National Youth Service Corps Faults Police Over Arrest Of 3 Corps Members In Niger For Robbery

September 13, 2015

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has described the arrest of three corps members by men of the Nigeria Police, on allegation of robbing a shop owner in Suleja, Niger State, as case of mistaken identity.

In respect of this, it said two of the accused corps members have been released while it is working on securing the release of the third corps member.

The NYSC Director of Public Relations, Mrs. Bose Aderibigbe, while making clarifications on the case, stated that their release was secured as a result of interventions from the Niger State government through the office of the Secretary to the Government and the Ministry of Youth Development.

In a statement by the NYSC, Aderibigbe stated: “Without prejudice to the investigative duties of the appropriate law enforcement agency, we have it on good authority that preliminary findings had shown that the accusation against the trio was based only on circumstantial evidence.”

The NYSC, however, assured the public, particularly parents and guardians of corps members that no single corps member will be allowed to suffer unduly, especially over cases of mistaken identity during the service year.

She stated that the provisions of the NYSC Bye-Laws are very clear on the involvement of corps members in criminal acts, though very unlikely, as their participation in the scheme does not confer immunity from prosecution.

“We have, therefore, continued to sensitise members of the service corps on the need to be law-abiding and to shun acts capable of soiling the image of the scheme and their families,” the statement read.

The scheme further urged corps members serving in Suleja to go about their duties without fear of molestation, saying, “we have already intensified liaison with the Army, Police and other security agencies in the area as well as the Suleja Emirate Council who have all renewed their commitment to the protection of all corps members in the area.” [myad]

World Bank Worries That Nigeria Has Lost $100 Billion To Power Outages

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

World Bank has expressed worry that Nigeria has lost a whopping sum of about $100 billion in just one year as a result of blackout. It added that daily power outage has cost the country many investors who have become very reluctant in investing in Nigeria’s economy.

The latest World Bank’s ‘’Doing Business’’ report has placed Nigeria in 189^th position among thriving economic countries of the world.

Although Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producing country, it is still bedeviled by power generation bottlenecks as generated outputs hover around 5,000 megawatts which is about just a one-third of national demands.

Previous administrations had tried to rescue the power sector. Part of the solutions was the allocation of huge budgets and later, unbundling of the sector to achieve efficiency but all had just a little effect on salvaging the sector.

President Muhammadu Buhari has decried the low state of power generation in the country and has therefore, spurred a vehement revitalization of the sector to meet both national and international demands.

However, the sector is yet to totally deal with challenges of gas shortages, pipeline vandalism, inadequate funding, corruption and unprofitable pricing which makes fixing of power cuts a difficult feat to attain. [myad]

Nigeria Volley Ball Team Thrashes South Africa To Lift Gold

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Nigeria’s women beach volleyball team, today in Brazzaville, beat South Africa 2-1 to claim the event’s gold medal at the 11th All-Africa Games in Congo.

Reports have it that the pair of Priscilla Agera and Isabella Laju, rallied from a set down to win 2-1 and erase the bad memories of 2011.

The Nigerian side had in 2011 at the 10th AAG in Maputo, Mozambique lost in the semi-finals to Kenya and in the third-place match to Ghana. But this time around, after whipping Kenya in the semi-finals, it was all set for them to redeem Nigeria’s image in the sport as a whole on the continent. They, however, had to battle hard, losing 21-11 in the first set, before battling back to draw level with a 21-13 wins in the second set.

The third set was nerve-wracking, with both teams running neck-to-neck, before South Africa fell behind 7-11. They quickly drew level to move to 13-11, before the power-playing Agera pushed harder for two more points to draw level as a handful of Nigerians roared them on. There was then no stopping the duo as they held on for a 15-13 victory to give Nigeria the gold medal.

“It was great winning the gold medal, after all the effort. But it was not easy, especially after we have to come from behind. “But courage helped us. We were courageous, as we knew we needed to win, not only for ourselves but for all Nigerians,’’ she said.

The Nigerian supporters at the final match included Habu Gumel, President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), and Bolaji Ojo-Oba, a former Director, National Sports Commission. [myad]

Corruption Has Been A Parallel System Of Government In Nigeria, Buhari Tells Catholic Bishops

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has described corruption as having constituted a parallel system of government in Nigerian, so much that it has over shadowed the real system of government.
“Corruption in our country is so endemic that it constitutes a parallel system. It is the primary reason for poor policy choices, waste and of course bare- faced theft of public resources.”
In a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria today in Port Harcourt, President Buhari said that apart from barefaced theft of public funds, corruption has also been cited as the prevalence of poverty in the midst of plenty and waste of resources in the country.
“Our fight against corruption is not just a moral battle for virtue and righteousness in our land, it is a fight for the soul and substance of our nation.”
The President told the Second Plenary of the Conference that “it is the main reason why a potentially prosperous country struggles to feed itself and provide jobs for millions.
“The hundreds of thousands of deaths in the infant, maternal mortality statistics, the hundreds of thousands of annual deaths from preventable diseases are traceable to the greed and corruption of a few. This is why we must see it as an existential threat, if we don’t kill it, it will kill us.”
On security, the President vowed that his government is on course to militarily rout Boko Haram, and make them incapable of taking and holding territory, adding that suicide bombings in some parts of the North East are the desperate acts of the terrorists to create a sense that they are still in play.
“With vigilance and good local intelligence we will make those cowardly acts practically impossible.”
The President said that his government must change the paradigm of thinking about the economy and the ultimate good of the majority, adding: “while we create an enabling environment for free enterprise, we must reason, plan and budget with the understanding that almost 2/3 of our people are extremely poor, and must be helped first to survive and then to fully participate in the economy of the nation.
“We must create a safety nets for the very poor and vulnerable while ensuring that social spending is also a direct investment in the economy. We must invest substantially in relevant education, teacher training , and vocational and entrepeneurial training.”
The President who had attended the First Plenary of this year’s Conference in February as the presidential candidate of the APC, expressed a sense of honour at the invitation, and delivered to the Conference.
The President praised the Bishops’ Conference, saying that their bold critical interventions at various crucial moments in the national journey have helped to caution, admonish and ultimately stabilize the polity.
“This is as it should be. This nation belongs to us all, leaders in every sector owe it to this generation to contribute in building a good society.”
He asked for daily prayers even as he promised that they who were elected would continue to be committed to the progress of the country in all ramifications.
In his speech, the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Igantius Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos, commended Buhari for his commitment to the fight against corruption, leading to the formation of a Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption.
“The president is dead right that if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us” even as he prayed that God will give th citizens of Nigeria a new heart. [myad]

Boko Haram Insurgents Surrender, Says Nigeria Army

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Nigerian Army has announced that a number of Boko Haram insurgents fighting in the North East have started to surrender to the fighting troops.
A picture of the Nigeria soldiers fighting in the war front show jubilation and happy faces, as a way of justifying the victory that is gradually showing signs.
In a statement today, spokesperson of the Nigerian army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said the sustained bombardment of the enclaves of the terrorists as well as increased aerial bombardment has place the terrorists in weaker position.
The new strategies being employed by the military have started, according to him, yielding positive results with scores of terrorists surrendering to troops and many more willing to surrender.
“The new strategies employed included sustained offensive operations, pre-emptive air strikes by the Nigerian Airforce and routes blocking by ground troops all geared towards constricting and snuffing out the Boko Haram terrorists.
“Many of the terrorists that willingly surrendered painted images of mass panic and hysteria among their erstwhile colleagues who are feeling the noose tightening on their necks with the relentless efforts of troops and renewed vigour in operations inspired by the personal leadership of the Chief of Army Staff.
“Terrorists also seem to have an inkling of what happens to surrendered suspects as regards screening and deredicalisation of innocent ones among them.
“The Nigerian Army, in conjunction with the Nigerian Airforce and other security agencies will continue to devise and implement effective strategies to bring Boko Haram terrorism to a speedy end. It will also continue to receive surrendering suspects and assures innocent ones among them that surrender is the only option open to them. The Nigerian Army wishes to also appreciate the great support and information it receives from well meaning citizens. More of these are required to help towards quicker obliteration of the Boko Haram scourge in our nation.” [myad]

America Donald Trump, Unlike Nigerian Politicians, By Yahaya Mohammed

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Mr. Donald Trump, a Presidential aspirant in the coming US election was asked how he is going to create jobs in the USA, he replied “I am just gonna do it.”

The art of job creation is a serious issue that most of us, Nigerian electorates overlook during electioneering campaigns yet it should be a singular most important thing.

The number of people one is able to pull out of poverty largely lies with the number of jobs created. It is not just enough to mouth the mantra of job creation without a corresponding decrease in poverty level.

Assuming Mr. Trump whose antecedents as a successful businessman, with several thousands of workers, decides that it is a trade secret that he will keep to himself till he becomes president, what reason could the Nigerian politicians have not to explain the strategic plans to create jobs, since their antecedents shown they are unlike him.

I have not heard from past and current political leaders of Nigeria, what plans or number of jobs they created or plan to create, the nearest to that was in a speech by the Niger state Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who said he will train 370,000 entrepreneurs every year.

This figure I suspect was really outrageous and definitely not realistic, even though the strategy for doing that is not yet out. His lamentations over lack of funds are enough to put a spanner in that works. I am sure the figure in that speech was carefully inserted to make it look appealing to the teeming Unemployed youth of the state.

If 370,000 were to be trained in entrepreneurship par year, it would then mean that more than 1,4000,000 youth would have been trained in four years, and the corresponding cost of training would be about 11.1 billion Naira every year, ceteris paribu, and assuming the training is to last three months on a tuition of 10,000 Naira par month for three months.

This is without talking about monthly civil service salaries and emoluments, minus cost of essential services like Medicare, water and sanitation, emergency services, schools and etcetera.

Yet, that amount is only on entrepreneurship, what about the skills for which the entrepreneur will add value, what about the centres of training, what about logistics and what about the fields of required training?

The idea of job creation should be first on skills acquisition within which entrepreneurship training will be enshrined so as to make the trainee knowledgeable enough to manage the skills which he or she has been given and there from make profit for a living.

It is only pitiable that most of our political leaders only mouth the idea of job creation without knowing what It will require and Unlike Mr. Trump, most of them are only traders and merchants whose businesses engage a couple of hands.

So even if they answer like Mr. Trump that they are just gonna do it, their antecedents has not shown that they can really create the number of jobs they most times promise. [myad]

Strange: One-Third Of Americans Want Military Coup, Say They’ll Be Fine With Military Rule

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

A recent poll in America has shown that one-third of U.S. citizens are not satisfied with their government with 30 percent of them supporting a military takeover. They are disenchanted with the recent stock market meltdown or Americans’ general conviction that the country is going to hell.

According to The Guardian the numbers come from a YouGov survey, which polled 1,000 people online. The exact question asked was: “Is there any situation in which you could imagine yourself supporting the U.S. military taking over the powers of federal government?” Interestingly, Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to answer ‘yes’ to the question; 43 percent of Republicans said they could imagine supporting a military coup, while only 20 percent of Democrat said they would support the move. About 30 percent of self-identified independent voters said they could get behind a military takeover.

The report said that though the numbers look pretty grim, Abraham Wyner, director of the undergraduate program in statistics at the University of Pennsylvania, said that online polls are suspect when it comes to getting accurate results.

“People who are participating in an online poll are generally attracted to that poll because of some variable,” he said, adding that people who respond to the poll tend to feel strongly about the poll’s subject matter, so they are inherently biased.

The same survey included more questions about the U.S. military and law enforcement. Overall, most of those surveyed (70 percent) seemed to think that military officers want what is best for the country, but only 55 percent think that police officers act with the country’s best interest at heart. The numbers are even worst for local politicians and federal civil servants. [myad]

Femi Falana May Be Buhari’s Justice Minister, As Fashola Lost Out In Ministerial Nomination

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana may emerge as the minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation in the Muhammadu Buhari government.
According to a portal which leaked the information about the President’s ministerial list, a former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun, made the Buhari’s ministerial list.
The report quotes a source close to the Presidency as saying that Falana was personally chosen by the President because of his personal like for him. The choice of Falana from Ekiti State sealed the perceived hope of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi to become a minister.
Also, the nomination of Edun from Lagos State has put paid to the ambition of a former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to occupy a ministerial position.
It was learnt that Oyinlola may emerge as the Internal Affairs Minister while Edun may emerge as the Finance Minister.
It was also learnt that Oyinlola’s nomination is a compensation for his support to the party following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) before last year’s governorship election in Osun State.
The Lead quotes the source as saying: “The leadership of the party wanted Oni to emerge from Ekiti State but President Buhari prevailed on them, saying he wanted to pick the attorney-general from the South-West and he personally likes Falana. The choice of Oyinlola in Osun is compensation because Oyinlola’s defection helped Aregbesola to be re-elected. Adeleke who also helped had earlier been compensated. So, it is time to compensate Oyinlola.”
The report has it that the perceived estranged relationship between Buhari and Tinubu has been restored following the decision of Buhari to retrace his steps to the latter in consciousness of his contribution to his emergence.
It quotes a source as saying: “The president decided to beat a retreat because he realised that it was safer for him to maintain his relationship with Tinubu in the South-West even if he would not seek a re-election in 2019. He told Tinubu that he would not make any appointment from the South-West without his blessing.” [myad]

Buhari Leaves For France Tomorrow On 3-Day Official Visit

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja for Paris, France, tomorrow, Monday, to begin a three-day official visit to France at the invitation of President Francois Hollande.
According to a statement by special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President will be accompanied on the visit by the National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.), the Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministries of Defence, Finance, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Industry, Trade and Investment as well as the Chief Executives of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
“As the composition of his entourage indicates, President Buhari’s talks in Paris with President Hollande and other senior French Government officials will focus on the further strengthening and consolidation of ongoing bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in the areas of defence, security, trade and investments.
“Apart from his scheduled meeting with President Hollande at the Elysee Palace on Monday evening, President Buhari and his team will also confer with the French Minister of Defence, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Finance and Public Accounts, Mr. Michel Sapin, the French Minister of Economy and Industry, Mr. Emmanuel Macron and the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Mr. Laurent Fabius.”
The statement said that President Buhari will also visit the Headquarters of MEDEF, France’s largest federation of investors and employers, where he will participate in a France/Nigeria Investment Forum with leading Nigerian and French entrepreneurs.
It said that the President will confer with the Chief Executive Officers of leading French multinational companies such as Total and Lafarge on their current and future investments in Nigeria.
“The President’s other scheduled engagements in Paris include a meeting with African Ambassadors to France and an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community.”
Buhari, according to the statement, is expected to conclude his visit to France on Wednesday and return to Nigeria the same day. [myad]

Katsina Governor, Masari, Cries Blue Murder, Says Civil Servants Are Against Him

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari has accused some civil servants in the state of playing loyalty to his predecessors and working against him and his government.
Masari, who spoke yesterday in Katsina during a colloquium to mark his 100 days in office, said that the civil servants have been collaborating with his predecessors to sabotage his administration.
He alleged that some top civil servants had broken their oaths of office of secrecy and had been releasing secret documents to officials of governments that preceded his own.
Masari, a candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that had ruled the state for about 16 years, in the 2015 governorship election.
The governor warned that anyone caught in such act would face the law, saying: “we have the records of those that have been engaging in this act and we are going to take action against them.” [myad]

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