Curator

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Muyiwa Adetiba I don’t know if anybody made a physical count, but the reports in the media was that 34 private jets landed in Minna for the wedding of Halima, the daughter of General Ibrahim Babangida. In other words, the figure could have been more or less. But 34 jets for a wedding? In a recession? Even if all routes were to lead to Minna, people should have been more sensitive and more circumspect. This is in a country that cannot boast of a National Carrier. It would not surprise me if the collective wealth of those people out there was more than the entire wealth of the nation. After all, it has been said that one percent of Nigerians consume about ninety percent of her resources. And a sizable and significant part of that one per cent would have been in Minna on the twelve of May. Speaking of jets, sometimes in 1977, British Caledonian Airways (BCal) had the Inaugural Flight of a wider bodied variety from Lagos to London. I was one of two journalists on...

http://ift.tt/2s5uhQm …We’ve not benefited anything from this govt —SSANU By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Chigoziri Ohuoha IN less than 72 hours, President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, will be two years in office. A cross section of workers who spoke to Saturday Vanguard through their unions, were unanimous that the past two years of the administration have been extremely difficult, characterized by untold hardships, job losses, unpaid salaries and frustration among others. They spoke through the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG; Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGSSAN; National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN; Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU; and Campaign for Democratic Workers’ Rights, CDWR. General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, said the government inherited a lot of things, such as the cash call and ...

http://ift.tt/2r79G0U By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor Igbo leaders including Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Prof. Charles Soludo, and Prof. Pat Utomi according to reports are converging on Enugu today to deliberate on the lot of Ndigbo during the Muhammadu Buhari era. Today’s meeting should have been a non-issue had something come out of a pre-inauguration get-together between the then President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari and the deputy president of the Senate, Senator Ekweremadu. Senator Ekweremadu, then and still the highest political office holder from the Southeast, according to normally reliable sources had visited Buhari before the inauguration to wish him well. The visit was significant given that the Southeast returned the lowest proportion of votes for the victorious All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, Buhari. Those familiar with the meeting said that Ekweremadu without making apologies for the way the people voted for Goodluck Jonathan had enjoined the inco...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Emma Amaize A coalition of six  civil society groups, CSOs and riverine dwellers  in Delta State and have  served notice of their plan to  protest against the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, over alleged abandonment of Ayokoromo-Egbo-Ede Bridge project in Burutu Local Government Area. The right groups are Ayakoromo Activists Forum, Ijaw People Development Initiative, Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, Concerned Ijaw Transformation Ambassadors, Committee for Rural Development Movement and Concerned Ayakoromo Citizens. In a May 22 letter to the governor, signed by Austin Ozobo and four others, they said: “In pursuance of the above, we, the coalition of concerned Civil Society Groups in collaboration with the beleaguered riverine communities have decided to register our grievances to the world in peaceful protest at the project site at Ayakoromo town in Burutu local government area on the 30th of May, 2017.” “Our...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Onozure Dania Lagos—A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere yesterday adjourned till June 21, for  judgment in a case filed by residents of several waterfront communities against the state government. Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo said he would however deliver judgment if the court finds that it has jurisdiction to hear the case. The judge said this after listening to the submission of the applicants and respondents’ counsel on the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the case. The suit was instituted by 33 applicants suing on behalf of themselves and other residents of waterfront settlements including Otodo Gbame, Tomaro, Otumara, Orisunmibare, Oko Agbon, Itun Atan, Sogunro, the Ikorodu communities of Ofin, Bayeku, Olufunke Majidun and the Bariga communities of Ago Egun and Ebute-Ilaje.       Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Governor and the Commissioner of Po...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Gabriel Olawale lagos—A retired diplomat, Ambassador Dapo Fafowora, yesterday, expressed dissatisfaction over the demolition of late politician/activist, Sir Herbert Macaulay’s residence in Lagos by the government despite his contribution to the development of democracy in Nigeria and Lagos in particular. Fafowora who spoke in Lagos at maiden edition of the Herbert Macaulay Gold Lecture said the place which should have served as a tourist attraction and sort of political Mecca for his admirers and political associates, was demolished to give way to what looks like a grotesque post office junk yard. “It was on record that Herbert Macaulay fought the colonial authorities in Lagos for their political excesses, particularly whenever they trampled on the rights of the indigenous people under colonial rule. He fought against salary and promotion discrimination melted against Africans during colonial era,” Prof Fafowora said. He regretted that despite Herbert Maca...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Emma Amaize WARRI—Niger Delta Scholars, NDS, Warri, Delta State, restated, yesterday, that they have proofs in support of Ogbe-Ijoh title of Warri and urged the Itsekiri ethnic nationality to desist from further stoking controversies. Reacting to a recent reply by the Iwere People’s Congress, IPC, an Itsekiri group, NDS, in a statement by its national coordinator, Chief Monday Keme, said: “Once again, we appeal to our Itsekiri neighbours to refrain from further claims to Ogbe-Ijoh lands as there are abundant evidences, including the ancient Ogbe-Ijoh Market retaining the identity of Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri urban in support of Ogbe-Ijoh’s ownership of Warri. “The group, IPC, in an attempt to mislead the public misinterpreted certain legal pronouncements , Ometan v Dore Numa and Chief Izoukumor Olioki and five others of blessed memory, on the one hand, and on the other hand, Chief Dore Numa’s letters to both Ogbe-Ijoh and Agbassa people. “Ometan, on behalf of Agba...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J …As PENGASSAN threatens to shutdown ExxonMobil operations By Udeme Akpan, Ediri Ejoh & Prince Okafor Nigeria’s petroleum products refining capacity is set to rise by additional 150,000 bpd as the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NOAC, has concluded plans to construct a new plant in the nation. The planned project is expected to increase the nation’s refining capacity from the current 445,000 barrels per day, bpd, to 595,000 bpd in 2020. Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who disclosed this in Abuja after leading the oil firm’s management team to a meeting with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on the new refinery was already being prepared to pave way for the execution and completion of the refinery. The minister noted that the latest initiative would increase the company’s total investment in power and the refinery to over $15 billion, urging other multinational...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Daud Olatunji ABEOKUTA—politicians in Nigeria have been described as a crop of people who have no sense of shame, only out to seek personal gain and not to serve the overall good of the country. The Bishop of Remo Diocese and Archbishop , Ecclesiastical province of Lagos , Most Rev. Olusina Fape stated this  at the 30th  memorial service of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, held at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne Remo, Ogun State yesterday. The Bishop who spoke on the theme: Remembering Chief Obafemi Awolowo in Joyful Service of God and Humanity noted that the current crop of politicians in the country found it convenient to defect from one political party to the other only to satisfy their selfish interest without recourse to the electorate who elected them into different offices . He said “Today, aspirants into various political offices merely talk about 7 or 6 or 5-point Agenda, as mere rhetoric without full understanding of what they ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Ola Ajayi Ibadan—FEDERAL Government in conjunction with Oyo State Government has finalised plans to resuscitate the moribund Nigeria Marble Mining Company which is located at Igbeti, Oke Ogun area of the state. Already, a new management board saddled with the responsibility of injecting life into the company has been inaugurated. On the management team are representatives of the Federal Government, Oyo State, and Olorunsogo Local Government; while Dr. Jadesola Sodipe, Chief Jacob Adetoro and Chief Connie-Jean Aremu (SAN) were listed as representatives of the Ashamu family, which founded the company. An official from the federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, Zonal Mine Office, Mr. Donatus Umaro, was also inaugurated as a board member of the company. Governor Ajimobi, on his own part, appointed the state Commissioners for Finance and Budget, Mr. Abimbola Adekanmbi, and Ministry of Justice, Mr. Seun Abimbola, and the Special Adviser to the governor on Solid Min...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Sola Ogundipe Former Minister of Health and President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, has urged health professionals in the country to work in harmony to tackle  issues for the good of the country.” Adelusi-Adeluyi, who lamented the current situation of the health sector, said: “the poor state of affairs is made even worse by the animosity, distrust and consequently, disharmony among  different professionals in the health sector.” Adelusi-Adeluyi said that the most vital resource in the health sector was not the annual budgetary allocation from government, but the huge human resource endowment. It is only by building on its strengths which include its diversity, that the health sector can become truly primed to deliver optimal value to Nigeria. “Here is a sector brimming with enthusiastic and well-trained doctors, pharmacists, nurses, medical scientists, optometrists and other cadres of professionals. If profession...