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
A video currently trending on social media shows a housemaid who allegedly stole N5million naira from her employee after just nine days on the job
The housemaid who was said to have come from Cotonou named Kumenu Tope Samenu, has confessed to stealing money from her employer’s room in Lagos.
In a video shared by one one Uju Patricia on Facebook, Tope confessed that she usually uses a spare key to open her madam’s room and steal her money which is usually in Pounds and Dollars.
She even opened a bank account where she keeps the money she steals. As at the time she was caught, she had allegedly stolen over N5 million.
—–As Dogara urges women to be humanitarian By Emman Ovuakporie and Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA—–WIFE of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has advised wives of members of the House of Representatives to help their husbands to be productive and patriotic.
The First Lady who gave the advise Wednesday in Abuja, while declaring open a retreat organised by the National Institute for Legislative Studies for the lawmakers wives said “as wives of political office holders, women have the responsibility to help their husbands succeed.
Mrs Buhari represented by Mrs Grace Chama, said as mothers and role models, the women should support their husbands to deliver on their political responsibilities. The Speaker House of Reps Hon. Yakubu Dogara exchanging greetings with wife of Majority Leader, Mrs Salamotu Gbajabiamila while the wife of the Speaker Mrs Gimbia Dogara (middle) while Mrs Grace Shama Representative of First Lady Aisha Buhari looks on at the opening of two days retreat for the Wives of Honorable members in Abuja yesterday . Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
She advised the wives of lawmakers to use the opportunity offered by the retreat to rub minds on how best to support their "husbands and make them more patriotic and productive"
In his message at the retreat, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara advised the House of Representatives wives to acquaint themselves with legislative and political work of their husbands.
He said, “I want to also advise that apart from acquainting yourselves with the legislative and political work of your spouses, it would do great justice to the image of this association if you also concentrate on issues concerning children, gender, community and humanitarian activities.
“You have a great role to play in keeping our families together for a well organised family is the bedrock of any society. Indeed, behind every terrorist, armed robber, social deviant is someone who lacks parental care and attention. So you can play an important role in the security and wellbeing of our nation."
Dogara said that women play an important role in nation building, and should therefore be encouraged to learn more about the democratic process and contribute to governance.
The retreat he said aimed at strengthening the role of spouses of legislators in the democratic process, raise awareness among political spouses on the roles and responsibilities of their husbands as lawmakers.
It was also to broaden understanding of participants of the structure of government and political processes, deepen their knowledge of the legislative practice and procedure, and identify ways in which they can contribute in the work of their spouses.
The Speaker who commended the women for the initiative, also said that the existence of the association was "predicated on the urgent need for team work, collaboration, cooperation, non-partisanship, social bonding and synergy necessary for legislators to work optimally in the national interest."
He, however, cautioned against gender-based discrimination, which the name of the association could unwittingly perpetrate, and suggested a more gender neutral name for the group.
"In order to avoid discrimination against persons based on gender as outlawed by our Constitution, I have a few suggestions to make. Firstly, I wish to respectfully suggest a change of name from House of Representatives Wives Association (HORMWA) to House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORMSA).
“The reason is very simple. It is not only men that are represented in the House. It is patently discriminatory of our female colleagues in the House as their spouses have no similar Association.
“We must bear in mind that we have even had a female Speaker of the House of Representatives, in the person of Her Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Mrs) Patricia Etteh, I have support for this proposition in the practices of other nations of the world. Examples can be found in the Philippines House of Representatives and even in the United States Congress, among others."
He also advocated for the inclusion of spouses of former members, as doing so would be in accord with best practices worldwide for similar associations.
"The influence of spouses particularly women cannot be underestimated", the Speaker said.
"Most often he or she is the only person that you talk to when you come back from work. It is therefore of critical importance that your spouse is knowledgeable on what goes on in the House and even on current affairs of State."
"Let me tell you a story. The Congressional Club, USA which is similar to your association was founded in 1908. The first President of the Club, Mrs. James B. Perkins of New York, and her Board decided to seek a Congressional Act of Incorporation.
“On May 20, 1908, Mrs. John Sharp Williams, wife of the House Minority Leader who was opposed to the Act, invited her husband to a private lunch between them. She supported the existence of the Club.
“While they were busy dining, he couldn’t attend the sitting of the House, and consequently, the House of Representatives passed the Act unanimously without him! Don’t joke with women!", he said, and this narration elicited cheer from the audience.
"I want to also advise that apart from acquainting yourselves with the legislative and political work of your spouses, it would do great justice to the image of this association if you also concentrate on issues concerning children, gender, community and humanitarian activities.
“You have a great role to play in keeping our families together for a well organised family is the bedrock of any society. Indeed, behind every terrorist, armed robber, social deviant is someone who lacks parental care and attention. So you can play an important role in the security and wellbeing of our nation."
In her welcome address, wife of the speaker, Mrs. Gimbiya Yakubu Dogara said the retreat was unprecedented in the history of the National Assembly .
She said the retreat "will open a new vista in the democratic process in the country as wives of the honourable members of the House will for the first time under one platform guided in possible ways to support their husbands in the discharge of their roles."
Besides, she explained that "wives of politicians are known to channel requests and grievances from the electorate and other groups to their husbands because the demands of political offices were so enormous and time was limited for politicians to attend to.”
According to her, wives of some politicians are ardent promoters of their husbands' legislative agenda.
“Hence as a result, some constituents are comfortable and content with channeling their requests and petitions through the wives to their husbands.”
The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has assured that the next generation of Nigeria's population will not have to deal with the prevention and spread of HIV in the country.
Dr Patrick Dakum, the Chief Executive Officer of the institute, said this while fielding questions at journalists Forum on Wednesday in Abuja.
Dakum spoke on the impact of the campaign against the management and prevention of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria.
He explained that the campaign, being powered by the U.S President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), also mapped out actions to be taken in the HIV/AIDS battle.
However, he said for the next Nigeria's generation to be free from HIV, more attention should be given to pregnant women to prevent mother to child transmission of the virus.
He disclosed that the institute has placed 244,000 people living with HIV on treatment, adding that the country has little above a million people on treatment at the moment.
Dakum said that without intervention, transmission from mother to child would be inevitable but with interventions HIV positive mothers could give birth to HIV negative children.
"Our coverage for impact is still not acceptable; we are working to ensure that no child is born to a HIV positive mother and with this the next generation is saved from having to deal with HIV.
"To prevent mother to child infection, every woman that is pregnant must get tested because there are drugs that will be given and if you take those drugs your child would not have the HIV.
"It is as simple as that and there is a technology that has been proven that you would hardly find a child that is in the U.S born with HIV. "It still happens periodically but it is very rare and within a short period, we can achieve that.
HIV
"There are countries that have embraced modern technology which makes mother to child HIV transmission zero.
"That is our priority in terms of prevention. We are making a lot of progress but we still have a long way to go,'' Dakum said.
The IHVN boss also pointed out that his institute and PEPFAR campaign against HIV would also be channeled towards eradicating the virus among sex workers whom he described as the "most at risk population''.
"The next priority is what we call most at risk population; some other people call them key population and they are the commercial sex workers.
"Another are those engaged in gay. They can be female or male and the prevalence is highest amongst these groups. "So, it means that if we carry out prevention, we must go to those places that operate from and carry out preventive measures.
"We should be able to get to a point where the new infections is extremely minimal and have more people that will be placed on treatments than the number of people that will be getting the infection,'' he said.
Dakum said that the institute was also training and educating adolescents living with HIV to become peer educators to other children with same challenge. He also noted that the training was also a transition period from pediatrics clinic to adult clinic.
He said that the teaching would enable them live a physically, socially, intellectually and spiritually complete life.
The IHVN boss stressed that the institute would continue to integrate reproductive health skills to help people living with HIV.
Dakum further said that it would be difficult to put a time line when these measures would be achieved but that efforts would be geared towards achieving the desired target in the areas of focus.
He however noted that funding was the major aspect of the campaign and commended the U.S PEPFAR for their intervention.
Dakum assured that the synergy built by the IHVN and PEPFAR would go a long way in reducing the spread of the scourge in Nigeria.
A socio-political organization, the Oranmiyan Worldwide, has passed a vote of confidence on the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, over the recent political developments in the state.
The organization reiterated its unflinching loyalty to the governor at a "time when some leaders of the party are said to be aggrieved with Aregbesola's leadership style."
In a statement by its Director-General, Dele Ogunsakin, and Coordinator-General, Niyi Aluko, in Osogbo on Tuesday, the Oranmiyan Worldwide noted the contribution of the present administration to the development of Osun State.
The group said recent happenings in the state chapter of the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress, are expected as 'this is part of the build up to the 2018 governorship elections."
The statement read in part: "It is imperative to equivocally state that such political activities are expected in a transition period of a government because of many elements that are always involved in political scenarios.
Aregbesola
"No matter what is happening politically in the State of Osun, it is on record that administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has brought unprecedented development to the state."
The socio political organization expressed its unalloyed support for the governor, urging all members not to be divided at "this time in the life of our party."
The group further said: "This is not the time to be raising unnecessary political dust in the polity. We are a hundred percent with our leader, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in all his activities now and beyond 2018."
Also, the 72 interest groups under the Oranmiyan Worldwide have backed Governor Aregbesola, urging the people of Osogbo to discredit those it described as "enemies of progress."
The groups explained that the Aregbesola administration has served the state tremendously without any doubt about its qualitative and effective leadership.
The Senate has commended the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) for strengthening the powers of community parliament in line with international best practices.
This followed a motion by Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, on "Enhancement of the Powers of the Parliament of the Economic Community for West African States" on the floor of the house on Wednesday.
He said that ECOWAS was established to foster economic and political cooperation of the peoples of West Africa.
Ike Ekweremadu
According to him, ECOWAS Parliament was established by Article 13 of the 1993 Revised Treaty of the Community as the representatives of the people of West Africa.
Ekweremadu said that the enhancement of the powers of the parliament was a major achievement toward democratisation of governance of the sub-regional body.
He said that the development would also promote the fine principles of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balance.
He, however, called for the amendment of Nigeria's Electoral Act to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct election to fill the nation's 35 seats at the Community Parliament.
Contributing, Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Bala Na'Allah, said that the development would further enhance and give authority to the parliament to perform its functions without hindrance.
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said that enhancing the powers of the community parliament was a major achievement in the sub-region.
"We should take advantage of this to ensure we work for the actualisation of regional integration," he said.
Minister of Defence, Brig Gen Mansur Dan-Ali, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai during a security meeting with Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja.Acting President Yemi Osinbajo (M) Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Defence, Brig Gen Mansur Dan-Ali and all the Security Service Chiefs during a security meeting with Service Chiefs at the State House in AbujaR-L; National Security Adviser to the President, Major General Babagana Mongonu, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Director-General of Department of State Service, DSS, Mr Lawal Daura and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke DURING Security men with Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja.Minister of Defence, Brig Gen Mansur Dan-Ali, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Cheif of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke and Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe during a security meeting with Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja.Acting President Yemi Osinbajo (M) Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Defence, Brig Gen Mansur Dan-Ali and all the Security Service Chiefs during a security meeting with Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja.
Prof. Kimse Okoko, the Pro Chancellor, University of Uyo, has called on all pro chancellors across the country to shun corruption in order to sanitise the university system.
Okoko, who is the Chairman, Committee of Pro Chancellors, made the call at the 3rd Biennial Conference of Pro chancellors of Federal Universities on Wednesday in Abuja.
He also said it was important to lay a good foundation to eliminate corruption in the university system.
Okoko said pro chancellors, as the head of their various universities, must show themselves to be above board on issues of corruption.
"I think the issue of corruption is very critical and I want to urge pro chancellors to ensure transparency in the system.
" Unless we pro-chancellors ensure that we are incorruptible then we cannot lay a good foundation to eliminate corruption in the system.
" I am hoping that my colleagues heed this advice because corruption is now a very upsetting phenomenon in the universities," he said.
PROF. KIMSE OKOKO
Okoko also called on the pro chancellors to tackle sexual harassment now rampant in universities as well as plagiarism.
" I think it is important for pro chancellors to live above board and be transparent so that they can pass that to the various vice chancellors.
"It's now a shame to see vice chancellors now dragged to prison. It's not a good image for universities and I think we have to gradually try and ensure that we get rid of corruption in our society.
" I believe that universities are agents of change and you cannot be an agent of change if you yourself is part of the corruption," he added.
Also speaking, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, called for a review of the proliferation of structures in Nigerian universities.
Oloyede said there should be mainstreaming of all the different universities committees to be coordinated by a central body.
" I believe that the coordination of all these committees will heal an already sick system because of the cross fertilisation of ideas that will bring solution to the challenges that the various universities face," he said.
Super Eagles' Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has listed goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, midfielder Ogenyi Onazi and forwards Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho for this month's international friendly matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso in London.
Also included are home –based goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Leon Balogun and William Ekong, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo and forwards Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and Moses Simon.
Experienced left back Elderson Echiejile, Portugal –based Chidozie Awaziem, Israel –based John Ogu and Watford FC of England forward Isaac Success are also called.
Germany –based forward Noah Joel Bazee and Holland –based defender Tyronne Ebuehi will join up with the squad for the first time, while youngster Victor Osimhen, record top scorer at the FIFA U17 World Cup, returns.
The Super Eagles will be up against Senegal's Teranga Lions on Thursday, 23rd March before taking on the Etalons of Burkina Faso four days later. Both matches will be played at The Hive, home ground of Barnet Football Club.
THE FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United, South Africa); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah)
Defenders: Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); William Paul Ekong (KAA Gent, Belgium); Kenneth Omeruo (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Uche Henry Agbo (Granada FC, Spain); Abdullahi Shehu (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Musa Muhammed (FC Zeljeznicar, Bosnia Herzegovina); Tyronne Ebuehi (ADO Den Haag, The Netherlands); Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Gijon, Spain); Kingsley Madu (Zulte Waregem, Belgium); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto, Portugal)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Leicester City, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Isaac Success (Watford FC, England); Noah Joel Bazee (Hannover 96, Germany); Victor Osimhen (Wolfsburg FC, Germany)
The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room has urged Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to nominate persons to fill 34 Resident Electoral Commissioners' vacancies in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The group made the call at its session in Abuja on Wednesday and called on Osinbajo to urgently send the nominations to the Senate for consideration.
Mr Clement Nwankwo, chieftain of the group, on behalf its behalf said that long existence of the vacancies in INEC was not good for the political atmosphere of the nation.
Nwankwo urged the acting president to take full charge of the President Muhammadu Buhari's responsibilities so that his absence would not be felt.
Ag Pres Osinbajo
He commended Osinbajo for sending the nomination of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria to the senate for consideration as substantive Chief Justice of the country.
Nwankwo, who is Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), advised the acting president to remain focused and not allow political intrigues to distract him.
The group prayed for quick recovery of Buhari to enable him to return to his duties.
It also condemned the invasion of the social media by security agents and recent arrest of Mr Audu Maikori, the founder and President, Chocolate City Entertainment.
Maikori was arrested by the Police on Feb.17 in Kaduna on charges bordering on inciting comments on the social media over the Southern Kaduna crisis.
"There is too much invasion of the social media space by security agents and I am surprised that in Kaduna state the arrest of a social media activist was initiated for putting out a post on social media.
"The situation in Kaduna is very sad and that the governor has allowed for some of these issues to be perpetuated is very sad,'' the group said.
Some 7,000 people have fled from villages around the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok because of Boko Haram attacks, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.
The IOM said an estimated 4,449 people or 740 households have fled to Chibok itself since February 25, “seeking safety following attacks or threats of attacks in some neighbouring villages”.
“These movements are in addition to the estimated 300 people who fled to Chibok town around February 10,” it added in a briefing document seen by AFP.
“The staff also report that approximately 2,000 individuals fled from Kaya village, near Chibok town, to (the nearby town of) Damboa recently, in search of safety.”
Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency has left at least 20,000 people dead in northeast Nigeria since it began in 2009 and has displaced more than 2.6 million others.
Chibok became a global symbol of the conflict after the militants kidnapped more than 200 teenage girls from their school in the town in April 2014. Most are still being held.
Despite a military fight-back, villages near Chibok, which is 125 kilometres (80 miles) by road from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, have seen a wave of suspected Boko Haram attacks.
The region is near the Sambisa Forest, a former national park where the Islamic State group affiliate had bases.
On February 9, rebel fighters pushed out of the area by the army were blamed for looting food stores in Kaumutaiyahi village, about 15 kilometres from Chibok.
A spokesman for the Chibok community, Manasseh Allen, said the town was struggling to accommodate those who had fled in recent days.
“We don’t have the place to settle them, especially now that schools in the area have reopened,” he said, referring to the use of schools as temporary camps for the displaced.
Allen said town leaders had appealed to the IOM and the Borno state government for tents to accommodate the new arrivals — and he expects more to come.
“The general Sambisa area is still infested with Boko Haram,” he said.
“The misconception is that with the takeover of Camp Zairo (the group’s main base in the forest), Boko Haram has been defeated.
“There are so many villages from where Boko Haram fighters have not been cleared.”
Allen said the villagers had been told to leave because of impending military operations in the area. There was no immediate confirmation from the army.
Another community leader, Ayuba Alamson, said the extremists remained in the wider Chibok district, as well as around Damboa, which is 40km to the northwest, and Askira Uba, 25km to the south.
Residents of nearby villages leave their homes at night in fear of attacks, he added.
Boko Haram attack for food “and they have taken a huge amount of harvest in the last two weeks from raids in the Chibok area,” he said.
By Dennis Agbo THE Nike Lake Hotel venue of the first zonal public hearing of the Senator Ken Nnamani-led Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee had a touch of the unusual, last Monday. Present at the venue were constitutional experts and students and political stakeholders all with the common objective of fashioning the best electoral cum constitutional framework that will guarantee the survival of Nigeria's democracy.
About 23 submissions were made to the committee at the poorly attended function which was meant for the South East zone. Even though Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State was in attendance and made suggestions on what he felt should be reformed in the electoral system, it was obvious that he was fairly not comfortable with the apparent partisan display at the hearing.
L-R: 2015 APC Deputy governorship candidate in Enugu State, Juliet Ibekau, Deputy Chairman of APC in Enugu State, A.C. Ude (standing) Senator Ken Nnamani (Chairman) and Senator Jonathan Zwingina, all members of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee, during their Public Hearing in Enugu on Monday.
The hearing had apparently become an opportunity for the longsuffering All Progressives Congress, APC in the region to show strength in the face of the electoral dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the region. Among those who gave a partisan hue to the hearing were the APC women in the state led by Lolo Nwankwo who took to the stage to demonstrate solidarity for the committee's outing, while making submission for gender-related issues.
The period of his steeping aside only lasted for ten months as he last January registered as a member of the APC in his ward in Enugu. That was well before he was appointed to head the electoral and constitution reform committee. Given that the committee’s assignment was seen as a duplication of effort on the job done by the Justice Mohammed Uwais Committee and the National Conference set up by the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, it was not difficult for some to allege that the constitution of the Nnamani Committee was just another job for the boys.
Another job for the boys
Among those present at the hearing were elements of civil society, the judiciary, and the political class. Speaking passionately on the electoral challenges faced by the Judiciary in handling both pre and post electoral petitions, Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Ngozi Emehelu, demanded for extension of both the 21 days time lag for filing of petitions after elections and the 180 days statutory period within which election petitions are given to be decided upon.
On their own part, a civil society group, the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, demanded that the appointment of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and its board members should no longer be left solely to the discretion of the Nigerian President but should involve the imput of the National Assembly, the Civil Society Organizations and other relevant stakeholders, adding that Section 221 of the constitution should be amended to give room for independent candidacy.
The representative of the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, Mrs. Miriam Menkiti, in her submissions said that amendments of relevant laws needed to be made to provide for electoral offences commission, adding that all sections of the constitution or Electoral Act that had provisions for gender needed to be amended to check gender discrimination.
From contributions from participants, one recommendation that may top that to be presented by the committee is the proposal to stop the inauguration of political office holders until after all litigations are completed. That was apparent from the welcoming remarks given by Senator Nnamani. "We want to come up with a new system whereby no one can be sworn into office if they have election petitions hanging on their necks. Politicians are fond of fighting to win and saying 'let us go to court.
"Experience has shown that majority of the cases in our courts are either pre-election or post-election matters and we want to find a way out of this. We want to ensure that after a candidate had spent time to campaign and given the mandate by the electorate, such mandates will not be dropped at the court by way of losing in the case. The president has been a victim so Nigerians should not entertain any fear whether or not the report of this committee will be implemented," Nnamani said.
Critics said the Enugu sitting exposed the prospect of only the APC accepting the work of the committee given that the exercise was largely boycotted by PDP members with the possible exception of the governor who came as chief host.
Among those who spoke at the public hearing was a former Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nduka Eya, who frowned at what he described as the duplication of efforts by the committee which he also described as partisan. Eya said: "The committee is a party committee, Ken Nnamani just defected to the APC, and you know charity they say begins at home. The national conference convened by the Jonathan administration touched on all these things; they just want to spend money on their party members.
"The national conference came out with 63 resolutions but the present ruling government doesn't want to touch it, we can go on with the jamboree. Why didn't they make the hearing open? We can't keep quiet when things go wrong. It's an APC thing, and I don't have to complain. It's a political organization matter and Ken Nnamani having joined the party newly wants to live up to their billing."
Validating a national assignment
In his reaction, the Executive Director of Youths Education on Human Rights and Civic Responsibility, Mr. Cromwell Chibuzor, said: "The committee is not a national thing; it's just a political party arrangement with the purpose of validating a national assignment so that APC as a government will not be put at disadvantage. It's a tool for political mobilization and visibility."
But the South East zonal publicity officer of the APC, Hon. Hyacinth Ngwu, said that it was understandable why APC members would form the majority in the composition of the committee. He further affirmed that Senator Nnamani had not registered as a member of APC when he was appointed to head the committee.
Ngwu said: "Of course APC members will be more in all the appointments because they are the ones wearing the shoe and they are the ones appointing. It, therefore, follows that they will be in the majority. When Nnamani was appointed, he was not in APC, then he was apolitical, and that shows the magnanimity of the APC-led government. Ken is a man of his words besides he just joined the party a few weeks ago."
On the allegation that the committee's assignment is a duplication of that already done by some past committees, Ngwu said "Laws are not static, they are dynamic, they keep changing otherwise you won't have the National Assembly that deals with issues of lawmaking.
“Since human beings are dynamic in nature when issues arise committees would be set up to deal with them. Between the time Justice Uwais report was submitted and now, many things need to be amended like the issue of the Kogi state governorship debacle is a recent development. Again you can look at the issue of assigning powers to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, in a case of incapacitation of a President, should it have been the national assembly? These are evolving issues that the present committee can deal with."
By Henry Umoru ABUJA- THERE was a mild drama Wednesday at the Senate when an 82 year old Ambassadorial nominee appeared for screening.
The nominee, Hon. Justice Sylvanus Nsofor, was forwarded to the Senate for screening and subsequent confirmation by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Hon. Justice Sylvanus Nsofor, who was asked a couple of questions among which was to recite the National Anthem by a member of the committee, Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East), staunchly argued with the lawmakers and refused to recite the anthem as requested.
The lawmakers who exhausted by the back and forth argument, and left in complete surprise at his refusal, were left with no option, but to ask him to take a bow and leave.
Hon. Justice Sylvanus. A Nsofor, who is a nominee from Imo State, was born on March 17, 1935 in Oguta, Imo State.
He was one-time Judge of the High Court of Nigeria, Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Lecturer in Law, Holborn College of Law,n London.
The second nominee, Mr. Adeyinka Olatokunbo Asekun, unlike the first however responded to questions brilliantly to the amazement of lawmakers.
Mr. Asekun, who had a long stint as a retail banker in the banking sector, was educated at the Wisconsin University and California State University, both in the United States of America.
The nominee’s name was forwarded to the National Assembly by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
Responding to how Nigeria could strengthen the Naira through its foreign exchange policy, Mr. Asekun advised the federal government to embark on rebuilding the country’s export structure in the various countries.
Members of the committee who were impressed and satisfied with the responses of the nominee, asked him to take a bow and leave.
By Michael Eboh, Sebastine Obasi,Ediri Ejoh & Favour Ulebor The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Wednesday, stated that it had shut down the Warri refinery, due to some technical issues surrounding its operation.
Speaking at the ongoing oil and gas conference in Abuja, Mr. Anibor Kragha, Chief Operating Officer, Refineries of the NNPC, stated that presently, only the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries are working, though far below their installed capacity. He disclosed that the two refineries are producing about five million litres of Automotive Gasoline Oil, AGO, as well as Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and Household Kerosene, HHK.
However, he stated that in January 2017, all the four refineries were working, until a few days ago, when the Warri refinery was shut down due to some technical faults.
"The only refinery that is having some issues is the one in Warri, because we have a bit of a power challenge and we are working very hard with General Electric, GE, to address that. But in January all of them were working. The whole Port Harcourt refinery has come on stream and they are running well.
"Meanwhile the Warri refinery had also started running but there is something with the gas turbine generators that tripped, so it was shut down to make sure we address that, but as you know you cannot start up the equipment without having negative things happen."
Maiduguri – A teenager, Amina Yusuf, paraded by the military on Wednesday in Maiduguri said she failed to detonate her explosive because she did not subscribe to Boko Haram ideology.
The 17-year-old told newsmen in Maiduguri that she was abducted five years ago, alongside her parents, in Madagali in Adamawa, after a terror attack on the village.One of the suspected suicide bombers intercepted by security agents in Maiduguri on Tuesday
"I was abducted alongside my parents in Madagali in Adamawa after the terrorists attacked our village. We were taken to a camp in the bush where we were forcefully indoctrinated by the group," she said.
The suspected suicide bomber alleged that her parents were killed after they had refused to be indoctrinated .
"My parents were executed because they did not join the group.
"I was married off to a Boko Haram militant with whom I lived in the camp," she said.
"One day I was asked to wear the bombs. I was brought to Maiduguri with an instruction that I detonate the bomb where there is large crowd of people",the teenager added.
She said that she declined to detonate the explosive because she did not want to die.
"They said I should press the button but I refused and allowed security men to capture me alive.
"My four siblings are still with the terrorists in the camp," Yusuf said.
Maj.- Gen. Lucky Irabor the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole had presented her along with two unindentified girls to newsmen during a weekly briefing in Maiduguri.
Lagos – A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed March 2 for ruling on admissibility of a document tendered before it in the trial of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State.
Ladoja is facing trial alongside one of his aides, Waheed Akanbi, on eight counts charge bordering on N4.7 billion frauds filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Mohammed Idris, therefore, fixed March 2 to decide on the admissibility of the petition by the prosecution witness.Ladoja
When the trial resumed on Wednesday, the prosecutor, Mr Festus Keyamo, called on his first prosecution witness (PW1), Mr Abdullahi Lawal, to give evidence.
The witness, an operative of EFCC, told the court that sometimes in July 2007, a written petition was received by the commission from the office of the Secretary to the Oyo State Government.
Lawal said that in the petition, Ladoja and Akanbi were accused of perpetrating fraud and financial impropriety.
The prosecutor then sought to tender the said petition before the court in evidence.
At this stage, Mr Bolaji Onilenla, counsel to Ladoja, opposed to it on the ground that the said petition had not been served on his client.
Onilenla argued that it was a mandatory provision of the law that the defence should be served with any document sought to be tendered in court by the prosecution.
"I submit that the witness may not be able to testify before the court; we need time to study the document sought to be tendered by him," he said.
Also, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, the counsel to Akanbi, argued that it was fundamental for the court to refuse admissibility of the said document.
Olumide-Fusika said the court had earlier directed that the defence should be served with all documents sought to be tendered by the prosecution.
In his response, Keyamo insisted that the court has summary jurisdiction on the matter before it, being criminal in nature.
He said there was no strict law suggesting that the prosecution must supply the defence with every document.
Keyamo said the objection does not go to admissibility at all, arguing that in the proof of evidence, it was stated that reliance would be placed on all documents therein.
"The petition has to do with how the complaint came in, and how EFCC swung into action; they can seek adjournment to look at the document and cross-examine the witness,'' he said.
The EFCC had in November 2008 arraigned the accused on a 10-count charge of conspiracy to convert property and resources derived from an alleged illegal act.
The EFCC also alleged that the accused had the intention of concealing their illicit origin.
It also alleged that Ladoja used N42 million out of the proceeds to purchase an Armoured Land Cruiser Jeep, and remitted about 600,000 pounds to one Bimpe Ladoja in London.
NAN reports that Ladoja and Akanbi had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were allowed to continue on their earlier bail terms.
A host of medical experts in key public and private areas of the health industry are set to deliberate on salient issues of healthcare delivery in Nigeria as the Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) holds its 7th annual symposium themed: “Mental Health in A Recessed Economy”.
Leading the discussion as Guest lecturer is the Acting Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr. Richard Adebayo.
Among other topics for presentation are "Disease Outbreaks: The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Experience", by the CEO, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu; and "The Burden of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria" presented by Director General, NACA, Dr. Sani Aliyu.
Chief Host of the event chaired by the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof Chris Bode, at the Surgical Skills Centre, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, on March 3, 2017, is the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris.
Rihanna never went to college but the R&B superstar voiced delight as she was presented an award by Harvard University for her humanitarian work.
“So I made it to Harvard! Never thought I would be able to say that in my life, but it feels good,” a beaming Rihanna said to students’ cheers at the prestigious US university Tuesday evening.
Rihanna honoured as Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year
Harvard named the 29-year-old singer its Humanitarian of the Year, pointing to her projects that include an advanced center to treat breast cancer in her native Barbados and support for girls’ education around the developing world.
Rihanna said she had set up her first charity at age 18 and remarked: “People make it seem way too hard, man.”
“You don’t need to be rich to help someone, you don’t need to be famous, you don’t even need to be college-educated,” she said, while joking that she wished she were.
“I want to challenge each of you to make a commitment to help one person, one organization, one situation that touches your heart,” she said.
“My grandmother always used to say, ‘If you got a dollar, there’s plenty to share.'”
Rihanna, who was discovered by a music executive while still a teenager, has also set up a scholarship program named after her grandparents for Caribbean students in the United States.
The inferno of verbal altercation between the Transport Minister, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi through his aide, Mr. David Iyofor and the Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s aide Pastor Reno Omokri rages on as Omokri, in an article titled, “Rotimi Amaechi: Leave Trash For LAWMA,” replied Amaechi’s second letter which read, “Again Amaechi's aide replies Reno: "You're a zookeeper; answer my questions, don't write about lions, monkeys." saying Amaechi must “Leave Trash For LAWMA.”
In the response, Omokri maintained that the Transport Minister did not answer the points he raised in his earlier article titled, “Reno to Amaechi: "You're a decorated monkey only loyal to your stomach" wherein he(Reno) disproved with facts the allegations by Amaechi that the Goodluck Jonathan administration misappropriated funds meant for the country’s development.
Reno also said that instead of answering the questions he raised, where he proved the Minister wrong, Amaechi, however resorted to spewing trash, a proof that he(Amaechi) “is as irrelevant as the P in Psychology by spending his time making false allegations instead of fulfilling the mandate giving him to improve Nigeria’s transport infrastructure.”
Reno & Amaechi
Omokri who said that Amaechi’s duty post is the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, also said that he does not “react to trash which Amaechi is but instead, he leaves trash for LAWMA.”
Reno Omokri continued by saying that the Former Rivers state Governor and current Minister of Transport has no job and life outside the government, “which is why during the 2015 campaigns he was reduced to a driver to President Muhammadu Buhari and Malam Nasir Elrufai. How the people of Rivers state suffered to the extent that their Governor became a chauffeur.”
Read the full article:
"Again, Nigeria’s Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has left the issues raised by my response to his fallacious interview to impugn my character in a vicious ad hominem attack on me. My response is as follows:
Why should I respond to the trash that Rotimi Amaechi has thrown at me? Out of the fullness of the heart a man speaks. He has trash within him so he always vomits trash.
I do not react to trash. I leave trash to LAWMA. Rotimi Amaechi, with his pot belly and ill fitting designer clothes, is trash. My dear minister, here is the address of Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA: No. 3 Iddo – Yard, Ijora Olopa, Lagos State. You can report for duty there since it is your natural habitat!
Rather than trash, I will prefer to respond to issues. The issues are very clear. Rotimi Amaechi falsely accused ex-President Goodluck Jonathan of pilfering $49.8 billion in his interview.
I proved that he lied. I proved that the maker of that allegation, the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi later withdrew it after he was faced with evidence of its falsity.
I proved that in February of 2014, the then CBN Governor wrote another letter to the Senate admitting that he did not know how much or if anything was unaccounted for saying (and I quote from Sanusi’s letter) it could be "$10.8 billion or $12 billion or $19 billion or $21 billion — we do not know at this point".
I also proved that Rotimi Amaechi was being hypocritical when he accused the former President of not saving because he was the one who, as then Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, insisted on September 21, 2012 that the saved funds in the Excess Crude Account be shared.
I proved that when former President Jonathan REFUSED to share the funds, Rotimi Amaechi led the NGF to sue the then Federal Government at the Supreme Court and got a judgment compelling the Jonathan administration to share the money saved in the Excess Crude Account.
As a result of these actions, the Jonathan administration was forced to pay the 36 states of the federation a total of N2.92 trillion from the Excess Crude Account by 2014. Using the value of the Naira at that time, that amount was just above $20 billion dollars. This was money that was to be saved.
Again Rotimi Amaechi proves that he is as irrelevant as the P in Psychology by spending his time making false allegations instead of fulfilling the mandate giving him to improve Nigeria’s transport infrastructure. Is he so jobless?
But I am not surprised. His masters already saw just how jobless he is which is why during the 2015 campaigns he was reduced to a driver to President Muhammadu Buhari and Malam Nasir Elrufai. How the people of Rivers state suffered to the extent that their Governor became a chauffeur.
You can take a donkey to the River but you cannot force it to drink and you can make Amaechi a minister but you cannot force him to act like a minister. His proper calling in life was perhaps to be a driver!
Rotimi Amaechi had no money to finish the mono rail in his state, but he had $500,000 to spend on a one day dinner for Professor Wole Soyinka by his own admission. Is that not proof that he likes food more than knowledge and development?
When he became governor of Rivers state in 2007, the state treasury was fat and his belly was lean, by the time he left in 2015, the state treasury was lean and his belly was fat. In fact, Rotimi Amaechi’s belly swapped destiny with his state’s treasury!
I have had a life before government. I worked at a bank, at Parliament, as VP of a political consulting firm and now I run my own profitable business. Does Rotimi Amaechi have a life outside government?
The only job that he has had outside government was a job as Peter Odili’s PA at Pamo Clinics and Hospitals, Port Harcourt. Thereafter, he rode on Odili’s coattails from one government post to the other. His only political skill being to betray one political godfather as soon as he finds a bigger one.
Government post is Rotimi Amaechi’s oxygen and this was what former President Olusegun Obasanjo saw when he stopped him from becoming Governor in 2007 because he knew that a man who cannot generate wealth in his private business is condemned to forever be a sycophantic political prostitute.
With the benefit of hindsight, we now see that President Obasanjo was right!
If Rotimi Amaechi wants to shut my mouth then I challenge him to go to Rumukwurushi Market in Port Harcourt without security and shout Sai Baba, Sai Amaechi. If he survives the encounter, I will forever leave him and his potbelly alone.
By Reno Omokri
Reno Omokri is the founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California, author of Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God and Why Jesus Wept and the host of Transformation with Reno Omokri."
The Nigerian community in South Africa says the plan by the Senate to send a delegation to that country over the xenophobic attacks is a welcome development.
Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, the President of the Nigeria Union, South Africa, told newsmen on telephone from Pretoria on Wednesday that the visit would add value to the campaign against xenophobia.
"We are pleased to know that a Senate delegation to be led by Sen. Ike Ekeweremadu, Deputy Senate President, will visit South Africa.
"This visit will add value to all the struggles and campaign against xenophobia in South Africa.
"For long, we had clamoured for this kind of visit to demonstrate the Federal Government`s opposition to attacks against Nigerians. " It is a welcome development," he said.
Anyene stated that the Nigerian community would mobilise to welcome the senators during the visit.
SENATE CHAMBER
"We need this kind of high level visit to make the statement that Nigerians should be protected in South Africa while joining the campaign against xenophobia," he said.
He also urged Nigerians resident in South Africa to cooperate with the senate delegation during the visit.
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