₦airaland Forum

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to integrate Farmers Database and the National Agricultural Payment Initiative (NAPI) with the National Identity Management System (NIMS) deployed by the NIMC.

The collaboration will result in the integration of the FMARD farmers’ legacy database of 14.5 million. It has also harmonised the process for farmers’ data capture henceforth. Under the MOU, the FMARD and CBN will now use the NIMC’s platform for authentication and verification of farmers’ identity as well as the use of the payment solution in the national eID card.

Sources close to the minister’s office confirmed that the FMARD has adopted the data capture equipment specified by NIMC and NIMC has also adjusted their enrolment software solution and provided a procedure for registered farmers to be enrolled for their National Identity Number (NIN) under the MOU. Also included are the various farmers enrolment exercises funded by the development partners of FMARD.

The donor agencies had earlier introduced a pilot scheme with the farmers’ database proposed to be hosted abroad but has now been aligned with the NIMS procedure under the MOU, a development the donor agencies are said to be quite happy with.

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In a report by sahara reporters today suggest that former military president Ibrahim Bademasi Babangida has endorsed the presidential candidature of Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress candidate.

The shocking revelation comes two weeks after President Goodluck Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, visited the former leader in his home in Minna, and called IBB his “father.”

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As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) starts its presidential campaign in the north, the party has said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has been fair to the region.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, at a press briefing in Abuja today, said the administration has been very fair to the north in terms of projects, political appointments and establishment of Almajiri schools.

He said: “The present administration has done a lot more for the three zones in the north than any of the administration before it in the areas of agriculture, education, roads, railways and many more.”

Speaking on the activities of Boko Haram in the northeast, Metuh said the sect would have overrun half of the country if not for the person and character of President Jonathan.

“The problem that we have in the northeast to deal with is insurgency. It is not the making of this government, but this government has tried as much as possible to contain it.

“If not for the character, candour, the personality of the President, these insurgents would have overrun more than half of Nigeria. We would have been under occupation of terrorists if not for the determination, the style and the character and personality of the President,” Metuh stated.

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The Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office said on Monday that six foreign mining companies and Dangote Group of Companies would commence mining of gold, iron ore, coal and lead/zinc in 2015.

The Director-General of the Office, Mr Mohammed Amate, made the disclosure in an interview .

Amate said the companies were Kogi Mines Ltd, Segilola Nig. Ltd and Mines Geotechniques Nig. Ltd.

Others are Northern Numero Resources Ltd, West African Polaris Investment Ltd. and Tongyi Allied and Mineral Services Ltd.

He said Kogi Mines; an Australia Mining Company based in Kogi had concluded exploration programmes, adding that it would commence mining of iron ore in Agbaja in the state in 2015.

Amate said that the company had completed its four-year exploration and that it had delineated more than 500 million tonnes of iron ore.

He said Segilola Nig. Ltd would also begin mining of gold in Iperindo area of the IIesha Schist belt of Osun.

Amate said that so far, the companies had also carried out the same exercise and delineated more than one million ounces of gold in the area.

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The deputy governor of Niger State, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, and over 200 officials in the state left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress on Monday.

He announced his defection to journalists at the Minna International Airport where he will receive the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, for the latter’s campaign in the state.

Ibeto told journalists who gathered in his house as early as 8:30am that he along with over 200 leaders from the PDP had decamped to APC because of the injustice and irreconcilable differences with his former party.

“You (reporters) are all witnesses to the charade that characterised the PDP governorship primary. We filed our objection to the primary up to the national level of the party with the hope for justice, but up till now nothing is done and we feel we should go to where we can find justice and fairness.

“Over 200 people comprising serving and former members of National Assembly, state Assembly, former commissioners, former local government chairmen and party leaders across the 25 local government areas of the state are today crossing with me to the APC.

“We have decided to list only those who are currently holding positions at local, state and national levels. All our supporters will automatically go with us and you will see all of them at Gen. Muhammdu Buhari’s rally today (Monday).

“I am going to APC rally, but now I am going to the airport to welcome our leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who is Niger State today for campaign.”

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The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Monday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately bring an end to the current insurgency in the country.

He also expressed concern over the use of religion and ethnicity by politicians at campaign rallies rather than issue based approach.

Abubakar spoke when President Jonathan visited him in his place.

He said, “Politicians should not encourage sentiments against patriotism and national unity among Nigerians.”

Citing example of the 2011 general election, the monarch added that “we are amazed at what is happening today. Even in 2011, we did not face such challenges.

“You must ensure peace and stability and the problem of insurgency must be brought to an end.

“There are problems in almost all sectors including education and the trend of insecurity among others. So we should address issues that could bring succour to an average Nigerian.”

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February 14th, 2015 is another time to exercise our civic rights as Nigerians. With monitor9ja’s opinion poll, you can make known your own choice of a trustworthy and sure-to-deliver leader. Feel free to also make comments. Join us make 9ja a better place!

To vote click on link below
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Ahead of Friday’s APC presidential rally in Benue, the state Police Command has deployed 16 truck-load of policemen to secure the IBB square, venue of the campaign.
The command’s spokesman, ASP John Bako, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Makurdi that the arrangement was in anticipation of the expected crowd at the venue.
Bako said the command has received an operational order for the enforcement of security during the campaign and assured of protection of lives and property during the rally.
The spokesman said the command was expecting more deployments from other states to support the operations in the state.
He assured that the command was ready for the rally, saying “we have our undercover men in strategic locations both at the entry and exit points in Makurdi”.
Bako appealed to members of the public to refrain from acts that would jeopardise the security of the state, warning that those who contravene the laws of the land would be sanctioned.
NAN reports that the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, would be supported with the party’s Chairman, Mr John Oyegun, and other APC chieftains to unveil the party’s programmes to supporters in the state. (NAN)

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Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has warned President Goodluck Jonathan against militarisation of the forthcoming elections to avoid violence.

Speaking at a one-day sensitisation workshop organised by the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM) on proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria in collaboration with the Osun State government, Aregbesola said all registered political parties should be given a level playing ground.

Aregbesola who was represented by his deputy chief of staff, Mr. Gbenga Adebusuyi while speaking on the theme: “Ballot Without Bullets”, said “If we all want ballots and not bullets, there must be a level playing field for all the political parties.

“We are on the march again. Elections are here. The state must also de-escalate and de-militarise elections. If we take out these two factors, we will be able to clean our streets and communities of small arms and light weapons. Then, our elections will be free of violence.”

Aregbesola who recalled that the recently concluded August 9, 2014 governorship election in the state was conducted with lots of impunity, said “The heavy deployment of the military to the state before, during and after the election was criminal and absurd.”

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No fewer than eight members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives on Wednesday defected to various political parties.

Reps. Abdulmalik Cheche (Niger), Zakari Ibrahim, Garba Umar (Kebbi) and Ibrahim Kamba (Kebbi), moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Rep. Wilson Nathaniel (Adamawa) defected to SDP while Rep. Madueke Anthony went to PDM.

Reps. Benjamin Aboho (Benue) and Chukwuemeka Nwogbo defected to the APGA.

The Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Victor Ogene (Anambra) and Forte Dike (Anambra) left APGA to the APC.

Ogene told journalists that defection figures were not made available to his office.

“The gale of defections started in 2013 when 37 legislators left the PDP for APC.

“Afterwards, there were periodic defections which also recorded the movement of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal from PDP to APC’’, Ogene said. (NAN)

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The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday said it rendered assistance to more than 4,090 persons affected by fire outbreaks in four states in the North West in 2014.

Malam Musa Ilallah, the Agency’s Coordinator in the zone, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the fire incidents destroyed houses, shops and farmlands.

He said the highest numbers of victims were recorded in Sokoto State, where 2, 356 people were affected when fire destroyed markets in Sokoto North and Yabo Local Government Areas.

The coordinator said 758 shops were destroyed in three separate market inferno in the two Local Governments.

Ilallah said 1, 355 persons were also affected by various fire incidents in Kebbi in 2014.

He said 1,000 people were displaced by fire and flooding in Bagudo and Suru Local Government Areas.

According to him, 205 people lost their houses to fire outbreak in Yauri, Shanga and Ngaski Local Government Areas.

He said more than 158 people lost properties to fire incidents in Maru, Tungar Rakumi, Tungar Mairuwa and Kangarawa villages.

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Following the recent revelations on the missing N600million Zonal Intervention Fund, allocated to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) by the House of Representatives, over N100 million had been recovered and more than three suspects arrested from the account department, with the help of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A source, close to the anti-graft agency investigating the matter, revealed that the prime suspect, a grade level 12 officer, names withheld, of the Account Department secretly returned the said amount after petitioning the EFCC, alerting them of the involvement of some directors and senior account officers who deliberately served him a query.

The source, who pleaded anonymity revealed that the prime suspect, who is signatory to the N600million account alongside two other colleagues, opened the can of worms about all the persons involved in the fraud after being issued a query, questioning the source of a property he recently purchased in Garki and an on-going building project in Gwarimpa.

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The Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd. (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday said it generated N91.4 billion in 2014 as against N73.2 billion recorded in 2013.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Steve Okonmah, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

“In 2014, PTML Customs Command, the model port, made N91,453,431,489 as against N73, 210,954,981 in 2013.

“This shows an increase of N18, 242,476,508; also showed increase of 24. 9 per cent.

“The management of customs had a very very strong influence in whatever revenue we have collected because apart from the officers being well motivated to do their job.

“The officers were also kept on their toes throughout the year.

“The management team visited the command more than three, four times within the year to encourage the officers to tell them that you can do it.

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dentified gunmen early yesterday invaded the Abuja residence of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, a situation which compelled him to be absent at the commissioning of the party’s campaign headquarters and inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).

The director-general of the PCC and Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, made this disclosure during yesterday’s event, where he revealed that the attackers tormented Oyegun’s family members.

“I start this speech today on a sad note; our chairman is not here because armed robbers attacked him last night. They broke into his house and thoroughly tormented his family.

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United States president, Mr. Barrack Obama on Monday said that he was optimistic that attacks from the Boko Haram Sect would not disrupt a peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.

Obama, who spoke through Ms. Jen Psaki, one of his spokespersons in Washington, DC, also said that the federal government should ensure that it was not discouraged or prevented from carrying out credible and peaceful elections that would reflect the will of the Nigerian people in February even in the face of all the terrible attacks from Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations.

The US leader pressed further that his country’s cooperation with Nigeria on a broad range of issues, including security issues, was part of a recent dialogue that the Secretary of States, Mr. John Kerry, had with President Goodluck Jonathan at the tail end of last year.

He also said that the US remained committed to supporting Nigeria as it addresses the violence caused by Boko Haram, stressing that his country certainly still have a presence on the ground. “An interdisciplinary team that we’ve had on the ground for some time as well,” he noted.

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Royal Dutch Shell has appointed Osagie Okunbor as the new managing director of its Nigerian company, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC).

Okunbor takes over from the former managing director, Mutiu Sunmonu, who is retiring after 36 years of service,according to a statement yesterday by the company’s corporate media relations manager, Precious Okolobo.

Okunbor, the statement added has also been named the country chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, combining the two positions as his predecessor did, thus becoming the third Nigerian to hold both posts.

A graduate of Business Administration from the University of Benin, Okunbor is an accomplished professional, who is expected to bring over 28 years of industry experience and expertise to the job.

Commenting on the appointment, vice president, Nigeria & Gabon, Shell Upstream, Markus Droll said: “We are delighted to see another Nigerian at the helm of affairs in Shell Nigeria.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied claims that it is involved in a cover-up for the All Progressives Council (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, over his certificate saga.

It noted that the election commission does not have the constitutional powers to disqualify any candidate sent to it by the political parties.

INEC, while responding to the allegation raised by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the electoral commission is covering up for Buhari over the certificate issue told the ruling party to go to court if it feels so aggrieved.

The director of Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaigns, Chief Femi Fani Kayode, had on Saturday accused INEC of covering up Buhari over his failure to submit his certificate and credentials.

He said “INEC erred in law by publishing the name of a candidate without receiving the personal particulars of the candidate within seven days of receiving his nomination forms as indicated in section 31(3).”

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/01/buharis-certificate-go-court-inec-tells-pdp/

The Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (ARD-LUTH) chapter, Idi-Araba, on Monday said its members were performing their duties in spite of the health workers strike.

The President of the association, Dr Moronkola Ramon, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

NAN reports that non-doctors under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) had on Nov. 12, 2014 embarked on indefinite strike to press its demands.

Their demands include the non-implementation of a welfare agreement with the Federal Government and recognition of the health workers as consultants within the hospital.

Ramon said: “To set the record straight, doctors in LUTH, and other hospitals in Lagos and across the country are not on strike.

“We are always at our duty posts and have been taking our calls.

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The Ogun House of Assembly on Wednesday passed the estimates of the State’s 2015 Appropriation Bill of N210.35 billion.

The bill was passed after the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Olusola Bankole, read the committee’s report.

He said that the sum of N82.94billion would be appropriated for recurrent expenditure, saying that N10billion shall be appropriated for the consolidated revenue fund charges, pensions and gratuities.

The lawmaker also said that N118.2billion would be appropriated for capital expenditure in 2015.

He said the committee recommended that the state commissioners for Finance and Budget should ensure that Ministries, Departments and Agencies adhered strictly to the execution of their projects.

The lawmaker said that over 112 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state had in the last two weeks defended their 2015 budget proposals before the House.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/12/ogun-assembly-approves-n210-35bn-budget-2015/

The Bureau of Public Procurement has saved about N8.9 billion for the Federal Government between April and June 2014 through cost reduction of contracts.

This is contained in the bureau’s 2014 Second Quarter Report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by its Head of Public Relations, Mr Thomas Odemwingie, on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to the report, the savings is based on the difference between the amount requested for contracts by various MDAs and what the bureau approved after vetting the contracts.

A breakdown shows that about N136.6 million was saved from the contract submitted by the Ministry of Police Affairs to procure six units of Innoson Motors buses.

The ministry had requested for N250 million which was revised down to N113.4 million by the bureau.

Also, the Ministry of Transport‘s request for 61 million dollars for the construction of Berth 21 at Terminal E, Lagos Port complex, Apapa, was revised down to 59.6 million dollars.

“This shows that 1.4 million dollars (N228.4 million) was saved on this project alone,’’ the report said.

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The vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said Nigerians were tired of the mess the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government has plunged the country into, saying only Nigerians that like poverty, hunger and want will vote for his return in 2015.

The former attorney-general of Lagos State who spoke at a town hall meeting with artisans, tradesmen and farmers, organized by the Lagos State government and held at Blue Roof, LTV, Agidingbi, Ikeja, reiterated that there must be a change of government at the federal level to liberate Nigerians from poverty.

According to Osinbajo, “No one is ignorant of all that is happening to us in this country. No one likes hunger and poverty but people are hungry. In 2015, only those who love to continue to be hungry would prefer that the government in power at the centre remains there.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/12/love-hunger-poverty-will-vote-jonathan-2015-osinbajo/

Prince Arthur Eze, the Chairman, Board of Directors, Premier Breweries Plc, Onitsha, said on Tuesday that the company would commence full stream production of beer in the first quarter of 2015.

Eze said this while addressing shareholders of the company during the 2014 annual general meeting of the company for the year ended March, 2014, held in Enugu.

He noted that with the assurances of the company’s technical partners and the level of re-engineering so far achieved, the company would resume its leading role in the beer production industry in the country.

“New boilers have been installed and tested while the old ones are being repaired to serve as standby facility. A new Ammonia cooling system has been installed along with new compressor.

“A new glycol cooling system has been installed with stainless pipes while the room cooling system that is now in place is changed from ammonia to Freon to minimise hazardous leaks in the factory,’’ he said.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/12/premier-brewery-onitsha-commence-production-2015/

Step 1- The military option

The survival of any country is dependent on its ability to maintain a strong and reliable military. The main duty of the military is to defend the nation’s territorial integrity from internal and external aggression. To effectively quell the flames of insurgency the Nigerian army has to be adequately equipped and modernized. Military equipment, training and tactics have to be upgraded to meet up with modern challenges. Nigerian forces face shortages of weapons, fighter jets, helicopters and armored tanks to counter the growing threat of boko haram. Deals to procure Chinook and cobra helicopters from the United States have not come through despite the urgent need for this military hardware. The defence ministry and those in charge of arms procurement will have to break the bureaucratic strangle hold to end the deficiency of arms, ammunition and equipment, although lack of funds affect the speedy acquisition of new equipment, to stem this tide there should be a modest increment on defence spending. A general overhaul, modernization and reasonable investment in DICON (Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria) to produce better military hardware to reduce reliance on other nations for our military needs eliminating scenarios such as the one that played out between Nigeria and South Africa. Nigeria could go into collaboration with countries such as China, Russia and Pakistan to start local manufacture of tanks, helicopters and even fighter jets here in Nigeria saving the country valuable foreign exchange. The welfare of troops is paramount to the success and failure of a military campaign so it should be of great importance to the government and military authorities as this is a way of boosting the morale of troops on the battle field. The field commanders should be patriotic and proactive. Deserters and mutineers should be decisively dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others. The country’s borders and all points of entry should be properly manned to shutdown the supply of insurgents depleting their stockpile of arm, ammunition, food and fuel creating cracks in their ranks resulting in desertions and low morale of their fighters, Sri Lanka adopted a similar tactic against the Tamil Tigers so it is possible in Nigeria. Intelligence gathering should form the basis of our national security strategy so our security forces can be steps ahead of the enemy. Special agents could be trained to go undercover and infiltrate enemy camps our spy agencies have to be up and doing. Despite how prone Israel is to attacks they are always steps ahead of the enemy because Mossad (an Israeli spy agency) is proactive in its duties gathering intelligence about the enemy and warning of any intending threat to their national security.

Step 2- Negotiated resolution

Of seventy one insurgencies from 1944 to till date it was identified that thirteen ended in a negotiated settlement with a mixed outcome i.e. nobody wins out rightly, no victor no vanquished. The outcome of each of these insurgencies followed different paths and seven settlement steps:
1.Military stalemate
2.Accepting insurgents are legitimate negotiating partners
3.Brokered cease fire
4.Official intermediate agreement
5.Power sharing offer or amnesty
6.Moderation of the insurgent leadership
7.Third party guarantor

Of the thirteen examples only Northern Ireland broadly confirms these seven steps in this order. In terms of Nigeria the country is at step two but with strong implication of more fighting to come before a hurting stalemate is reached. Until boko haram formally agrees to a cease fire and engages in serious talks, the military operations must continue to kill and capture insurgents. The prospect of negotiated settlement in Nigeria looks reasonably good if the insurgents fail to prevail militarily. There is a reason to be pessimistic to achieving a cease fire because of the continuing ability of boko haram to use Chad, Niger and Cameroon as sanctuary provides it with a clear advantage until this advantage s removed negotiations can be considered just a complex as military operation. Negotiation process can prove to be perplexing and even insurmountable even the model care study of Northern Ireland took decades to resolve. Boko-haram insurgency is a bloodier conflict and multiplicity of stakeholders, the risk of spoilers and splinter groups make a quick resolution less likely.

Step 3- Corruption

Corruption and political infighting is blamed for the rot in the Nigerian army. The recruitment process is a sham as enlistment is no longer based on merit but to the highest bidder, this is a bitter reality of unemployment bedeviling the nation, today people do not join the army because of their patriotism but to make ends meet i.e. they do it for the money. Greed and selfishness has led many officers to sabotage the ongoing counter insurgency operations. The activity of saboteurs within the rank and file of the army has caused the army heavy losses in the hands of insurgents. Divulging sensitive operational details to the enemy for monetary rewards has led troops into ambush causing the death of many troops. Looting of funds meant for the procurement and maintenance of military hardware has resulted in huge deficit in equipment and manpower. Some corrupt officers turn over their weapons to the insurgents. These are setbacks to the operations to rid the country of terrorists and insurgents, if corruption is nipped in the bud the military can effectively defeat the insurgents and restore full security in twenty weeks.

By Tosin Aliu


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The second Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Maj.-Gen. Solomon Kikiowo Omojokun (retd), is dead. He died on December 25. He was 79.

Gen. Omojokun attended Igbobi College, Lagos and obtained a double honours BSc (London) in Mathematics/Physics from the Nigerian College (University of Ibadan) in 1958.

He was a science teacher at Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1963.

Gen. Omojokun served his country in various capacities. He taught at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria and the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.

The deceased served as the commandant, Nigeria Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi (1970); second director- general, NYSC (1975-1979); commandant, Nigeria Army Education Corps (1979-1984); minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity in the Buhari regime in 1985, after which he retired.

After retirement, he served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Cuba and Mexico (1987-1991).

He lived a private life at his town, Ilara Mokin in Ondo State, before his death. He is survived by his wife and children. Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family.

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The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has denied endorsing the Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Simeon Ajibola.

The monarch condemned a story credited to him by an online medium that he had endorsed the PDP governorship flag bearer.

Ajibola, at the weekend, visited the emir in his palace.

The emir reportedly described “the emergence of Senator Simeon Ajibola as PDP governorship flag bearer in Kwara as sign of good things to come to the state”.

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A Kaduna Federal High Court had fixed February 3, 2015 for mention in a suit of alleged unlawful retirement from the Nigerian Army.

Retired Brigadier-General Abdul Qadir Abubakar had dragged the Armed Forces Council, Nigerian Army Council, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff and the Ministry of Defence before a Federal High Court challenging his retirement from the Nigerian Army without completing the normal mandatory period of service.

In a suit filed on his behalf by a Kaduna Lawyer, Tajudeen Oladoja, Brigadier Abubakar who is also a lawyer has approached the court to set aside his purported retirement from the Army by the defendants and reinstate him back into the service with all his rights and promotion to the rank of a Major-General.

The Suit No: FCH/KD/CS/56/2014 alleged that the defendants without looking into his appeal carried out the retirement against Section 178 (2) of the Armed Forces Act, CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Counsel to the plaintiff said in a letter from the second defendants dated 11th December, 2014 the plaintiff was advised to apply for voluntary retirement not later than 31st January, 2014.

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal government to release the report of missing $20 billion oil money for public perusal.

The party in a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Alh Lai Mohammed, made available to newsmen said the federal government is trying to suppress the audit report on the missing $20 billion oil money.

According to the party, the deadline for the release of the report, which was set by the government itself, has come and gone yet it is not released.

APC said the minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had said at the Financial Times Africa Summit 2014 in London in October, that the report would be ready in November 2014.

It quoted the minister as saying at the forum on October 6, 2014 that, “We engaged PWC (Price Water-house Coopers) with the auditor general of the federation taking the lead. They asked for 16 weeks to complete the work; they have spent 11 or 12 weeks so far and they will be done in a couple of weeks.”


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There was panic among indigenes of coastal communities in Bayelsa State following the killing of soldiers attached to the Joint Military Task Force code-named Operation Pulo Shield by suspected sea pirates in an ambush along the waterways of Nembe local government area of the state.
The indigenes of Nembe and Brass communities have abandoned the water transportation and resorted to using the uncompleted Amakalakal-Nembe road in trucks and utility vehicles.
The fear by the indigene of coastal communities arose due to the killing of three soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Tuesday, two days to Christmas and barely three days after the same number of JTF’s soldiers lost their lives in a pirate attack along Santa Barbara, a notorious river in Nembe, Nembe local government area of the state.
In the Santa Barbara incident, which occurred on Sunday, the bandits hijacked a military gunboat used by the victims to escort items from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Brass terminal owned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
It was gathered that before JTF’s search-and-rescue team could recover the bodies of the Brass-bound soldiers, gunmen launched a fresh attack on soldiers at Azagbene, Ekeremor local government area.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/12/bayelsa-communities-panic-killing-6-jtf-soldiers/

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has said that it will commence an indefinite strike from January 2, 2015 following what it described as insensitivity and the failure of stakeholders to respect the last memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding financial autonomy of the judiciary.

The union said the strike will continue pending when the judiciary is free from captivity and strangulation by state governors.

The JUSUN after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, said the action became imperative, considering the “rough terrain encountered by the union to make the governors implement the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on 13th January, 2014 which fell on deaf ears”.

In a communiqué made available to journalists, jointly signed by the JUSUN president, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu and assistant general secretary, Comrade Placidus Nnamani, the union stated that it is obvious that the state governors are deliberately disobeying and frustrating the independence of the judiciary.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/12/judiciary-workers-begin-nationwide-strike-january-2/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, in the 2015 election.

The INEC had written to the National chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu to be guided by the order of the court on the election.

In the letter addressed to the national chairman of the party, signed by the commission’s secretary, Augusta C. Ogakwu, a copy of which was obtained by reporter, INEC confirmed the receipt of the court order restraining it from accepting the party’s candidates from Oyo State.

The letter said the Federal High Court, Abuja had restrained the commission from accepting, recognising or treating as nominated, candidates of the PDP who did not emerge in accordance with the order of the court, urging the party to be guided accordingly.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2014/12/2015-election-inec-rejects-oyo-state-pdp-governorship-candidate/