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FG may try the proscribed IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu in absentia

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FG may try the proscribed IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu in absentia

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he embattled leader of proscribed Indegenious People of Biafra, (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu risks being tried in absentia as his whereabouts remain unknown after the Nigerian Army carried out their exercise “Operation Python Dance II” in Abia state; an annual programme carried out by Nigerian Army to boost the security of every state in the country.

Kanu was billed to appear before trial Justice Binta Nyako to be re-arraigned on an amended five count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, alongside three other pro-Biafra agitators- Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi and Bright Chimezie.

However, Kanu’s whereabouts has remained unkown, a development that has placed his sureties, including a serving Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe and a Jewish High Chief Priest, Immanuu El-Shalom, at risk of being sent to prison.

FG is prosecuting the defendants through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Charges against them border mainly on criminal conspiracy and treasonable felony.

A member of the prosecuting team said FG was determined to proceed with the matter even if the IPOB leader failed to present himself before the court.

He said such practice was allowed, once it was proved that the defendant deliberately made himself unavailable for trial.

“It will not be the first time a defendant is tried in absentia. Take the case of a former Niger Delta militant, Mr. Tompolo for instance. When he refused to make himself available, FG proceeded to try him in absentia”, the lawyer who craved anonymity because he was not cleared to speak on matter added.

He maintained that under extant laws in the country, a defendant so tried, could still be convicted and made to face whatever penalty that was imposed by the court.

Kanu who is the 1st defendant, is facing four out of the five count amended charge.

It will be recalled that Justice Nyako had in a ruling on April 25, released Kanu on bail after he had spent a year and seven months in detention, though the court okayed his co-defendants to remain in prison custody.

The court which stressed that it released Kanu on health ground, however compelled him to produce three sureties, including “a Jewish leader” and a “highly placed person of Igbo extraction”, who all deposited N100million each.

Both Abaribe who is representing Abia South Senatorial District, El-Shalom and a Chartered Accountant residing in Abuja, Mr. Tochukwu Uchendu, had on April 28, entered an undertaken to produce Kanu before the court to face his trial.

However, barely 17 hours to the scheduled trial, no one has heard from or seen the IPOB leader who has remained incommunicado since the Nigerian Military carried out its code-named Operation Python Dance II, in the South East, particularly in his state, Abia.

A source at the Justice Ministry had earlier disclosed that FG would on the slated trial date, not only move the court to revoke Kanu’s bail, but equally apply for a bench warrant to be issued against his three sureties.

“The position of the law is very clear to the effect that when a defendant jumps bail, his surety is made to pay for the offence upon which the trial was based. It is there in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

“If for any reason Kanu fails to submit himself for trial on October 17, we will have no other option than to apply for immediate arrest of all his three sureties. We will move the trial court to issue a bench warrant against them.

“We have their full details, and don’t forget that they were made to sign an undertaken by the court before the defendant was released on bail”, he added.

Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had in a telephone interview insisted he does not know the whereabouts of his client.

Ejiofor said his only contact with the IPOB leader was on September 14, few minutes before the Nigerian Army “invaded” his (Kanu’s) hometown.

He said that Kanu called him on phone, complaining that he was under attack from soldiers that were deployed to his compound by federal government.

Ejiofor who said he would not be surprised if FG decides to move against those that stood surety for his client, maintained that the burden was on the prosecution to produce Kanu in court on the adjourned date.

“The fact is that they are in a position to produce him at the next adjourned date. It is public knowledge that my client had before his house was invaded, always made himself available for trial.

“He never evaded trial as he made it known that he was ready. If he wanted to jump bail, he would have done so immediately he was released from prison. But he did not run.

“The last time I spoke with my client was the day his house was invaded by soldiers. He called me and complained that he was being attacked by soldiers who he said were shooting sporadically. since then, I have not heard from my client again.

“If he is alive, they should tell the court on that day. They will not only explain to the trial court, but will also produce the soldiers that went to his home to attack him”, Ejiofor added.

Meantime, investigations revealed that the case may not actually proceed on Tuesday, as the trial Judge was said to be out of jurisdiction on an “important government assignment”.

Justice Nyako is currently heading a team of Judges that were selected by FG to conduct the trial of over 1,600 Boko Haram suspects at Kainji detention facility in Niger state.

Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Ejiofor has already filed a separate suit, asking the High Court in Abuja to compel the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to produce his client in court on Tuesday, dead or alive.

Ejiofor told the court that he has not seen or heard from his client since the “Nigerian Army invaded the Applicant’s house on a murderous raid, where life and mortar bullets were fired on unarmed and defenseless populace, leaving 28 persons dead and abducting many”.

Pursuant to section 40 of the Federal High Court Act, F12, LFN 2005 and section 6(6) (1) (4) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, Kanu’s lawyers applied for “an order of Habeas Corpus ad subjiciendum, commanding the Respondent, to produce the Applicant in Court”.

In a supporting affidavit that was deposed by one Prince Mandela Umegborogu, the deponent said he was told by Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, that on September 12, “Soldiers of Nigerian Army, numbering about 200 ( two hundred) fully armed to the teeth invaded the residential home of the Applicant in Afarauwku- Ibeku, Umuahia, in Abia State”.

According to the affidavit, “On the 12th September, 2017, the Nigeria Military Soldiers acting under express command handed down by the Respondent, violently invaded the Applicant’s home in Afara-ukwu Ibeku, Umuahia Abia State, wherein scores of his relative were brutally wounded and many killed.

“On 14th day of September, 2017, the Nigerian Military led by Soldiers of the Nigerian Army invaded the Applicant’s house on a murderous raid, where life and mortar bullets were fired on unarmed and defenseless populace, leaving 28 persons dead and abducting many.

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi: Re-defining constituency empowerment After 27 months in NASS

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Senator Peter Nwaoboshi: Re-defining constituency empowerment After 27 months in NASS
Senator Nwaoboshi’s empowerment program

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ome leaders are born, some achieve leadership, some have leadership thrust upon them, while only very few have all embedded in them.Senator Peter Onyelukachukwu Nwaoboshi, the senator representing Delta North at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly ,the trail-blazing Political mogul and industrialist par excellence from Ibusa , Delta State, is one of the few good men. He is an embodiment of cerebral articulation, the essence of unparalleled philanthropy, the epitome of intellectual and breathtaking simplicity. The personification of undiluted humanness, the perfect example of leadership symbolism, the paragon of idealism, the soul of humanity, the heart of warrior, the perfect gentleman.

Senator representing Delta North senatorial district, Chief Peter Onyelukachukwu Nwaoboshi,recently fetes his constituents with massive empowerment to justify his representative function at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly. Senator Nwaoboshi is inevitably turning out to be news-maker in every sense as it concerns the Anioma nation and it’s people.While the Aniomas were yet reveling in his outstanding, purposeful and energetic representation of their national effort at the red chambers of the National Assembly,he has yet embarked on constituency empowerment programme that has never been seen or heard of in Anioma political history.
Senator Nwaoboshi has not disappointed the people starting from his days as a PDP state chairman and now as a legislator at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly in addition to what he is doing today is unprecedented in the annals of representation in Delta State.It will certainly not be an overstatement that assert here that Sen.Nwaoboshi has obviously redefined what is commonly known in our political clime as ‘’Constituency Empowerment’’ in Delta North Senatoria district.

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi

It is premised on the above that I wish to enjoin the Anioma class particularly those in elected political offices as well as those holding appointive offices to take a clue from the selfless and altruistic initiative of Sen. Nwaoboshi. It will indeed serve the best interest of the Anioma nation when her political office holders give priority attention to the wellbeing of indigent Anioma as steps in this direction will go a long way in galvanizing the overall development of the Anioma nation.

Senator Nwaoboshi has donated two ambulances (buses) to two general hospitals in Agbor and Ibusa, Our amiable Senator had gone beyond these to build a palatial quarters at Ibusa for Reverend Sisters as part of his own ways of thanking God. In  2016 December , Senator Nwaoboshi made a mega empowerment programme to his constituents by giving out 98 motorcycles to rural dwellers, 98 sewing machines, 98 disabled wheel chairs, 98 grinding machines, 9 oil milling machines, 9 tricycles, cash to traders and market women. Last year December over 1000 bags of rice to the nine local government that made up Delta North Senatorial District (100 bags per local government) and all the items given out amounted to about Two Hundred Million Naira (N200,000,000) was unprecedented, Senator Nwaoboshi sponsored skills acquisition in February 2016, for his immediate constituent, Ibusa, and he has influenced some NDDC road projects to his constituency in Kwale, Ogwashi Uku, Ibusa, Okpanam, Ebu and Asaba, the capital city of Delta state.Nwaoboshi also fought and got the people of Ndokwa nation into the amnesty programme which over 300 beneficiaries are being trained at Ubulu-uku, Aniocha south local government area of Delta state.Apart from that,he has sponsored three youth chairmen from Ndokwa nation to the recent international youth convention in Ghana, amongst other things.

Youths undergoing skills acquisition

Our Distinguished Senator Nwaoboshi has influenced the siting of three skills acquisition centres in Kwale, Agbor and Ibusa for his Constituency.Senator Nwaoboshi has also instituted the OBI FRANCIS NWAOBOSHI FOUNDATION (HIS LATE FATHER)to cater for indigent students and assist business people in Delta State,since the foundation was set up, our Distinguished Senator has released Fifty Million Naira (N50,000.00) for the first phase of the project, revealing that towards the project, 8 persons have been listed from each of the 98 wards in Delta north, which would amount to 784 people to be assisted with at least N50,000.

One of the ambulances donated to Ibusa and Agbor general hospitals

Senator Nwaoboshi, a first timer and one in opposition party at the National Assembly has done very well by making Anioma voice heard at the National Asssembly , he has empowered students, Farmers, Youths and Business people.We must support him and vote for his continuity.He is the most proactive and fearless legistor from Delta State at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly and we are very proud of this Industrous son of Ibusa called Peter Nwaoboshi  (Aka)’Oracle’ in Politics. We the entire people of Anioma nation say carry go …

By: Ike Abiagom

Publisher , Newsbreeze Newspaper

Obiano offers employment to 17 NYSC members

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Obiano offers employment to 17 NYSC members
Gov. Willie Obiano

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]overnor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has announced automatic employment for 17 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed to the state for their one year national service. The corps members were also rewarded with cash donations and laptops for distinguishing themselves during their service year.

Addressing corps members on Friday in Awka at the award ceremony, Mr. Obiano said the honour was in recognition of outstanding performances of the corps members in the course of the national assignment. He recalled his service year in Benue where he was rewarded with both an award and automatic employment for carrying out a major project in a community.

Mr. Obiano said he decided to extend same to the corps members in appreciation of their hard work and dedication. He expressed confidence that the award would spur the recipients into contributing more to the growth and development of the state. While assuring serving corps members of maximum security in the state, the governor, however, cautioned them against unnecessary travelling and other activities that would not add value to their lives.

Earlier, the NYSC Coordinator in the state, Ebenezer Olawale, commended the governor for his support and encouragement to the scheme, especially in regular payment of allowances to corps members.

He congratulated the awardees and challenged other corps members to borrow a leaf from their rewarded colleagues in order to benefit from similar gestures. One of the beneficiaries, Emmanuel Chegwe, who served at the National Television Authority (NTA), Awka, expressed happiness and pledged to continue to give his best in the public service.

The “lucky’’ persons are made up of 10 2015 Batch ‘B’ and seven 2016 Batch ‘A’ corps members. The 17 beneficiaries of the reward got laptops, while those in first category received cash award of N200,000, second category, N150, 000, and N100, 000 for those in third group.

New Development Approach Will Eradicate Poverty – Tony Elumele

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New Development Approach Will Eradicate Poverty – Tony Elumele

 

Tony Elumele

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]conomist and entrepreneur, Tony Elumelu says the time has come to implement a new development model that would help eradicate poverty in Africa. He also noted that it is fundamental to help the youth see themselves as the change Africa is looking for and encourage them to lead the campaign against poverty in the continent. This and other issues of development formed the crux of the two-day forum organised by the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Lagos south-west Nigeria.

“Our youths need jobs, plenty jobs, economic hope. There is so much uncertainty about the future.

“In Africa, we have tried different models to deal with these issues of poverty eradication, job creation and creating economic hope for our people – in fact, we know that we have not made much progress and in some areas we can even say that we have regressed,” Mr Elumelu stressed.

Also according to him, aid inflow into Africa in the past 10 years is a whopping half a trillion dollars, yet the basic human development index has not significantly changed.

He, therefore, stated that the new development model which he referred to as ‘Africapitalism’ is of utmost necessity.

“A development model that embraces shared prosperity and local value addition, long-term investment and also private sector development and ultimately entrepreneurship, is needed.

“Africapitalism is a development model that prioritizes our youth and creates hope for them. It is a bottom-up approach to development; an all-inclusive approach that brings development to everyone; one that creates economic empowerment and one that creates hope for the future.”

Also Speaking at the event, was Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Osinbajo who help similar views.

According to him, the present generation of young Africans represents hope for the continent. “I’ve always known that this group of individuals, this generation of young people will do the exceptional. Earlier this month I spoke at the Financial Times Africa Summit on the theme what makes Africa work – here in this room are seated the answer to that question.

“Across Agriculture, ICT, hospitality, fashion, energy, manufacturing and many other fields, the breadth and depth of talent and innovation on display in the current and previous Tony Elumelu entrepreneurship cohorts have shown that there is indeed hope,” the Vice President said.

By : Austine Ukah

Lagos

Motorists Decry Poor State Of Asaba-Onitsha Road

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Motorists Decry Poor State Of Asaba-Onitsha Road
The poor state of Asaba / Onitsha road
The poor state of Asaba / Onitsha road

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]otorists plying the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway have decried the poor state of the road and called on the government to come to their aid.

As a result of how bad the road has become, gridlocks have become  constant and motorists spend hours just to get through. This has taken a toll on their activities and their businesses and many of them do not think they can continue to go through the nightmare.

In reaction to the gridlock, security operatives have been drafted to the area to ensure order and improve the flow of traffic. Unfortunately, some of them take advantage of the situation. Apart from the potholes on the road, some motorists accused the security operatives of worsening the situation by stopping  cars and trucks to collect money from the drivers. The Grassroots Publishers online will soon load full details on this story …

President Buhari meets South east leaders

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President Buhari meets South east leaders
President Buhari with South East Leaders

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]gbo leaders, led by Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu and the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Igbo socio-cultural group, John Nnia Nwodo, yesterday met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock and alleged perpetual marginalisation of the South-east region. The delegation comprising governors and deputy governors from five states of the zone, National Assembly leaders and ministers from the South-east, urged the President to address their plight, during the meeting held behind closed door.

Answering questions from newsmen after the meeting, Nwodo who said the group had a blunt and fruitful discussion with the President, said successive governments had abandoned infrastructural developments in the region, resulting in what he described as infrastructure deficit.According to him, the emergence of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) which has been campaigning for the secession of the South-east from Nigeria was a product of the region’s marginalisation.

He said the situation had continued to make their youths restive.

Nwodo listed issues they tabled before the President to include cases of abandoned major roads such as Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Aba-Ikot Ekpene roads, in the region, which he said were no longer motorable.He also said the delegation called the President’s attention to infrastructure decay in the main airport in South-east, Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu as well as the need to dredge the River Niger, reticulate gas pipelines in South-east and devolve powers to the states.

He said the President in his response, requested for time to comprehensively examine their complaints, pointing out that he was frank in his expressions and they had no reason to doubt him.“We had a frank and robust exchange. We discussed problems of the South-east and as Head of State, he is the final repository of an appeal for the resolutions of those problems. We went into great details about each of those problems and l have confidence that they will give it the attention they deserve.

“We dealt with problems of development in the South-east, basic capital projects which have for a very long time been neglected not just from this government but for a very long time, major arteries of federal highways in the South-east have been in complete state of disrepair. Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Aba-Ikoti Ekpene roads are virtually impassable.

“We talked about the inland waterways and the dredging of the River Niger. We talked about the reticulation of gas pipeline on the South-east. We export gas from the South-east to other parts of the country, but there is no reticulation of the pipeline and industrial clusters in the south east.“We talked about the only international airport we have in the South-east which has very bad infrastructure in terms of the buildings. We got assurance from the President that he will deal with each of those problems.

“Like I have said, these problems have been there overtime and we have had several presidents. It didn’t just happen in the last two years. But we expressed the desire that he should be able to address them.

“We came here for the issues of developments in our place. We talked about IPOB as a symptomatic consequence of the continuous marginalisation of the South-east over a long period of time. Understandably, our children are restive and we want to make sure that the federal government is responsive to the issues that have cumulated in the quintessence of these agitations.

“We did talk about the issue of devolution of powers, the constitution, the paucity of the states and local governments in our place and the President has asked that he be given time to look at this more holistically. There is no reason for me to doubt them because this is the first time I have had this interaction with him. I have the feeling that he spoke to us very frankly,” Nwodo submitted.

A statement issued later by the president’s chief spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, over the meeting, added that the President told the delegation that he came to government with clear conscience, pledging that a substantial part of counterpart funding from the Chinese government would be deployed to fund infrastructural deficit in the region.

On allegation of under-representation of the Igbo in his government, Adesina said the President told the delegation: “I gave South-east four substantive ministers in the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Investment, Science and Technology and Labour. Seven states in the North got ministers of state and of the two ministries headed by your sons. I cannot take any decision on foreign policy and investments without their input.”

He said the president promised the leaders that he would visit the states in the zone soon.

Present at the meeting besides Ekweremadu and Nwodo were: Chairman of the South-east caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Governors of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, his Abia and Ebonyi States counterparts, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and Dave Umahi while the governors of Imo and Anambra States, Rochas Okorocha and Willie Obiano, were represented by their respective deputies, Eze Madumere and Dr. Ikem Okeke.

Others were Ministers of Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrrey Onyema.

Emefiele Wins Forbes Award, Says Nigeria Good for Investment

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Emefiele Wins Forbes Award, Says Nigeria Good for Investment
Godwin Emefiele
CBN, Governor

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has urged global investors to take advantage of huge opportunities in the Nigerian economy, saying the environment is good for investment.
Emefiele spoke just as Forbes Magazine, Thursday night bestowed on him the Forbes’ 2017 ‘Best of Africa Achievement’ award on the sidelines the ongoing World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington DC.
Emefiele, in his remarks after receiving the award, told his audience that Nigerians are hospitable and good people, saying “that is why we make bold to say Nigeria is good for business.”

He added: “There are very big countries in the world you will visit today and say you want to invest. The returns are not as high as you have in Nigeria. We want to invite you. That for me is the message we have here today. Come to Nigeria, Nigerians will receive you.

“Come to Nigeria, you will be happy in Nigeria. We are battling with unemployment in Nigeria, and that is the reason again the President called on the Federal Ministry of Agric, CBN, Minister of Employment, Labour and Productivity, and some important stakeholders including the governors together and said there was a need to start thinking about how we can create jobs for our people through agriculture; that agriculture should not be seen as business that is meant for the poor, that you can make money from agriculture.

“Countries that have progressed have done so because they took the agriculture sector very seriously. We are determined to make agriculture the sector where people make money and we have decided to put in place the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).

“Before we introduced the ABP, farmers go to farm rice and all the yield they were getting was one to 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare. After we started the ABP, today we are beginning to see farmers getting yield as high as eight metric tonnes per hectare, reducing their costs and making it possible to make their money in rice cultivation.

“We have seen that there is a need for us to thing about how do we improve the wealth of our rural community. We started that journey and through rice, we have achieved that. The Nigerian government is confident that through agriculture, the wealth of our people can be boosted. And that is the journey we are on.

“We want to invite all of you, our friends and foreign investor friends; I heard the President of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) talked about the fact that there are foreign investors that are interested in agriculture in Nigeria. We welcome you. Come, Nigeria will receive you.”

Furthermore, Emefiele commended Forbes for finding him worthy of receiving the prestigious award, just as he thanked Nigerians for standing by the Central Bank during the difficult times.

“I say difficult times then, although I make bold now to say we are out of it. Like you all know, the last three years have been tumultuous not just for Nigeria, but the global economy, arising largely from the external shocks that hit, particularly the commodity exporting countries.

“The shocks no doubt led to the plummeting of Nigeria’s reserves as crude oil price fail to a point where it dropped by February 2016 to as low as $28 per barrel. If you compare this price to the time when it averaged $100 per barrel for five straight years from 2009 to middle of 2014, you will all agree with me that we have gone through a lot.

“Another shock that hit Nigeria like other countries was the United States normalisation to the point that in the last quarter of 2016, about $40 billion left emerging and frontier markets back to US,” he explained.

According to Emefiele, geopolitical tensions also affected flow of funds, including Nigeria, which he said climaxed when the country recorded negative growth. The country also saw inflation hitting it badly, adding that the monetary policy committee felt that at that level, something needed to be done. This, he said made the Central Bank to introduce some reforms.

“And I must say that in six months, we have seen about $10 billion in inflows into Nigeria as a result of the opening of that window (investors’ and exporters’ window). We feel so grateful to them (foreign investors) for showing the confidence in Nigeria again,” the CBN governor added.

He stated further: “Our climate is good, let us fold our sleeves and begin to feed ourselves again, and save our reserves for some of those items that we cannot produce as a country. And that has led to where we are today. We are delighted we put forex restriction on 41 items.

“We were castigated and I was reading in the Economist magazine that what we did was to just move around the home and pick items including toothpicks. I think it is important to know what we are doing. If you go to China where they are producing the toothpicks, those things can be produced in a place that is less than a quarter of a room. Bamboo is what is used in producing toothpicks. And there is a company in Nigeria today producing toothpicks, creating jobs for our people. “That is what is found in the spirit of Nigerians. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a toothpick that is being produced by a Nigerian. That toothpick is stronger than the one that is being imported from China. But I think as far as we are concerned, it is about creating jobs for our people. Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava. We were importing starch and glucose. “

Continuing, he said: “Nigerian companies that could produce starch and glucose would go to companies that needed starch and glucose and all the companies were telling them was our stock levels are high. They said they would visit them when their stock levels go low. But unfortunately, their stock level did not go low until we imposed the FX restriction on these items.
“Today, companies that require starch and glucose for their pharmaceuticals and formulations patronise Nigerians. This has created jobs for us. That is the spirit of Nigerians. This is part of the reasons the President said we needed to patronise Made-in-Nigeria and I am happy that we are doing this. But I think it is also important that we thank everybody, particularly Nigerians.

“Yes, we have just managed to exit the recession with a fragile growth of 0.5 per cent; we have seen inflation trending downwards, we have seen exchange rate and reserves looking stronger and firmer. But I think we are determined to continue to push further to see to it that Nigeria returns to its historical growth path. 0.5 per cent or two per cent is not the historical growth path for Nigeria.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, Forbes Business Solution, Mike Furlong commended Emefiele for this contribution to the Nigerian economy.

Also, the President/CEO, Florizelle Liser, CCA commended Emefiele for the award, saying members of the council were delighted with his efforts at the CBN.“Many members of the CCA represent some of the largest companies and some of the SMEs as well as African companies. We have as many as 19 companies that are members of the CCA and all of our members are really pleased that you have led the effort in economic recovery in Nigeria. We see that things are turning around now and we just want to let you know that those efforts are noted by the business community.

“We also are happy to see the work that is being done on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria and we believe they are going to pay off. Many of our members welcome it as an opportunity to see how they can trade more with Nigeria and invest more in Nigeria. So, we thank you for your efforts,” she said.

THE WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL ADDRESS BY WAEC REGISTRAR AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017 IN PREPARATION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT ON EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE SCHEDULED TO HOLD IN LAGOS IN OCTOBER 2017.

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THE WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL ADDRESS BY WAEC REGISTRAR AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017 IN PREPARATION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT ON EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE SCHEDULED TO HOLD IN LAGOS IN OCTOBER 2017.

My distinguished friends from the media

I am delighted to be with you once again for a brief interaction on a matter of extreme importance to all of us as stakeholders in education in the West African sub-region. Before delving into the matter of the day, I wish to appreciate all of you on the education desk, your editors and the media organisations that you represent for your effective coverage of the education sector and the positive impact of your vigilance and guidance on educational policy formulation and implementation in our sub-region. I also thank you immensely for your usual prompt response to WAEC’s invitation.
Gentlemen of the Media, we have called you together today to rub minds with you on an important upcoming event initiated and organized by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on behalf of all the stakeholders in education in the five member countries of WAEC – The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Today’s interaction will afford you the opportunity to get the necessary information and clarifications that will equip you with enough understanding of the event to carry out your role adequately and accurately.

As you are all aware, the most notorious challenge facing examining bodies and other educational institutions in WAEC member countries is examination malpractice. Currently, the malaise has assumed dangerous and criminal dimensions on the heels of some advancement in technology which created the smartphones, the social media, etc.

The Council, in the five member countries, has introduced several measures, adopted various strategies and deployed technologies at great costs in the fight against the ever-festering menace. Misguided candidates and their adult collaborators, sometimes including school authorities, teachers, parents and, most recently, operators of rogue websites, have continued to devise ingenious and sophisticated methods of cheating leading to an exponential increase in reported cases of fraud in public examinations. For instance, in the May/June 1993 WASSCE in Nigeria, the results of only 58,494 candidates were withheld because of examination malpractice, but by WASSCE for School Candidates, 2017 the number of candidates’ results similarly withheld had shot up to 214,952.

Research studies have shown that one of the ways of curbing the worrisome trends in examination irregularities is the mounting of public enlightenment campaigns to draw attention of the stakeholders in education and the general public to the negative effects of examination malpractice on national development. The Governing Board of WAEC has therefore, approved the organisation of an International Summit on Examination Malpractice with the theme “Examination Malpractice: The Contemporary Realities and Antidotes”. The keynote address will be delivered by Emeritus Professor Pius Augustine Ike Obanya. Other Speakers include:
 Professor Jonathan A. Fletcher (Ghana) on “Examination Malpractice: A
Threat to National Development”.
 Professor Jonas A. S. Redwood Sawyerr (Sierra Leone) on “Technology and
Examination Malpractice”.
 Barrister S. P. Binga (ICPC, Nigeria) on “Statutory Provisions Against
Examination Malpractice”.
 Professor Pierre Gomez (The Gambia) on “International Collaborations in
Curbing Examination Malpractice”.

In addition, the Registrars/CEOs of WAEC, JAMB, NECO and NABTEB as well as the Chief Government Nominees on Council and Representatives of School Principals’ Associations in the five member countries will present papers at the Summit.
Esteemed friends, I implore you to give the International Summit the coverage and reportage it deserves because of its critical nature and importance in the development of education in the West African sub-region. The two-day Summit is scheduled to hold at the Academy Inn and Multipurpose Halls, Plot 6, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos on October 19 and 20, 2017 at 10 a.m. each day.

Gentlemen of the media, on behalf of the Management and Staff of WAEC, I once again thank you most sincerely for sustaining the cordial relationship between your media organisations and WAEC. I am confident that together we shall continue to nurture this highly cherished relationship.

I thank you for your time and attention. God bless you

WAEC REGISTRAR

NUPENG ADVISES BUHARI ON NNPC FEUD

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NUPENG ADVISES BUHARI ON NNPC FEUD

PRESS RELEASE

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has watched with keen interest and consternation the feud between the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru over alleged approved contracts of 25 billion dollars without the Board approval and other issues bordering on insubordination, appointments etc, and if not checked, will adversely affect the progress and development so far made in the Oil and Gas sector.

The Union is worried about the bad image internationally the alleged actions have given us, especially in the media.

NUPENG stated that Nigerians are watching and it is therefore important that the issue should not be swept under the carpet in view of the Buhari’s administrations fight against corruption and following due process.

The Union advises Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari not to treat the allegations with levity but with utmost good faith because the world is watching and waiting.

It stated that due process must be followed in the discharge of contractual agreements and those involving JVC’s agreements. NUPENG recalled that the challenges facing the NNPC are replete with bad history of mismanagement with that of Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke still fresh in our minds.

The Union however appreciated the steps taken so far in the JVC cash calls to the International Oil Companies (IOC) to stabilize the operations in the sector and the re-opening of moribund depots which has enhanced products delivery across the country, but that the current allegations must be addressed by the administration as one of its cardinal principle is the promotion of transparency and accountability.

Our expectation is to see us as a hydrocarbon nation, to stop importation of petroleum products and to make our refineries work optimally so as to boast our foreign exchange earnings. Our NNPC 21 depots should be made to come back on stream and our pipelines secured with new trunk lines built across the country. We believe this can create economic stability and can only be achieved where the Minister of Petroleum, Mr. President, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources and the GMD of NNPC are working in synergy

However, NUPENG reiterates that both Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and Dr. Maikanti Baru have done well in re-positioning the Oil and Gas industry and the infighting will only retard the gains made so far.

We therefore call on President Muhammed Buhari to resolve the issues by moving in swiftly to address whatever is causing the ill-affection that has made them to work at cross-purposes in order not to jeopardize the reforms in the Oil and Gas industry.

Com. (Dr.) Igwe Achese                                                                     Com. Joseph Ogbebor

President                                                                                                      General Secretary

 

 

Delta State Government, Police Say No Cause For Alarm Over Alledged Vaccination

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Delta State Government, Police Say No Cause For Alarm Over Alledged Vaccination

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dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Government has condemned in the strongest terms the rumoured vaccination of School children by unknown persons which caused chaos in the State Capital on Wednesday Afternoon, urging security agencies in the State to be on the alert to forestall future antics of mischief makers who may want to cause panic and havoc.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah who swiftly reacted to the fast spread message, said that that State Government without equivocation has frowned at that the rumour stating that is was absolutely false and baseless. “There has been no such reported incident in any school in Delta State. We advise parents and guardians to remain calm and go about their normal businesses.”

Ukah further stated that, the State Government has urged all proprietors to take appropriate measures to secure their schools and ensure that students and pupils are properly accounted for until the close of school every day.

In the same light, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Zanna Ibrahim has assured Deltans to go about their normal duties as there is cause for alarm stating that Delta is safe, calm and secure.

Ibrahim who joined in the call for peace against the backdrop of unsubstantiated rumours of students and pupils being lethally injected by unknown persons, said that, “the rumour is spurious and orchestrated by mischievous elements whose sole aim is to cause unnecessary panic in an otherwise very peaceful and orderly state, calls on Deltans to disregard the rumours and go about their lawful businesses and assures them that the Command will continually do all within its power to ensure their safety and security at all times.”

It will be recalled that on Wednesday, October 11, 2017, Pandemonium almost shut down the Capital City of Asaba following a strong wave of information on various social network platforms that some security agencies were engaged in forceful injection of school children with suspected substances rumoured to be the dreaded monkey pox virus in neighbouring Anambra State, and are likely to come to schools in Delta State to do so.

However, there has been no report of such event in any school in the state capital and Delta State at the moment has not recorded any major case or outbreak of the Monkey Pox Epidemic.

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