Lyon Shock Man City, easy victories for Madrid, Man U, Juventus
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shakhtar donetsk hosting hoffenheim in the second match of the group f played 2-2 draw1 england champions manchester city were beaten by ligue 1 club lyon 2-1 with goals recorded in the first half bymaxwell cornet andnabilfekir1 pep guardiola was serving a touchline ban for being sent-off in last seasons quarter-final exit to liverpool1 and guardiola could only watch on in horror as lyon punished a sloppy first 45 minutes from the pre-tournament favourites through maxwel cornet and nabil fekir1 bernardo silva pulled a goal back in an improved second-half performance but couldnt prevent city slumping to their first defeat of the season1 when you are not at the races at the start of a game in the champions league after it doesnt matter how good you are it is too late said arteta1 in contrast to their stunning domestic form city have now lost their last four champions league games1 and this was even more humiliating. lyon are seventh on their domestic league1 with coach pep guardiola banished to the touchline his assistant manager mikel arteta admitted the english champions were handed a wake-up call in the shock home defeat to start their champions league campaign on wednesday1 in bern switzerland paul pogba was the driving force with a brace as manchester united recovered from a shaky start to record an ultimately convincing 3-0 win away to young boys in their opening champions league game in group h1 skipper pogbas superb opening goal cut down the swiss champions in their prime and he then doubled the english sides lead from a penalty just before the break1 the france star also set up the third goal for compatriot anthony martial in the second half as jose mourinhos side safely negotiated this fixture on the synthetic surface at the stade de suisse1 seemingly a club in crisis at the end of august following their 3-0 home defeat against tottenham hotspur this was uniteds third straight win since then all away from home1 in valencia juventus despite losing striker cristiano ronaldo to a red card prevailed 2-0 with the goals by miralem pjanic coming off penalties awarded either side of the two halves1 in group g real madrid triumphed over roma at the santiago bernabeu with goals by isco gareth bale and mariano diaz giving them emphatic victory1 in the other match of the group viktoria plzen were held 2-2 at home by visiting cska moscow1

Flood submerges 5 Benue communities, rice mill BSEMA
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the bsema boss said that the latest check with a guage showed that the water level at the river benue had risen to 11 metres barely one meter to its maximum level1 bridget ikyado1 shior disclosed this while briefing newsmen in makurdi on the current flood situation in the state adding that rice mill and other settlements on the banks of river benue were also affected1 he said that the state government had taken proactive measures including setting up a committee to sensitise the people of the state on the dangers ahead1 he said that the committee consists of officials drawn from sema ministry of water resources ministry of information and other stakeholders in the state1 shior said that sema in conjunction with nema and other stakeholders had embarked on an awareness campaign in the media churches and mosques1 he said that the campaign was intended to encourage residents of flood prone areas to relocate to safer areas1 mr emmanuel shior the executive secretary benue state emergency management agency bsema said on wednesday that the rampaging flood has submerged five communities in agatu and other parts of makurdi the state capital1 according to him the water has virtually reached the level that caused flooding in 2012 during which most parts of the state were submerged1 he advised residents to steer clear from the river because of the high level saying that 12 metres was the highest level that could cause disaster in any state1 he said that centres in the state including the international market had been prepared to accommodate displaced persons1 in his remark mr lugard slaku the zonal coordinator of the national emergency management agency nema for north central said that 12 states including benue had been listed as most threatened by flood in the country1 so we have come with a team trained by nema to collaborate with sema to assess the situation check the available facilities and gaps and report back to the head office for additional resources where needed. slaku said1 slaku said that while nema sema and other stakeholders were working hard to ensure prompt response to distres calls the people must cooperate with government to prevent avoidable disaster1

Military winning war against Boko Haram: DHQ
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it is a well known fact that terrorism thrives on publicity and propaganda1 the defence headquarters dhq has again reassured nigerians that the military is winning the fight against boko haram terrorism and will not rest on its oars until terrorism is wiped out of the country1 according to a statement issued by brig.-gen. john agim the acting director defence information ddi the report is being spearheaded by a particular foreign news agency that the armed forces is losing the battle against insurgency. he did not name the agency1 agim however said that the report was not true adding that such malicious articles should be disregarded while the military would continue to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation1 the report was calculated to dampen the spirit of the troops at the theatres of operation and to demean the successes recorded so far in the war against terrorism1 it is more worrisome when such an ill-informed report is coming from a supposed credible news agency expected to be a partner in progress1 it agitates the mind whether the reporter is working in isolation or speaking the mind of its sponsors1 however it expressed concerned about mischievous reports by section of the media aimed at discrediting the efforts of troops in the north east1 it is also known that some journalists work for boko haram and fraternize with terrorist commanders against the standing forces to whip up sentiment he said1 agim said that at the heat of boko haram insurgency the armed forces with limited weapon chased boko haram out of abuja and other cities into sambisa forest1 how much more now that the military is well equipped with determined troops to take on any terrorist group be it boko haram or islamic state in west africa1 if this is still seen as struggling by the purveyors of the false report then the word may have assumed a new meaning he said1 the ddi said the truth remains that the military strategy of drawing out the enemy had been a great success as hundreds of terrorists had met their waterloo in their desperate attempts to recapture some cities in the north east1 he said the military would continue to do this until terrorists and terrorism were completely annihilated adding that it was insensible to attempt to rewrite the script and make the military look like the losing side1 agim urged nigerians to be wary of uncomplimentary remarks about our nation and its armed forces by sympathisers of terrorist organisations1

APC: New timetable for primaries
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governorship primaries september 29 20182 senate primaries october 2 20182 house of representatives primaries october 3 20182 state house of assembly primaries october 4 20182 presidential national convention october 6 20182 nigerias ruling all progressives congress apc has released the revised timetable for the conduct of its primaries ahead of february 2019 general elections1 the quoted the national organising secretary of the party mr emma ibediro saying that the timetable had been approved by the national working committee1 accordingly the 2018 primaries would be held as follows1 presidential primary september 25 20181

Police declare Adeleke PDP candidate wanted for Exam malpractice
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the principal of the school alhaji aregbesola mufutau the staff responsible for registration mr gbadamosi thomas ojo and a teacher mr dare olutope were arrested on 21 july 20171 senator ademola adeleke the pdp governorship candidate in the osun election on saturday may not be qualified to run for the office and his attempt to make things up has landed him in police trouble1 he and the other suspects will face a charge of examination malpractice criminal conspiracy personation1 the police named the other suspects as mr sikiru adeleke alhaji aregbesola mufutau principal of ojo-aro community grammar school egbedore lga osun state mr gbadamosi thomas ojo school staff responsible for the registration of candidates for neco mr dare olutope school teacher who facilitated the commission of the crime.1 here is the police statement1 on 21st july 2017 the osun state police intelligence bureau sib received and acted on an actionable intelligence about an ongoing examination malpractice involving senator ademola adeleke and sikiru adeleke at ojoaro community grammar school in osun state1 when the police operative arrived at the school only sikiru adeleke was found seated for the examination while senator ademola adeleke seat was vacant and was suspected to have escaped before the arrival of the police operatives1 further investigation revealed that both senator ademola adeleke and his brother sikiru adeleke registered and were sitting for the national examination council examination neco 2017 as internal candidates impersonating students of the school at the ages of 57years and 42years respectively. this crime was facilitated by the principal of the school and two other members of staff of the school for which they are under investigation and being charged to court1 the police asked him and four others to report today to their special investigation panel at the abuja headquarters for arraignment in court1 senator ademola adeleke was arrested on 27 july 2017 and sikiru adeleke was arrested on 8 august 20171 senator ademola adeleke made cautionary statement and admitted that he registered for the 2017 neco examinations as an internal student in the said school but he didnt sit for the examination1 however police investigation revealed the following primafacial and culpability facts against senator ademola adeleke andfour 4 others1 senator ademola adeleke made cautionary statement and admitted that he registered for the 2017 neco examinations as an internal student in the said school and did not sit for the examination but have a result from neco with seven 7 credit and one 1 pass a copy of which was obtained from neco by the police1 the ojoaro 2017 neco ssce school photo album schools copy with senator ademola adeleke and sikiru adeleke photographs in school uniform in the said album. senator ademola adeleke in the neco 2017 result obtained by the claimed that he was born on 12th june 1997 but in his statement to the police senator ademola adeleke wrote 13th may 1960 as his date of birth. the photographs of both senator ademola adeleke and sikiru adeleke appearing side by side in the photo album have no neco stamps on them.1 senator ademola adeleke and four others were arrested investigated granted bail and being charged to court. charges of examination malpractice criminal conspiracy personation breach of duty aiding and abetting against senator ademola adeleke pdp governorship aspirant in the 22nd september 2018 gubernatorial election in osun state and four 4 others namely mr sikiru adeleke alhaji aregbesola mufutau principal of ojo-aro community grammar school egbedore lga osun state mr gbadamosi thomas ojo scho1 consequently senator ademola adeleke pdp governorship aspirant in the 22nd september 2018 gubernatorial election in osun state and four 4 others namely mr sikiru adeleke alhaji aregbesola mufutau principal of ojo-aro community grammar school egbedore lga osun state mr gbadamosi thomas ojo school staff responsible for the registration of candidates for neco mr dare olutope school teacher who facilitated the commission of the crime are hereby advised in their own interest to report to the special1

AfDB bans consulting firm for fraud
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the african development bank group on thursday banned for 48 months geo sciences international sarl a consulting firm based in yaound cameroon for alleged fraudulent practices1 an investigation conducted by the banks office of integrity and anti-corruption established that geo sciences engaged in numerous fraudulent practices in bidding for a consulting contract under the agro-forestry development support project in the democratic republic of congo1 while participating in a tender for the conduct of various technical biophysical and mapping studies the company misrepresented its experience in conducting such studies as well as the remuneration of the experts involved in these studies1 further geo sciences failed to properly disclose a potential conflict of interest1 the debarment renders the consultancy firm ineligible to participate in bank-financed projects during the debarment period1 the debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the agreement for mutual recognition of debarment decisions including the asian development bank the european bank for reconstruction and development the inter-american development bank and the world bank group1 the agro-forestry development support project was financed under the congo basin forest fund hosted by the afdb1 the office of integrity and anti-corruption of afdb group is responsible for preventing deterring and investigating allegations of corruption fraud and other sanctionable practices in bank group-financed operations1 the investigation by the office of integrity and anti-corruption of the african development bank was conducted by mr. mehdi khoali and mr. bouraoui jaouadi1 african development bank staff and the general public can use secured hotlines to report sanctionable practices within the bank or operations financed by the bank group1

in Pics : Nigeria signs third CPF for 20182023
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simon pesco mallam chairman nigerian atomic energy commission and mr dazhu yang iaea deputy director general and head of the department of technical cooperation signed nigerias country programme framework cpf for the period of 20182023 on 19 september 20181 a cpf is the frame of reference for the medium-term planning of technical cooperation between a member state and the iaea and identifies priority areas where the transfer of nuclear technology and technical cooperation resources will be directed to support national development goals1 nigeria has been an iaea member state since march 19681 its 20182023 cpf identifies 6 priority area of nuclear and radiation safety food and agriculture health and nutrition water resources and environmentenergy and industry and research reactors1

Divorce-seeking housewife dies during child bearing
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by olawale akinremi2 the court had adjourned the case until sept. 20 when marian was expected to have given birth so that dna test could be conductedto determine the paternity of the child1 the petitioner marian folalu a housewife had asked the court to dissolve her 20-year-old marriage to her husband kayode over the controversy surrounding her fifth pregnancy that she probably had it for another man1 the news agency of nigeria reports that at the resumed hearing of the case on thursday kayode informed the court that his wife died sometime in may during child bearing1 consequently chief ademola odunade the courts president who sympathized with the respondent however struck out the case1 an ibadan customary court sitting on mapo hill on thursday struck out a case of infidelity brought against a woman following her death.1 marian had told the court that the controversial pregnancy being the subject of litigation before the court belonged to her concubine ololade1 marian who denied that her husband was responsible for the pregnancy told the court that her concubine who had been sleeping withher since january of 2018 was the rightful owner of the expected child1 oloade in his testimony corroborated the petitioner s claim that he was responsible for the pregnancy1 but the respondent dismissed the claim and and insisted that the pregnancy was his1 odunade advised kayode to approach the appeal division of the customary court for a redress if he so desired1

Trump hits OPEC amid cartel fractures
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read more at6 trumphis attacks on opec thursday morning amid oil prices that have climbed to their highest level in two months1 the opec monopoly must get prices down now trump says1 with the caveat that its quite possible to over-interpret trumps tweets todays action underscores the tricky oil politics facing the white house1 trump is moving ahead with sanctions against iran that are already curbing their exports ahead of formal reimposition in november1 we protect the countries of the middle east they would not be safe for very long without us and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices we will remember1 opecs output already reached a 9-month high in august according to the international energy agency1 iranian oil minister bijan zanganeh on thursday said he would veto any opec deal that imperils tehrans oil market share complicating the organisations talks with russia and other partners to institutionalise their supply management accord beyond this year1 the comments come just ahead of this weekends meeting of a committee monitoring the supply pact between opec russia and some other non-opec producers1 the session is aimed at putting meat on the bones of the broad agreement last june to raise output platts notes1 but keeping iranian barrels off the market tightens supply and puts upward pressure on prices which creates political risks for republicans particularly before midterm elections1

Still on Vote Buying: Nigerian scientists to the rescue?
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by chukwudi ekezie2 vote buying is a nigerian problem. maybe someday a nigerian scientist will develop a chip that can be installed on the panel used in constructing the voting cubicle to hinder all activities not related to the casting of vote in the enclosure. nanfeatures1 the electoral umpire independent national electoral commission inec has since then held several stakeholders engagements to find a solution to the problem which gets more sophisticated with every new election1 at the beginning it was the bribing of prospective voters by politicians who offer them gifts of food and clothing items as well as suspicious acts of philanthropy in form of empowerment programmes and infrastructure development projects during electioneering1 later the practice was the secret bribing of election officials party and security agents to change poll results in favour of losers1 however recent experiences demonstrate the boldness of politicians who have turned election venues to open auction grounds where the ballot goes to the highest bidder1 to avoid the shame of ekiti during which voters received pay for voting after displaying pictures of thumb-printed ballot papers to party agents inec has resolved to re-administer polling units starting with the osun governorship election holding on sept. 221 the chairman of inec prof. mahmood yakubu said when he presented certificate of registration to 23 new political parties that the new polling unit structure would make it difficult for voters to display their ballot papers after marking them1 the commission is deeply worried about our elections particularly the way they are becoming increasingly monetised1 vote buying is a cancer to our elections and we must work together collectively to stamp it out1 accordingly and on the part of the commission starting with osun governorship election coming up on sept. 22 we will change the way our polling units are administered. it will be done in such a way that there will be no room for voters to expose their marked ballot papers between voting cubicles and the ballot boxes.1 we shall further re-strategise with the security agencies for a more robust response to the arrest and prosecution of vote buyers1 we will also engage with all well-meaning groups for more effective voter education and voter sensitisation yakubu said1 to strengthen its hold on the issue inec stated that voters would no longer be allowed to take smartphones into the voting cubicle to prevent them from taking pictures of thumb-printed ballot papers to present to party agents as evidence for payment after voting1 in the past the commission said it was helpless over the handling of matters arising from the conduct of elections especially the prosecution of electoral offenders. it said it lacked the capacity to prosecute such cases1 however that responsibility has shifted to the economic and financial crimes commission efcc which has accepted to prosecute election fraud offenders1 the acting chairman of efcc ibrahim magu said the agency was working with inec and the police to track politicians and others involved in vote buying1 magu said efcc was monitoring spending by politicians and political parties during elections and had put banks on notice regarding transactions by parties and politicians1 after vote buying nigerias new political headache reached its climax during the conduct of ekiti governorship election in july nigerians have been thinking of ways to deal with the phenomenon which threatens to destroy the countrys democracy1 we will monitor unusual cash withdrawals. we are going to work with other relevant agencies like the police on this1 before now it was inconceivable for law enforcement agencies to investigate the sources of election funding of political parties and their candidates1 this has led to gross financial abuse and the pervasion of the electoral process and consequently enthroned bad leadership which in turn led to corruption and bad governance he said1 the federal executive council fec on its part approved a bill for a law to establish an election offences commission. the agency it is hoped will take the burden of post-election crises management off the shoulders of inec1 the steps so far taken particularly the ban on the use of smartphones in polling cubicles do not appeal to some groups. the leading opposition peoples democratic party pdp describes the step as a plan by the ruling all progressives congress apc to rig the 2019 general elections1 we have all heard what the chairman of inec prof. mahmood yakubu said about the decision to ban the use of smartphones in the polling units. all over the world a smartphone is the easiest way of communication1 what they have said clearly shows that the commission in connivance with the all progressives congress has perfected a rigging strategy for the next election1 in fact inec has sent nigeria back to the primitive days1 the same plan to rig the 2019 election is responsible for the refusal of the president to sign the amended electoral act because the card reader must be used pdp national chairman uche secondus said. similarly a group not too young to perform has rejected the ban on the use of smartphones at polling units and urged inec to plan better.1 for us since the major incident of vote buying occurred during the anambra governorship election in november last year inec has not done enough to nip the anti-people practice in the bud1 we hail the commission for recognising that vote buying is a big challenge that must be tackled but the ban on use of cellphones and camera at polling units cannot be the best inec can offer in its efforts to curb the menace. inec should go back to the drawing board to find better ways to deal with it if it cant prosecute offenders1 while all stakeholders acknowledge the threat of vote buying to democracy the issue remains contentious1 the approach adopted by inec is traditional considering the state of technology at its disposal. the proposals by efcc and fec are laudable but considering the weakness in law enforcement in the country there are doubts that much can be achieved1 for example while the law makes electoral fraud an offence no one including some persons alleged to have been involved in electoral violence bribery intimidation forgery and manipulation of election results in the past has been punished1 it has been difficult to apply the rule to all groups and persons in nigeria especially when influential persons are involved. such persons and groups or those associated with them are often treated with deference1 in all societies when a problem arises in one sector the whole community including scientists get to work to resolve the issue1 the adoption of scientific approach to deal with issues is objective and less contentious1 we are working with inec to stop vote buying we are seriously pursuing this1

Customs seizes contraband worth N81m
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by uchenna eletuo1 the western marine command of the nigeria customs service ncs lagos said on thursday that it had seized contraband valued at n81 million in the last one month1 benjamin binga the new comptroller of customs western marine command disclosed this to the news agency of nigeria nan in lagos1 binga said the seizures in idiroko yekeme and badagry axis were made were made possible through intelligence gathering efforts of the officers1 he listed the seized items to included 800 bags of rice 806 wraps of cannabis sativa indian hemp and 15000 kegs of petrol each containing 30 litres1 the comptroller who took over the command on aug. 6 reassured the public that there will be no hiding place for smugglers1 barely four days after i assumed office there was massive seizure of wraps of cannabis along the badagry creeks signaling a purposeful start1 within thirty days other seizures were made showing that the officers actually read my lips when i declared zero tolerance on smuggling during the handover ceremony binga said1 the comptroller said that the seizures had been auctioned to the public and some security agencies1 binga also warned economic saboteurs to stay clear the zone as the command was poised to stop their illegal dealings. nan1

Linda Ikeji shows off ‘Baby J’
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linda ikeji shows off ‘baby j’1

Kirk Franklin forgives dying father who had him adopted
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kirk franklin forgives dying father who had him adopted1

Buhari condemns killing of Red Cross worker Saifura by Boko Haram
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president muhammadu buhari has condemned and described as heinous and despicable the killing of ms saifura hussaini khorsa an aid worker by the boko haram terrorists1 khorsa who worked for the red cross was kidnapped about six months ago at the rann camp for internally displaced persons idps in borno by boko haram terrorists1 the president made the condemnation in a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity malam garba shehu in abuja on monday1 the terrorists have equally threatened to harm others including the lone dapchi school girl leah sharibu still in their custody1 president buhari said the government of nigeria strongly condemns this reprehensible and inhuman act. no religion permits the killing of the innocent1 saifura worked for the red cross a humanitarian organisation tirelessly working to bring succour to all the victims of violence irrespective of the sides of the conflict1 the president therefore appealed to nigerias international partners and everyone with an influence on the terrorists to prevail on them to stop these acts of extreme barbarism1 buhari further assured that his administration would seize every given opportunity with both hands and to use all means available to bring home all citizens being held against their will by the boko haram terrorists1 the president on behalf of his family the government and people of nigeria extended condolences to the family of saifura the red red cross and unicef over the loss of the selfless and hardworking mother1

Photos: Army gives Boko Haram another bloody nose
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chukwu who said the terrorists came to attack the military formation at 6pm were outmatched by the superior firepower of nigerian soldiers3 the troops engaged and subdued the terrorists following a superior fire power of troops in damasak3 the troops aggressive posture tactics and marksmanship resulted in neutralising many boko haram terrorists he said3 the terrorists have been on the back foot since buratai visited the frontlines and the reverses suffered may explain why they killed health worker with the red cross and also threatened to kill leah sharibu a student of dapchi girls secondary school who they held hostage since march1 as a result 1 gpmggeneral purpose machine gun and 2 ak 47 and several rounds of ammunition belonging to the terrorists were recovered1 as at the time of filing this report troops were still exploiting the general areas in search of some bhts who escaped with gunshot wounds1 the troops of the 21 brigade were on a clearance patrol in support of operation rainbow when they ran into the ambush on sunday morning1 last week thursday at least seven boko haram fighters were killed by nigerian troops in damasak spokesman brig. texas chukwu said1 the nigerian troops of the 222 battalion have dealt another deadly blow to boko haram terrorists after foiling an ambush laid by the group along the maiduguri-bama axis1 there was serious exchange of gunfire reported the nigerian army on its twitter handle1 the gallant troops of 222 battalion were reportedly high on morale as a result of the just concluded assurance visit to the theatre of operation by the coas lt gen ty buratai they successfully cleared the ambush1 on 14 september the nigerian air force working in concert with the army tracked and destroyed some boko haram terrorists bht and four vehicles as they were attempting to launch fresh attacks on ground troops locations at gudumbali and damasak in borno1 air commodore ibikunle daramola naf director of public relations and information saidthe mission was initiated following intelligence reports indicating that a convoy of bht vehicles had been sighted within the damasak gudumbali axis1

When is our mom coming home? ask kids of Saifura, murdered Boko Haram hostage
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saifura moved to rann to selflessly help those in need. our thoughts are with her family and other loved ones at this incredibly difficult time1 saifura hussaini ahmed khorsa the worker of the international committtee of the red cross murdered by boko haram terrorists was a nurse as well as the mother of two adorable kids1 saifura 25 was a devoted mother and midwife. those who knew her said she adored her two children a two-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl said eleojo akpa the icrc communications and media relations officer1 the children have not been able to comprehend their mothers absence as they frequently asked their grandmother if a passing plane was bringing their mother home1 that grandmother must now find the words to tell the two children their mother will never return he said1 the killing of the 25 year-old woman was condemned by red cross icrc which also appealedto the boko haram to immediately release a second icrc midwife and a healthcare worker who were also abducted in march at rann borno state1 eloi fillion the head icrc delegation in abuja said we are devastated by the murder of our colleague saifura1 the red cross bemoaning her killing by the blood thirsty boko haram on monday wondered how the kids now with their grandma would take news of her death1 at the time of their abduction saifura as well as our colleague hauwa mohammed liman and alice loksha a nurse with unicef-supported centre were providing essential ante-natal care to communities in rann1 ranns population has more than doubled after an influx of people fleeing violence he said1 fillion urged the abductors still holding hauwa and alice to release them as they were not part of the fight1 however icrc would not comment on the identity of the womens abductors their motives or the details surrounding saifuras death fillion said1 he noted that since the womens abduction six months ago icrc had made sustained and committed efforts to securing the release of the three health care workers1 fillion added that the organisation would continue to make efforts in ensuring that hauwa and alice were released and returned to their families immediately1

20 ships discharge petroleum products, others at Lagos ports
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by aisha cole3 twenty ships are discharging petroleum products and other commodities at the apapa and tin-can island ports in lagos1 a statement by the nigerian ports authority npa on tuesday revealed that three of the ships would discharge petrol1 it explained that the other 16 ships would discharge buckwheat general cargo and diesel1 the statement added that other products to be discharged included aviation fuel frozen fish soya beans and bulk fertiliser1

National Youth Games: Okowa hails victorious Team Delta
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delta state governor senator ifeanyi okowa has congratulated the victorious team delta for which was held in ilorin1 the governor okowa who praised the doggedness and determination of the team said it came as no surprise the team came tops because delta state has been at the fore front of sports development in nigeria1 in a statement by his chief press secretary charles aniagwu governor okowa congratulated the team members their handlers and the management of the delta state sports commission on the record 4th consecutive victory at the national youth games1 the governor who attributed the successes recorded by the victorious team delta to the huge investments in grassroots sports by the state government1 from the revived headmasters and principals cup as well as the huge investments in sports infrastructure like the ozoro polytechnic stadium and the world class stephen keshi stadium asaba which hosted the just concluded african senior athletics championships tagged asaba 2018 delta is1 poised to continuously blaze the trail1 he further commendedthe federal ministry of sports for organizing such events that provides an avenue to bring the young people together encourage healthy competition and to improve their physical and mental development1 the governor assured the youths that the state government will do more to improve their welfare and charged team delta to continue to make the state proud1 delta state finished with a total of 67 medals made up of 27 gold 24 silver and 16 bronze to win the 2018 games. lagos which did not participate in the second and third editions emerged second after securing a total of 60 medals 23 gold 15 silver and 22 bronze. team bayelsa and ogun were joint third winning 34 medals 11 gold 7 silver and 16 bronze each1

Adeosuns Resignation: Patriotism, integrity under scrutiny
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by chukwudi ekezie2 adeosun may be lonely in her world with her career and future ruined but there are numerous like her in the system who need to be purged. nanfeatures1 the issues border on honesty integrity patriotism weakness and incompetence as well as relationship between the strong and weak in society among those holding public office and the institutions of governance1 adeosun is not the first nigerians public official found to have been involved in forgery1 at the inception of the fourth republic in 1999 the speaker of the house of representatives alhaji salisu buhari from kano state was found to have forged the university certificate which he presented to contest and win election into the assembly1 buhari resigned his position and membership of the assembly but with a kiss from former president olusegun obasanjo who granted him state pardon1 over the period many politicians have lost their electoral mandates at the court because they forged the certificates they used to contest elections. that was the case of christian abah a benue member of the house of representatives1 abah was found guilty of forging a diploma certificate he used to contest and win the 2015 election to represent adookpokwuogbadibo federal constituency he lost his seat but not his freedom1 aside the issue of certificate forgery many officials have been found to have compromised their positions by engaging in acts inimical to the public good1 a recent case is that of babachir lawal a former secretary to the government of the federation who used his position to award himself a contract for the cutting of grass at internally displaced persons camps in the northeast region1 in spite of calls by the national assembly for him to resign it took the indictment of an investigative panel chaired by vice-president yemi osinbajo to get him out of office1 but lawal still bestrides politics in adamawa his home state where he is seeking to oust gov. jibrilla bindow in the build up for the 2019 general elections1 former governors diepreye alamieyesiegha of bayelsa lucky igbinedion of edo and james ibori of delta were jailed for laundering state funds1 alamieyesiegha received state pardon after serving his sentence from then president goodluck jonathan who succeeded him as governor while ibori received a heros welcome from the government and people of delta after serving his prison term in britain where he was convicted1 igbinedion has yet to enjoy such privilege maybe because those who succeeded him in office especially adams oshiomhole national chairman of all progressives congress apc is still hurting over his mismanagement of state resources1 joshua dariye a serving senator is currently serving a 14-year jail-term for money laundering and mismanaging the resources of plateau from 1999 to 2007 as governor of the state1 numerous governors of the era including orji kalu of abia are still in court explaining how they managed the resources of their states1 in the cases of adeosun buhari and lawal no prosecution has taken place1 president muhammadu buhari appointed mr boss mustapha an adamawa politician as lawals replacement. in adeosuns case the president accepted her resignation and wished her well in her future endeavours1 the ruling apc has commended adeosuns courage for owning up that her national youth service corps nysc certificate was forged and resigning from the government1 it also commended the president for asking her to resign in line with the philosophy of the government of ridding the society of crime1 the resignation of mrs olukemi adeosun as minister of finance on friday sept. 14 for forgery has raised questions over the workings of nigeria1 some persons share the pdp view and demand that adeosun refund all monies she earned as commissioner for finance in her home state ogun for five years and as minister of the federal republic since 20161 while the debate on the fate of the former minister rages some have begun to ask about how she and others like her enter nigerias public service space1 nigerians are made to believe that before anyone gets into public office such person is put through security scrutiny to establish their background1 in this instance the department of state service carries out the assignment. at the level of the screening all issues related to the person including certificates are verified1 for persons whose jobs require the approval of the legislature the security report is made available to guide members to take decisions1 in adeosuns case this step was taken but it was said that members of the senate overlooked it1 adeosun a diaspora nigerian was born and raised in britain and returned to live and work in nigeria at the age of 341 she is currently 51 and that means that she has worked in nigeria for 17 years out of which seven was in the public service starting with her appointment as commissioner in 2011 and minister in 20161 she like many of her ilk is among millions of nigerians said to be excelling in their fields across the globe1 during the regime of obasanjo the government made serious efforts to attract them home to help develop the fatherland1 to achieve the goal obasanjo travelled all over europe and america to bring them home under the diaspora project1 that effort resulted in then rep. abike dabiri who chaired the house of representatives committee on diaspora pushing for the establishment of a diaspora commission1 based on the vision of obasanjo the diaspora group was granted privileges such as access to land and employment concessions in the hope that they would bring their expertise to develop the country being that they had better education and exposure than those at home1 the government institutionalised the practice such that some members of the cabinet like the late olugbenga ashiru minister of foreign affairs and ngozi okonjo-iweala minister of finance seconded to serve at home by international agencies like the world bank received salaries in dollars to make up for their pains in serving the fatherland1 there was also the case in the ministry of federal capital territory where the current governor of kaduna state malam nasir el-rufai then minister engaged some foreign-trained nysc members and paid them salaries higher than that of the permanent secretary of the ministry just because they studied abroad and possessed special skills1 many nigeria diaspora elements are children of the rich who sojourned out because their parents lack faith in nigerias disrupted education system. their parents want them to finish school on time to inherit the family business or join elite public and private institutions such as nigerian national petroleum corporation nigerian communications commission multinational oil companies and banks to sustain the family legacy.1 sometimes they do not return but when they do they jump queues especially in areas that they need to follow regulations and processes including the nysc scheme which requires every nigerian youth who graduates from university or equivalent institution before 30 to serve the nation for one year1 in cases where diaspora elements agree to serve they are often taken to places of their parents choices where though in nysc uniforms they are employees1 in some cases while serving they are made to supervise those they ordinarily ought to report to during the service as occurred in nigeria building and roads research institute about year 2000 when the director-general was an nysc member1 the man an associate professor at the time claimed like adeosun that he did not know that he should have served in the nysc scheme before accepting the job1 but the opposition peoples democratic party disagrees. the party is demanding the former ministers prosecution. it says the failure of the administration to prosecute adeosun is a demonstration of double standards in the fight against corruption1

Plateau killings: Buratai charges troops to be aggressive
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by johnson eyiangho4 you are very much aware of what is happening people are waylaid on the roads abducted and kept where it is very difficult to locate them and sometimes they get them killed. this is unacceptable he said. nan1 buratai said a situation whereby innocent citizens were waylaid abducted and killed indiscriminately should no longer be tolerated1 he gave the charge at a demonstration by the special forces newly inducted into the operation at riyom local government area of the state1 the operation safe haven should not remain in deterrent position but you must also be aggressive and deal with any criminal activities especially those that are bent on disturbing the peace killing and maiming people1 the chief of army staff lt.-gen. tukur buratai has charged troops of operation safe haven to be aggressive and decisive in dealing with armed bandits and other criminal elements operating on the plateau1 he however charged them to be professional but combat ready at all times noting that serious challenge still remains in the state in terms of the security1 the army chief said that the killings were still ongoing in the hinterland and other areas and directed the troops to penetrate those areas and clear the doubt of the criminal elements1 you are deployed here not to romance the criminals you are to deal with them decisively anybody seen carrying arms must be dealt with decisively1 if you give them chance then we will all regret it. therefore we cannot afford to give them chance1 you are not here to protect any ethnic or religious group we are dealing with criminals we are interested in criminal elements and they must be deal with decisively buratai said1