Curator

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J I t is easy to quickly dismiss Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State as somebody who doesn’t get his priorities right when one considers the news that he has appointed 192 special assistants from all the 192 wards in the 18 local government areas of the state to “serve as representatives of the government at the grassroots”. But such conclusion can be reached when one is only thinking on the surface or doesn’t understand the sense in the governor’s action. If Governor Obaseki’s decision appears as madness, to borrow the Shakespearean axiom, I bet there is unclouded method in it. In that connection, I don’t think the Edo governor should be flailed for walking his talk on bringing the government closer to the people. While we can’t roll out drums and celebrate this move, it’s also untoward that we dismiss the man as confused. That he has chosen to appoint men and women from each ward in the state in order to distil valuable information on the pressing needs and cha...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Prays God to help govt pass 2017 budget  C omrade Joseph Evah, Coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring  Group, IMG, and former Publicity Secretary of Ijaw National Congress, INC, is best known for his fire-spitting human and environmental rights for the Niger Delta and the masses in general. Here, Evah spoke to Saturday Vanguard on the Quit order handed to Ndigbo by Northern youth groups and other issues. How will you describe the recent quit notice given to the Igbo by the Northern youths? The Northern youth’s declaration was an action against all other Nigerians, not just the Igbo. We are still waiting for their elders to apologise to the rest of the country. Their action is condemnable. The action of the Igbo when they declared sit-at-home protest as special day for their fallen heroes during the civil war was not provocative. Since God created the Igbo nation, this last sit at home day was the second significant day in the life of the Igbo nation after th...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Mohammed Isa Effective and efficient transportation provide economic benefits that produce multiplier effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment and additional investments. Consequently citizens who are deprived of transportation infrastructure miss out on several economic opportunities. However, the long neglect of the sector, weak and obsolete legislation, lack of corresponding investment, population explosion and other hiccups combined to cripple the sector, to a point of losing billions of public funds in the name of maintaining the few existing infrastructure. It was to reverse the negative trend, the 8th Senate under the leadership of Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, right from inception identified and marked the sector for   comprehensive reform through enactment of relevant and effective legislation that will make it conform with the best international practices. Giving an insight on how the Senate would face the ch...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Magnus Onyibe When some of us who are privileged to be members of the  commentariat   and who some refer to as public intellectuals took exception to the way and manner that the anti corruption war of this administration was being executed, we were scornfully branded corruption apologists. And the popular axiom often relied on by anti corruption agencies which lash out against those who criticize their method is “when you fight corruption, it fights you back”. So typically,those of us that disagree with their outdated strong arm tactics   that seem to have been taken out of the books of the gestapos in Adolph Hitlers gulag days, are branded supporters of corruption and sometimes enemies of state. Such attacks are often launched   when the table is turned against anti corruption exponents, particularly when their victims get them exposed as also being culpable of corrupt practices. Take the recent case of the suspended former secretary to...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Akwa United’s camp is bubbling with excitement as the coaches, players and management staff of the club are falling over themselves to celebrate one of her own, the mercurial Ubong Friday whose sumptuous strike was voted Wonder Goal of the week on Matchday 21 by football fans. Friday scored a spectacular goal from 30 yards against ABS on Matchday 21 at the Godswill Akpabio International stadium. The goal was nominated by League Management Company, LMC  and was voted goal of the week on LMC’s website and Twitter Handle by football fans across the country. Chairman of Akwa United FC, Elder Paul Bassey congratulated the  Akwa Ibom born striker on his achievement and described the goal as world class. As a reward, Ubong Friday will receive the sum of One Hundred and Fifty thousand Naira (150,000.00) from the sponsors of the Award with half of the money expected to be given out to any charity organisation of the player’s choice within Akwa Ibom State. ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Tunisia  host seven-time African champions and 2017 runners-up  Egypt  in the final tie of the weekend on Sunday evening. Al Ahly and Zamalek dominate the Egypt squad with 14 of the 25 players, but Argentine coach Hector Cuper can also rely on several Europe-based ‘Pharaohs’. Mohamed Salah was a consistent scorer in Italy for Roma last season. Ivory Coast  will dedicate a Group H clash with  Guinea  in Bouake to the memory of 2015 Nations Cup winner Cheick Tiote, who died in China this week. New Elephants’ coach Marc Wilmots had a nightmare debut last Sunday with a 5-0 friendly drubbing by the Netherlands – a record Ivorian loss in their 57-year history. Although guaranteed a place at the 2019 finals as hosts, title-holders  Cameroon  play in Group B and host  Morocco  in Yaounde. Points won by Cameroon’s opponents in the qualifying will count towards their final totals in the group. Another nation with a new...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Ugochukwu Alaribe A BA —The Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, has fixed  June 15  to hear an appeal, CA/OW/190/ 2016, filed by Sir  Friday  Nwosu against the July 8, 2016 judgment of the Federal High Court, Owerri which cleared Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of alleged submission of false information and forged tax documents. A  hearing notice signed by the Court of Appeal registry, Owerri Division, sighted by Vanguard, read;   “In the Court of Appeal, Owerri Judicial Division, Suit http://ift.tt/2rb7CBy , Appeal No.CA/OW/190/2016, between Sir  Friday  Nwanozie  Nwosu (Appellant) and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and three others (Respondents). “Take note that the above mentioned appeal has been fixed for hearing before the Court of Appeal sitting at Port Harcourt road, Owerri,  on Thursday  15th  day of June, 2017.” Nwosu, who contested the December 8, 2014 PDP governorship primaries had accused Ikpeazu of s...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Henry Umoru A BUJA —THE Senate has summoned the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele to appear before it next Tuesday over alleged N30 trillion import duties infractions. Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who gave the summon yesterday,  expressed confidence that the committee would recover, if not all, but a chunk of the monies it was investigating. He also assured that the committee would further engage relevant anti-graft agencies to prosecute culprits to act as deterrent to others. Also invited to appear before the Committee are managing directors of all commercial banks, the Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service and Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. Senator Uzodinma said:  “The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been directed to appear with the managing directors of al...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Onozure Dania The efforts of the immediate past governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in lifting the state of infrastructure in the state was widely acclaimed. But how far his successor would go in sustaining the legacy is an issue that many stakeholders in the state are now watching to see. In his first six months in power, the new governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has sought to project a testimonial that is now attracting critical acclaim that may indeed prove him to be a good student. This was evident at the recent commissioning of the newly constructed Nevis Street Road, which links four major roads in Benin City. At the event, Obaseki   reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to ensure that within his first term in office about 3000km of roads would be completed. One of the things that will stand out the roads to be constructed across the state under this administration is the use of concrete technology. For example, the newly reconstr...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Henry Umoru ABUJA— SENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, yesterday, said one major things the country and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, must get right before the 2019 general election,  was what he described as the big issue of transmission of results during elections. Speaking in Abuja when he received a delegation of Safran IS, an international biometric and identity management company, Saraki said Nigeria, as a nation, must ensure that as soon as results are announced at polling units, every other person should be able to receive the results across board. He reiterated his support for the amendment of the Electoral Act, saying the recent amendments to the electoral law would strengthen the nation’s electoral process and make it conform with international best practices. According to the Senate President, when the passed bill is assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, the amendments would go a long way to help eliminate riggin...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J As part of events for the grand reception by the South South Congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in Benin City today, a novelty match has been arranged between Edo Queens, the top women side in Edo state and the state’s U13 male side that was being groomed by late national team Coach Shuaibu Amodu at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. Edo FA Chairman and Media Committee Chairman of the South South Congress, Frank Ilaboya said in a statement that the match will start at  3pm. The reception proper will take place at the Government House in Benin City by 6:30pm, same day “It will be an interesting encounter and a prelude to an evening of fun, where all the big shots in football and sports from the South South and indeed Nigeria, will be represented. All logistics have been put in place and I can assure you that the event will go on flawless  on Friday”, Ilaboya assured. There are already indications that other zones are planning re...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Promise improved electricity supply  By Chris Ochayi ABUJA— Major stakeholders in the country’s power sector, yesterday, resolved to put the blame game behind and start appropriate action that will build robust synergy towards delivering improved electricity to the people. The one-day workshop, which was convened at the instance of the Market Operator, MO, of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, in Abuja, had in attendance, Transmission Services Provider, TSP; System Operator, SO; Market Operator, MO; Generation Company of Nigeria, GENCOs; Distribution Companies, DISCOs; Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC; Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader, NBET, and other critical stakeholders. In his opening remarks at the workshop, Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Mr. Gur Mohammed, said the seminar was organised to resolve the issue of blame game that hitherto characterised the operations of the stakeholders in electricity va...