-
Just In: WAEC presents attestation certificate to Buhari (Video)
News & Trends •
buhari was born on 17 december 1942 in daura and began attending central primary school in the town at the age of six1 president muhammadu buhari has got an attestation certificate and confirmation of school certificate result from the west african examination council special adviser mr. femi adesina disclosed today1 waec presents attestation certificate and confirmation of school cert result to president buhari. what will the naysayers say next1 femi adesina @femadesina1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the registrar of the council dr iyi uwadiae made the presentation at the presidents mini conference hall at the presidential villa abuja on friday1 uwadiaewho was accompanied by senior staff of the council performed the ceremony during a courtesy visit to the state house1 the presentation was witnessed by the secretary to the government of the federation mr boss mustapha minister of education adamu adamu and other presidential aides1 like in 2014 there was a renewed controversy over the school certificate of president buhari in recent weeks following the publication of his credentials for the february 2019 election1 according to inec the president said his school certificate result and other academic credentials were with the nigerian military which he served from 1961-1985 retiring as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces1 the main opposition peoples democratic party pdp on oct. 26 challenged buhari to show proof of his integrity by presenting his academic credentials if he has any to the inec1 one critic even went to court to challenge him to produce the certificate a move that was needless considering that the president since 1961 after he finished his secondary education had attained further education leading to a masters degree in strategic studies at us war college1 adesina who is special adviser on media and publicity disclosed this on twitter friday afternoon and taunted the presidents critics who have been wailing over his certificate1 he spent three years in the primary school from where he went to to katsina middle school. following the abolition of the middle school system he became one of the first students to be admitted to kankia primary school in 1954 he graduated in 19551 in 1956 he proceeded to the katsina provincial secondary school. there he became a school monitor in class ii a school prefect a house captain and ultimately head boy of the school1 he was also at different times a long distance runner 800 metres a debater for his house a player in the schools hockey team and the head of his unit in the schools military cadet. he graduated in 1961 and joined the army immediately. in those days the military recruited from the secondary schools and he and his peers were so attracted to the army1 in the army the president also had further education. he attended the nigerian military training college nmtc in 19621 from 1962 to 1963 buhari underwent officer cadet training at mons officer cadet school in aldershot in england1 in january 1963 at age 20 he was commissioned a second lieutenant and appointed platoon commander of the second infantry battalion in abeokuta nigeria1 from november 1963 to january 1964 buhari attended the platoon commanders course at the nigerian military training college kaduna1 in 1964 he attended the mechanical transport officers course at the army mechanical transport school in borden united kingdom1 he also attended the defence services staff college wellington india in 1973 and capped it with a masters degree at the us army war college1 this was between 1979 to 1980 when he was a colonel. at the war college he gained a masters degree in strategic studies1 -
FRCN staff who committed suicide not Journalist
News & Trends •
by ifeanyi nwoko15 a staff of the federal radio corporation of nigeria frcn lagos has committed suicide. the staff whose name is withheld jumped off the third mainland bridge in lagos into the lagoon1 however contrary to reports in various media saying that the victim was a journalist an frcn staff confirmed to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity that the late victim was a driver1 our correspondent reports that the deceased was a driver who recently retired but was re-absorbed on a contract basis pending when he gets his retirement benefits1 he was said to be attached to the director of it lagos operations of the frcn1 he late driver had pretended that he wanted to ease himself but after alighting from the commercial bus which he was riding in along with some of his colleagues he immediately dived into the lagoon1 operatives of the rapid response squad of the lagos state police command responded immediately to the incident but could not rescue the reporter1 after a joint effort by marine police and local divers his corpse was eventually recovered and has been taken to the ebute ero police division1 kehinde adebayo spokesman lasema confirmed that efforts were being made to transfer the deceaseds corpse to the mortuary1 -
FG inaugurates panel to investigate NHIS
News & Trends •
by kate obande-okewu4 other are mr shamsuddeen bello deputy director expenditure osgf mr ishaq yahaya director certification and compliance bureau of public procurement and dr ekanem udoh director science federal ministry of science and technology1 this is coming few days after1 at the ceremony in abuja mustapha told members of the independent fact-finding panel that nhis had been involved in various crises which had led to the suspension of its executive secretary prof. usman yusuf1 he said that the crises had also called for the scrapping of the health management organisations hmo operating in the scheme1 president muhammadu buhari is passionate about the health of the citizens so as part of the crises it had become necessary to set up a panel that will investigate the infractions in the scheme1 the panel has two weeks to complete the assignment and all hands must be on deck to ensure that you deliver to the satisfaction of the president mustapha said1 in her remarks head of civil service of the federation mrs winifred oyo-iya assured the panel of her support and guidance in carrying out its assignment1 oyo-ita who was represented by the director ippis ohcsf mrs anne attah said that all civil servants were enrolled on the nhis and that its success was important for the progress of the civil service1 she expressed confidence in the chairman of the panel dr hassan bukar stating that as a former permanent secretary he knew the rules and regulations of the civil service1 secretary to government of the federation sgf mr boss mustapha on friday inaugurated a fact-finding committee on national health insurance scheme nhis and advised it to eschew bias in its assignment1 adewole promised to help the panel in speeding up the discharge of the assignment to enable it to deliver on time adding that the problem of nhis was deeply rooted1 i promise to help speed up the process of the panel and once the report is turned in it will be implemented immediately he said1 accepting the responsibility chairman of the panel bukar said that it was a rare privilege to be bestowed with such confidence and responsibility by the government1 he noted that the task was onerous but assured that the panel would ensure that it delivered on time1 bukar added that the panel would work assiduously to restore nhis to its glory1 the panel will investigate alleged infractions listed by the nhis governing council in its letter of oct. 18 2018 and determine the extent of culpability or otherwise of the executive secretary1 it is mandated to make appropriate recommendations including on issues that led to the unhealthy relationship between the board and the chief executive officer of the scheme1 it will also investigate and make recommendations on the extent of involvement of staff unions within the organisation to the impasse between the board and executive secretary1 mrs jummai idakwo osgf is secretary of the panel which has dr emmanuel meribole director federal ministry of health and mr adewale owolo director audit office of the auditor general of the federation oagf as members1 on his part minister of health prof. isaac adewole commended the sgf for his prompt intervention in the nhis issue1 -
Police bust baby selling gang
News & Trends •
consequently the suspects emmanuel chigozie elesuwa and chioma david admitted and confessed to the police investigation team that they are members of a criminal gang that specialize in buying and selling of new born babies and children within and outside nigeria and have been in operation for over ten years1 police said they have bust a gang which specialises in baby selling for as much as n700000 each to willing buyers even across the border in benin republic1 the gangs kingpin is a 52 year-old woman chief lilian nma achumba who runs a charity home in aba abia state1 a police investigating team was stunned when it found 35 pregnant girls and six children and a day old baby at the nma charity and rehabilitation centreumunkpeyi isiala ngwa south local government in abia1 the team was led there by two of the suspects initially arrested at the idi-iroko border in ogun state on 20 july. they were caught with two newly-born babies meant for smuggling for sale in benin republic1 upon interrogation the two suspects 44 year old emmanuel chigozie elesuwa and 33 year-old chioma david a woman confessed they bought the babies at n350000 each at nma charity home and they were taking them to benin to sell at n700000 each1 according to adeniran investigation into the case by the anti-human trafficking and womenchildren protection unit of the force revealed that the suspects arrested are notorious criminals that deal in buying and selling of babies and children within and outside nigeria1 chief superintendent of police aremu adeniran who is the deputy force public relations officer unveiled the three-person gang in abuja today1 during interrogation and further investigation into the roles played by chief lilian nma achumba the owner of nma charity home in aba abia state indicted in the confession of the two suspects it was discovered that the purpose of establishing the orphanage home is to harvest babies for sale and she also operate other branches of the orphanage home in port-harcourt and some other parts of the country1 the police spokesman said 28 of the 36 pregnant girls or women and three children found at the nma charity home have been handed over to the ministry of strategy and social development umuahia abia state and all have since been re-united with their families after receiving medical attention1 the principal suspect chief lilian nma achumba has admitted and confessed to her criminal roles in the case adeniran said1 achumba also revealed she has other branches of the orphanage in port-harcourt and some other parts of the country1 the inspector general of police ibrahim idris on assumption of office on the 22nd june 2016 expanded the anti-human trafficking and womenchildren protection unit of the force under the force criminal intelligence and investigation department fciid1 the anti-human trafficking and womenchildren protection unit of the force in compliance with the directives and their expanded mandate have been working in synergy with relevant agencies of government in the fight against the trafficking of persons and abuse of rights and privileges of women and children1 police said investigation is being intensified to uncover other illegal orphanage branches being operated by achumba to rescue victims and arrest other members of the syndicate still at large1 -
Buhari, WAEC, PDPs toxic air
News & Trends •
in an article published by the daily trust a day or so ago professor shehu zuru quoted wendy sherman the author of the book not for the faint heart that courage and integrity are critical attributes that you cannot acquire from a classroom because they are the inert fabrics of human conscience that dictates the power of the negative and the power of the positive1 the west african examinations council waec friday said the controversy concerning president muhammadu buharis school certificate is embarrassing and felt a sense of duty to produce and deliver to him a confirmation and attestation of his results in form of a duplicate certificate1 the unreasonable position of the pdp had been sustained all along in spite of testimony by classmates who read with him in school and graduated together and that fact that a court of law had given a ruling on the matter1 in 2014-2015 when they raked up the issue i remember that it took the courage of the then college principal to issue a statement of results from available records. in doing so he defied the ruling pdp government in the state which asked him not to1 at the time we got the results sheet reports said that the government had determined to send arsonists to burn the school to ashes so that the existing records will be obliterated1 this was against the backdrop of the shocking claim by the army records office in lokoja that they didnt keep any records of general buhari as a military officer1 curiously the army records office had once come under muhammadu buhari as military secretary who during his tenure streamlined the records of the entire officer corps and could not by any stretch of imagination have left his own records in a mess. general alani akinrinade rtd reportedly dismissed this mischief as an insult to the military1 after doing his consciences duty by daringly releasing those results the then government of katsina state punished the principal by stripping him of his seniority and posting1 as we said in a number of past statements the matter of the presidents qualification to run for office is a non-issue nonetheless feasted upon by the pdp which has stopped thinking and have nothing to offer to nigerians1 based on arguments that education gives a human being the power to discriminate between right and wrong the 1999 constitution stipulates a minimum educational qualification for citizens who intend to contest for elections at all levels which requires that they must possess a secondary school education or its equivalent1 the provision above has itself come under serious re-examination by scholars who argue that the possession of a secondary school certification does not necessarily mean that a person is intelligent. it is equally argued that it is a mistake to assume that a person with a certificate has higher knowledge or intelligence than the one who doesnt have1 this is a god-sent with waec being a non-political entity. this should put to rest the absurd allegations by the peoples democratic party pdp brought up again and again that he did not attend a secondary school1 as far as his educational career is concerned president buhari attended the katsina provincial secondary school before enrolling in the nigerian military training college nmtc kaduna 1962 renamed nigerian defence academy in 19641 as narrated by major-general sani saleh rtd i worked at the nigerian defence academy so i know the processes. you cannot get in with a forged certificate it is impossible1 at the time muhammadu buhari enrolled the army was still controlled by the britishnigerian army was a select and an elite organisation we had very few army officers at that time. i dont think the whole nigerian army officers were up to 50. you can imagine what it takes for you as a nigerian to be one of thoseand today somebody will be accusing you that you dont have a certificate1 from nmtc muhammadu buhari went to the mons officer cadet school aldershot united kingdom 1962-63 the defence services staff college india 1973 and thereafter united states army war college which upon completion awarded its graduates a masters degree in strategic studies1 in the belief that the nation has the right to know the educational details of their president candidate muhammadu buhari laid bare everything and tendered an affidavit in respect of the waec certificate1 the masquerades wielding the real power behind the pdp some of whom played an active part in his overthrow as military head of state in the mid-eighties are deliberate in keeping this issue alive. as a thoroughbred toughened general he wont cry out that his home and office were vandalised by scoopers when they threw him out of power1 in meeting the eligibility for the contest in 2015 president buhari presented the waec results and the other degree and non-degree related results. he went through the verification process in the party the independent national electoral commission inec and the court. he ran and won against the pdp1 with these the unnecessary controversy should have ended. it is equally hard to fathom how such a dead issue should get the type of attention given it by the media considering the many matters of serious concern to the citizens internal security that was given a short shrift for 16 years by the pdp the diversification of the economy by focusing on key sectors apart from oil that can create jobs and generate revenue such as agriculture solid minerals and manufacturing which the buhari administra1 do they know that nigeria airways nitel and other pensioners they left in the cold unpaid when they sold public assets to cronies or to themselves are getting their dues under this dispensation if these things had been done when the oil price was as high as us140 per barrel nigeria would not be in the current predicament. we would not have suffered when we had no cash reserves but we had regular supply of power a good rail system good roads and good housing. these are the issues dear to the hear1 in its political fight for 2019 the pdp is not relying on the big issues of the day -security corruption and jobs but on small distractive matters that take little or no account of national interest. but what do you expect of a group that has stopped thinking just blowing hot toxic air indulging in divisive politics and is raking up sectional issues so that the people will forget the real issues of corruption infrastructure security and economy for which they have no plans1 -
APC takes INEC to court over Zamfara ban
News & Trends •
we want to see inec as an impartial arbiter and i trust that they will do their very best to maintain their name as an impartial arbiter oshiomhole said1 mr adams oshiomhole national chairman all progressives congress apc says the party will approach the court on its ban by the independent national electoral commission inec from fielding candidates for elective positions in zamfara in the 2019 general elections1 he said that inec cannot disenfranchise the people of zamfara from participating in any of the elections in 20191 with all due respect inec cannot award a state to the peoples democratic party pdp or any other political party1 it has to be the decision of the people of zamfara or any other people in any other state that is going to participate in any of the elections1 i believe the court will look at the law and the rules and as far as the legal advice we have gotten is concerned we believe we are on good grounds1 oshiomhole stated this on friday in abuja while briefing newsmen on the state of affairs of the party1 he added that for now the apc has confidence in inec even though according to him the commission is being pressured by the pdp to do internal reorganisation1 the apc national chairman expressed optimism that the rule of law would prevail at the end of the day adding that the party has confidence in the judiciary and would always abide by court rulings1 the news agency of nigeria nan recalls that inec had on oct. 10 said that apc was not eligible to field candidates for governorship national assembly and state assembly positions in zamfara in the 2019 elections1 the commission in a letter signed by okechukwu ndeche the acting secretary said apc was not qualified to field candidates because it failed to conduct primaries in zamfara within the stipulated time-frame1 oshiomhole while reacting to the development had insisted that the party held primaries in zamfara contrary to inec position1 -
CAF Champions League final: Al Ahly win round one
News & Trends •
al ahly have won the first leg of the lucrative caf champions league final beating esperance of tunisia 3-1 at the borg el arab army stadium in alexandria egypt1 dangerous winger walid soliman scored a brace for the hosts via penalties in the 34th and 78th minute while amr al sulaya scored al ahlys third goal1 mohammed youcef belaili scored the visitors consolation goal in the 65th also via penalty in the match watched by1 as predicted it was veteran winger walid soliman that did the damage to esperance banging in two penalties1 since joining al ahly from domestic side enppi in 2011 soliman enjoyed champions league glory with the club in 2012 and 20131 he scored the decisive goal in the aggregate 3-2 victory over esperance when both sides clashed in the 2012 final. soliman also won three more caf titles with the club namely 2 caf super cups 2013 and 2014 and the 2014 caf confederation cup1 the return match between the two teams will take place on november 9 at the rads stadium in tunis1 -
Trump set to shut down Iran in new sanctions
News & Trends •
he did not name the eight countries but they are believed to include india japan south korea and possibly china1 the united states will add 700 individuals and entities to its iran blacklist and push the swift global banking network to cut tehran off when it reimposes sanctions monday in a maximum pressure effort to cripple the countrys economy1 there will also be sanctions to cut off tehrans ability to export oil the countrys most crucial foreign exchange earner though us secretary of state mike pompeo said eight importers would be given exemptions in exchange for slowing their purchases a bid to avoid upsetting the global crude market1 the reimposition of sanctions is aimed at depriving the regime of the revenues it uses to spread death and destruction around the world pompeo said1 our ultimate aim is to compel iran to permanently abandon its well-documented outlaw activities and behave as a normal country1 when trump withdrew from the nuclear deal struck between world powers and iran he began reimposing sanctions that had been suspended or removed by his predecessor barack obama1 that process will be completed starting from midnight sunday us eastern time when sanctions on the regimes banks shippers shipbuilders and oil sector are imposed1 the impact remains in question as other countries particularly washingtons european allies are resisting joining its effort to economically strangle the tehran regime1 britain france germany and the european union strongly condemned the us move as they did when washington withdrew in may from the iran nuclear deal the joint comprehensive plan of action1 the jcpoa is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and of multilateral diplomacy they said1 it is crucial for the security of europe the region and the entire world. the jcpoa is working and delivering on its goal1 pompeo said the us would grant exemptions to eight countries that have pledged to or have already cut back on purchases of petroleum from iran which has long depended on crude exports to power its economy1 us officials said friday they were determined to force tehran to give up its nuclear activities and what the us says is broad support for terrorism in the region reimposing severe economic penalties six months after president donald trumps administration quit the 2015 iran nuclear deal1 irans northern neighbor turkey said it was one of the eight1 we know turkey is among the countries that will be given an exemption but we do not have the details energy minister fatih donmez said according to state-run news agency anadolu1 pompeo said the countries agreed that the payments for the oil would go into escrow accounts that iran will only be able to tap for humanitarian trade or bilateral trade in non-sanctioned goods and services1 maximum pressure means maximum pressure pompeo said1 to punish iranian banks us treasury secretary steve mnuchin said swift which enables secure bank-to-bank communications and transactions will also face sanctions if it provides services to blacklisted iranian financial institutions1 the us blacklist includes most major iranian banks1 that could make it extremely difficult for iran to do business with other countries1 swift is no different than any other entity mnuchin said1 the us wants the shiite clerical regime to withdraw from war-ravaged syria where it is a critical ally of president bashar al-assad and to end longstanding support to regional militant movements hezbollah and hamas1 it also wants iran to stop backing yemens huthi rebels who are facing a us-supported air campaign led by saudi arabia1 its important to keep our eyes on the prize when it comes to iranian revenues whether they be derived from oil or any other sort of sanctionable transaction. the goal is to target and tie up these revenues to change irans calculus said behnam ben taleblu of the foundation for defense of democracies1 -
Lampards Derby County in Halloween horror show at Stamford Bridge
News & Trends •
timori sliced into his own net in the fifth minute miscuing a clearance when attempting to deal with an innocuous-looking davide zappacosta cross1 chelsea and england great frank lampards derby county team staged a defensive halloween horror show on wednesday night at stamford bridge banging in two own goals for chelsea1 all the five goals at the thrilling encounter came in a helter-skelter first half on a night when there were also fourth-round victories for arsenal tottenham and middlesbrough1 two astonishing early defensive errors at stamford bridge from fikayo tomori on loan from chelsea and richard keogh either side of a jack marriott equaliser gave the home side a 2-1 lead1 undaunted lampards side levelled shortly before the half-hour through martyn waghorn before cesc fabregas restored order for the premier league high-flyers1 lampard one of chelseas greatest-ever players received a rapturous reception on his first return to stamford bridge as a manager soaking up the atmosphere before kick-off1 buoyed by his sides win at old trafford against his former chelsea boss jose mourinho in the previous round he was dismayed to witness the errors from his side which made their task all the harder1 the teams gallant effort to stage a come-back failed as they were dumped out of the carabao league cup by their hosts with a winner by cesc fabregas1 midway through the half lightning struck twice when keogh failed to deal with another zappacosta delivery haplessly steering the ball into his own net1 but the visitors played a full role in a frantic first half looking sharp as they came forward and were back on level terms before fabregas scored what turned out to be the decisive goal1 keogh had a late chance to make amends for his earlier howler but willy caballero saved at close range and david nugent hit the post in the 89th minute leaving lampard holding his head in his hands in frustration1 as former chelsea and leicester manager claudio ranieri looked on from the stands there was a minutes applause before kick-off in tribute to leicesters late thai owner vichai srivaddhanaprabha killed in a helicopter crash on saturday1 ten-man arsenal were made to sweat by league one blackpool before eventually emerging 2-1 winners with goals from stefan lichtsteiner and emile smith-rowe1 two goals from son heung-min and a strike from fernando llorente gave tottenham a 3-1 win against west ham while championship side middlesbrough upset premier league outfit crystal palace 1-01 on tuesday burton albion and bournemouth booked their places in the quarter-finals while premier league leaders manchester city play fulham on thursday1 -
Buhari sends NHIS boss on leave
News & Trends •
the governing council of the nhis however acted within its jurisdiction they are the chief security officer of the organisation and have the powers to discipline and suspend1 president muhammadu buhari has intervened in the on-going crisis in the national health insurance scheme nhis over the suspension of the executive secretary prof. usman yusuf by the governing council of the scheme1 the es who had been enmeshed in series of controversy included an earlier suspension by the minister of health isaac adewole had been quoted many times saying that only president muhammadu buhari could suspend him or sack him1 the headquarters of the scheme had been marred by protests by the labour unions of the scheme who insisted that the executive secretary must proceed on the suspension1 earlier on tuesday the two labour unions on tuesday renewed their resolve to sustain their ongoing protest over the suspension of prof. usman yusuf the executive secretary of national health insurance scheme nhis by the governing council of the organisation1 the trade unions are the association of senior civil servants of nigeria ascsn and medical and health workers union of nigeria mhwun1 mr abdulrazak omomaji the chairman of ascsn made this known to the news agency of nigeria nan in abuja while reacting to the statement by the secretary to the government of the federation sgf mr boss mustapha1 nan recalls that mustapha on oct. 29 at a retreat for boards and governing councils as well as chief executives of mdas clarified that as appointees of the president the boards and councils have no power to suspend any chief executive without recourse to due process1 however omomaji said that the union was still awaiting government reaction to their demands over the allegations of maladministration by yusuf1 he explained that the act establishing the nhis was unique that gives the governing council the powers to suspend the executive secretary1 i want to clarify that the act which establishes the nhis is different from the other government parastatals which are guided by boards and directors1 the es who had refused to go on the suspension and had forced his way into the office building a day after he was suspended has been directed by president buhari to proceed on administrative leave1 let it be clear that council has not removed prof. usman yusuf but have asked him to step aside for investigations after which findings will be forwarded to the minister of health1 council is therefore in order and we shall continue with the protest as we await governments reaction the chairman said1 nan recalls that the sgf had explained that no governing board of a federal agency or parastatal has the power to remove the chief executive appointed by the president1 the board may however articulate infractions investigate wrong doing and make recommendations to government through the supervisory minister mustapha said1 he made the clarification at an induction programme for governing board members of federal parastatals universities and medical centres at the transcorp hilton hotel abuja1 the declaration came amidst controversy over the suspension of yusuf by the nhis governing council1 on oct. 18 the chairman of the nhis board mrs ifenne enyanatu announced the indefinite suspension of the executive secretary eight months after a similar suspension by the minister of health prof. isaac adewole was annulled by the presidency because due process was flawed1 enyanatu said the governing council resolved to suspend yusuf because it had received several petitions against the nhis boss1 she said the board had the permission of the minister of health to suspend yusuf pending investigation1 however yusuf ignored the order and resumed normal duty1 the direction by president muhammadu buhari may have put to rest the issues1 -
General Alkali to get befitting burial, says Army
News & Trends •
the nigerian army on september 20 2018 began a search and rescue operation and troops from the 3 division were deployed to dura du village1 the nigerian army said retired major general idris alkali whose body was found today would be given a befitting burial1 the body of alkali who was declared missing since september was found in a well in guchwet village in shen district of jos south1 the retired army general was travelling to his home in bauchi through plateau state1 following his reported disappearance the plateau state police command on october 25 declared the district head of dura du village in jos south local government area of plateau state and seven others wanted1 the suspects were declared wanted after preliminary investigations indicating that they masterminded the abduction assault and caused the disappearance of the retired army officer1 the leader of the operation search and rescue brigadier general umar mohammed said a parade and befitting burial would be held for the retired former chief of administration in the nigerian army1 commander of the division and leader of the search mission brigadier-general umar mohammed said that preliminary investigation showed that the missing officers vehicle was seen close to a pond in the area1 nine days later the army found the vehicle in the pond. when it was pulled out some items belonging to the major general were found but he wasnt in the vehicle1 the 58-year-old major general enlisted as officer cadet at the nigerian defence academy in 1980 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 19831 he was posted to the infantry corps on commission but was redeployed to the intelligence corps1 idris holds two masters degrees from the us national defense university ndu in washington dc the first is master of science in national security strategy obtained from the national war college while the second is master of arts in strategic security studies obtained from the college of international security affairs1 he also holds a graduate certificate in international counterterrorism from ndu a bachelors degree in war studies from university of baluchistan quetta pakistan and a postgraduate diploma in diplomatic studies from the university of westminster london uk1 -
Buharis promise to APC aspirants who lost primaries
News & Trends •
by ismaila chafe7 the leader of the apc aspirants forum hon. yusuf banki gave assurance that the network of 7000 members would work to ensure president buharis victory at the polls in 20192 a statement issued by the presidents special adviser on media and publicity mr femi adesina on wednesday said buhari gave the charge at a dinner with the apc aspirants forum at the presidential villa abuja on tuesday night2 the president said the primary motivation to contest elections should be to improve the country and not for pecuniary reasons2 we must maintain our faith in the country he told the coalition of party members who contested the primaries2 president buhari said he contested presidential elections three times before coming to power in 20152 he therefore promised them that providence will always pave the way for the just committed and patient politician who wants to truly serve the country2 he told the aspirants that those who mismanaged the resources of the country are still very much around with incredible wealth2 he warned them to be vigilant and circumspect in making choices saying the future would only be salvaged by those who love the country2 president muhammadu buhari has urged aspirants of the all progressives congress apc who lost out in the primaries to remain faithful and hold fast on integrity to the nation2 and sometimes we met for two and half hours on ensuring internal democracy during the primaries2 he pointed out that in spite of all efforts to appease everyone and give them a chance at the polls some aspirants were still not treated fairly2 i urge you to stay faithful if your objective is to serve the country2 i came back to power in this agbada to convince nigerians to make sacrifices that the country needs now for a better future he added2 in his remarks the minister of justice and attorney general of the federation abubakar malami said the meeting was organised to address grievances and fallout of the apc primary elections across the country2 he said it would be unfortunate to allow the grievances overshadow the challenges before the country assuring the aspirants that government would assuage their yearnings to serve the country2 malami said they should work collectively with the president in building the party and setting up a framework that would ensure healthier relationships and better internal democracy2 he said i spoke with the apc party chairman almost every other day at least for an hour during the primaries2 -
Breaking: Army finds body of General Alkali
News & Trends •
he said that the operation was jointly carried out by men of the nigeria police and the fire service1 the nigerian army has recovered the body of the missing gen. idris alkali1 alkali was the former chief of administration army headquarters abuja. he was declared missing on his way to bauchi after leaving abuja in the morning of sept. 31 the chief of army staff coas lt.gen. tukur buratai set up an operation to search for him1 the army said that after a thorough search and investigation they narrowed their search to a mining pond in dura-du in jos south local government of plateau1 after two weeks of draining the pond the car of the missing general and two other cars were recovered. also a toyota bus was fished out of the pond1 brig. gen. umar mohammed garrison commander 3 division nigeria army said that they were led to the well by one of those suspects earlier arrested in connection with the crime1 the body was found in an abandoned well in guchwet jos south lg said brig. gen. umar mohammed the garrison commander 3 division of the nigerian army1 umar said that with the recovery of the body they were left with one task to ensure that those declared wanted in connection with the crime were brought to book1 the coas gave us three terms of reference to get the missing senior officer dead or alive to recover his car and to ensure that those who committed the crime were punished1 we have today fulfilled the second condition we will not rest until we meet the third1 we want to assure those that are on the run to know that we are on their trail and we must get them he vowed1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the body of the missing general was moved into an ambulance after military parade by his course mates1 many arrests were made and the district head of dura was declared wanted. he gave himself up to the police1 -
Kebbi govt. votes N14m for livestock vaccines Official
News & Trends •
he said that the state had veterinary doctors in all the area councils including border towns to check incoming and outgoing livestock and guard against outbreak of animal diseases1 by ibrahim bello1 mr tanko magaji the permanent secretary for the state ministry of animal husbandry disclosed on thursday in birnin kebbi1 we have gotten an approval from gov. atiku bagudu for the procurement of animals vaccines worth n14 million to vaccinate our animals he said1 magaji said the vaccines to be procured included lung anti-biotic anti-biotic and anti-stress among others1 the kebbi government says it will procure vaccines worth n14 million to protect livestock against various animals diseases in the 21 local government areas of the state1 he added that the state has five zones where we administer vaccines to animals for easy and effective coverage1 the zones are argungu birnin kebbi yauri koko and zuru local government areas1 the permanent secretary also said the ministry had already overcome the problem of suspected anthrax from the benin republic1 the fact is that we have arewa bagudo and dandi local government areas where borders are close to benin republic so we took necessary measures to vaccinate animals1 we vaccinated 449 573 cattle and 421774 sheep in the previous exercise against the suspected anthrax in benin republic he noted. nan1 -
Sexual abuse common in North Korea, says Human Right
News & Trends •
but it said the diversity of the survivors and the consistencies in their stories suggested that the patterns of sexual violence identified here are common across north korea1 the human rights watch hrw has asserted that sexual abuse is so common in north korea that it has come to be accepted as part of ordinary life1 women rarely report abuse and authorities rarely investigate or prosecute such cases according to hrw which said it interviewed 54 north koreans who had fled the country since 2011 and eight former north korean officials1 most of the assaults reported to hrw took place when the victims were in custody or when the victims were market traders who were attacked by market guards or other officials1 women in custody could do little to avoid sexual assault since any complaint could result in further punishment including beatings or forced labour the watchdog reported1 women not in custody risked jeopardizing their source of income or being sent to prison camps1 rights activists have repeatedly complained that north koreas record on human rights has been ignored amid a diplomatic thaw between it and the u.s. and south korea over the past years1 the watchdog acknowledged its research could not provide a generalized sample since it was limited to interviewing north koreans who had fled1 the report on sexual violence in the reclusive country indicates that north korean officials including high-ranking party members prison guards police prosecutors and soldiers commit sexual abuse with little concern for the consequences1 oh jung hee a former market trader from ryanggang province told the watchdog on the days they felt like it market guards or police officials could ask me to follow them to an empty room outside the market or some other place theyd pick1 what can we do they consider us [sex] toys we [women] are at the mercy of men she continued1 another former trader choi dal mi from north hamgyong province said she was sexually assaulted several times by police officials and train inspectors as she travelled for her work1 having sex with men who have power over you or letting them touch all over your body is a necessity to survive she said1 it never occurred to me that i could or would want to do anything about it. it was just how things are1 she said she had never reported being raped to police and didnt know anybody else who had reported sexual assault to authorities1 the police themselves are [sexually] abusing women why would they ever investigate any rape case she said1 everybody knows the authorities think that [being raped] is the womens fault why would she spit on her own face and tell anybody something like that dpanan1 -
Google workers protest against office harassment, inequality
News & Trends •
the report energised a months-long movement inside google to increase diversity improve treatment of women and minorities and ensure the company upholds its motto of dont be evil as it expands1 hundreds of google employees and contractors in asia staged brief midday walkouts on thursday with thousands more expected to follow at offices worldwide amid complaints of sexism racism and unchecked executive power in their workplace1 they also asked for changes to googles human resources practices intended to make bringing harassment claims a fairer process1 google chief executive sundar pichai said in a statement that employees have raised constructive ideas and that the company was taking in all their feedback so we can turn these ideas into action1 the dissatisfaction among alphabets 94000 employees and tens of thousands more contractors has not noticeably affected company shares1 but employees expect alphabet to face recruiting and retention challenges if their concerns go unaddressed1 the demonstrations follow a new york times report that said google in 2014 gave a 90 million dollars exit package to andy rubin after the then-senior vice president was accused of sexual harassment1 rubin denied the allegation in the story which he also said contained wild exaggerations about his compensation. google did not dispute the report1 in a statement the organisers called on google parent alphabet inc to add an employee representative to its board of directors and internally share pay-equity data1 much of the organising earlier this year was internal including petition drives brainstorming sessions with top executives and training from the workers rights group coworker.org1 on thursday employees posted on social media about the walkout and were set to deliver speeches in public plazas1 since its founding two decades ago google has been known around the world for its exceptional transparency with workers1 executives goals and insights into corporate strategy have been accessible to any employee1 but organisers said google executives like leaders at other companies affected by the metoo movement have been slow to address some structural issues1 while google has championed the language of diversity and inclusion substantive actions to address systemic racism increase equity and stop sexual harassment have been few and far between organisers stated1 they said google must publicly report its sexual harassment statistics and end forced arbitration in harassment cases1 in addition they asked that the chief diversity officer be able to directly advise the board. reutersnan1 -
2019 election: Over 1.5m PVCs collected in Edo REC
News & Trends •
by nefishetu yakubu1 a of total of 1519350 permanent voter cards pvc have been collected by registered voters in edo ahead of the 2019 general elections1 mr emmanuel alex-hart the resident electoral commissioner rec in the state disclosed this to newsmen in benin1 alex-hart said that the independent national election commission inec office in benin received 1992826 pvcs from the commissions headquarters for registered voters in the state1 he said that the figure received from the commissions headquarters represented the total registered number of voters in the state from 2011 to date1 the rec however said 473476 pvcs had yet to be collected by their owners in the state1 according to him the continued voter education and sensitisation by inec was yielding results in the state adding that registered voters turnout for pvc collection was impressive1 alexhart further said that the commission had also commenced the sensitisation of eligible voters and all the stakeholders against vote buying1 to achieve this we have started sanitising the electorate through the churches motor parks and worship centres among others1 the commission has also given the responsibility to apprehend and prosecute whoever that is caught buying votes during elections he said. nan1 -
Boko Haram war: Army receives large cargo of arms
News & Trends •
the army is battling the insurgency of boko haram in the north east part of the country and cattle rustling and banditry in some parts of the north west especially zamfara1 nigerian army said it has received a large cargo of ammunition to enhance its operational capabilities and combat efficiency1 however the tweet did not indicate the suppliers and country of origin1 here is the tweet announcing the arrival of the arms1 breaking news. nigerian army receives large consignment of ammunition the nigerian army has received a shipment of various ammunition to further enhance its operational capabilities and combat efficiency. pictures below1 nigerian army @hqnigerianarmy1 the army announced this on twitter displaying the photographs of the ammunition received and the plane that brought the consignment1 in may the army also took delivery of different calibres of ammunition to boost the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality across the country1 the consignment was received by olufemi akinjobi the chairman of the ammunition reception committee at the nnamdi azikiwe international airport in abuja1 mr akinjobi also said the committee took delivery of spare parts for operational vehicles1 he said the ammunition received included rockets bullets and projectiles but declined to mention the originating country or countries they came from1 he however said that they were supplied by countries with which the army had partnership1 the news agency of nigeria nan reported that the military hardware were brought into the country by aircargo global and the discharge and transportation were supervised by senior officers with armed soldiers protecting them1 -
5,000 supporters dump Kwankwaso
News & Trends •
sen. rabiu kwankwaso who recently defected to peoples democratic party pdp has lost no fewer than 5000 of his supporters to the ruling all progressives congress apc1 the members of the kwankwasiya group in kebbi defected to return home. on tuesday in birni kebbi1 we have gone to the market and the market was not favourable. we decided to return home with over 5000 of our members and more are coming by gods grace the former state organising secretary of the group abdullahi nayalwa said1 kwankwasiyya is the political structure of sen. rabiu kwankwaso who represents kano central senatorial zone in the national assembly and an aspirant in the recent presidential primaries of the peoples democratic partypdp that was won by former vice president atiku abubakar1 the defecting members of the group were received by the deputy governor of kebbi alhaji samaila yombe at the apc secretariat birnin-kebbi on tuesday1 nayalwa noted that they took the decision because of the landmark achievements of president muhammadu buhari and gov. abubakar bagudu in agriculture and other sectors1 we have finally dumped pdp and joined apc because apc administration is the only government that can bring change and unity in the country1 receiving the defectors yombe commended them for taking the decision to return to the apc and assured them of equal treatment1 the deputy governor who described their return to the party as timely also said that they had chosen the right path. nan1 -
INEC shocker for Ogun PDP, Adebutu rejected
News & Trends •
the pdp had submitted house of representatives member oladipupo adebutu as the governorship candidate1 the independent national electoral commission inec has unsettled the peoples democratic party by its decision to reject oladipupo adebutus candidacy and accept the nominated governorship candidate submitted by the adebayo dayo led executive of the party in ogun state1 however the pdp national publicity secretary kola ologbondiyan described inec decision as a huge compromise1 if inec claimed that it collected any list outside what the national secretariat of pdp submitted to it it is a huge compromise1 and we say so according to our statutes and all the laws governing elections in nigeria. inec cannot take a list from a state of the party. inec takes list from the national headquarters of the party1 so if it claimed that it had gone to take any list from anywhere it is unknown to us and it is unknown to the rule guiding elections in nigeria1 they acknowledged all the names that we submitted to them. so it is totally strange unknown to the rules and unknown to the pdp that inec is claiming that it has another list. we are not aware ologbondiyan said1 the commission disclosed this in a letter addressed to the pdp national chairman in abuja. the letter was dated 25 october1 in the letter signed by inec acting secretary okechukwu ndeche inec said its decision was informed by the orders by the federal high court in three cases1 these were fhclcfs6362016 engr. adebayo dayo1 consequently the commission hereby notes the decisions of the federal high court in the above referred cases and will publish the lists of candidates submitted by the adebayo dayo led state executive committee of ogun state pursuant to the orders of the federal high court until they are set aside1 sen. buruji kashamu whose factions list was accepted commended inec and the leadership of the party for recognising the dayo-led ogun pdp exco1 he reiterated his earlier call on partys elders leaders and teeming supporters to embark on massive mobilisation and reconciliation for successful outing at the polls1 kashamu declared that there should be a no victor no vanquished disposition amongst party members saying we shall all reap from the electoral fortune that will be ours at the 2019 general election1 the national executive committee nec of the party had earlier expelled senator kashamu adedayo dayo and two members of the ogun state chapter of the party over alleged anti-party activities which was later overturned by the court1