₦airaland Forum

Fascinating conversation with an NGO person I know. I won't mention the name or the area of concern but here's what I found out:

Let's assume there's an NGO working to eradicate HIV in Nigeria. I use "HIV" because it's one disease that needs blood sampling. Funding from the U.S.

The NGO sends people out there, to communities, to find cases. "Boots on the streets" go 'round communities, collecting blood samples. For every blood sample collected, you get paid a small amount. For every positive case gotten; bigger money. Treatment? Even more money.

I'm sure you can already guess where this is going.

So.

The "smart" chaps go out, test 10 people. One of those sampled comes back positive. What do they do? They spread that ONE positive into three other places. They now have "four" positive cases. More money. Everybody chops.

Corruption isn't even my fascination here. My interest?

Data.

What then happens is; the official tally of HIV cases is off by three. If you do the math, it means for every 1000 cases of HIV reported in that area, the REAL number is 250.

Faulty data on a massive scale.

Makes me wonder:

Just how much faulty data do we have in Nigeria? On a massive scale too?

One major reason why these numbers people throw around "offends" me.

"Malaria kills 55 Nigerians in a minute!"

It could be correct but forgive me if I don't believe you.

Cheers.

@cenbank today releases $265 million into two windows of $230mn (Special FX Intervention) and another $35mn (Retail SMIS Auction), to clear outstanding ticket sales of international airlines.

CBN releases $265m to airlines over repatriation challenges

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Friday, released $265m to airlines operating in the country, to settle outstanding ticket sales to check a brewing crisis in the country’s aviation sector.

A breakdown of the figure indicated that $230m was released as special foreign exchange intervention while another $35m was released through Retail SMIS auction.

Disclosing this in a statement, the Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, Mr Osita Nwanisobi, said the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and his team were concerned about the development and what it portends for the sector and travellers as well as the country in the comity of nations.

Nwanisobi retiterated that the bank was not against any company repatriating its funds from the country, adding that what the bank stood for was an orderly exit for those that might be interested in doing so.

“With Friday’s release, it is expected that operators and travelers as well will heave huge sighs of relief, as some airlines had threatened to withdraw their services in the face of unremitted funds for outstanding sale of tickets,” CBN said.

There has been serious concerns and reactions over hundreds of millions of dollars earned by foreign airlines operating in the country which they could not repatriate due to foreign exchange scarcity problems.

The Ogun State Government has commenced rehabilitation work on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

The PUNCH had on August 19, 2022, reported that the deplorable condition of the Sango-Ota end of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway has continued to compound the woes of residents and business owners in the area.

Our correspondent, who visited the area, observed that the road had collapsed. Motorists and commuters had a hectic time plying the route.

The almost three-kilometre stretch of Joju, immediately after the Sango-Ota Bridge inward Ifo, was abandoned. The road was dotted with large potholes lodged with water.

Both trucks and vehicles were forced to connect to the other lane, as they faced oncoming vehicles only to connect back to their lane at the Igbala end of the road.

But the state government, in a statement by its Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, said the intervention was coming against the failure of the Federal Government to arrest the degeneration of the road.

According to him, the rehabilitation work has been divided into five segments. The first segment takes off from the Tollgate end of the expressway to Singer, which is a distance of 7.5kilometers.

He said the second segment covers Singer to Ifo, third segment takes off from Ifo to Papalanto, the fourth segment is from Papalanto to Itori, while the last segment will see the rehabilitation work taking off from Itori to the end of the road at the Brewery.

Akinsanya, who led a team of journalists to tour some ongoing and completed road projects in the state said that already, the contract for the first segment from the Tollgate to Singer has been awarded and work is already ongoing.

The commissioner noted that the Tollgate to Singer section of the road is the most deplorable, noting that one side of the road has been totally abandoned and can only be plied by heavy-duty trucks.

"Another deplorable section of the road is between Papalanto and Itori,” he said.

Akinsanya noted this the state government could not wait for the federal government to repair the road due to its deplorable condition.

It would be recalled that being a federal road, both the Ogun and Lagos state governments had approached the federal government to release the road for them to be repaired. But the request was rejected.

The team also inspected ongoing projects in Ogun West Senatorial District, including Ilaro to Owode Yewa and Atan-Lusada Agbara road.

The Atan-Lusada-Agbara road is 19 kilometers. It has minimum of two lanes, and maximum of eight lanes in some areas.

Akinsanya disclosed that, unlike the previous administration, the current road construction in the state is being done with utmost cost-saving mechanism.

He said that the Atan-Lusada- Agbara road will only have one bridge, with a new two lane bridge already under construction to complement the existing one and is about 70 percent completed.

“We are doing some rehabilitation on the old bridge by replacing old or damaged parapet, repairing some cracks with epoxy paints,” he explained.

Akinsanya said that the Atan-Lusada-Agbara road is the biggest project currently going on in the state at the moment in view of the huge cost involved.

He reiterated the determination of the state government to deliver quality projects that will stand the test of time.

My uncle beat traffic light in Alausa on his way to owambe. He got a 20K penalty text message as he was settling into the party.

Multibillion dollar company, @Nike , opens its first flagship store in West Africa, today in Lagos Nigeria. Nigeria will be serving the west African subcontinent with authentic Nike shoes and apparels.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE INCIDENT INVOLVING THE CRUDE OIL SUPER TANKER, MT HEROIC IDUN, THAT RESISTED ARREST IN NIGERIAN WATERS, IN AUGUST 2022:

By Tolu Ogunlesi

1. MT HEROIC IDUN is a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) registered in the Marshall Islands, and has a capacity of 3 million barrels of crude oil. It was sailing with a crew of about 25 persons.

2. It entered Nigerian waters on the 7th of August, 2022, and arrived the Akpo Oilfield (deep offshore) around midnight of that day, with, according to the Nigerian Navy, “the obvious intention of lifting crude oil within the Field, albeit, illegally. This was, however, spotted by the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facility which probed the legitimacy of the Very Large Crude Carrier’s presence in the [TotalEnergies SE] operated Akpo Field.”

3. This Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facility is known as Falcon Eye. It was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari (represented by the Vice President at the event) on July 13, 2021, at the Naval Headquarters.

4. Excerpt from the commissioning speech:

a. “The Falcon Eye System is a state-of-the-art surveillance system that incorporates various sensors located along the nation’s enormous coastline, such as radars, long-range electro-optic systems with thermal or night vision capability, automatic identification system receivers, weather stations and marine very high-frequency radios for communication. The integration of these sensors into the Falcon Eye System, we are told generates a real-time situational awareness of the activities of vessels in the Nigerian maritime domain and some selected parts in the Gulf of Guinea.”

b. “This will enable the Nigerian Navy to generate a comprehensive intelligence picture of activities within our maritime environment for further analysis before, in appropriate cases, dispatching a Nigerian Navy Ship for interdiction, investigation, and/or subsequent arrest of erring vessels.”

5. The Nigerian Navy (NN) was very clear about the fact that there was no lifting of oil by the Super Tanker before it was detected. The NN says it was still approaching the ‘Single Buoy Mooring’ – the point in the Oilfield at which ships anchor, in preparation for loading operations – when the NN intercepted it.

6. The NN says the Super Tanker spent barely 20 minutes on the approach to the Mooring Point, certainly not enough time for a Very Large Crude Carrier to take any crude. Loading a VLCC is not as simple as dropping a bucket into a well. No.

7. Also, this is not some obscure oilfield, it’s a major Field, housing a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit operated by TOTALEnergies SE.

8. TOTAL confirmed to Bloomberg that, “At no time was crude volumes transferred” to MT HEROIC IDUN.

9. Importantly, according to Reuters: “Most stolen oil is siphoned from onshore pipelines, and theft from a marine export line in a large vessel would be notably rare.”

10. And according to Bloomberg: “Nigerian authorities are under pressure to stem rampant crude theft from the country’s onshore pipelines. It would be highly unusual for such activity to occur in deepwater permits 200 kilometers off the coast.”

11. Nigerian Navy says checks with the NNPC revealed that the Super Tanker was not cleared or authorized to load crude oil from the Field.

12. Nigerian Navy says it routinely seeks clarification from NNPC regarding oil tankers within Nigerian waters. On July 11, 2022, an LNG Carrier, TRINITY ARROW, was arrested by the Nigerian Navy at the NLNG Terminal in Bonny, following the discovery that it was without the requisite permit for loading. As soon as the permit was issued, the Vessel was released and allowed to load LNG.

13. Apparently, some vessels commence their journeys without advance authorization from NNPC or other regulatory/clearance authorities, in the hope that by the time they approach the loading point, the authorization has been released.

14. Once it was established that MT HEROIC IDUN had no clearance to be in the Oilfield, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) GONGOLA, an Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC) was deployed to the scene.

15. According to the NN, NNS GONGOLA asked the Super Tanker to “to turn around and follow NNS GONGOLA to Bonny anchorage pending when she will be cleared for loading by NNPC Ltd.”

16. The Super Tanker “refused to cooperate”, says the NN and then “engaged full speed southwards towards the Sao Tome and Principe maritime area in a bid to evade arrest.”

17. This is where it gets even more interesting. In addition to fleeing, the Super Tanker made a false broadcast to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) alleging it was under attack by pirates. It would have been a deliberate escape strategy because there was no way it would mistake a NNS for a pirate ship.

18. The Nigerian Navy responded quickly, and counter-alerted, through the West Africa Regional Maritime Safety Centre (CRESMAO), based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone E (covering Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Togo), causing the false alert to be cancelled immediately.

19. [Interestingly, the Heads of these institutions happen to be Nigerian Navy Officers, according to the NN. (CRESMAO is headed by Rear Admiral Istifanus Mu’azu Albara)].

20. According to the NN, “Nigeria has not recorded any piracy attack in its waters in over one year. Hence, this mischievous act by the ship is clearly aimed at tarnishing the good image of the maritime domain of Nigeria, which we have worked very hard to achieve.”

21. The Nigerian Navy immediately invoked something called the Yaoundé Architecture, which is a Gulf of Guinea maritime safety and security collaboration, covering West and Central Africa (19 coastal countries in all). Once the Vessel entered Equatorial Guinea waters (Zone D of the MMCC), Nigeria notified Equatorial Guinea, through the Architecture. EG promptly dispatched a Ship, CAPTAIN DAVID, to intercept the MT HEROIC IDUN, on August 12.

22. The rogue Vessel is being held at the Luba Anchorage in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Media reports say Equatorial Guinea has released a statement saying it has asked Nigerian intelligence authorities to join in the investigations, and also that it will formally hand over the rogue ship to the Nigerian Government, once these early investigations are concluded.

23. Media reports also say that BP has acknowledged that it chartered MT HEROIC IDUN to load crude oil from the Akpo Oilfield on Aug 17/18. Reports also say the Vessel is “on long-term charter to Mercuria, making the trading company the de facto owner in the current situation.” (Which simply means BP chartered it from Mercuria. NOTE that there is no allegation of wrongdoing against any of the oil companies mentioned).

24. The illegalities MT HEROIC IDUN stand accused of are multiple: resisting/evading arrest by the Nigerian Navy, raising false piracy alarm, sailing without an identifying flag (according to the Equatorial Guinea Navy), and sailing in EG waters without prior authorization. (There may be more, we will know later).

25. This remains a developing situation. I expect that what will happen next is the handover of the Vessel to the NN, by Equatorial Guinea, and then Nigeria will likely advance its own investigations, and possibly commence prosecution.

Troops Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have eliminated more than 57 terrorists in different operations conducted from Aug. 11 to 25 in the North East, Defence Headquarters says.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, made this known at a bi-weekly news briefing of the Defence Headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.

Danmadami said the operations were conducted through land and air raids on the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) enclaves in Borno and Yobe.

He said the operation also led to the killing of unspecified number of terrorists in a number of airstrikes, with more than 18 of them seriously wounded.

He added that eight suspected terrorists and four terrorists’ logistic suppliers were apprehended as well as rescue of four civilian victims during the period.

According to him, a total of 1,652 BHT members and their families comprising of 320 adult males, 442 women and 890 children surrendered to troops at different location within the period.

“The air component on Aug. 20, carried out strikes on terrorists’ enclaves in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuns in Borno with various degree of success recorded.

“Acting on credible intelligence about the gathering of terrorists at a location revealed to be the enclave of a notorious terrorist being hosted by a top-ranking commander.

“He is believed to be the ISWAP leader of Sambisa Forest who took over the leadership after the demise of Abubakar Shekau.

“Consequently, the air strikes were carried out on the enclave. Feedback revealed that 25 of the terrorists were neutralized in the strikes with 18 serious wounded.

“Among those neutralised was a high-profile commander known as Uzaifa, who was the ‘MINZIR’, which connotes the fourth in line of the terrorist leadership structure.

“Similar air strikes were conducted in the Tumbuns near Lake Chad at a location revealed to be the training camp of the terrorists.

“Reports revealed that scores of the terrorists were neutralised in the strikes.

“All recovered items and rescued civilians were handed over to relevant authorities while the surrendered Boko Haram terrorist members and their families were profiled for further action,’’ he said.

RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE: Traditional Worshippers Clash with members of Truth & The Spirit Prophetic Church in #Lagos on Tuesday during night vigil, Pastor & 9 members arrested as they allegedly stoned one of the traditional worshipers to death.

Pastor, 9 others arrested over death of 25-year-old Oro worshipper

A pastor of Truth and Spirit Prophetic Church, Mercy Okocha, and nine of her members, have been arrested over the death of a 25-year-old Oro worshiper, Agboola Akeem, at Sanni Taiwo Lawal Street, Oko Oba area of Lagos State.

The suspects were arrested after Akeem was reportedly attacked and killed during a clash between members of the church and traditional Oro worshipers.

It was gathered that trouble started when the Oro worshippers, who were performing their night festival at Oko Oba, ordered members of the church, who were also holding a vigil, to end their service.

Unfortunately, the order was fiercely resisted by members of the church and the disagreement degenerated into a crisis that led to the stoning of Akeem to death.

Sequel to Akeem’s death, some youths in the community went berserk, attempting to set the church ablaze.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said at about 6.30am, the Divisional Police Officer in Oko Oba Police Station received a distress call that a church, Truth and Spirit Prophetic Church, located at No. 2, Sanni Taiwo Lawal Street, in Oko Oba, was about to be set ablaze by some irate youths in the community.

Based on the distress call, a team of police officers was mobilised to the scene.

Hundeyin explained that on getting to the scene, it was discovered that a group of traditionalists were performing their Oro sacrament in the area, while the church members were having a vigil. The Oro worshipers instructed the church members to stop their service and pandemonium ensured, resulting in the death of Agboola Akeem.

The corpse of the deceased has been evacuated to a public morgue for autopsy.

Meanwhile, the pastor, Mercy Okocha, and nine other members of the church, have been arrested. Investigation is still in progress.

1. First of all, that church is in a close. Like, at the very end. The church is a very small one, more like a shop sef. It wasn't even in the path of the oro people at all. They left the main road only to go there to challenge. It wasn't even a main road at all.

2. The woman (that killed the oro guy) did not come out to meet them or leave her church/shop. They went there to meet them, and she defended herself with a coconut. She smashed it on his head, and he died shortly after while they tried to rush him to the hospital.

3. There was no general notice that this oro would even take place sef. We didn't know about it till we woke to a lot of people mourning the young oro guy's death.

There was another yesterday, still without a general notice.

4. They were gonna have the oro in the afternoon (who does that?) and all shop owners were told to close and go home immediately.

The Baale refused and said they must do it at night instead. Now, who's really intolerant?

Zero notice, and you wanna have that? Doesn't make sense.

Ekiti State University calls off ASUU strike due to the hardship the industrial action is bringing upon lecturers, among other factors.

In Buhari home Katsina, bandit terrorists have turned many people into slaves according to Dr Bashir Kurfi, an elder & community leader. He told BBC Hausa that gangs have occupied people’s homes in many villages, where they force the owners to live in makeshifts & work on farms taken over by the bandits to produce food for the terrorists. At the same time, they’re serially raping women and girls.

Dr Kurfi cited one incident that he witnessed in which 40 bandits gang-raped nine women for a whole night. He took the victims to the Federal Medical Centre.

When doctors at the FMC checked the victims, they advised that they should be taken to a Urology Hospital (which treats urinary-tract system) because the damage done was beyond the capacity of an FMC. This horror is unfolding in Buhari’s own state. Can other states expect better?

This is Islamiyat Ojelade, a Nigerian lady who got 7 PhD scholarships in 7 universities in USA.

She only has HND! Meaning she went straight to PhD without masters.

I interviewed her and wrote about her amazing story.

She is a graduate of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro where she studied Science Laboratory Technology.

She is now pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at Florida State University, USA.

Nigerian HND Holder Who Has No Masters Gets 7 Fully Funded PhD Scholarships in 7 Top Universities in USA

"Islamiyat Ojelade, a graduate of Science Laboratory Technology from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro Ogun state has bagged 7 fully funded scholarships in USA

"Amazingly, the scholarships will enable her to pursue a PhD degree in Chemistry, a rare feat for HND holders who haven't gone through a master's course

*A post she made on LinkedIn says she has accepted one of the offers and is preparing to start her studies at the Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

A Nigerian lady named Islamiyat Ojelade has broken all the barriers on her way to bag 7 fully funded scholarships in USA. Islamiyat is a HND holder who studied Science Laboratory Technology at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.

A rare feat for HND holders

Ordinarily, it would be thought that Islamiyat must have to go through a master's, or pre-masters course before climbing the academic ladder, especially with the HND/Degree dichotomy in Nigeria.

But it is amazing that the scholarships are for PhD, straight from HND. Her story has gathered a lot of attention on LinkedIn where she shared it.

She wrote: "Considering the dichotomy between HND and BSc in Nigeria, I was scared and confused on what next to do after my undergraduate studies. "I am so elated to inform you all that I will be starting my PhD program in Chemistry at the Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA this Fall, having received full scholarships from 7 universities in the United States of America with my Higher National Diploma in Science Laboratory Technology (Chemistry Major)."

The schools she got into are Florida State University, University of Massachusetts Armherst, University of Kansas, University of Kentucky, University of North Texas, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Marquette University.

"I Chose Chemistry by Mistake While Filling Admission Form": HND Holder Who Got 7 PhD Scholarships Abroad Say

*Islamiyat Ojelade, the Nigerian HND holder who got 7 PhD scholarships in 7 US universities has said it wasn't her initial intention to major in Chemistry

*The graduate of Science Laboratory Technology from Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro said there was a mistake in her admission form that got her the course

"However, she came to love it greatly and majored in it while in school and is now pursuing a PhD in the same field

Islamiyat Ojelade a brilliant Nigerian lady got 7 PhD scholarships in 7 top US universities and has proceeded with her studies. However, what many people do not know is that it wasn't Islamiyat's intention to major in Chemistry at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro where she bagged an HND in Science Laboratory Technology.

I came to love Chemistry

In an interview with Legit.ng, Islamiyat said a mistake in her admission form got her a major in the course. She got into school and gave it all her best and aced it and graduated as best in her class. "After the completion of my National Diploma at the Ogun State Insitute of Technology in 2015, I went for my Industrial Training. Thereafter, I enrolled at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro for Science Laboratory Technology while majoring in Chemistry. I honestly didn't want to major in Chemistry, but an error in my application got me Chemistry. But immediately I saw my name on the list of Chemistry students, I fell in love with it."

Achieving a rare feat Islamiyat said her success in getting scholarships for PhD without going through a masters came with a lot of hard work and many years of consistency. She however said it is a great milestone in her life and that she is excited about it.

There was panic on Sunday night as another building collapsed in Lagos, one month after the Oke Arin street, Ilupeju, Palm Grove incident.

The affected building is situated at Adeleye Street, Lady Lark, Bariga area of the State.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed the development, adding that the agency’s cobra team is en route the incident scene.

LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the development in a situation report made available to journalists.

“The Agency activated its response to the above incident and upon arrival at the incident scene, discovered that the tank scaffolding of a 2 Storey building collapsed on a bungalow beside it and affected two rooms.

“Unfortunately two children died from the impact. Three adult males sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals,“ she disclosed.

The Chief Press Secretary to Mr Governor, Gboyega Akosile also confirmed the development in a chat with Quest Times reporter.

“There was a reported case of collapse of a bungalow at Adeleye Street this night. It’s a case of a collapse of a water gantry of a building at Ayinke street which fell on a bungalow property behind it at Adeleye street.

“Adeleye Street is at the back of Ayinke Street. Casualties were reported,” he said.

Nigerian family's are on their knees for Pa Tinubu and Pa Atiku please hear our cry!

Nigerian family's are on their knees for Pa Tinubu and Pa Atiku please hear our cry! pic.twitter.com/jiKjVypGkV

— Nick (@nick_nnabuike) August 20, 2022

At Atiku's country home in Dubai

The Rwandan woman whose arrest for indecent dressing received international attention has been sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Mugabekazi Lilliane, 24, was arrested & charged with public indecency after wearing a revealing dress to a concert by popular French musician Tayc in Kigali on August 9, 2022.

Following her arrest, she was remanded in jail as she waited to hear her fate in court.

"She is suspected to have committed public indecency," the spokesman for the prosecution, Faustin Nkusi, told AFP, following her arrest.

News of the arrest sparked outrage, but Rwandan government officials, including former justice minister Johnston Busingye, backed the move.

On Thursday, August 18, Lilliane was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by a Rwandan Court.

The Ogun State Police Command has alerted the general public that a yet to be identified serial killer is on the prowl in Remo axis of the state.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said in a statement in Abeokuta on Friday that modus operandi of the serial killer is to pretend as a commercial motorcyclist popularly known as “okada” and picks his targeted victim as passenger.

According to Oyeyemi, such victims who are mainly women will be taken to an isolated area where they will be raped and brutally murdered in cold blood.

The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has set June 2023 as the date for the removal of fuel subsidy.

Ms Ahmed disclosed this while appearing Thursday before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the fuel subsidy regime from 2013 to 2022.

She explained that if Mr Buhari’s regime continues to service the subsidy, the country will spend N6.4 trillion annually.

Mr Buhari’s new deadline for removing fuel subsidy will be a month after he hands over to his successor in May 2023, leaving the new leader to deal with any backlash and commotion that may follow the decision.

“One thing that stands out in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework was that if the nation holds on to fuel subsidy as it is designed now, we will be incurring from January to December a subsidy cost of N6.4 trillion,” the minister pointed out. “But we suggested to the Federal Executive Council, and the council approved that, maybe, we could look at the option of exiting the subsidy (regime) half year. So, if we did that, then the cost would be N3.35 trillion, which is half of the N6.7 trillion.”

The FEC, she stated, approved the second option.

“That is the option that was conveyed by His Excellency, the President, to the National Assembly. But Let me also say that even though this is a reduced option, it would mean that we are borrowing more than we would have borrowed if we did not have fuel subsidies,” Ms Ahmed further stated. “In 2022, we are carrying the cost of subsidy throughout the whole year.”

The minister also mentioned that the N3.35 trillion earmarked for servicing subsidies in 2023 until June, as outlined in the approved MTEF, was being considered by the National Assembly.

Ms Ahmed defended the decision stressing that subsidy funds could have been used to support other critical sectors such as social protection, health care, and education.

The minister, therefore, suggested a national summit on the subsidy regime.

Last November, Mr Buhari’s regime said it would remove fuel subsidy by June this year and provide “deserving” Nigerians with a N5,000 monthly transport allowance, which the NLC described as “comical.”

Following the rejection, Mr Buhari approved an 18-month suspension of the planned removal of fuel subsidy in January.

5 months ago, thousands of African students fled Ukraine following the Russian invasion. It has been well documented the racism we experienced at the borders trying to leave, but little has been said about, what has happened in the last 5 months… where are we now?

On a daily basis I recieve messages, of well wishers sharing how this university is offering oppurtunities for Ukranian students, how this university has paired to support Ukrainian students…

Although well intended, what they don’t realise is those opportunities are for Ukrainians. Not Africans, not Indians… only Ukrainians.

Nothing has changed, most of us have still been unable to continue with our education.

Many have been denied temporary protection, some returned back home to their countries of origin, the Nigerian students were told that aslong as they are schooling online (whilst the war was ongoing) their degree would not be accepted in Nigeria.

We tried to obtain our transcripts so we could transfer our credits elsewhere, we were told no it’s not possible or we would be required to go back to Ukraine, to get our transcripts.

Those who have not returned have been dispersed all over Europe, just trying to stick it out and hope for the best. Some have even lost their lives in these countries.

Most are homeless, most are unable to work due to not having settled status, but also being denied the temporary protection to solidify their refugee status.

We knocked on every door, sent emails, started petitions, spoke to the press… but nothing changed. Africans were not afforded the same empathy, support, humanitarian support that our Ukrainian counterparts were, so the cycle continues.

Many have given up, on the idea of ever completing their schooling.

We started a petition that has gained almost 35,000 signatures, yet nothing. We have emailed everyone you can think of looking for support and advocacy, still nothing.

Next month is the @UN #TransformingEducation summit, and my plee is education is a right, and a right that should be afforded to everyone despite their race or nationality and the treatment and complete lack of support of African students…

especially from our own world leaders and humanitarian organisations was and is appalling. All the students want to do is learn… and our voices have been continuously ignored and disregard. This whole experience has been re-traumatising and very discouraging

So the powers at be if you are reading this please don’t forget about #africansinukraine , nothing has changed for a number of African students who fled Ukraine.

@UNYouthConvey @UNICEF @UNESCO @UNFoundation @UN @UNHumanRights @Refugees

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida GCFR (born 17 August 1941) popularly known as IBB; nicknamed, "Maradona" or "The Evil Genius", is a retired Nigerian Army general who ruled the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 27 August 1985 until his resignation in August 1993. He served as Chairman of the Armed Forces Ruling Council from 1985 to 1993 and Chief of Army Staff from 1984 to 1985; going on to orchestrate his seizure of power in a palace coup d'ètat against Muhammadu Buhari. He rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Army fighting in the Nigerian Civil War and at various times being involved in all the military coups in Nigeria, before advancing to the full-rank of a General and ultimately as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; and as an unelected President and military strongman from 1985 to 1993, ruling for an uninterrupted period of eight years. His years in power, colloquially known as the Babangida Era, are considered one of the most controversial in the military history of the country, and characterized by a burgeoning political culture of corruption in Nigeria, with Babangida and his regime estimated at least 12 billion dollars (23.9 billion today).

The Babangida government oversaw the establishment of a state security apparatus; survived two coup d'ètat attempts and the subsequent execution of Mamman Vatsa (1985) and Gideon Orkar (1991) alongside the trial of hundreds of soldiers; assassination in Lagos of Dele Giwa (1986). The regime also faced a series of ethnic and religious outbreaks related to the fallout of Babangida's decision to increase cooperation with the Muslim world and rise in extremist tendencies. On the continent his rule projected the country as a regional power with diplomatic successes including the Abuja Treaty and the military engagement of Nigerian troops in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Abroad, Babangida's military government cemented traditional relations with the English-speaking world of the United States and United Kingdom; and implemented economic liberalization and the privatization of state-owned enterprises alongside a national mass mobilization. The fall of Babangida and his regime was precipitated by the transition towards the Third Nigerian Republic and subsequent militarization of politics in the 1993 presidential election which Babangida annulled.

Early life

Ibrahim Babangida was born on 17 August 1941 in Minna to his father, Muhammad Babangida and mother Aisha Babangida. He received early Islamic education before attending primary school from 1950 to 1956. From 1957 to 1962 Babangida attended Government College Bida, together with classmates Abdulsalami Abubakar, Mamman Vatsa, Mohammed Magoro, Sani Bello, Garba Duba, Gado Nasko and Mohammed Sani Sami. Babangida joined the Nigerian Army on 10 December 1962, where he attended the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna.

Dictatorship

Babangida ruling by decree promulgated his official title as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and placed Muhammadu Buhari under house arrest in Benin until 1988. He established the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) as the highest lawmaking council serving as Chairman; he also restructured the national security apparatus, tasking General Aliyu Gusau as Co-ordinator of National Security directly reporting to him in the president's office he created the: State Security Service (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Family

Babangida was married to Maryam Babangida from 1969 until her death in 2009. They had four children together; Aisha, Muhammad, Aminu, and Halima. On 27 December 2009, Maryam Babangida died from complications of ovarian cancer.

The President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum has denied receiving N1.15 billion vehicle gift from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Nigerien President’s claim contradicted Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed’s statement concerning the alleged gift to Niger Republic.

Recall, that the federal government had on Wednesday August 3, 2022, confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime disbursed N1.4 billion to Niger Republic for the purchase of vehicles for security purposes.

The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed who gave the confirmation, explained that providing intervention to the neighboring Niger Republic is not new and it is the prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari to approved such purchase.

However, report has revealed that the Nigerien Minister of Defence, Alkassoum Indatou, rebutted President Buhari's claim, saying that it was only Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle that gifted the Maradi region 5 Hilux Vans, which four of the vehicles have already been received by Nigerien government.

Indatou who spoke on behalf of his country’s President, insisted that the claim by the Federal Government of Nigeria is untrue despite the efforts of its troop to protect Nigerians from terror attacks from Boko Haram and Al-shabab militants.

The Defence Minister of Niger reiterated that it was only Governor Matawalle who gave the Maradi region Hilux vans, not the Buhari regime as claimed by Nigeria’s Finance Minister.

“It is only the State of Zamfara which has given five vehicles to the Maradi region, four of which have already been received, it is not the federal government as the Minister of Finance of Nigeria Zainab Ahmed declared,” said a translation of the French statement of a top Nigerien official privy to the issues.

“The populations of Zamfara who are on the border with Niger call more on the Nigerien soldiers who respond to the minute than even those of their own country,” he added.

Buhari’s administration had claimed to have contracted Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited, with Fidelity Bank's account number 4010638472, to purchase 10 Toyota Land Cruiser Jeeps for Niger Republic for N1.15billion.

However, an independent journalist, David Hundeyin had posted the photo of a budget office document showing the payment of N1.15 billion, questioning why the government made the payment.

He asked President Buhari to explain why “scarce” public sector resources were being expended on Niger Republic without it appearing “on official Budget Office documentation.”

The document generated reactions from many Nigerians online, with many questioning the federal government’s generosity to the neighbouring country when public universities in Nigeria remained closed for months over the inability of the government to meet up with the demands of ASUU.

The Minister had responded to questions at the end of a weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Buhari at the Council Chambers, saying Nigeria had a policy of assisting its neighbours to strengthen capacity to deal with insecurity.

She had told newsmen that the President had the liberty to assess what was in the best interest of the country.

She had maintained that the President reserved the right to take decisions in the interest of Nigeria, adding that this was not the first time the country was approving such interventions to its neighbours.The Minister had responded to questions at the end of a weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Buhari at the Council Chambers, saying Nigeria had a policy of assisting its neighbours to strengthen capacity to deal with insecurity.

She had told newsmen that the President had the liberty to assess what was in the best interest of the country.

She had maintained that the President reserved the right to take decisions in the interest of Nigeria, adding that this was not the first time the country was approving such interventions to its neighbours.

Nigerian Civil Service is as corrupt as anything, but let me gist you my NYSC story in a state specialist hospital.

I'm a Medical Laboratory Scientist. So, I was posted to this hospital lab.

When I first showed up, I heard stories of how Corp members came and made money here.

Someone had already told me about the place before NYSC camp, and to avoid temptation (as Deeper Life boy wey I be), I decided that I won't serve there.

In camp, one of the Corp Member was part of COVID-19 team. He was already benefiting from the system. We met in camp.

When he knew my moral position, he started telling me that he'll frustrate me if I come there to complicate things for him.

After all my dodging, I was posted to the state nursing school. They said "no Allaawee," and I rejected it and landed in my dreaded hospital.

That's when I understood government's part of the story. ���

These guys will come to work and it will seem as if everyone is working for themselves aside the HOD who's a peaceful woman.

I mean from the laboratory assistant to the laboratory Scientist. PP they call it.

They'll call in patients. Collect their test requisition forms, and pocket the money while helping each other run the tests in different departments.

See the new deal. Many of them had their lockers with padlocks that were like "mini-labs." It had consumables and test kits.

You'll hear complaints of malaria kits has finished but people have for their own business. The same kits for the general work.

I heard about a Corp member that showed up and at a point was drinking bottled water. Many alleged that he went after to set up his own lab.

I saw laboratory technicians and assistants with meager salaries driving good cars. These guys were balling.

New Alert: the state government did transfers and new staff told me that in his former LGA, they do 50/50 with the hospital management in terms of remitting lab revenue.

The system was so porous that students on posting joined the trend. Students! It was a field party.

There was this month that things was so bad that the HOD received a backlash from management.

Revenue dropped by about 50% from the previous months.

I was in Microbiology. I was the most senior ranking health worker in Microbiology as the only Scientist. The rest were Technicians.

Sometimes, I'll come to read plates in the morning and cultures were done very late in the evening the previous day and other issues.

People who came to work by 8, abandon work that wasn't going into their pockets.

A lot was going bad.

It's more annoying that they even charge these poor patients more than the government approved charges.

That was how bad the system is.

I Sha did Anini with the system sha.

During my calls (one person runs the lab), sometimes... Very poor people will come to the lab with their dying kids or so, and after the tests, when they try to pay... I know they can't buy drugs with what is left... I just tell them to go.

I'm talking about a very poor state in NE Nigeria.

There are times where old women will be begging you... I just work for them, and put it on my account but mehn... I never got to pay for the freebies though.

What I'll just tell myself is that... It's their state money.

In the morning, I'll remit whatever I was able to generate in the night.

There was no call allowance. So you'll do 7-days stretch.

We pleaded for 10k call allowance, no way. They told us to remit blood bank money, and keep others from those small tests.

The day MD came to the lab and I overheard him talking about how they were dealing with the call revenue, omo... I knew it was just wrong to take that money. It wasn't easy. I involved my Pastor and some other staff... One told me, the Bible says, "where you work, you chop." ��

It was a hopeless situation.

My other colleague will say... "Ifeanyi. Spend this money. It's your sweat."

I'll just remit the money.

I managed myself with some very good Muslim roomies that encouraged me through the temptation... Omo... Aliyu is a brother...

Sometimes ba... Morality has nothing to do with which religion you're practicing.

We redefined Christianity & Islam in that flat. I was the only Christian with 3 Muslims. We eat together. When I'm struggling with my prayer life, you'll hear, "Ifeanyi. You're not praying again."

Are you not going for prayers this evening? You ño go go church?

Kastina people.

When I came new, they had this notion that Christians drink and womanize.

Umar told me one day, "I've never seen a Christian committed like you."

E never jam my classmate Noah ���

That's by the way.

But... I believe this is happening in many places across this country.

We sha used to get free drugs from our Corp Member pharmacist when were sick though.

That's corruption too sha.

But my point is that... As citizens, we've a lot of things to change down

... there.

If government will invest N7M in the hospital to see N2M profit, and we steal N5M, we've returned to the government to N5M.

They'll have to borrow.

The ones supplying us kits. How will you supply a kit N1950 when the market price is N1,000.
The corruption is thick.

It is systematic. We need to do better as a people. @Letter_to_Jack just posted about his plumber case.

There's is this pervasive anyhowness and corruption in our country, and many of our citizens want it so.

Try to correct it and see how they'll call your tribe or Religion.

Despite the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide Bashir Ahmad in May, he has continued to draw illegally from the federal government’s coffers, receiving his May, June and July salaries in full, according to federal payroll records obtained by Peoples Gazette.

Having submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms for the APC House of Representatives ticket on May 11, Mr Ahmad removed his designation — personal assistant to the president on new media — from his Twitter bio, a move that signalled his resignation from the regime.

Mr Ahmad began publicly describing himself as a former aide to the president, including during several campaign stomps in his home Kano state.

But records from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for federal officials showed Mr Ahmad received millions in salaries for May, June and July under his payroll number 372121. Mr Ahmad’s monthly salary stood at N1,043,176.88, with his take-home coming to N876,738.37 after statutory deductions, records showed.

Therefore, Mr Ahmad received N3,129,530.64 in illegal salaries for the three months he claimed to have resigned and didn’t work as a federal employee. The illegal payment did not include a miscellany of allowances and federal estacodes attached to Mr Ahmad and other presidential aides.

Federal payroll regulations required immediate deletion of Mr Ahmad’s banking information from the system following acceptance of his resignation by the president in early May. Federal payroll management officials told The Gazette under anonymity that some of the ministers who were compelled by the president to step down from office over their political aspirations had their banking credentials removed immediately.

Mr Ahmad told The Gazette he had returned the salaries received during the period of his resignation but failed to provide evidence of refund.

“I had returned the salaries I received during the period I wasn’t in the office,” Mr Ahmad’s said in a message Monday evening. He declined a request to supply evidence of his refund of the illegal payments to the federal treasury.

It is illegal to claim payments from federal accounts after an official has been announced to have resigned, retired or sacked from office, said anti-corruption campaigner Lanre Suraj.

A spokesman for the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) did not answer a message seeking comments on the matter.

On Sunday, Mr Buhari announced he had reappointed Mr Ahmad to an elevated position as a special assistant on new media — as against the personal assistant cadre he held since January 2016— months after he failed to clinch the ruling party’s ticket for the federal parliament.

It was unclear whether the president was in on the scheme or whether he would have offered Mr Ahmad a high position that would presumably earn him larger salaries had he been informed. A spokesman for the president did not return a request seeking comments.

Mr Ahmad was among a cohort of presidential aides that The Gazette exposed as taking part in a federal job racket in early 2021. Although he denied the allegations, the agency at the heart of the scandal exerted disciplinary actions against three officials who were wrongly accused of leaking the information to our reporters.

Dear Role Models,

Our attention has been drawn to an online news publication of armed robbery on our main facility.

However, it was not armed robbery but an attempted burglary of one of our small halls on the 1st of July, 2022 which was foiled by our security team.

I just want to put it out here to those that have shown concern that my brother Abdallah who was part of those Nigerians kidnapped on the train hasn’t being released. He’s still with the kidnappers. Ignore any news stating train victims have all being released. It’s false. Thanks

Imagine your pastor saying a worship song is boring him to death ���
Pastor tobi is different

Fact Check:

BAT started the campaign against old men. You can hear him here mocking GEJ's appointment of 83yrs old Chief Tony Anenih as the chairman of Nig ports authority

Fact Check:

BAT started the campaign against old men. You can hear him here mocking GEJ's appointment of 83yrs old Chief Tony Anenih as the chairman of Nig ports authority 😀 pic.twitter.com/b04rh3hRVi

— BravoOne (@DamolaIlori) August 14, 2022