Stakeholders in the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have resolved to work together to ensure the victory of the party in the July 14 governorship election in the state.

This came on the heels of assurances by the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee to ensure a level playing field for all aspirants in all processes leading to the primary election to produce the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

These resolutions were reached at the end of a meeting, in Abuja on Friday, between the party’s national leadership and those described as critical stakeholders from Ekiti State.

Speaking at the meeting, the PDP National Chairman, Secondus, reiterated the commitment of the party’s leadership to ensure what he called transparent, free, fair and credible primary poll in Ekiti State, just as he urged all stakeholders to work together for the victory of the party in the election.

He insisted on providing a level-playing field and called on governorship contenders to be ready to unite immediately after the primary in order to present a common front for the election.

He said the national leadership of the party would visit Ekiti State this week to meet with other stakeholders to ensure that the PDP family worked together for the victory of the party.

Among the stakeholders at the Friday’s meeting were Ekiti state Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, and two governorship aspirants, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye and Senator Abiodun Olujimi.

Also present was the immediate past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, and some other party stakeholders.

Immediate past governor of Ekiti State and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi on Saturday declared for the governorship race in the state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party would defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 14 poll.

Fayemi said the party would deploy everything allowed by the constitution to ensure that whoever emerges in the May 5 primary of the APC would triumph over the candidate of the PDP.

“They said the June 21 governorship poll was free, fair and credible, so that of July 14 will be free, fair and transparent as well. They will accuse us of so many things. They will accuse us of using federal might, but we will not care,” Fayemi said.

A large crowd of party supporters and admirers attended the declaration, which shut down Ado Ekiti, the state capital.   Fayemi, who governed the state between October 16, 2010 and October 15, 2014, would be contesting the APC primary with at least 21 other aspirants that have collected the nomination and expression of interest forms of the party.

Fayemi said: “We will use local, state and federal power to take over Ekiti from a rapacious government being run by brigandage in Ekiti. Those of us who travel out of Ekiti are being insulted, assaulted and mocked on a daily basis by people asking why Ekiti people, which they thought were well read, refined and exposed, could make a character like Ayodele Fayose their governor. That is why it is important for us to reclaim our land and restore our values. There is no single aspirant in APC who will not do much more fantastic works than what we are getting in Ekiti under Fayose. That is why it is important for us to be united.. Let me say this, I am a loyal party man and I am ready to support whoever the party fields as the candidate.”

On the rising acrimony among the aspirants, the Minister said: “It is absolutely unacceptable for aspirants to indulge in abuses and use intemperate languages against one another.

As Nigerians pensively remember the abduction of 276 school girls in Chibok, Borno state, four years ago, Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare has excoriated the country’s leadership saying there is something terribly wrong with a nation twice beaten but never shy.

Delivering a keynote address at a solemn fourth anniversary lecture in commemoration of the abductions Bakare said the fact that the nation allowed a similar incident in Dapchi, Yobe state nearly four years later was an indication that it never learns from its past.

“From the recent events at Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, it is obvious that the dark chapter that was opened four years ago today is still open. While I rejoice with the students who were returned and their families, even as I remember and extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the girls who lost their lives, permit me to use this occasion to demand that Leah Sharibu, who is still being held by the terrorists, be brought back home alive and unhurt, not just because her parents and the Nigerian people of all creeds cannot wait to see her back, but also because of what she now represents for the Nigerian nation.

Leah Sharibu has become the symbol of the validity of the Nigerian constitution, Section 38 of which guarantees religious freedom; therefore, her safe return is synonymous with the constitutional stability and sanctity of the Nigerian state. The Nigerian government must do all that is necessary to bring her back alive. Our hearts go out to her parents and our prayers go out to her wherever she is at the moment and we affirm, in the spirit of hope that, very soon, we will see her safely returned to us.

“The fact that the Dapchi episode happened four years after the Chibok incident and one year to elections, just as it was in the Chibok case, is evidence of an alarming national malady. There is something wrong when a nation is twice bitten, yet never shy with respect to the safety and security of its girl child. There is something undeniably wrong when the girl child repeatedly becomes the bargaining instrument in negotiation deals between the government and terrorists. There is something absolutely wrong when the girl child becomes a pawn in a political chess game in which the major political parties seek to score political points.

“One of the key indicators of stability or the lack thereof in a nation is the state of its girl child because she is often the most vulnerable in a destabilised polity. The problematic issues encountered by the girl child in any society are symptoms of an underlying malady which must be diagnosed. In essence, the brazen assault on the girl child in the Nigerian state is a clear indication that our nation is sick. It is therefore with the intent to uncover the nature of this malady that I will begin by examining the issues affecting the girl child in Nigeria, establishing the causes of such a dire state, and then concluding with implementable solutions that encapsulate a renewal of our commitment to undoing damage done and laying a foundation for a just and good society”, he said.

Speaking on the issues affecting the girl child, Bakare said; “Domestic violence has become a frequent feature in news reports and,every now and then, we hear or read such outrageous stories as: the commercial motorcyclist in Nasarawa who beat his wife “to stupor” allegedly because she accused him of snoring; the man who beat his pregnant wife to death in Abuja; or the man convicted of stabbing his wife to death for allegedly infecting him with HIV. Statistics indicate that at least “25 percent of ever-married women age 15-49 report…having experienced emotional, physical, or sexual violence from their spouse”. This would suggest that daughters in many homes in Nigeria may have been programmed to anticipate a violent marital experience going by the experiences of their mothers.

“From observing and being conditioned by violence against an adult woman, the girl child has become, herself, a victim of heart-breaking cases of violence, particularly in the form of sexual assault by adult males. Findings from a 2014 survey indicate that 1 in 4 girls surveyed reported experiencing sexual violence. This is rather conservative considering the fact that much of such abuse is not reported. In 2016, the Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Programme reported 65cases of sexual violence across the country in just three months, and the perpetrators included “a family member, friend, or community member…as well as…strangers.” From the rape of a 6-month-old baby by a man in Kano State to the gang rape of a 1-year-old baby by three men in Katsina State, the reports are extremely disturbing”, he lamented.

Earlier, Chairperson of the event, Mrs Najartu Mohammed called on the federal government to do all in its power to ensure the protection of the girl child.

While scores of the girls initially escaped, 107 of them were later on released or walked their ways into freedom while 112 are still held captive. – Vanguard.

Former Nigeria’s Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) has called on the Federal Government to give the younger generation the opportunity to take over power in 2019.

Babangida, who received a delegation of YES Nigeria Movement led by its Convener, Ali Soyode in his Minna home, Niger State, called on Nigerians to embrace the ideology of the movement which sought to ensure that credible candidates were allowed to oversee the political affairs of the country.

He reminded the delegation that they were privileged to have served their fatherland at a younger age and that such opportunity should be provided for new generation of leaders, especially in today’s modern global competitiveness.

Babangida reiterated the need for electorate to get their voting documentations in order to play their role in the governance of the country.

The former Military President applauded the leadership of the movement for the great works it had achieved, especially in the areas of educating the electorate on their democratic and political rights and also supporting existing parties.

YES Nigeria Movement Convener, Soyode in his speech, said the aim of establishing the movement was born out of his desire to see a better political and democratic system, educating the electorate of their power to elects, call to accountability of the elected and having right people in government through the exercise of their votes.

He maintained that the country was due for younger generations, team workers, patriotic leaders and those wishing to form alliance for the benefits of Nigerians to lead and have the elders as the advisory council.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it would not force anyone on President Muhammadu Buhari as his running mate should he win the party’s presidential ticket.

Consequently, the ruling party said it would not compel the President, who recently told the APC leadership of his intention to seek a second term in office, to pick his incumbent deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), as his running mate.

But while informing the National Executive Committee of the APC of his interest to seek re-election in 2019 in Abuja on Monday, Buhari was silent on who would be his running mate in his bid to get a second term as President.

Buhari did not, however, indicate, at the meeting, that he would pick any other candidate apart from Osinbajo, whom he had previously described in glowing terms.

But the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who spoke on the issue, believed it would be unfair to impose anyone on the party’s presidential candidate.

Abdullahi, a former sport and youth development minister, said doing so might cause friction between the two party representatives.

The spokesperson for the APC stated that rather, the winner of its presidential primary would be allowed to choose his  running mate.

When asked if Buhari would retain Osinbajo as his running mate in 2019, Abdullahi said, “You know it is not the duty of the party to impose someone on the presidential candidate.  In any case, if the President emerges as the party’s candidate, we won’t impose anyone on him. Remember he (Buhari) is not going to be the sole aspirant?

“But it is the duty and the responsibility of the candidate to pick whosoever he likes and he is ready to work with.  It is not the duty of the party to pick or impose anyone on him. No, that is not democracy.

“So, if President Buhari emerges as our candidate, he is the one to pick and also announce his running mate.”

The camp of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was said to have picked Osinbajo, a former justice commissioner under Tinubu in Lagos, in 2014 as Buhari’s running mate after the ex-head of state emerged the candidate of the then opposition party.

While Buhari came from the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, Tinubu’s group, which was said to be a major one  because of the number of governors and legislators that were in office on the platform of the then Action Congress of Nigeria, was allowed to produce the emerging party’s running mate. – Punch.

…it’s not true, says Presidency

Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida, who has inside information on the activities of Boko Haram has revealed that only 15 out of the remaining 113 abducted Chibok schoolgirls are still alive.

Salkida who made the shocking revelations in tweets on Saturday said many of the girls have died as a result of cross fires and bombardments by security forces on the hideouts of Boko Haram in Sambisa forest.

Eighty-three of the girls were released last year by the insurgents after negotiation with the Nigerian government.

The revelation is coming on the heels of the heels of the activities marking the fourth anniversary of the abduction of the girls in their school in Chibok by Boko Haram. They were abducted in the night of April 14, 2014.

Salkida who is based in Dubai also made it known to all who cares to know that the remaining 15 Chibok schoolgirls have been married off and are no longer under the control of Abubakar Shekau but under the control of their husbands. So any meaningful negotiation for their release will have to be with their husbands who are unwilling to release their wives.

According to him, they prefered to die than release their wives.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has dismissed Ahmed Salkida’s latest information that only 15 of the remaining 113 abducted Chibok schoolgirls in captivity of Boko Haram were believed to be alive.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, debunked Salkida’s claims in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.

The presidential aide stated that Salkida was neither involved in the processes that resulted in the release of the over 100 Chibok girls nor in the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls in captivity.

He said: “Following the numerous press enquiries on the information contained in the series of tweets by Mr Ahmed Salkida, we wish to reiterate that the information is not known to the officials of this administration either from the captors of the Chibok girls or the international intercessors who are working with us.

“We wish to confirm that Mr Salkida is not involved, on behalf of the Nigerian government in the processes leading to the release of the over 100 Chibok Girls that have returned to their families, so far , and is not involved in the current processes to secure the release of those still held in captivity.’’

It would be recalled that President Buhari had on Friday reassured the parents of the schoolgirls, that were abducted from Government Girls Secondary School Chibok, Borno, that “their daughters will never be forgotten or abandoned to their fate”.

The President, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, noted that despite four long years since they were taken away by terrorists the government would continue its efforts to ensure their safe return to their respective homes.

He joined the Borno government, parents of the children and Nigerians in commemorating the fourth anniversary of the sad incident.

He also noted that the recovery of more than 100 of the girls that were kidnapped through the Federal Government’s determined effort should give confidence that all “hope is not lost’”.

The President reaffirmed that the government remained focused and determined to see the girls return to their homes.

He, therefore, urged the parents to be expectant of more good news in due course.

“We are concerned and aware that it is taking long to bring the rest of our daughters back home, but be assured that this administration is doing its very best to free the girls from their captors.

“Unfortunately, the negotiations between the government and Boko Haram suffered some unexpected setbacks, owing mainly to a lack of agreement among their abductors, whose internal differences have led to a divergence of voices regarding the outcome of the talks.

“We know that this is not the news parents want to hear after four whole years of waiting, but we want to be as honest as possible with you.

“However, this government is not relenting. We will continue to persist, and the parents should please not give up.

”Don’t give up hope of seeing our daughters back home again. Don’t lose faith in this government’s ability to fulfill our promise of reuniting you with our daughters.

“Don’t imagine for a moment that we have forgotten about our daughters or that we consider their freedom a lost course,’’ the President said.

According to him, as long as he remains the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces the Chibok girls will never be forgotten and all will be done to have them reunited with their families.

The Enugu State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Development, Engineer Greg Nnaji says the state is ranked among the few states in the country that promptly  pay contractors handling different development projects in their respective domains.

The commissioner lauded Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state for this positive state of affairs which he said makes the job of executing the very many development projects in the state very exciting.

Engineer Nnaji said that apart from paying workers’ salaries on before the 25th of every month, the state is equally ranked among those that pay contractors promptly, adding that the state is not owing any contractor at the moment.

The Commissioner who spoke with newsmen in his office also said that Governor Ugwuayi’s administration has constructed/rehabilitated over 240KMs of roads valued at close to N40 billion, stressing that close to N19 billion has been spent on rehabilitating federal roads in the state which include but not limited to the Agu Abor/New Market interchange, Ugwuoba- Oji River, and the Opi-Nsukka-Benue State border roads.

“We are no longer talking about paying salaries which is a social responsibility; Enugu State Government is ranked among the states that pay contractors. As we speak now, Enugu State is not owing any contractor.

“Since the inception of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration in Enugu State, it is on record that development of infrastructure and taking development to the grass root has been of key interest to him.

” Since 2015 also, it is on record that the Governor has constructed/rehabilitated over 240KMs of roads and these roads are valued at close to N40 billion, and he is not selective on these roads, he has intervened on federal roads. Close to N19 billion has been spent on rehabilitating federal roads in the state” he said.

He added that the plethora of development projects going on in the rural areas is reflective of the governor’s avowed rural development agenda, geared towards creating more urban centres to decongest the already congested  Enugu metropolis.

He further informed that the state is equally rehabilitating its internal roads to put the state back on track as one of the resilient cities in the world and to maintain its status as the Regional Capital, having served as the capital of defunct  Eastern Nigeria,  and old Anambra State.

A former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday said he was betrayed by many of those he appointed to serve the state after losing his re-election bid in 2014.

Fayemi said though he had forgiven the ‘betrayers,’ he apologised to those he offended while in office.

Fayemi spoke in Ode Ekiti, the headquarters of Gbonyin Local Government Area of the state on Sunday when an All Progressives Congress chieftain, Mr. Makinde Araoye, gave a social security package to some elders across the Ekiti South Senatorial District.

Araoye, who said over 2,500 elders had benefited from the programme across the six local governments in the senatorial district, described the policy as a re-enactment of Fayemi’s Social Security Scheme, where 25,000 people above 65 were paid N5,000 per month.

Materials distributed included rice, cash and other materials to cushion the effect of the hard-biting economic situation on the beneficiaries.

Fayemi, while addressing party members said, “After losing, many of them started spreading a rumour against me that I didn’t allow them to operate freely in my government.

“There was no one that held office in my government that I teleguided. I allowed them to be free and enjoy their positions contrary to what they said.

“I have forgiven those that betrayed me just like I apologise to whoever I must have offended as a governor, because I am a human being and I can’t claim to be infallible,” he said.

Araoye stated that he started the programme as part of the ways to banish poverty from Ekiti and make the people live a normal life.

According to him, the poor performance of the present government is an eye opener to the Ekiti electorate and the need to vote wisely in the coming governorship election.

Promising to continue to initiate welfare programmes for the masses whether he sought elective positions or not, Araoye added that he was not doing the empowerment for political reasons.

“I am not doing this for politics, but I always get disturbed when I see our people wallowing in poverty. The present government has abandoned the people. He has stopped all the policies initiated by the past governments that touched directly on the lives of the poor.

“I started this programme nine years ago and I have promised to continue to do it for as long as I live. It is not good for you to do good to people only when you want to contest election.”

The #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) coalition on Sunday demanded more information from the Federal Government on the reported death of 97 Chibok schoolgirls in Boko Haram captivity, noting that the revelation raised weighty issues the government could not brush aside.

The group stated that the government reaction to revelation by a journalist, Ahmed Salkida, that the remaining 15 girls had been married off to the insurgents, was ‘insubstantial.’

Salkida had in a series of tweets last Friday, stated that most of the girls died during bombings and exchange of gunfire between the insurgents and the military, adding that the remaining 15 girls had been married off and might not be seen again.

The Federal Government had in its reaction said all the girls were alive, but Salkida in a tweet on Sunday, challenged the government and the insurgents to prove him wrong with a proof of life video.

“What I don’t get is, did government provide life saving drugs, bulletproof vests and bunkers for the  #Chibokgirls in captivity amidst harsh conditions, daily cross fires and bombardments? I threw a challenge, the government or the insurgents can only refute me with a proof of life video,” he tweeted.

But the BBOG spokesman, Sesugh Akume, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, asked the government to make available information on the status of the girls from its international contacts.

He said, “Our immediate response is that Salkida’s statement has raised issues too weighty for the seemingly insubstantial response by the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government claims that it has officials and international contacts assisting in the process of getting our girls back.

“It follows therefore that the Federal Government has the added responsibility of making available the assuring details which it has from its officials and international contacts.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday announced the debut of its newly-designed website and other official social media accounts.

This is after the party recently acknowledged that it had no official Twitter handle and distanced itself from a Twitter handle, @APCNigeria.

The @APCNigeria twitter handle which is, however, a verified account, on Saturday, made series of controversial tweets making many to believe that the account was hacked.

This same handle had over 700,000 followers and joined Twitter since February 2013.

However, the account later tweeted that it is now being used for bitcoin advertisements.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi also disclaimed the handle, saying “For the umpteenth time, @APCNigeria IS NOT the official Twitter handle of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In several official statements, we have disclaimed that handle. We view this latest development as a case of criminal impersonation.”

In a statement released by the party on Sunday and signed by Abdullahi, the party said the new website and social media handle will keep members of the public updated on the accomplishments and events of the party.

“The newly-designed website features a streamlined and uncluttered design, offering user-friendly functionality and rich content. This website as well as the official social media accounts offer quick and easy access to essential information and features to keep party members, the media and indeed the general public abreast of party activities, the APC-led federal government and APC-governed states.

“Visitors are encouraged to explore the new website and sign up for APC’s mailing list and newsletter to receive direct emails on the Contact Us page. Also follow the APC on the listed social media accounts.”

The new website and social media accounts are listed below:

Website:      www.officialapcng.com

Twitter:        https://twitter.com/OfficialAPCNg

Facebook:   https://web.facebook.com/officialapcng/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialapcng/

YouTube:    Official APC Nigeria

Meanwhile, APC has constituted a 68-member National Convention Committee.

The list of the committee members was released by the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Sunday.

The list of the committee indicated that the Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, will chair the committee, while the Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, will be his deputy.

Senator Ben Uwajomogu was named as member/Secretary.

Also listed as members of the committee are 10 state governors and some members of National Assembly, among others.

The governors are Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) and Ahmed El-Rufai (Kaduna).

Others are Simeon Lalong (Plateau), Bindo Jibrila (Adamawa), Yahaya Bello (Kogi ) and Godwin Obaseki (Edo).

A forner President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, is also a member.

The senators in the committee are Ahmed Yerima, Adamu Aliero, Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Adamu, George Akume, suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Andrew Uchendu, Abdullahi Danbaba, Baba Kuka and John Enoh.

Two serving ministers are also in the list. They are: Chris Ngige (Labour and Productivity) and Mr. Uguru Usani (Niger Delta).

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Coalition for Nigeria Movement, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and the Campaign for Democracy on Sunday knocked President Muhammadu Buhari for saying he had not done badly, as well as blaming past leaders for the poor state of the economy.

The President had on Sunday said considering the condition in which his administration met the country allegedly without savings and the economy vandalised; “we have not done too badly.”

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving some members of the Buhari Diaspora Support Organisation, led by Mr. Charles Sylvester.

Buhari noted that Nigeria was gifted with human and natural resources, but regretted that past leaders failed to capitalise on the nation’s resources to improve the lot of Nigerians.

“Failure of some of the leadership we had in the past led to our not being able to capitalise on resources to improve the lot of the people,” the President said.

He added that those he described as wicked people plundered the country “and kept Nigerians poor.”

Buhari said the damage done to the Nigerian economy in the years of plunder was massive, adding that the government was doing its best to recover some of the loot.

“If they had used 50 per cent of the money made when oil prices were as high as $143 per barrel and stabilised at $100, with production at 2.1 million barrels per day for many years, Nigerians would have minded their business.

“The stealing was so much and they were so inept that they could not even cover the stealing properly. I wonder how all those things could have happened to our country,” the President said.

He commended members of the Buhari Diaspora Support Organisation for deciding to identify with the country when they could have stayed abroad where they were comfortable.

“I am happy that people like you are here, on your own, defending the country. You have shown courage and sacrifice. I assure you that your confidence in us won’t be abused; we will do our best to justify it,” Buhari said.

Sylvester was quoted as saying that members of the group were happy with the achievements of the Buhari administration so far.

He said the same God who healed the President when he was sick would grant him victory in 2019.

He said, “You met a difficult situation, but you have overcome most of them. We are happy with the agriculture revolution, the ease of doing business, the anti-corruption war, the employment of youths through the N-Power programme, and the blockage of leakages in the public sector through the Treasury Single Account.

“We are proud of the speed with which you recovered the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls. It shows you as a worthy general. We are happy that you have declared for 2019. Majority of Nigerians are happy, but agents of corruption and darkness are unhappy.

“The same God, who healed you when you were ill, will grant you victory in the 2019 elections. You are a General who does not fear combat, either with Generals or non-Generals.

“We declare our love and support for you. You are fixing the faulty foundations of our country and second term is when you will build the enduring structure.”

The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari, has explained that her 2016 interview which was considered to be critical of her husband’s administration was based on her sense of justice.

She said the interview was not meant to be confrontational or a sign of disrespect.

Mrs. Buhari made the clarification in a message she sent to the 2017 Vanguard Awards where she was honoured as Vanguard Personality of the Year 2017.

A copy of the message of the President’s wife who was represented at the event by one of her daughters, Halima, was made available to journalists on Sunday by her spokesman, Suleiman Haruna.

Mrs. Buhari said she was brought up to stand by the truth and that was how she has been living her life.

She said Nigerians elected her husband based on the trust and confidence they have in him and she felt the administration must serve Nigeria to the best of its ability.

The President’s wife said, “I wish to thank the management of Vanguard Media Limited for this unexpected award, in recognition of my humanitarian efforts towards improving the health and welfare of Nigerians particularly women, children and less privileged.

“One of the reasons adduced for honouring me was the interview I granted which some people saw as criticism to a government that I am part of.

“I need to state that my position was a result of my sense of justice and not confrontation or disrespect. I was brought up to stand by the truth and this is how I have always been.

“As we are all aware, Nigerians elected this administration based on the trust and confidence they have on my husband; I, therefore, feel that we are here to serve Nigeria to the best of our ability.

“Let me use this opportunity to state that I support my husband in this call to service and will continue to do so.

“On this note, I hereby dedicate this award to the people of Nigeria, especially women. Thank you sincerely for this award.”

Mrs. Buhari had in the 2016 interview with BBC warned her husband that she might not back him at the 2019 election unless he shakes up his government.

She has claimed that the President did not know most of the top officials he appointed.

She had said, “The President does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years.

“Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.”

In the BBC interview, the Mrs. Buhari refused to name those who had hijacked the government, saying, “You will know them if you watch television.”

On whether the President was in charge, she said, “That is left for the people to decide.”

Mrs. Buhari had also said her husband had not told her whether he would contest the 2019 election as of the time of the interview.

She had said, “He is yet to tell me but I have decided, as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again.”

A Sharia court sitting  at Magajin Gari, Kaduna State, on Monday ordered  that one Shuaibu Umar be given 80 strokes of cane for calling his sister-in-law, Suwaiba Abdulkadir,  a prostitute.

Abdulkadir,  who had filed a case of defamation  against her brother in-law,  told the court that Umar called her a prostitute after a misunderstanding they had.

“Shuaibu is my husband’s younger brother and  we had a misunderstanding; we exchanged words and he called me a prostitute.

“I want this honorable  court to grant me justice, as what my brother-in-law said about me has tarnished my image,’’ she said.

The defendant, who did not  deny calling his sister-in-law a prostitute,  added  that he spoke in anger and had no regrets.

“I was hurt when she called me a drug addict and a thief; that was why I called her a prostitute and I won’t go back on my words,’’ he said.

The judge, Mallam Dahiru Lawal, ruled that Umar be given 80 lashes of cane after giving him a chance to withdraw his statement, which he refused to do.

“The defendant confirmed calling his sister-in-law a prostitute and is  not ready to withdraw the statement;  therefore, I, Dahiru Lawal, rule that Shuaibu Umar be given 80 strokes of cane.

“This is in accordance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad which state that one cannot accuse a person of adultery or fornication except he presents four witnesses who have seen the activity.

“He is to receive  80 strokes of cane in place of the person he accused, because he has defamed the person’s character,’’ the judge ruled. – NAN.

Under the patronage and in the presence of Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the Fourth International Schools Arabic Debating Championship was concluded on Wednesday evening 11 April 2018.

The event was held at the Qatar National Convention Centre from 7-11 April with the participation of 50 Arab and non-Arab countries.

The closing ceremony was attended by HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad; Mrs. Machaille Al-Naimi, President of Community Development; Dr. Hayat Maarafi, Executive Director of QatarDebate Center; along with a number of Excellencies, Arab and foreign ambassadors in Qatar, representatives of official sponsors, participants and guests from all segments of the society.

The Turkish team came first in the finals of the Fourth International Schools Arabic Debating Championship.

The winning team received a phone call from HE Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey, who congratulated the Turkish team for winning the tournament, and praised the level of skills shown by the Turkish students during the competitions.

Notably, the team of Lebanon came second, and the Team of Oman came third in the tournament.

In her comment, Dr. Hayat Maarafi commended “the QatarDebate Center for being an educational and training edifice disseminating the concepts of debating and dialogue in the Arab region and the world.

The Center emerged from the beacon of culture and the home of intellectual creativity and civilized interaction, namely the State of Qatar.”

She added in her remarks during the ceremony, “We today crown our beloved Qatar as a champion in disseminating free thinking and in hosting these large numbers of contestants, as Qatar has won in enlightening minds and heart and attracting the elite intellectuals like you.”

She noted that those elite are the wealth that will always remain, grow and flourish.

Concluding her remarks, she thanked all the entities that supported and participated in the success of the event, and on top of those the leadership of Qatar Foundation represented by Her Highness Sheikha Moza; HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad for hosting the event and attending the ceremony; and Mrs. Machaille Al-Naimi, President of Community Development for her confidence in QatarDebate Center.

She also thanked the sponsors of the championship including: Qatar Primary Materials Company; the international media partner, Al Jazeera Media Network; and the official airline partner Qatar Airways.

Meanwhile, Mohammed al Lakhn al Marri, noted in his remarks, “the championship was one that enriched intellect, brought viewpoints together, and presented content in a brief manner. We meet every year to reaffirm our commitment and dedication to disseminating the art of debate in a time of differences, with the aim to make it more acceptable and attractive.”

…as Royal Fathers from Governor’s council endorse his re-election  

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, in continuation of his administration’s “One Community, One Project” scheme on Monday handed over cheques of N5 million each to another batch of 171 autonomous communities that have met the requirements for the release of the funds to carry out development projects of their choice.

The scheme is an extensive rural development initiative of the Ugwuanyi administration aimed at ensuring that development reaches the 450 autonomous communities in the state, with a dedicated sum of N10 million for each community to address her pressing and peculiar development needs.

Consequently, the State Executive Council approved the scheme  and earmarked the sum of N2.25 billion for 450 autonomous communities in the state as the first tranche of the N10 million for every community for the execution of development projects of their choice. Recently, N5 million was disbursed to 118 autonomous communities that had then fulfilled the requirements for the release of the funds.

Last weekend, Gov. Ugwuanyi was at Ibagwa Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area to inaugurate projects executed by the community with the first tranche of N5million, which was earlier disbursed to 118 communities.

In a related development, Traditional Rulers from Udenu, the council area of Gov. Ugwuanyi, also on Monday paid a solidarity visit to the governor at the Government House, Enugu, where they reaffirmed their earlier endorsement for his re-election in 2019.

The Royal Fathers, who were accompanied by the Presidents-General of the Town Unions and political office holders, among other stakeholders, commended the governor for his peace and good governance initiatives as well as his giant development strides across the state, declaring: “We are proud and solidly behind you and Udenu LGA is also behind you”.

Presenting the N5 million cheques to another batch of 171 communities, the governor commended “the communities that have so far used or are using their own funds to execute meaningful projects for the benefit of their people”.

He expressed confidence that the new set of communities that received their funds, would equally deploy the resources judiciously for the satisfaction of the yearnings of their people, adding that “the remaining communities will also receive their own funds” as soon as they meet the requirements.

Gov. Ugwuanyi, therefore, reiterated that the scheme was aimed at “promoting participatory democracy and extensive rural development in the state as well as the involvement of all communities in the implementation of government policies and programmes”.

While thanking the people of the state, who he described as “the true heroes of democracy” for their overwhelming support and cooperation, the governor reassured them of his administration’s commitment to entrenching good governance.

He said: “We will not relent in our efforts until our promise to take visible and sustainable development to all corners of the state is fully realized”.

Earlier in his remark, the state’s Accountant-General, Sir Paschal Okolie, stated that the government carefully designed laid down procedures for the judicious utilization of the money for the purpose it was meant for.

Sir Okolie disclosed that the state government in keeping with its hallmark of prudence, accountability and transparency, had set aside the N2.25 billion approved for 450 autonomous communities as the first tranche of N5 million for every community, saying: “The cash is ready for collection”.

Responding on behalf of other Traditional Rulers and the autonomous communities in the state, the Vice Chairman (Enugu North), Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe R.N.S Ezeh, thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for the people-oriented scheme, describing it as first of its kind in the history of the state.

He said that the Royal Fathers have endorsed the governor for second term, declaring that there is no vacancy in the lion building in 2019.

Gov. Ugwuanyi, while granting audience to his Udenu kinsmen, thanked the Royal Fathers for the endorsement, noting that such support coming from them was significant and inspiring.

The governor appreciated the people of Udenu LGA for the existing peace in the council area, which he disclosed “made it possible for us to achieve what we have achieved”.

“Over 95% of Enugu State people support what we are doing as a government and we will not take such support for granted”, Gov. Ugwuanyi said while urging his kinsmen to continue to remember him in prayers.

The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, has called on Nigerians to take away their focus from what will happen in 2019 and rather concentrate on how to make the country better before the next general elections.

The US envoy, who spoke at an event organised to mark the 2018 World Earth Day in Ibadan on Monday, called on Nigerians, whom he described as the ship, to find solutions to their problems from within, saying that the people should place themselves above their leaders, who were only at the helm of affairs for a while.

He said, “Many Nigerians will spend much of this year thinking about what will happen in 2019. My mind says that it is extraordinary important for every Nigerian to spend this year thinking about what to do to make Nigeria more secure, peaceful, prosperous and united.

“I don’t think Nigeria can lose a day or a year in its history by sitting down to find solutions to its problems and employment to that person looking for a job. We have a group called the Young African Leaders Initiative. Members of this movement exchange ideas about questions on development. The most important thing of all is each Nigerian.

“In the first year of my stay in Nigeria, I travelled to all the 36 states of the country. Everywhere I reached, people said they have leadership challenge at the local, state and national levels. My first reaction to push back the question is that the nation is in a democracy, the people are the leaders, they are the government. You did it in 2015.

“Two weeks ago, I was in Kaduna and I suddenly realised that there is a challenge because there are two sides to leadership; the leader and the ship. In a democracy, the people are the ship, the pilot is only there for a time but the ship remains. The most important thing is not what Nigerians will do in 2019 but what they will do now because they are the ship.

“At the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, there is a project to combine entrepreneurship and agriculture with some of the forest products; 2018 is the year that the ship of Nigeria must move itself forward. It is not about politics alone but about the people.

“I have been to the Wikki Warm Spring in Yankari Reserves. I have travelled through the lagoon from Lagos to Badagry. I have been to the forest of Obudu and the spot where the River Niger and River Benue meet. They are amazing. This country is beautiful, amazing but a lot of Nigerians do not know it.”

Symington also called on the people to review their interaction with the environment in the face of the diverse environmental problems threatening the continued existence of humanity, saying that practices that had the potential to wipe out the forest, including animal smuggling, must be discouraged.

“I want you to think of the forest not as a forest but as a future. You must learn to use the existence of the forest to make money and life. Discourage those who sell bush meats by not buying, and use social media to expose those who smuggle animals that are endangered species,” he said. – Punch.

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiites Monday took their protest against the prolonged detention of their leader, Shiekh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, to another dimension.

The group had mobilised its members across the North-west and North-eastern states of the country to protest against what they called the perpetual incarceration of their leader, El-Zakzaky.

The protest on Monday took a whole new dimension as the Shiites attempted to protest beside the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja where the Nigerian Army and the US military were holding the African Land Forces Summit for African countries.

The police and soldiers had earlier barricaded major roads leading to the summit, but the Shiites retreated and mobilised with full force to the area.

The soldiers and policemen however prevented the protesters from gaining entry into the area as tear gas were fired and sporadic gunshots were heard in order to disperse the protesters.

As at the time of this report, the protest had spread to major roads in the city including Banex Junction, along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Highway, and IBB Way, among other areas in the city.

The FCT Police Command was unavailable for comments as several calls made to the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Anjiguri Manah, were not answered.

A Federal High had ordered the release of El-Zakzaky, who had been in detention for over two years, on December 2, 2016, but the order has been flouted by the Department of State Services (DSS). – Thisday.

The lawmaker representing Osun West Senatorial District, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has declared his interest to contest the September 22 governorship election in Osun State.

Adeleke made this known in a letter he addressed to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Adeleke, who has spent barely a year in the Senate, replaced Isiaka, his elder brother, who died in April 2017.

In a letter to the PDP leadership, he said the decision to contest the governorship election is borne out of a conviction that he has “all it takes to unite leaders and members of our party as well as galvanise the electorate towards ensuring a resounding victory for the PDP in the forthcoming poll.”

The letter reads: “In accordance with the directive of the leadership of our great party, I wish to respectfully express my intent to vie for the ticket of the party as its candidate in the Osun State governorship election holding on the 22nd September 2018.

“I am a member of the party in Sagba Abogunde Ward 2 of the Ede North local government in the Osun West senatorial district.

“As a loyal man from the strongest political base of the PDP in Osun State, I am willing, able and prepared to offer myself for this great service if given the opportunity to fly our flag as the governorship candidate.

“I pledge my continuous commitment and support to the stability, growth, and success of the PDP at all levels.”

Nigeria’s power grid has collapsed twice in the past five days.

Electricity generation figures obtained from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in Abuja on Monday showed that the grid recorded partial collapses on April 12 and 14 this year.

Generated power on the grid dropped from a high of 3,946.5 megawatts on April 11, to as low as 351.3MW on April 12, which was the lowest quantum of grid electricity recorded in past two months.

Further findings showed that power generation remained in a partially collapsed state, as it only moved up marginally from the 351.3MW recorded on April 11, to 596MW on April 14.

Electricity on the grid eventually rose to 3,500MW on April 15, according to generation figures obtained from the Nigeria Electricity System Operator, an arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, on Monday.

It was also observed that before the recent partial collapses, Nigeria’s power generation had hovered above 3,900MW for more than two months.

Data obtained by our correspondent showed that the last system collapse before that of April 11 was recorded on the first day February this year.

On February 5, 2018, The PUNCH exclusively reported the collapse of the national electricity grid from a high of 4,699.9MW on January 31, to 219MW on February 1.

The report also revealed that prior to the February 1 grid collapse, the country’s power generation system had earlier collapsed six times in the first eight days of 2018.

The Chief Executive Officer, TCN, Usman Mohammed, had at the time explained that there was a need for adequate investment in order to stabilise the grid.

“There are certain things that need to be put in place for us to have grid stability and one of them is that we need to put in adequate investments,” Mohammed had said.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, recently stated that investment appetite for Nigeria’s power sector was high, dismissing claims that investors were leaving the industry.

“If there is one sector in the Nigerian economy that investment appetite is high, it is the power sector and the potential that it brings on,” Fashola told local and international guests at the inauguration of a 60MVAR power capacity bank at the TCN transmission substation in Abuja.