₦airaland Forum

Maritime stakeholders on Friday said National Assembly’s reduction of the take-off fund for the Maritime University in Delta would constitute a setback to plans put in place for the university.

The stakeholders expressed their views in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

NAN reports that the lawmakers cut the budget for the take-off of the maritime university from N5 billion to N3.4 billion.


The President, Shippers Association Lagos State, Mr Jonathan Nicol, said that both the legislature and the executive should always harmonise on budget estimates to avoid discordant tunes over projects.

He stressed the need to increase the allocation of the university in order not to delay construction of buildings and provision of other infrastructure.

Also, a Maritime Lawyer, Mrs Oritsematosan Edodo-Emore, also frowned on the development, saying that education should be given more priority in the nation’s budget to lift the society out of poverty.

Edodo-Emore, who is the Initiator of the Annual Lagos International Maritime Week, said that the delay in passing the budget had affected every sector of the economy.

On his part, the National Vice President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr Segun Musa, said that delaying passage of the budget had become a recurring practice.

He advised the Federal Government to constitute a committee that would work with both the executive and the legislature to make the conclusion of budgets as fast as possible.


Musa, however, said that insufficient allocation of funds for the take-off of the maritime university would lead to abandoned projects.

Mr Emmanuel Nwagbara, a Maritime Lawyer, urged the Federal Government to ensure that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) start immediate implementation of the 2018 budget without delay.

Nwagbara said that quick implementation of the budget would move the nation forward in meeting all economic expectations.

According to him, budget implementation should commence as soon as possible to enable Nigerians feel the impact of the budget.

The legal practitioner said that the funds earmarked for projects should not be diverted and should be channelled to projects that would boost the economy; such as rail, seaports, airports, roads as well as the welfare of the people.

“I advocate that the budget should be given priority by the legislature each time it is presented by the executive.

“If the budget is debated on in time, it will not be delayed, ‘’ Nwagbara said.

The maritime lawyer said that if the budget had been passed before now, the nation would have moved far in terms of execution of projects.

He, however, urged the executive and legislators to start thinking about the 2019 budget to avoid a repeat of the delay.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/budget-cut-stakeholders-complain-about.html

Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has assured the people of the state of his readiness and commitment to put governance ahead of politics as the 2019 general election draws near. The governor, who gave this assurance in Lokoja through his Director General on Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, said the people of the state deserve good governance and quality service delivery. “We won’t sacrifice good governance for politics because the people of Kogi State that elected us expect nothing less from us. “We have our eyes on our agricultural projects across the state. Engaging our youth and bringing them to the mainstream of our economy is imperative for peaceful polls in 2019. “The people of the state have confidence in the administration and our leadership. We have strengthened healthcare institutions, boost our food production capacity and ensured security. “I am impressed by the pace of work on capital projects across the state, which cover roads, hospitals and educational institutions. The world-class Diagnostic Centre has also reached advanced stage. “We have achieved all of these because of our breakthrough in ensuring security. When the administration came on board, kidnapping and robbery were at strangulating point. But today, through heavy investments in security, farmers can work on their farms and contractors can work on their sites without the fear of being kidnapped”. The governor urged the media to focus on the development going on in the state, rather than the “coordinated attacks by the enemies of the state who have been disappointed that the administration has cut off their fraudulent pipes”. In a related development, Governor Bello has expressed satisfaction with the giant strides of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, saying the President has fulfilled his promise to “work for the interest of the poor at combating poverty through empowerment”. “Today, the youth are being paid through N-Power programme. In the past, those monies were syphoned by the enemies of the poor. “More than any administration since 1999, the present federal government has done more to improve agriculture, diversify our economy and paid due attention to rail transportation. “The encouraging news about the Ajaokuta Steel Plant should be commended. Steel production is one of the requirements for Nigeria to finally become a global economic force. I have no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari will deliver that to Nigeria.”

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/we-wont-abandon-governance-for-politics.html

The Nigerian military on Thursday said the last of the Boko Haram insurgents have been pushed into the Lake Chad water.

Briefing journalists in Maiduguri, the head of the military counter-insurgency operation in the North-east (Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole), Maj. Gen. Rogers Nicholas, said in the course of pushing the insurgents out of the shores of Nigeria, over a million people have been rescued from the captivity of terrorists in the last six months.

He said the ongoing operation in the northern part of Borno State tagged: “Operation Last Hold”, has been highly successful and has dealt the final blow on the insurgents who have now been pushed into Lake Chad water.

Nicholas said all Nigerian territories have been liberated from the insurgents that have been dispersed from their former enclaves in the North-east.

He said most of the communities in the North-east are now free to be inhabited by their fleeing inhabitants, noting that the only place inhabitable need to be cleared of landmines.


He said the military is currently involved in clearing of homes and farmlands of landmines, which was responsible for some communities remaining deserted.

On the recent suicide attacks recorded in the North-east, Nicholas said: “For every suicide bomber who detonated his/her explosive, 25 others were arrested and out of the press.”

He said many suicide bombers were either arrested or killed in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States in the last six months.

He added that most of the roads in the North-east can be travelled without escorts as they are no more threatened by insurgents.

Nicholas also announced a gift of N5 million for anyone with information on bomb making factories in the region.

He said the improvised explosive devices (IED) used are manufactured among the people, who should come out with information on them so that they can be cleared.

He said: “I have a gift of N5 million to anybody that could lead us to those IEDs factories.”

He asked the communities to be more alive to their responsibility of securing their immediate environment, insisting that security is the duty of all.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/theatre-commander-military-has-crushed.html

The UN has urged the Nigerian authorities to give more attention to protecting the girls and children, who were victims of sexual violence and abuse by the Boko Haram terrorists.

Ms Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, stated this while briefing on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflicts.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the plight of the girls, who were victims of sexual violence and abuse by Boko Haram terrorists, were among the spotlights for the Day.

Under this year’s theme, “The Plight and Rights of Children Born of War,” the Day encourages solidarity with the survivors, who have endured multiple ordeals, in the wake of sexual violence.


A short video clip featured ‘Khadija’, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists at Banki, Borno and impregnated, being tagged ‘Boko Haram wife’ and her baby, ‘Boko Haram sin’ in the camp.

Patten recalled her meeting with the victim girls and children born out of rape arising from the sexual violence and abuse when she travelled to Maiduguri in 2017.

“I met with 200 young girls and there were 162 babies and I was really disturbed by the fact that these young girls and their babies were not only rejected by their families and by their communities but also by the very people they were living with inside the camp.

My visit to Maiduguri made me realise that more attention needs to be given; I think the focus really has to be on the rights.

“There’s a convention on the rights of the child that protect these children and more needs to be done,’’ she said.

According to her, all the girls that she met at the internally displaced people camps in Maiduguri were released from the captivity of Boko Haram.


She said some of them still had complaints about sexual violence and food, explaining that these were issues that she raised with the government, following her visit to the camp.

“I raised the issue with the authority, with the Acting President (Yemi Osinbajo), whom I met and who reassured that actions would be taken.’’

She said government followed up to ensure the review of the administration of the camp.

She added with further follow up by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, the distribution of food was handed over to the World Food Programme to ensure cases of sexual abuse were minimised.

My office is trying to support the government of Nigeria and other partners and agencies to meet the needs of the very young survivors of sexual violence and their children through access to some kind of livelihoods support.

That`s in the process of negotiation with Nigeria.’’

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said the effects of conflict-related sexual violence echoes across generations, in the form of trauma, stigma and unwanted pregnancy.

The UN chief described the scourge as “a threat to our collective security’’ and “a stain on our common humanity.’’

“Children conceived through wartime rape often struggle with issues of identity and belonging for decades after the guns have fallen silent.

“They may be left in a legal limbo or at risk of becoming stateless.



“They are vulnerable to recruitment, trafficking and exploitation, with broad implications for peace and security as well as human rights.

“Their mothers may be marginalised and shunned by their own families and communities.

“These women and children are sometimes seen as affiliates of armed and violent extremist groups, rather than as victims and survivors,’’ Guterres said.

Lord Ahmad, the British Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations, also condemned Boko Haram terrorists’ activities against girls.

“Female illiteracy in some countries is running at 60, 70 or 80 per cent and there are bigoted fanatics, who actually campaign to stop girls from going to school, including the numbskulls from Boko Haram who will raid schools, abduct children and inflict any atrocity in order to deny girls an education.

“As recently as February, Boko Haram kidnapped 110 girls from a school in Dapchi and we all remember how 276 were taken from Chibok in 2014.

“When I visited Borno last year, I met girls who had been told they would be shot if they dared learn to read, as the Taliban shot Malala,’’ Ahmad said.

Similarly, Ms Ninette Kelley, Director of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in New York, while launching the UNHCR’s Global Trends Report, urged governments to ensure voluntary return of IDPs to their communities.

She added that no displaced person should be forced to return until certain factors are considered.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/boko-haram-un-tasks-nigeria-on.html

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency moved swiftly Tuesday to deny media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had called the bluff of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) bloc of the ruling party that had declared a dispute, claiming it had been marginalised in the prevailing power sharing arrangement.


Media reports Tuesday, not in Akelicious, had said the president had told off the nPDP, telling them to make do with the intervention of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo or do their worst.

But the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, told Akelicious Tuesday in a telephone interview that nothing of the sort happened and dismissed the reports as speculative and untrue.

“I read the story and it was clear to me that it was pure speculation. Absolutely no substance,” he said.

Oyegun’s assertion was backed by a top presidency official, who said emphatically that Buhari did not shun the aggrieved nPDP and was ready to personally listen to them and appease them.

“President Muhammadu Buhari did not call the bluff of the nPDP and is not contemplating doing so. Rather he has asked Vice President Osinbajo to continue the negotiation with the group and to forward any agreement and understanding reached for his final action,” the source said.

The presidential source told THISDAY Tuesday night that the president only preferred that the resolution of the grievances in the party be kick-started at state and party levels and from there, progress gradually to his level, when he would take final briefings on findings.

According to the source, what the president said was that while the meeting is still ongoing between the nPDP, party leaders and governors, he would not like to interfere until the necessary avenues are exhausted.

The source further stated that indeed talks with the group were progressing and had consequently moved from party and state levels to the presidency, being currently superintended over by the vice-president.

He added that the president was waiting to be briefed on findings at the end of the discussions, explaining that Buhari’s current decision was aimed at avoiding jumping into the ongoing process before it gets to his level.

He insisted that the president had no intention to snub anyone but only wanted to observe due process.

The source said: “Decision not to meet nPDP is to show respect for the party, and the governors who the president believe are party leaders in their various states. A process has begun, with the party talking to those feeling estranged. The meeting has risen to the level of the vice-president.

“This is expected to continue. At the culmination of these meetings, the president will obviously be briefed. Before that point is reached, the president will not meddle or interfere. The president expects that the due process should be observed in all situations and that is what he is doing.”

nPDP Unaware of Stonewalling

Also reacting Tuesday, a member of the nPDP, who is also the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Timi Frank, said the group was unaware of the purported decision of the president to snub the group.

“There is nothing official, nobody has reached out to us,” he said, adding: “We don’t know the presidency position and there was no briefing on it.”

He added: “For our group, we are very firm, united and confident that anywhere we go that is where the presidency will go because we know we have the right leadership and numbers to swing victory to whichever place we go.”

According to Frank, “Nobody can call our bluff but if the presidency decides to do that so be it. For us, our resolve is unshakeable and we still stand by whatever position we have taken.”

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/buhari-not-bluffing-npdp-awaits-final.html

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen, on Tuesday in Abuja, administered the oath of office on Justice Abdul Kafarati as the substantive Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Administering the oath of office on kafarati, the CJN charged him to adhere strictly to his oath of office and the 1999 Constitution.

“I don’t have to remind you of the oath you just took because this oath has been your life; so I urge you to continue to be guided by this oath.

” If you go strictly by the constitution and the oath of office,you can never go wrong,”Onnoghen said.

The CJN enjoined the new federal high court chief judge to be bold and courageous in the discharge of his duties adding that he must remain firm and focused as well.

Onnoghen admonished Kafarati as well as other judicial officers not to run away from challenges but to always face them and do the right thing at the right time.

“The judiciary will protect you when you adhere to the rule of law, the oath of your office and the constitution.”

He assured that the judiciary would always strive to be an unbiased arbitar,between the two other arms of government and litigants in general.

He described the inauguration as historic noting that although it had taken a while, it was finally here.

The CJN expressed the confidence that the federal high court would have stability, peace and move forward under the watch of the new chief judge in the area of administration and dispensation of justice.

” I believe that the best witness anyone can have is time.Time is always there to be our witness for whatever we are doing.

“For this reason, you must continue to remain focused, and be guided by your oath of office.”

Onnoghen reiterated that it was the only way the judiciary would remain the hope of man, whether a common, an uncommon or a superman.

The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that Kafarati who was born in 1954 was appointed a judge of federal high court in Oct. 1991

He succeeded Justice Ibrahim Auta who retired in April 2017 having attained 70 years.

Kafarati had been in acting capacity since April, 2017 .

He was sworn in as substantive chief judge following his nomination by the National Judicial Council, approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was screened and confirmed by the Senate.

The inauguration was witnessed by the President of the Court of Appeal, serving and retired justices, and the Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State among other dignitaries.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/justice-kafarati-takes-oath-of-office.html

No fewer than 25 ships expected with petroleum products, food and other goods will arrive at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports between Tuesday and June 30, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says.

The authority noted in its “Shipping Position” bulletin in Lagos that
eight of the 25 ships would sail in with petrol, while a ship would bring in aviation fuel.

The remaining 16 ships are carrying buckwheat, base oil, container carrying different goods, frozen fish, soya beans, bulk fertiliser, steel and empty containers.

According to NPA, 11 of the ships have arrived at the ports waiting to berth with bulk fertiliser, bulk urea, buckwheat, diesel and petrol.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/25-ships-with-petrol-others-expected-npa.html

The Federal Government says it will shut down the land border between Nigeria and a neigbouring country in a few days time to avoid smuggling of foreign rice into the country.

Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday while speaking with youths in a leadership clinic under the auspices of Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI).

Ogbeh who did not mention the particular country and border, said that shutting the borders had become necessary to encourage local production and sustain the economy of the country.

The minister said that a neighbouring country was bent on destroying the economy of the country and discouraging local production of rice, hence the need to shut down the border.

“Our other problem is smuggling. As we speak, a neighbor of ours is importing more rice than China is importing.

“They do not eat parboiled rice, they eat white rice, they use their ports to try and damage our economy.

“I am telling you now because in a few days, you will hear the border has been shut, we are going to shut it to protect you, us and protect our economy.

“You will start seeing all sorts of negative things on the internet.

“Let me tell you why we need to shut the border, I grow rice, I was the first Nigerian to mill rice free of stones, if you plant rice in certain parcels of land, some poisonous materials gets into the rice.

“There are three kinds of water in their natural state; there is fresh water from the river, salt water from the sea, blackish water.

“If you go to the Delta in many countries, in South East Asia where they grow the rice, if you plant rice in the same place like four to six years continuously, the quantum of arsenic begins to increase and arsenic causes cancer and that is what they are dumping for us.

“Some people say they prefer Thai rice because they are very sophisticated, welcome to poison,’’ Ogbeh said.

He said that the Federal Government in two years reduced rice importation by 95 per cent and increased the number of rice farmers from five million to 30 million.

The minister said that states like Anambra, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa were doing well in rice production.

“We just have to handwork you to prosperity otherwise, this country will not grow. My wish for you is to have a better time that we had,’’ Ogbeh said.

The President of GOTNI, Dr Linus Okorie, commended the minister for sharing prosperity experiences with the youth.

Okorie noted that the leadership clinic was organised by GOTNI to expose young people to practical leadership principle for life success.

According to him, GOTNI is committed to changing the narratives of poor leadership in Nigeria by consciously developing the capacities of generational leaders.

“A lot of young people are asking questions, seeking answers to their questions, wish that they have an experienced person who will hold them by the hands and show them the way to achieve success.

“There are a few people that are readily available to do this; a lot of them are making decisions everyday on the basis of their limited exposure.

“If Nigeria must make progress, if we must consciously build the next generation of leaders then, we must expose these young people to experienced leaders that have gone ahead for a conscious transfer of knowledge and experiences,’’ he said.

Some of the youths who spoke at the meeting called for continuous mentorship from leaders, access to finance and low interest rates to assist them in businesses.

GOTNI is a non-profit youth leadership capital development organisation with a passion to nurture various categories of young people under 40 years of age, into transformational leaders.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/rice-smuggling-fg-to-shut-land-border.html

Google will invest more than half a billion dollars in China’s second-largest e-commerce company JD.com as part of a move to expand retail services around the world, the companies said Monday.

The announcement comes as US giant is pushing Google Shopping, a platform allowing customers to compare prices between different sellers, which poses a challenge to Amazon.

The firms will marry JD’s supply chain and logistics experience with Google technology to create “next generation” personalised retail in regions including Southeast Asia, the US and Europe, the joint statement said.

“This partnership with Google opens up a broad range of possibilities to offer a superior retail experience to consumers throughout the world,” JD.com’s chief strategy officer Jianwen Liao said.

Google will put $550 million in cash into JD.com and in return, the California-based company will receive 27.1 million newly issued JD.com Class A ordinary shares.

The shares are equivalent to a nearly one percent stake in the company, according to a JD.com spokesman.

Google chief business officer Philipp Schindler said the move will give customers “the power to shop wherever and however they want.”

However, the partnership is unlikely to affect Google’s status in mainland China, where Gmail, Google Search and Google Maps are all blocked in China.

“The announcement isn’t focused on China,” JD.com spokesman Josh Gartner confirmed to AFP.

Chinese internet users face fines or even jail for unfavourable social media posts. Authorities have further tightened internet controls in recent months, shutting down celebrity gossip blogs and probing platforms for “obscenity”.

In China, JD.com competes aggressively with e-commerce leader Alibaba, which runs the popular Taobao and Tmall shopping platforms.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/google-to-invest-550m-in-chinese-firm.html

Equity transactions closed in an upbeat last week, as the All-Share Index and market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), appreciated by 0.7 per cent to close the week at 38,928.02 points and N14.102 trillion respectively.

Similarly, all other indices finished higher but for NSE CG, NSE Consumer Goods and NSE Industrial Goods that depreciated by 0.08 per cent, 0.85 per cent and 0.12 per cent respectively, while the NSE ASeM Index closed flat.

However, a turnover of 1.738 billion shares worth N18.462 billion were recorded in 14,790 deals on the floor of the exchange last week, in contrast to a total of 1.749 billion units valued at N31.183 billion that changed hands in 24,604 deals during the preceding week.


The drop in turnover may however, be attributed to the one-day holiday declared by the Federal Government on Friday June 15 to commemorate the Eid-al-Fitr celebrations

Also, 40 equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than 49 in the previous week, with 28 equities depreciating in price, lower than 29 equities of the previous week, while 101 equities remained unchanged higher than 91 equities recorded in the preceding week.

Japaul Oil topped the gainers’ chart with 22.58 per cent to close at N0.38 per share, while Equity Assurance followed with 20 per cent to close at N0.24 per share.

Union Bank added 10.71 per cent to close at N6.20 per share and Okomuoil gained 10.24 per cent to close at N90.40 per share, while Learn Africa garnered 9.72 per cent to close at N1.58 per share.

On the other hand, Mutual Benefit Assurance led others on the losers’ chart with 13.89 per cent to close at N0.31 per share, while AG Leventis followed with 7.55 per cent to close at N0.49 per share.

Nigerian Breweries lost 5.98 per cent to close at N110 per share, as Berger Paints shed five per cent to close at N8.55 per share, while BOC Gases dropped 4.97 per cent to close at N4.21 per share.


Last week, the financial services industry (measured by volume), led the activity chart with 1.170 billion shares valued at N9.695 billion traded in 7,809 deals; thus contributing 67.35 per cent and 52.51 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The services industry followed with 293.492 million shares worth N733.407 million in 531 deals and the consumer goods ranked third with a turnover of 154.093 million shares worth N4.997 billion in 3,002 deals.

Trading in the top three equities– United Capital Plc, Ikeja Hotel Plc and United Bank For Africa Plc (measured by volume), accounted for 811.747 million shares worth N3.887 billion in 986 deals, contributing 46.71 per cent to the total equity turnover volume.

Analysts in Vetiva Capital Limited said: “Trading was mixed this week as profit taking at week close followed relatively strong gains earlier in the week.

We foresee bargain hunting at week open as investors swoop on slightly beaten down stocks.”

Also traded during the week were 62,392 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N1.004 million and executed in 13 deals, compared with 202,916 units valued at N1.168 million that was transacted last week in 19 deals.

A total of 9,850 units of Federal Government valued at N9.999 million were traded this week in 10 deals, compared with a total of 10,561 units valued at N10.381 million transacted last week in 20 deals.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/investors-wealth-appreciates-by-07-in.html

No fewer than 32 persons were killed, while 84 others were injured when six suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDs), in Damboa local government area in Borno state on Saturday night.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that some locals alleged that the deaths arose from a misfiring by the Nigerian Army’s artillery but the army denied the claim.

Malam Buba Shettima, a witness said that two separate bomb blasts occurred in Shuwari and Abbachari, at about 8:30 p.m.
“The whole of Damboa was shaken by the unfortunate incident. We all scampered for safety as the blasts were coming from different directions. There were bodies everywhere.“We suspected that the many deaths recorded were a result of the military artillery,”he said.
Mohammed Hassan, another local from the area who corroborated the claim, said: “At about 8:30 pm of on Saturday night, an attack suspected to be from an artillery killed 31 innocent people in Damboa Shehuri and Abachari.
The attacks came from two separate directions. My house was among some of the houses destroyed,”he said.
Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, denied the claim, saying the killings were caused by suicide attacks and not military artillery.
“There was nothing like an attack from the military artillery. You can see the pictures of six female bombers who detonated their explosives and as a result, 20 persons were killed while others were injured,” he said.
Rogers urged people to disregard the claim that people were killed by the military and not by suicide bombers.
Modu-Zannah Maina, The District Head of Damboa, who described the incident as “shocking and disturbing” said the attack was perpetrated by female suicide bombers.
Maina lamented that a lot of people that were affected were mostly children, adding that many victims were injured.
“We are here in this hospital to check our people affected by Saturday’s bomb blasts. So far, the victims have been responding to treatment,”he said.
Meanwhile Demian Chukwu, the Borno Commissioner of Police, said “On Saturday, at about 2045hrs, an explosion occurred at Abachari area, in the outskirt of Damboa L.G.A. of Borno State.
“At the sound of the explosion, personnel of the Nigeria Police and Members of the civilian JTF mobilised to the scene and discovered twenty dead bodies and 48 injured persons in a suspected terrorist attack.
“The wounded and the dead were evacuated to a hospital while the scene was sanitised by a deployment of police EOD unit.
“Investigation is ongoing to unravel the nature of the attack,”he said.
Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, the Chairperson of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who also confirmed the incident, said the agency had deployed its personnels to evacuate wounded persons to the hospital for quick medical attention.
“Our team has been deployed to render life saving support to the victims of the blast. As you can see, they have been tirelessly working with ICRC since morning to evacuate the injured from the airport to the hospital.
“We are all saddened by the unfortunate incident that occured in Damboa,”said Kolo.

More photos at http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/6-female-bombers-hit-damboa-32-killed.html

The Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has said that the July 1 deadline for the ban on commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada in Onitsha and Awka, is not negotiable.

Obiano said the ban stands and that there is no going back on the directive.


The governor had in May, this year, declared a ban on motorcycle operators, causing mixed reactions over the number of persons that would lose their jobs.

Obiano, who was speaking during the 2018 Annual Seminar of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council in Awka, explained that the ban would be for commercial motorcyclists in Onitsha and Awka and their neighbouring towns.

He revealed that the state government was making alternative arrangements to provide more shuttle buses to cover as many routes as possible, while calling on transporters to take advantage of the opportunity and invest in deploying shuttles and tricycles to complement government’s efforts.

“The state government has designed a hire purchase arrangement where the motorcycle operators will be provided tricycles and shuttles and they pay in installments over a period of time in consideration to the plight of Ndi Anambra who may be affected by the ban,” he said.

He reiterated that the ban is solely in the best interest of the citizens and residents of the state, and that it would also help government decisively address cases of motorbike robbery in many parts of the state which has been on the increase in recent times.

According to him, the state government, by August 1, this year, would vacate the shanties located opposite the Onitsha prison as a result of the series of crimes reportedly perpetrated there.

In his remarks, Chairman of the state Traditional Rulers Council and traditional ruler of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, said the monarchs have a role to hold their communities in the line of development, peace and security, to make the job of governance less cumbersome for the government.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/obiano-insists-on-july-1-deadline-for.html

An open ridicule of the serving Inspector General of Police, Mr. Etim Inyang by the military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida at an Armed Forces Ruling Council meeting in 1986 signposted a grim era of insecurity in the nation. Babangida reportedly asked Inyang, “My friend, where is Anini?” A taunt that apparently hastened the capture of the dreaded armed robber, Lawrence Anini who terrorized Benin City and environs. The derision of Inyang has the character of the self-inflicted controversies courted by the current Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, who was only two years into his career as a policeman when Anini unleashed a four-month reign of terror.


The urgency with which Babangida conveyed the need to rid the country of the Anini nuisance must have made a lasting impression on Idris who was 27 years (when he became a policeman) and still wet behind the ears. On becoming the Inspector General of Police 30 years later, he awaits the kind of insulting, ‘my friend, where is Anini?’ remark from President Muhammadu Buhari that would make him look stupid.

A mimicry in the manner of the Babangida mockery of Inyang may be what Idris needs to boost his confidence to go after killer herdsmen in the middle belt. Idris may not be obliged to comply if the Commander-in-Chief is absent-minded and only jolted to momentary recall when there is a public outcry.

A graduate of Agriculture who has since added a degree in Law to his resume, the Inspector General of Police harbours concealed loathing of farmers which is the reason he distanced himself as much as possible from cultivation. Every farmer should join the police force; failing which they should spare no effort to arm themselves.

Farmers are lazy and unimaginative, if they had half the intelligence they are credited with, their farming tools-hoes, machetes and the like are capable of inflicting lethal blows. So, why do they need the police when they have enough in their arsenal to wade off attacks and defend themselves? Handicapped with just 370. 000 men and officers to cover over 923,000 square kilometres of Nigerian territory populated by close to 200 million people, there are more very important persons to worry over than farmers.

Idris could never be a doctor. And he has a strong aversion for doctors like Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who take a liking to farmers and political thugs. He can’t stand a person who is skilled in the science of medicine and opens his arms to welcome obnoxious farmers who were thrown out of Zimbabwe. Why would he want to fraternise with him and his colleagues, especially if there are Distinguished gentlemen like Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima in their assembly who love the warmth of teenage girls. That would only serve to remind the IGP of a misdemeanor he tried in vain to hide from the public. He would not help them to achieve their purpose at ‘a deliberate blackmail, witch-hunt and mischievous’ by obeying their summons.

IGP Idris may also be reminded of his violation of the letter and the spirit of The Police Code in the manner he contracted his marriage to Amina Asta, whose meteoric rise in the Nigeria Police is allegedly linked to IGP Idris, her husband. Why should anyone accuse the Inspector General of Police of favouritism when a countless number of officers have also benefited from Idris’ supposed altruistic disposition?

As the 19th Nigerian-born IGP since the Nigerian Police was formed in 1930, Idris’ transgressions may not be as putrid as former IGP Tafa Balogun who former President Olusegun Obasanjo pointedly humiliated in public in the most demeaning manner. It may even be better to be tagged an ‘enemy of democracy’ who is ‘unfit to hold any public office within and outside Nigeria’ (as the Nigerian Senate view Idris) than to come before a committee of haters with long knives. What chance does a cockroach stand in a court presided by a hen? Idris has continued to insist that the lawmakers are bent on colouring him bad.

His enduring tenure as IGP began on a topsy-turvy note against his predecessor, Solomon Arase. The latter had issued several administrative queries to Idris; so when the tables turned and Idris became IGP, he sought to take his pound of flesh off Arase. It was an unprecedented dirty fight that dragged the famed esprit de corps in the mud. From then, Idris has staggered and stuttered in the public space in a manner unbecoming of one who previously commanded the Police Mobile Force (the so-called punching arm of the police).

Idris’ tendency to prevaricate began with a seemingly innocuous order to withdraw police personnel from VIPs. It was an unsolicited directive that announced his clumsiness. One day the personnel were ordered to report back to base immediately. A little while after, the instruction was kept in abeyance.

Perhaps, the most infamous wobble of the Idris era is the scandalous Kano speech episode in which he appeared to be challenged reading his own prepared text. This is a man who should be on the farm as a graduate of Agriculture, if he had stuck to his original calling. Even as a lawyer, he could have remained behind the curtain of the law profession as a company secretary. And that would have covered his apparent inadequacies. All along in his policing career, Idris climbed the ladder of the Police hierarchy as a matter of organisational convenience until he got to the top where he is alone, out in the cold.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/the-yes-today-no-tomorrow-inspector.html

Globally, countries are losing $160 trillion in wealth because of differences in lifetime earnings between women and men.

This amounts to an average of $23,620 for each person in the 141 countries studied in a new report by the World Bank Group.

The report titled: “Unrealised Potential: The High Cost of Gender Inequality in Earnings,” examined the economic cost of gender inequality in lost human capital.


“The world is essentially leaving $160 trillion on the table when we neglect inequality in earnings over the lifetime between men and women,” World Bank Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva said.

“This is a stark reminder that world leaders need to act now and act decisively to invest in policies that promote more and better jobs for women and equal pay at work,” Georgieva added.

According to the report, in nearly every country today, women face barriers to fully participate in the work force and earn as much as men. Because of this, women account for only 38 percent of their country’s human capital wealth, defined as the value of the future earnings of their adult citizens—versus 62 percent for men.

In low income and lower-middle income countries, women account for just a third or less of human capital wealth.

Programmes and policies that make it easier for women to get to work, access basic infrastructure and financial services, and control land could help achieve gender equality in earnings, the report stated.

“Human capital wealth accounts for two thirds of the global changing wealth of nations, well ahead of natural and other forms of capital,” World Bank Group Lead Economist and author of the report, Quentin Wodon explained.

Wodon added: “Because women earn less than men, human capital wealth worldwide is about 20 percent lower than it could be.”

The losses in wealth from inequality in earnings between men and women vary by region. The largest losses—each between $40 trillion and $50 trillion—are observed in East Asia and the Pacific, North America, and Europe and Central Asia. This is because these regions account for most of the world’s human capital wealth. Losses in other regions are also substantial. In South Asia, losses from gender inequality are estimated at $9.1 trillion, while they are estimated at $6.7 trillion in Latin America and the Caribbean and $3.1 trillion in the Middle East and North Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the losses are estimated at $2.5 trillion. While losses in low income countries are smaller in absolute terms than in other regions, as a share of the initial endowment in human capital, the losses are larger than for the world.

The study was part of a broader research program at the World Bank that benefits from support from government of Canada, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the Global Partnership for Education.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/nigeria-others-lose-160tr-due-to.html

Zamfara State Commissioner of Police (CP) Kenneth Ebrimson, said his Command has deployed 1,500 police officers to ensure that the Eid-el-Fitri Sallah celebrations slated for 16th June, 2018, is hitch free of any crime, during and after the celebration.

In a statement by the Command’s Spokesman, DSP Mohammed Shehu, “the arrangement will cover all the praying grounds, shopping malls and recreational centres in the state.”

He disclosed that high visibility patrols/aberdeen system, stop and search, intelligence/information gathering and raiding of criminal hideout will be sustained to ensure communities and villages are protected against the activities of disgruntled elements.


Also, safer highway patrol teams have been deployed to all major roads in the state to ensure security and safety of travellers/commuters.

According to him, the policemen deployed for the Sallah assignment “are under strict instructions of the Commissioner of Police to be civil and polite in the discharge of their duties.


“The command enjoined members of the public to be law abiding and cooperate with the police personnel deployed to their localities by reporting any incident or strange and suspicious movement to any nearest police station for prompt action.”

Shehu said, “the Commissioner of Police CP Kenneth Ebrimson wishes the Muslim faithful in the state happy Eid-el-Fitri celebrations, advices them to be security conscious of themselves and their families.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/eid-el-fitri-zamfara-police-deploy-1500.html

Super Eagles of Nigeria will get 50,000 USD (N18m) for every unreplied goal scored at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, oil giants Aiteo have revealed.
Aiteo who are the official partner of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made the disclosure on Thursday.

According to the Executive Vice Chairman of Aiteo Global Group, Benedict Peters in a statement, the Energy company has now signed a N2.5 billion (about USD 7 million) sponsorship agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation {NFF}, to cater for the salaries of all national team coaches for a period of five years.


“Aiteo has signed a N2.5 billion (about USD 7 million) sponsorship agreement with NFF in the bid to cater for the salaries of all national team coaches for a period of five years and to further demonstrate that we are solidly behind the Nigeria Football Federation in their quest for football development in the country.”

He said, “Football is a phenomenon in Nigeria. We can see and feel its power on every street. It has galvanised unity amongst Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic or class differences. As the World Cup kicks off, we at Aiteo Group have solidly thrown our weight behind Nigeria national team and its ever-effervescent supporters spread across the globe.

“We look forward to great football moments that will become historic as the Super Eagles play to covet the World Cup trophy. Last Saturday we premiered to the official theme song produced to boost the Super Eagles of Nigeria to go for glory at the Russia 2018 World Cup. This is also as we pledged to donate $50,000 to the team ‘for every unreturned goal’ scored at the Mundial.

To raise the spirit of the Super Eagles and their supporters an official theme song for the Nigeria’s World Cup campaign in Russia has been launched. The song, titled “Dem Go Hear Am,’’ was done by Olamide and Phyno, two of Nigeria’s hottest hip hop stars.

According to the Aiteo Director, the company sponsored the song to also authenticate their space as the optimum sponsors of the Nigeria national team.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/eagles-will-get-n18m-for-every-goal-not.html

The declaration of June 12 as a public holiday was a mere statement of desire by President Muhammadu Buhari, said Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.

He made the clarification, yesterday, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, as he fielded questions on whether Buhari’s declaration contravened the Public Holiday Act.

Malami said: “As it relates to public holidays, there is truly a Public Holiday Act. The Act can be amended and the process of amendment has been put in place. When the Act has been fully amended, the declaration of the President will come into effect. It is a declaration of intention, a declaration of desire and that will eventually be given effect with the amendment of the existing law.”


On whether the President could singlehandedly award posthumous recognition to any Nigerian, the Attorney General explained: “I think we need to make distinctions between the Nigerian National Merit Award Act and the Nigerian National Honours Act. They are two distinct and different applicable laws as far as national honours and awards are concerned. Above all, we equally have in existence precedent as it relates to the award of posthumous honours. I can recall that a former Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed, was equally honoured posthumously.”

It was also disclosed that the Federal Government approved the payment of N500 million to a team of external lawyers including seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) who facilitated the recovery of the fine slammed on telecommunications giant, MTN.

Recall that the legal battle instituted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) against MTN has seen the corporation paying at least N165 billion of a total N330 billion fine.

Malami justified the payment, saying it represented a fair deal and amounted to less than one per cent of the entire fine.

He said the Federal Government was in the process of forwarding a bill on copyright violations and corresponding sanctions to the National Assembly.

The Federal Government is also collaborating with the government of Switzerland to repatriate $500 million allegedly looted by former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, and other high profile citizens.

Malami said: “The Federal Government engaged the services of lawyers to put up defence on its behalf. As a result, the parties eventually settled the case amicably. And arising from that settlement, the lawyers were entitled to their fees.

“The Federal Government has now sanctioned the payment of N500 million for the N330 billion agreed upon for the alleged breaches in their (MTN’s) operations. This amount is less than one per cent of the fee instead of the internationally recognised fee, which is pegged at five per cent.

“Finally was a report on the global forum on assets recovery. You will recall that in December 2017, Federal Government participated in a global forum on asset recovery in Washington DC. And during that forum, Nigeria and Switzerland signed an agreement that paved the way for the repatriation of $322 million relating to looted assets. And on the account of that, the amount was eventually repatriated back to Nigeria,” said Malami.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, who briefed State House reporters on other memos that sailed through the meeting, announced that government has settled for a National Food Security Council, to be chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

He noted that functions of the council would be encapsulated in the Food Safety and Quality Bill, which got the nod of Buhari to be forwarded to the National Assembly soon.

The council also approved the draft National Tobacco Control Regulation, aimed at regulating the use and consumption of tobacco products.

“It is expected that with the formal approval of these two documents, we will have reduction in the incidence of food-borne illnesses through so many preventive controls that are already contained in the bill and will also help us to support achievements of sustainable effective food trade that will boost and enhance the economy,” Adewole said.


The Federal Government furthermore approved N185.276 billion for the rehabilitation and repair of roads and bridges in parts of the country.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Ikechukwu Enelamah, said FEC approved N6.540 billion for the construction of an industrial hub, to be managed by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

He said: “Some of the areas of interest where we want to increase training include the automotive skills sector, ICT, tiling, plasters of Paris (POP), plumbing, refrigeration and so on. All these strategies are attempts to implement the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and diversify the economy in a way that we can bring more and more of our people to have the skills that are needed to go to work.”

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/june-12-not-democracy-day-yet-clarifies.html

Transactions on the equities sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) reversed the upward trend to close on a downturn yesterday, following price depreciation suffered by major highly capitalised stocks, causing market capitalisation to dip by N49 billion.

Specifically, at the close of transactions yesterday, , the All-Share Index (ASI) shed 135.32 absolute points or 0.35 per cent to close at 39,031.72 points. Also, the market capitalisation declined by N49 billion to close at N14.139 trillion.

The depreciation was impacted by losses recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Nigerian Breweries, Dangote Sugar, Zenith Bank, FBN Holdings and UBA.


Analysts attributed the drop in indices to profit taking by investors on the exchange. According to them, investors leveraged the price appreciation recorded in the past few days to recoup their investment.

Despite the decline, they reiterated that stock prices remain attractive, making room for bargain hunting in value stocks, amidst still-positive macro-economic fundamentals.

Further breakdown of yesterday’s trading showed that market breadth closed negative, with 20 gainers versus 22 losers. Japaul Oil recorded the highest price gain of 5.88 per cent, to close at 36 kobo per share. UAC Property followed with a gain of 4.98 per cent to close at N2.11, while Prestige Assurance rose by 4.92 per cent to close at 64 kobo per share.

Learn Africa gained 4.86 per cent to close at N1.51, while Equity Assurance appreciated 4.55 per cent to close at 23 kobo per share.

On the other hand, Diamond Bank led the losers’ chart by five per cent, to close at N1.52 per share. AIICO Insurance shed 4.62 per cent to close at 62 kobo, while Unity Bank depreciated by 4.35 per cent to close at 88 kobo per share.

Skye Bank declined by 3.95 per cent to close at 73 kobo and United Capital also shed 3.95 per cent to close at N3.16 per share.

However, the total volume traded appreciated by 33.68 per cent to 456.49 million shares, worth N4.13 billion, and traded in 3,517 deals. Transactions in the shares of UBA topped the activity chart with 90.62 million shares valued at N998.23 million. United Capital followed with 78.69 million shares worth N258.35 million, while Africa Prudential traded 72.1 million shares valued at N312.6 million.

Access Bank traded 26.28 million shares valued at N282.27 million, while African Alliance Insurance transacted 23.3 million shares worth N4.66 million.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/profit-taking-takes-toll-on-exchange-as.html

Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole, has said he would have arrested and prosecuted former President Olusegun Obasanjo if he were President Muhammadu Buhari.

This is coming as the former Edo State governor received more endorsements from the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, as well as governors elected on the platform of the party ahead of the national convention of the party.

Oshiomhole, who weighed in over the faceoff between President Buhari and Obasanjo, urged Buhari to investigate and jail the former president, should he be found to have dipped his hands in public treasury.

Speaking at the event in honour of late Chief MKO Abiola’s family chaired by Femi Falana, Oshiomhole also praised Chief Frank Kokori for standing up to dictatorship when it mattered most.

“He should be arrested if he has committed any offence. He arrested many of us. So, if we are celebrating Chief Gani Fawehinmi, we have compelling reasons to do so. In all of these, we didn’t pay any money to Gani or Falana. They defended us pro bono.

“Gani is not here today, but his spirit is here. Falana is here and today, I am standing. Even the president who was in charge then, he is now complaining that they want to harass him. He was harassing me and he got me arrested.


“He thought he himself would not be arrested? If I were the president I would arrest him. We are all Nigerians. I remember one day I told him, I said ‘President Obasanjo, we made you president. You did not make me a Nigerian.

“’You are our creation; I am not your creation. You must listen’. But he thought he would be in power forever and he tried to take us on the way to Zimbabwe. He was a reluctant Head of State, became president for two terms and he wanted to do a third term because a cockroach licking palm oil would never lick enough.”
Oshiomhole added that when he was accused by Obasanjo of behaving as if I was an alternate president; and he was running the NLC like a parallel government that wanted to overthrow his government.

The former governor further stated: “The late Abiola would be smiling not just for the honour done him by the president, but that Frank Kokori who was very young then, deployed the instrumentality of oil workers to support the progressive mission of the civil society.
He said: “It is not the position you occupy but the role that you play that will define your place in history. This man was never an NLC president but he is the only unionist invited to the investiture.

“So, we just consulted among ourselves, few of us who benefited from Gani’s leadership by using the instrument of the law to confront evil leaders…at the NLC, we were so efficient at causing troubles but too poor to procure the services of legal titans like Gani and Falana but who would always come and defend us pro bono. So, we felt that on the eve of his investiture, we should gather and celebrate him.”

In another development, Oshiomhole has received more endorsements from Tinubu, as well as governors elected on the platform of the party.
Speaking to journalists shortly after he led other governors on solidarity visit to the Oshiomhole Campaign Office at Aso Drive, Asokoro in Abuja, Tinubu said: “My presence here symbolises solidarity and unity of purpose to continue to build a progressive party that will carry Nigeria on in a progressive manner and encourage good governance with courage and commitment.

“There is no doubt that I have endorsed his candidacy. I have worked with him, should I have any doubt?”
On whether he feels he can work well with Oshiomole, Tinubu said: “Yes, I can work with him, I have no doubt.”
When asked if the endorsements Oshiomole was getting from key party leaders will not discourage other contestants and make the convention exercise more like a rubber stamp, Tinubu said democracy is all about winning.

“In politics, you seek to win. Have you seen anyone who wants to lose? It is about wining, it is about choice and we just have to accept that,” he said.
Tinubu was also asked to react to the outcome of the recent APC congresses, especially as it relates to the parallel congress in Lagos State, but he dismissed the parallel state executive led by Foud Oki, describing it as a non-issue.

“Anybody can open a bank branch anywhere but it depends whether its ATM card can work,” he said.
Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, who spoke on the mission of the governors to the campaign office, said they were all queuing behind the former Edo State governor to emerge as the next national chairman.

“I believe all of us are in support of Oshiomhole. All our colleagues are happy with this development. Our party is looking forward to the chairmanship of Oshiomhole.
“He has had experiences in various aspects of national life and we are all confident that the party is a structure that is necessary for the continuous evolution and maintenance of democracy and his collective experiences in the recent past as the governor of Edo State, one of the most successful leaders of trade union movement and a democratic activist all his life; these qualities would be brought to bear in achieving the ideals of the APC,” he said.

The governor believed that Oshiomhole will be a leader who will be the embodiment of the spirit of the party, saying the experiences will help him make the party central to governance.

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/06/13/oshiomhole-if-i-were-buhari-ill-jail-obasanjo/amp/

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been rated as “team with the best travelling uniform.”


The rating which was carried out in Russia by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), pegged the Nigerian team at No 1.

The rating comes days after a world fashion magazine GQ rated Nigerian Super Eagles jersey as the best for the 2018 World Cup.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/2018-world-cup-super-eagles-win-best.html

United States authorities said on Monday that 74 people had been arrested in a global crackdown on email fraud scams, in which criminals have attempted to steal billions of dollars from businesses and individuals.

The cases involve a growing type of fraud known as “business email compromise” that targets employees with access to corporate finances. The fraudsters send emails that appear to be from trusted corporate executives or vendors, which instruct targeted employees to wire funds to accounts controlled by criminals.


The same groups also ran similar scams targeting individuals, including real-estate buyers and the elderly, the bureau said.

Nearly $2.4 million was seized in the six-month operation dubbed “Operation Wire Wire” and about $14 million in fraudulent wire transfers was recovered, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Of those arrested, 42 were in the United States, 29 in Nigeria, and the others in Canada, Mauritius, and Poland, the FBI said. (Reuters)

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/fbi-arrests-74-in-global-crackdown-on.html

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has released the names of 6, 253 successful candidates for the police job.

The candidates’ names were posted on the Commission’s website on Saturday.

The successful candidates, according to PSC, will proceed to training school on or before June 13.

The list which was released on state-by- state basis had some irregularities.

Several names were repeated especially for candidates from Lagos and Edo States.
The Nation also discovered that 6,000 vacant positions were advertised but the recent list exceeded the positions advertised.
The Commission had last week published names of 5,059 candidates shortlisted for medicals.
In the list released last week, Kano has the highest number of shortlisted candidates.
But in the new list, Niger has the highest number of successful candidates.
Curiously, Niger had only 169 candidates in the first list but has 346 in the fresh one.
The Inspector- General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, is from Niger State.
The latest Information on the PSC website reads: “2018 Police Constable Recruitment: List of successful candidates. Find below the list of successful candidates.
“All successful candidates are directed to check their names at their various State Police Command Headquarters for the institutions where they are to be trained.
“The date of commencement of training is Friday, 8th June, 2018. Resumption closes on 13th June, 2018 in all the training schools.
“Failure to report at the Training Schools by 13th of June, 2018 will mean that the candidates have declined the offer.”
Details of successful candidates are – Abia (132), Adamawa (221), Akwa Ibom (302), Anambra (164), Bauchi (278), Bayelsa (50), Benue (304), Borno (214), Cross River (168), Delta (177), Ebonyi (105), Edo (185), Ekiti (94), Enugu (150), FCT (57), Gombe (120), Imo (218), Jigawa (197), Kaduna (213), Kano (280) and Katsina (238).
Others are – Kebbi (140), Kogi (240), Kwara (129), Lagos (141), Nasarawa (145), Niger (346), Ogun (142), Ondo (147), Osun (204), Oyo (226), Plateau (156), Rivers (137), Sokoto (144), Taraba (128), Yobe (100) and Zamfara (99).

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/psc-unveils-list-of-6253-successful.html

The World Health Organisation (WHO), has warned that if the outbreak of cholera in parts of Adamawa continues it may spread to other areas and across the border to Cameroon posing a major public health threat.

The organisation on its Twitter Handle @WHONigeria on Saturday, said that a month into the outbreak, it has recorded 1,168 cases and 20 deaths in Mubi North and Mubi South Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that during its first report of cholera outbreak in the state in May the organisation said
that it recorded 434 cases of the disease and 13 deaths as at May 26.


WHO, however, reassured that it was carrying out continuous disease surveillance activities in Mubi North and Mubi South LGAs and managing a cholera treatment centre in collaboration with state health authorities.

It said that it has also ensured the chlorination of commercial sources of water and was presently conducting house-to-house active
case search to prevent any spread of the disease.

WHO assured that it was leaving ‘no stone unturned’ to ensure that the outbreak does not spread beyond the immediate vicinities of
the two councils.

“Disease surveillance in emergencies can be tasking especially where insecurity, difficult terrain and frequent displacements hamper
accessibility to the affected populations.

“Robust surveillance characterised by early detection, rapid and coordinated response are, however, critical in bringing outbreaks under control and reducing threat of further spread.

“New cases are being reported every day due to an active house-to-house surveillance led and coordinated by WHO.

“The case fatality ratio was 17 per cent as at May 12, but dropped to 1.7 per cent as at June 7, an indication that cases are being detected and reported early by the surveillance team.”

The organisation said that it has so far visited at least 3,141 households, disinfected up to 893 of these households including their
neighbours and sensitised up to 7,199 persons in the community.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/who-warns-cholera-outbreak-in-adamawa.html

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) trained over 20,000 of its personnel on use of arms for security operations in the country, Corps Public Relations Officer (PRO) Emmanuel Okeh, said on Friday.

Okeh told our reporter in Abuja that the 20,000 were from all NSCDC commands in the country.

He said the training followed directive from Ministry of Interior that personnel of the corps should be trained to use arms.

He added that “ìnstead of the corps having an armed squad, the training should be for all personnel.


“All personnel should be trained on arms bearing so that when the need arises; there will not be a
vacuum.

“In case of emergency, any personnel can be directed at any time for an operation.”

The corps PRO said the use of arms had gone beyond narrowing it down to selected few for operations, noting that training and retraining of personnel was ongoing.

He explained that “training departments of the corps’ commands in states would continue to
organise in-house training to ensure all were trained.”

The spokesman said that personnel of the corps could not be deployed to protect sensitive areas without undergoing training in both state and federal levels.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/nscdc-train-20000-personnel-on-arms.html

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the review of the country’s tax law system to exempt the charges of Value Added Taxes (VAT) on some goods and services.FEC had on February 1, 2017, approved the revised National Tax Policy in order to have a robust tax system that would promote investment and improve revenue for sustainable national development.

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun who briefed State House Correspondents after Council meeting said the approval of the tax laws reform by the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC) now removes obsolete, ambiguous and contradictory provisions in the laws.

According to the minister, the strategy will increase government revenue, simplify the process of paying taxes and doing business, promote Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and protect most vulnerable persons in the country.


Adeosun who was joined by the minister of state for Budget and National Planning Zainab Ahmed said with the approval, there will be an amendment in VAT, Goods Liable to Excise Duties and Applicable Rate Order as well as amendment of the Companies Income Tax Act bills.Goods and services, which will no longer be affected by VAT according to the mini­ster, are public transportation, public housing and life insurance.

Other proposals of the NTPIC, which were approved by FEC are the amendment of the VAT Bill, Customs, Excise, Tariff ETC (Consolidation) Act, Personal Income Tax Act (Amendment) Bill and the Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act.

The minister said other laws proposed for amendment are the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Proposed Amendment of the Associated Gas Re-Injection Act. The review of the Gas Re-Injection will enable the imposition of penalties other than charges against oil companies engaged in gas flaring in the Niger Delta to discourage them from such operations.

Also, the Federal Government has so far recovered about N30 billion from individuals and corporate establishments through the tax amnesty initiative known as Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS).Besides, Adeosun has approved the issuance of a Declaration Certificate to taxpayers who voluntarily declared their previously undisclosed assets and income under the VAIDS.

The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, who unveiled the VAIDS Declaration Certificate yesterday, in Abuja, at a workshop organised for chairmen of states’ Inland Revenue Service, disclosed the figure.Fowler disclosed that the certificate was customised for each state tax authority with several security features and would be issued to the taxpayers upon submission of their declaration forms.

Speaking shortly before unveiling the certificate, Fowler said out of the N30 billion recovered from individuals and corporate establishments under the scheme, 90 per cent, was collected by the FIRS, while the remaining 10 per cent was recovered by the states. Fowler, who is also the Chairman of the nation’s Joint Tax Board, stated that the national taxpayers’ database had increased from 14 million in 2016 to more than 19 million in 2018.

At the briefing, the minister of state for Budget and National Planning said the Social Investment Programme (SIP) of the government presently has reached 9.76 million beneficiaries cutting across.She said 200,000 beneficiaries already that have been deployed as teachers, agriculture extension workers as well as health extension workers. So we are adding to these numbers by moving to the N-Power Knowledge category.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/fec-okays-tax-law-reforms-as-government.html

The Akwa Ibom State government has evolved new method named Test and Start Approach that would help ascertain the number of HIV/AIDS positive persons in the state.Director and Project Manager, Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr. Nkereuwem Etok, disclosed this at a workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Health Training for Adolescent and Young Persons Counsellor Testers organised by Society for Family Health in Uyo.



He explained that the new method of testing for HIV/AIDS would not be administered on selected persons, but would involved persons of all ages and sex.He added that the result of the tests after samples and analyses have been carried out, would represent the general population of the people in the state and not only pregnant women, as was previously the case.

“If we can sustain the tempo, if government keeps tackling HIV/AIDS the way it’s doing now, we know new infections would be a thing of the past. Studies have shown that if HIV positive persons stay consistently on drugs for six months, the viral load will drop and the possibility of transmission will reduce.

“So, once the viral load drops to undetectable level, the person does not transmit again and that is why government has signed the Test and Start Approach,” he said.Etok pointed out that he was not in a position to argue with the assumption that the state was ranked second in HIV prevalence in the country because of the method and target persons used in carrying out analysis then.

“The survey that was used to rank Akwa Ibom state as second in the country was what we called ANC surveillance study, known as Ante-Natal studies done with pregnant women.
“But Governor Udom Emmanuel said this was not correct and sought to know the prevalence rate among the general population. We now included test babies, adult, men, women, educated and uneducated in all 31 local councils of the state,” he added.

Earlier, Deputy Programme Director, Global Fund for Support programme, Society for Family Health, Dr. Segun Ojideji said, 38 young persons from Akwa Ibom, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and Oyo State would have been trained at the end of the five-day workshop.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/akwa-ibom-government-evolves-new-method.html

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) said it installed over 100,000 prepaid meters and 1,000 Distribution Transmission Meters (DTM) in two years to ensure accurate billing of its customers.

Mr Godwin Idemudia, General Manager, Corporate Communications Department, EKEDC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

Idemudia said most of the communities that were not on prepaid meters had DTM on their transformers to capture energy consumption.

According to him, the energy recorded by the DTM is used to bill customers who are not on prepaid meter at the end of the month.

“Let me assure our customers that metering is an ongoing exercise and EKEDC will continue to ensure that more customers in the network are metered.

“All customers within the network from Apapa, Ijora, Agbara, Mushin, Ijeshatedo, Suru-Lere, Ibeju-Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lagos Island benefited from the metering exercise.

“This is to reduce the rate of estimated billing of our customers, it is a gradual process, but I can assure you that no one will be left behind,” he assured.

Idemudia, however, warned consumers within its network against paying its personnel for installation of the company’s prepaid meters.

According to him, complaints have reached the company that some of its officials are collecting money for installation from consumers who had been given meters free.

The general manager said the response time to faults had reduced lately.

According to Idemudia, once customers report faults through the company’s customer care service, such faults are being taking with all seriousness.

He said the company’s customer care staff had undergone a series of training to attend to all the complaints of customers.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/eko-disco-installs-101000-meters-in-2.html

Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, an NGO, has called for a total ban on single-use plastics if they could not be reused or recycled.

Its Executive Director, David Michael, made the call at a clean-up exercise in the Jabi neighbourhood of Abuja to commemorate the 2018 World Environment Day, which has “Beat Plastic Pollution’’ as its theme.

Micheal said that plastic pollution had been a serious environmental menace all over the world.

He added that this explained why his organisation decided to organise the neighbourhood clean-up, in collaboration with the students of Government Secondary School, Jabi, so as to sensitise the students to the need to control plastic waste in the country.

“Plastics here in the Jabi community run off to Jabi Lake. If you see the quantity of plastics in Jabi Lake, you will never believe it.

“That is why we chose this community that is very close to the Jabi Lake because all the waste of the residents overflow to the lake; we want the students to understand that it is important to dispose waste safely.

“We are also saying that any plastic material you can reuse, reuse it because single-use plastics are contaminating the environment.

“We are advocating for a total ban of single use of plastics in Nigeria because plastics do not decay; they remain in the soil, river and ocean for years,” he added.

Michael urged producers of plastic packages to use biodegradable materials such as paper bags and leaf to package consumable products.

He said that the production of paper bags would boost people’s interest in tree planting, while creating jobs for chemical engineers and other Nigerians.

“Today, all over the world, is World Environment Day and UN has chosen a good theme for the day, which is `Beat Plastic Pollution’.

“Plastics have become a menace to our society, the environment and our heart.

“We need to reduce the rate at which we are using plastics, not just only Nigeria but all over the world.

“Today is a significant day for all of humanity. In fact, every day should be labelled the World Environment Day because our lives largely depend on the environment.

“The air we breathe, the food we eat and even ourselves as humans, all came from the soil which is the major component of the environment.

“There is, therefore, a compelling need for us to take care of our environment,” he said.

Clara Okpala, a student of Government Secondary School, Jabi, underscored the need to ban the production and utilisation of single-use plastics because whenever plastic waste got into rivers, it harmed and killed fishes and other marine life.

Martins Obi, another student of the school, said that plastic waste, because of its inability to decompose, often blocked water channels, thereby causing floods which displaced people from their homes.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/ngo-students-want-prohibition-of-single.html

The Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN) has called for increased supply of Kerosene in the country.

Chief Ikechukwu Nwankwo, chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Awka.

Nwankwo decried the fact that marketers have not been able to source the product from the NNPC depots while it is exorbitant at the private depots where it is available.

Nwankwo however lauded the Federal Government for the normalcy it has brought to the supply and distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and called for similar action on kerosene.

He said though Kerosene is a deregulated product, its scarcity have continued to put pressure on the price.

The chairman said some of his members who paid money at the depots for about two weeks were yet to take delivery of their products.

He said that Kerosene which is the primary source of domestic fuel should not only be available but affordable.

“Kerosene is scarce; the Federal Government should increase supply massively.

“We rely on private depots for the product and every other week and months they come up with new prices, just last week, a litre of kerosene was N240.

“It is not good for our business; and how can the common man who rely on kerosene be paying N250 for a litre, that is if they are able, because most marketers don’t have the product.

“Kerosene is a deregulated product but it can only be effective if it is available because it is only what is imported that we can distribute,” he said.

On the Enugu petroleum depot, Nwankwo said it was unfortunate that it has been moribund for over a decade.

He said the governments of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states which are primarily attached to the depot should rally round and partner the Federal Government to reactivate the depot.

He said there was no basis for the depot not to be operational.

“Governors of the South East, especially those of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu that are attached to the depot should work with the Federal Government to fix the depot.

“This will help distribution in the area, because depot members suffer loss of money and property to accident because of the long distance we travel to procure products,” he said.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/nigerian-govt-urged-to-increase-supply.html

Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, on Tuesday shutdown five banks and over 80 buildings at Allen Avenue, in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria over illegal conversion.

The affected banks are Zenith, Access, Sterling, Unity and UBA at Allen Avenue. Also shut were Tantalizer, Adebowale Electronics, Panasonic and several other buildings used for commercial purposes.

LABSCA officials, accompanied by task force officials began the sealing exercise from Allen Roundabout all through to the end of Allen on both sides of the dual carriageway around 7:45am, beginning with Tantalizer.

The exercise was led by Mr. Tayo Fakolujo, LASBCA Secretary and Mr. Kayode Daramola, a director in the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA).

At Zenith Bank, LASBCA officials drove out the customers and bank officials before sealing the premises, while at Unity Bank, the premises was sealed before it opened for business.

The government said the affected buildings were giving approval for residential and were later converted for commercial purposes for which no approval was granted.General Manager, LASBCA, Engr. Lekan Shodeinde said the affected buildings had been issued notices over one month ago to come forward to regularise their documents and get commercial approval, but that only few property owners whose buildings had been converted to commercial purposes showed up.

He said under the physical planning law, a residential property must obtain due permit before it could be converted to commercial, saying that it was inappropriate to convert a residential property to commercial.

Shodeinde said LASBCA had been given the mandate to carry out audit on buildings in Lagos State for safety purposes and ensure that people did not take laws into their hands.

He said the government had also given six months grace period for people who did not have permit before erecting their structures to regularise them without paying the penalties for such violations.

The LASBCA boss lamented that owners of properties served notices on Allen Avenue did not come forward to regularise their papers, hence the need to enforce the law for compliance purpose.

According to him, government would no longer tolerate illegal conversion of residential properties to commercial without permit, as the law would descend heavily on those who trampled under the law.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/lagos-shuts-5-banks-80-buildings-at.html

A total of 368,000 will benefit from the Federal Government National Home Grown Feeding Programme for primary schools pupils in Kebbi, the Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Magawata Aleiro, has said.

The commissioner made the disclosure on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi at a training workshop for food vendors ahead of the commencement of the programme.

“The Kebbi State Government has now queued into the national home grown feeding programme introduced by the Federal Government to feed all Nigerian children in primary schools from class one to three.

“We have been having series of meetings and discussions with the federal government for about four to six months, and about 368,000 children will benefit from the programme in all the 21 local government areas,” he said.

Aleiro said that each child will have a meal of N70 daily to be supplied by selected food vendors who would be trained by the federal government on hygiene and nutrition.

The commissioner commended President Muhammadu Buhari for introducing the free feeding programme, saying that it would boost the school enrolment drive of the state government.

Mr Ayoola Rufa’i, an official of the school feeding programme in Abuja, said the aim was not only to improve enrolment and eradicate illiteracy, but also boost food production.

“We use food that we produce in our country to feed the children not imported ones,” he said, adding that participants at the training would be guided to strictly supply only foods that are of nutritional value, balanced and hygienic.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/kebbi-nigerian-govt-to-feed-368000.html

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has called on the Kaduna State Government to provide bicycle lanes in its urban roads and other cycling facilities at traffic intersections.

The Kaduna Sector Command of FRSC, Umar Ibrahim, made the call in Kaduna on Monday after a mass bicycle ride by members of the corps and some staff of the state’s ministry of works in commemoration of the World Bicycle Day.

He explained that the measure would encourage members of the public to take up cycling as a mode of transportation.

Ibrahim called on the state government to provide bicycle parking facilities at public places such as secretariats, shopping malls, schools, worship centres, motor parks, and bus stops, among other places.

He said that contrary to belief associating bicycle with poverty, cycling improved health of the rider and reduced the cost that would have been incurred on fuel or transportation.

He described bicycle as “a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and sustainable” means of transportation.

“Not only that, cycling as a means of commuting within reasonable distance, reduces traffic congestion, pollution and urban noise.

“To erase the notion that cycling is a symbol of poverty, public officials must take up cycling, from time to time.

“We will continue with this campaign in Churches, Mosques and public places to encourage people to take up cycling; we need the media for support to create the needed awareness, “the commander said.

Ibrahim explained that the United Nations had in April 2018, declared June 3 as World Bicycle Day, adding that that the mass bicycle ride was organised to mark the event in the state.

He urged the state government to make cycling safe and reliable, and network it with public transport, to enable road users combine cycling with public transport.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/frsc-calls-for-separate-bicycle-lanes.html