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Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • Buhari dissolves panel for recovery of Public Property

    President Muhammadu Buhari has dissolved the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) as currently constituted with Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla as Chairman.

    The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been directed to immediately take over all outstanding investigations and other activities of the SPIP.

    Read Also: Buhari constitutes Economic Advisory Council, appoints Soludo, Salami, others

    This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Chief Femi Adesina.

    The panel was established in August 2017 by the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN to investigate specifically mandated cases of corruption, abuse of office and similar offences by public officers.

    President Buhari, according to the statement, thanked all members of the dissolved panel for their services.

    “The President looks forward to receiving the final Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) report on the ongoing investigations of the dissolved panel’s Chairman,” it stated.

  • Miyetti Allah ‘can meet Nigeria’s milk need with 70m cows’

    The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), said on Tuesday it has enough cows and pastoralists to meet the country’s milk requirements.

    Alhaji Othman Ngelzarma, General Secretary, MACBAN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the major challenge in milk production in the country was inadequate milk processors and collation centres to uptake pastoralists’ production locally.

    The general secretary specifically noted that the country currently had over 70 million cows, adding that three litres output of milk per cow daily was enough to meet the nation’s milk requirement, if collated effectively.

    He said: “If we can collate milk effectively, it will be needless for the Federal Government to spend money on importation of milk.

    “The problem is that there is not enough local processors to uptake the pastoralists’ production.’’

    Ngelzarma noted that due to the inadequate milk processors locally and collation centres across the country, pastoralists ended up conveying their milk in calabash for sale at low cost thereby leading to wastage.

    He, however, urged the Federal Government to encourage more local processors of milk within the country and improve their capacity in order to boost milk production and reduce wastage.

    According to MACBAN scribe, Federal Government should encourage members of the association to boost productivity of cows milk in the sountry.

    “There has not been any effort to establish more collation centres where our members can be offloading their milk for sale, this has made them resort to local processing and selling locally at much lower prices.

    “However, if we can have a lot of milk collation centres established around the country with processors that will be uptaking the milk being processed by our members, at least this will boost milk production,’’ he stressed.

    Ngelzarma emphasised that such measures would also encourage the pastoralists to live sedentary lives rather than moving from one place to the other and encourage them to educate their children.

    “I call on the Federal Government to invite more local processors to come up with processing plants that can uptake the milk being produced by pastoralists in the country.

    “If we can get more uptakers, there will be no need for the country to spend money on milk importation.’’

    The general secretary cited L and Z Yoghurt Company in Kano as an example of a collation centre that had helped to stop nomadic movement of pastoralists.

    “When I visited L and Z milk collation centres at about 5 a.m. in the morning. I saw how these pastoralists come with their milk in the morning to the factory vehicle, where the milk is tested and emptied into the company’s can.

    “The L and Z Company has made a lot of our members sedentary, they no longer move from place to place.

    “The company added N20 to the litre of those families that enrolled their children in school, such that instead of buying a litre at the rate of N120, they pay N140.

    “So, all the pastoralists living within the area where L and Z centres are located have enrolled their children in school.

    “During the rainy season, the pastoralists’ move their cows into the forest but still remain settled in one place, and they bring their cows back during the dry season.

    “They have a reciprocal agreement with farmers in the area as well. Their cows eat the farm residues while providing their dung as fertiliser for the farmers; they also buy some of the farm residues around from the farmers to feed their cows during the dry season.

    “This symbiotic relationship is working effectively for Kano people because of mere collation of milk from the pastoralists by a processor,’’ Ngelzarma said.

  • Why I’m empowering school girls, by lawyer

    Principal Partner of LinkedLegal Attorneys (LLA) Miss Nneamaka Onyema has explained why she launched a pro-bono programme aimed at providing legal support and advice to young girls.

    Through the Embracing the Girl Child initiative, the firm counsels and rehabilitates victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.

    Onyema said the girls are also counseled on puberty, menstrual hygiene, career choices, sex education.

    As part of the initiative, the firm has been visiting secondary schools across the country to donate sanitary towels to school girls.

    Explaining why she initiated the programme, she went down memory lane.

    Onyema said: “All the girls from JSS1 to SS3 were asked to move to the school’s multi-purpose hall after the general assembly. It was a mixed boarding school and I was in JSS1.

    “Walking hand-in-hand towards the hall with my best friend, we made a number of guesses as to why only the girls were needed: couldn’t  they have announced whatever they needed to tell us there at the general assembly? Did all the girls somehow commit an offence?

    “Noisy hall – trust girls and their plenty talk – until a voice was heard through the speakers: ‘settle down girls’.

    “A big van pulled over just by the entrance of the hall. A few people stepped down from the van wearing uniform branded t-shirts. One of them took the microphone and started speaking. Much of the talk centered on menstruation and how to use a sanitary towel properly.

    “A lot of us (the younger ones) were hearing this for the first time; while some were curious, others were shy. ‘Make a straight line, once you get yours, go back to your classroom,’ we were directed.

    “That was how I got my first sanitary towel and I made sure to save it till I started menstruating. A seed was planted on that day in my heart. The memory has never left me.

    “That seed has grown and is bearing fruit. I intend to plant back into the lives of as many girls as possible in secondary schools across the country, hoping that this seed will also bear fruits for the next generation.

    “Embracing the Girl Child is an initiative of LinkedLegal Attorneys aimed at providing legal representation, counseling and rehabilitation of victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, sensitising the girl child at secondary school level on career choices, puberty, sex education, menstrual hygiene, etc. and the free distribution of sanitary towels.”

  • 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships: Itsekiri eyes top spot in Doha

    The third fastest man at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Usheoritse Itsekiri has said that he would not be making up the numbers in his debut at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

    The sprinter whose personal best in 100 and 200m are 10.07secs and 20.53secs respectively is looking forward to burning the track at the global athletics fiesta told NationSport that he is poised to make it to the final in the 100m.

    “I feel good competing in my first World Championships and it is a tremendous feeling that I can’t explain or believe. But I am grateful to God because two years ago, I was watching the last edition in London on television.

    “Even when the standard for qualification was released I thought it was too high, so making it to the tournament is something I am yet to believe. But I am going to compete against the world best and I think I have gotten over the excitement and I am ready to go,” the sprinter said.

    “My target in Doha is to win a medal. I will give it my best shot. I want to be in the mix and keep doing my best with the hope of winning a medal. I am not going there to make up the numbers. It is my first World Championship and I really want to make it count.”

    Itsekiri also attributed his performance this season to hardwork and diligence. “I have been overwhelmed by my performances this season, so I will say I hope for another overwhelming performance in Doha.”

    Reward come when you least expect it, so I will just keep my head straight and take the right steps, hoping that God will crown my effort,” he added.

    The sprinter is not giving up on Nigeria’s medal prospect when he admitted, “Yes, I think Nigeria can win medals in Doha. We are positive about our chances in Doha.”

    In Doha, Over 2000 of the world’s top athletes will be competing for 192 medals during the 10-day event, which gets underway on September 27.

  • ‘Ajagba will become world champion soon’

    Legendary boxing trainer Ronnie Shields believes that Efe Ajagba can rule the heavyweight division in the near future.

    Ajagba remains undefeated in 11 fights with nine fights won by knockouts. He is seen as a promising star in the heavyweight division and made the headlines all over the world last year when his opponent, Curtis Harper, walked out of the fight after the bell sounded for the commencement of the fight.

    Shields has worked with the likes of former heavyweight champions -Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield – and has been training Ajagba since 2017.

    “Ajagba has everything it takes to become a world champion. His last fight, he went 10 rounds for the first time against Ali Demerizen. But he had an injury to his right elbow and this affected to land decent punches. If it wasn’t for that he would have won by Knock out,” Shields stated.

    “The heavyweight division today is great and in a year or so, all these young guys will be competing.

    They will be fighting for the world title. It has to happen and Efe has everything that it takes. I am so excited to be working with him. He will be back in October.”

    Ajagba is a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist and was the only boxer to represent Nigeria at the Olympic Games in 2016.

  • CL: Olayinka hits target, Osimhen fires blank

    Nigerian striker, Peter Olayinka had a memorable outing in the prestigious UEFA Champions League last night after scoring what was his debut goal in the tournament for Slavia Prague in their 1-1 draw against Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza.

    The 36 Lion FC Football Academy product who almost became the first foreigner to play for the Albania national football team scored in the 63rd minute of the game to give his Czech Republic side a famous lead.

    Olayinka was the quickest to react on a loose ball and put it away after Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic had made a superb low stop to deny substitute Jaroslav Zeleny.

    Slavia looked to be on course for only their second ever Champions League win, until Barella found the far corner in the 92nd minute to equalise for Inter, after Stefano Sensi’s free-kick had come back off the crossbar.

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    However, it almost turned from joy to misery for the tall Nigerian forward when he went down on the pitch from a Danilo D’Ambrosio tackle in the 81st minute which prompted the refree to stop the match momentarily.

    He received medical attention on the field and had to be taken off to get more treatment before coming back to play for two more minutes.

    As a precautionary move, Slavia Prague manager Jindrich Trpisovsky pulled out Olayinka in the 85th minute and replaced him with Czech Republic forward, Lukas Provod.

    Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen fired blank as Lille fell 0-3 to Ajax in Holland. The Nigerian striker who has been in hot form for club and country could not rescue his French side in the debut season in the UEFA Champions League.

    However, Osimhen had a great chance to score in the 45th minute but his volleyed effort fails to hit the target. Ajax goals were scored by Quincy Promes in the 18th through a header, Edson Alvarez double the lead in the 50th minute, while Nicolas Tagliafico put a gloss on the scoreline with another goal in the 62nd minute.

  • SANs to Malami: obey all court orders

    A 20-man group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) under the aegis of the Justice Reform Project (JRP) has urged Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN) not to pick and choose which court orders to obey.

    They said disobeying some orders purportedly in “public interest” violates the constitution.

    The SANs said Malami’s powers are circumscribed by the constitution, and he cannot depart from it under any guise.

    In a statement by its convener Charles Adeyemi Candide-Johnson (SAN), JRP urged Malami to ensure that the Buhari administration makes the obedience of court orders its watchword.

    The group said it felt compelled to call out Malami in view of his comments during his Senate screening.

    JRP recalled that Malami’s response to a question as to why the government flouts some court orders.

    The AGF said they were disobeyed in public interest, adding that it was his duty to protect the overall rights of Nigerians which he claims overrides the need to respect individual liberties.

    Read Also: Fed Govt committed to unhindered access to justice, says Malami

    JRP said: “Mr Malami is wrong. It is not the right or power of the Attorney-General to determine legal rights and to pick and choose which he will respect or not. To assert such a right or power threatens the very constitution and the rule of law.

    “If an individual or a group breaks the law or threatens national security or public order, it is the duty of the Attorney-General to build a compelling case and then present it to the constitutional adjudicator.

    “This official cannot be accuser, prosecutor and then judge at the same time.

    “If any single minister or group of ministers can secretly determine what is in the public interest and enforce such assumed public interest by defying due and legal process, then every single Nigerian is at risk of arbitrary power.

    “If any minister can determine that he can abuse or discard court process, even after himself invoking the power of the courts, then he can abort every other constitutional guarantee in turn.

    “JRP, therefore, considers it expedient to state that no matter the apparent flaws in our judicial system, it remains the bastion of our democracy that all court orders must be respected by every Nigerian citizen.”

    The SANs emphasised that no person or authority is superior to the constitution and therefore Malami should not undermine the sanctity of court orders.

  • Oyetola seeks France’s support on vocational education

    Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has solicited the support of France in the development of vocational education to tackle unemployment in the state.

    Oyetola made the request when France Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Jerome Pasquier, and his team, paid a courtesy visit to the governor on Tuesday in Osogbo.

    The governor said that the support of France in vocational education would assist the state in producing more people with business skills who would be self-employed.

    “The conventional education as good as it is does not give skills.

    “We are turning out so many graduates who are not skilled and that is why we are looking at training more people to acquire skills, and in turn set up their own businesses,” the governor said.

    Oyetola, who noted that white collar jobs were no longer available, said it was not possible for government alone to absorb all unemployed youths.

    Read Also: Oyetola to Osun people: I will prioritise health

    “How many people can the government employ with the dwindling revenue? The era of white collar jobs is going.

    “And that is why we need your support in vocational education through which people can acquire skills without necessarily looking for white collar jobs.

    “When people acquire vocational skills, they will create jobs, employ people and also sustain their lives,” he said.

    The governor said that the state government was trying its best in helping people to acquire vocational skills in all its nine vocational colleges across the state.

    He also sought for more support in the area of mining, agriculture and tourism.

    The governor commended France for its support in the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP1and2) in the state.

    Oyetola disclosed that the $15 million granted to the state by France with additional $45 million by the World Bank had helped the state to cover the entire state under the initiative

    .The governor said a letter from the World Bank confirming the state as the best in terms of project implementation was enough evidence for the state to be considered for the third phase of the programme.

    Earlier in his remarks, Pasquier had commended the state government for its good track record in the implementation of RAMP 1 and 2 programme.

    The Ambassador said France would always be ready to support Osun government in the area of culture, economy and education among others.

    “My job as France Ambassador is to develop good relationship between France and Nigeria, and not only in Abuja and Lagos but in all the states, including Osun,” Pasquier said.

  • Amnesty programme and matters arising 

    It is a sad commentary that the Niger Delta people face the paradox of having an amazing wealth in crude oil but are buffeted by a whirlwind that has choked genuine efforts to turn around the situation in a region that is bare in human capital and infrastructural development.

    Ironically, parochial interests, greed and an unbridled sense of entitlement have beclouded sound reasoning of some persons who claim to be leaders of the region and possess a monopoly of knowledge on how to run interventionist agencies established by the Federal Government to address developmental challenges.

    For these elements, there is no line between darkness and light; morality or absurdity. What is paramount is the means to acquisition of illicit wealth, power and fame, not the common interest of the Niger Delta people whose balloon of hope they’ve consistently deflated whenever it was inflated.

    That is the scenario being enacted in their desperation to take over the office of Prof. Charles Dokubo, Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, whose unblemished integrity they’ve unsuccessfully been trying to blur with tar. My worry, however, is that the drama has taken an absurd dimension.

    Recently, an online portal notorious for blackmail and promotion of fake news on Amnesty Programme published an “exclusive” report that Prof, Dokubo had fled the country to the United States “after being implicated in an N23billion looting under the cover of the National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno”, who it alleged, was his godfather.

    The news portal claimed its investigations revealed that the presidency had asked Prof. Dokubo to prepare his hand-over notes and hand over to the most senior civil servant in the Amnesty Office, but the NSA advised Prof. Dokubo to escape the prying eyes of security operatives and go into hiding in the US.

    It further said the presidency was concerned with security reports detailing fraudulent contracts and payments of over N10billion and the looting of the Boro Town Amnesty Programme training facility in Bayelsa State to cover up N13billion fraudulent contracts. It summed up that a total of N23billion Amnesty funds were looted between 2018 and 2019.

    These are lies sponsored and recycled overtime by self-styled leaders to distract Prof. Dokubo from working to achieve the objectives for which the Programme was initiated, except for the recent addition that he had fled the country; when, in fact, he travelled to the Washington DC on official duty after being duly cleared for the trip by the authorities.

    It turned out to be an unfortunate outing for the purveyors of fake news who were unaware that Dokubo had returned to Nigeria on the day the “exclusive” was splashed on PointblankNews, which has elevated junk journalism to a nauseating level. As a face-saving measure, the publishers deleted the report from the news portal same day to befuddle undiscerning members of the public, in a clear case of mischief.

    That was a misadventure in which the purveyors had a bloodied nose and quickly needed a pad to clean up. So they went to town the next day, September 3, with another fabricated report that Prof. Dokubo had laundered over N5billion in two Turkish banks in connivance with three senior management staff of the Amnesty Programme, including the directors of Administration, Procurement, and Legal Adviser.

    The report also claimed that investigation on the case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been stalled because Dokubo is a nominee of the NSA, General Monguno, who is also the godfather of the acting chairman of EFCC. It further claimed that companies registered and owned by some of President Muhammadu Buhari’s principal aides and leaders of the All Progressive Congress, were awarded fraudulent contracts at the Amnesty Programme.

    But it fell short of expectation on ethical standards as no mention was made of the two banks in Turkey where the alleged sum of N5billion was laundered and how it was perpetrated, neither were other details of alleged contract scams provided.

    Rather than indulging in concoction of fake news in furtherance of their smear campaign against Prof. Dokubo with the objective of removing him from office, the purveyors might have earned for themselves, an inch of credibility (if there was any left for them), if only they had done a bit of checks and cross-checking of what was availed them as facts.

    That way, they would have known that the unfortunate incident of vandalization and looting of the Amnesty Programme Vocational Training Centre at Kaiama, Bayelsa State by hoodlums in February, this year, had been under investigation by security agencies, particularly the Police, which has concluded its assignment and submitted a report to the appropriate authorities. I hope that the findings will be made public soon to put to rest the chain of fallacy churned out as exclusive news on that incident.

    I have no doubt that discerning and well-meaning Niger Deltans and Nigerians are conscious of their ignoble role to please their paymasters by discrediting Prof. Dokubo. Which is why, reports celebrated on the portal in recent times are mainly about Dokubo and the Amnesty Programme.

    It is unfortunate that they have gone a step further by dragging the names of respected top government officials who have no business with the Amnesty Programme in the mud, in a desperate bid to get at Dokubo. My prayer is that his detractors will soon come to terms with the futility of their actions and succumb to the supremacy of the will of God, the Almighty. No human should play God.

    • Ganagana is Special Assistant (Media), to the Coordinator, Amnesty Programme

  • Ethiopian PM, Tinubu win African democracy award

    Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the National Stalwart of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have won African Democracy Award for their efforts to grow democracy and good governance on the continent.

    The award was conferred on them at the 4th Africa Political Summit and Diamond Awards in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, where the two political figures were hailed for their huge commitments to democracy, freedom of speech and socioeconomic and political developments of their countries.

    The award was the highlight of a three-day conference on Campaign Financing and Elections in Africa, an initiative of the Association of Political Consultants – (APC) Africa, a body peopled by top political consultants from across the continent.

    “This award serves to recognise and encourage icons of democracy and good governance in Africa. It has been our culture to celebrate those political figures who have done a lot to promote democracy in their respective countries,” Kehinde Bamigbetan, President of APC Africa, said in a speech at the ceremony.

    Bamigbetan described Abiy as an outstanding leader who has done a lot to strengthen democracy, human rights, press freedom and peace in East Africa.

    He cited his leniency towards Ethiopian political dissidents, his respect for and olive branch to the opposition, and his peace efforts with Eritrea and other neighbours.

    “The Prime Minister won this award because of the tremendous works he has done in Ethiopia since he came on board. He opened up the political space and freed dissidents who were in jail. We also believe that a leader who has done so much to broker peace in Sudan deserves to be recognised,” Bamigbetan said.

    He said the decision to recognise Asiwaju Tinubu followed his longstanding commitment to democracy and human rights – alongside his political shrewdness that has seen him and other opposition elements defeat the then ruling party in Nigeria, and his contributions to democratic growth in other African countries.

    “Asiwaju is a political figure whose impacts have been felt not just in Nigeria, especially with the historic election of President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the opposition APC, but across many countries in Africa. He has continued to work to deepen democracy and good governance,” Bamigbetan said.

    Firayad Mahmud, who received the award on behalf of the Prime Minister, thanked the organisers of the event and said the recognition would spur Abiy to continue to work for democracy, human rights and peace.

    Asiwaju Tinubu, who was represented by Alhaji Mutiu Are, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council in Lagos State, said the award was an incentive for him to continue to work for representative democracy and good governance in Nigeria and elsewhere on the continent.

    “I do not take this award for granted. It is a challenge to continue to do more,” he said, commending the Lagos contingent to the conference.

    The conference, which began on Monday, drew participants and speakers from across Anglophone and Francophone African and European countries, including serving and former government spokespeople and functionaries.

    They included President of the European Association of Political Consultants, Igor Mintusov; President of the International Association of Political Consultants, Mehmet Ural; Board member of the European Association of Political Consultants, Dr. Reza Kazemi; Secretary-General of APC-Africa, Kipngeno Duncan Kirul (Kenya); Vice President of APC-Africa, Dianemonique Adjanoun (Benin Republic); former Information Commissioner in Ogun State, Kayode Samuel; former Lagos Information Commissioner, Steve Ayorinde; former Special Adviser on Communications in Osun State, Semiu Okanlawon; former Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Lagos State, Habib Aruna; Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kwara State, Rafiu Ajakaye; and top political consultant, Ms. Temitope Lakisokun; among others.

    The confab dwelt on new global trends in fundraising for elections, impacts of social media and technologies on campaign branding and merchandising, demographic trends among critical stakeholders and future of African democracies, among others.