₦airaland Forum

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has decried the condition of most prisons in the country, including the one in his state.

To this end, he has built a 3,000-capacity cell outside Owerri capital city.

Okorocha stated this when the Controller-General of Prisons, Ja’afaru Ahmed, visited him with the senior personnel of the prisons, in Douglas House, Owerri, at the weekend.

The Imo governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuamedo, also called for improved prison service and condition across the country.


Conducting the prisons boss round the facility, Okorocha noted that it was ready for commissioning by the president and handing over to the authorities.

His words: “I discovered that the state of Imo prisons was the worst, and I had to plead passionately with the controller-general not to display it further to the public because of the very poor images. I discovered that they were having about 70 to 100 inmates in one small room without facilities at all.

“This prompted the speedy construction of new prison headquarters with accommodation for over 3,000 inmates with offices, as a quick response and funded by the Imo State government. I hope that when this is replicated all over the country, the presentation of those pictures will no longer be relevant to all of us.”

Responding, the CG said he was excited by the edifice, applauding the governor for the gesture.

Meanwhile, a prison inmate serving in the country is pursuing his Ph.D programme at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

There are also 50 inmates who have graduated while 465 are doing various programmes at the open university.

Ahmed, during the tour of the new prison facility, said that some ambitious inmates were looking beyond life behind the walls.

His words: “The prisons pharmacy in Owerri is still stocked and we have started exposing prisoners to information and workshops as a way of reform. Today, we have prisoners with certificates of GL 1, GL 2 & GL 3. In fact, in Abeokuta Prisons, 50 inmates have graduated while 465 are doing degree programmes with NOUN. One is doing his Ph.D and this brought the attention of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to Nigeria to witness the combination of skill acquisition with education in Nigeria?”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/okorocha-decries-prisons-condition.html

One issue that has reverberated in the Southeast since conclusion of 2019 general elections is what position the zone would occupy, as a new administration takes off on May 29.The quest and struggle over what becomes of the zone followed the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) success in the exercise. At conclusion of polls, the APC and its candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari secured over fifteen million votes to beat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Of that figure, the Southeast gave over 403, 000 votes, with three of the states in the zone— Abia, Ebonyi and Imo giving over 25 percent. Although the figures were far less than what the party secured in other zones, especially in the north and Southwest, it is however, believed it was an indication that the party was beginning to gain acceptance in the region.Compared to the 2015 general elections, APC, which was making its debut on the political turf then had secured 198,000 votes in the zone and was reckoned the party’s weakest link in the country.

Unlike that year’s election, APC came into the zone smoking in the last election, and won Senate seats for Abia north in Abia State and Imo Central with Imo west still in contention.In the House of Representatives election, APC also won in Bende/ Ohoafia and Umunneoche/Isiukwuato federal constituencies of Abia State, as well as Okigwe South federal constituency. In other states of the zone, where elections held, its candidates have approached the tribunals, seeking to upturn the election or outright cancellation.


Since the results were announced, interests have been rekindled on why the zone should get top offices in the 9th National Assembly.What has been generally agreed is that it is given that Southeast should produce a representative in the topmost decision making organ of the National Assembly. However, what is creating parallel opinions is whether the senate president or speakership of the House of Representatives is desirable and achievable.

As it is, there are clandestine moves to convince opinion holders and party leadership by the various camps on why their desires should hold sway. Chief among these is the alleged belief that the incumbent administration has been unfair to the Southeast, and that the only way to make amendment is to allow it play prominent role in the new dispensation.

Why Senate President Seat cannot fly in the zone
STRONG cases have been made that the presence of two senators was enough to give the Southeast the Senate President’s seat. Those arguing along this line explained that the move would also deepen the party in the zone, as APC would have shown its inclusiveness in governance.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, recently joined the fray, when he listed former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu and returning member, Benjamin Uwajumogu from Imo state as suitable for the position. He argued that allocating the position to the zone would erode the notion of marginalisation, explaining that the said persons have the requisite experience to lead the 9th Senate.Kalu was a two-term governor and had a brief stint with the House of Representatives. Uwajumogu was a Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly and reclaimed the senatorial seat almost two years after his colleagues were sworn in.

Ngige’s views were corroborated by the National Chairman of United Progressives Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, who told The Guardian that APC’s national leadership should be magnanimous in victory and accommodate the Southeast in the interest of fairness and political balance. 
He said: “APC’s national leadership should sit down with elected members to work out a zoning arrangement. The APC produced two senators in the Southeast, so the zone should be given an opportunity to produce Senate President. What should be a bad deal is if the Southeast is sidelined, as was the case in 2015. I think such a move will make APC more acceptable to the people of the zone.”

A chieftain of Aka Ikenga, Goddy Uwazuruike said though zoning is a political party’s internal affair, APC should demonstrate its national spread by ensuring that the six zones hold front posts. He said: “The top six are President, Vice president and top four at National Assembly are Senate President, Speaker and the deputies. Today, the North West and Southwest are holding the top two. What is wrong with either the Senate President or Speaker going to Southeast? 
The Southeast was treated with ignominy in 2015. It would be a disgrace to APC members from the zone, should they be left from the scheme of things in Buhari’s second term in office.

Why Southeast wants House of Reps Speaker
THE Speaker holds the fourth position in the hierarchy after the President, Vice President and Senate President. Questions are being asked as to why the Southeast should be allowed to produce Speaker of the House of Representatives, when the party is yet to be fully entrenched in the zone. Others insist it was improper to consider a zone that gave almost 80 percent of the entire votes in the 2019 elections to an opposition political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and eventually returned four out of its five states to the party (PDP), including the one earlier controlled by the APC for Speakership position.

Several reasons are, however, being advanced as to why the zone should be allowed to produce the Speaker and why the people are almost united in the clamour for the position. Chief among them is that Southeast has not held the office since commencement of civil rule in 1999.Pundits explain that the zone had tasted all other positions and was in fact the first to hold the Senate President’s office, when civil rule commenced in the country in 1999, except for that of the Speaker.

Late Chuba Okadigbo from Anambra State had occupied the position then. He was followed by Chief Evans Enwerem from Imo State, who was removed for Adolphus Wabara from Abia State. Thereafter, it went to Anyim Pius Anyim of Ebonyi State and later to Ken Nnamani from Enugu State.Similarly, the incumbent Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu from Enugu State has been there for two terms, while Imo governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha served as Deputy Speaker in the last administration.

A politician, Chief Jerry Uwaoma said: “The Speakership is the only position left for the Igbos to complete the cycle before power is zoned to the area in 2023. The last time an Igboman occupied the seat of Speaker was in 1993 with Chief Agunwa Anaekwe from Anambra State. His leadership was truncated by the late Sanni Abacha.

“The late Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke also from Anambra became the Second Republic Speaker in 1979. He later became President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate. So, if our democracy must grow, offices should be rotated among the various zones.” While the permutations continue, it would appear the zone has settled for an Abia State lawmaker to take the first shot at the yet to be allocated position. This is going by the level of support the proposal is generating in the zone. Already, various groups are coming together to clamour for a female Speaker from the zone for gender balancing and mainstreaming.

A Coalition of Southeast Civil Society and Human Rights Organisation has asked APC national leadership to not only zone the position to the Southeast, but allow Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha to occupy it. The group, made up of over 40 organisations, said she stands out among her peers in the zone.


The group’s Coordinators, Dr. Jasper Uche and Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, said Onyejeocha, who has spent 12 years in the National Assembly, has to her credit four bills that had been signed into law, including the anti-Torture act 2017; Compulsory treatment and care for gun-shut victims 2017; National Senior Citizens Centre 2017 and Local government autonomy bill, which was merged with the constitutional amendment bill.

Speaking further on the choice of Onyejeocha, who hails from Abia State and currently representing Umunneoche/Isiukwuato federal constituency, they noted that her state gave APC the required 25 percent votes in the last election, and that she possesses cognate experience as member of the House.

An Ohanaeze Ndigbo chieftain, Mazi Lambert Orji, said: “I am not saying our male legislators have failed, but I have followed Nkeiruka Onyejeocha’s track record to know that she has what it takes to lead the House of Reps. Again, her ascendancy will change the perception of Mr. President in the Southeast. The women in Buhari’s administration are doing well. I know Nkiru will not fail because she is not greedy and has never been indicted or involved in scandals.”The Southeast APC Youths Consultative Forum has also enjoined the party’s leadership to zone the Speakership to the zone in line with the President’s promise of an all-inclusive government.National Co-ordinator of the group, Romanus Oguleme, warned against sidelining the zone as experienced in 2015.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/why-southeast-craves-leadership-slots.html

As the battle for the leadership of the Senate intensifies ahead of the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly in June, the camps of the senators-elect seeking to take over the leadership of the Red Chamber have shifted their attention to opposition members,Akelicious can report.

Already, the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has settled for one of the aspirants and current Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe) as its choice for the Senate top job. However, Senator Ali Ndume (APC,Borno), himself a former Senate leader, has vowed to go against his party and contest the position. Another senator said to be eyeing the position is Danjuma Goje who is said to be working from behind the scenes to achieve his ambition.

Akelicious gathered that with the party, APC, already in favour of Senator Lawan, the contenders are looking outside for support.

Among the camps, it was gathered that Team Lawan, Team Ndume and Team Goje are actively wooing senators-elect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and some state governors are now being contacted to lobby their home senators to support specific candidates.

Akelicious reports that while the governing APC has majority in the 9th Assembly with 65 senators-elect, the PDP has about 41 in its fold, while Young Peoples Party has only Ifeanyi Uba for the moment, as the first-time senator-elect is perceived to be flirting with the party in power.

Of the 65 APC senators-elect, the South West have 14, South East, 2, North-West, 20, South-South, 3, North-East, 14 and North-Central,12.

Since the election for the leadership of the National Assembly would be conducted at the chambers, it was gathered that almost all the camps seeking to take over the leadership positions have now focused their attention on the opposition PDP.

Akelicious gathered that most of the camps are banking on the fact that if they can get block votes from the main opposition political party, it would be much easier to win the in-house contest.

APC has zoned the office of the Senate President to the North East while the office of the deputy Senate president was also zoned to the South-South with Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central), fully in the race.

While the alignments and realignments is taking shape, a strategist for the APC in the 2019 general elections, who is also knowledgeable about National Assembly politics, has faulted the party chairman, Adams Oshiohmole, for exposing the party’s game plan much earlier.

The strategist, who prefers to remain anonymous, said there are different camps now realigning which could be detrimental to the party’s wish to take control of the leadership of the party.

“You know, for now things are not going smoothly. A lot of snags created by the party could be detrimental,” the strategist said, adding that what happened in 2015 could repeat itself in 2019.

Speaking to Akelicious, a chieftain of the APC and former minister of sport, Bala Ka’oje, said he had advised the party to zone the principal offices as early as possible but the party leadership ignored the advice.

“I advised that we should zone National Assembly positions as quickly as possible. If you zone positions, everyone knows what is coming to him. If you zoned the office of the Senate president to the North-eastern states for example, there is nothing wrong in nominating three people and forwarding their names to the zone for them to select one person,” Ka’oje said, adding that presenting one candidate in a zone with 14 senators-elect could be detrimental.

“All we heard was that the chairman of the party nominated the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House,” Ka’oje said.

According to him, when it comes to National Assembly politics, things are not done like that.

“When we were in the other party, we contributed money to assist contestants. Did he do that? Here he is telling them they most obey him. Obedience is reciprocal. You can’t appoint people to lead the Senate and the House. It’s a problem in the APC and that problem will continue to happen because the party is not doing the right thing.

“Oshiohmole is only interested on his interest. See what we faced in Rivers, Zamfara, Cross River and the rest of the states? He keeps making too many errors that are bad for the party,” Ka’oje added.

He remarked that the party’s problems are due to lack of consultation.

“The party chairman is claiming he knows everything. No one wants to consult people like us. Yes, we won election but it was a fierce contest. The PDP took some states belonging to us. I’ve been to the APC chairman’s house more than five times. I left my card but he never looked for me. They don’t care about the advice we offer even in the newspaper and that could be detrimental in the National Assembly elections,” Ka’oje added.

Weighing in on the Senate leadership race, the pioneer APC national vice chairman in charge of North East, Dr Umar Duhu, said that both Ndume and Lawan are from the same bloc of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and that both are qualified to occupy the seat of the chairman of the National Assembly.

Duhu, who expressed displeasure at the way the party leadership is treating some of its members, said there is no way the party can control its members when it did not play a major part in ensuring their election.

“You do not also expect that an elected senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who paid through his nose to be candidate of the party and spent heavily to get elected, could easily obey a party whose leadership talks from both sides of their mouths. I do not see any directive handed over to the elected legislators working; rather, the party must go begging and apologising to Nigerians for most of their lapses to get the party working again.

“Unless the APC, as a party, purges itself of disloyal and self seeking members that shamelessly worked against the interest of APC at all levels during the 2019 general election, no right thinking Nigerian will take the directives of the leadership seriously. I will not also be surprised when a repeat of the 8th assembly comes to the fore,” Duhu added.

Speaking on the contestants suitability for the job, he said: “Both Senators Ahmed Lawan and Ali Ndume are of the same Constituency, the defunct ANPP, while Sen Danjuma Goje is from a different bloc. In terms of qualifications, all of them are qualified to take the 9th Senate to the next level.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/lawan-ndume-goje-shift-battleground-to.html

The Kaduna State Muslim Welfare Board has captured no fewer than 2,200 intending pilgrims of 2019 Hajj through its Biometric data.

The Board’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Yunusa Abdullahi, made this known to newsmen in Kaduna on Saturday while giving an update on the registration of the intending pilgrims.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 2,200 pilgrims had been captured out of 6,636 hajj seats allocated to the state for this year hajj.

Abdullahi said the biometric data capture of the intending pilgrims commenced three days ago.

According to him, the biometric registration is a prerequisite for the issuance of visa to Saudi Arabia as introduced by the Saudi Government.

“Failure to participate would disqualify the intending pilgrims from performing the hajj.

“We hope by the end of next week we would have registered all the intending pilgrims,’’ he said.

Abdullahi also said that all intending pilgrims who had made deposit payment for this year’s hajj would be captured.

He advised other intending pilgrims to approach the board before the end of the exercise.

Abdullahi noted that the introductions of biometric registration last year was to ease the processing of visa for intending pilgrims and might be for security reasons.

“All we know, the process has enhanced the processing of visa for intending pilgrims,” he said.

He said thatafter the exercise, there would be a second phase of the registration.

Abdullahi said that so far, the exercise was going on smoothly because adequate arrangements had been put in place.

He noted that 6,636 hajj seats had been allocated to Kaduna State by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/kaduna-state-captures-2200-intending.html

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka Multi Life Savers visited an Adorer who gave birth to beautiful quarduplets and took care of the hospital bill of 1.5million naira and we also donated the sum of 2 million to her husband to support his business. May God Almighty continue to bless the family.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/photos-rev-mbaka-pay-15million-hospital.html?m=1

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report has said men are more likely to die earlier than women; due to uneven access to health services.

According to “2019 World Health Statistics,” published on the WHO website, yesterday, the global health body said the trend is similar in low and high-income countries as men often seek healthcare services less than women.

The health statistics, which according to the report, was disaggregated by sex for the first time, stated that women outlived men everywhere in the world; particularly in wealthy countries. The report said where men and women faced the same disease, men often seek healthcare less than women.

It said only by intensifiying efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) can countries close this health gap and improve the health and wellbeing of everyone. Women outlive men everywhere in the world, particularly in wealthy countries and the World Health Statistics 2019 disaggregated by sex for the first time explains why.

“Attitudes to healthcare differ. Where men and women face the same disease, men often seek health care less than women.

“In countries with generalised HIV epidemics for example, men are less likely than women to take an HIV test, less likely to access antiretroviral therapy and more likely to die of AIDS-related illnesses than women.


“Similarly, male Tuberculosis (TB) patients appear to be less likely to seek care than female TB patients.

“Where women can access health services, maternal deaths decrease thereby lengthening women’s life expectancy.

“In many circumstances, men access health care less than women.”

The report also highlighted the difference in causes of death between men and women.

“Some are biological, some influenced by environmental and societal factors while some are impacted by availability of and uptake of health services.”

The WHO report also said that, of the 40 leading causes of death globally, 33 causes contribute more to reduced life expectancy in men than in women.

The report stated that in 2016, the probability of a 30-year-old dying from a non-communicable disease before 70 years of age was 44 per cent higher in men than women.

Again, according to the report, global suicide mortality rates are 75 per cent higher in men than in women; in 2016. It revealed that death rates from road injury were more than twice as high in men than in women from age 15 adding that mortality rates due to homicide were also four times higher in men than in women.

The report quoted the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, as having said that breaking down data by age, sex and income group was vital to understanding who was being left behind and why.

Ghebreyesus said behind every number in the World Health Statistics was a person, a family, a community or a nation and that the task of the organisation is to use the data to make evidence-based policy decisions that would move everyone closer to a healthier, safer and fairer world.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/why-men-die-earlier-than-women-who.html

Gombe State has recorded 32 new suspected Lassa fever cases, five victims were confirmed with the virus, out of which one person died, an official Ministry of Health said.

Dr Nuhu Bile, an Epidemiologist in the ministry stated this yesterday in Gombe during a sensitisation meeting with the media on Lassa fever at the state Specialists Hospital.

“Between January and March, 2019 the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency had reported 32 new suspected cases, five cases were confirmed, four discharged and one person died,” he said.

Dr Bile said for every suspected case, clinical analysis was made to confirmed and commenced free treatment immediately. He said the state government had in collaboration with UNICEF provided free drugs to the victims.

He added that the confirmed cases of the Lassa fever are kept at isolation centres in Specialists hospital and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.

The epidemiologist said Lassa fever outbreak mostly occurs during dry season from the month of January to April.

Bile advised residents to be more proactive to issues of personal hygiene to deter rats from homes and urgently report suspected cases to nearest hospitals and health centres.

He said 150 out of 5000 patients die of the virus annually in West Africa. He further stated that no fewer than 20 patients had lost their lives to the Lassa fever in neighbouring Bauchi state in the first quarter of 2019 alone.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/lassa-fever-one-dies-32-suspected.html

The management of The Polytechnic Ibadan says it has suspended Students’ Union activities following the breakdown of peace at the institution.

Mr Soladoye Adewole the Public Relation Officer of the institution disclosed this in Ibadan on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“The students engaged in a fight after a female football tournament organised by the student’s union.

“There was a misunderstanding among the supporters which led to breach of peace at the institution.

“As a result of this, management decided to suspend all Students’ Union activities until further notice.

”It was the union that breached the regulation of the institution through the programme it organised.”

The gate of the institution has been shut by the students.

However, security personnel are present in the school premises to forestall breakdown of law and order.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/ibadan-polytechnic-suspends-students.html

Mr Philip Enaberue, the Sokoto State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), says no corps member was injured in an early morning fire incident at the NYSC orientation camp on Wednesday.


Enaberue told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Wamakko that the fire only affected a room housing 20 corps members while they were out for morning devotion.

He explained that the fire incident was due to electrical sparks, and was quickly put out within 10 minutes by military and other security personnel at the camp.


Enaberue said no documents were damaged, but that five corps members lost their clothes to the fire.

The Coordinator added that already, the affected corps members had been given new kits and money to replace valuables destroyed by the fire.

He also said that the affected persons have been relocated to other rooms and all camp activities have continued without disruption.

He commended the effort of Chairman, NYSC State Governing Board, Alhaji Abubakar Ladan, host communities for their concerns over the incident.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/nysc-speaks-on-fire-outbreak-in-sokoto.html

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received another batch of 180 stranded Nigerians from Libya.


Alhaji Idris Muhammed, Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, confirmed the development to newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.

Muhammed said the Nigerians arrived at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 9.30 p.m. on Monday aboard a chartered Buraq Air aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG .


According to him, they were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union under the Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) Programme.

He said: “The returnees are made up of 82 female adults, two female children and 11 female infants.

“Also, there are 79 male adults, one male child and five male infants making up 95 females and 85 males.”


Welcoming the returnees, Muhammed advised them to put their bitter experiences in the volatile North African country behind them and look to the future with renewed hope.

He enjoined all the segments of the society to see the menace of irregular migrations as emergency situation.

According to him, any situation where a life is under threat is considered to be emergency risk and all hands must be on deck to prevent the threat.


Muhammed therefore, charged the media, governments and non-governmental organisations as well as parents to join forces in stemming the tide of irregular migration in the country.

NAN reports that another batch of 160 Nigerians are also expected to arrive today (Tuesday) from Libya at about 8.30 p.m

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/another-180-stranded-nigerians-return.html

JAMB deregisters 14 CBT centres over alleged fraud as 157,000 candidates take mock exam

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday deregistered 14 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in some parts of the country over what it described as deceit and technical infractions.

Curiously, the affected CBT centres were among the 712 JAMB accredited nationwide to participate in the mock exam and 2019 UTME exercise scheduled for next week.

The board said it realised that the affected CBT centres borrowed computer systems during accreditation, to make up the number of required systems to get JAMB accreditation for the 2019 UTME exercise.


Its Registrar, Profesor Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this in Abuja, shortly after he and Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, with other government officials monitored the examination in some CBT centres in Abuja, ahead of the 2019 UTME.

“Of 712 accredited CBT centres for the mock and UTME exam, we were forced to deregister 14 of them on Monday for one infraction or the other,” Oloyede said.

Speaking to journalist shortly after monitoring the conduct of the exercise, Adamu expressed confidence over JAMB’s ability to conduct a credible examination.

However, a total of 157,000 candidates sat for the mock UTME across the country.

Oloyede also disclosed that two officials of JAMB escaped death in Lagos yesterday after they were attacked, while monitoring the mock UTME.

He said the two affected officials were attacked for insisting that the right thing must be done at a particular CBT centre around Lagos State Polytechnic.


Besides, Vice Chancellor, University of Africa, Toru-Orua (UAT), Professor Valentine Aletor, said the university is evolving into a world-class institution where every department, faculty and staff members would be Information and Communications Technology (ICT) compliant.

Aletor, who spoke during a seminar/colloquium, organised by the Faculty of Arts and Education, said ICT has brought the world together and has allowed boundaries to be crossed.

Meanwhile, when The Guardian visited Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Centres one and two, the exercise went on peacefully and seamlessly.

An official at the Centre, Mrs. Margaret Abe, said only 60 candidates of the expected 154 turned up for the examination at Centre one, while, 58 candidates of 154 were present for the examination at the second centre.

She explained that the verification process was successful and candidates complied with the rules of the examination. The two-hour examination, which started by 10am, came to an end by 12am.

A male candidate, Dele Akingbe, who finished his examination at three minutes past 11am, confirmed that the conduct was successful, saying: “Am through with my papers, I wrote English, Government, Literature and CRS.”

Also a female candidate, Bamgboye Mariam, who wrote English, Literate, Government and Economics finished 15 minutes past 11am, attested to the fact that the process was successful.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/jamb-deregisters-14-cbt-centres-over.html

Jones Abiri, the editor and publisher of the Weekly Source newspaper based in the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa, arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday has been released.

According to Abiri’s lawyer, Samuel Ogala, he was released on Monday afternoon from the detention.

Abiri was re-arrested on Saturday at Ayabowei Plaza in Yenagoa while having a meeting with his colleagues.

Morris Alagoa, an activist for Niger Delta Rights, a human rights group in southern Nigeria, said the reason for Abiri was still unknown.


“I just spoke to him (Abiri) and he is currently on the premises of the DSS in Abuja,” Alagoa said:

“From what he told me, they still have not told him the reasons for his arrest, or the charges against him,” he added.

Abiri had previously been detained by DSS for two years without arraignment.

He was accused of being the leader of the joint revolutionary council of the separatist group, Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force.

He was also accused of threatening oil companies and demanding money from them.


He was granted bail in August 2018 when an Abuja magistrate court struck out a suit against him and following a campaign by rights organisations.

In the recent detention, he had no access to a lawyer or his family, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

On Sunday, CPJ Africa programme coordinator Angela Quintal said “We are deeply worried that he has once again been arrested and that his whereabouts are not known.

“We call on federal and state authorities in Nigeria to disclose where Abiri is being detained and the reasons for his arrest, and urge that they ensure that his rights are not violated yet again and that due process is respected.”

Amnesty International also expressed concern over the arrest and said “the humiliating manner of his arrest is unacceptable”.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/dss-releases-journalist-jones-abiri.html

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board ( JAMB ) have explained that admissions would be given only to qualified candidates who applied for courses into the various institutions of the country.

The board reiterated this in its Vol. 1, No 13 weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

It described as misleading and erroneous, information being circulated that over 50 per cent of candidates who yearly apply for admissions into various institutions, were not admitted.

It also decried the reports that every year, after the conduct of the Unified Tertiary and Universities Examination (UTME), where millions of candidates apply, barely 20 per cent get admitted.


“The truth is that, admissions can only be given to qualified candidates, hence, any figure being bandied around should equally be based on the total number of candidates who applied and are qualified.

“It will be an unfortunate postulation if the candidates who do not have any basis to be considered for admissions to any tier of the nation’s tertiary institutions are also included in the final tabulation of candidates admitted.

“Given this scenario, it will be absurd for any narrative to assume huge admission backlogs without first considering whether the candidates that are not admitted are actually qualified for the courses they applied for.”

The board noted that in 2018, a total of 1,793,018 candidates applied for admissions into various academic programmes of 849 institutions in the country, with 140,020 applying through Direct Entry (DE).

It added that when the candidates were categorized according to UTME scores and O’Level credit passes, it was discovered that only 1,245,939 scored 100 and above out of 400 obtainable marks in the UTME and also had five O’Level credits.

“The above clearly states that out of the 1,793,018 candidates that applied for admission in 2018, only 1,200,748 candidates scored 100 and above and possessed the O’Level credit requirement for admission.

“That is, five credits in addition to Mathematics and English Language.

“The 100 cut-off mark in UTME is not an admissible score for most institutions apart from the Innovative Enterprise Institutions (IEIs) which award the National Innovative Diploma (NID).


“To be considered for admission into most of the nation’s higher institutions, a score of at least 140 and above would be required.

“Based on this consideration, only 1,168,948 candidates had five O’Level credits in Maths and English Language and also scored 140 and above in their UTME,” the board stated.

It explained further that based on the above category of candidates, as recommended by the various institutions, the board approved admissions of 570,089 candidates into the various schools.

The board, however, said that it was important to note that it had never admitted less than 60 per cent of the total number of candidates who qualify for admissions in any given year, adding that the reports about the number of admitted candidates were misplaced.

It added that there were always programmes with vacancies at some of the schools, even at the close of admission exercise.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/only-qualified-candidates-will-be.html

As part of its efforts to find permanent solution to the incessant academic strikes that have brought the nation’s education sector into disrepute, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has constituted a committee of elder statesmen in the country to help interface with the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders in the education sector to resolve the perennial strikes and other debilitating challenges confronting the sector.

A statement on Sunday by Comrade Danielson Bamidele Akpan, the President of NANS, stated that the committee’s resolution would bring about new dawn in the education sector.

Akpan said that members of the committee include Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi II, Ooni of Ife; HRM. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, Emir of Kano; HRM. Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe I, Obi of Onitsha; HRM. (Dr) Victor Folagbade Olateru – Olagbegi III, Olowo of Owo.

Other members are Chief Edwin Clark, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Aare Afe Babalola, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, Prof. Suleiman Bala Mohammed, Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi; Prof. Rukayat Mohammed, a former Minister of Education, Chief Femi Falana and Barr. Kayode Ajulo.



He said elder statesmen and eminent Nigerians would interface with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) other concerned stakeholders and the Federal Government to bring an end to the strike that has become a recurrent decimal in Nigeria’s education sector.

Going down memory lane, he said, “History has it that Nigeria’s education system was one of the best such that other countries sent their citizens to acquire tertiary education in Nigeria.

“Until the inglorious year 1988 when the Academic Staff Unions of Universities started what is today known as the “ASUU Strike.”

“It is no longer news to Nigerians that incessant strikes embarked by ASUU have not only affected the standard of education in Nigeria, but has propelled other academic staff unions to follow suit.

“Consequently, we began consultations to seek the support of elder statesmen and eminent Nigerians to interface with ASUU, ASUP, COEASU, other unions, stakeholders and the Federal Government to bring a permanent solution to the incessant academic industrial actions which have damaged our education sector and made us to be object of ridicule in the comity of nations.”

Akpan expressed optimism that the selected elder statesmen have the requisite experience, expertise as well as patriotism to bring normalcy to the education sector.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/nans-sets-up-committee-of-eminent.html

Investigation has revealed that at least 134 flights were cancelled by local and international airlines operating in Nigeria in January 2019 alone.

Within the same period, a total number of 1,290,857 passengers were airlifted by local and international passengers across the 30 airports in the country, including local and international.

Investigation by Daily Independent revealed that out of the 132 cancelled flights, 13 were by international airlines while the other 121 were by domestic airline operators.


A total number of 12 airlines were involved in flight cancellation within the period under review – five on the international scene and seven by domestic airline operators.

Asky Airline led the pack of airlines with cancelled flights on international routes with six; Arik Air had three; CamAir-Co, from Cameroon, cancelled two flights, while Delta and Kenya Airways cancelled one each within the period under review.


On the domestic scene, Air Peace, which prides itself as the largest in the sub-region, had the highest number of flight cancellation in January 2019.

The airline cancelled 48 flights, followed by Dana Air with 25 flights, Arik Air had 19 cancelled flights, while Aero Contractors had 18 of its flights cancelled in January 2019 alone.

Others were Med-View Airline, eight; Azman Air, two, while Overland Airways cancelled one flight within the period.

On passenger movements, out of the 1,290,857 passengers ferried in January, a total number of 392,364 passengers were ferried as inbound and outbound on international routes, while the other 898,493 passengers were airlifted as outbound and inbound among the eight operational domestic airlines within the period.

The breakdown of passengers ferried on the international routes indicated that Emirates Airlines, which operates thrice daily to two international airports from its base in Dubai, had the highest number of passengers, followed by Ethiopian Airlines that operates into five international points in Nigeria.

Emirates ferried 48,585 passengers in Nigeria, followed by Ethiopian Airlines with 47,161 passengers; British Airways, from the United Kingdom, came third with 29,940 passengers, while Lufthansa Airline airlifted 25,705 between Nigeria and Germany.


Besides, Air France airlifted 24,880; Turkish Airlines, 21,925; Virgin Atlantic, 19,300; KLM, 17,572; Egypt Air, 16,490; Delta Air Lines, 13,671; Kenya Airways, 9,800; African World Airlines, 8,888; Etihad Airways, 8,176; Air Cote d’Ivoire, 4,542; Air Namibia, 3,389; Air Peace, 11,141; Asky, 14,384; BADR Air, 756; Camair-Co, 959, and Cronos had 930 passengers as inbound and outbound within the period.

Others on the international market were Meridiana Airlines which ferried 3, 3335 passengers; Middle East Airline, 3,067; Overland Airways, 40; Royal Air Maroc, 9,123; Rwandair, 11,064; Saudi Air, 7,436; South African Airways, 12,070, and Tarco Airlines ferried 238 passengers.

Besides, the Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD), a department in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), resolved a total number of 35 passengers’ complaints out of 36 cases brought before it in January 2019.

Six of the complaints were from the international market, while the other 30 were from the local scene.

However, 29 out of the 30 cases brought before it on the local scene were resolved by the department.

Besides, there was a case of cabin theft by a passenger on Royal Air Maroc, while KLM also reported a case of unruly passenger to the department.

In January alone, there were 2,912 cases of delayed or missing luggage among 24 international airlines, while 2,788 of the luggage were later recovered by the airlines.

As at the end of January, 124 of the missing luggage were yet to be recovered for the passengers.

On the domestic scene, six luggage were declared either missing or delayed among four local carriers, but the luggage were later recovered for the affected passengers.

Within the period under review, a total number of 1,418 flights operated on the international routes, while 5,420 flights operated on domestic scene.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/airlines-cancelled-134-flights-in.html

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has said pictorial image being circulated on the social media, depicting his discussions with some officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to join the party, is not true.

Okorocha has been placed on suspension by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In his reaction, at the weekend, Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sam Onwuemeodo, urged the public to disregard such picture, accusing his political detractors as being behind such postings, clarifying that the picture in question was taken long ago.


The governor believed the declaration of PDP candidate as the governor- elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was wrongly done.

The statement said: “This photograph is as old as the APC government in 2015. But those who were declared winner of the governorship election in lmo with votes from the three local councils of Mbaise have been making fruitless efforts to blackmail Governor Rochas Okorocha to see if that could help them go free with their electoral fraud. They posted this picture on social media with badly written statement and falsely claiming that the governor was in a PDP meeting today. ”

Okorocha said he was optimistic that any stolen mandate would be retrieved at the appropriate time.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/no-plans-to-dump-apc-okorocha.html

Brazilian dancer got her hair burnt while stunting at an event, over the weekend, in Abuja.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/brazilian-dancer-got-her-hair-burnt.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dACg9R38_w0

Kizz Daniel walks out of a live tv show after being told he got pranked on ‘THe Bigger Friday Show’ by MTVBASE

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/kizz-daniel-walks-out-of-live-tv-show.html?m=1


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiasYo_iQwg

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Wednesday resumed discussion with the team set up by the Federal Government to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with staff unions in universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education based on the principle of collective bargaining.

The five-man Federal Government renegotiating team has Dr. Olawale Babalakin, as its chairman.

The meeting, which stated at about 10am, ended at 4pm.

Babalakin, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of University of Lagos, confirmed the meeting with the ASUU team to reporters at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission in Abuja.

He said the government team had a positive discussion with ASUU team led by its National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi.

He said the government team was hopeful of finalising negotiation with the union.

Babalakin said: “We have resumed negotiation. The government team and the Academic Staff of Universities were appropriately represented and we had very positive discussion and we actually hope that we are on a good path for finalising the negotiation.

“There were healthy discussions on topical issues and both sides made extensive contributions for the benefit of the university system. The negotiation, you have to seek the consent of the other party before you make such disclosures.

“But at the stage of signing an agreement, we will be willing to tell you all the headlines and all the important issues.

“Both sides are determined to put an end to this. So I reckon that it will happen within the fastest possible time.”

Asked where the committee was with the renegotiation, Babalakin said: “It is the same negotiation. We had an interlude and that interlude is over and we are now back to where we left it at the time we had the interlude.

“So it is a continuous negotiation for the betterment of the education system.

On what the focus of today’s discussion was about, he said: “There are so many issues. ASUU submitted a time table today. If I can speak broadly, there are over twenty issues in that time table.

“So it is not a singular issue. There are many issues to be discussed and they will all be discussed.

“I am aware that even before this meeting, there were a memorandum signed with the federal government and that memorandum was presented to us among the papers that we saw. So I believe there is some progress, we just want a comprehensive one.”

He added that the federal government would find solutions to the issues raised by ASUU.

However, when contacted, ASUU President, Prof. Ogunyemi, promised to get back to our reporter.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/ASUU-fg-resume-discussion-on-2009.html

The family of Osita Osadebe are presently mourning following the death of their son, Chief Onyinye Osadebe.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/osita-osadebe-son-of-late-highlife.html

A recent survey report carried out by a non-governmental organisation has revealed that the police force is the most corrupt public institution in Nigeria for the past five years.

According to the report, among the 100 respondents in a survey carried out, 70% of those who interacted with the police in the last 12 months preceding the survey paid a bribe.

This revelation was made at the launch of the latest report by Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project (SERAP) entitled ‘Nigeria’s Corruption Assessment Performance Survey’ held in Lagos.

Other institutions the survey focused on includes: power, judiciary, education and the health services sectors.

While the police topped the ranked on the indicator with 60%, the power sector followed by 50%, and the judiciary, education and health services followed suit.

The research carried out by Mwangi Kibathi, Abosede and Sheila Musungu, however, recommended that the Federal Government should establish an independent commission of inquiry with subpoena power to conduct a transparent, comprehensive and impartial investigation into systemic corruption within the Nigeria Police Force and judiciary as well as the ministries of power, education and health.

The researchers also recommended that the National Assembly be more proactive in the fight against corruption by passing the Proceeds of Crime Bill, the Whistle-Blowers Bill and Witness Protection Bill, among others.

SERAP in the report also recommended that the police should streamline and prioritise internal control mechanism by establishing an ethic and integrity unit at each police station. Police are also enjoyed to receive and investigate complaints of bribery and corruption against police officers filed by members of the public.

The report further recommends that the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council should identify and review all outstanding cases of judicial corruption and refer such cases to appreciate anti-corruption agencies.

The survey targeted a total of 2,655 respondents selected from seven states spread across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria and the capital city of Abuja. The sample was proportionate to population size across these zones.

“Data for the survey was collected through a survey among ordinary citizens picked through simple random sampling of Nigerians above 18 years; in-depth interviews with key governance experts including representatives of national anti-corruption bodies, trade unions, the business community, media, lawyers, academia, people living with disability and university student leaders; and a review of the legal and institutional frameworks guiding anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria to assess their effectiveness,” the report noted

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/police-most-corrupt-institution-in.html

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can issue a certificate of return to Sen Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) only if the embattled governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola fails to appeal the judgment of the tribunal that sacked him within 21 days, the commission said yesterday.

The Osun State governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja had last week Friday in a split decision of two to one, nullified the election of Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared Adeleke winner of of the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Justice Peter Obiora who delivered the majority judgment of the tribunal ordered INEC to immediately issue a fresh certificate of return to Adeleke as the lawful and validly elected governor of Osun State, after declaring the September 27, 2018 re-run election as illegal.

Yesterday, rumours went round the social media with pictures suggesting INEC issued a certificate of return to Adeleke.

But going by Section 143(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, a candidate whose election is set aside has a period of 21days from the date of the decision of the court to appeal against such a ruling.


LEADERSHIP reports that if Oyetola fails to appeal the judgment, INEC will have no option than to issue a certificate of return to Adeleke after the 21 days window expired.

“The commission has not issued any new certificate in relation to Osun State,” INEC National Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr Festus Okoye told LEADERSHIP while debunking rumours that Adeleke has been issued a certificate of return.

“Section 143(1) of the Electoral Act gives a candidate whose election is set aside a period of 21days from the date of the decision to appeal against such a decision,” Okoye said while explaining why the commission can’t issue a certificate of return to Adeleke.


“The person is entitled to remain in office pending the determination of the appeal. The commission will only issue the certificate if appeal is not lodged within 21 days. The commission has not issued any new certificate in relation to Osun State,” Okoye added.

Original Source: https://leadership.ng/2019/03/26/osun-why-adeleke-cant-get-certificate-now-inec/

Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, as well as local and international medical experts have expressed concern over rising cases of Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria, especially among the country’s productive workforce.
Speaking in Abuja yesterday while launching a roadmap that would enable the country to tackle the scourge, Adewole and the global health experts said Nigeria was not making progress in fighting TB, which is estimated to affect 407,000 persons yearly.To underscore the burden, Adewole said Nigeria’s TB treatment coverage for 2018 was 255, adding that out of an estimated 418, 000 new cases, only 106,533 cases were reported in 2018 leaving over 300,000 cases undiagnosed.

While Chevron’s Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited disclosed that it spent over N16.6 billion to fighting the disease in Nigeria last year, Adewole said funding gap, lack of awareness, technical capacity and poor private sector collaboration were crippling current efforts.


“Tuberculosis is a major public health problem in Nigeria, as it is ranked number one in Africa and sixth globally among countries with high burden of TB. “In addition, we are among the 30th high TB burden countries and 14th in the world on all three WHO lists of high burden countries for TB, MDR-TB and TB/HIV,” Adewole explained.He pointed out that Nigerians between 15 and 44 years old (who constitute the working age group) are most affected by TB and TB related deaths.

Adewole, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Abdullahi Mashi, said: “The current proportion of health facilities in the country with TB services is barely 265.

“Access to TB diagnostic services is a huge challenge. The current local government areas coverage of Gene Xpert, which is the first-line test for diagnosis of TB, is 41 per cent. “Another worrisome trend is funding. The catastrophic cost survey conducted in 2017 showed that 71 per cent of TB patients and their households are affected negatively by the catastrophic cost due to TB.”

Responding, Director, Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited, Rick Kenedy, who decried TB burden in Nigeria, said it was time for active collaboration to end the scourge, keep the promise on taming it, especially finding TB and treating it.

Represented by Medical Director of Chevron, Dr. Paul Arenyeka, he said the company has built, equipped and donated 28 chest clinics to health institutions across the country,He added that Chevron’s social health investment programme has provided medical supplies and training for health workers and supported production of National TB guidelines, as safeguards for health workers providing TB care.

“Since 2008, N16.6 billion ($2.7million) has been spent building and donating equipped chest clinics in Nigeria. Between 2015 and 2017, over 48,000 presumptive TB cases were registered in the facilities, with over 11,000 cases detected. “The chest clinics contributed to about 3 per cent of national presumptive TB cases registered and 3 per cent to national aggregate of TB cases,” he stated.

Speaking on the disease, World Health Organisation (WHO)’s National Professional Officer for TB, Dr. Ayodele Awe, insisted that Nigeria has not made progress in reducing the disease in the last eight years.Also, USAID Representative, Dr. Temitayo Odusote, advocated development of necessary data on the disease, insisting that private partnership was necessary to end TB in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer, Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Professor Oladapo Ladipo, noted that low awareness was also a major challenge in tackling the development.

Meanwhile, wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has solicited private sector and media support in the fight to end tuberculosis in the country. She said instead of buying treated mosquito nets to fight malaria, Nigeria should go for a permanent solution that would help to completely eradicate mosquitoes in the country.

Speaking at a Gala Night to celebrate TB Champions and Survivors organised by Stop TB Partnership Nigeria in Abuja, Aisha noted that TB was a major challenge globally and a killer disease, adding that it should be integrated in the fight against HIV/AIDS to reduce the deaths associated with the disease.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/health-minister-experts-decry-rising.html

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has accused Jimi Agbaje, its governorship candidate in the just-concluded general election, of allegedly hijacking funds meant for the prosecution of the elections in the state.

The party said the governorship candidate’s action contributed significantly to its disastrous performance in the state.


Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Independent, Dr. Adegbola Dominic, the state chairman of the party, also accused Agbaje of flagrant disregard for party rules and its leadership, including the apex leader of the party, Chief Olabode George.

Reacting to the statement made by Agbaje last week that he was being attacked for failing to share money meant for the elections with party leaders, Dominic said aside fraudulently obtaining the money without the knowledge of the party leaders, Agbaje had been unable to account for how he disbursed the money.


According to him, the party’s presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, had sent one of his aides to bring the money to Lagos and hand it over to six people, including Agbaje, the state chairman (Dominic), Chief Olabode George, a representative of the senatorial candidates, and two House of Representatives candidates.

He added that Chief George, however, declined to be part of the process, asking the other five people to ensure the money was judiciously used for the purpose it was meant.

The state chairman said while the other representatives assembled at the agreed location to wait for the aide and Agbaje, Agbaje had, unknown to them, made another arrangement with the aide sent to deliver the money and received it without informing anybody, including the party chairman.

“I didn’t want to talk about the issue of money because I don’t like getting myself involved in issues like that, based on my record of integrity.

“But this was a presidential election. It has nothing to do with Jimi Agbaje. Only the presidential candidate and National Assembly candidates were involved in that election held on February 23.

“The funding came from the presidential candidate of the party himself for his own election. As the state chairman of the party, I was called by one of the aides of our presidential candidate who said I should meet him at a location in Lagos because he had some money to give us for the election.
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“He told me that he was instructed to handover the money to the governorship candidate, the state chairman, a representative of the senatorial candidates, and two representatives of our House of Reps candidates. He asked me to call the other people which I did, and we met at the hotel where he lodged.

“We had to break because on that night, President Buhari was going to make a broadcast to the nation and we feared that he might postpone the election. So, we deferred our meeting till after the broadcast.

“By the time we got back to our meeting place, after we discovered that the election will not be postponed, we didn’t meet Jimi Agbaje.

“I was there with the state publicity secretary and two other persons. The fellow who was to hand over the money to us had told us Jimi Agbaje will soon be around.

“So, we all kept waiting. After some hours, I had to call the fellow that we had been waiting for more than three hours without him or Agbaje in sight.

“He now told me that he was sorry, that he didn’t know we were still waiting and that he had handed over the money to Jimi Agbaje.

“I stated all these during the open meeting that Agbaje was talking about and he couldn’t refute my claim. We all can see guilt written on his face that day.

“The man who brought the money said he was instructed to handover the money to five of us, including our leader, Chief Bode George, who said that he didn’t want to have anything to do with the money, that we should go and sort it out and use it for the purpose it was meant. But now, he was telling me that he had handed over the money to Agbaje and that he had gone.

“When I called Agbaje, he told me he was in another hotel disbursing the money, without the state chairman’s knowledge and other leaders of the party.

“He just called in 24 House of Reps candidates, about 24 of them, and gave them what pleased him after he had kept a larger percentage of the money to himself.

“I am suspecting there was a deal between him and the fellow who brought the money, because if you are instructed to hand over the money to six people, why will you hand it over to just one person?

“This is money for election campaign and party leaders should be involved, but Jimi Agbaje personally shared the money the way he liked.”

Dominic, who said many of the party agents refused to defend the party’s votes during the elections, said while Agbaje was unable to account for the money, some of the agents who worked for the party were still looking for him today to pay them for job done.

“Till now, we don’t know how much he took for himself and we don’t know how much he gave out.

“He claimed somebody instructed him to disburse the money the way he liked but he refused to mention the name of that person. We know that it is not true.

“There must have been a deal between him and the fellow who brought the money. Now, I asked him to give us a breakdown of the amount he shared for record purposes, up till today, he cannot render an account.

“From feelers we got, he kept one-third of the money for himself and he distributed the remainder,” Dominic said.

Speaking further, he said Agbaje never invited him to any of his outings despite his position as the party chairman in the state.

He said: “We had a governorship candidate who just decided to do things his own way. He ignored the party completely.

“I, as the party chairman in the state, was never invited to even a single outing of the governorship candidate. I didn’t know what he was doing and his plans. He didn’t carry anybody along in the mainstream of the party.

“Agbaje seems to have his own league of friends who are going about with him. He didn’t hold a single rally, and the party too did not hold any rally because the governorship candidate believed that rallies were not important.

“He kept on sneaking into areas in the name of holding town hall meetings. I am from Alimosho Local Government Area. As the party chairman, I was informed that Jimi Agbaje, our governorship candidate, had crept into the local government (area) and was holding a town hall meeting.

“Honestly, I didn’t know anything about the meeting until some party members phoned me, asking me if I was aware.

“The town hall meeting was scantily attended because the mainstream of the party and members were not aware. That is what happened across the 20 local government areas in the state.”

However, in his reaction, Agbaje, who admitted that he received the funds, said he had no reason to render any account of how the funds were disbursed to the party because the party did not give him the money, in the first place.

He said he had rendered the account to the person who gave out the money and that the person was satisfied with how the funds were disbursed.

“The state chairman was not the person who gave me the money. It wasn’t the party who gave me the money.

“So, why should I render an account to Dominic or any other person? I have rendered an account to the person who gave me the money, and that is what matters. Everybody who collected the money signed for it and the record has been given to the owner of the money.

“I stated it in my press release last week that an account has been rendered fully to the person who gave me the money, and he is satisfied,” Agbaje said.

Agbaje, who restated his commitment to the PDP, also threatened to take legal actions against the party leaders if they continued to tarnish his image.

“If they continue maligning me, I may just take it up legally with them because I will not allow them to continue tarnishing my name,” he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/how-agbaje-hijacked-money-sent-for.html

An agreement, which is expected to bring about 10,000 jobs by utilising Nigeria’s huge natural gas reserves, has been signed in Abuja.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) signed the Nigerian Content Plan (NCP) for the NLNG Train 7 project.

NCDMB’s Executive Secretary Simbi Kesiye Wabote and the Managing Director of NLNG, Tony Attah, signed the NCP in Abuja at the weekend.

The ceremony was witnessed by senior officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell, Total and ENI – shareholders of the NLNG.


The Train 7 project is expected to expand NLNG’s production capacity by 35 per cent from 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 30 mtpa.

At peak construction, the Train 7 project is projected to provide direct, indirect and induced employment for over 10, 000 persons.

Kesiye stressed that Train 7, like other forthcoming major projects in the oil and gas sector, must leave a legacy facility, just like Total’s Egina deepwater, which catalysed the development of an FPSO integration facility in Lagos.

The expected job explosion from Train 7 is banked on the Nigerian Content Plan, which provides for 100 per cent engineering of all non-cryogenic areas in-country.

The total in-country engineering man-hour is set at 55 per cent, which exceeds the minimum level stipulated in the NOGICD Act, in line with the Board’s resolve to push beyond the boundary of limitations.

Wabote said the Train-7 scope will deliver 100 per cent in-country fabrication of the Condensate Stabilisation Unit, pipe-racks, flare system, and non-cryogenic vessels. Site civil works on roads, piling, jetties and will also keep local businesses occupied.

Wabote said: “It will also provide great opportunities for utilisation of local goods and services in addition to enhancing and developing new capacities and capabilities for the local supply chain.

“There will be 100 percent local procurement of all LV cables and HV cables, all non-cryogenic valves, protective coatings, and all sacrifice anodes. 70 per cent of all non-cryogenic pumps and control valves will be assembled in-country.”


Other spin-off opportunities will include logistics, equipment leasing, insurance, hotels, office supplies, aviation and haulage, he added.

Wabote pointed out that the increased number of NLNG Trains would also provide huge business opportunities for local businesses to build capabilities in the maintenance of LNG plants, especially in cryogenics.

The project will also catalyse other upstream gas supply projects required to keep the LNG train busy and make stranded gas fields in the shallow and deep offshore in the area economical.

Attah confirmed that the full value network of the Train 7 project was about $12 billion, including the net cost of the project, estimated in the region of $4 billion to $5 billion and a similar additional spend at its operational base in Bonny, Rivers State.

“It is also about the upstream development, which is the real gas that will come to us. That also is a huge investment of $5 to $6 billion. So, potentially, the full value network is almost $12 billion,” he said.

Attah said the Nigerian Content Plan for Train 7 contained clear and robust Local Content provisions that are significantly higher than the previous NLNG projects.

He said: “NCDMB and NLNG are fully aligned to collaborate during the operationalisation of the plan. This synergy will ensure that value added opportunities for Nigeria are indeed maximised and the Train 7 project is delivered to meet international standards of quality and safety.”

He also stated that NLNG shareholders have been primed to take the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project before the end of Quarter 4 2019.

The NLNG chief highlighted that the expected increase in the production capacity of LNG “will reinforce the company’s comparative and competitive advantage in the global LNG market while also increasing the country’s revenue and foreign investment profile.

“This is in addition to moving the nation’s economy from being oil-based to becoming a gas-based economy to be reckoned with globally. We are here to enable gas. Nigeria has ridden on the back of oil for more than 50 years. It is now time to fly on the wings of gas.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/10000-jobs-likely-as-ncdmb-nlng-sign.html

Anambra State-born multi billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Prince Arthur Eze, has extolled the virtues of Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, saying he represents the future of Ndi Igbo.

Eze, who spoke when Governor Ikpeazu paid him a visit at his Enugu residence, at the weekend, said that Governor Ikpeazu has the character of a true Igbo leader like that of late Dr. Sam Mbakwe, Governor of Old Imo State.

“You’re a good man. Your humility makes people to love you. You also respect people. This is why Abia people love you. And they voted you again as their Governor. Please don’t change this good character.

“You have Igbo character like that of late Sam Mbakwe of old Imo State. Mbakwe took good care of Imo State when he was governor and you are doing the same thing in Abia today. That is why they love you. You are a good Igbo leader. You represent the future of Igbo nation. You in Abia, Governor Ugwuanyi in Enugu and Governor Dave Umahi in Ebonyi, you people must ensure that Ndi Igbo unite.

"I have seen that you people have the interest of Ndi Igbo at heart please unite our people,” he concluded.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/you-represent-future-of-igbo-nation.html

The Sustainable Democracy Agenda (SUDA), a pro-democracy group, has urged senators-elect to support the bid of Sen. Ahmad Lawan, representing Yobe North, for the position of President of the 9th Senate.

The group’s convener, Malam Ibrahim Usman, made the appeal in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

Usman said the move would ensure a united and vibrant senate ready to face the onerous legislative works ahead.

“Our position on this is in line with the Senate. He has remained one of the most productive lawmakers since the beginning of the present dispensation in 1999.


“Our decision to drum support for the senator also followed painstaking investigation on his personal pedigree and integrity, both characteristics presently in short supply in our polity.

‘‘The distinguished senator is of highest academic qualification and has never been found wanting on the ground of fraud or breach of legislative processes,” the convener said.

Usman emphasised that Lawan deserved to lead the next Senate after what he described as his exemplary performance as leader of the present Senate.

‘‘As keen observers of the polity, we watched with admiration how the senator exhibited maturity in his dealings with Senate President Bukola Saraki, while marshalling support for the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari by remaining loyal to the majority APC.

“We are therefore delighted to observe the composition of senators-elect that accompanied Sen. Lawan to his formal declaration.’’

Usman noted that the multi-party support currently enjoyed by Lawan was an indication that his leadership would bring about the much needed stability in the Senate.

According to him, this will lead to the realisation of the overall ‘Next Level’ agenda of President Buhari.”

Usman, therefore, advised Lawan to reach out to all his colleagues including those aspiring for the same position, adding that national interest must be above all other considerations.

‘‘Sen. Lawan, as the front runner in the race, should close ranks with all other senators to ensure a smooth inaugural sitting of the 9th Senate, which would be crucial to the overall achievement of the incoming Senate.”

Lawan, who is a fourth term senator and overall sixth term federal lawmaker, contested in 2015 but was edged out by the Senate President Bukola Saraki.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/senate-presidency-group-appeals-to.html

Foundation for Partnership in the Niger Delta (PIND) has raised alarm that 884 million people are denied access to clean water.
In a statement to mark 2019 World Water Day, PIND’s Knowledge and Communications Manager, Mrs. Chinwe Nnoham-Onyejekwe, said 67 per cent Nigerians do not have access to basic sanitation.

The 2019 World Water Day’s theme, as set by UN-Water, is: “Leaving no one behind.”

PIND Executive Director, Dr. Dara Akala, decried the severity of water, sanitation and hygiene needs in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, revealing that it cuts across communities and institutions in urban, peri-urban and rural settings.

The Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria, Dr ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, identified women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and the elderly as marginalised group, often overlooked, and who sometimes face discrimination in their quest to access and manage the clean water they need to live daily.

Similarly, The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleman Adamu, yesterday, disclosed that about 52.7m Nigerians have no access to water supply.

The Minister disclosed this during the third Founders’ Day of Edo University, Iyamho, Edo state. Delivering a lecture titled, “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene,” Adamu said majority of those with no access to clean water are in rural areas.

Represented by Managing Director, Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, Engr. Ahmed Saliu, Adamu said: “In 2015, the National Water Supply Coverage (NWSC) was 69 percent, comprising urban dwellers, 80 percent; semi urban 68 percent and rural areas 60 percent.

“Inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure, population increase and rapid urbanization have created a serious deficiency in the quality of life with dire consequences on sanitation, food, security, health, employment and standard of living.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/884m-people-have-no-access-to-clean.html

The chairman of National Peace Committee (NPC) and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agents and other stakeholders to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Nigeria constitution and ensure that peaceful supplementary election is conducted in Adamawa State.



Abubakar who spoke yesterday in Yola during the town hall meeting organized by the NPC to interact with key stakeholders on peaceful conduct of the supplementary governorship and two House of Assembly seats elections in Adamawa insisted that elections can only be adjudged to be credible when it is free and fair without violence.

The former Head of State who was represented by Mr. Mathew Yari stated that NPC is an unbiased committee that is committed to building an enduring democratic culture in Nigeria.

He said that the immediate past elections were relatively peaceful, but that the elections exposed some fault lines in Nigerian states as there were numerous reports of voters’ disenfranchisement, inducement, violence and intimidation due to over-militarization of the process.

Speaking at the town hall meeting, the chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Bishop Catholic Diocese of Yola, His Lordship Dr. Stephen Dami Mamza, said that the Adamawa people would gladly make their choice through the ballot box, no matter the intimidation, because it is their rights.

The CAN chairman who was represented by the Catholic secretariat secretary, Rev. Father. Morris Kwaranga, advised the people to take prayers as the only key to achieve their aim of voting a leader that will listen to their cries.He said that church would continue to play its role to ensure that there is peace in the state and other parts of the country.

While entertaining questions from stakeholders, The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Alhaji Kassim Geidam blamed violence during elections on insincerity of politicians who are found of making empty promises. On the issue of missing party logos on ballot papers, Geidam blamed political parties for not taking their responsibilities serious.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/abubakar-tasks-inec-security-agents-on.html

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has written to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Director-General, Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, on an alleged plot by the government of Bauchi State to indicate him in a “criminal conspiracy”.

“I write to inform the Inspector-General of Police that I am in receipt of credible intelligence about an ongoing plot by Bauchi State Government to implicate me in a criminal conspiracy,” Dogara’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs Turaki Hassan said in a statement on Thursday.

“The Bauchi State Government has procured hundreds of motorbikes and cars which are being branded in the Government House Bauchi with my pictures and logo of my party, the Peoples Democratic Party and my name inscribed,” he added.


Dogara claimed to have “credible information of an ongoing plot to plant false evidence in form of branded motorbikes and cars bearing the logo of his party and his pictures, which will be used to commit crimes and implicate him in criminal activities.”

The fourth term lawmaker urged the security agencies to be on a watch out for the criminal plot.

“I am, by this letter, putting the police and other security agencies on notice so as to be on the watch out for these criminal elements intended to be deployed by Bauchi State Government,” Hassan said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/dogara-raises-alarm-on-bauchi.html

Perhaps, the neighbour who snapped and posted the video of livid Miss Success Adegor, a pupil of Okotie-Eboh Primary School I, Sapele, who was chased from school over exams levy, did it out of fun.

But as if to illustrate the popular saying that what God has destined will surely come to pass, ‘a play-play matter’ later turned into a serious issue of high profile intervention as visitors continue to troop to the residence of Mr and Mrs Godwin Adegor since the ‘play-play’ video went viral on Facebook.

Like every success story, the crowd of goodwill visitors, government personnel, NGOs and a host of other public-spirited persons continue to swell by the day.

Calls from far and near poured in from those who just want to identify with the little girl who had before now lived a low profile life with her parents at an obscure ghetto area of Sapele called Urban Area.

Meanwhile, Miss Stephanie Rukevwe Idolor, an HND holder from Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, who took the video shot of the little girl and upload it on Facebook, said she did it out of fun.

She remarked that “the pitiable sight of Miss Adegor, who was terribly bitter and soliloquising, while walking back home, attracted me to her, and when she narrated her story, I took it from there.

“I thank God for what happened and I appreciate all the personalities that responded including the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.

“Imagine a young girl talking to herself in that bitter state of mind? Anything could have happened; God only used me,” Idolor said.

Adegor, the seven-year-old Primary 3 pupil, who never dreamt of her newfound status, seems to enjoy every moment of the unforgettable event as she is always at home with every visitors, no matter how highly placed but with a message that when she grows up she wants to be a lawyer.

With that mindset, many of her new found admirers believed that the case of Success was that of divine providence to fulfil the young girl’s destiny, and as such, provisions had been made for her to have an unhindered education right to the university level.

At seven, Miss Adegor possesses the charm, character and wisdom of a twelve-year-old. She is vibrant, intelligent, outspoken and bold. It is her boldness and love for education that announced her to the world.

Although Mr John Ibori, the new Headteacher of the school, declined comment on the girl, other teachers in the school confirmed that Miss Success is one of the best pupils in the school. They confirmed that she always came first in her exams, a confirmation her parents corroborated.

However, since the incident happened, Miss Success, who admitted being a slow writer, said she has only one regret, and that is she can’t observe her break time anymore.

When asked to narrate what happened, she said: “The day I was chased from school, my mother had promised to give me the money to pay for the exams levy the following Monday. So I never expected that the headmistress would ask me to go home despite a plea from my mother. It pained me so much that I became sad and sober as I walked home to tell my mother.

“So on my way, I met our neighbour who asked me why I was not in school and when I told her what happened, she brought out her phone, recorded my conversation and uploaded it on Facebook. That was the beginning of my story from obscurity and poverty to stardom. I can’t even remember anymore the number of personalities that have visited me in this poor environment.

“I am indeed humbled and grateful to God for his faithfulness, amazing grace and blessings upon my family. I thank the governor, chairman, well-meaning Nigerians and organisations that have intervened in my situation. I love them all. I have also forgiven my headmistress, Mrs Vero Igbigwe, for chasing me from school because of exams levy. It wasn’t her fault that my parents are poor. All the pains in my heart that day had become a melody.

“The bible says we should honour our father and our mother so that our days may be long. Apart from my biological parents, Mrs Vero Igbigwe is my mother and I love her. I and my siblings can now go to school and fulfil our destinies,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mrs Vera Adegor, the mother of little Success, has expressed gratitude to the Delta State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Commissioner for Education, Chiedu Ebie, Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area, Eugene Unuaghan, and other public-spirited persons too numerous to mention for their prompt intervention and show of love.

In an emotion-laden voice, Mrs Adegor, in an interview with DAILY INDEPENDENT, said, “first and foremost, my husband, children and I wish to use this medium to express our profound gratitude to His Excellency, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State; the Hon. Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Chiedu Ebie; Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area, Hon. Eugene Unuaghan, other public-spirited persons; NGO’s and others too numerous to mention for their intervention and support. We thank you all, we appreciate you and we love you for looking after us; the glory of God will not depart from you.”

She also added that Governor Okowa and his team are indeed friends of the poor whom God has used to lift her family out of abject poverty.

The petty trader-mother of three of which Miss Success is the last child and who had been married to her husband for 15 years, said further: “The whole episode was divine intervention. God only used what happened to uplift my husband and I. Or how else do you want me to tell my story?



“Just a few days ago, I was struggling to pay my children’s school fees from the little savings of my petty trade and my husband is an Okada rider. Just then, God intervened. One moment of ‘go home until you pay your exams fee’ by the headmistress of my daughter’s school and the viral video that followed suit changed our story from zero to hero.

“Today, Success is on scholarship and that has reduced our burden to concentrate on the other two children in secondary school. People who ordinarily would never have come to our house because of poverty are now our friends coming to us in drove. I cannot appreciate God enough.”

Miss Success’ father, Mr Godwin Adegor, in an interview, described the success story of Success as a finger of God.

He noted that life has not been easy for him and his young family, remarking that there was a threat of quit notice from his landlord for their inability to pay the rent of the mud house they stay.

He explained that he was struggling to gather money to pay the children’s school levies before God, in split seconds, changed their story.

“I appreciate all Nigerians. Now, I understand the true meaning of the miracle. My dream is to see my children to the highest level of education,” the father of three said.

When Akelicious visited the school, renovation work was ongoing as promised by the Delta State Government at Okotie–Eboh Primary School 2 but nothing has been done in school l that the little girl attends.

Akelicious also tried to seek the view of the suspended Headmistress, Mrs Vero Igbigwre, but that she could not be reached before filing this report.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/dem-go-flog-tire-saga-how-innocuous.html

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, yesterday vowed to sustain the policy on foreign exchange prohibition to raise domestic capacity, protect growing companies and create employment.

Speaking at the BusinessDay Post-Election Economic Agenda Conference in Lagos, the top banker reiterated the need to diversify the revenue base of the Federal Government and reduce dependence on direct proceeds from crude oil sales.

Reading a reply to a letter dated August 30, 2018 and addressed to the tomato growers and processors’ association by the Nigerian Customs, requesting total ban on tomato concentrate and paste, he noted that there had been no positive development.

“The forex prohibition policy is to make local production competitive and sustain it as an alternative. Those who want to make here a dumping ground are still at large. When we make policies, we must work hard to make them a success,” he said.


Emefiele ruled out reducing the 14 per cent interest rate for now in view of the apex bank’s post-election agenda that has projected a rebound in inflation to 12 per cent.

Cautioning that the issues that led to the economic crisis of 2015 to 2017 were still very much around, the CBN boss urged vigilance to domestic and global developments and increase of the country’s policy buffers, including fiscal measures and external reserves.

The governor said the bank would sustain its development interventions by ensuring cheap financing to boost local production of priority goods in critical sectors of the economy as anti-dote to reliance on importation.

However, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Head of Tax and Corporate Advisory Services at PwC Nigeria, Taiwo Oyedele, have cautioned against increasing Value Added Tax (VAT) from five to 7.5 per cent as being proposed by government.

Addressing a forum yesterday in Lagos, NECA’s Director-General, Timothy Olawale, said the proposed rise coming just after approval of a new national wage of N30,000 would have far-reaching implications for the economy.

He argued that apart from weakening the purchasing power of workers, an increased VAT would impact negatively on manufacturers and businesses currently struggling for capacity utilisation.

To Oyedele, “contemplating an increase in VAT rate now is bad timing and inconsistent with current economic realities. VAT increase will lead to higher inflation, interest rate hike, more unemployment and generally make people poorer.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/03/cbn-rules-out-terminating-foreign.html