Curator

http://ift.tt/2rx47cv Prof. Ishaq Akintola The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)  has called the attention of Muslims throughout the country to the socio-economic plight of Imams, urging faithfuls to use the opportunity of Ramadan to review the benefits of the religious leaders.  Director of MURIC,  Ishaq Akintola in his Ramadan message said the plight of Imams is tragic, pathetic and embarrassing. “It demands an immediate and radical solution” he added.     Akintola said: “In a country where the average citizen lives on less than $1 per day and per capita income is less than $300, the current recession has worsened the plight faced by Imams. It must be noted that while a few Imams receive stipends from Islamic organizations, more than 90% of them have no reliable source of income whatsoever. This is quite embarrassing.     “It is also paradoxical that government establishments do not recognize the Arab...

http://ift.tt/2rx5vf7 Somefun, who disclosed this at the Children’s Day celebration organised by the bank for the students of the Holy Child College, at its head office in Lagos, said the lender was impressed to identify with them. Being focused, hardworking and God-fearing have been identified as factors that will lead to achieving success in life, the Managing Director/Chief Executive officer, Unity Bank, Tomi Somefun, has said. Somefun, who disclosed this at the Children’s Day celebration organised by the bank for the students of the Holy Child College, at its head office in Lagos, said the lender was impressed to identify with them. However, she encouraged them to be serious with their studies and avoid distractions that would jeopardise their future, while imbibing the skills needed to manage finance. According to the Unity Bank boss, the mission statement of the lender, which is a product of merger of nine banks, is to make superior wealth to stakeholders even as it p...

http://ift.tt/2rhNFMJ Executive Secretary, TETFUND, Abdullahi Baffa The inability of the public tertiary institutions to access their allocated funds at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has remained a major issue confronting the institutions over the years, even in the face of funding challenges coupled with the expanding student population and attendant infrastructural demands. As a result, the Fund, therefore, decided to change the narrative with a view to identifying the factors and adopting a partnership approach by engaging them directly to make them globally competitive in the execution of its mandate. This approach, it seems, could offer a better alternative, going by the disclosure from the Fund. One of such partnership engagements was a recent Access Clinic and Project Proposal Defence parley, held with some of the institutions, which cut across the three strata of the benefiting institutions, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. ...

http://ift.tt/2rx7cZN Hennie Heymans The future of Africa revolves round her ability to take the rightful place in the global economic stage, especially through thriving small and medium enterprises (SMEs), said Hennie Heymans, managing director, DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa. E-commerce seems, at the moment, the biggest conduit to get that engine moving, Heymans said while speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek recently. Recall, business leaders and policymakers gathered at the UNCTAD E-Commerce Week from 24-28 April 2017 in Geneva, said that that e-commerce provides a way for those who have been traditionally marginalized in international trade – including young people, women, rural workers and residents of least developed countries – to become global players. Heymans descried Nigeria as a very attractive market in the e-commerce space hence DHL has positioned its apparatus to assist the country harness the e-Commerce potentials. He said that with 91.2 million internet ...

http://ift.tt/2rSQZP7 Nigerian Army Sir: I am no military strategist and expert. I am only an observer that shouldn’t be taken seriously. Though I love the military. I grew up in the barracks enough to know that there are no bad soldiers but very bad officers. Nigeria’s finest military officers have had cause to attend The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United States Military Academy -West Point and Mons Officer Cadet School – Aldershot for military trainings but most who became military-political officers via coup never lived up to the values instilled in them in these world class institutions mentioned above. They even destroyed the mores of the military. We saw Colonels in Nigeria who were military governors, shook hands with Generals. Hands I must say, extended by these Colonels. Generals toadied up to Colonels in power. We are here today, thanks to them. So when people celebrate a rumoured coup, I ask for whose interests? The first successful coup in tropical Africa happen...

http://ift.tt/2pPWqe2 As Benue State electorate prepare for the local councils polls slated for next Saturday, the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has said all candidates for the exercise who met the requirement of the law, have been cleared to participate in the election. Briefing journalists at its headquarters yesterday, Chairman of BSIEC, Dr. John Tsuwa said the commission is fully set for the exercise as it has recruited and trained about 11,000 ad-hoc staff to compliment the commission’s limited workforce in conducting the election. “We are fully set for Saturday’s poll. We did the recruitment online and we are happy to see that the recruitment is without biases. We have already carried out the training of the ad-hoc staff in the three senatorial zones and on Thursday this week, we will be training presiding and returning officers,” he added. Tsuwa who announced that eight political parties made up have featured candidates in the exercise, stressed ...

http://ift.tt/2r63E0d The Category Manager, Dairy, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Biodun Ayodeji, with students from Grange School, Chrisland Schools and Straight Gate College, winners of the first, second and third prizes respectively in the 100 metres freestyle relay for boys at the Loya ‘Swim Meet’ Competition held at Grange School in Lagos… on Saturday. Grange School has emerged winner of the 2017 Loya Milk Swimming competition, which featured 16 secondary schools from Lagos and its environs at the Grange School, Harold Shodipo Crescent, Ikeja. The school won the grand prize of N1 million with other cash prizes of N150, 000 in the 25 metres freestyle, 50 metres freestyle, as well as the 100 metres freestyle relays in the boys and girls’ categories Speaking at the event dubbed ‘Loya Milk Swim Meet for Secondary Schools,’ the Category Manager, Diary, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Biodun Ayodeji stated that calcium fortified Loya Milk, a premium brand from the company will co...

http://ift.tt/2qlXIgy By Theodore Opara A  TWO-day Auto RallyCross and Golf  tournaments will hold in Sagamu, Ogun State tomorrow and Sunday, aimed at making this year’s Children Day celebration a memorable one for the children within Sagamu and its environ. The event is being put together by Work & Play, an event marketing company, in conjunction with SMT Volvo and National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC. Speaking  on the forthcoming event, Business Development Executive of Work & Play, Miss Kome Brown, disclosed that apart from SMT Volvo, notable companies like Toyota, JAC, and Kia are also behind the event, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria. Also, private individuals, who are rally enthusiasts, have signed up to participate at the event with various car models. She explained that work and play was developed as a platform for events of corporate interest like golf tournament, motor sports, outdoor sports, horse-back riding among ot...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J *Abductors want N70m ransom By Dayo Johnson A kure— A Permanent Secretary in the Ondo State Hospital Management Board, HMB, Dr. Niran Ikuomola, has been abducted by gunmen demanding, who are reportedly asking for N70 million as ransom. Vanguard gathered from a family source that the victim was abducted with his driver along the Lokoja-Abuja Highway, Sunday evening. He was said to be travelling to Abuja for an official engagement slated for yesterday, when he was reportedly ambushed by the abductors. Confirming the abduction, Secretary of the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Roland Arohunmolase, described the incident as worrisome. Arohunmolase told newsmen that the leader of the kidnappers has opened contact with the association. According to him, the kidnappers have confirmed that the Permanent Secretary and his driver are with them. Equally, the NMA scribe said that the family members of the victim have been contacted and a ra...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Wole Mosadomi M inna— Just 24 hours after herdsmen killed an Imam and 20 people in a village in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state, another bloody clash between herdsmen and some villagers have claimed five lives in Tungan Malam, a popular cattle market in Paikoro Local Government Area of the state. Vanguard gathered that the clash reportedly erupted following a fight between a herdsman and a villager. A source said the young herdsman stabbed the other boy, which infuriated the villagers. The villagers mobilised and came for a reprisal attack, during which dangerous weapons were freely used leaving four of the herdsmen dead. The one earlier stabbed by the herdsman died yesterday morning in a private clinic in Paiko. Though the state Police Command confirmed the incident, it noted that the killing took place at a drinking joint within the community. Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Bala Elkana, said he was not aware of any death in the ho...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J lagos—Mr. Waheed Atanda, a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Oyo State Governor, Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, and his Commissioner for Finance, Waheed Akanbi, over alleged N4.7 billion fraud, yesterday, told a Federal High Court, Lagos, that the Executive Committees under the leadership of the former Oyo State governor, took a loan of N80 million to save Ladoja from being impeached. Atande, a former associate of Ladoja, gave the revelation while being cross-examined by the lawyers representing Rashidi Ladoja and his Commissioner of Finance. Responding to questions thrown at him by Ladoja and Akanbi’s lawyers, Atanda said; “On N80 million loan from Wema Bank, we had a discussion before writing for a loan, but when the loan went bad, WEMA bank visited Oyo State government and the second defendant (Akanbi). “The loan was borrowed through a vehicle called V. T. Leasing Limited, and disbursement were made to the vendors of the vehicles which were collecte...

http://ift.tt/2pjrB0D Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu To further improve on the competence and capacity of its work force, the Ondo State Public Sector Governance Reform and Development Project (ODPSGRDP), a World Bank Assisted agency has partnered with the state government to integrate the workforce into global best practices on policy implementation. The ODPSGRDP Project Coordinator, Bamidele Daisi said this at the formal launching of the State Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS) in Akure in the presence of all permanent secretaries and top government functionaries. He restated that the new scheme would enhance efficient service delivery, accountability and transparency in governance in pursuance of global best practices. Daisi pointed out that the SIFMIS was designed to optimally utilize the state’s human and natural resources in the face of the current recession and other challenges, curbing wastes and plugging all loopholes in the ...

http://ift.tt/2pqKJd9 Chelsea's N'Golo Kante<br />/ Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto / AFP /Getty Images) Chelsea star N’Golo Kante has been named this year Footballer of the Year by Football Writers’ Association (FWA), beating team-mate Eden Hazard and Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli to the award. Kante is set to win his second consecutive Premier League title this season, having helping Leicester City become champions prior to his Stamford Bridge move. The France international was also named PFA Players’ Player of the Year for his performances in 2016-17.The FWA revealed Kante and runner-up Hazard had combined for over 65 per cent of the total votes cast in his latest triumph. “It is a fantastic honour to win this award,” Kante said.“With so many great players in this Chelsea squad and in the Premier League, for the Football Writers’ Association to name me their Footballer of the Year is a very proud moment in my career.” Leicester striker Jamie Vardy won last season’s awa...

http://ift.tt/2q9XE6P President Buhari I wish the President could answer me now. I wish he could respond directly to my simple question , a question we daily take for granted. It is a question that shows that we care about the other person. And I do care about Mr President. Not only because he is the president of our nation, but also because he is a fellow human and a father to us all. Unfortunately, in all of the controversy which surrounds the state of his health, we seem to have forgotten our common humanity and shared vulnerability. We seem to have forgotten that only God has the final say. In our diverse cultures we have many names which translate to that meaning. God indeed is the only One who has the final say. It is therefore amusing to see and hear many among our generally decadent political players scurrying about like the parasitic rodents that they are, calculating and speculating on how the president’s state of health affects the political landscape and ultimately the...