Igbo Want Buhari To Appoint SGF, Deputy Senate President From Among Them

April 27, 2019

Igbo cultural group, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Youth Council Worldwide (ONYCW) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) and Deputy Senate President from among them in the Southeast.

In a statement by the President of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group insisted on zoning arrangement made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) with regard to the leadership of the incoming National Assembly.

“We know President Buhari’s victory in the just concluded election has retired some Igbo leaders from active politics. It ended some political dynasties in the South East, and threw up fresh opportunities for the youths. That is why those people are making disparaging comments.

“We are watching those elders keenly and may have no option than to sanction them if they continue to use the name of Igbo nation to discredit the good works of the president towards the Southeast.

“We support that Senate President should go to North East and Speakership to South West or North Central.

“We only demand for the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Deputy Senate President. We have eminent personalities qualified for both Jobs. We advise Our people in the House of Representatives to Support the decision of APC leadership.

“We commend the South East governors-elect, and hereby urge implore them to make youths to constitute over 50% of their cabinets and also urge them to ensure that the new salary structure is implemented at the state levels.”

We’re Sourcing For N1 Billion Loan To Produce More Combat Vehicles – Nigerian Army

Editorial staff

April 27, 2019

The Nigerian army has announced the move to source for one billion naira loan to produce more combat vehiclesto counter terrorists and other insurgents.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, who announced this today, Saturday while addressing the closing ceremony of the Nigerian Army Combat Arms Training Week at the shooting range of Nigerian Army Infantry Corp, Jaji, Kaduna State that Nigerian Army inventions and acquisitions are force multipliers, hence the fund will improve the equipping and capacity of the Army.

“We are already sourcing for the sum of N1billion to support the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company. We a have a number of investments in the Army that have been generating huge amount of money and we will take a loan from there to support Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company to realize our dream of producing indigenous armoured fighting vehicles and to continue to maintain our existing equipment.

General Buratai said that the army had already been promised by the group managing director of NAVMC that in the next three to four months, it would have brand new vehicles originally produced by the Nigerian Army for use in the Army and the general public that might find it useful, especially the paramilitary agencies.

“This we believe will transform the Nigerian Army and Nigerian industrial companies, when we start mass production.

“Military equipment are never obsolete, with maintenance culture of the military globally, vehicles and equipment of the Second World War are still useful in other parts of the world. The firepower demonstration today is the last activity of the combined Combat Arms Training Week (CATWEEK) and the Chief of Army Staff 1st Quarter Conference.

“This Conference has brought us together to assess what we have so far achieved in the the first quarter of 2019,” the COAS added.

The Acting Governor of Kaduna state, Arch. Barnabas Bala Bantex commended the military and the police on their efforts to ensure peace in the state.

“The Nigerian Army and Police have helped to keep Nigeria and Kaduna safe. They have helped in combating terrorism, armed banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity.”

Bantex, said that with what he saw, “the Nigerian Army is in better position and capable of containing all forms of threat both from within and outside our territory.”

As Christians Court Trouble In Gombe, State Govt Imposes Curfew

Editorial staff

April 27, 2019

Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo

The Gombe State Government has imposed curfew on Gombe, the state capital, to stave off trouble caused by some Christian youth from escalating into uncontrollable crisis.

Information reaching us showed that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the State had organized a mass burial for the eight children killed by a security agent last Sunday. According to information, the mourners closed all the roads leading to the Gombe Specialists Hospital where the remains of the victims were kept and the CAN centre, venue of the church service for the deceased.

Eye witness accounts said that the closure of the roads led to heavy traffic jam in the areas which made residents to open the roads to traffic, but that the action was perceived by the Christian youths as threat to the burial ceremony.

The members of the Boys Brigade, not satisfied by the action, were said to have gone ahead to block the roads leading to the state from Kano and Yobe States and were brandishing weapons and threatening to deal with anybody who attempted to open the roads.

Security agencies were said to have been mobilized to quell the clash between Christian youth and some residents who tried to remove the barricade, thereby preventing breakdown of law and order.

In order to prevent such clash escalating into big crisis and constituting danger to the public peace, the State government issued a statement imposing curfew, beginning from today, Saturday, April 27.

According to the statement by the Acting Secretary to the State Government, James Pisagih, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo has approved the imposition of the curfew in Gombe metro with immediate effect to douse tension.

“The curfew will start from 3pm Saturday to 6am on Sunday (tomorrow). However, the situation will be review after the restoration of normalcy,” the statement said.

The statement said that only security agencies and other workers on essential services are allowed any form of movement during the duration of the curfew.

The Police Command Public Relations Officer, Obed Mary Malum said that the need for the curfew was came after a security meeting, as the means to arresting the situation and preventin breakdown of law and order.

My Bitter Encounter With Kidnappers, True Life Story By Victim

Editorial staff

April 27, 2019

I was kidnapped on the Kaduna express way and here is my story:

I had no premonition that day when I boarded a cab, a golf car from Kaduna to Abuja.

A few kilometres after Kaduna, shortly after the NYSC camp, around Dutse, on the express, we were assailed by a volley of gunfire targeted at tyres of vehicles on the express.

Of course all vehicles trapped within the radius of fire had to stop and passengers ran across the express to the other side of the road. As we ran, we saw men in army camouflage wielding Ak47s run after us and dragged us back to the side we just fled from.

No one escaped, they had seen us run and pursued us until we were all caught and rounded up. We were then marched in a single file into the bush.

As we headed into the bush, they had us arranged in formation, one victim, one kidnapper and so on while the rest of the kidnappers formed two lines beside our single file. There was no escape as they repeatedly warned us that we would be shot if we tried to escape.

We marched on for the full 6 hours into the bush; there were no huts, no buildings, no farmland, just endless vast arid land. I was able to gauge time because I was still wearing my wrist watch though my phone and bag had been taken by the kidnappers. Same with the rest of the others, victims like me, who had the misfortune of being on the road at that hour.

As soon as our phones were taken, the sims were removed; this of course meant they didn’t want us traced. Our phones were auctioned off to a certain ‘Yellow,’ that was the name of the person on the other end of the line who bargained for our phones.

I was in tatters in the course of our 6 hours’ trek; my gown had ripped open in my attempt to escape, my wig had fallen off and my tear stained face was caked with dirt and dust.

I was the only woman among the victims; there were 35 of us and twice the number of kidnappers. I feared the worst would happen to me. I began to pray because these people were just smoking weed, they were not normal people.

When we stopped, I quickly sought the face of one whom I perceived to be the leader. I went on my knees and crawled to his feet, groveling, weeping agonisingly and pleading.

I said to him: ‘I know you are a good Muslim, one versed in the tenets of Islam and who knows the sanctity of marriage. Please protect my honour for I am a married woman. Please protect me.’

This leader, who must have been like 26 years at the most, wouldn’t look at my face and I quickly sensed that he couldnt bear to look at a crying woman and so I intensified my cries and pleas and grovelling. I rolled in the dust with snot running from one nostril to the other.

Still, with his gaze averted he told me to stop crying and go join the rest of the victims where they were huddled on the ground. When I wouldn’t stop, he said sternly that if I didn’t stop then he wouldn’t help me. I stopped. He looked at me and told me I wouldn’t be touched by anyone of his boys.

Then they started getting in touch with our people to demand for ransom. How did they contact our relatives?

First off, they asked us all to call out the numbers of relatives we wanted them to contact for our ransom; once we gave the numbers, they would call them then allow us speak for just a few seconds before they took over the phone and made their demands.

They used an old untraceable Nokia phone to make each of these calls and because they spoke Hausa to us but Fulani amongst themselves, I wasn’t able to catch much of what was said among them.

Being the only woman, I was the first to be asked to introduce myself; name, state of origin, job, how much I had in my bank account and as they searched every nook and cranny of my bag and wallet; they wondered why I didn’t have an ATM card.

Thankfully, that day was the day I didn’t travel with my ATM card. I told my kidnappers that I had no bank account; that I am a married woman with children who also happens to be a student. I pleaded, telling them my husband is poor and earns N8,500 monthly and that my family is very poor as well. I told them I was given to my husband at a young age to settle a debt my father had incurred.

But they called me a harlot for leaving my children and going to school. I explained that it was my husband’s idea. He wanted me to go work to augment his salary and working required a certificate and so I had to go to school to earn one. Thankfully, my story was believed. I was soon to realize that these uneducated kidnappers didn’t know much.

They decided I was worth N5million! Immediately I heard that, I raised my hands in surrender, ‘Just shoot me, there’s no way my husband or family will ever raise that amount of money, nobody in my village, Gorin goni, the poorest village in Kaduna, will give as much as N2,000. So please, just shoot me.’

The leader then drew me aside and asked me exactly how much my family could get, I said N10,000. He walked away in anger swearing that I would die. I was still haggling with them over my ransom, when God came through for me…

There was another victim, a Customs officer from Kogi state who drew their ire; they discovered his identity from the ID Card found in his wallet.

It was clear the kidnappers apparently hate the current government because victims who worked for government were singled out and thoroughly beaten with the sticks they used to herd cows. They said the government had impoverished its people and that those in government were thieves.

Every chance they had they would beat the Customs officer. Despite my situation, I began to think of how to save him; so I called out that he must be a fake customs man as his service number is 10 digits instead of 6. They stopped and, thankfully the Customs guy cued in, he begged them saying indeed he was a fake customs man; he said he smuggled cars into the country and he had to do a fake ID to deceive the Customs officials who were collecting money from him. That’s how they stopped beating him!

They demanded 10million off the Customs officers family!

Then, there was also amongst us a Yoruba man who by all appearances was quite rich. Since the Yoruba man didn’t speak Hausa, I was his interpreter to the kidnappers.

This Yoruba man jumped into the drainage tunnel when we were first attacked and fled to the bush but the kidnappers had gone after him and dragged him by the leg out of the tunnel into the open. So, he was caked in blood and dirt. This man told me I should tell the kidnappers he was willing to pay any amount they wanted!

I had to shush him. I warned him, they will finish you o. But the man was jittery, you know how you Yoruba people are at the sign of trouble.

At the end of the negotiation, they demanded N100 million from his family!

You see, all of us victims had been thoroughly stripped of whatever we possessed. I was quick to have deleted my messages and email from my phone when the commotion started, that was my saving grace.

So, when I said I didn’t even have enough money not to talk of a bank account, there were no alerts or bank details in my phone. The others were not so lucky.

Each victim was asked to give the correct PIN number and amount left in their accounts. Any attempt to give a fake PIN was instant death upon discovery because they wouldn’t ask you again.

How did God come through for me?

I was the go-between who always had the phone so I could interpret when calls came in.

One afternoon, they suddenly began to argue amongst themselves and so moved away from us victims. I suddenly found myself alone with the phone! I quickly dialed my brother and told him to keep negotiating, never to give accept the amount they asked for.

You see, once a victim speaks to their family, the victim never gets to talk again until ransom is paid and families don’t realise they can haggle and negotiate the ransom!

After demand for ransom was made from all victims/families, we began another stretch of travelling. We trekked for another 6 hours, making it a total of 12 hours trek from the express into the deepest parts of the bush.

As we went along, we saw their armed vigilantes. Yes, the kidnappers had vigilantes to catch and kill runaway victims. They told us their vigilantes were well armed and since it was an open field, any runaway victim would be shot dead.

When we got to what was our destination, it was a huge village, community of different ‘platoons’ of kidnappers who also had their own victims. So it was like a village business, hundreds of kidnappers, living side by side several hundreds more with each owning victims they raided off the roads.

When we were eventually settled in an open place, the other ‘platoon’ of kidnappers came to ‘inspect us’, like we were spoils of war, loot they had come to admire.

Suddenly, I was being ogled by boys no than 16 to 18. They told my kidnappers that I was a ‘good catch.’ They meant this in terms of rape. But I heard one of my kidnapper say, their leader forbade them from touching me but that they would see about it. I began to pray again that the leader doesn’t change his mind about protecting me.

To cut a long story short, I was released on the third day after a ransom of N500,000 was paid on my behalf. No, my family didn’t raise all the money, my old school mates from the federal government girls’ secondary school I attended, helped raise the money as well. I have God and them and of course my traumatised family to thank for my release.

The customs officer who was asked to bring N10 million, paid N5million.

They asked our families to meet us at a certain place from where their okada rider look outs took them on a two hours’ ride inside the bush. There they counted the money, asked them to walk back and wait at a certain point for us.

I and the customs officer were released together as our ransom was paid the same day. We walked for more than 8 hours to reunite with our families.

I am home today but still so traumatized. I was happy when Governor El Rufia’s convoy went after some of them weeks ago. But a more concerted effort is needed.

While I was there, an Airforce fighter jet came and hovered over the community of kidnappers. Yes, it means government is aware of their location. As soon as the fighter jet was sighted, the kidnappers assembled all of us victims on the edge of a water fall and pointed their weapons at us. They were prepared to shoot us if the fighter jet opened fire on them.

At this point, we the victims began to wave off the fighter jet, we began to beg them to leave, whereas our kidnappers taunted and dared the fighter jet to drop lower so they could complete the massacre.

I found out that victims whose families couldn’t raise money were taken to the edge and shot, their bodies would fall below and be swept away by the water. That way it won’t stink out the community.

To date, no body has come to take my statements or ask me what happened. I mean the authorities haven’t contacted me. So they know exactly what is going on.

Investors’ Profit Taking Runs Nigerian Stock Exchange Market Into N68 Billion Loses

Editorial staff

April 26, 2019

The market capitalization of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday shed N68 billion as a result of profit taking embarked by investors.

The market capitalization, which opened at N11.244 trillion lost N68 billion or 0.60 per cent to close at N11.176 trillion. Similarly, the All-Share Index dropped 179.03 points or 0.60 per cent to close at 29,740.41, amid price loses.

Forte Oil led the gainers’ table, growing by N2.50 to close at N29.20 per share.
Dangote Flour Mills followed with a gain of N1.40 to close at N15.55, while Oando gained 45k to close at N5.30 per share.

Cadbury increased by 35k to close at N11.35, while GlaxoSmithKline appreciated by 30k to close at N9 per share.

Conversely, Okomu Oil topped the losers’ chart, dropping by N8 to close at N72 per share.

Union Dicon trailed with a loss of N1.30 to close at N12.15, while Dangote Cement was down by N1.10 to close at N186.90 per share.

International Breweries shed N1 to close at N20, Berger Paint also depreciated by N1 to close at N9.40 per share.

Also, the volume of shares traded closed lower with an exchange of 244.58 million shares valued at N1.54 billion in 3,444 deals.

This was in contrast with a turnover of 566.50 million shares worth N7.27 billion achieved in 4,103 deals.

A breakdown of the activity chart shows that Japaul Oil was the most active stock trading 56.56 million shares valued at N15.08 million.

United Bank for Africa came second with 29.99 million shares worth N205.55 million, while Wema Bank exchanged 25.32 million shares valued at N18.83 million.

Access Bank sold 18.06 million shares worth N122.19 million, while Transcorp traded 17.32 million shares valued at N19.24 million.

Source: NAN.

Lagos, 5 Other States Emerge As Having Attained Highest Employment Rate

Editorial staff

April 26, 2019

Lagos, Rivers, Imo, Ondo, Enugu and Kaduna States have been adjudged as having attained the highest rate of employment of labour in their civil service structure.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its report, Lagos created 740,146 net full time jobs, while Rivers created 235,438, Imo 197,147, Ondo 142,514, Enugu 122,333 and Kaduna 118,929 all between third quarter of 2017 and second quarter of 2018.

Conversely, Akwa Ibom had the highest unemployment rate of 37.7 per cent in third quarter 2018, followed by Rivers with 1,673,991 unemployed,,Kano with 1,257,130, Abia with 31.6 per cent and Borno with 31.4 per cent.

NBS in the report: “Labour Force Statistics – Volume 2: Unemployment and Underemployment by State”, for Third Quarter, 2018, posted on its website, said that Rivers had the second highest reported unemployment rate with 36.4 per cent followed by Bayelsa with 32.6 per cent.

This was even as the Bureau said that Katsina State, Jigawa, Kaduna State and Yobe recorded the highest underemployment rates of 39.5, 38.1, 31.0 and 30.0 per cent.

It said the national unemployment rate for the quarter was 23.1 per cent while the underemployment rate was 20.1 per cent.

The report said between third quarter, 2017 and third quarter of 2018, only nine states recorded a reduction in their unemployment rates despite an increase in the national unemployment rate.

The states included: Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo and Rivers; the same states recorded reduction in their combined unemployment and underemployment rates.

The report presents the state breakdown of the results of the Labour Force Survey earlier published by NBS.

According to NBS, unemployment and underemployment rates vary across states due to the nature of economic activity predominant in each State.

States with higher focus on seasonal agriculture tend to have higher rates of underemployment compared to unemployment.

This may swing from high full-time employment during periods of planting and harvest, when they are fully engaged on their farms to periods of high underemployment and even unemployment at other periods in between.

Meanwhile, states with a higher propensity for women to be housewives or stay home husbands or that have negative attitudes to working tend to have lower unemployment rates.

The women tend to have lower unemployment rate as they are not considered part of the labour force in the first place and as such have no bearing on the rate of unemployment.

On the methodology for arriving at the figures, the bureau said the total population in Nigeria was divided into labour force (currently active) and non-labour force (not currently active).

The labour force population covers all persons aged 15 years to 64 years who are willing and able to work regardless of whether they have a job or not.

The definition of unemployment, therefore, covers persons (aged 15–64 years) who during the reference period were currently available for work, actively seeking for work but were without work.

The non-labour force includes population below 15 years or older than 64 years as well as those within the economically active population.

Source: NAN.

Kogi PDP Asks Buhari Govt Not To Give More Workers’ Bailout To Gov Yahaya Bello

Editorial staff

April 26, 2019

The Kogi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Federal Government not to give the balance of the N30.8 billion bailout funds to the governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, but to pay directly into workers’ account.

A statement today, Friday, by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Bode Ogunmola, Friday, said that any money released to Governor Yahaya Bello will go down the drain, unaccounted for, leaving workers more pauperized.

Acknowledging the sufferings of Kogi State workers, who are yet to receive salaries for 38 months, the PDP warned the Federal government against listening to the governor, adding that any attempt to release the balance of N30.8billion to him would spell doom as he would not use it to offset workers salaries.

“The federal government should fashion out a process to directly pay into the account of the workers. Aside the bailout funds, the governor has accessed closed to N70 billion Paris club refunds, aside commercial loans. Despite all these funds, Gov. Bello has plunged the state into debt of about N200 billion since he assumed office.”

According to the party, the administration of Capt Idris Wada applied for fifty billion naira, even though the state was not indebted to that amount, and knowing full well that all the requested money may not be approved.

The funds which got approval during the Capt Wada’s administration according to the PDP were, however, not released to him for political reasons.

The PDP also lamented that the money, which was released to Gov. Bello, rather than have the arrears of the workers paid, has now witnessed increased in the arrears, all because the money accessed by the present administration went into private pockets.

The PDP disclosed that following the drastic drop in oil prices in 2008, and in 2013, with oil selling for as low as $32, a situation that made most States not to be able to pay salaries, said states like Kogi with less internally generated revenue became faced with the challenge of salary payment.

The PDP said it has no confidence in Gov. Bello, having squandered over N200 billion loans outside statutory allocation it has received, advised workers not to help cry too much for Gov. Bello to access the bailout balance, which in his characteristics he would squander.

The statement further stated that; “Despite all the resources accrued the state under the governor Bello’s administration, no single project or meaningful development can be pointed to by the Gov. Bello-led administration.”

The PDP appealed to the federal government, working through the CBN to carry out an investigation into how the past bailout, Paris club refunds and other loans meant to pay workers were squandered, leaving the arrears to increase astronomically, with workers owed for as much as thirty months despite all the accrued resources.

From Obasanjo To Buhari, No Nigerian President Prepared For The Task – Bishop Kukah

Editorial staff

April 26, 2019

The Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has said that from Olusegun Obasanjo unto Muhammadu Buhari, no of the Nigeria President fully prepared for the task of ruling the country.

“Since the return of Democracy, Nigeria has not got a president who is prepared to serve this nation. President Olusegun Obasanjo was picked from the prison and became a president.

“President Umar Musa Yar’Adu was preparing to return to the university for lecturing but he was picked and he became president. Goodluck Jonathan was a Vice President and became president through a doctrine of necessity after the death of Yar’Adu.

“He contested and won and when he wanted to leave, he was asked to re-contest for the second tenure but lost to President Muhammadu Buhari who had vowed never to contest the president again after contesting three times and lost.

“Buhari won his second tenure and he was begged against his wish to re-contest for the second tenure and he won, so we have no president that has contested election based on his conviction.”

Bishop Kukah spoke today, Friday, at the First Joint District Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration of Rotary International, organized by District 9125 Rotary International with the theme “A decade of consolidation: The Journey so far,” held in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

According to Bishop Kukah, no country in the world would accept the level of injustice and corruption that take place in Nigeria, adding that time will come that voluntary organizations will withdraw from building hospitals, schools, and other social amenities and allow the government to face the anger of the people.

Buhari Offers Advice To Ex Information Minister, Tony Momoh As He Turns 80

Greenbarge Reporters

April 26, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has advised former Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Prince Tony Momoh, to always stick to the progressive ideals that have brought him recognition and encomiums, and continue to inspire younger leaders in the same path.

The advice came in a birthday greeting, embedded in a statement by the presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, which he extended to the former minister as he turns 80 tomorrow, April 27.

President Buhari recalled Prince Momoh’s courage in delving into politics and providing strong leadership as Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), as well as serving earlier as the Chairman of Media and Publicity for the All Nigeria’s Peoples Party (ANPP) campaign organisation for many years.

He also recalled also the former minister’s sacrifice for growth of democracy and journalism in Nigeria which he said will be remembered by posterity, even as he commended Momoh’s visionary role of advocating integration of communication strategies in development plans and implementations.

The President, who acknowledged the former minister’s contribution to the growth of journalism in Nigeria, prayed to God to reward him for his goodness to country and mankind, and to grant him longer life, good health and joy.

Biodun To Buhari: Thanks For Coming, Sir

Greenbarge Reporters

April 26, 2019

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Projects Planet Limited, Biodun Otunola (extreme left), welcoming President Muhammadu Buhari, in a warm handshake, to Oshodi Transport Interchange project which his company constructed for the Lagos State government. The State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode (by Buhari’s right side), does the introduction when the President did the commissioning on Wednesday, April 24.

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