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 Davies Iheamnachor PORT HARCOURT – Bandits terrorising Iwofe area of Rumuolumeni in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State Sunday night invaded an off campus residence where students of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, robbed and raped female students.
A source in the area, told Vanguard that the hostel located directly opposite IAUE campus has been under attack by criminals in the area and alleged that the Police Divisional Headquarters in the area has not taken the situation seriously.
One of the victims, Bright John, narrated that they were sleeping when the hoodlums arrived the lodge with weapons and robbed occupants of each of the rooms.
John complained that the regular attacks on the students' apartment is affecting their studies and added that each time the robbers storm their residence that they rob their laptops and phone.
He said: "We are being robbed and our girls raped by criminals every time. We are living in fear, because these boys come here every time and attack us. They rob us every time on gun point. The whole incident affects our studies. So we are calling on the police to be proactive in providing security to us. They also raped some female students."
Meanwhile, one of the landlords, who confirmed the incident, Mr. Kinikanwo Amadi, accused the security operatives of note being active in providing security to students.
Amadi worried that students now avoid to rent their apartments because of the regular robbery attack on residents especially the students.
Meantime, the spokesman of Rivers State Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, has condemned the incident and promised that but that police would investigate tte allegations of inactiveness.
Omoni said: "If we find that any police personnel refused to discharge its responsibility, such person will be made to face severe punishment."
Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore has joined Lyon for 10 million euros (£8.8m, $11.2m) on a five-year deal, the French club announced on Monday.
Bertrand Traore gives a thumbs-up after signing his five-year contract at new club Lyon
Chelsea will earn 15 percent of any profit from a future sale of the player and the English champions will have first refusal on Traore should he eventually move on, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said at a press conference to announce the signing.
“I was really keen to come to Lyon,” admitted the 21-year-old Burkina Faso international, who spent last season on loan at Europa League runners-up Ajax.
“We wish him well for his career in France and thank him for his contribution at Chelsea,” the London club said in a statement.
Traore, who was handed his Chelsea debut by Jose Mourinho in a Champions League game against Maccabi Tel Aviv in September 2015, is Lyon’s second summer signing following the arrival of Brazilian left-back Fernando Marçal from Benfica.
Lyon begin pre-season training on Tuesday but Traore will not join up with his new team-mates until July 10.
Meanwhile, Aulas confirmed that Lyon are in talks with Real Madrid about the potential signing of forward Mariano Diaz.
Abuja – A former President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday called on Nigerians to pray and work toward the nation's unity, as Muslims celebrate Eid-el-Fitr.
Jonathan
Jonathan made the call in Abuja, while playing host to a delegation of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ministers Forum.
The immediate past president said that no nation's economy could grow where there was no peace.
"We should always use this period to know that the unity of the country is paramount.
"We cannot develop as a nation, no matter how people demonstrate, and no president can do magic, if there is tension in the land.
"This is because, immediately there is sense of insecurity in any country, investors will go back and when investors go back, of course, the economy will dwindle.
"What improves the economy is confidence and what makes investors to have confidence is peace.
"Nobody wants to invest where there is no peace, except those that invest in arms and ammunition.
"We should all pray and work toward that peace, that is the only way we can grow our economy," Jonathan said.
He also commended the former ministers for forming the forum and for finding time to celebrate Sallah with his family.
The former president said that he was elated for seeing the former ministers coming together under a unique platform.
"We should begin to reduce the cleavages and fault lines and form a political body that will look at things with national interest," Jonathan said.
He, however, congratulated all Muslim brothers and sisters in the country for the successful completion of Ramadan fast and the Sallah celebration.
In his remarks, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, the chairman of the forum, said that the delegation comprises former ministers from 1999 to 2015.
Turaki said that the visit was to avail them the opportunity to share with Jonathan issues of national interest.
"Nigerians are beginning to appreciate the efforts you made in moving this country forward.
"Nigerians are still getting more aware of the enormous sacrifice you made to ensure that Nigeria remained together as one indivisible and indissoluble nation," he said.
Also, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, described Jonathan as a great leader who had encouraged many Nigerians.
"You still have so much to offer this country. The future is great for us, for PDP and this country," he said.
By Emeka Aginam After Uber officially launched operations in Nigeria in July 2014, the technology firm has been providing a safe, reliable and affordable transportation alternative for tens of thousands of Nigerians by simply tapping a button. By operating extensively within Lagos and Abuja Metropolises, Uber has provided succour to drivers who use the Uber app, as well as a new sense of freedom for riders.
Hide original messageAlon Lits, General Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, Uber
Just last May, as part of efforts to make its services even more accessible to a wider range of people, Uber lowered fares for uberX in Lagos by 40%. Based on early results, drivers are earning more in fares for every hour they work. This is as a result of an increase in the number of trips requested from first time users, showing that the reduced prices have helped reach new customers.
This has been beneficial to driver-partners but has also made it easier and more affordable for riders to get around their city.
"I was introduced to Uber by a friend and when I started, I found it very convenient, safe and flexible," says Hugbo, a Lagos based Uber driver-partner.
Hugbo said that driving with Uber allows him to meet and chat to new people and will often extend his driving hours for this reason. "Uber has really exposed me to different people and the work flexibility is awesome!" notes Emuobohwo.
For Tyna, a female driver-partner on the Uber app, her story is one of women empowerment and financial independence. "I love exploring professions that are not commonly taken on by women in Nigeria, like driving. Uber has given me the opportunity to be financially self-reliant.. From my experience, I've seen that Uber is safe and very easy to navigate because of the GPS they provide while driving, making it easy to track your route and find your rider," Tyna, added.
Alon Lits, Uber's General Manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa maintains that Uber has every confidence – after years of experience – which driver-partners will continue to see more demand from riders, "We are continuously watching and reviewing the effects of the fare reduction and we are thrilled that the results show that it is working and drivers are making more than before.
“All of us who do not speak the Hausa language in which Buhari allegedly addressed Nigerians are being told one thing: you do not belong here. Can anyone ever come up with a more powerful rationale for secession?”- Kayode Samuel.
Can anyone fault Samuel’s thinking and rationale?
*Fani-Kayode
Two days ago I wrote an essay titled “Is Nigeria A Free Nation Or A Vassal State?” which raised some fundamental questions about the nature and composition of the contraption called Nigeria.
It was a well-researched contribution and I would urge all those that have not read it to google it and do so.
Such was the impact that it had that the Federal Government, its security and intelligence services and its agents in the media tried to block it from coming out and even resorted to hacking my email account for the umpteenth time.
Apart from that the publishers and editors of various newspapers and online platforms were warned and threatened and told in very clear terms that if they published that essay or indeed any of my material they would be visited with the wrath of the Federal Government and all manner of unpleasant reprisals.
Thankfully they did not budge or yield and consequently (as is usually the case with my contributions) the essay went viral.
Trust the Nigerian the online media particularly not to budge. They called the bluff of those in power and published it anyway! They have proved to be resilient and courageous and I commend them.
Yet despite the obvious aversion that this government has for plurality of opinion, truth and those that speak and publish it and despite the fact that very little that they do or have done in the past surprises me, their latest antic shocked even skeptics like me beyond belief.
I am of course referring to the now infamous Sallah day message purportedly from our ailing President which has come to be better known and described as “a voice from the sick bed’
It is obvious to me that it was NOT our beloved President Muhammadu Buhari that spoke in yesterdays Sallah day audio recording.
And for whoever it was to address the nation in hausa is deeply insulting. Hausa is not the lingua franca of Nigeria.
Can you imagine Obasanjo, Shonekan or Jonathan sending the Nigerian people a Christmas message in Yoruba or the Ijaw language respectively?
Can you imagine Azikiwe or Ironsi addressing the Nigerian people in Igbo?
In a nation of almost 200 million people can there be anything more shameful than what those behind this monstrous scam and repugnant exercise in deceit and deception have done?
That creepy and frightful voice from the grave which we heard in that audio message is the strange and invisible entity that now rules our nation even though its owner, more likely than not, is long gone and stone-cold dead. We are being ruled by a strange spirit and an elusive ghost that resides in an unknown location in the United Kingdom. And in the last 50 days that this strange spirit has taken up residence in the United Kingdom that nation has suffered one form of tragedy or the other.
If it is not a brutal terrorist attack with bombs, cars or knives it is an avoidable raging fire in which many were gassed to death by cyanide and then burnt alive in the sanctity of their homes.
Wherever that strange spirit and voice resides it appears to bring bad luck Is this not a national disgrace and a self-inflicted moral crisis and disaster? Do these people have any honor, any dignity or any self-respect?
Is there anyhing that this vicious, ruthless, bloodthirsty and relentless cabal of ethnic irredentists and religious bigots not prepared to do to hold on to power in the name of a helpless and dying man?
Must they hold this nation to ransom in an attempt to prove that they are born to rule and that we are born to be slaves? Must they rule us both when they are alive and even when they are dead? When did Nigeria fall into the bestial grip of this barbarous form of deep and mystical occultism?
It appears that we are all under a spell. This enchantment is so deep and powerful that no-one even complains about what is nothing less than a brutal rape and sacriligeous assault on our collective pysche and national sensibilities?
May God forgive us for whatever it is we have done as a nation and as a people to deserve these insults and this shame and ridicule.
Would you say that late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in this video in 2009 at the Achebe Colloquium at Brown University, predicted what is happening in Nigeria today?
The Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Dr Stella Okoli, on Monday said the pharmaceutical industry was in need of urgent government intervention, as it required injection of funds in the region of N30 billion.
Okoli told newsmen at an interactive session in Lagos that injection of funds by the government would help the industry to do better and take its rightful place in the country.Dr Stella Okoli, Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceuticals and member, Board of the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council,
The pharmacist, also member, Board of the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council, said it was unfortunate that the previous administration in the country left out the pharmaceutical industry out in its bailout programme.
She, however, urged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to give the needed support in order to enable the industry to create more jobs and meet up in the area of required vaccines in the country.
"The industry must be funded so that we can buy the equipment, machinery and raw materials in the Nigerian industries," Okoli said.
The pharmacist also called for the downward review of interest rates in order to make the industries more comfortable in the competitive market.
She appealed to the Lagos State Government to do away with multiple taxation, describing the current tax regime as "very challenging" for those in the industry in the state.
Okoli also urged the federal government to equip its hospitals and discourage Nigerians from traveling to India for medical tourism.
According to her, the government needs to quickly set up a new national industrial policy and encourage young people who are very good in Information Technology (IT).
She said that the computer village in Lagos State could be converted into a training ground for young brains on IT-related areas to enable them to make more meaningful contributions in the country.
"Use our youths and encourage the industries that have been there, and fashion a way to continue to attract foreign direct investment – those that love Nigeria; those that come to help us and not those that have come to hurt us," the pharmacist said.
Okoli said the Federal Government had a lot to learn from Asian countries and their use of industrial parks, urging the authorities to transform the nation's fortunes with an industrial revolution.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that nobody has the right to issue quit notices to other Nigerians, saying that despite recent social challenges, Nigeria will continue to be united. The governor stated: “Nigeria must be one. All of us will live together. All of us are free to do business anywhere in the country. Whether you are from the north, you are free to stay here and do business.
“Nobody should threaten anybody. All of us own this country. We must be our brother’s keepers”.
The governor spoke on Monday when the Rivers State Muslim Community paid him a Sallah Homage at the Government House Port Harcourt.
Governor Wike said that the unity of the country is necessary for the rapid development of the country
The governor assured the Rivers Muslim Community that he will continue to sponsor them for Hajj as his administration believes in the spiritual upliftment of the people.
He said: “Government will continue to give you support, but we cannot use state resources to build a mosque.
“During the Ramadan I sent items to all the mosques in the state. We are all worshipping one God, even though we serve him in different ways”.
The governor said that he has respect for the Muslim community as exemplified by his invitation of the Sultan of Sokoto to participate in the Rivers at 50 celebration. He added that he will be paying a Sallah visit to the Sultan on Tuesday.
Earlier, the leader of the Rivers State Muslim Community and Vice President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Uhor said the Rivers Muslim Community were happy with Governor Wike for his superlative performance .
He commended the governor for promoting religious tolerance in the state.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has cautioned youths in the country to desist from making hate speeches urging them to remain united and focused to make Nigeria better. Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi sits for his coronation at Ile-Ife in southwest Nigeria, on December 7, 2015. 41-year-old multi-millionaire Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has been officially installed as the new Ooni of Ife. The monarch is the spiritual leader and the most influential traditional monarch among the Yoruba people of Nigeria’s southwest .AFP This came as the Ife monarch felicitated with Muslims all over the world on the successful completion Ramadan fasting.
The Ooni of Ife, who spoke in an interview aired on The Osasu Show,appealed to youths in the country to quit complaining about the misdeeds of government.
He said: "Why must it be government, government? Who is government? It is the people that are behind the government. If you are not happy with your president, you go for another election, and you will vote your president out. If you are happy with your president, you will continue with that government for them to be in power. Truth be told, we Nigerians don't know our power yet. We don't know our voting power, yet. Until we know it, we won't stop complaining, especially the youth. Once we know it, we won't complain again."
Speaking further, he said: "My school of thought is let us, first of all, organise ourselves and let us talk positively about this country. Let us stop derogatory, hate speeches. Things that will continue to divide everybody further."
On the need to desist from making hate speeches, division and projection of negative energy among countrymen, the traditional ruler said: "Truth be told, the youth don't know their power yet. Fortunately, power belongs to the youth of Nigeria. Once they can get themselves together, that power belongs to them. So my advice to them is to stop hate speeches. They should stop being not focused. I understand the frustrations, I understand absolutely. I live all my life for the youth –every day of my life, I live it for the youth."
"My advice; 2019, they should vote right. Whoever that they think will do Nigeria justice, that will not divide us further, that will unite us further, and make us be a better nation, let us rally round that person", he said. Also, he felicitated with Muslims all over the world on the successful completion Ramadan fasting, climaxed with the Eid el-Fitr.
In a statement signed by the Ooni's Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr Moses Olafare, the monarch expressed his displeasure over what he described as the sacrilegious attitude of some Muslims, especially those in positions of authority, who during or after Ramadan, refuse to desist from ungodly acts of criminality.
Cautioning Nigerians against hate speeches, he said: "God is perfect; He made Ramadan the most precious month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri). He made it obligatory for the Muslims to fast throughout the month with a view to purifying themselves."
Also, he said "It is unfortunate that many people, who are supposed to be guided by the tenets of the Holy Qur'an and principles of Ramadan, only observe the fasting for the fun of it."
"The Holy Qur'an was first revealed during the month of Ramadan, so it is the month of the Qur'an. Therefore, disobedience to the teachings of Ramadan is disobedience to the Holy Qur'an.''
Oba Ogunwusi also prayed for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari from his ill-health. As the Eid el-Fitr symbolises the sharing of love and joy with one another, Nigerians should pray for the government at all levels. Our dear President is undergoing medical treatment in the UK, may the Almighty Allah grant him a quick recovery,'' the monarch stated..
NOLLYWOOD actress, Funke Akindele is back in the news again. This time, she's apologizing to her teeming fans for the pirating of the DVD of her popular TV show, Jenifa's Diary, assuring them that the relevant authorities have been reached to clamp down on the culprits.
•JJC and Funke
However, while the actress took to her Instagram page yesterday, to apologize to fans as well as to inform them that the relevant authorities have been reached to clamp down on the pirates, her rapper husband, JJC Skillz, also took to his Instagram page too to share the good news that they are expecting their first kids together.
"Amen amen amen. God I receive your wonderful news in praise. To God be the glory you will be called a mother by your beautiful miraculous twins @funkejenifaakindele my queen and wonderful mother of my children to be,"JJC Skillz wrote. Though he has since deleted the post.
Meanwhile on the pirating of her Jenifa's Diary DVD, Funke Akindele wrote, "Due to piracy affecting the distribution and sales of Jenifa's Diary DVD season 5, 6 & 7, I received some complaint from my lovely Jenifa fans. Upon further investigation, we discovered that the pirated copies contain new episodes that have not been released leading to contradictions with the original DVD, which we have released earlier.
"We humbly apologize and are currently working with the relevant authorities to combat piracy at this scale and ensure this never happens again. Thank you for your love and support. #JenifasDiary."
By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief The President of the African Development Bank, (AfDB) Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has won the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate. Agric Minister, Akinwumi-Adesina Dr. Adesina, Nigeria's immediate past Minister of Agriculture, will receive a $250,000 prize for driving change in African agriculture for over 25 years and improving food security for millions across the continent
The World Food Prize said in a statement issued in Washington, yesterday, that Dr. Adesina stood out in efforts to make food available to Africans.
It said, "Awarded by the World Food Prize Foundation, the $250,000 prize honors Nigerian Dr. Adesina for his leading role over the past two decades in: significantly expanding food production in Nigeria; introducing initiatives to exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent; and galvanizing the political will to transform African agriculture.
"The selection of President Akinwumi Adesina as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate reflects both his breakthrough achievements as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria and his critical role in the development of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
"It also gives further impetus to his profound vision for enhancing nutrition, uplifting smallholder farmers, and inspiring the next generation of Africans as they confront the challenges of the 21st century," said Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation, in making public President Adesina's name."
"Drawn to action, Dr. Adesina: in his role with the Rockefeller Foundation organized the 2006 Africa Fertilizer Summit; led a major expansion of commercial bank lending to farmers as Vice President of AGRA; and, as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria, introduced the E-Wallet system, which broke the back of corrupt elements that had controlled the fertilizer distribution system for 40 years.
"His policies expanded Nigeria's food production by 21 million metric tons, and the country attracted $5.6 billion in private sector investments in agriculture – earning him the reputation as the 'farmer's Minister.'"
Dr said he was grateful for the recognition of his efforts in food production on the African Continent.
He said, "As someone who grew out of poverty, I know that poverty is not pretty. My life mission is to lift up millions of people out of poverty, especially farmers in rural areas of Africa. We must give hope and turn agriculture into a business all across Africa to create wealth for African economies.
The World Food Prize gives me an even greater global platform to make that future happen much faster for Africa."
In 2006, as Associate Director for Food Security at the Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Adesina, was said to have played a critical leadership role in organizing the Africa Fertilizer Summit, which took place in Abuja, Nigeria. World Food Prize Foundation founder and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug hailed this event as absolutely essential in igniting the campaign to spread a new Green Revolution across Africa, which led to the creation of AGRA. While at AGRA, Dr. Adesina developed partnerships with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Kilimo Trust to provide loans to tens of thousands of smallholder farmers and the agribusinesses that support them in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana and Mozambique. As Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture from 2011 to 2015, Adesina successfully transformed his country's agriculture sector through bold reforms, including creating programs to make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production, and to help cassava become a major cash crop.
President Adesina also took major steps to end over 40 years of corruption in the fertilizer and seed sectors in Nigeria by launching the E-Wallet system, directly providing farmers with vouchers redeemable for inputs using mobile phones. The resulting increased farm yields have led to the improvement of food security for 40 million people in rural farm households.
When Dr. Adesina assumed the Presidency of the AfDB, he said he envisioned "An Africa that can feed itself. "Ten years is a sufficient amount of time to do that. It will require political will. It will require a lot of resources, a lot of commitment from private sector. But I think we have set the direction, and we've put the stakes in the ground. That one is critical. And I can't forget what Norman Borlaug used to tell me. 'Akin, go score some goals for African Agriculture.'"
Glitz Entertainment and Promotions has signed a management agreement with a Nigerian Comedian Anton Mitchual, popularly known as "Mimicko". The agreement was signed last Thursday, at the Glitz Event Center in Lekki, Lagos, and was witnessed by representatives of both parties.
•L-R: Anton Mitchual also known as Mimicko, Adetola Juyitan, CEO Glitz Entertainment and Promotions during the Agreement signing Ceremony held in Lekki, Lagos.
Commenting on the agreement, Adetola Juyitan CEO, Glitz Entertainment said; "Mimicko is a young talented act and we are happy to be part of building, nurturing his brand and strategically maximizing his potential in the industry".
On his own part, Anton Mitchual (AKA Mimicko), "I feel honoured to be the first Act on the stable of Glitz. I feel privileged and excited with the Mimicko-Glitz partnership especially as it allows me to expand frontiers. I can now focus more on the creativity and innovation while Glitz takes care of the entire business side".
Details of the agreement includes that Glitz will manage the artiste grooming, product/content development, marketing/sponsorship management amongst others.
Adetola Juyitan further, stated that Mimicko will be managed by a team of trained Artiste Management consultants. We know the entertainment industry requires a lot of innovation; we at Glitz Entertainment and Promotions Company are not just thinking in that direction, we will do our bit to add to supporting the industry and we are starting this by providing the platform and required resources".
To mark the beginning of the working relationship, Glitz has announced the launch of "The Diary of Mimicko" a bi-annual comedy show. The first edition which will hold in August is dedicated to the memory of one of the most outstanding Nollywood comic veterans; Sam Loco-Efe.
According to Anton Mitchual also known as Mimicko "The Diary of Mimicko" was born out of the need to celebrate veterans in the entertainment industry. For a start, Sam-Loco was a great actor and mentor to many in Nollywood". During the show, several hilarious Sam Loco-Efe's characters in different movies will be shown on the big screen and then acted live on stage. There will also be exciting performances from other top Nigerian Music and Comedy Veterans.
Eclectic singer Omawumi officially launched her "Timeless" album last Thursday night, at the #TraceLiveOmawumi event which held at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Omawunmi
The album listening concert which doubled as the inaugural edition of the new Trace live music event had in attendance top Nigerian celebrities, businessmen, friends of Omawumi and good music who had a great time as they grooved and vibe to the music the 'Wonder Woman' made with her Band from a golden heart and pour it out like vine wine.
The show was supported by some of her colleagues in the showbiz industry including, Waje, Lami Phillips, Naeto C, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Taje Prest, Tola Odunsi among others.
No fewer than 38 universities across the country have increased their tuition fees as a result of poor funding by the Federal and State governments.
The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Deji Omole, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
The statement which assessed the two years of President Muhammadu Buhari in office, lamented that the current government had made Nigerians poorer.
Omole said that the public education was not taken seriously because most children of the rich and those in high offices do not attend school in Nigeria.
"The latest increment might be attributed to poor funding by the federal and state governments as ASUU poorly rated the President Muhammadu Buhari in the area of funding of university education.
ASUU also noted that it would be difficult for any Nigeria university to effectively compete globally with the inadequate allocation of budgetary funding as prescribed by UNESCO to fund education.
University of Lagos (UNILAG) which was paying N14, 500 would now pay N63, 500 as tuition fees.
A cross section of University graduates
Other institutions that increased their fees include, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), from N27, 000 to N41, 00; University of Nigeria (UNN), from N60, 450 to N66, 950; Obafemi Awolowo University, from N19, 700 to N55,700.
Others are Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), from N20, 100 to N65,920; Bayero University, Kano, from N26,000 to N40,000; University of Abuja, from N39,300 to N42,300 and Usman Danfodiyo University, from N32,000 to N41,000.
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), from N36,000 to N41,000; University of Benin (UNIBEN), from N12, 000 to N49,500; University of Ilorin, from N16, 000 to N75,000 and Federal University of Technology, Akura (FUTA), from N13, 560 to N83,940.
Also in the list are: Federal University, Minna (FUTMINNA), from N20,000 to N37,000; University of Calabar, from N30,500 to N42,750 and University of Uyo, from N71, 000 to N84, 250.
Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, from N16,000 to N40,000; Osun varsity, from N95,000 to N135,500; Anambra State University, from N76,000 to N139, 000 and Lagos State University, from N96,750 to N158,250.
Ibrahim Badamosi Babangiga University, Lapai, from N25, 000 to N52, 000; Imo State University, from N120,000 to N150,000; Plateau State University, from N50,000 to N100,000 and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, from N57,000 to N75,000.
Others are: Ibadan Polytechnics, from N30,000 t0 N50,000; Abia Polytechnics, from N56,550 to N61,000; Auchi Polytechnic, from N14, 800 to N28,000 and Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, from N70,000 to N80,000.
Enugu State University of Science and Technology, N104,900 to N124,900; Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin, from N28,000 to N44,000; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), from N65,000 to N72,500 and Tai Solarin University of Education, from N66,500 to N76,500.
Afe Babalola University, from N675,000 to N1,075,000; Igbinedion, from N540,000 to N820,000; Crawford university, from N400,000 to N600,000 and Redeemers University, from N545,000 to N605,000.
Also in the list are Covenant University, from N774, 500 to N814, 500 and Benson Idahosa University, from N284, 300 to N1, 150,000.
In a troubled nation like ours, the need for the search for one’s true identity is necessary and that is why a group of young talented artists embark on a never ending journey of self-discovery as they display their distinct and captivating ensemble of colourful artworks in a group exhibition tagged Identities.
The group exhibition which is curated by Ekemelu Nnoli, CEO, Denk Spaces and Udemma Chukwuma will feature 25 remarkable paintings, drawings, mixed media and sculptures by five contemporary Nigerian artists, will open on July 9, at Denk Spaces, 13, Uyo Crescent, Off Emeka Anyaoku Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, and will run till July 30, 2017.
The exhibiting artists are, Stanley Dudu, Obinna Makata, Promise O'nali, Erasmus Onyishi and Dada Adedayo .
This colourful exhibition themed Identities features a carefully selected group of highly talented artists whose engaging works magically arouse very deep thought and emotions. An array of never before exhibited works will come to life and invite you to do some soul searching in a quest to unravel your true identity.
Sometimes we are convinced; we strongly believe we must know who we are, but do we really know our identity? Witness how artists like Stanley Dudu, who is popularly known for monochrome drawings, explores the infusion of colour or Obinna Makata and Promise O'nali who experiment with new styles in their works for the first time or how Erasmus Onyishi and Dada Adedayo with their outstanding sculptures unveil their own identities.
Well, it is not by accident these artists, whose works are internationally accepted, are coming together to exhibit their works. Identities as the theme of this exhibition implies, gives these artists room to showcase their individual amazing works, express themselves, their style and media.
This exhibition allows them to convey their experience, emotions and messages, which focus on various subject matters with different opinions. You could easily identify each artist by a mere glance at their work as they have created an identity for themselves, which is what this exhibition is about.
Some of the works which will be on display are: Dream Chaser Chronicles ll, Into Pythagoras Labyrinth, Transverse Section Through Dream and Noogenesis 5 by O'nali. Jennifer and Company, Looking up to the Glorious High, News on Transit and Blue Repose by Stanley Dudu.
Just as we enjoyed the experience of putting together this distinct and captivating ensemble of colourful artworks, we also invite you to join us on this never ending journey of self-discovery using breath taking art works as a medium.
A South Africa's Church has barred blacks from attending service as the church on Sunday disallowed two black journalists from entering.
The Afrikaanse Protestante Kerk church in Orania, told the journalists "the church is only for whites".
Orania is an Afrikaans-only South African town located along the banks of the Orange River, in the arid Karoo region of the Northern Cape Province.
The journalists were on an assignment and decided to attend a Sunday service before returning to Pretoria but they were intercepted by a church leader, identified as Mr. Theunis Oukamp, at the door.
According to Africa Review, Oukamp said allowing black people into an all-white church would be violating the "rights of Afrikaans people".
Afrikaanse Protestante Kerk church in Orania that bars blacks saying church is for whites only
"I am now in a difficult situation. You know that Orania is only for white people, this is why we are here.
"You must understand I know you want to serve God and everything but I have to protect the rights of Afrikaans people. So I cannot let you in, you guys can go to any other church, but this one is only for white people," Mr. Oukamp told the journalists.
Mr. Langton Ndlovu, a Christian, described the move as 'diabolical'.
"This is demonic, in this day and age, I never thought this was real. That's unacceptable. I wonder how they read the scripture that says "there is neither Greek nor Jew" but we're one in Christ," said Mr. Ndlovu.
The president of the South Africa Union Council of Independent Churches, Archbishop Modiri Patrick Shole, expressed shock that there was still segregation in the body of Christ, 23 years after apartheid ended.
"We don't discriminate in church because before God we are one – whether white or black. I find it weird that we still have discrimination in the church," he said.
Ebi Yeibo, a lecturer at the Department of English and Literary Studies, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, an indigene of Ayakoromo in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State and Ayamasa town in Bayelsa State, the author of Maiden Lines (1997), A song for Tomorrow (2003), The Forbiden Tongue (2007) and Shadows of the Setting Sun (2012), is a young man who inhales and exhales poetry anytime he is on the stern of any canoe on River Forcados paddling away – a man who seeks nothing from Literature but only poetry as he has poetically hollowed out five dug-out canoes just enumerated.
In his current collection of poems entitled The Fourth Masquerade, which is made up of 48 poems, Ebi Yeibo has amazingly deployed his age-long fluid canoe-carving skill and capability to hollow out canoes envisioned to awaken the Nigerian Federal Government and the multi-national oil companies to a looming Armageddon destined to become the 'Revelation' of Nigeria as a country. The 'The fourth masquerade' is the first canoe skillfully hollowed out by the carver Ebi Yeibo in this collection of poems.
The fourth masquerade, traditionally the last masquerade in a processional dance of masquerades, is always amazingly electrifying in its dance. The fourth masquerade, seen during the Ayakoromo Olorogun masquerade festival, runs after or pursues people frantically, though playfully, to strike. The origin of Olorogun is traced to Aye, a fisherman in whose net the fish is caught in Aghoro river and subsequently carved into a beautiful head-piece. The fourth masquerade is a masquerade that entertains and pursues runners to strike. The fourth masquerade often seeks runners to strike on Ologorun day during the season of masquerade festival in Ayakoromo. Characteristically the poet uses his pen to chart the way forward by saying that his lines are designed to awaken people to their responsibilities as:
'These lines are the owl
Hooting ominous messages
In choking pain
In pubescent twilight'
Reminding man
Of the burden of being –
To wake his blood and dust
In the scowling mist.
Reminding man
The loaded canoe
Sails near the shoreline
Raw palm fruit causes cough'
The poet seems poised to attack and bomb those who ignore their responsibilities by eating raw palm fruit. The loaded canoe symbolizes a boat loaded with weapons. However, as a wise man, the poet imagistically disguises his intention by communicating in ambiguous language because to him:
'The wise utters little
Sinking into the smokescreen
The unreachable depths
Of their homely skins …'
Clearly, bombs await those who ignore the didactic lines of this poet.
QUESTIONS HANG IN THE WIND
Life on earth, with all its burdens and challenges, is a place where man constantly seeks answers to impediments/problems. Though the poet satirically reveals that a change of family relationship could be the solution to life's problems when indeed life's problems originate from blood; only sincere attempts/hearts can remove man's burdens and entanglements because:
'And each step of penitence
Or rectitude or doxology
Springing from shallow depths
Only yield more questions
More complications,
More complications sweat,
Like an entangled gold fish
strangling in vain for freedom'
Only sincere approaches can guarantee disentanglement from man's daily burdens and hanging questions.
THE BURDEN OF BLOOD
This poem echoes exploitation and mismanagement of resources to the disadvantage of Niger Deltans who are the owners of the resources. The people privileged to manage resources exploit the owners in succession. Developmentally exploited and besieged by the government, the poet adopts a militant strategy to get rid of the endless burden of exploitation and oppression when he declares angrily:
'O give this burden a rightful name
Uproot its noxious suckers
With matching matchers and mattocks;
The Okra tree, however, tall,
Must bow to the whims
Of its indubitable owner
Along the corridors of the wind'
To the poet, develop the Niger Deltans or risk revolution.
THEY NEED NEW NAMES
(For El Rufai, nPDP & APC):
A portrait of the tragedy that comes upon PDP occasioned by the defection of its members to APC. The poet is skeptical about the change heralded by the defection; he holds the position that poetry should be consciously engaged to avoid any descent to the abyss:
'We must paddle this heaving catch
Past swollen waves of the sea
Past hounds and bulldogs
Prying eyes of devious saints
And their double-decked munificence'
In soft homely songs of the soul'.
Skeptically fearful of the heralded change, he calls on all to play roles to avoid a repeat of the past.
THEY NEED NEW NAMES I1
(For EL Rufai, nPDP & APC)
A portrait of total disgust for the new party formed out of PDP. The elements in APC have nothing to offer beyond sugar-coated preachment of functionless ideologies and sanctimonious derogation of PDP leaders. To the poet, the APC would disappear as soon as it has been used to achieve their notorious aim of self-enrichment. The red palm fruit would be discarded after it had been pecked to the shell. The poet sees nothing in the ability of APC to bring about progress as they are the same corruption-tainted elements out to hoodwink the masses.
'The bottom of this new name
Is in the enchanting melodies
Of the sunbird gleefully pecking
At red palm fruit
As if glued to the feast
In the forest of Amatebe'
Beyond the portrait of APC as fake elements of the supposed change, the poet shines his critical light on their corrupt nature when he says:
'So why do the new saviours
Point to the rainbow
In the not-too-distant sky
Forgetting yesterday, when they
Pocketed the communal pouch
Blinking none of the six senses
Without sweat or contrition
Surpassing the penchant of their forebears
In the acrobatic mould
Of a monkey diving at banana?'
APC is composed of elements that suck a nation dry without conscience.
RAGE IN THE DESERT:
(For Boko Haram)
Terrorists kill people mindlessly and sadistically anchored on the belief that such actions would quicken their passage to paradise. The terrorists are not appalled by their atrocities since they believe, though erroneously, that they are glorious acts in the sight of God. Beyond the sadism displayed by terrorists, the poet sees it as a product of power schemers. The scourge of the terrorists planted by power-schemers has not been degraded by Aso Rock as all their counter-efforts have done nothing to eradicate the carnage unleashed by the terrorists; so the 'moon' ominously continues her mating dance. To the poet, it is the wrong road cleared to power-seeking that perpetuates the carnage resulting from the terrorist thrusts. Terrorism would not have come at all but for the dirty route of power-seekers who see it as a route to power. The poet's voice sounds clear on this position when he says:
'O the detached logic
Of power schemers
Who see human breath
As a mere off-and-on switch
Like the cement code
Of coven kings
Takes over the cringing earth
Replacing tingling crops
With tripping tombstones'
To the poet, power-schemers are creators and profiteers of the carnage caused by terrorists in Nigeria.
WE HAWK HORRID MEMORIES
(For Boko Haram)
This is an impassioned call to put an end to all the stories of morbid achievements by the terrorists in their misguided rage; a call to an end to all stories of atrocities, miseries and tragedies of the victims of the terrorists. Let the focus centre on investigative moves geared towards eradicating the monster of this carnage. The poet calls for innovative strategies that would totally end the monster because half-hearted strategies would breed more monsters. No more glorification of the activities of Boko Haram just as there should be end to mourning of the atrocities, or stories of sympathies from statesmen and stupid active sages. The preoccupation should be on this:
'Let us probe the masked moon
That deceived the straying cockerel
Into the depths of night;
Disarm her grinning antics
Or fall into the trap –
Except we smash the head
The wriggle of the wounded cobra
Is a steady sauce for suspicion.'
The poet calls for a radical solution to the scourge of terrorism so the 'mocked Moon' chastening the straying cockerel could be unravelled and light released to the joy of humanity.
FACING THE FLAMES
(For Boko Haram and Sponsors)
There is destruction and carnage in the country caused by the terrorist activities of Boko Haram, and these atrocities are orchestrated by vindictive ideologically misguided human beings. The poet calls for a merciless crushing of these destructive elements by 'incensed green men'. Upon the atrocities unleashed on humanity, a corresponding karma will come upon the perpetrators. Specifically, the poet identifies someone who loses the vote of the people in the general election as the mastermind and sponsor of the Boko Haram. The so-called loser vents his anger vindictively on the masses by sponsorship of Boko Haram. The tag of vindictive sponsorship of the Boko Haram is reinforced by these lines.
'Seize the wind
With bombs and bullets
Bellowed the surly voice
In the background
Rejected in the general count
Like in the guard count
Like a spurned suitor
Igniting furnaces of mass murder-
Whetstone of another war
On the back of a sullen loss.'
Beyond identifying the mastermind of the natural blaze, the poet believes that the priest of Odele can extinguish the blazing fire. Odele is a famous god in Ayakoromo in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State that accepts live dogs as sacrificial appeasement whenever it is offended, or whenever petitions for action over particular matters are made to it. Confident in the power of Odele, the poet calls on the priest to wipe out the scourge of Boko Haram.
'Let the priest of Odele
Sanctify the surly horizon
Save this burning place
Of yet another black plot'
Embittered by the terrorist activities of Boko Haram, the poet is not bothered that the intervention of the priest of Odele would cause further atrocities of deaths provided the terrorists are degraded.
After his first successful exhibition at Omenka gallery in 2014, veteran artist cum art teacher, Adeola Balogun, last Saturday drew the creme de la creme in the art circle to the same gallery for another solo tagged Bubbles of Emotions, an exhibition of recent work.
Among those who attended were Prince Yemisi Shyllon, Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mr Kolade Osinowo, Prof Layiwola, etc. The exhibition opened on June 17 and will run till July 1, 2017.
For many of the art patrons/collectors who have been following the artist for years, the exhibition was another plus to the artist who is gradually becoming a master in his field.
Working in two broad representational styles; a calm realism and a more expressive abstract style, Balogun belongs to an exceptional generation of artists distinguished for embracing unconventional media and techniques, as well as their interrogation of the larger society.
In Bubbles of Emotions, Balogun presents a careful selection of 36 works predominantly sculpted in steel and incorporating mechanical parts, a departure from his preferred medium of Through the body of works, Balogun, who is known for his big sculptural pieces that adorn many schools and public spaces in Nigeria, takes a holistic look at the state of the nation's economy, looking at the past when things were relatively well, and now that things have fallen apart. Here, pigmented globular steel forms, similar to soapy bubbles and reflective of their environmental space are applied as metaphors to reflect myriads of challenges in our human narratives.
Some of the works displayed include Vestiges of the Past, God Dey Oh, and Elusive Bliss. Here, a lone skeleton sits with his right arm at akimbo and his face turned upwards. He seems to be reflecting on his indefinite problems born out of the current state of the Nigerian economy. Others include, Our Earth just a dot; Like attracts like; Precarious Journey, etc.
Speaking about the works, Dapo Adeniyi, publisher of Position magazine said, "Balogun delves into the streams of social satire infusing amusement, which is common to the bite of social sarcasm even as the cartoonist of the newspaper does."
Born in 1966 in Ogun State, Balogun holds an MFA from the University of Benin. He has been honoured severally with the award for Best Sculpture and Life Drawing Student, Yaba College of Technology (1993/94) and the award for Visual Experimentalist of the Decade, by the School of Art, Design and Printing Technology, Yaba College of Technology (2011).
Akwa United coach Abdu Maikaba has said that his team will treat their host with respect when they meet in a matchday 26 fixture despite their position on the NPFL log.
Musa Newman’s goal separated both teams when they met in the reverse fixture in February. The victory was Akwa United’s first win of the season, and the Uyo based side have since grown in confidence, picking good results home and away which has catapulted them to 4th position on the log.
Remo Stars on the other hand is witnessing the harsh reality that comes with rolling with the big boys as they occupy the last position on the log, flirting with relegation.
Speaking on his team’s preparation ahead of the Wednesday’s game, Coach Maikaba emphasized that they will approach the game with the desire to win.
“We are fully prepared for this match. We will go into the match with strong determination to win. The match will be tough because the first leg in Uyo was a very tough match”.
” Remo Stars may be bottom of the table, but their performance on the field of play does not really justify their position. We have thirteen matches to go and Remo Stars will want to fight till the end to avoid relegation. So we are not going to approach the match with the mentality that we are playing a bottom placed team, but with the mindset that we are facing a team who is on a mission”.
“As they are on a mission to survive relegation, we are equally on a mission to make it to the top. So we will be hoping to pick the maximum three points because at this stage, every single point is crucial for us”.
Coach Maikaba has selected a team of 18 fully fitted players for the battle of Shagamu.
The Promise Keepers will be motivated by their goal scoring prowess which has seen them scored 14 goals in eight matches while conceding only three.
Victory against Remo Stars on Wednesday will push the 2015 Federation Cup champions into the top three and also boosts their confidence as they continue their quest for a maiden league title.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has denied ever insulting the Igbo people as reflected in a tweet.
In the said hate tweet against Ndigbo which showed a verified handle, @HMKemiAdeosun, it wrote, “Ï’m happy that Igbos are gradually becoming insignificant in Nigeria financial system & before the End of 2023, igbos will be insignifican in South east & Nigeria in general.”
But the minister, through her own verified tweeter handle, @HMKemiAdeosun, that looks just the same with the fake one denied the tweet, saying there is a "fake Twitter post circulating in my name, suggesting that I said something derogatory about Igbos. Kindly disregard it.
"It's nothing but a shoddy attempt to photoshop a hateful statement onto my Twitter handle. I did not say or tweet any such thing. Thank you.''
Also on her Facebook page, she said: "It has come to my attention that there's a fake Twitter post circulating in my name, suggesting that I said something derogatory about Igbos. Kindly disregard it.
Alleged hate tweet from Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun
"It's nothing but a shoddy attempt to photoshop a hateful statement onto my Twitter handle. I did not say or tweet any such thing.
"Every part of Nigeria is important to our financial system and our Economy, and as a Government we will support ALL to achieve their full potential."
Meanwhile, some tweeter users have condemned the hate tweet in various tweets.
A user, @iamtenseven, in a tweet tagging @HMKemiAdeosun asked, “I thought your staff said you don’t have a twitter account? Is this Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s Finance minister or a parody account?
But the minister replied, “.@HMKemiAdeosun is the Hon. Minister’s genuine handle. The unauthorized account you’re referring to is @MrsKemiAdeosun, & it’s been shut down
Another user, @ChykeBaba, while equally tagging @HMKemiAdeosun, tweeted, “We were also told this was a parody account. What do we believe now?”
And the Finance Ministers verified hand, @HMKemiAdeosun, replied saying, “@HMKemiAdeosun is the Hon Minister’s genuine handle. The unauthorized account you’re referring to is @MrsKemiAdeosun, & it’s been shut down”
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