₦airaland Forum

Funny indeed

Y telling d whole world??

deadZONE:
Wesley University of Science and Technology, Landmark University, Rhema University, Samuel Adegboyega University, Paul University, Oduduwa University, Tansian University, Baze University, Obong University, Achievers University and Wellspring University.




i swear i have not heard of most of these schools...
no wonder we have half baked graduates,
no wonder we can sit back and allow an illiterate rule over us.

Y did a literate like u nt contest for d seat?

OK

Katastrofy:
Tinubu OshomOLE Amaechi ARAgbesola Fashola Obasanjo Timpre sylva
that should be the best place for them..

All u just named r in d APC cabinet. Where r d PDP members?

The head of Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, NNPC, has stated that the corporation would sack more staff as part of its re-organisation.
Emmanuel Kachikwu, who was recently appointed Group Managing Director of the corporation by President Muhammadu Buhari stated this on Thursday while addressing reporters at the presidential villa. Over 35 senior management staff of the corporation have been sacked or compulsorily retired in the last one week.
Mr. Kachikwu said as part of the NNPC’s three-pronged approach towards restructuring, more staff of the corporation may be sacked to bring about efficiency and check redundancy. He said the reforms involve downsizing of the workforce and reworking of the business strategy.
He also said the corporation is set to carry out another round of forensic audit that will run into 2015 accounts to ascertain the firm’s true financial state.
Mr. Kachikwu said a lot of things that have been done wrongly before will be corrected, and that the corporation is setting a new culture for accountability and service delivery.
He said NNPC will now appraise staff performance and make appropriate decisions after assessment.
“How well you have done on the job that you have done, and if you have done very well, how do we elevate you to positions where you can offer more service,” he said. “If you have not done well enough and we can retrain you, we will. But if you have not done well enough and there is no possibility of retraining, we let you go.”
The GMD said processes and control measures will be put in place for retraining and repositioning of staff, adding that the corporation will commence working with oil majors and minors in the sector to maximise professionalism.
“NNPC isn’t a public service, it is a corporation and it is going to be run like a company, generating money and profit for Nigerians. So that whole concept of anything goes is going to stop and this is the first stage in that whole process.
“It is a three-pronged process that I am following. There is a people aspect, which we are dealing with now. There is a process of putting the people at the right places. We are going to get a forensic audit done so that we know clearly [what is going on], not the one PW [PriceWaterouseCoopers] did but a proper forensic audit that will cover us all the way to 2014, 2015, and we will be able to say to you this is the state of the economy,” he said.
He said the business stage entails looking at all the existing contracts to determine their propriety or otherwise, noting that challenges arising from reducing balance sheet as a result of the drop in international oil price will also be looked at in order to design ways of recovery and income growth.
“It is a very intensive and calibrated work, but over the next five, six months you will begin to see a new emergence in the NNPC, a new process of oil administration in the country and obviously giving boost to Mr President’s dream of taking the oil industry back to where it should be,” Mr. Kachikwu said.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/188339-nnpc-to-sack-more-staff-set-for-fresh-audit.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

Below is a press statement from the Lagos State Police Command. Read below…

Following a distress call received from Local Divers at about 3:10 pm today, 12th August, 2015, that a Helicopter plunged into the Lagos Lagoon at Oworonshoki, a team of Policemen and other emergency management agencies swiftly moved to the scene. During the rescue operation, six persons on board the helicopter were rescued alive and taken to the hospital for medical attention and are responding to treatment, while four corpses were recovered.
Initial enquiry revealed that the helicopter belongs to Bristow Helicopters and that twelve(12) persons were said to be on board the ill-fated helicopter.
In another development, there has been a high rate of fire incidents in Lagos State, arising from carelessness and mishandling of petroleum products through black marketeering and mass storage at homes due to perceived scarcity. Yesterday, 13/08/2015 at about 2030hrs, along Maidan Street, by Ajiliti area of Mile 12, a Motorcycle conveying a woman with a gallon of petrol stacked in a polythene bag collided with another Motorcycle. In the process, the content spilled on the road and caught fire. The fire engulfed both motorcycles and four others close by.
The rider, the passenger and two others suffered severe burns and have been admitted at a nearby hospital for treatment. The Command therefore appeals to members of the public to be mindful of how they handle petroleum products, stop mass storage of the product in their homes. Motorists, especially Tanker Drivers are equally admonished to observe traffic rules and speed limits to avoid such occurrences.

Signed DSP Patricia Amadin Police Public Relation Officer Lagos State Command

http://xsouth.com/press-release-by-npf-lagos-helicopter-crashes-into-lagos-lagoon/

Drsheddy:
May we not died accidentally like that IN JESUS NAME!

Grammatical Error

Dats weird

Cool

Lol. He forgot to turn down d volume, he's actually a novice. Let's b serious, beating won't stop it, counsel him on d effects of having sex at his young age n watching porn. He needs guidance n counselling

…Directs Discos to comply from today

The Nigeria Electric­ity Regulatory Com­mission (NERC) has ordered Distribution Com­panies (Discos) to suspend further collection of fixed charges on unconsumed electricity if power was not supplied continuously or cumulatively for 15 days in a month.

NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, said that, “any customer who experiences continuously or cumulatively power outage for 15 days in a month will be exempted from paying the monthly fixed charge to the Electricity Dis­tribution Company (Discos).”

The order, according to Amadi, who spoke to report­ers in Abuja, is effective from May 1, 2014. He further ex­plained that in as much as the 15 days power outage was not due to the customer’s dis­ruption or default in paying bill, the Discos shall forego monthly fixed charge.

The decision, according to him, was based on the com­mission’s 2005 Act, Section 32 D and F, while he stated that the NERC has decided that the fixed charge remains an essential component of the bill. It has, however, reviewed its continued reflection in the tariff in the payment of the fixed charge in the light of sev­eral complaints by consumers, particularly the payment of the fixed charge when energy is not delivered to them.

“Upon due consideration of these complaints and agitations by customers, and considering the commissions role in the Nigerian Electric­ity Supply Industry (NESI) as provided under Sections 32(d)&(f) of the EPSR Act 2005:

“Effective May 1, 2014, where any customer of a distribution licensee has not received continuous or cumu­lative electricity supply for a period of 15 days in a month, such a customer shall not be required to pay the fixed charge,” he stated.

In a fact sheet, which the commission made available to newsmen, it described fixed charge as an element of an electricity customer’s elec­tricity bill that is charged on a monthly basis.

The fixed charge is intend­ed to allow for the recovery of the cost associated with the fixed or permanent invest­ments required to generate, transmit and distribute elec­tricity.

But the commission’s chairman said that the order was to compel the distribution companies to always reinstall faulty equipment such as transformers immediately.

Amadi, however, added that the essence of the order was to create a balance that protects the consumers and affords the distribution com­panies some incentives to be responsive without threaten­ing the reliance of the industry.

His words: “It is hereby ordered that effective May 1, 2014, where any customers of the distribution licensees has not received continuous electricity supply for a period of 15 days in a month, such a customer shall not be re­quired to pay the fixed charge provided that the disruption is not due to non-payment of electricity bill or other actions of the consumer like temper­ing, vandalism or it is totally unrelated to the fault of the distribution company.

“In other words, fixed charge should be paid and the only condition for non-payment is when you do not receive continuously 15 days power supply.

The fact is that we want to ensure that the Discos receive enough revenue to maintain the network. At the same time, we don’t want it to be an incentive for them not to re­spond to the faults they could manage within their existing commitment.

“So the commission has tailored a deliberate balance that protects consumers and provides incentives for Discos to be efficient and responsive but without threatening the reliability of the industry as a whole in ensuring that there will still be fund to give stable electricity to the consumers.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/nerc-abolishes-n750-fixed-electricity-charge/

The former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, said he remained calm while Godsday Orubebe, a former minister of Niger Delta, disrupted election because he as well as his colleagues were determined to conduct credible elections.
In an interview with Zero Tolerance, a quarterly magazine of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Jega said during the collation of results, it was evident to him that some people were bent on derailing the process by provoking him and his colleagues.
“So, we were determined to ensure that no matter the provocation we would ensure that the results were tabulated and announced,” he said.
The former electoral boss said all through the election period there were various allegations against him, but he was not bothered or afraid.
“No! Anybody who is afraid for his life will not do this kind of job. As you know, they say, “Death is a necessary end. It comes when it will come.”
“So, we did our best knowing that God wills, people can drop and die; but as long as we are alive, we will continue to do our best under all circumstances,” the former INEC boss said.
On March 31, during the collation of results of the presidential election at the International Conference, some officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Mr. Orubebe, disrupted the exercise, accusing the former INEC boss of bias.
When it was obvious that the candidate of the PDP, former President Goodluck Jonathan, was losing, Mr. Orubebe dramatically seized the microphone for minutes insisting that Mr. Jega was bias against the PDP, hence, should suspend announcement of result.
He accused Mr. Jega of promptly attending to complaints from the then opposition party, the All Progressive Congress, while disregarding those from the PDP.
As Mr. Orubebe fumed and cursed, interrupting the collation of resultd, Mr. Jega maintained an unusual calm.
He patiently educated the then minister on the methods and processes of filling complaints.
In the interview with Zero Tolerance, Mr. Jega said INEC had transformed to a strong institution, “firmly rooted and can survive individuals; such that individuals can come and go but the organisation remains”.
He added, “I feel satisfied that a lot has happened in INEC and whoever comes will find it easier than we found it when we came, and will be able to continue to add value to what exists.

Read full interview below. We have Zero Tolerance’s approval to republish here.

We Are Probing Campaign Funding- Jega
The 2015 elections was yet another acid test for Professor Athahiru Jega as Nigerians looked up to him to deliver free and fair election. He did while also making history as the first umpire to organise two national polls. He reflects on the preparation and conduct of the 2015 elections in this encounter with ZT’s Aishah Gambari and Franklyn Ogunleye. Excerpts:
ZT: Do you find it disturbing that corruption has crept into the electoral process?
Jega: I find worrisome the use of money in politics particularly in the electioneering process in Nigeria. Increasingly, use of money in politics seems to be enticing to voters because of what they receive rather than choosing those they believe can deliver.. I think the use of money in Nigerian politics is becoming such a worrisome phenomenon that a lot needs to be done in order to minimize it, because it is capable of undermining the integrity of the entire exercise.
ZT: Given the pervasiveness of corruption, what will be your advice to politicians regarding what needs to be done in tackling the problem?
Jega: Nigeria has achieved notoriety on the issue of corruption particularly in the public sector. It is important that we have a definite commitment or even a programme of action that will address this very challenge in our country. I think what we see is that virtually every political party and candidate now articulate a programme on how to deal with corruption but I think we need to move from programmes to actual action in terms of dealing with corruption. I think the anti-corruption agencies needs to be strengthened so that they can be more effective in dealing with the phenomenon of corruption.
I believe like so many other people that acts of corruption are committed with impunity. Until there are strong sanctions and mechanisms for detecting, apprehending and penalizing corrupt officials, we will continue to have this challenge.
ZT: Talking about punitive measures, China prescribes the death penalty for corruption. Would you advocate a similar model for Nigeria?
Jega: I think our court process or the legal process is generally very slow. As far as I am concerned, we should accelerate that process. We should not allow corruption cases to be handled by regular courts. We need to establish specialised courts that can handle corruption cases with dispatch.
What we require is speedy dispensation of justice rather than penalties such as death sentence.
ZT: INEC plays a crucial role in the emergence of the nation’s political leadership. Does your agency have mechanism for checking the background of political office seekers?
The electoral legal framework at this point does not allow INEC to screen candidates. In the past, the electoral commission together with security agencies were given the power to screen candidates but the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended) did not require INEC to screen candidates or to use security agencies to vet candidates.
As a matter of fact, the Electoral Act says that once parties nominate their candidates and send their names to INEC, INEC cannot reject them whatsoever and so we cannot vet or screen candidates.
ZT: It is frequently alleged that INEC officials collude with desperate politicians to undermine the electoral process. How true is this?
Jega: We make it clear to our staff that they stand the risk of losing their jobs and being prosecuted if they condone or partake in corrupt practices. And I am glad to say that we have drastically eliminated the phenomenon of corruption in the electoral process.
What we have done in INEC is to create measures that will make it difficult for anybody to be involved in corruption without being detected and when you are detected and apprehended, we obviously allow the law to take its course.
ZT: Slush fund in electoral campaign is a sore issue in Nigeria. Does INEC have the power to check the source of campaign funds?
Jega: The Electoral Act mandates the Independence National Electoral Commission to monitor finances of political parties and of candidates and there are limit imposed particularly on candidates, about what their campaign expenditures should not exceed.
When we conducted the 2011 elections, we did it within eight months of being appointed. We did not inherit any mechanism for monitoring campaign finance and we were then unable in the 2011 elections to monitor campaign finances of political parties and candidates. We ensured that parties published their audited accounts and we appointed auditors which are requirements of the law, to audit party finances and we had published this audited report but we were not able to closely monitor campaign expenditure.
Now, we have established a unit; Party Monitoring Department, specifically to handle campaign financing and we have got the support of many international partners to train them and we are working with some credible NGOs to partner with us in order to monitor, generate and gather information about campaign financing. So, God willing, the 2015 general elections will witness a greater and closer interrogation of the expenditures of political parties and candidates.
ZT: So far, have you had any cases of any political party exceeding their campaign finance limit?
Jega: In the interim, we are gathering information and at the appropriate time, we will come out and say that this is our finding. Slowly and steadily we are increasing our capacity to be able to deal with the issue of campaign financing and to deal with the use of money in politics or even to have the capacity to penalise those who break the law.
ZT: Congratulations on the successful conduct of the 2015 election. How did you pull off the feat that is being described as a watershed in Nigeria’s electoral history?
Jega: We thank God that the election has come and gone, and both local and international observers are saying it is the best election ever conducted in the country. I must say it was a collective effort. Our field officers, in particular-the young men and women of the NYSC and the Vice Chancellors who served as returning officers, did their best under very difficult circumstances. All Nigerians wanted a free, fair, credible and peaceful election; and we all worked hard for it and we thank god that it has come to pass.
ZT: Did you anticipate the outcome of the election, especially the presidential election?
Jega: Our business as an election body is to conduct elections freely, fairly with a level playing field for everybody. But nobody could predict what the electoral outcome will be until the votes are counted. From our point of view as an elections management body we did our best to ensure the elections are fair, peaceful, and conducted professionally.
ZT: Before the election, there were talks about plots to remove you from office while some politicians accused you of bias. How were you able to maintain focus in the face of those challenges?
Jega: I knew I was doing this job to the best of my ability without any bias, so accusations of bias did not really concern me. I tried to remain focussed and urged all those with whom I worked to remain focussed so that we were not distracted. I thank God that all those accusations and allegations did not distract us and we remained focussed and were able to do our best under very difficult circumstances.
ZT: Part of comments that were flying about then was that some political parties approached you to rig elections in their favour. Was there any truth in that?
Jega: No! You know in Nigeria we have a very vibrant rumour mill. Certainly no political party approached me to ask me to rig any elections for them. And I am not aware they approached any National Commissioner or Resident Electoral Commissioner. Indeed, there is no way any one of us could rig elections to favour any candidate. The Returning Officers are not even INEC Staff; these are Vice Chancellors for Governorship election, and for Senatorial election, we had professors. There is no way I as a Chairman or a National Commissioner or a Resident Electoral Commissioner can change results to favour any candidate.
ZT: The use of the card reader was one of the innovations that defined the election. Will you say the device has come to stay?
Jega: The card reader was a fantastic innovation that has added tremendous value to the integrity to our electoral process. There were challenges. Anytime you are introducing a new technology there are bound to be challenges, but I must say that the challenges we have seen were minimal. In fact, a lot of the challenges we believe were on account of the activities of those who did not want the card reader to be used in the first place. For example in places where on the first day of the presidential and senatorial elections people were saying the card reader had failed, we took the statistics and the failure rate was less than 0.25percent. So if you are doing something major and substantive like that and you had only less than half a percentage point as so called failure, that is insignificant.
We identified what some of those so called failures were and we addressed them before the governorship elections. You could see that nobody complained about the use of the card reader during the governorship elections.
There were areas where people didn’t want the card readers to be used, and worked very hard to ensure those card readers were not used. They now turned around and made it appear as if the card reader failed to work.
ZT: There were accusations that the supplier of the card reader was a supporter of a particular party…
Jega: (Laughs) those are allegations that remain unproven. In any case, the time we gave this contract for the production of the card readers was over 2 years ago, almost 3 years. So at that time the political permutations and configurations had not become established.
ZT: The process of collating the results, especially the presidential poll was the most agonizing for Nigerians especially when the “Orubebe” scene happened and a lot of people were tensed that probably the process was going to be truncated; but in the face of all that provocation, you were able to maintain your composure. Is that really who you are or you had prior knowledge that such a thing might happen and you prepared for it?
Jega: The fact of the matter is that all of us in INEC were determined to conduct free, fair, credible and peaceful elections and by the time we came to collation it became evident that we had done our best professionally. So, we were determined to ensure that no matter the provocation we would ensure that the results were tabulated and announced. There were all sorts of allegations and accusations, but they didn’t faze us because we knew we have not done anything to warrant such allegations and accusations
ZT: (cuts in) were you at any afraid for your life ?
Jega: No! Anybody who is afraid for his life will not do this kind of job. As you know, they say “death is a necessary end. It comes when it will come .” So we did our best knowing that if God wills, people can drop and die; but so long we are alive, we will continue to do our best under all circumstances.
ZT: What can anybody do to get you annoyed?
Jega: It takes a lot to get me annoyed, but when I’m angry people don’t like me; so that’s why I try not to be angry at all times. (Laughs)
ZT: What are your future plans for the INEC?
Jega: In the last four years or so we have done our best to build INEC as an institution, an institution that is firmly rooted and can survive individuals; such that individuals can come and go but the organisation remains. I feel satisfied that a lot has happened in INEC and whoever comes will find it easier than we found it when we came, and will be able to continue to add value to what exists.
ZT: Will you be persuaded to stay on as INEC boss after June 2015?
Jega: I have said this publicly that man proposes and God disposes. As far as I’m concerned, my proposition is to go back to my classroom which I have missed dearly. I thank God that I had this opportunity. We are the first Commission to hold two elections in this country, and we thank God that 2015 election is said to be better than that of 2011; and many people recognize 2011 as better than previous elections. So we have done our best for our country, let others come and do it.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/188174-why-i-remained-calm-while-orubebe-misbehaved-ex-inec-chair-jega.html

Funny indeed

Happy Married Life

Buhari, cut cost of governance

Hmm

searching4love:


Does this has anything to do with the death of that USELESS king The yeye king that received bribe from GEJ in dollars just for his election support E no go better for that king

Easy

ABUJA – President Mohammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria is erroneously being regarded as a rich country, stating that indices and parameters of evaluating a rich country such as economic advancement, improved social services were lacking.
He however enjoined the Nigerian elites to be prepared to make sacrifice to rescue the country.
The president spoke when he received the outgoing President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr. Donald Kaberuka and other officials of the bank.
According to him, the privileged and influential citizens clearly have to do more now than in the past to help the country deal successfully with its economic and security problems.
President Buhari also told Kaberuka that his administration will welcome more support from the AfDB for projects in versatile sectors like agriculture that can easily be explored to create more jobs for unemployed Nigerians.
He said: “With the shock of falling oil prices, lack of revenues, and insecurity, the Nigerian elites must now wake up and provide the right guidance in their communities, and also lead the economy on the right path more than they used to do”.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/nigeria-not-a-rich-country-buhari/#sthash.417BDEGz.dpuf

If OBJ no use am, who else go use am, no be him boss?? Same way GEJ used Deziani, Oduah, Okonjo, just to name a few. PMB also used Amaechi... hehehe

OK

It seems all Heads of Govt parastatals seem to indulge in dis act of public looting. Corruption has eaten deep into d veins of dis Nation. May God help us

Never thought she's still MARRIAGEABLE . What kinda family will allow their son marry dis kinda bitch?? Anyway, I give them 3wks. We will hear d usual story, lol... Wish them d very best

And Dats hw very soon, my khaki will turn to Designer suits, jungle boots to Italian shoes, CDS to board meetings, allawee to salary, clearance form to cheques IJN, AMEN

Everyone knows dat. It was clearly shown

Buhari!!! The Nelson Mandela of Nigeria

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said former President Goodluck Jonathan was becoming authoritarian before he was voted out of power.

Soyinka added that the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, admitted to him in the United Kingdom that he (Ribadu) realised late that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was using him for his own purpose as the EFCC boss.

Soyinka, in an interview with the current edition of Zero Tolerance magazine, a publication of the EFCC, stated that Jonathan surrounded himself with ‘unsavoury characters.’

The playwright said he withdrew his support for Jonathan because he was drifting towards “fascism.”

He stated that it was important for any President or public officer to pick his advisers carefully because of the kinds of characters, who shielded the former President from certain happenings around hm.

Soyinka explained that he marched alongside others in order to ensure that Jonathan was sworn-in as the acting President in 2010, noting that the action was meant to protect the constitution and not about Jonathan.

He said, “We marched in order to protect the constitution, not the person of Jonathan. We retained a cordial relationship during his tenure; however, despite some attacks I felt compelled to launch on him – and his wife. Jonathan committed some truly alarming errors of governance. He was propelling himself towards outright fascism.”

Asked by the interviewers if Jonathan was caged, he answered, “Correct. There were forces around Jonathan, you put your fingers around it, which he himself does not understand and that is why I stressed that you’ve got to choose your circle of advisers very carefully, when you are in charge. He’s been caged; things are going on in his ministry that he did not know about.”

Soyinka added, for instance, that the former President did not know that King of Morocco had withdrawn his ambassador to Nigeria in March, 2015 until a week later.

He stated that the former leader surrounded himself with corrupt individuals.

“When it comes to the issue of corruption, Jonathan surrounds himself with certain unsavoury characters and that is something you don’t have to do if you are in charge,” he said.

Soyinka said a leader, dedicated to the fight against corruption, should ensure that the agencies entrusted with the responsibility of fighting the scourge, were strengthened.
According to him, he told Ribadu that he was being used by Obasanjo but said the pioneer EFCC chairman did not believe it.

He stated that the former EFCC boss admitted to him when he was forced to go on exile in the UK that he realised very late that OBJ was using him.

Soyinka stressed that it was imperative to remove the link between power and corruption in Nigeria.

He said, “Why should a President involve himself in what is already structurally established and dedicated to that purpose?

“I warned your former boss, Ribadu, I told him that your task will be done when in the course of your investigation, you discover that the source of the problem is the very person who appointed you.

“He looked shocked a bit, and eventually he and I met in London, after he was removed and El-Rufai was also on exile after they tried to kill him. We met and Ribadu refused to sit down. I asked him to sit but he said no, that until I accepted his apology, he wouldn’t sit down. I asked what apology? And he said ‘I should have listened to you. I failed to listen to you. Something you have said to me and I failed to listen’.

“Ribadu admitted that he realised very late that Obasanjo was using him.

“So we have to destroy that link between power and corruption. Audu Ogbe confirmed what I am telling you. Then, it was ‘go after this one, go after that one, ahh you did not arrest him? Arrest his mother’! I am challenging Obasanjo to deny it.

http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-was-becoming-authoritarian-soyinka/

Dat woman x a silent crook, just like her ex-boss

OK

The Ife traditional council in Osun State has officially confirmed the death of the Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, after denying that the monarch had passed away.
The Awara of Iwara-Ife, Layi Adereti, made this known in Ife while speaking on the preparation for the burial of the Ooni, who died at Saint Mary Hospital in London about two weeks ago.
He said the official proclamation of the passage of the Ooni of Ife would be made on Wednesday  August 12.
The traditional ruler said the Oro festival was the final rite of passage for the Ooni, declaring that the final pronouncement of the demise of Ooni has been fixed for Wednesday between the hours of 9am and 4pm.
“This is an official statement from the palace of Awara of Iwara-Ife who is the head of Oro deity that on Wednesday 12th August 2015, there would be official proclamation of the demise of Ooni of Ife,” he said.
“The proclamation will be made public during the Oro festival, being the final rites on the demise of Ooni of Ife.
“The residents of the ancient town are therefore urged to keep away from the streets between the hours of 9am and 4pm during which the Oro diety will be out.
“With the announcement, people are advised to stay in-doors for the period when the Oro will be out.”
Mr. Adereti who is also the head of Oro Cult in Ile-Ife, noted that residents of the ancient town whether male or female would remain indoors during the Oro rites.
According to him, immediately after the Oro rites and the proclamation, subsequent rites would follow. He appealed to all residents of Ife to heed the restriction orders from the palace.
The monarch added that though only females were normally barred when Oro festival is being carried out, but this time around, it would have no respect for gender.
The council had been in denial since the news of the Ooni’s death broke, claiming that its traditional rulers don’t die.
Many of the Chiefs were also embarrassed by the fact that the media reported the passing, instead of the traditional channels established by aged long customs of Ife land.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/188145-breaking-ife-chiefs-confirm-death-of-ooni-okunade-sijuwade.html

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday admitted to supporting Yakubu Dogara over Femi Gbajabiamila, to clinch the Speakership of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Tambuwal, who is the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, said Mr. Dogara was more competent and had better leadership skills.
Mr. Dogara is more competent, accommodating and more capable to lead than Mr. Gbajabiamila, Mr. Tambuwal said, and added “sentiments have to be put aside”.
Messrs Dogara won the election to become Speaker the 8th House of Representatives despite stiff opposition from his party, the All Progressives Congress that supported Mr. Gbajabiamila.
Speaking for the first time on his role in the election, Mr. Tambuwal, said “the issue of competence led eight out of 10 members of the body of Principal Officers of the 7th Assembly” to endorse Mr. Dogara.
He said this when leaders of Sayawa Community of Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State paid him a “thank you” visit to show appreciation to him for supporting Mr. Dogara to become speaker.
Mr. Tambuwal’s admission has now put to rest speculations on whether he supported Mr. Dogara or played a neutral role during the jostling for the nation’s number four position.
Many had expected Mr. Tambuwal to support Mr. Gbajabiamila’s bid given the Lagos lawmaker’s role in his emergence as Speaker of the 7th Assembly. But ironically, he supported Mr. Dogara who opposed his ambition to become Speaker at the time.
But while explaining the reason for his action, he said, “the survival of the legislature as an important arm of government made it imperative that competent hands are headhunted to be its leaders”.
“Eight out of ten members of the Body of Principal Officers in the last Assembly supported Dogara’s aspiration,” he said. “Only Hon Femi (Gbajabiamila) and Hon Datti Ahmad supported Femi.”
“I have strong affinity with Hon Femi. He was closer to me than Dogara. But when talking about leadership and collective decisions, sentiments have to be put aside. I’m not here to tell you that my support made Dogara the Speaker, no. Two things made Dogara to become the Speaker, one is God and two, Dogara’s competence.
He continued, “The acknowledgement of Dogara’s competence did not start with me. It started from the time of Hon Patricia and Etteh and Hon Dimeji Bankole when they entrusted him with a sensitive position of the Chairman of House Services Committee.
“The committee is one of the most sensitive in the legislature. Apart from taking care of the welfare of members, the committee oversees all procurement processes. As the Speaker, I only did what my predecessors did by giving Dogara this sensitive position.
“No person, as far as I know, has ever served as chairman of the House Services committee in two dispensations. Dogara broke that jinx. All through my tenure, I brought Dogara close to me because I found in him a person who is competent, accommodating, and with capacity to lead.
“Anyone doubting Dogara’s ability to lead, should ask members of the 7th Assembly how he handled their matter. So we supported Dogara not for any reason but because he was competent to deliver on any task given to him.”
In his remarks, the paramount ruler of Sayawa, Gung Zaar (select), Ishaku Komu, thanked Mr. Tambuwal for reviving the age-long relationship between Bauchi and Sokoto States, saying the entire community will forever be grateful for the confidence shown to their kinsman.
Mr. Tambuwal responded, saying, “The relationship between people of Sokoto and Bauchi States was amplified in the First Republic when the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa worked in harmony with the leader of his party and then Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahamdu Bello.”

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President Muhammed Buhari Monday in Abuja called for an explanation from the Ministry of Finance on the foreign loans obtained for rail projects but diverted to other purposes.
Speaking at the end of a presentation on the Ministry of Transport by the Permanent Secretary, Mohammed Bashar at the Presidential Villa, President Buhari said that it was disappointing to find that foreign loans obtained in line with signed agreements were moved from one project to another.
“I hope that due process was followed before such diversions were carried out. Taking money from one project to another has to be done properly,” Garba Shehu, his senior special assistant on media and publicity, quoted the President as saying.
Mr. Buhari was reacting to the specific instance of the diversion of a substantial part of the loan of USD1.005 billion from the Chinese Exim Bank, obtained for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos to Kano but which was moved elsewhere.
The permanent secretary had informed the President that only USD 400 million of that loan remained with the Ministry of Finance.
The president regretted that government had, over the years, failed to meet its counter-part funding obligation on some projects, leading to such projects being left uncompleted or abandoned.
He added that there was a clear need to streamline, harmonize, and prioritize on-going projects in the transportation sector.
The permanent secretary of the ministry also briefed the president on other challenges facing the transport and maritime sectors such as encroachment on railway land, lack of security on inland waterways and the confused nature of agreements between the Nigeria Ports Authority and ports concessionaires.

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