Oby Ezekwesili Allegedly Rakes-In Over N3 Billion From ‘Blood’ Of Chibok Girls

April 17, 2017

Information reaching Greenbarge Reporters has indicated how the Nigeria former minister of education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili used her #BringBackOurGirls hashtag to rake in over N3 billion from various international and national donors in her advocate for the return of Chibok Girls from captivity.

It was learnt that the money, mainly in dollars and Euros, was lodged directly either into the bank account of Ezekwesili or that of her children in the United States of America, as the hashtag or the None Governmental Organization (NGO) has no bank account.

Our informants gave the details of such money as follows:

$5 million from American Black Congress Caucus
$7 million from Joint US Foundations
$10 million from US Private sector
$7 million from Hollywood
$6 million from Swiss Bank
$3 million from Nigerian anonymous donors
4 million Euro from European Governments
5 million Euro from Scandinavian countries

It was gathered that no member of the BBOG is aware of the donations except one of her accomplices.

Efforts to reach Mrs. Ezekwesili to comment on the matter proved abortive as she did not pick calls and did not respond to text message.

It would be recalled that Ezekwesili has been in the forefront in the fight for the retrieval of over 260 female students of the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state, who were abducted from their school by members of Boko Haram on April 14, 2014.

The former education minister recently joined others to visit Sambisa forest, the operational headquarter of Boko Haram, which was conquered by the Nigerian armed forces in the course of fighting the insurgents. [myad]

150 Young Girls Undergo Training In Adamawa Against Being Used As Suicide Bombers

Greenbarge Reporters

April 17, 2017

No fewer than150 young girls have been sensitized in Yola, Adamawa State capital, on the danger of allowing themselves to be used byy Boko Haram insurgents as suicide bombers as is common nowadays.

The girls were sensitized, by the students of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) under the auspices of Women Against Violent Extremism (WAVE).

A statement from the information department of AUN, heade by Daniel Okereke, said that the workshop was led by security and counter-terrorism expert, Dr. Lionel Rawlins and AUN Senior, Miss Amina Bamalli.

The statement said that the session sensitized the girls, who are all registered in AUN’s Feed & Read program, on how to avoid being used as suicide bombers or as agents for detonating explosives.

The statement quoted Dr. Rawlins and Bamalli as saying that Boko Haram terrorists are always on the lookout for young girls that they can indoctrinate and use as suicide bombers and warned the girls to be vigilant and to say NO by reporting any suspicious overtures and packages to their parents, teachers or security agents.

“You must never accept or help to deliver strange packages from strangers. You must value yourself and your life, you are important, you are somebody.”

The statement said that WAVE organized the security training session for girls registered in AUN’s Feed and Read program, in response to the growing cases of child suicide bombers in Nigeria.

According to a 2016 report by UNICEF, one in every five suicide bombers is a child and 75 percent of all child suicide bombers are girls as young as eight years old.

In Nigeria, Boko Haram has waged a violent insurgency since 2009 that has taken more than 50,000 lives, mostly women and children. More recently, the sect has resorted to using mostly female suicide bombers to attack markets and city centers in Borno state and other parts of North-east Nigeria.

WAVE’s core campaign message, tagged #IAmABeliever2,aims to promote religious tolerance in Nigeria by inspiring women and girls in the country to value their beliefs and to take action against extremism everywhere.

The WAVE campaign is developed in the course, CMD 412, ‘Public Diplomacy and Strategic Media Intervention’ in the Communications and Multimedia Design Program of American University of Nigeria. It is part of the Peer to Peer Facebook Global Digital Challenge –a global inter-university competition. Students registered in the competition, develop social and digital campaigns to challenge hateful and extremist narratives using the power of social media. The competition, which is held every semester,is sponsored by Facebook and managed by EdVenture Partners. CMD 412 students of Fall 2016 semester launched the first phase of the #IAmABeliever campaign and went on to win first place at the maiden edition of the African Regional Finals in Ghana. [myad]

Buhari Has Cleared Socio Economic Mess Created By PDP, NGO Claims

Greenbarge Reporters

April 17, 2017

A None Governmental Organization, the Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari has cleared the socio economic mess into which the government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led Nigeria up to May 2015.

In a statement today, Monday, by the group said that while the Buhari administration inherited a country at the edge of the cliff the APC administration has been able to steer the country away from a fatal fall to a condition of sure footing.

The BMSG describes the statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye which claimed that the PDP handed over a healthy country in 2015 as “a ridiculous sham that leaves no room for true conscience.

“The epochal defeat of the PDP in the 2015 election remains a verdict of no-confidence on the PDP. Such was the level of desecration of public trust by the PDP and its officials that every busted case of corruption in the country must come with the emblem of the party. No farce as the PDP might want to weave together can obliterate the memory of the abyss the PDP took the country while it reigned.”

The group said that but for the swashbuckling military campaign launched by the Buhari administration, Nigeria under the immediate past PDP government had lurched towards a failed state competing side by side with terrorists for territorial claims.

“It is therefore confounding that the same PDP is today making wild, shameful claim of ‘successfully dislodging the terrorist sect before the 2015 general election. It sounds as though the Goodluck Jonathan government inherited an incomplete country, to make it look like competing with terrorists for territorial claims is a worthy achievement.”

On the fight against corruption, the group said that the chutzpah employed by the Buhari government in the fight against graft has gained global applause, and with remarkable results to show for it.

“It is therefore a mockery of true conscience that PDP – the same PDP that has corruption as its emblem – will put up a bold face to denigrate the tremendous feat the Buhari administration has recorded on the fight against corruption.”

On the economy, the group said that the seeming early inertia was a consequence of the plundering of the economy by the PDP, adding: “the good news now is that the Buhari administration has successfully plugged all the leakages in the economy and Nigeria is at the threshold of an economic policy framework that will work for every Nigerian irrespective of social class through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

“This, of course, is a sharp departure from the Goodluck Jonathan’s economic plan of No Plan that saw the economy adrift and exposed to buccaneers in government who raided the economy with reckless abandon.” [myad]

Professor Osuagwu Becomes Vice Chancellor Of Eastern Palm University In Imo

Greenbarge Reporters

April 17, 2017

Professor Linus Osuagwu, former Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), has been appointed pioneer Vice Chancellor of Eastern Palm University in Imo State.

Eastern Palm University is licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria as the 42^nd state-owned university in Nigeria and located in the eastern part of Nigeria in the West African sub-region.

The appointment of Professor Osuagwu to serve as Vice Chancellor of Eastern Palm University, according to a statement from the information department of AUN, has been approved by the Governor of Imo Sate and Visitor to the University, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

The statement said that Professor Osuagwu is a respected member of the academia and that his work experience is as varied as it is extensive, having worked in the academia for almost three decades.

It said that he had held several academic and administrative positions, including the Dean of School of Business and Entrepreneurship at the American University of Nigeria; Chair of University-wide Promotions Committee at the American University of Nigeria; pioneer Professor of Marketing at Covenant University; and pioneer Head of Department of Business Administration & Management Technology at the Lagos State University, among others.

“In addition, Professor Osuagwu has been involved in NUC (National University Commission) assignments, including writing of BMAS for postgraduate Marketing Programmes, Resource Assessment, and Accreditation of Programmes. Also, Professor Osuagwu has assessed candidates for professorial positions in many Nigerian universities, in addition to serving as external examiner for PhD programmes in many African universities. Professor Osuagwu is a member of several national and international professional bodies, and has attended and presented papers at many national and international conferences and seminars, in addition to authoring many scholarly books and journal articles.

“Professor Osuagwu joined AUN in 2008 as full Professor of Marketing. He received his Bachelor of Science Technology (B.Sc. Tech.) degree, Second Class Upper Division, in Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology Owerri and Master of Science (M.Sc.) and PhD in Business Administration/Marketing (with distinction) from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is happily married to Caroline, with two children, Francis and Oluchi. His hobbies include football and listening to jazz and Christian music.” [myad]

To Fight Corruption, Buhari Has To Kill All Politicians – Primate Ayodele

Greenbarge Reporters

April 16, 2017

The General Overseer of Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has said that if President Muhamadu Buhari is desirous of continuing with the fight against corruption, he should be ready to kill all the politicians and government appointees.

“If Buhari really wants to uproot corruption in this country, he would have to kill all our political leaders and government appointees and that is evidently mission impossible.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper in Lagos, Primate Ayodele warned that if the President does not stop the fight against corruption now, he should be prepared to face a big challenge to the economy.

“I want to advise President Buhari to stand down on his fight against corruption and allow the demon to fight itself. Corruption, like I have forewarned, is already fighting the president back.

“The best thing for Buhari to do now is not to be distracted by the complicated work of fighting corruption but exert more energy on bettering the lot of Nigerians, improving the economy and providing jobs for our teeming unemployed youths.

“It will get to a time corruption itself would fight itself. God will ensure that happens very soon.

“So, the president should rather concentrate more on delivering on other aspects of his party’s manifesto geared towards improving the quality of life of average Nigerians, especially the masses who wholeheartedly keyed into his change promise and voted massively for him with high hopes.

“President Buhari should leave corruption to kill itself; otherwise the menace would perish his government.

Asked if this is a prophecy, the clergyman said: “Yes, it is.” [myad]

Thank You For Your Divine Love, Estranged Husband Writes Janet Jackson

Greenbarge Reporters

April 16, 2017

“To the most beautiful person in the world, thank you for your divine love, your eternal support and for being my best friend.”

This was contained in a sentimental letter billionaire businessman, Wissam Al Mana wrote to Janet Jackson on his website. That was a week after Janet Jackson separated from him.

He wrote further: “I love you so much, Insha Allah (which means “if Allah wills it”). We will be together in the Great Forever x.”

Earlier this month, a source close to 50 year old Jackson, confirmed to ABC News that she was splitting from Al Mana after five years of marriage. The source added that the two are not divorcing, but separating.

The news came just months after the singer gave birth to the couple’s first child — a son named Eissa Al Mana.

Jackson and Al Mana wed in 2012 in a secret ceremony that was revealed a year later by Jackson herself.

NAN. [myad]

PDP Describes Ruling Of Tribunal In Edo Gubber Poll As “Laughable”

Greenbarge Reporters

April 16, 2017

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has described the Friday’s ruling of the Election Petitions Tribunal, which affirmed the election of Governor Godwin Obaseki in the gubernatorial election in the state as laughable.

The State Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who reacted to the judgment, said that the tribunal threw away the results obtained from the inconclusive ballot recount, saying: “for the first time ever, a judge redefined over-voting as a situation whereby the total number of votes cast exceeds the total number of registered voters. Is that not laughable? I think these are the salient issues that we will challenge.”

Chief Orbih said that the tribunal expected the party and its candidate to call over 2,000 witnesses within the 14 days allotted to prove its case, adding that it is strange that the tribunal agreed that in different units, presiding officers could adopt different standards in the conduct of same election and that there was no need for uniformity in the conduct of elections.

“Conduct of an election is not a free-for-all exercise where anyone is at liberty to apply his own discretion. What Justice Badamasi was simply saying was that whether the presiding officers followed the regulations or not did not matter.”

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, had in a unanimous judgment thrown out the petition of the PDP and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for failing to support their pleadings with evidence as well as abandoning some pleadings in their petition. [myad]

Treasury Looters Bury Funds In Graveyards, Forests, Backyards – Lai Mohammed

Greenbarge Reporters

April 16, 2017

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that treasury looters are now hiding their loots in graveyards, deep forests and backyards of their houses across the country.

He said that information about the new way of hiding the loots from the public has been revealed to the anti graft agency, particularly, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), by whistleblowers.

A statement by his Special Adviser, Segun Adeyemi, quoted the minister as saying that whistleblowers have inundated the anti graft agencies with information regarding the activities of the treasury looters, adding that such monies would be recovered soon and accounted for.

Lai Mohammed commended the whistle blowing policy which he said is working and has led to the recovery of more looted funds in many currencies.

He assured that all the recovered looted funds were safe and government will give full account to Nigerians.

The minister thanked Nigerians for their enthusiasm and commitment in helping the government to tackle corruption through disclosure of useful leads to appropriate government agencies.

“Since we launched the whistleblower policy, we have received immeasurable support from Nigerians. Yes, there is monetary reward for any information that leads to recovery of looted funds, but from what we have seen, most of the Nigerians who have come forward with useful leads were driven by patriotism rather than reward.

”Nigerians, fired by a fervid resolve to help banish corruption from their country, have daily inundated the offices of the appropriate government agencies with valuable information.

“We have been told how looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in their backyards, in deep forests and even in burial grounds.

”Thanks to whistle-blowers, it is now clear that a rapacious few have pillaged the nation’s wealth through a vicious orgy of corrupt practices.”

The minister, however, noted that more funds were in the possession of looters than were available to government at all levels to meets its obligations, including paying workers’ salaries and providing social amenities.

He stressed that the government will not abandon the policy for whatever reason, but will continue to rejig it and make it more effective as a tool for fighting corruption.

The minister assured that as soon as the necessary reconciliation process and the litigation in some of the cases were concluded, government would give full account of the recovered looted funds to Nigerians

Lai Mohammed re-assured Nigerians who have useful information on looted funds that the government will protect their identities and give them their stipulated reward.

NAN. [myad]

World’s Oldest Person, Emma Moran, Dies At 117

Greenbarge Reporters

April 16, 2017

An Italian woman, adjudged to be the world oldest person, Emma Morano, aged 117, is dead. She died yesterday, Saturday afternoon.

Dr. Carlo Bava told the AP that she died while sitting in a rocking chair in her home, located in the Northern Italy town of Verbania.

“She didn’t suffer. I’m happy she didn’t suffer but passed away that way, tranquilly,” Bava said.

Born on November 29, 1899,Morano’s life spanned three centuries. She was believed to be the last-surviving person born in the 1800s after Susannah Mushatt Jones who was 116, of New York City and died in May 2016.

Morano was the oldest of eight children. Her siblings all preceded her in death, including a sister who lived to be 102.

She worked in a jute factory and at a boarding school kitchen. She retired at 75, more than 40 years ago.

She married Giovanni Martinuzzi in 1926 and in 1937, gave birth to her only child, who died just months later. She separated from Martinuzzi the next year, but never divorced him. [myad]

First Class Oba Kidnapped In Ondo; Kidnappers Demand N15 Million Ransom

Greenbarge Reporters

April 16, 2017

A first class traditional ruler, the Oniyani of Iyawo Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Joel Sunday Daodu, has been kidnapped by gunmen.

The kidnappers have already forwarded a demand of N15 million as ransom for the release of the monarch.

The monarch was said to have been kidnapped along Ose Oba Akoko axis of Ikare-Owo road almost the same spot where the Regent of Akungba Akoko, Princess Toyin Omosowon, was kidnapped about two years ago.

It was gathered that the monarch was riding in the same vehicle with his second in command when the abductors struck. [myad]

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