Nigeria Muslims listen to sermon by Imam (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Lagos Chief Imam, Sheikh Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou-Nolla, has faulted directive by the State government that all worship centers in the State should reopen.
He insisted that all Mosques in the state should remain closed, adding that there is no basis for the reopening of the religious centres going by the increasing figures of the coronavirus index cases.
Lagos State had permitted worship centres to reopen from June 19.
But the Chief Imam said: “the Mosques should still be closed because the number of index cases is still on the rise. They should not open Mosques for now.
“The government should not rush to open religious centres since the reason for their closure has not been defeated,” Sheikh Abou-Nolla said.
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has announced that he, his wife and grand children will not be attending church services as the churches re-opens in Nigeria.Pastor Adeboye, who is 78 years old, speaking at an online Sunday service of the Church broadcast on Dove Television, said that he and his wife will not be part of such gatherings in Lagos in observance of the protocol of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The NCDC had advised people above 65 years to keep off large gatherings, such as religious services.Pastor Adeboye, who said because his grandchildren are under 15, they also will not be part of the services, said that he will continue to conduct online services for some weeks.
He said that Pastors under the Church are free to resume services with their congregation or continue with the virtual worship.“We want to thank the Almighty God that some of us will begin to gather again as from next Sunday.
“I believe that some of you are already gathering in some parts of the world and we believe that you will now begin to enjoy power of corporate prayers once again.
“But as you gather together in all those places where you are free to gather, please remember those of us who cannot gather with you yet.
“People like me and my wife cannot gather with you in Lagos because we are over 65 years of age and my grandchildren cannot gather with you yet because they are under 15 years of age.
“So, remember us in prayers, so that very soon, we will be able to join you. And now that you are able to pray together corporately.
“I am sure that your prayers will be far, far more effective against this plague so that very soon, all will be well.
“For those of you who are still at home, I think I will be reaching out to you again for a couple of weeks more.” And for those of you who can gather, your Pastors can go back to their assignments.
“If they still want to join those of us who are still on lockdown, they are welcome of course.”
Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has admitted that he approved the flight from Lagos to Abuja but not for the use of Naira Marley.
According to the Minister, in a short statement today, June 15, the flight was to convey a judge, Hon Justice Adefope Okoji on official duty in Abuja and to return him to Lagos the same day.
It was not immediately clear how Naira Marley cornered the flight with which he flew to Abuja for his concert, but the Minister has ordered the suspension of ExecJet services indefinitely for what is termed “false information.”
The Pilots of the plane are also facing sanction, even as the operators are likely to be heavily fined.
National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has made it clear that there was no way the party would have bended its rules just so as to favour Governor Godwin Obaseki, who had been screened out.
Oshiomhole, who answered reporters’ questions today, June 15 at the presidential villa, Abuja said that APC is not a party of big men. “It is governed by rules. Both the small and the big are subjected to that rules. I’m sure you will agree that our President led by example when we conducted direct primary in the last presidential election. “We still went to Eagle Square for affirmation. So, If the President did not have the right of first refusal because our Constitution does not provide for it, we cannot under any circumstances now bend the rules when it comes to some people and change the rule when it comes to others. Our duty as the management board of the APC is to ensure that we obey strictly the provisions of our Constitution which empowers National Working Committee to conduct primaries for president, governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly.” He said that the standard practices in the part, of advertising the timetable, collection of forms and screening of aspirants were adopted since 2015.
Oshiomhole acknowledged that the screening for Edo gubernatorial contest against the election slated for June 22 was thoroughly done to the satisfaction of the Nation Working Committee (NWC) of the party, in line with the provisions of the party’s Constitution.
“Because of what happened in Bayelsa, we have decided that we have to be very strict. There are always two issues that lead to disqualification after elections, as you saw in Bayelsa. We won the election, but for technical reasons, we lost it at the Supreme Court. “We have decided we should look at the composition of the committee: we have very senior lawyers, professors of law, we have various professors who should be familiar with the issues of certificate, because those are always the booby traps; whether there are impunities or contradictions or forged documents. “Then we have lawyers who have handled election tribunal, they know the issues that people can raise, once you have filed your nomination because the courts have said INEC cannot screen candidates, the power to screen candidates, it’s exclusively part of the party. So if the party mismanages the process and they produce someone who has a fake certificate or multiple age or issues of spelling, those lawyers know what can lead to disqualification. “So we have confidence in the report they gave us, but in line with our democratic practice and as stated in our Constitution, they also had an opportunity to make an appeal and that opportunity was provided. One of them took advantage of it, unfortunately he wasn’t successful. The appeal panel still reaffirmed the findings of the lower party. “We are getting ready for the primary on the 22nd and we pray that God will preside over the exercise, it will be free fair and transparent and we’ll have a candidate that can unify the party in state.” Oshiomhole said that he is not aware of the move by Governor Obaseki to exit APC, adding that he only hear about it in media.electronic and print, is that he visited a number of PDP governors. We read from electronic and print that his visits to a number of the PDP governors and consultations may have to do with his plan and so on. But we are not here to speculate.
“He is our governor. We are law abiding. But if PDP can conduct activities across 192 wards with the same law, I don’t think our governor will discriminate against his own party. So, we are hopeful that everything will be peaceful.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has confirmed that some rape cases in Nigeria are for ritual purposes, even as he promised to rally round other security agencies as well as stakeholders to deal drastically with the culprits.
The police boss, who spoke to newsmen today, June 15, at the presidential villa, Abuja, admitted that restrictions of movements because of the outbreak of coronavirus had resulted in the surge in the cases of rape and gender-based violence.
“It is a very wicked offense. It is a very serious offense. It is very wicked of an individual to engage in rape or defilement. And there are a lot of causes, some are doing it for ritual purposes. Some are doing it because they are within the family and they see the victims and have the urge to go into it and do it. But such people should not be allowed to go Scott free.”
Mohammed Adamu said that the police had always handled rape cases even before the surge, adding that between January and May this year alone, the police recorded about 717 rape incidents across the country and that about 799 suspects have been arrested.
According to him, about 631 cases have been conclusively investigated and charged to court while 52 cases are under investigation.
“The police and other security agencies and other non-governmental Organisations have been collaborating, to see to it that these cases of rape and gender based violence are dealt with.
“The NGOs and CSOs that have the capacity to deal with this kind of offenses, have been cooperating with law enforcement agencies in capacity building, management of victims of rape and similar offenses and procedures for collecting evidence, towards successful prosecution.”
The Inspector General of Police called on Nigerians who have come across any victim of sexual offenses or rape or gender based violence, to quickly report to law enforcement agents.
According to him, keeping such information without reporting it will give room for the perpetrators to continue to commitment the offenses.
“I am just to inform you that government is doing something about it and you can see me with the ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Women Affairs Development, Pauline Tallen.
“From now onward, national partnership with every stakeholder is what we are going into and not only within the country but within the subregion. “We have to partner with organizations that are involved in this. We know we have been working seriously with UNODC
(United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and other civil society organizations.
“So, just to tell you that government is doing something seriously to curtailed this type of offense.”
The Presidency is angry with the convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi for alleging that the insecurity in some northern states of the country was an indication that President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of those states have lost control over the protection of the people which is a constitutional duty.
In a statement today, June 14, special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said: “we are not surprised by this latest statement by Prof. Abdullahi, and our past position on what his group represents remains unchanged: a mere irritant and featherweight.”
Adesina noted that Ango Abdullahi is only floating Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to cause mischief, adding that hearing the name, NEF, one would think the body is a conglomeration of true elders.
“But the truth is that NEF is just Ango Abdullahi, and Ango Abdullahi is NEF. It is a quasi-organization that boasts of no credible membership, and its leader is akin to a General without troops.”
The presidential spokesman recalled that before the 2019 presidential election, the one-man army called NEF had shown its antipathy against President Buhari, and its preference for another candidate but that thet all got beaten together.
“NEF is merely waving a flag that is at half-mast. President Buhari steadily and steadfastly focuses on the task of retooling Nigeria, and discerning Nigerians know the true state of the nation. They don’t need a paper tiger to tell them anything.”
The Presidency has vowed not to interfere in the police investigation into the recent incident in the Aso Rock presidential villa, leading to gunshot fired by a security personnel.
The incidence led to the arrest of some staff of the presidency, especially those working for the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, by the police.
In a statement today, June 14, senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said that having authorized the proper investigation to be carried out into the unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law.
“In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course.”
The Presidential spokesman said that the shooting, which happened outside the main residence of the President, did not affect the President.
“This is to assure all and everyone that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation.”
Garba Shehu stressed that armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling, saying that where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them.
He regretted that such a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Buhari, adding that it is “beggars belief.”
One of the many contraptions that have defied contrivance and evolution in Nigeria is our politics. We still practise the basest, vilest and crudest kind of politics. In fact, there is a more transparent and disciplined political system in the animal kingdom than there is in our country.
Some studies have shown that baboons have an ordered democratic system – not based on social dominance but on purpose, merit and importance. Baboons will not follow any member of their troupe based on his rank or social significance but squarely on if that member has direction and purpose.
Also, honey bees have one of the most organised social systems. They hold the freest, fairest and most transparent elections. I think we have to start learning from animals – deploying a bit of biology in our politics. It is that bad.
The open scrimmage between Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, and Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, foregrounds the filthiness and anachronism of our politics. In the build-up to the 2016 governorship election in Edo, Oshiomhole eulogised Obaseki as having the ‘’brains and creativity’’ to lead the state while suggesting that the governor’s opponent, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who was in the PDP at the time, could not be trusted with public funds.
Speaking on his now canonised candidate (Ize-Iyamu) at the time, the APC national chairman said: “We kept him away, nothing near government circle, no access to public fund.”
Now, because of his rift with Obaseki, Oshiomhole is angling to install a man whom he said cannot be trusted with public funds as the governor of Edo. You cannot find such ludicrosity even in the animal kingdom. What is at play here is
Oshiomhole’s vulgar interest – obviously. He wants to rule by proxy and of course, relish the benefits of puppeteering.
But where is the interest of the Edo people in all of these? Has the governor failed in his duties? Has he failed on his promises to the people? Has he misused public funds? Are the social and economic indices of the state better or worse than they were four years ago? I believe these gradients should be the basis on which Obaseki is assessed.
Really, Obaseki played into the jaws of the kraken. I believe he knew what he was getting into. In our quotidian politics of interest dealing, he must have made some concessions to his promoter but reneged on them after getting into office. Though it takes courage to back out of any deal that is not in the interest of the people, weaselling out of a supposed agreement accents a flaw in the character of the defaulter.
Obaseki alleged that Oshiomhole pencilled down names of those he must appoint as commissioners in his living room – but he rejected them. Though, the APC national chairman denied the allegation, he admitted he had recommended one or two names to be appointed as commissioners. That fact is there was a covenant, and the deal broke. Nigeria’s classical primitive politics!
In 2016, the APC rubber-stamped the candidature of Obaseki, but in 2020, the same party has disqualified him from vying for its ticket in the Edo governorship primary election over ‘’inconsistencies in his academic credentials’’. Why now? This clearly limns the APC has a party that is vacant of principles, integrity and utility. There could be nothing more fatally astounding.
Over the years, I have watched the APC course from bad to worse, and now to the utterly egregious. Some of the party’s chieftains have blamed the recent nose-dive on Oshiomhole. They may not be entirely wrong. The APC has greatly unravelled. It has become the asymptote of Nigeria’s primitive club of pillagers.
The APC could survive Oshiomhole’s despoiling artifices as a party, but it cannot regain itself and the purpose it once held. Oshiomhole could leave the APC in the same state as he left the NLC – broken, battered and peripheral.
As 2023 approaches, Nigerians will have to look beyond the two wagons of despoilers – the PDP and the APC – if practicable. We are in dire need of political parties that will run on ideologies and principles; that will fecundate political discourse with ideals and real issues not with primitive and base themes that stunt our political growth.
Intellectuals, professionals, particularly those with the interest to serve the people, must get involved in politics; it should not be left for certificate forgers, area boys and cultists. How can our primitive politics evolve when it is run by primitives?
No fewer than 15,000 new students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), matriculated today, June 13 via online.
The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, at the occasion, advised the students to rise to the challenges of the modern world in their quest for knowledge.
The Vice Chancellor, who read his speech over the Zoom application to which many of the students logged on from all over the country, advised the students to see any challenge they encounter in the course of their studies as a building block.
“One block at a time, and you will erect a mansion. You are in the best position to do this because your learning is powered by your personal desire to learn.”
The Vice Chancellor noted that while many students enter higher institutions in order to become educated so that they can get jobs, the matriculating students at NOUN already have jobs and occupations.
Professor Adamu said that because technology has become a commodity, NOUN has optimised its online facilitation exercise such that students can easily interact directly with their lecturers.
According to him, the university is the only one having a Directorate of Learning Content Management System (CLMS) which in due course could become a full-fledge online university.
He said that all the academic programmes of the university are fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in order to ensure their integrity
“Our programmes, quality assurance and delivery mechanisms are therefore more solid than those of many conventional universities who keep coming to us to see how we work this technological magic.”
Adamu informed the new students that this was his last matriculation address at NOUN, his tenure of five years having to end in February, 2021.
“I want to meet you in the next four years, during your graduation, not as Vice-Chancellor, full of knowledge and ready to take on the world as a result of your studentship in NOUN, and proudly watch you graduate with flying colours as simply the best of the best.”
The matriculation oath was administered online on the students by the Registrar of the university, Mr. Felix I. Edoka.
The event was beamed live on the social media and NOUN platforms and was conducted online because of the Covid-19 pandemic which forced the federal government to shut down all schools in the country since March, 2020.
NOUN is the only single-mode open and distance learning university in Nigeria and the largest in West Africa with 580,000 enrolled students spread in 78 study centres across Nigeria.
Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Anselm Ojezua, has said that despite the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki by the party’s Primary Screening Committee, he will go on to win the next election to complete his second term.
“They (the committee members) didn’t say Obaseki will not contest the election but that he will not contest on the platform of the APC. Obaseki performed well and will be re-elected for a second term.”
The party chairman, who spoke to news men in Benin City today, June 12 after the announcement, said that the result didn’t come as a surprise as the governor had alluded to the fact that he will not get justice from the screening exercise.
The APC chairman appealed to the supporters that leadership of the party will meet on Saturday to properly respond.
“I want to appeal to leaders and members of APC in Edo State to remain calm. The validity of the Screening Committee has not been established.”
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No fewer than 15,000 new students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), matriculated today, June 13 via online.
Obaseki/Oshiomhole Naked Brawl: When Will Primitive Politics End? By Fredrick Nwabufo
Some studies have shown that baboons have an ordered democratic system – not based on social dominance but on purpose, merit and importance. Baboons will not follow any member of their troupe based on his rank or social significance but squarely on if that member has direction and purpose.
Also, honey bees have one of the most organised social systems. They hold the freest, fairest and most transparent elections. I think we have to start learning from animals – deploying a bit of biology in our politics. It is that bad.
The open scrimmage between Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, and Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, foregrounds the filthiness and anachronism of our politics. In the build-up to the 2016 governorship election in Edo, Oshiomhole eulogised Obaseki as having the ‘’brains and creativity’’ to lead the state while suggesting that the governor’s opponent, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who was in the PDP at the time, could not be trusted with public funds.
Speaking on his now canonised candidate (Ize-Iyamu) at the time, the APC national chairman said: “We kept him away, nothing near government circle, no access to public fund.”
Now, because of his rift with Obaseki, Oshiomhole is angling to install a man whom he said cannot be trusted with public funds as the governor of Edo. You cannot find such ludicrosity even in the animal kingdom. What is at play here is
Oshiomhole’s vulgar interest – obviously. He wants to rule by proxy and of course, relish the benefits of puppeteering.
But where is the interest of the Edo people in all of these? Has the governor failed in his duties? Has he failed on his promises to the people? Has he misused public funds? Are the social and economic indices of the state better or worse than they were four years ago? I believe these gradients should be the basis on which Obaseki is assessed.
Really, Obaseki played into the jaws of the kraken. I believe he knew what he was getting into. In our quotidian politics of interest dealing, he must have made some concessions to his promoter but reneged on them after getting into office. Though it takes courage to back out of any deal that is not in the interest of the people, weaselling out of a supposed agreement accents a flaw in the character of the defaulter.
Obaseki alleged that Oshiomhole pencilled down names of those he must appoint as commissioners in his living room – but he rejected them. Though, the APC national chairman denied the allegation, he admitted he had recommended one or two names to be appointed as commissioners. That fact is there was a covenant, and the deal broke. Nigeria’s classical primitive politics!
In 2016, the APC rubber-stamped the candidature of Obaseki, but in 2020, the same party has disqualified him from vying for its ticket in the Edo governorship primary election over ‘’inconsistencies in his academic credentials’’. Why now? This clearly limns the APC has a party that is vacant of principles, integrity and utility. There could be nothing more fatally astounding.
Over the years, I have watched the APC course from bad to worse, and now to the utterly egregious. Some of the party’s chieftains have blamed the recent nose-dive on Oshiomhole. They may not be entirely wrong. The APC has greatly unravelled. It has become the asymptote of Nigeria’s primitive club of pillagers.
The APC could survive Oshiomhole’s despoiling artifices as a party, but it cannot regain itself and the purpose it once held. Oshiomhole could leave the APC in the same state as he left the NLC – broken, battered and peripheral.
As 2023 approaches, Nigerians will have to look beyond the two wagons of despoilers – the PDP and the APC – if practicable. We are in dire need of political parties that will run on ideologies and principles; that will fecundate political discourse with ideals and real issues not with primitive and base themes that stunt our political growth.
Intellectuals, professionals, particularly those with the interest to serve the people, must get involved in politics; it should not be left for certificate forgers, area boys and cultists. How can our primitive politics evolve when it is run by primitives?
Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and journalist.
Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo