University Lecturer Asks Muslims To Prepare For Ramadan Fasting

June 1, 2016

A senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, Dr. Wole Abbas, has advised Muslims in the country to be spiritually and physically prepared for 2016 Ramadan in order to tap the full benefits.

Abbas gave the advice in Ibadan during the pre-Ramadan lecture of Bodija Muslim Youth Forum.The lecture was titled: “Welcoming Ramadan.”

The lecturer said the best way to welcome Ramadan was to have the consciousness of Allah and remember that He is all knowing, adding that it is necessary for Muslims to meet Ramadan with the fear of Allah and discipline.

The university don said that it is regrettable that more docile Muslims would be active only during the fasting period of Ramadan.

He said that in preparing for Ramadan, Muslims should pay back last year’s fast if they are owing, especially the Muslim women, and to be physically fit to undertake the fasting.

Dr. Abbas said that it is wrong for any Muslim to turn into a beggar at any period of Ramadan fast with the excuse that the fasting is made compulsory by Allah, saying: “begging in whatever form is frowned at during Ramadan.”

He advised Muslims to recite a lot of Qur’an during the month of Ramadan and give charity as there is a lot of benefit to be derived from such act.

He reminded Muslims that Ramadan is a period of forgiveness, and asked them to seek for forgiveness and forgive others who might have wronged them in one way or the other.

“It is important for Muslims to know that the culture of Islam should be the culture of Muslims and such you should display good character as exemplified by Prophet Muhammad who urged us to be best in character.”

Dr. Abbas advised Muslims not to limit their worship of Allah to the month of Ramadan, saying that Allah should be worshipped “all days of our lives.”

Earlier, the Chairman of BOMYOF, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said that the choice of the topic was to create awareness of the forthcoming Ramadan fast and to educate Muslims on the dos and don’ts of the fasting.

Balogun said that various programmes have been lined up by the community as well as the Youth Forum to engage the faithful spiritually during the forthcoming Ramadan fast.

He listed such programmes as the annual Tafsir (Explanation of Quran) session, iftar (breaking of fast) throughout the month of Ramadan as well as weekly public lectures to nourish the souls of the Muslims.

The 30-day Ramadan fast is expected to commence on June 6, subject to the sighting of the new moon. [myad]

Female Pastor Loses Her 10-Year Old Marriage

Greenbarge Reporters

June 1, 2016

An Igando Customary Court in Lagos has dissolved the marriage between a 42-year- old pastor and evangelist, Racheal and her businessman-husband, Joseph Aduwo.

The President of the court, Adegboyega Omilola, who gave the verdict, cited frequent fighting between the man and his wife.

To the former husband, the dissolution of the 10-year-old marriage is good riddance to bad rubbish.

“My wife, who is a pastor, an evangelist, a church interpreter and women leader, fought with nine persons in a day on our street, wearing only bra and underpants.

“She is a shameless street fighter,’’ he told the court.

The court’s president said he was convinced that the couple could no longer live together as the petitioner insisted on divorce after several unsuccessful interventions.

“The court has no choice than to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the wife claims she still loves her husband.

“The court hereby pronounces the marriage between Joseph Aduwo and Racheal dissolved today; both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.

“You are free to go your separate ways without hindrances and molestation.”

The petitioner, Aduwo, 59, had approached the court seeking the dissolution of the marriage with his pastor wife who he described as a street fighter.

“My wife one day engaged in fights from 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. and residents were begging her to stop but she refused.

“I also pleaded with her but instead she cursed me and I was ashamed of myself. I had to take her pictures with my phone when she was fighting in the public with only brassier and sent the pictures to her family.”

He accused Racheal of maltreating his three children he had from another woman.

“My wife has been hostile to my children and they had to vacate my house and rent an apartment elsewhere.

“She fights my friends and relatives anytime they visit me and this has prevented them from coming to my house.’’

But Racheal denied all the allegations, saying: “I used to prepare food in the morning, afternoon and evening for my husband.

“The court should not grant his request for a divorce as I still love him.’’ [myad]

Kogi State Governor Appoints 15 Commissioner Nominees

Greenbarge Reporters

June 1, 2016

Kogi state governor has appointed 15 commissioner nominees and forwarded the list to the state House of Assembly for screening and ratification.

A statement on Wednesday in Lokoja by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mallam Abdulkarim Abdulmalik said that the nominees cut across the state.

They are Engineer Abdulmumini Sadiq from Adavi Local Government Area, Dr. Saka Haruna from Ajaokuta local government, Alhaji Sanusi Haruna from Ankpa local government, Dr. Tim Dichie from Bassa local government ande Hon. Enema Paul is from Dekina local government.

Others are Dr. Tolorunleke Sunday from Ijumu local government, Barrister Oloruntoba Kehinde from Kabba/Bunu local government, Mohammed Awal from Kogi/ Koton Karffe local government, Mrs. Bolanle Amupitan from Mopa Muro local government, Arome Adoji from Ofu local government, Prince Salisu Sani Ogu from Idah local government and Barrister Salami Momodu Ozigi from Okehi local government.

Barrister Mohammed Ibrahim from Okene local government, Mrs. Rosemary Osikoya from Olamaboro local government and Alhaji Idris Asiwaju from Yagba East local government also made the list.

The statement said that the Governor also appointed Eight Special Advisers. [myad]

Rivers Of Blood As Suspected Cult Members Kill 6, Sack Community, By Gladys Nweke

Greenbarge Reporters

June 1, 2016

Some members of Greenlanders, a suspected cult group have taken over Ibaa community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, killing no fewer than six people.
The suspected cult members were said to have arrived in the village in the wee hours of Monday, shooting sporadically at any moving object, resulting in the killing of people like Prince Nyenke, Mr. Dirinna, Mr. Kpomasiruchi, Mr. ThankGod Obisike and two others.
The group were said to have invaded the village in reaction to another rival cult group, known as the Icelanders that had earlier attacked their community.
One of the community youth leaders who simply gave his name as Chizika said that members of the group laid siege to the community and operated freely without interruption from any quarters.
According to him, the strange visitors were moving from house to house in search of the members of the Icelanders, saying that the Greenlanders had chased the Icelanders out of their camp in the community and taken over the place.
It was gathered that the mini-police post situated in the community has been closed since the shootout.
Meanwhile, the Caretaker Chairman of Emohua LGA, John Wokoma, who visited the affected people, described the situation as pathetic.
Addressing the displaced people of Ibaa community at Rumuji junction, Wokoma asked the people to go back to the community.
The LG boss said that the council will provide adequate security for the people of the displaced community even as he vowed that he would do everything to ensure protection of lives and property of the people of the area.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, (DSP). Ahmad Muhammad confirmed that it was a supremacy clash between the two cult groups.
He confirmed the killing of three persons even as said that peace has returned to the area.
“It was a supremacy clash between deygbam and islander cult groups which left three fatal casualties. Normalcy has since been restored due to police intervention.” [myad]

Ebonyi Earmarks 40, 500 Hectares Of Land For Rice Production

Greenbarge Reporters

June 1, 2016

The Ebonyi State Government has earmarked 40,500 hectares of land for rice cultivation this farming season.

Governor David Umahi, said that as part of his government’s move to revolutionize the agricultural sector, the state had procured 40 tractors to till the land and make it easy for farmers to plant rice.

Addressing supporters during the Democracy Day celebration and his one year in office at the Abakaliki Township Stadium, the governor said that 40,500 hectares are spread across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.

Each of the LGAs has 2,500 hectares mapped for the rice production while IFAD has six thousand hectares and FADAMA, 2,000 hectares.

Governor Umahi said: “We have 2,500 hectares of land in each of the LGAs. And we have 6,000 of farmland in our partnership with IFAD. We also have 2,000 hectares of land in our partnership with FADAMA. These are all for rice production.”

The governor said that as part of the measures to revolutionize rice production in the state, his administration had taken delivery of the three rice parboiling machines procured by the previous administration in the state.

He added that the installation of the parboiling machines at the three state-owned modern rice mills in Ikwo, Izzi and Oso Edda had commenced.

The governor noted that the government was partnering UNIDO to install another modern rice mill that would be handed over to the Abakaliki Rice Millers when fully installed.

He assured that the N2bn Federal Government Loan for rice production was intact and would be disbursed to genuine farmers who met the conditions attached to it.

Umahi further stated that the government would give out seeds, fertilizer and chemicals worth over N400m to farmers as loan this farming season.

He said that the government had signed an agreement with Union Dicon Salt Plc for the establishment of a cassava farm and a cassava processing factory in the state.

Governor Umahi said that his administration had introduced school agriculture, and was currently working on three schools as pilot farms in each of the three senatorial zones.

The governor said that all the available land at the permanent site of the state university had been converted to tomato farmland for massive production of tomatoes for domestic and international consumption. [myad]

2 PDP Members Announce Their Defection To APC On Floor Of House Of Reps

Greenbarge Reporters

June 1, 2016

Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the House of Representatives. They are Hon. Tony Nwoye from Anambra State and Hon. Emmanuel Udende from Benue State.

While Nwoye is representing Anambra East and West Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Udende is the representative of Sankera Federal Constituency of Benue State.
The announcement of their defection threw the House of Representatives into confusion as the PDP members were calling for their heads and halting the session for some minutes. [myad]

Housing Crisis Looms In Nigeria With 17 Million Deficit, Buhari Raises Alarm

Greenbarge Reporters

June 1, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has raised an alarm over the housing crisis that is staring Nigeria in the face with housing deficit of 17 million. He made it clear that the country requires one million houses annually to be able to weather the storm of the housing challenge.

The President who spoke through the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, at the 35^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and International Symposium of Shelter Afrique, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja Wednesday, said that the current national housing deficit needs to be averted before the year 2020.

The President said that the Federal Government has earmarked N40 billion in the 2016 capital budget to implement a comprehensive housing programme in the country, adding: “the government intends to directly supply housing stocks in urban areas across all the geo-political zones under its Comprehensive Housing Programme.

“The Federal Government would also continue to prosecute overall housing policy stand which recognizes the government as active facilitator of private sector-driven housing sector.”

President Buhari said that the Federal Government is considering vibrant reforms in land administration, urban planning/renewal and mortgage housing finance under its new comprehensive housing programme to improve housing delivery in Nigeria.

The President said that the current realties of housing shortfall, challenges housing developers in Nigeria and Africa as a whole to re-assess their strategies and evolve fresh methodologies to meet the exigencies of these times.

He cited the successes recorded in the East and Central African Region by Shelter Afrique, a pan-African Finance Institution, through its ‘Exemplar Housing Initiative,’ saying that its potential benefits could be better harnessed by a wider housing market to achieve housing for the low income earners in other parts of Africa.

He lauded Shelter Afrique’s commitment to further popularizing current best practices for housing delivery in Africa and therefore called on the Board and Management of the continental Finance Institution to embrace the opportunity of opening new frontiers by investing in low-income houses in Nigeria.

He appealed to other development partners to invest more in the Nigerian Housing sub-sector to deepen the vibrancy of the country’s housing market.

“I expect that this meeting will come up with a consolidated strategy that would assist national governments across Africa to develop robust systems to deliver affordable housing to the low income on sustainable basis,” the President stressed.”

While welcoming guests to the AGM, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola called on the delegates to brainstorm and find lasting solution to housing challenges in Africa.

In his address, the Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of Shelter Afrique, Mr. James Mugerwa said that the organization has invested 50 million USD in the sector and has created 30 million construction workers across the continent.

The theme of AGM & Symposium is “Housing Africa’s Low Income Urban Population.” [myad]

Lover Man Kills Girlfriend For Jilting Him

Greenbarge Reporters

June 1, 2016

27 year old university student in Rome, Italy, Mr. Vincenzo Paduano, was alleged to have set his ex girlfriend, Sara Di Pietrantonio, 22, on fire and she died before dawn on Sunday.

According to Maria Monteleone who is the prosecutor, when Paduano set Sara’s car on fire as she was driving, she scampered out but he chased her and set her ablaze when he caught up with her.

The lover boy was said to have killed his erstwhile girlfriend because he could not bear the separation

He reportedly used a cigarette lighter to set Di Pietrantonio’s face on fire after dousing her with very strong alcohol which was probably mixed with petrol.

The lead police official in the investigation, Luigi Silipo, told reporters: “I can say that in 25 years in this work I have never seen something so atrocious.”

According to Italian authorities, a surveillance camera in the area captured some of the events, including at least two cars that passed by while the woman screamed in vain for help as she tried to flee.

Initially, the suspect denied having anything to do with the woman’s death but after about 8 hours of interrogation, he confessed to killing her in order to reduce the
punishment that will be imposed on him by the court. He confessed probably after he was told that a surveillance camera in the area captured the event.

The attacker waited outside the home of Di Pietrantonio’s current boyfriend. Then, after the woman left the home and drove off by herself, Paduano drove off, eventually forcing her car to the side of the road.

The reporting police official, Silipo, said: “He got into her car, and after an argument, doused the car (interior) with a small bottle of alcohol, and doused Sara, too,”… “She ran out, he torched the car, caught up with her, and after about 100 metres” set her ablaze, leaving her to die “in an atrocious manner.” [myad]

3,000 Nigerian Youths Jostle For Golden Eaglets’ Jerseys

Greenbarge Reporters

May 31, 2016

No fewer than 3,000 Nigerian youths are believed to have turned up for screening for positions in the Under-17 National Team, the Golden Eaglets. The screening began on Tuesday at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.

Coach Manu Garba warned the talented youths that it would take more than enthusiasm on the part of the players to make the team, even as he asked them to be of good conduct during the screening exercise.
“We are going to give all of you equal opportunity but you have to be disciplined and do your best when you are given the opportunity to show what you can do on the pitch.

“Please, don’t let anyone fool you and collect any money from you; you will be judged by what you can do on the pitch as well as sound proof that you are within the age bracket.”
The screening exercise is part of the Golden Eaglets’ preparations towards qualification for the 2017 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations to be hosted by Madagascar.
The Golden Eaglets would be away to Niger on the first weekend of August 5 to 7 with the reverse fixture in Nigeria a fortnight later. [myad]

Nigeria Thrashes Luxembourg 3-1 In Friendly

Greenbarge Reporters

May 31, 2016

Nigeria’s Super Eagles thrashed the Red Lions of Luxembourg 3- 1 on Tuesday, at the Stade Josy Barthel stadium in a friendly.
the beating appeared to be mission accomplished for the Caretaker Coach, Salihu Yusuf who was tasked to win both friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg.
Brown Ideye opened scoring in the 36th minute following a well-worked move.
Umar Aminu went past two defenders before he passed to skipper Ogenyi Onazi, whose ferocious effort was partly saved by the goalkeeper and from the rebound Ideye tucked it away.
It was Ideye’s first goal in three years and justified why he should considered ahead of Watford striker, Odion Ighalo.
Kelechi Iheanacho scored his second goal in as many games when he capitalized on a defensive error after 69 minutes.
The home team pulled a goal back on 87 minutes through Vincent Thill after a defensive error.
Ighalo profited from a dashing solo run by man of the match Iheanacho in stoppage time to make it 3-1 in favour of Nigeria.
Nigeria dominated the proceedings as expected with Luxembourg hardly troubling their goal and by full time, the Eagles enjoyed 69 per cent of the ball possession.
Early in the second half, Nigeria made two attacking changes – Moses Simon in for Aminu and Babatunde Michael for Iwobi – as they tried to step up the search for more goals. [myad]

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