KOGI GOV ATTACKED IN LOKOJA!

Some aggrieved residents on Friday stoned Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, as he emerged from a mosque where he observed Jumat prayer in Lokoja, the state capital, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. It is not immediately clear why the residents carried out the attack against Mr. Bello, but witnesses said the incident occurred at the Lokoja Central Mosque in the old market area of the capital. A source who confirmed the development to this newspaper said the disgruntled persons also carried few placards while chanting anti-government slogans. The source also said Mr. Bello was pelted with rotten fruits and vegetables. The police dispersed the crowd with teargas soon afterwards, the source said. “The situation in this state is even worse than what the residents are doing. The situation is pathetic,” the source said. An official in the state said that was the second time in two weeks the governor would be so attacked as complaints mount about the depreciating living conditions in the state. “He recently attended an event in Ankpa, and residents there defied heavy security to stone him,” the official said. “We don’tunderstand what’s going on.” Kogi State Government spokespersons, Kingsley Fanwo and Gbenga Olorunpomi, could not be reached for comment for this reports.

PHOTOS: VIRGIN RICHARD BRANSON IN BIKE CRASH!

Sir Richard Branson says he thought he was "going to die" after crashing his bike on Caribbean island Virgin Gorda. The businessman said he was "extremely fortunate" only to have suffered a cracked cheek and torn ligaments. Sir Richard said he was cycling down a hill when he hit a speed bump, and "the next thing I knew, I was being hurled over the handlebars and my life was literally flashing before my eyes." His bicycle "went flying off the cliff and disappeared", he said. In a post on the Virgin website, the 66-year-old said: "I was heading down a hill towards Leverick Bay when it suddenly got really dark and I managed to hit a sleeping policeman hump in the road head on. 'Completely destroyed' "I really thought I was going to die. I went flying head-first towards the concrete road, but fortunately my shoulder and cheek took the brunt of the impact, and I was wearing a helmet that saved my life. "We've since recovered the crumpled bicycle, completely destroyed. My cheek has been badly damaged and my knee, chin, shoulder and body severely cut." Sir Richard said his assistant, Helen, was first on the scene as he was "lying prostrate on the road" and then another member of his team, George, "sprinted from the bottom of the hill" to assist. He travelled to Miami for X-rays and scans, with photographs showing his bloodied face. Endurance training The accident happened on the fifth anniversary of a fire which destroyed his luxury home on Necker Island. Sir Richard was cycling with his children Holly and Sam as part of his training for the Virgin Strive Challenge endurance event from the base of the Matterhorn in the Alps to the summit of Mount Etna in Sicily. He still hopes to take part in the event. "My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you're moving forward," he said. "All you have to do is get back up and try again. At least I'm practising what I preach - though a little too literally!" Sir Richard made headlines earlier this week when his Twitter account posted CCTV images appearing to show Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn walking past empty unreserved train seats before he was filmed sitting on the floor complaining about "ram-packed" carriages on a Virgin Trains service.

"I Didn't Hand Over A Collapsed Nation To Buhari" - Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has replied his critics who accused him of handing over a nation at the verge of collapse to his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari.
Jonathan recounted the achievements of his government to include, handing over a country that produced the richest man in Africa.
Jonathan said; “I took over a Nigeria that was the second largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $270.5 billion in 2009, I handed over a Nigeria that had grown to become the largest economy in Africa and the 24th largest economy in the World with a GDP of $574 billion."
“I inherited a Nigeria in which the trains were not working, and handed over a Nigeria in which citizens can safely travel by trains again."
"I inherited a Nigeria that was a net importer of cement, and handed over a Nigeria that is a net exporter of cement."
"In 2009, the richest Nigerian was the 5th richest man in Africa, but I handed over a Nigeria that produced the richest man in Africa."
The former President stated that democracy will continue to grow in the African continent if leaders value the process of elections more than the product of the process.
He said; “Even in the 2015 general elections in my country, Nigeria, there was potential for major crisis if I was not a President duly elected by the will of the people."
“The campaigns leading to the elections almost polarized the country into Christian vs Muslims and North vs South divide. Most World leaders were worried that our elections will result into major crisis."
"Some pundits even from here in the United States said that those elections would spell the end of Nigeria and that we would cease to exist as a nation because of the polls. That is where the leadership question comes into play.
As a leader that was duly elected by the people, I considered the people’s interest first. How do I manage my people to avoid killings and destruction of properties?With the interest of the people propelling all the decisions I took, we were able to sail through. Indeed, we sailed through because, I refused to interfere with the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, having appointed a man I had never met in my life to run it.
My philosophy was simple. For elections to be credible, I as a leader, must value the process more than the product of the process. And the citizens must have confidence in the electoral body"...

The worst job to do in Nigeria today is to be a Governor - Elrufai

The Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir ElRufai on Thursday disclosed that the worst job to do in Nigeria today is to be a Governor.

He stated this in Kaduna while delivering an address of welcome at the ongoing Progressive Governance Lecture Series, organized by governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“The worst job in Nigeria today is to be a governor because we are having to deal with an inherited problem which we didn’t have a hand in it, but which we have to solve,” El-Rufai said

Naira hits record low of 412 to dollar on parallel market

Nigeria’s naira was quoted at an all-time low of 412 per dollar on the parallel market on Friday as a dollar shortage persists, traders said.

 LAGOS PARALLEL MARKET RATES - 26/08/16

                   USD              GBP            EUR

                 BUY / SELL BUY / SELL   BUY / SELL

         N 405/412      515/530      445/455

Traders told Reuters news agency some bureaux de change operators have been finding it difficult to access their forex account and get dollar supply after the central bank suspended nine commercial lenders from the market, putting further pressure on the local currency.

On Thursday the naira closed at 409 per dollar on the parallel market. On the interbank market it traded at 315 compared with 305 the previous day.

Meanwhile Nigeria’s distributable revenues to the three tiers of government fell in July to around 444 billion naira after 559 billion naira in June as militant attacks hit oil revenues, the finance ministry said on Thursday.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and an OPEC member which relies on crude sales for about 70 percent of national income, has been hit hard by the fall in global crude prices since mid-2014.

Militants have carried out a series of attacks on oil facilities in the southern Niger Delta energy hub in the last few months, reducing oil output by 700,000 barrels a day, according to state oil firm NNPC.

“Crude oil export volume decreased… partly because of a subsisting force majeure declared at (Shell’s) Forcados Terminal,” said Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, permanent secretary of the ministry of finance.

“Also, shut-in and shut-down of pipelines at other terminals due to the activities of vandals and maintenance impacted negatively on production,” he said.

The distributable revenues includes value-added tax payments of 64.308 billion naira, the ministry said.

Respond Positively To Militants Demands, Soyinka Tells Buhari

Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Thursday urged the Federal Government to engage the Niger Delta militants and respond positively to their demands in order to engender lasting peace in the region. The Nobel Laureate, who said he had been contacted to intervene in the Niger Delta crisis, spoke as the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, met in Abuja with traditional rulers from the coastal communities of the region and agreed to recommit to a peaceful resolution of all the issues in the oil rich region. Although Soyinka was not forthcoming with details of the intervention in the crisis that had injured the nation’s economy decisively, he lashed out at the Nigerian media, accusing them of extreme invention and distortion of facts that had escalated the dispute. He said at a press conference in Lagos that he would no longer be speaking to the local media over issues concerning Nigeria’s efforts to end militancy in the Niger Delta. News reports had quoted him as saying that the services of international mediators would be sought to mediate between the federal government and militants to resolve the Niger Delta crisis. Soyinka had met with President Muhammadu Buhari on August 11, and when approached by journalists afterwards, he said they had discussed “national and international matters, general matters, that’s all”. He, however, promised to schedule a press conference later to give further details about the meeting. Soyinka said thursday that he would rather discuss a Lebanese-Nigerian partnership involving his Wole Soyinka Foundation. He said: “I know that when I was – to use the press expression – ambushed at the Villa the other day, I did say that I would answer questions about my visit to the Villa at a press conference that I‘d already planned, which was this one as a matter of fact. “But I always fulfil my word, and so I’m going to speak very briefly about that VISITATION. And what I have to say about it is that today is not the day for talking about that visitation. “And the real reason is this, let me tell you media, the real reason is that I had a meeting in London in the House of Lords. The meeting was not about the main subject that took me to Aso Rock which is the problem with, among other things, the problem we have in the Delta. “But I used that opportunity to meet a certain number of international figures, parliamentarians, royal heads, etcetera, to pass on a message internationally to prospective interveners to what’s happening in the Delta at the request of some of the militant groups here.” Soyinka said the meeting in London was reported in the media and was badly distorted. “Let me make a plea, it is bad enough distorting whatever happens, events, statements on certain subjects, bad enough. But on an issue like the insurgency in Nigeria, the Delta in particular, we are on very, very delicate grounds and the media has a huge role to play in that,” he said. He added: “And the immediate role people like me must demand of the media is accuracy. There can be no invention in this kind of situation. There can be no adumbration, there can be no extrapolation, not even second guessing. You have got to be accurate. Otherwise, there’s a loss of confidence and therefore a lack of solution. People must be confident that what they say to you is what you translate and transmit to those to whom you are sent.” It was not the first he would criticise the Nigerian press. Last May, during events marking Buhari’s one year in office, Soyinka described a media report quoting him as declaring his support for the president as a “disgusting forgery”. Yesterday, he said media reports that he was part of an international group mediating between the federal government and the Niger Delta militants was an extreme invention. “You cannot publish a statement to me saying I’m a part of an international group when the international group is not even in existence, there’s no international intervention group which has been formed,” he said. According to him, “I think to go further and attribute to me a statement that the international group has already contacted Buhari, what kind of extreme invention is that? How can a group which does not exist meet with the Head of State? And how could I, who just happened to be meeting with the Head of State, say that the two entities have met when one of them does not exist? “So please I implore you, media, in fact, I’ve taken a decision not to speak about the Delta situation publicly; just to carry on any assignment which I feel I can carry out on behalf of a resolution. “I will not be talking to the press any longer, because I cannot spend my time correcting falsehood. I’m not responsible for the falsehood, and that burden should not be placed on my head.” Soyinka, however, appealed to the federal government to hold positive negotiations with the Niger Delta militants in order to solve the crisis in the region. “I wish to make an appeal publicly to the government, and please report me accurately, to respond positively to the outrage from the militant groups,” he said, adding: “That is the request which has been made by some of the groups who got me into this interventionist role in the first place.” Soyinka said at the moment the militants felt that Buhari was not seriously responding to their own outrage. “I wish to make a personal appeal to the government to respond positively and let us see where it ends us,” he said, explaining: “But I’m not part of any international group, I was approached personally and I’ve been responding personally to some of these groups just as I did when President Jonathan was in power and MEND was the umbrella group of the insurgents.”

OGSIEC GIVES KASHAMU GROUP RED CARD AS IT FAVOUR LADO FACTION

Sikirulahi Ogundele led PDP Exco believed to be loyal to Hon Ladi Adebutu aka Lado has been reportedly favoured by Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission to participate in the October 8th Local Government and Local Development Area Council Election.
At the office of OGISEC, certification letter was presented to the Chairman of the faction, Sikirulai Ogundele with the names of screened councillorship and Chairmanship candidates.

The factional Chairman has stretched a hand of fellowship to the other group in a press release he personally signed. He called on notable leaders of the factionalized party, Sen Kadhamu, Dimeji Bankole, Otunba Gbenga Daniel to all join hands together to defeat APC.

Buhari goes for Tokyo Conference in Kenya

President Muhammadu Buhari will attend the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) in Nairobi, Kenya from August 27-28, 2016.

 

The summit, co-organised by the Government of Japan, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, the United Nations Development Programme, the African Union and the World Bank, will focus on promoting structural economic transformation through diversification and industrialisation; promoting resilient health system for quality life and promoting social stability for shared prosperity.

 

During the conference, Buhari will participate in plenary sessions on TICAD in alignment with African Development, the Dialogue with the Private Sector as well as the Global Launch of the Second Africa Human Development Report.

 

The President will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

 

No fewer than 35 African leaders are expected at the two-day high level summit which will also be attended by leading private sector companies from Japan. This will be the first time TICAD is being held in Africa since its inception in 1993.  

 

Nigeria has played a prominent role at the forum aimed at forging international partnerships for Africa’s transformation and prosperity through economic growth, agriculture and social stability.

*Press Statement

 

Mechanic burns eye, private part of five-year-old daughter with hot iron

A 45-year-old mechanic identified as Sukarat Idowu, has been arrested by the police for allegedly using a hot iron to brutalise the face and private part of his five-year-old daughter in Lagos.
Idowu carried out the incident in the Ikotun area ‎of Lagos State on Monday, after he asked the ‎victim to empty‎ faeces into the toilet but she accidentally poured it on the ground.

The five-year-old lost her eye while her private part is now swollen due to the burn.

The incident was reported at the Ikotun Police ‎Station and the suspect who separated from his wife in 2013, was arrested.

Recounting the incident, a neighbour, identified simply as Basirat, said the girl slipped while going to dispose the faeces.

Basirat said, “The mechanic had a quarrel with his wife and divorced her in 2013 when the girl was just two years old. On that Monday, he asked her to go and dispose of her faeces in a potty in a latrine at the backyard of the house. But the area was slippery and the girl fell, splashing the faeces on the floor.

“The father became angry and got a hot iron. He began to beat her with the hot surface of the iron until the girl’s face became swollen. We tried to caution him, but he would not listen. That was how the matter got to the police.”

The incident was confirmed by the state Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni.

The Man Who Named His Dog Buhari - Reuben Abati

Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, the man who named his dog after President Muhammadu Buhari is right now probably regretting his decision to honour his dog with the name of a man he considers his hero. He has been accused of trying to incite hate and breach the public peace. He has been arrested and re-arrested by the police and taken to a magistrate court, which promptly remanded him in prison until he is able to meet the conditions of his bail. He has spent days in prison custody unable to raise the N50, 000 that he has been asked to pay. His family members have only so far managed to raise N20, 000. Even if he succeeds in putting that sum together, his life is still in danger because aggrieved persons in his neighbourhood, including a man who says he was trying to ridicule his father, have threatened to kill him, if he shows up. The police are not investigating this threat, but they seem so excited about dealing with the poor trader called Joe, for having the effrontery to name his dog, Buhari.

To protect himself, Joseph has allegedly put the dog to sleep, or thrown it away or whatever, in the hope that once the evidence is destroyed there will be no case against him. It is all so pitiable. Public opinion appears to be divided as to the nature and seriousness of Joseph Chinakwe’s alleged felony, with some people arguing that it is definitely an act of provocation and incitement for him to label his dog, Buhari so boldly and to parade the same dog in a neighbourhood where there are many residents of Northern extraction, whose feelings may be injured or who may perceive that he is trying to make a political statement.

Those who want him punished have therefore dismissed Chinakwe’s protestation that he is an admirer of the President, or that he means well. His defenders insist that he is entitled to free speech and there is nowhere in the statutes where a man can be punished on the basis of the perception that some people’s feelings may be injured, and hence, be prompted to commit murder. The law is not structured that way.

 We are dealing, therefore, with ethnic hate at the lunatic fringe. Nigerians have become so suspicious of one another, and inter-ethnic relationship is so poisonous that even the littlest innocent gesture could result in mayhem. This is why many have been killed for allegedly committing blasphemy or for insulting the religious sensibilities of some people. Remember the woman who was killed by her students for allegedly desecrating the Quran. Remember Gideon Akaluka. Remember the woman who was recently beheaded in Abuja for daring to preach the Christian gospel. We are also dealing with disregard for human freedom, and Nigeria’s slip into a tragic season of intolerance. Why shouldn’t Chinakwe call his dog whatever name catches his fancy? Well, may be he should have chosen an Igbo name? But if we want national unity, why shouldn’t he take a name he admires from another part of the country?

Ali Baba, the ace comedian, like many others, has come out strongly in defence of Chinakwe saying he actually has a dog in his house named OBJ, and that is quite direct because only one man bears that sobriquet in this country, and neither OBJ nor his kinsmen have asked Atuyota to leave Yorubaland. One of the most famous pictures online is that of a goat named Goodluck Jonathan, with the name written on both flanks of it. President Jonathan’s wife was also once (July 2013) referred to as “shepopotamus” by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, and before our very eyes, President Olusegun Obasanjo, donated, to a conservation sanctuary, a chimpanzee, which he named Patience to make a point obviously.

The parody at the time was unmistakable. We all drew humour from all of that. What we seem to be dealing with right now, however, is the absurd deification of a name on ethnic and partisan grounds. It is curious that the Nigeria Police is devoting to the trial of Chinakwe, a feverish amount of energy that we have not witnessed with regard to more statutorily relevant offences. This hullaballoo over the giving of a dog a name that has led to its hanging and the likely punishment of its owner is one distraction too many. We are above all else, dealing with a storm in a tea cup, occasioned by a culture shock, and our underdeveloped understanding of the relationship between man and animals.

Chinakwe says he chose the name Buhari out of admiration. And he may well be right, and he would have been right, and there would have been no problem if he was living in Europe or North America. But he lives in a country where animals have no rights and no recognition other than as victims of human predators, and a dog in our culture is to be treated as an instrument or as meat for the soup pot. Elsewhere, a dog has earned its reputation in mythology and actuality, as a man’s best friend. The root of this is that a dog is considered the most beloved, the most loyal and the most dependable of all animals. People use dogs to guard their homes, to keep away intruders, even to play with children and as companions in the home. There are many stories and legends about the loyalty of dogs. Hawkeye is the name of a famous dog who lay next to the casket of its owner who died in active service as a U.S. Navy SEAL.

 There is a film, “Hachi, A Dog’s Tale,” starring Richard Gere, about Hachiko, a dog who greeted his owner at the train station everyday and after the owner died, the dog went to the same station for nine years. Recently, I posted on instagram the picture of a dog in Santa Catarina, Brazil, Negao the dog, whose owner died eight months earlier and the dog remained outside the hospital awaiting his owner’s return. In the United States, a police dog has been given a state burial, draped with national colours in appreciation of its loyal and meritorious service to the nation. Many centuries ago, Homer wrote in Odyssey, about a loyal dog, Argos who waited for Odysseus until he returned.

 The established normal is that a dog can be trusted more than a human being. And this is why in other parts of the world, when people name their dogs after celebrities, they are actually paying compliments and showing respect. World figures like Elvis Presley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Louis Vuitton, Mandela, Clinton, J. F. Kennedy and others have had their names given to either cats or dogs, and it is no big deal. Admirers transpose their feelings from man to animal. Joseph Chinakwe may actually be saying that President Buhari is a loyal, trustworthy, supportive, dependable and companionable Guardian of the Nigerian estate. It would have been a different thing perhaps if he had given that name to a tortoise, a rat, cat, a fox, or a chimpanzee. But in a country where every animal is considered a prey or a lower, spiteful creature, using the metaphor of a dog could be risky as the Chinakwe case has shown. In Nigeria, we treat animals badly, and we don’t consider anyone a friend, man or animal. We are vengeful, mean and suspicious. We are so scared we are even afraid of domestic and domesticated animals.

In other societies, animals are treated with greater respect and in the United States, for example, the life of a dog is far superior to that of a human being in Nigeria. I have written about this twice: In “A Dog’s Life” (1996), I reflected on the life of a dog owned by Stanley Meisler (God bless his soul) and his wife, Elizabeth Fox, my hosts during my journalism programme at the University of Maryland, College Park, United States (1996 -97). I was shocked that the dog had a room of its own, a proper room, not a kernel, and whenever that dog fell ill, we took him to a dog hospital and Stanley bought drugs. I saw that dog living the life of a king, better catered for than many Africans.

I wrote another piece titled “A Hotel for Dogs” (July 23, 2006) about aFIVE-STAR HOTEL in Bethesda, Washington, which attends to dogs as customers, and where dogs enjoy a life of luxury. Established in 2003, by PetSmart Inc., by 2006, there were 32HOTELS of its type in the United States and the then spokesman of the group, Bruce Richardson, had boasted that by 2010, the plan was to have 240 such hotels across the United States. We are talking luxury, 23 USD per night, 33USD for a dog suite, as at that time, all pre-tax, plus provisions for pooch ice cream. In general, Americans spend about $40 billion a year on household pets. I guess that is more than Nigeria’s annual budget even by today’s relative standards.

And so, what are we talking about? An American dog is a big man in Nigeria by all standards. But because we eat dogs and treat all animals badly in this country, in fact we have no regard for human beings (consider the hundreds that get killed, raped, kidnapped daily and nobody cares), we are bound to be incensed that anyone would name a dog after a deified political figure. Joe Chinakwe’s sins should be forgiven, albeit there is no morality in law, but the Nigerian judiciary should not expose itself to further ridicule by lending the weight of the law to such partisan trash that makes no sense. There are far more important issues requiring serious attention in this country today.

But in case nobody understands that and Mr. Chinakwe and his counsel find themselves in a tight corner, they should put out a disclaimer and say their dog, living or dead, is filing for a change of name. That is perfectly within their rights to do. And should they find themselves in any other difficult situation, they have my full permission to rename the dog, Reuben Abati. But should you, dear reader, consider this a bad name you wish to hang, you also have my full support, partnership and friendship to offer your own name.

If that will put an end to this circus over the name of a dog, and set Joseph Chinakwe free, and also remind us that we are in a democracy, please, help and so be it. By the way, I hear Chinakwe and his sympathisers finally managed, after a fund-raising appeal, to raise a sum of N90, 000 to perfect his bail bond and that he is now out of detention. Would somebody in a responsible position just put an end to this joke and let us focus on serious issues?

Romance Scam: ‘NATO’ soldier arrested

Iwuchukwu Martin Uche has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over romance scam.

He was arrested on  Tuesday, August 23, 2016,  for obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of USD145, 000.
Martin Uche, who claimed to be a military officer working for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO in Kabul, Afghanistan allegedly, collected the money from his victim, H. Uyen, a Vietnamese woman, after promising to marry her.
The suspect, who also claimed to be a property agent operating in Nigeria and Ghana, allegedly told the victim that he needed the money to procure some documents for the planned wedding.
The money was allegedly wired to the suspect’s Diamond Bank account number:  0028998256.
The suspect will soon be charged to court, after investigation is concluded.

Daniel’s son floats foundation for disabled

Adebola Daniel, the son of the former governor of Ogun State, has begun a foundation to press for equity and fairness to the physically disabled individuals in Nigeria.

In a statement made available Thursday, Adebola stressed the need to end discrimination against people living with disabilities in the country.

“I was born into a very comfortable home, with both amazing parents and without a disability. However, when I turned 5, I was diagnosed with paraplegia- a rare condition with no medical clarity.

“I became confined to a wheelchair.

“Growing up in Nigeria, I unconsciously associated disability to poverty and crime due to amputated beggars on the streets mostly as a result of Sharia Law practiced in the North. This was general opinion of most Nigerians in my social circle as a child.

“Having myself become physically challenged, I was exposed to the stigma and assumptions that came with being ‘disabled’.

” All of a sudden, I was looked at with pity, with judgement and sometimes with resentment by my fellow countrymen.

“As I became an adult, I began to realise that the onus was on me to make something of my self and create my life and future the way I envision it.

“My future was, and would always be in my own hands.”

Adebola, who has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from University College London is an inspirational speaker with TEDx Talk and founder of the African Youth Initiative.

According to him, Nigeria is one of the most unjust societies for people living with disabilities hence the need to create a movement to seek for not just equity but challenge the mindset of the average Nigerian.

“I see a lack of integration and it saddens me knowing that there is a young disabled Nigerian out there that has the capability to achieve what I have achieved and even surpass me but regrettably, he/she is not being given the adequate support from government and the society.

“It is unacceptable that most schools in Nigeria are inaccessible. It is unacceptable that road side pavements are not fit for wheelchairs.

“It is unacceptable that Shell and other multinationals adhere to strict disability codes in the US and UK but are unable to carry this same principles to Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, the Debola Daniel Foundation will not be a charity organisation that will give out wheelchairs and crutches to the less privileged.

Rather it will challenge government to think of disabilities when formulating policies especially in Education, Employment, Entrepreneurism and Development.

“At the moment, the foundation is working on a social media campaign with information, statistics and policies we support under the hashtag #DisabledNotUnable.(@Debola_Daniel

“A second segment titled #MyStory is being developed too, where the foundation celebrates disabled citizens who have decided that disability is not the end but just a different path.

“These people have decided to live life rather than be idle,” he said.

Buhari Should Make Jonathan’s Mistakes - Reno Omokri.

Reno Omokri, special assistant to Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan on social media, says President Muhammadu Buhari should make the same mistakes committed by his predecessor.

Omokri was responded to the warning of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, emir of Kano, that Buhari must stop behaving like Jonathan, else it would end up the way of the previous administration.

“If we do not expand the economy through wise investment, we can end up in classical Malthusian situation. If this government continues to behave the way the past government behaved, we will end up where Jonathan ended,” Sanusi had said while delivering a lecture at the ongoing 15th meetings of the joint planning board and national council on development planning in Kano.

“We are always blaming the past administration, but we have also made mistakes in this administration. The problem is that there is nothing we are facing today that we did not know what happened. That is the truth.

“We made mistakes, many of them deliberate. We ignored every single warning. Not building roads, not building power and other necessary infrastructure that can boost the economy and development of the country

“We are spending 30 to 40 percent of every Naira we earn servicing debt. The new borrowings were simply recycled into much higher recurrent expenditure. The GDP was growing largely due to consumers items.”

But responding on Thursday, Omokri said he would not allow anyone rewrite history, arguing that Jonathan did his best for Nigeria.

“How can anyone say President Muhammadu Buhari should not make Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s mistake?” he asked.

“Rather than avoid GEJ’s mistake, PMB should make the same GEJ mistake that made the economy grow at over 4% every year GEJ was in power!

“Rather than avoid GEJ’s mistake, PMB should make the same GEJ mistake that ensured our economy overtook South Africa’s economy as Africa’s largest economy!

“Rather than avoid GEJ’s mistake, PMB should make the same GEJ mistake that ensured Naira was stable at ₦150-₦215 to $1 between 2011-2015.

“Rather than avoid GEJ’s mistake, PMB should make the same GEJ mistake that ensured EVERY state had at least one federal university! Rather than avoid GEJ’s mistake, PMB should make the same GEJ mistake that ensured EVERY election INEC held under GEJ was conclusive!

“Rather than avoid GEJ’s mistake, PMB should make the same GEJ mistake that ensured civil servants were consistently paid as and when due!

“How can you say a man who kept inflation at single digit THROUGHOUT his tenure was a mistake? Nigerians pray for PMB to make same ‘mistake’! Let me assure anybody NO MATTER WHO HE IS, I, Reno Omokri, will not let ANYONE rewrite history. GEJ was a man who did well for Nigeria!”

Ronaldo wins UEFA best player of the Year

Having led his country Portugal to victory in the France-hosted Euro 2016 championship, Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo was named today as UEFA best player of the year.

It was his second time of lifting the Europe Award.

Ronaldo enjoyed a sensational 2015/16, winning the UEFA Champions League with Madrid before leading his country to  EURO 2016 glory.

The 31-year-old beat off competition from club-mate Gareth Bale and Atlético Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann to land the award he first picked up in 2013/14.

Said Ronaldo after the presentation of the award: “It’s a great honour. My team-mates are the key – they are the key every year. I work hard myself but without their help this would not be possible. Thanks to my team-mates from Real Madrid and Portugal. Winning EURO was different because I’ve won the Champions League three times now. To win something with Portugal was the highlight of my career.”

HOW HE WAS SELECTED

Journalists from each of UEFA’s 55 member associations provided an initial list of their five best-ranked players, with the first receiving five points, the second four, and so on. The ten players with the most points advanced to a second round of voting, which determined Ronaldo, Bale and Griezmann as the final three. In a live poll during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw, the same 55 journalists then selected their favourite from the three-man shortlist via an electronic system.

Courtesy  of UEFA website, we  provide Ronaldo’s 2015/16 records and milestones

• Madrid’s all-time leading scorer in the Liga
• Five hundred career goals for club and country
• Madrid’s all-time record goalscorer
• Most goals in a single group stage
• Second to Lionel Messi in FIFA Ballon d’Or
• Second top scorer in Liga history
• Decisive penalty in Champions League final
• 2015/16 UEFA Champions League top scorer
• Portugal’s all-time most-capped player
• UEFA.com Goal of the Season poll winner
• Most all-time EURO finals appearances
• Scores in fourth EURO final tournament
• Joint-most EURO final tournament goals
• Dramatic UEFA EURO 2016 triumph

Spanish Liga: 36 appearances, 35 goals, 11 assists
UEFA Champions League: 12 appearances, 16 goals, 4 assists
UEFA EURO 2016: 7 appearances, 3 goals, 3 assists

OBIANO PROPOSES ENHANCED WORKERS' PACKAGE - Kingsley Ezekwelu

Gov Willie Obiano says his administration was committed to improving the welfare of workers as a way of motivating them for increased productivity.

The governor disclosed this when he visited the headquarters of the state's Local Government Service commission(LGSC).

He said the workers are critical to the growth and development of the state, and therefore called on them for the right attitude to work.

Gov Obiano noted that as part of its efforts to encourage the workers to be at their best in their various areas, his administration has continued to support workers through training and re-training for optimal result, prompt payment of salaries and other benefits as well as provision of seasonal largesse to them.

So he urged the workers to reciprocate government's gesture by putting in their best in what they do, assuring them that he will review their salaries upwards if the state's Internally Generated Revenue(IGR)improves.

The chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Dr Peter Egenti revealed that the Commission has set a strategic plan anchored on two pillars of discipline and productivity as well as a robust transformation and regulatory framework for re-orientation, reorganisation, monitoring and sanctions to guide the workers in the path of productivity.

The Head of Local Government Administration, China Ikelie harped on the need for more recruitment into the local government administrative system which was last done 15 years ago, thanked Gov Obiano for his positive disposition towards the state workforce.

11-Year-Old Ekiti Table Tennis Player Set For Morocco Championship

An 11-year-old Ekiti born table tennis player, Denis Adeleye, is set to represent Nigeria at the African Junior Championship that will hold in Morocco in October 2016.
Adeleye, who is passionately preparing for the competition,VISITED the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, on Thursday.

Governor Fayose promised to support Adeleye within the limited resources of the State government.

In a press conference at the Government House after the meeting with young Adeleye, the young star said he would do anything possible to make Nigeria proud.


Source: Channels TV

I Don't Regret My Actions.I Joined Cult To Avenge My Friend’s Murder – Eiye Gang Leader

A notorious cultist, Oriyomi Balogun, 30, alias J-Prompt on Wednesday said he joined the Eiye confraternity in 2009 to avenge the death of his best friend killed by members of Black Axe. The suspect, who said he was happy to have fulfilled his wish, added that he killed two persons, Femi Wiper and Lekan Akon, who murdered his friend, Sunday Folorunsho. J-Prompt has been on the wanted list of the police in Lagos for allegedly unleashing mayhem on residents of Shomolu and Bariga. Although he was alleged to have been involved in various armed robbery operations, the suspect denied the allegation, insisting that he only involved in cult war against the rival cult groups. He said: “I am a Bird. I belong to Eiye confraternity and we are always fighting with Aiye (Black Axe) over who controls the area. We also fight when they snatch our member’s girlfriend. I joined Eiye because Aiye people killed my best friend in 2009. His death pained me so much and Eiye people came to me that they will help me get revenge if I join them. “I agreed and that same 2009, we killed Femi Wiper. We killed him during a carnival because he wanted to shoot me and so, when we saw him, he handed his gun over to another of his members who fled. But we caught up with him and used bottle to stab him until he died. Lekan Akon was killed in 2010. Since then I have not killed anyone again but my members have been killing people. I joined in killing the two victims I mentioned because they killed my friend. “I was arrested last week while we were chasing a robber who came to our area. The robber came last month and stole Brother Wasiu’s motorcycle and when he came again on Saturday for another theft, Brother Wasiu called me and we chased him. As we were about to catch the robber, policemen from Alade Division came and stopped us. They arrested me and took me to the station. “They said I will have to wait for the DPO to come the following morning and that my mother should come and bail me but when my mother came, the DPO said they should not bail me. I know that it is the sins of the past that have caught up with me because I did nothing wrong on the day of my arrest. “I do not regret my actions. I take responsibility for it but I want to advise young people that cultism does not pay. They should never repay evil with evil. Our government too is not helping the youth. So many young people who do not intend to take to crime are doing so because no assistance is coming from the government,” he said.

COSCHARIS FARMS - 100% Sortexed long-grain parboiled rice, COSRICE®

Coscharis Farms, strategically located within Anambra 'light of our nation' is home to hygienically fertilized and cultured rice grains processed by in house bio-experts into 100% Sortexed long grain parboiled rice for mass market supply and consumption.

The farm is currently growing on 2500 hectares of land with anticipated 5000 hectares of out-growers scheme in the first phase of the project implementation.

In 2016 planting season the farm's target of first production at commercial quantity on 500 hectares to achieve 3000 metric tons of rice paddy.

With the local consumption of rice in Anambra State estimated at 300,000 metric tons and present production only 20,000 metric tons, Coscharis Farms aims to put their shoulder to the wheel by producing about 20,000 metric tons of rice by 2018, when the farm would have achieved full capacity rice operations in the first phase.

Coscharis Farms plans to expand cultivation to 10, 000 hectares of land in the second phase of the project with a capacity to produce about 70,000 metric tons of rice.

Products

The COSRICE sack option is our premier farm produce sourced and packaged using grains harvested from our rice plantation.

Classified as 100% Sortexed long-grain parboiled rice, COSRICE is available soon nationwide for supply and consumption.

Partnerships

In conjunction with Anambra State Government, Coscharis has developed a social impact model around our farms business, providing jobs and vocational training through our plantations while facilitating community development through construction of road networks linking our planting community and Anambra's central business district.

COSCHARIS GROUP LIMITED

Km 32 Lekki - Epe Expressway, Awoyaya, Lagos, Nigeria

Coscharis Group | 2016

CAN fumes over John Kerry’s meeting with Sultan, Northern governors; accuses U.S. of bias

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has accused the United States government of stoking ethnic and religious divisions in Nigeria, after the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, visited the Sultan of Sokoto and northern governors.

The group said Christians were excluded from Mr. Kerry’s visit between Monday and Tuesday.
Mr. Kerry travelled to Sokoto where he met the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, who is the head of Nigeria’s Muslim community. He later met President Muhammadu Buhari, before meeting governors of northern states.

In an interview with journalists on Thursday, CAN said Mr. Kerry’s visit was “discriminatory, personal and divisive”.

The group said Mr. Kerry should stop interfering in the internal affairs of the country, alleging that the visit was aimed at furthering the federal government’s plan to continue to persecute the teeming population of Nigerian Christians.

The president of CAN, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, said Mr. Kerry’s “lack of respect for the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria, amounted to favouring northern Nigeria and Muslims to the detriment of the Christian community”.

He said the disposition of the Secretary of States supported claims that the Barack Obama administration openly supported the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2016 general elections, which produced the current leadership of the country.

“Why did he meet with 19 states governors, without southern governors, is Nigeria the north alone, why did you go to the north alone?” he asked.

“There’s a siege on Christians. Kerry, his actions speak volume, his actions, body language were very divisive.

“If US Secretary of States is coming for official visit, it’s understandable, but we demand explanation why he was selective. Has the sultan palace become another state house? Was Kerry invited by the Sultan?

“We have 36 States in Nigeria; he only selected northern governors to meet with them. It was a visit to the north, not to Nigeria. It was surely a very divisive visit. With the visit to the north, Kerry’s visit has heightened fear and tension among Christians in Nigeria, if they cannot bring us together, they should not interfere in our affairs.”

Speaking against the killing of Christians in northern Nigeria, the CAN president said based “on the government’s selective persecution of Christians mostly by the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Nigerian Police, it was obvious the administration was anti-Christians”.

“Have the DSS arrested the Muslim youths who burnt down a Catholic Church in Niger State because they were worshiping on Friday? What happened to the ECWA Pastor who was killed in his farm in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State? What have happened with Redeemed Preacher who was murdered in Kubwa, Abuja?

“Look at the recent case in Zamfara State, Christians where burnt alive. What has happened? They will tell you, they are still investigating. Have they been arrested and charged them to court? If the government cannot sit up and protect Christians, tolerance is going to break down, they should do the right thing, they should not provoke Christians. Have we ever seen this government bring anybody to book?”

The CAN president tasked President Buhari “to come out clean”, adding that, “a government that doesn’t listen is not for the people.”

The CAN leader called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to as a matter of urgency intervene in the case of Joe Chinakwe who was arrested for naming his dog “Buhari”. He argued that, naming an animal with somebody’s name is never a criminal offence.

“The NBA should take up that case and ascertain whether the man has the right to give any name to a dog. They should come and protect the man’s human rights and set the record why the case is not a criminal offence,” Mr. Ayokunle said.