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Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, on Monday advised parents to groom and inculcate in their children values that would prepare them for future leadership positions. Rivers governor, Wike A statement by Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, said that Wike gave the charge on Sunday on the sideline of Centenary Celebration Thanksgiving of Saint Michael’s Anglican Church, Rumuomasi Deanery. The statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said the governor was represented by his wife, Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike. According to Wike, children must be encouraged to get involved in the process of leadership at early stage to help them in sustaining development. “When children are groomed early, they will perfect the art of leadership and contribute to the development of the society.’’ Wike said that all children, irrespective of their gender, should be given the opportunity to contribute to the development of their cou...

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has been roundly condemned for his role and misinformation on the failed attempt by the Directorate of State Services, DSS, to arrest a Federal High Court judge in Port Harcourt, River State, Mohammed Liman, on Saturday night in an ongoing crackdown on senior judges across the country. Wike foiled the DSS attempt and later denied that the security apparatus did not find $2m in the judge’s house. But in a swift reaction, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman in Ondo State, Prince Biyi Poroye, said Wike’s impunity was highly condemnable, stressing that the governor took undue advantage of the immunity clause in the Nigerian constitution. “Wike’s action is highly condemnable,” Poroye said. “He has continued to abuse the immunity clause unabated in his effort to pervert justice in the state. The governor should have allowed the judge to prove his innocence or otherwise in the court. It is annoying that Wike has always come out of his impunities wit...

Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, yesterday warned lawyers in the country to desist from writing petitions against judicial officers directly to President Muhammadu Buhari. The CJN who stated this in his speech at the opening of the new legal year and conferment of Senior Advocate on 22 lawyers, said the constitution clearly placed the power to exercise discretionary control over judicial officers in the NJC. Mahmud who also warned lawyers not to malign judicial officers, gave judges in the country a marching order to deal with any lawyer who maligns them. The CJN said: “It is therefore of great concern and wonder, the growing trend by our lawyers, litigants and even members of the public to route complaints against judicial officers to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am most dismayed that legal practitioners who ought to better appreciate the need for the independence of their primary constituency would engage in the misguided p...

Prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South West zone, yesterday resolved to restore an enduring harmony into their folds. The leaders had converged on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, for a peace parley between warring members in the Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff factions. The general assembly which had as its theme: “Working Together to Regenerate our Party in line with the Spirit of the Founding Fathers”, was presided over by former Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun and had in attendance chieftains drawn from different states in the South West. They include the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole; former Leader of the Senate, Senator Teslim Folarin; former Minister of Sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Senator Sunday Fajimi; Senator ...

In commemoration of the 2016 Akwa Ibom International Youth Day celebration, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Engineer Etido Inyang, has urged youths in the state to work towards their self-actualisation and development in order to take advantage of the opportunities being created by the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel. Engr. Inyang, who was a Special Guest of Honour at the event, said “this year’s theme - Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainability, is not just strategically significant to today’s world but clearly addresses the very core of present day woes. “This theme which resonates the vision of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration and his 5-Point Agenda, unequivocally defines the solutions to the global downturns, a situation that is in dire need of interventions.” He maintained that Governor Udom Emmanuel had been undeterred and resolute in his quest towards eradicating poverty and achieving sustainability of his policy thrust. The Commissione...

A labour unions chieftain in Delta State, Comrade Williams Akporeha, yesterday, called for urgent measures by relevant government agencies to offset the unpaid salaries of over five years owed workers of the Delta State Steel Company (DSC), Aladja. Comrade Akporeha who spoke to journalists in Warri, frowned at the non-payment of the salaries, adding that: “It is said that DSC workers have become the sacrificial objects for the bureaucratic ritual between Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE)”. Noting that the plight of the DSC workers had assumed a pathetic dimension, Comrade Akporeha said: “At the moment we lost count of the workers that had died in DSC as a result of federal government attitude towards their welfare.  It is about time to hold someone accountable for what is happening to DSC workers.” According to him: “Several months after taking over the new management of DSC, Premium Steel and Mines Limited is yet to commenc...

Arrangement has been concluded by the Canadian University Students Oversea (CUSO international) to commence the process of strengthening technical skill on entrepreneurial development to 12,394 youths in businesses of their choice. Team leader for the project, Jerry Nwigwe, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists in a post international youth day celebration briefing tagged, The Road 2013: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Production and Consumption, held in Calabar. He stressed that the training of the unemployed youths would span a period of five years. The skill so impacted by CUSO will aid the youths to strengthen their capacity to efficiently manage their small and medium scale businesses of their choice. Nwigwe stated that so far about 200 youths residing in Cross River State had benefitted from CUSO`s training, adding that since they came to the state about 410 businesses had been strengthened. “The most significant intermediate outcome to date...

Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, has called for a thorough training, which emphasises character; ethics and values among the youths, so as to enable them fully develop their potentials and render quality service to the society. Dickson, who made this call at a dinner hosted by the Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES) in Abuja on Sunday, noted that it was difficult to talk about the greatness of a nation without talking about the values, character and knowledge of the young people. “The greatness of a nation is the summation of the potential of the people in it, especially of its young people”, he said. He observed that the academic training leading to the award of degrees, which he referred to as unidimensional, was not enough but that some basic values were important in building the human personality. He, therefore, called for a multidimensional approach to training the youths in the country for proper grooming. “As humans, we all work very hard to raise money to...

Minister of sports, Solomom Dalung has assured the Nigerian police that he would hand over the chairman and chief operating officer of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko and Salihu Abubakar to them. The minister made the promise on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja upon arrival from Zambia with the Super Eagles who picked maximum points against their hosts in a 2018 World Cup qualifier and after police operatives had arrested Dikko for onward journey to Jos to serve a two week sentence handed on him by a Jos high court for contempt. He made a commitment to the police that he would personally hand over the duo to them and police let Dikko go home. But not satisfied with the deal struck by the minister with the police, members of the supporters club who had arrived Abuja with the Eagles went berserk and the police had to shoot in the air to disperse the mob. The police later said they had to allow t Dikko go out of respect for the minister of the Fe...

Head Coach Florence Omagbemi has invited to 30 players to the camp of the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, as preparations begin for the 10th Women Africa Cup of Nations Cameroun 2016. The list is made up of eight overseas-based professionals and 22 home-based players. Reigning Africa Woman Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, leads the foreign-based contingent while Osinachi Ohale leads the home-based. Oshoala The 10th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals hold in Cameroun 19th November – 3rd December this year. The Squad Ibubeleye Whyte, Osinachi Ohale, Gladys Akpa, Ugo Njoku, Chioma Wogu, Glory Iroka (Rivers Angels); Blessing Edoho (Pelican Stars); Osarenoma Igbinovia, Alaba Jonathan (Bayelsa United); Nkemakola Uwandu (Inneh Queens); Rita Akarekor, Alice Ogodo (Delta Queens); Seun Bello, Maureen Toyla (Confluence Queens); Nnenna Eke (Ibom Angels); Gladys Abasi, Sherifat Saheed, Yetunde Aluko, Ijeoma Obi (Sunshine Queens); Anam Imo (Nasarawa Amazons...

President Muhammadu Buhari says the away victory of the Super Eagles over Zambia at the weekend is not only tonic for Nigeria at a time like this, but also a confidence booster that the indomitable Nigerian spirit is well and alive. The Nigerian National Team had begun its qualifying campaign for Russia 2018 World Cup by beating Zambia 2-1 in Ndola, a development President Buhari describes as “cheery and soul-lifting.” He said it was a sign of good things to come, urging the team not to rest on its oars till it eventually qualified for the global soccer fiesta. “This is but the first step in a long journey. However, that step has been well taken. An away victory at this level, in which the stakes are quite high, is remarkable. The ultimate is to qualify for Russia 2018, and fly Nigeria’s flag alongside those of other giant soccer playing nations. I look forward to that, and I urge the team and their handlers to always keep their eyes on the ball,” President Buhari said.

Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Emeka, has called on the Federal Government to ban the importation of foreign foods into the country to encourage local food production. Dr. Samuel Emeka Emeka, who made the call during the presentation of the communiqué for the 45th/10th Biennial Conference of the Church yesterday in Abuja, said Nigeria had enough food. The event was to honour capable men and women that are ready to portray and carry out God’s work diligently. He advised government to work hard to diversify the country’s economy by producing instead of foreign intake of foods that might bring about health issues to the citizens. “I want government to ban foreign foods; we have enough food that will nurture us and make us proper Africans. “I believe it is these foreign foods that cause diabetes, hypertension and other diseases; let us produce our own food and eat. “Our fathers were close to nature and they lived longer but since we started eating foreign foods, we h...

Thirty six motorists have been subjected to compulsory psychiatric test in Abuja for breaking traffic rules. Police Command in the nation’s capital, in collaboration with officers of the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, apprehended the offenders and subjected them to psychiatric evaluation at the Karu Psychiatric Hospital. A statement yesterday by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, through its Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Hazat Sule, said the action was sequel to the directive of the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, to the Police Command to arrest any driver that beats traffic light and subject such offenders to immediate psychiatric evaluation. All the drivers so far arrested and conveyed in ambulances to the hospital for the tests have been certified by doctors to be medically fit, the statement said. “Those arrested have been made to face the consequences of their actions as they have been made to pay fine to serve as a deterrent after beari...

An FCT High Court yesterday adjourned a former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spokesman’s case, Olisa Metuh, till Novemeber 22. Justice Ishaq Bello adjourned the case after prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir closed his case. Metuh was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a two-count charge of destruction of evidence. Olisah Metuh At the resumed hearing, Metuh’s Counsel, Mr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, cross-examined the prosecution witness, Mr. Saed Junaid, an officer of EFCC, who investigated the matter. Junaid told the court that he wrote the cautionary word, not the statement, because the defendant could write, but admitted that the third page of the statements did not bear the signature of Metuh. He further told the court that the reading by the team members was to make sure that what was in the statement addressed the issues raised in the matter. The witness said the defendant had the right to cancel immediwhat he had written, but he tore the thi...

In   the 70s’ and beyond, divorce was almost unheard of among couples in African countries, particularly Nigeria. This is even as   termination of marriage relationships have become a common phenomenon since 80’s till date. In all religions, both Christian and Islamic, emphasis is usually placed on the sanctity of marriage. Both religions also abhor and frown at divorce. Even in the traditional societies, the institution of marriage is often celebrated, while divorce is discouraged. However, a close look at the society today, shows that the rate of divorce is on the increase with its adverse effect on the parties, children and the society. The Founder and Chief Coordinator of  “The Wife’’, a Lagos based Non-Governmental Organisaion (NGO)  Dr. (Mrs.) Nkem  Okoro,  who spoke on the issue in an interview  with National  Mirror,  recently, in Lagos  said  that   cases   of  divorce  are  due...

Okpanam  community in Asaba  metropolis,  Delta State capital city recently, caused a stir on the access road opposite the Asaba Airport as they engaged in protest against what they described as government’s high-handedness  in  its  land  regularisation   process  with charms and amulets. It could be recalled that recently, the Delta State Government resolved   to regularize ownership   titles  of all the lands  located opposite   Asaba Airport, Okpanam, described as Core Area IIA, being encroached upon  and built on by unknown persons. In a bid to give soft landing to the illegal occupants as against outright seizure and or demolition, the State Government availed the defaulters the option to pay   token fees which covers the cost of the land building and development permission and Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to retain the lands. Accordingly, the Ministry of  Lands, Su...

Former world number ones, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, are both outside the top four in the men’s world rankings for the first time in 13 years. Spaniard Nadal, 30, is fifth in the latest ATP standings released yesterday, with 35-yearold Swiss Federer two places lower. Novak Djokovic Serbia’s Novak Djokovic tops the list, ahead of Briton Andy Murray and Federer’s compatriot Stan Wawrinka, with Japan’s Kei Nishikori in fourth. BBC Sport report that Briton Johanna Konta is in the women’s top 10 for the first time. The 25-year-old climbs to ninth after reaching the final of the China Open, in which she was beaten by Agnieszka Radwanska. Nadal, who won the most recent of his 14 Grand Slams in 2014, has claimed two titles this year - in Barcelona and Monte Carlo. Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam winner, has been out with a knee injury since Wimbledon, where he was knocked out in the semifinals by Canada’s Milos Raonic. ATP Top 10 1 Novak Djokovic (Ser) 13,540 points 2 Andy Murray (GB)...

Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Gombe yesterday reserved ruling for a later date over the petition filled by the All Progressives Party, APC, governorship candidate, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, against the victory of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the 2015 election. Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mohammad Siraj, said having concluded its session of adoption of final written addresses by counsels from both parties in the matter, it would resume sitting of its final judgement on a date to be fixed by both counsels. Yahaya of APC had challenged the outcome of the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in a petition to the tribunal, alleging that the election was marred by irregularities in six of the 11 local government areas of the state. In an interview with journalists, lead counsel to the petitioner, Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), stated that the allegations outlined in the petition, which includ...

Six private secondary schools have been shut in Katsina State for violating laid down rules for operating such institutions. Speaking with newsmen yesterday, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sagir Ibrahim, said the measure was aimed at sanitising operation of private schools in the state. Ibrahim said the schools were found to be operating without permission from the Ministry of Education, and had no clearance from the Health and Land ministries as required by law. He said in addition to the lapses, the schools when visited by team of inspectors, were discovered to be operating under unconducive atmosphere. He said the schools were found to be operating poultry farms within the premises they were located, which are also within residential houses. They were in addition using uncompleted buildings or motor garages. The permanent secretary also said some of the affected schools also lacked qualified teachers. He said the schools would remain closed until their management ful...

Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Borno State command, has arrested Mallam Bukar Ladan for allegedly defrauding Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, by selling fake relief material forms to them to the tune of N27 million. Parading the suspect (aged 50) at NSCDC headquarters in Maiduguri, Commandant of the corps, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, said the suspect was arrested while selling fake relief material forms to the IDPs in some camps in Maiduguri. He said, “The suspect has sold 9,000 forms to the IDPs in some camps in Maiduguri at a cost of N300 each, promising they would be provided with special relief materials from Abuja.” The commandant further stated that the suspect with some of his collaborators, who are now on the run engaged the services of some agents in the camps, thereby deceiving the IDPs that special relief materials would be brought to them from Abuja after filling the forms with their passports attached. “Our men found out that some of the women in the I...

A group of 13 non-governmental organisations, NGOs, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over activities of some sponsored Nigerians, who are bent on discrediting the vice chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Professor Vincent Tenebe, and his management team. Speaking under the aegis of Civil Society Organisation for Social Justice, Fairness and Transparency, CESJET, in Abuja, yesterday, its executive secretary, Torkuma Asongo, said efforts were ongoing to arrest those behind the incident. Torkuma Asongo said more worrisome to the group was the emergence of a group under the auspices of NOUN Congress of Staff and Students, which is making  moves to extort, blackmail and intimidate the vice chancellor and his management team into succumbing to funding union activities where these elements would be able to steal under the guise of unionism. Asongo said: “We have discovered that many universities’ vice chancellors, who are afraid of having their reputation ...

Kogi State Police Command has arrested five suspected kidnappers and 14 other suspects for various offences in different parts of the state.  Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, who disclosed this while parading 14 suspects at the command headquarters in Lokoja yesterday, stated that the command would not rest on its oars in the war against crime. Ojukwu explained that operatives of the command had on a tip-off arrested Lawal Jale and two of his friends, Abubarka Isah and Iliyasu -  both from Katsina State - for conspiring to kidnap and kill Mallam Muazu Yahaya. The police commissioner, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, stated that operatives from SARS promptly intercepted and arrested the three suspects, noting that investigation on the matter was in progress. In a related development, the police boss disclosed that Usman Waziri of Fulani Camp, Ogale, in Ijumu Local Government Area of the state reported that sometime in July 2015 ...

As part of efforts to reduce unemployment in the country, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, in partnership with Taraba State government yesterday began the training of 3,000 youths. The training, which is aimed at preparing participants, mostly youths on how to access jobs online and the use of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, to make a living, kicked off yesterday with 1,000 participants. Speaking at the opening ceremony held at Taraba State University auditorium, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Alhassan Hamman, said the programme was part of Governor Darius Ishaku’s determination to create jobs for youths of the state. He noted that ICT was today ruling the world and urged participants to take the training very seriously so that they could make a living from it, adding that with ICT the youths stand to make between $1,000 and $4,000 monthly. Hamman said the governor was ready to do more for people of the stat...

Gombe State Ministry of Higher Education says it has reached an agreement with members of the state university chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to begin the payment of N400 million arrears of salary and allowances owed the lecturers from 2009 to 2013 by January next year. Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Daniel Musa Mohammed, made this known to journalists while reacting to an ultimatum issued by state university ASUU members last week over their readiness to commence strike action if their demands are not met. Musa said the state government has reached an agreement with the university to commence the clearance of all the accumulated arrears by the beginning of next year. According to him, the agreement was reached in a meeting between Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo with the university council where it was resolved that, the university shelve their proposed strike action and allow the government work towards tackling the issue. He explained that ...

House of Representatives yesterday asked the federal government to ensure that security agencies immediately pay all entitlements and benefits of security personnel in the country who died in active service. The House also urged Federal Government to sponsor to university level all children of security personnel, who died defending the country against Boko Haram insurgents. This followed a motion that stood in the name of Rep E. J. Agbonayinma, calling on the Armed Forces and other security agencies to pay entitlements of service personnel, who died while fighting Boko Haram insurgents. The lawmaker had told the House that since the war started on July 26, 2009, so many gallant personnel of the armed forces and other security agencies have died in the course of fighting to protect the territorial sovereignty of the nation. The legislator said it was standard practice for entitlements to be paid to next of kin of any soldier who died while protecting the integrity of the nation. He...

In the life of a people, there is always a time when pragmatic leadership is really an astounding index of societal transformation, devoid of revolutionary rhetoric but based on a prolific blue-print, which underscores the imperativeness of impacting the lives of the polity positively. In Plutarch’s great biography of Cato the Elder, he wrote: “Rome showed itself to be truly great, and hence worthy of great leaders’’. Correspondingly in our contemporary political setting, this timeless piece aptly applies to Delta State, as it is endowed with the prospects of greatness and a coterie of great leaders. The attainment of greatness by any state depends largely on the calibre of available leadership. In other words, a leadership that takes an in-depth introspection to fashion out a productive outline, taking into consideration the hitherto deficient critical sectors and its stagnating consequences on the overall welfare of the citizenry. Hon. Ochei Rt Hon Victor Ochei, a frontline gube...

Former Governor of Plateau State and Senator representing Plateau North, Jonah Jang, has condemned last Sunday’s attacks by gunmen in Jos South and Riyom Local Government Area of the state which left 20 people dead and properties destroyed. Both Kwata and Gwolhoss villages where the attacks occurred were situated in his constituency. Jang in a statement signed by his media aide, Chris Gyang, and made available to journalists in Jos yesterday, expressed regret over the incidents saying that it once again demonstrated the level to which the culture of violence was gradually taking root in our society. While lamenting that these attacks were becoming too frequent and leading to the loss of more and more lives and properties, the senator challenged security agencies to be more proactive, move more swiftly and change their tactics in order to stop the situation from deteriorating into total lawlessness. Jang also  appealed to the people of these and other affected communities to remai...

 President Buhari participates at the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NESG 2016) R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Communication Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Trade, Investment and Industry, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and Chairman of NESG, Alhaji Kyari Bukar after President Buhari opens the 22nd National Economic Summit Group (NESG) taking place in Transcorp Hilton Abuja Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/niger-delta-militants-objective-is-to-colonize-nigeria-economically-buhari/