Why Osun State is least crime-infested state, by govt

Osun State said yesterday that the “low crime rate in the state” as confirmed by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, was the result of the initiatives of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration since its inception in 2010.

The Director of Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Governor’s Office, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, explained that the Aregbesola administration did not just secure the state through

Afe Babalola condemns scrapping of Post-UTME Test

•Afe Babalola

Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado EKITI (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola has condemned the Federal Government’s decision to scrap the Post-Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) test.

Speaking on the issue at the weekend, the legal luminary said he was shocked by the action, which he described as a “calamitous mistake, which poses danger and irreversible adverse effect on quality of education in Nigeria”.
Babalola said he was taken aback that “such a far-reaching decision could be taken without due and adequate consideration for how the concept of the Post-UTME came into being”.

The former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said the concept of the Post-UTME test came into being in 2003 when it was discovered that “many of the students admitted into Nigerian universities through JAMB were not only

Robbers attack Vanguard publisher Sam Amuka

•Amuka

Suspected armed robbers yesterday invaded the Lagos home of Vanguard publisher Sam Amuka, injuring him and carting away cash and some items.
The raid was the second on Amuka’s home in about two years.

The invaders  allegedly hit the octogenarian  with an iron rod. He was rushed to a private hospital.
Ten suspects arrested in connection with the attack are being quizzed

Buhari: Leading in turbulent times

President Muhammadu Buhari’s face can sometimes be deadpan and inscrutable.
As an ex soldier, he is supposed to be stern,so wearing a straight face that leaves no clue is not unexpected.
At the inception of his administration,most things that appeared to have been unhinged during the immediate past administration, started falling into place. Electricity supply ramped up from about 3,500

Court orders DSS to pay detained Ekiti lawmaker N5m

Kamarudeen Ogundele, Ado Ekiti

The Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday ordered the Department of State Services to pay a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Afolabi Akanni, N5m damages for his illegal arrest.
The court condemned his arrest and “continued detention for 18 harrowing, excruciating and brain cudgeling days, without access to his lawyers and family.”

Akanni, representing Efon Constituency 1 at the Ekiti State House of Assembly, was arrested on March 4 by the DSS and detained for 18 days over alleged sundry

PDP Shuts Down Official Twitter Account

Peoples Democratic Party has announced the closure of its official Twitter account. Head of PDP Publicity Division, Chinwe Nnorom disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, April 19 via its official Facebook account.

“The general public may wish to recall that

EFCC Denies Ekweremadu’s Decoration As Anti-Corruption Ambassador

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday discredited reports that it has decorated the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as an ‘Anti-Corruption Ambassador’.

The anti-graft agency made the disclaimer in a statement by its Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren.

“According to a statement issued to the press by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, the purported decoration, was carried

President Buhari Arrives In China

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has arrived in the People’s Republic of China for a state visit.

According to the President’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, President Buhari was welcomed at the Beijing Capital International Airport by China’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Cheng Guoping, alongside other senior Chinese government officials.

Also at the airport were the Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, and the Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam.

APC Chieftain Asks Buhari To Cushion Nigerians’ Sufferings

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to implement programmes that would have direct impact on the people especially by finding solutions to the myriad of problems confronting Nigeria.

While addressing journalists on Sunday, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, Kawu Baraje, also blamed the leadership of the party for being docile to the plight of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as it affects his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
He asked the party to stand by him, as a loyal party member.

Mr Baraje was a former National Secretary and former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party before teaming up with others to form the All Progressive Congress, (APC).

Alleged N5.6b fraud: Kalu, two others to be arraigned May 16

Justice Anwuri Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed May 16 for arraignment of former Abia State governor, Orji Uzoh Kalu, the state’s ex-Director of Finance in the State House, Udeh Jones Udeogu, and Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited on a 112 amended charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They are accused of diverting the Abia State’s funds estimated at about N5.6billion while Kalu and Udeogu were in office between 1999 and 2007.

The three are to be re-arraigned on the amended charge about seven years after they were earlier arraigned on a similar charge before Justice Adamu Bello (now retired from the Federal High Court’s bench).

Mark to Nigerians: Rise up against barbarism, insecurity

•Mark

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has asked Nigerians to rise up against the increasing insecurity in parts of the country in order to stop the needless killings of Nigerians. .
Senator Mark noted that although insecurity has taken a global trend, Nigeria cannot afford to allow the challenge degenerate further to an intolerable level.

A statement by his media assistant, Paul Mumeh, said that the former Senate President spoke at the weekend in Ogume, Delta State after he was awarded a Doctorate Degree on Intelligence and Security studies (Honoris Causa) from Novena University at the institution’s convocation ceremony.

It said that the University also established a new faculty named Senator David Mark centre for Intelligence and Security studies for the study issues relating to insecurity and conflicts.
It quoted Mark to have said that “it is sad that hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost to conflicts and insurgency.

Mark to Nigerians: Rise up against barbarism, insecurity

•Mark

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has asked Nigerians to rise up against the increasing insecurity in parts of the country in order to stop the needless killings of Nigerians. .
Senator Mark noted that although insecurity has taken a global trend, Nigeria cannot afford to allow the challenge degenerate further to an intolerable level.

A statement by his media assistant, Paul Mumeh, said that the former Senate President spoke at the weekend in Ogume, Delta State after he was awarded a Doctorate Degree on Intelligence and Security studies (Honoris Causa) from Novena University at the institution’s convocation ceremony.

It said that the University also established a new faculty named Senator David Mark centre for Intelligence and Security studies for the study issues relating to insecurity and conflicts.
It quoted Mark to have said that “it is sad that hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost to conflicts and insurgency.

Journalists have nothing to fear from Federal Government – Minister

“Not a single journalist is in detention in Nigeria today. The government of the day is not a threat to the media and it is not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally guaranteed rights,” he said at the session devoted to a debate on the implementation of the document on the “International Declaration On The Protection of Journalists”, which was presented at the Congress

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said journalists in Nigeria have nothing to fear from the Nigerian government in the performance of their duties.

“Under this dispensation, we have never even contemplated stifling the freedom of the media not to talk of hounding them to death,” the Minister said in Doha on Sunday when he featured as a panelist at the ongoing 2016 Annual Congress of the International Press Institute in the Qatari capital.

“Not a single journalist is in detention in Nigeria today. The government of the day is not a threat to the media and it is not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally guaranteed rights,” he said at the session devoted to a debate on the implementation of the document on the “International Declaration On The Protection of Journalists”, which was presented at the Congress.

Ekiti slips back into crisis

Fayose

Ekiti State has been in the news again, following the detention of some members of the House of Assembly and the State Executive Council by the Department of State Services (DSS), which is investigating them for alleged crimes. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

History may be repeating itself in Ekiti State. Ten years after top government officials were investigated for alleged graft, diversion of public funds, operation of foreign accounts and execution of a phony poultry project, the Department of State Services (DSS) is beaming a searchlight on the Ayo Fayose administration.

The investigation, which was spearheaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), led to the impeachment of the Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose by 24 of 26 members of the House of Assembly. Less than two years after he returned to power, the governor is facing another storm over sundry allegations against some officials of his administration and state legislators.

On March 4, DSS men stormed Ekiti and arrested four legislators. The Speaker, Hon. Kola Oluwawole, alleged that they were abducted by the operatives. He said: “More than 10 DSS men armed to the teeth” stormed the Assembly complex and shot sporadically into the air causing panic among legislators and staff. Among the legislators arrested was Hon. Afolabi Akanni from Efon Constituency. They were taken to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territoty (FCT) for interrogation.

Three injured as fire razes Niger Biscuit Company

•Fire fighters at the scene...yesterday.

Three persons were burnt yesterday when fire razed Niger Biscuits Company on Creek Road in Apapa, Lagos, destroying property worth millions of naira.
Two Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) within the premises were destroyed.


It was learnt that the fire was sparked by gas explosion in the factory few minutes after 2pm.
A factory worker, who gave his name as Chukwudi, said the injured were rushed to hospital by Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) officials.

One of the victims was a security officer deployed in the company few weeks ago. He was said to trying to put out the fire. In fact, only God can save him,” said an eyewitness.

2015 FCT budget: Buhari seeks extension of implementation

•President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, has written the Senate asking for permission to extend the implementation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 2015 budget to March 31.

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki read the Presidential request letter on the floor of the Senate Tuesday.

President Buhari in the letter asked the lawmakers to recall that the FCT Appropriation Bill was accented to on the 21 of May 2015 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He noted that the delay in accenting to the bill affected its implementation in respect of capital projects and other expenditure.
He added, “In this connection, numerous payments for critical and essential projects are outstanding: in view of the foregoing, the senate is invited to note the delay allowed the FCTA only seven months in 2015 for implementation.

How Senator Akpabio, Governor Emmanuel Procured Controversial Supreme Court Judgment

An inside source within Akwa Ibom State Government has spoken to SaharaReporters about a shady deal Governor Udom Emmanuel and his predecessor, former Governor Godswill Akpabio, struck with justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria prior to the apex court’s judgment on Wednesday February 3, 2015 validating the state’s governorship election.

A source close to the Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State told SaharaReporters that the “negotiations” on how to “capture the Supreme Court” started in late December of 2015, shortly after the Nigerian Court of Appeal made an omnibus nullification of elections held throughout Akwa Ibom State.

Now, actor Olumide Bakare needs help!

•Bakare

The story has changed from January 2014, when veteran actor, Olumide Bakare, did not require help from the public to foot his medical bills. In fact, then the actor denied that he had anything serious other than the normal age-related ailments that required constant medical check-ups.

Today, the lively and frank-speaking thespian has confirmed his illness, begging not to be allowed to die just yet.
His worsening medical situation has prompted him to call on public-spirited Nigerians to come to his aid, as he lies on his sick bed, at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan since last week.

NDA Investigates Alleged Unruly Behavior Of Cadets In Viral Video

TheNigerian Defence Academy (NDA) says it is investigating a video that has gone viral on the internet showing some military cadets beating a young man for allegedly complimenting a female cadet.

 


A statement issued on Thursday by the academy’s spokesman, Musa Yahaya, said that preliminary investigation into the matter has confirmed that the incident occurred somewhere in Lagos in 2014 while the cadets were on break.

The statement noted that the NDA, being a responsible institution that is saddled with the task of producing the nation’s future military leaders would not in anyway, tolerate such unruly and flagrant mistreatment of Nigerians.

It further explained that the current leadership of the academy would ensure that the matter is thoroughly investigated and disciplinary loopholes addressed.

Reps to engage OICs over N1trn cash call on oil joint venture

   

The House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled plans to engage the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and oil majors involved in the joint venture (JV) with a view to reviewing the annual N1 trillion production cost.

The move was part of efforts geared toward restructuring the N6.08 trillion Appropriation Bill presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the joint session of the National Assembly.

President Buhari had during the formal presentation of the N6.08 trillion budget proposal to the joint session of the National Assembly, emphasised the need to fund the N2.2 trillion budget deficit through external and domestic borrowings.

Abdulmumin Jibrin, chairman House Committee on Appropriations, who spoke with Legislative Correspondents in Abuja, also confirmed that the $3.5 billion World Bank/African Development Bank facility being sourced by the Federal Government was part of the 2016-2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) approved by the National Assembly.