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  • Synod hails Okoh for taking Anglican Communion to greater heights

    The Primate and Archbishop Metropolitan of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh, has received accolades for taking the church to greater heights.

    The commendation came at the Second Session of the 7th Synod of the Diocese of Ekiti West where the Primate’s efforts in evangelism, spiritual welfare of members and infrastructure development of the church were appreciated.

    Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Rufus Ajileye Adepoju, said Okoh was lauded for “successfully steering the ship of the Province of Nigeria these past years most especially in the areas of evangelism.”

    The synod further expressed delight with the Primate for pioneering the construction of the new Church of Nigeria Headquarters in Gudu, Abuja and his strides in the GAFCON movement which stands for true biblical teachings as against the revisionist agenda.

    The Ekiti West Diocese synod, which had as its theme “Occupy Till I Come,” held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Erijiyan Ekiti last week.

    It was attended by bishops, other clerics, traditional rulers and political office holders.

    Synod congratulated Adepoju, the Clergy and the parishioners on the continued spiritual and evangelical growth of the diocese.

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    The synod presented an opportunity to showcase laudable achievements being recorded in the diocese under the episcopacy of Adepoju who was enthroned in 2017.

    These include the ongoing construction of the Diocese’s secretariat with a resolve that “every hand must be on deck to complete the enviable project in due course.”

    The Diocese of Ekiti West Women Organisation under the leadership of Mrs. Christiana Adepoju was commended for the establishment of Amazing Grace Nursery and Primary School in Ijero Ekiti.

    The project, described as the first of its kind in the diocese, is expected to boost the standard of education with the synod praying that the Women Organisation would always be relevant in the development of the diocese.

    The synod charged the Clergy and the Sunday School Directorate to put more efforts to the supervision and teaching and mode of worship in the Sunday Schools.

    The directorate was also charged to see to the appropriate and adequate training of Sunday school teachers, noting that Sunday school children are the future of the Diocese and her sustenance and recognition of gay marriages.

    The synod noted that the diocese would be twenty years old in November and expressed gratitude to God for the feats recorded congratulating the bishop, the clergy and members on the impending landmark.

    The guest preacher for the opening service was the Bishop of Idoani Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Bola Dahunsi, who harped on accountability and stewardship of talents and other potentials for the service of God.

    Dahunsi emphasised that there everybody in the Christendom has been given a talent God desires to be used for His glory, soul winning and to edify the Body of Christ.

    Goodwill messages were received from over 16 Dioceses from the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), royal fathers and several other well-wishers across the country.

    There were deliberations, sermons and presentation of papers by the Bishop of Diocese of Egba West, the Rt. Rev. Samuel Ogundeji and the Ven. Victor Oladele.

  • SON seals 10 illegal oil firms in Kano

    The Kano State Coordinator of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON)Alhaji Yunusa B. Mohammed on Saturday, declared that the agency would not hesitate to descend on any Lubricant Firm that is toying with quality and standard in the discharge of it’s services to the citizens.

    It also sealed 10 illegal Engine oil firms, during a clamped down operations carried out by SON in the ancient city of Kano to rid the state of their nefarious activities.

    The Coordinator who led a Compliance Team to Ten Companies selling raw Engine Oil in the state Capital said the reason why he ordered for their closure is that they have failed to comply with the Federal government rules and regulations through (SON) Acts to sanitise their businesses.

    ” The raid is a directive from our National Headquarters. It came through the Office of the DG’s Office that we must clear all the unwholesome and sharp practices evident in the Lubricant sector.

    We are instructed to bring to book all those who are dealing with the unblended Engine Oil to book so that the general outcry from the general public in consuming adulterated Engine Oil could be Maximally reduced.”

    ” If one is to take a cursory look at the entire Engine Oil business in the state one would be left with nothing apart from the glaring Cheating of the populace in the name of raw materials being sold as finished products.”

    The Coordinator said by law SON is the agency that is officially mandated to ensure that products are sold out qualitatively. Today we are on lubricants last three Weeks we conducted the same exercise on Cables to track defaulters.

    Read Also: DPR seals five Adamawa petrol stations for under-dispensing

    “We need stakeholders like you to rise up the anthem by reporting unwholesome acts to the agency so that defaulters would be Penalised at the end of it all.

    On why they took the dealers of the adulterated Engine Oil unawares said “that is just the strategy or else you will see nobody if you come for the raid, but at least we have done our best by taking samples from the Companies before we came for official closure.

    You see the exercise is heavy we can’t evacuate the raw material to our office It’s too enormous. The question the Government is asking always is that if the business is legal then it has to be under controlled. And once that is addressed we have no issue with them.”

    “We are going to give them fear hearing they must come to the office so that we can collectively trash grey areas.”

    On his part, Chairman of the Kano State Engine Oil Association Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi informed The Nation, that their association is always willing to comply with the Government directives and expressed concern that the government officials are quite aware of all the sources of these raw materials. “We buy from Lagos and repackaged it for sale in Kano.

    “It is a long term business we are doing it to reduce the pain of buying the refined lubricants one which is more expensive for the commoner”

  • Okada operator beats wife to death for refusing to breastfeed baby

    The police in Ogun State have arrested one Kingsley Maduekwe for beating his wife to death.

    A statement issued on Friday by police spokesman, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi  said Maduekwe allegedly committed the crime on Wednesday September 11, 2019.

    The 40-year-old commercial motorcyclist popularly called okada allegedly killed his wife, identified as Glory Maduekwe at about 11.30pm, following a misunderstanding over breastfeeding of their new baby.

    He said: ‘’The arrest of the suspect followed a report by one Chief Rafiu Gbadamosi, the Baale of Egando in Atan-Ota that the couple have a minor misunderstanding as a result of which the husband beat the wife to death at about 11:30pm.

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    ‘’On the strength of the report, the Divisional Police Officer(DPO) of Atan Ota division, SP Salau Abiodun led his detectives to the scene where the suspect was promptly arrested. On interrogation, the suspect, an okada rider who is an indigene of Ihiala in Anambra State, stated that his Late wife, a mother of eight was nursing a month- old- baby and that the baby was crying which made him to wake his wife up to breastfeed the baby, but she refused claiming that she was too tired to breastfeed the baby at that time.

    ‘’He stated further that the victim got up and was going to the sitting room leaving the baby behind and this got him annoyed, consequent upon which he drew her back and gave her a hot slap. The woman there and then fell down and gave up the ghost. The corpse of the victim has been deposited at the morgue in General Hospital, Ota, for post mortem examination.

    Oyeyemi added that the suspect had been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and prosecution.

  • NSCDC arrests 12 female naira vendors

    No fewer than 12 young female currency vendors have been arrested by men of Rivers State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over alleged illicit sale of naira notes.

    The suspects who were arrested during a raid supervised by the Commandant of NSCDC in the state, Muktar Lawal, were paraded on Friday in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    Parading the suspects at NSCDC headquarters on Olu Obasanjo Road, Port Harcourt, Lawal said the arrest was carried out in collaboration on September 12, 2019, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in order to forestall the illicit sale of the country’s currency notes.

    “The clampdown on the naira vendors and sellers is hinged on the CBN’s Act, Sections 20 and 21, which make it a punishable offence for any individual or group of persons to hawk, sell or otherwise trade in the naira notes, coins or any note issued by the CBN.

    Read Also: Aregbesola tasks NSCDC on intelligence gathering

    “The twelve suspects were arrested on the grounds of economic crime of national security, bordering on hawking of new Nigeria currency around Garrison Bus Stop, Rumukwurushi and Rumuodara, all in Port Harcourt.

    “A total N1, 047,555, consisting of various denominations, was recovered from the suspects.

    Investigations have already commenced on the matter, to ascertain the sources of the naira notes.”

    The commandant also assured that NSCDC and the CBN would continue the clamp down on the perpetrators of the offence, which he said was punishable under the CBN Act 2007 to a jail term of not less than six months or to a fine of not less than N50, 000 or both.

    He hinted that the suspects would be charged to court, as soon as investigations were concluded.

    He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, acts of spraying the naira notes at occasions, soiling and writing on the naira, squeezing the naira, hawking and selling of the country’s currency notes are abuses of the naira and are punishable by law.”

  • Xenophobic attacks: Returnees relive ordeal, demand revenge against South Africa

    For the 187 Nigerians who returned home from South Africa on Wednesday, it is time to thank God for sparing their lives from the jaws of death impelled by xenophobic attacks in the rainbow country. For many of them it was a tough decision, but one they had to take after their horrendous encounters with militants in the former apartheid enclave, just like their counterparts from other African countries like Zambian, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

    From their testimonies, their plight was a case of search for greener pastures turning sour. Besides the dislocation returning home will cause them, the mental agony of having to count their losses is an eternal torture. The returnees from different parts of the country said they had been running from pillar to post to escape attacks as they made their ways from different parts of South Africa into Johannesburg to be documented for return to their country of birth.

    They said they responded to the presidential directive that all Nigerians in South Africa return home, as the Nigerian authorities in Johannesburg had commenced documentation of the affected nationals preparatory to their return home. The process of their return had been accelerated by the gesture of indigenous carrier, Air Peace, which deployed its Boeing 777 aircraft to bring back hundreds of Nigerians who were trapped in the xenophobic conundrum.

    As the aircraft arrived South Africa in the early hours of Wednesday, more than 320 Nigerians who were set to return home were subjected to security checks by Immigration authorities, who required them to carry out fresh set of biometrics and subjected them to other humiliating experiences, delaying them for 15 hours before they could embark on the six-hour flight to Nigeria.

    While it was a sweet-bitter experience to return home, emotions took the greater part of them as they boarded the aircraft. Tears flowed freely down their cheeks because reality of having to return home had dawned on them.

    As the aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the cabin crew of Air Peace emerged with placards with the inscription ‘Say No to Xenophobia.’ As they disembarked from the Boeing 777-200 which landed at exactly 9.32 at the hajj and cargo section of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, the returnees were in high spirits, praising the airline, the Nigerian government and the Nigerian Consul General for the great efforts made to evacuate them from South Africa.

    Horror tales from returnees

    Some of the returnees told journalists at the airport that their erstwhile South Africans hosts were fierce in their attacks on Nigerians, going from house to house and from shop to shop, looting and burning whatever they believed belonged to Nigerians.

    Juwon Sadiku, an indigene of Oyo State, who said he was a businessman, regretted his long stay in South Africa, saying: “It was a narrow escape from that hell called South Africa. Those people are wicked. They hate Nigerians because of our enterprise and courageous spirit.

    “It was terrible, my brother. We barely escaped with our lives. We were all scared. In Pretoria, some of those South African militants were going from house to house, looking for Nigerians to kill.

    “The apartheid in South Africa is still there. This time around, it was not a case of whites against blacks but inhumanity from black South Africans to fellow blacks who are foreigners. The people have a poor sense of history. They forgot the role Nigeria, as part of the Frontline States, played in their independence. They are evil. They are just callous.”

    He went on: “Even if you are married to their women, they will not spare any foreigner, especially Nigerians. I do not know what we have done to them to warrant this level of hatred. “But I do not blame them. It is time for our government to rise up and defend the interest of Nigerians. They must be forced to pay compensation for the wanton destruction of our property. Our people should also target their business interests and halt them here in Nigeria.”

    Another returnee, Olu Bamidele, who hails from Ikorodu in Lagos State, said he had been in South Africa for many years, but had to return home following federal government’s gesture to evacuate Nigerians and save their lives.

    Another returnee, a mother of two of South East extraction who declined to give her name, said she would not forget in a hurry how the premises that hosted her business were set ablaze by rampaging South African youths.

    She said: “My brother, these are my two children (pointing to them). I am happy that I am alive and back with them to Nigeria.  I was running a beauty shop in Pretoria, but some South Africans came and set the premises where I carried out my business ablaze.  I lost everything.

    “How am I going to carry on with my life? I had to join the aircraft provided by Air Peace to return.

    “Even the car I was driving, in the wake of the xenophobic attacks, I asked an agent to help me sell it just to get some money to resettle myself, but the place where the car was put up for sale was vandalized and the car burnt. But what can I do but resign to fate? When there is life, there is hope.

    “I even have a valid work permit and visa to stay in the country, but that is now history. We have returned. We are looking up to the Nigerian government to see what they will do to assist us.”

    Returnee points accusing finger at South African govt

    Yet another returnee, an indigene of Anambra State who gave his name as Uche Nwabu, said he had to hide for many days in Pretoria when Zulu militants launched attacks on Nigerians and other foreigners.

    He accused the South African police and security agencies of conniving with the irate militants to unleash terror on Nigerians.

    He said: “On one of the days, I was returning from work where I served as a tiller. We heard that South African militants were attacking Nigerians. We alerted the South African police that their people were carrying out violent attacks on Nigerians. They ignored us and looked the other way. We had to run for dear lives.

    “As I speak to you, a lot of Nigerians are afraid to leave their homes in Pretoria for Johannesburg for fear of attack. Many of our people have been killed and are unaccounted for. But this madness must stop. Our government must stand up to take serious action.

    “My brother, if the situation in Nigeria were better, most of us would not have gone to South Africa to risk our lives. If government could provide uninterrupted power supply, create a friendlier business environment, most of us will prefer to stay here and salvage our country.”

    He, however, wondered why government had not severed diplomatic ties with South Africa, considering the “evil” their people have done to Nigerians.

    He said: “Government should go ahead and cut the flight frequencies of South African Airways and other businesses in Nigeria. That way, their government would call their people to order. ”

    Why some Nigerians would not return

    Narrating his unsavoury experience, another returnee who identified himself as Roland Chibuzo from Abia State, said some Nigerians were reluctant to return home in spite of the gesture from government because of the investments they have in South Africa.

    He said: “I can tell you for free that many of our people are reluctant to come back to Nigeria because they have invested heavily in South Africa. Some or people have houses, hotels and other investments, and they will not like to leave such behind. If they return home, what will they be doing here? Where would they start from? It is a serious dilemma.”

    Speaking about their ordeal, one of the returnees, who hails from Osun State and identified himself simply as Saheed, lamented how he was sacked from job by South Africans as well as other inhuman treatments meted out on him.

    Another returnee, Victor Uwas, an indigene of Delta State, said: “My brother, the situation was terrible. We were all scared because they were going from home to home looking for Nigerians to kill and maim.

    “Apartheid is still continuing in South Africa with their wicked policy of segregation. This time, it is not about segregation between the white and the black but segregation between South Africans and the nationals of other African countries. It is about the oppression of other Africans.

    “The reason they are attacking Nigerians is that South African youths are lazy. They blame Nigerians for their economic problems, which is very wrong. That why the Nigerian government must cut diplomatic ties with South Africa.

    “The whole world is keeping quiet because the evil of xenophobia is black people against black people. If it was against while people, America and Europe would have said something to condemn the evil act.”

    He, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to say something to send a strong signal to his South African counterpart that the Nigerian government would take every step to protect her people.”

    Another returnee from Abia State identified as Onuoha Chizoba said although it was painful, he was happy to return home.

    He said: “I would like to advise Nigerians still staying back in South Africa to return home, because from the plans we learnt that those South African have, they will carry out more attacks on foreigners, including Nigerians.”

    On his part, an Osun indigene who gave him name as Aliu  Saheed said many Nigerians were refusing to come home because of their investment in South Africa.

    He said: “Many people do not want to return home because of the cars and other property and families they have in South Africa. How do you expect such people to come to Nigeria like that without any compensation?

    “We who decided to return home have lost everything; that is why we are here. I worked in the protocol department of a South African company for six months. I have been in the country since 2015. In the company where I worked at the airport, they refused to pay my salary.

    “I was attending one of their schools, but I was pushed out because I am a foreigner.”

    A female returnee, who gave her name as Temide Olakojo, from Oyo State, said: “I registered my company in South Africa. I was selling beauty products with valid papers. I decided to return home because of the massive killings and looting of property of Nigerians by South Africans.”

    Another female returnee said she was lucky to have escaped because the car she rode in was stopped and she was asked by the South Africans to introduce herself. She spoke their language,

    And they spared her life. She said after the narrow escape, she resolved that it was time to return home.

    She said: “I have lived in South Africa since 2012. I had a permit, but based on the bad experience, the search for greener pastures has turned sour.”

    Why we volunteered to evacuate Nigerians from South Africa —Air Peace boss

    Speaking on the gesture by Air Peace to evacuate stranded Nigerians in the xenophobic attacks, the Chairman of the airline, Allen Onyema, said: “We carried out the evacuation free of charge. It is for our people. We decided to do it because we want to show that it is not all about money; that nobody can go into his grave with his bank account or a fat purse, but that you can go to the grave with the legacies you leave behind.

    “So we decided to carry out this evacuation after seeing the gory pictures on the internet. Like I have always done before in this country, it was a duty to lift the lives of my people in trouble.

    “It is not the first time. It was a patriotic act to send signals to some foreign countries who want to try Nigeria.

    “Yes, as Nigerians, we have our differences. But we are one and the dehumanization should stop to restore the dignity of this country.

    “We moved in to restore the pride and resolve of Nigerians to live together, to do this for the harmony of Nigerians to support the government.

    “This is to give the returnees a sense of belonging. As we moved into the aircraft, they started singing the national anthem. They felt proud to be Nigerians.

    “As they sang the national anthem, it brought drew tears to my cheeks. The motivation is there, and we thank God.

    “Air Peace is ready is do as many trips as there is a single Nigerian left in South Africa to be evacuated. We were to move over 320 Nigerians, but the authorities in South Africa frustrated us. We are ready to go back and bring our people.”

  • Six mistakes newly wedded couples make

    The months leading to a wedding can be really exciting. Couples enjoy the bliss of falling in love and agree to get married to each other for a moment it can make them see each other as being perfect.

     Nevertheless, being a newly wedded bride or groom can be very unraveling. You discover a lot of things that you didn’t even know were in existence. Couples make a lot of silly mistakes and the boss of them all is that they forget to plan life after wedding.

    As newly wedded couples there are certain criteria you need to take if you want a successful and peaceful marriage and true getting there it can be tough.

      No marriage is perfect, there would be good times and bad times but they are all part of the marriage process.

    Here are some newly wedded couples should avoid:

    ·       Irrecoverable debts. Most couples spend in excess during preparations of their wedding that managing bills and debts put a strain to their new marriage.

    To avoid this, couples during preparations of their wedding should cut their cloth according to their size, prepare a budget, stay on the budget and get your finances proper and you will probably fight less.

    ·       Operation spouse changer. One of the greatest mistakes spouse make is trying to change their partners. Often, one spouse thinks a marriage certificate will prompt a sudden change. Then why did you get married to him/her hoping they will change?

     Frankly, most adults don’t drastically change. Therefore your best bet is that you should willingly accept your spouse the way they are, basically him/her is unique and different in their ways.

    Not bonding with each other.  Most marriages have failed because they lack the basic necessities for a relationship to grow such as quality time, attention, adequate care and concern. Not spending a lot of time with your spouse. All these can cause a great damage to the marriage.

    Acting like you are still single. Some couples are yet to adapt to the marriage due to the fact that they just got married.

    Well, while you want to cling to your old single lifestyle and habits such as hanging out with friends, going to club and staying late outside, you have to realise that you are no longer alone.

     Now you “ll need to plan how much time you will spend with friends and how to maintain your friendship while balancing it up with your marriage.

    ·       Ignoring important discussions. Many couples have been trying to avoid confrontation, hence avoiding important discussions.

    Now that you are married, however you really need to discuss the key issues in the marriage together. Be an adult and talk about the issue in harmony and settle up the differences.

    Getting jealous. Jealousy is a poisonous instrument that should be avoided in marriages to make the relationship grow. Trust your spouse no matter the situation and let the marriage grow peaceful.

  • Running mate crisis: PDP stakeholders condemn attacks on senator

    Stakeholders and former ward chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have condemned verbal attacks on Senator Lawrence Ewrujakpo following his earlier choice by Governor Seriake Dickson as the running mate to the party’s candidate, Senator Douye Diri.

    Fresh crisis erupted in PDP following earlier insistence by Dickson and some party chieftains that Erwrujakpo, who hails from his Sagbama Local Government Area and represents Bayelsa West at the Senate should be Diri’s running mate.

    Following outcries by many party members, who condemned the development describing it as clanish, selfish and recipe for failure at the election, Dickson convened a stakeholders meeting to review the decision within the September 23 timeframe for substitution of candidates.

    But former PDP ward chairmen under the auspices of the Patriots said the attacks on Ewrujakpo was unwarranted and disappointing.

    The stakeholders said persons descending on the senator with campaigns of calumny were deliberately misinforming the public and spreading false tribal sentiments to discredit Ewrujakpo.

    The stakeholders, in a statement signed by their Co-convener, Mr. Ogorika Kakandar, said the people of Bayelsa seemed to have forgotten the workaholic and service-oriented attributes of the senator when he was the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.

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    Kakandar said the senator was one of the brains behind many landmark projects of the restoration government before he was elected as Senator representing Bayelsa West.

    Kakandar said: “Bayelsa West Senatorial district is at the advantageous position in producing the next deputy Governor of the state. This informed the PDP leadership to nominate Sen. Lawrence Ewrujakpo.

    “The senator hails from Ofoni community in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa state, a proud son of Tarakiri clan, born on the 5th of September 1965.

    “His insatiable quest for knowledge and versatility caused him to acquire various academic degrees as well as tremendously impact lives wherever he finds himself making him a valuable team player, admired by all.

    “We express our confidence in Sen. Lawrence Ewrujakpo as a dependable ally to every progressive Bayelsan, a symbol of inspiration and a servant-leader who gives hope to followers.

    “We urge eligible voters and Bayelsans to rally round and offer their maximum support to Sen. Douye Diri and Sen. Lawrence Ewrujakpo as the candidate and running mate”.

  • Kogi poll: PDP accuses Gov Bello of purchasing PVCs

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of purchasing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from registered voters in Kogi State for N5000 each ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

    The Musa Wada Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation raised the alarm in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesman, Faruk Adejoh-Audu.

    According to the PDP campaign organisation, agents of the state government have been traversing villages and communities offering registered voters N5000 in exchange for their PVCs.

    Adejoh-Audu stated that the N5000 is being paid to the poor and indigent communities as “loan” in exchange for their PVCs as “collateral”.

    “Right now, we are informed the agents have been unleashed across the state particularly in rural areas to offer the said cash to poor and indigent people willing to submit their PVC as collateral for the scam.

    “These agents are said to be targeting communities with large voter populations across the state and were sighted in many areas of Kogi East Senatorial District to execute the agenda of disenfranchising as many persons as possible. Reports from the other senatorial districts equally indicate a similar ongoing fraudulent scheme.

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    “Our findings indicate that this evil con is designed by the outgoing government as one last impetuous chicanery to stop as many people as possible from besieging the polling units on November 16 to massively evict it from the seat of power it has abused and desecrated for close to four years.

    “The PVC stolen from the people using this decoy will be given to rogue elements to use in voting or to compromised ad-hoc electoral staff to use in hiking accreditation figures in polling units with the ultimate aim of writing results”, the campaign organisation stated.

    Calling on the governor and his All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to play by the rules, the PDP campaign organisation vowed to resist any attempt at manipulating and rigging the upcoming election, using every legitimate means available.

    The campaign said it’s regrettable that after almost four years in power, the Bello administration cannot call in any goodwill or favour from the citizens of the state.

    It knocked the state government for allegedly inventing and devising means of swindling the people of their right to determine who governs them.

    The campaign organisation called on the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence investigation into the allegation, describing it as “treasonable crime” against the people.

    “This Campaign organisation hereby demands that the Directorate of State Services(DSS), the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately commence an investigation into this evil plot which is clearly a treasonable crime against the people and the state.

    “We hereby call on the good people of Kogi State, the labour unions, religious organisations, market women, youth groups, students, community associations and all lovers of the liberty of our dear state to immediately alarm the masses of the ongoing scam using Five Thousand Naira (N5,000) as decoy to rob them of their right to vote.

    “People should be enlightened to immediately raise alarm and call in the police or community leaders if anyone approaches them to submit their PVCs for any reasons whatsoever.

    “The task of liberating Kogi State from the grip of hunger, lack of development,an unfocused and cluelessness government, thuggery and violence belongs to all. We must all rise to defeat this desperate scam”.

  • Buhari’s tribunal victory, FUOYE killings, VAT increment, xenophobic attacks and others top this week news

    It’s been such a busy week with so many stories. It’s possible that you may have missed some of our most interesting stories from this week.

    To make sure you’re up-to-date, we take a moment every week to bring you important stories.

    Buhari’s Tribunal victory, FUOYE Killings, VAT increment, Xenophobic attacks: Nigeria returnees from South Africa and other controversial news dominated the socio-political discourse this week.

    The Nation brings you a brief round-up of the major stories this week. Alao Abiodun Reports.

    Here are the stories:

    Tribunal affirms Buhari’s victory in presidential election

    The tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the PDP and Atiku for failing to substantiate their petitions.

    The five-man panel led by Justice Muhammed Garba, which took the grounds of the petition one after the other, dismissed the petitions in their entirety in the unanimous judgment that lasted about eight hours.

    It described the issues contained in the petitions as mere allegations and lacking in probative value.

    On the allegation that Buhari lied on oath when he filled in his Form C 001 that he possesses the West African School Certificate, Gaba resolved the issue against the petitioners on the ground that a school certificate is not a requirement for contesting the position of president.

    The tribunal further stated that Buhari’s failure to tender his certificates while submitting compulsory documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not translate to not possessing the certificate or not being educated up to secondary school level.

    He held that even the exhibits tendered by Atiku and the PDP proved further Buhari’s qualification.

    The tribunal also struck out the petition that the February 23 presidential election results were electronically transmitted. The panel held that evidence put forward by the petitioners were unreliable and inadmissible because such were hearsay.

    It stated that the petitioners’ position that the results announced by the INEC differed from the original results was based on information from a third party, therefore lacking in probate value.

    Two killed, many injured as FUOYE students protest persistent power outage

    On Tuesday, two students of Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Oluwaseyi Kehinde and Joseph Okonofua, were killed by the police.

    Several other students were also reportedly injured while they were protesting poor electricity supply in Oye and Ikole Ekiti on Tuesday.

    The protesters urged BEDC officials and the management of the university to find a lasting solution to the epileptic supply of electricity to Ikole community, where one of the two campuses of the institution is located.

    The convoy of Bisi Fayemi, the wife of the Ekiti State governor, was also allegedly attacked during the protest.

    Many students of the institution who witnessed the protest said that the response from the police officers attached to Mrs Fayemi’s convoy turned the protest bloody.

    Meanwhile, police denied the killing.

    The spokesperson, Caleb Ikechuckwu, said it was the students who attacked the convoy of the governor’s wife. He also claimed the police fired no shots.

    The university management, after shutting down the school indefinitely and suspending the students’ union, has set up a panel to investigate the protest and the circumstances of the death of the students.

    Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Government has also sent a delegation to pay condolences to the families of students killed by police bullets.

    The delegation visited Usi Ekiti and Ido Ekiti where the families of Dada Kehinde and Okonufua Joseph, respectively, stay.

    VAT increased to 7.5% – Minister

    The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has said that the proposed increase of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate from 5 to 7.5 per cent by the federal government is subject to the review and approval of the National Assembly.

    Also, the minister clarified that the increment will be to 7.5 per cent and not 7.2 per cent she announced on Wednesday at the end of the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation in Abuja.

    The minister said in a statement on Friday by her spokesperson, Yunus Abdullahi, that the proposed increase followed the recommendation of the presidential technical advisory committee.

    Mr Abdulahi said early this year the federal government constituted the committee comprising competent and leading economists from both the public and private sectors chaired by the Lagos-based Economist and Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismack Rewane.

    The committee, inaugurated on January 9 this year, was mandated to profer advice on ways to realise alternative sources of raising funds for the implementation of the new minimum wage by the government.

    The committee submitted its report on March 21 with the increase in the VAT rate from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent as one of its key recommendations to government to handle the issue.

    The committee based its recommendation on the observation that the prevailing VAT rate in Nigeria was still about half the African average and amongst the lowest in the world.

    Kogi Governorship: Dino Melaye rejects Campaign DG position

    Kogi State senator, Dino Melaye, has rejected his appointment by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Director-General of the Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council.

    Mr Melaye made the announcement in a tweet on Friday.

    “Let me state categorically that I have turned down the position of Director-General of the PDP Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council. I wish PDP all the best. When truth is a casualty there is chaos. Senator Dino Melaye,” the tweet read.

    Let me state categorically that I have turned down the position of Director-General of the PDP Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council. I wish PDP all the best. When truth is a casualty there is chaos. Senator Dino Melaye

    — Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@dino_melaye) September 13, 2019

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Olagbodiyan, earlier on Friday announced that Mr Melaye has been appointed to chair the state’s governorship campaign council.

    Xenophobic attacks: Nigerians return from South Africa with tears, sorrow and trauma

    It was harrowing experience for some Nigerians who were airlifted from the OR Tambo Airport, Johannesburg.

    Their flight, which was scheduled to take off at 9:10 am, was delayed for about seven hours. Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed that immigration issues triggered the delay.

    But the many hours of waiting and anxiety ended as the Boeing 777 aircraft belonging to Air Peace landed last night at the Lagos Airport.

    The aircraft touched down at 9.37pm and taxied to the premises of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, with returnees recounting tales of regrets.

    As they alighted from the aircraft, they expressed bitter experiences in the hands of their South African hosts.

    They were received at a temporary camp opened for their profiling by Mrs Dabiri-Erewa, who said the government has available to each of them N40, 000.00 recharge card to enable them communicate with their family members.

    In appreciation of the gestures, the returnees rose in euphoria to sing the national anthem.

    Buhari’s govt will deliver uninterrupted power — Minister

    The Minister of Power, Engr. Saleh Mamman, has said the Muhammadu Buhari next level administration will deliver uninterrupted power supply to Nigeria before the end of its tenure.

    This was as the Managing Director of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. Garba Haruna, assured that his company was ready to play its part by evacuating the power to be generated from the Kaduna power plant for distribution to consumers.

    The Minister of Power and the Minister of State for Power, Mr. Goddy Jeddy Agba were in Kaduna State on a two-day working visit.

    The minister, after inspecting the 330KV transmission station in Mando and the Kaduna power plant in Kudenda, assured that the ministry will ensure that all ongoing power projects in the country are completed and power is delivered to the good people of Nigeria.

    He however charged the distribution companies to utilise the power to be generated from the Kudenda Station which is almost 86% completed.

  • Why I’m yet to form my cabinet, by Ganduje

    Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has explained the delay in constituting his cabinet four months after his inauguration.

    He said he was taking his time to carry along all the different parties and groups that contributed to his second term mandate.

    The Nation gathered that the yet-to-be constituted cabinet could be as a result of Ganduje’s magnanimity to compensate all shades of different parties and groups.

    In his first term, the governor constituted his cabinet within three weeks.

    However, Ganduje explained that the process of nominating Commissioners in his second term is taking a lot longer time, due to the emergence of different forces that supported him during the 2019 election.

    In a foreign Hausa Radio, monitored in Kano, the governor promised to unveil the names of the prospective Commissioners soonest.

    “Some of my former commissioners will be re-nominated while others will not.

    Read Also; Kogi poll: PDP accuses Gov Bello of purchasing PVCs

    “However, those that are not returning, as commissioners will still be accommodated in the government,” he said.

    To this end, it was learnt that political considerations appeared to have made it difficult for the governor to form a cabinet.

    In 2015, Ganduje ran for election as a candidate of the Kwankwasiyya group within the APC.

    It was therefore easy for the group to agree on commissioner- nominees even before Ganduje took the oath of office.

    However in 2019, running as the head of his own Gandujiyya faction, Ganduje needed the support of other political blocs to defeat the Kwankwasiyya candidate after the group decamped to the opposition PDP.

    Among the frontline politicians, who threw their weight behind Ganduje’s ambition include former Governor Senator Ibrahim Shekarau; former deputy governor Prof Hafiz Abubakar and a host of some notable Kwankwasiyya and PDP members who left in protest against the alleged high-handedness of the group leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.