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Tag: Nigerian news

  • TCN moves to recover N270b debt from DisCos

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has written a letter to the Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman on how to compel the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to pay the outstanding debt of N270billion to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc.

    Speaking at the TCN’s/Donor/Stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Saturday, its Managing Director, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed, noted that with the application of the market rule, the company has been able to collect its 100 percent revenue from the DisCos.

    But the outstanding N270billion debt was the revenue that the Discos failed to remit to the TCN before he assumed office as the Chief Executive Officer of the TCN.

    His words: “We have written to the Minister of Power, we also suggested to him, his we can work with NBET, if they will agree to work with us to force the DisCos to pay them their money. We are going to enforce it if they (ministers) agree. There is no reason we cannot enforce it.”

    With the enforcement of the market rule, the TCN’s boss noted that the company has discovered that the DisCos that are weak, those that are strong, which can survive and those that will collapse under real market conditions .

    He added that the enforcement has improved discipline and transparency in the electricity market.

    Mohammed expressed hope that enforcing the market rule will reduce the federal government liabilities in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

    The TCN, according to him, is now working with state Governors to secure the right of way for the expansion of network (25 meters both side for 330Kv line and 15 meters on both sides for 132Kv.

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    On the essence of the meeting, he noted that the TCN has received loans and grants totalling $1.6b from donor agencies.

    He noted that the meeting was to give the donors an updated breakdown of the projects for them to guide the TCN on whatever ways they feel.

    Mohammed said that aside from the Abuja Wheeling Scheme Project, non of the projects for which funds have been disbursed.

    The CEO insisted that the projects are at their procurement stages in sustainable manner.

    He revealed that the management of the TCN has reintroduced the Pupillage Training Program under engineers work under the tutelage of senior engineers for a period of one year before they can start work on their own.

    He added that pupillage program existed in the PHCN where young engineers were trained for two years.

  • Ekiti APC suspends LG primary elections indefinitely

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Ekiti State Chapter on Saturday said it has postponed the local government primary elections in two local government areas of the state.

    The ruling party’s shadow primary which was scheduled to hold on Saturday was suspended indefinitely in Ado and Ikole Local Government over security concern while the elections held in other 14 local councils.

    The party spokesperson, Ade Ajayi who stated this in Ado Ekiti in a telephone chat with newsmen, said the decision was reached by the party high decision making organ following emergence of a security report that some hooligans were plotting to tinker with the political atmosphere and disrupt the exercise.

    Ajayi said that a new date would be communicated to all concerned stakeholders as soon as report shows that the coast is clear.

    “The reason for the postponement in respect of the two local government is due to security concerns. We had it on record that there would be breakdown of law and order.

    “And it was on this basis we decided to postpone the election in the two local government until further notice. The remaining 14 Council election will hold today as scheduled”, he said.

    The indefinite postponement has created fear and re-awakened the suspicion of some aspirants who alleged the party leadership of plotting to impose its anointed candidates on the people.

    Two of the aspirants who spoke to newsmen at the venue of the primary including Alhaji Tajudeen Gidado, and Tosin Aluko, expressed displeasure over the suspension of the party’s shadow election.

    They accused the leadership of the party of being undemocratic, warning that they would resist any attempt to impose on the party.

    Read Also; No cold war in the Presidency -APC, Govs.

    In her reaction, Mrs Aluko, an aspirant in the election lamented that the leadership of the party were determined to impose a candidate.

    “I just heard it here now that the election has been Postponed. I don’t want to believe it because Governor Kayode Fayemi issued a statement last week that there would be primary election and that there won’t be imposition.

    “We have been waiting here since morning for the primary. Some people are with the Deputy Chairman of the party now, Sola Elesin, they don’t want the election to hold because of the plan they have to impose one of us as the candidate.

    ” I don’t know why they are doing this, they should allow people to make their choice because this is democracy. They’re doing this because they want to impose someone. But the governor they are dropping his name has come out to say he has no preferred candidate.”

    But the party Spokesman described the allegations as a conjectural statement that lack content of validity in all its measure.

    Ajayi maintained that all aspirants will be given a level playing ground to participate in the excercise, noting that the election will be conducted in a transparent, free and fair manner without compromising the basic principle of internal democracy.

  • Osun begins screening of Commissioner, Special Adviser-nominees Monday

    The Osun State House of Assembly has released the time table for the screening of Commissioner and Special Adviser nominees.

    The screening exercise split into four batches will start from Monday, and end on Friday.

    There will no screening on Tuesday because of the national public holiday for the celebration of the nation’s 59th independence anniversary.

    According to the time table released by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, on Day 1, Monday, September 30, Oluremi Omowaiye, Agunbiade Nathaniel, Sola Oladepo, Ibitoye Felix Adebisi Obawale, Egbemode Funke, Ogunfolaju Sola Oyehan, Ajisefini Abiodun and Folorunsho Bamisayemi are scheduled for screening.

    On Day 2, Wednesday 2nd of October to be screened are Adewole Adedayo, Akande Oluwafemi, Adeleke Adebayo, Olamiju Olasiji, Yinusa Olalekan, Isamotu Rafiu, Olasunkanmi Tadese Raheem, Adeosun Rasaq and Oladimeji Olanubi Segun.

    Read Also: ‘Osinbajo’ll subdue detractors’

    On Day 3, Thursday 3rd of October: Bakare Akande, Jamiu Olawumi Olaniyan Hussein, Badmus Rahmon Lekan, Bola Oyebamiji, Olumide Babatunde Olawale, Lawal Yemi Azeez, Akeju Taiwo and Giwa Lateefat.

    On Day 4, Friday 4th of October, the nominees to be screened are Kareem Akande, Oyegbile Rufus, Olaboopo Olubukola, Kolajo Aderemi, Babalola Idiat Lawal Tajudeen, Muminu Adekunle and Olaonipekun Henry.

    The state governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday forwarded the list of his 35-cabinet to the state Assembly

  • Nwajuiba proffers solution to intraparty dispute over primaries

    Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba wants political parties, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) to adopt a different approach to the conduct of party primaries to avoid a repeat of the crisis that is currently rocking the party as a result of the conduct of the 2018 party primaries ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The Minister wants the party to adopt a method of first screening aspirants who expressed their interest to contest the party and sell nomination forms to only those they found to have met the party guideline and therefore qualified to contest the primaries for the party ticket.

    He told leadership of the APC Aspirant Forum led by its National Coordinator, Lt. Col. Abdulaziz Yar’adua that if the party allow only those who scaled through the screening after expressing their interest to go to the next stage of nomination, crisis arising from disqualification from contesting the primaries after paying huge amount of money will be a thing of the past.

    He also wants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adopt a different method of election by staggering voting process across several days to ensure that everybody is allowed to participate in the process, pointing out that this will erase the current trend of election rigging and manipulations.

    He said “I have been contesting election since 1992 and for 27 years we have been running election the same way. Nobody has said let us reform it. Cant we enact policies around them?

    “Why do you have parties that sells you form and you cant trace them? We can also have a situation where we do screening and only those who win can go and pay. What s wrong in that? If you express your interest, we evaluate you and if we don want you, we tell you not to continue after that stage.”

    Nwajiuba associated the crisis that rocked the party before, during and after the last party primaries to a carryover from the events of 2015 that were not properly handled and the fact that the party leadership was not properly settled to understand the party machineries after the national convention.

    He said “what happened was a carryover from what happened in 2015. When we were designing the forms for the 2018 primaries, there were mistakes at the level of the convention. The convention ended and we went into an election and the National Organising Secretary had not taken charge sufficiently the matter of how to run the primaries.

    “This was very fundamental in the way it was delivered. The nature of our democracy viz a vis the sociological framework it was supposed to operate are taken for granted in Nigeria.

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    “There is a midterm convention of the party coming up. The issue is, when are we going to agitate for a midterm convention, how do we expand the working space to include other opinion. There are sensitive offices we may have to ask them to bring in women.

    “The next agenda for APC must be project Nigeria. How do we sustain all progressives, how do we take the idea of projecting 100 million people out of poverty and progressing into the next stage of development.

    “ So, ahead of the 2021 midterm convention, how do we engage the party, how do we restructure the party to function better. Governance function around four things.
    Principles being driven into policies, policies being driven into programmes and programmes being driven into projects. We said we are progressives and that means we are principled minded people and so, we want the welfare of the largest number in an all-inclusive scenario. That is what everybody professes.”

    While commending members of the forum for standing by the party, he told them that after losing out in the primary process of the party, “we pleaded with the President to engage some members and in his nature, he does not want to halt anybody. When we met with the President, we felt that some of the cases that can be redressed should be redressed and those who can go their own should do that.

    “I did some extra work because we had an understanding which was in the interest of Nigeria. We felt that the right thing that the south-east would get was the Speaker of the House of Representatives and so, I went and did the extra work to make sure that I am available to be used for that purpose.

    “The work you did for the party is the reason why we are here and we are grateful to you and the rest of the country. Those who are still with us in the party should know that we are no longer aggrieved aspirants. We have arrived at the next level because that thing for which we were aggrieved, we have arrived at it. But we have arrived at it in different capacities. We are the generation next.

    “As progressives, it is our duty to act as the conscience. We now know how other people might feel in case this is done to them. The only thing we owe ourselves is to have learnt from this collective experience and then improve on it because if we don’t, the lessons learnt will be completely lost.

    “In this business, find out what is wrong with the process before you amend them. So, for the party, there is a lot of work to be done. That is what we should begin to do now and strategise around them.”

    Speaking earlier, the National Coordinator of the Forum, Lt. Col. Abdulaziz Yar’adua (rtd) told the Minister that they have resolved to work with the leadership of the Party and President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the President leaves a lasting legacy including retaining the Presidency in 2013.

    He said their major concern right now was for the President to leave a lasting legacy behind for the nation and ensuring that the APC retain power in 2023, adding that “if the APC does not retain power in 2023, all the legacy of the President will go to waste”.

     

     

  • BBNaija: Getting disqualified was never my intention – Tacha

    Disqualified 2019 housemate, Tacha on Saturday stated that getting disqualified from the Big Brother Naija reality show was not her intention.

    The self-acclaimed ‘Port Harcourt first daughter’ made this known in a post on her verified Instagram handle.

    She also begged for forgiveness and expressed her gratitude to her fans, who stuck by her, regardless of her “imperfection”

    She said:

    “Dear Titans,
    Words cannot readily express how much your love and acceptance means to me at this point. Even my imperfection could not sway your support.
    THANK YOU!

    “Coming out of the Big Brother House disqualified was never my intention. Unfortunately, my weakness played against my strength and cut short what should have been a grand ending, with or without the prize.

    “I sincerely apologize for every action on my part that led to this point and I take full responsibility for it all.
    “I am an adult and ought to be in control of my emotions, but I’m human and I failed time and again. Please “forgive me. I sincerely wanted to make it, at least to the 99th day.

    “The fight to be seen and heard takes its toll on everyone of us irrespective of where, when or how it comes. What counts is what we make out of a seemingly ugly situation.
    “I know I need to work on my emotional health… That’s a fact as I have become conscious of it now. Being on this show has shown me that, I am not just a work in progress but I have the chance to become a better me on all fronts, if I give myself the chance to heal.
    “And this I promise to give due diligence.

    Read Also: Six things to know about Tacha

    “So for what you have been to me, I heard some of you even cried and held vigil for me. I cannot thank you enough. You all became my mother, friends and family and this means so much to me right now. Your prayers, time and resources spent to push me through to this point cannot be quantified in any form, but i sincerely thank you from the depth of my heart.

    “Against the odds, you all are the reason why I stand and remain hopeful that everything will fall into place, that I can make it through this storm and come out on the sunny side in time.

    “My social media official handles are open and I can be reached there for now.

    “Thank you Titans, Thank you to everyone who supported me privately and openly, Thank you Africa, Thank you Nigeria, THANK YOU WORLD!
    “I saved the best for last. Thank you to the organizers of Big Brother Nigeria for this platform, it may not have ended as I hoped and wanted, but it gave me the opportunity to rise. It was worth it and for this reason, I am grateful.
    Biggie, @bigbronaija Thank you!
    Blessings”

    Tacha was butted off the show on Friday night September 27, 2019, for violence and intent to harm fellow housemate. She had a heated argument with fellow housemate, Mercy Eke and pulled her hair twice in an attempt to get physical.

     

  • Immigration intercepts two Niger nationals with weapons at Katsina border

    Two nationals of Niger Republic have been arrested at Kongolam border in Katsina state, the Nigerian Immigration Service announced on Saturday.

    According to the Public Relation Officer of the Service, DCI James Sunday, they were arrested in possession of Pistols, computers and phones.

    Sunday explained that their arrest was on the heels of the visit of the Comptroller of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede and his counterpart in Customs, Hammeed Ali to the border town following the launch of a drill operation.

    He added that the comptrollers were on a visit to the area as part of strategic synergy to secure the nation’s borders.

    He said vigilant officers arrested the two Nigeriennes who had attempted to open fire in defiance and to evade arrest.

    Read Also: Police arrest alleged killer of three family members in Kano

    According to him the gallant Operatives of the service overpowered them, leaving one dead in the cross fire, while the survivor is helping with useful information about their activities.

    He stated that after interrogation and profiling the surviving criminal has been handed over to the police for further necessary action.

    The PRO said in a statement that the Comptroller of the Command, Bin Umar and his men were commended by the CGI Babandede on the feat.

    He asserted that the Border Drill Exercise Operation Swift Response is yielding positive result with arrests of irregular migrants, criminal elements and Smugglers whose activities have been curtailed.

    He, therefore, advised the border communities to desist from conniving and sabotaging government effort.

    Meanwhile the nationwide spot assessment by the two Comptrollers General and representative of the National Security Adviser has been very successful, the statement added.

  • Obaseki is NUT’s best governor

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has won the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Best Performing Governor Award for 2019.

    A letter by NUT’s Secretary-General Mike Ike Ene said Obaseki was picked for his role in improving basic education and teachers’ welfare.

    Ene said Obaseki’s achievements in education in three years was visible to everyone.

    The award will be presented to Obaseki on October 5 in Abuja during the World Teachers’ Day.

    “Such an award is unique as all teachers are…presenting your Excellency this Award,” it said.

  • Nollywood celebrities who dumped Christianity

    A couple of Nollywood actresses have dumped their Christian faith to follow Islam. These actresses have their various reasons for doing this. Here is looking at five of them.

    1.      Vivian Metchie

    Vivian Metchie was born to a Catholic father and a Deeper Life Mother.

    She married a man who was a member of the Redeemed Church but the marriage eventually failed leaving her with four children.

    According to her, she switched religions because, at a point in time, she got confused as various Christian churches had something bad to say about one another. Explaining her actions, the screen diva said, “It is a personal decision. I understand the Koran more than the Bible… I was probably looking for peace. Yeah! That was what I was looking for and I found it in the Koran.”

    Vivian adopted the name Fareedah as her Muslim name and according to her, her parents were supportive of her decision to switch religions.

    2. Liz Da Silva 

    Popular actress, Liz Da Silva was known to be a Christian up until the time she allegedly had a child for former NURTW Oshodi boss, Musiliu Akinsanya better known as MC Oluomo.

    When things did not work out between them, she married a Muslim man named Olaoye.

    Because of the birth of her son, Roheem and her new family, Liz became a Muslim and adopted the name Aishat.

    “In case you want to know I have a good relationship with my baby’s father and that is why I had to convert to Muslim and got a new name Aishat before the baby was named. I was a Christian, but I had to convert to Islam because of my baby,” Liz Da Silva revealed in an interview.

    Read Also: 12 Nollywood actresses who remarried

     3. Lizzy Anjorin 

    Lizzy Elizabeth Anjorin is a household name as far as Nollywood is concerned. She was brought up in a Christian family however she found solace in Islam.

    In 2013, she came out to state categorically that she is a Muslim and soon after her revelation, she jetted off to Mecca for Hajj.

    Addressing her faith to critics, Lizzy explained that she has always had ties to the Muslim world judging from the fact that her mother is a Muslim.

    She once said in an interview, “Although my name is Elizabeth, which is the Christian name my dad gave me because he was a Christian.

    Then, I also have a Muslim name, Aishat, given to me by my mother, who was a Muslim.  Also, some from my mother’s family members also named me Sekinat.  Even my daughter’s name is Rufaidat.  So, I grew with the two religions.”

    She added, “Islam has been in me for long.  I only kept it to myself.  It is my private life.” However, certain unconfirmed sources suggest that her conversion happened after a relationship with a certain Alhaji in Lagos.

     4. Laide Bakare 

    Ace actress, Laide Bakare was Christian up until the time she left her Christian husband and started dating an alleged money bag in Lagos named Alhaji Tunde Orilowo fondly referred to as ATM. Laide had to convert to Islam after marrying him and becoming another one of his wives.

     5. Lola Alao 

    Actress Lola Alao converted to Islam in July 2016 and many were taken by surprise. Alao was a Christian before her conversion. Alao converted during just after the burial of her father who was a Muslim before his death. She has adopted the name Rohdiat.

     

  • Buhari returns to Abuja after UNGA74

    President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Abuja after his engagements at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA74), in New York, USA, on Saturday morning, a day ahead of schedule.

    News Agency of Nigeria reports that the president was initially scheduled to return to Abuja on Sunday morning at about 7.00a.m.

    However, the presidential aircraft carrying the president, his aides and some members of his entourage landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja early Saturday morning.

    NAN gathered that the president’s decision to return home was informed by the fact that he was able to complete all his official engagements in time.

    The president, who left Abuja on Sept. 22 for New York, participated actively in the main and High Side Events of the UNGA74.

    NAN reports that the first official engagement of Buhari at the UNGA74 was on Monday in New York where he addressed the United Nations Climate Action Summit with the theme, “A Race We Can Win. A Race We Must Win.”

    At the event, Buhari announced robust plans and initiatives by his administration to reverse the negative effects of climate change in Nigeria.

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    While sharing the sentiment expressed by the UN Secretary-General that the world is on the verge of climate catastrophe, President Buhari stated that ”undeniably, Climate Change is a human-induced phenomenon.”

    The president had on Sept. 24 presented the country’s National Statement as the fifth speaker on the first day of the General Debate during the UNGA74 where he among other issues alerted the world on attempts by international criminal groups to cheat Nigeria of billions.

    While at the UNGA74, the president also participated in high level side events on Water and Sanitation as well as ‘SDG Integration – Bridging the Policy Planning – Budgeting Gap for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.’

    On Sept. 26, the president presented an address at the High-Level National Side-Event organised by the African Union Development Agency and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).

    President Buhari also held several bilateral meetings with world leaders, international organisations, world business gurus and Nigerian Youths Climate Group before departing New York on Friday.

  • Hoodlums kill policeman, seven vigilantes in Niger

    A policeman and seven members of a local vigilance group have been killed by gunmen in Kusherki community in Rafi local government area of Niger State.

    The gunmen were said to have ambushed the victims who were on their way to the village after receiving distress calls that the community was under the siege of suspected hoodlums.

    Sources said hoodlums engaged the security men in exchange of gunfire that lasted three hours, during which the unnamed policeman died.

    Read Also: Policeman killed in Ekiti bank robbery

    Policemen were said to have received a distress call that some armed cattle rustlers had invaded Lamba Waya village at Pandogari, which prompted the deployment of a joint team of police, civil defence personnel and vigilance group members to track down the hoodlums.

    Witnesses said the gunmen men escaped with the rustled cattle leaving seven vigilantes and one policeman dead.

    Confirming the report, Police spokesman, Muhammad Abubakar noted that the cattle rustlers were also badly injured during the exchange of gunfire.

    He disclosed that security forces had been drafted to the area with a view to apprehending the culprits.

    “Our men are following the blood trails and combing the areas as we speak, “ Abubakar added.