A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South and Perez Brisibe WARRI- THE Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, Wednesday, reiterated that it was not ready for any negotiation and dialogue with the Federal Government.
The group in a tweet by its spokesperson, Mudoch Agbinibo, reacting to the claim by one Mr. Ballantyne Agiri, who claim to be the acting spokesperson of a "Contact and Dialogue Team, said it was a fabrication.
By Clarybell Charles The police in Lagos, yesterday, commenced investigations into the raging crisis over the leadership of traders at the Fancy and Furniture section of the popular Alaba International Market in Ojo area of the state. Already, the executive members of the section have been invited for interrogation following the crisis which nearly led to bloodbath inside the market last Monday.
Police sources hinted that issues raised against the executives includes allegations that one of their leaders is an ex-convict who served 13 years for drug peddling in far-away Thailand after which he was said to have been wrongly and unconstitutionally elected as their Chairman.
It was gathered that seven members of the executive led by the 1st Vice-Chairman, Acholamukwu Mmadueke, signed a strongly- worded petition alleging amongst others that their chairman registered the union's official vehicle in his personal name; that he built 30 container shops, sold and used them to illegally block other member's shops in the market and that he invaded the market with thugs and cult boys with dangerous weapons and inflicted bodily injuries on some of the traders. Based on these allegations, it was gathered that they called for his immediate removal from office.
It will be recalled that bloodbath was averted in the market last Monday, after some traders protested against what they called "the overbearing influence ' of one of their past leaders on the present executive of the Fancy and Furniture section in the market.
Policemen from the Area command, Festac, promptly arrived the market and succeeded in maintaining peace after which they invited members of the executives for interrogations.
By Soni Daniel Abuja – More trouble came the way of former Imo Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission swooped on him to account for the N350 million he signed and collected from Fidelity Bank ahead of last year’s presidential election.Achike Udenwa
EFCC operatives, who re-arrested him, confronted him with documents to prove that he collected the cash in three instalment from Nenadi Usman, who was the Director of Finance for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation.
The suspect, who served as the Imo State Coordinator for the Goodluck Campaign team, however admitted n his statement to the commission that he got the said cash from Diamond Bank account Nos.00 8805692 and 005950791 respectively on the 14th and 28th of January 2015 in three separate installments.
The former governor added that the money came from a company named Joint Trust Dimension Limited, which had already been charged alongside Mrs Nenadi Usman and the Media Director of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani Kayode before the Federal High Court Lagos on a? similar allegation.
Investigation however revealed that Achike Udenwa and one Viola Onwuliri, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and State Minister for Education, who was his deputy at the Presidential Campaign Organisation, were the two signatories to the Diamond Bank account that received the money.
The former governor was however interrogated and granted administrative bail by the commission with a condition that he should be reporting to the commission at an appointed time.
But EFCC said yesterday that Udenwa flouted the terms of his bail by refusing to be reporting routinely as directed, thereby compelling the commission to revoke his administrative bail pending his arraignment soon.
Achike Udenwa was a governor of Imo State under the flagship of People's Democratic Party between 1999 and 2007 and became a minister of Commerce and Industry between 2008 and 2010 under Goodluck Jonathan's administration.
Escaped Chibok girl, Amina Ali Nkeki declares she misses her Boko Haram fighter husband and is still thinking about him three months after escaping the militants’ camp.
Amina Ali who disclosed her ordeal in an interview she granted published by CNN on Wednesday, said she was married off a year into her predicament and later had a baby girl, Safiya.
Recall that that Nkeki was held hostage for more than two years by the terrorist group and the couple and their daughter were reportedly found on the outskirts of Nigeria’s Sambisa Forest in May.
She says they fled the camp by themselves and were not rescued by the Nigerian military, contrary to reports.
Her husband, identified as Mohammed Hayatu at the time of their escape, told a witness that he too had been kidnapped by Boko Haram.
“I’m not comfortable with the way I’m being kept from him,” the shy 21-year-old told CNN in her first worldwide interview, at an undisclosed location in Abuja Tuesday.
Addressing the father of her child directly, she says: “I want you to know that I’m still thinking about you, and just because we are separated doesn’t mean I have forgotten about you.”
Her statements came two days after the terrorist group released a grisly video showing the dead bodies of young women, taken in the aftermath of what Boko Haram says was a Nigerian airstrike.
Amina Ali says a dozen captives died in a bombing more than a year ago, which suggests that the footage is not new, according to a spokesman for Nigeria’s National Security Advisor.
The video also shows a Chibok girl reciting a scripted plea for the release of Boko Haram fighters in exchange for the kidnapped girls.
Amina Ali was one of 276 schoolgirls abducted at gunpoint from their boarding school in Chibok in April 2014, by Boko Haram fighters. As many as 57 girls were able to escape almost immediately, but more than 200 remain missing.
She says she was desperate to see her mother again and that the thought gave her the courage and strength to flee the camp.
Asked how she felt about becoming a mother herself while in captivity, her face clouds over and, speaking through an interpreter, she insists: “I don’t want to answer.”
Mr Olisaemeka Akamukale, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Board of Trustees (BoT), says the party is not behind Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legal tussles. Akamukale said this while fielding questions from newsmen at APC's National Secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that the ruling party had no reason to be behind the conflicting court orders and would appreciate if there was a vibrant opposition. He said, ”Ali Modu Sheriff was with us in ANPP until we formed APC; he left to PDP and was celebrated. We have no reason to be behind it.
”The problem with PDP is that they want to put money where they did not harvest. They should look for their founding fathers. ”It is better we have a strong opposition. We don’t need a crisis in the PDP to win landslide again in 2019. ”We don’t need Ali Modu Sheriff; he contested in Borno and lost even among the grassroots. We don’t need him; that umbrella has torn.
”They should go back and form a new party, not using wasted pipeline. It’s a lesson for APC to learn. ”They became like emperors; undemocratic principles, rule of law was trampled; see the Port Harcourt saga, they just disgraced themselves. ”Nigerians need a viable opposition. For us as it stands now, APC is the only party. It is not good for Nigeria; bury the umbrella and present a formidable opposition.”
The BoT member said that Modu Sheriff was not a man ”to be used and dumped. “When they brought him, they were happy; they used his money, and now they have used him and want to dump him. The Sheriff I know will not succumb.” He urged all those, who worked to make APC a reality and were impatient with President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments into boards to be patient.
”I agree that people are impatient with the president and are still waiting out there to be compensated. I’m sure it would soon be addressed, but I urge that we be patient. ”I do not think that it is because we do not have a BoT that we have problems.
”The only thing I will agree is that the BoT is the only board inaugurated to settle conflicts within the party. ”For instance, this padding issue has nothing to do with the APC; as far as I’m concerned, it should be investigated. ”The party will not shield someone that commits a crime.”
He expressed the wish that he would not want the APC to become a ”four-year dream” but the party that would deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians. Akamukale was the chairman of defunct Democratic Peoples Party, one of the five political parties that merged to form the APC.
I am in my 50s and have been married for over 25 years. I recently met one of my only son's girlfriends and my life has never been the same again. Her body is simply wonderful; well-stacked boobs and glowing skin and she wears all the revealing clothes that are the rage these days. For months I fantasised about having sex with her.
love
Then she started making teasing remarks to me and flirting with me behind my son's back. To cut a long story short, we are now lovers and I give her most of the financial support she needs.
My son is now talking about their getting engaged and the thought that she could be around permanently is killing me.
It is one thing to be bedding a casual girlfriend, but not a daughter-in-law! She said she loves my son and is quite keen on marrying him. What can I do to stop this marriage? Yakubu, by e-mail.
Dear Yakubu, You can do absolutely nothing if your son decides to marry his girlfriend.
You have already made a fool of yourself by not only lusting after her, but taking her to bed. You might be going through a mid-life crisis, but what a way to massage your ego! Wedding bells haven't started ringing yet.
If and when they eventually do, I would cut my losses if I were you and pray that my indiscretion never comes up.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – A member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Olisaemeka Akamukale, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify efforts to reduce the economic hardship in the country, lamenting that Nigerians are fast losing patience with the administration.Akamukale
This was even as he alleged that about three serving ministers in President Buhari’s cabinet were saboteurs who had opposed his presidential bid even before the last general elections.
Speaking with journalists Wednesday at the national secretariat of APC in Abuja, Akamukale, who is the only APC caucus member from Delta state said, “if by 2019 the (APC) dream is cut short by Nigerians many people you see today, some who are ministers and others will go back but some of us will still remain, many people will go back and look for a new government to take position. They will tell you that they are technocrats because they have nothing to lose.”
He said, “If you really ask me, I think Nigerians are becoming impatient with us because it is now about two years into this government, so it is for Nigerians and not about me or about APC members but for Nigerians to know what this government will do to benefit them.
“I think beyond what Buhari should do to APC members; this is not about APC members, it is about Nigerians; what is the percentage of APC members? How many of us voted? The percentage of real APC members could not have made Buhari a president. So, it is actually Nigerians. So, I think the president should bring on board those who believe in the change mantra, those who yearned for change, that could assist Mr. President in delivering the dividends of democracy to the masses of this country because in the end, the people that lose or gain are Nigerians. Nigerians voted for us and there are things they are expecting from us”.
By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor Abuja – After a sustained bombing of oil facilities reducing Nigeria's oil output and revenue, the Niger Delta Avengers has said that it is now willing to dialogue with the Federal Government.
As a prelude to the talks and an expression of readiness to lay down arms and embrace peace, the NDA, Wednesday, raised what it calls "Contact and Dialogue Team headed by a former Director of Youth Development in the Niger Delta Commission, Mr. Ballantyne Agiri, to act as its spokesman.
Agiri in a statement he personally signed and sent to Vanguard in Abuja on Wednesday, said that the militant group was serious about engaging the Federal Government and end the cycle of violence and oil disruption in the Niger Delta.
The former director disclosed that NDA would now be asking the Federal Government to take up the development of the Niger Delta with more seriousness, adding that it was determined to achieve results that would yield lasting peace, equity, justice and harmony among all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
Agiri said: "The body has collectively and willingly agreed to heed the clarion call of eminent Nigerians and international community to dialogue with the Federal Government.
"The federal government should from the inception of the dialogue rule out from the agenda any monthly monetary inducement or stipend for the NDA.
"The federal government should be ready for structural changes that should be human and development oriented.
"Members of the avengers' group (who will participate in the dialogue) have already been selected, each based on his integrity, forthrightness, honesty and life track records.
"The names of members of the group for now shall not be made public for personal reasons until they begin functioning in few days ahead."
He urged Nigerians and the international community to follow the event and watch out which side would default in terms of abiding by the rules and spirit of the dialogue.
NDA has however been split into factions, thereby weakening its agenda to dry up Niger Delta oil and cause hardship for the Buhari administration.
Miffed by the challenge, the Nigerian Army has however moved its troops into the region to keep the peace and protect critical oil assets, which fetch the nation its major revenue.
ABEOKUTA-Tragedy struck on Tuesday in Ilisan-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State when a 35-year-old woman, Omolola Atejioye, reportedly committed suicide by hanging in her apartment. .
Vanguard gathered that the deceased was found dead around 5.30pm when her husband, Ayodele Atejioye, who is a member of staff of the Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, returned from work, to their apartment along Ago Iwoye Road.
It was further gathered that, the husband, who works in Babcock’s varsity’s central store, reportedly found the body of his late wife dangling in the room, with the rope tied to the ceiling, after he forced the door to their apartment opened.
Our correspondent learn that the deceased, who was alleged to be a petty trader did not leave behind any suicide note.
Omolola’s husband was said to have reported the incident to the policemen in Ilisan, who later came to the scene.
They later brought the body down, and took her remains to the mortuary of the Babcock varsity.
?The state acting Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the sad incident.
He said Omolola’s husband reported his discovery at home when ?he returned from work to the police.
Oyeyemi, said the deceased’s corpse had been deposited in Babcock varsity’s mortuary, adding that post mortem would be carried out on the deceased to determine the cause of her death.
He said, “A member of staff of the Babcock University reported to our men in Ilisan-Remo, that he returned from work around 5.30pm, and met the body of his wife dangling from the ceiling of their apartment, after the door was forced opened.
“The policemen later brought the body down and it had been deposited in the mortuary of the Babcock University in the same town. The deceased did not leave any suicide note.
“A post mortem would be carried out on the corpse to determine the cause of her death.”
PORT HARCOURT – PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP has explained why it did not conduct elections into its national offices despite its earlier insistence that the convention will hold in compliance with a July 4 Federal High court judgement in Port Harcourt.
Fielding questions Wednesday from newsmen in Government House, Port Harcourt, Publicity secretary of the National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye said the party did not want to create any atmosphere of chaos so it went for extention of the tenure of the caretaker committee in place of elections at the convention.
He said some leaders of the party had mooted the idea of relocating to another venue to conduct elections of the party but it was resolved that security operatives could still come to disrupt the exercise.
Adeyeye said the decision to extend the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Markafi Caretaker Committee had redressed the lacuna that could have arisen if the convention had not held.
“The party inaugurated the new NEC today and it met and decided to go ahead with our national convention. The convention relocated to the secretariat of the party in Rivers state. The place was big enough to accommodate all the delegates of the party and other leaders of the party.
The convention took some decisions that the tenure of the CTC be extended by 12 months, the CTC be expounded from 7 to 13. Members are not to contest for any elective office of the party”, he said.,
He said security operatives ignored an interlocutory order from a High Court in Port Harcourt to provide security for the convention, choosing to respect the Abuja High court order.
Adeyeye said security operatives should also have complied with another High court judgement in Abuja that said Ali Modu Sherif was never a Chairman of the party.
He further expressed strong hope that the party will come out stronger from the crisis.” Thank God we had our convention and within this twelve months everything will be settled. The federal high court in Port Harcourt made very sensitive pronucnements that the convention should go ahead but they were ignored by security agencies. We have a judgement of court delivered by Justice Mohammad Liman that gave legality to our convention “, he said.
BENIN CITY-GOVERNORSHIP candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, Wednesday, disclosed that he has found his missing certificates, saying those raising false alarm over the issue are only scared of his credentials.
Obaseki
Obaseki who disclosed this during an interactive session with members of Civil Society Organisations in the state with the theme, “The Need for Governorship Candidates to Effectively Promotes their programmes to Edo People”, also disclosed his plans to build Mini stadiums across the eighteen Local Government Areas of the state if elected.
The Executive Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev.David Ugolor, said the interactive session was organized to enable the public relate with the APC candidate, saying that "all the candidates will appear before us and I want to state that none of the candidates have given us money or is sponsoring this exercise, civil society groups funded it so we will know the pedigree of the candidates in order not to vote the wrong person".
Obaseki who equally disclosed that if elected his administration will build mini stadiums in the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, said he found out that "my certificate was missing in Lagos during this period so I had to get a sworn affidavit and all the institutions I attended acknowledged that I attended the schools. However, while the mischief makers in PDP raised the alarm because they have nothing else to talk about me, my brother in New York read about it and called me to say Godwin your original certificate is here with me.
"I said Oh my God please send it down. So I have found it. These guys are intimidated with my qualifications that is why they are running up and down" he stated.
Disclosing plans to boost sports development in the state, Obaseki noted that sports have become a big business in the country therefore stressed the need to provide a mini stadium in each of the Local Government so as to encourage youths to explore their talents in different sports.
According to him, the only way government can attract investment into the sector, is to first be involved in its development, saying "We have them in abundant, youths with great talents and to expose these talents, we are going to build mini stadium in each of the eighteen Local Government Areas of the state.
“We do all our campaigns in public school fields and some of these schools, we have an apple space where these mini stadium can be built. For me, this is part of what we are going to do to promote sports development in the state when elected".
The APC candidate who also disclosed how he intends to improve the economy of the state through agriculture, noted that no government would be able to satisfy everybody at the same time particularly with the dwindling revenue from the Federation account, asserting however that he intends to look inward and generate funds so he can run the state effectively.
The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to the content of a malicious message urging customers of Skye Bank to withdraw their deposits or transfer them to other banks based on the vile allegation that Skye Bank has been liquidated by the CBN.
The CBN wishes to state, and emphatically so, that it has not liquidated Skye Bank or any other Deposit Money Bank for that matter.
The Bank also wishes to reiterate its earlier assurance that Skye Bank is not in distress and remains a healthy bank in the Nigerian banking system. Indeed, the health of the Nigerian banking system remains strong, all banks in Nigeria are safe and depositors have no cause to fear over their deposits.
While it will be recalled that Skye Bank had corporate governance challenges, the CBN has since taken proactive steps to resolve the issues identified. Indeed, the CBN is satisfied with the efforts of the new Management to reposition Skye Bank for effective service delivery.
Accordingly, customers of Skye Bank and other stakeholders are advised to disregard any message purporting a liquidation of the bank.
The Federal Government has warned fraudsters using the name of President Muhammadu Buhari and those of his family members and senior government officials to solicit favours or contracts from Ministries and other government establishments to desist from the criminal act or face the wrath of the law.
Lai Mohammed
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who issued the warning said that the government is aware that some opportunists have been going from one government organisation to another with notes purportedly recommending them for contracts and other patronage, using the names of the President, his family members and senior government officials to intimidate those organisations.
The Minister in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, said the President didn’t authorize any government official to write notes recommending anyone for contracts or any form of patronage, and warned those involved in such fraudulent activities to stop immediately or face possible arrest and prosecution by security agents.
He also warned government officials who may be working in collusion with these con men to desist from the act or face dire disciplinary action and prosecution for fraud.
Multiple Award-winning and Germany based Nigerian Artist; Vivian Timothy has in recent times gone far and wide in showcasing her paintings. On July 1st, Vivian exhibited her paintings in Austin, Texas, USA.
Her paintings are deeply entrenched in African roots and lifestyle in a uniquely beautiful way. Her originality and metamorphic vision enriched her passion and love for her African continent making her paintings speak and interpret implicit and explicit messages to the world.
Vivian Timothy
We cannot get over how good the Global Africa Women's week launch was. On Monday, 4th July, 2016, the UK Houses of Parliament hosted the launch of Global African Women's week (GAWW) on the theme “Giving back the voice".
Vivian Timothy exhibited her mind-blowing paintings which earned her a standing ovation. The guest of honour was none other than Africa’s first Female President and former President of Malawi Dr, Mrs Joyce Banda.
Addressing the participants, the former female President said women should know that the time has come to be at the forefront, opining also that men have a key role to play in this process, as it should not be seen as a celebration of some kind of afro-feminism. There would be no women empowerment without the inclusion of men.
She noted that Women leaders in Africa is not a recent issue. Indeed, it has always existed. There used to be great women ruling Empires like Cleopatra, Queen of Sheba or Anna Zingha in Angola… The Theme Picture: "A Traditional Malian Woman" painted by the hardworking and talented Vivian Timothy, was a hit.
On describing the painting, Vivian said: "The traditional Malian women with the big earrings represent the beauty and the strength of the African woman. The painting represents and speaks for these forgotten and suppressed voices of the rural, and the African women in general. The “modern day” African woman, does not want to stay in the dark anymore. We don’t want to be taken for granted any longer. We want to speak for ourselves and participate strongly in decisions concerning homes, communities and our nations at large”.
“The other four paintings she exhibited project how strong and hardworking an African woman is, she said, she uses these to remind the society that it is these rural African women that raised the strong men and women in our nations. All these Presidents, bureaucrats and technocrats, leaders of all classes emanated from these women. Whether we like it or not, these are the voices that shaped and moved the world and are still moving it. So I speak for you with my paintings “YOU beautiful ever happy dedicated lost Voices”.
The MODERN Day AFRICAN WOMAN she also said, "is a president, a minister, a director, a leader. She is an artist, an entrepreneur, a mentor, a friend. She is a mother and a wife. She is multi-talented and above all, she is a happy woman”.
In a full committee room decorated by Vivian Timothy's masterpieces, highlighting multiple aspects of the African woman’s strength, participants came to share their ideas and all seemed ready to change the world. On her vote of thanks, the hardworking artist, Vivian Timothy appreciated Dr. Pauline Long, the founder and convener of the GAWW (Global African Women's week) for creating an opportunity for African women to have a platform to connect, exchange and support one another at a global scale and also giving a helping hand to the less privileged.
"”When Dr. Pauline Long asked me to do this with her I was so thrilled because I believe in the power of "WE”. She further said; An African proverb says,” If you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together”. This she said, is a unique quality that Dr. Pauline Long has. Pauline believes in the mighty force of great minds working together, Vivian concluded.
Among the dignitaries that responded to Dr. Pauline Long's call are Femi and Roucheon Iloyi, founders of Feromedia and their lovely kids, Mama Charlotte founder of the NGO, Mothers of Congo, Delia Innoma, CEO Diamond Celebrities Magazine Germany, Robin Marsh of UPF, Ikanyeng Molemele Moipolai, CEO of Destiny Organisation, African Beauty Queens, Dr Alistair Soyode CEO BEN TV, Faustina Anyanwu Chief Editor C. Hub magazine, Clara Meierdierks, German Based Author, Nigerian philosopher and Author Eze Ihenacho and many more outstanding personalities who shared their experiences and hopes.
Könnigsbrunn Town in Germany would be hosting her "Back to the Roots" exhibition, on the 1st of August, 2016. Once again, Art unleashed Vivian Timothy, would be making Nigeria proud with her heavily laden African accent artworks and with stories of her culture and heritage.
The Federal Government has warned fraudsters using the name of President Muhammadu Buhari and those of his family members and senior government officials to solicit favour.
President Buhari
The government also warned the fraudsters to stop using the President’s name for soliciting favour from government establishments or face the wrath of the law.
The warning is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The statement was signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Mr Segun Adeyemi.
The minister said the government was aware that some opportunists had been going from one government organisation to another with notes purportedly recommending them for contracts and other patronage.
He said the the opportunists were using the names of the President, his family members and senior government officials to intimidate those organisations.
The minister said the president didn’t authorise any government official to write notes recommending anyone for contracts or any form of patronage.
He warned those involved in such fraudulent activities to stop immediately or face arrest and prosecution by security agents.
The minister also warned government officials who might be working in collusion with the con men to desist from the act or face dire disciplinary action and prosecution for fraud.
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday announced plans to activate multi-faceted projects designed to improve the standard of living in the State, among which is the commencement of construction of a Fly-over Bridge in the popular Pen Cinema junction of the State.
The Pen Cinema Fly-over is the third which the Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration in the State will be constructing after those of Abule-Egba and Ajah Roundabout. The State Government had also constructed a Pedestrian Bridge at the ever busy Berger Bus Stop along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to facilitate easy human and vehicular movement.
Addressing a joint ministerial press briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, the State Government also announced readiness to commence the deployment of 13,000 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras, additional 6,000 street lights and security sensors for surveillance and crime prevention across the State from October, 2016.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, who announced all the projects, said government is also set to decongest traffic along the Lekki-Epe Expressway through the removal of three roundabouts namely the 4th Roundabout (Elegushi); 5th Roundabout (Jakande) and the 8th Roundabout (VGC).
He said the affected roundabouts would be replaced by the use of traffic lights, expansion of the roads and provision of dedicated turning lanes as well as additional lay-bys.
Ayorinde further disclosed that the State Government has commenced the implementation of the Lagos Enterprise GIS upgrade and the Integrated Land Administration Automation System, which when implemented, according to the Commissioner, would ensure proper monitoring of government infrastructure for optimum benefit, fast-track the ease of doing business and improve government-citizen relationship.
While explaining the scope of the Pen Cinema Fly-over, the State’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson, said the government was pleased to announce the approval for the construction, which he said would be completed within 18 to 24 months, adding that the project would commence after the conclusion of the preliminary works.
Johnson said the fly-over would be constructed from Oba Ogunji via Ijaiye Road into Agunbiade, adding that it would be 700meters long with some junction improvement at Pen Cinema.
“We will expand Oba Ogunji Road and create barriers. The project will also accommodate a generous walkway similar to the Ikorodu Expressway and the bridge will have a free flow all the way to Agunbiade,” Johnson explained.
On his part, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi said the removal of the roundabouts on Lekki-Epe Expressway was part of the junction works and traffic system management designed by the present administration to enhance free flow of traffic.
Elegushi recalled that when the road was constructed, it was accommodating about 30,000 vehicles per day, adding that the vehicular movement has now increased to over 50,000 daily.
He said the project will be competed in six months, adding that additional lay-bys and other sleep roads have been designed with the project.
Also speaking on the Smart City Project and the Integrated Land Administration Automation project, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Olufemi Odubiyi, said among many other benefits, the EGIS project would help promote and encourage a secondary mortgage market and facilitate investment in properties.
He added that the project would witness the installation of information highway-metro fibre and deployment of 4GLT across the State, adding that part of what government was trying to achieve was the full implementation of e-services like e-health and e-agric, among others.
While addressing the production of crude oil in Lagos, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Wale Oluwo, said the State Government is set to access the 13 percent oil derivation, and urged the Federal Government to license more private sector participants in the oil and gas sector.
By Henry Umoru/ Joseph Erunke ABUJA- SENATE President Bukola Saraki Wednesday described former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, as one of the issues that continue to define the Nigerian polity.
According to Saraki, these issues keep unfolding even Babangida at the age of 75 and 23 years after he left office.
The Senate President noted that the contributions of Babangida to the socio-economic development of the country remain legendary and were obvious across the landscape.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja,Saraki said, “From the political engineering that his administration introduced into the country which encouraged many young people, particularly, professionals, those in the private sector and Nigerians in the diaspora, to join politics, to the two-party system which sought to eliminate ethnicity in politics and encourage manageable political platforms with national spread, the foot-prints of General Babangida remain visible everywhere.
“As a war hero who also participated in most of the military administrations that we had since independence and then transformed to a man who played a major role in the return of democracy in 1999 and the emergence of the first post-1999 Presidency for the purpose of forging national unity and healing past wounds, General Babangida remains a statesman and a visible decimal in the making of today’s Nigeria.”Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,retd
The Senate President who noted that Babangida will also be remembered by history as one whose administration helped to realise the dreams of the Murtala/Obasanjo regime in moving the nation’s capital to Abuja, said, “General Babangida remains a fascinating figure to me in his ability to build bridges across the country. His name continues to evoke support across the country among his numerous supporters while those who also do not like the policies of his government remain vociferous in their opposition to him.
“That I think is the stuff that a great leader is made of and that is why I apply an earlier phrase he used to describe one of our late nationalists on him too that ‘he remains one of the issues in Nigerian politics.”
He prayed to Almighty God to preserve the General in good health and for many more years in other to enable him continue in the service of humanity in general and Nigerians in particular.
Kano – Nigeria requires about 3.2 million metric tons of fish for consumption annually in the country.
The Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, disclosed this at the graduation ceremony of 38 females who received training on fish spawning and breeding in Kano on Wednesday.
The training was conducted by the agency in collaboration with the Bayero University Centre for Dryland Agriculture.
The director-general was represented by the Kano State Coordinator of NABDA, Mr Kabiru Yusuf.
She said the country presently produced a total of 1.1 million metric tons of fish, leaving a huge gap of two million tons in the supply of fish and fish products.
"In 2014 alone, Nigeria imported 8,000 metric tons of fish thereby employing foreign producers to feed Nigerians thus depleting our hard-earned resources and foreign exchange.
"The gap in the supply of fish in the country is enormous, "Ogbadu said.
She said the training was designed to build capacity of the beneficiaries in fish spawning, breeding and entrepreneurship.
She called on them to make the best use of the training so as to contribute in feeding the country with fresh and clean fish.
In his remarks, a lecturer at the Department of Dryland Agriculture, Prof. Sunusi Gaya, said that the department would continue to partner with groups and individuals who were ready to learn skills on agriculture.
UGBORODO- THE people of oil-rich Ugborodo community, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, Wednesday, vowed not to lift the siege to the Escravos Tank Farm, belonging to the Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL until the company looked into their demands.
They however, thanked the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for his mediation on Monday differing with the National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG, and four other Itsekiri groups, which rejected Okowa's resolution on Tuesday.
National Youth chair of Ugborodo community President, Mr. Ofe Nene, in a letter thanking the governor for his intervention, said: "We are not out in Chevron Nigeria Limited facility gate, both day and night since Monday the 8th of August, 2016 till date. Not because we enjoy the torrent and very dangerous sea breeze ofthe Atlantic Ocean, but because we need the above stated changes to be effected in our community."
"Except the issues are addressed, we shall not leave or move an inch from Chevron Nigeria Limited tank farm gate in Ugborodo. Because we cannot continue with this same old pattern of Chevron Nigeria Limited always going to negotiation table with Ugborodo community to cover prominent and pressing issues with other issues, thereby attending to the colossal issues partially," he stated.
Nene explained: "The major reason for the protest as stated categorically by the youths of Ugborodo community at the aforementioned meeting is yet to be addressed."
"These issues include the development and provision of basic amenities to our community, employment of our indigenes, enthroning of better working condition and pay for our indigenes already working in Chevron Nigeria Limited and abolishing of casual workers. "Conversion of all our indigenes working in the company as casual workers to staff and finally,the relocation of Chevron Nigeria Limited Administrative headquarters to Warri Kingdom," he added. He said, "Sir, it will interest you to know that in Ugborodo today, ordinary headache kill people because there is no single health centre in the community. I can categorically state that most indigenes of the community have only seen a tarred road in the television because there is no motorable road in the community, there is no good school, potable drinking water or even good housing for people to stay because Chevron Nigeria Limited have abandoned the Ugborodo New town Project they promised the community." "As I write you now, the average life sperm of indigenes of Ugborodo is now 45 yearsas a result of the highly polluted environment we live in, which is caused bythe exploration and exploitation of the crude oil in our land by ChevronNigeria Limited," he added
According to him: "This same company has refused to employ our indigenes and the few they employed have been relegated to casual workers without any condition of service,hence they are been treated like animals. These workers do not have stable salary;hence, they cannot plan or save because they do not know what their next salary will be."
He stated further, "You will bear me witness that the issues that have led most Niger Delta youths into restiveness and militancy is not different from this, but we are civil people and will continue to push for our right peacefully with all possible ways within the ambit of the law."
The youth leader said the company has used the same pattern over the years to impoverishthe community.
He enjoined Okowa to use your good office to compel Chevron Nigeria Limited to do the needful in Ugborodo community as above stated to finally settle this issue once and for all as well as enthrone true and long lasting peace between us." On the governor's role so far, he said: "I thank you for your intervention to settle the ongoing protest by the Ugborodo people against the marginalization,oppression and the conscious actions and inactions of Chevron Nigeria Limited, which has brought underdevelopment, poverty and impoverishment to the community."
"I want to state emphatically that your resolution of the Ugborodo leadership crisis is commendable and we are not in contention with the decisions reached in the peace meeting between leaders of Ugborodo community, Chevron Nigeria Limited and the Delta State Government, organized by the state government in Government House, Asaba on Monday the 13th of August, 2016," he said.
