Balarabe Musa, the first civilian Governor of Kaduna StateSahara Reporters Media
Balarabe Musa, a former Governor of the old Kaduna State, has urged Nigerians not to return the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to power in the general election.
According to Musa, PDP "created many problems for 16 years while they were in power" and "will definitely mess things up further" if allowed to return.
He spoke with NAN on telephone from Kaduna on Monday.
His words: “I do not understand the hype about PDP returning to power. I just do not understand. Return to do what? The party that created many problems for 16 years while they were in power? No way!
“Things are not too good at the country at the moment, but I think the country would be worse if the PDP is allowed to return. We saw what they did for 16 years and they will definitely mess things up further.
“Nigerians should not trust the PDP with power. We will be disappointed. What we need in the country right now is a credible alternative that would deliver good governance and respond to our needs."
He also spoke on the need to change the narrative in politics, and suggested restructuring the economy to bring back privatised public corporations to government control for provision of more efficient services to the people.
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Balarabe Musa, the first civilian Governor of Kaduna StateSahara Reporters Media
Balarabe Musa, a former Governor of the old Kaduna State, has urged Nigerians not to return the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to power in the general election.
According to Musa, PDP "created many problems for 16 years while they were in power" and "will definitely mess things up further" if allowed to return.
He spoke with NAN on telephone from Kaduna on Monday.
His words: “I do not understand the hype about PDP returning to power. I just do not understand. Return to do what? The party that created many problems for 16 years while they were in power? No way!
“Things are not too good at the country at the moment, but I think the country would be worse if the PDP is allowed to return. We saw what they did for 16 years and they will definitely mess things up further.
“Nigerians should not trust the PDP with power. We will be disappointed. What we need in the country right now is a credible alternative that would deliver good governance and respond to our needs."
He also spoke on the need to change the narrative in politics, and suggested restructuring the economy to bring back privatised public corporations to government control for provision of more efficient services to the people.
ElectionsPoliticsNewsAddThis : Featured Image : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2yu1BpX
Balarabe Musa, the first civilian Governor of Kaduna StateSahara Reporters Media
Balarabe Musa, a former Governor of the old Kaduna State, has urged Nigerians not to return the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to power in the general election.
According to Musa, PDP "created many problems for 16 years while they were in power" and "will definitely mess things up further" if allowed to return.
He spoke with NAN on telephone from Kaduna on Monday.
His words: “I do not understand the hype about PDP returning to power. I just do not understand. Return to do what? The party that created many problems for 16 years while they were in power? No way!
“Things are not too good at the country at the moment, but I think the country would be worse if the PDP is allowed to return. We saw what they did for 16 years and they will definitely mess things up further.
“Nigerians should not trust the PDP with power. We will be disappointed. What we need in the country right now is a credible alternative that would deliver good governance and respond to our needs."
He also spoke on the need to change the narrative in politics, and suggested restructuring the economy to bring back privatised public corporations to government control for provision of more efficient services to the people.
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A report released by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has revealed how the poor manufacturer design by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation caused the Bristow Helicopter Sikorsky S-76C+ with registration number 5N-BGD to crash on August 12, 2015 at the Oworonshoki area of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
The report was one of the four of accidents and serious incidents released on Monday afternoon by the Commissioner of AIB, Engineer Akin Olateru, at the agency’s office at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The incidents occurred between July 2004 and August 2015.
The helicopter crashed into Oworonshoki lagoon with 12 persons on board, including two crew members.
There were six fatalities, including the two pilots, while six other persons on board sustained serious injuries.
The helicopter had departed SEDCO Express oil rig at about 14:55hrs and an endurance of one hour and thirty minutes maintaining 3,000ft and was estimated to arrive at Lagos Airport at 15:36hrs, according to the crew information before departure from the rig.
The report stated that the helicopter experienced sudden un-commanded pitch up, yaw, and roll for about 12 seconds until it impacted water at about 15:31hrs. The pilots were neither able to make any form of distress call to Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), SEDCO Express rig or communicate with the passengers before impact.
AIB in its causal factor of the accident, said “the separation of the Forward Servo Clevis Rod Assembly from the bearing and jam nut (Bell Crack Assembly), which is part of the Cyclic Control System responsible for stabilising the attitude of the helicopter made the aircraft uncontrollable.”
On the contributory factor for the accident, AIB noted that the absence of a secondary mechanical locking system in the design of the forward servo input control rod assembly contributed to the separation of the forward servo clevis rod from the bearing and jam nut. The report further stated that the wear was prevalent at the forward servo clevis rod fitting shank, which made the jam nut rotate freely when force is applied.
AIB however gave one safety recommendation on the accident, which was directed to the manufacturer.
He said: “Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation should redesign the affected control pushrod assembly by introducing wire lock or lock pins as safety features between the jam nut and the pushrod to enhance better security and safety.”
Olateru stated that AIB was notified of the accident by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at about 16:15 hours on August 12, 2015, while it swiftly dispatched its investigators to the crash site.
He added: “Rescue operation was swift, prompt and carried out by local fishermen who were in the area. There were six fatalities, including two crew members and six seriously injured passengers. The crew members were recovered the following day. The helicopter was destroyed, but there was no post-impact fire.”
The other accident report released by AIB was the one involving Pan African Airlines Bell 412 EP Helicopter with registration 5N-BDZ, which occurred near SEDCO Energy Rig Platform on July 26, 2004.
Olateru stated that the erstwhile Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB) received its notification on July 28, 2004, which was 48 hours after the accident. He, however, said the bureau dispatched investigators to the crash site the same day, while all stakeholders were notified.
In the report, the causal factor of the accident could not be conclusively determined, but it was noted that the rostered Pilot in Command (PIC) was not the Pilot Flying (PF). The PF was rostered as the Pilot Monitoring (PM), while the crashed helicopter had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness (COA) at the time of the crash.
In its safety recommendation, like the Bristow Helicopters crash of 2015, AIB issued a sole recommendation of the crash.
Olateru advised NCAA to ensure that heliport operators provide full weather report for operations.
On the serious incident involving an Emirates Boeing 777-200 aircraft with the registration A6-EWD, AIB emphasised that the aircraft had an impact with another B737-400 aircraft belonging to HAK Air with the registration 5N-BOU. The accident occurred at Lagos Airport on July 6, 2015.
According to the report, the Emirates aircraft with 285 passengers had requested to take off through the 18Right runway, which the ATC replied was unavailable at the time, but the pilot opted to use the 18Left runway for take-off.
The report added: “The crew asked for when the runway would be available. The tower reported that the time was not determined, but 18L was available. After determining the aircraft take-off performance, the crew accepted to use runway 18L. The Tower advised UAE782 that taxiing via taxiway C for runway 18L would be at pilot’s discretion due to aircraft wing span.
“However, the crew commenced the taxi and impacted a HAK Air Boeing 737-400 aircraft parked at the parking bay of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), close to holding point runway 18L, at about 21:38hrs, damaging the rudder and the tail area of the HAK Air aircraft, while the Emirates aircraft sustained damage to its right wing tip.”
AIB made safety recommendations to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and NCAA on the incident.
There was also a report on another serious incident involving Aero Contractors aircraft B737-42C with the registration 5N-BOB, which occurred on the same 18L runway of Lagos Airport on July 21, 2015.
Olateru declared that AIB was notified of the occurrence same day by ATC via phone call, while the bureau immediately dispatched its investigators to the site.
It, however, made two safety recommendations to FAAN and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the incident.
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A report released by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has revealed how the poor manufacturer design by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation caused the Bristow Helicopter Sikorsky S-76C+ with registration number 5N-BGD to crash on August 12, 2015 at the Oworonshoki area of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
The report was one of the four of accidents and serious incidents released on Monday afternoon by the Commissioner of AIB, Engineer Akin Olateru, at the agency’s office at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The incidents occurred between July 2004 and August 2015.
The helicopter crashed into Oworonshoki lagoon with 12 persons on board, including two crew members.
There were six fatalities, including the two pilots, while six other persons on board sustained serious injuries.
The helicopter had departed SEDCO Express oil rig at about 14:55hrs and an endurance of one hour and thirty minutes maintaining 3,000ft and was estimated to arrive at Lagos Airport at 15:36hrs, according to the crew information before departure from the rig.
The report stated that the helicopter experienced sudden un-commanded pitch up, yaw, and roll for about 12 seconds until it impacted water at about 15:31hrs. The pilots were neither able to make any form of distress call to Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), SEDCO Express rig or communicate with the passengers before impact.
AIB in its causal factor of the accident, said “the separation of the Forward Servo Clevis Rod Assembly from the bearing and jam nut (Bell Crack Assembly), which is part of the Cyclic Control System responsible for stabilising the attitude of the helicopter made the aircraft uncontrollable.”
On the contributory factor for the accident, AIB noted that the absence of a secondary mechanical locking system in the design of the forward servo input control rod assembly contributed to the separation of the forward servo clevis rod from the bearing and jam nut. The report further stated that the wear was prevalent at the forward servo clevis rod fitting shank, which made the jam nut rotate freely when force is applied.
AIB however gave one safety recommendation on the accident, which was directed to the manufacturer.
He said: “Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation should redesign the affected control pushrod assembly by introducing wire lock or lock pins as safety features between the jam nut and the pushrod to enhance better security and safety.”
Olateru stated that AIB was notified of the accident by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at about 16:15 hours on August 12, 2015, while it swiftly dispatched its investigators to the crash site.
He added: “Rescue operation was swift, prompt and carried out by local fishermen who were in the area. There were six fatalities, including two crew members and six seriously injured passengers. The crew members were recovered the following day. The helicopter was destroyed, but there was no post-impact fire.”
The other accident report released by AIB was the one involving Pan African Airlines Bell 412 EP Helicopter with registration 5N-BDZ, which occurred near SEDCO Energy Rig Platform on July 26, 2004.
Olateru stated that the erstwhile Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB) received its notification on July 28, 2004, which was 48 hours after the accident. He, however, said the bureau dispatched investigators to the crash site the same day, while all stakeholders were notified.
In the report, the causal factor of the accident could not be conclusively determined, but it was noted that the rostered Pilot in Command (PIC) was not the Pilot Flying (PF). The PF was rostered as the Pilot Monitoring (PM), while the crashed helicopter had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness (COA) at the time of the crash.
In its safety recommendation, like the Bristow Helicopters crash of 2015, AIB issued a sole recommendation of the crash.
Olateru advised NCAA to ensure that heliport operators provide full weather report for operations.
On the serious incident involving an Emirates Boeing 777-200 aircraft with the registration A6-EWD, AIB emphasised that the aircraft had an impact with another B737-400 aircraft belonging to HAK Air with the registration 5N-BOU. The accident occurred at Lagos Airport on July 6, 2015.
According to the report, the Emirates aircraft with 285 passengers had requested to take off through the 18Right runway, which the ATC replied was unavailable at the time, but the pilot opted to use the 18Left runway for take-off.
The report added: “The crew asked for when the runway would be available. The tower reported that the time was not determined, but 18L was available. After determining the aircraft take-off performance, the crew accepted to use runway 18L. The Tower advised UAE782 that taxiing via taxiway C for runway 18L would be at pilot’s discretion due to aircraft wing span.
“However, the crew commenced the taxi and impacted a HAK Air Boeing 737-400 aircraft parked at the parking bay of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), close to holding point runway 18L, at about 21:38hrs, damaging the rudder and the tail area of the HAK Air aircraft, while the Emirates aircraft sustained damage to its right wing tip.”
AIB made safety recommendations to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and NCAA on the incident.
There was also a report on another serious incident involving Aero Contractors aircraft B737-42C with the registration 5N-BOB, which occurred on the same 18L runway of Lagos Airport on July 21, 2015.
Olateru declared that AIB was notified of the occurrence same day by ATC via phone call, while the bureau immediately dispatched its investigators to the site.
It, however, made two safety recommendations to FAAN and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the incident.
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A Lagos High Court, Ikeja Judicial Division, will commence the trial against international oil company, Trafigura Baheer BV, and her Nigerian counterpart, Trafigura PTE Ltd on a three-count charge bordering on corporate international conspiracy that led to the insolvency of a Nigerian financial institution, Spring Bank, which financed the deal.
Joined as defendants in the case are two Nigerians, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, and Osahon Asemota. The other companies that are defendants include Mettle Energy and Gas ltd, Renbrandt Ltd, and JIL Engineering and Oil Services Ltd, and it involved 10,000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) valued at N200 million.
After 10 years of international investigation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instituted a suit against Messrs Trafigura Baheer BV, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd, Renbrandt Ltd, Trafigura PTE Ltd, and Osahon Asemota on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit. The trial will be presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja.
Count one alleged that Messrs Trafigura Baheer BV, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd, Renbrandt Ltd, And Osahon Asemota, some time in 2008 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the court, conspired together to commit felony to wit: stealing of about 6,425,271 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) worth about $8,442,806.094, property of Nadabo Energy Ltd, which was under the legal custody of Spring Bank Plc, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Count two read: "Messrs Trafigura BV, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd, and Osahon Asemota between 12th October 2008, and 15th December, 2008 at the office of Trafigura Baheer BV, 20, Sinari Daranijo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, stole, by fraudulently converting to your own use and benefit, about 6,425,271 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) worth about $8,442,806.094 property of Nadabo Energy Ltd."
Trafigura is a multinational commodity company that trades in base metals and energy.
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A Lagos High Court, Ikeja Judicial Division, will commence the trial against international oil company, Trafigura Baheer BV, and her Nigerian counterpart, Trafigura PTE Ltd on a three-count charge bordering on corporate international conspiracy that led to the insolvency of a Nigerian financial institution, Spring Bank, which financed the deal.
Joined as defendants in the case are two Nigerians, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, and Osahon Asemota. The other companies that are defendants include Mettle Energy and Gas ltd, Renbrandt Ltd, and JIL Engineering and Oil Services Ltd, and it involved 10,000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) valued at N200 million.
After 10 years of international investigation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instituted a suit against Messrs Trafigura Baheer BV, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd, Renbrandt Ltd, Trafigura PTE Ltd, and Osahon Asemota on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit. The trial will be presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja.
Count one alleged that Messrs Trafigura Baheer BV, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd, Renbrandt Ltd, And Osahon Asemota, some time in 2008 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the court, conspired together to commit felony to wit: stealing of about 6,425,271 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) worth about $8,442,806.094, property of Nadabo Energy Ltd, which was under the legal custody of Spring Bank Plc, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Count two read: "Messrs Trafigura BV, Yusuf Yahaya Kwande, Mettle Energy and Gas Ltd, and Osahon Asemota between 12th October 2008, and 15th December, 2008 at the office of Trafigura Baheer BV, 20, Sinari Daranijo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, stole, by fraudulently converting to your own use and benefit, about 6,425,271 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) worth about $8,442,806.094 property of Nadabo Energy Ltd."
Trafigura is a multinational commodity company that trades in base metals and energy.
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Nasir el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, has conducted an assessment tour round Kaduna State following the violence that took place over the past few days.
He also met with security agencies on Monday to assess the situation, just as he is set to address residents via a state broadcast at 8pm today.
In the early hours of Monday, he went round the areas where hoodlums had attacked persons and destroyed properties.
Emphasising that the state government had not relaxed the 24-hour curfew declared in the state on Sunday, residents were urged to access updates and information only from authorised, official government channels.
The governor visited Kujama, Chikun Local Government, Bakin Ruwa along the Bypass and Kabala West area to reassure residents. He urged them to remain calm, noting that security agencies have the situation under control.
News of the governor's activities related to the security situation in Kaduna State was contained in a series of tweets on his official handle.
Governor Nasir Ahmad @elrufai in Kujama, Chikun Local Government now, condoling victims of the crisis and reassuring them of the Government’s commitment to ensure the safety and security of lives and property. pic.twitter.com/LGK1J36jMc
Nasir el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, has conducted an assessment tour round Kaduna State following the violence that took place over the past few days.
He also met with security agencies on Monday to assess the situation, just as he is set to address residents via a state broadcast at 8pm today.
In the early hours of Monday, he went round the areas where hoodlums had attacked persons and destroyed properties.
Emphasising that the state government had not relaxed the 24-hour curfew declared in the state on Sunday, residents were urged to access updates and information only from authorised, official government channels.
The governor visited Kujama, Chikun Local Government, Bakin Ruwa along the Bypass and Kabala West area to reassure residents. He urged them to remain calm, noting that security agencies have the situation under control.
News of the governor's activities related to the security situation in Kaduna State was contained in a series of tweets on his official handle.
Governor Nasir Ahmad @elrufai in Kujama, Chikun Local Government now, condoling victims of the crisis and reassuring them of the Government’s commitment to ensure the safety and security of lives and property. pic.twitter.com/LGK1J36jMc
In John Milton's Paradise Lost, we see Lucifer the Great Deceiver banished from Heaven. In Dante's Inferno, Satan is presented as a ghastly Beast. In Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, Satan is a pathetic collector of souls. What about the dark ones in Nigerian politics? When you consider the characteristics of Lucifer and Satan in Milton, Dante, and in Marlowe, if Lucifer, Satan, or the Beast had a political party, definitely it would be APC or PDP.
APC and PDP candidates are contesting for 2019 presidential elections. This is the fifth time PDP will contest for the presidency after uninterrupted 16 years hold on Nigeria. After four miserable and wasted years of APC, the party wants to be back.
Nigerians should see the coming back of both parties with surge of ancient evils and the great inferno. Nigerians should be hell scared of both parties. It's up to Nigerians to elect a Lucifer President or President of the People. A president elected on the platform of APC or PDP will be disastrous for Nigeria. It will usher in potential greater eternal suffering in a torture chamber for Nigerians.
Consider the dangers of a President Lucifer. There will be no jobs. Jobs for the army of our unemployed youths will remain a ticking time bomb ready to go off any time. Our young men and women will remain endangered species. Our civilization will be overtaken by barbarity and brutish living. The rule of law will vanish. Boko Haram will multiply and metastasized its cells. Poverty indices will tip the threshold in human history. Corruption will flourish like never before. There will be guaranteed evil without interference. Ethnic and religious bigotry will assume a new dimension sanctioned by the government. Opponents and critics against hatred and hostility will be silenced and subdued.
Hell's history has been full of political choices. This time in Nigeria is no different, and 2019 will be a turning point in our troubled and trampled democracy. By electing a Lucifer President, Nigerians will hand over their fates to unrelenting and unrepentant oppressors who have vowed to maintain endless torment of manifest wickedness.
Choosing either APC or PDP in 2019 means choosing darkness over light, violence over peace, poverty over abundance, hatred over love, blindness over vision, despair over hope. Just imagine with your last gasp of your humanity to consider being governed by Constitution of Satanic Verses of either APC or PDP and try to negotiate your life through eons of horror and terror.
If by rigging, Nigeria is governed by either APC or PDP in 2019, corruption, avarice, greed, wickedness, fear, insecurity, killings, will take over the land with total disregard for human suffering. Right now, Nigeria is ruled by injustice and at best selective justice. With APC or PDP at the helm in 2019, injustice, jungle justice, manufactured injustice will be our natural and constitutional law. Violence will be legitimized. Dictatorship will find a safe haven. Anarchy will be enthroned. Our children will have panic attacks, they won't be able to sleep, they'll regress developmentally due to malnutrition, family problems, and unsafe environment. Where they might have been verbal, they'll no longer talk. A blank, empty, and hopeless future awaits them.
APC and PDP wield a dangerous amnesia towards Nigeria's history of leadership vacuum. Under APC or PDP, Nigeria as a rudderless country will continue to grope in the dark and in the wilderness. Both parties are stinkingly corrupt. Membership of both parties is based on exchange of one thief for another. Both parties are revolving doors for criminals, scammers, scoundrels and scalawags. Both parties thrive on violence, unrest, bad governance willfully with impunity.
You ain't seeing nothing yet. Wait till any of the two parties take over Aso Rock in 2019. It's going to be an onslaught that will paralyze us as a nation and as a people. We must refuse and reject this reality – brazen allegiance to insanity – that the two parties hold dearly. Both parties have dismantled our hopes and disbanded our collective aspirations. We've been raped, violated, victimized, and persecuted. Atiku's coming back and of course Buhari's is dictated by blind necessity. It is insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians for Atiku and PDP to stage a comeback. Atiku and PDP are defined by ascendancy of corruption. Atiku has no moral compass about leadership and governance. He's like a great white shark, a scandal must be fed, or it sinks to the bottom and dies. Atiku's page scandal has not had the full scrutiny. This is the best time – election season – to unearth the buried skeletons in his corruption grave.
Buhari has turned Nigeria into the poverty capital of the world. Uncommon power has combined with uncommon greed to create immense deceptions and losses for Nigerians. Under Buhari, the humiliating daily headlines of corruption crises stemming from treasury looting by public officials and his kitchen cabinet seem cruel to recall.
Human behavior is regulated by many factors – moral standards, the sense of shame, of conscience, of duty, and of service. Both candidates – Atiku and Buhari – have none. Nigerians, you have been warned enough. As a people, you still have enough time to plan your escape route before 2019. Flee from a Lucifer President... Let's go there!
The South-East Renewal Group (SERG) has berated Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), over his position on the 2019 general election.
The group said Kanu’s declaration that there will be no election in the South-East, which he claimed to be ‘Biafra territory’, is a joke that should not be taken seriously.
On Sunday, Kanu addressed a world press conference via an audio broadcast, 13 months after he vanished following a raid on his home by the military in September 2017.
In the audio broadcast obtained by Sahara Reporters, Kanu stated that he was back and would "bring hell" upon his return.
However, a statement by Charles Mbani, National President of SERG on Monday, rebuked Kanu for looking to "cause trouble for the people of South-East of Nigeria origin, who have spent the last one year rebuilding confidence with their neighbours in their bid to repair the damages caused by previous bellicose behaviour of him and his IPOB members".
It promised to "physically deliver him to the nearest police station for onward transportation to appear in court" if he ever sets foot upon the country
SERG declared that Nnamdi Kanu and the faction of IPOB do not speak for the Igbo as a people.
The statement read: “His utterances are at variance with the belief of the people of the South-East Nigeria, who are cultured, have maximum regards for Nigerians of other ethnic stocks, believe in the unity of Nigeria, while they continue to clamour for restructuring that will promote equity, respect constituted authority and institutions and will never descend low to the point of disparaging other human beings.
“The annals have recorded it that Nnamdi Kanu is a coward, who incited promising Igbo youth to throw away their lives literarily and figuratively. He threw the entire South-East into confusion and pocketed the money raised from suffering Igbo masses only for him to escape when the people had erroneously thought he had something in stock for them.
“It is the height of insult to the Igbo sensibility for him to think that putting up this charade from the Holy Land will fool Ndi Igbo another round. If he is broke and wants to use this latest performance to finance his drug-addled life, he should have a rethink and look for honest work to pay his own bills.
“We strongly believe that his desperation for money has made him team up with those that are out to frustrate the Igbo agenda and interest. We say this because it is curious that Kanu had hidden for so long as a common criminal, only for him to turn up at a time when the political fortunes of the South East are improving with the nomination of one of our own, Mr. Peter Obi, as a vice presidential candidate in next year’s election.
“SERG hereby categorically places Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB and any miscreant that buys into the poisonous ideology they promote that not only will election hold in the South-East but that people will also come out to exercise their voting rights without being molested.
“Igbo will mobilize to ensure this chance is not lost, certainly not in this lifetime. On the other hand, at the end of the general election, which would hold everywhere in a united Nigeria, Kanu would have proven beyond doubt that he is a liar and an utter symbol of falsehood that is at best treated as a pariah.
“As for Kanu’s threat to continue skipping bail while visiting 'Biafraland', SERG strongly advises him to turn himself over to the court and stand trial since he claimed to have revelations that will rattle Nigeria. He is guaranteed to spend a sizeable portion of his remaining years in jail, if only to atone for our youth that he misled to their deaths.
"Since there is no internationally recognised nation called Biafra, we dare Kanu to step foot anywhere in Nigeria — within or outside the South-East — and SERG members will physically deliver him to the nearest Police station for onward transportation to appear in court.”
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The South-East Renewal Group (SERG) has berated Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), over his position on the 2019 general election.
The group said Kanu’s declaration that there will be no election in the South-East, which he claimed to be ‘Biafra territory’, is a joke that should not be taken seriously.
In the audio broadcast obtained by Sahara Reporters, Kanu stated that he was back and would "bring hell" upon his return.
However, a statement by Charles Mbani, National President of SERG on Monday, rebuked Kanu for looking to "cause trouble for the people of South-East of Nigeria origin, who have spent the last one year rebuilding confidence with their neighbours in their bid to repair the damages caused by previous bellicose behaviour of him and his IPOB members".
It promised to "physically deliver him to the nearest police station for onward transportation to appear in court" if he ever sets foot upon the country
SERG declared that Nnamdi Kanu and the faction of IPOB do not speak for the Igbo as a people.
The statement read: “His utterances are at variance with the belief of the people of the South-East Nigeria, who are cultured, have maximum regards for Nigerians of other ethnic stocks, believe in the unity of Nigeria, while they continue to clamour for restructuring that will promote equity, respect constituted authority and institutions and will never descend low to the point of disparaging other human beings.
“The annals have recorded it that Nnamdi Kanu is a coward, who incited promising Igbo youth to throw away their lives literarily and figuratively. He threw the entire South-East into confusion and pocketed the money raised from suffering Igbo masses only for him to escape when the people had erroneously thought he had something in stock for them.
“It is the height of insult to the Igbo sensibility for him to think that putting up this charade from the Holy Land will fool Ndi Igbo another round. If he is broke and wants to use this latest performance to finance his drug-addled life, he should have a rethink and look for honest work to pay his own bills.
“We strongly believe that his desperation for money has made him team up with those that are out to frustrate the Igbo agenda and interest. We say this because it is curious that Kanu had hidden for so long as a common criminal, only for him to turn up at a time when the political fortunes of the South East are improving with the nomination of one of our own, Mr. Peter Obi, as a vice presidential candidate in next year’s election.
“SERG hereby categorically places Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB and any miscreant that buys into the poisonous ideology they promote that not only will election hold in the South-East but that people will also come out to exercise their voting rights without being molested.
“Igbo will mobilize to ensure this chance is not lost, certainly not in this lifetime. On the other hand, at the end of the general election, which would hold everywhere in a united Nigeria, Kanu would have proven beyond doubt that he is a liar and an utter symbol of falsehood that is at best treated as a pariah.
“As for Kanu’s threat to continue skipping bail while visiting 'Biafraland', SERG strongly advises him to turn himself over to the court and stand trial since he claimed to have revelations that will rattle Nigeria. He is guaranteed to spend a sizeable portion of his remaining years in jail, if only to atone for our youth that he misled to their deaths.
"Since there is no internationally recognised nation called Biafra, we dare Kanu to step foot anywhere in Nigeria — within or outside the South-East — and SERG members will physically deliver him to the nearest Police station for onward transportation to appear in court.”
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The African Development Bank has approved a US$50 million line of credit to Nigeria’s Fidelity Bank Plc to support small and medium-sized, and women-owned enterprises in selected transformative sectors.
The credit will also accommodate close to 100 SMEs in manufacturing, health and education.
According to a statement by AfDB, the credit was approved by the bank’s board on October 10, 2018, and the facility is fully dedicated to financing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with a minimum of 30 per cent going to women-owned enterprises.
The statement read: "The loan will enhance Fidelity Bank’s liquidity and help meet the demand for medium-term funding to players in the target sectors, contributing to improved quality of lives, job and wealth creation and tax-revenue generation.
"The facility complements the Nigerian government's long-term development strategy, as espoused in its Vision 20:2020 agenda. Aligned with Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-2020 (ERPG), the AfDB noted that the funding will ultimately boost enterprise competitiveness and expand Nigeria’s economic base. The ERPG seeks to stimulate Nigeria’s economic growth, catalyse macroeconomic stability, foster diversification of the economy, and enhance social inclusion as well as governance.
"SMEs account for 30 per cent of Fidelity Bank’s loan portfolio. The selection of the tier 2 Nigerian bank for this seven-year credit facility (with a grace period of two years) is based on its strong niche presence in the SME and mid-sized corporates space. It is also in recognition of the bank’s credit management and strong track record with the African Development Bank. The Nigerian lender has previously received US$18 million and US$75 million lines of credit from the development finance institution in 2001 and 2013, respectively."
Ebrima Faal, Senior Director, Nigeria Country Office at the African Development Bank, was quoted as saying: “Fidelity Bank is a niche player, focused on the SME space and this US$50 million credit line will contribute to strengthening its presence in its key market segments. The Nigerian financial institution also continues to meet its ongoing credit obligations under the terms of previous support received from the African Development Bank".
The statement continued: "The line of credit to the Nigerian financial institution is consistent with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2013–2022). It also aligns with two of its High 5 priorities – Industrialize Africa and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.
"Founded in 1987, Fidelity Bank Plc has grown from its marginal position into a stable banking institution. Currently the 10th largest commercial bank in Nigeria by asset size, it was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in May 2005. It has a broad client base of about four million customers nationwide, served from a network of over 240 branches and business offices, supported by alternative service delivery channels like ATMs, mobile and electronic banking, and agency banking channels.
"Following its renewed digital banking and retail drive, Fidelity Bank was ranked 4th best bank in Nigeria in the retail market segment in the KPMG Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS) in 2017."
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Dr. Rabiu Ahmed Rufai has been selected as the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Dr. Rufai's appointment was announced by Dr Malcolm Fabiyi, Deputy National Chairman (Admin) of AAC and Director-General of the TakeItBack Movement/Sowore 2019 Campaign, in a statement on Monday.
Born on July 17, 1976, Dr. Rufai is a world-class expert in public health intervention. He is from Jigawa State. His areas of expertise include Maternal and Child Health Services, Communicable Disease Prevention & Control, Health Systems Development for Primary Health Care, Health Management, Policy and Planning, Health Economics and Policy Research, Health System Development and Strengthening, Demography, Monitoring & Evaluation of Health Programs, Medical Statistics and Epidemiology.
Dr Rabiu’s impressive qualifications include a medical degree (MBBS) from Bayero University, Kano, and Masters in Public Health (MPH) from Leeds University UK. He is a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians (FWACP) and also a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH). He is a member and Associate Fellow of the West African Postgraduate Medical College, a Member and Associate Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and a Member of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
An accomplished academic and medical practitioner, Dr Rufai was the pioneer Dean of the School of Public Health at Federal University Dutse from 2014 to 2015, while also serving as an Honorary Consultant Public Health Physician at the Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kudu.
From 2011 to 2013, he was a lecturer and Head of Health Policy and Health System Strengthening Unit as well as the Health Management, Policy and Planning Unit at Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano, while also serving as Honorary Consultant Public Health Physician. Dr Rufai served as Registrar and Senior Registrar (I, II) at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital from 2007 to 2011.
During his National Youth Service at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Ondo State from 2006 to 2007, Dr Rufai served as an attending Physician at General Out-patient, Paediatrics & Casualty Units. From June 2005 to December 2005, he served as a House Officer at both the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, and the Specialist Hospital Bauchi, Bauchi State.
Dr Rufai has received multiple awards internationally for his outstanding work in the field of public health. For over a decade, he has worked tirelessly on primary health care in Nigeria, bringing contemporary practices to the field of maternal and child health, tuberculosis, HIV, environmental health and many of the tropical diseases ailing our people.
Well-travelled and well read, Dr. Rufai embodies that rare combination of First World knowledge and indigenous passion. He has given his entire life and career to serving Nigeria’s least privileged at the grassroots level and demonstrated a readiness to lay his life on the line to ensure that national well-being, backed by good governance is established in Nigeria.
Speaking on the choice of Dr Rufai, AAC Presidential Candidate, Omoyele Sowore said, “in our bid to work on Nigeria’s multifaceted challenges and proffer solutions that will create a true giant out of our nation, we have always believed that health care, population health and health economics rank alongside national security and power as critical areas that a serious government must address. I can think of no one more qualified than Dr Rufai to spearhead that aspect of our agenda. Health is Wealth — and in our government, Dr Rufai will be responsible for ensuring that Nigerians have access to affordable and world-class healthcare and translating that to economic growth.”
"All supporters of the TakeIt Back movement and our great party, the African Action Congress, will be excited by Dr Rufai’s choice. In surveys, our members and supporters called for a northern vice-presidential candidate, with integrity and an unbridled passion for national unity. Dr Rufai embodies all those qualities. We worked hard to find within one individual the many traits you told us were important and we are confident that Nigerians will find in Dr Rufai a man of integrity, intelligence and devotion to a nation that urgently needs our help.
"We present to you our running mate and Nigeria’s next vice president, Dr. Rabiu Ahmed Rufai: exactly what the doctor ordered."
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Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has dismissed rumours of plans by the House to impeach Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of the state.
He stated this during the plenary session of the House on Monday.
According to Obasa, "Impeachment is constitutional and has its process", but the lawmakers are "not embarking on that yet".
Proceedings of the session were contained in a post on the Twitter handle of the Lagos House of Assembly that read: "The Rt.Hon Speaker @mudashiru_obasa clears the rumours on alleged impeachment of the Executive Governor @AkinwunmiAmbode. Impeachment is constitutional & has its process. we are not embarking on that yet. H.E @AkinwunmiAmbode has not committed any impeachable offence.
"We don’t need wailers to advice us on how to go about our duties. For now, we are still working in one accord to move Lagos forward. This is to clear the rumors."
The Rt.Hon Speaker @mudashiru_obasa clears the rumors on alleged impeachment of the Executive Governor @AkinwunmiAmbode.
Impeachment is constitutional & has its process. we are not embarking on that yet.
H.E @AkinwunmiAmbode has not committed any impeachable offense.
