Welcome to Akeem Holla's Blog News, Religions, Inspiration, Entertainments, Sports, Gossip: November 2012

2015: Jonathan, OBJ go to war over BoT chair

The PDP’s Bot election which will hold tonight at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, is expected tobe a stormy session, as President Jonathan and Chief Obasanjo are expected to engage in a political duel to install a candidate to administer one of the sensitive organs of the party. Former President Obasanjo had resigned his appointment as the BoT chairman, thus creating the vacuum that party leaders are expected to fill tonight. Whoever emerges, according to the party constitution, will serve a single term of five years. Main contenders for the office are former national chairman of the party, Dr Ahmadu Ali; former Works Minister, Chief Tony Anenih; former Senate President, Dr. Ken Nnamani and Chairman, Champion Newspapers, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. Findings revealed that the Anenih’s candidature enjoys the support of President Jonathan and his foot soldiers had been impressing it on members of the BoT to support the former minister.
Anenih’s supporters flaunt his experience as former Chairman of the board and his ability to galvanise support for party position at critical moments. But party chieftains and members of the board from the North are opposed to Anenih. They frowned at an arrangement in the party which could throw up a stalwart from the South-South as the BoT chairman, against the backdrop of the body language of President Jonathan to contest the 2015 election. “It is the apprehension over 2015 that has made those who know what (Mr. Fix It as Anenih is called) can swing that has informed their vow that it could be anybody, but not Anenih.
A source revealed that it was not clear, if Chief Obasanjo has shifted his support for Dr Ali. “His proposal that the National Secretary of the board, Senator Walid Jubril should step down for Dr Ali, since both are from the North-Central would be resisted. Such a pleasant man who had been doing the job since Obasanjo left the office, would not be traded off like that, a source further submitted. “It is, however, not clear, if the former president would abandon Dr. Ali, for the candidature of Chief Iwuanyanwu, as it is being speculated. Recall that Anenih served as BoT chairman from 2003 to 2007 after Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s five years’ tenure as pioneer boss of the board.
Ekwueme, a former vice president in the Second Republic, and the founding protem National Chairman of the party, served as the BoT boss between 1998 and 2003. However, Anenih was displaced by Obasanjo in 2007 in what was akin to a palace coup, barely a month after the end of his second term as president. During his days as BoT boss, Anenih is known to have wielded great-influence in the affairs of the party especially in prosecuting its electoral wars nation-wide. On his part, Ali, a former minister of education, was national chairman of the party during the twilight of Obasanjo’s second term. Incidentally, he was the party boss at the same time Anenih was the BoT boss.
A key ally of the ex-president Obasanjo dating back to his regime as miliatry Head of State in the ‘70s, it is doubtful whether if the PDP former national chairman still enjoys the former leader’s confidence. According to the party’s constitution, about 120 members are qualified to vote for the BoT chairman. They include former presidents, vice presidents, former speakers, House of Representatives, ex-Senate presidents, former national chairmen and secretaries as well as serving ones.

N4.7bn money laundering charge: Ill-health stalls Babalakin’s arraignment

By FAITH OMORUYI
The proposed arraignment of the Chairman of Bi-courtney Limited, Olawale Babalakin and four others in a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday over an alleged N4.7 billion money laundered was stalled due to his absence. T
he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) had filed a 27-count charge before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo against Babalakin, Bi-courtney Limited and Stabilini Visioni Limited, as well as Alex Okoh and his company, Remix Nigeria Limited for helping convicted ex-governor of Delta State, James Ibori to fraudulently transfer various sums of money through third party to some foreign accounts.
During proceedings yesterday, Okoh was present in court for the arraignment, but Babalakin was absent. Babalakin’s counsel, Ebun Sofunde (SAN) told the court that his client is currently on admission at Lagos University Teaching Hospital ( LUTH) over an unnamed ailment.
He stated that he had earlier presented a letter to the registrar of the court, which contained a medical report by one Dr. Charles Hammond on his client’s ill-health. He therefore, sought for a short adjournment from the court to enable the first defendant to recover to appear for his arraignment.
Though prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) did not counter Sofunde’s application for an adjournment, he stated that he was “disappointed at the tactics of the first defendant.” He noted that the said medical report was dated November 26, 2012 when Babalakin was at EFCC’s office in Abuja throughout November 26. He added that it took up to a week before EFCC officials were able to locate him and serve him court processes despite of all efforts to get him.
He said Babalakin was only released due to the presence of one Dr. Layonu (SAN) who came with him. Jacobs held that the sureties ought to have raised the issue of ill-health earlier so the agency could confirm the medical report, which was only brought to his team’s notice yesterday. In his response, Babalakin’s counsel stated that his client’s health could have deteriorated due to stress after he appeared before the EFCC office in Abuja on the 26 November, 2012 for questioning. However, delivering his ruling, Justice Onigbanjo directed the EFCC counsel to verify the claims that Babalakin was on admission at LUTH.
He also urged the commission to get an independent medical report on the true state of Babalakin’s health and adjourned the matter till December 12 for possible arraignment. According to the charge of conspiracy, retention of criminal proceeds and corrupt transfer of public funds filed against the defendants ,they allegedly corruptly conferred benefits on Ibori on contracts awarded to Stabilini by transferring the sum through a third party to Erin Aviation Account in Mauritius for the procurement of a Challenger Jet Aircraft by Ibori.
The defendants were also alleged to have siphoned money abroad for Ibori through the said Erin Aviation Account in Mauritius. The various companies that were used to transfer the alleged stolen fund includes Interactive Technologies Ltd, Sopetrol Oil and Gas Ltd, Casaka Nigeria Company Ltd, Geofluids Ltd, ABS Ltd and Hyundai Heavy Industries Nigeria Limited.

7 Christians And 1 Pastor Sentenced To Death For Mocking Islam Prophet

The case was seen as largely symbolic because the defendants, most of whom live in the United States, are all outside Egypt and are thus unlikely to ever face the sentence. The charges were brought in September during a wave of public outrage in Egypt over the amateur film, which was produced by an Egyptian-American Copt.

The low-budget "Innocence of Muslims," parts of which were made available online, portrays the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, womaniser and buffoon.

Egypt's official news agency said the court found the defendants guilty of harming national unity, insulting and publicly attacking Islam and spreading false information - charges that carry the death sentence.

Maximum sentences are common in cases tried in absentia in Egypt. Capital punishment decisions are reviewed by the country's chief religious authority, who must approve or reject the sentence. A final verdict is scheduled on January 29.

The man behind the film, Mark Basseley Youssef, was among those convicted. He was sentenced in a California court earlier this month to one year in federal prison for probation violations in an unrelated matter. Youssef, 55, admitted that he had used several false names in violation of his probation order and obtained a driver's license under a false name. He was on probation for a bank fraud case.

Multiple calls to Youssef's attorney in Southern California, Steve Seiden, were not returned Wednesday.

Florida-based Terry Jones, another of those sentenced, is the pastor of Dove World Outreach, a church of less than 50 members in Gainesville, Florida, not far from the University of Florida. He has said he was contacted by the filmmaker to promote the film, as well as Morris Sadek, a conservative Coptic Christian in the US who posted the video clips on his website.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Jones said the ruling "shows the true face of Islam" - one that he views as intolerant of dissent and opposed to basic freedoms of speech and religion.

"We can speak out here in America," Jones said. "That freedom means that we criticise government leadership, religion even at times. Islam is not a religion that tolerates any type of criticism."

In a statement sent to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Sadek, who fled Egypt 10 years ago and is now a Coptic activist living in Chantilly, Virginia., denied any role in the creation, production or financing of the film.

He said the verdict "shows the world that the Muslim Brotherhood regime wants to shut up all the Coptic activists, so no one can demand Copts' rights in Egypt."

Coptic Christians make up most of Egypt's Christian minority, around 10 percent of the country's 83 million. They complain of state discrimination. Violent clashes break out occasionally over land disputes, worshipping rights and love affairs between Muslims and Christians.

Sexy Nollywood Actress, Beverly Naya Sizzles in New Photoshoot

Beverly Naya is a rising Nollywood actress. She first appeared in a small role in the 2010 movie, Guilty Pleasures.
She then went on to star as lead in the movie, Home in Exile, which was directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen. She has more than 9 movies scheduled to be released in 2013.
These include Tarila Thompson’s Up The Creek Without a Paddle, which also stars Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Patience Ozokwo, and Van Vicker. Beverly Naya is currently shooting Lotanna, a new movie, which also stars Chris Attoh, Iretiola Doyle, Bimbo Manuel, Jide Kosoko and Chris Okagbue.
Beverly Naya recently had a photo shoot with Korede Olabanji.