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Tag: David Lawal

  • Senate should be honoured – Lawal

    Senate should be honoured – Lawal

    The Chairman APC Scandinavia and a Global Affair Analyst, Ayoola Lawal, has said that the recent trend of refusal by the government appointees to honour invitations by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on issues regarding national interest is inimical to our nascent democracy.

    Lawal made this observation in an exclusive interview with The Nation recently, adding that it is a common practice across the globe for the parliament to extend an invite for clarifications.Thou some might see it to be part of a learning process, however, we most very careful in our democratic context.

    According to him, although some people might see it to be part of a learning process, “however, we most very careful in our democratic context.”

    Quoting Polity IV index, the APC Scandinavian chief noted that Nigeria is a democracy by all standard but It will be hard to be a full democracy if such acts are not discouraged and discarded in our nascent democratic setting.

    Ayoola Lawal, Chairman, APC Scandinavia
    Lawal

    “No matter the perception of individuals about one another as a citizen and office holder, the Senate as an institution must be protected and honoured in all ramifications.

    “This institution must be treated with dignity and honour irrespective of the characters involved, I mean office holder.

    “We must bear in mind that appointments and office terms are transient but the Senate is an institution that will definitely outlive every individual.

    “It is the fulcrum of any democracy and the voice of the citizenry, thus, it will be in the best interest of Nigerians and our nascent democracy if our lawmakers could further educate themselves on their oversights responsibilities and proper understanding of the red lines.

    And also a pride for Nigerians both home and in the diaspora seeing our Federal/State lawmakers doing us proud by concentrating energy, time and resources on people oriented debates and bills rather than wasting resources on bell and whistles of real national issues.

    A quick result to judiciary intervention on a mere invitation of government appointees and corporate organisations by the Senate on issues of national concerns should be outrightly condemned and law enacts against such to prevent people that might what to explore undue legal avenue to delay justice and transparency.

  • NPFL: Full league ranking

    NPFL: Full league ranking

    Following the victory of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club on Wednesday, the club has managed to return to the top of the league table with 30 points.

    Closely behind MFMFC is Plateau United with 29 points, followed by El-Kanemi Warriors FC 27points, Kano Pillars 24.

    [quote font_size=”18″ color=”#000000″ bgcolor=”#ddb57a” bcolor=”#dd3333″ arrow=”yes”]Related Post: NPFL week 16 result: MFM back on top[/quote]

    See the table below for others:

     

    NPFL league table

  • Airtel appoints Onoja vice president, mobile money

    Airtel appoints Onoja vice president, mobile money

    Airtel Nigeria has announced the appointment of Veronica Onoja as Vice President for the telco’s Mobile Money segment.

    Under her new role, Onoja is tasked with bringing her significant experience in the East African mobile money market to bear in driving Airtel Money’s business segment to profitable growth.

    The new move is part of the telco’s reorganisation of its commercial operations to accelerate growth, drive efficiency and reclaim market leadership in the highly competitive telecoms sector.

    The appointment, which takes immediate effect further emphasises Airtel’s commitment to promoting gender equality in the workplace and endorses Airtel’s recent recognition as one of the top three best places to work in Nigeria by top recruitment firm, Jobberman.

    Prior to her new appointment, Onoja was the Regional Operations Director for the South region, during which she was responsible for driving the overall business operations and delivery of profitability of Airtel’s business in the region. Under her leadership, the region played a vital role to Airtel’s financial success in the last financial year as the South region bagged an award for the best performing region.

    Since joining Airtel in 2003, Onoja has held several positions including; Key Account Consultant, Distribution Specialist, Distribution Manager, Head of Division, Commercial; Regional Sales Manager, Zonal Business Manager, Sales Operations Director (Airtel Tanzania), and Regional Operations Director.

    Onoja is an Alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Jos and is also an Alumnus of Lagos Business School and the Indian Institute of Management. She is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and belongs to the prestigious Rotary Club.

  • Corruption: Nationwide protests rock Russian cities

    Corruption: Nationwide protests rock Russian cities

    • Police arrest opposition leader, use heavy-handed tactics against protestors

    Anti-corruption protests took place in several cities across Russia on Sunday, the most significant outpouring of public discontent since the 2011-2012 anti-Kremlin protests.

    The protests were called by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose anti-corruption organisation recently released a video alleging unseemly wealth of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.  In Moscow, organisers refused to limit their protest to venues proposed by  municipal authorities—outside the city center—and urged people to simply come out in the city for a “public promenade.”

    According to Human Rights Watch, an estimated 7,000 took to the streets in Moscow, many of them on Pushkin Square and Tverskaya Street. Police arrested Navalny early in the afternoon, raided his organisation’s office, and detained some of his staffers.

    By the time I got to Pushkin Square, police had already cleared it. But hundreds, if not more, were still squeezed into an adjacent pedestrian mall.  A line of police would advance on the crowd, as a policeman said on a loudspeaker, “Citizens, respect each other, move away,” driving us off the mall and down Tverskaya. A crowd of mostly young people stood fast on an elevated flower bed where they displayed a cartoon with a duck and the words “Corruption is stealing the future.”

    Police eventually charged the flower bed and the crowd moved, grumbling, mostly without incident. After police returned to their formation, those in the crowd—now thinning– would return to their places. At various stages police grabbed young men, roughly, pinning their arms behind their backs, kicking and using their clubs on people who tried to get close, then dragging them away, presumably to be placed in detention. I wasn’t able to see what, if anything, these men had done before the police grabbed them.

    One independent group estimated police detained more than 900 – many of whom seemed to do no more than hold posters or shout slogans. This video shows police violently beating someone already on the ground and offering no resistance, and there are numerous other similar reports.

    About a half mile from Pushkin Square, police beat the 17-year-old son of an acquaintance before he could even get to the protest. The acquaintance told me they asked for his identity documents, and when he said he wasn’t obligated to carry them, they beat him on the ribs, legs, and face, leaving many bruises.

    Police used excessive violence to shut down the massive Bolotnaya Square demonstration, one of the last of the 2012 protests, on the eve of Vladimir Putin’s inauguration and detained hundreds, leading to long prison sentences for 13 people and a warped official narrative casting the protests as part of a broad conspiracy to destabilise Russia. The stakes are high for the Kremlin again now, with presidential elections a year away. I can only hope authorities won’t repeat the violence, unfair trials, and myths of the past.

     

  • Syria: Measles outbreak in Ghouta, five hospital attacks in nine Days

    Syria: Measles outbreak in Ghouta, five hospital attacks in nine Days

    There has been an alarming rise in cases of the measles in Ghouta, Syria.

    According to EWARN, there have been 121 cases in the past two months, compared to 50 cases in the past two years.
    Several areas throughout Syria remain under heavy siege. Two doctors were killed and hospitals are constantly being targeted.

    On Sunday, a dentist was killed in an airstrike in Daraa, and on Tuesday, a paramedic was killed in Daraa as well. A hospital was impacted by an airstrike today in Daraa. In the past week, three hospitals in the suburbs of Hama, in Kafr Zeta, have been attacked and put out of service. 

    On March 14, A hospital in Mseifra, in rural Eastern Daraa was hit by an airstrike  near the hospital which resulted in minor structural damages (doors and windows) and left two people wounded. The facility continued to operate.

    See Video

    On March 8, the Kafr Zeta Specialty Hospital, in rural Hama, was put out of service after being attacked by an airstrike resulting in the destruction of doors, windows, water and electricity systems. There were no casualties reported.

    [quote color=”#000000″ bgcolor=”#dbbc87″ bcolor=”#dd3333″ arrow=”yes”]The building had moderate structural damage and the facility went out of service. On a monthly basis, the hospital was providing an average of 600 consultations, 100 admissions, 70 major surgeries, 50 deliveries and 180 Trauma cases.[/quote]

    On March 8, the Dr. Hasan Araj Cave Hospital in rural Hama, built under 50 ft of rock, was also attacked causing structural damage. This was not the first time this hospital was attacked. The area had over 15 air raids and at least three airstrikes on both hospitals, which are within 10 miles of each other.

     

    On March 7, a hospital in Kafr Zeita, Hama was impacted by airstrikes destroying the medical supply storage area. No casualties were reported and the building had moderate structural damage rendering it out of service. On a monthly basis, the hospital was providing an average of 1900 consultations, 450 admissions, 150 major surgeries, 70 deliveries and 25 trauma cases.

    On March 5, A hospital in Kafr Nobol, Idleb, was hit by an airstrike resulting in the top floor being destroyed and moderate structural damage. There were no casualties reported and the facility went out of service. On a monthly basis, the hospital was providing an average of 3,792 consultations, 41 admissions, 332 major surgeries. These services were disrupted.

    There is significant pressure on hospitals that are still operating and supplies are running extremely low or completely depleted.

    In Ghouta, in the suburbs of Damascus, a third person died from kidney failure as there are no supplies available to provide dialysis treatment. Medications and supplies are still not allowed in the area. 

    “The vicious attacks on medical facilities in the past 10 days must stop and perpetrators must be held accountable.  The attack of hospitals and murder of medical staff is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law and a war crime.

    It breaks my heart to see the children suffering from measles, an archaic and easily preventable disease. Opening aid supply lines, providing medical access and vaccinating all children must be a top priority to head off a potential pandemic.” Said Dr. Anas Al Kassem, Chairman of UOSSM Canada.

  • I love being underestimated – Wizkid

    Grammy-winning singer, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has explained why he loves to be underestimated.

    According to him, being underestimated is his biggest motivation and energy to fire on.

    The musician disclosed this in an Instagram live session with TEFLives when the host asked how he handles the external pressure to constantly prove himself.

  • I used to be ashamed of being a teenage mother – BBNaija Ruthee

    In an intimate conversation with fellow housemate, Mayor Frosh, Rhuthee opened up about her emotional journey as a teenage mother.

    She revealed that she initially felt ashamed of having a child at a young age and struggled to talk about it.

    Rhuthee admitted that she feared judgment and rejection, making it hard to disclose her status as a mother.

    However, as her daughter grew older, Rhuthee said her perspective changed, realising that her child brought immense love and joy into her life, becoming the “best thing” that ever happened to her.

    “How do I tell people I have a child? I can’t tell people. I never used to tell people I have a child,” she said while fighting back tears.

    “It was just people that knew me from way back that knew that. I was still very ashamed that I had a child. It took me years to come out of that shell.

    “As she grew, she even showed me more love than I ever did. And I’m like, this girl is the best thing that happened to me”, she said.

  • Christians fueling rumours about Buhari’s health on social media – SGF

    Christians fueling rumours about Buhari’s health on social media – SGF

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has accused Christians of fueling rumours about President Muhammadu Buhari’s health on social media.

    He said this during a Prayer Convocation for Nigeria on Mount Zion, Jerusalem, to conclude the 2016 pilgrimage.

    Lawal accused Christians of criticizing Muslims for pursing their agenda instead of them to pursue their own agenda.

    The SGF, in a statement issued by Head of Media, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), ‎warned Christians to desist from what he described as “pull him down syndrome.”

    He said it was appalling to see Christians complain about the Federal Government despite occupying prominent positrons in the government.

    The Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Rev. Tor Uja, pilgrims decided to hold a one-day prayer in Jerusalem for the restoration and perfection of President Buhari’s health.

    ‎Uja said having an honest man like Buhari to lead the country is an opportunity Nigerians should not miss.

    He stressed that a nation like Nigeria with all the symbols of greatness could only be built to last by those who have been established on the enduring virtues of Christ.

     

    He urged Christians to live up to their calling in Christ and lead by example in being strategic in their reasoning and planning.

    “I feel sad that people come on pilgrimage and when they leave here, their character is even worse. I want you to make up your mind that you won’t deny Jesus Christ,” he said.

     

     

  • Ilamose residents decry threats to life, properties

    Ilamose residents decry threats to life, properties

    Residents of Ilamose, Oke-Afa community in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area have cried out over plans by a Lagos property developer, Alhaji Hakeem Osuolale to unlawfully invade the community to destroy their landed properties.
    At a briefing in the estate last week, spokesman of the embattled community, Mr Dele Olokobi noted the property developer had started issuing new threats despite a court order suspending the execution of an earlier court judgement (Suit No: ID/ 1752/89) in the community.
    In spite of the court order, he stated that Osuolale had been going on air and newspapers threatening the residents that by the end of this month, he would be coming to bulldoze their properties in Ilamose.
    “Despite our law abiding stance and the fact that many pronouncements have been made by the court, Alhaji Osuolale, attorney to the judgement creditors has continued to harass, intimidate and force residents out of their houses. He continues to forcefully grab people’s undeveloped property,” Olokobi lamented.
    He enjoined Osuolale to respect the court order, pointing out that at the February 2nd court sitting on the case, the judge had advised each party not to resort to any form of self-help. “Since the matter is still in court, he has no right to carry out the execution with his thugs and miscreants armed with dangerous weapons to harass people. It’s a wrong execution of the judgement. He should wait for the outcome of the pending court case,” he said.
    He called on the appropriate authorities including the Police to deploy any form of assistance to the area to forestall any acts of hooliganism, malicious damage to property, a public disturbance which may result to threat to life and property in the community. 
    “We want the world to know about the harassment and intimidation from this man and his agents and for him to be called to order. We have been going through a lot of suffering because of this man. Enough is enough,” Olokobi added.
    When contacted, Alhaji Hakeem Osuolale said an agreement was signed between the community and his company in 2016 at the instance of the Ojoun of Ejigbo and Ijanland, Oba Moroof Adekunle Ojoola as the mediator.
    He advised the property owners to honour the agreement to ratify their properties on or before the expiration of the deadline to avoid the demolition of the properties.
    However, Olokobi debunked the statement noting that those who purportedly signed the agreement did so under duress and should be disregarded.

    It will be recalled that the community has been facing incessant crisis since November 2015 when hoodlums accompanied by court bailiffs and policemen who came to effect a court order attacked and unleashed mayhem on residents of the estate, looted shops and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

    Narrating the genesis of the crisis, Olokobi stated: “The trouble started when the Ojo Barber family won a court verdict in 2011, which permitted them to repossess a parcel of land around the area which excluded Peace Estate, Ilamoshe CDA, Canal CDA, and Makunju Avenue.
    But last year November, the said family started marking some houses that are beyond the court jurisdiction for repossession, and even went further to engage the services of thugs to lock and demolish some of those unaffected properties, posing as threats to their lives and property.
    He lamented that the incessant harassment by the creditor and their agents was becoming unbearable for the residents and called on the state government to call them to order to ‘stop the thug activities of Ojo Barber family and allow peace to reign in their community.’
    “We are tired of their activities. Many of us are retirees, who worked for many years; all we want is peace in our community. The government should please save us from these thugs being used by the judgment creditor to harass us all the time,” Olokobi stated.
  • New Trump travel ban order nears completion

    New Trump travel ban order nears completion

    The President Donald Trump led-administration is planning to roll out a revised executive order on immigration that the President says will “protect our people” while at the same time pass muster with courts that halted an earlier version.

    The President intends to make this known as early as this week.

    According to the CNN Politics, the new order will clarify a point that caused confusion the first time around: The executive order will not impact green card holders.

    “The President is contemplating releasing a tighter, more streamlined version of the first executive order,” Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend.

    Acknowledging the rushed rollout of the previous order that caused chaos in airports across the country and widespread demonstrations, Kelly said that officials are working on a “phase-in” period for parts of the order to take effect.

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    The new order is also expected to address concerns of the 9th Circuit federal appeals court, which blocked the original order, that travellers’ due process rights were not being respected by giving detailed notice of restrictions for those with current or pending visas. Kelly said the goal was “to make sure that there’s no one, in a sense, caught in the system of moving from overseas to our airports, which happened on the first release” of the order.

    The Nation recalls that the original immigration ban order, issued the very first week into Trumps administration  affected seven countries, being: Somalia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen — from entering the US for 90 days, all refugees for 120 days and refugees from Syria indefinitely.
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