Tradermoni, good gesture, bad execution — Onitiri, Lagos PDP senatorial candidate (Vanguard)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Lagos Central Senatorial District, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, has criticised the on-going distribution of Tradermoni by the Federal Government to traders in parts of Lagos and environs.
In a statement in Lagos, Onitiri explained that the scheme is a good gesture with bad execution and motive. “If the policy drivers intend it to eliminate poverty, it is wrongly directed. You cannot dole out few Naira to traders and think that will take away poverty in their families”, the candidate said. According to him, instead of throwing money around, government should create the enabling environment for business to thrive. Read more
Gowon’s prayer group holds special service in Lagos (Nation)
Special Service by “Nigeria Prays”, under the leadership of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, will hold tomorrow at the Deeper Life Bible Church Headquarters, Gbagada, Lagos.
A release issued from the office of the General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, said the summit was meant to draw up sufficient prayers and heart-cry for the nation, which is undergoing trying times and is primed to hold elections three months from now. Read more
Obanikoro, wife, son recover N500m houses, land from EFCC (Punch)
A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, his wife and children have recovered three properties worth about N500m from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, SUNDAY Punch has learnt.
The properties include four terrace houses located at 44 Mamman Kotangora Crescent in the highbrow Katamkpe Extension area of Abuja; a parcel of land in Guzape District and a duplex at Olori Mojisola Onikoyi Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Our correspondents, who visited the properties on Thursday, observed that the erstwhile red paint inscription, ‘EFCC, Keep Off!’ had been wiped off on the walls of the buildings. Read more
Tension Rises in N’Delta over $18.5m Oil Pipeline Surveillance Contract (ThisDay)
Tension has started building up in Delta State due to the decision of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to award oil infrastructure surveillance contract to Ocean Marine Solution Limited contrary to extant rules.
Multiple sources told THISDAY at the weekend that the NNPC approved a contract for the surveillance of the 87-kilometre Trans-Forcados Pipeline (TFP) to Ocean Marine Solution Limited at a whopping $18.48 million on September 26. Read more
Pastor Tunde Bakare, wife all over each other (Punch)
Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly and his wife, Layide, looked like young lovers at a recent thanksgiving concert held by Awesome Treasures Foundation at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
For the event, which also coincided with the fiftieth birthday celebration of the foundation’s founder, Olajumoke Adenowo, Pastor Bakare opened it with prayers and words of exhortation.
As the event proceeded, it was not hard to notice the joy and satisfaction on the faces of Pastor Bakare and his wife as they sat close to each other. They were talking, yet it would be hard for a third party to hear a word because of how close they sat to each other. Their bonding on the night was like that of a newly married couple, which would explain why their marriage has stood the test of time. Read more
Lagos pupils win Lafarge competition, bag scholarships (DailyTrust)
Two pupils from Lagos State, Kehinde Lawal and Idowu Ayomikun of St. Augustine Primary School, Somolu, and Diary Farm Primary School, Agege, have emerged winners of the 2018 edition of the Lafarge Africa National Literacy Competition (LANLC), winning N500,000 cash prize and scholarships to complete their secondary school education.
At the competition’s 5th grand finale in Lagos, the winners defeated 10 others from Nasarawa, Kano, Rivers, Ebonyi and Gombe States who earned second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth positions. Read more
Guzamala killing: Army confirms attack, says video in circulation fake (Guardian)
The Nigerian Army has confirmed an attack on its troops at Metele village in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, but said the video in circulation, which was allegedly released by Boko Haram is fake.In the unsigned statement posted on a Facebook page, HQ Nigerian Army said it observed that several social media, print and online publications have been brandishing false casualty figures, as well as circulating various footages of old and inaccurate Boko Haram propaganda videos and alluding same to be the attack on 157 Task Force Battalion.
The statement said: “Whilst it is understandable how such misinformation can spread in this era of social media frenzy, the spurious circulation of some of these videos only contribute to further propagate the propaganda intent of the terrorists; to misinform the populace and portray themselves as what they are not. So far, the situation is that the location is under control, as reinforcing units have been able to repel the terrorists and stabilise the situation.” Read more
Ajaokuta: Reps panel recommends use of Abacha loot (Punch)
The House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited has submitted its report to the House recommending that the loot recovered from the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, be channelled towards reviving Ajaokuta Integrated Steel Plant.
The committee in the report, which was obtained by SUNDAY PUNCH, claimed that most of the money allegedly looted by Abacha was meant for the completion of Ajaokuta.
A large chunk of the money has, however, been put into the Social Investment Programme of the Muhammadu Buhari government, includes school feeding programme and skill acquisition initiative. Read more
A Rash of Judgements Blights Party Nomination Process (ThisDay)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appears to have contradicted itself and also jettisoned the position of the Supreme Court that only the national chairmen of political parties can submit candidates’ names for elections. And this has fuelled legal disagreements and upset the nomination process for candidates.
Currently, the party nomination process is under threat from a rash of ex-parte orders, interlocutory injunctions, and court judgements. Across all the political parties, but particularly the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), aggrieved aspirants have inundated the judiciary with all sorts of complaints.
With the courts ever so willing to entertain every political case and grant frivolous orders, judges seem to have become the greatest threat to the democratic process. Read more
P’Harcourt Collapsed Building: My trapped brother’s phone no longer reachable – Resident (Vanguard)
As rescuers due into the collapsed building in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, yesterday, a relative of one of the trapped victims said his brother, who was earlier calling to be rescued, had suddenly become unreachable.
Chimezie Ihionu, brother of trapped Morgan Ekene Ihionu, a scaffolder supplier to the collapsed building project, also dismissed the state government’s figure of 33 persons rescued so far as “recklessly speculative”. Edo residents hail Obaseki for ongoing reconstruction of 140 roads Chimezie’s concerns came as Suleiman Yakubu, a Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who is in Rivers on special assignment, updated that four survivors and two dead bodies had been pulled out from the rubbles in yesterday’s rescue operations. Read more
In Borno, Boko Haram crisis mounts, Buhari in Shock, assures a weary nation (ThisDay)
There are fears that the recent spate of attacks on military barracks and formations in the North-east may be a precursor of much bigger assaults by a resurgent Boko Haram, THISDAY has learnt. The decimation of military formations in communities in the zone is been viewed as a clear pattern for an audacious takeover of the territories that these units were established to protect.
The attack on Metele community in Borno State about one week ago, which led to the death of over 118 soldiers, caused outrage and massive criticism of the federal government’s handling of the war against the terror group. Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), which has claimed responsibility for the attack, had pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS in Syria. Members of ISWA had travelled to Syria to partake in the fight to oust President Assad of Syria. Read more
‘How beans treated with Sniper kill slowly’ (Vanguard)
Three siblings allegedly selling ‘poisonous beans’ (beans treated with Sniper) were recently arrested in Lagos. The traders, apparently out of ignorance, claimed that they saw Sniper as something that kills insects and decided to use it to preserve beans and kill the insects. Following this, many Lagosians have stayed away from eating beans.
Findings show that the sale of the product has significantly dropped. Also the Consumer Protection Commission, CPC, in a statement, advised consumers to parboil beans before consumption. In this interview, the National President of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, NIFST, the body representing food professionals drawn from the academia, industry, government and research institutes in Nigeria, Mr Oluwole Toye, speaks on the scare. Read more
NAICOM cancels controversial insurance industry recapitalisation (ThisDay)
The controversial recapitalisation exercise in insurance industry, tagged Tier Based Solvency Capital increase, initiated by the insurance industry regulator, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has been cancelled. The commission officially announced the cancellation at the weekend through a circular dated Novermber 23, 2018 circulated to all insurance companies.
In the circular, titled “Withdrawal of circular on Tier Based Solvency Capital policy for Insurance Companies in Nigeria,” the commission stated, “Pursuant to the powers conferred by the enabling laws, the commission hereby withdraws and cancels the circular dated August 27, 2018 with reference number NAICOM/DAPCIR/14/2018 and titled Tier Based Solvency Capital Policy for Insurance Companies in Nigeria. This withdrawal and cancellation takes immediate effect.” Read more
Red card for fake Yoruba Obas (Vanguard)
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, played host to over 100 of Yoruba traditional rulers during a three-day summit tagged: ‘Regaining the lost glory of traditional rulers of Yoruba land.’
The summit, the first of its kind in decades under the aegis of His Royal Majesty (HRM) Heritage Forum, had in attendance monarchs and regents across Yorubaland, making it the largest gathering of royal fathers in recent time. Held at Ife Grand Resort and Leisure, Ile-Ife, the purpose of the conference is to reposition the Yoruba monarchy. Read more
Rohr: I’ll field my best players against Seychelles (Vanguard)
Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has revealed his plan for the 2019 AFCON Qualifiers reverse fixture against Seychelles in March next year. Nigeria’s German coach Gernot Rohr looks on during a training session at Essentuki Arena in Yessentuki, southern Russia, on June 18, 2018 during the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament.
The Eagles defeated the Indian Ocean country 3-0 in the first leg and have since wrapped up their qualification for the tournament billed to be staged in neighbouring Cameroon. But coach Gernot Rohr sees it differently. Said he in Lagos Friday, “That match is crucial to me because we want to top the group. We have not won that match yet. That is why we must field our best against Seychelles. We want to win and score as many goals as possible.” Read more
Nigeria’s Young emerges kick-boxing world champion (Vanguard)
A Nigerian kick-boxer, Lovethpatra Young has emerged the new world champion after defeating Cynthia Arceo in a fight in California, USA. Lovethpatra Young Young defeated Arceo by a technical submission knockout in the straw weight category to become the first female African to win a mixed martial arts World Championship title.
Lovethpatra had in June fought Arceo for the title, with the fight ending in a draw Young, who is also a police DSP started kickboxing and boxing in 2005 in Rivers State Port Harcourt. In 2007, she won the Kick-boxing World Championship title in Kharsruhe Germany, by so becoming the first female in Africa to win the title. Read more