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  • Buhari is incompetent, dragged Nigeria into dungeon of poverty, says Sheikh Gumi

    Famous Islamic Scholar in Northern Nigeria, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said that, the 2019 general elections were the worst and has produced an incompetent government presided over by Muhammadu Buhari.

    Sheikh Gumi who accused southern political class for the outcome of the 2019 elections argued that, Buhari’s government has plunged Nigeria into dungeon of poverty.

    While arguing that, the southern political class deliberately supported what he described as failure during the 2015 and 2019 elections for their personal gains, the Islamic Scholar said, the elections were beclouded with massive irregularities, which according to him eventually produced gross incompetent government.

    Sheikh Gumi stated this while playing host to the President and Founder of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International, Prophet Isah El-Buba, who paid him a courtesy visit in Kaduna on Thursday.

    According to him, “the 2019 election was the most painful, worst election conducted in the history of Nigeria, which has now divided Nigerians across interests capitalising on their ignorance the real persons behind the faces they thought they know.

    “We are having the same vision about getting the right purposeful leadership that is focused and all-embracing like hawk which protects all his children. This is the type of leadership we need.

    Read Also: Oba of Benin: Edo will benefit from Buhari’s govt

    “Nigeria is now seriously divided along all interests. Class struggle is now the major factor that keep polarising Nigeria. Now what brought the division is abject poverty. The poor and the downtrodden are now angry. All the crimes we have now came as a result of poverty.

    “The politicians are necessary evil even though a lot of them are not educated. The crop of political leaders not educated to handle the problem we have in Nigeria today. The idea is very important and not what we see today. There is no point looking at who is doing what but the idea.

    “Jonathan and Buhari are not good for Nigeria. When we told Jonathan to do something, he was looking at us from Muslim perspective. People were dying in hospital, kidnapping is the worst thing. I lost a daughter a few months back from this kind of kidnapping. After attaining position all they think is how to get contract and jet out of country.

    “I will support you to move round the country because we still have good people all over the country. I’m ready to go with you. But, don’t forget to carry them along. You have to tell them. The last election was the painful election I have seen in Nigeria. In 2015, we realised we were handicapped because Nigerians are ignorant. I expected 2019 to be clean, but, it is the worst election I have seen in Nigeria.

    “You can imagine, a government that is fighting corruption saw a governor from the North stalking dollars in his pockets and kept quiet. What example is the North showing? Nigeria needs a new page. People who will unite us. The surest way to move Nigeria forward is through free, fair and credible elections,” he said.

    Earlier, Prophet Isah said, he embarked on national tour to see a new Nigeria where justice shall be the basis upon which the country is governed.

  • Banky W, Osei, others for Nexford Open Day on Saturday

    Award-winning actor, singer and entrepreneur, Banky W; and the Founder, She Leads Africa, Afua Osei, are among the panellists for the 2019 Nexford University’s Open Day.

    Organisers of the Open Day, which will hold at Oriental Hotel, Lagos on Saturday, said that the panellsts would discuss critical job skills needed in workplaces and for entrepreneurs.

    The panelists include the Founder of Business Lab Africa, Tricia Ikponmwonba; the Lead at Teach for Nigeria, Bunmi Adefisayo; and Mark Igbinedion from Get Qualified.

    The others are Miss Olamidun Majekodunmi and Dr Robin Johnston from the Nexford University.

    According to the organisers, Saturday’s Open Day is tailored towards addressing the needs of small businesses/startups.

    A statement explained: “The Open Day will give participants high-quality, affordable, dynamic enlightenment that prepares them for the global workplace.”

    The Nigeria Country Director of Nexford University, Majekodunmi, signed the statement, which also stated that one of the reasons for hosting the Open Day was to curb youth unemployment through entrepreneurship.

    It reads: “NXU launches Lagos Open Day to curb youth unemployment. The goal is to empower and support the region’s entrepreneurs. In the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, more than one in eight of all 15- to 24-year-olds are not in employment, education, or training – Nexford Insights. The International Labour Organisation estimates that 75 million young people are unemployed.

    Read Also: Banky W, DJ Lambo, Reminisce, Teni, Others Share 3-days with Fans at BUDXLagos

     

    “Estimates of underemployed youth could triple this number. This represents a huge pool of untapped talent and a source of social unrest if left unchecked. Local economies can’t meet rising job demands. To help with this, NXU equips learners with the skills they need to be globally competitive and tap into international economic opportunities.”

    The statement also quoted Nexford’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fadl Al Tarzi, as saying, “With the rapid advancement of tech, skills are the only barrier between ambitious youths across the world and attractive economic opportunities. Our next-generation university focuses on this, precisely.”

    Justifying its investment in curbing unemployment and aiding entrepreneurship, the university said, “The university surveyed Fortune 500 companies and analysed millions of job vacancies to create a curriculum focused on job skills. Nexford’s online learning model bridges the skills gap between graduates and employers.

    “Students can choose from elective courses or specialise on hot topics such as Sustainability, Managing Hyperconnectivity and Doing Business Across the World – Nexford programs overview. Learners pay a flat-fee monthly tuition, similar to a phone or data bill.”

    It added: “No long-term commitment or huge lump sum is needed. They pay the same monthly fee regardless of the number of courses or credits taken. The faster they go, the less they pay, which gives students an incentive to finish on time.”

  • U.S based Northern Nigerian advocate Calls for release of remaining abducted aide workers

     

    Magnafaith Krimi, a Northern Nigerian community advocate based near Washington, has announced her displeasure and  condemned the murder of an aide worker by Boko Haram militia in Borno State.
    Krimi, in a statement made available to the Press by African Global Center a Non-Profit Organization headquartered in the U.S stated,
    My most heartfelt condolences go to his family, friends and the entire nation.
    Though, mainstream media within the international community rarely report killings of hardworking Nigerian women, men and their helpless children who have been hacked to death in their homes. Some kidnapped, raped, even church folks get shot to death as they leave church after prayer meetings. Just as happened to an abducted member of the Action Against Hunger Team, a Non-Governmental Organization in Borno.
     Suspected radical terrorist, Fulani herdsmen, bandits, kidnappers or in some cases thugs as they are called by various agencies locally and internationally have allegedly been cleansing the north-central states of Nigeria for almost 10 years.
    This tragedy has struck our community again.  Humanitarian, aide workers and medical professionals are not to be counted as victims of conflicts. They sacrifice to bring relief to hurting communities and should never become a statistic of the numbing regularity.
    Scores of women and children have been kidnaped on highways and held captive for days as their loved ones scramble for donations and loan for ransom.
     I am calling for the unconditional release of the remaining members of the Action Against Hunger team still being held captive by the Boko Haram militia.
     She said,
    I am confident that the Nigerian armed forces will ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. Krimi said in response to the Boko Haram militia released video of the alleged execution of one of the abducted aid workers on Tuesday.
    A  crisis-ridden Nigeria has negative impacts  for international  businesses, in which case the International Committee on Nigeria, enabled a panel of victims from Nigeria to report in congressional offices and to give testimonies to media, members of the U.S. administration, and to think tanks in June to bring awareness to the reality of the  everyday live of a northern citizen of Nigeria.
     Krimi stated that there has to be an awakening of humanity in Nigeria.
     While it is nice to say we must emphasize encouragement and positive solutions within our conflict zones and that yes, we must not give up,
    Krimi ended her text like she did before, You see, my beloved country has a problem with telling the truth about itself. It is indeed a good country. Very good. Yes, so good, it should be better.

  • Bayelsa Kingdom gives red card to PDP, backs Lyon

    A dominant kingdom in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Epie-Atisa Kingdom has issued a red card to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the November 16 governorship election in the state.

    Members of the kingdoms, who rose from their meeting in Yenagoa under the auspices of Epie-Atissa Voice (EAV), raised red cards insisting that they were no longer interested in the PDP following the party’s failure to develop their area.

    They said they were all moving to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to support its governorship candidate, Chief David Lyon accusing the PDP of under-performance.

    The Coordinator of the Epie\Atissa Voice, Kalizibe Joseph, who likened government to a football, said the PDP had been in the field for a long time without scoring expected goals and should be given a red card.

    He said: “We want peace in the state and we all know that when a football has not gone so well, It is left for the referee to issue a yellow card as well as a red card. So our case is likened to that of a football game.

    “It is on this note that the Epie/Atissa people have decided and unanimously rejected PDP and want to take over government through the ballots. We are backing the All progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Chief David Lyon, whom we believe has come to our rescue.

    “We are using this medium to say that in as much as the restoration government and the PDP are deriving joy in underdeveloping our people, we have also resolved that come February 14th 2020, they have to quit because they dont have any other option than to leave our residents”.

    Also speaking, the Director General, David Lyon Youth Vanguard, Comrade, Moso Duenize, said the journey to take over their destiny has just begun, adding that the PDP has done nothing but to underdeveloped the capital city where we are from and the state in general.

    Read Also: Ex-Bayelsa PDP senator joins APC

    He said it was pathetic that Yenagoa became the darkest capital in the country under the PDP government despite the huge federal allocation received monthly by the state.

    He added: “When there’s rain the whole state is always flooded, for about eight year the government is not even looking towards that direction. Its so pathetic that Yenagoa is described as the darkness capital in the country. The level of crime experienced currently has never been as terrible in the history of the state.

    “We can’t sleep with comfort because of the government’s failure to curb criminality in the state. We can no longer as a people continue in this direction, even as we play host to the capital city but we are relegated to the background”.

    A chieftain of the APC, Chief Preye Agama, who moved the motion for the issuance of a red card to the PDP, said the decision was adopted by the over thirty communities of in the kingdom.

    “We have tested the PDP for eight years and nothing came out of it rather we have suffered exclusion, total darkness ,flooding due to bad drainage and insecurity.

    “Yenagoa has become the Darkest state capital in the country. We are the landlord and we have sacked the PDP to pack out and the APC should come in with Chief David Lyon come November 16th,” he said.

  • NDLEA arrests seven drug barons in Kwara

    National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kwara state command on Thursday said it has arrested seven drugs barons in different parts of the state.

    The agency added that it also arrested 19 drug offenders.

    State Commander of the agency, Umoru Ambrose told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, saying that cannabis sativa of 40kg weight was seized at different warehouses and joints owned by the drug barons and distributors.

    The NDLEA boss, who said that the arrest and seizure were made between August 14 and September 14, 2019, added that the suspected barons nabbed with cannabis were arrested at Ganmo, Maraba, Oja Iya, Osere; in the Ilorin metropolis, including Omupo, Jebba and Kaiama towns.

    He said that one of the suspects, Chukwuemeka Odehokewu Johnson, aka Chuks, was first arrested by the command in 1994, adding that the command located his drug warehouse and recovered 396 bags of cannabis weighing 4,356kg in 2017 and was declared wanted.

    Read Also: Man jailed for drugging and robbing victim

    The NDLEA commander also said that the suspect that had been on the watch list was eventually apprehended on August 26, 2019 due to intelligence.

    He said that raid carried out on some drug joints at such locations as Ilofa road GRA, Ajikobi, Adewole, Tanke, Maraba motor park, Oko Olowo, Malete and Omupo led to arrest of 19 suspected drug users.

    The NDLEA boss said that the warehouses had been sealed, adding that the suspected barons would soon be prosecuted.

    “In the ongoing Operation Keep Kwara Drug Free, some people who use drug that were arrested have been counselled and released to their respective families, while seven are currently undergoing care, treatment, and rehabilitation at the state headquarters with a view to reintegrate them to the society”, he said.

  • Xenophobia: Nigerians in South Africa thank Onyema, Abike-Dabiri

    Nigerians resident in Western Cape have praised chairman of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema, for the evacuation of over 500 stranded Nigerians following the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

    They said Onyema has demonstrated great patriotism by airlifting Nigerians in the Rainbow Country free of charge.

    Such selflessness, according to them, was not only exemplary but also commendable.

    In a statement on Thursday, they also praised the chairperson/CEO of Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) under Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa for playing great diplomatic roles in the evacuation exercise.

    The statement reads: “We, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the NCWC wish to wholeheartedly express our appreciation to Barr Allen Onyema the CEO of Air peace for the charitable gestures to ensure the successful evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa as a result of recent xenophobic attacks.

    “We also use this chance to appreciate the Nigerian Consulate under His Excellency, Godwin Adama, the Consular General and the whole member of staff.

    “We thank the leadership of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), the national body for Nigerians in South Africa.

    “Their efforts and contributions as the organization on the ground made the evacuation successful.

    Read Also; Xenophobia and Onyema’s patriotism

    “We equally cannot ignore the Nigerian Diaspora Commission(NIDCOM) under Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa who has been doing a lot for Nigerians in the Diaspora in general.

    “The NCWC wish to encourage Nigerians to allow the recent attack on Nigerians to rethink about our nationality.

    “The actions and activities of Barr. Chief Onyema, the Consulate, NICASA and NIDCOM has illustrated that we can work together for the greatness of our country. Let us join hands together to make positive impact in our society.

    Xenophobia

  • BREAKING: Nigeria loses $1.35b (N481b) to oil theft

    Nigeria has lost 22.6 million barrels at oil to the activities of petroleum pipeline vandalism and stealing of crude oil in the first six months of this year.

    The quantity lost is estimated at $1.35 billion (N481.95 billion).

    This was disclosed to State House correspondents by Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, at the end of the National Economic Council meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    If the loss is not checked, he said that Nigeria will lose $2.7 billion by the end of the year.

    To check the trend, he said his committee recommended to the Council the needs to restructure the maintenance and ownership of pipelines in the country.

    The recommendations, he said, also included prosecution of criminals and creation of special court to handle the cases.

    He said the committee also recommended that NNPC should endeavour to engage the National Intelligence Agency to track countries benefiting from the stolen crude oil.

    According to him, the Council resolved that the recommendations should be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Minister of Petroleum.

    Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi disclosed that his committee submitted report to the Council and proposed N100 billion budget for the National Livestock Transformation plan.

    While participation by states are voluntary, he said the Federal Government is to contribute 80% of the budget while interested states will provide 20% of the budget the land and other logistics.

    Details shortly…

  • Obaseki nominates Iyase as commissioner

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has nominated Benjamin Iyase as commissioner in the state and has forwarded his name to the Edo State House of Assembly for confirmation.

    The governor has also appointed Dr. Ikponmwosa Omorodion as his Special Adviser on Technical Education.

    Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye, and members of the House have been notified of the new appointment.

    In a statement, Osarodion Ogie Esq. said “Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, has approved the nomination of Benjamin Iyase to serve as a commissioner in his cabinet. His name has been forwarded for consideration and confirmation by the House of Assembly.”

    Read Also: Obaseki to religious groups: address societal ills

    He added that Obaseki also approved the appointment of Dr. Omorodion as Special Adviser on Technical Education.

    Recall that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration embarked on a recent cabinet reshuffle that saw the appointment of new hands to head different ministries in the state.

  • PHOTOS: Court of Appeal Abuja flooded

  • Staff, litigants groan as flood ravages Appeal Court in Abuja

    For some staff and individuals, with cases pending at the CA, Abuja division, it will take a while to overcome the effect of the negative impact of the rainfall experienced in the city in the past few days.

    Unlike the case last year, where minor flooding was witnessed around the court premises, the impact of the flood experienced between Monday and Tuesday this week was massive.

    Not only were vehicles submerged, offices were flooded with files and documents impacted.

    Most affected was the Abuja division, sitting on the lower end of the sprawling structure, which also houses the Court of Appeal headquarters.

    “Some of our files were affected. We intend to work with lawyers in cases affected, for replacement. We have never had it so bad,” a senior official, who prayed not to be named, said.

    Another, who sought to be identified with her first name, Juliet, said her car was among the vehicles that were affected.

    “We had to escape without our vehicles. We were only able to recover our vehicle the next day, when the flood receded.

    “My car is currently with the mechanics. They are battling to fix it. The car was totally submerged in the flood.

    “Beside the engine that is said to have been affected, all the documents I had in the car were also affected,” she said.

    A lawyer, Isaac Okechukwu said he was in court to ascertain the condition of things upon being informed about the development.

    “I heard that the court was flooded and some offices and case files affected. I came to see if my cases were among those affected,” Okechukwu said.