The Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade has increased the allowance of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state from N3, 100 to N5, 000.
Ayade who spoke today, Monday, through his commissioner for Youth and Sports, Asu Okang during the closing ceremony for the 2018 `Batch B’ Orientation at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Obubra Local Government Area of the state, said that the increase is necessitated by the high cost of goods and services in the country.
“Dear corps members, I must salute you for the successful completion of your three weeks orientation programme which I believe was interesting.
“I am happy to announce to all of you that we have increased your monthly allowance from N3,100 to N5,000 starting from your batch.
“Since the creation of Cross River, the largest contributor to the socio-economic development of the state is the NYSC.
“This is evident in the kind of Community Development Services provided by members of the corps across the state.
“While we continue to appreciate your predecessors for making historical landmark in the state, I charge you to outshine their legacies by going the extra mile towards supporting the dream of a new Cross River.
“We are also confident that as the cloud of the next general elections begins to gather, your neutrality will help in giving the guarantee for free, fair and credible elections.”
Governor Ayade assured the corps members of security in the state, even as he advised them to relate peacefully with their employers and host communities. [myad]
The immediate past Senate Minority leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, representing Akwa Ibom North West, has made it clear that whoever is advocating that his seat in the Senate should be declared vacant as a result of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) should also be ready to declare the seats of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and others vacant too.
He named such other Senators who left the ruling APC to join the opposition PDP as the former PDP national Chairman, Barnabas Gemade, Senators Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Dino Melaye, Usman Nafada, Suleiman Hunkuyi.
Others are Senators Abdullahi Danbaba, Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi, Rafiu Ibrahim, Ida Hamman Misau, Monsurat Sunmonu, Suleiman Nazif and Abdulaziz Nyako.
Senator Akpabio who, on Wednesday last week dumped the PDP for the APC, told news men who accosted him in Abuja that he is not disturbed over calls from some quarters that his seat in the upper Chamber should be declared vacant.
“Even as you are looking at me, do I look perturbed? I have not heard the report. Because the reason why I think that is a rumour is that there is, at the moment, no division in the APC. The APC is one family. If you hear about R-APC that was not really a political party that was not a division, and has since been consumed in what they call Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).
“So, there is no division. And so, any defector from APC to PDP, we will like to declare those seats vacant.” [myad]
Authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have made it clear that they will not in any way allow the annual Holy pilgrimage by Muslims from all over the world to be unduly politicized.
This position was made known by the Imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca who doubles as President of the General presidency for the Affairs of the two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Dr. Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz as-Sudais when international media group, organized by the country’s Ministry of Media under the Islamic Communication Centre (ICC) visited him.
Apparently reacting to the diplomatic brushes Saudi Arabia has been having with Canada and other countries, as-Sudais said: “Holy places are meant for worshipping Allah and not for political slogans and sectarian extremist groups.”
He stressed that the message of Islam is based on mercy, tolerance, coexistence and support of moderation, saying that terrorism has no religion but meant to tarnish the image of Islam
Dr. Abdul Rahman Sudais who has the responsibility for the formation and administration of the internal system of the two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Madina reminded the media men and women of their great responsibility upon them in the area of world peace.
“You represent the pulse of the Muslim nation and its conscience. In a word, you change the Islamic public opinion.
“Allah will ask you on the Day of Resurrection for every single-word you wrote …
“The Kingdom’s message is the message of Islam based on mercy, tolerance and co-existence, supporting moderation and harnessing the facts of the times in highlighting the image of civilized Muslims and removing the accusation of terrorism against them.”
Dr. as-Sudais added: “the Holy Land is a place of worship, not just for political slogans and sectarian and religious sects, and indicates that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is entrusted by Allah to the two Holy Mosques and is concerned with security and peace in them.
“These are the responsibility of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a responsibility and a trust performed by the wise leadership of the Kingdom, may Allah save them.
As-Sudais stressed that he is keen to take care of all Muslims and seeks to consolidate relations and solidarity among the members of the Islamic nation under the circumstances experienced by the Islamic nation. [myad]
The Presidency has concluded that with some of the by-elections conducted around the country, most of which were won by candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigerians have sent a clear message that they are no longer comfortable with politics of drama and grammar.
Speaking to newsmen today, Monday, on the outcome of the weekend by-elections in Katsina and Bauchi States, senior special assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, advised politicians in the opposition to take heed.
“First of all is to say that these decisive victories are indications that clearly, Nigerians have spoken that President Buhari maintain his momentum. That with these victories place Buhari/Osinbajo presidency is in very good stead for next year’s election.
“It is a statement of the fact that the APC will go into election next year with every confidence that the elections will be won and that Nigerians by this statement, will also say that they no longer have time for politics of insult and diversion, mudslinging and ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’ politics of the PDP, and equally important is that these election victories are a clear message to the National Assembly that all that Nigerians are interested in is that the business of government should go on.
“That Nigerians are saying that they are not interested in the drama; they are not interested in the grammar, the subterfuge and all of the games that are being played in the National Assembly.
“I think it is appropriate this time to appeal to the National Assembly to be on the same page with President Buhari administration so that we can deliver on all of these things. There are urgent matters that need to be attended to, including matters of shortfall in money supply for the execution of the budget.”
Garba Shehu said that it is clear that from election after election, Nigerians are reposing confidence in the Buhari/Osinbajo presidency.
According to him, each of these election victories is considered to be epic in nature because none of them was an ordinary election.
“We are happy that we have won and on behalf of the president and the acting president, we like to say thank you to Nigerians who continue to repose their confidence in the leadership of the APC administration.
“We also want to thank the leadership of the party at the national level, but equally important, to thank all the party’s apparatchiks deployed to all the campaigns and ensured that all the elections were won handsomely by APC.”
The Presidential spokesmen assured Nigerians that their increasing confidence in the president and the acting president, would gear them to be more determined to leave no stone unturned in order to bring the promised change to Nigerians.
Answering question on bribery and vote buying that characterised some recent elections, Garba Shehu agreed that they contravene the law, advising those who have evidence to report to the law enforcement agencies.
“Thiis is the way to help the country. Secondly I think that it is not the right attitude for a political party, a so called opposition leader, to conduct their affairs like a militant organization.
“A political party cannot be ran like a militant organization. if you have disagreement on the outcome of an election, they know the process and they know it because they abused it before. You can see this is the clear difference of the kind of democracy the APC administration is trying to put in place from what they are used to.
“President Buhari congratulated Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra, and we were happy we came second in the elections. That is the way it is. We lost a Senate seat in Osun, we didn’t try to bring down the roof, and the same thing happened in cross river: did you hear Adams Oshiomhole saying he wants to shoot people. [myad]
The Nigeria Police has announced the lost of our officers to gangs of armed bandits and kidnappers in Rigasa Forest, Kaduna State after exchange of fire with the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) personnel.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officers, Jimoh Moshood today, gave the names of the dead officers as Inspector Bernard Odibo, Inspector Mamman Abubakar, Inspector Haruna Ibrahim and Sergeant Emmanuel Istifanus.
The statement said however that the team leader and other members of the IRT were able to subdue the bandits with catches of firearms and ammunition recovered form their hideouts in Rigasa forest.
It said that the police officers had confronted the bandits who were returning after a successful operations that led to the arrest of some vicious/notorious kidnap for ransom suspects responsible for the kidnap of Sheikh Ahmad Adam Algarkawy in Rigasa, Kaduna State who regained his freedom recently.
The statement said that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris had sent words of sympathy to the families of the four policemen, saying: “the IGP mourns the unfortunate death of the deceased Police officers and describes them as Heroes of the Force who laid down their lives and paid the supreme price in ensuring protection of lives and property and law and order in the Country.”
It said that the IGP had directed befitting burials for the deceased officers and prompt processing and payments of the life assurance benefits and other entitlements to their families.
The police announced also what it called ‘a massive raids and assaults’ on the other bandits still at large in the Rigasa Forest are ongoing to bring them to justice.
It assured that despite the unfortunate attack and killing of the officers, the policemen will not relent in ensuring that crimes and criminalities are brought to the barest in the country. [myad]
Saudi Arabia King Salman has offered 1,000 hajj slots to families of slain soldiers and policemen from Egypt.
The King, who ordered the hosting of 1,000 male and female relatives of the fallen Egyptian security forces for this year’s hajj, said the gesture is part of his Annual Guests Programme, which is being supervised by the Saudi’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.
In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday, Saudi’s Minister of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Abdullatif Bin AbdulAziz Al-Asheikh, said the hajj seats were given to families of soldiers and policemen who lost their lives in the line of duty.
This was even as the General President of the two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais,
has advised Muslim journalists to help counter negative narratives about Islam.
Sheikh Al-Sudais stated this in Makkah while speaking to select Muslim journalists invited by the Saudi Ministry of Media to cover this year’s Hajj.
“You have a great responsibility upon you. You represent the pulse of the Muslim nation and its conscience; in a word, you change the public opinion about Islam.
“Allah will ask you on the day of resurrection for every single-word you wrote.The Kingdom’s message is the message of Islam based on mercy, tolerance and co-existence, supporting moderation and harnessing the facts of the times in highlighting the image of civilized Muslims and removing the accusation of terrorism against them,” he said.
He said that the Saudi Kingdom would continue to do its best in the protection and spread of Islam across the world.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has reacted to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s attack on Pastors for not preaching against corruption, saying that the Church has been preaching against all forms of corruption in the land.
In a statement today, Monday, the CAN President, Rev. Samuel Ayokunle said that although Osinbajo might have exclusive information for him to make the claim, the church had been speaking against the manifestation of corruption for a while, to no avail.
The statement, which was issued by the CAN Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, quoted Ayokunle as saying: “being a pastor, the acting president may know what we don’t know and he has a right to correct those whose teaching or preaching contradicts the scripture.
“What we know is that the church must speak against evil in the land, corruption inclusive. The church has been speaking against the perceived genocide in the country, insecurity of life and property, hypocrisy, nepotism, greediness, tribalism, favourism, treasury lootings, lopsided appointments, etc.
“These are all manifestation of corruption. Corruption goes beyond greed and diversion of public money into personal hands. Whether our leaders, politicians and civil servants are listening is another thing entirely.
“Those who have not been preaching against the evil in the country should heed the counsel of the acting president and the leadership of CAN in turn tasks those in the position of authority to be sensitive to the yearning of the church for peace, security, job opportunities, good roads, affordable medical care, and an end to every form of hardship in the land.”
Acting President Osinbajo, at the 30th National Biennial Conference of the Students Christian Movement of Nigeria holding in Enugu, had blamed the Church for not supporting the government anti corruption crusade, saying that preachers are more preoccupied with preaching prosperity rather than righteousness.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has condemned what he described as the “pull-him-down-syndrome” among the Igbo people in the politics of Nigeria. The governor regretted that Igbos do not value and honour their own, and even as he said that his Igbo brothers and sisters are the problems he would have if he should declare to run for presidency in this country. Okorocha who spoke to newsmen at the government House in Owerri, said capital of Imo State stressed that Igbo alone cannot make or produce a president of Igbo extraction, adding that Igbo need other Nigerians to be able to have a president of Igbo origin who would also see himself as a Nigerian, first and foremost. According to him, it would be a foolish thought for any Igbo man eyeing the presidency at any time to think that the Igbo only would make him president. He contended that any Igbo man wanting or aspiring to achieve the feat of being the president one day cannot rely on the Igbo alone. “The Igbo do not know how to honour their own. They rather like to run down any of their rising leaders. The pull-him-down syndrome is high in Igbo land. And it is very unfortunate. Anytime I come out to run for the presidency of this country, I will not suffer pull-him-down from the North or from the South West or South South, it is only in Igbo land that I will suffer it. “And they engage in this pull-him-down practice without knowing the overall implications on the Igbo. So, it will be out of place for an Igbo presidential aspirant at any given period to think that the Igbo will make him president, because Igbo do not value their own. “They don’t value what they have, while they value outsiders. It is in their character. It is in their nature.” “Read the newspapers and go to the social media, all the insults and attacks you get are all from the Igbo. “They go to any length to run you down without caring about your good intentions and all the efforts being made to see that things work out fine for the people of the area. “It is a problem. It didn’t start today. Go down memory lane and you’ll discover that the pull-him-down syndrome in Igboland didn’t start today.” Soource: Punch.
Former governor of Bauchi state, Alhaji Isa Yuguda of the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) was one of the eight contestants who the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lawan Gumau, defeated in the yesterday (Saturday) by-election into the Bauchi South Senatorial District.
The Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Ahmed Sarkin-Pagam, who announced the result today, Sunday, said that Gumau scored 119,489 votes to defeat eight other contestants, among them, the immediate past governor of the state, Yuguda, who polled 33,079 votes.
He said other candidates were Haruna Ayuba of ADC who garnered 1,754 votes; Aminu Tukur of APP who scored 11,717 votes; Usman Hassan of KP with 240 votes; and Huseini Umar of NNPP who scored 22,896 votes.
The Returning Officer gave the scores of the remaining candidates as Usman Chaledi of PDC, 1,203 votes; Ladan Salihu of PDP, 50,256 votes, and Mrs. Maryam Begel of SDP, 3,800 votes.
He said that a total of 256,763 votes were cast, out of which 245,652 were valid and 11,111 invalid.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the bye-election was conducted to elect a representative for Bauchi-South Senatorial District, sequel to the death of Senator Ali Wakili on March 17.
With the outcome of the bye-election, APC in Bauchi now has only one senator because the other two, Isa Misau and Nazif Gamawa, formerly of the APC, have defected to the PDP. [myad]
Minister of sports, Solomon Dalung has announced a gift of $2,000 to each of the U-20 Women’s National Team, Falconets for their 1-0 victory against Haiti in the group stage of the ongoing World Cup in France.
In a statement today, Sunday, the minister said that the players and officials have also been paid their daily camp allowances till August 13, 2018.
“I believe that the Falconets have been well motivated for Monday’s game against China and I’ve been assured by the players that they will play out their hearts to get a quarter final ticket.
“The U-20 Women’s team have been in the final in 2010 and 2014 and I know that you all will work hard to repeat that success in 2018. Like I earlier promised, all your entitlements will be offset soon but you will get a personal token of $10,000 from me if you beat China on Monday.
“As a country we have identified our areas of strength and comparative advantage of which women’s football is one of them and we will need to invest more in it. On behalf of the His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari and the good people of Nigeria, I wish you a successful outing against China on Monday.”
Sports Minister Solomon Dalung said.that he is optimistic that the Falconets of Nigeria will clinch the second quarter final ticket to finish as runners up of Group D.
The Falconets who will face China in their last group D match tomorrow, Monday need a draw to advance to the next round.
Nigeria is currently second in Group D with three points behind leaders Germany who have six. China is third with three points and Haiti have no points. [myad]
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