Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu Is Dead

Former governor of Ondo State Dr. Olusegun Agagu is dead. The former governor reportedly died at his Ibadan residence in Oyo State around 6PM Nigerian time.

Source - Sahara Reporters

New Yoruba Rappers Are No Threat To Me –9ice

Popular Yoruba lyricist, 9ice, who is currently on a playing tour of the United States, says he is not giving up on his music career, in this interview with
JAYNE AUGOYE
Many fans of the popular singer, Abolore Akande, aka 9ice, have wondered why he has not been visible on the music scene lately. But the lanky singer, who serenaded his fans with hit songs that include ‘Gongo Aso’, ‘Photocopy’, ‘Attitude’ and ‘Energy’, has been ‘missing in action’ says he has been away on a playing tour of different parts of the world.
The tour is part of the current drive by his new managers to prepare him for a more result-oriented future.
He says, “I’ve been silent because there’s a difference in approach to my promotions, shows, tours and song releases. I always release an album every year. But after I dropped ‘Bashorun Gaa’ and ‘Versus’, I decided to release a double album every two years. My last double album was released on December 7, 2011, to be precise. Another album is due to be released in December.”
On his latest single, ‘Ike Kan’, the artiste engaged the services of top music producer, Don Jazzy. The track did not gain as much attention as his past works. It remains unnoticed in certain quarters.
But 9ice, who hopes to drop a follow-up single,’Life Drama’, later this month, has a contrary perception.
“So far, it has been so good. Three weeks of Internet promotions and the attendant public reception has been massive. I haven’t printed a copy of the single album for promotions yet, but the song is known everywhere. What more can I say? The magic touch does the job,” he says.
Although the singer, who began writing songs at age 14, may have been temporarily off the scene, he insists that he has not lost his sparkle.
“In terms of record sales, recognition and acceptance, I have achieved more after the ‘Gongo Aso’ album was released. If they want to judge me in terms of appearances in public, then I can agree a bit because lately I’ve tried to limit my movement to professional engagement venues. More so, I’ve performed in a lot of shows outside the shores of the country and I have also tried to stay away from controversies,” he adds.
The singer, who is currently on a playing tour of the US and having recently covered Dublin, Ireland, and Glasgow, Scotland, speaks glowingly about the experience.
“The reception for me is the same everywhere. I am accepted in Nigeria and abroad. So I can’t say which is better. The feeling I get both ways is superb. Austria is the next stop. I will also touch Aberdeen, China, Dubai, Moscow and also Amsterdam by the end of November this year,” he gushes.
Owing to the lull being experienced in the music industry, most artistes fall back on endorsement deals. But 9ice, who is yet to bag any deal, is only optimistic for now.
“It will definitely come one way or the other. With or without it, I have sustained and maintained my standards. My focus is to make good music, inspire people and change my environment positively. Every other blessing is an addition. Endorsement is a good idea for celebrities to upgrade and reap the sweat of their labour while promoting and adding value to the brands,” he says.
Eight years down the line, the singer, who was once a member of the group known as Mysterious Boys, says he is contented.
“I believe I have achieved many of my goals. I can say I am on 50 per cent achievement right now and I am looking forward to another 50 per cent to wrap up my score sheet. So far, I have won a MOBO award. So, all I am working towards is getting a Grammy. My record sales are on point, my acceptance is never shaking, credibility is evergreen and inspiring songs are always coming,” he says.
9ice adds that the new school of artistes does not pose a threat. As far as he is concerned, it is a level playing field. “The sky is more than big for every bird to fly. Before Da’grin died, there were so many artistes that could rap, sing and chant in Yoruba language. Now the number has increased. I can’t be threatened because many more are still coming. I don’t follow trends. Mind you trend always changes, what would be my legacy if I just follow every trend? Trend always fades out. What is trending today may become annoying tomorrow,” he says.
With his highly anticipated G.R.A. album scheduled for release in December, the singer now looks beyond music. He says, “I am studying public safety and Common Law at the Capella University in the US. Law has always been part of me from my days in secondary school. I feel a lot of people in my community still don’t understand the essence of law and so many are ignorant. I love being my brother’s keeper and fighting for the less privileged.”
Fame like wealth, sometimes comes unexpectedly. For the unprepared artiste, it is a huge task managing both. But, 9ice says he has been lucky in this regard.
“I was able to cope based on the fact that I was opportune to learn the basics from the likes of Lord of Ajasa. Now the new generation can do as they wish, one man’s food is another man’s poison, but generally speaking investing in ones future is the way forward.
Looking into the future, 9ice is optimistic, yet he silently nurses a fear. “Failure. I don’t want to fail in whatever I do. I want to excel, break grounds, discover new ways of making music, and retain the identity of an icon or legend,”he reveals.

Colleges of Education Begin Strike

College of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, Agbor Chapter, has commenced a one-week warning strike in line with the directive from the national leadership of the union.

This came as the three labour unions in the Delta State Colleges of Education in Agbor, Mosogar and Warri, have served notice of strike action to the state government.

In a statement by Dr. Anthony Ossai and Patrick Kwaja, the union’s Chairman and Secretary, respectively, said that the decision to embark on the industrial action was taken at an emergency congress held on Monday at the college premises.

The statement noted that the National Executive Council, NEC, of COEASU, at a meeting held on September 4, in Abuja, frowned at the failure of Federal Government to respect the past agreement it reached with the Union.

It said the agreement bothered on a number of issues plaguing the teachers’ education in Nigeria.
Another source of dispute, according to the statement, was the decision of government to remove the staff of demonstration schools from government pay-roll.

Leave Me Out Of Your Fight With Obasanjo, Ribadu Tells Waziri

 Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has asked the immediate past chairman of the commission, Mrs Farida Waziri, to leave him out of her fight with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ribadu in a press statement, issued to the media on Thursday, also told Mrs. Waziri that EFCC was not about him so rubbishing its work is like insulting all the thousands of the commission’s operatives across the country who put their lives on the line to make Nigeria a better country.
The former police officer who pointed out that he never worked under Mrs. Waziri as she claimed, stated that it is sad that after all the damage she inflicted on the operations and credibility of the EFCC, she turns back to abuse the young men and women who had put in all their energy to cleaning up the country.
“It is not correct that I worked under Mrs Waziri, as she always claims. This is a naked lie that she keeps flaunting to seek undue relevance and validate her own appointment. At no time in my career did I work under the same section or unit with her.
“In fact, contrary to Waziri’s claim that she “trained” me, it was I who actually lectured her and other, on fraud investigations and prosecution when she was newly posted as Head of Special Fraud Unit, even though she was my senior in rank. I was then the Head of Prosecution at the Tribunals under the leadership of Mr Sunday Ehindaro, then CP Legal.

Arsenal legend, Robert Pires, storms Lagos for Airtel Under-17 African Championship

Arsenal legend and former France international, Robert Emmanuel Pires, will lead a team of Arsenal technical and business staff to the African Championship of the Airtel Rising Stars which kicks off on Monday, September 16, in Lagos.
The World Cup winner with France is expected to jet into the country on Saturday, September 21 to participate in the activities marking the finals of the championship.
Mr. Pires’ visit comes under the partnership between Arsenal Football Club of England and the Airtel Africa Group.
The Legend was a key member of “The Invincibles”; the all-conquering Arsenal team that went 49 games without a loss in the 2003/2004. Legendary Nigerian international, Kanu Nwankwo was also a member of “The Invincibles.”
He had an illustrious Arsenal career and was voted the 6th greatest player in the history of Arsenal FC during which he won three FA cups and two Premier League titles. He also won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 with the French national team with which he was capped 79 times.
While in the country, the ex-Arsenal mid-fielder is expected to enliven the atmosphere at the finals of the Airtel Under-17 Championship and stand as an inspiration to the youngsters vying for laurels in the final games.
He is also billed to visit Oremeji Primary School 2, one of Airtel’s adopted schools in Lagos as part of its CSR initiative, Adopt-A-School programme which primarily aims to provide access to quality foundational education in remote locations of the country where standard educational facilities and quality faculties are not easily available.
The coming competition which is the season 2 of the ARS African Championship initiative involving over 18,000 boys and girls representing 16 African countries including hosts Nigeria. It will run for a period of seven days beginning with an opening ceremony onMonday, September 16 at the Ikeja Township Stadium, Agege, Lagos.
Each participating country’s team emerged after a rigorous championship that took them through the regions to national contests coordinated by seasoned soccer coaches and the football federation of the various countries.
Airtel Rising Stars Africa Football Championship is Africa’s biggest Under-17 grassroots tournament and the only one with strong consideration for gender equality with the inclusion of the Female Category.
The eventual winners in both the male and female categories will receive the grand prize of USD 10,000 each.

Saraki Clears Air on EFCC Invitation

 A former Kwara State Governor and one of the arrowheads of the breakaway faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bukola Saraki, yesterday hinted that he might still be invited for questioning by other security agencies of government if efforts to resolve the crisis rocking the party fails.

Saraki however said he had given sufficient answers to all queries raised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the N17 billion bond raised by his administration in 2010.

Speaking in Ilorin yesterday while answering reporters’ questions about his latest invitation by the commission, Saraki said: “I may not be surprised, given the current scenario in the national polity if another agency wakes up tomorrow to say it has discovered some other issues I must answer for.”
According to him, “I have given out the full details of how my administration utilised the bond and praised the EFCC team that interrogated me for being professional.”

Saraki, a two-term governor of the state and now senator representing the Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, added: “Yes I was with EFCC on Monday and Tuesday to answer queries on the bond issue.

“I made it clear that bond is not money available to any government just like that; that to access it you must go through a rigorous process; that we had to submit ourselves to international evaluation before we could raise the bond.

“I gave them details of how we spent the bond because if any government wants to be reckless, it won’t issue a bond that has stringent conditions before you can access it. I listed the projects we used the money for and they are all verifiable.”

Among the projects the funds raised from the bond were used for included the Aviation College, irrigation project, Ilorin water reticulation, township stadium, rural electrification, Kwara State University, loan refinancing and the Kwara Mall, he said.

Saraki, who equally addressed youth leaders of the New PDP from the 16 local government councils of the state, stressed that it was “unfortunate that we all know what is happening today in Nigeria, so I won’t be surprised if another agency wakes up tomorrow to say they have a new thing on me.”
This clarification came along with the disclosure by Saraki that only three out of eight issues that had led to the dispute between the Tukur-led PDP and his faction had been thrashed out. Another meeting, he said, has been fixed for Sunday on the crisis.

The federal lawmaker also dismissed insinuations that the political battle between members of the New PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan was as a result of a personal grouse by members of the faction, saying it was aimed at saving Nigeria.

On the Sunday meeting between his group and Jonathan, he said his group would meet with the governors from his side to review the outcome of the last reconciliatory meeting as a means of moving the attempt at peace forward.

He said: “It is wrong for people to say or think that what we are doing is due to a personal grouse and it is because the president is weak unlike former President Olusegun Obasanjo. No, even if it were Obasanjo today, things would be different because the environment is different.”

He called on the youths in the state to continue to support the New PDP, saying the future of this nation rests on them and they should avoid being used by self-seeking politicians that lack pedigree to take them to anywhere in the country.

New Delhi gang rapists sentenced to death

 (AFP) – The judge hearing the case of four men convicted for fatally gang raping a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi last December sentenced them to death on Friday.
Judge Yogesh Khanna said the case fell into the “rarest of rare category”, which justified capital punishment.
“In these times when crimes against women are on the rise, court cannot turn a blind eye to this gruesome act,” he said.
All the four suspects were teary eyed as they entered the cramped room dressed more smartly than on Tuesday when they were convicted of a string of charges including murder and gang rape.
One of the men, Vinay Sharma, broke down in tears and cried loudly as the sentence was announced.
As the news broke, crowds inside the building and outside the courtroom roared with cheers and applauded the judgement.
The prosecution team congratulated each other, with lead lawyer Dayan Krishnan saying: “We did our job. We are happy with this sentence.”
The father of the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said the family was also satisfied as he left with his wife and sons.
“We are very happy. Justice has been delivered,” he told reporters inside court flanked by his wife and sons.