The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • Presidency, PDP clash over economy, security

    The Presidency on Wednesday clashed with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the latter’s claim that the country was collapsing under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

    It (the Presidency) referred the opposition to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s economic scorecard in the past four years to show how it has taken the economy out of the woods.

    “Nigeria’s economy is not in trouble,” presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement last night. It was a reply to a claim by the PDP leadership that the government has scored below average in tackling insecurity, political uncertainties and poor economy.

    PDP spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan said the opposition political party decided to raise the red flag because the country was collapsing under the APC.

    But Shehu insisted that the economy had grown under President Buhari.

    He said: “In keeping with historical trends, there is less economic activity during the electoral cycle.  For instance, the economy grew by 2.35 per cent in Q2 of 2015 and 3.96 per cent in Q1 of 2015 as compared to 5.94 per cent in Q4 of 2014

    “While foreign direct investment can help, it is not the only source of investment in the economy. There is also domestic investment, which is either undertaken by the government or by the private sector.

    “It is also noteworthy that capital importation into Nigeria grew by 21.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the last quarter of 2018.  Indeed, foreign portfolio investment (which is still foreign investment) was $7.14 billion in the first quarter of the year.

    “A look at business pages in newspapers shows that there is a lot of business activity going on in the country.

    “Two stories in today’s paper point to increasing economic activity.

    “First is that the profit of UACN grew in the first half of this year by 61 per cent (pg 12 The Nation).

    “Second is that Business Day (pg1) states that cargo imports jumped by 21 per cent in the first half of 2019.”

    Increasing imports, Shehu noted, is a pointer to greater economic activity and the availability of foreign exchange with which to conduct business in the country.

    He went on: “A major constraint to business was the Apapa gridlock which a number of companies had listed as the major impediment to doing business.  This situation has improved tremendously (see pg 23 of The Nation)”

    He said that President Buhari improved relations with China, the United States (U.S.) and Europe and won their support for the administration’s development agenda in his first four years.

    According to Shehu, President Buhari has channelled unprecedented sums of money into infrastructure development.

    Read Also: Presidency says Buhari remains best hope for Nigerian economy

    He said: “Capital spending has been kept at about 30 percent of annual budgets. Construction of roads, highways, public transport and airports has sharply increased. The government is spending heavily on power.

    “This, combined with private sector investment, has grown power generation capacity.

    “All said and done, President Buhari remains the best hope for the Nigerian economy. The country needs change and this remains the person with the will and determination to deliver.”

    The PDP leadership had expressed a deep concern that the nation, which it said was hitherto a prosperity hub and a reference point for democracy, personal freedom and good governance, was becoming a failed state.

    It lamented that the Buhari administration could not has been unable to guarantee any of its fundamental duties, thus making citizens “now desperate to take their destinies in their hands”.

    According to Ologbodiyan, the PDP leadership took the decision to flash the red flag after a crucial meeting in Abuja yesterday.

    The PDP statement reads: “The red flag has become urgent following the manifest total loss of faith by Nigerians across the board, in the ability of the Buhari Presidency to provide a democratic leadership that can engender a peaceful and secure nation.

    “It is clear that the APC and the Buhari Presidency have held Nigerians hostage. Nigerians are now being treated like a conquered people. They can no longer freely exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights; executive high-handedness has become a state policy just as the APC government, burdened by challenges of illegitimacy, has lost direction and only thriving in vindictiveness.”

    The PDP alleged that the government opted to breathe down on perceived opponents following what it called the collapse of the APC’s defence at the tribunal.

    It said: “Our party has also noticed that since the defence of the APC and President Buhari collapsed at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, the APC and its government have taken to harassment and repression of Nigerians by surreptitiously suspending constitutional provisions of freedom of speech and association in our country.

    “Many compatriots are being taken in as political prisoners all in a bid to foist a siege mentality and suppress public opinion.

    “Today, the Buhari Presidency cannot guarantee the security and safety of citizens. Bloodletting and violence have become the order of the day. Invaders, insurgents, kidnappers and killers have taken over major highways and communities; our nation’s security machinery have become overstretched; Nigerians now live in palpable fear; they cannot freely travel within their country and the government has no answers.

    “On the economic front, President Buhari has ruined our economy and led our nation to become the world’s capital of poverty, while condoning the humongous corruption that has become the hallmark of his failed administration.

    “Sadly, President Buhari’s anti-development policies, the corruption in his government as well as its failure to provide security have scared away foreign investors from our nation”.

    PDP observed that only recently, the United Nations declared that “43 per cent of Nigeria’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has taken flight to other countries, adding that unemployment has gone out of proportion and there is no hope in sight.”

    The party called on Nigerians of good faith as well as the international community to speak out against the prevailing situation before it is too late.

    It urged Nigerians not to despair, assuring them that the PDP candidate in the February 23 presidential election would get judicial victory at the Presidential Election Petitions’ Court (PEPC).

    When contacted for reaction, the APC said it would not glorify the PDP with a response.

    Its spokesman Lanre Issa-Onilu told The Nation last night: “My response is that when the PDP starts making sense, we’ll respond to them. We have issues of governance to deal with an attempt to respond to their senseless talk will be a distraction.”

  • NAPTIP arrests woman for alleged trafficking

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested a woman, whom it says attempted to traffic thousands of young people under the guise of giving them driving jobs in Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates.

    The trafficker, who had placed an advert on the Internet requesting young Nigerians aged between 18 and 35, who can drive, for driving jobs that she claimed will fetch them N250,000 in Abu Dhabi, was nabbed in a hotel that she had used as her base, where she had already swindled thousands of N15,000 registration fees before their trafficking.

    NAPTIP Director-General Dame Julie Okah-Donli said she flagged the advert as soon as she saw it because she was aware that Nigeria did not have a labour agreement with Oman.

    She said after investigation was carried out, it was confirmed to be a scam and an avenue to traffic unsuspecting victims.

    Okah-Donli, who spoke in Abuja at the award of prizes for the golf tournament marking the 2019 World Day Against Human Trafficking, said the agency is using sports to reach out to young Nigerians because traffickers are now using the guise of sports to traffic many out of the country for sex slavery or organ trafficking.

    Read Also: Victims of organ trafficking, tricked by lofty job offer – NAPTIP

    She said: “We believe in using sports to reach out to young Nigerians. Traffickers now use the guise of sports to traffic many out of the country. Recently we managed to rescue a girl in Ghana who was deceived that she was going to be signed in a club. Another was rescued from one of these foreign countries they take them to and use them for forced prostitution. That is if they are lucky enough and they don’t harvest their organs.

    “Most times don’t you wonder when you hear news that 150 or 200 migrants drowned, you don’t ask the question who identified the bodies? How many of them actually died? Where were they buried and were they actually buried with their organs intact or did they really die from drowning? These are questions we should be asking. A lot of people have been having a field day harvesting organs of irregular migrants who don’t really have an identity because most times before they are trafficked, their real identities are changed, they give them fake names in the passports so people don’t really know who these our victims are. Even if they call them by names, their families will not know them because it is not their given names.

    “One thing I find annoying is that people just forward WhatsApp messages without verifying, because it can cause problems for the young ones who can easily fall victim. A few weeks ago, there was this advert on the Internet about taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi, which it says were being employed for N250,000 monthly. I flagged it down and called my officer in Lagos because I don’t remember us having any bilateral labour agreement with Oman in the first place. He did what we call a disruptive activity and located the office of these fraudsters, traced them to the hotel where they were supposed to have been recruiting thousands of vibrant men. In fact they asked for ages 18 to 35 and they were there in their numbers.

    “We arrested the woman and investigations are ongoing because obviously it was a scam. They made these guys to pay N15,000 as registration fees. It can happen to any of us if we are not quick to identify indicators of trafficking.

    “Now we have recruitment of young Nigerians to the middle eastern countries as nurses, house-helps etc. When they get there, it is a different ball game. Some that get the jobs work 18 hours of 24 hours a day in different households and as they are working, they are servicing the men. If the woman finds out, she can kill you and nothing will happen. It is that bad. So a lot is going on and we have to stop people from travelling.”

  • Shi’ite protest: Buhari sends delegation to family of slain police officer

    A three-man delegation from President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday paid a condolence visit to the family of Deputy Commissioner of Police Usman Umar, who was killed when a street protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) turned violent.

    The delegation comprised the State Chief of Protocol to the President, Ambassador Abdullahi Lawal Kazuare, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, and Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the President, Seriki Abba.

    Read Also: Shiites’ll continue with protests, says El-Zakzaky’s daughter

    On hand to receive the emissaries were the widow, Busrah, and Mr. Usman Belel, an elder brother of the late police office.

    Belel himself is a commissioner of police.

    DCP Umar was in charge of Operations at the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.

    He was shot as he tried to pacify the protesters who went on the rampage around the federal secretariat complex situated around the three arms zones.

  • Cabinet: Performance benchmarks likely for ministers

    Indications emerged on Friday that President Muhammadu Buhari might set performance benchmarks for the nation’s 43 new ministers.

    The ministers may, however, not be inaugurated till after undergoing an induction programme between August 15 and 16.

    But the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government yesterday announced documentation and pre-inauguration processes for the ministers designate.

    Investigation by our correspondent showed that the President is going to give targets to the new ministers and timelines for delivering on projects.

    It was learnt that the ministers are expected to work on “deliverables” which would have immediate effect on the masses.

    According to findings, the targets for ministers will be in line with the President’s promise to leave “sustainable legacies” after two terms in office.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The President will set performance benchmarks for the new ministers. This time around, he believes every minister must live up to expectations and deliver on projects as contained in 2019-2023 Roadmap.

    “So, the ministers will be monitored and rated according to deliverables. Those who are coming are expected to work round the clock.”

    Read Also: Ministers: Old wine in new bottle

    Responding to a question, the source added: “No minister will be exempted from the performance benchmarks. Every minister must add value to the system.

    “All ongoing projects must be completed and realistic short-term new projects will be put in place.”

    Meanwhile, the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government yesterday announced documentation and pre-inauguration processes for the ministers designate.

    Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan had on August 12, 2012 introduced a Performance Agreement for ministers.

    The agreement, which was drawn by ex- Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, was, however, breached by most of the ministers.

    The mode of performance benchmarks for ministers under President Buhari was unclear as at press time.

    A statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, also indicated that the ministers might not be inaugurated until after undergoing an induction programme between August 15 and 16.

    The statement said: “Following confirmation by the Senate, all ministers designate are by this notice informed that relevant documents for their study and guidance, preparatory to the inauguration of the cabinet shall be available for collection at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) (Cabinet Affairs Office) from 10.00am on Tuesday August 6, 2019.

    “Ministers designate are also requested to please bring along and submit to the OSGF, their updated CVs in soft and hard copies as well as any valid identification document.

    “Finally, I am pleased to inform you that, in view of the need to allow ministers designate enough time to study the documents (Status Report on Policies, Programmes and Projects; the 2019-2023 Road Map, FEC Handbook, etc) and considering the upcoming Sallah break, His Excellency, Mr. President has approved an induction retreat for ministers designate to be held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja from August 15-16, 2019.”

  • Govt assures investors of security

    THE Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Edet Sunday Akpan has assured foreign investors about the security of the country. He said the climate is business-friendly and promises high returns on investment (RoI).

    He spoke during the visit of Singapore High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr. Lim Sim Seng and his delegation in Abuja.  He said the security challenges in the country have reduced when compared with what is happening in other parts of the world.

    A lot of incentives have been introduced to encourage both local and foreign investors while the government has put a lot of measures in place to tackle insecurity.

    Read Also: Oyo govt. bans illegal collection of fees in public schools

    “I want to assure all investors of protection; you can invest as much capital as you all want; I assure you that your investment will yield dividends,” he said.

    According to Akpan, sectors such as tourism, industry, agriculture, information communication technology (ICT), oil, gas and mining are available to investors.

    He assured the delegation that the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) signed between the two countries which has been sent to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), will be considered when the next cabinet comes on board.

    In his remarks, the Singapore envoy assured that everything discuseed at the meeting will receive attention to increase the trade volumes between the two nations.

     

  • Court orders INEC to issue certificate of return to Sen. Uwajumogu

    The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to issue certificate of return to Sen. Benjamin Uwajumogu as the validly elected senator representing Imo North senatorial District.

    In the application filed by Uwajumogu, for the release of his certificate of return, Justice Taiwo Taiwo said INEC’s decision to review the outcome of the 2019 senatorial election was in contravention of the electoral Act.

    The court further held that INEC was bound by law to issue the certificate of return based on the declaration of the returning who announced Uwajumogu as the duly elected senator for Imo North Senatorial district.

    Counsel to Mr Uwajumogu applauded the verdict of the court, adding that INEC should implement the order immediately.

    Read Also: INEC blames insecurity for inconclusive polls

    “Based on the order, the court said immediately; going by the provision of the electoral act, it ought to be within seven days of the declaration of the result. But for the attitude of INEC, now the court has said the order should be implemented immediately.

    “It is another opportunity for us to be happy again that the Judiciary is standing to what they are called to do in our democracy, this is the last hope of the common man, and they have again decided the position of the law as it ought to be.

    “We are happy about it and we believe our opponent will be happy about it because it is about the development of our law,”

    The court had on April 9, 20l9, ordered INEC to stay all further proceedings and actions connected with the declaration of Imo North Senatorial District election results of Feb. 23 and March 9, 2019, pending the determination of the application for prohibition.

    INEC had conducted an investigation into allegations of misconduct that played out in the election.

    (NAN)

  • Pilots decry state of airports’ runways, other facilities

    Nigerian pilots have raised the alarm over the poor state of runways in some airports. They are seeking urgent intervention from government agencies to avert accident.

    Measures, they said, should be taken to clear the runways of foreign object damage (FOD), including debris at the airside, which affects aircraft tyre types and other underbelly components.

    According to them, FOD was forcing airlines to loose millions of naira replacing aircraft tyres and other vital parts of their equipment.

    Besides the deplorable state of the runway at airports in Port Harcourt; Lagos and Abuja, government they said, should urgently look into the poor state of radio communication in the airspace.

    In separate interviews  Air Peace Chief Pilot,  Captain Victor Egonu; Med-View Airline Chief Pilot Captain Stephen Fevrier; Arik Air Safety Manager Captain Jide Bakare  and a retired pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited  Captain Prekeme Porbeni, said unless urgent steps are taken disaster was looming in the aviation industry.

    According to Egonu, runways at some airports, including Enugu, Port Harcourt and Lagos are death traps during the rainy season because their surface are not properly drained.

    He said pilots have continued to complain about the poor state of such facilities, which according to him, has been a big threat to air safety.

    Egonu said: “Pilots in Nigeria complain very often about the surface of Port Harcourt Airport runway that it is always waterlogged and does not drain properly whenever it rains to allow for smooth landing because there are depressions which allow water to collect.”

    “And if you fly into Enugu, it is so bad that Air traffic controllers have had to advise you that they are potholes and that stones jumping off could burst your tyres and pilots are usualy scared. We have airlines with torn tyres from this. At the Lagos airport runway 18L, we are now avoiding it whenever it rains because it doesn’t drain well and so we divert to land at runway 18R

    “And even in Abuja recently our aircraft had a burst trye from an object it picked up after landing on the runway and this is very dangerous because if you pick up something from the tyre on the runway as it was the case of the Concord aircraft it could ignite fire once it reclines and makes contact with the fuel tank.”

    He said airlines and pilots would appreciate if runways are constantly inspected by the relevant regulators to ensure that they are in line with standards that ensure safe flight operations.

    Also, according to Fevrier, the government should fix the poor state of air navigation equipment in the airspace, as it is making it unattractive to some pilots to use the nation’s airspace.

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), he said, should address the communication challenges being experienced by pilots to avert air accidents.

    He said: “I came to Nigeria about 12 years ago and the first thing that we were told to learn as pilots is to say break-break when you get into the airspace and that is because the airspace is congested. I must say that the airspace is still congested and unsafe for pilots to fly.”

    According to him, when flying from Lagos to Abuja pilots often lose contact with the Lagos control tower 200 miles into the airspace, which should not be the case.

    He lamented that the same situation occured between Port Harcourt and Abuja, adding that pilots hardly communicate effectively with the control tower in Kano when coming into Nigerian airspace from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    Read Also: Port Harcourt Airport reopens after Air Peace incident

    “In Kano, if you are coming from Jeddah to enter Nigerian airspace, you can’t speak to Kano. You have to wait until you get into an 100 miles into Kano most times.”

    “We really have communication issues in the Nigerian airspace and that needs to be addressed urgently.”

    Bakare on his part said the biggest issue pilots are grappling with is the problem of communication in the airspace. ”There are so many issues, but communication is one of the biggest challenges that we face as pilots in Nigerian airspace,” he said.

    To Porbeni, it was not enough for government to initiate interventions to bridge gaps in air communication infrastructure, there should be outright elimination of such challenges in air navigation.

    He wondered why the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) that NAMA bragged about was not working. ”Pilots in recent times are undergoing serious challenges bordering on poor communication while flying in the Nigerian airspace.

    “This is affecting the safety rating of our country compared with other nations around us, which have upgraded their systems in terms of air communication infrastructure,” he said.

    He continued: “Repeatedly we kept on hearing the word; we have Total Radar Coverage. The answer is absolutely no. it is because any aeroplane or airborne machine flying in the Nigerian airspace can be detected, but there is lack of communication between the pilots in the airspace and the Air Traffic Controllers at the towers.”

    Meanwhile, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said the agency has commenced an intensive re-assessment of runways at the nation’s airports to forestall the potential accidents on the runways.

    “It is, therefore, with the intention to increase the friction coefficient levels of our runways in accordance with NCAA advisory circular that the Authority is embarking on this exercise across the nation’s airports as the rain is becoming very heavy and unpredictable,” Yakubu said.

    She explained that although, the regular friction measurement for Port Harcourt International Airport was conducted in March 2019 and the result fell within the minimum friction coefficient level, the airport however, still witnessed a skidding incident recently by an Air Peace aircraft. “As a short term measure to increase the safety of the Port Harcourt runway, the Authority just carried out a de- rubberisation exercise between June 15 to 22 , 2019 to remove any contaminant,” Yakubu added.

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has assured airlines and other airspace users that the nation’s airspace is safe for seamless and economic air navigation. Its Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu made these remarks while receiving the Chief Operating Officer of the newly established Ibom Air, Mr George Uriesi, who led a delegation to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos. He explained that the agency had taken drastic steps to tackle communication challenges, especially in the upper airspace in the past couple of years, saying that significant progress was being made in that direction.

    Akinkuotu said NAMA has seen to the upgrading of communication infrastructure in phases. According to him, radio communication in the ground control, covering 65 nautical miles at the 32 air traffic control units in Nigerian airports is perfect and this was done under phase one of the project.

    He added that the second phase, which is the tower control, also covering 65 nautical miles and critical for landing and takeoff, is perfectly working in all the 32 airports in the country. The third phase, which he referred to as “approach communication”, covering up to 130 nautical miles, is working perfectly in all the 32 air traffic control units in the country.

    Akinkuotu admitted that although the last phase, which is the Area Control or Upper Airspace Communication, may have a few challenges, attributing them to the creation of new routes. Concerted efforts, he said, are being made to address these challenges. One of efforts was the deployment of the Total VHF Coverage of Nigeria in 2010, which he said was limited by the architecture of 8 VHF remote radio stations deployed then. He added that the agency has just taken delivery of Extended Range VHF radio systems to replace old the radios in eight remote sites while six more are to be added, making them 14.

    “There is also the deployment of 54 VSAT nodes, in the Aeronautical Information Services Automation project. This project has lingered through all the regimes in NAMA, but we are currently making efforts to see to the final takeoff of the automation project, which we believe would boost our communication system,” Akinkuotu said.

    The NAMA boss said in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU), which stipulates that Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) provide alternative means of communication, the agency in 2015 deployed the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract/Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (ADS-C/CPDLC) in Kano and Lagos Area Control Centres (ACCs) to decongest radio frequency, adding that the facility has been up and running in the entire airspace.

    In addition to the above, Akinkuotu said “the high-powered very high frequency (VHF) Jotron radios, installed at Lagos and Kano, were recently commissioned by the former Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who tested them with a British Airways pilot who replied him with 5/5, meaning: “excellent” and this facility is available and serviceable.

  • Video: Nursing mother held for possession of firearm

    Operatives of Operation Puff Adder have arrested a nursing mother, Simeon Esther, for alleged possession of one AK47 rifle and 18 rounds of live ammunition.

    The police said the firearm, which the suspect allegedly concealed in a travel bag, was meant for a kidnap operation in Ogun State.

    Esther said she was promised N5,000 by her husband, who she said asked her to deliver the bag to someone in Ogun State.

    The police said other members of the gang were awaiting the weapon, which would have been used to kidnap a senior citizen in the state.

    But the police did not give details of the foiled kidnap operation.

    Read Also: ‘I got illegal firearms to protect myself’

    Esther was among 38 suspects paraded on Wednesday at the Special Tactical Squad headquarters in Abuja, the nation’s capital, for alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling, car theft and culpable homicide.

    During the parade, Force spokesman Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), said: “A mother and a wife, Simeon Esther, was arrested in Ondo State for possession of one AK47 rifle and 18 rounds of live ammunition.

    “The operatives of Operation Puff Adder prevented her from getting to her destination.  She was on a mission to deliver the gun to a gang in Ogun State. The gang had perfected plans to kidnap one of the senior citizens in Ogun State but we were able to nip the crime in the bud.

    “They selected her because she is a nursing mother and they believed they would easily beat the prime eyes of our operatives and other security agencies. But we intercepted her and intercepted the expected end recipient of the weapon, thereby aborting the kidnap operation.”

    On how she got involved, Esther said: “On Wednesday, my husband (Bright Gbade) called me and asked me to go and deliver the bag to somebody in Ogun State. He did not even tell me the name of the person; he only told me that the person would call me.

    “I did not know the content of the bag and they did not even allow me to carry the bag. They carried the bag themselves to the motor park.  It was while we were on our way that the policemen searched the bag and found the gun in it.

    “We have been married for two years and I did not know that my husband is a criminal. My husband said he is a fisherman when he was asking me out and before I accepted his proposal, he said he was one of the militants who surrendered their weapons during the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

    “I even relocated to my mother’s house because of the way he treats me. I was at my mother’s house when he called me to help him deliver the bag in Ogun State and he promised to give me N5,000, but he ended up not giving me.”

  • Women not subordinate to men, says Osinbajo

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday urged men to love and honour women.

    He reminded men that women are not subordinate to them.

    According to him, women are created equal with men.

    The Vice-President stated this when he addressed State House correspondents after celebrating this year’s Fathers’ Day at Aso Villa Chapel in Abuja.

    He was joined at the service by his mother, Mrs. Olubisi Osinbajo; Senate Deputy President Ovie Omo-Agege; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha and others.

    Osinbajo said: “I think the responsibility of the father is incredible indeed and I think what is most important is to teach our men, young men growing up, that they must honour women, not just their wives.

    “Of course, you must honour and love your wives, but I think that it is very important that we honour women.

    “We don’t treat them as subordinate to us; they are created equal to men. But most importantly, we must honour them and recognise their role as partners, not just in families, but in society as well.”

    Emphasising that men have important roles to play in the society, Prof Osinbajo said: “It is not the ability to father a child, the ability to have a child that makes you a father; it is the courage to bring up one, the ability to raise one. That’s what really makes you a father. I think the responsibilities of fatherhood are so many, whether one is a biological father or whether one wants to take care for other children.

    “I think that all of us, as men, have a role to play in the life of so many, not just our biological children, but so many of them who have no fathers, even to some who have fathers to whom we have the responsibility to set an example to lead exemplary life, to bring them up as the scripture says: in the way of the Lord.”

    Read Also: Osinbajo receives Indian delegation after Democracy Day celebration

    Ovie Omo-Agege, who earlier took the first reading of the service, from Malachi 1:3-6, said: “It is not what we tell our children but the lives we lead and they see us lead that is important in the life of fathers.”

    He said this would help a lot in the formative years of children and make them responsible members of the society.

    Mustapha said the Fathers’ Day was not about the celebration but a reminder of the role men have to play in their families as physical and spiritual head.

    “It’s not about the celebration; I think it’s a constant reminder about our responsibilities as fathers.

    “We are reminded of the fact that, first, we are the priests of our homes. So, we ought to pray for our families.

    “And when you have children that are aware that as a father, you are praying for them, the chances of their drifting will not be there because they know that the eyes of their father are constantly on them.

    “Constantly, you are reminding God that He has entrusted you with this responsibility and you ought to live up to the responsibility.

    “The second thing is that as fathers, we are supposed to exemplify the life of Christ in the lives of our children because we are just like letters that our children read on a daily basis. It is not about how much we say or what say; it is about our lifestyle.

    “The other reminder is that we are bread winners in our families and we ought to provide for our families.”

    The Chaplain of Aso Villa Chapel, Reverend Seyi Malomo, urged fathers to be sensitive to discern any aggression that could harm their families.

    The cleric admonished fathers to lead their children in spiritual exercises, like fasting and prayer, reminding them that their actions have direct implications for their children.

    Prayers were said for President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Osinbajo, the Legislature and the Judiciary in Nigeria.

    The congregation also prayed for unity, peace and progress of Nigeria.

    Highlight of the service was the presentation of gifts to President Buhari, Vice-President Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and others.

  • Zamfara APC expels Marafa, others

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state has expelled Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa for alleged anti-party activities.

    Marafa is representing Zamfara Central in the outgoing Senate.

    Others expelled along with the Federal lawmaker for the same alleged offence are Hon Aminu Sani Jaji and Mal Ibrahim Wakkala Liman.

    In a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Shehu Isah, and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday, the decision followed the activation of the provisions of Article 21 (A) ii and (D) V which spells out the punishment for members who violate the APC constitutional provisions and engaged in acts inimical to the interest of the party.

    The statement reads “For the avoidance of doubt, the said Article 21 (A) (ii) and (D) (V) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) provides as follow:”

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    “A(ii) Anti-Party activities or any conduct, which is likely to embarrass or have adverse effect on the party or bring the party into hatred, contempt, ridicule or disrepute”

    “D (V) Any member who files an action in Court of law against the party or any of its Officers on any matter or matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting the avenues for redress provided for in this Constitution shall automatically stand expelled from the party on filling such action and no appeal against expulsion as stipulated in this Clause shall be entertained until the withdrawal of the action from Court by the members.”

    “We are therefore by this notice informing the general public that from the date of the said resolution, the aforementioned members cease to be members of the All Progressives Congress and consequently are disentitled from enjoying right, privileges and benefits from the party, the statement added.