Abuja's Ploy To Diminish Lagos

Ambode Recent revelations by Finance Minister , Kemi Adeosun, that Lagos State generates 55 percent of the country’s VAT should be of interest to all sane minds. The State is also the hub of our Maritime trade, with a huge contribution of 70 percent. The import is that Lagos means a lot to  the nation’s survival. Despite these contributions, Lagos is pathetically neglected by the Federal Government. Honestly, it does not have anything to do with President Muhammadu Buhari. It also does not have much to do with the ruling party. Count tribe out of it. Hausa/Fulani, Gwari, Yoruba, Ijaw,  all our leaders are guilty. Alhaji Shehu Shagari began the move to Abuja. Unfortunately, he lost his position while resting in the new Federal Capital Territory. Maj. Gen. Buhari operated from Lagos where he was toppled by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The military President was to relocate completely to Abuja after escaping death by a whisker during the Gideon Orkar coup of April 1990. From December 12, 1991 when Babangida dragged power to Abuja till date, Lagos has remained an abandoned old Lady in the books of Abuja. In fact, Abuja behaves like a gold digger, only interested in the wealth of Lagos. Much of the income from Lagos is spent freely while the provider wallows in broken promises. It is difficult to understand why Lagos should continue to have 20 Local Government Areas while Kano State accounts for 44. Lagos was one of the 12 States created by General Yakubu Gowon in 1967 just like Kano. That same Kano today, consists of Kano and Jigawa States. Jigawa is made up of 27 Local Government Areas. In sharing revenue, the number of LGAs counts a lot. The import is that while Lagos makes most of the money, the state gets less from Abuja than Kano, Jigawa and so many others. And when Governor Bola Tinubu created 57 LGAs in Lagos, Abuja starved the state of funds. Of the 12  states created in 1967, only Lagos has continued to stagnate in terms of expansion.  Others were balkanised by subsequent federal governments.  This is the height of injustice. At the time of creation, three Provinces: Ikeja, Epe and Badagry were added to the Federal Territory of Lagos. It should be noted that after the amalgamation on Thursday, January 1, 1914, Nigeria was divided into three. There were  the Southern provinces under Lieutenant Governor A.G. Boyle,the Northern provinces led by Lieutenant Governor Charles Lindsay Temple and Lagos  Colony under the leadership of Administrator F.S. James. Going down memory lane, Eko began to gain attention when  Portuguese merchant, Ruy  de Sequeira named it Lagos de Kuramo which subsequently became Lagos. When the British arrived with their gunboats and warships, the Lagos Act of Cession, 1861,made Lagos their colonial territory. On March 5, 1862, it became a Crown Colony and remained a British colony until 1960. That was the situation when the three regions were created. By 1963, when Midwest was carved out, Lagos became a Federal Capital Territory. In 1967, it turned to a state taking three provinces from the old Western region. At that time, Abuja was one of the seven provinces of the new North-Western State. The idea that Abuja was a virgin territory makes no sense. The name had been there before Aguda was sent to look for the centre of Nigeria, to be named capital in place of Lagos. Abuja was coined from Abubakar Jatau, an Hausa Prince from Zaria. One of the early settlers, he was. It is disturbing that Lagos which had an Acting Governor in William McCoy in August 1861 and a substantive governor: William Stanhope Freeman,as from 1862 continues to be treated with disdain by the Federal Government in Abuja. This policy is not healthy at all. Recently Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s attempt to free Lagos from Abuja humiliation through sponsoring a bill to grant the state special status was thrown away by  majority of her colleagues. It is unfortunate that many of these lawmakers benefit so much from wealth created in the former federal capital. I am going to throw a challenge to the very powerful Lagosians who are in power today. There is no better time to free Lagos from this Abuja approved  underdevelopment than now. Asiwaju Tinubu was governor of Lagos for eight years. I call him the governor general of Nigerian politics. And he is the soul of  the ruling party. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was a Commissioner in the Tinubu Administration. Senate President, Bukola  Saraki is married to a  Lagos woman. Triple Minister, Babatunde Fashola, was governor of Lagos between 2007 and 2015.If all these men do not do something to help our Lagos, their Lagos, it will take a long while to change things. Yes, Lagos our Eko. There is no village in Nigeria that is not represented in Lagos. It is the easiest place to make it big. There are opportunities for all. It is like the Nigeria of our founding fathers. You have people from various backgrounds making laws. Now tell me why Abuja should abandon the National Stadium, Surulere. The Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi is an eyesore. The road to Apapa Wharf is a Memorial Park. Going to the Murtala Mohammed Airport is like death sentence.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/09/abujas-ploy-diminish-lagos/

Snapchat blocks Al Jazeera in Saudi Arabia

Social media platform Snapchat has blocked access to Al Jazeera content in Saudi Arabia.

Snapchat said it was asked by the Saudi authorities to remove the Qatari-backed broadcaster's Discover Publisher Channel because it violated local laws.

Qatar is in an ongoing dispute with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE.

The four countries cut ties with Qatar earlier this year, accusing the country of supporting terrorism.

Saudi Arabia has one of the world's most restrictive media environments, according to human rights groups and media freedom advocates.

But the Saudi authorities have a particular dislike for Al Jazeera. At one point they had demanded Qatar's government shut it down altogether as one of 13 conditions to remove sanctions against the country.

Those conditions were later withdrawn.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest social media markets in the Middle East, boosted by a high rate of smart phone ownership.

That can sometimes place US-listed companies like Snapchat's parent Snap Inc in an awkward position, as local laws are far more restrictive than in many other markets.

"We make an effort to comply with local laws in the countries where we operate," a Snapchat spokesperson said in a statement.

I Brought Ghanaian Sounds And Slangs Into Nigerian Music – Mr Eazi

Rising singer, Oluwatosin Ajibade, aka Mr Eazi, has been in the eye of the storm lately over some statements he has been making.

During a recent radio interview, the singer had claimed that the practice of infusing Ghanaian sounds and slangs into Nigerian music was started by him. And that, other artistes in the country are now copying his ‘formula’ in order to have hit songs like him.

Immediately the video recording of the interview surfaced on the Internet, Nigerians lambasted him for making false claims.

The dust had yet to settle down on that incident before the controversial singer also claimed that he rejected an oil and gas job that would have fetched him $6,000 per month in order to pursue his music career. Meanwhile, some Nigerians shared pictures of Mr Eazi’s LinkedIn page, which showed that the singer only worked as an intern at Schlumberger for six months in 2010.

However, in a chat with Sunday Scoop, the singer stood by his words.

“The interview that caused this uproar was just me speaking my mind and saying things the way I see it from my perspective. It wasn’t meant to be an insult to any Nigerian artiste. You cannot deny that I brought a new vibe to the industry and I believe everybody can see that. Now, there are lots of Nigerian artistes who use Ghanaian words and melodies in their songs, but they’ve never been to Ghana. So how did they get to know about those words? There are a lot more songs out now that have that Ghanaian influence, and with all due respect, I can boldly say that started after my songs started gaining popularity.”

Asked to mention one artiste that has ‘copied’ his style, the dreadlocks-wearing singer said:

“I don’t have to mention anybody’s name. I am sure that those who are discerning know what I’m talking about.”

Speaking on the $6,000 job he allegedly turned down for music, Mr Eazi said:

“I turned down the job; I didn’t say I had started working there. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being an intern. I don’t have anything to gain by lying about such a thing.

The truth remains that I was offered a job by Schlumberger, but I decided not to take it, but rather concentrated on my career. And that is a decision I’ve never regretted till date.”

Uganda's Makerere University investigates degree cheats

One of Africa's most prestigious universities is investigating how 300 students managed to get their degree results changed.

Uganda's Makerere University discovered that the students' marks had been tampered with in 2015.

It is thought that some people responsible for managing the results system were behind the changes, Vice-Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe said.

They are being investigated and the students' degrees have been withheld.

The BBC's Patience Atuhaire in the capital, Kampala, says that the university-wide investigation will compare questionable degrees with students' result papers and exam results submitted by lecturers and colleges to their deans, going back to 2011. It will also look at the academic registrar's records.

Two years ago, 600 students from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences were removed from the graduation list, after a whistle-blower pointed out that their marks were lower than the pass mark for their courses.

The university, in Kampala, is one of the most well known on the continent and has 40,000 students, many from outside the country.

Among its graduates are a number of current and former heads of state including Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere, and Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o.

But Professor Nawangwe told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that the attempted cheating would not damage the university's integrity as "we were able to arrest the situation before anyone was able to get our academic papers".

He said that the staff suspected of being involved have been suspended and security measures are now in place to "make it extremely difficult for anyone to do that kind of thing again".

Ooni Declares Ex Wife Free To Remarry

Olori Wuraola former wife of the Ooni of Ife, can now remarry if she wishes as the customary bride price paid by the Ooni has been returned fully to him by the elders of her family in Benin City, Nigeria.

According to BossNewspapers, a source in Benin said the Ooni was initially reluctant to collect the bride price, but was persuaded by the Elders as a way of closing the controversial marriage and separation.

“She’s free now, she’s free…,” the Ooni was quoted to have exclaimed afterwards.

The Elders had sued for amicable settlement instead of a rough separation. Both families appeared relieved about this final foreclosure of the marriage that lasted less than two years.

It will be recalled that earlier in August, news went viral about the break of the marriage between the revered kingdoms of Ife and Benin, where the paramount ruler of Ife Kingdom, and first among the list of Yoruba Obas, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi took Queen Zynab to wife.

The marriage which was contracted in March 2016 in elaborate ceremonies held in Benin and Ife hit the rocks over alleged infidelity.

According to a Yoruba source, it was imperative that the bride price be returned even as it is just a token, adding that it holds significant value and meaningful according to tradition.

“When a bride price is returned, the man no longer have ties or right over the woman in question, and they can only see themselves afterwards as friends if they so desire,” the Yoruba source said.

Yoruba is first race to develop concept of cloth weaving in the world —Ooni

From left: Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) and the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Salaudeen Ajao Ajinase 1 during the unveiling of Aso Ofi in his palace at Oduduwa House, Ile-Ife

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), on Saturday in his palace declared that the progenitor of Yoruba race, Oodua, was the first person who developed the concept of cloth weaving in the whole world.

He maintained that the Yoruba race had been setting the pace in virtually all spheres, being the descendants of Oodua from Ile-Ife, which is the origin of all human migration to the entire surface of the earth.

Receiving the Aseyin of Iseyin Ile-Ife, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Salaudeen Ajao Ajinase I as part of the preparations for the annual “Aso Ofi” festival, scheduled to hold in Iseyin this week’s Saturday, Oba Ogunwusi emphasised that “Yorubas are blessed. Our race is the pacesetter in all spheres.”

According to him, “Yoruba is the first race to wear cloth in the whole world. The progenitor of Yoruba race weaved cloths several centuries back. He received the inspiration and concept for weaving through spider and its craft of cobweb, which was the origin of weaving cloth in the global community.”

Oba Ogunwusi further stated that “through archaeological exploration, we recently exhumed a local weaving tools and machines used by our forefathers in Ile-Ife for weaving cloths, most especially Aso Oke. The tools are over 4,000 years old. We were able to get the age of the local machines through scientific dating.”

While assuring that he would collaborate with Aseyin of Iseyin and groups of Aso Oke cloth weavers from Iseyin and Kwara on the forthcoming Aso Oke festival, the monarch recalled that the founder of Iseyin, identified as Olufi migrated from Ile-Ife to Iseyin where he started cloth weaving business.

Oba Ogunwusi said many descendants of Yoruba extraction moved from Ile-Ife to Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, India, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and other parts of the world, where they excelled in making difference in their resident countries.

Earlier, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Salahudeen Ajao Ajinase I described Ooni as rare symbol of humility, who have displayed high degree of intelligence and maturity since he ascended throne about two years ago.

He corroborated Ooni’s historical account of Iseyin saying Olufi and his brother, Ebedi who migrated from their ancestral home in Ile-Ife began the trade of Aso Oke cloth weaving in the community, stressing that “both of them are now mountains that we worship in Iseyin.

Oba Ajao said he had the delegation of high chiefs and Aso Oke weavers from Iseyin to officially invite Ooni for the annual Aso Oke festival.

If I die today, I’ll die a legend —Wizkid

There are fresh concerns over the health of Daddy Yo singer, Wizkid as the artiste has again cancelled his ongoing music tour over what he described as ‘failing health’.

The Star Boy crooner broke the sad news on his twitter acount during the week pleading with his fans in the US and other parts of Europe to pray for him while he recovers fully.

There had been concerns over Wizkid’s failing health in the last one year as some of those closed to the artiste were said to have forced him to take a break from music towards the end of last year with the hope that he would fully recover and continue his tour but that is not to be.

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The African Bad Gyal singer took to Twitter to apologise to fans, explaining that he needed to “get my health up” and that he would spend time with his children and family while he “recovers”.

“Sad I’m typing this but I’ll be moving dates on my tour to get my health up. I appeal to my real fans to understand nd pray with me,” he wrote.

“I’ll be spending time with my son’s and family while I recover”, he stated.

Wizkid said the rescheduled dates for cancelled shows will be announced to his fans and that his next performance will be in London on September 29.

He was said to have been battling with undislcosed ailment as his doctors warned him to stay off music and shows to save his life.

While many people have been asking questions about the nature of the ailment, his team, led by his manager, Sunday Are, has come out to calm nerves, saying “Wizkid is fine. He has been working round the clock without observing proper rest.”

Information pieced together by R on Friday revealed that the singer is currently in Nigeria to consult some doctors and would leave the country in the next few weeks if there is no improvement.