Oluwafisayo | In Defense Of Truth

"I Married You"..... Joseph's story as he marries Anu on her graduation day

2016-08-02T18:10:00.000+01:00

I knew Joseph Ola Kolawole on facebook after a friend shared his post on my wall, I was wowed by his writings, inspiring and filled with wisdom. He dished out nuggets on a regular to bless everyone until suddenly his posts reduced drastically. I found out he had moved to the UK to study further and so had little time to do what he loved doing.

This morning I saw this post of his, he had married his longtime sweetheart Anu. Whoever knew Joseph (or Pastor Joseph like others call him) knows there is someone called "Anu". HE married her on her graduation day, love so amazing.

This is wishing you a happy married life filled with the glory of God.

E ba ara yin kale ooo, Amin

Read his story below

“I MARRIED YOU!”
No, not “you”, I mean her, the beautiful damsel in the pictures below. But between the two of us, “I Married You” isn’t just a phrase; it’s the title of the book I bought for her ON THE VERY FIRST DAY THAT I MET HER. It was in a Youth Service Camp in Northern Nigeria. I was drawn to her as she stood looking at the books at the book stand in front of the hall where I had just finished holding a Bible Study session. I walked up to her, struck up a conversation, and felt led to buy her a book by Late Walter Trobisch. I wanted to buy her “I Loved A Girl” which was the only book by that author which I had read, but they were out of copies so I opted for another title by the same author; a book I HAD NOT EVEN READ MYSELF. And the title became a prophetic script: “I MARRIED YOU!”
And it came…to pass. Last Wednesday. July 27th. I married her!
But not only that, ON THE SAME DAY, she graduated with a FIRST CLASS in her LLB Programme.
Pause right there. Give me a moment to tie it up for you…
Of course, this isn’t just a post about me getting married or about her graduating with a first class (we won’t be the first in anyways); but you know I like to draw out life lessons from almost everything. So this post wouldn’t be without one, and here is it: GOD LISTENS TO YOUR SILENT WHISPERS!
Here’s what I mean…
When Eleos was leaving Nigeria for the UK in 2013, I intended to meet her at the airport. I woke up early enough, stopped by at a store to buy her a golden wristwatch that I wanted to give her as a parting gift alongside a Friendship Journal where I chronicled our first conversations in our first few months together since February 2012 when the relationship started...
But Lagos traffic did its worst and I didn't make it to the airport in time to meet her. She had boarded the plane before I got there.
I cried. Like, literally.
But the aircraft had some little challenge so their take off was delayed... So we spoke on phone for almost an hour until it was time for the plane to take off.
But the only thing I can remember in that long conversation was this:
"Eleos, don't worry. I'll come and give you these things in the UK by myself..."
I said it jokingly, though. I had no plans of coming to the UK. I even had no Nigerian Passport at the time let alone a UK Visa...
Fast forward to months later, I find myself telling her (again, jokingly) in our almost-every-night conversations while I was still in Nigeria trying to encourage her with regards to her studies... I'll say something like:
"Don't worry. Study well and FINISH WITH A FIRST CLASS... I'll be there at your convocation...and WHISK YOU OFF AFTERWARDS TO MARRY YOU ON THE SAME DAY!"
Again, it was just a joke, but I love to tease her with the idea...
But as of today, not only did I actually come to give her the golden wristwatch by myself but I also witnessed her graduation and ‘WIFED’ her the same day! (Only the order was different; marriage first, graduation afterwards...)
Where am I going?
Here: GOD LISTENS!!!
In the two cases above, I neither prayed nor fasted for days for those things to happen. They happened...because God listened! And He still does…
And that's my news to you today...
What have you been asking Him that He seems to be delaying to do?
What are your deepest desires?
The truth is that the God that cared enough to listen to my silent whispers is still alive. Don't stop trusting Him.
So yeah, I married her! And same day she graduated! And same day we got to have our first kiss in a SUPER GREAT and DUPER GUILTLESS atmosphere...
That’s what love looks like to me!
If our story inspires you enough, do well to drop a word of prayer for us. We will appreciate it.
If you feel offended to not have been informed, no hard feelings. At worst, pardon my forgetfulness. At best, respect Romans 8:14😄Wishing you even greater testimonies!
Let’s celebrate!

NIGERIA’S PROBLEM ISN’T CORRUPTION; NEITHER IS AMERICA’S PROBLEM RACISM; NOR THE WORLD’S PROBLEM ISIS

2016-07-28T17:53:00.001+01:00

You see, I have been thinking and as many have said before me; the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. All over the world, conferences are convoked to address issues presumed by world leaders to be the bane of the human society. They talk about opening up of borders, gun control, racial tensions, violent attacks, xenophobia, political ideology, corruption, religious extremism and a whole lot of other stuff. They are trying, I think, to dig deep enough into the problem of the human society, in order to come up with a viable solution.

But then, at any and every corner of personal and social life, the primary threats to human flourishing are not these externals the world seems to be addressing, rather, the crux of the human crisis is the disordering of the human soul and social relations into self-centered, individualistic, indulgent, narcissistic, idealistic, prideful, tribal, or sentimental factions. Chaos is a cancer that manifests itself within the soul of the individual and social relations when order disintegrates. Our desires become our masters, and with desires as numerous as the hairs on our heads we are pulled in a thousand different directions. St Augustine, better than anyone else in Western history and philosophy, provides the essential account of the human person as an uncontrollable bundle of desires that cannot be properly realigned outside of the grace of God.

Hobbes’ basic intuition about the terrible state of the “war of all against all” seems essentially right: that evil lies within the human heart that must never be depersonalized. Evil is always personal because it’s always a person who is evil. Not a truck, not a plane, not a gun, not a bomb. All of these externals are the means used by evil people to perpetrate evil deeds, just like all the motivations for attack, whether they be racial or religious or political, are internals that co-opt the congenital evil of the human heart to further their cause.

Hence this is what I think: Blow up Boko Haram, smoke up ISIS into dust or smithereens, and other groups will crawl out of their ashes. Ban all guns and someone will create a new weapon. This is the reality: you cannot legislate evil out of the heart of man. People are the problem. We always have been the problem and only a rebirth and redemption of the human heart in God can salvage our fallen race. God help the human family.

Benneth Joseph Obinna is a graduate of the University of Ibadan and a Post Graduate Diploma student in Broadcast Journalism with the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He is an Administrative Assistant with the MBA department at the Pan-Atlantic University (Lagos Business School)

Itsekiri nation disowns calls for creation of Biafra Republic

2015-10-28T13:09:00.003+01:00

THE Itsekiri ethnic nationality of Warri, Delta State, has dissociated itself from the calls for creation of a Biafra Republic out of Nigeria as being drummed by some Igbo interest groups in the South-East.

The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILT, expressed the group’s concern over the Igbo agitation yesterday in a statement by its Chairman, Pa Johnson Ayomike and Secretary, Edward Ekpoko.

The body is disturbed that the proposed Biafra Republic as widely reported in the social media includes the whole of Delta State.

The statement stressed: “We recall with pains the day the defunct Biafran Army invaded Warri and Benin in the then Midwest Region on August 9, 1967. Never again will the Itsekiri tolerate such invasion. The Itsekiri nation is committed to the unity of Nigeria and will do all it can to promote and protect it as one indivisible country. As Major General Philip Effiong said on January 14 1970, the Republic of Biafra ceased to exist. We, the Itsekiri, wish it to be eternally so for the peace and development of our great nation.”

Source

At half time, Amaechi 3 Wike 0

2015-10-27T17:00:00.001+01:00

Exactly eight years ago, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state, and Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, now governor of the state, were best of friends. By “exactly eight years ago”, I truly mean October 26, 2007. Just one day earlier, the supreme court had declared Amaechi governor of the state, saying he was the rightful candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having won the party’s primary, rather than Celestine Omehia, whom the party fielded.

At the time, Wike, as chairman of Obio-Akpor local government and national president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), greatly supported Amaechi’s campaign. They were buddies. So happy were they that after Omehia was booted out of office, Amaechi appointed Wike his chief of staff – a position that governors traditionally allot to their most trusted ally.

Fast-forward eight years later and both men would not just see eye-to-eye. It was Amaechi who nominated Wike for ministerial appointment under the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. But after Amaechi fell out with Jonathan and left PDP, Wike chose to side with not his old boss but his new one. Although both men have been at daggers drawn ever since, it is only in 2015 that the real battles have been fought; and so far, it is Amaechi who is having the upper hand.

2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1-0

As a minister in Jonathan’s cabinet and as a Rivers state governorship aspirant under the PDP ticket, Wike staunchly opposed the candidature of APC’s Muhammadu Buhari, whose campaign was spearheaded by Amaechi. With Buhari polling a total of 15,424,921 votes ahead of Jonathan’s 12,853,162, not only did Nigeria have a new, Amaechi secured his first victory over his former ally-turned-enemy.

MINISTERIAL NOMINATION, 2-0

Life is full of ironies. Or how does one explain that the chief antagonist of a ministerial nominee is the same one who once became a minister on the recommendation of the current nominee? Amaechi nominated Wike to be minister when he was governor, but Wike has been the most vociferous opponent of Amaechi’s ministerial nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari.

To Wike, Amaechi is too corrupt to be minister. Once, he branded his predecessor the most corrupt public office holder. “If Buhari is sincere in his fight against corruption, let him probe the Amaechi’s government and he will discover that there cannot be a government official that is more corrupt than Amaechi,” he said through Opunabo Inko-Tariah, his special adviser on media and publicity, shortly before the president released the first list of nominees.

Of course, Amaechi had unkind words of his own, once describing Wike as a man who would betray his mother for money. “Nyesom Wike loves and worships money; he can betray his mother for money – nothing more, nothing less,” he had said two days before the election that Wike ‘won’.

At some point, it did seem Amaechi would not even be screened by the senate, much less emerge a minister. Time after time, his screening was postponed following allegations of corruption to the tune of N70bn by Rivers state senators. Finally, on Thursday October 22, Amaechi was screened.

Although George Sekibo, a PDP senator from Rivers, has warned that it is a thing to be screened and another to be confirmed minister, Amaechi, based on the reception he enjoyed at the screening, can count on his confirmation later this week. In any case, to have been screened alone is itself one more victory over his tormentor-in-chief. Two nil.

RIVERS GOVERNORSHIP TUSSLE, 3-0 This is not closed yet, but it is quite some drama. Wike must have thought he had pulled one victory over Amaechi, whose candidate, Dakuku Peterside, he outwit by 1,029,102 votes to 124,896. In Nigerian politics, victory at the polls is hardly the real victory; almost every election loser goes to court, and the winner never really emerges until the legal options have been exhausted. Now, after the first legal option, the election petition tribunal, it does seem Wike has a massive battle in his hands. The tribunal has nullified his victory at the polls, and ordered fresh elections within 90 days. Jubilant Amaechi knows he has secured his third straight victory over Wike. But then, like it does happen in a game of football, even a three-nil deficit advantage can quickly be overturned. In doubt? Ask the Saudi ’89 Flying Eagles, who were losing four nil to the Soviet Union as at the 61st minute, only to score four goals in 23 minutes before going on to win 5-3 on penalties. Perhaps Wike will recover in due course to show Amaechi that the servant can, at times, outshine the master. But, for now, it’s Amaechi 3 – 0 Wike.

Source

Juju scare in LASU

2015-10-27T13:42:00.001+01:00

•Admin, Senate buildings laced with charms
•No-go-area for VC, staff for past 7 months

DON’T step into the Admin Block 1 of the Lagos State University (LASU) or the Senate Building if you don’t want to die! That is the message that those who laced the place with charms sought to deliver with their frightening deed. Since then fear has pervaded the 32-year-old institution in the past six months. The Admin Block 1, which houses the office of the Vice Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa, other principal officers and registry staff has been deserted for over six months over alleged juju scare. This is the second time under his administration that juju was reportedly placed on the Admin Block and Senate Building.
On a good day, the Admin Block 1 was the busiest office on the campus and has the highest human traffic, mainly staff, students and visitors entering and coming out. It is a one storey building located near the Badagry Expressway gate of the university.
The Senate Building, which faces both the Admin Block 1 and 2, has also been abandoned in the past six months for the same reason forcing meetings of the Senate to be held at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).
In the last six months, the Admin Block 1 and the Senate Building have been made to look like a ghost town because of desertion by the Vice Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa, principal officers and other staff over fear of being harmed by fetishes left in the area. The trouble started on Monday, March 16, 2015, when the staff unions chased out the VC, his two deputies, the Registrar and other senior management staff out of the campus.
Less than 24 hours after the protest, the university workers asked the former Governor, Babatunde Fashola, to appoint an acting VC, adding that they have ‘sacked’ the vice chancellor. The staff unions also demanded for a Visitation Panel.
The next day after the protest, congress of the three staff unions at their different meetings banned Prof. Obafunwa from entering the campus, accusing him of maladministration and several other offences. Loyalists of the VC fought back and condemned the action of their colleagues, insisting that Obafunwa should be allowed into the university to carry out his duties.
After the ugly incident, the Admin Block 1 and the Senate were locked and since then no staff including the principal officers and even the campus security personnel had gone near the building.
The 32-year-old institution may have made history as the first tertiary institution whose VC has not set foot on campus for over six months because of the prolonged face-off with the workers who have vowed not to allow him into the university.
Fear of what happened to other workers, who some years back tried to force open the Admin and Senate blocks, also made security personnel and those loyal to the embattled VC not to open the two iron gates. Rumours about staff who were struck by strange illness when they tried to enter the buildings previously has made the place a no-go area.
For days, some staff were placed on ‘special duty’ by the unions to monitor the locked Admin and Senate blocks even as the workers gathered under a tree to continue with their celebration over the banishment of the VC and other top management from the campus.
Investigation reveals that several attempts were made by the immediate past governor to smuggle the embattled VC into the campus but the main problem was that nobody wanted to go near the Admin Block 1 and the Senate Building because of fear of the juju.
Even the NANS and LASU students union that demanded for the VC’s return to the main campus were not bold enough to go near the dreaded spots. They restricted their protest around the two gates.
When our correspondent visited the campus, it was evident that the Admin Block and Senate Building has not been used for several months, as the surroundings were overgrown with weeds. It was gathered that members of staff of the university also avoid the place for fear of bad omen.
Further enquires revealed that registry staffs, whose offices were located in the Admin Block 1 and the Senate Building have been temporary relocated to other offices. The VC, Prof Obafunwa, has been using his personal office at LASUCOM, while Senate meetings were held at one of the halls in LASUCOM.
Efforts by our correspondent to find out who laced the Admin Block and Senate Building with juju proved abortive as the Director, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations (CIPPR), Mrs. Ronke Osho was said to have started her retirement leave from the services of the Lagos State government.
The chairmen of ASUU, SSANU and NASU claimed ignorance of the juju. But some union members dared the students, state government and Obafunwa’s loyalists to open the gates.
“The unions will not stop them from going to open the Admin Block 1 and the Senate Building, but they know the consequences,” a staff who wishes to remain anonymous, explained. “Those who tried it some years ago know what happened. Even the VC and his loyalists know the implications of going to open the gates by force.’
It was gathered that before the gates of the Admin Block 1 and Senate Building would be opened for use, certain rituals would need to be performed in the night.
The new Pro Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo told Education Review that he and his members are working hard to restore peace on campus. He said they met the staff unions and students unions recently.
Obafunwa’s tenure would end on October 31 and staff unions have already started a countdown for him with two big banners placed at the two gates of the university. announcing how many days are left of his administration.

Source

Supreme court dismisses Wike’s suit against tribunal

2015-10-27T11:06:00.000+01:00

The supreme court has dismissed the suit of Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, who challenged the jurisdiction of the Rivers governorship election petition tribunal to hear a petition by Dakuku Peterside of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike had argued that the tribunal sitting in Abuja had no jurisdiction over matters that transpired in the state. His contention is that the tribunal should have sat in Rivers state and not in Abuja. The tribunal was moved to Abuja over for security concerns, as those of Akwa I‎bom, Yobe, Adamawa and Borno. The appeal court had earlier ruled that the tribunal could sit in Abuja to handle Rivers election petitions.

The Rivers tribunal had last Saturday sacked Wike as governor of the state, and ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hold a fresh election within 90 days. The apex court held that the tribunal was properly constituted and had jurisdiction to hear the petition of Peterside. It ruled that the shift in location of the tribunal from Rivers to Abuja was out of necessity, and added that the president of the appeal court did not err in law by ordering the‎ relocation of the tribunal. The court therefore dismissed Wike’s suit for lack of merit. ‎

The seven judges of the court, who were all in agreement with the ruling, stated that the relocation of the tribunal was to protect members of the panel and as such complied with the “doctrine of necessity”.

Source

NNPC to publish financial transactions from September – Kachikwu

2015-08-19T22:03:00.002+01:00

The financial transactions of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation will be published periodically to ensure transparency beginning from next month, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has said.

According to Kachikwu, the move was part of his resolve to usher in a new dawn of transparency in the national oil firm, stressing that transparency must be the watchword of every staff in the new NNPC.

Kachikwu, who stated this at his maiden town hall meeting with employees of the corporation at the NNPC Towers in Abuja on Tuesday, said the new NNPC will be a corporation anchored on the foundation of clearness.

The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, confirmed this to our correspondent in a telephone interview and also in an electronic mail.

“I want transparency. Beginning from next month, I want to be able to publish what the company makes. I have told the President that as from next week I will be sending him weekly reports,” the new GMD reportedly told employees of the national oil firm.

If implemented, this will be a departure from what used to be obtainable at the national oil firm. It will be the first time in ages that the NNPC will be publishing its financial transactions for the public to see.

Source: The Punch

You goofed on Jonathan’s agricultural programme, Adesina tells Oshimhole

2015-08-19T11:09:00.002+01:00

Immediate past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has slammed Edo State Governor, Adams Oshimhole, for describing the Agricultural Programme of former president Goodluck Jonathan as a scam.

Adesina, who is warming up to assume office as the President of the African Development Bank next month, said it was unbecoming of Oshimhole to tag Jonathan’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA, as a dismal failure.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, the former minister said it was most uncharitable for the governor who was in a better position to know the success of the ATA to attempt to discredit it for reasons best known to him.

Disagreeing with Oshimhole, Adesina insisted that the ATA was a real success story and not a sham as claimed by the governor

“Foremost, it is a bad public relations stunt, not expected from the governor. Secondly, his comments detract from the ATA – a reform that was vigorously pursued and implemented by Dr Akin Adesina, now president elect of African Development Bank,” the former minister said.

” For reasons of safeguarding the economy and strengthening the confidence of the international community in Nigeria, genuine efforts towards ensuring food security and diversifying the economy away from oil should not be subjected to cheap politics as the negative impact that follows such public comments could be to the nation’s detriment.

Governor Oshiomole ought to know better that, under ATA, efficient distribution of subsidised farm inputs – also known as the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS), reached 14.3million farmers with 1.3million MT of fertiliser, 102,703 metric tons of improved rice seeds, 67,991 metric tons of improved maize seeds, 6,171 metric tons of improved cotton seeds, 130 million stems of cassava, 45.5million seedlings of cocoa, nine million seedlings of oil palm amongst many other crops between 2012 and 2014.

“Those inputs helped produce an additional 21million MT of food that has acted as a buffer against inflation with the devaluation of the Naira.

“At a time that the nation desperately needs to build upon the achievements of the immediate past minister of agriculture, Governor Oshiomole can only do the Edo people some good by recognising the fact that lending by commercial banks to agriculture increased from 0.07 per cent in 2011 to five per cent in 2014 while banks lent a total of N27.5 billion to fertiliser and seed companies.
“As the chief executive of a state so blessed with natural resources so highly favourable to productive agriculture, Governor Oshiomhole ought to think rather on how to make Edo more enterprising. In doing so, an area he is expected to be more interested in, should be agriculture.

“For that reason, Governor Oshiomhole ought rather to be keen on how the intervention that brought agriculture from policy oblivion to a sector that is now widely embraced could be replicated in Edo State within the remaining number of months he has to spend as a governor.
“He ought to have been asking, for instance, the erudite, resourceful and hardworking former minister, how he was able to achieve so much within so short a time.

“If Governor Oshiomhole knows how to play the politics well, he should be thinking of how to leverage on the former minister’s growing relevance at the continental level as the new head of the biggest development financial institution in Africa.
” He is supposed to be expressing interest in the increased investment in the fertilizer sector totaling $5billion from major companies such as Indorama, Dangote, and Notore.
” He should have been asking his special assistants to study how usage also rose from 13kg per hectare in 2011 to 80kg in 2014, or how seed companies in Nigeria grew from 11, producing 14,000 metric tons of improved seeds, to 134 companies doing 174,000 metric tons of seeds.
“The governor should be asking how Nigeria become the world leader in the use of ICT to reach farmers directly with farm inputs and how the World Bank is trying to scale out this efficient system of ensuring high productivity of small holder farmers across Africa.

“It is grossly unfair for Governor Oshiomhole not to recognise that ATA of 2011 to 2014 was Nigeria’s equivalent of the ‘green revolution’ that took place in Asia in the 1960s and 1970s, where new highly productive varieties of rice and wheat, and the chemical fertilisers that helped them achieve their potential, led to a doubling and tripling of yield and self-sufficiency.

“Particularly troubling is the fact that a political leader of a State as enlightened as Edo State could feign ignorance at the fact that the number of integrated rice mills, needed to produce parboiled rice, preferred by Nigerians, has grown from just one in 2010 to 24 in 2014.
“Equally worrisome is he fact that he is unaware that our parboiled rice milling capacity increased from 70,000 metric tons to 800,000 metric tons. His former colleague in Lagos, at some point, had bought as many as 56 trailer loads of paddy rice from Kebbi (a major massive producer of rice under ATA) for processing into ‘ Eko Rice ‘ brand in Lagos. It means Governor Oshiomhole’s criticism is fraught with irregularities.

“Realising that the demand for import quality-grade parboiled rice was estimated at 2.5million Metric tons (MT) in Nigeria, the gap in milling capacity prompted the Federal Executive Council to approve a N9billion fund to support private sector companies to acquire nine new 36,000 metic tons per annum factories to further raise the capacity to 1.2million MT, leaving a national supply gap of 1.3million MT that was to be met by controlled imports under the new rice policy.
“The new Rice Policy, aimed at reducing the amounts of rice imports and instead encourage new domestic rice investments in the nation, has led to new investments in rice production and milling of over N500billion, including N200billion by Aliko Dangote, of which a 200,000MT per annum mill and 10,000 hectares will be located in Edo State. Is Governor Oshiomhole aware of this?

The former minister also lambasted Oshimhole for claiming that the past government frittered away over N800billion on waivers for rice millers and others, killing local rice production and making agriculture unattractive.
He made it clear that contrary to the governor’s claim, the total amount owed the government by rice importers, who imported beyond their approved limit, is estimated at N30billion, an information that is conspicuously displayed on the website of the Nigerian customs.

“It has to be emphasised here again that it was the immediate Dr Adesina that the took up the fight against the erring importers, asking them to pay what they owed the government.

“The truth is that under ATA, Nigeria has made giant strides towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice. Between 2011 and 2014, a total of six million rice farmers were reached with improved rice seeds and fertiliser and an additional two million hectares cultivated.
“National paddy rice production rose by an additional 7 million MT and the nation reached 85 per cent sufficiency in rice production.
” Furthermore, for the first time in Nigeria, rice cultivation is twice a year, in the wet and dry seasons. We have also seen the rise of thousands of small mills fitted with destoners and polishers producing parboiled rice of similar quality as imported rice. With the new investment in large scale rice mills, imported rice will soon become a thing of the past.

“The governor may wish to ask the leader of the cocoa value chain, an illustrious son of Edo State, who served under the immediate past minister of agriculture in revolutionising cocoa production, Edo was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the efforts to increase cocoa production base through the free distribution of cocoa pods for raising seedlings in many farms in the cocoa-producing states.
” In the Oil Palm value chain, a total of 9 million sprouted oil palm sprouted nuts were distributed to 45,353 small and large oil palm estate owners between 2013 and 2015. Additional Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production due to these interventions is projected to be 400,000 MT of crude oil palm which would close the gap of 350,000MT of crude oil palm that is currently being imported. There has been well over N100billion new investment in crude oil palm production in the country.

“Nigeria’s agriculture sector has undergone major reforms and transformation in the past three and a half years under the leadership of the immediate past Honorable Minister of Agriculture and President-elect of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.
“Governor Oshiomhole would benefit from data originating from the National Bureau of Statistics, showing that the agricultural sector grew by 9.19 per cent (year-on-year) in the third quarter of 2014, up by 2.7 per cent from Q3 of 2013. The agricultural sector grew by 38.53 per cent between 3rd and 4th quarters of 2014, with crop production being the main driver, with a growth of 43.5 per cent. The Agricultural Transformation Agenda has proven to be a well-thought-out policy with great gains for Nigeria.

“It was Philip Asiodu, the former super permsec who recently opined that ‘What has killed this country is the refusal of any new government to build upon what their predecessors had done.”
” If ATA is allowed to continue as conceived and implemented under Adesina, Nigeria could reach an additional 32 million farmers by 2019, up from 14.5million farmers reached with inputs between 2012 to 2014, reaching at least 8 million of unemployed youths.
” Under ATA, a production of 7.1 million MT per annum of rice paddy was achieved With the new investments in milling, milling capacity could rise to 5 million MT and Nigeria will be self-sufficient in rice production by 2017. It is indeed shameful for a country like Nigeria to import rice

Should ATA continue, cassava processing capacity, currently just below 100,000MT/annum and a bane of the cassava industry, will be raised to 675,000MT per annum by 2019. Same thing with maize production, from the achievement of over 12 million MT/annum in 2014 (compared to 9million MT/year in 2011), we will increase this to 18 million MT/annum by 2019 to accommodate the rise in demand for food, poultry feed, and maize for the milling industry.
“For Sorghum, we will go from 9.76million MT in 2014 to 13 million MT by 2019 to cater for the increase in demand from the malted sorghum and high energy food markets. We can produce 1.2million MT of soybean by 2019, up from 700,000MT achieved in 2014 (compared to 500,000MT in 2011).

“Same for cotton, from 240,000MT/annum in 2014 ( was 125,000MT in 2011) to 500,000MT/annum by 2019, Cocoa production from 350,000MT exported/annum in 2014 to 700,000MT exported/annum by 2019; crude oil palm, production from 800,000MT/annum in 2014 to 1.6million MT/annum in 2019 and Nigeria will become self-sufficient in CPO.

“It is uncharitable and against the interest of Nigerian public to politicise issues of agriculture and food security as Governor Oshiomhole did in his criticisms of that sector.

Source: Vanguard

PDP chief: Anyim tricked Jonathan to sign N1.2b deal

2015-08-19T11:06:00.000+01:00

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim unilaterally acquired the multi-billion-dollar Centenary City on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief alleged yesterday.

PDP’s National Vice Chairman (Southsouth zone) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh said he was ready to face the ex-SGF in court to prove his sole ownership of the controversial housing estate.

At a media briefing in his Abuja home late Monday, Ojougboh, reacting to what he described as “the show of shame”, which he said Anyim sponsored against him on Monday, accused the former SGF of acts of desperation “to cling onto his loot and spoils of office without putting into consideration the millions of Nigerians he is depriving of the dividends of democracy”.

Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe transactions relating to the Centenary City, Ojougboh said Anyim persuaded former President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the Centenary City documents without the ex-president reading the contents or consulting his advisers.

The Centenary City project is sitting on a land area covering over 1, 500 hectares, the size of three districts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The PDP chieftain has petitioned President Buhari, stating the facts relating to the transaction and the role played by Anyim in what he described as “a scam” perpetrated by a United Arab Emirates company, allegedly operating as a front for Anyim.

Ojougboh said: “Yes, the former president signed the papers as presented to him by the former SGF. He was not properly briefed because of vested interests.

“I can defend him; he was not part of the fraud. If Jonathan had been properly briefed, he would not have approved the project, let alone going to perform the ground breaking.

“The former President thought that the Centenary City was for the good of all Nigerians because of the centenary spirit. Unknown to him, it was the private project of the former SGF and his cohorts.

“I am calling on President Buhari now to revisit the centenary city project and he will be shocked that the project is owned by a private individual, but procured with government funds”.

According to Ojougboh, the original landlords demanded compensation from the Federal Government, “but the sponsors of the project used a private firm to pay them N1.2 billion. He asked: Where did they source that money from?”

He continued: “How can an individual still serving in the government get such a huge sum to pay compensation without government knowledge?”.

Ojougboh alleged that the money was paid into a private company’s account.

He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari should direct the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, the Directorate of Military Intelligence as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into the matter.

“The President must insist that each of these security agencies should carryout independent investigations so that the depth of the matter would be reached. I am available to offer the much I know from my independent quests on the matter”.

Ojougboh, a medical doctor, insisted that the project was a scheme used to defraud the Federal Government in taxes, stressing that the Free Zone status given to the multi-district estate was a fraud.

Ojougboh also quoted Anyim as saying that the project was worth $4 billion, adding that the process violated the rules guiding the granting of free trade zone status by the Nigerian Export Processing Zonal Authority (NEPZA).

The PDP chieftain, who was chairman of the board of NEPZA during the project’s conception, said the board did not approve a free trade zone status for it.

“I can categorically attest to the fact emphatically and unequivocally, that the board did not approve the grant of the status of free trade zone to centenary city.

“Centenary city cannot be a free zone because it is purely a residential estate within the confinement of the Federal Capital Territory and it is implicit that those who live in the free trade zone will require re-entry visa for ingress and egress.

“I make bold to say that the Federal Government has no equity in the Centenary City project and that Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is the sole owner of the 3000 acres of land owned by the Centenary City, Abuja.

“This is against the tenets and spirit of the Public Service rules for a public servant to own such a business whilst in government,” Ojougboh said.

The party chieftain stated that his attention was first drawn to the scam by the Anti-Corruption Network, and that he had voiced his opposition to the anomaly.

“It was meant to give import duty to the owners through the back door. The consequence was to rob Nigerian masses of their land, revenue and retard the industrial growth of the nation.

“Therefore, for every one job the project creates today, it robs the nation of over 10 jobs in taxes and industrial development”. Ojougboh stated.

Ojougboh raised some questions for Anyim:

Does the law establishing the FCT allow for a free zone? Is it in the Abuja mater plan?
How did Pius Anyim obtain the N1.2 billion resettlement fees?
In whose custody is the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) of the Centenary City?

Anyim’s media aide, Mr. Sam Nwaobosi, declined comments because, according to him, the matter is in court. In a telephone conversation with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Nwaobosi said Anyim would not take up issues with Ojougboh.

Said he: “Senator Anyim has gone to court to sue him for defamation on the previous press conference and interviews that he granted in which he accused Anyim of almost all these things you said he is saying now.

“So, the matter is already in court and Senator Anyim does not wish to take up issues with him on matters that are already in court.

“Since he feels aggrieved by what Cairo (Ojougboh) has been saying and writing against him, he is pursuing a very civilised cause by going to court to plead his case.

“So whatever Ojougboh is saying, he will have an opportunity in court to explain and then plead his case.”

Source: The Nation

ICPC probe: ‘Super rich’ civil servants rush to sell houses

2015-08-19T10:58:00.003+01:00

ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta

These are not comfortable times for some ‘super rich’ civil servants as they are said to be rushing to sell their choice houses and state-of-the-art automobiles in order to avoid losing the properties to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft crusade.

Already, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has reportedly confiscated some buildings said to have been owned by public servants whose earnings are said not to support ownership of such grand structures.

Our correspondents learnt on Tuesday that some civil servants now bombard estate agents in the Federal Capital Territory in order to aid the quick sale of their properties, while financially buoyant buyers were said to have started cashing in on the development.

One of our correspondents gathered that the sale of properties in Abuja since the new administration came on board had increased by about 30 per cent.

In fact, it was learnt that property sales in the FCT increased “tremendously” within the past four weeks, in contrast to the lull that characterised the sector from January to May this year.

Real estate agents in the Federal Capital Territory told The PUNCH that the increase could be attributed to the recent probes of government officials and the resultant confiscation of their properties by the ICPC.

ThePUNCH had reported exclusively a few weeks ago that the ICPC would commence a clampdown on very wealthy civil servants.

On August 16, SundayPUNCH reported that the ICPC had seized 24 landed properties that belonged to three officers of the Niger Delta Ministry.

It stated that the properties were seized because they were “excessive of the emoluments of the affected officers.”

The commission had also explained that the properties were seized in pursuant to Section 45 (4) a – (b) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.

The ICPC had, among others, said, “Whereas the commission is investigating a matter involving some staff of the Niger Delta ministry, wherein certain movable and immovable properties owned by the said staff are in issue. And whereas the commission is of the opinion based on the aforementioned investigation that these movable and immovable properties owned by these people who are staff of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs are excessive, having regard to their present emoluments and all other relevant circumstances.

“The commission hereby notifies the entire public that all movable and immovable properties owned by these staff and listed hereunder are seized.”

Real estate agents that spoke with our correspondents explained that some private individuals had started consulting real estate agents, requesting assistance in disposing of their properties.

“The probe has created panic. Private persons now consult us, requesting our assistance in helping them sell their properties. Of course, they won’t say they are trying to avoid probe, but most of us know that that is what they are avoiding,” an agent and member of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, who pleaded not to be identified, said.

When contacted, the immediate past National President/Chairman of Council, REDAN, Chief Olabode Afolayan, said that the property sector had witnessed an unprecedented boom in the sales of properties in the past few weeks.

He said, “In the last couple of months, you could see that there was no activity at all. Between January and May, it was like there was no activity at all. So, what we are experiencing now shows that people are coming back to business and we hope that things will soon take normal shape.”

When asked if the rise in sales of properties could be attributed to the anti-corruption stance of the President and the recent sanctioning of some civil servants, he said “that might not be far from the truth.”

Afolayan said, “That might not be the case with estate developers because we are not government officials, rather we sell our own properties. But for owners of existing properties who are beginning to offload their belongings, then it might be for the reason not too far from what we are experiencing now, in which we have a government that is going to be proactive in addressing corruption and is not going to condone any form of negativity that will affect the system.

“But for us, it is a different thing because we have our own businesses and many of our businesses are funded by financial institutions. We sell our properties now because we don’t want the devaluation of the naira to catch up with our businesses.”

Afolayan’s successor and incumbent President of REDAN, Mr. Ugochukwu Chime, told one of our correspondents that it was expected for the sales of properties to increase, adding that many government officials of the past administration might want to dispose of their properties now.

He said, “We have not done any study now. However, it is a seasonal thing. Some of the officials of the past government will not want to leave Abuja just like that, it is not possible. Those who are coming with the new government have moved massively into Abuja and they are willing to buy.

“Those of the past government will want to sell their properties to either meet their needs or may do so not to leave Abuja just like that.”

The FCT Chairman of REDAN, Mrs. Binta Ibrahim, said she could not attribute the haste by civil servants to dispose of their belongings to probe, but noted that the sales of properties had increased.

“People are buying properties and sales have increased since the new administration came onboard, particularly in recent times. However, I cannot say if those selling are civil servants who are trying to avoid corruption probe by the President or not,” she said

Meanwhile, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has applied to the ICPC for information on civil servants alleged to own properties worth billions of naira.

The union said that it asked the anti-graft agency to furnish it with the details of civil servants that were discovered to have used proceeds of corruption to purchase properties in Abuja, Lagos and other cities of the country.

The General Secretary, ASCSN, Bashir Lawal, said this on Tuesday when our correspondent asked him to react to the ICPC report in which many civil servants were alleged to own high net worth and choice properties.

Lawal declined to comment on the report, saying the union needed to see the content of the ICPC report before it could offer a response to it.

Lawal said, “We need to confirm whether the owners of the properties are real civil servants; at times, some people are brought into the civil service; so, are we talking of people brought into the service by politicians or the real civil servants?

“We have called for details from ICPC; when we get the details, we will react appropriately.”

Source: The Punch

Buhari to probe Jonathan’s sale of NITEL/MTEL

2015-08-19T10:53:00.002+01:00

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered investigation into the sale of Nigerian Telecommunications, NITEL, and Mobile Telecommunications, MTEL, under the administration of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.

The telecom company was sold for $252m to NATCOM consortium in December 2014.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication and Technology, told State House Correspondents on Tuesday after briefing the President Buhari that the president had directed him to raise a memo on the whole transaction to ascertain if there were any underhand dealings.

The official also disclosed that President Buhari expressed worry over the quality of service rendered by the telecom operators in Nigeria.

He said: “The President was concerned about the liquidation of NITEL. He is not opposed to its privatization but he wants to know and he want us to bring a memo on how the whole transaction was undertaken so that he would know whether Nigeria was shortchanged.

“The President was concerned by the quality of service of telecom operators. The President is very concerned about the whole issue of privatization that is hindering the investments in ICT infrastructure, and he will personally champion this. The President talked about the potentials of the ICT sector in generating employment.”

Source: Daily Post

Atte takes over Customs as Dikko resigns

2015-08-19T10:25:00.001+01:00

The Nigeria Customs Service yesterday demonstrated that its a stickler for due process when the most senior officer, Deputy Comptroller General, John Atte, took over the mantle of leadership following the resignation of Abdullahi Dikko as the Comptroller General.
The action may have foreclosed the usual rivalry often seen in most government agencies that do not have a strong succession plan.
Atte, a Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Service (FATS) is the most senior officer and he is expected to hold forth till President Muhammadu Buhari either confirms him or appoints a new CGC.
Spokesman of Customs, Wale Adeniyi told Daily Sun that “Atte is in charge now and we await the President to state who a substantive CG will be,” he said.
Following Dikko’s resignation, top senior Customs officers have begun lobbying to take over the CG’s position considered as one of the most lucrative positions in Nigeria’s public service.
Daily Sun learnt that top Customs officers within the ranks of DCG and Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) are romancing influential politicians to put in a word for them to be made the substantive CGC.
Aside Atte, other serving DCGs include Adewuyi Akinade from Oyo State who is in charge of Tariff and Trade; Musa Tahir from Yobe State is DCG Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection.
Others are Chukwuma Nwosu (Enugu State), Ibrahim Mera (Kebbi State) and Gabriel Aliu (Kogi State).
Next in rank to the DCGs are Assistant Comptroller Generals (ACGs).
The NCS has 17 ACGs and any of them also stands a good chance of succeeding Dikko if the Presidency so desires.
Dikko became CG from ACG, skipping the DCG rank.
The ACGs are Dan Ugo (Benue State) in charge of Excise and Duty, ACG Human Resource Development, Patient Iferi (Cross River); Strategic Research and Policy, Austin Warikoru (Bayelsa); ACG Tariff and Trade, Grace Adeyemo (Ondo); ACG Excise Department, Robert Alu (Nassarawa) and Coordinator, Zone B, Ade Dosunmu (Lagos State).
The other ACGs are Coordinator, Zone D, Paul Ukaigwe (Imo State); Coordinator, Zone C, Ahmed Muhammed (Jigawa State); ACG Human Resource Development, Adeshina Odumbaku (Lagos State); ACG Investigation and Inspection, Bello Liman (Sokoto State); ACG Industrial Incentives, Monday Abueh (Rivers State); Coordinator, Zone A, ACG Victor Gbemudu (Delta State); Madu Mohammed (Yobe State), who is serving on the NCS Board; ACG Information, Communication and Technology, Iya Umar (Adamawa) and ACG Finance and Revenue, Bridget Okafor (Anambra).
Recall that Dikko had earlier written a letter dated August 3 to President Muhammadu Buhari in which he notified Buhari of his desire to proceed on voluntary retirement from August 18, 2015 when he would have clocked six years as Customs boss.

Source: Sun News

Inspection of Election materials :Plans to Smuggle Materials More Ballot Papers Into Rivers INEC Revealed

2015-08-18T14:36:00.000+01:00

Credible report reaching us now reveals that unscrupulous INEC officials in Rivers State in connivance with PDP agents are scheming to smuggle ballots and other materials into the INEC office in Port Harcourt to shore up the embarrassing shortfalls been experienced since inspection of materials began.

According to the report, used ballot papers available at the INEC are way too short of the humongous number of votes allocated to PDP candidates during the election, necessitating surreptitious moves to smuggle in more doctored ballots to shore up the embarrassing shortfalls.

Our source revealed that shortfalls of wide margins have been seen from ballots available to PDP candidates in the ongoing inspection of election materials.

Our source who pleaded anonymity, said very quicks actions are needed to forestall any irregularities.

The police and other security agents manning the gate of INEC office in Port Harcourt are enjoined to take note of this development, and be on alert to bust the ignoble effort of electoral thieves who are allegedly trying to cover their “illegal acts with more illegality”.

The statement also advised that all vehicles coming into the INEC office should be thoroughly searched.

Source: Feel Rivers

Naira rises to 217 against dollar

2015-08-18T13:12:00.000+01:00

The naira appreciated against the United States dollar at the parallel market on Monday to 217, from 221 recorded on Friday.

The naira rose on the back of weak demand for the dollar at the foreign exchange markets.

Forex traders linked this to an improved dollar liquidity occasioned by the sustained sales of the greenback by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Reacting to the rising fortune of the local currency, the Acting President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, said, “The market has started feeling the effect of the dollar sales by the central bank in the last two weeks and tight measures introduced to prevent cross boarder currency trafficking.”

The CBN had increased the frequency of dollar sales to the BDC operators two weeks ago to twice-weekly from the usual once a week previously in a move meant to increase liquidity in the market and support the local currency.

Traders said bank customers were no longer willing to hold dollars after the central bank banned dollar cash deposits into domiciliary accounts.

“We expect to see more rallies in the market if the central bank could sustain its support for the naira,” Harrison Owoh, a bureau de change operator said, Reuters reported.

The naira was unchanged at the official interbank market at 197 to the dollar, where the CBN has maintained a tight control by pegging it to the rate of 197 to the dollar

The naira had weakened on the parallel market to as much as 245 to the dollar last month, on persistent dollar demand after central bank limited importers’ access to dollars on the official interbank market to buy a wide range of goods, in order to save the external reserves.

The local currency later rebounded to 216 at the parallel market as Deposit Money Banks started rejecting cash deposits in dollars a few weeks ago.

The naira had, however, weakened to about 223 last week before rising to 217 on Monday

Analysts expect the naira to continue rising, saying it is good for the economy.

The Head, Investment and Research, Afrinvest West Africa, Mr. Ayodeji Ebo, had said that the gains made by the naira was good for the economy, adding that it would help the CBN to gauge the true value of the currency in the event of a possible devaluation in the near future.

“If there is a convergence between the interbank and parallel market, the CBN may possibly review its restrictions imposed on the forex market,” he added.

A currency analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, said if the trend continued, the naira might rise to as much as 200 against the dollar.

Source: The Punch

Albino commits suicide over alleged discrimination

2015-08-18T12:53:00.001+01:00

Picture Credit : Edebi Efemena

For allegedly being discriminated against, a 23-year-old albino, Ugochukwu Ekwe on Sunday committed suicide in the Festac area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred at 311 Road, B Close‎, after the deceased’s parents went to church.
‎It was alleged that the deceased had attempted suicide last month after complaining of the discrimination he suffered from people as a result of his pigmentation.
He was said to have been rescued by a friend who arrived early enough, but he succeeded on Sunday after refusing to follow his parents to church, it was learnt.
A source in the neighbourhood told The Nation that his parents discovered his body hanging on the ceiling fan when they returned from church.
He said: “On arrival from church, his parents were shocked to discover the body of their son hanging from the ceiling fan in one of the apartments.
“One of his siblings was said to have raised alarm which attracted curious neighbours.
“I was returning from church when I saw people gathered in front of the block of flats. When I enquired, I was told that Ugochukwu had committed suicide.
“He finished his secondary school education since 2009. I also learned he had threatened to take his life, saying he was frustrated.”
“Later, we saw some policemen from Festac division who removed the body.”
When contacted, spokesperson for the police command, DSP Patricia Amadin said she was yet to get details from the Area ‘E’ Commander, Frank Mba.

Source: The Nation

FG committed to revamping economy – Osınbajo

2015-08-18T12:23:00.000+01:00

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on Monday reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to revamp the economy for the betterment of Nigerians.

Osinbajo said the focus of the administration is to quickly revamp the economy and rebuild the country by galvanising collective energy towards a common purpose.

He said the new focus calls for a paradigm shift.

The Vice President said this at the opening ceremony of Scenario Planning for National Change Workshop, organised by the National Institute for Policy a d Strategic Studies, NIPSS, in collaboration with Reos South Africa.

Osinbajo, who was represented by the Head of Service, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, said the focus would involve a shift in both things the country is doing and the way they are being done, adding that it would require a massive change of mindset and a new way of engaging for the future.

He said with the important aspect of the society fractured, it can only find its way to work together through scenario planning to chart a common course, adding that scenario is one of the tools that can bring different people together and make the reason together for common goal.

According to him, scenario planning uses the stories of what could happen in the future with diverse stakeholders to decide together how they want to influence the future.

It refers to a variety of quantitative and qualitative analysis used to project the future pathways or back casts from a preferred end point. National Institute to champion the project and as well integrate the initiative into national planning and strategy development processes.

Source: today.ng

Consistent Violent Attacks: A Dent On Nation Building- Benneth Joseph Obinna

2015-08-14T13:24:00.000+01:00

INTRODUCTION

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that in the light of the recent world happenings, that man has proven himself to be the beast talked about by Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. I would have settled upon this stand because of the many stories of war, anarchy, commotion, fracas, destruction, havoc, pandemonium and violence that now characterize the human society. Living in today’s world, has become the survival of the strongest; the die-hard cause of the Islamic extremists; imperialism, neo-colonization, dominance of weaker nations; miscarriage of justice, war, fight for God and religion, political seizure of power and the abortion of democracy. And so for all of these, we import the guns, we make the bombs and are ready to pull the trigger at our fellow men whom we now consider as enemies and infidels making tears, pain and sorrow the daily bread of the human person. What is wrong with the world? To this question, a friend of mine once said, “the world has gone crazy.”

Lucky Dube in his lyrics of Crazy World makes clear that “…leaders start the warsevery time they want; some for their rights; some for fun and their own glory…” Thus, it’s more like man has canonized violence and war and have pronounced them as saints. Hence, with the canonization of violence around the world, what then is left of the image of nations? What growth can nations experience in the absence of peace and in the violation of human rights and freedom? The world at large ought to be one nation, believing in the ideals, ethics and values of brotherhood, love, peace, human fraternity and fellow feeling.

Against this backdrop, this write up attempts a call to consciousness on the danger of the consistent violent attacks that rocks the human family and what this family stands to lose and possibly become if she makes strife, bloodshed, enmity, violence and war permanent features of her existence. In addition, this treatise would discuss Nigeria’s share of violence while highlighting the need to move from violence to peace in Nigeria and in the world at large in order to make of the world a global brotherhood of peace and oneness.

THE DANGER OF CANONIZING VIOLENCE

I had read somewhere that violence slows down national, economic and social development but thanks to Wikipedia findings; I came to realize that violence has more devastating effects. Hence, while writing this article, I discovered that globally, violence, conflict and war take the lives of more than 1.6 million people annually. Wikipedia further related that in Africa, out of every 100,000 people each year, an estimated 60.9 die a violent death. In fact, Africa Check a project of the AFP foundation avers that in Nigeria an estimated 13,000 lives have been lost to the Boko Haram insurgency between July of 2009 and the first half of 2015 following killings from the Boko Haram insurgents as well as the Nigerian military,not mentioning the estimated 650 deaths that have occurred in the northeast and north central states as a result of the same menace since the inception of the new administration, following reports from the Agence France-Presse.

Moving a little farther from the African continent, statistics show that gunfire kills ten children a day in the United States. In fact, Dr. Richard Corlin, a onetime president of the American Medical Association posited that: “The United States leads the world—in the rate at which its children die from firearms.” He added that, “Gun violence is a threat to the public health of the United States.” It is important to make clear that for every single death due to violence, there are dozens of hospitalizations, hundreds of emergency department visits, and thousands of doctor’s appointments. It is equally without any iota of doubt that violence often leaves behind, lifelong consequences for its victim’s physical and mental health and social functioning. In the light of these unrewarding effects of violence around the world therefore, I think it’s time the world and particularly Nigeria took a break off violence for as the article captions, its puts a dent on nation building and destroys the beauty that lie in our humanity.

FROM VIOLENCE TO PEACE: The Better Part for Nigeria and the World

Over the years, especially with the Biafra saga, Nigerians have bottled up so much pent up resentment and hurt that requires the soothing balm of free speech and reconciliatory discussions. Hence, as a people of the Nigerian state, it is apt that we go back to the drawing board, to think anew, as well as act anew. As Nigerians, it is pertinent that we strive to re-sketch a proper image of our nation and what she stands for and seek to redress the ugly picture which violence, terrorism and insurgency has carved out for us. All over the world, men must begin to embrace the “We-intention” and ensure that it prevails over and above, the personal “I-intention.” Hence for sustainable peace in Nigeria, solidarity must transcend ethnic and religious ties.

CONCLUSION

To conclude this treatise therefore, Mahatma Gandhi once opined that “an eye for an eye will only make the world blind.” In addition, he writes, “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” It was against this backdrop that Uzoma Ahamefule wrote in his article titled How to Attain Peace and Security in Nigeria that “...for Nigeria to have the desired peace and security, her political and opinion leaders must be ready to accommodate different views and put into practice those progressive ones even when they may come as criticisms. They must be ready to pay the price because peace and security is like freedom, it has got price tags. Our leaders must be pragmatic and resolute in their decisions. They need to be focused with clear vision and robust approach. They need the political will and sincerity to fight the monster called corruption if there must be any hope of turning things around. Importantly too, traces of any form of ethnic favouritism, nepotism, and gender discrimination must be extinguished and replaced with national interests. In other words, patriotism and fairness should be the keywords towards national policies.”

Benneth Joseph Obinna is graduate of Philosophy from the University of Ibadan and a Production Executive, Newscaster and Journalist with Lumen Christi Television Network, the First Catholic Satellite Television Network in Africa, located at Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.

Buhari Now Different From The Man I Knew – Soyinka

2015-08-13T10:37:00.000+01:00

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described President Muhammadu as a different man from the man he knew while he was in military uniform on the Nigerian political landscape, who is ready to make amends for his past mistakes.

Soyinka, who spoke in an interview with Zero Tolerance, a periodic publication by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), noted that Buhari has already paid some debts to the Nigerian community, describing him as a lucky man.

Soyinka noted that although Buhari has not come out openly to apologise for his wrong deeds in the past, he has nonetheless accepted the fact that he had made some mistakes.

He said: “He (Buhari) has not pleaded for forgiveness for his past, if he had done that, I might have been less ambiguous about him. But I think from my findings about him, he is a born again phenomenon. If I am wrong, well, too bad. Though I don’t believe in ‘born-againism’ but I think this may be an exception.”

The laureate also descended heavily on former President Goodluck Jonathan for trying to differentiate between stealing and corruption, saying Nigerians should have challenged him on that.

Soyinka noted that it was wrong for a president to have taken such a position on a serious issue like corruption, thereby playing down its negative impact on the nation and its people.

He said: “The media should have challenged President Jonathan to define what stealing is, when he said that stealing is not corruption. How can a public figure, an intelligent person like that, come out to tell the public that corruption is not stealing? Then you should have asked him, what then is corruption? The media should have challenged him.”

The pioneer Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, chairman, who is believed to have co-founded the Pyrates Confraternity in Nigeria, said it was wrong to lump cultism with confraternity, arguing that the two were not the same.

He said belonging to confraternities is a normal culture in colleges and not an evil cult, as wrongly portrayed by ignorant persons in Nigeria.

Soyinka said: “Everybody knows that fraternities are a normal culture in all colleges. It exists in all colleges. President Clinton was a member of a fraternity. In fact, anybody who goes to college in the United States is a member of a college fraternity. There is absolutely nothing evil or occultic about fraternity.

“But here, the media is largely responsible for fuelling the ignorance of society of the words ‘cultism’ and ‘fraternity’. This is a disservice and I have said it again and again. There are evil cults, whose members must prove themselves by going to rape. There are others whose entry is to slash or eat somebody or rob; it has nothing to do with college fraternity.

“The media owes the responsibility to constantly tell the public the truth. But they go on and children grow up, believing that college fraternity is Satanic, demonic and this is wrong.”

Source: Daily Independent

Benue South Tribunal: David Mark secretly begs Dan Onjeh to withdraw case from court

2015-08-13T09:35:00.000+01:00

Former Senate President, David Mark is allegedly making moves to persuade his opponent in the last election withdraw the suit against from court.

Mark of the Peoples Democratic Party and Dan Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress contested the Benue South Senatorial seat in the March 28 National Assembly election.

Mark was declared winner of the election, which his opponent claimed recorded several irregularities.

Mark’s opponent and flagbearer of the APC had approached the court, seeking dissolution of the poll.

Onjeh was subsequently granted permission by the court to inspect the electoral materials and amazingly, in the course of the inspection, it was detected that the number of votes announced in favour of Mark was more than accredited voters.

At the adjournment of the last sitting, the Tribunal granted Onjeh the leave to tender his last document.

However, Mark was expected to appear in person at the court on Monday to defend the election that brought him to power for fifth term.

DAILY POST recalls that while some of his witnesses failed to show up at the court, those who were present disappeared before the hearing.

However, information available showed that Mark had reportedly sent some of his associates to beg Dan to withdraw the petition in order for them to have brotherly chat.

Our reporter gathered that efforts to sit Onjeh down for a one-on-one chat with Mark by his associate had being futile, as the opponent seems to be adamant and was not ready to shift ground.

“Onjeh is not ready to meet with or entertain any offer from Mark and his loyalists. They have tried as much as possible to bring him for a one-on-one meeting with Mark but it did not yield any fruit,” a source said.

When this newspaper contacted Onjeh, he confirmed that some close associates of the former Senate President had being wooing him on his behalf to give up on the case but that he was not ready sell his mandate.

“Like I said earlier, I won the election convincingly and we are on our way to reclaim our stolen mandate. No retreat, no surrender,” Onjeh averred.

However, when DAILY POST contacted an aide to the former Senate President, he laughed off the claim.

“Anybody who thinks Mark will beg Onjeh is dreaming. Beg him for what, that he did not win the election or what? Let them go and check the margin and stop dreaming. Senator Mark is too busy to stoop so low,” the aide who would not want his name in print told our reporter on phone amid serious laughter.

Source: Daily Post

Buhari cancels govt delegation to Hajj, to save $1m

2015-08-11T12:35:00.001+01:00

In his bid to cut cost of governments, President Mohammadu Buhari has announced that there would be no federal government delegation for this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia.

He however stated that the government shall play its traditional roles of providing consular, medical and security services to Nigerian pilgrims.

With the decision, the government is expected to save about $1 million and N30m in local expenses.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu who stated this on Monday quoted the president as saying that the decision was not targeted at any individual or group.

He also stated that States were at liberty to sponsor their pilgrims, if they so desired.

“The states can deal with that (meaning appointment of own delegations) but this year at the Center, we will not be involved” Shehu said.

Source: Vanguard

Buhari queries Okonjo-Iweala over diversion of $1bn rail transport loan

2015-08-11T12:11:00.000+01:00

President Muhammed Buhari on Monday asked the Ministry of Finance to provide explanations on the whereabouts of the foreign loans obtained for rail projects but diverted to other purposes under the watch of former Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo Iweala.

The president directive followed an instance of the diversion of a substantial part of the loan of USD1.005 billion from the Chinese Exim Bank, meant for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos and Kano States to somewhere else.

This was even as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Bashar informed the President that only $400 million id left of the loan.

Bashar made the revelation during a presentation of his ministry’s activities to president Buhari at the presidential villa.

He also briefed the President on some challenges facing the transport and maritime sectors such as encroachment on railway land, lack of security on inland waterways and some vague agreements between the Nigeria Ports Authority and ports concessionaires.

Reacting, President Buhari said that it was disappointing to find that foreign loans obtained in line with signed agreements were moved from one project to another.

“I hope that due process was followed before such diversions were carried out. Taking money from one project to another has to be done properly,” he warned.

The President regretted that government had, over the years, failed to meet its counterpart funding obligation on some projects, leading to such projects being left uncompleted or abandoned.

He added that there was a clear need to streamline, harmonize, and prioritize on-going projects in the transportation sector.

Source: Vanguard

Kaduna refinery to save Nigeria $5.33 million daily

2015-08-11T12:06:00.001+01:00

Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company (KRPC), will save about $5.33 million daily for the country when the refinery hits 90 per cent production capacity, the refinery’s manager in charge of production programming and quality control, Shehu Malami, has said.

Speaking at a two-day annual Energy Correspondents Workshop, themed “Development Communication: An Imperative for the Oil And Gas Industry” in Kano, Mr. Malami said KRPC, otherwise known as Kaduna Refinery, would soon hit 90 per cent production of its installed capacity.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the refinery operated at 60 per cent production capacity before commencement of the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) in October last year.

Giving the breakdown on different petroleum products, the manager said the nation will save $1.892million daily on petrol alone.

“The impact of KRPC operations on the economy means that if the refinery operates at 90 percent capacity, it will save the nation $1.892million from importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

“At same 90 percent, KRPC will save $672,546 daily on importation of Kerosene, $1.86 million daily on import of diesel, $176,727 daily on importation of LPG and $727,306 million daily on import of Fuel Oil.

“This represents a total savings of $5.33 million daily for fuel products only,” he said in a paper he delivered.

Mr. Malami said the refinery is expected to produce 4,624,650 liters of PMS (petrol) when it attains 90 per cent capacity in the first quota of 2016 as against its current 60 per cent status of 3,083,100 liters.

According to him, the volume of Kerosene production will rise to 1,849,500 liters at 90 per cent capacity as against the current 1,233,000 liters production at 60 per cent capacity.

The manager said diesel production will hit 3,153,600 liters at 90 per cent, as against 2,102,400 liters at current 60 per cent capacity, while the LPG will attain 486,000 liters at 90 per cent from its current 324,000 liters at 60 per cent capacity.

In his address, Mohammed Garba, chairman of the Correspondents Chapel of Kaduna chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said all stakeholders, such as regulators, players and the watchers of the sector, most especially the media, must harmonize their operations to work toward effective development of the oil sector.

“The petroleum sector is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. Hence, there is a lot of responsibility placed on all those concerned with the oil and gas sector in the country,” Mr. Garba said.

“However, happenings in the past two decades point to a totally different scenario. The industry and its critical watchers, the media being at the forefront seem to be at logger-heads.

“Time is now ripe for the media and operators of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria to set a development communication agenda, which must be mutually worked on by everybody involved in this pact.

“This will be aimed at changing the negativity in the news reports and changing the negative perception of the public against the oil and gas sector.

“Development communication is a concept that has recently gained the attention of communications and development experts because of its germane importance.”

Source: PremiumTimes

President Buhari Appoints ExxonMobil Vice-chair To Head Nigeria's Petroleum Corporation

2015-08-04T16:14:00.002+01:00

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of the Executive Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil Africa, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, to head Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Kachiku is expected to take over from from Joseph Darwa at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja around 3:00 PM Nigerian time.

Kachikwu, trained lawyer, was born and raised in Onicha Ugbo in Aniocha North local government area of Delta State.
Source : Saharareporters

PMB: We’re identifying banks keeping money for oil thieves

2015-08-04T11:29:00.000+01:00

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said his administration had taken efforts to recover looted Nigerian resources a step further by searching for the banks keeping the proceeds of stolen oil.

Buhari said his government had started identifying banks, financial institutions and countries in which payments for stolen Nigerian crude oil had been made.

A statement by President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted Buhari as saying this while granting audience to some United States Congressmen at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Adesina said the President acknowledged the support and cooperation his administration was receiving from the international community in gathering required intelligence for tracing and recovering of stolen national resources.

Buhari reportedly told the US congressmen led by Rep. Darrel Issa, “We are getting cooperation from the international community, including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction, or pour their contents into other ships mid-stream.

“Some monies were paid to individual accounts. We are identifying the financial institutions and countries that are involved.

“I have been assured that when we get all our documents together, the United States and other countries will treat our case with sympathy.’’

He also told them that his administration would welcome more regular meetings of the Nigeria-United States Bi-National Commission, noting that the commission could serve as a more useful platform for the promotion of bilateral trade and economic relations as well as joint cooperation in the war against terrorism.

Issa assured Buhari that the US would support Nigeria against Boko Haram by providing training, intelligence and military platforms.

Buhari’s latest revelation on the steps being taken by his administration to recover the country’s resources in the hands of corrupt citizens and oil thieves came on the heels of recent report that the President was handed a list of Nigerian oil thieves during his recent visit to the US.

“I can tell you that the President already has the list of names of the people engaging in the stealing of Nigeria’s oil,” someone in the entourage of Buhari to the US trip had confided in The PUNCH last week.

The source had said that Buhari was taken aback when he saw the names on the list and that the list given to the President by the US might compel him to probe the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A Presidency source had also confirmed that Buhari had such a list but that “the President has been keeping the list to himself.”

The source, who spoke to The PUNCH about the list in the President’s possession, said the US gave Buhari two separate lists – one listing the names of top government officials who have been stealing the country’s oil, using their high offices to perpetrate the stealing; and the other containing the names of illegal oil bunkerers.

The President had also said last week that some ministers in the cabinet of Jonathan were stealing as much as 250,000 barrels of Nigeria’s crude daily.

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who was also on the President’s team to the US, said last week that a former minister stole as much as $6bn.

Apart from oil thieves, the Buhari administration has also reportedly zeroed in on corrupt public servants, with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission’s operatives already marking assets of some corrupt ‘super rich’ civil servants for possible confiscation.

The ICPC is said to have been set to approach the court this week for an order to effect seizure of choice properties said to have been acquired through ill-gotten wealth by corrupt civil servants.

Many of such assets, including buildings and state-of-the-art automobiles, were said to have been discovered in the Federal Capital Territory and other locations across the country.

Source: The Punch

How Ooni Of Ife Died In London

2015-08-03T18:44:00.000+01:00

SaharaReporters has learned that the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, the death of whom will soon be officially announced, died at the London Clinic, located at 20 Devonshire Place in London.

The palace of the late Oba is still denying his passing, but Premium Times reported at the weekend revealed that his body has already been secretly flown into Nigeria and placed within the palace to enable death rites of passage to commence.

His death is expected to be officially announced as soon as the required traditional rituals are concluded in Ile-Ife.

The Ooni was rushed to London on Friday July 24, and was taken from Heathrow Airport in an Ambulance to the clinic where he passed four days later.

As expected of tradition, the death of Ooni is being wrapped in secrecy by the traditional council in Ile-Ife. SaharaReporters has confirmed the death of the monarch, but the traditional council, which began the required rites of passage last weekend, still maintains that the Ooni is “hale and hearty”.

The Oba was conspicuously absent at his son’s wedding yesterday, however, he was represented by his traditional staff of office.

Saharareporters