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Go Now, Reps Tell Service Chiefs, NSA

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Go Now, Reps Tell Service Chiefs, NSA

• Seek urgent overhaul of security architecture
• Move to grant immunity for presiding officers

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a vote of no confidence in the nation’s service chiefs, asking them to resign their appointments with immediate effect.

 

Also, the lawmakers urged the executive arm of government to, as a matter of urgency, reorganise the entire security architecture of the country to reflect the existing realities.

The house had, about a month ago, reached a resolution, asking the top military brass to either resign or be sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed them.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Yusuf Buba from Adamawa State under matters of urgent public importance on the need for the Federal Government to provide adequate security and relief materials to parts of his constituency attacked by insurgents, and for the military to review its strategy in its campaign against terrorism.

Buba’s motion came on the heels of the recent attacks, including the burning of churches, in Garkida community in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State. He decried the rising insecurity that has continued to claim innocent lives and property of the people.

He said: “It is easy to recall that in the last few weeks, the Auno in Borno State and Garkida in Adamawa State suffered attacks, including others that were not reported, which have left the world asking questions that remain unanswered.

“These attacks coming ferociously after a time the insurgents were said to have been highly degraded, to say the least, have left our people in even more grave danger and have left our homes, business premises, places of worship, farms and, above all, lives at the mercy of the insurgents.

“If nothing urgent is done to increase the number of our soldiers by way of massive recruitment, the number of our men in the theatres of conflict, sadly, will continue to decrease and their morale will drop considerably while our nation may have a sad recourse to pre-2015. God forbid.”

Sarki Ader from Sokoto State, who contributed to the motion, said that the sorry situation should naturally invoke shame to the service chiefs and the NSA who could not stop the attacks.

Nyampa Zakaria from Michika Federal Constituency, Adamawa State, said that a more drastic action needed to be taken to arrest the attacks.

“This country is in danger. We know that there is insecurity, and nothing has been done by the Nigerian army. If there is no security of lives and property, we cannot be comfortable here. Mr. Speaker, we must find a way of solving this problem. Let’s do something and let’s do it urgently,” he said.

Ahmed Jaha from Borno State said that the service chiefs had completely run out of ideas.

“You must not live in your comfort zone while your constituents are dying. For how long shall we be repelling attacks in this country? My people voted for me under duress because they had been sending messages of attacks.

“These insurgents came in with 11 brand new Hilux vans. I called the security outfit, they said they were waiting for them to come so that they could repel them. Garkida is less than 15km away from my constituency. You are waiting for them to come? How long shall we continue to repel?”

Karu Simon Elisha from Balanga federal constituency of Gombe State backed the call for the service chiefs to resign.

“Even though Nigeria walks through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil. Mr. Speaker, these people burn churches, mosques, kill everyone, we are fighting the devil. We need a strategy that will tackle these terrorists. It is time to bring new ideas in the security.

“I join others to call for the resignation of all service chiefs. They have tried their best but we need new hands. People are dying. It will get to a time we will stand here and cry. These people are not producing results. We need other hands. We need a new strategy,” he said.

While adopting the motion, the house also asked the government to urgently commence mass recruitment of Nigerians into the military even as they asked the National Emergency Management Agency and the North East Development Commission to send relief materials to the victims of the attacks in Garkida and Auno.

Also yesterday, the house passed for second reading the bill seeking an amendment to the 1999 Constitution in order to extend immunity to the presiding officers of the National Assembly.

The presiding officers are president and deputy president of the Senate, and speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

The bill sponsored by Odebunmi Olusegun is for an Act to alter Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to extend immunity to cover presiding officers of legislative institutions, and for related matters. The bill scaled through second reading after several debates.

Olusegun (APC, Lagos) stated that the bill was intended to protect the institution of the legislature from distraction caused by unnecessary legal actions against the presiding officers.

The Majority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, who kicked against it noted that it came at a wrong time as the issue of insecurity should be the matter on the front burner of the legislature. He called for the annulment of the motion. “There’s nothing the presiding leaders are doing for them to deserve immunity,” he said.

The House Leader, Ado oguwa, who supported the bill said that the prevention of distraction “which is the reason for the immunity adoption by the executive” should be extended to the legislative arm whom he said deserved similar support to help avoid harassment during the discharge of their duties while in power.

The house also passed for a second reading, a bill for an Act to establish a Maritime Development Bank of Nigeria to enhance and promote indigenous participation and accelerate capacity building in the maritime sector.

The bill which was sponsored by Mansur Soro (APC, Bauchi), seeks the establishment of the bank that will focus on promoting accelerated participation of indigenous entities in the Nigerian maritime sector through targeted industry-focused banking products that will enhance local capacity and contribute to the prosperity and development of the country

PDP’s endless hypocrisy and blackmail

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PDP’s endless hypocrisy and blackmail
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he supreme court of Nigeria has again awarded the governorship election in Bayelsa to the PDP. The APC won the governorship election but the supreme court nullified the candidacy of the APC on Thursday because the running mate of the APC governorship candidate presented forged certificate for the election. This is the second judicial award of governorship to PDP, after the Zamfara case

What was the reaction of the PDP to the Bayelsa judgement? According to the party’s national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, “the PDP receives the supreme court judgement on Bayelsa, insists on Imo “. Why is the PDP insisting on Imo? According to the publicity secretary, “ The supreme court recognized the votes concocted by the APC and Senator Hope Uzodinma “ as the basis for its judgement and he claims that the recognition of these results from 388 polling units “ ended up increasing the total number of votes in the election to 950,952, over and above the INEC certified total accredited votes of 823,743”

Two points need to be made on this hypocritical stance of the PDP, to wit, One, the PDP has continued to insist that the results tendered in court by Governor Uzodimma and the APC were concocted and mind you these results came from polling units (388) where they also had their agents who have their own copies of results from the booths. The big question now is this: Is it not time for them( PDP)to publish their own copies of the results from these booths with their agents to prove once and for all that what Uzodimma and APC tendered were “ concocted “. And this is because it is is only by showing the world the results they have from these as one and the same with the ones with INEC and different from the ones Uzodimma and APC tendered that they can convince discerning minds that they are not making a mountain out of a molehill.

They had their chance to produce their own copies of these results in court but failed, for reasons best known to them. Since they are still taking about it,let them present the results now to the public to substantiate their claims or forever keep their mouths shut.

The second point is that they also failed to raise the issue in court, that is ,that if the results from the 388 booths were added there would be an increase over and above total number of accredited voters. Now they want to bring it up before the public. But they know why they never bothered in the first instance to canvass that point in court. Here is why. The PDP is playing to the gallery and being clever by half by adding only the results from the 388 polling units. Is it not common sensical that if results were excluded from 388 polling units the number of accredited voters and actual votes were also excluded? And when you add them up then the number of accredited voters and total votes cast will also increase. By simple calculation, when this is done the number of accredited voters comes to over a million. So why is the PDP pretending not to be aware of this if not because they have a different, sinister agenda

Let truth be told, the PDP is not pursuing the Imo case because they think they have a case but because they have a hidden agenda. Again here is how. When the PDP darkly warned the nation that it would make the country ungovernable, should Atiku Abubakar lose the 2019 presidential election, many did not take them serious. The threat was dismissed as the outburst of a defeated party that had come to the end of the road. And when Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State alerted the nation that the PDP’s national protest against the Supreme Court’s judgment which removed Emeka Ihedioha, was a planned coup against President Muhammadu Buhari, some Nigerians also did not take him serious.

But the events of the past few weeks have confirmed that PDP is simply hiding under the Supreme Court judgment to cause anarchy in the country. Members of the party have just dusted their original script of making the country ungovernable after the majority of Nigerians rejected them and their presidential candidate in 2019. Apart from the national protests which took place in Abuja and other capitals away from Imo where Ihedioha was justly removed because INEC ought not to have declared him governor in the first place, the party has gone ahead to invite foreign powers to take over the current government by force.

However, the tragedy actually is that both the security agencies and even the federal government appear to be indulging PDP in its satanic avowal to commit treasonable felony all in the name of democracy. Not being satisfied with lampooning the Supreme Court and the justices for doing their job based on the principles of law, PDP is resorting to self help through violence, sabotage and invitation of foreign powers to interfere in Nigeria’s affair. Those who claim to be champions of rule of law and democracy are now pushing for the abortion of the civilian administration for interests that are neither altruistic nor patriotic.

Confirming that the petitions, (invitation of foreign powers), to UK and US was pre-planned, the PDP leaders referred to national protests against the “perversion of justice which has become a clear threat to peace, unity and stability of our nation and the survival of our democracy”. In other words, they had pre-determined the outcome of those deliberate and stage-managed protests which they had vainly hoped would have led to a serious clash between them and the security forces. They had also hoped that the APC members and supporters would challenge them to a duel.

What more evidence do we really need to submit that the Supreme Court judgment in Imo governorship election is just the tonic PDP needed to set in motion its well-oiled plan to topple the government of President Buhari and set the nation on fire from the resultant consequences? If not, both the PDP national leaders and their collaborators ought to have understood clearly the Uzodinma and APC’s case which gave rise to the Supreme Court’s judgment.

Every discerning mind conversant with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria knows that Ihedioha ought not to have been declared the Governor of Imo State by INEC. First of all, he did not meet the constitutional requirement of winning one quarter of votes cast in two thirds of the local government areas of Imo State. Imo has 27 LGAs and Ihedioha, to be declared governor, should have won in 18 LGAs. He did not.

But most fundamentally, the APC and its candidate Uzodinma went to Court asking that those excluded results from 388 polling units which had been declared at that level, should be added to them in the overall tally of votes. Their contention was that they won the election, and ought to have been declared winners in the first place. It took PDP and its lawyers four days at the tribunal to dissuade it from admitting those exhibits. Eventually, the tribunal called in the police which authenticated the results.

Strangely, the tribunal, after being compromised, gave its judgment in favour of Ihedioha even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. APC members did not go to the streets to protest. Even when Ihedioha was declared wrongly by INEC, APC being the ruling party in Imo State did not embark upon violent protests. It sought justice through the courts. And a member of the Appeal Court gave ruling in favour of APC and Uzodinma, which finally paved way for the Supreme Court’s ruling.

As earlier noted, It is instructive that PDP which claimed that Uzodinma produced “fake” results from those units could not produce the “authentic originals”. Like the Supreme Court wisely declared, the onus was on INEC to disprove with contrary documents the ones submitted by Uzodinma and APC. They could not do so.

The judgment was not even whether Ihedioha met the constitutional requirement or not. It was simply on the fact that votes validity scored by APC and Uzodinma in 388 polling units were criminally excluded by INEC with the help of its collaborator, PDP. That was what the Supreme Court calculated and relied upon to retrieve Uzodinma’s stolen mandate. The highest court in the land simply gave its judgment based on facts before them and general principles of law.

But because the history of PDP 16 year rule is replete with sordid tales of electoral corruption, rigging, impunity and lawlessness, they can neither understand nor accept the fact that it did not actually win Imo State. Ironically, the Supreme Court which it castigated had previously given rulings that favoured PDP. But nobody protested against the court. Nobody wrote petitions to foreign governments.

And nobody alleged that the justices had been bribed with billions of naira.

What makes the difference between patriots and traitors is that the former are wont to adhere to the rules of engagement in the interest of democracy even when they feel badly hurt. But the latter are ready to rock the boat if they don’t have their way. The PDP by its uncharitable actions are proving convincingly that they are the traitors .

And this is why both the Federal Government and the security agencies should take more than a passing interest in this unfolding national security threat being championed by PDP and her leaders. Whereas democracy guarantees freedom of speech, association and even movement, it certainly abhors the seizure of government through violence and orchestrated anarchy. Democracy supports the change of government through the ballot as expressed by Nigerians and reinforced by the courts of the land. Any other thing to the contrary is treason and should be treated as such.

Electricity Regulator Restricts Distribution Companies To N1,800 Per Unmetered Consumers

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Electricity Regulator Restricts Distribution Companies To N1,800 Per Unmetered Consumers
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has barred the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) from charging residential customers above an average of N1,800 monthly until they are metered.
In an Order 197 signed by the Chairman, Professor James Momoh and the Commissioner, Legal, Licencing & Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, NERC said the new order repeals the 2012 estimated billing regulation effective since last Thursday.
It said that electricity consumers have grown from five million in 2012 to over 10 million by December 2019, adding that about 52 percent of them are not metered and are placed on estimated billing by the DisCos.
It said that the Meter Assets Provider (MAP) was initiated to increase the metering of consumers within three years.
“The Estimated Billing Methodology Regulation is hereby repealed and shall cease to have effect as a basis for computing the consumption of unmetered customers in NESI.”
NERC said that vall unmetered residential and commercial customers shall not be invoiced for the consumption of energy if they are not metered by April.
It said that R2 customers cannot be billed for more than the worth of 78 kilowatt hour (kwh) of energy monthly which is about N1,800. Residents that consume less than 50kwh will be billed at N4 per kwh and a maximum of N200 monthly.
All other customers on higher tariff classes must be metered by DisCos by 30 April 2020, failing which these customers are not liable to pay any estimated bill issued by the DisCo.
“Any customer that rejects the installation of a meter on their premises by a DisCo shall not be entitled to supply and must be disconnected.”
Source: Dailytrust.

Again, SON seeks return to seaports to check influx of substandard products…Says it’s easier to fight influx of substandard products at point of entry

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Again, SON seeks return to seaports to check influx of substandard products…Says it’s easier to fight influx of substandard products at point of entry
Mr. Osita Aboloma
The Director General of SON

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has again appealed to the federal government to reconsider its stand on non-inclusion of the agency as part of the government agencies required to operate at the nation’s seaports.

The Director General of SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma who made the appeal at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos on Tuesday with the theme, “Facilitating Trade Through SON Automated Services” noted that non-involvement of SON in some ports of the nation had continued to pose challenges particularly to the agency’s compliance and monitoring unit.

Represented by the Director, Inspectorate and Compliance Department SON, Engr. Obiora Manafa, Aboloma said that it is easier to fight the influx of substandard products at the point of entry rather than chasing them around all over the country, in markets, warehouses among other places with its attendant problems.

He said, “This is important because for us at the enforcement unit of SON, it is very difficult for us to chase substandard products across the country as far as the product has left the port because, immediately the product leaves the port, you don’t know the destination. The product can be in Kano in the next one day, it can be in Port-Harcourt in the next two days, it can be in Enugu, it can be in Aba, it can be in Osogbo. So, you don’t know the direction that product will get to immediately it leaves the port.

“So, it is easier for us to get that substandard products at the port because the logistics requirements for you to chase the product, maybe the product has entered one big market for example Alaba, ASPAMDA or the big markets in Kano or Sokoto, it requires a lot for you to go and get them from that market. You have to mobilize your security because it is not safe, you have to mobilize the vehicles and you have to do so many thing things. So, it will cost you like 100 to 1,000 times what it would have cost you to stop the product when it is about leaving the port or inside the port.”

The DG however underscored the need to disabuse the mind of those who think that SON was out to close down their businesses by insisting on the enforcement of quality and standards requirements saying “we are only protecting Nigerians from the hazards of the substandard products.”

“So, nobody will think that we are trying to stop or destroy anybody’s business; our primary mandate is to protect Nigerians from the hazards of substandard products because substandard products can kill and destroy properties”, he added.

On the Standards Organization of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP), he observed that the agency recently upgraded its portal for the operations of SONCAP to enhance service delivery, promote quicker turnaround time and reduce human interaction to the barest minimum adding that the portal had been running seamlessly since then even as he argued that only those who failed to adhere to the agency’s offshore conformity assessment programme and documentation would have reasons to complain.

He continued, “Our application and approval processes for SONCAP is seamless and is working very well. If you come to SON today to process any SONCAP operation, you will not spend more than ten minutes. So, everything is working very well and the upgrade was for the benefit of Nigerians and it has been concluded.

“We urge all importers to process their SONCAP or import permit operations whichever is applicable as they are pre-shipment processes and avoid a situation where products arrive the shores of Nigeria without SONCAP certificate or import permit.”

Speaking on the need for collaborative action between the agency and its stakeholders to stamp out substandard, fake and adulterated products in Nigeria, Aboloma said, “We know the important roles that you play in the maritime industry; ANLCA and NAGAFF and other similar associations are the lead or middlemen between the importers and exporters and the regulatory bodies. We look forward to a more robust and lasting collaboration that will continuously create the much desired awareness and the activities of the import requirements of SON.

“Collaboration is the key to success. Since SON cannot do it alone to achieve zero substandard import, we urge ANLCA and NAGAFF to please join us to sensitize and educate the importers and the general public on the importance of quality goods and services. The work of standardization, quality assurance as well as campaign against substandard products has always remained a collaborative and partnership effort between SON and the numerous stakeholders.

“Again, over 75 percent of the bulk of products that enter Nigeria daily, monthly or yearly come via the nation’s seaports and waterways. It will therefore be difficult to ignore the maritime sector operators in the quest for zero tolerance for importation of substandard and unwholesome products as well as the federal government’s ease of doing business policy. Therefore, continuous engagement of sectoral operators and stakeholders will help SON to carry everybody along in the zero tolerance campaign against substandard, fake and counterfeit products.

“One major means of bringing the players on board the standard and quality voyage is through sensitization and enlightenment. Recall that such fora have been organized by SON in recent times but since the end justifies the means, there is need for continuous, robust engagements in order to ease the challenges involved in standard enforcement and monitoring compliance. This workshop will provide a veritable avenue for the cross fertilization of ideas, views and solutions on how to move this nation’s maritime sector forward especially in these days of the federal government’s ease of doing business.”

Research on Men and Breast reveals astonishing facts about Men

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Research on Men and Breast reveals astonishing facts about Men

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]enerally, Women’s breasts are associated with the provision of milk for the sustenance of their babies. But some men have found comfort in gazing and playing with the breast. However, research has revealed why men are attracted to breasts and often play with breasts, especially the richly endowed ones.

Studies have shown that what you find attractive in the breast may reveal surprising things about your financial security and fatherhood. For instance, research findings state that how you perceive breast can make the difference between your poor state, hungry, or healthy. Studies on how men relate to breasts come in all shapes and sizes. Some are more robust than others. But the following should at least give you something constructive to ogle.

Preferring larger breasts can indicate a lot of things, but it might just mean you are ready to be a father, research suggests. The study found that men who do not have kids but want them are generally into larger breasts, and men who have no familial aspirations are content with smaller pairs of breasts. In this case, dads who like big boobs can breathe a sigh of relief. Your preference doesn’t mean you’re a creep, or sexist, or even hungry. You just want what’s best for your kids.

Rumour has it that men tend to prefer medium to large breasts, but less sexually restricted men seem to care far less about the size, one study shows. Another research finding suggests that medium breast are, in fact, the most popular among men and women. So for breasts, bigger isn’t always better. In fact, studies suggest that most men are attracted to breasts that maintain a C average.

If you like small breasts, don’t worry. You’re probably just rich, one paper suggests. The study, published in The Journal of Socio-Economics, found that men with fewer financial resources gravitate toward larger breasts, while men who are better-off financially tend toward smaller ones.

On a biological level, perhaps wealthier men innately sense that they don’t need those extra fatty reserves they can just grab a steak dinner and call it a night. Who knew men might subconsciously like boobs for their nutritional facts?

Big Breast
Big Breast

There’s some evidence that staring at breasts may increase a man’s longevity. A 2012 study found that positive thinking had a positive effect on long-term health choices, particularly when it came to taking blood pressure medication. While not all experts are convinced, many have deduced that looking at breasts is one such way to achieve a positive mental attitude. Another German study concurred that looking at breasts for 10 minutes a day was good for a man’s cardiovascular health.

All of these benefits, of course, only exist if the breast-gazing is permitted. Otherwise, staring at breasts on the sly can significantly shorten your life. If you catch our drift.

French researchers fitted women with various size padded bras and then sent them to cafés where they sat alone. As bra size increased, so did the number of men who approached them.

New Zealand researchers, who did extensive research used eye-tracking technology to assess how men viewed women with various-size breasts. While small boobs attracted and held some men’s attention, most men gazed at the women with medium to large breasts. Many women complain that men talk to their breasts, not to their faces.

But a random check with some Nigerian men and women shows the preference for breasts are large, while the average and below average-sized ladies are not quite attractive to the men.

The women, on the other hand, claim that men prefer larger sized breasts.

For Raymond, a businessman and unmarried breasts are mere toys and nothing more. “I believe men like big boobs for the purpose of toying with them and not for anything serious.

All they just want is to play with it and feel the trills behind it, but when it comes to settling down they go for the average breast. Large breasts do trigger men’s senses but only for the trills. Same as big butts,” Raymond said.

Kenechukwu, a public servant, said that half of the men that settled down with women with big breasts were done out of a mistake. “It might be because the lady got pregnant and there is no other option than to marry her so in the process when the woman must have given birth to one or two children, she will go out of shape and the man will not be happy with her again. This could result in the man flirting around with other ladies. This simply translates to my belief that most men that got married to ladies with large size breasts tend to be unhappy with their spouses.

“On the other hand, many single men love larger breasts so much. They say it’s the best when it comes to sex, but for me, I don’t like it large but prefers it portable. Ever since I started dating, all my girls are slim, only a few times would you see me with a lady with a large size is only when I want to have fun, but it won’t be for long,” he said.

Kazeem, a student of University of Lagos, says he prefers ladies with small breast because he grew up with many female siblings and they all have small boobs because he believes it was from his mother’s gene. “Flat-chested models dominate the fashion runways of Paris, Milan, and New York.

And because top models often wed celebrities or alpha-males, some of the world’s richest, most visible women have small breasts, why would I go for X sizes when I don’t want it to sag,” he said.

The ladies were, however, quick to quash the narrative, insisting that most men go for slim and averaged sized ladies because they tend to be firm even after many childbirths. Many even argued that you don’t see ladies with X sizes mostly won’t be seen as superwomen.

Jennifer, a student of University of Benin, believes that men are easily moved by the sight of ladies with big breasts because it’s attractive to most of them. “From my own point of view, I feel most men are naturally aroused at the sight of a big breast. Most men feel they can actually have a handful of it instead of the smaller ones, which might not satisfy them as they believe, but funny enough, most of them do end up with opposite of that,” she said.

Mirabel, a businesswoman, says people are different in their choices. “Everybody with their own choice of women, what you like is not what the other person likes. Guys that said they like ladies with big breasts, are just saying their choice and nothing more, many men like women with even smaller breasts.

“Some would even say they like chubby women that they are the best whereas many would opt for slim ones. Some cherish tall ladies while others prefer the short or average ladies. So for me, I believe my man or husband would like mine irrespective of the size, shape or looks,” she said.

Another lady, who simply wants to be identified as Stephanie, says that it is actually the men who know this. “This is actually individual differences, they are some men who like big breasts and some who like the small ones, so it depends on the individual,” she said.

According to her, men, who stare at ladies with big breasts, often end up with average or moderate breasts because they fantasize and catch their fun with the large ones.

CBN Recovers N60 Billion Illegally Collected By Banks From Customers

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CBN Recovers N60 Billion Illegally Collected By Banks From Customers

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has retrieved recovered over N60 billion excessive charges imposed on them by defaulting banks following over 13,000 complaints it received from various bank customers over illegal and excess charges on their account.

This was made known by Mrs Chinyere Obilor, the Deputy Director, Consumer Protection Department, CBN, during a sensitization forum organized by the apex bank in Owerri.

Speaking during the event, she encouraged members of the banking public to immediately report unethical and illegal practices by the various commercial banks just as she also informed them that different penalties were imposed on the banks for those practices.

Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Isaac Okoroafor, disclosed that the apex bank, through its activities, hopes to create 10 million jobs by 2025. He said that CBN, through its development function wanted to stop inflation by controlling the rise of food prices and making credit facilities available at single-digit interest rate. The 10 million job creation would be achieved through 10 commodity models chosen by the bank.

Okoroafor said, “This will be achieved through 10 commodity models carefully chosen by CBN management. They include cotton, cocoa, maize, dairy, palm oil, fishery, poultry, cattle, tomato and cassava.”

Going further, he said that CBN would be giving out high yielding seedlings, fingerlings and other inputs, to farmers, stressing that the apex bank is committed to the welfare of farmers around the country.

He also said, “As a way of assisting farmers, the CBN will provide anchor companies, who will buy off the products from the farmers, immediately after harvest. This will create the best value chain for the farm products.”

He pointed out that the intention of the bank was to bring back farm settlements across the country as it used to be before as this would be the easiest way to build the nation’s economy.

It will be recalled in an earlier circular made available on December 20, 2019, that the CBN issued a revised guide to charges by banks and other financial and non-bank financial institutions.

The guide includes a downward review of charges for electronic banking transactions, review of other bank charges to align with market developments and most importantly sanctions to directly address instances of excess, unapproved and/or arbitrary charges.

Supreme court judgment is currently tearing apart three Oba villages

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Supreme court judgment is currently tearing apart three Oba villages
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]ather than the expected peace, a Supreme court judgment is currently tearing apart three Oba villages, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra state.

The villages involved include, Aboji, Isu and Ogwugwu, all in Oba.

It was gathered that the people of Aboji and Isu first had a prolonged land dispute which ended on November 18, 1964, when the Supreme court gave judgment in favour of Isu.

The tussle is over four large expense of lands called, Isiakobo, Awana Odoakwali, Mkpolo and Ulaogwe.

However, the people of Ogwugwu, also dragged the Aboji people to Supreme court over the same land and on August 5, 1994, obtained judgment against Aboji people.

Funny enough, the people of Isu had Ogwugwu people as witness in their matter against Aboji.

After judgement was delivered in favour of Isu, the Ogwugwu people also brought Isu people as witness against Aboji.

President General of Aboji, Nze Dozie Nweke, while speaking on the Supreme court judgments in this the prolonged land tussle, demanded to know which of the two villages, Isu and Ogwugwu, would Aboji deal with as their landlords.

According to him, “since there are two supreme court judgments on the same land with different dates, which of the judgements do we follow?

“Both Isu and Ogwugwu should also bring their plan of the land to know whose tenants we are.

“We can not be tenants to two land lords. Two different judgments were delivered on same land, so which of them do we follow. Is it the one of 1964 or that of 1994.”

He therefore warned his Aboji people not to sign a certain document said to have been
prepared by Hon. Chuba Oranusi, demanding that the Aboji people
sign to indicate that they are tenants according to the Supreme
court judgment.

He described the document and The name, Umueze Ogwugwu, instead of Ogwugwu, as fraud warning that “any indigene of Aboji that signs that document would be sanctioned, it is null and void and of no effect.”

“Moreover, a Peace Committee set up by the Regent of Oba community, Prince Noel Ezenwa, and headed by former President General of Oba Community, Chief Ben Chibueze, is currently looking into the matter with a view to finding a lasting solution to the Supreme court judgment and as such, all should wait until the committee concludes its work and comes up with a report.”

Contacted, the Peace committee chairman, Chief Ben Chibueze, confirmed that the committee is looking into the matter.

But in a swift reaction Hon. Oranusi reiterated that, he was acting on the judgment on behalf of Isu and Ogwugwu villages who won the cases.

His words, “we will push them (Aboji people) out if they refuse to
sign the document. They should obey the court judgment, if they are not interested in signing the document, it is left for them.”

‘Go And Join Rice Farmers’ -APC To PDP Leaders On Request To S’court To Sack Buhari

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‘Go And Join Rice Farmers’ -APC To PDP Leaders On Request To S’court To Sack Buhari

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), has dismissed the planned move by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to have the Supreme Court to reverse its judgment which ratified the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The APC which described the move as “no surprise”, said that the PDP is made up of “jobless characters” who should “consider taking up rice farming.”

Kola Ologbodiyan, PDP publicity secretary had told journalists on Monday that the party’s demand for a review of the Supreme Court verdict is hinged on the request by the APC for the Supreme Court to reverse itself  on  governorship elections in Zamfara and Bayelsa states.

The opposition party is also set to challenge the apex court judgment that revalidated the election of Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano), Aminu Masari (Katsina) and Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun) – all of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP said: “Our National Working Committee, after comprehensive consultations, states that our party has no choice left, given the manner with which the APC has conducted itself, than to ask for a review of the judgment of the presidential election petition tribunal, where the issue of certificate forgery and or presentation of false information in aid of qualifications was clearly established against the APC and her presidential candidate.

“The same applies to the judgment on the Katsina governorship election petition, where lawyers also established similar issue of certificate forgery.

“We equally have no choice than to ask the Supreme Court to review the Kano, Kaduna and Katsina election judgments, because of manifest violence and substantial non-compliance with our electoral law.

“We also ask the Supreme Court to review its judgment on the Osun governorship election in view of manifest, complete and total disregard to our electoral rules in the conduct of the elections.”

PDP accused the APC of desperate attempts to subjugate and intimidate the Supreme Court, for the purpose of annexing the apex court over its judgments on Bayelsa and Zamfara governorship elections – all delivered in favour of the PDP.

“Our nation is already aware of the desperation by the APC to annex the Supreme Court, subjugate and browbeat the justices and direct judicial determinations to suit their selfish ends.

“The public space is already awash with reports of how the APC has been threatening and piling pressure on the justices of the Supreme Court to force a reversal of valid judgments already delivered on the Bayelsa and Zamfara governorship elections, where the party (APC) suffered self-inflicted losses.

“Nigerians know that the APC has been going through a hemorrhage since the Supreme Court delivered valid judgments on Bayelsa and Zamfara and as a result, they are no longer interested in the logic of these judgments.

“They have since thrown caution to the wind to destabilise our nation and destroy our hard-earned democracy, especially the judiciary. The APC Federal Government is leading all forms of battles against the rule of law and constitutionalism.

“The PDP holds that our sacrifices for the sustenance of democracy, as demonstrated in our patriotic comportment towards the verdicts of the court on the presidential election as well as Osun, Kano, Katsina and Kaduna governorship elections tribunal, subsist”.

The party considered it “ludicrous, ridiculous and insulting to the sensibilities and respect “of the Supreme Court justices for APC to “hurriedly and malevolently” head to the  apex court to attempt to “arm twist” the justices to effect a forceful reversal of the “valid, flawless and faultless” judgments on Bayelsa and Zamfara state  governorship elections.

But in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC said: “The call by the PDP, asking the Supreme Court to review its judgement on the presidential election and governorship elections in Osun, Kano, Kaduna and Katsina states, has, once again, exposed the joke the opposition party has turned itself into in our nation’s political space.

“Never in the history of our democratic journey has a political party made mockery of what a responsible opposition politics entails. The PDP’s call has once again, reinforced our belief that the PDP has become a clog in the wheels of our country’s political evolution.

“For the  APC, PDP’s latest antics is no surprise. Nigerians would recall that we have consistently reiterated that the opposition party, having been overwhelmingly rejected at the polls in 2015 and 2019, has been exhibiting strange behaviours.

Aniocha North Sports Development: A Difficult Task That Pays Unending Dividends ––Oseme

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Aniocha North Sports Development: A Difficult Task That Pays Unending Dividends ––Oseme
Hon. Chukwugozie Oseme

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he sports personality profile in this edition, focuses on the exploit being made by the leaders of thought in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State where the Chairman, Hon. Chukwugozie Oseme, has devoted his time and energy to build a sustainable system that will overtime, be self-energizing as a result of the con­stant derivable benefits that will be regularly reproduced.

The Chairman, with an open heart and spirit, welcomed the unit to his place and expressed gratitude to God for the peaceful disposition of the people of Aniocha North who are very hard working despite the lack of much financially-inclined establishments or organizations.

To him, it is not a very easy task to lead the people whose needs are not easily met because the wherewithall is far fetched from reach. But much is being done in the area of sports development as lack of inspiring spirit would demean the possibility of desired progress whether the facilities are there or not. “For where there is a will, there is a way” he asserted.

Speaking on the concept of sports development, he ob­served that the level of sports development in the country sports wise was modest,but this does not rule out the fact that efforts are being made to see that there is pronounced progress in sports as one of the leading factors for youths in the local government.

To this end, he acknowledged that while all that glitters may not be gold, some items that glitter are indeed gold and the exploit in his area is yielding results and positive ones for that matter.

“The level of sports development in my Local Govern­ment Area has been improving by the day as a result of the people’s consciousness of what they stand to benefit from such activities.

“Several factors have enhanced sports development , including awareness of numerous benefits that are derived from active participation. You will observe that beyond participating to win trophies and financial benefits in some cases, people are now adequately informed on the other benefits of healthy living which is most often enhanced by exercising the body from time to time. So, they do not engage in sports for the prizes alone but to also keep fit, which is the most rewarding benefit any individual can get in sports”. ‘This is indeed the most valuable part of sports contribution to humanity’, he said.

Beside the health advantages , he said, Aniocha North had been performing creditably in sports competitions in the state be it School sports or inter local government sports competitions because they have been very activities in different games at different times.

“If you look at the sports competition records in the state’s activities both for the Local government and Schools Sports, you will eventually discover that the people from my area are doing fairly because they are not the most promi­nent ones but they are also among the first 10 teams in most cases. Those in School sports know that these pupils and students are improving on their records and when the level of improvement is constantly progressing, then you can infer that it is on the progressive tilt.

The world today, does not only need you to be in assured core lucrative professions or businesses to make name or be financially strong and of great fame; rather, it is being diligent in the chosen disciplines to the point of going beyond making a living out of it but becoming a source of encouragement to others who move around you.

Young talents who are making exploits in sports may not be so vast academically but many are obviously deluded to see those who by their understanding or feelings are not good enough, doing very well in other fields and sports is one of such very often areas where they excel. It helps to teach the world that the issue of intelligence is relative in every sense of it; as young talents who are making exploits in sports may not be so forceful in their academic drive but they have become household names in their professions as footballers, basketball players, golf players, distant race or fast sprinters in the likes of Usain Bolt, Ben Johnson.

The Okochas, Kanus and Taribos may not have graduated from Cambridge or Harvard University but that does not make them of less value because they met the world’s needs and are living up to their ratings; they have become house­hold names in soccer expeditions. Just like others who have become very much known due to their participation in one sport or the other. Nduka Odizor became popular because of tennis, Stephen Keshi was the second African who won the African Cup of Nations both as player and after as a coach; Blessing Okagbare is still doing well in sprint as an athlete and many others of their kinds who became notable persons in the society because of their exploits in sports.”

But the council Chairman believes that these dreams would not be achieved if the mechanism to motivate the people into such enduring ventures are not in place, hence the Council has proposed to establish a sports centre where all sports activities will be constantly practiced; using professionals in the various fields to run the affairs in order to produce good results.

“It is only when you have such a sports centre in a central­ized place, where people with different games’ interests can come together and participate in their various events, that you will be able to develop them faster. So, it is our interest to develop a sports centre in any of the communities (preferably the Local Government Headquarters) where people will have events of interest being practiced and we will ensure that fa­cilities in these different sports are put in place so that we will achieve the aim of establishing such a centre. It is, therefore, not exactly the way many would want to believe because we are very well informed of all the numerous benefits that are derivable from the development of youths in one sport or the other”, he emphasized.

Oseme explained that it is a matter of time as the essence was to help the younger generation develop over time. But there would be read to equip such a centre with facilities to enable participants perfect their skills in any of the chosen games. He, however, explained that the centre had not come on board because of some challenges principal among which is the financial concerns that will help making the centre meet with the desired goals.

His words, “Anyhow you look at it, sports development cannot be very effective if there is no financial provisions for the facilities to be made available as and when needed and this local government is predominantly agro-based where you have peasant farmers who do not seem to understand why you are not able to meet their basic requirements, despite the provisions from the Federal Government and there are no industries that will attract much funds to the area. Thus, this made the Council to fall back mainly on the allocations, which, again, are already assigned for basic roles, including the payment of monthly wages for both Council and primary school workers after which, there is little or nothing left for the desired projects to be executed and extra efforts are put in place to maintain some facilities like link roads from one community to another and any other one that will be of ut­most need to the people”.

With all these challenges, the council is barely able to sur­vive and they need funds to get sports programming started.

It is lack of funds that has kept many programmes unat­tended to and this, he said, accounts for their inability to make proper use of their ideas that would make then the best in sports across the state. Oseme said the Council does not count on individuals to get things done; Aniocha North Local Government is actually blessed with many well-to-do people that would have supported in the provision of some of the needs but they are mostly in Diaspora and reaching them can be herculean.

The summit will be well organized to enable it yield the desired positive results in terms of establishing organizations and industries in the council areas that will not only make them financially viable but also as source of relief to the high level of unemployment in the area.

With the entire area made up of few farmers, there is noth­ing to serve as a means of income but if there are industries and organizations through which council can generate rev­enues, visions and goals automatically become attainable and there will be more support for sports development.

“You will agree with me that sports engagement needs a lot of funds to get it well established and attractive; if there is no such money, the facilities, no matter how small, would not be made available and when the means of making these facilities are not in your possession, it will be difficult to manage and this is the problem facing the council. We are not as viable as we desire sports wise, due to lack of capital.

“It is our hope therefore, that we are able to get major sources of income and we will enhance the sports horizon in the area.

“Sports blossoms when the economy is in good state but when it turns out sour, the reverse is always the case which is not the delight of any well leader because every leader wants to leave a landmark to show that he or she passed there at a particular time and nobody wants to go without a good history as your history can only be told publicly by your performance while on duty in a particular position”. Oseme explained.

He explained that the school sports in the council area had been equally progressive as have been seen over the years as he added that the instruction of the state govern­ment that all school must do their annual inter house sports competition every year was being fully adhered to in the area, and the results are speaking boldly.

Oseme noted that the various schools were doing it and talents were being discovered just as it is in other events. The school sports are now developing rapidly under the current administration of the state government, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa because he has a foresight that those who would not meet up with the academic task could be able to make exploit in another areas and many of such students are actually doing well in sports.

He said that outside inter House sports competitions, there are other sports activities in the school system that the council has not been quiet about.

“The school sports festival being organized by the state government is an avenue to develop students and the local government authority has been supportive in ensuring that the schools in the area participate and, by the grace of God, they are not performing poorly since the game started”.

He also spoke on the Principals’ and Headmasters’ cups that had been brought back and introduced respectively by the present governor in his first tenure and the effort had eventually taken over the school sports with high prizes for victorious schools as well as best players in different depart­ments, noting that he has been encouraging the students from the area to play their best at every given time as that was the only way they will get it right all the time.

He stated that the facilities for proper development might not be adequate at the moment, the schools were putting in their concerted effort to see that all hands were on deck for them to excel and the council was not ignorant of the efforts but would be adequately addressed in a short while going by the programming of priorities in the council.

The Chairman asserted the need to develop females in sports ‘because there has been much concentration on the male players.’ Oseme sees it as one of his main goals as he was very much aware of women who had done very well in sports.

“Across all sport events, these women doing very well and our ladies can be developed in it so that they develop more interest and possibly excel in such sports.

“We should have female football teams in the various communities such that while men are playing at the end of every year, women should also play theirs either at the same period in a well organized schedule that will make them add beauty to the season and the communities”, he said.

On the effort of Prince Ned Nwoko contributing to sports development, Oseme expressed delight in the will power and might Ned Nwoko had expressed in sports development by building a sports university that would kick off very soon as well as the Ned Nwoko Golf Tournament that had now been done consecutively for about three or four editions.

“It is most encouraging to have somebody like Ned Nwoko who is ever willing to develop our youths and is now building a sports university that will not only provide education and enlightenment to the people but will also provide job opportunities for youths and adults, including fresh graduates.

“Prince Ned Nwoko’s effort towards humanity is un­quantifiable from every angle of his contributions. He is not thinking of what he will gain as a person but what will help the people around him and the world over. “Ned is the person that stands out on an issue that he is convinced is right and would not bend irrespective of the number of persons or forces that might object to his views. His contribution to the well being of youths is immense and I am happy that he is seriously into sports development and the Golf course at his home town in Idumuje-Ugboko has become a cause for people to learn details about the game of golf because it is generally seen as the game of the wealthy and not for low income earners but he has demystified it by bringing it down to the level where youths and even those who can’t ordinarily afford the clubs are now developing interest and are indeed playing with provided facilities and this has boosted the development needed in the games” the chairman highlighted.

Culled from The Pointer

Igbo group gives 90 days to S’ East govs to launch security outfit

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Igbo group gives 90 days to S’ East govs to launch security outfit

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he National Working Committee (NWC) of the Igbo National Council (INC), an Igbo socio-cultural group has issued a 90 days ultimatum to the governors of the southeast zone to inaugurate their own regional outfit.

Reading a communiqué after a meeting well attended by members from 20 states, the National President of INC, Chilos Godsent said that the group also condemned what it described as the “naked cowardice exhibited by the governors of the South-East geopolitical zone on the failures to establish and officially inaugurate the highly-demanded South-East regional security outfit like their contemporaries in the North-West and South-West geopolitical zones.

Also, Godsent disclosed that INC rejects the view of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP)’s proposal for community policing for South-East geopolitical zone.

“We wish to inform the people of the Igbo race that the proposed community policing by the IGP is meant to officially aid the framework for intelligence gathering and invasion of Igbo communities by the jihadist.

“On the foregoing, the Igbo National Council requests the governors of the South-East, South-South and North-Central geopolitical zones respectively as a matter of urgent necessity to establish and officially inaugurate their regional security outfits like the South-West (AMOTEKUN) and North-West (SEGE KA FASA) within 90 days from 29th February 2020 as a sign of patriotism and commitment to the security and welfare of their citizens, part of the communiqué reads.

“We note that failure for the governors of the aforementioned geopolitical zones to adhere to this call, the self-determination groups in those geopolitical zones maybe compelled to take their destiny into their own hands in other to protect their citizens from the rampaging Fulani jihadist.

However, Godsent pointed out that INC supports in its totality the call by the National Assembly, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all the service chiefs with immediate effect.

He averred that the reality on the ground has clearly shown that the present crops of service chiefs in the country can no longer protect the lives and properties of Nigerians who he claimed are daily slaughtered “like cows and chickens by Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, and Fulani jihadists.”

The group also condemned the wanton arrest and arbitrary detention of the elders and people of Ifite-Ogwari community in Anyamelum Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State.

“We condemn this arrest; they are simply defending their community from Fulani herdsmen who has continued to attack and kill members of the Ifite-Ogwari community in their ancestral land.”

On the foregoing, INC urge the Government of Anambra State to rise up to the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people of Anambra State.

It also urged the Federal Government to be very sensitive of the untold hardship the people of southern Nigeria are passing through because of the border closure.

“On the above, INC, therefore, requests the Federal Government to reopen the southern border or otherwise close the porous northern borders where too many smuggling activities have been taking place since the politically-motivated closure of the southern borders.

“Finally, the Igbo National Council wishes to advise the leadership of Miyetti Allah in Nigeria to urge its members who now camp in many forests in South-East and South-South geopolitical zone to immediately vacate those forests or regret their deviancy,” Godsent stated.

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