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
Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West has said that he has chosen to speak the truth and die.
Senator Dino Melaye was today cleared by the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Professor Ibrahim Garba who told the Senate that the Senator graduated from the institution in 2000 with a third class degree in Bachelor of Arts( Honours) in Geography. Dino Melaye Certificate Saga: Senator Dino Melaye presenting NYSC Certificate and other document before Senate Committee on Ethics on allegation of Fake Certificate by Senator Dino Melaye during a Public Hearing at National Assembly Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan .
Dino Melaye in a video said that he has chosen to speak the truth and die.
He went further to say in Yoruba language that anyone who is not up the anything who waylaid another will be beaten to a pulp.
British police said Monday they had found no link between the man behind last week’s terror attack outside the British parliament and the Islamic State group, which had claimed him as one of its “soldiers”.Police secure a cordon blocking access to the Houses of Parliament in central London March 23, 2017 the day after the March 22 terror attack. Britain’s parliament reopened on Thursday with a minute’s silence in a gesture of defiance a day after an attacker sowed terror in the heart of Westminster, killing three people before being shot dead. Sombre-looking lawmakers in a packed House of Commons chamber bowed their heads and police officers also marked the silence standing outside the headquarters of London’s Metropolitan Police nearby. / AFP PHOTO
The statement came as 52-year-old Muslim convert Khalid Masood’s mother spoke out for the first time, saying she was “deeply shocked, saddened and numbed, and relatives of the US victim voiced their grief.
“Whilst I have found no evidence of an association with IS or AQ (Al-Qaeda), there is clearly an interest in Jihad,” Neil Basu, deputy assistant police commissioner, said in a statement.
Masood was shot dead after ploughing through a crowd of pedestrians and fatally stabbing a policeman just inside the gates of the British parliament in a frenzied attack lasting just 82 seconds on Wednesday.
Four people were killed and dozens more injured.
Basu said Masood’s low-tech methods appeared to be “copied from other attacks and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others”.
He also said there was “no evidence that Masood, who was born as Adrian Elms, was radicalised in prison in 2003” as suggested in some media reports.
Basu said he changed his name to Masood in 2005.
Masood served two stints in prison for a knife attack in 2000 and again for knife possession in 2003.
“His last criminal offence was in 2003 and he was not a current subject of interest or part of the current domestic or international threat picture,” Basu said.
The police commander said Masood’s communications on the day of the attack were “a main line of inquiry” and he asked for anyone who had heard from him to come forward so as to establish “his state of mind”.
The government has confirmed that Masood used the WhatsApp messaging service shortly before the attack, saying it was crucial that the security services be allowed to access the heavily encrypted app.
Twelve people have been arrested since the attack and two men remain in custody after nine were released without charge and one woman was let out on bail.
– ‘Do not condone’ –
Masood’s mother Janet Ajao also on Monday released a statement saying: “Since discovering that it was my son that was responsible I have shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident”.
“I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity”.
The family of US tourist Kurt Cochran, who was one of the victims of the attack, spoke on Monday of a “humbling and difficult experience”.
Cochran and his wife Melissa were in London to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary — their frist trip out of the United States.
She is still recovering from a broken leg, a broken rib and a cut to the head sustained in the attack.
In the first public statement by a victim’s family since the attack, her brother Kurt Payne thanked the emergency services and members of the public for “the outpouring of love and generosity”.
“The most difficult part of all of this is that Kurt is no longer with us, and we miss him terribly,” he said.
“He was an amazing individual who loved everyone and tried to make the world a better place.”
US President Donald Trump announced Cochran’s death last Thursday, calling him “a great American” in a tweet.
THE cumulative effect of all these atrocities is that everywhere today there is anger. Ideology, vision, competence, genuine love for country and people, as well as humanism; not even age, gender, tribe or religion, is what determines good leadership, and promotes development.
Instead of everyone pleading to the Igbos to kindly come and show if there is a difference they could make in economic management and restoration of individual wellbeing and national pride, all we hear is that Igbos would be lucky if they are president in two hundred years.
In other words, Nigerians will be lucky if anything good happens to them in the next two hundred years! As a reminder, three Igbos had been at the apex of leadership in this country, whether ceremonial or executive. They were Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Nwafor-Orizu, and General Aguiyi-Ironsi. As imperfect as they were, one thread ran across their blood: they all were in office by competitive merit. They stole not a single kobo from the national treasury, and shed not a single drop of any Nigerian blood!
Above all else, they conceded not a single inch of Nigerian territory to any outside power, for any reason, nor tolerated any treaty to reverse or dilute Nigerian independence. Even Isaac Adaka Boro was there for Ironsi to execute on treason charges to exhibit his power, but he wouldn't!
There are still many Igbos retaining the basic Igbo character, without this being a claim to perfection, but certainly a claim to something worth thinking over, and the possibility that there is a distinct value that a true Igbo man can bring into a just, peaceful and fair Nigeria.
The third group of Igbos is the confused and carefree. Some of them include Igbo masses, the lumpenproletariat, petty traders, farmers, villagers and others, trying, but barely able to make ends meet. Engrossed in the basic survivalism of the nuclear and extended family, they hardly have time or capacity for such "complicated" analysis as the national question, federal and states budgets, military recruitments, postings and promotions, ministerial distributions, and the rest.
They know that part of the reason they are suffering is that they are Igbos, and rightly blame it on the federal authorities and corrupt Igbos in government. But, that is where it ends; no solutions are thought of and none seems possible. They are a good recruiting ground for the peaceful pro-Biafra mass protests all over the East, that being the only glimmer of hope in the sky, and avenue for political relevance.
To be continued
Prof. Obasi Igwe teaches Political Science at University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Manchester City have been fined £35,000 ($44,000, 40,000 euros) by the Football Association for a failure to control their players against Liverpool earlier this month.Manchester City’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus (R) celebrates with Manchester City’s Argentinian defender Pablo Zabaleta after scoring their late winning goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Swansea City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 5, 2017. Manchester City won the game 2-1. / AFP PHOTO
City pleaded guilty to a misconduct charge last week after several players were seen protesting against the award of a penalty to Liverpool in a Premier League match at Eastlands on March 19.
They continued to complain even after James Milner had scored from the spot to give visitors Liverpool the lead in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
“Following an independent regulatory commission hearing, Manchester City have been fined £35,000 after the club admitted an FA misconduct charge,” said a statement issued by the FA, English football’s governing body, on Monday.
“City breached FA Rule E20(a) in that in or around the 50th minute of the game against Liverpool on 19 March 2017, the club failed to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.”
Mr Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says the establishment of an efficient railway system will expand commercial activities and boost the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Okhiria made the remark in Umuahia on Monday when senior officials of NRC and a team of railway system consultants had a meeting with Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
He also said that a good rail transport system had essential role to play in Nigeria, because it would serve as a catalyst for nation building.
A moving train
According to him, the Federal Government is rehabilitating the old rail lines as well as constructing modern ones with higher speed and 14.35mm standard gauge track system.
"Presently, we run train twice a day from Port Harcourt to Aba and once a week from Port Harcourt -Aba-Umuahia-Enugu-Markudi-Kafachan-Kano.
"We are looking forward to when NRC will run trains through the length and breadth of Abia," he said.
Okhiria, who noted that rail transportation was cheaper, safer and faster with the capacity to spur the development of the mining sector, assured the state that of NRC's supports in its rail programme.
"We are ready to support Abia rail programme to ensure that it becomes a reality."
Also, Mr Jetson Nwankwo, a Railway System Consultant, said that the rail system would provide unparalleled reliability in mass delivery of goods and an environment-friendly means of transportation.
"The rail system is not here to compete with other means of transport.It is here to complement and its benefits are endless," Nwankwo said.
Responding, Gov. Ikpeazu said that the state government was determined to improve Abia's transport sector, adding that it had evolved programmes for developing a functional railway infrastructure.
Ikpeazu also said that the state government had set up a committee to ensure that Abia railway project was realised, adding that the desired to be part of the Federal Government's railway programme.
A rejuvenated France will take on Spain in a “glamour” friendly on Tuesday as coach Didier Deschamps looks to rotate his squad in a bid to extend a seven-match unbeaten streak.
Fresh from a 3-1 victory over Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier at the weekend, the Euro 2016 runners-up will line up against a Spanish side that has dipped since winning the treble of two Euros (2008, 2012) and the 2010 World Cup, but remains strong on paper.France’s coach Didier Deschamps (L) celebrates with France’s defender Bacary Sagna (R) after winning the Euro 2016 round of 16 football match between France and Republic of Ireland at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on June 26, 2016. / AFP
“It’s a glamour fixture. It’s a neighbouring country and, like against Italy and England, there is a distinctive flavour,” said Deschamps.
“It will be a test. It’s not at all the same style of match as Saturday (against Luxembourg). It’s good to have adversity, to suffer even, and be put in difficulty. It’s more appealing to play matches against opponents like Spain.”
As for any friendly, falling as it does between World Cup qualifiers and a heavy club schedule, Deschamps will likely rotate his squad, notably with the League Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco scheduled for Saturday.
“I’ll try to give the maximum number of my players some game time,” he added.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa, scorer of one of the goals in Spain’s 4-1 win over Israel in Friday’s World Cup qualifier, suffered an ankle injury in training on Sunday which could rule him out of the friendly.
“He is staying with the squad but his participation in the game on Tuesday in Paris is uncertain,” the Spanish federation said.
– Blind axed –
The Netherlands take on Italy, who are vying with Spain for top spot in their World Cup qualifying group, at the worst possible time.
Danny Blind was sacked as Dutch coach following a 2-0 defeat by Bulgaria that left the team’s chances of reaching the World Cup finals hanging by the slenderest of threads.
“We were on the right track in Bulgaria, but it’s a pity that it ends like this,” he said, with his assistant Fred Grim to take charge in Amsterdam.
Blind, 55, had been in charge since July 2015, succeeding Guus Hiddink, but Saturday’s loss in Sofia left the Dutch in fourth place in qualifying Group A, six points behind leaders France.
Only the group winners are guaranteed a place in the 2018 finals in Russia.
And in Russia, the home side host Belgium in what will be the first football game played at Sochi’s Fisht arena.
The stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in 2014, was then transformed into a 47,600-seat football ground, where four matches of June’s Confederations Cup, including a semi-final, will be played in preparation for the World Cup.
Belgium look clear favourites, with Russia never having beaten them in the post-Soviet era and coming off the back of a first ever defeat to an African team on Friday, when they lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast.
Madeira’s Maritimo Stadium will be packed to capacity as Cristiano Ronaldo returns to his home island, which is hosting a Portugal international for the first time in 16 years, with the European champions facing Sweden.
US President Donald Trump congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a surprise local election win that bolstered her reelection bid.German Chancellor Angela Merkel
The White House said the two leaders spoke by phone after the tiny southwestern state of Saarland backed Merkel in a vote Sunday.
The vote is seen as a positive sign for Merkel who in six months will ask Germans to give her a fourth term.
Earlier this month stark differences between Trump and Merkel were on full display during a tense visit to the White House.
Trump also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose right-wing party Saturday picked a controversial firebrand leader to head India’s most populous state.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won an absolute majority in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 220 million people and seen as a bellwether of national politics.
“The president spoke with Chancellor Merkel and the Indian Prime Minister today to congratulate them on their party’s success in recent elections,” said White House spokesman Sean Spicer.
Benin’s defence minister announced his resignation on Monday to protest President Patrice Talon’s plans to overhaul the constitution.
Candide Armand-Marie Azannai wrote on his Facebook page that he had decided to quit because of “recent developments in this country’s politics”.
Businessman Talon, who was elected last year, has proposed amending the constitution to limit presidents to a single term of office in the tiny West African nation, which is dwarfed by its giant neighbour Nigeria to the east. They can currently serve a maximum of two.
Such a measure, if passed, would be in direct contrast to a number of other African countries where leaders have sought to remain in power at all costs.
But Talon’s critics, some of whom have taken to the streets to protest, point out that single-term presidencies were open to abuse, as the president would not have to court the favour of voters at the end of his term.
The president has summoned the national assembly for an extraordinary session to vote on the issue, which is one of 43 changes he has proposed to the 160-article constitution.
Talon, who has not commented on Azannai’s resignation, also wants to set a cap on political party funding and promote positive discrimination for women in politics.
The president has widespread support in parliament. Any change in the constitution needs the approval of 4/5ths of the national assembly.
By Perez Brisibe ABRAKA – A popular hotelier at the Delta State University community, Abraka, Monday set himself ablaze in his father's house close to his hotel.
The hotelier was said to have died from the inferno while properties worth thousands of naira in the apartment where damaged.
Giving details of the incident, an executive of the Abraka vigilante said the victim mysteriously set himself ablaze.
Though efforts to get details of the incident from the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Aniamaka was fruitless as at press time, a security source at the Abraka police station said investigations into the matter is ongoing.
"We would not treat the matter like murder as it is being speculated, as security agencies, we would investigate in all avenues and make our report," the source added.
Suspected Boko Haram fighters stormed a village in northeast Nigeria and killed three people on suspicion of collaborating with the military, security sources told AFP on Monday.
Three locals had their throats cuts while the fourth was left severely wounded, according to a member of the civilian militia assisting troops and a military officer.
The gunmen identified themselves as being from the Boko Haram faction headed by Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, which has vowed to hit military and government targets, the militia member said.
“They singled out the four men whom they accused of collaboration with the military. They accused the men of passing information to the military,” he added, asking not to be identified.
“The gunmen took the men outside the village where they slaughtered three of the men.”
Long-time Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq in March 2015, at a time when it was losing captured territory to government forces.
But last year IS announced that it recognised Barnawi — the son of Boko Haram’s founder Mohammed Yusuf — as being in charge of its “West Africa province”.
Barnawi has criticised Shekau’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
The security sources said the gunmen seized livestock from the nearby village of Dekete but “told the villagers not to panic, that they were not going to touch anyone”.
Fighters from the Barnawi camp employed a similar tactic on Friday, when they raided a village for food and medical supplies southwest of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.
Analysts suggest that in doing so, he may be trying to bolster public support for the group, which if successful would make the government and military fightback harder.
Poultry farmers in Plateau on Monday decried the increasing rate of egg glut in the state.
Mr John Dasar, the state Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), made the complaint in Jos when he led other members of the association on a visit to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Linda Barau.
He moaned that the price of egg had been on the decrease, while that of chicken feeds had been skyrocketing on a daily basis, making poultry farming an unfruitful venture.
He alleged the existence of a cabal in the market setting which was always mopping up eggs directly from farmers at giveaway prices for sales to consumers at exorbitant prices.
Dasar said that the outbreak of bird flu had done enough damage to the poultry industry in the state, adding that the current situation would do more harm to the industry if nothing was done to contain it urgently.
"We are not here to protest; we are not here as rebels but we have come to lodge our complaints with a government which we believe has a listening ears
"We have serious egg glut presently in the state, and if nothing is urgently done, a lot of things will go wrong because some farms are at the verge of collapsing.
"Everybody knows the importance and critical contributions of the poultry industry towards the economic growth of this state and the nation at large.
"It is only Plateau that a crate of egg goes for N700, while a bag of chicken feeds as at today goes for N2,700, making the poultry business largely unprofitable.
"So, we have come to plead with you as a rescue government to help mop these eggs so as to help our farmers bounce back to business,'' he said.
Dasar noted that the state stood the risk of losing huge revenues if the glut continued, adding that most farms would be forced to close down, thereby increasing the menace of unemployment in the state.
He said that if the association kept mute over the precarious situation, it would not be doing the government any good because the economy of the state would be greatly affected.
Responding, Barau commended the farmers for taking the right step by reporting the issue to government.
"I am aware that over 70 per cent of poultry farmers are put of business because of one challenge or the other.
"But let me assure you that our governor has listening ears and he is also keen about agriculture; so, something will be done immediately to alleviate your sufferings,'' he said.
The commissioner also assured the farmers that a permanent solution to the problems affecting poultry farming in the state would soon be unveiled.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says AITEO group, one of the three companies involved in the under-delivery of petroleum products to the corporation, has paid up.
It's Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, announced this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
According to Ughamadu, the update is in line with the corporation's pledge to provide members of the public with periodic information on its recovery efforts for crude swap under deliveries.
The NNPC had raised an alarm that AITEO, Televaras Group of Companies and Ontario Oil and Gas owed 184 million dollars in crude swap under-deliveries.
"Following extensive reconciliation between both parties across their business transactions and subsequent agreement by the parties therefrom, the corporation wishes to state that AITEO Group has paid in full all its outstanding indebtedness to our downstream entities amounting to 202.34 million dollars
"The amount includes AITEO's share of the 184 million dollars total indebtedness by three companies on crude swap obligations plus AITEO's other downstream liabilities.
"It would be recalled that following its engagement with the NNPC on the issue, AITEO Group has demonstrated cooperation and commitment towards a successful recovery process," Ughamadu said.
Televaras had pledged to make a tranche payment of 17.2 million dollars but the NNPC was still engaging Ontario Oil & Gas Limited for mutual settlement.
"The corporation shall continue to provide further update on the recovery process," Ughamadu said.
The HIV/AIDS infection rate in Ebonyi has dropped from three to 0.9 per cent, Mr Ezzagu Nwiboko, the state Coordinator, Ebonyi State Action Committee on AIDS (EBOSACA), has said.
Nwiboko made the disclosure on Monday in an interview in Abakaliki.
He said that the figure represented a drastic reduction in the infection rate.
"We used to record two or more cases of the virus in every hundred.
"We will not rest on our oars till we bring it down to zero per cent.
"We are still worried that the prevalence of the scourge is still high among the commercial sex workers and drivers.
"A visit to places where these long-distant drivers stop for relaxation and where commercial sex workers operate shows that HIV is easily contracted there," he said.
Nwiboko said that the agency was currently experiencing shortage of anti-retroviral drugs to be distributed to the people living with HIV/AIDS.
"This is hampering our service delivery.
"We have made arrangements to take delivery of anti-retroviral drugs in the next three months from new donor-partners.
"The agreement we had with our previous partners has elapsed; we commend the state government for its tremendous funding of our activities.
"We still encourage individuals, especially the youths, to develop safe-sex culture.
"This will enable us and other concerned agencies to effectively manage the prevailing cases and eradicate new infections," he said. (
A Katsina Chief Magistrate's Court has sentenced one Gambo Saeed to nine months imprisonment for insulting and defaming the character of Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State on social media.
Saeed resides in Muduru village in Mani Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Isa Liti, earlier told the court that Saeed was arraigned following complaints received from Mr Mansur Ali Mashi, Senior Special Assistant (SSA), to the Governor on Radio Monitoring.
"Mashi said the accused person abused Masari and called him names on social media.
"He said the accused person posted on the media that it was Gov. Masari who influenced the impeachment of Speaker of Katsina State House of Assembly, Aliyu Muduru.''
Liti said police arrested the accused person and arraigned him for intentional insult, defamation of the governor's character and inciting disturbance.
The charges were in accordance with sections 399, 392 and 114 of the Penal Code.
He also explained that the accused person confessed to have committed the offences.
Delivering the judgment on Monday in Katsina, Chief Magistrate Abdu Ladan, said the court has found the accused person guilty of the said offences; each charge attracts three years imprisonment.
Ladan then sentenced the accused to nine months imprisonment without option of fine.
Prince Gboyega Famodun is the Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State. In this interview, Famodun analyses what the party has achieved under the governorship of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and challenges facing the state administration and the party. Excerpts:
How would you describe the performance of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and your party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the running of Osun State?
We thank God for what we have been able to do achieve for the people in the past six years. It has been monumental in the annals of the 26 years of existence of the state. When the party came in, we had programmes centred basically on youth empowerment and emancipation, to banish poverty, hunger, and making life abundantly peaceful and prosperous for the people of the state. By all standards of judgement, I think we have performed excellently well, especially when you juxtapose our achievements with the meagre resources at the disposal of the government, and also in relation with other states that were created with Osun in 1991. We have ensured that Osun remains in the front burner of regional and national news for pacesetting, path finding and trail blazing.
•Famodun
Apparently, I am not judging myself or our government, but we have performed well in every aspect of governance, viz a viz education, infrastructure development, securing lives and property, ensuring communal peace and harmony, rural development and electrification, women empowerment, job creation and youth empowerment, environmental beautification, reducing maternal and infant mortality, agriculture, regional integration, controlling an annual reoccurring flooding, urban renewal programmes etc.
The government has secured banks against security threat, it has overcome the challenge due to the proactive measures of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. The introduction of the Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES) gave our youths an opportunity of engagement, reorientation and training. The youths have known that jobs are not served automatically after graduation. You have to be ready to think properly and engage yourself without relying on government or anybody for employment. The OYES scheme has been largely successful in Osun, emulated and copied by some states and was consequently recognized by international bodies as a model both within and outside the shores of Nigeria. We have engaged over 40, 000 youths and we have re-orientated them and they are serving good purpose for the people of the state. Apart from this, there's a fraction of the OYES scheme that is responsible for cleaning and making sure our environments are clean, we have O'Clean programme that has also engaged and employed several hundreds of people. Apart from this, our ambulances service programme across the state is doing wonders. Over 15,000 lives have been saved through this initiative.
It seems the delay in payment of salary and pension robbed off on the programmes you enumerated for the governor?
That is not true. We value our workers so much and we are doing all within our reach to meet our financial obligations. Payment of salaries to workers is a very important aspect of governance because those working for government are significant to the success of every administration. They are more or less the engine room of government created to implement its policies. However, nobody remembers any government for paying salaries of her workers; people will always remember you for the legacies, giant strides and monumental changes you have impacted on the citizens.
Are you saying the government concentrates on capital projects at the expense of civil servants?
No, I do not mean that and please don't misinterpret my analysis, and the phrase "legacies and monumental changes" as used is not limited to capital projects alone. I started by accepting the basic truth of how irreplaceable and important the public workforce is to our and every administration. Though, capital projects are essential because they are physical things that people will continue to see for years after leaving office; but the impact on the knowledge and psyche of the people of the state, making sure they are thinking in the right direction that will be helpful to governance is also very important.
The governor is accused of taking huge loans that is affecting the state. How has the state been surviving the hard times?
Let me tell you the bitter truth of the situation: in Nigeria today, thank God for the timely intervention of the APC government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, almost all the states are in financial mess of decreasing statutory grant from the centre. But when President Buhari assumed office, he decided to give a life line or soft loan to the states. The CBN asked the states to package all the loans of the state, the one we inherited and the one we obtained by ourselves into a bond, and that one goes to the federation account where it will be deducted on monthly basis from the account of the state. Unfortunately, some states did not do so, they did not package their loans as CBN directed. Those are the states that receive fairly buoyant allocation, but when it got to their states, they are having issues with commercial banks on loans deducted at the end of the day, they also have nothing on ground to disburse. Those states are just like us who packaged all our loans portfolio into the CBN and when they make necessary deduction, at times when the general allocation is low, our account goes into minus. We have been operating like this for some time, but due to the proactive nature of the governor, we have been able to take care of the civil servants. Whatever we receive from the Federal Government, we add our IGR to it and we share it. For some months in 2016, we were paying as low as 50 per cent to some cadres in civil service, some get full salary depending on the level you fall into. But with understanding and good financial engineering, we have been able to improve the situation, we are on top of it now and we hope to get out of it as soon as possible.
APC members and supporters believe the party would still win future elections in spite of the controversies surrounding the Aregbesola's administration. How would you react to this?
Going by what we have done, accessing and judging the government by the services it has rendered in six years, looking back to the pitiable condition we met Osun and focusing on the pathway and roadmap of greatness we are plying presently as designed by the manifesto and coordinated programmes of our party, we are confident that APC will win 2018 election. People know that the best thing that has ever happened in Osun is Aregbesola and his government. So, anybody who has a thinking in that direction will know that we should continue in government because the people of this state are getting to know what we are doing. Unlike in the past when they were misinformed by very few influential section of the society that government must be business as usual, the people are getting to know better.
There are insinuations that as the chairman, you always do the bidding of the governor, having pocketed the party. How do you react to this?
I don't know the governor's bid, I only know that the governor and I discuss almost on daily basis the issues concerning the development of the state. Must I be fighting the governor on all issues? The governor takes me into confidence in most of the things he wants to do. If they accused me of being on the same page with the governor on good things, on the development of Osun, I welcome it. If it is an offence for working with the governor in the right direction of Osun, then I plead guilty as charged. I have no regrets whatsoever cooperating with the governor as it is this relationship triggered successes we have been discussing.
Some people suggested that the governor should drop free school uniform, free school feeding and commercialize Opon Imo etc, to save money. Do you agree?
Every government has a way of rendering free service to her citizenry, ours was fashioned towards the education sector and this is strategic. Our party believes that an educated child is a liberated soul that will bring positive changes to the society someday. As long as this government exists, we would give free school uniforms to our new pupils, free Opon Imo to senior secondary school students and other educational materials to facilitate their learning process. All these suggestions that tend to attack feeding in school, OYES and other social programme of the government are not welcomed and can't be implemented. If you observe, we are the only government that has been able to sustain the free school feeding programme because it is important to us, it has reduced drastically the rate of illiteracy level among children of school age, boosted primary education enrolment with Osun having the highest number in Nigeria going by NBS figures, created employment opportunities for our women who are caterers thereby rejuvenating the economic parameters of the state. We are able to survive because the governor made some political sacrifices.
Some of your party members are not happy for non appointment of commissioners, SAs, boards, after two years of Aregbesola's second term. Don't you feel this will affect the interest of the people? I want to thank the APC members generally for bearing with us with understanding and maturity. It is not an easy thing for us as political party, at least you need full party members to be on board to work for government and have some patronages from the government. But we made several political appointments when things were okay, but when there is economic downturn, we have to make the sacrifice with understanding. That this is what is required for us to survive as a party now and we have to survive as party members and as a family. So we have been able to understand the government by making sure that we make this sacrifice, we are now on top of the situation and very soon the governor will be inviting and calling people into government, we would have board members to manage our parastatals and agencies. We are begging civil servants to continue bear with us because we have not been paying their salaries of some of them in full for sometimes now,t here is nothing you can do when you are financially limited and incapacitated.
IrokoX, a Pan-African multi-platform network has launched a new reality TV show, Afro All Stars League, with two of Nigeria's finest rappers, Ikechukwu and Lynxxx pitted against each other to battle for supremacy in a head to head game of FIFA 2017.
Ikechukwu and Lynxx
The new TV show, a knockout tournament between Africa's biggest celebrities was conceived by IrokoX to search for and crown the continent's top gamer.
Each episode features two celebrities battling head to head at the world's best games, to clinch the ultimate prize.
Speaking on the objectives of the show, General Manager of IrokoX, Oluchi Enuha, said; Afro All Stars League has been developed as an alternative medium for African celebrities to bring their brand and products to new and highly engaged audiences. We developed it as a vehicle to showcase an everyday side to media personalities in a way that people can relate to.
The show is unscripted, and entertaining to people from all walks of life. It also gives well-known celebrities and brands a vehicle with which they can promote their new products or their brand outside of generic content marketing."
Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Ibrahim Garba appearing before Senate Committee on Ethics on allegation of Fake Certificate by Senator Dino Melaye during a Public Hearing at National Assembly Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan .Senator Dino Melaye presenting NYSC Certificate and other document before Senate Committee on Ethics on allegation of Fake Certificate by Senator Dino Melaye during a Public Hearing at National Assembly Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan .Chairman Senate Committee on Ethics, Senator Samuel Anyanwu , Senator Taiwo Alasoadura and Senator Mao Ohabuwa at Public Hearing on Dino Certificate Saga at National Assembly. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
An Information Technology (IT) firm, Matatu, has perfected plans to launch a Tricycle and Mini Vehicle mobile application across Lagos state.
Speaking with journalists on the App which is to be called ‘Matatu’ aimed at enabling passengers book tricycle also known as Maruwa and mini vehicles from the convenience of their mobile devices, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Matatu, Samuel Ajiboyede said that the App is an idea developed to make life easy for passengers by allowing them to secure these transport in the services with convernence.
He explained that the App will be available on Android and Ios operating devices and that all that passengers needed to do was to download the App on their mobile devices, register their details and begin to use.
” What we have done is to simply elevate the Maruwa and minibus transportation system with an app that will usher in convenience and safety.
“All that is needed is download the app, register for the service and you are good to go.
“Through the App, you can see available Maruwa and minibus closest to you and book its’ service.
“Payment can be made through the app or with cash.
” On the other end, we have thousands of well trained Maruwa drivers who have subscribed to the service and are equipped with devices to locate the nearby passenger who requires their services.
“For safety and convenience, all Maruwa owners who signed to our system are duly registered and their Maruwa must not be more than two years old.
“This will also apply to the mini vehicles which Lagosians are increasingly patronising ,” he said.
Ajiboyede further stated that his firm has held meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation where discussion about giving special access to Matatu to some restricted areas where Maruwa and Mini vehicles are presently not allowed to operate.
“We have had meetings with the state ministry of transportation on this technology. I can tell you that they are excited about it and have expressed readiness to work with us. ,” he said.
Ajiboyede also added that his firm is working with Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the App is launched and operated successfully.
Also speaking on the scheme, Matatu’s Executive Director, Business Efficiency, Kemi Ayinde said that the firm has concluded arrangement with a transportation company to inject about 12,000 tricycles into the state transportation system.
According to Ayinde, the 12,000 tricyles will be handed over to well trained drivers registered under the Matatu scheme.
” What we are offering is not just an App, we are also offering an opportunity for people to be empowered.
“The Matatu scheme also allows people to invest into the Maruwa business. All you need to do is to buy some Maruwa and we operate it under the Matatu scheme on your behalf.
“I can tell you that people are already buying into the scheme even when we have not officially launched.” She said.
Mrs Ayinde also hinted that top tricycle manufacturers who have identified with the Matatu investment scheme have agreed to sell their tricycles to subscribers at very low prices.
” Because we want more people to own Maruwa through our investment scheme, we have been in talks with top manufacturers and they have assured us that once we launch, they will sell to our prospective investors at an attractive price.
The Indonesia Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Harry Purwanto, on Monday dismissed as untrue the impression that Nigerians were responsible for drug-related problems in his country.
Purwanto told newsmen in Abuja that Nigerians given death penalty in Indonesia over drug cases did not bring in the drugs from Nigeria.
"The perception that Nigeria is the source of the drugs couriered to Indonesia is totally untrue and don't have any base, but that is the perception in Indonesia.
"However, we know that things like that are not true because countries where narcotics come to Indonesia are mostly South Asia, East Asia and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia," he said.
According to him, what happens is that those Nigerians involved in the crime have stayed long in Indonesia, married to Indonesia ladies and joined drug courier cartels.
Newsmen recall that Indonesia had in 2016 executed four convicted drug traffickers, including three Nigerians, as it pushed ahead with its "war against drugs".
The envoy disclosed that between 30 and 40 Indonesian young people died everyday due to drug-related problems within the country.
He said that the country was in an emergency situation and had to do something drastically to salvage it.
He said the Indonesian Government executed those sentenced to death over drug-related crime as a measure to reduce rate of drug trafficking in the country.
"Indonesia is an emergency situation which really has to be addressed because everyday 30 to 40 Indonesian young people die because of drug-related issues.
"So, it gives the government concern and has to do something to make sure that the situation does not deteriorate further.
"The government cannot but reject the call for clemency for those that have been given death penalty," he said.
Purwanto, however, explained that the government would not execute any convict until all legal mechanisms have been exploited.
"We do execution after we have exhausted all legal mechanisms; the high court, appellate court, the Supreme Court and review mechanism.
"When all these means have been exhausted, then one would go to the president to ask for clemency; it is left for the president to grant it or not," he said
He also said that there was a discussion on whether to abolish death penalty or not.
"The discussion is lingering on not only in the society but in the parliament.
"As it is, the law of the country is not yet changed so we cannot but implement things that are according to the law," he said.
He said that the law was not only applicable to Nigerians or citizens of one country but of any national caught in drug crime.
Purwanto said that in all the stages of the process, there was always an open window for consular assistance through the foreign representative.
Alhaji Mai Buni, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged Nigerian youth to keep faith in President Muhammadu Buhari's ability to lead the country to the promised land.
Buni made the call while receiving an award of excellence from the founder of Northern Youths Advocacy for Peace and Development (NYAPD), Dr Ugbede Paul, in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, the youth can make all the difference by bringing meaningful suggestions on how to end the hardship in the country and move the country forward.
President Buhari
" I am highly humbled and encouraged by this award. I know you people have taken your time to make some considerations before arriving at this presentation.
"We know how committed President Muhammadu Buhari is for the betterment of this country and especially for the youths who are the leaders of today and tomorrow.
"What has been lacking in this country is good leadership, now we have a good leader in the country who has sacrificed a lot to the betterment of this country,'' he said.
He called on Nigerians youths to continue with the good works and to support the present administration and its pursuit to see that things work well and in the right way.
"Let us continue to support Buhari because he is there as a President not for himself but for the good of this country.
"I want to appeal to youths to continue the good works they are doing. Our door is always open for meaningful suggestions,'' Buni said.
In his remarks, Paul said that the award of excellence given to Buni by the NYAPD was to appreciate him for his effortless services rendered to ensure that the youths were empowered.
He, however, reiterated the association's readiness to collaborate with the present administration to ensure the youths contribute their own quota on national development.
