Governor Tanko Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has delivered what he called ‘dream-come-through’ to the people with the inauguration of 2 by 7.5 MVA power injection substations to boost electricity supply to the state.
Governor Al-Makura, who inaugurated the project in company of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that the project is constructed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) of the Federal Government.
The governor said that the project would go a long way in boosting the economy of the state through the expansion and sustainability of small scale businesses.
“As from today, the people within the state capital and environs would start benefiting from effective and efficient power supply because the burden of power on the Lafia substation would be reduced.”
Governor Al-Makura also commended the Federal Government for various power expansion projects as well as the ongoing construction of a sub-station at Akurba in Lafia with a view to stepping down the 330kva power line running through the state.
Earlier, the Managing Director of NDPHC, Chiedu Ugbo, said that the project, which commenced in 2007, was completed about three years ago, adding that the project was vandalized before it could be handed over and had to be rehabilitated by the company.
Ugbo said that the two 7.5 MVA power transformers at the station would inject 13 megawatts of electricity to the existing supply to Lafia and environs.
According to him, each of the 7.5 MVA power transformers will feed 15 units of 500kv distribution transformers, adding that a 500kv transformer have the capacity of supplying power to about 1,000 households. [myad]
Kogi State government has dismissed 1, 774 civil servants in the service of the state government, even as it compulsorily retired eight permanent secretaries, some directors and others in what is termed ‘civil service reforms.’
The letters that sent the civil servants out of their jobs were signed by the state head of service, Deborah Ogunmola, and chairman of the state Civil Service Commission, Ado Shaibu.
A copy of the retirement letter addressed to one of the affected permanent secretaries indicated that the retirement was “in the interest of the public”.
Commenting on the development, Governor Yahaya Bello’s Chief Press Secretary, Petra Akinti-Onyegbule, confirmed that it was part of ongoing reforms in the civil service. [myad]
A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Mi-17 Helicopter on a mission in the ongoing counterinsurgency operation in the North East, was involved in an air mishap today, Monday. The helicopter was said have crashed today, January 8, resulting in significant damage but there was no loss of life. The Director of the NAF Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, in a statement, confirmed the incidence. He said that the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has immediately directed the constitution of a board of inquiry to determine the exact cause of the incident, in line with global best practices. He said that the NAF is soliciting the understanding and support of the general public as it daily strives to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians.
The Nigerian army has announced that the dreaded leader of the long-fighting Boko Haram is currently sick and no longer pose any threat, even as it said that another factional leader of the same sect, Abu Mus’ab Albarnawiy will soon be captured. In a statement today, Monday, the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani kukasheka Usman said: “there is no doubt that the main Boko Haram terrorists group factional leader, Abubakar Shekau, is in a terrible state of health and not much a threat as he is now a spent horse, waiting for his waterloo. “However, Abu Mus’ab Albarnawiy, who has been busy deceiving and recruiting gullible persons, especially misguided youths into his fold, will soon be captured. “We reliably learnt that some misguided persons, particularly youths, are getting conscripted into the sect through enticements. “They are usually attracted to the sect because of the deceitful and erroneous impression that Abu Musab’s Albarnawiy brand of “jihad” and insurgency is refined and genuine. This is far from it. “Both factions are terrorists’ organizations whose activities constitute crimes against humanity. Their nefarious activities run contrary to the religion of Islam.” Brigadier General Sani Usman said that the faction has recruiters all over the country, especially in the north east. According to him, the clearing house for such conscripts by the terrorist leaders, is at Potiskum in Yobe State, stressing that efforts are ongoing to track those involved. This is even as he appealed to the general public to be wary of these unscrupulous elements attempting to recruit more youths into their sect. The spokesman said that the terrorists have also embarked on tricks to evade air bombardments, explaining that they usually deploy special roofing techniques in order to avoid air detection and bombardment from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). “They resort to roofing their living accommodation and hideouts with a mixture of coated sugar and mud so that the roof will not reflect when there is sun shine.” He assured that decisive measures have been taken to deal with this deception. According to him, the new tricks were decoded through credible intelligence.
Former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign for allowing the genocide in the Middle Belt to go on unimpeded, thereby betraying his campaign promise to Nigerians that his government “will always act in time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester.”
In an open letter to President Buhari, dated January 5th, Ambassador Hagher said that in allowing the Benue genocide to take place, the Buhari government has acted irresponsibly and has allowed problems to fester and failed to act on time.
“You have also failed to lead from the front; giving the impression that centrifugal forces around you are dictating vicious anti-people agenda!”
The former Ambassador said that he was pained that the advice he gave President Buhari in a private memorandum dated July 30, 2016 was ignored, reminded the President: “I had warned you of the possibility of a horrendous genocide in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, and Southern Adamawa States.
“I asked you to be proactive and stop the genocide that has been ongoing but which would burst out in the open and shock the world within 18 months. Your office replied my letter on September, 28th 2016, and the reply was couriered to me in the United States, thanking me “immensely” and giving me the assurances that the advice would be heeded.
“With the current situation on ground, I regret to now inform you that it is seventeen months since my warning and prediction and your government did nothing to pre-empt or prevent the genocide. The nomadic terrorists have finally accelerated the ethnic cleansing in Benue State. They have strategically moved against the Tiv, the largest minority ethnicity in northern Nigeria. These perpetrators believe that if they can ethnic cleanse the Tiv, then nobody can stand in their way to possess the land and carve a new geo-polity and demography for the middle-belt.”
Hagher, who was a second republic senator on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), further reminded the President: “The protection of lives and property of the citizens is more important than your war against corruption! The protection of lives of citizens is the most sacred responsibility of the state and your presidency. Your government has failed woefully in this regard. Mr President there is no greater corruption than the government looking the other way while the strong bullies and kills the weak with impunity and pleasure!”
He regretted that in President Buhari’s passion to rid the country of corruption, he had totally ignored nation building and ended up with a very divided country. “You have failed your immediate Northern constituency by your inability, failure or lack of the political will to end northern poverty through measures that enhance school enrolment, promote girl-child education, and revive dead industries.”
Ambassador Hagher, who is the Executive Director of African Leadership institute based in Ohio, USA, noted that Buhari became Nigeria’s president on the altar of northern unity when the northern minorities abandoned President Goodluck Jonathan to vote for him. “You have now desecrated that altar. By refusing to arrest those that brutally butchered defenseless innocent Benue women and children, you have imperiled northern unity and taken sides with evil,” he told the President.
Hagher told President Buhari: “Many Nigerians think you have failed the country by the lack of a clear vision and a lack of capacity to provide needed infrastructure and a composite holistic development; more significantly, they think you have failed to institute a political culture of integrity. You are often compared with the lone King Sisyphus of Ephyra who was punished by the gods to roll an immense border up the hill, only to watch it roll back down, then condemned to repeat the same rolling action forever. This is the picture people have in mind of your war against endemic corruption. You honestly deserve pity and prayers, but certainly not support for a second term.”
The former Ambassador however acknowledged that President Buhari still has a horde of admirers that look up to him with great admiration, but that the Benue genocide had seriously questions his integrity, and his capacity to lead a plural modern state.
“ Is there a rule of law in this country? Why does the Miyetti Allah act with so much impunity? Is this because this terrorist group claims you as their life patron? Do not accept the clamour of those who for their personal political reasons urge you to contest in the 2019 election to be a second term president! Mr. President, please rise above the impression being given that you are just another power obsessed and hungry politician!”
He advised President Buhari to “step aside and open the political space for another person to continue your war against corruption with a more comprehensive development programme that Nigeria needs and deserves.”
“For now, modernise infrastructure and try to banish poverty. And while your party campaigns for 2019, take a sabbatical from partisanship and build national unity, good governance and concentrate on getting rid of Boko Haram and the Herdsmen Terrorists. After all, great people are not great for winning elections; rather they are known to be great by the legacy they leave behind. With what legacy do you wish the country to remember you for? It is unfortunate that family members of those that were hacked to death will remember you as the genocide president.”
Sports minister, Solomon Dalung has given a detail of how President Muhammadu Buhari challenged him to ensure that Nigeria national football team does not go for the World Cup competition in Russia this year as spectator. He said: “he (President Buhari) challenged me to ensure that nigeria does not go to Russia a mere spectator.” The minister who briefed the President on the preparation of the Super Eagles for the world cup torunament and other international sports engagement by Nigeria this year, to news men that the president encouraged him to sustain, in 2018, the tempo of the successes recorded so far in2017, especially with the World Cup in Russia. He said that part of the measures his ministry had taken to address some of challenges on the way is that by March this, all the players should be paid their match training and camp allowances upfront. “But for the bonuses, it is in terms of progression according to performance at the World Cup. He desribed 2018 as a sports year, saying that right from February to August, there is no dull moment. “Right from CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) to African Youth Champion in wrestling taking place in Port Harcourt, to Commonwealth Games scheduled for Gold Cost, Queensland. Australia, between 4 and 15 April 2018, to Basketball, the World Cup in June and the African Championship of the Athletics Federation In Asaba. “We need the support of the president as usual and funding as it is required to enable our teams succeed.” Dalung said that for the commonwealth games, his ministry has all the budgetary allocations released and that they are on course. “The athletes are in camp, they are training. We have athletes in Port Harcourt while others are in Abuja. “The challenge basically has been lack of training facilities. As we all know training facilities has to do with infrastructural deficit in sports because of long time neglect. “The visit I made to Lagos the athletes are in high Spirit and are maximizing the available facilities on ground to do their best but we will cap it up possibly with our budget support with foreign camping. “After reviewing what is available to us If we can Guaranteed it then we can export some of our areas of comparative advantage we will send some of our athletes to foreign countries.”
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Kogi has directed its members begin what it called total and indefinite withdrawal of their services from hospitals across the state tomorrow, Monday over an alleged failure by the state government to meet their demands.
The Chairman of the association, Dr. Godwin Tijani, said in Lokoja that the inability of the state government to pay the doctors’ full salaries was unacceptable, adding that all the doctors’ associations and union dues as well as members’ cooperative society contributions were not remitted in full whereas 100 per cent taxes were deducted from their salaries.
According to Tijani, even some doctors are yet to be paid, saying: “Congress, therefore, resolved that all its members across the state should resume total and indefinite withdrawal of healthcare services from all hospitals in Kogi, with effects from 12:00 midnight on Sunday, Jan 7, 2018.
“We want government to give a definite time line for the full implementation of adjusted CONMESS (new salary structure) for doctors in the state civil service and the accrued arrears since January, 2014.
“Congress will reconvene once the state government responds appropriately to the aforementioned demands.”
Tijani, however, expressed appreciation to the commissioners for Health and Finance and others, who were at the congress to douse tension and ensure peaceful resolution of the matter. He also commended members for their patience and understanding.
The Kogi NMA had recently suspended a strike over the demand on June 22, 2017, following the state government assurances that it would meet their demands.
It gave the government up till December 31, 2017, to meet the demand or face strike.
The final rites for the installation of Otunba Gani Adams as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland has been scheduled to begin on January 10. Gani Adams had been engaged in several processes since he was designated as the Aare Ona Kakanfo in 2017 by the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi II, leading to his installation on January 13 at Durbar Stadium in Oyo. Information from the Media Office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo-designate said that on Wednesday, the National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and Founder of Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), will be in seclusion in Oyo town. The statement said that the schedule of rites, which will end in the wee hours of Saturday, had been drawn up by the Palace of Oba Adeyemi. Also on the schedule of programme for the installation is a press conference to be addressed by the Oyo State Government to unveil the details of the installation ceremony on Saturday and provide guests and users of the ever-busy Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso Road with traffic diversion and parking arrangements. Among the several dignitaries expected at the ceremony are the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and the Ooni of Ife, Oonirisa Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi. Also expected are Obas of the six South West States and those of Yoruba speaking areas of Kogi and Kwara States; captains of industry; and the Diplomatic Corps in Nigeria and representatives of foreign governments. Gani Adams, who succeeds late business mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, was appointed by Oba Adeyemi on October 16, 2017. As a human rights activist, Gani Adams was involved in the struggle for the return of Nigeria to democracy after several years of military rule and has defended the rights of the underprivileged.[myad]
A 45-year-old carpenter, native of Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa Sate, John Ulaha has confessed that he impregnated his wife’s mother but said it was the devil’s work.
“I have regretted what happened. It is not in my character and the shame this very act has brought to me, my wife and the entire village as well as those who know me is unbearable,” he lamented in a chat with Saturday SUN.
John said that he had deeply offended God as well as his wife for going too far by sleeping with his mother-in-law to the extent of getting her pregnant, adding that the pregnancy won’t stand as he will do his best by pleading with his wife to accept aborting it.
“Since my wife leaked this out, I have not been comfortable and have lost appetite for food. I have been pleading with her to forgive me because it is the devil’s work.”
It all started when the carpenter’s wife, Victoria asked her mother , a widow to come over and help her husband harvest their farm produce of yam and guinea corn as she was very busy with her shop business in Lafia where she stayed and manages a provision store.
In the course of time, sometime in mid-September 2017, John and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Ashetu Igbasue, 42, relocated to Awe in order to fast-track their harvesting, where the daughter’s husband manages a fairly large farm.
Three months after, Victoria was shocked to know that her mother was heavily pregnant for her husband.
“I’m distressed, I don’t know how to handle this matter. I got married to my husband nine years ago. The marriage is blessed with a baby girl and my mother used to come around to spend some time with us especially when she lost her husband.
“But this time around, I personally requested that she should come and help us do some work on the farm. Since then she had been in the village with my husband helping on the farm, though both of them used to come to Lafia regularly to pick supplies and go back because they were determined to evacuate all crops from the farm to the house before herdsmen could come to destroy them.
“There was a time my husband came to Lafia to get some cooking ingredients and I asked him whether they were feeding well. He told me lightheartedly that my mother’s cooking was more delicious than mine. I did not suspect anything bad. I believed my husband. And, moreover, the woman in question is my mother, not a rival.”
“The last time my mother came to Lafia from my husband’s village, she shockingly told me that she did not see her period for the first and second month running which implies that she is pregnant and said that my husband is responsible for it. She said she wants it aborted because it would be a shameful thing for her to be pregnant at her age when her husband is not alive.
“I invited her to come and assist me to take care of our farm work since Fulani people have been destroying it, but I did not know that my husband had established a love relationship with her. She confessed to me that my husband was responsible for her pregnancy,” she said.
Expressing her disappointment at her husband’s behaviour, Victoria remarked: “It would have been better for him to get a second wife who will be stationed at home or even look for a girlfriend to satisfy him in my absence rather than going into a love affair with my own mother; it is a very shameful thing and an abomination of the highest order; it is wrong.”
The mother-in-law, Mrs. Igbasue, on her part said that it all started in the farm during a joke which led to sex later in the night when they returned from the farm.
“I agreed to his demand for sex and thought it was just to satisfy his sexual feelings, but somehow, it became a daily thing.
“I never thought I could get pregnant due to my age. I told my daughter the truth so that we can get a solution to it and out of anger she went public with it. I have since regretted my action. My intention is to find a way and abort it. My daughter earlier agreed to look for somebody to abort it for me because I can’t keep it. The whole thing was temptation and I completely regret it. I have pleaded for forgiveness from her,” she added.
An elated Aisha, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly wrote an appreciation letter to a team of doctors and Nurses that were put together to treat her son, Yusuf, who was involved in bike accident in Abuja a couple of weeks ago.
In the letter, Aisha listed the doctors one after the other, beginning with the minister of Health, Professor Isaac Folorunsho Adewole who chaired the medical team.
The team of neurosurgeons is led by Professor Temitayo Sokunbi. Others are Professor B.B. Shehu, Dr. Biodun Ogunbo and Prof. M. Raji Mahmud,
The team of Orthopaedic Surgeons is led by Dr. Felix Ogedengbe with Dr. Akinola assisting him.
There are also intensivists Dr. Simon Esangbedo, the Personal Physician to the President, Dr. Suhayb Sanusi, Aisha’s personal physician, Dr. M. Kamal.
Also involved is the CMD of National Hospital Abuja, Dr. Jaf Momoh and his team.
The team of Nurses was also led by Nurse Eze Doris Eberechukwu of Nisa Premier.
Aisha was said to have extended her “special thanks to the team of doctors and specialists who have worked tirelessly to ensure that my son Yusuf remains stable.
“On behalf of my family, I will like to thank well-meaning Nigerians for their prayers in the past weeks.”[myad]
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The Nigerian army has announced that the dreaded leader of the long-fighting Boko Haram is currently sick and no longer pose any threat, even as it said that another factional leader of the same sect, Abu Mus’ab Albarnawiy will soon be captured.
Sports minister, Solomon Dalung has given a detail of how President Muhammadu Buhari challenged him to ensure that Nigeria national football team does not go for the World Cup competition in Russia this year as spectator.
