Britain considers inviting Trump to meet queen

Donald Trump

Queen Elizabeth II could host Donald Trump within months of him becoming United States president, with the British government confirming Monday that it was considering a state visit next year.

Royal officials said that the government was responsible for organising state visits, and a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May said that the proposal was “under consideration”.

The world’s longest-reigning monarch would host the new president and his wife Melania at her Windsor Castle residence, according to a report in The Sunday Times, citing government ministers.

Trump told May that he was a “big fan of the Queen” when the pair spoke by telephone following his victory, and is also reported to have told British politician and ally Nigel Farage that his late mother Mary would be “chuffed to bits when I meet the Queen”.

Britain is keen to build bridges with Trump after many leading government figures criticised the president-elect during his divisive, but successful election campaign.

Britain is also interested in sounding out a US trade deal as it plots its departure from the European Union.

Farage had offered to be a go-between to smooth relations, but the government instead looks set to unleash its most valuable diplomatic asset.

“An old friend in the Secret Service said to me that the last weapon of diplomacy is tea with the Queen,” historian Peter Hennessy told the Times newspaper.

“She is the most potent weapon we have. It sounds like teacups are being made ready far sooner in the cycle than is normal,” he added.

Britain will not issue an invitation to a president-elect, but is expected to make its move shortly after Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

I won’t join APC, Mimiko swears

Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko

The Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday said despite the controversy surrounding who flies the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state governorship election holding on Saturday, he was not contemplating joining the All Progressives Congress.

He said the courtesy he extended to President Muhammadu Buhari when he led party members to a rally in the state on Saturday was done because of his position as the president and had nothing to do with the party he belongs to.

Mimiko spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting with Buhari for the second time inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, since the crisis over the PDP candidate started.

He said the purpose of his two meetings with the President was to brief him on the security situation in his state ahead of the elections.

The governor said, “This is my second visit to the Villa since this crisis in our party started. Like I said, as the Chief Security Officer of my state, if there is any credible threat to security, I owe the responsibility to Nigerians to apprise Mr. President of what is going on in the state.

“Mr. President was in my state to campaign for his party. I extended to him the courtesy of receiving him at the airport and seeing him off as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not as APC (member).

“I understand that people have speculated that this means I am going to APC. There is nothing of such. I only extended him normal courtesy that protocols demand.

“As a governor and Chief Security Officer of the state, if the President is visiting, no matter the party he belongs to, it is only appropriate for me to extend the courtesy to him. That was what I did in Akure.

“And I have also come to brief him about the security situation in my state.”

When asked to comment on the ongoing crisis in the PDP, the governor said he was concentrating on the case in court.

Mimiko said once his candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, wins at the court, the state would erupt in joy.

“The whole of Ondo State will erupt in joy and it will be so self-evident,” he said

Saraki Asks Media, Politicians To Stop Speculating About His Meetings With President

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Thursday advised his political colleagues and the media to stop spreading rumors about his recent visits to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr. Saraki disclosed this in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu. He said that politicians were assuming that the senate president’s visits to Mr. Buhari were linked to the latter’s request for a $29.9b foreign loan.

“In all his recent meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the issue of the proposed loan never came up for discussion,” Mr. Olaniyonu said, adding that statements alleging such were “unfortunate.”

“Like I once told the media, these politically-motivated commentaries are trivializing a serious national issue. They are presenting it as if it is a personal matter that can be decided at meetings between Saraki and Buhari,” he said.

The statement went on to quote Mr. Saraki as saying, “The National Assembly, which I head as Senate President, has taken a position on the [foreign loan] issue as required of it by the laws of the land and legislative conventions.”

He added that the National Assembly would make a decision on the loan based on the interests of the people, irrespective of party affiliations.

The statement also explained that it is normal for the senate president and president to meet to discuss pressing national issues.

“A visit to the Presidency by the Senate President is a normal thing because we need to consult, discuss, exchange ideas and make suggestions to each other from time to time.

“More importantly, at this time, when the nation is facing economic crisis, there is need for frequent engagements by the Presidency and the National Assembly.”

President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki met behind close doors on Friday at the Aso Rock Villa

Delta Speaker In Brawl With Staff As Plans To Impeach Speaker Thickens

The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Monday Igbuya, on Wednesday, engaged a staff of the Assembly in a public brawl. The speaker’s involvement in the fight came as some members said they were considering removing Mr. Igbuya as head of the state legislature.

Last Monday, the state assembly workers, who are members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), had locked out Mr. Igbuya and other principal officers as well as other legislators over the speaker’s refusal to address their demands.

The workers’ protest, which entered its third day on Wednesday, took a violent turn as the Speaker allegedly brawled with one of the protesters identified as Buchi (alias Nehemiah) at the entrance of the Assembly Complex.

An eyewitness who serves as an aide to one of the principal officers told SaharaReporters that the speaker ignored pleas to calm down, going ahead to exchange blows with the staff.

“Since Monday, the Association had barricaded the [state] assembly complex, locked it, and prevented the speaker, principal officers, and other House members from gaining entry. On Wednesday, a member of the House attempted to access the complex but was refused by the protesting workers. Later, the Speaker drove in a furious commando-like manner trying to scare the protesters, but the protesting staff refused to yield,” said one source. 

The source said that, when the protesters would not relent, the Speaker came down from his Lexus SUV and angrily told Buchi to get out of the way or risk being manhandled. When Buchi refused, Mr. Igbuya reportedly slapped him. Our source added that Buchi retaliated, and a brawl ensued.

Another legislative staff revealed that it took the intervention of Daniel Mayoku, representing Warri Southwest constituency in the state legislature, Timi Tonye, representing Patani constituency, to break up the fight. 

Our sources said Mike Okeme, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s special adviser on labor relations, rushed to the scene on learning about the brawl and helped to restore normalcy to the charged atmosphere. Mr. Okeme reportedly appealed to the workers to call off their strike and allow the lawmakers access to the Assembly complex. 

SaharaReporters learned that the workers heeded the adviser’s appeal and opened the gate to enable the Speaker and other lawmakers to enter the complex. Our correspondent reported that the workers went into a brief meeting, and came up with a circular suspending the strike.

The workers’ demands include the appointment of a deputy clerk, the payment of outfit and special duty allowances, the provision of drugs at the Assembly clinic, and the recruitment of adequate medical personnel.

Our correspondent reported that the speaker appealed to some reporters who witnessed the fight not to file reports about it. In an apparent move to ensure that the brawl went unreported, the speaker’s media aide, Henry Ebireri, told journalists that the speaker had agreed to increase their monthly “stipends” of N5, 000 to N10, 000. He promised that senior reporters who were already receiving N10, 000 would be now be paid N20, 000.

Meanwhile, a plot to impeach the Speaker appears to be proceeding. Some state legislators have accused Mr. Igbuya of betrayal, corruption, inexperience, high-headedness and inability to lead the House among others.

An assembly member from the Delta south senatorial district said the speaker’s actions continued to bring the house into disrepute and ridicule. “We are shopping for a more experienced, capable and refined person who can fit into the shoes of the former speaker, Honorable Victor Ochei,” said the lawmaker.

The source described Mr. Ochei as “one lawmaker and speaker who brought respect, dignity, zeal, vision and mission into the exalted position which Honorable Igbuya has not been able to replicate.” 

Speaker Igbuya did not answer telephone calls from our correspondent. Mr. Ebireri also declined to comment, stating that the issues were above him. He requested that a text message be sent to him, adding that he would respond after consulting with the speaker.

 Monday Igbuya, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly

Court Of Appeal To Rule for Eyitayo Jegede As Jimoh Ibrahim’s Team Alleges Gov. Mimiko Bribed Judges

A panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja is today set to deliver a ruling in a rushed court proceeding aimed at restoring Eyitayo Jegede of the Makarfi-led faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the party’s authentic candidate in next weekend’s governorship election in the state.

SaharaReporters learned that the appellate court panel would at noon today deliver a judgment that suits Governor Segun Mimiko. A legal source close to controversial businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim, told SaharaReporters that the governor had bribed judges through his lawyers. A Federal High Court judge, Justice Okon Abang, had earlier ruled that Mr. Ibrahim, who was chosen by the Modu Sheriff-led faction of the PDP as the PDP’s legitimate governorship candidate.

Mr. Mimiko and his favored candidate, Mr. Jegede, appealed Justice Abang’s ruling at the Court of Appeal. The case was mired in controversy as an earlier panel of the Court of Appeal set up to review Justice Abang’s ruling was inexplicably dissolved.

One lawyer involved in the case said Governor Mimiko “has been running from pillar to pole seeking ways to bribe judges at the Court of Appeal in Abuja to reverse the order of the lower court.”

Several sources in Ondo State told SaharaReporters that Mr. Mimiko temporarily relocated to Abuja to press all the political and legal buttons to ensure that Mr. Jegede was declared the authentic governorship candidate. One source claimed the governor had openly bragged to his supporters in Akure, the state capital, that he would get his wish.

Mr. Mimiko is a veteran of legal battles over political issues. After losing a controversial governorship election to the late Olusegun Agagu of the PDP in 2007, Mr. Mimiko, who ran on the ticket of Labor Party, had mobilized lawyers to contest his loss. Through the financial backing of Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the current national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Mimiko prevailed in court. An appellate court panel ruled in his favor, and he was installed as governor on February 23, 2009.

A political source in Ondo State claimed that, once Mr. Mimiko receives his desired ruling from the Court of Appeal today, the governor would instigate acts of violence throughout the state to ensure the postponement of the election that is already billed for next Saturday. The source said the governor and Mr. Jegede want extra time to mobilize for the campaigns, adding that the feud between the two factions of the PDP had weakened the party.

Why we bought N3.6bn exotic cars during recession – Reps

The House of Representatives on Thursday defended its decision to buy exotic cars for its 360 members at a period the country’s economy is in recession.

It said lawmakers must have a means of mobility while carrying out oversight duties over Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.

The House will spend at least N3.6bn across 24 months to complete payment for  the luxury vehicles supplied by the Kaduna-based Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Monday that the firm had already delivered 28 units of Peugeot 508 series to members in the first batch of 50 cars.

A total of 360 units of the exotic automobile would have been delivered by January 2017.

The Deputy Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Jonathan Gaza, while defending the procurement of the cars on Thursday, said that recession would not stop lawmakers from performing their legislative duties.

Breaking: Olusola Oke, AD candidate arrested in Ondo

Chief Olusola Oke

There are reports that the governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo State, Olusola Oke, has been arrested.

In a news flash, Sahara Reporters wrote: “AD candidate Olusola Oke, the governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy has been arrested in Okitipupa.”

It is not clear why Oke was arrested.

Oke’s arrest is coming on the heels of the indefinite adjournment by the Court of Appeal on Friday of the judgment on the appeal filed by the substituted candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Eyitayo Jegede, against INEC’s decision to recognize Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as party’s candidate for the Nov. 26 governorship election.

US concerned over deaths in Kano

Published on November 18, 2016 by pmnews   ·   1 Comment

FILE PHOTO: Shiite members on the day they clashed with the military in Zaria

The United States Government on Friday expressed its concern over last Monday’s deaths that resulted from clashes between people in a Shia procession and the Nigeria Police in Kano.

Mr John Kirby, U.S. Department of State’s Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson, said that although the incident was under investigation, his government was troubled by the response of the police.

“The United States is deeply concerned by the deaths of dozens of Nigerians during clashes between individuals participating in a Shia procession and the Nigerian Police Force in Kano State.

“While the matter is still under investigation, we are troubled by the apparent disproportionate response by the police.

“This is the latest in a series of violent incidents between security forces and members of the Shia Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), some of which have resulted in deaths, destruction of property, and the arbitrary detention of IMN members.

“The United States calls for calm and restraint on all sides, a reduction of tensions, and greater communication between Shia citizens and government authorities,” he said.

According to him, members of the Shia community, like other religious communities have the right to assemble, peacefully express their religious beliefs, and mark their celebrations.

Kirby said that said that his government had called on the Nigerian government to protect and defend the rights of the Shia community.

The U.S. official also enjoined members of the IMN and Nigerians to respect the rule of law and cooperate with the police, as they attempt to maintain public order.

Kirby also called on the Nigerian government to ensure accountability for the deaths of more than 300 IMN members during the Dec.15, 2015 clashes between the IMN and security forces in Zaria, Kaduna State.

“We also call on the Nigerian government to conduct a transparent investigation of the latest incidents and bring to account anyone responsible for violating the law,” he added

Court rules on bench warrant for ex-Gov Ladoja 25 Nov

A Federal high court sitting in Lagos south west Nigeria Friday adjourned till 25 November to decide whether to issue bench warrant against former Governor of Oyo state Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, now national leader of the Accord party or not.

When the case was mentioned today, the proceedings were characterised by argument and counter argument from the EFCC prosecutor Mr Olufemi Olabisi and the defence counsel Bolaji Onilenla

Mr Olabisi urged the court to issue bench warrant against Senator Rasheed Ladoja and his co-accused Waheed Akanbi as the two accused have failed to appear before the court for re-arraignment.

He told the court that they were invited by the EFCC but failed to honour the invitation.

In a swift reaction, Mr Onilenla urged the court to discountenance the submission of the Mr Olabisi on the ground that the accused persons were not served any hearing notices.

Apart from this, he contended that Mr Olabisi has no legal right to prosecute the case because Mr Festus Keyamo who was issued fiat by the Attorney General to prosecute the case was absent in court and cannot delegate his power of fiat to any other counsel.

Mr Onilenla further argued that he had filed an application before the Supreme Court to re-list the substantive appeal dismissed by the apex court and that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the said application.

He said if the court should proceed with the case the right of his clients to fair hearing will be jeopardised. He urged the court to decline to issue bench warrant and adjourn the case indefinitely.

In his reply, Mr Olabisi urged the court to discountenance the submission of Mr Onilenla and go ahead to issue the bench warrant. On his qualification to prosecute the case, he produced the authority issued to him to prosecute the case.

After listening to the argument and the submission of the two parties, the presiding Judge, Mohammed Idris adjourned till 25 November, for ruling.

The impending re-arraignment of Ladoja was not unconnected with his loss at the Appeal Court the appeal he filed against the decision of a Federal High Court refusing to quash the money laundering charges filed against him and one of his aides, Waheed Akanni, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Court of Appeal in Lagos disallowed an appeal filed by the former governor, seeking to quash a criminal charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

Delivering the lead judgment at the appellate court, Justice Saheed Bagir, upheld the powers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute offenders under the Money Laundering Act.

Bagir held that the provisions of Section 14 of the Act gave the commission the power to prosecute persons charged with the offence of money laundering.

Besides, the court also held that by the provisions of Section 7(2) of the EFCC Act, the commission was also empowered to charge and prosecute the appellants in the suit.

The appellate court therefore refused the appeal and ordered the appellants to face their trial before the Federal High Court,in Lagos.

The anti -graft agency in November 2008, arraigned Ladoja and one of his aides, Waheed Akanbi, on a 10-count charge of money laundering.

They were arraigned before Justice Ramat Mohammed, but both pleaded not guilty, and they were granted bail and trial had commenced.

However Ladoja filed an appeal through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), seeking to quash the charge levelled against him on the grounds that it was vague.

FG to begin Lafia abattoir renovation Nov 21 – Commissioner

The Federal Government would commence renovation work on the Lafia Central Abattoir on Monday, Nov 21, according to Alhaji Lawee Aiyu-Yusuf, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources.

The Commissioner, who disclosed this in Lafia on Friday, said that the gesture was part of the Federal Government’s efforts toward improving the standard of living of Nigerians.

The commissioner, while receiving the House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, who were on an oversight visit to the ministry, said that government made the renovation a priority in view of the relevance of abattoirs to human health.

He commended efforts by both the federal and state governments toward improved agricultural yields and called for more interventions by the federal government to complement efforts by the state government.

The official lauded Gov.Tanko Al-Makura’s prompt response to the demand for fertilizer and other farming inputs, saying that the gesture had boosted food production this season.

He said, however, that his ministry was unable to achieve 100 percent budget performance, and blamed that on inadequate funds and current economic challenges.

The commissioner identified a shortage of manpower, vehicles, high overhead cost and decayed infrastructure as major challenges confronting the ministry, and solicited for the lawmakers’ support in that direction.

Earlier, Alhaji Abubakar Kana,(APC-Kokona West), Chairman of the committee, had said that the visit was not a witch hunt but to assess the 2016 budget performance index with a view to addressing challenges.

“The committee needs to know the budget details and performance of the ministry in the 2016 fiscal year; this will serve as a guide while considering demands submitted in the 2017 fiscal year,” he said.

He expressed the assembly’s readiness to collaborate with the executive arm and other stakeholders toward addressing challenges faced by stakeholders involved in the food production chain.

NDLEA confiscates 5,000kg of cannabis in Abuja

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Friday said it had seized 5,000 kilogrammes of a substance suspected to be cannabis sativa.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Peter Adegbe, told newsmen in Abuja that the seizure was made in Abaji, near Abuja, adding that some traffickers and two trucks conveying the substance were also arrested.

He said that the arrests were made on Tuesday and that the trucks were‎ heading to Kano and Jos through Abuja.

Adegbe said that one Ubale Hashim, driver of one of the trucks and Sanusi Ibrahim, his conductor were arrested with 80 bags of sativa cannabis popularly called Indian hemp, weighing about 734.7 kilogrammes.

He said the second truck laden with about 3,750 compressed sativ‎a cannabis weighing about 3, 934 kilogrammes was impounded after the occupants abandoned on sighting the agency’s officials.

He said that about 872.7 kilogrammes of the substance were also been seized by the command’s team at Gwagwalada in October as part of the onslaught on drug traffickers, especially at this time of the year.

The spokesman said that the Commander of the agency in the territory, Mrs. Chinyere Obijuru, had ordered intensified patrols and stop-and-search operations along all routes to the FCT.

He called on FCT residents to be vigilant and report any drug activity in their neighbourhood to the nearest NDLEA office.

It will be recalled that over 2,000 kilogrammes of Indian hemp, cocaine and other illicit drugs were seized by the command in parts of the territory in October.

President Buhari inaugurates boards of NNPC, NCDMB, NNRA

President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday challenged members of the newly inaugurated boards in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to ensure decency and transparency in the management of the nation’s oil industry.

The inaugurated boards included the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).

Buhari specifically tasked the new boards to ensure that they devise practical strategies aimed at tackling current challenges within the oil industry.

He said the boards, which would be chaired by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, should advise the minister and the corporations’ management on the most effective ways for Nigeria to get value for money from its assets.

“Oil and gas are the country’s foreign exchange earners. Therefore, the importance of these boards cannot be over emphasised. Your job should be to ensure propriety in management of these most vital national institutions

“You should advise the Minister and the Corporations’ management on the most effective way for Nigeria to get value for money from our assets.

“My expectations from the members of boards is for them to ensure that NNPC chart a way to face current economic challenges.

“This will involve a careful look at the ongoing reforms designed to steer the corporation to achieve better performance and efficiency,’’ he said.

Buhari further stressed the need for the new NNPC board to come up with innovative ways of addressing the constraints in funding Joint Venture projects between the corporation and international oil companies as well as other investment issues.

According to him, his administration has introduced transparency in the management of the country’s oil industry through the monthly publishing of operational and financial reports of the NNPC.

The President expressed optimism that with the members’ experience and knowledge, the country’s aspiration in the oil industry would be achieved within a reasonable time frame.

Responding, the Chairman of the inaugurated boards, Kachikwu assured that they would ensure transparency and accountability in running the affairs of the boards.

Check these corrupt Ogun VIOs

I’m urging the Ogun State Government to urgently check the excesses of the VIOs particularly in the Sango Ota area.  Granted, such an agency is necessary to prevent vehicles that are dangerous and not roadworthy from plying the roads, their motive, unfortunately, is not to discharge this key responsibility but how to make money. Sadly, the money does not go to the purse of the government.

At Ojuore, Ota on Thursday, August 11 at 8.25 am, I was stopped by these personnel  who demanded my vehicle papers.  “Luckily” for them, the vehicle licence had expired in July (11 days ago)  while others- insurance, roadworthiness certificate, driving licence- were still valid.

I admitted my offence but perhaps because they sensed that I was being official in my approach, they started behaving like hooligans.  One of the operatives  said  one  of my number plates had to be removed while another  one countered that removal of only one was not enough but the two.  Surprisingly, this was after an officer who appeared to be their boss had assured me that they would not prevent me from attending to whatever urgent matters that were waiting for me that morning.

Despite the fact that they were already in possession of my original vehicle papers, they carried out the threat of removing my number plate and  the day’s business had to be suspended. One of them entered my car and off I drove to their office.  At the VIO office along Ijoko Road, I met officers who politely told me that my car would be released after renewing my vehicle licence and payment of N5000 fine.  Following assurances that official receipts would be issued , I  looked for the money to renew the licence and paid the fine.  It became impossible to have the car back until the following day.

What however prompted me to write this is that among many motorists “caught” by the VIOs  that Thursday morning  for similar or worse offences, I was the only person taken to their office. Someone on the VIO premises who pretended to be a sympathiser provided the reason why this was so: That I was made to go through the inconvenience because I did not “play ball”. That is, I didn’t   “tip” those who arrested my car. He said if I had “cooperated”, I would have saved time and paid less. This encounter  and a similar experience with Lagos VIOs  sometime in 2010 gave me insights into  corruption and  high-handedness  of this agency

In recent times, there has been muscle-flexing between the VIOs and the Federal Road Safety Corps concerning which of the two has the right to check vehicle particulars. While this lasts, Nigerian motorists have been subjected to incessant harassment and molestation.  Motorists, particularly the commercial ones, dread the VIOs not because the personnel are passionate about enforcing standards on the roads but because of their penchant to exploit every minor infraction for their own gain.  Getting into the trap of the VIOs is the worst thing that can happen to a transporter.

Thus, many motorists prefer to “settle” to avoid loss of more money and time. There are times I see dangerous, smoky and overloaded vehicles on our various roads and wonder where are these VIOs. Ironically, they stalk and swarm around  relatively new and more roadworthy vehicles. The personnel  are no more seeing themselves as contributing to ensuring safety on the roads .  For instance, during my recent encounter with them, none of them bothered to check the general condition of my car- the brake, mirrors,  trafficator etc

The question is why are more people paying into personal pockets of some personnel at the expense of the government that pays their salaries?  Why are various state governments complaining that they are broke when some of their agents are smiling to the banks everyday and also giving such governments bad names?

Why Nigeria didn’t achieve much result – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said although Nigeria recognised her problems early enough, the country remained a potential for too long.

This, he said, made the country not to achieve much results.

A statement by President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted him (the President) as speaking while receiving the executive members of the Association of Africa Automotive Manufacturers led by the chairman, Mr. Jeff Nemeth, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari said in order to reverse the trend, the Federal Government must avoid the mistakes of the past.

“We must avoid the mistakes made in the past by both government and manufacturers, and we are ready to get investment from all quarters, so that we can improve the lives of our people,” he said.

 The President lamented that Nigeria failed to develop on automobile initiatives started in Bauchi, Kaduna and Ibadan, and depended too much on oil as the mainstay of her economy.

 He said, “We are making efforts to start our steel industry all over again. I see vast opportunities for both the country and those who invest here.”

Nemeth said the association comprised of potential investors who were ready to unlock investment potentials on the African continent.

 He said, “We are ready to offer strategic partnership with Nigeria. We want to promote investor-friendly regulatory frameworks and sustainable manufacturing.

“We will equally promote infrastructure development, job creation, and skills transfer.”

The AAAM chairman sought the support of the Presidency in the realization of the vision and mission of the association.

‘Land grabbers’ll be treated as murderers’

AIG Zone 2, Abdulmajid Ali

The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Abdulmajid Ali, has described the activities of land grabbers in Lagos and Ogun states as disturbing, saying the he has received about 300 petitions against them within two weeks.

The AIG, in a statement on Tuesday, warned that any land grabber arrested thenceforth would be treated as a murderer, kidnapper or armed robber.

He added that he had directed the Commissioners of Police in the two states and the anti-crime teams at the zonal command headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, to dislodge land grabbers who had been creating crises in some parts of the zone.

The statement read, “AIG Abdulmajid Ali gave this directive while addressing senior officers and some stakeholders in his office at Onikan, Lagos. He confirmed that since his assumption of office as the AIG Zone 2 on Monday, August 1, 2016, he had received more than 300 petitions against land grabbers otherwise called ajagungbales. The AIG described the trend as unacceptable.

“He has also directed that any land grabber or ajagungbale caught in the act or planning to cause brouhaha in any part of the Zone, be arrested and treated like an armed robber, kidnapper or murderer as their criminal actions are tailored to these capital offences.”

The statement added that the police boss promised to work with the Lagos and Ogun states governments to fully enforce any law made to checkmate land grabbers and their criminal acts within the zone.

Dead twins not in Badagry mortuary

The Badagry General Hospital has said the newborn twins whose corpses were found in a canal in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos State, are not deposited in its mortuary.

 A top official of the hospital, who did not want his name in print due to civil service rule, told PUNCH Metro that a search of the hospital’s mortuary revealed that there was no record of the dead babies.

 Our correspondent had reported on Tuesday that a set of twin boys were abandoned on Friday at the canal and residents trooped to the scene to take snapshots of them.

 Policemen from the Ilemba Hausa division were said to have been alerted to the scene. They later removed the bodies after alerting the officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit and those of the local government council.

 The police said the bodies were deposited at the Badagry General Hospital’s morgue pending when an autopsy would be performed to ascertain what killed them.

But the hospital said it did not have any such record.

 The official said, “I have personally gone to the mortuary to check and there was nothing like that. It is possible they were taken to the Mainland Hospital mortuary, but not Badagry.”

A police source at the Ilemba Hausa division said the matter was already with the state health agencies.

“We handed over the case to SEHMU after we recovered the corpses, so they should know where the bodies are,” he said.

The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Salako Adeola, could not be reached for comment as of press time.

Six ex-militants bag first class at BIU

Six students of the Presidential Amnesty Programme have graduated from the Benson Idahosa University, Benin, Edo State with First Class honours.

The Media and Communications Consultant of the Amnesty Office, Mr. Owei Lakemfa, said in a statement on Tuesday that that the result issued by the institution on Monday revealed that one of the six delegates made a first class degree in Mathematics, two in Business Administration and three in Political Science and Public Administration.

Lakemfa said 34 out of the 79 students who graduated from the institution made Second Class Upper Honours Division from various disciplines.

According to him, eight students graduated in Political Science, four in Economics, four in Banking and Finance, and another four in Mass Communications.

He added that three students graduated each from Computer Science, Business Administration, International Studies and Diplomacy.

Lakemfa added that two graduated in Physics while one each graduated with Second Class Upper in Law, Agric  Economics, Political Science Education, Library Studies, Microbiology, Biochemistry and Business Education.

Germany can’t stop Nigeria – Mikel

Mikel Obi

Team Nigeria captain Mikel Obi has said the national U-23 team will go into Wednesday’s semi-final game against Germany with a winning mentality, like they have done in their previous games at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

African champions Nigeria defeated Denmark 2-0 to advance to the last four stage, while the Germans hammered Portugal 4-0 to seal a clash with the Atlanta 1996 Olympic champions.

Mikel, who is also the U-23 team captain, maintained his stance of picking a medal before returning to join his English Premier League side Chelsea.

“For every game we want to play, we prepare to win. Not one match is different and our focus remains the same,” Mikel, who grabbed the opener against the Danes, said in Rio.

However, it is doubtful if forward Oghenekaro Etebo, who scored four goals in the team’s opening game versus Japan in Manaus, will be fit for the crucial game against the Germans.

The Portugal-based player copped an injury during the final Group B 2-0 defeat to Colombia and missed the quarter-final clash against Denmark.

The Nigerians are pitted against a free-scoring German side who have scored 19 goals in four games.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick believes coach Samson Siasia can come up with the right strategy to steer the Nigeria U-23 team past their European opponents.

Pinnick, who arrived in Sao Paulo on Tuesday, said, “As a federation, we have always had confidence in Samson Siasia. We believed in him enough to appoint him to head the U-23 team and gave him all the support, including organising several friendlies and invitational tournaments for the team over the past 18 months.

“I have confidence in Siasia to take the team to the final match on Saturday.”

 Nigeria edged Japan 5-4; beat Sweden 1-0 before then dispatching Denmark 2-0 in the quarter-finals to set up a clash with Germany.

On a personal note, Siasia will aim to equal his record of playing in the Olympics final after losing the final match to Argentina in Beijing 2008.

Brazil will take on Honduras in the first semi-final at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro also on Wednesday. The Nigeria/Germany match starts at 4pm (8pm Nigeria time).

My message not for everybody — Adeboye

Pastor E. Adeboye

Against the background of the criticisms that greeted one of his sermons at the yearly convention of the Redeem Christian Church of God, its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said his messages are not for everybody.

The social media was awash a couple of weeks ago on the sermon of Adeboye to the youth members of the church at the Redemption Camp where the message bordered on the choice of marriage partners.

The widely circulated footage had shown Adeboye telling the men not to marry a woman who could not cook or pray for a minimum of an hour.

In the same video, he warned the spinsters not to marry a man who had no job or who could not show concrete evidence of his means of livelihood.

But the world renowned preacher on his Facebook page on Tuesday , in apparent reaction to the criticisms, said his messages were not for everybody.

Adeboye said, “My message are not for everybody. So, I plead with you, ask God to speak to you specifically.”

Agenda for ‘born again’ JAMB and TETFUND

Prof. Is-haq Oloyede

Finally, the Buhari administration seems set to pay what appears a reasonable attention to the education sector in the country with the recent appointment of new heads for no fewer than 17 agencies in the sector.  This is one sector in which everyone directly or indirectly is a stakeholder. Even at the President’s age when all seems to be over with formal education, he’s still basking in the euphoria of the graduation of a few of his children. But what excitement awaits Nigerians from the anticipated reforms from the new agencies’ heads?

 Most visible in the education sector today is the reality that the administrators of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board have exhausted whatever was left of their creativity. I recall with nostalgia that this same board had been so efficient in the past that it even made us believe in the post office system in the country. At a time JAMB didn’t have an examination centre in my community, I wrote its examination way back in the early 1980s having to travel more than 20 kilometres.  The scores were eventually released to different universities including my own first choice, the University of Ilorin.  There was no unpleasant story. The local mail man, as he had done with several ordinary mails in the past, strolled to our family house one morning to deliver my admission letter. Thus, began the process of my studentship at the nation’s “better by far university” where the newly appointed registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ish’aq Oloyede, was my “senior”. My university is one of the few in the world today which sticks to a set of traditional dates for its most important traditional ceremonies ranging from convocation to matriculation and so on.

The anecdotal bit here isn’t a sheer tale.  As a university teacher today and one that has also had the uncommon advantage of undertaking academic programmes in some high performing institutions with highly rated scholarship and fellowship awards, one cannot but feel for today’s children in schools.  What exactly are they made to get excited with? A couple of weeks back, a 300-level student of  mine had excused herself from one of the classes I teach  so she could go and process her admission letter which had yet to be released by JAMB! Perhaps, she doesn’t even have much reason to blame JAMB having been admitted some would want to placate her.

It is particularly most disturbing that the hope of several ambitious children of this digital generation of a world with no boundaries again, has been shattered by JAMB because some officials simply elected to be unduly callous and unpardonably out of tune with the trend in the sector. How do we explain the deployment of slow and low performing computers for such crucial tests like Universities Matriculation Examination that JAMB conducts?  The unpalatable consequence of this is that some unlucky candidates who are assigned such systems end up with scores below their real capability. Anyone who reads the interviews often conducted for first class graduates of some of our universities will readily recall that some of these students have had to write this examination more than once perhaps not because they didn’t deserve to pass at the first sitting.

Added to the challenge of infrastructure now is the rather absurd confusion which JAMB is currently exhibiting with regard to deciding the parameters of candidates’ admission.  What has happened to the findings of studies conducted on these by our colleagues in the realm of test and measurement? What has happened to the easier option of consultation with relevant experts who may have conducted such studies in the first place? What is the trend in other parts of the world?  The nation cannot continue to agonise over the cluelessness of the past government especially in a sector that determines the present and future rating of the nationals and also in comparison with the nationals of other countries of the world. Time waits for no one.

Having been celebrated by his contemporaries nationally, continentally and globally, the new JAMB boss, surely knows what to do with the human factor in JAMB being a most incorruptible academic and administrator of a most admirable standing,  I dare say.

Not the least needed is the radical strategy to deal with the so-called special centres for JAMB examinations. How did we get here? A JAMB that will surrender its sovereignty to “private ownership” does not deserve taxpayers’ support.  It is shameful enough that the degeneracy that has befallen our public education system has given rise to unwieldy outside-of-school interventions to restore the hope of our ambitious youngsters.  To continue to sustain the extension of the conduct of JAMB examinations to the private arena will be most indecent and unprofessional. Oloyede’s profile which smacks of distinguished patriotism certainly has raised the hope of many of us who have invested in the Nigerian project as students’ union activists and graduated into development enthusiasts and lately scholars.

For the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, it’s been comparable to what the renowned playwright, Ola Rotimi, calls “the slender body of joy…” A great measure of lethargy and territorialism has since permeated its system.  It, indeed today, functions as if it isn’t the outcome of the rigorous vision of members of the community it has been established to serve.

The Fund has indeed done well to advance invaluable support to all government-owned tertiary institutions for physical and human developments.  Some otherwise disoriented scholars have been purged of hopelessness.  It is particularly commendable that under Historian Yakubu, now of INEC, the Fund published a list of some institutions that failed to retire some funds that they had collected. It is however not certain if the Fund still does this.

It is quite interesting that the accolade the University of Ilorin attracts to itself today also derives partly from TETFUND’s support. It will therefore not be out of place for TETFUND to learn from the tradition of high performers like the Universities of Ibadan and Ilorin.  For reasons known only to TETFUND, it stipulates deadlines for submission of applications for conference grants to lecturers. It however does not seem to reckon with dates when such grants may be released to the potential beneficiaries.  These people are made to wait pitiably without explanation.  This becomes increasingly surprising in an age in which computerisation has substantially demystified precision. The new head, Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, should realise that TETFUND has competitors in local and international grant making organisations from which their supposed beneficiaries also benefit without having to genuflect to suggest corruption.  Indeed, hoping the new head has experienced it, the various philanthropic organisations in town relate with their beneficiaries as partners and collaborators.

For JAMB and TETFUND, tertiary education in Nigeria is a common denominator from which a lot is expected. Will they measure up this time with new heads to captain their ships?