A Yoruba youths group, the Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC) has accused the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) of supporting the protest that greeted the renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.
The group said it was appalled that the same ACN government in Lagos State that was able to quell the Lekki Toll Gate protest, using armed Mobile Policemen kept mute when protesters blocked Third Mainland Bridge, making life unbearable for millions of road users.
In a statement issued today by its Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Funmiso Babarinde, YYC said; “With the seeming underhand support the ACN people and their allies gave to the protest and the party’s denial of Abiola’s son the ticket to contest the House of Reps, it must now be clear to all Yoruba sons and daughters that CAN and its allies never loved Abiola genuinely.”
While commending the Federal Government for recognising Abiola’s matrydom for democracy in Nigeria, YYC urged the government to initiate all required legal steps to perfect the change of name.
The group also urged the Federal Government go a step further by releasing the results of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, at least to put the records straight.
“Before, it was clamour for MKO Abiola to be immortalised. Now that it has been done by naming a prestigious institution like the UNILAG after him, what else does these characters want?
“Why is it that these people always like to present we the Yorubas as troublemakers, who will can never be satisfied by anything?
“Or must everything be approached with intent to win cheap political points?
“Was it not from UNILAG that Abiola moved to Epetedo, Lagos for the Epetedo Declaration that led to his arrest and eventual death in detention?
“Definitely, these ACN people, who are obviously behind the protest do not mean well for MKO Abiola and the course he died for and our people should be conscious of the hypocrisy of ACN and its leaders,” YYC said.
Delta state labour party chieftain and former House of Assembly candidate, Isoko South constituency 11 in the 2011 general elections, Chief Iduh Amadhe has commended the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan on his 2011 first scholarship award scheme.
Iduh who gave the commendation yesterday during an interview with our correspondent in Asaba while reacting to the governor’s gesture noted that this has no doubt gone a long way in spurring and assisting students in the tertiary institutions.
According to the one time chairman, Isoko South local government area whose son, Mr. Iduh Othuke Donald is a beneficiary of the scheme stated that “The governor kind gesture will surely encourage intellect, excellent and hard work among students especially those in the higher institution.”
The astute politician who also commended the governor for what he called springing up of modern secondary schools across the state as well as the ongoing construction of Umeh road in Isoko South council area, he appealed for the speedy completion and accreditation of the Engineering faculty of the Delta state University, Oleh campus.
Meanwhile governor Emmanuel Uduaghan while releasing the sum of N269 million as scholarship grant to 47 first class graduates in the state promised to continue to fund scholarship scheme to encourage excellence in tertiary institutions in the state, explaining that the scheme was put in place to help build human capital and instil academic discipline in higher institutions.
“We have embarked on this scheme to help develop human capital, to encourage our youths to work hard in their studies, we believe fund should not be a hindrance to the education of our youths. This is why we are committed to fund this scheme as long as I remain the governor.”
The forty-seven first class graduates were the second batch benefiting from the scheme while thirty-six graduates benefited from the first batch of 2010 academic year.
Organized labour in Imo state has suspended the strike action it
declared yesterday [Wednesday].
Dr. Reginald Anyadike, Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the
state, who addressed newsmen after a closed door meeting between
officials of the labour unions and representatives of Imo state
Government in Owerri said that labour embarked on strike following the
failure of government to sign agreement jointly reached on 12th May,
2012.
The Labour leader said that the agreement centred on Governor
Okorocha’s policies of commercialization of Ministries, Departments
and Agencies (MDAs) and on the issue of deployment of workers of the
state civil service to their communities under the Community
government.
He added that the agreement also contains the implementation of
payment of pensions and gratuities to retired workers, promotion of
workers and the restoration of study leave for serving civil servants.
Comrade Anyadike said that the NLC agreed with government that only
MDAs that are capable of generating funds would be expected to comply
with the new policy while salaries of workers would not be determined
to funds generated by MDAs.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Obinna Duruji
commended organized labour for showing understanding on the disputed
issues as regards to the policies and programmes of the state
government.
Though, he admitted that workers salaries will no longer be tied to
the commercialization policy, the Commissioner disclosed that the
organized labour has assured the commitment of workers to assist the
state government succeed in its commercialization policy on the
ministries and parastatals with commercial enterprises will help
government succeed in its revenue drive.
He, however directed workers in the state to return to work on
Thursday the 31st of May, 2012 and enjoined government not to effect
any penalty on any of its members for participating on the strike.
Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has charged Publishers of Community Newspapers to practice responsible journalism and avoid promoting ethnic conflicts to ensure peaceful co-existence in the state.
Dr. Uduaghan who gave the charge when the Association of Community Newspapers Publishers Delta State Chapter paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba said they should ensure that their news items were correct and balanced at all times.
He enjoined them to be conscious of their write ups and as social reformers help to reduce hatred between various ethnic groups in the state.
The governor who charged them to be a bridge between the government and grassroot also stressed the need for them to set agenda on inter-ethnic harmony. “Let us be conscious in our reporting because inter-ethnic hatred is building up and the magnitude is high,” he said.
Governor Uduaghan explained that community Newspapers have the leverage and the potentials to unite the people rather than fanning the embers of hatred.
He reminded them of their closeness to the grassroot explaining that as opinion leaders they should avoid yellow journalism and be true to both government and the people.
The governor therefore appealed to them to practice development journalism to enable them have mutual commitment with government towards nurturing the nascent democracy. “You are close to the grassroot and we will support you to do your job well, so that the rural populace will be adequately informed,” he said.
The governor also charged them to assist in monitoring those who encourage sharp practices in primary and post primary schools as well as in hospitals to check sabotage of the free antenatal, post natal and education programmes of the state government.
In a brief address, the Chairman of the Association Comrade Femi Odonmeta said the Association shared a mutual commitment with the Uduaghan Administration and would assist the government in protecting and nurturing the nascent democracy to greater heights.
He stated that the cardinal objective of the association was to promote love, peaceful co-existence among all ethnic nationalities in the state.
“Our effort is geared towards the development of the state and we will shun every negative tendency that will undermine these goals,” he said.
It was a bloody day in some parts of Edo state on Wednesday as some protesting youths, alleged to be members and supporters of the People Democratic Party (PDP) invaded councils in Edo Central Senatorial District in protest against alleged disobedience of court judgment, which sacked the transition committees of the various councils, set up by the by the state government of Adams Oshiomhole.
The protesters stormed council secretariats of Esan West, Esan Central and Esan North East Local Government Councils simultaneously, brandishing placards with various inscriptions, chanting songs that captured their grievance.
They arrived the council secretariats as early as 7.00am blocking the various entrances to the various council.
The protest nearly turned violence in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government as supporters of Action Congress of Nigeria youths of that local government prevented them from entering the secretariats.
the clash of the two party supporters soon turned bloody as dangerous weapons like matchets, bottles, charms etc were freely used. The Video camera of the Independent Television (ITV) was allegedly destroyed in the process, while cameraman was also reported manhandled in the course of the clash.
It took the intervention of the police in Uromi to restore normalcy in the town.
Also in Esan West, Ekpoma police made use of teargas to disperse the protesters.
However, the windscreen of hilux van belonging to the council had already been smashed before police intervened.
The leader of the protesters, Mr. Tony Okonigene said they stormed the various councils to the force the execution of the court judgment which declared the occupation of the councils of Edo State by transition chairmen as illegal.
He said though the Action Congress of Nigeria in the state claimed to have appealed the judgment, it does not translate to Stay of Execution.
However, the transition committee chairman of the Esan West Local Government, Mrs Stella Okoro condemned the actions of the protesters, saying it was not in position of the protesters to execute court judgment.
Also reacting, the transition committee chairman of Esan North East, Mr. Anslem Adima described the protesters as bunch of hooligans wanted to take laws into their hands, but enthused that they were “prevented by those who were ready to protect it”.
As at the time of filing this report, men of Nigerian Police Force and those of the Security and Civil Defence Corp were still on ground at the councils.
Meanwhile, a contempt charge against the Attorney General State, and Speaker of the State House of Assembly as been instituted by one Tony Okonigene.
The plaintiff is praying the court to commit the defendants to prison for disobeying court judgment.
Just last week an Ekpoma high court set aside the resolution of the state house of assembly and called for an election into the local government areas. This follower the decision of one Tony Okoigene that went to court to challenge the decision of the state house of assembly to extend the tenure of the caretaker local government councils.
Information reaching 247ureports.com indicates the civil servants of the Imo State government have gone on strike. The strike began today as the workers made their way to work.
As gathered through a source at the Owerri State Secretariat in Imo State, the state workers led by the national labor union [NLC] declared a strike over the Governor of Imo State’s attempt to commercialize the various ministries, departments and parastatals of the State government. The particular bone of contention, according to the source is the previous agreement between the NLC and the State Governor over the status of the workers wage under the new commercialization regime. The State government had earlier promised to maintain the earlier promised minimum wage salaries after the commercialization program has been completely implemented.
Under the commercialization of the various state ministries, departments and parastatals, each of the government ministries will be made to operate as a financially independent entity – to be responsible for its income and expenditure. Each of the entities will operate as a profit making venture rather than cash-guzzling entity. Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the leader of the NLC in the state, Reginald Anyadike is concerned with the possibility and/or reality of maintaining the salary wages of the workers. In talking to our correspondent, Anyadike noted that while he is aware that some of the worker stand a chance at making more money under the new commercialization regime, he remains concerned over the ministries/department/parastatal’s capability to retain the state workers at the prescribed wages. For this reason, among others the NLC declared a strike.
The commissioner of information and strategy, Dr. David Duruji when contacted by 247ureports.com indicated that the two sides are presently holed up in talks. He added that the strike has been resolved in principle – adding also that he expects the workers to resume work tomorrow.
Independent inquiry reveals that the State government and members of the NLC are presently involved in negotiations – geared towards resolving the issue today.
Greenhorn Super Eagle Victor Moses was Wednesday singled out as an exceptional Nigerian by former Abia state governor Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu who named him ‘Special son of the Nation’ as well.
Orphaned as a toddler in Kaduna, Moses was only five when he was flown out of the country under circumstances that could have made him turn his back on the land.
Kalu said, “Victor Moses deserves a standing ovation in Calabar on Sunday against Namibia. After that, the young man deserves a Presidential ride to Abuja. I understand he lost his parents in an ethno-religious crisis and left the country at five. Today, we have him playing for the Eagles. We should praise his spirit. Others would have stayed away for long from a system that wiped out loved ones.”
The Wigan Athletic star received even more laurels from the ex-governor for hitting camp early enough to do battle against Namibia.
“I appreciate his commitment, as soon as he was done with the English Premiership ,Moses flew into camp. This one is different. He is indeed a ‘Special Son of the Nation’, I hope Sports minister Mr.Bolaji Abdullahi understands “,the ex- governor added.
Kalu also urged the Super Eagles to go all out against Namibia if they hope to regain the confidence of compatriots who see soccer as the only passion that unites the country.
“To crush Namibia is a task that must be accomplished. The masses have not smiled for so long. If it is not explosion today, it is confusion tomorrow. Nigerians want to be happy again. I am sure that in soccer there is no Boko Haram or militancy, just entertainment and the true spirit of one Nation”, he summed up.
Is it right to claim that corruption, massive looting of public funds, armed robbery, youth banditry and gangsterism as well as militancy are queer attitudes that have crept into our lives? I remember my old mother used to tell me that the worst crime a family feared for its members was stealing peoples’ property which was likened to armed robbery.
So any family whose member was identified as a thief was cursed by the whole village and no one would marry from or be married to the family. Such thieving family would never be trusted or entrusted in the society until they repented and displayed otherwise openly for a long time. Because of the gravity of similar social vices, culprits were buried alive in big mould of sand or forced to drown in the river by tying heavy stones to them. This was in the good olden days.
“You be thief. I no be thief…”the famous Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, inferring the political characteristics of Nigerian leadership at a time not any better than the recent.
But now some Nigerians openly parade themselves as corruption agents, militants and bandits massively looting public funds and causing mayhem to the society that they are supposed to assist in building. They easily forget that some people genuinely put in their lives for the victory they claim in elections. What have the governments made up of these politicians at the three levels done for the families of those who died while ensuring that the politicians won their elections or relections, or putting it rightly, in defence of the nation’s democracy?
It is not new the statement accredited to former president of Nigeria, Chief Matthew Olusegun Obasanjo, popularly called Baba where he described the National Assembly as being made up of rogues. Obasanjo is such a leader that can be seen to possess faceless, fearless and considerably unassuming costume when corruption is talked about in Nigeria. At least, even if the other four of his fingers may be pointing towards his direction, he could be sure of what he says.
Whether it is accepted or not, Obasanjo is the pioneer in the making of NIGERIA TODAY. He is, and even while gradually losing grip of the rope hanging down from the Aso Rock, the godfather of many of those in power today. So, it is to be doubted that he may have put up a total falsehood for mere relevance – such relevance that he has maintained since Nigeria returned to democratic governance in 1999. After all, he can claim untouchability!
Obasanjo cannot be unaware of all the probes conducted and being conducted by the assemblymen. He cannot be unaware of the executive bills which are often imposed on the people through the national chambers and the financial efforts it takes to make such bills sail through the chambers. He had practically experienced and successfully enforced such in the past. Obasanjo cannot be unaware of the current bribery allegation of N44 million involving an assemblyman and the director general of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). Obasanjo, having been too long in government at that highest level, remains an insider in government and therefore cannot just open his mouth to make frivolous accusations. After all, he also accused the judiciary and the police. He even acknowledged that some justices were sacked on bribery and corruption related matters during the hard democratic experiment of his tenures.
For the national chambers to find a soft landing for themselves and for Obasanjo is an attempt to cover the fawning ass of the foul. It is either they accept what Obasanjo has said and then swallow the shame or challenge the relevance Obasanjo is searching for and vindicate themselves.
What does the House Committee on Information, Hon. Zakari Mohammed imply by proclaiming not to join issues with former President Obasanjo who accused them of being rogues? Accused of being rogues! Is this accusation not enough – even if it is believed to be mere allegation – to sue the accuser to court for character assassination of the distinguished and honourable assemblymen? A whole assembly accused!
Zakari, in playing down this great accusation, could only find such words as, “…I think it is wrong for an elder to stand outside and pee into the house”. There are two sided revelations from this. It is either that the elder has become mentally weak that he can no more differentiate his position of being outside the house or he is sure that it makes no difference peeing into the house because the house has the similitude of a urinary. It is really a confusing scenario. The assemblymen should go further to clarify and reclaim their dignity within this context and challenge Obasanjo on this.
One startling revelation from Zakari’s defence was, “Since I came here as a legislator, I have not heard stories of Ghana-must-go bags but when former President Obasanjo was in charge, nocturnal visits of Ghana-must-go bags were a routine in an attempt to buy over the legislature and having failed especially with the last one over his third term agenda during which several MILLIONS OF DOLLARS were involved, I don’t think it is right for anybody to have headache over whatever he says”.
For the avoidance of doubt, it has been established by the assemblymen themselves that Obasanjo squandered public funds (millions of dollars) in pursuit of his then pet project codenamed ‘tenure elongation’. Has any action been taken by the assemblymen to unveil and punish the originators, proponents, distributors and collectors of the acknowledged millions of dollars? Obasanjo surely knows those who collected the money in full but refused to deliver their promises to him. Are there no more nocturnal visits within the political sphere?
Can Hon. Zakari patriotically and religiously authenticate his claim that since 2007 when Obasanjo left office as the President of Nigeria or at least from May 2011, that Ghana-must-go bags have ceased to come the ways of politicians, including the assemblymen? Why has Obasanjo not been investigated despite all the glaring indices that his regime was believed to be administratively corrupt? A regime of unequalled squandermania, power-throttling force, socio-economic vandalization and religio-political victimization!!
In the same vein, the Deputy Minority leader of the House, Hon. Suleiman Kawu postulates, “Obasanjo does not have credibility in Nigeria. Remember he was dragged to court by his own son accusing him of sleeping with his wife”
The Senate also swiftly responded to Obasanjo’s claims, however, urging Obasanjo to move a step further and name the “rogues and robbers” that are members of the National Assembly.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, while at a press conference in Abuja challenged Obasanjo, “in the new spirit of transparency and openness Obasanjo should assist the National Assembly by naming those that he knows in the National Assembly as either rogues or criminals. That would help us to be able to sanitize the polity and we sincerely thank him for his role in Nigeria, someone who cares very deeply about the Nigerian State and how it is at the moment”, adding, “the National Assembly can never engage in any talk back to the president.”
Is Obasanjo a Rock that he cannot be summoned to the National Assembly for interrogations? Remember that harmless Muhammadu Buhari has severally been verbally drilled over his misquoted statement on the 2015 elections. Buhari has been subjected to merciless tongue-lashings by Nigerians most of whom he is capable of fathering even in the political sphere. Poor Buhari!
Nonetheless, we should not forget that Obasanjo started behaving like a born-again Christian after leaving office as the president of Nigeria. Those who watch African Independent Television (AIT) may have seen when he appears to sing a gospel song saying, “I have decided to follow Jesus…” To this, one of my nieghbours burst into a wild laughter saying, “Is it our Lord Jesus whom we Christians worship that Obasanjo means?”
Recently addressing a group of Christian youths in Lagos at an event themed “The Building Blocks of Effective Leadership”, Professor Pat Utomi revealed some dysfunctions he had witnessed in the Nigerian system and x-rayed the difficulties of changing the system. Speaking under a topic, “Towards Creating a Network of Corruption-Intolerant Youth Leaders”, he narrated several instances of corruption involving government officials and the aftermath of underdevelopment and disclosed that a man who once duped him was now a senator.
He said, “A man who had 419ed [duped] me in the past is now in the Senate. And I called the attention of a senior senator who is from the same state with the dupe, and who also knew about my dupe story with the man before, that this man is a thief and he was aware. The senior senator wanted me to keep quiet, and he said that is the problem with me, and that after all, seventy percent of government people are 419ers”. Unbelievable!!
In somewhat affirmation of Obasanjo’s claims, Leadership Newspapers of Monday, May 28 2012 reported Sani Shu’aibu Teidi, one of the suspects standing trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja, for massively looting the pension treasury to have alleged that he and his accomplices paid Senator Aloysius Etuk-led Senate Committee a 3 billion Naira bribe in dollars. Akwu achaa n’ike mbe!!
According to Teidi, the huge bribe was to stall the prosecution of the accused persons. He alleged that the Senator Aloysius Etuk-led committee failed to fulfill an earlier promise of helping to stall their prosecution after collecting the 3 billion Naira contributory bribes. Trouble burst out over the sharing of the bribe. Teidi said Senator Etuk attempted to outsmart his colleagues by declaring 500 million Naira only i.e. a one-sixth of the actual bribe.
Feeling betrayed by the Senate committee leadership’s greed and inability to properly handle the corruption matter, Teidi resolved to make public all information on the botched agreement. “In fact, the N3bn bribe offered the senate committee was contributed by all the accused persons, each with the amount of 500 million Naira. The committee made us believe that when we give the money being demanded, it will give us a safe landing, thereby escaping prosecution, but, to our greatest dismay, they only succeeded in cutting their own share,” Teidi claimed.
All in all, this is a case that should not be ignored. It is either Obasanjo is right or he is openly summoned to explain if he spoke in rhetoric or was misquoted. This theory of allegation and denial in Nigeria should stop henceforth. On the other hand, what joy and results have the several probes carried out by the assemblymen brought us? Are these exposures just a tip in the iceberg?
Muhammad Ajah is a writer, author, advocate of humanity and good governance based in Abuja. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk
The remnants of the Democracy Day address by the President of the federal republic of Nigeria [FGN], Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan, which made public the announcement of the name change of University of Lagos [UNILAG] to Moshood Abiola University Lagos [MAULAG] – continues to lingers in the city of Lagos and at the university campus.
Information available to247ureports.com indicates that the students of MAULAG who have staged a protest immediately following the announcement of the name change -have continued to stage protests at the main entrance to the university campus. “The main entrance has been blocked“, stated a worker at the university campus who also expressed disappointment at the sudden change of name by the President. He states that student protest may disturb the peace that returned to Lagos the end of the oil subsidy removal protests. “The Staffs, workers and students are not allowed into the campus except through the backdoor but everybody is angry“.
Also, this morning, according eyewitness reports, the students have taken their protests to the 3rd mainland bridge – and have proceeded to take over the bridge and to halt all vehicular movement. According to one of eyewitness reports, “we are held hostage in a military style siege on 3rd mainland bridge by MAULAG student. They barricaded the road with BRT buses“. The bridge was said to have been held hostage for about 2hours.
Meanwhile, the late Vice Chancellor of UNILAG [now MAULAG] is scheduled to be buried tomorrow [Thursday] amidst the ongoing protest. Some of the workers at the university frowned at the insensitivity of President Jonathan towards the burial of the vice chancellor. “How can he do this when we are burying him tomorrow” states the worker as he went on to add that the matters has been tabled to the Courts to decide – as to whether the President could arbitrarily change the name of an institution as old and legendary as UNILAG without consultation to the stakeholders of the institution. This notion was shared across the board.
On the political side, the students expressed displeasure over what appears a politically laced decision by the Presidency. In their take, the president appears in desperate need to appease the south west – where the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] had suffered great loss over the recent years. The students noted that the President wants to use the name change to score political points for the PDP in the south west.”But it backfired“.
Security agencies in Lagos fear the current situation may return violence to the streets of Lagos.
Kenyan police guard the site of Monday's explosion, Tuesday, May 29, in Nairobi, Kenya, as people stop to look at the damage by the explosion in downtown Nairobi.
Nairobi, Kenya
Monday’s explosion in a downtown market injured 38, the latest in a string of small attacks that may have been conducted by Al Shabab sympathizers both to kill and to create sense of insecurity
FBI agents spent Tuesday with Kenyan police combing the site of an explosion in downtown Nairobi that many here are already blaming on Al Shabab, Somalia’s Islamist army.
But there has been no official boast of responsibility from the Al Qaeda-linked group, and Kenyan ministers and security officials have stopped short of directly blaming its fighters.
Instead, analysts suggested, the explosion, which injured 38 people, was more likely carried out by a “lone wolf” bomber sympathetic to Al Shabab, but operating outside of its direct command and control apparatus.
The blast ripped through an informal market a block to the east of Nairobi’s central business district, destroying stalls selling clothes, shoes, cellphones, and cheap radios.
Several hospitals across the Kenyan capital were Tuesday still treating the injured.
The explosion, less than half a mile from the site of the 1998 US embassy bombing, took place at 1:15 p.m. local time on Monday and appeared designed to inflict maximum damage to Nairobi’s office workers on their lunchtime break.
Kenya has seen an increase in similar attacks since October, when its military marched into neighboring Somalia in a unilateral operation designed to secure a buffer zone along the countries’ border free of Islamist terrorists.
Al Shabab immediately promised retaliations, specifically targeting “skyscrapers,” shopping centers, and major government installations.
There have been more than a dozen strikes, mostly following the modus operandi of grenades thrown into crowded areas, or improvised explosives targeting police vehicles. More than 40 people have been killed.
But “there has been nothing of the scale of Kampala,” says Andrews Atta-Asamoah, senior analyst with the Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa. He is referring to twin bombings claimed by Al Shabab in the Ugandan capital in July 2010 that killed 76 people watching the soccer World Cup Final in two city pubs.
“What we have seen in Kenya so far appears much more likely to be individuals operating on their own and without the express orders of Al Shabab,” he says.
“The groups’ commanders may have initially wanted more spectacular attacks, but I’m getting the sense that they realize that the more sporadic and uncoordinated things are, the less chance there is for infiltration by the security services.”
Still, Monday’s explosion was significantly larger than any previous attack and appeared for the first time to be the product of a home-made bomb rather than a grenade.
Witnesses at the blast site reported a strong smell of ammonia in the minutes after the explosion.
This has led FBI agents to begin investigations into suggestions that it may have been a fertilizer bomb, which mixes fuel oil and ammonium nitrate, the AP reported, quoting official sources in Nairobi.
One stallholder, who was herself injured, told police that a “foreign man who looked Arab or Somali” had been to her shop in the minutes before the explosion and asked her to look after a bag for a short while.
A police spokesman said that investigators were “working all hours” to trace that individual.
“Terrorism does not need to be the product of major attacks, it can be a series of smaller strikes that might not leave so many people dead, but it spreads that sense of insecurity which is so corrosive,” Mr Asamoah added.
Raila Odinga, Kenya’s prime minister, struck a defiant note as he toured the blast site on Monday afternoon.
“This is a heinous act,” he told reporters. “They want to scare us. But we will not be scared.”
