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  • Kompany leaves Man. City after eleven years

    Vincent Kompany is to become the player-manager of Anderlecht after confirming his departure from Manchester City.

    The City captain revealed he was leaving the club after 11 years on Sunday, a day after a 6-0 win over Watford in the FA Cup final saw them become the first English men’s club to secure the domestic treble.

    Kompany has now unveiled his plans for the future; he has signed a three-year deal with Belgian side Anderlecht, where he came through the ranks before joining Hamburg in 2006.

    Read Also: Kompany to retire after 2018 World Cup

    The 33-year-old explained his decision on Facebook, writing: “I have decided to take up the challenge at RSC Anderlecht. Player-Manager.

    “I want to share my knowledge with the next purple generations. With that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of Belgium.

    “This may come as a surprise to you. It’s the most passionate yet rational decision I’ve ever made.

    “As a footballer, I was born and raised at RSC Anderlecht. Since the age of 6, I have been one with that club. A history of 34 league titles, they are second to none.”

     

    SkySports

     

  • FEC to hold final session on Monday

    The last meeting of the current Federal Executive Council (FEC) has been slated for Monday.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to dissolve his cabinet ahead of his inauguration for second term on May 29, the day his first term also ends.

    Already, the valedictory session of the cabinent has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 22.

    The foregoing were disclosed at the end of the Thursday extraordinary FEC meeting  presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the absence of the President, who is in Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj.

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting which went into the night, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, accompanied by his colleague Ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and  Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammed Bello, said that the council approved N1.8 billion for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the buildings of the Railway village in Agbo, Delta State.

    He also revealed that the sum of N743 million was approved for the procurement of security and safety deficiencies as well as incidence laboratory for Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    Read Also: 50 percent of Abuja residents defecate openly

    He said the total sum for the procurement included taxes with a completion period of 12 months.

    Sirika also said  that the contract for the procurement of pavement marking machines was also approved by the council at the cost of N391.8 million.

    “This is a visual aid for pilots for safe operations around our airports,” he said.

    Another approval granted by the council, according to the minister, is the sum of €1.1 million, for the purchase of a total radar coverage track on system reconditioning.

    He said: “This contract went to the manufacturer of the equipment for 1,187,960,000 Euros, equivalent to N414,543,760.23 excluding taxes and it is for seven months completion.”

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),  who also briefed newsmen said that the council approved six contracts worth N2.6 billion for the FCT.

    “The FCT got approval for the award of contract for the construction and equipping of materials testing laboratory in Abuja and that contract is in the sum of N616, 278, 844.19 with a completion period of five months.

    “That laboratory already is under construction, so basically it is just to equip the laboratory and is going to test all the items that go into the construction of roads and buildings,” he said.

    Bello further said cabinet approved another contract for a temporary access road in the central area of the territory.

    “The second contract was for the provision of an access road to link very key anterior roads in the Central Business District, that is Ahmadu Bello Way and Sani Abacha Way, all in the FCT, in the sum of N670,347,909 with a completion period of six months.

    “The third memo was for the award of contract for the design of engineering and solid waste treatment plant and transfer stations in the FCT, and it is a consultancy project awarded in the sum of N473,798,934, to be completed in 12 months.

    “These transfer stations are meant to serve the waste management value chain so that before you get to the final dump site, solid waste is separated according to the various grades, and that makes it easier for recycling.

    “As you know, now we have what is called waste to wealth, and that will create a very important economic system for people who will invest in it,” he said.

    He said another contract awarded for the FCT was that of engineering design of expandable main sewage treatment plant at Kango and Associated Trunk lines at the cost of N511,528,689.

    The FCT also got approval for the final design of engineering infrastructure and production of tender documents at the cost of N202,410,378.45.

    He stated that another N143.7 million was approved for the final engineering design of infrastructure and production of another tender document for Sector Centres E and F in Phase 111 of FCC, Abuja.

  • Tribunal to begin pre-trial of Benue governorship dispute May 28

    The Governorship, National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Benue State has fixed May 28 to commence pre-trial on the only governorship petition before it.

    Tribunal secretary Deborah Musa, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Makurdi,  said that all court processes had been completed and that the pre-trial was set to begin.

    NAN reports that Mr Emmanuel Jime of the All Progressive Congress (APC), is challenging the re-election of Gov Samuel Ortom of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 2, 2019 polls.

    Read Also: Mob kills notorious criminal in Benue

    In the petition filed by Mr Sunday Ameh (SAN), Jime is asking the tribunal to upturn Ortom’s victory and declare him winner having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast.

    Mr Michael Gusa, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Benue, has however said that the governor was sure of victory at the tribunal.

    “We are very hopeful of victory. The governor’s team of lawyers has raised a preliminary objection asking the court to dismiss the petition for lack of merit,” Gusa had told NAN while filing Ortom’s defense.

    NAN reports that Ortom had polled 434,473 votes to defeat Jime, who garnered 345,155 votes .

    NAN

  • Emefiele pledges five-year plan to diversify nation’s economy

    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele says CBN  in the next five years, will aggressively pursue policies that will further diversify the Nigerian economy.

    Emefiele said this in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Nsukka, Enugu State,  after a Special Convocation of the University of Nigeria (UNN), where he was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration.

    The pledge was coming after the Nigeria Senate on Thursday confirmed Emefiele for a second term in office as CBN Governor, starting June 3.

    Emefiele said the CBN in the next phase of his administration would consolidate on already existing policies.

    “Nigeria belongs to all of us and we have a role to play to make sure things get better.

    “I will also emphasise that Nigerian policy makers are good at developing policies, but the biggest challenge of the Nigerian economic policy is that people try circumventing policies.

    “Given this opportunity now,  we will make it very difficult for people to circumvent economic policies.

    “We must learn to respect our policies. If you don’t respect the economic policies of this country, and you fall short of our economic policies as an economic saboteur, you will be dealt with,” he said.

    Emefiele who is the 11th CBN Governor,  began his five-year tenure on June 3, 2014.

    Some of the major policies undertaken by the apex bank in the last five years included the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme which aimed at increasing the country’s local food production and conserving the foreign reserves.

    The CBN took the decision to also ban 41 items from accessing foreign exchange through official routes to encourage local production of the items and simultaneously conserve the nation’s depleting foreign reserves.

    Since then, the CBN had raised the number of items affected on the list to 43, with the inclusion of fertiliser and textile products.

    Some of the items not valid for foreign exchange at the Nigerian window included rice, cement, margarine, palm produce, beef, vegetables, poultry and eggs, private airplanes, wooden doors and Iron rods, among others.

    Read Also: Senate okays CBN Governor Emefiele for five more years

    The CBN also introduced the multiple foreign exchange system, which led to the creation of the Inter-bank/Wholesale, Invisible, Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the Investors/Exporters’ windows.

    Also, in 2018, the CBN signed a bilateral currency swap agreement with the People’s Republic of China worth about 2.5 billion dollars.

    The currency swap agreement was  designed to aid trade transactions between China and Nigeria and remove the need to first source for U.S. Dollars before payments for transactions involving the two countries.

    The CBN through the Banker’ Committee and in collaboration with all banks in Nigeria also inaugurated a centralised biometric identification system for the banking industry tagged: “Bank Verification Number (BVN)”.

    NAN

  • I heard Dino threatening to kill himself, implicate police – Witness

    A witness, Insp. Abama Mallum on Thursday told an FCT High Court that he heard Sen. Dino Melaye shouting that he would kill himself and put the police in trouble.

    The witness, Mallum, driver with the IGP Special Tactical Squad, said that he overheard Melaye, make the threat while attempting to escape for police custody.

    He made the allegation while testifying in the ongoing trial of Melaye for attempted suicide; attempt to escape from custody and damage to police property, filed against Melaye.

    Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District, is facing trial on six counts of attempted suicide; attempt to escape from custody and damage to police property.

    The witness informed the court that while on duty on April 24, 2018, Asp. Amos Boka, told him to convey Melaye and some police officers to Lokoja.

    “As we moved around 2 pm by Area I roundabout, a white Toyota Hilux blocked me, I applied the brakes. The vehicle knocked off my side-mirror.

    Read Also: Breaking: Masked policemen whisk away Senator Dino Melaye

    “I heard the Senator shouting at the officers. I then heard the sound of a glass breaking.

    ”All of a sudden, I Sen. Melaye jumped out of the vehicle, shouting that he would not go to Lokoja.”

    The witness alleged that Melaye had a sharp instrument in his hands and he was shouting: ”I will kill myself and put the police in trouble.

    “At this point, the police officers pleaded with the defendant to get back in the car but he refused.

    “A crowd had also started gathering in Area I. I was ordered to put the car in reverse and go back to the office,” he said.

    Mallum alleged that a white van blocked the car he was driving.

    Counsel to the defendant, Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN, requested the court go to the car park where the vehicles tendered as exhibits were kept so that the witness can identify the car.

    Justice Silvanus Oriji then adjourned the case to until May 27 for cross-examination.

    NAN

  • Why I set up transition committee — Okowa

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Thursday said he would like to leave a legacy in the state that would judge him as having done very well as governor.

    He also explained why he set up the transition committee despite the fact that he would still continue as governor for a second term.

    The governor spoke after receiving the report of the 20-man Transition committee which was presented by its Chairman, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire in Government House, Asaba.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oyovbaire presented the report before other members of the committee and some state executive council members.

    Okowa said that the report had become necessary to x-ray the performance of his administration in the last four years and suggest ways forward in his second term.

    He thanked members of the committee for their commitment to the affairs of the state which led to the speedy delivery of the report.

    “On behalf of the government and the people of Delta State, I want to thank the Chairman of the committee and its members for putting up this report within six weeks of inaugurating this committee.

    “I believe that most of the things we did in the first tenure were as a result of the implementation of the report of the transition committee which we acted on.

    Read Also: Okowa admonishes Nigerians on peace, unity

    “And as such, the report of this committee will be very useful to us as we work for a stronger Delta in the next four years.

    “Some persons have asked me why we are setting up transition committee, bearing in mind that I am continuing as Governor till 2023.

    “I told them that the committee needed to assess what we did in the first tenure independently, advise us on what to do in the areas we need to improve on, and to also applaud us in the areas we need to sustain, because I will like to be remembered at the end of my tenure as a Governor who has done very well,” Okowa said.

    Earlier, Oyovbaire while presenting the report, commended the governor for setting up the transition committee.

    He disclosed that the committee considered a lot of issues before arriving at the report.

    The committee chairman urged the governor to make the report available to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)when approved, to ensure synergy in the delivery of benefits of democracy to the people of the state.

    NAN

  • Constituents to Ekweremadu: We’ll decide when you should retire from Senate

    The people of Enugu West Senatorial Zone have rejected the decision by the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu not to return to the senate in 2023.

    They said that they have the final say whether their representative will return to the Senate in 2023 or not.

    Ekweremadu had last weekend during his birthday celebration in Enugu declared that he would not be contesting for the Senate position again having been re-elected for the fifth time.

    But the in a statement issued on the matter his constituents said, “in truth, His Excellency, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu is a man of history whose destiny is intertwined with the yearning and aspirations of his people. In real term, we, his people have the final say on where he goes to on our behalf in 2023.”

    Under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Enugu West Senatorial District the statement was signed by Hon Alex Ogbonna, Rt. S.K.E Udeh Okoye, Hon. Chigozie Akalusi, Hon Donatus Uzogbado, Hon. Ralp Onovo, Hon Mike Chukwu and Hon. Princess Chioma Chiaha.

    They pointed that Ekweremadu has a right to his opinions, “but we, his people, have the final word, as always, in his political decisions, now and in the future.

    “Sen. Prof. Ike Ekweremadu, Ph.D, CFR, Deputy Senate President during his 57th birthday celebration recently in Enugu State to the effect that he will not be seeking re-election into the Senate come 2023.

    “While our respect and admiration for the Distinguished Senator remains unshaken, we are minded to state that Senator Ike Ekweremadu is a product of our collective mandate and to that extent answerable to his constituents in all matters relating to his services to our people; including his decisions concerning his political future in 2023.

    “As a people, we reserve the right to determine where Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s services are most suitable for the overall interest of our people. At the appropriate time, we will decide if we are best served by his continued stay in the Senate or otherwise.

    Read Also: Senate exit: Saraki, Ekweremadu, Ortom, extol Mark

    “We are certain that in his meteoric rise to prominence in Nigeria and the world at large, he has had little or no control in determining his choice of service to his people. For instance, it was members of his age grade in Mpu that collectively decided to entrust him with the chairmanship of the age grade at a time he least expected it at the tender age of 10.

    “The same is true about the decision of the entire Mpu community to elect him as the President-General of the Town Union. His election as the Executive Chairman of Aninri LG was also the outcome of the collective decision of the Leaders of Thought of Aninri LGA.

    “His becoming the Chief of Staff to former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and later the Secretary to the Enugu State Government was also a fortuitous interplay of forces involving the former governor and other major stakeholders in Enugu State at that time who wanted him to serve in such capacities.

    “The same is true of his election into the Senate in 2003, which was a collective decision of the people of Enugu-West. Of significance is the fact that in his recent re-election into the Senate for a record 5th term, the decision was not his but a collective resolve of the people of Enugu-West who themselves bought the nomination form for him.

    “We also make bold to state that his emergence as the Deputy Senate President for a record third term was not of his own volition but by the collective approval of his colleagues in the Senate who saw in him an uncommon trait and capacity to serve in that position.

    “In essence, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s political trajectory could be likened to the wind, which you can hear but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. In the same vein, no one can actually explain how Ike Ekweremadu got to where he is today; but one thing that is certain is that he did not ascend to any of the aforementioned positions by his own volition or decision but by the Will of God and the consent of his people.

    “Thus far, we are satisfied with his stewardship since he emerged on our political horizon as a leader. He has represented us effectively and has attracted numerous democracy dividends to our people.

    “We, therefore, charge him to raise the bar on his performance in the 9th Senate, which will soon be inaugurated and keep the flag of his illustrious performance aloft. Presently, let us concentrate on the task ahead essentially because we know that emerging events will define our preferences in 2023.”

  • 2019 UTME overall best gets scholarship

    Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, has given scholarships to the two overall best candidates – Franklin Ekene and Emmanuel Chidiebube – in the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    This is coming days after the candidates were said to be ineligible for admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) because they are underage.

    Gregory University, in a statement by its Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Augustine Uwakwe, said the scholarships are comprehensive, and covers tuition and hostel fees throughout the duration of their programme.

    Uwakwe added that the institution would be providing an academic incubation programme for the gifted candiates to adequately prepare them for subsequent matriculation.

    The statement reads: “Sequel to the earlier offer of scholarship by our Chancellor, Prof Gregory Ibe, to Ezenala Ekene Franklin and Igbam Emmanuel Chidiebube, for their excellent performances in the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and subsequent perceived Ekene’s inability to gain admission into his university of first choice because of age, the management hereby makes the following pronouncements:

    -the scholarship grant announced by the Chancellor is in tandem with the vision, mission and aspirations of the founding fathers of Gregory University, Uturu, and has subsequently been rectified by our management.

    -that the scholarship package is comprehensive, covering tuition and hostel fees throughout the duration of their programme.

    -we shall provide an academic incubation programme for the gifted students which will adequately prepare them for subsequent matriculation.

    -the candidates are free to approach our admission unit to begin their intake protocols and obtain guidance on how they can be absorbed into any of our highly competitive programmes, comprising Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Engineering, Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences, Humanities Social Sciences and Management Sciences.”

  • Oshiomhole, other APC leaders behind my ordeal, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has attributed his current political travails to some national leaders of the All Progressives Party (APC) whose emergence he objected to.

    Okorcha accused the said national leaders of the APC and “other political adversaries” of instigating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and related agencies against him and members of his family.

    He also blamed the said political adversaries for why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to issue him with a certificate of return after being declared the winner of the last election in lmo West Senatorial District.

    Okorocha raised these allegations in two fundamental rights suit he filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/474/19 and FHC/ABJ/CS/475/19.

    Listed as respondents in the suits are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the State Security Service (SS) the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    Of all the respondents, it is only the SSS that has responded by filing counter-affidavits as at Tuesday when the cases were mentioned.

    In the counter- affidavits, filed by G. O. A. Agbadua, the SSS faulted Okorocha’s claims and denied planning to arrest either the governor or members of his family

    In the application filed for Okorocha, his lawyer stated that he “has found himself in a politically adversarial position to some powerful members of the APC over the choice of the national officers of the party before and since the convention of the party was conducted to elect new national officers of the APC.

    “The applicant had supported a candidate for the position of National Chairman of the APC other than the current incumbent, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole and by reason of various events that occurred at the time including the detention of Mr. Adams Oshiomhole by the EFCC on allegations of corruption it was assumed that the applicant was a party to that incident.

    “Some of the supporters of Adams Oshiomhole at the time are currently very influential in the Federal Government of Nigeria, which is controlled by the APC.

    Read Also: Okorocha: INEC lacks power to reverse my election

    “These individuals including the said current National Chairman have decided to carry out a vendetta and revenge against the applicant including instigating the respondents against the applicant upon their spurious conclusion without evidence that the applicant is guilty of corrupt practices as Governor of Imo State.

    “The respondents, proceeding from this position that the applicant is guilty unless proved innocent, between 2017 and now, have extended not less than 25 invitations to the applicant In purported investigation of projects executed by the into state government In a bid to find some material to justify their conclusion that he is guilty of corrupt practices.

    “This witch hunt, is clearly politically motivated, baseless, and has been designed only to discredit and humiliate the applicant in a bid to decimate him politically.

    “Sometime in May 2017 the 4th respondent, acting in furtherance of the plan of the applicant’s political enemies, invaded the applicant’s house in Jos, Plateau State and while holding his staff and family members hostage ransacked the entire house in the hope to find something incriminating against the applicant.

    “The matter became a subject of litigation in the Jos division of this honourable court over the validity of the search warrant the 4th respondent relied on for that invasion and although the court found that the search warrant was valid, it also confirmed at page 22 of the judgment, based on the admission of the 4th respondent, that nothing incriminating was found against the applicant.

    “Rather than give up their pursuit of the applicant, the respondents acting on the instigation of the applicant’s enemies, have continued the vendetta against the applicant.

    “Upon the conclusion of the senatorial election held on the February 23rd 2019 into the national assembly, the applicant was duly elected as senator to represent Imo West Senatorial District by the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.

    “The applicant’s political adversaries within the APC were embittered by the applicant’s victory at the polls and have sworn to ensure that the applicant is either not sworn in as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or is removed for not fulfilling the constitutional minimum attendance requirements.

    “In this regard, they instigated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the applicant’s certificate of return on the unfounded allegation that the Returning Officer was coerced to declare the applicant the winner of the election.

    “Not satisfied with the withholding of the applicant’s certificate of return, those powerful forces with the APC have commenced fresh spate of attacks against the applicant on the baseless allegation that he embezzled the funds belonging to Imo state government in order to ensure that the applicant is politically decimated.

    “The plan has now reached a crescendo and desperation in view of the failure of the respondents to find anything incriminating against the applicant and the decision now taken is to arrest and detain the applicant as soon as he hands over power to the newly elected governor of Imo state on the 29tln of May 2019 and using the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, detain him indefinitely in order that cause may be found to have him removed from his seat as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to which he was recently elected.

    *The plan has also been expanded to include a reign of terror against the applicant’s political, business associates and family members including his wife and children Uioma Rochas, Uju Rochas, Uchechi Rochas, Ahamefula Rochas, Amen Rochas, Amamchi Rochas, Uzoma Anwukah and Uche Nwosu.

    *The applicant has not committed any offence to warrant the incessant threats of arrest, detention, the harassment and terror being unleashed upon him and his family.

    “It is therefore important that this honourable court as the “Fundamental Rights Court” intervene to ensure that this abuse of power and misfeasance in public office by the respondents against the applicant is abated and the fundamental rights of the applicant to be presumed innocent until proved guilty, to liberty and freedom of movement are enforced.

    “Unless this honourable court intervenes to enforce and/or secure the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and to freedom of movement and liberty by making the orders sought in this application, the 1st to 6th respondents will be used by the applicant’s political adversaries for the purpose of their infringement as stated above.

    “The applicant apprehends from the above that his fundamental rights and those of his staff, associates and family members are about to be infringed by the respondents in Abuja as soon as he commences his next assignment as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “This honorable court has the power to grant the reliefs sought in this application to enforce the applicant’s fundamental rights.”

    The SSS, in one of its counter-affidavits, said it is not aware and not part of any plan to arrest and/or detain the applicant (Okorocha) over alleged investigation of the applicant.

    “The 3rd respondent (SSS) did not meet with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the applicant.

    “The 3rd respondent has not invited the applicant or any member of his family and/or staff for investigation.

    “Where there is a course to commence any investigation whatsoever against any person including the applicant the 3rcl respondent follows legal procedures in conducting investigation.

    “The Applicant cannot stop security and law enforcement agencies from conducting investigation.”

  • Police explain closure of road in Abuja

    The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) says closure of the road leading to Court of Appeal, venue of Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, is to secure the area.

    The police, in the early hours of Wednesday, closed the access road leading to the tribunal, causing traffic gridlock around the city centre.

    The command`s Spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, in a statement, said that the closure was for Wednesday only and was to prevent breakdown of law and order.

    Read Also: Police parade suspected criminals

    “The command wants to reiterate that its action was purely to avoid any clash that might arise between supporters of political parties involved in the case.

    “The command seizes this medium to appreciate residents for their usual cooperation and reassure them that their safety is its utmost priority,’’ he said.

    Manzah said that the command regretted the inconveniences the closure might have caused residents of the territory.

    NAN