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  • Senator seeks military base on Akwanga road

    Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Philip Gyunka, on Monday asked the Federal Government to establish a military base along Garaku-Akwanga road to help tackle incessant attacks along the road.

    Gyunka (Nasarawa north) said that establishment of a military base on the road will also help to curb increased cases of kidnapping in the area.

    The lawmaker made the appeal after visiting Akwanga General Hospital to commiserate with victims of a fresh attack in Numa-Choku, a community in Akwanga Local Government.

    A pregnant woman and several others were said to have been killed by herdsmen at a naming ceremony on April 14 in Numa-Chuka community, 10 kilometers from Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

    He noted the high spate of criminal activities in the area had not only claimed lives but has put fear in residents, motorists and people doing business in the area.

    The establishment of military base, he said, would go a long way in curbing the menace and giving people the confidence to go about their daily activities freely.

    According to him: “Last week Wednesday, I raised a motion on the herdsmen killing of our people in three villages, Mante, Nindan and Katanza.

    “Herdsmen attacked a village where a lady was coming from an occasion. She was raped and killed and that resulted in a clash in the community.

    “Our traditional ruler was able to bring the situation under control and the matter was resolved.

    “While we were trying to get over that, there was a fresh attack in Numa-Choku, a neighbouring village to those three communities.

    “The celebrant and the parents were all killed and woman lost four of her children and a pregnant daughter in-law. So pathetic.

    “These are harmless people who were having a naming ceremony.”

     Gyunka urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to visit the affected communities to help provide relief materials to victims.

    He asked for stringent enforcement of existing laws to prohibit the bearing of arms by unauthorised persons.

     Gyunka said: “I feel there should be a strong law that will forbid bearing of arms.

    “The issue of ECOWAS free movement has done Nigerians more harm than good because people come into this country with arms, only to turn against the citizens.

    “In other countries they people are properly checked before allowed residence but it is not same in Nigeria.

    “Our borders are so porous that people come in armed, harass citizens, kill, maim and return to the bush.”

  • Senate Presidency: Shettima backs Lawan

    Borno State Governors Kashim Shettima Monday threw his weight behind the candidature of Senator Ahmed Lawan as the President of the ninth Senate.

    Shettima who spoke to reporters in Abuja said that his decision to back the candidature of Lawan is line with the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The APC has already endorsed Lawan (Yobe North) as the party’s choice for the Senate President.

    Shettima insisted that the decision of the APC about who becomes the President of the ninth Senate must be respected as way to enforce party discipline and cohesion.

    The governors who said that it was not true that Borno elders were backing Senator Ali Ndume to emerge Senate President noted that as the first citizen of the state he made wide consultation before his decision to support Lawan.

    He said, “Thank you so much. I have very little to say. Ordinarily I am not even supposed to come here because there are three things to be combated.

    “I hail from the same state with the distinguished Senator Ali Ndume. And I appreciate the fact that politics is local. But politics is also national. And I believe the blood that binds us together supersedes whatever we might harbour.

    “But I fully aligned with the aspiration of my party, to the aspiration of President Muhammadu Buhari and by the grace of God; we are going to mobilize all our goodwill to see that we are fully on board.

    “We are for Senator Ahmad Lawan, we are for Femi Gbajabiamila and all other senators and other House of Representatives members endorsed by the party.

    “We are for party discipline that allowed everyone to aspire for political offices. We believe that we must respect the party. All of us won under platforms. There is no provision for independent candidate.

    “I don’t know whether anyone has won under an independent platform. Except maybe Senator-elect Ifeanyi Ubah who brought in an anonymous party and won.

    READ ALSO: Senate Presidency: Adeyeye urges APC to discuss with Ndume, Goje, others

    “So, I feel honored by the visit but honestly this visit is unwarranted. I am fully onboard. I am for Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate president.

    “Well, I am the first citizen of the state; I have made wide consultations with our leaders from Borno before resolving to back Senator Ahmed Lawan.

    “And most importantly, let’s be brutally honest, Muhammadu Buhari is the single candidate in the country that most of us from the North won election by aligning with Muhammadu Buhari.

    “So, we have no basis to undermine him or to disrespect him. People like Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Sen Ifeanyi Ubah, Sen Francis Alimikhena won in spite of Buhari not because of Buhari.

    “But most of us from the North have no basis not to align ourselves with President Buhari and whoever he enforces.

    “He has endorsed some of the best hands we have in the system and where we hail from; Sen Ahmed Lawan is one of the best hands we have.

    “It is a reality. He has been in the National Assembly since 1999; he has the experience, exposure, pedigree, intellect to redefine the process. He is the best amongst equals.

    “He is level headed, calm, matured and we need such quality of leadership to drive the 9th Senate.

    “We, the people of Borno, the elected representatives of the people of Borno and we are the representatives of the people. “We are not at war with Senator Ali Ndume, he is my kinsman but we will continue to prevail on him to align himself with the aspiration of the party. We are not at war. We belong to the same paternity.”

  • Alleged N2.4b debt: Ex-minister loses bid to stop bank’s takeover of property

    The Federal High Court in Lagos Monday refused an application by a former Petroleum Minister Chief Don Etiebet’s company which sought to stop Access Bank Plc from taking over his property known as Etiebet’s Place.

    The property is on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, in the name of Etiebet’s company, Obodex Nigeria Limited.

    Ruling Monday, Justice A. Liman refused the company’s application for stay of execution of a December 17, 2018 judgment of Justice Ibrahim Buba, which empowered Access Bank to take over the property.

    The bank had sued Obodex Nigeria over an alleged debt said to be to the tune of N2.4billion.

    But, the firm challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit.

    Justice Buba, last December 17, dismissed the firm’s objection and ruled in the bank’s favour.

    Access Bank subsequently took over Etiebet’s Place and appointed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ogunba, as receiver/ manager to manage the property towards recovering the alleged debt.

    Dissatisfied, Obodex Nigeria filed an appeal as well as an application for stay of execution of the judgment.

    Through its lawyer, Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN), it sought an order restraining Ogunba and his privies or assignees from “advertising or offering for sale, selling, mortgaging, transferring, alienating or otherwise interfering with the applicant’s equitable right of redemption on the property situated and lying at 21 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, also known as Etiebet’s House, pending the hearing and final determination of the applicant’s appeals.”

    While urging the court to grant his application, Adesina said: “I urge your Lordship to grant a stay of proceedings and stay of execution so that we’re not foisted this court with a fait accompli.”

    But Access Bank, through Ogunba, opposed Obodex’s application, saying it was “totally misconceived”.

    The insolvency practitioner said the receiver-manager was already in control of the applicant’s property, hence the application was belated.

    “The defendant wants to eat his cake and have it. It’s very reprehensible. They admitted the debt and pleaded for time. They signed a mortgage. We urge your Lordship to discountenance their application,” Ogunba argued.

    Justice Liman upheld Ogunba’s arguments and refused to grant Etiebet’s firm’s application.

  • Bamako Biennial gets new curators

    The 12th edition of Bamako Encounters, an African Photography Biennial has announced its curatorial team that includes Artistic Director Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, the co-curators Aziza Harmel, Astrid Sokona Lepoultier and Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh.

    Photographers Akinbode Akinbiyi and Seydou Camara will be the artistic advisers, according to a statement by the organisers. The biennial, which has as theme Stream of consciousness will hold at the Malian capital Bamako from Saturday November 30 to Friday January 31. It is organised by The Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Institut Français.

    Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, a Cameroonian, is an independent curator, author and biotechnologist. He is founder and artistic director of SAVVY Contemporary Berlin. He was curator-at-large for documenta 14 in Athens and Kassel, and guest curator of the 2018 Dak’Art Biennale in Senegal.

    As the previous editions, titled Telling Time (2015) and Afrotopia (2017) have shown, Bamako Encounters offers the possibility for artists to process a subject with their inspiration, as well as aspirations; to draw out beauty, expression, reflection, and personal interpretation.

    In the continuity of this editorial approach, the 12th edition will be devoted to the topic Stream of consciousness, a literary metaphor calling for a deep, lyrical, vibrant reflection on the act of photography: its specificity, its prerequisites, its requirements, its transmission in a world of hyper-visibility and countless pictures.

    In the vision of the curator of the exhibition, The Niger River has a symbolic place in this year’s theme as the incarnation of this “stream of consciousness”. He has even – boldly! – described it as the “cultural cornerstone of the continent”. The notion of dialogue between the continent and its diasporas dispersed throughout the world (Americas, Asia, Oceania, Europe) is also integrated into the festival as a pan-African approach.

    The Biennial, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is organised around thematic exhibitions on contemporary photography and is held in various locations in Bamako including the National Museum of Mali, National Library, Modibo Keita Memorial and the District Museum.

    Seminars, workshops, lectures and film screenings equally take place alongside the exhibitions during the biennial, which has served as a catalyst for creativity resulting in many photographers on the continent gaining international acclaim.

    Easily the first event dedicated to African Photography, it has become one of the most followed events on the world cultural stage where talents are tapped and works by great masters are admired, discussed and analyzed.

    Bamako Encounters, which is a genuine platform for discoveries, exchanges and visibility is an essential venue for the advancement and promotion of African photographers alongside meetings with professionals from different parts of the world.

    Managed by the African House of Photography and co-produced by the Institut Français, Galerie Médina and the Ministry of Culture of Mali, the biennial attracts over 30,000 visitors to exhibitions in Bamako, while 100 to 200 photographers are exhibited and invited to be part of the event during the professional week.

    Institut Français, Royal Air Maroc, African House of Photography, Conservatoire Balla Fasake Kouyate, Palais de la Culture Amadou Hampate Ba, CICB, INA, Mémorial Modibo Keïta, CNPM, Reseau Kya Culturel, Photo Art Mali, ASAMSA, European Union, Stichting Doen, Galerie Médina and others will be supporting the biennial.

  • Fayemi’s wife, judge declare war against rapists, traffickers in Ekiti

    EKITI State Governor’s wife Erelu Bisi Fayemi has declared total war against men of underworld, who engage in raping and human trafficking.

    Mrs. Fayemi lamented the increasing incidences of sexual and domestic violence against women, saying concerted effort must be geared towards fighting the war.

    She said government was disheartened that in spite of the existing legal framework prohibiting gender-based violence, Ekiti State continues to witness issues of rape, defilement and human trafficking.

    The governor’s wife stressed that non-implementation of the gender-based violence prohibition law, child rights law, equal opportunities law and other legislation put in place by his husband, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, by the immediate past government accounted for the increase of the heinous activities.

    The First Lady spoke in Ado-Ekiti yesterday during a stakeholders’ meeting held to combat violence against women in Ekiti.

    “When Fayemi left, some of the laws put in place to safeguard the lives of women and girl-child were not implemented,” she said, adding that this constituted a serious impediment in the fight against the practice.

    “At a stakeholders’ meeting held recently, we agreed that part of the policy thrust should be that steps must be taken on how to take care of the emotional needs of victims before seeking or getting justice through the court of law.

    “Most of the victims used to be emotionally down, because we have all failed them at one time or the other; that is why we must rise up to fight this scourge,” Mrs. Fayemi said.

    She said the three key areas that needed to be examined by stakeholders include the causes of gender-based violence, how to use legal framework to resolve some of the issues revolving around this scourge and how to break the culture of silence among victims.

    Read also: Teenager raped to death in Enugu

    “The third one is how to focus on inter-agency collaboration, because this is not a problem that can be solved by a body,” the governor’s wife said.

    An Appeal Court’s judge, Justice Uzor Ndukwe- Anyanwu, expressed worries over the rate of violence against women in Ekiti.

    She added that this issue has always been an issue of interest to Nigerian All Female Judges Association, particularly how to resolve the problem and make women safe wherever they go.

    “Ekiti has this as a big problem. I am worried that we have it in this proportion. It is not something cultural as people want us to believe,” she said.

    Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Wale Fapohunda said the government is ready to go against all odds to prevent the state from being tagged a thriving land for violence against women and girl-child.

    “Reported cases of sexual rape, violence rape, and child defilement have now reached a frequency that we firmly must believe there is an urgent need for joint action between government and other stakeholders to reverse the scourge.

    “We are committed to zero-tolerance for all forms of violence against women and children. Apart from legal interventions, we also take another step that photographs of convicted offenders should be placed on state’s website and announced on state broadcasting service.

    “Also in cases of defilement, we insist on compulsory psychiatric tests for all persons designated as having cases to answer in form of violence against women.”

    Also speaking, Police Commissioner, Ekiti Command, Mr. Asuquo Amba, said any person defiled must pass through medical examination for the police to have proof to prefer charges against offenders.