₦airaland Forum

The fact that EFCC had confirmed that the Ag. ES of NHIS has refunded his own part of the money, CATBAN is calling for the Ag. ES to step aside & face prosecution. The rest of the beneficiaries of the corrupt proceeds must be arrested immediately for prosecution.

#BuhariMustAct against #CorruptionInMDAs.



SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/25/acting-es-nhis-must-step-aside-immediately/

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to see him and others criticising his government as his enemies.

The governor, who addressed reporters on Thursday in Ado Ekiti, said such criticism should rather be seen as acts to strengthen democracy in Nigeria.
“I am not Buhari’s enemy, opposition is the strength of democracy; it ensures that the electorates get value for their votes,” he said.

“Those who criticise your government are not your enemies, they are catalysts to your growth as a government.”

On the occasion of his 57th birthday, Governor Fayose said his greatest wish was to wake up on Wednesday (November 15) to receive a congratulatory message from President Buhari.

He said: “The President would have made a difference if he had extended such gesture to others beyond his political party, such a congratulatory message should have been conveyed through his Minister of Information.

“I would have loved to either wake up receiving a congratulatory call from him or read it in the papers – but since it is not coming, it is not a big deal to me and I take no offence on it.”

The governor said one of the reasons he is being loved and cheered by all was because of his love for the ordinary man.

He said he has decided to celebrate his birthday with artisans, motorcycle riders, market women and men among other masses on the streets.

“My birthday will be celebrated with the common man on the streets. All the gifts I have received from family, friends and associates will be distributed to men and women on the streets of my state; this was what I did last year,” he added.

Fayose, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, also spoke about the reported consensus candidate for the PDP national chairmanship position.

He said: “Nobody can say some zones would hijack it (the post) because there is no election yet; you don’t know where the election would go.

“Twenty-four hours is a long time in an election, what is important is that a credible candidate emerges as PDP chairman and the fact that we must, as members, conclude this convention as one party.

“You also remember that all our candidates have signed and agreed to remain one regardless of the outcome of the convention; that show unity among us. The chairmanship is zoned to the south,” he added.

Also reacting to opinions that his presidential ambition may rob the South of the party’s chairmanship slot, the governor said: ” How can only one man’s ambition rob others their own chance? That is just a cheap blackmail.”

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/

Kaduna State as a mirror of the poor state of education in Nigeria: Gov El-Rufai deserves commendation

“Primary and Secondary Education form the foundation upon which tertiary education is built”.
Without a doubt, any country that aspires to greatness in any sphere of its existence must ensure that education remains of paramount importance. In realization of this, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) in Section 18 enjoins the Government to ensure that there are equal education opportunities at all levels and that the Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy. Even though the provisions of the said section and others like it which fall under the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy as contained in Chapter II of the Constitution have been held not to be enforceable in a court of Law, its inclusion in the Constitution leaves no room for doubt that the Government is expected to be guided by the ideals contained in the provisions of the section.

Nigeria’s educational system can be described as three tiered made up of the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Each tier or level is designed, as is the case in other countries, to meet certain needs of the student in his educational progress. Of these levels I consider the primary and secondary levels to be of great importance as they essentially form the foundation upon which the tertiary level is built. Indeed the low quality exhibited by University graduates is mainly due to the failure or near total collapse of the primary and secondary levels of education in Nigeria. It was therefore shocking to read that a large number of teachers in kaduna State had failed exams ordinarily meant for primary four pupils. Reporting the incident, a national daily on the 11th of October 2017, stated as follows: “About 21,780 teachers in Kaduna State have failed a test for the primary four class set for them to examine their competence.

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State
As a result, the Kaduna State Government said it is shopping for 25,000 new teachers to replace those who failed the test as part of its plans to restore dignity and quality to education.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai unveiled the planned recruitment when he received a World Bank’s delegation in Kaduna on Monday.
“We tested our 33,000 primary schoolteachers, we gave them primary four examination and required that they must get at least 75 per cent but I am sad to announce that 66 per cent of them failed to get the requirements.
“The hiring of teachers in the past was politicised and we intend to change that by bringing in young and qualified primary schoolteachers to restore the dignity of education in the state,” the governor said.
Regrettably the same scenario had occurred in 2013. At that time, a report in The Punch Newspaper titled “Teachers who fail Pupils’ exams” published on the 1st of March 2013 stated as follows:
“A revelation by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Usman Mohammed, at an education summit two weeks ago, that 1,300 out of 1,599 of the state’s teachers failed woefully in simple arithmetic and basic literacy tests is alarming. The tests are ordinarily meant for primary four pupils but the teachers’ woeful performance is a further proof that the foundation of education in Nigeria, which the primary school system exemplifies, has been dangerously eroded.
“Only one of them scored 75 per cent; 250 scored between 50 and 75 percent and 1,300 scored below 25 per cent,” Mohammed said, citing political patronage in teachers’ appointment as a challenge.”
Teachers are supposed to impart knowledge to their pupils; but when they are not better than those they teach, then, they become nuisance to the society. Kaduna State’s former governor, the late Patrick Yakowa, had noted in November last year that 2,000 teachers with fake credentials were discovered in the state. A total of 15,000 unqualified teachers are among the 36,000 employed by the state.
Prior to the 2013 incident, it had been reported that primary school teachers in Kwara State failed their pupils’ tests and that 80 per cent of teachers in Sokoto were unqualified. As noted at that time, this was a clear indication that “foundational crisis in these states may be far worse than could be imagined; and there are reasons…to think that it has become a national malady. It is a sad tale that should provoke the concern of not just the government and parents, but the country at large (as) Pupils produced by quack teachers spill onto secondary and tertiary levels with minds not well-equipped for further scholastic endeavours (and) Ultimately, they drop out of universities and become social deviants, evident in our youths’ embrace of robbery, kidnapping and prostitution as means of daily survival”.
Given the history of education in this country, it is astounding that things have become so bad in so short a time since independence and despite the great foundation laid by the country’s founding fathers. Yet, critically examined, it is not too difficult to realise just how and when things started going to go wrong beginning with the loss of appreciation for the role and exact nature of the teaching profession.

The Role and Importance of Teachers
Teaching is a vocation. It is a noble profession like Medicine and Law. Therefore, it ought and should be engaged in only by those with a special call who want to impart knowledge to others on the sole ground that they are happy doing so and because they believe that they have a special interest or ability to do so.
Teachers from time immemorial had always enjoyed a lot of respect. From the ancient times including Greeco-Roman civilization, the dark ages, the Middle Ages and the renaissance era, teachers were highly rated in the society. A classic example was the biblical Paul whose reputation as a teacher loomed large in the whole of Judea and Palestine. Teachers had always been the envy of other professionals and the society at large. That was also the position in Nigeria until early 80’s.
I was a teacher and I am proud to say that any day, any time. I started teaching in my Alma Mata as a pupil teacher, Emmanuel Primary School, Ado-Ekiti, a fine Missionary institution after successful completion of my primary school education. I rose from the post of an infant Pupil Teacher to Secondary School teacher and later became the Vice Principal of a Secondary School before I became a lawyer.
As a lawyer, I continued to teach. I taught at the Nigerian Institute of Advance Legal Studies the highest law institute in Nigeria, the post graduate school in University of Ibadan and other higher institutions of learning. I still teach in faculty of law in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti. The truth is that I have interest in teaching and I love teaching. I have come to realize that a good teacher also makes a good lawyer. A teacher learns how to teach others and therefore knows how to teach himself.
In those days, our teachers put premium on child development. They put in extra time and efforts to ensure that their students excelled in learning and character. Teachers knew the students by name and relate with parents for necessary co-operation in achieving the laudable goal of making a total man of the student. More importantly, they engaged the students in the evenings and spend part of their holidays to coach students at no extra cost.
The question now is: why have those values diminished or gone into extinction? What must be done is to return teaching to the path of nobility of teaching profession. To be continued.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/17/kaduna-state-mirror-poor-state-education-nigeria/

We have said it several times that Education sector need total transformation, is beyond sacking 22, 000 primary school teachers. We’re not perfect we all make mistakes but this man in several comments support such decisions of Elrufa’i and he’s a lecturer in higher institution.

“Paid also interactive session”….
Instead of “had an interactive session”.

“Management of the schools”
And it was only one school they had visited.

“Express their challenges and looking away out”..
“Familiarise and create a sense of belonging”

Imagine all these bullets from a lecturer of a higher institution, and these are the people of this government calling for incompetency test on the teachers of Primary school. And remember this guy also lecturer at ATAP polytechnic Bauchi and one Private College of Education in Dass. Does that mean the recent primary school teachers breeds were his product and the likes of him?

How many salaries is this lecturer collecting and from how many institutions – government and private?

From his profile below, he works as a lecturer at Bilyaminu Usman College of Education, Dass. He also works as Exams Officer and HOD Maths, in Ministry of Education, Science and Technology… ����

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/17/many-salaries-lecturer-collecting-many-institutions/

The Yorubas are are said to be the most successful in legal practice. They have the highest number of SANs and the best law firms in Nigeria. Why? Mentorship. AFE BABALOLA alone is said to have mentored at least 17 lawyers to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. They ensured education for their people

Mentorship is the reason Bola Tinubu is celebrated. He has mentored many political god-sons to political greatness. Our own (Northerners) politicians and businessmen want everything for themselves and their families only

The Igbos are the most successful in business. Why? Mentorship. The average Igbo business owner is thinking of how he will settle his “nwa boy” and also make him a millionaire. Our own people will hardly tell you of job vacancies in their place of work or even business opportunities

A candle loses nothing by lighting another. In fact a candle over works itself by not lighting another. Selfishness and petty envy is killing us. You are blessed to bless others. You are lifted to lift others. You are favoured to favour others. Try not to be Andrew Yakubu who had 9 million dollars cash in his house but would not help people around him. He forgot that it was people that helped him in the past.
A GREAT MAN IS HE THAT HAS MADE OTHERS GREAT. With large numbers v illiterates, poverty and almajirai’s in the north, no northerner shall claim greatness .

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/17/mentorship-nigeria-afe-babalola/

More Pictures

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has empowered tea sellers in the state.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/13/kano-govt-empowers-tea-sellers/

Lets see who they will select, GEJ already said they reserved the Seat for the Northerners, even saying he don't think Fayose will get the chance.

The Nigeria Police Force has deployed 26,000, 15 gunboats and 303 patrol vehicles for the Anambra State gubernatorial election scheduled for 18 November. This was disclosed in a statement by Mr. Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer.

According to the statement, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Department of Operations of the Force has been deployed to the state and will be assisted by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police and three Commissioners of Police to be in charge of each Senatorial District.



“In order to ensure adequate security and safety of lives and properties before, during and after the elections, the Inspector General of Police has graciously approved deployment of additional 26,000 Police personnel, comprising the Police Special Forces, Police Mobile Force, the Counter- Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Protection Unit (SPU), the Anti Bomb Squad (EOD), the Force Marine Police, Conventional Policemen, the Force Armament Unit, personnel from Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Mounted Troops, the attack and Sniffer Dogs Section, Police Gun Boats, Police Helicopters and Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) to Anambra State and most of these personnel are already on the ground,” the statement said.

It added that the deployed equipment will be deployed to cover entire state, including riverine areas and difficult terrains. In addition, other security and safety agencies, which are members of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in the state are also deployed to complement the Police.

“Four policemen are deployed to each polling unit along with personnel of other security and safety agencies. No armed security personnel will be allowed within the polling units. Armed Police detachments on patrol vehicles are going to patrol the streets and other locations throughout the state to prevent crime and intervene to quell any violence that may occur during the election,” the statement further said.

To further ensure peaceful conduct of the election, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim K. Idris, and Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) will meet stakeholders and political parties, their flag bearers before the date of the election.

The statement warned that Police personnel deployed for the election must be polite and civil, but firm.

“They are to provide adequate security for the electorate, INEC officials, election materials, election observers and other individuals and bodies that have statutory roles in the conduct of the election, at the polling booths, collation centers, and INEC offices in Anambra State throughout the period of the election,” stated the Police.

The Police also announced that vehicular movement in the state between 12 midnight on 17 November till after the voting period on the day of the election. Government agencies and personnel on essential duties and services, however, will be allowed passage within the period.

“Security identification tag will be provided for all the security and safety agencies, INEC officials, election observers/monitors and others that have statutory duties to carry out in the election. The security personnel deployed will only operate within the area they are posted for the election,” the Police said.

The statement also declared that Commissioners of Police and personnel in the states contiguous to Anambra State have been put on red-alert not to allow an influx of miscreants and thugs into Anambra State. Also, a broad-spectrum security threats assessment is in progress.

“All the identified flashpoints, trouble spots and other perceived violence/vulnerable areas in the state have been profiled and appropriate pragmatic strategies and tactics have been implemented to checkmate and tackle them ahead of the election.Consequent on the renewed threat by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other affiliate groups to disrupt the election, the Force has deployed Special Police Forces, Police Mobile Force, Specially Trained Counter-Terrorism Unit and other intelligence and tactical Squads to deal decisively with IPOB,” the statement added.



The Police assured voters of adequate security, warning IPOB to stay off polling units. The Force also warned political parties, traditional rulers, community leaders, parents and guardians to advise their followers and wards to be law-abiding or face the full weight of the law.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/12/police-warn-ipob-deploy-26000-officers-15-gunboats/

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, wants President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election in 2019.

Mr Umahi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, told State House Correspondents after meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa on Thursday that it is normal for an elected official to seek re-election.

“Since Mr President is doing his first term and I am doing my first term, it’s my wish to re-contest. So, I will as well wish Mr President the same – to re-contest,” he said.



This comes one week after Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State said no automatic ticket for any candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the general elections in 2019.

Okorocha, who was being specific about the presidential election, had said President Buhari would have to go through the procedure provided by the Constitution to emerge the party’s candidate if he decides to recontest.



“We won’t allow imposition of candidates, it must be democratically done. If President Buhari will lead the ship in 2019, it must be democratically done – and I say democratically, transparently,” the governor had said after he met with the President on November 2.

Amid speculations whether President Buhari would contest in 2019, Governor Umahi said there was nothing wrong if the President recontests in the coming general elections.

He said, “Any first-term governor would want to go for a second tenure and if that’s what you wish yourself, you should be honest enough to wish another person the same.”

Away from politics, the governor briefed reporters on the progress made so far by his administration in Ebonyi State since he assumed office in 2015, hinting that the President would soon visit the state.



“We have quite a lot of projects that we have executed within these past two and half years. We have three numbers of twin flyovers that were built across the African Tran-Sahara Road – running from Enugu to Cameroon, passing through Ebonyi State,” he said.

“So, we had to build three flyovers to decongest traffic on that. Each of the twin flyover bridge is 700-metre length; we’ve completed two totally and the third one is about 80% done. So, Mr President will commission the two,” Umahi added.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/12/pdps-umahi-wants-buhari-seek-re-election/

What was supposed to be a routine inspection exercise by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, turned controversial in Port Harcourt when his convoy came head to head with that of the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.



The incident, which occurred on Saturday at Nwanja junction in Trans Amadi area, almost resulted in a clash between the security details of the duo.

The security operatives attached to Amaechi, made up of men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state, reportedly knocked down Wike’s Escort Rider apparently in a way to make way for the former governor.

The tension was, however, heightened when some of the SARS operatives allegedly cocked the guns, resulting in the chief security detail to the governor physically chasing the men away.

The drama lasted for over 30 minutes before Governor Wike proceeded on the inspection of some ongoing projects in the state.



SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/12/drama-amaechi-wike-escorts-clash/

A delegation of the House of Representives Committee on Works, today, Saturday, 11th November, 2017 paid a courtesy call on the Executive Governor of Bauchi State.
Leader of the delegation, Hon. Israel Ajibola Famurewa, explained that they are in the state as part of their oversight duty of evaluating all Federal Road Projects awarded to states in the North East Region in the 2016/2017 budget.

Hon. Famurewa lauded the efforts of Gov Mohammed Abubakar Esq. for his administration’s intervention on Federal roads, especially the dualisation of all roads leading into the state capital.

While responding on behalf of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, Nuhu Gidado, hailed the committee for bringing back oversight function of the Legislative arm of Government which was hitherto almost non exisiting.

The Governor used the opportunity of the visit to plead with the committee to prevail on the Federal Government to settle monies owed to Bauchi State in previous state intervention projects on Federal Roads.

Yakubu Adamu
Special Assistant on Communications to Bauchi State Deputy Governor wrote.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/11/reps-delegation-paid-courtesy-call-bauchi-state-governor/

Former Minister for Special Duties under the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, Tanimu Turaki, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party will not produce a northern president in 2019.

Turaki said, rather, the party would field someone who would carry everybody along.

The ex-minister in an interview with Premium Times said the current government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari does not have regard for other parts of the country.

According to him, the former ruling party is looking for men and women of integrity, people that will be the new face of PDP.

He said, “We want people that will not have been part of the so-called impunity that have played out in the party before. People that will raise that hope among Nigerians. People that will inspire members of the party to go that extra mile in canvassing support for the party. So that at the end of the day, we will come up with men and women of proven integrity that will stand anywhere and that would be the first step that PDP will use in telling Nigerians that we have changed, this is a new PDP.

“By the time we get to the point of selecting our party’s presidential candidate, I assure you that Nigerians will be proud of PDP. We will come out with a man or woman of high integrity, somebody who is unassailable, whose integrity is beyond reproach, somebody that Nigerians will have confidence that even though we are going to bring a northerner, we are not going to bring a northern president.

“I want to assure Nigerians and it is important that Nigerians take note of this. Even though the presidency has been zoned to the north, we are not going to give Nigerians a northern president, we are going to give Nigerians, a Nigerian president of northern extraction. Somebody when he thinks, he thinks Nigeria; when he wants to act, he acts Nigeria. Somebody when he wants to move, he moves Nigeria.

“Not somebody that will begin to discriminate among Nigerians, not somebody who will want to treat Nigerians differently on the basis of their support, their thinking, their beliefs and attitude. Somebody who will build strong bridges of friendship across the divide. We will bring somebody who is a unifier.”

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/11/pdp-will-not-produce-northern-president-2019-turaki/

The Maritime University, located at Okerenkoko, Delta State, has now commenced full academic activities.
This is as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved an increase of the take-off grant from N2b earlier announced to N5b.

The grant has already been included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly earlier this week, under the Federal Ministry of Education allocation.

The Minister of Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani made this known over the weekend in a press statement he made available to journalists.

According to the statement, the presidential approval for the N5B budget allocation was based on the recommendation of a committee in the Ministry of Education tasked with the activation of the university.

It added that President Muhammadu Buhari has also approved an immediate release of N1b to the university to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment, noting that the release was separate from the N5B allocated in the 2018 budget submitted to the National Assembly.

“Recently, the Maritime University authorities have commenced the process of hiring staff with advert placements published in the Punch, Vanguard, and Sun newspapers, blogs and other online outlets.

“In the published academic staff vacancies, the Maritime University is now hiring professors, readers, senior lecturers, lecturers, assistant lecturers and graduate assistants to teach in the faculties of Science, Maritime Transportation, Maritime Engineering & Technology, Maritime Environmental Management and General Studies.

“It would be recalled that under the New Vision for the Niger Delta, which followed the President’s meeting with PANDEF leaders last November, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities and the issue of the take-off of the Maritime University was one of the major requests tabled before the Federal Government”, the statement read in part.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/11/maritime-university-takes-off-delta-buhari-increases-grant-n5bn/

Seriously, now a days i wonder why people cant think well nd learn a lesson from others mistake.

Daniel2060:
We have seen you Mr Truther

hhhh Number ONE

HHHHH no he mean it faaa, if he is kidding he wont come out to media

FirstCounsel:
he he he. You're kidding right?

RIP

The Abia State Police Command, has arrested 23-year-old Kingsley Eze, who reportedly sold his 5-months old son for N250,000 due to lack of money to raise and train him.

Eze who agreed with his girlfriend to sell the baby, was arrestedalongside another child trafficking suspect, Chinkata Chikezie, who reportedly sold his five-year-old son for an undisclosed amount.

Eze said, “I am a mechanic. I was arrested for child trafficking. The baby is mine; my fiancee gave birth to him. .

We decided to sell the baby because I wasn’t making enough money to take care of him and the mother.”

Chikezie’s arrest on the other hand, came after his wife reported to the police that she woke up on October 16, 2017, and discovered that her baby was missing and the door to their room was open.

Punch reports that Chikezie was handed over to the Police for questioning, by the villagers who apprehended him on his way back home.

Chikezie however confessed that he sold his son in connivance with one Kelechi John and Chikezie Ubabuike, who have also been arrested, with the child recovered too by the Police.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/10/sold-son-n250k-couldnt-train/

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture , Lai Mohammed, who spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, slammed those presenting him as a liar and further asked them to dispute the facts he has always brought up right in their face.

According to the Minister, he has said that he has never told a lie before and the tag on him as a liar is orchestrated by PDP who he claimed is yet to forgive him.

“ I have two burdens. The first is that I happen to be the face of the opposition, and PDP has not forgiven me , and I do not think they will ever forgive me ”

“ I think they look at the magnitude of what has happened to them , and they hold me solely responsible ; which is not fair. But, I did my bit. Now becoming the face of government again , it is automatic to them that whatever comes from Lai Mohammed , we must shoot it down as fake news and a lie”

“ Incidentally, my father gave me the name Lai, also . So, it makes it very easy for them to make me a liar . But what I challenge them every time is , please , give me one thing I said that is not true . I have never told lies before .”

“ Emotionally, you may not agree with me , but in terms of facts and figures , I have never said anything that they can be disputed . You do not have to like it, but you cannot deny that they are facts” Lai Mohammed said.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/10/lai-mohammed-never-life-told-lie/

The Funeral prayer on late Hajiya Yelwa Danjuma Goje today in Gombe Emir Palace. May her Gentle soul rest in peace.

Ameen.


SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/09/funeral-prayer-late-hajiya-yelwa-danjuma-goje/

No faaa, wallaee these people are stealing more than enough, they ar just hiding it, nd we though they are all clean.

Defence minister says $1.4m contract ‘in order’ — but new documents raise more questions Tukur Gusau, spokesman of Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence, says there is no fraud in the award of the contract for the relocation and refurbishment of Nigeria’s UN Level 2 Military Hospital under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

The project has been completed and awaiting inspection by the ministry, Gusau also said in a press statement issued on Wednesday in response to TheCable’s report on the affair.

A UN Level 2 hospital is a second line or “brigade/sector” level surgical facility for limited specialist ex­pertise and limited surgical ca­pabilities, including life, limb and organ-saving surgeries.

TheCable had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the $1.4 million contract in November 2016, but it was awarded for $1 million and could not be completed.

Dan-Ali, Danjuma Nanfo, the immediate past permanent secretary in the ministry, and LYM Hassan, a brigadier-general and coordinator of peacekeeping, are at the centre of the scandal.

Hassan is now in detention and facing a court-martial.

But in his reaction, Gusau said a team from the ministry of defence and the defence headquarters would carry out an inspection of the project.

“The fact of the matter is that the procedure of awarding contracts by the ministry is in line with the existing procurement act of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said in a statement.

“The said contract has already been successfully executed and the contractor has requested a team from the ministry of defence and the defence headquarters to carry out an inspection of the project.

“The team is due in Mali soon. There is no fraud in the process.”

He also said the detention of Hassan has nothing to do with the contract.

“The case of the said army general currently standing trial at the army court-martial has no connection with the award of any contract by the ministry,” he said.

Earlier, Gusau had refused to respond to TheCable’s questions, saying the matter was already in court.

“The matter is already in court. How do you expect us to comment? You can go to the court-martial and talk to them if they are willing to talk to you. We cannot talk to you since the issue is already before them,” he had said.

DAN-ALI REQUESTED $1.464 MILLION

MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

Gusau, the minister’s spokesman, was silent on several issues and other allegations in the report, namely:

What “due processes” led to the award of the contract to Opems Integrated Concepts Ltd, with office address at Garki market?
Was Opems the company that was approved by the president?
The sum of $1,464,750 was requested for by the ministry and approved by the president. Why was the contract awarded for $1,000,000?
Opems was given “two months” to execute the contract with effect from February 2, 2017, but on November 8, 2017 — a clear nine months after — the ministry says the contract is now “ready for inspection”.
Since the UN already gave a deadline of August 2017 and has asked Rwanda to provide the facility following Nigeria’s failure, will the ministry of defence still hand over the hospital to the UN?
Why is LYM Hassan, a brigadier-general and coordinator of peacekeeping at the ministry, being court-martialled after he was secretly recorded making “uncomplimentary statements”.
Which company eventually started work in the Super Camp in Mali? The contractor or servicing officers of the Nigerian military who acted under instruction from the minister of defence?

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/09/details-corruption-ministry-defence/

Miss Wuese Aloo, the suspected monkey pox victim in Benue State, has lost her four-month-old pregnancy.

This was confirmed at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi.

Wuese said she contracted the disease from her lorry-driver boyfriend, who is nowhere to be found. He occasionally bring goods to Gboko.

A youth corps member, from Cross River State, is allegedly responsible for the pregnancy. He has been quarantined at BSUTH while tests are being conducted

According to the hospital management, the blood sample of the first victim has been taken to Senegal for screening; the result is being expected.

SOURCE http://www.naijanews247.com/2017/11/09/monkeypox-victim-impregnated-nysc-member-loses-pregnancy/