The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lifts

  • Late strike lifts Akwa Utd

    Late strike lifts Akwa Utd

    A late strike by Namso Edo was enough to give Akwa United a 1-0 victory over Kano Pillars in their rescheduled Glo Premier League tie on Sunday morning in Uyo.

    The match had been abandoned on Saturday after about three minutes due to the heavy downpour with the game still scoreless. On resumption of the match, Pillars battled their hosts to a barren first half before bowing to Edo’s fourth goal of the season.

    Akwa United defender Emmanuel Ariwa said they were always in control of the match and deserved their victory.

    “It was an interesting game as Pillars put up a good fight. However, we took the game to them and it was only a matter of time for the goal to come. We were patient and eventually we got our breakthrough. We are happy with the result as we have extended our lead at the top by three points,” Ariwa said.

    The Promise Keepers lead the Glo Premier League with 14 points from seven matches.The match had been abandoned on Saturday after about three minutes due to the heavy rainfall with the game still scoreless.

    On resumption of the match, Pillars battled their hosts to a barren first half before bowing to Edo’s fourth goal of the season.

    Akwa United defender Emmanuel Ariwa said they were always in control of the match and deserved their victory.

  • Bariga LCDA lifts 200 widows

    Two hundred widows in the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State smiled last Saturday. It was at the third edition of the ‘show love to widows’ programme which the administration started three years ago on every Valentine’s Day. They were showered with various gifts and food items from the LCDA’s Chairman, Hon Omoyele Akeem Sulaimon.

    The event which took place at the council’s Secretariat involved widows – Christians and Moslems – from all the wards within the LCDA.

    Sulaimon, who was represented at the event by Hon Otunba Gbenga Adefuwa, Supervisory Counselor for Works and Infrastructure, advised the widows to take their fate as an act of God and move on in life.

    Adefuwa, who advised them to ensure they strive to give their children the right education, said the initiative is laudable and urged other LCDAs to borrow a leaf from Bariga and put smiles on the faces of widows once in a while.

    He advised young widows to be careful before going into another marriage.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the state Governor on Local Government Affairs, Mrs Olayinka Babalola, praised the chairman and the Supervisor for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon Bukola Adedeyi, for always remembering widows.

    She advised the widows to continue to be focused, train their children and take everything as the will of God.

    Hon Adedeyi said apart from the yearly ‘show love to widows’ programme, the council has other programmes aimed at alleviating the suffering of widows. “There is a monthly financial support programme whereby the chairman gives out N25,000 to 20 widows every month”, she said.

    The representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Oluwatoyin Adeniyi advised the widows not to shut themselves in because they are widows, adding that the state government through the Ministry of Women Affairs has lot of programmes aimed at alleviating the suffering of widows, women in general and the girl-child.

    Mrs Oluwatoyin Sarumi, who represented the Director of Women Affairs and poverty in the Ministry of Women Affairs, said the Bariga LCDA had done well for widows, but advised the beneficiaries to make use of the various avenues the government has opened for them to make them and their families better.

  • Corps member lifts community

    Indigenes of Karara community in Kogi State have benefited from a community development project organised by a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Toochukwu Onuchukwu.

    During the programme, 53 treated mosquito nets were donated to pregnant women and nursing mothers in the community and free medical screening and counselling on HIV/AIDS were held.

    Representative of the State Co-ordinator of the scheme, Mr Felix Ajayi, commissioned the projects. He said he was impressed by the large turnout of residents and the various ministries and agencies that supported the projects, commending the initiator for mobilising resources to organise the programme.

    The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, who was represented by Mrs Roseline Alabi, lauded the vision of the corps member, describing him as a passionate youth who has taken a leap of faith by impacting positively on the lives of residents of the community.

    Representative of the Commissioner for Health, Mariam Muhammed commended the efforts of the corps member, saying the projects were in line with the goals of the state government.

    The representative of the Local Government Chairman, Mr Bochi Umar praised the corps member for organising the programme.

    A community leader in Karara, Alhaji Ibrahim Kaura, thanked the corps member for successfully executing the projects in the community, adding that the incessant cases of malaria would be reduced.

    Onuchukwu said he was motivated to initiate the projects because of his desire to contribute to the global fight against the scourge of malaria and HIV/AIDS.

     

  • Southwest PDP lifts Fayose’s, others’ suspension

    Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lifted the suspension placed on former Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Rising from a meeting of the Executive Committee of the party in the Southwest zone in Lagos on Wednesday, the Zonal Exco directed that the suspensions announced by the groups in the state PDP were hereby set aside and the status quo ante should be maintained.

    The party said the decision was taken to prevent a situation where it would contest next year’s election as a divided party.

    In a statement yesterday by the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the party in the zone, Chief Ishola Filani, the party said it cannot fold its arms and allow individual interest to destroy it as the 2014 governorship poll draws near.

    Besides Fayose, those to benefit from the rapprochement are the state Chairman, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe; Secretary, Dr. T.K. Aluko; Public Relations Officer, Pastor Kola Oluwawole; Woman Leader, Busola Oyebode; Treasurer, Deolu Aluko; Youth Leader, Taye Olatunji and Director-General, Information, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan.

    “The raging crisis,” the PDP said, “will not add any value to the party in Ekiti, but will destroy it totally.”

    To avert this, the Zonal Exco, “has set up a five-man committee to look into the crisis and come up with a resolution/recommendation within 10 days.”

    Filani said as a prelude to the committee’s work, he and two other Ekiti indigenes in the Zonal Exco “will visit the state to ensure there is peace in PDP.”

    The five-man committee is headed by Dr. Yomi Finnih. Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, Chairman, Ondo State chapter of the party, is the Secretary. Members of the committee are Mrs. Ayoka Lawani, Chief Zaccheaus Oyekunle and Mr. Ayo Olowofoyeku, an architect.

    The crisis took a new twist yesterday, as Fayose and Police Affairs Minister, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), traded words.

    Fayose, who stormed the Abuja national secretariat of the PDP with a petition, alleged that the Makanjuola Ogundipe-led state Exco had been compromised by Olubolade through monetary inducements.

    According to the former governor, Capt. Olubolade provided the logistics and funding for the Ogundipe exco to set up an 11-man consensus committee, headed by retired Justice Ojuolape.

    “I wish to state here that those who appeared before the national chairman of the party are pro-Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade. They came to the national secretariat in an official vehicle provided by the minister to further confirm that the state chairman had been compromised,” Fayose said.

    Capt. Olubolade dismissed Fayose as a drowning man desperate to drag others down with him.

    Speaking through his Ekiti State Liaison Officer, Mr. Alaba Agboola, in Abuja yesterday, the minister urged the leaders and members of the Ekiti PDP not to be distracted in their quest to produce a credible candidate for the party.

    He said: “The Ekiti are sick and tired of the culture of executive violence characterised by assassination and killing of political opponents as witnessed in our state in the past.

    “Apparently, this culture of violence contributed to the erosion of the image of the Ekiti PDP at the time. What do we make of a situation where someone aspiring to govern a state would storm the party secretariat with armed thugs, injuring and chasing party officials out of their duty posts?

    “Fayose is being haunted by his past and he should be honest enough to situate the blame for his present predicament within the context of his past deeds and misdeeds.

    “Affliction shall not arise for the good people of Ekiti for the second time. PDP truly desires to reclaim Ekiti State, but the party has made it clear that its candidate will not emerge through a process of violence and thuggery.”

    In the petition he submitted to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Fayose said the advice by President Goodluck Jonathan to the effect that the party should explore the possibility of picking a consensus candidate was being capitalised upon by Ogundipe to impose Capt Olubolade as a cons

  • Danjuma lifts ABU with N2.3b

    Danjuma lifts ABU with N2.3b

    The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria is to benefit from a N2.3 billion life line from Lt. General Theophilus Y. Danjuma.

    The former Minister of Defence endowed the amount which he said should be used to upgrade the university’s science faculty after he was conferred with a honorary degree of the institution during a special convocation in his honour penultimate week.

    Danjuma, who missed the convocation which was part of the university’s golden jubilee anniversary last year, had insisted on receiving his honour in person.

    With the N2.3 billion, the Science Faculty will get an administrative block, library, main auditorium and landscaping. He added that his company, South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETRO) would provide every other structure and facility needed except for the department building.

    Praising the university for producing many graduates who have distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavour Danjuma said his gift is to enable it continue to play that role successfully.

    “I give credit to Sir Ahmadu Bello and all those whose foresight and sacrifices gave birth to this institution; whose contributions to the growth of Nigeria cannot be quantified. I bear witness to the fact that many of the products of this university have since become worthy ambassadors of the school and of Nigeria. It is for this reason that I am committed to playing whatever role I can in aiding and facilitating the achievements of this university for her noble objectives. The university’s impact on the nation is considerable. Its impact on the northern states is greater,” he said.

    President Goodluck Jonathan also praised the university for fulfilling the aspirations of its founding fathers. Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said the university has every cause to celebrate its golden jubilee having graduated hundreds of thousands of Nigerians and foreigners who occupy various positions in their country.

    “I am happy to note that the university has among its alumni, past and present governors, ministers, and senators, members of the House of Representatives, captains of Industry, technocrats, scientists and the clergy. I cannot fail to mention that my predecessor, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and my Vice, Namadi Sambo also passed through the four walls of this university,” he said.

    President Jonathan, however, lamented the low absorption capacity of universities, saying barely a quarter of those seeking admission are admitted yearly. To address this problem, he spoke of plans to establish mega institutions that can accommodate hundreds of thousands.

    His words: “It is estimated that the annual number of candidates seeking admission for the last couple of years has been around 1.5 million while the carrying capacity of our universities is not up to a quarter of that figure. When mega universities are established along with the current one we believe we will address the access to universities in the medium term. Government will continue to pay attention to those areas of needs and will provide special intervention funds to address these problems.”

    Felicitating with Danjuma, whom he described as his hero and mentor, President Jonathan said he was deserving of the honour.

    “General T.Y. Danjuma, undoubtedly deserves the honour being bestowed on him as one of the most illustrious sons of our nation,” he said.

    Accolades poured from other dignitaries for the General, who was accompanied by his wife, Senator Daisy Danjuma.

    Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida who chaired the occasion described TY, as he is fondly called, as a man who has singlehandedly contributed to the development of education more than any other Nigerian. He praised Danjuma’s decision to pick education as one of the focal points of the TY Danjuma Foundation.

    Chancellor of the 50-year-old institution, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, described the awardee as a detribalised Nigerian who has transformed the lives of a significant number of people in the society.

    The high point of the event was the groundbreaking ceremony for the ABU Phase II Development performed by Vice President Sambo.

    The ceremony was attended by many northern elites including: Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu and Governor Muktar Yero of Kaduna State, Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Aminu Tabuwal, former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, and Education Minister Prof Ruqayyatu Rufa’i.

     

  • NGO lifts the needy

    A Non-Governmental Organisation, Citinet Group, has donated items to some orphanages in Lagos as a demonstration of love and empathy. The items include cash donations, food items and working tools.

    The initiative, which was a Valentine gift to these schools was done in partnership with Tabandee Nigeria Ltd and support from the chairman, Surulere Local Government Area, Hon Tajudeen Ajide.

    Schools visited by the group include Hearts of Gold Hospice, Surulere, Babes-Salam “door of peace” Orphanage and Little Saints Orphanage head office at Palmgrove.

    Speaking at Hearts of Gold Hospice, Mr Femi Brainard, a Nollywood star, described the initiative is a welcome development as it is all about giving back to the society.

    The coordinator, Mr Ola Akintonwa, used the occasion to thank God for the grace given the group to do the little it is doing to lift spirit of areas visted. He equally thanked Hon Tajudeen Ajide for his usual support and the partner of the group Tabandee Nigeria Ltd. He promised to do more.

     

  • Europa League:Joel Obi’s goal lifts Inter

    Super Eagles returnee, Joel Obi, was among the goal scorers on the night as Serie A giants, Inter Milan eased to a 3-1 away win over Azerbaijan’s Neftchi to move to four points from two Europa League Group H matches.

    The Nigeria international, who recently returned from injury, was rated high in the first UEFA game between clubs from Azerbaijan and Italy, the Nerazzurri strode into a three-goal lead by the break.

    Fredy Guarín crossed for Coutinho and Obi before instigating Marko Livaja’s second goal in the competition. Nicolás Canales got one back in the 53rd minute as Neftçi upped their game, but Inter held on comfortably to move onto four points in Group H.

    The hosts started nervously and when Jonathan released Guarín in the tenth minute, the Colombian played a telling ball for Coutinho, who applied a tidy back-flicked finish. Neftçi roused themselves, but just as it looked as though they were getting a foothold in the game, Inter struck again.

    Guarín ran onto Coutinho’s lay-off, streaking down the right before squaring for Joel Obi. The Nigerian had never scored for Inter, but that did not show as he placed his shot across Saša Stamenkovic with supreme confidence to double his side’s lead on the half-hour.

    Inter Milan were cruising by the 42nd minute when Livaja made it three. Guarín was again involved, threading through a pass that Bruno Bertucci could only divert into the path of Livaja and the Croatian had the simple task of heading into an empty net.