Welcome to Nollywood Times |
- ASUU STRIKE: Stakeholders split over FG, lecturers’ face-off
- New Year message: Nigeria Police has failed – Ekweremadu speaks on 2019
- 2019 ELECTION: I challenge you to report me to EFCC – Atiku tells Buhari, others
- 2019: Buhari’s New year message to Nigerians, full text.
- 2019 ELECTIONS: Why most Nigerians are political illiterates – Oby Ezekwesili (VIDEO)
- 2019 ELECTION: Tinubu speaks on Buhari’s re-election bid, 2019 Presidency
- Real reasons North is ‘extremely poor’ – Shehu Sani
- 1983 COUP: How Buhari stopped Shehu Shagari from industrializing Nigeria – NLC President, Wabba
- US group makes revelations on Buhari govt, Boko Haram, deaths of Badeh, Alkali
- Govt orders $877m arms to fight Boko Haram, others
- Atiku in Adamawa: vote out Buhari
- Adamawa Assembly dissolves standing committees
- Taxpayers database hits 35m, says JTB
- IT News Africa: Most Read Stories Of 2018
- Busted: Saraki didn’t donate a dime to Offa robbery victims
- Food for the hungry being stolen in Yemen: WFP
- NASA spaceship hurtles to photograph tiny cosmic object Ultima Thule
- Vatican spokesman Burke, deputy resign
- Senator Warren challenges Trump for 2020
- Ambode swears in Muri-Okunola Lagos youngest Head of Service
- Offa Robbery: Lai Mohammed threatens to expose Saraki, as he attacks the Senate President again
- Yuletide: Group wants FG to check high fares by Transporters
- Police dismiss 3 officers for stealing
- EPL: Harry Redknapp names club to win this season’s Premier League title
- Don't Miss These Thrilling Topics At The Digital Retail Forum 2019
| ASUU STRIKE: Stakeholders split over FG, lecturers’ face-off Posted: 31 Dec 2018 12:36 PM PST  They expressed their views in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos. ASUU had on November 4 embarked on what it described as a 'total, comprehensive and indefinite strike'. Prof. Kabir Akinyemi of the Faculty of Science, Lagos State University (LASU) said that the demands of ASUU were not outrageous. He said that the union had been magnanimous with the present administration since its inception. "ASUU cannot be treated like other unions in the country because in most cases, ASUU is always on the right direction in all facets of life," he said. Akinyemi urged the government to resume negotiation with the union as soon as possible for the interest of Nigerians, especially students and parents. "I am sure that when the negotiation gets to reasonable point with sincerity and there is a commitment from the government, ASUU will definitely shift ground," he said. Mr Olayinka Aderoju, Vice – Principal, Nigeria Tulip International College, Ogun branch said while the lecturers could not be blamed for demanding for their entitlement and better funding of the universities, embarking on strike was still not the best option . Aderoju said this was because strike was no longer a veritable tool for negotiation in the global world. He noted that for the nation to overcome frequent strikes by lecturers and other unions, ASUU must demand for proper accountability and openness from the ruling government. "ASUU's concern should be why the elected politicians in the country who are not more than 11, 800 should be feeding fat on the resources meant for over 170 million Nigerians. "If the government is open, strike can be prevented not only for ASUU, but also for all other labour unions. "Once government at all levels show to all, what they make and how they share the resources among the various sectors, then the citizens and unions could be prevailed upon to endure," he said. Mrs Rita Ngeri, a parent also expressed displeasure on the manner at which the strike had been allowed to linger and why the government and the union should neglect the negotiation table at the detriment of the students' future. Ngeri said since education was the bedrock of development in every nation and also a right and not a privilege of a citizen, it must be seen and treated as such by the government, ASUU and other stakeholders. . "As parents, we are unhappy with the development and seeing our children stay at home for two months now has been disheartening. "We are, however, begging the government and ASUU to shift ground and resolve their differences by first week in January 2019 for the sake of the students, so that they can resume school," she said. A Student, Ayomide Kazeem of the Faculty of Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi also told NAN that he was tired of staying at home while his mate in other countries were advancing in their educational pursuit. Kazeem urged the government and ASUU to reach a compromise so that students can go back to school. In This Story: #ASUU #Prof.KabirAkinyemi #LASU Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| New Year message: Nigeria Police has failed – Ekweremadu speaks on 2019 Posted: 31 Dec 2018 12:31 PM PST
Ekweremadu, in a New Year message to Nigerians, said the unitary police system in Nigeria had failed woefully. The senator said the country had sub-national police services from the colonial period up to 1966 and "Nigeria was better off" then. The deputy senate president urged Nigerians to push for the passing and signing of the bill seeking to create state police in 2019. The message read: "At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it needs to be reiterated that we cannot continue to do the same thing that has failed us over the years and hope to get a different result "The huge losses in lives and property incurred by the nation in 2018 can be avoided in the years ahead. Nigeria is the only federal system in the entire world that operates unitary police system. "There is currently a bill for the creation of state before the national assembly, which I sponsored along with several of my colleagues. That bill also takes care of the fears expressed by many, including the fear of possible abuse by state governors. "It is, therefore, my hope that all the political actors and well meaning Nigerians will collectively push for the passing and signing of the Bill in 2019 so Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed." The deputy senate president noted that no country could achieve its potentials in the midst of ethnic, religious, and political divisions. "I urge Nigerians to embrace 2019 with hope and the belief that Nigeria will eventually get to the promised land "We already have what it takes to be great as a nation, but we have to give every individual as well as every part of the country a sense of belonging and the opportunity to make the utmost contributions it is capable of. Justice and equity build a nation, but injustice, inequity, and divisive tendencies are huge setbacks to any nation." In This Story: #IkeEkweremadu #NigeriaPolice Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| 2019 ELECTION: I challenge you to report me to EFCC – Atiku tells Buhari, others Posted: 31 Dec 2018 12:25 PM PST
The former Vice President said this while dismissing corruption allegations levelled against him. Atiku challenged those that have accused him of corruption to make their case known before the anti-graft agency. The former VP said this in an interview with the Voice of America's correspondent, Aliyu Mustapha. Atiku said, "I have challenged everybody publicly or otherwise, that if you have any evidence of corruption against me while I was in public office or as a politician, feel free to go to EFCC or the court, but nobody has come." Atiku further explained that stronger laws and processes are needed to try those accused of corruption. In This Story: #Atiku #Buhari #EFCC Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| 2019: Buhari’s New year message to Nigerians, full text. Posted: 31 Dec 2018 12:18 PM PST
The President assured Nigerians that the year 2019 will be significant for the country. Full text below: " It is my utmost pleasure to rejoice with all Nigerians as we enter the year 2019, which will be a very significant one for our country. 2. At the turn of every year, we often use the opportunity to look back at the past and forward to the future. To review the outgoing year, its high and low points, successes and failures, and be fully thankful to God. 3. We Nigerians are a religious people, and we believe that God reigns and rules in the affairs of men. A time like this offers precious opportunity for thanksgiving, stock taking and reflection on goals and targets set for the receding year, and how much was accomplished. The ones not done can then be rolled over into a new year. 4. The dawn of a New Year is also a time to look forward. To consider new prospects, unfold our plans, and prepare for landmark dates and events. 5. 2019 will be an election year for us. In about two months, the polls are due, and we will elect leaders into various offices, at national and state levels. 6. As I welcome you into 2019, I also reiterate my many promises and declarations that the general elections will be free, fair and credible. 7. Elections need not be do or die affair, and we should not approach that eventuality in a democracy with trepidation and mortal fear. Happily, a large number of presidential candidates have committed to peace, and peace we shall have. 8. Those who continue to trumpet falsehood and negativity are on their own, fighting a losing battle. The greater number of Nigerians are trusting and believing that we shall deliver on our promises for a level playing field at the polls, and that is what we shall do. 9. Nigerians desire peace, security, prosperity, inclusiveness and infrastructural development, a nation they can be proud of, a country that can hold its own among the nations. 10. That is the journey we have embarked on since we came onboard in 2015, and we are not distracted as we move on. We are resolved to build a country in which the resources are utilized for the benefit of the largest number, and not appropriated by a privileged few in their never ending quest to satisfy their greed. We are on this mission together, and I assure you of a firm commitment to the ideals of a safe, secure, fair, just and prosperous country. 11. We have had our challenges: security, economic, political, social. But we are resolved to combat and overcome them all. 12. I appreciate your support and collaboration in previous years, and look forward to same in 2019, and beyond, as I hope you will renew the mandate you overwhelmingly gave us in 2015, for another term. 13. We are motivated by nothing other than service to motherland, and service without selfishness or personal interest. 14. I can assure you all that we are making steady and sustainable progress in all areas of national life. Those who are unbiased can see and appreciate the progress the country has made since 2015. 14. A New Year provides opportunity for renewal of commitment, and I invite you to rededicate yourselves to the vision of a Nigeria that works for all. 15. We are moving from potentials to actualization, and it's a task to be accomplished by us all; man, woman, young, old, military, civilian, all Nigerians. Please come along, as we journey to the land of our dreams. Happy 2019. 17. Thank you and God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In This Story: #Buhari #NewYearMessage Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| 2019 ELECTIONS: Why most Nigerians are political illiterates – Oby Ezekwesili (VIDEO) Posted: 31 Dec 2018 12:12 PM PST
Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, explained that the many years of military rule has adversely affected political enlightenment in Nigeria. Featuring on politco Politica with Isabella Akinseye, the former Minister also instead that apathy on the part of the electorate had contributed to political illiteracy in the country. According to Ezekwesili, "In rating the Nigerian electorate, I think we are three out of a possible ten and the reason is simply because we suffered many years of militarization and my generation and the one before habitually new military rule more than we knew democracy. "It is a very young democracy in the sense that those among this current generation, born in 1999 will be 20 years and will be first time voters, so they are still an insignificant portion of the population so the literacy level of democracy and what it requires of citizens is pretty low. A lot of politicial literacy campaigns and civic activities will help us increase the rating right now. "I think there is a lot of apathy in the sense that citizens feels government don't play much role in their so they have this attitude of let me mind my business and do that which is important to me forgetting that nothing is more important than having a functional government. "The understanding of governance is still a bit distorted, people believe that for you to have a role in governance you must be an appointed official but governance as a construct requires the engagement of the citizens. There is a demand and supply side to governance. "If those who are citizens don't play their active citizenship well, there is no demand side for governance and lack of this will make the supply side which is those in governance to do anything they like. They will behave like monopolies, they have no pressure to deliver results." In This Story: #ObyEzekwesili #AlliedCongressPartyofNigeria Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| 2019 ELECTION: Tinubu speaks on Buhari’s re-election bid, 2019 Presidency Posted: 31 Dec 2018 11:59 AM PST
In the New Year message he personally signed, the APC leader said Nigerians must enter 2019 and see it as a new day for the country. "The nation is on the verge of an election to determine our collective fate," he said, adding, "We can either chose to continue forward or return to the old ways that held us back for so long. Just as 2018 must turn into 2019, we must also continue to move forward. As time cannot proceed backward. Nor should we". Asiwaju Tinubu was referring to the 2019 general election, which is around the corner, Daily Post reports. The New Year message reads: "As time ushers in the New Year, we must look back on 2018 with thanks and gratitude. We thank God for Nigeria and all that He has done for us. "We realize that we still have much to do and far to travel to become the nation we are destined to be. Yet, we must also acknowledge that we have come a long way. "We have made progress and it has at times been difficult, yet we stand with great hope and belief that we shall advance and move this nation forward. "Let us recognize that which has been done this past year. President Buhari has built a foundation for sustainable growth and development, a path for a better future. President Buhari has brought transparency and accountability in the government's businesses. "The Buhari administration has shown the compassionate side of our traditions and our very nature by constructing a social safety net to assure the poorest among us are not neglected but are cared for as is the right of every human being. It has fed children that they may go to school. "It has trained people that they may acquire a livelihood. It has empowered those who wish to start businesses and employ others. It has helped farmers become more productive so that they may earn more money while better feeding the nation. "For instance, we have recorded significant breakthrough in agriculture with increased local rice production and the attendant reduction in rice importation. These things have been done not to win accolades but because they are the right things for a decent and caring government to do for a decent and good people. "As we move into the New Year, let us do so committed to doing our best for Nigeria. "The nation is on the verge of an election to determine our collective fate. We can either chose to continue forward or return to the old ways that held us back for so long. Just as 2018 must turn into 2019, we must also continue to move forward. As time cannot proceed backward. Nor should we. "We must enter the New Year and see it as a new day for Nigeria. Thus, I ask you to perform your civic duty to vote with utmost faith, responsibility and the best interest of the country at heart. "We have a choice to make. The choice we make will demonstrate the type of nation we want. I select the path of forward progress for I have never commended to myself or to the nation the awkward practice of walking backward. "We must exercise courage and vision. We must continue forward. For the sake of this nation and our posterity, we dare not retreat or regress. "Elections will be free and fair. You must add your voice and vote. You must participate in this important exercise of our democratic rights and institutions. We seek to build a better nation. We ask you to join us. "In so doing, we give effect to the best of our hopes and aspirations for 2019. I wish you all a wonderful New Year". In This Story: #Buhari #Tinubu #2019Presidency Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Real reasons North is ‘extremely poor’ – Shehu Sani Posted: 31 Dec 2018 11:47 AM PST
Sani said the region was ravaging in poverty due to its neglect of agriculture and over-dependence on oil. In a post on his Facebook page, he also stated that abandoning the moral and ethical standards and economic vision and legacies of Ahmadu Bello were part of many other reasons the region was poor, Daily Post reports. The post he titled: "Nine reasons for extreme Poverty in Northern Nigeria" reads: "Neglect of Agriculture & dependence on oil revenues. "Decadence & collapse of public education;Fatalism;Septic extremism and toxic inter ethnic violence; "Abandoning the moral and ethical standards and economic vision and legacies of Ahmadu Bello; Culpability of successive Northern leaders in power;entrenched Handouts culture; "Pliant attitudinal incumbrance of refusing to challenge leaders and hold them to account or the Slavery of loyalty or inimical subservience; "Decades of systemic marginalization,emasculation and oppression and Institutional contempt for the poor by the regional elites." In This Story: #ShehuSani #AhmaduBello #NortherenStates Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| 1983 COUP: How Buhari stopped Shehu Shagari from industrializing Nigeria – NLC President, Wabba Posted: 31 Dec 2018 11:41 AM PST  NLC President, Ayuba Wabba said this yesterday while mourning the demise of the former president. In a statement he signed, Wabba stated that Shagari signed into law the National Minimum Wage Act of 1981 that provided for a new national minimum wage of N125, which was equivalent to about $200, Daily Post reports. The statement reads: "We at the NLC would like to join Nigerian government, world leaders, family members and other Nigerians in mourning the death of Alhaji Shagari, elder statesman and first executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. "As President, Shagari, as he was popularly known, was humble, personable, considerate and broad-minded, some of the reasons that explained his popularity among ordinary people. Shagari initiated some of the landmark projects, including iron and steel and petrochemicals in his quest to make Nigeria an industrial hub. "Not a few hold the view that but for the coup that removed him from power in 1983, unceremoniously cutting short his second term, Shagari would have seen through his vision of a highly industrialised Nigeria." Commending on the former President's life style, Wabba said: "We similarly hold the view that given his urbane and simple and straight forward life style, Shagari would have built an enduring culture of democratic succession in spite of some of the disputed elections in his time." "However, Shagari was blamed for not exercising requisite control over some of the rambunctious and corrupt members of his cabinet or party, a fact not a few, today, believe was largely responsible for his removal from power. "Amazingly, his removal did little to diminish his towering stature as no act of corruption or wrong doing was traced to him. Thus, in retirement, he was both a respected voice of moderation and wisdom from which succeeding leaders befitted till death took him away. "For us at the NLC, Shagari, despite having come to power on an ideological platform that was manifestly different from the one we subscribed to, holds a special place in our hearts. For instance, he signed into law the National Minimum Wage Act of 1981 that provided for a new national minimum wage of N125 which was equivalent to about $200. "It took more than deft move and political will to execute this. It took the milk of human kindness in Alhaji Shagari and his deep appreciation of the dignity of labour and value of the human life to do this. "To truly appreciate the value of what Shagari did for workers way back then without a bloody fight, let us pause and reflect on the value of the present national minimum wage of N18,000 which is $49 and the new national minimum wage of N30,000 (equivalent to $82) which is due since 2016. "One of his other legacies was a national housing scheme, a component of which was the building of low-cost houses for workers across the then 19 states of the federation. In light of his contributions to national development, peace in the land, and welfare of workers, Shagari remains a national hero, patriot, and a distinguished gentleman." In This Story: #Buhari #LateShehuShagari #NLCPresident #1983Coup Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| US group makes revelations on Buhari govt, Boko Haram, deaths of Badeh, Alkali Posted: 31 Dec 2018 11:34 AM PST  ISSA is a Washington-based non-governmental organisation with a worldwide membership of professionals involved in national and international security and strategic policy. President of ISSA, Gregory Copley, told ThisDay that their analyses were not released to the public but to governments that the organisation has affiliation with. The report released over the weekend and obtained by the newspaper stated that corruption among top military chiefs appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari is the reason Nigeria is losing the war against Boko Haram terrorists. It stated that at present, the Nigerian government had completely and comprehensively lost control of the engagement with Boko Haram and could show no instance when the government presently had tactical, theatre, strategic, or information dominance of any aspect of the conflict. It reads in parts, "It is fair to say that the Nigerian intelligence community itself is no longer sure what groups even comprise 'Boko Haram', nor has it addressed the international logistical, ideological, and support aspects contributing to the ongoing viability of the groups. "The conflict will almost certainly prove the undoing of the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 16, 2019, presidential elections. "Despite this, the only significant engagement which the Nigerian military leadership — up to and including the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. (rtd.) Mohammed Babagana Monguno – seems to prioritise is the fight to stop the leakage of information about massive corruption, running into the equivalent of several billions of dollars, in the purchase by senior military officers of major military capital goods and military consumables, including the troops' own food. "The conduct of the war in the North is tied to the corruption in the military, and Buhari — ring-fenced by his own team — is unable to tackle the issue. "His poor health does not help, but he had always (even as a military president, taking office on December 31, 1983) been indecisive and vindictive. "This ongoing set of characteristics mean that the coming months will be dramatic, even more than the dying days of the preceding administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. "It is significant that Buhari, who received the findings of the commission as much as a year ago, has refused to allow it to be made public and he, through National Security Adviser Monguno, has attempted to have the commission disband. "However, it is believed that Monguno and Buhari are aware that copies of the report are beyond their reach and could be released unofficially if further attempts are made to assassinate commission members. "The commission, investigating defense procurement from 2007 onwards, made significant strides which were initially accepted by the Buhari government, until the scope of the inquiry went beyond the period relating to the former government of Pres. Goodluck Jonathan, and began to show corruption patterns extending into officers still serving under President Buhari." The report stated that the death of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (retd.) Alex Sabundu Badeh (who became Chief of Defence Staff), and that of a former Chief of Administration of the Nigerian Army, Major General Idris Alkali, on September 3, 2018 were not a mere coincidence . It said, "Given the upsurge in momentum by 'the highest levels of government' to stop the findings becoming public from the corruption commission on defense procurement, it is plausible that the attribution of a criminal 'kidnapping-attempt-gone-wrong' against the Air Chief Marshal was a convenient excuse to ensure that the victim — Badeh — could not divulge in court the pattern and details of corruption which has grown even more rampant in the current generation of defense leadership. "On September 3, 2018, the retired Chief of Administration of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali, was also killed, ostensibly by a gang of youthful protestors who set up a roadblock near Jos, the capital of Plateau State. His body was discovered on October 31, 2018. And his death was blamed on 'an irate mob', who were protesting in the Du-ra-Du community against the September 2, 2018, killing of 11 members of their own community." The report further stated, "No significant economic or political progress can be achieved in Nigeria until the issue of the Boko Haram insurgency is resolved. Other insurgencies are also expected to emerge, or re-emerge, particularly in the Niger Delta. And while other pending internal security issues are important, it is on the BH issue that the prestige, credibility, and reliability of Nigeria is assessed by the international community. Thus, all questions of the viability of Nigeria as a candidate for inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and international cooperation are dependent on a resolution of the BH issues. "Domestically, resolution of the BH issue is a pre-requisite to enabling issues of intra-Nigerian regional equity imbalances to be addressed. Moreover, the credibility of the Federal Government as an arbiter of justice is assessed by the domestic electorate and the world community." In This Story: #USGroup #Alkali #Badeh Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Govt orders $877m arms to fight Boko Haram, others Posted: 31 Dec 2018 09:07 AM PST
Of the $1 billion approved by the National Assembly for the procurement of military equipment, $877 million has been released, The Nation has learnt. There has been some controversy over the whereabouts of the money. Immediately after the Metele, Borno State attacks on the military last month, the controversy got bigger. Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai said the military had not received such cash from the government to boost the anti-Boko Haram and other campaigns. However, The Nation can confirm that $496,374,470 was released from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for the purchase of Super Tucano aircraft from the United States. The payment has been made. Besides, $380,513,958.71 was released (as the first tranche) for the procurement of critical equipment for the Army, the Navy and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), a source said. These releases along with other deductions may have contributed to the depletion of the ECA from $3.502 billion in January to $631 million in December 2018. Finance Minister Mrs Zainab Ahmed attributed the "rapid" depletion of the ECA to payments made to the military as approved by the National Assembly. A source in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed to The Nation that $876m had since been released to the military. But the source did not give the exact date when the payout was made. The source also disclosed that the ECA had an opening balance of $3.502 billion in January 2018, made up of $2.451 billion as balance brought forward on January 1, 2018, and additional inflows of $1.052 billion. In the course of the year, the source said that $1.761 billion was withdrawn from the ECA as a refund to state governments for Paris Club deductions made in the past from the state governments accounts. Besides, $0.233 million was withdrawn and paid to state governments as grants to fund their Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) obligations. These deductions brought the ECA down to over $600 million balance as at the last Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja. Gen Buratai did not categorically say how much the military was expecting from the government but said that the government had not released funds to the military to effectively prosecute the war against insurgents across the country. A member of the Senate Committee on Defence said it was not aware that the fund had been released. He spoke of how some members of the committee made inquiries but were not told that part of the $1 billion had been released. He said: "We are actually in the dark as far as the issue is concerned. It is an important issue. When the Chief of Army Staff said they had not received the money as approved by the National Assembly, some of us made enquiries. "Maybe because of the security nature of the fund, the authorities may not want details of the releases to be known. We will definitely follow up, although it may not be for public consumption because of the security implications." "We may have to invite relevant authorities to brief us," the senator, who did not want his identity disclosed, told one of our reporters. The House of Representatives is investigating the whereabouts of the $1 billion appropriated for the procurement of arms and equipment in the fight against Boko Haram in the Northeast and general insecurity. President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of $1 billion for the procurement of security equipment. Source: TheNation In This Story:#MuhammaduBuhari #UBEC #BokoHaram #ZainabAhmed #TukurBuratai #FAAC Sharing Is Caring.Share This Story  | ||
| Atiku in Adamawa: vote out Buhari Posted: 31 Dec 2018 08:58 AM PST
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar came under attack yesterday for asking the people of Adamawa State to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in next year's election. Atiku was in his Adamawa home state to tell his kinsmen to reject Buhari and others in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the Federal Government under Buhari's watch, had caused so much pains for the country. But the APC National Publicity Secretary Lanre Isa-Onilu said it was insensitivity on the part of the former vice president to seek the support of his kinsmen in Adamawa. Mallam Isa-Onilu said: "Atiku failed the people of Adamawa in the past and it is insensitive of him to stand before those he had disappointed. It is the height of insensitivity for the PDP candidate to stand before the people of Adamawa to the campaign. "What exactly did he do for the people of his own state in his eight years as vice president? What can the PDP point at in Adamawa State for its 16 years of waste? "We are very confident that Nigerians, indeed the people of Adamawa know very much that PDP represents a sad past while the APC administration led by President Buhari is a pointer to a prosperous future." Atiku spoke at Youth endorsement and road show organised for him at the Lamido Cinema in Jimeta, Yola, by one of his support groups, Atiku/Obi Vanguard for Good Governance, which urged him to fight hard and defeat Buhari in the 2019 elections. He said Buhari had failed the country in too many ways and that the youths have it as their duty to vote him out. Atiku reiterated his commitment to the high participation of youths and women in his government should he win the election and become president, specifying that youths would get 40 per cent participation and women 30 per cent. The leader of the group Bar Teneka said so many negative things had happened since Buhari became President that he ought to be voted out. He said: "It is no longer news that our country has been designated world extreme poverty capital. And we've been declared one of the most dangerous countries to be born in. "It is also no longer news that massive and unabated corruption continues to fester. We are more divided as a country now than we have ever been." In This Story:#AtikuAbubakar #PDP #APC #Buhari #Teneka #MallamIsaOnilu  | ||
| Adamawa Assembly dissolves standing committees Posted: 31 Dec 2018 08:48 AM PST
The Adamawa State House of Assembly has dissolved all its standing committees. The dissolution, effected Monday, was a follow-up to a major development on Saturday when four principal officers were impeached and replacements named. In that exercise, the Deputy Speaker, Emmanuel Tsamdu; Majority Leader, Hassan Mamman Barguma; Deputy Majority Leader, Abubakar Isa; and Deputy Chief Whip, Abdullahi Nyapak lost their positions, giving way to Lumsabani Dilli as the new Deputy Speaker, while Hayatu Mohammed Atiku was elected Majority Leader. Safiyanu Aminu Aliyu became the new Deputy Chief Whip and Sani Shehu was elected Deputy Majority Leader. The new deputy speaker, Dilli, who presided over Monday's plenary, announced the dissolution of the standing committees of the House and the constitution of new ones. The new Committee for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has Alhassan Hammanjoda as chairman, with Saleh Abubakar, Sunday Peters and Mohammed Mutawali as members. Housing and Urban Development are to be chaired by Adamu Usman while Planning Commission is to be headed by Sunday Peters, among others. The leaders affected in the Saturday impeachment exercise continued their protest by not attending Monday's plenary. The impeached deputy speaker, Emmanuel Tsamdu, had led the protest on Saturday, saying the constitutional requirement needed to effect their removal was not met as only 13 members signed the document. But countering the standpoint of Tsamdu in interaction with newsmen shortly after the Monday plenary, the new deputy speaker, Dilli, said 18 members actually signed the document and that with such development, the removal of the affected persons remained sacrosanct. In This Story:#EmmanuelTsamdu #SalehAbubakar #MohammedMutawali #AdamuUsman #MammanBarguma Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| Taxpayers database hits 35m, says JTB Posted: 31 Dec 2018 08:37 AM PST
More Nigerians are paying taxes. The taxpayers' database has expanded from 20 million to 35 million, the Joint Tax Board (JTB) said yesterday through its Executive Secretary Oseni Elamah. Elamah said the feat was achieved as a result of the ongoing database consolidation of the JTB, an initiative being executed in collaboration with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS). He said the taxpayers comprised individuals and corporate bodies. The JTB secretary said that the development showed that there was a massive expansion of the database, pointing out that one could imagine when that translated to actual taxes in cash. He said: "At the moment, we are trying to break them into classes of taxpayers and various jurisdictions where they reside, state by state. "Hopefully, by the first week of January 2019, this information will be communicated to all the states and then we will ask them to file their reports for tax assessment and it is then, we will tell Nigerians, how many are teachers, artisans, entertainers among others." Elamah disclosed that on the average, about 22 per cent growth in tax revenue had been recorded in both state revenue services and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) when compared to 2017. He added that this figure was collated as at the third quarter; and by the end of last quarter, it would move to 30 per cent. According to him, at the close of the year today, 2018 will be one of the best results ever posted by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and most of the states. He stated that with the advent of the Tax Identification Number (TIN), and Bank Verification Number (BVN), the tax authorities were currently tackling incomes of taxpayers and ensuring they paid their taxes as at when due. He assured that the board would create more awareness in the increase in voluntary compliance and also enhance the capacity of workers to be tax professionals. Elamah also commended the Executive Chairman of FIRS and the JTB chairman, Babatunde Fowler, for his support in achieving the feat within a short period of time. In This Story:#BabatundeFowler #FIRS #TIN #OseniElamah #Taxpaying Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| IT News Africa: Most Read Stories Of 2018 Posted: 31 Dec 2018 08:15 AM PST
From great technology innovations, an unforeseen recession, data bundle hikes and a rollout of the latest games and gadgets, we wrap up some of IT News Africa's most read stories of the year. News South Africa in recession: What does this mean for us? In September, South Africa had officially entered a technical recession, after Stats SA announced that the country's real gross domestic product had decreased by 0.7% in the second quarter of the year. Stats SA data further showed a revised 2,6% contraction in the first quarter. Amid the news, the South African and fell over 2% to R15,22 against the US dollar. How to apply for South African smart ID at your local bank Late last year a rumour speculating that the green ID book was no longer accepted surfaced. This was later confirmed as a hoax. Have you got your new Smart ID Card yet? Now you can apply for your new ID at your nearest bank branch. Although the green ID book is still accepted, the new ID Smart Card is the updated version of the original green ID book. Read more. SACS cable goes live The South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) is now on-stream and open for commercial traffic. The new digital information highway is the first and fastest link between Africa and the Americas with the lowest latency and will provide a more direct routing for internet traffic in the Southern Hemisphere. Features Top 10 wealthiest African countries according to GDP The African continent is rich in natural resources. Some of its 54 countries boast resources like diamonds, sugar, gold, uranium, silver, oil and petroleum. Oil being an invaluable commodity, its production puts countries like Nigeria and Egypt at the top in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The continent is also home to fertile ground capable of growing a wide array of agricultural produce, bringing about plenty of opportunities for trade. Read more. Top 10 fastest growing economies in Africa 2018 Africa's economy is projected to continue to rise to 3.2 per cent in 2018 and to a further 3.5 in 2019, this is according to the latest World Bank report released in early 2018. According to the report, non-resource intensive countries are expected to expand at a solid pace, helped by robust investment growth. South Africa, Nigeria and Angola, the region's largest growing economies will be slightly weaker than expected, as the region is still experiencing negative per capita income growth, weak investment, and a decline in productivity growth, but the rest of Africa will be more favourable. Mobile and Telecoms The best and cheapest mobile data bundle alternatives in South Africa Although the petrol price is on the steady decline and inflation has settled, exorbitant mobile data costs is still a problem. Many people have taken to social media over the past few months to rise up against ridiculous spikes in data bundles around South Africa. The #DataMustFall movement was aimed at the four main mobile providers: MTN, Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom. Even though this movement received wide support from the public and Icasa, major changes have yet to be made. Cell C offres 4G for les than R5 per gigabyte Cell C has announced its fixed LTE-Advanced promotional offer bringing customers data access from less than R5 per Gigabyte. Customers can select from one of three packages to get the best value data deals. A 50GB contract for R359 per month (R7 per Gigabyte), a 100GB contract for R539 per month (R5,40 per Gigabyte) and a 200GB contract for R859 per month (R4.30 per Gigabyte). The data is available for use at any time of the day or night and works within the Cell C LTE-A coverage area. Read more. DStv family access and easy view can now get DStv Now On 24 January 2018, MultiChoice announced that DStv Family, Access, and EasyView customers can now get access to DStv's streaming service, DStv Now, thus making the service available to all major DStv package holders. The addition will see the newly added packages gain to access Catch Up via DStv Now. Where previously, streaming Live TV and accessing Catch Up via DStv Now was only available to DStv Premium, Compact Plus, and Compact customers said Multichoice. Gadgets and Gaming Samsung Galaxy S9 launch revealed as the leaked image surface According to a report by Engadget, Samsung confirmed on 10 January 2018 that the company will not be releasing its flagship Galaxy S9 and S9+ at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2018). You will not, however, have to wait long for the device as DJ Koh, the Korean conglomerate's mobile chief, confirmed at a press conference in Las Vegas that the company will launch the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at Mobile World Congress. 4 signs your phone has been hacked Our mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives, whether it be to stay connected across the various social media and messaging platforms or as an essential business tool, the importance of these devices has never been greater. These devices are, however, vulnerable to attacks from hackers and once these keyboard wielding criminals have access to your device the results could be catastrophic for that particular victim. With the rising vice of hacking in our society, it is important to know about some clear signs that can help you discern if your phone has been tampered with in any way. With all this in mind, Jumia Travel has identified 4 clear signs that your phone has been hacked. Finance South Africa's mobile-first secure banking success has international potential A strong focus on its digital banking strategy – and particularly secure mobile transactions – has propelled Capitec Bank to the forefront of innovative banking in South Africa. Smartphone app transactions now outstrip those undertaken in Capitec's physical branches, which has helped result in operational savings of US$12,5 million (R180 million) last year. International analysts say financial institutions around the world could benefit from its pioneering methods. More millennials are buying life insurance digitally according to FNB FNB Life has seen a significant increase in the number of millennials between the ages of 31 and 33 exclusively taking out life policies on digital channels. Lee Bromfield, CEO of FNB Life, says "Our omnichannel strategy which enables us to service customers through various channels of their choice, including online banking and the FNB App, continues to pay off as the number of underwritten life policies, which are digitally originated, continues to increase." Source:(ITNewsAfrica) In This Story:#FNB #Gadgets #Gaming #GDP #SouthAfrican Sharing Is Caring.Share This Story  | ||
| Busted: Saraki didn’t donate a dime to Offa robbery victims Posted: 31 Dec 2018 07:51 AM PST
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has debunked the statement on a Kwara radio by the Senate President Bukola Saraki that he donated N10m to victims of Offa robbery. Mohammed said Saraki did not donate a dime. Saraki had said in the controversial radio interview that he donated 10 million Naira when he visited Offa to commiserate with the people in the aftermath of the robbery. And he added that the amount that was stolen from the banks' vaults was 7 million Naira. Mohammed exposed Saraki's lie in a statement, warning him for the second time to stop playing politics with the 5 April multiple robbery attacks in Offa. Said Mohammed: "The claim by Dr Saraki that he donated 10 million Naira to care for the victims of the Offa robbery is patently false. "He did not! The 10 million he referred to was donated when the Offa market got burnt, and it was made in Ilorin, not Offa. When Dr Saraki visited Offa to commiserate with the community in the aftermath of the robbery, he did not donate a dime! I challenge him to prove me wrong." It was Mohammed's second statement since Saraki's radio interview. This time, Mohammed warned the two-term senator to stop dancing on the graves of the innocent souls who died in the April 5, 2018, armed robbery attack in Offa. In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by his media aide, Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Minister repeated his earlier warning against playing politics with the unfortunate incident. The Minister said the overly aggressive and crude response by Dr Saraki to the first warning has shown that he is not ready to heed the admonition, hence the need to re-state it, and to condemn any attempt to denominate human lives in Naira and Kobo. Alhaji Mohammed said that in the wake of his warning, the apparently embarrassing radio interview was hurriedly edited to remove all references to the Offa robbery and then re-aired across Kwara state. "Instead of stopping at that, which in itself constitutes acceptance of wrongdoing, Dr Saraki went ahead to hurl insults at me, even when I have been largely restrained in issuing my earlier warning. Had I not been restrained, I would have gone ahead to divulge what actually transpired. "But with politics in the air, the truth becomes the first casualty. Realising that he goofed, Dr Bukola apparently caused the radio interview in question to be edited to remove the donation reference, and then re-aired. Is it not an irony that the people who engaged in this egregious act of dishonesty are the same ones calling others names?" the Minister queried. He said he will continue to steer the debate on the political developments in Kwara State to issues rather than the exchange of personal insults, which he has always been averse to. "The people of Kwara, who are bone-tired of the long years of 'bolekaja' governance in the state, are all saying in one voice, 'O to ge' (enough is enough), and will soon have the opportunity to express their frustration with their votes," the Minister said. In This Story:#BukolaSaraki #LaiMohammed #SegunAdeyemi #OffaRobbery Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| Food for the hungry being stolen in Yemen: WFP Posted: 31 Dec 2018 07:42 AM PST
WFP wants an end to the theft and diversion, according to a statement issued today. A WFP survey of registered beneficiaries has revealed that many in the capital have not been receiving the food rations to which they are entitled. In other areas, hungry people have been denied full rations. Millions of people depend on food assistance for their survival in Yemen which has been torn apart by a bitter civil war between government forces and Houthi insurgents. The misappropriation of food relief came to light in a WFP review conducted during recent months. It was prompted by an increasing number of reports of humanitarian food for sale on the open market in the capital. What the checks unearthed was a fraud being perpetrated by at least one local partner organisation tasked by WFP with handling and distributing its food assistance. The local organisation is affiliated with the de facto Ministry of Education in Houthi-controlled Sana'a. "This conduct amounts to the stealing of food from the mouths of hungry people," said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. "At a time when children are dying in Yemen because they haven't enough food to eat, that is an outrage. This criminal behaviour must stop immediately." During their checks, WFP monitors amassed photographic and other evidence of trucks illicitly removing food from designated food distribution centres. They also found that the selection of beneficiaries was being manipulated by local officials and that food distribution records were being falsified. It was discovered that some food relief is being given to people not entitled to it and some is being sold for a gain in the markets of the capital. WFP is currently scaling up its food relief operations to reach as many as 12 million severely hungry people in Yemen. Without food assistance, as many as 20 million people could be in hunger crisis in the country which has been torn apart by a bitter civil war over recent years. WFP's food assistance has been key in preventing famine in Yemen but, as the food security situation continues to deteriorate, the aid effort is being ramped up dramatically. "I'm asking the Houthi authorities in Sana'a to take immediate action to end the diversion of food assistance and ensure that it reaches those people who rely on it to stay alive," said Beasley. "Unless this happens, we'll have no option but to cease working with those who've been conspiring to deprive large numbers of vulnerable people of the food on which they depend. Meanwhile, we're continuing our investigations and addressing those shortcomings which have given rise to this misuse of aid." In areas prone to abuse, WFP is pressing for an overhaul of the relief system, including an ongoing push for more monitoring, reform of the beneficiary selection process to ensure that food gets to those most in need, and the nationwide introduction of biometric registration of beneficiaries. These changes have been repeatedly resisted by the de facto authorities in Houthi-controlled areas. Peace talks between the warring sides have recently been taking place and are soon due to resume. There are real hopes that the New Year will bring lasting peace in Yemen, allowing more food to enter through the port and giving humanitarian organisations increased access to areas they have been unable to reach because of fighting and bureaucratic obstruction. In the meantime, it is vital that humanitarian food relief reaches those who most need it. In This Story:#Yemen#WFP #DavidBeasley#Ansarullah Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| NASA spaceship hurtles to photograph tiny cosmic object Ultima Thule Posted: 31 Dec 2018 07:30 AM PST
A NASA spaceship is zooming toward the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, a cosmic body ever photographed by humankind, a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule some four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometres) away. The US space agency will ring in the New Year with a live online broadcast to mark historic flyby of the mysterious object in a dark and frigid region of space known as the Kuiper Belt at 12:33 am January 1 (0533 GMT Tuesday). A guitar anthem recorded by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May — who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics — will be released just after midnight to accompany a video simulation of the flyby, as NASA commentators describe the close pass on www.nasa.gov/nasalive. Real-time video of the actual flyby is impossible since it takes more six hours for a signal sent from Earth to reach the spaceship, named New Horizons, and another six hours for the response to arrive. But if all goes well, the first images should be in hand by the end of New Year's Day. And judging by the latest tweet from Alan Stern, the lead scientist on the New Horizons mission, the excitement among team members is palpable. "IT'S HAPPENING!! Flyby is upon us! @NewHorizons2015 is healthy and on course! The farthest exploration of worlds in history!" he wrote on Saturday. Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule (pronounced TOO-lee) looks like — whether it is round or oblong or even if it is a single object or a cluster. It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope and is believed to be 12-20 miles (20-30 kilometres) in size. Scientists decided to study it with New Horizons after the spaceship, which launched in 2006, completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet. "At closest approach, we are going to try to image Ultima at three times the resolution we had for Pluto," said Stern. "If we can accomplish that it will be spectacular." Hurtling through space at a speed of 32,000 miles (51,500 kilometres) per hour, the spacecraft aims to make its closest approach within 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometres) of the surface of Ultima Thule. The flyby will be fast, at a speed of nine miles (14 kilometres) per second. Seven instruments on board will record high-resolution images and gather data about its size and composition. Ultima Thule is named for a mythical, far-northern island in medieval literature and cartography, according to NASA. "Ultima Thule means 'beyond Thule' — beyond the borders of the known world — symbolising the exploration of the distant Kuiper Belt and Kuiper Belt objects that New Horizons is performing, something never before done," the US space agency said in a statement. According to project scientist Hal Weaver of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, mankind didn't even know the Kuiper Belt — a vast ring of relics from the formation days of the solar system — existed until the 1990s. "This is the frontier of planetary science," said Weaver. "We finally have reached the outskirts of the solar system, these things that have been there since the beginning and have hardly changed — we think. We will find out." Despite the partial US government shutdown, sparked by a feud over funding for a border wall with Mexico between President Donald Trump and opposition Democrats, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine vowed that the US space agency would broadcast the flyby. Normally, NASA TV and NASA's website would go dark during a government shutdown. NASA will also provide updates about another spacecraft, called OSIRIS-REx, that will enter orbit around the asteroid Bennu on New Year's Eve, Bridenstine said. In This Story:#NASA #DonaldTrump #HalWeaver #JohnHopkins #KuiperBelt #SpaceCraft Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| Vatican spokesman Burke, deputy resign Posted: 31 Dec 2018 07:20 AM PST
A brief Vatican statement gave no reason for the resignations. Burke, an American, tweeted that he and his Spanish deputy had quit to let Pope Francis appointed a new team in what was a "time of transition". A Vatican source said both Burke and Ovejero had wanted more autonomy from the Vatican department that oversees all communications, known as the Dicastery for Communications. They quit two weeks after Pope Francis appointed a personal friend, Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli, to become editorial director of all Vatican communications. The source said it was believed to be the first time both posts had changed hands simultaneously, underscoring the differences of opinion. "Paloma and I have resigned, effective Jan. 1. At this time of transition in Vatican communications, we think it's best the Holy Father is completely free to assemble a new team," Burke tweeted. The 59-year-old former Rome-based reporter for Fox News joined the Vatican in 2012 as an advisor in its Secretariat of State and become a spokesman in 2016. He is a member of the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei. Ovejero, 43, a former reporter for the Spanish radio network COPE, was one of the few high-ranking women in the Vatican. During Burke and Ovejero's tenure, the top two jobs in the Vatican press room were, unusually, held by non-Italians. Tornielli is now the third-ranking person in the communications department but his closeness to the pope, whom he has known since before the pontiff's election in 2013, will likely make him particularly influential. Monday's resignations capped a year of tensions in Vatican communications. Monsignor Dario Vigano resigned as overall head in March after a scandal over a doctored letter, a public relations fiasco two months after the pope warned of the dangers of fake news. Vigano released part of a letter by former Pope Benedict that was to have remained private, using it to promote a book on the theology of Pope Francis. A promotional photo for the book released by Vigano blurred a part of the letter in which Benedict declined to write an introduction, saying he was unhappy with one of its contributors. Vigano was replaced in July by Paolo Ruffini, ex-head of a Catholic television station. The Vatican said Alessandro Gisotti, an Italian journalist who has handled the Vatican's social media, would be an interim spokesman. In This Story:#Vatican #DarioVigano #PaoloRuffini #GregBurke #PalomaGarciaOvejero Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| Senator Warren challenges Trump for 2020 Posted: 31 Dec 2018 07:11 AM PST
"In our country, if you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to take care of yourself and the people you love," the Democratic senator from Massachusetts says at the start of the new, 4 1/2 video. "No matter where you live in America or no matter where your family came from in the world, you deserve a path to opportunity," Warren continues in the new political video. "That's the America I am fighting for, and that is why today I am launching an exploratory committee for president." A former Harvard law professor and champion of consumer protection, Warren has long been on the shortlist of potential 2020 Democratic candidates. Her fundraising prowess and popularity in progressive circles has left many in Washington referring to her as one of a few early front-runners as well, though more than two dozen other Democrats are also rumoured to be considering presidential runs. Warren's staff told ABC News the senator will be filing the paperwork for her exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission Monday and revamping her political and campaign website. There is only a passing reference to President Donald Trump and his administration in Warren's new video. Pictures of past and current White House advisers play over Warren's voice saying, "The whole same is propped up by an echo chamber of fear and hate designed to distract and divide us." "If we organize together, if we fight together, if we persist together, we can win," Warren ends the video, making a subtle reference to a moment on the Senate floor in 2017 that went viral. In This Story:#DonaldTrump #ElizabethWarren #HavardLaw #ABCNews #Democrates #WhiteHouse Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| Ambode swears in Muri-Okunola Lagos youngest Head of Service Posted: 31 Dec 2018 07:01 AM PST
At 46 years old, Muri-Okunola is the youngest HOS ever appointed in. Lagos. A lawyer and son of the late Justice Muri-Okunola, Hakeem was appointed in 2005 as the Executive Secretary, Land Use and Allocation Committee. He occupied the post until 2011. Until his appointment, he was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Social Development. Ambode in his remarks at the ceremony held at the Lagos House, Alausa, described the appointment as a new chapter with a high expectation that Muri-Okunola will inject youthful vibrancy in the state's civil service. He tasked the new HOS to adopt creative thinking and growth mindset in the discharge of his new role. Ambode expressed strong optimism in the ability of Muri-Okunola to effectively take charge on account of his capacity, knowledge, exposure, experience and youthful energy. He, however, urged him to lead by example and encourage accountability and professionalism in the service. "Following the swearing in of the new Head of Service, a new chapter has just been opened in the history of the Lagos State Public Service. "It is a new chapter with high expectations for the injection of new energy and vibrancy that will move our Public Service to new heights. "As the number one Civil Servant in Lagos State, you must demonstrate leadership and lead by example for others, including the Body of Permanent Secretaries, to follow. "You have a responsibility to provide direction and encourage accountability, transparency, professionalism and high sense of discipline. "Your actions must be based on sound and objective judgment with consideration for merit and proven record of competence and loyalty," Ambode said. The governor, who underscored the strategic role of the civil service, said the succeeds government policies and programmes largely depended on the quality and orientation of the civil service. "Hence the need for the new leadership to implement necessary measures and initiatives to foster growth and development," he said. Responding, Muri-Okunola thanked Ambode for the confidence and trust reposed in him. He assured that the public service would improve on all well-known traditions for speedy, efficient and effective implementation of government policies and initiatives. Meanwhile, Ambode also swore in six new permanent secretaries into the Lagos Body of Permanent Secretaries. In This Story:#AkinwunmiAmbode #HakeemMuriOkunola #LagosState #HeadOfService Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| Offa Robbery: Lai Mohammed threatens to expose Saraki, as he attacks the Senate President again Posted: 31 Dec 2018 07:01 AM PST
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture, says the claim by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, that he donated N10 million to victims of the April 5 robbery in Offa "is patently false''.Mohammed also declared that he had details of what actually transpired.In a statement issued on Monday in Lagos, the minister admonished the Senate President "to stop dancing on the graves of the innocent souls" who died in the bloody robbery attack in Offa.The statement signed by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Special Adviser to the Minister, said: "He did not! The N10 million he referred to was donated when the Offa market got burnt and it was made in Ilorin, not Offa, Daily Post reports."When Dr Saraki visited Offa to commiserate with the community in the aftermath of the robbery, he did not donate a dime! I challenge him to prove me wrong."The minister reiterated his earlier warning against playing politics with the unfortunate incident. He alleged that Saraki had said in a radio interview that he donated the N10 million when he visited Offa to commiserate with the people in the aftermath of the robbery. Mohammed added that the senate president in the interview also said that the N10 million he donated was more than the N7 million that was stolen from the robbed banks' vaults. "The overly aggressive and crude response by Dr Saraki to that warning has shown that he is not ready to heed the admonition, hence the need to re-state it, and to condemn any attempt to denominate human lives in Naira and Kobo," he said. The minister said that in the wake of his warning, the apparently embarrassing radio interview was hurriedly edited to remove all references to the Offa robbery and then re-aired across Kwara state. He further said: "Instead of stopping at that, which in itself constitutes an acceptance of wrong-doing, Dr Saraki went ahead to hurl insults at me even when I have been largely restrained in issuing my earlier warning. "Had I not been restrained, I would have gone ahead to divulge what actually transpired. But with politics in the air, the truth becomes the first casualty. "Realising that he goofed, Dr Saraki apparently caused the radio interview in question to be edited to remove the donation reference, and then re-aired. "Is it not an irony that the people who engaged in this egregious act of dishonesty are the same ones calling others names?" Mohammad said he would continue to steer the debate on the political developments in Kwara to issues rather than an exchange of personal insults which he had always been averse to. "The people of Kwara, who are bone-tired of the long years of 'bolekaja' governance in the state, are all saying in one voice, 'O to ge' (enough is enough). "They will soon have the opportunity to express their frustration with their votes," the minister said. In This Story: #LaiMohammed #Saraki #OffaRobbery Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Yuletide: Group wants FG to check high fares by Transporters Posted: 31 Dec 2018 06:49 AM PST
Concerned groups have decried the high rise in transport fares for travellers returning home to the South-East and South-South regions to celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivities. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who checked at some popular bus parks in Enugu on Sunday, observed that a trip from Lagos or Abuja to Enugu cost between N8,000 and N10,000 for Toyota Hummer Buses. In Luxury (long) Buses from Lagos, Abuja to Enugu, it currently costs between N7,000 and N8,000. People returning from Kano to Enugu in Luxury Buses pay between N12,800 and N13,500 currently. Another correspondent who checked some of the parks in Abuja reports that one particular transportation company charges as much as N18,000 to Anambra state and N15,000 to Enugu state. However, earlier before yuletide, returning to the South-East from any location in Lagos and Abuja was between N4,000 and N5,000; while returning from Kano in Luxury Buses to the South-East was between N7,000 and N8,000. Reacting, a pan-Igbo group, Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), urged the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transports, to cushion the hardship on Nigerians this season by regulating the amount charged as fares by transporters nationwide. The President of NUF, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, noted that the group was bitter against transport owners who had increased their fares by 100 per cent. "We are calling on government both at the federal and state levels to checkmate the excesses of transport companies who castrate people financially during festive periods,'' Chukwudum said. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also appealed to National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) to caution their members against an arbitrary increase in transport fares. NANS' National Public Relations Officer, Mr Bestman Okereafor, said that the national leadership of NURTW and RTEAN as a matter of urgency should review the high cost by their members across the federation. "We see no reason why transportation fares should be inflated when there is no fuel scarcity at all in the country,'' Okereafor said. Source:(NAN) In This Story:#NURTW #RTEAN #BestmanOkereafor #NUF #AugustineChukwudum #NAN Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| Police dismiss 3 officers for stealing Posted: 31 Dec 2018 06:37 AM PST
The robber policemen attached to Ijanikin Division in Lagos State are non Commissioned Officers (NCOs). They are Sgt. Gbemunu Afolabi, Sgt. Afolabi Oluwaseun and Cpl. Adigun Omotayo. The fourth, an inspector, has been referred to the Assistant Inspector General of Police for dismissal. They were said to have accosted their victim, who came to celebrate Christmas in Nigeria and subjected him to tortuous search and interrogation. When the officers collected the CFA, changed the money to Naira and gave N2,000 to the victim to go home. The policemen also threatened to arrest the victim for alleged robbery if he reported the case. Lagos State Police Command Spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the dismissal on Sunday and explained that the fourth policeman, an Inspector, was recommended to the AIG Zone 2 for dismissal. "The authorities of the Lagos State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that the Command's Provost Section, trying four policemen attached to Ijanikin Division for discreditable conduct and corrupt practice, has found them guilty on all counts and accordingly recommended them for dismissal from the Force. "Based on the recommendation of the adjudicating officer, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Imohimi Edgal, approved the dismissal. "Meanwhile, the recommendation for the dismissal of Insp. Amiete has been forwarded to the Assistant Inspector- General of Police, Zone 2 for approval," Oti said. Oti said that the policemen had conducted themselves in a manner unbecoming of their status in the Force. He said the CP has redeployed the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ijanikin Division, CSP Eugene Ubine, for lacking in the supervision of his men. "He, therefore, warns Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Heads of departments to strictly monitor the activities of their men for better service delivery. "He added that the punishment meted out to the undisciplined policemen is intended to serve as a deterrent to others. Source:(NAN) In This Story:#EugeneUbine #ImohimiEdgal #Amiete #AdigunOmotayo #AfolabiOluwaseun Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||
| EPL: Harry Redknapp names club to win this season’s Premier League title Posted: 31 Dec 2018 06:34 AM PST
He also said that Tottenham and Manchester City are also in the race to challenge Jurgen Klopp's side for the English topflight league title this term. Liverpool are currently on top of the Premier League table with 54 points from 20 games, while Manchester City are second place with 47 points from the same number of games. Tottenham are third placed with 45 points from 20 games. "I think the Premier League title is a three horse race," Redknapp told talkSPORT. "Liverpool are the favourites ahead of Man City now which is a big turnaround. "But Tottenham are in great form at the moment and they are genuine title contenders. Spurs are still in it, you can't write them off. They are bang there, the way they are playing at the moment. "I can't see anybody else getting into it. I watched Arsenal yesterday and they are nowhere near in my opinion. I know they've had injuries, but at the back they are still very poor. "And Chelsea are just so reliant on Eden Hazard. Without him you couldn't really see them challenging, they're still short of a frontman. "So really, I think there are three runners and I think it will be very tight. "It's going to be a great title race this year." In This Story: #HarryRedknapp #TottenhamHotspur #EPL Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Don't Miss These Thrilling Topics At The Digital Retail Forum 2019 Posted: 31 Dec 2018 06:23 AM PST
To add to list, DRF2019 will also place a major focus on how emerging technologies such as Ai, IoT, drones, digital payment solutions, new eCommerce models and mobility are disrupting the retail sector. This exciting event will also delve into how to survive by harnessing new technology to improve both Customer Experience and Operational Efficiency. A variety of top-tier professionals will also be attending #DigitalRetailForum and will be looking for products and services that will help them increase productivity, reduce costs, attract more customers, improve customer experience, enhance security and sell more – whether they are small independent retailers or large retail groups. Those attending DRF 2019 will be thrilled by expert presentations covering the most vital topics in the retail sector. These include: Leveraging Data to Understand Customer Segments, Manage Risks and Enhance Decision Making • Investigating predictive modelling technology available in the market • Driving automated CRM with dynamic customer segmentation • Leveraging AI to foster emotionally intelligent relationships that maximize the value of every customer • Discovering your customers' needs and wants through predictive customer modelling Mapping your Journey from Brick-and-Mortar to eCommerce • Looking at integrated e-commerce solutions • Maximising on the fundamental differences of Brick-and-Mortar and e-commerce establishments • Using technology to steadily increase sales • Using mobile technology to ensure a seamless transition to e-commerce • Adopting omnichannel flexibility to better connect with shoppers through more than a single channel or shopper touch point Leveraging Mobile Technology To Enhance Your In-Store Experience • Leveraging barcode scanning apps to ensure a quicker and more affordable shopping experience • Maximising on the convenience of mobile wallets • Ensuring a comfortable dressing room experience through messaging technology • Making shopping better for both sales staff and customers through branded apps for the use of in-store employees The Store of the Future • What does the store of the future look like? • Augmented reality (AR) – superimposes a digitally generated image over the user's real-life view • The evolution of shelves – Electronic Smart Shelves • Encouraging a highly personalised shopping experience using IoT Leveraging AI to Impact Your Bottom Line and CX • Discovering the advantages of AI to make more confident decisions for your establishment • Predicting how AI will change the face of retail in the near future • Looking at the impact of AI from assembly to post-sale customer service interactions • Integrating AI in the retail industry to improve sales and CRM Applications Order Fulfillment: Improving Efficiency and Speed Of Delivery • Exploring how retail technology is changing buying and delivery methods • Catching on to the wave of cryptocurrency as a game changer in the retail delivery space • Using smart retail technology for efficient and speedy delivery Understanding the Key Drivers within the South African Retail Sector • Global Comparison: A realistic view of the industry compared to developed countries • Looking at South Africa's readiness for the connected retail revolution • Exploring SA's retail landscape currently to ensure a better transition into digital • Evaluating how South African retail will be transformed by technology Understanding Digital Customer's Journey • Global Comparison: A realistic view of the industry compared to developed countries • Looking at South Africa's readiness for the connected retail revolution • Exploring SA's retail landscape currently to ensure a better transition into digital • Evaluating how South African retail will be transformed by technology Optimizing Inventory Management and Supply Chains with Technology • How far will drones, big data, the Internet of things and other technologies influence supply chain management in the foreseeable future? • Scrutinising Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) as an automatic tracking system that can monitor inventory and record product movement • Evaluating how GPS tracking and chipping can revolutionise fleet management • Looking at different inventory management tools In This Story:#DigitalForum #HiltonSandton #RFID #DRF2019 Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from No.1 News, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Fashion,Movies in Lagos Nigeria | Nollywood Times. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon