Adamawa State governor, Mohammadu Bindow, has said the country’s constitution is unfair to traditional institution for not assigning constitutional responsibilities to it.
Bindow who made the remark today in Yola when the Lamido Emirate Council paid him Sallah homage, said that the constitutional recognition of the role of traditional institution would have prevented some of the security challenges and other social vices currently confronting the country.
He pledged that his administration would give due recognition to traditional institution in the state, saying: “the neglect of traditional institution has caused us what we are passing through today.
“The institution is the closest contact with the people and they required to be given constitutional role. We in Adamawa will continue to recognise traditional institution.”
The governor announced that his administration had already purchased 30,000 metric tons of fertilisers to be distributed to farmers in all the 21 local government areas of the state.
“The fertilisers cost N3.5bn even without transportation cost,” he said, adding that the gesture was aimed at boosting agricultural production.
Earlier, Dr Barkindo Musdafa, the Lamido of Adamawa, who led the council, promised that the people of the emirate would support the administration to improve their standard of living.
Musdafa, who is also the Chairman, Adamawa State Traditional Rulers Council, said that the policies of the new administration would alleviate poverty and reduce youth restiveness in the state. [myad]
The Senate and the House of Representatives have extended the date for resumption plenary sessions, which was earlier scheduled for Tuesday, July 21. Members are now expected to resume July 28.
This was made known by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mohammed A. Sani-Omolori, who released an official notice of the postponement.
“This is to inform all Honourable members of the House of Representatives of the postponement of resumption of plenary session from adjourned date of Tuesday, 21st July to Tuesday, 28th July 2015,” Mr. Sani-Omolori said in his statement.
Plenary session was adjourned at both chambers of the National Assembly on Thursday, June 25, in the wake of fracas that ensued on the floor of the House between members of the All Progressives Congress loyal to the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and those loyal the party.
Also in defiance of the leadership of APC same day, Saraki named Ali Ndume, Senate Leader; Francis Alimikhena, Deputy Whip; and Bala Na’Allah, Deputy Senate Leader, in spite of stiff opposition from APC Senators loyal to the ruling party.
Dogara had rejected his All Progressives Congress (APC’s) position on the choice of the principal positions, citing Federal Character principle.
He made a new proposal which would see the North West produce the Majority Leader, thereby blocking Femi Gbajabiamila, South West, who is being favoured by the APC leadership.
The APC is yet to respond to Dogara’s proposal.
But Gbajabiamila’s group has vowed to ensure Dogara obeys the party’s directive. [myad]
An Ojo Customary Court in Lagos is set to dissolve a 10-year-old marriage between a 48 year old Pastor, Onyekwere Osondu and his wife who the husband suspected to have eloped to Liberia with another man since last year.
The Court President, Chief Joseph Ogunmola has ordered the court bailiff to contact any member of Ogechi’s family to witness the final judgment dissolving the marriage as all reconciliation measures had been exhausted and failed.
Pastor Osondu had told the court that the wife, Ogechi, travelled to Liberia over a year ago under the guise that she went to stay with her brother,but he had cause to believe that she had found comfort in the arms of another man.
“Prolonging this matter is not pleasing to me; although the court made several efforts to get my wife or someone from her family to appear before the court, there was no positive response”, the petitioner said.
“I am a man of God and I must maintain my moral status; her absence has made me to live like a bachelor for over one year and that is becoming more unbearable.
“Since my wife abandoned me and went to Liberia, I need to move on with my life. I cannot remain single forever; I need to remarry”.
“It was in trying to search for her that her mother invited me to come to the village and that was when I learnt that she had joined her brother living in Liberia”, Osondo stated..
“Her family members summoned me and claimed that I maltreated her because she had no child for me, but this is not true”.
The petitioner explained that Ogechi later sent him a text message, which read: “God has delivered me from you and I have changed my name to my maiden name”.
“When I informed her that I had filed a divorce suit, she responded by saying, ‘thank God. I am a man of God and I have carried out all traditional settlement required,” he said.
He alleged that his wife must have found comfort in the arms of another man in Liberia and prayed the court for a divorce.
“She is, obviously, fed up with the union and her refusal to return should not prolong the judgement of this court,” Osondu said. [myad]
Sensational R&B duo singers, Peter and Paul Okoye has won the best group category of the 2015 MAMA awards in South Africa
The talented Afropop duo were the biggest losers at last year’s edition of MTV Africa Music Awards. The duo were defeated three times. They lost out in the categories; Song of the year, Best Group and Artiste of the Year won by Davido.
Emotions ran wild last year when Nigerian superstars, Davido, Clarence Peters,Tiwa Savage and Flavour clinched a total of six awards at the 2014 edition of MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) held at Durban’s International Conference Centre,South Africa. [myad]
Editor-In-Chief/Chief Executive Officer of Greenbarge Reporters, published online by Greenbarge Media and Communications Limited, Yusuf Ozi-Usman was one of the media executives who welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari when he formally assumed his official function, from Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…recently. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha, today, hosted some children to an elaborate reception as part of activities marking this year’s Eid-el-Fitri. The party was held inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President’s wife asked the children to be good ambassadors of their parents and the country, stressing that the future of the country is in the hands of the children.
Mrs. Buhari advised them to face their studies and be obedient to their parents even as she also asked them to continue to pray for other Nigerian children who are presently residing inside the different Internally Displaced Persons camps scattered all over the country because of acts of terrorism in parts of the country.
She assured them that the present administration attaches great importance to the welfare of children and would stop at nothing to ensure their protection and development.
“You are to complement the efforts of government by working very hard in school and to be obedient to your parents.
“Tomorrow, you may be the President, the President’s wife, senators, honourable members, governors, medical doctors, teachers, journalists, engineers, nurses, lawyers and the rest of our honourable professions.”
The President’s wife also urged parents to encourage and monitor their children.
After spending about two hours with the children, Mrs. Buhari sought their permission to leave so that she could go and prepare the President’s dinner.
“I’m going to leave you soon. I want to go back home to cook for my husband. Because my children are here playing with you, so nobody is at home, only my husband. So I want to go back home to be with him and also cook dinner for him,” she told the the highly elated children.
The venue of the event was tastefully decorated with various playing spots provided for the children.
The party featured different games, dancing competition and fashion parade, among others.
Mrs. Buhari was accompanied by wives of some former governors. [myad]
Arsenal, today, defeated Everton by 3-1 to lift the Asia Trophy in Singapore.
Theo Walcott put the Gunners in front at the break, before Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil put them three clear.
Petr Cech was handed his debut by Arsene Wenger, but he couldn’t register a clean sheet in his first appearance as Ross Barkley pulled one back for Everton.
First Nation Airways has blamed officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for the collision of its two of its aircrafts yesterday in Lagos.
An official of the airline, Rasheed Yusuf, in a statement said that if FAAN officials were diligent, the incident would have been avoided.
The statement reads in full: ”This Press Release is to clarify the ground incident that occurred on Friday, July 17, 2015. Our Aircraft Registered No. 5N-FND wing tip touched the wing tip of another sister aircraft already parked at another gate. This incident is avoidable if the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria marshallers had been diligent to avoid marshalling the aircraft wrongly.
“We urge the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to retrain the marshallers as we understand that the marshallers at MMA2 are deployed by FAAN under an MOU with Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, the operator of MMA2, Ikeja. It is important to emphasize that at no time was the safety of passengers at risk.
“The regulatory authorities will also need to enhance oversight of the marshallers and their authorisation to arrest the growing incidents of aircraft damage on ground in Nigeria which is embarrassing. Besides the huge losses that First Nation and other airlines suffer as a result of avoidable ground incidents, you will recall that a similar incident involving Emirate aircraft occurred only a couple of days ago.
“First Nation Airways takes passengers’ safety seriously. The regulatory authority (NCAA) has been informed of the above incident. Aircraft has been assessed and repairs is ongoing to ensure that the aircraft return to service in strict compliance with the highest safety standard in accordance with industry best practices.
“First Nation Airways since launch in 2011 continues to build high standard of operation with safety as the airline’s essential focus.” [myad]
Having been considered by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), to have demonstrated unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights, the body has slated the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega for this year’s edition of the Charles T. Mannat Democracy award.
The IFES, which is based in the United States, is the administrators of the award. The award will be presented Professor Jega and other awardees at an elaborate ceremony in Washington D.C. on September 29.
Every year IFES, a leading pro-democracy organisation that advocates improved electoral systems around the world, recognizes accomplishments of individuals in advancing freedom and democracy.
The organisation does this by bestowing awards on these outstanding individuals in honour of past chairs of its Board of Directors: Charles T. Manatt and Patricia Hutar, and Senior Adviser, Joe C. Baxter.
Professor Jega would be honoured under the Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award category.
Three individuals are honoured each year in that category: one U.S. Democrat, one Republican and a member of the international community who demonstrate unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights.
Professor Jega is the international figure chosen for the award this year, and he is being honoured for leading INEC to conduct one of the most credible elections in Nigeria’s history, even in the face of intimidation and sabotage by some of his own staff and officials of the past administration.
Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Congressman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) are to be honoured alongside Jega.
They will receive the awards at a special ceremony, co-chaired by IFES Board of Directors and Baker & Hostetler LLP Partner, Ambassador Tom McDonald and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP Partner June L. DeHart on September 29, in Washington D.C.
“Chairman Jega’s leadership was instrumental to Nigeria’s successful general elections in 2015,” said IFES President and CEO, Bill Sweeney.
“He deserves full credit for his efforts to increase the credibility and transparency of the electoral process under extreme logistical challenges, such as terrorist threats from Boko Haram, where failure could prove the catalyst for predicted election violence.”.
Jega’s expert management of the 2015 general elections positioned him as a credible election administrator, IFES said.
“The complex Nigerian electoral environment consisted of 69 million eligible voters, 155,000 polling booths and 700,000 temporary staff deployed across the country. These recent elections resulted in the country’s first democratic transfer of power.”
“I am deeply honoured to accept the 2015 Democracy Award from IFES,” ProfessorJega said in response to his nomination for the award.
“INEC’s long-standing partnership with IFES in preparation for the 2015 general elections resulted in a credible process accepted by Nigerian citizens and the international community. These elections have put Nigeria on the right path toward democratic stability.”
Jega, who left office as INEC Chairman on June 30, has returned to his lecturing job at the Bayero University Kano, where he was also a Vice Chancellor before he was appointed INEC boss in June 2010 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Until his appointment as vice chancellor, he lectured in the department of political science.
He once served as national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU].
Jega remains the only chairman of the electoral body to organise two national elections – 2011 and 2015 elections. Sometime in March, Jega indicated he would not accept tenure renewal.
“I am grateful to God,” he said at the time. “I was asked to come and contribute my own quota to the national development and I have done my bit to the best of my ability.” [myad]
A 21-year old British-Nigerian Cambridge graduate, Precious Oyelade, has impressed academics with her dissertation on Nigeria’s flourishing film industry, better known as Nollywood, to the extent that she secured a first-class rated paper that is set to be published.
Precious Oyelade, from south London, defied the statistics to graduate with a degree in politics, psychology and sociology from Britain’s leading university with her dissertation, ‘changing representations of Nigerian identity: An exploration through Nollywood and its audience.’
Oyelade, whose parents hail from Nigeria, was inspired by her heritage to explore a new narrative in her 10,000-word paper that fed directly into her final degree grade.
“For me it was the issue of identity. I really wanted to look at how Nollywood impacts those who have grown up in the diaspora, who identify as Nigerian but still see themselves also as British and what distance exists between us and those in Nigeria in relation to film.
“In my study, I found that we as a diaspora have the choice and an ability to decide which part of our identity we want to focus on.”
Potentially, one of the first of its kind at Cambridge, the decision to write the most significant project of her academic career on Nigeria’s film industry was a risk Oyelade admitted that she nearly didn’t take.
“People were advising me to do something that is popular within academic culture so that I could get the best supervision from someone who’s a specialist. It was a big leap of faith especially in a traditionally academic institution like Cambridge,” she said.
After receiving her result, the graduate said she nearly fainted. “Once you get past a 75 [mark] the work is regarded as publishable. I scored a 78 so my supervisor has been pushing me to get it published because it’s opening a wider narrative about the Black British experience and the fact that we’re not a homogenous group.”
Oyelade expressed a future ambition to work in the Nollywood industry which she regards as having unlimited potential, but for now she is happy working with young people not in education, employment or training. [myad]
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