All Posts in "Day: March 12, 2021"

 Olubadan Places Hausa Leader Under Baale Of Sasa

Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunj has compelled  the Sarkin Sasa Haruna Mai Yasin Katsina to operate under the leadership of the Baale of Sasa Chief Amusa Ajani.
He spoke  during a peace meeting with members of the Hausa/Fulani community over the crisis that engulfed Sasa market last month
Represented by the Otun Olubadan High Chief Lekan Balogun, who led other high chiefs at the meeting, the monarch said the structure of traditional leadership in Ibadan is clear that the Baale is the overall leader in every community in Ibadan land.
He urged the Hausa leader to operate under the Baale for smooth administration and  peace in the area.
He advised the Sarkin to  face the reality that irrespective of the honour accorded him, he is under the chieftaincy stool of the community leader of Sasa, Chief Amusa Ajani where he resides.
The monarch lamented  the huge  position granted the Seriki n’Sasa in the scheme of things in the state was unbecoming, asking all the relevant authorities to know and accept the fact that the community leader is under the Baale of Sasa.
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Oduduwa 0
Why We Agree To Work With Buhari-PDP Govs 

PDP governors pledge support for FG's fight against banditry, terrorism
The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum and governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal says no governor is considering  leaving the party.
He spoke in Abuja where he disclosed that the PDP governors have agreed to work with Federal Government to achieve peace.
 He added that Zamfara state governor, Hon. Bello Mattawale has agreed to the no-fly-zone by the federal government, if the aim is to ensure that there is security reestablishment of peace in the state.
He said: “As governors of the PDP have agreed and resolved to continue to work with the federal government with the sole aim of reestablishing peace in troubled areas of the Federation. We must not play politics with security and we must all work together to ensure that we bring back peace in our land. So we have agreed to continue to work with the federal government in that regard.
“And on the general economic well being of the country, we are appealing to Mr President, to reconsider certain measures, and we are appealing to him to actually bring more succor and relief to the people of Nigeria and support state governments in the discharge of their mandate, by making available resources to the States, so that we can execute our mandate and ensure that we engender good governance and good condition of living in our respective states throughout the country.
“And we also review the situation of our party. We have met with the NWC and will have commended  the initiative of NWC in coming up with Saraki led committee to reconcile aggrieved members of the party across the country.As you can see, most if not all of the governors of the PDP attended this meeting. This is a very clear statement that no governor of PDP is contemplating leaving the party for any other party.
“We are brother and we have committed ourselves to the party and to ensure that we continue to deliver on our nnandate to the people of our respective states who have agreed to work together with the National Working Committee of the party for us to continue with what we started earlier on e-registration of members of the party.
“We’re appealing to the working committee to immediately set up machinery in motion for that to be actualised. So these are some of the highlights of what was discussed and agreed upon, and we have integrated our committees on finance on legal matters, on legislative interface.”
He spoke  on the protest by Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on the removal of minimum wage from exclusive list to concurrent list, Tambuwal said no governor attempted  same.
“The member who actually presented that bill did that on his own volition as a member of the House of Representatives. I am sure not with instruction of any state or any state government, so I believe that the acquisition of NLC is misplaced.”
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Politics 0
Makinde  Gets New Aides On Infrastructure, Legal Matters

Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has announced t appointed Mr. Seyi Adeleye and Miss Ifedolapo Sadiat Ologburo as Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure and Special Assistant on Legal Matters respectively.
The appointments of the duo were announced in separate letters signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) , Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, dated 8th March 2021.
The appointments are with immediate effect.
A statement by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to the governor, Moses Alao,  said the governor implored the new appointees to see their appointments as a call to service and to discharge their duties with absolute loyalty, dedication, diligence.
The new aide  on Works and Infrastructure, Adeleye, is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Lagos and a holder of a Masters in Business Administration from the Edinburgh Business School, Herriot Watt University, Scotland.
He has over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, including a stint in major project delivery for Shell in Nigeria and Brunei.
Adeleye is a member of leading professional bodies including Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Society of Petroleum Engineers, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), among others.
The Special Assistant (Legal Matters), Ologburo, holds a Law degree (LLB) from the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, and was trained at the Nigerian Law School.
She has practiced as a lawyer with eight years of experience, serving in different law firms including Banwo Ighodalo and Olujimi & Akeredolu Legal Practitioners, where she was an intern and legal associate respectively.
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Next Level 0
Group  To Buhari:Stop Paying N/D Govs. Derivation Funds

Ex-militants task Niger Delta governors on N44.68tr 13% derivation | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsNigeria — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News
The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), a coalition of militants,has said that the 13 per cent derivation funds collected by Niger Delta governors since 1999  had accumulated  to N55trn
The group implored  President Muhammadu Buhari to  stop paying the 13 per cent derivation funds to the governors of the region.
It  advised that the 13 per cent derivation should be paid directly to the oil and gas-producing communities in the interest of peace since the previous ones collected by the governors did not impact positively on the host communities and the people.
These positions were captured  in a statement  by the RNDA’s Commanding Officer, ‘Major General’ Johnmark Ezon-Ebi, after the coalition rose from their emergency meeting allegedly convened in the creeks of the region.
The group maintained  that the governors of the oil-producing states had collected the said whopping amount of money apart from the internally generated revenues and monthly allocations from the Federation Account excluding Excess Crude monies,  Paris Club bailout funds and monthly security funds and other funds.
RNDA also claimed that Buhari released Paris Club bailout funds to the governors running into billions of naira but unfortunately, the debt profile of the oil producing states in the region amounted to over N1.25 trillion.
It said, “The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), coalition of militant groups that is agitating for the overall development of the Niger Delta region, most especially for the betterment of the oil and gas producing communities in the creeks, has challenged governors of the Niger Delta to give proper account of over N55 trillion they have collected so far from the Federation Account on 13 per cent derivation from 1999 to 2021.
“The amount is without the IGRs and monthly allocations from the Federation Account. From 1999 to 2018, according to financial records obtained by us, the Niger Delta oil-producing states have received over N44.68 trillion and from 2018 to 2021 they have collected over N50 trillion.
“Despite that Southsouth oil producing state governors are of the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has never denied them of the 13 per cent derivation funds monthly.
“President Buhari also has never denied them even the Paris Club bailout funds. They were given to them in billions of naira for over two consecutive times and yet these Southsouth six oil producing states’ debt profile is huge and running into over N1.25 trillion.”
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Niger Delta 0
 Sunday Igboho Intensifies  Support For Yoruba Nation

Oduduwa Republic: Yoruba In Diaspora Supports Sunday Igboho's Rally – Media Bypass
Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho  is intensifying support for the actualization of Yoruba nation.
He said anyone who is willing to support the agitation for actualisation for Yoruba Nation is welcomed into his fold with good intent.
“Anyone who is willing to support the agitation for Yoruba Nation is highly welcome, the goal is ‘Yoruba Nation Now’.We know what we want and no going back. Every other side talk is nothing but a distraction. we are fully focused, Yoruba nation  is the goal”
He also cautioned against ostracizing Chief Femi Fani Kayode from the struggle for Yoruba nation,saying the for minister has good intention.
He added:”Chief Femi Fani Kayode is  one of the stakeholders that identifies with us on the struggle of Yoruba Nation agitation.
He can give his own advice at anytime as regards the agitation and there’s no reason to doubt him. We have a 100 percent confidence in him.Lets not talk with envy, We must unite and stay strong in one voice. Therefore, we want to identify with Chief Femi Fani Kayode and any other person that stands for the Yoruba race irrespective of their religion or political party affiliation”
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Oduduwa 0
Man U Appoints  Darren Fletcher As Technical Director

Manchester United Appoint Darren Fletcher As Technical Director – Channels Television
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Former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has been  appointed as the club’s first technical director, with John Murtough promoted to the role of football director, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.
United said the two new roles would “further strengthen the club’s football operations” after years of speculation over the absence of a director of football at Old Trafford.
Fletcher returned to United in January as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching set-up.
The 37-year-old will focus on “a coordinated and long-term approach to player and squad development”, the club said in a statement.
Murtough, promoted from a role as head of football development, will “have overall leadership and responsibility for operations and strategy across all football functions”.
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said, “These are hugely important appointments that reinforce the progress we have been making as a club in recent years in our relentless pursuit of success.
“We have already made great strides forward in the way we run our football operations, and the benefits are visible in the resurgent pipeline of academy talent reaching the first team and through our improved recruitment record.”
Speaking about Fletcher he said, “Darren’s stellar achievements as a player and his own journey from academy to Premier League and Champions League winner means he naturally commands respect and understands this vital part of the club’s DNA.”
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Sports 0
Nigeria Produced Additional 161,000bpd Last Month-OPEC

Global oil production down in December 2019
 The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)has said that Nigeria’s oil production increased by 161,000 barrels per day in February compared to the previous month.
 OPEC, in the March edition of its Monthly Oil Market Report,stated that while in December last year, Nigeria produced 1.375 million barrels, in January 2021, it drilled 1.328 million barrels of oil per day and produced 1.488 million barrels per day in February.
Nigeria is expected to record modest growth with the rising oil prices,the cartel said,adding that the country’s real Gross Domestic Products(GDP)grew by 0.1 per cent y-o-y in the last quarter of 2020, after a 3.6 per cent contraction in 3Q20.
It added that the development marked the first positive quarterly growth in 2020 amid the gradual return of economic activity following the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions and oil price improvements.
The cartel also announced that it has cut  the demand outlook for crude oil in  two quarters, in line with it plans to tighten supply of the commodity.
OPEC cut its projection for the amount of crude its members will need to pump in the second quarter by 690,000 barrels a day, citing ongoing lockdown measures and other pandemic-related developments.
The cartel explained why  demand was revised down, saying: “Ongoing lockdown measures, voluntary social distancing and other pandemic-related developments” continue to weigh on economic activities.” It, however, added that conditions should improve in the second half of 2020.
The cartel reduced its overall forecasts for the volume of crude it will need to provide this year by 250,000 barrels a day, compared to last month’s report.
It was understood that the group is pumping considerably below level, as it attempts to deplete surplus oil inventories that accumulated during the pandemic, with the de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, implementing extra cutbacks to speed up the market’s rebalancing.
OPEC expects the demand outlook to brighten in the second half of 2021, boosting projections for global oil demand in the fourth quarter by 970,000 barrels a day and requirements for its crude in that period by 400,000 a day.
“By the end of the first half, economic activity is expected to accelerate as the impact of the pandemic is expected to taper off. This momentum will be supported by pent-up demand, especially in contact-intensive service sectors such as tourism and travel,” OPEC added
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Oil&Gas 0
Minister,SEC Disagree On Borrowing

Nigeria suspends $22.7bn borrowing plan | Premium Times Nigeria
Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) have disagreed on the increasing debt service of Nigeria
At the 5th Annual Budget Seminar of the Securities and Exchange Commission with the theme, “Financing Nigeria’s budget and infrastructure deficits through the capital market,” the minister insisted government had to borrow despite national outcry against borrowing and debt service .
She explained that the country had to borrow to finance its budget given the urgent need to build infrastructure required for creating an enabling environment,adding that the development was further underscored by the current global pandemic with its attendant effects to Nigeria’s daily economic and social activities.
She said:“In order to provide the necessary infrastructure and still continue to meet other immediate expenditure needs, government often adopts deficit budgets which have to be financed through borrowing.
“In this regard, the capital market is very key. Of course, experience has shown that the Nigerian capital market has been very supportive in providing the necessary funds to finance government programmes and projects.”
She  explained that the aggregate Federal Government budget together with the budgets of government owned enterprises and project tied loans was N13.59tn.
According to her:“The (2021) budget has a total aggregate capital expenditure of N4.37tn amounting to 32.2 per cent of the total expenditure.The budget also has an overall deficit of N5.6tn to be financed almost equally from domestic and foreign sources.”
She maintained that Nigeria must spend more now on infrastructure and other capital projects, as the benefits of spending resulted in Nigeria coming out of recession after two quarters of negative growth recently.
She added that the government could not finance infrastructure alone, but would have to partner the private sector through the capital market.
He implored capital market operators to consider retail investments and give opportunity to ordinary Nigerians to invest in the capital market in an easy and simple way.
But the Security and Exchange Commission(SEC),argued  that the increasing debt service of Nigeria is an economic threat to the country, adding that the  shocks to commodities were affecting revenue generation.
In a presentation delivered by the Head, Economic Research and Policy Management Division, Office of the Chief Economist, SEC, Afolabi Olowookere,it  said: “Total public debt has increased from N5.24tn in 2010 to over N32tn in 2020. Still fine at around 20 per cent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).But rising debt service is a threat. Also shocks to commodities price (are) affecting revenue. And low tax to GDP ratio.Moving towards improved sustainability may require future debt tied to revenue-generating projects.”
It  observed that Nigeria’s budget had more than doubled in the last 10 years, while the country’s deficit had increased several folds.
“But capital expenditure and infrastructure estimates have not increased much. Implying deficit is often incurred to finance short-term consumption (unproductive) items,” the commission stated.
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in News 0
How 70-Year-Old Man Offers N25,000 Bribe  For Raping Infant

21 police officers facing trial in Lagos - The Nation Nigeria
Chioma Agwuegbo,  a women’s rights activist, has told a story of a three-year-old girl who was raped by a 70-year-old man.
She shares the fate of the little girl on  this week’s episode of #WithChude,in continuation of her campaign against sexual violence and gruelling experiences of women who have encountered some form of gender-based or sexual violence at some points in their life.
“She was three. Her mother had gone to sell meat pies so she could make a 700 naira profit”, she narrated.
“As a matter of fact, she told herself that ‘something is telling me to go home.’ She went back home – they lived in one of these face-me-I-face-you places. I remember we wanted to film her, and we went there with all of our equipment, we couldn’t fit the equipment into her house. She got home and asked the lady she gave her child to and she said, ‘oh, she was playing with baba’ and she asked where he [baba] was and the lady said he had gone home to pick something. She forcefully opened the door of his hut, and her exact words to me were, ‘aunty, I saw him inside my child’ How do you see a 70-year-old man inside the vagina of a three-year old?” she continued.
While calling the police seemed to be a reasonable next step to the traumatized mother, they, however, proved unreasonable, telling her, “this man wants to give you 25,000” – as though 25,000 could take away the horrific picture that had been glued to her mind.
By the time Chioma met her, she had spent close to that N25,000 because of several roadblocks that the police had kept putting up – such as not having enough fuel to drive down to the scene, amongst others.
She expressed optimism about  seeing a decline in the number of cases of sexual violence because people are putting in the work through advocacy, holding the government accountable and innovation in solving problems of gender-based violence.
“I believe that things will change. I think that things can be much faster, I do not think that there is as much urgency as there should, but I believe that things will change”, Chioma added.
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Crime/Metro 0
My Wife Can’t   Prepare Eba,Sales Attendant Tells Court

Minnesota Judicial Branch - News and Announcements
A sales attendant, Stephen Akinseloye,has told a Customary Court in Mapo in Ibadan to dissolve his 15-month-old marriage  because of  his wife’s poor cooking habit  and rudeness.
Specifically,he said his wife ,Opeyemi, does not know how to prepare eba,puts too much salt in food and  refused to take to corrections on improved culinary skills.
Eba is a staple food mainly eaten in the West African subregion,particularly in Nigeria and parts of Ghana.
‘’Opeyemi cannot make simple eba. She puts too much salt in the food. I have shown her and corrected her but she has refused to learn. She is also clumsy. She destroyed my Plasma TV and lies on minor things. She has also refused to join me in prayers. I am a Catholic, she keeps going to Celestial church,’’ Akinseloye said.
Akinseloye, a resident of  Elewura-Challenge area in Ibadan, also disclosed to  the court that his wife  has caused him so much pain by her immaturity.
The defendant denied some of the allegations levelled against her and accused her husband of being a flirt.
In his verdict, the President of the court, Chief Ademola Odunade, maintained  that Opeyemi was responsible for the injury  done to her  affair  having  failed to acquire basic requirements for living a happy marital life.
He  dissolved the marriage on irreconcilable differences  ground  and  granted custody of the only child to Opeyemi.
He ordered Akinseloye to pay N4, 000 monthly for the child’s  welfare
Meanwhile,a Sharia Court  in Dorayi, Kano, granted a woman, Zainab Abubakar, divorce, because her husband of six years, Biko, Salisu Ibrahim, abandoned her for eight months.
Zainab disclosed to  the court that her husband left her and her children. ”My lord, things have not been going well, we are suffering.  “I can hardly pay the school fees for my children. We do not feed well because he did not provide feeding allowance,’ she added.
Ibrahim’s uncle, Malam Muhammed,also  told the court that he’s ignorant of his nephew’s location.
Delivering judgment, Malam Umar Dan-Baba, dissolved the marriage
Online Editor by — March 12, 2021 in Law/Human Rights 0