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Pope Francis apologises for sexual abuse within catholic church

Pope Francis has apologised for cases of sexual abuse by clergy in the Catholic Church, saying he felt “pain and shame at the irreparable damage caused to children by some ministers of the church’’.

“I am one with my brother bishops, for it is right to ask for forgiveness and make every effort to support the victims.

“Although, we have committed ourselves to ensuring that such things do not happen again,’’ the pope said.

He was speaking before Chilean dignitaries in Santiago de Chile.

Earlier this week, the Vatican took over a Peru-based Catholic sect whose founder has been accused of sexual and psychological abuse.

Meanwhile, in Chile during the pope’s visit on Monday, activists promised to protest every day of the visit over his 2015 appointment of a bishop accused of covering up for one of the country’s most notorious pedophiles.
On Jan. 10, the Vatican said it had appointed a commissioner to oversee the lay Catholic movement Sodalitium of Christian Life.

However, Peruvian prosecutors had announced they were seeking the arrest on charges of sexual, physical and psychological abuse, of the group’s founder, Luis Fernando Figari, and five other members.

Meanwhile, the Pope had shown particular attention to the gravity of the information.

The pontiff would return to the Vatican on Sunday.

NAN

January 16, 2018
NEMSA boss advises Nigerians to conserve energy

Mr Peter Ewesor, Managing Director, Nigerian Electricity Service Agency ( NEMSA ), has advised Nigerians to learn how to conserve energy in their homes to minimise their electricity bills.

Ewesor, the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, gave this advice on Tuesday in an interview in Lagos.

He said some electricity consumers who blamed their meters when they overused electricity should stop doing that.

According to him, meters being installed by Distribution Companies (DISCOs) passed accuracy and compatibility tests administered by NEMSA before installation.

The managing director said that the agency had facilities to carry out required tests to declare that a meter was fit and proper for use in Nigeria.

“When there are complains of meter overrunning by consumers, the agency sends its officials out to verify such complaints.

“After installation, we deploy our men to go out there and check if the installations are properly done. When it is wrongly connected, the meters will read wrongly.

Read also: Why we should invest in solar energy

“We do follow up check to make sure that meters installed in the country are certified,” he said

Ewesor said some consumers who had been on five hours electricity supply before now,have had their supply increased to 10 to 18 hours daily due to increase in power generation.

“Since power supply has increased, consumers have to pay more for the supply.

“Maybe a consumer who was paying N3,000 monthly before now, has to triple the payment.

“But Nigeria consumers will still want to pay the same amount he used to pay when the power generation was low; this is wrong calculation.

“This is why every consumer has to do energy management or conservation in his house when electricity supply has improved so that he or she can pay less,” he said.

He said the test stations in NEMSA in Lagos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt ensured that meters deployed to homes and companies by DISCOs met requirements.

The managing director said however that any installer found wanting in the discharge of his duty would forfeit his certificate.

NAN

January 16, 2018
Sharapova finds her groove on Melbourne return

Maria Sharapova on Tuesday resumed her career at the Australian Open in bright sunshine with a performance that went some way to banishing those demons.

The 30-year-old former champion returned a positive doping test after a quarter-final defeat by Serena Williams in 2016, resulting in a 15-month ban from the sport.

Sharapova was in dominant mood as she beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-1 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena.

There would be tougher tests to come for the five-times Grand Slam champion.

But the relish with which she pummelled 22 winners suggests that in her second Grand Slam event since returning from exile, she could do damage, despite not being seeded.

Sharapova, who fell foul of the anti-doping regulations after failing to realise that heart drug meldonium had been added to the WADA prohibited list, attracted more unwanted headlines last week.

That was when she was selected for the draw ceremony.

That decision by tournament director Craig Tiley raised a few disapproving eyebrows.

But there was plenty of support for the 2008 champion on Tuesday with regular shouts of “C‘mon Masha, we’ve missed you”.

After ending fellow 30-year-old Maria’s dogged second-set resistance with an ace, Sharapova admitted she had “shivers” walking on to court.

Later, when addressing the media, it was very much business as usual with Sharapova reluctant to talk about the past.

Asked if her return to Melbourne had produced flashbacks to that fateful day two years ago, she said: “No. It’s not the way I look at things moving forward.”

Sharapova struck the ball with venom in the first set in which the only blemish was dropping serve to give Maria a game.

The second set threatened to get a little tricky as Sharapova was broken to love to trail 1-3.

But a forehand winner gave her break point in the next game and she converted it when Maria went wide.

Sharapova broke again at 3-3 as her opponent, actually ranked a place higher at 47, double-faulted and Sharapova moved into a 5-3 lead as Maria began to feel the strain.

The German managed to prolong the contest for another game but Sharapova finished off the match in style.

She belted a forehand winner at 30-30 and then aimed a searing first serve bang on the line.

NAN

January 16, 2018
Court dissolves 10-year marriage over drunkenness, threat to life

The Idi-Ogungun Customary Court at Agodi in Ibadan on Tuesday dissolved 10-year-old marriage between Opeyemi and her husband, Akeem Afolayan, over habitual drunkenness and threat to life.

Chief Mukaila Balogun, the President of the court, held that the evidence of the plaintiff coupled with failure of the defendant to appear in court despite summons proved that the union with three kids was irreconcilable.

“Absence of the defendant despite the fact that he acknowledged the receipt of the court summon on three occasions had further revealed that there was no more love between the parties,’’ he said.

Balogun , therefore, dissolved the marriage and gave custody of the three children from the union to Opeyemi.

He ordered Akeem to pay his ex-wife N9,000 as monthly upkeep allowance for the kids in addition to being responsible for their education and other welfare.

Earlier, the plaintiff has said that Akeem was a drunkard who spent his daily income on alcohol without any consideration for the upkeep of his children.

“There was a time he had health challenge as a result of his addiction to alcohol.

“I borrowed money to pay his hospital bill, but he returned to alcohol intake after recovery.

“Now, he threatens to kill me with cutlass whenever I beg him to stop consuming alcohol.

“The court should dissolve the marriage to avoid untimely death because he is no longer with his right senses,’’ Opeyemi said.

Akeem was not in court to defend all the allegations levelled against him by Opeyemi.

NAN

January 16, 2018
Buhari, Gambian President meet in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed-doors with the Gambian President, Adama Barrow at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Gambian President after the meeting told State House correspondents that he was in Abuja to thank Nigeria for the support given to his country during and after the impasse.

He said “My visit is very important to us. We have always wanted to say thank you when Nigeria gave us all the support during and after the impasse. Nigeria has been supporting

“The Gambia for a long time in different areas like technical assistance in the area of education, judiciary. We are really happy to come.

“When we met in Mali, he (Buhari) took a decision as a leader in a closed door meeting, he made one statement that changed everything, that if The Gambian President wants to challenge the subregion, he is welcome.

“This was his words and that make a big difference as a leader. And that leadership role was very important not just for The Gambia but for Africa because the problem was an Africa problem with an Africa solution.

“So we are very grateful and that was why we wanted to come and say thank you. There is a saying in my country that if you want to thank a farmer for a good job, you have to visit him at his farm and that is why we are here.” he said

Asked what was the deal he struck with the former president that led to the smooth transition, he said “Basically, the deal was ECOWAS was involved, UNDP and the international community was involved to mediate and this mediation, Nigeria was involved and Liberia as the chair was involved, the Guinean President and the Mauritanian President were also involved. the Guinean President and the Mauritanian President were physically on the ground, for him to accept the will of the people, exit to allow us assume office.

“This was the deal, he accepted to go on exile which we couldn’t guarantee his security. This was the deal.” he said

On what role Nigeria will continue to play to help The Gambia overcome its challenges including security, President Buhari said “Well, your President has virtually answered the question. We did our best in the most critical time, hopefully now the president will raise his team and we will raise a corresponding team and we will seat together and see how we can draw a political programme that will complements each other’s effort on development. So this is the next time we are going.”

January 16, 2018
Kalu ‘s N3.2b case: Star witness on the run, says EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that its star witness in the trial of former Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, is evading appearance.

Kalu, Udeh Jones Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited were arraigned October 31, 2016 by the EFCC before Justice Mohammed Idris on a 34-count charge of N3.2billion fraud.

They pleaded not guilty.

At the commencement of proceedings yesterday, EFCC counsel Mr Rotimi Jacob informed the court that the matter was due for continuation of trial but that he could not proceed because he could not find his star witness.

Jacob told Justice Idris that the witness, Mr Mike Udoh, had repeatedly made himself unavailable whenever he was due to appear in court to give his testimony.

He accused some unknown persons of being behind Udoh’s absence and vowed that they would be prosecuted.

He said: “Our main witness that we intended to call, we have approached him for more than six months. We have noticed that each time the matter is coming up, he will just travel to Umuahia or Calabar or Cameroun.

“He always has the dates of the matter and I was forced to apply for a subpoena. Your Lordship signed one, which we took to the Abia State Government because we found out that he was a civil servant. But he has since left the service.

“He was supposed to come today but switched off his phone. EFCC went to his house in Umuahia yesterday and this morning but met his wife who said he travelled to Calabar. Despite all our efforts, we have not been able to bring him.”

He prayed for a short adjournment of about a week to enable the agency round up its case.

Jacob added: “We have information that some people are behind his not showing up. We are investigating and will charge the persons. As we speak, our operatives are in Abia, but they can’t pick up the wife in place of the husband.”

Kalu’s counsel, Mr Awa Kalu SAN, accused the EFCC of a ploy to foist an adjournment on the court.

The former Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice said: “The defendants have been dilligent in presenting themselves for trial, but the prosecution has been engaging in push and starts. The second defendant is a retired civil servant.

The first defendant (Kalu) is a politically exposed person. There are four senior counsel with at least one junior all at the defendants’ cost. Yet we are here only to be told of circumstances beyond the prosecution’s control? There are many witnesses listed by the prosecution. The non-appearance of one of them cannot foist an appearance on this case.”

Second defendant (Udeogu)’s counsel, Solo Akuma SAN, adopted Kalu’s submissions, describing the EFCC’s claim as application as “a frivolous one.”

He said: “We abandoned everything else to come to court. My client is complaining he cannot afford my bill. The defence has never made any application for adjournment. All adjournments have been at the prosecution’s instance. They must be compelled to close their case, otherwise Your Lordship should award costs to cover our transport and hotel bills.”

Counsel to thrird defendant Slok nigeria Ltd, C.C. Nwofo lamented the economic damages the firm has suffered because of the trial and adjournments.

He said: “The third defendant is a company which has suffered and lost contracts of about $500million from China Exim Bank for ship acquisition. About $350million has been lost from African Bank in Egypt. 3,000 workers have lost their jobs because of this case. 250 expatriate workers have lost their jobs because of this case.

“We have not been paid our fees in this case, but I’m doing it because I believe this case will end one day and I’ll be paid. If they are not able to proceed, I propose a cost of N10million.”

But Jacob, who urged the court to uphold his prayer, said it was not frivolous.

“If I have that man (Udoh) today, I am comfortable to close my case. I am entitled to five adjournments. We want to use this week to get this witness. We now know his house. We must get him. I believe we will. No amount of shielding will protect him.”

In a bench ruling Justice Idris upheld Jacob’s application for adjournment and declined the defendants’ application for cost. He noted that this was the final adjournment it would allow.

Justice Idris said: “Where a witness that ought to attend court, fails to attend court and summons has been issued and served on the same witness, then the prosecution would pursue the appropriate provisions of the ACJA to compel the attendance of the witness in court…This trial will no longer be adjourned on account of unavailability of witness to attend court… It is unfortunate that a trial, which has been adjourned for hearing from day to day could not proceed due to witness unavailability,” the judge said.

The case continues on January 22 and 23.

January 16, 2018
LG retirees in C’ River demand payment of N9bn gratuity, pension arrears

Local government retirees in Cross River have vowed to occupy all government offices in the state if the State Government fails to pay them N9 billion arrears of gratuities and pension.

Mr Bassey Okosin, state Chairman, Association of Local Government Pensioners who dropped the hint at news briefing on Tuesday in Calabar, said the debt had been owed for 11 years now.

Okosin said the Gov. Ben Ayade-led administration had been given one month within which it must begin to pay the gratuity and pension arrears owed them from 2007 to 2018.

She expressed displeasure over the neglect of local government retirees in the state and emphasised that they would embark on a protest on or after Feb. 16.

“Our state governor has received one part of the bailout fund and two tranches of the Paris Club refund, yet, no single local government retirees has been paid.

“We heard that the Federal Government had released the funds for the primary purpose of clearing all outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities; why then are we not paid?

“As of today, we have an average of 25 local government workers retiring from service monthly.

“If we don’t receive this money under one month, the 5,600 pensioners in Cross River will occupy all relevant government offices until we are paid.

“Some people who are retiring now can no longer be captured in the nominal roll because from what we heard, the list is filled up.

“We are appealing to the state government to allocate some of the monies received to us.

In addition, we want the state government to allocate 15 per cent of the monthly allocation from the federation account to retirees’’, he said.

The chairman expressed regrets that they had been denied their entitlements, saying that they were told that the bailout and the Paris Club refunds did not cover local government pensioners.

According to him, more than 600 local government pensioners’ names that were omitted during the 2016 personal audit were still outstanding.

“We have exhausted all known means of reaching out to the relevant arms of government without result.

“We have taken a decision to pack our loads and live in all the offices that are responsible for the payment of these entitlements until further notice.

“This is not a threat but what is likely to happen in the next one month.

“All our members have mobilised themselves from all the 18 local government areas of the state for this exercise’’, he said.

NAN

January 16, 2018
Pensioners to shut down Calabar over N9b debt

The Association of Cross River State Local Government Pensioners has given the state government a one-month ultimatum to defray their entitlements else their entire 5, 600 members would occupy and shut down Calabar, the capital city.

Chairman of the Association, Comrade Bassey Okosin, addressing reporters in Calabar yesterday stated that the pension board if properly managed, could properly manage itself without assistance from Paris Club Refunds, bailouts or any other such funds.

Okosin said over N9billion is being owed pensions and gratuity is being owned them since 2007.

“We would mobilize all our 5,600 members from the 18 local government of the state. We would sleep in the governor’s office, in the house of assembly. We would live with the Governor, the Speaker, the ministries, departments and all the relevant agencies until the give us our money so we can go. We have taken a decision to pack our loads to live in all the offices that responsible for the payment of these entitlements until further notice. This is not threat but likely going to happen in the next one month. We use this medium to appeal to government and all our relations based in Calabar to make adequate arrangements for our needs. It is our belief that all will prefer to take care of us this way than pay for us to take care of ourselves,” Okosin said.

A statement by the chairman made available to reporters, read in parts, “In a press release credited to the Commissioner for Finance, it was stated clearly that the bailout funds and the Paris Club Refund was used among others in the payment of arrears of pension and gratuity in favour of pensioners in the state.

“My response to this will be restricted to local government pensioners and I speak on good authority that up till today not even a dime has been paid to any local government pensioner in the state in the name of pension arrears nor gratuity from the bailout nor Paris Club Refund. All efforts made in this direction have been ignored by the relevant agencies of government.

“About 600 names of local government pensioners that were omitted by the consultant during the 2016 personnel audit exercise is still outstanding. This was deliberate to enable the consultant collect their percentages, which was supposed to be based on savings made from the exercise.

“The elderly men and women were deprived their pension for a period ranging from two to six months as a result of that exercise. Every documentation/verification of those names have been done for over a year now but nobody appeared to bother about it. This is different from arrears of pension generated by administrative bottleneck, where a person is retired and the process of computing entitlement will linger for between 6 months to two years. When eventually it is ready for payment. Only the current month is paid, while the rest is classified as outstanding arrears.

“As at today, over 9 billion is outstanding in respect of arrears of pension and gratuity covering the period 2007 to 2018 in favour of local government pensioners. They have been denied these entitlement on account of lack of funds, the bailout fund and Paris Club Refund we are told those not include local government pensioners and no reason has been advanced for this, but we still expect that the right thing will be done alleviate the suffering of our members.

“Where does the local government pensioners belong? Which fund is expected to clear these outstanding arrears? Is local government pensioners not part of this state? If so why disparities when it comes to their welfare, whereas welfare of other services is given without stress. That of local government pensioners must always have one excuse or the other.

“We however appreciate Governor Ben Ayade in ensuring pensioners are paid regularly and up to date and pray that it should be sustained. We use this medium to also observe that while employment had stopped for over five years now, retirement rather increases at the average of 35 retirees per month.

“The nominal roll has increased to 5, 600 pensioners with a corresponding pension bill of over N342 million. Given the steady increase in number of retirees subvention to the pension board should have monthly increase to take care of the increases. Gratuity fund similar to that proposed for the state should be set up from where monthly remittances should be made to cater for this aspect of entitlement for local government pensioners.

“The operational guidelines on the management of local government pension board provided for local government pensions funds to be created from where the following remittances should be made; 15 per cent of local government annual budgets or monthly allocation; 2.5 per cent of local government personnel emoluments to be remitted by the state; reimbursement by the state for their retirees that are drawing pension from the local government pension board; subsidy to the board by the state from time to time; and reimbursement from the Federal Government for their retirees that are enjoying pension from local government pension board.

“From the provision, local government pensions board does not require a bailout or Paris Club Refund to manage the board, if all agencies ensure that actual percentages prescribed by this provision are remitted to the letter, but there is apathy on the part of all those whose responsibility it is to implement this directive, thereby subjecting the board to artificial shortage of fund, which renders local government pensioners helpless.”

January 16, 2018
Federer breezes through opener in Melbourne

Defending champion Roger Federer got quickly into his majestic stride with a straight-sets win over Slovenian Aljaz Bedene, in his opening match at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old Swiss turned the evening clash on Rod Laver Arena into an exhibition as he breezed past Bedene with consummate ease 6-3 6-4 6-3.

A single break in each set was enough for Federer who looked in total control from beginning to end.

The world number two is bidding for a 20th grand slam title after claiming his 18th here last year and 19th at Wimbledon.

He broke Bedene’s serve in the fourth game of the first set in which he conceded only three points on his serve.

Federer pounced immediately at the start of the second to gain another break and cantered through the rest of the match against a player who he had never played before.

One member of the sell-out crowd yelled “Give him a chance Rog” late on, but the Swiss was not listening and finished the match on Bedene’s serve when his opponent netted a backhand.

Reuters/NAN

January 16, 2018
Court dissolves 10-year-old marriage over man’s joblessness

A 42-year old jobless man, Mr Ibrahim Oseni, on Tuesday lost his 10 -year old marriage over his failure to get a work as an Igando Customary Court in Lagos granted his estranged wife’s request to dissolve the union.

Delivering judgment, the President of the court, Mr Akin Akinniyi, said the petitioner was adamant in spite of mediation from the court and family intervention.

“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice than to dissolve the union, in spite of the fact that the husband still claims he loves his wife.

“The court pronounces the marriage between Mrs Awawu Oseni and Mr Ibrahim Oseni dissolved today; both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.

“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances and molestation,” Akinniyi said.

The petitioner had earlier told the court that her husband, Ibrahim, with whom she had a child in the marriage, was lazy and not useful to the family.

“My husband has refused to work. He sleeps at home from morning till night, snoring.

“When he wanted to marry me, he claimed that he had accommodation problem and he pleaded to move in with me for him to get another apartment.

“I accepted but he has refused to search for an accommodation ever since.

“My mother has been the one paying our house rent and feeding us since the inception of our marriage.

“And, I dare not fail to give him food to eat. He would beat the hell out of me,” the estranged wife said.

Awawu said that Ibrahim had also been accusing her of infidelity repeatedly.

“Whenever I go out, my husband always accuses me of going to see another man. He would beat me and asked me to tell him the name of the man I went to see.

“He embarrasses me in public by beating and calling me a dog, bastard and prostitute.

“All the scars on my body were due to his constant beatings,” she said.

The 30-year-old mother pleaded with court to divorce the union forthwith, saying that she was no longer interested.

“Please, save me from the cruel hands of Ibrahim. He may beat me to death one day if I continue with the marriage,” Awawu said.

However, Ibrahim said that Awawu was having extra- marital affairs.

“I always have the feeling that my wife is seeing another man and whenever she returns and I ask her to tell me the man she visited and she refuses, I beat her,” he said.

Ibrahim said that he was paying their house rent and was also caring for their only child.

The respondent also denied the allegation of being lazy.

“Although I stay in the house from morning but I leave with my motorcycle to work in the evening,” he explained.

He begged the court not to grant his wife’s wish for the dissolution of marriage, saying that he was still in love with her.

NAN

January 16, 2018