I must confess that the nearest I have seen the current governor of Lagos State Mr. Babatunde Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was about two years ago at the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s complex in Abuja when he witnessed the swearing in of some newly elevated lawyers to the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. We only exchanged very distant gestures of greetings which began with my telling him good morning sir and he in turn responded thank you.

I have also in the last couple of years written several articles but only commented about Lagos issues only about thrice the last of which was my strong condemnation of the Lagos State governor for reportedly sacking hundreds of medical doctors under the Lagos State civil service for daring to proceed on strike to press home demands for enhanced pay packages and better working environment.

In that article, I castigated governor Fashola for been insensitive by ordering the mass sack of striking doctors even as he air lifted his father who was reportedly ill to take the best medical treatment abroad.

From the above, readers will appreciate the fact that this is not a paid write up even if the title may sound patronizing.

Governor Fashola did something in late December 2012 which gave rise to the title of this piece in which I am now narrating how he stole our hearts.

The Lagos State governor ended last year on  agood note as one public office holder who understands that power is nothing if the suffering of a citizen in need can not be ameliorated even when we have the resources to achieve the resolution of such distress situation.

The act of charity that was done by the Lagos state governor was his timely intervention in donating N4.5 million to the ailing ace Nollywood Actress Miss. Ngozi Nwosu who is critically facing health challenge of kidney related issues. Ngozi Nwosu, the talented amazon who has featured prominently in several home movies and television soap operas has being bed -ridden with kidney related ailments for some months and has frantically searched for N6 million to enable her undergo foreign medical treatment and she could only raise N2.5 million.

The timely intervention of Governor Fashola with the much needed cash donation was one killer punch that has engraved his name in the footprints of time as one kind public office holder who is ready to wipe away the tears of the distressed members of the society.

Tu Face Idibia, the reputable talented musician who has won several laurels for his beautiful songs has once released a song in which he rightly enthused that “power is nothing if the people’s suffering is not solved…”

Few hours after we ended our Christmas Mass at the Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Uwakonye-Aniche, Aro-Umuduru Autonomous community of Arondizuogu in Onuimo local government council of Imo state, I received a news alert on my facebook wall that Ngozi Nwosu was critically ill and that she was practically begging the Nigerian elite to come to her assistance because she does not want to join the growing list of actors and actresses in Nigeria that have passed on to the great world beyond due to pathetic health challenges which they could not resolve for lack of financial resources.

At this point, my mind went straight to the philosophical story written by Sam Anokam for Daily Sun in which he stated the obvious that “Angel of death has visited Nollywood”.

It was from the beautifully written story of Daily Sun of December 8th 2012 that I learnt that at the last count about 10 actors and actresses, both popular and obscure (to quote Sam Anokam) have passed on to the great world beyond. Just before the year 2012 ended and approximately three weeks after the above story was written the number of actors and actresses that died in 2012 increased to eleven with the passage at the University of Ibadan Teaching hospital of the popular Yoruba Actress Miss Bisi Komolafe. She reportedly died from complications associated with pregnancy even though no confirmation has emanated from the hospital on her precise cause of death.

In what could pass as the litany of woes that befell the film industry in Nigeria, the media has reported that the following Actors/Actresses have died in 2012. They are; David Ihezie; he was a veteran actor, who died in his Enugu base after a short battle with Arthritis on January 19. He was in his 70s; Brown Atienwen; popular Benin-based seasoned Nollywood actor and staff of the Edo State’s Ministry of Arts, Culture Tourism, died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). He was unable to pay the sum of N150, 000 for a major operation. The cause of his illness was unknown. He died in October.

I am told that Governor dams Oshiomole of Edo State was so enraged at the news that the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Culture could not raise the money to save this Benin based talented actor who died because he couldn’t raise a pittance of N150,000. The Governor compulsorily retired the indicted permanent secretary.

Other Nigerian talented actors and actresses that died from seemingly surmountable health challenges in 2012 are Mr. Pete Eneh; who died, according to media reports, after suffering from protracted illness, which culminated in the amputation of his leg. The actor, who was diabetic, sustained some kind of injury last year, which degenerated to a sore and refused to heal. He spent three months at the hospital before he was advised to amputate the leg to avoid the infection spreading to other parts of his body. The amputation took place on Wednesday, October 24, after all efforts to save the leg was unsuccessful.

Enebeli Elebuwa; died in an Indian hospital in New Delhi. He had spent two years bed ridden and unable to raise the needed finance to proceed to take good medical treatment abroad since the health sector in Nigeria is in shambles. Ironically, this profoundly gifted actor Elebuwa was behind a popular advertisement in which the Federal ministry of culture and information was advising Nigerians some years back not to travel enmasse abroad in search of greener pastures [Andrew please don’t check out].

It was reported that Mr. Enebeli Elebuwa’s health deteriorated when he couldn’t afford to receive medical attention. It was also gathered that the stroke came as a result of uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which also affected his brain.

The shocking news of the serious health challenge facing Miss Ngozi Nwosu came at a time when those of us holidaying in the South East and especially in Imo State were bombarded with the unfortunate news that Governor Rochas Okorocha was in confrontation over right of way with the Senator representing Owerri Mrs. Chris Anyanwu.

We were about figuring out how this needless public show of shame between governor Okorocha and Senator Anyanwu could be settled when the cheering news was again received that the Lagos State governor.

Babatunde Fashola has donated N4.5 million to Miss Ngozi Nwosu to enable her take the best medical treatment abroad.

Most of us who were in the South East for the Christmas break then heaved a sigh of relief that at last we have a cheering news to take our attention away from the quarrelsome duo of governor Okorocha and his party member, the APGA produced Senator Chris Anyanwu.

Looking at the entire scenario from a larger picture of the donation of this life saving cash to the ailing Actress Miss. Nwosu by Fashola, a lesson to be learnt is that for once, politicians in Nigeria now have a good example of the Kind of Charity and humanitarian activity that they can emulate.

Former American President Mr. Bill Clinton in 2007 wrote a 240 pages book on the thematic issue of charitable activities.

Clinton appropriately titled that book as “Giving: How Each of us can change the World”, and in this book written in simple grammatical expressions and language, the former American President who is now an Iconic figure around the World challenged the elite around the world to make doing work of charity as their first nature.

Clinton wrote thus; “Like many people who are fortunate to live full, rewarding lives, I reached a point in my journey where, apart from taking care of my family and being with them and my friends, what I cared most about was doing what I could to make sure people younger than me don’t die before their time and aren’t denied the chance to find their own fulfillment. After I narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal heart attack in 2004, I felt that way even more strongly”.

Bill Clinton’s wife Mrs. Hilary is another human being that God endowed with a heart of Gold because she has lived and continues to live a life of humanitarian services to the less privileged.

In the book by President Clinton titled “Giving: How each of us can change the World”, he offered reasons why each of us  should extend our good hearts of human kindness to the needy.

He wrote thus; “Because we live in an interdependent World, we cannot escape each other’s problems. We are all vulnerable to terror, weapons of mass destruction, the spread of disease, and the potentially calamitous effects of climate change. The fact that one in four people who die this year will succumb to AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or infections related to dirty water casts a pall over all our children’s future”.

The singular good act of charity done in late December 2012 by governor Fashola in the form of giving N4.5 million to Miss. Ngozi Nwosu has endeared him to the hearts of millions of Nigerians.

Two things easily come up for cross examination from the sickness of Miss Nwosu which can only be treated abroad for which she does not have the resources even with her longstanding services to the Nollywood film industry.

The two issues are the need for Nigeria’s health sector to be fundamentally transformed so that distressed Nigerians can get solution to their health challenges locally at affordable cost. The second issue is the need to pay commensurate wages to talented actors/Actresses and for them to invest their resources for the rainy days.

A situation whereby some of our best Actors/Actresses are paid pittance for their beautiful work should be condemned and the Regulatory authorities must wake up to enforce legal frameworks to protect the copyrights of these rare talents because it is only in Nigeria that such profoundly endowed actresses/Actors are neglected up to a point of destitution.

For three weeks in November last year till early December, I spent quality time on vacation in parts of the United Kingdom with my longest stay in London. As part of my schedules, I took time off my rest to interact meaningfully with some members of the ever growing Nigerian community in London, the United Kingdom and an important aspect of these interactive sessions done in very convivial and relaxed atmosphere was to sound them out on their impressions regarding the publicly owned television conglomerate – the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) which most of them receive via satellite on a popular television station based in London – Ben Television.

For background sake, Ben television is a black and ethnic oriented urban, diverse and cosmopolitan family Channel, established for the specific purpose of providing what the owner called a wholesome mix of entertaining, educative and informational programmes suitable for family viewing.

Ben Tv’s series of programmes also include a range of cultural programming to empower, transform and challenge the conventional perception of Africa, Caribbean and African – descendants in Diaspora. The signature logo of the television station is “bridging the gap”.

Available information shows that a major differentiation and what the owner considered as setting Ben tv apart from other channels is its positive general black-oriented, youthful and diverse cultural-educational programming format along with its enlightening current affairs shows which serve to throw light on issues plaguing the African-Carribeans and the African continent especially through its major content scheduling in Nigeria. Ben Tv reaches about 10 million homes in the United Kingdom and around the World where satellite and Digital reception are accessible.

Available information also shows that Ben tv Collaborates with Africa’s foremost private television station; the largest Network in Africa, through their international feeds, which provides Ben tv with new programmes for the Nigerian and African audiences.

Those spoken to in London on their impressions of the performance and program contents of Nigeria’s and Africa’s largest television Network-NTA, told me that what they enjoy most about the Nigerian Television Authority is still the prime time network news at 9pm. About one dozen persons spoken to were of the opinion that there is now a fundamental shift of focus of the NTA from being the conservative mouthpiece of government officials to extensively broadcasting developmental and human interest stories that cover a broad spectrum of the ways and manners that Nigerians make progress in the human global community.

Mr. Segun Martins; Miss. Edith Obioma and Mr. Abdulkaren Suleiman who clearly expressed their delight at the major shift of emphasis of the Nigerian Television Authority also were of the opinion that the management that have presided over NTA in the last three years have brought a lot of professionalism to bear in the operations of this television station.

Alhaji Usman Magawata recently retired as Director General of NTA after eventful tenure and handed over power to the current Acting Director General Alhaji Musa Mayaki who pundits believe has taken the NTA to greater heights following the beautiful achievements of his predecessor in office.

Mr. Segun Martins stated thus; “I have stayed in Britain for ten years now and I have monitored developments from Nigeria on the Nigerian Television Authority and I can tell you that we are proud of the new changes that we are witnessing now. With the passage of the Freedom of Information Act in 2011 by the National Assembly and the signing into law of the FOI Act of 2011 by President Jonathan, NTA has become the proud voice of the people of Nigeria. Could you help us tell the management of NTA to also educationally empower younger Nigerians who live abroad with series of programmes in the indigenous Nigerian languages so that those Nigerian languages that are facing threats of extinction are restored back to life.”

Most of those spoken to however  challenged NTA to further dedicate more time to investigative stories on areas such as anti-corruption drives of the government and other human interest stories such as social and organized crimes in parts of Nigeria with a view to helping the law enforcement agencies tocombat these crimes and make Nigeria investors’ friendly.

These Nigerians abroad particularly expressed worry that the Dana plane crash of Sunday June 3rd 2012 involving flight 992 MC Donnel Douglas MD-83 aircraft was not professionally covered by NTA even as some of them said such blunder should not happen again.

But in an interview published by a Lagos-based news magazine, the current Director General of NTA Alhaji Musa Mayaki offered cogent and verifiable reason why NTA did not cover the unfortunate incident as much as Nigerians home and abroad would have loved.

His words; “Yes, as a matter of fact, that particular incident of Dana plane crash was my saddest moment, especially in terms of my duties. The reason is that we have equipment that we can use to report live from anywhere. We call it TVU pack. When the crash occurred, I called Lagos station to use the TVU pack to report it live because we wanted to get live pictures of the incident. However, the station gave an excuse that the TVU battery had not been charged. They had locked up the pack in the store and so the battery was down. They said also that they did not buy credit to recharge the pack. I asked them how much was the credit, and they said it was N15,000. They told me that the major thing was that the battery had packed up and that it would take almost the whole day to charge it so what they did was to go and take still photographs”.

He further explained; “This should have made our station different because we would be reporting every second, and our viewers would be able to know what was happening.  Nigerians would have been able to know how the emergency rescue services were coping with the situation and even how the hospitals were responding to the situation. Then they would know that you were coming up with an innovation and every station would tune up to you. Even when the pictures were sent at about 9 pm, it was too dark for us to see”.

Mayaki continued; “The following day, I was so infuriated over the disappointment that I insisted that somebody must be punished for it. We have the pack all over the country, but not every station had it. That is really where my regret came from. So if you say some stations beat us to it, yes. If you say some stations had clearer pictures, I will agree because it is indefensible really. But we have since put our house in order. We are better prepared now”.

NTA which is a government owned public broadcaster with a mandate to inform, entertain and educate the populace has however undergone series of transformations. These innovations which were introduced by the management is the reason for the new kind of optimism and patriotism among most Nigerians abroad who still stay tune to the prime time news porgramme at 9pm daily.

The realization by the management that a multi channel environment requires automation to be effective and efficient, it immediately installed a suite of broadcast automation software and hardware known as wonder cube.

Specifically, wonder cube is a suite of soft ware applications meant to computerize and automate various aspects of the television broadcasting chain.

The NTA wonder cube system consist of; a six channel automatic play out system; newsroom computer system; a media asset management and archiving system; a compliance recording system and an ingest system. NTA is also preparing the framework for the eventual switch over/migrate to the digital broadcasting system by 2015.

The totality of my interactions with about one dozen Nigerians in the United Kingdom is that they are positively expecting the current management at the Nigerian Television Authority to achieve its long term plan which is to deliver television to the populace through terrestrial, mobile and IPTV platforms and offer a wide variety of choice of local programmes.

• Call On Bayelsans To Remain Supportive

Governor Henry Seriake Dickson is to proceed on a two-week break after a very busy schedule of duty in the last quarter of 2012.

The two weeks break is part of the Governor’s 2012 annual vacation, which he did not observe because of very pressing state assignments.A Government House statement says, the two weeks period will afford the Governor the opportunity to rest and prepare for the task of delivering quality service and the dividends of democracy to the people of the State in 2013.

Governor Dickson is however, expected to take time off of his break to attend the closing formalities and wreath laying ceremony of the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance day on the 15^th of this month in Yenagoa.

The statement recalled the Governor’s busy schedule during the flood, the worst in the history of the State, the sad event of the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Governor Patrick Yakowa and General Owoye Azazi and the funeral programmes as well as the normal day to day running of government.

The statement called on the people of the State to remain steadfast in their support for the programmes and policies of the Restoration government, stressing that the Governor’s absence will not in any way affect government activities in the state.

• As New Security Initiative Commences Operations

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State yesterday in Asaba handed over 30 Toyota Hilux vehicles to the State police command as a new initiative to curb criminal activities in the State commences operations.

The initiative, Delta State Government Special Security Patrol is part of measures to ensure that crimes like kidnapping and armed robbery were reduced to the barest minimum.

The 30 Toyota Hilux vehicles handed over to give teeth to the resolve to make the state peaceful and secured, have been specifically designated for patrol and surveillance of specific routes and highways across the state.

Handing over the vehicles to the police, Dr Uduaghan noted that the rate of kidnapping was coming down in the state and promised to continue to intensify efforts towards providing adequate security in the state.

He said he would provide a safe haven for investors and guarantee peace and security so that prospective investors would operate in a conducive atmosphere.

The Governor said the present effort was to beef up security and sustain the success already recorded in the state especially the reduction in kidnapping.

He explained that the vehicles have been assigned to different routes across the state to ensure that all areas in the state were adequately monitored and secured.

“We are doing this to guarantee peace and security and to ensure that crime rate is drastically reduced. We will increase our effort in the provision of logistics for security operatives to enable them cope with the challenges in crime prevention,” Governor Uduaghan said.

He commended Local Government Chairmen in the state for supporting the efforts of the State Government especially for assisting security operatives to maintain peace and security.

The governor also commended security operatives in the state for their efforts in reducing crime especially kidnapping which he said had been reduced significantly.

Receiving the vehicles the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba warned criminals to turn a new leaf and become law abiding citizens because his men would get them if they failed to heed his warning.

He commended Governor Uduaghan for providing the vehicles and assured that the vehicles would be properly utilized to combat crime.

His words: “We will chase away criminals from the state. I warn criminals to leave the state because if they fail to we will get them anywhere they are hiding. I restate that there will be no hiding place for them.”

Wife of Katsina State governor, Hajiya Fatima Ibrahim Shema, has ordered the sack of the supervisory councillor for water and sanitation in Matazu local government area of the state, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim.

Mrs Shema reportedly gave the directive to sack Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim, the only female councillor at the Matazu local government transition management committee through a letter of “termination of appointment” dated 27th December, 2012.

Part of the letter which was signed by Bala Lawal Yaro, a staff officer at Matazu local government reads “I am directed by the Office of Her Excellency, Hajiya Dr Fatima Ibrahim Shehu Shema, to issue you this letter of termination in view of your unkindly like misconduct and behaviour.”

LEADERSHIP reports that the sacked councillor and the wife of Matazu local government council transition management committee chairman had recently engaged each other in a free-for-all scuffle at the council secretariat.

It was gathered that squabble ensued between the duo when the chairman’s wife allegedly slapped the sacked councillor at the office of the LG’s director of administration during a meeting to resolve some grievances.

Some local government staff in the state who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity faulted the councilor’s sack insisting that there was procedural error since the directive emanated from the first lady.

When contacted, the chief press secretary to the first lady, Mallam Abdulazeez confirmed that the directive to sack the councillor emanated from the first lady noting “yes the letter emanated from the first lady’s office.”

A community in Abia State, Okayiga Okwu Olokoro community  in Umuahia Abia State has lamented the continuous and incessant arrest of the villagers by the police in Umuahia.

In a save our soul letter to 247ureports.com The community in their letter stated that one Mr. Chief Nwanna who according to the community is known as one of the kidnappers in Abia State has paid money to the police to arrest innocent people in the village.

According to the villagers in their letter, the police told them that the man in question reported that the villagers stole his property and also the sum of 38 million naira; “but the community, knows this man has not been working and no one knows what the man has been doing for a living but the villagers knows the man to be a thief and kidnapper.”

The community said in their write up that instead of the police to investigate how the man got this kind of money, they didn’t as they only choose the option of declaring a massive arrest of villagers; “the police keep on taking this case from one police station to another within Umuahia.

“We are thinking that police are there to protect the community instead they are just busy making money. We are informed that there are a lot of rich men behind this. The man we in question is a very big high killer, please help the poor ones and the innocent people, we are one Nigeria and we are here for better tomorrow,” the villagers lamented.

To a self-confessed assassin in Kano State, the lives of two lawmakers are not worth more than N40,000.

That is the amount he and his colleagues were allegedly paid by their suspected sponsor to assassinate Hon. Ibrahim Abba Garko and Hon Isa Kademi, both members of Kano State House of Assembly.

The money was said to have even been paid in two installments of N20,000 each.

Garko was killed on  November 17, 2012 by gunmen operating on motor bike in front of his house located at Yanáwaki Ungwa-Uku General Area while Kademi fell to the assassins bullets on December 14 in front of his guest house situated at Hotoro Maradun during the evening rush  hour.

Until their assassination, Garko, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represented Garko local government in parliament whereas Kademi, of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), was a three-time chairman of Gaya local government and a former chairman of Association of Local Governments in Kano State.

Sunday Vanguard exclusively obtained the interrogation tape of the professional dyer-turned- self-confessed assassin, Ibrahim Lawal, in which he claimed to have been  a member of the gang that murdered the two lawmakers and named one Alhaji Sale Kura, a PDP chieftain, as their sponsor.

Kano State Police Commissioner, Mr  Ibrahim Idris, had, on Wednesday, paraded Lawal and Sale in connection with the assassination. Both of them, however, denied afterwards, their involvement in both killings to journalists.

“I am not a member of Boko Haram. I am a hired assassin and armed robber. We operated in a group of six and all of us live at Ungwa Uku,”Lawal told interrogators in the 25-minute tape.

On the killing of the lawmakers, the suspected assassin said, “We were mobilised by Sale Kura who personally handed over to me N20,000 twice (making N40,000) and we trekked to the abode of one of the targets while some other members of the gang arrived on motorbike.

“The target was identified and we went out of our way to spray others within the vicinity to avoid any of them recognising us. The gang escaped in the ensuring melee.”

The first scene of the video tape of Lawal’s interrogation opened in an apartment where six cops, led by a high ranking officer, were seated.

A Mobile Police officer came in with the  suspected assassin.

A gentle voice fired the first salvo,”Who are you”?

The suspect answered: “My name is Ibrahim Lawal; I live at Layin Yarbawa Ungwa-Uku. I had my primary  education at Ungwa Uku, and proceeded to Government Secondary School Bichi. I ventured into professional dying after I dropped out of secondary school. I maintained a shop at Layin Tazarce at the same quarters.”

In response to a question on whether he was a member of Boko Haram, the suspect, in a loud voice, declared: “I am not a member of Boko Haram; I am a hired assassin and armed robber. We operated in  a group of 6 and all of us live at Ungwa Uku”.

“Tell us more about the group”?, one of the police officers said.

Lawal replied: “We have Sagir Yahuza of Farin Massalaci Ungwa Uku, Surajo Adamu of Layin Tazarce Ungwa Uku, Tasiu Shuaibu of Layin Yarabawa Ungwa Uku and Mohammed AbdulSalam of Layin Tazarce Ungwa Uku quarters in Kano metropolis”.

On how he joined the gang, the suspect alleged, “I was personally recruited into the group by Alhaji Sale Kura who happens to be my neighbor and we enjoy a close relationship since 1999 when he became the PDP chairman of Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State”.

Asked to comment on the criminal gang, Lawal stated:  “We are not only into killings, we were also involved in violent robbery operations and Alhaji Sale Kura usually provided  us with concoction to drink before embarking on operations. The drink had the effect of emboldening us  as we confronted  risks head on”.

The interrogation drew to a close with a question on how the suspect was captured by the police.

Lawal stated: “I was with Mabo, the leader of the gang, when we received a call that a person on our hit list was sighted around Mabo shop and we quickly armed ourselves and moved in but, on arriving at the shop, the said person was no where to be found.

“As we were returning to my shop on a motorbike, we were accosted by a team of police officers who arrested me but Mabo was lucky as he escaped.”

Already, the state command of the Police has vowed not to spare anyone connected with the assassination of the lawmakers.

A senior officer of the Command told Sunday vanguard that “we would ensure that our investigation into the matter is very thorough as well as send the right signal that the Police Force of today means well; just as our Inspector General, MD Abubakar, is leaving no stone unturned in his transformation of the Force