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By Ephraim Oseji Pastor Judith Daniel-Imagoro has commended the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and well-meaning Nigerians for their courage, saying the return of Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) as an independent subject in secondary schools would not have been possible if Christians had remained silent.
Christian Religious Knowledge
Speaking at the Dynamic Life Conference held in Gombi, Adamawa State, the founder of Glorious Living Singles and Married Ministry urged Christians to speak with one voice and resist attempts to foist any religion on them. She said: "I normally don't comment on politics, because I am busy with my Father's business. But defending my Father's business is equal to doing the business."
"Nobody have the right to impose anything on anyone. If God our creator, could leave us with the power of choice; no government, agents or group of people should force us to embrace a particular religion, which is what the present government wants to do."
She continued: ''We (Christians) should speak with one voice because we are one body in Christ and not try to be diplomatic with our faith."
''For the government to have left all the educational needs and try to subsume Christian religious knowledge (CRK) in civil education, it's clear the government of the day is up to something. Their aims is to deprive Christians students the knowledge of their religion."
Stressing further, "there are some government secondary schools where students still sit on class rooms' floor to write exams, so many of them are without useable toilets and qualified teachers, and for government to ignore providing all the basic infrastructure in schools, instead they are involved in something that isn't worth the time and energy, that should tell you what their motives are."
''We as Christians should not keep silent because many more of this moves are coming. If we keep silent over things and let them have their way, time will come when they will tell us to reduce the number of churches and later, you will not be allowed to freely worship," she concluded.
A former Chairman of Fancy and Furniture, Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos, Chief Azubuike Ekwerekwu, yesterday, commended traders in the market for the way they participated in the just concluded local government elections in Lagos State, asking them to continue with the spirit in future elections in the state.
Ekwerekwu, popularly called Obosi, who spoke while receiving top officials of Igbo coalition in Lagos who came to brief him on the outcome of the elections, noted that traders in Alaba had always reciprocated the kind gesture and hospitality of their hosts, hence they went enmasse to vote for the right candidates and joined the winning party during the elections.
According to him, prior to the elections, Alaba International Market was temporarily shut down, Thursday, to enable the traders come out enmasse to welcome him and top members of the Igbo Coalition in APC to solicit massive support for the party in Ojo local government area.
"During the occasion, I spoke of the need for Igbo in the area to take the elections serious by giving their votes to the ruling APC," he stated. "I stated that the importance of their investments in the area cannot be over-emphasized and reminded them of the need to identify with the party."
In his speech during the occasion, the Chairman of Igbo Coalition in APC, Chief Chris Ekwilo, appreciated the leader of the party in the area for carrying Igbo along by giving them the post of Vice Chairman of the council, Mrs. Edna Uche Ubosi, and enjoined them to reciprocate the gesture by the Yoruba by giving bloc votes to the party. The President of Alaba Amalgamated Union, Chief Felix Nwagu, also thanked leaders of Igbo Coalition for gracing the occasion, assuring that Igbo will reciprocate the gesture of the Yoruba in the area.
THE MTN Foundation says it has provided scholarship and school furniture worth N100million to students and schools across Ondo State.
MTN Chairman, Prince Julius Adelusi Adeluyi, disclosed this in Akure while donating 150 desks, benches and teachers' tables and chairs to Aquinas College.
The donation was to complement the state government's efforts to improve the quality of learning in the state.
Adeluyi said the gesture will enhance the education of students. The Chairman said that the people had benefitted from various MTNF projects valued at over N236m in the last 12 years. According to him, the Foundation was determined to continue improving the quality of life of the people and bring hope to the young ones. The Executive Secretary of the Foundation, Nonny Ugboma, said over 16 million Nigerians had received support through the Foundation since 2005.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a product of the school, lauded the Foundation's impactful intervention and called on other corporate organizations to emulate MTNF.
Gunmen attacked Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto's residence on Saturday while he and his family were out, local television stations reported, 10 days before presidential and legislative elections.
Ruto is the running mate for President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is seeking a second and final term in office.
A Reuters reporter at the scene in the western town of Eldoret said that as of 7 p.m. the area leading to Ruto's compound was still cordoned off to the public and journalists.
He said no gunshots had been heard for at least an hour.
Police and officials from Ruto's office were not available for immediate comment.
The incident comes some 10 days before Kenya's presidential, legislative and regional county representative elections on Aug. 8.
A suicide bomber detonated the explosives in Dikwa on Friday night, after entering a building housing people who had previously fled the insurgency and since returned, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said.
Injured people are treated at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria on July 29, 2017 the day after two suicide bombers struck a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of Maiduguri, killing five. Civilian militia member Babakura Kolo said the attackers disguised themselves as traders wanting to buy grain. / AFP PHOTOA victim is carried from the ‘accident and emergency’ at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria on July 29, 2017 the day after two suicide bombers struck a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of Maiduguri, killing five. Civilian militia member Babakura Kolo said the attackers disguised themselves as traders wanting to buy grain. / AFP PHOTOPeople pray over the body of a victim in the grounds of the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria on July 29, 2017 the day after two suicide bombers struck a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of Maiduguri, killing five. Civilian militia member Babakura Kolo said the attackers disguised themselves as traders wanting to buy grain. / AFP PHOTOA victim is brought to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria on July 29, 2017 the day after two suicide bombers struck a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of Maiduguri, killing five. Civilian militia member Babakura Kolo said the attackers disguised themselves as traders wanting to buy grain. / AFP PHOTO
THE Chairman, Kunukunuma Federated Communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom and Poeples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Chief Moses Bebenimibo, has tasked the All Progressives Party, APC, led government to come clean on the President Muhammadu Buhari health issue.
Bebenimibo made the call in Effurun, Delta State while playing host to his political followers in his office.
According to Bebenimibo, the manner in which the President health issue is being handled has left much to be desired.
“I feel ashamed that a whole President life is being used as an avenue for exploitation and manipulation.
“The APC government should come clean on the health status of the President and stop embarking on expensive visits to London.
“Anyone can fall sick, so it is not a new thing. Besides, the President is an old man who deserves enough rest now, he should resigned quietly if he can longer cope.
“Governance is an energy-sapping activity which needs active and agile people who can absorb pressure.
“In advance world, every information about his health will be in the public but here everything is in secret”.
Two people were killed in a crush of football fans on Saturday at the South African stadium that hosted the 2010 World Cup final, police and officials said.
The incident occurred at a pre-season local derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the country’s most popular teams, both from Soweto.
“I can confirm the death of two people,” police spokeswoman Lorraine van Emmerik, told AFP.
She said several other people had also been injured when “a rolling mass of people were trying to get into the stadium” south of Johannesburg.
In a statement cited by an online football website KickOff, the match sponsors, Carling Black Label, also confirmed “two fatalities caused by blunt force trauma”.
They said one fan was critically injured and 16 other spectators suffered minor injuries.
The brewer said it was “saddened by the fatalities” from the crush caused by “a number of people who attempted to push through the stadium gates”.
Match tickets were sold out two weeks before the game.
Some local media reports suggested fake tickets had gone on sale.
“This incident is extremely unfortunate as solid security plans were put in place,” according to the Carling statement.
Public and private broadcasters cited officials saying the crush happened outside a gate at the FNB stadium which hosted the final of the World Cup, seven years ago which was won by Spain.
Michael Sun, a Johannesburg municipal councillor responsible for public safety also confirmed the deaths in a tweet.
“Situation report from FNB Soweto Derby：Stampede reported with multiple injuries, 2 confirmed fatal,” wrote Sun on Twitter.
Police have launched investigations into the crush.
The match carried on despite the tragedy at the stadium, which has an official capacity of 94,000, and was won 1-0 by Chiefs.
South African Football Association (SAFA) said it was “deeply saddened by the tragedy”.
“A football match is supposed to be a place of entertainment. What happened at FNB Stadium is very unfortunate,” SAFA president Danny Jordaan, said in a statement.
The two worst football tragedies in South Africa involved matches between the same clubs — in 2001 when 43 people were killed, and in 1991, when the death toll was 42.
The worst football tragedy in the World occurred in 1964 in Lima during an Olympic qualifier between Peru and Argentina at the National Stadium. The official toll was 328 dead.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a 59-year-old man with 25kg of substances tested to be ephedrine (a medication and stimulant), while trying to board an Ethiopian airline flight from the Aminu Kano International Airport to South Africa.
The NDLEA says Ephedrine (EPH) or pseudoephedrine (PSE), or drug products containing these substances have chemicals used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine.
Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, NDLEA spokesperson in a statement in Abuja, said that Christopher Chukwuani, a fish farmer was intercepted at the departure waiting lounge based on intelligence.
"The suspect was arrested following a tip-off after he had already gone through screening.
"When the substance was detected, it was tested and found to be positive for ephedrine.
"Already, an investigation had commenced into the case since the arrest on July 15,"Umoru stated.
The NDLEA spokesperson alleged that the 59-year-old Enugu based fish farmer said he smuggles drugs in order to expand his fish farming business.
He said the suspect who said he was from Agbogugu, Agwu Local Government Area of Enugu State, is married and has three children.
"I decided to smuggle drugs to invest the money in my fish farm. They promised to pay me the sum of $2,000 dollars, the suspect allegedly said .
NDLEA Chairman, retired Col. Muhammad Abdallah said the arrest and seizure reiterated the importance of intelligence in the fight against drug trafficking.
"Effective drug control is predicated on excellent intelligence management.
"This case is a validation of the cardinal role of good intelligence gathering and processing.
"The case is being investigated and further information shall be provided to members of the public," Abdallah said.
The NDLEA boss also assured that more arrests in connection with the seizure are in the offing and the suspect will soon be charged to court.
Mr Atoye Ariyo-Dare, a former Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Pro-Democracy Activist, has declared his intention to contest the governorship election in Ekiti in 2018.
Ariyo-Dare, who claimed to be member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made his intention known on Saturday at an interactive session with journalists in Ado-Ekiti.
The 36-year-old governorship hopeful, who was a Correspondent of NAN in Abeokuta, tagged his political ambition: "The Next Phase of Ekiti and The Cost of Vote Campaign."
He promised to uplift the standard of education and revolutionise agriculture for the development of the state, if elected as the next governor of the Fountain of Knowledge.
Ariyo-Dare said that his coming to the race was borne out of the desire to give a purposeful leadership that would project the knowledge potential of the state to the international world.
"I am ready to toil, sweat and offer everything, including paying the supreme sacrifice, for our land to succeed.
"Genuine leadership is sacrifice and that is the only thing I have come to offer.
"We must strive to be part of the World, at the cutting edge in advanced developmental education and hi-tech farming.
"We must transform our farming from just being a producer of raw materials to being a manufacturer of finished goods.
"Ekiti must provide leadership to unlock the massive potential in Nigeria, because the era of depending on oil revenue is fast fading off," the pro-democracy activist said.
He described himself as a "Political Missionary and a Reformist'' with fresh ideas to lead the state to development.
"The next phase of Ekiti is where our decades of toiling for education and investment in knowledge will translate into concrete development driven by sacrifice and limitless possibilities.
"If knowledge had worked for the Americans, the Europeans, the Indians, the Chinese and even the Asian Tigers, knowledge can work for us to transform Ekiti State through the ingenuity of exceptional ideas.
"Nigeria is waiting on Ekiti State to give a firm direction to this nation on how to use knowledge and education to drive innovation and developments.
"The future is no more in oil, we must lead our country in creating alternatives," he said.
Ariyo-Dare also advised Nigerians, especially youths, to refrain from selling their future to moneybag politicians, whom, he said had little or nothing to offer in terms of development.
"It is time to prioritise big development and not big politics; I have come to seek your collective support to let us redefine our state and our path in this nation, so that we can secure our future.
"I have come to ask you to let us do real soul-searching, interrogate where we are going and salvage our tomorrow.
"I want to prepare Ekiti for the danger that is coming to affect this nation; in less than 25 years from now, the population of Nigeria is projected to hit 500 million.
"It will be catastrophic with the current infrastructures and dependent on the dying oil money.
"The onus is on us in Ekiti to think on how to positively take advantage of this rising population as a market opportunity to market our ideas and sell our products- Made in Ekiti,'' he said.
Ariyo-Dare also disclosed that in his quest to assist the less privileged, no fewer than 21 pupils have benefitted from his scholarship awards for three best pupils of the St. James Primary School, Igbara-Odo, in Ekiti South West Local Government Area.
He also said that the "Fajuyi Competitive Educational Awards Scheme for pupils of St. Georges' Primary School, Ado-Ekiti, was initiated as an annual scheme for the best three pupils of the school.
The governorship aspirant said that in his strive to raise standard of education the Competitive Educational Awards scheme was extended to pupils of St. Thomas Primary School, Igbara-Odo, Ekiti.
Ariyo-Dare said the scheme was in honour of the late Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo.
Newsmen report that governorship election will hold in Ekiti in 2018 at the expiration of Gov. Ayodele Fayose's tenure.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and former first Vice President General of Okpara Patriotic Union, OPU, Chief Tony Erukeme, has alleged that Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, hijacked the national Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) for primary 1 to 3 pupils.
Erukeme who spoke to newsmen at Okpara, Ethiope East local government area of Delta State, alleged PDP hijacked the list of nominees submitted as cooks and replaced with members of its party, when they (PDP) have not contributed a kobo to the programme.
While explaining that the programme was introduced for primary one to three pupils across the state, Erukeme expressed shock why PDP should politicize the programme when the exercise has no party colouration.
He said the programme was initiative of the APC government and to be assisted by state governments, explained that Delta government has not contributed anything to the exercise but claiming the glory, advising the federal government to appoint liaison personnel to monitor the programme to ensure the success of the exercise.
MAIDUGURI (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed 14 people in northeast Nigeria, the state emergency agency said on Saturday, in an attack that bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, days after a resurgence in the jihadist group’s activities prompted a shift in military tactics. Injured people are treated at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria on July 29, 2017 the day after two suicide bombers struck a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of Maiduguri, killing five. Civilian militia member Babakura Kolo said the attackers disguised themselves as traders wanting to buy grain. / AFP PHOTO
The attack in the town of Dikwa in Borno state came days after suspected members of the group kidnapped an oil prospecting team, prompting a rescue bid that ended in the deaths of at least 37 people including members of the team and rescuers from the military and armed vigilantes, officials say.
Three kidnapped members of the oil team appeared in a video seen by Reuters on Saturday, which was provided by suspected members of the militant group.
Boko Haram, which seeks to create an Islamic state in the northeast, has stepped up the frequency of attacks in the last few months. The insurgency has killed 20,000 people and forced some 2.7 million to flee their homes in the last eight years.
A suicide bomber detonated the explosives in Dikwa on Friday night, after entering a building housing people who had previously fled the insurgency and since returned, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said.
“We have so far evacuated 38 victims comprising 14 dead and 24 injured”, said SEMA spokesman Bello Dambatta. Dikwa is around 90 kilometres east of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
The attack brings the number of people killed by insurgents in northeast Nigeria since June 1 to at least 113.
After the kidnapping of the oil workers, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday sent military chiefs to the northeast to help regain control of the situation.
The move was a change of tactics since the government and military have repeatedly said Boko Haram – which also carries out cross-border attacks in neighbouring Cameroon and Niger – was on the verge of being defeated.
President Muhammadu Buhari said in December that Boko Haram’s stronghold in the northeast’s vast Sambisa forest had been captured.
*says it was huge mistake not passing bill By Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA-For voting against devolution of political powers from the center in the just concluded constitutional amendment, a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke has lashed out at the federal lawmakers, saying they made a huge mistake.
It will be recalled that devolution of power was one of the amended items in the 1999 constitution earmarked for voting in the two chambers of the National Assembly; Senate and the House.
But the senate in its voting exercise on Wednesday jettisoned the Bill.
Also, members of the House followed suit in a similar exercise conducted on Thursday.
Reacting to the development in Abuja, Hon. Nwuke who was a member of the immediate past 7th Assembly where he represented Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency of Rivers State said that the lawmakers had failed to make history.
He said that the exercise was one timely opportunity the National Assembly needed to start the much yearned restructuring of Nigeria to give States more power.
“It is strange, very strange that members of the 8th Legislature apparently do not appear to appreciate the enormity of the growing frustration among Nigerians who very much want to renegotiate what they see as the unfavourable relationships that have more or less hampered the march to nationhood.
“As leaders, we have been inundated by calls for the restructuring of the country. Here we were with a unique opportunity to prove to doubting Thomases who do believe in the Nigerian project that we could truly as a nation commence the process with a carefully crafted move designed to make the devolution of power part of the amendments.
“Many Nigerians agree that shedding the weight of an overbearing Federal Government is necessary, at least to put development in the States and possibly the local government on the fast track.
“There is no doubt that in restructuring the responsibility of the states for instance, the spate of agitation across the country would have been slowed down.
“For reasons that are best known to lawmakers, they shut down a little window that could have given renewed vigour to those who pray daily for stimulating changes which would move the nation forward.
“For the National Assembly, a vote in favour of the devolution of powers could have shown clearly that the legislative institution has the capability to deal gradually with issues that Nigerians want their leaders to address, some of which may not be sustainable at this time.
“I think the vote against the devolution of power was a huge mistake, an exhibition of some narrow parochial calculation that can only create more problems.
“As a country we failed to make history but I think that the National Assembly lost the chance to be part of that history”, he said.
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Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District Dino Melaye expressed his condolences to the families of victims of the Friday petrol tanker accident in Felele area of Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi.
Newsmen report that the Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC) on Saturday said the death toll in the petrol tanker accident, had risen to 13.
In a statement issued by Melaye, he commiserated with the people of the area over the accidents,
According to him, the accident would have been an avoided if the dualisation and expansion of the Abuja to Lokoja Expressway had been completed on schedule.
"Our prayers are with the victims and I pray for the repose of the souls of the departed ones and the fortitude for their families to bear the irreparable loss while I also wish the injured ones quick recovery and return to their normal activities.
"I hope concerned authorities will do the needful by putting the bad portions of the busy road in shape and complete the ongoing expansion and dualisation works on time in order to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.
"As as lawmaker, I will continue to attract development to my constituency and draw the attention of the executive arm of government at all levels to the plight of my constituents at all times," Melaye said.
State FRSC Sector Commander , Mr Olusegun Martins told newsmen in Lokoja that three other victims died Friday night.
He said that a staff of the Kogi state Polytechnic , Lokoja was one of them.
He said the relations of dead victims have started identifying them but said that six of them were burnt beyond recognition.
According to him, eight other injured victims of the accident are still receiving treatment at the intensive care units of the Federal Medical Centre and the State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja.
He said that investigation into the cause of the accident was underway.
Chief Segun Adewale, the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, on Saturday handed over the state secretariat of the party to the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Nwesmen report that Adewale is the factional chairman of PDP loyal to Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif, recently sacked by the Supreme Court as the National Chairman of the party.
Adewale, addressing journalists shortly after moving his possession out of the secretariat, said that this was in line with the directive from the national headquarters of the party.
Bode George
He said that a letter from the party headquarters had directed him to hand over to BoT members in the state.
Adewale explained 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.
The letter reads in part: "The attention of the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to the occupation of the PDP Secretariat at No. 56, Adekunle Fajuyi Crescent, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, by a group.
"Section 32(5) (e) of the PDP Constitution (2012 as amended) states that the Board of Trustees shall be vested with the assets of the party and shall serve as custodians of such assets.
"This is to avoid negative consequences that may arise from the tussle for the secretariat and in keeping with the PDP Constitution.
"The National Caretaker Committee hereby requests that you hand over the secretariat to Chief Bode George and other members of PDP Board of Trustees ( BOT) in Lagos State."
According to Adewale, I am going to hand over the key to the BoT as instructed in the letter.
"`As you can see me, I have packed out my things. I am going to drop the key now," the PDP factional chairman said.
He instructed all his supporters to stay away from the secretariat in the interest of peace, even if the key is given to someone else.
"It is quite unfortunate that those, who as at last week Saturday, were campaigning against PDP while in Labour Party, now want to take over the secretariat.
"I was the one mobilising for the party during last Saturday local government elections in the state.
"Even at that, I am ready to leave the secretariat, the police asked us to sign an undertaking that there will be peace in Ikeja.
"I am not fighting with anybody, because if we continue this way, we will continue to lose elections in Lagos," Adewale said.
Pressmen report that the crisis rocking the party at both the national and state levels made those loyal to Mr Moshood Salvador to make an alliance with the Labour Party.
Salvador is the factional chairman loyal to Sen. Ahmed Markafi, who was declared by the Supreme Court declared as the authentic chairman.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – Former vice president and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Atiku Abubakar has hit back at critics of his stance on restructuring, saying the United Nation’s planned phase out of petrol and diesel-run cars by 2040 has vindicated him. Atiku Abubaka at his farm flagging off planting.
This came even as the forum of former deputy governors in the country have kicked against secessionist threats by some groups in the country as well as the recent ‘quit notice’ issued by some coalition of northern youths to Igbos living in the north.
Atiku in a statement by his Media Office in Abuja recalled that exactly a week ago at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he had predicted that the automobile industry will be moving away from diesel and petrol powered cars in favour of electric and alternative energy powered cars.
This, he stated, was one of the reasons why Nigeria must restructure now or risk being bypassed by the global economy.
“Of course the Wazirin Adamawa was criticized and painted as crying wolf by the usual suspects, yet only eight days later his view has been further vindicated by the news from the United Kingdom. This again serves as a warning to Nigeria to heed the warnings of patriots like Atiku Abubakar and others like him, that while we still have a few good years of income from oil we need to urgently diversify our economy which will only be possible if we embrace restructuring”.
They noted that while Nigerians are currently engaging in spreading and making hate messages and speeches, using various fora especially social media to the detriment of our fragile bond of unity, the State of Affairs of the Nation needs urgent attention of all and sundry”.
Consequently, the Forum acknowledged the inalienable rights of all Nigerian Citizens to freedom of expression, but “condemned moves and all calls for separation of the entity called Nigeria into different multiple countries; and the recent quit notice issued to citizens of Nigeria from the South Eastern zone by a coalition of Northern Nigerian Youths. It is pertinent to emphasize that every Nigerian citizen has the right to live and own properties anywhere in Nigeria”.
It also condemned all divisional tendencies, while maintaining its stand on one united, indivisible Nigeria.
“The Forum also wishes to lend support to the on-going fight against corruption in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari's Government. In addition, the Forum urges all stakeholders to work for peace in the interest of a united nation. Finally, the Forum prays for the quick recovery of Mr. President to enable him resume his duties”.
PATIENCE and her husband had been married for five years when they moved into a posh bungalow on a better side of Lagos. As they both showed guests round during the house-warming ceremony, they looked the perfect couple and took in the ooh and aah gasps of admirers.
The guests thought that Luke, the husband, must have made some appreciable progress in his job for him to be able to afford a pad like this.
Three years after, Luke was out of the house, the bitter feud that'd been brewing for a couple of years had now boiled over. One day, Luke came home from an all-night outing and found his suitcases neatly packed and waiting for him by the door. In the rain! Four fierce-looking men stood guard at the door, menacing looking cudgels in their hands.
"I was shocked and I guess the shock will never wear off," Luke said a few months after the incident. "That's what comes with marrying a rich man's daughter. I can't see my children now and my wife thinks I'm dirt, and it's all thanks to my money-bag father-in-law. He wants you to roll on the floor with gratitude whenever he shows you the slightest favour. I mean, there are other ways of showing gratitude without licking someone's hand like a dog. Well, he has his daughter now, let him marry her!" Patience was at pains to talk about a marriage she described as a waking I nightmare'. I sought her out to ask her side of the story. "That man is an animal," she shuddered, remembering the things she said she had to go through to stay married to him. "Despite the good education he had, he had this giant complex about my parents' wealth. Daddy was very generous to us when we got married. I am his first daughter and he gave us a brand new car and furnished flat. Luke was quite happy letting daddy shoulder his responsibilities as that gave him extra cash for his twin obsessions: wine and women. I'd seen these traits in him before we got married and had naively assumed marriage would change him.
"The women he ran around with were obviously a deliberate attempt to belittle me. Very uncouth and classless, they thought they were having a stab at the upper-class by sleeping with the same man that I was sleeping with. I felt really inadequate and humiliated.
"My friends told me that I was probably a bit too straight-laced; that men prefer firebrands in bed and that I should be more adventurous in the bedroom. They gave me a few pointers. So when next we made love and I wanted to try some of the things my friends advised, my husband just stopped. 'What was all that for?', he asked, I felt stupid. What the hell did he think it was for? He obviously preferred to have me subdued and unadventurous. After a few more incidents like this, he started giving me little lectures about how unfeminine it was for women to become sexually aggressive. Can you imagine what I did suddenly being turned into an aggression? I felt really angry; especially when he lectured"wives shouldn't be trollops!
"After that, he criticized everything I did and openly ran down rich men and their kids with such a vengeance that it finally dawned on me that he really resented my coming from a rich family. The more Daddy did for us, the more he sneered at him. In fairness to my husband, daddy always had this impression that Luke was a lout and he-never tried to hide his disapproval of him.
"Unfortunately, my husband proved my father right in the end. Our second child was on the way when daddy gave us the bungalow but my husband said we should pass it off as a furnished accommodation to the personal department of his office so he could collect the rent. It was my dad who took me to the hospital when I was in labour. My husband was nowhere to be found. I had a difficult birth and had to be operated on. Luke didn't come to the hospital for days. On one of daddy's visits to the hospital, his face was like thunder. He said he was just from our house and Luke was having this big party to welcome his new son without even bothering to find out how mother and child were!
"The final straw came about three months later when I woke up to feed the baby and heard female giggles in the sitting room. When I went to investigate, I found my husband with two of his friends and four girls – they were obviously drunk to the eye-balls. They grinned stupidly as I drove them out of the house. My husband went with them.
I was really livid. That was when I phoned dad that I had had enough.
He said I was to do what I deemed fit. I knew I no longer had a marriage anyway. Putting his things in the rain was a way of having my own back. He couldn't take anything from the flat because they were all daddy's and he wouldn't take the car. Let's see how he likes it scrimping and saving to keep up with his pet hobbies … "
Blind Leading The Blind? (Humour)
A man drove too fast down a country lane, skidded on some boulders and ended up in a ditch. Fortunately, a farmer appeared moments later, leading a big black horse. When he saw the man's predicament, he offered to help. "If we tie a rope round the car, I think old black Bess here will be able to help get it out." So they tied the rope from the horse to the car and the farmer shouted, "come on Starlight, pull as hard as you can!" but the horse didn't move.
Then the farmer shouted, "come on Silky, one, two, three. Pull!" But still the horse didn't move. So for a third time the farmer yelled, "Ok, Dublin, pull now!" Nothing happened. Then he called, "Go on Black Bess, my beauty, pull hard." This time, the horse took the strain and slowly pulled the car out of the ditch. The motorist was very grateful but also a little puzzled. "Don't mind me asking," he said, "but why did you call the horse by all those different names?" "Well, it's like this," explained the farmer, "Old Black Bess is blind and if she thought she was the only one pulling, she'd never have bothered trying."
By Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA – Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola on Friday tendered unreserved apology to members of House of Representatives over his unsavory comments on the assented 2017 budget. Babatunde Raji Fashola Recall that Fashola was reported as saying that the National Assembly altered his Ministry’s financial estimates and introduced over 100 new projects to the 200 uncomplimented ones inherited from the previous government.
The comment later generated some lingered verbal fisticuffs between the Minister and the National Assembly.
Coming under Matters of Urgent Public Importance at plenary on July 4, Hon. Ibrahim Sadiq from Adamawa State raised the issue on the floor of the House.
The lawmaker regretted that the Minister abandoned the official channels of communication and took to the street to square up against them.
He said: “The Hon of Minister of Works has been talking about the issues that has been rested.
“The Minister is not a spokesperson of an of the judiciary, therefore, he has no powers to speak on an already assented budget.
“The Minister has abandoned official channels of communication to the legislature. This budget has been signed by the Acting President and it has become a law. I pray that this House will summon the Honorable Minister to appear a committee of this House and answer for the bridge and inciting Nigerians.”
Attracting more condemnations from other lawmakers, the House later resolved to invite Fashola for questioning.
Subsequently, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara set up a 14 man panel for the task.
Appearing before the panel of the House headed by Hon. Aliyu Madaki (APC, Kano) yesterday, Fashola however said that his statement was only directed to the spokesperson of the House, Abdulrazak Namdas to have possessed “stark and worrisome knowledge of the budget process”, and not the entire House.
Reminded that any statement to Namdas was for the entire House, the Minister expressed regrets, saying he meant no insults on the lawmakers.
He said: “Honourable members, if my statements on the budget have caused any discomfort beyond what I intended to convey, I apologize.
“We’re not fighting. We can disagree to agree. As to whether or not parliament can intervene in the budget process, I have made my position clear. I cannot say that the parliament cannot intervene in the process”.
The Minister however showed displeasure that the slashing of budgetary estimates of his Ministry had affected some road projects in the 2017.
According to him, the reductions affected three priority road projects of the administration.
These included constructions of Second Niger Bridge, Ilorin-Jebba -Mokwa Road and Lagos -Ibadan Expressway.
Fashola hinted that the monetary reductions swiftly prompted threats by two contractors who abandoned the road projects, doubting the possibility of their payment.
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had prioritized the three projects, stressing it was a reason the ministry proposed N31 billion for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
He regretted that the amount was later pruned down to N10 billion during the consideration of the Bill.
Revealing that the threat letters by the contractors were dated June 2, 2017, the Minister added that N13.1 billion debt was still owed on the project.
He however stated that Motorways Assets Ltd, one of the firms handling the Lagos-Ibadan even before the coming of the current administration had in series of meetings with officials of his Ministry indicated interest to finance the road contracts.
Meanwhile, some of the lawmakers had earlier, at the session that lasted about 3 hours, queried why the federal roads that criss-crossed their constituencies were not included in the 2017 appropriation bill.
Against all known laws of nature, Nigeria basketball which has which has witnessed a steady growth to top the African chart and risen to global prominence looks doomed for an imminent drop, unless urgent steps are taken to prevent the ugly, but predictable end.
Umar, NBBF President
At the moment, there are two Nigeria Basketball Federation boards. One has Tijani Umar as President while the other is led by Musa Kida. Government recognises the latter board which emerged in Abuja after the June 13-government organised elections. Each board has been claiming legitimacy and FIBA, the world Basketball governing body has swung into action.
In a letter to both Presidents and copied to the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel, FIBA Africa President, Hamane Niang and FIBA Executive Director(Africa) Alphonse Bile the world governing body was unequivocal in its condemnation of the dirty war going on in Nigeria and warned that it might be forced to use its sledge hammer.
One of the Presidents, Tijani Umar was handy when asked to react to the FIBA letter.
"The letter from FIBA is clear and unambiguous. I am happy that the letter spelt out what should be done and for once, I believe that letter will bring us back to do things the way things should be done. It calls for due process and if this will lead us to do things the proper way, so be it."
Umar said he has led a quiet revolution in Nigeria Basketball and taken the sport to a new level and would be the last man to see what has taken him years to build to be destroyed by the ambitions of a few.
"We have raised the bar. We have all along set up a concrete infrastructure for the development of the sport and trying to establish due process is not achieved overnight. It is tedious and painstaking. Now we have a constitution and if we go by the FIBA letter and due process is the watchword, then we are going back to the basics.
Musa Ahmadu Kida who was elected President at the Sports-ministry-organised elections replied through text message that he could not talk. In his own words, "Sorry, I can’t talk now,"
