₦airaland Forum

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has repackaged the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s YouWin programme into a multimedia programme and renamed it YouWinConnect! 

This is part of the youth employment drive of the present administration by supporting young entrepreneurs with fresh business ideas.
‎
Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun stated that the YouWinConnect! was designed “to support young entrepreneurs as they PLAN, START and GROW their businesses by delivering Online, through Radio and by Television, enterprise management education and skills as well as Franchise development.”

The YouWinConnect Programme, which replaces the 8-year-old YouWin, aims to promote entrepreneurship as well as viable career options for young Nigerians thereby creating jobs and wealth.

Under the programme, the Federal Ministry of Finance which runs the scheme, would organize training programmes for young entrepreneurs in business management skills, including book keeping, reinvesting profits, avoiding falling into unnecessary debts and the capacity to identify and key into new business opportunities.‎

THE presentation of the 2017 Budget by President Muhammadu Buhari to a Joint Session of the National Assembly on Wednesday (today) has been moved by a two hours.

The shift was confirmed by the Special Adviser on Media to the President, Femi Adesina.

The presentation, earlier scheduled for 12pm, now holds at 2pm.



It was learnt that the shift was necessitated by Buhari’s trip to The Gambia.

The United Nations had mandated Buhari and other African leaders to prevail on President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia to step down after losing the country’s presidential election to Adama Barrow.



Presidency sources said Buhari only returned to Abuja at 3:20am.

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it will appeal the order by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State asking it to defreeze the accounts of Governor Ayo Fayose in Zenith Bank.

NNAMDI Kanu, leader of the Independent People of Biafra, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of lying, saying the president cannot intimidate him.

At a stormy court session on Tuesday, Mr. Kanu said the president can intimidate court judges, but not him.

“The president can intimidate the judges, but he cannot do that to me. Tell him he has lied,” said Mr. Kanu.

A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Tuesday on an application seeking the protection of witnesses in the ongoing trial of Mr. Kanu, and three others, David Nwawuisi, Benjamin Madubugwu and Chidiebere Onwudiwe, who are facing trial for alleged treasonable felony.

They were arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako after the first defendant said he had no confidence in the former judge, John Tsoho.

The court had adjourned the application for protection of witnesses to December 13.

Delivering the ruling, Mrs. Binta said the court would allow the witnesses some degree of protection.



“The counsels and the defendants will see the witnesses. The witnesses will have special entrances to and outside the court,” the judge said.

Mrs. Nyako also said the court would allow the witnesses to be shielded with screen-guards. She said the court would set aside two days for rehearsals on how the witnesses will come into the court and depart from the court.

After the ruling was given, Mr. Kanu said he would not allow himself to be given a secret trial in any way.

Raising his voice, Mr. Kanu said anything short of a public trial will not be allowed.

Mr. Kanu’s lawyer, Chux Muoma, warned his client to allow the counsel he employed to do his job without undue interference in court.

“Sit down! I am your counsel let me talk. I have not come all the way here to allow you speak for me in court,” said Mr. Muoma.

He apologised to the court afterwards. Counsel to the other defendants said they will make a formal application against the judgement. They said they were opposed to the ruling of the court.

Shortly after, the defendants began to clamour for an opportunity to speak to their lawyers.



The judge, Mrs. Nyako, warned the defendants to desist from making her court rowdy.

The judge said her ruling did not imply that the trial will be conducted in secret.

“It is not going to be a secret trial. The court will allow the defendants see the witnesses. The defendant counsel will also see the witnesses,” said Mrs. Nyako.

The defendants challenged that position again, drawing the judge’s warning.

“If you don’t stop talking in my court I will assume you are becoming a nuisance in my court. And if I assume so, I will continue this trial in your absence, so do not try my patience,” she said.

“When you are in my court you will do what I want. It’s like having a visitor in your house; you can serve the visitor food but if he wants to eat he will eat and if he doesn’t want to, he will not.”

After a brief recess, Mr. Kanu began to speak again.

“I will address this court! You cannot be killing my people and tell me that you will make me have a secret trial. That won’t happen! The president can intimidate the judges, but he cannot do that to me. Tell him he has lied,” said Mr. Kanu.



The other defendants soon joined in the voice of opposition against the court’s ruling and the session became rowdy.

The court clerks then told the people present in court that the session was over and that the matter would not continue again on Tuesday.

Outside the court, the IPOB supporters clashed with the security operatives while the latter tried to return Mr. Kanu and the other defendants to the vehicle that had brought them.

They kept shouting chants in support of the Biafran State, after the vehicles carrying the defendants zoomed off on top speed.

[NAN]

Lalasticlala

THE Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has denied reports that the agency had started distribution of guns and other arms to its officials.








FRSC Head of Media Relations, Bisi Kazeem, who disclosed this in an interview with Premium Times, added that the rumour that the Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, has authorized FRSC officials to carry arms is  ‘a figment of the imagination of mischievous individuals’


Kazeem stated that: “The Corps Marshal was lamenting the recent findings that 70 marshals lost their lives this year alone to some outlawed motorists. He then stated that such a high number of losses could have been avoided if FRSC personnel were carrying arms as allowed by the law. But he quickly added that there is no immediate plan to implement the law allowing officials to carry arms. It’s unfortunate that some wicked people now took that to mean that he said officials are now being armed. It’s a figment of their imagination”


The image maker of the FRSC noted that road safety officials undergo regular training on how to handle firearms as permitted by law but there is no plan to ‘implement it in the nearest future’.


“We’ve been undergoing such trainings on regular intervals since 1992 when Ibrahim Babangida was in office. But we have never put the exercise in general practice of our operation and we have no plans of implementing it in the nearest future,” he said.


An amendment to the FRSC Act in 2007 granted the road traffic officials the power to bear arms but corps marshals are always reluctant to implement it.

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has recommended immediate psychiatric attention for the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, saying that his behavior and utterances these days do not present him as a person who is still in full control of his mental faculties.



The party said in a statement issued on Monday in the state capital Port Harcourt said: “Nigerians may have observed the distorted, uncoordinated and incomprehensible manner in which Chief Wike addresses the public these days, which is perhaps an indication that he needs psychiatrist assistance as a matter of urgency before his case goes beyond remedy. Today he is accusing the military of being after him or tying to assassinate him, tomorrow he will be accusing the INEC and Police of plotting on how to rig the rerun election scheduled to hold on December 10. Later he will accuse Transportation Minister Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of trying to pay the salaries of civil servants which he Wike has refused to pay for these eight months. This is even as he would accuse NIMASA DG Dakuku Peterside of plotting how to restore security and peace to Rivers State, thereby dislodging and thwarting his policy of turning Rivers State to Rivers of blood while on the other hand accusing the APC Rivers South-East Senatorial District Candidate Senator Magnus Abe of meeting with senior police officers between 2am and 4am on Friday, where he requested that they support his rigging agenda in exchange for N10million EACH. If not that Wike has gone berserk where on earth does he wants Abe to raise such a staggering fund in an election that the Ogonis have vowed to vote for him?

 

Recently at the Rivers state Government House, Wike muttered to PDP Chieftains, “apart from the fact that Development creates crime and that since I resumed office as Governor of Rivers state, people are being killed and beheaded in Rivers state and pictures of those killed in the state were littered in social media, too much insecurity in Rivers state I will only try my little best to handle it but as the President of the new Niger Delta Republic, how can my fellow President, President Buhari of Nigeria withdrew my security and assigned them to Hon Asita O. Asita a small boy besides People should understand that in Rivers State, we have the capacity to resist the security agencies of Nigeria. To worsen our case, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has assigned all the Police SARs in the South-South (SS) to Senator Magnus Abe and those of South East (SE) region to 'Senators' Andrew Uchendu and Amachree".

 

Rivers APC in the statement signed by the State Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, described Wike’s wild allegations and utterances as symptomanic of a person in need of psychiatric evaluation.

“We suspect that the law of Karma is now after him including the blood of hundreds of Rivers State people that Wike and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) killed to install him and his lieutenants in office is now on a revenge mission, exacting a heavy toll on the usurper-Governor,’ the party said.

 

"The quote, "he who sows the wind, will reap the whirlwind” makes better meaning with the current sorrow state of Wike and his mindless cohorts. The Holy Bible as contained in the book of Galatians 6:7 may have had Wike in mind when it stated, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"

 

"To further expose wike's unstable mind and thought as Nigerian Master Electoral Rigger and how he rigged himself to power, let us listen to him, "How can APC topple me as master electoral rigger? Na me bi their Oga (for rigging). I no give them this kind thing. Na me bi their oga. I no teach them this kind thing. Na who dey teach them all this kind thing? Trans Amadi Police station, you know we have police barrack there near Michelin. Na there wey the SARS Commander dey live, one Akeem. Every night, you go see them with this Tundra, this big hilux, black. Them go come. Them go tell all the security people wey dey for gate make them comot. Them go comot. Them go put off the light and bring down materials. I go tell them say me, I be professional. This thing wey una dey do, una bi small children”.

 

“Everyday this man who is not fit to be a governor makes Rivers State a laughing stock before the country and the international community. He should be made to get help before it is too late.”
 
“We therefore appeal to the Rivers electorate to utilise the opportunity offered by the rerun parliamentary election to vote massively for all APC candidates and thus free the State from the shackles of the ungodly and bloodthirsty PDP leadership.”
 
“In the same vein, we appeal to INEC and security agencies not to be intimidated by Wike’s tricks and pranks. We urge the security agencies to ensure that those hoodlums hired and kept by Wike to cause havoc during the election are properly caged so that people would feel free to exercise their franchise on December 10, 2016,” the statement said.

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has urged the public to disregard the speculations that it had commenced the sale of its application documents for the 2017 UTME by some group of persons.



The board’s Head, Media and Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, debunked the speculations in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.

According to the statement, the Registrar of the examination body, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has expressed disappointment with the development and calls on innocent Nigerians not to fall prey.

The statement said: “The public is hereby notified that JAMB has not commenced the sales of its application documents as advertised by some unknown and desperate persons.

“They are to disregard any website or individuals claiming to be in possession of these documents and offering same for sales.

“We are putting finishing touches to innovation and changes to ease the challenges associated with the procedure of application for the 2017 all Computer-Based Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

“We are looking forward to announcing the commencement of the sales of these documents very soon.”

The statement advised the public to feel free to contact the board for clarification on its activities through its website or contact numbers whenever they were in doubt.

It noted that Oleyede had announced his willingness to open the board’s door to the public to make valuable contributions and also report any act against the board’s pedigree by either the staff or the board’s development partners.

It stated: “We must all be interested in what happens in JAMB, as it is too important to be ignored.

“Help us to watch over where our eyes cannot get to, hear where our ears fail and be our police where our presence is insufficient.”

It added that the Registrar had restated the board’s determination to ensure that nobody was spared in sustaining and advancing the credibility of the board.

Lalasticlala

Funlordjnr:



Are the police asleep in that state?

BARELY a day after the campaign office of the Senator representing Kaduna Central District, Shehu Sani was attacked by unknown gunmen, unknown thugs suspected to be loyal to the lawmaker have stormed the Kaduna APC Secretariat on Ali Akilu Way.








The thugs were reportedly said to be numbering about 50 and chanting the Senator's name while hitting the gate of the party's Secretariat with local weapons.


A detachment comprising of police personnels have arrived the scene to forestall further breakdown of law and order at the party building, witness said in an email to Social Times which could not be independently confirmed as at press time.


Some of the thugs were overheard saying they were at the Secretariat to vent their anger over the disciplinary action taken against the Senator by the Ward 6 Exco of the party days ago.

The senator was suspended indefinitely by his ward chapter of the party.

Shehu Sani campaign's office came under attack by unknown gunmen yesterday.


Mr. Sani had blamed the State Governor, Nasir El-rufai, of being the master-mind of the attack on this campaign office.


[Jacob Onjewu]

Peroti:
In summary: what apc and buhari criticised GEJ fr and also called him "clueless" is now happening in his regime.
Then d question is...where is now the over hyped change promised to the gullible Nigerians??
I pity this country.

WHENEVER i had a lookery at President Buhari, I do so with pity and uttermost sympathy toward a leader who's sacrificing his all and doing his possible best to make a nation great, but lamentably, some inexact elements within his own government are hellbent on ensuring his failure. Saboteurs and seditionists in syndicates have occupied all areas of governance with a common mission - to rubbish the president and make his stewardship appear a Joke. No sector of the economy is free from the thralldom of fifth columnists and inquisitors, they are everywhere with sophisticated arsenals at their disposal. 

Among others, the persistent delay in payment of workers' salaries is non but one major lese mageste that the Buhari administration need to look into with outmost intensity. Worried by the problems arising from the delays in payment of salaries, President Muhammadu Buhari on April 20, 2016 directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to ensure the payment of workers' salaries latest by the 25th of every month. The AGF, Mr Ahmed Idris, on his own part confirmed that the presidential directive takes immediate effect and that the government has made all necessary provisions to at least accommodate salary and other statutory payments even before FAAC (federal allocation committee) meeting, citing that the government would borrow from TSA account and repay after FAAC. 

Things all went right in the first two to three months, federal workers were promptly paid on or before 25th for the months of April, May and June, however, things surprisingly began backsliding the fourth month. Since then, those saddled with the task of paying salaries reverted to the old starving way of paying on the 30th or even running into the following month on several instances. As we speak, several federal MDAs are yet to receive November salary as at today 4th December. Last month, several federal agencies including the National Orientation Agency (NOA) received their October on the 16th of November without any explanation from the authority. Sadly, this has been the trend so far and things continue to get even worser by the day, while the president seems to be unaware of this sad development.

In this period of recession, the working class are the most affected by the current economic hardships, they have no any other sources of income apart from salary while all other classes of people (both private and non working classes) depends on them for livelihood. Of course the situation of delay in payment of workers' salaries can be attributed to lack of funds as exacerbated by the fact Nigeria is largely dependent on oil, which means there must be a negative domino effect on it economy whenever there’s a fall in oil prices, akin to what we are currently experiencing. In this situation, it'll be understandable if the government fall short of cash in it coffers which may confront difficulties in affording to pay it bloated workforces, but in our case where the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has accumulated trillions of Naira, it'll be difficult to convince any intellectual that government cannot afford prompt payments of salary.

Salary delay has become a habit in Nigeria over the years until the coming of President Buhari, but unfortunately, the same practice has yet again returned in full force. As a result, workers are been subjected to borrowing from banks, friends and family to supplement the absence of salary which has a very reprobated effect within the society, the debts mount up and became a burden to clear, which much often left workers with huge debts higher than their income, thus engendering workers's lives to the act of borrowing which will in one way or the other birthed an emotional imbalance among the working class, hence affecting productivity.

The end causatum of this incessant delay in paying workers' salaries is perhaps enormous and super-colossal, it forces unpaid workers (teachers, nurses, security personnels and other civil servants) to engage in various kinds of petty businesses and look out for several other private means of earning little income while the impatients turns to various forms of crimes to earn a living. Which as a result, many schools, hospitals and security offices are left empty without workers who are out looking to meet earns, which has a very negative effect on the overall development of a country.

For many Nigerians, corruption is the obvious reason for this endemic problem of salary delays as those in charge of paying salaries may enjoy few benefits here and there from the delays but the most glaring reason is sabotage. President Muhammadu Buhari has blocked all leakages of embezzling public resources which adumbrate threats to the existence of some corrupt government officials, many of whom have ganged up to ensure the downfall of his government and make fool of him in person. In avengers, they have now collaborated to sabotage the president's efforts, rubbish his policies and set Nigerians against him at all cost. And perhaps, delaying or non payment of workers' salaries without any convincing explanation is undoubtedly a sensible way for any government to loose the support, trust and confidence of its people. I stand to be corrected.

It's for this reason that the Buhari administration need to do everything within it reach to win back the trust and confidence of it workers, by ensuring smooth payments of workers' salaries and others entitlements without further delay as provided by the Labour Act which specifies that employers must pay salaries and wages at the end of the period agreed by both parties in an employment contract which is 24th-25th of every month. The government should in the best interest of all and sundry review or amend the labour act and provide more stringent measures that will proscribe and criminalize the habit of delaying or non-payment of salaries and outline retributions for perpetrators.
Until then, the Buhari administration can think of enjoying the full support of the working class. But the way things are moving right now, I am not sure if this culture of not paying workers as at when due is going to change anytime soon, the only inevitability I can assure is that the next time President Muhammadu Buhari will claim to be paying workers' salaries on or before 25th, Nigerians would strenuously look with the corner end of one eye and call him a LIAR. 

Usama Dandare, a social commentator writes from Sokoto. Reach him via osadaby@yahoo.com or facebook or twitter @osadaby.

Lalasticlala

sarrki:
Meaning?

Itumo?

Pasara?

Abi you need to reboot the system first

It's better to shut down the system than to allow

Virus gets in

Morning

chinanu123:
Is it the defeated BOKO HARAM or another new one.

ABDULLAHI Ganduje, Governor of Kano State on Friday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on emerging security challenges in the state occasioned by increasing influx of Boko Haram insurgents into Falgore forest in the state.


Ganduje was reacting to questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: “I came to brief Mr. President on the security situation in Kano, especially on the fallout from the North Eastern part of this country in which some of the Boko Haram (insurgents) kidnappers will like to dominate Falgore where they will be operating to other parts of the North Western part of the country.

“So, the security agencies are working very hard and a lot of arrest had been made.

“Investigation is going on.

“We will not allow them to dominate Kano and to make it as a launching pad.

“Certainly, we expect if they are dismantled from the North East part of this country, they will find another location and Kano being an older city, is an attractive place for such elements to come in.”

According to Ganduje, security agencies have apprehended three persons believed to be leaders of the criminal group.

The governor, who is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress’ Technical Committee on Rivers State by-elections, expressed optimism that all the APC candidates would emerge victorious in the exercise.

He said the APC would ensure a free and fair election in the state.

He said: “We have fresh ideas even though the environment in Rivers is quiet different.

“We are consulting, we are coordinating and this time around, like in Ondo State, we must ensure free and fair election.

“You know in that part of the country, having free and fair election is not normal and we must make it normal this time around.

“We must make sure that there is security so that people can come out and vote and vote the person they like.

“That is our main preoccupation at the moment.

“We are making wider consultations with stakeholders and we believe we will succeed.”

OZAOEKPE:
sarrki i no talk am..

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of two more justices for the Supreme Court.

Those approved by Buhari were Justices Sidi Dauda Bage and Paul Adamu Galinje.

The approval was based on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.

The two Justices will be sworn-in by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, on December 5, 2016 at 2pm in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

FORMER Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) Atiku Abubakar has felicitated with the governor-elect of Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the good people of Ondo State and the ruling APC for winning the gubernatorial polls, at the weekend.








In a congratulatory press statement issued in Abuja by the Atiku Media Office on Monday, 28 November, the Turakin Adamawa called the peaceful conduct of the election in Ondo State, devoid of violence and fratricidal rancour, as the path to chart for future elections in the country nationwide.


Atiku urges Akeredolu to use the opportunity of his victory in the election to usher in good governance and development in Ondo State.


The APC chieftain congratulated Nigerians, particularly the people of Ondo State for having faith in the tenets of democracy as the best form of government.


According to the statement, the former Vice President welcomed Ondo State back on the track of Progressives in Nigeria, adding "together we shall work to bring prosperity and development to our fatherland."

WITH the trouncing of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in the governorship election in Ondo State Saturday, the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, is asking the governor of Rivers State to immediately retrieve and return the sum of N2bn of Rivers money he donated to the Ondo State branch of the PDP.



 

Making the demand Sunday afternoon was the Rivers State Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senibo Chris Finebone while addressing APC supporters in Port Harcourt shortly after the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Chief Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC as the winner of the 2016 Ondo governorship election.

 

“It is unfortunate that Gov. Nyesom Wike is still playing Father Christmas with the commonwealth of Rivers people for his personal egoistic political voyage despite that the governor has cancelled hundreds of overseas scholarships and the students repatriated home among other important programmes. Agriculture is in its worst state since Rivers State was created. Songhai Farm is gone; the Banana Farm at Tai is gone; RSSDA is now a ghost of its former self with the staff owed 17 months salaries. The various fish farms at Buguma, Andoni and other places that provided jobs for thousands of Rivers people are now history.

 

“It saddens the heart that our governor prefers to neglect important matters calling for attention at home but rather lavish our commonwealth on his personal political pursuits. Can you imagine that Gov. Nyesom Wike willingly donated a whopping N2bn to the Ondo State chapter of the PDP? It is horrible, mind-boggling and indefensible.

 

“Just like in the case of Edo, the PDP has lost and the governor should not wait to be reminded to return the N2bn back to the treasury of Rivers State immediately,” Finebone demanded.

 

Continuing, the APC Spokesman lambasted the governor for wasting the resources of the people on matters concerning the PDP rather than concentrate on frugally applying the state’s resources to the needs of the people of Rivers State.

 

“Whereas the PDP has states like Akwa Ibom and Delta that collect high monthly federal allocations, it is only Gov. Wike that plays the party’s godfather. So far, he has wasted billions of Naira hosting two failed national conventions of the PDP in Port Harcourt. He has profligately donated billions of Naira belonging to Rivers people to faraway Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo PDP chapters for purposes of elections while medical workers, pensioners and teachers are owed back home.

 

“Is it that Rivers State has been conquered by a small band of buccaneers led by Gov Wike and genuine elders are keeping quiet?” Finebone queried.

 

The APC Spokesman warned that if the governor did not return the N2bn he gave out to Ondo PDP, he will be forced to do so at the appropriate time.