Chinua Achebe is Dead

Wole Soyinka commented on Cool Fm, a private radio station in Lagos on how devasted he is on the death of talented and celebrated writer, Chinua Achebe.

According to BBC’s Fidelis Mbah of the BBC, who monitored the interview, the Nobel Laureate said: “I’m just devastated. I only heard about half an hour ago and I don’t want to say anything yet. I’m just devastated.”
Achebe, a talented and celebrated writer and author of the timeless novel, Things Fall Apart, passed on last night in a a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

PHOTOS: Photos From Bishop Oyedepo's Daughter's Traditional Wedding

The first daughter of Winners Chapel General Overseer, Bishop David Oyedepo, has married the love of her life, Steve Ogah, in a traditional wedding ceremony.
Check out a few photos from the ceremony;




Their white wedding will hold this Saturday March 23rd. Steve is one of Bishop Oyedepo's personal assistants.

$620,000 Bribe: Tambuwal Fires Farouk Lawan

The Speaker, House of Representatives Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Thursday sacked the suspended Chairman of the House  Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime Hon. Farouk Lawan from the position of Chairman, House Committee on Education.

Tambuwal announced the appointment of Hon. Aminu Suleiman (PDP, Kano) as the substantive chairman of the committee as replacement for Lawan who is currently facing trial for allegedly receiving a bribe of $620,000 from oil magnate Femi Otedola.
Tambuwal also appointed deputy chairmen for six other committees.
Until his appointment, Sulaiman was the deputy chairman of the committee on labour and productivity. Hon. Rose Okoh (PDP, Cross River), deputy chairman of the Education  committee had been operating in acting capacity until Thursday.
Tambuwal said the appointment is with immediate effect.
Farouk Lawan was suspended at a special plenary of the House in June 2012 after billionaire oil marketer, Chief Femi Otedola alleged that the former chairman collected a $620,000 bribe from him to facilitate the removal of his companies: Zenon oil and Synopsis international from the list of erring companies in the subsidy regime.
The House had temporarily stripped Lawan of his position as chairman committee on education as well as chairman of the subsidy probe committee pending the outcome of the investigation of its committee on ethics and privileges. With this development, Lawan who has been in the House since 1999 would remain as a floor member.The ethics and privileges committee had concluded its assignment since last year but has not submitted its findings to the House.  Efforts by our correspondent to ascertain whether the speakers action was based on the findings of the ethics and privileges committee were however not successful.
Lawan, is presently being prosecuted for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribe for the purpose of compromising facts on the oil subsidy management in the country.
It was learnt  that Tambuwal’s sacking of Lawan may not be unconnected with the resolve of  the House leadership to purge itself of anything that might dent the image of the House.

I Won’t Seek Second Term As CBN Governor- Sanusi

Putting paid to rumours of an extension of tenure, Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi, has stated that he would not seek a renewal of his tenure when it expires in April 2014.
The Governor made this known in a CNBC Africa interview in Abuja, as reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday. Mr. Sanusi said he never intended to stay beyond a single tenure and would not renew his contract when his five- year term expires next year.
An investment bank, Renaissance Capital, said they were intimated in February, by the Central Bank Governor of his decision not to return for second term.

“This implies that monetary policy is likely to remain firm in the short term” the investment bank said, while analysing implications of this decision.
“Given that Sanusi will soon be exiting, we believe that he’d like to leave a legacy of the stability that he has restored since coming into office. Interest rates are thus likely to remain high and liquidity relative tight, which is positive for the naira but negative for credit growth,” the organisation said.
“Given the calls from various that monetary policy becomes more accommodative post-Sanusi. Lower interest rates and looser liquidity may imply a weaker naira but would be positive for credit growth,” the organisation added.
The Central Bank Governor, who has led Nigeria’s banking regulatory body since June 2009 is due to leave office in April 2014. One of the highlight of his career includes the sacking of eight chief executives of banks within four months of taking office, as audit of the banks at that time revealed infractions, mismanagement and reckless lending.
Mr. Sanusi is also credited with leading the Nigerian banks’ reform, which has helped restore some accountability, sanity, and confidence in the nation’s banking sector.
In 2011, he was named central bank governor of the year by London-based The Banker magazine, aside other national and international awards.
While Mr. Lamido insisted that he never intended to seek a second term, industry stakeholders argue that due to his ‘controversial’ ways, he might not be granted a second tenure even if he tried.