Bird ‘turns to woman’after electrocution

There was panic yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, as a bird purportedly turned into a woman.

The incident, which occurred about 8a.m. at Agip/Ada-George junction, attracted a crowd.

The Nation learnt the bird purportedly turned into a woman after it was electrocuted by a high tension wire.

An eyewitness, Promise Amadi, who confirmed the incident, claimed the bird perched on top of a high tension pole at the junction when electricity was restored.

He said the bird was electrocuted and it fell down and purportedly turned into a woman, with cowries on her neck.

Amadi said 10 other birds on the junction flew away when the electrocuted bird fell down.

Another source, who preferred anonymity, said the bird resembled a vulture.

The eyewitness, who went spiritual, said the banner of a cleric was on the pole, adding that the power of God in the clergyman caused the miracle.

“This witch has sucked people’s blood. It is God that did this miracle. The vulture was on top of the pole when power was restored. It was electrocuted and it died. When we heard the explosion, we turned and saw a bird. Suddenly it turned to a woman, a witch.”

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Abuja Airport runway ‘is 57.5% ready’ Share 0 Tweet 0

PIC 26. MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE INSPECTS ABUJA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RUNWAY Pic 26. On-going maintenance at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday (30/3/17). 02167/30/3/2017/Albert Otu/JAU/ICE/NAN

The reconstruction of the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has reached 57.5 per cent completion, mid-way into the six weeks earmarked for the project.

“Work is going on smoothly as you can see. We have taken you round and everything is in order,” Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika  said when Minister of Information Culture and Tourism Lai Mohammed led reporters on a tour of the project.

“The contractor has mobilised fully and we have now gone about 57.5 per cent of the total work, which is good, which shows that we are on course, which shows that we are on time, which shows that we are doing what we are supposed to do to ensure that the runway is opened come 19th of April,” he said.

Sirika said that in addition to the opening of the runway at the expiration of the six-week target, an upgraded terminal to ensure passenger comfort, in line with the protocol of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), will also be ready.

“This airport will be opened come 19th of April and it will not only be opened at the time but the terminal building will wear a new look. We are doing a complete rehabilitation of Terminal D of the International Airport. We will put escalators and lifts at the terminal and also we are opening a lounge for the physically challenged and the elderly.

Sirika said work on the runway is also going on simultaneously with lighting installation and laying of cables, which have also reached an advanced stage.

He said for the first time in Nigeria, glasphalt – a variety of asphalt that uses crushed glass – was being used to reinforce the runway and also prevent cracks.

Mohammed said the tour was aimed at providing first-hand experience for the journalists on the progress so far made on the reconstruction of the runway.

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Father of six commits suicide in Bayelsa

A 43-year-old father of six, Mr. Gbembite Kitchen, on Thursday hanged himself in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The incident happened at Vanguard Street, Imgbi Road area of Yenagoa.

Kitchen, who hailed from Ekeremor local government area of the state, simply used his bed sheet to hang himself in a vacant room of an uncompleted building where he lived with his family.

Though he left no suicide note, it was gathered that Kitchen died out of frustration arising from family pressure and joblessness.

The deceased’s wife, Beauty, was not at home when the man, who was unemployed for many years, killed himself in the early hours of Thursday.

His neighbours said they had no idea that the deceased was nurturing the idea of killing himself.

When The Nation visited the scene of the incident, the deceased’s wife was surrounded by female sympathisers and crying inconsolably.

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Benue seals federal varsity over N2.3bn tax default

The Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) on Wednesday sealed the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), over N2.3 billion unremitted Personal Income Tax (PIT).

The BIRS Chairman, Mrs. Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, led the enforcement team to the university and sealed the offices of the Vice Chancellor, Registrar and the Bursar.

Adzape-Orubibi told newsmen that the board had no option but to honour a Makurdi High Court order to seal the institution over the non remittance of the funds.

“BIRS got an interim order to seal off FUAM because it fails to remit N2.3 billion PAYE that it deducted between 2007 and 2011.

“Also, there are cases where the university deducts less than what the law stipulates. The university will now pay about N3 billion, including penalties and interest.”

She said that Gov. Samuel Ortom was committed to uplifting the standard of education in the state, but the decision to seal the institution had become imperative.

She expressed regret that the tax problem had been on for a long period.

Reacting to the closure, the ASUU Acting Chairman, Mr Bemgba Anjembe regretted that workers’ PAYE was deducted monthly from staff salary while they were denied tax clearance certificates.

Meanwhile, students of  the university besieged the BIRS office on Gboko Road, Makurdi, to protest against the closure.

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