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
Jose Mourinho ruled out any attempt to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford after Manchester United opened their US tour here Saturday with a 5-2 rout of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Kano Pillars Football Club, on Sunday, beat visiting Rangers International FC of Enugu 2-0 in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 29 fixture.
The home team took the advantage of being galvanised by their returning home crowd to do well in the game.
They went on to dominate both halves of the match played at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
Jamiu Alimi scored the first goal in the 32nd minute as a result of a defensive error by the visitors, while Junior Lokosa increased the tally in the 43rd minute.
Kano Pillars
Coach Ibrahim Musa of Kano Pillars later commended his players for their fighting spirit and for winning also.
"It was a good match. We played very well and we are lucky to win the game because they also played very well," he said.
The coach said his team were determined to win a ticket to play on the continent next season, and were on course in achieving this.
Rangers' coach Chukwuma Agbo, on his part, said they would go back to the drawing board to correct their mistakes and also prepare for their next match.
"It is a league. We are going back home to correct our mistakes and also prepare for our next game," he said.
Twenty-five year old Gambian, Mustapha, recalls his perilous journey from Gambia to Libya, where he was detained as he tried to make it through the desert to Europe.
“Everyday you hear gun sounds. You see people getting shot, people being beaten, people getting tortured, Every day you see it. I never heard the sound of a gun until I reached Libya. In Gambia I never heard gunshots until Libya. And Libya – every day here, morning, and night, anytime. You would hear heavy weapons like RPG’s – BOOM! Until the house would be shaking,” he said.
Now back in Banjul, he’s keen to prevent other young people from taking the same perilous path.
Alongside his friend Lamin, they’re working with Youth Against Irregular Migration (YAMI) to warn others of the dangers of illegal migration.
“So after reaching to Libya, at the first checkpoint, they stripped us there and took all of our money, our belongings our bags – everything. They put us back to the pickup and said, ‘That’s our pay,’ before we entered Libya,” said Mustapha who used smugglers to cross the desert through Niger.
Libya is the main launching point for people risking their lives to reach Europe. But Mustapha and Lamin want to put an end to that.
“Libya is like a prison, that’s why we’re sensitizing all the young people so that they can stay and we can work on our future from here. We are going to help each other with this association so that we can try to take control of our future,” said Lamin.
Only last month Spanish police ship Rio Saguaro rescued 1065 migrants off the coast of Libya over 24 hours, police said in a news release.
They said the migrants were rescued from a number of dinghies that were adrift and included people from Nigeria, South Africa, Mali, Ghana, Gambia, Niger, Guinea, Benin and Togo.
Half a million people have crossed the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy over the past four years, mainly sub-Saharan Africans who pay smugglers to shepherd them across the desert to Libya, and onward to Europe in unseaworthy dinghies.
At least 20,000 migrants are being detained in Libya, the main gateway for those attempting to reach Europe by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The Edo Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on Sunday said his administration was determined to turn the present challenges in the country into opportunities.
Obaseki spoke during an interdenominational thanksgiving service held at the New Covenant Gospel Church, Benin, to celebrate his victory at the Supreme Court.
He said that Edo had the potential to liberate the country from its present economic hardship and he was ready to propel the transformation.
"We are a special people created by God to show Nigeria the way.
"As part of the former Benin Empire, we were prosperous, so we can still utilise our resources for the overall development of the state and country at large," the governor said.
He said that only God chose him to be the governor of Edo and he was ready to dedicate himself to work for the good of the state as well as the country.
"Today is to thank God and the people of the state for their support and also to thank the legends God has used to propel me into politics
"My decision to become the governor of the state was ordained; God even revealed it through my wife that I was being called to service.
"I was the most unlikely candidate to win the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries because I did not have any political pedigree.
"But God saw me through the rigorous electioneering period, both at the APC primaries and general election," he said.
The governor extolled the fatherly role his late Uncle, Justice Andrew Obaseki, played during the electioneering period, regretting that he died shortly after the affirmation of his victory by the Supreme Court.
In his address, the Edo chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Orinane Kure, said that the body of Christ was behind the governor to ensure that his success.
Kure described the governor's victory as the will of God, urging him to rule in the fear of God.
The Bishop also commended the governor and the speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Mr Justin Okonobor, for responding to the public hearing on Grazing Bill.
The high point of the service was the offering of special prayers for the Governor and the entire citizens of the state.
Dignitaries who were at the service include the wife of the governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki; Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu; the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Justin Okonobor; the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Esohe Ikponmwen, and former deputy governor of the state, Dr Pius Odubu.
A reception was held at Samuel Ogbemudia Model College, Benin after the service.
The Lagos State Government has announced restriction of vehicular movement on Saturday July 22, in view of the local government elections that will hold in the state.
The elections will hold across the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across the state.
Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the state's Commissioner for Information and Strategy, in a statement on Sunday, said that the restriction of movement would be enforced between 8a.m and 2pm.
He said the step was to allow for a smooth conduct of the polls and unhindered participation.
Ayorinde urged residents to be peaceful and orderly on Saturday as they cast their votes in their respective wards for chairmen and councilors who were expected to drive development at the third tier of government.
He said that the election would bring on board a new set of public officers for the next four years at the local government level.
According to him, the restriction will allow the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and the security agencies to distribute electoral materials in good time and ensure the sanctity of free and fair electoral process.
"The police and other security agencies are ready to ensure that the electioneering campaign and the voting on Saturday are conducted smoothly without public disturbance.
"Every political party, candidates and their supporters, and the general public are hereby assured of safety throughout the period of voting and collation.
"However, the government solicits the cooperation of voters and the general public by obeying the restriction order and the general electoral rules in order to ensure a peaceful conduct before, during and after the elections," Ayorinde said.
LASIEC had last week announced that 12 parties would participate in the July 22 election.
It listed the parties as: All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), People's Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party, Kowa Party, National Action Council (NAC), People's Democratic Movement (PDM), United Democratic Party (UDP) and United Progressive Party (UPP).
The electoral body had also displayed the list of validated candidates for the election at its headquarters.
No fewer than 27, people mostly students, have been killed and 54 others missing after an overcrowded boat sank in a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Overcrowded boat A local official said Sunday that most of the victims of the tragedy on the Kasai river were students on holiday, local administrator Jacques Mbila told AFP.
The main reasons for the sinking were "overcrowding and drunk drivers", Mr Mbila added.
The accident happened overnight Thursday to Friday on the river Congo in the Idiofa area in the southwest of the vast country.
Local radio journalist Nelly Mafuta said she saw two nuns among the 27 dead, and the Idiofa cathedral said it held a Mass in tribute to the victims.
The boat had left Dibaya in the restive Central Kasai Province on Thursday, heading northwest for its final destination of Ilebo more than 500km away.
Such transport is one of the most used in DR Congo with its numerous waterways including the Kasai river, the country's second longest after the mighty Congo at over 2,360km.
Boats frequently capsize in DR Congo, most often due to taking on too many passengers, the lack of safety measures and inexperienced helmsmen.
Violence in the Kasai region erupted last year after a tribal chieftain known as the Kamwina Nsapu openly challenged the authority of President Joseph Kabila's government and was killed in a police operation in August 2016.
A MEMORANDUM of Understanding between the Oyo State government and Healthcare Communications, a leading health development and consultancy firm in Nigeria has been signed for strategic promotion and development of health care delivery. The Founder & Chief Executive, Healthcare Group, Dr. Bola Olaosebikan, (OON) described the partnership as part of the committment to transform health care delivery in the state.
He said under the MoU,Healthcare will work with Oyo State government on groundbreaking ideas, innovation and raising of N50 billion to restore 57 General Hospitals and 600 Health Care Centres in all the LGAs of the state.
"We shall be working with Oyo state government on the N50 billion Healthcare endowment fund for Oyo state and we are very happy to work with a focused administration, officials of government, national and international partners to deliver this innovation.
"This strategic initiative will lay a new financial foundation for health care infrastructural transformation in Oyo state, the pacesetter state in Nigeria, as well as a new pace for socio-economic development by the Ajimobi administration."
There are plans to set up the first iconic cardio-vascular centre in Africa in Ibadan from the Endowment fund which shall be launched August 3, 2017 in Ibadan.
By Festus Ahon ASABA – SENATE President, Bukola Saraki, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and former Governor James Ibori, Sunday urged Nigerians to put the interest of the country above themselves, expressing faith in Nigeria’s democracy and unity.
Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (2nd left), Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (left) and Prof. Ebiphani Azinge, during the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of Senator Nwaoboshi at Ibusa in Oshimili North LGA.
Speaking during the 60th birthday thanksgiving Mass of the Senator representing Delta North, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi at St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Ibusa, insisted that Nigerians must remain united for the advancement of democracy in the country.
Also in attendance were, Delta State Deputy Governor, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, former Emmanuel Uduaghan, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan; and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, his Niger Delta counterpart, Uguru Usani and array of traditional rulers, Priests and politicians.
Saraki said, “I want to assure the clergy that we will continue to seek for your prayers for this great country of ours; the challenges facing the country are enormous, it goes beyond roads and infrastructure; the peace and unity of this country is paramount and should be upheld but, equity and Justice where every Nigerian has a say must be the watchword.”
While congratulating Senator Nwaoboshi, the Senate President held that the Senate is one family and would ensure that Nigerians get their dues. Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (2nd left); his Deputy, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro (left); Senate President, Bukolar Sariki (right) and the Deputy Senate, President, Ike Ekweremadu
Also speaking, Okowa said; “the church should continue to pray for politicians for they work under very serious circumstances; we will continue to encourage ourselves to be good representatives of our people; we need the partnership of all Nigerians and Deltans to develop our communities and we will continue to support the Senate in its defense of democracy.”
Paying glowing tribute to Senator Nwaoboshi, the Governor said “people of Delta North supports him and as Delta Northerners, we are very proud of him as Senator representing us.”
On his part, Chief James Ibori said; “in a democratic dispensation, you have assigned duties; it is the duty of the legislature to make laws, the executive to implement the laws and the civil society elders and clergy will tell the truth to those in power.
“I am yet to see an elected officer that does not have the interest of the people at heart,” disclosing that “Senator Peter Nwaoboshi is a committed son of Anioma (Delta North) who fought for the emergence of a Delta Northerner as Governor.
Expressing gratitude to God, Senator Nwaoboshi said he had every reason to thank God on his 60th birthday, noting that “selfish, ethnic interests are put aside in the interest of the nation.
“We have more APC (All Progressive Congress) Senators here than PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) Senators in this church, and it tells you that we think of Nigeria rather than self, party or ethnic interests because, the Senate President has made it for us to think and work for only Nigeria”.
In his sermon, Very Rev. Fr. John Aduba told political office holders to be the voice of the voiceless, decrying that, “there is a lot of sufferings and smiling, people are being denied the basic things of life, no road, no water, no electricity; you might be comfortable but, those who elected you to serve, how do they feel?”
Aduba enjoined Christians not to only receive the words of God but should treasure the words into practice.
No fewer than 27 people, mostly students, have been killed and 54 others missing after an overcrowded boat sank in a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A local official said Sunday that most of the victims of the tragedy on the Kasai river were students on holiday, local administrator Jacques Mbila told AFP.
The main reasons for the sinking were "overcrowding and drunk drivers", Mr. Mbila added.
The accident happened overnight of Thursday to Friday on the river Congo in the Idiofa area in the southwest of the vast country.
Local radio journalist Nelly Mafuta said she saw two nuns among the 27 dead, and the Idiofa cathedral said it held a Mass in tribute to the victims.
The boat had left Dibaya in the restive Central Kasai Province on Thursday, heading northwest for its final destination of Ilebo more than 500km away.
Such transport is one of the most used in DR Congo with its numerous waterways including the Kasai river, the country's second longest after the mighty Congo at over 2,360km.
Boats frequently capsize in DR Congo, most often due to taking on too many passengers, the lack of safety measures and inexperienced helmsmen.
Violence in the Kasai region erupted last year after a tribal chieftain known as the Kamwina Nsapu openly challenged the authority of President Joseph Kabila's government and was killed in a police operation in August 2016.
Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, the Managing Director of the Jos-based Nigeria Film Corporation, says Nigerian movies are among the best, internationally, in terms of contents, settings and acceptability.
Maduekwe told newsmen in Lagos that many movie-producers and marketers were smiling to their banks because of impressive turnover from the sales of their videos based on quality and public acceptability.
"There is no doubt that today Nigerian movie-producers are improving in the qualities of their home videos.
"Take for example the "Wedding Party'' or "1976'; these are blog busters that are raking-in hundreds of millions of naira for their producers, because they have better production qualities.
"They are promoting the corporate image of Nigeria positively before the international community, ''he said.
However, while admonishing the producers, the expert said this did not mean that they had done exceptionally well.
Nollywood
"The room is there to enhance on quality. We produce over 2,500 movies every year; quite prolific, and we can only up the ante by 15 per cent in terms of quality, most of those in the industry will be billionaires".
Maduekwe said that the Nigeria Film Corporation was ready to assist artists, movie-producers and marketers to improve on their knowledge by organising training and seminars for them on regular bases.
"The Nigeria Film Corporation has a subsidiary, the Nigeria Film Institute, which is the foremost film institute in Africa for training of film prodcers.
"Most of those people who are making waves in some of these blog buster-movies shot in Nigeria were trained at, and by the institute.
"That will tell you the quality of capacity-building the film corporation has brought into the movie industry over the year.
"Despite that, there are still rooms for growth and development for stakeholders in the industry by availing themselves of the regular training usually organised by the institute,'' he said.
Maduekwe said that the Kano State Government had bought into the institute's training programme tagged the "Kano template''.
He said that under the arrangement, the Kano State Government signed an agreement with the institute to train 450 of its citizens in its various courses on a quarterly basis.
He said that the institute was planning to replicate this concept across the country under the name: 'Nigeria Film Institute Mobile Training Platform'.
Maduekwe said that the institute would collaborate with the existing theatre art and film departments in various universities across the country to achieve the vision.
He said that the institute would engage the services of professors in film studies from universities across the six geo- political zones of the country to enhance the capacity of people in each zone.
"We will be organizing short courses for stakeholders in the movie-and film industry from time to time.''
The expert also disclosed that the institute in partnership with the British Council had started organising training for stakeholders in the film industry to further enhance capacity building.
Following victory of the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the country’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, a member of the party and one of the most consistent and prominent critics of the Buhari-led APC administration, Jude Ndukwe, took to his Facebook page to celebrate the victory with a powerful, emotional, yet, inspirational poem full of biblical metaphors.
While the poem eulogised all those who had carried on the functions of an opposition party even as individuals despite the many inconveniences associated with such a venture using biblical champions as metaphors for them as the case lasted, Ndukwe ended up predicting “that faith will replace fear, and rejoicing will replace weeping, (and) that justice and peace shall reign again in the land (since) Nigeria will rise again, because PDP is back, (and) power returns to the people”
Below is the poem in full:
PDP: GO, TELL THEM
Go, tell them That for every lion there’s a Samson For every bear, there’s a David. Let them know that For every Pharaoh, there’s a Moses For every famine, there’s a Joseph
Go into the Rock Tell them That for every broken wall of our nation There’s a Nehemiah For every wickedness, there’s an Esther
Let them know that for every Red Sea There’s a rod For every lion in the den There’s a Daniel
Go, tell them. Let them know That for every prophet of Baal There’s an Elijah And for every Judas there are eleven others
Go, tell them, let them know That there are still many prophets of The Living God who haven’t And will never bow to Baal
Go, run quickly, tell the lion king That Elisha is around And that Joshua is ready Fully apparelled for battle To take the nation back to the people The people of God
Go, tell the hyenas and the jackals Those who called their citizens dogs and baboons That about this time in 2019 ‘A seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Nigeria.”
Tell them that faith will replace fear And rejoicing will replace weeping That justice and peace shall reign again in the land.
You, yes, you, just go, go and tell them That come 2019, Nigeria will rise again Because PDP is back, power returns to the people.
Jude Ndukwe is the former Special Adviser (Media) to Ex-Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
The Chairman, Lagos State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, on Sunday called on Christians to intensify prayers to stem the tide of kidnapping, activities of the Badoo cult and other ugly occurrences in the state.
Bamgbola made the call at a one-day intercessory prayer session entitled:"Let God Arise" at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Lagos.
He said that with relentless prayers, Lagos State and Nigeria in general would overcome the challenges currently facing them.
"We have been praying for the peace in Lagos State and Nigeria and we will not stop praying.
"But in particular, we are praying for Lagos State because the Bible commanded us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Lagos is our own Jerusalem," Bambgola said.
He said there was, however, a need to intensify prayers because of recent developments in the state, which had been noted for peace over the years.
"We have to pray against some developments: kidnapping, Badoo menace, flooding, against natural disasters and insecurity and for peace in Lagos State," the cleric said.
He appreciated the efforts of security personnel in tackling security challenges in state, but said that prayers would enable them to be more successful.
Bamgbola also urged the Federal Government to adequately equip security agencies for effective operations.
"Adequate personnel and equipment would enable the police and other security agencies to curb insurgency fast," he said.
Bamgbola said although the government was putting structures in place to ensure safety, residents also needed to be vigilant.
"Lagosians should be vigilant; they should not keep quiet when they see things not going on well in their various communities; they must report any suspicious movement or activities in their environment to the security personnel," he said.
The secretary of CAN, Lagos State Chapter, Elder Isreal Akinadewo, called on Nigerians to seek divine intervention to strengthen the nation's unity, democracy and peaceful coexistence.
He said that prayer tilts the minds of people towards where solution to various challenges will come from; reassuring that it would lead to great changes in the state and the country in general.
…as NYSC, LCDA boss laud Osun free healthcare revolution
The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has asserted that good governance lies in the hands of all, hence, the need for people to assist the government by contributing their own quota towards the growth and development of the society and country at large.
This was even as the State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Mr. Emmanuel Attah and the Executive Secretary, Irepodun South Local Council Development Area, Mr. Oyedele Kamali hailed Osun’s healthcare revolution.
Governor Aregbesola stated this at the flag-off of the “Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers” organized by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in collaboration with the Irepodun South Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Erin-Osun, for the residents of the town and adjoining communities.
He urged Nigerians, non-governmental organizations and other private sectors to rise to the occasion in rescuing the country out of her present socio-economic and political imbroglio.
The “Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers” was held in all the States of the federation.
Rauf Aregbesola
Aregbesola who was represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs, Hon. Kolapo Alimi, emphasized that development of every nation is the collective responsibility of every individual.
Aregbesola noted that the present economic situation in the country has made it practically difficult for the three tiers of government to meet up with all their constitutional responsibilities.
He held that the economic situation in the country has hinged abysmally of governments to meet all the needs of the people, hence the need for every individuals to contribute their quotas towards the growth of the country.
The Governor urged the well meaning Nigerians to always think of what they could do to bring developments to the country as government cannot do it alone.
The State helmsman who commended NYSC for taking the healthcare service to the grassroots said the state government has taken the bull by the horn in ensuring that all the health centres and hospitals were equipped with necessary health facilities.
According to him, it is time for us as Nigerians to buckle up and see the need to support government at all levels to enhance the core principle of good governance.
“With the present economic situation in the country, it seems practically difficult for the three tiers of government to meet all their statutory obligations to the people, a development that calls for support from all and sundry.
“So it is high time for Nigerians especially those that are economically blessed to support the government by contributing significantly to the well being of others and as well giving back to the society.
“With this, the brighter future is await our nation while a secured future is also guaranteed.
“For instance, a project like the one we flagoff today will definitely go along way in supporting the government policies towards the provision and promotion of free healthcare delivery.
“As such, it is pertinent on us as government to appreciate this kind gesture of the NYSC which we strongly believe will impact greatly in the lives of our people and as well assisting the government in achieving it goal of giving people quality health care.
While acknowledging the efforts of the leadership of the community for mobilizing people and supporting the initiative, the Governor further implored the people to make good use of the opportunity and come out en masse.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of Irepodun South LCDA, Mr. Oloyede Adekunle Kamali described the NYSC initiative as timely at a time the nation is facing economic impasse.
He appreciated the Corps Medical Personnel for organizing such a programme at a time health of majority of the people in the Council required checkup.
The LCDA boss expressed delight for having such a programme in his domain and urged NYSC not to relent in making such a laudable programme a frequent tradition.
Commending governor Aregbesola for giving priority to the welfare of the people of Osun, the Irepodun South LCDA Boss noted that the present administration has done a lot in revamping the moribund health sector in the state.
He said the present government in the state has geared efforts towards ensuring that all the hospitals across the nooks and crannies of the state are repositioned and equipped for the benefit of all.
Kamali stressed the need for the people of the LCDA and the entire citizenry in the state to complement government’s efforts by being vigilant at ensuring the proper use and care of the medical facilities put in place by the Aregbesola led government in all the hospitals across the state.
In his remarks, the State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr. Emmanuel Danjuma Attah disclosed that the Initiative would be moving to another local government in the State next year and so urged people to avail themselves the opportunity.
He explained that the health initiative was the brain child of the former Director General of NYSC, Brig. Gen J B Platinum which the Corps sees as a way of ameliorating health challenges in the state.
Attah who commended the Governor Rauf Aregbesola for being sensitive to the health of the residents in the state, said the initiave was designed to support the state’s intervention on quality free healthcare delivery.
He further appreciated the contribution and support which the Corps has been recieving from the state through its Health Ministry and the leadership of the Irepodun South LCDA, saying Kamali has been a wonderful supporter to the scheme.
Meanwhile some of the participants in the likes of Iyaloja of Erin Osun, Chief Mrs Rafatu Kolawole lauded NYSC for the brilliant Initiative and also called on the residents of the community to come out and benefit from the free health care service.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in llorin West Local Government Area of Kwara on Sunday dissociated itself from those calling for the recall of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki from the senate.
Alhaji Suleiman Bala, the APC Chairman in llorin West Local Government Area told journalists in Ilorin that the group and its members were not known by the party.
Bala, who spoke to journalists at a special prayer held for Saraki, condemned the call for the recall of the senate president.
He described their action as calculated attempt to retard the steady progress in all facets of development of the country.
"Those calling for the recall of our leader, the Senate President are not known to us; in fact they are not from Kwara ", he said.
The chairman said the prayer was organised for Saraki to seek God's continued protections over him and guidance at all times.
The special prayer which was led by the Chief lmam of llorin, Alhaji Mohamned Bashir featured recitation of several portions from the Quran
In attendance at the special prayer session were APC chieftains from the local government and the state.
Shanice van de Sanden’s bullet header handed hosts the Netherlands a 1-0 win against Norway in the women’s European Championship opener on Sunday.
The Liverpool winger capitalised on a superb cross from Lieke Martens from the left wing that found her face to face with helpless Norway keeper Ingrid Hjelmseth.
Pleasing the sold-out Galgenwaard stadium in Utrecht, the Dutch were on the front foot throughout the game, with Martens and Arsenal striker Anna Miedema a constant threat.
Miedema was denied twice by Hjelmseth early into the game as the keeper first cleared her shot in the first minute following a cross from van de Sanden, then tipped another over the bar ten minutes later.
Miedema, who turned only 21 on Saturday, sent two shots wide after halftime, then another five minutes from the end.
Norway, the runners-up at the last Euro in 2013, had a good chance in the second minute when Kristine Minde chipped the ball over Dutch keeper Sari van Veenendaal but failed to find the goal.
Van Veenendaal then stopped Caroline Graham’s effort and that was just about all Norway had to offer.
Their attempt to put the hosts under pressure in the final minutes failed — in a rare scoring chance, Olympique Lyon striker Ada Hederberg missed the ball at the post in stoppage time.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – Less than 75 days to the October 1 “quit notice” issued by a coalition of northern youths to Igbo leaving in the region, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council has met with the northern coalition with a view to charting a common course for peaceful co-existence of various groups in all parts of the country. Igbo must go cartoon The meeting which was held Saturday evening in Abuja lasted several hours.
Consequently, the northern coalition has said it has begun the process of reviewing its earlier demands asking the Igbo to quit, but said it would not back down on its petition to the United Nations asking it to intervene in the affairs of the nation.
While the northern coalition asked that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu be punished for damage done to the psyche of some Nigerians, the Ohanaeze youths dissociated themselves from secessionist agitations, and asked Nigerians to consider such agitations as perhaps a cry to redress noticeable imbalance in the composition of the country.
Speaking with Newsmen shortly after the meeting in Abuja, Chairman of the Coalition of Northern Youths, Yerima Shettima, who commended the move, said the peace meeting between the two groups however led to the formation of a six-member committee which will facilitate another meeting in the South-east.
On the Kaduna declaration of the coalition, Shettima said; “Leaving Nnamdi Kanu to go unpunished is totally unacceptable to us because he has so far done much damage on our psyche and our nation. So, for us we think the best we can do is to internationalize this struggle. Behind the background of what we are doing today, most likely in the event of anything falling short of what we agreed, of course we are already in the UN reporting this same character. That does not stop us discussing to arrive at a particular conclusion where we can have peace for the country.
“On our previous position, we have not officially withdrawn the quit notice given to the Igbos in the North but we said it few days ago that we will review our position and part of that steps is what we are taking now.”
While commending the Ohanaeze Youth Council for a fruitful discussion, Shettima said: “I thank God we are talking with a recognized body of entire youths organisation in the South-east called Ohanaeze Youth Council that is known everywhere. It means that this is a welcome development and we are happy that they have actually sought to get our audience to discuss the way forward out of all these uprisings.
“We are glad to get some words coming out from the leadership of Ohanaeze Youth Council specifically on the area of seeking to see us to discuss issues; it means they realized that we are very angry and a lot of things has falling out of place as a result of their short coming in the sense that if they had called the young man to order from time past we wouldn’t have gone to this extreme.
“The second one is the assurance gotten from the president of the council. If I quote him very well, he said; ‘Nnamdi Kanu is just looking for self recognition’, and we became more relaxed and comfortable getting that from him and third one is him making efforts to bring MASSOB and IPOB together for us to go into round table discussion. I think it is a welcome development.”
Also speaking, National President Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isigusoro, thanked the northern coalition for a fruitful deliberation, adding that the council believes in one Nigeria.
“We want to specially thank the Coalition of Northern Groups for accepting to host us in Abuja. Our talks have been very smooth beyond our expectations and we want to appreciate them knowing full well that we thought this talks would have ended in fiasco or taken a dangerous dimension but the way they have peacefully handled it shows that they are peaceful people. We commend them for that and also believe that through this dialogue we believe in the future that there will be no boycott of these talks and if followed peacefully, we will bring an end to some of our problems in this county.”
SENATE President, Bukola Saraki, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, former Governor James Ibori have expressed faith in Nigeria’s democracy and unity,during the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of Senator Nwaoboshi at Ibusa in Oshimili North LGA.
Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (2nd left), Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (left) and Prof. Ebiphani Azinge, during the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of Senator Nwaoboshi at Ibusa in Oshimili North LGA.Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (2nd left); his Deputy, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro (left); Senate President, Bukolar Sariki (right) and the Deputy Senate, President, Ike EkweremaduIbori and his wife and immediate past Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan (left) during Senator Peter Nwaoboshi's 60th birth day celebration in Ibusa, Oshimili North LGA.From Left: Commissioner for Women Affairs, Rev. Omatsola Williams; Chairman, Aniocha North LGA. Chuke Oseme and Hon Pascal Adigwe, during the 60th birth day thanksgiving service at Ibusa.From Left: Hon Ndudi Elumelu; Justice Daniel Maido and Senator Emmanuel Aguariawodo Pix 12 Barr & Rt Hon Mrs Peter MrakporMinority Leader, House of Representativ, Rt Hon Leo Ogor (right) and Mrs Josphine Aninih
Ruthless Roger Federer thrashed suffering Croat Marin Cilic 6-3 6-1 6-4 to become the first man to win eight Wimbledon singles crowns on Sunday (July 16), five years after landing his seventh.
The Swiss maestro, appearing in his 11th Wimbledon final, was challenged early on but once he broke a nervous Cilic in the fifth game of the opening set the match became a no-contest.
Not that Federer was concerned as, 23 days before his 36th birthday, the father of four became the oldest men’s singles champion at Wimbledon in the professional era — doing so without dropping a set throughout a glorious fortnight.
For Cilic, his first final on Centre Court became a nightmare broadcast to hundreds of millions around the globe.
After a reasonably solid start he became discombobulated and after falling 3-0 behind in the second set he slumped on his courtside chair and could be seen sobbing as a physio and tournament referee attended him. He later had treatment on the sole of his left foot.
For a moment it looked as though the final might end in a retirement for the first time since 1911.
The 28-year-old managed to regain his composure but there was no chance of Federer letting up as he accelerated towards a record-extending 19th grand slam title.
Federer was unrelenting and the Swiss third seed broke in the seventh game of the third set as his opponent crashed yet another groundstroke into the net.
The end came quickly as Federer served at 5-4 to regain the title he cherishes above all others. He missed a first match point when a forehand went wide but converted the second with his eighth ace of the match.
The Ekiti State Government on Sunday said that it had just promoted 9,583 out of its public servants.
6,993 of them are teaching and non-teaching staff of various public secondary schools, while 2,590 are local government staff. Fayose The Chairman of the State Teaching Service Commission, Chief Abiodun Falayi said in a statement that 3,963 teachers and 1,586 non-teaching staff were promoted.
Falayi said that the Gov-Ayodele Fayose-led administration inherited what he called abnormalities in cadres, unharmonized structure as well as inaccurate nominal roll and seniority list.
He said that all complaints lodged by affected workers were considered and rectified in the course of the exercise.
He said that all issues relating to adjustment of inter-cadre transfer and conversion had also been settled.
According him, the interview process was decentralized into six zones for administrative convenience and to ensure that it did not unduly interfere with academic activities in schools where they were conducted.
He said that the promotion was conducted to motivate workers as well as engender efficiency and effectiveness within the public service.
He, therefore, charged the workers to reciprocate government's gesture by living up to their responsibilities.
They should also support the state government's efforts to improve the public service, stressing that they should make diligence and dedication to duty their watchwords.
Alexis Sanchez said on Saturday that he wants to play Champions League football next season, offering his strongest hint yet that he would like to leave Arsenal.
“I want to play in the Champions (League),” Sanchez told reporters in his native Chile at a charity match in his home town of Tocopilla.
“But the decision isn’t up to me,” he added. “I need to wait on Arsenal.”
Sanchez has a year left on his Arsenal contract but his future has been up in the air since the London club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
The former Barcelona forward has been linked with moves to Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich, among other clubs, and his comments will only increase speculation he is set to leave London.
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 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted negative insinuations trailing its decision to suspend the recall process of Sen. Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West, in compliance with a court order.
Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, National Commissioner and acting Chairman of INEC said in a statement he issued on Saturday in Abuja that the attention of the commission had been drawn to some media reports about its decision to obey the court order.
He said some of the reports were claiming that INEC was being blackmailed into abandoning the process as a result of the decision of Senate to probe the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TEFUND).
He said relating INEC's decision to the Senate's intention to probe TETFUND, where the present INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, previously served as Executive Secretary, was false and misleading.
He also described it as a deliberate attempt to portray the commission in a bad light and cast aspersions on it.
"The Commission wishes to state unequivocally and categorically that these reports are totally incorrect and mischievous," he said.
Ibeanu said that while the commission formally acknowledged the receipt of the petition submitted to it by some registered voters from Kogi West, it also notified Melaye about the development in writing.
He added that in line with the powers conferred on it by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the Commission on July 3, formally announced the timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the Senator.
He stated that the commission, in line with its issued timetable for the recall, pasted the Notice of Verification at the Kogi West Constituency (INEC Office in Lokoja) on July 10.
"However, on the same July 10, INEC received an order given by the Federal High Court, Abuja, and dated July 6.''
He said that the order in respect to suit filed by Melaye, directed the "parties to maintain the status quo till the determination of the plaintiff's motion on notice.''
Ibeanu added that the Judge, in granting the relief sought by the Senator, also fixed Sept. 29 as the date to hear the Motion on Notice.
He said that by this date, the 90-day timeframe established by the Constitution for the entire recall process to be completed, would have lapsed.
He said that deeply concerned by this situation, INEC considered the court order and its implication for the Commission's ability to carry out its constitutional function regarding the petition to recall the Senator.
He stated that after weighing all the options, the Commission, as a responsible organization, decided that it should not be seen to be disobeying a court order, "however inappropriate it may consider the order.
"However, in this particular case, the Commission also decided to take immediate steps to vacate the court order and for the matter to be heard and determined expeditiously.
This, he said, was to ensure that the case was determined within a limit of 90 days from the date of the presentation of the petition that the exercise must be completed.
Ibeanu added that INEC also decided to draw the attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to the order, in view of its effect on the performance of the its constitutional duty to conduct the referendum for the recall.
"Besides, the Commission considered it important to draw the Chief Justice's attention to the matter for immediate judicial intervention.''
This, according to him, is to avoid situation where, if a similar cases arises in the future, the Commission's work will be imperiled, as any individual cald rush to court to stop what is clearly a constitutional process.
"In fact, contrary to the impression given by the misleading reports, the INEC Chairman, Yakubu, was not even at the meeting where the Commission took the decision to obey the court order.
"Yakubu is currently leading a team of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) on an official fact-finding mission to some West African countries, in his capacity as the body's President," he explained.
He assured Nigerians that INEC would continue to diligently carry out its constitutional functions without fear, favour, affection or ill will.
The Plateau Police Command said it had apprehended a 25 year-old man for allegedly posing as 'female sex worker' in Jos.
The command's spokesman, ASP Terna Tyopev, told newsmen on Saturday in Jos that the suspect, identified as Micheal Atseng, was arrested on July 13 at Gwom Guest House, Hwolshe, at about 9:30pm.
"The hotel management alerted us that someone is lodging in their hotel who poses as a woman but with physical features of a man.
"We mobilised our men and at exactly 9:30 pm, he was accosted and had been in our custody, " Tyopev said.
Tyopev, who described the suspect as a "habitual homosexual' said in 2016, he was arrested by soldiers but returned to his normal business after he was released.
He said the suspect, who usually disguised as a female prostitute, had lured many men in need of sexual satisfaction to take him in.
The spokesman described the suspect's activities as 'criminal', adding that he was being thoroughly investigated.
"In the first instance, posing as someone you are not to deceive the public is criminal because only God knows how many men must have fallen victims of this act.
"Also, the law prohibiting homosexuality is still in force in Nigeria and anyone caught must be made to face full wrath of the law.
"We have had a lot of armed robbery cases where people are robbed at gun point, and people with such character also have the tendency to commit such crime.
"So, investigations are ongoing to unravel the real motive behind this act, to see if he is involved in other criminal activities, and to also forestall this bad trend in Plateau, " he said.
Tyopev called on those who patronised commercial sex workers, to be extra careful
He urged the public to report to the police, the presence of such persons in their vicinity to help curb criminality in the state.
The Edo Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, said universities in the country were not established for jobs creation, but to advance learning, promote research and build character of students.
Obaseki made the assertion on Saturday at the second day of the 21st Convocation Ceremony of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma.
The governor said that most universities had deviated from their primary aim of promoting research and development and concentrated on having too many non-academic staff.
"The university needs all levels of supportive staff, but the current practice where the number of non-academic staff outweighed the numbers of academic staff and researchers is not acceptable, not tenable and unsustainable.
"'Universities should through investment, efficient management of funds, partnership with the private and government sectors, grants from international bodies and Alumni association, thrive to be self-sustaining,'' he said.
Obaseki said that with the current recession, universities should not shy away from getting rid of their redundant and unproductive staff in the various faculties.
"Universities should be able to check waste and corruption and stop relying on the government for subvention, because the government is almost broke,'' he advised.
The governor tasked the nation's university authorities to engage in publication of journals, innovations and technology advancement of students to make them relevant in the present world of ICT.
The university Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, said that the institution had achieved numerous successes in the areas of fibre optic technology, infrastructural development, internally generated revenue and accreditation of 64 programmes.
Onimawo listed areas of need to include partnership in investment ventures such as in agriculture going by the vast arable land and dam to boost the institution's revenue.
Others were perimeter fencing of the school, construction and tarring of roads within the campus, building of the vice-chancellor's lodge, completion of the administrative building and provision of more students' accommodation.
The Chancellor, His Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe of Bida, attributed the university's giant strides to the enabling environment provided by the state governor, saying that available resources would be judiciously utilised.
The chancellor also commended the governor for mobilising the contractors working on the administrative building back to site, saying that completion of the project would solve the problems of office accommodation.
Newsmen report that the governor was installed as the 15th visitor of the institution by the state Chief Judge, Justice Eseohe Ikponmwan.
There was also presentation of honourary degrees on Chief Tony Elumelu (Business Administration), Dr Mathew Okpebholo (Engineering) and Dr Robson Momoh (Literature).
The university awarded Post-graduate Degrees to 130 graduands with a breakdown of 40 Post-graduate Diploma, 76 Masters Degrees and 14 Doctorate Degrees, while 2,265 graduands were on Friday awarded First Degrees.
Recently, I had a conversation with Mohammed Ali Ndume, the Senator representing Borno South senatorial zone and who was recently suspended by the Senate.
Because of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s notorious history, I must confess that my mind was a bit biased against him and so when on Sunday the 8th of July 2017, he complained that Boko Haram had upped the ante of their attacks, I was a bit irritated by him because he was one of the many All Progressive Congress politicians who had praised President Muhammadu Buhari for ‘defeating’ Boko Haram.
I was outraged enough to release the following statement on facebook:
In today’s paper, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume who once praised President Muhammadu Buhari for ‘defeating’ Boko Haram now says he is worried about the ‘worrisome’ dimensions of Boko Haram attacks! In fact, Ndume says he is ‘disturbed’! I am also disturbed too.
My disturbance is based on this: How can people who have been ‘defeated’ now increase the tempo of their attacks to ‘worrisome’ and ‘disturbing’ levels Senator? You see sir, lies have an expiry date and the lies you told against Goodluck Jonathan will continue to ‘worry’ and ‘disturb’ you!
Even though I tagged Senator Ndume in the post, I never expected that he would respond, but respond he did as follows:
I really thought of not responding to your comments but the fact the you remain one of the few beneficiaries of GEJ admin that still stand by him. He was an innocent weak President that most of the people around him exploited for their personal interest.
Even though the response above is not completely positive, it was however not the type of response I would have expected from Ndume.
I have had a number of exchanges with many an APC politician and all too often these exchanges have been filled with vitriol coming from them and so this was a ‘breath of fresh air’ (if I may be excused that play on words).
And so I responded to him as follows:
Mohammed Ali Ndume What you said about Goodluck Jonathan may or may not be true, but what I said about you IS true. You praised Muhammadu Buhari for defeating Boko Haram. I can give you the date when you said it. And in today’s papers you are lamenting about Boko Haram attacks. So Senator, let us stick with these facts. If I have lied, please feel free to expose me.
To which the suspended Senator in turn responded as follows:
What you said my brother Reno is true. I praised and still praise PMB for defeating BH and my concern for the recent development is not out of place. GEJ misused the opportunity given to Nigerian minorities which I am one. This is a fact that nobody can deny.
I was so disarmed by the Senator’s conviviality (to me, if not to former President Jonathan) even though I disagreed with his conclusions on my former boss that I went on to say the following:
Mohammed Ali Ndume I praise you for telling the truth. I respect you for that and there is no need for us to go at each other. Obviously, Boko Haram was not defeated when President Muhammadu Buhari said it was. We pray that the deaths of your innocent constituents will end soon. Forgive me if I have wronged you.
To which Senator Ndume responded thus:
Reno Omokri, I respect you for standing by GEJ. So many beneficiaries have since abandoned him. I urge you to continue doing that. Because that is a rare quality of a good man. May Allah bring peace, equity, unity and good governance to our beloved country.
At this point, all I could respond with was an ‘Amin’ (amen in Arabic)!
I must say that my interaction with Senator Ndume so touched me and It made me go from dealing with him from a position of cynicism to developing almost a soft spot for him.
Why a soft spot? Because most Nigerian politicians are not humble enough to admit when and where they are wrong and for the Senator to do that shows a level of maturity that I find endearing. I daresay that others may also find it endearing as I did.
There are many uses for politics, but to my mind, the very best use of the vocation is to turn ones enemies into ones friends and whatever may be said about Senator Ndume, he does have that ability.
Now that we have identified one person who had this quality in the APC, I must appeal to him to teach it to President Muhammadu Buhari because the greatest threat to the continued existence of Nigeria as one united indivisible country is not Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB, rather it is the 97% versus 5% mentality of the President.
Not only does that mentality prove that our President could never have passed mathematics (that is even if he truly has the certificate that we have only heard about but not seen), it only shows that the President is a ruler and not a leader.
Let me explain the difference between a ruler and a leader. A ruler is a person in authority because of an office he/she holds and who maintains himself in that office by catering to the needs of his/her loyalists.
A leader on the other hand is a person in authority because of his or her or character traits which others find attractive and thus follow him as a result and who continues to expand his or her influence and authority by catering to the needs of everyone in his or her team or sphere of influence.
President Buhari fits into the former which is why he would use a sectional language to address a national holiday. It is also the reason why he was not able to bring himself to pay a state visit to those states where he lost in the 2015 elections.
Ask yourself which state President Muhammadu Buhari has visited in the Southeast and South south since he assumed office as President on May 29, 2015.
The answer is nought, nil, nada, nothing, zero, zilch and zip. The same President Muhammadu Buhari who has visited multiple foreign countries has not found it within himself to even visit these opposition states!
In fact, those states could be forgiven if they thought they were the ‘Dogs and Baboons’ famously referenced by the President in 2012 because since Buhari rose to power, they have been soaked in blood by Fulani herdsmen with little or nothing done for them by the same President who once complained that the fight against Boko Haram was anti North (his words not mine).
The husband talks of Dog and Baboon, the wife talks of Hyenas and Jackals. Are we sure these people still see Nigerians as human beings?
I have been praying for the President Muhammadu Buhari. I have asked nothing from him, neither do I need anything from the First Family. What I do want from them is to address us as human beings not as sundry wild animals that rank low on the food chain!
Nigeria is facing unprecedented floods with no solution, secession threats, quit notices, hyperinflation, Naira losing value and at this critical time the First Family chooses to reference us with Animal innuendo!
How did we go from ‘my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian’ to being called Dogs, Baboons, Hyenas and Jackals? How did this happen?
It is now I believe that Fela Kuti was a prophet of sorts (God can speak through anybody). Twenty eight years ago he warned us by singing ‘Many leaders as you see them, na different disguise them dey o, animal in human skin!’
And what a damp squib acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s visit to London to see his boss turned out to be. We were expecting some direction from that visit, some inkling of a solution to the many pressing domestic problems that this administration has inflicted on us, but the long suffering and well meaning acting President could only mouth at the usual platitudes to us about the president ‘recovering fast’ and is expected to to ‘return soon’!
Can you blame the good man? Hedged in as he is by the ‘cabal’ and their lap dogs who have been flying a kite that ‘the next in line is not always the next king’!
Meaningless platitudes!
If the President is indeed ‘recovering fast’ how come the acting President could not pose for pictures with his boss for the benefit of Nigerians? And how come the Presidency’s outlets released old pictures of the First Lady and Kayode Fayemi in winter wears with the President to try and fool the Nigerian public?
I just came back from a two week working visit to London and Aberdeen and the weather in the U.K. does not support the type of outfits we saw in those pictures!
I pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, but do you know how many poor and sick Nigerians can be treated with the thousands of pounds it cost to keep his Presidential jet at London Stansted Airport in the U.K. daily?
Today, hundreds of poor Nigerians will starve to death. They could have been rescued with a fraction of that money. Today hundreds of women will die in child birth. They could have gone to a clinic and their lives saved with a fraction of that money. Today, hundreds of infants will die of malnutrition. Only a percentage of that money could have saved them. My question to you is who is praying for them?
So in conclusion, my advice to the President is the same advice that former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave to the nation on Wednesday January 20, 2010.
On that day, former President Obasanjo said:
“If you take up an appointment, or a job, elected, appointed or whatever and then your health starts failing you, and you will not be able to satisfy yourself and the people you are supposed to serve, then, there is a part of honour and a part of morality and if you don’t do that, I do not need to say more than that.”
What more can I add to that than to say who the cap fits, let him wear it!
And let me end by saying that it is so disappointing that Tony Blair would agree to go to a Kaduna state where at least 347 Shiite men, women, children and infants were slaughtered without anyone being held liable!
I know Tony Blair professes to be a Christian. How Christian is it to affirm a government in whose sphere this mass murder happened? This is not counting the killings that were ongoing in Southern Kaduna earlier this year. I assume The Tony Blair Faith Foundation would have been paid for this visit to Kaduna state, but money is not everything. Mr. Tony Blair should remember what our Lord said in Mark 8:36 “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Apparently, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume has another pupil in Mr. Blair.
Reno’s Nuggets
You eat three times a day in order to be physically healthy. Won’t it make sense to also have three streams of income so you can be financially healthy? And if men who did not graduate university founded Apple, Microsoft and Facebook, you have no excuse for failure as a graduate.
Finally, if you’re lazy and like to sleep a lot, then make sure you have a business that still makes you money even when you are sleeping. Between the time you slept and woke up, Mark Zuckerberg made over two million dollars #RenosNuggets
Reno Omokri is a Christian TV talk show host and founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center and the Helen and Bemigho Sanctuary for orphans. He is the author of the worldwide amazon bestseller Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies and three books, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, Why Jesus Wept and Apples of Gold: A Book of Godly Wisdom
DEBONAIR General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye on Friday night steered the hornets nest, when declared that he was not a prosperity preacher, arguing that very often prosperity preachers twist the word of God to fit their message.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye, G.O, RCCG
Preaching a sermon titled; Abba Father 6 during the monthly Holy Ghost Service at the three Kilo-metre by three kilometre aiditor-ium of the church, Pastor Adeboye who called for special prayers for himself, made a profound decla-ration, saying he was rather a holiness preacher.
Shortly after the cacophony of voices, the man of God began his sermon by outling the different categories of pastors; saying “some are called prosperity pre-achers because they are always preaching about prosperity; some are called faith preachers because they focus on faith.
“Some others are called grace preachers because they focus on grace. Very few are called holiness preachers. Which group do you think I belong?” he asked the mammoth crowd of worshippers which included the Acting President, Mr. Yemi Osinbajo, and the congregation wondering the direction of his sermon, respond-ed: “Holiness preacher.”
Before his main sermon at the July edition of the Holy Ghost Service, Pastor Adeboye shocked thousands of worshippers when he declared that his topic would focus on prosperity, stressing however, he does not fall in the mould of prosperity preachers.
Thanking his listeners all over the world for their response, Pastor Adeboye started with a lesson on homiletics, saying: “The reasons pastors are categorized like this is because that is the area they focus on, but atimes they go to ex-treme. Prosperity preachers preach prosperity in such a mann-er that atimes they have to twist the word of God to fit their message.
Earlier on, after his previous month’s spiritual warfare led to the arrest of Nigerian billionaire kidnapper, Evans and some of his gang members, Pastor Adeboye reinvigorated his holy war against kidnappers and all persons and organisations making life difficult for common Nigerians.
Nine days after Adeboye declared holy war on kidnappers and herd-smen killing innocent people across the nation, notorious kid-napper, Chukwudubem George Onwuamadike aka Evans and some of his gang members were arrested in Lagos.
Visibly still angry at the continu-ed activities of kidnappers across the country, the cleric urged the mammoth crowd to pray: “Father, not just the kingpins; we pray that root out every kidnapper in every part of the country.” Continuing, he led the worsh-ippers, saying: “My Father, send down your fire on every society or cult groups shedding blood of innocent Nigerians. Send down Your fire upon every person or organisation making life difficult for the com-mon people of the nation. Father expose them and dislodge them.”
The Federal Government says it has taken steps to amend the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to discourage the production of Nigerian movies and music outside the shore of the country.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known on Saturday in Lagos when he paid a visit to the headquarters of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).
The Minister decried the situation whereby films, reality TV shows and music, were made outside Nigeria, for consumption by Nigerians.
He said the situation had hampered empowerment of practitioners in the industry, the development of the sector and the nation's economy in general.
"This government has agreed that henceforth, whatever we consume in Nigeria in terms of music and films, must be made in Nigeria.
"We cannot continue to go to South Africa or any other country to produce our films and then send them back to be consumed in Nigeria.
"The Broadcasting Code and the Advertising Code are very clear on this.
"For you to classify a product as a Nigerian product, it must have a certain percentage of Nigerian content," he said.
The Minister noted that what was happening today was that Nigerian artists were often flown out of this country to go and make their recordings.
"When they get there, they will patronise the economy of that country and then bring the products back to Nigeria for us to consume.
"It is like somebody going to China or Japan to make a product that looks like palm wine and bring it back home to label it Nigerian palm wine".
He stressed that "as long as we are not able to implement our own code to ensure local production of Nigerian music and movies, , our young talents will not get jobs".
"It is Nigerians that pay for the consumption of these products and therefore they must be allowed and encouraged to participate in their production.
"I am going to meet with the relevant stakeholders over this, to see that whatever amendment that is needed to be made to our Broadcasting Code in this regard, is done urgently, " he said.
To encourage local production of films and music, the Minister said that Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission had put forward a proposal to classify the Creative Industry and grant it a pioneer status.
He said that with the pioneer status, the creative industry would be entitled to certain incentives and tax holiday.
The Minister said that there would also be waivers for shipment of imported music and films production equipment.
He stressed that the federal government was committed to making the creative industry viable, dynamic and sustainable.
Mohammed said that as one of the key areas for diversification of the economy, the creative industry would be private sector-driven, while government would create the enabling environment for its growth.
The Minister lauded COSON and its management team for achieving a lot in seven years of existence.
"I am very proud of COSON because in terms of excellence and competence, COSON can compete with any known international brand.
"COSON is operating in a tough environment where people believe that intellectual property of people belong to no one and is meant for the use of all, without compensation.
"The body has however done a lot in copyright royalty collection and distribution since its inception in 2010,." he said.
Earlier, Chairman of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji said that the Society was an umbrella body to fight copyright infringements.
He recalled that for many decades, music was broadcast freely on radio and TV stations across Nigeria, and dished out in hotels, as if they belonged to no one.
He said COSON was set up to manage the collection and distribution of royalties arising from the public and commercial use of musical works and sound recordings
He said COSON was being managed in transparent manner by professionals, and had distributed over half a billion Naira in royalties since its inception in 2010.
Newsmen report that Okoroji, along with COSON management team, conducted the Minister and his entourage round the facilities at the headquarters of the organisation.
In the entourage of the Minister were, the Director Generals of Nigeria Television Authority, Yakubu Mohammed and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Dr Mansur Liman.
Sexy Nollywood actress and producer, Lizzygold Onuwaje has shot her second movie due for premiere on August 25, 2017 in Asaba, Delta State. According to the former Miss Delta State, His Excellency Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State will lead a roll call of dignitaries on the list of guests.
The movie, "Just One Night', pitches Lizzygold, Femi Jacobs and Majid Michel against one another in a love triangle that is both thrilling and suspenseful. Lizzygold took a chance when she slept with her ex-boyfriend, Majid Michel, just a week before her wedding.
What she thought was a safe escapade turns ugly when she got pregnant and the ex-boyfriend turns up to claim his child. Her husband, Femi Jacobs, had thought the child is his, but Majid is lurking around, raising hell to claim his child.
The film stars Majid Michel, Femi Jacobs,Yvonne Jegede, Melvin Oduah, Nichole Banna, Vivica Anofuro and many others. It is directed by Pascal Amanfo while Lizzygold is the producer.
Booty queen of Nollywood, Evia Simon, has proved her mettle as an actress and now set to put herself to the test as a producer as the actress has just shot her first movie, titled 'Unbreak'.
Evia packed a stellar cast of top actors who know their craft. They include Ruth Kadiri, Frederick Leonard, Chuks Chyke, Mercy Aminu, Paul Vicks, Vincent Opurum, Priscilia Fidelis and a host of others. Aniedi Awah Noba is the director.
Evia and Ruth grew up with severe hatred for men but when one of them falls in love with a playboy, things took an unexpected turn. Then the big question comes: Would love be strong enough to 'Unbreak' their past and make it easy for them to enjoy their love?
THE factional President of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, Barrister Eric Omare, has declared that Ijaw nation can't be part of Biafra because according to him, the struggle for self determination championed by Ijaw people predates the quest for Biafra republic.
Omare, who vowed that under his leadership, the IYC would pursue self determination started by their revolutionary leader, late Major Isaac Adaka Boro, said one of the aims of his administration is to bring all the Ijaw people in the country under one political structure.
He spoke weekend during the official handover ceremony to 7th National Executive Council, NEC, by the immediate past President of IYC, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, held in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Omare who dissociates the Ijaw nation from the Biafra agitation, said that the Ijaw nation cannot be part and parcel of Biafra, maintaining that Ijaw nation has always being in the forefront of self-actualization even before the Ibos started fighting for Biafra.
"Self-determination may mean many things to different people. But to us the Ijaw people, self-actualization means having a political space where we will have total control of our resources and we will be able to govern ourselves".
"Speaking further, Omare said the main crux of Ijaw nation's struggle is to get political emancipation because according to him, his people are tired of begging the federal government for crumbs.
Senior Special Assistant ( General Duties) to Bayelsa State Government, Mr. Goddy Smith, has condemned the invasion of Army formation by suspected gunmen at Ogbogbagbene community, in Burutu local government area of Delta State.
Smith, a former Niger Delta agitator and leader in Burutu local government, regretted the death of a soldier and others injured at the incident, and called on youths in the Niger Delta to shun any act capable of breaching the peace in the region.
In a statement made in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Smith noted that the prevailing peace in the region must be sustained and warned against act of criminality which could hinder the much desired development of the region.
He said: " The people of Niger Delta region are known to be peaceful and law abiding, the genuine struggle is purely for the development of the region. Therefore, criminality, killing a soldier and injuring of persons by gunmen will never be the solution to the agitation, rather it is dialogue".
Breezy Yoruba actress, Feyisara Hassan has wrapped up production of another film, titled 'Tife Bankole'', proving herself as a prolific producer. At 24, this is Feyisara's sixth film, in spite of her starting acting in 2011.
Vulnerably pretty, Feyi dragged the likes of Odunlade Adekola, Niyi Johnson, Joke Jigan, Tunde Owokoniran, Miss Pepeye and many more to location for this production.
The film, according to Feyi, is all about a young girl who lost her memory and fell in love with the doctor that was treating her. Along the line she came across her first love who abandoned her during the accident that caused the memory loss. She found out she was still in love with her first love and so is the doctor too. Now, she's torn between loving two men at the same time.
After helping more than 1,500 Nigerian men get their sex life and marriage back. I have discovered 3 major reasons men have weak erection and ejaculate in less than 5 minutes.
And in this article I would outline these 3 major causes of weak erection and quick ejaculation
You would also get to know 3 effective methods to permanently cure weak erection and last more than 40 minutes.
Now lets get down to it .
The Root Cause of Your Sexual Problems:
When a man suffers from sexual problems like – Weak erections, premature ejaculation, Low sexual energy etc, these problems are USUALLY caused by the following
1.Poor diet and lack of exercise.
2.Stress and psychological problem
3.Excessive masturbation and pornography.
Lets get into them indepth.
Now How Do You Completely Cure Weak Erection and Quick Ejaculation?
Before I let you into this brand new discovery, let me tell you that you are not alone in this problem and I feel your pain, I use to be in your shoes, kept buying every supplements in the pharmacies even on the internet yet no solution and I kept spending and spending my wife kept nagging now its all history.
A recent survey shows that over 30 million Nigerian men have this sex problems.
1. Avoid Masturbation!
Most men masturbate and it has become a habit for some of them. This is actually one of the root cause of your quick ejaculation problem.
I’ve seen messages from men who are around 35 – 39years of age, but just last 1 – 5mins in bed… All because they have condition their body to last for 5mins due to too much masturbation my advice is that you AVOID IT! 2. Have an healthy diet and exercise
Most men that can’t go more than one round in bed, and have poor erection or little libido have something in common…”they have a POOR diet and do not really exercise”
What you can do now is to improve your health condition…
(1) Eat more fruits and vegetables like
(2) Avoid eating too much red meat and reduce intake of alcohol
(3) Drink 1 cup of water when you wake up in the morning
(4) Do 15minutes exercises often in the morning when you wake up … could be walking, jogging etc.
3. Take Supplements that help boost your sexual activities.
The truth is most of our food don't have the right combination to help us last longer,
So what you should do aside eating fruits and stopping masturbation is to taking natural supplements that helps you increase blood flow to the penis and boost your stamina.
I have one that has helped a lot of Nigerian men get their confidence and stamina back on track.
It is working effect with no side effects whatsoever,
But the GOOD News is…
There are special herbal products that are approved by NAFDAC and they actually work if you administer them professionally.
But There is this herbal supplement that is highly effective and can raise even a dead man's manhood when used properly
This special herbal mixture is approved by NAFDAC and it is a combination of 3 very powerful medicinal herbs that your great grandfather probably knew and used to satisfy their multiple wives even till old age.
I suffered from Premature ejaculation for Years and couldn't even find a good solution no matter how Hard I tried until I found Help with Libiron Herbal Capsule.
"Libiron Herbal Capsule"
… From Lasting 2 minutes To Lasting Up To at least 30 Minutes In Bed!
Libiron Herbal Capsule is made of a pure herbal ingredients in capsule form, there are 60 capsules in it, produced to boost male sexual performance. The main mechanism of Libiron is to improve sex appeal is increase reflection of nerve condition. With Libiron as I fondly call it, you enjoy bigger and harder erections,increase in libido and complete cure to your quick ejaculation!
NO SIDE EFFECT OF ANY KIND Approved By NAFDAC A7-5794L
The Libiron Herbal Capsule Kill Premature Ejaculation The Same Way Ota Pia pia kills Mosquito.
Try Libiron Herbal Capsule today and say Bye Bye to your sexual worries for ever and ever.
The Libiron Herbal Capsule Has been Evaluated and Approved by NAFDAC With Registration Number A7-5794L
Some Interesting Facts About The Libiron Herbal Capsule
The Libiron Herbal Capsule, Is a Specially Formulated Herbal Ingredients that will Make you Last Longer than 35 Min In Bed when having sex.
The Libiron Herbal Capsule Is Strong at Boosting and giving you harder ERECTION So you can penetrated better, The Harder the Better.
You will have erections when you ready to have sex, and be able to maintain a rock-hard erection that gives her mind blowing sex.
Watery Sperm? Don’t Worry! The Libiron Herbal Capsule Will Ensure your system is up to date and Watery Sperm will be thing of the Past in your Life. Just Take The Libiron Herbal Capsule With Pure Natural Horney.
You will be able to give your woman more rounds of deep satisfying sex and last longer for up to 35 minutes…
No more embarrassing yourself or disappointing your woman due to cumming quickly…
You will finally save your marriage or relationship with your spouse. She won’t look outside trying to cheat on you with another man, because you will be the only one that she craves for and satisfy her completely.
And, the good thing about this solution is that…
You Start to See Results… IMMEDIATELY!
I mean, IMMEDIATELY!
The 60 Capsules inside a pack of Libiron is enough to completely cure your quick ejaculation and give you harder erection, increase libido in male and female. It corrects weakness of the penis, lost of sexual desire, quick ejaculation. It boosts sperm count and give a super hard rock erection for better sex enjoyment.
This No side Effect Natural herbal SolutionAlready Helped over 1500 Men To Last Longer, Correct Penis weakness,& Double Their Penis Size.
See their unsolicited testimonies:
If you have ever wondered how to increase your man-hood size without pills and make the enlargement permanent.
This Japanese made enlargement oil is the answer.
"Here Is the Japanese Made Penis Enlargement Oil That I Used To Increase The Size Of My Penis…and has helped over 1,500 Nigerian men
Believe me; I measured several times to make sure this was for real.
I took out a measuring tape and measured my penis…It had increased from the tiny 3.7 inches to a surprising 5.6 inches… in less than 3 weeks!
Now, I know you can’t wait to lay your hands on these GUARANTEED solutions…
Hence, I’m ready to further make it easier and cheaper for you; if not for anything, to show you that the solutions actually work and will work for you guaranteed.
We have Only 100 bottle pack of Libiron herbal capsule and MK Oil Available And Its Strictly First Come First Serve!
The Libiron Herbal Capsule is N15,000 payment On delivery If you Order Today!
Here is the break down of the price if you are ordering today
Libiron Herbal Capsule only is N15,000
2 packs of MK Oil only is N12,000
So, if you order for the 2 solutions together today, you pay only N22,000instead of N28,000 (that’s a extra discount of N6,000)
if you order for the 2 solutions together today, you pay only N22,000
Do you want to continue to suffer from the shame and frustration caused by premature ejaculation and small penis…when you can do something about it now?
Or…Would you rather pay higher later… when you can easily get it for the low amount today?
Of course, I know you will make the smart choice!
So, you have to hurry up to be among the lucky few, and place your order NOW
And to help you sweeten the deal am giving you an amazing bonus that you cant get anywhere else if you order today.
Here’s how:-Once you place your order for both of them today at N22,000.You will also get the amazing product that cures STDs and other infections related to sex. Bonus : “Togacin Broad Spectrum Antibiotic”
The ultimate solution for stds like; stapph, gonorhea,clamdyia.
The one reason why this is very important is that; most times premature ejaculation is always caused my infections. And without treating them you only sabotaging your efforts.
Best part is that you get this 100 percent herbal antibiotic for free when you place order today.
However, I must warn that ONLY those who place their order right away gets this STD killer “Togacin Antibiotic“. If you procrastinate further, you may not get it.
So, this is a no brainer… Get the 2-in-1 solution now, get the extra FREE bonus.
To erase the fear of been scammed we now offer Cash on delivery to any part of Nigeria.
You will only pay when this product has been physically brought down to you face-to-faceby our courier company. We call it ==> Pay on Delivery.
A. All Shipments are sent in discreet packaging without images or text that could suggest the contents. The shipping documents and invoice are discreet as well.
Feel to Ask Your Question Via Our customer care line or
Walk Into Our Marketing office,
3,Salvation road, Opebi,Ikeja, Lagos
Visiting Hours: Monday – Saturday (9am – 5pm)
Hotline: 080-94408-649
That is all you have to do, you get your man-hood to the size you have always dreamt of, and last longer than you ever imagined.
Aunce 28, resides in Benin and employed, needs male and female friends,with inspirations to share ideas with.08058814193,07037860034
Philip 31, needs a mature lady, aged 38-50, for friendship,in Abuja. 08098495345
Lovers
Searching Female
Caro 23, busty, sexy and charming, needs a romantic man in her life.08148598588
•Fola 34, HIV positive, needs a God fearing man of the same status, who is caring, gainfully employed, aged 37- 40, resides in Abuja and ready for marriage.09020756348
Searching Male
Nonso 35, a graduate and employed, from Anambra state, needs an employed lady, aged 30 and above, for a serious relationship, that can lead to a marriage. 09030852526
Michael reside in Lagos, needs a matured lady, for a fun filled relationship. 07037177183
Tony resides in Enugu, needs a matured lady who has shape and resides in Enugu or Ebonyi for a good relationship.08050887979 •Felix 36, and resides in Delta state, needs a matured lady, aged 35and above, for a serious relationship. 07055420282
A guy, graduate and resides in Lagos, needs a lady, within Okoko, Mile2 and Ijanikin Lagos for a relationship that can lead to marriage.08170096900
Olakunle 30, dark in complexion 6.10ft tall, a builder by profession, a Christian from Ogun state, needs a God fearing, independent, tall, busty, sexy lady, aged 20-26 for a serious relationship that can lead to marriage.08103086234
Zain 44, a Deltan, needs a tall, busty lady, who is a university graduate, not circumcised and whose genotype is AA, from Delta state, aged 26-34,for marriage.07084354272, 08030722412
Festus, reside in Lagos, needs a nice and good looking lady, that is ready to join hands with him, to build a home and future together aged 20-27.0806280580
•Ifeanyi 41, from Imo state, but employed and resides in Lagos, needs a God fearing lady, from Imo or Abia state, who is also employed and resides in Lagos, aged 26-32,for marriage. 0809829877
•Paul 30, cute and God fearing, needs a fair in complexion lady, aged 25-28, who is employed and resides in Lagos, for a serious relationship, that can lead to marriage in a year time. 07030202763
Chris 30 ,resides in AsabaDelta state, need a lady, for a relationship that can lead to marriage,aged 20-26. 08067209056
Okoro 22, resides in Benin City,needs an intelligent, nice, honest and good looking lady, for a serious relationship,aged18-22. 08159240386, 08166150307 •Emeka tall, slim, fair in complexion and resides in Abuja, needs a beautiful lady, who is ready to settle down.08133230486
•Kasto 35, from Warri Delta State, needs a lady for a relationship. 08072232336
Iyanu 25, resides in Lagos, but currently serving in Ondo state, need a lady, that resides in Ondo, Lagos, aged 19 -24, for a seriousrelationship. 08133035582
Sam 34, employed and resides in Lagos, needs a lady, aged 23-30. 0907513855
Raymond 23, a student, needs a God fearing lady, for courtship.09056737840
•Gbolagade , a graduate and employed, needs a born again Christian lady or single mother of one, aged 33, who is employed with government into business, for short courtship and marriage.08166931205
•Chris 27, fair incomplexion and a graduate, needs a responsible and motivational lady, aged 18-25, for a relationship that can lead to marriage. 07065238560
Don best 28,a graduate and resides in Abuja, needs an employed and matured lady, aged 35-45, for a serious relationship. 09079142280
Thomas a graduate, well read, CEO, Uxorious, God fearing, a virgin and good looking, needs a devoted Christian, pretty, medical graduate practitioner, aged 25-35, for a sincere relationship, that will lead to marriage. 09080711583
Sugar Cares
Searching Female
Amanda 26, slim, beautiful and romantic, needs a rich, generous and romantic sugar daddy, aged 50-80, in Delta, PH.09068731324
•Rayo, 23, reside in Lagos, needs a sugar daddy, aged 40-55. 08163737509
Searching Male
Rasheed 32, needs a sugar mummy that can take proper care of him, in Lagos.08027852184
•Sam, resides in Abuja, needs a romantic sugar mummy also in Abuja. 07085508607,08148177017
Solomon 33, needs a beautiful sugar mummy, who is romantic and sexy.07060420639
Ohn 27, need a sugar mummy.09072584883 •Samuel 30, needs a sugar mummy, for a romantic relationship.09071571875,07060656305
•Tola 26, needs a sugar mummy, aged 35-45. 08068135733
Ezekiel a student, needs a sugar mummy, for a relationship.09078410552
•Cas 26, mature and fun to be with, needs a sugar mummy, in Ilorin.08157363200
Jeff from Ibadan, needs a sugar mummy, that can take care of him. 07069310753
Disclaimer!
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.
Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For enquiries, text or call 08026651636
Garbine Muguruza clinched a maiden Wimbledon title on Saturday with a stunning 7-5 6-0 demolition of Venus Williams. Muguruza was splendid as she ensured the American's dreams of a fairytale victory at the age of 37 were blown apart in a devastating second set.
After some tense early exchanges, the Spaniard cut loose, winning nine straight games to claim a second grand slam title to add to last year's French Open.
The 23-year-old fell to the floor in celebration after clinching victory in an hour and 17 minutes.
It was her second Wimbledon final, having lost to Venus's sister Serena on the same stage in 2015.
"Two years ago I lost in the final to Serena and she told me one day I was going to maybe win and hey, two years after here I am," she said in a courtside interview.
When asked if she had a message for her coach Sam Sumyk, who is absent as his wife is expecting a baby, she held the trophy aloft and said: "Here it is."
In the first women's final played under the Centre Court roof, a high-quality first set gradually built towards a captivating conclusion.
It included several tests of nerve for the battling Spaniard, who showed an almost iron will not to give an inch even as Venus upped the aggression levels with ferocious intent.
Muguruza saved three break points, which included two tension-filled set points in the 10th game, the first of which saw the Spaniard emerge with a clenched fist from an epic 19-shot rally.
It was then her turn to go on the offensive.
She crafted her third break point of the set when Venus netted a forehand and took her chance when the American sent a second forehand long after another lengthy exchange.
Muguruza took the first set when Venus netted a backhand and then put her foot to the floor with astonishing brutality.
She broke on three straight occasions in the second set as Venus seemed to hit a mental and physical wall.
When the five-times winner could barely get her racket to a vicious forehand, it gave the Spaniard three match points.
But in keeping with a messy second set, she needed two Hawk-eye challenges to put the beleaguered American out of her misery.
As the scoreboard showed the ball had bounced out at 40-30, she dropped her racket and fell to the ground, before covering her face in an emotional celebration.
Internet users in Nigeria has hit 91 million, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The NCC said internet users increased from 90,124,428 in April to 91,565,010 in May, an increase of 1,440,582.
The telecommunications industry regulator made the disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data obtained by newsmen on Saturday in Lagos.
The data indicates that internet users on both Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks increased from 90,154,737 in April to 91,565,319 in May.
It said that out of the 91,595,319 internet users in May, 91,565,010 were on GSM networks, while 30,309 users were on CDMA networks.
Also, the GSM service providers gained 1,440,582 internet customers after recording 91,565,010 users in May, as against 90,124,428 it recorded in April.
The CDMA operators had retained 30,309 internet subscribers in May as recorded in April.
The data also shows that MTN had 31,406,441 subscribers browsing the internet on its network in the month under review and also recorded an increase of 600,464 internet subscribers in May after recording 30,805,977 in April.
According to the NCC, Globacom has 27,402,484 customers surfing the net on its network in May, revealing an increase of 211,713 users from the 27,190,771 that surfed the internet on the network in April.
Airtel had 19,912,661 internet users in May, showing an increase of 504,811 customers from 19,407,850 recorded in April.
The data also showed that Etisalat had 12,843,424 customers who browsed the internet in May, an increase of 123,594 users from the 12,719,830 users recorded in April.
CDMA operators, Multi-Links and Visafone had a total of 30,309 internet users on their networks in May, maintaining the same record of April.
Visafone has 30,305 customers surfing the internet in May, while Multi-Links has only four internet users.
The increase in the use of the internet in May is in anticipation of the country's broadband target of 30 per cent penetration by 2018.
A member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad, (APC-Kware/Wamakko), who died on Friday has been buried according to Islamic rites.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Muhammad aged 50 years, died in Abuja during a brief illness.
The Chief of Imam of Wamakko, Alhaji Shehu Ardo, led the funeral prayer conducted at the Wamakko Central Mosque, Wamakko.
The prayer was attended by Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, his predecessor, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko, the National Vice-Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North-West, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, members of the National and State Assemblies and the state executive council members.
Until his death, Muhammad was the Vice-Chairman, House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
He was the Yariman Wamakko and has been representing his constituency in the house since 2011.
Muhammad, a younger brother to Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto State), is survived by a wife and five children.
Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, have called on the Federal Government to accord state status to the territory so they can elect a governor.
The indigenes under the aegis of Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA), said that the situation where a minister in appointed to just develop teh center was not favourable.
Pastor Danladi Jeji, President of OIDA, made the call on Saturday in Abuja, during a town hall meeting by FCT natives on the future of Abuja indigenes.
FCT Indigenes at a recent protest to the National Assembly
Jeji said that for over 41 years, several resettlement and relocation experiments were carried out in the FCT by various governments, but "no headway due to policy inconsistencies.''
He said that if the natives were allowed to elect their governor, members of house of assembly, and more local area councils created, there would be more accountability and development.
"The failure of the Federal Government to resettle, relocate and compensate our people at the initial cost of N2.8 billion in 1978 has led to several policies summersaults.
"In spite of all the challenges, we are still here, and we are not prepared to go anywhere, because we have nowhere to go.
"All we want is to also be represented in the Federal Executive Council,'' Jeji said, adding, " the natives no longer want a city-centred minister that focuses on developing elite districts.''
He stressed that the constitution should be amended to reflect cosmopolitan nature of Abuja.
Jeji said: "This is our own idea of restructuring, a restructuring based on devolution of governmental powers from federal authorities to Abuja city authorities.
"We no longer want the present military contraption, where a minister is appointed to run the Federal Capital Territory like a cantonment.
"We must change the constitution to reflect our wishes for a modern and cosmopolitan capital city.''
The president promised to sustain the struggle for FCT natives' emancipation through constitutional amendments at the National Assembly, through peaceful dialogue and negotiations.
It was a shocking revelation, as the joint patrol team of Western Marine Command, WMC, of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, cracked down on unrelenting smugglers in the waterways around Ilufe Ojo-Alaba and Tungeji Ijofin creek along Nigeria/Benin Republic axis, intercepting 80 big bales of textile materials, 58 small bales and 10 sacks of bags in a night operation. This is coming only few weeks after the same Command intercepted jerrycans of smuggled petroleum products and foreign rice from the creeks.
Vanguard during a visit to WMC gathered that the Command also seized eight sacks of children foot wears (rubber sandals) 477 cartons of frozen products, 400 bags of foreign rice smuggled into the country through the creeks.
Speaking, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Comptroller Sarkin-Kebbi revealed that the officers carried out the operations at, about 2.30am not deterred by the covers of darkness. From this level of seizures, it is obvious that influx of foreign fabrics is killing Nigerian textile industry and we must not allow this to continue, to the detriment of our economy. N7.3million is the Duty Paid Value, DPV, of the textile materials and bags. The frozen chicken has a DPV of N2.86million (approximately N2.9million), the foreign rice has a DPV of N4.9million and the footwear has a DPV of N240,000.00, making a cumulative total of N15.37million ( approximately N15.4million). I thank CGC Hameed Ali and his management team for their support, which boosted the moral of officers at WMC", he said.
Accordingly, the frozen items were destroyed in the presence of State Security Service (SSS), National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Police.
The CAC added, "I am calling on all stakeholders and the public to assist us with useful information that will lead to the taming of these the dare devil smugglers. I warn smugglers and criminals on our waterways to desist or be ready to face the law, as our Command will give zero tolerance to their nefarious activities at all times".
Acting president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has gone to his tweeter handle to praise his dear wife who marked her 50th birthday today. Note that Osinbajo did not only know how to manage the affairs of the nation but equally knows how to care for his loved wife. His lyrics says it all. In his words; My gift from God, watching over me, my support, at my side, my wings, my wife.
Happy Birthday Oludolapo. You are my treasure. said Acting President Yemi Osinbajo as he celebrates Oludolapo, his wife’s birthday at 50.
Africa’s leading phone brand, itel Mobile on Saturday, unveiled its latest smartphone, itel P51, at the center stage of the most popular phone market in West Africa, Computer Village, Ikeja, the Lagos State capital.
Small DoctorThe crowd at the event
The event which was tagged #P51MarketLaunch, featured power games, as well as music performance from sensational artist, Small Doctor.
The itel P51 is a smartphone with lots of remarkable features, chief among which is the 5000mAh battery that enables users to use their phones for 3 days on 1 charge.
This function, itel mobile says would delight a lot of mobile phone users in Nigeria.
The leading phone brand in Africa said aside the highlighted 1 charge for 3 days features of the itel P51, it also comes with a 5.5-inch HD screen, 8MP back camera, as well as the power bank function, where users can use the P51 to charge their other USB devices.
Speaking at the launch, Marketing Communications Manager, itel Mobile Nigeria, Oke Umurhohwo said, “We are very proud of our latest Smartphone and also this grand launch of the P51, which would be the first of many launches from itel. itel P51 is a powerhouse with long battery life.
"We are resolving the biggest pain point of phone consumers in Nigeria, which is the worry of running out of power. With itel P51's 1 charge for 3 days, this phone allows you to work and play uninterruptedly".
According to Umurhohwo, customers can purchase the phone on all major retail stores across the country while Etisalat offers itel P51 users free data as it is with all other itel smartphones.
