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Governor Ganduje of Kano state is set to unveil captain of the Super Eagles Ahmed Musa as Kano Pillars latest signing. Musa started his football career with JUTH FC and subsequently loaned to Kano Pillars before sealing a deal with Dutch side VVV-Venlo at 17 years of age In a tweet via their official handle on Wednesday, Kano Pillars confirmed the unveiling of the star will be done by the state governor before the second half of the league season. “Kano State Governor, @GovUmarGanduje to unveils @Ahmedmusa718 before the commencement of the@LMCNPFL second stanza,” the tweet read. — Kano Pillars FC Official (@pillarsfc) April 14, 2021 The statement went further to say “Free agent Ahmed Musa has agreed to a contract until the end of the Nigerian league season in June.” The four-time Nigerian champions expressed their joy at having their export back at the club, promising their continuous support for the 28-year-old. “Ahmed Musa is our own and Kano Pillars welcome him back and will continue to support him,” Pillars said. Also welcoming the move by the 3-time Russian professional league champion to his former side was Senator Shehu Sani in a tweet, who lauded it as the “best strategy” to improve local football in the country. Ahmed Musa’s return to Kano Pillars is one of the best strategy to improve and attract interest in our local football teams and National league.After global come local.Its better than hanging and idling in Europe.There will always be a place for you at home.@thenff — Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) April 14, 2021 Pillars are joint-leaders of the Nigeria Professional Football League halfway through the season with 36 points from 19 matches. Musa Made history by becoming the first Nigerian to score in two FIFA World Cup competitions after he scored twice against Iceland in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

https://www.channelstv.com/2021/04/14/governor-ganduje-to-unveil-ahmed-

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By OLAYINKA LATONA CONTRARY to popular opinion that influential ministers of God are superhuman and immune from challenges which mere mortals face, the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye recently shocked members when he declared that he was susceptible to fear, including other human weaknesses. Ministering at the November monthly Holy Ghost Service with the theme: ‘Great Expectations’, Daddy G.O., as he is fondly called by members and non-members, at the Redemption Church revealed to the mammoth crowd how he was gripped with the fear of death during one of his numerous ecclesiastical trips outside the country. Known for using personal experiences to illustrate his sermons despite series of criticisms from such personal testimonies, Pastor Adeboye recalled how he was gripped with fear and close to death during one of his trips with the then Nigeria Airways. In his words: “Contrary to what many of you may think I am human and I have my fears too. There were times I have had cause to fear and doubt because I am human but God always ended up disappointing my fears and doubts. “In one of my trips with the then Nigeria Airways, the pilot had announced, when we were already airborne, that there were indications that the plane would crash-land. Immediately the pilot made the announcement, I was afraid and as if that was not enough, he said there were expert fire fighters who would put out the fire when the plane crashes.” Continuing, Pastor Adeboye said: “Immediately I embarked on a quick run through my life just to be sure I was ready to meet my Maker. I also told God that I never knew this was how I would end my race. I was really afraid,” noting that there are some things that will happen to people that will make them to be really afraid, anointing or no anointing. Laughing over the situation which has become a testimony, Adeboye said the fear of death temporarily took over him and other passengers until God assured him that he was not going to die and that the situation occurred so that God can communicate with him. “When God gave me that assurance that we will not die that He only wanted to have a conversation with me, I felt relaxed and as God would have it, the Lord took charge of the plane and we landed safely,” he narrated. In another related account, Pastor Adeboye explained that because of his previous experience which God took control of, he was not disturbed. “In another of my travels, the pilot had announced that there would be a lot of storm at the arrival terminal going by the weather report. The implication is that there will be trouble while landing. “When I heard that announcement I knew God was in charge. I took the little meal they served because I ride in economy; but the man that sat beside me could not eat. I asked why he was not eating and he replied: ‘so you understand English; don’t you hear what the pilot just said that there will be a lot of storm at landing because of the bad weather.’ “I said I heard.” He was confused thinking what kind of human being is this? But he insisted he was not going to eat. So I offered to help with his food since I was still hungry and he freely gave me the food. “I ate the food and slept off. God took charge. By the time we were about to land, the pilot announced to us that the weather forecast was wrong. We got down safely. I looked at the face of the man sitting beside me and he looked at my face and laughed. But then the Lord told me that the weather forecast was not wrong that He was the one who diverted the storm”. Linking another personal story with that of Abraham and his wife, Sarah, Adeboye explained that there were many instances where he had doubted God “but some times God looks beyond our faith to bless us and do His wonders in our lives because of His mercy.” Adeboye maintained that Abraham, described as father of faith, doubted God when he fell on his face after God had told him his children would be as the stars; Sarah laughed when the Lord told her she would have a son but God still went ahead to bless her. Stressing that as individuals, we have our moments of doubts and worry, he said “God will still do what He would do. The leper that came to Jesus was healed even when his faith was not strong enough to receive his healing. The Shunammite woman told Elisha not to deceive her when Elisha gave a prophecy she would have a child. But the Lord still went ahead to give her the child. At a point, John the Baptist doubted if Jesus was the messiah or not.” The man of God recalled an incident long ago when a woman came to the church’s maternity in Ilorin to deliver and said she had made a covenant to die on the day of her delivery. “I was invited to the scene and wondered why the woman who was about to put to bed would decide to die in our maternity. So I prayed for her and came to Lagos. A day after the woman brought forth a baby and the midwives observed there was another baby inside her who was not coming forth. And this woman refused to be taken to the hospital. Some brethren came to Lagos to report the incidence and wanted my intervention and prayers.” Adeboye said when the brothers came he had to put up a bold face and reprimanded them for traveling all the way from Ilorin to Lagos because of the issue. He said he prayed with them that the woman would have delivered before they got to Ilorin. According to him; “When the brothers left, I went to my room and locked the door and prostrated before God, crying to Him to intervene in the matter. God answered me and said but I just dismissed those people and assured them that the woman would be delivered her baby before they get back to Ilorin. Why do you still doubt the prayers you said earlier? “The Lord rebuked me. I tried to excuse myself and said I just had to dismiss them so I could really settle the matter with you, Lord. The Lord asked me to go and eat. I replied, Lord I have been fasting but He said go and eat. Till today I did not know if the food passed through my mouth or nose. “But the truth is that God still went ahead and answered the prayers even when I was in doubt of the prayers I had prayed. The woman was delivered of the second child in her womb and two more babies making four babies from her,” Pastor Adeboye emphasized. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/super-human-says-

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July 8, 2020 by The Nation I’m ready to pray for COVID-19 patients in isolation centres – T.B Joshua By Adebisi Onanuga Pastor Temitope Joshua of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) has said that he is ready to virtually offer prayer for COVID-19 patients in isolation centres around the world. In an announcement posted to Joshua’s YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV, the cleric called on relevant government and medical authorities to “organise those who are in isolation” and “arrange how to connect them to us on Emmanuel TV”. “The blessing of Jesus is for those who knock and ask,” he said in the announcement, adding, “In whatever way you support to make this happen, we are a team; we are not doing more than you”. “Together we shall pray for them. Together we shall be set free from this COVID-19,” the statement continued, quoting the Biblical reference in Luke 4:40 where Jesus healed “all who had various kinds of sickness after the mass prayer.” “The same anointing that heals one is also able to heal all at the same time,” it concluded, calling on all interested parties to contact the church via their email address [email protected]. Last week, the World Health Organisation reacted to a trending video in which a Cameroonian medical doctor was ‘healed’ from COVID-19 after receiving “interactive prayer” from Joshua’s ministry, acknowledging “spiritual leadership is very important in a time like this”. His testimony was followed days later by a couple of university lecturers who equally acknowledged receiving healing from the dreaded virus, replete with medical reports before and after prayers from Emmanuel TV. Since starting its ‘Interactive Prayer’ – in which online prayer is offered via video calls – Joshua’s ministry has prayed for COVID-19 patients from around the world including citizens of USA, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Honduras and Cuba.

https://thenationonlineng.net/im-ready-to-pray-for-covid-19-patients-in-

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The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has appointed three additional aides into his media team. Abubakar, in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, gave the names of the three appointees as Eta Uso, Abdulrashhed Shehu and Demola Olanrewaju, adding that the appointments took immediate effect. Uso, according to Ibe, is appointed as Special Assistant Digital Media, Operations to the former vice president. Uso is an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a U.K trained Advanced Computing and Internet systems expert from the University of Wales, Bangor. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society, United Kingdom, and Nigeria. “Abdulrasheed, a professional media specialist with proven track record of excellence – with a decade of experience on the job at various media firms, is appointed Special Assistant, Broadcast Media. “He is a graduate of Mass Communications from ISM Adonai, Benin Republic and Masters in International Relations and Diplomacy, Maryam Abacha American University and Masters in Journalism and Broadcasting at Girne American University, Cyprus,” he added. Ibe also listed Olanrewaju as Special Assistant Digital Media Strategy. Olanrewaju is a communications and public relations strategist with a background in Nigeria’s history and political ideologies, developed during his days as a Students Union Leader at the University of Ado Ekiti. “He is involved in the startups of a number of businesses and brings media industry knowledge, digital media engagement and creative writing skills to shape perceptions, craft narratives and messaging for individuals, businesses and organisation,” Ibe said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/atiku-

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December 22, 2020 by The Nation Osinbajo, women judges advocate protection of children, vulnerable witnesses From Moses Emorinken, Abuja Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has urged the National Association of Women Judges to provide practical and meaningful ideas that would facilitate justice delivery without sacrificing the well-being of vulnerable witnesses in the process Osinbajo stated this in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by his Senior Special Adviser on Research, Legal and Compliance matters, Prof. Bulkisu Saidu at “the Hybrid Virtual Conference on “Protection of Child & Vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria”. According to him, such protection must not only address the overwhelming cultural and social norms and barriers to exposing criminals, but must also address the problems that the witnesses may face before, during and after trial. He said: “At all times, the protection of their privacy and their identities should be paramount. It is not enough to pass laws for the protection of the child and other vulnerable witnesses, there is the need to have in place clear implementation and enforcement mechanisms aimed at actualising the intendment of the law.” Prof. Osinbajo also stressed the need for appropriate protective measures for children, saying that the prevalence of sexual and gender-based offences against children has further brought to the fore the imperative of designing appropriate protective measures for children, who are sometimes the only witnesses to the offences” Osinbajo stated. The President of the National Association of Women Judges, Nigeria, Justice Mary Ukaego-Odili, explained that the association consistently advocated for the protection of children and vulnerable witnesses, noting that no single legislation in the country provides for their protection in incidences of sexual abuses and other related offences. She lamented that the hesitation by some states to domesticate the Child’s Right Act, which has been passed by the National Assembly, has created a gap in offering protection to children and vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria. Speaking at a hybrid virtual conference in Abuja, with the theme: ‘Protection of child and vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria’ Justice Ukaego-Odili said: ”The essence of this Hybrid Conference on Child and Vulnerable Witnesses Protection in Nigeria is to create the awareness, stimulate discussions, cross-fertilize ideas and opinions and congregate experiences towards enhancing and charting a new course for child and vulnerable witnesses within the context of the Nigerian legal system. “The context of this protection for Child and Vulnerable witnesses has become imperative having regard to the indices which has shown that Nigeria is behind in the protection of Child and Vulnerable witnesses when compared to her Commonwealth counterparts. “It is important to draw the attention of all participants that no single legislation in Nigeria provides for the protection of Child and Vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria. The situation is further compounded by the challenge of defining who is a child under the Nigerian law. The Child’s Right Act has been passed by the National Assembly, however, some states of the Federation are yet to domesticate this legislation. This hesitation in domestication has in some ways put a peg in the process of development of practices and systems deliberately aimed at offering protection to child and vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria. “Albeit, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 made some provisions for witness protection such as sections 231 and 232(1)(2)(3) regarding delaying in_ disclosing the identity of prosecution witnesses and sometimes a complete denial of opportunities of the Accused having knowledge of the address and other details of the witnesses testifying. It is imperative to point out that under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, offences relating to Economic and Financial Crimes; trafficking in Persons and related offences and; any other offence in respect of which an Act of the National Assembly permits the use of such protective measures or as the Judge may consider appropriate in the circumstances. “Most Commonwealth jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and South Africa have all made credible advancements in this regard. It is in view of the lacuna and almost non-existent frame work for the protection of the child and vulnerable witnesses that the discussions in this Conference have become a sine qua non to drive law makers, legal practitioners and Judges towards a deliberate legal framework for child and vulnerable witness protection in Nigeria.” Speaking with The Nation afterwards, Odili added: “Some of the witnesses, especially in these young children, as a result of memory and a lot of intimidation that may have taken place, when the matter gets to court five or seven years after the incident, you can’t get all the facts as they were. In fact, some times the facts are lost.” In her address, the First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, said: “These days, cases of abuse have skyrocketed due to many factors including insurgency, banditry, and the COVID-19 lockdown. For as many of the victims that have found justice, many more have remained traumatised and unserved. Even those who have ventured to speak out have drawn opprobrium and stigma from the community and lack of compassion from the system that is meant to protect them. “I understand that some of the recorded barriers in delivering justice to victims include unnecessary and long delays in processing cases in the courts, poor questioning practices and hostile physical environment in which the administration of justice takes place. It is my hope that these barriers will be addressed adequately by this conference. “Various international instruments and a pantheon of laws on violence against women, children and other vulnerable persons abound, all of these dovetailing in the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, which has provided a semblance of hope to victims. It is my ardent hope that the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the Act will validate our expectations.” In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, noted that recent surveys reveal that children under the age of 15 years constitute over 40 percent of Nigeria’s population and are considered to be one of the most vulnerable groups. “A considerable level of effort is therefore required to ensure their survival, development, care and protection. The National Child Rights Implementation Committee is working very hard to coordinate issues of child protection in Nigeria,” she said. Also speaking with The Nation, Justice Binta Nyako, International Vice President of Women Judges, said: “At the international level, this issue of child molestation came about not just from Nigeria but also from more advanced climes, because when they started shouting about it, then we the so-called developing countries started talking about our own. “Internationally, what we are trying to do is to get United Nations to say something about it so that it can now become a policy statement, and so that states can now domesticate it. In the absence of that, domestically, we can be very innovative because the judiciary even though it is not legislature, has also some kind of legislative making power because once a judgement is given in a matter, then it becomes a law. If the judges are proactive and are able to take these things seriously, then we will be able to take it to another level. “I know there are a lot of financial implication because if you are going to do witness protection and rehabilitation of the child, it revolves around finances. But sometimes we need to forego some things that are not too necessary to our lives and face those that are necessary. The protection of our children should be a priority over and above some other things that may not be that important. “Witness protection has been provided for in the administration of Criminal Justice Act, but the facilities have not been put in place for the Act to even work. Where are the safe houses for the protection?”

https://thenationonlineng.net/osinbajo-women-judges-advocate-

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The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has urged network subscribers to leverage its shortcode 2442 to end unsolicited messages by the Value Added Services, VAS, providers and network providers. The Zonal Controller, NCC, Enugu, Ogbonnaya Ugama, made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Enugu. Mr Ugama noted that most often, the VAS providers and network forcefully sent unsolicited messages and marketing calls to its customers which they did not requested for. He described the provision of the short code by the NCC as “protection of the right of the consumers” to choose freely, the services they desire for. “To stop unsolicited messages, use our do not disturb code of 2442 by typing ‘STOP’ and sending to 2442, to stop all unsolicited messages, or send ‘HELP’ to same code and follow the prompt to choose the options of the types of messages you want to receive. “You can also send ‘STATUS’ to 2442 to see if your choices have been implemented,” Mr Ugama advised. The zonal controller also advised Nigerians to use the 112 toll free line provided by the commission in any event of an emergency. He said the number was easy to remember and toll-free to reach any first responders they want to call. “You can use the number to call Police, Road Safety, Fire Service, Ambulance and Health authorities,” he said. Mr Ugama, however, expressed the determination of the commission to protect the rights of customers of the telecommunication companies in the country. He stated that NCC had the interest of the public and telecom consumers at heart and would do their regulatory duty to protect it. On SIM Card Porting, the zonal controller said with it, consumers could easily move from one network to another and still retain the phone number they were using. According to him, some people find it difficult to switch from one network provider to another, stressing they were afraid of losing their number or contacts. “With the ability to port, their number contacts are secured,” he added. Comments are closed.

https://dailynigerian.com/ncc-releases-short-code/

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On Dictionary.com’s ‘Biggest Update Ever’: Those Who Control the Language Control the Culture Speaking of Orwell’s 1984, a blogger noted that, “By controlling the language, Big Brother controls the way that the people think. With a limited vocabulary, the people are limited in how much they can think, as well as, what they think about.” That’s why we should be concerned with Dictionary.com’s “biggest update ever.” Yes, in addition to the many new words added “are the deeper revisions that document what drives us here at Dictionary.com: the ways language is constantly evolving. A great many of these entries we’ve updated address topics that touch all of us on the most personal levels: race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, health and wellness.” The revisions are intended to “help eliminate heterosexual bias in language,” and they were “informed” by the gay activist (or, gay activist driven) organizations GLAAD and the APA. No wonder LGBTQ websites like Out.com are celebrating the changes. What, then, were some of these major revisions? Goodbye “Homosexuality” — The “Clinical” Term Implies Something is Wrong First, references to the words homosexual and homosexuality were removed from references within the dictionary. Why? Dictionary.com wants “to put people, not practices, first, and ensure our definitions reflect—and respect—how people use language.” As for the “homosexual” and “homosexuality,” they “originated as clinical language, and dictionaries have historically perceived such language as scientific and unbiased. But homosexual and homosexuality are now associated with pathology, mental illness, and criminality, and so imply that being gay—a normal way of being—is sick, diseased, or wrong.” So, because there is nothing wrong with homosexual practice — thus says Dictionary.com! — and because “homosexuality” implies that something is wrong, references to the word must be removed from definitions and descriptions. Practically speaking, this means that “gayness” is now defined as “‘gay or lesbian sexual orientation or behavior’ compared to the outmoded gloss of ‘homosexuality.’” And in keeping with Dictionary.com’s new wokeness, reflected in capitalizing the B in Black when it comes to race, the website has also capitalized the P in Pride when it comes to gay pride. This entry has a twofold definition: 1) recognition of LGBTQ identity, affirmation of equal rights, and celebration of visibility, dignity, and diversity in the LGBTQ community (formerly referred to as Gay Pride); 2) events or organizations that celebrate the LGBTQ community and its members (often used attributively). Dictionary.com Offering a Specific Newsletter for “LGBTQIA Language” You can even sign up to receive “LGBTQIA Language Updates Every Week”! This way, you’ll be able to “keep up with the growing language of the LGBTQIA community, right in your inbox.” (Will we also be appraised of new letters being added to LGBTQIA?) To be sure I didn’t miss any of these exciting updates, I clicked on the link and signed up, after which I received an email allowing me to pick my preferences for future emails. These included: Word of the Day; Word Games & Quizzes; LGBTQIA Language from Dictionary.com; Synonym of the Day from Thesaurus.com; Slang Decoder; Parent Portal; Language Lovers; In Other Words from Thesaurus.com. So, the one and only lexical category that is specific to the culture is LGBTQIA Language. No updates on any other specific subject are offered. Nothing about animal or plant life. Nothing about the environment. Nothing about politics. Nothing about sports. Nothing about anything specific other than LGBTQIA Language. (The Parental Portal is designed to help parents teach vocabulary to their kids.) Talk about the hijacking of a dictionary by sexual and ideological activists. This is beyond woke. Reminiscent of Orwellian “Newspeak” In 1984, the Orwellian character named Syme was a philologist who specialized in Newspeak. According to Syme, “By 2050, earlier, probably — all real knowledge of Oldspeak will have disappeared. The whole literature of the past will have been destroyed. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron — they’ll exist only in Newspeak versions, not merely changed into something different, but actually changed into something contradictory of what they used to be.” In addition, “Even the literature of the Party will change. Even the slogans will change. How could you have a slogan like ‘freedom is slavery’ when the concept of freedom has been abolished? The whole climate of thought will be different. In fact there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking — not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.” Orwell wrote his classic book in 1948, meaning that he “predicted” this scenario almost 70 years ago. Today, there is an increasing attack on studying the classics, reflected in articles like Rebecca Futo Kennedy’s “We Condone It by Our Silence. Confronting Classics’ Complicity in White Supremacy.” Who needs to rewrite the classics in Newspeak when they can simply be eliminated? (For a good response, see “Are the Classics Complicit in White Supremacy?”) Books are Banned and Acceptable Language is Defined: Refuse to Be Controlled We already have had to deal with the growing practice of banning the sale of books that confront PC positions, along with banning ads for such books. (Most recently, Amazon banned sales of the well-documented, fact-filled book The Health Hazards of Homosexuality while banning ads for the important new book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.) But that was not enough. Now, we are told how to speak and how to think. The implications of this are massive. When I type in the phrase “he who controls language” on my browser, the following sentences come up: “He who controls language controls the conversation”; “controls thought”; “controls the argument”; “controls the debate”; “controls the masses.” My advice is simple: refuse to be controlled by LGBTQ activists and their allies. Speak wisely. Speak graciously. But speak truthfully, without compromise. If you don’t do that today, then come tomorrow, you won’t be able to speak the truth at all. Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

https://stream.org/on-dictionary-coms-biggest-update-ever-those-

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July 25, 2020 by The Nation Napoli finally agree €60m for OSIMHEN NAPOLI have agreed an initial €60m fee with Lille for Victor Osimhen, with the Nigeria striker set to sign a five-year contract and join the Serie A side in the most expensive transfer deal of the summer so far,reports The Guardian of London. The 21-year-old scored 18 goals in all competitions for Lille before the French season ended prematurely owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and has been linked with several English clubs including Manchester United and Liverpool. But Osimhen, who changed agent last week, looks set to move to Napoli after negotiations between the clubs were completed on Thursday. It is understood the fee could rise to €81m after a number of performance-related add-ons – €1m more than the African record transfer fee Arsenal paid Lille for the Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pépé last summer. There is also an option to extend Osimhen’s contract by a further year. Lille are expected to step up their efforts to sign Jonathan David having seen a €25m bid for the Canada striker rejected by Gent this month. The French club have signed the 35-year-old Turkey striker Burak Yilmaz in preparation for Osimhen’s departure and have been told they must pay a Belgian record fee of €30m to secure David. Meanwhile, Osimhen is expected to take the Number 9 jersey once he arriverd at the Naples-based side

https://thenationonlineng.net/napoli-finally-

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The United Kingdom government has increased the general salary threshold for those arriving in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa from £26,200 to £38,700. According to the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, the minimum wage increased by 48 per cent to cut migration and put British workers first in force. Changes that are now in force will slash migration and prevent the undercutting of British workers by employers looking to recruit cheap labour from overseas. In the statement issued on its website on Thursday, the UK businesses are now required to pay overseas workers coming to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa significantly more,. It said the government is to clamp down on the price of foreign labour and continues to deliver on its commitment to drive down net migration. The UK government said this increase will help ensure the UK’s immigration system focuses on recruiting high-skilled workers, helping to grow the UK economy while bringing overall numbers down. The government is clear that no sector should be permanently reliant on immigration, so today, the shortage occupation list has also been abolished, with employers no longer able to pay migrants less than UK workers in shortage occupations. A new immigration salary list (ISL) has been created, following advice from the expert and independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Roles on the list will only be included where they are skilled and in shortage, and if it is sensible to include them considering the efforts being made by sectors to invest in the resident workforce. Inclusion on the list must not serve to reduce pay and undermine the recruitment of British workers. Employers are encouraged to invest in training, upskilling, and hiring domestic workers first. It comes as the government takes decisive action to support British people into work, in one of the biggest employment interventions in a generation, through its £2.5 billion Back to Work plan. This will help break down barriers to work for over a million people who are long-term unemployed, long-term sick, or disabled. Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “It’s time to turn off the taps and end the flow of cheap workers from abroad. “Mass migration is unsustainable and it’s simply not fair. It undercuts the wages of hard-working people who are just trying to make ends meet. “We are refocusing our immigration system to prioritise the brightest and best who have the skills our economy needs, while reducing overall numbers. “I promised the British people an immigration system that serves their interests, and to bring numbers down – these tough measures deliver on that commitment. Employers must also play their part and put British workers first.” While recounting the previous reforms to reduce migration, the UK said, “In January, the government ended the ability of nearly all postgraduate students to bring dependants to the UK. “A drastic fall in student dependant applications is expected this year, with early indications already of this downward trend.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/04/uk-increases-minimum-wage-of-

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15th July, 2021 By Chijioke Okoronkwo Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday presided over a virtual meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Under the Nigerian Constitution, the vice president is the chairman of NEC. The council’s meeting is held monthly to deliberate on the coordination of the economic planning efforts and economic programmes of the various levels of government. NEC comprises the 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Minister of Finance, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other government officials whose duties hinge on the economy. At an emergency meeting on July 2, the council endorsed the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).

https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2021/07/15/osinbajo-

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August 13, 2020 by The Nation Citizens’ Identification: Nigeria goes fully digital, dumps ID cards By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja Nigeria has moved from national identification and registration of citizens via card-based version to strictly digital. This was disclosed to State House Correspondents on Thursday by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. The duo, along with the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engineer Aliyu A. Aziz, had met with President Buhari to submit the report of the Committee on Citizens Data Management and Harmonisation, Chaired by the Minister of Interior. Briefing State House Correspondents after the report submission, Ogbeni Aregbesola said the new direction in citizen identification will include individual DNA samples, adding that the card-based would merely be for convenience. “The card is just for convenience the real thing is the number you have, with that number you are on the databank, everything about you is there. We are just upgrading it such that your DNA too will be there very soon. “Even if you are in a car, I will know if you are the one in the car with your DNA, it’s already captured. You are already captured, you cannot run away anymore,” he explained. Explaining further, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Pantami, said the attention of the programme would no longer be cards’ production, but strengthening the digital platform. “What the chairman is saying now is that we are no more talking about cards, the world has gone digital, so that card is no more. Our priority now is digital ID; it will be attached to your database wherever you are. “So if you can memorize it by heart, wherever you go that central database domiciled with NIMC will be able to provide the number and every of your data will be provided. “Now, our focus is no longer on producing cards, that card is only for record but what is important is that the digital ID and if you notice we have started using the digital ID on international passport. Once you have the digital ID but not the card, we are 100 percent done with you,” Pantami said. Also speaking, the Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Aziz, said production of identification cards is strenuous as well as streaming the nation’s foreign exchange out of the country. “With your national ID you are already identified, in the US is called social security number, the same with UK and… they can control more than 1.3 billion people in about seven minutes. “So we have found that this card is strenuous, it is forex that is going out of the country and we are in 21st century and that is why we are focusing on national identification number and other identifications by other agencies have been linked to NIMC…,” he said.

https://thenationonlineng.net/citizens-identification-nigeria-goes-fully-

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June 2, 2021 by The Nation Twitter deletes Buhari’s tweet for ‘violating’ rules By Alao Abiodun Twitter has deleted tweet wherein President Muhammadu Buhari threatened to deal with ‘people’ who didn’t learn from the civil war. Checks by The Nation showed that Buhari’s tweet was deleted for allegedly violating its rules. “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” Buhari had tweeted on Tuesday. The president’s tweet was in reaction to widespread attacks on public facilities by unknown arsonists in the South East region. The tweet however sparked outrage on Tuesday evening with many social media users describing it as ‘genocidal’ and a direct threat to people of the South-East region of Nigeria. The Nation gathered that several users reported the President’s Twitter account. In Twitter Rules and policies, the company explains the process of removing a tweet considered to have violated its rules. “When we determine that a Tweet violated the Twitter Rules, we require the violator to remove it before they can Tweet again. We send an email notification to the violator identifying the Tweet(s) in violation and which policies have been violated. They will then need to go through the process of removing the violating Tweet or appealing our review if they believe we made an error,” it wrote.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-twitter-deletes-buharis-tweet-

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Nigeria international, Samuel Chukuweze was on Tuesday voted the man-of-the-match for Villarreal in their hard-fought lone goal victory against Real Mallorca at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Playing at home, Chukwueze who was also named the most stylish player by the Yellow Submarines provided the assist that led to the winning goal scored by Carlos Bacca in the 15th minute. Only last Saturday, Chuklwueze provided the assist in Villarreal’s 1-0 win away at Celta Vigo. The 22-year-old showed he was ready for the match with his pacy runs down the wing, muzzling his way past the defender before connecting Bacca who had no difficulties in putting the ball into an open net. He had an overall rating 8.1 points ahead of Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo (7.9), Mallorca’s Juan Hernández (7.9), Villarreal duo of Pau Torres (7.2) and Raúl Albiol (7.2). Before the restart of the La Liga, Chukwueze had scored three goals and provided four assists in 28 league appearances. It is the club’s second win in a row as well as two clean sheets, giving them the right to dream of European football. He should continue his good form when Villarreal take on Granada at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes on Friday.

https://sportinglife.ng/chukwueze-wins-man-of-the-match-award-in-villarreals-

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March 24, 2021 by The Nation Count me out of attack against Alake – Sunday Igboho By Alao Abiodun Yoruba rights activist Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho has distanced himself from a trending statement that angry Yoruba youths would invade the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo. Igboho’s spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, had in a viral video obtained by The Nation, threatened the Oduduwa agitators would soon attack the monarch in his palace and other traditional rulers who do not support their agitation. But Igboho’s Senior Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dapo Salami, said the statement was made solely by Koiki. The Nation had reported the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, last week, warned that it was in the best interest of all Nigerians to remain one, regardless of the current challenges. Oba Adedotun, a retired Brigadier-General, said Nigeria could not afford another civil war or absorb the huge number of Nigerians that could be displaced by any civil war. Igboho’s Senior Adviser on Media and Publicity said: “Chief Sunday Igboho has nothing to do with this declaration by Koiki, though Koiki is Igboho’s spokesman but on this particular one, Chief is not in support. “The Alake of Egbaland is a major leader in Yorubaland whom we honour and have so much reverence for. Igboho will never say he wants to go and invade his palace. “Koiki came in from the United Kingdom so he does not understand some things. We are not for violence, we are not going to invade any Oba’s Palace. We respect them all, they are our fathers and we will never disrespect them.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/count-me-out-of-attack-against-

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By Perez Brisibe UGHELLI—A 60-year-old man at Uwheru community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, has committed suicide over his inability to feed and provide for his immediate family. The victim, Okporo Arigo, was said to have hung himself on a tree and left a note, citing his inability to take care of his ailing wife and children as the reason for his action. The lifeless body of the victim, whose younger brother is a serving councillor at the Ughelli North legislative arm, was discovered in the bush with the suicide note nearby. A member of the community executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity yesterday, said: “He (Arigo) claimed to have embarked on the act to put a stop on his inability to take care of his immediate family after his younger brother, who is a serving councillor, abandoned him to his fate.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/man-60-commits-suicide-inability-care-

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13th April, 2019 The Silicon Valley-Nigeria Economic Development (SV-NED) says the five Nigerian girls from Regina Pacies Secondary School, Onitsha, and the four boys from St. John Science and Technical College, Alor, both in Anambra, are worth several billions of dollars. Chairman of SV-NED, Chief Temitope Ajayi, said after Jumia listed on New York Stock Exchange that the Anambra girls and boys were littered all over Nigeria, adding all they need is an opportunity. The five girls represented Nigeria and Africa at the World Technovation Challenge in the Silicon Valley in San Francisco, where they won the Gold Medal in the contest. The girls – including Promise Nnalue, Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo and Vivian Okoye – defeated representatives of other technological giants including the USA, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China to clinch the gold medal. They won the Challenge with a mobile application called the FD-Detector, which they developed to help tackle the challenge of fake pharmaceutical products in Nigeria. Similarly, the boys – Meshac Ugwuisi, Anthony Chika-Umeora, Daniel Nwachukwu and Dominic Machi, clinched Bronze medal at a recent International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology (IFEST) competition in Tunisia. The boys developed two devices called the “Adaptable Alternative Power Supply for Sub-Saharan Africa”, which is a single, fully-packaged solar technology. The other device was a “Noiseless Inverter System”, which was all-locally sourced and produced by the boys. The device electric inverter had a solar panel that enables it to absorb energy from the sun, warehouse the energy in inverter and subsequently distribute it in households and offices as the case may be. Ajayi said the girls and the boys needed to be brought back to Silicon Valley to develop their capacity so they could help contribute to the technological advancement of Nigeria. “I spoke with the Deputy Governor of Anambra State. I told him that those girls can change the economy of Anambra State. They’ve already discovered them. “Let them bring them back to Silicon Valley. We will bring them in front of Angel Investors. For them to win that award, they are worth billions of dollars. “That is my advice for Nigeria. The Nigerian and Anambra Governments should monitor the students. Let them bring those girls back, we will repackage them and let us see what God has in stock for them. “Anambra state is the luckiest state in Nigeria right now if they know their (girls and boys) potential if they know the value of those kids, those are protégées. “If they buy that thing (inventions) for a couple of billions, everybody will shake because they are potential billionaires. I love my country. “I saw those Anambra girls and boys littered all over Nigeria. All they need is opportunities and we have it in Silicon Valley,” she said. The SV-NED chief urged the federal and state governments to give their own equity contributions for those kids, asking, “who talked about them again?” “But there is something I see about those kids if we utilise their intellectual property positively. “Let’s commend Anambra Government for investing in education and see what the girls and the boys have brought. “Can you beat representing Nigeria and Africa in the Technovation Challenge in Silicon Valley. Their software has the potential of tracking the challenge of fake pharmaceutical products in Nigeria, that’s huge, that’s saving lives. “Can you imagine those are kids. If they are in America, they will be celebrated. “I’m praying that Nigeria knows their potential and value of their intellectual property. Those kids “The boys developed a device – Adaptable Alternative Power Supply – for Sub-Saharan Africa, not only Nigeria and then, a noiseless inverter. “To be honest, climate change is real. The heat Nigeria experienced and the destruction caused by storms are effects of climate change. So clean energy is the future,” Ajayi said. She said bringing them to Silicon Valley would ensure investment in their intellectual property through the Angel Investors, adding that the big corporations could buy their intellectual property. Ajayi said Nigeria was very fortunate and commended the initiative of the President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo through various programmes to empower the youth.

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/04/13/anambra-technovation-girls-ifest-

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Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, slammed the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, for showing “ingratitude” and “arrogance” after he was assisted to get the seat of the national chairmanship of the party. “These children you said we are, brought you from nothing,” the governor said during the commissioning of Omerelu Internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state. Wike challenged Ayu to show himself as a man of honour and integrity by fulfilling his promise that he would vacate the chairmanship seat if the northern region produces the presidential candidate of the party. The party’s strongman said, “Somebody said those of you who said the right thing must be done are boys; they are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how the ingratitude; how people can be ingrates. “I thought as a chairman of a party who wants to win the election, your business is to bring peace to the party; your business is not to divide your party, your business is not to show arrogance. “Dr Ayu said we are children. Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party, the children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman. “Ayu, you were impeached as Senate President, Ayu you were sacked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo in his administration two times. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere.” He also said the N14bn PDP realised from the sale of forms for the party’s primaries last May must be judiciously used. His comment is the latest in the calls for Ayu to quit the party’s chairmanship after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (from Adamawa State) emerged as the presidential candidate of the PDP in May. Ayu, who hails from Benue State in northern Nigeria, had in October said he would vacate the chairmanship seat if the region produces the PDP presidential candidate. But on Wednesday, he said he won’t resign. Earlier, the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Walid Jibrin, and a northerner from Nasarawa State agreed that it is unfair for the party to have its presidential candidate and national chairman from the same region.

https://www.channelstv.com/2022/09/01/arrogance-ingratitude-cant-take-

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11th June, 2017 By Kazeem Ugbodaga A graduate of Mechanical Engineering of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Michael Adegbehin has died mysteriously after spending his birthday night with his girl friend simply identified as Blessing. Blessing is said to be incommunicado since Adegbehin died last Thursday after throwing a birthday bash with his friends and decided to pass the night with his girl friend at his elder brother’s apartment at Agbe Road, Abule Egba area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. PM News learnt that on the day of the tragedy, the deceased who graduated in 2012, celebrated his 27th birthday last Thursday. A source said Adegbehin, a Disc Jockey, had invited his girlfriend to his apartment as part of the celebration. On her arrival, Adegbehin was said to have sent SMS to his elder brother, telling him that he wanted to spend the night with his girl friend. A source said Adegbehin’s brother decided to spend the night outside to allow his sibling have a ‘wonderful’ time with his girl friend, Blessing. It was gathered that Blessing left the apartment in the morning without showing any sign that something was wrong. Residents did not suspect any danger because Blessing had been coming to the house frequently. A source said some minutes later, the elder brother arrived and met the door widely opened and found the body of his sibling lying lifeless in the room. He was confirmed dead at the hospital while his remains had been deposited at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja. It was gathered that Blessing, who allegedly went into hiding after the disaster, had since presented herself to the Police for onward prosecution.

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/06/11/ex-lautech-student-dies-

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September 7, 2017 by The Nation No. 1 female traffic warden bags her 10th award in Lagos Mr Ambrose Shomide, the Managing Director, Radio Services, Daar Communications, the owners of Raypower, AIT and Faaji FM station, presented the award to her while controlling traffic at St. Agnes Junction, Sabo-Yaba Road, Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that for the about 180 seconds while the award ceremony lasted, motorists and members of the public watched with admiration. Shomide said the award was part of the organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibility to honour people, who had distinguished themselves in their jobs or chosen careers. He said that the organisation received many calls, requesting for an award for Ogene as the number one traffic warden in the state. “While we were decorating her, motorists and others who had seen her performance, were singing her praises as number one traffic warden. “That shows that our choice of her for the award was not wrong; people testified that anytime she is on duty, no matter the traffic situation, she clears it within a short time,” Shomide said. In her response, Ogene, who had put in more than 20 years on the job, told newsmen that she enjoyed controlling traffic and the appreciation she received from people passing or motorists. “I feel so happy doing this job. It gives me more joy when people appreciate me on duty. I have got nine awards before now. This Daar Communications one makes it the 10th award. “A day I will never forget happened about two weeks ago when a bullion van hit me while controlling traffic,” she said. “I was posted to Sabo Division since 2011 and I am grateful to God and the people for appreciating my work.” Mr Emeka Udo, a commercial bus driver at the event, told NAN:“Ogene’s performance is outstanding, I am not surprised that she received the award. “We call her `Iron Mama’ whenever she is on duty, no traffic around here. She knows the job and she does it smiling.”

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April 1, 2020 by The Nation COVID-19: 70 percent of those who tested positive are males- Ehanire Moses Emorinken, Abuja The Minster of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said that till date, over 2,000 persons have been tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Ehanire, who made this known on Wednesday at the Presidential Task Force Briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja, said that of the total number of people who tested positive for COVID-19, 70 percent of them are males. According to him, “As of now, over 2000 persons have been tested. We are expanding our diagnostic capacity to test across the country. This is expected to improve turnaround time and enhance timely access to testing. “About 70 percent of those who have tested positive are males. The age range is between 30 and 60 years. However, we must note that both men and women of all ages can be affected “As of today, the 1st of April 2020, we have recorded 151 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. 82 are in Lagos, 28 in FCT, 8 in Oyo, 14 in Osun, 4 each in Ogun and Edo, 3 in Kaduna, 2 each in Bauchi, Ekiti and Enugu and 1 each in Benue, and Rivers States. “Some vehicles were intercepted trying to enter Nigeria from Benin Republic, with over 100 Nigerians onboard, heading for Osun State. It is said that they were coming from Ivory Coast or Ghana, I am not quite sure. “It is among this group that we have 12 immediate new entrants, that is, imported cases which added to the 139 we have. Therefore, we have 151 cases of coronavirus in Nigeria. “It shows the importance of importation and also border closure. In this case, they are our citizens and they are knocking at the door of our borders and they have to be let in. But if they were not our citizens, definitely, we will have a problem having to handle infected persons of other nationalities. “Till date, nine (9) persons have been discharged and two deaths recorded from COVID-19 in Nigeria. These were cases with severe underlying illnesses aggravated by their COVID-19 infection. “Between last week and this week, two new laboratories have been added to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) network of molecular laboratories for COVID-19. These are Virology Laboratory of University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State and Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), Ebonyi State. “With this addition, we have increased our daily testing capacity from five hundred to one thousand. Hopefully, by next week, it is expected that this will be significantly increased. “From what we know, the incubation period for COVID-19 is generally 2-14 days, that is, the time it takes for an infected person to show symptoms. Therefore, we are using the window of opportunity presented by the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States to promptly detect, isolate and effectively treat cases. “It is important to emphasize that there are no Rapid Diagnostic Tests available that have been validated by the World Health Organization, (WHO), because they often give unreliable results. “Unless you have been tested in one of the seven molecular laboratories for COVID-19 in Nigeria, your results are most likely useless. In the absence of a vaccine, interventions such as social distancing and self-isolation have become even more important to curbing the spread of the disease”. He added: “With nearly 1,000 bed spaces identified in the FCT, we continue to expand the number of isolation centres and ICU units across the country for those who may have severe complications from the disease due to being immunocompromised. This includes elderly people above the age of 70 or those with critical underlying health conditions such as cancer, tuberculosis and HIV. “Several States have also identified and established isolation centres for treatment of mild and moderate cases. Lagos State has expanded its isolation wards and surge capacity. Yesterday, the Ogun State Governor commissioned isolation centres of over 200 bed capacity in the State. “I urge states to urgently prioritize identification of these within their states particularly tertiary hospitals. “We have also engaged hundreds of ad-hoc staff to support various areas of response and Port Health Authority staff previously stationed at the airports have been redeployed to key roads that serve at key entry and exit points”. The Minister explained that the national case definition for COVID-19 has been expanded to include persons with acute respiratory illness in an area of medium or high prevalence of the disease without any other explanation. Concerning burials of people who have died from the COVID-19, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said: “The burial of a case of COVID-19 is not as risky as the one of Lassa and Ebola. The one of Lassa and Ebola we know that when they pass away, their body fluids are very infectious, and so we advise on an elaborate process that is culturally very difficult for any part of our country to avoid any contact with body fluids. “We have released advisory on burials for COVID-19, but it doesn’t have the same level of infectivity of Lassa or Ebola because it is not transmitted through body fluids, but it is a viral infection and transmitted through respiratory tract. It doesn’t die with the person. The virus survives a while. We still advise on a fairly safe burial but the risks are not as high as Lassa and Ebola”.

https://thenationonlineng.net/covid-19-70-percent-of-those-who-

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…Says needs more rest By Levinus Nwabughiogu Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will contnue as Acting President In spite of the return of President Muhammadu Buhari to the country early Friday morning. President Buhari announced this at his first meeting with his Cabinet and Service Chiefs at the First Lady’s Conference Room at the Presidential Villa Abuja. According to the president who proceeded to his residence after the meeting, he needed more rest. He expressed his gratitude to Nigerians who called and also prayed for him while his medical vacation lasted in London, United Kingdom. He said that Osinbajo who has been acting in his place in the last 51 days he has been away would continue to act. Hethe President said he felt much better, saying that “whatever the case I’m still grateful to Nigerians”. According to him, the cost of his treatment abroad was not lost on him even as he said he received the best of treatment. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

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May 19, 2015 by The Nation Edo Police arrest 14 JSS students’ cultists Police in Benin have arrested 14 Junior Secondary School (JSS) students over their alleged involvement in cult-related activities in Benin City. The students whose age ranges between 12 and 15 were picked when a crack team of policemen stormed Oguola Secondary School, Saint –Saviour, Benin City, last Thursday. Dependable sources hinted our reporter that the teenage suspected cultists are being screened at the state criminal Investigation Department, SCID, police headquarters, Benin City. Principal of the school, Mr. Ehanire Reuben said that eight of the students were nabbed at flash spots in the school compound. He stated that their arrest prompted the police team to conduct a search on some students in the classrooms. Mr. Ehanire added that items believed to be emblems of notorious cult groups in Edo State were recovered from them. He however, maintained that reports made against the students by some parents may have triggered the raid. He also disclosed that prior to the onslaught; he was told that a student teacher in the school was attacked as his phone and wallet were taken by some students who equally attacked other persons in the area. Mr. Ehanire appealed to the police command to release those found to be innocent. The Spokesman for Edo police command, DSP Stephen Onwochei stated that the raid on the school followed a tip-off. DSP Onwochei said that though those arrested were underage, the paraphernalia found on the students called for proper investigation. He maintained that the police command would not leave any stone unturned in its renewed war against cultism and other crimes in Edo.

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November 5, 2015 by The Nation Medview plane makes emergency air return to Lagos An Abuja- bound Medview Airlines Boeing aircraft with several passengers on board on Thursday made an emergency return to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, after the aircraft developed technical problem mid air. The technical hitch, a pressurization problem, our correspondent gathered affected the aircraft’s cooling system. An aviation source said the development prompted the pilot to brief the passengers on board before initiating the safety procedure of returning to the aerodrome of take – off otherwise known in aviation par lance as air return. The Managing Director of Medview , Alhaji Muneer Bankole, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Thursday. He said the crew members took the professional decision to return the plane to Lagos rather than continuing with the flight. He added that the airline provided another aircraft for the passenger to return to Abuja after they disembarked from the airplane that made air return.

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September 20, 2023 by Ekaete Bassey Mohbad becomes 58th bestselling digital artiste globally Singer Mohbad has achieved a colossal feat on the Global Digital Artistes Ranking Chart. According to information posted on the chart on Wednesday, September 20, the late musical act recently peaked at 58. He becomes the 58th bestselling digital artiste in the world. The Global Digital Artistes Ranking chart is measured by an artiste’s presence on iTunes and streaming charts around the world. He is ahead of international giants like, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, and 21 Savage, Chris Brown, Lady Gaga, and several others. Mohbad, a promising young rapper died on Tuesday, September 12, at the age of 27 and was swiftly buried the next day despite the controversial circumstances surrounding his passing. As a result, the call for justice has continued to echo beyond the internet to the streets with fans and lovers agitating for a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of his death and possibly make arrests where necessary. Recently, some top international rapper like Lil Durk and Kodak, Popcaan, and some others expressed their condolences over his passing.

https://thenationonlineng.net/mohbad-becomes-58th-

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December 21, 2019 by The Nation The return of Okija Dreaded shrine resurrects 15 years after causing national uproar Nwanosike ONU, Awka Reports IT was 15 years ago when the alarm bell rang across the world over the happenings at a shrine in Okija, a sleepy community in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State. Known as ‘Ogwugwu akpu ‘, the killings associated with the shrine and other untoward events in the place gave birth to the discovery of others like ‘Ogwugwu Isulo’. The sleepy community became popular over night for the wrong reasons, as popular politicians flooded Okija for in search of power and for oath taking. Like many communities in Igbo land, Okija harbours many shrines. But the most popular was the Ogwugwu Akpu Shrine located on the bank of Ulasi River. It is located in Ubahuezike, which is one of the 30 villages in Okija and lies at the end of the village. In the olden days, stories had it that people who committed atrocities were dumped in the shrine when they died. People who died from such diseases as small pox and leprosy were also dumped in the shrine; the reason the entire shrine was littered with relics of dead bodies. About 19 years ago, Ogwugwu Akpu assumed a new status when some educated young people in the village decided to become priests of the Ogwugwu, thereby bringing some ingenuity into its worship. That was how Okija became famous as people from various parts of Igbo land and beyond came there to administer oaths on their people suspected to have committed one offence or the other. Before then, Ogwugwu Akpu was just like any other shrine in Igbo land which served as checks against impunity and man’s inhumanity to man. For instance, people who were aggrieved over the manner they were treated in business deals, land disputes, among other issues, took their cases to the Ogwugwu shrine. Despite the destruction of the shrines in the area 15 years ago, new ones have sprung up and the business has started booming again. Some of the new shrines include the Ulasi Okija shrine, Ogwugwu Mmili Umuohi and Ogwugwu Ajani shrine. The existence of these shrines, The Nation gathered, never affected the spread of Christianity in Okija. The Nation gathered in the area that Okija community had produced more than 35 Catholic and Anglican priests. Not only that, the community boasts about 10 parishes of such churches and three archdeaconries. Apart from the shrines scattered all over Okija, the community also hosts the country’s first private faith-based university, the Madonna University. The emergence of the new shrine in addition to the old ones has brought back old memories about Okija. Speaking with The Nation, one of the community leaders and big time farmer in Okija, Hon C.Y. Obi, said the shrines had returned in full force. He maintained that the people of Okija are not known or associated with killing, adding that dumping of human heads in the shrines painted the community black in the eyes of the world. Obi, who is also into politics in the state, said: “I am from Okija and we are proud of our community, no matter what people think or believe. “The priests in charge of those shrines never killed anyone. Rather those who believed in those deities, who came to swore, would go to their places and die while their bodies would be brought to the shrine in the belief that they were killed by the deity. “Some of us from the place don’t believe or go near the shrines. But those who believed in them were succumbing to the threats of the deities out of fear.” Mrs Bridget Obi, another indigene of Okija and one time Commissioner for Women’s Affairs in Anambra State, said she does not believe in the shrine. She said: “I believe they (priests) went the extra mile to use that place for 419 (fraudulent purposes) to extort money and deceive people. “What happened there was not the culture of our people. Traditional religion is not what we saw in that place. What we saw was just a barbaric act. “I don’t think the society today needs such extremes. It was actually due to lack of justice that made people to go to that extent. If the courts are working, if the judiciary is working, if justice is obtained in the right ways, the police and army are doing what they are supposed to do, even the community does the right things, there wouldn’t be any reason for this kind of archaic form of justice.” Obi maintained that the so-called Okija shrine justice was jungle justice, adding: “I don’t believe in it.” Another citizen of Okija, Comrade Chris Okwuosa, told The Nation that the shrine should serve as a tourist centre in Nigeria. He said he had not visited any of the shrines because he does not believe in them, adding that the people of Okija should be paid compensation for being given a bad image by the government. Read Also: Osinbajo visits New Afrika Shrine Okwuosa said the children of Farmers Club, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Okija, organised a mass burial for those whose heads were thrown into the shrines. And the community ordered that henceforth, the shrines should not be littered with dead bodies, adding that it would be difficult to erase that stigma of killing on their community. He described it as the major challenge facing the people of Okija today world over, saying that tagging the people of Okija as killers, which he said is not true, has remained a big dent on their image. However, Okwuosa, said the place has come alive again but observed that patronage appeared to have dropped after the saga. It was not clear at what point the operators of the shrine began to demand for the corpses of those allegedly killed by Ogwugwu. But it became common knowledge that once somebody suspected to have been killed by Ogwugwu was buried in his compound, the priests of the deity would go to demand for the corpse the same day it was buried and the body would be exhumed and taken to the Ogwugwu forest and kept forever. The frightening sight is usually shown to those who appear before the deity after they were summoned, and this further instills fear in such people, with the result that they would do the bidding of the priests to stay alive. In August 2004, a petition was written to the then Inspector General of Police, the late Mr. Tafa Balogun, over the happenings at Okija, and the IGP ordered the then Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, to investigate. The disagreement among the operators later led to the arrest of two chief priests and 30 other persons suspected to be agents of Ogwugwu shrine and were taken to Abuja for questioning. The police also found 10 registers containing names of prominent politicians, businessmen, apprentices, among others, from most parts of Igbo land and beyond, though the identities of those whose names were in the register were not made public till date. One of the current chief priests of Ogwugwu, who asked not to be named, accused the media of blowing what happened at the shrine out of proportion. He said: “This deity is not associated with killing people, rituals or any form of death. Instead, the shrine’s main objective is to settle differences amicably and, should such move fail to resolve the crisis, the ultimate punishment is meted out. “The shrine seeks to create solution to problems, especially for people who have been cheated in one way or the other.” According to him, even white men visit the shrine to summon their Nigerian business partners who they claim cheated them in business. After the police raid of the shrine in 2004, it was as if the popularity of the shrine had waned, although recent happenings indicate that some people still believe in it, especially non-indigenes of Okija. As at today, Okija shrine has lost the glory it acquired through politicians who patronised it in the past. One of the priests, Mr. Ofokansi Okoli, said their customers no longer come, adding that the last customer he got came many months ago. Another priest, Mr. Ejionu Ilodinobi, said for now, the Ogwugwu-akpu Shrine in Okija and others are in limbo, adding, “whether they will still bounce back is what we don’t know . But C.Y. Obi and Chris Okwuosa, believe the shrines are back in full force and are bubbling again. For Obi, “people have freedom of worship. Those operating in those shrines believe in them while we believe in our own God, and those people who visit the shrines also believe they always get justice. “People are living their lives. The forest is there. It has grown again, but people still go there. “The shrine is still there. Of course, shrines don’t die. It is their own god. Itis part of our society.” But Okwuosa said: “No more dropping of dead bodies in the forest. We have stopped that. “The community warned that if any corpse was seen on the surface of the shrine, they would be sanctioned, and they agreed on that, and it is working.” For ex-commissioner Obi, “the lessons we’ve learnt is that there are lots of anomalies in the system. “People see it and don’t raise their voices. If you don’t, it could also swallow you. When there is an outcry and there are investigations, it should be followed up to a logical conclusion. “Okija shouldn’t be associated with shrine. Shrine is a thing that is everywhere. That one was an extreme case. I would say the Okija saga was a blessing in disguise.” Give and take, Okija shrines are back and multiplying. But patronage has drastically reduced.

https://thenationonlineng.net/the-return-of-okija-dreaded-shrine-

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A plate of pepper soup By Isiaka Oyibo KATSINA—THERE was confusion yesterday at Nadangoro area of Katsina metropolis as no fewer than 10 persons were feared dead and many others hospitalised after a wedding meal. The incident, Vanguard learned, is already causing panic among residents of the area, as most of the guests, who ate or drank anything at the ceremony, are being contacted by friends. They are all now undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the town. It was learned that most of the affected victims had complained of stomach ache shortly after leaving the ceremony, while some died hours after being admitted in the hospitals. A staff of Federal Medical Centre, who pleaded anonymity, said the hospital had received a number of cases relating to the incident. “I think, from the information gathered so far, the case of some of the victims has to do with food poisoning,” the staff said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/guests-panic-as-10-die-after-meal-at-

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October 6, 2020 by The Nation Gov. Abiodun donates house, cash to Laycon, BBN winner Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, on Tuesday, announced the donation of N5 million and a three-bedroom bungalow to the winner of the just-concluded Big Brother Naija reality show, Olamilekan Agbelesebioba He also appointed him as the Youth Ambassador of the state. Abiodun made the announcement when he played host to Agbelesebioba, popularly known as Laycon, in his office in Abeokuta He expressed the hope that his good character, excellence, good virtues, calmness and integrity would serve as a model to the youths in the state. “It is hoped that you will help inspire our teeming youths to channel their energies towards positive engagements and shun vices, such as robbery, drug abuse, cultism, advanced fee fraud, cybercrimes and kidnapping, amongst other negative tendencies,” he said. He described Laycon’s conduct in the House as a demonstration of the “Omoluabi” virtue, which he said was the primary ingredient of an average Ogun indigene. He observed that in spite all the odds, temptations and provocations, the BBNaija show winner was able to come out unscathed and uninvolved in any scandal or immoral act. “You have also demonstrated, with the way you carried out your assigned tasks in the House with comportment, intellectual responses to questions and your spirit of fair-play through which your academic achievement at the University of Lagos was earned. “This has also shown that our universities can and still produce graduates who are found worthy in both character and learning. “Indeed, what we are celebrating today is much more than the entertainment that the House provided, but what you represent: a rare combination of prodigious intellect, academic excellence, multi-faceted talents, character and resilience. “I believe your career will draw inspiration from great sons and daughters of Ogun, who have made their marks in their respective chosen careers,” he added. The governor said he was impressed with Laycon’s display while in the House, just as he urged parents and guardians to help in nurturing the talents of their children and wards in order for them to be useful to themselves and the society in the future. He maintained that parents and guardians should realise that there was life outside the four walls of classrooms, “as entertainers are also successful men and women, who are contributing to national development”. Abiodun said that his administration would continue to unleash the creative energies of the youth and the generality of the people as innovators, academics, researchers, entertainers and creative artists in public and private sectors and, formal and informal sectors, for the continued development of the nation. According to him, plans are at an advanced stage to build an ‘Entertainment Village’ for film makers, artists and musicians, where their skills could be nurtured with added value for the socio-economic development. A visibly excited Laycon praised the governor for his youth-oriented programmes and promised to work with him to ensure that the “Building Our Future Together” agenda of his administration was successful.

https://thenationonlineng.net/gov-abiodun-donates-house-cash-to-laycon-

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By Law Mefor The crisis and haemorrhage rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East in particular and across the nation, did not come to many as a surprise. There is nothing happening to the party in that region that I did not predict in my tribute to former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on his 60th birthday earlier this month of May. It wasn’t even difficult to predict either. The PDP lost its soul long ago and behaves like a man destined for doom, who arrogantly takes the wrong step at every corner and arrogates to himself the power of invincibility while walking to his own damnation. In that piece, I highlighted how the PDP was consistently trumping its own constitution, guidelines, and relevant laws of the country in its determined bid to undo not only the South-East presidential aspiration, but also to undermine, embarrass, and edge out some of its notable leaders, who had shown unmatched loyalty to the party in its most trying times. Consequently, I warned against the way PDP’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, had wilfully mortgaged the party to the demi-gods called governors and how he was aiding and abetting the irresponsibility and pervasion of democracy and PDP’s constitution and guidelines in the processes leading up to the PDP primaries. I expressed particular displeasure at how Ayu was overseeing a clearly rigged three-man ad-hoc delegates election at the wards, which compilation had no semblance of democracy. In most cases, such as in the case of Enugu State which was reportedly compiled in a hotel adjacent the Government House, people just sat somewhere and compiled names. I forewarned PDP this way: “Lastly, let it be on record: the PDP national leadership encouraging irresponsibility and irrationality going on in Enugu State and the South East is taking too much for granted. That you have thrown the presidential race open has already left the people of the South-East deeply hurt. Any attempt to manipulate the governorship ticket to an unpopular candidate anointed by any governor in the South-East amounts to taking too much for granted. And as one has often warned on matters like this, there will be consequences and by then, it will be too late”. But did Ayu-led National Working Committee of the party pay any heed? Did the greedy power mongers called PDP governors pay any heed? No! What of the PDP elders? There is virtually none left unmuzzled by interests and patronage. When you’re at the dinning table, you must observe table manners. Consequently, in the absence of statutory delegates due to the non-signing of the Electoral Act amendment, the governors weaponised the fraudulent delegates lists at the kangaroo primaries to impose their lackeys, yes-men, and accomplices on the party in the House of Assembly, National Assembly, and Governorship primary elections. They are also poised to repeat the same in the presidential primary. In Anambra, to underline the fact that the Igbo have never been in PDP’s equation going into the 2023 presidential race, Ayu and his puppeteers ensured that the leading aspirant from South-East and about the most popular aspirant in PDP nationally, Peter Obi, was schemed out of the National Delegates from his state. The entire 21 National Delegates from the 21 local governments of Anambra were fraudulently handed over to someone that would execute the bidding of PDP’s dollar-blinded masters against the aspirations of the South-East region. In Enugu State, Ekweremadu, who literally took bullets for the PDP after the 2015 election even when he had everything to gain by defecting, was thoroughly mistreated. As a principled politician and man of conscience, Ekweremadu must have reckoned after his reemergence that as the only PDP political office holder at the federal level after the 2015 tsunami, he was the beacon of hope for the party faithful. Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu left the country as Chairman of the PDP immediately after the 2015 election before he eventually defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside former governor Mallam Isah Yuguda; former Secretary to Federal Government, Yayale Ahmed; and former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Senator Babayo Gamawa in January 2019. Countless others who benefitted so much from PDP’s 16-year rule dumped the party and fled. Some PDP governors, including governor of Ekweremadu’s home state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, disappeared from the scene – never attending PDP functions, never attending National Executive Committee meetings, never seen at PDP Governors Forum’s meetings, and never speaking up in defence of the party, masses or democracy. Some governors eventually defected. But Ekweremadu stood strong. When some PDP governors like Nyesom Wike and Ayo Fayose imposed Ali Modu Sheriff as Muazu’s successor against all voices of reason in the party, including that of Ekweremadu, it was still this same Ekweremadu that joined forces with the likes of Senator Ahmed Maikarfi, etc. to rescue the party from Sheriff’s stranglehold. Yet, once he declared his gubernatorial ambition, which he hinged on his belief that the best route to revival and development is to get the states working again, the gang up and hell were let loose on him by his governor and Wadata Plaza. Apart from attacks on his supporters, media reports were rife about how no single result sheet was seen in a y of the 260 wards during the ward congress and how the panel from Wadata plaza accepted a fraudulent list of delegates compiled days before the real exercise, while jettisoning the outcomes of the real exercise conducted at the designated venues. The three-man delegates list is now a subject of three litigations and Zamfara tsunami appears imminent. In Abia, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who has stood up to be counted when it mattered for the PDP, was mistreated too. He has been a fearless thorn in the flesh of the ruling party. He has been vocal and helped to galvanise the opposition. Yet the party he sacrificed so much for refused to recognise his efforts. In manipulating Abaribe and Ekweremadu out of contention in the PDP Abia and Enugu gubernatorial primaries, zoning was trumpeted. But why should you jettison zoning the centre and uphold it in states? Is that not approbating and reprobating at the same time? In the case of Enugu, there were lucid arguments including a 2018 interview by ex-governor Sullivan Chime stating emphatically that there was zoning in Enugu. In any case, why not provide a level playing field and let the people decide? The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, has functioned so well as an opposition in parliament. He has shone like a million stars in projecting and protecting the PDP and masses interest in and outside parliament. He has fought for democracy, including the Electoral Act where he brilliantly ensured the stalemate that stalled the efforts to throw away the electronic transmission of results on that fateful 15th July 2021. That gave a leeway, which the Senate’s decision was overturned. But today, the same party has connived with Governor Ugwuanyi to treat him like a nobody. From televised heavy shootings that lasted for hours at the Awgu venue of the Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency primary, to harassment and intimidation of his honourable person by thugs and agents of the state government, to the flawed and fraudulent delegates identification process that created way for the impersonation and flooding of the hall with unknown delegates, and to the outright rigging by imposing an already prepared result, the PDP did everything to ensure that he was humiliated. In backing out of the primary, he described the process as a comedy of errors. As I write, another major presidential hopeful from South East, Senator Pius Anyim, has issued a statement complaining about PDP’s hide and seek game with Ebonyi delegates list. I had earlier warned the PDP that when people have shown this level of fidelity to the party or grown to a certain level, the least you could do for them, is to ensure that the process is transparent so they can fail or succeed fairly. Yet, Ayu sold out to the governors to the extent that the likes of Obi, Ekweremadu, and Abaribe pulled out from the presidential and gubernatorial primaries. But Ayu and his puppeteers, the governors, forgot that whereas they could hijack the primaries and impose their minions, they would not be able to hijack the general election where the masses will speak loudly. Meanwhile, this is not the first time the PDP is mistreating Ndigbo or those who had showed fidelity. After all, Chief Alex Ekwueme, who co-founded the PDP was thrown under the bus at PDP Jos 1999 convention. But to think that 23 years from that Jos convention, PDP will still mistreat a region that has given its all to the party since 1998 and held the bastion of opposition post 2015 as well as mistreat the likes of Obi, Abaribe, Ekweremadu etc. the same way it mistreated Ekwueme, sends cold shivers. But the good thing is that Ndigbo are no longer taking it lying low. The result is the current profuse bleeding of the party in the region. Not only are bigwigs like Obi, Ekweremadu, Abaribe, etc. left or on their way out, the party has virtually lost whatever sentiments it enjoys in that region. Instructively, I warned the PDP sometime in last year, that the Igbo wouldn’t blink an eye voting the APC or any other party for that matter if the injustice they were already cooking at the time was eventually served on Ndigbo. Therefore, I believe that the quite justifiable mass resignation by South-East PDP big wigs from the party are just a foretaste of things to come. It is a prelude to PDP’s Nunc Dimittis in the South-East, albeit one composed by the party itself. It is now too late to salvage the dying horse that is already flying its last kicks. • Dr. Mefor is a Senior Fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought and writes from drlawmefor@franklinemmanuel30gmail-com Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/05/obi-ekweremadu-abaribe-et-al-how-pdp-

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Britain’s Anthony Joshua (R) throws a punch at Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko during the ninth round of their IBF, IBO and WBA, world Heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium in north west London on April 29, 2017. / AFP The former heavyweight boxing world champion Wladimir Klitschko has retired from the sport at age 41, his management said in a statement Thursday. Klitschko’s last fight was a defeat to British-Nigerian born pugilist Anthony Joshua in April when he was stopped in the 11th round. A potential rematch in November with the 27-year-old Joshua will now not take place. Klitschko’s defeat by Joshua was the fifth in his professional career and a second successive loss after going down to Tyson Fury in November 2015. The Ukrainian Klitschko held various titles in a glorious 21-year career which started as a professional after winning Olympic gold at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. He was unified champion 2006-2015. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/08/joshua-sends-klitschko-retirement/

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..Releases travel advisory By Olasunkanmi Akoni In preparation of the FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifying Match between Nigeria and Central African Republic tomorrow Thursday, 7th October, 2021, Lagos State Government has announced closure of road to traffic around National Stadium, Surulere Local Government Area of the state. The match is scheduled to kick off by 5pm. In a statement by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, vehicles will be barred from accessing Surulere from Teslim axis from 12:00 noon, including the service lane inbound the National Stadium from Alaka and Teslim Balogun Stadium from Ojuelegba. According to Oladeinde, motorists heading towards Costain, Lagos Island from Masha/kilo and Surulere are advised to use Adeniran Ogunsanya or Bode Thomas to link Iponri or Eric Moore to access their destinations or alternately utilize Adelabu to connect Babs Animashaun/Eric Moore axis to link Brewery and access Costain or Eko Bridge. In the same vein motorists can use the aforementioned route to access Surulere from Lagos Island. Motorists heading towards Ikorodu Road from Surulere are also advised to make use of Akerele to link Ogunlana Drive inwards Itire road and connect Ojuelegba to their destinations. The commissioner, assured that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority , LASTMA, alongside security agencies will be on ground to ensure seamless traffic flow. Oladeinde, stressed that the cooperation of the Surulere community and all other motorists that ply the affected axis is vital to ease the flow of traffic. Recall that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, had proposed to stage Three Super Eagles World Cup Home Qualifying Matches in Lagos State, the First of the series took place on Friday, September 3, 2021 between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Lone Stars of Liberia. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/10/super-eagles-world-cup-

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November 25, 2016 by The Nation Kogi gets 14-day ultimatum to pay salaries The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of trade unions of tertiary institutions in Kogi State has given the government a 14-day ultimatum to pay workers. In a communiqué by the Chairman Akpihi Linus, and Secretary Moses Balogun, JAC urged the government to rescind its decision to lay off workers employed in 2015 and 2016, advising the state to comply with the statutory policy guiding tertiary institutions. It claimed names of those initially cleared at the screening were being omitted. The unions argued that the proposed Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy will hinder the smooth administration of tertiary institutions as noticed in other places. They said the tax reform granted the Kogi State University (KSU), Anyigba, and College of Education, Ankpa, was yet to be implemented, and that any tax regime must have an input from the union, as agreed by government and organised labour in the 2016 agreement. The union, therefore, demanded that the government constitute governing councils in tertiary institutions across the state.

https://thenationonlineng.net/kogi-gets-

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By CHIOMA GABRIEL How would a woman explain to her husband of over fifteen years that he is not the father of any of their four children? Worse still, how does she explain to him that each child has a different father? This is a puzzle facing a female worshiper in a pentecostal church in Lagos. Worse still, the pastor of the church is in a dilemma on how to resolve the issue. In the words of the pastor, a woman who has worshiped in his his church for over three years confessed to him that her husband was not the father of any of their four children and that none of the four children share the same father. Unfortunately, the husband of the woman is not yet in the know. According to the pastor, “He thinks he is the father of the four children but I cannot be the one to reveal this to him. I have talked to the woman to confess to her husband and even promised to be available during her confession to ease out the tension but she fears the man will die if she confesses. So, they still come to church with their four children and the man is the perfect father. “The woman has repented and confessed she no longer lives that kind of life as she was pushed by circumstances to do what she did but this is a burden to me. My heart bleeds each time I see this man in church and imagine his world of illusion but there is nothing I could do. Sometimes I wonder, what will happen when the man gets to know. What if he kills the woman or kills himself or kill both of them or even the children? I have prayed over this matter and asked God to take control but he is living in limbo, the world of illusion.” In the sex-drenched world of today, there have been many guesses as to what makes a woman ‘easy’. Dr. Marcus McBroom, at the beginning of his 1963 article “A Clinical Appraisal of Some Sexually Promiscuous Females published in the Journal of the National Medical Association states: Maybe she did not have a careful upbringing. Maybe her mother never had a heart to heart talk with her and never pointed out that unless she were discriminating she would not get a husband. Maybe she is over-sexed, stronger and lustier than most women, and consequently finds men irresistible. These are the more common guesses…We no longer have to guess what makes these women different from women of normal virtue. We know. The insecure promiscuous woman “uses sexuality to deaden her sense of economic insecurity.These women may be financially independent and gainfully employed but, subconsciously, are not convinced of their own security. To relieve this anxiety, they indiscriminately bed wealthy and powerful men. McBroom writes: “All of her numerous sexual partners were men of power and prestige. She was bitter about the fact that she was at a disadvantage in a man’s world; she felt that she was at a disadvantage with all male competitors. Sleeping with men of power and prestige gave her an edge over these male competitors. They had no possibility of getting close to the boss in quite the same way. “She was repressing the longings for the male protection that she had been denied. She actually had a stronger craving for male protection than most women, precisely because these feelings remained buried in her unconscious, hidden under an exterior of self-sufficiency and over-dependence. Sleeping with men of power and prestige was her way of searching for that protection.” McBroom makes case for another type of promiscuous women who are built entirely out of defiance against prude, restrictive parents. “She made of her whole life a wild and voracious quest for sexual gratification. Every time she went to bed with a man, it was an act of rebellion against her over strict parents. “The fact is that she was frigid and that in all relationships she never reached a sexual climax… For all her unrestrained sexual activity, what she feared most was a lover who could arouse strong feeling in her and thus give her true sexual fulfillment.” Another kind of “easy” woman whom psychologists have described and tried to help is a product of our impersonal and lonely city life. This is the woman who is so friendless and isolated that she is really desperate in her need for affection. She uses sexuality whenever she can to establish any human contact at all…her opportunity for a well-adjusted sex life had been thwarted by circumstances. The love starved woman is decent and upstanding. She would be happily married, had she experienced more opportunities. She is desperate for attention, affection and sex. The love starved woman is the only easy woman who received the loving protectiveness required of a father figure, but she also has the most tragic fate. She chose poorly when she picked her lover, sleeping with a man who viewed her only as a conquest. Psychologically, these women are the prototypes of many women today suffering from feelings of not being wanted, that they are unlovable, despised and isolated. A genuinely passionate woman would not be easy. Promiscuity has been discovered to be a social vice that has been commonly associated with the human population. In a generic term, promiscuity is considered as a human sexual behaviour which involves the habit of having casual sex frequently with different partners. It is also considered as being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. This social vice is practiced among both sexes. Another common example of behaviour viewed as promiscuous within the main stream of social ideals of many culture is a “one night stand”. Younger women are more promiscuous —Research In an article published by Daily Mail of United Kingdom in 2008, young women were reportedly becoming more promiscuous, with more sexual partners than men. By the age of 21 they have had sex with an average of nine lovers – two more than their male partner. And a quarter have slept with more than ten partners in the five years since losing their virginity – compared with a fifth of young men. Young women are also twice as likely to be unfaithful, with 50 per cent admitting they have cheated on a partner. The sex survey, for More magazine, also found women crave more sex but still believe men enjoy it more than they do. Sex is a great and free way to relax, unwind and have fun in today’s fairly stressful society, according to the survey. The survey found more than half of the women were not in love with the person to whom they lost their virginity. Some women, it has been discover are promiscuous because to them, sex is fun Such women are aware that, when practiced safely, consensual casual sex can be beneficial, pleasurable, and enjoyable. It offers health benefits and can even count as aerobic exercise. She is not defined by the number of partners she has. She realizes that wanting to have sex with someone probably does not mask a profound psychological issue. She is not an idiot. Promiscuity among men could include infidelity, rape, high risk of exposure to deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDs, and other STDs, early marriage and poverty among others. But male infidelity is not news. Female infidelity is the news. Nigerian woman, the most unfaithful in the world ? Anything woman sells. So, should it be a surprise that a survey has to be conducted by condom manufacturer, Durex, where 29,000 people in 36 countries were interviewed? Nigeria is equally in the news. Elections are approaching and there is apprehension over Boko Haram activities. So, anything Nigerian also sells. Was it a surprise then that Durex, a condom manufacturer has ranked Nigerian women as the most unfaithful in the world? Durex survey taken across Asia and Africa revealed that Thailand men are the most unfaithful in the world, with 54 percent of them admitting to cheating on their spouses. South Korea came in second with 34 percent, while Malaysia ranked number three with 33 percent. Nothing was said of American women or women in Europe. The survey revealed that the top two countries with cheating women are Nigeria, with 62 percent, and Thailand, 59 percent. 39 percent of Malaysian women also confessed to having betrayed their partners. Russian women came fourth at 33 percent while Singaporeans are fifth at 19 percent. Another independent survey also conducted in Africa by AE affirms the fact that Nigeria with a population of over 160 million tops the chart for cheating women. Corruption and a general distrust amongst citizens is largely responsible for this. Many Nigerian men and women have reacted to the result of this survey. A woman in response to the survey posted: “We have more Nigerian women that are faithful to their marriages than other nations. Ours can be attributed to various factors like religion, which has become the standard for most of us, and then tradition. Despite our exposure and enlightenment, a typical Nigerian woman still holds firm to the dictates of tradition, either of her background or that of her husband’s. “That aside, our men are even too egocentric to allow their wives that liberty. A man can kill any woman suspected of infidelity, whether true or not. It’s seen as a slap on the man’s face and not an emotional slip.” Another woman hotly responded, “That is a preposterous conclusion. What were the yardsticks they used in conducting their poll? How many women did they talk to and what scientific methods did they employ to arrive at such a sweeping verdict? While not completely absolving our women from indulging in certain shenanigans, I would say Nigerian women are not the most notorious in that regard. I have friends from other climes who are married, and at the same time keep multiple lovers, and I, happily married to my husband for ten years now, have never strayed . I have never cheated on my husband and I don’t intend to.” A Nigerian woman based in the United States dismissed the report as a trash. “Our women have not been faithful to their husbands. In the Diaspora, you can’t tell your wife to keep away from certain associations, she will lash out at you, and tell you to mind your business that she is an adult, and knows how to take care of herself- including knowing when to say no to an amorous overtures.” A female entertainer who pleaded anonymity said, “I am not proud to say it; a lot of our married women sleep around. At least among my circle of friends- we have at one point or the other maintained other relationships. Sometimes, the driving impulse may not even be for material gains, but for the thrill of it. But we are not different from other Africans. I know friends who are married too, but have been faithful to their husbands. I think our men should find a means to challenge themselves and ask what it is they are doing that is not right. I don’t think a woman will willingly go out there to cheat on her husband if the ‘game’ is right at home, if you know what I mean”. In a story published earlier in Vanguard, the men admitted that some women could be extremely unfaithful but debunked the percentage put forward by the survey. A middle-aged Nigerian man said, “I have been married for 20 years and my wife has not cheated on me. In every way, she has been very faithful even despite my unfaithfulness.” Another man said of his wife: “While we were still dating, I could say she kept other men, but as soon as she became certain that I was serious about her, she personally dropped them and has since then been more than faithful to me.” Nigerian women are more sexually decent than their counterparts other places where married couples jointly patronize ‘Elite Sex Clubs’ where they have sex with other men and women. In Nigeria, family values are cherished and women who cheat do so mostly in secret. Hence, it remains a puzzle how the country managed to top the list of unfaithful wives. Another respondent states: “Nigerian women are generally family-centred and conscious of society approval. Only a few would therefore risk rubbishing the integrity of their families, especially that of their children, for a moment of pleasure. Our society is yet to liberate women to the level of equal rights with men. Thus, no Nigerian woman will be applauded for cheating on her husband socially. To this end, the stigma it attracts is a deterrent. Besides, what a man can do and get away with in Nigeria, a woman cannot try it and get away and this includes being unfaithful in marriage. “We’ve had instances where women commit adultery with no sense of secrecy but the percentage cannot be said to be as high as claimed by Durex’s survey. We’ve also had women getting pregnant for other men in their husband’s house but yet, the percentage is minute, compared to what obtains in other countries. “If Durex’s claims were true, why do most Nigerian men in diaspora come back home to Nigeria to pick a wife? If you ask them, they will tell you our women are more faithful in marriage than their counterparts abroad. They have lived both in Nigeria and abroad but still prefer our women.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/marital-infidelity-are-nigerian-women-

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October 6, 2021 by The Nation NCC: 180m telephone lines linked with NIN By Blessing Olaifa, Abuja Over 180 million telephone lines are linked with the National Identity Numbers (NIN), Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Prof Umar Danbatta has said. Danbatta said this was made possible following the capturing of over 60 million Nigerians by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in the National Identity Numbers (NIN) database. Danbatta also said from available statistics, the telecoms industry has bounced back with broadband penetration peaking at 41 percent while active telephone subscribers have increased by over one million. He spoke yesterday while delivering his address during the Public Inquiry on three Regulatory Instruments on the Rule Making Process for industry stakeholders at the headquarters of the Commission in Abuja. The NCC boss noted that it had become imperative to review guidelines for SIM Card Registration and replacement considering the security challenges facing the country. According to him, in line with the Federal Government’s policy on digital identity, biometric and demographic information of the citizens needed to be updated to enable government address security dimensions of the challenges facing the country. Read Also: NIN: NCC insists on October 31 deadline The EVC explained that the three instruments being considered for stakeholders input are Spectrum Trading to facilitate deployment of 5G technology, SIM card replacement guidelines and telephone subscribers registration guidelines. According to Danbatta Spectrum Trading topped the Instruments as the Commission is considering five slots in the mid-band and low-band cadre for allotment to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) for the deployment of the 5G technology as soon as possible. “We are looking at robust contributions from stakeholders. We believe that the combination of mid band and low band will provide meaningful 5G services across the country. And it is our belief that new entrants can also take advantage. “However, the 5G Spectrum will be assigned administratively, but it will be determined by price and subject to the approval of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, “ Danbatta said. Danbatta expressed appreciation to the stakeholders for their responses/observations to the Instruments as published in the Commission’s websites, asserting that some of the issues they raised are being attended to. He described the Instruments as vital ingredients to the implementation and realisation of the five points agenda of the NCC’s leadership to ensure inclusiveness, competitiveness and economic growth and development for the industry and the country.

https://thenationonlineng.net/ncc-

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The Federal Government has confirmed that it approved the purchase of vehicles worth N1.4 billion for neighboring Niger Republic to tackle insecurity. The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed gave the confirmation on Wednesday, explaining that providing intervention to the neighboring Niger Republic is not new and it is the prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari who approved the purchase. According to her, President Buhari, whose actions she cannot question, has the right to make his own assessment of situations and give directives accordingly. — Channels Television (@channelstv) August 3, 2022 She added that the financial support, which is primarily for the purpose of enhancing capacity to protect their territory, based on a request by the Nigerien Government, is also in the best interest of the country. The minister, who was speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the President, responded to questions regarding documents released on social media which showed that the president approved the release of the funds on February 22, 2022, for the Niger Republic. Independent journalist David Hundeyin on Tuesday had posted the photo of a budget office document showing the payment, questioning why the government made the payment. He asked President Muhammadu Buhari to explain why “scarce” public sector resources were being expended on Niger Republic without it appearing “on official Budget Office documentation.” The document generated reactions from many Nigerians online.

https://www.channelstv.com/2022/08/03/fg-confirms-purchase-

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The Head Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, has called for a restructuring of the government, suggesting what he called a "United States of Nigeria". The general overseer said this at a programme jointly organised by the RCCG and the Nehemiah Leadership Institute, with the theme, 'Where will Nigeria be in 2060?' Adeboye posited that the country will do well to adopt a system of government that is peculiar to it, adding that there is either a restructuring "or we break up". He said, “Why can’t we have a system of government that will create what I will call the United States of Nigeria? Let me explain. We all know that we must restructure. It’s either we restructure or we break, you don’t have to be a prophet to know that one. That is certain – restructure or we break up. “Now, we don’t want to break up, God forbid. In restructuring, why don’t we have a Nigerian kind of democracy? At the federal level, why don’t we have a President and a Prime Minister? “If we have a President and a Prime Minister and we share responsibilities between these two so that one is not an appendage to the other. For example, if the President controls the Army and the Prime Minister controls the Police. If the President controls resources like oil and mining and the Prime Minister controls finance and inland revenue, taxes, customs, etc. You just divide responsibilities between the two. “At the state level, you have the governor and the premier, and the same way, you distribute responsibilities to these people in such a manner that one cannot really go without the other. Maybe we might begin to tackle the problems. “If we are going to adopt the model, then we need to urgently restore the House of Chiefs. I have a feeling that one of our major problems is that we have pushed the traditional rulers to the background and I believe that is a grave error. “Without any doubt, we must restructure and do it as soon as possible. A United States of Nigeria is more likely to survive than our present structure.” Speaking on the role of traditional leaders, Adeboye also stated that monarchs should be given prominent roles in the proposed system of government, as they are "the actual landlords". He said, “Go to any town in Nigeria, everybody in the town knows the paramount ruler in the town and they respect him (but) many of them don’t even know the name of the chairman of their local government. “The traditional rulers are the actual landlords. They command the respect of their people. Their people will listen to them much more, I am sorry to say, than they will listen to some politicians.”

https://allnews.ng/news/we-need-a-united-states-of-nigeria-e-a-adeboye

Politics

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August 23, 2019 by The Nation Unilorin professor discovers anti-cancer, anti-TB drugs, seeks commercialization Professor Joshua Obaleye of the Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin has announced the discovery of anti-malaria, anti-cancer and anti-tuberculosis drugs by a team led by him. He said the drugs can be mass-produced to save lives. Obaleye told newsmen in Ilorin that the team had tested numerous world-class metal compounds from his laboratory for the treatment of various diseases. According to him, studies show that when a metal is attached with a pharmaceutical, it increases the efficacy of the drug. But the don, who is also the President, America Chemical Society, Nigeria Chapter, and Chairman, Nigeria Chemical Society, Kwara State Chapter, said he lacked funds to commercialize the drugs. According to the professor, he has also produced anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamins. He said:“We need to commercialize all these drugs and invite the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and other regulatory bodies to come over to examine what we have produced to confirm if what we say we have is what we have. “When they investigate us and find out what we say is authentic, maybe they will be happy to help us. “We have produced metal anti-tuberculosis, metal anti-malaria, metal antibiotics and many more. We have produced a lot of them in this lab. “Most of these drugs we have produced in our lab have other applications; even structural studies of them is enough. We can even use them as raw materials for other drugs.” Obaleye called for effective collaboration among researchers in the same discipline as well as interdisciplinary collaboration in order to come out with He said that collaboration had given him great opportunities to come up with groundbreaking researches. “We are making a lot of achievements, we have many collaborators from India, we have collaborators in Malaysia, Japan and so many other countries. “We work with people we know are experts in those areas; if you don’t collaborate, you just be a local champion without any progress,” he said.

https://thenationonlineng.net/unilorin-professor-

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By Godfrey Bivbere There appears to be new challenges in the way of decongesting Nigeria’s sea ports in Lagos following hints that the installed scanners are presently under-utilized. Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Apapa Area 1 Command and agents operating at a Apapa port have blamed the low turnover to inability of Container Terminals to position containers for scanning. They made this known when a team of the Port Standing Task Team, PSTT, led by its National Coordinator, Moses Fadipe, visited the ports following complaints of under-utilisation of the scanners Speaking at the meeting of the stakeholders, the Customs Officer-in-Charge of the Terminal, Deputy Comptroller Isa Aliyu, said that the Service has the capacity to scan about 200 to 300 containers a day but they are not being positioned on time for scanning. Also an official of the scanning unit, Ali Ibrahim, who corroborated the position of Aliyu on the scanning capacity, added that the scanning facility and team are ready if the containers are positioned on time. Ibrahim explained that officers work Mondays to Fridays and occasionally on Saturdays because containers are not positioned for scanning. He also complained that there were days when Customs officers just sit down with nothing to do because there are no containers for scanning. He further noted that should proper arrangement be put in place, officers are ready to work even on weekends to ensure that more containers are scanned. Speaking on the situation, Chairman of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Nelson Sariki, lamented that there were days when as few as 60 containers were scanned. He said there were days when the image analysts will just sit for between 40 minutes to two hours waiting for the next container to be positioned. He also complained that positioning for physical examination is not better because they face the same dilemma and importers are forced to pay extra charges and demurrage for the delay not caused by them. However, Fadipe said that in 2021 the volume of scanned containers at the port was about 125 but when PSTT stepped in, the number rose to about 195 which stakeholders applauded. He also noted that according to the Nigeria Port Process Manual, NPPM, which the PSTT is empowered to enforce, any agency or officer that causes delay resulting in extra charges should be held responsible. He noted that the team has been receiving lots of complaints about delays from the side of container terminal operators, especially the APM Terminal (APMT) that is resulting in extra charges to stakeholders. However, in his response, the Terminal Manager of APMT, Kayode Daniel, said one scanner is not enough for the volume of containers passing through Apapa port. He further stated that the scanner was shut down for maintenance twice in a month, stressing further that Customs also do not work on Saturdays. He added that the scanner takes about five minutes to scan each container. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/08/port-

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Yemi Cardoso, CBN Governor By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, on Friday, told President Bola Tinubu to call the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to order over the scarcity of Nigeria in the country. The TUC said that the unfortunate development has continued to subject Nigerians to needless excruciating hardship by insensitive and heartless agents and agencies of government, whose actions and inactions are really difficult to fathom and impossible to defend. In a statement signed by the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osofo and the Secretary General, Comrade Nuhu Toro, the labour centre said it was amazed that the CBN was finding it extremely difficult to make the currency available to the working people and the citizens. The statement read: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has watched with growing concern, alarm and dismay the sudden, inexplicable, acute scarcity of our currency, the Naira, across the country. “Citizens simply find it difficult to access the Naira from banks and their outlets (especially the Automated Teller Machines, ATM). Consequently, they are being forced to patronize extortionist POS operators who charge Shylock rates. “We are amazed that the Central Bank of Nigeria is finding it extremely difficult to make our currency available to the working people and the citizens. “To say the least, this is unfortunate and unacceptable. Nigerians have continued to be subjected to needless excruciating hardship by insensitive and heartless agents and agencies of government, whose actions and inactions are really difficult to fathom and impossible to defend. “What is the offense of the ordinary Nigerians that they have to face so much pains and tribulations without let off, even in this solemn Yuletide season? “The President Tinubu Administration must move pronto and decisively and for once get its monetary and fiscal policies right and working in the interest of the long-suffering people. “This Naira scarcity must end now, otherwise, the TUC, its affiliates and our allies, would be forced to consider exploring our usual options whenever the working people are pushed to the wall. “A stitch in time, saves nine. Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/12/naira-scarcity-

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Nigeria Decides 2023 February 25, 2023 by Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt BIVAS fails to accredit Wike, wife After standing for about 25 minutes, Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, could not be validated to cast his vote at his Polling Unit 8, Ward nine, Rumueprikon, Obio-Akpor, following the failure of the Bio-modal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS). The Governor, accompanied by his wife, Suzzette, left the polling unit at about 11 am as the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appealed to them to wait a little while. The officials described the failed BIVAS as a general problem in the State adding that they were waiting for technicians assigned to the unit to rectify the problem. A crowd of voters was patiently waiting to begin accreditation at the unit. The Governor, who left the unit, said they were disappointed with INEC. He said: “We are highly disappointed. INEC told us they were ready for the election and that BIVAS are working. You can see the crowd here I don’t think that most people will be allowed to vote with slow working of the BIVAS. “I have stayed about 25 minutes here and I was told to go and come back that they will rectify the BIVAS. We are highly disappointed. If a number of people are disenfranchised, what do you expect? “People will lose their temper and anything could happen. INEC ought to have been completely ready before telling the people they are ready. There is no violence anywhere in the state”.

https://thenationonlineng.net/bivas-fails-to-accredit-wike-wife/

Politics

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1st October, 2020 Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt Rampaging hoodlums suspected to be members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, allegedly abducted and killed a Police Officer attached to Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) headquarters in Port Harcourt at Oyigbo local government area of Rivers State on Wednesday evening. Though details of the incident are still sketchy, it was learnt that the police officer who was on special duty at the Oyigbo area had reportedly taken permission to go and eat around 9:30pm when he was allegedly abducted and taken to a bush path where he was slaughtered by his abductors. It was gathered that the abduction led to clash between the Police and people suspected to be members of IPOB in Oyigbo in Oyigbo local Government. It was gathered that it took combined efforts of officers attached to tactical units like Operation Sting, Anti-Cultism and others to curtail the rampaging IPOB members who later attempted to launch an attack on the Special Police Anti-Robbery Squad base in the area. It was gathered that the IPOB members later retreated into neighbouring Abia state. Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Rivers state command SP Nnamdi Omoni confirmed the incident, but noted that the full detail of the incident is yet to reach his desk. Rivers State Police command had in statement on Wednesday warned IPOB members to stay off the state or face the full wrath of the law.

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2020/10/01/suspected-ipob-members-kill-

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Rafiatu Lawal on Sunday won Nigeria’s second gold medal in the weightlifting event at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK. Lawal in the process set three Commonwealth Games records in the women’s 59kg final, lifting 90kg in snatch, 116kg in clean and jerk, and 206kg in total. Jessica Brown of England emerged second in the event with 197kg in total to win the silver medal, while Canada’s Tali Darsigny won the bronze medal with a 196kg lift. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Team Nigeria have now won two gold and one bronze medals and are currently placed ninth on the medals table.(NAN) Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/commonwealth-games-

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December 30, 2023 by Damola Kola-Dare Inside Lagos factory where workers stand for 12 hours daily to earn N1,500 • Factory, workers operate without safety equipment, protective gears • Employees: Why we can’t stop working in spite of hazardous conditions, poor pay • Standing for long hours causes hypotension, damages spine, cartilage – Medical experts After working for weeks as an undercover in a Lagos-based shoes factory, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reveals the hazardous conditions under which workers in a Lagos shoe factory operate only to be paid peanuts and the serious threat the mode of operation poses to their health, particularly their spinal bones. This report was facilitated by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism(WSCIJ) under its Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability(CMEDIA) project On a Monday morning in the Ayobo suburb of Lagos, hundreds of job seekers besieged the gates of JTH Badroh Limited, a Lebanese-owned shoe manufacturing company, daring the cold dawn and desperately waiting to be picked for employment. The reporter was one of them. That has been the norm for years. As early as 6.30 am from Monday through Friday, people of different age grades line up to be picked by the company’s Nigerian supervisors for the day’s job. At 7 am, the selection exercise ends and those that would be engaged for the day are taken to different departments for the jobs they needed to do. Nestled in the interior of the rusty Lagos community that shares a boundary with Ota in Ogun State, there is no billboard or signpost to indicate the presence of a manufacturing firm. Right from Megida Bus Stop directly opposite Anchor University all through the tarred road that ends around ‘Poultry Oyinbo‘, where the factory operates from, it comes across as a nondescript entity. With not fewer than 50 workers engaged daily for morning and night shifts, it is a place where workers are expected to work their socks off for peanuts. The shoemaking company is a world of its own; a workplace that reeks intrigue, nepotism and corruption, where workers are made to work until their spines crack. At the factory, there is no payroll for workers. Employment terms, dismissal as well as salaries/wages are verbally determined. Job seekers do not need to submit credentials and curriculum vitae or even go through any formal interview process to get employed. They are not issued any identity card or company’s handbook. Before entering the company’s premises, a worker is asked to drop his belongings at the security post. There is no arrangement in place to secure their jobs as they are hired on ad hoc basis. And there are no perks or bonuses aimed at motivating workers even if they work their hands sore. The highest position a Nigerian worker in the company can attain is ‘supervisor’, and that is only possible after the worker must have worked consistently in the company for many years. Inside the factory’s production line Once a worker leaves the security post, he or she is ushered into a fairly large hall where workers are given different tasks to handle in the production lines. And once work begins, a worker cannot sit or squat for the more than 10 hours they operate every day. No worker is allowed to use his or her cell phone while production lasted, and anyone caught violating the rule is sacked instantly without any pay for the day no matter the number of hours already put in. For workers who are expected to stand at their duty posts, any attempt to sit or rest a little is deemed laziness which also attracts dismissal without pay. Workers on morning shift work from 7 am to 7 pm with an hour’s break in between. And for the night shift, work begins from 7 pm and ends at 7 am, also with an hour’s break to get some sleep. Once the workers resume duties in the morning, they work non-stop for six hours before going on break at noon. By 12:50 pm, they must be back to work for another seven hours before closing for the day. Altogether, a worker works for 13 hours each day, 12 of which they spend standing and without shoes. So, for five days from Monday to Friday, a worker puts in 65 hours of work for a meager N7,500. On hourly basis, a worker’s pay in the factory amounts to about N115 per hour. A source at the factory said that N1,000 was the amount paid to workers before it was increased to N1,500. Considering that the amount payable to a worker engaged for one month in the factory is N30,000, the amount the worker spends on food and transportation leaves him or her with virtually nothing at the end of the month. The reporter experienced serious dehydration in the period he worked at the factory, such that two plastic bottles of water were never enough for food break. A Lebanese manager known simply as Jay at the factory told the reporter who had complained that the N1,500 paid each worker daily was too meager: “This is what we offer people. Even young boys and girls work here. If you cannot take the N1,500, there is no job for you. “If you work very well today, we will pick you up tomorrow. If you don’t work well today, there will be no job for you tomorrow.” During the production of shoe soles, materials are poured the men in the section have sweat cascading their bodies as they pour materials into the funnel-like furnace. Inside here, it is a beehive of activities as workers of different ages are seen fixing, hitting, painting and performing all sorts of hard tasks with urgency in order to meet the targets set for them. There is usually a cacophony of noise from different sections as busy hands strive to impress roaming supervisors. It is not uncommon to see blistered hands of those that sit on mats all day to affix fittings, laces and tags on straps. On the part of those designing the shoe soles, standing for hours on end is no less arduous for such chicken feed. In the factory where production takes place, the heat experienced by workers is extreme. The ceiling fans are positioned to cool the raw materials while workers are left sweat profusely. While the factory is installed with air-conditioners, they are found only in the offices of the Lebanese and in the warehouse where goods are stored. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras are installed in every part of the factory. A source said that many workers have been sacked because the CCTV cameras showed that they were in possession of flip-flops from the factory. Due to the tedious nature of the job, many of the workers cannot afford to come to work every day of the week. Some come two or three times a week. But those who have targets strive to go very early in the morning. After the day’s job, workers line up at 7pm to be paid in cash by the supervisors, after which everyone departs. Checks revealed that a pair of slippers cost N800 directly from the company, although it sells in bulk and not in units. Different classes of workers There are different categories of workers according to the various sections. They range from young boys and girls to fairly elderly men and women. The designing section is replete of youths, mostly young women and men who are deemed strong. Saddled with the task of designing the soles of flip-flops, they use chemicals to print on the soles and design more than 1,000 soles per hour. They do all this standing for 10 to 12 hours. Once they are done they take the designed soles to those who would affix the strap to the soles. These are men who also work standing. Sadly, they are not paid N1,500 per day like their counterparts in other sections. Rather, they are paid N100 per 60 pairs of soles they work on. In sum, they are paid N100 for working on 120 soles. The number of soles they work on in a pack determines their take-home for the day. On their part, the fairly elderly sit on mats all day to fix different fittings on straps. ‘Why we can’t stop coming’ A single mother of four in her late 40s, Funmi, admitted that the work is too tedious, particularly when one considers the amount that is paid in return. But she said she could not stop coming because she wanted to save the proceeds from the factory to travel to Iraq and become a housemaid, a caregiver or a surrogate mother. She said: “I have a target. Once I am able to save enough money, I will travel to Iraq to work either as a maid, a caregiver or a surrogate mother. I have made enquiries about Iraq and I learnt they are liberal. You don’t have to wear hijab like in Saudi Arabia.” Favour, one of the workers, who has spent three years at the factory, said she had got used to it. She says she comes to work every day despite the tough nature of the job and the scant reward for it. Another worker, who identified herself simply as Wunmi, says she works in the shoe firm because she has no choice. She recalled that she experienced excruciating pains the first time she came to work, saying: “The job is not easy. You resume very early in the morning and close at night, standing all through the period. But I have no choice, it is better than lying idle. “When I first started, I spent my daily pay on painkillers. Standing for more than eight hours is not a joke. I had pains all over my joints. It was extremely tedious, but there are no jobs in the country. “In fact the supervisors pick you only if you can bribe them with money or your body. “When I first started, one of the supervisors started touching and teasing me, calling me his ‘crush’. He would give me preference over others, so at times I could sit down and rest if I got tired. “But others dared not. Many times, he would ask me if I had money for lunch.” One of the supervisors, a Nigerian, who gave his name as Charles, said he got disillusioned with life and decided against furthering his education. Instead he pitched his tent with the company for N50,000 monthly salary. The Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) holder says he does not need to go to a higher institution because at the end of the endeavour, there would be no job. Corruption reigns supreme A source who works in the company revealed the dark side of operations in the factory. According to her, the Lebanese allegedly sleeps with desperate female workers. She said many young girls and ladies had to trade sex in exchange for daily work slots. She also accused Nigerian supervisors of doing the same, saying: “One of the supervisors had enquired about a young lady who had come to work and had started making passes at her. It was later I told him she was married and had children. That was why he eventually left her alone. “Many of the young girls and ladies have to sleep with the supervisors and the foreign owners just to retain their place. “A certain lady was having an affair with one of our supervisors at a time, but it seemed the supervisor got tired of it when he a new lady. So he told her he was no longer interested, and the lady collapsed in the factory.” Efforts made by the reporter to speak with the management of the company met a brick wall. All the telephone numbers on their Facebook and Instagram handles were said not to be reachable. However, a senior supervisor, Sunday Stephen, told our reporter that the owners treat workers poorly because they believe Nigerian work is stressful. He blamed the poor treatment of Nigerian workers by foreign interests on the nonchalant attitude of Nigerian leaders towards citizens’ welfare. He said that that when government officials come for inspection in the firm, they don’t even enter, not to talk of inspecting the facilities and the conditions in the factory. Instead, the Lebanese owners bribe them, present some documents to them and then leave. He appealed to the reporter to help do something about the issue. He said: “Nigerian work is stressful. That is why the Lebanese are doing like that. In fact, if you can do something about it so that they can change, it will be nice. “When government officials come here on inspection, they don’t even enter into the company. The Lebanese give them money and show them some papers and they go back. “That is the way Nigeria is, and that is why the Lebanese are doing like that,” he said. Poor safety standards At the factory generally, no premium is placed on safety. There is no sensitisation on hazards and safety measures. It was observed that the workers do not wear safety jackets or overalls. There are no protective head gears, hand gloves for those handling chemicals or nose masks to ward off offensive smell of pernicious chemicals. While putting in a shift at the designing section where instep of soles are designed and printed upon, after the designing the soles, workers are required to clean the paint-stained containers with a certain colourless chemical which at first does not give any irritating feeling, but once you take your hand off it, you feel extremely hot sensations which cools after some time. Asked if it was safe to clean the container with the chemical, one of the supervisors on duty claimed it is not harmful. Recalling his experience at a fan manufacturing company in Agbara, Ogun State, Mr. Tolulope Sanusi, who works for a human rights organization, urged the government to make efforts to create jobs for the youth. He also called for strict monitoring of foreign companies in the country even though they pay taxes. He said: “Government should ensure it creates jobs for the youth. It should deepen industrialisation. There are thousands of youths out there who are either unemployed or underemployed. Those foreign companies who treat workers poorly are doing so because they know that there are no jobs in the country. “I once worked at a fan-making company in Agbara, Ogun State. It was a terrible experience for me. We resumed at 8am, go on break from 12 pm to 12:30 pm; then we would continue till 8 pm. “We spent one week on day shift and another week on night. We were used anyhow. We could not talk or explain. They threatened us with physical assault and sack. “They paid us N1,000 per day, and the work was extremely tedious. A major accident happened then and the machine operator lost his fingers while he was trying to work on molding machine for the fan blade. “We also had minor accidents while using cutlass to cut plastics, and in the end, no treatment, no compensation. Government should be strict with those companies even if they are paying tax.” Psychology of employees working under poor conditions A clinical psychologist at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Dr. Fisayo Adebimpe, noted that employees working under terrible conditions are prone to anxiety and depressive symptoms. She said they might feel hopeless, worthless and extremely sad. She urged government to intervene urgently, adding that individuals should be able to report their grievances to the relevant agencies with punitive and corrective measures put in place to safeguard their mental status and well being. Adebimpe said: “Exploitation is one demeaning action anyone can experience from fellow humans. This trend, unfortunately, has been there over time without being curtailed. “Our concern is the psychological trauma the individual experiences during this distress. The people who find themselves there are the most vulnerable. They do not have a choice or any alternative to sustain their daily livelihood. Hence they become victims to different kinds of abuse. “There are links between labour exploitation and other forms of exploitation such as sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and forced criminality. “Most of labour exploitation happens when there is a strong disparity and manipulation on the part of the employers on their employees. The employees are subjected to unfair working conditions, even without been adequately compensated for the services that they render. “Employment/labour exploitation, especially in the private sector, needs proper monitoring, especially by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity. Most of the employees find themselves in those situations either voluntarily or through some form of coercion working in sub-par conditions. Some have their wages held for work that is being completed. “Some of these employees even live in groups in the same place where they work and leave those premises infrequently despite the hostile treatment. Some do not even have access to their families at all. “Basic provisions are not always provided by the employees, such as access to health care treatment, good shelter, and even feeding. Some might even lose their lives without being compensated. “Since there is no labour contract, they are subjected to long working hours without access to their earnings.” Asked about the long-term implications, Adebimpe said: “Most of them are prone to anxiety and depressive symptoms. The fear and apprehension of what will happen next become the bone of contention for their fate. “They cannot dictate or predict what is going to happen next. Some might feel hopeless, and at an overwhelming undue sadness, they might feel worthless. At a point, some might experience a form of suicidal thoughts because of the unfriendly working conditions. “We should not forget the current economic situation in the country. The poverty level is high, and these employees always find themselves in compromising situations and do not have a choice. “Some might even find themselves in life-threatening situations and even bullied as being a failure. The little stipend received might even be diverted into maladaptive behaviour such as substance/drug abuse, betting, gambling, and so on. Some ladies/women might be forced into prostitution and sexual activities “There is a need for urgent intervention by the government. Individuals who find themselves in the situation should be able to report their grievances to the relevant agencies with punitive and corrective measures put in place to safeguard the mental status and well-being of these individuals. “These cases are well reported but we have not seen any drastic changes.” Standing for long hours at work endangers workers’ lives – Experts President of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Ijanikin, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Osibogun, said employees who stand for long hours risk swollen feet, elevated blood pressure, varicose veins, among others. In an interview with The Nation, Osibogun said: “Standing for long hours can be an occupational hazard in some professions such as traffic wardens, neurosurgeons, security personnel, etc. Some of the health effects include varicose veins, swollen feet, muscle fatigue, waist or low back pain, elevated blood pressure, orthostatic hypotension, and dizziness.” A specialist doctor, Managing Director of Hamaab Medical Centre, Lagos, Tunji Akintade, said: “When soldiers are on parade, they stand for long hours, and until the President comes to check the parade or their commander. If they fall, nobody gives attention to them. They stand up on their own and go back to standing. “What has happened there is simple: there is a redistribution of blood flow away from the brain, so they lose balance when they fall flat, the blood flows at the level of the heart back, so they regain their senses. “It is only lethal when the person falls into hot oil or is driving. That is called orthostatic hypotension. That is one effect of standing for long. “But the major effect of standing is on the backbone, the legs, and the muscles. The muscles ache badly. I stood in a BRT from 3:30 pm till 9 pm yesterday, and as of now, my muscles are still aching. Relaxing, and drinking enough water will relieve the ache. “The effect also is that there is a tendency for you to be dehydrated. Another one is, in our spine, there is a pack, which is a disc in between the bones. There is going to be weight in the bone, so the cartilage will keep eroding, reducing in size. “If it is 5cm, it will reduce to 3cm, like that till the bones start grinding against each other. That is when we have back pain. Regular standing causes joint aches, muscle pain, back pain, and orthostatic hypotension. “The support of the backbone reduces through regular standing, and the cartilage which prevents the bones from rubbing against each other can flatten out through excessive standing. “Naturally, bones should not touch bones. If that happens, you have back pain and you also feel it in your brain. When the synovial fluid (lubricant) in between the bone joints dries up through dehydration and long-standing, the cartilage too starts eroding and you start having serious back pain. “Those that stand excessively risk the cartilage eroding. Those sitting too are at risk of back pain. It is more severe when a patient has underlying health issues. For instance, a hypertensive person would aggravate the condition. For an arthritis patient too, it becomes more serious.” Asked how the issues can be managed, he said: “Managing the issue requires doing an X-ray or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to determine the extent of damage. People who stand or sit for long hours are likely to abuse drugs, and most of the drugs they abuse will predispose them to ulcer and the drugs they usually abuse are under the family of what we call non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.” ILO convention and approved practices on wages, others The International Labour Organisation Convention Articles 2 and 3 states that: “Minimum wages shall have the force of law and shall not be subject to abatement, and failure to apply them shall make the person or persons concerned liable to appropriate penal or other sanctions. “Subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article, the freedom of collective bargaining shall be fully respected. “The elements to be taken into consideration in determining the level of minimum wages shall, so far as possible and appropriate to national practice and conditions, include– “The needs of workers and their families, taking into account the general level of wages in the country, the cost of living, social security benefits, and the relative living standards of other social groups. “Economic factors, including the requirements of economic development, levels of productivity, and the desirability of attaining and maintaining a high level of employment.” On chemical use/ handling, the ILO reckons that “the protection of workers from the harmful effects of chemicals also enhances the protection of the general public and the environment, and noting that workers require, and right to, information about the chemicals they use at work, and considering that it is essential to prevent or reduce the incidence of chemically induced illnesses and injuries at work by ensuring that all chemicals are evaluated to determine their hazards; providing employers with a mechanism to obtain from suppliers information about the chemicals used at work so that they can implement effective programmes to protect workers from chemical hazards; providing workers with information about the chemicals at their workplaces, and about appropriate preventive measures so that they can effectively participate in protective programmes; establishing principles for such programmes to ensure that chemicals are used safely, and Article 12 of the ILO on exposure to chemicals says employers shall: “Ensure that workers are not exposed to chemicals to an extent which exceeds exposure limits or other exposure criteria for the evaluation and control of the working environment established by the competent authority, or by a body approved or recognised by the competent authority, following national or international standards; assess the exposure of workers to hazardous chemicals; monitor and record the exposure of workers to hazardous chemicals when this is necessary to safeguard their safety and health or as may be prescribed by the competent authority; ensure that the records of the monitoring of the working environment and of the exposure of workers using hazardous chemicals are kept for a period prescribed by the competent authority and are accessible to the workers and their representatives.” Article 13 section 2 says: “Employers shall limit exposure to hazardous chemicals to protect the safety and health of workers; provide first aid; make arrangements to deal with emergencies.” On working hours, the ILO standards provide the framework for regulated hours of work, daily and weekly rest periods, and annual holidays. These, in turn, ensure high productivity while safeguarding workers’ physical and mental health. Article 2 of the organisation’s Convention on Work Hours says: “Working hours of persons employed in any public or private industrial undertaking or any branch thereof, other than an undertaking in which only members of the same family are employed, shall not exceed eight in the day and forty-eight in the week…” ‘Ineffective policies and regulations cause human rights violations in foreign companies’ A legal practitioner, Florence Adewale, said ineffective policies and regulations are responsible for the violation of human rights especially by foreign companies who come to invest in the country. According to her, exploitation comes where there is no effective structure or compliance-monitoring mechanism. Adewale said: “There are lots of human rights violations in foreign companies and yet remedies couldn’t be gotten due to ineffective regulations. “There is a case study of a hardworking young man, who was a casual worker in a foreign company four years ago. “He was engaged as an able-bodied young man but was discharged with an amputated leg while working in the foreign production company. Yet no compensation! “There are several instances out there.” Factory inspectorate division, strict measures imperative — NLC Comrade Ismail Bello, Deputy General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said: “The issue of exploitation of workers is a global one. It is not only peculiar to foreign companies. “As members of labour, when we notice a violation of workers’ rights, we take quick action. We ensure we bring in workers to the union to fight for them, but it is increasingly difficult. “When employers resist union activities, then we know what they are out to do. “Government has a lot of responsibility to shoulder. Every employer should comply with Nigeria’s labour laws. We need the government to strengthen labour. “It is a tripartite arrangement that involves government, labour and the employer. And we are in a big fight with the private sector. It is sad that most companies have no billboards to show their addresses. “Labour is trying. We as a union actively compel employers to do what is right through picketing, strikes, demonstrations and all that. “A workplace without a union is like a concentration camp. Only a labour union can help enforce laws and protect workers. “The government is not doing enough. There is a big gap. If government does its bit, then things become easier. “It is the duty and responsibility of the government to protect citizens’ rights irrespective of labour intervention. “The government should set up a factory inspectorate division. Factory inspection is as essential as wages and other welfare packages. It should also ensure foreign companies comply with our laws. “As a union, we will expand and deepen our sensitisation campaign to ensure workers join the union.” In a clarion call to the government, Adewale charged the government to impose strict punitive sanctions on employers that violate the laid down laws of employment/labour, among other sanctions. She said: “The government can help to safeguard the rights of the workers in foreign companies especially foreign production companies by providing adequate infrastructure and manpower in the Ministry of Labour; duly check/safeguard against abuse of power by employers. “There should also be strict monitoring, compliance and evaluation systems to checkmate the companies and to ensure that they comply with ethical practices. “Sometimes, the location of the companies to the office of the ministry is quite a distance. This alone discourages/hinders inspection of the officers in the company. Hence, manpower and adequate infrastructure are needed. “Nevertheless, the government should also ensure that there are good, effective, and practicable regulations of business in Nigeria, whereby, there are adequate provisions for the employee in terms of good and conducive working conditions and adequate if not sufficient compensation is paid in cases of injury or damages. “It is important to also formulate and implement laws that prohibit unethical practices in organisations. “Public awareness/sensitisation is necessary so that the workers/employees can know their rights, especially on the need to have an insurance trust fund. Then the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund should be strong and effective. There should be an effective union that can fight for victims (employees) once their rights are violated; an effective union that will supervise the excesses of owners of foreign companies and prevent ill-treatment of employees.” FG to go tough on employers The Federal Government (FG) has said it will sanction employers of labour over indecent working conditions that go against local and international labour laws. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, made this known during the inauguration of Decent Work Country Programme III (2023-2027) on in Abuja. The DWCP was inaugurated to promote jobs, guarantee rights at work, extend social protection, and promote social dialogue. The programme was organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation. Lalong noted that workers in the informal economy are exposed to poor working conditions, low pay, long hours of work and low rates of unionism, unsafe working environments. “Government is aware of the activities of some of these employers, who, due to the pursuit of profit, disregard the extant labour laws. This creates work environments that frustrate the attainment of decent work for employers or employees because of the quest for profit. “Many workers are exploited and made to work in very indecent and intolerable conditions, which negate all local and international labour laws. Hence, we shall not fail to sanction such organisations and ensure that the rights and privileges of Nigerian workers are protected,” he said. He directed the Inspectorate Department in the ministry to wake up to its responsibilities and ensure full compliance with decent work regulations across the country. “I shall be engaging relevant government agencies to ensure that these entities are fully made to face the wrath of the law,” he added.

https://thenationonlineng.net/inside-lagos-factory-where-workers-

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Akwa Ibom State has evolved into the preferred destination for business and health tourism in Nigeria. However, there are a few who still wonder if what they read about the development strides in the State really exist. Well, they need to visit the State to see for themselves as the saying goes, ‘seeing is believeing’. Without sounding immodest, I believe that these assertions were recently put to test against the dreaded Coronavirus which continues to ravage the world, bringing very powerful nations, and Akwa Ibom State excelled. A glance through the Covid-19 update by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, shows that in Akwa Ibom State transmission and fatality rates are consistently low compared to other states while the recovery rate is almost 100%. If that does not give credence to the state of the State’s health sector, then how about the declaration by the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, ranking health facilities in the Akwa Ibom as the best in the country? Ihekweazu, who visited the State alongside officials of World Health Organization, WHO, on a working tour of medical facilities and assessment of the State government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said “this has been such an eye-opening experience both at Ibom Specialist Hospital and this Emergency Operating Center. We are jointly and pleasantly surprised at the opportunity this has presented to the country. This will probably be the best EOC in the whole country.” He added that the facilities available and quality of personnel gave a good impression about the health care services enjoyed by the people of the State. Does this declaration by a team of heatlh experts not confirm that Akwa Ibom State has recorded remarkable milestones after thrirty three years of creation worth celebrating? Frankly, the promise of providing accessible, affordable and qualitative healthcare has been fulfilled. This is one other reason forward looking Akwa Ibom people thank God for the emergence of Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. He took over from where previous administrations stopped and in five years has totally revamped the State’s health sector. Unarguably, Governor Emmanuel’s proactive intervention in the State’s health sector prepared the State to meet any health emergency including Lassa fever and Covid-19. When he embarked on rehabilitation of secondary health facilities across the state many were baffled. Some questioned his rationale in investing so much energy in the sector, but with a simple message: Health is Wealth, Governor Emmanuel, set about transforming long abandoned and dilapidated hospitals into functional health care center equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, manned by motivated personnel. Soon, medical equipment imported by the administration, which arrived in two batches of 50 containers each loaded with items including electrocardiograph 3 Channels, colonoscopy (with halogen light), x-ray film processor, x-ray film viewer, gastroscope, operating theatre light (5-Spot light), operating table, anastasia trolley with ventilator and monitor, syringe pump, electro surgical units, monopolar-bipolar operating instruments, suction pump and host of other state-of-the art equipment including CT Scanners, Surgical microscope for eyes. The iconic missionary hospital – St. Luke Hospital, Anua – Uyo, had the honour of being the first secondary health facility to be reconstructed and equipped. The hospital also received a 300-bed gynecology ward in honour of the reputable Irish Missionary, Dr. Ann Ward. From there, Governor Emmanuel extended his Midas touch to public hospitals namely Etinan General Hospital, Ikot Okoro General Hospital, General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, General Hospital, Ibiaku Ntok Okpo, Emmanuel General Hospital, Eket and General Hospital, Iquita Oron, where he made sure they are rehabilitated and upgraded with state-of-the-art equipment. In the same vein, Governor Emmanuel has built and equipped Comprehensive Health Centre, Awa – Onna. This development has helped to decentralize the State healthcare system and improve access to quality health care especially for rural dwellers. Aslo, it has substantially reduced the pressure on the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH whose primary objective was for referral and research. With more than nine secondary healthcare facilities fully equipped and functioning, the sick and those seeking medical attention can easily access them close by without traveling long distances to Uyo, the state capital. Akwa Ibom state owned hospitals are today not what they were three decades ago. Aside the greatly upgraded infrastructure and equipment, the case management principles have been modernized to meet the 21st century needs. Under Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration hospitals have been digitized and networked to aid effective healthcare delivery and ease tracing of medical records of patients. This is to reduce the workload and compensate for any shortage in manpower such that a patient who is registered in one hospital has his details on the state healthcare databank which is automatically available upon requests from other segments of the state health system. Governor Emmanuel complements his rehabilitation of health facilities with recruitment and training of health workers with incentives. There have been series of specialised training and certification of 100 healthworkers in Basic Lives Support and Advanced Cardiac Lives Support with Medical Energy Experts from the USA; Training of 20 Biomedical Engineers and agreed to regularly pay the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and CONHESS to medical and dental practitioners and nurses respectively. As a result, there has been a noticeable decrease in child mortality and morbidity in pregnant mother’s, affordable health care and a healthy population. Most importantly, he has made the state a reference point in healthcare delivery and improved life expectancy of Akwa Ibom people as such many citizens of neighbouring states visited the state on medical tourism. While appreciating the feat recorded by Governor Emmanuel, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo who commissioned the rehabilitated Etinan General Hospital on September, 23, 2017, said “this is an extremely useful project, this is the type of project, I believe touches the lives of the people directly”. Having repositioned secondary healthcare delivery to function optimally, Governor Emmanuel took a decisive step to reclaim and salvage the State owned quandary health facility – Ibom Specialist Hospital, and transformed it into a multi specialty health care facility with experts in various specialised health care fields working there. With these achievements, the State is several steps closer to attaining self sufficiency I’m health care as envisioned by the founding fathers. So, as we celebrate the State 33rd anniversary, let’s pause to consider howfar Akwa Ibom has come – from a pedestrian State to a preferred business hub. Today, through the industrialisation drive of Governor Emmanuel, the State is at the forefront of global fight against diseases by exporting basic medical consumables especially disposable syringes. Africa’s leading syringe manufacturer, the Jubilee Syringe is located in the State. It offers wide employment opportunities to youths, provides a veritable source of revenue and boosts healthcare services in the State. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/09/akwa-ibom-33-celebrating-

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A man can cheat on his woman and still love her but a woman cannot cheat on her man and still love him. I say this because while many men do not have sex with emotions, women can’t have sex without attaching emotions to it. This is the reason men simply need a place to have sex while women need a reason to have sex. Most women who take their husbands to court for divorce are those that cheat on their men. A non cheating woman would most likely never take her husband to court for divorce, unless the man exceedingly abuses her physically and emotionally to the point of killing her. Men don’t equate sex with love. A man can have sex with another woman but still doesn’t love her. That’s why women who fall in love with married men find it difficult to find happiness in those relationships as they are just being used by those married men. But once a married woman starts sleeping with you, she can even narrate some hidden secrets concerning her husband and she will even tell you why she hates him (her husband). She can even accept poison from you to eliminate her husband. For men, sex and love are two different things. But for women, sex and love are one and the same thing. For men, sex comes first before love (infatuation), but for women love comes first before sex (true love). Therefore, once your woman starts having sex with another man/men, her love shifts from you to that man and she can even start giving that man the best food and love than she gives you. The fact that your man is cheating on you doesn’t mean he has stopped loving you. But I can’t say the same for women. Once a woman starts cheating on you, she has fallen for someone else and you people will never live the same again. And she can even kill her husband once she starts cheating on him. If your wife starts cheating, you should be a lucky man not to die in less than 10 years. It has been found that 95% of women who cheat wish their husbands dead. That is the main reason it is dangerous for a man to continue staying with a wife who cheats on him. That is why it is now encouraged everywhere in the world including in the Bible, for a man to divorce his wife only once she starts cheating on him. Cheating women are more deadly to husbands than ordinary criminals or weapons. There are many cheating women in the world who invite criminals to break into her house at night only to come and eliminate her man and police officers plus relatives can’t detect this as the same woman tend to mourn more than any person at the funeral so as to attract sympathy and hide her evil acts. That’s why psychologists discourage women,more than men, from cheating. Women can’t handle the emotional conflict that comes with cheating. That’s the reason an observant and intelligent man will notice that his wife has started cheating on him once he starts doing it because most women tend to lose respect for their husbands and try to avoid sex with them in most times. Cheating Women will even be giving excuses for not wanting to have sex with their husbands. Study has revealed that nearly 90% of women who cheat find it hard to have enjoyable sex with their husbands, again an intelligent man will detect this once his wife’s behaviour with regard to sex starts changing. But a dull man can never detect this and always tolerates fake excuses from his cheating wife until he is completely eliminated. Women can’t cheat on their partners with people they are not emotionally involved with. They attach emotions to everything. That’s why you can’t always trust their judgement. When a joke is cracked, most women who laugh are not laughing because the joke is funny but because they like the person who cracked the joke. If they don’t like you, no matter how funny your joke may be, they won’t laugh, but when a man laughs at a joke, it’s because the joke is funny, not because he likes the comedian. Men are not always sentimental and emotionally involved. Study has shown that every relationship begins to flounder once a woman starts cheating. There are many men who cheat on their partners but still show them true love. But it is very hard to find a relationship in which a woman is cheating and things still remain the same. I repeat, nearly 100% of cheating women wish their husbands quick death or divorce to have unlimited sex freedom while nearly 100% of cheating men can’t wish their wives quick death or divorce. That is why most men can’t allow their wives to be physically or verbally abused by their girlfriends. Men will always stand for their wives. A man would cheat but would still love and respect his wife, but the opposite is true with cheating women. Once your wife starts sleeping with other men/man, just know that your death is near. – R.M – Professor of Psychology Ohio State University – USAR Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/11/cheating/

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February 8, 2021 by The Nation FG grants N6.4bn loan for cotton farmers in Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba By Sola Shittu, Gombe The Federal Government has granted N6.4 billion loan to farmers in Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba states with the aim of cotton production during the rainy season. The President, National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Mr. Anibe Achimugu who disclosed this on Monday in Gombe to journalists said the loan was provided through the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Achimugu said with the loan, the cotton farmers were expected to provide 136, 000 metric tons of cotton for the 2020 wet season based on 1.5 metric tons per hectare, for onward delivery to the CBN. He said the intervention by the apex bank was to enable the farmers to embark on massive cotton production, in an effort to boost Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) industries in the country. “Already a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the military and para-military agencies in the country to produce their uniforms from the local textiles industries thereby boost the country’s economy,” he said. He added that the association has already commenced a loan recovery process from the cotton farmers in the three North-East Region States. The president said through the CBN’s anchor borrowers programme, CTG industries in the country where revived which have started generating employment for the teeming youths. The National Vice President of NACOTAN, Alhaji Musa Yahaya, said 28, 000 farmers in Northeast are expected to produce 1000 tons of cotton each at the end of the farming season. “The N6.4 billion allocated to the three states in the Northeast sub-region is to strengthen 28,000 members of NACOTAN across Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba states,” Yahaya said. The vice president added that the intervention programme by the CBN has encouraged cotton farmers in the three states and created jobs for thousands of youth as well as resuscitated cotton ginneries in the three states.

https://thenationonlineng.net/fg-grants-n6-4bn-loan-for-cotton-farmers-

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…Says they ‘ve links to 10 different countries By Levinus Nwabughiogu The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said weekend the federal government has identified 100 high-risk financiers of Boko Haram, According to him, the financiers have links to at least 10 countries of the world. Aregbesola made the disclosure at the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing, with the theme, “No Money for Terror”, which took place in India. The minister, who disclosed this in a statement by his aide, Abdulmalik Suleiman, yesterday, said: “The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, has played a significant role, in supporting all our intelligence, security, and military services. ”The unique ability of the NFIU to work with counterparts in the region and across the world, particularly through the framework of the Egmont Group of FIUs, is a key asset for our country. ”In particular, I would like to take a few minutes to discuss some recent results achieved with the support of our partners. In 2019, the NFIU commenced an in-depth analysis of the financing of the Boko Haram group. ”This analysis, which took almost 18 months to complete, resulted in the identification of almost 100 high-risk financiers and identified links to 10 different countries. “The NFIU was able to build a thorough picture of the transnational sources of the group’s finance, using intelligence from several countries, including our immediate neighbours, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Togo. ”Ultimately, the results of the analysis resulted in the arrest of 48 of the financiers and the ongoing prosecution of a number of them.” Aregbesola also canvassed for improved welfare for Nigerians living, studying or seeking business opportunities in India. He made a four-point demand from the Indian government for an improved well being of Nigerians living in that country. Aregbesola, who also advocated a change in Indian visa policy for Nigerian students, added: “This is to allow Nigerian students have visa for study programs and not on six monthly basis which is burdensome in cost and time.’ He equally canvassed granting of special visa for Nigerian businessmen and women to facilitate trade between the two nations. He urged the Indian government to, as a matter of urgency, reciprocate Visa on Arrival policy for Nigerians visiting India. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/11/weve-identified-100-high-risk-

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I thought I would die- Leo Mezie shares his survival story By Rita Chioma Handsome, Nollywood actor, Leo Mezie has shared the story of his miraculous recovery from a Kidney ailment he suffered few months ago. The movie star said his rapid recovery has compelled him to believe Jesus Christ more than he previously did. “I had thought that I would die,” Mezie told Allure Vanguard during a press briefing held on Tuesday at Ojez Bar, Surulere, Lagos. “I don’t know why Jesus chose to give me a second chance, but I believe it’s to serve him, and this time around in everything I do. At a point, I was ready to die. I had lost all hopes and was already making plans to return to the village, but God gave me a second chance to life, so that I can win more souls for him with my testimony. We had concluded plans for a kidney transplant; donor’s treatment, medical bills, compensation and lots more, but God turned my case around. After series of prayer, the kidneys that were diagnosed and confirmed damaged began to pick up and heal. At the long run, I didn’t have to go through any transplant; the doctors were amazed at the sudden transformation, which could be done by only God,” he said. The actor also said he had a clergy, Apostle Suleiman Johnson to thank for footing his medical and travel expenses to the United Kingdom health facility, where he had hope to do a transplant. He also sent out his appreciation to his wife, family members, fans, colleagues, as well as the media for standing by him throughout the trying times. “My biggest appreciation is to the Almighty God. Despite my sins and shortcomings, he still found me worthy to receive his mercy. Then to Apostle Johnson. The man of God who gave me money and took care of all my medical bills. I’d also like to thank my wife, who stood by me in this challenging time despite all odds. I owe my life to you. To my colleagues, fans and the media, God bless you all,” he added.

http://allure.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/thought-

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November 19, 2023 by Our Reporter 40% varsities IGR : Onoh lauds Obi over comment on Tinubu President Bola Tinubu’s former spokesman in the southeast Dr. Josef Onoh has commended the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi for keeping politics aside to place the greater interest of Nigerians through his support, constructive criticism and advise on the President’s reversal of the automatic withdrawal of 40 percent from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Federal universities. Tinubu on Friday, during the 75th Founders day celebration of the University of Ibadan, announced the reversal of the automatic deduction of 40 percent from the federal universities IGR which he said was ill-timed at a time that the universities are financially choked. Obi immediately reacted to President Tinubu’s reversal of the policy, commending the presidential order and saying the 40 percent IGR underlines a lack of attention to the abuse of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund). Extolling Obi’s critique, Onoh said that unlike the other opposition members that criticize and antagonize the federal government even when it does something positive, Obi’s action has demonstrated true sportsmanship, exposing his value for Nigeria beyond mere politics and commend the LP presidential candidate for the immense applause he gave to the Tinubu administration. Onoh assured Obi that the Tinubu-led administration will not take for granted his recommendations and, noting that Obi’s commendation will encourage other well- meaning Nigerians to come together to perceive government as a collective pursuit other than as an individual entity. He stated that what His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi has done was a testament to the passion he has for Nigeria in moving it forward for the collective benefit of all Nigerians, adding that the state of education in Nigeria has been a major concern of all for decades. Onoh said: “Nigeria as a third world country despite being the most populous country in Africa and having the largest economy has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, with only 59 percent of the adult population able to read and write. President Tinubu during the campaign made education as one of the priorities in his manifesto. “He was aware of many challenges facing higher education in Nigeria, from inadequate funding, corruption, inadequate infrastructural facilities, shortage of academic staff, strike actions, Brain-drain, poor research, weak administrators and insecurity. “The President’s directive is an affirmation of his commitment to Nigerians towards building a better society and His Excellency Peter Obi’s commendation of Mr. President’s directive isn’t just taken as a political statement, rather it’s a strong motivational words of encouragement and commitment to Nigerians and I assure him that his support to the greater good of Nigerians isn’t taken for granted by the Tinubu led administration. “I urge more Nigerians to emulate his actions and realise that irrespective of our political differences, Nigeria belongs to us all and together we will definitely renew hope and lay a better foundation for the future. This administration will work towards achieving greater access to university education in Nigeria, and will also focus on curbing financial waste in the Nigerian University System (applying the policy of consolidation to its letter). “Downsizing the number of support staff in Nigerian University System; retraining of Nigerian universities’ academic staff to embrace ICT/ e – learning; and encouraging all universities in Nigeria to establish distance learning centres to provide more opportunities for all to have access to university education; and revision of education trust fund support for the production of books and journals in the Nigerian tertiary institutions; production of online materials for distance learning centers that would serve the greater populace desiring university education in our country. “Once again I applaud Peter Obi for his positive commitment and recommendations towards advancement of education in Nigeria and let him be assured that with his support and that of all well-meaning Nigerians irrespective of political differences and benefits, we all support our government towards building a better nation. Be assured that it will inspire this administration to aspire to the benefit of us all.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/40-varsities-igr-onoh-

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Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote insists that soon he will have ‘enough time and enough resources’ to buy Arsenal football club, whatever the price. Dangote, 58, is Africa’s richest man having amassed a fortune in the region of $18.4 billion (£12.2 billion). He is currently the 67th richest man in the world. That day may arrive sooner than first expected, with Dangote telling the BBC Tuesday that completion of his proposed oil refinery in Nigeria will provide the funds necessary to launch a takeover of the club. “When we get this refinery on track, I will have enough time and enough resources to pay what they are asking for,” he told BBC Hausa. “There were a couple of us who were rushing to buy, and we thought with the prices then, the people who were interested in selling were trying to go for a kill,” Dangote continued. “We backtracked, because we were very busy doing other things, especially our industrialisation.” “They are doing well, but they need another strategic direction,” he added. “They need more direction than the current situation, where they just develop players and sell them.” Stan Kroenke is Arsenal’s majority shareholder, with the American owning 66.64% of the club’s parent company, Arsenal Holdings plc. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/i-am-ready-to-buy-arsenal-at-whatever-

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A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet returning from a mission to its base in Yola, capital of northeast Adamawa state, crashed Saturday due to bad weather, killing its pilot, the Air Force said in an official statement. The jet “returning to the base from an interdicted mission crashed due to bad weather and not under enemy fire around Hong, Adamawa State at about 1623hrs (1523 GMT). There was no survival as the pilot of the aircraft lost his life in the unfortunate incident,” the statement said. The statement neither said how many passengers were aboard the jet nor its precise mission in Adamawa, one of the three states in the region where Boko Haram militants have launched deadly attacks that have killed hundreds over its six-year insurgency. The Air Force authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, the statement added Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/nigerian-

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The Nigeria Labour Congress on Friday insisted that it will go on with its planned mass action scheduled for Monday, September 28. In a communique by its General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, the NLC asked its members across the nation to come out in large numbers to protest the increase in fuel and electricity prices. The order was given despite a fresh court order obtained by the Federal Government, barring the NLC and the Trade Union Congress from embarking on their planned strike scheduled to commence on Monday. In the statement by Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, NLC asked all National Leadership of affiliates in Abuja to mobilise at least 2000 of their members to Unity Fountain, Abuja for the mass rally which takes off at 7am. Also, affiliates are expected to mobilise the same number of members to the NLC Sub-Secretariat, 29, Olajuwon Street, Yaba, Lagos, which is the take-off point for the Lagos action at 7am also. The NLC Secretary also noted that all Presidents and General Secretaries are expected to lead and identify with their members at the take-off point. Reverse fuel, electricity price, or? Earlier in September, Organised Labour threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the Federal Government refuses to reverse the recent increases in fuel and electricity tariff. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabba while making the announcement in Abuja said the NLC’s central working committee (CWC) has resolved to issue a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to reverse the increase. He said workers and Nigerians are disappointed that the government decided to increase both the price of fuel and electricity tariff at a time “other countries across the world are giving palliatives to their citizens to cushion the effect of COVID-19.” “NLC central committee will also mobilise its members, civic society allies, and other social partners to resist this policy because it has driven many into poverty,” Wabba added. Ahead of the threat by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to resort to industrial action, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) held an emergency meeting of all the governors. Following the meeting, the NGF cautioned NLC against the planned strike, arguing that any plan to down tools will worsen the currently deteriorating economic situation of the country brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.channelstv.com/2020/09/25/just-in-nlc-insists-on-

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By Kingsley Omonobi The Police Service Commission, Monday approved the promotion of 4’542 senior Police officers to their next rank between May and June 2016. The breakdown of the promotions are as follows; CP to AIG 7, DCP to CP 6, ACP to DCP 20, CSP to ACP 8, SP to CSP 107, DSP to SP 1,431, ASP to DSP 1,252 and INSP to ASP 1,711. A statement signed Ikechukwu Ani, head of public relations said, “Out of this number, the Commission approved special promotion for 16 Officers based on exceptional performance and dedication to duty on the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police. Also two Officers were promoted on act of gallantry while 188 others were placed on acting appointment on their next rank. These promotions and appointments have been communicated to the Inspector General of Police for implementation. Among officers promoted are AIG in charge Force Animal Department, AIG Ughonmo, IG in charge Budget, AIG Iyaji, CP (Dr. Aisha Abubakar, DCP Jonathan Towuru, DCP Ben Okolo, DCP Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, DCP Amaechi Elumelu, DCP David Igbodo and ACP Abayomi Shogunle. Chairman of the Commission, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, (rtd IGP) urged the affected officers to reciprocate government gesture by re-dedicating themselves to the service of the nation. He enjoined them to ensure that they are guided by the approved rules and regulations of the Force and that they operate with the fear of God noting that the Commission will continue to ensure that promotion of police men is regular to serve as a tonic for effective and efficient service. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

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June 5, 2022 by The Nation BREAKING: Bandits kill over 50 in Ondo Catholic Church Bandits have reportedly killed over 50 persons in an attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State. Apart from worshippers, the bandits also killed passerby hit by stray bullets. Witnesses said the attack occurred during the church’s Sunday service. The witnesses said the gunmen stormed the church during service and started shooting sporadically. Explosives were also detonated by the gunmen inside premises of the church. Read Also: Gunmen kill two, abduct passengers in Kwara It was gathered the injured and the dead were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre Owo, for medical attention. Chief Medical Director (CMD) of FMC, Owo, Dr Liasu Adeagbo, said many medical personnel have been deployed to cater for the injured persons. He said it was still too early to speak on the issue. But a nurse at Owo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was not enough medical personnel on ground to attend to the victims at the emergency unit of the hospital. She said many of the victims were taken to a private hospital.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-bandits-kill-50-in-ondo-catholic-

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September 20, 2020 by The Nation Nigerian re-elected Mayor in London A Nigerian-born Briton, Ernest Ezeajughi from Anambra State was re-elected the Mayor of Brent, London after what was described as splendid first term performance. With his re-election, he has joined many blacks and Nigerians making waves in different parts of the world. The London Borough of Brent is one of the most important boroughs in London. The major areas that form part of it are: Wembley, Kilburn, Willesden, Harlesden and Neasden.

https://thenationonlineng.net/nigerian-re-elected-mayor-in-london/

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By Ibrahim HassanWuyo Leaders of groups of local hunters, traditional barbers, and blacksmiths in Kaduna have declared support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to contest for the presidency in 2023. The leaders who rose from a meeting on Wednesday said Nigerians were greatly disturbed by the alarming rate of insecurity which they believed, an Atiku presidency would be capable of nipping in the bud. The groups who spoke through their leaders, Aminu Sarkin Fulani, Mohammed Kabiru, and Bashir Sani, said having served two-term as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has the experience and expertise to restore peace in Nigeria’s troubled spots and make the country much more attractive for foreign investment. “Our forum comprised of individuals that have a direct biological link to various cultural heritages. We are calling on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to contest, again, in 2023 and we shall mobilize support for him across the federation.” ” He is tested and trusted. His resilience and doggedness in politics are legendary. We pledge our total support and loyalty, believing he would be a good successor to Buhari who will restore Nigeria to ultimate peace, ” they said. The leaders expressed confidence that Atiku as president will use his international connection in Europe, Mideast, and Asia to further boost international trade between Nigeria and the world. ” We are calling on those aspiring for the presidency in 2023 to shelve their ambition and rally round Atiku Abubakar, who is best prepared for the number one seat in Nigeria, come 2023,” they said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/01/2023local-hunters-native-

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By Juliet Umeh The United States has allocated 55 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nigeria and 30 other priority countries as part of plans to end the pandemic. The Joe Biden administration had earlier promised to distribute 80 million doses from the US supply, with 25 million doses already allocated. The allocation plan for the 55 million doses includes 41 million to be shared through COVAX, the global vaccine alliance; about 14 million of the vaccine doses will go to selected countries in Latin American and the Caribbean, 16 million in Asia, and 10 million in Africa. Also 41 million doses will be shared to “regional priorities and other recipients” including Nigeria and about 30 other countries. Five of those are South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Cape Verde and Egypt. In a fact sheet released on Monday, the US stated that its goals remain to “increase global COVID-19 vaccination coverage, prepare for surges and prioritise healthcare workers and other vulnerable populations”. It stated: “And, as we have previously stated, the United States will not use its vaccines to secure favours from other countries.” “Sharing millions of U.S. vaccines with other countries signals a major commitment by the U.S. Government,” the fact sheet noted. “Just like we have in our domestic response, we will move as expeditiously as possible, while abiding by U.S. and host country regulatory and legal requirements, to facilitate the safe and secure transport of vaccines across international borders. About 2.7 billion shots of the coronavirus vaccines have so far been administered globally including in the US where the vaccination rate is said to be 1.13 million doses per day. But African countries — such as Nigeria where just one percent of the 200 million population has been vaccinated — have struggled to catch up with the vaccination process. Only 1.6 percent of the 2.7 billion shots so far administered were in Africa. The World Trade Organisation has statede that there are plans to create regional vaccine manufacturing hubs in four African countries including Nigeria under consideration. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/06/nigeria-

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•Illegal pipe attached to 48-inch SPDC’s trans-Forcados Export Trunk Line •Tompolo’s consultant gives blow-by-blow account of fresh findings By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South, and Akpokona Omafuaire OPERATIVES of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, and security officials have uncovered a key illegal underwater pipeline and platform connected to the 48-inch Trans-Forcados Export Trunk Line in Delta State from which bunkers, together with government and security accomplices, directly siphon cleaned crude oil into ships and export overseas. The unearthing of the criminal pipeline and platform attached to the trunk line, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, is a major breakthrough in the renewed bid by the Federal Government, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, Ministry of Defense and other stakeholders to stop oil theft in the country. Sources said professionals fabricated the illegal pipeline attached to a crude oil pipeline abandoned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, NAOC, and bunkers generously pump cleaned crude oil into their own vessels from the nation’s trans-Forcados pipeline at the rear of a military post in Ogulaha, Burutu local government area of Delta State. SPDC operates the Forcados Terminal in Ogulagha which has a nameplate capacity to export 400,000 barrels per day. It takes delivery of crude from the Forcados Oil Pipeline System and is the second largest pipeline network in the oil-producing region after the Bonny Pipeline System in the eastern Niger Delta. Some IOCs and Nigerian independents operating in Western Niger Delta pump oil to the Forcados Oil Terminal for export. The newest discovery is like the earlier illegal 4-km pipeline also attached to the same Trans–Forcados Export Trunk Line, earlier discovered by Tantita operatives. Meanwhile, the Oil Spill Victims Initiative, OSPVI, has threatened to sue NNPCL and SPDC over the illegal pipeline connections used to siphon the country’s crude oil. How we unearthed illegal pipeline, platform – Tantita Marine Intelligence Consultant to TSSNL, Captain Warren Enisuoh, who briefed journalists in Ogulagha on the discovery, yesterday, said: “What has happened was that the perpetrators of this organized crime attached pipeline into a Shell Petroleum Development Company 48-inch export line. The crude in this line has been cleaned up and is ready to go. “So, they tapped into it, the place was initially filled with water, but, technologically, they were able to connect their own pipe underwater. “We trotted the line on foot to the point it was tapped, we had to create something on either side of the pipeline so that the water could be pumped out. “For days, we pumped the water out before the illegality was exposed. You see that riser behind me is operated by another joint venture company called AGIP, so these fellows piped the crude through the abandoned oil field that belongs to AGIP, which they used to pipe crude oil to the Beniboye Flow Station. “What happened is that instead of piping crude to Beniboye Flow Station, the oil bunkers export crude. ‘That particular jacket you see outside there is a very old one, they cut the Agip line, connected their own through the extreme riser out to that other jacket. “Then at night, the usual thing happens, which is that they bring ships to that particular platform, connect their modernized lines to the ships, which they bring in, and off they go from there. “Well, they are not smarter than Nigeria, NNPCL, Tantita. We discovered this about a week ago, and we had to employ a whole lot of machinery to be able to bring you (reporters) in to see it. It is not a yesterday thing. “We knew about the platform and started working on it when we had the support of NNPCL and government. Nigeria has suffered enough, we have to stop these illegalities. “The distance from the illegality to the point we are standing is about one kilometer and from here to the jacket is approximately four kilometers. “Therefore, what they do… because the whole line is a six-inch pipe, each time they pump, they open their own valve and the crude stored on this line; then, they close if off so that when their ships are sucking, you would not feel the effect from the pressure on the other side. “Therefore, it is a smart design, I do not know how long. With the intelligence we have been getting about ships coming to that particular area, which led to this find, it has been going on for a while, more a year perhaps. “We share our intelligence with the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta and Operation Delta Safe.” It’s a joint collaboration – Buduwar, NAPIMS GM The General Manager of Joint Venture Operations, National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, Zakariya Budawara, also briefed reporters: His words: “NNPCL has been on its toes in trying to bring stability to the host community. And the host community has been helpful in trying to see that we secure all oil and gas facilities, especially the one we saw, which has to do with the crude evacuation line. “Today, for me, is just any other day, but we feel that the media should come and see the efforts of the NNPCL, stakeholders, including the community, government security agencies, private and community contractors, especially the one in the Western corridor, Tantita, are making. “Tantita has been doing a great job, all these we are doing to assure Nigerians that we are working to curb crude oil theft. “We know the direct impact on the revenue and on the people of the host communities and the environment. “All you have seen is in demonstration of the collaborative efforts of everybody. Nobody can do it alone; it is the efforts of all the stakeholders. “I am here on behalf of the Group Managing Director, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, and his lieutenants.” Sources informed Sunday Vanguard that some International Oil Companies, IOCs, oil bunkers, and security officials jointly steal crude oil through the major pipeline connected to the 48-inch Export Trunk Line through an abandoned pipeline belonging to NAOC. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/10/photos-crude-oil-thieves-major-

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14th April, 2021 By Kazeem Ugbodaga Living Faith Church founded by Bishop David Oyedepo is to spend a whopping over N160 billion to build its 100,000-seater auditorium, known as ‘The Ark.’ The ground breaking ceremony for The Ark was carried out by Bishop Oyedepo in March 2021. Top source in Living Faith confided in PM NEWS that over N160 billion has been earmarked for the gigantic project. It was learnt that N45 billion has already been released for the project, which has already kicked off and to be completed in three years. First announced in late 2015 as the “Faith Theatre”, the 100,000 seat stadium-like project has now been officially renamed as “The Ark”, unveiled at the church earlier last Month. Sited on about a 1,000 hectares of land (the site of the old Faith Academy compound), within the vast premises of the current church building, the Ark will specifically accommodate 106,000 seats and will include a 24 Floor Mission Tower (International Headquarters Facility) made up of two twin towers of 12 floors each. Upon completion, the existing 50,000 seater Faith Tabernacle will serve as an overflow facility. The massive project is being handled by Laralek Ultimate Limited, whose Managing Director is Adebiyi Olalekan. Oyedepo had recently said members of the church would not be tasked to contribute for the project.

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2021/04/14/oyedepos-100000-seater-

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March 31, 2022 by The Nation BREAKING: N223b Lagos consulate will be world’s largest – US The United States Government has said its new $537million (approx N223,257,750,000.00) in Lagos will be its largest consulate in the world when completed in 2027. Ambassador Mary Leonard and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu stated this at the Eko Atlantic City in Lagos during the ongoing groundbreaking ceremony for the consulate. The 10-storey consular complex will, according to Ambassador Leonard, pump about $90milion into the Lagos and Nigerian economy.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-n223b-lagos-consulate-will-

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BY SIMON EBEGBULEM BENIN CITY—NO fewer than 20 persons have been killed in the past four days in different parts of Benin City, following a renewed cult war between suspected members of Eiye Confraternity and Black Axe. Over 10 persons were said to have been arrested by the Edo State Police Command in connection with the incident. It was gathered that some of the leaders of the groups are on the run following the collaboration of security agencies with the state government to hunt for the suspects. Vanguard was informed that the latest face-off was triggered last Thursday when members of one of the groups went to the home of one of the suspects currently on the run, whose father was said to belong to one of the warring groups to resolve some money related issues. It was learnt that while they were settling the issue, the suspect went upstairs to fetch a pump action gun and shot a member of the rival cult group on the leg. The victim was rushed to the hospital by his colleagues while the suspect fled. Consequently, colleagues of the victim mobilised for reprisal attacks, visiting the homes of members of the rival group. It was learnt that the attack led to the killing of a colleague of the suspect who started the shooting at New Benin. As expected, the cult war escalated. There were killings in Idu Owena, after Ugbowo, Isihor, Ugbiyoko, Textile Mill Road, New Benin and Igbesanwa. Vanguard was reliably informed that no fewer than 20 persons have been killed so far. As a result, night life in Benin City has been affected as people no longer relax in bars in the evenings due to fear of being attacked by the rampaging cultists. Oshiomhole summons security meeting Worried by the development, it was learnt that Governor Adams Oshiomhole convened an emergency security meeting last Friday, asking security operatives to fish out the killers. Vanguard learnt that about 10 persons have been arrested so far while efforts were on towards finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr Folounsho Adebanjo, who could not confirm the casualty figure, described the killings as unacceptable and vowed that the police would deal with the situation. According to him, “we are not relaxing at all. We are in search of the leaders behind this. Some persons have been arrested while some are on the run. The killings will stop because our officers are all on the alert now. I can assure you that anybody arrested will be dealt with very seriously. “All security agencies in the state are concerned. The governor is equally concerned, residents of the state are concerned. So we will not relent until we stop this madness. It is very sad that people no longer value human lives.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/20-killed-in-renewed-benin-city-cult-war/

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December 15, 2020 by The Nation Two Reps defect to APC By Tony Akowe, Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives in Tuesday gained two more members following the defection of Hon. Aliyu Datti Yakwo (PDP, Kano) and Hon. Danjuma Usman (APGA, Taraba) to the APC. The letters of defection by the two lawmakers were read on the floor of the House during Tuesday plenary by Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila amidst protest by the leadership of the minority leadership describing the defection as illegal. Hon. Aliyu who defeated Abdulmuminu Jibril of the APC in a rerun election in 2019 said he was leaving the PDP because of existing crisis in the party that has generated division within the party in the state. On his part, Hon. Danjuma also said that the All Progressive Grand Alliance was currently saddled with internal crisis that has made it impossible for him to actualise his political aspirations. However, in his point of order, Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu drew the attention of the House to the provisions of section 68 (1a) of the constitution which stipulates that any member who leaves the party in whose platform he was elected should lose his seat. He said from his discussion with the leadership of the PDP in Kano state, there was no evidence of any crisis within the party, adding that as a man of integrity who took an oath to defend the law, the Speaker has a responsibility to declare the seat of the two lawmakers vacant. Elumelu said the issue of defection may sound funny at the moment, saying “APC members are laughing now and enjoying themselves as members fragrantly decamp from the parties that brought them to this chamber. What they have done is illegal and we must not allow this to continue”. Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu informed the House that there was an existing Supreme Court judgement which says that the crisis in political parties envisioned by the constitution was the crisis at the national level of the parties. He said “we might deliberately continue to breach the law by allowing people to defect from the political parties that brought them to this parliament, adding that such situation must not be allowed to continue. In ruling Elumelu out of order, the Speaker said “when a member said there is a crisis in his local government, neither the Speaker nor the Minority Leader has the power to say otherwise. If you do, you will have to prove that. I am aware that there is a case in court right now in Kano”. The Speaker however jokingly told Elumelu that “something tells me that you will soon join the APC”, to which Elumelu immediately rejected saying “I have a dream that you will soon join the PDP.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/two-reps-defect-to-apc/

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Goals from Anthony Okpotu, Ojo Solomon and Rabiu Ali saw off Equatorial Guinea and ensured that the Super Eagles sailed smoothly into the quarter-finals of the ongoing Championship for African Nations, CHAN in Morocco. Having four points from their first two games, all the Eagles needed was a draw to book a quarter final berth but won instead to top the group with seven points. Things didn’t initially go as planned as the opponent took a surprise lead in the 40th minute from a corner kick through Secundino Nsi who was left completely unmarked to freely head and put the ball beyond a helpless Ikechukwu Ezenwa to end the first half with a 1-0 lead. From the blast of the Ivorian referee’s whistle to begin the second half, the Super Eagles took the game to their opponent, firing from all cylinders and raking up a total of 18 shots on goal in the process. Okpotu began the comeback in the 58th minute by brilliantly beating his marker to head a fantastic cross from Osas Okoro beyond the Guinean goalkeeper who could do nothing but watch the ball hit the back of his net. The Eagles showed they were not done yet and meant business when Ojo Solomon rocketed from outside the box to put Nigeria 2-1 ahead in the 69th minute. Rabiu Ali put the icing on the cake and made the sure the Guineans went home without a single point when he converted a spot kick in the 83rd minute after Okpotu was fouled in the box. The Salisu Yusuf side finished as winners of the group C with seven points while Libya who beat Rwanda thanks to a 93rd minute goal finished second with six points. Both teams will know their quarter-final opponents when teams in Group D play on Wednesday to finish group stage games. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/super-

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13th August, 2010 More facts have emerged on why the sacked Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Dr. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke was ignobly removed from office. She was said to have rebuffed the advice of both President Goodluck Jonathan and former President, Olusegun Obasanjo to resign her appointment after billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote sent a petition to the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging financial infraction against her. She had run to the two men to intervene on her behalf. The sacked Director-General, according to sources close to her, is currently running from pillar to post to regain her exalted position. Besides the law suit of N3 billion against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), challenging her removal, she is also said to have embarked on intense lobbying to make the capital market regulator rescind its decision. Okereke-Onyiuke had approached Jonathan first, but was shocked to be told it would be impossible for her to keep her job. She was given the option to resign. She then ran to Obasanjo, her mentor. But the former president was angry to learn from her, she had first approached Jonathan. So he simply gave her the same option: resignation. The troubled former NSE Director-General was also seen on the camp ground of the Redeemed Church of God and was understood to have met with Pastor Enoch Adeboye for prayers to keep her job.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2010/08/13/jonathan-obasanjo-advised-ndi-okereke-

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The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says passport front offices are scheduled to open in some major cities across the United Kingdom, including Manchester, Birmingham, and Cardiff (Wales), in three months. Speaking on the Tuesday edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, the minister addressed the concerns of Nigerians in the diaspora over difficulties renewing their passports at foreign missions. “I think there are only two places where we have this challenge now, realistically. I think in the UK, precisely, London and in the US — precisely, in New York. And that has to do with the concentration of Nigerians,” Tunji-Ojo admitted. Zeroing in on the UK, where several viral cases have been recorded, he argued the only solution was to open passport front offices in key cities by February 2024. “There is no quick fix. But we have ensured Nigerians that by February next year, we would have opened our front offices such that we’ll have front offices in Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff in Wales, and Scotland,” the minister said. “So, once we have this, definitely, it will reduce the stress of Nigerians, it will reduce the waiting period, and of course, it will bring efficiency into the whole passport procurement system.” Tunji-Ojo explained that the problem existed “because we have only one passport office in the entire United Kingdom”. According to him, Nigerians living in far-flung cities such as Edinburg (Scotland), Cardiff, and Belfast (North Ireland) as well as Manchester or Birmingham had no choice but to travel to London for their new passports. Noting that there were “hundreds of thousands of Nigerians resident in this country”, the interior minister stated that it was important to investigate the capacity that the immigration office can take in a day and how many people are asking for passports.

https://www.channelstv.com/2023/11/28/passport-front-offices-to-open-across-

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Delta Government has approved the development of the Asaba waterfront project with the construction of a six-lane road along the waterfront and has earmarked about N1.1 billion as compensation. The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, disclosed in a chat with newsmen on some of the decisions taken at the State Executive Council meeting held in Government House Asaba. He said that the approvals were in line with Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration’s promise to work assiduously till the last day in office. Aniagwu also said that the council approved the rehabilitation and asphalt overlaying of the second phase of the Umunede/Ogwashi-Uku Road (old Lagos/Asaba Road). The commissioner said that council also approved the construction of a perimeter road around the Asaba Airport to check the incursion of animals and ensure security at the airport. He said that in order to ensure improved services and cost reductions at the state-owned general hospitals; the government also approved the provision of a renewable energy mix (solar power) to power the hospitals. The commissioner said that the government was considering the engagement of a consultant to help it reconcile it’s Federation Account Allocation Committee(FAAC) accounts receipt with financial institutions on a commission basis if there were recoveries. According to Aniagwu, the Umunede/Ogwashi-Uku road, formerly a Federal Government Road has been taken in phases due to financial burden and the project has become necessary to open up the communities. “We, before now have seen the need to develop the waterfront in Asaba and for us to do that, we needed to also pay compensations to those who own land in the area. “The waterfront is from the Anwai axis up to the city centre in Asaba, and beyond the payment of N1.1 billion compensation, we are also going to construct a six-lane dual carriage road for us to drive straight to the waterfront. “So, that has been approved and for compensation to be paid to those whose land is within the water corridor and to those whose land will be affected by the construction of the six-lane road.” Aniagwu said that for the state government to keep its debt records straight the council also considered utilising 60 per cent of what the federal government owed it to write off its domestic debt with the federal government. “As a government, we are also desirous to finish strong. “We also approved today, the engagement of a consultant to help us reconcile our FAAC account because sometimes you may not have the kind of remittance that should come from the financial institutions. “We have also considered that the federal government is indebted to us largely, we also have some level of domestic debt. “So, we are considering taking about 60 per cent of the money owed us by the federal government to write off what they say we are owing them,” Aniagwu said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/04/delta-govt-approves-devt-of-asaba-

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December 7, 2023 by Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt I won’t surrender my mandate to sabotage, intimidation, blackmail, says Fubara Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has vowed that no level of sabotage deliberately staged in some quarters will compel him to abandon his mandate to serve, protect and advance the fortunes of the state. Fubara, who said he would not relinquish the mandate he received from the people to intimidation and blackmail, insisted that he would follow the path of peace, saying that needless crisis would not benefit the state. The governor spoke when he declared open the 115 and 116 combined Quarterly General Meeting of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt on Thursday, December 7. Fubara reaffirmed his commitment to serve with humility, sincerity of purpose, and accountability. He said: “Although these are trying times, let us not forget that Rivers State is our collective inheritance, presently under my watch, to protect, defend and advance it as the governor. “I assure you that I will not fail in this responsibility nor will I surrender our mandate and progress to intimidation, blackmail, and deliberate sabotage. I reaffirm my earlier statement and recommit myself to the path of peace as there is nothing to gain in a state of needless crisis.” Fubara said drastic measures would be taken to strengthen education, healthcare, and social services across the state including the rural areas. The governor said the 2024 budget of the state would prioritize and provide sufficient funding to create universal access to affordable and quality education and healthcare services in Rivers. The governor said: “We will also take deliberate steps to unlock the entrepreneurial spirit among our teeming unemployed youths through viable initiatives on skills development, entrepreneurship training, and targeted investments in commercial agriculture.” Fubara urged traditional rulers to be upright and royal fathers of integrity, who would not compromise their neutrality. He also enjoined them to be courageous to speak truth to power so that they would not lose their moral authority and legitimacy before their people. He said: “We must all be worried about the plight of our youths, especially those in rural communities, most of whom are poor, neglected, and almost forgotten in the government’s development plans, policies, and actions. “As we all know, no human society can progress without peace and security. I will therefore urge you to continue to work tirelessly for the preservation of peace and security to attract sustainable development to your communities.” The governor also harped on the need for everybody to have faith in the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration at the federal level. He said President Tinubu had shown determination to pull the nation out of the prevailing economic nightmare and usher in a new era of sustainable economic progress. Read Also: IYC fumes over ‘political attack’ on Fubara In his address, the Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse declared the firm support of the council to the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying he was elected as the best and trusted person to lead the state. Ohna Awuse urged troublemakers fanning the ember of discord to cease the acts and allow the governor to discharge the functions of his office. Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Charles Amadi said his ministry had continued to maintain a harmonious relationship with the council and would keep collaborating with them to assist them in discharging their roles as royal fathers.

https://thenationonlineng.net/i-wont-surrender-my-mandate-to-sabotage-

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Former international, Jonathan Akpoborie is yet to come to terms with the fact that Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, offered the Super Eagles job to Stephen Keshi. Akpoborie said that the Pinnick-led board’s decision to use tax-payers money to send the coach on a capacity building course to update himself was an insult on Nigerians. ‘’I don’t know why the NFF should give him the job in the first place. And talking of sending him on a course is annoyingly insulting’’, Akpoborie told Sports Vanguard at Campos Square where he watched Imo State U-15 beat Niger state to win the Etisalat U-15 soccer championship. ‘’I’ve always said that Keshi has nothing to offer the Super Eagles. Giving him a two-year contract was glorifying failure. We’ve set a bad precedent by employing a man who failed to qualify for the Nations Cup to manage us for the next two years. Does it not show you where we are heading to?’’. Akpoborie said that Keshi should not wait for the NFF before going abroad to update his knowledge on the game. ‘’He should have used his money to go and update his knowledge. Why are they paying him N5 million? That is what every serious coach in the world does. He should not to wait for a federation to bear his expenses’’, he said. Asked why he was not taking advantage of NFF’s gesture of appointing former players to coach the various national teams, Akpoborie laughed and said that coaching was a calling and not a money machine. ‘’I’m not cut out to be a coach. I went through a lot of stress during my active days and don’t want another stress as a coach. Coaching is not just what you wake up one day and go into. Most of our former players who are coaches are there because of what they want to get. They don’t have what it takes to be coaches. That is why our football is in the valley’’. Akpoborie said that part of the problems that would confront Keshi in his second coming would be the loss of respect by players. ‘’There is nothing as bad as when you don’t have the respect of your players. And that is the beginning of divisions in the team and the beginning of yet another failure’’, Akpoborie said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/keshi-

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By Tony Ubani, in South Africa Greece coach, Otto Rehhagel, was locked in argument with his Nigerian counterpart, Lars Lagerback over the red card given to Sani Kaita. Kaita behaved primitively by brushing his stud on the Greek player in an off the ball situation and was sent off – deservedly. But Lagerback said that the Greek play-acted. Rehhagel shrugged off and said that Lagerback needs to look properly to know that his player acted in a silly way and deserved the red card. ‘’I do not think our player was in any way responsible. You cannot say that. The world saw it and it is only the Nigerian coach who thought otherwiseâ€. The coach said that he had put the Nigerian game behind him and is only wary about the encounter with Argentina’s Diego Maradona team. ‘’They are a world class team, an exceptional side,†Rehhagel said. ‘’It will be interesting to see how my team cope. I am just glad we have got a victory. It would have been a shame to have gone home without any points.’’ Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/06/20/greece-coach-blasts-

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On this page, we will share the latest Google Camera for the Tecno Spark 8 and 8P with you. Google camera is the stock camera app which ships with Google’s Pixel device. The camera brings the latest HDR+ technology which improves picture quality, especially on low and mid-end phones. The app also includes the Night Sight feature, portrait mode, motion photos, panorama, lens blur, 60fps video, slow motion, and more. If you are someone who wants to install the Google Camera on your Tecno Spark 8 and 8P, then this guide is for you. Thanks to some of the creative and hard-working developers such as Arnova8G2, BSG, and Urnyx05 who’re trying hard to make ported GCam APK files to most of the devices out there. The Google Camera port is now available for the Tecno Spark 8 and 8P devices. Download Google Camera Port for Tecno Spark 8 and 8P - Download Google Camera 7.3.018 APK [Recommended] - Download Google Camera 7.3.021 APK - Download GCam_6.1.021_Advanced_V1.4.032219.1950: Download - Download GCam by Arnova8G2: Download - Download Google Camera Go Steps to install Google Camera on Tecno Spark 8 and 8P The Google Camera APK file installation process is as simple as installing any other third-party APK file. You don’t have to root your device for this. - Download the GCam APK file from the download link above and tap on it. - Make sure that the Unknown Sources option is enabled on your device. In order to do this, go to the device Settings menu > Security/Privacy > enable it. [If already enabled, skip to the installation] - It will launch the package installer and tap on the Install button. - Once the installation is done, open, and use it. Still, if the camera app doesn’t work, then enable the Camera2api by using build.prop (Not for every device) I hope this guide will help you a lot and you have now successfully installed the Google Camera ported app on your Tecno Spark 8 and 8P handset. In case, if you’re facing any trouble, feel free to write it down in the comments below. Ehsydurudh hr bc cb hf uf Sonakshi dualism skeleton Tecno spark 8 gcam port

https://www.getdroidtips.com/google-camera-tecno-spark-8p-gcam-apk/

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August 17, 2021 by The Nation Buhari to exit self-isolation tomorrow President Muhammadu Buhari will tomorrow be out of the five-day isolation as directed by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC). The President went into self-isolation last Friday after returning from an 18-day trip to the United Kingdom (UK) where he attended an education summit and kept a scheduled medical appointment. He had to self-isolate as a precautionary measure required of all international travellers arriving in the country in case they had been exposed to COVID-19. The presidency yesterday confirmed the President has been taking measures to protect himself while attending to official duties. Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said all documents brought to his attention were sanitized before they reach him. Shehu said: “The President is truly isolating as required following international travel. During this period, which ends on Wednesday (tomorrow), he will be attending to urgent and critical documents. “It is important to note that all documents coming to Mr President are screened and sanitised with specialised equipment before and after they reached him. “The PIB (he signed yesterday) passed through the same process.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-to-exit-self-isolation-

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May 20, 2023 by Eric Ikhilae, Abuja BREAKING: Obi, LP to call 50 witnesses in presidential election dispute The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and the party plan to call 50 witnesses in prosecuting their petition before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC). Their lawyer, Awa Kalu (SAN) announced this a moment ago in the ongoing pre-hearing session in the petition. Kalu said his clients will require seven weeks to present its case because they still are still experiencing some hiccups with its dealings with INEC. He said the petitioners are yet to conduct the court ordered forensic examination of the BVAS devices used for the last presidential election and yet to receive some of the documents requested from INEC. Lawyer to INEC said his client plans to call five witnesses and conduct its case within seven days. Lawyer to Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettma, Roland Otaru (SAN) said his clients will call 21 witnesses with the exclusion of other expert witnesses to be called. Otaru said although the a law allows a respondent 10 days to conduct its case, they intend to use nine days. Lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) said his client plans to invite seven witnesses, excluding subpoenaed witnesses. Akintola said the APC plans to conduct its case within nine days.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-obi-lp-to-call-50-witnesses-in-

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By Davies Iheamnachor The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, has denied the reports that over 19 babies died in the facility within a week following power outage in the hospital. Sources had, weekend, alleged that a number of babies died in UPTH’s incubators because there was no electricity to run the medical equipment. The source had also accused the management of the health facility of not being prudent in managing its resources to translate to excellence. However, UPTH in a statement by its acting Public Relations Officer, Elabha Meni, denied the reports, noting that no baby died in the facility. Menu in a statement, noted that UPTH was known for excellence and has maintained the standard, saying it was the best in medical practice within the region. He said: “The University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, is a known centre for excellence, a citadel of training, research and healthcare delivery. “The University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital is an institution, where world’s best medical standards are practiced and maintained.” , which also has helped made the institution one of the best medical centers in the South-south and Nigeria at large. “However, it is quite saddening that certain persons try to tarnish the image of the hospital by spreading false messages and information that are inaccurate. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/no-baby-died-in-our-facility-upth-mgt/

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November 4, 2019 by The Nation Edo, Delta, Rivers, two others to witness more flood soon – Agency Tony Akowe, Abuja The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has alerted state government of possible flooding in Edo, Delta, Anambra, Rivers and Bayelsa States as a result of current flooding in Adamawa because of the release of water from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon. Director General of the agency, Engr. Clement Oyeaso Eze told newsmen in Abuja on Monday that states along the bank of the River Niger should begin to identify higher ground to relocate villages along the river, adding that the current flood in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue will still find its way into the villages before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. He said the Cameroonian authorities only confirmed the release of water from the dam on the 1st of November, 2019 after series of enquiries by the agency. READ ALSO: Flood displaces Makurdi residents According to him, “Nigeria signed an MOU with the Cameroonian government to inform us in advance when they want to open their dam so that we can prepare and evacuate our people. Unfortunately, they did not inform us and we noticed the unusual water level, we started asking questions and sending them videos. That is when they confirmed to us that they opened the Lagdo Dam on the 10th of October and closed it on the 31st of October. “That is what is responsible for the flooding in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue and this water is finding its way to Lokoja. This will be joined by the water released from Jebba and Kainji Sam’s and this must empty into the downstream states before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. “So, we are warning the states downstream Kogi such as Edo, Anambra, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa to be prepared. So, this is a flood alert.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/edo-delta-rivers-two-others-to-witness-

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Not being sure how she really feels can often be an obstacle to the reciprocity required for meaningful, long-lasting relationships. Some women are built to be so secretive about their real feelings that you can be with her a long time and still find yourself sometimes wondering what she really feels deep down or what she is really thinking about you, the relationship, or the future. However, there are signs that cannot be hidden which she will display consciously or unconsciously and they will help you understand her true feelings. By responding appropriately you too can add more meaning to your relationship. What follows are the 3 sure signs that she really loves you and wants it to work. And by ‘love’ here, I mean genuine love, not the euphoric head over heels love that typically characterizes a phase of romantic relationships. She understands and accepts you for who you are: This is the most essential and healthy sign of genuine real-world love. It lets you know that she is really interested in you as you are and not some romanticized/fantasized version of a partner, and she sees you as a real person and not just some object to be admired. You should, however, know that nothing stops people who accept you as you are from wanting or encouraging you to be a better version of yourself. So, the fact that she nonetheless tries to push you to be better does not mean her acceptance isn’t genuine. Like in everything else there is always room for improvement, and if someone cares enough to encourage you to begin the journey into becoming the best version of you, then there is a good chance she will also be patient and supportive as you undertake your journey. Acceptance and understanding in relationships make a lot of forgiveness possible which, is absolutely vital for enduring relationships. For instance, understanding helps people to sometimes realize that some of the hurtful (not abusive!) things their partners do are not necessarily malicious. Acceptance and understanding also bestow on your significant other the ability to lift you up whenever you are down because they can easily brighten your day instantly with just the right words because they know what makes you tick. This is the point where you take a breath and thank your lucky stars that you have found someone who accepts you for who you are despite your flaws. You should return some of that acceptance and understanding. And is it not ironic that the acceptance of the flaws you may have been worried about, now help you realize your significant other really cares about you? She cares about how you feel: If she is someone who always follows through on her promises to you and also takes the trouble to explain when she can’t, then she really cares about how you feel. People who love you will always care about how you feel. This is can be reinforced by empathy. Empathy is found at the heart of enduring relationships. Therefore, real love usually involves some degree of empathy. Its presence always enhances the positive ways you react to each other’s feelings. Empathy also guards against excessive hurtful criticism that can corrode the very foundations of a relationship and other inappropriate reactions to certain situations. Empathy makes it impossible for partners to turn a blind eye to each other’s struggles. So if you don’t already, you should start practicing a little empathy by learning to put yourself in her shoes. This will go a long way in providing some of the much-needed reciprocity in your relationship that you can both benefit from. She is always willing to be there for you: This sign is often overlooked but is always a reassuring one It lets you know that you are not alone either when you are faced with some of life’s challenges or celebrating your wins. If you find she is always available physically and emotionally then take it as a good sign that her love is real. Her constant presence with helpful action and kind words of advice, praise, or encouragement tell you her love is genuine. And if she is there for you even in your absence, like when she defends your actions or reputation under circumstances you don’t have the opportunity to do so yourself then know that you have struck gold! Such support should be appreciated and honored by especially by reciprocation. Support is essential in any enduring healthy relationship. So you need to be there for her as she is there for you. You need to always show up with the attention, help, encouragement, respect, affection, appreciation, and compliments that she needs because, as she has shown you, she is worth it. Giving back is one secret of many enduring relationships that should never be overlooked. This is why recognizing the signs is important. If they are there then it is love, and you need to reciprocate. On the flip side if she is the only one doing all the giving, as the presence of these signs should tell you, then such a relationship is in imminent danger of failing and you would have lost a beautiful thing. This post was previously published on Medium. You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project Compliments Men Want to Hear More Often | Relationships Aren’t Easy, But They’re Worth It | The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex | ..A Man’s Kiss Tells You Everything | Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community. A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities. A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community. Register New Account Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: Dhaya Eddine Bentaleb on Unsplash

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/3-sure-signs-that-tell-you-she-

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The Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses resumed sitting on Saturday with the continuation of the testimony of an EndSARs co-ordinator, Serah Ibrahim. Serah came along with several videos, some of which she said she shot personally with her iPhone. One after the other, she played the videos which according to her demonstrates that soldiers shot at peaceful protesters on the night of October 20. As she played the videos, she explained to the panel that soldiers shot at the harmless protesters and even took away some of the dead bodies. She specifically mentioned that one of the active protesters, Lekan Sanusi was thought to be dead and the soldiers took away his body. She later found out that he was taken to MRS Hospital at Bonny camp where an unidentified nurse helped him to escape. Serah also played videos of some persons who suffered gunshot wounds from bullets allegedly shot by the military with protesters surrounding them and trying to tend to their wounds. When asked if she could authenticate the videos as to the time they were taken and the location, she mentioned that anyone could do this using Google Drive and she proceeded to demonstrate how it could be done. The videos of two mothers who claimed to have lost their children at the protest ground were also played. The videos were contained in the flash drive Serah Ibrahim tendered at the last sitting of the panel. Serah is expected to continue her testimony on May 15. Lekki Toll Gate Shooting Serah’s testimony is the latest development in the controversy that has trailed the events at the Lekki toll gate on the night of October 20. The army has repeatedly denied that it fatally shot at protesters and the Federal Government has said reports of a massacre at the toll gate was fake news. “The purveyors of fake news and disinformation succeeded in deceiving the entire world that there was mass killing in Lekki, even when till date, not a single body has been produced and not a single family or relative has come out to say their child or ward was killed at Lekki toll gate,” Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said at a press briefing in November. But witnesses, including Nigerian songwriter and musician, Obianuju Udeh, better known as DJ Switch, have insisted that the army took away bodies at the protest ground. Amnesty International reported that 10 persons died during the event, a figure disputed by the Nigerian government. The US government, in a human rights report released in March, said “accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available” as at the end of 2020. The EndSARS protests were one of the largest street demonstrations since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. The protests, mostly championed by young people, started as a campaign against police brutality but quickly metamorphosed into a rallying cry against bad governance.

https://www.channelstv.com/2021/05/08/endsars-witness-

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Arts & Life March 20, 2022 by The Nation Authors meet in Ilorin, discuss developmental literature Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, came alive for literature penultimate weekend. It was the gathering of members of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) where the national executive council and the state chapters chairmen and secretaries held sway. The topical issues of discourse centered mainly on how to deepen literature and then pay proper attention to the development of children literature. EDOZIE UDEZE was there. Penultimate weekend, in Ilorin, Kwara State, literature came alive. Literature resonated in many ways to ignite the town and set writers on the road to write more. It was a moment of intense literary razzmatazz when the national executive council of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) met to deliberate on ways to widen the grip of literature on the society. State chairmen and secretaries came from different states and locations. Their aim was clear – to look into the annual programmes and see how to set the ball rolling. The objective this year is to concentrate on the development of the literary minds and the reading acumen of children. ANA president, Camillus Ukah put it more succinctly. “It is to catch them young and not necessarily to make each child to aspire to be a writer, but to have the keenness about reading, about studying, grasping the essentials of education right on the dot of time”. And so it therefore became much easier to tag the project a child a week a book project. The target is to ensure that books are made available to schools in states where the project is in operation this year. About a hundred books per secondary school in which case that by end of one year, a child may have been able to read at least 52 books. It seemed a tall order. But it worked before and ANA hopes it will continue to work, so that the new crop of secondary school children will have a rethink about books, about scholarship and enlightenment. Apart from the reports by the members of the national executive council of the association concerning the state of literature in Nigeria and beyond, state chairmen and secretaries were in cheering good moods about efforts to keep prospering literary awareness at the grassroots. In the throes of it all, Kwara State chapter of ANA, as usual, was tagged the doyen of ANA executive meetings. This is so because in the past years, even when it seemed unfathomable, the state had hosted these meetings. This year’s was also done with pomp and pageantry amid great hilarious acclaims by writers. Hosted at Usman Mustapha’s Imodoye Writers Enclave, located at Fate-tanke, Ilorin, the cozy, quiet ambiance was apt. Even the usual Ilorin hot weather, intense this time of the year, did not deter writers. As the sun blazed at its highest height, the atmosphere inside the hall remained intellectually charged as authors sat in clusters geared up for the business of the day. Three issues preoccupied their minds more. The first was the children book project which took more time to thrash out. Oh yes, states were given cheques to handle the project and to also monitor it to its logical conclusion. And because more states than was envisaged showed interest this year, the amount of money allotted was made to go round, serving the same purpose. So, the schools are taken as the pilot schools. Reports from states showed that former exercises in this regard have fared well. While some states have done far too well, others were chided to improve upon their past records. But generally, it was clear that this project occasioned by Yusuf Ali’s (SAN) yearly monetary largess to ANA has come to stay, has come to make literary acquisition by children a reality, a plausible option to illiteracy. The second issue was the state of ANA writers village, Mpape, Abuja. This was clearly tied to the 40th convention anniversary of ANA last year. Briefings from those closely connected to the issues gave kudos to ANA members for the huge success of the 40th anniversary. Yet, it was clear that part of the structures at the centre have been altered. Where it was supposed to be writers chalets, it has now been turned into hotel rooms. Ukah said, “You know hotels yield revenue fast. And we need more money to continue to fund the project. Once the hotels are completed and in use, we begin to realize revenue from it for ANA”. Amid this, it was time to thank the members who endeavoured to attend. Ukah put it this way: “I thank you all for the efforts to be here in spite of the general insecurity in the land. The times are difficult, but to you all, literature must thrive, authorship has to be given a priority attention. Therefore, we are here not only to discuss the business of writing, but to also see to it that this association is totally devoid of constant rancor and avoidable divisive tendencies.” Ukah went on: “Your dexterity, resilience, defying scarcity of fuel, insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, all, to be here is the hallmark of writers, mostly members of ANA. I am happy the attendance is larger this year. God has been our guiding light ever since.” To him ANA affairs are usually a family matter which always needs close-knit ideas to resolve and thrash out. “This is why we are here to rub minds on how to move forward, forging new ideas that will reignite, reinvigorate the necessary literary firmament”. The association gave itself a pat on the back for surviving years of squabbles. The president declared: “I venture to say that ANA has done well given the times we are in. We have continuously proved our resilience and the public can even testify to it that ANA indeed belongs to a body of resilient writers. At 40, we have come a long way. WE can conveniently say we are proud of our association. We have come thus far, because we believe it is a collective responsibility. This is why we have been working with the state chapters for these laudable achievements we have recorded”. The gathering noted that in all situations, literature has a major role to play not only in national development, but in the emancipation of the human mind and resolve. Over time, literature, literary offerings and ideas, have been used to change societies. Ideas properly put in written forms help planners, scientists, opinion molders, leaders with the capacity to think, to push for societal advancement. Most ideas to discover new things, to let the people advance beyond certain limits come from documentations. Now, more than ever, Nigeria needs literature to grow. Science and technology depend on creative works to thrive and Nigeria should not be an exception. It is creative minds that generate ideas: ideas that propel a society to a level where it is bigger, better and richer than others. Therefore, works of writers in all spheres are very critical to national development. Ukah averred: “We have to keep doing deep thinking within the depth of our minds. We have to go right deeper into our inner-selves to generate ideas when we write: It can be fiction; it can be faction. It can even be other creative formats that touch on the vibes of the people, on the society generally. “It is possible also for us to situate our problems via fiction, in poetry forms. Dramas often say it all. We then need to take this challenge very seriously. This is why we also need books for the children, relevant books that can help us to restructure their minds as they grow up. If we make them have early exposure to the proper literary materials, we would have been able to reorder their intellectual foundation”. As writers, it then became imperative for them to first realize how relevant these works are in the society. When this is done it helps to open up a child’s mind to the ideals of scholarship. The role of literature must continue to remain great, to be seen to be incontrovertible and the road to civilization. And in it all, writers must build, equip themselves with formidable forces good enough to chart a way to El-dorado. The body of writers equally pointed out that the reward for hard work is equal to more work. Therefore, there is no moment of respite for the writer since the writer is the mirror of the society. Let the writer also continuously deepen his muse, foster his creative ideals well abreast of the exigencies of the time. Therefore we have to create our own ideal society in our works. Thirdly, a committee to scrutinize membership across states has to be set up. This is so in order to ensure proper documentation of who truly becomes ANA member. After that the constitution has to be reviewed in consonance with the situation as it were. It is called membership verification exercise. Yet, the Mbari Book project set up in Ibadan, Oyo State equally came up for mention. Other issues included the 500 KVA generator provided at the writers village, Abuja. For now, it powers the centre and that makes it an all year round El-dorado. To Kwara State, the restoration chapter goes all these accolades for providing the conducive atmosphere to hobnob on literature even when it is obvious the times are lugubrious, harsh and unpredictable. A visit to ANA benefactor Yusuf Ali (SAN) in his Ilorin office brought to the climax the programme of events. Obviously Ali was happy to see that his help to ANA has been yielding the desired fruits. Also, the hosting by Dr. Usman Mustapha Akanbi at his Enclave was all the writers needed to feel the kindred spirit, the hallowed loveliness of Ilorin. Then the hotel, the centre of convergence for writers suited all for the purpose it served. For three days the Purple Hills hotel, Fate-tanke, Ilorin, became a beehive of bustling and bubbling just because authors chose it as their place of home away from home. Even as ANA pledges for more books to be donated for this project, it also extends its hands of fellowship to other well-meaning Nigerians to partner with authors to reawaken the reading culture in the society. As always, let writers continue to write, berating leaders, rediscovering new ideals for growth and development, so that in the nearest time, ideas, deep ideas of advancement would rule the society and the people.

https://thenationonlineng.net/authors-meet-in-ilorin-discuss-

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4th December, 2015 Former Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago Iwoye, Prof. Yinusa Olatunji Oyeneye died yesterday and has since been buried according to the Islamic rite. Oyeneye, who was the pioneer pro-chancellor of the first University of Education in Nigeria, Tai Solarin University of Education, TASUED, Ijagun died at the age of 68 years. Family sources confirmed to our correspondent that the former university don had been bedridden for cancer related ailment before breathing his last on Wednesday, 2 December, 2015. The deceased, according to the family sources, returned to the country, few months ago, after undergoing treatment. He was said to have been on admission at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, OOUTH, Sagamu, where he finally gave up the ghost yesterday morning. The late Prof. Oyeneye’s remains was buried yesterday evening at his Ikangba, hometown in Odogbolu local government area of the state.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/12/04/ex-oou-vc-

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CBN Governor, Cardoso Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Yemi Cardoso, has told federal law makers that the task of stabilizing the Naira was beyond the apex bank. He spoke in Abuja, this afternoon, while addressing the House of Representatives to explain issues responsible for the foreign exchange challenges facing the nation. The CBN boss told the legislators that although the CBN has the official mandate to ensure a stable value of the Naira, the dwindling foreign exchange earnings by the nation and the increasing demand for foreign exchange by Nigerians for imports, school fees, foreign travels must be addressed to have a stable foreign exchange market. His words, “Permit me to say that put simply, the exchange rate is determined by the dynamics of supply and demand for a product or service. In essence, similar to the pricing of cows or cars, the value of the US Dollar in Nigeria is determined by the balance of US Dollars entering the country and the demand for US Dollars among Nigerians. “Applying this demand and supply principle, let’s examine how the exchange rate has performed in recent years. The exchange rate in Nigeria has increased/depreciated due to the simultaneous occurrence of two factors: a decline in the supply of US Dollars coinciding with a surge in the demand for US Dollars. Mr. Cardoso revealed that imports requiring dollars amounted to $16.65 billion in 1980 but that, “by 2014, the annual import expenditure had significantly surged to $67.05 billion, although it gradually decreased to $54.71 billion as of last year. “Similarly, food imports escalated from $2.63 billion in 1980 to US$14.84 billion in 2019.” He added that the number of Nigerian students abroad had grown astronomically. Mr. Cardoso said, “In the 1980s and 1990s, the need for US Dollars for their living expenses was minimal. However, recent data shows a significant change. “According to UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics, the number of Nigerian students abroad increased from less than 15,000 in 1998 to over 71,000 in 2015. By 2018, this figure had reached 96,702 students, as per the World Bank. “Another report projects the number of Nigerian students studying abroad to exceed 100,000 by 2022.” “Continuing on the topic of the demand for US Dollars, Nigeria’s annual imports, which require dollars for payment, amounted to US$16.65 billion in 1980. “From the aforementioned points, we can infer that the genuine issue impacting the exchange rate is the simultaneous decrease in the supply of, and increase in the demand for, US Dollars. “It also seems that the task of stabilizing the exchange rate, while an official mandate of the CBN, would necessitate efforts beyond the Bank itself and indeed to an attitudinal change of all our citizens. Focus on price stability Mr. Cardoso said his team remained committed to price stability and determined to achieve that objective. His words, “My team and I are dedicated to refocusing the Bank by giving primacy to price stability. We also aim to build confidence in the Nigerian economy through the maintenance of stability in consumer prices and the foreign exchange market. “We are aware that the twin challenges of inflation and exchange rate depreciation on our economy are daunting, however, they are not insurmountable. “Monetary policy actions are sometimes inhibited by transmission lags, nonetheless, it is expected that the policy measures implemented by the Bank will permeate the economy in the short- to medium-term. “We are committed to implementing policies that will ensure a stable macroeconomic environment and guarantee improved livelihoods for all Nigerians.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/02/stabilizing-naira-beyond-cbn-

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By Dirisu Yakubu – Abuja Ahead of its October 31 national elective convention, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Thursday, took a significant step towards a possible hitch-free exercise following the emergence of Dr Iyorchia Ayu as the consensus chairmanship candidate of the North. Ayu’s emergence was a product of intense lobby and reconciliation across board which led to withdrawal from the race of two other contestants, Ibrahim Shema and Senator Abdul Ningi. Vanguard gathered that Ningi, former leader of the Senate was dragged to the race by Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi state to scuttle the aspiration of Senator Suleiman Nazif, incumbent deputy national chairman (North) of the PDP. Nazif who never gets along with Governor Bala had reportedly boasted that no one would stop him from aspiring to lead the party in the new National Working Committee, NWC, expected to emerge after the October convention. Determined to checkmate Nazif, the governor, our correspondent learnt, brought in Ningi and caused a good number of PDP faithful from the North-East to queue behind him. As a result, Ningi joined former Katsina state governor, Ibrahim Shema who had earlier secured the nomination of the North-West. With all three zones gathered at the Bauchi state Governor’s lodge, supporters of Ayu made up of Ortom, former Senate Presidents, David Mark, Bukola Saraki and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT of party, Senator Walid Jibrin amongst others, went into private meeting with Shema and Ningi, both of whom promptly opted out of the race, paving way for the emergence of Ayu. Addressing journalists at the event, Fintiri assured party faithful of greater days ahead for the PDP, declaring that the consensus reached to settle for Ayu as the chairmanship candidate of the North, makes all contestants winners and not losers. He said: “Distinguish Senator Iyorchia Ayu has emerged as a consensus candidate of the North. With this, we are fully prepared, we are ready. We will be talking with our colleagues from other parts of the country, especially the South so that they can see reasons for this consensus candidate and give us support during the October 30 and 31 convention of PDP. “There is no victor, no vanquished in this meeting. We all came out united. Out of the three Northern contestants that all the three zones produced, the candidates themselves in the spirit of unity and togetherness, in the spirit of ensuring that PDP emerges and benefits from our efforts, so that we can win together for Nigerians the 2023 general elections, chose Ayu. “All of them were immensely qualified but through discussion and reconciliation, we have emerged with a consensus that was endorsed by the candidates themselves. There was no election and there was no selection.” On his part, Dr. Ayu pledged to quickly come up with policies that will give the PDP a new face, after the convention. He said: “It is my singular honour to accept the responsibilities which has been put on my shoulders from the North. I believe that at the end of the day, it will not only be the North, but it will be about all Nigerians. The PDP will be back to its winning ways and we will work tirelessly after the convention to rebuild the party to take over power to rebuild the country. “I believe all Nigerians miss the PDP government. Our 16 years moved this country forward. We intend to work together with all the leaders, not only in the North but across the country to reposition this country for the next generation of Nigerians. “It will be an all inclusive administration of the party. We will work collectively to produce policies which will be acceptable to all Nigerians. Today, our currency is the weakest in the world. Even the Somalians are better than us in Africa. “We will work hard to solve the issue of insecurity. I want to thank the leaders of the North who are united, determined and who are willing to work with me. I am a foundation member of this party. I worked in the party before, but I know that you cannot do it alone. “We shall work as team and I believe with the support of Nigerians, who have suffered in the hands of a party that does not exist, of a party that does not care for the youths of Nigeria, of a party that doesn’t care for anybody but themselves, we shall achieve victory and administer this country to the greater glory of God.” The meeting was attended by top politicians from the three Northern geo-political zones of North Central, North-East and North-West including Aminu Tambuwal, Samuel Ortom, Tanimu Turaki, Ibrahim Dankwambo among others. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/10/breaking-ayu-emerges-pdps-

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7th June, 2021 By Maureen Okon Nigerian- American, 22 year-old Steve Ezeonu, has won the Grand Prairie City Council run-off election in Texas, United States. Ezeonu, a Democrat clinched 3,903 votes to beat his closest rival Greg Giessner who garnered 3,720 votes in the June 5 run off election. Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has congratulated 22-year old in a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations of the commission. Dabiri-Erewa said Ezeonu’s victory was hard-earned but well-deserved. Dabiri-Erewa said that by emerging victorious, Ezeonu had proven that “hard work and dedication to duty pays”. She added that she was not surprised by Ezeonu’s victory because his resilience,dedication, doggednesss contributed to his success at that age. The NiDCOM chief urged other Nigerians to emulate Ezeonu’s feat and strive to excel in their pursuits as “hard work is the key to success”. She also urged them also to continue to demonstrate the spirit of resilience imbibed in Nigerians She advised Ezeonu to fulfil all his electoral promises to the electorate as he has a lot of opportunities ahead of him in future. She expressed appreciation to the Nigerian community in Texas for giving him their maximum support. Dabiri-Erewa said that she had contacted Ezeonu earlier before the election to give him words of encouragement and support. (NAN)

https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2021/06/07/nigerian-steve-

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Footballing super-agent Jorge Mendes, who manages Cristiano Ronaldo among others, has been summoned before a Spanish court as part of the probe into Colombian striker Radamel Falcao’s alleged tax evasion, legal sources said on Wednesday. Monaco’s Falcao is suspected of failing to correctly declare 5.6 million euros ($6.1 million) of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while he was at Atletico Madrid. He is suspected of using a web of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands, Ireland, Colombia and Panama to avoid taxes on the image rights income. Mendes was summoned to appear before the court of instruction at Pozuelo de Alarcon, close to Madrid, on June 27. The summons comes a day after Ronaldo was accused by Spanish prosecutors of evading 14.7 million euros in tax through offshore companies. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/super-

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Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal breaks the silence and claims he’s ‘happy and comfortable’ in Catalonia: “I want to continue here.” The Chilean centre-midfielder has been linked with a move to Serie A this winter and both Inter and Juventus have been mentioned as possible suitors. Despite the strong links with Antonio Conte and rumours about a possible reunion with the former Juventus coach, now at San Siro, the player has admitted that he would prefer to stay in Spain. “I’m very happy and comfortable in Barcelona, I obviously want to continue here,” he said on Instagram Live. “Now, I’m more prepared than ever before. “I’m happy, there’s a great group and I have many friends in the dressing room.”

https://sportinglife.ng/barca-star-reveals-

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The Minister of Works, David Umahi has said that the proposed Lagos 4th Mainland Bridge Supersonic Highway will make travelling from Lagos to Abuja a four-hour journey. The Minister stated this during a visit to Ogun and Oyo states on Thursday in continuation of his highway inspection tour, according to a statement by the Director Press and Public Relations unit of the Ministry of Works, Blessing Lere-Adams on Friday. During a meeting with the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun in his Office in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Umahi was quoted to have said, “Let me announce to you that Lagos proposed 4th Mainland Bridge Supersonic Highway will take four hours to drive from Lagos to Abuja. “We had a presentation on it yesterday with the consultant and it’s going to be on Public Private Partnership (PPP), driving from Lagos to Abuja will take 4 hours, we are concluding on it within one or two months and work will start.” He further told the Governor, “We have a programme called Highway Development Management Initiative (HDMI) and it allows states and other private investors to engage with the Federal Government either to take over a fully constructed road to toll and maintain it in partnership with FG or take a brand new road and reconstruct it and toll it under laid down agreement. “l am very much open to that, we also bring some roads architecture into this kind of arrangement. Solar lights where we can fix CCTV to monitor our roads and increase visibility; this will largely reduce insecurity and also create service stations. We can monitor security at these service stations; we have mini clinics, toll vans at these stations just as we see outside the country.” Also holding similar meeting with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in his office in Ibadan, the Minister commended Oyo government for working on Federal Roads. “You have done quite a number of roads and you were not waiting that you must have all approval before you do it, if we are waiting for due process of refund for working on FG roads, our people will be the ones to suffer. We are excited with Governor Seyi Makinde, we as a Government has also done a number of roads” Umahi said.

https://www.channelstv.com/2023/09/01/lagos-abuja-to-take-four-hours-

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April 12, 2023 by Eric Ikhilae, Abuja JUST IN: Court voids Kogi APC’s delegates list for Gov primary A Federal High Court in Abuja has voided the February 7, 2023 list of delegates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State for its forthcoming governorship primary election. Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment on Wednesday, held that there was no evidence before the court to show that valid special ward congresses were held from which the said delegates emerged. Justice Omotosho also noted that the party failed to provide credible evidence that INEC monitored the said congress or congresses from which the names on the said delegates list were derived. The judge, who restrained INEC from accepting and acting on the said delegates list, said the APC in Kogi State still has an opportunity, with the existing time frame, to conduct valid special ward congresses to elect delegates, who will elect the party’s candidate for the governorship election. Alternatively, the judge said the APC in Kogi could opt for any other mode of electing it’s candidate for the governorship election should it decide not to conduct valid special ward congresses as ordered by the court. The judgment was on a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/329/2023 filed by some aggrieved members of the APC in Kogi, led by Realwan Okpanachi.

https://thenationonlineng.net/just-in-court-voids-kogi-apcs-

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https://www.capetourism.com/cape-

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A few hours to the commencement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Congress in Zamfara State, some political thugs attacked the venue of the exercise. The programme initially slated for the Zaitun Oil mill, behind State Pilgrim Board has been moved to the Command Guest House in Gusau, the state capital. Channels Television gathered that the thugs invaded the venue in the early hours of Monday and destroyed the voting materials, nomination forms, two vehicles belonging to party members, chairs and set canopies ablaze. The Personal Secretary to Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Umar Aminu said the party will not be intimidated by the incident, noting that the congress will still go ahead as scheduled. He said the hoodlums are unknown but assured security agencies will investigate. It is not yet certain which persons are responsible for the attack on the PDP facility in the north-western state. Despite the attack, the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Barrister Mahdi Aliyu Gusau and the Caretaker Chairman of the party, Ambassador Bala Mande arrived at the new venue of the congress. The congress attracted 1,089 delegates and is meant to produce key PDP officials that will pilot the affairs of the party in Zamfara. See photos from the scene below:

https://www.channelstv.com/2021/12/27/political-thugs-

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ROME (AFP) – Rescuers searched Friday for around 50 migrants feared drowned after their boat sank off the coast of the southern Italian island of Lampedusa overnight, Italian rescue services said. The coastguard called on private vessels and teams from local deep-sea diving centres to join the search. The Italian coastguard and nearby NATO ships rescued 56 people from the sea after receiving a distress call from the sinking boat, which survivors said had been carrying 136 people including 10 women and six children. Coastguard spokesman Filippo Marini said one body had been found and that the search would continue “as long as there is hope of finding survivors”. Those rescued, including one woman, “are in good health, although they are suffering from hypothermia”, after hours in the water, Marini said. Some were plucked from the waters off the islet of Lampione, while others had made it ashore. The survivors, apparently all Tunisians, were taken to a nearby reception centre on Lampedusa, off Italy’s southernmost tip. A passenger on the boat gave the alarm in a satellite phone call late Thursday, saying they were sinking about 12 nautical miles off Lampedusa, the Italian island closest to the coast of north Africa. Coast guard and police vessels as well as NATO helicopters and ships from Italy, Germany and Turkey joined the search for survivors. NATO’s southern command in Naples acted after a request by Italian authorities, NATO said in a statement from Brussels. “The three NATO ships and their helicopters have located two people and took them on board for treatment,” said the alliance. The first people were pulled from the sea around 2:30 am (0030 GMT), while some managed to swim to the islet. Two were rescued by a German NATO ship while one exhausted migrant was flown to land by helicopter. So far however there has been no sign of the wrecked boat. Some Italian media reports have speculated whether it quickly sank or may have been towed back to Tunisia by a “mother boat”, which could have taken the remaining migrants with it. Prosecutors in Agrigento, southern Sicily, have opened an inquiry into whether there were people traffickers on board and, if so, whether these were among the survivors. But UN refugee agency spokeswoman Laura Boldrini said: “The idea of people smugglers is by now obsolete. “Today it is the migrants themselves who take turns in sailing the boat. They are often people with no maritime experience.” Save the Children Italy said five children had survived. It called on “national and international authorities to make every effort to reinforce and multiply prevention initiatives” to stop migrants attempting the crossing. Rights group Amnesty International also expressed its concern. “Once again, the waters around the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa have played host to a tragedy, highlighting that the number of people dying on Europe’s doorstep is still increasing,” it said. The island’s mayor, Giusi Nicolini, said she was “deeply saddened for the victims of the tragedy”, the latest in a long line of shipwrecks in the area. She warned against “getting used to these tragedies, to the idea that in today’s world crossing the Mediterranean in search of a job or a decent life is tantamount to playing Russian roulette”. Each year thousands of illegal migrants, mostly from Africa, cross the Mediterranean Sea in overcrowded and makeshift boats to land in Lampedusa seeking to enter Europe. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, at least 280 people have lost their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean this year. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/dozens-

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September 30, 2023 by Eric Ikhilae, Abuja Atiku on fishing expedition, Tinubu tells US court - Insists on reversal of order asking Chicago varsity to release academic records to ex-VP President Bola Tinubu has urged the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division to reverse the order asking the Chicago State University (CSU) to release his academic records to a political opponent, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Tinubu argued that Magistrate Jeffrey Gilbert, who gave the September 19 order while ruling on an application by Atiku, lacked any such power under Section 1782 of the US Statute. He therefore asked Honourable Nancy L. Maldonado to reject Atiku’s application. The prayers formed part of Tinubu’s reply to Atiku’s response to his (Tinubu’s) objection to the execution of Magistrate Gilbert’s order in an application for discovery filed by Atiku. Tinubu’s lawyer, Christopher Carmichael, who filed the reply, said the Magistrate “erred in granting the application and ordering Chicago State University to comply with the subpoenas for documents and a deposition.” “The ruling should be set aside and the application denied,” Carmichael said. Atiku, he argued, was merely on a fishing expedition because the documents he is seeking from the CSU can no longer be admitted at the current stage of the appeal he filed at the Supreme Court because the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) had deemed them inadmissible. He said: “The discovery sought here, with one narrow exception, is not ‘for use’ in the pending appeal, and the Nigerian courts were unequivocally hostile to the discovery. “Application of the principles of comity and parity included in Section 1782, require that the Nigerian decision be given effect and that the application be denied.” Continuing, he said the US federal rules “also do not permit a fishing expedition to challenge established fact, and that is a further reason to deny the application.” Tinubu faulted Atiku’s argument that the order by Magistrate Gilbert was not final because it was made in furtherance of an underlying suit, contending that it was final and required a review de novo. “Here, the Magistrate entered a ruling that purported to be a final decision that ended the dispute, and ordered compliance. A magistrate cannot enter such a decision. The review should be de novo,” he said. Tinubu drew the court’s attention to Atiku’s admission in his filings that some of the documents being sought are for use in related proceedings, which implies that he does not require them for the pending appeal at the Supreme Court. He noted that “related proceedings,” as stated by Atiku, “are not the proceedings the application is based upon, and applicant (Atiku) cannot invoke Section 1782 for other proceedings.” Section 1782, according to Tinubu, does not “provide authority for foreigners to authenticate documents they find in public records.” “The discovery sought by applicant is simply not ‘for use’ in the pending appeal and should not be permitted.” He contended that Atiku’s insistence in being allowed access to his (Tinubu’s) academic records showed that he lacks an understanding of the effect of the decision by the Nigerian court. His words: “The Nigerian court decision precluded applicant from asserting the theory he seeks to support with discovery here. “Applicant’s response notes but ignores the fact that he included only a single, general sentence about Intervenor being ‘not qualified’ in his 200+ petition in Nigeria. “The Nigerian court made it clear that applicant’s conduct precluded him from asserting any facts surrounding that generalised statement. “Applicant’s failure to include supporting allegations to flush out the general statement in his petition forecloses any opportunity to try to submit new material to the Nigerian Supreme Court. “A foreign court’s decision to bar the discovery sought should not present an opportunity for the applicant to seek that very same discovery. “Intervenor (Tinubu) has clearly established that granting the application would undermine the judgment of the Nigerian court by allowing applicant to do what the Nigerian court prohibited him from doing. That should preclude the discovery. “The judgment of the Nigerian court was an authoritative statement of the unreceptivity to the discovery that should end the quest here. “The applicant, and the Magistrate, asserted that the Nigerian court’s decision should be effectively nullified because applicant can appeal. “There is nothing in Section 1782 suggesting that discovery should be permitted anytime a losing party can take an appeal in the foreign jurisdiction. “The issues of comity that the Supreme Court directed courts to consider would become a nullity if the applicant’s and the Magistrate’s logic prevailed.” Besides, Tinubu argued that as against the impression created by Atiku, who sought to be allowed unfettered access to his academic records, the US Federal Rules still apply to Section 1783 applications and those procedures can limit the scope of discovery. He added that the Federal Rules, such as Rule 26, do not afford the applicant unfettered discovery. Tinubu said that Atiku’s attack of the authenticity of his certificate was a self created confusion on his (Atiku’s) part despite the confirmation by the CSU that he actually graduated from the university. He noted that Atiku’s “basis for doubting the diploma is his interpretation of proper comma placement and inability to read a signature. “That speculation can be contrasted with established fact – that Nigerian President Bola A. Tinubu graduated from Chicago State University with a degree in 1979. “Despite the affidavit from CSU, the applicant persists in doubting facts, not unlike another domestic presidential candidate. “Unlike that domestic presidential candidate, whose lawsuits were never allowed discovery on such a flimsy basis, applicant asserts that he can obtain discovery merely by ‘questioning’ established fact. That is not a basis for discovery. “Applicant’s identification of ‘other documents’ as another area for discovery is based on other proceedings and material that applicant claims has filtered into the public record. “Applicant then offers the refrain that ‘nobody should oppose this discovery,’ despite the political intrigue opposition figures were able to create with the documents. “Enahoro-Ebah’s illegal subpoena and the typographical error in creating a new diploma, is an example of the harm that can arise when someone is allowed to rummage through another’s records. “Congress and the Illinois General Assembly created protections for educational records that should not be so lightly pushed aside for what appears to be foreign political opposition research. “The proposed discovery of ‘other documents’ should be precluded.” It was gathered that the judge will now consider what the parties have filed and deliver judgment. The parties need not appear to address the court on what they have filed. The court’s clerk confirmed yesterday in a Notification of Docket Entry that briefing on Intervenor’s (Tinubu’s) objections to Judge Gilbert’s order “is now complete.” He said: “The Court will endeavor to issue a written ruling as soon as possible. “Separately, the Court notes that Court staff has received extensive email communications from members of the public related to this case. “The Court understands the significant public interest in this dispute, but the Court will not consider any third party or ex parte submissions. “Rather, the Court’s review will be limited to the parties’ briefing and the official record on the docket.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/atiku-on-fishing-expedition-tinubu-

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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace Airline, Mr Allen Onyema, has called on Nigerians to have hope in one Nigeria. Onyema made the call on Tuesday in Ibadan during inaugural flight of Air Peace Airline at Ibadan airport. He stressed that there was need for every citizen to work toward sustaining the unity of the country, saying Nigerians don’t have any other country. “We might have injustice and inequity in the land; even in our families we have injustice and inequity, we cannot address this injustice and inequity through violence or promoting rancour or things that will tear our families apart. “Likewise, I want everyone of us to take Nigeria same way; we can jointly and collectively address our shortcomings peacefully as a nation,’’ he stated. The CEO further charged Nigerians to contribute their quota to the oneness and unity of the nation through individual actions. Onyema commended Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for attracting investors to the state, stressing that the inaugural flight was the product of the governor`s efforts. In his remarks, Makinde said his administration would continue to upgrade facilities at the Ibadan airport till it assume international standard. Makinde, who also inaugurated the Airport Protocol Lounge rehabilitated by the state government, disclosed that contract for the construction of an aviation fuel facility at the airport had been awarded. He said the facility would enable airline operators to use Ibadan as their operational base. The governor said the state would also ensure that the airport serves as an immediate alternative to the Lagos airport in case of weather or other challenges. The governor expressed optimism that the commencement of air flight operations by Air Peace airline at Ibadan, would promote the economy of the state. The Airport Manager, Mrs Tega Aiyenuro, said the Ibadan airport, been the only airport close to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos, was a viable alternative for flights to any part of the nation and the world. She called on other airline operators to come to Ibadan airport for business.(NAN) Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/lets-have-

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Three people have been reported dead as a luxury bus plunged into Majidun River in Mile 12 area of Lagos in the early hours of Friday. The bus was said to have been travelling from the eastern part of Nigeria. Officials of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), as well as other agencies on ground, made the confirmation as they carried out rescue operations. Explaining how the rescue operation were carried out, the General Manager of LASEMA, Tiamiyu Adesina, stated that the accident occurred at about 4:30 am and his men responded as soon as they were called. Speaking of what could have resulted in the accident, he said: “The driver probably did not understand the road very well, came to that junction, suddenly applied the brake and of course he lost control and ran into the water. “The first set of people that we brought out, many of them had injuries which were treated here by our medics team. “Two people died immediately and we recovered their bodies, we followed up with the recovery of the vehicle, the load is intact and we are trying to take record of the luggage that were found in the bus. “But shortly before I came here, another body was recovered from the water bed; so in total we have three dead bodies”.

http://www.channelstv.com/2017/02/17/three-die-as-bus-plunges-into-

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Barcelona have a lot on their agenda this summer, but high on the list of priorities is getting rid of Philippe Coutinho. The big money panic buy from Liverpool has been an utter disaster since arriving at the Nou Camp, and the club have reached the stage where getting back the money they paid for him looks impossible. They’re willing to take almost any deal that gets him off their wage bill and out of their hair for now, while they deal with more pressing problems. Chelsea are one of the teams who have been linked most strongly, and Catalan paper Sport are leading the charge with details about a prospective move for the attacking midfielder. They say the Blues are “very close” to the Brazilian, although Barca’s demands of €90m are not feasible for them. The pressing need for Barcelona to sell in order to buy, and the desire of the player to make a Premier League return, mean that Frank Lampard’s team reckon they can get the former Red for significantly less than that.

https://sportinglife.ng/barcelona-place-e90m-price-tag-

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1st October, 2021 Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu has granted state pardon to 18 convicts as part of celebrations of Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary. Richard Olatunde, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, announced this in a statement noting that the governor also commuted to life imprisonment 26 other inmates on death row. “In exercise of the powers conferred on him by paragraph (d) of sub-section (1) of Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as Amended, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has granted State pardon to 18 convicted inmates. “The Governor also committed to life imprisonment 26 other inmates who were condemned to death by the various courts in the state. The convicts were released having shown remorse and are of good conduct at the correctional centres,” the statement read. The governor urged the pardoned inmates to be of good behavior and live a crime-free life. He also urged members of the public not to discriminate against the pardoned inmates as they reintegrate into the society.

https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2021/10/01/independence-day-akeredolu-

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By Marie-Therese Nanlong Jos—Nine family members were reportedly killed and seven others injured during an attack on the Maikatako village, Bokkos local government area of Plateau State, Tuesday night. “A native, Godwin Malan, told Vanguard that women and children were those affected most during the attack. “Malan added that the vigilantes were able to repel the attackers but they had already burnt a compound and no one knew that people were still inside the compound. ““The casualties were from that compound. The community contacted security, and they came but it was already late.” “The State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, who confirmed the incident said “It is true that an incident happened there, the DPO there responded with his team and were able to push back the bandits but some people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.“““As of yesterday (Tuesday), about seven people with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital, our men are still tracing the bandits so I can’t reach the DPO on the phone for an update. I don’t want to give inaccurate information but once I speak with the DPO about the death of some people, I will let you know.”““Benue vigilante member killed as security personnel battle kidnap gang rescue victims“ Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/11/fresh-attack-in-plateau-village-

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15th November, 2015 How much money did Anambra former governor Peter Obi leave in the treasury for his successor, Willie Obiano in March 2014. Obi swears it was N75 billion, but Obiano says it was N9billion, plus N26billion near cash and N185 billion debt to contractors. The dispute blew into the open Saturday, with the two of them, who used to be good friends, posting hot words against each other via surrogates. There had been suspicions that the friendship was strained but Saturday’s brickbats appeared to have provided some confirmation. Obiano’s government said that contrary to the impression created by Obi that he bequeathed a tidy purse, the Obiano administration inherited only “N9 billion cash and N26 billion near cash” as well as contract liabilities to the tune of N185.1 billion. But Obi, in a swift reaction yesterday, said the government action was a deliberate attempt to misrepresent facts. Addressing reporters yesterday at the Government House, Awka, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, said the clarification had become pertinent in view of the ground the rumour of the N75 billion was gaining in the social and traditional media in the country. “The N75 billion was not there; it was not handed over to anybody. At best it can be half truth,” he said. He added: “In the real sense, what the Obiano administration inherited from Obi was N9 billion cash and N26 billion near cash. “Based on the figures detailed above which are taken from the handover notes from the previous administration to the current administration, it is evident that the actual and voluntary cash investments made by the previous administration amounts to approximately N35.5 billion consisting of mobilisation paid on contracts for shopping malls and hotels, cost of two business parks in Onitsha, investments in Eurobonds, amongst a few others” “Items such as counterpart funds held jointly with domestic development finance institutions, land contributions, FGN refunds differences in bank balances and investments made directly by the federal government on behalf of the three tiers of government totaling approximately N39.5bliilon have been reclassified as “illiquid investments””FGN receivables” and “involuntary investments” “However, to provide a true and fair picture of the state’s net position on March 17, 2014, the investments handover notes ought to have captured current liabilities and contingent liabilities also borne by the previous administration as at the time of handover. “To put this context, the total portfolio of inherited projects valued at approximately N185 billion was however not captured in the breakdown of the handover notes.” Governor Obiano himself declared yesterday that he is going for a second term in office “and nobody can stop me.” The governor, on an inspection of the Nkpor section of the Onitsha/Enugu Expressway said: “I am going to stay eight years in office and nobody can stop me.” He asked for the refund of the N25b which he said the state government spent to rehabilitate federal roads in the state. N10billion was spent by the Obi administration and the remaining N15billion by his administration, Obiano stated. Obi’s spokesman, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, said the State government was off the course in denying that the last administration left behind N75billion. Obienyem wondered why it took government two years to come up with its position. He gave a breakdown of the funds purportedly left by Obi as follows: N27billion in local currency investment; N26.5 billion in foreign currency investment; N28.1 billion in Certified State/ MDS balances. He said: “Even in the final handover document, Obi deducted N10 billion approved federal government refund as well as the salary, pension, gratuity, money on certificates raised on contracts for the month of March, which all amounted to N5 billion before arriving at the balance of over N75 billion he bequeathed his successor. “As a financial expert, Obi went to his end of tenure event with Gov. Willie Obiano and said all this in the presence of all the Bank MDS in whose banks the monies were. “In fact, as at March 17th when he handed over, he got all the certified statements of Anambra’s accounts from the banks these monies were and handed them over to his successor. “If they were confused on where the monies were, why would they not call Obi who kept them to explain the whereabouts to them as much as he knew?” On the liabilities allegedly left by Obi, Obienyem described it as another misrepresentation of fact. He said it was not that only the figures they gave were incorrect Obi paid contractors owed by his predecessors and did not owe a single contractor before leaving office. “Are they saying he should pay for contracts awarded but not yet executed before he left office? “Did his successor not run his campaign on the premise of continuity before the people voted him?”, Obienyem asked. *Reported by TheNation

https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/11/15/anambra-n75bn-legacy-

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The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has sacked Idris Dankawu of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for forging his West African School Certificate (WAEC) which he submitted for election into the Kumbotso Federal House of Representatives Constituency of Kano State. Munir Babba Danagudi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who contested against Dankawu, had filed a petition, alleging that Dankawu presented a fraudulent Secondary School Certificate to gain admission into Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Kaduna. Following the petition., Justice I.P. Chima delivered a verdict that sent shockwaves through the political landscape. He declared: “Idris Dankawu of NNPP has forged his WAEC certificate,” and as a consequence, the election is voided. The tribunal did not stop there. It instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to set aside the Certificate of Return previously awarded to Dankawu. Instead, the tribunal declared Danagudi as the winner of the Kumbotso Federal Constituency poll which took place on February 25, 2023. Justice Chima emphasised the tribunal’s adherence to the law, stating, “Having satisfied with the provision of the law, we hereby declare and return Munir Babba Danagudi as the winner of the Kumbotso Federal House of Representatives Election”. The ruling concluded with a call for the parties to bear their own costs.

https://www.channelstv.com/2023/09/11/tribunal-sacks-

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April 22, 2024 by Nduka Chiejina, Abuja Nigeria’s economic resilience shines at World Bank, IMF Meetings Nigeria stood out during the recent World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, garnering praise from global economic leaders for its proactive measures in the face of international challenges. The 2024 Spring Meetings, held amidst a backdrop of persistent inflation and geopolitical tensions, underscored Nigeria’s ascent as a regional trailblazer in fostering sustainable economic practices. Notably, the IMF and World Bank commended Nigeria’s robust efforts, citing the tightening of monetary policies and subsequent upward revision of the country’s growth forecast to 3.4% this year as a testament to the effectiveness of the government’s economic strategies. Wale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, who also chairs the African caucus, emphasised the nation’s pivotal role in advocating for Africa’s economic interests on the global stage. Of particular significance was Nigeria’s ratification of the third chair for Sub-Saharan Africa at the IMF, a move aimed at amplifying the continent’s voice in international economic discourse. Speaking at the meetings, Edun outlined the government’s multifaceted approach to economic stability, highlighting initiatives geared towards bolstering key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and electricity. He emphasized the dual purpose of these efforts: stabilizing prices and reducing dependency on imports to secure the nation’s food supply. “Our focus on agriculture, manufacturing, and electricity aims not only to stabilize prices but also to secure food and reduce dependency on imports. “These initiatives, coupled with the inflation targeting policies of the Central Bank, are expected to reduce inflation by the second half of the year, which would allow for a potential reduction in interest rates.” In addition to sector-specific initiatives, Minister Edun outlined strides made in the housing sector to support sustainable value chains, anticipating a catalytic effect on the economy and improved accessibility to housing. He also highlighted the revamping of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), ensuring targeted delivery and efficiency in supporting vulnerable populations. The government’s commitment to maintaining the Naira as a strong store of value was reiterated, alongside ongoing dialogues with the private sector to align policies with their growth and sustainability needs. Notably, efforts to enhance liquidity and transparency in the foreign exchange market, spearheaded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with support from the Ministry of Finance, are yielding positive results. Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to swift policy implementation. “We are committed to aligning our actions with the administration’s policy thrust, ensuring effective execution and goal attainment,” she stated. Looking forward, Minister Edun expressed confidence in Nigeria’s future: “With the ongoing adjustments and the resilient and resourceful spirit of our people, we are confident of a brighter, more prosperous future for all Nigerians.” The Federal Ministry of Finance continues to collaborate closely with the World Bank to secure a substantial financing package, further underscoring Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable economic development. The upcoming Board meeting in June 2024 is expected to finalize approval for the $2.25 billion financing proposal, comprising Development Policy Financing and Programme-for-Results Financing, reflecting a shared vision for Nigeria’s economic progress on the global stage.

https://thenationonlineng.net/nigerias-economic-resilience-shines-at-world-

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As unfortunate as it is to keep flogging the issue of withdrawing these students, and as much as I am not comfortable with how social media platforms have become the stage where vested interests stoke the fire, it has become important for me to come back again one more time, to give an update on the recent revelations by the students that the state government was responsible for their losing of a semester. According to them, the resultant effect of government’s action affected their CGPA. It is true that they requested to be transferred to October 6 University, Egypt. This was after they sent a letter to the scholarship board in December 2015 (find a copy of the letter attached) were they complained bitterly about the deplorable living conditions they were in, ranging from horrible accommodation in slum, to living in uncompleted buildings, terrible and unhygienic environment hazardous to their health (photos of all these are also attached as sent by the students). Other problems bedevilling the students include the issue of lack of residence permit, which means they’ve been staying in Egypt illegally for 10 months (as of the time they wrote the letter in December 2015) and above all, the issue of ‘non-specialization’ in their studies. They were told by the university that the government had an agreement for them to only study Bsc Nursing with no specialization which wasn’t what the students were told before they left for Egypt. It was based on these that they wanted to be transferred to October 6 University, a better institution with good ranking and conducive learning environment both on campus and in their accommodation facility. The scholarship board briefed the state government and it was agreed that the student be allowed to transfer to October 6 University, which they did. The scholarship board tried all that it could for Mansourah University to release these students but they refused. There was little the board could do since the agreement was signed in 2014 with an agent, DeltaMed, who blatantly refused to release the student’s results to enable them move to October 6 University. After some couple of months without making any meaningful progress, the students had to be returned back to Mansourah University in order not to waste more time since it was evident that the agent Deltamed was not willing to allow the transfer to happen. The board still took it upon themselves to return to Mansourah University management to work out a plan which will ensure that the students catch up with what they lost and the university decided to offer summer semester to them to make up for what they lost. Despite all these, 37 of them kept performing woefully despite several warnings. With these facts, I wonder how the blame for them losing a semester will fall on the shoulders of the government despite all it did to ensure that their academic status and well-being improved. Also, why didn’t all the 154 students fail their exams but only 37 of them if it was due to loss of one semester? How come no one is pointing accusing fingers to those that sent them to such a dilapidated living conditions in a slum despite the exorbitant amount expended by the state government on each student? May I also add that Mansourah University vehemently refused to deal directly with Kano state government but through the agent, Deltamed. I wonder why! And your guess is as good as mine. These problems are not peculiar to just one country. Consultants were used (instead of official government agency) in the initial stage, who milked the state dry and enrolled students in substandard institutions and accommodated them in filthy dormitories to maximize their profit. The story in India is the same, so also Sudan, Uganda and so on. The administration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje OFR has tried its best to shy away from probing the monumental corruption perpetrated under the guise of sending our brothers and sisters abroad in order not put their study in jeopardy. It gladdens my heart that as at the end of July 2017, exactly 1,463 students out of over 2,000 inherited by the Ganduje administration have successfully completed their studies and returned home. We are also expecting some to finish this year and the remaining will finish next year InSha Allah. A total of N4.3billion has been expended on both local and foreign students in the last 2yrs by the Ganduje administration, which shows his commitment to securing the future of coming generation.

https://dailynigerian.com/opinion/replying-the-37-kano-

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Controversial blogger, Linda Ikeji says her and her baby Daddy, Sholaye Jeremi are not suitable partners. The 37 year old blogger took to her blog to detail reasons why her relationship with, her son’s father whom she met in December 2015, didn’t work out as she had expected. Ikeji, who welcomed her son, Jayce on September 17 in Atlanta, Georgia, had many Nigerians wondering the real story behind her and Jeremi. In her `epistle,’ she shared the strength and shortcomings in her relationship with Jeremi which eventually ended after she got pregnant for their son. “By mid-2017, we were both still single and we started seeing each other again quietly. There were times it was very intense and we talked about a future together, and there were times that I couldn’t figure out what exactly I was doing with this guy. “We were not suited for each other. Totally different lifestyles and there was the problem of my fame so I walked away from this man a million times and he came after me a million and one times. ” No matter how much I pushed him away, he kept coming back to me, because I couldn’t find anyone else, I kept going back. Lol! So I was basically going back to my ex because I couldn’t find anyone else,” she said. According to her, after she got pregnant everything became extremely weird between them. “We went from talking about the pregnancy and being okay with it, to literally not talking to each other anymore. “When I was about three months pregnant, he did come to see my parents and actually became very cool with my dad. They were literally exchanging Whatsapp messages every day. “He later agreed to a traditional wedding which he didn’t follow through and then he switched. He began to treat me with so much hate and aggression that I and my family had to cut him off completely. “To be honest if anybody had told me when we met three years ago, considering how deeply we cared for each other that I would fall pregnant two years later and he would completely turn his back on me for the most part of my pregnancy, I never would have believed it but that’s what happened. “I thought God sent him as my life partner but I guess he just used him as a vessel for my greatest blessing. Now his part in my story is over. This one is done and dusted,” she said.

https://dailynigerian.com/i-regret-getting-pregnant-for-this-

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The Coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, inquiring into the cause of death of the late student of Dowen College, Lagos, Sylvester Oromoni has cleared the school and its students of any wrongdoings. The returned a verdict that the deceased died a natural death. In a judgment that lasted over 6 hours, the coroner also held that the death was however avoidable as the negligence of the parents and the medical team also contributed to it. Magistrate Kadiri absolved some students of Dowen College named in the incident as he concluded that they played no part in the death of Sylvester, and should not have been involved in the matter. The Coroner also gave some recommendations to forestall further incidents of this sad nature. He advised parents not to take their children’s health with levity. He also called for a synergy between the police and the medical team going forward as well as for the police force to ensure due caution before arrests are made. He further recommended that the management of Dowen College should ensure proper documentation of entry and exit of students out of the hostel, as well as proper psychological evaluation for the 5 students suspected to have bullied the deceased. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/04/sylvester-oromoni-coroner-

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