Health workers in the country under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)  and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHP) have directed their members to proceed on an indefinite strike tomorrow.

But the health workers also said the strike could be put off if the government intervened and sorted out areas of disagreement with them before the Wednesday deadline.

The proposed resumption of industrial action, according to Vanguard findings, was as a result of the alleged delay tactics and deliberate foot-dragging of the Federal Government in approving the adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Scale, CONHESS, similar to what was done for medical doctors’ Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, CONMESS, since January 2014 and the non implementation of CONMESS that was approved for medical doctors in September, 2017.

A former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, says Nigerians no longer take him seriously because he annulled the June 12, 1993 Presidential election adjudged as the most credible election in the history of Nigeria.

Babangida said this during a programme on Channels Television titled, ‘Roadmap 2019’ on Monday.

When asked to explain further if it was true that people dismissed his words because of the annulment of June 12 election, he said, “That is right. They say, ‘he cancelled the freest election in the history but he annulled it’ but nobody gives me credit for conducting the freest election in the country.”

The former maximum ruler said he was hopeful that the younger generation would understand why he annulled the election.

He added, “We try to rationalise why we did what we did but nobody is prepared to listen to us. So, it is a matter of time. One day, the younger generation will say they have heard one side and want to hear the other side of the story.

“Maybe by then we will have a better society that is prepared; that is well-informed of what happened within a period of their existence. They will then be able to say this is the true story.”

When asked if he would publish his biography soon to tell his story, Babangida said nobody would read it because of his past.

Babangida said no one had ever reflected the fact that he and the acclaimed winner of the election, MKO Abiola, were friends before and after the annulment.

When asked if he would publish his biography, he said, “I don’t know. People may not read it because it is coming from a dictator. A lot will say ‘he is the one who cancelled June 12 and that will kill everything that I have to talk about.

“I hope that one day God will spare my life so that I can discuss it because I still believe people don’t get what we were trying to do. Nobody has ever sat down to say the two personalities are friends, what went wrong.

“I have never seen anybody write about this to try to give people another version of things. I knew his feelings and he knew my own. We even talked about it during the crisis itself.”

The fragile security in Benue, Kano and Nasarawa was again shattered, yesterday, as gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen killed no fewer than 41 persons.

Among them were four mobile policemen who were reportedly mowed down in Ayinbe, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State and four suspected herders killed by troops during a gun duel.

Worse hit was Nasarawa were the rampaging gunmen murdered 32 Tiv villagers at different locations across the southern senatorial district in a well coordinated attacks yesterday.

The attackers were said to have carried out the dastardly act on the Tiv villages simultaneously across Awe, Keana, Obi and Doma LGA, leaving 19 others with severe gun and matchet injuries.

At the time of filing this report, over 10,000 Tiv villagers were said to have been trapped along the Agwatashi-Jangwa road in Obi LGAs shortly after the marauding herdsmen sacked over 200 villages including Uvirkaa, hometown of Commissioner for Water Resources, Gabriel Akaaka.

Our correspondent who went round some of the affected areas gathered that about 15,000 fleeing Tiv villagers were stranded in streets of Lafia, the state capital.

Already, over 100,000 are taking refuge in different Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), camps at Agwatashi, Aloshi, Awe, Adudu, Obi, Keana, Doma, Agyaragu, among other locations.

A visit to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia where eight victims are currently receiving treatment, also revealed that five bodies were deposited at the hospital mortuary out of which three were later released by the Police for burial.

Confirming the development in Lafia, President of Tiv Youth Organization (Nasarawa State chapter), Peter Ahemba said the entire Tiv villages had been sacked, noting that most of the affected villages were being occupied by the invaders.

“As I speak, nine corpses of our people killed this morning by the Fulani terrorists in Wurji village of Keana LGA have just been recovered and brought to Keana town by the Police.

“Last night, seven of our people were killed in a coordinated attacks with 11 others still missing at Kertyo and Apurugh villages in Obi LGA. Last Saturday, we recorded eight deaths from similar attacks in Kadarko area, four from Aloshi axis, one from Agberagba, all in Keana LGA. Another six persons were shot at Imon village and were rushed to Obi General Hospial. One of them later died. This is just few out of deaths we recorded within the last three days as a result of these senseless attacks,” he noted.

The Tiv youth leader, who alleged that the gun wielding herdsmen were conveyed in trucks to the state to carry out the inhuman act, said it was now clear that incessant attacks on Tiv people were no longer protests against any enacted law but a calculated attempt to exterminate the Tiv community.

He, therefore, appealed to international community to intervene to save the state and country from the current bloodbath.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the state police command, DSP Kennedy Idirisu, confirmed the attacks but said they were yet to ascertain the number of causalities.

Immediate-past Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan has said he wants to represent Delta South Senatorial District at the Senate in 2019 because of his desire to pursue quality legislation that will lead to the end of the crisis in the Niger Delta region.

In a media chat recently, the medical doctor who left indelible marks in the state after his eight-year rule as a governor said he would soon officially declare his intention to contest the senatorial seat of Delta South at the National Assembly.

 “I have not declared but I have decided to run. The official declaration is going to be very soon,” Dr. Uduaghan said.

Dr. Uduaghan, who was instrumental to the emergence of the incumbent senator representing Delta South, Senator James Manager 15 years ago, also said he withdrew from the race in 2015 to ensure that peace reigned in the state as he has always maintained that peace was more important than electoral victories. He, however, noted that the coast was now clear for him to serve his people. In his words: “Despite the pressure from the good people of Delta South in 2015, I decided to step down, but looking at the horizon now, the issues that caused the security challenges that made me to shelve my ambition in 2015 are no longer there.”

Uduaghan, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), gave reasons why he wants to go to the upper chamber of the National Assembly and spoke of his plans for his constituency, the Niger Delta and the entire country.

According to him, without being boastful and in terms of capacity, he had the capacity to do the work of a senator in Delta South Senatorial District, and the experience he garnered over the years as commissioner, Secretary to the state government, governor, among others, had prepared him to serve at the national level.

“I was commissioner for four years under Chief James Ibori and I was close to him. I knew what he was doing in terms of peace issues. I was the first state government official to enter into creeks to meet ex-militant chief, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo in the heart of the Niger Delta as SSG to start negotiating peace with him. I did it severally when I was the governor of Delta State. At one of the outings, it was even the soldiers that pointed AK-47 at me when I was coming back.

“Sometimes, I would come back at night from negotiating peace, so I know the place in and out. I have been there in the day and at night, in fact, at one of them, I was sitting on a chair with about 20 of the boys with their guns, they were drinking, and we were there for three hours negotiating peace. I know the challenges; let me just say this, what we did and what the government has been doing is having what I call two boxes in managing the problems,” he explained.

The former governor said the first was that of engagement, as he used his influence then to mobilize religious leaders, traditional rulers and the youths to engage the boys in the creek in dialogue.

“We had the other box of enforcement; that is, using the military, the army, the police, navy, etc. One will think that with the two boxes, that would be enough to deal with the problems, but they are still there and re-occurring in different forms, some criminality and some genuine agitation; we still have the Niger Delta Avengers bursting pipelines; sometimes, we have those hijacking boats and sometimes ethnic quarrels,” he said.

According to Uduaghan, from his experience, the military, as an enforcement body was not a permanent solution to the problems in the Niger Delta as they were not very familiar with the terrain, “so, when the thing is really happening, it requires mobilizing the young people to show them the terrain or to prevent the crisis.

“For us to move forward, we must have an enforcement body that includes the community; especially the youths in the community, since they know the terrain. It is easier for people in that area to try and carry out enforcement or execute security challenges; it is easier for people in that area to know those who are involved in illegal bunkering. There are two parts to it, there is the part of genuine agitation, which has now been mixed with criminality and the criminality seems to have overshadowed the genuine agitation.

“To deal with it, we need the local people to be involved in the security arrangement and that will require legislation. The Waterway Security Committee I put up for instance, there is no law backing it up, so we need to put up laws that will help us in moving forward in solving the Niger Delta crisis.”

The Itsekiri-born politician added that there were lots of projects abandoned in the Niger Delta, and specific laws were needed to revamp these projects. If there were previous laws, he said, there was the need to bring them out and tailor them to meet what is happening in the Niger Delta.

“All these engagements we are doing, we need to promulgate laws backing the engagements, there is a lot of environmental damages going on. There are laws backing the environment, but we need to tidy them up. What I have done is to get a team of lawyers, they have looked at the laws and brought them out as it affects issues in the Niger Delta,” he said.

He lamented that since the crises in the Niger Delta, nobody has been prosecuted or brought to book.

“Nobody has been prosecuted so far. First of all, you cannot catch them and the people that are supposed to catch them don’t know how to catch them. I am going there to put up an enforcement body of people who know them and can get them and take them to court. If we are not serious of law and order in the Niger Delta, we will continue to have crisis.

“Right now, there is no law and order in the Niger Delta and we need to come out with and remind ourselves of the existing laws and tailor them towards the issues in the Niger Delta so that we can have permanent peace. A lawmaker is to make law and that will be my cardinal point. Also, there is the issue of attracting things to your area. There are very few people in the National Assembly that I don’t know. I have the capacity to attract things to my area more than anybody on the field today.

“Also, Nigeria has invested in me. Being in government for 16 years is a lot of investment. I think I should pay back by going to serve at the national level,” he explained.

The former number one citizen of Delta State, an exponent of modular refineries and development of the non-oil sector, promised not to collect his pension as a former governor while in senate if given the mandate by his people.

He also pledged to carry his constituents along by involving them in the lawmaking process and holding town hall meetings every six months.

“I am going to sign a contract with my people; the Senator-Citizens Contract. I have a group of lawyers who are already working on it,” he disclosed.

Asked his chances of picking the PDP ticket and eventually winning the senatorial election, Uduaghan, 63, sounded upbeat, noting that he is a grassroots politician well known and trusted by the people. He promised to justify the confidence reposed in him by ensuring them the very best representation if they give him the mandate to represent them in the Senate in 2019.

Already, various groups and individuals in the Delta South Senatorial District are waiting with bated breath to see their amiable son of the soil in the race as they believe he will replicate in their constituency his magic that turned around entire Delta State.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have hauled stones at the convoy of Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who was in Obi Local Government Area for assessment visit to some of the IDP camps and other affected villages.

The aggrieved campers stoned the governor’s convoy in Agwatashi on Tuesday.

The newspaper reports that many Tiv nationalities in Nasarawa State have deserted their homes in Obi, Awe, Domain and Keana LGAs, while about 100,000 persons were currently taking refuge at the LG headquarters and other villages in the affected local governments.

The IDPs, who were protesting the killing of their relations by people believed to be Fulani herders, said they could no longer bear the incessant attacks on their communities, expressing worry that the bodies of their relations killed by the attackers had not been recovered.

The governor, who described the action of the protesting IDPs as “understandable in view of the psychological trauma they are passing through,” said his government would continue to do everything possible to restore peace in the state.

The riot policemen on the governor’s convoy were able to disperse the aggrieved IDPs through the use of tear gas, paving the way for his escape.

The state commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State Command, Mr. Bello Ahmed, confirmed the attack on the governor’s convoy by the IDPs in the area.

On the number of arrest made from the attack, he said investigation into the incident was on-going, adding that the numbers of casualties from the renewed herdsmen attack could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

The Police boss said: “The attack on governor’s convoy in Obi LGA is politically motivated.”

Following the stoning incident at Agwatashi, Al-Makura, in company of other government functionaries, including security chiefs in the state, could not proceed to Keana IDP camp as arranged.

The Senate has invited the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (retd.); and Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, over alleged illegal withdrawal of $462m from the Consolidated Revenue Account.

The money was said to have been withdrawn and paid to an American firm for the purchase of helicopters. It was, however, alleged that it was done with the approval of the National Assembly.

At the plenary on Tuesday, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo-East) raised a point of order, alleging that Section 80(2) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution had been breached.

Anyanwu said, “I have it on good authority that in March 2018, from the Federation Account, a whopping sum of $462m was withdrawn and paid for (the purchase of) helicopters to an American firm. And this is without the approval of the National Assembly or the Senate.

“I know that there was no time when there was any request (for approval) from this Senate before any withdrawal from the Consolidated Federation Account.

“I, therefore, as a senator, want us to find out if that thing (withdrawal) was done.

“I will request and suggest we invite the CBN governor, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Defence to tell us how this money was withdrawn and paid to an American company — a whopping $462m — without the approval of this Senate.”

Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, put the request to voice vote and it was unanimously granted.

Ekweremadu referred the matter to the Committee on Appropriations, asking it to invite the ministers and the CBN governor.

“The Appropriations Committee should invite the three: the Minister of Finance, the CBN governor and the Minister of Defence to shed light on the release,” he said.

The German government has expressed its willingness to assist Lagos State develop a virile water transportation system, the German Consul-General in Nigeria Mr Ingo Herbert has said.

Herbert stated this on Tuesday when he paid a working visit to the State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Ladi Lawanson, in his office.

He said his country has a robust transportation system that subsidises  transportation  fare for the people in order to enlist their continued support for public sector transport system.

He said the consular office would assist in ensuring appropriate dissemination of the opportunities in the transportation sector in Lagos State and sensitise German investors to begin to look in the direction of the state.

Herbert, who was accompanied on the visit by the Deputy Consul-General Alexandra Herr and other Consul officials said his country is excited at the opportunities that Lagos State is presenting by looking towards its direction for developing a very viable water transportation system.

Germany, he said, is a major player in the transportation system, and has helped several countries of the world, both within and outside the European Union (EU), to build, operate and activate their transportation systems.

He said Lagos State, with its vast waterbodies is a mine that could be exploited for massive transpottion opportunites that would take pressure away from the roads and encourage more people to patronize water transportation.

“Germany have a tremendous amount of competence in the transportation system, especially in the water transportation which the state government intends to incorporate in its intermodal system that is just evolving and we would be willing to share these competence with the state government.

He said Germany would be ready to build, develop and transfer technical competence and help train officials to manage the water transportation system.

Earlier, Lawanson said the government is willing to collaborate with the German government in helping to develop a robust water transportation system.

This, he said, is necessary to complement its giant strides on the other modes of transportation especially road, where it is experiencing landmark transformation. He said water transportation would be a major complement to transportation mix and help achieve the vision of the Akinwunmi Ambode led government to make more people patronize public transportation.

He said Lagos being the most strategic economy in Africa, is looking towards Germany which is a leading economy in the EU to benchmark its strides and investments in the transportation sector, adding that with Germany’s competence, would rub on positively on  the state’s water transportation system.

Lawanson while presenting an information slide on the state’s mission, objectives and vision for the sub-sector to the visitors, said the state government would be looking forward to Germany coming up with long term low interest lending to develop the sector, among others.

He added that the government has identified four major and economic water routes which it is currently dredging to flag-off its water reform masterplan. These routes according to him are the Ijora, Ikeja, Oke-Afa and Tolu, Ajegunle, all within West and Central Lagos, in order to promote a new culture of water transportation in the state.

“We would specifically be interested in tapping into your competence in this sector, exploit affording funding and provision of passenger friendly vessels as well as the construction of world class jetties around all border points in the state.”

Part of the plan to further decongest the roads within the state, according to him, is to explore the opportunities presented by the water bodies by ensuring that importers can pick up their containers at any of the state’s jetties that would dot the border posts thereby reducing the inflow of traffic into Apapa Ports for such transactions.

He urged the Consul General to facilitate good bilateral relationship between Germany and Lagos, being the most critical state in the country. In the area of training, Lawanson said government would be looking forward to Germany providing scholarship opportunities to middle and high level officials of the ministry to familiarize themselves to the German system to fast track the domestication of same in the state.

“Our decision to look towards the waterways is further improving the livability index of the state. We want to pull many more cars off our roads, encourage the patronage of public transportation and in this wise, complement the world class transformation on the roads.”

He said while 2018-2019 has been set aside to update all feasibility studies on available options to developing the sector, while 2020 -2023 would witness massive transformation and investment within the water transportation in the bid to give back to the people a water system that works for the masses of the people.

With him to receive the German delegates are the Permanent Secretary Dr Taiwo Olufemi Salam, the Managing Director of LASWA Mr Olufemi Emmanuel, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (LAMATA) Biodun Dabiri, the Managing Director of Lagos State Bus Services Ltd., Mr Idowu Oguntola, and other management staff of the ministry.

Worried by the low level of low oral health care awareness, dental practitioners across the country have set up a Dental Support Foundation, DSF to galvanise efforts towards the promotion, encouragement and advancement of Dental practice in Nigeria.
President of the Foundation, Dr. Bidemi Dawodu explained to journalists in Lagos last weekend that the current high prevalence of oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal disease should be seen as a major source of concern to professionals in the health sector, the government and the Nigerian people.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole raised the alarm recently when he said the burden of dental disease has risen to an epidemic proportion.
Dawodu submitted that the DSF therefore seeks to encourage the government to implement the Nigerian Oral Health Care Policy aimed at ensuring the creation of at least one dental care center in each local government with a view to improving the oral health of Nigerians.
The support foundation which was incorporated three years ago, will equally strive to encourage dental practitioners undertake measures to improve public oral health and dental education; maintain the dignity of the dental profession; protect the rights/interests of young dentists; and create job opportunity for young dentists.
Other objectives, according to Dawodu, include reducing the burden of equipment acquisition to the barest minimum and fostering of friendship, co-operation and co- existence amongst the members of the profession both young and old.
“The starting point is to create the awareness among the people about dental health care. It is so bad today that people don’t go the dentist until there have serious pains in their mount. But what is crucial is the implementation of the oral health policy passed by the National Assembly a long time ago,” he said.
Dawodu emphasised that the implementation of the policy will galvanise the oral health care and create employment for dentists, because the cardinal point is the setting up of dental clinic in all the Local Government Areas in the country.
Apart from Dawodu, other members of the board include Dr. Ademola Ademuson, a Dental Surgeon with over 35 years in dental practice; Dr. Akanbi Oluwarotimi Olojode, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon with the Lagos State Health Commission and Dr. Ishaku Danfillo, Consultant General, Dental Practice (Family Dentistry) with Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos.
Others are Dr. Tola Owoturo, a Family Dentistry specialist with core interest in Endodontics and Aesthetics; Dr. Dahiru Labo, Dr. Grace Mang and Dr. Bola Awokoya.

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has suspended Prof. Richard Akindele, whose telephone conversation in which he demanded for sex from a female student was recorded and released on social media.

A member of the committee who pleaded anonymity confided this to our correspondent in Osogbo on Wednesday.

He said the committee recommended the suspension of the professor  in a report of the committee set up by the university to probe the matter and to authenticate the veracity of the telephone conversation, where the lecturer demanded to have sex with the student five times before he would upgrade her mark from 33 to a pass mark.

In the leaked telephone conversation, the  female student, who our correspondent gathered was a postgraduate student doing her Masters in Business Administration,  initiated a call and asked the professor about their earlier discussion on the matter.

The member of the committee said, “The committee recommended the indefinite suspension of the professor pending the time the final report will be ready. The committee established a prima facie case against the professor. But note that this is the interim report of the committee.

“The committee invited the professor and the female student. We identified the student and invited her, but she did not appear. Only the professor honoured our invitation. I don’t want to tell you what he said on the telephone.”

The committee member said the lady was an MBA regular student and added that the final report would be submitted after the lady might have appeared before the panel.

However, the Public Relations Officer of the OAU, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, when contacted on the telephone, told our correspondent that he would find out to know if the report was ready and get back. But he had yet to do that as of the time of filing this report.

The Vice Chancellor of the OAU, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, had, on Sunday, told our correspondent that the report of the committee would be ready on Wednesday and that it would be released to the public.

It will be recalled that the the lady had released a telephone conversation she allegedly had with the professor; and the lecturer was heard demanding sex with the lady.

The lady eventually rejected  the condition given during the conversation. – Punch.

Two inmates of Kirikiri Prison in Lagos have defied the psychological drawback associated with incarceration by enrolling for doctorate degrees at the National Open University (NOUN).

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the two doctoral candidates were among the three inmates who were awarded masters degrees by NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu.

NAN reports that Tunwashe Kabiru and Oladipupo Moshood enrolled for Doctorate Degrees in Business Administration and Peace and Conflict Resolution, respectively.

Speaking at the ceremony, Comptroller General, Nigeria Prisons Service, Ja’afaru Ahmed, urged other inmates to make use of the opportunity provided by NOUN to further their education.

Ahmed said that the NPS had empowered many inmates with education from secondary to masters degree level as part of efforts to reform the prisoners.

” We have collaborated with Ministry of Labour to give inmates Trade Test Grades one, two and three and for those who want to further their education, we create an enabling environment for them.

” For those furthering their education, some have done WAEC while some have proceeded to university for degrees; 420 inmates are currently studying in NOUN and 10 are in 400 level,” Ahmed said.

Presenting the degrees, NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adamu, urged the inmates to take advantage of the institution’s free education to prisoners from first degree to doctorate levels.

Adamu said that most of the inmates chose entrepreneurial courses to enable them become independent after serving their jail terms.

The Federal Government said last night that the indefinite strike action embarked upon by health workers under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Unions was unjustified, threatening to invoke the relevant labour laws in dealing with the striking workers if they fail to return to their duty post.

In a statement signed by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Samuel Olowokore said the government was surprised that the workers embarked strike despite the government keeping faith with the terms of agreement signed between the unions and the government.

While appealing to the workers to consider the plight of sick Nigerians and return to work, the statement said the government would not fold its hands and watch innocent Nigerians subjected to untold hardship.

It said that the decision of the health workers to embark on strike was surprising saying “it is surprised that many of the Health Workers Unions operating under the joint group, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) embarked on another round of nationwide strike despite government’s demonstrable commitment to the implementation of the agreement reached with it since their last strike of 20^thSeptember 2017.

‘At a period the Federal Government is faithfully managing lean resources to ensure industrial harmony in all sectors, a measure of patriotism is expected of all labour unions to enable government have an equable social and very good labour milieu in which workers could be assured of security of employment.

“It is on record that government has met almost all the demands of these unions on issues such as the payment of promotion arrears, salary shortfalls among others as per the agreement reached on September 30^th2017.”

“The Federal Government therefore wishes to appeal to JOHESU to reconsider its position in view of the immeasurable consequences of its action on sick patients in hospitals across the nation.”

“While the Federal Government restates its commitment to the implementation of the Terms of Settlement reached with JOHESU, it shall not however fail in its sacred responsibility of protecting the lives of the numerous patients in all public health institutions where this group of health workers have unjustifiably withdrawn their services.

“If this group of health workers persist on continuing this strike, Government will be forced to invoke the provisions of the relevant labour laws, especially Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap.T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004 as well as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles concerning employers rights over strikes in essential services sector,” the statement concluded.

Human rights activist, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, has formally accepted to serve as the official spokesperson of the re-election campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he elected to accept the offer for several reasons, including the fact that what matters in the present circumstance was not the age of the President but his integrity.

In a lengthy statement issued, Wednesday, Keyamo said: “There has also been much attempt to de-market the President using his age and health as pummelling tools, and as such raising the decibel in the clarion call for a young or younger President.

‘’Firstly, on the issues of age and health, it would be ungodly and outrageous for a mere mortal to assume the status of God Almighty to speculate on the longevity or strength of any human being. Even doctors have been proven wrong on so many occasions.

‘’It is a matter entirely in the hands of God. Our past presidents that died in office (Abacha and Yar’Adua) were in their prime. In fact, Abacha did not even show any sign of a failing health before he slumped and died.

‘’In Zimbabwe, the main opposition candidate for years, Morgan Tsvangirai, used the issue of age and health to campaign against President Mugabe, urging him to go and retire and rest.

‘’Yet, just a few weeks ago, Morgan Tsvangirai died at the age of 65 and Mugabe is still alive and kicking at the age of 94. Those are the mysterious ways of God Almighty. No human being should even use that as a campaign gimmick. That person would be courting the wrath of God Almighty.

“In addition, no one can argue that age has anything to do with the required integrity to be the President of a country. I also firmly believe that our value systems in politics and the society have been so damaged pre-2015, that a firm and experienced hand is needed to reset our collective psyche before we can set sail again.”

He said he was indeed consulted before the announcement. “Upon the offer, I wholeheartedly and proudly accepted the challenge to do this for the good of my country and for posterity. For in President Buhari I have found an approximation of the lofty values I cherish and have fought for all my life.”

According to him, the ultimate aim of every struggle is not really to enthrone a perfect, flawless system.

“Only the starry-eyed, younger ones think such is possible. That is Utopia. Rather, the ultimate aim of the struggle is to enthrone a government (yes, even with the normal human flaws) that is focused, determined and fiercely opposed to the unscrupulous wheeler-dealers in the society, committed to protecting the interests of the down-trodden, the weak and vulnerable”, he added.

“One of the obvious ways to do this is to ensure that what belongs to all is not cornered by a few; and if they do so, to ensure that they are made to account and brought to justice.

‘’I can boldly say that no government in the history of Nigeria has recovered so much looted funds as that of President Muhammadu Buhari. The fact that this Government has clearly chosen this path in protecting the masses of our country (as unpleasant as it has been to some) is one of the many reasons why I am so proud and bold about my support for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“In doing this, I take a cue from my revered late boss, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN who mentored me. Throughout his career, he also consistently and fiercely engaged every government in Nigeria and suffered as a result. Guess what? ‘’The only government he fully supported throughout his life time was that led by General Muhammadu Buhari in 1984 – 1985; and that was to the chagrin of some of his professional colleagues and fellow “radicals.

‘’However, he saw what they did not see at that time, because when that government was overthrown by General Babangida, what followed was the worst era in our history in terms of institutionalizing corruption and political chicanery in Nigeria. In the 2007 Presidential election, my late boss again endorsed General Buhari in the following words: “When we talk of anti-corruption war, there is no way you will exclude General Buhari. I don’t want to hear what a political party is going to do, whether ANPP or PDP or NDP or which other political organization. Tell me who is leading the party, tell me who is leading the government, that’s my concern. It’s a matter of leadership. This is a serious election, very serious one”.

“Some of those same forces and interests that saw the back of General Buhari in 1985 are still very much around with us. You can hear their voices getting louder of late, preaching hate and toiling hard to incite the people against the President. They want us to go back to our old ways, disguised as if they genuinely care for the masses of this country. When you look at the profile and ignoble antecedents of these characters – the emergency heroes, some of us have no option but to undertake this role we have been called upon to assume just to ensure that they do not succeed in their selfish enterprise.

“For all I have said above, my convictions about this job are deep and well thought-out. Given my background, it is clear that I cannot be a sycophantic rabble-rouser, looking for some personal gains,”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday announced that its National Convention to elect officers for a new term in the party’s leadership would hold on May 14.

According to schedule of activities released by the Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, in Abuja, the party’s Ward Congresses will hold on May 2, while appeal that may arise from the conduct will be entertained on May 3.

The schedule showed that local government area congresses would hold on May 5, with appeal arising from the exercise fixed for May 7.

It indicated that May 9 is the date for congress at states’ level to elect executive committees of the party in all states in the country.

It fixed May 10 for hearing of appeal that may arise from the conduct of the state congresses.

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Wednesday met behind closed doors with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to brief him about the invasion of the Senate chambers by suspected thugs that happened earlier in the day.

President Muhammadu Buhari was in London on an official visit while the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, was also in Washington as of the time the incident occurred.

At the end of the meeting held inside Osinbajo’s office at the Presidential Villa, Ekweremadu told State House correspondents that the Vice-President had promised to join forces with the federal lawmakers to get to the root of the matter.

He said the invasion was not acceptable to Buhari and Osinbajo just as it was not acceptable to members of the National Assembly.

Ekweremadu said, “I am sure you are aware of the Senate invasion today and we have to come and brief the Vice President because the President is not in town, so it was appropriate for him to know what transpired.

“We run a democracy, we are all in one government and it is the responsibility of the President or the Vice President to ensure that there is law and order in the country.

“Once we have this kind of major development, it is important that he is briefed at the earliest opportunity. The Senate President is out of the country, it is, therefore, my responsibility to come over and brief the Vice President.”

Lawmakers from Ghana were on a visit to the National Assembly on Wednesday when the hoodlums invaded the Senate chamber and stole the mace.

The Ghanaians, who were also as confused as the Nigerians scampering to safety, watched in amazement.

They entered the House and sat at the gallery to observe proceedings as members debated the invasion.

Gbajabiamila, feeling embarrassed that the visitors saw what played out, apologised to them on behalf of the National Assembly.

“It is unfortunate that we have visitors from Ghana, who are on a parliamentary visit to Nigeria.

“We apologise because this is not usually how our legislature operates,” he added.

A member from Anambra State, Mr. Gabriel Onyenwife, supported the motion, calling the invaders terrorists.

He spoke more, “The National Assembly is under a terrorist attack; that is the appropriate description.

“If the legislature is no more, what is the fate of democracy? Today, it is the mace, it could have been a senator or a member that the terrorists came to attack.

“The security personnel in the National Assembly must explain the role they played in this saga.”

A lawmaker from Osun State, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, captured the invasion as a “failed coup”, that should be meted with the appropriate penalty for coups.

“There is punishment for a coup, a failed coup.

“The punishment for this invasion should be the same punishment for coup plotters”, Alabi said.

More members spoke in support of the motion, condemning the attack.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said many Nigerian youths like free things based on the notion that Nigeria is an oil-rich nation.

According to TheCable, President Buhari made this assertion while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster.

The president said that Nigeria has a very young population, most of whom were uneducated but wanted everything offered them on a silver platter, just because the country is an oil-producing nation.

“About the economy, we have a very young population, our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. This is a very conservative one.

“More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free,” Buhari said.

The president is expected to meet with business leaders and other heads of state as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting progress through the week.

Meanwhile, President Buhari hosted the CEO of Shell, Mr Ben van Beurden and a delegation of executives. The Managing Director of NNPC and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu

Lagos State government has said that the fate of the general overseer of the  Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugu, better known as Rev. King, who is currently on death row, would be determined soon.

Ezeugu has been awaiting the hangman’s noose since his conviction was okayed by the Supreme Court in February 2016.

A seven-man panel of justices of the apex court, led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, in an unanimous judgement, upheld the death sentence that was earlier handed to Ezeugo by the Lagos State High Court.

Ezeugo, who was arraigned on September 26, 2006, on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder, was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 11, 2007, for the alleged murder of his church member, Ann Uzoh.

Attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said Ezeugo’s case would be considered like others that had been convicted by the court.

His words: “The truth of the matter is that the case of Rev. King, as high-profile as it could be, is just one of the other cases that are on death row. The case of the clergy would be considered like others that had been convicted by the court.”

He added: “If and at any point in time it gets to the stage where the sentence, which was imposed by the court, is to be carried out, it will be carried out. If he’s worthy of clemency, that will be given to him. But we haven’t gotten to that stage now. So, he could continue to cool his heels in prison,” he said.

Fielding questions on the case of the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, which happened in September 2014, the commissioner said while the wheels of justice may move slowly, no criminal would go unpunished in the state.

He said, “The wheels of justice move slowly, especially when it is a high-profile case. As you know, that case has been on for a couple of years. Only recently, the prosecution closed its case. And, usually, when the prosecution closes it case, the defence counsel is expected to open his. Rather than do this, the defence counsel filed a no-case submission, claiming that the state government has made no case against the clergy.

“They lost that no-case submission. They have been instructed to open their defence so that the matter can move forward. I believe that, very soon, the case will come to conclusion.”

On the matter of the suspected kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, Kazeem noted with delight that it was gratifying that the case was progressing in court, assuring that no criminal would go unpunished in the state and no effort would be spared in ensuring the logical conclusion of the case.

He said: “On the Evans matter, the cases filed against him are ongoing in court. The issue is that the lawyer representing him is trying to play some games to delay the matter but in all his games we have been defeating him in court.”

While reeling out activities of the agencies under the ministry in the last one year, the attorney-general lamented the rise in domestic abuse against men.

“The ministry has noted an increase in reports of domestic abuse against men. To date, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Response Team has received a total of 138 cases in this regard. Overall, a total number of 1,771 cases were reported during the period under review,” he said.

Kazeem added that government also received 316 inquiries through the recently unveiled state-owned DNA and forensic centre with 71 active cases ongoing bordering on homicide, rape, toxicology, child trafficking and serology, among others.

Similarly Kazeem said the Anti-Land Grabbers Task Force designed by the present administration to fight the menace of forceful take-over of properties received 1,300 petitions out of which 855 were concluded and 530 are currently at various stages of resolution.

“In the period under review, over 35 arrests of suspected notorious land-grabbers were effected while 26 criminal prosecution cases against suspected land-grabbers are presently ongoing,” the attorney-general said.

Through the Citizens’ Mediation Centre, the  commissioner said his office received a total of 47,292 new cases free of charge, out of which 25,191 were resolved, with others at various stages of resolution.

“The total value of settlement of debt-related matters achieved by the centre during the period under review from May 2017 to April 2018 was N1,352,745,391,” the attorney-general said.

Armed robbers on Thursday reportedly killed a policeman in an attack on a bank in Ifaki-Ekiti, in the Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

It was learnt that another mobile policeman on duty on the bank premises sustained gunshot injuries.

It was learnt that the robbers, whose number could not be ascertained, did not enter the bank.

They reportedly shattered the glass at the bank entrance with bullets.

The gunmen were also said to have destroyed the bank’s Automated Teller Machine point.

Social and economic activities were paralysed for about 30 minutes as frightened residents reportedly fled in different directions.

An eyewitness revealed that the attack happened some minutes after 4pm after the bank had closed for the day.

He said, “It was a terrible experience for us in Ifaki today. Our area became a war zone with endless gunshots fired by the robbers.

“Although they didn’t succeed in entering the bank, they killed one MOPOL (mobile policeman). His colleague, who was also shot, was rushed to a hospital.

“They shattered the glasses used to decorate the front of the bank and they destroyed the ATM point. Although the robbers have left, there is panic in the town.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Chafe, confirmed the attack.

Chafe said, “I cannot give you details on the incident now because we are in a meeting. We will give full details in due course.” – Punch.

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said President Muhammadu Buhari will become a total failure if by the end of July, his government fails to stop the rampaging killer herdsmen and return displaced persons to their homes.

Soyinka made the remark at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife during the inauguration of the 2018 OAU Ife Festival of Foods and Identity.

He said most of the victims of the herdsmen and Boko Haram crises were farmers, and warning that their displacement would jeopardise the nation’s food security.

He said, “Our mission in life is to beat the sword into ploughshare. This means that machetes, hoes, the instruments of cultivation, planting, and creating sustenance we must fashion out of the instruments of destruction; we must overcome the instruments of destruction.

“And my message to all those who are concerned is that between the launching of this logo and festival today and the outward manifestation of the festival itself (end of July), we should have seen signs that this battle between the sword and the ploughshare is reversed.”

He argued that transforming the instruments of war and destruction into instruments of production and creativity would give Nigerians fulfilment as a people of culture and peace and harmony.

“ Between the annunciation of this festival and the manifestation of the festival itself, we want to see from this government a reversal of a seeming triumph of the gun; and if that has not taken place, let us not lie to ourselves, it means we have no government.

“If those who had been displaced, the farmers who have been displaced in their hundreds from various parts of this nation, especially the North, if those farmers have  not been taken back  and restored  to their  productive environment, then  it means we have no government. Let us all join hands to beat the sword, the guns into ploughshares.”

The Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, said the festival came at the right time to showcase to Nigerians and Africans the rich varieties of Nigerian foods.

The VC said, “Over the ages, food and indemnity are virtual synonyms – you are what you eat. All over the world, indigenous foods and prepared dishes share some similarities such as method of preparation, which include frying, steaming, baking and grilling.

“There is a pervading African attitude to food and hospitality that is almost identical in most parts of Africa. For instance, it is uncommon for Africans to prepare, eat without thinking of visitors, strangers and the less privileged, who might show up in the home without prior notice.”

Ogunbode also said that OAU would ensure that the building Soyinka lived in why he was on the campus would be turned into a tourist centre.

The Director of the Institute of Cultural Studies, Dr. Felix Omidire, said, “The OAU Ife Festival of Food and Identity seeks to enshrine the place and memory of our indigenous food ways in the psyche of our youth.”