The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspaper

  • Unidentified woman steals two-month-old baby in Ekiti

    A yet-to-be-identified woman has reportedly stolen a two-month-old baby boy from his mother in Ado Ekiti

    The incident occurred on Friday around 1PM at the State Secretariat in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state capital.

    A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the woman tricked  the baby’s mother, Funmilayo Sunday to follow her to the State Secretariat under the guise to help collect some relief materials being given by government to flood victims.

    “On getting there, she sent the mother to help her to procure recharge card but ran away with the baby before the arrival of the woman, a source said.

    Read Also: Son fakes own kidnap to defraud dad of N500,000

    Narrating her ordeal, Funmilayo who was drenched in tears explained  that the abductor whom she suspected to be from the Eastern part of the country, had been patronizing her consistently at the Oja-Oba market, where she sells soup ingredients.

    She said the woman informed her on Wednesday that she would take her to the State Secretariat where her husband works and that the husband would facilitate the relief materials for her.

    The woman, who preferred to be anonymous, explained that the woman came to her shop with a list of possible beneficiaries and included her name making her to believe that she was being favoured.

    According to her, “the woman who had become a regular customer had this morning invited me to the Secretariat and pretended to be waiting for someone, having entered one or two offices under the pretence of making some arrangements.

    “She later took my baby and set from me and asked me to go and buy recharge cards and before I came back, she had fled with my baby,” she stated.

    The poor woman, who claimed she had lost a child recently before the delivery of the stolen boy, said the suspect  collected her phone to prevent her from  contacting the police

  • Oyetola inaugurates governing boards for Osun health insurance agency, primary healthcare

    The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Friday, inaugurated the Governing Boards of Osun Health Insurance Agency and Osun Primary Healthcare Board.

    He said the boards were inaugurated as part of the administration’s commitment to ensure quality, qualitative, affordable and accessible healthcare delivery to the people of the state.

    The governor also charged members of the newly inaugurated boards to discharge their duties with a high sense of responsibility, probity, selflessness, commitment and diligence.

    Inaugurating the boards in his office, Oyetola noted that the constitution and the inauguration of the boards marked the effective take-off of the health programme of the administration.

    Members of the  board of Osun Health Insurance Agency, include: Hon. Adeoye Andrew Adelakun (Chairman); Executive Secretary, Osun Health Insurance Scheme, Dr. Niyi Ogini; Director Health Planning and Statistics, Ministry of Health, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode; Director Medical Services, Dr. Ayobami Oni; Coordinating Director Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development, Mr Akinola Adekunle Layiwola and Director Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Abolude Ganiyat Titilola.

    Read Also: We are adopting Edo-HIP to revamp Edo healthcare sector – Obaseki

    Others are: Director, Local Government and Inspectorate Service, Mr. Olusola Adedokun; Director P.S.O, Mr. Najeem Akintola; Director Medical Laboratory Services, Mrs Gbonjubola Akinola; State Coordinator, NHIS, Mr. Ahmed Yahaya, Osun NLC Chairman, Comrade Jacob Adekomi; Mr Titus Olufemi Aiyedun; Dr Olatunji Olabisi Odebunmi and Comrade S.O Faniran.

    For the Primary Healthcare Board, the members are: Executive Secretary, OPHCDB, Dr. Oluwole Fabiyi; Assistant Medical Laboratory Scientist, Mrs. Biyi Adesina; Mr. Kayode Adetola who represents Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria; Mr. Olusola Kolawole Adedokun from Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Dr. Oladeji Gbadamosi from Ministry of Health; Mr. Olusegun Alao Adebayo Akeem Oladepo who represents Alternative Medicine Practitioners; Comrade S. O. Faniran from National Association of Nurses and Midwives; Mr. Olaniyi Olatunji from National Association of Community Health Practitioners; Mr. Muraina Mutiu Olayinka from Health Information Managers Association of Nigeria; and Mr. Gbenga Oyebode from Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria;

    The governor, who reiterated his administration’s determination to ensure equitable health service delivery, expressed confidence that the inauguration of the boards would contribute in no measure to advance the health sector in the state.

    He said the boards would serve as a driven force towards the actualisation of the government’s goal at taking quality healthcare to the people’s doorsteps.

    In their separate remarks, the Chairman Osun Health Insurance Agency, Hon. Adeoye Andrew Adelakun and the Executive Secretary, Osun Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Oluwole Fabiyi, commended the governor for reposing confidence in them to serve the state.

    Those who witnessed the inauguration are: Speaker Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye; Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Charles Akinola; Head of Service, Dr. Festus Oyebade; State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prince Gboyega Famodun; State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Jacob Adekomi, and members of the state Steering Committee among others.

  • Dare needs support

    The dilapidated nature of sporting facilities in the country is a mirror reflection of what Nigeria is today – jaded or like Idris Adulkareem sang ‘’Nigeria jagajaga, everything scatter scatter, poor man dey suffer suffer, gbosa, gbosa!’’ Many have wondered how administrators could cast indulgent eyes on such monuments which marked watersheds in our sporting history. A visit to most of these rustic structures around the country draw the ire of those who saw those edifices host important competitions just as the stadia produced some of our best sporting heroes and heroines.

    For these administrators, anything government belongs to nobody. It doesn’t matter if the stadia are in ruins for as long as their offices are intact. Cash allocated to infrastructural development is spent on cosmetic jobs such as repainting of buildings, changing the noticeable areas while the rotten are stacked until there is nothing to hide. The ruination of our facilities didn’t start today. The sports minister should visit the ministry’s books to take stock of how much has been budgeted for infrastructural development and ask those who functioned in the department to give account of their stewardship.

    Except people account for what was budgeted for, we won’t be able to change people’s perception towards government-owned properties. Those found to have misapplied the cash should be made to refund them. Such recovered funds can help a great deal to start the process of fixing the abandoned properties and facilities. If such cash in the past had been deplored to the purposes ( periodic repair works) they were meant for, the cash needed to upgrade them now wouldn’t be as colossal. In fact, repairs on any of these facilities should start from the foundation. Otherwise, disaster awaits us in the event of overcrowding during sporting activities – it could be catastrophic.

    We can use the Sunday Dare era to rebuild our sports in all its ramification. Such changes will be meaningless, if we fail to institute a maintenance culture in the handling of sporting facilities. Builders of most sporting edifices ensures that they sign maintenance agreements with the owners of the structure. They are also expectedto train the nationals on the basic things they need to do to keep the place in top shape. And it starts with engaging a facility manager who recruits his team, which should include grounds men and women, security and other facets as recommended by the builders. There would be periodic innovation and adjustments of key parts of the building that may show signs of weakness, needing fortification with the designate local officers having the privilege to see how they are fitted or repaired.

    The stadium manager isn’t just any person. He is eminently qualified for the job and one of the best, if not the best in the business. It isn’t a job for political patronage since the premises are seen as business concerns, with the manager setting the templates to recoup some of what was spent on such facilities. The quintessential manager appreciates the marketing windows available to the facilities such that firms can pitch for different platforms in the place including the name of the premises.

    In business-conscious climes, sporting facilities are either named after prominent people such as Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola Stadium or after top companies who would emerge from a competitive ballot (a case in point being the FNB Stadium in South Africa), where such facility can get seed money to operate. The minister should ensure that stadia are leased out to big firms such that it would be absolutely impossible for anyone by a fiat to organise political rallies or any other business outside sporting activities. It may sound ridiculous, but in a business, such rules are binding on those who leased out the facilities, since targets must be met.

    It is fraudulent for anyone to ask for millions to re-grass the MKO Abiola Stadium’s soccer pitches when we can recruit horticulturists to do it for less. With good horticulturists, they will have nurseries around the stadium where they will nurture grass which they can easily dig up and use to re-grass areas within the playing turf which are ebbing away. The horticulturists restrict themselves to the playing turfs and the practice pitches.  The stadium manager coordinates them. There should also be a business manager whose duties should be spelt out. For effective running, there must be a management team charged with the responsibility of keeping the premises ready to host sporting events. Stadia around the country should be business concerns if we must be in sync with what happens elsewhere.

    Dare stated on his twitter handle during the week that ‘’Sports is business. a first step in engineering PPP in sports development in Nigeria. Alhaji Aliko Dangote is a convert as he listens to my pitch. I’m about the business of sports to engage our youth for employment and entrepreneurship through sports development. We have set out. Babatunde Raji Fashola is on board. I’m a youth advocate. The youth hold the future of our country in their hands, their heads and intellect. the journey to that future starts now. ‘’

    This writer is, however, happy that the minister has taken the bold step to parley with business moguls such as Aliko Dangote to see how he can do the business of sports with Nigeria. Dangote, for the records has severally shown his interest to acquire Arsenal Football Club in London for staggering figures. Dangote knows that sports is the opium of the people here, but it lacks enduring structures to leverage on firms’ investments.

    But, speaking to Bloomberg TV at the New Economy Forum in Singapore, the 61-year-old has now hinted he may have to look elsewhere if Kroenke – who has just completed a full takeover at the Emirates after a power battle with Alisher Usmanov – does not want to sell.

    “I’m very attached to Arsenal but if he won’t sell, I might have to change. I’m very much a fan of football. I’ll like to have a club. I don’t have to own Arsenal. By the time we’ve finished [the oil refinery], we’ll be a $30bn [£22.8bn] company in terms of revenue,” said Dangote.

    Wao! Dangote is renowned for doing good business. Our sports administrators must sit up and embrace the reality that sports increases the GDP of countries that understand the dynamics of the industry. Spain’s economy, a growing one like Nigeria’s, relies greatly on the volume of cash generated from the sports sector.

    FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia are not all about football. They have basketball clubs, volleyball clubs, athletics clubs etc, which are professionally run. But football serves as the fountain where others seek succour, considering its followership as the king of sports.

    La Liga’s contribution in Spain’s national economy is no less than any other top-run industry in the country. The two elite division football leagues in Spain generate 185,000 jobs, €4.1 billion ($4.66 bn) in taxes and a turnover equal to 1.37% of the national GDP. This is one sport – football. Others are also run as businesses. Sample: Vuelta a España, a race around Spain and one of cycling’s biggest events.

    Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues spent a record £5billion on players this summer despite Premier League clubs, usually the continent’s most active shoppers, slightly reining in their spending, Deloitte has revealed.

    Honourable minister sir, sponsorship isn’t donation but value exchange based on inventories of benefits accruing to the firm(s) or individual. Indeed, sponsorship without television as a key element amounts to winking in the dark. Our sports is more of having a half empty glass than a half filled one, largely because those who administered it in the past lacked the political will, which Dare is exhibiting with his reposition of issues in so short a time.

    Indeed, there was no funding of sports here because most of the ministers were interested in fighting NFF chiefs and other federations’ helmsmen than creating a financial sponsorship model driven by the principles of Public Private Partnership (PPP).  Dare needs to find out what happened to all the Sports Lottery Fund and some others like the fund-raisers before the last two World Cup tournaments for the Super Eagles.

    The country seriously needs a Sustenance fund for our athletes which should be tied to big firms and/or rich individuals so that we can chart these sports ambassadors’ growth in the events. Besides, we need to re-introduce the fund-raisers we did at least one year before attending major competitions. President Buhari could commence it with a dinner where the big players in business are told what they stand to gain supporting sports. Such incentives as tax rebates would propel them to support sports for as long as they can be assured that the cash isn’t misapplied. The fund raisers will then be taken round the country for all the states to contribute their quota. However, a deliberate attempt should be made to let everyone know how much was realised and how the cash was spent. The minister could use the visits through the states to dialogue with the governors on his vision for sports.

    It is instructive for the minister to meet with sports friendly firms who have left the industry to find out what informed their exits. That way, past mistakes are corrected so that others can be encouraged to participate.

  • Oko: All eyes on new NDDC director

    Since the Federal Government announced the appointment of a new board of directors for the beleaguered Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Tuesday, August 20, tongues have been wagging in different quarters as to the competence of the people appointed into the board.

    First to raise the alarm were the governors of the Niger Delta states, including those of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Abia, Imo and Ondo. Rising from a meeting in Abuja penultimate Thursday, the governors said the process by which the board members emerged did not reflect effective governance mechanism, saying that they would seek an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the issues.

    The Niger Delta Entrepreneurs Forum (NDEF) also faulted the dissolution of the Nelson Brambaifa-led board and its replacement with the one led by Pius Odubu, a former deputy governor of Edo State. The group alleged that the development did not respect Section 4 of the NDDC Act which stipulates rotation of the chairmanship position.

    But it has been discordant tunes among the region’s stakeholders as the governors themselves came under heavy criticism for rejecting the appointments, alleging that their position was politically motivated.

    In a swift reaction to the Niger Delta governors, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the opposition of the Niger Delta governors to the reconstitution of the board was shameful and disgraceful.

    In a statement issued by its National Vice Chairman (South South), Chief Ntufam Hilliard Eta, the APC asked the governors to concentrate on delivering the dividends of democracy to their people. The party said it was unfortunate that the opposed to the appointment of “qualified Nigerians” into the board of the NDDC.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to various reports in the news and print media on the very shameful and disgraceful steps taken by South South governors, on the recent appointments made by Mr. President, wherein very qualified sons of South South geo political zone were appointed into the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    “Ordinarily, we would have ignored such disgraceful steps by men we thought could have known better, but it has become imperative that we stand in the defence of justice and for the benefit of Nigerians.

    “It is sad that these governors of the oil rich states of the Niger Delta, who should be highly concerned by the level of poverty and deteriorating state of infrastructure in the zone, are rather being parochial, selfish and exhibiting the highest form of ignorance in governance.

    “They are only interested in ensuring that their family members, cronies and stooges are appointed to strategic positions to the detriment of the generality of Nigerians.

    “The steps by these self-serving governors just go to show that indeed their election into such high offices was just a direct product of the subversion of the collective wills of the people in the last general elections.

    “We view the steps taken by these governors as very dishonorable and it shows that governance in our zone is at the lowest ebb.”

    The Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) took a swipe at the governors in a communique, saying that the governors’ action could result in unnecessary ethnic clashes in the region. The group said the governors were acting in futility, adding that they lacked both the moral justification and constitutional leverage to advise President Buhari on the appointments.

    Basis for rancour

    At the base of the wrangling impelled by the appointment of a new board is the poor manner the finances of the commission have been handled over the years. Many believe that the development of the region, which was the reason for establishing the commission, had suffered because its funds have not been well managed.

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, recently confirmed the fear and apathy of fellow Niger Deltans when he rated the commission low for not performing well in its main responsibility, which was the development of the Niger Delta region.

    Akpabio stressed the need for redirecting the affairs of the NDDC, saying it has more than N2 trillion debt to settle.

    But against this background some stakeholders in the region commended the appointment of Maxwell Oko as the new Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA) of the commission.

    For instance, the pioneer president of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Dr. Felix Tuodolo, said with the appointment of Oko who himself had been in the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta as EDFA, funds belonging to the commission would be properly managed.

    He said: “We in the struggle in the human rights circle and those in the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta were very happy to hear the news of the appointment of Maxwell Oko.

    “Some of the things we have been talking about over the years, which is the essence of our struggle, is to develop the Niger Delta; the Niger Delta people controlling their resources and managing same.

    “These are the issues we are talking about, but most times, we realise that while we are talking and struggling on these bases, the little that is available to the Niger Delta is mismanaged by persons that are holding several offices.

    “But we are happy when a person that participated in the struggle gets into office. That person we know he knows the pains and the sufferings of his people, and that person tends to do things better than the ordinary man. He pursues his office with the eyes of somebody who is in the struggle.

    “With Maxwell Oko, who is part and parcel of the struggle, we know that he is going to leave his marks; excellent marks that we will appreciate and people will talk about. He knows the pains and suffering of our people.”

    ‘I’m ready for the task’

    Until his appointment on August 20, Oko was the executive vice Chairman of Eraskorp Nigeria Limited, an indigenous conglomerate with diverse interest in the Nigerian economy, spanning such sectors as power, oil and gas, security, agribusiness, infrastructural development and real estate.

    Born 45 years ago in Otuasega, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the upwardly mobile entrepreneur and investor is a holder of B. Tech in Architecture from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology as well as a post-graduate diploma (PGD) in Architecture from the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also a former Commissioner for Energy in Bayelsa State.

    He was member, swearing-in sub-committee of Presidential Inauguration Planning Committee (PIPC); board member, Ellah Lakes Plc, a firm listed on the board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and board member, Secure Records Management Solutions. He is also on the boards of Eraskorp Nigeria Limited and Lake Oko Farms Limited.

    With the foregoing background, Oko believes that he is well prepared for the task of repositioning the commission to perform its core mandate.

    He said: “I pride myself as being innovative and action oriented with good knowledge and experience in management and administration. I am regularly involved in value creation within my community and the larger society through ground breaking projects which have provided economic empowerment for many rural communities, creating employment opportunities and alleviating poverty. I have also played leadership roles in different associations, including youth, political and volunteer groups.

    “I have been privileged to serve in various positions in government and thus been exposed to policy formulation and implementation of various programmes in different areas of the economy, both in public and private sector contexts. This has involved interaction and working with different stakeholders: government ministries, the legislature, regulatory agencies, local governments, private investors, representatives of multilateral agencies, and NGOs.

    “In the course of my career, I have acquired good contextual knowledge of local issues and socio-cultural constraints and realities. My work experiences have exposed me to regular field visits, monitoring and evaluation of projects, processes and impacts.

    “I have also learned how to overcome obstacles to achieve my goals. I always try to learn something new from every experience and seek new responsibilities and challenges because I believe there is always room for self-improvement, both personally and professionally.

    “My passion and self-motivation are the keys to my ability to identify and propose innovative solutions to solving problems and implementing improvement in all organisations where I have had professional engagement.

    “I consider myself a reliable and enthusiastic individual with a desire to excel in all I do, and diligent and committed to my set goals. Challenging tasks motivate me and I derive satisfaction in achieving demanding targets. I am convinced that I have the requisite experience and skills set to take on any challenge.”

    Stakeholders set agenda

    Affirming what he called the unassailable records of Oko in public life, the founding chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, King W.S. Igbugburu, advised him to maintain his integrity and good name throughout the period of his service in the commission.

    Igbugburu said having known Oko during his days as commissioner in Bayelsa State, he was confident that the new EDFA would deliver if he refused to be hoodwinked by fraudsters whom he said were killing the commission.

    The president of Ijaw Youths Council, Pereotubo Oweilaemi, asked Oko not to disappoint those who believe in his forthrightness and ability to effect changes in the NDDC.

    The IYC president said Comrade Maxwell Oko as Executive Director of Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission is a round peg in a round hole.

    He said: “You know that Comrade Oko is a founding member of the Ijaw Youths Council who is passionate about the development of the region. He was chairman of IYC central zone.

    “He has held several other political offices including commissioner of power and energy in Bayelsa State under Chief Timipre Silver as governor. He also worked with the then petroleum minister, King Daukoru.

    “Maxwell is experienced and he is a man of the youth. We are very certain that he will use his office to redirect the vision of the creation of the commission and bring about desired peace and the long awaited development to the region.

    “Our agenda for him is that he should use his position to address the issues IYC has been canvassing for. As a former chairman, IYC central zone, of course he will not expect us to remind him that the Ijaw nation needs even development from the NDDC. He should ensure that all ongoing projects in Ijaw land are completely executed.

    “The commission should also initiate youth empowerment programmes in order to engage our teaming jobless youths across the region. The purpose for which the commission was established has not been successfully utilised. The developmental response by the commission towards the region is still below expectation.

    “Now that we have a former national executive member of the IYC on the board of the NDDC, we are very certain that most of our demands will be achieved. All we care for is that the commission adequately responds to the developmental needs of the region which should be commensurate to its budgetary provisions.

    “I think Buhari making the choice of Maxwell Oko in the new NDDC board means he has listened to our yearnings and aspirations. I think this is a test case for Oko to show that he has concern for his people which is glaringly the reason why Buhari considered him. Mr. President must have noticed that someone having the spirit of our struggle will know our concerns more than others. The buck now stops in Oko’s table to prove Buhari’s sincerity to the Ijaw people.”

    Also, Dr Edmund Daukoru, a former petroleum minister, spoke in glowing terms about the newly appointed Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the NDDC, saying he can vouch for his capacity, integrity and capacity to deliver on his new job.

    Daukoru said his appointment was commendable, saying that “he is a round peg in a round hole.

    He said: “Maxwell (Oko) is very committed to his work and duties. He served under me as my SA (Special Assistant). He took over from Sylva. It was just revealing to see how much Maxwell parked into his brain. He is very committed, principled, disciplined person and it is just the kind of appointment that we anticipate.”

    He said with Oko’s experience in managing youths-related issues and having been involved in various development issues in the Niger Delta, he was confident that his former aide would perform.

    He said: “Dealing with communities is not an easy affair, especially because resources are always limited. He has the qualities to work with the MD, whoever he is to deliver. He has all the qualities needed to do the work.

    “He is a disciplined person; he understands priorities. When I say he is disciplined, I’m saying it based on what I know about him. He never accepted gratifications from people who tried desperately to see me; people who would want to try to break roadblocks to see the minister.

    “Maxwell was not like that. I never saw any fault in him. I can vouch for him. In terms of doing the job, I have full confidence that he will not let the authorities down. I am extremely proud of him.

    “As an elder and a king, I pray for him to succeed.”

  • Anchor borrowers’ programme: Farmers ‘ll make profit — Govt

    In its bid to make Ogun State the food basket of the nation through increase in food production, the Ogun State government has disclosed that its Anchor Borrowers Programme is designed to ensure participating farmers make profit as well as propagate mechanised farming.

    The consultant to the governor of the state, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe, who made the disclosure, while fielding questions from journalists at the training programme organized for agriculture extension officers across all the local government areas in the state held at the Ministry of Agriculture complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, stated that the programme would assist rural smallholder farmers to grow from subsistence to commercial production levels.

    Dr Oredipe, who revealed that there is a ready market for the produce, said farmers would be trained at the various local government areas, said the economic value of the programme would  boost the state’s internally generated revenue.

    Read Also: CBN Anchor-Borrower is a loan scheme, not a free package – AFAN

    “We have gone through the economy of production and established the fact that farmers would make profit from those ventures. What we are doing today is to train the frontline workers who would undertake the verification exercise for the participants that have shown interest at their local government areas, “ Dr Oredipe said.

    Earlier in her opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Abosede Ogunleye, noted that the programme is a developmental function of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to support Ogun State farmers, especially the smallholder farmers engaged in the production of identified commodities, linking them with anchor companies which play the role of offtakers.

    She expressed satisfaction with the success recorded so far particularly with the level of commitment of the youths as well as the new and existing farmers, noting that the programme would create a new generation of farmers and entrepreneurs, while creating employment.

  • Time to save this risky Bob from himself

    Idris Okuneye, the indolent male loafer who by some magical contraptions turned himself into a woman, is finally getting the attention he has craved for years, but certainly not in the manner he desired. Youths numbering more than 500 marched through the streets of Abuja on Wednesday, protesting the antics of the 27-year-old and describing his actions as ungodly.

    Until he plotted his way into national consciousness a couple of years ago, the Ebute-Meta, Lagos born dude was a haggard-looking, dark complexioned man with a face that would scare a child and cheeks only half as attractive as those of a horse. Today, he has transformed his near charcoal dark skin into a complexion that is almost snow white, thanks to a combination of bleaching creams. He walks about in feminine clothes and jerry-curled hair all in a bid to cut the image of a beautiful woman!

    In May this year, she adopted ‘she’ as his pronoun and claimed to have a male lover in clear contravention of the Nigerian law that prohibits same sex relationships; an offence punishable with 14 years in a penitentiary. At the slightest opportunity, he invades the social media, the market place of the youth, to flaunt the millions of naira he claims to have grabbed from wasteful politicians and other disoriented opportunists who think nothing of throwing our common patrimony around like rain water. Then in a plain admission of the clear and present danger he constitutes not just to the youth but the entire society, he felicitously adopted Bobrisky as his new name.

    Read Also: Inside the ‘risky’ life of Bobrisky

    In a society where inanities are easily elevated into virtues, Bobrisky is already building a huge fan base on the social media and is even being invited by certain event planners to deliver speeches at social gatherings. For years, the government ignored his antics, watching with insouciant mien as the iconoclast flaunted the millions he claimed were flowing in from deeds that add nothing to the national purse.

    Encouraged by government’s aloofness, he took his escapades a notch higher recently with a gay party he reportedly organised at a venue on Lagos Island to mark his birthday. But that turned out his albatross as security agents reportedly stormed the venue before the party could begin and arrested some gay youths who were already there in solidarity with their mentor. It turned out, however, that the birthday ‘girl’ herself had to go underground to avoid arrest. Since then, he has lamented to whoever cares to listen that a whopping sum of N12 million was invested in the aborted jump.

    The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, also appeared to have drawn the battle line with his declaration of Bobrisky as a national disgrace. In a recent media interview with a national newspaper, Runsewe said: “Bobrisky is a national disgrace. He started by selling and using bleaching creams. Now he has grown boobs, bums and hips. If a Bobrisky is doing well with his immoral lifestyle, how do you convince Nigerian youths to do the right thing?

    “Bobrisky has the right, but not within the Nigerian environment. There are others like him, but they live outside the country. If we don’t address Bobrisky as early as possible, he will form a team that will spread like wildfire. This will result in a lot of suicide cases, because the typical Nigerian parent would not want to see their child become a Bobrisky.”

    Happily, the youth appear to have bought into the campaign to rein in the cross-dresser if the protests carried out by some youths in Abuja during the week are anything to go by. Numbering more than 500, the youths on Wednesday took to the streets of the nation’s capital city to protest what they called Bobrisky’s “moral decadence”. The protesters, under the aegis of National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), did not only disown him, they also declared their support for the National Centre for Arts and Culture, the National Council of Women Society, the Christian Association of Nigeria and other bodies that have taken a stand against him and his activities.

    Describing the activities of Bobrisky as “ungodly, unhealthy and disgusting,” the Vice President of NYCN (North Central Zone), Mukhtar Jebba, said that what Bobrisky and his cronies were promoting was completely against the moral, cultural and spiritual values of Nigeria.

    He said: “Consequently, the NYCN today, September 18, 2019 declares Bobrisky as a persona non grata, as he is a man and not a woman. For national interest, we call on the ever-conscious, ever-ready, combatant Nigerian youths and comrades of like minds to, without fear or favour, kick out Bobrisky and his likes wherever they come across them. Nigeria is not a place for LGBT and we shall fight this to the end.”

    Bob Marley, the Jamaican reggae music sensation who died in 1981, is till this day perceived globally as one of the best things to have happened to the world. It is therefore one of the ironies of life that a Bob who died more than 38 years ago is still celebrated as a hero while another Bob who is very much with us is perceived as a gangrene that must be checked before it destroys the entire fabric of the Nigerian and African societies. I am not a medical doctor and would not pretend to be capable of identifying a syringe without being guided. Yet I know for a fact that the processes by which Idris Okunneye transmuted from a man into a woman are all at a great disservice to his own health. The ear2lier he is made to retrace his steps, the better for him and the society. His right to a lewd and licentious lifestyle must now necessarily end where our right to a decent society begins.

  • ADC collapses structure, joins Ondo APC

    The camp of the opposition parties in Ondo State depleted on Friday as several hundreds of members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) collapsed their political structure to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    The members in Akure South Local Government Area include the executive and elders of ADC, with over 700 followers from all the eleven political wards in the local government area.

    The decampees were received into the party by the state chairman, Engr Ade Adetimehin, who handed them over to the governor of the state and leader of the party in the state, Arakunrin  Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

    The new members were received with funfair at the party secretariat along Oyemekun road, Akure at an event which had Governor Akeredolu and other leaders of the party in attendance.

    The state Chairman described APC as a “party of equality for members with clear-cut welfarist ideology for the masses.”

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    He assured the new members of level playing ground, adding that they have equal rights and will receive same treatment as the old members of the party.

    Adetimehin said the unprecedented performance of Akeredolu across sectors and in all parts of the state have made the project of continuity easy for APC in the state.

    Hon Femi Bello, who led the decampees, said the collapse of the political structures of ADC in Akure South Local Government Area and the decision to fuse with APC was an unconditional and unanimous decision of all members of ADC in the local government, adding that the decision was also in appreciation of the remarkable performance of the APC controlled government in Ondo State.

    He said the monumental performance of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu that have dotted the entire landscape of the sunshine state, coupled with the programmes of the administration, which are daily impacting the lives of the people are major attractions of the former ADC members to APC.

    While declaring the preparedness of his fellow decampees to work hard at consolidating the hold of the APC in Ondo State, Hon Bello said the transformations which the Akeredolu administration has brought to Akure could not have been surpassed if the governor were to have been an Akure person.

    In his remarks, Akeredolu, appreciated the new members of the APC and assured them that all loyal and committed members would not be disappointed having their party in government.

    He said despite the lean resources at the disposal of the state government, several landmark projects initiated by it have been delivered or in varying degrees of completion for the well-being of the people of the state.

    Akeredolu said the industrialization policy of his administration which gave rise to the Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub in Ore have berthed no few that seven different manufacturing and production companies with employment running into thousands for able bodied citizens of the state.

    The governor, who said that the state would soon witness greater development, assured that the much awaited exploration of the second world largest bitumen deposit in the state would begin very soon while the first flyover in the state would be delivered before the end of the year in Ore.

  • Presidency faults UN rapporteur report on violence in Nigeria

    The Presidency on Friday faulted the United Nations rapporteur report on violence in Nigeria.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, described the report as disappointing.

    He said: “We have read press reports of the UN rapporteur on violence in Nigeria.

    “While we agree that the violence in Nigeria, or in any country, is a major concern and that there is a rippling effect, we are disappointed that the rapporteur was silent on intra-group violence.

    “In Benue, Taraba, Cross River States and many parts of the country, most of the casualties result from intra-group, inter-group and community violence.

    ‘Many of the displaced persons across the nation are also victims of these conflicts.”

    He pointed out that the Federal and State governments have handled violence in the country effectively.

    “There is absolutely no doubt that violence between farmers and herders, which has a long history in our country spiked in recent years but the effectiveness with which the Federal and State authorities responded made a big difference.

    “Calm has virtually returned to all parts affected by the peculiar violence.

    “Therefore, we are saddened that the rapporteur did not address intra-ethnic conflicts and cattle rustling as key elements in herder/farmer conflicts. In Benue State for instance, the Tiv/Jukun conflict and kidnapping is a major problem.

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    “We are glad that local communities have fully realized this, and scholars with a strong motivation for peace and stability in their communities and the nation are trying to address the problem.

    “Ignoring the salient issues will not help to solve the problem. If you are going to address violence and the general insecurity in Nigeria, incidents everywhere should be part of the narrative. Not addressing this might make it easier to blame the Federal Government, but national peace and security is community based and a collective responsibility.”

    According to him, arrests, prosecution and locking people up are only small parts of National Security and Safety strategy.

    He went on: “In Benue State as cited earlier, the work of a US scholar of Tiv extraction, Professor Dick Adzenge deserves special mention for attempting to get aspects of violence addressed.

    “The expectation that arresting and putting people in prison is the only credible response to violence is a mistake. Professor Adzenge and a few others like him are working with young people, traditional rulers and communities to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts and encourage peaceful co-existence.

    “The sort of effort we are talking about here has so far revealed interesting facts about the problem in Benue State that cannot be ignored.

    “And it is the sort of support we seek from the UN rapporteur in reporting, not the report that scratches the surface of the subject then ends up blaming the government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    The UN representative, he said, needed to be truthful and even-handed in her assignment.

  • Five dead, 10 others injured as bus bursts into flame on expressway

    Five passengers were charred and 10 others suffered some degrees of burns on Friday when a bus conveying them burst into a flames, after it had somersaulted at the Onigari corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    The lone crash occurred in the morning when a commercial bus coming from Sokoto stopped over briefly in Ibadan to pick Lagos bound passengers and shortly after taken off, the driver lost control of the wheel, smashed into the road median and tumbled many times over before balls fire erupted from the crash.

    The Route Commander and  Public Education Officer of Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Command, quoted the Sector Commander, Clement Oladele, as saying five persons died in the accident while 10 others were injured.

    She stated:  “The lone crash involved a commercial bus that  travelled all the way from Sokoto State but stopped briefly in Ibadan to pick other passengers. The bus was heading towards Lagos State before it lost control, at Onigari due to excessive speed, and collided with the road median with  the bus upturning and  bursting into flames.

    Read Also: Two die in Port Harcourt, Asaba accidents

    “The crash involved 18 passengers comprising 17 male adults and 1 female adult .

    “A total of 10 male adults sustained injuries from the crash but five of the passengers unfortunately died from the crash comprising four male adults and a female adult.”

    The commuter bus was a white coloured Mazda bus with registration number WWD 302CB

    “The FRSC Ogun State Sector Commander , Clement Oladele commiserates  with the families of  the crash victims and advised members of the public whose relatives travelled, requiring more information about the crash, should contact the FRSC Command at KM27 Ibadan – Lagos Expressway at Ogunmakin or the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) , Sagamu, where the injured victims were rescued to.”

    According to the Route Commander, the remains of those killed in the crash were also deposited at the OOUTH mortuary.

    She urged  motorists to drive cautiously on the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway as it is still undergoing rehabilitation, recommending 50km per hour as safe speed at construction area while  passengers should always  caution their drivers observed driving recklessly.

  • Oyo redeems pledge of N500,000 bursary to Law school students

    The government of Oyo State has redeemed its pledge of N500,000 bursary to indigenes of the State in the Nigerian Law School.

    A statement by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to the Governor, Moses Alao, indicated on Friday that the 2019/2020 Backlog Session of the Forum of Oyo State indigenes in the Nigerian Law School had confirmed the payment in an appreciation letter to the governor.

    Governor Seyi Makinde had on August 6, approved the payment of N500,000 to each indigene of the state in the  2019/2020 Backlog Session of the Law school, who are 120 in all.

    The letter signed by the chairman of the Students’ Forum, Olaniyi Ogunlade and the secretary, Akani Christiana, showed appreciation to Governor Makinde for releasing the N60 million bursary he approved for the Forum in July.

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    The Forum, in the letter dated 20 September, 2019, expressed appreciation to Governor Makinde following the issuance of cheques to the students by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Daud Sangodoyin.

    The Commissioner, who issued cheques to 107 of the beneficiaries, who had been cleared, stated that the determination of Governor Makinde to restore the glory of the State in the education sector made him approve the bursary award, noting that no stone would be left unturned in the administration’s effort to deliver quality education.

    He maintained that the State had rolled out different programmes to improve the standard of education in the State, including the free distribution of textbooks and exercise books to all secondary school students, the organisation of extra-mural classes for SS3 students and the general improvement of education infrastructure, noting that with the solid foundation being laid by the administration, there could be no doubt that the education sector would experience a huge turnaround in a short time.

    The statement recalls that the last time Oyo State indigenes in the Law School benefitted from a bursary award was in 2012, when they were paid N100,000 each.