that the child will have it is very slim. But the benefit of breast milk is so strong that it will also protect the child from other infections through the use of any other type of foods that may be given to the child, she concluded.
Benefits of breast feeding at a glance
*Breastfeeding helps protect your baby from gastrointestinal trouble, respiratory problems, and ear infections.
*Researchers have found that immune factors that are present in colostrum (the first milk your body produces) guard against invading germs by forming a protective layer on your baby’s mucous membranes in his intestines, nose, and throat.
*Breastfeeding may also protect your baby from developing inflammatory bowel disease later in life.
*Breastfeeding can also help protect your baby from developing allergies
*Breastfeeding may boost your child’s learning ability
*Breastfeeding may protect against Obesity later in your childs life
*Breastfeeding may protect against your child developing leukemia
*Breastfeeding may protect against type 1 diabetes in children
*Breastfeeding may protect against high blood pressure later in life
*Breastfeeding is also thought to reduce SIDS
*Breastfeeding can help the mother lose weight
*Breastfeeding can also help with the mothers stress levels
*Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of some types of cancer

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/exclusive-breast-feeding-whither-nigeria-in-the-campaign/