Vanguard Newspaper Report

2015: Why Jonathan should run with Sambo - Senator Braimoh

2:12:55 AM Abiodun Alade

Senator Yisa Braimoh (Edo North from 2007-2011) has been a recurring decimal in the nation's political arena since the ill-fated third republic. He was a running mate on the National Republican Convention (NRC) gubernatorial ticket in Edo State in 1991; and was in the botched Abacha transition programme leader of the National Congress Party of Nigeria (NCPN). In this interview, he speaks, among others, on the achievements of the President Jonathan administration, the president's second term in office and why Vice President Namadi Sambo should be retained on the re-election ticket The post 2015: Why Jonathan should run with Sambo - Senator Braimoh appeared first on Vanguard News.

Army has placed orders for anti-Boko Haram ammunition - Minimah

12:20:41 AM Abiodun Alade

CHIEF of the Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, says the army would soon end the Boko Haram insurgency in the northern part of the country. The post Army has placed orders for anti-Boko Haram ammunition - Minimah appeared first on Vanguard News.

A tale of two defectors: Fani-Kayode and Ribadu

Saturday, August 23, 2014 11:39 PM Abiodun Alade

A honest politician, like a chaste prostitute, is almost an oxymoron - a contradiction in terms. Still there are a few who are passably honest and stay true to the ideals associated with them from start to finish. By contrast, the nation had witnessed a tragic-comical episode of two young politicians who in the space of a few years have turned themselves into political nuisances. The post A tale of two defectors: Fani-Kayode and Ribaduappeared first on Vanguard News.

June 12 Controversy: Those close to Abiola sold him out-Fred Eno

Saturday, August 23, 2014 11:30 PM Abiodun Alade

Fred Eno was special assistant to the late Chief MKO Abiola, the undeclared winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. In this interview, he says he did not betray a former general secretary of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Frank Kokori, during the struggle to revalidate the annulled 1993 election, contrary to the claim by Kokori. Eno tells his story of the June 12 struggle and the lessons he learnt. The post June 12 Controversy: Those close to Abiola sold him out-Fred Eno appeared first on Vanguard News.

35 police officers missing after Borno insurgency attack

Saturday, August 23, 2014 11:20 PM Abiodun Alade

Force Headquarters, yesterday, confirmed that following the deadly attack by suspected Boko Haram fighters on the Mobile Police Training School, Gwoza, last week, 35 of its officers were still missing. The post 35 police officers missing after Borno insurgency attack appeared first on Vanguard News.

Gunmen kill three cops in Bauchi

Saturday, August 23, 2014 8:20 PM Abiodun Alade

Gunmen have killed three policemen at a check point around Tilden Fulani village in Toro local government area of Bauchi State. The post Gunmen kill three cops in Bauchi appeared first onVanguard News.

2015: '1.8m Nigerians want Jonathan for second term '

Saturday, August 23, 2014 8:20 PM Abiodun Alade

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, said it had collected signatures of 1.8 million people from the South-west who wanted President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election come 2015 election. The post 2015: '1.8m Nigerians want Jonathan for second term 'appeared first on Vanguard News.

The chicken and cow business in Enugu Government House

Saturday, August 23, 2014 7:59 PM Abiodun Alade

The Igbo have a rather pithy saying about fortuitous revelations. It is good, they say, that the wind blows now and then, or so that men too would know that the chicken has an anus. The chicken indeed does have an anus, and there is evidence of this in the Enugu Government House where an impeachment saga has opened up some funny chicken business. The post The chicken and cow business in Enugu Government House appeared first on Vanguard News.

Confab: Our problem with'new Constitution', by Gov. Kwankwanso

Saturday, August 23, 2014 7:58 PM Abiodun Alade

Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State insists a plan to extend the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan through the outcome of the National Conference is in the offing, but says it will not see the light of day. He also speaks, in this interview, on the plans of his party, the APC, for Nigeria in 2015 The post Confab: Our problem with'new Constitution', by Gov. Kwankwanso appeared first on Vanguard News.

FIFA U-20 Women's W/Cup: Falconets set to rule the world

Saturday, August 23, 2014 7:57 PM Abiodun Alade

The final of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Canada 2014 comes up tonight at the Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada. The match is a repeat of the 2010 showpiece between the then hosts Germany and Nigeria. That game went the way of the European side, an outcome the in-form Nigerians will be aiming to avenge to tonight. The post FIFA U-20 Women's W/Cup: Falconets set to rule the world appeared first on Vanguard News.

Ebola: Patrick Sawyer was evil, a terrorist – Nigerians

Nigeria was a merry-go country and free of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) until late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, ignominiously appeared on the scene on July 20 fully aware that he had the disease having had contacts with his sister, who died of EVB on July 8.

He had been suspended from work by his Company, Arcelor Mittal and was supposed to be under isolation, observation and monitoring. With the connivance of Liberia's Deputy Finance Minister For Fiscal Affairs, Sebastian Muah, who cleared him to travel to Nigeria for an ECOWAS convention in Calabar, Mr. Sawyer, who avoided bodily contacts with people at the airport in Monrovia, Liberia found his way to Lagos.

He boarded an Asky Airline plane and became severely ill on the plane and was taken to First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, from the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos. Since Sawyer's infamous arrival, Nigeria has lost four people to the Ebola disease: the ECOWAS official, who drove him to the hospital, two nurses who assisted him at the hospital and the doctor, who physically restrained him from leaving his bed after he tried to remove the drip administered on him.Saturday Vanguard asked our teeming readers their views of Mr. Sawyer and captures their interesting views below.

Sawyer is wicked

The man was a very wicked person. He knew that he had the virus and he deliberately decided to bring it to Nigeria. – Joseph Sunday, Interior Decorator.

He needed help

I see Patrick Sawyer as someone who only needed help. He knew he had the disease, but felt he could get a cure in Nigeria without knowing how deadly and serious it was. – Jefferson Aisegame, Banker

His actions

expose our porosity as a nation

The man became famous and will be remembered for a negative cause. His name has become synonymous and associated with the Ebola Virus – a time bomb whose explosion shows our porosity as a nation. I don't think his actions were deliberate. Christopher Urokonweze, Biochemist

He was a thief

I think he's a thief, because he knew he had the virus, yet he deliberately brought it here. He decided to distribute the disease to people. That kind of person is capable of terrible acts. Thank God, he was exposed at the airport. If he had succeeded and mixed up with people in the country without their knowledge, it would have been disastrous. – Chief Gabriel Obi, Trader

He was a terrorist, devil

That man was a terrorist. He was a devil incarnate. He knew he had it and that he was going to die, but he wanted to die with innocent people. If they hadn't caught him here in Nigeria, he probably would have migrated to another country. The man was just out to kill. He is worse than Boko Haram.- Elias Nwoke, Businessman

Sawyer should'nt have left Liberia

I think since he knew his condition and knowing that there was no case of the disease in Nigeria, he shouldn't have embarked on that journey to this country. But maybe what ever the issue brought him here must have been very crucial. – Dr. Adeyinka Adeleye.

He was very wicked

The man knew what he was doing. He knew the disease is deadly and dangerous, still he travelled to Nigeria with it. That man was a very wicked man. We just pray to God to help us. – Victoria Eretan, Nurse

It was sheer wickedness

What he did was sheer wickedness. If he wanted a cure, he should have remained in his country and looked for a cure there instead of coming to spread it here. Now, we are all suffering as a result. I pray the government gets a cure to the disease soonest. – Mrs. Okoro Kate, Trader.

He would have got help in Liberia

What that man did was bad. He wasn't supposed to come into Nigeria with that disease. He should have remained where he was and I believe people would have been able to help him there. – Mrs. Amaka Aniagolu.

EVB has affected our businesses

Since he knew he had the virus, he wasn't supposed to travel. He should have remained where he was.

People are no longer free and this disease has caused bad sales for us. – Olaide Sheriff, Meat Seller

Sawyer was heartless

That man was heartless and wicked. He decided to bring his problem to this country to cause us more problems. What he did was very bad and he did it intentionally. – Akeem Adeyemo, Meat Seller.

He didn't want to die alone

The man just acted like a typical African who wouldn't want to fall alone, so he decided to spread the virus. He wanted people to die with him . – Mr. Fortune Wilson, Businessman.

Episode exposed lapses in our security system

He knew quite well that he had the virus, yet he came into the country with it. This shows the lapses in our security system and how porous our borders are. He didn't want to die alone and his actions have resulted into an epidemic. – Chief P.C Agu, Businessman.

Police probes alleged attempt on NSCDC boss

Abuja – The Police have begun investigation into the allegation that one policeman attempted to open fire on the Commandant-General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ade Abolurin.

This is contained in a statement issued by DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu, the Force Public Relations Officer, on Friday in Abuja.

It said the NSCDC spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Okeh, made the allegation on Friday, saying the incident occurred in Lagos on Friday.

"The allegation is being investigated by the force and the outcome will be made public soonest. Okeh had alleged that an unnamed police inspector single-handedly made the attempt,'' the statement said.

It quoted Okeh as saying the attempt was made on Abolurin and over 200 members of his committee.

The statement said the members included representatives of the Nigerian Army, EFCC, ICPC and Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, among others.(NAN)

WAEC Failure: Fashola advocates ICT teaching methods, review of curriculum

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday said there is need for urgent adoption of improved and exciting teaching methods in schools, saying "this will enhance the performance of the students' future West African Secondary School Certificate Examination, WASSCE."

This came a week after the West Africa Examination Council; WAEC released the 2014 WASSCE with 31.28 percent of the students obtained credits in five (5) subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Fashola who made the observation at the opening of a three-day retreat for the state `s Executive council and Permanent Secretaries in Lagos tagged "Up-scaling the processes and benefits of e-governance in Lagos, added that the comprehensive review of schools curriculum to include more practical's that could help stimulate their learning.

The governor, who lamented that the mass failure of students recorded in the current WASSCE result released by the WAEC, said that the use of teaching methods that were not appealing to students was one of the major causes of mass failure.

According to him, "the present generation of students wants learning to be fun and so will learn better with exciting teaching methods and tools like computers."

He added that the present generation of students were averse to rigid method of learning, and would prefer the use of Information Communication Technology, ICT which they are conversant with.

The governor said ''Performance in WASSCE can be improved with better teaching methods. We need to understand that the present generation of students do things more on-line and less with paper. We need to teach our students in line with these realities. We need to employ methods that they find appealing and would make them learn better."

The governor opined that the state had recorded impressive results in the WASSCE in the past few years, attributing the improved performance to the provision of improved teaching and learning infrastructure.

Fashola said while the 2014 result for the state was still being awaited, he is optimistic that it would be better than last year`s result.

He stated that there is need for review the country's national life, saying things that were no-longer relevant to the present realities could be phased out

The governor explained that the retreat was organized to review government`s performance and strategize for better service delivery.

Fashola noted that budget performance in the state had been impressive, assuring that government would continue to do its best to raise the state`s level of development.

Police nab two luxurious bus robbers in Asaba

POLICE in Delta State, have arrested two suspected bandits, who stopped a luxurious bus at gunpoint at Asaba, robbing a passenger of his laptop.

Police spokesperson in the state, DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the arrest, yesterday, said, " On 19/8/2014 at about 2305hrs, one Ifeanyi  'm', aged 36yrs and Chibuike  'm' , aged 30yrs, both of Abia State, who boarded G.U.O Group of Companies Luxurious bus with Reg. No. XD 458 AWK from Owerri to Lagos, on getting to Asaba in Delta State, forced the driver of the said bus, one Ojukwu Mac-Donald 'm' to stop on gun point."

"The duo robbed one of the passengers by name Promise Okwuake 'm' of his lap top, jumped down from the vehicle and took to their heel."

"The suspects were, however, pursued and arrested by patrol men from 'B' Division Asaba, who got wind of the incident and mobilized to the scene," she said.

According to her, " Items recovered from them include one cut to size double barrel gun, the stolen laptop and a wrap of dried weeds suspected to be Indian hemp."

She asserted that the suspects "are helping detectives from 'B' Division Asaba in investigation."