₦airaland Forum

My dear Asiwaju,

I am compelled to write this open letter to you because of the state of affairs of the Yoruba nation. Firstly, I wish to acknowledge that fate has put you in a prime position to determine to a large extent the direction that the Yoruba people will go.

The indisputable truth is that one may quarrel with your politics but your sagacity is never in doubt. Even those who don’t see eye to eye with you agree that you are imbued with unusual native intelligence, uncommon people skills and unrivaled foresight.

You, more than any other person, have been the game changer since the advent of democracy in 1999. It is for these reasons that I have chosen to direct this letter to you. My singular purpose is to tug at the strings of your heart.

I am not writing to appeal to partisan considerations but to see, if per chance, I can pour out my heart to you in a manner of speaking. God has blessed you even beyond your wildest imagination.

You have installed Senators and Governors. You have removed Governors and even a President. You have also installed a President. There is nothing you have wished for or desired that you didn’t get. Fortune has smiled on you. Goodwill follows you everywhere you go. You have done very well- more than most men ever will.

However, there is one area that is begging for your urgent attention. This area may well define you and all you have ever achieved. This matter, in my opinion, is the only difference between you and the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Let me restate for the purpose of emphasis that this is the area in which the late sage and Leader of the Yorubas stand head and shoulders above you. It is the reason his name has been a constant denominator in our regional and national politics.

It is the reason politicians, friends and foes invoke his name for political advantage and personal glory. It is also the reason why we can’t stop talking about him almost thirty years after his death.

What will anyone say about you thirty years after you have transited? Asiwaju Sir, you may be wondering what I’m talking about? It is the issue of legacy.

According to Peter Strople, ‘Legacy is not leaving something for people; it is leaving something in people’. Legacy is building something that outlives you. Legacy is greater than currency.

In the words of Leonard Sweet, ‘What you do is your history. What you set in motion is your legacy’. You can’t live forever, Sir. No one can. But you can create something that will.

Enough of speaking in parables- I shall now speak plainly. When destiny brought you on the scene, we were enamored because you championed the case for true federalism. It was your belief then that the Yoruba nation will fare better under a restructured arrangement than under the type of unitary government we run while pretending by calling it a federal government.

Everyone knows that there is nothing federal about our government at all. If the truth must be told, the Yoruba nation has fared very badly since the advent of our new democracy. And this is not about holding power at the center. Let me bring this home: someone passed a comment recently that he would want Biafra to become a reality because he knows the Igbo nation will survive. That comment led me to deeper introspection as I wondered if the Yorubas can truly survive. Let me cite my first example. From Oyo to Osun, Ogun to Ondo, Ekiti to Kwara and Lagos, hardly will one see any serious industry or manufacturing concern owned by a Yoruba person.

I am not talking about portfolio businesses or one-man business concerns. Most industries in Oyo State are owned by the Lebanese. The native business and industry gurus who dominated the landscape- Nathaniel Idowu, Amos Adegoke, Lekan Salami, Alao Arisekola, Adeola Odutola, Jimoh Odutola, Chief Theophilus Adediran Oni and others- are all gone with no credible replacements.

I’m sure you remember the tyre factory of the Odutolas and how Jimoh Odutola was even asked by the Governments of Kenya and Ghana to set up a similar factory in their countries. Chief Theophilus Adediran # Oni , popularly called T.A # Oni & Sons started the first indigenous construction company in Nigeria. He willed his residence- Goodwill House, to the Oyo/Western state government, to be used as a Paediatric Hospital, which is now known as T.A Oni Memorial Children Hospital at Ring Road in Ibadan.

This sprawling family Estate and residence was cited on a 15acre piece of land, 65 rooms, with modern conveniences, Olympic Swimming Pool and stable for Horses, etc. People like Chief Bode Akindele started companies like Standard Breweries and Dr. Pepper Soft drink factory at Alomaja in Ibadan. Broking House built by the late Femi Johnson, an insurance magnate, still stands glittering in the mid-day sun as an epitome of a rich history that Ibadan has.

The most serious and only notable Yoruba entrepreneur we have now is Michael Adenuga. I say this quite consciously because most of the other names are oil and gas barons. Most of what stood as testaments of industry in Oyo State are gone- Exide Batteries, Leyland Autos, and many others.

In its place are shopping malls and roadside markets but no nation develops through buying and selling alone- especially when you’re not actually producing what you’re selling. Hypermarkets and supermarkets have taken over because of the need to feed our insatiable consumer appetite and foreign tastes. In one instance, an ancient landmark in the form of a hotel was demolished to pave the way for a mall. That is how low we have sunk.

If our past is better than our present- if we always look back with nostalgia frequently, then there is a problem. The case of other states is not different. Osun’s case is pathetic. Ditto for Ondo and Ekiti. Ogun State can boast of some factories at Sango-Otta and Agbara axis but most of them are not owned by the Yorubas. There is no significant pharmaceutical company owned by any Yoruba except for Bond Chemicals in Awe, Oyo State- and its wallet share is very insignificant. For Lagos State, more than 70% of the manufacturing concerns and major industries in the State are owned by the Igbos.

If the Igbos were to stop paying tax in Lagos State, the IGR of Lagos State will reduce by over 60%. In contrast, Sir, go to the South East and look at the manufacturing concerns in Onitsha, Aba, and Nnewi.

Please don’t forget those were areas ravaged by civil war a mere forty-something years ago. The Igbos has certainly made tremendous progress but the Yoruba nation has regressed. I wish to state that this letter is not meant to whip up primordial considerations or ethnic sentiments but just to put things in proper perspective.

Asiwaju, I will like to also talk about the state of education in the Yoruba nation. Our education has gone to the dogs. We have a bunch of miseducated and ill-educated young men and women roaming the streets. Ibadan, for instance, had the first University in Nigeria and the first set of research centres in Nigeria (The Forestry Research Institute, the Cocoa Research Institute (CRIN), The Nigerian Cereal Research Institute Moor Plantation (NCRI), the NIHORT (Nigerian Institute of Horticultural Research), the NISER (Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research), IAR&T (Institute of Agriculture, Research and Training), amongst several others).

Ibadan was the bastion of scholarship with people like Wole Soyinka, JP Clark, D.O Fagunwa and Amos Tutuola as residents. In the May/June 2015 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, Abia came tops. Anambra came 2nd while Edo was 3rd.

Lagos placed 6th while Osun and Oyo were 29th and 26th. Ekiti was 11th, Ondo State was 13th and Ogun State was 19th. In 2013 WASSCE, only Lagos and Ogun States were the Yoruba States above the national average.

If we do an analysis of how Lagos placed 6th in 2015, you will discover that it was substantial because of other nationalities resident in Lagos. For proof, please look no further than the winners of the Spelling Bee competition which has produced One-Day Governors in Lagos State. Since inception in 2001, other nationalities have won the competition six times (Ebuka Anisiobi in 2001, Ovuwhore Etiti in 2002, Abundance Ikechukwu in 2006, Daniel Osunbor in 2008, Akpakpan Iniodu Jones in 2011 and Lilian Ogbuefi in 2012). Sir, there is something seriously wrong about our state of education. From the vintage times of Obafemi Awolowo who initiated ‘free education’, we have regressed into a most parlous state. Let me talk about roads, housing, and infrastructure.

The first dualised road in Nigeria, the Queen Elizabeth road from Mokola to Agodi in Ibadan was formally commissioned by Queen Elizabeth in 1956. The first Housing Estate in Nigeria is Bodija Housing Estate (also in Ibadan) which was built in 1958. The state of roads in the Yoruba nation has become pathetic. Our hinterland is still largely rural. Even some state capitals like Osogbo and Ado-Ekiti are big villages when you compare them to towns in the South East. How many new estates have been built over the last decade? Even Ajoda New Town lies in ruins.

We have abandoned the farm settlement strategy of the Western Region and only pay lip service to agriculture. Instead of feeding others like we once did, others now feed us. We plant no tomatoes, no pepper and the basic food that we require. The Indians have bought the large expanse of water body that we have in Onigambari village.

The water body in Oke Ogun of Oyo State can provide enough fish to feed the whole of the South West. From being a major cocoa exporter many years ago, one can point to just a few vestiges of factories that still deal with Cocoa in the Yoruba nation. 80% of Cocoa processing industries in the South West have been shut down. The Chinese have taken over the cashew belt at Ogbomoso in Oyo State.

They have even edged out the indigenes as brokers. They now come to the cashew belt to buy from the local farmers, sell on the spot to other Chinese exporters who now process the cashew nuts and import them back into Nigeria at a premium.

Sir, there are only 7 major cashew processing plants in Nigeria and you can check out the ownership. The glory has departed from the Yoruba nation. Apart from Asejire, Ede, Ikere Gorge and Oyan dams built ages ago, where are the new dams to cater for increased population and water capacity for the Yoruba nation?

How have we improved on what our heroes past left us? Maybe apart from certain areas in Lagos State, others can’t even supply their citizens with pipe-borne water. Our youth which we used to take pride in is largely a mass of unemployed and unemployable people.

Have you noticed the abundance of street urchins, area boys, touts and ‘agberos’ that we now have all across the Yoruba nation? Have you noticed the swell in the ranks of NURTW (I mean no disrespect to an otherwise noble union)? Have you noticed the increase in the number of Yoruba beggars? There was a time that it was taboo for a Yoruba man to beg- but no more. The spirit of apprenticeship is dead.

There was a time that people who learn vocational skills celebrate what we referred to as ‘freedom’. While that is largely moribund now in the Yoruba nation, the Igbos still practice it with great success.

The only thing we can boldly say the Yoruba nation controls is the information machinery- the press. We own largely the newspapers- the Nation, Punch, Nigerian Tribune, TV Continental and a few others.

It is because of our control of this information machinery that we have rewritten the narrative in the country with the misguided self-belief that things are normal and we are making progress. A look beyond the surface will prove that this is so untrue. We are largely divided.

For the first time in the history of the Yoruba nation, religion is about to divide us further- and it is starting from Osun State. You are married to a Christian. My own father-in-law is an Alhaji. That is how we have peacefully co-existed but the fabrics are about to be torn to shreds because of poor management of issues.

Afenifere has been reduced to a shadow of itself. OPC that once defended Yoruba interests has gone into oblivion. Yoruba elders have been vilified in the name of politics and partisanship.

It is no longer news to see teenagers throwing stones at their elders because of their political indoctrination. Even under the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Yorubas never belonged to just a single party- yet our unity was without blemish.

Now, our values have gone down the drain. Asiwaju, I believe I have said enough. The task is Herculean but I believe Providence has brought you here for such a time like this. It is time for the Yoruba nation to clean up its acts. What do we really want? How can we quickly right the wrongs? The Yoruba nation is in a state of arrested development.

The Yoruba nation is gasping for breath and crying for help. Will you rise up to the occasion? I am aware you understand that all politics is local and charity begins at home. Our fathers gave us a proverb: ‘Bi o’ode o dun, bi igbe ni’gboro ri’. I know there are no quick fixes but I also know that if there is anyone who has the capacity to do something about our current situation, that person is you. This should be the legacy you should think of. Your legacy is our future.



Yours Very Sincerely,


Morakinyo James Tunde

In view of the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history, the Senate will converge next week to debate on the long running gun control restrictions in the country.

As President Barack Obama travels to Orlando to meet the survivors of the rampage by a gunman who claimed allegiance to Islamic State militants, the US Senate moved closer to votes on limited gun control measures.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from Monday to Thursday, about 71 percent of Americans, including eight out of 10 Democrats and nearly six out of 10 Republicans, favour at least moderate regulations and restrictions on guns.

“That was up from 60 percent in late 2013 and late 2014.”

The Democrats are challenging Republicans to vote for new restrictions and reject pressure from the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun lobby that has been known to punish politicians who thwart its will.

The reports disclosed: “US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and fellow Democrats set the US Capitol abuzz by talking on the Senate floor for nearly 15 straight hours to demand that Congress act on gun control.

“They ended their speeches before dawn, citing a Republican pledge to hold votes soon on measures to expand background checks on gun buyers and to prevent people on US terrorism watch lists from buying guns.

“The Senate is expected to vote on Monday on four proposals.”

It further revealed; “One from Democrat Dianne Feinstein would let the government prevent terrorist suspects from buying guns. A second from Republican John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, would require court approval within three days for a government ban on an individual’s attempt to buy a gun.

“Democrats have said Cornyn’s plan is unworkable; Republicans say Feinstein’s might harm the rights of people wrongly on terror suspect lists.

“A third proposal, from Democrat Murphy, would expand background check procedures to the sales of all firearms, including those online and at gun shows. A fourth proposal, from Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, would provide for law enforcement to be notified if a person investigated for terrorism in the last five years tries to buy a gun.

“Gun control is a potent issue in US politics. Republicans, who control the Senate, have blocked Democratic-backed gun control measures over the years, saying they infringe on the right to bear arms guaranteed by the US Constitution.”

Any bill would have to pass both houses of Congress and be signed by the president to become law.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, asserts during his weekly news conference: “We don’t take away a citizen’s rights without due process.

“If you have a quick idea in the heat of the moment that says let’s take away a person’s rights without due process, we’re going to defend the Constitution.” Ryan added.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN insists Christian pupils will equally not stop wearing church garments and other apparels if Muslim students continue to wear hijab to public schools in Osun state.

The Vice Chairman of CAN in the state, Pastor Moses Ogundeji made this declaration on Thursday

This declaration came after the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, reaffirmed that no student is allowed to put on unauthorised uniforms to school in the state, following the instruction of CAN in the state that students should go to school in church garments.

According to reports, some students of Baptist High School, Iwo stormed the school, wearing different church garments on Thursday in continuation of the Wednesday drama but were prevented from going inside.

CAN is insisting that the governor should be ready to expel all students in the state, if Christians and Muslim students cannot be treated alike.

The VC explained his stance while fielding questions from journalists at the venue of the prayer meeting the association called on the hijab controversy in Osogbo this Thursday; “If the governor is fighting for the right of the Muslims, we will also fight for the right of the Christians,” he stated.

“He should be ready to expel those wearing hijab because hijab was never part of the school uniform.”

The Secretary of CAN, Apostle Joseph Olaide, equally affirmed that the Christian students cannot be stopped from wearing church garments, adding that CAN should be notified if security men arrested any of the pupils, saying the leadership would take up the case.

The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday evening held that the continued detention of the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki and his re-arrest after he was released from prison custody on December 29, 2015, was not a violation of any existing order.

This was contained in a judgement delivered by a panel of five Justices led by Justice Abdul Aboki.

It would be recalled that Dasuki had filed an appeal against the earlier decisions of Justices Husein Baba Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital territory (FCT), Abuja and Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who had declared that the decision of the Department of State Services (DSS) to re-arrest Dasuki after he was released by the authority of the Kuje prison was not a violation of any existing order.

A 17-count charge has been initiated against the former Aviation Minister and Spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode over an alleged 1.5 billion Naira fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Also charged alongside Fani-Kayode is the former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, a firm – Joint Trust Dimensions Limited – one Danjuman Yusuf and another Olubode Oke (said to be at large).

They are expected to be docked before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Federal Government announced that N8 billion loan has been released to thirty six states in the federation to be accessed as bonds through the Nigerian stock exchange.

Mrs Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Finance stating this in a meeting with commissioners of finance from the thirty six states of the federation emphasised that the credit facility is aimed at developing a broad based and people oriented economy.

Adeosun explained that the N8 billion will be accessed by the states in two phases upon fulfilment of a 22-point reform agenda outlined in a fiscal sustainability plan aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s economy on the path of sustainable growth.

“Every state remains a centre of prosperity and as a result the federal government is developing a broad based economy with productive activities in every region and state especially in their areas of comparative advantage. In achieving this states must begin to look inwards while partnering with the private sector.”

Jigawa State Commissioner for finance assured the Federal Government that the states are re-strategising to achieve economic diversification.

According to reports, about 2,000 personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, who were suspended by the present administration staged a protest in front of the interior ministry on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 in Abuja.

“President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the suspension of their recruitment process after assuming office in May 2015.

“As at the time of their suspension, the young officials were almost passing out of their training exercise and were awaiting deployment,” the report states.

These personnel were employed through a credible process following the tragedy that marred the 2014 recruitment exercise where many applicants died and many more sustained injuries.

“The House of Representative had in April 2015 ordered their immediate re-employment but almost two months after the federal government is yet to respond to legislative arm of the Nigerian government.

“The affected officers had petitioned the National Assembly over the predicament.”

A suspected fake doctor named Victor Akpan was apprehended by policemen in the Gwarinpa area of Abuja. He has been running a private hospital for 10 years, allegedly operated with forged and stolen certificates.

According to reports, he was said to have performed caesarean sections, removed fibroids and delivered pregnant women of babies.

His case is similar to that of a senior medical officer with the Federal Ministry of Health, Martins Ugwu, arrested by the police for practising as a medical doctor with stolen certificates for over nine years.

It was gathered that on Tuesday, Akpan’s arrest was sequel to investigations by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

“The suspect was the owner of Luna Maternity and Surgery Hospital, an outfit he opened in 2006 using a forged licence – four years after the MDCN refused to grant him licence to practice as a homeopath.”

Dr Henry Okwuokenye, the Head of the Inspectorate Division of MDCN, who had been investigating Akpan, said the regulatory agency did not grant him a homeopathic practice licence “because the school he claimed to have graduated from in Enugu State was not approved to train students in alternative medicine.”

Microsoft on Monday announced that it has entered into an agreement with LinkedIn to acquire it for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion, inclusive of LinkedIn’s net cash.

In the agreement, LinkedIn will retain its distinct brand, culture and independence, as Jeff Weiner will remain its CEO, reporting to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

The transaction has the full support of Reid Hoffman, chairman of LinkedIn board, co-founder and controlling shareholder and is expected to close this calendar year.

“The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world’s professionals,” Nadella said. “Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet.”

“Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn’s network, now gives us a chance to also change the way the world works,” Weiner said. “For the last 13 years, we’ve been uniquely positioned to connect professionals to make them more productive and successful, and I’m looking forward to leading our team through the next chapter of our story.”

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both LinkedIn and Microsoft.

“Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn. I see incredible opportunity for our members and customers and look forward to supporting this new and combined business,” said Hoffman. “I fully support this transaction and the Board’s decision to pursue it, and will vote my shares in accordance with their recommendation on it.”

Nigeria’s Colonel, Charles Nengite broke a 38-year record and became the best performing foreigner in the US Army War College. He went home with not just his M.Sc degree in Strategic Studies, but 6 other awards for outstanding performance in different courses.

Beating 380 other students to the top position, his performance was described by the College Commandant, Major-General William Rapp, as one of the best in the international fellows programmes at the USAWC.

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), on Monday said it registered 2,688 dotng (.ng) domain names in the month of May.

Mr Sunday Folayan, the President of the Association made the declaration in a statement.

According to the statement, there was an increase of 252 .ng registered domain names in May, when compared to the 2,436 registered in April.

The statement said that 1,523 domain names were renewed in May - a decrease of 262 renewals when compared to the 1,785 renewed in the month of April.

It said that the association transferred 77 domain names, showing a decrease of 57, compared to the 134 transferred in April.

"The domain name registration in May was high compared to the registrations in the past three months of this year. The renewal rate also showed slight fluctuation in the past three months.

"The total number of domain names registration from January to May 2016 is 12,199 registrations and 7,585 renewals.

"It is interesting and refreshing to witness such growth. The renewal rate is encouraging as well, even with the fluctuation,'' the statement said.

It said that .ng (like our currency, the Naira and the +234 for country code) was the official Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), approved country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) for Nigeria.

The statement said that the availability of names was better on the .ng ccTLD than on the generic top-level domain (gTLD) like .com, .org.

It said that with the .ng, the country's primary DNS servers were secured and locally-managed with multiple cast servers located around the world.

The statement said that hosting businesses on the .ng would help to support the Nigerian economy and provide jobs for local Information Technology (IT) professionals.

Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, the former Minister of State for Defence on Wednesday publicly lashed the Nigerian government after he received report that the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission raided his home and a property belonging to his son, Jide, in Lagos.

Obanikoro who has since relocated to the United States after the 2015 elections said the action constituted a sad throwback to a tyrannical past that is better forgotten as no warrant was legally obtained from any court to embark on the search.

He released his statement in a series of tweets on his Twitter page, @MObanikoro, on Wednesday morning.

According to a family source, his properties, located at Parkview Estate and Onikoyi Drive, both in the Lagos highbrow suburb of Ikoyi, were thoroughly searched by operatives.

“The wife and children were at home when the property along Onikoyi Drive was raided,” the source added.

Authorities said Mr. Obanikoro is being investigated on allegations of official misconduct and illegal contract splitting. The operatives made away with documents, vehicles and other valuable items from the two properties.

The former minister of state for defence said he was not aware of any investigation into his activities when he held different ministerial portfolios in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that he was being victimised because of his political affiliation.

“The Illegal Invasion of my house, Femi Fani-Kayode and several others in detention give me no confidence in government’s willingness to do justice,” Mr. Obanikoro said. “I cannot submit myself to such glaring witch-hunt, injustice and charade but I’ll fight it legally, with God and clear conscience on my side.

“Rumours of extradition are also lies – false allegations cannot stand up to any decent legal inquiry in a civilised system such as in the US.

“This is a government determined to outdo the abysmal and ignominious economic records of Dec. 31, 1983 to Aug. 27, 1985 that ended in shame.” Obanikoro added.

The governor of Katsina state, Aminu Masari on Monday said the state government has detected names of children and wives of some prominent persons on the payroll of local government councils in the state.

Addressing journalists on the ongoing verification of local government staff in Katsina, he said, “It is unfortunate that these people have been on the list collecting salaries for over 20 years.

“It is also disheartening to note that some people who do not live in the state are collecting salaries every month.

“We asked every worker to sign during the verification after which we compared the signature with the one on the attendance register.

“We discovered that some people are just collecting what they did not work for.”

Microsoft on Monday announced that it has entered into an agreement with LinkedIn to acquire it for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion, inclusive of LinkedIn’s net cash.

In the agreement, LinkedIn will retain its distinct brand, culture and independence, as Jeff Weiner will remain its CEO, reporting to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

The transaction has the full support of Reid Hoffman, chairman of LinkedIn board, co-founder and controlling shareholder and is expected to close this calendar year.

“The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world’s professionals,” Nadella said. “Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet.”

“Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn’s network, now gives us a chance to also change the way the world works,” Weiner said. “For the last 13 years, we’ve been uniquely positioned to connect professionals to make them more productive and successful, and I’m looking forward to leading our team through the next chapter of our story.”

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both LinkedIn and Microsoft.

“Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn. I see incredible opportunity for our members and customers and look forward to supporting this new and combined business,” said Hoffman. “I fully support this transaction and the Board’s decision to pursue it, and will vote my shares in accordance with their recommendation on it.”

On Mon, Jun 13, 2016 at 2:25 PM, Dolapo Adelana <adelanadolapo@gmail.com> wrote:

Microsoft on Monday announced that it has entered into an agreement with LinkedIn to acquire it for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion, inclusive of LinkedIn’s net cash.

In the agreement, LinkedIn will retain its distinct brand, culture and independence, as Jeff Weiner will remain its CEO, reporting to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.


The transaction has the full support of Reid Hoffman, chairman of LinkedIn board, co-founder and controlling shareholder and is expected to close this calendar year.


“The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world’s professionals,” Nadella said. “Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet.”

“Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn’s network, now gives us a chance to also change the way the world works,” Weiner said. “For the last 13 years, we’ve been uniquely positioned to connect professionals to make them more productive and successful, and I’m looking forward to leading our team through the next chapter of our story.”

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both LinkedIn and Microsoft.

“Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn. I see incredible opportunity for our members and customers and look forward to supporting this new and combined business,” said Hoffman. “I fully support this transaction and the Board’s decision to pursue it, and will vote my shares in accordance with their recommendation on it.”

The Public Relations officer of the Nigerian Universities Commission, Ibrahim Yakasai, has announced that the new directive scrapping Post-UTME does not hinder universities from screening students sent to them for admission by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB.

The Federal Government in the past week ordered that the examinations usually organised by universities in Nigeria for admission seekers after the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations should be scrapped.

According to the government, “If there was absolute confidence in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, there should be no need for Universities to conduct internal examinations to determine the fate of candidates seeking admissions.”

While addressing newsmen, Yakasai said the new directive does not restrict any university from screening students sent to them by the exams board.

The usual practice was that during admission, universities and other schools are allowed to do elementary screening. The screening include actual verification of Jamb slip, crosschecking of documents for admission, medical test, age check and a host of other prerequisite for securing of admission.


http://dailypost.ng/2016/06/07/scrapping-of-post-utme-does-not-restrict-universities-from-screening-students-nuc/

The federal government has launched an internet portal: npower.gov.ng where job seekers can apply for the various positions available on the site.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, issued a statement in Abuja this Wednesday by the presidency stating that it would start taking applications online for positions in the 500,000 direct teacher jobs scheme.

Akande said while the portal would go live on Saturday, June 11, applications are expected to start coming in on June 12, the beginning of next week.

He added: "Young unemployed Nigerians are advised to visit the website and apply.

President Muhammadu Buhari had formally launched the unprecedented social investment programmes already provided for under the 2016 Appropriation by the administration.

The 500,000 Teacher Corps, nicknamed N-Power Teach on the portal, is one of the three direct job creation and training schemes Nigerians can start applying for from Sunday, June 12.

Other projects under the N-Power Knowledge will train 25,000 Nigerians in the area of technology, and N-Power Build, which trains another 75,000 in the areas of building services, construction, utilities, hospitality and catering, automotive vocations, aluminum and gas services.

According to the statement, all trainees would be paid for the duration of their training.

Akande explained that the N-Power Teacher Corps initiative through which 500,000 young unemployed graduates would be trained would be a paid volunteer programme of a two-year duration.

He reiterated: "Unemployed Nigerians selected and trained will play teaching, instructional, and advisory roles in primary, and secondary schools, agricultural extension systems across the country, public health and community education-covering civic and adult education.

"Besides their monthly take home pay estimated at about N23,000, the selected 500,000 graduates will also get computer devices that will contain information necessary for their specific engagement, as well as information for their continuous training and development. They get to keep the devices even after exiting from the programme.

"According to the plan of the Buhari administration, the N-Power Teacher Corps programme is an invaluable opportunity for young Nigerians to make immense economic and social contributions to the nation while developing their skills. It will also help to address the problems of inadequate teachers in public schools.

"Also, persons enlisted under the scheme will gain work experience and acquire key competencies through academic and non-academic capacity building programmes intended to improve their competitiveness in the workplace. Their devices will come loaded with knowledge-oriented applications and software that will enable them acquire the skills and capacity.

"Under the N-Power Knowledge scheme, there are three aspects: Creative, Technology Software and Hardware. These three sub-divisions will train 25,000 young Nigerians in all.

"5000 of them will be trained in Animation, Graphic Design, Post-Production, Script-Writing; all of those under the sub-division of N-Power Knowledge-creative category.

"The N-Power Knowledge scheme also has a technology category in two aspects: hardware and software. 10,000 Nigerians will be trained, and equipped in the area of software development, including web designs, and another 10,000 in hardware expertise including repairs, maintenance and assembling mobile phones, tablets, computers and other devices.

"Also the N-Power Build category was designed realising that the presence of a well-trained and highly skilled youth population in any economy has direct impact on entrepreneurship/wealth creation, which in turn leads to a decline in unemployment.

"N-Power Build is therefore an accelerated training and certification (Skills to Job/Enterprise) programme that will engage and train 75,000 young unemployed Nigerians in order to build a new crop of skilled and highly competent workforce of technicians, artisans and service professionals.

"The other schemes in the Buhari presidency Social Investment Programmes which would soon be rolled out in the coming weeks. These include the Conditional Cash Transfer that pays N5000 monthly to one million Nigerians, the Micro-Credit Scheme for more than 1.5 million Nigerians, the Home Grown School Feeding programme that will serve 5.5 million Nigerian pupils in primary school a free hot meal per day this year and the Education support grant programme for 100,000 tertiary students in Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics, STEM”

After a six-week closure of the University of Ibadan (UI) over student protests, the Senate in a meeting presided by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Idowu Olayinka, on Thursday approved the re-opening of the university on June 20 for academic session.

The Vice Chancellor said that examinations would commence on July 4.

The Director of Communications, Mr‎ Olatunji Oladejo, who confirmed the development, said that the decision to reopen the institution was reached by the committee of Provost, Deans and Directors.

“The university administration would hold an interactive session with the students’ union body before they would be allowed into the campus,” the committee disclosed.

“There was the need for the students to abide by the matriculation oath and conduct themselves in a responsible manner.”

Olayinka said that the premier university would apply sanctions prescribed in the laws of the university on any erring students.

He mentioned that the university had lost eight weeks to the crisis which led to the closure adding that the session would now end around January 11, 2017, as against October 2016, in the original academic calendar.

“This also means that those who are supposed to graduate and do convocation this year would now have to wait till next year,’’ he lamented.

“The management would work within the limits of resources available to provide for the utilities and the students must be committed to their academic pursuit,” the VC added.

The institution was shut indefinitely on April‎ 6, following students’ restiveness as they expressed their displeasure over the suspension of a union leader, by the Students’ Disciplinary Committee and the non-availability of some amenities needed on the campus.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) declared that it paid the sum of N56.22 billion into the Federation Account in April, 2016.

This information is contained in the corporation’s Monthly Financial Report released in Abuja on Thursday.

“NNPC transferred N56.22 billion to the Federation Account for the month of April being proceeds from local sale of petroleum products.

“Thus, the sum of N933.12 billion has been paid to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) from March, 2015 to April, 2016,” the report said.

On crude oil sale for the month under review, it said that NNPC recorded export sale of 289.36 million dollars, adding that the sales were made in March, while the collection was made in April, 2016.

It added that in spite of the export sales, NNPC did not make any dollar remittance to the Federation Account in April.

It said that crude oil export sales during the period amounted to 191.30 million dollars or 66.11 per cent of the dollar transactions compared with 57.79 per cent contribution in the previous month.

It added that export gas sales were 71.81 million dollars during the period.

Telecommunications giant, MTN, has agreed to pay a fine of N330bn to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The company which is headquartered in South Africa said, on Friday, that it will pay 330 billion naira ($1.67 billion), a third of its initial fine, over three years to the Nigerian government to settle the fine.

The mobile operator was fined $5.2billion by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) in October 2015 for failing to disconnect unregistered users on its network.

A Nigerian, Daniel Agbogo, alleged that his car was stolen at Silverbird Galleria Abuja. Mr Agodo who is a customer of Silverbird Cinemas, accused the Senator Ben Murray Bruce led organisation over the unsafe environment in the cinema.

Agbogo brought the attention of Sen Bruce after his car was stolen at Silverbird cinema, despite the presence of security guards.

Mr Agbogo averred that his office laptop was stolen alongside other things and the management of the cinema refused to do anything when he complained to them. Agbogbo took to his Instagram page to report the burglary, he also tagged Sen Bruce.

Nigerian sensational music star Tiwa Savage has made a big move in her current international sojourn. This is coming after her infamous marriage drama that occurred in April 2016.

The Mavin Records singer is said to have created a contact that will lead to management and distribution partnership with an American music company Roc Nation under the aegis of Jay Z.

This will also follow by a mini documentary on her, which will be aired on E! channel 124 on June 12, 2016 at 9pm.

Popular Nigerian hip-pop star turns 35 today. In celebration of his birthday, he took to Instagram this morning, June 9, 2016 to share a photo of him with words of appreciation.

He wrote, “As I turn a year older I want to thank the lord for my wonderful journey, life and story and for making my dream of Being a Vessel of Visible HOPE to my generation come to life. I am Grateful to you Lord, mom and Dad, family, loved ones and my diehard fans, Ac’s, kokolets and mamalets. I won’t be here without you guys and for that I’m humbled. Love you all OooSssHhhEee. I’M D’banj.”

Manchester United has completed the signing of Eric Bailly from Villareal subject to a work permit in a fee in the region of £30m.

In a statement on the club’s website the Ivorian defender has signed a four-year contract with the option to extend for a further two years.

Bailly, 22, made 47 appearances for Villarreal since joining on 29 January 2015. The Ivory Coast central defender has made 15 appearances for his country and was part of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team, having appeared in all six matches during the competition.

Bailly said: "It is a dream come true to be joining Manchester United. To play football at the highest level is all I have ever wanted to do.

"I want to progress to be the best that I can be and I believe working with Jose Mourinho will help me develop in the right way and at the right club. I am looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to starting this new chapter of my life."

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said: "Eric is a young central defender with great natural talent. He has progressed well to date and has the potential to become one of the best around.

"We look forward to working with him to help nurture that raw talent and fulfill his potential. Eric is at the right club to continue his development."

There was a buzz on social media on Monday during the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards red carpet in New York City about a special surprise, said to be coming up that night.

The cat was eventually let out of the bag when Diane Von Furstenberg presented Beyoncé with the 2016 Fashion Icon award.

Completely dressed the part to accept the award, the music icon was joined by husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy, Mrs. Carter-Knowles to accept the award, wearing a hat straight off of her Formation World Tour and a pinstripe Givenchy suit that gave off major Michael Jackson circa 1980 vibes.

In a touching speech, Beyoncé thanked her mother Tina Knowles for the many costumes and gowns she made over the years, talked about how Destiny’s Child struggled getting designers to dress them before they were superstars, and sent a strong message about positive body image to the designers in the room.

“We have an opportunity to contribute to a society where any girl can look at a billboard or magazine cover and see her own reflection.

“Soul has no colour. No shape, no form. Just like all your work, it goes so far beyond what the eyes can see. You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, to show people how to embrace their complications and flaws and see the true beauty that’s inside all of us.”

Before the Fashion Icon award was announced, there were speculations from fans over the mystery guest; rumours that Kim Kardashian or Lil’ Kim would receive the award flooded social media but it was soon revealed that, just as we suspected, no one can take the throne from Queen Beyoncé.

Her newest accolade is especially fitting on the heels of not only her current high-fashion world tour but the powerfully fashionable visual album “Lemonade.” Fans lost it over her ensembles in the accompanying one-hour film, which sparked a ton of style inspiration and a certain thirty for yellow dresses.

Beyoncé has long been an icon, both musically and sartorially.

The news of the death of Nigerian soccer legend, Stephen Keshi is still being received with shock. The former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, who died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday, has made many to extol his virtues.

As a player playing for Nigeria in the 1990s, he wore the famous Jersey No. 4 for his country. Some hours ago, the president of Lagos based non-league side, Freestan FC, Prince Efemena Elutabe has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to retire the No. 4 jersey in honour of the former National soccer team captain.

Keshi captained the Super Eagles to win the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy in Tunisia in 1994, and also won the trophy with Nigeria as a coach in South Africa 2013. He coached Togo and Mali to the AFCON in his managerial career. He also played professional football for clubs like Africa Sports, Anderlecht, RC Strasbourg of France before retiring from the game.

Reactions continue coming in across the social media with one voice: that keshi was indeed a great man in the history of Nigerian football.


On Twitter

President Muhammadu Buhari said via President Buhari Verified account ‏@NGRPresident 2 hours ago

Nigerian football will not be the same without Stephen Keshi. He gave this country his all. May his soul rest in peace.

APC Nigeria ‏@APCNigeria 3 hours ago

Our thoughts and prayers are with Stephen Keshi's family. We will miss Keshi. #RIPKeshi

The NFF Verified account ‏@thenff 3 hours ago

NFF Prez @PinnickAmaju was first to sign condolence register opened at the Glass House in honour of Late Stephen Keshi

Bola Ahmed Tinubu ‏@AsiwajuTinubu 3 hours ago

Keshi was a soccer delight on the pitch and off the pitch. As a coach he was a master of the game. He was a soccer icon

Bola Ahmed Tinubu ‏@AsiwajuTinubu 3 hours ago

Keshi's sudden death is shocking. It is a tragic loss. He has left a huge gap in our soccer administration

The NFF Verified account ‏@thenff 12 hours ago

Former Nigeria Captain and Coach, Stephen Keshi, is dead. Reports say the legend died in the early hours of Wednesday, RIP Big Boss.

2,845 retweets 584 likes

Chelsea FC ‏@ChelseaFC 7 hours ago

All at CFC are saddened to hear of former Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi's death. He worked with Mikel & Victor Moses.

CAF ‏@CAF_Online 5 hours ago

Keshi is one of only two Africans in history to be crowned #AFCON Champion as a player and coach #Goodbye_Keshi


On Facebook

Barrister Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youth and Sports 5 hrs ago

I received the shocking news of the death of former Super Eagles captain and Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi this morning.
I am deeply shocked over the sudden death of a man who only buried his wife Kate, early this year.
Keshi led Nigeria to win a second Africa Cup of Nations trophy as a Captain and a third, as a coach.
He was a leader, an achiever and a success. He was only 54.
I pray that God will look after the four children he left behind and console them.
Nigeria has lost a patriot!
Rest in peace, Stephen Keshi MON

The former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan has refuted claims by the incumbent Government of President Muhammadu Buhari that the country’s treasury was empty when he handed over power last year.

In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg Television in London, Jonathan said, “There’s no way he would have inherited an empty Treasury.”

President Buhari had accused the past government of looting billions of dollars and leaving the country’s finances “virtually empty.”

The Deejays Association of Nigeria (DJAN) has banned its members and other stake holders from playing Terry G’s songs nationwide. This was stated in a press release by the group.

Press Release
Attention:
All Nigerian DJs in Nigeria,
All Nigerian DJs in Diaspora,
All Radio DJs, VDJs & OAPs,
All Clubs, Lounges, Event Centres, Bars, etc.,
All Street DJs,
Music Promoters,
Event Planners,
The General Public.

Embargo on All Terry G’s Songs

It is with due respect that we hereby call on your solidarity to the aforementioned situation. The Deejays Association of Nigeria (DJAN) through the disciplinary committee had over the years intervened on issues affecting our members and musicians cum artistes whenever our rights are trampled upon and Mr Gabriel Oche Amanyi aka Terry G have been given verbal warning on several occasions in recent times.

On Sunday the 5th of June 2016 at the Muson Centre, Lagos State, Nigeria, a music/comedy show held and Terry G was not among the artistes billed to perform; he begged the organisers until he was told to perform for seven minutes, but he got on stage already tipsy and after about 18 minutes on stage insulting everyone, the organisers asked the DJ to play a different song by another artiste. No sooner had the song started to play than Terry G descended on the DJ who was the head DJ of Jatt Incorporated. Beyond assault, the DJ sustained various degrees of injuries on his face; right in front of the Legendary Dj Jimmy Jatt.

This type of violence and physical abuse is unacceptable.

Although planned legal actions are on the way, after wide consultations and deliberations, the Deejays Association of Nigeria hereby place an ‘EMBARGO’ on all songs of Terry G, audio and video (including songs he featured in) indefinitely in all events, lounges, bars, radios and every other spot where it is the duty of a DJ to play music, nationwide.

Dr Mohammed Idiagbon, a lecturer at the Department of English, University of Ilorin, who was accused of sexually harassing an unidentified female student of the institution, has resigned his appointment.

Following an investigative panel set up by the institution to look into the matter of his alleged intimidation and wooing of a female student, Idiagbon, the Head of Department, HOD, of the English department of the institution resigned his appointment.

Idiagbon had invited the student to his office where he intimidated her and proposed a romantic relationship but unknowingly, the lady recorded the conversation and reported him afterwards.

In view of the student’s report, the institution set up a panel which invited the alleged randy lecturer but he refused to honour the invitation, instead he tendered his resignation.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Buhari-led government to see to the publication of the names of high ranking public officials from whom the public funds were recovered, and spend recovered funds in a transparent and accountable manner so as to remove opportunities for re-looting.

The group, in a statement by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, insisted that “The recovered funds must be spent to directly benefit Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations particularly to improve their access to quality education, healthcare including for children, women and the elderly, and regular and uninterrupted electricity supply.

"It will be a double jeopardy for victims of corruption if recovered funds are re-looted, as it was the case with Sani Abacha recovered loot.

“This is a case of grand corruption, which has devastated many lives and fundamentally contrasts with the ideal of government as a public trust. Therefore, high-ranking government officials suspected of turning the public treasury into a private cashbox should be prepared to accept a higher degree of openness about their official conduct than private individuals.

“Publishing the names of high-ranking government officials that have already returned stolen public funds will not infringe their right to presumption of innocence in particular and fair trial in general if the government can provide a caveat to make it clear that such disclosure does not suggest an assessment of the guilt of those named, and that they remain suspects until proven guilty by a competent judicial authority.

“The authorities responsible for combating corruption cannot be expected to refrain from all statements, such as the fact that a suspicion of corruption exists. What is excluded is however a formal declaration that somebody is guilty without trial before a court of law.

“The fact that suspected corrupt officials have returned some public funds makes the argument in favour of publishing their names even stronger. Open justice promotes the rule of law and publicity is a powerful deterrent to abuse of power and official misconduct.

“Nigerians have the right to know how high-ranking government officials carry out their entrusted public functions and manage the public treasury, and whether or not they act in accordance with the code of conduct which Nigerians expect from their leaders.

“The government must now move swiftly to complete all pending investigations of corruption and to pursue diligently those cases in court, and to consistently utilise the crime of illicit enrichment (also called: “unexplained wealth,” or “inexplicable wealth,” or “disproportionate wealth”) to achieve effective prosecution of corruption cases.

"The government should compile a list of corruption cases in court and cases already completed with names and the amounts involved, and widely publish this including on a dedicated website to promote the idea of open justice.

“A naming and shaming policy already exists in the international arena, for example, the FATF usually adopt a sanctions regime of 'naming and shaming,' against Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) in its battle against money laundering.”

“In addition, SERAP urges President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a mechanism with a view to ensuring that the funds so far recovered are applied in a transparent and accountable manner, and with civil society involvement and oversight.

"Details of the recoveries, published by the Federal Ministry of Information, showed that the Nigerian government successfully retrieved total cash amount N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, £3,508,355.46 and €11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.

"Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $9,090,243,920.15, £2,484,447.55 and €303,399.17. Anticipated repatriation from foreign countries totalled: $321,316,726.1, £6,900,000 and €11,826.11. The ministry also announced that 239 non-cash recoveries were made during the one-year period. The non-cash recoveries are – farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels."

A British parliamentarian and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, Diane Abbott has called on the Nigerian government and the global community to consider access to education as a humanitarian need.

Abbott disclosed this in Lagos at the Spring Lecture 2016, titled “Education: reach for the stars; ensuring access for all,” an event organised by the Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria.

She spoke on ‘the transformative power of education’, urging the Federal government to embark on an inclusive education that would extend quality learning to all citizens, including the physically-challenged.

The lawmaker reiterated that Nigeria cannot afford the consequences of exclusive education that can manifest in increased terrorism and poverty; noting that the country could change its economic future if “it can buy into access to quality education.”

“This strategy is necessary for every country seeking to grow its economy. Education is correlated to economic growth.

“Education lies in the heart of many social issues. By pushing for education, you are advancing the growth of the entire society… I am campaigning for access to education because I know its transformative power.

“With access to quality education, Nigeria and other African governments could reverse migration challenges; many refugees I related with admitted that education was more essential than shelter,” Abbott revealed.

Although, the speaker acknowledged that it was not her responsibility to advise the Nigerian government on its education policies, she noted that the country needed “a range of skills” to develop the economy and reduce poverty.

“We cannot afford to have children learn with a curriculum that reflects the realities of 20 years ago,” she shares her displeasure on the obsolete education system.

The Nigerian society needs to have the will to elect political leaders that can face the issues and address them.”

Narrating her personal experience, she argued that education, not the conditions surrounding the birth of an individual, was a key determinant of life achievements.

Abbott further disclosed, “Both of my parents stopped school at 14. But with perseverance, I got my degree from the Cambridge University. Cambridge gave me confidence. It taught me that I was as good as any other person in the world. That made me excel in civil service, politics and other areas.”

Dr. Amy Jadesimi, the Managing Director of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics, who chaired the event, said a country that refused to educate its citizens would encounter disaster.

He described Abbott as an example that inspired different people of the world to want to learn.

President of the club, Mr. Akinfela Akoni announced the unveiling of scholarship to support Nigerians studying in Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Akoni disclosed that the association is also planning a community-based project aimed at supporting the internally-displaced persons in the country.

While stories hit the air waves that the federal government had commenced shutting down the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, online platforms starting with their website, the militants have taken to Twitter to state that their website is undergoing routine maintenance.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday said it shortlisted 338,227 applicants from the 911,438 that applied to be recruited into the Nigeria Police Force.

The Chairman of the Commission, Mr Mike Okiro, who made the disclosure at a news conference in Abuja, said screening of successful applicants would begin on Monday June 6 in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Okiro explained that 44,661 applicants were shortlisted for cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), 87,736 for cadet Inspector and 205,830 for Police Constables.

He said, “I would like to emphasise that the initial shortlisting of applicants was done electronically.

“Invitation letters were also sent to successful applicants through SMS and to their personal email addresses.”

He, however, warned applicants against fake letters from criminal elements, stressing: “The invitation states the date for each person’s screening and venue of the screening.

“Applicants will be grouped according to their local government areas and a date fixed for their screening.”

The chairman said that this was done in order to avoid overcrowding the venue and also to ensure a meticulous exercise.

He warned that no applicant would be allowed into any venue or appear on any date other than those allocated to him or her.

Okiro added that after the screening, successful candidates would be invited for a zonal screening to be held in the 12 police zonal headquarters in the country.

He said the national interview would be held in Abuja, where those who were successful at the zonal screening would be interviewed.

He noted that the Commission had been transparent since the filling and submission of forms started, saying ``I want to re-emphasis that the Commission will be guided by the rules and will be fair, transparent and ensure that the process is merit-driven.

“As a commission, we have collectively and individually swore to make this project a huge success.

“The Nigeria Police needs the best, especially now that the nation is engaged in several battles.”

In his remark, Mr Femi Adenaike, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of training, said all training schools and colleges were rehabilitated.

News Breakers reports that 262,426 applicants applied for cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), 211,832 applied for Cadet Inspector and 437,144 for Police Constables.

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the recruitment of 10,000 policemen into the nation’s Police Force to reinforce the police for better service.