In Big Brother’s house, marriage is a headache

June 15, 2012 by AKEEM LASISI

The pairing formula adopted in the ongoing Big Brother StarGame is a source of headache for some members and viewers alike, AKEEM LASISI writes

Like a dog fumbling back to its own vomit, Ghanaian comedian DKB has been profusely apologising for ‘battering’ Sierra Leonean Zainab in the Big Brother House. He compounded the fever that many fans of the Big Brother StarGame are having when he gave Zainab a dirty slap and threatened to inflict more blows on her.

Like the rat that banks on its tiny palm to wipe its face, the lady also tried to fight back with her feeble hands. The fight earned both an expulsion, thus ignominiously ending their dream of winning the $300,000 at stake. 

Apart from the fact that DKB cast the first and debilitating stone, he is the man who is supposed to protect a woman. His is thus the butt of shame. Little wonder, he has become the proverbial dog hiding the knife when its head has already been cut off, saying he knows he disappointed himself and his fans.

Before  the assault, the twists that had been trailing the ‘marriage’ element of the 2012 edition of the show had puzzled many viewers. In a bid to jazz up the sensation, the organisers had asked participants to come in pairs. This is a new dimension to it but it has brought frustrations to some members of the house.

When you have a good and winning partner, your chances of emerging victorious are cute since the performance is working for the two of you. Apart from the fact that the scenarios also work vice versa, some housemates have simply constituted a nightmare for their partners since once you are out for whatever reason, you are simply going to sink together.

The case of Nigerian representative, Ola seems understandable. He developed hypertension and had to quit. But that means that his partner, Chris, had to wave ‘bye’ to the house despite the fact that he is ordinarily fit to be. Yet more acute is the case of Angolan couple Esperanca and Seydou.  Esperanca’s persistent move to exit, citing depression – while some say she  simply became envious of Seydou – has seen both out.

For some Nigerian fans, there is also the headache concerning the performance of the last compatriot in the house, Goldie. They feel she is spending too much time in the kitchen. The thinking is that such a passive attitude does not bring out all her potential, which can in turn affect her chances.

BOKO HARAM: Stop treating us as a stepchild—Borno govt tells FG

Photo: 

Sun News Publishing

Kashim Shettima

By: 

ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Kaduna

Date: 

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 19:40

The Borno State Government has called on the Federal Government to stop giving it a “step-child” treatment, by trying to confine the Boko Haram insurgence to the state. Rather, it urged FG to “come up with an intervention package for the reconstruction and the rehabilitation of citizens affected by the security problems in the state.”

The Borno State government’s position is the outcome of a three-day retreat, organized for political office holders, to prepare them for the “challenges of governance and chart a new development agenda,” for the state.

The retreat, held May 21- May 25, with the theme “Borno Quantum Leap Project: Beyond the Present Challenges,” was attended by Governor Kashim Shettima, his deputy, SSG and all other political appointees. In the communiqué issued at the end of the retreat, state government emphasized the need for political appointees to key into the various programmes and plans, aimed at pulling the state back to the path of peace and development.

The communiqué, signed by Zanna Malam Gana and Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir, as chairman and secretary of the organising committee respectively, noted: “As much as there are security challenges confronting the government and people of Borno State, there is the need to impress it upon the Federal Government and the larger Nigerian society that the problem of insecurity, especially the Boko Haram insurgency, is a national challenge and should never be seen to look like the preserve of a particular enclave.

“Conflict is caused by a constellation of factors, and experiences show that constructive engagement through mediation and dialogue remains the best ways of resolving conflicts. The Federal Government should collaborate with the Borno State Government in finding a lasting solution to the problems of conflicts and insecurity.

“The current problems arose from the collapse of social values, failure of leadership, neglect of the youth, leading to unemployment, abject poverty, illiteracy and frustrations. Hence the urgent need for a radical review of certain government policies that will tend to carry vulnerable groups like women and the youth along.

“In the face of very serious security challenges and unnecessary political distractions, this administration under Shettima has initiated good programmes as they affect agriculture, education, health, poverty alleviation, water supplies and security, and there is the need to adopt the governors laudable initiatives, a deliberate state policies.

“That agriculture having been the mainstay of the state economy should form the fulcrum of all development initiatives, to this end, the Government is implored to explore avenues of adopting modern agricultural technology, thereby the need to inaugurate a taskforce that will midwife the agricultural initiatives.

“The Federal Government to desist from giving Borno State the step-child treatment and come up with an intervention package for the reconstruction of the state and the rehabilitation of citizens affected by the security problems in the state.

“The Federal Government should look into the possibility of encouraging the full exploitation of the solid minerals potentials of Borno State, especially as it affects oil exploration around the Lake Chad basin, recharging the fast declining waters of the Lake Chad, speed up the completion of the 33kva power line, encourage industrialization, address ecological problems including desertification in the northern part of the state and erosion in the southern part.

“The retreat noted with concern the pervasive corruption amongst public office holders to the effect that it often generates public odium. It therefore called upon participants to strive and live above board in all their dealings, so that Borno will make the difference in the area of anti-corruption.

10 policemen arrested for missing N14m

June 15, 2012 by Agency Reporter 

Ten policemen in the Delta State Police Command have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of N14m from a bank van they were said to have escorted from Effurun to Ekpan on Monday.

Sources told our correspondent that the suspects had been detained at the Police Area Commander’s Office, Warri, but the Area Commander had directed that the suspects be transferred to the State Police Command, Asaba, for further questioning.

The state police comman police spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka, said he was yet to get the details of the matter.

Bomb attcks: S’ East CAN issues final warning

Photo: 

Sun News Publishing

By: 

CHIDI NNADI, Enugu

Date: 

Tue, 06/12/2012 - 21:52

Christians in the Southeast have threatened to attack mosques and palaces of Islamic leaders in the zone in retaliation of incessant bombings on Christians and churches in the North by Boko Haram. They made this resolution yesterday in Enugu through the zonal Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman and Bishop of Enugu Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma following last Sunday’s bombing of the Christ Chosen Church in Jos, Plateau State and another Church in Biu, Borno State.

Bishop Chukwuma who addressed newsmen at the Bishop Court, Enugu, said  if nothing was done urgently by the Federal Government and Islamic leaders in the North to stop Boko Haram, “Christian leaders will have no other option than to begin retaliation on their mosques and emir palaces.” He lamented that attacks on Christians in the North every Sunday had become a weekly ritual, saying that it was giving Christian leaders a lot of concern as it was increasingly militating against the security of Christians in their worship places.

His words: “Therefore, we are moved to give this last warning to the Federal Government and Moslem leaders to issue a check and warning to their subordinates because if this should continue, we, as Christian, leaders will have no option than to begin retaliation on their mosques and emir palaces.

“We cannot fold our arms and allow our churches and worshippers to be maimed for no just cause. This act of bombing by this Boko Haram is capable of causing another civil war because the Biafran war was not as severe as this and there was war against Biafra. We are, therefore, warning that this is capable of causing another civil war and we are ready for it.

“For me as the Southeast CAN chairman, I’m ready to lead people with Ogbunigwe (the Biafran bomb used during the civil war); this Ogbunigwe will be more severe than the Boko Haram bombs. And we want to warn them that they know that they are building mosques in the South and have Moslem communities in the South which we have been sparing, but if they don’t stop, we shall begin retaliation and that will be the beginning of another civil war in Nigeria.”

The bishop said they were giving the Islamist sect last warning, saying that if they continued in the act against their Christian brethrens in the North, they would retaliate. “However, we call on our Christian brethrens in the North to be very much encouraged that we Christians in the South are not keeping quiet, we are praying for them and ready to support them and defend them on this continual carnage which we continuously say cannot stop Christianity from growing.

“And nobody in this country will ever Islamize this nation; we will never and we shall resist any form of violence to disturb this present government because it is a Christian-led government or the spread of Christianity in this country, we will resist it absolutely and we have no apology to anybody.

“We in the southern part of Nigeria, particularly Southeast, have seen civil war and I have said this so many times, we are not afraid of war anymore; and we are ready, therefore, to go to war to defend our Christian brethrens in the North and we are saying enough is enough because it is obvious now that Boko Haram is out to deal with Christians and Christians will not keep quiet anymore,” he fumed.

The bishop said why Christians had endured thus far was that they were thinking that the security agencies would be able to stem the situation, noting that it has now become obvious that the Boko Haram menace was not abating.

Bishop Chukwuma, said that Christians are now ready for war: “I am ready to mobilise Ogbunigwe from the Southeast to face them, so Boko Haram should be warned because we still have people in the East who can manufacture this Ogbunigwe. And they should be careful because by the time we mobilise MASSOB, mobilise the Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), mobilise the militant, Boko Haram will have no place to go to,” the bishop noted.

Uduaghan’s abductors demand N50m

June 15, 2012 by Emmanuel Addeh, Warri 

Gunmen who kidnapped a cousin to the Governor of Delta State, 75-year-old Sam Uduaghan, on Thursday demanded N50m before his release.

The kidnappers had struck on a day the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, was receiving patrol vehicles purchased by the state government in Asaba.

Our correspondent learnt that the kidnappers had already contacted the family to immediately pay the sum or risk the consequences.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Charles Muka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the development, however said the police were against the payment of ransom to suspected criminals.

But Emmanuel Uduaghan, the victim’s son who bears the same name as the governor, denied that the kidnappers ever got in contact with the family .

However, it was gathered that the family’s position was to avoid any situation that would compromise the safe return of the septuagenarian.

“None of my family members has spoken with the kidnappers. We have not spoken with our father too, so the demand of N50m ransoms is not true,” the victim’s son said.