BlackBox Nigeria

Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education was included among the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine.‎
A short essay was written about Ezekwesili by renowned Uganda activist, Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe on Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education.

Read below:
"Like northern Uganda, where I live, northern Nigeria is very isolated. For many years, the women who were abducted from our region remained invisible. So although I have not met Obiageli Ezekwesili, I know the #BringBackOurGirls campaign that she championed is very important. It would have taken a long time to raise awareness about the girls taken by Boko Haram without her using her platform as a former Minister of Education".‎
We need to remember that these girls are undergoing psychological and maybe physical torture. So I love that the campaign says, "Bring back our girls," and not "Bring back my child." Everybody is in unison with the parents and the relatives. Everyone is feeling their pain. Everyone will be ready to embrace the girls and offer them care and compassion if they are rescued or manage to escape.
"It has been a year, and the girls haven't been rescued, but she has made a difference by speaking about it. Not just speaking but shouting. I know some people will say she is too loudmouthed. The loud mouth is needed. People hear it".

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About two dozen people have been reported dead from an unknown epidemic which recently hit Ode Irele, a serene community in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.‎
The state Commissioner for Health,   Dayo Adeyanju, who made this known to journalists in Akure on Wednesday, did not say when and how the disease was first noticed in the community.
He however added that four persons with fresh symptoms of the disease had been isolated at the General Hospital, Ode Irele.
According to Adeyanju, preliminary reports showed that prior to the deaths, all the victims, complained of headaches and later lost their sight before dying.
The commissioner explained that the symptoms of the epidemic were different from those of   Ebola Virus Disease, which are   diarrhoea, vomiting and haemorrhage.
While giving the assurance that everything possible would be done to ensure that the disease did not spread, Adeyanju said the state government had already sought the aid of the World Health Organisation and other partners.
He added that the Disease Surveillance Team and volunteers that were engaged in the state during the EVD outbreak had been activated.
Adeyanju also disclosed that the Personnel Protective Equipment purchased by the government to curtail Ebola   was being used in the handling of the disease.
According to him, samples taken from the victims had been sent to Lagos State for proper investigation.
The commissioner also said the government had   commenced an   awareness campaign through which the public   was being encouraged to report any case of the disease .
While stating that the state already had a cremation law in place, Adeyanju advised relations of the victims against burying them at home.
He warned the public against sensationalising the disease, particularly in the social media, so as not to create fears among the people.
Adeyanju's   Information counterpart, Kayode Akinmade, said the government had already contacted the Federal Ministry of Health over the disease.

A   professor of infectious diseases and Chief Executive Officer, EbolaAlert, Bakare Lawal, said that samples   obtained from the victims were being analysed to enable experts to determine whether the disease was bacterial or viral infections.
Meanwhile, online search vide the healthline.com reveals that the symptoms mimic those of Temporal arteritis.
The portal states, "Temporal arteritis is a condition in which the temporal arteries, which supply blood to the head and brain, become inflamed or damaged. It is also known as cranial arteritis or giant cell arteritis."
It notes that although this condition usually occurs in the temporal arteries, temporal arteritis can occur in almost any medium to large artery in the body.
The portal adds that older individuals over 60 years of age are more likely than-younger individuals to develop the condition, while women are almost four times as likely as men to develop temporal arteritis.
The portal advises that although the exact cause of the condition is unknown, there may be a link with the body's auto-immune response.
"In addition, excessive doses of antibiotics and certain severe infections have been linked to temporal arteritis. There is no known prevention for the condition. However, once diagnosed, temporal arteritis can be treated to minimise complications," it says.
Symptoms of temporal arteritis can include excessive sweating, disturbances in vision (blurred vision, double vision, reduced vision), sudden, permanent loss of vision in one eye, throbbing headache (usually in the temples), fatigue and weakness, general ill feeling, loss of appetite, muscle aches, transient jaw pain, fever, unintentional weight loss, bleeding gums, facial pain, hearing loss, mouth sores, and drooping eyelid.
Others are joint pain and stiffness, shoulder and hip pain and stiffness, depression, tenderness in the scalp and temple areas.
The portal warns that it is important to see the doctor for a thorough examination to obtain an accurate diagnosis.
According to the U.S-based National Institute of Health, nearly 40 per cent of affected individuals will also experience symptoms such as nerve pain or respiratory problems.

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Nigeria's President-elect, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari has been named among world's most influential persons by the widely read magazines, Times.
Also making the list from Nigeria are former Education Minister and Bring Back Our Girls campaigner, Mrs. Oby Eziekwezili; author of popular narratives, Chimamanda Ngozi-Adigichie.
A surprise listing as earlier stated by BBN is that of the leader of the deadly sect, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau whose name also made it to the list of the influential persons.
The magazine also honoured the Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie.
TIME's list of 100 most influential people in the world is published annually, to honour leaders, icons, artists and pioneers in different endeavours across the world. The new release is the 12th edition, listing the most influential people in the world whose works are changing the world, regardless of the consequences of their actions.
In a brief profile of Mr. Buhari, written by TIME's African Bureau Chief, Aryn Baker, the magazine said the former army general made history by becoming the first candidate to oust a sitting Nigerian President through the ballot box.
"Now he has to live up to voters' expectations," the magazine said.
"From battling the Boko Haram insurgency to tackling endemic corruption, Buhari has many challenges ahead.
"The greatest may be overcoming his past as a military ruler who seized power in 1983. Already the born-again democrat is demonstrating the inclusivity necessary to lead a nation riven by ethnic and religious tensions."
Furthermore, the magazine said without Mrs. Ezekwesili, the awareness created about the abducted Chibok girls would have taken even more time.
"It has been a year, and the girls (Chibok girls) haven't been rescued, but she has made a difference by speaking about it. Not just speaking but shouting.
"Some people will say she is too loudmouthed. The loud mouth is needed. People hear it," TIME said.
"Even before she became the champion of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, Ezekwesili was already a leading voice in Nigerian politics."
Similarly, TIME also said Adichie's greatest power is as "a creator of characters who struggle profoundly to understand their place in the world".
Other names included in this year's list which would hit the newsstands Friday, are US President Barack
Obama, Pope Francis, Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Raul Castro of Cuba and Janet Yellen of the American Reserve Bank, among several others.
The magazine described Shekau as the most violent killer Nigerians have ever seen, and as the "scourge of Africa" by Gen. Carter Ham(retd.), a former Commander of US Africa Command from 2011 to 2013. It concluded that the Boko Haram leader's latest action—pledging allegiance to ISIS, may finally summon a United States' response.

The House of Representatives yesterday asked President Goodluck Jonathan to recall Nigeria's envoy to South Africa over xenophobic attacks on foreigners.
The lawmakers also vowed to invoke relevant business   laws to frustrate South African concerns in Nigeria.
However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, said yesterday that Nigeria was closely monitoring the attacks on foreigners in South Africa and would take appropriate measures if the lives of Nigerians were at risk.
The Reps' move was sequel to a motion promoted by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, APC, Lagos, entitled: 'Xenophobic Attacks on Africans in South Africa'.
In her submission, the Lagos lawmaker argued that the House was disturbed at the constant, unwarranted Xenophobic attacks against African migrants in South Africa, where Africans in South Africa were being slaughtered like animals.‎
She said:   "The recent attacks which have left many dead, businesses and shops vandalised, many beaten up mercilessly, was incited by a statement allegedly made by South African Zulu King, Goodwill. Zwelithini, who told African migrants to go home as they were no longer welcome in South Africa.
"Son of President Zuma, Edward, allegedly echoed the same   statement which ignited a long debate and worse still immediate backlash of violent reactions among the Zulus in Kwazulu, who unleashed terror on foreigners including Nigerians in J'bourg, Durban and Pretoria.
"They steal, break into their homes, businesses, take their properties, killing them, 5 have been killed with hundreds stranded and unable to return.
"Recall that a similar incident happened in January this year in which 4 people died during the looting of shops owned by foreigners and also a similar incident occurred in 2002 with about 60 African migrants killed including Zimbabweans , Mozambiqueans, Congolese and Malawians.''
At this point, Friday Itulah, PDP, Edo, sought for an amendment to reflect that"the Nigerian ambassador to South Africa should be recalled immediately for further consultations and we should sever all diplomatic ties with the troubled country."
Leo Ogor, PDP Isoko federal constituency also spoke in the same vein, commending the "efforts of the sponsor of the motion which to me is timely and needed to be treated with urgency."
In his contribution, Ahmed Datti, APC, Kaduna, said:  "I was surprised that one of their major companies here has increased tariff   yet they are killing people in their country.
"We should invoke all our relevant laws to ensure that it is no longer business as usual for their business concerns in Nigeria."
When the presiding officer, Aminu Tambuwal put the proposed amendment to vote, referring to the first leg as the recall of the envoy, the ays had it.
The second amendment seeking an outright severing diplomatic ties with SA was killed by the lawmakers.
Rounding off, Dabiri-Erewa said Nigeria frowned on the attacks and would no longer tolerate the killing of its nationals in South Africa.
She asked President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately convey this to President Zuma as a matter of urgency.
The lawmakers also appealed to the federal government to apply the diplomatic principle of reciprocity in dealing with South Africa, adding that if South Africa continued to frustrate Nigeria businesses, Nigeria must also do the same to South Africa businesses in the country.
When the speaker finally put the debate to a voice, the ays carried the day.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, has said Nigeria was closely monitoring the attacks on foreigners in South Africa and would take appropriate measures if the lives of Nigerians were at risk.
Addressing State House correspondents after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, Ambassador Wali said the attacks were not targeted at Nigerians only but foreigners, adding that the Nigerian Mission in Pretoria had taken steps to ensure that the lives and properties of Nigerians were protected.
According to the Minister, information at his disposal indicates that no Nigerian has so far been affected by the attacks.
"With the discussions I have been having with Nigeria's Head of Mission in Pretoria, no Nigerian has so far been affected.  They informed me that they have called the Nigerian community and addressed them and told them to close their shops, stay at home and keep out of trouble and obey the laws of South Africa.
"They have also confirmed that the South African authorities have moved in to take actions that would forestall any further disturbance in South Africa.
"If it gets worse it is the duty of our country to make sure our people are brought back, and we are taking that duty serious.
"We are not prepared to allow any of our nationals to be subjected to such inhuman treatment," he said.
He defended the stance of government saying that Nigerians were not being targeted in the orgy of violence that has so far gripped the country.
"We are not being reactionary because this is happening to all foreigners, not Nigerians alone. We are monitoring the situation and will take action according to the situation that develops," he said.

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Two Lagos-based legal practitioners, Oluyinka Oyeniji and Osasuyi Adebayo, have commenced contempt proceedings against the Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, Mr. John Ugbe, for allegedly violating a court order.‎
Ugbe, alongside the Public Relations Manager of the company, Caroline Oghuma, is liable to being jailed if found guilty of the allegation.
The lawyers had, on April 2, 2015, secured a court order of interim injunction restraining MultiChoice from giving effect to its proposed 20 per cent increment on subscription fee on the Digital Satellite Television (DStv) being operated by it.
Justice C.J. Aneke of a Federal High Court in Lagos, who made the interim order, had held that the order would subsist till the determination of a lawsuit contesting the legality of MultiChoice's newly-introduced subscription rates on DStv.
However, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, one of the plaintiffs, Oyeniyi, informed the court that in spite of the court order, MultiChoice had not stopped its new rates, which had commenced from April 1.
"My Lord, whether wrongly or rightly, on the 2nd of April, your Lordship made an order that is bound to be obeyed. We filed a further affidavit citing the defendants for contempt of court," Oyeniyi said.

In their motion on notice, served on the defendants along with Forms 48 and 49, the lawyers attached as exhibits copies of receipts issued by MultiChoice to certain subscribers reflecting payment of the new subscription rate of N13, 980 rather than the old rate of N11, 650 in spite of the court order.
"It is in the interest of justice to grant this application and empower the honourable court as the place of last resort to the plaintiffs in preserving the dignity of the court," the plaintiffs pleaded as they urged the court to make an order of committal against Ugbe and Oghuma.
The other prayer contained in their motion on notice was for the court to order MultiChoice to make a refund of all excess charges to all customers who had subscribed to the new rate in the face of the subsisting court order.
The plaintiffs also asked for an order mandating MultiChoice to tender a full page public apology in four national newspapers including The Punch, ThisDay, The Guardian and The Sun, to all subscribers for violating the court order.
They also want the court to compel the company to tender televised apology on DStv as well as via text messages to all subscribers in the country.

But lawyer for MultiChoice, Mr. M.J. Onigbanjo (SAN), said the order was wrongly made.
He noted that while the order was granted on April 2, the increment that the applicants complained of took effect on April 1 and his client could, therefore, not be held for contempt of court.
But Oyeniyi maintained that the order was for a continuing action rather than a concluded action.
The plaintiffs in their substantive suit are seeking an order of the court compelling the National Broadcasting Commission to regulate the activities of MultiChoice on DStv.
They want an enforcement of the pay-per-view scheme, whereby subscribers would only pay for programmes they watched, as was being done in other parts of the world where MultiChoice operated.
But the company, through Onigbanjo, is challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit as well as the competence of the originating summons served on it.
Onigbanjo contended that the applicants lacked the locus standi to institute the action, saying they could not dictate how MultiChoice would run and conduct its business.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also insisted that it was not within the authority of NBC to prevent the company from making increment in the price of services being offered to its customers.
He pointed the attention of the court to clauses 40 and 41 of the company's terms of conditions which stated that "MultiChoice Nigeria may, from time to time, change the fees payable to MultiChoice Nigeria for the MultiChoice service by way of general amendment."
Onigbanjo said the plaintiff had no reasonable cause of action, just as he described the suit as academic "because the act complained of has been completed."
Besides, he argued that the originating summons served on his client was defective, as service was not compliant with Section 97 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, as regards a writ that must be served outside the court's jurisdiction.

Aneke adjourned till May 5, 2015 for further hearing.

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Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja Thursday rejected an oral application by lawyer to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State for an order stopping the on-going move to impeach the governor.
Fayose's lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN) had shortly before the end of proceedings in the case seeking to stop the on-going impeachment move, applied orally for an order directing parties to maintain status quo ante bellum "to stop things from degenerating further."
Justice Mohammed, in a ruling, rejected Raji's prayer and upheld the argument by Terence Vembe, lawyer to Ekiti State Speaker, Adewale Omirin, to the effect that granting such prayer will amount to the court amending its earlier ruling that the defendants were still within time show cause, as earlier ordered by the court.
The judge had, last Wednesday, refused Fayose's ex-parte prayers for interim injunctions restraining Omirin and other defendants in the case from proceeding with the impeachment move.
Instead, Justice Mohammed ordered the defendants to show cause why the orders of interim injunction sought by the plaintiffs should not be granted.
Plaintiffs in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/302/2015 include Olugbemi Joseph Dele (who claimed to be Speaker of the State Assembly), Ekiti State House of Assembly, Fayose and his deputy, Olusola Kolapo.
Listed as defendants are Omirin, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Chief Judge, Ekiti State.
At the commencement of proceedings Thursday, Raji urged the court to grant the order of interim injunction on the ground that none of the defendants complied with the court's order of April 8 directing them to show cause.
"None of the defendants has filed any paper and already a life has been lost on the account of trying to carry out the illegal act (impeachment). To save more life, I urge my Lord to grant the reliefs 5, 6, 7 and 8 on our motion paper."
Vembe objected and told the court that his client were contesting the mode of service of the court processes on him, which he said, was done through a newspaper publication on April 11 which was a public holiday.
He further faulted the service effected by the plaintiffs via a publication in the Nigerian Tribune newspaper on April 11 on the ground that movements were restricted on that day owing to the governorship and House of Assembly elections held nationwide.
In a brief ruling, Justice Mohammed upheld Raji's argument that Vembe‎ could not canvass any argument on the issue of service orally without putting it in writing as required under the court's rules.
Vembe proceeded to argue that his client was still within time to obey the court's order directing him and other defendants to show cause.
Although Raji objected to Vembe's further argument that his client was still within time, Justice Mohammed, in yet another brief ruling, upheld Vembe's argument.
The judge noted that the publication ought not to have been done on a public holiday. He held that the three days within which the defendants were required to comply with the court's order began to run on Tuesday, April 14 and will end on Friday‎, April 17.
"As of today, the 1st defendant is still within time as provided by Order 36 Rule 13 of the Federal High Court Rules," the judge said.
Further hearing in the case has been fixed for April 29.
The plaintiffs are, in the substantive suit, seeking nine prayers among which is "an order setting aside the purported notice of impeachment and all steps taken by the 1st defendant (Omirin) with other errant members of the 2nd plaintiff (Ekiti State House of Assembly) in relation to the purported issuance and service of the said notice of impeachment for the purpose of commencing and concluding the impeachment proceedings against Peter Ayodele Fayose and Dr. Olusola Kolapo, except and until there is absolute compliance with provisions of section 36(1) and section 188(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)."

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