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
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, to apologise to Nigerians over a comment credited to her on the current state of the nation’s economy.
Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun
Recall that the minister had on Wednesday, tweeted on her twitter handle that: “the strongest of all warriors are these two, Time and Patience. I know people are concerned about recession. Recession is a word…”
However, the PDP through its Director of New Media, Deji Adeyanju, in a statement yesterday, said Adeosun’s statement was not only out of place but also “insensitive” insisting that she should tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians.
The party expressed shock that the comment was made on the same day the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released a report stating that 4,580,602 people have lost their jobs since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015.
“We urge Mrs. Adeosun to apologise for her insensitive comments, to stop speaking like a motivational speaker and act like the Minister of Finance that she is. ?Mrs. Kemi Adeosun's statement Wednesday was an out of line and insensitive attempt at signalling.
“Her comments fly against the reality of rising food costs, parents withdrawing children from schools due to fee increments, rising transportation costs, rents and other such everyday expenditure.
“Her comments are an insult to suffering Nigerians and make mockery of the pain we bear as a result of the sheer incompetence and lack of ability of the Muhammadu Buhari administration of which she is an integral part.
“Contrary to her belief, recession is not just a word. It's a horrible reality for millions of Nigerians who face increasing difficulty in putting food on the table and meeting basic everyday financial obligations.? While 4,580,602 may seem like a statistic, these are real people with real responsibilities,” the party said.
Martial arts expert and actor Jackie Chan will receive a lifetime achievement Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday.
The 62-year-old, Hong Kong-born star of Hollywood movies such as “Kung Fu Panda,” “The Karate Kid” and the “Rush Hour” franchise would receive the 2016 Governors Awards alongside other recipients.
They include Documentary maker Frederick Wiseman, British film editor Anne V. Coates, and casting director Lynn Stalmaster.
Each would get an honorary Oscar statuette recognising their lifetime contribution to film at a gala in Los Angeles in November.
Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs in a statement called them all “true pioneers and legends in their crafts.”
Chan made his movie debut at the age of 8, and has acted and sometimes written and directed more than 30 martial arts movies in Hong Kong. He has never won an Oscar.
In August, he was ranked the second-highest paid actor in the world by Forbes with estimated 2016 earnings of $61 million, just below “Fast and Furious” star Dwayne Johnson.
Former Super Eagles defender and captain, Joseph Yobo, on Thursday, said he was yet to join Kano Pillars or any other Nigeria Professional Football League club.
The League Management Company had announced that Yobo had agreed to join the Sai Masu Gida and could feature against Sunshine Stars last weekend.
Yobo, who took to his Twitter account, @jyobo234 to refute the report said:
I read that I was missing in action last weekend. I have not signed for Kano pillars or any NPFL club. pic.twitter.com/jrBBYUWjWS
President Muhammadu Buhari's Economic Team headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has served notice of its intention to introduce a bill in the National Assembly (NASS) seeking "emergency" powers to fix the economy.
In a nutshell, the bill, which is expected to be in the NASS as soon as members resume from their recess, seeks to: speed up the procurement process and raise mobilisation fees to contractors to 50% from the current 15% (thus ensuring that local contractors are favoured) and abridge the process of sale/lease of governments in order to raise revenue.
Others are, to allow virement, (the reallocation of funds to projects in the budget) by the Executive without the approval of the Legislature as the Constitution demands; amending some laws, for example, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) law to allow states that do not qualify to access their share of the UBE funds to enhance the education sector; speeding up the process of obtaining the Nigerian visa and compel crucial agencies like National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to improve our poor doing business rating.
Some stakeholders in the economy, especially the organised private sector, have eagerly supported this proposal, obviously because fifteen months after assuming power, the Buhari regime has finally come out with the intention to do something radical to address an economy that bleeds on all fronts while the regime makes excuses by blaming its predecessors.
The mass poverty from unpaid salaries, massive loss of jobs and flight of foreign capital and companies to more profitable grounds, mainly as a result of Buhari's policies, have recently forced Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; former CBN Governors, Prof Charles Soludo and Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as well as Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, to voice out their concerns over the terrible economic situation.
It is our candid view that what is required to fix the economy is not a fallback to draconian laws that grease the wheels of impunity and corruption, but imaginative thinking and all-inclusive leadership. Nigeria's President has enough powers in the constitution and the laws made therefrom to do his work. All he needs is to engage actively with all stakeholders, particularly the National Assembly and other non-state actors, to get rid of bottlenecks to economic recovery. The President needs the collaboration of all sectors to succeed. That is the hallmark and beauty of democratic governance.
Apart from more abandoned projects which the 50% mobilisation could create, it will also enhance large-scale corruption since politicians and influential people within the ruling party will be the primary beneficiaries of contracts. Secondly, virement is a core legislative constitutional power. We oppose the exclusion of the Legislature, as this could worsen the unbridled favouritism and nepotism already evident in this government's public appointments. The Legislature's checks and balances function must be asserted in any virement action.
The emergency powers which the Shagari government was granted never fixed the economy. They merely made the poor masses to pay for the sins and excesses of politicians.
We must do away with our military or fire brigade approach to governance, where the making or change of laws is seen as the silver bullet to kill problems. It never does. It requires painstaking imagination, not emergency laws, to solve problems, especially those of economic nature. Emergency powers will only benefit politicians, open a new front for corruption and advance the shadow of civilian dictatorship.
The African Cup of Nations continental football finals will go ahead as scheduled in Gabon despite the wave of riots following president Ali Bongo’s re-election, African football authorities confirmed on Thursday.
“There will be no change, we are following proceedings closely,” African football confederation media spokesman Junior Binyam stated.
The 16 nation bi-annual finals is scheduled to take place between January 14-February 5 in Gabon after original hosts Libya were stripped of the competition due to their ongoing civil conflict.
“As things stand the schedule is being maintained,” Binyam insisted. “The draw for the finals will take place at Libreville (on) October 19 as scheduled.”
However, he warned things could change.
“The situation will be debated and evaluated at the annual CAF meetings (in Cairo) between September 21-27,” he explained.
When asked if the finals could possibly be moved in the case of escalated violence, Binyam said: “The time has not yet come to discus that.”
The 2015 edition of the finals also switched venue a mere two months ahead of the finals when Morocco was stripped of hosting rights following its request to delay the tournament due to fears over the Ebola virus.
Those finals were eventually staged on schedule but in Equatorial Guinea, who also co-hosted the 2012 edition with the current 2017 hosts Gabon.
The 32 matches will take place at five venues, two of them in Libreville, one at Franceville, a fourth at Port Gentil and also at the brand new stadium at Oyem.
Overnight riots on Wednesday saw a thousand people arrested after Bongo was declared winner of disputed presidential polls.
Thousands of angry protesters poured onto the streets of Libreville late on Wednesday, accusing the government of stealing the election after Bongo won a second term by a razor-thin margin over rival Jean Ping.
His victory is set to extend the Bongo family’s almost 50-year rule over the small oil-rich nation.
BY: Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo RESIDENTS of Mbiabong Itam in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State woke up to a shocking sight of a 50-year-old man identified as Chief Ekanem Edet dangling on a suspended robe from the roof of his house.
It was learned that Ekanem Edet, former Secretary of the Mbiabong Village Council, popularly called 'Jolly Boy', had been dead several hours earlier. Edets's wife and two sons, it was learned, had gone out early in the morning unaware that his remains hung loosely from the roof of his room. Details later.
A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court in the FCT on Thursday sentenced a sales boy, Victor Michael, to one month jail term for stealing 160 tubers of yam. Michael, 25, of Jabi Garage Shop 230, Abuja, was sentenced for theft.
The judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, who, however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N5,000, warned Michael to desist from committing crime. The judge then ordered that the 20 tubers recovered from the convict be returned to the owner.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Dalhatu Zannah, had told the court that the theft was committed between July 30 and Aug. 24, 2016, where Michael continued to steal the yams without his manager’s knowledge. Zannah said that the matter was reported by Olaitan Mahmud of Jabi Garage Shop 230, Abuja, at the Utako Police Station.
The prosecutor added that the convict had admitted stealing the N80,000-worth of yams during investigation but only 20 tubers were found and recovered from him. He said the offence contravened Section 289 of the Penal Code. The convict pleaded guilty and begged for leniency.
Rice smugglers have devised new method of importation by packaging the commodity in form of a corpse. The smugglers now wrapped bags of rice as a corpse and smuggled them in an ambulance.
Confirming the recent trend, Mr Selechang Taupyen, the Spokesperson, Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Command on Thursday said it had seized 11 bags of imported rice wrapped as a corpse. Taupyen said that the smugglers used an ambulance for their operation to deceive unsuspecting officials.
He also confirmed that one Moses Degbogbahun had been arrested over the incident.
“The smuggler concealed the smuggled bags of rice in a Volvo ambulance with Reg. No. DV 74 EKY and he was arrested along Aradagun toll gate area of Badagry. “The mobile patrol team led by Chief Superintendent of Customs M. Ozah, noted the frequent movement of the ambulance and this aroused curiosity of the team and the vehicle was stopped for proper examination.
“During the examination, 11 bags of imported rice were discovered and they were carefully arranged and wrapped as a corpse.
“The suspect is still undergoing investigation for possible prosecution,'' he said. Taupyen, however, warned smugglers to desist from such habit, adding that all smuggling antics along the borders would not go undetected by its officers and men on patrol.
BY UGOCHUKWU ALARIBE ABA – The Aba Police Area Command has recovered 74 vehicles and arrested 42 suspects over illegal taskforce teams extorting motorists on major roads in the city.
Police Area Commander in charge of Aba, ACP Peter Wagbara, who stated in an interview with journalists, disclosed that the suspects were nabbed at the Fire Service Station, Factory road rail crossing and the State Ministry of Works premises in Aba.
Wagbara further stated that the 74 vehicles were recovered at the Fire Service station and Ministry of Works premises where touts converted to their operation base, stressing that some of the vehicles had been parked at the two premises for more than four years. He urged motorists whose vehicles were confiscated by the illegal taskforce to report to the Area Command office with proof of ownership and recover them at no cost.
Sunday Vanguard recalls that touts had taken over major roads in Aba where they arrest motorists demanding all sorts of illegal levies. Motorists who refused to accede to their demands would have their vehicles confiscated and taken to the Ministry of Works and Fire Service station where they are made to pay fees ranging from N10, 000 to N15, 000.
On several occasions, vehicles have crashed with passengers injured while touts struggle to confiscate vehicles at the Factory road railway crossing.
Angered by the development, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had directed the Police Area Commander in Aba to ensure that illegal taskforce teams operating in the city were taken out of the Ministry of Works, railway crossing and Fire Service station.
When Sunday Vanguard visited the Ministry of Works and Fire Service Station, the two areas looked deserted with officials go about their duties, even as a team of policemen were stationed at the gates.
By Emmanuel Ujah The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has denied tweeting "recession is just a word".
Her Special Assistant (Media) Mr. Festus Akanbi, in a statement in Abuja Thursday, said that the minister did not own a twitter account, therefore the said tweet was not from her.
He said, "The attention of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has been drawn to a fake Twitter handle in her name saying that 'recession is just a word.'
"For the avoidance of doubt, the Honourable Minister does not own a Twitter account. The Twitter handle currently trending, and any other twitter handle presently in existence is not, and cannot be that of the Honourable Minister, as a twitter account has not yet been set up for her. It is obviously fake and does not represent the views and opinions of the Honourable Minister.?
"Also at no time did the Honourable Minister, who addressed the media immediately after Wednesday's Federal Executive Council, make such a statement.
"The Minister has consistently demonstrated empathy for the plight of Nigerians hard hit by dwindling oil prices and the impact on the economy".
Facebook founder. Mark Zuckerberg, who is the sixth richest person in the world with an estimated $54.2 billion fortune, on Thursday set the social media agog, after eating with bare hands in Kenya.
Mark Zuckerberg, eating with bare hands during a meeting with Kenya ‘s cabinet secretary in charge of information and communication.
Zuckerberg landed in Nairobi on Thursday after his trip to Lagos, Nigeria.
According to the young ceo, the purpose of the trip is to meet with entrepreneurs and developers and to "learn more about mobile money, where Kenya is the world leader."
Zuckerberg
His first stop was at iHub, Nairobi's technology center that provides programmers, developers, and other technology workers a space to innovate.
"I'm starting at a place called iHub, where entrepreneurs can build and prototype their ideas," Mr. Zuckerberg explained.
"Two of the engineers I met, Fausto and Mark, designed a system to help people use mobile payments to buy small amounts of cooking gas, which is a lot safer and better for the environment than charcoal or kerosene."
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, said the nation would bounce back on track in spite of the present economic challenges facing it. Oba Ogunwusi said this during the courtesy visit by some management staff of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, (FIIRO) to his palace on Thursday, in Ile-Ife.
He said that the country needed to engage its citizens, particularly the youth in empowerment programmes to be able to achieve the expected economic growth. The royal father said the nation’s strength lied in its human capacity, adding that there was need for continuous empowerment programmes.
Ooni lauded FIIRO’s management’s readiness to support and partner with the palace on its proposed empowerment programme and provision of employment for youths in Ife, Osun and the country at large. He said the country was blessed with such an institute which had come up with several products, relevant to the planned empowerment programmes.
The royal father commended the management of FIIRO for its continuous commitment in ensuring self -reliance among Nigerians, saying this would help reposition the country to compete favourably with its counterparts. The monarch said that there was a ‘renewed hope’ for Nigeria, and thousands of youths that were jobless to be gainfully employed as agro-entreprenueurs.
Ooni urged small and medium firms, stakeholders, individuals, local, state and Federal Government to partner with FIIRO. Oba Ogunwusi pledged full support for the institute and urged its management to continue to ensure that it maintained quality products that could boost patronage locally and internationally.
He also urged Nigerians to always patronise made-in- Nigeria products so that the country could reduce its imported items and boost foreign exchange income. Oba Ogunwusi assured the team that the Ife citizens would not relent to give the institute plots of land to set up an institute for training programmes.
The Director-General of FIIRO, dr Gloria Elemo, commended the royal father’s efforts in ensuring that youths and widows were empowered. Elemo said that the institute would give its technical support to ensure that the “empowerment programme becomes a success''.
She said that the Federal Government’s had always insisted on the diversification of the economy from the oil- sector. The director-general said that it was obvious that the agriculture sector could help boost the nation’s revenue which was dwindling because of fall in crude-oil prices in the international market.
Elemo also said that adequate provision of agro-processing tools to youths and widows who want to be self- employed was necessary to improve their production capacity. She insisted that agriculture without value added chain could not sustain the economy. Elemo said that FIIRO understood that and in its 60 years of existence, continued to improve in its agro-processing methods and tools to make farming less stressful.
According to her, FIIRO is the best in processing solid minerals, crops like cashew, cassava, yam, fruits, plantain and fish among others. The director-general presented over 200 researched and packaged products in various form of powder, juice and wine. She also showcased some machines to the royal father which she said were available and at affordable prices.
He said if the three tiers of government, individuals could partner with FIIRO, there would be poverty alleviation in the country, thereby, making youths to be gainfully employed. Elemo called on Nigerian youths to be focused and ready to establish themselves without waiting for government.
The Lagos State Government on Thursday flagged off a one month long awareness campaign against all forms of domestic and sexual violence crimes, just as it urged the men folk to lead the quest to put an end to the menace.
The State Government, which made the call at a media parley organized by its Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, said the campaign should not be left alone to the women folk, adding that all hands must be on deck to frontally address it.
Speaking on the activities lined up to celebrate the month, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem said the theme of this year’s event: “Promoting Positive Masculinity, Men Can End Sexual And Gender Based Violence,” was carefully selected and same centered on the compelling need to ensure men act as flag bearers in the fight against such crimes.
Kazeem, who was represented by DSVRT’s Alternate Chairman, Mrs Omotilewa Ibirogba said the campaign would kick off on September 8, with a walk from Ikeja Under Bridge at 9am to Lagos House in Alausa where they would be received by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, while there would be a simultaneous walk from Festac Divisional Police Station to Federal Housing Authority where participants would be received by the Sole Administrator of Amuwo Odofin Local Government and the Priest of Anglican Cathedral Church in the area.
He said a one-day symposium on the role of men in ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) targeted at artisans, market men and women, members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), police officers, among others, would take place at Muson Centre in Onikan on September 15, while an event for children will hold on September 26 at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium in Alausa.
The climax of the activities, according to Kazeem, is an evening of arts where SGBV will be expressed through arts, and the event will be hosted by Governor Ambode with participation of key players and influencers in the society who have helped in the fight against SGBV in Lagos, adding that deserving individuals and private institutions will also be honored at the event.
Kazeem, who is also the Chairman of DSVRT, said in furtherance of the Team’s objectives to be a repository of data, a detailed research was carried out in February 2016 in all prison facilities in Lagos on sex convicts and inmates awaiting trial for SGBV cases.
“Results of the research disclosed that 80.9 percent of the inmates were abused as a child implying that they had become sexually active at an early age which illustrates the trend of ‘abused abuser.’
“Furthermore, DSVRT has also scientifically discovered that a lot of attention has been on females, unconsciously neglecting males who have a major role to play in tackling and preventing SGBV,” Kazeem said.
Also speaking at the media parley, Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmos, said there has been an increase in the report of SGBV crimes to law enforcement agencies over the past few months, adding that the Command was working closely with the Office of the Attorney General of the State and the DSVRT to frontally address the issue.
She said from the recent reports and investigation, it was discovered that the major perpetrators of sexual offences were religious leaders hiding under religion to commit such heinous crimes.
She said just few days ago, about 30 girls were rescued from an acclaimed man of God, adding that the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni had already directed a discreet investigation on the case, while the public would be briefed in due course.
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand early Friday, the US Geological Survey said.
The tremor was estimated at a depth of around 30 kilometres (18 miles) some 167 kilometres from Gisborne — off the coast of the country’s north island — according to the agency.
Mr Garba Abari , Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) says the agency will soon launch a programme tagged; “The Change Begins with Me'' to reorient Nigerians for attitudinal change. Abari told newsmen on Thursday in Abuja that the programme was aimed at fighting corruption and encouraging peaceful co-existence in the country.
He said it was regrettable that corruption had done a lot of damage to every sphere of the country. “Fight against corruption must not begin with the government; people must be in the vanguard of fighting corruption. “Our schools, roads, hospitals should have been better than what they are now, but corruption has stalled their development.
“What would you say about a woman who uses chemical to forcefully ripen banana and sell it to the public; what about a woman who would use a padded mudu to sell rice. “A petrol attendant who would claim not to have change so that the buyer would leave the change; all these are corruption,'' Abari said. He explained that lecturers in tertiary institutions also engage in corrupt practices as they sell handouts to students, adding that lazy students also cut corners by selling their bodies and giving money to pass examinations. According to him, the change must start at the individual level, which will inevitably extend to the society and country at large.
“Nobody is happy with the way corruption has relegated the country to its present situation. “We the citizen must take a second hard look at what we did wrong that we will not do tomorrow. “The change must start with the people in the little things they do in their families, place of work and responsibilities,'' Abari said. On co-existence, the NOA boss said that the various tribes in the country had co-existed for long which dates back to the pre-colonial era. According to him, there are more than 250 ethnic groups in the country, and these groups have intermarried and there are intercultural relationships among them.
Abari, however, said that elite, religious and political manipulation and personal aggrandisement were threats to peaceful co-existence and development. “Nigeria is a beautiful country with cultural diversity which informs our beauty as a country. “We have large population; it is in this population that we have our strength; we can use our numbers to attract all manners of advantage to the country,'' he said.
Mr Chugbo Enwezor, the Anambra Assembly House Committee Chairman on Judiciary, has denied the speculation that a plot is being hatched to impeach the Speaker, Mrs Rita Maduagwu.
Enwezor said this on Thursday in Awka while speaking to newsmen on the matter shortly after the House plenary.
Anambra Speaker, Mrs. Rita Maduagwu
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that since the House reconvened after its break, the Speaker and her deputy, Mr Harsford Oseke, have been conspicuously absent, with the Majority Leader, Mr Victor Okoye, to presiding as Speaker Pro Tempore.
Enwezor described the insinuation as false, baseless, unfounded and mischievous.
He said that the House Rule 16 and section 19(2) of the constitution was clear on such matter.
“The House was empowered to elect a member to act as Speaker or deputy in a situation like this, to ensure that the House continued with its legislative functions.
“There should not be a vacuum because of the absence of any principal officer of the House. That is exactly what we have done and l make bold to tell you that there is no gang up against the Speaker to impeach her.
“If she is to be impeached, she won't be absent to facilitate her impeachment,'' he said.
Also reacting on the issue, the majority leader, Mr Victor Okoye, said that the Speaker had been absent from plenary on health grounds.
“She will be back by the weekend and will preside over next plenary,'' he said.
Say TRIPOB, RE-IPOB leaders are fictional By Clifford Ndujihe IGBO women, youths, students and traders have faulted reports of crisis in the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leading to the emergence of splinter groups - The Rebranded Indeigenous People of Biafra, TRIPOB and Reformed Indigenous People of Biafra, RE-IPOB.
Among people and groups, who insisted that IPOB is intact and challenged leaders of TRIPOB and RE-IPOB to produce their photographs if there are not fictitious are the Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, led by Mrs. Mariah Okwor; Igbo Youth Movement, IYM; Igbo Students Union, ISU; Igbo Traders Association, ITA and South East Christians Network, SECN among others
Recently, TRIPOB and RE-IPOB, in separate statements disowned the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and unveiled their programmes. While TRIPOB said it would burn the Biafra flag on October 1, the RE-IPOB listed names of some eminent persons to negotiate with the Federal Government, while warning Nnamdi Kanu to stop parading himself as IPOB leader.
Speaking on the issue, Mrs. Mariah Okwor, in a statement said: "The funny games being played by the Federal Government is a further confirmation of the arrogance of this government in their stubborn refusal to address the problems from the root by restructuring Nigeria along six regions without delay.
Only true fiscal federalism can save Nigeria now. Creating non-existent factions of IPOB will not stop the agitation. Government should stop amusing the public with childish plots.
There is clearly no crisis or factions among these gallant boys, they united under Nnamdi Kanu and they are committed to their struggle. I personally thought that Kanu will go the way of Uwazurike, but he has surprised everybody by his righteous, sincere and total commitment to the struggle. The IWA will honour Kanu in October for his honesty and transparent leadership, that boy is a hero."
According to her, four groups from the South East and three from Niger Delta will publicly honour Nnamdi Kanu for his sacrifices in defence of truth and fight for justice.
IYM founder, Evang. Elliot Uko, said: ”Those who claim there is crisis in IPOB are the very people who are being used to create the impression of a crisis. Ndigbo know that IPOB is intact, why would I comment on non-existent TRIPOB and REIPOB? I don't want to dignify fake groups with a response.
The Federal Government should do the needful, which is begin to address the foundational reasons millions of youths have lost faith in Nigeria. Creating artificial factions will not stop the agitation. Only a restructuring of the polity will restore hope. Time is running out".
On his part, Comrade Chimezie Ubani, President of Igbo Students, said: "Nobody knows the fictional characters, Philip Effiong Osuji and Ikemba Biafra or Nzeogwu Biafra, Let them publish their photographs and tell us their home towns and local governments of origin, if they truly exist. There is no crisis whatsoever in IPOB.
We will honour Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in all the campuses in Eastern Nigerian soon, he is our eternal hero, a prophet and a legend. He destroyed our oppressors with the power of truth. IPOB is intact and we are all proud of them.”
Bishop Mike Ibeneme, coordinator of South East Christians Network, said: "We all know, Nnamdi Kanu, we know he is from Afara, Umuahia, Abia State. Nobody knows these names Ikemba Biafra and Philip Effiong Chima, they probably do not exist. It is clearly an attempt by certain forces to give the impression that there is division within the IPOB.
It means the IPOB has become a very formidable force that is strong enough to frighten the authorities. Nobody believes there is any crisis within the IPOB, those alluding to factions in IPOB are only those who are afraid of IPOB.”
To Chief Chris Obikwelu, Chairman of Igbo Traders Association: "We are all surprised to hear of strange names breaking away from IPOB. If they had said that Emma powerful, Clifford Iroanya or Emma Nmezu broke away, it probably would have been believable, but for totally strange names, unknown to anybody to publish a list of laughable characters to negotiate on behalf of Ndigbo, simply means that TRIPOB and REIPOB are fake, non-existent groups, created by the enemy in their foolish attempt to weaken IPOB.”n I can tell you that they have only succeeded in making Kanu and IPOB more popular and respected by all. It means he is giving them sleepless nights, if he were a sell-out, they would not create fake splinter groups to counter him".
ASABA-THE out gone Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, in charge of Finance and Accounts Directorate, Service Headquarters Abuja, Sir Emmanuel Ifeadi, has said he narrowly escaped being killed by members of the Boko Haram insurgents when he was Kano State Comptroller.
Ifeadi who was recounting some life threatening moments of his career in his testimony at his pulling out thanksgiving service at the St. Peters Anglican Cathedral Church, Asaba said that he would have died years ago if not for the divine intervention of God.
He said; "if not for the mercy of God, I will not be standing here today to give this testimony. The Lord has done so many things that I can’t count but I just want to tell you about a few of them that almost took my life.
“The first was when I was posted to Niger State; we were at a place with my friends where we ate ‘Ishi Ewu’ (goat head). Shortly after, my tommy began to pain me seriously like I was going to die. I took everything but the pain won't subside until I was introduced to one very young doctor who diagnosed me of peptic ulcer and treated me.
"The second was when I was posted to Kano. We just concluded the elections and I was at my hotel, then my phone rang and someone said it was the commissioner of police that told him to call me that there was a souvenir for me and that I should come and collect my own at the police headquarters, that the commissioner wants to hand it over to me himself. I told him I can't come but that he should collect it and bring to me but he was insisting I should come, so I told him I was not coming.
“Immediately I alerted my men that they should be ready in case he decided to come himself because I didn't go. The next day when I saw the commissioner of police and told him, he said they must be members of Boko Haram, that I was very lucky and that they must have laid ambush around where I was and if I had gone out, that would have been the end."
Ifeadi who spoke earlier at his pulling out ceremony held at the Delta State Command of NIS, Asaba, commended the Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede, the Delta State Command of NIS, the Delta State Government for their support towards the success of his pull out parade.
He also thanked the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau for approving the parade which according to him, had been suspended for a long time.
In his remarks, the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, described Sir Emmanuel Ifeadi as a true and distinguished son of the state who has raised the state flag very high during his active service.
Okowa who was represented at the event by the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, urged upcoming officers to emulate the virtues of Sir Emmanuel Ifeadi.
…Commends FG for helping local airlines benefit from BASA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema has flayed foreign airlines for quitting the country in its moment of need, saying they are "fair-weather friends."
In a related development, the Air Peace boss commended the Federal Government for assisting local airlines to benefit from the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA).Allen Onyema
Urging foreign airlines to show understanding and support the Federal Government to deliver on its change agenda, Onyema regretted: "Just only one issue, fuel and forex, they (foreign airlines) are all scampering out of the country. If we are going through certain problems here, they should show understanding. They have got their fair share from the country. Now is the time for them to help the country and they are running away from the country. Nigeria has been their best route ever. These foreign airlines are fair-weather friends. They should remember that Nigeria didn't deliberately refuse to give them the dollar equivalent of their money. This country is undergoing change and they should be patient with the country."
He commended the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika for being proactive and assisting the nation's airlines to overcome their challenges of operating both local and international flights.
His words: "The Federal Government recently granted domestic carriers the approval to start international operations. It is the first time a Nigerian government would give international designation permits of that magnitude to indigenous carriers. It shows the government’s resolve to re-position the fortunes of the nation’s local airlines. This is a step in the right direction.
"The government has also waived import duties and value-added tax (VAT) on imported commercial aircraft spares and commercial aircraft. This waiver would go a long way in alleviating the inhibitive cost of scheduled flight operations being experienced by our local carriers. We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for giving a listening ear to our hue and cry."
Onyema also advised local airlines to conduct their affairs with integrity and collaborate with the Federal Government in seeking solutions to the operational challenges they face.
He regretted that some local airlines had failed to honour their agreements with foreign companies in the past, making it difficult for the latter to do business with them.
"The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika recently held meetings with us and he has been proactive. That's why at times when you don't know people you criticise them. How many of our colleagues who are saying the minister did this and that have bothered to go to him to know what the challenges are? Go to him and say 'this is what we are facing.' Instead, what we do is badmouthing each other. I am a witness to what the minister could do. When we had challenge with the issue of spares, immediately he acted. When we needed to get international designation, immediately he acted. He saw reasons Nigerian airlines should be empowered to go international. The same thing he did with the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA). He wants the airlines to do well, but we also must help to make sure the airlines do well,"he said.
He added: "What I ask people in the industry to do is to first of all show integrity, so that if anybody wants to come into this industry, the person can come relying on the resources of the banks to operate, because you can't really do this business alone without some level of financing from the outside. You need it. It is like that all over the world.
"Some airlines are creating image problem for this country. And that is the truth. It's not just people talking about government. The airlines themselves are creating problems for Nigeria and that should stop. They should live up to their billing and do things that will continue to polish the image of the country."
