₦airaland Forum

Joseph Jibueze

The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has not issued an official statement on acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu, its Chairman Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) said on Tuesday.

He said the statement issued on Monday by a member, Prof Femi Odekunle, was his personal opinion and does not represent PACAC's position.

Odekunle's statement read: “This is a preliminary reaction of PACAC to the alleged ‘arrest’ of Magu...”

He accused Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) of lacking commitment to the anti-graft war and being the arrowhead of power blocs that want Magu out.

Odekunle said Malami’s earlier memo calling for Magu’s removal and the EFCC's boss' invitation to appear before a probe panel over allegations of abuse of office “seem an outcome of power-play by power blocs in the corridors of power in which Malami appears to be an arrow-head or major agent”.

But Sagay, in a statement by PACAC Communications Officer Aghogho Agbahor, said Odekunle spoke for himself.

“The attention of the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has been drawn to a statement circulating in the media space credited to one of its members Prof Femi Odekunle.

“The press release is the personal opinion of the member under whose name it was released and not that of the committee.

“If the committee consistent with its mandate has any view on the matter, it will be channelled to the President and not to the media.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/odekunle-didnt-speak-for-pacac-on-magu-says-sagay/

A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in Ekiti State, Prince Adeolu Tinubu has called on Governor Kayode Fayemi to resolve his differences with aggrieved party's leaders in order to protect his administration's legacy.

Tinubu said there was no alternative to peaceful co-existence, stressing that it was only in an atmosphere devoid of chaos and political rivalry that Fayemi's five pillar agenda for meaningful growth and development can be achieved.

The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Former Minister of Work, Senator Dayo Adeyeye and 13others aggrieved leaders has for sometimes been at daggers' drawn with Governor Fayemi over the control of APC.

While speaking on Monday in Emure-Ekiti with newsmen, the APC Chieftain urged the governor to resolve his differences with the aggrieved leaders, saying they should be preoccupied on how to effect socio-economic changes in the state.

He said politicians shouldn't have the erroneous impression that all their grievances can be resolved by heating up the polity, saying such tendencies can only make the state ungovernable and decelerate the spate of development.

Tinubu stressed that Ekiti state has a long history of "peaceful coexistence rooted in humility, integrity, good name, communal relationship, selfless service and hard work", saying politics should not be allowed to truncate such long -standing tradition.

"I appeal to the Governor Kayode Fayemi and the political leaders of APC and even other parties to eschew discord and embrace peace.

"The latest development where party leaders are locked in battles would only increase disunity in the state and thereby retard the progress and development as a whole.

"There is no meaningful progress that can be made under the climate of discord, unhealthy rivalry, violence and general disequilibrium.

"Ekiti state is loaded with man power potentials, and we are respected for our hard work and intelligence. Such potentials will amount to nothing when not harnessed to effectively bring out greatness for our dear state.

"Governor Fayemi as the leader must live by example by reaching out to aggrieved individuals across party lines on the need to ensure a peaceful Ekiti.

"2022 governorship election is still long. This is the right time for governance and when time to play politics comes, then they should all go out and reach out to our people to canvass for votes, in a peaceful and civil manner," he advised.

https://thenationonlineng.net/ekiti-apc-crisis-may-destroy-your-legacy-tinubu-tells-fayemi/

In a bid to further sustain the repositioning efforts of the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee (CEONCPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a group of party faithful in the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, have formed APC NEC - Integrity Group.

The group which emerged from the Non-National Working Committee of National Executive Committee (Non-NWC NEC) has also appointed it's leaders and conveyed same in a letter to the caretaker committee chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni.

The Group in a jointly-signed letter by Hon. Abubakar Sadiq Saadu (Chairman) and David Okumba (Secretary) and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday assured the CEONCPC Chairman of it's support and readiness to work with the Caretaker Comitee in order to restore the party to it prime status.

Pledging it's support the group wrote, "As NEC members we are always ready and available for the Caretaker committee and shall support committee in which ever way require in cause of steering the party's affairs."

It also commended President Muhammadu Buhari over the dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and expressed optimism that the Caretaker Committee will engender genuine reconciliation and peace in the party.

Eulogising the leader of the caretaker committee, the group described the emergence of Mai Mala Buni, the Yobe State governor, the chair of the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee as a well thought out move.

The executive committee of the group as conveyed to the caretaker committee include, Hon. Abubakar Sadiq Saadu - North West (Chairman), Dr. Mrs. Racheal Akpabio – South South (Deputy Chairman), David Okumgba – South South (Secretary), Abubakar A. Musa – North East (Asst. Secretary), Lawal Kolade – South West (Treasurer), Terver Aginde – North Central (Organization/Mobilization), Hon. Muhammed S. Ibrahim – North West (Publicity/Strategic Communication) and Barr. Tanko Zakari – North Central (Legal Adviser).

Others are Muhammad Azare – North East (Welfare), Nduka Anyanwu – South East (Auditor), Bolaji Repete Hafeez – South West (Dep. Publicity/Strategic Communications), Hon. Ihuoma Onyebuchukwu – South East (Deputy Treasurer) and Abubakar Ajiya – North East (Coordinator) while is to serve as Abdulmunaf Muh’d – North West (Coordinator, John Uwaedu – South East (Coordinator), Adie Ferdinand Atsu – South South (Coordinator) and Jock Alamba – North Central (Coordinator)

For the Board of Trustees (BoT), the group appointed Alh. Nasiru Danu – North West (Chairman), Sunday Jacob – South East (Secretary),v Chief Koteteh Ibadan – South South (Member), Alh. Zakari Muhammad – North Central (Member) and Alh. Shuaibu Abdulrahaman – North East (Member).

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-integrity-group-emerges-from-apc-nec/

Sam Omatseye

It is Ramon Abbas he bears. Even that name puzzles. Some reports anglicise his first name as Raymond. But it is Hushpuppi we know, poetic, lyrical and even symbolic. Hush implies silent, furtive, conspiratorial, shadowy. Puppy, in this regard, means playful like a week-old dog. That makes him a sly dog.

But then it has other origin stories. Some others date it back to the founding of New Orleans that gives the world Mahdi Gras, an unhinged carnival for pilgrims of pleasure. An immigrant woman invented a snack of a ball out of cornmeal and the city called it hushpuppy. Their own incarnation of akara. Even then, Abbas’ nickname is spelt ending with an i instead of a y.

The one picture that has trended of late features him in a shirt sporting a familiar brand Fendi. But another brand had been stalking him like a forest cat, slinking, longsuffering and calculating. It was a brand as counterforce: FBI. Nabbed in Dubai but caught in the United States, the sojourn of a colorful conman comes to an end. Behind bars, he will wear neither Gucci nor LV, but an orange top that will, at best, say INMATE.

Now he is no more Hushpuppi. He is now Abbas. He buried his real name in a casket of lies and deceit. He was reborn a glamour icon, one-named, abandoned home, and became a global Smart Alec. He was a man of means with no means of livelihood. He conquered cyberspace, dispossessed the gullible, stashed his global bank account, strutted the world, amassed dream cars, snored in palaces, dressed like a fop, preened like a peacock, seduced the young and befuddled the old.

He became a role model to a lazy generation that lapped luxury without labour. When he was caught, the FBI buried Hushpuppi and rebirthed Abbas. But where is the real Abbas though? Can he recognise Ramon again? He cannot. Like Sophocles’ Antigone, he “neither dwells among men nor ghosts.” He is in a dazed world, a wraith. He died twice; he is born again a jailbird, his third life. He was reckless. Now he is a wreck.

But Abbas is a tale for the moment, if in reverse. He was caught trying to denude a group of people in millions of dollars in palliatives in a time of pandemic. Abbas is a picture of avarice at a time of sacrifice. He was flaunting his shoes, cars, mansion, parties at a time when many hid behind homes, suffered in hospitals, coughed in misery, mourned or were mourned. He represented a heartless species when we were supposed to be our neighbours’ keepers, when many were suddenly whisked out of work.

When his fellow country folks lost their jobs, and men of means contributed their millions and billions to the poor, Abbas was a show-off. The thing with Abbas was no lockdown could stop his party. His extravagance was online. The world was his audience. He flourished and frolicked in real time and space, but his fans joined him virtually. His was a Viewer’s paradise. The young gawped and gawked, followed him, and commented. When they cursed, they did it out of smouldering admiration. He had come to represent a generation of Nigerians who did not trust their parents or their bosses or their leaders. They followed their greed. They followed Hushpuppi. He was a priest of a new goddess: money.

Abbas for them was a sort of escape. He had become the man who gamed the system and scored. All the stadia in the world applauded. They are like the character of the English novel Billy  Liar, a young man who lived in his imagination where he had attained power, wealth and glory, although he had nothing other than living from paycheck to paycheck. Abbas embodied that escape for them. They lived in Hushpuppi. They wore his Fendi, lived in his palace, flew in his jet, caroused his women, or were his women, they sat in the driver’s seat of his Ferrari and Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce.

Here fellow Nigerians had no chance to host Owambes. Weddings and birthdays and funerals have been pruned to parlors and backyards. It is a time for humility, and it was only proper that the man who countered it be caught and put away.

These days no one has anywhere to go with Gucci shoes. No first class tickets to buy to London and take pictures for online vanity. No one has a chance to pile pockets with dollars and pounds to spray a celebrant. Those with big cars cannot drive them to anywhere for displays. No extravagances for the Mephistophelean or the harmless show man. The worst we can do is dress up at home, and flaunt it to our child or wife or husband, like Miss Havisham in Dickens’ Great Expectation who dressed every day for years in her wedding clothes and died in it without leaving her home.

Those with special cars only warm their engines and drive around the neighbourhood. These times are revealing our material constipation. Abbas, the man of constipation, has now left the building, his bowels rumbling with faecal waste.

Things are upside down. Those who see churches and mosques as avenues for amassing wealth are crowing that they want people together but they are tempting the Lord. It is possible that Abbas had some of these men of God praying for him, and he may be taking from this stolen money to feather the house of God. It is an irony we have people like this thriving when we hear men of God preaching. The point though is that this is an age where the Word of the Lord is trading places with the wealth of the Word. Quite a few churches give precedence to material splendor. It is a different kind of hypocrisy from a war-time play Mother Courage where Brecht says, “Whenever there’s a load of special virtues around, it means something stinks.”

Abbas epitomises the Yahoo Boys, and his fall is their fall. It is a comeuppance for a tribe of desperadoes who have demonised technological genius. The new frontier of progress is also their front for fraud.

It is not for nothing that he has been associated with some of our big-name politicians, even if they had nothing in common. He has had photo-ops with a few of them. If he were not Hushpuppi but merely Ramon Abbas, we might not have seen such pictures.

But our politicians have one quality in common with him: impunity. Where leaders promise and turn back on their word, it is as bad a lie as a Hushpuppi popping up on a person’s email and asking for one piece of information and turning the email into an opportunity to stalk and destroy. They are the monitoring spirits of the internet. They get the person’s account and they empty it.

We also see our politicians take away our money when others have nothing. Fraud is now familiar terrain of politicians. To be a politician is to seek avenue for self-service, not service to all. But the arrest of Abbas is hope, but not enough. It shows even the new frontier can be stalked and the crime encircled and ended. Our people are not doing well enough to catch those who are well-off by wrong means. A few have been caught. We want more.

Abbas is caught today, and no one is hailing him. His audience is now jeering. He is like Jay Gatsby in Scot Fitzgerald’s novel. He acquires his fable of wealth to get back a woman, and buys a big mansion just like Hushpuppi. Every neighbour comes to his frequent parties but not the woman he craves. He eventually dies alone and poor. Everybody comes to his parties but no one goes to his funeral.  Abbas is alone now. So is Hushpuppi. Abbas looks on as no one comes to Hushpuppi’s funeral. Hushpuppi’s frozen eyes look without seeing as Abbas goes behind bars.

https://thenationonlineng.net/hushpuppis-death/

Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has vowed not to hand over to his Deputy, Agboola Ajayi, in acting capacity.

Akeredolu has since gone into isolation and undergoing treatment at home after he tested positive to COVID-19.

Akeredolu said there was no reason for him to hand over to his Deputy, who he described as the greatest threat to his administration.

Speaking through his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, Akeredolu said his deputy has since left the APC and governance.

Akeredolu stated that he could not handover the rein of government to someone who attempted to pull down his administration.

According to him: "Those of us in government and believe strongly in this government see the deputy governor as the greatest threat to good governance in Ondo state and you can't attempt to handover to people like that. Agboola Ajayi is the greatest threat to this government.

"I don't know how and we got into this, what we witnessed in 1983, the level of treachery that was deployed against late Adekunle Ajasin.

"Except for those who have the opportunity to witness what we are seeing in Ondo state , one may be tempted to say that was the height or nothing could surpass level of treachery but what we are seeing today represent the fact what Omoboriowo did in 1983 was a child play compare to what Agboola Ajayi is doing now.

"You don't rock a boat that has taken you across the ocean. It is a non issue and we are not even considering handing over to Agboola Ajayi and I know as a matter of fact that no one who believes in good governance in the state will even advise Akeredolu to hand over to his deputy. What would be the compelling reason when governance is not grounded?

"We cannot toy with what we have build over the years. We cannot risk it and attempt to hand over to someone who has exhibited mindless level of betrayal and an unquestionable level of treachery.

"This is not done and unthinkable, undebatable and if that is the reason he has been sponsoring write ups to say there is likely to be vacuum, the governor must hand over to him, he's only joking, it is not going to happen because the governor is hale and hearty.

"COVID -19 is not a death sentence and the governor is strong enough to workand for the deputy to insinuate, incite or instigate people to be stirring the water to say that the governor should have over to him, confirms our fears in the last ten months that Agboola Ajayi has been striving to take over power through the backdoor and God will not allow him."

Reacting, Ajayi said that COVID-19 status of the governor has not make him become incapacitated.

Ajayi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Babatope Okeowo, said he is unbothered if his boss makes him acting governor adding that he does not see that happening considering that they had parted ways politically.

"The constitution is so explicit about it that when the President or the Governor is incapacitated, the vice or the deputy takes over but in this case the governor is not incapacitated. It is only when he is incapacitated that the doctrine of necessity will be come into play.

"For now, there is no need for any anxiety about the governor's state of health. He has said that he will been treating files while in isolation. That means governance won't be affected.

"And you know the political situation in Ondo State now. Both the governor and the deputy governor are in different political camp, so we don't expect it and we are not bothered about it because before now the governor had sideline the deputy governor in the day to day running of the activities of government. There is nothing unusual in what he did.

"In the constitution, he ought to have transmitted letter but when you look at it from political angle, the governor will not do it and we are not bothered. We are bothered because we know we are in a different political parties.

"So, since he is not incapacitated, there is no need for doctrine of necessity and we are not bothered with that.

"Even when President Buhari was sick, the Attorney General of the Federation said he can work from anywhere as President. The late Abba Kyari was the one taking files to him in London where he was recuperating."

https://thenationonlineng.net/i-wont-handover-to-my-deputy-akeredolu-vows/

Worship centres in Lagos will remain shut until further notice, State Government has stated.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared this on Friday during a briefing at Alausa Ikeja.

The Governor also announced that all restrictions applying to mass gatherings will remain in force.

Sanwo-Olu added all social and events centres as well as social clubs will also remain closed.

Details shortly...
https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-lagos-churches-mosques-remain-closed/

We analyzed the top 10 IT recruitment companies in Nigeria and ranked Delon Jobs as the #1 IT Recruitment Agency in Nigeria, because of their specialized skills.


1. Delon Jobs

There are many competent general requirement companies in Nigeria, but Delon Jobs is the #1 IT recruitment company in Nigeria because of their specialized IT skills and experience, as well as the fact that they are focused on the mainstream local market which includes small and medium enterprises. Specialized IT recruitment companies are common in the United States and Europe, but IT recruitment and outsourcing in Nigeria is still an emerging industry.

Though Delon Jobs is an indigenous company that focuses primarily on the Nigerian market, they have an office in the Greater Boston area in the United States, and a software development recruitment agency in the UAE. Their parent company has in the last thirteen years provided diverse technology products and services to Deloitte, UBA, MTN, Access Bank, Fidelity Bank, FCMB, Eco Bank, CWG, Makon Engineering, Latter Rain Assembly, Winners Chapel, RCCG, Christ Embassy, Ogun State Television, as well as companies in UAE, Kenya and Mozambique.

They created the number one google ranked classifieds in Nigeria and the top job portal in Nigeria with the most diverse jobs and the highest paying IT jobs in Nigeria. So they already have enormous and diverse database of IT related CVs and job seekers from which they can quickly explore for clients. Their services include hiring IT staff, engineering staff recruitment, staff outsourcing, expatriate hires, and top tier offshore developer hiring. Delon Jobs also regularly posts their Nigerian jobs on Linkedin.

Delon Jobs organizes free weekly career development live webinar on youtube and facebook for students, Pre-NYSC, NYSC and recent graduates about finding jobs in Nigeria and starting careers. This is geared towards helping young Nigerians better prepare for the employment market and allows them to participate through live question and answer sessions.

The company also provides free business development learning opportunities to small business owners in Nigeria by regularly publishing educative articles and interviews, as well as important business news on their Nigeria business blog.

2. Andela

I did not list Andela as number 1 because they are actually a foreign company operating in Nigeria, and they are mostly focused on the United States market for customers. According to Wikipedia, “Andela is an American company with operational campuses in Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya that identifies and develops software developers. The company launched operations in Nigeria in 2014, to help global companies overcome the severe shortage of skilled software developers and has offices in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and the United States.”

Though software development is an important part of IT today, Andela can be better described as a software development recruitment and outsourcing company, rather than an IT recruitment company.

3. Toptal

Toptal is a global remote company that provides a freelancing platform which connects businesses with software engineers, designers, and business consultants. Though it is one of the most popular IT recruitment companies around the world, it is not a typical IT recruitment firm that operates locally in countries or regions to meet specific local demands. For Nigerian companies seeking good remote talents from across the world, the is the best platform to find top IT talents. And for highly skilling Nigerian IT professionals looking for top tier IT in the United States and Europe, this is the number one platform for them. Nigerian job seekers may not find the highest paying IT jobs in Nigeria on this site, but they will find some high paying foreign jobs there.

Toptal claims to expertly match Fortune 500 companies to high-quality developers, and they hire developers from South America, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and other countries. Most of the companies that hire through them are based in the United States and Europe, so this platform will greatly benefit Nigerian IT specialists seeking remote foreign jobs as well as Nigerian companies seeking IT specialists from different parts of the world where IT labour is cheap.

People seeking online jobs in Nigeria and other countries will love this site.

4. Linkedin

I have listed Linkedin as number three because many Nigerian companies just simply use linkedin to look for IT staff, since most IT specialists in Nigeria have detailed linkedin profile. The challenge with this style is that the company will either have to hire full-time technical recruiters (which will not be cost-effective for them because technical recruiters earn a lot) to comb linkedin for qualified people or outsource to a general recruiting company to help them comb linkedin on their behalf. This is usually much more costly than outsourcing the task to a specialized IT recruiting firm that can handle the task more efficiently, quicker, and cheaper.

Linkedin however remains an excellent platform for job seekers and recruiters, and they continue to earn a lot of money by selling access to information about its members to recruiters and sales professionals. Since December 2016, Linkedin has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, and as at May 2020, the company had over 690 million registered members in 150 countries.

Some top job sites in Nigeria also promote their Nigerian jobs on linkedin to give opportunity in order to share the opportunities with more people. Linkedin also helps connect Nigerian job seekers to, sales and marketing jobs in Nigeria, accounting jobs in Nigeria, teaching jobs, admin jobs in Nigeria, as well as business development jobs in Nigeria.

5. Randstad

Though they are a foreign company, I have listed them as third because they are generally very strong in IT recruitment. They post a few Nigeria jobs from time to time, but they clearly are not a local player. Nigerian companies seeking IT recruitments will always get far better services from local companies than foreign companies.

Randstad is a Dutch multinational human resource consulting company with its headquarters in Diemen, Netherlands. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1960 by Frits Goldschmeding and operates in around 39 countries. Randstad is largely regarded as a global leader in the HR services industry.

Randstad specializes in HR services for temporary and permanent jobs, and they usually have separate units, including dedicated IT recruitment teams that work almost independently. A separate division of Randstad focuses on hiring supervisors, managers, and professionals. So international job seekers may even find jobs in Malawi or jobs in Europe from their websites.

6. KPMG

They are not a specialized IT recruiting company, but they occasionally handle some IT recruitment for large businesses in Nigeria. They are very popular in Nigeria and are best known for audit and business advisory services.

KPMG International Cooperative is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Seated in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, KPMG is a network of firms in 147 countries, with over 219,000 employees and has three lines of services: financial audit, tax, and advisory.

7. Upwork

Like Toptal, upwork is a global freelancing platform where businesses connect to find different types service providers. They are however different from toptal because they are not specialized in IT recruitment. They have many more jobs posted on their platform than toptal and all their competitors.

According to wikipedia, upwork has twelve million registered freelancers, five million registered clients, and three million jobs posted annually on their platform. They largely regarded as the largest freelancer marketplace in the world.

I have put them on this list because they remain a good source of IT specialists to companies in Nigeria. Nigerian IT specialists can find remote jobs from Europe or the United States from the platform, and Nigerian companies seeking to hire remote IT specialists from Asia can also find candidates through upwork.

8. Accenture

They are not a specialized IT recruiting company in Nigeria, but they handle some IT recruitment for large businesses in Nigeria. However, they still do a lot of general and IT recruitment in the United States and other countries.

Accenture actually used to do a lot of recruitment in Nigeria many years ago, but their activities in that sector has reduced in recent years.

9. Fiverr

Their operation is quite similar to upwork, except that they appeal a lot more to Nigerians than upwork. Students and recent graduates in Nigeria can learn a lot about how to best utilize this platform and other ways to get jobs by tuning in weekly live weminar that explains finding jobs in Nigeria. Fiverr is getting really popular in Nigeria such that Nigerian customers are even finding Nigerian service providers on the platform. But since their services are not free, Nigerian small businesses providing services can enjoy online fee ads for services in Nigeria through several local classified ads websites.

Small business owners can also learn how to grow their businesses online in Nigeria through fiverr and other similar platforms by reading good business blogs in Nigeria.

10. TCS

They are part of a very huge conglomerate which is one of the biggest companies across the world. They have a specialized IT recruitment subsidiary that does a lot of work in the United States and Canada. I have seen a few Nigerian jobs posted on their site in recent times, and this suggests that they are doing some IT recruitment work in the country.

TCS is also big in IT outsourcing and currently work with many large businesses in North America.


https://thenationonlineng.net/top-10-it-recruitment-companies-in-nigeria/

The Nigerian Military, Thursday, said that it is not part of its responsibilities to unravel the sponsors of the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terror groups.

It said that even though it is aware that the groups are sponsored, its duty is to defeat the terrorists and not to meddle into their source of funding or sponsorship.

Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, while fielding questions from Defence Correspondents, said that it is the duty of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Security to find out and disclose the identities of those sponsoring the terrorists and other criminal gangs in the country.

According to him, "the kind of weapons these terrorists are using like the gun truck and other sophisticated weapons are expensive and how much are they stealing to procure those arms that have to say that they are sponsored and heavily funded. But like I said, it is not the duty of the Military to uncover the sponsors. Our duty is to remain in the frontline and defeat terrorism and other criminality and that is what we are doing.

"We have the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Security (DSS), it is their responsibility to gather intelligence on the sponsors of the terrorist sand not the Military".

On why the Military is yet to overrun the Sambisa forest, considered the traditional base of the Boko Haram Sect, Enenche, said that troops are avoiding collateral damages that may result from total bombardment of the forest.

He explained that the terrorists mingle with civilians in the Sambisa forest who collaborate with the insurgents thus making it difficult for troops to carry out major attacks on identified locations.

Meanwhile, giving updates on ongoing Military Operations, he noted that "in the North-East, troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE (OPLD) recorded commendable results in the past two weeks. During the period under review, troops conducted several operations at various locations, which led to the neutralization of terrorists, destruction of their equipment and structures as well as recovery of various items".

He continued that, "between 18 and 30 June 2020, the Air Task Force of OPLD conducted intensive air strikes to mark the launching of its subsidiary Operation LONG REACH along the fringes of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State following concerted Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance missions.

"The air operations led to the destruction of a BHT tactical command centre housing some of their high value leaders and neutralized several of their fighters at Garin Maloma and Yuwe villages. Additionally, airstrikes conducted at Buka Korege, Bula Bello, Ngoske, Tongule, Bukar Meram and Warshale Villages led to the destruction of several BHT locations and gun trucks while scores of fighters were effectively neutralized".

Eneche also added that, "meanwhile, troops of the Army Super Camp 17 at Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area and troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE deployed at Response Area Aulari in Bama Local Government Area, both in Borno State, successfully repelled BHT/ISWAP’s attacks on 24 and 25 June 2020, respectively. The gallant troops responded to the terrorists’ attacks with superior firepower, thereby killing 2 of them in contact and recovered 2 AK-47 rifles, 2 Hand Grenades and some ammunition as well as 2 Rocket Propelled Guns and Unexploded Ordnances fired by the terrorists.

"While the Armed Forces of Nigeria reinvigorates and intensifies her operational activities in the theatre in the North East, it has not relented in its non-kinetic operations. These activities are evident in the civil military cooperation activities provided at various quarters by the Nigerian military, including the continued provision of medical outreach to IDPs by the Military. These activities led to improved civil military relations, thereby enhancing provision of information to security agencies, which resulted to the remarkable successes recorded in recent past in the North East Zone".

In the North West zone, he revealed that, "in continuation of aggressive clearance operation in the North-West zone of the country, troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI under Operation ACCORD have continued to record significant successes against the criminal elements.

"This is in addition to the several air bombardments conducted under the subsidiary Operation WUTAN DAJI. The air bombardments led to the neutralization of several bandits and their Logistics bases in Doumbourou, Kuyanbana, Bimasa forests as well as Dunya village in Katsina and Zamfara States respectively.

"Also, within the period under review, troops foiled armed bandits attack in Katsina and Zamfara States. Troops successfully killed 12 armed bandits and arrested 6 suspected bandits’ informers/collaborators across the theatre.

"Similarly, troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI under Operation ACCORD also rescued 29 kidnapped victims in Katsina and Zamfara States. They were handed over to the 2 State governments. These successes recorded within the period under review have brought about a renewed vigour and determination on the side of the gallant troops in tackling the security challenge in the North West Zone".

According to him, "in the North-Central zone, troops of Operations SAFE HAVEN, THUNDER-STRIKE, WHIRL STROKE and GAMA-AIKI conducted several ambushes, raids, clearance patrols and air operations at various locations within the zone which resulted in tremendous successes within the period under review.

"Notably, troops neutralized 4 bandits affiliated to wanted militia leader “Gana” at their hideout around Che Jukun village in Donga LGA of Taraba State on 29 June 2020. Troops had also earlier arrested 6 of his key lieutenants at Shakpev village under Tiir and Yoyoo council ward of Katsina-Ala LGA of Benue state on 25 June 2020, while three kidnappers were also neutralized during an ambush operation along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway on 28 June 2020.

"Additionally, the Air Component of the subsidiary Operation GAMA AIKI neutralized several bandits and arrested 2 other fleeing bandits who happened to be foreigners, during intensive airstrikes at Kasuwan Ango Community in Mariga LGA of Niger State. The airstrikes were conducted in the night of 28 and early hours of 29 June 2020.

"Furthermore, troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN recovered a total of 505 rustled cattle in Plateau State between 24 and 29 June 2020 while troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE recovered 4 AK 47 rifles, one AK 47 magazine, 150 rounds of 7.62 special ammunition, 55 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 4 locally made rifles, and 5 locally made pistols, amongst other items at Akaa and Mbagyeren villages in Ukum LGA of Benue State".

https://thenationonlineng.net/it-is-not-our-duty-to-unravel-boko-haram-sponsors-military/

Samuel Oamen

They are popular and acknowledged practitioners in Nollywood. They charge in millions and appear in top movies. But they are yet to be verified on Instagram.

To be verified means the account owner is real and authentic. It is a symbol of prestige and recognition.

It doesn’t mean they are not popular. But it could mean they are not active on the mirco-blogging platform or have not engaged enough to get the seal of verification

Below are Nollywood actors/actresses yet to be verified on Instagram:

1. Ebelle Okaro Onyiuke

Ebelle Okaro Onyiuke was born on 19 January. The actress is a also a film producer.

Okaro was born in London and raised in Enugu. She began acting while attending the Santa Maria Primary School and continued while at Nsukka's Queen of the Holy Rosary Secondary School. After beginning studies of Education at the University of Calabar, Okaro found her passion for the dramatic arts and earned a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts. Her mother was a full-time television producer and her father, an engineer, had great interest in arts and literature.

2. John Ikechukwu Okafor AKA Mr Ibu

John Ikechukwu Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, is a leading actor and comedian. Okafor is considered to be one of Nollywood most talented comic characters. His humorous acting is often characterised by stupidity, hilarious imbecility and a sharp disconnection from reality.

He hails from Nkanu West L.G., Enugu State. After elementary school, in 1974, Okafor moved to Sapele to stay with his brother after his father’s demise. In Sapele, he did menial jobs so he could sponsor himself to school and support his family. He then worked as a hairstylist, ventured into photography and also worked in a company that produces crates. After secondary school, he was admitted into the College of Education, Yola but pulled out due to financial difficulties. He later enrolled in the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) as soon as he was financially able to.

3. Chiwetalu Agu

Chiwetalu Agu was born 1956. He is a veteran actor, comedian and movie producer who won the 2012 Nollywood award for 'best actor in indigenous movie (non-English speaking language)'. His usage of specific language slang, phrases or clichés in each film has made him uniquely a household name in Nigeria and among Nollywood admirers abroad. While asserting that comic genre is a unique vehicle in projecting local culture globally as well as establishing the Nollywood brand, Agu is listed as one of the outstanding comedians who have contributed to the development of Nollywood comic genres by Prof. Femi Shaka of the University of Port Harcourt.[4] Agu is married to Nkechi and has three sons and two daughters.

4. Anayo Modestus Onyekwere

Anayo Modestus Onyekwere popularly known as Kanayo O. Kanayo, was born on March 1, 1962 in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria. In 2006 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a leading role. In 1992, Kanayo made his debut movie appearance in the film Living in Bondage. Kanayo has starred in over 100 films.

He is a United Nations ambassador and bears the title of MFR. Kanayo, along with Kenneth Nnebue (producer of Living in Bondage), Olu Jacobs, Enoch Adeboye, Queen Elizabeth and Fela Kuti were among those honoured by the government in 2014 during the centenary celebration

5. Bob-Manuel Obidimma Udokwu

Bob-Manuel Obidimma Udokwu was born on 18 April. He is an actor, director, producer and politician. In 2014, he received the lifetime achievement award at the 10th Africa Movie Academy Awards. He was nominated for Best Actor in a supporting role at the 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards for his role in Adesuwa.

He is from Nkwelle-Ogidi, Idemmili North LGA of Anambra State, Nigeria. He was also famous for anchoring the Gulder Ultimate search.

6. Emeka Ike

Emeka Ike is a Nigerian actor who was born on 22 March 1967.

Emeka Ike is one of the actors famous for his roles as a lover/ play boy in movies.

He has acted so many movies, including: After My Heart, Test My Heart, Strength of a woman, A Can of Worms, Love Affair, Stigma, My Love, Secret Act, Housemates and the man, The Snake Girl.

7. Zeal Chigozie Atuanya

Zeal Chigozie Atuanya  is a actor, producer and entrepreneur.

Chigozie Atuanya was born in Aba, Abia State but hails from Agu-Ukwu Nri in Anambra State. He holds a B.Sc. in Public Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

He made his screen debut in a 1998 film titled King Jaja of Opobo and has since gone on to produce and star in several films.[3] He was once a model for Delta Soap, appearing in one of their television commercials.

8. Elizabeth Omowunmi Tekovi Da-Silva

Elizabeth Omowunmi Tekovi Da-Silva was born on June 10, 1978. She is a Nigerian born actress and movie producer of Togolese descent featuring predominantly in the Nigerian Yoruba movie industry. In 2016 Da-Silva was nominated for City People Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress of the Year (Yoruba) at City People Entertainment Awards and in 2018 won the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at Best of Nollywood Awards.

9. Rita Edochie

Rita Edochie comes from Nigeria in Anambra state. She started her acting career as an actress in 1997. She is a famous face in the Nollywood movie industry.

She studied at Onitsha for her secondary school education. She got married to Tony Edochie of Anambra Broadcasting Service soon after completing her secondary school education.

https://thenationonlineng.net/top-nollywood-actors-actresses-yet-to-be-verified-on-instagram/

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, Abuja has dismissed a suit filed against the immediate past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole and three others.

The suit, filed by Comrade Mustapha Salihu and five others, was the one in respect of which the court granted an interim order on March 4 this year, suspending Oshiomhole from further acting as the APC's National Chairman.

The Court of Appeal, in Abuja in a judgment on June 16, 2020, upheld Oshiomhole's suspension.

Parties were to return to the High Court of the FCT for determination of the substantive suit, when on Thursday, Plaintiff's lawyer, Oluwola Afolabi moved a motion to withdraw the case.

Afolabi said the withdrawal was informed by the directive by leaders of the APC that all court cases be discontinued in the interest of peace.

Lawyer to Oshiomhole and one other, Ginika Ezeoke said she was not opposed to the plaintiffs' desire to withdraw.

Ezeoke then urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that parties have filed pleadings and have be enjoined issues in relation to the subject of the case.

Ruling, Justice Danlami Senchi dismissed the suit and ordered parties to bear their respective costs.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-court-dismisses-suit-against-oshiomhole/

The Federal Government has increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol to N143.80 per litre.

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency(PPPRA) announced this on Wednesday.

It said a new price band of N140.80 to N143.80 per litre will apply for petrol

The PPPRA, in a circular dated July 1, 2020 to marketers, said: “After a review of the prevailing market fundamentals in the month of June and considering marketers’ realistic operating costs, as much as practicable, we wish to advise a new PMS pump price band of N140.80-N143.80 per litre for the month of July 2020.

“All marketers are advised to operate within the indicative prices as advised by the PPPRA.”

The agency on May 31, 2020 announced a price band of N121.50 to N123.50 per litre for the product.

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-fg-increases-petrol-to-n143-80/

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday requested the Senate to screen and confirm 41 non-career and one career ambassadors for appointment.

Buhari’s letter of request was read on the floor at plenary by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Among the nominees included Debo Adesina (Oyo), Exco-Minister of State for Defence, Ademola Seriki (Lagos) and Mr. Dare Sunday Awoniyi (Kogi).

Details shortly...

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-buhari-names-adesina-seriki-awoniyi-39-others-as-ambassadors-nominees/

Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa has tested positive to COVID-19.

His wife, Dame Edith Okowa also tested positive.

The governor announced this on his verified Facebook Page on Wednesday.

"My wife and I have tested positive for COVID-19. We are well and continuing with our isolation/medication. We thank you all for your continued prayers for us and our daughter," he wrote.

The governor had gone into isolation last week with his family after one of his daughters tested positive to the virus.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba had said, that "consequently, the Governor and his family members will immediately commence self-isolation for 14 days".

"It is again pertinent to stress that COVID-19 is real, and citizens are advised to be disciplined and comply with the protocols of wearing Face Masks and maintaining physical-distancing while in public places as well as basic hygiene of hand-washing with soap in running water and use of alcohol-based sanitisers as NCDC regulation demands," Ifeajika added

Also, two top officials of government had tested positive to the virus recently.

They include the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie and Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu.

According to latest figures by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, there are 25,694 confirmed cases in the country.

Some 9746 patients have been discharged while 590 deaths have been recorded.

965 of the cases recorded are in Delta State.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-okowa-wife-test-positive-for-covid-19/

Many of this month's prominent personalities deaths were quite unexpected and very painful.

The month delivered unpleasant surprises for families of these deceased.

These notable personalities may be no more, but their legacies and remarkable contributions will continue to live on.

1. Music legend, Majek Fashek

Legendary Nigerian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Majekodunmi Fasheke popularly known as Majek Fashek, died on the June 1.

According to reports, the “Send Down the Rain” crooner, aged 57 died in a hospital in New York on Monday June 1.

He was born in Benin City to an Edo mother and a Ijesha father, but identifies with his Benin roots.

The ‘rain maker’ as he his fondly called has worked with various artists worldwide including Tracy Chapman, Jimmy Cliff, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and Beyoncé.

Majek’s life and work are still prominently celebrated by Nigerian music fans and beyond. His legacy of excellence in music and worldwide impact through instrumentation will live imminently.

2. Former Ondo Gov, Bamidele Olumilua

Former governor of old Ondo State, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, also died in the month of June.

Olumilua died at 80 in his Ikere-Ekiti countryhome after a brief illness. It was gathered that the second civilian governor passed on few weeks after his 80th birthday.

The late Olumilua was the Governor of old Ondo State from January 1992 to November 1993 during the Third Republic.

He was elected under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) until General Sani Abacha truncated civilian administration and restored a military regime.

3. Alhaji Abubakar Tsav

A former Commissioner of Police in Lagos state, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav also died in the month of June.

Tsav died at Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi.

He was buried in Makurdi according to Islamic rite.

4. Ibidun Ighodalo

The demise of Ibidun Ighodalo (nee Ajayi), wife of Senior Pastor of Trinity House Church, Ituah Ighodalo remains shocking to everyone.

The eye-turning Ibidun married Pastor Ituah Ighodalo 13 years ago when the latter’s first wife left.

The late Mrs. Ighodalo was Founder/CEO of Elizabeth P, Nigeria’s top events planning company and Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation, a non-profit organisation created to raise awareness on issues of infertility in couples.

Ibidun, 40, is survived by her husband and two kids.

5. Lagos Senator Bayo Osinowo

The Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo also died in the month of June.

Popularly known as Pepperito, he was a member of the Lagos House of Assembly for four consecutive terms from 2003 to 2019.

He died in the early hours of Monday.

Survived by wife and children, the late Osinowo was 65.

6. Emeritus Prof Akinkugbe

Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe also died in the month of June, 2020.

The late Akinkugbe, a foremost Nigerian professor of Medicine at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, Oyo State, died in the ancient city.

He was 86.

The late Akinkugbe was the Chairman of the Board of Management of University College Hospital, Ibadan, and one-time Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

He served as Pro-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt; former Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria; former Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin; and former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ibadan.

Before hanging the stethoscope, Akinkugbe practised medicine for 60 years during which he pioneered the establishment of two critical clinics, one in hypertension and the other in renal disorders at the UCH, Ibadan. Both clinics were firsts in Africa.

7. American radio presenter Dan Foster dies

Popular Nigerian-American broadcaster, Dan Foster also died in the month of June.

The late Foster, real name Daniel Foster, is a Nigerian-based American radio personality, formerly an Idol series judge who held a similar position with the Got Talent franchise.

Foster, better known as Big Dawg, worked with numerous radio stations, including Cathy Hughes Radio One, Mix 106.5, both in America, and Virgin Island-based WTBN, before moving to Nigeria in 2000 where he joined Cool FM and quickly became popular among Nigerian listeners.

In May 2016, Dan Foster left City FM 105.1 to join Classic FM 97.3 radio station where he worked until his demise.

Foster had a son, Joshua, from his previous marriage. Now married to a Nigerian, Lovina, the couple are parents of daughter Daniella and son Somtochukwu.

8. President Kogi Customary Court of Appeal 

The President of Kogi Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Ibrahim Shaibu Atadoga also died in the month of June.

Report had it that Atadoga, who was called to the Bar in 1986, died after a brief illness.

Atadoga, who had been in private practice since he was called to Bar, hailed from Omala LGA of Kogi State.

He was said to be instrumental to the creation of the Customary Court of Appeal in the state.

Atadoga became popular when he swore-in Capt. Idris Wada as Governor following a controversial court verdict, which gave room for two Governors as the then Speaker Abdullahi Bello was also sworn-in by the Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah.

9. Abiola Ajimobi

The immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi also died in the month of June.

The former Chief Executive Officer, National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Shell Nigeria, died due to underlying health conditions.

The late Ajimobi was born on December 16, 1949 to the Ajimobi family of Ibadan at Oja-Iba, Ibadan.

He completed his primary education at Ibadan City Council Primary School, Aperin.

He studied Business Administration and Finance at the State University of New York, in Buffalo.

He married Florence Ajimobi in 1980. He had five children. He was a senator from 2003 to 2007.

He became the first Oyo State governor to serve two terms (2011-2019).

10. Nollywood veteran Ogun Majek

Popular Yoruba actor, Gbolagade Akinpelu popularly known as Ogun Majek, also died in the month of June.

The Nation gathered he died at his Imalefalafia, Oke-Ado, Ibadan home.

The actor battled prolonged-sickness before his eventual demise.

11. Kogi State Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Nasir Ajanah

Kogi State Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Nasir Ajanah, also died in the month of June.

The chief law officer hailed from Okehi Local Government Area of the state.

He was 64.

The late Justice Ajanah was appointed CJ in 2009 under former Governor Ibrahim Idris.

12. Chief Bode Akindele

The Parakoyi of Ibadanland and Chairman, Madandola Group, Chief Bode Akindele, died on the 29th of June.

Akindele, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, died in his Apapa, Lagos home. He was 88.

President Muhammadu Buhari described the death of Chief Akindele as an irreparable loss to the country

Similarly, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said Akindele’s death was a great loss to the state and country.

https://thenationonlineng.net/12-prominent-nigerians-who-died-in-june-2020/

The much anticipated Big Brother Naija season 5, launches July 19.

This was announced on the official twitter handle of the reality TV show.

Earlier in May, the management of the reality show, announced the opening for video submissions for the upcoming season 5 of the show.

Details shortly...

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-bbnaija-season-five-starts-july-19/

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from across the country, including Governors, National Assembly leaders as well as some national and state party executive members are gathered at the State House for the party's National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

As at noon, the Executive Council chambers of the State House had been packed with attendees for the NEC, which was called by factional Acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Giadom.

Buhari had on Wednesday indicated his plan to attend the meeting.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is also in attendance.

Goverrnors of Nasarawa , Niger , Jigawa, Pleateau , Imo, Kogi , Yobe , Gombe , Osun , Ogun, Lagos , Kwara, Kebbi, Kano and Ekiti are some of those present.

Also present are Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; Deputy Speaker Idris Wase; House Leader, Hassan Dogowa and the Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Nnenna Ukeje

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-buhari-govs-nass-leaders-attend-apc-nec/

The Federal Government has rolled out conditions schools and learning institutions in the country must meet before reopening.

The conditions are contained in a 36-page document submitted to the Senate by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for their Information.

The document obtained by our reporter is titled: “Guidelines for schools and learning facilities reopening after COVID-19 pandemic closure.”

The Minister, in his forward to the document, described the conditions as key strategies for implementing safe, efficient, and equitable plans for school reopening and operations.

He noted: “Given that COVID-19 may be with us for a while, the guidelines also highlight the urgent need to maintain and improve upon distance learning programmes.”

He added the guidelines were drafted in close coordination with health, environmental, education, and school safety experts who were tasked with the responsibility of charting a pathway for safely reopening schools and learning facilities for quality teaching and learning.

A major plank of the conditionalities is that schools must “create immediate temporary” COVID-19 “isolation space” before they can be considered to reopen.

Schools are also mandated to “ensure establishment of a School COVID-19 Referral System including protocols and procedures to take if learners, teachers, administrators and other education personnel become unwell while in schools.”

Schools are also to establish and adequately equip dispensaries and clinics as appropriate.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-isolation-centres-mandatory-for-reopening-of-schools-fg/

A detachment of Policemen has sealed off the National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) based on orders of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The Nation also learnt that the IGP will be meeting with the two camps of the party National Working Committee (NWC) at the force headquarters by 1pm.

It was gathered the order, which was handed down through the FCT Commissioner of Police, to the APC Chief Security Officer, instructed members of the National Working Committee(NWC) are not allowed entrance to the party headquarters.

A party source said the seal off was to enable the Police boss and the two NWC groups review and discuss the various court orders being brandished.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-police-seal-apc-national-secretariat/

The crisis rocking Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has deepened following rejection of Igo Aguma as the acting Chairman of the party by 28 out of 38 statutory members of the party.

The statutory members resolved to suspend Aguma as the acting Chairman and constituted another caretaker committee led by Sokonte Davies.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the statutory members said Aguma was acting against the spirit and letters of the High Court judgement that made him a caretaker chairman.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-apc-suspends-aguma-as-rivers-apc-acting-chair/

President Muhammadu Buhari is in a closed-door meeting with Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State House, Abuja.

The Nation reports the ruling party had been going through leadership storms of recent.

Those at the meeting are the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi state, Atiku Bagudu; Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong and Governor of Jigawa state, Abubakar Badaru.

The ongoing meeting followed Sunday evening's meeting between Buhari and the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who had hinted that the president would lead a push for settlement of the crisis within the next few days.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-buhari-meets-apc-govs-over-crisis/

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State chapter's direct governorship primary election at St. Saviour's Primary School, Benin, Ward 5 in Ikpoba/Okha LGA, with social distancing and use of face masks being strictly adhered to, in compliance with Governor Godwin Obaseki's COVID-19 regulations.

https://thenationonlineng.net/photos-edo-apc-primary-kicks-off/

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the defection of embattled Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as insignificant.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, told The Nation on telephone that Obaseki's move to the PDP was never a surprise.

"It has not come to us as a surprise. We knew he had defected long ago because he resigned his membership of the party which we hav

"So you can't defect twice. So if he is defecting again, we don't know whether what he has just done now is news any longer," Issa-Onilu reacted.

Obaseki resigned from the APC after it's screening committee disqualified him from the June 22 governorship primary.

The NWC last Saturday affirmed his disqualification by the screening and appeal committees.


https://thenationonlineng.net/obasekis-defection-to-pdp-insignificant-apc/

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress(APC) has declared the seat of the Deputy National Secretary of the party, Victor Giadom vacant.

Also, 16 out of 20 NWC members endorsed the choice of Ajimobi as the Acting National Chairman of the party.

Those against the choice of Ajimobi are the Deputy National Chairman(North) Lawal Shuaibu; Giadom and the National Vice Chairman(North-East) Mustapha Salihu.

Investigation by THE NATION revealed the NWC took the decision having taken cognizance of the fact that Giadom has ceased to be an officer of the party since 2018.

Giadom had resigned in 2018 to serve as the Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers State.

But following the barring of APC from 2019 poll, Giadom returned to office at the National Secretariat without a fresh nomination by South-South Zone of the party.

The NWC said by the provision of Article 31(iii), Giadom had ceased to be a national officer of the party since 2018.

The Article reads: “Any party office holder interested in contesting for an elective office(whether party office or office in a general election) shall resign and leave office 30 days prior to the date of nomination or party primary for the office he or she is seeking to contest.”

It was also learnt the NWC asked the South-South Zone of APC to either re-present Giadom or nominate a new candidate for the office of the Deputy National Secretary of APC.

The National Secretary of the party, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “Going by Article 31 of the APC’s constitution, Giadom has not been a national officer since 2018 when he resigned to contest the governorship primaries.

“In line with our constitution, the NWC has declared the seat of the Deputy National Secretary vacant until the laid down procedures are followed for a fresh nomination of Giadom into the party’s executive.

“At our meeting, we made it clear that the South-South Zone of the APC can re-nominate Giadom or make a fresh nomination. This is the process adopted by the some zones which led to the emergence of Chief Abiola Ajimobi(Deputy National Chairman), South-West; Arc. Waziri Bulama(National Secretary), North-East; and Paul Chukwuma( National Internal Auditor), South-East.

Meanwhile, 16 out of 20 members of the National Working Committee(NWC) stood by the choice of Ajimobi as the Acting National Chairman of the party.

They also approved committees for the party’s Edo State Governorship Primary Election scheduled for Monday 22nd June, 2020 and Election Appeal scheduled for Wednesday 24th June, 2020

Those for Ajimobi and Edo Primary Election are Arc. Waziri Bulama(National Secretary); Ntufam Hilliard Etagbo Eta(National Vice Chairman, South-South); Hon. Emman Eneukwu( National Vice Chairman, South-East); Pastor Bankole Oluwajana(National Vice Chairman(South-West); Alh. Inuwa Abdulkadir(National Vice Chairman, North-West); Alh. Suleiman Umar Wambai(National Vice Chairman, North-Central); Hon. Emma Ibediro (National Organizing Secretary); and Babatunde Ogala(National Legal Adviser);

Others are Alh. Ibrahim Kabir Masari(National Welfare Secretary); Alh. Adamu Fanda (National Treasurer); Lanre Isa-Onilu (National Publicity Secretary); Alh. Tajudeen Bello(National Financial Secretary); Paul Chukwuma (National Auditor); Hajiya Salamatu Balwa Umar-Eluma( National Women Leader); Alh. Sadiq S. Abubakar (National Youth Leader); Misbahu Lawal Didi (National Physically Challenged Leader).

According to the record of attendance, 13 were physically present at the meeting and three joined through Zoom virtual platform, including National Vice Chairman, South-East, Eneukwu; National Financial Secretary, Bello; and National Disabled Leader, Lawal.

According to Bulama: “There was no any constitutional lacuna in holding the NWC meeting. And the session was held with 75 per cent of members in attendance.”

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lanre Issa-Onilu said: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) rose from a meeting at the Party’s National Secretariat on Wednesday affirming Sen. Abiola Ajimobi as the Party’s Acting National Chairman following the Appeal Court’s ruling affirming the suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman and in line with Section 14.2 (iii) of the Party’s Constitution.

“Due to Sen. Ajimobi’s unavoidable absence, NWC unanimously appointed the Party’s National Vice Chairman (South South), Prince Hilliard Etta to act on Sen. Ajimobi’s behalf, an action backed by the Party’s constitution which empowers the NWC to appoint one of its members in acting capacity and stipulates that the acting National chairman must be from the zone of the National Chairman.

“Sixteen members of the NWC attended the meeting held at the Party’s National Secretariat (13 members attended physically and three others joined the meeting online).”

Issa-Onilu also said the NWC announced the approval of committees for the party’s Edo State Governorship Primary Election scheduled for Monday 22nd June, 2020 and Election Appeal scheduled for Wednesday 24th June, 2020
He said members of the Primary Election Committee are Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodinma – Chairman; Sen. Ajibola Bashiru (Secretary); Alh. Abdullahi Abass; Hon. Ibrahim Sabo; Hon. Ocho Obioma; Hajia Amina Lantana Muhammed and Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.

He said members of the Primary Election Appeal Committee are Prof. Mustapha Bello(Chairman); Dr. Kayode Ajulo (Secretary); Hon. Umar Ahmed; Nasiru Ibrahim Junju; and Hon. Rasaq Mahmud Bamu.

HOW THEY STAND IN NWC

THOSE FOR AJIMOBI/ EDO PRIMARY

· Arc. Waziri Bulama(National Secretary)

· Ntufam Hilliard Etagbo Eta(National Vice Chairman, South-South)

· Ho. Emman Eneukwu( National Vice Chairman, South-East)

· Pastor Bankole Oluwajana(National Vice Chairman(South-West)

· Alh. Inuwa Abdulkadir(National Vice Chairman, North-West)

· Alh. Suleiman Umar Wambai(National Vice Chairman, North-Central)

· Hon. Emma Ibediro (National Organizing Secretary)

· Babatunde John Kwame Ogala(National Legal Adviser)

· Alh. Ibrahim Kabir Masari(National Welfare Secretary)

· Alh. Adamu Fanda (National Treasurer)

· Lanre Isa-Onilu (National Publicity Secretary)

· Alh. Tajudeen Bello(National Financial Secretary)

· Paul Chukwuma (National Auditor)

· Haj Salamatu Balwa Umar-Eluma( National Women Leader)

· Alh. Sadiq S. Abubakar (National Youth Leader)

· Misbahu Lawal Didi (National Physically Challenged Leader).

THOSE ABSENT AT THE NWC/ ANTI-AJIMOBI AND FOR EDO PRIMARY

· Sen. Lawal Shuaibu(Deputy National Chairman, North)

· Hon. Victor Giadom(Deputy National Secretary)

· Comrade Mustapha Salihu

https://thenationonlineng.net/apc-nwc-declares-giadoms-seat-vacant/

A Federal High Court in Abuja has restated its orders made on June 1 including that restraining the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki from arresting the suspended National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, over alleged indictment in a white paper submitted to the state government.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling on Wednesday, said: "the orders of the court made on June 1st still subsist pending the resolution of the issue of jurisdiction."

Justice Mohammed spoke wile adjourning the suit filed by Oshiomhole, challenging among others, the state government's probe of his administration's handling of some projects in the state.

Oshiomhole was the Governor of Edo State from November 2008 to November 2016.

A panel of inquiry set up by the Edo State Government, headed by Justice J. Oyomire had, in a white paper, indicted Oshiomhole for act of corruption.

In the white paper, the panel recommended the arrest and prosecution of Oshiomhole, a decision the suspended APC National Chairman is now contesting with his suit.

Respondents in the suit are the Edo State Government, Obaseki, the state's Attorney General and Commissioner, Justice Oyomire, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Service (DSS).

At the mention of the case on Wednesday, Oshiomhole's lawyer, Ehiogie West-Idahosa said he was served with the notices of preliminary objection by the 1st to 4th and the 6th respondents on the 9th of June, 2020.

West-Idahosa said although he has filed "all our responses to these processes," he was yet to serve all the respondents.

The 5th respondent was not represented on Wednesday, but Kingsley Idahosa (for the 1st to 4th respondent) and U. S. Danbarawa (for the 6th respondent) agreed to an adjournment for service to be effected on all parties.

Ruling, Justice Mohammed granted the request for adjournment and adjourned till June 29 for the hearing of either the respondents' motions, challenging court's jurisdiction alone or with the substantive application.

The judge said the orders of the court made on June 1, 2020 still subsist pending the resolution of the issue of jurisdiction.

Justice Mohammed had, in a ruling on June 1, said: ”An interim order is hereby made restraining the prosecution of the applicant under the report submitted to the 1st to 3rd respondents or any white paper, pending the determination of the issue of jurisdiction raised in the 1st to 4th respondents notice preliminary objection”.

The judge directed Oshiomhole’s lawyer to serve all the respondents his processes within 48 hours.

https://thenationonlineng.net/court-affirms-restrain-of-obaseki-others-from-arresting-oshiomhole-over-alleged-corruption/

The former General Officer Commanding (GOC) Major General Hakeem Otiki has been dismissed from Service by the General Court Martial set up by the Military Council to try him for stealing money belonging to the Nigerian Army.

The General Court Martial headed by Lieutenant-General Lamidi Adeosun found the former GOC guilty on all the five counts charges filed against him.

The former GOC was charged for stealing N100 million and N160 million, respectively money belonging to the Nigerian Army in count one and two and disobedience to Standing Order under section 66 of the Armed Forces Act (AFA).

His dismissal is however subject to confirmation from the Army Council.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-army-dismisses-ex-goc-for-stealing-disobedience/

Lagos East Senator Adebayo Osinowo died in the early hours of Monday after a brief illness.

Here are five things to know about the man popularly called Peperito:

1. Osinowo had his primary education at St. Augustin Primary School in Ijebu-Ode and his Secondary Education in Issoyin Grammar School, Isoyin.


2. In 1977, he started his career as a Land Officer at the Federal Ministry of Works till 1979 before becoming Managing Director at NITAL International from 1986 to 2003.


3. He was Managing Director at NIMCO International Co. Ltd from 1990 to 2003. He also worked as Managing Director, at Extreme Piling and Construction Company Ltd and NIMCO Dredging Company from 1990 to 2003.


4. Osinowo served as a Youth Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Third Republic, which kickstarted his political career.

5. Osinowo was a four- time member of the Lagos State House of Assembly where he served from 1999-2015.

https://thenationonlineng.net/five-things-to-know-about-late-senator-adebayo-osinowo/