Popular Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji has been left heartbroken in Milan, Italy after her Igbo fiancé reportedly cancelled their private wedding at the last minute. Unknown to many people, the pretty Nollywood single mother sparked off a secret romance with Ugochukwu Udezue, a wealthy NBA basketball agent based in Denver, Colorado last year. He reportedly proposed to her around the time she was seen flaunting a huge engagement ring on her official Instagram page. Miss Nnaji and the Mr. Udezue were supposed to get married in Milan Italy about two weeks ago but the groom cancelled the wedding at the last minute and returned to Amsterdam, dumping the actress and her guests. On why he cancelled the wedding at the last minute, Udezue reportedly told his friends that he doesn’t trust Miss Nnaji after she chose to make the wedding private. Secondly, his father has refused to give his blessing because of Genevieve Nnaji’s suspicious demand of not wanting close family members at the wedding. It was further disclosed that Ugo’s dad also refused to neither attend the event nor give his blessing. Months before the wedding, Genevieve Nnaji reportedly begged Udezue to keep the wedding ceremony a low-key one. She even went as far as not telling any member of her family nor her colleagues. She only left Nigeria with her best friend Oluchi Orlandi and few other friends. According to sources, Udezue thought Miss Nnaji has something to hide that was why she didn’t bother to invite her parents to the wedding ceremony scheduled for Milan. This and his father’s refusal forced Udezue to call off the wedding. The source said Miss Nnaji was put to shame on her wedding day and was forced to return to Nigeria without the wedding ring she’s been dreaming of. Udezue is the founder of African Basketball League. He is one of the most popular Nigerian NBA agents in the United States. According to our source, Udezue has four kids from his previous marriages. It is still unsure if Genevieve Nnaji and the wealthy Basketball agent have called off their relationship. Meanwhile, the actress is currently in Canada where she is attending the TIFF with other popular actors and producers.
On September 22, 2016, King Sunny Ade will be joining the league of the septuagenarians, 70, and it is not by an accident of fate that he will not be having a quiet party with his family alone. By virtue of his status and his monumental achievements, it is inevitable that such landmarks in life be hijacked by many who have had their lives touched by the joy and talent this Ondo Prince is blessed with. As Henry Longfellow once said “Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.”
These words aptly encapsulate what King Sunny Ade means to the music world, not only in Nigeria but all over the world. According to the Wikipedia, he is described as “a Nigerian musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a pioneer of modern world music. He has been classed as one of the most influential musicians of all time.”
On Wednesday the Lagos media community had a parley with the King at the Lagos Airport Hotel, where the Juju music crusader highlighted series of activities lined up to mark his70th birthday. Looking as radiant as ever, and exuding that latent energy that has captivated both young and old over five decades, he told us his 70th birthday would be different from any he had ever had. Usually, the King celebrates his birthdays over a course of one week but his coming 70th birthday, according to him, which began on September 1, 2016, will run till the end of the year, December 31, 2016, climaxing with a grand finale concert that will have African greats like Youssuf N’dour and many others on stage.
Programme for the birthday King Sunny Ade and his band. Credit: George Elijah Otumu King Sunny Ade and his band. Credit: George Elijah Otumu Having the celebration last for four whole months is not the King’s design but demands arising from his many associations over the years. “I am a member of 79 social clubs and you can imagine that each and every one of them wants to be part of the celebration by organizing something for me”, he said with a wry smile and reeled out list of activities lined up for the landmark occasion. “I started my birthday celebration with a prayer from Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye on the 1st of September.
On the 21st of September, we will be having in Ondo, the Gospel Night. Then on the 23rd of September, we will be visiting the Motherless Baby Homes and the next day will be a day where my family members will celebrate me. We will also have a special lecture in Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, with the Oni of Ife in attendance. After the lecture, we will go back to Ooni’s palace with many distinguished royalties in attendance. The celebration will also be taken to South Africa with a book launch.
There will be a concert in Ibadan. We will also have 70 children performing for KSA. PMAN, Ondo chapter, Western states and National are also coming together to organise something very fascinating but I don’t know the details now. Here, PMAN, Ondo chapter will be playing the chief host. The grand finale will also attract foreign musicians into Nigeria for this celebration. Many organisations, clubs and associations have also set aside a day to celebrate me.
All together, we plan to have a five-month celebration,” he enthused.
After the preambles of rolling out the programme for the birthday celebration, the King then fielded questions from newsmen who were itching to have a go at him. As anxious as they were, the music maestro, with his air of cordiality satisfied almost all of their curiosities.
His story and Baba Sala
It is impossible to tell the story of King Sunny Ade without having the name of Moses Olaiya, aka Baba Sala popping up.
“Let me say that Baba Sala is my boss and he will continue to be my boss for life,” he began.
“I never planned to be a band leader but he gave me the opportunity for the talent to develop. I was a little boy, playing percussion in his band. He was a musician, playing guitar, Iya Ilu (talking drum) and accordion.
At that time, we were playing I.K. Dairo kind of music and I was the youngest . When he formed the drama side he asked me to go to the drama group in order to see to the music side of it. So, I was in charge of music for his drama sector. Along the line I started playing Konga, Shekere and other instruments. After a while he transferred me back to the band. It was through Baba Sala and his friend, Chief Tunde Amuwo that I became a band leader. Chief Tunde Amuwo had some instruments in his house and invited me to come and take charge. I told him I could not come because I didn’t have any intention of becoming a band leader. To me, I saw it as biting the finger that fed me. But it was Baba Sala himself who told me ‘Sunday, this is an opportunity for you,go and try. If after nine months to a year you cannot do it, come back here, I am your father, I will take you back’. Up till now, I am yet to go back”, he joked.
“Sincerely, I never knew my music would make it to this level. “ I bought the guitar on my own and nobody thought me. I do my dancing as I know and then whatever thing I’m doing now I do it on my own. I believe it’s only God that thought me everything and that’s why up till now I still give Baba Sala that respect because for anybody to say go and try, I’ve never heard it before. I say to my members too, that if you feel like forming a band, go and try, if it doesn’t work let me know. Maybe I’m lucky on my own’, he added.
On his affair with Onyeka Onwenu KSA debunked ever having any private affair with the songstress, categorically, stating he never had a crush on her.
“Onyeka and myself came together to do a song like a campaign.
The “’If You Love Me” was a track to curb unwanted pregnancies among the youths back then. It was a campaign organised by Houston University in America where we needed a boy and a girl to sing against it. And that brought Onyeka Onwenu and KSA coming together. People became confused. However, myself and Onyeka had done some songs together before then. But many were anxious to know if we were dating each other. Onyeka Owenu is my good sister and I don’t have a crush on her. We are both musicians and thereby colleagues”, he stated.
On the new generation of singers, King Sunny Ade, Credit: George Elijah Otumu King Sunny Ade. Credit: George Elijah Otumu “I have done collaboration with Wizkid and some other young musicians. You people call it “collabo” but I don’t like using such slangs. There are many things I really need to work on. I intend working more with the young musicians. My door is open to as many who want me to work with me provided the musician knows what he wants to do with me and I also know what I want to do with him or her.
Many families at a time were not comfortable with their children listening to some music or even going into music. But that has changed over time. Today, we have parents calling on me to mentor and train their children who want to go into music. Music flows everywhere. I still perform with my bands and that doesn’t mean I can’t play with the computer (DJs). I am not against this, if it suits Nigerians. My stand is that, there is a huge difference between performing life and doing computer things. There are things the computer can’t do.
On his last tour of the US
The King said his last tour of the US lasted for two and half months, saying he embarked on the tour to prove a point. “I didn’t go on tour two years ago because we were told at the American Embassy that they had technical problems. Other bands all over the world were also affected. It was even on the Embassy’s website back then. However, we were given Visa this year and we had one big mission: to redeem our name. This was necessary because there were speculations that I was dead . But my fans were very happy seeing me alive, hale and hearty. I know I am not supposed to blow my own trumpet but at times, one needs to adjust it. I can say it categorically that every show we did was a huge success.”
On winning the lawsuit for his master tape Recently, a Federal High Court in Lagos awarded N500 million to the world beat maestro, for copyright infringement.
Recall that KSA had dragged a record manufacturing company, African Songs and its subsidiary Take Your Choice Stores, to court some years back over issues bothering on intellectual theft. The court awarded the sum against the defendants for infringing on his works, with additional N5 million for prosecuting the suit. According to the music legend, the court ordered the companies to return the master tape of the original musical works to him. He said before the master tape could be returned, the companies’ Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Chief Bolarinwa Abioro, died.
His words: “I won that case and they said I should be compensated with 505 million Naira but they are yet to do that. I won’t want to say much on that. It is either I am given more than 505million Naira or they return the master tape. My master tape is even more important to me than the money”, he said. On his energy on stage
The name ‘KSA’ is synonymous with electrifying dance steps, strong throaty vocals and high octane performances. Even when nudging 70, the maestro recently toured 36 states in the US in a space of ten weeks. One wonders where he draws the energy from, and surprisingly, the King himself seems to be dumbfounded. “I’m always so happy when I see people around. If I have to do what I want, a lot of thoughts will be running through my mind to do what I know best. I don’t smoke and I don’t drink but when I hear music, not only my music, I dance and then the energy just comes naturally.
So, I will say that the energy comes from God and I love what I do most. On his favourites among the new generation king Sunny Ade king Sunny Ade “Let me say all of them are my favourites because they have different styles. You cannot compare them to one and another. The music of Wizkid is quite different from Korede Bello’s, and same goes for others.” On new album “Yes, we are going to have another album this year to celebrate the birthday.
We are working on so many, maybe not only one, maybe two or three, we just have to do something by God’s grace.” [myad]
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has admitted that it had to postpone the governorship election in Edo State scheduled for September 10 due to security report that did not make it safe to hold it on the said date, and has therefore rescheduled it for September 28.
The National Commissioner in charge of voters Education and Publicity, Solomon Souebi, who spoke on the issue, said that the decision to postpone the election was reached at a security meeting held with security agencies on Thursday evening.
Soyebi noted that the commission has successfully implemented 12 out of 14 conditions set for a successful election, but however received official communication from the police and DSS drawing their attention on the need to postpone the election.
He said: “However at about 6pm today the commission received official communication from the police and DSS drawing it’s attention to the need to postpone the Edo governorship elections. Such postponement the communication indicates is necessary in view of threats of terrorists activities in Edo State and other states of the federation during the election and over the Sallah period.
“The deployment of security personnel country wide to secure lives and property would over stretched their capacity to at the same time provide adequate security for the election.
“Consequently the commission notes the request of the security agencies and considering the security implications of proceeding with the election the safety of Eligable voters, electoral officials, including ad-hoc staff and other stakeholders has decided to reschedule the Edo governorship elections to Wednesday 28 September 2016.
“The commission enjoins all eligible voters in Edo State, political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to be peaceful and law abiding.”
This was even as the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole dismissed allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party that the APC was agitating for the postponement of the election.
He called on members of the party in the state to be vigilant and “de-rig the opposition parties with their Permanent Voters Card.”
He alleged that governors of neighbouring Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States were preparing to bring in militants into the state to perpetrate violence during the election.
He warned persons that might be used for such act to have a rethink or face the consequences if they are caught. [myad]
The Federal Government is ready with N6.5 trillion for the 2017 fiscal year. This was contained in a budget call circular issued by the office of the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The circular was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday.
According to the circular, this was in accordance with the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper.
It said the aggregate Federal Government retained revenue for the 2017 fiscal year was projected at N4.1 billion, while the aggregate expenditure level was projected to be N6.9 billion.
The circular said: “This aggregate expenditure is made up of statutory transfers of N370.7 billion, Debt Service of N1.63 billion, Recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N2.56 billion and Capital expenditure of N1.76 billion.
“The N1.63 billion in respect of Debt Service is made up of N1.47 billion for domestic debt; N159.6 billion for foreign debt and N177.4 billion for sinking fund to retire maturing loans.”
It said the capital expenditure would be guided strictly by the justification and critical nature of such programmes and budgets.
It also said the N1.76 billion set aside for critical capital expenditure includes N150 billion for Special Intervention Programme, N200 billion for Capital Supplementation and N1.41 billion for MDAs capital expenditure.
“Additionally, the Federal Government intends to incur recurrent expenditure of N350 billion on the Special Intervention Programmes, bringing the total to N500 billion,” it said.
The document also directed all MDAs to prepare the budget based on the 2017-2019 MTEF.
According to the circular, the budget preparation should take into consideration the policies and strategies contained in the document as it outlines the development priorities of the Federal Government.
It also noted that the annual budget would continue to be prepared using the Zero-Based Budgeting approach and in line with the government’s policy thrust.
The circular discouraged the practice of regular incremental budget adjustments, each project was to be carefully scrutinised before resources were allocated and that the ZBB process places emphasis on actual needs and not wants.
It said: “Therefore, all MDAs are to carefully scrutinise and justify their projects and programmes for which resources are to be allocated in line with the immediate needs of the country and government’s development priorities.”
The priorities were grouped into six broad pillars to reflect the 26 policy priority programmes of the Federal Government.
It listed the pillars to be economic reforms/growth, social development, critical infrastructure, states/regional development, governance, security and environment.
Regarding budget ceilings, it said MDAs were required to work within their 2016 expenditure ceilings to make their 2017 capital and overhead budget submissions.
It said that in preparing their budget estimates, the MDAs were required to adopt the approved price list for various items as published by the Bureau for Public Procurement.
The MDAs were also required to make their submissions online using the web-based budget preparation application on or beforeSeptember 16.
Bilateral budget discussions to review the received proposals for compliance with the guidelines and for consistency with the developmental priorities of the government was also scheduled to hold between September 19 and 30.
NAN reports that the Federal Executive Council on August 24 approved the 2017-2019 MTEF and FSP.
The budget call circular is in line with the 2017 budget preparation calendar signalling the commencement of MDAs’ preparation of their 2017 budgets. [myad]
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has threatened to hand over to law enforcement agency, any traditional ruler in the state who allows youth in his domain to breed cultists and allow children to stay away from school.
“If I hear of cultism in your domain, I will turn my face the other way. Kidnapping and child trafficking must not happen in your domain. If in any community I find a child that is not in school, I will not discipline you because you are my fathers, but I will turn my face in the other way and the law will take its course.
Governor Umahi, who spoke as he inaugurated the state’s Council of Traditional Rulers at the Government House in Abakaliki, vowed to check the declining status of education and health sectors in the state.
“The health centres are now your second palace. You are now the patrons of the health centres. You are also in- charge of our educational system.
A statement on Thursday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya, quoted governor Umahi as calling on the traditional rulers to maintain peace in their various communities.
The governor, however commended the monarchs for the roles they played in restoring peace in Ezillo and Ezza/Ezillo communities in Ishielu Local Government Area of the state, reminding them that they would remain the chief security officers of their communities.
“There is no way you can be Ezes (monarchs) and we are having crises, it with will not work. We must know about crises before they even blow up. “We have the Commissioner for Peace and Conflict Resolution.. We also have the senior Special Assistant on Security. We have the Secretary to State Government. We have the Deputy Governor,we have the governor. We have the Attorney Genneral, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Matters, SAs on Chieftaincy Matters and Attitudinal Change. So you have many channels to get us when you sense any problem.”
The newly constituted traditional council has Eze Charles Mkpuma as chairman. Eze Mkpuma assured the governor of the total support of the royal fathers to his administration. [myad]
The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, is eying Knauf Group, a German firm currently establishing a $75 million building/construction tools manufacturing factory in Lagos, and has quickly directed relevant agencies to give the firm free land.
Governor Ambode also approved free land for the establishment of a training centre in Lagos where architects, civil engineers and craftsmen will be trained on modern trends and technologies in the construction sector.
The governor, who received in audience, a delegation of the German firm at the government house, indicated his determination to attract foreign investors into the State.
The Knauf Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of modern insulation materials, dry lining systems, plasters and accessories, thermal insulation composite systems, paints, floor screed, floor systems, and construction equipment and tools.
The delegation was led by a member of the Management Committee of the firm, Isabel Knauf, and Consular General of German Embassy in Lagos, Ingo Herbert.
Governor Ambode, who recalled the last time Herbert visited the Lagos House about 11 months ago, said his administration has remained focused to the promise of upholding judicial and security sector reforms, as well as creating a friendly environment for investment to thrive.
He said that the massive investment by The Knauf Group in Lagos was a pointer to the fact that investors are still willing to invest in Nigeria despite the economic recession, and that the country will come out of the economic doldrums even stronger.
“I must commend the German government and The Knauf Group for showing something important to all Nigerians that beyond the economic recession, their total believe in our economy is unshaken because it is not enough for any investor to come into an area where they have never invested before and months after, the parameters for investment are not really looking good, but you stuck in there and beyond the fact that you have gone to procure land, you also have an established office within the last eleven months and you are already pumping in money into what you want to do.
“This is a great pointer to the fact that you believe in the Lagos economy and also believe in the future of Nigeria and I like to encourage other investors to emulate what your firm and government is doing in Lagos and as they show interest, we will not hesitate to give them the necessary support.”
Governor Ambode said that The Knauf Group specifically deserved to be commended for not just investing in Nigeria, but also bringing the German vocational expertise on an area of construction that was hitherto not in existence in Nigeria into Lagos.
The Governor said that he was excited about the fact that the firm was not just establishing a factory here in Lagos, but also a training centre where Nigerians will be trained, adding that he would stop at nothing to encourage investors such as The Knauf Group.
Earlier, Knauf said that the team was at the Lagos House to brief Governor Ambode on the progress made so far since the project started in September 2015.
She said that the firm has 23 training centres all over the world and that it trains about 14,000 people annually.
She said that they would like to build the same training centre in Lagos where architects, civil engineers and craftsmen would be trained on how to technically install their products.
She said that after completion of the factory, the firm would create 25,000 direct employment even as she said that the training centre will cost about two million Euros to establish, while at least 800 Nigerians will be trained annually in the first phase.
Knauf solicited the support of the State Government in land space for the training centre and permit issues. [myad]
The Police in Kogi State have charged Mohammed Audu, son of the former Governor of the state, the late Prince Abubakar Audu, to a Lokoja Magistrate’s court for robbery and attempted culpable homicide.
Mohammed was arrested on Wednesday night when he honoured police invitation at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad at the Police Headquarters in Lokoja.
The prosecution charged the accused with criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, mischief, armed robbery and attempted culpable homicide, contrary to sections 97(1), 248, 327, 298 and 229 of the Penal Code.
The prosecuting police officer, Gabriel Otowu, told the court that Mohammed allegedly committed the offences against his uncle, Prince Yahaya Audu, on August 30 in the family house at Ogbonicha, Ofu Local Government Area.
Otowu told the court that Yahaya and one Ibrahim Imam were in his family compound at Ogbonicha for the eighth day prayer of Dauda when the alleged offence took place.
He said in the First Information Report, Yahaya alleged that hoodlums armed with guns, cutlasses and axe criminally conspired and invaded his compound pretending to be visitors.
He alleged that Yahaya ignorantly welcomed the people, who asked him to give them “something no matter how small”.
The prosecutor said that as the complainant walked toward his vehicle to give them money, the people attacked him from behind with a machete and “thoroughly” beat him up.
He said that the suspects inflicted injuries on the complainant and shot sporadically into the air.
Otowu said that the complainant fell to the ground and pretended to be dead and the hoodlums attempted to carry him before he ran into the bush and escaped.
He also said that they broke the windscreen of his jeep and made away with his Samsung handset.
The prosecutor further said that the complainant and Imman sustained bullet wounds and were later rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, for treatment.
He said that prior to the attack, the accused had threatened to deal with Yahaya.
In his submission, Okechukwu Ayewu, leading seven other lawyers for the accused, urged the court to grant his client bail in line with the constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code.
Otowu, however, did not object to the bail application but urged the court to use its discretion.
The Magistrate, Alhassan Husaini, in his ruling, said: “Though I find on the face of the originating process a barrage of allegations, it appears that both counsel are on the same page.
“Accordingly, the accused person herein is admitted to bail in the sum of N100,000 with a surety in like sum.”
Husaini adjourned the matter to September 29 for further mention. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to realize that the change they want to see begins with them, and that personal and social reforms are not theoretic exercise.
He declared on Thursday as he launched the national re-orientation campaign at the Presidential Villa, Abuja: “if you have not seen the change in you, you cannot see it in others or even the larger society. In other words, before you ask ‘where is the change they promised us,’ you must first ask how far I have changed my ways; ‘what have I done to be part of the change for the greater good of society.’”
The President regretted that Nigeria today is passing through a challenging moment where hardly anything works in a normal manner. Many have attributed this phenomenon to the total breakdown of our core values over the years.
The campaign launch, which was witnessed by top government officials, had as its theme ‘Change Begins With Me.’
According to the President, today in Nigeria, honesty, hard work, Godliness have given way to all kinds of manifestations of lawlessness and degeneration in our national life.
“This is why we have among our cardinal objectives ‘change,’ which implies the need for a change of attitude and mindset in our everyday life.
“I need not mention the serious effort we have engaged in since the inception of this administration on the fight against corruption in our public life. With the progress we have so far made in that regard, we feel the need to ensure that we put in place the necessary sustainable framework for action and measures that will help to entrench and consolidate the progress achieved so far.
“This we believe can best be maintained through attitudinal change, and the change of our mindset in private and public life. The campaign we are about to launch today is all about the need for us to see change not merely in terms of our economic, social progress but in terms of our personal behaviour on how we conduct ourselves, engage our neigbhours, friends and generally how we relate with the larger society in a positive and definitive way and manner that promotes our common good and common destiny, change at home, change in the work place, change at traffic junction, change at traffic lights etc.”
President Buhari stressed that the campaign which launched, is part of the determination of his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to seek to carry all Nigerians along on the journey to a better and greater society that we all can be proud of.
This has become necessary, Buhari said, because the long-cherished and time honoured, time-tested virtues of honesty, integrity, hard work, punctuality, good neighbourliness, abhorrence of corruption and patriotism, have given way in the main to dishonesty, indolence, unbridled corruption and widespread impunity.
He said that the resultant effect of this derailment in our value system is being felt in the social, political and economic sphere, saying that it is the reason that some youths will take to cultism and brigandage instead of studying hard or engaging in decent living.
“It is the reason that some elements will break pipelines and other oil facilities, thus robbing the nation of much-needed resources; it is the reason that money belonging to our commonwealth will be brazenly stolen by the same public officials to whom they were entrusted; it is the reason why motorist drive through red traffic lights, it is the reason that many will engage in thuggery and vote-stealing during elections; it is part of what has driven our economy into deep problem out of which we are now working hard to extricate ourselves. Every one of us must have a change from our old ways of doing things; we cannot fold our arms and allow things to continue the old way.
“We must resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our country for so long. Let us summon a new spirit of responsibility, spirit of service, of patriotism and sacrifice, Let us all resolve to pitch in and work hard and look after, not only ourselves but one another, What the current problem has taught us is that we cannot have a thriving army of rent seekers and vested interests, while the majority suffers.
“Rather than sit back and complain endlessly, we have decided to act pragmatically, with the launch of this National Re-orientation Campaign. “The campaign will not be a sprint but a marathon that will run the course of our tenure. We are under no illusion that the changes we seek will happen overnight, but we have no doubt that the campaign will help restore our value system and rekindle our nationalistic fervor.”
President Buhari said that the government’s determination to drive the Change Begins With Me’ campaign must be strongly supported by all concerned individually.
He described the private sector as the major stakeholder, stressing that when the campaign succeeds, it will impact heavily on the private sector.
“A punctual, diligent and hardworking staff can only be of benefit of not just himself or herself or the organization they work for but to various governments whether at local, state or Federal level.”
Buhari congratulated the stakeholders, especially Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Orientation Agency for conceiving this campaign, even as he I charged Nigerians to pursue the campaign with vigour and ensure its sustenance by taking it to all the nook and crannies of this country, with the aim of getting the buy in of the old, the young, the rich, the poor irrespective of gender or other social positions.
The President subsequently handed handover the instrument of the Change Campaign, tagged: ‘Change Begins With Me’ to the Minister for Information and Culture, for transmission to all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria. [myad]
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has made it clear that the Agency is capable of carrying out its regulatory functions and will not abdicate its mandate to anybody.
Dr. Peterside who spoke when he received in audience members of the National Association of Stevedoring Companies, led by its President, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos, warned that NIMASA will take full responsibility on the operations of stevedoring companies and how they relate with terminal and jetty operators. He added that they do not have the powers to eject stevedoring companies approved by the government to operate in their facilities.
“It is NIMASA’s responsibility to oversight Stevedoring functions in our ports, terminals and jetties and we will not abdicate that function to anybody. In the exercise of this function, we will interphase with terminal operators and the National Association of Stevedoring Companies to make sure maritime operations are not hampered.”
Dr. Peterside said that the Agency understands the challenges faced by Stevedoring Companies and the terminal operators and that NIMASA will consult further with all parties to ensure that there is an amicable resolution of the issues.
The Director General highlighted the importance of Stevedoring companies, including facilitating economic growth, ensuring industrial harmony and also serving as a security shield in the ports.
He assured the delegation of the Agency’s commitment to develop human capacity saying that “the Management of NIMASA has approved a comprehensive stevedoring guideline sensitization which would soon commence”.
Earlier, Bolaji Sunmola had called on NIMASA to come to their rescue in respect of their negotiations with terminal operators as it has become a norm for Jetties and offshore/onshore operators to refuse the Federal Government appointed stevedoring contractors to operate in their premises.
Sunmola said that the appointment of stevedoring companies to these facilities was a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to avoid security breacheseven as he appealed to the Agency to activate the 2014 NIMASA Stevedoring Regulations which he thinks will go a long way in resolving the issues with the terminal operators. [myad]
Turkish authorities have released more than 35,000 prisoners to free up space in its crowded facilities. A media report said in Istanbul that 7,450 convicted felons and 28,522 people awaiting sentencing have been released from prisons.
It said that the release was aimed at concluding the official measures announced three weeks ago.
Turkish media have reported that prisons have become overcrowded amid a far-reaching government crackdown that has resulted in the arrests of thousands of citizens in the wake of a July 15 military coup.
It said that under Turkey’s current state of emergency, authorities have passed measures allowing for about 38,000 people convicted before the coup to be released under certain conditions.
Prisoners convicted of serious crimes such as murder or rapes were excluded from the measure.
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Popular Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji has been left heartbroken in Milan, Italy after her Igbo fiancé reportedly cancelled their private wedding at the last minute.
