BREAKING! Manslaughter: Ibinabo granted bail

Embattled ex-beauty queen, Ibinabo Fiberesima got  of temporary relief as Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos granted her bail pending the determination of her appeal at the Supreme Court.
Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of the State High Court had in 2009 convicted Fiberesima of manslaughter, holding that her reckless driving was responsible for an auto crash, which claimed the life of one Dr. Giwa Suraj on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
While sentencing Fiberesima to five years imprisonment, Justice Oluwayemi overruled the decision of the State Magistrates’ Court which earlier ordered her to pay N100,000 for the offence.
Having dissatisfied with Justice Oluwayemi’s verdict, the convict approached Court of Appeal to nullify the verdict but the court also affirmed it.
Again, the embattled Nollywood actress approached Supreme Court and the matter is pending before the court.
Besides, Fiberesima filed an application before the Court of Appeal, prayed the court to release her on bail pending when the Supreme Court would hear and determine her appeal against the appellate court’s judgment.
In an affidavit of urgency filed in support of her bail application before the Court of Appeal, one Victor Eden said Fiberesima had just undergone a surgery for breast cancer and was still under the watch of her doctors.
Eden said Fiberesima’s surgical wound had yet to properly heal, adding that the actress was afraid that her life might be endangered if kept in the prison custody.
He said it would best serve the interest of justice to release Fiberesima on bail while the Supreme Court’s decision in her case was being awaited
Lagos State Government did not opposed the application but urged the court to use it discretion.
The state represented by Mrs. Rotimi Odutola held that what real concern the state was the pursuit of the appeal filed by the convict.
She said the basis of the appeal was not on whether Feberesima was guilty or not, adding the actress did not disputed her conviction but only appeal the sentence.
After listing to argument of both parties, Justice Sidi Bage, who led the three-man panel granted the convict bail in the sum of two million naira with two sureties in the like sum
Justice Samuel Osuji who read the lead judgment held that there was nothing in the record of the court that the convict once jump bail.
And there was enough evidence before that the convict has health challenge
However, one of the three-man panel, Justice Y B Nimba did not agree with the panel, she held that no special circumstance exist for the grant of bail.

President Buhari Receives 2016 Budget

Details of the 2016 budget has been transmitted to the President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, confirmed this to Channels Television.
Senator Enang says he went into the President’s Office for the hand over in the company of the Chief of Staff.

Senator Ita Enang handing over the budget to the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari

On Wednesday, the National Assembly transmitted the final document through the Clerk to the Presidency having concluded work on the figures.
In a statement jointly signed by the chairmen of the appropriation committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, Danjuma Goje and Abdulmumin Jibrin, the committees thanked Nigerians for their patience and understanding.
The chairmen said it took their committees extra weeks to get the details ready so they could correct all the inconsistencies, errors, omissions and padding in the document submitted to them in December 2015.
In the meantime, the President earlier today met with with the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.
It’s not clear what the meeting is about but a source in the Presidency says it is in relation to the state of the nation.

Fuel scarcity: Kachikwu’s deadline ends today, tension persist

LESS than 24 hours to the April 7 deadline given by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, for fuel supply to normalize, Daily Sun investigations revealed that the timeline might not be achieved.
The situation in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Lagos, at press time was still chaotic, as most petrol stations have remained without products while the few that have are contending with.
There is anxiety as the scarcity still bites harder in Abuja and neighbouring states.
Observers believe that except by sheer magic or miracle, the scarcity might linger for some more days.
Kachikwu had during a meeting with the Senate said he expected that “between now and about April 6 and 7, the fuel queues will disap­pear, the Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) will begin and the foreign exchange allocation will see us smoothly through the track.’’
He had also promised that the situation would ease off finally in other states by this weekend.
In Lagos, a visit to depots in Apapa and Ibafon revealed that the inefficiencies in the loading process and logistics process to enable trucks load out products have compounded the fuel scarcity.
However, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed readiness to partner with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to end the perennial scarcity.
The union president, Igwe Achese said NU­PENG has the capacity, men and will to end the perennial scarcity and therefore called for col­laboration with the NNPC to end the scourge.
NUPENG said since 60 per cent of its mem­bers are involved in the distribution chain and most of the Independent Marketers (IPMAN) and NARTO members either NUPENG mem­bers or former members, it will be able to get the issue right and end the present scarcity of petroleum products.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s fuel shortages have caused power cuts across the border in Niger.
A statement by the state electric company, NIGELEC, said the cut has affected seven of Niger’s eight regions for the past 72 hours.
Landlocked Niger became an oil producer in 2011 but still imports about 70 percent of its power needs from Nigeria.
“This situation has caused (NIGELEC’s) principal provider to limit to a third its normal imports, which is at the base of the current disturbances observed on networks lately,” the statement explained.
“NIGELEC has found itself therefore with the obligation to proceed with rolling blackouts.”
But, Niger’s uranium-mining region Agadez, which has an independent power plant, has not been affected by the power cuts.
At the time of this report, many filling stations in the major cities across Nigeria were still locked up without products while those selling have long queues of vehicles to attend to.
Although government has warned against products hoarding and diversion as a way to discourage ‘black market’, fuel hawkers still dominate the business along highways in and streets of Abuja and Lagos.
As at yesterday morning, long queues of tank­ers had taken over the service lane of the Papa Oshodi expressway to Ibafon jetty.
Security officials had a hectic time control­ling traffic in order to ensure that trucks drivers comply with traffic rules.
At the Capital Oil and Sahara depots in Ibafon, marketers told Daily Sun that only few trucks had been loaded at 2pm.
A marketer, Mr. Tijani Abdul, said Capital Oil and Gas have commenced a 24-hour service. He urged other depots to follow suit.
About 46 million metric tonnes of petrol is expected to be injected into the supply chain in the next three days from the NIPCO depot, but the delay in getting approvals from the relevant authorities to give clearance to cargoes is report­edly slowing down the load out process and compounding the scarcity situation.

Prostitutes Divided as France Bans Paying for Sex

French MPs on Tuesday approved a new law that proponents say will protect sex workers by shifting the burden of the offense onto clients, but some prostitutes are crying foul.
The French union of sex workers (Strass, its acronym in France) called on members and supporters to protest the “repressive” bill outside the National Assembly, where lawmakers adopted the reform into law.
The legislation outlaws paying for sex, imposes fines for clients and overturns the existing ban on solicitation. In an unprecedented move, the bill also makes available €4.8 million per year to help sex workers quit the trade.
The comprehensive approach, which envisions an eventual eradication of prostitution, has earned support among other French organisations that assist and defend sex workers.
The law comes after more than two years of political wrangling, spurring heated debates – even among prostitutes – on the controversial topic.
‘Change mentalities’
The bill was authored by Socialist MP Maud Olivier – who represents the Essone department near Paris – who has made the fight against prostitution her personal crusade.
“Prostitution is violence”, the lawmaker states on her website, adding: “This poorly-understood violence is alone in not being recognised as such in law”.
Olivier says the law will help authorities tackle pimping and human trafficking, protect victims and help them escape the sex trade. It will also help better educate young people and clients of the harm caused by prostitution.
“The goal is to diminish [prostitution], protect prostitutes who want to quit, and change mentalities” she told France’s Le Monde newspaper on Tuesday.
Underfunded
Strass and other French advocacy groups disagree. This week the sex workers union accused Olivier and other lawmakers of upholding an “essentially repressive” reform.
The new law does nothing to help sex workers – of whom there are around 30,000 in France, according to official estimates – and even makes them more vulnerable, according to Strass.
Around a dozen organisations, which included Strass, but also Doctors of the World and France’s leading AIDS advocacy group, further argued that the measures to help sex workers transition to a new life was misguided and underfunded.
The law stipulates people have to stop prostituting themselves in order to qualify for cash stipends and other aid. “How can someone stop sex work without residency papers [which allows someone to legally live in France], long-term housing, or sufficient cash allocations?” the group asked in a statement, highlighting the fact that up to 80% of prostitutes in France are foreigners.
‘Real alternatives’
The law nevertheless represents a historic leap forward, according to other rights groups.
Le Mouvement du Nid (Movement of the Nest), a group that advocates for the abolition of prostitution, but also helps sex workers access medical attention, legal counsel and defends them from harassment, has mounted a detailed and impassioned defence of the legislation.
It has hailed France for joining other European countries that have shifted the criminal burden from prostitutes to clients.
“Sweden, Norway and Iceland have already ended this historic injustice, which consists of punishing the victims of the system, while defending the impunity of those who impose sex through economic power”, le Mouvement du Nid said in a statement.
The group said the law was unprecedented in its “ambition to offer real alternatives to people who are looking to leave prostitution behind”.
Free to work the street
The only thing supporters and detractors seem to agree on is that the law could fundamentally impact the way prostitutes work.
The change will come at a time when traditional prostitutes are already struggling to adapt to the new Internet-based business models, and facing new forms of exploitation.
As the industry moves onto the Internet, a growing number of people are offering to work as intermediaries between prostitutes and clients on the web, according to observers.
Critics of the law say it will push prostitution further toward the Internet business model, making it harder to police.
“Prostitution on the street is already starting to disappear because of the Internet”, Mylene Juste, a Paris prostitute lamented in a recent interview with FRANCE 24.
She is among the sex workers who have rallied in the French capital in recent months to protest the new law. “This is the way I want to live my life. I want to be free to work as a prostitute, even on the street. I don’t want to be on the Internet”, she said.

Fight In Nasarawa State Assembly Over Appointment Of Sole Administrators

Some members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly on Friday engaged each other in a fight during plenaries, as issues surrounding the appointment of local council administrators divided the House.

Iwobi dreams to be part of Siasia’s Rio 2016 dream team

Arsenal exciting youngster, Alex Iwobi, has confirmed his intention to represent Nigeria in the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, reports www.justarsenal.com.
The winger has rapidly rose to prominence in North-London, and is now an integral part of the first-team squad.
Iwobi will be expected to play a huge part in the Gunners bid to win next season’s Premier League title, but looks set to miss out on their entire pre-season, as well as the opening few matches also.
The tournament is set to run until August 20, with the PL starting the weekend before, and he will most likely be rested on his return as he adjusts to life back at the Emirates.
The Nigerian’s decision to play at Rio 2016 is likely to come as a blow for manager Arsene Wenger, but he can take solace in the fact that he will not have to feature in the African Cup of Nations at the start of 2017, after his side were eliminated in qualification in previous weeks.
Their failure to qualify is also likely to have played a part in his decision to play at the Olympics, although there is still a chance he will not be selected.
A player like Iwobi offering his services will of course mean that he is selected, however, so we will just have to prepare to start the new campaign without him, the website said.
“I am looking forward to the forthcoming Olympics and if I am invited, I will do my best to make a meaningful contribution,” Iwobi said.
“I believe that Nigeria has a crop of excellent players who are capable of doing great things at the Olympics. Coach Samson Siasia deserves a lot of praise for securing a place for the nation at the Olympics,” he added.
The youngster recently changed alliances, having played for England at various youth levels in the Under-16 to Under-18 categories, but has no regrets on his decision to play for the same country as his ever-famous uncle Jay-Jay Okocha.

Transportation Fares rise by 200 per cent as fuel scarcity continues

Amid efforts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and independent marketers to ensure the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the country, fares have increased by over 200 per cent in major cities in the country.
There are signs too, of restiveness in some parts of the country just as Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday appealed to residents of the state to bear with the government over the lingering shortage of fuel and electricity across the state.
In Edo State, some Civil Society Organisations (CSO) yesterday protested against the incessant fuel scarcity and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to curtail his foreign trips and face the challenges at home.
To ease the pains of fuel scarcity in Cross River , the state government says it has begun the monitoring of trucks movement.The Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Itaya Asuquo Nyong, said on Tuesday his ministry would follow up trucks at NNPC Calabar depot to ensure that products were made available to independent and major marketers and also to ensure that the people of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states were not short-changed.
Although the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu promised the regular supply of petrol between yesterday and tomorrow, the fuel crises got worse in some parts of the country with commuters resorting to trekking long distances.
This comes as President Buhari is said to have summoned Kachikwu for a brief on the supply of products across the country.
As yesterday, many people were stranded at various bus stops due to a shortage of commercial buses, which are spending several hours in the queue at petrol stations in a bid to buy fuel.The few ones which manage to get the product at the black market have increased fares by over 100 per cent.
For instance, charges from Oshodi to Mile Two which used to be between N50 and N100 have risen to between N200 and N300, depending on the time and type of vehicle available.
Also, taxicabs within the city have increased their charges. Taxi fare from Victoria Island to Ikeja which used to be between N1,500 and N2,000 has increased to about N4,000. Some people have resorted to trekking to their destinations due to lack of commercial vehicles and the high fares. A one-way trip from Lagos to Owerri, Onitsha and Aba which was between N3,000 and N3,500 is now between N4,500 and N5,000.
Motorcyclists and vehicle owners keep vigil at filling stations that have now become battlefields as they struggle to fill their tanks, generating sets and any other fuel-consuming machines.
Explaining efforts put so far into fuel importation, NNPC stated: “A total of 975.32 million litres of white product was distributed and sold by PPMC in the month of February 2016 compared with 939.75 million litres in the month of January2016.
“This comprised 865.47 million litres of PMS, 73.99 million litres of kerosene and 35.85 million litres of diesel. Total sale of white products for the period March 2015 to February 2016 stands at 9.53 billion litres, PMS (8.19 billion litres) accounts for 85.86 per cent. While total special products for the period under review was 5.08 million litres, comprising 2.18 million litres of special products and 2.89 million litres of bunker products.”
The corporation noted that a total value of N74.72 billion naira was collected as sales revenue for white product sold by PPMC in the month of February 2016 compared with 71.62 billion naira collected in the prior month of January 2016.
According to NNPC, total revenues generated from the sales of white products for the period March 2015 to February 2016 stands at 706.59 billion naira where PMS contributed about 89.52 of the revenues collected with a value of
632.55 billion naira.
Nyong, who spoke at a meeting with some major independent marketers in the state as part of efforts in resolving the lingering fuel scarcity in the state that has lasted for over a month, said: “This meeting is not a union meeting but purely a state issue intended to ensure that products reach their destination because the scarcity is biting hard on the people.”
The commissioner said that was one in a series of meetings with major stakeholders in the petroleum industry to ensure that the state was given a fair share in the allocations of petroleum products at the NNPC depot.
According to a statement yesterday by Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the state consumes more than 40 per cent of the fuel and energy needs of the country and therefore appreciates that the impact of the scarcity would be felt more in the state. He however, urged residents to remain calm, orderly and law-abiding as government was doing everything possible within its power to find an immediate solution to the crisis.
“Governor Ambode says he shares the pain and discomfort of Lagosians and assures them that President Muhammadu Buhari is deeply touched by the situation and is working round the clock to alleviate the suffering of the people,” he said.
The protesters in Edo under the aegis of Talakawa Parliament in conjunction with Returnees Foundation and Traders Welfare Union of Nigeria lamented the lingering economic crunch that has bedevilled the economy resulting in untold hardship for her residents.
The leaders of Talakawa Parliament as well as Returnee Foundation and Traders Welfare Union of Nigeria, Kola Edokapyi and Solomom Okoduwa during a peaceful protest to the Edo State Council of Nigeria Union Of Journalists (NUJ), Secretariat in Benin, said it was out of place and painful to see the Commander –in-Chief of the Armed Offices and President touring the countries of the world without realising the poverty, hunger and unemployment Nigerians were faced with coupled with the fuel scarcity in the last four months.
The groups who brandished various placard with inscriptions as “End fuel scarcity now,” ‘‘ Kill corruption, don’t kill Nigerians” and “President Buhari must stop the frequent foreign trips”, decried the untold hardship Nigerians were facing due to the fuel scarcity and public electricity supply challenges.