LAGOS RANKED 4TH WORLD’S WORST CITY

Lagos is the fourth worst city in the world, Economist Intelligence Unit, EIU, an independent forecasting and advisory business within the Economist Group has said.

And its top worst cities, are scattered around Africa and Asia. Lagos, the fourth on the list, shares its 137 position with Port Moresby, in Papua New Guinea on 38.9 per cent.

The report made available yesterday described it as the second-fastest growing city in Africa and the fourth worst city on earth.

“Rapid growth is not always a good thing because Lagos is now a magnet for two perpetual threats to peace: pirates and Islamist warriors.

Boko Haram have a problem with cities like Lagos and also lots of weaponry. Pirates threaten trade and use kidnapping as a method of funding. Islamist terrorist groups such as Boko Haram (“Education is forbidden”) want to create their own version of heaven on earth by destroying cities such as Lagos and imposing strict sharia law. Lagos has enormous potential but as yet little to show for it – hence its poor ranking,” the report said.

EIU in its 2013 annual survey of the world’s 140 major metropolises, said Lagos has a long way to go politically, socially and economically before it joins the emerging market club.

NARROW ESCAPE: A GOOD SAMARITAN PLUNGED INTO A RAGING INFERNO TO SAVE 13-MONTH-OLD BABY

For Michael Anthony, an electrician by profession, his decision to dare death, by plunging into a raging fire to save a 13-month-old baby from being consumed in an unfortunate inferno in his neighborhood, stands him out as a true Nigerian that our nation craves for. 

Anthony at the hospital

He is today bed-ridden and wriggling in pains after he damned all consequences and jumped into a raging inferno to save the baby, only to get trapped in the building. But for the grace of God, he wouldn’t have been alive to tell his story.

When Vanguard Crew visited the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, the Good Samaritan was seen lying motionless at the intensive care unit of the hospital, wrapped in layers of boundages as he groans in pains.

Though people throng daily to the hospital to catch a glimpse of this exceptional Nigerian, his condition calls for speedy intervention of public spirited and well- meaning Nigerians to help his poor parents foot his bill and also seek better healthcare for him, anywhere possible.

Narrating his story to Vanguard Crew in a tardy voice, he said he had just come back from church and was at home that evening around the Benue state owner/occupier housing estate, along the popular Abu King Shuluwa Road, when a sudden fire engulfed a neighbour’s house while the owners of the house were out.

According to him, “the fire started that evening without anybody noticing it; before anyone knew what was happening, the inferno had spread like wild fire, engulfing the entire house”.   At a point, people in the neighborhood made desperate efforts to rescue three children from the fire but the inferno intensified.

“Unfortunately, we were still hearing the cry of a baby from the house and given the intensity of the spreading fire, nobody was ready to risk his life in order to save the crying baby that was trapped in the building.  Though people had already made telephone calls to the state fire service, it became obvious that the baby might be consumed if nothing urgent was done to save her.

“There was wailing and crying by the helpless neighbours who were shouting for help to rescue the baby but no one was ready to take the risk because at that point, it was as if the entire building would cave in and collapse on the crying baby. It was at that point that I summoned courage, said a word of prayer and dashed into the raging fire because I could no more stand the cry of the dying baby”.

“I was able to locate her in one of the rooms where she was trapped; I picked her up and managed to throw her out of one of the windows from where neighbours took her away.  But from that point, part of the roof of the house collapsed on me, and it became difficult to trace my way out of the engulfed house and the windows of the building had burglary proof and I couldn’t squeeze myself out. I thought it was all over for me because part of my cloths and body were already on fire and I was gradually choking and was no longer seeing the outside of the building”.

“All I was hearing at that point was people shouting that I was dead and no one attempted to come near. But I kept praying and reminding God that since I only came to save an innocent baby from a horrendous death, my life should also be spared”.

“Though at that instance, parts of my body were already on fire but I managed to push forward with all the strength within me, and I finally made it out miraculously”.

“At this time I was completely exhausted and could hardly recognize anybody and in serious pains since my body had already started burning. Luckily, my parents and other onlookers rushed me to this hospital were I am presently receiving treatment.”

While being grateful to God, Micheal urged well-meaning Nigerians to come to his aid lamenting that his poor parents might not be able to foot his medical bills and also sponsor the surgery that he might undergo in the coming days.

Vanguard Crew also gathered from Micheal’s father, Mr. Anthony Anthony, a trader from Enugu state, who acknowledged that the action that was taken by his son to save the life of the baby was highly commendable and a trait every Nigerian should possess.

“I have no regrets for the action my son took to save the little baby; in fact every Nigeria should learn from this singular action. We must all learn to be our brother’s keeper irrespective of whom and what you are.  My only plea is that Nigerians should please not allow my son to die from the burns he had suffered. He is in so many pains and we lack the finance to take care of him.  If that is done, I’ll be a satisfied man and Michael will also be happy and not regret that he put his life on the line to save an innocent life.”

NEW FERTILITY APP AIMS TO REVOLUTIONIZE FAMILY PLANNING

A new fertility app “Clue” has been submitted to the iTunes store and will be available in the next couple of weeks.

Clue’s founders recently pitched the app at the tech event hy! Berlin and promoted the product as a revolutionary fertility planning tool.

The app utilizes the same premise as other fertility planning apps: predicting a woman’s fertile window to either prevent or promote pregnancy.

However, Clue works off of an algorithm that is individualized for the user.  The algorithm was developed by a team of engineers, modeling experts and fertility experts to provide the most accurate system for its users.

While Clue uses important timing information such as basal body temperature, cervical mucus monitoring, and menstruation timing, founder and CEO Ida Tin plans to take the app to a new level in fertility prediction.  

She wants Clue to replace the pill as the primary high-tech method for family planning.

Tin also wants to use Clue to develop long-term relationships with users.  “The market for women desperately trying for a child, that’s a very lucrative market. But really what we want to do is take women by the hand, from the onset of their journey, and all the way through,” she remarked.

MAN THREATENS TO SUE NSCDC OVER OIL WELL

The landlord of 30, Animatu Ilo Street, Ejigbo, Lagos State, has threatened to take legal action against the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for what he called, the unlawful arrest of his wife, Funke Ogunba, on August 23, 2013.

PUNCH Metro had reported on Monday that eight residents, including Funke, were arrested by the corps after petrol was found in wells in their compounds.

However, Funke’s husband, Adebanji, told PUNCH Metro that the allegations were baseless.

Adebanji described the incident as overzealousness on the part of the NSCDC, adding that he would take legal action against them.

He said, “On August 9, 2013, my pumping machine got damaged and when I attempted to get it repaired, I discovered there was petrol inside the well. The following day, I went to the Ejigbo Police Station to report the matter and the policemen took me to the General Manager, Ejigbo Depot, and one Mr. Balogun.

“On August 19 and 20, NNPC officials came to my house with trucks to siphon some of the fuel and even promised to construct another borehole for us.”

Adebanji said apart from himself, some other residents had also reported to the police because a large number of wells on the street had been contaminated with fuel.

He said he was surprised to learn that NSCDC officials and men of the Nigerian Army stormed his home and arrested his pregnant wife.

He said, “I was told that on Saturday that the NSCDC officials and some soldiers came to my house. They went into my bedroom and turned the entire place upside down. They vandalized my property and then sealed my house, accusing us of being pipeline vandals.

“My three children were taken to a neighbour’s house because my wife was arrested. I went to report the matter to the police and NNPC, but they told me that they were not aware of NSCDC’s activities.”

The father of three berated the NSCDC for not liaising with other sister agencies before breaking into his house.

He said he went to the NSCDC Lagos Command headquarters to secure his wife’s bail, alleging that the officers demanded N150, 000.

“My wife, who is six months pregnant, has been in their custody for over two days. Even though she has committed no crime, the NSCDC is demanding N150, 000 for her release. Is it a crime to be a law-abiding citizen? I will sue them for this,” he said.

Police sources at Ejigbo Division confirmed to our correspondent that Adebanji had indeed reported the matter.

A copy of his statement dated August 10, 2013, which was made available to our correspondent, read in part, “I am the landlord of the building at the aforementioned address.

“I have had a well in the compound since 2002 but recently discovered that the water in the well started mixing with fuel which is bad for my health and the environment which is peculiar to other houses in the area. 

That is why I came to the station to report it.”

The General Manager, NNPC, Ejigbo Depot, confirmed to one of our correspondents on the telephone that Funke Ogunba, was not a suspect in the matter, adding that they had received report about fuel in their well and had begun evacuating it.

The spokesman for the NSCDC, Mr. Chibuzor Mefor, said the agency did nothing wrong by arresting the suspects.

Mefor also denied allegations that the command demanded N150, 000 bail.

He said, “We do not demand money for bail. As regards the arrest, nobody informed us that a report had been made on the issue and we are carrying out the mandate of the Federal Government.

“If the suspects had made a report about the petrol in the wells, NNPC should have informed us.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed to one of our correspondents on the telephone that the police had been investigating the matter for over two weeks. She said those arrested by civil defence were complainants and not suspects.

The Lagos Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Adesuyi Dayo, on Monday, said the corps did not receive any report from the police or residents of Animatu-Ilo Street, Ejigbo that petroleum products were leaking into their wells.

Dayo said this during a press conference at the NSCDC Lagos office in Ikeja.

He said, “If the people claimed they reported it to the police or NNPC, what did the organizations did about it? We are talking about lives of people and the economy of the nation here. If a match is struck close to those wells, there would be fire explosion.

“Members of the public should report any leakage of vandalized pipeline in their area to the appropriate authority for action. As Nigerians, let us work together for the development of the nation.”

“The Code that establishes the NSCDC in the Constitution has empowered us to arrest, detain and investigate without any prior notice to the suspects. This is the mandate given to us and we will perform it to the letter.”  - PUNCH