Nation
THE STATES
As the global economic meltdown continues to put soco-economic growth of nations in reverse gear and unleash hardship on their citizens, especially in developing countries like Nigeria, a religious leader has provided a recipe. He has called on Christians to give to God what will attract a “Thank you” from Him, pointing out that when God says “thank you, nothing can stop your prosperity and nobody can harm you”. The Archbishop of Christ Healing Church of Nigeria (CHCN), His Grace, Most Rev (Dr) Benjamin A. Obomanu (JP) stated this Sunday at the 2009 Adult Thanksgiving Service of St. Nelson’s Church, Ikot Abasi in Akwa Akwa Ibom State. Obomanu who is also the Bishop of the Port Harcourt/Ikot Abasi Diocese of CHCN in his sermon on the theme: “I will not sacrifice to God burnt offering that costs me nothing”, said harvest is a period that the relationship of a Christians with God is put to test by what he offers to his creator for the great benefits he/she had received from His hands. According to the Prelate, many Christians make themselves their own enemies, as according to him God’s blessings can only be received through giving from the heart. “When God becomes your friend because of your giving, no one can be your enemy. The man of God urged Christians to joyfully thank God for all He has done for them in order to attract more blessings. Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday night arrested and detained the sacked Group Managing Director of Spring Bank, Mr. Charles Ojo, over alleged insider abuse, while the boss of the Commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest. The commission is also set to declare the sacked Group Managing Director of Equitorial Trust Bank, Mr. Ike Oraekwuotu, wanted if he did not give himself up for arrest. He did not give any ultimatum. He is said to be in hiding since his removal by the Central Bank of Nigeria over alleged unethical handling of the bank while in charge. Mr.Francis Atuche, under whose headship the Bank PHB failed the apex bank stress test ,had been taken in by the commission last Friday. Also arrested same day was the highest individual debtor in the country, sacked Managing Director of Falcon Securities, Mr. Peter Ololo. Ojo was reportedly arrested at 11.30 pm Friday night at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. The commission’s operatives were said to have trailed him from Abuja, where he boarded a late night flight, to Lagos and was reportedly picked while trying to use the cover of night to sneak out. The commission had put all the three sacked bank chiefs on security surveillance since they were removed by the apex bank penultimate week. The audit report of the apex bank was said to have indicted them for alleged insider abuse. It was learnt that the commission would start with the arrest of the trio and move against other members of the management teams of the three banks after interrogating the sacked bank bosses. Our source was informed that their interrogation would determine those to be picked among other members of the management teams and those to be left off the hook. The trio had reportedly ignored the directive of the commission to submit themselves to it and had to go after them when it became clear that they did not want to honour the commission’s invitation. The homes of Atuche and Ololo in Lagos were searched by the commission’s operatives after their arrest. It could not be confirmed as of press time if the same treatment was meted out to Ojo. The Chairman of the commission, Mrs Farida Waziri ,last Thursday stormed Lagos with 80 operatives for the arrest of the sacked management teams of three of the five banks that failed the recent Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN} stress test and the recovery of over N1 trillion non-performing loans owed ten troubled banks by top Nigerian businessmen, oil companies and stockbrokers. The first five banks that failed the apex bank’s stress test included Oceanic Bank, Intercontinental Bank, Finbank, Afri Bank and Union Bank, while the last five are Bank PHB, Spring Bank, Unity Bank, Equitorial Trust Bank and Wema Bank. Only Wema and Unity Banks’ management teams were spared. According to CBN, debtors of non-performing loans included Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Gen. Buba Marwa, scion of the late M.K.O Abiola’s dynasty, Kola, the deported Vaswani brothers , billionaire businessmen, Femi Otedola and Aliko Dangote, Professor Pat Utomi, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, Chief Cletus Ibeto of Ibeto Cement, among others. Ondo Following the uproar at the Ondo State House of Assembly over the delay in the swearing in of a lawmaker-elect, Hon. Adeniyi Akindele of Labour Party (LP), the assembly as adjourned its sitting indefinitely. Addressing reporters at the weekend in Akure, the state capital the Chairman, House Committee On Information, Orientation and Mobilisation, Hon. Kele Bolodeoku and his counterpart on the Public Account Committee, Hon. Niyi Adebusuyi, said the adjournment was due to insecurity at the assembly. The four of their colleagues, who were injured by suspected thugs on Thursday at the assembly’s premises, are responding to treatment at undisclosed hospitals. Bolodeoku said there was no way the House could sit in an unsecured environment. He urged Governor Olusegu Miniko to ensure that the security and property is guaranteed. Regretting the inability of the house of searing in the Hon. Adeniyi Akindele, who got his certificate of return last week, Bolodeoku said the assembly was constrained by the pending suit challenging Akindele’s election. He said the lawmakers will resume as soon as security there is guranteed. Ekiti The Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ado-Ekiti, has rejected two documents a witness sought to tender in favour of governor Segun Oni. It was at the resumed hearing of the petition filled by Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate Dr. Kayo Fayemi against Oni’s declaration as winner of the April 25 governorship rerun election. Omodan Afolabi sought to tender as exhibits his AC membership card and tag as party agent during the election. Afolabi, who claimed to have acted as a party agent for AC at Ipoti ward B Ijero Local Government Area of the state, urged the tribunal to admit the documents-his party membership card and party agent tao, as exhibits. The ruling, which threw out the two documents, was delivered shortly before the continuation of Oni’s defence of his election. Fayemi is challenging the results declared by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) in six wards of Ipoti A, Ipoti B in Ijero Local Government Area and Ifaki I, Ifaki II Orin/Ora and Usi in Ido/Osi Local Government Area. The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Hamma Barka, had in a short ruling after counsel announced their appearances rejected the two documents. He said they were not pleaded. Justice Barka upheld the objection of the counsel to the petitioners. Ibadan Unknown gunmen attacked the Ibadan, Oyo State Polytechnic Rector, Prof Moshood Nassar and other members of the institute Wednesday. The team was said to be returning from a visit from Eruna Compus before heading to Saki Satellite for an inspection tour when it was attacked by the hoodlums and the Rector was shot in the arm. At this point, the policeman simply identified as Hassan, was said to have shot one of the robbers who suddenly jumped on the road to stop the convoy. However, other members of the gang emerged from their hideout and ordered all those on the convoy to prostrate on the road, fired several shots on the policeman who died on the spot. It was said, to be a neigbouring community, Maya’s market day. The robbers had earlier robbed some other people before they got there, the police boss Baba Adisa Bolata confirmed the incident. Ogbomoso Ogbons, Christopher Chinwero, a corps member serving in Ogbomoso, Oyo State has reached out to over 2,500 persons aged 50 years and above through a community project to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. He organised two sessions in September and October at the Baptist Medical Centre, Ogbomoso during which health professionals attended to the needs of the elderly. The programme was a huge success, those in attendance included elderly persons, NYSC officials, traditional rulers of the indigenous community as well as representatives of pharmaceutical companies. Through this project, the participants were privileged to receive low-dose aspirin (Vasoprin, 75mg) courtesy of Juttel Nigeria Ltd. By this, Ogbons, a graduate of pharmacy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), hopes to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke using the wonder drug vasoprin 75mg. He, and his partners also equipped the participants with the knowledge of risk factors for some common cardiovascalar diseases such as heart attack, stroke, hypertension and congestive heart failure. Oyo Doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Oyo State, Wednesday suspended their three-day old strike. The stroke was called off following a negotiation with the hospital’s management. The negotiation began last Tuesday. The UCH branch of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) had embarked on strike last Monday, following a resolution at a congress last weekend. Association of Resident doctors (ARD) secretary, Dr Sunday Ekanem, said the decision to suspend the strike was reached at a congress held Wednesday. Bauchi A former student of the department of Science Laboratory Technology of Federal Polytechnic, Offa (FEDPOFFA) Kwara State, Mr Akinyemi Rotimi Olowookere, has been given automatic employment by the Bauchi State Government for his diligence and exemplary conduct during the 2007/2008 National Youth Service (NYSC) year. Apart from working diligently in his place of primary assignment at the Government College (special), Azare, Olowookere rallied, through proposals, 25 national and international organisations to support his project for the secondary school, and was able to build a community development centre, which was rated the best in the state in Azare as his Community Development (CD) project. Kwara Four nominees have been sent to State House of Assembly by the Kwara state Governor Bukola Savaki for confirmation as commissioners. However, he is seeking approval of the lawmakers to appoint three special advisers. At this point, the commissioner nominees are Abdulaaniya Dele, Ladi Hassan, Abubakar Kannike and AbdulRaaf Shittu. Three of the nominees Hassan, Shittu and Kannike were holding various positions. Hassann was Chief of Staff Government House, Shittu, Special Adviser on Infrastructure, and Kannike, Special Assistant on Agriculture.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Nigerian Military is committed to facilitating sustainable food security in the country through the establishment of farms.
Musa said this in Abuja yesterday during the unveiling of the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products Logo.
He noted that the agricultural sector played crucial role in guaranteeing food security which was requisite for sustainable national security.
He said that the adverse impact of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict across some parts of the country had continuously threatened food security with dire consequences on national security.
According to him, to address this, the Defence Headquarters in May 2023, conceptualised the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative.
“This is with the aim of keying into the federal government’s efforts at addressing food security challenges in the country.
“The initiative which aligns with the ‘People Centric’ policy thrust of my leadership concept is aimed at creating job opportunities and enhancing rural infrastructural development while significantly contributing to food security in the Country.
“Considering the extensive consultation, planning and preparation made by the committee thus far, I am optimistic that the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative will have a positive transformative impact on host communities while enhancing national security.
“With similar initiatives replicated across the country, I envision a future characterised by modernised farming techniques in which the agricultural sector significantly contributes to economic growth and national development.”
The CDS enjoined all members of the Armed Forces and the general public to embrace the initiative and maximise its associated gains.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, for his sterling leadership and relentless pursuit of national peace, security and economic prosperity.
He also appreciated the efforts of members of the committee who worked assiduously to actualise the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman, Defence Farms Committee,