The two major contestants in the 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a tête-a-tete today, October 17, when they had a chanced meeting in Kaduna, Kaduna State. Good to know.
President Muhammadu Buhari has commandeered all federal agencies dealing with rescue and disaster management to go on rescue mission in Bayelsa State where flood has displaced 700,000 persons. The people were displaced from about 300 communities and villages in five of the State’s eight local government areas
Reacting to the devastation today, October 16, in a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the President expressed sadness over the incidence.
He extended the nation’s condolences to the families of the victims and all those affected by this natural disaster.
He acknowledged that authorities in the State are taking steps to help people hit by the floods, but insisted that all relevant federal agencies should immediately proceed on rescue mission.
President Buhari however blamed buildings on water channels, disregard for early warning by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the changes to weather caused by climate change as chiefly the causes of the floods that have so far hit 33 of the nation’s 36 states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The President directed all concerned to work for the restoration of normalcy throughout the affected parts of the federation.
A close political ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, Engineer Rotimi Fashakin, who died on September 24 this year, will be laid to rest on Thursday, October 27 in Lagos.
According to Engr. Joseph Oluwarotimi Fashakin, who today, Ocober 16, released the details of his burial plans on behalf of the family, there will be Service of Songs at Marcelina’s place at 36 Isaac Jones Street,Ikeja Lagos on October 25 at 3.00pm.
The elder of the family said that Funeral Service will take place on October 27 at Foursquare Gospel Church in Anthony Village, Lagos, after which internment will follow immediately.
Late Engr. Fashakin, who was a chieftain of All Progressives Congress and political (APC) as well as the immediate past Executive Director, Operations, at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) died in the United Kingdom.
Emmanuel Fashakin, the deceased brother had wrote: “With a heavy heart, and profound sorrow, I wish to inform you of the death of our brother, husband, father, Engr Joseph Rotimi Fashakin, MNSE, former Executive Director at NIMASA, at Buckingham, England on Saturday, September 24, 2022. He was 59 years old.
“He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Busola Fashakin, Asst Comptroller of Immigration and children, James Toluwalase Fashakin, Daniel Ayomide Fashakin and Sarah Fashakin.”
According to family sources, Fashakin was, until his death, studying Law at the University of Buckingham, and was billed to graduate in December.
The late Fashakin was a spokesman of the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – one of the legacy parties of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has been commended for making funds available for the free cataract surgeries in the capital city.
Secretary for Health and Human Services in the FCT, Dr. Abubakar Tafida, the commendation today, October 16, when he accompanied the minister on a visit to the Asokoro District Hospital Eye Clinic as part of activities marking World Sight Day.
According to him, the Secretariat, in collaboration with some of its partners, carried out 500 free cataract surgeries in the FCT as part of the World Sight Day activities.
The Secretary expressed worry that one in every 25 Nigerians has a form of eye problem or the other, even as he stressed the importance of good eye care.
He praised the minister for prioritizing health issues in the FCT and for making funds available for the 500 free cataract surgeries.
Dr. Tafida called for the creation of awareness to encourage Nigerians to take good care of their eyes and inform them about the availability of free and affordable eye care services.
This was even as the minister, Musa Bello called on residents to take eye health very seriously and love their eyes in line with the theme of the 2022 World Sight Day (WSD).
The Minister, who had his eyes checked during his visit to the clinic said that the eyes were amongst the most important organs bestowed on the human being by God and called on all to take good care of them.
Musa Bello said that he has been wearing glasses since 1982, adding that he takes personal care of his checking his medicated glasses and use of eye drops all the times.
“I certainly love my eyes and I call on everyone in the FCT to also love his or her eyes because without eyesight you are constrained in your ability to optimally function”
He commended the services at the Asokoro District Hospital Eye Clinic, describing it as top class with efficient personnel and optimal equipment.
The Minister who was presented a copy of the National Eye Policy by a board member of the IAPB, Dr. Fatima Kyari, directed that it should be domesticated in the FCT.
Also speaking during the visit, the Medical Director, Asokoro District Hospital, Dr Uche Afiomah, described the hospital as a centre of excellence for eye care in the FCT, adding that doctors from the hospital also visited communities in the FCT to carry out free surgeries for those who could not afford them.
She stated that capacity building and residency programmes are being implemented to domicile the skills of ophthalmologists, in addition to other enlightenment programmes to encourage members of the public to take care of their eyes.
The World Sight Day is a day set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) to draw global attention to eye health.
The Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Stephen Adegbite, has vowed to mobilize support for the presidential aspiration of the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because of his tremendous support for the Christian community not only in Lagos but in the entire southwest region.
“God will punish us if we don’t support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have told our friends from the North that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our candidate and we’re going to support him. Nobody can tell us not to support Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he has done more than enough to support the Body of Christ in the Southwest.”
The Lagos CAN Chairman spoke in Lagos today, October 16, during the presentation of the stewardship report of 12 years sojourn in the Senate, presented by the Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District in the Upper Legislative Chamber, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Reeling out the support Tinubu has done for Christians, Reverend Adegbite said that the APC flag-bearer initiated a fund to sponsor Christians to Jerusalem and up till today the fund is still there and Christians are benefitting.
“We’re still going this year and we will pray for him,” he said.
He said that Tinubu has through provision of funds saved children of many Ministers of God noting a particular case of one he personally carried dying but through Tinubu’s support was saved and alive today.
“Don’t also forget that it was Tinubu who returned schools to the owners when he was governor. There are more and we will support him,” he vowed.
Source: Blueprint.
University of Abuja Main gateFollowing the call-off of eight months strike by members of Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU), some Nigerians universities have fixed tomorrow, October 17 for the resumption of normal activities while others have fixed different dates for the resumption even as Senate of others will meet to decide the date of resumption.
The University of Abuja announced that its portal is now open for registration and students should complete theirs not later than two weeks from Friday, October 14.
“This is to inform our undergraduate and postgraduate students that following the suspension of strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the portal is now open for registration.
“Students should complete their registration not later than 2 weeks from now,” the University stated on Twitter.
For the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, all students are asked to resume the second semester of the 2020/2021 academic session on October 21 as academic activities will commence on Monday, October 31.
Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) also directed all its students to resume the 2021/2022 academic session on Monday, October 17 even as the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) posted on its official Facebook page on Friday that academic activities will resume on Monday, October 17, to complete the 2021/2022 session.
Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) had resumed immediately on Friday, October 14, according to a tweet by Deborah Tolu-Kolawole, a journalist with The Punch, even as the Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa announced the commencement of the first semester, 2021/2022 academic session on Monday, October 31.
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike will also resume on Monday, October 17.
Below are the universities that will be holding Senate meetings on Monday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 18, before deciding resumption dates. They are:
Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) – Senate meeting on Monday
Federal University Lokoja – Senate meeting Monday
Federal University Dutsin – Monday
University of Ibadan – Monday
Adekunle Ajasin University – Monday
University of Benin (UNIBEN) – Tuesday
Atiku AbubakarPresidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has said that he asked Northerners to vote for a Presidential candidate who has built bridges of unity across other parts of the country and not necessarily a Northern candidate who lacks the credentials of national spread and acceptability.
Reacting to what he called “show of shame” by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he said, resorted to “disingenuous attempt to turn fact on its head about what he said during a public engagement at the Arewa House on Saturday,” Atiku said that in answering a question, he started with a joke by addressing the questioner as ‘Mr. Northerner,’ which is a veiled criticism of why he limited his question to the Northern audience in the first place.”
The reaction, which contained in a statement today, October 16, by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, said that what transpired was a direct question to Atiku to address the Northern audience on why he should be voted for by the Northern electorate.
“Those were the unambiguous remarks of the PDP presidential candidate. But because the APC does not possess any tangible ideas to campaign for their candidate, they resorted to dubious tactics of diverting public attention, first, away from the failures of their party in the past seven years plus and, secondly, to shift attention away from the embarrassing gaffes of their presidential candidate in his public communication which they frequently shy away from.
“Of course, a failed political party and a presidential candidate who cannot withstand five minutes of unscripted speech would not have anything tangible to talk about other than to resort to irritating scavenging like they have done in this case.
“On the same day when Atiku Abubakar stood agile and cerebral before his hosts at the Arewa House, the APC candidate whose only entitlement for president is because of an ethnic identity claim was also at a public function in Kaduna State and publicly embarrassed his host, Governor Nasir el-Rufai, by saying that he should not contemplate pursuing higher educational qualifications and likening him to ‘a rotten case that has turned into a bad situation.’
“Are we to play to the gallery, we could have rushed to the press to make a bad case for such rotten remarks. We did not because we know that the upcoming election is not about scoring cheap political gains, but about ensuring that Nigerians have a fair deal in the next president that they will be electing.
“It is even more repugnant that a man who is not honourable enough to make a full disclosure about his elementary education records would ask to be elected a president of the most populous Black nation in the world.
“The very ambition of former governor Tinubu to aspire to become the Nigerian leader is a rude attack on the integrity of every Black country and certainly an act of disgrace to all Nigerians.”
Frank Nweke Jnr.Former Nigeria’s Minister of Information and the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for 2023 election, Frank Nweke Jnr. has described the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as a disaster and a disservice to the people of Enugu.
Nweke who made this assertion while unveiling his manifesto for the 2023 governorship, said that though PDP had done one good thing or the other, it failed the people in Enugu state woefully, especially in the last seven years.
He said that because PDP had failed Enugu people, there is need to push them out from Enugu by all means.
“We’ll do everything possible to chase out PDP from Enugu state. PDP has been a disaster and a disservice to the state and should be chased out, come 2023.”
The former Minister said that part of the reasons why he dumped PDP for APGA is that PDP has jettisoned equity as it was enshrined in the constitution of the party which made provision for power sharing between the North and the South.
According to him, it is for the same reason that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi abandoned PDP and opted for a different political party.
Giving his manifesto on how he would transform Enugu if elected governor, Nweke said that he would focus his administration on seven key areas which include leadership, good governance, security, human capital, technology and innovation.
He said that he would ensure that water is provided in every nook and cranny of the state to check the perennial water scarcity that has been bedeviling the state for years both in the urban areas as well as the rural areas.
To achieve adequate water supply, Nweke said that he would unbundle it into three parts that include production, treatment and reticulation.
He said that it won’t augur well to entrust provision of water on only one body.
Nweke who said that he would make sure that youths are provided with jobs, decried a situation where most graduates engage in menial jobs for survival, pointing out that he would revive ailing industries and make agriculture attractive.
He promised to promote the Nollywood industry in the state by setting aside a billion Naira, regretting that Enugu used to be a pacesetter in the film industry and should be encouraged to maintain the lead.
Source: Independent
Former President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, Musikilu Mojeed | Photo credit: Premium times NigeriaThe International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has condemned as reprehensible and unacceptable, the order by the Zamfara State government for the closure of some media organisations operating in the state.
The state governor, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, yesterday, October 15, ordered the immediate shutdown of some public and private media organisations, for allegedly breaking “journalism laws.”
The affected media houses include the federal government owned Radio Nigeria’s Pride FM in Gusau, and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Gusau. Others are Gamji Television, Vision FM, and Al Umma Television.
A statement by the state’s Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Dosara said: “The Zamfara State Security Council has approved and ordered the closure of some media outlets in the state for breaking the laws of journalism.”
IPI Nigeria, in a statement today, October 16, signed by its President, Musikilu Mojeed, said that the Zamfara State government does not have the power to shut down media houses, and calls on the Zamfara State Police Commissioner not to enforce an illegal directive by the government.
“The order by the state government clearly violates the 1999 Constitution as amended, and has no place in a civilised society like ours. It reminds Nigerians of the dark days of the military in Nigeria when media organisations were clamped down by various authoritarian regimes.
“Shutting down media houses is a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria.
“If any media organisation has flouted any law, the only option opened to the Zamfara State government is to approach the court for redress. Resorting to self help as done by the Zamfara State government threatens the rule of law and could lead to anarchy.
“By shutting down media houses the Zamfara State government has taken the law into its own hands. No entity, no matter how powerful, is allowed to take the law into its hands.
“IPI Nigeria, therefore reiterates its demand for immediate withdrawal of all directives impeding freedom of expression in Zamfara State, and demands an apology from the state government for its obnoxious act.
“IPI Nigeria also calls on federal authorities to direct the Zamfara State governor to comply with the dictates of the rule of law by immediately withdrawing the order for the shutting down of the media organisations, and henceforth desist from any such act.”
The state has been the hotbed of banditry, kidnappings and other criminalities.
The state government had announced a suspension of political activities as part of the new security measures over the incidence.
But, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara organised an event in Gusau, the state capital, which was covered by the affected media organisations.
The coverage of the event by the affected media organisations angered the State Government, leading to the closing them down.
Edward Isezuo Jatto, popularly known as EdJatto, is a Multi-Talented musical instrumentalist from Okene in Kogi State of Nigeria.
EdJatto, in his middle 60, is currently a media owner, a flourishing, innovative FM studio in the heart of Okene, Kogi State
He had toured and performed extensively in Nigeria and other countries, mainly in the United States of America, spanning over 35 years.
Edjatto had performed on over 100 recordings (albums and CDs) and is recognised in the who’s who in African Music live performances and CD recordings.
EdJatto a song writer, musician and producer returned from America where he lived for years, to his native country, Nigeria in 2004 to start a recording studio in Lagos, Riverdale Music Recording Studio with headquarters in Maryland, USA.
He is an experienced singer and recording Engineer, with his early music in the middle 1980s titled “osoni vi aanehi” in Ebira language, meaning: “this (song) is home’s own.”
He worked with International recording artistes and groups like THIRD WORLD (Jamaica), KING YELLOW MAN (Jamaica), SOUKOUS ALL STARS (Congo), SONY OKOSUN (Nigeria), EBENEZER OBEY (Nigeria), JEAN PAPPY (Congo), SAM MANGWANA (Congo), AYINDE BARRISTER (Nigeria), OSITA OSADEBE (Nigeria), OLIVER DE COQUE (Nigeria), TONY OKOROJI (Nigeria), OSEI KOFI (Ghana), ALEX OBENG (Ghana), ASTER AWEKE (Ethiopia), ZULU SPEAR (South Africa), BUSTA RHYME (USA), LIL KIM (USA) etc.
On his arrival to Nigeria, he was given the responsibility of the Technical Director to overlook the technical aspect of hosting the Miss Nigeria Beauty Pageant by Daily Times of Nigeria in 2003. He performed live alongside of other musicians like PASUMA and ARA.
He also featured on Sunny Okosun and friends’ Music and video recorded for COJA 2003.
EdJatto has since retired to his hometown, Okene and currently runs a radio station, Jatto FM.
Committed to uplifting Ebira image, EdJatto launched Ebira program on TV namely Ebira Opete and Ebira Kaneri. The programmes run on Eagle (Cable) TV Lagos; Wednesdays 4-5pm, Saturdays, 9-10am. Similarly, the program run on NTA Kabba in Kogi state, Thursdays, 4-5pm while negotation for airing same show on NTA Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti state is on-going.
His sojourn across the world hasn’t doused the love and concern for his native land.
He is known in the industry for his gentlemanly attributes; and because he allows his work to speak for him, his reputation remains uncluttered without controversies that often surround personalities in showbiz.
His fame is not just about the fact that he is one of the most sought after sound engineers who helped to move the world of Nigerian music in the late 70s and early 80s. Working for EMI (which has since transformed into Ivory Music) back then, he was instrumental to shaping the kind of music that came out of Nigeria. Besides working in the studio, he found time to express himself as a recording artiste. For that effort, EdJatto has two albums to his credit. There are: “Love Explosion” and “Love Edition” – both released on EMI label between 1982 and 1986.
