IYANDA'SBLOG

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Its wingspan measures 117m - the length of an American football field.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Marvin Hajos, 75, died after he was attacked by a cassowary bird he owned, police say.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
A centre-left party is predicted to win but an anti-immigrant party is likely to make gains too.

Fredrick Nwabufo

Before 1914, the geographical space called Nigeria existed in bifurcation – the northern and southern protectorates. And before the British savaged and carved out the area for immanent exploitation, there were thriving kingdoms, ethnic groups, cultures, traditions, and civilisations.

In the stout bushes of the eastern section of the lower Niger, a republican system of government, more organised than that of the ancient city-states of Greece, flourished among the Igbo people. There were sacerdotal institutions upon which the society pivoted.  And the people never referred to themselves as “Nigerians”, which is originally an alien appellation and colonial tag.

And in the western plains of the lower Niger, a form of constitutional monarchy, more polished than that of the British, burgeoned among the Yoruba people. There was a sophisticated system of checks and balance, a boisterous culture and civilisation. But these people never referred to themselves as “Nigerians”.

In the hills and archipelagos of the upper Niger area, a disciplined monarchical system flourished among the Hausa people.  And they never regarded themselves as “Nigerians”. In fact, they fought one of the bloodiest battles against the progenitors of “Nigeria”.

Casting off pretension, the founding fathers – Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello did not operate in the consciousness of “Nigeria” because the construction was not organic. They acted in cognizance of their “nativity”.

In 1947, in his book, ‘Path to Nigeria Freedom’, Awolowo expressed concern about the artificiality of the colonial heritage. He said: “Nigeria is not a nation; it is a mere geographical expression.  There are no Nigerians in the same sense as there are English or Welsh or French. The word Nigeria is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not.”

Taking inspiration from Awolowo, “there are no Nigerians” in the true sense of the word. Nevertheless, owing to today’s realities, it is convenient to describe those occupying the “Niger area” as Nigerians.
However, Awolowo's statement should not be construed as an expression of hopelessness in Nigeria's unity. In fact, he was advancing reasons for unity and why each entity within Nigeria must be allowed to grow at its own pace.

But is Atiku Abubakar Nigerian or Cameroonian?  In my essay, ‘Nnamdi Kanu is right; Atiku’s Adamawa was in northern Cameroon’, I had expounded a historical argument about his origins.

I said: “On 11 February 1961, a plebiscite was held in British Cameroons to determine which parts of the territory would stay in Cameroon or align with Nigeria. While northern Cameroon favoured a union with Nigeria, southern Cameroon wanted an alignment with the mother country.  On 1 June, 1961, northern Cameroon became part of Nigeria, and on 1 October 1961, the southern territory dissolved into Cameroon.

 And really, much of the present day Adamawa state in Nigeria is part of the old northern Cameroon. In fact, there is a region called “Adamawa” in Cameroon today. And even the kingdom of the Lamido of Adamawa stretches into Cameroon. Atiku's hometown, Jada, was a part of Ganye, which was the headquarters of the British Cameroons.”

However, it is ludicrous to allege that a man who became Nigeria’s vice-president, who has lived, invested and paid tax in the country for years is not a citizen.  And by the way, northern Cameroon was constitutionally wedded with Nigeria in "holy matrimony".

But when it comes down to it, no one is really a Nigerian. Awolowo says so.

Fredrick is a media personality.

Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Fredrick Nwabufo Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2A8FBSk

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Police say two men are in a critical condition after a shooting outside the Love Machine nightclub.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Representative Ilhan Omar says she won't be silenced after coming under attack from Republicans.

The Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has once again issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Director-General of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) to address the delayed implementation of the Condition of Service (CoS) to its members working in the organisation.

The union also threatened to clamp down on the organisation if the issues raised are not addressed within the seven-day period, beginning from Friday April 12.

This warning was signed by the Secretary General, ANAP, Comrade Abdul-Rasaq Saidu, and made available to our correspondent.

In addition, the association wants the Director-General of the organization to reverse the alleged anti-trade union transfers (postings) of Nimet ANAP branch executives out of Abuja since December 2018,

The organisation explained that it was resorting to calling out workers on industrial protest at the expiration of the ultimatum due the failure of all peaceful dialogue approaches taken by the association for the management to see reasons the two issues being agitated be resolved amicably.

Saidu noted that the management of NiMet and its Director-General had treated all ANAP entreaties with impunity.

He therefore enjoined all workers in NiMet to stay at home indefinitely at the expiration of the ultimatum if two issues are not resolved in favour of the workers, adding that “Enough is Enough. No retreat! No surrender!”

Saidu further stated that actions were being taken to alert all the three labour centres in the sector as back up to this looming industrial strike action.

It would be recalled that ANAP had issued more three seven-day ultimatums to the management of NiMET in the past one year, all to no avail, while the management of the agency also refused to addressed all the issues raised by the union.

News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2GfYoNR

The TakeItBack movement has called on the management of the University of Ibadan to immediately reinstate its suspended Students’ Union leader, Ojo Aderemi.

The Students Disciplinary Committee (SDC) of the institution suspended Aderemi for four semesters after being accused of conducting an illegal congress of the union, leading a protest, and breaking the glass of an office while a lecturer was inside — allegations that were denied by Ojo.

Condemning the decision of the institution, Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator, TakeitBack Campus Unit, said that the Idowu Olayinka, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, is deliberately silencing students in the university and denying them of their democratic rights.

He also described the suspension as “despotic and unbefitting of a democratic clime”.

Sanyaolu said: “Everywhere in Nigeria, there is a renewed and conscious attempt to completely kill the tradition of radical students unionism. And this is because there is a looming attack of fee increment on every institution of the country including the University of Ibadan.

“This is why the TakeitBack movement views these attacks beyond the question of democratic rights of students but also an attempt by the government to undermine our ability to resist imminent attacks on the living standard of the Nigerian people.”

Sanyaolu also made reference to the recent 100% hike in tuition fees by the management of Sokoto State University, describing it as part of plans by the Nigerian government to make the country uninhabitable for the poor.

“Just this month, the state government of Sokoto and management of Sokoto State University had increased fees of the institution by 100%. The Nigerian government is on the verge of launching several attacks on the poor people of this country," he said.

“As we can see, the government would be increasing the price of fuel and VAT very soon. This would definitely put a strong strain on the economy and pocket of the poor man. These would also translate to the increase in all commodities including fees.

“This is why there is a plan to first smash our ability to resist these attacks before introducing several draconic policies."

Juwon maintained the readiness of the TakeItBack movement to join forces with Nigerians and mass of students to demand the immediate reinstatement of the students' leader and restoration of the illegally banned students Union.

He also challenged every student to reject any attempt from any tertiary institution management to victimize and silence students.

“It is to this end that the TakeitBack movement calls on the mass of students and well meaning Nigerians to reject all conscious attempt to reduce our university into mere barracks and turn our democratic space into an arena of tyranny,” he said.

ACTIVISM Education Human Rights News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2GfYViP

Consumers of the Premium Motors Spirit (PMS), best known as petrol, in Ondo State are groaning following a scarcity of the product, with one of them telling Saharareporters: "Honestly, I am tired of this country."

Findings by SaharaReporters on Saturday showed that the scarcity has made many of the consumer to engage in panic buying of petrol in the few gas stations in the state capital, Akure, where the product is available. 

A SaharaReporters correspondent who moved round the state capital reported that the scarcity became noticeable late on Friday.

The scarcity was visible in some of the gas stations visited, as their gates were shut while consumers of the product, mostly motorists, were stranded.

However, the few gas stations that sold — at Alagbaka, Oyemekun, Oke Ijebu, Ijapo, Ondo Road and Oda Road — experienced long queues in a stretch of about 200 to 300 metres, thereby causing traffic on the roads.

Long queues were seen at NNPC Mega stations on the highway in Akure, as other gas stations on same route up to Shasha market were closes, aside the popular Showboy Petrol Station.

The Bovas gas station, which is the most preferred choice of motorists on the Oke Ijebi route, shut its gate as workers said there was no fuel to dispense to consumers. 

Our reporter observed that these gas stations, which are mostly retailers, have started selling the product at N150 and N180 per litre, which is against Federal Government-approved pump price of N145. 

Investigations showed that the major marketers in the state that have the product are now rationing it on high price among Independent marketers willing to cooperate.

It was also noticed that many of the motorists rushing to queue up for the product had no idea of the cause of the sudden scarcity, and  the station's owners were unwilling to talk.

A motorist, Tijani Olakunle, said the situation might worsen from Monday if the government refuses to intervane. He also accused the government of insincerity on the scarcity of the product.  

"They are telling us that there is fuel everywhere, thank God you said you are a journalist; can you see the product here now? At least you saw us in the queue sweating inside our vehicle to get the product.

"I don't think the Federal Government is being sincere with this scarcity of fuel. How can they say there is fuel everywhere while we are suffering to get it here? So, I am calling on them to better act immediately before this scarcity will get worse by Monday becuase people will want to travel back and go to their places of work."

Another petrol consumer, Babalola Orimolade, whose wife sells cold food inside the Oja Oba Market, said the scarcity is now bitting hard and will have a knock-on effect on their business. 

"We need petrol to power the generator to freeze the food inside our refrigerators, and I cannot even stand the queue at the gas station. You can see everyone sweating here to get the product.

"Honestly, I am tired of this country — because it seems it is only we the common man that bears this brunt and those at the top don't feel what we are feeling. And is this the next level that they came to promise us.

"Here, there is queue and they are selling for us at N150 per litre. If you cannot stand the queue, then you will get black market for N200 per litre. Is this not a big shame on us as country that has oil and still we refine outside the country?"

Niyi Adesida, a commercial driver popularly known as 'taxi diver', said the long queues at the gas stations forced him to resort to getting the product from the black market.

"The scarcity is already bitting hard on us as taxi drivers, and the N50 per drop is no longer comfortable for us becuase we now get the fuel at the rate of N180 and N200 per litre from the black market. 

"The filling stations are not openining for sale and I learnt they don't have the product, but where are the black market guys getting it from?"

Shina Amoo, Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ore depot, told SaharaReporters on the phone that the "slight" petrol scarcity was that the product was not readily available in the depots. 

Amoo explained that many of the independent marketers were now buying from private depots at an expensive rate to serve the state.

He added that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was aware of the situation and had been working to proffer solutions.

"My brother, the truth of the matter is that the product is not available for consumption and we are getting the ones we have from the private depot," he said. 

"Just imagine, when we are buying the product to serve the people at the rate of N139 per litre, excluding other expenses of landing cost at the petrol station. But, like i told some persons not too long ago, everything boils down to the Federal Government to make petrol available. I hope this will be resolve before the end of next week."

Speaking, the Operations Controller of the Department of Petroleum Resource (DPR) in Ondo state, Oseni Adewale, accused the marketers of hoarding the product against the consumers in the state.

Adewale said there was enough petrol to last the state beyond the Easter season, noting that any of the markters caught hoarding the product will be dealt with it. 

Similarly, the Ondo State government has promised to arrest the owners of any gas station caught hoarding the product from consumers. 

A statement signed and issued by Doyin Odebowale read: "The Ondo State Government views, with grave concern, the latest attempt by some unscrupulous persons to create panic through the hoarding of PMS, fuel. 

"This assault on decency is coming at a time when the NNPC continues to reiterate facts on the availability of the product. Nigerians have been assured of regular supply of the product and this Government has no reason to disbelieve the organisation.

"It is against this backdrop that the Government warns, sternly, all petrol dealers in the State, to desist from any unpatriotic acts which may inflict pains on the people.  We, on our part, will resist and sanction any untoward practice, conceived and/or executed, to engender hardship in the Ondo State. Any dealer caught hoarding fuel will be arrested and prosecuted."

Business Oil News Reports AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2UDOvU3

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
On the fifth anniversary of the schoolgirls' kidnapping, more than 100 are still missing.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Has the northern state of Zamfara seen an upsurge in violence this year?

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Sibylle will next week become a Swiss organ donor, in a country with the lowest donor rates in Europe.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The new Royal Family member will take on its mother's US citizenship and need to file US tax returns.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Four people who were once cult members explain the dangers of life under someone's influence.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Rebecca Henschke's life as a correspondent in Indonesia was only possible, she says, thanks to four patient women who helped raise her children.

Justice Mamman Nasir, a retired former President of the Court of Appeal and the District Head of Malumfashi in Katsina State, has died, aged 90.

Alhaji Ibrahim Bindawa, the Information Officer, Katsina Emirate Council, made the announcement on Saturday in Katsina.

He said the late Galadima-Kastina died Saturday afternoon at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, after a protracted illness.

In line with Islamic rites, a funeral prayer was conducted for him in Malumfashi at 4:00 pm.

The incident comes three months after some gunmen failed in their attempt to abduct him, although one of his aides simply identified as Aminu was taken away by the kidnappers.

Nasir was on Dayi-Malumfashi road in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State when some gunmen suddenly blocked the road, searching vehicles to see whom to kidnap.

He quickly switched vehicles to escape the kidnappers, but his aide was not quick enough to escape and was taken away along with other travellers into nearby bushes.

Justice Nasir was born in 1929 and attended Kaduna College, where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1947. He later attended the University of Ibadan, where he obtained a certificate in Latin.

He proceeded to the Council of Legal Education in London for his bachelor’s degree in Law in 1956, and was called to the bar — Lincon Inn — in the same year.

He returned to Nigeria in 1956 and was appointed a Crown Counsel; and in 1961, he was appointed as Minister of Justice, Northern Nigeria — a position he held for five years before he became the Director of Public Prosecution, Northern Region, in 1967, the same year he was appointed Solicitor General, North Central State, now Kaduna State.

Late Justice Nasir held this position for seven years before he was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1975.

In 1978, he was appointed President of the Court of Appeal, a position he held until he retired in 1992 to ascend the throne of Galadima of Katsina and was turbaned on May 9, 1992.

He headed the three-man committee that dismissed the allegation of lying on oath against Justice Ayo Salami, also a former President of the Appeal Court.

The retired judge was also the Chairman Committee on Transition to Civil Rule during the Abacha regime.

Until his death, Justice Nasir late was the Chairman of the Katsina State Development Fund, otherwise known as Gidauniyar Jihar Katsina.

Legal News OBITUARY AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2VJtgN4

Senami Kojah

...the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny-Wole Soyinka

Two Presidents and one new term later the beautiful books are still conspicuously missing from the shelve.

The other day I watched the books of the lean General use sophisticated camera's for a class project, an exhibition in London. 

It made me wonder...
How long did it take us as a 'giant' lump to mortify our conscience that we let things like the absence of 112 school girls from five years ago and another Christian School girl go unnoticed?

How do you, yes you! Grin at your daughters achievement in school while the Chibok and Dapchi mothers gnash their teeth when each anniversary is marked, not by the laurels they have bagged but by lengthy speeches and cameo appearances of your stained kaftan?

How did we set a date with evil and honour it every year with flowery promises, hashtags and marches?

If you know the answer to these questions and still take a leisurely walk round this giant mouse trap, I assure you; you too will pay the price for being Nigerian.

I'll tell you how it will happen, this unfortunate date with the baby of your silence.

You see, it will happen when you unexpectedly encounter men of our SARS who are pissed at your affluence decide to give you a shot, not of whiskey but of your own complacency. 

It will happen when the road your 'brother', the chief, from your village refused to construct swallows your generation; sadly it will be too late to tag him on Twitter to pay your medical bills or sit in the pew you reserved for him in church.

You will experience it when you go to the farm and return not with yams but with severed limbs from the wandering machete.

If non of these befall you in the fashion I have described, it will manifest in ways at which we will all mavel at when we read it as 'graphic or shocking' news headlines.

You can decide to let this commemoration pass while you await your turn in the unfortunate series of events or you can decide to revolt before it gets to you. 

Whatever your decision, today, remember the name of those missing books, allow the hollow it created on the shelve poke your conscience and maybe mix tears with the new rain; hopefully your sobs will scream and demonstrate.

Until then, Pox on all who sit in silence!

Senami Kojah is a Writer, Journalist and Public Affairs Analyst who writes from Lagos.
Kojahs2000@gmail.com

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Senami Kojah Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2OVzWFl

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has given President Muhammadu Buhari until May 1 to sign the N30,000 new minimum wage proposal.

Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the NLC President, gave the ultimatum on Saturday in an interview with journalists in Abuja.

"The expectation of workers is that President should be able to sign the Minimum Wage Bill, doing all due diligence before 1st of May. That is the position we have made very clearly and that is our expectation," Wabba said.

“We have not gotten to where we are on a platter of gold, we will continue to engage the process. So our expectation is that yes, Workers Day, we demand that this thing will also be delivered and therefore we are working hard and hoping that that will be done.

“We expect that there will be a timeline so that workers can get the new minimum wage in their pockets because the economic challenge is now biting harder especially those that are on fixed wages.”

He also reacted to claims of the government's plans to increase the pump price of petroleum, saying: “In the first place, is there subsidy? It is a question that nobody has answered.

"Like the President said, subsidy is corruption and we stand on that. We can be talking of subsidy if actually we don’t produce crude oil. They have not been able to address the issue of our currency. We are paying for in efficiency.”

LABOR/WORKERS' RIGHTS News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2VKd5PF

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has chided the management of the University of Ibadan (UI) for rusticating Ojo Aderemi, a 300-level undergraduate of the department of History and the last known President of the Students Union Government of the university.

A statement issued by Adegboyega Otunuga, CACOL’s Coordinator for Media and Publications, on behalf of Debo Adeniran, the Centre’s Executive Chairman, berated the tertiary institution for the action and called for its immediate reversal.

According to CACOL, "tertiary institutions are wont to decry undue interference and highhandedness of political leaders", while they are "more reputed for such meddlesomeness and propensity to corrupt practices which the students usually feel obligated to react to as first victims of those vices".

The statement read: “Sometime within the week, the news reached us that Ojo Aderemi, a student of University of Ibadan that was elected as their union’s president on April 29, 2017 and sworn in accordingly on May 8, 2017, was rusticated for four semesters after the sitting of Students’ Disciplinary Committee (SDC) this last Wednesday. 

"The purported offences for which he was rusticated include: the claim that he conducted an illegal students’ congress, that he led a protest shortly after his assumption into office and that he requested for the reinstatement of some students that were suspended for protesting over the refusal of the school’s authority to issue them with their students’ identity cards after which money was collected for it.

“It is noteworthy to recall that the students’ Union of the University of Ibadan was suspended barely a day after Ojo led the protest calling for the school’s authority to issue the identification cards to the over 35,000 (thirty-five thousand) students of the university, who had paid about N2,000 (two thousand Naira) each for same material without any response from the school’s management on May 30, 2017; thus putting the students’ union body in abeyance, barely three weeks and a day (22 days) after his swearing-in as the university’s students’ union President.

"Aside the implied case of corruption in the protest, relevant provisions like Section 40 of the 1999 Nigerian Federal Constitution (as amended), clearly confers the rights to associate to all Nigerians, including the students, just like their lecturers and the administrative staff of the university. It is equally noteworthy that the General Abisoye (rtd) panel that was set up during the Ibrahim Babangida era made it plain that the students’ unions are independent and ought not to be willfully proscribed by any school’s management. It went further to recommend that students, as cognate public of the university environment, must be represented at all levels of decision making of the university management, especially where students’ issues are in contention. These and many more were clearly not observed by the UI authority before this arbitrary suspension of their Union and rustication of the only known students’ union president till date.

“Ironically, the managements of our tertiary institutions are wont to decry undue interference and highhandedness of our political leaders, while they are more reputed for such meddlesomeness and propensity to corrupt practices which the students usually feel obligated to react to as first victims of those vices. We therefore insist that, students union governments are veritable field of training and acculturation of Nigeria’s future leaders, while the university environment can only thrive as a marketplace of ideas when there is high regards for democratic ethos and mutual cooperation between relevant stakeholders, operating therein.

"In this wise, CACOL calls for immediate reversal of the rustication of Ojo Aderemi by the Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka-led school management while machineries must be put in place to unban their students’ union with no further ado. We insist that for holistic democracy to germinate and fully blossom in Nigeria, our universities’ managements must rid themselves of these autocratic tendencies that were the carry-overs of the ingenious military dictatorship."

 

ACTIVISM Education Human Rights News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2DdKpr7

Chizemdere Ezuma, a self-acclaimed reverend arrested  for sodomising and infecting Shedrack, a 16-year-old boy, with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has caused a stir in police custody after making sexual advances at a male suspect with whom he was kept in a cell at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja and attempting to molest him.

According to Punch, the suspect whom Ezuma wanted to sodomise on Saturday night raised the alarm and threatened to beat him up.

Outraged by Ezuma's alleged move, one of the policemen on duty was said to have relocated him to another cell and kept an eye on him till the next morning.

“All the policemen on duty that night were amazed when the suspect complained that the pastor wanted to molest him," a police source said. “The suspect said the pastor was romancing his legs and when he was awake, the pastor gestured for him to come close."

Ezuma, the founder of Jesus Intervention Household Ministry, was said not to have denied the allegation when confronted by a policeman.

“He was taken to another cell that night and was kept under watch. He had been arraigned for sexual harassment.

“A boy (Shedrack) whom he was sleeping with was also charged with prostitution. The boy confessed to having slept with a lot of men in exchange for money.He was remanded in a correctional home while Ezuma was remanded in prison custody."

However, the spokesperson for the police in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, denied that the scenario played out.

Ezuma had been  at large  for months, having been declared wanted by the Police following the reports by parents of one of  the victims of his alleged serial sodomy of teenagers. He was tracked down on March 21, 2019, at his rented apartment on Adelaja Ojo Street in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos, three months after he went into hiding.

Ezuma is said to be a covert member of a gay syndicate. He had been declared wanted following the arrest of one Prince Chinecherem for defiling a minor. Elkana had said in a statement that Ezuma brought in about 15 boys into his apartment and forcefully penetrated them through the anus.

“On further interrogation, the ‘reverend’ revealed that he was HIV positive and had been receiving treatment for over three years," Elkana confirmed.

The statement added: “One Shedrack, 16, was part of his customers and was infected with HIV around October 2018. He further confessed that he pays the boys N2,000 each anytime he had carnal knowledge of them.”

CRIME News AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2VIYbcu

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The plane, developed by Stratolaunch, is designed as an airborne launch pad for satellites.

Five years after hundreds of students were kidnapped from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, President Muhammadu Buhari has told the parents of the students still in the captivity of Boko that he has not forgotten their daughters.

On April 14, 2014, 276 girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents. Some of the girls were eventually released in varying circumstances. However, more than 100 still remain unaccounted for.

In a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), on Saturday, Buhari said he "would like to remind the parents of the school girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State that he has still not forgotten their daughters who were kidnapped from their dormitory five years ago (April 14, 2014)".

Noting that he promised the parents when he met them at the beginning of his first term as President that he would bring their daughters home, Buhari said he was "aware that the promise he made is the main reason the people of Chibok voted overwhelmingly for him in the February elections, and although his government has so far succeeded in bringing back 107 of the girls", he would not rest "until the remaining are reunited with their families".

Buhari assured the parents that his administration was still on the matter, noting that "diverse efforts are being intensified to secure the release of the Chibok Girls, along with all hostages in Boko Haram captivity, including Leah Sharibu who was kidnapped from her school, Science Secondary School, Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018."

The statement continued: "On Leah Sharibu's abduction, the interlocutors have reported encouraging progress so far. The report reaching us says her return to her family has unfortunately been hindered by the fear of the militants.

"They worry that heavy military presence in areas where they previously moved about freely could affect their safety after they return her to the government. At the same time, the military cannot jeopardise the security of the entire north-eastern region by halting their operations to accommodate Boko Haram's fears.

"Leah Sharibu will be reunited with her family as soon as any conclusions are reached on a number of options being considered for her safe transportation."

Speaking on the activities of the Nigerian Army, he added: "The success of the Nigerian military in subduing Boko Haram is evidenced by the large numbers of militants who have surrendered recently, especially in neighbouring Cameroon and Niger. A similar mass surrender of militants is expected to happen soon in Nigeria.

"While Nigerian military operations are ongoing, the government is also engaging with the militants but the talks have been affected by the factionalisation of Boko Haram – with one group adopting a hard line attitude and intensifying attacks on Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, and another group engaging with the government for peaceful resolution."

The President Buhari also used the opportunity of the commemoration of the Chibok tragedy to "commend the girls, now women, who have triumphed over it all", and sent "special greetings to the 106 girls sponsored by the Nigerian government to continue their studies at the American University of Nigeria, Yola".

"He encourages them to stay focused on becoming women who will inspire girls in Nigeria and around the world to triumph over the daily battles they face in a world that is often unfair to the girl-child. President Buhari also extends his best wishes to Chibok girls in other schools in Nigeria and around the world.

"He sends special congratulations to Kauna Yaga Bitrus, who has excelled beyond expectations in her college in Maine, USA, and who is soon to receive a special 'Against All Odds Award' from her school."

Boko Haram Insurgency News AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2KwM9lb

At least 10 people have been killed, with several cars burnt, after a petroleum tanker exploded at Bomala Bridge axis of Gombe, capital of Gombe, on Saturday afternoon.

A witness told SaharaRepporters that petrol-laden tanker collided with a truck carrying bottled water along Gombe southern bypass.

He said more than 10 charred bodies were evacuated from the scene by personnel of the Nigerian Red Cross Society.

As of the time of filing in the report, officials of the Gombe State Fire Service were still trying to put out the fire.

 

Breaking News News AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2UT2THr

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not deserve a response from him after claiming he wasn’t born Nigerian, hence he was ineligible to contest the presidential election in the first place.

 The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared President Muhammadu Buhari, candidate of the APC, winner of the election for polling 15,191,847 votes against Atiku’s 11,262,978 votes.

Atiku and the PDP challenged the victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with a 139-page document, claiming that from the data in INEC’s server, Atiku actually polled a total of 18,356,732 votes while Buhari recorded 16,741,430.

But APC urged the tribunal to dismiss PDP's petition for incompetence, arguing that Section 131(a) of the Constitution stipulates that a person must be a citizen of Nigeria by birth to be qualified to contest for the office of the President.

“Atiku is not a citizen of Nigeria by birth and ought not to have even been allowed in the first place to contest the election,” the ruling party said.

Responding on Saturday via a statement by Paul Ibe, his media adviser, Atiku said such “ridiculous defence” from the APC to his statistical claims “shows to Nigerians the type of characters we have in the APC and its government, whose legitimacy runs out on May 29, 2019”. 

Dear citizens of our beloved country, Nigeria, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, told us previously that he has verifiable and incontrovertible evidence to show that the last Presidential elections were fraudulent, not credible and did not reflect the will of the Nigerian people, and he has been vindicated by the response of the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, to his petition to the Electoral Tribunal hearing the petition he filed,” read the statement. 

“The former Vice President based his case on facts and statistical evidence and challenged both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC, to disprove his factual submissions. 

“The fact that the APC chose to base its defence on the ridiculous assertion that the Waziri Adamawa is not a Nigerian should show to Nigerians the type of characters we have in the APC and its government, whose legitimacy runs out on May 29, 2019. 

“The position of the APC is so pedestrian and shows such straw clutching desperation on their part, that I shall not dignify it with an answer. Our lawyers would, of course, do the needful in court. But the point I want to draw the attention of Nigerians to is that both the APC and its candidate have by this infantile logic admitted to the fact that they trampled on the will of Nigerians and that their only defence is to attempt an unconstitutional redefinition of the term ‘Nigerian’.

“I am, however, confident in the Nigerian judiciary, as well as in the Nigerian people. I trust that the Tribunal will treat such a claim with the contempt it deserves. We must maintain our fidelity to the rule of law and to our fountain of origin, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).

“Atiku Abubakar has served our nation diligently in various capacities, form the civil service, where he rose through merit, to the top of his chosen field, to public service, where, by the grace of Hod, he was the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Moreover, he has committed his assets and talents to developing our nation through the provision of tens of thousands of direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs.”

Atiku added that those who have made Nigeria the world headquarters for extreme poverty are the very people whose Nigerianness should be in doubt, “and not a man who worked with President Olusegun Obasanjo to double the per capita Income of our nation in less than eight years”.

Elections Politics News AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2KDx6Gy

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
House Democrats give revenue officials until 23 April to hand over the president's tax returns.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Ceremonies have taken place to mark 100 years since British troops shot hundreds of civilians dead.

Sahara Energy Resource Limited (SERL) says it is not indebted to the United Bank for Africa (UBA) neither did it grant a direct guarantee to UBA on any loan transaction that the bank could unilaterally enforce or sue on.

Sahara Energy stated this on Saturday in its response to UBA’s filing of a winding up petition against it at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

UBA had said the petition was based on a N15 billion indebtedness of KEPCO Energy Resources Limited (KEPCO), which Sahara Energy had stood for as guarantor.

But, in its response, SERL denied the accusations and promised to legally pursue the matter to its very end.

“The attention of Sahara Energy Resource Limited (Nigeria) (‘SERL’) and the entire Sahara Group has been drawn to a publication in the Guardian Newspaper of 11th April 2019 made by United Bank for Africa Plc (‘UBA’) and their counsel pursuant to the ex parte order made by the Honorable Mr. Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, in Suit No. FHC/L/CP/387/19 pursuant to a winding up petition in Suit No. FHC/L/CP/387/19,” read an official stated on its website.

“Sahara has reviewed the publication and wish to comment as follows:

“SERL is not indebted to UBA, has no outstanding facilities with UBA nor did it borrow any money from UBA in any loan transaction that is the subject matter of either the civil petition (FHC/L/CP/387/19) or the civil summons (FHC/L/CS/387/19 as advertised) that formed the subject of the ex parte order;

“SERL did not grant a direct guarantee to UBA on any loan transaction that UBA could unilaterally enforce or sue on;
 
“SERL and one of its affiliate companies, NG Power-HPS Limited sued UBA in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/236/19 at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on 13th February 2019, claiming a number of declarative and injunctive remedies relating to unorthodox methods employed by UBA in relation to its dealings with the Plaintiffs.

“UBA, on 12th March 2019 sued New Electricity Distribution Company Limited and SERL along with two other institutions, First Trustees Limited and Ecobank Capital Limited in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/382/2019, by way of Originating Summons, claiming certain declarations and injunctions to which SERL has filed full and comprehensive response.

“The two suits in paragraphs 3 and 4 have been set down for hearing before the Federal High Court in Lagos on 30th May 2019.

“While the above two suits are pending and have been set down for hearing, UBA commenced a third suit on the 13th of March, and applied ex parte, (and without putting SERL on notice before serving the petition) obtained an order ex parte to advertise the petition.

“The petition was only served on SERL at about 12.25 p.m. on 11th April 2019 after it has been advertised as aforesaid.”

Sahara Energy added that its lawyers had been duly instructed and had taken all necessary steps to ensure that the order is discharged or set aside as soon as practicable.

“SERL and the entire Sahara Group will vigorously pursue and defend UBA’s petition to its logical conclusion with a view to dismissing the petition,” it said.

“We assure our esteemed clients, bankers, suppliers, stakeholders and the general public that SERL and its legal team are taking all lawful steps to ensure that SERL interest is vigorously defended and SERL has implicit confidence in the Nigerian judiciary to resolve the matter and dispense justice between the parties.

“SERL will provide periodic updates to its esteemed clients, suppliers and bankers as may be necessary, of steps being taken in connection with the suits and the results of effort to set aside the order and strike out the suit.”

Business News AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2IvSdYx

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has filed a winding up petition against Sahara Energy Resource Limited (Sahara Energy) at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The petition was based on a N15 billion indebtedness of KEPCO Energy Resources Limited (KEPCO), which Sahara Energy had stood for as guarantor.

A winding up petition is a legal action taken by a creditor or against an insolvent company that owes them money. It can also be filed against a company that served as guarantors of the defaulter. If approved by the court, it will lead to a closure of or compulsory liquidation of all the debtor’s assets to repay the loan.

The petition was filed before Mohammed Liman, a judge of the high court, by Temilolu Adamolekun, UBA’s legal counsel.

UBA said that KEPCO obtained a loan with which it raised capital to fund the acquisition of Egbin Power Plant, operated by Sahara Power Group, a privately-owned power company under the Sahara conglomerate.

In 2013, the Nigerian government granted KEPCO, a Korean company, 70% stake of Egbin power plant at a sale value of $407.3 million, equivalent to N64.35 billion at the existing exchange rate.

In order to fund that acquisition, UBA said KEPCO had applied for a credit facility from several banks, including itself, with Sahara Energy standing in as a “corporate guarantor” to secure the loan.

FBN Capital Limited and First Nigeria Limited were appointed as the facility agent and security trustee respectively.

UBA had therefore granted KEPCO a loan to the tune of $35 million in August 2013.

The petitioner said KEPCO failed to meet its obligations even after it restructured the loan on two different occasions.

The interest on the rescheduled debt is said to have increased the facility to $42,282,430.49 or NN15,221,674,976.40 as of December 31, 2018.

The petitioner said Sahara Energy had been notified several times to fulfill its obligation as a guarantor but had not done so, hence the need to file a winding up order.

“The company herein is insolvent and unable to pay its debt. In the circumstances, it is just and equitable that the company should be wound up,” read a part of the petition.

The petitioner also sought “an order that the company, Sahara Energy Resources Ltd, be wound up by the court under the provisions of Companies and Allied Matters Act”.

Following an ex-parte motion filed by Adamolekun, the bank’s lawyer, Liman, ordered that the winding up petition be advertised in the Nigerian government’s official gazette and a national daily newspaper.

Business News AddThis :  Featured Image :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2Gkb9YR

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Members of the Hazara community demand better security after a bombing in Quetta kills 24 people.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Thais celebrate Songkran, a Buddhist festival often called the biggest water fight in the world.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
They will be allowed to reunite with their parents living under protected status, a court has ruled.

Zainab Ahmed, Nigeria's Finance Minister, says the government would make the process of removing fuel subsidy gradual.

She stated this in response to the position of the International Monetary Fund (IMF’s) on the need for the government to consider removing the fuel subsidy and channel the resources into developing the country. 

Speaking on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring meetings in Washington D.C, Ahmed agreed with the IMF's position, but stated that the government needs to take certain steps first.

She said: “The advice from the IMF on fuel subsidy removal was a good one, which will be implemented in a manner that is both successful and sustainable. We are not in a situation where we will wake up one day and just remove subsidy. We have to educate the people, we have to show Nigerians what the replacement for those subsidies will be. 

"So, we have a lot of work to do. We also need to understand that you don’t remove large amounts of subsidy in one go. It has to be gradual and the public has to be well informed on what you are trying to do”.
 

Oil Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2DdFeHx

Kingsley Moghalu, presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 presidential election in Nigeria, says if he is offered a political appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, he would reflect on it before taking a decision.

He has, however, announced his withdrawal from partisan politics.

Moghalu stated this in a chat with Arise News TV in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Friday.

Disclosing his next move, he said he was now going to dedicate his time to a citizens’ movement called To Build A Nation (TBAN), which seeks to help in the development of Nigeria’s electoral process.

The former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said: “I’ve decided to pretty much withdraw from partisan engagement at this time; the elections are over.

“We’re engaging on a non-partisan basis to a platform called To Build A Nation (TBAN), a citizens’ movement that will campaign for electoral reform and engage in voter education.

“Those are the two things this democracy needs if it is to survive.”

Asked if he would accept a political appointment in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, he said: “If such an appointment is offered, then you reflect on it and make a decision.”

The YPP Presidential candidate, endorsed by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka in the build-up to the 2019 presidential election, came 14th with a total of 21,886 votes in the February 23 presidential election.
 

Elections Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2VIoEa6

Clement Isong, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), has assured Nigerians that there is no risk of possible fuel scarcity.

On Friday, many petrol retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja closed stations, creating long queues in a few filling stations that opened. 

However, oil marketers assured Nigerians that there would be no sustained scarcity. They advised fuel consumers not to engage in panic-buying.

The problem, according to the marketers, has been addressed and depots are loading 24 hours, and whatever supply gap there is would be closed soon.

Isong said there was a slight technical hiccup which the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the marketers had already resolved, adding that there would be normal supply, and any envisaged scarcity would be over this weekend.

He said: “All the tanks have product. There is no supply shortage. What caused the queue is a minor operational hiccup. Whenever there is such technical issue and it takes up to 12 hours to resolve, it upsets supply and distribution chains, and that is what happened in this scenario, because it created backlogs of loadings that could have been done earlier.

“However, the problem has been resolved. One of the vessels berthed at the port loaded into our tanks yesterday (Thursday); another one will discharge today (Friday) and the third vessel will discharge tomorrow (Saturday).

“I advise the public not to embark on panic-buying as there is enough fuel. The gap in supply created by the technical problem will be closed within the weekend as our members are loading 24 hours through the weekend.

However, an official of one of the depots owned by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), who did not want his identity disclosed, told The Nation newspaper that it was a slight scarcity.

He said: "If 10 depots are supposed to get supply from NNPC and only five depots were able to get at the end of the day, certainly, there must be a gap, and that is the reason you see queues at the filling stations.

“For instance, there are marketers who have paid for fuel in our depot in the past two to three weeks, and they are yet to be loaded because of inadequate fuel. But I believe that supply shortfall will be addressed soon.

“It is not something so serious. I assume it is a costly oversight on the part of the NNPC.”

Companies that make up MOMAN include Total Nigeria Plc, Conoil Plc, Oando Plc, 11Plc (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc), MRS Oil Nigeria Plc and Forte Oil Plc.
 

Oil News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2DdFczp

The United States of America's Department of State has warned its citizens against travelling to Nigeria "due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and piracy".

According to a CNN, the State Department said it has labelled high-threat countries with a 'K', so as to communicate more clearly to US citizens the risks of kidnapping and hostage-taking by criminal and terrorist actors around the world.

In a post on its website during the week, the State Department said apart from kidnapping, its citizens planning to visit Nigeria should also be wary of armed robbery, rape, carjacking civil unrest, terrorism and indiscriminate violence.

It also issued a level 4 travel alert for Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states due to terrorism, saying they should not travel to the three states. It pointed out that the security situation in the North-East was fluid and unpredictable, particularly in the three states.

The post read: “Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and piracy. Some areas have increased risk.

“Do not travel to Borno and Yobe states and northern Adamawa State due to terrorism.

“Violent crimes such as armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping and rape are common throughout the country. Exercise extreme caution throughout the country due to the threat of indiscriminate violence.”
 

CRIME International United States of America News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2F6s2pA

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it arrested a third year medical student and another undergraduate for attempting to write the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for candidates.

Fabian Benjamin, the board’s Head of Media and Information, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Friday in Lagos.

The 2019 UTME commenced on April 11 in 678 centres across the country.

According to Benjamin, in spite of the measures put in place to curb impersonation and other forms of examination malpractice, desperate individuals still attempted to commit the offence.

He said: “It has come to our notice that a lady was caught at the Rainbow Digital Tech centre, one of the centres for the examination in Kano, trying to impersonate by way of trying to sit for the examination for a candidate.

“On interrogation, it was discovered that the said lady is a medical student at Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto.

“Another case of impersonation was also reported in Benin,” 

According to him, the second suspect is an undergraduate of the University of Benin.

“We will like to state in clear terms that the board has zero tolerance for such an offence and related crimes aimed at undermining the integrity of its examination and its processes. We have been briefed about these developments; at the appropriate time, they will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

Benjamin claimed that JAMB so far has recorded much success in the conduct of the examination.

However, he accepted that a few cases of technical hitches in some of centres had been recorded.

His words: “I must say that we have recorded a huge success so far in the conduct of the examination. Having said that, I will also like to mention that some centres have, however, fallen short of the standards of the board in terms of facilities and other logistics.

“The board is doing everything possible to ensure that candidates in such centres are not short-changed by any means.

"They should not panic as they will be relocated to new centres by the board in due course. The board will relocate them to new centres for the examination, with new dates.”

He urged the affected candidates to stay abreast of happenings by checking their profiles from time to time for the new centres and dates for their examination.

He expressed displeasure at the unpleasant development and assured the candidates that the owners of such centres would be sanctioned.

“The board is not happy with this development as it has been discovered that most of such centres are mainly those situated in secondary schools, with their owners claiming to have perfect facilities on ground before the commencement of the examination. Others involved themselves in one infraction or the other. We are not going to take these issues lightly with defaulting centres and their owners. At the appropriate time, they will be sanctioned,” Benjamin added.

CRIME Education News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2D9mo4o

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said more than 3,500 children, within the age range of 13-17, were recruited by non-state armed groups between 2013 and 2017 in Nigeria's North-East.

In a statement released on its website on Friday, UNICEF said children were being used in the ongoing armed conflict in the North-East.

The organisation made the disclosure ahead of the fifth anniversary of the abduction of 276 girls from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents.

The UN agency said the number of those recruited could be higher as the 3,500 children were the ones that had been verified.

The statement added that apart from the 3,500 children, “432 children were killed and maimed, 180 were abducted, and 43 girls were sexually abused in North-East Nigeria in 2018.”

Meanwhile, more than 100 of the Chibok girls remain missing.

According to UNICEF, the anniversary of the abduction, slated for April 14, is a grim reminder that widespread abduction of children and grave violations of children’s rights still remain the order of the day in the North-East.

Malick Fall, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, said: “Children should feel safe at home, in schools and on their playgrounds at all times.

“We are calling on the parties to the conflict to fulfil their obligations under international law to end violation against children and to stop targeting civilian infrastructure, including schools. This is the only way we can begin to make lasting improvements in the lives of children in this devastated part of Nigeria."

UNICEF said that since 2012, armed groups in the North-East had been recruiting and using children as “combatants and non-combatants, raped and forced girls to marry, and committed other grave violations against childrenĺ, adding that "some of the girls become pregnant in captivity and give birth without any medical care or attention.”

Boko Haram Insurgency International Terrorism News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2VHU40j

Nigeria Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu

Nigeria's Minister of Education says it has conducted a National Personnel Audit of both public and private schools in Nigeria, which shows that the country has 10,193,918 out-of-school children.

Speaking at a conference in Abuja on Friday, Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, said the audit was part of the 2018/2019 Annual School Census, which was carried out by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Population Commission (NPC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other stakeholders.

Adamu, who was represented by Sonny Echono, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the census showed that the most endemic states affected by the out-of-school children were Kano, Akwa Ibom, Katsina,

Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Oyo, Benue, Jigawa and Ebonyi states.

The minister added that the Nigerian government had developed four strategic interventions on the out-of-school children, which are Special Education, Boy-Child Education, Girl-Child Education and Almajiri Sensitisation.

He said: “In 2015, conflicting figures of out-of-school children were being given, ranging from 10 to 13 million. We must acknowledge that the issue of data has constituted a stumbling block in terms of planning for the out-of-school children nationwide.

“However, UBEC, the NPC and the NBS worked together towards this common goal of determining the number of children of school age who are not in school. Based on the conducted National Personnel Audit of both public and private schools, Nigeria has out-of-school children population of 10,193,918.

“In the next four years, therefore, we shall concentrate efforts at increasing advocacy and sensitization of stakeholders at all levels, and improving synergy between stakeholders at all levels of basic education delivery"
 

Education Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
http://bit.ly/2TuJPvj

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Gene silencing drugs spared patients from the crippling pain caused by porphyria, in a clinical trial.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The 64 African migrants will be redistributed among four countries after being stranded at sea.

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Leaders of the street protests in Khartoum are unmoved by the military's sudden change of leader.