₦airaland Forum

A total of 3.5 million passengers passed through Nigerian airports in 54,000 aircraft movements in the first quarter of 2019, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said.

According to FAAN’s First Quarter Report obtained by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the figure represented an increase of 76,397 passengers or 2.23 per cent growth compared to the 3.43 million passengers recorded in the first quarter of 2018.

It also revealed there was 1.87 per cent increase in aircraft movements from 55,030 recorded during the same period in 2018.


According to the report, 2.56 million passengers travelled within the country (domestic), while a total of 951,128 passengers traveled into and out of the country (international) through the airports during the period under review.

The data further showed that 42,905 domestic and 11,095 international flights were operated across the nation’s 22 airports during the period.

The report on the four major airports in the country showed that Murtala Muhammed Airports, Lagos, (Domestic and International Wing) recorded the highest passengers and aircraft movements during the quarter.

The data indicated that Lagos airport recorded 1.53 million passengers, comprising 860,218 on domestic routes and 674,153 on the international routes.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja recorded 1.02 million passengers comprising 824,847 on domestic routes, while the international routes recorded 203,954 passengers.

FAAN also disclosed that Port Harcourt International Airport recorded 271,948 passengers comprising 251,410 domestic passengers and 20,538 international.

Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano recorded 322,659 passengers comprising 281,234 domestic and 41,425 international passengers.

The monthly breakdown showed that 1.42 million passengers comprising 789,883 arrivals and 633,069 departures in 18,653 aircraft movements were recorded in the month of January.

In February, 976,112 passengers comprising 462,447 arrivals and 513,665 departures in 18,150 aircraft movements were recorded.

The statistics also showed that a total of 1.11 million passengers comprising of 556,297 arrivals and 554,220 departures in 17,197 aircraft movements were recorded in March. (NAN)

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/05/nigerian-airports-record-35m-passengers.html

Some clerics in Lagos on Thursday have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to improve the lives and security of Nigerians during his second term, and also enhance their welfare.

Amir of the Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness (MICA) Justice Wale Abiru, urged President Buhari to concentrate more on improving the welfare of citizens.

“The Nigerian society has a lot of problem, and I think that the President cannot resolve that in one term; there are things that need to be done.

“The issue of welfare, poverty is a big problem and we need to tackle it; poverty breeds insecurity and I hope that it can be curbed,’’ he said.

The Director of Project, Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Mr Jubri Abdullahi, urged the government to ensure that the lives and property of its citizens are protected.

“We expect a number of things from the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari on security.

“Kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling, Boko Haram are on the increase, so we expect to see an elimination of these, because where there is no security there cannot be development.

“We commended him on the increase in minimum wage, we expect that it would be constant and consistent, and Nigerians will actually have a living wage,’’ he said.

The Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Pastor Olusola Ore, said that the issue of corruption should be looked into holistically without sacred cows.

“I think he should up his game in the area of security. The killings, both communal and ethnic killing, should stop. He should look holistically at the issue of corruption, it should not be selective.

“It might not be intentional, but that is how it seems; there are so many people in the ruling party that need to be probed.

“The President should look around him and make sure he is not smeared by the people around him.

Rt Rev Stephen Adegbite, Bishop of the Metropolitan Diocese of Ikeja Methodist Church Nigeria, urged the Federal Government to do more in the area of securing the lives and property of the citizens.

“If the present situation is not addressed, the sense of unity and togetherness of the Nigerian people from a psychological standpoint could be under threat.

“The state of the nation, particularly the level of insecurity, is a big concern. We hope that with President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election, he will do a lot better than he has done,’’ he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/05/re-election-clerics-task-president.html

With an average population growth of 2.6 per cent between 2010 and 2019, Nigeria now has a population of about 201 million.

The United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) unveiled this estimate in its 2019 State of the World Population report.

The report said that Nigeria’s population grew by about 5 million people from 2018 when the country’s population was 195.9 million.

The country has witnessed a population growth from 54.7 million in 1969 to 105.4 million in 1994 and 201.0 million in 2019.

According to UNFPA, the age distribution of 15-64 years is the highest population composition in the country with 54% of Nigerians falling between the age range.

Forty four per cent of Nigerians are within the age distribution 0-14 while 32% of the population is between 10 and 24 years and a paltry 3% are 65 and above.

The low percentage of those within the 65 and above age distribution is not entirely surprising with the life expectancy of Nigeria at 55 years old, one of the lowest across the world.

However, the estimate of life expectancy is higher than that given by the National Population Commission. Its chairman, Alhaji Hassan Bashir told the 52nd Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development in New York early this month that the overall life expectancy of Nigeria stands at 52.2 years.

He said Nigerians “60 years and over currently represents less than five per cent of the entire population, while overall life expectancy is 52.2 years”.

The UNFPA report indicates a slight drop in the fertility rate from 2018’s 5.4 births per woman to 5.3 births per woman. It continues the trend of dropping fertility rate over the years from 6.3 in 1994 to 5.3 in 2019.

The World population grew to 7.7 billion in 2019 while the life expectancy rate is 72 years.

UNFPA supports reproductive health care for women and youth across the world.

The report also indicated that 51% of women aged 15-49 years who are married (or in union) make decisions on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.

UNFPA has also committed to its agenda 2030. The bold agenda of UNFPA seeks to protect and promote human rights.

“Leave no one behind and reach the furthest behind first; strengthen link between development, humanitarian action & sustaining peace; reduce risks and vulnerabilities and build resilience.

“Ensure gender-responsive approaches at all levels of programming and Improve accountability, transparency and efficiency.’’

According to UNFPA, “it is important that we act now. A bold agenda requires bold action. To achieve these objectives, we must work together to leave no one behind.’’

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/nigerias-population-now-201-million.html

Six persons were on Tuesday feared killed during a clash between rival cults at Tusokun, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Akelicious gathered that the fight, which started in the early hours of Tuesday, lasted for many hours.

The clash reportedly involved members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities.

“The two cults engaged in reprisals over the killing of their members in the area.

“The two groups, as we speak, have lost three members each,” a source said.

The development caused panic among residents, who scampered for safety.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.

He, however, said the police had arrested some of the perpetrators.

The state Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, also confirmed the incident.

Makama, while parading some suspects at the command headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, said no fewer than 14 persons had been arrested in connection with the clash.


He, however, noted that he was aware of only one death.

He added that he had not been fully briefed about the incident.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/6-feared-killed-in-ogun-cult-clash.html

Some 40 percent of African banking customers surveyed prefer to use digital channels for transactions, roughly the same share as those who prefer branches, a report has shown.

The report also indicates that in four of the continent’s major banking markets, the share of customers who prefer digital channels is significantly higher than the share preferring the branch channel, according to a 2018 report by McKinsey & Company on Growth and Innovation in African Retail Banking.

It said banks can adopt one of four distinct digital strategies: The first is to digitally transform their existing operations, to increase their share of digital sales and transactions to beyond 60 to 70 percent on each measure, as Kenya-based Equity Bank has done.

The second is, banks can partner with telcos or fintechs to deliver mobile financial services to their clients at a cost below that of the branch network. An example, also from Kenya, is M- Shwari, the mobile-based loans application formed in partnership between Commercial Bank of Africa and Safaricom.

The third digital strategy is to build a digital bank from scratch as Nigeria’s Wema Bank did in launching ALAT, Africa’s first fully digital bank, in 2017.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/40-of-african-bank-customers-prefer.html

Police officer cum music artiste, Abayomi Ekundayo, aka Yomi SARS, has said that there was no time he joined the campaign to end the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Recall that a video surfaced online where he was caught on camera, calling for an end to SARS.


Yomi told Sunday Scoop that as a policeman, he couldn’t say anything bad about the force regardless of the circumstances. He said, “Yes, I saw the post but there was no time I said end SARS. When I was about to leave a show in Surulere, Lagos, last Sunday, Zlatan Ibile saw me and started shouting ‘End SARS’. He was obviously joking while recording it. I then asked why he was shouting ‘End SARS’. That was what happened.”

Ekundayo said the video didn’t disturb him because he knew he didn’t cross the line. He stated, “The video is nothing. If it was an issue, I wouldn’t have allowed him to post it. Captions by bloggers made it look like I wanted to sabotage where I eat from. If SARS is ended, who will protect the people? I wish all policemen are social media savvy like me. I am sure if they see the killings on social media, they will be more cautious while discharging their duties.”

On insinuations that alcohol could be responsible for his action on the said night, Yomi SARS maintained that he stopped drinking four years ago. He said, “Nobody has called me from the police authorities to explain myself. I don’t drink. The last time I took alcohol was four years ago. In the video, did you see me holding any drink?”

The cop also maintained that people usually embraced him on the streets, admitting that he also got death threats on social media. He stated, “I don’t care much about what people say to me on social media. I’ve said it several times that I don’t work with SARS anymore. I know my fans and my fans still show me love. People have the right to protest if something terrible happens. But as a policeman, I have to obey orders. I am for the people and the police because I am a singer and a policeman. If the police authorities had called me to explain myself, it would be an opportunity for me to suggest a way out of this issue between the force and the people.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/i-never-called-for-end-to-sars-yomi-sars.html

As the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari enters its last days, Nigerian experts comprising economists, industrialists, lawyers, politicians and other stakeholders have set agenda for him on his incoming administration. Besides identifying the critical sectors which deserve more attention from him during his second term in office, the experts urged the president to use competence and expertise as the bases for selecting his ministers and aides. In separate interviews with Akelicious, the experts averred that Buhari needs a good team to meet the growing expectations of Nigerians and to sustain as well improve on his achievements in the last four years. Akelicious conducted the interview following Buhari’s directive to his ministers and heads of critical agencies to turn in their handover notes on Wednesday. The experts urged the federal government to focus on the provision of infrastructure and formulation of the right policies to drive the private sector for the speedy development of the economy. The national president of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief Alaba Lawson, said the fixing of infrastructure, especially roads and power, is a critical job Buhari must not toy with in his second term. Lawson also appealed to the president to prioritise the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Initiatives for better results. She said the administration should collaboration with the private sector to curb smuggling, adulteration, counterfeiting and cloning of products in the country, adding that there should be punitive sanctions for offenders. Also, the president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, urged the federal government to commit to policies and programmes that will accelerate economic growth and ensure that the growth rate surpasses the rate of population growth. He stated that private sector investment is a critical growth driver, therefore, the government should commit to the creation of an enabling the environment to bring about a quantum leap in private investment, adding that tax, trade, monetary, and foreign exchange policies must be in alignment with this objective. On economic infrastructure, Ruwase said that the need for a functional and modern rail network cannot be overemphasized and asked the president to in the next four years expedite action on the ongoing rail projects across the country to ensure cost-effective logistics for investors across all sectors. Ruwase further called for the passage of the National Roads Fund Bill, a repository for revenue accruing from road user charging systems and any other sources for the purpose of financing the maintenance and upkeep of road infrastructure. He said that the president should also introduce tolling on interstate roads that have been completed to ensure sustainable financing and maintenance of roads. Others, according to him, are credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs to promote lending and loan repayment, improving the regulatory environment in the oil and gas industry, and encouraging more off-grid power generation for improved access to power. In the aviation sector, the stakeholders want a core professional as the minister of aviation. The trade unions particularly charged President Buhari to appoint an aviator and not a politician as the next minister of aviation if he wants to move the industry forward. A core professional, they insisted, would move the aviation sector forward The secretary-general of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu, told Akelicious that the choice of the president should not just be a professional but a core professional who knows the industry very well. Saidu said: “When we talk about aviation professional, we want a practical professional that has flown an aircraft or a qualified aeronautical engineer. These are the professionals we want and not half-baked professionals. We want a full-grown and registered professional.” The labour leader added that the next minister should ensure that indebtedness of service providers such as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency Nigeria (NiMet) and other parastatals are stopped since they are self-sustaining agencies. Saidu warned that the minister of state for aviation should equally work in tandem with the minister of transportation, lamenting that a situation whereby the two work separately is harmful to the industry. Also, the president, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Engr. Abednego Galadima, said that the government should ensure the realisation of the second Abuja runway project, Nigeria Air and other laudable projects as contained in the Aviation Roadmap Document. Worried by the plight of unemployed pilots, Galadima said that NAAPE under his leadership has already approached the government with solutions to address the problem. Galadima said: “I have written a proposal to the government where we can encourage these General Aviation (GA) people, particularly Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and others, by giving them special subvention to enable them to buy fuel, so that these our young pilots can build hours to make them more usable, marketable and ready for the job.” On land transportation, a board member representing the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) at the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Dr. David Chukwudi, said that no Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) will invest in the country if the New Automobile Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) Bill is not signed into law. Chukwudi said that this is also the best time for President Buhari to sign the bill into law so that foreign investors can come and invest without fears. With the Consolidated Insurance Draft expected to be submitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) soon, the industry stakeholders expect the next cabinet to give it special attention when it is presented, so that, it can quickly get to the National Assembly for deliberation and possible passage into law. Also, the chairman, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Mr. Tope Smart, called for reforms in the industry, especially the passage of the Consolidated Insurance Bill into law. He called on the Executive arm of government to speed up the process of passaging into law of the Insurance Bill to enhance insurance service delivery in the country. Market observers lamented that the current 2003 Insurance Act restrict operators from carrying out certain functions, especially in the implementation of the compulsory insurances. In the maritime sector, the acting national president of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto said: “We want a minister who is a round peg in a round hole, a minister who is committed, knows his onions and put his ears to the ground. Farinto said: “The agenda we are setting is for President Buhari to have a senior special assistant on maritime so that he will have strong information about happenings in the industry and if the sector is well harnessed, it can generate over N2 trillion into the Federation Account. “We need to fix the roads, intermodal system especially the rails need to be working and also a situation where the eastern port will be revitalised. If the government is serious about fixing the maritime industry, it can fund the nation’s annual budget. We are talking about blue economy which is what is happening in the world and we have a lot that is not being harnessed in Nigeria,” he said. To the former managing director of ACCION Microfinance Bank and director at Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), Bunmi Lawson, said that competence and ability to execute plans should be one of the criteria that should be used in selecting the new cabinet. “The Nigerian economy is not growing as fast as we want, so for it to grow faster it is going to be about implementation. As Nigerians, we have a lot of plans. When it comes to articulating plans we have it, but what we need are people who can actually get things done for the economy to grow. “For instance, the power sector is one critical area and I think that that ministry should be broken up into three, so we don’t need to have power, works and housing in one ministry. These are critical areas and they are too much for one person. Power should be separated and let the president get someone who can actually deliver on the goals of providing electricity for all Nigerians. Stating that infrastructure, the ministries of finance, health, education are key areas to focus on, she urged the president to ensure that “people who have the knowledge and know what to do and can get it done are appointed and not people who talk and nothing gets done.” Likewise, the managing director of HighCap Securities Limited, Mr. David Adonri, said that the appointment of members of the next cabinet should be based on competence, loyalty, expertise, experience and not on sentiments, ethnicity and religious affiliation. Adonri also urged the government to focus on policy re-direction from public sector-driven economy to market-driven forces, stressing that the new government should come up with market aid policy that will create an enabling environment for the private sector to operate. He added that the federal government needs to do more on its monetary and fiscal policy formulation to bring interest rate to lower single digit, as this will lead to financial assets migrating from fixed income securities to equities as the economy needs more equities for its finance. Lawyers Caution Against Feudal, Partisan Considerations Eminent lawyers, including rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Afam Osigwe, and Dr. Kayode Ajulo, have also added their voice on the expected cabinet. Ozekhome asked the president to look at competence and not ethnic bias as consideration for the appointment of his ministers and aides. According to him, the appointments made in the last four years had been characterised by nepotism, favouritism and biases and called on Buhari not to repeat the same mistakes. He said: ‘’I have only one advice for the president. He should appoint square pegs in square holes. He should not be nepotistic in his appointment and should understand that Nigeria is bigger than Daura and the Northwest zone,’’ he said. Similarly, former secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, expects the president not to delay the appointment of his ministers for his second term in office. He also called on the president to take the issue of security more seriously. Also, an Abuja-based lawyer and founder of the Egalitarian Mission International, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, said that the president should not wait for six months again before appointing ministers. According to him, the delay in appointing ministers will affect businesses and investments in the country. He also called on the president to do more on the economy, security and the fight against corruption. The lawyers claimed that over 90 per cent of the current ministers are not known to Nigerians on account of performance and those known are for negative reasons. The lawyers urged the president to beam his searchlight in the east, north, south and west for the best lawyer and irrespective of his or her background to be appointed the minister of justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation in order to avoid trampling on the rule of law. They also asked Buhari to look for the likes of the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina who is an agricultural economist to run the Ministry of Agriculture, rather than engaging someone to man such a ministry because he knows something about agriculture. According to Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), “most of the president cabinet members are people appointed for political or partisan purpose instead of competence. “In my own view, the president should know that era of politicking with appointments is over since he’s in his second and final term. The ministerial positions are no longer jobs for the boys or partisan members; he has to look beyond his ethnic or feudal evaluations in selecting his cabinet members this time around. “For the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), he has to look for a competent hand who would advise him properly, and that is the only way his administration would avoid trampling on the rule of law,” he said. Another eminent layer, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), said that “President Buhari should know he is entering his second term and should focus on what history would say about his performance, in other words the legacies he will be leaving behind. Ngige said: “He has to go for the professionals and technocrats, persons who would guide him well on what to do and not otherwise. Even when party leaders nominate for him, he should only accept such persons if they are sound. “For AGF office, the president should look in the direction of the East, North, South and West for the best man for the job. He has been a litigant and he should know the best lawyer for the job,” Ngige said. Barr. Alasa Ismaila said: “He (president) shouldn’t find it difficult to rejig his cabinet in order to change the current narratives of insecurity, household economic hardship and unemployment. “He is even too much in a haste to dissolve his cabinet now because such will only overheat the polity and create tension all over the place. It will certainly create distraction because these ministers would now be lobbying to retain their seats,” he said. A lecturer at the Agricultural Economics Department of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Victor Olugbenga Okorua, said that “the president must look for the likes of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina to be appointed the minister of agriculture who brought in so much professionalism and innovations in his time. “It is not enough to say somebody knows about farming and therefore makes him the minister of agriculture. “He should also bring in economists as ministers of finance and budget. These positions are not for accountants or other professionals if the country must progress from this level of economic downturn in the country,” Okorua stated. Also, speaking on the kind of cabinet members Buhari should have, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former minister of sport, Alhaji Bala Ka’oje, said they should not be people prone to errors or those who engaged in blame games. Ka’oje appealed to Buhari to do proper background to get the right people into his cabinet, adding that the appointments should be based on speciality. According to Ka’oje, a situation where some ministers don’t know much about what to do in their ministries but keep making errors is unacceptable. He Akelicious in Abuja, Ka’oje said that he is happy that his party won many states and constituencies in the 2019 general elections but added that Nigerians will be expecting capable hands as ministers who will help the president to take the country to the next level. He said: “I want those who are advising Buhari to sit down and get the right kind of people that will help him to run the affairs of the country. So many errors are being made but we want that corrected this time. Some don’t even know the mandate of their ministries. This is another opportunity the president has gotten to change things for the better.” Relatedly, there are strong indications that Buhari may not delay the unveiling his ministers and aides for his second term. Early Appointment Of Ministers, Aides Likely As a pointer that new cabinet may emerge immediately after the May 29 inauguration, Buhari has asked ministers and agency heads to turn in their handover notes by Wednesday next week. Some sources even hazard the people that make the new cabinet during interviews with Akelicious. Last Wednesday, Buhari in a statement issued by his senior special assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, asked his appointees to come up with a comprehensive status report on policies, programmes and projects of their respective ministries, departments and agencies. According to the statement, the top government officials have Wednesday, April 24, 2019 as the deadline for the submission of their reports to the Presidential Audit Committee in the Office of the Vice President. Akelicious gathered that a circular to that effect had been issued by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, directing the FEC members to ensure that all outstanding memoranda they intend to present to the council are submitted to the Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the SGF, not later than Tuesday, April 30, 2019. According to the circular, the ninth and 10th meetings of the council have been shifted to Thursday, April 25, and Thursday, May 2, 2019 as a result of the Easter and May Day celebrations. Dependable sources said that while efforts are being made for cabinet members to submit their reports, the compilation of the names for next cabinet has commenced. The sources said that three outgoing governors and a deputy governor who may make the list are Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, who has been elected a senator for the 9th National Assembly, Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State, Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State, and Bala Barnabas Bantex from Kaduna State. Other names also being flaunted as likely ministers and aides are Kayode Adesola, Rotimi Amaechi, Chris Ngige, Hadi Sirika, Abdulrahman Danbazau and Fatima Gambo. There also Ogbonnaya Onu, Abubakar Malami, Ahmed Mohammad Kwarra, Audu Ogbeh, Halima Babayo, Adebayo Adelabu, and Senator Godswill Akpabio. Sources say more people from different states of the country are being considered but that their track records will play prominent roles in their appointments.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/economists-industrialists-others-set.html

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has raised the alarm over an alleged fraud by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the recently issued Certificate of Return to the Rivers state, Chief Nyesom Wike, and all the House of Assembly members-elect in the State.

Eze, in a statement issued and circulated in Port Harcourt on Thursday, alerted that the certificates issued to Wike and others had been issued and signed since the 14th of March, 2019, almost three weeks before the contentious Rivers state election was concluded, a fact affirming an earlier alarm raised on an alleged collusion between the INEC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Wike to rig the election in the governor's favour.

Eze had raised an alarm to the effect in a statement issued on March 30, alleging that the INEC had already printed Certificates of Return in favour of the governor, even while the election was yet to be concluded, as it had been suspended in a curious circumstance midway, a development that most stakeholders in the state had frowned at.

However, the electoral umpire had denied the allegation, saying rather that it would go after whoever is found with a fake Certificate of Return, vowing to prosecute such persons.

"On 30th March, 2019, I issued a statement titled, "Rivers Poll: Eze Accuses INEC Of printing Gov. Wike’s Certificate Of Return In Advance" and on the same date INEC issued their own statement titled, "INEC Denies Fake Certificate of Returns in Rivers"

"Affirming my accusation that INEC never meant any good for the people of Rivers state and democracy in Nigeria, the Commission went ahead to issue the same certificate of returns that they were accused of printing in advance, to Governor Wike and 32 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, assumed to have won the March 23rd polls, on 16th April, 2019.

"The governorship election was held on 9th March, 2019 and suspended on 10th of March while collation started on April 2nd while Certificates of Return were printed and signed on March 14th, 2019.
It is sad and unfortunate that after all the cries and protests by some well meaning citizens of Rivers state, including some of our statesmen, exposing the bias and partiality of the leadership of the INEC to subvert the will of Rivers people, the commission is hell-bent and determined to carry out her devious plots. It has eventually come to light, in this untidy business of forged Certificates of Return, that INEC is a slave to corruption in Rivers state.

"In carrying out her sinister plot the commission printed Certificates of Return in favour of Governor Nyesom Wike and other PDP candidates, even before the conclusion of her manipulated process.

"Although INEC stated in her 30th March statement that the INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu, denied the news that the Certificate of Return posted on social media was not printed by him because INEC was yet to announce the results as collation was suspended, the Certificates of Return issued to Wike and others bear the same date, but the governorship and House of Assembly elections were formerly collated and announced by Inec from 3rd to 4th of April.

"But on 16th April, INEC shamelessly, through her compromised Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obong Effanga, issued Certificates of Return printed on 14th March to Governor Wike and the 32 members of Rivers State House of Assembly, affirming my stand that the Rivers state election results announced by INEC was not only charade, but a mischievous act that can't stand and supported by any lover of democracy", he said.

The public are now aware that the denial by the INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu that the already printed certificate of return which was all over the social media before the results were collated and announced from 2nd to 4th of April, is nothing but a lie. Truly the INEC Chairman printed those certificates of return having an unholy alliance with Wike. How come the election was concluded and announced between 2nd to 4th of April 2019 and the certificate of return was back dated to 14th of March 2019 same date with the certificate of return been shared all over the social media. Only INEC Chairman and Obo Effanga can explain better

Eze also reiterated that information available has it that Gov. Wike through the INEC REC in Rivers State, Obong Effanga has also negotiated with Wike on a further deal to enable Wike raise a preliminary objection as to filing out of time by any candidate who is aggrieved and filed a petition at the election petition tribunal.

Eze, a one-time National spokesman of the defunct new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), however expressed sadness that the compromised REC of the INEC in the state, Obo Effanga, had continued to hold sway on the electoral affairs of the state, despite his very glaring violations of the electoral processes by and his unhidden bias for the PDP in the State.


https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/rivers-polls-apc-chieftain-raises-alarm.html

Some National Assembly Legislative Aides have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the leadership of the 8th Assembly over payments due to the aides.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, the aides under the aegis of Concerned Legislative Aides of 8TH National Assembly, urged the anti-corruption body to act on the petition which it had.

The statement jointly signed by Barr. Chinedu Nwokeukwu and Mr Sunday Chuba stated that the petition was bordered on alleged diversion of funds meant for the payment of their entitlements.

The group particularly asked the EFCC to investigate the Clerk to the National Assembly and the presiding officers of both chambers of the law making arm of government.

They decried that despite promises and assurances, the EFCC had yet to commence investigation into the alleged diversion, stressing that the commission should have swung into action by now.

“The non-investigation has clearly emboldened our traducers in making the final kill before the end of the 8th National Assembly on 10 June, 2019.

“Concerned legislative aides are reliably informed that plans are afoot to tamper with the May 2019, salary – being the last salary of 8th Assembly aides, and deductions of up to N100,000 and above are being planned on the severance package of each legislative aide.

“We hereby implore the EFCC to take the bull by its horn and speedily investigate the said allegation and ensure that the diverted monies are duly refunded and paid to 8th Assembly aides before the expiry of the 8th National Assembly,” the group said.

According to the petition to the EFCC, the group explained that the presiding and principal officers of both chambers were entitled to additional aides in the guise of Special Advisers and Special Assistants employed on their behalf by the National Assembly Management.

The petition further explained that it was for the reason that the National Assembly Service Commission employed five aides each for 109 Senator and 360 Member totaling 2,345 aides.

It added that the aides were employed on a short term basis and entitled to allowances as applicable to other public servants and a severance package of 300 per cent of their annual basic salary at the end of the four year tenure of their principals.

‘’Part of the allowance is the Duty Tour Allowance (DTA). Each SLA from Level 15-17 is entitled to the sum of N100,000 while other category of aides receive the sum of N75,000 every quarter.

The aides decried that the leadership of the current National Assembly was not like previous ones where the Senate Presidents and the Speakers ensured that aides were paid their full entitlemnets.

‘’We are hereby alleging criminal diversion of these yearly appropriated legitimate entitlements.

‘’Out of the 13 quarters DTAs owed legislative aides of the 8th National Assembly since June 2015, only two quarters have been paid to us.

“There has been no training for the past three and half years despite the budgetary allocations for this item,” it said.

The petitioners added that the aides had employed different means to appeal to the National Assembly’s leadership and had to resort to the petition when the appeals seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/efcc-must-probe-8th-nass-over.html

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The Nigerian Army has vowed to arrest perpetrators of Sunday’s attack on Numa Kochu village in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

In its Operation Whirl Stroke covering Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states, troops have been directed to work with other security agencies in the state.

Addressing journalists in Lafia, Commander of the Operation, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, renewed the military’s commitment in restoring peace.

“We don’t really have troops there at Akwanga as we speak but there are other security forces on the ground there.

“What we have done is to be collaborating with them. I have directed my troops to move to Akwanga and join other security forces to track down the perpetrators of this crisis, let us apprehend them so that justice can be done,” he stated.

According to him, the military has carried out nine major successful operations Obi, Doma, Toto and Awe local government areas of the state.

Yekini explained that 37 assorted weapons including a clarion 5.56 Israeli commando assault rifle, 389 ammunition, 1 grenade and local charms were recovered from the attackers during the operation.

While noting that a number of persons were killed, he, however, stated that 11 persons were arrested and others at large.

Although the Commander didn’t disclose the number of dead persons, he vowed to trail those bandits said to be on the run.

Meanwhile, the local vigilantes have arrested three persons in connection with the recent attack.

An elder from the area, Danjos John who spoke to Channels Television via telephone said the persons attacked the village shooting sporadically in air, and when chased by the locals they ran into the forest and hid their weapons.

He added that upon their arrest, they were to the police station in Akwanga.

“I got a call from the community after the incident when I got there. The persons were already arrested by the people of the community. They told me they came and were shooting guns.

“Immediately they saw the people they started running to the bush. The people pursued them and caught them there. Now we are trying to see if we can go into the bush to get their guns.

“They are three in numbers and they are not Fulanis, they are our brothers. Their names are Blani Zaman Gbugar, Garba Musa Amos and Ridan Labari,” he stated.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/nasarawa-attack-army-vows-to-track-down.html

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc has reported a profit before tax of N57 billion in the first three month of the year, 2019 The bank’s unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 was released to the investing public on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and London Stock Exchange. The Bank recorded positive performance across all financial metrics with gross earnings for the period growing by 1.2 per cent to N110.3 billion from N109 billion posted in March 2018. Profit before tax improved to N57 billion from N52.6 billion recorded in the corresponding period of March 2018, representing a growth of 8.3 per cent. Customers’ deposits also rose by six per cent to N2.410 trillion in March 2019 from N2.274 trillion in December 2018, whilst the bank’s loan book grew by 1.6 per cent from N1.262 trillion as at December 2018 to N1.282 trillion in March 2019. Balance sheet remained strong with the bank closing the quarter ended March 31, 2019 with total assets of N3.556 trillion and shareholders’ funds of N627.2 billion. In terms of Assets quality, non-performing loan (NPL) ratio and Cost of Risk closed 7.03 per cent and 0.05 per cent in March 2019 from 7.30 per cent and 0.34 per cent in December 2018 respectively. In addition, coverage for NPL stood at 90.12 per cent while Full Impact Capital adequacy ratio remained very strong, closing at 22.25 per cent. On the backdrop of this result, Post Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) and Return on Assets (ROAA) closed at 32.79 per cent and 5.76 per cent respectively. The bank noted that these indices are pointer to GTBank’s strategic positioning in Nigeria and other Countries where the Group operates. Speaking on the first quarter results, the managing director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr Segun Agbaje, said: “Going into 2019, we knew that it would be a challenging year, but our strategy and unwavering focus on delivering value for our customers and shareholders continues to underpin our ability to consistently deliver solid results despite changing market variables. “We carried on the momentum of the previous year, posting strong growth in earnings, effectively managing costs and leveraging our digital-first customer-centric strategy to deliver world-class services that are simple, cheap and easily accessible.” He further stated that, “Whilst ensuring the long-term growth of our business is the greatest value that we can create for our communities, we are also leveraging our resources, expertise and network to help people thrive. That is why, from April 28 to May 1, 2019, we are organising the biggest food and drink festival in Africa to give small businesses in the food industry the platform, network and access to the markets that they need to grow.” He added that GTBank has continued to be best in class in terms of profitability, efficiency and capital among peers and other financial institutions in Nigeria. According to Agbaje, this is evidenced by its earnings per share of N1.74, Return on Equity (ROAE) of 32.79 per cent, Cost to Income Ratio of 38.64 per cent and Capital Adequacy of 22.25 per cent. These metrics are a testament to the efficient management of the bank.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/gtbank-reports-profit-before-tax-of.html

Electricity consumers connected to the national grid have been thrown into darkness due to the grid system outage that occurred Monday night.


According to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, corporate manager Bode Fedegbe says light will be restored when the system recovers.

The national grid which is the property of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, is collapsing for the fourth time this year.

TCN is yet to inform Nigerians of the reason for this latest grid collapse and how long the outage will last.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/national-grid-collapses-again.html

Timi Frank reacts to Keyamo, Onochie’s claims on Atiku, Onnoghen, calls it ‘freudian slip’

A political activist and an ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has said that the presidency has been finally caught in what he described as ‘freudian slip’, following the revelations by the Personal Assistant to the President on Social Media Lauretta Onochie and the President’s campaign spokesman Festus Keyamo, regarding their principal and the former CJN Walter Onnoghen.


Frank said unconsciously, the statement credited to the Presidential spokeswoman that the now-resigned former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, had a plan to judicially annul the February 23, 2019, Presidential election and hand over a default victory to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, “is an admission and a corroboration of what we have always known: That the persecution of Justice Walter Onnoghen was politically motivated and was not done in good faith, but was an attack on innocent man by the Buhari administration in its plan to thwart the will of the Nigerian people.”
While reacting to both Festus Kayamo and Lauretta Onochie’s statements, through a statement signed Monday in Abuja, Frank recalled that on Monday, April 15, 2019, the president’s aide on social media said ‘the Atiku’s plan was for Justice Onnoghen to annul the results of 17 major states won by President Buhari, thereby giving victory to you guessed who, yes, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. But Justice Onnoghen confessed to crimes against our nation.’

According to Timi Frank, The above statement is prima facie evidence that the Buhari government never planned to hold credible elections and that they are using the state to sponsor an attack on the judiciary in order to cow the learned justices into giving a judgment favourable to President Buhari.



“Nigerians may recall that the petition used to suspend Justice Onnoghen was written by one Dennis Aghanya, who is a former spokesman to President Buhari and is presently one of his confidantes. Nigerians may further recall that the Code of Conduct Bureau received the petition on Saturday, January 12, 2019, which is normally a day that the judiciary does not function.
“It would further be recalled that the Code of Conduct Bureau acted on the matter on Monday, January 14, 2019 and that never in the history of the Code of Conduct Bureau has a petition been given such breathtaking accelerated speed to the extent that the Code of Conduct Tribunal admitted that it had not finished investigating the case before it charged Justice Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

While calling on the international community to quickly intervene, Frank said: “Mr Dennis Aghanya’s and Miss Onochie’s actions are enough evidence for the international community to intervene on the side of the Nigerian people and the judiciary lest the brinksmanship of the Buhari administration leads the nation to the precipice.
“Already, the desperation of this government has seen them advance a ridiculous defence to the petition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to the Election Petition Tribunal, to the effect that Atiku Abubakar is not a Nigerian and that President Buhari does not need a West African Examinations Certificate (school leaving certificate) to contest for the Presidency. Yet, this same All Progressive Congress is challenging the competency of Senator Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on the grounds that he has no WAEC certificate.”

Timi Frank, therefore, called on Nigerians and the international community to rally to the defence of the judiciary “before they are completely emasculated by this dishonourable and desperate administration.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/timi-frank-reacts-to-keyamo-onochies.html

Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has declared that rigging of elections in whatever guise and through what means was worse than stealing billions of money that belongs to the people.

Cardinal Onaiyekan has also appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to refrain from controlling the judiciary so as to allow justices and judges the free hand to discharge their constitutional duties without fear or favour and without pressure from the government.

Speaking in an interview with the Good Shepherd, a Catholic Newspaper published by the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja on the sideline of the 2019 Cathedraticum Mass at the Bwari Deanary at St. James Catholic Church, Dawaki, Onaiyekan in assessing the fight against corruption by the Buhari government, alleged that corruption was even being perpetrated by those closest to the President, adding that corruption goes beyond stealing of money.

“It is not what I think (that the present government has fought corruption to a standstill); it is what everybody sees around us all the time. Everybody agrees now that right under the nose of Mr. President, stealing is still going on. The only thing is that, the press cannot say it as freely as they used to say it under (former President) Goodluck Jonathan. But, the fact is there.

“But, in my opinion, corruption is not only a matter of stealing money, there are other things that are worse than stealing money. If a government is not sincere in the things it says to the people, that is gross corruption.

“Rigging elections by whatever means is even worse than stealing billions because in the rigging of elections, you steal my vote which has no money value; even the complaints that people are having about biased systems of appointment of key officers. “If you have a situation in Nigeria where Mr. President doesn’t see anybody competent except those who are from his village or religion, then that is gross corruption.”

When asked to react to the controversy surrounding the trial and reported resignation and or the alleged retirement of the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, he said that things have not been going well at the top level of government.

He said that “one thing is certain. Things have not been going well at the top level of our government. It is not for nothing that we normally talk about the distinction of the three arms of government– the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

“And we have a situation where it appears that the judiciary is being totally controlled by the executive. Even if it is for good reasons, at the end of the day, it means that we are exposed to a situation where justices, judges are no longer free to do their work according to their vocation. They will be feeling that they are under pressure to pass a judgement that would please certain people.

“Today, it is government, tomorrow it will be another person. That is why many people are worried about what has happened. And this is not about that gentleman called Onnoghen; he may have been a horrible man.

“Perhaps he was a corrupt judge. Well, someone must have recommended him to be at the head of our judiciary. If they are telling us that the entire judiciary is rotten, let them say it clearly. And they will have to tell us how they are going to replace it.”

He decried the increase wave of kidnapping and killing especially Catholic Priests, religious and Seminarians. He said, “We are having a society where there is no safety. You cannot move freely. Everybody is liable to being kidnapped. Even the high up in government are afraid.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/election-rigging-worse-than-stealing.html

Justice Adedayo Akintoye of a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, on Monday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a former Super Eagles captain, Augustine Okocha, aka Jay Jay Okocha, over alleged tax evasion.


Justice Akintoye made the order following Okocha’s alleged failure to settle a 2017 income tax evasion case brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

On January 29, 2019, the same court ordered Okocha’s arrest for failing severally to appear in court to defend himself on the allegation of tax evasion brought against him.


The prosecutor, Dr Jide Martins had on June 6, 2017, filed the charge and when the case came up for hearing on October 5, 2017, the defendant did not appear in court.

The prosecution had told the court that the defendant had failed to furnish the Lagos State Internal Revenue Board with a return of Income for tax purposes.

He said that the offences contravened Sections 56 (a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No.8, 2006 and Section 94 (I) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/court-orders-arrest-of-jay-jay-okocha.html

The fifth year anniversary of the abduction of over 200 students from Chibok community in Borno State has compelled the Federal Government to disclose how far it has gone with releasing the lone school girl, Leah Sharibu, who hails from Dapchi in Yobe state.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu in a statement on Saturday, explained that concerning Sharibu’s abduction, the interlocutors have reported encouraging progress so far.

He said the report reaching the presidency indicates that her return to her family has unfortunately been hindered by the fear of the militants.

According to Shehu, her abductors were worry that heavy military presence in areas where they previously moved about freely could affect their safety after they return her to the government.

He however explained that the military cannot jeopardise the security of the entire north-eastern region by halting their operations to accommodate Boko Haram’s fears.

He assured that 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.

On the remaining Chibok school girls under captivity, the Presidential spokesperson said the federal government would like to remind the parents of the school girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State that it has not forgotten their daughters who were kidnapped from their dormitory five years ago (April 14, 2014).

Shehu said President Muhammadu Buhari promised the parents when he met them, at the beginning of his first term as president, that he would bring their daughters home.

“He is aware that this 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, the President will not rest until the remaining are reunited with their families.

“President Buhari assures the parents that his administration is still on the matter.

“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 Presidential spokesman said.


He said 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.

He equally disclosed that 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, “he stated.

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.

He sent special greetings to the 106 girls sponsored by the Nigerian government to continue their studies at the American University of Nigeria, Yola.

He also encouraged 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.

The Bring Back Our Girls BBOG movement recently renewed calls for the federal government to launch a national missing persons’ register.

The demand was in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok school girls by terrorists in April 2014.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/we-are-close-to-releasing-leah-sharibu.html

Senator Ahmad Lawan for Senate President Group has said that their candidate is committed to stability and inclusiveness in the 9th National Assembly if voted into office. A statement issued by the group’s Spokesman, Sen Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said Ahmed Lawan has had several interactions between lawmakers and governors of the All Progressive Congress at the ruling party level and women to discriminate against non-members of the APC. “We stand to be corrected on this,” Abdullahi said while disassociating the group from a story in a national daily it said ‘has caused embarrassment to the Governors of the Peoples’ Democratic Party. “Nevertheless, we wish to re-echo our position that the Senator Ahmad Lawan candidacy remains committed to the principle of inclusion for all Senators-elect regardless of party affiliation.” “This position stems from our posture which believes that nation building is a task for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion, party or other sentiments.” “In demonstrating this, the Senator Lawan for Senate President Group had rounds of interactions with Senators-Elect from APC, PDP and YPP during the just concluded orientation program for elected members of the 9th National Assembly.” “As interactions continue, we hope to continue to interface with Senators-Elect from the various political parties with a view to giving Nigerians a leadership in the 9th National Assembly that considers national interest a top priority,” the statement added.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/senate-presidency-lawal-committed-to.html

Four motorcycle operators popularly known as Okada riders have been docked and remanded in prison custody for allegedly attacking a senior Police Officer, Lebi Augustine, attached to the Ikotun Police Division in Lagos. The suspects identified as Allen Azeez, 47, Olanrewaju Adebanjo, 34, Nureni Abiola, 33, Ismaila Oyedapo, 49 and others at large were charged before the Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court for assault. Akeliciouswas informed that the police officer narrowly escaped death after he was attacked and mobbed by motorcycle operators in the area. It was also gathered that the incident happened at Egbe by Cele bus stop in Ikotun Area of Lagos, where the officer, Augustine, went to answer a distress call with a team of police officers. On arrival, the Okada riders were said to have mobilized themselves, attacked Augustine, tore his uniform and attempted to set him ablaze before he managed to escape with severe injuries. He was rushed to an undisclosed hospital where he is still receiving treatment while the other police officers who went with him to the scene were said to be lucky and escaped unhurt. The police later mobilized and arrested some members of the group who had attacked the officer. The prosecutor, Kenneth Asibor, informed the court that the victim was a serving police officer who was on lawful duty before he was brutally attacked by the suspects alongside other accomplices who were said to be at large. The magistrate, Mr. T.O. Shomade, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. They were, however, remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail condition. The matter was adjourned till 13 May, 2019.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/4-okada-riders-in-prison-for-attacking.html

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Saturday for N’Djamena, capital of Chad Republic, to participate in the Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).

Created by the Treaty of Tripoli on February 4, 1998 with six founding members, the 29-member regional economic community seeks mainly to create a free trade area in Africa, as well as “strengthen peace, security and stability, and achieve global economic and social development of its members”.

Nigeria joined the community in 2001.


Delegations from 22-member nations are expected at the extraordinary meeting holding on Saturday at the Radisson Blu Hotel, N’Djamena.

President Buhari and other regional leaders will join their host and current Chairperson of CEN-SAD Conference, President Idriss Deby to deliberate among others on political and security issues, state of peace and ways to address multifaceted threats in CEN-SAD area especially Boko Haram and refugees; and make a declaration on the entry into force of CEN-SAD revised Treaty intended to fast-track the realisation of the objectives of the body.

During the opening session of the conference, special awards will be given to Heads of State and military contingents in Mali, Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic and in the Lake Chad Basin.

President Buhari will be accompanied to the CEN-SAD meeting by Governors Kashim Shettima, Akinwunmi Ambode and Adegboyega Oyetola of Borno, Lagos and Osun States respectively.

Others include: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen Adulrahman Danbazau (rtd); Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen Mansur Dan Ali (rtd); National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Mohammed Monguno (rtd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede; and the Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Sadiya Umar Farouq.

The president will return to the country at the end of the conference on Saturday. (NAN)

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/buhari-leaves-for-chad-saturday-for-cen.html

When King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne and his brother, Albert, took over as King George VI in 1937, it dawned on the new king and his wife, Princess Elizabeth Lyon, that his stammer would impede his role as a king, a position that will require him to communicate directly with his subjects whenever the need arises. She sought for him the services of Leonel Logue, whose lessons immensely improved the speech condition of the initially reluctant student.

The need arose two years later in 1939 when Britain joined World War II under Winston Churchill (another stammerer) and the king needed to speak to the public. His therapy was handy because he was able to deliver his proclamation speech without the impossible hindrances of before. The British public was happy to listen to their king and accept his reassurance. The signature of the broadcast over the radio was the stammer. It assured the public that it was indeed the voice of their king.

Throughout the war the voice of Churchill was constantly heard and the king visited various fronts to boost the morale of his troops and build confidence of his subjects. That is what leaders do in times of crisis. Their citizens would like to hear their consoling voice, witness their empathy and see the evidence of their concern and capacity to lead in the physical appearance at scenes of the crisis.

Recently, we had possibly the best example ever in the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, after the shooting of 50 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch. She visited the scene many times, emphasised with the victims, addressed her nation and assured all that justice will be done. New Zealand followed her to mourn in different ways including women of other faiths across the country wearing the headscarf. Within few weeks she successfully saw the parliament pass a law by a unanimous but one vote banning the civilian possession of military grade weapons. She won the hearts of the world by her resolve and empathy. Many nations would wish Jacinda were their leader.

Visibility is a requirement of leadership which, sad to say, our current president fails to appreciate. We are undoubtedly in period of crisis. Our war with Boko Haram in the Northeast is far from over while in the Northwest communities across Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states are ravaged by bandits with Nigerians there killed and kidnapped on daily basis beyond the control of law enforcement agents and the military. Naturally, Nigerians were begging to hear the assurances of the president through his voice and judge his concern by his presence at the scenes as he used to do during his last campaign. If stammer signified the voice of King George and empathy defined the concern of Jacinda, silence, unfortunately, was the hallmark of our president at the turn of every crisis.

In most of such trying moments, Nigerians are privileged to hear the voice of their president only when he is overseas as a guest of a foreign news channel. Otherwise, the job is left to his media aides, who scribble some lines and attribute them to him when he comes under attack. Then media collaborators of different stations and channels take up the job of forcing the concoction down the throat of Nigerians. Throughout the period, the visibility of the president remains zero and he loses supporters by the day. An example is necessary.

It takes long for the president to say something personally. I remember his visit to Dansadau area when troops were first drafted to Zamfara. I cannot remember his voice again on Zamfara until when he visited the state during his re-election campaign where he goofed, saying: I pray for the rains, that food be abundant and the crises can continue. Then nothing on Zamfara again despite the escalation of killings there and in Birnin Gwari in Kaduna state.

His media aides did try as usual, again, though not without a costly mistake. They were silent on Zamfara but prompt on the death of Kolade Johnson. The president, they said, shares the grief of Kolade’s family and justice will be done. Instantly, so many Northerners started accusing the president of preferential treatment, calling him names, saying that only Southerners matter to him, that he is silent on the hundreds that die in Zamfara but prompt to express concern on the death of a single Southerner. He still kept quiet and trottled to Jordan and Dubai.

Until, until… Until two days ago when Kadaria Ahmed and ‘Madam Next Level’ took to the streets along with many other Nigerians. The president’s media aide issued a long statement, attributing it to the president, saying that the president said he is concerned about the killings in Zamfara. The aide even described as “ridiculous” the accusation of insensitivity on the side of the president by the protesters.

Wednesday on Facebook I registered my doubt that the president indeed said anything at all. I felt he did not, both on the occasion of Kolade’s death and on Zamfara. Time has come when we should see PR statements as insufficient substitutes for the president’s visibility. We want to hear his voice and see his body out there in the heat of Birnin Gwari and Zamfara and wherever and whenever Nigerians are dying before we can believe his sufficient concern for our situation.

It is not a big deal. The president can do this easily as he has proven on occasions that affect him. Let us hear him telling the bandits that they will be met with death as he once warned ballot box snatchers. Let us see his anger against the failure of officials to curb the menace as we saw it on his face when he derided the security aides of his son who was hospitalised following a bike crash two years ago. But he cannot fly to Jordan and Dubai and someone issues a long statement ‘saying that the president said that ‘he has been having ‘sleepless nights’ over the killings, in a language that is not typical of His Excellency.

Even a word from him, not written by his aides, on his Twitter handle will go a long way to console us. Someone in response to my humour Wednesday said that I should not expect the president to personally handle his Twitter account. In which century is the president living? Or is he busier than Donald Trump? In any case, I do not read those tweets because I know they do not originate from him. Contrarily, I never doubted any tweet by Trump or el-Rufai or MA Abubakar. A single sentence from the president typed even in Hausa solicitng our understanding and assuring us that he is on top of the situation is better than the fine journalistic grammar that someone writes on his twitter handle. Like the case with Twitter, the president’s minute clip on Facebook or Youtube will help establish an organic link between him and us, the citizens.

That organic link is what our president is missing by his preference to silence or third party communication. The latter can be done on some policy pronouncements, during campaigns or less challenging times as we used to do for him in The Buhari Organisation before the 2003 elections. In the times of war, however, we need to hear his voice as the British heard their stammaring King George VI; we want to feel his presence as New Zealanders and the world saw PM Jacinda Ardern recently; or, at least, read his tweets as Americans daily read the early morning and often unpresidential tweets of President Donald Trump.

Nigerians are organic beings, not just electoral votes. We, therefore, demand an organic link with our president when hundreds of us are killed in Ife, Numan, Mambilla, Benue, Kajuru, Birnin Gwari or Zamfara and when many are kidnapped and pauperised across the country. Finally, that link must be linear without any interruption, interaction or intersection by anyone. We want it with PMB directly.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/crisis-and-visibility-of-pmb-by-dr-tilde.html

Nigerian Breweries Plc is seeking to raise up to N15 billion in the first and second series of its N100 billion commercial paper (CP) programme to support its short-term funding. The Series 1, which is for 90 days,has an effective yield of 11.59 per cent and will mature on July 22, 2019. On the other hand, the Series 2, which is for 182 days, has an effective yield of 14.43 per cent. It will mature on October 22, 2019. Both offers opened yesterday and they are expected to close on April 18.

Ironically, NB Plc is raising the N15 billion after its board of directors of has recommended that 100 per cent of the N19.401 billion profit after tax (PAT) recorded for the year ended December 31, 2018 be paid out as dividend to shareholders.


The brewing firm’s PAT fell by 41.2 per cent from N33 billion in 2017 to N19.4 billion in 2018. However, in its characteristics of paying all earnings as dividend, the board has recommended that a total dividend of N2.43 per share for the year be paid.

The company recorded a revenue of N324.4 billion, down marginally from N344.5 billion in 2017, while exercise duty rose from N21.271 billion to N25.837 billion.

Cost of sale reduced from N201 billion to N197 billion, bringing gross profit to N126.9 billion compared with N143.5 billion the previous year.

Marketing and distribution expenses rose from N66.863 billion to N70.052 billion, while administrative expenses reduced from N21.748 billion to N20.785 billion. Similarly, Net finance cost fell to N7.529 billion compared with N10.491 billion in 2017.

The company ended the year with profit before tax of N29.4 billion, down 36.9 per cent from N46.6 billion in 2017 and PAT of N19.4 billion as against N33 billion the previous year.

Based on the performance, the directors have recommended to the Company’s Shareholders at the annual general meeting(AGM) coming up on the 17th of May, 2019, the declaration of a total dividend of N19.4 billion, that is, N2.43 per share representing a hundred per cent dividend pay-out ratio.

The company had earlier, in 2018, paid an interim dividend of N4.8 billion which translated to N0.60k per share before the final dividend of N1.83 that will be N14.6 billion.

In the statement signed by the Company Secretary/Legal Director, Uaboi Agbebaku, NB Plc said the 2018 results were adversely impacted by the increased excise duty rates that came into effect during the year and a challenging operating environment.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/04/12/nigerian-breweries-raises-n15bn-to-support-short-term-funding/?amp

A non- governmental organisation, Centre For The Advancement And Protection Of The Rights Of Vulnerable People (CAPRIGHTS-VP) has unveiled two manuals on sexual violence and juvenile delinquency respectively for schools in Alimosho, Lagos.

It said the two manuals will support teachers, counsellors and parents in the treatment of vulnerable issues and ensure they remain effective and efficient support base for young students in schools.

The unveiling coincided with the closing ceremony of Voices of Freedom project by the NGO and handing over of the project to the participating schools.

Programme manager for CAPRIGHT, Clara Kanu, charged the students to speak against any sexual abuse, bullying within or outside the school.


She urged school authorities to support the students in making their voices heard.

Kanu also implored the Lagos State Education Board to facilitate the adoption of Voices of Freedom platform in other schools and ensure the copies of the guidelines be handed over to them reach other schools.

“Our original plan was to pilot this project with government secondary schools but this is an opportunity to relaunch the partnership opportunity with government schools.

“With the commitment of the Education Board, CAPRIGHT team will be standing by to provide the necessary support that will ensure that the brilliant impact of this project is not limited only to schools in Alimosho.

“I therefore challenge the schools especially the students to keep the light shining, let the platform become more formidable than it is today and a force to reckon with both within and outside Alimosho Local Government Area,” she said.

Principal Education Officer, Education Sector Igando Ikotun Local Council Development Area, Azanda Abosede, charged students not to isolate themselves and implored parents not to involve themselves in any forms of violence.

“A lot are going on in school and even if the principal and your teacher is trying to cover something, please voice out and tell your parents.

“Don’t isolate yourself and always move in group. If the family is good, the children are good. When parents fight at home, the children can emulate that and that is why we must set examples for them.


“This programme should not be limited to schools but we can move to markets to speak with people because our children are the ones to lead tomorrow,” she said.

District Guidance Counsellor Education District 1, Agege, Ayodele Adeyemi said the bulk of responsibility on the fight against sexual abuse and juvenile delinquency rest with parents.

Ayodele advised the students to discuss with their parents when they return from school to help them know the burning issues facing their children.

Speaking with The Nation, Coordinator, Haske Primary School Mary Olagbegi, described the project as good, adding the school will continue to contribute their part in the fight against sexual abuse and juvenile delinquency.

One of the students, Iwunana Gift, noted they have been enlightened on various abuses and assured they will put in their best to carry-out the objectives of the NGO.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/ngo-unveil-manuals-to-stop-sexual.html

President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Abuja on Tuesday night, a day ahead of schedule.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the President was initially scheduled to return to Abuja from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday at about 1.30a.m.

However, the presidential aircraft carrying the president, his aides and some members of his entourage landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at about 10.45p.m.

NAN gathered that the president’s decision to cut short his official engagements in Dubai might not be unconnected with security developments in Zamfara, Kaduna and some other parts of the country.

President Buhari had on April 4 departed Abuja for Amman to honour an invitation by King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF).

He delivered an address at the opening of the plenary alongside King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.

The President, who on Sunday moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), participated in the ninth edition of the Annual Investment Meeting.

While in Dubai, President Buhari also held bilateral talks and met with different groups of investors at the sidelines of the Annual Investment Meeting.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/zamfara-kaduna-killings-buhari-cuts.html

Anambra State government says it has enrolled over thirty thousand participants in its Health Insurance Scheme.

The Executive Secretary of the Anambra Health Insurance Agency, ASHIA, Dr. Simeon Onyemechi disclosed this while flagging off the 2019 Nurses week of the School of Nursing, Iyi Enu Mission Hospital, Ogidi.


The opening ceremony was another opportunity to tutor the student nurses and midwives of the school on their various responsibilities, especially as it concerns the scheme.

In the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty, Florence Nightingale of Britain started what is today known as the nursing profession and these students affirmed that they were called to serve humanity.

Addressing the assemblage made up of Student Nurses and their teachers, Dr. Onyemechi who spoke in dual capacity since he also represented the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabike, said in the past five years, Anambra State Health sector had undergone series of reforms including upgrade of over sixty eight Primary Health Centres,initiation of the Health Care Insurance Scheme which is now backed by law, payment of the one hundred million naira basic health counterpart fund among others.


He stressed that the state government is poised to reducing out of pocket health expenses from ninety percent to thirty percent by the year twenty- twenty.

He called on all hands to be on deck to realise the objectives while charging the Student Nurses to overlook the mistakes of the older generation and do their bit to change the narrative.

In a lecture on “Aseptic techniques”, the Vice Principal of the School, Academics, Mrs. Ogechukwu Ekwugha said that to protect a patient from harmful bacteria, aseptic technique must be employed so as to eliminate germs entirely.

Another lecturer, Mr. Uche Ikeh who described hepatitis as an inflammation of the liver gave its symptoms to include fatigue, flu like symptoms, dark urine, pale stool, abdominal pain, loss ofappetite, yellow skin and unexplained weight loss.


The ceremony also featured questions and answer, cutting of cake and presentation of awards.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/anambra-govt-enrolls-over-30000.html

Governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2019 governorship election in Abia state, Dr Alex Otti has called for the cancellation of the election in 15 local government areas of the state as well as 788 Pooling units (PU) .

The APGA governorship candidate made this request in a petition filed on his behalf at the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia.

A Press release issued by Kazie Uko, the director of Media and Publicity, Dr Alex Otti campaign Organization made available to Blueprint in Umuahia said that a 3 man legal team is The Petitioners want the tribunal to jettison the official results declared by INEC Officials in favour of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and PDP .

It is also the desire of the Petitioners’ that the tribunal declares the elections null and void.

Dr Alex Otti, and APGA, specifically faulted the electoral processes and the alleged compromised outcome in 788 Polling Units (PUs); 143 Electoral Wards; and 15 LGAs in amongst others.

The contentious 15 LGAs of the disputed results are: Aba North, Bende, Isiala Ngwa North and South, Isuikwuato, Obi Ngwa, Ohafia, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and West, Umunneochi, Umuahia North and South.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/alex-otti-heads-to-tribunal-calls-for.html

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No fewer than 12 persons have been killed in renewed gang clash in Rumuche and Rumuohia communities, as well as Kaani Babbe Community in Emohua and Khana local government areas of Rivers State.This is coming a few hours after rival gang war claimed eight persons in Mgbuodohia Community, Rumuolumeni in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Sunday.

The Guardian learnt that of the 12 victims, five persons were killed in Rumuohia Community of Emohua council, while seven others were shot dead in Kaani. The developments have sent panic among residents of the areas, as they have been wondering the role of security agencies, state government and community elders, as the mayhem continues.

A community source in Emohua, Solomon Erim, who confirmed the incident, said trouble started when a rival cultist who had gone for a burial ceremony in the area was killed, adding that the killers were on reprisal.It was gathered that a 64-year old man was among those who were killed during the clash.

A community source told journalists that Foundation Onuekwa, Bright Oteh, Junior Kayi and two others were victims at Emohua, adding that three others who sustained bullet injuries have been hospitalised.In Khana, unknown gunmen numbering 12 in black attires and masks invaded the community and shot sporadically killing the victims who were suspected cultists.

The victims were identified as Mgbibari Nyornyaa, Sorlesi Youngman, Dornu Aanu, Bariagra Menebe, Lekia Eleaee, Boy-Mgbibari and Sira Mgbibari.The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the killings in Khana, but stated that he could not verify the Emohua incident, as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area claimed there were no such killings.

Meanwhile, a clash between Alike Community in Ikwo Local Government Area and Enyigba Community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has left eight persons dead.It was learnt that that six of the victims were burnt to death, while the other two including the wife of a police officer whose husband was deployed to Bornu was going to the market when the incident occurred.

However, five of those who were burnt to death were members of the same family who had gone to one of their son’s matriculation ceremony at Ebonyi State University in company of their neighbours but meet their death on their way back home.

Confirming the incident, the state’s PPRO, ASP Loveth Odah said the victims died “in a long standing dispute between Ndiagu Alike Ikwo and Enyibichiri Community in Abakaliki that erupted the other day.”

https://guardian.ng/news/again-rivers-ebonyi-community-clashes-claim-20-persons/amp

Mr Bolajoko Fadipe, founder and CEO, FoodClique, is saddened by the latest hunger report which pits Nigeria as one of the world’s hunger hit nations and he has called for more actions from the government and private sector in eradicating the scourge.

In a global report recently released on the state of food security in the world, it was discovered that about two third of world’s hungriest people can be found in eight countries including Nigeria.

While the causes might not be the same across the world; conflict, climate change, poverty, migration, natural disaster, war and economic downturn are some of the major causes of the problem.

Since inception, FoodClique, a non-governmental organization has continued to evolve means such as free school meal program, community kitchen, senior meal program, hunger advocacy, food waste campaign and various other palliative means to reduce the number of hungry people in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Reacting to the report, Fadipe said, “Loss of jobs and declining social welfare benefits account for more people thrown into hunger misfortune even in cities around the world while the conflict in Northern part of Nigeria, Yemen and Sudan has further truncated the reality of a zerohunger world by 2030”.

He further stressed that a legislative framework must be put in place which includes supporting initiatives like FoodClique, investment in agriculture, tax rebate for companies supporting hunger eradication through corporate social responsibility, reduction in food waste which is a major cause of climate change, setting aside political differences and the Federal Government having the political will to end the root cause of hunger which is evident in the recent statistics on the state of food crisis report which has put Nigeria among the countries with the highest number of hungry people worldwide.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/hunger-crisis-ngo-calls-for-more.html