Tom Cruise: More of Les Grossman in the Works!

Forget Tom Cruise's reaction to his Golden Globe nomination for his work in Tropic Thunder for a moment. Mr. Cruise can't help but think of how his foulmouthed alter ego, Les Grossman, would react to the news.

"Les would probably say something unprintable," Cruise told me today in an exclusive interview. "First thing when you hear about that character is, just what would that guy say? It would have to be something unprintable."

And it sounds like this isn't the last we've heard from the balding, hairy-chested studio boss. Read on for all the Grossman details...

"I’ve talked about doing different videos with the character," Cruise said. "I’ve started working with Ben [Stiller] on it, and we’ve kind of talked about different things to do. We were gonna do some in our free time, but we haven’t found the free time…yet."

He doesn't rule out a full-length feature film centered on Grossman: "He’s a fun character," said Cruise, who will next be seen in the real-life WWII thriller Valkyrie. "I gotta talk to Ben, but there could be more to do with that guy."

Grossman's future aside, Cruise said of the nomination, "I’m really thrilled. Kate called me, and family and friends. It’s just very exciting."

Teething mixture: NAFDAC impounds 5,334 batches of drug

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, on Thursday, said that it had seized 5,334 batches of the alleged contaminated teething mixture, My Pikin.

The agency, in a statement titled “Update Report III on the recall process of My Pikin teething mixture,” also said that it had arrested the Kaduna State sales representative of Barewa Pharmaceuticals Limited, the manufacturer of the drug.

Besides the sales representative, the agency said that it arrested an alleged illegal chemical marketer at Ojota, Lagos, Dom Azumuka, who had been on the run.

In the statement by its Deputy Director (Public Relations), Mr. Jimoh Abubakar, the agency said it had donated an antidote for the management of kidney problem caused by contaminated drug to Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital, Zaria; Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos; and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

NAFDAC, which had two weeks ago, arrested four persons over the incident, said that 2,247 bottles of the mixture were recovered from the shop of the sales representative.

According to the statement, the shop of the marketer at Ojota was raided and seven drums of diethylene glycol falsely labeled propylene glycol were seized.

Giving the update on Thursday, NAFDAC stated that the illegal marketer, who was arrested at Ojota led its officers to another marker at Isolo where he said he brought the chemical.

According to the agency, the shop of Isolo-based marketer, Marcel Onyegbue, was also raided and a drum of diethyelene glycol was evacuated.

It stated that the owner of the shop was not arrested because he was on the run. The agency, however, arrested his assistant.

The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Dora Akunyili, had at a press briefing in Lagos on November 25, said that the drug was contaminated by the use of diethylene glycol, which is harmful to the kidney.

Oceanic Bank is Bank of the Year

Like the goldfish which has no hiding place, Oceanic Bank International Plc has again been singled out for its outstanding performance, in the process, clinching the Bank of the Year diadem, this time from the EMEAfinance, a UK based financial intelligence magazine covering Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Organisers of the award adjudged Oceanic winner of the keenly contested 2008 best Bank in Nigeria.

The magazine named Oceanic Bank International Plc as emerging Best Bank in Nigeria 2008 among the hordes of banks nominated for the award at its maiden African Bank Awards Luncheon held in London on Monday.

The bank according to EMEAfinance won the awards on account of robust growth in its asset base, profitability, return on equity, and regional expansion, among others. EMEAfinance is a leading financial intelligence magazine and a reputable information source for the financial services industry in Europe, Middle East and Africa .

The feat achieved by the bank is coming on the heels similar award of Bank of the year won in 2006 and 2007 consecutively, a prize instituted by The Banker magazine, a subsidiary of the Financial Times of London
Speaking at the award ceremony in London , Publisher/CEO of Emeafinance magazine, Christopher Moore described Nigeria ’s banking sector as the most dynamic in Africa . He said, “the story of African banking over the last 12 months has, in some ways, has been the story of Nigeria .”

Declaring Oceanic Bank as an outstanding financial conglomerate with consistent impressive performance record, EMEAfinance noted that: “Our winner of the best bank award, Oceanic Bank, has seen its gross earnings grow by an annual average of 65% every year since 2004. Its assets tripled last year. Profit before tax also more than doubled last year.”
Emeafinance also noted that Oceanic Bank’s shareholders’ funds grew by around seven times last year, while the bank recorded the lowest cost-to-income ratio of its peers, at just 56%, for the period under review.

“Oceanic Bank has expanded its branch network aggressively, from 53 branches in 2004 to 320 business offices as of September 2007. It has accelerated its international expansion, with offices and affiliates open in Ghana and Gambia , and operations opening soon in Liberia , Cameroon , Sierra Leone , Chad and Sudan ,” the leading financial solutions magazine added.
Receiving the award, Oceanic Bank's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. (Mrs.) Cecilia Ibru said the recognition was yet another testimony to Oceanic Bank's consistent impressive performance over the years.

She then dedicated the award to the Bank's staff, noting that their expertise and commitment to excellence and best practices had given the Bank a competitive edge that has made Oceanic a top player in the nation's financial services sector.
"We are grateful to God for this award and I dedicate it to all Oceanic Bank staff. Oceanic remains committed to pioneering innovative changes in the finance sector, and partnering with the government and all sectors in the task of building a stronger Nigeria," she said.

According to Ibru, Oceanic Bank is also working towards creating more jobs in Nigeria to enhance economic empowerment and development. "Oceanic Bank is building lasting structures and devising strategies that will make it possible for many more Nigerians to have access to job opportunities," she added.

It would be recalled that Oceanic Bank posted a profit before tax (PBT) of N52.23 billion, an increase of 127 per cent, in contrast to N23.01 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2007 while gross earning rose by 101 per cent to N150.9 billion as against N74.94 billion made last year, confirming its leadership position in the industry.

Ribadu makes surprise visit to EFCC headquarters

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, made a surprise visit to the Abuja headquarters of the anti-graft agency on Thursday.
In what is apparently a new twist to his travails, the former EFCC boss, stormed the headquarters of the organisation unannounced.

He, however, had some discussions with the new Director of Operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, a Deputy commissioner of police, and the agency’s Chief Security Officer.

Ribadu, our correspondent learnt, was told by the EFCC officials that he would be contacted whenever his presence was required.

When contacted earlier, the EFCC‘s Head of Media, Mr. Femi Babafemi, had told our correspondent that he was not aware of Ribadu‘s visit to the office.

He had promised to get back to our correspondent as soon as he got wind of the visit.

Meanwhile, Ribadu has said that he will neither resign from the Nigeria Police nor succumb to the injustice of his demotion.

The former EFCC boss also debunked his reported flight from the country, saying that he had only chosen to go underground for ‘personal reasons’ and to enjoy some private moments.

Ribadu, who spoke with our correspondent in an interview on Thursday, said there was nothing unusual about his current tribulations adding that many Nigerians had gone through similar travails in the past.

He , however, said that he had left everything in God‘s hands and hoped that the rule of law would prevail.

He said it was important for him to be more careful about his personal security and safety.

Ribadu admitted that there might be a grand design to compel him to resign from the force, but insisted that he would rather allow the court to decide his fate than to resign.

Ribadu said, ”I have not been out of the country and I don‘t intend to be needlessly. I went underground for personal reasons. I just wanted to be alone and enjoy some private moments.

”What I have done is to leave everything in God‘s hands and allow the rule of law to prevail. But I won’t be careless about my security and personal safety.

”I know my adversaries won’t reject the law. They might get me dismissed, but what can I do? I won’t dignify them with a resignation or accept the injustice of the demotion. I will allow the court to decide.

”It is not about now, but for posterity. It might take a while but we will see what God can do. This is about our tomorrow and the need to have a few Nigerians to stand up and be counted for a good cause, it is not about me.”

I felt humiliated the day OBJ stripped me of security

Anyim Pius
It was meant to be a book presentation, but former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim held the audience spell bound when he began preaching about service and integrity, with a call on Nigerians to stop praying for good roads, electricity and other basic social amenities, but rather pray for righteous men to take over the governance of this country.

Quoting from the Bible, where it says “when righteous men are in position of authority, the people rejoice,” the former Senate President said those being referred to in the Bible should be the kind of leaders Nigerians should be praying for, adding that “it is after finding such people that we can talk about genuine service that will meet the need and aspirations of the people.”

He spoke recently as a Guest Speaker at the ECWA Good News Church, Kaduna at a book presentation ceremony, organized by the church. The book, titled “Service and Integrity- the Christian Perspective,” was written by the church, with Anyim as one of the contributors. Incidentally, Anyim spoke on the title of the book.

According to him, integrity was the only thing that makes one leader different from the other. With integrity, he continued “you will rule with compassion because you are after the name you are building for yourself and not the acquisition of material things.”

He further said that “you can acquire all the material things on earth, without integrity, once you are dead, the material things will all fizzle out and nobody will remember you ever existed or lived.
“What most leaders lack in Africa, particularly in Nigeria is integrity. Our leaders do not bother about integrity, which is why they indulge in primitive accumulation of wealth.
“They accumulate this wealth for their children, but when they die, the children will squander the whole thing in just a day. So let’s stop praying for light, good roads and what have you, let’s pray that righteous men will become leaders in this country some day.”

Anyim, like most Nigerians believe that God’s hands is in Nigeria, insisting that it was the reason issues that ordinarily would sparked off violent reactions else where would come and go in Nigeria as if nothing happened.
And he used the death of late Sani Abacha and the aborted third term agenda to buttress his argument. Hear him “what we have today in Nigeria, are leaders who mystify themselves. Leaders who act like God and think that they will never die. Death is not in their agenda.
“The two things that happened in Nigeria that further strengthened my belief that there is the hand of God in Nigeria is the death of Abacha and the death of third term. I was involved and I know that nothing would have stopped Abacha from succeeding himself. But God came to the rescue.
“The second issue is that of third term. Till date, the way the thing ended is still a mystery to those who conceived it, “Anyim added.

He was however quick to add that the issue of service and integrity, should go beyond political leaders. He argued that the followers and the church leaders especially too have a role to play in ensuring that Nigerians live in a corrupt-free society, even as he spared some knocks for church leaders on the issue of corruption.

“What most of you seated here today (referring to the audience) do in secret is worse than what we see the leaders do in the open. The leaders we see are the ones we think are corrupt, but as Nigerians, what we do individually accumulate to bring about corruption in the country.

“Even in the church, pastors and men of God sometimes quarrel over transfer on the premise that certain place is juicier than the other. So those who do that are not ready to serve. So you can see that there is rot in the church system too. You should not murmur over transfer. Therefore, if corruption is to be curbed, the church and other religious leaders must come together to pray for the evolvement of a sincere leader.”

Going down memory lane, the former Senate President who attributed the fear of the unknown as the reason most Nigerians fear to confront certain situations frontally said that he entertained similar fear when he was leaving the office in 2003.

He however said he relied on God to overcome the fears and since then there has been no looking back in his resolve to partner with other like minds to speak against the ills in the country.
“The fear of the unknown is also inhibiting us from doing some of those things we believe in. I had a similar experience when I was to leave office as the Senate President. I am sure many of us here are familiar with the situation that characterized my relationship with the then President Obasanjo.

“He ordered that all my security be withdrawn, this certainly calls for fear, and that was the day I felt humiliated. But I summoned the courage to say ‘if human beings who are my security are removed, God is the ultimate security.’ After the withdrawal of my security, I drove myself to the village without security and nothing happened to me. Like I said earlier, I felt humiliated on the day the security was withdrawn, but I looked up to God. Men can try to humiliate you, but with God, you are confident,” Anyim declared.

Prominent among those who attended the book presentation were: Reverend Father Mathew Hassan Kukah, officials of the Northern States, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Kaduna State Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Gubernatorial candidate in the last elections, Tom Mai-Taimaki Mai-Yashi.
The 275 page book centers on the need for Christians to be righteous when they are in positions of authority and to strive to correct leaders who they think are corrupt.

Police intercept arms, ammunition

•Suspect
Police in Delta State have intercepted arms and ammunition from suspected armed robbers. The weapons were intercepted at various locations in the state.

The State Commissioner of police, Mr. Jacob Oshiomogho, who briefed newsmen recently on the breakthrough said the feat was achieved by Warri Area Command patrol team and a joint patrol team on duty at Effurun.

He said the arms and ammunition were recovered along the Warri/Sapele road, near Warri, the commercial nerve center. “The team flagged down the vehicle with two occupants for a routine search. Surprisingly, the driver stopped abruptly, while the two occupants jumped out and fled. When the vehicle was searched, two AK 47 rifles marked 359072, loaded with 18 rounds of live ammunitions and another marked 34-2410, loaded with 10 rounds of live ammunition were found.

The CP disclosed that after proper scrutiny, the V/W Jetta car had another registration number, JX 817 AAA, inscribed on its windscreen.
Similarly, the joint patrol team at Effurun intercepted two Pump Action guns, 24 live cartridges, one iron cutter and a knife.

According to the state Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Charles Muka, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), the patrol team at Effurun, got a tip-off that some armed robbers were operating at 15, New Layout. The crime fighters were said to have stormed the scene and killed three members of the gang, while others fled, abandoning their arms.

The team also recovered one AK 47 rifle, two AK 47 rifle magazines, loaded with 37 rounds of live ammunition, one FNC rifle, one Pump Action rifle, 10 arrows, one Mercedes Benz 190, with registration number, AE 962 BMA and a Honda car.

According to the Police, the team had sighted the nuzzle of a rifle in a red Honda car with registration number EG 534 PHC, with three occupants and went after the vehicle, while the occupants opened fire on the patrol team.

Ghana poll: Presidential candidates to face run-off

Ghana's opposition party candidate John Atta Mills, left, and Ruling party presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in Accra, Ghana, 09 Dec 2008
Ghana's electoral commission on Wednesday said the presidential election must be decided in a second-round vote. Governing party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo won 49.13% of the vote, against 47.92% for his rival, John Atta Mills, the commission said. But neither reached the 50% threshold needed for an outright win and a run-off will be held on 28 December.
Local and international observers have praised Ghana for setting a good example on how to conduct an election.

Electoral commission chairman Kwadwo Afari Gyan told a news conference in the capital, Accra: "There is going to be a re-run and it will be between the two leading candidates." The commission chairman did not immediately announce the results of the parallel parliamentary elections also held on Sunday, saying the commission needed to clarify some issues.

Turnout was 69.52% for Ghana's fifth set of elections since it embraced multi-party democracy in 1992. The BBC's Will Ross in Accra says after winning praise for its peaceful poll Ghana will now have to do it again, but the stakes are high, he adds, as the country has just discovered oil.

There were a number of candidates to succeed President John Kufuor - who steps down in January having served the maximum two terms - but the election has been a two-horse race. New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Mr Akufo-Addo won 4,159,439 votes, while National Democratic Congress (NDC) contender John Atta Mills had 4,056,634 ballots, it was announced.

Trailing a very distant third was businessman Papa Kwesi Nduom, of the Convention People's Party (CPP), with 1.3% of the ballot. The former British colony was the first African state to gain its independence in 1957. A nation of 22 million people, it is the world's second biggest cocoa grower and Africa's number two gold miner.

Presidential polls: Yar’Adua, Buhari, Atiku know fate Friday

President Umaru Yar’Adua
The hue and cry over the April 21, 2007 presidential election will come to an end on Friday when the Supreme Court is expected to deliver judgment on the twin appeals instituted by Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, contesting the declaration of President Umaru Yar’Adua by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as the winner of the election.

At the last hearing of the appeals by a full-panel of the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, had told counsel in the suit after the arguments that a judgment date would be communicated to them.

Checks conducted by Daily Sun at the Supreme Court shows that counsel in the matter have all been notified that the court will deliver its judgment on the matter.
The appellants, Buhari and Atiku, presidential candidates of the All Nigeria Peoples Party [ANPP] and Action Congress [AC] respectively in the April polls are asking the apex court to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal which sat as the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal that upheld the victory of Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election and order fresh polls.
All parties in the two appeals had adopted their brief of arguments at the hearing, which contained all the issues they wanted to address on the disputed election.

Atiku had in his brief of argument which was prepared by Emeka Ngige (SAN) said heavens would not fall if Yar’Adua’s election is nullified, just as he asked the apex court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] under the leadership of Maurice Iwu from conducting the re-run election expected to be ordered by the apex court.

It was also Atiku’s position that “the court was in serious error in invoking the issue of security and welfare of the country as an excuse for saving a seriously flawed election.”
In his brief of argument as prepared by his lead counsel, Mike Ahamba (SAN), Buhari claimed that results in the election were arbitrarily assigned, adding that some of them were prepared before the elections.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria further told the court that the non-serialization of the ballot papers used for the election among other issues of non-compliance with the provisions of the laws guiding the conduct of the election are enough grounds for the election to be nullified and another conducted by a new leadership of INEC.
Responding, counsel to President Yar’Adua, Olaipekun, (SAN) claimed that the two appellants had failed to prove their allegation of the election not being in substantial compliance with the extant electoral laws, particularly the Electoral Act 2006.
He added that the documentary evidence produced by Buhari to prove that the election did not meet the required acceptable standard amounted to nothing because they needed the testimony of witnesses to have a life.

Olanipekun had while adopting Yar’Adua’s brief submitted that the apex court lacked the power to grant the reliefs being sought by Buhari, as according to him “the reliefs to be granted by the court must be in accordance with the Electoral Act. The reliefs asked for by the appellants are not grantable.”
In his submission, counsel to INEC, Kanu Agabi, SAN, stated that the non-compliance as identified by the appellants was not enough to vitiate the outcome of the election, adding that the appellants did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the lapses in the conduct of the election affected the outcome.
Buhari had filed a 264-page appellant brief with contribution from expert auditors, while Atiku had also concluded 39 grounds of appeal in his brief.

Reacting on Wednesday, Atiku said he was ready for the ruling. “Naturally, as stakeholders it is our desire that the apex court would redress the injustice done to us by the ruling party Peoples Democratic Party in the April 2007 presidential election which was brazenly rigged by those who were bent on capturing power by hook or by crook. We would be most delighted if the verdict turns out in our favour because it is the right thing to do. We have devoted so much time and resources to prove our contention that the election was a sham,” Atiku said.

In a statement signed by Garba Shehu, Atiku said he would have no hesitation but to abide by the verdict.
“As a responsible and law-abiding politician, my commitment to the rule of law, peaceful quest for justice through our nation’s judicial institutions remain unshaken. Also, my commitment to the oneness of Nigeria is non-negotiable. But while reiterating my belief in the rule of law and peaceful avenues for legal redress, I am not losing sight of the repercussions of deodorizing the unprecedented fraud in the 2007 presidential election. Such a decision will deepen our sense of injustice over the electoral heist perpetuated by anti-democratic forces last year.

“He said all eyes are on the Supreme Court Justices and whichever way they deliver their verdict on the appeal, will have far-reaching impact on the future of democracy in Nigeria.
“The hope of most Nigerians is that the judiciary has the ultimate responsibility to rescue our democracy from the throes of death. Nigerians look forward to the Judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, to save this wobbling country from the abyss.”

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FIFA to discuss Nigeria 2009

The FIFA Executive Committee has been scheduled to convene in Tokyo between December 19 and 20 to among other issues discuss Nigeria’s preparations for the Under-17 World Cup next year.
According to the world football ruling body on Tuesday, the meeting will be chaired by the President, Sepp Blatter.

The competitions that have taken place in 2008 including the U-17 and U-20 Women‘s World Cups in New Zealand and Chile will be reviewed.

Issues relating to member associations, including a review of all pending cases and reports on the FIFA transfer matching system, the regulations for the protection of minors, and the 6+5 resolution adopted by the FIFA Congress will be discussed.

Obasanjo’s role as petroleum minister illegal – Reps

A report of the House of Representatives ad -hoc committee that probed the oil sector from 1999 to 2007 has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo held the position of Minister of Petroleum illegally.

It says his action breached Sections 138 and 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and raised serious questions on due process of the oil bloc bid rounds conducted by his administration.

The report, therefore, recommended that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Police should investigate those whose activities led to fraud when the bids were conducted.

Government reportedly lost hundreds of millions of dollars in Signature Bonuses from oil bloc bids during the Obasanjo administration.

Part of the money, if recovered, will be used to fund the over N1tn deficit in the 2009 budget.

Investigations by our correspondents showed that the panel’s report was ready for submission to the House last Tuesday, but was shelved because of the budget presentation by President Umaru Yar’Adua.

The 25-member ad- hoc committee, chaired by Mr. Igo Aguma, blamed the irregularities largely on Obasanjo who, it said, illegally occupied the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The committee observed that by appointing himself a minister, the former President contributed largely to the shoddy bid rounds that characterised his tenure in office.

Section 138 of the 1999 Constitution states: “The President shall not, during his tenure of office, hold any other executive or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.”

Section 147 (2) states, “Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President.”

Obasanjo never submitted himself to the Senate for screening as petroleum minister, let alone being confirmed in any form.

According to the committee, Obasanjo never directly interfaced with the bid processes, but related with his aides who might not have received his approval on all their actions.

It said that, without a constitutionally recognised minister in charge of the petroleum sector during Obasanjo years in office, the “legal due process of the bid rounds” was undermined.

Further, it cited Section II of the Petroleum Act to buttress its position.

However, two of Obasanjo aides who appeared before the committee said that they received all instructions from Obasanjo who was also the Minister of Petroleum.

The distortions in the bid rounds, the panel said, led to staggered payment of signature bonuses, some of which had been outstanding since 2001.

It said that in many cases, bid winners never paid the specified amount owing to “preferential treatment of winners at the conclusion of the bid rounds.”

The committee consequently demanded the full recovery of the revenues lost during the bids.

THE PUNCH had earlier reported that debts owed by the 16 oil firms (names withheld) involved in bid round rackets resulted in staggered and preferential treatments amounting to $1.148bn or about N134.34bn .

The committee’s Recommendation, 17 in particular, states, “The various acts of reprehensible conduct exhibited by the administrators (of) the Bid Rounds should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant agencies (the police, EFCC and ICPC, with a view to prosecuting those persons whose actions and conduct were induced by improper motives.”

The panel cited the case of a multinational firm, which won OPL 250 and paid only $75m signature bonus instead of $200m due to the distortion of the guidelines for the bid rounds.

It said, “The ad -hoc committee, therefore, recommends that signature bonuses must be paid in full at the time of the execution of the Production Sharing Contract.

“Even though this field (OPL 250) has been abandoned , the signature bonus balance of $125m should be recovered.”

The committee added that all outstanding signature bonuses should be recovered “subject to the express provisions of the PSCs, from the winners of the blocs who are in default of payment within a reasonable time but not exceeding 60 days from the date of this report.”

It said, “At the expiration of that time frame, the award should be revoked regardless of whether or not the blocs are either in development or production as non-payment of signature bonus is a breach of the fundamental condition for the award of the bloc. Such blocs should be returned to the basket.”

In addition, the panel directed that after recovering such funds, they should be audited to confirm whether they conformed with the true value, “identify and confirm any diverted payments; identify any acts of criminality and fraud in the process.”

The report identified the 2004 bid rounds and marginal field awards as one of the most-distorted. It said the officers charged with the duty of administering the bids and the minister of petroleum “who was in fact, the (then) President,” could not interface appropriately.

Stressing the anomaly of Obasanjo acting as a minister, it said, “The political buffers, namely the Presidential Adviser and the Special Adviser, Petroleum, interfaced between these officers and the minister.

“The officers did not have the opportunity of independent and or direct ministerial confirmation of actions that distorted the system.”

Sallah tragedy: Okiro’s PSO burnt to death

Tragedy struck in Abuja on Tuesday as the Principal Staff Officer to Inspector-General of Police, Mr. James Mshelia, was burnt to death in a domestic fire accident.

The inferno occurred at Central Police Officers Mess in Area 11, Garki area of the Federal Capital Territory.

A Deputy Commissioner of Police and PSO 2 to the IGP, Mshelia was burnt beyond recognition at the mess.

The fire reportedly occurred at about noon. It was gathered from police sources that the late officer was cooking at his lodge and later slept off when the gas cooker caught fire.

Armed police men were seen guarding the area when our correspondent visited his residence at about 3pm. Nobody was allowed to enter the building except senior police officers.”

Britney Spears' Circus Act Tops the Charts

Britney Spears is back at No. 1.

For the first time in more than five years, Britney topped the Billboard 200. Her new album Circus sold more than half a million copies for the week ended Sunday.

This gives Spears the second biggest female bow of the year, topping debut weeks by Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Janet Jackson and Beyoncé and only trailing Taylor Swift. Once the final retail receipts are counted, the album should claim the seventh biggest bow of 2008.

Back in October, Britney set the stage for her comeback when "Womanizer" became her first Hot 100 chart-topper since "…Baby One More Time" a decade ago. "Womanizer" also set the record for the biggest digital sales debut by a female artist (286,000 copies) since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking downloads in 2003.

"Imagine a year ago, did anyone think that today she would be able to come out with an album that would, not only just debut at No. 1, but also do half a million copies in its first week?" asks Billboard Senior Chart Manager Keith Caulfield. "It's surprising, but at the same time it's got to be pretty satisfying for Britney and for her record label."

And it's not just album and song sales soaring, because according to her website, "This tour is selling out like hot cakes! In response to overwhelming ticket sales, we have several more dates in cities including Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Toronto and Newark!"

So expect the circus to be coming to your town soon.

CARLING CUP UPDATE: Burnley 2-0 Arsenal

EH YA...OLD MAN SORRY O!!!!!!!!!!1

Two goals from Burnley midfielder Kevin McDonald sent Arsenal's young side crashing out of the Carling Cup.

McDonald opened the scoring after just six minutes, tapping home from close range after keeper Lukasz Fabianski had spilled the ball into his path.

The second came shortly into the second half with McDonald curling the ball past Fabianski from a tight angle.

Arsenal had several chances but found Burnley keeper Brian Jensen in fine form on a memorable night at Turf Moor.

Striker Nicklas Bendtner in particular endured a frustrating evening missing several decent chances for the Premier League outfit.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger kept true his promise to again field his youngsters who had been so impressive in their path to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Paul Rodgers, 19, was handed a debut while Arsenal also included 16-year-old Jack Wilshere and 17-year-old Aaron Ramsey.

Despite their lack of experience, Arsenal played with composure and elegance and at times were breathtaking in their play.

But as is so often the case with Arsenal, wastefulness in front of goal cost them dear as they came up against an organised and clinical Burnley side.

It was Arsenal who had the first chance of the game with Bendtner calling Jensen into an early save but the Danish striker fired straight at the legs of the Burnley keeper.

Just 80 seconds later, Burnley had the lead.

Chris Eagles created it, sending in a low cross from the right which keeper Fabianski spilled under pressure from Martin Paterson and McDonald was on hand to tap the ball home from six yards.

Arsenal had chances to equalise, several of them in fact, but Wenger's side, who had been clinical in front of goal in previous rounds, were in wasteful mood.

Bendtner missed the first opportunity to level, again firing straight at the body of Jensen following a decent flick-on from Carlos Vela.

Despite having the lead Burnley continued to press for the second goal with Paterson and Eagles in particular causing the Arsenal defence problems.

And Fabianski made sure the score stayed at 1-0 saving well with his feet from Paterson's low shot.

Shortly after, Bendtner's clever little flick found Mark Randall with just the keeper, but Jensen again came out on top with another fine save.

Again Bendtner turned provider this time playing in Vela with a header that split the Burnley defence but the Mexican striker failed to beat Jensen.

It was the final opportunity Arsenal had to level in what had been a highly entertaining and open first half.

Arsenal started the second period brightly with Fran Merida, who had a quiet first half, jinking his way past three Burnley defenders before curling the ball past the post.

But with Arsenal pressing for an equaliser they were caught with a sucker punch falling further behind after 56 minutes.

And it was McDonald who scored it claiming his second goal of the game with a fine finish.

The striker out-muscled Randall to Eagles' throw and curled the ball home with the outside of his right foot from 15-yards.

Soon after Paterson almost made it 3-0 but he headed straight at Fabianski from close range.

Jensen again prevented Bendtner from six yards out as Arsenal's frustration grew.

And late on Bendtner missed from close range with Jensen again using his legs to deny the Arsenal striker.

It was the last real chance Arsenal would have and summed up a frustrating night for the Premier League giants as Championship Burnley celebrated a famous victory and marched into the semi-finals.

Burnley: Jensen, Duff, Carlisle, Caldwell, Jordan, Alexander, Blake (Elliott 77), McDonald (Gudjonsson 61), McCann, Eagles, Paterson (Akinbiyi 74).
Subs Not Used: Penny, Mahon, Rodriguez, MacDonald.

Goals: McDonald 6, 57.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Hoyte, Silvestre, Ramsey, Gibbs, Rodgers (Lansbury 46), Randall (Bischoff 72), Merida, Wilshere (Simpson 63), Bendtner, Vela.
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Coquelin, Steer, Frimpong.

Booked: Randall, Merida.

Att: 19,045

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Burnley's Kevin McDonald 8.15 (on 90 minutes

Beyonce Didn't Want To Marry Jay-Z When She Was Too Young Singer tells Seventeen her rule was not to get hitched before she turned 25.

Beyoncé was in no rush to get married when she first met Jay-Z, not to him or to anyone else, she told Seventeen magazine in their December/January issue, according to UsMagazine.com.

"I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we first started dating," the 27-year-old said in the issue that hits newsstands November 18. "I really don't believe that you will love the same thing when you're 20 as you do at 30. So that was my rule: Before the age of 25, I would never get married."

The singer explained that she wanted to get to know herself first before making the commitment to the hip-hop mogul, which she finally did in a secret ceremony in New York this past April. Now they have become each other's support system.

Jay, 38, offers up advice for his wife all the time, B added, revealing the best wisdom he's shared with her so far: "I guess probably that we're all human," she said.

"I don't care if you're picture-perfect on every magazine cover, and you're the most handsome, successful, coolest guy — you still get sad, and you still get your feelings hurt, and you still get confused and vulnerable and nervous and scared. You have to find a person you can make it through the tough times with."

Beyoncé, whose double album I Am ... Sasha Fierce drops next Tuesday (November 18), also admitted that when it comes to criticism, she is her own worst enemy. "I feel like I'm my own competition," she said. "I don't try to compete with other people. I just try to better myself."

B revealed one of her secrets to staying on top of her game: studying videos of herself in great detail, like an athlete. "I go and watch everything that I've done," she said. "I have my YouTube days, when I watch every performance, and I listen to my music, and I watch my videos to figure out what I need to do, what I need to fix and how to become a better singer."

US carmakers publish rescue plans

Chrysler, Ford and General Motors have all submitted their proposals to Congress for multi-billion dollar loans upon which their survival could depend.

The so-called Detroit Three of troubled US carmakers have asked for a combined total of $34bn (£22.8bn; 26.8bn euros).

Slashing costs, reducing levels of debt and investing in greener technologies form the centre-piece of each proposal.

The chief executives of Ford and GM have even offered to work for $1 a year if Congress approves the emergency aid.

Sales at all three of the carmakers have plunged as US consumers tighten their belts in the face of the severe economic downturn.

Ford sold 31% fewer light vehicles in November compared with the same month last year.

GM suffered a 41% drop in sales for the month, while Chrysler fared worse still, with sales plummeting 47%.

Loan proposals

General Motors asked Congress for a loan of $12bn (£8bn), with an additional $6bn if necessary, to help it survive.

Ford meanwhile requested a $9bn (£6bn) bridging loan, which it hopes it will not need.

Chrysler sought $7bn to survive the dramatic slump in sales that has decimated its cash reserves.

In its submission, GM said that, if the loan was granted, it would draw on $4bn this month before beginning repayments in 2011.

It said it would continue its efforts to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles - including an investment of $2.9bn in alternative fuels - and cut costs, levels of debt and top executives' pay.

This would include reducing its workforce considerably by 2012.

GM also pledged to reduce its chief executive Rick Wagoner's annual salary to just $1.

Ford boss Alan Mullaly made a similar pledge, but only should it need to call on the emergency loan.

Ford also said it would sell its five corporate jets as part of its cost-cutting plan, and proposed other measures including selling some businesses, such as Swedish carmaker Volvo.

It said a $14bn investment was needed in new technologies in the next seven years in order to improve fuel efficiency.

"Ford is asking for access to up to $9bn in bridge financing, but reiterated that it hopes to complete its transformation without accessing the loan should Congress agree to make the funds available," the carmaker said in a statement.

It added that it expected to return to profit, or at least break even, by 2011.

Tough task

Analysts say the poor sales figures have highlighted what a tough task this will be.

"Every manufacturer is posting awful numbers and we are no exception," said Mark LeNeve of GM North America.

Indeed, Honda's year-on-year US sales fell by 32% in November, while Toyota's fell by 34%.

"The consumer is scared and sitting on the sideline. We need appropriate economic stimulus to get the consumer back in the game," Mr LeNeve added.

But the White House has already expressed scepticism about the bail-out proposals.

"We are sticking to our guns that the companies have to prove that they are viable before taxpayer dollars should be given to them," said White House press secretary Dana Perino.

And the Swedish government has ruled out a takeover of Volvo if Ford is unable to sell it.

Avoiding criticism

The heads of all three companies decided not to use private jets to travel to Washington for their presentations to avoid public criticism.

Mr Wagoner and Mr Mulally are both said to have driven one of their own companies' hybrid cars from Detroit, while Chrysler boss Bob Nardelli said he would not use a corporate jet.

GM has warned it could run out of cash in a matter of weeks and cannot wait until President-elect Barack Obama - who may be more sympathetic to industry pleas - takes office in in January.

The company was left with $16bn in cash at the end of September after losing $6.9bn during the previous three months.

But Republican critics and some Democrats say the financial crisis is not the only reason why the biggest US carmakers are in trouble.

They say that the Ford, GM and Chrysler's production is inefficient, and that their labour costs are higher than many of their foreign rivals.

Other critics want to make sure that the Detroit Three adopt more environmentally friendly policies, including strict fuel efficiency targets, in return for government aid.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union is reportedly considering renegotiating their members' contracts.

Green credits

Most analysts think that GM is "too big to fail", while Chrysler is the most vulnerable of the three companies and might be forced into a partnership with a stronger rival.

Their presentations on Tuesday precede hearings in Congress later this week.

According to sources familiar with GM's proposal, the carmaker may consider selling off its Pontiac, Saab and Saturn brands.

Correspondents say it is unclear whether Congress could vote on the bail-out proposals. It could instead delay consideration until the new House of Representatives, with a much bigger Democratic majority, takes office on 6 January.

The Bush administration has offered to accelerate the payment of some $25bn in green investment credits already allocated to the car industry, but this has been opposed by Democrats in the House of Representatives.

Kanye West-Produced Jay-Z Song Confirmed For Bad Boy's 'Notorious' Soundtrack There is also talk that the Notorious B.I.G.'s son will appear on a 'One

It would have to be Bad Boy. You can't imagine a Notorious B.I.G. project without some sort of association with Diddy's label.

MTV News confirmed that the soundtrack to the Biggie biopic "Notorious" will, in fact, be released by Big's former recording home.

Although most of the performers and producers are still being confirmed, an album trump card has already been revealed: Big's good friend Jay-Z. Hov has the first track we'll hear off the album, "Brooklyn (We Go Hard)." Kanye West produced the song, and Santogold is featured on it.

"Brooklyn, we go hard, we go hard," Santo's voice loops throughout the song. "Cross that bridge face the consequence," she also raps in a verse.

"If a man tests my Stuy, I guarantee he won't like my reply," the Jiggaman cautions. "I'm a Brooklyn boy, I may take some getting used to."

There is also talk that Big's son, Christopher Wallace Jr., will appear on a remake of the classic "One More Chance." The capacity of CJ's participation is still unconfirmed by the label, but a source close to the Wallace family has told us he will be rapping with his dad. The young Wallace actually plays his father for a short while in the Biggie film.

The soundtrack is due in stores January 13. The movie is slated for release January 16 through Fox Searchlight Pictures. MTV News had the opportunity to catch a preview of the movie last week. True to the testaments of Big's inner circle, such as Lil' Cease and producer Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Jamal "Gravy" Woolard accurately channels the late, great hip-hop icon. Gravy also has Big's husky voice down cold.

While Biggie's death was tragic, the filmmakers were able to make a large portion of the movie upbeat as they portrayed the Notorious One's astronomic rise to the hip-hop elite.

20 die in Pakistan, Afghan militant attacks

MILITANTS in north-western Pakistan yesterday attacked trucks ferrying supplies to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the United States (U.S.) forces in Afghanistan, killing nine people and destroying a dozen vehicles.

Also in Afghanistan, eight civilians and two police officers died after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a crowded market in southern Afghanistan.

The Associated Press (AP) yesterday quoted Helmand Province police chief Asadullah Sherzad as saying that the bomber targeted a police vehicle in the market.

Sherzad said 25 civilians and two police were also hurt in the attack and several shops were destroyed.

The spasm of violence comes amid a spike in tensions between Pakistan and rival India over last week's terror attacks in Mumbai, which New Delhi has blamed on Pakistani militants.

Pakistan has condemned the attacks and vowed to crack down on the perpetrators if New Delhi provides evidence. But there are fears that tensions could nevertheless boil over between the nuclear-armed rivals.

The attack on the U.S.-led coalition trucks took place at a terminal in Peshawar, which sits along the supply route from Pakistan to Afghanistan. The city has seen an upsurge in violence in recent weeks, including the slaying of an American working on a U.S.-funded aid project.

Several gunmen fired rockets and automatic weapons at the Faisal terminal, killing a driver and a clerk and destroying 12 trucks, said police officer Ahsanullah Khan.

An AP Television News reporter saw two Humvee military vehicles on board the trucks that were on fire following the attack.

Up to 75 per cent of the supplies for Western forces in landlocked Afghanistan pass through Pakistan. Earlier this month, suspected Taliban militants hijacked several trucks carrying Humvees near the Khyber Pass.

Pakistan halted traffic along the road for several days while it arranged for armed troops to guard the slow-moving convoys.

Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the north-western border region are blamed for rising attacks in Pakistan and also in Afghanistan, where violence is running at its highest level since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

Pakistani security officials at the weekend, said they would withdraw troops from the volatile north-west if India were to mobilise its forces close to the Pakistan border following the Mumbai attacks, an alarming scenario for the West as it tries to get Islamabad to focus on the al-Qaeda threat.

Pakistani troops are battling the insurgents in at least two regions, including the Swat Valley, the scene of yesterday's suicide attack.

The bomber detonated his car while queuing up at the checkpoint, a military officer at the Swat media center said on customary condition of anonymity.

"Two passengers vehicles received the major thrust of the explosion and were badly smashed up," he said.

Police officer Dilawar Bangash said eight people were killed and 40 wounded.

The identities of the dead were not known.

Meanwhile, shooting and violence continued in parts of Karachi, the largest city and commercial hub of Pakistan, raising the death toll to 32 in three days of violence.

Riots yesterday forced authorities to close all educational institutions and postpone university exams as ethnic and political gangs clashed in different neighbourhood.

City Police Chief Waseem Ahmed said 32 people were killed and 55 injured.

Lagosians clamour for expansion of BRT

Residents of Lagos have called on the state government to expand the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to cover the unreached areas. The BRT launched in March 2008 has put smile on the faces of many Lagosians and eased their transportation problem.

In a survey conducted by post graduate students of the Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos and supervised by Professor Idowu Sobowale, it was revealed that Lagosians were happy and satisfied with the operation of the scheme because it saved them time and money. It also removed the tension of struggling to board commercial buses.

Through the research carried out by Oyelade Oluwaseyi, Apata Oluwayemisi, Madu Aloysius and Sulaiman Mudasir, it was revealed that 53.8 per cent of Lagosians who responded to the question whether they agreed that the BRT service should be expanded to cover other routes said they strongly agreed.

At least 36.2 per cent of the respondents said they agreed to the extension of the service.
Those who said they do not agree or strongly disagreed were 7.7 per cent and 2.3 per cent respectively.
The survey, which sampled opinions of 793 residents of the nation’s foremost commercial city indicated that the percentage of those who did not show concern about the BRT expansion was insignificant.

Prior to the advent of the BRT scheme, the transportation system in Lagos was chaotic to the extent that it was always war between conductors and commuters in commercial buses without a convenient alternative.
The commercial buses on Lagos roads were inadequate and operators increased fares arbitrarily at the slightest opportunity.
Lagosians commended Governor Fashola administration for the BRT scheme, noting that it had made life better and more comfortable for them.

FG unveils N2.87trillion … Recurrent expenditure – N1. 649 trillion … Capital expenditure – N796.7 billion

Less than four weeks to the end of the 2008 fiscal year, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua finally presented the 2009 Appropriation Bill of N2,870,510,042,679 to the joint session of the National Assembly, with a promise to remain focus despite the global economic downturn.

President Yar’Adua who spent about 57 minutes reading the 30-paragraph speech with no specific title said that Nigeria’s economic growth remains on track just as it is buoyed by strong performance of the non-oil sector in spite of the global downturn.

The president further noted that growth in the non-oil sector particularly in agriculture, remains robust, at an estimated 9 per cent saying that as the administration moves to reposition the economy to meet the challenges as well as take advantage of the opportunities that the people are faced with at home and internationally, it has to be recognized that the global financial crisis has led to slowing growth across the world’s economies.

According to Yar’Adua; "The changing international oil market poses grave concerns for our fiscal outlook. The global financial crisis has led to slowing growth across the world’s economies, resulting in a lower demand for commodities, especially oil.

While speculative investment activities had helped to buoy oil prices in recent months, the reality of the global recession is beginning to be fully appreciated across the globe, and more poignantly in Nigeria by its adverse impact on the international price of oil."

He noted that the recent volatility of the oil price is apparent in the unprecedented decline of prices from record highs of about US$147/barrel in July this year to current prices of about US$50/barrel, adding that there is no guarantee that the prices will not further decline despite OPEC’s recent mitigating efforts, stressing that there was the urgent need to adopt a prudent outlook that does not invest misplaced confidence in the expectation of unrealistically high prices.

He further said; "Notwithstanding however, the oil sector’s GDP contracted in 2008 by about 2.5 per cent due to reduced production levels precipitated by the ongoing situation in the Niger Delta. Overall, real GDP growth for 2009 is estimated to be about 7.5 per cent which compares favourably with the 6.6 per cent recorded so far in 2008.

The budget is 4.45 per cent higher than the 2008 budget of N2.748 trillion as well as an increase of 8.42 per cent over the 2008 Amended budget expenditure of N2.647 trillion.
The budget was benchmarked on a $45 per barrel of crude oil as against $59 of last year and a deficit of N1.09trillion or 3.95 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a forecast production of 2.292million barrels of crude oil per day.
According to the President, the 2009 budget would seeks to tackle critical areas of national needs such as power supply, education, security, Niger Delta, human capital development, critical infrastructure, land reforms, food security and agriculture.

For critical infrastructure, the federal government planned to spend N361.2billion in 2009. This include N88.5billion for power, aviation N15.4billion, petroleum resources N26.5billion, works N129.3billion, transport N35.2billion and N48.7billion for critical infrastructure within the federal territory.

Others are human capital development for which N131.9billion was earmarked. This include N39.6billion for health, education N33.6billion, N32.6billion for MDGs conditional grants, N19.7billion for MDGs quick wins projects and N6.3billion for MDGs capacity building.
Federal Government also budgeted N91.8billion for land reforms and food security, focusing on agriculture and water resources, N67billion for security and N77.2billion on the Niger Delta.
Key projects that would be funded by the 2009 budget includes:

Mambilla Hydro-electric power generation project for which N3.5billion was budgeted, N21.5billion for other Generation projects (including N6.5billion for the completion of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company’s NIPP projects), N32billion for Transmission projects, and N19.25billion for Distribution projects.

Also, the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline received N903.9million, while the Calabar-Umuahia-Ajaokuta Gas Pipeline got N6.7billion and the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kano pipeline received N10.3billion.
Equally, N10.7billion was budgeted for access roads to 6 NNPC refineries and ports while N56.86billion was voted for highway construction and rehabilitation.
The sum of N4.3billion was voted for the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge at Onitsha and N3.6billion for the Guto-Bagana bridge across the River Benue.

The President also announced a vote of N12.4billion for the completion of the Ajaokuta-Warri railway line to the Delta Steel Jetty while N8.3billion was devoted for the modernization of locomotives, coaches and wagons, and N8.4billion for the dredging of the lower River Niger.
The health sector projects include, a N6.5billion on HIV/AIDS response, N3billion on Midwifery services scheme and N7.7billion Maternity and Children’s health while N6billion will go for Polio eradication.
The new ministry of the Niger Delta will invest N28.4billion in the East-West road to improve accessibility to the region while N92.8billion will be spent on projects to improve and restore the environment.

The President also voted N18.6billion on other projects in the Niger Delta particularly the establishment of two sophisticated skills acquisition centres to help the youths from the region to acquire skills relevant to the energy and petrochemicals industry.

Agriculture and water resources also received priority attention as N4.6billion was voted for the development of livestock development infrastructure, N15billion on the supply of fertilizer, N6.5billion on tractor service PPP schemes, N9.2billion on the construction and rehabilitation of dams, and N11.6billion on water supply and sanitation.

According to the President, the philosophy and thrust of the 2009 budget is on "delivering on the promises of the 7 point agenda of the administration by enhancing investment in critical physical infrastructure and human capital development, implementing socio-economic reforms and consolidating democracy."

The President said, the 2009 budget "is to give priority to the completion of ongoing projects, which will quickly deliver tangible results in service delivery. Accordingly, rather than embarking on new projects, this administration has opted to devote more resources to completing existing projects and discharging outstanding obligations from the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years. We will continue to ensure that all new projects are well articulated, properly costed, and sensibly prioritized, taking into account available resources and the implementation capacity of the MDAs."

"We must continue to improve national security and enhance the ability of the law-enforcement agencies to discharge their functions. As a responsible and people-centred government, we must continue to abide by the rule of law, promote transparency and accountability in governance, and relentlessly pursue our efforts to combat corruption. By remaining true to our vision, we will create a more prosperous and secure future for all the citizens of this nation," said the President.

The President also announced that the 2009 N1.09trillion deficit will be financed by outstanding signature bonuses, proceeds of ongoing privatisation, the recall of $200million from the Nigerian Trust Fund of the African Development Bank (ADB), any unspent balances from 2008 budget, domestic borrowing and a naira denominated international bond issue of US$500million.

According to the President, year-on-year headline inflation has exceeded single digit projections remaining at 14.7 per cent in October 2008 while core inflation remained in a single digit at 7.9 per cent. He blamed this on rising global cost of food and energy. " Our efforts to manage inflation will continue to build on increasing coordination between monetary and fiscal policy, and our emphasis on fiscal discipline and prudence in macroeconomic management."

On the global financial crises, the President said that Nigeria "is not immune to the challenges in the global financial markets arising from the acute contraction of credit and liquidity in the international financial markets. However, we have moved to protect the integrity of our nation’s financial markets and system by introducing several measures to strengthen our financial sector and restore investor confidence."
Unlike in the past, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and most ministers were not present at the budget presentation that was witnessed by Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.