Founding Managing Director of Democrat Newspaper and former President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mallam Ismaila Isa Funtua, is dead.
He died of cardiac arrest today, July 20.
He was life patron of Newspaper’s Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Chairman of Bulet Construcion company.
He will be buried according to Islamic rites tomorrow, July 21.
Godswill AkpabioThe Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has linked contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to members of the National Assembly, saying that majority of the contracts awarded were handled by the lawmakers.
He made this known today, July 20 while answering questions at the ongoing probe by the House of Representatives committee.
Akpabio said: “most of the contracts in NDDC are given out to the members of the National Assembly. If you don’t know, please ask the two chairmen.”
The minister said that some Chairmen of committees on NDDC have slots in the budget, even as a member of the committee, Hon. Boma countered him.
Amidst heated argument that followed, the leader of the committee stopped Akpabio while shouting “Hon. Minister, it’s okay, it’s okay.”
The House of Representatives is currently investigating NDDC over alleged fraud, mismanagement of funds, among others.
President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a passionate get well message to Saudi Arabian ruler and Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, who has been hospitalized.
In a statement today, July 20 by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, President Buhari said: “on behalf of myself, government and people of Nigeria, I pray for speedy and full recovery of the Saudi King, one of the finest leaders I have ever met in the course of my interactions with world leaders.
“King Salman is a true friend of Nigeria who has never failed to identify with us at all times through important collaborations and cooperation.
“As the King receives medical attention, I send my best wishes and prayers for his speedy recovery.’’
The Chartered Institute of Management & Leadership (CIML), USA has inducted and confered it’s distinguished FELLOWSHIP to Barrister Yakubu Galadima.
The conferment of the honour, according to the Institute, is in recognition of his giant strides in demonstrating excellence in corporate leadership and Governance.
Presenting the certificate to Barrister Galadima today, July 18 in Lagos, the Assistant Regional Director of the Nigerian Chapter who is also a Distinguished FELLOW of the Chartered Institute, Ambassador (Dr) Jonathan Daniel said that the recipient is one of the few Nigerians found worthy of the honor after a rigorous screening process.
Barr. Yakubu Galadima is the Managing and Principal Partner of Marble Partner.
He went to the Prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria from 2001 to 2007 where he obtained LL. B (Hons), proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus where he equally obtained his B.L and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2008.
Yakubu Galadima has vast experience in Litigation and Arbitration. He has experience and bias for International Commercial Law/Transactions, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Oil and Gas Law, Asset Tracing and Recovery. Barr.
Yakubu Galadima has worked as an Associate with Babalakin & Co for almost a decade.
He is also a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), American Bar Association, African Bar Association and Nigerian Bar Association.
After working at Babalakin & Co for almost a decade and gathering requisite working experience, he established Marble Partners LP in 2016, where he is the Managing and Principal partner.
Barr. Yakubu Galadima is married and blessed with children.
When he is not busy with the practice of law or mentoring young lawyers who are aspiring to the Bar, he likes to relax and he is an avid reader, researcher and has hobbies of playing table tennis, badminton, traveling, watching football. etc.
Barr. Yakubu promised to abide by the rules and regulations governing the institute and also to use his influence to support the activities of the institute both at home and in the diaspora.
The Chartered Institute of Management & Leadership, USA is an International /professional Institute duly Incorporated and Chartered under Delaware Code, Title 6; Chapter 18 of the state of Delaware statues in the United States of America with a vision to transform every corporate entity into global reckoning, productivity and also be a leading human capacity building institution in leadership resources
and administrative management across the continent.
Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership is listed on World University Directory as an America Professional Body ( No 42).
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has agreed to shift the date for the commencement of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to September 5 instead of original date of August 4.
The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who broke the news yesterday, July 17, said that the decision was the outcome of a meeting between the Federal Government and officials of WAEC’s Nigeria office on Monday.
According to him, both parties have agreed to further consult with four other countries on new examination date.
Sen. Ahmed LawanNigeria’s Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has described the rumour making the rounds that he is planning to run for Presidency in the 2023 election as a beer parlour gossip by idle people.
A statement today, July 18 by his Media Adviser, Ola Awoniyi, the Senate President said that such beer parlour gossips should be treated with the contempt it deserves.
Ahmed Lawan advise those he referred to as “idle pseudo-journalists” to look for other engagements “and stop bastardising this noble profession.”
The statement read: “The attention of the office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to a rather puerile media report that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is making plans to run for president in 2023. The report was first published by the Daily Independent newspaper of Friday, 17th July, 2020 and reproduced later by the Sahara Reporters.
“It is easy to see that the report emanated from the sort of practice that drags the noble profession of journalism to the gutters as it only dresses up the lazy fantasy of its unimaginative authors as a fact.
“The report apparently has its source in beer parlour gossips and should be treated with the contempt which it and those who concocted it deserves.
“It is true that the Senate President was involved in the consultations that President Muhammadu Buhari held prior to the last emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC). But there was nothing extra-ordinary in his involvement in such consultations, given his status as holder of one of the highest political offices in Nigeria and on the platform of the APC. Such is required of any concerned member of the party. It is therefore sheer mischief for anyone to read ulterior motives to the Senate President joining hands with the President and other leaders in resolving misunderstanding in their own party.
“We will like to stress that the Senate President’s preoccupation is with advancing the agenda of the Ninth National Assembly to focus governance on the pursuit of the best interests of the Nigerian people and to support President Buhari in delivering his promises to Nigerians.
“The Senate President does not suffer such needless distractions as imputed by the false report under reference. He believes that it is premature for anybody to be talking now about 2023 when all hands should be on deck against the myriad of challenges that faces our nation in this period.”
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has described the introduction of non-interest rate introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its intervention programme as a step towards an inclusive economic growth.
Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar also noted that the programme is another bold step by the apex bank to move the nation’s economy to the next level.
A statement today, July 18, quoting the Sultan, by the NSCIA’s Deputy Secretary-General, Professor Salisu Shehu, read: “The initiative covers the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), Agri-Business, Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS), Creative Industry Financing Initiative, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund, Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF) and Credit Support for the Healthcare Sector.
“For decades, Nigerian Muslims have been grossly marginalized in the country’s financial sector and other growth triggering financial interventions of the CBN due largely to the interest element that is usually involved in the schemes. For Muslims, who constitute well over half of the country’s population, the question of avoiding interest is non-negotiable, and the majority of Muslims would opt to live in poverty rather than devour interest and face the wrath of their Creator.
“In the absence of non-interest finance, the result has been a high rate of financial exclusion among Muslims, as high as over 60% in some Muslim majority communities. This leads to worsening incidence of abject poverty. The implication is that without non-interest alternatives, the CBN can hardly attain its goal of 80% financial inclusion earlier targeted for 2020, nor can any meaningful poverty alleviation and economic empowerment programme be actualized in the foreseeable future.
“The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President-General, His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, views the integration as a welcome development, a bold step towards engendering inclusive growth and a proactive mechanism for averting a looming recession threatening the global economy as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. While praying for the effective implementation of the guidelines, the NSCIA wishes to congratulate the CBN and by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) for achieving this remarkable milestone.
“The NSCIA suggests that, given the indispensability of financial literacy to achieving financial inclusion and economic recovery and growth, the CBN should use all relevant agencies and avenues, including the networks of the National Orientation Agency, radio and television programmes, among others, to educate the public on the importance of these interventions, and the procedures for accessing them.
“The procedures should be made as accessible as possible to enable even the poorest of the poor to benefit from the schemes.
“Meanwhile, as a step towards assisting the FGN and the CBN in achieving the success of the post-pandemic economic recovery, His Eminence, the President-General of NSCIA, directs all State Councils of Islamic Affairs, as well as all other Islamic organisations to design and implement sensitization and mobilization programmes for farmers, businessmen, and other eligible citizens. Imams and the ‘Ulama’ should use their sermons, lectures, lessons, radio and television programmes to educate the Muslim community on the imperative of utilizing the interventions.
“To this end, His Eminence directs all State Councils to, after studying the details of the guidelines, organize trainings for Imams, ‘Ulama’, leaders of Islamic organizations, trade unions and farmers associations, as well as other key stakeholders, on the value and procedures of accessing these important interventions.
“The general public is hereby advised to take this new initiative as a rare opportunity, and optimally utilize it for actualisation of productive purposes it is meant to serve, keeping in mind that this is not a free money. For a Muslim, a debt is an amanah. In addition to the worldly consequences of diverting the resources to consumption purposes, they should remember that they would account for how they handle and manage it on the Day of Judgment.”
Dapo OlorunyomiPresident Muhammadu Buhari has advised the co-founder and publisher of Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, to recommit himself to all that are noble, fair and just in journalism.
The President’s advice was contained in a statement today, July 18 by his spokesman, Femi Adesina as he joined in celebrating Dapo’s nomination as one of the four awardees for year 2020 International Press Freedom Award, by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
President Buhari acknowledged that Dapo’s nomination for the prestigious award attested to his many decades of commitment to the ideals of journalism and freedom of the Press.
“Democracy and a free Press are kindred spirits, and that is what we have committed to as a government. It is, therefore, gratifying to hear of this award to one of our own.”
President Buhari emphasized the need for Dapo to use the occasion of the award to recommit himself to all that is noble, fair and just in journalism, adding that a responsible media is part of the building blocks of a country.
The President reiterated that a free and responsible Press remains an abiding commitment of the Nigerian government, and urges the media to adhere to the finest tenets of the noble profession at all times.
Olorunyomi wins the CPJ award along with three other journalists from Bangladesh, Iran and Russia.
FCT MInister, Muhammad Musa BelloMinister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has ordered the six Area Council Chairmen to go and clean their environment and focus on human capital Development in the developmental agenda of their domains.
The Minister, who spoke today, July 17, when he hosted the six Council Chairmen in his office, charged them to imbibe the principles of leadership and responsibility to their people, reminding them that governance at the Local Government level being closest to the people, is very critical for the overall development of the Territory.
He charged them to concentrate on three main components of primary education, environmental sanitation and public health, adding that these three components are the bedrock of development in any community.
Malam Mohammad Musa Bello said that a clean environment and a functional primary health care system will make less people in the communities become ill with common ailments and will become more productive in the farms and other social and entrepreneurial endeavors.
“All of us will finish our tenures and we will still live within the communities. This is the time to upgrade your communities and focus on human capital development.”
He said that making major changes in the communities do not necessarily require massive funding, saying that what is required is a massive re-orientation and mobilization of the people. He advised them to deploy the same amount of energy and methods utilized during political campaigns to mobilize the people into the development of their communities.
“You all have markets and market unions, yet there is refuse everywhere. These are areas where you can show leadership by ensuring they are clean.”
“If your communities are clean, it will encourage people to develop properties there because there will be no difference between your community and the city center. And as it develops, the standard of living will increase, and encourage revenue generation. But the initial efforts has to come from you.”
The Minister called on them to return to the fundamentals of governance and not expend scarce resources on the construction of massive structures while also urging them to follow all extant financial regulations, including all procurement laws.
Earlier, the Chairmen of FCT ALGON and chairmen of Gwagwalada Area Council, Adamu Mustapha Danze, said the Council Chairmen are in support to the FCT Administration for all its developmental efforts and accomplishments in the Territory.
What Buhari’s Critics Fail To Understand, By Garba Shehu
The Presidency wishes to respond to a number of opinion articles and a stringent newspaper editorial this Sunday, which outrageously said President Muhammadu Buhari was not in control of his administration.
As many detractors have done lately, these “influencers,” “celebrated columnists” and “editorial comments” do no more than endorsing the opposition’s utterly wrong and fallacious position that the President is not in charge of his government.
Sometimes, we are forced to wonder whether some writers are mindful of the implication of words for the strategic and territorial interests of the nation.
An entrenched culture of dissent in our country is not something that anyone, not least a Buhari Presidency wants to stamp down.
The fact that these baseless and appallingly mischievous attacks can freely be aired is itself evidence of the right to freedom of expression prevailing in the country today.
Whether it is Ibrahim Magu, Godswill Akpabio, NDDC, NSITF and the others, Nigerians are bound to hold differing opinions, write letters, opinion columns, editorials and even stage lawful protests.
What is sometimes worrisome is that several of these comments, disguised as objective criticisms are merely speaking the language of the opposition-the people who ruined the country during their 16 years of corruption on an industrial scale.
These detractors pick up isolated issues like the ones in the EFCC, NDDC, and incidents of crime and corruption which have been with the country for years, and without any serious effort to uncover them, paint them a phenomena orchestrated and happening because President Buhari’s administration has decided to pursue cases of suspected wrongdoing in the anti-corruption agency, pension funds, NDDC and other government agencies.
But the government was the first to point out the obvious embarrassment that potential acts of wrongdoing by the EFCC leadership would cause the administration. The question to ask is: did they expect the President to draw a curtain over these suspected scandals by not ordering audits and investigations? And for them to turn around to accuse him of a cover up?
To do a cover up and not order audits and investigations as the President did would amount to a historic betrayal of the mandate and the faith placed in him by the Nigerian people.
President Buhari’s integrity, uprightness and probity are intact and well known. Let us remind these so-called editorial writers that ECOWAS, Africa Union and the international community at large recognized President Buhari as Champion of the Anti-Corruption fight in Africa.
Nigerians are convinced that he is honest. They voted for him as President against the background of corruption, public policy paralysis and growing menace of terrorists threatening to take over a sizable portion of the nation’s territory. In his five years in office, there is not a single charge of corruption against his person.
As the leader of the country, President Buhari fully understands and bears the full weight of the solemn oaths he swore to defend the nation’s constitution, its citizens and territory. Disinformation is not a viable option for opposition. The Buhari government has done nothing to warrant these criticisms. Under our laws, you are innocent until proven guilty: Investigation, trial then conviction. Not the other way round. To carry out investigations before condemnation or conviction should not be misconstrued as a weakness or a vacuum in leadership.
The war against corruption is today at historic crossroads. This is the time all Nigerians should stand together to roll it back. President Buhari is determined not to be diverted by unfounded attacks, neither would he compromise the sacred mandate of Nigerians. He is determined to get justice for Nigerians on all these corruption cases being pursued.