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Stella Oduah loses son

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Leke Baiyewu and Tunde Ajaja The senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Stella Oduah, on Friday lost her son, whose name had yet to be known as of the time of filing this report. Unconfirmed reports say the deceased was 28 and that he died at a private hospital in Abuja in the early hours of Friday. Oduah, who was a Minister of Aviation in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, sounded distressed on the phone when one of our correspondents contacted her on Friday afternoon. In a barely audible voice, she confirmed the report, saying her son died after a brief illness. One of Oduah’s colleagues, Senator Uche Ekwunife, who represents Anambra Central in the Senate, also confirmed the incident to one of our correspondents, saying she had been with Oduah to console her just like few other senators who heard about the “unfortunate situation.” Ekwunife said, “It is very unfortunate. It has shown that death and life belong to God and it is only Him who controls our life. It is a trying moment for her and all of us. I know how it feels as a mother. It is only God who can console her.” Meanwhile, some well-wishers took to her twitter page, @Stellaoduah, to condole with her. One of them, Oladayo, who tweeted through @oladayo01, wrote, “Stella Oduah lost her son? Wow. Was he sick or something? Sad sha. Loss of a child is not good for anyone.” While another user, Shugar, who tweeted through @mobalsugar, wrote “So sad.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Nigeria’ll be among top business-friendly nations in 2019 - Buhari

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Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari said on Sunday that Nigeria would be one of the top countries on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index in the next three years. Nigeria is currently ranked 169 out of 189 countries on the bank’s 2016 Ease of Doing Business report. But Buhari said the Federal Government was committed to ensuring that the country moved up 20 places in the first year and be in the top 100 within the next three years. According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke at a plenary session on “Dialogue with the Private Sector” at the sixth Tokyo International Conference for African Development holding in Nairobi, Kenya. He said his administration was implementing policies and measures to create the right and enabling environment for business and investors in Nigeria. He told the gathering that included several African leaders, the Japan Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and international business executives that his administration’s vision was to make Nigeria one of the top investment destinations in the world, within the shortest time possible. He said his administration had therefore established the Presidential Enabling Environment Council and Inter-Ministerial Council with the responsibility of driving the move. The President said, “One of the most important priorities of our government is to create the right and enabling environment for business and investors in Nigeria. “Our vision and objective is to make Nigeria one of the most attractive and the easiest places of doing business in the world. We believe government has a particular responsibility to create the right and attractive environment for business and economic activities to thrive. “In furtherance of this vision, we have launched the Presidential Enabling Environment Council, and Inter-Ministerial Council to oversee the efforts of the government to remove various bottlenecks that stifle businesses and economic activities and thereby creating economic activities, the right enabling environment and investment climate in Nigeria. “The secretariat will include strong private sector representation that will be led by experienced business professionals from the private sector. We are committed to moving up the ranking of the World Bank’s ease of doing business index 20 places in first year and be in the top 100 within the next three years.” Meanwhile, the Pesident has said that the government will sustain concrete measures aimed at diversifying Nigeria’s economy by devoting more resources to agriculture in the 2017 budget. Shehu, in a separate statement on Sunday quoted Buhari as saying this while granting an interview on the sidelines of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Nairobi. The President also said African countries, including Nigeria, must learn from Japan how to develop agriculture. He said the extra votes that would be allocated to agriculture in next year’s budget would cover areas such as procurement of machinery for land clearing, fertilizers, pesticides and training of less-educated farmers. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Jonathan’s govt better than Buhari’s administration

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One of the three factional leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Kano State, Hussaini Mairiga, in this interview with TED ODOGWU, urges the party’s national leaders to resolve the lingering crisis in the state. You were recently quoted to have described President Muhammadu Buhari as a failure. Why did you say that? Yes, because all Nigerians felt that as soon as Buhari came to power, they would feel some relief after the hardship from the immediate-past administration of Goodluck Jonathan. But from all indications, Jonathan’s Government is better than our government. Meanwhile, the prices of all goods and services in Nigeria have gone up, particularly essential commodities. Each time one buys a product from the market and goes back the second day; one will notice that the price has drastically increased. . It’s indeed failure to him and us, the APC members and followers of the party. The painful aspect is that we turn a blind eye when our own is doing something wrong. Each time the President goes wrong, it’s better to tell him right away than to wait until he leaves government before cataloguing his misdeeds. Some Nigerians agree with you but some people have accused you of making the statements because your sources of illegal wealth have been cut off by the President. Is that what this is all about? Those blaming me for speaking the truth should tell Nigerians what I have done wrong. As long as I live, I will not stop speaking the truth. However, I must make it abundantly clear to my critics that I am a bona fide Nigerian. I am a businessman, I am popularly known as Mairiga (dealer in clothing). Anybody, who knows me, identifies me as Mairiga, as well as a farmer. Nobody will describe me as a stranger in Nigeria or a smuggler. I am not an oil smuggler but simply a farmer and a seller of clothing materials. As a pious Muslim, I must always speak the truth, no matter whose ox is gored. As long as it is the truth, I must stand by it. And if anybody sees me doing something wrong, I will appreciate they make efforts to caution me from my misdeed. You recently advised the President to open the borders because people are hungry. Some people say it will only make us remain backward and that we have relied on importation for too long. They say you must have been benefitting from illegal smuggling. As soon as Buhari mounted the saddle of leadership, he closed the borders and ordered Nigerians to go back to the farm. My question is how can you tell people to go back to the farm without the machinery they need to do that? I remember that the Federal Government introduced a programme known as ‘Back to Farm’’. However, prior to the commencement of the rainy season in Kano State, no farmer had been given one kobo for the commencement of the programme. Fertiliser currently costs N10,000 per bag or a little more. My question therefore is how can somebody have the borders closed and tell you to go to farm without fertiliser and farming tools? Does he want the masses to die? Before the President passes an order, it is reasonable for him to put some palliative measures in place, which he failed to do. During Buhari’s administration between 1983 and 1985, they used to exchange oil for rice and essential commodities, which is called trade by barter. He has not brought anything for the people to eat but he has hastily closed the borders. Do you want the masses to perish from hunger? Is the President not eating in Aso Villa? Also, is the President’s wife not eating? My argument is that before the President closed the borders, he should have put palliative measures in place. The truth is that people are dying by instalments in their houses because of hunger and starvation following the current harsh economic realities. How can Nigeria develop and be self-sufficient if they open the borders, while Nigerians continue to depend on imported products? I am not telling people to continue to rely on imported products but my argument is that before closing the borders, the people should have been supplied with all the necessary essential commodities, including fertilisers and other things required. After one year, there is a tendency that they will start to stabilise, then the President can comfortably close the borders. I am not saying that it is improper to close the borders but if you fail to provide the basic necessities for the masses, there is therefore no justification to close the borders. The Federal Government’s policy to close the borders is not wrong but there should be an arrangement to stabilise the system, particularly in food sufficiency in the entire country. As long as there is no food, there is no moral justification to close the borders and stop food from coming into the country. That policy is wrong. There should be stability in food supply or sufficiency in the nation. Where there is no food, it would be unjustifiable to close the borders and stop food from coming in. There must be food sufficiency for everybody before the closure of the borders. However, the policy is good because Nigeria should rely on its internally-generated products and that has to be done when there is stability in basic necessities of life. Are you trying to score cheap political points with your recent criticisms of the President as some people are wondering why a member of the APC would be publicly criticising a leader of the party? Yes, those people do not know who Hussaini Mairiga is. I have been with President Buhari since 2002, when he veered into politics and I am still his supporter and follower. I will therefore not close my eyes and overlook his other side because he is the President of the nation. He is a human being like me and was given power by almighty Allah, and by tomorrow, Allah may bring him down. Any person who is an administrator that I follow, I must tell him whenever he goes wrong. Certainly I will not start criticising him after his tenure in office. I have to tell him the truth and I often call my friends in government on phone for them to advise the President on what Nigerians are actually facing. I also personally call on phone but they often refuse to respond to my numerous calls. The truth is that I was a member of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (now defunct). Speaking from my experience, I observed that the party executives always hid the truth from Buhari because they wanted to get something from him. But as for me, I am not lobbying for any position from him and therefore, I have to tell him the truth, no matter how bitter it is, to enable him to right his wrongs. Don’t you think criticising him now is premature since it is a new government that is trying to restructure? What is the big deal about a new government? It’s indeed the tradition of any political party to make its mark from the first year and the second year in power, as the third and fourth years are for politicking and rigorous campaigning. As a result-oriented politician, the first and second years are enough to make headway, while the remaining two years are for politicking. Based on this reality, I have no alternative but to talk to Buhari and tell him the truth. Even if I am victimised for doing so, It is okay as long as I am fighting for the Nigerian masses. I would not mind stepping on toes as long as I am speaking the truth. But is it fair for you to describe Buhari as a failure when he has not even spent two years out of his four-year tenure? What I am emphasising is that the Buhari-led administration is almost one and a half years old and it has about six months more to attain two years in office. My argument is that after two years in office, political campaigns will be flagged off. President Buhari therefore has barely six months to achieve something in order to take Nigeria to another level. I am worried by the situation and that is why I have to tell him the truth to enable him correct it. In essence, every politically-elected government to has two years to perform. After the first and second years in office, the third and fourth years are used by politicians to seek and clamour for juicy positions. At that time, politicians will hardly concentrate on governance. Why have you been so hard on the President when you know that the price of oil, which is the mainstay of our economy, has reduced drastically? During Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as Military Head of State between 1983 and 1985, the price of a barrel of crude oil was below what it is today. Despite the unattractive price of oil at that time, Buhari’s administration made substantial progress to move the country to another level of economic prosperity. What is also worrisome is the claim that a lot of money has been recovered from corrupt public officers and to date, nobody is aware of where the money is being channelled to? To this extent, the government’s inability to perform is inexcusable. The same government kept drumming into the ears of Nigerians that about N3tn has been saved with the Single Treasury Account. Also, the same government kept announcing that a lot of money has been recovered from people who stole from the government and all that. Therefore, the question is where has all the money been channelled to? Why is the government crying publicly that there is no money? What about all the atrocities and other corrupt practices we hear were committed by the immediate-past government, shouldn’t the previous governments also be blamed for the mess Nigeria is experiencing today? I am not blaming the previous administration and I must also point out that I am not a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. But let me tell you the truth, during the PDP government, it was only insurgency that was the most critical situation in Nigeria. Apart from security challenges, the masses were able to afford their needs. A 50kg bag of rice sold for between N7,000 and N8,000. The price of kerosene per gallon, at that time, sold for not more than N200. But currently, the price of kerosene sells for N1,200 per gallon. The same measure of garri that was sold for not more than N150 currently sells for N500. It’s good to face the truth. During the PDP administration, prices of essential goods and commodities did not hit the roof top as it is today. The bottom line is that the Buhari-led government has to urgently do something to alleviate the ongoing level of untold hardship and poverty in the country so as to bring relief to Nigerians who are currently in critical condition. What is your assessment of the ongoing anti-graft war of the Buhari’s Government? That is very good and I am giving him all my support. I am with him. What do you make of the budget padding scandal, especially as a Film Village to cost about N3bn and to be sited in your state (Kano) was included in the budget? I don’t want to meddle with legislative functions because I have never been a legislator, so I have no comments on that question. All I can say is that our legislators should have the fear of God while performing their constitutional duties. They should realise that the masses are experiencing untold hardship and there is the need to join hands together to resolve the ongoing economic crisis impoverishing Nigerians. As a follow-up, the Federal Government recently announced that the budget was not padded and some people have accused the government of protecting Dogara. Do you agree with that insinuation? This is a similar question you asked me earlier and my response remains same. What is the latest on the APC crisis in Kano which created factional chairmen, including you? We have three factions, not two. One is under the leadership of Haruna Doguwa. There is the Kwankwasiyya, the Abdullahi Sanusi-led faction, known as Gandujiya and lastly, I Hussaini Mairiga from the All Nigeria Peoples Party/Congress for Progressive Change. Let me sensitise you, the APC crisis is not only in Kano. I must tell you that the current crisis bedeviling the APC is worse than that of the PDP because as I speak with you, the party is grappling with crisis in about 20 of Nigeria’s 36 states. But let me inform you, the national APC has not deemed it fit to set aside one day to settle the disputes tearing the party apart in the states. What is more important to them than anything else is to search for contracts. They don’t care about anybody in the APC. Also, just recently, I heard that in Ondo State, the party is divided into two. There is also crisis in Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states, indeed in a lot more states than I care to remember. Actually, the APC has a lot of problems in the entire country. The party is not even thinking of how to reconcile the feuding parties in the states. This is simply not a party but we have to still move on because it is our party. I am from the ANPP. I surrendered my certificate for the merger deal. But let me tell you, the APC has to do some major tasks to reconcile all the feuding members. It’s not only in Kano, it is happening in about 23 states. Is there any possibility of reconciliation with the other factional chairmen of the party in Kano? Yes of course, because I am from the ANPP and I want my party to win in all the states of the federation, so I have to do it but I will however not be party to injustice. I will not condone selfishness, I will not agree with anything that will not help my people or something that will take us 20 steps backward. Is it your submission that there is currently injustice within the rank and file of the APC in Kano? Of course, there is. You should know what has happened in Kano. I have written letters, spanning over two years to the national headquarters of the APC, protesting injustice. The national headquarters of the party did not for once respond to any of my letters because it has been backing the government since Rabiu Kwankwaso’s administration. After Kwankwaso’s tenure, it is now backing Abdulllahi Ganduje’s administration. This is what is happening in Nigeria as people are sheepishly following those in government. As soon as one leaves power, he will be criticised. This is not how to govern, we need to come together and unite, as we have been proclaiming that in unity we stand and divided we fall. We need transparent justice in our daily activities. How would you describe your relationship with the two other parallel APC factions in the state? The relationship is of course cordial: one person is from Gandujiya, another is from Kwankwasiyya, while I am from the (defunct) ANPP party. We are always together; as we do exchange pleasantries each time we meet at gatherings or at public places, but the truth is that there is crisis in the Kano APC. What in your opinion is tearing the Kano APC apart? The trouble started during the Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso-led administration. He merged our party, the ANPP into APC. He used his powers to pocket everybody. Kwankwaso appointed only one person as the leader from the wards to oversee the 44 local governments. Also, it was Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that singlehandedly appointed all the 44 local government chairmen. In addition, Kwankwaso was responsible for handpicking all those to be elected to the Federal House of Representatives at the national level, so that is the genesis of our crisis. Till date, Kano State is grappling with the protracted political crisis. What are your recommendations on reuniting the three APC factions in the state? I am appealing to the national headquarters to urgently dissolve all the three APC factions in Kano, including mine and replace the factions with a Caretaker Committee for at least one or two months before arranging for a fresh, free, transparent and credible election. Finally, the current crisis bedeviling Kwankwasiyya and Gandujiya, if not urgently addressed, will make us lose the state to the opposition. The followership of both movements are busy engaged in fighting one another as they now wear red and black caps to distinguish the warring groups, as it was done particularly during the just-concluded Minjibir re-run bye-election, which the APC won. The national leadership needs to urgently proceed to Kano to resolve the ongoing crisis; otherwise the APC will lose the state to the opposition as the Kano APC is not united. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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EPL: Chelsea beat Burnley to go top

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Chelsea swept to the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Burnley, while Arsenal won 3-1 at Watford to ease the pressure on Arsene Wenger on Saturday. After a dismal title defence last season, Chelsea look revitalised under new manager Antonio Conte and the Italian was able to celebrate his third successive win after the most emphatic display of his brief reign. So disappointing last term, Eden Hazard has made a vibrant start to the new campaign and the Belgium midfielder put Chelsea ahead with a superb run and clinical finish from the edge of the penalty area in the ninth minute at Stamford Bridge. Willian was back for Chelsea after recovering from a calf injury and the Brazil winger doubled their lead in the 41st minute before Nigeria’s Victor Moses came off the bench to net the hosts’ third in the 89th minute. AFP

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Mother, boyfriend, rape, set nine-year-old on fire

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New Mexico police said they found charred body of a nine-year-old girl who had been raped, murdered and dismembered in an apartment. According to the Police, the girl, identified as Victoria Martens, was first injected with methamphetamine, then sexually assaulted, strangled, stabbed and then dismembered. Officers arrived at the the family apartment at the Arroyo Villas Apartment Complex on Irving Boulevard in Albuquerque, after they received a call about a disturbance inside. The girl’s body was found in a bathroom, rolled up in a blanket that had been set on fire. Police Chief, Gordon Eden, said, “This is a horrific tragedy for our community. “I want to assure the public that we will pursue justice and we will make sure that we exhaust every resource into this investigation.” Victoria’s mother, Michelle Martens, her 31-year-old boyfriend, Fabian Gonzales and his 31-year-old cousin, Jessica Kelley, have been charged with child abuse resulting in death and kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. Gonzales and Kelley have also been charged with criminal sexual penetration of a minor. Martens confessed that Gonzales had drugged the girl so that he could have sex with her. She said Kelley held her hand over Victoria’s mouth and stabbed her in the stomach after Gonzales strangled her. She said Gonzales and Kelley then dismembered Victoria.

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Two suspects shot dead while robbing residents

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Olaleye Aluko Two suspected bank robbers have been shot dead by policemen in the FESTAC Town area of Lagos State. PUNCH Metro learnt that the robbers were about dispossessing some female residents, who had stepped out of a bank at the Apple Junction, when the police from the FESTAC division were alerted. Our correspondent learnt that the four-man gang exchanged gunfire with police operatives during the incident, which occurred around 12pm penultimate Friday. While two of the robbers escaped, the other two were shot dead and their corpses deposited in a morgue. A policeman on the team told our correspondent that the robbers stationed one of them at the bank’s Automated Teller Machine as an informant. He said, “They were four and they came on three motorcycles. They targeted people leaving the bank premises, particularly women carrying bags. If they saw a woman with a bag, an informant around the ATM would alert the others and they would trace their victim to a secluded location and rob her. They had automatic pistols and they could fire at will. “These two were killed during an exchange of fire on Friday. Their motorcycles were unregistered. The metal under their motorcycles had been straightened to enhance their speed and enable them to shoot guns without holding the motorcycles.” Our correspondent learnt that the robbers had yet to be identified. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, confirmed the killings, adding that some other motorcycle robbers were arrested by operatives in the Lekki, Ajah and Egbeda areas. He said, “The criminals, who specialised in using motorcycles to rob people of their property, have been arrested. They were picked up at different places including Egbeda, Lekki, Ajah and the FESTAC Town areas. “In one of the operations around the FESTAC Town area, two of the armed robbers, who engaged the police operatives in a gun duel, lost their lives. A Beretta pistol, two locally-made guns, four live cartridges, a catchment of charms and a Honda motorcycle, were recovered from the deceased.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Nigerian economy performing better than IMF's prediction

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Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja The Presidency on Wednesday claimed that the nation’s economy, which is currently in recession, is performing better than the predictions of the International Monetary Fund. This is just as it admitted that the inflation and unemployment rates in the country had remained “stubbornly high” despite government’s efforts. The Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu, stated this in a statement while reacting to the Gross Domestic Product figures for the 2016 second quarter by the National Bureau of Statistics. Dipeolu said the report, while confirming a temporary decline, has also indicated what he called hopeful expectation in the country’s economic trajectory. He said there were clear indications that the second half of the year will be better. “Besides the growth recorded in the agriculture and solid mineral sectors, the Nigerian economy in response to the policies of the Buhari presidency is also doing better than what the IMF had estimated with clear indications that the second half of the year would be even much better,” he said. He said the current administration would continue to work diligently on the economy and engage with all stakeholders to ensure that beneficial policy initiatives were actively pursued and the dividends delivered to the Nigerian people. The presidential aide quoted the recently released data from the NBS as showing a decline in GDP by -2.06% in the second quarter of 2016 on a year-on-year basis. He attributed the outcome to a sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production as a result of vandalisation and sabotage.

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Oil prices drop as output hopes dampen

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Oil prices fell Friday as OPEC’s key producers cast doubt on the need to cut output, denting hopes of a deal to tackle a global supply glut. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh on Friday said his country wanted its pre-sanctions share of the crude market. His comments followed a warning by Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih regarding the success of a gathering in Algeria next month on world output levels. Around 1230 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in October was down 18 cents at $47.15 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for October delivery lost 32 cents to $49.35 a barrel compared with the close on Thursday. “Comments from the Saudi energy minister quelled expectations of a production freeze, which rekindled concerns over the ongoing oversupply,” said Lukman Otunuga, research analyst at trading group FXTM. Oil prices had rallied last week and entered a bull market — a 20-percent rise from recent lows — after OPEC and Russia announced plans to discuss the supply crisis, which has hammered the crude market for more than two years. But prices have taken a beating this week on concerns about prospects for success at the September meeting in Algiers. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Falih said: “I don’t believe that an intervention of significance is required. I certainly don’t advocate a cut.” But he added that a “freeze (in output around current levels) signifies that everybody is content with where the market is today and they want it to be trending in that direction”. A previous OPEC attempt to steady output collapsed in April largely because of Iran’s refusal to join talks, having just emerged from international sanctions and keen to maximise its oil revenues. However, even if a deal is reached next month on the sidelines of an energy conference, there are doubts about the impact a production cap may have on an already oversupplied market. “Most of the OPEC countries are sending a signal that they’re open to freezing production, but you have to remember that most of them are producing at peak levels,” BMI Research oil and gas analyst Peter Lee told AFP. “Even if producers come to an agreement, the freeze is at a very high level.” Lee added that he is “personally quite sceptical” about whether producers can come to an agreement in Algiers. “It’s not just the matter of a production freeze or a cap, but there are geopolitical concerns involved too, especially when it comes to Iran and Saudi Arabia,” he said. AFp

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Nigeria recorded 2,241 robbery, rape cases in 2015 - Police

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Adelani Adepegba The 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, recorded 2,241 robbery cases in 2015, according to an official record obtained exclusively by SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on Friday. Conversely, the nation recorded 2,841 robbery cases in 2014 and 2,988 in 2013. It also recorded 1,827 rape cases, including 886 kidnappings last year. The crime record indicates that Taraba State had the highest rate of 301 robbery incidents followed by Ebonyi with 144. Benue came third with 107 reported incidents of armed robbery followed by Katsina with 102 cases. Other states with high robbery record include, Bauchi 98, Bayelsa 95, Oyo 95, Ogun 89, Lagos 87, Kwara 76 and Kano 61. Other states with relatively moderate crime rate were, Plateau 45; Rivers 45; ,Kogi 46; Borno 57; Ekiti 58; Gombe 52; Kaduna 55; Niger 57 and Zamfara 52. States with low crime record include Cross River 9; Jigawa 18; Enugu 20; Imo 22; Osun 26; Sokoto 33; Yobe 33; Kebbi 33; Nasarawa 34; Adamawa 27; Abia 30; FCT 31; Delta 37; Edo 38; Anambra 39 and Akwa Ibom, 41. Lagos was on top of the rape record in 2015 with 513 cases, followed by Delta, 205; Kano 189; Katsina 120; Ogun 76; Ondo 68 and Edo, 55. Others are FCT 44; Ebonyi 41; Cross River 40; Bauchi 38; Oyo 35; Kaduna 33; Anambra 33; Bayelsa 31; Niger 29; Enugu 28; Plateau 25; Yobe and Zamfara, 21; Borno 20; Jigawa 18; Imo 17, Kogi 15 and Gombe 12. States that recorded low rape incidents include Taraba 9, Benue 6; Adamawa and Kebbi 7, Ekiti 8, and Abia 10. The statistics however showed that the nation recorded 1,959 rape cases in 2014 and 1,788 in 2013. Rivers State recorded the highest incidents of kidnapping in 2015 with 294 reported cases, followed by Lagos, 142; Ebonyi 79; Ekiti 56; Ogun 52; Benue 41; Taraba 24 and Adamawa 38. Others are Taraba 24; Delta 15; Borno and Niger 12; Oyo 13 and Ondo, Kwara and Bayelsa 10. Five states namely, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Osun and Yobe recorded zero incident of kidnapping. The Force Public Relations Officer, Donald Awunah, said the crime rate had not increased, adding that what had increased were the frequency of specific crimes like ‘confidence tricks’ and kidnapping, which he said, were becoming endemic. He explained that the police had conducted a geo-mapping of crime in the country to know the crimes that were specific to certain geo-political zones. He added that the force was “ramping up its intelligence gathering capabilities and also collaborating with other security services to check crimes before they occurred”. He said, “We are also encouraging the public to be part of policing decisions by providing useful information and tips to the police.” He argued that the police were dealing with criminals, noting that crimes like highway robbery had reduced because Nigerians were no longer moving around with cash. “There is fear of crime, not crime itself; the fact that you think you could be kidnapped which may subject you to mental torture and agony. So, what is going on is stealing of human beings and this is heightening fears, but we are working hard to stay ahead of the criminals,” Awunah assured. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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How to recover data from locked Android

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A reader forgot her password and could not get access to her phone. So she formatted her device and that resulted in her losing valuable data. Realising that many users may have similar challenge of recovering data from a locked phone, we have brought you information with the help of http://www.androiddata-recovery.com on ways you can unlock your phone without losing valuable data. Here are the two major ways. Unlock with Google account To get into this process, you need to make sure that you set and signed up Google account before your phone was locked. Step 1: Input any password and the device will alert you to the wrong password five times. Try it again after 30 seconds. Step 2: Now, you will see “Forgotten the password” option. Input Google account and password and you can easily unlock your device. Note: Your phone must be connected to the Internet before you can log into your Google account. Use Android data recovery software You can use a good Android recovery programme to rescue all data from the inaccessible Android device. This tool can easily get back data like videos, photos, music, application files, etc. in simple mouse clicks. It can also rescue data from almost every Android phone and Tablets. It uses the effective strategies to retrieve files from your device along with its external memory device. Install and launch Android Data Recovery on your system and then connect your Android phone or Tab with the PC via USB cable. Set up Android to enable USB debugging. Three different modes are provided to different Android users using the different operating system. You can select the mode as per your device operating system from the list bellow; Android 2.3 or earlier: Enter “Settings” < Click “Applications” < Click “Development” < Check “USB debugging” Android 3.0 to 4.1: Enter “Settings” < Click “Developer options” < Check “USB debugging” Android 4.2 or newer: Enter “Settings” < Click “About Phone” < Tap “Build number” several times until you get a message that says, “You are under developer mode” < Back to “Settings” < Click “Developer options” < Check “USB debugging” Once USB debugging enabling completes, the tool will recognise your device automatically. After that, you must click “Next” to allow the application to scan your device to Recover Deleted Data. For successful scanning, you must make sure that there is at least 20 per cent battery life on the phone. If you have rooted your Android phone before, you have to allow the tool Superuser authorisation on the screen of your Android device before the scan. You just need to click on “Allow” button as and when message pop-ups on your phone screen. Then back to your PC and click on “Start” to begin scanning process. In order to save time, this tool offers two modes of scanning process. You can select “Scan for deleted files” to scan only the deleted files. Preview and recover data from Android device. The tool will take some time to scan the data. After that, you can preview the recovered data found in the scan result. If you want to recover photos, click “Photos” section and then select the photos which you want back on your PC. Finally, click on “Recover” button and this will restore deleted images from your Android device. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Don’t bomb Niger Delta, Umar warns Buhari

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Godwin Isenyo, Kaduna Former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar(retd), on Tuesday warned President Muhammadu Buhari against deploying troops and military hardware in the Niger Delta to halt the activities of militants in the region. Umar said the Federal Government’s planned use of force to rout out militants, especially the Niger Delta Avengers in the Niger Delta, was not the best option; adding that the militants were still amenable to dialogue. President Muhammad Buhari was, in a statement credited to him by his Senior Special Assistant on Media Affairs, Mr. Garba Shehu, in Nairobi, Kenya, quoted to have said that he would treat Niger Delta agitators the same way he dealt with Boko Haram if they failed to negotiate. But the former governor in a statement entitled, ‘War in the Niger Delta: A most dangerous option,’ argued that the militants could not be treated like Boko Haram insurgents that had killed over 20,000 Nigerians in the North-Eastern part of the country. Umar argued that the Niger Delta militants could not be said to be terrorists in the real sense of the word, warning that collateral damages to any military option in that region would be colossal. Umar said, “I am really frightened by the sudden escalation in the Niger Delta Region from where there are some reports of skirmishes between our security forces and the Niger Delta militants. This is happening after the President was quoted as vowing to deal with the militants as he did to Boko Haram. “All factors considered, the use of military force in an attempt to resolve the lingering crisis is not a good option and must therefore be discarded. “As a retired general, Mr. President is well aware of the serious and daunting challenges any military will face in its operations in the most difficult and densely populated Niger Delta region. “The creeks are so heavily polluted with oil, rendering them highly inflammable. It will take the firing of a few high explosive shells to set the whole area on fire, resulting in the inestimable collateral damage among innocent civilians. “It is also difficult to see how an armed conflict can secure our oil and gas assets in the region. Instead, it will aid the destructive activities of the militants and lead to the total shutdown of all oil and gas operations in the area.” The former governor added, “Besides, the Niger Delta militants cannot be said to be terrorists in the real sense of the word. I believe they are amenable to meaningful dialogue. “I need not to remind the President that a war in the Niger Delta will be opposed by most objective Nigerians and the international community as unjust and merely aimed at the control and exploitation of the region’s oil and gas resources. “I therefore beseech you, Mr. President, in the name of all that is good, to continue to explore peaceful means of resolving the Niger Delta crisis as painful as you may find this. May God direct and guide you on the path of justice.”

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Avengers wants Soyinka, Kalu, others in dialogue with FG

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Jude Owuamanam and Ogbonnaya Ikokwu Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and a former Governor of Abia, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu, have been listed among a seven-man team to lead the negotiation between the Niger Delta Avengers and the Federal Government. Other members of the team are Prof. Steve Odi-Owei, Etubom (Dr.) Anthony Ani, Nalaguo Chris Alagoa, Chief (Mrs.) Alice Mobolaji Osomo, and Mr. Inienimi Ballantyne Agiri, who has been acting as spokesman for the group. The committee is expected negotiate on behalf of a faction of the militant group in the eastern and central Niger Delta. A statement signed by Agiri, who speaks for a faction of NDA, representing the eastern and central parts of the region and made available to SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said that Soyinka will serve as adviser to the committee. Agiri, who also spoke to our correspondent on telephone, said that the list was not exhaustive as other people outside the shores of Nigeria had been contacted and had shown interest in being observers in the dialogue process. He said the Archbishop of the Canterbury, Justin Weldy, a former Ghanaian President, John Kufor and a few others, would also be consulted. Soyinka was recently quoted as urging the Federal Government to open dialogue with the militant groups, which had been agitating for resource control for the Niger Delta region. Attempts to get the Nobel laureate were not successful on Saturday but when contacted Kalu welcomed the idea but said he had not been formally informed by the Avengers that he will negotiate for them. He said, “Nigeria is our own and we must go on the path of peace. It is the right anything to do if they want to negotiate, I hope the president will accept that. “I will negotiate for them if the President agrees for us to negotiate for them. I cannot go without concurrent agreement with the President saying that we should negotiate.” Osomo also said that she had not been formally consulted but expressed her willingness to be part of the team in national interest. Meanwhile, Alagoa, who was in the list, confirmed the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Saturday. He said that he was not a member of the group but was contacted and had accepted to be a member of the team if only it would bring a solution to militancy in the Niger Delta. Alagoa said that he was also told that Soyinka and Kalu had been contacted, adding that he was also informed that the list was not yet exhausted. He said, I was approached and they said that they have confidence in me and few other people to lead the dialogue. If they are authentic to give me the chance to dialogue, it is okay.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Multiple birth parents: Feeding quadruplet babies our greatest challenge

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Feeding multiple babies has become a nightmare for their parents, writes ARUKAINO UMUKORO When Mr. Obinna Iloh, whose business had suffered a setback in the last few months, received the news that his wife had just been delivered of quadruplets, he was first overwhelmed by bitter-sweet emotions before despair gripped him. Iloh’s wife, Fidelia, was delivered of four bundles of joy – two boys and two girls — at Isolo General Hospital, Lagos. The quadruplets are named Chidiebube, Chibikem, Chimamaka, and Chimobim. Four months after, the couple, who have been married for about three years, are still calculating the cost of taking care of four babies in the current harsh economic climate. Aside from the father’s business struggles, the mother of the quadruplets, Fidelia, who recently completed her compulsory National Youth Service Corps scheme last year, is still unemployed. “To be frank with you, I wasn’t expecting four babies at a time. At a point, some people advised me to abandon them and run away because of the pressure, but I can’t leave them. These children are God’s gifts to me and I accept them wholeheartedly. But it has not been easy coping with taking care of four of them.” Iloh told SUNDAY PUNCH. It was the same tale of despair from the young mother of the quadruplets. She said, “Feeding the babies is a challenge. Four of them consume about one and a half tins of milk a day. So, we buy in cartons weekly. Breastfeeding is a challenge. The babies take turns. We do the breastfeeding four times in a day and every baby has a turn, so that everyone can boast that he or she has tasted the breast milk. So I have to eat a lot. When they cry or are sick, it is also a challenge for me. Although my mother came to stay with us for a period, before she left, taking care of four children has not been easy because I have only two hands and two legs.” She intermittently sighed as she spoke to our correspondent. The graduate of human kinetics and health education is still learning how to cope with nurturing quadruplets. According to her, they spend over N100,000 for the upkeep of the babies in a month. Iloh said, “We spend N54, 000 on purchasing only dairy milk for the babies monthly; another N30,000 to pay the nannies, and about N20,000 to take care of other expenses, such as buying fuel for the generator, due to poor electricity in the area where we reside, buying bottled water, as the tap water is not hygienic enough for babies’ consumption. We buy two cartons containing 12 big-sized bottles of water every month. Also, there is the extra cost of drugs (infants get free treatment in general hospitals in Lagos). “As the babies grow, we are going to be expecting greater challenges, especially in the area of their education and in other aspects. My husband is the sole provider for the family as I don’t have a job yet. So, these expenses have affected our income as a family,” she said. With their finances already stretched to the limit, the Ilohs have been living on the goodwill of family and friends to cater for the needs of the babies. “We are just ‘managing’ now. The cartons of (dairy) milk we presently use were given to us by our relatives. But only two tins are left now. We provide other things by ourselves. The Ilohs are not alone in their predicament. Mrs. Tina Matthew and her husband also face the same challenges like the Lagos-based couple. Mrs. Matthew, who is based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was delivered of quadruplets – all boys — on December 14, 2015. She said raising four babies in the last eight months has been challenging for them. She said, “It has been challenging economically and otherwise for me and my husband. It is telling on my husband. We are both graduates, but we are self-employed, because of the employment situation in Nigeria today. Power supply is almost non-existent. So, we spend a lot on fuel also. The prices of goods and cost of living have increased in the last few months. We are grateful for the material support we got from the welfare department in Rivers State after their births. But we would appreciate any form of financial assistance; it would go a long way.” The plight of Oyo-based couple, 36-year-old Razaq Ewenje, and his wife, Shakirat is even dire. Shakirat was delivered of quintuplets – three boys and two girls – on February 15 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State capital. The couple now have five children, the quintuplets and two other children – a five-year-old son and a three-year-old girl. Ewenje, an Islamic cleric, popularly known as ‘alfa,’ does not have a regular job. His wife is also jobless. He said, “My wife is a full-time housewife. Feeding the babies is even difficult for us now, all the food and material support we got from good Samaritans and well-wishers have been exhausted. We can only depend on God now. I am very afraid of the future because I don’t know how I can take care of their feeding, other needs, and ensure they get good education as they grow up. I don’t want them to grow up and be jobless like me. I was expecting one child, but God just surprised me by giving me five at the same time. We are just managing to feed our babies and survive. Alfa said he contemplated running away and abandoning his quintuplets after their birth because of the huge responsibilities. “But some people advised me against taking that action. “I also cautioned myself. We really need help. I hope Nigerians can help us,” he said. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence linked economic stress to depression for parents. It further stated that such depression could also lead to poorer parent-child relationship, leading to societal problems. Aside from their financial needs, the mothers, who are still recovering from the deliveries by Caesarean Section, said the stress of taking care of four babies was taking a toll on their health. Iloh said she was bedridden for three months prior to the deliveries. A consultant obstetrics and gynaecologist, Dr. Samuel Adebayo, said the mother of the quadruplets would need extra special care to recover well after delivering through caesarean. He stated, “This is also an expensive venture. Breastfeeding four babies at a time also means the mother has to feed well. In the long run, the physiology and everything about the mother is affected from the stress of coping with taking care of four babies at a time. It could lead to depression.’’ Unlike in Nigeria, developed societies have more robust social welfare programmes for such families, noted a child rights activist, Mrs. Helen Oshikoya. “We don’t have a welfare system and because of that, there is really not much that parents of quadruplets can do; although Lagos State has some sort of welfare services, such as free medical services for children in teaching hospitals and free education, but that is really as far as it goes. So, the child would be born in the same system that we have at the moment, there is nothing extra for the Nigerian child.” In 2013, a study by the Economic Intelligence Unit ranked Nigeria as the worst place for a baby to be born. “Coupled with the harsh economic climate in the country, daily living is a struggle for many Nigerians. In times like this, they could leverage on social and community associations for assistance. But the crux of the matter is that the government at the centre should start getting its economic policies right and have social welfare programmes for such families,” said a legal practitioner and political analyst, Mr. Francis Njoku. “Things are hard for many Nigerians and families like this need to breathe a sigh of relief. Asides from government intervention, insurance companies should be proactive and have policies not only to take care of the dead, but also social welfare programmes for the living, in such situations,” he further said. A UNICEF report on the impact of economic crisis on child well-being in rich countries, noted that, “Countries should place the well-being of children at the top of their responses to the recession. Not only is this a moral obligation but it is in the self-interest of societies.” The report also stated that “the impact of the (economic) recession on children, in particular, will be felt long after the recession itself is declared to be over.” Iloh, who appealed to the wife of Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to assist them, added, “As a lady and a mother, she knows how it is to be a mother.” Although residing in Lagos State, the Ilohs hail from Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State. “Having quadruplets is a thing of joy, and it happened once in a while. Our governor, Willie Obiano, should also lend his support and appreciate our children,” Iloh said. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Femi Ogun, said the Ilohs could write an official letter seeking assistance to the ministry, which would be forwarded to the commissioner. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Principal jailed 17 years over deadly school meal

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An Indian court Monday sentenced a school principal to 17 years in jail over the death of 23 pupils who were served a free meal laced with pesticide, a prosecutor said. The head of the government-run school was found guilty last week of culpable homicide for the 2013 tragedy. In all, nearly 50 children consumed the poisonous lunch in Saran district in the eastern state of Bihar. “Meena Devi was sentenced to ten years for culpable homicide and seven years for attempt to commit culpable homicide,” public prosecutor Sameer Mishra told AFP. Devi was also fined 375,000 rupees ($5,500), with much of the money intended for the families of 24 injured children. Prosecutors said they were satisfied with Monday’s ruling but would challenge the court’s acquittal of her husband Arjun Rai for lack of evidence. Rai allegedly supplied the pesticide-laced oil used to cook the meal. Investigators told the court Rai had stored the pesticide alongside the cooking oil, and supplied the contaminated oil to the school. He had secured the contract for school supplies from his wife without following any guidelines, investigators said. The children, aged four to 12, fell ill within minutes of eating the lunch of lentils, potatoes and rice at their primary school in the poverty-stricken village of Dharmasati Gandaman on July 16, 2013. “We were hoping both of them would be jailed but the court let her husband off,” Madav Ram, father of a 12-year child, who died, told AFP. The disaster prompted the government to improve food safety in schools. Children often suffer food poisoning due to poor hygiene in kitchens and occasionally sub-standard food. Free lunches have since 2001 been offered to some 120 million schoolchildren throughout India, in the world’s largest school meal programme. Educators see the scheme as a way to stop children dropping out of school, in a country where almost half of all young children are undernourished.

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Police arraign 76-year-old after son arrested for fraud flees

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Afeez Hanafi A 76-year-old man, Ademola Adeniran, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for an alleged fraud committed by his son, Lukman Adeniran. The septuagenarian was arraigned on Tuesday on two counts bordering on perversion of justice. PUNCH Metro learnt that Lukman was arrested by operatives from the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja for converting a sum of N3m given to him by a firm to his personal use. The firm, whose name was not disclosed, had reportedly contracted Lukman to supply charcoal and given him the money, but he failed to produce the goods. After futile efforts to get the product or retrieve the sum, the firm was said to have reported to the police, leading to Lukman’s arrest sometime in March 2015. Our correspondent gathered that his father, Ademola, approached police operatives at the X-Squad Unit of the state police command, where Lukman was detained, and agreed to stand as a surety for him. The suspect was said to have been granted an administrative bail, on the agreement that the father would produce him anytime he was needed at the command or pay N1.2m if he (Lukman) disappeared. “At a point, the father could not present the suspect for prosecution. The complaint subsequently petitioned the Zone 2 Police Command in Onikan and the father was arrested,” a source said. A police prosecutor, Inspector Eshiet Eshiet, who brought Ademola before the court, said his offence contravened sections 97 (1) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The charge read, “That you, Ademola Adeniran, and one other now at large, on March 23, 2015, at Ikeja, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony, to wit: perversion of justice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. “That you, Ademola Adeniran, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid magisterial district, did stand as a surety for one Lukman Adeniran in the sum of N1.2m at X-Squad Unit, Lagos State Police Command in respect of a case of obtaining money by false pretences, stealing, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, prevented him from appearing at the unit for prosecution with intent to defeat and frustrate the course of justice.” The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge. The presiding magistrate, Mrs. S.K. Matepo, granted him bail and adjourned the case till September 14, 2016, after the man promised to produce his son.Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Klopp seeks winning formula at Tottenham Hotspur

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Jurgen Klopp returns to the scene of his first game as Liverpool manager at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday, still searching for an effective winning formula. Liverpool won 4-3 at Arsenal in their opening league game, but lost 2-0 at promoted Burnley last weekend before bouncing back to beat second-tier Burton Albion 5-0 in the League Cup. Spurs drew at Everton before edging Crystal Palace last weekend and Klopp believes the two teams have evolved in similar ways since the 0-0 draw on his last trip to White Hart Lane last October. “Both teams have consistency in the squad. There are of course new players, but not too many changes,” said the German, whose side lost at Burnley despite having over 80 percent of possession. “It will be exciting what will happen there. They are still strong, of course. They’ve brought a few very good players in with the basis of their former squad. “For us, everything could have been better, but it could have been worse. We’re still on the way. My team gave me a lot of really good signs to work with.” Klopp’s line-up is unlikely to be radically different from the team he selected at Spurs on his Liverpool bow, with Martin Skrtel the only starting player to have left the club in the 10 months since. If Emre Can and Divock Origi can overcome fitness concerns, Klopp could feasibly start with seven of the players who took to the field in his first match. Should Origi miss out through cramp, it could be good news for Daniel Sturridge, who complained about being played on the right flank at Burton, where he scored two late goals. Klopp did his best to douse any controversy on Thursday, asserting that he did not want Sturridge taking up a “fixed position” on the flank and saying that there was “absolutely no problem”. Can is doubtful due to an ankle complaint, but Sadio Mane is fit after missing the trip to Burnley with a shoulder problem. – Janssen ‘proper English’ – Another England international striker adapting to a slightly different position isTottenham‘s Harry Kane. The 23-year-old played in a withdrawn role behind new Dutch striker Vincent Janssen in last weekend’s 1-0 win at home to Palace and set up the only goal with a flick-on for Victor Wanyama. “Vincent took some big hits for the team with all the hustle and bustle up front, which I think made it a bit easier for Harry because normally it’s him that’s doing all the battling,” Spurs playmaker Christian Eriksen told the club website. “I think there was a good connection between them and especially with Vincent, he’s something different. “Even though he’s from Holland, he’s proper English! He loves to tackle, he loves to battle and he loves to play football.” Kane’s next goal will be his 50th in the Premier League and in Liverpool he faces a team who have kept only two clean sheets in 13 league games. He is yet to score this season, but took seven games to get off the mark last term and ended the campaign with the Golden Boot as Mauricio Pochettino’s men finished third behind Leicester City and Arsenal. With Mousa Dembele serving the fifth game of a six-game ban for eye-gouging Chelsea striker Diego Costa last season, Wanyama will continue in central midfield. Michel Vorm is due to deputise again for goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who has a hamstring injury, while Dele Alli is pushing for a recall after starting on the bench against Palace due to illness. Spurs have gone seven league games without beating Liverpool, but both of last season’s games were close affairs. Following October’s goalless draw at White Hart Lane, Kane cancelled out a Philippe Coutinho effort to earn Spurs a 1-1 draw in the return fixture at Anfield in April.

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Former NTA boss complains of neglect

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The former Director General of the Nigeria Television Authority, Mr. Patrick Ityoher, has cried out for being neglected by the authority. Ityoher told journalists late on Monday in Makurdi that his former colleagues at NTA had abandoned him since he fell ill. “The NTA family has neglected me, nobody comes to see me; they are scared to visit me; instead, I hear people speculating about my death every now and then, they said I died in London,” he said. The former NTA boss, who was appointed by former military Head of State, late Gen. Sani Abacha regretted that the NTA had forgotten about him too soon. He said that in other climes, he would have been remembered because of the quality programme he introduced during his tenure as NTA DG. The 76-year-old retired broadcaster, regretted the decline in the quality of programmes at the NTA and said he was missing the “Sunny Side of Life”, which aired every Sunday on NTA during his time. He said that he accepted his retirement by President Olusegun Obasanjo “with gratitude to God after spending 40 years of my life in the organisation”. Ityoher appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the incumbent administration, saying “the good old times will soon be back”. NAN

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Mr. Ibu took care of me in prison

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Uche Odoputa was close to becoming an A-list actor. He had a huge fan base and was on the verge of becoming as prominent as the likes of Emeka Ike, Ramsey Nouah and Jim Iyke. Unfortunately, he altered the course of his career. In 2007, he was arrested for trafficking drugs and subsequently, he was imprisoned for two years and three weeks. The Orlu, Imo State-born actor, said he wasn’t making enough money and some individuals took advantage of his desperation and introduced him to the drug trade. “I regret my actions. I was a growing brand and a lot of people were angered by my action. I was disappointed in myself. I thank God I came out of prison a changed person,” he said. Speaking on how the incident affected him, Uche said it cost him a lot and hampered his growth in Nollywood. He said, “It took away my career and the little fame I had at that time. Gaining recognition in Nollywood and even among my colleagues has been a struggle since then.” Nevertheless, not all of his colleagues distanced themselves from him while he was in prison, he said. “The late Amaka Igwe paid part of my legal fees, she was always in contact with me and never abandoned me. She took me under her tutelage after I was freed from prison and taught me directing. While others paid to learn directing , she taught me for free. I was to direct the job she was working on before she died. Up till now, I can’t bring myself to delete her telephone number. I still hear her voice sometimes. She was a good woman,” he said. Odoputa also acknowledged the assistance he got John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu. He said, “He used to send me recharge cards which I sold. That enabled me to take care of myself when I was imprisoned.” Odoputa , who now lives in Port Harcourt, said the relocation was necessary to enable him plan his life. “I need some sanity and time to decongest my brain. Things were moving too fast in Lagos, so I relocated to Port Harcourt.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Paralympic committee lists 23 athletes for Rio

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The Paralympic Committee Nigeria in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Sports, has named 23 athletes and six coaches that will represent Nigeria at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games holding from September 7 to 18 in Brazil. The committee said Nigeria will be competing in only athletics, powerlifting and table-tennis. There are six athletes made up of five women and a male in the athletics events while 14 athletes (seven men and seven females) are to take part in powerlifiting events. Table-tennis has only three athletes (two men and a lady) representing the country. Those listed in athletics are, Hannah Babalola, Eucharia Iyiazi, Lauritta Onye, Lovina Onyegbule, Flora Ugwunwa and Friday Aibangbe as the only male athlete. Patrick Aieto and Adekunle Adesoji are the coaches. Those for powerlifting are Nsini Ben, Lucy Ejike, Ndidi Nwosu, Bose Omolayo, Josephine Orji, Esther Onyema and Latifat Tijani. Yakubu Adesokan, Roland Ezuruike, Abdulazeez Ibrahim, Nnamdi Innocent, Opeyemi Jegede, Paul Kehinde and Tolu-lope Taiwo are to compete in the men’s category. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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My creative spirit has gone on vacation -Otiono

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Chux Ohai By the time that writer and scholar, Prof. Nduka Otiono, who currently teaches at the Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, left Nigeria nearly 10 years ago, the general feeling among other members of the literary community in Nigeria was that he had joined a growing stream of ‘exiles’ leaving the country, as it were, in search of the proverbial greener pastures. At that time, the exile syndrome appeared to be gradually exacting a toll on the community, compelling some of its most productive members to emigrate to the western countries where conditions were deemed to be more suitable for creative production. But, in an interview with our correspondent, Otiono, who is also a former national general-secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors, says that his decision to leave the country was inspired by a burning desire to resolve a personal conflict over his interest in the academia on one hand and in journalism on the other. “I had always wanted to teach in the university. Journalism was only a second option for me. I have no regret that I chose the academia,” he says. Confronted with the fact that his role as a writer has to a large extent become subsumed under his new role as an academic, he simply refers to the subject of an essay by Isidore Okpewho, titled ‘A Portrait of an Artist’. Describing this as an apt illustration of the raging conflict between his creative interest and other interests, he says, “Yes, I have a passion to write. But, at the same time, I have realised that such passion many not be enough to sustain me at a certain stage in my life. My creative spirit has gone on vacation for now.” Otiono also notes that although the conditions that drove him to the Diaspora appear to have worsened over the past years, there has been remarkable improvement in Nigeria in specific ways, especially in the use of technology. “Now almost everywhere you enter, you will find many people using digital portal devices and entering into the global conversation through the social media. Almost everywhere you go, you are looking at African Magic, for example, being broadcast through broadband or different kinds of satellite. Also, so many universities have come up and more people now have the opportunity to acquire tertiary education,” he says. But such development, he argues, appear to be mere cosmetic gains in the light of what he describes as the ‘grievous’ challenges facing Nigerians today. “Under the prevailing circumstances, the purchasing power of most Nigerians have been so undermined that workers who slave everyday end up with non-liveable wages,” he adds. Lamenting the extreme unemployment situation in the country – which has forced many university graduates to continue to depend on their parents – and an equally extreme inflationary rate that “makes nonsense” of the earnings of most people, he says that the most painful part of the situation is the fact that there is very evidence to show that Nigeria is on the path to growth. Otiono, who has been awarded the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship for the second time running, believes that though many Nigerian artists, including emerging writers, musicians and others, seem to be making reasonable impact on the global scene with their works, the horizon on the home front smacks of a looming social disaster. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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English Premier League results

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Sacked worker steals 28 TV sets, opens shop

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Samson Folarin A casual worker, Johnson Adebowale, has been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly stealing 28 television sets on Victoria Island. PUNCH Metro learnt that 45-year-old Adebowale took the items shortly after he was sacked by his employers, Atlantic Exhibition Nigeria Limited. It was learnt that the suspect sneaked into the store where the company kept some electronics gadgets and loaded 28 television sets into a truck he brought for the mission. He was said to have transported the stolen TV sets to his home in the Ibafo area of Ogun State. Our correspondent gathered that policemen from the Victoria Island Police Division, who got information that the suspect was selling the items at cheap prices, swooped on him and recovered some of the stolen items. A police source said the suspect had already sold some of the TV sets to people in the neighbourhood by the time he was nabbed. He said, “The affected company is into exhibition of products. They were in partnership with a hotel on the Lagos Island where the electronics products were displayed. The electronics were usually kept in a store, which was constructed by the suspect. So, he knew his way round the store. “On August 6, after he had been sacked by the firm, he sneaked into the store and loaded 28 LG Plasma TV sets inside a truck and drove away with them. “By Monday, the company discovered that the television sets were gone and a complaint was lodged at the Victoria Island Police Station.” Another source explained that footages from the Closed Circuit Television cameras were useless to the detectives. He said it was not until the operatives got information that the suspect was selling the TV sets that the police got a break. “We mobilised and swooped on him. We discovered that he turned his house into an electronic shop and was selling the television sets, claiming that he was a TV manufacturer’s agent. “He had already sold six for N50,000 each. The market value for each of the TV sets is between N130,000 and N200,000. We recovered the rest from him,” he added. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect had been charged to court. She said, “The suspect, Adebowale, was nabbed after the Victoria Island Police Division received a complaint from Atlantic Exhibition Nigeria Limited that 28 TV sets were carted away by unknown person(s). “Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Segun Ajamolaya, and his team trailed and arrested him from his hideout in Ibafo. The exhibits were recovered from him while effort is on to recover the ones already sold by the suspect. He was charged to court today (Monday).” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Heavy rain: Don't panic, Lagos tells residents

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The Lagos State Government has told residents not to panic over the heavy rain in the State on Sunday, saying that necessary steps had been taken to avert any incidence of flood disaster. The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, in a statement on Sunday said that the State Government had cleared blocked drainages and canals in some flood prone communities. Adejare also said that indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the gutters had caused a lot of environmental disasters, warning that the government would no longer tolerate the building of illegal structures along channel right of ways in the state. To this end, he said the government had since begun demolishing illegal structures and shanties erected on the drains especially in flood prone areas. The commissioner however, urged residents living on wetlands and flood prone areas to be cautious and careful, urging them to limit their movement if possible and to move to higher ground if need be.

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Photos of Aisha Buhari trying to shake Alaafin’s hand go viral

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Bayo Akinloye Photos of the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, trying to shake hands with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, have gone viral, with Nigerians reacting differently to the photographs. The photos formed major discourse on Facebook and Twitter. The photos, which were posted on the monarch’s Facebook page on Tuesday, showed Mrs. Buhari trying to shake the hand of the king at an occasion in Borno State. Oba Adeyemi is the Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri. Since the photos went viral, they have elicited various reactions from social media users, some of whom felt the monarch snubbed the wife of the president, while others thought her shaking hands with the monarch was disrespectful. Abdussalam De’eburnian, on the monarch’s Facebook page said, “Iku baba yeye (Alaafin) fears a woman’s handshake.” But Abayomi Oloyede and others did not see the photos as being funny. Oloyede accused Buhari’s wife of bad manners in trying to give the monarch a handshake. He said, “No manners because she is the President’s wife. Yoruba people respect the culture. Can she do that to Emir of Kano or the Emir of Katsina?” Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, commenting on the photos, said on Twitter, “Can Aisha Buhari greet the Emir of Daura with a handshake as she is doing here to the Iku Baba Yeye, Alaafin of Oyo? Eze Eziokwu, @Tomyboiz, said, “Aisha Buhari is very disrespectful. How can she extend a hand to the great Alaafin of Oyo?” Sega L’éveilleur, @segalink, said it was a “Sacrilege; how uncouth can you be, trying to shake the Alaafin? Do you shake your Emirs?” However, Ayo Ajibola in a Facebook post, commented, “We are from different tribes, different cultures and different traditions. I really don’t know much about the Hausa. But please let us stop all the propaganda geared at causing division.” Some others were concerned about whether the monarch snubbed the president’s wife’s handshake. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Detention: Court turns down request to release El-Zakzaky

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A Federal High Court, Abuja, has declined the application of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, seeking his immediate release from detention by the Department of State Services (DSS). El-Zakzaky is the leader of Shi`a Movement in Nigeria. Abang said that Zakzaky ought to have obtained the leave of court for the matter to be heard during vacation. He explained that the applicant failed to serve the DSS, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation joined as respondents. The judge said that the matter was initially assigned to Justice Gabriel Kolawole by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. Abang, therefore, said that the application was not competent and struck it out. NAN

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Ghost workers: Akwa Ibom NLC demands prosecution of perpetrators

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The Akwa Ibom chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress has called for the prosecution of all perpetrators of ghost workers syndrome in the nation’s public service. The Chairman of the council in the state, Mr Etim Ukpong, on Friday noted that over the years different tiers of government had complained of ghost workers but that no perpetrator of the act had been identified or punished. He said that he would like to see the payroll officers and their supervisors prosecuted in the court and jailed if found culpable, to serve as deterrent to others. Ukpong decried a situation where the government could not pay workers and pensioners promptly and regularly, because of bloated wage bill occasioned by ghost workers syndrome. He expressed the hope that with the use of bank verification number and biometric capturing, the problem of ghost workers would be eliminated in Nigeria. On non-payment of pensioners in the state, Ukpong regretted that primary school teachers, who retired in June, 2015, only got one month’s pension a year after. “We have the issue of pension mostly in local government, direct local government workers and primary school teachers. “Direct state workers in ministries do not have serious problem and the government has been meeting their obligation,” Ukpong said. He disagreed with the state government that pensioners were not owed, saying that the unpleasant condition of the pensioners forced them to form associations like “Local Government Retirees’ Pensions Group’’ and “Retired Teachers’ Pension Group’’. He disclosed that some retirees had been swindled by persons claiming to have access to the state government and would cause their entitlements to be paid. “We want to request our senior citizens, the retired workers, whether from local government, teachers or anywhere, that the NLC is working to ensure that all retirees are paid,” Ukpong said. He commended the state’s House of Assembly for intervening in the lingering problem of non-payment of pensioners by setting up a seven-member committee to resolve the problem. “Our position in the NLC is to agitate for workers in the state; I am very happy because the state has really come to listen to these issues. “The House of Assembly ad hoc committee is headed by a former labour chairman in the state, Udo Kerian-Akpan, now representing Oruk-Anam State Constiuency,” Ukpong said. He said that there was another committee working on verification of the actual number of pensioners in the state, adding that the list would be pasted at the NLC House. He expressed the hope that retirees in the state would be paid their entitlements promptly when the verification exercise was completed. (NAN)

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Naira to plunge further on high dollar demand

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Oyetunji Abioye with agency report The naira is expected to plunge further against the United States dollar next week as dollar shortage intensifies; following the banning of nine Deposit Money Banks from the foreign exchange market by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The CBN had, on Tuesday, banned nine banks from the forex market over their failure to remit the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s $2.334bn to the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account. On Friday, the naira plunged to 412 against the dollar at the parallel market, down from 409 on Thursday. Traders said even though the CBN continued to sell dollars daily on the interbank market, its efforts were considered weak and inadequate, Reuters reported. At the interbank market, the local currency closed at 316.84 to the dollar on Thursday, slightly lower than the level it closed last Thursday. Kenya’s and Uganda’s shillings are also seen easing next week due to importer dollar demand from energy companies, while the Zambian kwacha is seen firming, according to traders. At 1010 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 101.30/50 to the dollar, compared with last Thursday’s close of 101.45/55. “Because this is going to be the end-of-month week, I still believe there will be a good amount of (dollar) demand in the market. I have a lot of oil clients, a lot of general retail importers,” a trader at one commercial bank said. Traders said they were also on the lookout for the central bank selling dollars. It did so on Thursday after the shilling weakened in reaction to an amended law that caps commercial lending rates. The Ugandan shilling is seen shedding value as corporates in the energy sector and other import businesses display their typical end of month demand for hard currency. At 0941 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,370/3,380, weaker than last Thursday’s close of 3,365/3,375. “Typically we see a jump in (dollar) demand from fuel importers and some manufacturers … this will play out in the coming days,” said a trader at a leading commercial bank. The kwacha is next week likely to remain firm supported by a government bond auction settlement on Monday and an anticipated inflow of hard currency to pay salaries and other month- end obligations. At 1020 GMT on Thursday, the currency of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer was quoted at 10.0000 per dollar from 9.9121 a week ago, Reuters reported. “Government bond settlement takes place on Monday and we could see dollar conversions from last-minute foreign investors. This together with corporate conversions as we draw closer to month end, could see the local unit hold ground,” the Zambian branch of South Africa’s First National Bank said. The Tanzanian shilling is expected to trade in a tight band as dollar demand from importers is offset by central bank support. Commercial banks quoted the shilling at 2,182/2,192 to the dollar on Thursday, barely moved from 2,181/2,191 a week ago. “The shilling has been stable over the past two weeks. We expect stability in the market to continue, with demand and supply being fairly matched,” a trader at CRDB Bank, Moses Kawiche, said. Ghana’s cedi is seen firm next week on improving forex inflows as offshore investors sell dollars to mobilise funds to buy domestic bonds. The local unit was quoted at 3.9535 to the greenback at 1030 GMT on Thursday, down 3 per cent since January, according to Reuters data. “The government has reopened a five-year (domestic) bond that is maturing on July 2021 and it is likely to lead to some forex inflows… I expect the cedi to regroup to the 3.9400-3.9550 range,” a Barclays Bank Ghana currency dealer, Jacob Brobbey, said. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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No grazing reserves, ranches in Anambra, says Obiano

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Tony Okafor, Awka The Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano, has said the state had no plans for grazing reserves and ranches. The governor stated this at the Council Chambers of Government House, Awka, in a press conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state. Obiano said the state had the smallest land mass in the country and therefore would not want to embark on such land-consuming projects as grazing reserves and ranches. He said even the state’s small land mass had been eaten up by erosion. He said the state was in a discussion with an international partner to commence the animal husbandry indigenous to the area. On herdsmen attack of communities in the southeast, Obiano said, “on this issue, I am like the guy who saw tomorrow. “Early in my administration, I constituted a committee known as cattle menace committee, which is headed by the commissioner of police, with five traditional rulers and leaders of the Fulani community in the state. “We agreed in the committee that if the cattle belonging to the Fulani people destroy our crops, they will pay us; and if our people kill their cattle, we will pay them.” He said the Fulani herdsmen had defaulted 11 times, and paid compensation to the natives, while the communities had defaulted five times, and paid accordingly for five cows allegedly killed by them. He said it was agreed that herdsmen would not be allowed to come into the state wielding AK47 riffles and other dangerous weapons. He noted that the arrangement had guided the parties in their actions and conducts.

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Concerns over Julius Agwu’s health as he misses London’s show

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There was anxiety over the health of popular comedian, Julius Agwu, on Monday, as there were reports that he was ill. He was said to be receiving treatment in a London hospital. While there was no confirmation yet by the comedian and his family, the reported illness particularly generated concern as Agwu was said to have missed a show he organised and held in London on Sunday. Attempts to speak with the versatile artiste, who survived a brain surgery last year, was futile as calls put to his telephone on Monday evening were not picked. The sound, however, indicated that the line was in a roaming mode. One of his media aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that he had read about the reports but had not been able to speak with Agwu. He said, “I have been trying to speak with his wife since the morning but I have not got her. I will keep on trying. I hope that I will be able to speak with you by tomorrow morning.”

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Nigeria records lowest investment inflows at $647m

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Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja The National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday said the Nigerian economy recorded its lowest level of investment with a total investment inflow of $647.1m in the second quarter of 2016. The bureau in the capital importation report which was released by the Statistician General of the Federation,said the $647.1m represents a fall of 8.98 per cent relative to the first quarter. It added that the decrease is also a decline of 75.73 per cent relative to the second quarter of 2015. The report reads in part, “The total value of capital imported into Nigeria in the second quarter of 2016 was estimated to be $647.1m, which represents a fall of 8.98 per cent relative to the first quarter, and a fall of 75.73 per cent relative to the second quarter of 2015. “This provisional figure would be the lowest level of capital imported into the economy on record, and would also represent the largest year on year decrease. This would be the second consecutive quarter in which these records have been set.”

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West Ham sign Zaza on loan from Juventus

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Juventas striker Simone Zaza has joined Premier League side West Ham United on a season-long loan, the Italian champions announced on Sunday. The deal could be made permanent and the fee could reach a maximum of £17 million ($22.3), depending on the amount of appearances the Italy international makes in the English top flight. Zaza joined Juve from Sassuolo at the start of last season, but only made five starts in Serie A for Massimiliano Allegri’s men, scoring five goals. In all he played 24 games for the Turin giants, who have won five successive Serie A titles, scoring eight times. The 25-year-old has also made 14 international appearances for Italy, but blazed a terrible spot-kick over the crossbar as the Azzurri were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Germany after a dramatic penalty shoot-out in July. AFP

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Seminarian’s killing: Herdsmen flee Enugu over fears of reprisal

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Ihuoma Chiedozie, Enugu Indications have emerged that cattle rearers are fleeing Enugu State over fears of a reprisal after a Catholic seminarian was killed during the invasion of Attakwu community by armed herdsmen on Thursday. The seminarian, identified as Lazarus Nwafor, was butchered during the early morning attack on the community, which is located in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State. The trainee-Catholic priest was from Orlu, Imo State, and it was learnt that he had just returned to the community on Wednesday following a visit to his parents. Four others sustained severe injuries and are currently in critical condition in a hospital receiving treatment. The latest incident comes exactly four months after several persons were killed when another Enugu community – Ukpabi Nimbo – was attacked by herdsmen on April 25. Before Thursday’s attack, it was learnt that the people of Attakwu have been having problems with herdsmen in the community over the destruction of crops in their farmlands. Herdsmen operating in the area reside in a Fulani settlement situated at a valley in the community. However, findings by our correspondent on Friday revealed that the herdsmen have deserted the settlement. Sources in the community disclosed that the herdsmen fled before reports of the attack went round early on Thursday morning. Irate youths, who rushed to the valley on a vengeance mission, met a deserted settlement. “The place was deserted, they did not leave any of their belongings behind – it seemed they knew we would come looking for them,” a youth who asked not to be named told our correspondent. The young man added that the settlement was busy on Wednesday before the recent attack occurred the following day. Traditional ruler of Attakwu, His Royal Highness Igwe Greg Ugwu, and other community and religious leaders, it was gathered, had to restrain youths from destroying the settlement, which had mud huts with thatched roofs as residential quarters. Also, a police team comprising personnel from the anti-riot and counter-terrorism units, as well as operatives of the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department was deployed to the area to forestall the breakdown of law and order. It was also learnt that herdsmen have been moving out of communities in Udi, Awgu, Aninri, Nsukka and other areas of the state since Thursday’s attack. “There were reprisals against herdsmen after the invasion of Ukpabi Nimbo and the clash between cattle rearers and their host communities in Awgu. “The herdsmen alleged that some of their members were killed, and that their cattle were stolen or slaughtered. “So when reports that another attack has been attributed to herdsmen in Attakwu, they decided to flee,” a source in the Fulani community in Enugu told our correspondent on Friday. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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My career is not dead -Jazzman Olofin

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Once upon a time, Jazzman Olofin was a big name in the entertainment industry. Now, just a few may likely remember he held sway many years ago. But even as he is not so popular again, it has not stopped the young man from releasing songs periodically. In fact, just this week, he released his latest song, ‘Shade’, and he told Saturday Beats that he is getting positive feedback over it. In the chat, Jazzman still believes his career is not dead as he took a swipe at those who felt differently. He said, “I don’t read negative comments because everybody is entitled to their comments. Those people who post hate comments and say things like my career is dead are people who do not believe in themselves. Some of them have dead careers and they feel that whatever happens to them should happen to me. For you to say a person’s career is dead must mean that you are having a messed up life. “Even if my career is dead, what is more important is that I have contributed something in this world and when I am long gone, people would still dance to my songs. Anybody can sit in his mother’s kitchen and after buying N50 worth of data, begins to tweet at anybody. There are a lot of people who did not have a career when I knew them, I thought they would not amount to anything but they picked themselves up and they are huge right now.” The singer further added that he was doing music at his own pace and he is not competing with anyone. “I am not competing with anybody; when I started music, I was not competing with anybody. You come to this world, do your thing and you go. If you want to be competing with someone, it would deplete your creativity. I enjoy myself even when I am singing my old song and that is very important to me. Even when I am doing a new song, I am not competing with anybody. For me there is no competition.” He told Saturday Beats that women still disturb him but he tries his best to stay out of trouble. “Those were my rascal days, I am an easy going person now and I am a bit shy. I am the kind of person that if I walk into a room, I would sit down quietly. Ladies still disturb me once in a while but I don’t like to get into trouble. I like having fun with ladies by talking with them. Ladies used to disturb me a lot back in the days. If women do not like your song it would not go far because they have time for music more than men,” he said. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Power outage disrupts flights at Lagos airport

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Flight operations were disrupted at the international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, for two days; Saturday and Sunday, following continued power outage. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the power outage affected international flights. The General Manager, Public Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Yakubu Dati, confirmed the development on Sunday in Lagos to journalists. “There was a power outage from the PHCN and the airport has continued to rely on our independent power supply. “However, when power was restored, the surge adversely affected the K16 transformer that serves the Air-bridges and rendered them unserviceable. “This has adversely affected operations of departing flights. The heavy rainfall has further delayed attempts by our electrical engineers to effect repairs immediately,” he said. However, FAAN had apologised to passengers, airlines and the general public for the inconvenience caused by the development. The authority said that efforts were being made to find a lasting solution to it According to NAN, passengers that were either boarding or disembarking aircraft now used the ramps rather than the tarmac fingers at the nation’s busiest airport, As at Saturday, Aug. 27, the disruption necessitated by the power failure affected international flights operated by KLM/Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa and South Africa Airways. A source close to one of the airlines told NAN that the disruption continued on Sunday as electricity had not been restored. The source said that passengers on international flights operated by Arik Air, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Air Maroc also used the ramp. NAN

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BREAKING: Samir Nasri joins Sevilla from Man City on loan

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Samir Nasri, another City outcast, has joined Spanish side Sevilla, hours after Joe Hart completed his loan move to Torino. The French midfielder had been deemed surplus to requirement by new coach Pep Guardiola. Details later…

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I made N10, 000 daily for carrying robbers - Okada rider

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Twenty-year-old Oluwole Sunday is not your average commercial motorcyclist. In fact, the only thing “commercial” about his okada business is that while other okada riders transport members of the public from one point to another in the Lagos metropolis, he made his money by transporting robbers on their daily operations. But that didn’t last. His “business” was shut down recently by the police in Lagos during an outing with a member of his gang in Egbeda area of Lagos. According to Sunday, a father of one, he met his accomplice, 18-year-old Ahmed Musa in a relaxation joint and having introduced himself as an okada rider, they contracted their criminal alliance. But first, they needed a gun. The Abeokuta, Ogun State indigene said, “When we brought up the issue of a gun, we spoke with another friend we met at the same joint, Michael, and he said he could get us a gun. “He took us to a bathroom in his father’s house. The gun was hidden in a hole in the bathroom. “The first time we went on an operation together, we were able to operate successfully that day on my motorcycle. We robbed many people. I was given N10, 000. “This last operation, I was promised N20, 000 which is double the normal amount. I did not know that would be the day we would be caught. We had not even robbed anybody that day when we were arrested at Shasha in Egbeda.” Sunday’s accomplice, Ahmed Musa, who wielded the gun and snatched bags and jewellery anytime they went out for operations, claimed that it was his first time ever going out with him. Musa, an Ilorin, Kwara State indigene, said he had just finished his apprenticeship as a generator repairer last year and he realised there was no way he could afford to buy equipment to set up a shop. He said, “Hunger pushed me into robbery. I thought to myself that it is either I do this thing or I die of hunger. I stopped school at Senior Secondary One and my trade has not produced any money. “We planned to target women bags and jewellery mostly the day we were arrested. I am not happy about becoming a robber. My family do not know what has happened to me.” The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said apart from Musa and Sunday, 15 other robbers who specialised in robbing Lagos residents on motorcycles were arrested in the last one week. He said some of the robbers concentrated on people leaving banks with the hope that any bag they held must have money in it. According to him, the police impounded a motorcycle used by one of the suspects that had been modified for increased speed. “During the operations that led to the arrest of the suspects, two of them engaged the police in a shootout and they were killed in the process,” Owoseni said. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Seyi Shay, Niniola, battle for AFRIMA

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The African Union and the 13-man Jury of the All Africa Music Awards, have unveiled the Nominees’ List for the 2016 edition of AFRIMA. Top contenders for the coveted award include some of Africa’s biggest music titans like Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Seyi Shay and Niniola. According to the Moderator of the adjudication process, Mr. Mike Strano, about 2,700 entries from African music professionals were received during the period of May 20, 2015 to July 30, 2016. Describing the nominations process as careful and thorough, Mr. Strano harped on the Jury’s resolve to be fair and transparent. “The Jury is very careful about being accurate right from the process of verifying eligibility of entries to the process of collating and finalising results. It is an evolving process but one we work painstakingly at to ensure transparency and fairness,” Strano explained. Speaking further, Strano who is the Regional Director, Eastern Africa/Co-Producer, AFRIMA said, “There are 34 categories of the award but only 10 are released, which are the Regional Categories. A new category introduced this year is the “People’s Choice Award” which comes out from a healthy debate by the International Committee of AFRIMA and the Jury.” Describing the jurors’ experience as rewarding, the Head, Culture Division, African Union Commission, Mrs. Angela Martins, reiterated the AU and AFRIMA’s objectives of unity among African artistes and the need for continental integration while celebrating its rich music and heritage. She said, “The adjudication process was very rewarding and as one privileged to be part of the Jury, I was able to discover the widespread talents in the different regions of our beloved continent. Now, that the AFRIMA adjudication has been finalised, we expect that in the coming months, Africans will recognise these nominated artistes by putting in votes for all of them.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Collapsed building traps two in Abuja

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Adelani Adepegba, Abuja Two persons are currently buried under the rubble of a four-storey building that collapsed at Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, in the early hours of the day. Six others who were believed to be construction workers have been rescued and taken to the hospital. The victims were trapped when the building collapsed around 1am today. Rescue workers from the National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Julius Berger Plc, are currently at the scene working to rescue those buried under the rubble. Details later…

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Abia lacks capacity to handle flood disaster, says SSG

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The Secretary to the Abia Government, Dr. Eme Okoro, on Wednesday said that the state lacked the financial capacity to handle emergencies that may arise from possible flood disaster in the area. Okoro spoke against the backdrop of the recent forecast of possible flood disaster in many states of the federation in 2016. He said that the intervention from the National Emergency Management Agency would not be able to tackle flood disaster in any part of the state He said, “The funds for the immediate intervention in the event of flooding are not readily available because funds from NEMA have whittled down. “If we are faced with the magnitude of flooding that requires evacuation of the affected communities, we shall beckon on the Federal Government for its intervention.” Okoro said that states lacked the logistics to handle flood disasters, and urged the Federal Government “to plan ahead to be able to intervene in states with flood disasters”. He said that the Abia State Emergency Management Agency, which operates directly from his office, had a group called the “Rapid Response Team.” According to him, the team regularly monitors situations in flood-prone areas and bring feedback to his office. He said that “feelers from the team will help the state government to react timeously in the event that flooding reaches a level of catastrophe in any part of the state.” He also said that the state SEMA “is in constant communication with NEMA” and was “poised to react positively in case of any disaster”. Okoro said that the state government had begun the enforcement of the Land Use Management and Land Use Capability Classification Act. “This is to ensure that before we do anything on a piece of land, we have to assess it’s capability so that we do not defoliate the land and expose it to erosion,” he said. The SSG also spoke on the implication of the lingering governorship tussle in the state, saying that it had slowed down the pace of development. He said that the series of legal battles Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had faced since his inauguration as the governor had posed serious distraction to him. He, however, said that Ikpeazu remained focused and committed to deliver on his campaign promises to the people. “If those challenging his election in court stopped us from doing N10 projects, we do N4 project. “This administration is positively concerned about our people and Ikpeazu is determined to transform all his vision to reality,” he said. (NAN)

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How to determine if the one you love loves you

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If you love someone, but you’re unsure whether they feel the same way, it can tear you up inside. Let these tips help you solve the mystery of love Make eye contact with the other person How does the other person respond? They might: Look back longingly into your eyes, refusing to let go of your eyes. Definitely a good sign. She/he loves you hopelessly. Avert eyes quickly, blushing or suddenly sweating. This is another good sign. She/he is at least interested in you, but doesn’t want you to know. Look at you quickly, seemingly uninterested, and then look at you as if you are someone’s little sister/brother. A bad sign. She/he probably doesn’t think of you in the way you think of her/him. Not look at you at all. This is a tough sign to read. It could mean she doesn’t notice you; it could mean he or she’s good at keeping things under wraps. Make a joke and see how they respond Humans talk a lot, but often our body language says a lot more about us than our words do. We smile and laugh for people we like; we scowl and stay silent for people we don’t. Try making a joke. It doesn’t have to be a very good joke, and see how they respond to it. Smile and see how they respond A lot like joking around, smiling at someone will usually produce a response. If the person likes you, they are certain to smile back. If the person doesn’t like you, they’re more likely to not smile back. Consider these things when “reading into” a smile: A person could simply be caught off guard by your smile. They would love to smile back at you, but yours was so unexpected that they didn’t know how to react. Test the person you love You can test the person you love in various ways, but perhaps the most effective test is the jealousy test. Mention another guy or girl in a casual way. If the person you love stiffens up, disagrees, or badmouths the person you talked about, it most likely means they are jealous. Go out Go out with a group of friends and including him or her. If this person stays close to you throughout the night, and talks with you a lot, this is probably a sign they’re interested. Approach the person when they least expect it Sit down the person during lunch. Call the person out of the blue. Track them down between classes. Catch them when they don’t expect you to be there and see how they react. Do they seem happy to see you, flustered, awkward, dishevelled, or tense? These are all good signs. There’s a spark, it seems. Do they seem uninterested, condescending, not bothered, or too busy to acknowledge you? There are all bad signs. Ask If all else fails and you need to know the other person’s feelings, you may have to come right out and ask. Be prepared for the worst but expect the best. Remember, too, that the only way to know if someone loves you is if they accept you for who you are. Nothing more and nothing less. No one is perfect but true love accepts imperfections with perfections. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Kogi Governor stoned at Jumat Prayer

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Gbenga Odogun, Lokoja The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was reportedly pelted with stones and other missiles on Friday at the Lokoja Central Mosque where he was attending a special session to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state. A source close to the mosque told our correspondent in Lokoja that the governor, who had arrived the mosque behind schedule, was greeted with jeers and boos by some irate youths, at the entrance of the mosque. “The governor was booed and missiles were thrown in his direction as he alighted from his car,” the source said. Following the incident, our sources said the prayer session was hurriedly suspended on the advice of security personnel around. When contacted for confirmation, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and strategy, Abdumalik Abdukarim, said the report was not true. “I was at the mosque with the governor and I did not witness any incident like that,” he said. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya, proved abortive as he did not answer calls made to his mobile telephone. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Police kill notorious kidnapper, five others in Rivers

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Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have killed a notorious kidnapper known as General Igbudu in Ahoada East Local Government. The kidnapper, who is also an armed robber, was gunned down in the early hours of Sunday after a shootout with the police at Ihuike, along the East-West Road in Ahoada East LGA. ‘General Igbudu’, the leader of a notorious gang that has been terrorising Ahoada, was‎ killed in the shootout along with members of his gang.

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FUNAAB crisis: Beyond the students’ protest

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The dust has yet to settle at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, after a students’ protest, SAMUEL AWOYINFA writes The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, has not, in recent times, been in the news for the wrong reasons, except for a students’ protest that hit the ivory towers two weeks ago. Precisely, on August 18, the institution witnessed a violent protest, in which a student and two policemen were wounded, while no fewer than seven vehicles were burnt. The protesters also torched the Divine Height Bible Church, Kotopo, Abeokuta, presided over by the university Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole. The students, it was alleged, were kicking against the incessant robbery attacks on their hostels, located outside the campus. But two weeks after the protest, unfolding developments show that there is more to the protest that rocked the 28-year-old ivory tower. In fact, intrigues, accusations and counter-accusations seem to be the order of the day among the university’s stakeholders. For the VC, the ongoing developments have a tinge of “internal politics.” According to him, there are unseen hands stoking the crisis in the citadel of learning. Though Oyewole did not expatiate on the “external influence”, he noted that would be vindicated at the end of it all. Perhaps, one aspect of the ‘internal politics’ Oyewole talked about was the alleged petition written by some ‘Concerned Stakeholders’ to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission about some alleged underhand financial dealings in the university. This had resulted in the anti-graft agency inviting the VC and the bursar of the school to its Ibadan office for questioning. Though the VC is back on campus, he has refused to talk about the issue, preferring to allow the EFCC to conduct its investigation into the matter. He said, “It’s just that there may be some vested, external interest in what happened. Our students are naturally peaceful. They are not used to this type of violence.” Even as the VC holds this view, the FUNAAB chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have taken divergent positions on the crisis. While SSANU canvassed the suspension of the VC; Pro-Chancellor, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe; and members of the Governing Council, ASUU, distanced itself from SSANU’s call. SSANU Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Fasunwon, last Wednesday at a briefing said that Oyewole had contravened sections 5. 10. 1 (Interdiction) of the FUNAAB’s Senior Staff Rules and Regulations, which prohibit him from “suspending three members of staff of the university because he is undergoing criminal investigation.” Oyewole, who defended the suspension of the workers, said the decision was in accordance with the university regulations. But briefing journalists on Friday, the FUNAAB-ASUU dissociated itself from the call for the suspension of Oyewole and members of the Governing Council. The ASUU Chairman, Dr. Adebayo Oni, noted that the VC and the council members were appointed in line with the laws establishing the university and could not be removed from office without following due process. Oni, who frowned on the action of the ‘Concerned Stakeholders’, said the university was not a place where people took laws into their hands. He said, “Our union will resist any attempt to turn our highly revered university into a banana republic or Animal Farm. “We hereby dissociate ourselves from any clandestine move to drag the reputation of FUNAAB into the mud.” Oni advised aggrieved members of staff to explore the due process in seeking redress. The union restated its confidence of its members in the ability of the current university administration and council, in continuing to provide academic, research and administrative leadership. Again, on Monday, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, FUNAAB, also dissociated itself from SSANU’s position. The NASU, which spoke through its Chairman, Isiaq Odunjo, noted that SSANU lacked the authority to claim that it could sack the VC and the Governing Council members. It also frowned on the destruction of public properties during the students’ protest, noting that who became the next VC was at the centre of the crisis in the ivory tower. Odunjo called on SSANU leadership to allow peace reign in the institution. He said, “Leadership of students, staff unions, university management and Governing Council should realise that we do not have any other university as a centre of learning and an organisation from where we get our means of livelihood other than FUNAAB. “The writers of the petition and leadership of SSANU should allow various arms of security agents and government to which they sent the petition to investigate. “Those beating the drums of war among the members of staff should think twice and restrain themselves.” Meanwhile, the university management, which has extended the resumption of classes till further notice, has constituted an investigative committee to look into the students’ protest. The committee is to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the unrest. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. 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50% of Germans oppose fourth term for Merkel - Poll

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s domestic popularity has declined, a poll showed on Sunday, with 50 per cent of Germans against her serving a fourth term in office after a federal election next year. A series of violent attacks on civilians in July, two of which were claimed by Islamic State, have focused attention on Merkel’s open-door migrant policy, which allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere into Germany last year. Half of the 501 people questioned in the Emnid poll for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper were against Merkel staying in office beyond after the 2017 election, with 42 per cent wanting her to remain. In November, the last time Bild am Sonntag commissioned a survey on the issue, 45 per cent had been in favour of Merkel serving a fourth term, with 48 per cent against. The head of Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Frank-Juergen Weise, told the newspaper that he expects a maximum of 300,000 refugees to arrive in Germany this year. Merkel, asked about her plans for the 2017 election in an interview with regional newspapers published on Tuesday, said, “I will comment on that at the appropriate time. I’m sticking to that.” NAN

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Buhari approves governing boards of NPA, NIMASA

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Friday Olokor President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the composition of the governing boards of the Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency. The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Friday night by the Director (Press and Public Relations) in Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Bolaji Adebiyi. While the NPA governing board has Mr. Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye as chairman, other members include a former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Supo Shashore; Suleiman Ibrahim Halilu, Constance Harry Mashal, Umar Shu’aibu, Charles Efe Emukowhate Sylvester and Hadiza Bala Usman. Others are Mohammed Bello Koko, Dr. Sekonte Davis, Prof. Idris Abubakar and Mrs. I. J. Uche-Okoro. Members of the NIMASA governing board are Major General Jonathan India Garba (chairman), Asekomhe Oaakhia Kenneth, Mohammed Gidado Muazu, Hon. Barrister Ebele Obi, S. U. Galadanchi and Ms Nene Betty Dike. Others are Dakuku Peterside, Rear Admiral Adeniyi Osinowo, Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, Joseph Oluwarotimi Fashakin and Gambo Ahmed.

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Does Buhari need emergency powers to fix economy?

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Any country that faces the kind of problems we are battling needs extraordinary approaches. So, we need extraordinary solutions to the problems facing the economy. Hence, the President, Muhammadu Buhari, needs extra powers. With that, he does not have to go through the legislature before he could take drastic decisions to tackle the economic challenges. Personally, I think the President even needs much more than emergency powers. We are in a war situation. And when you are in that kind of a situation, you don’t do things in the usual way. The country’s assets – human and non-human – are being destroyed in different parts of the country. I would suggest that everything the President needs to address the problems should be given to him. Countries in different parts of the world had resorted to the approaches similar to what the National Economic Team is requesting in order to fix their economies during critical times. So, the request for emergency powers is not new. Unless something drastic is done, the possibility that the economy would collapse completely is very high. We need to do something fast to prevent civilian or military revolution. On this basis, I consider the request for emergency powers for the President necessary. If the members of the National Assembly truly love the country, they should grant the request speedily. The emergency powers should not be indefinite. The period the powers would cover should be defined. There should also be checks and balances to ensure that there is no abuse. – • Dr. Sonny Kuku (An ex-Chairman, Board of Directors, Ecobank Nigeria) Many Nigerians do not know what the emergency powers bill is about. I also know that President Muhammadu Buhari said he was not aware of the bill. For me, I do not think that the request is necessary. What purpose would such powers serve? I do not see the value it would add to the economy. To stimulate the economy, we should look inward. We should stop depending on foreign investors. This is because foreign investors are more interested in buying portfolio assets cheap rather than investing in the productive sectors of the economy. If we continue to rely on foreign investors, we would wait forever. Unfortunately, attracting foreign investors is one of the reasons the Central Bank of Nigeria normally gives for devaluing the naira. The foreigners would not set up factories when they come. They would be more interested in buying shares at cheap prices. Why should we be more concerned about attracting foreign investors than making the business environment attractive for local manufacturers? The CBN should reduce interest rates to make loans affordable to small entrepreneurs. This would create more jobs. This is what the Federal Government should encourage the CBN to do. – • Tokunbo Ajasin (An ex-Chairman, defunct Afribank Nigeria Plc) The request for emergency powers for President Muhammadu Buhari is a right move. Considering the problems currently facing the country, such powers are necessary to take timely decisions. So, I support the idea. I do not understand why some Nigerians are protesting the request. The President was elected by Nigerians because they had confidence in him. Why is it so difficult to trust him? We should believe that he is working for the interest of the country and give him the necessary support. Besides, the National Assembly is there to monitor the President and ensure that the powers are not abused. If we truly want the President to fix the economy, we should encourage the National Assembly to pass the bill. Instead of fear, we should see the big picture, which is taking Nigeria out of the current economic challenges. The President should be given a chance to do what is necessary to save the economy from collapsing.- • Remi Ogunmefun (A former Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria) In a democracy, granting ‘wide’ emergency powers to the President is not appropriate. The emergency powers should be tied to certain economic policy actions. If the bill does not include the areas the President wants to apply the emergency powers, the National Assembly should demand that they (the specific areas) be stated. This is democracy. The President must seek a legislative approval where it is important. Otherwise, people would label him as being autocratic. I am sure that President Muhammadu Buhari is aware that he cannot get unlimited powers under democratic governance. It is the responsibility of the lawmakers to ask the President to specify what he wants to do with the emergency powers. I am sure that the parliament would do that.- •Sheriffdeen Tella (Professor of Economics) First, Nigerians need to know the content of the bill. So, the Presidency should market it to the masses. If President Muhammadu Buhari needs emergency powers to tackle a specific need, it may be justified. But if what the National Economic Team is asking for are extra powers that are not tied to anything, then the bill does not make any sense. We need to know the specific need the President wants to use the powers to address. The need and derivable objectives should be specified. If the bill is seeking broad emergency powers that are not tied to any special purpose, there would be corporate governance violations. The economy is too wide to be tackled with emergency powers. Even agriculture is too broad for the purpose of emergency powers. You could talk about declaring an emergency on food production. That is specific enough. The President could ask for powers to declare an emergency on food production and ban the importation of food items. That would be understandable. But I think Nigerians need to see the details of the bill. What is the essence of the emergency powers when nobody stops the President from doing what he wants to do? The government would get the right results if it engages the right people.- •Oseme Oigiagbe (Chairman, Automobile Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry) In Africa where presidents are perceived to possess maximum powers, such a request would naturally be viewed with suspicion. There is the need for clarifications. Nigerians would probably be willing to encourage the National Assembly to concede additional powers to President Muhammadu Buhari if they are convinced that such powers would lead to a higher standard of living. I think there are sufficient powers which the President could exercise to bring the economy out of the woods. But if there is something behind the scene that warrants the request for extra powers, Nigerians should be privy to the information. So, I think the President would do the country some good by explaining to the people why he needs additional powers. There are sufficient reasons for suspicions. For instance, one of the things that have stalled the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill is the discretionary power given to the Minister of Petroleum Resources over oil and gas management. The discretionary power could be traced to the military era when the then heads of state took advantage of their maximum powers to allocate oil blocks to their cronies. That shows how power could be abused in the country. Also, the administration that is making the request may use the powers judiciously. But what is the assurance that another administration would not abuse the powers? We need to be very careful in giving additional powers to the President, who many people perceive as being too powerful already. Nigerians need to be properly briefed on how the emergency powers would translate into additional value.- • Bala Zakka (Energy expert) (Compiled by Geoff Iyatse) Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Police nabs herdsman with AK47 rifle in Enugu

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A 20-year-old herdsman, Ibrahim Adamumale, has been arrested by the Police in Enugu for allegedly being in possession of an AK47 rifle. The suspect, who claimed to have hailed from Nasarawa State, was also found with 24 rounds of live ammunition. The Spokesman for the Enugu State Police Command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the arrest on Tuesday. Amaraizu said the suspect, who revealed that he lives at Hausa quarters in 9th-mile area and had some cows at Affa-Udi bush, was arrested on Sunday. He said, “The suspect was nabbed by the combined efforts of the police and the members of the public from Affa-Udi community acting on a tip off. “The suspect before his arrest fired about six shots into the air to evade being nabbed. “Before now, the police and members of the public had gathered information about the suspect’s antecedents.” Amaraizu said that the suspect was already helping the police in their investigation to determine how he came about the rifle. He said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, had expressed delight at the effort of his men and the community that led to the arrest of the suspect. NAN

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FG destroys 15 containers of imported frozen fish

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Stanley Ogidi The Federal Department of Fisheries on Saturday destroyed 15 containers of frozen fish allegedly belonging to a company, Food Solution Nigeria Limited. According to the Deputy Director of Fisheries, Mrs. Olabisi Adepegba, out of the company’s frozen fish-filled containers, 15 contained spoilt fishes. Olabisi said the firm, Mediterranean Shipping Company, which brought in the fishes, would pay for the destruction exercise. The 15 containers were evacuated from Sifax Terminal to Lagos State Waste Management Authority’s dumpsite, at Epe, where the products were destroyed, after which a destruction certificate was issued to the shipping company and a copy to FDF for record purposes. She noted that the task of clearing and destroying the 15 containers took some time because those involved were reluctant to bear the cost of evacuating and destroying the products. Olabisi stressed that the FDD had a mandate to protect the public and prevent unwholesome fish from getting to the market. Reacting to the development, the General Manager of Sifax Duck Yard, Mr. Oliver Omajuwa, said the consignment came in a batch of 43 containers out of which 15 were condemned and 28 had been taken delivery of, certified for consumption by the FDF. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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How to enjoy sex after childbirth

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Tunde Ajaja Sex after childbirth can be scary for many women; even though childbirth makes them to have all it takes to make their husbands want more sex on mere sighting them; talk of larger (milk-filled) breasts and pointed nipples. It is even for this reason that some men ‘compete for’ or ‘alternate’ the breasts with their new babies. Although sexual intercourse is not encouraged until six weeks after, for those who had normal delivery, to allow the body heal faster and avoid likely infections, some men have often described such women as more attractive. But those might not be enough to boost the confidence and preparedness of some women to resume sexual activities with their husbands, and the fears may not be misplaced after all. For those who had normal delivery, some tend to be apprehensive of what their partners would think of what has become of their body, largely because of their fatigued and ‘loose body.’ Coupled with exhaustion and other things that could take their minds away from going for another romp in the sack, it is not uncommon to see that some couples’ sex lives derail after childbirth. And on the other hand, for those who had Caesarean Section, the pain may not abate quickly, which makes sex somewhat painful. Even though the tightness of the vagina is retained when a woman gives birth through CS, which is the reason why some men encourage their wives to go through the operation to avoid having a loose vagina afterwards, studies have however shown that sex may become more painful for such couples after childbirth until it heals completely. Thus, such women shy away from it for some time. Impliedly, whether the delivery was done through normal delivery, use of some equipment, through CS or there was episiotomy, which is a surgical cut made at the opening of the vagina during childbirth to widen the passage for easy delivery and prevent rupture of tissues, there is usually the possibility of a cut, tear or scar at the end of the exercise, which could dampen couples’ sex lives. But there is a way out. For women who had CS, one good way to enjoy sex after childbirth and avoid nightmarish experiences would be to explore extensive foreplay or adopt other sex positions apart from the missionary style so as not to put too much pressure on the pain until it heals. According to a popular nurse and sexual health expert, Samantha Evans, “Pressure on the wound arising from CS can cause pain, while some loss of sensation around the wound can also occur, making it sensitive to touch. Therefore these women should avoid sexual positions which exert pressure on their abdomens and over the wound site.” And apart from using helpful sexual positions, experts have advised foreplay, which can take both parties to orgasm without any penile intercourse. Medical experts have pointed out that the stimulation of the glans (the rounded part forming the end of the penis) can make men ejaculate, and the stimulation of the clitoris or the nipples can take women to their own destination. Thankfully, previous studies, as earlier discussed on this page, have shown that a significant number of women don’t reach orgasm through penetrative sex, but through the stimulation of such vital parts. According to a consultant endocrinologist, Dr. Olamoyegun Michael, couples can still have an exciting sexual experience after childbirth because, physiologically, childbirth does not affect sexual performance in women. He said if there was no problem at delivery and there were no injuries, there should be no reason for any reduced libido or enjoyment of sex and couples can enjoy sex after delivery, as much as they did before the pregnancy. In fact, he said such women tend to experience increased vaginal secretion, which is key in sexual enjoyment, and that if there is dryness at all, it is possibly because there is no enough stimulation. Thus, the man should engage the woman in extensive foreplay so she could be wet. He said, “There is no physiological explanation why somebody should have reduced libido after delivery. The hormones produced during pregnancy don’t necessarily increase or reduce libido and they go back to normal after delivery. The increased blood flow occurs during pregnancy and there is nothing like that after childbirth. Six weeks after delivery, the body goes back to pre-pregnancy state. So, whatever changes that occurred that period disappears six weeks after the childbirth.” Be that as it may, Olamoyegun cautioned that whether such women would enjoy sex, or the extent to which they would, depend on the circumstances surrounding the delivery. He explained, “If at delivery, the child was too big, or the child was in an abnormal position, making the delivery difficult and she sustains injury, or the woman was given episiotomy, which is a surgical cut made at the opening of the vagina during childbirth to expand it, and she had a tear or injury, if it is not allowed to heal very well, she may end up in pains and that can reduce her libido. It is called dyspareunia, meaning difficult or painful sexual intercourse. “If it was episiotomy and it was done by a competent professional and it was well sutured (a stitch or row of stitches holding together the edges of a wound or surgical incision), and they allow it to heal very well before they start having sex, there shouldn’t be any problem. They can have a good sex life afterwards. But, there will be a problem if it didn’t heal very well or if it wasn’t well done. “For example, the stitching may narrow the birth canal (vagina), and it may cause pain during sex. If they have a problem and they feel the woman’s vagina is tighter than how it should be, she would need to see a competent professional like an obstetrician gynaecologists, who could dilate it; make it wider, and find a way to correct or expand it. “Beyond these, during sex after childbirth, the husband needs to be gentle with the wife, especially during penetration. Such women will need to relax and there is need for significant foreplay so she could be wet to avoid pain during penetration.” From findings, loose vagina is a common experience after normal childbirth, and it is a major turn-off for men. So, on what is the way out, Olamoyegun has this to say. “There are various forms of exercise that can be done to tighten the vagina wall if it is loose and one of such is pelvic floor exercise, also known as Kegel exercise, which helps to tighten the muscle around the vagina. And it works, but if that is not very effective, there are other procedures to tighten it.” He said without exercise, the vagina can still firm up with time but it may not be very effective and it will take a longer time. So, for a tighter vagina, which is key in sexual enjoyment, women should take up such exercises. But even when all these have been taken care of, it is not uncommon to see couples having difficulty with their post-partum sex life. According to Olamoyegun, this is due to some social factors that can be addressed. He said, “Women usually add weight during pregnancy and most women don’t shed that weight after delivery, so they might not be as pretty and attractive to their husbands as they used to be. It may reduce the number of times they have sex, and that is why such women are advised to do some exercises. “Also, some women shift their attention from the men to the child, so, they don’t have time for sex neither do they have time to look attractive for their husbands, which can lessen the interest of the man in the woman. The fear of pregnancy is also there and it is more so for those who are not interested in family planning. These are social factors, and if they are taken care of, there is no reason why there will be a decrease in sexual drive.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Victor Moses ends four-year EPL goal drought

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Chelsea and Nigeria winger Victor Moses ended a four-year English Premier League goal drought by completing the scoring in a 3-0 rout of Burnley at the weekend. The Lagos-born 25-year-old attacker is back with the west London club after one-season loans to Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham United. African Footballer of the Year and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bagged a brace for Borussia Dortmund in a season-opening 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Mainz. ENGLAND VICTOR MOSES (Chelsea) The Nigeria international scored his first Premier League goal for four years when, having been played in by fellow substitute Pedro, he slid the ball in from close range in the 89th minute to set the seal on unbeaten Chelsea’s 3-0 win at home to Burnley. RIYAD MAHREZ (Leicester City) One of the stars of the Foxes’ shock march to the title last season, the Algeria winger had a penalty saved at 2-0 in what turned out to be a 2-1 win over Swansea as Leicester recorded their first league victory of the season. He also saw a shot creep past Lukasz Fabianski’s left-hand post before the goalkeeper saved his spot-kick. It was Mahrez’s third failure from his last four Premier League penalties. LAMINE KONE (Sunderland) Had a generally sound game in defence for the Black Cats at Southampton and the Ivory Coast centre-back might have opened the scoring in an eventual 1-1 draw but shot wide after being teed up by Patrick van Aanholt. NORDIN AMRABAT (Watford) The Morocco midfielder made his presence felt as Watford went down 3-1 to Arsenal, bundling Alexis Sanchez to the turf as he inadvertently clattered his opponent in the head — leaving him dazed. There appeared to be no lasting damage, with Sanchez among Arsenal’s scorers. SPAIN KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG, NABIL EL ZHAR (Las Palmas) Boateng’s brilliant start to life in the Canary Islands continued as Las Palmas went top of La Liga with a 5-1 thrashing of Granada. The Ghanaian headed home his second goal in as many games to put the hosts 2-1 up early in the second half. Moroccan winger El Zhar scored twice and set up the fourth goal. ITALY KWADWO ASAMOAH (Juventus) Just how long Asamoah will keep his starting place in the Juventus midfield remains to be seen, but the Ghanaian dynamo won the plaudits of coach Massimiliano Allegri after a “solid” performance in a 1-0 win at Lazio that maintained the champions’ 100% start to the campaign. Asamoah may even have had his name in lights if Lazio ‘keeper Federico Marchetti had not somehow flapped his speculative effort away from the top corner of his goal. FRANK KESSIE (Atalanta) Teenage Ivorian defender Kessie hit his third goal in two Serie A games for Atalanta when he pounced on a loose ball in front of the Sampdoria goal to beat Marco Sportiello in the 27th minute in Genoa, but the home side recovered to win 2-1. SAPHIR TAIDER (Bologna) Taider and the rest of his Bologna team probably thought it was ‘game on’ when the Algerian levelled for the visitors after hosts Torino had opened the scoring. But Bologna were awful for much of the rest of the game, and ‘Toro’ capitalised to triumph 5-1. FRANCE NICOLAS NKOULOU (Lyon) Cameroon defender Nkoulou, signed to replace Cameroon-born France international Samuel Umtiti, who was sold to Barcelona in mid-year, conceded a penalty for a foul on Cape Verde striker Julio Tavares as Lyon lost 4-2 at Dijon. MOUSTAPHA DIALLO (Guingamp) Senegalese midfielder Diallo scored his second goal this season to help Guingamp to a 2-0 win at Nancy that leaves them surprisingly top of the Ligue 1 table. SERGE AURIER (Paris Saint-Germain) Ivory Coast defender Aurier had an eventful evening as champions PSG lost 3-1 at Monaco. He set up Edinson Cavani’s goal that gave Paris hope after they had fallen two goals behind at the Stade Louis II, but then put through his own net 10 minutes from time to confirm the defeat. GERMANY PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Borussia Dortmund) After Robert Lewandowski, last season’s top scorer in Germany with 30 goals, scored a hat-trick for Bayern Munich on Friday, ‘Auba’ went and netted twice at home for Borussia Dortmund on Saturday with a first-half header and a late penalty in the 2-1 win over Mainz. LAMINE SANE, FALLOU DIAGNE (Werder Bremen) Along with the rest of the Bremen team, the Senegalese centre-backs had a night to forget as Bayern ran riot in a 6-0 thrashing of Werder in the opening 2016/17 Bundesliga fixture. The pair were at fault for allowing Lewandowski to get in behind the Bremen defence for his first goal. Fallou failed to close down Munich captain Philipp Lahm for the third.

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Dad, brothers’ beatings couldn’t kill my love for football - Dede

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Super Falcons goalkeeper and captain Precious Dede talks about her decision to play football, challenges of the women’s game and why she called it quits with the national team, in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA Not much has been heard about you since the 2015 Women’s World Cup… (Cuts in) It’s been very well with me; God has been very faithful to me. There was so much expectation from Nigerians at last year’s Women’s World Cup but the Falcons failed to fly in Canada. What went wrong? I don’t really know what went wrong. Where we ended up in 2015 was not what we bargained for. It was very bad. We had our focus on the final but it ended the way it did. I can’t really say what the problem was. The Falcons came from behind to earn a draw against Sweden but lost their remaining two group games against Australia and the US. Some said overconfidence ruined the team, do you agree? I don’t agree; overconfidence was never the cause. Like I said earlier, we were targeting a place in the final but it didn’t come to pass as planned. As a young girl, was it easy in the beginning as a footballer? It wasn’t easy for me because my dad was a doctor and my mum a teacher. So, you could imagine the kind of home I came from. They both wanted me to study; it was a fight all through. I wanted to play football, I love football and I knew I would go far as a football player, that was why I combined the two (education and sports). Was it easy combining both? For me, I would say it was quite easy because I’m a bit intelligent (laughs). Did you pass through punishment in your parents’ hands? It was hell. I received beatings from my elder brothers and dad even until I gained admission into the University of Uyo. After playing inter-faculty matches, they would invite me to come home. I knew I was going to face a hellish time in their hands. My dad flogged me till he died in 1999. It was hell for me. When you got the breakthrough, how did they feel? My dad died in 1999 and I joined the national team in 2000, so he never saw me play for the Falcons. My first outing (for the Falcons) was in Australia and the very day I came back to Nigeria, my mum died. So, they never really saw me play for Nigeria. Why do you prefer goalkeeping to being an outfield player? I was never a goalkeeper. While in secondary school, I was playing and not keeping but there was this final game of a competition and our two keepers complained of sickness on the morning of the game. Out of annoyance, our coach threw the number one jersey at me and said, ‘Go there and keep for me. I’m no longer interested in the result.’ I told him I wasn’t a goalkeeper but he insisted that I kept. The game ended in a penalty shootout and I caught three of them and we won. I didn’t decide to start keeping then but everyone who watched the game kept saying I was a better keeper than player. So, that was how my keeping career began. How did you feel when you first wore the national colours in 2000? When I was first invited, I was very scared seeing Ann Chiejine, Judith Chime and all the big goalkeepers. I was scared and refused to go when I saw the names on the list. I would have preferred to start from the junior teams but there were none then. However, my siblings urged me to go and try out. But while in camp, I was still very scared, I never expected it (the invitation) to come. I was praying to wear the green and white colours but not then, because of the big keepers in the team. But God turned things in my favour and I made it with the team. Why are you not playing in Europe? I played in Norway (for Arna-Bjørnar) in 2009 but my problem is my inability to adapt to cold weather conditions. I don’t like cold weather. I’ve had offers but right now, I’m in Dubai. If it’s a cold place, count me out; once it’s three months, I’m out. I can’t kill myself just because I want to play professional football abroad. How is the quality of football in Dubai? It’s not as high as the standard of the Nigerian league; it’s still growing. They have me there just to encourage the young keepers. They are very happy having me around them. How has it been playing football with women wearing hijabs? They are very friendly and nice people. In terms of football, they are still trying to be like the big nations. I think they can get there with time. Your former teammate Mercy Akide once complained that Nigeria’s women footballers were treated like second-class citizens. Do you agree? I do. They are not treating us well at all. Sometimes I weep and there was a time I wanted to retire from the game just because of the way they treat us in Nigeria. In fact, I was forced to retire but my mentors advised me to come back. What are the challenges of women footballers in Nigeria? Let me start with the salaries. If you are not paid well, you can’t play well. And I think the Nigeria Football Federation board members should agree with clubs on what players should be paid. Some clubs owe players two, three years salaries and they are not doing anything about it. The NFF should look into such issues and do something about it. If you are not ready to do anything about your players, then do not register them. If clubs register players for the league, they must abide by the contracts they signed with the players. But sadly, even with the contract forms, these clubs don’t do anything about fulfilling their terms. You see players crying for food. When I was abroad, the players would call me telling me they’ve not eaten, they’ve not been paid. I think the main problem is the salaries. If these players are paid well, everything will be settled. They will be able to take care of themselves. At the national team level, do you think the Falcons are treated the same way like the Super Eagles? No, they are very far apart from the Eagles. How do you feel having won the African Women Championship six times? I feel great but my target was playing in the final of the Women’s World Cup. That has been my target. Maybe you could achieve that if Falcons qualify for the next Women’s World Cup? No, I’m retired. But you could get a recall to the team… Yes I know; the spirit is willing but the body is weak. Former Eagles captain Joseph Yobo had a testimonial in May, which you attended. Are you also thinking of having a testimonial game to retire from football? I think we (women) need to start having testimonial games too. When we retire nobody cares about us. For instance Stella Mbachu retired and nobody was aware, even I, her teammate, didn’t know. That’s the problem we are having. Nobody talks to us, nobody asks us why we are retiring. If you retire, that’s your business. Nobody cares. What are your best and worst moments? My best time in the game was the first time I lifted the African Women’s Championship trophy; my worst was when I conceded five goals against the US at the Women’s World Cup. Would you want your kids to play football in Nigeria after what you’ve experienced? If they want to play, they will. What’s your advice to up-and-coming women footballers? They have to be courageous, not minding the challenges and keep pushing hard. I faced a lot of challenges but I never gave up. I always advise them, call them on phone and tell them how we started. What were these challenges you faced? Sometimes, I played a whole year without a single salary. I’m a breadwinner and even when I was paid, the money was not enough to feed me and my siblings. When the young players see things like that, they should keep them aside and forge ahead. Sometimes, they tell me they can’t continue like this, that they want to go back to school. I help them out using my own story as an example. Who is Precious Dede? Precious Dede is a humble woman, she’s calm to a fault, loyal to a fault, shy, God-fearing and hardworking. If you have a million dollars today, what will you do with it? I will share it because it has been my dream to have a foundation or charity organisation. I’m an orphan now. If I have a million dollars right now, I will share it into two and visit the homeless people, widows and all those that need help. That has been my dream, to put smiles on people’s faces. What are you hoping to do now that you are retired? Hopefully, I want to go into the fashion world, and I will also like to start a career in coaching as well. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Grandma, 51, nabbed with heroin in Lagos

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Kunle Falayi The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a grandmother, 51-year-old Monsurat Akinyemi at the Murtalla Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for being in possession of 180 grammes of heroin. The suspect, a trader, was nabbed during an inward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Entebbe, Uganda. She had four parcels of the drug in her luggage. According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, the agency’s commander at the airport, Ahmadu Garba, said the suspect travelled to Uganda for one week and hid the drugs in her luggage on the way back. “The case is under investigation and will be charged to court soon,” Garba said. Akinyemi, an Ogun State indigene, told investigators that all she needed was money to expand her business. She said, “I used to buy female clothes from India for sale. However, due to family problems and the economic situation, my business started to die. I wanted to expand my business. I was introduced to drug trafficking by a friend who invited me to Uganda. I invested my $3,000 in the deal and expected that I would get $6,000 from it. I am sad that things did not go as planned. I am not a criminal. I just want to survive. When the drug was discovered at the airport, I felt as if it was all over for me.” Chairman of the NDLEA, Col. Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) said the agency would continue to fight the anti-narcotics war on all fronts. “Uganda is not a source country for cocaine but drug cartels are unpredictable. They constantly change their mode of operation but we are prepared to counter all their tricks. We will remain vigilant in securing our country from the criminal activities of drug trafficking syndicates,” he said. The NDLEA boss also called on members of the public to shun drug trafficking and protect their dignity. “Investing $3,000 in drug trafficking when there are numerous legitimate businesses is ill-advised. People must look inwards and protect their family name,” Abdallah added. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Downpour destroys properties, renders many homeless in Delta

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Ovie Okpare, Warri A downpour in the early hours of Tuesday destroyed properties worth millions of naira and rendered many residents homeless in Delta State. The downpour led to flooding in different parts of the state, which submerged several homes. As early as 5:35am residents of Okuokoko in Okpe Local Government Area of the state had to evacuate their homes as a result of the rampaging flood. A visit to the area following calls for help showed that several buildings in the area were flooded to waist level with cars submerged, forcing many residents to wade through water to make it to safety. The situation was not different along the popular PTI Road, Effurun and adjoining streets of Uvwie Local Government Area. The Busy Jakpa Road was also flooded. A resident of Jeffia Avenue, which is off PTI Road, Dafe Olomu, described the situation as horrible. At the Third Marine and First Marine Gates axis in Warri, the state capital, residents were seen around 9am scooping water out their homes. The situation was also the same in the crowded Okumagba Avenue. Many residents in Ekete-Inland, Udu Council, near Warri were also forced to abandon their homes. Streets in the area, particularly Agolo Street, just after the Hospital Road, were also flooded due poor drainage system. “Ekete-Inland is one area in Udu that is very prone to flood. The problem in that area is mainly because of lack of good drainage system, deplorable road condition and indiscriminate sale of land by land speculators in the area,” a resident said. In Ughelli, Ughelli North Council area the story is similar with major streets, including the Uloho Avenue flooded. Some of the residents called on the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to come to their aid by working on the drainage system in the state.

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Benue Assembly raises alarm over corruption at education board

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Attah Ede, Makurdi The Chairman, Benue State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government, Security and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Benjamin Nungwa, on Monday, said it had been discovered that the State Universal Basic Education Board, was maintaining two Payment Vouchers to siphon government monies. Nungwa said the practice was contrary to the present administration’s policy which is anchored on transparency and accountability. The committee chairman, who was speaking about his committee’s visit to the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Local Government Service Commission on the floor of the house, said SUBEB uses one of the Payment Vouchers to access monies from the State and Local Government Joint Account Committee, and used another voucher for the payment of salaries. ”The implication of this unlawful practice is to enable the Board access more money from the Joint Account Committee on the PV that contains higher figures purported to be for staff salary and in turn use another one probably with lesser figures for the actual payment of salary,” he said. A member representing Oju 1 State Constituency, Dr. Adoga Onah, said the practice had been going on since at SUBEB, stressing that the practice was discovered right from the previous administration and wondered why the new management of the Board was still maintaining it. Also, a member of the Committee, Stephen Tyochir, disclosed that apart from the issue of double payment vouchers being used by the board, both the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Local Government Service Commission were in conflict as to the exact number of civil servants at the third tier of government. “Both have different figures of what is the exact staff strength in the LG. But by law, it is the statutory responsibility of the LGS Commission to employ staff for the third tier, and so they should be in a better position to know the staff strength of local governments,” Tyochir said. The Speaker, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange, who expressed surprise at the revelations, directed the Committee to carry out a detail investigation into the issue and report back to the House for necessary action.

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It’s impossible for me to marry another woman -Sanyeri

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Hawawu Afonja is currently in cloud nine after her husband, popular comic actor, Sanyeri, gifted her with a new car during the week. In the photographs that surfaced online, the lady was seen beaming with smiles in her new ride. But only a few close friends and family would know the tears and struggles that smiling face has been through in the past when her husband was still a struggling actor. In a recent chat with Saturday Beats, the comic relief actor said that because of what his wife has endured with him, he can never have a second wife. Sanyeri added that his wife has been through thick and thin with him and he would continue to celebrate her. He said, “All through the period I was courting my wife, I did not have money. In fact, I was living in a room apartment with three other friends of mine – Adekola Tijani, Adebayo Tijani and Ibrahim Chatta. Afeez Eniola frequently came to visit us and he would spend the whole day with us. That is why I will forever appreciate my wife and I will never stop celebrating her. “She was one of the ladies that saw herself as a fine girl yet she decided to stay with a man who had no money and no good looks. If a woman stays with a man, it is either because he is rich or he is fine. I didn’t possess any of those qualities yet my wife decided to stick with me. It is not as if I was very good with words or I had a name to brag about. She stayed with me with the belief that one day, I would become someone in life. “It’s because of her that I believe that some women have foresight. She had probably seen that my future would be bright; we began dating in 2004 and got married in 2010. That is why it is impossible for me to have a second wife. How can it be possible for me to get a second wife after all my wife has been through with me? She has faced so many struggles with me, so I cannot decide to marry another wife now that things are rosy for us. It is impossible.” Reminiscing on the first time he laid eyes on his wife, the actor said he wanted to brag about being an actor but that only pissed his wife off. He added that it took the intervention of his mother-in-law for his wife to grant him audience. “The day we met, she came to watch a film which I produced at the National Theatre. That was my first movie production. She was in the company with her friends. When I saw her, I told myself she was a fine girl so I decided to walk up to her. I introduced myself to her and told her that I would love to date her. In order to impress her, I also told her that I was the producer of the movie she came to see but she just walked out on me after I made the statement. “After about two months, we met again at the National Theatre and then I began the wooing process again after apologising for being corky. But shortly after, I did not get to see her for about four months. She eventually told me she had been very ill. Then I persisted with wooing her because she was playing hard to get. Back then, we both did not have phones so I had to call her mother’s phone to talk to her but whenever I called the phone from a business centre, she always told her mother to inform me that she was not home. But when her mother noticed that my calls were very frequent, she asked my wife who I was and she said I was a suitor she was not really interested in. Her mother then advised her to give me a trial. Her mother told her to pick my calls and if she was not interested in dating me, she would know how to tell me. That was how she began to pick my calls,” Sanyeri said. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Gabon opposition candidate claims victory in presidential election

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Gabon’s main opposition candidate Jean Ping said Sunday he had won a presidential election, beating the incumbent Omar Bongo. Official results of Saturday’s vote are due out on Tuesday. “I have been elected. I am waiting for the outgoing president to call to congratulate me,” Ping told journalists and his supporters in the capital Libreville. The central African country’s interior minister has repeatedly stated that only results released by the electoral commission and confirmed by his ministry are valid. Both of the two frontrunners had already predicted their own victory and accused the other of cheating. Shortly after polling ended on Saturday, the president’s spokesman said, “Bongo will win… we are already on our way to a second mandate.” In his comments Sunday, Ping, 73 added, “as I speak, the trends show we have won.” Hundreds of his supporters began chanting “Jean Ping president!” Ping said alleged attempts by Bongo’s camp to commit fraud had been foiled and that “we will finally see off the regime.” Bongo, 57, has been in power since a disputed election held in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled the oil-rich Central African country for 41 years. Earlier, Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet said official results would be released around 5:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Tuesday and that it was “illegal to release results ahead of the official announcement by the competent authorities.” AFP

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Hoodlums bomb Isoko House in Delta

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Ovie Okpare, Warri Some yet-to-be-identified hoodlums on Friday detonated multiple explosives at the Isoko House, Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, ahead of the mid-year conference by the Isoko Development Union. This is the second time the building, owned by IDU, the apex socio-cultural umbrella for Isoko ethnic nationality, will be attacked by hoodlums. Saturday PUNCH gathered that no one was killed or injured during the attack. The state Commissioner of Police, Zannah Ibrahim, who visited the scene of the incident, vowed to apprehend the perpetrators. The President General of IDU, Chief Iduh Amadhe, confirmed the attack to our correspondent. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Eagles vs Tanzania: Justify your appointment, Onigbinde tells Rohr

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Former Super Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, has said new coach of the national team, Gernot Rohr, must justify his appointment when he leads the team against Tanzania in his first match on September 3. The match is the last in the qualifiers for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, with both teams out of the competition, after Egypt picked the group’s sole ticket. Rohr last week invited 23 players for the match against the Taifa Stars, which the Eagles are using as rehearsal for the 2018 World Cup qualifying series. Their first match in the Russia 2018 qualifiers comes up against Zambia in Ndola in October. The German was named Eagles coach by the Nigeria Football Federation less than a month ago and will be seeking to impress in his first match in charge of the team. Onigbinde said Rohr’s pedigree notwithstanding, the NFF had chosen him as the team’s coach, adding that the Tanzania match would serve as a test for the German to prove himself. “The NFF believe that he (Rohr) is the right man for the job and he should prove himself starting with the match against Tanzania,” Onigbinde said. “It is sad that Nigeria will not be featuring in any continental competition next year and that is the more reason why the coach should do what he has been employed to do. “Nigerians are waiting to see what he will do when the 2018 World Cup qualifiers begin and that will be another disaster if the Eagles cannot qualify. “The administrators should ask themselves a lot of questions on why we will not be competing across all levels of competitions next year. The answer they get will really move our football forward. But for now, the coach needs to ensure that he does the work he has to do.” Also, former Eagles goalkeeper, Joseph Dosu, said Rohr should get his tactics right for the game, adding that the match would be an eye-opener into the German’s plans for the team. “The first game for Rohr is not one that he will be under pressure to deliver. It is an avenue for him to relate with the players and unveil his plans for the team ahead of the more important 2018 World Cup qualifiers,” the Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medallist said. “The players will be the ones under pressure to impress the coach so that he can call them for other matches. The Tanzania match is just an avenue for the new coach to let Nigerians know that he has what it takes to do the job. “We don’t know whether he will be coming with the German style of football or he will bring another style. The match will afford him the chance to do so.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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How to see and block Wi-Fi thieves

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When the Wi-Fi connection on your Android device is running slow, it could be that someone is using it without your permission. Here’s how to find out exactly who you’re sharing your Wi-Fi network with, and how to block intruders off it forever. Make sure you’re connected to the Wi-Fi network you wish to monitor. Next, download the Fing network tools from Google Play Store. Once you’ve downloaded the app, open it, and you will see the name of your network on the home screen, along with the Refresh and Settings buttons. To see all the devices connected to your Wi-Fi network, tap Refresh. This process could take a few minutes, but afterwards you will see a list of devices, along with an indicator that tells you if it’s a smartphone or PC. Tap any device on your network to bring up a list of options for interacting with that device. These include sending pings or Wake on LAN signals, and you can even log when those devices connect and disconnect from the network. How to block trespassing devices If one of the devices connected to your network is unfamiliar or suspicious, you can block it forever. Fing shows you the Media Access Control address of each device connected to your network (the number will follow this format and be made up of numbers and letters: ‘xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx’). Make a note of this number. On the computer that is connected to your router, enter your router Internet Protocol into the browser, then enter your router login details on the next page. Once logged into your router, find the Security options (its location varies between routers and may be located under Advanced Settings) In Security, click MAC Filtering, then Add Device Enter the MAC address of the device you want to ban in the MAC field, give it a name if there is such an option, then click Apply, Save or OK While you’re logged into your router, it might also be worth changing your Wi-Fi password, since it is possible your last one may have been compromised. Photo: computer-networking.wonderhowto.com Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Mustafi, Perez to join Arsenal, Wenger confirms

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Arsene Wenger has confirmed Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi and Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez are on the verge of signing for Arsenal. Wenger has lined up deals for the pair as he seeks to bolster his squad after a quiet transfer window and the Gunners boss is confident both players will arrive at the Emirates Stadium before Wednesday’s deadline. The Frenchman revealed Mustafi and Perez passed medicals on Friday and it is just a case of completing the paperwork to officially seal the deals. Germany defender Mustafi, 24, is set to sign a five-year contract for a fee in excess of £35 million ($46m), while Spanish striker Perez, 27, is expected to cost £17 million after scoring 17 goals last season. “I think they should go through, both of them,” Wenger told reporters after Saturday’s 3-1 win at Watford. “They had medicals. We have to finish the paperwork and I don’t know exactly when we will announce it but look, I think it could be announced at the beginning of the week.”

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Bureau de change operator diverts client’s N5.7m

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Afeez Hanafi A 41-year-old bureau de change operator, Samuel Nduka, is in police net for allegedly defrauding an importer of N5.7m on the pretext of helping him to convert the money to dollars. It was learnt that the businessman, Clement Okeke, had wanted to pay a business partner in China to facilitate the importation of some goods. As a result of shortage of foreign currency for international business, Okeke was said to have gone to a bureau de change – High Flyers – office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, sometime in October 2015, and met with one Chris, who introduced him to the suspect. PUNCH Metro gathered that Nduka agreed to assist the complainant to convert the sum to dollars and pay same to Okeke’s partner in China. Okeke reportedly paid the money to Nduka in three tranches between October 7 and 12 with a commission of N57,000. The suspect, however, failed to remit $19,100, the dollar equivalent of the sum, as promised. Our correspondent gathered that after several failed attempts by the businessman to retrieve the money from Nduka, he petitioned the Lagos State Police Command, leading to the suspect’s arrest. “The suspect was arrested at his office on the MMIA premises, Ikeja. Upon interrogation, he admitted to collecting the money. “Nduka claimed that his company sent the money on October 12, 2015 through two passengers – Ngene and Ojekwu – for onward delivery to China but that they were arrested at the airport by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and charged to court for money laundering,” a police source said. Another source told PUNCH Metro that the High Flyers’ secretary, identified simply as Juliet, confirmed to the police that she collected the money directly from Okeke and remitted same to the suspect. The source said, “The secretary admitted that she collected the money from Okeke on behalf of the company and remitted it to the suspect at the close of work. “She denied having knowledge of any case involving the EFCC as claimed by the suspect.” Nduka was consequently arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court by a police prosecutor, Sergeant Donjor Perezi, on three counts bordering on obtaining money under false pretences. The charge read in part, “That you, Samuel Nduka, and others at large, on October 7 and 8, 2015, at about 2.30pm, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did obtain the sum of N5,730,000 from one Clement Okeke, a representation you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 312 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.” The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. O. Olanipekun, in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum. The case was adjourned till November 8, 2016. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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A former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has warned that Boko Haram terrorists will likely regroup, becoming mo

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Ex-US envoy warns Lagos, Kano against Boko Haram attacks

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Bayo Akinloye A former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has warned that Boko Haram terrorists will likely regroup, becoming more radical, violent and may attack Kano and Lagos states. The former diplomat noted that the division in the terrorist group might not degrade its ability to launch deadly attacks. Campbell said, “It should be anticipated that attacks on government and Western facilities will continue but not necessarily centred in the North-East. Instead, the two factions are likely to carry out attacks further afield, in Kano, possibly Lagos, and almost certainly in Cameroon and Niger. There may well be greater cooperation with the various criminal networks that are active across the Sahel. “The paradox is that a splintered Boko Haram with rival leaders may pose less of a threat to the Nigerian state in the short term but a greater one to the broader region and to Western individuals and interests. Up to now, (Abubakar) Shekau’s ties to the Islamic State do not appear to have been operationally significant, while al-Barnawi’s link with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb appears to have been limited to specific operations. That could change in the future.” According to Campbell, if a faction of Boko Haram should fall under greater “operational control of Islamic State or AQIM,” there is more likelihood that it will carry out terrorist attacks beyond Nigeria “or even the Sahel.” This, he stated, could pose a direct threat to American interests, which are centred around Lagos and the South-South. “Kidnapping has been an Ansaru specialty in the past, often in cooperation with jihadist or criminal groups based elsewhere in the Sahel. Kidnapping of Westerners, highly lucrative, may also spike with Ansaru’s re-emergence,” the former ambassador to Nigeria added. The leadership struggle between Abubakar Shekau and Abu Musab al-Barnawi, he said, indicated that violent extremism was evolving and far from being defeated in Nigeria. “The focus of the struggle against the secular state is moving away from the occupation of specific bits of territory concentrated in the isolated North-East towards a more general assault on non-Islamic institutions and practices. Even if the Nigerian security services are able to destroy Boko Haram in the short term and kill Shekau and al-Barnawi, an extremist Islamic movement would likely soon re-emerge. If the previous pattern persists that each ‘cycle’ is more radical, violent, and outward looking than its predecessor, there is also a good chance that it could have even stronger links with jihadist movements outside Nigeria, especially AQIM and Islamic State,” Campbell said. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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25.3 million Nigerians are out of school - Education minister

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Millions of Nigerian children and youths are out of school as the education sector battles challenges including poor funding, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has said. “About 25.3 million students at all levels of education are out- of- school in the country,” Adamu told journalists after the presentation of a draft roadmap for the education sector – ‘Education for change: A ministerial strategic plan 2016-2019’ – to stakeholders in Abuja on Monday. Apart from the funding challenges, the Minister listed other challenges of the education sector to include out-of-school children, cultism, exam malpractice and indiscipline. Adamu, who expressed the hope that the strategic plan would help address the problems in the education sector, said that only qualified and duly registered teachers would be allowed to teach in the country to ensure professionalism. He said the teaching profession had declined and there was need to ensure professionalism to improve the quality of education. “Teacher education itself is dying simply because non-professionals have now become teachers. Therefore, the professionalisation and registration of teachers will help make sure that the profession is reorganised with quacks kicked out,” he said. “So nobody should be employed as a teacher if he or she does not have a teaching qualification; there is no magic if you are not qualified as a teacher: you cannot teach.” According to Adamu, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria is in the forefront of ensuring that only qualified and registered teachers would be allowed to teach in Nigeria.

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Linking Avengers to Jonathan is FG’s propaganda - Burubo

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The National Publicity Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress, Mr. Victor Burubo, tells CHUKWUDI AKASIKE that recent allegations linking former President Goodluck Jonathan with activities of Niger Delta Avengers are aimed at dragging the Otueke-born politician’s name through the mud Are you not surprised that former President Gooodluck Jonathan, who is an Ijaw man, is linked to the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers? I am not surprised at all for the simple reason that since the current administration assumed power, there has been a persistent, coordinated and consistent attempt to drag the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan through the mud. There are attempts to rubbish his legacies, create the impression that somehow, he is guilty of something. For me, those accusing him wrongly are probably upset that a minority man of his status dared to rule Nigeria and that, to them, is unfortunate. But the former president has not sought any redress in court over his being linked to the militant group? He (Jonathan) does not need to go to court. He is in the court of public opinion; he is in the people’s court. He is in the court of morality; he is in the court of truth and he is already vindicated. His silence is golden and I can assure you that there is no justification for the allegations against him other than this disingenuous attempt to drag his name through the mud. A faction of the militant group said the word ‘Niger Delta Avengers’ first came from Jonathan’s mouth. How do you reconcile that with a man who willingly gave up power? The allegation itself is very preposterous. Goodluck Jonathan said to the hearing of the whole world that his ambition did not worth the blood of any Nigerian. In any sensible country, it is a statement upon which to build a progressive society. There are many presidents in different countries who made such profound statements of which those countries were built. When sensible people are in authority, the country itself will be sensible. Goodluck Jonathan kept to his words, even before the election results were announced; when people were praying for blood on both sides, he called the current President (Muhammadu Buhari), who was his opponent in the presidential election and congratulated him. The man, Jonathan, is a man that does not want this country to burn. Since then, all they have done is to humiliate him, belittle him, demonise him and none of that can work. Jonathan is too clean, too civilised and too principled to be maligned. When he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a formidable organisation to head, he did not use the armed forces against anybody; he did not use the police against anybody. How then would he surrender the armed forces of Nigeria and form a militant group? Is it that the so-called group will return him to power? Jonathan is not like them as he never threatened to make Nigeria ungovernable for anybody. He did not form a militant group. Why would he form a group? That is the question these people (his accusers) have not answered. There has been militancy in the South-West and in the Niger Delta. But the former president has not been heard to speak against the attacks in these areas? How many former presidents have spoken against those attacks? Nobody. Whatever former President Jonathan says, they will misconstrue it. They have a well-oiled propaganda machinery to turn everybody’s word into evil; a propaganda machinery headed by one Lai Mohammed, a man who has operated like one German propagandist under Hitler, known as Goebbels; he lies. They were abusing Jonathan when he was president, but the man simply decided to keep his cool. They accused him of many things, he did not answer. Jonathan has not said a word, neither has (Shehu) Shagari nor Olusegun Obasanjo said a word; General (Yakubu) Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida and Ernest Shonekan haven’t said a word against those attacks too. Why would anybody insist that if Jonathan doesn’t say anything, it means he is guilty? Are you saying Jonathan’s silence on the matter is deliberate? It is deliberate and it is appropriate in the circumstances in which we are. What is your view about Jonathan’s relationship with Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo? I do not know if they have a relationship or how close it might be, but one thing I know is that until recently, Tompolo, having accepted amnesty, was a free citizen of this country. He was not the only person that had any dealing with the government under Jonathan. So, it could have been any relationship of citizen to president. Again, I will not read any particular meaning into such relationship because a lot of us from the Niger Delta also know Jonathan as a nice man. He grew up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Do you think Jonathan can be a factor in resolving the Niger Delta crisis? He can be a factor. But my opinion is that he should stay out of it. Government knows what it needs to do. You cannot beat a child and expect him not to cry. The people of the Niger Delta are still marginalised. The onus is on President Buhari. What do you think President Buhari can do in this situation? The buck stops at his (Buhari) table. Buhari came into office with the attitude and mannerism of a conqueror; a man who seems to have disdain for the citizens from a particular section of the country. Before he came to power, his party promised that within two weeks of coming into power, they were going to free the Chibok girls and that he was going to lead from the front and now the Bring-back-our-Girls group are asking him to go to Sambissa Forest and rescue those girls. The same thing should happen in the Niger Delta. When Jonathan was vice president, he went into the creeks. This territory (Niger Delta) is also the territory of the President. He should not be aloof; he should not be seen to be unapproachable, he should not be ramrod or unfeeling. Our people here feel highly marginalised and on assumption of office, he (Buhari) did not do or say anything to take away that fear. It was a politically suicidal statement to say those who voted for him will have more of his attention than those who didn’t. Buhari should, in his appointments, statements and other actions, realise that he is the President of Nigeria. Nigerians are easygoing people. Where you see Adamu, you will see Madu; you will see Bode. One sells sweets, the other sells suya; they co-exist. If he says he is fighting corruption for an instance, the fight should be all-embracing. The All progressives Congress is now serving as a city of refuge for corrupt Peoples Democratic Party members who defected to the APC. Jonathan had a hands-on approach and he did not seem to be unapproachable; he listens. A man like that, even when they ganged up against him, he came out clean without risking the life of a single Nigerian. In the international community, he is highly regarded and nobody can take that away from him. This petty and childish accusation against him of being the sponsor of one militant group is preposterous. But how can he wriggle out of that allegation if he does not go to court? He is not in the allegation in the first place. Nobody believes Lai Mohammed because Lai Mohammed is quoted to have said that an allegation that he (Jonathan) is sponsoring a militant group has refused to go away. Is that a proof of guilt? In raising this allegation, the government is even losing more credibility because everything is not propaganda and propaganda is not everything. They are in government now, but rather than run the government, if anything happens, they refer to him (Jonathan). Now, we have Lassa fever and polio is back; we are waiting for Lai Mohammed to tell us how Jonathan did not do one thing or the other for these diseases to be come back. If Nigeria had not won a bronze medal at the just concluded Olympics, they would have blamed it on Jonathan. If they continue like this, the best evidence of Jonathan’s competence will be the incompetence of the APC government. What is your advice to the current administration as it concerns the allegations against Jonathan? My advice is that they should leave him alone. As far as I can see, they have nothing against him. There are a lot of other people they have crucified in the media; how many of them have been taken to court and successfully prosecuted? A situation where a government goes to the media and accuse people and thereafter shuts up is strange. It is baffling. How come your group, Ijaw National Congress, has not replied the group that accused your kinsman (Jonathan) of sponsoring Niger Delta Avengers? We have replied them and we have told them to leave Jonathan alone. How come the only evidence the government has against Jonathan is from the same people it calls unprintable names? It is a strange way to run a government. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Rivers rerun: PDP plans to scuttle elections using judiciary - Abe

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Friday Olokor, Abuja Former Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, on Friday raised the alarm over alleged plans by the Peoples Democratic Party to scuttle the rerun elections using the courts and judiciary. According to him, if something urgent was not done by relevant stakeholders, the rerun election may be programmed to fail. But in his reaction to the allegation, the Rivers State PDP Publicity Secretary, Samuel Nwanosike, said the party went to court because it suspected something. Abe, candidate for the rerun election in Rivers South-East Senatorial District, under the platform of APC, raised the allegations during a press briefing in Abuja, against the background the recent court verdict secured by PDP to stop the election in Tai Local Government Area. He said, “The surprising information that we are getting now is that the PDP is perfecting plans to use the courts and judiciary to scuttle the rerun election in Rivers State. But we know that the judiciary will not be used to stifle democracy. The impunity and audacity of the PDP has no limit. “Before the last election, we drew the attention of the public on the plan by PDP to cause violence in the Rivers rerun election. But we were not taken serious. This is the first time when a political party will be denying people their legitimate rights. As we speak, all the APC members who won election into Rivers State House of Assembly with their Certificates of Return have not been sworn in while PDP legislators have been inaugurated. To say that the Independent National Electoral Commission favoured APC is the height of mischief.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Ogun PDP: Kashamu’s faction threatens OGSIEC

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Samuel Awoyinfa Abeokuta A factional Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, Adebayo Dayo, has said the group is authentic. He said the faction would take legal action over the decision of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission not to accept the list of its chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the October 8, 2016, local government election. The electoral body had last Thursday said it accepted the list of candidates submitted by another faction led by Sikirulai Ogundele. While the Dayo-led faction has the support of the lawmaker representing the Ogun-East senatorial district, Senator Buruji Kashamu, the Ogundele group is backed by a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo-North Federal Constituency, Oladipupo Adebutu. Speaking with reporters on Sunday after an emergency stakeholders’ meeting held in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, Dayo said the party would fight till justice was done. He said, “The party is familiar with the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission’s antics. It is not the first time the commission would be involved in this kind of illegality and injustice. It happened in 2012 and we dealt with them. “OGSIEC’s action is a clear travesty of justice that won’t stand the test of time. We have submitted all the genuine, legally-binding documents in our possession to OGSIEC.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Naira soars at inter-bank market

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The naira on Friday strengthened against the dollar at the inter-bank market as the parallel market remained volatile. The Nigerian currency traded at N314.95 against the dollar in contrast with N338.75 it recorded at the transaction on Thursday. However, at the parallel market, the naira traded at N412 to a dollar as against N407 it recorded on Thursday, and N530 to Pound Sterling and N455 against Euro, from N425 and N455, respectively on Thursday. At the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment of the market, the naira exchanged at N407, N520 and N450 against N407, N525 and N450 it posted on Thursday. Traders at the market said that the market had remained unstable as the directives and counter-directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria on foreign exchange sale was affecting liquidity flow.

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Sterling double maintains Pep's perfect City record

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Raheem Sterling struck twice and Fernandinho added another goal as Manchester City made it five wins in as many matches under the management of Pep Guardiola with a 3-1 victory at home to West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday. Guardiola’s men made hard work of seeing off the Hammers at Eastlands before securing a win that left City top of the Premier League, on goal difference from Chelsea and Manchester United, who’ve also won their opening three matches in English football’s top-flight. Having raced into an early, two-goal lead, a second-half header from West Ham’s Michail Antonio ensured City endured an anxious final half hour, a fact reflected in manager Guardiola’s growing frustration in his technical area, before Sterling scored his second goal in injury-time. City scored twice in the opening 18 minutes although twice as many goals would not have flattered the home team, such was their complete domination at that stage of West Ham. Indeed, Sterling’s opening goal in the seventh minute came from the fifth noteworthy attack of the game, a sign of what was to come in that period for Slaven Bilic’s hapless Hammers. The goal was magnificently worked, David Silva showing great agility in midfield, slipping the ball through for winger Nolito who picked out Sterling with a magnificent drag back, allowing the England man to finish confidently from 12 yards. That was the culmination of a frantic attacking opening from City and, while the goal perhaps took some of the intensity out of the home side’s play, it only seemed a matter of when — not if — they would score again Fernandinho had the answer in the 18th minute, rising unmarked to meet a Kevin De Bruyne free-kick and head past Adrian from seven yards. De Bruyne also just cleared the bar by inches with another free-kick from the corner of the visitors’ area. The injury toll that has plagued West Ham in the early season, particularly the absence of playmaker Dimitri Payet, was obviously keenly felt with Willy Caballero — once more replacing Joe Hart who was on City’s bench — a virtual spectator. West Ham’s first meaningful sight of goal, after half an hour, found Gokhan Tore picking out young forward Ashley Fletcher, whose header flew harmlessly wide. City’s next attack was stunning — De Bruyne to Nolito to Silva to De Bruyne — and should have brought a third goal as the Belgian’s shot was deflected behind for a corner.

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Man sets wife, son, daughter ablaze over property

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Afeez Hanafi A 43-year-old teacher, Gbemisola Edward, and her 11-year-old daughter, Dolapo, have been confirmed dead at an Ogun State hospital after suffering from severe burns. The woman’s husband, Joshua, was said to have poured petrol on her, their daughter, and his seven-year-old son, Samson, and set fire on them. PUNCH Metro learnt the incident happened on Thursday on Augustine Street, Ire Akari Estate, in the Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, after a disagreement between the couple. Gbemisola’s son, Joshua Babatunde, 16, who escaped by a whisker, said his stepfather had wanted his mother to sell their three-bedroomed apartment, but she refused. He said, “It was the scream of my mother that woke me up. Dolapo and Samson were also set ablaze. I wanted to put out the fire when my stepfather poured petrol on me as well. Before he returned with matches, I managed to escape and reported at the Ifo Police Station. “He was working with a factory but was sacked some months ago. He then told my mother to sell the house so that he could use the money to start a business. But my mother said she would never sell the house she struggled to build. “We moved into the house in January. The following month, he and Samson started living with us. It was a woman at our former residence in Iyana Ipaja (Lagos State) that bore Samson for him. He used to beat mum while we were in Iyana Ipaja.” PUNCH Metro gathered that Joshua fled immediately the incident happened, while the victims were admitted to Aron Hospital, a private facility in the area. Dolapo was said to have died a few minutes after she got to the hospital while the mother died on Friday. Samson, who has burns in the head, hands and legs, is still responding to treatment. Gbemisola’s brother, Wale, said she had always been abused by the husband, adding that constant beatings forced her to relocate from Iyana Ipaja to Ifo. He said, “Their relationship had been fraught with quarrels since when he was living with my sister in our house at Iyana Ipaja. There was a time he threatened to kill her with a machete. He stole her money and fled. “When he knew my sister had built a house, he went there to reconcile with her. She insisted that they needed to go to the registry which they did in February. I visited my sister two weeks ago. She said her husband had been threatening her again and that she had told him to leave by the end of August. “It was on Thursday afternoon that I got a call that he set her and the children ablaze.” The Managing Director, Aron Hospital, Dr. Kayode Ayoola, said, “The burns were serious. The girl died about 10 minutes after she was admitted, while her mother died the following day. The boy’s condition is relatively okay but nobody is ready to take care of him.” The Ogun State Police Command’s acting spokesperson, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the command had launched a manhunt for the killer husband. He said, “We learnt the man and his wife had a quarrel over the ownership of the house they lived in. While the family was asleep, the man poured patrol on the living room and set it ablaze. As a result, the woman and the two children suffered first degree burns. The Commissioner of Police has ordered that the suspect be fished out. He can only run, he cannot hide.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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'40 British territories committed to returning Nigeria’s stolen wealth'

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Ade Adesomoju, Abuja The United Kingdom on Tuesday assured that 40 jurisdictions, including British territories, were fully committed to sharing information that would facilitate the return of all the funds stolen from Nigeria and kept in their lands. A Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Immigration of the United Kingdom, Mr. Robert Goodwill, gave this assurance in Abuja during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Nigeria and the UK on the modalities for the return of stolen assets. Goodwill, who led a delegation of the UK government officials to the event which took place at the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, said the government of his country was keen to return all Nigeria’s stolen funds “as soon as the necessary legal processes allow.” The amount of Nigeria’s stolen fund stashed in the UK was not mentioned and questions were not allowed; but Goodwill said steps were being taken by the UK government to accelerate the procedures for identification and confiscation of illegally acquired assets. He said the signing of the MoU was a follow-up to the commitment given by the UK government at the London Anti-Corruption Summit in May to work closely with Nigeria and other international partners towards improving the process for the return of looted assets. Goodwill said, “Let me be clear, my government is fully committed to the return of all funds looted from the Nigerian State and we are keen to do this as soon as the necessary legal processes allow. “As outlined at the summit, we will be taking steps to accelerate the procedures for identification and confiscation of illegally acquired assets.” He said the newly signed MoU “provides the mechanism by which monies can be returned;” adding that it would send signal that the UK is no longer a safe haven for stolen funds. In his address shortly before the signing of the MoU, Malami promised that the assets, when returned to Nigeria, would be judiciously used for the good of the people and reform of the judicial sector.

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Africa is biggest frontier of 21st century

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The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, has described Africa as the biggest frontier of the 21st century. Abe said in his message to the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) in Nairobi that the conference was a process in which Africa drew a blueprint for its development. The Japanese premier explained TICAD was the most traditional forum with African countries launched by Japan to promote development on the continent. “Having the highest economic growth rate among the major regions of the world, Africa needs the vitality of the private sector first and foremost to develop even further. “Under the principle of ‘From Aid to Trade and from Debt to Investment,’ the Japanese private and public sectors will support the development of Africa, led by Africans themselves. “Currently, the “African dream” is being crystallised in the form of ‘Agenda 2063,’ he said. Abe said that TICAD was an opportunity for Africa to present its own “African dream” and work hand-in-hand with Japan to realise what it aims to become in the near future. To realise the ‘African dream,’ Abe said that Japan would contribute to two of the key pillars of the agenda in particular, which would be addressed in depth at the Nairobi conference. “First, the development of quality infrastructure is imperative. Infrastructure is essential for growth and therefore, it is necessary to have high quality and longevity of infrastructure. “Japan will provide the African continent with quality infrastructure according to the needs of each country.

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Kuje Prison: How VIP inmates resisted search, attacked warders

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An attempt by officials at Kuje Prison, Abuja, to search the cell of inmates for banned items on Monday was resisted by inmates with some of them attacking the warders. It was gathered some convicts, who were kept in a block called ‘VIP’, were allowed to enjoy certain privileges not permitted by the prison rules and regulations. Sources stated that against prison rules, awaiting trial inmates were allowed to stay in the VIP block as it was more comfortable. It was learnt that the dormitory-like block, where the awaiting trial inmates were kept, was congested with poor ventilation while the convicts’ cells were more pleasant to stay. A source said, “What happened on Monday was that as the officers moved to carry out a search of their cells, the inmates refused and before you know it the situation had degenerated into an altercation between the inmates and the officers with some convicts trying to physically attack the warders. “The armed squad had to fire into the air and they also released some tear gas canisters to bring the situation under control.” The Controller of Prisons, FCT Command, Daniel Odharo, had in a statement confirming the crisis at the prison said no inmates escaped during the riot. Odharo said, “At about 1000hrs on Monday, staff of Kuje Prison carried out a routine cell-search which is a part of the prisons operational guidelines to prevent the breach of security within and around the prisons. “Some inmates tried to resist the exercise, which led to an altercation between the search party and the inmates. This was quickly put under effective control. No prisoner was injured, no property damaged and the yard is calm and peaceful.” The riot is one of several incidents in prisons across the country this year. Eleven days earlier, a similar incident in Abakaliki Prison, Ebonyi State led to the death of six inmates and injuries to four prison warders. Monday’s riot also occurred two months after two inmates, standing trial for culpable homicide, escaped from the Kuje Prison on June 25. The fleeing inmates have yet to be re-arrested. In June, the prisons service dismissed a female prison officer for smuggling alcoholic drinks into the Kirikiri prison in Lagos. About two weeks ago, the Federal Government dismissed 23 prison officers for alleged complicity in jailbreaks at the Kuje Medium Security Prison, Abuja, and the Koton-Karfe Prisons, Kogi State. The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board, at its emergency meeting held on August 11, 2016, approved the dismissal of three senior prison officers serving in Kuje Prison and three other senior officers serving in Koton-Karfe Prison for their complicity in the escape of prisoners from the respective prisons. In addition, the Controller-General of Prisons, Ahmed Ja’afaru, had also approved the dismissal of seven junior prison officers serving in Kuje Prison and 10 other junior staff serving in Koton Karfe prison, who were also implicated in the jailbreaks.

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Latest English Premier League results

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Deleting multiple Android contacts at the same time

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Instead of labouring to delete phone contacts one after the other, you can actually do a “bulk delete.” Here are the steps: *Navigate to the “Contacts” or “People” menu. Once you reach the “Contacts” list, press the “menu” button (the three vertical dots in top-right or bottom-right of the phone) to pull up an action menu with options like “Backup”, “Delete”, “Import/Export”, “Accounts”, and “Speed dial setting”. Click “delete”. You should see an unchecked box next to each of the contacts. *Find the contacts that you want to delete. Scroll through the “Contacts” list and look for the contact names. The list is usually organized alphabetically. Most contacts allow you to include a person’s mobile, home, and work numbers, as well as email addresses and other information. Make sure, however, that you haven’t saved a person’s various numbers and emails under several different “contacts *Press the box next to each contact that you want to delete. When you press the box, a check-mark should appear next to the contact. Any contact with a check-mark to its right is in the queue for deletion. If you accidentally select the wrong contact, you can click again in the same place to deselect. *Delete. When you have selected all the contacts that you want to delete, click the “Delete” button. This should be in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, above the listed contacts. You will only be able to click the “Delete” button if you have contacts selected. *Press “OK” to delete for good. You will be prompted to confirm your decision with buttons reading “OK” and “Cancel”. Press “Cancel” if you want to return to the “Contacts” list (with all of the appropriate contacts still selected). Either deselect a contact or select more. Once you press “OK”, the selected contacts are gone. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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FUNAAB-ASUU dissociates itself from VC, Governing Council's 'sacking'

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Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta chapter, has dissociated itself from the call for the sacking of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, Pro-Chancellor, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and members of the Governing Council. The union made its stand known on Friday while briefing journalists about the crisis rocking the institution. The ASUU chairman FUNAAB chapter, Dr. Adebayo Oni, said the VC and the Council were duly appointed in line with the laws establishing the university and could not be removed from office without due process. It will be recalled that the FUNAAB chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, rising from its congress on Wednesday, had announced the officers’ suspension. The chairman SSANU in the institution, Mr. Rotimi Fasunwon, who made the announcement, said Oyewole had contravened Section 5.10.1 (Interdiction) of the FUNAAB’s Senior Staff Rules and Regulations, which prohibit him from “suspending three staff of the university since himself is presently undergoing criminal investigation under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.” Oni, who condemned the SSANU action, said the varsity is not a ‘Banana Republic’ where lawlessness could be condoned. He said, “Our union will vehemently resist any attempt to turn our highly revered university into a Banana Republic or Animal Farm. “We hereby dissociate ourselves from any clandestine move to drag the reputation of FUNAAB into the mud.” Oni advised aggrieved members of staff to explore the lawful internal mechanisms of due process in seeking redress. The union restated its members’ confidence in the ability of the institution’s incumbent administration and council to provide academic, research and administrative leadership.

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Creating photo slideshow with PowerPoint

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Anna Okon As easy as it may be to keep photos, it can be a challenge to keep them organised. According to www.wikihow.com, one great way to keep your photos in a convenient place that is easy to access is by uploading them into PowerPoint. By doing this, you can even create a fun slideshow with the pictures. Here’s a quick guide: Creating photo slideshows for PC To create a new presentation with PowerPoint, click on the PowerPoint icon on your browser. When PowerPoint opens, click on “File” near the top, left-hand corner and then click on “New” listed under “File”. From there, you will want to choose “New Presentation” which will open up a new slide show for you to start uploading pictures to. Save your PowerPoint right away. You can do this by clicking on the flash drive icon located at the top, right-hand side of the presentation screen. You will then be able to name your presentation and choose where you want to store the file. Remember to save your presentation after something that will help you remember what pictures are in the file. This will help you to locate them later on. Name the title page. Think of a title, and click in the box to type. You can add a name, date, or picture to your title page. Add slides to your slideshow. There are many different slide layouts and graphics to choose from. You can go to either “Home” or “Insert” and select “New Slide”. You can also right-click any slide displayed in the panel to the left and select “New Slide.” Select a layout that will accommodate your image, such as a slide with a title box and an image box, a slide with just an image box, or even a blank slide. Import pictures to your slides. You can choose to either add one picture per slide or several. Double-click inside the image box (or go to Insert > Picture > From File), then browse to the desired image. Click “Okay” or “Insert” to add the image. If you don’t like the way it looks, select the image and click on “Picture” to change it to a different one. You can also select the image and hit “Delete” to remove the picture. Rearrange the photo order if necessary. Using the slide sorter will make it easier for you to determine the best order for the slides. Locate the “Slide Sorter” button near the bottom of the image pane. Then, click and drag the slides to the desired destinations. Add transitions to your slide shows. Good transitions help tie the show together and make it flow smoothly from one picture to the next. Simply click on the “Transitions” tab at the top of the bar and play around with the different options offered. Add a background. If you don’t like the white space on the edges of your images, right-click on any slide, select “Format Background”, then manipulate the background fill. You can use a solid fill, a gradient fill, etc. and modify colour, direction, and transparency. To give your slides a uniform look, click “Apply to All.” Add background music to your slide shows. If you have music downloaded to your computer, you can add it to your slideshow to make it special. To add music, click on the movies and audio icon located under the “Insert” tab. First, go to “Audio from file”, and then, click on “Music” to pull up your music. When you choose the song you want, click on the song, and press “Link to file” before pressing “Insert”. You can choose if the song plays for just one slide or the entire presentation by clicking on “Format Audio” next to the “Home” button, and then, clicking on “Play Across Slides” under “Audio Options”. Save your PowerPoint slideshow before you finish. When you are done adding photos and graphics, be sure to save your show before exiting. If you already named and saved your presentation at the very beginning, all you have to do is click the flash drive icon at the top left-hand corner again. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Four policemen detained over killing of Bayelsa teenager

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Simon Utebor, Yenagoa No fewer than four policemen have been detained in connection with the alleged killing of a 17-year-old boy, Innocent Kokorifa. PUNCH Metro had reported on Tuesday that Innocent, the first out of five children of Mr. Daniel Kokorifa, an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, was shot dead by the Bayelsa State Police Command’s Anti-Vice team on Airforce Road in Yenagoa on August 18, 2016. The victim was said to be running an errand for his mother, Pere, when he was allegedly killed by the police at about 11am on the day. The state police command had in a statement last week claimed that the victim died in a gun battle between a three-man armed robbery gang and the police team. A police source, who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confided in our correspondent on Tuesday that the policemen were detained at the Bayelsa State Command headquarters. The source said, “I am not authorised to speak on the matter. But I know those men are in detention and the police authorities are investigating the incident. “I do not know the exact number of policemen that are detained, but they are between three and four.” Efforts to get the reaction from the Police Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, were futile as his mobile phone did not connect. Also, calls put to the phone of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, on Tuesday, rang out. The father of the deceased teenager, Daniel, had demanded justice for his son. He had claimed that the leader of the team that killed his son was his friend. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Govt should revive technical schools -Fidelis Duker

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Have you ever experienced a situation whereby a pipe in your house was clogged? Yes. In fact, one happened last week. The pipe was leaking at an end called the chamber. Did you employ the services of a plumber or you fixed it yourself? I had to employ the services of a plumber because I thought I could not fix it myself. It was after the plumber was through with it that I realised it was even something I could do on my own. In less than three hours, he was through with it and everything was working fine again. I was recently in the United Kingdom in the apartment of my friend and he had a similar problem in his house. He did not call any plumber to fix it for him. He did it himself. He has all the tools. I guess I was motivated by his ability to do a thing like that. But when it happened to me a week ago, I thought it was complicated until later when I realised I could have done it myself. A blocked drain is very easy to fix. However, if I keep doing everything myself, how will the plumber make money? I think why we still have to give some of these jobs to technicians is to create employment. We have to employ people, and I think this is why the government should bring back the technical schools. All the vocational schools we have in this country are nowhere to be found nowadays. Our vocational schools and polytechnics should not be converted into universities. I implore the Federal Government to revive our technical schools so we can have a skilled labour market. This is what was obtainable in the past. How do you keep your toilet stink-free? We have disinfectants in the house. Each toilet in the house has a washing point. I also tell my children to wash the toilet after using it so that any person who wants to use it next will not be irritated. It is very important to always keep every part of the home clean as cleanliness is next to godliness. What home improvement skills do you have? I know how to mix cement in case I want to fix a scratched surface on the wall. I don’t need to call a bricklayer. I have a shovel and a cutlass. I have a mower for clearing my lawn. I also have some electrical tools for fixing minor electrical faults. I believe these are basic things every homeowner should have and apart from having them, they should learn how to use them. It should not be that you have to call a technician each time there is a fault in the home. There are basic home repairs that should be learned. Do you set a budget for home repairs? No, I don’t and I know many Nigerians don’t also set. The truth is, I try to do it myself except if the repair is beyond my ability. If that is the case, I call the technician and pay him. What tips would you give to Nigerians? Like I said, everyone should learn some basic skills, especially in fixing minor electrical faults and plumbing. They should also try to buy some basic household equipment like shovel, cutlass and so on. But they should not forget to call a technician if the repair is beyond their ability. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Robbers spend six hours in victim’s house

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Samson Folarin The Anti-Robbery Squad of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, has arrested a four-man gang that had allegedly been terrorising residents of the Ikorodu area of Lagos State. PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects – Akin Ayotunde, Isaac Ogbonna, Sola Dede and Sodiq Lawal – specialised in lurking around houses at night and switching off their victims’ generators before attacking them. They, however, met their Waterloo last Thursday when they were arrested after invading the apartment of one Bello Hakeem in the Igbe area. Our correspondent was told that the suspects spent six hours in the victim’s duplex and went away with his car, generator, money, phones, Automated Teller Machine cards, modems, laptops and cash. They also stole his wife’s jewellery and withdrew N100,000 using one of the ATM cards. Hakeem told our correspondent that around 11.09pm on Tuesday, he observed that his generator suddenly went off and he asked two of his children to go outside and fix the problem. “About five minutes after they left, they were forced back into the house by four men, who were armed with knives. “They ordered us to cooperate with them. They searched the house and made away with three laptops, six phones, three ATM cards, a new 3.5KVA generator, one 75alms battery, two modems, jewellery, cash, and my Toyota Corolla. They held my family hostage for six hours before leaving at about 6am the next day,” he added. Hakeem, an environmental scientist, said he reported the incident at the Ijede Police Station, adding that the suspects were able to withdraw N100,000 from his First Bank account before he deactivated all the stolen ATM cards. He said two days after the incident, a friend called him that a car that looked like his own had been put up for sale. He said operatives from the SCIID, Yaba, were alerted and the suspects were rounded up. The four suspects, who confessed to the crime, said they operated with knives to avoid bloodshed. The gang leader, Ayotunde, 27, said, “I used to sell garri with my grandma in a market before a former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, demolished shops in the market. I tried another job, but it didn’t work. “I then sold the idea of robbing houses to my friends and we agreed to use only knives and not guns. We always lurk around developing areas in Ikorodu at night, look for any house that had its generator on, scale the fence and put off the generator. When the occupants of the house come out to check the generator, we attack. We made N60,000 from our first operation in March. “I was arrested when the man whom I had given the man’s car to called me that he had found a buyer. He said the buyer had paid N700,000 for the vehicle and that I should come for my share. We agreed to meet at a restaurant in Ojota. But on getting there, I discovered that it was a set up and I was arrested.” Ogbonna, 23, an indigene of Ebonyi State, said he was looking for money for the treatment of his elder sister when he was invited to join the gang. “My sister needed blood transfusion and I had to look for money by all means. I got N25,000 from the operation,” he added. The third suspect, 24-year-old Dede, from Ondo State, said he joined the group because he was told nobody would be killed, adding that he needed money to change his apartment. He said, “An Alfa told me to move out of my family house because there was a spiritual force working against the success of men in the house. I needed money to change my apartment.” The police also arrested the receiver of some of the stolen items, Akeem Lawal, who claimed that the suspects lied to him that the goods were imported. The Police Public Relations officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest, adding that investigations were ongoing. She said, “The last house they robbed belonged to a couple who quickly alerted the police. They were trailed and arrested. They are currently undergoing interrogation at the command.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Men, beware! Watching TV for hours can mar your fertility

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Tunde Ajaja From his favourite sports channels to movie channels, and sometimes news channels, watching television is one of the ways Emeka Okon, a civil servant, unwinds anytime he comes back from work. And on weekends, watching the TV is like a ritual for him. “I come back home around 6pm every day and from that moment, I don’t joke with some TV stations and when my wife comes back, we watch some movie channels together before we go to bed,” he said. Emeka’s love for TV has been amplified by the ongoing Olympics games in Rio, Brazil, as he has tried to keep up with the different games, especially the ones that concern his fellow countrymen and women, while Telemundo Channel has remained a sweet alternative for him during his pastimes. But, unknown to Emeka and many other persons who take pleasure in watching TV for hours, there are some inherent disadvantages in such, especially for men. Findings by some researchers have shown that watching TV more than five hours daily could affect a man’s fertility as it can reduce the sperm count by one-third. The researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, studied 1,200 “healthy” young men. Some of the participants were instructed to watch TV for at least five hours every day, while the others were told to abstain from TV or reduce how much of it they watched. The record of their sperm counts were taken before and after the study. According to the findings of the study, published on American Journal of Epidemiology, and reviewed on Mail Online, those who watched TV for more than five hours had average sperm count of 37 million per millilitre of fluid, while those who hardly watched TV had 52 million per millilitre of fluid. Whereas, normal sperm count is adjudged to be between 40 million and 300 million per millilitre “Furthermore, decreases in testosterone were detected in men watching many hours of television, the researchers added. The hormone testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as the testis and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair.” The researchers concluded that watching too much TV could make men less fertile, given the findings of their study. In another study by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, it was also found that watching TV may likely affect sperm count. The researchers, including Jorge Chavarro, an assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology and lead author, Audrey Gaskins, a doctoral student in the institution, said 20 hours of TV weekly could reduce sperm count by half, whereas engaging in exercise can boost sperm count. In the study, they analysed the semen quality of 189 men. They asked the participants about their physical activity and how much TV they watched, taking their respective health conditions into consideration. They said their results showed that men who watched more than 20 hours of TV weekly had a 44 per cent lower sperm count than those who watched almost no TV. But, on the other hand, men who exercised for at least 15 hours weekly at a moderate to vigorous rate had a 73 per cent higher sperm count than those who exercised less than five hours per week. “However, mild exercise did not affect sperm quality,” they added. Gaskins said, “We know very little about how lifestyle may impact semen quality and male fertility in general so identifying two potentially modifiable factors that appear to have such a big impact on sperm counts is truly exciting. “Men engaging in exercise for seven hours or more per week, essentially one hour a day had 48 per cent higher sperm concentration in their semen than men who were engaging in less than one hour per week and there are particular forms of exercises that boost sperm counts. “Weightlifting has been shown to increase testosterone levels and improve insulin sensitivity, both of which have been found to be related to higher sperm concentrations. But, there is one form of outdoor exercise that can decrease male fertility. “Men who rode bicycle for more than an hour and a half each week had 34 per cent lower sperm concentrations than men who did not bike, because the pressure placed against the scrotum by a bike seat or the increased scrotal temperatures caused by such pressure are possible explanations for this decrease in fertility.” The researchers concluded that as exercise boosts sperm count, watching too much of TV could reduce sperm count. They also cautioned that a reduced sperm count, even though linked to lower fertility, does not necessarily preclude such men from impregnating a woman. Regardless, it reduces their chances. Meanwhile, apart from excessive watching of TV, there are other things men do that can impair their sperm count, and ultimately, their fertility. And it should be noted that male infertility is often due to low sperm count. A consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, had told Saturday PUNCH in a chat recently that apart from the fact that infertility can be inherited, through the genes, lifestyle, vocation, infections and use of certain drugs could also cause low sperm count. According to him, “Some vocations can also reduce sperm count. There is a documented study in France that shows that men who work in fuel stations or paint industries over a very long time can stand the risk of having low sperm count. Also, if you play golf over a long time, the insecticide they use at golf courses could cause low sperm count. “It is for the same reason that people are advised not to put their laptop on their laps, neither should they put any radioactive device, like mobile phone, in their pocket because of the radiation. Motorcycle riders and truck drivers whose testes are subjected to very high temperature for a long period of time, by virtue of their seating position, can also have their fertility affected.” Meanwhile, a previous study, earlier treated on this page, had revealed that wearing tight (butt-squeezing and thigh-hugging) trousers could also lead to low sperm count, coupled with the fact that it could cause testicular torsion, where one testicle gets twisted on itself, and if left untreated, the torsion could cut off circulation and cause the testicle to die. A reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Celia Dominguez, had pointed out that the temperature of the groin area matters for the testes to produce sufficient quality and quantity of sperm. He said, “The temperature of testes must be lower than the core body temperature, so, something as simple as changing the kind of underwear a man wears can make a difference. Testes can overheat when a man wears tight wears or brief underwear. “If the testes are too hot – several degrees above where they should be – they are not able to produce sufficient sperm, resulting in low sperm count. Just be aware, it takes 10 to 11 weeks for sperm to be produced, so dress and plan accordingly.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Education ministers deny fighting rumour

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Friday Olokor, Abuja There was a mild drama on Monday as the Minister of Education, Mr. Adamu Adamu, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, denied allegation of any face-off between them. The incident took place in Abuja during an interactive session with journalists after the presentation of the education sector roadmap titled, “Education for Change: A Ministerial Strategic Plan 2016-2019 – Key issues and challenges”, to stakeholders for their input. Events on the occasion took another dimension when journalists confronted Anwukah on the allegations that he protested to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, as well as threatened to resign following alleged marginalisation by Adamu. Anwukah said, “This is absolute nonsense. It is stupid. There is no such thing. I hate stupid insinuations, no matter where it comes. The press should please mind its dutiful responsibilities. I sent a letter to who? Get me a copy of the letter and from where? “There can be no better friend I have in Abuja than this man. So, if you make your insinuations and try to find problems where there are no problems, it won’t create the problem, please.” Also defending his absence at the inauguration of the National Education Quality Education Assurance Handbook recently, Anwukah urged journalists to endeavour to be more careful. He said, “The press should stop inventing imaginary things. On the day in question, we had another appointment with Nigerian Breweries that conducts the best teachers’ Maltina award. By 10am, they were supposed to be in the office and I had to receive them. I cannot be in two places at the same time. Adamu accused journalists of being responsible for the rumours in order to boost their newspapers’ sales. He said, “This is the creation of journalists. I do not think that there are two ministers in this country who are working as closely as we are doing. “Probably, some people want a headline; that is why they said we were quarrelling. Unfortunately on that day also, I forgot that Anwukah sent somebody to represent him and I didn’t recognise his presence. They just want to sell their papers.” The three-year draft strategic education development plan, according to government, will impact on quality and affordable education at all levels. Adamu said that the content of the document was predicated on 10 pillars bordering on out-of-school crisis, strengthening basic and secondary education, teachers’ education, adult literacy and special needs’ education, as well as education data and planning. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Borno govt to take IDPs from three LGAs home

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The Borno Government says it plans to immediately relocate Internally Displaced Persons from Konduga, Mafa and Dikwa local government, who areas taking refuge in Maiduguri, back home. The Commissioner for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, Babagana Umara, stated this while meeting with the General Officer Commanding 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu. Umara said the action followed the directives of Governor Kashim Shettima after peace was attained in the areas, which were hitherto under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists. “Gov. Kashim Shettima has ordered the immediate relocation of the IDPs from Konduga, Mafa and Dikwa local government areas from Maiduguri to their respective areas.” He added that IDPs staying in refugee camp in Dikwa would be moved into the main town. Umara said that the meeting was to map out security arrangement toward the success of the programme. He said that the state government was making arrangements to put in place necessary infrastructure for the comfort of the IDPs at home. He commended the military for reclaiming the areas from the terrorists and appealed to the GOC to assist in mobilising the necessary security for the success of the exercise. Responding, Ezugwu promised that the military would provide enough security for the relocation of the IDPs, as requested. He said that the military would work with other security agencies to ensure maintenance of peace in the communities after the exercise. NAN

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Deposit target: Nigerian bankers’ nightmare

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Donning a faded red T-shirt and a slightly loose flowing skirt as she walked into the half-filled auditorium, her sluggish movement quickly made her the cynosure of all eyes. With one hand resting and gliding through the row of wooden chairs for support as she walked deeper into the hall, despair and hopelessness is all you see in her eyes. Now 35 but without a job and man to call her own, Tolani Adetula, is fighting one of the biggest battles of her life – depression. But it was not always like this for the native of Oyo – only seven months ago she was a completely different figure from the picture she now portrays. One of the biggest and most sought after ladies in the bank she used to work in Ikeja, capital of Lagos, Adetula, a graduate of Business Administration from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, had everything going for her. A sleek saloon car, an array of top clients, a stable relationship and a huge future ahead of her – it was a life many around her wished for. However, everything changed one morning in February 2016. The slump has refused to halt ever since. “Everything still appears like a dream to me,” the 35-year-old said, her voice trembling as she sighed and nodded her head dejectedly at intervals like a woman who had just lost a long awaited pregnancy. “In the space of three days everything was gone, my job, contacts and painful of all, fiancé,” she continued, this time supporting her chin with her left hand. “It was as if I was cursed by a witch,” she added, shock, disappointment and disbelief screaming on her face. Unaware of what lay ahead as she drove into her office that fateful morning, Adetula looked forward to a great day at work, planning to go out later to pursue some clients as usual in her bid to meet up with a N400m target her boss had given her four weeks earlier. Even though she had successfully thrashed targets in the past with much ease, her latest assignment was proving a tough nut to crack. She still wonders what went wrong. “Before that N400m target was given to us, I had handled several other targets in the past without much problem. In fact within a week I had brought in N200m into the bank through only three customers, so meeting up with a target of N400m within four weeks wasn’t something that scared me. I knew I was capable of delivering,” she told our correspondent who traced and engaged her in discussion at the end of the evening service at the church she attends in the Maryland area of Lagos earlier in the week after learning of her heartbreaking experience from a friend. “One week after we were given the target, the head of the marketing unit where I work held a meeting with us and said that there was a new directive from above, that whoever failed to meet up with their target within the stipulated time should be relieved of their duties. I wasn’t too bothered because I felt as one of the best performers in the department I would be pardoned even if I didn’t eventually meet up with the target. Honestly, that was how I felt,” she said. But the young woman was wrong. Events of the next three weeks would open her eyes to new and painful realities. Apart from being shocked to the marrows, she was left reeling in pains, sulking and wondering how a fairytale journey lost its wheel and sparkle. Eventually relieved alongside dozens of other staff of the bank from across the country who failed the ‘litmus test’, Adetula landed on the treatment table two days later when news of her fiancé’s death, Leke, was broken to her. He died in fatal road accident on his way to Abuja, the nation’s capital. For the distraught Oyo native who has become a dreadful shadow of her old, vibrant self, it was the climax of a tumultuous and highly frustrating week – one from whose injury she is yet to fully heal. “I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from this pain,” the young woman said, staring into the eyes of the reporter as if in there laid the answer. It was a moment of raw emotion – the type capable of melting even a heart made of steel. “To lose a man I have loved for the most part of the last two years and a job I have lived my entire career for is really devastating,” Adetula added. “I gave everything to my job; I denied myself rest and a quality social life. All I was always thinking about was how to meet one target or the other. If not for the understanding my late fiancé showed me, we could have broken up a long time before the accident claimed his life. There was hardly ever time for us, I was always chasing after one customer or the other all in a bid to bring in money and be in the good books of my bosses. There were times I attended Sunday service in the churches of some of our clients just to keep track of them, I didn’t have a life of my own even though I had relative comfort. “But it is surprising to see that the same bank that I laboured for and went beyond my means sometimes to serve diligently discarded me just this once that I was not able to meet up with its expectation. All my past good records were not even considered, I was thrown out with the others like a leper. This pain is too much for me to bear,” the now emaciated lady said, as her mother beckoned on her from a corner of the church that it was time to go. Apart from now being placed on medication and constant monitoring by a doctor, her church also supports her with prayers and words of encouragement as she battles to overcome the double tragedy fate has dealt on her. According to her mother, Ronke, a retired primary school teacher who has been taking care of her, Adetula would have lost her mind if not for the type of social support she and other family members had been offering her. The 35-year-old, she said, sometimes speaks to herself and cries at the slightest opportunity over what she had been through – a sign psychologist, Odion Aggrey, says is the hallmark of depression and precursor to suicide in most cases. Sad as it sounds, Adetula is not the only one to have passed through this lane – she is among a growing number of employees in Nigeria’s financial sector who are only worth the amount of deposits they are able to attract into their companies. Given outrageous deposit targets with deadlines capable of breaking even the jaw of an hyena, bank workers saddled with the responsibility of marketing and wooing ‘big’ customers are mostly compelled to pound the streets of Nigeria for hours, struggling desperately to meet up with the lofty expectations of their bosses. While this craze has driven many to adopt unconventional and unhealthy strategies to meet up with these ‘insane’ tasks, others unable to sometimes hit these targets, live with the humiliation until Armageddon finally strikes. On July 29, 2016, Nigerians woke up to the news of a bank manager, Olisa Nwakoby, taking his own life. According to reports, the 44-year-old shot himself in the head after pressure from his employers became unbearable over a N350m loan he approved which had gone bad. Unwilling to face the humiliation that may soon follow, Nwakoby took a painful option – suicide. The latest incident had shed light into what many in the sector, especially those in the lower cadre, pass through on daily basis. “You could run mad if God is not on your side with the pressure and humiliation you are subjected to when you are not meeting your targets,” Frank Anunobi, a former bank worker told Saturday PUNCH. “The situation is worse for those ones in the marketing department whose main job is to attract good customers and bring in good money. I was once there, so I know what it feels like. For the three years I worked as a marketer for a bank, I was like a slave, always begging one customer or the other just for them to bring their cash to our bank so that I could at least keep my job. I became so desperate at a time that I approached my pastor for him to move the entire church account to our branch. The man told me at the end of my presentation to him that if not for the fact that he had known me for a while, he would have called the police on me because I sounded too desperate and could play pranks with their money even if they decided to patronise us. The shame didn’t make me attend church for two weeks. Eventually I lost that job and for me even though there was no alternative at the time, I felt so relieved, free from the pressure that was almost consuming me,” he said. For the two years she worked with a bank in Abuja, Hadiza Raman, moved from being a superstar to being surplus to requirement in the eyes of her employer. Raking in impressive figures week after week, it didn’t take long for her to be rewarded with promotion and several other benefits. It was the dream start to a career she had long sought. But several months after that period, the 30-year-old is still trying to find her balance after being thrown out of her job for failing to meet expectations over a period of time. She told our correspondent during a telephone conversation earlier in the week that her life was reduced to a living hell for the better part of the last one year she spent at the bank. “There was no day that I wasn’t harassed and humiliated by the head of my department and even branch manager for not meeting up with targets given to me,” she said. “It became so bad that I gradually lost my mind and self worth as a result of the situation. I couldn’t sleep very well at night, the sight of dawn brought instant sadness to my mind. How could I have met a target of N900m in four months, where was I going to see that kind of money? It was as if I was in bondage, living my life just for the next huge deposit I could attract to the bank. It was crazy. I was eventually fired after I fell sick and was at home for almost two weeks. I had to send all the bank’s items in my possession through a friend while the letter was posted to my house. I couldn’t go there to face the humiliation. It is an experience I will never forget easily,” she said. Edet Umana got a taste of what Nigeria’s financial sector looks like recently when he was finally shortlisted for a job in one of the banks. As part of the screening process, he and other ‘lucky’ candidates had to write about three tests and when they were one step away from oral interview, they were given a form to fill and one of the clauses was that they must bring two customers each to deposit at least N30m with the bank before the job could be given to them. The initial excitement that the 24-year-old Akwa Ibom native had fizzled out immediately at that very moment. “On seeing the clause on the form given to us, I became sad instantly knowing that there was nowhere I could get that kind of money. I lost that job even before I ever started because of such crazy target. “Well, I am happy I never even got that job because only God knows what my life would have become now. Many of my friends who work in the bank are not better than me even though I am just managing a small business at the moment. I have peace of mind, they don’t. Each time we speak they tell me how they can’t wait to leave the bank as a result of struggling here and there to meet up with huge targets. They don’t have time for themselves; the system has taken over their lives. I really pity them,” he said. Apart from the outrageous deposit targets set before them, most bank workers are equally made to contend with all sorts of dehumanising treatment from superiors in cases where customers they brought to collect loans fail to service such and meet up with deadline for repayment. When such happens, the employee, as a result of the immense pressure piled on them to recover such funds is reduced to a moving carcass. “The bank is a cold place to be when your loan goes bad,” Stephen Oni, a financial analyst told Saturday PUNCH. “They deny you and start treating you like a leper. You are immediately thrown into the grinder and asked to go recover. In some extreme cases, your salary is stopped and you are out on working suspension until you recover. The madness in all of this is the fact that you are being given the same pressure to give out the loan, so for most bankers it is a no win situation. If you do not give the loans, you are in trouble and if you give and it goes bad, you are on your own. “But I think all stakeholders must jointly share the blame including regulators, banks and risk management officers, rather than leaving the members of staff that brought in the customer to bear the brunt. The account officer’s role must be limited to just the initial introduction and continuous relationship management. He must be assured that the system has the capacity to objectively appraise a loan request, assess the risks inherent in advance and come up with a solution. “The legal system must also be primed to protect the rights of the individuals who are subjected to this level of arbitrariness showing them a clear road to seeking not only cover but justice. If we do not act now to protect these guys, we could be seeing more of cases like Nwakoby’s, the bank manager who recently killed himself over a bad loan. We may just begin to see a trend where workers in these financial institutions take their own lives in trying to escape the humiliation they had been subjected to,” he said. According to findings by Saturday PUNCH, most of the huge deposits banks compel their employees to bring in by any means are almost immediately issued out as loans to businessmen and women who are able to provide the requisite collateral. It is the difference in the rate of taking and the interest charged on loans that excite the banks. But in spite of all the pressure they are made to pass through and the humiliation they are subjected to in the process of meeting these bogus targets, many of the bankers in this category have nothing significant to show for their efforts. In fact the workers are not allowed to belong to labour unions – a gross violation of the International Labour Organisation treaty which Nigeria is a signatory. At the moment the sector employs around 60,000 permanent staff while another 100,000, operate as temporary or contract staff. But apart from earning between N50, 000 to N80,000 each month for the volume of work they put in, those in the latter category never get any reasonable bonuses, allowances and even promotions at the end of the day. The fortunes of those in the first category who are permanent staff is not too enviable, apart from earning slightly higher wages and given fair bonuses, only around 20 per cent of the lot earn good salaries and are actually immune to the ill treatment prevalent in the industry. President, National Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Comrade Sunday Salako, blames the unfair treatment of workers in the banking sector, particularly junior staff, on the paucity of jobs despite the growing army of graduates in the country. According to him, the situation has made banks resort to cheap labour by ignoring university graduates and Higher National Diploma certificate holders to employ Ordinary National Diploma holders who they pay peanuts. Human rights advocate, Mariam Odega, told Saturday PUNCH that most of the practices in the Nigerian banking sector are not only against the rights of the employees but also against the dictates of any modern society. “A target is generally believed to be against the International Labour Organisation’s position on Decent Work Agenda. This disturbing phenomenon has increased concerns about the unwholesome labour practices that take place in our banks. “I believe it is immoral, illegal and absolutely unacceptable to give workers outrageous targets. It is against the conventions of the ILO,” she said. Curiously these days, the nightmare that comes with failure to meet huge and sometimes crazy targets is not only limited to the banks, officials of insurance companies and other organisations within Nigeria’s financial sector are also feeling the heat caused by this crazy trend, too. Though not direct cash lodgements as in the banks, marketers in insurance firms are given mind-boggling goals they must attain within a specific period of time by getting clients to subscribe to certain packages and whose premium they must pay regularly. The situation apart from piling untold pressure on them reduces many in this category to mere shadows of what they once looked like. Aggrey describes the situation as a clear case of exploitation and emotional torture capable of increasing anxiety in affected individuals and seriously affecting their confidence level. He said if not quickly checked, persons dealing with such pressure could begin to exhibit funny behaviours that could eventually result in mental instability. A medical doctor, Jide Akinwunmi, explains that dealing with such immense pressure could lead to devastating implications for the health like high blood pressure and cardiac failure which at the end, could cause death. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Kenyan Olympic committee official arrested in mismanagement probe

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Francis K Paul was arrested after a search of his home by investigators who have been probing the alleged mismanagement of Kenya’s participation in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero. Police said the search led to the recovery of a batch of uniforms supplied by Nike but not distributed to the athletes who took part in the Olympics, which ended on Sunday. Sports Minister Hassan Wario said on Thursday in disbanding the committee that the mismanagement included “accommodation and travel mishaps, mishandling of the accreditation of the list of participants to the provision of kits that never reached the athletes.” The Kenyan Olympic team won 13 medals at the Rio games, which were the most successful ever for the country. NAN

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PHOTOS: Osinbajo in Delta

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Ex-Bush adviser Wolfowitz “might vote for Clinton”

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Paul Wolfowitz, an adviser to former US Republican president George W Bush, has admitted he might vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton in November’s presidential election and described Donald Trump as a security risk. In an interview with the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel published on Friday, the former World Bank president said, “I wish there were somebody I could be comfortable voting for. “I might have to vote for Hillary Clinton, even though I have big reservations about her.” The 72-year-old neoconservative, who was deputy secretary of defence under Bush and became known as the “Architect of the Iraq War”, said Republican presidential candidate Trump had made some “pretty disturbing” comments on foreign policy. “He says he admires (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, that (former Iraqi president) Saddam Hussein was killing terrorists, that the Chinese were impressive because they were tough on Tiananmen Square. “Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Trump mainly shows contempt for them,” Wolfowitz said. He also said Trump’s apparent lack of concern for Russia’s actions in Ukraine was “dangerous.” Wolfowitz joins a string of prominent Republicans who say they will not, or are reluctant, to vote for Trump. Earlier this month, 50 high-ranking Republican national security experts wrote an open letter vowing not to vote for him, saying he displayed “alarming ignorance” about international politics and would be “the most reckless president in American history.” NAN

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Imo Poly staff, ex-student killed, set ablaze

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Gibson Achonu, Owerri Yet-to-be-identified gunmen have killed and set ablaze two persons in Imo State Polytechnic, Uwuagwo, in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state (formerly, Michael Okpara College of Agriculture). The incident reportedly happened in the early hours of Wednesday at a students’ hostel in Mgbirichi, an adjoining town to the campus. Our correspondent gathered that some hoodlums were said to have attacked and killed Onumajuru Chibueze and his visiting friend, Chris Ukpabi, at the Infinity Hostel. Onumajuru reportedly worked at the institution’s School of Environmental Sciences as a typist, while Ukpabi has recently graduated from the Department of Office, Technology and Management. Reacting to the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Polytechnic, Mr. Darlington Oparaocha, said the double murder happened outside the campus. He confirmed that one of the victims had finished his final exams since 2014, but he had not finished with his clearance exercise. Oparaocha said, “Whether they (victims) can be called graduates of the Polytechnic, I cannot tell; and whether they were killed by either armed robbers or cultists, I cannot also tell. “This is because the ugly incident happened in the wee hours of the fateful day.” He said he was aware of a robbery incident in one of the hostels adjacent to the Infinity Lodge. Efforts by our correspondent to get more information about Onumajuru from the School of Environmental Sciences proved abortive, as no staff volunteered to talk. When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew, confirmed the incident. He said, “We have the report of the inhuman act. Presently, we are investigating the matter, with a view to ascertaining the circumstances that led to the deaths and the subsequent inferno that engulfed the two victims.

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Crazy lies that tear Nigerian marriages apart

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She fell in love hard. But the betrayal took 32-year-old Foluke Akingbele to cross the thin line between love and hate, when she realised that the “doctor” she married was actually an employee of a pharmaceutical company. How Foluke’s husband believed she would never find out or how he hoped to handle the situation still beats imagination. But she did find out. Then, the truth made her a wreck. Foluke decided to share her story with Saturday PUNCH after some pictures of a runaway bride went viral two weeks ago. The pictures, which showed the bride in her bridal gown being chased by a group of people including a man said to be the groom, was said to have been taken at a wedding in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. According to the man, who shared the pictures online, the deal breaker for the bride was when she learnt that her groom lied about being a Chevron employee. It was not clear at what point in the ceremony the bride learnt the truth but the bride reportedly stormed off her wedding and said she was done. Saturday PUNCH reached out to Foluke to share her story after she commented on the viral pictures of the runaway bride online. According to her, the viral bride’s experience came close to what she went through during her shocking break up with her husband of just 11 months in September 2013. Foluke, a banker in Lagos, made it clear during the interaction with our correspondent that she did not regret her decision to end her marriage one bit. “The difference between me and that bride is that she walked away from her wedding. I love her for that. She did what I might not have been strong enough to do even if I learnt the truth on my wedding day,” she said. But what could have made a woman who fell in love with a man and decided to spend the rest of her life with him to suddenly move out of the marriage? Well, in the case of Foluke, it was something unexpected. Foluke said she grew up in a conservative Christian family in Epe, Lagos and was brought up to understand that there should be no secret between a man and a woman so far as they have pledged the rest of their lives to each other. “If he could lie about such a thing, then, he could lie about something worse,” she said. Foluke said what made her different from the viral bride was that she was at least married for 11 months. She told our correspondent that she met the man, whom she refused to name, when she attended a work conference in Abuja. According to her, she was charmed by his good looks and good manners, when he met the man that would later be her short-term husband in a hotel lobby. Foluke said, “I was in Abuja for a conference in 2012 when I met him in the lobby of the hotel where I lodged. We got talking and he told me he worked in Lagos too. “We reconnected in Lagos and we got talking. He told me he worked in “the medical field” and I just assumed he was a doctor and was being modest about it. He had a stethoscope in his car when we went out on a date.” One year after she met the stranger in Abuja, Foluke said ‘yes’ to the man of her dreams. Or so she thought he was. “During that period we dated, there was no reason at all for me to believe he was not a doctor. Whenever I asked about his work, there was nothing in the way he responded to suggest he was not a doctor,” she said. Foluke was 29 when they eventually walked down the aisle in Epe, Lagos in October 2012. She said, “My ex-husband had many friends that he addressed as ‘Doctor’. I assumed they were his doctor colleagues. I have never seen his payslip before even though he told me how much he earned. I believed and trusted him. There was no reason for me to be otherwise. “But one day, I lost a piece of paper and I was looking for it in the waste bin. While I was going through the bin, I found a paper squeezed tightly. I unfolded it thinking it was my paper and realised it was a payslip. “In the paper, I saw his name, his grade and the company he worked for. I found it hard to believe when I saw that he was a medical representative. I checked again and the date showed it was the payslip of two months back. “I spread the paper on the table and waited for him that day. My head was about to explode, I did not know what to think because even our neighbours called him ‘doctor’. “When he got home and saw the payslip. He sat down and held my hand. I did not say a single word. I just stared at him. He started begging me and saying that he loved me so much. He said he thought I would not have married him because I was already calling him “doctor” and he liked it. “I was shocked that he thought I married him because I thought he was a doctor. I cried that day because it dawned on me that I could never trust him again.” Foluke’s trouble with her husband did not end there. According to her, what finally confirmed her suspicion that he was a habitual liar was that he allegedly established a drug store in his hometown in Enugu, which his brother was managing. “All this came to light when family members were trying to settle our rift. He could not even tell me about something as little as that also,” she said. Foluke said she walked away from the marriage because she was afraid there were other bigger secrets her husband were keeping from her. She said even though she wasn’t yet pregnant when she walked out of the marriage, she would have made the same decision even if she already had a child. She told our correspondent that till today, her ex-husband’s friends are still making efforts to bring them back together but she said she was gone for good because she could never be able to trust him again. There are many other outrageous lies that have destroyed marriages out there, but some are just downright weird and outrageous. And just like Foluke married a ‘Doctor’, Claret, an 18-year-old girl, fresh out of secondary school, also got married to a ‘doctor’, Ovie, who was almost 15 years older than her. According to Mrs. Ifeoma Okonkwo, Claret’s distant aunt and neighbour at their Egbeda, Lagos residence, Claret and Ovie’s marriage was based on lies, little wonder it lasted less than four months after they tied the knot. Okonkwo, who claimed she tried all she could to counsel the young couple, said her efforts were in vain, more so, when their lies came to the open after the marriage. “Ovie had told Claret that he was a doctor and he would take her abroad after her secondary school exam. The young girl in her naivety had believed him. He told her he was a medical doctor and she also believed him especially when he always wore lab coat. It was actually when they got married that the young girl discovered that Ovie was just a lab attendant that worked in a very small laboratory in Lagos. His salary was so insignificant and of course, there was no way he could have been able to send her to Ghana, let alone America that he had promised her.” Okonkwo also said Claret had her own baggage of lies. “She had told Ovie when they were dating that she was a virgin. It was actually based on that, that Ovie decided to marry her. He also believed her because she was so young and she looked frail and innocent. He didn’t try to sleep with her up until the wedding night. That was when he told us that he discovered that his wife had been deflowered ‘many years ago’.” Okonkwo said even though Claret got pregnant, the marriage couldn’t last as both of them kept abusing each other and it eventually led to domestic violence. A marriage counsellor, Dr. Bimpe Ajibade, told our correspondent that lies in marriage are symbolic of a deeper issue of mistrust. “Any lie in marriage is a time bomb. No matter how big or small it is; a lie has the potential of destroying a marriage. People should know what they are getting into. If I am spending the rest of my life with you, I am taking you cupboard and skeleton. “You should not pretend you have no secrets and I discover a skeleton in your cupboard tomorrow. This is why I advise intending couples to a sit down with each other and tell all.” Saturday PUNCH learnt of a similar story that rocked and eventually destroyed a marriage between a US-based Nigerian and his “medical student.” A sibling of the husband, who pleaded anonymity, told Saturday PUNCH that his brother, who had worked in the US as a registered nurse for about five years met a young lady online who told him that she was a medical student. He told our correspondent, “My brother had always said he would love to marry a doctor or a nurse. He was even sending money for her studies. But eventually, he said he did not mind getting married before the end of the lady’s studies. “After they got married, every year, the lady was always giving one excuse or another about why she had not graduated. Sometimes, she would say she had flunked a course, another time, she would say her script got missing and had to repeat a semester or a year. “We got to learn she was not even in any institution. My brother became too worried and told some of us to find out what was happening at the University of Port Harcourt medical school. My brother did not waste time at all before divorcing her.” He told our correspondent that his brother was married to the lady for 11 years and they had two children. The longevity of the marriage did not stop him from divorcing the woman. But it gets crazier What if you discover that your husband has a love child and never thought it was good enough to tell you as his wife? If the story of Anastasia (not real name) was just about a lie about a love child, one might say hers is one that is not uncommon. With a professor father and a nursing matron mother, Anastasia, got married to the man she believed to be “the one” at the age of 25 in 2004. Anastasia said, “I was not hungry about marriage even though I was fully ready. When he proposed, I told him, I did not know him well yet because it was just three months after I had met him. “He pestered the hell out of my life about the marriage. I had a relationship that ended barely a year before then and I was just being very cautious. I told him to be patient because I just wanted to be very sure of what I was getting into. “Before we got married, I once jokingly asked if he had another child somewhere, he flatly said no. He even said if he had such a child, he would have told me. I told him then that I was just joking. That was the end of the matter.” Anastasia said nothing in their three years of marriage came up to tip her off that her husband had a love child somewhere. Then, it happened. She said her ex-husband, who was 33 when they got married, had an aunt, a widow with four children, whom he was supposedly solely responsible for. “Every month, he sent N20, 000 to her for monthly upkeep to help her with the children. Then, a little over a year after our marriage, my husband had a problem at work. His salary was stopped. And he could not send the money every month anymore. He could not even handle our upkeep at that time. I saw his family as mine, I took up the challenge. “I wanted to please him and did not want the woman to suffer. So, I told him that I could give him N10, 000 to the aunty monthly just to ensure the woman keeps getting something from us. “I did this for more than a year. Sometimes, she would tell me that the aunty called when I was away at work to thank us about the money. He would say, ‘Babe, you are a good woman. May God bless you.’ I told him never to let her know I was the one giving him the money. Then I saw a text that destroyed it all.” According to Anastasia, she was initially confused about the text. “The text from a name I did not recognise was an angry one. The sender said, ‘You reduced the money you’re sending for your child’s upkeep to N10, 000 and you still don’t want to send it? You think I am a fool? Don’t worry, I will come and drop your daughter on your doorstep soon’.” Anastasia said. She explained that after confronting her ex-husband about the text, he initially dismissed it as probably a mistake. Anastasia said, “I looked at him and could see he thought I was a fool. He eventually confessed that he had a daughter by a woman he did not intend to marry five years prior to that. He said the N20, 000 he had been sending purportedly to his aunty was to the woman for the upkeep of her child. “I asked him about the N10, 000 I have also been giving him every month and he told me that he was sorry that it was for the woman as well. “I wanted to die. I wept profusely that day. I have been sending my hard-earned money to a stranger who had a lovechild for my husband for more than a year!” It was a case that would later rock the marriage till it fell apart. Anastasia said he initially did not intend to end the marriage until the said woman brought the child to their home and threatened her for preventing the man from upholding his responsibility to his love child. That was the last straw for Anastasia, who had yet to have a child at the time. “I have never seen such betrayal before. I did not see my life with that kind of man anymore. But believe me, I don’t regret my decision one bit,” she said. The marriage would never recover from it. Anastasia divorced her husband and married a Ghanaian based in Lagos two years later. At 37, she now has three children. Marriage counsellor and pastor, Dr. Shina Labijo, told Saturday PUNCH that couples should never marry on the platform of deception. According to him, trust in the midst of nothing will always be better valued than distrust in the midst of affluence. He said even though he would never advise divorce for any woman or man who has been deceived, any partner has the right to be angry. “It is emotionally draining to learn that a man or woman you have married and would be spending the rest of your life with has a secret or has lied about an aspect of his/her life. This is a betrayal some people may not recover from for a long time,” he said. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Jonathan’s body language shows support for Avengers - Odili

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The Convener of the Conference of Nigerian Civil Rights Activists and a leader of Campaign for Democracy, Mr. Ifeanyi Odili, in this interview with BAYO AKINLOYE, says allegations linking former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Niger Delta Avengers are grievous and that the ex-president should seek legal redress to clear his name if he is innocent The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and the Reformed Niger Delta have accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of being sympathetic to the Niger Delta Avengers and that he’s using the Avengers to destabilise President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. Do you think that the allegation was proper, considering the fact that he willingly conceded defeat to Buhari? Yes. People should be curious because they seem not to realise that in Nigeria, everything is possible. The question of whether it is right or wrong (to accuse Goodluck Jonathan of sponsoring the Avengers) has not arisen. The question should be: can he possibly allow himself to be involved in such unpatriotic act? The answer to the question can go either way. I am from the Niger Delta; I know what some of us can do. Who was Jonathan before he became the vice president? As a nation, are we aware of his security antecedents? No Ijaw man is free from militancy. And besides, do you think that Jonathan willingly accepted defeat? That belief (that he graciously accepted defeat) is nothing but mere fallacy. The man was not to leave the stage (hand over power to Buhari). The voice of rejection was too loud and clear for him to risk clinging on to power through either a Machiavellian approach or any other guise. He had no option than to quit, otherwise his case would have been worse than that of Laurent Gbagbo and Muammar Gaddafi. He had been rejected. So, refusing to relinquish power would have been disastrous for him and the entire nation. The country would probably have been at war at that moment. In other words, he did not sacrifice his presidential ambition; rather, he was rejected and he knew it. If you study the body language of some of his followers, then you will infer that the accusation could be true. Do you think it is important for Jonathan to seek legal redress if truly he has no link to the militant group, to clear his name? What Jonathan should have done is to sue those who levelled the allegation against him for their intention to defame and damage his character; that is if his hands are clean. I cannot give an undertaking for anybody from that region on issues like this. But from a legal point of view, if someone is accused of a certain criminal act, it is the duty of the government to investigate this weighty allegation against an ex-president. There’s been destruction of oil facilities in the Niger Delta by the Avengers and violent attacks in the South-West by other militants. No one has heard the ex-president openly condemn such actions. What do you think about Jonathan’s body language? His body language speaks volume; it is conceived of so many meanings. At his level and being an elder statesman, such actions should not have come from his domain. He could have urged the militants to sheathe their sword. He cannot openly condemn the attack going by his body language. Some of us from the Niger Delta believed before now, that it was (President Muhammadu) Buhari who was sponsoring or instigating Boko Haram against the Jonathan’s government, being a southerner. Now that Buhari, a northerner is there, someone from the Niger Delta might think this is a time to revenge. I think that is what we are witnessing today. However, that notion ought to have been deleted from their memories since the soldiers allegedly killed over 700 members of Shiite Muslims and continued detention of (Ibraheem) El-Zakzaky by the Nigerian Army under the watch of Buhari. Are you saying the inaction or silence of the former president on the militants’ activities is deliberate? One would not be off the mark to say emphatically that his silence is deliberate because it is said that ‘silence means consent.’ What would have prompted some prominent South-South leaders to approach Buhari and demand the suspension of the ongoing prosecution of Jonathan’s aides as part of conditions to stop the destruction of oil facilities by the NDA? Who do you think was the mastermind of such irresponsible move? Those leaders could not have taken such step without due consultation with Jonathan. What has dropping of corruption charges got to do with destruction of government properties which is regarded as our collective heritage, inasmuch as we remain as one indivisible nation? Do you think he can be instrumental to resolving the Niger Delta crisis? Obviously, not. As an aggrieved and ousted president? He cannot and can never be instrumental in the resolution of the crisis because what we are seeing today is what they (Jonathan’s supporters) termed ‘Plan B’ following his loss at the presidential poll. So, anyone who thinks Jonathan can be instrumental to resolving the ongoing destruction of our properties and the Niger Delta crisis is committing a huge political and economic blunder. Solution to Niger Delta Crisis is that the government should deal directly with the common people, not the likes of (Government Ekpemupolo, aka) Tompolo, (Kingsley) Kuku, Asari Dokubo, and Edwin Clark, among others. There cannot be any solution until justice is done. The real owners of these resources must feel the impact of their resources; I mean the masses in that region. What do you make of the ex-president’s alleged relationship with Government Tompolo? That is one of the things I have just said. If Jonathan and Tompolo did not have a robust relationship, what is Tompolo doing with the billions of naira which belonged to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency? It was also alleged that contract to import ammunition to fight Boko Haram insurgents was given to him. When did Tompolo become importer of arms? When did he become a registered fire arms supplier in the Ministry of Defence? Let me tell you, Buhari’s earthly sojourn will not be complete if all these looters are not apprehended and jailed – if possible, executed – because their act, have sent many souls to their untimely graves. Don’t you think that linking Jonathan with NDA is APC propaganda to discredit him? This is not propaganda; it is a reality and a fact that should be properly investigated. Such allegation is not what the government will just overlook or sweep under the carpet – or else, this country is doomed. But while I hold that view, I cannot allow my sense of reasoning to be clouded because I also have a second reflection about it. Don’t forget that a petition was written against Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Ogonis (his own people) to the then Federal Military Government under (Gen. Sani) Abacha over what was termed treason and arson upon which he was sentenced to death. Consequently, he was hanged. So, the allegation could be out of jealousy, hatred and vengeance by his (Jonathan’s) own people. This we cannot be ruled out completely. It can also be a ploy as you have rightly suggested, by the government to cause harm or damage to his image, because the world sees him as a hero for relinquishing power ‘willingly.’ So, to prove his innocence, he should go to court? If Jonathan was not willing to clear his name on the matter, legally, and the government sees the allegation as something to act upon and as a threat to the Nigerian nation – namely, our corporate existence. It (The Federal Government) should ask the security agencies to invite the erstwhile president (for questioning); investigate and prosecute him for treason and economic sabotage, if found guilty. Could it be that the ex-president doesn’t care about what people say about him? I don’t think so. I think he wants to display some bit of maturity and intelligence but I am afraid this is really a serious allegation that he should not have ignored. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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My wife always beats me, man tells court

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A 46-year-old man, Ogah Alexander, has told a Mararaba Upper Area Court that his wife, Helen, beats him because he is physically challenged. He urged the court to dissolve his 13-year-old marriage which was blessed with four children, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. He said, “My wife beats and disrespects me because I am deformed in my hand.” The petitioner said he once bought a car for his wife but she gave the car to her pastor without his knowledge or consent. “I came back from work one day and she told me that the pastor had an accident with the car and when I confronted her that I did not give the car to the pastor, she slapped me. “I received the beating of my life from her to the extent that she grabbed my private parts and tried to kill me,” Alexander added. He also told the court that it had been over a year since he had sex with his wife because of the injury he sustained when she grabbed his private parts. Helen, however, was not in court in spite of the court’s summons on her. The presiding judge, Ibrahim Shekaru, adjourned the case till September 2, 2016. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Comedy legend Gene Wilder dies at 83

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Gene Wilder, who delighted audiences with his comic turns in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and Mel Brooks classics including “Blazing Saddles” and “The Producers,” died Monday at age 83, Variety magazine reported. The weekly film industry journal quoted his nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman as saying the actor died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at his home in Connecticut. His agent told AFP he could not immediately confirm the report. Wilder, whose third wife Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer, was treated for lymphoma in 2000. He was acclaimed for his turn as The Waco Kid in Brooks’s third film, the spoof Western and box office smash “Blazing Saddles.” The 1974 movie shot down the myths perpetuated about the American West, pouring light on closeted racism, but it is also stacked full of gags and is often listed among critics’ top 10 comedy films. Brooks and Wilder joined forces on the script for the director’s next film, “Young Frankenstein,” which poked fun at the Universal horror pictures of the 1930s. Wilder co-starred with Richard Pryor in the train-murder comedy “Silver Streak” (1976) and in “Stir Crazy (1980). His last major role was in a TV film version of “Alice in Wonderland” in the late 1990s, which also starred Ben Kingsley and Martin Short. “Gene Wilder – One of the truly great talents of our time. He blessed every film we did with his magic and he blessed me with his friendship,” Brooks said on Twitter. AFP

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My policeman friend led team that killed my son - Father

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Simon Utebor, Yenagoa The father of Innocent Kokorifa, who was allegedly killed by a police team in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has demanded justice for his son. Mr. Daniel Kokorifa, an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Rivers State Sector Command, said his son was murdered by a team led by his friend. He spoke on Monday when some human rights activists, led by a former Secretary, Civil Liberties Organisation, Mr. Alagoa Morris, paid a condolence visit to his home in the Okaka area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. Innocent, who was first of five children, was allegedly shot dead by the police anti-kidnapping team on Air Force Road in Yenagoa on August 18, 2016. The victim was said to be running an errand for his mother, Pere, when he was killed. But the state police command had in a statement claimed that the victim died during a gun battle between a three-man robbery gang and the police. The victim’s father, Daniel, however, said upon investigation, he discovered that Innocent was killed by a police team led by his own friend. He explained that his son died on the day his West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination results were released wherein he passed all his papers. He said, “On August 18, 2016, my wife called me that our son was shot dead by the police. We went to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, but they denied knowledge of the incident. “We went to the anti-vice unit and they also denied. When we went to the scene of the incident, we discovered that it was the anti-vice team that came for the operation. “The following morning, I went to the anti-vice team again, but they denied knowledge of it. I saw a friend, who worked there. When I asked him, he also denied any knowledge of it. But I later discovered that it was my friend, who led the team, that killed my son. “From there, I went to the Emergency Ward at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, in search of my son. There, I was told that the police brought the boy in the night around 11pm, the doctors said the boy was brought dead. “That was how I knew my son was dead. I went inside the mortuary with my son’s picture and my ID card before they allowed me in. I saw his lifeless body in the morgue.” Daniel, while thanking various rights groups that had been standing by the family, said his son’s dream of studying law at the university had been cut short. “From birth, he never had any criminal record. The day he died was the day his principal called me that he made all his papers. Now, he is dead. All I demand is justice,” he added. The victim’s mother, Pere, said she asked him to give N2,000 to her elder sister’s daughter around 10pm on the day of the incident. “We started searching for him when he didn’t return on time. We went to hospitals and police stations, but they all denied knowing the whereabouts of my son. The following day, when my husband returned from Port Harcourt where he works, we went to the SCIID and they asked me to write a statement that it was bad boys that killed my son, so that they could investigate the matter, but I refused.” Human rights activist, Morris, said, “Even a criminal is innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. And until a judge pronounces the death penalty, no one has the right to take a life.” Another activist, Ebiserikumo Gbassa, who described the development as an extra-judicial killing, said the police had ended the life of a promising youth. “I am appealing to all relevant authorities to ensure that the killers of the innocent boy are brought to book,” he added. When contacted, the spokesman for the police command in the state, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said the police were investigating the matter. However, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Amiengheme Andy, last Friday, sympathised with the family of the deceased. Andy had said, “We do not encourage such things. We all have children and nobody will send anyone out to shoot anybody and anyone who does that will pay dearly for it. “We want to assure the family that nobody will cover up the matter. “At the end of the day, justice must be done. The commissioner wants to see the father of the boy because it is very painful.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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LASU medical students protest in Alausa

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Students of Lagos State University College of Medicine are protesting against the management of the college at the Governor’s Office in Alausa, Lagos. A student, who identified himself as Tunde, said he had been in the institution for about nine years due to the poor management of the college. He said the students were angry that funds released by the state Governor to address the issues in the institution had not been properly utilised by the Ministry of Health and the school management. More to follow…

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Buhari has no candidate in Ondo APC, says Presidency

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Friday Olokor, Abuja With few days to the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, the Presidency has waded into the crisis over alleged plans by the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to impose an aspirant (Segun Abraham) on them. The Presidency which specifically said President Muhammad Buhari and the APC-led government had no preferred candidate in Ondo State, warned that “government will come hard on anyone that does anything that in anyway jeopardises the peace and security of Ondo State.” The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, made the clarification in Abuja, after a closed-door meeting with the 24 aspirants of the party in his office, which lasted about four hours. The SGF also demanded that 10 of the aspirants who had yet to sign an undertaking with the Department of State Services to be of good conduct would do so. He said, “We wish to reiterate that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has no preferred candidate among the 24 aspirants and the government will do all in its powers to provide a level-playing field for all the 24 APC governorship aspirants. We expect that every one of the aspirants will work hard to be in the favour of the delegates. We expect there should be no inducement of delegates and there will be no violence during the election. “I will like to also assure the people that all the security agents will be properly briefed and properly deployed to guarantee the safety and security of lives and property of the people of Ondo State, delegates and aspirants alike. The President wishes each and every one of you the best of luck. For whoever emerges as the successful candidate on Saturday, be rest assured that you have the full support of the machinery of the party behind you. “We like to reassure the people that as a government, there is no preferred candidate and as a government, we will work hard to ensure that everyone is given a level-playing field so that anyone that God has ordained as the preferred candidate will so emerge. All the other aspirants have agreed to line-up behind whoever emerges so that we move forward. I want to assure you that soon, Ondo State will become an APC state.” The National Secretary of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, also restated the position of its leadership to provide a level-playing field for all aspirants. “This party (APC) is committed to providing free and fair election because the members that we are sending to conduct this primary election are up to the task. “As for the question of either camping or inducing delegates, I am sure our delegates are people that no one can control their minds. Nobody at any level will influence their decisions”, he stated. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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PHOTOS: Six rescued as building collapses in Abuja

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Project Fame eviction hammer hits Blessing, Benjamin

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It is always all smiles on the show until it is time for some people to get the boot. Every contestant dreads that nerve racking moment when fingers have to be crossed till the evicted contestant is mentioned. The third elimination show was no exception as two contestants ended their journeys in the competition. All 14 contestants were placed on probation last week hence it was revealed that Oluchi, Gabriel, Eli, Benjamin and Blessing had the least number of viewers’ votes so they were required to perform again in a bid to escape elimination. Even though the judges and faculty spoke highly of how the contestants put up a good fight with their performance, only three of them escaped elimination. The judges saved Gabriel, the Faculty saved Oluchi, while the contestants saved Eli leaving Blessing and Benjamin as the eliminated contestants. In their parting words, they both spoke of how much they appreciated the learning experience the platform provided them and promised to put the lessons learnt to a good use. They both left the audience asking for more as they performed for the last time on the stage before they took a bow. Another performance that gave the audience this same feeling was the contestants’ group performance which featured a medley of some of Naija’s most loved songs. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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‘Don’t avenge killings in North’

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Friday Amobi, Port Harcourt The Rivers State Overseer of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Mr. Edison Daminabo, has called on Christians in the North not to avenge the killings of their brothers in the northern part of the country. Daminabo, who also described the killings of Christians in the North as a blessing to the faith, expressed worries over the recurrent killings and kidnappings in Rivers State. The cleric made this remark in Port Harcourt on Tuesday while briefing newsmen ahead of the visit of the church’s General Superintendent, Pastor William Kumuyi, for a crusade tagged ‘Rivers Double Portion’ scheduled for the state capital on Saturday. Daminabo pointed out that the killing of men of God in the North by suspected Muslim extremists was a passing phase, adding that the Christian faith would flourish. The state overseer of the ministry also averred that God would revenge the killings of His people in due time, stressing that any Christian that took up the fight would miss heaven. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Ondo PDP: Jimoh Ibrahim's emergence illegal, says Markafi's faction

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Peter Dada, Akure Forty-eight hours after his emergence as the candidate of the Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim has been disowned by the Ahmed Markafi’s faction of the party, saying he emerged as the candidate of the party illegally. The Makarfi faction also declared that the PDP had no other candidate apart from a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede. Jegede emerged the candidate of the party last week during the primary of the Markafi faction, held at the International Events Centre, Akure, the Ondo State capital. Ibrahim won the primary of the Sheriff faction held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Monday. However, it was gathered that the primary was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The Makarfi faction, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Banji Okunomo, said the Sherriff faction’s primary was illegally conducted, adding that it was not attended by the “real stakeholders.” The statement read, ” All the persons that fall in the various categories making up the governorship primary had already participated in the Congress that produced Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the flag bearer of the party. “These persons cannot be impersonated and their roles in the electoral college cannot be replicated, duplicated or copied in whatever guise. “It is also very important, at this juncture, to tell the whole world that Jimoh Ibrahim, the acclaimed candidate of the illegal parallel PDP primary, is not a member of the PDP from ward to state level.” It noted that Ibrahim had left the PDP and had allegedly joined the Accord Party and he had not yet relinquished his membership of the AP. It also alleged that Ibrahim had not followed the procedure necessary to rejoin the PDP. According to the statement, it is not only illegal for a member of another party to pick the governorship ticket of the PDP, but it also amounts to double standards. Hence, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has declared Jimoh Ibrahim a ‘persona non grata.’ The PDP, in the statement, urged members to remain steadfast and work for the success of the party in the governorship election, coming up on November 26, 2016.

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Chickens forced to skip meals as cost of poultry feed rises by 100%

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Fisayo Falodi, Gbenro Adeoye, Tunde Ajaja and Jesusegun Alagbe The recent increase in the cost of poultry feed in the country has been forcing farmers to ration food for their birds. Findings have shown that the cost of ingredients for the composition of poultry feeds, particularly maize, has increased by 100 per cent. For instance, a 100kg bag of maize, which used to cost about N6, 000 in April 2016, is now being sold for about N12, 000. Also, the cost of fish meal, another important ingredient in poultry feeds, has increased by 60 per cent. A kilogramme of fish meal that used to sell for N500 now costs about N800. However, the price of egg in the market has not enjoyed similar increase. Before the hike in the cost of poultry feed ingredients, a crate of eggs used to sell for N600. It is now being sold for between N650 and N700, depending on the egg size. This development has led farmers to be rationing food for their birds or mixing their feeds with lesser nutritious ingredients. This has consequently led to a drop in egg production as malnourished birds do not produce eggs maximally. Findings also showed that the high cost of maize was due to low cultivation as a result of the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the north, recurring attacks by Fulani herdsmen and flooding. This situation was confirmed in the 2016 Maize Outlook by a consulting firm, Novus Agro Nigeria Limited. According to the outlook, the price of maize hit N65, 000 per metric tonne in January 2016, up from around N45, 000 in October 2015 and has been on steady rise since then. The Director-General of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Mr. Onallo Akpa, said the poultry industry in the country was in crisis. He said, “Last year, Nigeria produced over 14 billion table eggs and was recognised as the number one egg producer in Africa. But we have not been able to calculate the production figure in the last one year because of the crisis we are going through. But surely, our egg production figure has dropped. The industry is being threatened now due to high cost of poultry feeds. Akpa also said the problem arose as a result of neglect of the agricultural sector and the non-supply of inputs like fertiliser to the “few” farmers in the country. He said, “Maize was being bought between N4, 500 and N5, 000 per 100kg bag in October/November 2015. But now, it is about N12, 000. Now there is pressure on maize by the poultry industry which consumes over 2.5 million metric tonnes annually. The breweries and other industries also compete with us.” The Chairman of Dedora Nigeria Limited, Lagos, Mr. Emmanuel Omokwale, said his farm had been recording loss every day. He lamented that before, his farm used to produce 300,000 crates of eggs per day, but could hardly produce 1,000 crates now because of the rise in the prices of raw materials. He said, “The prices of raw materials keep on increasing every day. Maize is a major example. I have been in this business for over 25 years, I have not bought maize above N80, 000 per tonne. But the price is now N180, 000 per tonne. With the way it is going, only God knows when it will end. “Other problem is non-availability of vitamins and others which are used to produce amino acid to enrich poultry feed. All these things are not produced in Nigeria. Maize and soya beans are locally produced, but soya beans are sometimes imported into the country. The foreign exchange crisis has compounded the non-availability of vitamins.” Omokwale added that the foreign exchange crisis, increase in fuel price and high interest rate have also contributed to the problem the poultry industry is facing. “We are not breaking even because we cannot meet the cost of feeding the birds. In my farm, I provide water, electricity, labour and security. For instance, I buy diesel at N200 per litre and I use a minimum of 200 litres of diesel per day, that is, N40,000 on diesel alone daily,” he said. Omokwale added that these problems had led to a sharp decline in the production of eggs on his farm. He said, “We can’t meet demand for eggs because we don’t have enough birds. We don’t have the capacity to stock now. The problem is that the more we produce, the more we lose. We cannot just expand because to feed the birds alone is difficult. “Some poultry farms ration the feeding of their birds. But the problem with that is that if you adopt that method, you will be worse off. That is why you have to cut down your stock. It is too expensive to stock now. Everybody will soon see the effect of what is happening now in the country.” The Managing Director of Abibcom Farms in Ogun State, Dr. Habib Stephen Temitope, also said insecurity had contributed to the non-availability of raw materials for poultry feed. He said, “How do you feed your birds when the cost of raw materials is increasing every day? The best thing is to reduce your stocking capacity. A kilogramme of maize cost N44 before, but it is being sold for N105. So, if you are buying 100 kilogrammes of maize, you need N105, 000 to do so unlike before when it cost N44, 000. “But in spite of the rise in the cost of raw materials, poultry farmers cannot increase the price of eggs. Vaccine is another problem. You are to vaccinate your birds. Some farmers are rationing food for their birds just to keep them alive because of these problems.” A poultry farmer in Ibadan, Oyo State, who has about 2,000 birds, Mr. Isaac Oguntuase, said he had started rationing feeds for his birds because of its cost implication and the financial crisis he was going through. He explained that the adequate quantity of poultry feeds required daily for his birds is 250kg as each consumes an average of 125 grammes of food per day. He said, “I can tell you that the cost of poultry feed has increased by 100 per cent. My birds have not been eating as they should; instead of giving them 250 kg of feed daily, I have reduced the ration to about 200kg. “But the problem with that is that their egg production has dropped by 30 per cent already. If birds don’t eat well, they won’t produce eggs as they should and the little they produce might also be small in size.” A poultry farmer in Ogun State, Mr. Johnson Anwuzie, said he had been substituting maize with dried garri (koko) and fish meal with soya beans. But he noted that the move had reduced his birds’ egg production rate. Instead of an average of 180 crates of eggs daily, Anwuzie has been getting less than 140 crates since he started adulterating feed for his birds. “I have been losing a lot of money because of the high cost of maize and its unavailability,” he said. A poultry farmer in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Mr. Oladapo John, said he had reduced the stock of fowls on his farm. He said, “Instead of adulterating their feed, I have reduced the stock of fowls on my farm. But unlike before when I used to produce 100 egg crates on my farm, I only produce 30 now.” A poultry farmer, Mr. Azeez Gbolahan, described the rising cost of feeds as disturbing, saying the trend has had enormous effect on his business. Gbolahan, who rears layers and cockerels, lamented that in spite of the increasing cost of the feeds, any attempt to increase the price of their products would lead to loss of customers. He said, “The prices have skyrocketed. It is killing the business and eating into our profit. For instance, at the beginning of the year, a bag of layers mash was around N2,200, but now it’s N2,900. It was about N2,650 just three weeks ago, but now it has increased again. “Painfully, you can’t just increase the prices of your products like that, else you will lose customers. I tried it. I raised the price of a crate of eggs from N700 to N750, but I lost a lot of customers as a result.” Findings by Saturday PUNCH also showed that many poultry farmers are moving out of the business as it has become difficult to sustain their farms under the current circumstances. For example, a farmer with about 1,000 birds in Ibadan, Oyo State, Mr. Busuyi Olalekan, said he was already searching for a buyer for his birds and other assets on his farm. He said, “A lot of farmers are moving out of the business, particularly small farm owners and that is what I’m about to do. The cost of feed has increased drastically, but the price of eggs has not increased considerably.” An agricultural consultant and Publisher of Farming Advice Digest, Dr. Joseph Deji-Folutile, said in his interaction with farmers, most of them had kept on lamenting a drop in egg production because of the high cost of maize. He said, “Most of them have been rationing what they feed their birds because more than 85 per cent of poultry production cost is on feeding. A farmer was telling me that he was thinking of closing down because production was not picking up on time. It is from the sale of eggs that farmers make money to remain in business, so once the birds are not producing eggs, they will be running at a loss. “The major thing is that the maize is expensive and not even available. And when it is available, it is at a high cost and the quality may not even be as high as expected. And when farmers don’t have what they want, they make do with what they have, so it is really a major problem. “When birds are not well fed, their immune system will not be at peak level and whatever infection they are exposed to will get them down. Maize which gives energy is the major ingredient in feed production, so the high cost of feed and other attendant problems have really affected the farmers. “I have a client who used to produce about 1,500 crates of eggs daily and because of starving the birds, production went down to about 700 crates. If they get the maize in the right content, it takes some time for the birds to pick up again. These are not the best of times for farmers.” Likewise, a veterinary doctor who consults for poultry farms, Mr. Adedayo Ojo, said underfeeding poultry birds could affect their immunity and expose them to infections. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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Alleged withdrawals: Rivers warns EFCC against bias

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The Rivers State Government has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to shun partisan politics and operate within the law. The state government, speaking through the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George, on Saturday, was reacting to a publication by The PUNCH of alleged suspicious withdrawals of N11bn by one Kingsley Fubara. Fubara, identified as the Director of Finance and Administration in the Rivers State Government House, was, according to the EFCC, behind repeated withdrawals on behalf of the state government. But Tam-George said the Rivers State Government neither knew Fubara nor conducted such financial transactions between December 2015 and February 2016 as indicated. Tam-George, in a statement, said, “The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn to a publication in The PUNCH newspaper of Friday, June 24, where the report alleged that one ‘Mr. Kingsley Fubara,’ said to be a Director of Finance and Administration in the Rivers State Government House, made repeated financial withdrawals from the Central Bank of Nigeria and Zenith Bank to the tune of N11bn. “According to the report, the ‘suspicious withdrawals’ on behalf of the Rivers State Government were made between December 2015 and February 2016. The Rivers State Government never conducted such financial transactions and the report is patently false. The Rivers State Government has no record of any staff known as Kingsely Fubara,” He noted that report had also indicated that the Attorney General of the Federation directed the EFCC to probe the alleged withdrawals, noting that the state government viewed the directive as “manifestly illegal and ridiculous proposition.” He further said, “By law, the Rivers State Government is accountable to the Rivers State House of Assembly and the people of Rivers State and not to the Attorney General of the Federation. “Has the EFCC ever heard of one Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Transport? “Despite receiving over N3tn in eight years as governor, Amaechi left the most abandoned projects in the history of Rivers State, since 1967. Several petitions against Amaechi, supported by sworn affidavits, have all been summarily ignored by the EFCC.” Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

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