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JNI Slams Kukah Over Message, Says It Is Irresponsible, Abusive Of Islam |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

For weeks, the Christmas Message of Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah generated reactions for and against.

The latest  reaction has come from the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has lashes Bishop Kukah’s Christmas message as irresponsible as it was abusive of Islam.

In a Press  Statement titled, ‘Reverend Kukah’s Christmas Homily,’ signed by  its Secretary-General , Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, on Wednesday in Kaduna, three weeks after the Bishop’s message, the JNI condemned  him over what it called “a political hogwash to deceive the innocent.”

The statement reads in  part: “Though the message is disguised as a political hogwash to deceive the innocent, there is no doubt that it was a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria, hence the need for this intervention.

“The Bishop’s statement was a prepared address considering the occasion and the audience; one cannot but agree that it was a calculated attempt to insult Islam which is typical of him.

“His veiled insinuation that Muslims have a pool of violence to draw from is disgusting, disheartening, as well as condemnable.

“Responsibly, Christmas homilies should come with messages of hope, unity, mercy, forgiveness of the Supreme Being and resilience through prayers, especially in this trying time.

“The Bishop’s message was however a clear deviation from well-established norm across the globe.”

Abayomi Fashina Steps In As FUOYE Vice Chancellor |The Source

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The Source
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Professor Abayomi Fashina - FUOYE VC

By Ayodele Oni

After months of boardroom  politics, a new Vice Chancellor,  Professor Abayomi Fashina, has been appointed for the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, (FUOYE).

A Professor of Soil Sciences, he was until his appointment, the Deputy  Vice Chancellor, Administration,  at the University.

His appointment was made public after the Governing Council  met for two days with the Chairman, Dr Mohammed Yahuza presiding.

He will be succeeding Prof Kayode Soremekun,as the fourth substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution.

Prof Fashina, it was gathered, was picked among the over 160 applicants that jostled for the prime position.

The applicants were later screened to 16, four from within and others from outside by the Governing Council.

At a point during the selection process, the Governing  Council  had to suspend the exercise when it received over 2,000 petitions against some of the preferred candidates.

The Council  shifted its meetings to Abuja, Lagos and Oye before it finally agreed on a candidate.

Prof Soremekun’s tenure will lapse in February after five years sojourn as the   VC of FUOYE.

However, Prof Fashina appointment is expected to ignite chains of reactions, even from the Ekiti State  Government  and those clamouring for a son of the soil for the position.

New Ekiti Varsity Gets Principal Officers |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has approved the appointments of Principal Officers for the recently upgraded Bamidele Olumilua University of Science and Technology, Ikere, Ekiti.

The former College of Education in the State  was upgraded to a University status last year after a bill to that effect was passed by the House of Assembly.

The institution was, thereafter, named after a former civilian Governor of old Ondo state, late Bamidele Olumilua.

A statement on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Fayemi, Yinka Oyebode, said this was in exercise of his power as the Visitor to the University.

“The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi has approved the appointment of principal officers to pilot the affairs of the newly approved university.

“They are Prof O. V. Adeoluwa, Vice Chancellor; Mr. Ojo Olurotimi Gbenga, Registrar; Mr. Apata Babatunde Abioye, Bursar; and Mr. C. O.Oyegbaju, Librarian.

“The appointments are with immediate effect.”

FCMB Appoints First Woman MD

By
Bayo Bernard
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By Fola James

First City Monument Bank has appointed an acting Managing Director, Yemisi Edun, barely 24 hours after it directed Adam Nuru, embattled former chief executive to proceed on leave over marital scandal involving him and Moyo Thomas, a former employee of the bank.

Moyo now lives in the United States of America, USA after she broke up with her husband, who report said later died of shock when he learnt of the amorous relationship.

Edun, the magazine learnt was, before her new role, the Chief Financial Officer of the commercial bank. She was elevated into that position after a marathon meeting by the board of the bank on Wednesday.

According to a short profile on the bank’s website, Edun holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and a masters’ degree in International Accounting and Finance from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.

She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a Chartered Financial Analyst. She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and an Associate Member of the Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Member of Information Systems Audit and Control, U.S.A. and a Certified Information Systems Auditor.

She began her career with Akintola Williams Deloitte in 1987 with a focus on corporate finance activities as well as audit of banks and other financial institutions.

She joined FCMB in the year 2000 as Divisional Head of Internal Audit and Control before assuming the role of Chief Financial Officer of the bank.

2023: Osoba Reveals Agreement Within APC That Power Will Go South After Buhari |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Governing Council, and Former Ogun State,  Aremo Segun Osoba, has revealed  there was a consensus among the political parties that merged to form the All Progressives Congress, APC, that the Presidency  will return to the South  after President Muhammadu Buhari’s two-term tenure.

The APC chieftain  added that in 2014, prior to the merger by the three major political parties and a splinter group from the ruling party then known as the New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, there was an agreement on power rotation.

The three political parties were the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), a formidable party in the south west, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)  the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and and a splinter of the APGA.

Osoba, featuring on ARISE Television,  said that asba founding member of the APC, the agreement in 2014 was that the  President  will go to the North while the Chairman  comes from the South.

He added that  there was an unambiguous gentleman agreement of how the Presidency  will move from North  to South  upon the conclusion of Buhari’s tenure.

He, however, explained that for 2023, the three southern geopolitical zones can put up candidates for the party’s primary and anyone who clinches the ticket will be the Presidential candidate  of the APC.

“We had a clear gentlemanly understanding that the Northern part of the country will produce the President  when we did the merger in 2013. And the Chairman  of the party will then come from the South.

“We have had a President  for six and a half years now from the North  in APC.

“The President  will be there for eight years until 2023. The chairmanship has moved from Chief  Bisi Akande in South-West to John Oyegun from South-South and then from John Oyegun to Adams Oshiomhole, also from South-South.

“Of course, at the end of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, the gentlemanly arrangement is that the Presidency  will come to the South  and I talk of the South  in terms of the two territories that were forced to amalgamate in 1914 which means the South-south, the South-east and the South-west  zones which are also not in the constitution can bid and should be allowed to produce the next president for this country.

“Therefore, those from the South-east, South-south and South-west can put up candidates for the party’s primary and whoever emerges from the primary can then be the candidate of our party. “That is the gentlemanly understanding that we reached when we were doing the merger arrangement.”

Ondo: Gov Akeredolu, Deputy, Clash Over Gov’s CoP’s Death; Deputy Slams Governor |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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Rotimi Akeredolu and Agboola Ajayi

By Ayodele Oni

The death of the Chief of Protocol to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state five days ago is generating mixed reactions.

The CoP, Tosin Ogunbodede, died in an auto crash on Saturday along Akure/Ilesha highway along with his driver.

They were said to be returning from a private visit to Ibadan, according to a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Donald Ojogo.

The statement by Ojogo read in part: “A lawyer by profession, the late CoP died in a ghastly car crash after a private visit to an uncle in Ibadan, Professor Benjamin Ogunbodede, who has been ill for sometime.

“He died alongside his driver after the private Toyota Corola car that conveyed them rammed into a trailer.

The sad incident occured at about 7.45 pm along Ilesa-Akure road on Saturday, January 2, 2020.

However, a statement from the office of the deputy governor of the state, Mr Ajayi Agboola, condemned the manner in which the death of the top government official was handled.

Before his appointment as CoP four years ago, Ogunbodede was a lawyer at the law office of Governor Akeredolu in Ibadan and also hailed from Owo, the Governor’s hometown.

A statement by Allen Sowore, Deputy  Governor Ajayi’s media aide, insisted that the CoP was returning from Ibadan where he had gone to brief Governor Akeredolu about his itinerary for the first week of the new year.

“Immediately after Tosin Ogunbodede Esq, Chief of Protocol to Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN died on the 2nd January, 2021, in a fatal road accident, while returning from Ibadan, where he had gone to brief the governor on assignment and Government’s itinerary for the new year, Governor Akeredolu callously issued a statement through the Commissioner for Information, Donald Ojogo, attributing the death of Tosin Ogunbodede to a private visit to Ibadan to see his sick uncle.

“In one paragraph, Donald Ojogo emphasised on the word ‘PRIVATE’ twice – “a private visit to his uncle in Ibadan, Professor Benjamin Ogunbodede” and “private Toyota Corola car”. This is needless.

“Telling the whole world that a man who died in the active service of his fatherland met his untimely death on a private visit was the most irresponsible and indecorous way to announce the untimely and painful death of a man of Tosin Ogunmodede’s status and service to Ondo State.

“As you all know, the Ondo State Governor is seriously trying to hide the very fact that he celebrated the NEW YEAR in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, while he lackadaisically allowed refuse, dirt and debris to take over major streets of Akure, the State  capital and other major towns.

“The official statement became too clever by half, when in another paragraph, it did mention that Tosin Ogunmodede stopped by at the Governor’s Law Hub, Ibadan, to greet his Principal while returning to Akure.

“More painful is the fact that the statement failed to mention or recognise the name of the Government driver, Leke Ajiboye, who died in the same fatal accident. To Donald Ojogo, Leke Ajiboye was a son of nobody.

“The same Governor who couldn’t honour the people he governs with his presence on the 1st day of the year, rushed back to Owo on January 3rd to deliver tributes to his late Chief of Protocol.”

IPOB Accuses Umahi Of Protecting Killer Herdsmen Against His People; Warns Traditional Rulers |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has slammed Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, accusing him of protecting killer Herdsmen, and allowing them take over the State.

The claim by IPOB is coming days after Governor Umahi called for the arrest and prosecution of those spreading falsehood that  Fulani Herdsmen were attacking the people of the State.

IPOB has, therefore, called  on Governor Umahi to stop harassing his own people because of an alleged promise of the position of Vice-President in 2023.

Few months back, Governor Umahi recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on which platform he was elected twice as Governor, for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The warning by the proscribed IPOB was contained in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Tuesday.

Powerful said in the statement: “The media report of the statement credited to Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, where he reportedly ordered the arrest of innocent locals who had in a viral video exposed the latest atrocities of Fulani terrorist herdsmen in Ebonyi communities, is madness taken too far.

“Although we are not surprised at such treachery, it defies logic that a sitting governor will rather choose to dine with the oppressors of his own people just for the derisive promise of an illusory vice-presidential candidacy to a Fulani presidential candidate in 2023. What a shame!

“We the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), ably led by our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, therefore, wish to warn Governor Umahi against the grave implications of his actions.

Dave Umahi
Governor Dave Umahi

“Declaring law abiding citizens wanted simply because they exposed and confronted foreign terrorists in Ebonyi State is worse than terrorism itself. It only goes to show that Umahi and other eastern politicians know more about the incessant killings, rapes and other atrocities in Ebonyi communities by Fulani herdsmen and terrorists than they are willing to admit.

“It is the height of foolery that Governor Dave Umahi will support foreign Fulani terrorist herdsmen against his own people that voted for him. Does Dave Umahi not know that our mothers for years now have been afraid of going to their farms for fear of being raped by Fulani terrorists and other evil activities of Miyetti Allah?

“Governor Umahi is only courting the wrath of the people by choosing to swim against the tide. For deciding to sabotage the efforts of the Eastern Security Network personnel who are working tirelessly to rid Ebonyi State of killer herdsmen and terrorists, Umahi has declared himself an enemy of the people. And he should be ready to face the consequences of his treachery.

“Governor Umahi is fully aware that the same Fulani killer herdsmen he is protecting have recently renamed Agbabor community close to Uburu town in Onicha Local Government Area to Aruu. What has he done to reverse this affront? Instead of hiding his face in shame that terrorists are now renaming Ebonyi communities under his watch, Umahi is busy threatening patriotic Biafrans who are merely exposing the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen in their communities.

“We, therefore, advise Governor Umahi and his Miyetti Allah handlers to make sure nothing happens to citizens of Ebonyi State who are within their rights to share the said video. Biafrans will hold him and his family responsible should any harm befall any individual as a result of his wish to serve his Fulani masters.

“We also warn Traditional Rulers and President Generals recruited by Governors in the South-East against ESN personnel to retrace their steps, otherwise they will eternally regret their action”, the Statement reads.

Veteran Nollywood Actress, Orisabunmi, Dies At Age 60 |The Source

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The Source
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Folake Aremu- Orisabunmi

By Akinwale Kasali

Less than two weeks after the nation’s make- belief industry, popular as Nollywood, mourned the demise of Veteran Producer, Chico Ejiro, the Industry has, again, been thrown into mourning.

Veteran thespian of the Yoruba Genre of the industry, Folake Aremu, Popularly known as Orisabunmi, has died.

Breaking the news of her demise, President of the Theatre Arts And Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) Bolaji Amusan, aka Mr Latin, confirmed she died on Tuesday night at the age of 60.

Until her death, she was well known from the 80s for her roles as a priestess, pacifist or the good witch in movies.

Born on October 10, 1960, in Ilu Ola, Kwara state, Orisabunmi went to Ilu Ola Primary School and Secondary Commercial College.

She was discovered by her ex-husband, Jimoh Aliu, in the 80s while working as a teacher in Kwara state.

She became popular in the 80s TV series, Arelu, starring her husband and others like Fadeyi Oloro.

Her appearance in other movies like “Agbaarin” and soap opera, “Yanponyanrin” cemented her place in the movie industry.

The late Jimoh Aliu (Aworo) and Folake had a very rocky marriage, which later hit the rock, as the couple were separated long before Aworo died in September, 2020, after a brief illness.

He died at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital aged 86.

Tributes have been pouring in for the veteran actress from her colleagues, who lamented her demise, and applauded her professionalism.

She will be missed for her roles, dedication and humility, her colleagues said.

WHO Approves Pfizer Vaccines for Nigeria |The Source

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The Source
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Pfizer Vaccine

By Uche Mbah

The World Health Organization, WHO, has endorsed the Pfizer produced Covid-19 vaccine for use by Nigeria just as Nigeria negotiates with China on the acquisition of the said vaccine.

Nigeria hopes to take delivery by the end of January.

Dr Walter Kaza Mulombo, the WHO Country Representative in Nigeria said during the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 press briefing in Abuja that the Pfizer vaccine is available for emergency use as the approved vaccine for Nigeria.

Nigeria, however, has already requested for the vaccines from china, and the country targets 42 million vaccines through the global COVAX scheme, according to Reuters. Government targets delivery of vaccines that will target 20% of the population till the end of January. Thia was confirmed by Mulombo.

“On the question of WHO endorsing or authorizing two vaccines, what I can say this evening is that WHO has endorsed for emergency use one vaccine, which is Pfizer vaccine, which is expected first to arrive in Nigeria in a couple of weeks. There are other candidate vaccines that will come on the list and in a few days after the strategic inventory by the group of experts in WHO reviews all the evidence. So the process is for WHO to review rigorously all the evidence published and made available by the vaccine manufacturers. After reviewing that evidence, there is a set of criteria, then we can decide or not put it on the emergency list. But for now, it just one of them, but there are others that may come on the same list”, Mulombo said.

In his own words, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said that the festivities has resulted in the increase in covid 19 cases.

“From our analysis, we are beginning to see the effect of activities carried out during the Christmas festivities. We can only hope that numbers will not escalate beyond control. We, however, still appeal to all citizens to take full responsibility through compliance and vigilance”, he said.

Nigeria has recorded 91,351 total cases out of 958,911 persons tested for the virus.In a related development, the comptroller general of immigration, Muhammed Babandede, has said that the Immigration Act empowers him to revoke visas and confiscate passports of violators of the covid-19 protocols, saying that passports of such violators are already blocked, and they may not travel outside or enter the country.

“The public health is a big issue in the country and based on that directives, we have complied by blocking 100 passports from traveling, which means, even if they go to the police and declare those passports missing, they cannot be reissued anywhere in the world and they cannot cross our national borders until the period of six months or communication received from the right authorities stating that they have complied.

“This will also include non-Nigerians; we have the powers to revoke visas, the comptroller-general has the power to revoke visas,” Babandede said.

Zamfara Revokes 500 Licences of Private Schools |The Source

By
Uche Mbah
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By Uche Mbah

The Zamfara state government has revoked the licenses of more than 500 private school proprietors on the ground that they have not satisfied the state educational guidelines for running private schools.

Ibrahim Abdullahi, Commissioner for Education in Zamfara, disclosed this on Tuesday.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports Abdullahi as saying that a task force will soon be inaugurated to enforce compliance on the closure of the affected schools, adding that the schools would only be allowed to operate if they meet the comprehensive guidelines recently developed by the state government.

“The guidelines will have to be followed and be met by any private school proprietor before the issuance of licence to operate,’’ he said.

He said Bello Matawalle, Governor of Zamfara, met a “poorly-arranged” setting on the operations of private schools, where proprietors only needed to pay a start-up registration fee of N30,000, after which they had freedom to operate outside the control of the state government.

“At the moment, we have a draft bill which we will forward to the house of assembly that will empower the ministry of education to have control over the way the private schools are set up and operated,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the unit under the state’s ministry of education that oversees the operations of private schools had been upgraded as part of efforts to improve efficiency.

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