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
No fewer than 3,000 indigenes of Ika nation, Delta State, have benefited from a free medical programme organised by the Isioma Okobah Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, NGO.
The free rural health care programme, which took place at Igbodo, Ika North-East council of Delta State, drew participants from various communities including Ekwuoma, Umunede, Owa Alero, Emuhu, Abavo and Alisimie among others.
A team of medical personnel led by the resident doctor at the Stephen Okoh Community Health Centre built by the foundation, Dr. Ejindu Chukwuma, pharmacists and other health care givers attended to the large turnout of people for the programme.
Addressing the participants, Founder of the Foundation, Dr. Isioma Okobah, represented by Mr. Ujedibie Onyeka, said the mid-year health outreach was specially packaged to commemorate the second year anniversary of the Okowa administration, adding that the Foundation will not relent in contributing to the realisation of effective, quality and affordable healthcare programme.
Presidency has described as "touching and thoughtful," a message received from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) expressing joy at the news of President Muhammadu Buhari's recovery from illness.
In a statement in Abuja on Monday, Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, confirmed that the President received the goodwill message from CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle.
"The CAN President referred to the news of President Buhari's recovery from sickness as a 'rejuvenation of hope', and congratulated Nigerians on the joy of having their President back soon," he said.
Shehu added that such messages of goodwill from respected religious bodies like CAN meant so much at a time when people with ill intentions were struggling to divide the country along religious lines.
He also thanked the CAN for its continued prayers for the President's health.
"The Presidency looks forward to further collaborations with CAN to ensure that Nigerians of all ethnic and religious groups benefit from the policies of the President Buhari administration which are aimed at improving the welfare of every single citizen of our great country," he said.
The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has appointed Mr. Semiu Okanlawon as a Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, and Mr. Sola Fasure as Media Adviser.
Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, a former employee of the PUNCH Newspaper, was until his appointment, the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, and was the spokesperson of the governor.
Mr. Sola Fasure who was on the Editorial Board of The Nation newspaper, was in Charge of writing the Governor's speech before his new appointment.
Frontline contender in the November 18, 2017 Anambra governorship election, Chief Osita Chidoka, Monday, picked his nomination form to contest the election on the platform of the United Progressive Party (UPP).
The former Aviation Minister who was accompanied by a large crowd of political associates and supporters including women, youth and professional groups stormed the National Secretariat of the UPP in Abuja where he was received by the National Chairman, Chekwas Okorie and other top party functionaries.
Speaking after receiving the form from the National Chairman, Chief Chidoka said he is on a mission to "modernize governance in Anambra and institute a resourceful, creative and transparent government that restores equality and reintegrates the ordinary citizens of the state who have long been neglected into a functional democracy that work for everyone, ensuring that the masses are once again, the ultimate beneficiaries of government.
Chief Osita Chidoka picks UPP form for Anambra guber election
"Anambra people are desirous of a new beginning and the time is now. Our state with its exceptional human and natural resources needs a very creative and resourceful government to achieve its full potentials. What we have as governance today is a mere celebration of the ordinary.
"We want to move away from celebrating the ordinary to instituting a system that works for our people. We want to build a system that provides the opportunity for our innate capacity and potentials as a people, to be fully developed.
"Our model is one that makes sure that the individual is the center of all government policies and projects. We want a state that is transparent and all-inclusive with a government that ensures that every Anambra person is given the unhindered platform to excel in his chosen sphere of endeavor", he said.
Stating that he is ready for the polls, Chief Chidoka assured the public, that he has the proven capacity, experience and presence of mind to reposition Anambra state, while noting that his major backing is God, and the people of Anambra state who are set to demonstrate their support for him at the polls come November 18, 2017.
Chidoka said the UPP offers the people of Anambra the genuine platform to achieve their aspirations including restoring the Igbo voice in Nigeria, which is one of the major objectives if he is elected governor, adding that the UPP is also the ideal platform to achieve a nation that works for all and where no man is oppressed, irrespective of creed or ethnic affiliations.
Speaking at the event, the National Chairman Chief Chekwas Okorie said Chief Chidoka represents the ideals and manifesto of the UPP. He described Chidoka as the real tiger, the symbol of the party, adding that the party is set to win the November poll.
By Bashir Bello KATSINA – Three persons were reported to have been arrested by the men of the Katsina Police Command in connection with killing of two custom officers in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gambo Isah who disclosed the arrest also confirmed that a Deputy Commissioner of Police have been deployed to Daura zone over the development.
The two custom officers were reportedly shot dead by unidentified gunmen late hours of Sunday night while on patrol duty in Dogon Hawa, Shargele in Dutsi local government area and along Daura – Katsina road.
DSP Isah said the police on top of the situation as investigation are on to fish out the perpetrators of the evil act.
He said a police patrol was mobilised to the scene were three motorcycles and a military belt were recovered from the suspects.
The Custom officers killed were identified as ASC Babandi Nurudeen and CSC Maidamma Yabo.
The majority of relief organisations carrying out private rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea have refused to sign on to a code of conduct.
This development came after a meeting with Italian government officials in Rome on Monday.
"Doctors without Borders did not sign the document,'' Gabriele Eminente, director-general of the organisation's Italy office, said.
The German organisation Jugend Rettet also refused to agree to the conditions put forward at the talks held in Italy's Interior Ministry.
The Italian government by creating a code of conduct had hoped to tighten regulation of rescue operations for migrants in distress at sea.
However, organisation members stated that the process had made them feel criminalised.
Much of the migrant rescues that take place in the Mediterranean are currently conducted by NGOs, particularly Doctors without Borders, which operates a large ship.
Already this year, around 2,400 migrants have died while attempting to cross the perilous sea route to Europe. The vast majority of arrivals are in Italy.
The most contentious points in the proposed code were the provisions that armed police officers being allowed to travel on the boats, and that transfers from smaller rescue boats to larger ones be made more difficult.
Recently, NGOs have been in negotiations with the Italian government about the controversial code.
Report said the deadline for signatures has however expired.
Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North) has condoled with Zamfara Government over the recent death of the Emir of Tsafe, Alhaji Habibu Alliyu.
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Bashir Rabe and issued to newsmen in Sokoto, on Monday, Wamakko condoled with the deceased family and the entire people of Zamfara.
He described the death of the Emir as one that touched all, saying the deceased meritoriously occupied the throne for 26 years.
Wamakko, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, said the monarch's demise was a great loss not only to his family, Zamfara State, but the entire country.
He prayed Allah to grant the family, people and government of the state, the fortitude to bear "the irreparable loss."
The Senator had also visited Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, who thanked him for the visit.
Wamakko urged the family, people and Government of Zamfara to be consoled by the lasting legacies of honesty and piety left by the late monarch.
He congratulated the newly appointed Emir, Alhaji Muhammad Bawa and admonished him to carry everybody along.
Bawa lauded Wamakko for the gesture and promised to be a father to all the family members, people of the Emirate and the entire state.
Responding, on behalf of the family, the Wazirin Tsafe, Alhaji Haruna Sallau, commended Wamakko for the visit.
Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has called for the development of the agricultural sector as a way out of the recession.
Speaking to journalists at the weekend in Abuja after delivering the keynote address at the unveiling of the International Cathedral of Elohim Christian International Centre, Governor Okowa stated that Nigeria needs to provide the enabling environment for agriculture to thrive as it holds the key to pulling the nation out of recession.
"we need to provide an enabling environment for agriculture to thrive and for industries to thrive and I believe that, that is where Nigeria will grow and succeed. The oil economy itself does not truly impact very strongly on the average Nigerian because though you make money out of it, it is an economy that does not create a lot of jobs", he said.
"Over the years we have continued to rely on the oil economy and that is not good enough, oil is supposed to be a blessing to our country, apparently when it was discovered, we forgot about agriculture and we did not think about our tomorrow, oil prices are things one cannot guarantee but I believe that whatever is going on in Nigeria today is a lesson to all, not just leaders but all nigerians, that we need to redirect our efforts, we need to diversify our economy", Senator Okowa added.
The governor stated that the oil production has continue to improve and enjoined all stakeholders to support and sustain the existing peace and security in the Niger Delta region for development to thrive.
He called for prayers and support for leaders and for the unity and development of the country.
Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere has commended Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and his counterparts in the South West Geopolitical Zone for taking far reaching decisions targeted at promoting commonality for the region.
Ambode
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the Group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the Group commended Governor Ambode, saying that it was during his administration that Lagos State keyed into Oodua Investment to cement the oneness of the Yoruba nation.
"It is gratifying to note the sense of history of the Governor (Ambode) in remembering the role the Western Regional Government under Awolowo played in the development of the entire West when Cocoa was our mainstay by committing to use the economic strength of Lagos to rob positively on other states in Yorubaland.
"Ambode has on behalf of Lagos State, pledged to invest billions of naira to acquire vast acres of land in the hinterland states of Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun for modern, technologically driven farming. Both raw and processed products from such farms would be brought back to Lagos for effective sales, given its remarkable and huge market potential of the State.
"This is quite commendable and realizable within effective partnership with his brother governors so our states can benefit from one another by creating jobs and providing food security," the Group said.
Afenifere also lauded the move by the Governors to convene a regional agric summit in Ibadan aimed at improving food security of the region and also the establishment of a Western Nigeria Export Development Initiative (WENEDI) to drive the export potentials of the region.
"It is equally salutary that the Governors agreed that the artificial boundaries of states, religions, political affiliations, among others, would not be a barrier to regional development and urged all the states to be encouraged to significantly improve bilateral and multilateral co-operation to foster regional development.
"We are happy that they have affirmed commitment to the development of our people to override petty party differences .It is not an accident that the Yoruba call party “Pati”(set aside).We must set aside things that divide as we search for verb for our noun in the syntax of national experience.
"We urge them to match these words with action in order to ensure that the Yoruba nation is restored to the right path of giant developmental strides which the years of unitary rule have derailed us from. It's time to resume our march of history," Afenifere said.
The Group also urged Yoruba people to key into these strategic goals of the Governors "by breaking all mental and artificial barriers that have hitherto been created among a people United by history, culture and the quest for development.
"These are the imperatives of our quest for autonomy within Nigeria via restructuring of the country to have a proper federation as obtained in the federal constitution negotiated by our founding fathers at Independence."
BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME PORT HARCOURT – RIVERS state governor, Nyesom Wike has again accused his predecessor , the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi of allegedly blackmailing the Supreme court justices because his appeal against the Judgement of the Appeal court on the Rivers state judicial commission of inquiry was before the apex court. Wike and Amaechi Wike spoke Monday at the 106 quarterly meeting of Rivers state council of Traditional rulers in Port Harcourt, said that the state government had enough evidence to nail Amaechi over corruption allegations against him.
The governor alleged that the former governor of the state, Amaechi had openly admitted in public to releasing funds for construction of Justice Karibi whyte hospital, which he said was non existent, adding that he also admitted to sale of some valuable assets of the state.
The governor who dismissed allegations of forged documents against him said the records of these transactions, bank details were there for all to see.
Governor Wike said: “All the documents that proved Amaechi’s … acts are authentic. We never forged documents. The former governor himself admitted that he paid out $39million to Clinotech , without a single block laid anywhere. Is that a document he claims was forged. Where is the Hospital ?
“He has agreed in different interviews that he sold the state gas turbines for $309million. Convert $309million United States dollars to naira and you will understand the level of …. Amaechi left only $204,000 in the state account.
“The bank statements of the pattern of withdrawals from that account are there for all to see. Can that be forged. The dates and amounts withdrawn are clearly written”.
“There is no time that he loses a case without blackmailing the Judiciary. He feels that the only way he can do it is to blackmail the Supreme Court. You cannot play politics with everything “.
The governor also warned owners of hotel not to allow their property to be used for election manipulation, saying the government would not hesitate to withdraw the certificate of occupancy of such places.
He said: “Any hotel that is used to rig elections, that hotel’s certificate of occupancy will be withdrawn. I will not allowed that anymore “. Hide original message
The Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, said proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution dropped by the National Assembly may be adopted in a review of the exercise.
He said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Uche Anichukwu, that the rejection of the proposals was not "the end of the road'' for them since constitution amendment was a continuum.
The statement said that Ekweremadu spoke at a consultative meeting on South-East Infrastructure Development with a delegation of Partnership to Engage, Reform, and Learn (PERL) and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID).
The deputy president of the senate, who chairs the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the Constitution, said that consultation as well as understanding of the issues involved in the constitution amendment was needed.
"We commend our colleagues for their understanding and ensuring that about 95 per cent of the amendments we proposed to them scaled through.
"We are also conscious of the fact that Nigerians are worried about some of the recommendations that did not pass.
"Let me use this opportunity to further appreciate and reassure Nigerians that we are sensitive to their feelings and that we are likely to re-visit some of the issues they are concerned about when we return from our vacation.
"Some of the issues did not scale through because there is need for fuller understanding as well as more consultations and consensus building on them and their implications for our people," he said.
Ekweremadu reiterated that devolution of more powers to the federating units would quicken infrastructural development in the country.
He added that, "no doubt, your studies on South-East were right because the region is indeed highly challenged.
"This is especially in the areas of transport infrastructure such as roads, railway and seaport. We are also challenged in the area of power.
"That is why we in the Committee on Constitution Review believe we mean well when we talk about things like devolution of power.
"Our view is that some of these things should be moved from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List so that while the Federal Government is making efforts, the states too will be making efforts individually, in clusters or partnership with one another.
"That was why we took things like power to the Concurrent List so that states can generate, transmit and distribute power.
"The same goes for railway, which is still the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government.
"That way, Nigeria can effectively speed up socio-economic development in all parts of the country.''
He added that unfortunately, some of the issues were misunderstood, but that their rejection had not foreclosed their acceptance or approval before the exercise was finally concluded.
"We believe that with more engagements, the issues will be better appreciated and we are positive about more favourable dispositions when we revisit them.
"As leaders, we all have our eyes on the future and are committed to building a better Nigeria for posterity." Ekweremadu added.
Earlier in her remarks, Team Leader of PERL, Dr Adiya Ode, had commended the National Assembly for voting in favour of autonomy for local governments and states' Houses of Assembly.
She called for greater support for gender mainstreaming and other amendments that would speed up national development.
Ode said that PERL and DFID were currently working to address infrastructural deficits that impeded the business environment in the South-East.
She sought Ekweremadu's support toward convening meeting of political leaders of the South-East to discuss issues that would aid the development of the nation.
Trade union members at the Bank of England, Britain's central bank, will go ahead with the first strike action by staff for over 50 years on Tuesday, the Unite union said on Monday.
Last-minute talks facilitated by a government-run arbitrator failed to resolve the pay dispute with the bank,'' the union said after it agreed to delay start of strike action "in a gesture of goodwill", the union said.
Some 95 per cent of staff in maintenance, security and other service roles voted earlier this month for four days of strike action from Monday over a long-running pay dispute.
"The strike will now take place from Tuesday to Thursday.
"Unite members are calling on the Bank of England to give staff fair pay following the imposition of a derisory pay settlement without negotiating with recognised union Unite,'' the union said.
It said that the dispute was caused by the bank's imposition of a 1 per cent increase on its total wage bill for the current financial year, while it leaves rises for individual staff at the discretion of line managers.
However, the bank made no immediate comment on the planned strike.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, Monday, unveiled twenty urban security vehicles for surveillance in the Owerri municipality.
Center, Chief of staff, Imo state government House, Uche Nwosu, from left, 5th position, Imo state commissioner of Police ,Mr Chris Ezike, and other senior police officers, during the unveiling of urban security vehicles in Owerri, Photos by Chinonso Alozie.
The unveiling ceremony took place at the police headquarters command in Owerri.
Okorocha who was represented by his Chief of staff, Mr. Uche Nwosu, said that the vehicles were meant to police only the capital city.
Nwosu briefly said: “What I have seen today, there is no doubt that Imo is coming first in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the area of security.
“I also want to say that, one thing is to release the money and another thing is to utilize the money effectively for the purpose which it was given.
“This is called city police and they are meant to serve only for the capital city and make sure that the police get rid off criminal activities in Owerri.”
In his remark, the Imo state commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, said that the vehicles had been commissioned earlier by Inspector General of police, Idris Ibrahim, and that it has officially kicked off.
Ezike said: “The IG had commissioned the vehicles but the delay was because we have to train our men in different skills including human rights issues. We know that security is both physical and psychological. And we have concluded and operation has started.
“We want to say thank you to the Imo state government, for donating these vehicles to assist us fight crimes.
“We will place the vehicles and our men at different locations, some of which will be at streets and junctions and others for monitoring and evaluation. We will also step up motorcycle brigade to move round in the streets even when there is traffic.”
Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has promised adequate incentive support to the 18-billion dollar Dangote refinery to fast track its completion in Lagos.
Kachikwu gave the assurance during a facility tour of the refinery on Monday in Lagos.
Dangote refinery is situated at Lekki Free Trade Zone in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.
According to him, the Federal Government will support it through policies that will liberalise the market.
He urged Dangote to speed up completion of the refinery to come on stream before 2019, to promote affective downstream sector.
He charged the management of the company to involve tertiary institutions in its operations, to build capacity among students studying oil and gas related courses to have some experience on refinery operations.
The minister said in spite of the private sector's intervention and investment in the oil and gas sector, government still had a lot of role to play in terms of setting the right policies for a robust and investment friendly atmosphere.
''For the fact that the private sector is taking up some interventionist role, does not mean government will fold its hands.
"We will still have to continue to churn out policies that will help stimulate growth in the sector.
"For instance, we have to ensure that the right tariffs are set for those laying gas pipelines and other assets," he said.
Kachikwu commended Dangote for the project, while assuring of total support in promoting the success of the project.
" This refinery is indeed a massive and gigantic project which needs to be supported by government and investors.
" Government will support to incentify policies that will promote and attract investors to the refinery.
"I will tell my colleagues all over the world about Dangote refinery and the investment capacity," he said.
Kachikwu, however, commended the management for ways local communities were engaged and carried along.
He urged other companies to emulate the company.
Alhaji Aliko Dangote said that the Dangote Refinery would save the country over 7.5 billion dollars annually through import substitution.
According to him, the project will add value to the economy as all the projects will be creating about 4,000 direct and 145,000 indirect jobs.
The Dangote boss lauded the resolve of the minister for his efforts towards ensuring availability of petroleum products and championing a comprehensive overhaul of the energy sector in Nigeria.
He said that Dangote was committed to playing its part in the efforts of the minister and the Federal Government to comprehensively address the energy crisis in the country.
''As you are aware, we are currently building the world's largest single line Refinery, Petrochemical Complex and the world's second largest Urea Fertiliser plant.
" The refinery will have the capacity to refine 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day while the petrochemical plant will produce 780 KTPA Polypropylene, 500 KTPA of Polyethylene while the fertiliser project will produce 3.0 million metric tonnes per annum of Urea."
Dangote said that the company would also build the largest sub-sea pipeline infrastructure in any country in the world, with a length of 1,100km, to handle three billion SCF of gas per day.
According to him, Dangote also plans to construct a 570 MW power plant in the complex.
"Gas from its pipeline will augment the natural domestic gas supply with an additional 12,000MW of power generation added to the grid from its gas system.
ABUJA- Financial experts under the Society for Forensic Accounting and Fraud Prevention, SFAFP, at the weekend, hailed the Senate over passing of the Financial Intelligence Bill.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees, SFAFP, Prof Benjamin Osisioma, made the commendation at the maiden graduation of 28 new members and second batch induction of 58 associates of the society, at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Academy, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Osisioma who described the graduation as historic said the new bill seeking to separate the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will save the country if President Muhammadu Buhari assents to the Bill and from being expelled permanently by the EGMONT Group, a network of international Financial Intelligence Unit with 154 member countries, which has suspended Nigeria as its member over the non-establishment of the NFIA as a unit standing autonomously.
According the Professor of Accounting, University of Azikiwe, Awka, the bill passed by the Senate was step in the right direction that would meet global best practices in fighting and prevention of corruption and other financial crimes in the country, would also boost its image.
Osisioma said: "The EFCC is facing some global challenges. The Financial intelligence wing is supposed to be an independent body operating separately.
"In as much as EFCC has tried to give it some autonomy to enable it to operate, but now, unless this particular trend is undertaken, we are going to be deregistered by the relevant authorities. So, it is like trying to protect our interest globally. It is not a bad decision."
"What we are doing here too is to strengthen the financial intelligence agency, strengthen the EFCC, strengthen the ICPC and strengthen every accounting organisation that is really interested in fighting corruption.
"We want to give teeth to the fight against corruption and the only way we can do it is to train forensic accountant. Even after documents are burnt, forensic accountant can retrieve information from them. Every crime has a trial and the forensic accountant is trained to follow the trial.
Meanwhile, he said potentials of forensic accountants should be tapped, because of the intensive training they were made to undergo, which included mock court session on financial cases, which focused on how to bring the evidence together and convict criminals.
"We are helping to make sure that corruption does not kill Nigeria. We want to ensure that people stop embezzlement of public funds because if they do, forensic accountants will catch them. After documents are burnt or destroyed forensic accountant can retrieve such data, as every crime has a trail, the forensic accountants is trained to follow that trail and help to nail the culprit.
"The problem with the new scheme of fighting corruption is that those who profited under the old scheme will not allow it to work. Those who will benefit from the new scheme are lukewarm in their support", he said.
In his speech the Executive Secretary, SFAFP, Dr Abuchi Ogbuju, stated that the training done on how to prevent fraud and other financial crimes in the country.
"What we did was to train out the vanguard. These are the main people we will use to do the work out there. They have been trained on how to defend their financial investigations and present them in court without any lapse along the line.
"They have been trained in the arts and science of accounting. Our target is to gear them towards prevention of fraud which is a better approach than fighting fraud. There is need for concerted efforts to kill corruption in Nigeria and we have brazen up to tackle this menace", Ogbuju said.
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Chief Olabode George, on Monday said he had received the key to the sealed secretariat of the party in the state.
George spoke with newsmen in Ikeja after emerging from a meeting at the office of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni.
The police had sealed the secretariat on Thursday as a result of crisis over who controlled the secretariat after the Supreme Court judgement affirming the leadership of Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee.
George and a factional Chairman, Mr Moshood Salvador, are staunch supporters of Makarfi, while another factional chairman, Mr Segun Adewale had been occupying the secretariat before the apex court sacked Ali Modu Sheriff, to whom he was aligned.
Adewale had, however, on Saturday, said that the National Caretaker Committee of PDP had ordered that the state secretariat should be handed over to Chief Bode George and other members of the party's BoT in Lagos.
He said that the order was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary, National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ben Obi, and addressed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni.
George told newsmen in Ikeja on Monday that the police complied with the request by the national secretariat of the party to give the key to him.
Brandishing the letter containing the request before newsmen, the party chieftain said the request was sequel to the court judgement in favour of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee.
He said the sacking of Ali Modu Sheriff meant that PDP was now one in the country under Makarfi.
George said Salvador was the chairman of the state as endorsed by the party 's National Executive Council meeting and the occupation of the secretariat by any other factional executive was illegal.
He said the leadership of Salvador in the state was very clear, as the party's NEC did not include Lagos as one of the states with leadership issues.
The party chieftain dismissed beliefs in some quarters that there was crisis in the party, saying the party only had frictions, which would be resolved.
George said he would hand over the keys to the right party members who would hold party activities there.
"Let me assure all our people in Lagos that there is peace in the state's chapter of the party.
"I have collected the key to the secretariat from the CP in the presence of Mrs Aduke Maina, a member of the Party 's Board of Trustees, and I will hand it over to my people.
"The secretariat will be open to all members. The notion that there is crisis in the state's chapter is not true. Yes, there are frictions, but the national secretariat is alive; they moderate all our activities, "he said.
There was however a mild drama when Maina interrupted George, telling him to recognise that there were two factions in the state's chapter.
She said it would not be fair for George to hand over the key to a particular group, suggesting the other faction should also be given access to the secretariat.
"Let me cut in here. The people here are not the only party members, there are still several other ones not here.
"So you cannot hand over the keys to only the people here. There is the other other group.
"We cannot shy away that there are no factions. There are factions. And others are PDP members too.
"If we want peace to reign, we should allow the other faction to hold meeting there too; it could be at different times," she said and walked away to her car.
George, however faulted Maina's suggestion, saying it would encourage division in the state chapter.
He said the apex court judgement already neutralised the debate of factions and saying different groups could hold meetings at the secretariat reeked of division.
The party chieftain emphasised that the era of violence and impunity was over in the state's chapter and urged all members to keep the peace.
He warned that those who might want to threaten peace at the secretariat should be ready to face the law.
Also, speaking, Salvador said he was the chairman of the legally constituted party executive in the state.
He said he was duly elected as chairman at the party's congress and that any other executive was illegal.
"I was duly elected at the party's congress. And you journalists were there, isn't it?
"Did you witness any other congress where another person was elected?
"So, I am the chairman and I have always been recognised up to the national level of the party," he said.
When asked if he would extend olive branch to Adewale, Salvador was not direct in his reply.
He said every member of the party would be accommodated in the reconciliation process, so far they were PDP members.
"Everyone will be accommodated. That I can assure you," he said.
The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 23 persons were killed and five others missing in Gombe flood disaster between June and July.
Malam Mohammed Garba, Acting Head of Rescue and Rehabilitation of the agency made the disclosure to journalists in Gombe on Monday.
He said six persons died at Dadinkowa in Yamaltu-Deba flood on June 6; 16 died on July 1 and July 25 in Gombe town.
Garba said that 21 houses were also destroyed by the flood while 101 houses were home to floods in three communities in the state.
He said that the flood also washed away a total of 119 farmlands at Jauro Baba, Jauro Mai and Jauro Saini communities at Kamo Ward in Kaltungo Local Government of the state
Garba said other property affected included 450 bags of grains washed away in Dadin kowa Village and 11 bags of fertiliser in Kaltungo Local Government.
The acting head of rescue and rehabilitation said unquantifiable food items, household wares and domestic animals were also affected across four communities during the flooding.
Garba added that arrangements were in place by the state government to provide relief materials to the affected communities and households.
He advised the communities to desist from building or dumping refuse on waterways or indulging in any other practices that might affect the free flow of water.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun said two persons died while four were injured in an accident on the Sagamu-Benin expressway on Monday.
The Ijebu-Ode Unit Commander of the FRSC, Mr Richard Adetoro, speaking with newsmen blamed the crash on impatience on the side of the driver.
Adetoro said that a Toyota Hiace bus registered as ENU 727 XN coming from Lagos and heading to the East rammed into a moving Mercedes Benz 114 truck, registered; Lagos MUS 727 XN.
The crash, which he said was due to over speeding, resulted into the death of the two persons while four sustained injuries.
''For reasons best known to the commercial bus driver, he violated road traffic regulations by leaving his side of the road to face incoming traffic.
''He was speeding and crashed headlong with the truck around the J3 area leaving two dead and four injured.
''Of the 15 passengers, only three were lucky to escape unhurt. The remains of the dead have been deposited at the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital.
''The injured passengers have been taken to a private hospital for treatment and the wreckages of the crash have been towed to the Ogbere Police Station to free vehicular movement," Adetoro said.
The FRSC Assistant Corps Commander advised motorists to always maintain discipline on the road irrespective of circumstances.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, on Monday assured the NNPC that it would not abandon the search for commercial hydrocarbon deposits in the Chad basin in spite of the recent insurgent attack on lecturers of the university.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some members of staff of the NNPC, five lecturers of the university, soldiers and civilian members of the JTF were attacked by Boko Haram insurgents on July 25.
The group was on explorative mission to the Chad basin in Borno to search for hydrocarbon deposits.
A number of soldiers and others were killed while the lecturers were abducted by Boko Haram.
A statement on Monday said Njodi gave the assurance in Maiduguri when receiving a delegation from the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the NNPC.
The statement was signed by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC's Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division.
According to it, Njodi said that the entire university community was distraught by the cruel incident of July 25.
"The university will not "chicken out'' from doing what it is supposed to do when the NNPC re-organises and returns to exploration work in the area,'' the statement quotes the VC as saying.
He described the attack on the Frontier Exploration Services/Surface Geochemistry Sampling team –made up of consultants from the university, NNPC staff, soldiers and civilian escort team — as an act of God.
According to him, the situation, painful as it might appear, must be seen as a necessary sacrifice for the development of the country.
Njodi called on the NNPC to stand firm with the university and the families of the bereaved by providing the needed support to overcome the massive setback caused by the insurgent attack.
Earlier, Mr Saidu Mohammed, NNPC's Chief Operating Officer in charge of gas and power unit, said NNPC would do everything possible to support the university and the families of the victims of the attack.
"We have been great partners with the University of Maiduguri for many years and certainly when losses like this happen and under this circumstance, we cannot abandon our partners to their fate,'' Mohammed said.
He promised to return to the university after conferring with the minister of state for petroleum resources and the group managing director of the NNPC.
The NNPC delegation also paid a visit to the state government, where the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Durkwa, also urged the corporation not to allow the attack to discourage the search for new oil fields in the region.
Also, Brig.-Gen. Stevenson Olabanji, who represented the theatre commander of Operation Lafia Dole, received the formal condolence letter from the minister.
Olabanji restated the readiness of the military to perform its statutory role of providing security cover for exploration activities in the Chad Basin and beyond.
Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, upon return of the delegation, announced some short term palliatives for victims of the attacks.
Malawi police on Monday issued an arrest warrant for former president Joyce Banda in connection with the country’s “Cashgate” corruption scandal, which involved large-scale looting of government coffers. Joyce Banda “Malawi fiscal and fraud police have unearthed credible evidence which raises reasonable suspicion that the former president committed offences relating to abuse of office and money laundering,” national police spokesman James Kadadzera told AFP.
Banda has been living in self-imposed exile since she lost to President Peter Mutharika in the 2014 election.
Kadadzera said Banda is ” suspected of abusing her office” in the Cashgate scandal.
He said the warrant of arrest came into “force” from Monday.
Cashgate is the biggest financial scandal in Malawi’s history and helped push Banda out of power in 2014.
That came after she ordered an audit the previous year which discovered that $30 million had been looted by officials in less than six months in 2013.
Dozens of civil servants, business people and politicians have since been implicated in the scam, and some have been jailed.
International donors pulled the plug on aid of around $150 million over the scandal.
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