₦airaland Forum

Alright guys here you go ...In case you don't know the best way to go  kissing your spouse or  girlfriend, maybe you should try it this way.
At least it worked out for the fellow in the picture below.

Here is you go...

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/hilarious-here-comes-the-kiss-of-the-century/

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the widely believed perception that Nigeria is a rich country by people across the world is confusing and a false impression.

Nigeria, he said on Monday, “is not a rich country.”

He said the reality was that that impression was wrong.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted the President as speaking while granting an audience to the outgoing President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President said information at his disposal showed that the country’s social services had to be seriously rehabilitated.

He said his administration would fall back on institutions like the AFDB for support in generating employment, especially using the agricultural sector.

Buhari said, “An impression has been erroneously created that we are a rich country, but looking at the economic profile of the country today, you will see that that is not necessarily the case.

“Our social services have to be seriously rehabilitated. We need urgent attention in areas like education and health services, not only in the north-eastern part of the country, but all round the country.”

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/buhari-nigeria-is-not-a-rich-country/

A 30 year old mother of one has died from complications resulting from surgery to put silicon padding into her butt.

Katherine Castano Orozco of Cali, Colombia, died from thrombophlebitis  20 days after the operation. The condition  typically occurs in the legs when a blood clot blocks one or more veins. The vein becomes inflamed by the blood clot, and may become warm or tender.

Surgery, trauma and prolonged activity are all causes of thrombophlebitis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Orozco had been bleeding, which increased over time, before her relatives realized something was seriously wrong.

The death is the 5th recorded case of a woman dying after undergoing surgery this year in Cali.
"It is a crazy thing. People are worried about their beauty and are sacrificing their health for cosmetic changes,” Fernando Gutierrez, Cali’s secretary of municipal health, told said.

He added that there is an urgent need to identify and register providers of these cosmetic operations. So far, the city has registered 340 service providers.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/woman-dies-20-days-after-silicon-implant-surgery-to-increase-butt-size/

President Muhammadu Buhari is set to head the Ministry of Petroleum for 18 months before the appointment of minister for the ministry.

The President made this knowns while meeting with some members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress, in Abuja recently.

One of those at the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, on Sunday said that the President said he would use the 18 months of heading the petroleum ministry to reposition it.

According to him,
“At the meeting we had recently, we discussed the issues of portfolios and other matters,” the President said he was going to handle the Ministry of Petroleum himself for about 18 months.
“He said it was after this that he would appoint a substantive minister for the ministry. He said he would only personally handle the reorganisation of the much-important ministry.
“Besides, he said the ministry needed to be reformed and be rid of corruption. He promised to sanitise the ministry.”
It was, however, gathered that the President was thinking of appointing an experienced person as his special adviser on petroleum.
The President was once a minister in charge of the ministry so due to this experience, he was said to have vowed to make sure that he blocked all the loopholes that enabled stealing of money or petroleum products.
 
He plans to split the NNPC in two, creating a regulator and a vehicle for investments, according to Femi Adesina, a presidential spokesman.
 
So far the president has fired the board and management of the company and replaced its Jonathan-appointed chief with Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who was executive vice-chariman of Exxon Mobil Africa. He has also ordered a review of oil-swap contracts and barred 113 vessels from loading oil and gas, about 250,000 barrels of Nigerian crude, about 10 percent of the country’s daily output, are stolen daily, Buhari has said.

Speaking on the issue, the Peoples Democratic Party said it would be too early to speculate on whether the President would head the ministry or not.
Rather, the opposition party urged Nigerians to wait till September when the President promised to name his cabinet.
 
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Jalo, told our correspondent that he was only sure that the President was going to split the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Jalo said, “That Buhari is going to head the ministry is speculative. But what we know, going by his body language and actions so far, is that he is going to split the NNPC.
“This is what we know. So, let’s wait and see what he’s going to do before we make comments.”
However, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties said the constitution vested powers on the President to head any ministry or parastatal of his choice or appoint a representative.
 
The National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said that Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution “vested executive powers on the President.
 
He said,

“He can decide to exercise such powers by himself or delegate it to his deputy, or public officers of the public service of the federation. That’s what the law says.
“Whether he chooses to manage any ministry by himself is immaterial. Whether he decides to be in charge of ministries such as power, works, women affairs or culture does not mean anything to the Nigerian people.”

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/buhari-set-to-head-petroleum-ministry-for-18-months/

A teenage Nigerian broke record becoming the first youngest black  American female  pilot to ever fly from one end of America to the other known in aviation parlance as cross country flight.

Kimberly Anyadike whose parents are Nigerians broke the U.S. record and entered into the record books when she flew a single-engine Cessna cross-country from her hometown in California to Newport Virginia.

Anyadike also became the youngest African American female pilot to complete the journey, which took 13 days.

Anyadike learned to fly at age 12 through the Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, which offers aviation lessons in an after-school program for disadvantaged youths. It was their plane that she flew on her cross-country trip.

The brave teenager came up with the idea for the trip on her own.

The museum’s founder Robert Petgrave said: “I told her it was going to be a daunting task, but she just said, ‘Put it on. I got big shoulders.’”

In her company for the historic ride were an adult safety pilot and 87-year-old Levi Thornhill, one of the Tuskeegee Airmen during World War II.

“They left such a great legacy,” Anyadike said of the American all-black combat unit.

“I had big shoes to fill. All they wanted to do was to be patriots for this country. They were told no, that they were silly, that they didn’t have cognitive development to fly planes. They didn’t listen. They just did what they wanted to do.”

At least 50 Tuskeegee Airmen autographed the young pilot’s plane during her journey.
“I wanted to inspire other kids to really believe in themselves,” Anyadike said.


Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/photos-teenage-nigerian-becomes-first-youngest-female-black-american-pilot-to-fly-a-plane-in-us/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested one Mr Kato Ifrahimu Nyam and another Godwin Odali, who are officials of a new generation bank over an alleged N3.6billion fraud.

The press statement from EFCC reads...

A crack team of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, August 6, 2015 arrested one Kato Ifrahimu Nyam and Godwin Odali, both staff of a new generation bank for conspiring to defraud the bank to the tune of N3.6bn (three billion, six million naira) with an e-payment mandate purportedly from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The suspects, who operate as syndicate, sometime in June 2015, through their cronies submitted an e-payment mandate of N1.4bn (one billion, four hundred million naira) to Zenith bank and Access bank Plc. The banks, sensing a foul play after noticing some abnormalities on the e-payment mandate discretely contacted the Ministry of Agriculture Agriculture for confirmation and authentication of the document. A response from the Ministry showed that, no mandate was sent to the banks. Hence, the EFCC was contacted for investigation.

While the investigation was underway, the suspects in furtherance of their dubious acts submitted another e-payment mandate of N1.398bn (one billion, three hundred and ninety eight million naira) to Zenith bank, Abuja branch though one Abiola Oloko, an accomplice.

In the process, Oloko was arrested by EFCC operatives. On arrest, Oloko confessed that, they have had several meetings to arrange and perfect “the deal”. Oloko, who claimed to be a job seeker said, he was lured into “the business” by the bank officials whom he claimed gave him an identity card of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to answer the false name “Femi Babatunde”, but with his real passport photograph affixed to it.

The suspects will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation into the matter is concluded.

Sources: http://nigeriainfohub.com/photostwo-bank-officials-arrested-by-efcc-for-n3-6billion-fraud/

The Nigerian police on Thursday have arraigned a part-time lecturer, Afeez Baruwa, who allegedly raping an 18-year-old Unilag prospective student.Though Mr Baruwa denied the allegation as false.
 
The 42-year-old lecturer was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court in Lagos on Thursday. The 18 year old victim and her father were in the court premises with agony written on their faces.

The lecturer’s wife and other relatives were also observed in the court.

Baruwa was arraigned by the police on one count charge of rape.
The charge read..
“That you, Baruwa Afeez, of Block 73, Flat 2, Abesan Estate, Ipaja, Lagos, on July 23, 2015, at about 09.25 hours, at the Faculty of Business Administration Annex building, Room 8, University of Lagos, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did unlawfully rape one (name withheld), aged 18 years, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 258 of the Criminal Law of Justice, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Magistrate, Mrs. O. Awope, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Awope ordered that Baruwa should be remanded at the Kirikiri prison until his bail terms were perfected.
The matter was adjourned till September 9, 2015 for trial.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/police-arraigns-unilag-lecturer-who-raped-18yr-old-unilag-prospective-student/

Sleekydee:
OP!!! Dnt be in a hurry to make FP, I like to believe there is a difference between "Bitten" and "Beaten".

Thanks for pointing that out...

The former President of Nigeria, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo  have said that the Yoruba nation have no leader.

He stated this in his book, titled, “My Watch: Political and Public Affairs,” where he addressed what he called his “Nigerianness and Yorubanness.”

In chapter 31, titled, “Campaigns and Elections,” Obasanjo said Nigeria did not need tribal barons as leaders.

He added that there was nothing like Yoruba leadership in Yoruba land.

The former President said, “Just as there was no single oba having sovereignty over the whole of Yorubaland, there was no individual as leader of the Yorubas in Yorubaland. As it was then, it remains till now.”

He noted that even among the Yoruba obas “there is equality, but mutual respect.”

Backing his claim with a saying, “no crown is subordinate to another,” the former President said cities and areas were normally of different sizes.

He recalled that in the past, obas never saw one another, but sent messages through emissaries.

According to him, it was the colonialists that made the obas to see one another face-to-face. The colonialists, he said, went further to rank Yoruba traditional rulers.

Obasanjo noted that in the North, the majority of emirs accepted the Sultan of Sokoto as the direct descendant of Usman Dan Fodio.

He said the Sultan was accepted as the leader among Hausa/Fulani traditional rulers.

“The Yorubas did not have such a clear-cut and accepted hierarchy. Every oba maintains sovereignty over his domain,” he added.

Obasanjo explained that ‘baales’ (chiefs) were appointed by obas within their domains.

The former president said the supporters of the first Premier of the Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, “fixed” the title of Yoruba leader on the late sage during the Civil War.

He recalled that during the war, different ethnic groups met separately to consider positions and issues for the future of Nigeria.

According to him, Awolowo presided over the meeting of the Yorubas in Ibadan.

“In the course (of the meeting), Chief Awolowo presided. His supporters then fixed the title of Yoruba leader upon him,” he stated.

Obasanjo said that some people, including Chief Adisa Akinloye, did not accept Awolowo as the leader of the Yoruba.

Obasanjo said that after he successfully ended the Civil War, some people began to extol his “Yorubanness.”

“I did not encourage this. ‘My Yorubaness’ and ‘my Nigerianness’ must go pari passu, and one must not stand in the way of the other,” he stated.

Explaining the relationship between the two, Obasanjo stated that his parents were from Owu in Abeokuta.

He stated, “I bear Owu tribal marks. And better or worse still, I speak English with my Owu dialect. I have always maintained and felt proud of my ‘Owunness’, ‘Yorubannes’ and ‘Nigerianness’ in that order.

“They are all parts of my cherished identity. But I have always refused and I will always refuse to be constrained, diminished or reduced to the level of Yoruba leadership.

“Without being immodest, I am a national leader, an African leader and a world leader in my own way.”

The former President said that Nigeria needed nationalists, not tribal leaders.

He stated, “I strongly believe that Nigeria needs nationalists to propel it forward. Myopic tribal barons and tendencies will not take us too far.”

Obasanjo said that Nigeria was inadvertently deprived of nationalists as leaders at independence.

“Other countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, to mention a few, were not so deprived,” he noted.

He expressed the hope that Nigeria could still regain what it lost at independence.

Obasanjo further said, “If a person is born in the Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe tribes, it is important that he tries and grows up as a Nigerian with total commitment to Nigeria.”

This, he explained, was a sure way “to make Nigeria stable, secure, developed and great.”

He said that the misapplication of personal and tribal interests was the bane of political stability and rectitude in most African countries.

“I have always believed that the interest of any Nigerian tribe can best be met and served when the national interests are served and not outside it,” he added.

The Nigerian leader said that where the need arose, in the interest of justice and fairness, he had spoken and acted on behalf of the Yoruba.

He stated, “I have done so, but not against the overall Nigerian interests or against the interest of any other groups for that matter.”

Source: nigeriainfohub.com/obasanjothe-yorubas-have-no-leader/

A woman aged 55 years old have been reportedly died after been bitten by a dog in Idanre, Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State. The woman identified as Florence Aladenoye died in Federal Medical Center, Owo.

It was gathered that after the attack, the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where all attempts made by the medical personnel to save her life proved abortive as she died in the hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr. Wole Ogodo, who confirmed the incident, said after the dog bite, the woman was taken to five different hospitals in the town before she finally gave up the ghost last week.

Ogodo said the owner of the dog, whom he identified as Mr. Olofingbasote Afolabi. had been arrested in connection with the incident and had been detained at the Criminal Investigative Department of the state police command for further investigation.

The PPRO stated, “When the incident happened, the matter was reported to Afolabi, as the owner of the dog, but he did not take any action to treat the victim. So the victim was taken to five different hospitals, including the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, and the owner of the dog still did not take any action until the victim died.

The police spokesman stated that the remains of the deceased had since been deposited at Alade Idanre General Hospital Mortuary for postmortem while police investigation was ongoing.

Ogodo, however, urged residents of the state, who rear dogs and other domestic animals in their homes, to ensure that their animals were properly kept and immunised.

Source: nigeriainfohub.com/woman-bitten-to-death-by-a-dog-in-ondo/

Melinda Gates, the wife of Bill Gates the world's richest man, in a remarkable and outstanding humidity joined locals in a Malawian village to fetch water and do dishes.She was pictured on Saturday carrying a bucket of water on her head.

Net worth of the United States’ billionaire Bill Gates, according to Forbes magazine’s annual list of the world’s billionaires, stands at $76 billion.

The billionaire’s spouse, who described herself as “philanthropist , businesswoman, mother, passionate advocate for women and girls,” posted a photo of herself with a 20-litre bucket of water on her head alongside two other Malawian women, walking on a dirt road.

In another picture posted on her Instagram page, she was seen doing the dishes in a Malawian village.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Melinda Gates (left)"][/caption]

Describing her experience, Gates said on her Facebook page, “During my stay in Malawi, I joined the women collecting drinking water. I carried 20 litres and it was tough. Meanwhile, Chrissy (middle) is carrying about 40 litres. Many women do this every day.”

She has been described as one of the world’s famous social activist “who is trying to serve the people in ignorance.”

In June, wife of the US billionaire met with Malawian President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe. The agenda was to discuss the promotion of safe motherhood and maternal health in the country.

Source: nigeriainfohub.com/amazing-melinda-gates-fetches-water-in-malawian-village/

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries on Saturday gave out a total  financial reward of N91m to  members of the church who graduated with First Class from different universities across the country.

The General Overseer of MFM, Dr Daniel Olukoya, made the announcement in Lagos at the monthly live broadcast programme of the church, tagged, ‘Power Must Change Hand’, which was monitored in Abuja.

He said 180 First Class graduates in the 2014 academic year and two others, who received NYSC Presidential honours after completing the National Youth Service Corps scheme, would get N500,000 each.

Olukoya said the First Class honours award, which started with 12 students, had risen to 180, explaining that it was meant to encourage hard work among students.

He said the award was put in place to reward members of MFM, who were dedicated to their academic work, while also creating time to serve God.

A pastor, Shade Olukoya, and Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Bamitale Omole, presented the award to the recipients.

Omole lauded the recipients for their dedication to their academic work and also serving God.

He commended the students for making themselves, families and the church of God proud through their hard work.

Omole urged the recipients to appreciate the grace of God upon their lives, noting that many of their peers, who started with them, could not complete their courses for different reasons.

He called on other churches to emulate MFM by encouraging hardworking students through similar awards.



Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/mountain-of-fire-miracles-ministries-disburses-n91million-on-first-class-graduates/

People's Democratic Party  releases press conference in reaction to recent attacks on the National Publicity Secretary off the party, Olisa Metuh.

The attention of the Office of the National Publicity Secretary has been drawn to a press statement by persons purporting to be officials of PDP Staff Welfare Association, wherein they engaged in direct attack and threats on the person of the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.

From all indications, those behind the statement chose to drift from issues and narrowed on the National Publicity Secretary. This is not unexpected given the role of the National Publicity Secretary in the rebuilding of our great party and how uncomfortable the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been for his outspokenness.

We are aware that the anti-PDP forces have easily found a handful of disgruntled PDP staffs as willing tools to attack Chief Metuh with a view to bringing him to public odium, distract him and deny our party a credible voice to propagate its positions. These forces had even gone to the extent of engineering some discontented PDP members to portray statements by the National Publicity Secretary as his personal opinions in the attempt to discredit and intimidate him.

For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the National Publicity Secretary will not be deterred or detracted by such threats and cheap blackmails as he remains committed to his role in the rebuilding of the PDP and in providing firm, credible and issue based opposition to the ruling party.

This office would not join issues with these elements, however we make bold to state that Chief Olisa Metuh, being aware of the challenges that comes with his new role has offered himself, his office as well as all his private companies for probe by the Department of State Services (DSS) or any other government agency for that matter.

We also find it laughable that anybody would criticise the recent PDP congresses in Anambra and Kogi that have been widely applauded to be transparent and credible as established by the peace and harmony that characterised the processes. One also wonders how the issue of congresses helps the case of welfare matters being pushed by the staff, if not for the ulterior motive of destroying the PDP publicity.

The authors of the press statement deliberately refused to appreciate Chief Olisa Metuh’s immense contributions in the party and the fact that he became the longest serving member of the National Executive Committee due to hard work and the confidence members of the party repose on him as an individual.

Finally, this office is happy that those after Chief Olisa Metuh have for now, chosen to demand for investigation instead of resorting to plots to assassinate him. However, we restate that the National Publicity Secretary will not in any way be cowed or intimidated by the threats, blackmails and attacks by anti-PDP forces to abandon his mandate as spokesperson of our great party.

Signed:
Richard Ihediwa,
Special Assistant
to The National Publicity Secretary
 

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/pdp-olisa-metuh-is-committed-to-rebuilding-pdp-and-will-not-be-detarred-by-cheap-blackmail/

The Delta State Police Command said on Saturday that it had discovered a baby factory in Asaba,   the operator was arrested and eight pregnant girls were rescued.

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Celestina Kalu, said in a statement in Asaba that the baby-making factory was discovered after detectives, acting on a tip-off, swooped on the premises.

“On July 30, 2015, Police detectives from GRA Division Asaba, while acting on a tip-off, raided a suspected baby factory opposite the Federal Radio Corporation, Asaba, and arrested its operator, Mr. John Ihezun.

“Detectives also arrested two boys, one Prince Chukwu and Obum Nwankwo, in the premises of the baby factory,” Kalu said.

The command said it found eight pregnant girls (names with-held).

The command said it had commenced investigations into the matter, saying that any person found to be involved, would be prosecuted.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/breakingbaby-factory-discovered-in-delta-state-eight-girls-rescued/

Not less than 2000 Nigerians have been deported from Cameroon in respect to Nigerians who were living in the country illegally as part of new security measures intended to prevent suicide attacks by Boko Haram insurgents.

Regional newspaper L’Oeil du Sahel reported that about 2,500 Nigerians had been “rounded up” in Kousseri, in the far north of Cameroon, and sent back to their country on Thursday.

The weekly posted a photo on its Facebook page showing several departing trucks crammed with hundreds of passengers.

A source close to regional authorities confirmed that “more than 2,000 ‘irregular’ Nigerians have been expelled from Kousseri”.

Mey Aly, an official from a local NGO, said that most of the Nigerians “had fled the atrocities of Boko Haram” to take refuge in Cameroon.

Thursday’s deportations came just a day after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited Cameroon for talks on how to combat the escalating regional threat from Boko Haram.
Buhari and Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya pledged to strengthen cooperation between their two countries in the fight against the insurgents.

Between July 12 and July 25, Cameroon’s far north, on the border with Boko Haram’s Nigerian strongholds, suffered three suicide attacks — two in the regional capital, Maroua — leaving at least 44 people dead.

The Cameroonian border post at Kousseri — which has been hit by two suicide attacks since June — occupies a strategic position, with just a bridge separating it from Chad’s capital N’Djamena.
Authorities in Cameroon’s far north have taken significant steps to boost security, including banning women from wearing the full face-veil amid fears that suicide bombers could use the garment to conceal explosives.

“With these attacks, the tone of the authorities has changed,” said a security source in Maroua. “They have asked that foreigners (notably Nigerians) and displaced people in the border areas go home.”
Some 300 Cameroonian children were removed from their Koranic schools in Maroua and taken back to their villages on Friday, according to a source close to local authorities, as the schools’ managers feared that insurgents could try to use them for suicide attacks.

Boko Haram’s bloody insurgency in Nigeria has left more than 15,000 people dead since 2009 and has increasingly spread across the country’s borders, with Chad and Cameroon suffering deadly suicide bombings in recent months.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/just-in-cameroon-deports-2000-nigerians/

I am social: http://twitter.com/nigeriainfohub

Look Closer at the picture below, you will notice the figure behind...

"I truly believe there is a ghost woman and her baby in that window," Natasha Oliver, 22 said.
Oliver said she and her friends "freaked out" after they saw the photo on her digital camera back in 2010, taken when they were hanging out on the lawn in front of the unfinished home still being built at the time.
"When we saw the ghostly figure, the boys climbed up the scaffolding to see what was up there thinking maybe someone was watching us," Oliver said. "But there was nothing up there. There were no floorboards or anything there. The house wasn't finished being built yet at the time."
 
Though the photo was taken almost five years ago, Oliver said it recently got widespread attention after she commented on a Facebook post about a fake ghost picture.
 
"I commented saying, 'That's quite fake, but I have one that's actually real," Oliver said, adding that she started receiving multiple requests to see the photo, which a U.K. paper picked up.
 
Though some on social media believe Oliver's photo could be photoshopped, she insisted it wasn't and added she hopes to get in touch with professional photo analysts and paranormal experts to "solve the mystery of the ghost in the window."
 
The town of Wem, where the photo was taken, previously made headlines about reported paranormal activity in 1995 when a photographer claimed he captured an image of a little girl's ghost at the ruins of the town hall that was ravaged by a fire in 1677.
 
"I didn't believe in ghosts before, but now I do, actually," Oliver said. "I've converted."
 
Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/viral-picture-of-the-ghost-of-a-woman-and-her-baby/

The European Union has banned the importation of some agricultural food exports from Nigeria. The food items banned from Europe till June 2016 are beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish and meat, peanut chips and palm oil.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, the rejected beans were found to contain between 0.03mg per kilogramme to 4.6mg/kg of dichlorvos pesticide, when the acceptable maximum residue limit is 0.01mg/kg. The embargo is a reflection of our inability to adhere to global standards, and this has come to haunt us at the international level again. Overturning the ban requires a firm approach to enforcing standards at all times.

But the ban is not a bolt from the blue. For some time, the EU has been warning Nigeria that the items constitute danger to human health because they “contain a high level of unauthorised pesticide.” The pesticide is applied when the products are being prepared for export. The EU said it had issued 50 notifications to Nigerian beans exporters since January 2013. It is baffling that the Nigerian authorities didn’t take any significant steps to reverse the situation. Likewise, the United Kingdom also issued 13 border rejection alerts to Nigerian beans exporters between January and June 2015. Our lax system will continue to hamper the economy from appropriating the benefits derivable from a revived export programme.

It confounds many that this problem has been with us for some time and nothing strategic has been done to deal with the situation. In 2013 for instance, 24 commodities of Nigerian origin exported to the UK were rejected, while the figure climbed to 42 food products in 2014. Some of the items were said to have been contaminated by aflatoxins, making them unfit for consumption.

The excuse by Paul Orhii, the Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control that exporters caused the problem by not complying with regulatory requirements for semi-processed and processed commodities is untenable. NAFDAC has not conducted its regulatory oversight properly and needs to put stringent measures in place to monitor our products and guarantee them as safe for export before the next EU review in 2016. The Ministry of Agriculture did not pay sufficient attention to the problem either.

The ban on Nigerian foods provokes some questions. First, how do we preserve the foods that we eat locally? Second, how safe are the foods we import into the country? With our predilection for manipulating the system, Nigerian consumers might be susceptible to poisonous food imported from overseas. Take for example, the imported semi-processed poultry products and meat: several studies conducted by researchers and public agencies in markets in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt are revealing. A study by Okiomah Abu, a nutritional enzymologist, says “poultry products imported into the country contain toxic and heavy metals that can worsen the occurrence of food-borne diseases” because of the combination of feeds the animals eat. Ayoola Oduntan, the President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, said, “It has been discovered that smuggled poultry products contain (a) high level of bacteria. Also, toxic chemicals and solvents are used in preserving them so that their owners can get them into the country to be sold at prices cheaper than we (PAN members) are selling.”

We should be wary. In March 2014, Akinwunmi Adesina, the then Minister of Agriculture, had to personally order the destruction of a large consignment of contaminated imported frozen fish stored in a warehouse operated by Indians in Lagos. In a 2015 report, the World Health Organisation said, “Food contaminants, such as harmful parasites, bacteria, viruses, prions, chemical or radioactive substances, cause more than 200 diseases – ranging from infectious diseases to cancers.” The global health body added that unsafe food is linked to the death of about 2 million people annually.

However, a report in this newspaper said the Nigerian Customs Service had recently started enforcing the ban on imported poultry products, which are massively smuggled into the country. But government at the three tiers should also make policies to boost poultry and fish farming in the country to meet local demand and for export.

As a way forward, we could follow the standard practice in other climes like India, the UK, China and the United States, which operate effective food safety and regulatory agencies that monitor products stringently. US authorities are still battling China, South Korea, Mexico and South Africa to review a ban placed on American poultry and egg imports over the avian flu scare that broke out in December 2014. Last month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ordered Nestlé, the Swiss multinational, to withdraw its instant noodles from the market over safety concerns.

The Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the newly inaugurated National Food Safety Management Committee should see the EU ban as a wake-up call to sanitise food imported into Nigeria, and those being consumed at home.

The EU action suggests that our unfavourable balance of trade position with our international partners will worsen as we cannot export more agricultural goods. The first quarter figures (2015) released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that crude oil and gas accounted for 89.2 per cent of our total export of N3.23 trillion with other exports constituting only 10.8 per cent. The nation imported goods and services worth N1.64 trillion within the same period. We should reverse this dependency on imports and harness our natural resources to become self-reliant in food production.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/european-union-bans-nigeria-food-exports/

The US president Barack Obama in his historical visit to Kenya has drawn a lot of attention globally. The President sister has made some revealing statements about the life of Barrack Obama.

But is in her speech on why she deserved a ride in the President’s vehicle- the beast- that has her breaking the internet.

My brother, your brother, our son, she said in introducing him.

Auma pointed out that she was worried when Obama told her he was running for President of US back in 2008. He however assured her that he had read the job description and was ready to take up the job. Acknowledging the humility that Obama displayed when he visited Kenya in 1992, she remembers picking him up at JKIA with her small Beetle vehicle.

We ate githeri, omena, chapati, sukuma wiki. She also mentions that Obama even slept on mat in their home.

That’s why he owed me a ride. I picked him up in my beetle when he visited, and two decades later he paid back, gave me a ride in the Beast.

She used the opportunity to thank Americans for trusting her brother to be the President of United States of America; thanked Obama for bringing Global Entrepreneurship Summit(GES) to Kenya, because it showed Africa was the place of infinite possibilities.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/european-union-bans-nigeria-food-exports/

Some parents in Nasarawa State on Tuesday appealed to WAEC not to withhold the results of students who sat for the May/June examinations in 19 states for non-payment of registration fees.

The News Agency of Nigeria, reports that the council in a press statement on July 27 said that 19 states owed N4bn registration fees for their students who sat for the May/June 2015 examination.

The council threatened not to release the students’ results over the indebtedness.

However some parents in Keffi Local Government told NAN that it would be wrong if WAEC withheld the students’ results over debts owed by their state governments.

They appealed to WAEC to rescind its decision as it would affect the students negatively considering the importance of education to the socio-economic development of the country.

A parent, Mr Thomas Nico, urged WAEC to publish the list of the 19 affected states and take legal action against them instead of withholding the students’ results.

Nico said, “It surprises me to read from newspapers, that WAEC is threatening to withhold the results of students in 19 states that sat for the May/June 2015 WASSCE over non-payment of candidates’ registration fees by their state governments.

“When we look at this issue, it is not the fault of the students. What WAEC should do is to publish the list of the affected states and take legal action against them to retrieve their money.

“The students should not be made victims by withholding their results.

“I want to appeal to WAEC not to withhold the results of students in these affected states because withholding their results will equally affect their chances of getting admission into various institution of higher learning.”

He further appealed to the affected governments to offset the registration fees of their candidates, instead of just paying lip-service to the education and welfare of their students.

Another parent, Mrs Jacinta Abraham, said if the results were not released, it would affect the standard of education in the affected states.

“I want to plead with WAEC not to withhold the results of students because it will not only affect the students’ admission into tertiary institutions but it will also affect the standard of education.

“WAEC should publish the list of the affected states so as to expose the state governors that pay lip-service to the education of their citizens in the interest of peace and national development.

While another parent, Malam Abdul Umar appealed to the governors of the affected states to urgently offset the registration fees of their candidates in the interest of the education sector.

NAN reports that WAEC on July 27 said it could not guarantee the release of 2015 May/June WASSCE results of candidates in 19 states that were indebted to it.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/mayjune-waec-results-2015parents-appeal-to-waec-not-to-seize-their-wards-results/

The Nigerian police have alerted the general public to a news means through which improvises explosive device are now being conveyed by Boko Haram terrorist group through the use of hand bags.

The police warns the general public to be very vigilante and suspicious of excessively big woman hand bags as they could be used to convey dangerous explosives.

This was announced after it discovered one of such bags in Yobe state.


Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/terrorism-nigeria-police-warns-nigerians-to-be-vigilant-as-bomb-are-now-being-conveyed-in-woman-hand-bags/

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have released a website where candidates who sat for the 2015 UTME can now check if they have been reassigned to another institution.

The process is very simple and straight forward. Follow the processes below to confirm your status.

All you need to check this is your JAMB registration number.

Step 1: Visit the checking link by clicking here

Step 2: Type in your JAMB Reg. Number in the space provided

Step 3: Then click on the button that says "Check where you have been posted for admission"

Voola! There you go you have just completed the process and should be view your assigned institution.

Best of luck!

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/jamb-redistribution-policy-check-the-institution-you-have-been-assigned-to/

The spokesperson for senator Kabiru Marafa in an interview with Vanguard have said that the senate president, senator Bukola Saraki and his deputy, senator Ike  Ekweremadu will be impeached on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, when the Senate is expected to resume plenary session.

This was the position of Senator Kabiru Marafa, spokesman for the pro-Lawan senators, in an interview with Vanguard.

Reacting to the alleged plans of the Senate to suspend him and 5 other senators in their involvement in the recent petition to the police over alleged forgery of Senate rules, Marafa said Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu, as well as other principal officers in the Senate leadership would be sent packing on Tuesday, July 28, 2015.

According to him, Saraki and his three colleagues were occupying illegal offices that would soon be swept off their feet.

He asked people not to believe yet that there was a leadership in place in the Senate, saying a proper leadership would be put in place when the Red Chamber reconvenes next week.

Irked when asked if he was aware of the alleged impending suspension by the Senate leadership coming his way, Marafa, said: “Who is Senate leadership? There is nothing like that in the 8th Senate. What you have is a group of persons occupying those offices against the rules of the Senate and the Nigerian Nation! Tell them dem no fit!”

The Senate is expected to name the various committees next week with their membership, after which it will start full legislative business, having been on a self-imposed recess.

It will be recalled that Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, representing Kaduna North on the platform of the ruling the APC had petitioned the police, alleging substitution of the Senate Rule without the authorization of the Senate

Meanwhile, chapter XIII, ( 97) -(1) (a) of the Senate Rule says: “There shall be a committee to be known as Committee of Selection appointed at the commencement of the life of the Senate to perform the functions allocated to it by these rules, and for such other matters as the Senate may from time to time refer to it.

“(b) The Committee on Selection shall consist of the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President, the Senate Majority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Majority Leader, Deputy Chief Whip, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and the Deputy Minority Whip.

“(c) the President shall be the Chairman of the Committee of Selection and in his absence, the Deputy President; (d) nominating senators to serve on committees to consider any special matters brought before the Senate.”

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/nass-crisissaraki-ekweremadu-will-be-impeached-next-week-marafa/

South-South chieftain, Chief Edwin Clark in an open later have warned President Mohammdu Buhari on the tough implications of stopping the amnesty program in the Niger Delta area.

Vanguard reports that the South-South leader said this in a letter which was read out to journalist at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja.

The Ijaw leader said the president should be aware of how important it is to have peace in the Niger Delta region. He emphasized that the situation of things in the region would affect other parts of the country.

The elder statesman urged the president to appoint a new chairman very quickly or install an acting one so as to fill the void left by the former chairman, Chief Kingsley Kuku.

He said the current void was already creating tension in the region and without a leader to main peace and stability, the nation might experience what it did some years back when it was producing about 7,000 barrel per day due to the activities of militants.

He said the current output of 2.5 million was a result of the amnesty programmer and the need to appoint a leader to manage the amnesty account was important.

Part of the letter read: ‘I now respectfully wish to bring to the attention of Mr. President the imminent danger facing the Amnesty programme. It would be recalled, that the former chairman of Amnesty programme and dviser to Mr. President on Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Kingsley Kuku has since vacated his office as a result of change of government, but unfortunately, he has not been replaced by an  appointee even in acting capacity by Mr. President, and as a result, the whole  programme for now, is without leadership, and no one has the authority to operate the account of the Amnesty programme.”

Clark  also urged the President to take a stern stance in dealing with corrupt officials in order to save the country and serve as a deterrent to other people.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/open-letter-chief-edwin-clark-warns-buhari-against-stopping-amnesty-program/

The 36 state governors  of Nigeria yesterday, raised fear over the worsening economic condition of the country. The governors also lamented the delay on the part of the federal government  in releasing the bailout to the various states of the federation.

The governors at their meeting which started Wednesday night and ended in the early hours of yesterday, complained that the comprehensive relief package designed by the Federal Government to salvage the economic crisis of the states was yet to be given to them.
The governors also expressed concern over the exchange rate of the dollar to the naira as well as other foreign currencies which has affected the nation’s economy.

They have, therefore, resolved to meet the President again over the issue.
 12 of the 36 states of the federation were said to be owing their workers more than $550 million in salaries and allowances, with some workers not paid for 7 months.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, said that the Federal Government has not bailed out any state under the bailout arrangement  as publicised, stressing that what the state got so far was the monthly allocation  from the Federation Accounts, Allocation Committee, FAAC and the dividends from Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG.

Governor Yari said:
“This is also to inform our friends in the media that the Federal Government has not given any bailout to any of the states. What had been shared the last time was monies from NLNG and FAAC. As we have been saying, rather than look out for bailout, we have been looking for all monies that are in the coffers of the federation to be brought together for the purpose of sharing.

“The CBN governor raised some issues that taking the monies from those accounts, most especially as our reserves are going down, will affect the exchange rate and as well put pressure on the naira. So they decided to make the naira available or its equivalent so that these can be taken as loan for some of the states that are complaining about payment of salaries.
“The Federal Government has, however, not given out any bailout yet. But we have been deliberating on how best the intervention will be done quickly so that we will be able to settle the issue of salaries and other operations of government in the country.”
According to him, the resolutions reached at the meeting were:
To discuss with Mr. President to seek lasting solutions to the worsening macroeconomic challenges confronting the nation, especially on foreign exchange stability. The forum pledges to work with Mr. President to ensure coherent policy actions that will create a clear policy direction for the country and stimulate domestic production and to collaborate with the Federal Government to ensure that the National Health Act is operational and the on percent funding for primary health care is provided for in the budget.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/bailoutstate-governors-laments-f-g-delay-on-release-of-bailout-fund/

The National Universities Commission have reinstated that degrees obtained online will not be accepted in Nigeria.The commission  further warned Nigeria students to stop patronising any online degree institution.

Speaking at a press conference, the NUC’s Public Relations officer, Ibrahim Yakasai, said that degrees obtained online are not accepted in the country.
“Nigeria will not recognize online degrees. Online degrees are not accepted in Nigeria at the moment,” he said.

Mr. Yakasai warned Nigerian students and parents against patronising Maryam Abacha American University in Niger Republic.

“We wish to restate that as the only quality assurance agency for universities in Nigeria, the NUC is maintaining its stand that degrees from Maryam  Abacha University will not be accepted in Nigeria” he said.

He noted that the Commission has been inundated with enquiries from some Nigerian students who had been offered admission to the university.
He said the concerned students were offered admissions on part-time basis with a graduation time of four semesters for programmes like Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health among others.

Mr.Yakasai explained that in Nigeria the duration for a fulltime degree programme is not less than three years for direct entry and at least six years for part-time.
He said professional programmes in Science, Engineering and Health Sciences including Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science and Public Health are not offered on part-time basis in Nigeria.
He added that all part- time cross border education in Nigeria are not allowed.

Mr. Yakasai said the Maryam Abacha University admits Nigerian students who do not have the basic requirements to gain admission into the nation’s tertiary institutions in addition to running courses such as Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science on part-time basis which, according to him, is not acceptable. Mr. Yakasai said all countries are at liberty to accept any qualification they wish to.

Many Nigerians enroll annually in online schools based in the United States and the United Kingdom, and other countries.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/online-degree-nuc-warns-nigeria-students-to-stop-patronising-online-degree-programs/

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the 2015 Combined Policy Meeting which was held on July 14, 2015 in Abuja, JAMB announced the adoption of a new eligibility policy whereby prospective candidates of a universities with very high number of  applicants for the Unified Matriculation Examinations (UTME) are redistributed to other universities with lower number of applicants.

According  JAMB registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, the new policy portends two benefits.

It will be beneficial to “needy Universities” that is universities with lower number of candidates than their capacities, as this will ensure that these universities will have more candidates to admit.

Candidates will have better chances for admission in the universities they are re-assigned to, contrary to situations where they would await admission in the universities of their first choices until the admission exercise closes and they forfeit admission in that session.

This policy has been implemented with immediate effect. And is currently being used to determine eligibility of candidates to write the Post-UTME in their respective choice institutions.


Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/new-jamb-eligibility-policy-how-to-check-your-jamb-eligibility-status/

Follow the link above to See how to check your eligibilit status

President Buhari, while addressing the US Institute of Peace yesterday have said that the US is aiding and abetting the Boko Haram terrorist group by refusing to supply arms to Nigeria. A US law called the Leahy Law prevents the US government from selling arms to countries which fail to tackle human rights abuses.

"In our efforts at combating the activities of Boko Haram, the new Government has sought and obtained the support of not only our neighbours other international friends and partners. Regrettably, the blanket application of the Leahy Law by the United States on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations levelled against our forces has denied us access to appropriate strategic weapons to prosecute the war against the insurgents. Our forces have remained largely impotent because they do not possess the appropriate weapons and technology which they could have had, had the so-called human rights violations not been an obstacle. Unwittingly, and I dare say, unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law amendment by the U. S. Government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorist group in the prosecution of its extremist ideology and hate, the indiscriminate killings and maiming of civilians, in raping of women and girls, and in their other heinous crimes.”he said

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/buhari-the-us-is-abetting-and-aiding-boko-haram-insurgents/

A Nigerian man named Elijah Oyefeso made international news headlines when crashed his highly expensive gold Lamborghini and Bentley Continental which are both collectively  worth about £450,000. After the charade he laughed saying: "Life goes on".



Police found the two stricken supercars after they were involved in a smash outside a Morrisons supermarket in Grays, Essex, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Elijah Oyefeso, who says he owns both the Lamborghini and the Bentley, has told MailOnline he 'just started laughing' after the accident and is confident his insurance will cover the cost of repairs.



Mr Oyefoso, who has boasted of earning £26,000-a-month after setting himself up as a stock trader, had the car painted in metallic gold just seven weeks ago.
The 21-year-old, who also owns a Mercedes C-Class, said he let his friend drive the Bentley before the accident.



He said: 'I don't know at what point the crash happened. It was just the next thing I know he’s gone into the back of me.' 

'I don’t remember what happened. Afterwards I just started laughing. Life goes on, you know.’
Mr Oyefoso, who suffered minor injuries in the accident, refused to say whether the pair were racing and said his insurance will cover the damage. He said his friend, who he would not name, was arrested by police.



The former University of Buckingham student says he dropped out of a Business Management Course to concentrate on trading stocks, using his student loan to set himself up.



Mr Oyefoso has posted pictures of his cars on instagram, along with photos of wads of dollar bills



A picture Mr Oyefoso took of his two cars before the accident in the early hours of Sunday morning

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/rich-lifestyle-nigerian-man-makes-international-news-headline-after-crashing-his-lamborghini-and-bentley-worth-450000/

follow the link above for more photos...

The National Association of Nigeria Students NANS have kicked against JAMB's  new policy of redistribution of high performing candidates to institutions with lower number of applicants.
NANS alleges that the new policy was fraudulent.

Recently, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB announced the adoption of a policy whereby candidates of universities with surplus applicants for the Unified Matriculation Examinations (UTME) are redistributed to other universities with lower number of candidates than their capacities.

The new policy was adopted during the 2015 Combined Policy Meeting of JAMB that was held on July 14, 2015, in Abuja.

Following this new development, NANS, South-West Zone D has kicked against the new policy, alleging that it was fraudulent.

In a statement issued by the General Secretary, NANS Zone D, Obanobi Bidemi, the apex students body said: “The eligibility regulation of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been brought to the notice of the NANS. It is lame and nonsensical.

“Over 40 million Nigerian students at home and in diaspora want the JAMB registrar to define the word ‘choice of institution.’ Why would I be posted to a school I never applied for? We saw this trend coming from last year when the board reduced the options of institution of choice from six to three, claiming it is to save students from the fraudulent activities of tertiary institutions in the process of admitting students.

“We call on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to begin a probe into the accounts of the admission board, its registrar and top echelon, as it has been paid by proprietors of private tertiary institutions hence the bastardization of the admission exercise, a great semblance to the scandal that rocked the world football governing body, FIFA.

“Nigerian students pass a vote of no confidence in the JAMB registrar and hereby call for his immediate sack,” adding that “over 5 million students across the six states of the Southwest including affected students will be mobilized to the office of JAMB, if this policy is not reversed immediately.”

However, JAMB registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, who explained the benefit of the new policy said: “The policy will help needy universities with lower number of candidates than their capacities have more candidates to admit.

“It will assist JAMB candidates have better chances for admission in the universities they are re-assigned to, contrary to situations where they would await admission in the universities of their first choices until the admission exercise closes. They usually end up forfeiting admission in that session.”

Consequently, the eligibility for Post-UTME screening in Nigerian universities has been determined by JAMB, as only candidates whose names were forwarded to each university by the apex exam body will be eligible for the Post-UTME screening.

Meanwhile, the board has urged candidates to re-check on its website to know the universities they have been re-assigned to.

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/redistribution-nans-frowns-at-jamb-threatens-mass-protest-and-seeks-removal-of-jamb-boss/

In a latest university ranking by the Center For World University Ranking Show, none of Nigeria numerous universities made at least the first 1000 best universities in the world.

The ranking was done by the Centre for World University Rankings show.The center uses eight objective indicators to rank the world’s top 1,000 universities which are quality of education, alumni employment, quality of faculty, publications, influence, citations, broad impact and patents.

The United States of America has eight universities in the top 10.

Harvard University is ranked first while Stanford University ranked second, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technolog as third.

University of Cambridge came forth while the University of Oxford was ranked fifth.

The University of Witwatersrand in South Africa was the highest ranked university in Africa which ranked 149th followed by Mansoura University in Egypt which emerged 988th.

In an earlier ranking done by Journals Consortium, only one Nigerian university made it to the list of top 10 African universities.

Nigeria’s University of Ibadan beaten by six South African schools was ranked eight on the list.

The Center for World University Rankings publishes the only global university ranking that measures the quality of education and training of students, as well as the prestige of the faculty members and the quality of their research without relying on surveys and university data submissions.


Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/latest-ranking-no-nigeria-university-in-top-1000-universities-in-the-world/

Another baby factory has been discovered by the Abia State Police Command where 14 pregnant teenagers and ladies, were rescued in different stages of pregnancy, in an illegal maternity home.

According to police reports, the maternity home located at Umukpeyi village in the Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state, was being used as a baby factory where teenagers, between the ages of 13 and 19, were recruited, impregnated by men and when they give birth, the babies are then sold and the mothers given paltry sums of money.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Udeviotu Onyeke, explained further that the baby factory belonged to an alleged notorious child trafficking syndicate leader in the state, simply known as Madam Nma.

The rescue, according to the PPRO, was made possible following intelligence report that the principal suspect and the proprietor of the illegal maternity home, had been harbouring pregnant teenagers in the home for commercial purposes, stating that some of the victims claimed to be from neighbouring states like Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Rivers States.

“Majority of those rescued claimed that they were brought to the home by sympathisers after they were driven away from their homes when it was discovered that they had unwanted pregnancies.”

The police said the owner of the illegal maternity home escaped arrest as she was not at home during the raid, but added that efforts were on to track her down.

Source:http://nigeriainfohub.com/not-again-another-baby-factory-discovered-in-abia-state/

Nigerians will have to wait till September to know who their  ministers will be, as the president has disclosed the reasons  leading to such delay.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday confirmed that ministers will not be appointed until September.  He said the delay in naming members of the yet-to-be constituted Federal Executive Council (FEC) is to allow for critical reforms which will guide the  conduct of the ministers when appointed.

President Buhari dropped the hint in an article published by the Washington Post. He said it will  neither be prudent, nor serve the interest of sound government to have hastily made ministerial appointments immediately after coming into office without the necessary reforms.

Buhari, who criticised recent calls in some quarters about the slow pace of his administration said the task cannot be rushed, insisting that Nigeria must put new rules of conduct and good governance in place before making key appointments.

Buhari said: “When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States (U.S.) did not cease to function in the interim.

“In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place.”

The President who met with the U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday, stressed the importance of carrying out the critical reforms correctly before appointing ministers. He said it was also crucial to install correct leadership in the military and security services before fully taking the battle to Boko Haram.

He said: “There are too few examples in the history of Nigeria since independence where it can be said that good management and governance were instituted at a national level. This lack of a governance framework has allowed many of those in charge, devoid of any real checks and balances, to plunder.”

In the article which was published ahead of Buhari’s meeting with the U.S. President yesterday, Buhari said he would be seeking President Obama’s help in locating and returning about $150 billion looted funds.

“The fact that I now seek Obama’s assistance in locating and returning $150 billion in funds stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts on behalf of former corrupt officials is testament to how badly Nigeria has been run. This way of conducting our affairs cannot continue.”

He also blamed the inability of the previous government to defeat Boko haram on what he called the failure of governance.

He insisted that rules and good governance must be instilled in government, “installing officials who are experience and capable of managing state agencies and ministries; and third, seek to recover funds stolen under previous regimes so that this money can be invested in Nigeria for the benefit of all of our citizens.”

The President also revealed that Nigeria would seek the help of the U.S. in the fight against terrorism and corruption through the provision of the much-needed military training and intelligence. He spoke of plans to seek the increased investments from the US in the areas of energy and electricity.

While addressing issues around reforms and change, the President acknowledged that reforming Nigeria after many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight, and therefore called for patience and support.

“I was elected on a platform of change. I know this is what the people of Nigeria desire more than anything else. I realise the world waits to see evidence that my administration will be different from all those that came before.

“Yet reforming my country after so many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight. In our campaigns against both Boko Haram and corruption, we should remain steadfast and remember, as it is said ‘have patience. All things become difficult before they become easy.’

Source: http://nigeriainfohub.com/ministerial-listbuhari-discloses-why-he-wont-appoint-ministers-till-september/