Dr. Bisola Clark, wife of elder-statesman, Senator Edwin Clark, yesterday, flayed former President Olusegun Obasanjo and daughter, Iyabo for a hypocritical love for Nigerians saying they walked away from her after the killing of her two children in Iyabo’s convoy in 2003. . Mrs. Clark in a five page statement made available to Vanguard said their neglect of her and her feelings betrayed a lack of genuine compassion for Nigeria or Nigerians as reflected in famous open letters by the two on issues about Nigeria last December. . Mrs. Clark who was not married to Senator Clark at the time…
Author: David Folami
Contrary to criticisms that have trailed the recently released time-table for the 2015 general elections by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, chairman of the commission, Professor Attahiru Jega has avowed that the exercise would be much better than the previous ones. . Professor Jega made the promise, yesterday, in Abuja at the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC/INEC forum with broadcast operators on media coverage of elections. . Jega said INEC had learnt its lessons from Anambra election conducted last year, which was dogged by logistic lapses, but was quick to say that INEC would not allow a repeat of such mistakes…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP of using public funds to lure back some of the federal lawmakers who have defected from the ruling party to the APC, condemning what it called political horse trading carried too far. . In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the PDP, in an unprecedented show of desperation, has rolled out a mouth-watering enticement package that promises 2 million US dollars to each Senator who returns to the PDP; 1 million US dollars to each member of the…
The Kogi Government may soon close down 449 illegal private primary and secondary schools operating in the state, Mrs Grace Elebiyo, the state’s Commissioner for Education, said on Tuesday. . Elebiyo said in Lokoja that steps were being taken to close down all illegal private schools in the state. . She said the state government had received the report of the task force constituted on illegal schools, saying “government will soon clamp down on 449 unregistered private schools operating in the state’’. . The commissioner said it was amazing to discover that some proprietors were operating schools in their living…
Nigeria has received grants totalling 23 million dollars in four years from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), under its “Big Full Size” project funding, a desk officer, has said. Mrs Halima Mohammed, GEF’s Desk Officer in the Federal Ministry of Environment, made this known in an interview in Abuja on Wednesday. . Mohammed said that the grants were approved to implement various environmental projects across the country. . The GEF is the largest funder of environmental initiatives in the world, which also provides grants for projects related to biodiversity and climate change. . Other focal areas of its projects are…
Multinaltional technology and consulting corporation, International Business Machine (IBM) while expanding local reach has predicted that cloud technology adoption in Nigeria is expected to grow to about 80 percent by 2015. . At the commissioning of new IBM innovation centre in Nigeria recently , the Country General Manager, West Africa, Taiwo Otiti said the new facility was designed to accelerate innovation for the country and West African business and IT skills. . He said that using the centre, clients, IT partners, developers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academics can now access enhanced cloud capabilities and extensive big data and analytics resources.…
The management of the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Delta has shut down the institute in order to address the challenges of electricity and water supply which led to students’ unrest on Tuesday. . In a memorandum titled Vacation of Students’ Hostels with Reference number, REG/CM/555XI/121 and signed by the Student Affairs Officer, Mrs. E.T. UDISI, students are directed to vacate the students hostels and campus for a period of two weeks to enable the completion of work for the supply of power and water in the institute. . Part of the statement reads, “in order to meet the students…
Gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram militants on Tuesday evening stormed Konduga Local Government Area of troubled Borno state where they wrecked harvoc killing many residents including vigilantee youth popularly called civilian JTF and security personnel. . The gunmen according to sources also set ablaze many houses, shops and vehicles before displacing over 1000 residents after abducting some of them mostly women and youth. . Konduga is about 45 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital located on the off shores of the Sambisa forest which harbours a lot of terrorists’ camps in the state. . The Council…
Mr Carlos Maluta, the Minister-Counsellor of the Kenya High Commission in Lagos, on Wednesday said that 17, 556 Nigerians were issued visas to visit Kenya in 2013. . Maluta told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the number included Nigerians who visited for businesses, tourism, religious and education purposes. . He said the figure also included those transiting from Kenya to other countries. . “From available records, we are happy to announce that 17, 556 Nigerians got visas to Kenya for different purposes in 2013. . “This is an indication that many Nigerians actually visited Kenya last…
The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola yesterday said that his government neither approved nor disapproved the use of hijab in any school. . The governor while making his remarks at the peace meeting between the Muslim Community and Christian Community at the Baptist High School in Iwo and the distribution and assessment of the performance of Opon Imo, noted that it was the court’s position that the status quo ante be maintained until the case was determined. . Aregbesola stressed that his government being a product of rule of law was guided in all its actions…
The Federal Government yesterday said it had no plan to concession the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, but committed to completing the project in the stipulated time at the cost of N167 billion. . Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen who made this known in Shagamu, Ogun State, during a joint inspection of the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway by the Ministry of Works and Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, insisted that “there has not been any revision on the project.” . He expressed satisfaction on the progress made so far by the contractors saying “the Federal Ministry of Works is on a working…
A group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, had sued the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola and the State Attorney General, Adetoro Ipaye before Justice Saliu Saidu challenging their refusal to make available the information which was sought for in accordance with the Freedom of Information, FoI Act. . But Lagos State, in a counter-affidavit to the suit, argued that the FoI, being a legislation of the National Assembly, was only applicable in relation to public records of government of the federation and not of the states. . In the counter-affidavit, which was deposed to by Toluwanimi Odupitan, a counsel…
NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday in Lagos threatened to stop fuel distribution and shut down the nation’s oil sector over alleged unfair labour practices and other nefarious activities by major oil marketers and multi- national oil companies in Nigeria. . NUPENG claimed the activities of oil marketers and multi-national companies amounted to economic sabotage and that if not checked would lead to unrest in the sector, calling on President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Labour and the National Assembly to quickly intervene before it became too late. . In a statement by its President, Achese…
Gov. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers on Monday said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would promote progress and create job opportunities if voted into power. . Amaechi spoke at Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers, after registering as an APC member at Ubima Ward 8. . The governor’s wife, Judith, was also registered as a member of the party. . Amaechi said the party was on a rescue mission in the state and in the country. . “From what you can see, APC is the fastest growing party in Africa. . ‘’All these people you are seeing here were…
The police in Gusau on Monday confirmed the killing of 16 persons, including a policeman, by armed bandits in Maru local government area of Zamfara. . The state police command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Lawal Abdullahi, said that about 150 armed hoodlums riding on motorcycles perpetrated the act. . He said the hoodlums had invaded the three villages of Tungar Rakumi, Mallamawa and Kangarawa on Saturday night. . The police spokesman said 12 persons were killed in Tungar Rakumi alone, while the rest four were killed in Mallamawa and Kangarawa. . ”The bandits, who are suspected to have carried…
IN efforts to sustain the ongoing reforms in Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Federal Government has turned down the application for extension of service by the current head of the agency, Abdullahi Dikko. . It was gathered that the Comptroller General, CG, of Customs had been making frantic efforts to keep his job, but the Presidency resisted the move. . After months of speculations, it had now been confirmed that government is now in search of a replacement for the Customs Comptroller General. . Sources at the Ministry of Finance told Vanguard last week that the minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo…
FEDERAL government has set up a technical committee to review the quality of cement produced in the country. This is with a view to redefining the appropriate standard of cement to be produced in the country. . Reacting to criticism that Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON has relaxed its earlier standard of 42.5 as minimum grade for cement used in the country to 32.5, Director General of SON Mr Joseph Odumodu said that a committee was already at work to review the current standard and weigh the implication and impact of the removal of the 32.5 on the economy and…
Tragedy struck in Lagos, yesterday, when a passenger hanging on a train coach had his hand chopped off by the moving train. . According to eye witnesses, the incident occurred at Oshodi around 9 a.m. when the victim, who was simply identified as Ernest, allegedly fell from the moving train which had a hitch in movement. . An eye witness, Mr Olu Atoyebi, said Ernest fell from the moving train while his hand was stuck in between the coaches resulting to the hand being chopped off. . His shout for help was said to have attracted sympathisers who rushed to…
An Osogbo magistrate’s court has ordered a 27-year-old man, Akeeb Ibrahim, to be remanded in Ilesa prison for allegedly raping a two- year-old girl. . Ibrahim was alleged to have raped the girl (name withheld) in his room at his house located at Isale‑Afo area of Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun state. . According to the charge sheet read in court, the accused person lured the girl into his room at about 1.00 p.m. when her parents had left for their shops. . The Police prosecutor, Abiodun Fagboyinbo, an inspector, told the court that the accused…
Leader of the fledging Northern Elders Council, NEC, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has dismissed insinuations that the group is being bankrolled by the Presidency to be able to curry the support of the north ahead of the 2015 elections. . Yakassai, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard in Abuja, claimed that the NEC were working for the interest of Nigeria and not that of any individual or group. . The former National Assembly Adviser to President Shegu Shagari made it clear that he was too big to be used by anybody to advance their selfish political interest and described those making the…