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Tag: Yemi Osinbajo

  • Osinbajo urges editors to save journalism from bad eggs

    Nigeria’s Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has charged the Nigerian Guild of Editors to make personal sacrifices to save the profession.

    He urged them to act fast to save the profession from bad eggs in the interest of the profession.

    Osinbajo spoke on Thursday in Asaba-the Delta State Capital, at the 14th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference.

    The event with theme:”Credible Elections, Sustainable Democracy and the Nigerian Media” drew media professionals from across the country.

    His words,”The duty of the leaders of the profession is to make the personal sacrifices that would save the profession. What is the point of the executive of the Bar Association or the Guild of Editors if we cannot call out the corrupt and the unethical practices,if we cannot surgically removed the bad eggs in the interest of the profession and in the interest of our earnings.when a threat is existential,the response needs to be radical”.

    According to him,a threat that is existential needs a radical response.

    He said although the advances in technology poses a grave threat to many professions including law, journalism,and accounting, stressing that journalism practitioners are more complicit.

    He said many professions have lost the trust of their respective public’s due to the actions of a few bad eggs.

    Read Also: Court slams N1m bail on man over alleged wife battery

    He said the Guild of Editors is a society of gatekeepers to whom belong the “enormous task of defining the ethics,mores, and ethos of your profession, and the burden of setting the acceptable rules,the conventions and practices of the profession”.

    He said it is the duty of the leaders of the profession to ensure that rules are enforced and kept.

    Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa in an address at the occasion said for democracy to flourish,the opposition must be allowed to exist and play its role without let or hindrance.

    He said the PDP played a key role in sustaining Nigeria’ s democracy,adding that it’s loss of the presidency in 2015 was a step taken to deepen democracy.

  • 2019: Buhari not jittery over Atiku, APC govs declare 

    Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari and the party are not jittery over the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the main opposition Presidential candidate in 2019 election.

    Atiku was elected by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as its Presidential flag bearer during the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after leading four governors of the party to a closed-door meeting with President Buhari over the just concluded party’s primaries, Chairman of the APC Governors Forum and Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, was optimistic that Buhari would be reelected in 2019.

    Other governors at the meeting attended by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, included Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Abdullahi Gamduje (Kano); Kashim Shettima (Borno); and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos)

    Also at the meeting was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

    Okorocha said that the party had no reason to lose sleep over Atiku’s emergence.

    According to him, the party has concluded not to engage in any verbal attacks with any candidate in the forthcoming election.

    He said that the APC governors were at the State House not only to congratulate Buhari for being elected as the party’s presidential candidate, but to also request for a date when they would bring all the party’s governorship candidates to him to show their readiness for the 2019 political battles.

    He added “For the Governors to come together with our followers and supporters to further inform the world for our readiness to deliver him in 2019 election.

    “This is just basically the message we have come and to say that Mr. President is more than ever ready for the entire exercise.

    “Our election this time will not engage on castigations or talking. We will be taking on issues, Nigerians are tired of political abuses, what we want to be talking about is issues, the tract records of people involved in our elections.

    “Nigerians are very wise now, before they elect anybody they will ask questions, what has been your tract records, who were you before, who are you now and everything about you. And for that reason we are confident that in 2019, APC will go through.

    “We have also looked at the issues concerning our primaries, in every democracy, you should expect a kind of disagreement and we have kindly requested that something be done to bring warring factions together so that we can have a united party to face the challenges ahead and we are happy that will soon take place.

    “Most of the problems have been resolved except for one or two states where we have issues and where it becomes more difficult, we ask for Mr. President’s intervention in the matter.

    “We are talking about reconciliation, what is important to us is that we must never go into this battle, a divided family and we want to make sure that all governors are intact, all national assembly members are intact while going into this battle. We will never speak differently, we will speak as members of the party.” he said

    On whether the controversy surrounding the Zamfara State APC primaries was part of the discussion, he said, “Zamfara is one of the issues that we have addressed also.”

    Asked whether the APC was jittery because of the emergence of for Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential candidate of the PDP and his tough stance since he emerged, he said that the party was not jittery at all.

    He said, “I don’t know about talking tough, we can’t be jittery and history is there to speak, history is very important and it is there to speak so like I said we are not going to engage in this verbal war with anybody, we will be talking about issues. If we say look, you are not good, we tell you what we can do and we cannot do and what others cannot do.

    “APC is not going to join in those talk shop but right we are discussing issues of what our party can for our people.”

    On what was the President’s response, he said, “The President is quite happy with the whole outing and he is looking for a date to invite the governors, in fact, he will give us a date to celebrate him and tell the world our joy and happiness that he emerged as our Presidential flag bearer which is victory assured 2019.”

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha described the APC governors meeting with the President as a welcome development.

    He said, “It is a welcome development, we are one big family in a contest there is bound to be winners and losers but in the spirit of the game of politics which is like any other sports, after the game is over, whoever has emerged victorious must be magnanimous and gracious in his victory and whoever has lost out will also accept it in the spirit of sportsmanship.

    “So, this is a welcome move, our governor who is the Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, has spoken rightly all the things that are in motion to ensure that we quickly heal the wounds and bring the family together for a greater task ahead.

    “We are a government that has credibly performed this morning I had the privilege of laying before the council a compendium of the policies, the programmes and the projects initiated and implemented by this government in two and half years. A total of one thousand and forty two page documents, not stories, facts of what we have been able to achieve.

    “I think we are set to record, this campaign will be driven by issues, this campaign must be predicated on what you are able to bring to the table for the people of Nigeria. It is not going to be a noisy campaign, anybody that is preparing for noise should be prepared to receive defeat in February of 2019,” he said.

  • Ogun 2019: Group hails Oshiomhole, NWC, others

    ..says emergence of Abiodun as APC flagbearer vindicates our Cause – Ijebu – Remo Forum

     

    Ijebu – Remo Forum on Wednesday declared that the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun a week ago as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State from the authentic primary of APC is a vindication of the clamour by the forum that it is the turn of Ijebu – Remo(Ogun East) to produce the next governor.

    The Forum, therefore, lauded the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, for standing firm on the authentic primary that produced the candidature of Dapo Abiodun, saying the “uncommon courage shown” by him, saved the outcome from turning into a different thing.

    This is contained in a statement by the Chairman of the group, Aare Olu Dawodu and Secretary, Prince Segun Aderigbigbe made available to reporters after the Forum’s meeting on Tuesday evening in Sagamu, Ogun State, to review the APC primary in the state.

    The group noted that efforts were made to hijack the process of the primary in the name of the party to foist a particular candidate from Ogun West on party members by conducting an unauthorized primary election which it had no power to do and which, regrettably, almost resulted to a descent to anarchy.

    They also hailed President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice -President Yemi Osinbajo for standing firm in support of due process and discipline over the party’s primary.

    According to the Ijebu – Remo forum, members of the National Working Committee Electoral panel to Ogun State led by Muhammad Indabawa (Chairman) and Senator Gbenga Aluko ( Secretary ) as well as their colleagues – Ali Magashi, Mathew Omeagara, Kabir Ahmed, Osita Okechukwu, Echeza Oshogwe and Alhaji Abdul Azeez Anuhi should also be commended for “their forthrightness and admirable courage and integrity in the face of serious intimidation and coercion.”

    They, however, assured that despite the intensity of contest that attended the race for the APC governorship ticket in the state,
    the Ijebu and Remo people are no enemies of the Yewa and Awori people, saying they (Ijebu and Remo) are a people with a deep sense of history, justice and fairness which they seek for themselves and for others.

    “We the leaders of Ijebu/Remo Forum are delighted by the triumph of an idea we have championed at all levels for nearly two years that it was the turn of Ijebu and Remo to produce the next governor of Ogun State which cause has now been vindicated.

    “We observe that an effort was made to hijack the process in the name of the party in Ogun State to foist a particular candidate from Ogun West on the APC by conducting an unauthorized primary election which it had no power under the party constitution to do and which, regrettably, nearly resulted into a descent to anarchy.

    “We observe that it took a very determined NWC appointed Committee to be able to carry out its mandate and to conduct the gubernatorial primary even in the face of serious security threat and intimidation.

    “We observe further that the security situation in a state which had, hitherto, enjoyed relative peace under the present administration, became extremely tense as some people attempted to unleash mayhem on the people of Ogun State generally and to harass party faithfuls to be able to impose their agenda.

    “This Forum has always believed that from the perspective of history, precedent, social contract, fairness and justice it was the turn of the Ijebu/Remo axis of the state to produce the next governor in support of which we had repeatedly appealed to all concerned that the effort to change the time hallowed process was ill-advised and was bound to fail or could cost the APC the gubernatorial election.

    “This Forum worked hard for the emergence of a consensus candidate from Ijebu and Remo and even though this was met with limited success, this did not remove the compass the Forum had established for this cause and the leadership it provided to our people to be able to actualize the cause.

    “We are pleased to note that in the end, Prince Adedapo Abiodun, MFR, an experienced political activist from Ogun East emerged as the winner of the authentic primary and therefore becomes the flag bearer of the APC in the Ogun State gubernatorial election in 2019.

    “We observe that a good number of his opponents from Ogun East, have congratulated Prince Adedapo Abiodun and pledged their support to him. This is as it should be and we trust that all the former contestants will join hands to support the candidate,” the statement reads in parts.

  • Osinbajo, Bindow meet in Aso Rock

    Bindow sneaks out of Villa after meeting 

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday met behind closed doors with Adamawa State Governor  Jibrilla Bindow at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
    After over one hour closed doors meeting, Bindow dodged journalists who were waiting to interview him on the primary elections in his state.
    He was sneaked out from the Vice President’s office through the back door when the meeting ended around 5p.m
    Recalled that the Wife of the President, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, whose brother lost Adamawa APC governorship ticket to Bindow, had on Sunday blamed the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, over what she described as impunity and unfairness in the conduct of the primary elections of the party.
    She had claimed that the party appeared to have granted automatic tickets to some political office aspirants while denying others the opportunity to contest after paying huge amounts of money to purchase nomination forms.

    Read Also: Osinbajo’s new tribe

    Aisha Buhari regretted that despite coming from Labour background, Oshiomhole left the side of the people and presided over the impunity.
    According to series of post on Twitter handle, @aishabuhari, she also dissociated herself from the exercise.
    She urged Nigerians to resist the impunity.
    She tweeted: “It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices.
    “Many others contested and yet had their result delayed. Fully knowing that automatic tickets have been given to other people.
    “All Progressives Congress being a party whose cardinal principle is change and headed by a comrade/ activist whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under its watch.
    “It is important for the populace to rise against impunity and for voters to demand from aspirants to be committed to the provision of basic amenities such as: Potable drinking water, Basic health care ( Primary Health Care centers).
    “Given this development one will not hesitate than dissociate from such unfairness, be neutral and speak for the voiceless.

  • Don’t drag Osinbajo into Ogun politics, group tells Anisulowo

    In the wake of the political drama unfolding in Ogun state, a political group, Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD), has warned Senator Iyabo Anisulowo and other politicians against dragging Vice President Yemi Osinbajo into the ongoing political drama in the state.

    The Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) noted that although the Vice President is an indigene of Ikenne in Ogun state, he has never meddled in the politics of Ogun or influenced the outcome of electoral or political processes in the state.

    In a statement issued in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun state, the President of the group, James Akinloye, pointed out that politics is local and what is happening in Ogun is beyond the Vice President.

    He explained that the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun and Adekunle Akinlade as governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in parallel primaries, have nothing to do with the VP.

    “Prof Osinbajo knows nothing about the zoning to Ogun East or Ogun West and has never campaigned or urged voters to support any of the candidates,” Akinloye said.

    “We all know that the Vice President resides and votes in Lagos State even though he is an indigene of Ogun. To the best of our knowledge, he has never mingled in Ogun politics and has nothing to do with what is going on.

    Akinloye stressed that the APC oversaw the primaries and had the National Working Committee (NWC) posted to states across the country.

    “To drag the Vice President into this is completely unfair. Senator Anisulowo is only whipping up sentiments where there is none.

    “The APC NWC was charged with conducting the primaries in Ogun state and other states across the country and they should be held responsible if the election is not free or fair.

    “Calling out Prof. Osinbajo because he is from Ogun is completely petty and unbecoming,” Akinloye stated.

    He added that in other states where two candidates emerged the name of the Vice President was not mentioned.

    The group cautioned the former Minister of State for Education against promoting violence and hatred in the state.

     

  • Osinbajo to Lead Discussion on Ease of Doing Business TAAC Forum

    Vice President Professor Osinbajo is set to deliver the keynote on Technology As A Catalyst: Ease of Doing Business conference in Lagos on Friday 5th October.

    The forum is organised by leading law firm Perchstone and Graeys in partnership with IT consultancy outfit Knowledge Resources.

    Other key officials of the Federal Government including Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment and Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, and heads of technology intensive government parastatals are also expected to grace the event.

    Managing Director of Knowledge Resources, Gerald Ilukwe stated that the conference has the objective of highlighting the gains achieved so far from leveraging technology in public service delivery to enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

    The event which will bring together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors will also seek to identify opportunities for further technology driven improvement in reducing the menace of corruption and excessive bureaucracy as both remain major disincentives for Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria.

    The organizers have stated that they will closely monitor the communiqué arising from this conference and hold both the public and private sectors accountable for its full implementation.

  • Buhari, Gowon, observe Independence Day parade at Eagle Square

    Saraki, Dogara absent 

     

    Against all odds, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday observed the 58th Independence Day parade at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    The last time the ceremony held at the Eagles Square was in 2010 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    That parade in 2010 was marred by bomb blasts.

    Since that year, subsequent independence anniversary parade were held in low key at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Buhari, who already made national broadcast marking the 58th independence anniversary at 7am, on Monday broke the jinx and arrived the Eagles Square venue of the parade around 9.30am.

    But the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara were conspicuously absent at the Eagle Square.

    According to the programme circulated to guests, they were listed to arrive the venue by 9.10a.m for the event.

    Saraki and Dogara have recently dumped the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Others who attended the ceremony included Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, the former Heads of State, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar.

    Former military leader, Oladipo Diya and cabinet members also attended the parade.

    There was inspection of guards by President Buhari, which was followed by march past in slow and quick time.

    There was also march past by para-military organisations, agencies and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) mounted troops.

    Also on display were military equipment march past on low loaders

    Police dogs displaying the trainings they had acquired also thrilled the guests while outriders also displayed their skills.

    There was also aerial show by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

    Recalled that while training for the aerial show, there was two jets crash on Friday, which claimed the life of one pilot and leaving two wounded survivors.

    Rounding off the ceremony at the Eagles Square, there were firing of volleys and 21 gun salute by the military personnel.

    Before departing the venue, President Buhari signed the 58th Independence anniversary register.

    Speaking to journalists at the end of the ceremony, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said “You have seen what we displayed today, we are capable of defending this nation.”

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, noted that the last time independence anniversary was celebrated in full was in 2010.

    Read Also: Full text: Muhammadu Buhari’s 58th Independence Day address

    According to him, a child born seven years would not have idea of how independence anniversary is celebrated in Nigeria.

    He said that there is relative calm in the north east and checkmating of banditry in the North West and north central as a result of acquisition of more military equipment under the present administration.

    He urged Nigerians to be patient and trust the leadership of President Buhari.

    Shortly after Buhari and the dignitaries left the venue, some APC youths wearing black T-shirt took over the arena.

    In a procession with the APC flag, they started moving around, singing songs in support of President Buhari towards the 2019 Presidential election.

    Trouble however started when somebody, who infiltrated the group, stole the telephone set of one of the youth.

    Rather than submit the telephone set when he was caught, he drew out dagger to scare away those who tried to get the telephone set from him.

    With the thief’s supporters at the venue backing him, it almost turned to free for all fight.

    They ran, pushed and pursued one another around the venue for over 15 minutes.

    It got bloody when some of the thief’s gang started throwing stones, which made the youths to run helter skelter around the venue for safety.

    One young boy of about 15 years was not too lucky as one of the stones landed on his head.

    The boy, who was bleeding profusely, was given first aid treatment by some members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps at the venue.

     

     

  • Independence: Nigeria ‘ll be great again, says Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said Nigeria will be great again.

    He spoke during the 58th Independence Day Interdenominational Service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.

    According to him, the season for Nigeria’s promotion and progress has come.

    He said: “This anniversary is an opportunity to bless our nation. Nigeria, this 58th year of independence will mark a great new beginning of peace, prosperity, abundance.

    “Nigeria, you will be exalted, you will not fall, you will excel, you will rise beyond the imagination of the world, you will be a pride to Africa and the world.

    “This is the season of your exultation Nigeria, the season of your renewal, season of your restoration. All that we have lost will be restored, where we have failed, we will succeed.

    “We declare that deaths and destruction, every device of Satan has failed over Nigeria.”

    Osinbajo prayed for the family of the pilot, who died  in the Nigerian Air Force jets crash and the survivors.

    In his message entitled “Harnessing our diversity for National development” Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, likened the present Nigeria to the Corinthian church, which failed to harness its diversified gifts for its collective greatness.

    Taking his message from 1st Corinthians 12:14-27, he said “Our national development has not matched our great possibilities like the Corinthian church.”

    Nigeria, he said, could easily become the envy of many nations if there is commitment to national development.

    Some of the problems facing the country, he said, included contention and divisions among Nigerians, worldly wisdom aimed at destroying the nation’s deliverers.

    Others are blindness by selfish ingratitude, pride in harmful dissipations, crimes against fellowmen, families under siege, losing conscience in the nation.

    The clergy listed other problems to include waning of selfless sacrifice for the good of others, Nigeria toeing the path of previous nations that destroyed themselves, lack of discernment and increasing reactionary individualism.

    He proposed seven solutions to Nigeria’s problems.

    According to him, there is need to rethink the priorities of the country and the church, repentance, reconciling for peaceful partnership, reconnect for purposeful pursuit, recommit to positive principles, redirect Nigeria’s plans and projects, and to renew passion for progress.

    He further gave three critical factors including interdependence of diverse potential for national development, interconnection of diversified people for national development, and interrelationship of dissimilar personalities for national development.

    On diversity, he said: “Unless each diverse member recognises and accepts his role in the whole body, diversity will divide rather than unite, destroy rather than build up.

    “In the nation’s interdependence and harmonious coordination is our strength, wisdom, glory, peace, progress, productivity, greatness, and expected position in the comity of nations.

    “Selfishness is never satisfied and envy is never content. Independence, interrelationship, interconnection, in that lies the promise and the power for national development.” he said

    On interconnection, he said “Unqualified, rugged individualism is the bane rather than the bone of growth, progress, development and glory of any nation.

    “The philosophy of independence that promotes self-sufficiency contradicts God’s plan for each individual and the nation. Man’s inclination to do his own thing, his own way, done by himself, without depending on others or connecting with others of different perspectives is short-sighed and disadvantageous, to say the least.

    “In God’s infinite wisdom and incomprehensive providence, He has put seemingly diverse people together to fulfil His divine will. What God has connected together, let not short-sighed reasoning disconnect.

    “Any nation intent on fulfilling great, predictable destiny, must make the interconnection of their diversified populace non-negotiable.

    “Our national development demands that those who say ‘they don’t need me’ and those who think ‘I have no need of you’, realise their divinely ordained interconnection.”

    On interrelationship, he said: “In the nation, mutual support and encouragement, sincere recognition and involvement of all well meaning and qualified citizens are necessary to avoid wastage of lives and resources.”

    He added: “There is no disdain for one another, no rivalry or unhealthy competition, no false humility or fatal pride, no inferiority or vain superiority, no retaliatory indifference or reactionary independence, we can, we must and we do put the past behind us to build a great nation for the present and the coming generations.

    “Interdependent, interconnected, interrelated we are on our way to national greatness, we are unstoppable.”

    Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon urged God to touch the heart of Nigerian leaders.

    He also prayed that nothing will disrupt the country’s peace  as the 2019 general elections is approach.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)  Boss Mustapha noted that Nigeria had not celebrated independence anniversary elaborately since the 2010 bomb blast until now.

    “We thank God that we can now celebrate it fully in 2018.”

    According to him, Nigeria is on the path to greatness.

    “We will not fail Nigerians,” he said.

    Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen read the first scripture taken from Exodus 13:8-13.

    Gen. Gowon read the second scripture from First Corinthians 12:4-18.

    House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who was scheduled to read the second Scripture, was absent.

    There was intercessory prayers for the nation, for the President, Vice President, legislature and the judiciary.

    Prayers were also said for peaceful coexistence, families, unity of the church, Nigeria at 58, and 2019 general elections.

    Special rendition was given by CAN Mass Choir, and other invited choir group.

    Present  were Vice President’s  wife Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, Victoria Agui lrosi, and Mrs Beatrice Ekwueme, among others.

    Some service chiefs and cabinet members were also there.

  • Buhari to launch unity photo exhibition

    *As Osinbajo’s aide seeks national unity through pictures

     

    Towards overcoming conflicts and other factors tearing the country apart, President Muhammadu Buhari next Monday is scheduled to launch unity photo exhibition in Abuja.

    The coordinator of the exhibition under the platform of ANISZA, Novo Isioro, who is the Personal Photographer to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, briefed journalists in Abuja.

    She is also the Special Assistant to the President on Visual Communication.

    She said “These differences that we have should be celebrated and not become a problem. Why do I have to favour a Yoruba man over Igbo man? Why do I have to favour Hausa man over Yoruba man? Because we have a country before independence when it didn’t matter where you come from.

    “Then, even a northerner can contest and win elections in the west without any bias. Then, we all saw ourselves as one Nigeria, where we came together to achieve more. But nowadays, its so sad that when you want to rent just an apartment, the landlord will ask you if you are from Benue State or Kogi State or other parts of the country.

    “This is a personal experience and I have constantly been wondering why do I have to be from a particular region to get a house. It is that bad.

    “So, I just thought that this disunity has eaten us so deep and we should just do something about it. I personally thought that as a visual artist and photographer, I understand how image tells a lot more than just talking to a group of Nigerians.

    “So, I thought we should use pictures to tell the stories. I went into the archives before Nigeria’s independence.” she added

    According to her, the plan to launch the project has been on since October 1st last year.

    She also said that it has been very difficult to get the images that speaks of oneness of the people as Nigerians.

    She said “It is to show to Nigerians that there is really no difference among us, humans are humans, whether black or white or from the north, south, west or east.

    “So, we should stop the drama, the agitations and the hate speeches and let’s work together.
    It is actually focused on young people because people of my generation, that is 40 years downward, do not really understand the depth of our history. History was taken away from our curriculum, I think it is now optional, in a nation where our youths know nothing about our heritage.

    “So, those were the things that were bothering me and we want to do something on, otherwise the young generation and the unborn ones will gradually come to a country where history is zero or dead.

    “It is a mobile gallery. The idea of unity exhibition has never been done in this country before. So the plan is to take the containerised structure to other states after FCT. We will focus on schools. We are inviting at least one secondary school from each state in Nigeria. We plan to host them for three days. The first day for exhibition, second day for workshop and third day a small excursion as they travel back to their states. President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the exhibition open next Monday, October 1.

    “Then we will now take it to other states, where we will be in a state for up to one month because we want all the young persons in the state to partake in the event.
    We are presently collaborating with the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Youths and Sports, and we hope to collaborate with more ministries and state governments.

    “Apart from this project majorly focusing on teaching our youths about our fast lost history, in terms of peace and unity that we used to have in the country, it also drawing attention to how we should pay handle our national archives and other related issues.

    “We are also drawing attention to the fact that just like English and Mathematics, we cannot take History subject away from our curriculum even up to tertiary institutions. This is the major reason why ANISZA came to life.” she added

    ANISZA, she said, is formed from three Indeginous languages in Nigeria.

    “We got Anukonu from Igbo, Ishokan from Yoruba and Zamantare from Hausa. So the first two letters from the three formed ANISZA. We are proposing that it is our new unity word showing that we are together.” she said

    The Managing Editor of Daily Times of Nigeria, Bonaventure Melah said that Daily Times is partnering with the project because it has existed for 92 years and has records and archives of events that have happened in the country.

    He said “There are certain things they want that are not in the national archives but in our archive. There were some stories published and relevant to what they are doing that could only be found in the oldest newspaper, Daily Times.” he said

    A Museum and Heritage Consultant, Mayo Adediran, pointed out that monuments are reminders of past history.

    He said “The day we will realize the cultural content packaged into this country, everybody will go to bed with the two eyes closed.

    “The cultural resources that is locked up in this country is amazing. When you go into the antiquity of Nigeria, there are so many similarities in our differences dating back culturally to the landmarks of Nigeria before 500 AD.

    “So where is that love of our first existence? We should begin to ask how do we get back there. We should trace our steps back to where we missed it.” he said

    Sadiq Bello, who is providing Technical Support for ANISZA, said “I believe you have seen what we are doing on our site. Hopefully, it’s going to be nationwide.

    “We are trying to put up a little structure that can be moved from one location to the other, creating awareness wherever we go and bringing back the whole idea of unity.

    “There will be art exhibition on October 1st, 2018 in Abuja. Pictures in containers will take you on a journey from pre-independence to date. The whole concept is to spark all those senses of unity and see that we are actually a great nation.” he stated

  • FEC okays $64m contract for Escravos power supply

    The Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) meeting on Wednesday approved $64 million for power supply to Escravos communities.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, if executed, it will stop the N18 million spent monthly by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to provide power to the area.

     

    Details Later…