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Imo, Buhari’s Visit: You Misrepresented Mr President

By
The Source
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Buhari-in-Imo

By Gideon Njoku

President Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed as mischievous, those who he said deliberately misrepresented what he said in Owerri.

The President was on a one-day visit to Imo State on Thursday, September 9, 202!. Since then, the opposition has been awash with all kinds of stories to discredit the visit, and run Governor Hope Uzodimma down.

For instance, it has been alleged that Buhari commissioned uncompleted  projects. It has also been alleged that the Governor spent the sum of N700m to import people from Ebonyi and Kogi States to Imo to come and welcome President Buhari.

The latest is the  statement by the President after thanking the Governor. He had told the Governor that: “When you invite me next time, I will be more careful.”

That has been interpreted by the opposition to mean that the President was dissatisfied with his visit to Imo State. This has gone viral, with the opposition mocking the Governor.

But the President, on Sunday, September 12, denounced that interpretation as false, saying it was a complete misrepresentation of what he said.

In a statement signed by Femi Adesina, Buhari’s Adviser on Media and Publicity, the President said his statement was deliberately “contorted and twisted out of context.”

Following is the full text of the statement.

WHAT PRESIDENT BUHARI SAID (DIDN’T SAY) IN IMO STATE

“We have observed that President Buhari’s concluding remarks at the meeting with South East Leaders during his one day visit to Imo State is being deliberately contorted and twisted out of context.

“The purveyors of disinformation want Nigerians to believe that the President bluntly told Governor Uzodinma, ‘I’ll be careful with your future invitations.’

“They have adduced different meanings to the phrase, contrary to the context wherein the President spoke during his successful dialogue with leaders of thought from Igbo land.

“When he arrived at the banquet hall of Imo State Government House for his last assignment in Owerri, the President was welcomed by over 50 leaders from the South East who had waited patiently for him for a Town Hall engagement, after commissioning strategic projects in the State.

“The President began his extempore speech by acknowledging the caliber of personalities present at the dialogue including the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof George Obiozor, former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (Rtd),  former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former Military Governor in old Imo State, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, Deputy Governors of Abia, Anambra and the SSG of Enugu State, who represented the Governor, the Anglican Archbishop of Owerri Province, Most Rev David Onouha and his brother Bishop of Enugu, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo,  just to mention but a few.

“An elated President Buhari made it clear that he was expressly overwhelmed by the reception and galaxy of personalities that travelled from the five South Eastern States to have a heart-to-heart discussion with him in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

“His words were clear:

‘I am overwhelmed by this reception, overwhelmed in the sense that when I accepted the invitation by the Imo State Governor, who wants to justify investments the government has done to the people of Imo State, I thought I would see the bridges, the  roads and a few renovations.

‘He didn’t tell me he was going to get the whole Igbo leadership here. So in the future when he invites me, I’ll know what to do. But I think he has done what the military didn’t like. He has achieved surprise. He has surprised me beyond description.’

“Later, in his concluding statement at the same event, the President made reference to his earlier remarks on the ‘‘surprise’’ action pulled by the Governor. On a lighter note, he quipped:

‘Governor of Imo State, cannot thank you enough, but I will be careful with your future invitations.’

“The President’s historic visit to Imo State was very successful and the Igbo leaders who met him shared the same enthusiasm that his coming to the Eastern heartland would bring peace, foster unity, encourage good and better understanding among the citizenry.

“Archbishop David Onuoha, who is the Anglican Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, must have summed up the mood in the words of the prayer offered at the event:

‘‘Thank You dear Lord for our nation Nigeria and her people with diverse backgrounds, nationalities and cultures. Surely You did not make any mistakes in bringing us together.

‘‘Your purpose is for us to harness our potentials/strength to build a strong and virile nation. May this purpose never be defeated.

‘‘Glory be unto You for bringing Your servant and our dear President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, safely to this State. Blessed be Your name for his life and the giant strides he is taking for the wellbeing of our nation.

‘‘Thank you for the huge infrastructural development that is taking place in various parts of the country.

‘‘Lord, Nigeria is a great nation with numerous challenges. We pray that you endue our President with heavenly wisdom, grace and strength. In his resolve to serve this nation, he will not fail, fall or falter. He will end his tenure strong and well to the glory and honour of your name and the good of our people.

‘‘May his visit today bring peace, foster unity, encourage good and better understanding among the citizens of this great nation; may it bring prosperity and restoration.”

Taliban Prohibits Co-Education, Bans Men From Teaching Women

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi)

By Akinwale Kasali

The Taliban rule in Afghanistan has declared that henceforth gender-segregated education will be the norm at Afghanistan Universities.

Making this prohibition of Co-education in the country, the Taliban said co-education is un-Islamic and against the country’s national and traditional values.

The Taliban Higher Education Minister, Shaikh Abdul Baqi Haqqani, at a Press Conference Sunday, September 13, in Kabul, Afghanistan’s Capital, said that, “Co-education conflicts with the principles of Islam and, on the other hand, it is in conflict with national values and is against the customs and traditions of Afghans”.

Haqqani added that If the Universities have the capacity, campuses should be segregated by gender, if that is not possible, the Universities should establish alternate class timing or ensure a partition between male and female students in the classrooms.

The group wants to hire female lecturers for female students, but if that was impossible, men will be allowed to teach women as long as the classes follow sharia rules, he added.

He explained that they had fought in the past two decades for the establishment of the “Islamic system.”

Observers of Afghanistan  as well as the nation’s female population, have been nervously waiting to hear what the Taliban’s new education policy would be.

SCOAN: TB Joshua’s Wife, Evelyn, Appointed New Leader

By
Akinwale Kasali
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TB Joshua Wife - Evelyn

By Akinwale Kasali

After much tussle over who takes over the leadership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, after the sudden death of Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua, popular as TB Joshua, four months ago, his Wife, Evelyn, has, officially, been announced as the Leader of the Church.

In a statement by the Church, it said the wife of the deceased, Evelyn Joshua, was the new leader, and the Church activities would be under the guidance of God and her leadership.

In a statement on its verified Facebook page, SCOAN urged members and followers to pray for Evelyn as she takes on her new role.

According to the statement: “Good Morning. We thank you for all your prayers and your love for the ministry since the glorious home call of our dear father, servant of the Most High God, Prophet T.B. Joshua.

“We thank you for keeping the faith. It is now God’s appointed time, to the glory of God, for The SCOAN to soldier on with the divine assignment under the guidance of God and the human leadership of Mrs. Evelyn Joshua.

“We urge you all to join us in prayers as we wish for God’s guidance and divine wisdom in her new God ordained role. Mrs. Evelyn Joshua will shortly address the teeming members of The SCOAN and Emmanuel TV Partners who have waited so long for this new phase in the Great Commission.”

There have been rumors and allegations from different quarters that Evelyn has been threatening and victimizing the ‘Wisemen’ so that he would be the Leader of the Church.

The leadership tussle had led to the eviction of some disciples of the late Prophet from the Church premises.

APC Crisis: Former Military Governor, Joe Orji, 41 Others Expelled

By
Akinwale Kasali
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APC Party
APC Party

By Akinwale Kasali

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu State has taken a turn for the worse. The Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in the State, Ben Nwoye, has announced the expulsion of former Military Governor, Joe Orji and 41 others.

Nwoye, at a Press Briefing on Sunday, September 13, announced the expulsion of the members. He said it is a consequence  of an alleged violation of the provision of the Party’s constitution.

Those affected include a former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo, a former Deputy Governorship candidate of the party in the State, Prince Chikwado Chukwunta, Gen. J.O.J Okoloagu, a former Reps member, Chukwuemeka Ujam and several others.

Nwoye said the members self-expelled themselves from the party by filing a suit in Court without first exhausting the internal mechanisms as provided in the APC Constitution.

Article 21 (D), Section V of the APC Constitution provides that, “any member who files an action in court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting the avenues for the redress provided for in this Constitution shall automatically stand expelled from the party on filing such action and no appeal against expulsion as stipulated in this clause shall be entertained until the withdrawal of the action from court by the member.”

It was gathered that the party members dragged Nwoye before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja seeking his removal from office.

In the suit No: FCT/HC/CV/2107/2021, they had sought an ex parte order to stop Nwoye from parading himself as the chairman of the party.

However, the vacation judge, Justice Sylvanus Chinedu orji refused to grant the interlocutory injunction. Instead, he ordered that the motion on notice and the entire case be assigned to a regular court at the end of vacation for full determination of the matter.

The Judge held that, “The Defendants/Respondents shall be put on notice of the application for injunction. The orders sought in the ex parte application No. M/5317/2021 are refused.”

Speaking on the development, Nwoye said the 41 members who filed the suit had automatically expelled themselves from the party.

According to him, “I arrived at my home and I found a copy of a lawsuit pasted on my door, within that lawsuit is an order sought by the applicants but was denied by the Court.

“One Prince Gilbert Chikwado Chukwunta and 40 others filed a claim against me; they sought an ex parte order before an FCT High Court, seeking to remove me as the chairman of the party in Enugu State.

“They sued me and alleged among other things that I was suspended by certain persons, who they attached their signatures, but the learned jurist denied giving the order. He directed them to serve me, but instead of serving me as ordered by the court, they pasted it on my door.

“But what is important is that for those who said that Ben Nwoye has been removed, the removal of Ben Nwoye is now a subject of court, and the court has refused to remove me. I wasn’t there but the learned judge refused to remove me.

“The other point is that the petition which they signed, they forged numerous people’s signatures; one of the people they forged their signature is Mrs. Kate Offor, she never signed a petition seeking to remove me.

“We also had many other people claiming to be members of State exco, and one of such persons are Eugene odo. Enugu State APC is no longer running on SEC; it is a caretaker committee, so being a former Speaker does not make Eugene Odo a member of APC caretaker committee. Gen. J.O.J. Okoloagu is also not a member of the caretaker committee, so also the former member of the House, Hon. Chukwuemeka Ujam, who they alleged signed, he has never been and is not a member of state exco, we also have one Anayo Ene, we also have Group Capt. Orji, Dr. Mrs. Chukwuani, Hyacinth Nsude, are not members of APC caretaker committee.

“If indeed these individuals did not sign it, those who filed this suit have committed forgery. But if those individuals say that they actually signed it, they have committed fraud because they are not members of APC caretaker committee and that includes Chikwado Chukwunta.

“Recall that Chikwado Chukwunta ran for Deputy Governor of Enugu State in 2019. After he lost, he went away, he never received a waiver before he ran, so, resigned his position. And when the exco was dissolved, Chikwado Chukwunta was never sworn-in as a member of APC caretaker committee.

“These are facts Senator Ken Nnamani and others are hiding to be deceiving the public. Having said that, the status of my chairmanship is now before the court, no one can interfere in my chairmanship, the court has already ruled by denying them the attempt to remove me.

“The next thing is that they have now all expelled themselves from the party; they were deceived into dragging an officer of the party to court.

“All these individuals by the operations of the constitution have expelled themselves from the party because they did not exhaust the internal alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

“They are 41 persons and Chikwado Chukwunta put up an affidavit that he has their consent to file the suit. All of them are now expelled from the party.”

The APC in the State is fictionalised into three.

Peter Obi Donates N100m To School; He has Ideas to Change Nigeria, Lives for Humanity – Bishop Onah

By
The Source
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Peter Obi Donates N100m To School

The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev Godfrey Onah, has described PDP’s 2019 Vice Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, as a man who not only has the ideas that can turn Nigeria around, but also possesses the much needed integrity evidently lacking in Nigeria’s political space.

Onah made the comments during the week, when Obi visited Shanahan School of Nursing and Midwifery, Nsukka, and made a donation of N100 million, which he described as investment, for the upgrade of the School to a College.

In his speech, Onah stated that Obi has remained consistent in his desire for a better society, right from his days as the Governor of Anambra State.

Recalling how Shanahan Hospital Received their first bus from Mr Peter Obi, Bishop Onah said “When Obi was the Governor of Anambra State, I was discussing with him one evening when I paid a courtesy visit to him, and he discovered Shanahan Hospital had no bus. He instructed that a bus be immediately given to us and driven to the hospital in Nsukka same night.

“To show that Obi lives for humanity, he not only invested in institutions within Anambra State, but extended his tentacles to many other states,  equipping the hospitals and schools with amenities that will help them function better.

“He clearly understands and preaches that health and education are critical ingredients for economic growth and development and he invests tangibly in them for the good of society”.

Lauding Obi for his life of integrity, Onah said Obi has remained a shining example to many. He said that Obi’s integrity and prudence distinctly stands him out as the ideal political leader that can turn the Nation around in all facets.

“There are many politicians who are as intelligent, smart and influential as Peter Obi. However, Peter Obi’s integrity stands him out from them all. Throughout his years in the shark infested waters of Nigerian politics, Obi has refused to be stained by the corruption that pervades the entire political system. His commitment to human development remains exemplary”, Onah said.

Appreciating Bishop Onah for his encouraging words, Obi said he would not relent in investing his resources for a better society. He maintained that health and education must be prioritised by any government that desires national development

Bakers Hint On Increase In Prices Of Bread

By
Ayodele Oni
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Lagos Bread Festival

By Ayodele Oni

As a prelude to increase in prices of bread, Members of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria have threatened to withdraw their services nationwide.

According to the association, the planned increase in prices of the commodity was necessitated by incessant hike in the prices of flour and other baking materials.

The Bakers has issued a two-week ultimatum, starting from September 23, for the Federal Government to address the situation, which they said was killing the industry.

The association, in its report stated that two months ago, the price of bread soared by 50 to 70 percent, but said the latest development was no longer bearable.

It gave details of why price of bread will continue to increase among which include “Ninety percent of inputs involved in production of bread are imported.

“The discretionary foreign exchange rate for flour that was present in the past is no longer available as foreign exchange available in the country has dropped drastically.

“Stakeholders in the industry said if the production of High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) that was supposed to be achieved through the Federal Government’s Cassava Bread Fund initiative scaled through, it would have reduced bakers’ reliance on flour and wheat for bread production.”

The Bakers pointed out that the initiative like other previous Government interventions, failed due to lack of will-power and policy summersault.

“This year, a loaf that sold for N300 rose to N400 and may be sold for N600.”

ASUU Fumes Over Proliferation Of Universities By States

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
ASUU

By Ayodele Oni

Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) has called on the National Assembly to pass the Bill to amend the National Universities Commission, (NUC) Act to address the proliferation of State universities.

The coordinator of the Kano Zone of the Union, Prof. Abdulkadir Muhammad, said thus while addressing Journalists at Bayero University Kano.

Muhammad, who called for the passage of the bill, also challenged Visitors to the Universities to live up to their responsibilities.

“We are calling on the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, consider and pass the Bill. Due to bad governance and underfunding , our

State-owned Universities may soon collapse beyond redemption.

“Visitors of state Universities have turned establishment of Universities into projects for appeasing electorates in their Senatorial and State constituencies, while neglecting the existing ones.

“Besides non funding of capital projects, most State Governors have also failed in the primary responsibility of regular payment of staff salaries in their Universities.”

The coordinator pointed out that ASUU also rejected the charging of exorbitant tuition fees in the State universities because it places University education beyond the reach of common Nigerians.

On the issue of University Transparency and Accountability Solution, (UTAS) he explained that end user acceptability test had been completed and that the Union was waiting for the subsequent deployment of UTAS in the management of payroll and personnel systems of the Federal Universities.

The Union urged the Federal Government to sign and implement the draft ASUU/FGN renegotiated agreement of May, 2021, in addition to the release of the first tranche of the N30 billion fund for the revitalization of public Universities.

“The Government should also release N25 billion Earned Academic Allowance .

“We also urge the Federal Government to immediately remit withheld check-off dues to the branches of the withheld and amputated salaries/ allowances and third party deductions.”

The coordinator stated further that the Union would always deploy appropriate measures to salvage the Nigerian university system from rot and decay.

He said that the Union firmly believed in the use of qualitative education to liberate and transform Nigeria from its current state of underdevelopment.

Exam Malpractice: NECO Fingers Four Northern States As Culpable

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

States in the Southern part of the country got a clean slate from the National Examinations Council,(NECO) just as it identified four states in the North as leading in examination malpractices.

The States, Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Kebbi states, according to NECO, have featured prominently in the list of schools involved in examination malpractices in Nigeria.

Registrar of NECO, Dantani Wushishi, disclosed that examination malpractices are rampant in Northern states and high in Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Kebbi States in the past five years.

He disclosed this during his presentation at the 2021 Biennial National Conference and AGM of the Association of Model Islamic Schools.

The conference was titled, ‘Consequences of Examination Malpractice: Closing the gaps and incentives for National Growth.’

Wushishi, pointed out that “In 2016, Bauchi had (8.17%), Kaduna (6.20%), Kano (5.51%), Plateau (5.31%), and Sokoto state (8.87%) experienced high level of examination malpractice.

“In 2017, Bauchi (10.79%), Kebbi (16.06%), Borno (7.87%) and Kano (7.29%) states featured prominently in high level of examination malpractice.

“In 2018, Kano (12.45%), Kebbi (10.71%), Gombe (5.40%) and Zamfara (5.14%) states were more involved in examination malpractices.

“In 2019, Bornu (13.08%), Kano (11.70%), Kebbi (8.67%), Taraba (5.04%) and Yobe (6.56%) states had high level of examination malpractice.

“Similarly, in 2020, Adamawa (18.51%), Bauchi (7.88%), Kaduna (6.87%), Kano (7.88%) and Katsina (18.01%) states had high level of examination malpractice.”

Wushishi noted that in the last five years under study, Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Kebbi states featured prominently in the high level of examination malpractice states.

The Registrar lamented over the leakage of examination questions in the last five years adding that aiding and abetting, copying foreign materials, collusion and double scripts were more in occurance during years under review.

This, he said, has lowered educational standards in Nigeria adding that it has the potential of making the nation’s educational institutions to produce quacks and inferior manpower as graduates.

He, therefore, urged the government to relax on the emphasis on certification and paper qualification in the country and advocated for appropriate sanctions on culprits of examination malpractices.

Okowa: Delta Has No Land For Open Grazing

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has stated his final position on  Open Grazing of cows.

Okowa explained that Delta was not acquiring lands for herdsmen as wrongly reported in some quarters.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said in a statement in Asaba, that the Bill before the State Assembly was for the regulation of livestock breeding, raring and marketing in the state.

He said contrary to the misinformation in the public, the state was not acquiring any land for the purpose of establishing ranches.

He stated that ranching like any other business, was a private concern and, therefore, anyone interested in establishing ranches in any part of the State was free to acquire land for the said purpose in accordance with relevant laws that regulates private ownership of any legitimate business.

He urged Deltans and the general public to disregard the earlier information that Government was providing land for herdsmen as alternative to ban on open grazing.

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