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If the nation is still searching for the alibi of the audacity and professional ability of Software Nigeria, to effectively deliver world class solutions for the economic advancement, constructive development, national security and global competitiveness of Nigeria, the search stops here with Treasury single account, TSA.
The one year old Treasury Single Account (TSA) national project initiative is a digital knowledge infrastructure powered by developed by Systemspec developers and solutions provider of the Remita IT Infrastructure. Remita is a distinct technology know-how statement and signature of the potentials of Software Nigeria. After one year of its deployment – in line with global quality standards and best practice, the TSA initiative has now been acknowledged around the world, as a monumental success. There are many similar Software Nigeria solutions yet to be discovered.
According to the recent pronouncement by the Accountant General of the Federal – Mallam Idris Ahmed in Abuja, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has N5.224 trillion as at February 2017 – after its successful deployment in September, 2015. Therefore, it is safe within the context of evaluating development methods for national Software, to state that the Remita Solutions is a Super Financial Banking Consolidation Application.
This success clearly validates the long-held and recognized fact, evidence and professional perception of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), that Software Nigeria Applications comply with major characteristics of global software trustworthiness. Also, the advent of TSA represents a quality index to measure the capability, functionality and eminence of software Nigeria in general. Then, what is responsible for the continued myopic crazy for foreign software in Nigeria? Policy Makers must understand the is acute danger (leading to digital enslavement) in allowing the unregulated deployment of foreign software in key Federal Government institutions, functions and operations domain to foreign applications software. The goal of this write-up is to encourage and promote the establishment of a National Software Development Strategies as a Policy Framework and encourage the mandatory inclusion of the patronage and protection of indigenous software empowered by concrete legislation –IT Bill to enact a National Software adoption Act.
This will serve to improve the level of the nation's computer knowledge maturity levels, innovation, creative content competitiveness, as well as promote and spread the development, relevance and use of indigenous applications software and services in governance, education, health, business and industry, agriculture, transportation, public administration, law and justice, entertainment and national security. Recognizing Software Development as a new productive knowledge frontier and potential instrument for economic empowerment and creation of wealth, Government in 2005, decided to launch a nation-wide awareness campaign – based on the technical report submitted to it by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on National Software Development Initiative (NSDI) with Jim Ovia as Chairman. Currently, our knowledge-base and technology environment of the "new economy" is greatly influenced, undermined and controlled by foreign information system, Application Software and Databases. Software plays a fundamental roll and globally viewed as the backbone and ultimate currency for modern wealth creation, national prosperity and security.
Setting a national software development strategy, policy and awareness agenda therefore, is also against the backdrop that consciously building and systematically developing huge software capacities presents immense economic opportunities for sustainable nation building. Suffice to state that Nigeria can earn a minimum of $10billion USD in foreign exchange annually from the local content-centric software industry. Indeed, a strategic national software strategic policy and related legislation should ensure that within the next 3 years, a major knowledge and wealth creation movement should happen by compelling all the Banks in Nigeria to migrate to indigenous banking application software. Before that line of thought is crucified and for the records, Indigenous Banking Application Software in the 90s had an installed base of over 80 Bank branches before the Bank mergers policy by Professor Chukwuma Soludo – former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.
This policy, as much as it is commendable, grossly overlooked the local content technology maturity implications. The aftermath is that it virtually killed indigenous software companies who were getting ready to deepen innovation of their solutions. The resultant effect is that is created a floodgate to the ubiquitous spread of foreign banking application software in Nigeria banking system. To date, there is still no level playing field for indigenous application software to fairly compete in the Banking and Finance Ecosystem.
What indeed is Indigenous Software? Indigenous Software (Software Nigeria) is hereby defined as "All Types and versions of Software developed in Nigeria by a company(ies) and its Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) owned by Nigerians, in Nigeria, where funds repatriation out of Nigeria is not required" Why Indigenous Software? First, the secret and future of all national development progress lies in the mastery of information systems, where software is the heart and oxygen! However, with a very poor Research, Design and Development (RD&D) platform and un-structured technology incubation and development culture, Nigeria is at best, described as light years away from mastering heavy industries, as experiences in the Industrial Revolution has portrayed – making us currently incapable of manufacturing such common technology products as an automobile, Airplane/ or even a simple motorbike or bicycle! Above all, importation of foreign software currently costs Nigeria more than $5billion USD (five billion dollars) in foreign exchange, some of which constitute a colossal waste and national security issues.
Today, the range of ICT-related concerns facing policy makers has increased dramatically in recent years: communications infrastructure, procurement for government automation and e-government programs, intellectual property, government-sponsored research programs, incubators and technology parks, engineering education, foreign investment and, of course, the potential for export revenue. Software is a relatively low-investment, environmentally friendly, high-growth global industry – a good target growth industry for many countries. But it has also become the most critical and expensive element of the government and business systems that every nation must build for itself. As Stanford Professor Edward Feigenbaum put it while serving as Chief Scientist for the US Air Force, we now live in a "software-first world" (Clark et al., 1998). The increase in global demand that makes software exports a growth industry is driven by the continued consumption of software at home and then by other countries and business enterprises.
What Nigeria Must Do? Good strategic planning about government automation projects and investment incentives to domestic Software Developers can have a positive impact on the growth of a country's software exports compared to relying on market forces alone. Establishment of massive Software-Knowledge Academies requires urgent attention. Above all, retooling of the national workforce is imperative. Creation of a National Software Board and establishment of Regional Software Engineering Institutes as well as Software Development Bank are now mandatory.
Furthermore, creating certain types of software exports requires coherent long-term planning and investment strategies to complement and augment market-driven activity. Every country software-development Ecosystem has evolved a unique industry, shaped by its own resources and situation and by the particular local opportunities presented at the time. That indeed was the case of Microsoft.
The current shape and dynamics of the software industry should, therefore, inform ICT strategy, planning and policy, no matter the country's stage of economic development. With TSA, the Software Case for Nigeria dictates that Nigerians are very capable in engineering and developing global standard software. The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) has over the years advocated for the need to establish a progressive national strategy and responsive policy for software acquisition, development, application and use, due to its very complex nature. Systemspec is a dignified member of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) and deserves a national honour for its technology assiduousness and leadership through Remita.
Abuja – Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has narrated how he missed the President's phone call on Saturday.
The presidential aide, who made this known on his Facebook page on Saturday, said the Buhari originated a call to him from his London abode after he (Buhari) had spoken with some members of the presidential media team.
He, however, revealed that he received a text message from the President after missing the call.Garba Shehu
According to him, the President had earlier spoken with the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
He said: "A day for the Presidential Media Team.
"We are thankful to the President, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) for sparing the time to make calls to the Media team.
"The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the Special Adviser, Femi Adesina responded to the calls, exchanged greetings and thanked him for calling.
"I had an SMS from him thereafter because I missed my call! I humbly join them to say thank you, Baba Buhari!!
"We are together with other Nigerians of all faiths, in praying for his safe return.''
Femi Adesina had earlier published his phone conversation with the president, on his Facebook page, on Saturday.
Adesina said: "And President Buhari called at 2:43p.m
"At exactly 2.43 p.m today, Saturday, February 25, 2017, my phone rang. Who was at the other end? Tunde Sabiu, personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari.
"Hold on for Mr President," Tunde said.
And in a matter of seconds, the very familiar voice came:
"Femi, how are you?" (He calls me Adesina most times, but today, he opted for Femi)
I screamed :"Mr President, I have missed you. How are you sir?"
He first laughed. That familiar laugh. Then he said: "I am still resting. Thank you for holding out against mischief makers."
I said it was my duty, the very least I could do, adding how happy I was to speak with him.
"How is your family?"
I said we were fine, and he asked me to extend his greetings to them.
"I hope to call you again, " Mr President said, and I bade him farewell, adding: "Best wishes, sir."
"It was a defining moment for me. For more than a month, I had always spoken with aides who are with the President in London.
"Not once did I ask them to take the phone to him, deliberately so, because I didn't need to speak with him to validate the fact that he was alive. And since he was on vacation, he had a right to his privacy.
"Of his own volition, President Buhari spoke with me. It made my day. Even if he hadn't done so, he would have remained my President, my leader, and my man. Any day.'' President Buhari had proceeded on a 10-day vacation and a routine medical check in UK on Jan. 19.
In a letter he sent to both arms of the National Assembly the president said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would act as president pending his return.
The president, who could not make it back to the country on Feb. 6, transmitted another letter to the Senate requesting extension of time to complete his medical check-up in London.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted moderate haze conditions with horizontal visibility range of two to five kilometres over the central states of the country on Sunday.
NiMet's prediction is contained in a Weather Outlook released by the Central Forecast Office on Saturday in Abuja.
It also predicted that Zaria and Kaduna might have visibility less than or equal to 1000m with day and night temperatures of 34 to 39 and 18 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
NiMet predicted that Southern states would experience partly cloudy conditions over the inland cities and the coast in the morning hours with hazy conditions over the inland of the South East later in the day.
It also predicted localised thundery showers over Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, Yenagoa, Port-Harcourt, Eket, and Calabar during the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures of 36 to 39 and 23 to 26 degrees Celcius respectively.
According to NiMet, Northern states will experience moderate dust haze conditions with visibility range of two to five kilometres.
"Katsina, Kano and Gusau may have visibility of less than or equal to 1000m during the forecast period with day and night temperature of 32 to 37 and 16 to21 degrees Celsius respectively.
"Dust haze condition is expected to still reduce horizontal visibility within the range of two to five kilometres over the northern and the central cities.
"Partly cloudy skies are anticipated over the Southern cities with prospects of thundery showers over the coastal areas later in the day,'' NiMet predicted.
This group of boys numbering about 50, suspected to be political were arrested by security agents in Ulakwo Ward 13 for allegedly trying to disrupt the on- going legislative election in Etche. The boys were seen sitting on the ground on Saturday, surrounded by some military and policemen.
A Cross Section of suspected thugs arrested by the Nigerian Army at Olakwo II Etche during the Rivers Federal and State House of Assembly Re-run Election for Etche and Omuma Constituency being taken into custody by the Army Saturday. Photo: Nwankpa ChijiokeL-R Ag. Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Ahmed Magaji and Police Public Relation Officer, Nnamdi Omoni addressing journalist over the arrest of the suspects. Photo. Mwankpa ChijiokeA Cross Section of suspected thugs arrested by the Nigerian Army at Olakwo II Etche during the Rivers Federal and State House of Assembly Re-run Election for Etche and Omuma Constituency being taken into custody by the Army Saturday. Photo: Nwankpa ChijiokeA Cross Section of suspected thugs arrested by the Nigerian Army at Olakwo II Etche during the Rivers Federal and State House of Assembly Re-run Election for Etche and Omuma Constituency being taken into custody by the Army Saturday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke
Dutse – The Buji Local Government Council of Jigawa says it has procured 80 cartons of sweet to woo children into accepting to be administered the oral polio vaccine.
The Information Officer of the council, Alhaji Ali Safiyanu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Dutse.
According to Safiyanu, 42,850 children are expected to be immunised in the area during the exercise, taking place from Feb.26 to March 2.
He said the council had received enough doses of Oral Polio Vaccines (OPVs) to cover the targeted number of children during the five-day exercise.
The spokesperson added that 250 ad-hoc staff would be engaged to conduct the exercise in the area.
He said that the council's Manager of National Program for Immunisation (NPI) had sought the cooperation of religious and traditional leaders in the area towards the successful conduct of the exercise.
Three people were hurt Saturday when a car ploughed into pedestrians in the southern German city of Heidelberg, said police, who reported the driver was arrested.
“A man drove into groups of people, three hurt, the suspect arrested and wounded,” police wrote on Twitter, without saying whether the driver acted intentionally.
Germany has been on high alert since a Tunisian allegedly rammed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin in December, killing 12 people, before being shot dead days later by police in Italy.
The Berlin carnage evoked memories of the July truck assault in the French Riviera city of Nice, where 86 people were killed by a Tunisian Islamic State group-sympathiser.
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Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking.
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Nerveless Fabinho chipped in a late penalty winner as Monaco beat Guingamp 2-1 away on Saturday to move clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table once again.
Kamil Glik gave the principality side the lead in Brittany and Fabinho netted with a “Panenka” from the spot with four minutes left before Etienne Didot pulled one back late on for the hosts.
It was a welcome return to winning ways for Monaco after their 5-3 defeat to Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in midweek.
Leonardo Jardim’s side are three points clear at the summit from Nice, who came from behind to beat Montpellier 2-1 on Friday with a brace from substitute Mickael Le Bihan in his first appearance in 17 months after injury.
Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain are six points behind the leaders in third place before they visit bitter rivals Marseille on Sunday evening.
Monaco were without the banned defensive duo of Benjamin Mendy and Andrea Raggi at the Stade du Roudourou as Jemerson, Almamy Toure, Joao Moutinho and Valere Germain all came into the side.
Guingamp had won just one of their previous eight games but beat Marseille, PSG and Lyon at home this season and they had the ball in the net in the 21st minute.
However, Moustapha Diallo’s headed effort from a Yannis Salibur cross was disallowed for offside.
Monaco took the lead just three minutes later as a Thomas Lemar free-kick was inadvertently helped on by Guingamp captain Jimmy Briand and Polish stopper Glik was there at the back post, stretching his leg to turn the ball in.
Radamel Falcao almost doubled the lead from an overhead kick before the interval but the Colombian was off the field by the time the second goal did arrive.
Teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe, on from the bench, was put through on goal by Fabinho but was brought down by ‘keeper Karl-Johan Johnsson and a penalty was awarded.
Falcao missed from the spot against City and also squandered a penalty against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League earlier in the season.
Fabinho, though, has a superb record from the spot and he scored his 11th penalty out of 11 taken in Ligue 1 in style.
Didot’s crisp finish from the edge of the box had Monaco hanging on for the last few moments, but they held on for the win and are now unbeaten in nine league outings.
Chelsea surged 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League as Pedro inspired a 3-1 win over Swansea, while Leicester’s gloom deepened as the troubled champions plunged into the relegation zone on Saturday.
Antonio Conte’s leaders won for the 17th time in their last 20 league games to push them a step closer to the title.
Cesc Fabregas, restored to the team in place of Nemanja Matic, was making his 300th Premier League appearance and the former Arsenal star marked the milestone in the 19th minute with his 46th goal in the competition.
Picked out inside the penalty area by Pedro’s cut-back, Fabregas nimbly adjusted his stride before clipping his shot past Lukasz Fabianski.
Despite being out-played for much of the first half, Swansea snatched an equaliser seconds before the interval at Stamford Bridge.
Gylfi Sigurdsson’s long free-kick caught the Blues napping and Spanish striker Fernando Llorente rose to head powerfully beyond Thibaut Courtois.
But Chelsea’s dominance was rewarded in the 72nd minute when Pedro’s routine long-range effort slipped past a weak attempted stop by Fabianski.
Diego Costa wrapped up the points when he finished off Eden Hazard’s pass in the 84th minute for his 17th goal of the season.
“For sure we dominated the game. We showed great character in the second half and deserved to win,” Conte said.
“Now it’s important to look at ourselves and continue with great focus and concentration.”
With second placed Manchester City’s scheduled derby against Manchester United postponed due to their rivals’ League Cup final date with Southampton on Sunday, Chelsea have opened up a huge lead at the top.
Third placed Tottenham can trim Chelsea’s advantage to 10 points if they beat Stoke on Sunday.
While sacked boss Claudio Ranieri was saying his farewells at the club’s Belvoir Drive training base on Saturday, Leicester’s fight for survival took a turn for the worse without the players even kicking a ball.
– Bad news –
Still digesting Ranieri’s stunning dismissal on Thursday, Leicester don’t play until Liverpool’s visit to the King Power Stadium on Monday.
Amid reports a player revolt had led to Ranieri’s exit, several Leicester players took to social media to praise the Italian, although none expressed disappointment at his exit.
But there was bad news for the malcontents from Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough left Leicester one point from safety in 18th place.
Palace had lost six of their last seven league games and their previous five league fixtures at Selhurst Park all ended in defeat.
But Sam Allardyce’s side climbed above Leicester thanks to Patrick van Aanholt, who notched his first goal for Palace since his January move from Sunderland with a cool finish from the edge of the area in the 34th minute.
Middlesbrough are without a win in nine league games and lie one point above the bottom three.
“There’s never been a bigger win than this all season,” Allardyce said. “The two-week break helped us refocus and that showed.
“The three points are important as it puts us out of the bottom three.”
Everton pushed their former manager David Moyes closer to relegation with a 2-0 win over bottom of the table Sunderland at Goodison Park.
Ronald Koeman’s team went ahead when Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye fired into the roof of the net in the 40th minute.
Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku sealed the points for seventh placed Everton in the 80th minute to leave Sunderland three points from safety.
Hull missed a chance to climb out of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Burnley at the KCOM Stadium.
Tom Hudderstone’s 72nd minute penalty, awarded for Michael Keane’s handball, put Marco Silva’s second bottom team ahead.
But Burnley, embarrassedly beaten by non-league Lincoln in the FA Cup last weekend, equalised through Keane four minutes later.
The visitors held on for only their second away league point this season despite Ashley Barnes’ late red card for elbowing Andrea Ranocchia.
Bournemouth are just five points above the relegation zone after losing 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion.
Eddie Howe’s side took the lead after five minutes when Josh King converted a penalty awarded for Allan Nyom’s foul on Ryan Fraser.
But Craig Dawson equalised in the 10th minute with a deflected long range effort before Gareth McAuley’s close-range finish won it in the 22nd minute.
The Vice Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Prof. Christian Anieke, says the institution has discovered fake or adulterated yam flour products in the Nigerian market.
Speaking on Saturday during the 4th Convocation of the institution, Anieke said that the discovery was made possible through the exploits of the institution in Biotechnology.
He said that the institution had a massive project of DNA analysis and sequencing of tropical fishes, plants and yam species in the community led by Prof. George Ude.
"For the first time, a lot of unknown fish types in our community have been identified, analysed and entered in the DNA world data bank.
"This is one service we have rendered to place our country on the world map of fruitful research results.
"The sequencing of various yam species has helped us in separating the sheep from the goat by discovering a lot of fake yam flours of adulterated yam flour products with the DNA sequencing tools," he said.
The vice chancellor said that the institution wished to partner with relevant government agencies and factories in the project to achieve good standard in food production.
"If we really want to achieve good standard in food production and make agriculture a big foreign exchange earner, we must address the issue of fake products.
"Our institution is ready to work with our government agencies in the analysis of farm products to ensure their sanctity and harmlessness," he said.
Anieke said that the institution would leverage on its partnership with International Institute for Tropical Agriculture to produce new cassava species with better yields.
"We have continued to develop our palm tree for palm oil production and planning to increase the number of our palm trees to 15,000 trees.
"With this increase we hope to meet partly the demand for palm oil in our state.
"We, therefore, plead with the state government to give us wings to fly by doing the road that leads to our main campus at Ugwuomu Nike as this will hasten the development of the university farms.
"May the Ugwuomu Road not end up in the waste basket of unfulfilled promises," Anieke said.
Newsmen report that 281 graduates participated in the convocation with nine First Class honours awardees.
Enugu – The Vice Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Prof. Christian Anieke, says the institution has discovered fake or adulterated yam flour products in the Nigerian market.
Speaking on Saturday during the 4th Convocation of the institution, Anieke said that the discovery was made possible through the exploits of the institution in Biotechnology.
He said that the institution had a massive project of DNA analysis and sequencing of tropical fishes, plants and yam species in the community led by Prof. George Ude.
"For the first time, a lot of unknown fish types in our community have been identified, analysed and entered in the DNA world data bank.
"This is one service we have rendered to place our country on the world map of fruitful research results.
"The sequencing of various yam species has helped us in separating the sheep from the goat by discovering a lot of fake yam flours of adulterated yam flour products with the DNA sequencing tools," he said.
The vice chancellor said that the institution wished to partner with relevant government agencies and factories in the project to achieve good standard in food production.
"If we really want to achieve good standard in food production and make agriculture a big foreign exchange earner, we must address the issue of fake products.
"Our institution is ready to work with our government agencies in the analysis of farm products to ensure their sanctity and harmlessness," he said. Anieke said that the institution would leverage on its partnership with International Institute for Tropical Agriculture to produce new cassava species with better yields.
"We have continued to develop our palm tree for palm oil production and planning to increase the number of our palm trees to 15,000 trees. "With this increase we hope to meet partly the demand for palm oil in our state.
"We, therefore, plead with the state government to give us wings to fly by doing the road that leads to our main campus at Ugwuomu Nike as this will hasten the development of the university farms.
"May the Ugwuomu Road not end up in the waste basket of unfulfilled promises," Anieke said.
The 281 graduates participated in the convocation with nine First Class honours awardees.
A leader of the All Progressives Congress APC in Delta State, High Chief Michael Johnny has condemned both Christians and Muslims praying for the death of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing such an act as ungodly and demonic.
Johnny, who is also Chairman of Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, said: “It is shameful and unfortunate that Christians and Muslims in Nigeria who claimed to be children of God could pray for the death of their fellow human.
Buhari
In the Bible our Lord Jesus never told Christians or taught them to pray for the death of their fellow human. Even in the Quran, Muslims were never taught to pray for the death of their fellow brother”.
In a statement by his media office in Abuja, he advised those who had wished Buhari death to return to God for forgiveness, noting that Buhari became President of Nigeria by the divine power and grace of God Almighty.
“The President could be sick now but his illness does not in any away stop the good work that God has started using him to do for the country. President Buhari had already laid a good foundation for the country”.
He pointed out that ” at Buhari’s age, no right thinking human will wish his or her father of that age to die, so, I do not see any reason why some persons who would not pray for the death of their fathers should pray for the death of President Buhari, who is also somebody’s father”.
Kogi State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello has urged Nigeria and South Africa to "lock themselves down in bilateral engagement" in order to find "a lasting solution to the alleged xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa".
The Governor made the call through a statement by his Director General on Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo in Lokoja, Friday, saying the two African giants cannot afford strained relations.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State
"Reports of xenophobic attacks in South Africa are of grave concern to Nigeria and Nigerians. As the two African giants, diplomatic engagements must be immediately switched on by the two nations to douse growing agitations over the unfortunate incidence.
"The two nations can achieve a lot working together and South Africa must also believe they have business interests across Africa. The world has become a global village and Nigerians must be as safe in South Africa as South Africans are in our nation.
"We are aware of efforts by the South African authorities to douse the rising tension between citizens of the two countries, which is a clear indication of the fact that the government and people of South Africa recognize Nigeria's leading role in the war against apartheid. Together, we are stronger".
The Governor also urged Nigerians to show the world an example in "diplomatic restraint", assuring that the Federal Government will do everything within its powers to protect Nigerians anywhere around the world.
"We are the giant of Africa and we must show great diplomatic restraint in addressing sensitive issues such as the xenophobic row between Nigeria and South Africa. We cannot afford to plunge the continent into crisis when we have worked to restore peace around the world.
"Attacking South African interests in Nigeria will not solve the problem of xenophobic attacks. We believe dialogue and public orientation in South Africa will help enlighten their people on the need to see Nigeria as a partner in progress. Our people are highly industrious anywhere they are and they have contributed immensely to the progress of South Africa".
He called on the international community to lend their voices to the call on South Africans to see xenophobia as "another form of injustice against fellow humans".
LAGOS is definitely an exciting place," said this charming lady I recently sat next to at a birthday bash. "My husband has just been transferred to Lagos from the Abeokuta branch of his office and I dreaded the things that could happen to my social life in Lagos. I needn't have worried," she said enthusiastically.
"Before now, outings in our town house had been strictly for couples. Single girls seldom show up at social functions alone and whenever we had tiffs, my husband would rather dig his feet in the living room rug than take me to a function that I had spent weeks planning and looking forward to as a sort of punishment.
"It, therefore, came as a breath of fresh air when we moved back to Lagos and discovered that not only did ladies saunter in and out of heavy parties in each other's company, they always out-numbered and outsprayed the men and stayed as late as they wished without worrying their pretty heads about how their husbands felt. For all you know, such 'husbands' are either non-existent or are out with other interesting
'discoveries'. No matter what criticisms you have against this type of freedom, it is still good for the female psyche. You go out to let off steam and not necessarily to be mischievous as most men want to believe."
"The fun of going out on your own or with your friends is to flirt with the opposite sex when the opportunity arises", declared Gladys, a business woman who's been married for years but prefers to go out alone. She assured our JJC friend to the Lagos Social circuit that the best was yet to be. That though she goes out alone, but when it is a
family affair, her better half rears his useful head. "My family is comfortable" she continued, "so food and booze are never the consideration when I go out. My friends enjoy healthy gossip and we revel in that. Also, we meet a lot of interesting men who have successfully jettisoned their wives or partners and we all get together to 'rap'. The
men say a lot of rubbish they dare not repeat in the presence of their wives and we tease them endlessly on how relaxed they are away from their matrimonial shackles.
'My husband wouldn't even think of me talking in such a brazen way. I'm always on my best behaviour when he is around and this could be quite a yawn. What man in his right senses would flirt with a lady who has a scowling partner, what we girls refer to as an ADC, by his side when there are other intelligent, attractive and fancy-free women to
talk to? And you never know who you run into. Most of the business cards we get are promptly thrown out of the car windows on the way home or conveniently left at the party. The few interesting ones you tuck into a corner that only you have access to. Who knows what could develop from such cards?
"Such ADC less outings could go awfully wrong at times though. At a retirement party sometimes ago, a socialite and multi-millionaire came in and saw this lady radiating charm, elegance and rare beauty. He was knocked for six. He arranged to be seated near his object of fancy. The gods were on his side too – power failure had just done its stuff and Sir Galahad sat, looking at the girl, enthralled. Once in a while, as he whispered sweet nothings to her, he mopped sweat from her lovely face. He even hijacked another lady's hand-fan for the lucky girl's benefit. What a good diversion from the unease the power failure had caused! Most eyes were on the couple, wondering where all these would lead to. A few hours into the party, the seemingly love birds were still going at it as if they were on stage.
Then this sprawling man came in, looking a bit lost. "May I help you?" asked the celebrant. "Yes," boomed the man for all to hear. I"ve come to collect my wife". Of course, the wife heard the determined ring in her husband's voice and shot out from her seat. You guessed right – it was "Juliet', the man had come for. Romeo's face was comical as he watched his jewel being whisked away by her rightful owner.
For a moment, you could hear a pin drop. Then some of the men who'd been green with envy, started crackling and sniggering, their wives became a bit more relaxed and slightly sympathetic towards the poor Romeo who didn't know where to put his face. "What a fortunate man' he grudgingly admitted, "in my days, no man walked away with a lady I was talking to, be he her husband or father!".
One thing you don't assume, when you run into unaccompanied women at parties is that they live alone. This was a lesson Larry, an older member of the bench learnt to his chagrin. He totally sympathised with lover-boy as he too recently experienced a shock with a lady he took home. "She never gave me the impression that she was a third
'wife' living on the largesse of her "husband' when I met her at a cocktail party." He said of his recent experience from his latest "find'. "When she told me she didn't have transport, I almost did a happy jig. Naturally, I offered her a lift and saw her to her door. Unfortunately, her "husband' had already let himself in. He was livid when he saw me and because I was a bit tipsy, my reflexes were not as sharp as they used to be. Before I could gather my wits about me, he pounced on me and was really pummelling me. 'By the time I'm through with you', he threatened, you will never go after another man's wife again'. The blows continued to fall. 'Hey, man you've got it all wrong', I yelled. I had no choice but to defend myself.
"Minutes later, when I staggered downstairs, my driver who was already relaxed expecting a long wait, took one look at my tattered agbada and hurriedly started the car without saying a word. You win some and you lose some, but no man wants to be surprised! If we'd had one or two outings, the bashing I got that night might be worth the bother! But to have to go through that baptism of fire for committing no offence really, rankled!"
How To Nail The Five-Year Itch
The seven-year itch used to be the time when you should start noticing the rut in your marriage and by to revamp it. The period has now been reduced to five years. According to one multi-university study, unhappy married couples who stuck it out and worked through their
problems reported being happier five years after a rough patch than couples who threw in the towel. Here are tips to help you stay the .-course. "
Embrace Change: Over time you and your spouse will each evolve. Acceptability that change is inevitable makes it easier to be flexible and help you to focus on big picture bonding points like building a strong family.
Expect that there will be hard times: Many couples think "if we were right for each other, it wouldn't be this difficult". But that isn't accurate. Love temporary cools.
Marriage is like the stock market. Troughs and normal, and it is usually best to ride them out.
Fight Right: It's not what you argue about but how you argue it. Avoiding name calling (it is disrespectful); put compromises ahead of the need to be right (harmony out-ranks "winning"); be quick to forgive – and quicker to say, "I apologise".
Remind yourself why you married him: Remember how your pulse raced the first time he kissed you? Calling up positive memories like that during less-than blissful moments can be an effective attitude adjuster.
By Abdallah el-Kurebe SOKOTO – The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris has said that Nigeria was under policed because the police was under funded, a development, according to him had impeded the improvement of security in the country.
He made the statement in Sokoto when Government Secondary School, Farfaru Old Boys Association (FOBA) honoured him and seven others.
Idris disclosed that the Force was working with the National Assembly for better allocation. “The Police is largely underfunded which is why Nigeria is also under-policed.”
Aware of the deplorable state of Police quarters, he promised that these would be renovated, adding that “we are partnering with private developers to build 25,000 new houses for our personnel across the country. This will include the Shelter Afrique, which is an arm of the African Union.”
Donating a building to the school on behalf of those honoured, IGP Idris said that government could not do it alone. “Private individuals and corporate organisations must must give their widows might in order to augment governments efforts.” Honoured along with the IGP were Dr. Mahe Dange; Mallam Muhammadu Zauro; former Director General of NIPS, Prof. Tijani Bande; Dr. Bello Aliyu; Dr. Ahmed Achida; Prof. Faruk Haruna and Alhaji Muhammadu Zagi.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – A political pressure group within the Gombe state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Inuwa Organization Network, has described Saturday’s local government election in the state as fraudulent, demanding for its cancellation.
The group described what happened in the state as a "heavily compromised arrangement by the State Independent Electoral Commission SIEC in the hands of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state”.
A statement signed by the spokesman of the group Kabir Mohammed, and made available to Sunday Vanguard in Abuja stated that election did not take place due to non availability of voting materials, result sheets and other sensitive materials meant for the exercise across the state.
The organization, therefore, called on the state Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to fix another date for the exercise.
“Contrary to earlier assurances by the GOSIEC Commissioner for Public Affairs, Mr. Kalagar Kudi Lubo, it will not withhold sensitive election materials to deny opposition political parties to participate in the election, the reverse is the case today in Gombe.
“GOSIEC leadership has successfully allowed themselves to be used by the PDP. This is not surprising, election manipulation is a trade this dying party understands the most”, the group noted.
While giving a catalogue of irregularities which characterized the exercise and why such election could not stand, Mohammed said “the obvious absence of Result Sheets in all the polling units across the state, is a threat to free and fair election.”
He also queried “why sensitive materials passed the night in some police stations? Are the materials under arrest or safe keeping?.
“The fact that the major instrument of election being the sensitive materials and the result sheets are not made available, there is need for the LGA election to be cancelled.”
While calling on all lovers of democracy to call GOSIEC to order and do the right thing, the group said “duplication of sensitive materials by the state electoral empire undermines the essence of democracy”.
Two medical specialists have identified lack of medical equipment and dearth of trained specialists as major reasons forcing many medical experts to travel abroad for more training.
They stated this in Lagos that after the training overseas, such persons settled there for plush jobs.
Prof. Akinyinka Omigbodun and Dr Olutola Olutosin spoke in separate interviews on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Permanent Secretariat of the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) at Yaba, Lagos.
Isaac-Adewole
Omigbodun, the WACS President and a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, said the country did not have all equipment that matched the skills that many medical experts had acquired.
"Many of us have trained in other parts of the world with sophisticated equipment.
"The equipment is not available here; we therefore cannot practise in full-fledged what we have learnt as specialists,'' he said.
Omigbodun, however, said that WACS had attracted support from well-wishers and Foundations from outside the country "but now we are beginning to have support from within Nigerians''.
"We have philanthropists, who are supporting surgical education and health care for all population, because funding from public sector alone cannot be sufficient to provide many of those equipment,'' he said.
Also, Olutosin, a Consultant and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anaesthesia, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, said foreign trips by Nigerian medical specialists was affecting the intensity and quality of training at home.
Olutosi, who is the WACS Secretary, told NAN that lack of equipment and inadequate trained specialists made a lot of people to seek medical treatment abroad.
"It is true that majority of us travel abroad for greener pastures but our training programme are well subscribed by majority of products from our medical schools.
"Medicine or postgraduate training cannot be an island in the ocean of challenges that are facing this nation,'' he said.
The specialists, however, appealed to the Federal Government to increase funding of the health sector, especially the training unit for medical education to be better.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was also present at the event, said that the Federal Government was committed to improving funding for health sector.
Adewole said that N11.7 billion was set aside in the 2017 budget for revitalisation of seven tertiary health institutions in the country.
bY Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor, Abuja – Apparently shocked by the escalation of attacks in Southern Kaduna despite increased security measures put in place by the government, Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has summoned the Inspector General of Police to the Aso Rock Villa for explanations.
A top source in the Presidency, who is privy to the summons of the police leadership, told Sunday Vanguard that the Presidency was unhappy with the fresh killing of 21 persons in the troubled Southern Kaduna last week.This file photo taken on September 23, 2015 shows Nigeria’s Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo during a meeting as part of post-coup talks in Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou
The source said that Osinbajo wanted explanations from the police chief and what needed to be done to halt the spate of atrocities by unknown elements in the area.
The meeting between the Acting President and the IGP came amidst reports that the Presidency has ordered additional security measures, including a total deployment of 15, 285 policemen by the Nigeria Police Force in Southern Kaduna with immediate effect.
One of the top sources conversant with the meeting said, “The immediate outcome of the IGP's meeting with the Acting President was the intensification and adoption of a set of additional security measures that would help contain the situation.
“Besides, deploying over 15000 cops to the area, It was also learnt that the police high command has now concluded arrangements for the establishment of a new Police Squadron in Kafanchan, Kaduna, as part of broad measures adopted to curb the violence.
“A total of 18 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and a unit of Belarus-trained police Special Forces have been deployed to Southern Kaduna. “The police, in addition, have now increased helicopter surveillance in the entire area to prevent a recurrence of violence in the communities.
“Besides, the police have so far arrested 38 suspects linked to the violence while 29 firearms have been recently recovered,” the official hinted. The IGP, the source said, has further assured that there will now be stronger police presence and security in Southern Kaduna. It will be recalled that no fewer than 21 persons were killed in the latest attacks that has devastated several communities and displaced many people in Southern Kaduna. The Army recently announced the formation of a new unit to be stationed in Southern Kaduna, all in a bid to contain the attacks.
In a similar development it was learnt that the Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Tukur Buratai, has briefed the Acting President on the situation in the Northeast where the Nigerian military is said to now hold an effective control of the area and actively mopping up remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents on a “regular and constant basis.”
Sources close to the Office of the National Security Adviser also disclosed that plans were underway for a major briefing on the overall security situation of the country for the benefit of the Nigerian public.
Musawa (Katsina State) – Sen. Abu Ibrahim (APC- Katsina) on Saturday in Musawa, his home town, organised marathon prayer sessions for President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on medical vacation in London.
The prayers, which were offered in batches, were led by reputable Islamic scholars from 11 local government areas in the senatorial district with thousands of residents in attendance.President Buhari
Ibrahim, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, said President Buhari needed prayers not only for good health, but for divine guidance and protection as well. President Buhari He said as far as the President's health was concerned, there was no cause for alarm.
He said based on available information, "the President is in high spirits''.
Ibrahim requested preachers, scholars, school teachers, women and community-based groups to continued to pray for the President.
The senator said he decided to join others to organise the prayers for the President based on his realisation of the need for citizens to continually pray for their leaders.
According to him, the nation is undergoing positive change under Buhari's leadership.
He said as such, Buhari "needs our encouragement, support and prayers for him to succeed in building a better Nigeria".
Ibrahim announced a donation of 100 copies of the Holy Qur'an to each of the 11 local government areas in zone to facilitate constant prayers for the President and offered scholarship to 30 children from each local government area in zone.
He also said that he had begun the drilling of 750 wash bores to facilitate irrigation, adding that 750 water pumping machines would be distributed to selected farmers across the 11 local government areas.
The senator said he had provided 82 motorcycles to be distributed to supporters and sewing machines to be distributed to female Islamic school tutors to enhance their capacities.
He added that three persons would be selected from each of the wards in the district to go for skill acquisition training after which they would each be given N20, 000 marching grants.
Ibrahim also inaugurated the treatment of 2,000 persons with eye-related illnesses.
He said 500 of them would get recommended glasses while 300 persons would undergo glaucoma surgery.
According to him, a committee chaired by the Zonal Chairman of APC, Alhaji Bala Abu, would be responsible for equitable distribution of the items donated.
In his remarks, the state governor, Aminu Masari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alh. Bello Mandia, applauded the senator for his courage.
He said the state government planned to organise similar prayer sessions for the President in Katsina.
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
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has struck a Boko Haram terrorist base at Tagoshe/Mandara Mountain general area about 10km Southwest of Gwoza in Northern Borno.
Jet
In a statement signed by the Air Force spokesman, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, the strike was ordered after an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) tip-off that remnants of the fleeing terrorists were gathered at the location.
He added that the follow up battle damage assessment confirmed the air strike was successful as shown by the enclosed classified footage of the operation.
There is a direct connection between swearing and emotional arousal. Although this may seem obvious, new findings cast new light on opinions around whether swearing may be considered to be a socially acceptable way of expressing emotion.
Keele University psychologist Dr Richard Stephens has published a new research paper which explores how experiencing emotion impacts on people swearing.
Stephens has in the past published research showing that swearing helps people to cope with pain, but now his new study focuses on how a person's emotions can affect the fluency of swearing.
The new research, funded by a British Psychological Society Undergraduate Research Assistantship, investigated how swearing and emotion are linked. During the study psychology student Amy Zile asked volunteers to play a first person shooter video game with the aim of causing a heightened emotive response. A golf video game was used for comparison purposes.
After playing the game volunteers were asked how many different swear words they could think of in a minute, known as the Swearing Fluency Task, a procedure developed by psychologists in the US. The volunteers who played the first person shooter game had a raised state of aggression and swore more in the Swearing Fluency Task compared with the golf video game.
The findings show there is a direct connection between swearing and emotional arousal. Although this may seem obvious, this research confirms such a link objectively. The findings cast new light on opinions around whether swearing may be considered to be a socially acceptable way of expressing emotion.
In an article published in The Conversation Dr Stephens said: "We appear to have established a two-way relation between swearing and emotion. Not only can swearing provoke an emotional response [as shown in the swearing and pain research] but raised emotional arousal has been shown to facilitate swearing, or at least one aspect of it, swearing fluency.
"These psychology studies demonstrate that there is more to swearing than routine offense-causing or a lack of linguistic hygiene. Language is a sophisticated toolkit and swearing is a useful component.
"When I am giving talks on the psychology of swearing I usually end with transcripts of the final utterances of fatal air-crash pilots, captured on the black box flight recorder because, unsurprisingly, many of these feature swearing. I use it to emphasise an important point: that swearing must be important given its prominence in matters of life and death."
Ignore your bad back at your own risk. Despite being a common problem across the world, scientists warn it could have grave consequences. New research suggests that sufferers are actually 13 per cent more likely to die early from any cause. And the findings could pose a significant threat, with painkillers recently found to be ineffective in treating the condition.
The findings could pose a significant threat, with painkillers recently found to be ineffective in treating the condition, experts say.
Few studies have examined the potential reduced life expectancy associated with spinal pain in an ageing population. But researchers from the University of Sydney assessed the link between death rates and spinal pain in 4,390 twins over the age of 70.
A report in the European Journal of Pain by Study author Dr Paulo Ferreria noted that it is a significant finding as many people think that back pain is not life-threatening.
"These findings warrant further investigation because while there is a clear link between back pain and mortality we don't know yet why this is so.
"Spinal pain may be part of a pattern of poor health and poor functional ability, which increases mortality risk in the older population.
"Policy makers should be aware that back pain is a serious issue – it is an indicator of people's poor health and should be screened for, particularly in the elderly."
New research suggests that sufferers of back pain are actually 13 per cent more likely to die early from any cause
Back pain should be recognised as an important co-morbidity that is likely to impact people's longevity and quality of life."
Back pain, ranked as the highest contributor to disability in the world, normally improves within a few weeks or months.
It is believed to affect four in five people at some point in their lifetime, with most cases being caused by lifting heavy objects or bending awkwardly.
But half see a recurrence of the problem within a year, and for some people back pain can last for years or come back in waves.
In the past most patients with back pain were prescribed some form of painkiller.
But recent research shows there are actually no effective drugs for the problem, and the only way to treat it is through stretching and exercises.
Studies have shown paracetamol or ibuprofen is ineffective against back pain, and more powerful opioid painkillers are both ineffective and highly dangerous.
Common over-the-counter drugs only provide any form of relief to one in six patients, Australian scientists discovered.
In fact, adults taking the cheap pills are actually three times more likely to suffer from stomach ulcers.
When I first received the news of Olaide’s convocation ceremony a couple of weeks ago, I was besides myself with joy. My happiness was not for Olaide, really. After spending five years for a four year course and all that had gone down in the past, I couldn’t really say I was enthusiastic about the news. Relief was more like it. “Finally, her poor mother can have some peace”, I concluded.
Raising Olaide had been a huge task, and aunty, as I call her may be said to have achieved an extraordinary feat by many standards. Over the last 20 years or so that I have known the family, I’ve had cause to listen to stories of Olaide’s many escapades, counselled her on many occasions and even told her poor mother off for failing to take what I described as ‘tough decisions’ that would set her daughter straight.
But aunty has her set style of reasoning, her polygamous marriage and uncaring husband her bane, like an albatross around her neck. She would always insist that her decisions were the best giving her circumstances and the goals she was determined to achieve, which was that Olaide must be a university graduate, no matter the cost. And these costs were dire, no mincing words. For Olaide was and still is a handful. I just had to join aunty in this great celebration of her daughter’s third class degree.
As I sat down watching her prance around the various tents, giggling and chatting up friends happily, oblivious of her poor grade, I could only feel sorry for her mother. For, I sometimes wonder who really has a problem here, the mother or the daughter? After the photo sessions, we sat down to eat and I was not surprised at the lavish display on offer. After all, it was all for Olaide. I asked aunty if she was happy and without looking me in the eye, she said yes. She’d achieved her goal and her two younger sons would have no excuse but to aspire to do better than their sister. Then, our discussion took us down memory lane, en route the torturous journey to moulding Olaide into a presentable woman.
Aunty, whose husband was our landlord several years back, was a civil servant and she also ran a little shop where she sold all sorts of things including soft drinks and beer, on and off licence. She was the exact opposite of her cantankerous husband who had two other wives living on the property and some others living at other locations in and out of Lagos, and which also did not stop his roving eyes from wondering.
Once, he’d had the misfortune of looking my way and my handling of the matter probably endeared his wife to me. We became close and she shared all sorts of problems with me, especially Olaide’s which in fact was her only problem from my observation. Her only flaw was that she never took to advise, and would always convince you to see things her way. At the end, there was no love lost between Olaide and I, as I was convinced that her mother was over pampering her over a flimsy excuse.
It all began when Olaide was in Junior Secondary School. Though a very wayward girl, she still had some pretence of innocence when it suited her.
In JSS2, her mother had walked into my apartment shaking like a leaf. Olaide had been impregnated by one of her customers and she was going to terminate it. I told her not to as she was going to launch her into a more wayward and carefree life style. She must be forced to have the baby to serve as a deterrent and reminder of her actions. She would enrol back into school after the baby. But aunty would hear none of such. She was only concerned about the humiliation among her co-wives, the inability of Olaide to complete secondary school, her disgrace among her siblings and some other flimsy excuses. Thus, the pregnancy was terminated and Olaide’s tantrums took a bigger dimension.
A few weeks after resumption for the third term in JSS2, her mother received a letter asking her to see the principal.
There, she was informed that her daughter had been on suspension for the past two weeks for leading a riot of sort, and that on resumption, she was supposed to come with her parents. But Olaide had showed up alone and told them that her mother had died the previous year and her father had travelled. She did not know that one of her teachers who knew her house and her mother had told the principal that it was a lie. Seeing no way out, she had brought the letter home. Yet, Olaide had been leaving the house for school every day for the whole two weeks.
How would you feel if your child were to tell people that you were dead? That day, I told aunty that she was breeding a monster but I guess she did not believe me. Anyway, the matter was settled and they were asked to pay some levies for the damages done to the school property before she could resume classes .
At the end of that year, Laide was asked to repeat the class. Indeed, she was one of the lucky few as many of them had been advised to withdraw. The school principal announced that the school had been chosen as one of the few to be upgraded into special schools by the government and they wanted only really intelligent and disciplined students. The students were being pruned across board.
Olaide could do better she said, as she had fallen short by just one subject. She only had to be more serious with her studies. When she was very angry and kept cursing some of the teachers, I suspected that something was wrong . The following month she missed her period again, this time in a most shocking circumstance. One of her male teachers was responsible.
The story had it that the teacher had told her of the impending doom to be released by the school authority and the need for her to pass his subject which she had failed already. He was willing to help her change the marks but she had to sleep with him. Aunty wept helplessly as she told me the story. She insisted that had her marriage been monogamous and she had the full support of her husband, she would have taken to my advice. I'd thought such a thing was possible only in higher institutions, not secondary schools. But as luck would have it, her periods came while aunty was making plans for the abortion.
Whenever one tried to advise aunty, she would insist that she was not supporting Olaide but setting her back on track. She withdrew her from the school because of that teacher, she never confronted him nor reported him just so she could save her face. The teacher would never own up to his actions, she’d insisted, adding that she would not allow him to derail her plans for Olaide.
For all her support, it was not as if Olaide appreciated or even understood what it was all about. In fact, she saw her mother more as a disturbance and then a heap dump than any other thing. But aunty would always say, “she may not appreciate what I'm doing for her now, but I know that in future, when she sits down and reflects on all that has happened, she will know what I've been through to make her whatever she becomes”.
One would expect a good father to ask why his daughter had to change schools, but not aunty’s husband, according to her. A mother must ensure that she protects her children to the best of her ability, she would tell me. Her husband according to her, had lost focus because of his many women. All the concoctions they were giving to him had twisted his brains and he didn’t know what his priorities should be any longer.
Everything went well in the first year in her new school, then in JSS3, aunty discovered she was pregnant again just as they were about to sit for the School Certificate Examination. I wasn't really surprised when she refused to have it removed. She informed her mother that she was keeping it since she was almost through with her education and that the boy was going to marry her.
The boy like many young Ibo boys, was into some kind of business and was doing fine. He was showering money and attention on her and this formed the basis for Olaide’s belief that she was in love and ready for marriage. Finally, aunty had to confide in one of her nieces whom Olaide seemed to respect a lot and they finally convinced her to have an abortion.
Prior to the procedure, she told me that a colleague in the office who had a problem child like Olaide had told her what to do once the pregnancy was terminated, an IUD must be inserted. I was surprised. Can young girls have IUD installed? Would it not encourage her to be even more carefree? But aunty insisted she was sailing with it. And it did save her the headaches of unwanted pregnancies.
We moved out of their house shortly after this but still kept very much in touch. As expected, Olaide failed that year's examination and had to retake some papers before she made it. Today, we are all happy to see her graduate, even if with a third class. That is all her mother wanted. A university degree! As we sat side by side, staring at nothing in particular, I could see her from the corner of my eye.
Was she happy or relieved, I could not tell. But her husband to whom she wanted to prove a point, was not at the ceremony. He’d failed her once again. Many things raced through my mind. Aunty was very religious, never missing church and was even an elder but I bet most of the congregants might never be able to guess what she had done to achieve her goal. What of the pregnancies and abortions? Did she not see them as sins? Was Olaide still wearing the IUD after all these years? What if all these have a negative effect on her reproductive system in the future? Who was to blame, aunty or Olaide? And for the first time in many years, I felt pity for her rather than my usual resentment. Everyone must pay a price for what they desperately desire. Yours is just different from mine.
The Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports says the interest of Africa and sub-regional neighbours will determine Nigeria's position in matters regarding the upcoming Confederation of African Football (CAF) elections.
In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the ministry said Nigeria was going to support what was good for its football only.
Journalists report that the statement was signed by Nneka Ikem-Anibeze, Special Assistant (Media) to Youths and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung.
The statement said the minister was dismayed by press statements and interviews on the issue by some officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) committing Nigeria to supporting a candidate.
CAF
Newsmen report that NFF President Amaju Pinnick had been quoted as saying Nigeria was not going to support incumbent CAF President Issa Hayatou.
Pinnick, who is now a candidate for a position on the CAF Executive Committee, had said Nigeria would support Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar for the Presidency.
"The press statements are very personal to the NFF President and do not represent the position of the people and the government of Nigeria.
"Elections into CAF have a long tradition and Nigeria as a major actor has always taken a position that will not only promote unity and international integration but also take into consideration the interest of Africa and and its sub-regional neighbours.
"As it is today, Nigeria has not taken a stand on the candidature of anybody contesting the Presidency and should not be misrepresented by anybody,'' the statement quoted Dalung as saying.
Dalung was further quoted as saying those aspiring into various CAF positions now are doing so as individuals.
"They are advised not to use the name or image of Nigeria to boost their own political fortunes.
"We will support what is good for football but we will exercise our rights through the laid-down democratic process as guaranteed by the rules of the game.
"We are appealing to all candidates to go about seeking their support free of rancour and acrimony, but they should take the interest of the region into consideration,'' he said.
The Federal Government has approved N120 million as intervention fund for the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, to assist the hospital in upgrading its facilities.
Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of State for Health, disclosed this on Friday in Asaba during his official tour of the hospital. Ehanire said the fund would go a long way in improving the lot of the hospital.
"The Federal Ministry of Health and the National Health Scheme have put together an intervention fund to the tune of N120 million for the FMC Asaba to assist the hospital.
"The FMC is expected to use the fund according to its work plan in upgrading the hospital and to enable it render improved services to the public," he said.
The minister said his visit to the hospital was to access its facilities and working conditions at the hospital and see ways the federal government can assist in improving repositioning of the FMC for better service delivery.
He noted that paucity of funds was a major challenge facing every sector of the nation's economy, attributing the challenge to the huge drop in oil revenue in the global market.
Ehanire said: "There is challenge everywhere in the country and this is because of the drop in global oil price which has our revenue to crash drastically.
"We are also aware that the restiveness in the Niger Delta has hampered our production capacity, causing the nation huge loss."
The minister however noted that the FMC is facing so much pressure in service delivery, due to the failure of primary health centres across the country to discharge their responsibilities to the public.
He said the FMC was primarily established to undertake tertiary health service delivery, but regrettably, the hospital has been saddled with treatment of minor primary health cases.
"The Federal Medical Centres are not supposed to be treating cases of catarrh and cough; these minor ailments should be handled by the primary health centres.
"But because our primary healthcare centres are not functioning well as they are supposed to do, many of these cases now come to the FMC," Ehanire noted.
He said that the federal government would revitalise and reposition primary health centres in all political wards across the nation to discharge their primary responsibilities to the public.
Earlier, the acting Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the FMC Asaba, Dr Victor Osiatuma, highlighted some of the achievements of the hospital, including the improvement from a 30-bed facility at inception to 274 beds.
He also said the hospital has achieved remarkable improvement by the Residency Training programme which it commenced in 2010 with the accreditation of the Family Medicine department.
On challenges facing the FMC, Osiatuma pointed out that the incessant strike actions in the FMC was hampering efficient service delivery, and called for government action plan to address the challenge.
"These incessant strike actions have not helped the image of the health sector and patient attendance in the hospitals. Many of the agitations of the health sector are already in the public domain.
"It is our view that government should quickly come out with definite guidelines/measures, even if temporary, which will be of uniform application to all the hospitals in the country," Osiatuma said.
Newsmen report that highpoint of the minister's visit was the inauguration of the newly-built Accident and Emergency department and the newly-renovated Utility block, which accommodates the Physiotherapy department.
Mr Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector-General of Police, says the force will henceforth recruit no fewer than 10,000 personnel annually to enhance its operations.
Idris disclosed this in Sokoto on Friday when he addressed officers and men of Zone 10 of the force in Sokoto, comprising:Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara state commands.
He said, ''The yearly recruitment will be based on local government basis to reflect federal character and equity.
" The communities will be engaged meaningfully in the exercise in tune with the principles of democratic policing."
Idris also promised that the police would continue to accord top priority to training, retraining, promotion, welfare, housing, logistics and other operational needs of its personnel to boost their productivity.
Mr. Ibrahim Idris beaming with smiles following his confirmation as the substantive IGP by the Council of State on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. With him are his officers
The police boss, who also promised to urgently renovate the existing facilities and barracks across the nation, said most of the barracks were ''in a sorry state.''
Idris further said that the police management was partnering with the National Assembly to source for more funds for the force.
" The police is largely underfunded, hence, Nigeria is under policed, and I am working to redress the ugly trend."
The police boss also said that the force would soon set up a school to train officers attached to the border patrol units to enable them combat cross-border crimes such as cattle rustling, armed robbery, human trafficking and other acts of banditry.
" We will also soon reopen the Mobile Police Training School in Gwoza, Borno, establish a marine school in Bayelsa, among others," he said.
Idris reiterated the ban on check points across the country but told the personnel to maintain visibility policing, but stressing that ''bail is still free.''
" We should continue to be of good conduct to earn and sustain the confidence as well as respect of the public we are supposed to be serving diligently."
He described zone 10 command as " one of the most peaceful commands " in the country and urged its officers and men to sustain the tempo.
The Assistant Inspector-General of police, (AIG) in charge of the zone 10, Mr Yakubu Usman, had earlier commended Idris for his humility, diligence and commitment to move the Police forward.
Usman noted that the general security situation in the zone had remained peaceful in spite some attempts to disturb the peace.
An Islamic State car bomb killed over 50 people on Friday in a Syrian village held by rebels, a day after jihadist group was driven from its stronghold within the area, a war monitor said.
The blast which occurred in the village of Sousian, hit a security checkpoint controlled by rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) banner.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor of the war based in Britain, said more than 50 people died including over 30 civilians. Two rebels contacted by Reuters put the total death toll at least 40.
One of the two, a fighter with the Sultan Murad Brigade near al-Bab, said: "it was done on a checkpoint, there were a lot of families there gathered and waiting to get back to al-Bab''. "Therefore, we have many civilian casualties."
The Turkey-backed rebels drove Islamic State from the town of al-Bab on Thursday, following weeks of street battles near where Ankara wants to establish a safe zone for civilians.
Turkey's military said that Syrian rebels had taken full control of all of al-Bab, and that work to clear mines and unexploded ordnance was under way.
Sousian is behind rebel lines about 8 km northwest of al-Bab, around which Ankara has long supported the formation of a security zone it says would help to stem a wave of migration via Turkey into Europe.
A second blast took place 2km south of Sousian later, but it was unclear whether it was from a vehicle bomb or a planted device such as a mine.
There were reports of casualties, but no immediate details, the Observatory said.
Caroline Wozniacki reached her second final in as many weeks on Friday as she beat Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-4 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Denmark’s former world number one, currently 15th, took just 90 minutes to beat her Latvian opponent and move into the title match at the Aviation club.
Wozniacki lost to Czech Karolina Pliskova in the Doha final last weekend.
Caroline Wozniacki
“It’s been a pretty good couple of weeks for me, I’m very happy with how I have been playing. Very happy how I have managed to get through these two weeks,” Wozniacki said.
“It’s been very tiring mentally. The fact that I have just been staying in there and keep grinding, I’m kind of proud of that.
“She definitely was a tricky opponent. I knew going into it that she was going to be difficult. She mixes the pace up. She really tries to break your rhythm. I was really pleased with how I was playing. I tried to stay aggressive and tried to mix it up, as well.”
She will face the winner of the second semi-final between top seed and world number two Angelique Kerber and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
Winning Saturday’s final would take Germany’s Kerber back to the top of the world rankings that she held after winning the US Open in September until Serena Williams wrested it back in claiming Australian Open glory last month.
U.S President Donald Trump says his aim is to serve the U.S. and not the rest of the world, doubling down on his "America First'' message in remarks to a conservative conference.
"This is the U.S of America I'm representing; I'm not representing the globe.
US President, Donald Trump
"I'm representing your country," Trump tells the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
Trump vowed to toss out multilateral trade deals, bolster U.S industry and increase military spending as he remakes the Republican Party in his image with a focus on the "American worker."
Trump stresses a common allegiance of all Americans to their country, pointing to the "same red blood of great patriots'' flowing through the veins of all citizens.
The Nigerian Community in South Africa says no member was hurt or shops looted during anti-immigrant protest in that country on Friday.
Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, President, Nigeria Union, told newsmen on telephone from Pretoria, South Africa, that they did not receive report on attack against any Nigerian.
"The union monitored the protests at Pretoria West, Pretoria East and Pretoria Central. " Nigerians in these areas adopted protective measures and avoided any confrontation with South Africans. " They stayed safe and looked after their homes and businesses. We have not recorded any incident on attack against our people," he said.
Xenophobia
Anyene said, however, that shops belonging to Pakistani`s, Somalis and Ethiopians in Pretoria West were attacked during the protest. " Owners of the shops resisted the crowd before the police intervened and stopped further attacks," he said.
The President also said that on Thursday night, there was massive looting of shops at Atteridgeville area of Pretoria and could not ascertain if Nigerians were affected.
Anyene said the Police did well in responding to attacks against non-citizens. " The police did a good job today. They did not allow any looting," he said.
The President said the union was still monitoring the situation and was in constant touch with the Nigerian mission. " We are monitoring the situation as the anti-immigrant protest continues. We are also in regular contact with the High Commission and Consulate.
The Russian military on Friday said a planned mini-Reichstag intended for kids to storm at a Moscow Park would serve as a symbol of victory over Nazism. The military rejected German's criticism of the Berlin parliamentary building replica.
"The criticism from German politicians forces you to question what beliefs they may actually have about the makers of the Third Reich,'' Russian Defence Ministry's spokesman, General Konshenkov said.
Soviet forces stormed the Reichstag at the end of World War II in 1945, at times engaging in combat room by room.
The Soviet Union lost more than 20 million people during the war, and the Allied victory remained a profound source of national pride in Russia.
A German government Spokeswoman had earlier said that the plan to construct the replica was "surprising and speaks for itself.''
"Germany would not build such a replica,'' German Foreign Ministry Spokesman Martin Schaefer said at a news conference.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said two days prior that the replica would be built in the military-themed Patriot Park specifically, so that young patriots could recreate the siege.
The park, in the Moscow suburb Kubinka, was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015 at a time of heightened patriotism and military rhetoric in the country.
The African Union Commission agricultural stakeholders have assured the Federal Government of economic growth if Malabo declaration initiative is implemented in Nigeria.
The stakeholders gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja at the workshop on the National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) for Nigeria.
Prof. Adeolu Ayanwale, a facilitator called for adoption of an inclusive process involving all relevant stakeholders to develop strategies and technologies to achieve NAIP objectives.
According to him, provision of incentives for constructive engagement of private sectors, civil society groups and establishment of needed capacities will go a long way to achieve it.
Ayanwale said that one of the cardinal objectives of the workshop was to establish a roadmap toward the domestication of the Malabo commitments.
He said the workshop would also deliberate on ways of implementation of the AUC NAIP plan in Nigeria.
Agric Farm
According to him, there will be a definite working document plan for NAIP which other partners can relate with and Nigerian government can work with to have timeframe of the plan.
"The programme emphasises the inclusiveness of the private sectors, if any country is to meet the objectives of the Malabo declaration," he said.
On the economic benefits of the programme, Ayanwale explained that the Malabo initiative emphasised at least 10 per cent of the members-state budget to be committed into agriculture.
He said that such commitment would drive the economy and increase the country's GDP by six per cent annually.
Also speaking, Mr Mohammed Tukur, representative of Traditional Livestock Organisation of West Africa, said Nigeria would be able to operate in line with global document after the workshop. "We will now have a global document that is aligned with Nigeria's agricultural policy," he said.
Mr Temitope Oluwo, representative of Nigeria Agro-Business Groups, expressed happiness on the programme.
"I am delighted because the workshop is agric-based and is going to promote investment in the sector particularly, under the Malabo declaration." he said.
Newsmen report that the theme for the workshop is: "Domesticating Malabo Commitments into the Green Alternative/Agriculture Promotion Policy and its Investment Plan.
President Donald Trump's campaign promise for a one trillion dollars infrastructure programme will be in focus when U.S. governors gather on Friday in Washington, D.C.
Some states making wish lists of projects ranging from a bullet train to statewide broadband internet service.
The winter meeting of the National Governors Association running through Monday is expected to showcase rare bipartisan agreement on the need for more federal help in upgrading roads, bridges and airports, said Scott Pattison, the group's executive director.
"There's just this pent-up demand to deal with, whether it's a crack in a dam, a bridge, whatever it is," Pattison said in a telephone interview.
Although there is little movement on Capitol Hill to make Trump's infrastructure vow a reality, governors have sent the White House a list of 428 projects they say are ready to go with some extra federal spending.
US President Donald Trump
The National Governors Association has not released the list but checks with some states hinted at the projects.
Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown has asked for 120 billion dollars, saying that since the state made up 12 per cent of the U.S. economy it deserves 12 per cent of Trump's one trillion dollars package.
"We're not talking about a few million, we're talking about tens of billions," Brown said of the infrastructure proposal this month as he sought federal aid to deal with a leaking dam and flooding.
Among California's big-ticket items is construction of a high-speed rail system linking San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Colorado and Minnesota want help building statewide broadband systems, with Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, a Democrat, saying his state needs 150 million dollars for its broadband grid.
Republican Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's top priority is 122 million dollars for interstate highway repairs. South Carolina and Virginia want federal aid to deepen ports, among other projects.
In a letter to Trump, Republican Governor Henry McMaster said South Carolina also needed help replacing roads and bridges.
"An appropriation of $5 billion from your infrastructure plan will help us bridge this economic gap," he wrote.
Pattison said governors wanted a "toolbox" of financing options, including municipal bonds, cash, public-private partnerships and federal matching funds. The governors are scheduled to meet with Trump on Sunday evening and again on Monday morning.
One of the speakers at the governors' conference, Leo Hindery, a managing partner at New York's InterMedia Partners, will tell state executives that creating a federal infrastructure bank is the only way to fund the hundreds of billions of dollars needed for public works.
The United States has long been criticised for its lagging public works spending. The American Society of Civil Engineers has graded U.S. infrastructure at D+ and estimated the country needs to invest $3.6 trillion by 2020.
During his campaign, Trump said he wanted action on infrastructure in his first 100 days as president. That now seems unlikely. He also talked about creating a tax credit to encourage private sector investment.
Trump's plans to create an infrastructure council have yet to get started. Republican lawmakers have said they expect to get White House infrastructure proposals but have given no details or timing.
By Soni Daniel Justice S.M Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, Friday, ordered the forfeiture of the 17 vehicles discovered at the home of the former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Custom Service, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, to the Federal Governemnt.
The order was sequel to an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission seeking among others, the forfeiture of the vehicles to the Nigerian Government, pending the conclusion of investigation and determination of the case.
In his ruling, Justice Shuaibu held that "the seventeen (17) vehicles which are now in the custody of the applicant ( EFCC) and as properly described and listed in the schedule marked exhibit EFCC 2 attached to the affidavit in support of the application are hereby forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria in the interim pending conclusion of the investigation ".
Operatives of the Commission had on February 20 stormed the warehouse of the former Customs boss on Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna and discovered seventeen exotic vehicles worth hundreds of millions of Naira, suspected to be proceeds of crime.
A total of 44 students from various faculties were on Friday asked to withdraw from the Federal University of Technology, Minna over poor academic performance and examination malpractice.
The university's spokesperson, Mrs Lydian Ledgu, said in a statement in Minna that the affected students have been ordered to vacate the campus.
She said that 22 students were advised to withdraw due to poor academic performance while the 22 others were expelled for their involvement in examination malpractices.
"The university authority will not tolerate any act that will tarnish its highly earned academic standard,'' Ledgu said.
She advised students of the institution to take their academic work seriously and shun all vices that could lead to their expulsion.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that its subsidiary, Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), was not responsible for the pipeline explosion which occurred on Thursday in Rivers.
A statement by Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC Group General Manager, Public Affairs, said the explosion occurred at the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) pipeline in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers.
It said IDSL's crew, engaged in acquiring seismic data for a Shell Oil Mining Lease, observed approved safe distance standards and as such could not be the cause of the blast.
"Our activities involve the use of seismic explosives of size 2kg and detonators. The drilled and exploded depth is 45 metres. At this depth the effect on the surface cannot affect any structure.
"The suspected gas leakage on the gas pipeline between Eveku and Rumodogo communities in Mohave Local Government Area of Rivers on Feb. 22 was not caused and cannot be caused by NNPC, IDSL seismic operations. "Our closest activity around the incident area on Thursday was 798 metres away from the pipeline.
"As a responsible corporate body, IDSL's crew on operation in Mohave Local Government Area observed, to the letter, DPR's regulations governing such activities," Ughamadu said.
According to him, the regulation says that a minimum distance of 25 metres from tarmac roads and 50 metres from houses should be observed.
Apart from this, the minimum requirements of 100 metres away from the pipelines, and a minimum distance of 200 metres from well heads or oil wells were maintained, Ughamadu said.
He said that relevant authorities in Rivers have been informed of the incident.
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has congratulated Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu on his swearing in as the sixth democratically elected Governor of Ondo State.
In a letter issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Turaki Hassan, the speaker described the new governor as "a learned colleague, whose dedication, commitment, determination and dogged spirit eventually earned him victory at the polls."
According to Hassan, Dogara also expresses confidence in Akeredolu's ability to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Ondo state.
The speaker commended the people for electing an All Progressives Congress (APC) as their governor.
Yakubu-Dogara
"Gov. Akeredolu is not just a thorough bred professional and respected senior advocate, he has always been genuinely passionate about the plight of the people.
"I have good reason to believe that this will translate to fruitful and people- oriented leadership."
"Choosing APC at the polls is a wise step by the good people of Ondo as well as a vote of confidence on the party's ideology and policies, and the APC Federal Government.
"I am confident that the governor will progressively justify this trust and support as the days go by,'' the speaker said.
Dogara also prayed God to grant the governor the wisdom, strength and good health to excel in the task.
Akeredolu,who was born on 21 July 1956 in Owo, Ondo state is a product of Government School, Owo, Aquinas College, Akure,Loyola College, Ibadan and Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro.
He studied Law at the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), graduated in 1977 and was called to Bar in 1978.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has assured inmates at Owssiomo Leprosarium Centre of enrollment into socio-intervention programme of the Federal Government.
Ehanire gave this assurance when he visited the centre located in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo on Friday.
The minister, who interacted with the inmates, assured them of continuous government support which would include their enrolment into the intervention scheme.
"The intervention programme was put in place by the Federal Government to give succour to the poor and vulnerable persons in the country.
"The programme has commenced in other states, we are encouraging the state to come up with a social register so that the less privileged can benefit from the scheme,'' he said.
The minister visited the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba and inspected facilities at the Leprosarium inside the centre.
Osagie Ehanire
He also visited the residence of `Daughters of Charity', a non-governmental organisation inside the centre, and commended them for their support in rehabilitation of the patients.
The Permanent Secretary of Edo Ministry of Health, Dr Peter Ugbodaga, commended the minister, saying that it was the first time the Centre was being visited by a minister.
Ugbodaga said that the Centre was established in 1930 to cater for persons with leprosy.
He said that the state government provides feeding and also gives N5,000 monthly stipends to the inmates, which include patient undergoing treatment and those cured from the disease.
Ugbodaga solicited for more collaboration between the state and the Federal Government in the provision of drugs on a regular basis and provision of more services.
Also, Dr Osagie Igbinigie, the doctor in charge of the Leprosarium Hospital, commended the minister for the visit to the place which currently houses 48 inmates.
He, however, called on the minister to provide Leprosy Reaction Drugs for patients who were reacting to the conventional leprosy drugs.
Igbinigie also appealed for the rehabilitation of roads leading to the Centre.
Mr John Idumange, the General Manager, Radio Bayelsa "Glory FM", on Friday confirmed that he flogged four union leaders of the station in self-defence.
Idumange told newsmen on Friday in Yenagoa that the incident happened on Monday after the unions shut down the FM station operated by the state government.
The Radio Bayelsa Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Radio Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) had alleged that Idumange was running the station outside public service rules.
Idumange, who explained the details of the incident to journalists, alleged that the unions in the station were working against his reforms aimed at repositioning the broadcast outfit.
"At about 7.20 p.m on Monday, the day RATTAWU and NUJ embarked on strike, I heard voices near my window. "So I went out to see what was happening. I saw four persons, one of them a lady.
"I could recognise Tonye Yemoleigha, one of the union leaders, who was on white shirt. I asked why they were there after chasing away all the workers," he said.
According to him, "Tonye stood up and asked if the compound belonged to me. At that point I discovered he was ready for a fight but I did not bulge.
"He brought his hands near my eyes so I blocked it. I had learnt Karate years back. One of them threw a chair at me and they all rushed to fight me. I had to fight back in self-defence. "They could have beaten me up but my Karate skills rescued me," he said.
Idumange, who was appointed on Dec. 6, 2016, claimed that he recently uncovered a N5.7 million fraud and redeployed some staff.
"The transferred workers have been meeting with them at NUJ Centre, they benefitted from the corruption and are fighting back," Idumange said.
Reacting, Mr Tonye Yemoleigha, the NUJ Chairman in Radio Bayelsa, said that the unions had reported the incident at Ekeki Police Division.
"Four of us, myself and three staff were flogged by Idumange himself. The report that it was thugs is inaccurate. It was the general manager himself that attacked and beat us up.
"We have reported the matter to the Ekeki Police Division and sought medical attention at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa. "Workers have been constantly intimidated and threatened for no just cause.
"Mr John Angese, Bayelsa Council Chairman of NUJ who is a staff of Radio Bayelsa, has also been threatened with a sack. "We are all being victimised for insi
Journalists performing their duty
sting that the General Manager complies with Public Service Rules.
"We have been under siege since he was appointed on Dec. 6, 2016. We are not opposed to repositioning the station which is in our interest, but we want the procedure to follow due process," Yemoleigha said.
Newsmen report that after the station went off air, the management mobilised armed security men and few employees who rebuffed the strike and reopened the station. Yemoleigha said that workers of the station were not opposed to staff redeployment.
"But we are insisting that the unions should also be part of the process to ensure that the best hands are not sacrificed on the altar of nepotism, sentiment or witch-hunt.
"We are also aware of the alleged N5 million payroll fraud which Idumange claimed to have uncovered which has been referred to the Police for investigation.
"Ordinarily, in line with established procedures, an investigative panel should have been instituted to look into the matter and come up with a report with which management would act.
"All these are expressly spelt out in the Public Service Rules; however, we are also requesting for a copy of the police report after their investigation," Yemoleigha said.
