₦airaland Forum

The House of Representatives says it will wield the big stick against the Nigeria Navy if it is found wanting. Chairman, House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, gave the warning during the 2020 budget defence by the Nigerian Navy. A

He said:”As we look forward to undertaking familiarisation tour of naval formations across the country in the exercise of our oversight functions in no distant future, I call on the naval authorities to be transparent in their dealings to forestall the possibility of any gridlocks with the committee.

“This committee is willing and ready to work with the Navy as partners in progress for optimal productivity, but we shall not hesitate to wield the big stick where you are found wanting. Let me reiterate that the progress and development of Nigeria remains our topmost priority. “Like any other armed forces in Nigeria, the Nigerian Navy is of strategic importance to the economy of this great nation. “This brings to light, the desire of this committee to give the Navy the legislative support required to achieve its mandate of tackling the menace of piracy, oil theft, bunkering and other maritime related crimes.

“We shall not renege on our sacred responsibility of providing the needed oversight on the activities of the Navy, but we should have as our underlying principle, the idea of adding value to the Navy than being a cog in its wheel of progress by reason of unnecessary antagonism.” He expressed concern over the non-release of funds to the Navy for capital expenditure this year.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/reps-to-navy-well-deal-with-you-if-found-wanting.html

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to “stop wasting public funds on campaign” and get prepared to accept defeat in the November 16 governorship election in the state. The PDP, in a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, claimed that the PDP already had the support of over 70 percent of registered voters in 18 out of the 21 local government areas across the state.

“Since we kicked off our grassroots campaigns in the last few weeks, the PDP has continued to receive overwhelming support, solidarity and endorsements from all segments of the voting population, including political leaders and community groups, workers, pensioners, students, youth groups, business groups, professionals, and a host of other Kogites who have become despondent with the excruciating misrule of Yahaya Bello.

“This army of the Kogi people is fully rallied against any plot by the APC to derail any stage of the electoral process and they will not allow any infringement by anybody, no matter the machination. “Governor Bello and the APC ought to have known that it is all over for them. “The spontaneous public jubilation that greeted the retrieval of PDP’s mandate of Barrister Shaba Ibrahim, for the Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency, at the Court of Appeal, despite the machinations of the APC, reinforces the imminent triumph of the PDP and the people in the November 16 governorship election.

“The people of Kogi state are ready for this election and cannot wait to kick out Governor Bello and vote in their candidate, PDP’s Engr. Musa Wada as their next governor,” the PDP said.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/stop-wasting-public-funds-on-campaign-pdp-tells-bello.html

The Director General of All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Organisation for the November 16th election in Kogi, Senator Smart Adeyemi, has said that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not shown any readiness for the incoming election. Adeyemi said this Wednesday in Lokoja on the sidelines after an audience with the First Secretary, British High Commission in Nigeria, Alistair Hodson, who was in Kogi to assess the political situation and level of preparedness ahead of the election.

He said: “Our concerns is that the main opposition party in this election, the PDP, is not ready for this election. We have it on good authority that they are planning mayhem to discredit this election. “And that is why until today, they are not campaigning. You can’t see their posters and they are not talking. It is quite disturbing when you have your main opponent not talking.

“We monitor some of their activities; their target is to discredit this election and cause mayhem and we have to alert the nation and international community that this party called PDP is not ready for this election and they should be honourable enough to tell Nigerians they are not ready for this election.” Adeyemi said his party, the APC, was fully ready for the November 16th governorship election and expressed optimism of clinching victory at the end of the day.

Reacting to the claims of Adeyemi, the Deputy Director Public Communication of PDP governorship campaign council, Austin Okai, said the PDP was fully ready for the election and that the official flag off of its campaign holds this Friday in Lokoja. He said the party had been on with its “door to door” campaign and urged the ruling APC to await its “looming defeat” in the forthcoming election.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/pdp-not-ready-for-election-in-kogi-smart-adeyemi.html

Nigeria? because of boko boys abi?

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The site for the construction of a 300-bed ultra-modern Specialist Hospital in the New Millennium City, Kaduna, which was awarded since 2009 has become a habitat for weeds, Daily Trust reports. The project was initiated during the tenure of former governor Namadi Sambo’s administration and was partly funded with a loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) with the support of the Kaduna State government, Daily Trust reports. Namadi’s successor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, was said to have shopped for the IDB loan to provide the needed facilities for the hospital and other developmental projects in the state.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) had in 2014 approved a loan of $141 million to the Kaduna State government for infrastructural development. Yero’s spokesman, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, was quoted then as saying that the loan was to be used for the provision of “critical infrastructure in Health, Education and Water Supply sectors.” Daily Trust gathered that out of the amount, the sum of $43.13million was earmarked for the provision of modern equipment at the 300-bed space Specialist Hospital at the Millennium City.

Aside from putting an end to Nigerians traveling out of the country on medical tourism, the state government had explained that the medical facility was conceived to provide the best of medicare comparable to the ones in other countries. While signing the loan agreement with officials of the IDB in April 2014, former governor Yero reportedly said: “We have promised the people that we are going to complete all on-going projects in the state and I want to assure the people that we have not abandoned any project and we remain committed to completing them based on the availability of funds.”

Our checks show that the contract was initially awarded to Nahman Construction, a Lagos-based firm at an undisclosed sum but while the structural work on the hospital was almost completed, the complex was abandoned as the contractors left the site. The hospital was initially scheduled for completion in 2012, but was delayed and rescheduled for completion in 2014, due to the inability of the state government to take delivery of some state-of-the-art equipment.

Following contractual setbacks, it was said to have been re-awarded to Terraina Construction (Nigeria) Limited for completion and the contractor promised to complete in nine months. The hospital was designed to have a fertility clinic, a Cath Lab, physiotherapy ward, Renal Dialysis Centre and Oncology Centre. It was also expected to have an Intensive Care Unit, High Care Unit and an Operating Theatre. In addition, it was conceived to have an Orthopaedic Ward, Maternity Ward, Medical Ward, accident and emergency ward.

Checks have, however, shown that 10 years after the project was conceived and awarded the hospital is yet to be completed despite promises by previous governors in the state to do so. After a tour of the facility by the then Kaduna State Commissioner of Planning and Budget, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, accompanied by his then Health counterpart Dr. Paul Dogo in February 2017, the planning and budget commission posted on its twitter handle that: “Governor Nasir el-Rufai is committed to completing this inherited project for the overriding benefit of the good people of Kaduna State.

Contractors handling this project have been remobilized to the site with work on-going. Governor El-Rufai is committed to completing it before 2019.” Our correspondent who visited the site recently reports that the place has been overtaken by thick grasses even as no construction work is taking place at the site‎. Not even security guards were present at the entrance of the building as at the time of the visit. It was observed that the walls of the hospital were already suffering from lack of maintenance while part of the roof was giving way.

Locals who live within the Chikun vicinity of the Millennium City, where it is sited, have taken advantage of the non-completion of the project to engage in farming activities as they plant maize and other crops within the premises of the abandoned project, Daily Trust observed.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/weeds-overgrow-300-bed-kaduna-specialist-hospital.html

The Nigerian Senate has questioned the allocation of N600 million to the already privatised Distribution Companies (DisCos) by Ministry of Power in the 2020 budget. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswan, raised the concerns on Tuesday during the 2020 budget defence by the ministry. He said that government should rather inject money into Mambila Hydro Power Project to ensure stability in power supply in the country.

A member of the committee, Senator Yusuf Yusuf, said the Mambila power project had been on for the past 20 years and demanded speedy execution of the project. Responding, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Power, Louis Edozien, justified the inclusion of N600 million in the 2020 budget for Discos. Edozien said the said N600 million was to be dispensed in line with the agreement the Power ministry had with the Discos

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/just-in-senate-queries-allocation-of-n600m-to-discos-in-2020-budget.html

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chai! hungry dey this man body, he do not resemble person who is very close to Atiku.

Yobe state government has unveiled plans to enrolled 40,000 Almajiris and 25,000 girls in public schools this year as part of efforts to mitigate illiteracy in the state Chairman Yobe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Goni Ibrahim, disclosed this in Bauchi at the Master Trainers workshop organized for teachers of the state by the board in collaboration with the World Bank and Northern Education Initiative (NEI Plus)

Ibrahim, represented by the director social mobilization of the board, Sama’ila Machina, said that the state currently has 800 learning centres for the Almajiris where they will be taught reading, writing and simple arithmetic and 500 learning centres for the girls child under the world Bank supported Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) program.

According to him, the bank has already approved the sum of $3 million for the state to implement the program, adding that the state has adopted the Early Grade Reading Model developed by the USAID’s Northern Education Initiative NEI Plus for the implementation of the World Bank supported Better Education Services Delivery For All (BESDA) The NEI Plus’s Early Grade Reading Model, under which “Let’s Read and Mu Karanta” textbooks were produced and distributed free of charge to public schools in Bauchi and Sokoto states, is meant to ensure that pupils in primary 1-3 are able to read in both Hausa and English languages. He added the decision to adopt the NEI Plus’s model was because the textbooks developed by the project have been tested and found to be working very well in Bauchi and Sokoto states.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/yobe-to-enrol-40000-almajiris-25000-girls-in-public-schools.html

The governor of Kano state, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has celebrated his predecessor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso on his 63rd birthday anniversary. In a sponsored advertisement on page 41 of Daily Trust on Tuesday, Ganduje prayed that the Almighty Allah grant his predecessor good health and prosperity.

“I, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on behalf of myself, the government and the good people of Kano state, wish to congratulate our former Governor and Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso on his 63rd year anniversary. “While wishing him more returns in future, I pray that Allah Almighty grants him good health and prosperity,” Ganduje prayed.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ganduje-celebrates-kwankwaso-at-63.html

The Federal Government has decried the $9 billion spent annually on importation of about 400,000 vehicles into the country. Speaking separately yesterday at an automotive event held in Abuja, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said the huge Foreign Exchange (Forex) leakage affected the economy negatively. The trade minister made a case for increased local content usage in domestic production of vehicles to crash the price of locally made vehicles.

Adebayo, who was represented at the event, said more Nigerians would be able to purchase locally manufactured vehicles if the high price could be crashed by using locally sourced raw materials. He said Nigeria was importing vehicles from many countries across the world and exporting none, thereby creating trade deficit in Nigeria’s automotive industry.

The justice minister on his part pledged legal support needed to narrow the huge vehicle import bills burdening Nigeria. He said his office would speed up legislations relevant in revamping the auto industry to make it attractive to investors. Malami further said there was need to stop the leakage of the $9bn annually via vehicle imports by providing legal support for the country’s domestic auto industry.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-decries-9bn-forex-leakage-through-vehicle-imports.html

…some of the mourners at his funeral were taken by surprise when they heard his voice from beyond the grave, which was put out via a speaker from the ground. One of his sister’s got a big shock, but after a few seconds realised it must have been his last joke, it was his way to say goodbye. Mourners who attended the funeral of a man in Ireland were left in shock when they heard his voice from beyond the grave. “Let me out, it’s dark in here” cried Shay Bradley from his coffin as it was being lowered into the ground in Kilmanagh, Kilkenny, on 12 October.

In the pre-recorded message, the voice continued: “Where am I? Is that a priest I can hear? This is Shay, I’m in the box.” He then sang: “Hello again hello, hello I just called to say goodbye.” Ensuring he got the last laugh at his own send-off, the 62-year-old Irish Defence Force veteran had his family and friends in fits of giggles rather than tears. Mr Bradley’s daughter, Andrea Bradley, said he had been sick for three years before he died on 8 October, and had planned his prank over the last year. She told Sky News: “He was always full of life and he was big stature but even bigger in personality.

“My dad and my brother Jonathan came up with this over a year ago and only a select few knew about it, his kids and grandkids.” Ms Bradley added that some of the mourners at his funeral were taken by surprise when they heard his voice from beyond the grave, which was put out via a speaker from the ground. She added: “One of his sisters got a big shock, but after a few seconds realised it must have been his last joke, it was his way to say goodbye.

“But also his way to say, ‘Enough sadness, it’s time to celebrate my life now.’ So we sent and done just that. We gave him an amazing send-off and the online reaction has been incredible.” The video of the funeral service has since gone viral, and was shared by the Irish Defence Forces Veterans’ News who wrote on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that I was informed of the passing of our Military Brother and Veteran Colleague Shay Bradley. “On behalf of the members of the IDFVA I extend our sincerest condolences and prayers to Anne and family at this sad time. May Shay Rest in Peace.”

In a separate post, they added: “Was asked a question the other day, it was what’s the difference between military humour and civilian humour, it’s simple, it’s black. This video should say it all. This is the funeral of Shay Bradley on the 12 of October 2019 and it says it all…”

Culled from skynews.com

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/let-me-out-man-speaks-from-his-own-grave-at-his-funeral.html

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Senate President Ahmad Lawan yesterday Sunday felicitated with former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon on his 85th birthday, describing him as “a unique Nigerian hero”. In a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Ola Awoniyi, Lawan thanked God for the grace of health, longevity and unblemished integrity “evident in Gowon’s exemplary life.”

He recalled that Gowon assumed the leadership of Nigeria as a youth and at a time the country was at the precipice of disintegration. “In very difficult circumstances, General Gowon rallied his troops and indeed all Nigerians to defend and preserve the unity and territorial integrity of their country. He did this through his inspirational call of ‘Go-On-With-One Nigeria’ during the unfortunate civil war, and after it, through his policy of ‘No Victor, No Vanquished and the three ‘Rs’ programme of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.

“It is to his eternal credit that Nigerians from across the deep divide embraced themselves after the conflict and again integrated as one nation specially blessed by God. “Even after exiting power, General Gowon has been unwavering in promoting the unity, peace and prosperity of the country he loves so much,” Lawan said.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/gowon-a-unique-nigerian-hero-lawan.html

…N2.6bn budgeted for compensation, others The 3050 megawatts (MW) Mambilla hydropower project in Taraba State, with a contract cost of N2.1 trillion is yet to begin, over 40 years after it was initiated, Daily Trust investigation revealed. The project has also been delayed two years after the Federal Ministry of Power got a Certificate of…

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/40yrs-after-fgs-n2trn-mambilla-power-project-yet-to-begin.html

one nigeria

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Our deaf president will not hear

God bless her

Amid Nigeria and South Africa seeking ways to end Xenophobia in the latter’s country, the Nigerian community in South Africa has confirmed the killing of one of its members, Ikenna Innocent Otugo. Mr Sylvester Okonkwo, Acting Chairman of Nigerian Union, South Africa (NUSA) in the Kwazulu Natal Province, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the deceased was killed at Empangeni, in the province on Tuesday, Oct. 15. He said that Otugo, 41, and a native of Nimo in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra, was allegedly stabbed to death by unknown assailants over a business disagreement.

Okonkwo told NAN on telephone from Empangeni that Otugo had repaired a cellphone for a client in the area. He said that information made available to the union indicated that the female client was not satisfied with the work done by Otugo. Okonkwo said that the client brought some men who allegedly stabbed the victim. “Otugo died on the way to the hospital following the stabbing.

We have reported the incident to the police and national secretariat of our union, NUSA. “His (Otugo’s) body is now in the mortuary awaiting autopsy,’’ he said. The acting chairman said that the victim is survived by a nine-year-old son. Contacted, Mr Adetola Olubajo, President of NUSA, said that the national secretariat had been informed about the incident.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/nigerian-stabbed-to-death-in-south-africa.html

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State had described the All Progressives Congress, APC as a group of persons notorious for lies. He said that the assertions credited to the APC chairman in the state, John Ochala over his return to school to pursue a Master’s degree in law at UNICAL were as laughable and pathetic, adding that”the party in the state is notorious for lies.”

Yesterday, Ochala had described Governor Ayade as indolent and idle, who had time to return to school which he should have done when he was a senator or as a private person. Ochala said Ayade is bereft of ideas on how to govern the state which he said had been plagued with many problems and infrastructural decays.

Ayade in a statemnt by his chief media adviser, Mr Christain Ita said it is “funny that a party like APC which prides itself as a major opposition cannot engage the Governor on governance issues but chooses to lie to score cheap political points. If they didn’t see anything wrong with Gov Mallam Nasir El’rufai returning to school in 2017 in far away Netherlands for his PhD, what then is wrong if Gov Ayade returns to school to add to his numerous degrees within Calabar, the state capital?” The statement reminded the APC that Chief Whip of the Senate and member of the APC, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu was an undergraduate student while serving as Abia State Governor.

“The timing of Gov. Ayade’s decision to return to school is unequivocally perfect. Unlike APC members, the Governor, despite all the resources at his disposal didn’t choose any foreign University, he decided to do it locally thereby boosting the reputation of Nigerian Universities at a time tertiary institutions in West Africa are under attack. “For APC to lie to Cross Riverians that no serving Governor in the history of Nigeria has ever returned to school is unfortunate. Maybe, they just don’t have the guts to commend the Govervnor for patronising Nigeria University. “Ignorantly, Ochala also lied that Gov. Ayade didn’t go to school while in the Senate. This is very shocking. Gov. Ayade was elected Senator in 2011 and later that year enrolled in Nigeria Law School, Abuja and was called to Barr in 2012.”

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/apc-is-notorious-for-lies-says-ayade.html

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Good one... better pikin

The closure of land borders by the Federal Government was done in good faith, Chairman Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir has said. The senator, representing Sokoto East, who commented on the closure, said it was done to prevent the movement of arms and other dangerous weapons into nation.

The lawmaker, who said the measure was also necessary to add greater value to local foods, stated that the attendant hardship was temporary. Gobir said President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan was to ensure adequate protection of lives and properties in the country. According to him, the President has a good programme and plan to ensure that every Nigerian lives in peace. He said a lot of measures were being taken to safeguard the people and their properties. This, he said, was particularly in the northern region where cases of kidnapping, cattle rustling, banditry had become prevalent. The senator tasked the youths on education as well as skills acquisition

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/border-closure-is-in-good-faith-senator.html

chai

hmmm