GEJ is surrounded by ‘incompetent’ fraudsters – Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

In the beginning

As at the time I came into office, several things had collapsed. From banks to stock exchange, they had crashed. Inflation was at 15.6percent three months before I became Central Bank Governor; there was already instability in every sector of the economy. When I look back, I thank God for the people who supported us and criticized us as well because criticism has made us stronger. Also, when I look back, I can point to several things that have changed after our arrival and till date.

Keeping inflation down

For the first time in a long while, we have been able to keep inflation at about 7percent since January 2013 and it is still like that up till this moment. As far as instability and exchange rate is concerned, we have worked tirelessly to ensure things work out well for the economy. We also introduced cash reduction in the system. Although most people didn’t like it because they felt it will add more problem to the exchange rate because people want to buy dollars but against all odds, the cashless policy has worked and it’s still working today.

On the face-off between CBN and NNPC

On the face-off between CBN and NNPC, I must say that we are not EFCC. What I have been talking about is the areas that affect my job which have been a dwindling in the money that comes into the Federation Account. Let me make it clear, the disputed $20billion may be gone. And what some people want is the continuity of this; that stealing of public funds should continue.

On his suspension

I must say that there was no time when the CBN received any letter from the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. At no point were we given any letter to respond to over any financial allegations. Also, nothing in the letter declared that I did anything wrong. I can tell you that CBN does not operate the way it’s been presented because all facts and statements of account are there for everybody to see. They said we spent N1.2billion on the police – even if that is true, is that corruption? Did I set up my security outfit and pay myself?  I want to repeat that I have had my last day in office. I have achieved everything I set out to achieve. Looking at the suspension letter, I was not given the benefit of doubt to respond or explain myself.

Court order

However, I have a court order now enforcing my fundamental human right because once they seize your passport, you don’t know the next step they will take. I took an exparte motion to court to ensure I am not harassed.

On the allegation that he is partisan

When I was in King’s College, I was in Form 2 when Bukola Saraki came into Form 1. He has been my friend since we were 11years old. Also, El- Rufai has been my friend. I never knew I will be CBN Governor because I had wanted to study law, also Bukola Saraki never knew he would become a politician because he read medicine. These people remain my friends and, with all sincerity, every one of us has friends across political divides. These are things some Nigerians categorize and accuse me of being a politician. Also, I had known Governor Fashola and Bola Tinubu since I was in First Bank. I am a Lagos boy as well and my children were all given birth to and groomed in Lagos. When Nasir El- Rufai heard what happened, he decided to come to the Lagos airport so that if I am going to be arrested, it will be in the company of some of my friends. He never came to the airport as an APC member but as a friend. I am not a politician but people think I am one.

What next on NNPC

It is not my responsibility anymore but I can comment as a Nigerian. I can talk if I feel like. I believe nobody will challenge me that I did not speak out when I was supposed to as CBN Governor. If the next CBN Governor wants to pursue the missing funds matter or the National Assembly wants to go ahead, they are free of do so. Can you imagine a sitting Minister on national television saying they spent money without appropriation. In any other country, such minister has sacked herself. To  me, that is not financial recklessness.

Let me simply ask, if the Nigerian Constitution says don’t spend money without appropriation or says don’t pay subsidy and the Minister went ahead to pay, is it not a political problem? Technical problem is what we deal with at CBN, we deal with CRR and other issues. In this kind of situation of investigation going on, you are supposed to either keep quiet as a wise man or walk away. But as you can see, I am not a wise man.

Donation of 100million

It is called principle of donation. During the Ikeja bomb blast explosion, the CBN Governor then, Joseph Sanusi, gave N10million. So I was not the first person to do that. This is contained under Corporate Social Responsibility. The blast in Kano did not affect  Kano citizens alone, SSS offices, police stations were attacked and these are federal offices which have several people from the South working there. I can tell you that 80percent of the victims of that bomb attack are not Kano citizens, there were several Christians from the South involved and I gave N100million to their families. What is bad in that? Why are people not complaining  about the N500million I compelled the Bankers Committee to give to flood victims in Benue State and other places? What is wrong in it? With CSR, you cannot do everything in all the 36states of the federation; you will do the little you can.

Mint printing!

This is one area that we have been able to cut down on spending. In 2012, CBN spent N38billion on mint printing down from the N49billion spent in 2011. In 2013, we spent N35billion and, in my 2014 budget, my plan was to spend N30billion. So we have been bringing down the cost of printing.

Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of the CBN, we contribute 80percent into the Federation Account. In 2008 before I became Governor, CBN contributed N8billion into the Federation Account. In my last year, we gave N159billion. In 2012, we gave N80billion, in 2011, we gave N60billion. In the first four years of my term as CBN Governor, we gave government about N279billion. The National Assembly called  to commend me. We have been able to give N600billion from surplus alone and the money is made from prudent finance, cutting down currency expenses, every over headline has gone down. So I can say, with all sense of humility, that the last thing anybody can accuse me of is financial recklessness.

Finally……..

Nigeria’s ousted central bank chief Lamido Sanusi on Sunday described the president who ousted him as a simple man trying to do well who has been undermined by incompetent and fraudulent aides.

“When you sit with President Goodluck Jonathan himself he appears a nice simple person who is trying his best to do his best,” Sanusi told AFP in an interview. “His greatest failing obviously is that he is surrounded by people who are extremely incompetent, who are extremely fraudulent and whom he trusts.”

Gov. Fashola Signs Laws to regulate smoking in Public Places, use of Emergency numbers

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, signing a Law to establish the Lagos State Emergency Command and Control Centre, regulate the making of Telephone calls to the Centre and for connected Purposes, and a Law to provide for the Regulation of Smoking in Public Places in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes at the Conference Room, Lagos House, Ikeja, on Monday, February 17, 2014. With him are: Deputy Governor, Hon. (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (2nd right), Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo (left) and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye (right).

…Says law will help government discharge responsibility to citizenry more efficiently

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday signed into law two bills establishing the State Emergency Command and Control Centre and the Regulation of Smoking in Public Places, stating that the two bills would help to strengthen the administration to more efficiently discharge her responsibility to protect life and property.

The Governor, who spoke at the Conference Room of the Lagos House, Ikeja, reiterated that the state’s commitment to public safety and public health is stronger than the question of whether the law to regulate smoking in public places will work or not adding that the State owes a moral obligation to first intervene

“It is to tell people that it is a moral situation in which first we would intervene to protect people with clear evidence that now abound about the dangers of secondary smoking, increasing diagnosis of cancers and of causal and effectual relationship that it has with smoking.

“Yes, smokers may have a right to choose to continue with a habit that is clearly unhealthy, but we owe a duty to also prevent people who choose to live a healthy life the right to have that healthy life”, he added.

Governor Fashola stressed that similar scenarios have played out in some cities like Paris, London, New York in recent times and that the outcry then was that some of the clubs in London would shut down because it was going to be bad for business, just as cafes in Paris would be closed, but after all said and done, life has continued with all of the societies being the healthier by the measure.

On the law to establish the Command and Control Centre, Fashola said by establishing emergency lines of 767 and 112, the government has created a path where none existed in order to improve the capacity to respond to life threatening incidents and emergencies in the real sense of it.

“As for the emergency line, we have broken a path here where none existed, we provided a three digit dedicated emergency line for Lagosians in order to improve our capacity to respond to life threatening event and emergencies in the real sense of it” ,he added.

Fashola reiterated that people must pay attention to what really is an emergency, because the way people have used the words- emergency or urgent shows that the word must really be defined.

“Those lines, the 767 and 112 are for emergency and nothing and nothing less, emergencies are often times for us, life threatening situations, very grievous threat to property or a combination of both and as the Attorney General said in his remarks, this is not a line to commend us or to ask for broken pipes to be repaired or complain about our neighbours making noise because we know that those are still service issues”.

“When the threat to life occurs, our capacity to respond makes the defining difference in what in real emergency management is referred to as the golden hour and during that period, if you clog the lines, then those who need the lines desperately are denied use of the assets, so it is not just the law that we will enforce, it is also an attitude and behavioural requirement that we must all resist the temptation to use that line unless there is an emergency”, he stated.

The Governor reiterated that such legislations are not unusual because in many parts of the world where similar facilities exist there has always been the temptation to misuse them but government has always taken corrective steps by enacting legislation and providing sanctions to show that it is wrong.

He informed that the State would soon be deploying what it calls the Citizens Management Response Centre because of its recognition that there are other service levels that are not emergencies but have a need to communicate with the government.

Fashola said the new Citizens Management Response Centre would leverage on what is already in place at the Command and Control Centre as there would be a different team to address all service issues like planning permits, readiness of Certificate of Occupancy, irregular water supply in the area or a transformer that is down.

“All those things that are not emergency or when you see refuse on the streets and we have not come to pick it, somebody has damaged the street pole, you can report like the I-report type of thing and we are almost there. We are actually testing but this is to ensure that we separate the emergency service from the day to day regular service”, he stressed.

Speaking earlier while giving insights into the new laws, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaiye said the law on regulation of smoking in public places which was passed by the State House of Assembly has taken cognizance of the dangers posed by smoking in such places to the health of Lagosians.

He defined public places as places that have been designated as no smoking by existing laws and are automatically incorporated by the law. He further listed the following as part of no smoking areas; libraries, archives, museums, galleries, public toilets, hospitals and other health facilities, nurseries, day care centres and any facility used for the care of infants and children or adults, kindergartens, nursery, primary, secondary schools, public telephone kiosks or call centres, public transportation vehicles.

“Others are private vehicles where there are more than one occupant, school buses, restaurant, cinema, concerts and theatres, halls and any premises used for the assembly of members of the public for social, religious or recreational purposes, conference centres and exhibition halls. Shopping centres, factories and other premises that are non- domestic premises in which one or more person works”.

“It also includes premises which are being used wholly as a place of work and incorporate the entire premises of the State Secretariat and the Governor’s Office, Lifts and all common paths and any structure that is enclosed or substantially enclosed.

“It shall also constitute an offence to smoke in the presence of a child under the age of 18 in such a way, manner and place that may expose the child to any form of smoke and be in any other ways injurious to the child”, the law also stipulates.

The law allows the owner of certain public facilities like restaurant to designate a smoking area which must not be more than 10 percent of the entire size of the place and the owner must ensure that the no smoking area is fitted with smoke detectors.

According to the Attorney General, any person who smokes contrary to the provision of the law commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than N15,000 or to an imprisonment for a term not less than one month and not exceeding three months or both, or other non-custodial punishment that the judge may deem fit.

He said the law establishing the State Emergency Command and Control Centre, regulate the making of telephone calls to the centre and connected purposes shall make the centre a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal.

“The law disallows any company or organization either public or private from using or displaying the numerals 112 or 767 or any approved emergency number in the name of their company or organization for advertisement except with authorization”, he added.

The Attorney General also said the law provides that no person shall unless for the purpose of informing the centre of the occurrence of any life threatening events call the emergency numbers.

“Where a person misuses or persistently misuses the emergency numbers of the Centre, the person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to penalties stipulated in under the new law”, the Attorney General stressed.

Among those who witnessed the event were the Deputy Governor, Hon (Mrs) Adejoke- Orelope Adefulire, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Kolawole Taiwo and members of the State Executive Council including the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political and Legislative Matters, Hon Muslim Folami, Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Ranti Adebule, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba and Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Lateef Raji.

Tragedy! - 100level student commits suicide over exam results

Tragedy struck in the South Campus of the University of Education in Winneba, Ghana as a 100 level student was found dead in an uncompleted building.

Solomon Obeng, said to be a Basic Education student, took his own life on February 14, Valentine’s day, because he had gotten 3Es in his examination.

The deceased was found hanging in the building and it is believed that he committed suicide.

According to the University’s regulations, obtaining 3Es in an examination meant an outright dismissal after grades have been displayed on the school’s notice boards.

Some students who could not fathom why the deceased committed suicide considering the fact that ‘the results could be manipulated’ told 233 Live News the University management was to blame for the unfortunate happening.

“Why should someone’s world come to an end because he is unable to get 50% in an exams?” a student, Nana Kwasi Frimpong asked.

Lady Rapes Man Who Tried To Rob Her For Three Days Just To Teach Him A Lesson

What a lesson! A Russian man, Viktor Jasinski, 32, who tried to rob a hair salon ended up as the victim when the female shop owner, Olga Zajac, 28, who happened to be a black belt in karate overpowered him. She allegedly floored the would-be robber with a single kick, then dragged him to a back room of her salon and tied him up with a hair dryer cable. She stripped him naked and, for the next three days, used him as a sex slave to 'teach him a lesson' while force feeding him with Viagra to keep the lesson going. 


Viktor was later released when he said he had learned his lesson, but went straight to the Police station to report Olga. When police arrived to question Olga, she said: 'What a bastard. Yes, we had sex a couple of times. But I bought him new jeans, gave him food and even gave him 1,000 roubles when he left." Both have now been arrested.

D MUSE - Event like never before......

Meet these Arts gurus;

JUDE ORHORHA

Jude Ufuoma Orhorha hails from Delta State, a

product of both CCS Centre

for Cultural Studies University of Lagos and

Dramatic Arts Department

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.

Some stage, tv, home video, film and radio

credits include THE BRIDGE

performed in NIGERIA, EGYPT and UK; BLACK

OUT recorded at EALING STUDIOS

UK, HALF OF A YELLOW SUN shot in calabar

and UK, TINSEL, FUJI HOUSE OF

COMMOTION,

He produced tv plays and home videos like

LAUGH PATTERNS, 2 GOOD FRIENDS,

ASHES OF LOVE, FAMOUS ACADEMY, WHAT

WENT WRONG, MNET NEW DIRECTION

FILMS

TWINS OF D RAIN FOREST, BARBERS

WISDOM, MAMA PUT e.t.c, Jude also shot some

tv commercials like PSP, CBN, and etisalat and

presented the LOTTO NIGERIA

GAME

TOMI ODUNSI is a talented singer-songwriter with a

distinctive, supple and

effortlessly pleasing voice. TOMI’s music is a

 blend of soulful jazz mixed

with a dose of funk and upbeat sound  with

traditional Nigerian music

rhymes and melodies particularly in her native

tongue; Yoruba, creating a

distinctive, authentic and organic new sound as

the backdrop for lyrics

reflecting the ideals, aspirations, and life

experiences of her generation

while also showcasing her deep love for and

pride in her cultural heritage.

She’s known for her singles; “mi o le think’’ and

‘’under’’ which were

warmly received by her audience. She has also

featured in several live

musical performances such as The Mtn Industry

Night, Marcquee hosting

Tuface, Soundcity Awards, the Deola Sagoe

Christmas lunch, the Inspiration

fm Christmas funfair etc .  She also has been

featured as guest performer

on the Moment with Mo’ show, the urban lounge

Tv pilot amongst others.

TOMI is also an actor, she is best known to her

audience as she plays

“Salewa” on Mnet’s hit drama series Tinsel;

Salewa is the lousy, outspoken

and vivacious teenage girl from the suburbs who

struggles to adjust to the

daily challenges of the cosmopolitan Lagos and

she lives in Tinsel town.

She is also known to her audience from her

musical and dramatic

performances in such theatre productions as the

smash hit Oluronbi: The

Musical I,II and III(stage), Fractures (stage),

Rubiewe(stage) and a

Docu-Drama called RUNS(film), Rendar to

caesar(film) , In the Music(film)

SEUN SMITH studied Theatre Arts in Lagos State

University. A prolific actor

and director who as featured in both stage

productions and screen such as

Fuji House of Commotion,"The gods are not to

blame by Ola Rotimi", "Death

of a Kings Horseman by Wole Soyinka among

others and as directed plays like

"Holding Talks" by Ola Rotimi, "Aetu" by Ahmed

Yerima.

TOYIN OSHINAIKE, an actor/theatre director who leant on the job for over two 

decades now, is the artistic director of one six productions. His theatre credits

 include world tours of 'Things Fall Apart', 'The Lion &The Jewel', 'Woza Albert' 

among others in the UK, France, Germany, USA, Israel and Ghana. Having directed

 theatre productions, Toyin advocates artistic excellence that knows no cultural 

boundaries. He has also featured in six award winning films.

ZARA UDOFIA-EJOH

Actor, dancer, movement and dance instructor; Zara has dedicated

 more than a decade to performing as an actress and dancer,

 she has performed in theatres both locally and internationally.

 Her stage credits includes,  "Askari" (south west & south east

 Nigeria tour), "A horse on my back" (Lagos, German tour),

 "Things fall apart" (world tour), "Sense of belonging"

 (Royal National Theatre Studios-London), "Vagina monologues",

 "The engagement", "The merchant of Venice", Power of lions",

 "Heartbeat-the musical", "the voyage"(London launch of the

 heart of Africa project), "The return of the golden sword", 

"Kakadu the Musical" amongst many others. she has also 

experienced production in film, tv and radio.

Zara was choreographer on Project Fame West Africa, season 2;

 Artistic Consultant for AHI -Action Health Incorporated's Teenage

 Festival of Life - TFL in 2008, 2012 and 2013, she was nominated as

 1 of 3 to participate in a 3 month "trainee producer's course" an initiative

 of New World Nigeria and Theatre Royal Stratford East- TRSE, 

London during the London 2012 Olympics and was mentored by Joke Silva

 of LUFODO Productions in Nigeria and Dawn Reid - deputy artistic

 director of TRSE in London. she worked with OU1 on documentaries

 as PRODUCTION MANAGER in 2011.

She produced and directed "FEAR ABIDES WITH ME CONSTANTLY"

 for AART of LIfe Foundation in 2009 and 2012 and Co-Produced

 Tyrone Terrence's "A Husband's Wife" in 2013. Zara is Managing

 of Oxzygen Koncepts.

These professionals will be thrilling you live on stage in the play;

WhOsE hoUsE Is It aNywAy?

Special features include;

Poetry, Ochestra, Dance etc.

@ the SBLS training & events centre, 9/11 Kudirat Abiola way. (Former Oregun Rd.) U-turn between clay &
Oregun B/stop. Ikeja. Lagos

Date: Sat. 22nd of March 2014

Time: 5:00pm

Ticket: #1,000

Produced by Oluseyi Emmanuel
Directed by Abiodun Kassim

For ticket bookings & seats reservations:
08168519340, 08168519343,08084586119

Mark your dairy… coz it’s gonna be  a memorable event ever…..

Desperate Students Protest - “LASU Is For All, Not The Rich Alone"

Students chanting songs of solidarity and waving placards saying "LASU is for all not the rich alone," rallied today in Ogba, Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State to protest the recent massive tuition hike at the University.
The coalition, which included representatives of the Save Lagos State University (SAVELASU) group, Education Rights Campaign (ERC), unemployed graduate students and student union members, marched through the International Press Centre along Dideolu Court, Ogba calling for the immediate reduction of all LASU fees and the re-opening of the University.

Speaking shortly after their protest, National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Soweto said,  

"We…will continue to protect…education in Nigeria, not only in Lagos State University. We have been deprived of quality education in this country due to obnoxious policies of the state and our corrupt leaders."

Lagos State University has been closed since January 23 following a protest when hundreds of students halted second semester examinations over tuition hikes.  Student tuition increased from N25, 000 to N350, 000 making Lagos State University the most expensive state-owned University.  University administrators have threatened to charge students the cost of repairing damages to the University which occurred during the protest.

ERC's National Coordinator Soweto warned against this decision saying it might cause a riot and unending grievance in the school, saying,

"We are calling on all Lagosians and well-meaning Nigerians, LASU students - who believe that education is a right not a privilege to form a force against the cabal that wishes to price education out of the reach of the downtrodden."

Other leaders and members of the coalition said they plan to take their campaign and peaceful protest to the Lagos State House Assembly on Tuesday, February 18th and submit a petition.

The petition, they said, would demand the re-opening of LASU, a call to reverse the tuition hike and re-start a registration portal for students to conclude their registration.

The petition would also ask the Lagos State Government to properly fund education and install democratic management at the University, and comply with UNESCO recommendations that 25 percent of the State's annual budget should go into education.

MEET the man JASPA SUNDAY EZEKIEL

Sunday Timothy Olusegun Ezekiel (a.k.a Jaspa)
 is a seasoned theatre art Practitioner as an actor, director, stage manager, continuity writer, compere and a prolific writer with lots of unpublished works.

He has performed in both stage & film productions in and outside the shore of Nigeria with the likes of Doris Simoen, Jibola Dabor, Lanre Afod Iyiola, Oluseyi Emmanuel, Seun (CVJ) Smith, Don Richard and others.

PRODUCTIONS: Trial of the martyrs, Red run the freedom road, Agbara Aiye (Staged in Togo), Mission to Mamuro etc.

He is the set - man of PRIME ARTS ACADEMY a production house set to empower young talents to fulfill purpose. And the crew coordinator of theAMETHYST CREW a arts production outfit affiliated to the TRUCALMS in Lagos. 

He possesses a very great passion for youths of his likes.

Contacts: http://www.facebook.com/jaspasundayezekiel

or http://www.twitter.com @JaspaBHG

http://www.facebook.com/primeartsacademy