Low sales and patronage have been complained by generator sellers nationwide due to steady electricity supply by PHCN.
More kudos to our Power Holding Company of Nigeria for the constant supply of electricity in parts and regions of the country sin President Muhammed Buhari took over, there's still more change to come Nigeria. Take it easy with Baba Go Slow.
The problem started after Mr. Idibia breathed his last in faraway India and the family invited the four children to inform them of what to do. It was revealed learnt that one of the conditions given by the Idibia family was for Tuface to build a befitting house where his father would be laid to rest, since he is the star among them.
It was also gathered that the immediate family members pleaded with the children to grade the road leading to Amufu, their home town from Ojapo for easy access during the burial. Tuface, it was learnt agreed and promised to do as they had demanded.
To keep to his promise, the singer sent in some money and the building project and the upgrading of the road kick started almost immediately. The development made all residents to go ballistic as several prayers and encomiums were poured on their proud son, Innocent, popularly known as Tuface.
It was gathered that some farmers, whose crops were close to the roads were asked to uproot their crops to enable the project move freely; this they did with all enthusiasm and without grudges.
However, along the line, the projects suddenly stopped, leaving the people, including Tuface's uncles in the dark.
When Tuface was contacted, he allegedly told them he no longer had money to continue the project and that he would continue after his father's burial. His kinsmen allegedly vowed never to lay the deceased to rest until Tuface fulfilled his promise.
Those who were not satisfied with Tuface's excuse embarked on investigation and discovered that it was his mum, Rose that allegedly stopped him from completing the project. "The mum told him not to waste his money on any building, that he would not come home anytime to stay there; that his uncles would only take over the house once he completes it", an indigene who craved anonymity told this reporter.
Several efforts to convince Tuface to continue the project hit the rocks, prompting the people to take the revenge on him and his mum as soon as they returned with the corpse. It was revealed that as soon as the corpse touched down in Amufu and the widow alighted, youths in the area began to jeer her.
Others were seen throwing stones and sticks at her, calling her all sort of names depicting a wicked person. Some mockingly called her 'Obu Michael' (Michael's husband) while others said she must pay for the crops they uprooted.
She was sneaked into a room by her colleagues from Cherryfield College, Jikwoyi where she serves as Vice Principal. Not yet done, when the pal bearers tried to take the casket inside, the youths again revolted that the corpse should be kept outside.
The women in the village also insisted that a hut should be built for the widow, Mrs. Idibia since her husband had no house in the village. This protest lasted for hours before it was brought under control by elders in the village.
While this lasted, Tuface stayed glued inside his car with two of his kids, Isabella and Olivia, with security men fully on guard as the youths vowed to beat him up for listening to his mum.
When the Priest in charge of St. Camel Catholic Church, Ojapo invited Mrs. Idibia to explain her own side of the story, she blasted her in-laws for being heartless by calling on a child, who is mourning to come and build a house in the village.
According to a visibly angry Mrs. Idibia, who hails from Ogege, Amafu's next door neighbour, it was unfair that the people were accusing her of stopping her son from building in his own town. She explained that if she were against the project, she wouldn't have allowed Tuface to start in the first place.
"Is it not wickedness that you would call on someone who is mourning his father to come and start a building project? When my husband died, they informed my son to come and build ten bed room flat. He accepted and promised to do so, with the hope that a huge amount of money was coming his way. The building project started almost immediately but stopped along the line because of finance.
So, when they called to complain that money was no longer coming, I called Tuface and he said because of the Ebola issue, the money he was expecting could not come, that they should hold on till after the burial. But his uncles refused, insisting that the burial would not hold until Tuface completed the house.
"When we finally came home with the corpse on Thursday, they began to boo me. Some wanted to kill me by throwing stones and sticks at me, that I stopped Tuface my son from building in his village", she explained amidst tears.
The cleric in his reponse told Mrs. Idibia that the people were not wrong for demanding for a house, but that they went too far by jeering and hulling stones at her.
He, however, pleaded with the Idibias to exercise patience until after the burial since the children won't run away.
Pa. Idibia was finally laid to rest but the community is insisting that Tuface must complete the building or he would remain in the village.
A villager told our reporter that Tuface, the second son of Mr. Idibia, was almost beaten by some youths the last time he came to the village for his grand mother's burial, for abandoning his people.
It was learnt that Tuface refused to invite any of his star friends because of the humiliation he always faced in his home town.
Only his manager, Efe Omoregbe and few bouncers came for the burial.
However, a Rev. Father, who would not want his name in print, lambasted the Amufu community for being so wicked by forcing a man to build a house.
"I have never seen where someone is being forced to build a house in his village. Do they know his statement of account? Is it because Tuface is popular? Is he a politician, why are they forcing him to grade the community road? Is he the local government chairman? They better stop this nonsense. This kind of culture is total rubish and must be stopped", he warned.
Another resident flayed Tuface for listening to his mum by not completing the projects.
"See, let the truth be told, I am ashamed. Imagine Tubaba of all people facing this kind of humiliation. How much will it cost him to build a house here in the village? I am sure he has houses outside the state. That to me is not fair. Go to Otukpa and see the mansion Terry G built there. His parents are not in the village but he did so in case of tomorrow.
When Tuface's manager, Efe Omoregbe, was contacted, he denied knowledge of the development.
"Bros, I don't know what you are talking about", he said.
Fashola, noted that in spite of the efforts of the Peoples Democratic Party to take over Lagos State, his party, the All Progressives Congress, would retain Lagos State in 2015.
Governor Fashola when asked what his next step in politics would be, answered by saying, "I don't know honestly. I do well in multitasking. I have a job to do that runs until May 2015. And up till now people haven't stopped asking me and my government for services. My mandate expires on the 29th of May and I'm going to give my best shot until the very final hour."
He added that that he hoped that his successor would be able to do better than he has done.
On whether he would influence the emergence of the next governor of Lagos, Fashola said it was left for the electorate to decide.
"I've met those who are running for governor on the platform of my party and I think all of them are good enough to lead us but the ultimate choice of who will lead us will depend on the larger body polity and the registered voters," he said.
On the ongoing distribution of permanent voter cards in the state, Fashola said the Independent National Electoral Commission has shown that it was poised to do the bidding of some political interests.
Apparently referring to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the governors said "if you take a job you cannot do, resign."
"I don't know what else an electoral commission would be doing after an election other than to be planning for the next election. Let me be fair and admit that election planning is a very huge logistics. I know election do not achieve 100 per cent. That is why election monitors look out for a minimum standard; not what the umpire says but what the participants say. If the foundation of the election which is the voters' registration is faulty then we may be heading for trouble."
"This is what should have been over four years. When INEC started this exercise, they started with six states; another six states and one expected that they would get better. Suddenly, they took 12 states at the same and halfway they said they were abandoning some states. What kind of message are you sending? Look at the states involved Lagos, Kano and Rivers, in the South-South, easily the largest in that area. Ogun State, densely populated, sharing borders with Lagos. These make up a significant voting population."
The state pathologist, Professor Obafunwa who was cross-examined under oath by one of the counsels to The SCOAN, Ojo Olalekan, upheld that it was not appropriate for anyone to state categorically whether or not there was a blast leading to the collapse, contrary to reports in some sections of the media claiming that he had ruled out the theory of explosion as cause of the collapse. He added that it was premature to make conclusions since the final report was still being expected.
The pathologist also admitted to have conducted autopsies on only two bodies on the 22nd of September, 2014, precisely ten days after the incident. Reacting to the question as to whether he took samples of debris from the site of the collapse to ascertain the cause, Prof Obafunwa posited that it was not his duty to ascertain the cause of the collapse.
According to Olalekan, any attempt at preempting the complexion of the final report amounts to speculation, which negates the essence of the inquest. The session which commenced at exactly 9:04 am had the courtroom filled to capacity with counsels from The SCOAN, the Lagos State Government, representatives of interested parties as well as journalists from the local and international media.
The presiding magistrate, Justice Oyetade Komolafe maintained that the inquest is purely a fact-finding mission aimed at preventing future recurrences of building collapse. He urged the witnesses to testify in good faith and with the greatest regard to their conscience, observing that there was no intention to witch-hunt or prosecute anybody. Similarly, while expressing his satisfaction with proceedings at the sitting, lead counsel to The SCOAN, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) observed: "I am just relying on the assurances by the coroner that they are not prosecuting anybody but on a fact-finding mission. And we have responsibilities and duties to assist in that area. And that is what we are doing".
Meanwhile, the witness representing the Nigerian Red Cross, Mr. Oladimeji Ige, while testifying, affirmed that during rescue operations after the collapse, he and his team enjoyed the co-operation of members of The SCOAN, who had thronged the scene of the incident passionately assisting in the rescue efforts. He also refuted widespread allegations in some quarters that members of the church barred rescue operators from carrying out their statutory duties at the scene of the incident:
"Immediately I got the emergency calls, I beckoned on my team and about 45 people responded to the clarion call. Personally, I got there at 5pm but my members had been on the site working ahead. When I got to the main entrance, the church officials quickly let me in and at the entrance of the gate to the site, I saw officials of relevant agencies like NEMA and LASEMA. We worked all round the clock. Sincerely, the church assisted us by providing 10 ambulances because the only one we had came to the scene on the second day which was Saturday, 13 September, 2014.
Yes, I admit that the church authorities were good and helpful to us. They were so passionate about the rescue operations. And I can tell you categorically that they never stopped us from doing our job. Rather, their efforts really covered our inadequacies". Ige's version of events contradicted the account of Mr Ibrahim Farinloye who alleged that NEMA and other rescue operators were barred from performing their duties by members of The SCOAN.
Interestingly, different groups of people, including the disabled and destitute, stormed the court premises with different placards requesting the court not to be a tool in the hands of some mischievous people who might want to scuttle the truth. Some of the placards had inscriptions such as "TB JOSHUA IS THE REAL VICTIM, STOP ADDING TO HIS PAINS", "GIVE US ANSWERS ABOUT THE MISSING JETS THAT HOVERED OVER THE STRUCTURE" and "STOP CHASING SHADOWS AND FACE THE FACTS".
The sitting was adjourned to the following day being Thursday, October 30, 2014.
Source: Nigeriafilm.com
Tonto Dikeh praise mysterious man who presented her with a chanel bag.
Photocredit: Lindaikeji
