Parents Are Angry With Aflon Digital Institute In Abuja

August 5, 2016

Parents whose children chose Aflon Digital Institute on the list of the joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to pursue an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in digital multimedia technology are angry with the Institute as they could not find it on the list of institution for eventual admission.

Many of the parents whose children and wards chose the Institute were disappointed when they got to the school’s premises only to be told that there is no such course even that the school is not a tertiary institute that should have been on the JAMB list.

Aflon Digital Institute, located along the road leading to the Nigeria Customs Service barracks in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, according to information reaching us, offers only nursery, primary and secondary educational facilities. It was discovered from the website of the Institute that students from Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) levels, each pay a total of over N600,000 per annum.

Information on the website is completely silent on the issue of OND or any form of higher educational level other than the fact that it has vocational section without stating what certificate it offers after student might have attended such vocational education.

A parent who traveled with his son from Ibadan, and who gave his name simply as Adebayo, expressed disappointment that the school feigned ignorant of the damage it is doing to students who have the thirst for multimedia technology education and gladly chose the school.

“Such students, like my own, come to the school only to find out that it is just a secondary education institute. One wonders how it managed to get into the JAMB brochure thereby confusing parents and their ambitious children.”

Another parent, who was advised by the principal of the school to seek admission in other higher institution, expressed surprise that an Institute that prides itself as tertiary one would feel comfortable turning away students that had gone for admission, based on their conviction that the school is real, since it is there on JAMB list.

Many other parents expressed similar sentiment over the Institute’s posture regarding what it is not and called on the federal ministry of education to investigate its activities. Most of such parents travel from far distances only to go back disappointed.

However, the Proprietor and Executive Director of Aflon Schools, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, in a chat with our correspondent through short-message-service (sms), said that the OND programme on Digital Multimedia Technology has since been discontinued because it was not viable.

“The programme was discontinued because we discovered that only those who fail want to do it. Every good student wants university at all costs. So to us, it is a waste of time.”

When his attention was drawn to the fact that it is still on the JAMB list, as a result of which many students chose it for their higher educational pursuit, Dr. Fapohunda responded by saying that he wrote to the JAMB and the NBTE (National Board for Technical Education) to de-list the Institute from their list, but had not done so.

“I wrote to JAMB and NBTE but the 2 bodies are delinquent. Don’t blame me.” [myad]

I Am Heading To Supreme Court, Fighting Faleke Vows

Greenbarge Reporters

August 5, 2016

Embattled James Faleke of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state has vowed to challenge the Court of Appeal verdict which threw out his appeal and affirmed the election of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
This was contained in a statement by his Director of Media, Duro Meseko, shortly after the judgment in Abuja on Thursday. Faleke was the running mate to late Abubakar Audu in the November 21, 2015 Kogi State governorship election.
He said that he disagreed with the judgment and that there was the need for him to express his constitutional right by challenging the judgment in the Supreme Court.
The statement said: “We strongly condemn the judgement and believe that the Supreme Court, that is the custodian of Nigeria Constitution and the court of the people, will do justice to our case.”
Faleke said that the judgment was politically motivated and would not stand the test of time, saying that it was curious for the Court of Appeal to hold that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) manual for elections had a coordinate locus as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Citing Section 187 of the constitution, Faleke said that it was wrong for the appellate court to rule that he could not be declared winner because he did not participate in the primary election of the APC.
He appealed to his supporters to be calm and go about their normal businesses, adding: “Victory shall be revealed at the Supreme Court.” [myad]

Rio 2016: Nigeria Dream Team Thrash Japan 5-4

Greenbarge Reporters

August 5, 2016

Nigeria’s men’s football team made an extraordinary start to their Rio 2016 Olympic campaign, beating Japan 5-4 in Manaus on Thursday just hours after landing in Brazil following a travel mix-up.

The team was stranded in Atlanta for days amid a bizarre saga that saw flights canceled because of missed payments and because a plane was too small, before eventually taking off on the morning of the game.

The Nigerian squad eventually landed in Manaus at 2:19 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, with the game against Japan beginning at 9 p.m.

However, despite what would seem to be the worst kind of preparation, Nigeria produced an inspired display to sink Japan. The contest was evenly matched in the opening stages, with honors remaining even following a frantic opening burst that produced four goals in 10 minutes.

Sadiq Umar put Nigeria ahead just 5 minutes in before Shinzo Koroki equalized moments later from the penalty spot. Oghenakaro Etebo put the African side back in front, only for Takumi Minamino to again make things all square.

Etebo put Nigeria back in front after 41 minutes the tone was set and completed his hat trick after 50 minutes, calmly slotting home his fourth to make it 5-2 on 65 minutes.

There was still time for some late drama, as Nigeria showed fatigue as the match wore on. Takuma Asano pulled one back with 20 minutes to go, and Musashi Suzuki narrowed the gap to one deep into injury time.

However, Nigeria’s night of glory was completed seconds later when the referee blew for full-time, finishing off a remarkable, and exhausting day for a team whose plight captured international attention and sympathy. [myad]

Plateau Looks Forward To Reap 6,975 Metric Tons Harvest Of Rice This Year

Greenbarge Reporters

August 5, 2016

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has a cause to jubilate as his state gets set to reap a total of 6,975 metric tons harvest of rice in the 2016 cropping season.
Governor Lalong who spoke in Ajikamai, Shendam Local Government Area of the state at the launching of the Fadama III rice production by Fadama clusters said: “From expert estimation, 6,975 metric tonnes of rice will be harvested during 2016 season. This is a giant stride towards attaining food sufficiency not only in Plateau but the country in general.”
The governor said that the State Ministry of Agriculture in conjunction with Fadama III project had disbursed rice seeds to 1,395 beneficiaries in the state.
According to the governor, this gesture will translate to the cultivation of 1,395 hectares put together.
He said that the state government would continue to build stronger bridges between agricultural sector and the rest of the economy, adding that the Fadama project had stimulated the government to establish processing plants for rice and tomato through public private partnership arrangement.
According to him, the state is endowed with 100,000 hectares of Fadama farm lands, cleared and suitable for rice production. He added that the state also has 200,000 hectares of all-season farm land suitable for tomato production.
Governor Lalong said that his administration was desirous to reduce poverty among the people of Plateau State and attain food sufficiency.
He said the state government had promptly paid arrears of counterpart fund for the Fadama III project for 2014 and 2015.
“This is what has given the state the legitimacy to be considered for the Fadama III Additional Financing Project which allows greater participation by farmers in the project,” he said.
The governor said that although the Fadama III Project said they would support only tomato farming in the additional financing support, he requested for rice because of the comparative advantage.
The National Coordinator of Fadama III Project, Adetayo Adewumi, assured the government of continuous support to the State Fadama Coordination Office for the benefit of the farmers.
Adewumi said the SFCO had received awards for its excellent work in Plateau State and had been rated the best SFCO in Northern Nigeria by the House Committee on Agriculture in 2014.
He said that Plateau State is the first to establish a Fadama Farmers Micro-finance Bank through savings realised by farmers under the Farmers Users Equity Funds.
“Just recently, the state was rated ‘second to none’ during the 4th World Bank-FGN Supervision Mission in January 2016 by Task Team leader, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe.
“This was an additional reason for the consideration by both the national office and the World Bank to allow an additional crop (rice) to be supported under Fadama III additional finance support on the Plateau.”
Similarly, Gideon Dandam, the Plateau State Fadama III Coordinator, also commended the state government for the support that the the project had so far enjoyed.
Dandam pledged the SFCO’s loyalty to government’s quest for poverty reduction and food security. [myad]

Aisha Buhari Looks Trendy In America

Greenbarge Reporters

August 4, 2016

Aisha Buhari, wife of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, turned into a trendy lady as she traverses the land of the United States of America on an official visit. A little girl presents her with rich flower, even as Nigerians in America and some Americans give her a standing ovation.

Aisha Buhari in a group photograph with some Nigerians in the United States of America. [myad]

Ex President Jonathan Blames Conflicting Court Judgments For PDP Crisis

Greenbarge Reporters

August 4, 2016

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has blamed conflicting court judgment for the lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the erstwhile self-styled largest political party in Africa

He said that it is “unfortunate that the Nigerian environment is such that have conflicting court judgments.’’

The ex-president spoke when the zonal representatives of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), led by its Chairman, Senator Walid Jubril, paid him a courtesy visit in his Abuja residence.

Dr. Jonathan however said that he would intervene to resolve the crisis of leadership that has held the party by the juggler, saying that the party must rise to the occasion of providing Nigerians with a vibrant opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Unfortunately, we have challenges, but I think you should not be discouraged. Challenges are part of life, it comes up in homes, religious places what is important is our ability to resolve them. This should not be beyond us, but I believe that collectively, we can resolve it.

“Any sincere PDP member should know that PDP is superior to any individual, and that members have sacrificed their interests for the party. Even the nation expects a more vibrant opposition. “I have been talking to individuals but not in a way that is exposed to media but I believe I should do more.” [myad]

Why Amnesty Failed In Niger Delta – Ex Governor Uduaghan

Greenbarge Reporters

August 4, 2016

Former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said that the failure of the Federal Government to involve concerned state governments in the amnesty programme was largely responsible for its collapse.

Uduaghan, who spoke as Special Guest of Honour at the 12th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday, therefore asked the government of Muhammadu Buhari to involve the governors of the Niger Delta region in the engagement process for lasting end to insurgency in the region.
“The amnesty did not achieve what it was set out to achieve because the governors were not involved. The states should be involved.
“The biggest threat in the Niger Delta is that our land is seriously polluted, especially water,” the former governor said, even as he called for special attention to be given to development of the region.
He said that pollution from oil exploration has impacted heavily on the environment even as he said that he was very excited with the focus of the theme of the conference on agriculture.

He charged the media to help achieve a mindset change that will promote the gains in investing in the agricultural sector.
Uduaghan recalled that as a governor, he introduced what he called “Delta Beyond Oil” in his state, stressing that it was time Nigeria looked beyond oil.
He said that it is the task before the media to get the young and old to see the wealth in the agricultural sector
“I need to highlight the major problem we have today in the country. I believe the media can help us set an agenda to deal with it.
“Our people should accept that farming, agriculture is a means of economic success.
“We need a major mind change.” [myad]

2016 Hajj: Nigeria Gets First Knock From Saudi Arabia, It Disqualifies 3 Air Carriers

Greenbarge Reporters

August 4, 2016

Less than a week to the commencement of airlift of intending Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2016 hajj, the Saudi authorities were said to have disqualified three Nigeria air carriers from participating in the airlift of the pilgrims.

The Head of Aviation of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Muhammadu Goni, who made this known when he answered questions from news men at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja listed the affected airlines as Dornier Aviation Nigeria AEP Limited, Top Brass and Azman Air Services. The three which have been disqualified were among the six airline operators which the Federal Government approved for the airlift of the intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj.
Muhammadu Goni said that the airlines approved by the Saudi authorities are: Med-View Airlines Limited, Max Air Limited and Fly-Nas Air (Saudi Arabian designated carrier), adding that only these three airlines were designated to fly the route between the two countries.
He said that NAHCON has made concerted efforts to ensure that the Saudi Arabian Government allowed the three disqualified airlines to participate in the exercise, but to no avail.
He said that the commission has forwarded the report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Aviation for diplomatic intervention, but that Saudi Arabia did not grant its request.
“In fact, a delegation was sent to appeal to Saudi Arabian Authority to allow the three carriers fly their route, but they insisted that those airlines must acquire designation status because they only applied as charter flights.”
Muhammadu Goni said that it is a standing rule that all Hajj participating countries must abide by the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority’s condition in order to participate in the Hajj.
He said that it is clearly stipulated in GACA that any country participating in the Hajj must give 50 per cent of its total pilgrims to Saudi airlines to transport them.
He said that GACA and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority are responsible for the technical analysis, clearance and inspection of airlines involved in Hajj operation.
Muhammadu Goni said that GACA had the sole responsibility of taking care of safety and economic regulations of the air carriers involved in transporting intending pilgrims.
He said that NAHCON had stated it clearly in the advertisement for application and screening of air carriers that it was subject to NCAA and GACA clearance.
“We have a standing procedure for selecting airlines for transportation of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, starting from placement of advert on the commission official website and national dailies.
“After we received applications and other necessary documents from interested carriers, then the commission would set up a 30-member Screening Committee involving different organisations to screen the airlines.
“Members of the Committee will be drawn from NAMA, FAAN, NCIA, EFCC, ICPC, Ministry of Aviation and other relevant agencies.
“Then the panel of the committee would adopt a screening template and agree on pass mark, which this year we agreed on 60 per cent benchmark.”
Muhammadu Goni said that nine airlines applied to transport pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, but that only six were qualified by the screening committee, after thorough examination.
The head of aviation further said the committee, after screening, submitted the report to the management of NAHCON for consideration and endorsement.
“After extensive deliberations, the Board of NAHCON will transmit the report to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for onward submission to the Presidency for final approval.” [myad]

Kogi Governor Floors Fighting Faleke, Wada At Appeal Court

Greenbarge Reporters

August 4, 2016

Again, the governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has, at the level of Court of Appeal, defeated the embattled James Faleke, running mate to the late governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu and a former Governor of the State who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Captain Idris Wada.

The court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja on Thursday upheld the election of the Yahaya Bello as governor of the state, dismissed the petition by Faleke and Captain Idris Wada.
A five-member panel led by Justice Jumai Hannatu Sankey held that Faleke failed to substantiate his allegation that Bello was not qualified for the election.
Justice Sankey, who read the lead judgment, resolved all the six issues determined against the appellant. The panel consequently upheld the judgment of the election tribunal and dismissed Faleke’s appeal.
Also on Thursday the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal filed by Wada challenging the decision of the Kogi State Elections Petitions Tribunal, which upheld Bello’s victory.
In a split decision of four to one, the court held that Bello was validly substituted for the late Abubakar Audu, the APC governorship candidate, who died before the conclusion of the election.
Dismissing Wada’s argument that Bello was not qualified for the election because he did not participate in all stages of the election, the court held that the governor participated in all the stages “by virtue of his party participation and accrued interest”.
Justice Mojeed Owoade, who read the lead judgment, said the Independent National Electoral Commission was right to have merged the votes scored by Audu before he died and that of Bello in the supplementary election to return the APC candidate as winner.
The court, which resolved all the six issues determined against the appellant, held that Wada failed to prove his allegation that the election was held in violation of the Constitution and Electoral Act. [myad]

Jimoh Ibrahim Too Wants To Be Ondo Governor, Picks PDP Nomination Form

Greenbarge Reporters

August 4, 2016

The Group Managing Director of Energy Group, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, is also dreaming big; of becoming the governor of Ondo state, having picked a nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He has emerged as the first aspirant to pick the form.
He obtained the form from a factional National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
While picking the nomination form, Ibrahim promised that if he is elected, he would pay the arrears of the State’s workers salary within his first 100 days in office, describing any governor owing workers their salaries as lacking initiative.

“I will restructure the state in the area of capacity building, good innovation and by putting the right thing in the right place at the right time.
“I will pay the workers within the first day of my 100 days in office. Non-payment of salaries by state government is the failure of innovation of states by governors.
“It is when you are innovative that you will be able to pay salaries. Those (governors) who are owing are not efficient.
“I’m not owing any of my workers.”

However, information reaching us indicated that Ibrahim actually owes categories of workers in his companies several months’ salary arrears. This affects mainly the media arm of his companies, i.e. National Mirror and Newswatch magazine.
He recently shut down the Daily edition of Newswatch following agitation by the workers for their salary. Those who were told to go are yet to receive their outstanding salaries and entitlements. For those in the National Mirror and Newswatch magazine, he owes them before five months and 16 months’ salary. [myad]

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