The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has announced the holding of scholarship examinations for new students joining the university for the 2016/2017 academic session on Saturday, July 30, this year. This is even as the university announced the increase in new student scholarship awards to 67 and that 36 Scholarships will be awarded to candidates with the highest scores in the 2015 Joint Admissions and Matriculation (JAMB) examination from all the 36 states. A statement by the Director, Communications and Public Relations of the university, Mr. Daniel Okereke said that one scholarship will be awarded to the candidate with the highest scores in JAMB UME nationally. He said that another 30 scholarships will be awarded to five candidates from each of the six geo-political regions of the country under the university’s regional scholarships program. Okereke hinted that winners of the JAMB based scholarships will be selected based on results of the 2015 UME, while the regional scholarships winners will be selected primarily based on their performance on the 2015 national scholarship examinations. He said that all the 2015 UME candidates newly accepted into the university for the Fall 2016 Semester are eligible and are invited to sit for the regional scholarships examinations. “Candidates transferring from local and foreign universities as well as Direct Entry candidates are ineligible to write the scholarship examinations. “The centres where the examinations will be held and their contact information are as follows: “Intels Integrated Logistics Services, Km 16 Aba Expressway, Port Harcourt, (contact: 08075493243); “Federal Government College, Isi-Uzo Street, Independence Layout, Enugu, (contact: 08056200091); “Mauve 21 Event Centre, MKO Abiola Way, Iyana Adeoyo, Ring Road, Ibadan, (contact: 08077400585); “Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, 1 Memorial Drive, Abuja, (contact: 08052266302); “Arewa House, 1 Rabah Road, Kaduna, (contact: 052266398), and “Robert Pastor E-Library, AUN, Lamido Zubairu Way, Yola, (contact: 08055026923). “All eligible candidates must bring with them their Acceptance Letter into AUN and either an International passport, National ID Card, or Voters Registration Card containing their photograph. Candidates freshly seeking admission and those who have applied, but are yet to be notified of their admission into AUN, and their guardians can phone the test centers to receive permission to take the special scholarship examinations. Those freshly seeking admission into AUN will need to complete an AUN admission application form at the venue of the examination before being allowed into the testing hall. “There is NO fee attached to this scholarship examination.” [myad]
The Police Service Commission has promoted 18 Commissioners of Police to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) and approved their postings, along with four old AIGs. The AIGs of Police and their postings are as follows: 1. AIG Ibrahim Adamu – Zone 1 2. AIG Abdulmajid Ali – Zone 2 3. AIG Usman Tilli – Zone 3 4. AIG Agboola Oshodi Glover – Zone 4 5. AIG A. K. Shodipo – Zone 5 6. AIG Abubakar Marafa – Zone 6 7. AIG Usman Alkali Baba – Zone 7 8. AIG Tijjani Baba – Zone 8 9. AIG Karma H. Hassan – Zone 9 10. AIG Usman Yakubu – Zone 10 11. AIG Dan Bature – UI ZONE 11 12. AIG Jibrin O. Yakubu – Zone 12 13. AIG Salisu A. Fagge – Operations 14. AIG Isaac C. Eke – Taraba 15. AIG Aminchi Sama’ila Baraya – POLAC 16. AIG Umar U. Shehu – INFO-TECH 17. AIG Lawal Shehu – DLS 18. AIG John B. Opadokun – CTU 19. AIG Dorathy A. Gimba – Force Head Quarters 20. AIG Mohammed K. Mohammed – SPU 21. AIG Mohammed Musa – NIPSS 22. AIG Paul E. Okafor – MARITIME There are also 37 new Command Commissioners of Police that have been posted as follows: 1. CP Frederick Taiwo Lakanu – Imo State 2. CP Rashed O. Akintunde – Edo State 3. CP Ahmed Iliyasu – Ogun State 4. CP Rabi’u Yusuf – Kano State 5. CP Sanusi Lemu – Kaduna State 6. CP Abdullahi Ibrahim Chafe – Kogi State 7. CP Adeleye O. Oyebade – Oyo State 8. CP Muazu Zubair Halilu – Niger State 9. CP Gabriel Adejo Adaji – Zamfara State 10. CP Henry A. Fadairo – Jigawa State 11. CP Basen D. Gwana – Abia State 12. CP Zanna M. Ibrahim – Delta State 13. CP Emmanuel C. S. Ojukwu – Enugu State 14. CP Yunana Y. Babas – Taraba State 15. CP Austine I. Iwar – Gombe State 16. CP Adekunle J. Oladunjoye – Plateau State 17. CP Olufemi O. Oyeleye – Osun State 18. CP Murtala U. Mani – Akwa Ibom State 19. CP Ajani F. Owoseni – Lagos State 20. CP Usman Ali Abdullahi – Katsina State 21. CP Etop J. James – Ekiti State 22. CP Ghazzali Mohammed – Adamawa State 23. CP Peace E. Abdallah – Ebonyi State 24. CP Mohammed A. Mustapha – FCT 25. CP Sam A. Okaula – Anambra State 26. CP Jimoh Omeiza O. Cross – River State 27. CP Olusola E. Amore – Kwara State 28. CP Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi – Bayelsa State 29. DCP Abdulkadir Mohammed – Sokoto State 30. DCP Sunmomonu A. Abdulmaliki – Yobe State 31. DCP Bashir Makama – Benue State 32. DCP Ibrahim M. Kabiru – Kebbi State 33. DCP Damian Agba Chukwu – Borno State 34. DCP Bello A. Sadiq – Nasarawa State 35. DCP Gwandu Haliru Abukar – Bauchi State 36. DCP Francis M. Odesanya – Rivers State 37. DCP Douglas Agbonleni – Ondo State. [myad]
A new group, Network for the Sustainable Development and Empowerment in Borno South (NSDE) has emerged, with a determination to champion four Rs: Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Reintegration and Resettlement in an attempt to bring reconciliation in Southern Borno that has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.
A statement by its coordinator, retired Brigadier General DB Shaljaba, the new group is non-partisan, non-religious, non ethnic and not profit making but has been set up by the sons and daughters of Southern Borno, consisting of the Nine Local Government Areas that made up the Southern Borno Senatorial District. They are Askira/Uba, Bayo, Biu, Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza, Hawul, KwayaKusar and Shani.
Part of the statement said: “the key areas the group will be focusing on include: Security, Education Intervention, Healthcare Support/Intervention; Water Supply and Food and Shelter as well as Empowerment, Humanitarian and other developmental service to improve the quality of life of the people of the area.”
According to the coordinator, time has come to for the people in the area to pay attention to some core issues which will shape the post insurgency era.
In a recent letter to the elders and stakeholders from Southern Borno, the group observed some of the issues as follows:
First, the group noted “in all the post insurgency development plans and mapping of master plan for Rehabilitation, Rebuilding, Resettlement, Reintegration (RRR) and reconciliation (R) (which are in any case given less attention as at present), our entire region has not been given the due consideration it deserves. Worst still, many of our areas have not been captured in the four (reports) authorised by Multinational development partners which has now been submitted to the presidency and which will serve as the basis for the Buhari plan for the North East (BPNE)
Secondly, “Most of the Humanitarian assistance coming into Borno are not reaching the affected areas of Southern Borno, especially the IDPs
in Biu, Gombe, Damboa, Chibok, and AskiraUba and other several informal (host community camps), as we all know that majority of our people are not in IDPs camp administered by government. Aside a few camps hosting Gwoza and Damboa IDPs, the Camp in Biu is almost unknown to many as far as humanitarian relief is concerned.
Thirdly , the group noted that “Over 35 settlements across the nation profiled to be hosting Gwoza IDPs, very little attention had been given by the state of the FG to the entire camps outside Maiduguri town.
Fourthly, NSDE noted that despite the numerous NGOs, CSOs, CBOs, FBOs, and multinationals operating within the State, efforts made so far to assist affected people of Borno South have not been anything to write home about. The statement said all interventions so far end up in Maiduguri while the Borno South People live in squalor and trauma of theinsurgency. Worthy of note, is the effort played by ICRC in Damboa, who evacuated about 53 persons for treatment to Gombe state for malnutrition related sicknesses after losing about 60 people due to the same complications of malnutrition. The Network, appreciate such effort and call on similar organisations to partner and assist in mitigating such catastrophic humanitarian challenges. It is this evident neglect of Boko Haram insurgency victims in Southern Born that the group seeks to address. It noted that majority of the people are trying to rebuild their lives with no assistance from any organisation, government or from concerned citizens in the Diaspora. This sorry situation, NSDE said, makes the clarion call imperative for independent reassessment and action to correct such anomalies.
Stating the background to the emergence of the group, General Shaljaba said “We therefore called for meetings where we deliberated amongst all the Southern Borno people present and came up with the idea to have an NGO registered and network of concerned citizens under this platform. This is to trigger the much needed advocacy for our region and our people to key into the post conflict rebuilding programmes and also benefit from the current humanitarian supports ongoing.
We have so far recorded the following successes: Identified our critical political stakeholders to support and be part of the movement and to key into our demand and leave up their duty as political leaders from the zone.
Development and Empowerments in Borno South (NSDE Borno South) as an NGO.
Formed committees to champion various areas of interest
Activated a media and advocacy to make our needs known and call for action from our members and solicit partnership with NGOs and development partners to assist our people.
We have designed and now host on our website (nsdebornosouth.org and www.nesdebs.com to keep the public informed of our activities.
We have documented all the damages to lives and properties in the nine (9) local government areas that make up the region. Such Data is obtained to ease the process of the required intervention.
Provision of humanitarian assistance outreach to few Local Government Areas based on what was available to assist, especially widows and aged ones in the zone.
The group vowed that it is now set to scale up the engagements to trigger and deliver on its aims and objectives, “thus the call for all of us to support this organisation to succeed with what we have mapped out to support our distraught and traumatized people.
“We want to embark on self help programmes targeting education, health care services, security and empowerment to showcase what we can do before we secure grants and other partnerships needed for humanitarian assistance.”
Addressing stakeholders from the zone, General Shaljaba said: “with this letter we therefore notify you that soon, your attention will be called upon for donations, in cash and kind for our next outreach to our region.”
He appealed to the people to “consider this to be a duty call for all sons and daughters of the Southern Borno to make this organization succeed in its stride to make life once more meaningful and worth living to all our citizens that have survived and wish to go back home.” [myad]
Former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has been fingered as allegedly receiving the sum of N76 Million from Chanchaga local government council in Niger State for dubious contracts.
This fact came out on Friday when he faced the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over the sum of N85 million he also allegedly received from embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), which is domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
According to the EFCC operatives, Okupe was first invited on June 22, 2016 over fresh allegations bordering on illicit payments received from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser, A source at the EFCC said: “Okupe was quizzed over N50 million which he collected in cash from the former NSA, without record or accountability. Another company that is linked to Okupe, Abraham Telecoms Limited, allegedly received N35.5 million from the NSA through the CBN. “We also got evidence that a company owned by him, Romic Soil Fix International Limited, received N63 million from Chanchaga Local Government council of Niger State and another N13.5 million from the same council, for reasons that are not stated. “We were told that the payments from Chanchaga Local Government to Romic were made on November 21, 2014 during the Peoples Democratic Party’s primary election and February 13, 2015, just before the general elections. “He has not been able to explain the receipts and has been asked to be reporting at intervals. The reason he is not detained is because he claimed to have a heart condition and presented a medical report to back up the claim.” It will be recalled that Okupe had openly confessed on his official Twitter handle on May 7 that he received money from Dasuki on several occasions for the running of his office. Okupe, who served under Jonathan from 2012 to 2015, however, said he had nothing to do with the arms scam, which reportedly cost the country over $15 billion in stolen funds. Okupe said: “I was not paid arms deal money. The NSA paid for the running of my office monthly from August 2012. Dasukigate was in 2014. I did not take part in the campaign.” It had been reported in January that Okupe got money from Dasuki in three shady cyber security contracts. One of the contracts had instructions to hunt down unfriendly media websites with Distributed Denial of Service attacks. It was believed to be a project conceived to shut down online media platforms perceived as friendly towards Muhammadu Buhari, the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the 2015 election. The other contract was to intercept all optic fibre cables landing in Nigeria. The third was a passive mass and target GSM interception that had the ability to decrypt ciphers and operate undetected. Source: The Punch. [myad]
As dust settled on Turkey after the Friday night coup attempt which failed before the daybreak on Saturday, no fewer than 265 persons have been reported dead, 1,440 others injured while 2,839 soldiers were reportedly arrested.
Some soldiers announced the forceful takeover of government on Friday night in the media and deployed armoured tanks around the country, especially in Istanbul and Ankara.
However, by the time the coup attempt crumbled, 2,839 soldiers, including high-ranking officers, have been arrested. The Prime Minister of Turkey, Binali Yildirim, confirmed these figures.
In a night which he described as a “black stain on Turkish democracy,” Yildirim said 265 people have been killed and 1,440 wounded.
After explosions and gunfire were heard in Ankara, Istanbul and other parts of the country, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Turks to rise up against the coup plotters, which probably led to the failure of the coup as civilians blocked the passage of the coup plotters and attacking them in some instance.
President Erdogan blamed a “parallel structure” for the coup plot.
Some reports have it that this was in a clear reference to Fethullah Gulen, a powerful but reclusive US-based Muslim cleric, Erdogan accused of fomenting unrest.
However, in a statement, Gulen rejected any suggestion he had links to the coup, even as he condemned “in the strongest terms, the attempted military coup in Turkey.”
Yildirim said the situation was now “completely under control” and the government’s commanders were now back in charge. [myad]
Senator Dino Melaye, representing the Kogi State West Senatorial District in the red chamber of the National Assembly is fast acquiring notoriety. The man, who shot to limelight on account of his anti-corruption crusade is fast reversing himself and even adding some uncomplimentary colours to his personality. As a matter of fact, his anti corruption crusade endeared him to many Nigerians, including yours sincerely. It might even have been such crusade that earned him the admiration and acknowledgment of President Muhammadu Buhari and people in his constituency, leading to his electoral victory in 2015. But, now, not only that he had sworn to die supporting and fighting in the interest of a man suspected to have soiled his hand in corruption at the time he presided over the affairs of millions in his own side of the country, Melaye has gone as far as displaying some kind of attitude akin to a typical thug, all in an attempt to protect what looks like corruption. Of course, nobody can take it from Melaye that, in democracy and free society, he has the right to change his sociopolitical stand on any issue, including supporting who he would for the reason known only to him, but he is over-reaching himself by turning unruly. And to think that such attitude was, and is being displayed in the respected floor of the highest law making body of this great nation: not in the rowdy motor-park or busy Lagos slum! Even in an attempt to deny that he did not threaten to beat, rape and impregnate a fellow female senator, Oluremi Tinubu, respected wife of the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Melaye misfired by saying that Mrs. Tinubu had gone pass menopause. How did he know that? Has he been sleeping with her? Has he turned a medical doctor or gynecologist? What Melaye doesn’t know is that if he were to be in Britain or America or any of the country’s that observe all the tenets of human rights, he would be charged for sexual harassment, and that is what he has been playing around with, with a haughty comment that he was not a coward. Indeed, Melaye’s theatric display came just as the nation was still trying to believe or disbelieve the accusation of sexual harassment leveled against three or four House of Representatives members who went for a conference in America a couple of months ago. Their case was reported by the American Ambassador to Nigerian and is still being ‘investigated’ by the House of Representatives. Melaye may be comforting himself that he is making news headlines and therefore becoming popular, but if he would find time to reflect well, he would know that the popularity he has been gathering is not better than the one made by ‘Doctor’ Ishola Oyenusi of the years past. Check it out. It is therefore ridiculous for him, with the kind of rough English he speaks and writes, to have been nursing a wild dream that with such sense of notoriety, he would one day become elected President of this great country, for which Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu has been, according to him, trying to prevent. How will it sound to hear that Melaye of our time is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Even with the belief of religionists that God has the Power to do all things, including making Melaye the President of this country, such may not happen, at least, in our time. A simple way of saying God forbid! [myad]
There are strong indications that some military officers have staged a coup d’état in Turkey on Friday night, though the identity of the officers were not immediately made clear.
An announcement on the Turkish state broadcaster TRT said that a curfew has been declared across Turkey and that airports are closed.
The announcer said that the officers are being made to read a statement by the military.
The statement promised a new constitution for the country and said that democracy and the secular rule of law had been undermined.
Martial law has also been imposed.
The head of the Istanbul branch of Turkey’s ruling AK party told reporter that some soldiers entered the party building and asked them to leave
More details from the statement read out on the state broadcaster TRT at the behest of the military faction that seems to be behind the coup: It said that the freedom of Turkish citizens is guaranteed by what is referred to as a “peace council,” regardless of religion, race or language.
It said that the Peace Council will not allow public order to be damaged.
However, the Turkish government still claims to be in charge.
An EU source monitoring events told Reuters that military forces have control of airports and strategic points in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, the US President, Barack Obama has been briefed by aides on events in Turkey, the White House said Friday.
“The president’s national security team has appraised him of the unfolding situation in Turkey,” said National Security Council spokesman, Ned Price.
“The president will continue to receive regular updates.” [myad]
The Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has traced the hideouts of notorious kidnap gangs that have been terrorizing Kogi State and its environs to the outskirt of Egume and Anyimgba towns of the state.
The police team also rescued four kidnapped victims at different locations in the State.
Force spokesman, DCP Don Awunah, in a statement said that a special intelligence operation conducted by the operatives of the Intelligence Response Team of the IGP’s Monitoring Unit at different black spots in Kogi State, unmasked three members of a notorious kidnap gang that have operated in major cities in Kogi and neighbouring States.
The statement said that the leader of the gang, who gave his name as Ibrahim Nasarawa led the operatives to their den where one Edward Abutu Amedu was held hostage.
It said that on sighting the operatives, the armed guards who were stationed by the gang to keep watch over their victims opened fire on the Police.
“Officers responded and overpowered them in a tactical operation that saw three members of the kidnap gang suffer fatal injuries while their victim was rescued unhurt.
“Sadly, two of our men sustained gunshot injuries and are currently responding to treatment in the hospital while the other members of the gang escaped with bullet wounds.
“In another coordinated operation, three members of a dare-devil kidnap gang that abducted Mrs. Mayo Ohemi, Nichodemus Kadiri and Miss Victoria Abdul from Acharu Egume area of Kogi State were arrested and their confession led to the rescue of the victims who were incarcerated in the kidnappers’ camp from where they demanded a ransom of twenty million naira.
Former Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has been left off the hook on Friday evening after meeting his bail conditions, even as he said that he is happy to be a free man again.
Fani-Kayode has been in detention since his arrest on May 9, 2016, in Abuja.
Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos had on July 4 granted a N250 million bail to the former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan 2015 presidential campaign organization.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had arraigned Fani-Kayode, former Minister Nenadi Usman alongside Danjuma Yusuf and Joint Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited before Justice Hassan on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, corruption and making cash payments exceeding the amount authorized by law.
They are being accused of diverting about N4.9 billion belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria for political and personal uses.
His media aide, Jude Ndukwe, had earlier confirmed on Friday night that Fani-Kayode was released in Lagos after meeting his bail conditions.
Fani-Kayode said that he is glad to be out, adding: “I am back to the land of the living. It was quite an experience. I am very happy to be a free man again.
“My appreciation goes to all Nigerians that showed concern, my friends and family, the media and above all, God almighty.” [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has described Kano-based businessman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, as an inspiration for Nigeria in view of his numerous philanthropic gestures, especially the lying-in-ward.
Dantata also gave out Amenity Rooms and Intensive Care Unit, built and equipped to international standards, at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, Kano State.
In a letter of commendation dated July 15, 2016, President Buhari said: “these gestures are practical demonstrations of your deep seated concern for the well-being of Nigerians. You are, indeed, a source of hope and inspiration for the nation.”
President Buhari expressed the profound gratitude of the government and people of Nigeria to Alhaji Dantata, for his “significant contributions to national unity and national renewal.”
He then prayed to Allah to bless him in his business endeavors. [myad]
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The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has announced the holding of scholarship examinations for new students joining the university for the 2016/2017 academic session on Saturday, July 30, this year.
