₦airaland Forum

Ondo state government on Tuesday denied expelling some journalist from covering its activities as earlier reported in different news platforms.

Online news platforms on Monday had reported that the state government expelled journalists of African Independent Television (AIT), Channels Television, Raypower and Cable Television. The government has, however, insisted they were screened out impostors rather than expel journalists.

“For the record, we have not expelled any journalist from the Governor’s office. What we did was to rid the place of impostors and parasites parading themselves as professional journalists,” Ondo Commissioner for Information and Orientation Yemi Olowolabi said in a statement.

“This is nothing but deliberate mischief sponsored by some meddlesome interlopers and their hirelings who were screened out of the Governor’s press corps.”


Owolabi said unprofessional characters exhibited by some journalists caused them to be screened out of the governor’s crew.

He accused the journalists of using his office for activities unbecoming of their responsibilities.

“My office was inundated with serial complaints about professional misconduct by some ‘journalists’ who turned the newsroom in the Governor’s office to beer parlour, gambling station and blackmailers hideout.”

“Some of these complaints were investigated and were found out to be true. In fact, I have received complaints from some important guests who were made to pay for interviews and news items that were never used on any channel,” Owolabi said.

He said it would be unruly of the state government to bar journalists accredited to cover its activities, saying expulsion of a journalist can only be done in agreement with the media organisation being represented.

“Again, there is a procedure that guides the engagement and disengagement of reporters from all the broadcast stations that are working with us.”

“Duly signed official letters are usually sent to the broadcast stations headquarters to convey our intentions to their management.”

The commissioner added that the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, “remains committed to a free, vibrant and independent press as his entire career has always been in pursuit of truth, justice and equity.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/ondo-government-denies-expelling.html

Prof. Usman Ahmed, the President of Geriatrics Association of Nigeria (GAN) says there are only seven geriatricians in Nigeria, which is highly inadequate to cater for the over nine million aged persons in the country.

A Geriatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and disability in older adults.

Ahmed told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that the population of older persons was growing exponentially, noting that Africa would bear more older persons by the year 2050 in spite of the high population of youths in the region.

According to him, there are over nine million older persons who are 60 years and above in Nigeria.

The GAN president said “Nigeria does not have adequate medical doctors or any type of healthcare professionals who can handle cases associated to old age.

“There are only seven of us, which is highly inadequate to the population of aged people in the country.”

He said that the biggest problems of older people were issues associated with hearing, vision, and dementia.

Usman, therefore, stressed the need for thousands of optometrists and audiologists to address the challenges, saying that statistics of seven geriatrics to the older population suggested a ratio of one geriatrician to over 900,000 aged persons.

He, therefore, appealed to government and other key stakeholders to build capacity of geriatrics in the country, adding that “you cannot have a healthcare system that caters for any group without having a healthcare system that caters for everyone.

“Nigeria should have a healthcare system where people would not incur out of pocket expense and become poorer before they could access quality services,’’ he said.

He explained that ageing was a process started even before the birth of a child.

He noted that if government attended to maternal health adequately, it was already solving some later issues of ageing.

“I am surprise that in this country when people reach the age of 60 years, they are not being provided health insurance by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

“The only respect and gratitude we could show for the elderly was to ensure that they had free and unhindered access to healthcare; free and unhindered access to better living arrangements.”

In this regard, Ahmed said, government and development partners needed to improve the livelihood for pensioners whether they worked in public sector, private or an informal sector.

He said “people should not be retiring and not having their pensions regularly as it happening throughout the country.’’

He said it was shameful that there was no concrete programme to cater for older people who have contributed to the development of the country.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/only-7-geriatricians-for-over-9m-old.html

The nation’s fiscal crisis may not have been overstated after all, as government paid about N844.88 billion in salaries and offset debt-related obligations that were due in the course of implementing the 2017 budget from borrowed funds.

The development, which is fiscally unsustainable, is also contrary to government’s pledge to deploy all borrowed funds to the development of critical infrastructure.

The Guardian analysis of the Budget Implementation Report for 2017 showed that government’s personnel and debt expenditures, which stood at about N3.5 trillion exceeded its overall revenue of about N2.65 trillion.

While several ministers of finance had justified borrowing through infrastructure investments, the current one, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said government was also trying to raise a new Eurobond, which would be used to fund capital projects. “I said earlier that this is $2.8 billion and it is mainly to finance capital projects,” she said.
An analysis of the Budget Implementation Report for 2017 showed that out of the projected Federal Government’s retained revenue of N5.084 trillion, only N2.38 trillion was realised, representing 46.75 per cent of the projected revenue, with a variance of 53 per cent.
When other non-budgeted revenue heads such as refund from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, exchange rate differential, among others, were added, it rose to N2.66 trillion, representing 52.27 per cent of the budgeted revenue and a variance of about 48 per cent.
But government’s expenditure, according to the report, showed that personnel had a projection of N1.88 trillion, while the actual figure was N1.87 trillion, being 99 per cent performance.
On the other hand, while debt projection was N1.66 trillion, the actual value was N1.63 trillion, being 98 per cent performance.
This excludes other peripheral debt items, which bloated the figure.

Consequently, the combination of personnel expenditure and debt repayment at about N3.5 trillion, which exceeds the realised overall revenue, created N844.88 billion that was financed by debt proceeds.
The Programme Officer, Public Finance Management, Fidelis Onyjegbu, said the development was a clear indication that the country borrowed to the tune of N844.88 billion to pay salaries and debts, which is contrary to the terms of the borrowings.
“It also means that 68.62 per cent of all our revenue was used to pay debts, while the overall recurrent expenditure is higher than government’s accrued revenue,” he said.
The first shortfall is government’s revenue projection, estimated at N2.12 trillion, of which only N1.13 trillion was realised, being a performance of 53.01 per cent, leaving a variance of 47 per cent.
Non-oil revenue figure also came short, with N956.67 billion realised out of a N1.41 trillion projection, representing 67.82 per cent performance, leaving a gap of 32 per cent.
The Lead Director at the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said the performance leaves more questions than answers. “Why did oil revenue underperform at a time of high oil prices, without reported cases of militancy leading to disruptions in oil production? The composite BIR for the year states that ‘the average price of crude oil in the international market also represents an increase of $9.77 per barrel (or 21.96 per cent) above the US$44.5 per barrel oil price benchmark for the 2017 budget.’

“The implication was that oil sold above the benchmark price in the international market. So, what is going on in the oil sector that we have not been told? Is it subsidy without appropriation, which is illegal and an assault on the constitution or mismanagement and fraud? Nigerians need to know. Again, oil revenue still comes top despite all the mantra of diversification of the economy,” he said.
A further breakdown of non-oil revenue showed that the key subheads like value added tax, company income tax, customs and excise and independent revenue, underperformed.
For example, the expectation from VAT was N241.92 billion, while the sum of N130.05 billion was realised, being a 53.75 per cent performance; company income tax was projected at N807.82 billion, while N543.34 billion was realised, being 67.26 per cent performance.
Except customs and excise that hit 95.26 per cent performance, the independent revenue projection joined others and remained the perennial under-performer, with N295.29 billion, being a performance of 36.5 per cent, out of N807.57 billion expected.

While some infrastructure projects and foreign direct investments will take a longer term to mature or impact positively as part of diversification, there are some agitations over the implementations of the borrowed funds.
For the coordinator of the Nigeria Network of Non-State Actors, Prince Chris Azor, the country is now on a borrowing auto mode and concern is heightened about the investment of the proceeds.
“There are issues on the ground and a lot that government is not telling the citizens. First, the country’s credit worthiness is fast eroding with the revenue crisis and falling reserves. The 2019 budget proposal is a pointer. The fall in the proposal is tactical denial of credit worthiness. We have just lost more in the ease of doing business. So, we cannot stop borrowing as it is now and the borrowed ones are not well prioritised,” he said.
Amid claims of infrastructure investment through capital expenditure, a report by Afrinvest Securities Limited noted that in Nigeria, there is a lack of openness in public institutions as procurement, licences and permits, recruitment and contract bids are couched as ‘top secret’ information.
“Public institutions are also not accountable, as funding, projects, annual reports, are not made public. And even when these are available, they are not timely and exhaustive. In the economic agenda of the current government, public sector reform was touted, but the role of institutions and development of institutions, especially as it relates to regulation, policy, transparency and accountability has not been considered a priority and no clear policies back this up.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/how-government-borrowed-n845b-to-pay.html

Not less than 30 communities in Aawe District of Asa Local Government Area in Kwara are yet to have power supply, over 100 years after their creation, according to the Head of the District, Alhaji Oba Daudu-Suleiman.

The district head who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Aawe on Monday, described the development as unacceptable.

He said the non provision of electricity and other infrastructural facilities like good roads in the communities had retarded the growth and development of the areas.

The district head listed some of the affected communities to include: Olowo, Atere, Elelu, Ogunbo, Yede, Ogundeji, Danbudo, Afonta, Okoolowo, Afo, Ologede, Layeri, Ajengba, Afonta and Ode Magaji, among others.

He appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the communities as a way of bringing development to the grassroots.

He said the provision of electricity in rural communities would curb rural urban migration and create employment for teeming youths in the areas.

Daudu-Suleiman also urged the state government to urgently find lasting solution to the power outage confronting Aawe in the last five years.

He said that the power outage was caused by rainstorm, adding that the development had crippled social and economic activities of the town.

The Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Energy, Mr Sunday Moses, who also spoke to the NAN confirmed the revelation of the district head, adding that the ministry was aware that several communities across the state were yet to enjoy electricity.

He said that the state government was working round the clock, within its available resources, toward ensuring that electricity get to the nooks and crannies of the state, to bring more development.

“Several communities have written letters of request to the ministry, we have informed the state government of their requests, we are working round the clock on the issue,“ he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/report-says-30-kwara-communities-in.html

The Nigerian government said it has disbursed over N120 billion to about 800,000 farmers in the country since the commencement of Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).

Minister of Economic planning and budget, Udoma Udo Udoma, made the disclosure at the 42nd Annual Conference of Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

ABP was introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2015 to reduce food importation bill and improve local food production.

He said the funds were meant for the cultivation of rice, wheat, cotton, soya beans, cassava, and groundnuts for local consumption.
“To date, 11 Fertilizer Blending Plants with the capacity to produce 2.1 million metric tonnes have been revitalized,” Udoma said.

He said the government has also been working consistently to deliver diversification of the economy through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
“There is no doubt that we are making good progress in our efforts to revive and diversify the economy. However, is the economy sufficiently diversified? My answer is not yet,” he added.
“Whilst the oil and gas sector constitutes less than 10% of our GDP, it still represents too large a percentage of our foreign exchange earnings.
“We need to grow our non-oil exports to overtake oil in terms of our foreign exchange earnings as countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have achieved.
“This will take some time. However, there is no doubt in my mind that we are on the right track.
“If we consistently and faithfully continue with the implementation of the ERGP we will become an economic production powerhouse. We will be able to feed ourselves and have extra for export.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/fg-disburses-over-n120-billion-to.html

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja on Friday for Paris, France, to participate in the first edition of the Paris Peace Forum which opens on Sunday and ends on Tuesday.

Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

The Peace Forum is organised by the French Government and a number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

The Forum is based on the “simple idea that international cooperation is key to tackling global challenges and ensuring durable peace.”

Adesina disclosed that the Nigerian President would join the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and other world leaders in discussing contributions towards global peace while underscoring the imperative of collective action.
While in Paris, President Buhari will also join other world leaders to commemorate the centenary anniversary of the Armistice signed on Nov. 11, 1918 between the Allied Forces and Germany in the forest of Compiegne in France to end the First World War.
During his visit to Paris, the presidential aide said, Buhari would attend a luncheon hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France in honour of visiting heads of delegations.
“Before returning to Abuja, the President and his delegation will have an interactive session with the Nigerian Community in France,’’ Adesina said.
President Buhari will be accompanied to Paris by Governors Aminu Masari, Willie Obiano and Kayode Fayemi of Katsina, Anambra and Ekiti States, respectively.
Others include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; the National Security Adviser, retired Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno; and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar.
NAN reports that the forum is designed to be the annual meeting for projects, ideas and initiatives which effectively contribute to better international cooperation on the key global issues, fairer and more equitable globalization and a more effective multilateral system.
According to organizers, over 70 Heads of State and Government, representatives from the major international organisations and stakeholders from civil society are expected to be among the several thousands of participants. Some 119 projects will be presented at the event.
The Paris Peace Forum is part of the drive by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism and collective action in responding to current global challenges.
The aim is to strive towards peace through better global governance and promote means of reducing international tensions including cooperation between States to confront cross-boundary challenges, collective management of global common goods and better regulation of the internet and communication.
Inspired by the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference, the forum aims to drive forward governance projects by showcasing them, using them as a basis for debates in various formats and promoting networking between project developers and relevant decision makers.
The Paris Peace Forum will be centred on five themes: peace and security, the environment, development, digital and new technologies and the inclusive economy.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/peace-forum-buhari-departs-for-paris.html

MTN Group Limited is close to securing a deal with the Central Bank of Nigeria over an order to repay $8.1bn it is alleged to have illegally taken out of the country, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Bloomberg reported that a settlement might be sealed by Monday and could come as early as Friday, said the person, who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorised to comment publicly.


The CBN is set to meet four lenders of MTN Nigeria to discuss a dispute over an $8.1bn fund transfer, a banking source told Reuters.

It was gathered that the CBN emailed invitations on Thursday to the Nigeria Heads of Standard Chartered, Citibank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Diamond Bank, to attend a meeting on Friday, the source added.

The central bank and the banks declined to comment on a potential meeting on Friday while a spokeswoman for MTN said she did not know of a meeting.

The source said the meeting would start at 4 pm on Friday and focus on MTN’s fund transfer.

The CBN in late August had alleged that MTN and four of its banks – Standard Chartered Plc, Citigroup Inc., Stanbic IBTC Plc and Diamond Bank Plc – illegally repatriated $8.1bn from Nigeria while the office of the Attorney General of the Federation claimed the company failed to remit $2bn back taxes.

The CBN also imposed a total fine of N5.87bn on the four banks for allegedly remitting dividends with irregular Certificates of Capital Importation on behalf of MTN Nigeria between 2007 and 2015.

Meanwhile, MTN Nigeria Communication Limited has sued the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), before the Federal High Court in Lagos, demanding N3bn as general and exemplary damages.

The telecoms firm is challenging the August 20, 2018 letter written to it by the AGF, demanding N242bn and $1.3bn as import duties, withholding and value added taxes.


The firm, in the suit filed through its lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), described the AGF’s N242bn and $1.3bn demand from it as “malicious, unreasonable and one made on an incorrect legal basis.”

MTN contended that in writing the demand letter to it, the AGF acted beyond his powers and violated the provisions of Section 36 of the constitution on fair hearing with “the purported revenue assets investigation” he carried out on the firm’s activities covering 2007 to 2017.

MTN, through Olanipekun, is urging the court to declare that the AGF acted illegally by “usurping the powers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, to audit and demand remittance of withholding tax and value-added tax.”

The firm also wants the court to declare that with the “self-assessment exercise,” the AGF usurped the powers of the Nigerian Customs Service to demand payment of import duties on the importation of goods.

It wants the court to declare that “the purported self-assessment” conducted by the AGF was “unknown to the law, null and void and of no effect whatsoever”.

But the AGF has filed a preliminary objection, urging the court to dismiss MTN’s suit.

The AGF, through his lawyer, Mr T.A. Gazali, argued that MTN’s suit was incompetent, having not been filed within three months of the complaint.

Gazali argued that MTN’s suit breached the provisions of Section 2 of the Public Officers Protection Act, “which provides that any action commenced against a public officer must be made within three months from the commencement of a cause of action.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/cbn-mtn-near-deal-over-81bn-fund.html

Despite efforts by the federal government to reduce the cases of piracy and banditry in Nigeria’s territorial waters, the country still leads in pirates attack in the Gulf of Guinea in the first nine months of 2018, a report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed.

IMB in its latest quarterly report said a total of 156 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to its Piracy Reporting Centre in the first nine months of 2018 compared to 121 for the same period in 2017.


According to the IMB, “A total of 156 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in the first nine months of 2018 compared to 121 for the same period in 2017.The 2018 figure is broken down as 107 vessels boarded, 32 attempted attacks, 13 vessels fired upon and four vessels hijacked –although no vessels were reported as hijacked in Q3 2018.This is first time since 1994when no vessel hijackings have been reported in two consecutive quarters.

“The number of crew held hostage (112) for the duration of the incident has increased in comparison to the same period in 2016 (110) and 2017 (80). The number of crew kidnappings has reduced from 49 in 2017 to 39 in 2018. It is noticeable that 37 of the 39-crew kidnapped for ransom globally, have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea region in seven separate incidents. Twenty-nine crew were kidnapped in four separate incidents off Nigeria –including 12 crew kidnapped from a bulk carrier underway 51nm SW of Bonny Island, Nigeria in September 2018.”

It added: “Statistically, the Gulf of Guinea accounts for 57 of the 156 reported incidents. While most of these incidents have been reported in and around Nigeria (41), the Nigerian Navy has actively responded and dispatched patrol boats when incidents have been reported promptly. There has also been a noticeable increase in the number of vessels boarded at Takoradi anchorage, Ghana. No new incidents have been reported off the coast of Somalia in the third quarter. With the retreating of the SW monsoons this lull may change, and vessels are encouraged to continue to comply with all BMP5 recommendations.”

The 2018 figures can be further broken down to 107 vessels boarded, 32 attempted attacks, 13 vessels fired upon and four vessels hijacked, although no vessels were reported as hijacked in the second or third quarter of 2018. This marks the first time since 1994 when no vessel hijackings have been reported in two consecutive quarters.

Despite this statistic, the number of crew members held hostage increased compared to the same period in 2017, from 80 incidents to 112 by the third quarter of 2018.

Commenting on the report, Director of IMB, Pottengal Mukundan said: “While the record low number of hijackings in the second and third quarters of 2018 is of course to be celebrated, incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery remain common. ICC urges governments to leverage the timely data available from the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre to concentrate resources in these hotspots.”

The IMB noted that 37 of the 39 crew kidnappings for ransom taking place around the world have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea region, in seven separate incidents.

The reports revealed that a total of 29 crew members were kidnapped in four separate incidents off Nigeria – including a 12-crew kidnapping from a bulk carrier off Bonny Island, Nigeria in September 2018.

“In other world regions, incidents of piracy and armed robbery are comparatively low. No new incidents were reported off the coast of Somalia in the third quarter of 2018, while two fishermen were reported kidnapped off Semporna, Malaysia in September 2018.

“Incidents other regions, including some Latin America countries, border on low-level opportunistic theft. Nevertheless, the IMB continues to encourage all masters and crew members to be aware of these risks and report all incidents to the 24-hour manned PRC,” it stated.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/report-says-nigeria-leads-in-piracy.html

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared a state of emergency on the nation’s water supply, sanitation and hygiene sector.

He explained that the declaration became imperative to reduce the high-prevalence of water-borne diseases in different parts of the country, which has caused preventable deaths.

The President stated this while inaugurating the National Action Plan for Revitalisation of Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector at State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Thursday.

He directed government at all levels to redouble efforts and work towards meeting the nation’s water supply and sanitation needs.
President Buhari said, “The Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs) targets (6.1 & 6.2) for WASH are even more demanding as they require WASH services to be provided in adequate quantity and quality on premises at affordable prices.”
“This cannot be achieved if we continue with ‘a business as usual’ approach. It is on this premise that I fully endorse the decision taken at the meeting of the Federal Executive Council in April this year to declare ‘a State of Emergency on our WASH Sector,” he added.
President Buhari said statistics on open defecation, access to piped water services and sanitation in the country was disturbing.
He, however, warned that henceforth, the Federal Government support to state governments would be based on their commitment to implement the National WASH Action Plan in their respective states and to end open defecation by 2025.
“Access to piped water services which was 32 per cent in 1990 has declined to seven per cent in 2015; access to improved sanitation has also decreased from 38 per cent in 1990 to 29 per cent in 2015,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement by his media adviser, Mr Femi Adesina.
He added, “Our country now ranks No 2 in the global rating on Open Defecation as about 25 per cent of our population are practicing open defecation.”
“WASH services at the rural areas are unsustainable as 46 per cent of all water schemes are non-functional, and the share of our spending on WASH sector has been declining from 0.70 per cent of the GDP in 1990 to about 0.27 per cent in 2015, which is far below the 0.70 per cent at the West African regional level.”
The occasion was attended by representatives of various state governments and development partners.
President Buhari also seized the opportunity to reiterate that the provision of potable water supply, adequate sanitation and hygiene were primarily the responsibilities of state and local governments.
“However, these are not being given the required attention judging from the high prevalence of water-borne diseases that are being reported in different parts of the country,” he said.
“We cannot and will not continue to allow these preventable occurrences to decimate our population.”
The President told the gathering that he was aware that Nigeria did not meet the MDG targets for Water Supply and Sanitation that ended in 2015.
“I call on all state governments to complement this effort by according the sector similar recognition to enable us to work together to achieve the SDG targets for WASH by 2030,” he said.
At the Federal level, President Buhari pledged that his administration would continue to place priority on infrastructure development, including those of water supply, sanitation and hygiene services towards ensuring a better life for Nigerians.
According to him, this is being demonstrated through faithful implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) – which is the present administration’s blueprint for infrastructure and economic development.
“From the inception of this administration, we have demonstrated a serious commitment to the development of the Water Sector by preserving the Ministry of Water Resources and subsequently approving the 15-year roadmap developed for the sector,” the President revealed.
He added, ”The transformation being witnessed in the sector since then is highly commendable. I have no doubt that the ongoing initiatives, including the implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) in the Ministry, will take the water sector to improved performance and supply, thereby meeting the national aspirations as well as the SDGs.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/buhari-declares-state-of-emergency-on.html

Zenith International Bank on Wednesday dominated the activity chart on the nation’s bourse, accounting for 64.04 per cent of the total volume of shares traded.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bank sold 288.27 million shares valued at N6.68 billion.

Consequently, investors bought and sold 450.14 million shares worth N9.39 billion achieved in 2,858 deals, representing an increase of 200.79 per cent.

This was in contrast with a turnover of 149.65 million shares valued at N2.79 billion transacted in 3,063 deals on Tuesday.

Further analysis of the activity chart shows that FBN Holdings came with an exchange of N40.95 million shares worth N303.49 million.

Guaranty Trust Bank traded 33.74 million shares valued at N1.26 billion, while FCMB Group transacted 11.24 million shares worth N18.56 million.

Access Bank sold a total of 9.39 million shares valued at N74.14 million.

However, the market indices recorded marginal loss, dropping by 0.14 per cent due to price depreciation.

Specifically, the All-Share Index dipped 45.73 points or 0.14 per cent to close at 32,108.30 against 32,154.03 recorded on Tuesday.

Also, the market capitalisation which opened at N11.738 trillion shed N16 billion or 0.14 per cent to close at N11.722 trillion.

Seplat topped the losers’ chart, dropping by N2 to close at N638 per share.

Lafarge Africa trailed with a loss of N1.70 to close at N15.70, Presco declined by N1.25 to close at N64.50 per share.

Dangote Sugar Refinery depreciated by 45k to close at N13, while Guaranty Trust Bank shed 25k to close at N37.05 per share.

Conversely, Nigerian Breweries led the gainers’ table, growing by 50k to close at N81.50 per share.

Fidson followed with a gain of 40k to close at N4.90, while Redstar appreciated by 30k to close at N4.50 per share.

United Bank for Africa added 20k to close at N8, while Zenith Bank increased by 15k to close at N24 per share.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/zenith-bank-dominates-trading-on-nse.html

Super Eagles captain Mikel John Obi has been ruled out for the remainder of the CSL season after picking up a muscle injury in training.

The Super Eagles skipper did not participate in full training on Tuesday but jogged on the sidelines, fueling speculation that he is not in good physical condition.

The injury will come as a big blow for Tianjin coach Uli Stielike who will no doubt miss the services of the experienced midfielder with Tianjin Teda desperately looking for a win having gone their last 11 matches without a win.

Mikel hoped that his side will beat the drop despite their poor run of form.


“We are in a difficult situation right now. We know the importance of the remaining matches. I’m solidly behind the team and I believe the guys will do the job on the pitch and ensure we remain in the top flight,” Mikel said.

Mikel has featured in 18 league matches this season, scoring two goals and also setting up another 2.

He has, however, had physical and fitness issues since returning from the World Cup and has been limited to just 7 appearances compared to the 11 he featured in before the World Cup.

Tianjin is currently 15th on the 16 log table with 29 points from 28 points, level on points with Chongqing who currently occupy the 14th position on the table.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/breaking-mikel-obi-ruled-out-of-season.html

The United States Institute of Peace has denied predicting victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 General Election in Nigeria.

The Institute in a statement on its website on Tuesday captioned: “Correcting a Media Error: USIP Makes No Prediction on Nigerian Election”, stressed that the report by many Nigerian media that the Institute’s 20-page report on risk to a peaceful election in Nigeria, predicted victory for Buhari was false.

USIP therefore stressed that the reports were erroneous adding that the Institute was non-partosan and its only interest in elections was that of preventing violence not on the outcome.

“A few Nigerian newspapers reported erroneously this week that the U.S. Institute of Peace has made a prediction about the possible outcome of Nigeria’s 2019 presidential election.

“USIP never makes predictions about election outcomes and has not done so in this case. The Institute’s work on elections is confined to helping nations avoid electoral violence.
“The erroneous news accounts misrepresent USIP’s recent 20-page report on the risks to a peaceful 2019 election in Nigeria.
“This study is based on interviews across the country with more than 200 Nigerian respondents—election administrators, political party representatives, security officials, civil society and youth groups, the media, traditional and religious leaders, prominent community figures, business people, academics and others.
“The USIP report noted that, in the interviews, “some respondents” discussed their own views of Nigerian public perceptions about an election outcome.
“A Nigerian news account mis-reported this passage as a USIP prediction of the outcome, and other Nigerian news organizations repeated the error.
As USIP is a strictly nonpartisan institution, its work on elections focuses entirely on preventing violence. For more information on USIP’s work on peaceful elections and in Nigeria.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/2019-election-us-institute-denies.html

May & Baker Nigeria Plc grew on improved cost management and increased margins to sustain impressive growth in profitability in the third quarter as total comprehensive profit grew by 240.65 per cent to N744.33 million.


The nine-month report for the period ended September 30, 2018 submitted at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed that May & Baker Nigeria continued to witness impressive growth in its core Pharma-healthcare business, with stronger margins, despite slight decline in revenue and present macro-economic challenges.

Gross profit rose by 10.6 per cent from N2.156 billion in third quarter 2017 to N2.385 billion in third quarter 2018. Operating profit also increased by 15.83 per cent from N770.71 million to N892.75 million. With finance cost dropping by 37.25 per cent from N479.60 million in third quarter 2017 to N300.94 million in third quarter 2018, profit before tax jumped by 89.19 per cent to N609.94 million as against N322.39 million recorded in comparable period of 2017.


Turnover dropped marginally by 5.63 per cent from N6.93 billion to N6.54 billion. The company had during the period divested and sold its noodles business as part of its strategic focus on its core healthcare business.

Earnings per share, based on continuing operations, increased by 89.78 per cent from 22.30 kobo in 2017 to 42.32 kobo in 2018. On the basis of total net comprehensive income, earnings per share jumped by 240.58 per cent to 75.95 kobo in third quarter 2018 as against 22.30 kobo in third quarter 2017.



May & Baker Nigeria is raising N2.45 billion in new equity funds through a rights issue to existing shareholders. The company is offering 980 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N2.50 per share to existing shareholders.

Managing director, May & Baker Nigeria, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, said the third quarter performance showed that the company’s strategic focus and investments have continued to yield gains for the shareholders.


He said the ongoing rights issue would further help to reduce finance costs, increase capacity and bring greater returns to shareholders, urging shareholders to pick up their rights in order to realise the benefits of their patience and supports for the company over the investment years.


Okafor said while the company is making local inroads, it has also signed a marketing agreements with a foreign companies to market herb-based medicines key to African disease profile, with some of these products already doing well in the market and also extracting commitment from the company to transfer technology after a number of years.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/may-baker-nigeria-grows-q3-net-profit.html

Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi on Tuesday inaugurated his re-election campaign organisation, just as he challenged the opposition in the state to a public debate.

The governor, who said that the campaign organisation, which would retain its motto for the 2015 general elections, “Divine Mandate’’, would be chaired by a former Minister of State for Health, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo.

“I have absolute confidence in the campaign organisation because it is still in the hands of the same God who did it for us in 2015, and He will do it for us again in 2019.

“I will, however, leave nothing to chance but I will work harder for the campaign and the election, even though I am contesting with nobody,” he said.

Umahi said that his achievements in the last three years were extraordinary, adding that God had anointed him to occupy the state’s governorship position.


“The opposition should be afraid of contesting the election against us because what we have achieved, no ordinary man can achieve it.

“I challenge the opposition in its entirety to a debate before the media so as to enable our people to know the Lilliputs,” he said.

He, however, urged the campaign organisation to expand its membership to accommodate persons from different wards and local government areas, while identifying his true supporters.

“We would still organise series of prayer sessions, in conjunction with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and divine mandate pastors, for peaceful elections in the state and country,” he said.

Responding, Nwankwo thanked the governor for re-appointing him to head the campaign organisation and pledged to redouble his efforts to ensure Umahi’s success in the coming election.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/2019-david-umahi-challenges-opposition.html

Despite the release of corporate earnings by many companies, the Nigerian equities market closed last week downtick following profit taking in bellwether stocks.

Three of the five trading were bearish pushing the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) to close 2.38 per cent lower at 32,124.94.


Similarly, market capitalisation shed N285.6 billion to end at N11.728 trillion. The year-to-date (YTD) decline worsened to 16 per cent.

Daily performance

The week started on a positive note last Monday as investors reacted positively to nine month corporate earnings of companies released the preceding week.

Gains by 17 stocks, including market leader, Dangote Cement Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, lifted the market capitalisation by N105 billion to N12.119 trillion.

The NSE All-Share Index appreciated by 0.88 per cent to close higher at 33,196.07, thus moderating the year-to-date decline to 13.2 per cent. Although the market recorded 17 price gainers and losers apiece, bellwethers among the price gainers influenced the positive close for the day.

However, on the first trading session, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc led the price gainers with 10 per cent, trailed by LASACO Assurance Plc with 6.6 per cent. Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc chalked up 6.5 per cent, while WAPIC Insurance Plc garnered 4.7 per cent.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc last week reported a jump of 54 per cent and 59 per cent in profit before tax (PBT) and profit after tax (PAT) respectively for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Specifically, PBT increased to N70.380 billion, from N45.650 billion, while PAT grew faster from N37.672 to N59.75 billion.

Market operators said the price gain posted by Stanbic IBTC showed investors’ bullish response to the positive results.

Similarly, GTBank Plc appreciated by 4.0 per cent, just as Transcorp Plc, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc and Sterling Bank Plc garnered 3.9 per cent, 3.4 per cent and 3.3 per cent in that order.

Forte Oil Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc were also among the price gainers, rising by 2.8 per cent, 1.8 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively.

Conversely, Unity Bank Plc led the price losers with 10 per cent, trailed by Diamond Bank Plc with 9.7 per cent. Royal Exchange Plc shed 9.0 per cent, just as AIICO Insurance Plc and Meyer Plc went down by 8.8 per cent each.

Meanwhile, on that day, activity level was mixed as volume traded fell by 46.3 per cent to 150.0 million shares m units while value traded rose 46.7 per cent to N2.9 billion indicating investors’ interest in bellwethers.

Zenith Bank Plc (28.4 million shares), GTBank (28.3 million shares) and FCMB Holdings Plc (15.4 million shares) were the top traded stocks by volume while GTBank (N1.1 billion), Zenith Bank(N0.7 billion) and Dangote Cement (N0.5 billion) led by value.

But on the second day, the market pared gains of the previous day as elevated sell pressures impacted market performance. As a result, the ASI NSE shed 0.1 per cent to settle at 33,167.88.

It was majorly affected by FBN Holdings Plc, which lost 8.3 per cent, Zenith Bank 3.1 per cent and Seplat 4.6 per cent while gains in Dangote Cement Plc (+1.7%) cushioned the losses recorded.

Market capitalisation also shed N10.3 billion to settle at N12.1 trillion.

However, activity level strengthened as volume and value traded spiked by 105.4 per cent and 108.4 per cent to 309.1 million shares and N6 billion respectively. The top traded stocks by volume were GTBank (57.6 million shares), Sterling Bank Plc (57.0 million shares), and FCMB Holdings Plc (41.1 million shares) while the top traded stocks by value were GTBank (N2.2 billion), Dangote Cement Plc(N1.6 billion) and Nigerian Breweries Plc (N616.6 million).

The market extended losses following sustained sell pressures amidst weak investor appetite. Sell pressures in Dangote Cement (-3.2 per cent), Stanbic IBTC Ban (-10 per cent), and Nigerian Breweries (-6.4 per cent ) depressed the market by 2.1 per cent to settle at 32,466.27.

In line with market performance, market capitalisation shed N256.1billion to settle at N11.9 trillion.

Activity level also fell as volume and value traded trended lower by 31.3 per cent and 37.2 per cent to 212.5 million shares and N3.8 billion respectively.

The top traded stocks by volume were GTBank(43.6 million shares), Zenith Bank (29.6 million), and FCMB Holdings Plc (22.1 million shares) while the top traded stocks by value were GTBank (N1.6 billion), Zenith Bank (N695.8 million) and Nigerian Breweries (N572.8 millio).

The sell pressure persisted at the stock market on last Thursday to extend the negative performance to the third day running.

Consequently, the NSE ASI went down by 1.4 per cent to close at 32,006.65, while market capitalisation shed N167.8 billion to close at N11.7 trillion.

A total of 24 stocks depreciated compared to only 11 that appreciated. Cadbury Nigeria Plc led with 10 per cent, followed by CAP Plc with 9.9 per cent. Eterna Plc and Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc went down by 9.9 and 9.8 per cent in that order.

Other top price losers included: African Prudential Plc(9. 8 per cent); Dangote Flour Mills Plc (8.3 per cent); Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (7.9 per cent); Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc (7.4 per cent).

On the positive side, Japaul Oil & Maritime Services Plc led the price gainers with 10 per cent, followed by Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc with 9.0 per cent. WAPIC Insurance Plc and Learn Africa Plc garnered 7.5 per cent and 7.2 per cent respectively.

Activity level, however, increased as volume and value traded moved higher by 67.4 per cent and 29 per cent to 355.7 million shares and N4.9 billion respectively. The top traded stocks by volume were FCMB Holdings Plc (168.7 million shares), GTBank (85.8 million shares), and Zenith Bank Plc (24.4 million shares) while the top traded stocks by value were GTBank (N3.2 billion), Zenith Bank Plc (N562.9 million) and FCMB Holdings (N261.2 million).

Market Turnover

Meanwhile, the market recorded total turnover of 1.267 billion shares worth N20.346 billion in 15,088 deals last week in contrast to a total of 1.454 billion shares valued at N15.263 billion that exchanged hands last week in 16,682 deals.

The Financial Services Industry led the activity chart with1.082 billion shares valued at N12.735 billion traded in 8,397 deals, thus contributing 85.3 per cent and 62.6 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Consumer Goods Industry followed with 83.168 million shares worth N 3.295 billion in 2,888 deals. The third place was Conglomerates Industry with a turnover of 32.817 million shares worth N 109.846 million in 654 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely – First City Monument Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc accounted for 670.295 million shares worth N11.019 billion in 2,768 deals, contributing 52.9 per cent and 54.2 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Also traded during the week were a total of 15,168 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N216,251 executed in nine deals compared with a total of 280,563 units valued at N3.385 million that was transacted last week in 10 deals.

A total of 14,581 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N14.472 million were traded last week in 34 deals compared with a total of 20,430 units valued at N20.729 million transacted the previous week in 45 deals.

Price Gainers and Losers

A look at the price movement chart showed that 18 equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than 26) in the previous week, while 50 equities depreciated in price, higher than 42 of the previous week.

Presco Plc led the price gainers with 12.9 per cent, trailed by Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc with 11.1 per cent. Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc and Newrest ASL Nigeria Plc garnered 10 apiece.

Other top price gainers Included: C & I Leasing Plc (9.8 per cent); Livestock Feeds Plc (9.6 per cent); International Breweries Plc (8.2 per cent); Learn Africa Plc (7.2 per cent); Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc (7.1 per cent) and Sterling Bank Plc (6.6 per cent).

Conversely, Unity Bank Plc led the price losers with 21.1 per cent, trailed by Dangote Flour Mills Plc with 21.0 per cent. Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc and Meyer Plc and Diamond Bank Plc shed 18.8 per cent, 17.6 per cent and 16.6 per cent in that order.

Other top price losers were: FBN Holdings Plc (15.0 per cent); Fidson Healthcare Plc (14.8 per cent); Niger Insurance Plc (14.2 per cent); PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc (13.0 per cent) and Eterna Plc (12.2 per cent).

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/equities-market-sheds-24-as-investors.html

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday met with three state governors of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) from the South West geo-political zone at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the affected governors included Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti

NAN gathered that the meeting, held behind closed doors at the President’s office residence, was part of Buhari’s efforts to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party.

It would be recalled that the President had on Wednesday met behind closed door with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the APC and the party’s National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President’s meeting with the APC leader and Oshiomhole came less than 24 hours after Buhari hosted aggrieved APC aspirants to a dinner at the State House.

The meetings were also part of the president’s reconciliatory efforts aimed at ensuring victory for the party in the 2019 general elections.

NAN reports that the outcome of Sunday’s meeting between the president and the three governors were still being awaited as of the time of filling this report.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/reconciliation-buhari-meets-3-apc-swest.html

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Atakunmosa West Local Government Council of Osun State has dumped the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the just concluded governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

It also endorsed the Osun East senatorial candidature of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Chief Francis Fadahunsi in the forthcoming general election.

The party chairman in the area, Chief Joshua Ogunleye, made this known to newsmen on Sunday when Adenigba Fadahunsi and his team visited his home in Osun.


Ogunleye said the party was done with Senator Iyiola Omisore in the area.
“The deal that SDP in the local government had with Omisore was terminated with the last gubernatorial election,” he said.
He stressed that the SDP was ready to work with the PDP candidate to ensure victory at the poll.

The SDP leader then solicited for the support of his followers for the PDP candidate, noting he was capable of transforming the zone.
In his response, Prince Fadahunsi recalled past dealings with Ogunleye and commended his host for his commitment to the welfare of his people.
Fadahunshi assured him that his place in PDP was always secured, and that the party would continue to accord him respect.
The former customs boss who also pleaded with SDP leaders to return to PDP, said: “Please, let’s return home and together, we shall rescue our land from the invaders.”
The event was witnessed by the local and ward Executive of the SDP in Atakumosa East local government.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/2019-we-are-done-with-omisore-sdp.html

The Secretary General of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Ahmed Gambo Saleh, has disclosed that the commission has settled its backlog of pension arrears running into N2.9 billion.

Saleh who said this at a verification exercise in Lagos over the weekend, also pointed out that though the NJC inherited N2.9 billion debt when it took over in 2007, so far it has been able to settle 99 per cent of it.

“The NJC took over the administration of pension for retired judiciary officers otherwise known as the defined benefit scheme in the year 2007.

“The exercise is being handled by the office of the Head of Service of the federation.

“By coming into force with the Pension and Administration Judicial Officers Act 2007, the NJC was saddled with the responsibility of administrating same.

“In 2013, the Election Pension Commission also conspired the administration of accrued benefits of retired federal judiciary staff to the NJC.

“These two developments forced a number of challenges to the council. In the sense that, apart from taking over the administration of the pension, the Council also inherited a huge sum of money in terms of arrears for the entire judicial officers and federal judiciary staff in the tune of N2.6 billion.


“It is, however, gratifying today for me to say that the Council has so far settled 99% of its arrears. Not only that, but the Council is also up-to-date in terms of monthly pension to all judiciary pensioners; having paid the pension for the month of October, just some few days ago,” Saleh said.

“It is also pertinent to mention that, as of today, our retired federal judiciary officers and staff received their gratuities, not a minute later in the day of their retirements,” Saleh added.

He also pointed out that the NJC has also been able to curb the menace of ghost pensioners in the scheme by ensuribg that pensioners sign an indemnity bond.

Also speaking at the verification exercise, a Former Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Inumidun Akande Rtd, commended the scheme.

“It was very nice and professionally done. We haven’t been having any problems. I have been coming here since I retired in 2012. They’ve been paying our pension, in fact, they pay quicker than even Lagos State. I score the exercise an A.”

Also, a former Lagos State Assistant Chief Registrar Adisa Ayodele Sule: (Retired in 2003) said: “I retired in 2003 and they don’t owe me.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/njc-we-have-settled-99-of-pension.html

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has distanced the party from the fight between Christian community, especially the Catholic Church in Imo State and Governor Rochas Okorocha.

Oshiomhole told Archbishop Anthony Obinna of the Owerri Arch diocese and the entire Christian community in Imo State on Saturday that the APC was not party to what he described as the lack of respect exhibited against the church by Okorocha.

Oshiomhole stressed that “Governor Rochas Okorocha’s personal battle with the Christian community in Imo State is a matter between him and the Catholic Church. We in APC, we are not party to that. We do not want our party to be dragged into such contestation because it will not be helpful to us. Our road to power is election by the people, we cannot antagonise the people.

“Even the ordinary man in Imo is entitled to respect not to talk of the leaders of the Christian community. And so, we distance ourselves from all of those things that Rochas has done which some times has been a source of huge embarrassment to our party which sometimes we have been able to manage in-house. So, I sincerely apologise to Bishop Obinna and Christians in Imo State.”
He said the party will utilise the allegations which bothers on the integrity of the former Vice President, made against him by his former boss, Obasanjo, in nailing Alhaji Atiku at the polls, adding that the former Vice President will be defeated by the APC.
He said “now that we know that our main opponent is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, we will defeat him again the way we have defeated him before. And I am confident that President Muhammadu Buhari will return because he has a quality which none of them can boast of, which is integrity, integrity, integrity.

“To make statement about the others, we will just generate what former President Obasanjo has to say about Atiku and what Atiku has to say about Obasanjo.
“By the time we read it, you make up your mind if Nigeria is looking for a leader who they can trust, whether it is one with unquestionable integrity, or is the one that there are debates as to whether or not how much we can trust. I am confident that God will give us victory at the end of the day”.
“So, I want to assure all those who are genuinely aggrieved, I have a duty along with my colleagues in the NWC to work to heal wounds, for reconciliations.
“So, we are setting up various panels, groups of eminent leaders drawn from APC, statesmen and women within our party who we believe can help us to talk to all those who are aggrieved, so that we sort out all the grievances and approach the next coming election as a functioning party and by the special grace of God, we will win”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/apc-disowns-okorocha-over-fight-with.html

Ogechi Babalola was over the moon when she and her husband found out that they were expecting their first child together. But never could she have imagined that she and her two sisters would be sharing the experience — which is exactly what happened after she discovered that they were pregnant with their husbands as well.

Now, just six months after Babalola had a positive pregnancy test, she and her sisters Chika Okafor and Onyeka Ufere are all preparing to welcome new children into their growing family, just weeks apart from one another. And they couldn’t imagine it any other way.

“For me and my sister Chika, this is our first pregnancy, and the thought of doing it alone was a little bit intimidating. Onyeka has been through this whole process once before with her first set of twins,” Babalola tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “There’s nothing like complaining, laughing, and getting so frustrated you’re almost in tears with someone who you know understands what you’re going through because they’re literally going through the same stuff!”

Babalola, 26, and Okafor, 27, are both expecting boys, and Ufere, 30, is preparing for her second set of twins, the sex of whom she plans to find out in December. The two older sisters joke about having to rename the group chat between the sisters, as they kept finding out that another baby was coming. Finally, it became “We Are Having Four Babies!” But their varying due dates made it difficult to make a combined announcement.

Instead, the Nigerian-born sisters decided to do a joint photoshoot with their baby bumps when they found out that the youngest sister would be visiting California, where they grew up, from her new home in Atlanta. It was the first time they were all together during their pregnancies thus far, and, naturally, they needed to document it.


“How many times will we get the opportunity to be pregnant together?” Okafor says. “It’s a blessing that should be captured.”
Posting the gorgeous photos, which were taken by their friend Cynthia Onyejiji, to each of their Instagrams, the sisters were able to share their incredible story with those who might not have known — although they all would agree that this experience is also personal for them as a family.
“My sisters and I have always been extremely close. We never felt like we needed anyone else’s attention or approval,” Babalola shares. “We all have been blessed to have some great friends in our lives, but at the end of the day, we always know that we have each other, even if everyone else disappeared.”
Hopefully, that bond is something the sisters will pass on to their children as well.
“I am super-excited to raise my children with their cousins,” Ufere says. “I am sure the closeness I have with my sisters will transpire into our children.”

More photos at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/3-sisters-are-having-babies-at-same-time.html

A coalition of 22 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), on Thursday, cautioned politicians against hijacking the clash between members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and the military for personal gain.

The Convener of the group and National Coordinator, Guardians of Democracy and Development (GDD), Mr Solomon Adodo, gave the caution in a statement in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IMN, also known as Shi’ite, had on Oct. 27, clashed with the military in Zuba, a satellite town of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resulting in the deaths of some of its members.

According to Adodo, another worrisome dimension is the revelation that members of the opposition parties in Nigeria have hijacked the activities of the IMN to destabilise the peace that the citizens are currently enjoying.

He said the activities of the Shi’ite must be curtailed before they snowballed into hardened extremism and terrorism.
“Monday, Oct. 29, was rendered violent by IMN members, who surfaced in the Karu/Nyanyan/Mararaba axis with the same goal of attempting to overwhelm Abuja in their numbers to carry out violent protests under the guise of demanding the release of El-Zakyzaky.
“This act of criminality forced hardworking Nigerians to trek long distances to get to their homes while children in the affected vicinity were traumatised by the ringing of gunshots.
“On Tuesday, Oct. 30, in their determination to provoke security agencies, the IMN members set ablaze a police vehicle in Wuse 11 where they openly attacked security agents and other citizens randomly,” he said.
According to him, previous demonstrations or protests by IMN members were equally violent.
“There are enough video clips and pictures on the internet showing these people attacking security and military personnel.
“As it is the case now, some of these people carry weapons while a large number of them deploy projectiles of various forms.
“Another thing that stands out in the IMN violence is the destruction targeted at public and private property.
“In the last few days under consideration, they willfully destroyed cars belonging to law abiding Nigerians while also destroying vehicles belonging to law enforcement agents and the military,’’ he said.
Adodo stressed that the group had become a threat to the nation’s security.
“In the space of a few weeks, IMN is on the verge of adding Abuja to the list of cities that are not safe for international travel and investment.
“If they succeed in doing this or if we collectively permit it, then they would have assisted Iran in destroying Nigeria without invading us,” he said.
Adodo, who called on the Federal Government to proscribe IMN without delay, declared that failure to act within the next 72 hours would force them to stage a mass protest in Abuja to press home their demand.
He also called the United Nations (UN) and other international bodies to intervene in the natter.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/shiitemilitary-clash-csos-warn.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMUo1NTqO5A



Source: https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/listen-to-apga-new-anthem.html

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Niger/Kwara/Kogi Area Command has apprehended six suspected smugglers and recorded 23 seizures within the last nine months.

This is even as the command might not be able to meet its 2018 revenue target of N3.7 billion having only generated N1.788 billion with two months left to the end of the year.


However, statistics made available to newsmen by the Area Command on Wednesday, which has its headquarters in Minna, the Niger State capital, showed that the Service generated the highest amount of money between August and October this year with an income of N791,240,411.70k.

The Area Controller, Alhaji Abba Kassim Yussuf, who presented the score card of the Service, said: “We are struggling to achieve the maximum revenue target. It may be difficult, but we will do our best.”

Alhaji Yussuf declined to give the identities of those apprehended because “their cases are already before the law courts”, saying however that the organisation has enough evidence that would lead to their convictions.

He said the highest seizures made were for one used Toyota Camry car with duty paid value of N3.5 million, 12 bales of second hand cloths with a duty paid value of N430,000, one used Volkswagen Golf valued at N180,000, one each of Toyota Avensis, Toyota Rav 4, as well as 934 (50kg) bags of imported foreign rice with duty paid value of N160,066,700.

The controller also said that one trailer containing unspecified number of smuggled imported rice was seized, adding that the duty paid value of the smuggled item was already being computed.

He also disclosed that most of the smuggled items were through the Banana border in Niger State, the Ilorin-Offa route in Kwara State as well as the Mokwa-Jebba road also in Niger State.

Yussuf reminded Nigerians of the ban on the importation of rice and vehicles through the land borders, stressing that those who violated the law would be arrested and prosecuted.

He said the command had instructions from the presidency to send all the seized imported rice to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the North-east and other locations across the country.

The area commander praised the commitment of officers and men of the command, assuring them that the dedicated ones would be rewarded, while undisciplined staff would be punished.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/customs-arrests-6-smugglers-records-23.html

Gombe State Government on Thursday said fresh outbreak of cholera had killed five people, while 16 others were hospitalised at the Primary Health Centre, Kembu in Balanga Local Government Area of the state.

The state Acting Epidemiologist, Dr Nuhu Bile, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe.

Bile said that the cholera outbreak occurred in October.

He said that the State Rapid Response team alongside World Health Organisation (WHO) had visited the scene immediately it received news of the incident.

According to him, 70 patients were treated and discharged, while the five people died before medical help could reach them.

He added that 16 others were being treated at the health centre for the disease.

Bile said the recent deaths had brought the number of cholera mortality to 13, while no fewer than 500 patients had been treated and discharged in the last five months.

The epidemiologist attributed the cause of the outbreak to the damaged five hand pumps in the community which forced people to seek unsafe alternative source of water.

Bile added that five other water wells found to be contaminated had been sealed to prevent further spread of the disease.

He named some of the recently affected local governments to include Yamaltu-Deba, Funakaye Gombe with the most recent being Balanga.

The epidemiologist advised people to ensure clean and safe environmental, and as well improved personal hygiene.

“Enhance environmental and personal hygiene, boil water from the well before drinking.

“You must also ensure you properly wash uncooked food like fruits with salt or potash before eating,” Bile advised.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/cholera-kills-5-hospitalises-16-in-gombe.html

Barely three months after The Guardian newspaper bagged the three industry recognition at the annual Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) .ng Media Awards, and Nigeria Online Merit Award (NiOMA), the newspaper received another one yesterday.

The Guardian bagged an award for the Best Use of Mobile Technology for Media (Print) at the 2018 Nigeria Mobile Economy Summit and Awards (NiMES) organised by the Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD) with support from the Ministry of Information.

Presenting the award at The Guardian headquarters in Lagos, the organisers said the flagship of the Nigerian media has performed excellently in ethics at both the online and offline platforms. In the award categories, The Guardian was recognised ahead of The Punch and Vanguard newspapers, the organisers said.

According to the President of Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD), Dr Bayero Agabi, The Guardian has been able to leverage on emerging mobile technologies to replicate its credibility in the online space and enhance its credibility.
Dr Agabi, who presented the award on behalf of the Ministry of Information, said the trust, which The Guardian has on the offline is being reproduced on its online platform.
On the award, he said: “We look at the media that is innovative in accepting technological changes to drive media services. From our feedback, The Guardian was impressive. It is a pride to say that The Guardian deserves the award. It is also the most media robust partner with other platforms.
Publisher of The Guardian Newspapers, Mrs Maiden Alex Ibru, thanked the digital team and emphasised the newspaper’s commitment to remain in the lead position.
“It cost us a huge amount to set up the digital platform. We hope to continue to stay in the first position and maintain media relevance,” she added.
In his contribution, Editor-in-Chief, Debo Adeshina, said latest industry recognition was a testament to the fact that the newspaper prioritised publication of credible information on all its platforms.
“What matters now is the content we churn out. Whatever is put out by the Guardian is credible. We are glad we did not disappoint. We are responsible to feed the audience and had not failed in gatekeeping,” he added.
The Online Editor, The Guardian newspaper, Tonye Bakare, said the awards have shown that the Guardian Digital platform since three years of its inception had maintained the standards. He added that it calls for more work and promised that the team will not relent in its efforts.
He said, “For us, the award is an indication that we are doing something right. We hope to continue to do our best in serving our audience and justify the sort of investment the management has put into the digital platform.”
Also present at the award presentation from The Guardian were the Executive Director Toke Ibru, Editor, Abraham Ogbodo; Deputy Editor, Julius Eto; Sunday Editor, Alabi Williams and Head of Guardian TV, Bunmi Amosu.
Members of the CECAD team are President, CECAD, Bayero Agabi; Director, Strategy, CECAD, Hillary Damissah; Director, Operations, CECAD, Festus Alawode; Head, Special Projects, Ugochi Emmanuel.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/the-guardian-newspaper-bags-nimes-award.html

The organised labour union on Tuesday invaded the presidential villa, Abuja in protest of an immediate implementation of what it agreed with the government as the new minimum wage.

The protest led by TUC president, Bobboi Kagama, was tagged ‘National day of mourning.’

Kaigama speaking insisted that the labour union will not leave the Villa until the governors and executive committee on New minimum wage led by the vice, president Yemi Osinbajo respond positively to their demands.

They wondered why the governors would not pass the agreed new minimum wage, insisting that the increment will not lead to any form of inflation.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/new-minimum-wage-labour-union-invades.html

The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN),Oby Ezekwesili said President Muhammadu Buhari lacks the aptitude and capacity to continue to lead Africa’s most populous country.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has now shown neither the capacity nor the aptitude for the highest office in the land,” Ezekwesili said on Monday at press conference in Lagos as her unveiled its road-map for winning the 2019 presidential elections.

“Let us talk about the present administration; what is the primary legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari? It is the destruction of our nation’s wealth — presiding over the worse economic recession Nigeria has seen in decades.

“Even now that the economy has come out of recession, the growth is as sluggish as its government. Four out of every 10 adults are either unemployed or underemployed and Nigeria is now the poverty capital of the world,” she added.


The APCN presidential candidate accused Buhari of being “most nepotistic and most partisan president that Nigeria has ever seen” and said that the president who rode on the promises to fight corruption in 2015 is also “corrupt”

“This president talks about fighting grand corruption. Please, please, give me a break! Can corruption fight corruption? Does he think we cannot see?” Ezekwesili said

The Presidential hopeful, who was the minister of education and under the People’s Democratic party-led administration, said the opposition party is not also a better alternative to move Nigeria forward.

“I just laugh when I hear some people say our citizen’s movement will split opposition votes. But the PDP is not in opposition to the APC. The candidate of the PDP has over the past 14 years gone from PDP to AC, AC to PDP, PDP to APC and now back to PDP” Ezekwesili said

Ezekwesili also took a swipe at Buhari and PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, noting that if she eventually becomes the Nigerian president, “you will never hear any world leader call me lifeless or dishonest.”

“I have no issues obtaining visas or travelling to any country in the world – whether it is the United States of America or the United Arab Emirates,” she said in a not-so-veiled reference to the PDP presidential candidate.

Recently, Financial Times reported that the United States president Donald Trump referred to Buhari as “lifeless” shortly after a meeting between the two leaders in April.

The PDP presidential candidate, on his part, is rumoured to be avoiding travelling to the United States because of a pending indictment.

The former minister of education, while stating her achievement in office, said she “introduced Public Private Partnership models for education service delivery and very importantly ensured that Innovation & Vocational Enterprise Institutions were accredited, certified and regulated by the National Board for Technical Education.”

Ezekwesili, therefore, affirmed that the ruling party and opposition party are “brothers and sisters of iniquity and impoverishment, merchants of failure and disappointment.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/buhari-lacks-aptitude-to-lead-nigeria.html

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) is to hold an emergency meeting on Oct. 30, to discuss the national minimum wage and come up with a position, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara has said.

Yari spoke with State House correspondents on the matter after an expanded Economic Management Team meeting at the Presidential Villa on Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that organised labour has been at odds with the Federal Government over demands to increase the remunerations of public sector workers.

Nigerian public sector workers are classified as earning some of the lowest wages in the world, although political office holders in the country, including the nation’s bicameral legislature earn some of the highest wages in the world.

On Oct. 24, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), issued another strike notice over a stalemate, arising from the Federal Government’s inability to accept the N30,000 minimum wage demanded by labour.

A communique issued at the end of its emergency meeting and signed by the NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, and the General-Secretary, Mr Peter Ozo-Eson, directed labour to commence an indefinite nationwide strike from Nov.6.

The labour movement had earlier on Sept. 26, embarked on a warning strike, which was suspended on Sept. 30.

Yari said: “the position of the governors is not very clear to some of you –that we are willing to pay the amount but the issue is the capacity– the muscle to pay.

“We discussed that government has some numbers and eventually the committee has given some proposals but the governors have not come out with any amount.

“So, tomorrow, we are going to discuss with governors and say: look at what labour is sending.

“Look at the bill that was directed by the minister of labour and employment to be sent to the NGF’s secretariat so that we can digest the content of the bill; discuss it and come up with our position as governors because we are critical partners on this,’’ Yari said.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, announced recently that the Federal Government proposed N24, 000 while the state governors proposed N20, 000.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/minimum-wage-governors-take-final.html

The police have arrested a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Joko Pelumi, and 49 others over alleged attack and killing of a police officer attached to the anti-cultism unit.



Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Imohimi Edgal, told newsmen in Ikeja that the former speaker, along with others, attacked and killed Akingboju Akindele, a deputy superintendent of police, while trying to effect the arrest of some suspected cultists.

“On October 27, at about 4:30 pm, a team of Anti Cultism policemen attached to Area ‘N’ Ijede, were attacked while trying to effect arrest of some suspected cultists.

“In the process, a police officer by name DSP Akingboju Akindele was killed.

“Investigation into the case led to the arrest of 49 suspects including a former Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Joko Pelumi,” he said.

Edgal added that the suspects were traced to the former lawmaker’s house where they were reported to be hibernating after committing the dastardly act.

He said investigators had narrowed down the arrestSCIDspects to five who actively took part in the crime.

“The policeman’s rifle had been recovered at waterfront Ijede where it was buried.

“The other suspects and the former lawmaker will be treated as an accomplice.

“All the arrested suspects are currently being investigated at SCIID Panti, Yaba and would be charged to court on Monday.” he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/ex-speaker-others-arrested-over-alleged.html

Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has proffered an eight-point solution to address the violence in Kaduna State.

Among the solutions the lawmaker proffered is "strict application of security votes for security issues and not for politics", among others.

He highlighted these in a press statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, and made available to journalists.

The points are: "Addressing the problem of extreme and pervasive poverty and unemployment among our teeming young people; an institutional action against hate speech and intolerance by political, religious and community leaders; strict application of security votes for security issues and not for politics; respect for the constitutional rights of freedom to hold religious beliefs without discrimination or contempt, and equitable distribution of development and resources among diverse populace and Inclusiveness in governance."

Others are: "The elite bourgeoisie political class must end the exploitation and manipulation of religion for political ends; elected and appointed political leaders must not demonstrate that they are servants of all and not vanguards of their faith or conquerors of others; and Northern intellectuals, leaders of thought and patriots must convoke a regional conference to come out with a road map towards tackling religious intolerance and terrorism, in the face of apparent failure of the political class to address the problem."

Kaduna has been the centre of violent killings in the last week, prompting the state government to declare a 24-hour curfew, which it relaxed and again enforced before finally relaxing it on Sunday.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/shehu-sani-lists-eight-things-kaduna.html

Representative of Yobe East senatorial district on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Buka Abba Ibrahim, yesterday expressed disappointment over the way and manner in which the party is running the country.

He pointed out that the APC should not take the Northeast (Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa and Taraba states) for granted in the 2019 general elections, as the zone may decide to vote against the party.

Ibrahim, who blamed the ruling party for the nation’s tottering economy, also warned the APC against assuming that it would win the 2019 general elections through massive rigging.


He stated this in Abuja during the Internet launch of his book titled: Poorlitics, stressing that the ruling party is not better than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He accused the APC administration of being unable to actualise the positive change it promised the country.
“We have certainly not done what I dreamed we will do, and in many ways, we are no better than the PDP that we sought to displace. Since APC came to power, things have not changed and many things are worse and Nigerians are very bitter,” he said.
Ibrahim, a former Governor of Yobe State, further accused the ruling party of violating the rule of law, which is against the tenets of progressive politics it claimed to uphold.
Meanwhile, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom’s aide, Terver Akase, has stated that George Akume and the party’s governorship candidate, Emmanuel Jime’s campaign rally at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Daudu was a mockery of herdsmen’s attack on the victims.
Akase, who wondered why the group chose IDPs camp for a political rally, when Akume and Jime promised that they were visiting the camp to donate relief materials, noted that it was the height of deceit when the IDPs discovered that their visit was actually for a campaign rally.
“It is on record that Jime has never condemned the attacks and killings of Benue people by armed herdsmen. He did not send one relief material to the victims in various camps.
“Now that electioneering campaigns are here, Jime has not only found his voice, but has also chosen to dance on the graves of the dead and mock the displaced persons by mounting on a campaign podium to deliver a ‘sermon’ on governance,” he stated.
On challenging Ortom to a debate, Akase said, Jime doesn’t need to challenge Governor Ortom to a debate.
“There will certainly be a debate before the 2019 elections where Jime will tell Benue people what he has done for them in his public service career and why he had remained silent over the attacks and killings of innocent people only to surface on the eve of elections to demand votes from the traumatised victims,” he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/senator-passes-no-confidence-vote-on.html

A Yobe East Senator, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, has admitted that things were now worse in Nigeria under the All Progressives Congress, APC, government.

The former Governor of Yobe State made the declaration while stating that APC may not win the 2019 elections.

Speaking in Abuja over the weekend, the APC chieftain warned that if the party does not make amends, it will suffer defeat in 2019.

The lawmaker maintained that under the APC government, the country’s economy has gone down.
He called on the government to face the task of solving problems rather than blaming previous administrations “too much.”
He said, “Simply put, things have not changed, and many things are worse and the people are bitter. We should not assume that we can win even with massive rigging.

“There are just certain things that progressive parties do and must be seen to do. We must be seen to obey the rule of law.
“If the courts rule, we must obey. We must respect the separation of powers and let the legislature make its independent decisions.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/10/2019-apc-senator-ibrahim-attacks-party.html