The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Excitement

  • Excitement as 224 graduate from African Church Model College

    It was a memorable day for 224 senior secondary 3  pupils of African Church Model College, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos as they graduated from the school.

    They looked resplendent in their navy blue suits, white shirts and red ties and could barely contain their joy  at the event, which held at the school hall.

    The guest speaker and immediate past Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Lola Akande, advised the 19th set of the school to do whatever they know how to do well, because it is not only academics that makes people.

    She told the graduating pupils to always remember Henry Wadsworth LongFellow’s words: “The height great men reached and kept are not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”

    The school’s principal, Mr Abimbola Olawoye, encouraged the pupils to work hard and be focused.

    “Hard work does not kill, but diligence begets success.  Do not engage in anything that could truncate your dreams and hope for the future,” he said.

    The head boy, Alex Akinyode, who won three awards as the best pupil in Physics, Block and Bricklaying (BBL) and Computer Studies, said he was happy graduating and encouraged those coming after him to work hard and never relent.

    To his fellow graduating students, he said: “Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle and can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, end is a beginning , and under every deep a lower deep opens.”

    The head girl, Boluwatife Ajayi, who also won two awards, advised her juniors, saying: “My advice for younger generation is that the sky is not your beginning; your beginning is where you decide to start from. Start from places above the sky,” she said.

    An outstanding graduating student, Busolami Adeyemo, who served as health prefect, won four awards in Biology, English Language, Creative Craft Practice (CCP) and Food and Nutrition.

    She also won the Nollyfans achievement award for the best in English Language when she represented her school in a competition.

    “I think it was just a favour.  I did not expect to win four awards because this set is a very competitive set and there were people I felt were doing better than me,” she said.

    The school launched its annual magazine, “The model voice” – with members of the press club presenting their news for the year and a programme called, “gist me small”.

    The assistant manager of Zenith Bank, College road, Mr chibueze Nwankwo presented gifts to the school for partnering the bank.

    The best three pupils from each class were also rewarded for their academic excellence.

  • Excitement as Isoko gets first four-star hotel

    Oleh, the headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, over the weekend, found its way into the world’s hospitality map as one of the biggest hotels in the Niger Delta region of the country; Dantinajo Gold Resort, was officially inaugurated.

    Aside from holding a beacon for Oleh and its people, Dantinajo Gold Resort is also an example of how a national economy can be grown, according to former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who was the Chief launcher of the facility.

    Speaking about how and why the hotel was built in Oleh of all places, the owner of the investment, Daniel Elozino Omoyibo an Engineer, said his primary aim in building the facility was the economy and well fare of his kinsmen in Oleh.

    He reasoned that the first beneficiaries of the investment would be hundreds of young men and women from the immediate environment, who would find employment at the facility, then those who would continue to make livelihood from providing goods and services for the daily running of the place.

    “My main reason for putting up this edifice is to make sure I bring out the unemployed youths out there and empower them, reduce unemployment in Nigeria, Delta, Isoko and Oleh”, he said.

    Declaring that Dantinajo Gold Resort is the best in the oil-rich region, Omoyibo noted that the hotel boasts standard facilities, adding that it can compete with any world-class hotels in service rendering and management.

    He said: “The hotel has 85 rooms; 53 standard rooms, 12 suits and 20 apartments. Some of the facilities here are a swimming pool, a gym, a conference hall, a restaurant and a bar.”

    In addition to all the fine facilities the hotel boasts of, the residents were excited about the economic benefits the hotel is expected to provide for them in Oleh and many Isoko from other surrounding communities.

    Some of those who spoke at the event expressed how happy they were about the new hotel. They regarded it as an added ornament to the landscape of Isoko land, something that can be found in other more developed towns and cities, a thing to honour their homeland.

    One of the guests at the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Matthew Onoriode, commended Omoyibo for bringing “a dream to reality in Oleh”.

    According to him, many people in the same position as Omoyibo and with equivalent wealth would have failed to see the beauty and economic value such an investment could bring to a town such as Oleh.

    “This is very commendable and it should be emulated by other well-to-do Nigerians. Some other people would have thought building this kind of edifice in a town such as Oleh wouldn’t bring them as much returns as they would wish, but such people are mistaken because in no distant time, our brother will start counting his gains in multiple folds.

    “This is the first A-list hotel in this part of the world and one certain thing is that all visitors and fun-seekers in the whole of Isoko and some Urhobo communities will now find their ways here,” Onoriode said.

    The hotel facility, built on a massive space in the heart of the town, which also serves as the headquarters of the Delta South Senatorial District and host to the Law Faculty of the Delta State University (DELSU), is expected to serve an array of clientele, ranging from occasional visitors, to company employees working far away from home, to hosting big political meetings and other.

  • Excitement as Osinbajo walks in Ilorin

    It began as a small circle of party chiefs and some curious residents.

    In a few minutes, it became a sea of heads, which burst into songs and slogans. A carnival.

    That was Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s visit yesterday to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The reception was tumultous. Residents and All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters were shouting the party’s battle-cry, O to gee (enough is enough)

    Prof. Osinbajo was drawing the curtain on his Next Level engagements for support for the party in tomorrow’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Read also: Fed Govt, AGF ask Supreme Court to stay off Onnoghen’s case

    He was first received by the Information and Culture & Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed, Kwara APC governorship candidate AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other party chieftains.

    Continuing his campaign for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo stopped over at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu-Gambari.

    The monarch personally received him in front of the palace amidst chants of ‘Osinbajo’, ‘Sai Baba’ and ‘O to ge’ (Kwara APC’s campaign slogan).

    At the palace, Prof Osinbajo listeded the major achievements of the Buhari administration and why APC is seeking re-election.

    The vice president proceeded to take long walks on the streets of Ilorin through Adabata, Isale Aluko and Alanamu ward, where he was greeted by huge crowds of residents who trooped out to welcome him.

    Prof. Osinbajo assured Kwara residents that more Federal Government impact will be felt over the next four years as the country goes to the Next Level. He said President Buhari’s government is committed to creating more jobs and improving the country’s economy.

    He also stated that more Nigerians will benefit from its Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) which has positively affected the lives of millions of Nigerians.

  • Excitement as Appeal Court grants Rivers APC’s plea

    THERE was jubilation yesterday in Rivers State, especially in Port Harcourt and its environs, following the  Court of Appeal’s granting of stay of execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt on the fielding of candidates by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The appellate court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Ali Gumel, granted the stay of execution of the judgment of Justice Kolawole Omotoso of the Federal High Court.

    Justice Omotoso, on January 7,2019, disqualified the APC from participating in the 2019 general election, following the disobedience of a state high court order stopping them from holding the ward, council and state congresses as well as the state party primary elections to nominate candidates to fly the party’s flag in the elections.

    The court also ordered INEC to remove the name of the party and its candidates from INEC materials concerning the polls.

    The party approached the Appeal Court to grant a stay of execution to INEC and others involved, pending the decision of the Appeal Court on the matter.

    The Appeal Court, in a judgment read by Justice Muhammed Mustapha, granted the stay of execution application and urged parties to maintain status quo pending ruling on the appeal.

    The court said: “We have carefully gone through the applications along with the accompanied affidavits and exhibits, as well as the counter affidavits as submitted by counsel of all sides, leading us to the conclusion that the question as to whether the act sought to be stayed has already been concluded or not is not for this court or in fact for any court to speculate on.

    “This is so, notwithstanding the fact that INEC, which is a party to the application chose not to challenge their position in the affidavit in support of their pleading served on us in good time.

    “It is important to note that there are four appeals in this court against the same judgement, FHC/PH/CA/124 to oppose the case. They are CA/PH/37/2019 between Senator Magnus Abe and 41 others and INEC and others,  CA/PH/38/2019 between APC VS INEC and another, CA/PH/39/2019 between APC and Magnus Abe and 14 others and CA/PH/40/2019 between Tonye Patrick Cole and 48 others and Magnus Abe and 43 others.

    “Parties in these appeals are appellants in one and respondents in another, except INEC, which remained respondent in all the appeals. This is a clear indication of dissatisfaction of all the parties in the same judgment for one reason or the other.

    “An application for stay of execution can be granted while the applicants should hear their different submissions among them for doing so bearing in mind that the compelling reason to grant a stay is to preserve the res from destruction and thereby maintain status quo at all material time, so that if the appeal is successful at the end of the day, the proceedings in respect thereof will not be rendered nugatory.”

    It added: “The multiplicity of appeals against the court judgement in this case and widespread dissatisfaction by all the parties in this case is a special circumstance, which this court is considering in granting this application.

    “The multiplicity of the appeal before this court from the judgment of the lower court is a clear indication that the interest of the parties have not been satisfied and it is for this reason we exercise the discretion to grant the stay of execution.”

    After the ruling, members and supporters of APC and its governorship candidate, Pastor Tonye Cole, trooped to the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs to celebrate, defying the heavy rain.

    Rivers APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, declared that the main opposition party had been vindicated by the decision of the Court of Appeal.

    The main opposition APC in Rivers said: “We have always said that the wheel of justice may grind slowly, sometimes annoyingly slowly, but surely justice comes ultimately. We believe that today’s (yesterday’s) judgment has vindicated APC in Rivers State.”

    Cole, a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and a co-founder of Sahara Group, in his reaction to the ruling, expressed gratitude to God on the victory.

    APC governorship candidate said: “I just want to take a minute to thank the Almighty God for his grace upon us all. I know without Him, this would be totally impossible. We were up against it. We still are, but our God who has  been with us throughout this journey, will see us to the end.

    “I want to spare a thought for the brave judges and the entire judiciary for simply standing firm on the side of justice. We have faith in you. To all our supporters and leaders in the APC, I want to say a big thank you for keeping the faith. The times have been tough. I know, but you have showed that with God, we are already winners.

    However, counsel to Magnus Abe Kanewnii Luke said INEC has already taken action by removing the names of the APC candidates from the final list published and that there was nothing again to be saved by the appeal’s ruling.

    He hinted that they would appeal the ruling before the Supreme Court.

    Reacting to Appeal court ruling, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, said: He (Mahmood Yakubu) is heard about Appeal Court story like every other person and it will be unwise to begin to react to such report. To the best of my knowledge, the commission has not received the ruling and not until it has received and study it before we can comment.”

  • Excitement as Abiodun kick-starts Ogun governorship campaign in Ijebu

    The Ogun State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun, yesterday kick-strted his campaign at Atan, the headquarters of Ijebu North East Local Government Area.

    He pledged to keep his electioneering promises, if elected governor on March 2.

    Abiodun, who spoke amid cheers from thousands of party faithful and supporters, said his administration would implement programmes contained in his policy documents, if elected into office.

    The front-line politician and successful entrepreneur noted that the only way to deliver his policy documents would be by returning power to the local governments to enable them perform their constitutional roles effectively and efficiently.

    He rued a situation where local government chairmen always have to run to Abeokuta, the state capital, for funds from the governor before they could perform even fractions of their rudimentary roles.

    Abiodun said: “By returning power to local government chairmen to operate unfettered, council bosses will no longer have to go to Abeokuta to beg for funds to run their administration.

    “They will be like mayors, like what we have in the advanced countries. By so doing, they will have time to deliver good programmes for the people of their immediate communities.

    “Also, there will be prompt payment of salaries of teachers and civil servants in the state, without delivering.”

    The APC candidate reminded residents of the local government that he made some promises in 2015 while jostling for Ogun East senatorial seat on the platform of the APC and fulfilled them.

    Among them, he said, was his personal donation of six transformers to Isonyin, Eruwon and eight other communities that were without power supply for almost 10 years.

    Abiodun called for the massive votes of the local government, as done in 2015, to enable him win the governorship poll.

    “Don’t be confused but ensure you cast your votes for me as your next governor of Ogun State. You should know where you are coming from and know where you are going,” he said.

    Former Deputy Governor Gbenga Kaka urged the people of Ijebu North East to be wary of candidates they will vote for in the forthcoming general elections.

    He said only the bind would not be able to differentiate the good from the bad.

    Kaka said: “Only those who are blind would not be able to differentiate what is good from what is bad. You are to follow a right path by casting your votes for a good candidate like Dapo Abiodun as your next governor of Ogun State.

    “He and his running mate, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, enjoy strong support from the Federal, state and local government levels.”

    About 2,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party (A) and Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the local government declared their support for Abiodun and APC, following their defection.

  • Excitement greets Buhari’s branded campaign wristbands

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) candidate President Muhammadu Buhari now has new campaign wristbands.

    The wristbands were shared at The Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the party’s recently held primaries to highlight an early start to his campaign.

    Excitement greeted the distribution of the branded wristbands, as 7,000 APC delegates gathered to endorse Buhari for a second term at the Square last Saturday.

    The branded wristbands were distributed by Directors of the Good Governance Ambassadors of Nigeria (GOGAN) and the Buhari Unity Band (BUB) namely, Hajia Zainab Mohammed, Dr. Abayomi Oyekoya and Mr. Yinka Oladunjoye.

    A statement signed by the Director, Communication and Media, BUB, Dr. Kunle Hamilton, said printed leaflets titled: “Ahead 2019 Presidential Election”, were also distributed along with the Buhari wristbands.

    Billionaire business mogul Chief Felix Idiga is the chairman and national coordinator of GOGAN and BUB.

    The statement also said APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha, were the first to wear the wristbands. Mustapha then distributed the bands to the party’s hierarchy.

    APC Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, wore the new wristband, which bears an arty image of Buhari and showed the president, who also wore one with excitement.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Nasir El Rufai equally shared Buhari’s excitement.

    The new wristband, which thousands of people at the APC presidential converge squabbled for, has the inscription, “Buhari for one more term; Nigerians’ 1st Choice” plus APC’s logo. The four versions of the wristband made available at the Eagle Square were in English, Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa.

  • Excitement as Enugu APC receives Ayogu Eze

    Senator Ayogu Eze, who represented Enugu North Senatorial district between 2007 and 2015, will be formally welcomed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) tomorrow.

    National Chairman of APC Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is expected to lead members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to the event tagged “Welcoming the Big Fish into the APC” while Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo will represent President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Others expected include Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, Orji Kalu, Dr Chris Ngige, APC National Assembly members from the Southeast, and others.

    Eze’s defection has left the PDP in disarray. His rumoured governorship ambition has thrown the PDP into confusion, knowing that he is capable of causing an upset for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    It was learnt that the APC hierarchy in the state believes it will be dangerous to cede the ticket another senatorial district because before the coming of Ugwuanyi, the North was marginalised in terms of the governorship.

    One of the greatest achievements of former Governor Sullivan Chime was to cede the governorship to Nsukka axis. Enugu East and Enugu West have had their fair share of governance in the state before now.

    However, it was learnt that APC intends to cede the ticket to the North so that the district can enjoy its two terms in office. Eze is thus seen as the man capable of dividing the area with his popularity, with a view to sending Ugwuanyi out of the Government House.

    It was gathered that the leadership of the PDP had attempted to lure him back with a senatorial ticket, but the offer was rebuffed. Some Nsukka elders and traditional rulers could also not convince him to return.

    Senator Eze however said “no amount of pressure will make me return to the PDP. I believe in the leadership style of President Muhammadu Buhari and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole”.

    He added: “The leadership style of these people attracted me to the APC. I don’t believe Enugu should remain in opposition because we must continue to make our state better, and we cannot achieve that by remaining in the opposition.

    “If you look at APC and PDP today, you will find that the APC is a masses-based party free from god-fatherism, and that is why Nigerians are reaping the benefit of good governance. It is unlike the PDP where a cabal is controlling the party and the people.

    “I am glad I am now in the APC, it is a new dawn for the people of Enugu; we must deliver the Southeast to APC so that we can enjoy the development strides of the President Buhari-led administration. I will contribute my quota in assisting other APC leaders in the Southeast to deliver Enugu and the entire Southeast to APC.

    “That is why tomorrow’s rally is very significant to our political life. We will send a message that the PDP is no longer wanted by the Igbo because of its failed promises to the Southeast. I am very optimistic that the rally will be the end of PDP in Enugu State.”

  • Excitement, as Lagos hosts special children’s parents

    The atmosphere was both serene and exciting. It was at the famous Elegushi beach, as children with disabilities and their parents/guardians let down their airs to bond and unwind.

    The event was put in place by the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Agboola Dabiri. The parents expressed their appreciation to the government for the opportunity it afforded them.

    Special Adviser to Ambode on Social Development, Mrs Joyce Onafowokan said there was the need to focus on parents of children with disabilities, to relax.

    She said: “Parenting itself is not an easy task, not to think about being compounded with disability, having the parents and guardians coming out here is to forget we have issues for some hours.

    ”Most of the parents don’t have the opportunity to unwind because there is no one to look after the children; so it is our hope that celebrating the guidance of the disability children will be done quarterly and it is also to let them know that as a state we got their back. We will hold their hands on this life journey, knowing well that a problem shared is a problem solved. When these people are happy, we as a government are happy.”

    Mrs Onafowokan continued: “All this is not complete without the continuous help of Lagos State Governor, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who buys in, into the need for these parents to have fun for a while and forget their worries.”

    She urged the parents and guardian to look out for early intervention for children with special needs. “Be an advocate for your children. Do not to be intimidated by anyone and do not allow any person to look down on them. I will encourage you all to empower yourselves, and always be on the look for these children and also take the health of these children seriously.

    “Please do not collect any drug you do not know anything about from any medical personnel.You should always ask what kind of drug the doctors are giving these kids, avoid overdose. Medication for these children is free in government hospitals.”

    Dabiri said the event was organised for parents with children with disabilities. In most cases these parents are always with their kids they don’t have time for themselves. So with the series of meeting we have, we noticed that they are not that active and they don’t have time for social events, which is why we organised this to make them happy, to come together sharing their feelings, experience, a sort of psychological therapy to meet their emotional need.

    “We thank the Lagos State Governor for approving what we are doing to today,” said Dabiri, adding: “We implore the parents not to feel ashamed of the children. They are wonderful gifts of God to us and we need to accept it, we should love them equally together with the other children.”

    An official, Mrs Seyi Ogunlana said: ”These children do not want anybody’s pity. They want us to understand and relate with them. Having a special child in Nigeria looks like a death sentence, especially by non-members of the family even men. Some men desert their wives because they have a child with special needs, which should not be. Some parents don’t allow their children to mingle with the special children. It is only if on few cases that they may allow that.  We plead for teachers who have passion to serve in special education to be massively employed because we don’t have enough specialists.”

    Some of the parents, who came from various parts of the state, thanked Mrs Onafowokan and the government for the opportunity to socialise with one another. They thanked God for their children.

    They also showed their gratitude for the support and the gifts they received from the government.

    A parent, Mrs Jumai Bakare, said: ‘’It’s a lot of challenge, first is the stigmitisation, which needs to be removed, you can imagine when you go to the eatery and you are being looked down on. We want the society/government to create awareness for the public on these conditions; that it is not a disease but genetic. I have gone through a lot but I thank God today because the boy is doing fine, though the society is not helping us in anyway, they reject us, and we are also here to advocate for this our special children. I appreciate our association and Lagos State Government, as well as Mrs Onafowokan for this early intervention, for cleaning up our tears, we the mothers especially. We are just so happy for this day. ‘’

     

  • Excitement at MTN’s Pulse launch

    It was a convergence of fun as thousands of kids converged at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, for the launch of MTN Nigeria’s mPulse, which is targeted at Nigerian tweens and teens ranging from age nine to 16.

    The kids played physical games like life-sized Ludo, monopoly as well as virtual games.The children also expressed their creativity with plasticine just as wunderkinds like Waris Kareem of Waspa Art who showed off immense artistic  skills.

    Also, there was a lot to eat as cupcakes, pizza, sandwiches and other yummy delights were available.

  • Glamour, excitement as drum festival begins in Ogun

    The 2018 edition of the annual African Drums Festival began yesterday in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, with glamour and excitement.

    There were colourful dances by troupes, who danced to drums, which depicted the unique but diverse Africa’s rich cultural heritages.

    The festival, an initiative of the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration, has its theme as: “Reviving our culture in drums.”

    About 25 of 36 states, 60 private cultural troupes and many African countries attended the opening.

    Amosun said the festival, the third edition, had assumed international dimension, fostering unity and boosting socio-cultural and economic development of Ogun State.

    Troupes from Ghana, South Africa, Benin Republic, Mali, Togo, Ivory Coast, among others, entertained and competed for prizes.

    Dignitaries, including the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, attended the event.

    Others are Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, Obong of Calabar, Etubom Ekpo and Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle.