Government should stop giving actors money —John Okafor

John Okafor

Nollywood actor, John Okafor, berates some of his colleagues for receiving money from government in this interview with Jayne Augoye.

POPULAR actor, John Okafor has decried the absence of adequate structures in Nollywood.

Also he criticised the recent visit of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria to President Goodluck Jonathan, which did not appear to go down well with some people who queried the motive in the first place.

For these critics, the actors only went to grab a ‘piece of the national cake.’ And though the actors concerned have since defended their decision to pay the President a courtesy visit, popular Nigerian comic actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, is still not pleased.

According to the actor who rose to prominence after his breakout role in the 1997 movie, Agony, where he portrayed an imbecile, the Federal Government has yet to set its priorities right with regard to Nollywood.

“The government should stop giving Actors’ Guild cash, because we don’t know how to handle it. Some people will go to the office, process the money and squander it and we (actors) never benefit from such goodwill.

“If they (government) can give us a structure or land, we (actors) can go ahead and secure funds from investors to build five-star hotels and other facilities on it, because it will be a tourist haven. We can bring the Nigerian Censor’s board into the same arena

Sacking: FG asks court to dismiss Olotu’s suit

court gavel
| credits: photo-dictionary.com

President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, have asked an Abuja Federal High Court to strike out a suit filed by Justice Gladys Olotu to challenge her dismissal.

Justice Olotu, a former judge of the Abuja Federal House Court, who was dismissed by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, had approached the court in a bid to set aside her compulsory retirement.

She sued President Jonathan and the AGF, alongside the NJC, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Mukhtar, and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta.

But in a notice of preliminary objection filed by their counsel, Taiwo Abidogun, the President and the AGF asked the court, presided by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, to dismiss Justice Olotu’s suit.

They argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Stating the grounds upon which they asked the court to strike out the matter, the President and the AGF noted that, “The substantive matter relates to and is connected with the employment of the applicant, an erstwhile employee of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

Ekiti gov aspirant asks PDP to disqualify Fayose

Mr. Ayodele Fayose

A Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Deji Ajayi, has asked the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to disqualify a fellow aspirant, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, from taking part in the PDP primaries scheduled for Saturday.

Ajayi, in a petition, which he also sent to President Goodluck Jonathan, threatened to seek legal redress if Fayose was not barred from the primaries to produce the PDP candidate in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti.

He said that Fayose had ceased from being a member of the party, having defected to the Labour Party in the past and that there was no constitutional recommendation to the National Working Committee of the PDP for Fayose’s readmission to the party.

Nigerian exam system outdated, problematic – Ezekwesili

Former World Bank Vice-President for Africa, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili
| credits: File copy

A former Vice President of the World Bank and one time Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili has said the use of archaic examination system is one of the major challenges facing the education sector.

Ezekwesili, who is also the Senior Economic Advisor, Open Society Foundation, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while making a presentation at the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit.

In her presentation titled, ‘Education: For what purpose?’, the minister also listed poor relations between the federal and  state education agencies, improper implementation of policies, communication gaps between operators in the sector and society; and corruption in the monitoring and policing system as other factors affecting the sector.

Controversy over Turkish Airlines arms shipment to Nigeria

Coordinating General Manager (Communications) for Aviation Parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati
| credits: http://citizensplatform.net

THERE was controversy on Wednesday over reported arms shipment to Nigeria by two Turkish Airlines. The airline allegedly shipped weapons to unknown groups in the country, a development that AFP reports said was exposed by an incriminating phone call.

But the airline, with operations in the country, has denied the claim though it confirmed that it carried arms into Nigeria in accordance with international laws.

According to the French news agency, however, an Assistant Executive of the Turkish Airlines, Mehmet Karatas, in the leaked conversation allegedly told an advisor to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mustafa Varank, that he felt guilty over the national flag carrier’s arms shipment to Nigeria.

AFP described the leaked conversation as the latest blow to Erdogan, who has been hit by a corruption probe ensnaring his key allies and a widening phone-tapping scandal.

“I do not know whether these (weapons) will kill Muslims or Christians. I feel sinful,” Karatas allegedly said in the tape, which was posted on YouTube.

Jonathan warns ministers, cancels NIS recruitment

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: File copy

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday read the Riot Act to ministers and heads of government departments and agencies to desist from organising fatal exercises similar to the one conducted by the Nigeria Immigration Service on Saturday, under the guise of recruiting staff.

The President said any sloppy minister, whose carelessness caused the death of citizens, would henceforth be arrested and prosecuted for manslaughter.

Jonathan reportedly issued the threat during the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. Sources at the meeting said discussion centred mainly on the tragic NIS recruitment during which 19 applicants died.

One of the sources told our correspondent that the President spoke after he had asked the embattled Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, to brief the council on the circumstances that led to the death of the applicants.

The source said that while Jonathan was silent on whether Moro was culpable and would be punished or not, he warned that all government officials must ensure that such unfortunate incident did not occur again in the country.

Jonathan sacks NNPC director, appoints five new GEDs

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday sacked the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Abiye Membere, and appointed five new ones to fill existing vacancies.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the new appointees and their portfolios are Mr. Ian Udoh, Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals; Dr. Dan Efebo, Group Executive Director, Corporate Services; and Ms. Aisha Abdurrahman, Group Executive Director, Business Development.

Others are Mr. Adebayo Ibirogba, Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technical; and Dr. Joseph Dawha, Acting Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production.

Abati said the appointments took immediate effect.

Among the GEDs, the one in charge of the Exploration and Production is one of the most influential in the hierarchy of the NNPC because the department is responsible for producing the crude oil that is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy.

It was gathered that some of the old GEDs had retired from the corporation without the government filling their positions, while some served in acting capacities.

For instance, the former GED, Refining and Petrochemicals, Mr. Anthony Ogbuigwe, and GED, Business Development, Mr. Aminu Babakusa, were said to have retired from the services of the NNPC.

The former acting GEDs, Corporate Services and Engineering and Technical were replaced with substantive directors.