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 Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA – Presidency Wednesday urged Nigerians to establish more confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari and ignore Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on his comment that the payment of N5,000 stipends to poor Nigerians was a hoax.
It will be recalled that the Presidency on Monday announced that the payment of N5,000 stipends to vulnerable persons in the country had taken off in nine States.
Subsumed in the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT of the Social Investment Scheme, the stipend was a campaign promise of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC during the 2015 election campaigns.President Buhari
The presidency had in a statement from the Office of the Vice President on Monday stated that:
“As part of its determined efforts to touch the lives of Nigerians positively the Buhari administration has now started the payment of N5, 000 monthly stipends to the poorest and the most vulnerable in the country through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of its Social Investment Programmes, SIP.
“Under the CCT, one million Nigerians would receive N5000 monthly payments as a form of social safety net for the poorest and most vulnerable as budgeted for in the 2016 Budget.
In the first batch that commenced last week, nine states would be covered, and many of the beneficiaries have already reported receiving their first payments by Friday last week, December 30, 2016.
“Funds for the commencement of the payments in four states were released last week to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) – the platform that hosts and validates payments for all government's social intervention programmes. Funds for another set of five states to complete the first batch of nine states would follow soon”.
But in a swift reaction to the development, Governor Fayose repudiated the claims by the presidency, saying it was a mere propagandist mechanism to divert attention from the unprecedented hardship and hunger in the land.
He also challenged the federal government to publish the names and account numbers of the beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, when he was asked to react to Fayose’s accusation against to the presidency during a briefing at the end of the meeting of Federal Executive Council, FEC at the presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said that it was not in the totem of the present government to lie to Nigerians, saying that the administration was built on integrity and accountability.
“On N5, 000 stipend, it was announced specifically from the office of the vice president that the scheme has started in nine states. And then a certain governor came and say it is not true. It is just a matter of who do you believe.
“This is a government that is built on integrity and accountability. This government will not lie to Nigerians, does not lie to Nigerians. In fact, anything you hear from this government you can take it to the bank, believe it.
“So, if anybody comes and says it is politics, it is not true. Choose who to believe. I can tell you that you should believe this government because this government will not lie to you”, Adesina said.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N4.6 billion for the purchase of new fire-fighting equipment to contain fire incidents in the country.
The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau, gave the indication at a joint State House Media briefing with the Aviation Minister, Alhaji Hadi Sirika.
Danbazau said there was an appropriation of about N5.2 billion for the purchase in the 2016 budget but the figure dropped after a no objection approval by the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
"Today's Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the procurement of some fire-fighting equipment.
"The last time equipment were procured was sometime in 1996.
"The equipment in the inventory today were those procured between 1985 and 1996, and since then there was no procurement.
"On assumption of duty I went round their stations and I discovered surprisingly the dearth of fire-fighting equipment.
"And with the experiences in fire incidences all over the country we discovered that such a situation should no longer hold and therefore we reflected that in the 2016 budget with the aim of equipping the fire service and also improve its capacity.
PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESIDES OVER FEC MEETING 1. R; President Muhammadu Buhari, SCOP Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, SGF, Engr Babachir David Lawal and Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari as President presides first 2017 FEC Meeting at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. JAN 4 2017.
"So (it is for) both equipment and training and of course the welfare of the personnel.
"This approved procurement is going to go a long way to provide the service with the necessary equipment even though this is just a start.
"We also, hoping that the 2017 budget will avail us with the opportunity to procure more equipment for the Federal Fire Service.''
Danbazau also said that the ministry was making some effort to improve on the existing facilities at the Fire Training School.
He said that the ministry intended to partner an entity involved in training of fire fighters, particularly in the oil and gas sector, to train the nation's fire fighters and improve their capacity to carry out their services.
The minister said that since the various states possessed their separate fire services and had suffered fire incidents, the federal government would partner them on fire fighting.
Danbazau mentioned Kano, Lagos and Kebbi as states that suffered recent fire incidents, adding that the national council on fire service in Kano last month agreed to standardise fire service delivery all over the country.
He said that the meeting criticised the operation of several standards operated by each state and accepted to change the trend.
"We are moving ahead towards that and also be able to ensure that the necessary fire codes are observed by everybody,'' he said.
The minister also hinted that NEC discussed the need to have an inter-ministerial meeting to consult with various ministries and states in order to ensure that prevention measures were carried out.
He said it was important that every building observed the building codes by having fire equipment, such as fire hydrants, for preventive measures.
"These are some of the very measures that we intent to take in the very near future to ensure that we reduce the losses and also prevent fires from happening,'' he added.
He said that stakeholders meeting would be held with experts to enforce building codes in the country to secure the buildings and ensure that they generate their revenues for the government.
On the strengthening of the country's fire-fighting workforce with young professionals, the minister said that all agencies under the ministry had been directed to prepare for recruitment in 2017.
"It is not just the fire service, but all the services under the ministry of interior have been directed to prepare for recruitment into the services this 2017 budget.
"This directive has been given to them couple of months back because of the realisation that they need the manpower and particularly fire service which needs a lot of energy to be able to tackle some of its challenges.
"So there is no doubt that we are going to carry out some recruitment exercises.
"But that is not to say that even the older ones who have not reached retirement age are not of any use.
"They are very useful; we need them to share their experiences with the younger ones.
"I terms of capacity building certainly we cannot do away with them.
"So there is absolutely no doubt that we are going to carry out some recruitment exercises for all the services and we want to make the fire service attractive,'' said the minister.
Crystal Palace winger Bakary Sako, who has endured an injury-hit last few months in the English Premier League, was named in the Mali squad on Wednesday for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 28-year-old, born in France, is the biggest name in the final 23-man squad unveiled by Mali coach Alain Giresse for the tournament in Gabon, which begins on January 14.
Mali are preparing for the tournament in Casablanca, Morocco, where they will take on Burkina Faso in a friendly on Saturday before a final warm-up game against a local club side on January 10.
They will travel to Gabon on January 14 and will come up against Ghana, Egypt and Uganda in Group D.
Brazilian midfield enforcer Fernandinho will serve a four-match ban after Manchester City lost their appeal against his sending-off against Burnley, the Football Association said on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old was red-carded for a two-footed challenge on Johann Berg Gudmundsson at the end of the first-half of their Premier League clash on Monday which City went on to win 2-1.
Fernandinho
He will miss Friday’s FA Cup third-round tie with West Ham and the Premier League matches with Everton, title rivals Tottenham and West Ham.
It was Fernandinho’s third dismissal in six matches — one of those coming in a Champions League game with Borussia Moenchengladbach — and the decision clearly irritated manager Pep Guardiola, who gave a series of tetchy answers in an interview with the BBC and tried to change the subject when asked about it at a press conference.
“Fernandinho will serve a four-match suspension with immediate effect after his claim of wrongful dismissal was rejected today following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing,” said an FA statement.
“His suspension includes the standard sanction of an additional game as it was his second dismissal of the season.”
Members of a vigilante group in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa on Wednesday shot dead three suspected female suicide bombers attempting to enter the Gulak market.
Gulak is the headquaters of Madagali Local Government Area.
The Chairman of the local government, Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed, who confirmed the development to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the suspected suicide bombers were sighted from a distance by the vigilantes, who were on patrol around the Bakin Dutse area.
He said suspects were ordered by the vigilantes to stop, but they refused.
"The shots by the vigilantes detonated the explosives on two of the suspected bombers.
"Although the explosive device on the third suspect did not set off, the explosion of the devices on the two other suspects, killed her.
"We suspect the bombers were on their way to Gulak market as today is the market day," Mohammed said.
When contacted, the spokesman of the 28 Task-Force Battalion, Mubi, Maj. Akintoye Badare confirmed the incident, which he said occurred at about 10am at Bakin Dutse, near Gulak town.
Badare did not say whether the suspected female bombers were children or adults.
"Things are now okay. Our men are at alert as usual," Badare said.
NAN recalls that the Army had on Tuesday repelled attacks from some fleeing insurgents at Dar village in the same local government.
The Government of Osun on Tuesday congratulated the Federal Government of Nigeria for successfully taking off at least two major socially impactful welfare programmes which it said would go down to ease social tension and motivate the poor.
The Government, in its message signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy Office of the Governor, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, said, given the experience Osun gathered in her introduction and implementation of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme and the social welfare for Osun’s most vulnerable old people called Agba Osun, the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has touched on the very aspects of national life that had contributed to youth restiveness, kidnapping, other crimes and care for the desperately poor.
“It is germane at this stage to congratulate the Federal Government which in the last one week commenced the payment of monthly stipends to its successful applicants for the N-Power schemes for the unemployed youths in our country and the payment of monthly stipends of N5,000 to vulnerable but socially responsible poor in our society.
With the impact of two programmes of the Rauf Aregbesola administration in the state of Osun in our six years of, the Osun Youths Empowermemt Scheme (OYES), and the social protection programme for the elderly (Agba Osun), there is no doubt that the Federal Government has found solutions to many of the factors at the heart of Nigeria’s socio-economic complications; attenuating poverty.’
The Bureau said through the OYES, the Osun government was able to regenerate the economy with the injection of N200 million monthly into the economy. This, it said, redirected the energies of the hitherto despondent youths to more socially and economically viable and productive ventures and consequently lured them away from socially harmful engagements.
“Our strategic selection of 20,000 in each of the batches of the OYES scheme, from the over 250,000 applicants which exposed the problems of unemployment, has helped Osun to record some of the achievements which were confirmed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other agencies of the federal government and private organizations.
“For instance, Osun emerged state with the lowest unemployment rate. Osun, with its very low level of income, emerged 7th largest economy in Nigeria. The state has also been adjudged most peaceful, crime-free state even by the leadership of the Nigerian Police.”
The Bureau said the commencement of the payment of another N5,000 monthly to its verified poorest and most vulnerable in the society just as the Agba Osun scheme which pays N10,000 to 1,602 carefully selected most vulnerable elderly persons in the state would go a long way to reduce poverty, crime and other social vices which are at the heart of social instabilities in Nigeria.
The Bureau also urged the Federal Government to intensify its efforts at achieving a nationwide implementation of the school feeding programme. “This has been a major influencer in our strategic restoration of functional education, health, increased schools enrollment and job creations.
The feeding of over 252,000 pupils every school day in the Elementary school class has brought fortune to agriculture, women empowerment and many other benefits too numerous to list. This is why Osun has been the training ground for many of the states ahead of their implementation of the school feeding programme.”
The Bureau noted however that it is gratifying that the Rauf Aregbesola administration suffered unrivaled vilification and condemnations while introducing and implementing these socially impactful schemes.
“The government was determined unwavering in the face of unsparing criticisms over OYES and other social protection schemes because this government was convinced these are the ways to go if we must solve the problems that stared us in the face in youths unemployment, increasing crime rates, loss of values and social instabilities and grinding poverty.
“We were not surprised when in 2014, the World Bank adopted our OYES scheme as template for its similar programme for Nigeria called the YESSO.” The Bureau assured Nigerians that the nation’s many problems are not beyond redemption adding that with the implementation of social welfare programmes such as N-Power, and others for desperate poor and women, Nigeria is on her way to arrest her decline, recover from doldrums and ascend to greatness.
A Gudu Upper Area Court in FCT, on Wednesday sentenced two men, Pallelu Abdullahi and Bello Yakubu to 12 weeks imprisonment for stealing solar energy panels.
The convicts, Abdullahi, 29, and Yakubu, 38, both pleaded guilty to the four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, theft, being in possession of stolen items and mischief.
In his plea for leniency, the first convict, Abdullahi told the court, " I stole because of my daughter's sickness.''
Passing the sentence, the Upper Area Court judge, Mr Umar Kagarko said he gave the light sentence due to their plea for mercy.
The judge, who also gave the convicts an option of N12, 000 fine, ordered that the stolen items being property of the Federal Government, should be returned to the government within 30 days.
The prosecutor, Mr Joshua Ayanna told the court that police surveillance team attached to Wuye Divisional Headquarters arrested the convicts on Dec.31 while on patrol at night.
He said the third person absconded and was still at large.
Ayanna said they were arrested "while removing solar energy panels, properties of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.''
He also said that the convicts had `confessed to have stolen them and also damaged the properties belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.'
The prosecutor said that the offences were contrary to Sections 96, 287, 319(A) and 327 of the Penal Code.
A man climbed over the wall of a kindergarten school in south-western China and attacked 12 students with a knife, Chinese state media said on Wednesday. One child is in serious condition, but none sustained life-threatening injuries, The reported added.
The incident happened Wednesday afternoon in Pingxiang city in the province of Guangxi, according to the report.
Police apprehended a 41-year-old suspect named Qin Peng An, a resident of Pingxiang city, but his motivations remain unclear, according to the paper.
Knife assaults against medical workers by patients and family members who blame doctors and nurses for the deaths of relatives are common in China, but attacks on schoolchildren are rare.
Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Rivers APC Governorship candidate in the 2015 general elections, says the resilience of the Ogonis and their non-violent position is commendable.
Peterside told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the Ogoni struggle was for all.
"I am calling on Ogonis to unite and work with other ethnic groups to accelerate the aspirations and the accomplishment of the dream of the founding fathers of the struggle.
"We must enter a new phase of cross ethnic groups engagement, recognizing that it is a collective struggle of all oppressed people all over the world.
"I salute the resilience of the Ogonis over the years and their industry, I am prepared to back every genuine effort to make the people of Ogoni great," he said.
Peterside, who is the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), commended the Federal Government on the Ogoni clean-up but asked for an accelerated process.
He urged the government to empower the people whose farmland and streams have been destroyed due to prospecting and production of hydrocarbons over the years.
Peterside said the environment was the greatest gift of "Mother Nature" adding that it must be preserved for the benefit of our generation and generations yet unborn.
"The environment and economic prosperity are interwoven, so, we must collectively work to protect the environment," he said.
Peterside commended the leadership of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) for keeping the spirit of the struggle alive.
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Wednesday inaugurated the Federal Government's `Change Begins With Me' campaign in the state.
Tambuwal during the inauguration urged the citizens of the state to shun vices that were inimical to societal cohesion and progress.
The governor also handed over jingles of the campaign to the state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Jeli Abdulkadir, for transmission in the state media outfits.
Tambuwal said: "All Nigerians should imbibe the virtues of social reorientation and avoid bad attitudes.
"We should be positive in our thinking and cultivate better attitudes towards issues.
" Importantly, we should all support the government of President Muhammadu Buhari for it to deliver on its promises to the people of Nigeria.
"Already, the government is doing exceeding well in the fight against insecurity and corruption. Similar efforts are being done to turn around the economy.
" You will agree with me these are the three main things which the President promised us and he is on track in the areas."
The governor added that, the state would use its media organs to educate the citizens, while at the same time take the lead in the change of attitude mantra.
According to him, the messages will be translated into Hausa and Fulfulde languages, and will be disseminated into every nook and cranny of the state for the benefits of the people.
Mr Celestine Akpobari, a human right and environmental activist on Wednesday said the Ogonis would continue with their struggle without violence until they achieved the "Ogoni Bill of Right".
Akpobari, who made the resolve in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, noted that the non-violence position had helped their struggle.
"The struggle has been on non-violence, and I don't see a future where we will adopt a violent strategy because the non-violence position had helped us.
"It has also attracted sympathy from the international community to our cause,'' he said.
Akpobari said that the clean-up also had the sympathy of international community.
"So, the struggle will continue until we achieve all the pillars of our legitimate demands as enshrined in the Ogoni Bill of Rights," he said.
According to Akpobari, Ogonis will make statements around their political future, especially with focus on 2019.
"Don't forget that since the creation of Rivers, no Ogoni person has been governor, deputy governor, speaker of the state assembly and even chief judge of the state. This is gross political marginalisation.
"But we are a major ethnic nationality in the state. Are we escorting people or are we still part of Rivers?
" Decisions around these issues will be taken at the Ogoni Day Celebration.''
Akpobari said that the Ogonis would discuss their cultural future, their language that was dying and what they would do to resuscitate it.
He said that the youths would be advised during the celebration of the Ogoni Day to allow the process of the environmental clean-up in the land to go on unhindered. Jan. 4 is set aside by the UN for World Indigenous People.
The Ogonis as a distinct ethnic nationality and indigenous people have always celebrated the day.
The Ekiti State House of Assembly Thursday lashed out those calling for what they described as ‘illegal removal’ of the State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, saying:” they should first send President Mohammadu Buhari packing before embarking on a futile journey and joke of the century by jesters who are also ignorant of the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria”.
The Assembly also said the people are jobless and are mediocre who are only being used by their pay masters who have been rejected in the polls by the people of the state.
The legislators said: “there is one at their backyard in Abuja, that Nigerians are already clamouring for his removal for not keeping to his electoral promises, coupled with high handedness, subjection of Nigerians to hunger and deprivation, untoward hardships and tendency to dictatorship and absolutism as a result of flagrant disobedience to court orders.
“They can easily call for the democratic removal of the one in Abuja that we are talking about without necessarily mentioning names but if we are really pressed further, we will be forced to name names in our next reply,” they said.
The Ekiti lawmakers stressed further that they and the people of the state had no apology for standing by Governor Fayose.
The members of the Assembly spoke through their Speaker, Rt Hon. Kola Oluwawole, in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.
The lawmakers were reacting to a statement credited to a group, the Coalition for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption, which said in Abuja on Tuesday that Governor Fayose be removed from office.
“The EKHA as a matter of fact wouldn’t have dignified this faceless group with any response, who out of joblessness and mediocrity are busy chasing shadows; but for their attempt at misleading the public hence our reaction.
Those calling for the removal of Governor Ayodele Fayose are nothing but political jesters and theatre art practitioners masquerading as activists.
“Unfortunately, they are speaking from Abuja and not from Ekiti, thus they have no jurisdiction to cry more than the bereaved in the first instance about government and governance in Ekiti State.
“The EKHA would have ignored these marauders, but they need to be aware of the following facts. The Office of the Governor of Ekiti State is established in Part 2, Section 176 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended for a period of 4 years herein called the term of office and Section 180 (1) listed all intraneous conditions that can make an occupant to cease to hold the office as a governor.
“Also, Section 189(1) of the same constitution listed the extraneous conditions of removing the governor of a state through the House of Assembly.
Nowhere was it stated that some drunkards can gather after a binge night out and ask for the removal of a sitting and performing governor with executive powers as conferred by Section 176 (2) of the constitution.
“The EKHA is saddled with the responsibility of oversight functions, particularly with powers on matters of evidence against any political office holder in Ekiti state inclusive of the governor as enshrined in Section 129 of the Nigerian constitution as amended.
“These functions, we have carried out without fear or favour and with so much vigour in the overall interest of the people of Ekiti State. Nowhere and no time in Ekiti State will the legislature and the executive be at loggerheads because we remain indivisible, inseparable and closely bounded, sharing the same umbilical cord with the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Ayodele Fayose.
“Those that are behind this faceless group with their political masters should know that their agenda is dead on arrival and hence it’s an impossible mission clearly not in line with laid down procedures as established by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,”
Until you make the most of yourself; you can't get the most out of yourself. Until you get the most out of yourself; you can't get the most out of life. Until you know and understand how life works; you can't maximize life. You can't maximize life until you know, understand and apply the system of principles that life is based upon.
The universe we inhabit is orderly and well organized. Nothing functions by chance in the universe. If the universe is allowed to function by chance even for a micro-second, there will be chaos and crisis on planet earth.
There exist two indispensable forces that rule the earth; the sun that rules the day and the moon that rules the night. These two vital elements have never outlived its usefulness. However, the moon has to position itself by aligning itself with the sun. Without this alignment the moon loses relevance or value. So it applies in human destinies. A life of value or relevance must align itself with certain principles governing life from which all other principles governing success are birthed.
Therefore, the universe is governed by laws or principles; man-made laws and natural laws. Natural laws are divided into physical laws and mental laws. Man-made laws can be broken such as traffic laws and you may or may not get caught. Physical laws such as laws of gravity and laws of electricity are at work round the clock and round the year; you can't break these laws, you can only break yourself against it. So it applies to mental laws. We have become so conscious of our material state of being that we tend to lose sight that we are living in a mental world governed by mental or moral laws.
To know and understand that we are living in a mental world necessitates us to seek out and align ourselves to the mental laws that rules life. Brian Tracy reveals, "Mental laws, although their physical effects cannot be seen quite so easily, also work 100 percent of the time. Whenever your life is going well, it means that your thoughts and activities are aligned and in harmony with these invisible mental laws. Whenever you are having problems of any kind, it is almost invariably because you are violating one or more of these laws, whether you know about them or not. Because they are central to your happiness, it is essential that you become familiar with them and integrate them into everything you do".2
THE GOVERNING LAWS OF LIFE: We live in a divinely ordered universe. The laws governing life or the universe are designed to uphold the universe. The mission of laws is to protect, preserve and direct our thoughts; words and behavior. The laws of life could be likened to electricity. We all know that electricity conducts energy that could be used for various purposes in which one of the major purpose is to transmit light which when it is switched on brightens every room and dispels darkness. However, if one abuses or violates the law of electricity or its usefulness it can lead to fire outbreak or electrical shock which may lead even to the death of the individual or cause body damage and pain.
The laws of life when correctly applied lighten every aspect of our destinies and dispel darkness or ignorance. However, whenever we abuse or violate these laws we experience negative consequences in our destinies. Therefore, the laws that rule life were never intended to punish mankind but rather were designed to give mankind the scepter of ruler-ship and dominion over the universe. Every pain in life is a product of ignorance which is rooted in the violation of the laws governing life. Every gain in life is a product of knowledge which is rooted in the right application or use of these laws.
The laws governing life is founded on justice and love; partiality or fault can never be found in it. These laws apply in the same measure and context to both the rich and the poor alike; to kings and to peasants; to the strong and to the weak; to leaders and followers; to the physically disabled and to physically able. We cannot alter these laws but we can alter ourselves to know; understand and act on these laws making it become part of our nature.
THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT "Everything happens for a reason; for every effect there is a specific cause, whether or not you know what it is". 3 The universe is not run by accident or chance but is being orchestrated by laws. Success is not a product of luck neither is failure the outcome of fate. Therefore, success or failure is made to happen in a life. And what is made can also be unmade by tracing the cause and getting rid of it. When the cause is eliminated the effect ceases to be. And when a cause is established the effect perpetuates. The law of cause and effect is also referred to as "The law of sowing and reaping" which states, whatsoever a man sows that he shall also reap.
A farmer is aware that when he sows bean seeds in the soil, he does not reap rice. In fact, the farmer knows that when he sows bean seeds he does not even need to "pray"; "ask" or "expect" beans harvest. The farmer is grounded in the knowledge that it is a guaranteed deal that nature will cause to grow to harvest whatever seed is planted in the soil. The law of the farm applies to the laws of life. This implies that whatever thought seeds you sow in the mental world; you will reap in the physical or material world.
This means that nothing happens by chance in your life; every experience you have ever had and will ever have and every result you produce in every area of life has specific causes. You are constantly creating your outer world of circumstance through your inner world of thought. Thoughts are causes and conditions are the effects. You are constantly reaping the fruits of your thinking through your circumstance and the results you produce in life.
Thoughts, words and acts are seeds sown; words and acts are the offspring of thoughts. Every thoughts, words and act produces after their kind; you cannot manipulate it and you cannot break it; it is as established as the law of gravity. To rise above the outer condition of life; you must rise in the inner condition of the mind. When we purify our minds and conquer selfish and base desires then we will create by our thoughts and actions the outward conditions of happiness; health and true riches.
The Federal Government has approved that the Aviation Security personnel should bear arms to enhance security of passengers and installations across the nation's airports.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, stated this when he briefed State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said that his ministry would partner with the Ministry of Interior and other stakeholders in the training of the affected Aviation Security personnel in arms' handling.
"We are very serious about aviation security, just last week the President approved that aviation security should bear arms, so we are trying to make them take the form and shape of TSA of the US with K-9 dogs, handcuffs, the guards, the batons, light weapons, etc.
"The Minister of Interior is helping us in that regard from the directive of Mr President, to partner with them and other stakeholders to ensure we keep our airports secure.
"So, very soon you will them with uniform, doing different functions and securing our airports.
"All these will be unveiled at the next stakeholders meeting,'' he said.
The minister also disclosed that the council approved N1.1 billion for the completion of the Kaduna International Airport Terminal building.
He said the contract for the rehabilitation of the building was initially awarded in 2011 at the cost of about N500 million.
He said the contractor noticed some structural damages to the building which necessitated the variation of the contract sum to the N1.1 billion.
"FEC has approved the completion of Kaduna terminal building. It was awarded in 2011 and commenced in 2012.
"During the rehabilitation of the terminal building a contractor noticed some structural damages to the building itself and then increased the scope of what to be done to put it to use and that necessitated the variation of contract sum.
"The cost of variation is in excess of 15 per cent, it had to go to the then President Goodluck Jonathan for approval anticipation, that was approved and they went to BPP.
"So we brought it to council today to ratify and of course taking into cognisance the exchange rate and inflation that has increased the cost of completion of the terminal building.
"Council has approved the completion of that terminal building and it will be completed in six months.''
On how to manage the closure of Abuja airport and construction of Kaduna airport terminal building, Sirika stated the rehabilitation work would not hinder flight operations.
"There is another elaborate terminal robust enough to take the passengers for the operation of six weeks.
"It will not stop them also from working. It may be also a bonus likely if the contractor is able to run through and finish before March.
"But, whether it finishes or not it will not affect the operations because there are enough buildings to carry out the operations of the airport.''
The Nigerian Army have confirmed the arrest of the Chairman of Mafa Local Government in Borno, Alhaji Shettima Lawan, for alleged link with the Boko Haram terrorists.
Maj.- Gen. Lucky Irabor, The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, made the confirmation during a news conference at the headquarters of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Maiduguri.
"All I can say is that the Chairman is a big supporter of Boko Haram.
"We heard that he harboured Boko Haram members along with his father. That he kept the Boko Haram members because the father begged him to do so.
"The Chairman was in the habit of accommodating people that had fled from the bush.
"At some point he was valuable to us being with the Civilian JTF to fight Boko Haram. But that does not mean we cannot investigate him for a crime especially one like this.
"We have also arrested the Vice Chairman of Kaga Local Government and he is undergoing interrogation," Irabor said.
Trailing the blaze of the biggest mid-week music show in Lagos, IML, a musical group made up of Singz and Phzieson, have launched Industry Nite in Ekiti State.
As undergraduates of Ekiti State University, they are the founder and organisers of Ekiti State Industry Night (EKSIN) an entertainment platform to help young artistes showcase their talents within the state. They both believe that the platform has helped to boost the career of many young talented artistes in Lagos, so they also want to create such platform for upcoming artistes in Ekiti, to help them display their talents.
Their greatest inspiration is fuelled by their early exposure to the sounds of musical legends like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Wayne Wonder and 2face Idibia. Most importantly is the rapid growth of the Nigerian music industry under which Nigerian hip-hop is arguably one of the fastest growing in the world.
They are driven by the desire to bring to the fore their God-given talents to the world's fastest growing entertainment industry, same impulse that has influenced massive collaborations between Nigerian artistes and biggest names outside the shores of Africa.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied allegations that he influenced the arrest of the Chairman of Globacom Telecoms Limited, Chief Mike Adenuga, by the EFCC in 2006.
Obasanjo's denial is contained in his letter to Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebu land, who had made sundry allegations against the former president in his recently published autobiography.
A copy of the letter dated Dec. 30, 2016, was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
Obasanjo said that while he was Nigeria's civilian president, the EFCC was free to do its job as it deemed fit.
"On several occasions, the then EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, had asserted that under my watch, he was a free agent to do his work as he deemed fit.
"Where it was necessary, he reported the outcome of his work to me and the subsequent or follow-up actions he intended to take.
"On no occasion did I guide, lead or direct him on what to do.
Obasanjo
"If the EFCC was investigating anybody, I did not consider it right for me as the president of Nigeria to be undermining EFCC by hobnobbing with that person.
"The agency was given free hand to do its work.
"Even if such a person was my child, the best I could do would be to secure a good lawyer to handle the matter before the EFCC for that child.
"Kabiyesi, the total sum of what you have put down in those pages of your book is that I dislike Mike.
"May be I need to remind you that if there was any iota of truth in such a position or mindset, Mike would not have been granted the mobile telephone licence which made him a billionaire.
"It was my prerogative as the president so to do.
"You may also be reminded that in the first round of the auction which Mike did not make, the country earned US$285 million for each licence.
"The country earned only US$200 million from the licence transaction with Mike and in the subsequent transaction with Etisalat, the country earned US$400 million.
" It was a deliberate action on my part that a Nigerian should own one of the licences.
" Anybody else but Mike could have been that Nigerian," Obasanjo said in the letter.
The former president also disagreed with the monarch over his claim that he (Obasanjo) "squandered the enormous goodwill he carried into office with a performance that left him with a second term short of tangible achievements."
"I probably have greater goodwill today internally and externally than I had in office,'' Obasanjo said.
The former president maintained that inspite of the allegations, he would continue to accord Adetona the respect due to him as a monarch.
The Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Katsina State chapter, has advised students in tertiary institutions to shun partisan politics so as not to dent their image.
Alhaji Lawal Saidu, the Chairman of the chapel, gave this advice on Wednesday while receiving the National President of the Katsina State Students' Union, who paid the chapel a courtesy visit in Katsina.
Saidu said that some students' leaders had thrown decorum to the dogs, by involving in partisan politics, a development which questioned their credibility.
"Students union leaders have now become willing tools in the hands of some mischievous politicians, who use them to attack their opponents.
"As the leaders of tomorrow, students union leaders should be honest and respectable while leading their colleagues.
"We hereby advise students to take the path of honour and avoid open support of desperate politicians that use money to drag the reputation of students in the mud," he said.
The chairman pledged to support students by counselling them as well as reporting their activities to the outside world.
In his remarks, the National President of the Katsina State Students' Union, Alhaji Mohammed Funtua, lauded journalists in the country for giving publicity to both the poor, students and other citizens.
"The press in Nigeria deserves a pat on the back for protecting democracy and the rights of the less privileged.
"We are ready to partner with the men of the media profession in order to achieve our desired goals," he said.
Nigerian/International record label, T-Records, has signed a multi-million naira management deal with 17-year old music producer, songwriter and singer, Daniel Tunde Adeosun, aka D'Tac, and unveiled him as its first artiste to be signed on to the label.
D'Tac, who was selected by the management of T-Records as the first artiste to be signed on to the record label after a rigorous music talent hunt, began his musical journey at a tender age of 11, but has grown into a multi-talented artiste who is ready to take over the Nigerian music industry with a unique combination of Afro-pop, RnB, Reggae and Highlife style of music.
Asked if he is not intimated by the new breeds making waves in the industry at the moment, D'Tac noted that every musician has got his/her own space in the sky to make an impact. "I am not in the industry to be like somebody else, I just want to be as genuine as I can. Originality is the key to my success as I begin my foray into music officially and professionally."
Speaking on why D'Tac was selected, T-Records CEO, Mark-Anthony Opurum said "T-Record as a whole saw beyond just talent in D-Tac and the fact that within a short space; we discovered that he understands the art so well and he has got passion for what he loves, which is music."
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has won the PFA Fans’ Premier League Player of the Month award for December, beating the likes of Adam Lallana and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Nearly 64,000 votes were cast in the poll, which was held on the Sky Sports website and apps, with Ibrahimovic claiming victory with 24,092 votes.
Liverpool’s Lallana came second with 17,935 votes, while Chelsea defender Azpilicueta was third with 11,944 votes. Rounding off the top six were Tottenham’s Dele Alli (5,863), Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (2,874) and West Ham’s Dimitri Payet (1,264).
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The six candidates were chosen by a panel of experts, which included Sky Sports pundits Peter Beagrie and Paul Merson, Mike Riley – general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials, and Malcolm Clarke – chairman of the Football Supporters’ Federation.
And it was Ibrahimovic, who scored six goals from seven matches in December that came out on top.
Speaking before he added to his tally against West Ham, Ibrahimovic declared that he had already silenced those who doubted he could succeed in the Premier League.
“It gives me a lot of energy, trust me,” he said. “A lot of energy, because they get paid to talk and I get paid to play with my feet – that’s how I enjoy it.
“I wanted to come when everyone thought I was over [the hill]. I’m super-happy and I feel good.”
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