Petrol station fire kills 2, injure 7 in Abeokuta.

Two persons were confirmed dead and seven others injured as a petrol station located in Adigbe area of Abeokuta went up in flames on Thursday.

 

The station, Rabeng Petroleum, located opposite the popular Iya Sunday food canteen, was reported to have caught fire as a welder worked on a fuel tank beside a gas base in the premises.

 

The fire later spread to about six shops opposite the fuel station

 

A witness, Seun Ogunme, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES at the scene, blamed the carelessness of the artisan for the outbreak that destroyed a Toyota pick-up van, two motorcycles, air-conditioners, five fuel pumping machines, office tables and fridges among other valuables.

 

Mr. Ogunme added that the victims were taken to a nearby hospital and later referred to the State Hospital, Sokenu, Abeokuta for emergency treatment. The remains of the dead had been deposited in the morgue at the time of this report.

 

The state fire service put the fire under control at the time our correspondent visited the scene, which had been put under surveillance by the Civil Defence Corps.

 

A trader who runs a business opposite the station, Omolola Salami, told our correspondent how she narrowly escaped death from the inferno.

 

“Immediately we heard the explosion, we abandoned our shops, but some were not that lucky as the fire caught them and burnt about six shops. A girl who was in a shop with her mother was badly burnt,” Ms. Salami narrated.

 

However, the state Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Akinwale Aboluwaye, said the fire incident was as a result of the negligence of the artisan.

 

“You can see the burnt generator of the artisan. He was said to be welding one of the pumping machines beside the gas base in the station when the gas attracted the generator and resulted in fire,” Mr. Aboluwaye noted.

 

He said he had deployed his officers to the station to prevent hoodlums from looting the station.

 

Source: Premium Times

FUNAAB Partners Police, DSS To Curb Security Challenges

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), which last Thursday declared a seven-day mid-semester break for the Second Semester of 2015/2016 academ session, says it has taken steps to protect the lives and property of members of staff and students.

Particularly, the school says it is partnering the state police command as well as the Department of State Services (DSS) in its bid to ensure that peace returns to the campus.

The management-ordered break was after a violent protest by students, which left five vehicles burnt, seven vandalised and a place of worship allegedly attacked. The protest was precipitated by the alleged insensitivity displayed by the police and the school’s management over incessant attack on students by hoodlums in the school’s hostels.

After the protest, where two policemen were allegedly injured, over 30 persons were arrested in connection with incident, with the state command saying that those found culpable would be prosecuted.

According to Head, Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) of the school, Emi’ Alawode, management of the school, noted with dismay, the violent unrest to protest incessant robbery attacks in hostels outside the university campus, which led to the disruption of public peace, wanton vandalisation and destruction of private and/or public property running into several millions of naira.

She said that the mid-semester break, would assist the university to provide additional security measures, and to further support initiatives of the federal and state governments towards the protection of their lives and property of members of the university community.

However, apart of the concerted efforts towards ensuring a secured environment for members of the university community, she informed, “FUNAAB has partnered with relevant security agencies to ensure safety of lives and property of staff and students living within the university environs, following armed robbery reports from some students residing in Isolu, a community situated outside the university campus,” the statement added.

“To this end, the University security team, in collaboration with the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Odeda and Obantoko areas, both in Abeokuta, often take turns, on daily basis, to patrol the university environs at night. The university management has also encouraged the various communities to embrace community policing and vigilante services, to support the efforts of the police and the DSS.

“It is important to note that students have also been cautioned to avoid attracting unnecessary attention to themselves, be alert, be vigilant about happenings in their surroundings and be free to contact the University Chief Security Officer (CSO), in case they notice any strange movement or occurrence around their vicinities,” she added.

Trekking Trend: Man Treks From Abeokuta To Lagos For Tinubu, Others

One 28 year old Adam Afolabi Ndabagi has vowed to embark on a-five-day -trekking from Abeokuta to Lagos state to celebrate the victory of the President-elect , Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) at the poll by visiting and appreciating former governor of Lagos state , Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the platform.

Ndabagi, a fashion designer was born in Sabo,in Abeokuta North local government area of Ogun State and had his schools in the state , said though, his father was a Nupe man but, his mother was an Egba woman.

Speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, Ndabagi, said he would begin the five -day journey on Monday, (today) from OPIC round about in Oke-Ilewo Abeokuta at 6:am enroute Abeokuta-Lagos old road to Lagos state .

According to him, Tinubu deserves more than what he was planning to do for him, saying, ” for youths to travel far for Buhari, I will trek to Lagos even if Asiwaju Bola Tinubu lives at somewhere far from Lagos, I will also trek there through Ewekoro, Ifo, Sango, Agege. “I want to go and tell him well done for the work he did to help keep Nigeria strong with his political revolution without shedding the blood of any Nigerian. This revolution attracted recognition from international observers. “I will start my journey on Monday by 6a.m. at OPIC roundabout for about five days and I should be through with everything on Friday by God’s grace.

“Apart from that, I will also visit Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu for his tremendous works on the throne of his forefathers by making Lagos good. I will also thank Governor Babatunde Fashola for transforming Lagos state for his eight years on the throne as well as the lawmakers who are supporting him.

“I have been assured by the DPO, Ilupeju Police station as well as my doctor , for safety and my medical safety. Just like some trekked for Buhari, I am only trekking to celebrate him because I am very much happy. I have no money to give him but I would use my agility to trek, sweat to greet him because he is a man of honour”, he said .

When asked how he would pass nights during his journey, Ndabagi said he would look out for head of the village or Seriki of Hausa in the area he got to when never the sun’s sets to pass nights with and continue his journey the following day. He also said he would cover 25km on a daily basis to cover about 100km distance from Abeokuta to Ikoyi to meet with Tinubu.

Creditvanguardngr

Jonathan Still Silent To Obasanjo’s Five Questions

It was gathered that President Jonathan appealed for the support of Obasanjo at the meeting in Abeokuta, choosing not to respond to some of the questions posed by the former president.

At the meeting however, the former president had asked president Jonathan the following questions,

“ (1) Did you agree to run for only one term or not?

(2) What did you tell me was your reason for not going after Boko Haram insurgents even when I told you this will boomerang?

(3) What happened to Nigeria’s external reserve and Sovereign Wealth Fund? (4) Did you give licence to Niger Delta militants (Dokubo and Tompolo) to import arms in the name of their privately owned companies? If so, for what reason?

(5) Did you not get correspondence from the United States consulate that a certain citizen named Buruji Kashamu is indicted for drug trafficking? Why did you appoint the same Kashamu as South West leader of PDP rather than hand him over to the US? And did the PDP give automatic Senate ticket to a wanted and convicted drug baron?”

However, it appears that the President’s inability to respond to these question is yet to elapse as he has not or is yet to respond to them.

 

I won’t Fight Corruption by Sending people to Jail – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has said his commitment and method of solving corruption problems is  not dependent on the number of people his administration tries or jails in court.

Though, he said his government has tried many Nigerians to show that it did not support corruption, he said the number of people tried for corruption related offences  would never stem the tide of hydra-headed problem.

He said this at the ancient Mapo Hall, the venue for the flag-off of his campaign for a second term ticket in the 2015 elections.

According to him, “If I try 10 million Nigerians and jail 5 million, that does not stop corruption problem. Let me re-assure Nigerians that we will win war against terror. My commitment and method of solving corruption is not in terms of the number of people I try or jail.”

President Jonathan who used the forum to reel out the achievements of his administration noted that that his government had empowered over one million people through its various intervention programmes.

Read More: vanguardngr.com

What Obasanjo Told PDP Govs in Secret Meeting

Sad news for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid broke out from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Hilltop Mansion, Abeokuta, yesterday evening, indicating that the outcome of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors who had gone there to plead for the President’s support was initially played down.

It was reported that Obasanjo flatly refused to support Jonathan although Obasanjo had publicly said that he only explained to the governors his position on national issues. But it was gathered that it was more than that as he maintained his stand against Jonathan’s style of administration which didn’t deserve his support.

This was even as Jonathan and the son of the late former Head of State, Mohammed Abacha met behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa yesterday, apparently to strategize on how to secure victory for him and the party in Kano and other States..

The PDP is presenting the junior Abacha, who was freed from corruption and theft charges by the Federal Government last June, as its governorship candidate for Kano, apparently based on his assumed influence and popularity to dislodge the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate backed by out-going Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

However, the five governors; Mallam Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Godswill Akpabio- (Akwa Ibom) had approached Obasanjo on behalf of Jonathan and the PDP and pleading with him to not only tone down his verbal attacks on the president and his administration but back him in the forthcoming election.

The governors, who spent at least three hours discussing with Obasanjo, however were said to have left his mansion without any strong promise from the former president, who sounded rather defiant, claiming that it was clear to all Nigerians that Nigerian under Jonathan was in a bad shape.

Obasanjo was, however, said to have given his visitors some words of consolation, saying, ‘the situation in Nigeria today is bad but is not beyond redemption’. “That means that something can still be done to change it, if there is courage and determination to do so.”

A source close to the Abeokuta meeting disclosed that Obasanjo accepted to receive the five governors because of his respect for them as individuals and politicians who rode to national limelight through his instrumentality and not because of Jonathan or PDP. The source told our correspondent on Friday that although Obasanjo was disappointed by the action of most of the governors who visited him, he did not want to vent his anger and disappointment by turning down their request to visit him.

The source, who is close to Obasanjo said: “But the truth of the matter is that ‘Baba’ did not give them any promise of word of comfort throughout their stay in Abeokuta because he is very upset with most of them, who have betrayed him in many ways since he helped them to clinch power in 2007.

“He told them the truth as it is that Jonathan’s leadership had really hurt the image of Nigeria at home and abroad and that they themselves should help him to change course so as to help Nigeria and Nigerians out the doldrums.

“Obasanjo made it clear to the visitors that he was not just speaking out for the sake of bringing Jonathan or his government down but to draw his attention to the urgent need to rise up and fight the monsters of insecurity and monumental corruption that are fast eating away the fabric of the nationhood and making Nigeria a mockery before the international community.

Asked if Obasanjo had tabled any demand as a condition for backing Jonathan in next year’s presidential poll, the source hinted that the former head of state did not give any condition and was not keen on any since he was not ready to back down on his position.

“Look, let me tell you the truth; Baba stands on his position concerning Jonathan and his administration and he is not ready to change whatever he had said or written no matter who comes to him or not.

“I can tell you that if the mission of the five governors was successful, one of them, who likes to talk at every event, would have been the first to speak. What happened was more of a mission not accomplished to say the truth,” the source said.

A source close to the Presidency said that the visit by the five governors to Obasanjo might have been sanctioned by the Villa as a means of staving off lingering criticism of President Jonathan by Obasanjo ahead of the crucial presidential poll fixed for the first quarter of next year.

Obasanjo had last month described Jonathan’s performance so far as ‘below average,’ a rating that received an instant bashing from Jonathan’s aides, who descended heavily on the former leader, calling him names.

Meanwhile, although the details of the discussions between Jonathan and Mohammed Abacha were not made public, Abacha told State House correspondents shortly after emerging from the parley with the president that he was confident the PDP would ‘recover Kano’ from the APC.

According to him, Kano was stolen from PDP and the party is on its way to recovering the stolen ticket. Abacha was also optimistic he would emerge the party’s gubernatorial flag bearer,saying, “We are hopeful; I wouldn’t want to say too much. I said it before that it was a PDP state; it was a PDP ticket. It was taken or converted or even stolen; whatever you want to call it, so be it. The chances of the PDP are still bright.’’

Speculations had been rife that the Presidency deliberately withdrew the charges bordering on the alleged stealing of N446 billion preferred against the aspirant last June in order to pave the way for him to contest the Kano governorship election.

The government through the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, had justified the nolle proseque (don’t prosecute or discontinue prosecution) entered in favour of Abacha, claiming that it was done in the overall interest of the country and not for pecuniary or political reasons.

Credit: Vanguard Nigeria