Curator

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Festus Ahon UGHELLI—A 49-year-old judiciary staff in Delta State, Mr. Narebor Stephen Donbrapade, has been sentenced to death by hanging for stabbing his flatmate’s wife to death by a Delta State high court sitting in Ughelli. The accused, who hails from Esama town in Bomadi Local Government Area, had on or about January 31, 2013, murdered one Stella Avwenayerhe by stabbing her on the chest at Otobo Street, Ughelli. Donbrapade, who shared a three bedroom flat with the deceased’s husband, was said to have had a minor altercation with the victim after he walked on the rug in the sitting room without removing his shoes. Annoyed that he was reprimanded by the deceased, the accused was said to have dashed into his room only to appear with a knife with which he stabbed Stella Avwenayerhe on the chest. She was confirmed dead by doctors at the Ughelli Central hospital, where she was rushed to by neighbours. The accused, in his defense, pleaded not guilty to the on

http://ift.tt/2oZPZEl ….Analysts in divergent views By Emeka Anaeto, Business Editor & Peter Egwuatu A CONTROVERSY over capital adequacy amongst Nigerian banks may have ensued on the heels of claims by an international financial rating agency that most Nigerian banks are now undercapitalised following the persistent macroeconomic and currency challenges that characterized their operations since 2015. Amidst mixed results in the full year 2016 and first quarter 2017 financial reports of banks turned in to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, world’s leading financial rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has indicated that the banks still have capital adequacy challenges. The rating agency also indicated that for the full year ended December, 31 2016, most Nigerian banks under-provided for doubtful and substandard loans in other to remain within the regulatory capital adequacy ratio. But some Nigerian investment bankers would not agree with the global rating agency, saying the banks are i

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Owei Lakemfa THE Covenant University, Sango Ota, is like most of the private universities established by religious missions, one of the costliest in the country. A former student, Mr. Vmamh Lonngji Felix who sued the university for wrongful expulsion, told the court that in less than four years, his parents spent over N10 million as  fees and basic upkeep. Yet, the seeds of these universities were  sowed, nurtured and harvested  with the tithes and offerings of the poor, working and lower middle classes who due to the high fees, have little or no chance of sending their children to such universities. Some of the rich who can afford the high fees of Covenant University are complaining about the  administration turning the  school  into a military garrison where little or no initiative  can be taken by staff and students, and the latter deprived of their basic freedom. The latest is last Wednesday’s suspension  of some 200 students  for  between four weeks and

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Ochereome Nnanna A NEW book by a Thisday Newspaper Editor and former presidential spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi, has already started knocking the heads of those who ruled us for the past nineteen years together. Entitled (in typical fashion): Against the Run of Play: How an Incumbent President Was Defeated in Nigeria , the book has predictably returned former President Olusegun Obasanjo to an old hobby: Goodluck Jonathan bashing. Obasanjo is well known for his life of ironies, pretences and contradictions. It was during his tenure that members of the National Assembly were reportedly routinely bribed to either remove or enthrone candidates of his choice as Senate President or Speaker or even to amend the constitution to enable him to obtain a third term. On one occasion, bags of old naira notes allegedly deployed for such inglorious venture by the Presidency were spilt on the floor of the House of Reps.  Yet, Obasanjo regularly calls legislators “thieves”. He

http://ift.tt/2ch0FbL By Emman Ovuakporie ABUJA —THERE is a ray of hope for independent candidates in the 2019 polls as the House of Representatives Special Ad-hoc Committee on the review of the 1999 constitution has approved independent candidacy for elections in Nigeria. This development was the outcome of the retreat organised by the  Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, for members of the committee in Abuja, weekend. After a robust debate on the clause contained in the amendment of the Electoral Act, members agreed that there was need to test independent candidacy in the political space to reduce the imposition of candidates by political parties Addressing members after the retreat, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff, who is the chairman of the committee, promised that the National Assembly would give Nigerians an enviable constitution. The chairman stated that the bill would be  considered at plenary to have members’ inputs and further

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J ‘By Henry Boyo AS I speak to you, our    external reserves stand above $31bn and that provides us with enough fire power to be able to defend the Naira” Godwin Emefiele (CBN Governor, April 25, 2017).  However, the question is: Is the CBN actually defending the Naira? This question is examined in the above title, which was first published in Punch and Vanguard Newspapers on January 12, 2015. Please read on: “Evidently, the serial devaluation of the Naira from stronger than N1=$1 to an abysmal low of about N70=$1 at that time, was probably, the most significant instigator of the oppressive economic challenges induced by the IMF imposed Structural Adjustment Programme(SAP).   Nigeria’s once pulsating industrial base soon became almost silent, with increasing idle capacity, which threw many Nigerians into a famished job market. Worse still, those lucky Nigerians who were still employed, regrettably earned wages which were reduced to ‘peanuts’ value by the suffocati

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J “Having power destroys the sanity of the powerful. It allows their irrationalities to leave the sphere of dream and come to the real world.” Saul Bellow. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 195). FOR any economist worthy of the name it must have appeared like fiction or fairy tales. Who would have thought that a President of any nation, even a Banana Republic, said to be a Ph.D holder would in one day sign off N289 million to a security outfit without authority from the National Assembly, NASS, and have the funds withdrawn illegally from a government agency? Saul Bellow has pointed to how power destroys the sanity of most people. But, power allied with stupidity amounts to a double curse on the people led by such individuals.   As German philosopher Frederick Von Schiller, 1759-1805 (VBQ p 235) has advised us “Against stupidity [of the leaders] the gods themselves struggle in vain.” Let us place the $289 million in its true perspective starting with the timing.

http://ift.tt/2lULSLN ..Move to probe job losses, tax compliance in telecoms sector By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA —THERE are indications that the Senate and the House of Representatives are working at cross-purposes on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, pending in both chambers. Though the Senate said recently it would soon pass the PIB into law, the House is yet to commence work on the Bill, which it passed in the last session. This is even as the House has commenced a probe of telecommunications to determine whether there were irregularities in the employment status and conditions of Nigerians at home and abroad, with special attention on job losses, non-remittance of tax deductions and lopsided expatriate representation. It was gathered that the oil industry bill in the Senate is silent on how to make the entire sector transparent, fuelling suspicion that some of the elements from the north that frustrated its passage in the 7th Senate are n

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The National Security Adviser, Minister of Interior and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) have been advised to consider Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s allegation that the police planned to assassinate him as a threat to national security. Spokesman of the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC), Chris Finebone and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside gave the advice yesterday while reacting to Wike’s allegations. Wike had restated at the weekend that the IGP, who he accused of planning to raid his private residence in Abuja, was still hell-bent on assassinating him. Finebone said the governor’s allegation should not been seen as mere politics but a threat to national security. He called for a thorough investigation of the governor who the constitution doesn’t shield from investigation. He said Wike’s aspersions on the IGP stems from his inability to compromise the police under his watch.

http://ift.tt/2oZylQV ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL… The very smell of orange essential oil reminds you of happy moments and brings pleasant thoughts to mind. That is why this oil is so frequently used in aromatherapy. It creates a happy, relaxed feeling and works as a mood lifter, perfect for people who suffer from depression or chronic anxiety.<br />PHOTO CREDIT: http://ift.tt/2oZ6eBK *Researchers find evidence that essential oil reduces fear, diminishes immune system markers of didorder in mice About eight percent of people will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives, according to the United States (U.S.) Department of Veterans Affairs, yet treatments for this debilitating condition remain limited. In a new study, mice exposed to orange essential oil after a stressful situation showed improvements in markers of stress and fear, suggesting essential oil may offer a non-pharmaceutical option to help alleviate PTSD. Cassandra Moshfegh, research as

http://ift.tt/2oO7sDC One of the vandalised cars The peaceful environment of Obele Kolade community in Mushin area of Lagos State was disrupted recently by unknown hoodlums, who came from nowhere to attack and dispossess residents of their valuables. The hoodlums also vandalised more than 100 cars before escaping from the area. Narrating what happened on Thursday, April 13, 2017 to newsmen, the Baale of Obele Kolade Lawanson, High Chief Alhaji Fatai Oseni, said: “Obele Kolade is a very peaceful community from time immemorial, but things changed last year, when some hoodlums were driven away from other places and some people in the community shielded them. The landlords’ association and eminent persons in the community tried their best to stop the activities of these hoodlums but it proved futile.” The Baale, who appealed to the local and state governments to come to their aid, noted with dismay that since the introduction of the Neighbourhood Watch operatives by the state governm

http://ift.tt/2oZFaCc Asthma •400m people at risk, as thoracic society seeks subsidy on drugs As the World Asthma Day is marked tomorrow, medical experts have urged the Federal Government to subsidise medications on the ailment and create specialised centres to manage it. The international day is marked to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. The theme of this year’s event is “You Can Control Your Asthma.” A Professor of Medicine and Consultant Chest physician, Gregory Efosa Erhabor, made the call in an exclusive interview with The Guardian at the weekend. He disclosed that asthma kills about 250,000 people yearly, adding that over 400 million would be prone to the condition by 2025. Erhabor, who spoke under the aegis of the Nigerian Thoracic Society (NTS), urged the Federal Government to support organisations that were involved in its management. He stressed that anecdotal evidence showed that 15 to 20 million people suffer from asthma, stating that it ha

http://ift.tt/2qnIDMb BASA, otherwise called Air Transport Agreement (ATA), is an understanding between two nations to allow international commercial air transport services with their territories. PHOTO: Traffic Information • Cameroun, Senegal, others block Nigerian carriers • Stakeholders flay multiple destination offers to foreign airlines • ‘Blame our low capacity to reciprocate’ Unfavourable Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) that allow foreign airlines access into the local market is costing the Nigerian economy and her ailing aviation sub-sector billions of naira yearly. The loss, in excess of over N200 billion, follows the perennial inability of the nation’s flag carriers to reciprocate and compete with their international partners on the BASA routes. Consequently, the local air travel market, second largest in Africa, keeps losing while its foreign counterparts and their home countries are the better for it. The Guardian’s investigation reveals that the imbalance

http://ift.tt/2qntKt5 Lagos State chairman of NLC, Idowu Adelakun. PHOTO: GETTYIMAGES Workers have decried the poor welfare and working conditions offered by employers in the country. They said they were not in celebration mood, as nothing is in place to improve their lives. Industrial unions like the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC) all agreed that workers have not benefitted from the nation’s abundant resources. In an interview with The Guardian, the Lagos State chairman of NLC, Idowu Adelakun, expressed displeasure over the plight of workers in the country. He said: “Labour creates wealth, and the wealth has increased, but as workers in Nigeria, what has been our condition; have we actually benefitted from the wealth of the nation? “In fact, poverty among the working class has continued to increase. We are just a pool of poor workers and therefore, I think this year’s May Day calls for us to dedicate ourselves

http://ift.tt/2plC7Xs Professor of Political Science and Nigeria’s former minister for Foreign Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi. Deputy Chairman of the 2014 National Conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, wants the Federal Government to show restraint while investigating the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) over money found hidden in a flat in Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Akinyemi in a statement issued yesterday said he was alarmed when the NIA under the former Director- General, Ayodele Oke, stepped forward to claim ownership of the N13 billion the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) found in a private residence last month. According to him, it is one of the sacred traditions of the external intelligence trade to admit nothing and to deny nothing. He added that a ‘saving grace emerged’ when President Muhammadu Buhari set up the Vice President Osinbajo-led committee ‘to untangle the web over the millions of dollars.’ But Akinyemi, a professor of Political Science who once

http://ift.tt/2qnB5sC Clearing and forwarding agents in Nigeria have threatened to shut down their activities at seaports and airports across the country over alleged police extortion and intimidation by operatives attached to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Team, the IGP Squad on Pipeline Vandalisation and the Maritime Police Unit of the force. The aggrieved members lamented that operatives of the various teams and squads set up by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had since abandoned their official duty posts and were obstructing trucks laden with containers, carrying out duty inspection on goods already cleared by Customs officials and framing up charges against their members with a view to extorting them. “We pay between N500, 000 to N1million per container or trailer to the Maritime Police Department, IG Monitoring Team and the IG Anti Vandalisation Squad, all the outfits are stationed at the Force headquarters Annex, Kam Salem House, Obalende. W

http://ift.tt/2oXyeFz Members of Nigeria Labour congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) .PHOTO: LADIDI LUCY ELUKPO • Police warn against mass rally in Abuja Organised labour at the weekend said it would mobilise workers to protest moves to remove minimum wage from the exclusive to concurrent legislative list. The President, United Labour Congress (ULC), Joe Ajaero, disclosed this at the pre-2017 May Day seminar organised by ULC, in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the concurrent list stipulates that powers are shared jointly by both the central and regional or state governments as stipulated in the Constitution, even though both governments can make law on matters that fall under the concurrent list, the central government is supreme. This means that in case there is a conflict of law made by both governments, the law will supersedes that of the regional or state government. According to Ajaero, the move is ill-motivated to deny workers their rig

http://ift.tt/2plBRrK Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (R) talks with Manchester United's English striker Marcus Rashford (L) as they leave the pitch at the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Swansea City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on April 30, 2017. Oli SCARFF / AFP Jose Mourinho described Manchester United’s jammed-packed schedule as “not human” after a growing injury list threatened to wreck hopes of a place in next season’s Champions League. A 1-1 draw with Swansea on Sunday was a sixth stalemate in eight games at Old Trafford and harmed hopes of finishing in the top four. To make matters worse for United, Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly also suffered game-ending injuries, leaving Mourinho with a major personnel crisis ahead of Thursday’s Europa League first leg semi-final visit to Celta Vigo. The pair joined fellow defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, who have been out since l

http://ift.tt/2plJGxv Dangote Sugar Refinery Firm’s profitability to get N106b investment boost Shareholders of Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) Plc, have approved a total N7.2 billion dividend proposed by the directors for the 2016 financial year. Besides, the Chairman, DSR, Aliko Dangote, also disclosed plans to invest N106 billion into the company to enhance profitability and shareholders’ value. The dividend, which translated to 60 kobo per share, was approved at the 11th yearly general meeting of the company held in Lagos at the weekend. The shareholders commended the board for efficient running of the affairs of the company despite the challenges in the operating environment. Speaking at the meeting, the National Coordinator Emeritus of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Sunny Nwosu, noted that the management of the company is becoming more proactive, going by the giant strides they are making in the areas of backward integration. According to him, DSR ha