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Uzodimma Seeks Inclusion Of More Imo Citizens In FG’s Empowerment Programme 

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodinma

The Governor of Imo State, Sen Hope Uzodimma has solicited the inclusion of more citizens from Imo State who should benefit from the Federal government’s different social empowernment programmes.

He did on Saturday when he joined the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq who was in the State to flag-off various social empowerment programmes organised by her ministry for Imo citizens.

While commending the Minister and her team for finding Imo State worthy of the social empowernment programmes, Governor Uzodimma used the opportunity to make case for the addition of more Imo citizens as beneficiaries in the different programmes of the ministry which the Minister acceded to.

Speaking at the Sam Mbakwe Hall of Concord Hotel Owerri, venue of the social empowernment programmes where thousands of poor and vulnerable persons gathered for the event, the Governor saluted Hajia Farouq and her team for being passionate about the programmes, an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Governor Uzodimma informed that it is the level of successes recorded by Hajia Farouq in her Ministry at the national level that propelled him to establish a similar Ministry in Imo State.

The Govenror said: “Everything about government, every promise and every expectation starts and ends with the Ministry which is anchored on the people.”

He maintained that the Federal Government led by President Buhari and his own government in Imo State are anchored on service to the people,  especially the vulnerable groups among whom are the poorest of the poor and the physically-challenged.

He therefore pledged the support of his government to various programmes of the Ministry and to Imo people who are in dire need of such assistance, noting that it was in recognition of the value of the programmes that the 3-R government empowered 15,000 youths last year with N250,000 each. 

Governor Uzodimma said the National Home Grown feeding programme is “one of the most noble programmes Nigerians have ever seen and experienced because it accommodates the interest of our children who are encouraged to go to school and their diet.”

He expressed the gratitude of his government and the people of Imo State to President Buhari for such laudable programmes that have gone a long way in alleviating the sufferings of the vulnerable group and the poorest of the poor in Nigeria.

To the beneficiaries, the Governor pleaded with them to make judicious use of the money given to them no matter how small they may think it is.

In her address, Hajiya Farouq said she was in Imo with her team to flag-off the programmes’ grant for vulnerable groups, a project which was introduced in 2020, first as grant for rural women to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Buhari’s administration of lifting 10 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

She said for Imo State, the target is to disburse the grant to 3,894 beneficiaries across the 27 LGAs of the State, adding that President Buhari directed that 70 per cent of the beneficiaries must be women, while the remaining 30 per cent should be for the youths. 

“The President also directed that at least 15 per cent of the total number of the beneficiary must be specifically allocated to citizens with special needs including persons with disability (PWDs) and senior citizens in the State.”

The Minister said it is expected that “the beneficiaries will use the grant to improve their productivity, create wealth, generate employment and improve their living standard.”

On other outstanding programmes for which she visited, Hijya Farouq said they  came to roll-out the government enterprise and the empowerment programme which captures traderMoni loan of N50,000; marketMoni designed for under privileged and marginalised women and farmerMoni loan scheme which is equally designed to produce agricultural inputs worth up to a maximum of N300,000 to rural farmers.

In addition to the above, the Minister said they also came to flag-off the National Sensitization Exercise for the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) which aims to educate communities and stakeholders on the proper and more effective implementation of the NHGSFP with over five million children as targets.

Other programmes which she said they came to flag-off include the on-boarding of stream 2 of the Independent Monitors who are local youths employed for a period of 12 months with a monthly stipend of N30,000 only and the flag-off of the digitalized cash transfer payment system for conditional cash transfer programme aimed at creating room for reliability, transparent and accessible database for seamless disbursement to beneficiaries of the scheme.

The Minister reminded her audience that with the complementary efforts of Governor Uzodimma’s administration  and other Stakeholders, the target beneficiaries and many more citizens of the State will be on their way out of poverty.

She in turn commended the Governor Uzodimma for establishing a replica of her Ministry in Imo State and also thanked him and other Stakeholders for joining in the programme and urged them to continue with the commitment to fight poverty in our great country Nigeria.

Earlier in their welcome addresses, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Imo State,  Dr. Princess Rabi Ibrahim represented by the Permanent Secretary,  Mrs. Edith Ekenze welcomed the Minister to Imo State for the flag-off and thanked her for the much Imo State has already received from the various programmes which include Conditional Cash Transfer, N-SIP, etc.

She however identified some challenges in the Ministry’s programme in Imo State in the areas of GEEP, Home Grown School Feeding, Conditional Cash Transfer and others to include inaccurate data, inconsistency in payment, ignorance of beneficiaries and non-payment of arrears to the beneficiaries and requested for the Minister’s kind intervention.

The Ministry also expressed gratitude to Mr. President for accommodating Imo State in the National programmes and to Governor Uzodimma for establishing the Ministry whose activities could be said to be nearest to the common man.

The wife of the Governor, Barr. Chioma Uzodimma, the Deputy Governor Prof Placid Njoku and his wife Bola, were among the numerous key persons that witnessed the occasion.

Queen Elizabeth: Nigeria Flies Flag At Half-Mast

By
Adesina Soyooye
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queen-elizabeth-ii-

By Adesina Soyooye

The Federal Government has ordered that Nigeria and its Missions abroad should fly the National Flag at half-mast in honour of the late British Queen, Elizabeth II.

The 96 year-old Queen passed on Thursday, September 8, 2022, at the Balmoral Castle, Scotland. She has been succeeded by his first son, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, who has now been proclaimed as King Charles III. His wife, Camilla, is to be addressed as the Queen Consort, in fulfillment of a request made by the late Queen  Elizabeth. The King’s first son, William, is now known as the Prince of Wales.

According to Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement on Friday, Nigeria’s Flag will fly at half-mast for two days, September 11 and 12.

Queen Elizabeth will be buried on September 19, 2022.

Nigeria was a colony of Britain before its independence on October 1, 1960.

Wike To Ayu: 20 Votes Of Confidence Will Not Save You; Mocks Celebrating Former Chairman, Prince Secondus

By
The Source
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Nyesom Wike and Iyorcha Ayu

By Charles Igbo

Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State, on Saturday, September 10, 2021, continued his attack on the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu. He said Ayu must quit the office of the Chairman.

On Thursday, September 8, Ayu received a vote of confidence during the 97th meeting of the Party’s National Executive Council, NEC, from the members.

But Wike, on Saturday, dismissed the vote of confidence passed on Ayu as of no effect.  He said it will not save Ayu. 20 votes of confidence, Wike said, will not save the National Chairman.

Wike also laughed and mocked the immediate past National Chairman of the Party, his kinsman, Prince Uche Secondus, for celebrating the vote of confidence passed on Ayu.

Wike was instrumental to installing Secondus as the National Chairman, but led the battle to remove him, even after a similar vote of confidence was, also, passed on him.

Wike spoke in Porthacourt on Saturday when he received defectors from other Parties into the PDP.

Wike: ” I was listening and watching, they said there is  one man called Secondus. They said he was dancing, celebrating that NEC gave their person (Ayu) vote of confidence.

“He forgets history. Ask him, the same NEC, through Aliyu Babangida (former Governor of Niger State), moved a motion of vote of confidence, supported by the same person, Ndudi Elumelu.They gave you (Secondus) a vote of confidence. What happened? You left office.

“We don’t fight and go back. If you like, you can have as many as 20 votes of confidence, it’s not my business. My business is to make sure the right thing is done. And the right thing must be done. Whether today or tomorrow.”

Wike and four other Governors – Samuel Ortom, Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia,  Seyi Makinde, Oyo, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu – and some stakeholders are insisting that Ayu vacates office for a Southerner based on an agreement reached before the Presidential Primaries that if a Northerner emerges, Ayu would step down. Ayu himself, allegedly, said so, and so did the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. The agreement, it is said, is to have a balance between the North and the South.

But Ayu refused to quit since after the Presidential Primaries, insisting he was elected for a four-year tenure in office. Atiku, himself, also, now says Ayu would quit when he wins the Presidential race.

On Thursday at the NEC meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin resigned and was succeeded by a Southerner, former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara. But Wike has dismissed that as an insult to the South.

On Friday when members of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Party paid a condolence visit to Wabara, who recently  lost his wife, Ayu appealed to Wabara to bring Wike and Camp fully back to the Party. He pleaded with them to come back so they can all work together and not disappoint Nigerians in their expectations that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, must be sacked.

Ayu, also, disclosed that members of the NWC will be in Porthacourt early this week on a visit to Wike to sort things out and reconcile the Party.

24 hours after that decision, Wike insisted that Ayu must go.

Imo: Gunmen Abduct Traditional Ruler, Owner of Udekings Limited

By
The Source
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By Charles Igbo

After months of break from the abduction of Traditional Rulers in Imo, the sacrilege has resumed.

Gunmen, on Friday, abducted the Traditional Ruler of Isiala Umudi  Autonomous Community in the Nkwerre Local Government Area, His Royal Highness Eze Jewel Ndenkwo.

Eze Ndenkwo who is also a renowned business man owns a chain of businesses, including one of the biggest and well stock Electronic shops/ Exotic Furniture Companies in Owerri, Imo State.

He is the Chief Executive Officer of Udekings NIgeria Ltd located at the very busy Tetlow road in Owerri Municipal. Branch are, also, located in Lagos.

His Highness was abducted in front of his company’s office, Tetlow road, in the capital city of the State.

Eye witnesses say he was abducted at about 7.00pm when he was all set to go home after the business of the day. The Gunmen fired a number of shots to scare people, all of whom ran away for their lives. In the confusion, nobody was able to know how many his abductors were or how he was forced into a vehicle.

A couple of months ago, Gunmen were in the habit of abducting Imo Traditional Rulers. They have l killed, at least, four of them. Two were killed wben Gunmen stormed the venue where the Traditional Rulers were holding a meeting at the Headquarters of the.Njaba Local Government Area.

At the time of filing this story, the abductors have not made any contact with family. The fate of the Traditional Ruler is unknown.

The Imo State Police Command was yet to make a Statement.

Ogun State Passes LG Autonomy Bill; NULGE Lauds Governor Abiodun

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, has applauded the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun and the Ogun State House of Assembly for the passage of the Local Government Autonomy Bill.

The move by the State Government means that Ogun State is the first among other South West States to pass the LG Autonomy Bill in the country.

Ambali Olatunji, NULGE President, said it was a new dawn for Local Government development in State following the bold step taken by the Governor and the House, saying that it shows the commitment of the Governor Abiodun administration towards the actualization and independent of the Local Government.

Ambali, speaking to Journalists following the visit of the NULGE Officials to governor Abiodun in Abeokuta, the State Capital, declared that the Union is happy with the Governor.

He said that the present administration in the State is the first State in the Southwest to pass the Local Government Autonomy Bill.

The NULGE President said that the Governor during the meeting, promised to look at the issue of strengthening the Local Governments in the State with assurance to look at issues bordering on internally generated revenue of the councils.

“If the Governor had not consented, the House of Assembly wouldn’t have passed the Local Government Autonomy Bill. In fact, in the Southwest, Ogun State happens to be the first that passed the bill.

“We wish the Governor success, and we at the NULGE have directed that any state that passes Local Government Autonomy Bill should be supported by Local Government workers, we mean that.

“We have come to, also, reassure the governor that we are on the same page, we love him and we pray that God will continue to sustain him so that very soon, he will be the best in the country.

“On the issue of the internally generated revenue, the governor directed that a committee be set up with the view of releasing some to Local Governments to ensure that they become more functional”, Ambali stated.

While declaring that local government workers in the state would definitely support the second term ambition of Governor Abiodun, the NULGE president said “with God and with our support, we know that God will give him victory”.

He further commended Governor Abiodun for his promise to ensure that all the twenty local governments in the state are provided with graders and bulldozers, adding that the move would ensure that more rural roads are graded across the state.

“The governor assured us that when the rain subsides, his administration will be rolling out one grader and one bulldozer to every local government and there will be massive road grading and development across the state,” he said.

Ambali who also noted that the meeting was a further attestation to the genuine commitment, respect and relationship of the Governor Abiodun-led administration with workers and labour unions in the state, commended the governor for sustaining the payment of gross salary to workers in the state.

”The meeting is historic, it is fantastic, it has further demonstrated the genuine commitment of Governor Abiodun-led administration’s respect for workers, cherished relationship with labour unions and the zeal to further scale up infrastructural development at the local government level.

“On the issue of gross payment of salary, the governor vowed that he is going to sustain the practice of paying gross salary. This had led to several industrial actions with the past administration, but the governor has approved it, he has commenced it and he will continue to do that,” he said.

Ambali while acknowledging the decision of the governor to continue to do his best with matters that has to do with workers promotion exercises, also commended Abiodun for what he has done in respect of infrastructure across the state despite dwindling finance.

He further appreciated the governor for not sacking any worker in the local government service, lauded his decision to recruit essential workers in the local government service.

NFF: Gov Akeredolu Drums Support For Ondo Indigene

By
Ayodele Oni
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Otunba Dele Ajayi

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has described Otunba Dele Ajayi as the right candidate for the position of the first Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Governor Akeredolu said Otunba Dele Ajayi, who is from the state, is competent, experienced and very passionate about football development in the country.

 A statement on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde, quoted Akeredolu as saying “Dele Ajayi has the pre-requisite experience to emerge as the first Vice President of the NFF.

“As the current Chairman of Ondo State Football Association, he has inspired youths and players in football development.

“As a former Executive Member of NFF, he understands the workings of the football federation.

“He had served as a Chairman, NFF Committee on Finance and Audit. He’s rich in experience and very passionate about football.

“Under his coordination, we have witnessed  grassroots football development through Statewide league.

“We are confident of his commitment to the development of football in the country and success of our national team.”

The Governor enjoined stakeholders to join hands and support Ajayi for the position of the NFF first Vice President, adding that he is the best candidate for the job.

No Scheduled Fee For Nigerian Law School For Now – DG Reacts To Hike In Fee

By
Ayodele Oni
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Nigerian Law School

By Ayodele Oni

A list which has gone viral containing total fees of about N1.2 million payable by students admitted into the Nigerian Law School for 2022/2023 session is fake after all.

According to the Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Chiroma SAN the reports of an alleged increase in the fees payable by students of the school for the 2022/2023 session does not emanate from management of the school.

A viral picture making rounds since Friday shows a 400% increase in the fees of the institution from around N292,000 to N1,210,000.

The figure which was represented on a slip with the law school logo has since elicited reactions on the basis for the astronomical increase in the law school fees.

The DG, roundly denounced the viral schedule of fees describing it as the handiwork of criminally minded students who intend to extort their parents.

“These are students who want to cheat their parents. They went to do a letterhead paper to siphon money from their parents.

 “From N292,000 to N1.3million? It’s not even possible. They do this every year. This are bunch of people who want to extort their parents.

 “This cannot be possible. How can we increase from N296,000  to N1.3 million, not even 500 or 600,000? This is not possible. This is a 400% increase, how can that even be possible? This is not us.”

The DG attributed this to students who wanted to defraud their parents, and according to the DG they do this every year. “These are bunch of criminals. They do this every year.

“Some in the past have made the fees 3 million, 4 million to defraud their parents, and parents are eager to pay up just to send them away from home.

 “We don’t share on social media. If you want to get out infomation, you will find it on our website.”

According to him, the school is only just receiving applications for the 2022/2023 session and cannot make any publication on scheduled fees at this stage.

2023 Presidency: Chris Okotie Reveals Why Obi Will Lose

By
James Orji
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Chris Okotie

Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God church, has disclosed that only the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC have the structures to win the presidential election in the country.

The man of God may be referencing Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP those closely watching the current state of politics in the country have said.

The Independently National Electoral Commission, INEC recently released the timetable for next year’s general election, with at least three major political parties positioning themselves to clinch power.

Apart from the PDP and APC the LP has recently become popular among Nigerians as a result of its presidential candidate Obi, a former Governor of Anambra state.

Obi had dumped the PDP for LP earlier in the year, citing insincerity on the part of his former party to conduct a fair and free presidential primary.

The belief among not a few Nigerians is that the LP with Obi as its candidate could pull a major surprise, particularly considering his popularity among young voters.

The INEC had during its recently concluded voters registration exercise noted that many young Nigerians registered as new voters during the process.

No fewer than eight million young Nigerians registered during the exercise, and are now prepared to vote for candidates of their choice, the electoral umpire said.

In spite of the popularity of Obi among many Nigerians, Okotie, a former presidential candidate of the FRESH party, who recently called for the institution of an Interim government headed by him, said only PDP and APC stand the chance of winning the presidential election in 2023.

Okotie told the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC that the country is not structured for small political parties to win the presidential election.

Even with a popular candidate like Obi contesting, the LP would not able to defeat the two frontline political parties, the controversial clergyman said.

He said PDP and APC have become too powerful to be defeated at the polls having ruled the country for 23 years.

According to Okotie, “Only the PDP and the APC have the national spread and network required to win the Presidency. No small party has such capacity.

“Until the political system is restructured to shift the emphasis away from parties to the people, the dominant parties would continue to hold sway.

“If I join any of these parties, I would become part of the problem. Most of the big men go to these parties because all they want is power for personal aggrandizement. I don’t want anyone to take from me the land that God gave to me.”

Anambra: Anglican Church Loses Priest To Polygamy; Says God Has Opened His Eyes That It Is Not A Sin

By
The Source
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Rev Ogbuchukwu Lotanna

By Charles Igbo

The Anglican Communion, Church of Nigeria, has experienced the unbelievable.

In Anambra State, the Church has lost one of its ordained Priests to polygamy.

Rev. Ogbuchukwu Lotanna has quit Priesthood to pursue his new vision of promoting polygamy.

The Reverend, who is also a Lawyer, said he got a Divine Mandate to promote polygamy. And because his new Call will not allow him to remain as a Priest of the Anglican Communion,  he quit.

He said contrary to beliefs long held by the Church, the Bible does not condemn polygamy. What it condems, he claims, is adultery and divorce of any kind. The aim of his new mandate is to encourage men to take more than one wife at a time. The advantage, according to him, is two-fold.  It will stop men from lusting after women not their wives, and it will reduce the number of unmarried girls.

According to the Priest, for decades on end, the Church has hidden the fact that the Bible upholds polygamy.

His congregation and colleagues are said to be in deep shock. One congregant was quoted as saying “Pastor has deceived us. He has been living a double-life. We were ignorant of this side of him.”

The Anglican Church condemns polygamy and denies those involved in it from partaking in the Holy Communion. The Roman Catholic Church, too, does not support it. Nor do some  other Churches. He has, therefore, started a new Ministry to be called Gideonites  and the place of worship, Gideonites Temple

It is not known if  Reverend Ogbuchukwu already has more than one wife, or planning on having more than one wife, but he is quoted as saying: “It is obvious that the Church, especially, the Anglican Church, has been teaching against the concept of polygamy, but the Lord has opened my eyes to the reality that polygamy is not a sin.”

Reverend Ogbuchukwu is a new Priest. He was ordained on December 22, 2019. He is of the Nnewi Diocese. There is no reaction, yet, from the Leadership of the Church – either from the Bishop of Nnewi Diocese or the Metropolitan.

Kwara PDP Doubts Authenticity Of Government – Hired Audit Firm

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in Kwara state has challenged the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC) to clarify the status of an audit firm purportedly hired to handle state government accounts.

PDP, in a statement at the weekend insists that findings at the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC) show that the audit firm is moribound.

The statement, signed by the Publicity Secretary, Tunji Moronfoye described the transaction as “another unfortunate shady transaction perpetuated by the Kwara state All Progressives Congress (APC) regime, led by Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

“According to the results of our legal query undertaken at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was discovered that the audit firm purportedly “hired” by the incompetent and mediocre regime, SSAC Advisory and Proffessional limited, is an inactive or dormant firm.

“This is according to a CAC signed report. Simply put; the company has not been making returns, declaring its income or paying any taxes.

“This is the same firm that the Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq regime, purportedly hired to carry out a “forensic audit” for Kwara state.

“Following the evidence, we hereby put it to the Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led APC party regime, that there was no forensic audit carried out between the years 2011-2019 as claimed by the regime.

“Also, only a mentally incapacitated person with no sense of awareness will fall for the obviously made up phantom report brandished as a report of forensic audit by an inactive or dormant consultancy firm, in this case, SSAC Advisory and Proffessional limited.

“We at the PDP challenge the Kwara APC  regime to publish online and offline the contract papers and charges paid for the services of this inactive/dormant consultancy firm.

“It is pertinent to remind Kwarans that an external auditor doesn’t have the legal authority to audit state accounts.

“Such powers rest with the Kwara State Auditor General who is empowered by law to carry out audits.

“Having fired, albeit unceremoniously, the state’s Auditor General for daring to challenge the regime over the missing sum of six Billion Naira (N6B) which was niether receipted nor retired, one can see why the illegality prone regime of Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq decided to tread this path.

“We will also like to remind Kwarans about the 35 transformer contract scam at the Kwara State Ministry of Energy where a contractor made away with the sum of one hundred and thirty eight million Naira (N138M) for over 15 months without obtaining a Bank Guarantee.

“We may also need to be reminded that the contractor was paid before signing the contract papers, but perhaps Kwarans already know that the emperor is naked, and they look forward to letting him know come 2023 that we are not a conquered people and our state is not a personal estate to be plundered at will.”

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