The President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has complained that he inherited what he called rickety cars from his predecessor, giving rise to the purchase of more vehicles for his office.
In a statement by his Media Adviser, Yusuf Olaniyonu, drew attention to the fact that the official and spare cars that the Senate President inherited and has been using are old and have been malfunctioning.
According to the statement, there were instances like the day Dr. Saraki visited Keffi for the marriage of the daughter of Senator Abdullahi Adamu and another day at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport that the spare vehicle broke down.
“In both instances, the spare vehicle did not return home with the convoy. The same vehicle had malfunctioned at the Presidential Villa and National Mosque on different occasions. It is for this reason that the Senate President approved that instead of providing two vehicles for him as he is entitled, only one should be bought to replace the official vehicle while the old official car should be converted to spare car. “Also, if the National Assembly management chose to provide operational vehicles for Security Agencies, should that be presented as if they are personal or official vehicles meant for the use of Dr. Saraki? These are vehicles that cannot be used for other purposes and by other people. The Senate President also have no control over the security vehicles. “It is also surprising that despite the fact that the online media in the same story reported that the order for the vehicle was made in December, it chose to calculate the value of the vehicles based on current exchange rate of the Naira to the dollar. This is obviously a mischief aimed at making the figure look huge and justify the screaming headline.” [myad]
The World Health Organization (WHO) Offices for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean in conjunction with the African Union Commission, has hosted a landmark Ministerial Conference on Immunization in Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where participants lamented the high rate of child death in Africa as a result of lack of immunization.
The conference which was attended by ministers of health and other line minister’s countries committed, themselves to keep immunization at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality, morbidity and disability even as they signed a declaration to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases and to close the immunization gap by 2020. It was the first-ever ministerial-level gathering with a singular focus on ensuring that children across the continent can get access to life-saving vaccines. Minister of Health for Ethiopia, Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu said at the conference: “our children are our most precious resource, yet one in five fail to receive all the immunizations they need to survive and thrive, leaving millions vulnerable to preventable disease.
“This is not acceptable. African children’s lives matter. We must work together to ensure the commitments we make in Addis Ababa translate into results.” A new report issued at the conference paints a mixed picture on vaccine access, delivery systems and immunization equity in Africa. Routine immunization coverage has increased considerably across Africa since 2000, measles deaths declined by 86 per cent between 2000 and 2014, and the introduction of new vaccines has been a major success. However, one in five children still do not receive all of the most basic vaccines they need, three critical diseases — measles, rubella and neonatal tetanus — remain endemic, and many countries have fragile health systems that leave immunization programs vulnerable to shocks. In June 2016, Hailemariam Desalegn, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, the host country for the conference, will present the Addis Ababa Declaration on Immunization to the African Heads of States at the 26th Summit of the African Union. Support from heads of state will further empower countries to increase efforts to mobilize resources for national immunization programs. The declaration commits countries to increasing domestic financial investments in order to deliver routine immunizations and roll out new vaccines. The economic benefits of immunization are proven to greatly outweigh the costs, with recent research showing the benefits of preventing illness and lost productivity to be 16 times greater than the required investment in vaccines. “We all agree that vaccines are one of the most cost-effective solutions in global health. Investing in immunization programs will enable African countries to see an outstanding economic benefit,” said Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chair of the Gavi Board and former Finance Minister of Nigeria.
“If we can ensure that all African children can access life-saving vaccines, no matter where they are born, we will have a golden opportunity to create a more prosperous future for communities across our continent.” The Ministerial Conference convened hundreds of political leaders, technical experts and advocates from across Africa and globally. The conference offered African policymakers and advocates a platform to celebrate progress toward expanding immunization coverage; discuss strategies for tackling the biggest challenges facing vaccine efforts; foster country ownership for sustainable financing for immunization; and advocate for greater engagement with all stakeholders to ensure sustainable demand for immunization. “The Ministerial Conference achieved its goal of uniting leaders from across Africa behind the single goal of reaching every child with the vaccines they need,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Now, we will carry this momentum forward from Addis Ababa, stay accountable to our commitments and close the immunization gap once and for all.” “With the right mix of political will, financial resources and technical acumen, Africa is positioned to make an incredible leap in immunization coverage,” said Dr. Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “Today is a first step in a journey that will take us to the last mile to reach every child with the vaccines they need.” [myad]
Before President Muhammadu Buhari departed from Saudi Arabia today where he undertook official and religious assignments for Quatar, he handed over a 17-point agenda to the government of Saudi Arabia to help resolve. Amongst the points, according to a statement by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, is a better terms and conditions for Nigerians on pilgrimage in that country. President Buhari directed the Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister and the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) to sit with the Saudi authorities to negotiate improved terms and conditions for the Nigeria pilgrims performing the Umrah and the annual Hajj. This followed the acceptance by the Saudi government to freely and openly discuss outstanding issues with Nigeria. President Buhari requested the Saudi authorities to conclude all issues with the Nigerian Hajj Commission, such as the undetermined outcome of their investigation into the stampede at Minnah last year, where 274 Nigeria pilgrims lost their lives. There is also the case of compensation for six Nigerians killed in the crane incident in the precincts of the Kaaba and 35 others from the stampede whose DNA profile is feared to be missing. President Buhari equally charged the Ministry and the NAHCON to seek a reduction of Umrah visa fees even as Nigeria appreciated the increase in the Umrah pilgrimage. The President, nevertheless, asked that the 76,000 seats which Saudi authorities had maintained for Nigerian for the Hajj proper be increased. The initial meeting in which the 17-point agenda was tendered between the officials of both countries was led by Nigeria’s Minister of State, Mrs. Fatima Abba Ibrahim and the the Chairman of NAHCON, Abdullahi Muhammed on the Nigerian side while the Saudi side was led by the minister of Hajj Affairs, Dr Bandar bin Muhammad al-Hajjar. The statement said that these issues are expected to be elaborated and followed up in the coming weeks. [myad]
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has flagged off the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the FCT Area Councils’ election scheduled for March 19. Flagging-off the campaign in Abaji today, the minister who presented the APC candidate, Abdulrahman Ajiya (Aba-Yaro) to the residents, promised that when voted, he would uplift the living standards of the people of the Council. He told the people that APC has credible people that have the capacity to bring about the needed change to the society and advised the people of Abaji not to be left behind. The Minister also presented the Party’s flag to the chairmanship candidate at an occasion that was attended by top APC leaders in the FCT, including Zakari Angulu, the member of the House of Representative representing Abuja South Federal Constituency, the APC Organising Secretary, Osita Ozinaso, Senators Sidi Adamu Ali, Usman Jibrin Wowo as well as the FCT APC Chairman. [myad]
National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stole the show today at the convocation of the University of Abuja held at the convocation square on the permanent campus. As soon as Asiwaju was called out to receive the university’s Honorary Doctorate Degree, the students surged forward, drumming, dancing and singing ‘Jagaba.’ The excited students, who almost mob Asiwaju as they overpowered the security operatives, held the square hostage and prevented the citation being read on him for more than 20 minutes. The university orator, who shouted himself hoarse, appealing to the students to go back to their seats, had to continue when it became obvious that the students would not oblige him. Even after the citation was read amidst the rowdy chants by students, Asiwaju was asked to speak on behalf of the three other recipients of the Honorary Degrees: former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, Justices Idris Kutigi and Aloma Mariyam Mukhtar., The students continued with their drumming, dancing and singing even as the Lagos masquerade, the Eyo also provided another entertaining sight in the melee. Asiwaju started his speech by praising the youths of the university and appealing to them to go and take their seats, adding: “we will talk later.” But his comment added more fuel to the excitement of the students who went wild with jubilation. During the convocation, 25,878 students from 2009 to 2014 academics years, received Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. Among the personalities that attended the convocation were the former Head of the Nigerian Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; the Emir of Zaria who is the Chancellor of the University, Alhaji Shehu Idris; the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Vice Chancellors of other universities. [myad]
FILE: ONA OF ABAJI AND CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL OF TRADITIONAL RULERS IN FCT, ALHAJI ADAMU YUNUSA
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has appointed the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa as the Pro-Chancellor of Abuja University of Technology, Abaji. The Minister announced the appointment today in Abaji when he paid a visit to the Ona at his Palace Muhammad Bello said that he appreciate the selfless service and uncommon contribution of the Ona to the development of the Federal Capital Territory as the Chairman of the FCT Council of Chiefs. He called on the traditional rulers in the Territory to continue to play the role of stabilizing force that brings about peaceful co-existence amongst all residents of the Federal Capital Territory. The Minister assured that he would ensure that the University is opened soon for academic activities, adding that when operational, it would provide the needed employment opportunities for the teeming youths in the area.[myad]
Sheffield crown court in the United Kingdom has sentenced three brothers to various jail terms, ranging from 19 to 35 years, having been found guilty of targeting, brutalizing and sexually abusing 15 young girls over the 16-year period which the judge, Sarah Wright said, had caused “unimaginable harm” to their victims, to their families and the Rotherham community
The three brothers at the head of the Rotherham grooming ring were sentenced respectively to 35 years, 25 years and 19 years in prison for crimes that caused “unimaginable harm” to vulnerable young girls.
There were gasps of “yes” from the public gallery when the ringleader, Arshid Hussain, 40, was told he was going to be jailed for 35 years for 23 serious child sexual exploitation crimes from 1987 to 2003. His brother Basharat, 39, was jailed for 25 years and the third brother, Bannaras, 36, who pleaded guilty to 10 offences, was sentenced to 19 years.
Qurban Ali, the Hussains’ 53-year-old uncle, was sentenced to 10 years in jail and Karen MacGregor, 59, who lured girls to her home and then pimped them out, got 13 years.
Shelley Davies, 40, who stayed at MacGregor’s house, becoming one of her associates, was given an 18-month suspended sentence after her barrister successfully argued that she too had been a victim, having been trafficked as a 15-year-old.
Victims sat in dignified silence during the three-hour hearing, occasionally wiping tears from their eyes as the judge addressed each of the defendants explaining how they had “stolen the childhoods” of their victims.
Wright told the four men and two women that their crimes had had a devastating impact, adding “the victims’ childhood and adolescence can never be reclaimed. Each has suffered immense psychological harm. They continue, and will continue to suffer throughout their lives as a result of your actions.”
Wright told them how one victim now undressed only in the dark; how another hated her own body, and that others had eating disorders, depression and were unable to form stable adult relationships.
She told them no one could forget the evidence of how “children changed from being happy, active normal teenagers to withdrawn and secretive young people out of parental control, often becoming involved in criminal behaviour themselves whilst under an abuser’s influence”.
Wright said that the 15 victims – 12 of whom were in court for the sentencing – had shown “immeasurable courage” in giving evidence. She paid particular tribute to the woman known as “Jessica” who exposed the abuse in an interview with the Times three years ago.
She sat calm and composed in the public gallery as Arshid Hussain’s barrister, in a lengthy mitigation statement, claimed the abuse was a “consensual” relationship.
Wright told Hussain: “This was not a ‘relationship’ as has been suggested by the defence. She was a child and you were an adult. She lost her education, her friends and her family as result of your actions. She too has self-harmed and suffered from eating disorders. She vividly describes her life as being shattered into a million pieces and she feels she is just held together by sticky tape.
“Despite the substantial hurdles she has encountered, your victim has shown considerable courage, tenacity and a steely determination in bringing these horrific crimes to the attention of the public.”
DCI Martin Tate, the senior police officer who led the investigation into the Hussains, said it was probably the most emotional day he had had in court. “The sentences imposed are huge. We are pleased for the victims. One of them said to me in court, she never thought she would see this day.”
The judge Wright remarked on the past failures of police and social services to bring the Hussains and their associates to justice between 1987 and 2003, when their crimes were committed.
“It seems to me that there has been a delay in bringing you to justice because in many cases, as a result of your behaviour towards them, your victims felt unable to speak up out of fear; some out of a sense of shame and some out of a fear of not being believed, or a fear of being blamed themselves for what was happening to them,” she told the defendants.
Turning to the Hussains, she said: “You, Arshid Hussain, in particular played a key role. You and your brothers, Bannaras Hussain and Basharat Hussain, were well known in the area – you drove distinctive cars and had a reputation for violence. There was a perception by some of your victims that you appeared, in their words, to ‘rule Rotherham’. You exploited that to the full.”
Earlier, Michelle Colborne QC, prosecuting, read a selection of victim statements, describing how the brothers acted like “a pack of animals” – in one case urinating on a victim.
“In the main, the girls were made to feel dirty, ashamed, guilty,” Colborne said. “Between them (they suffered) a plethora of eating disorders, self-harm, self-loathing; [there were] terminations for many of them – some at the age of 14 – events they have never been able to put behind them.”
The court heard previously that five of the victims had been made pregnant over the period.
Colborne said she had visited one victim before she gave evidence. “She was shaking involuntarily, as she had done in the video, and was almost physically sick at the prospect of giving evidence. She suffered periods of severe depression, leaving her incapable of functioning at times.”
The jury heard that this woman had been taken as a girl to Blackpool, where she was locked up for weeks and told she had to “pay her way”. On returning to Rotherham she had chlamydia, gonorrhea and nits from the ordeal.
The court also heard on Friday of a missed opportunity to bring the gang to justice earlier. Colborne said a police officer drove off when he discovered one of the the men abusing a young girl in his car.
Opening the case against Bannaras Hussain, who pleaded guilty to 10 offences including multiple rapes and indecent assault against seven girls, the prosecution recounted how he was able to carry out his criminal activities in plain view of the police.
Colborne said Bannaras, known locally as Bono, had taken the girl, who was 12 or 13, to a car park near Rotherham police station. He made the girl perform a sexual act on him in the front of the car while her sister sat in the back.
“When shortly afterwards, a police car pulled up alongside them and asked what they were doing, Bannaras shouted: ‘She’s just sucking my cock, mate.’ The police car drove off,” Colborne said. [myad]
The 45-year old law graduate and Swiss soccer executive, Gianni Infantino has emerged President of the world soccer governing body, FIFA, and vowed to lead FIFA out of years of corruption and scandal. He succeeds Sepp Blatter.
The new FIFA President has been, for the last seven years, general secretary of Europe’s governing body UEFA,
Infantino appeared to gather up all the votes that had been cast for the two trailing candidates, scoring a simple majority of 115 votes in the second round to Salman’s 88. That was after a close first round of voting in which he narrowly beat Asian Football Confederation President, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain.
Infantino owed his candidacy to the fact that Europe’s preferred candidate, his boss, UEFA president Michel Platini, was banned from football last year along with Blatter for ethics violations.
He now inherits a very different job from that inhabited by his compatriot Blatter, who toured the world like a head of state for 17 years, dispensing development funds to his global support base.
“We will restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA, and everyone in the world will be proud of us,” Infantino told an extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich.
Before the election, the Congress had overwhelmingly passing a set of reforms intended to make it more transparent, professional and accountable.
The package should mean that the new president will face much closer scrutiny than Blatter did, and have less influence over the day-to-day management of the organisation’s business affairs.
The reforms include term limits for top officials and disclosure of earnings, and a clear separation between an elected FIFA Council responsible for broad strategy and a professional general secretariat, akin to a company’s executive board, handling the business side.
Much of Infantino’s pitch centred on his commercial acumen; during his seven years as general secretary, revenue from Europe’s club competitions has grown dramatically, but so has inequality between the rich, powerful elite clubs in Europe’s four big leagues and the rest.
But many of the skills now required will be in crisis management.
Criminal investigations in the United States and Switzerland have resulted in the indictment of dozens of soccer officials and other entities for corruption, many of them serving or former presidents of national or continental associations.
In addition, FIFA has been forced to investigate controversies surrounding the awarding of its showpiece, the World Cup finals, especially the decision to grant the 2018 tournament to Russia and the 2022 finals to Qatar, a small, scorching desert state with little soccer tradition.
Swiss authorities are reviewing more than 150 reports of suspicious financial activity linked to those awards, and said that they had sent more documents including an internal FIFA report to US investigators. [myad]
With his appointment today to replace Sunday Oliseh who resigned earlier in the day as Head Coach of the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, Samson Siasia has promised to take the Eagles to greater height in the international arena.
The Nigeria Football Association (NFF) had moved quickly to announce the name of Siasia as an Interim Head Coach, with Emmanuel Amuneke as first assistant coach.
Oliseh who had been having a running battle with NFF over what he called poor match results and unpaid wages, was appointed coach a little over seven months ago but today, announced his resignation on Twitter.
Stepping into Oliseh’s shoes, Siasia said that Nigeria still stands a chance of qualifying for the 2017 Nations Cup and the 2018 World Cup under his tutelage. The Beijing 2008 silver medal coach said that the task ahead of him and his technical crew is achievable even though he acknowledged: “I know the task is huge after Sunday Oliseh ran away from the job. I’m still thinking on how to approach it but we would make sure that the invited players give 120 per cent in the games. “For me, it is a great honour to serve the country and I want to plead for everybody’s support in our quest to qualify for the Nations Cup because Nigeria must be at the tournament.” Siasia said that a communication channel aimed at conditioning the players mind for the task ahead has been opened and would make public the list of players that would prosecute the all-important qualifying ties against the Pharaohs of Egypt. “I hope to meet with the technical committee of the NFF soon and look for the best possible means to make Nigerians proud.” SiaOne, as he is fondly called, will also be assisted by Salisu Yusuf and Alloy Agu. [myad]
The Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has tagged the doctors who have been on strike in the state hypocrites. According to the Governor, it amounts to pure hypocrisy on the part of the doctors to demand what is outside the capacity of the state government, judging from the present economic realities. Reacting to the call made by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intervene on what he called ‘doctors’ abandonment of duty posts, the governor said that his administration had exhausted all avenues to solve the problems through dialogues and negotiations. He added that all moves to resolve the problem amicably were turned down by the doctors, who incidentally were being paid their monthly salaries without working uptil September 2015. In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said the NMA’s appeal should have been directed to its members in Osun, who have abandoned their duty posts for about 11 months now. He said that the striking doctors initially created the problem themselves by going against the accepted modulated salary regulation which applied to over 40, 000 workforce of the state. “The appeal to President Buhari and APC is, to all intents and purposes, misplaced, misdirected and improper in that respect. “One would have expected the NMA to properly address the situation by forwarding its appeal to the respected quarters it should go – the Osun striking doctors. “Since the beginning of the strike nine months ago, government has opened its door for consultations, dialogues and meetings to resolve the matter but all these were frustrated by the doctor, who were still drawing their salaries despite having abandoned their duty.” The statement said that the NMA should remind their colleagues the need to uphold the Hippocratic oaths they swore to, which in essence is to protect lives and not to endanger them. “Whenever the striking doctors tow the path of dignity, sincerity and understanding like other workers in the state, we will be ready to cooperate with them.” [myad]
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