Rohr drops four players as Eagles leave for London

super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr on Wednesday reduced his  30-man provisional squad  for the Russia 2018 World Cup to 25 players.

The German dropped  domestic  league  top scorer Junior Lokosa, Standard Liege midfielder Uche Agbo,  Lokomotiv Plovdiv defender Stephen Eze and Plateau United Dele Ajiboye.  Twenty-three players will make the final squad.

Meanwhile, Rohr left Abuja with 24 players   for London ahead of Saturday’s friendly match  against  England  at Wembley.

The NFF said in a statement that  Mikel  Obi, Ogenyi Onazi,  Kenneth Omeruo,  Ahmed Musa, Bryan Idowu, Tyronne Ebuehi, Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi,  Ikechukwu Ezenwa,  Ola Aina, Leon Balogun, Shehu Abdullahi, Joel Obi, William Troost-Ekong, Chidozie Awaziem and  Elderson Echiejile were on the chartered flight that conveyed the players to London.

Others are Wilfred Ndidi,  John Ogu, Mikel Agu,  Oghenekaro Etebo, Odion Ighalo, Simeon Nwankwo, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho.

 The statement  confirmed that  Moses Simon, who was earlier ruled out of the  tournament due to injury, will undergo further medical checks in the UK to ascertain the seriousness of his injury.  The body added that Victor Moses would join the team in London.

Nigeria play Argentina, Croatia and Iceland in the group stage of the June 14 to July 15 tournament in Russia.

Eze expressed his sadness on Twitter.

“Sadly, my journey to the World Cup ends here. I am disappointed to not make the final squad, but I want to thank our coach and management for the opportunity! I wish my team the best & hope to join in celebrations when they bring the trophy home! GO #NIGERIA! #DefendLikeEze,” he wrote.


































Rainbowgist

Strike: No pay for health workers, FG insists

 The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, again on Wednesday said that the Federal Government would not pay members of the Joint Health Sector Unions, who had been on strike since April 17.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated this during a telephone interview, just as Justice Sanusi Kado of the National Industrial Court in Abuja ordered the union to call off its strike latest Friday.

JOHESU, which comprises all health professionals excluding medical doctors, had declared a nationwide strike on April 17, 2018, despite pleas from the Federal Government.

The Federal Government consequently implemented a ‘No work, no pay’ policy thereby stopping the April and May salaries of the striking workers.

However, the minister reported that the workers would be paid for the work done from April 1 till April 17.

He, however, said for every day that the JOHESU workers embarked on a strike, there would be no pay.

Adewole said, “We are not paying them any arrears. We will only pay them for the 17 days they worked in April. However, any health official who worked during the strike would be paid in full. Some of them actually worked all through the strike.”

There was confusion on Wednesday on whether the union would call off its strike as ordered by the industrial court.

The Vice-President of JOHESU, Chiemelie Ogbonna, in an interview with journalists outside the court, said the union would abide by the court order and call off its strike by Friday, June 1, 2018.

But later on Wednesday, the President of the union, Mr. Biobelemoye Josiah, in an interview with journalists after a meeting with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said negotiations were still going on.

A group, the Incorporated Trustees of the Kingdom Human Rights Foundation, had obtained a court order against JOHESU mandating the health workers to call off their industrial action on May 21, 2018.

However, JOHESU refused to comply with the court order, insisting that it would appeal.

In its resumed hearing on Wednesday, the counsel for the claimant, Nnamdi Okere, said JOHESU had yet to call off the strike, despite serving the President of the union, Josiah Biobelemoye, and the Vice-president, Ogbonna, with the court ruling.

Consequently, the claimant filed form 48 and 49 which are for committal proceedings on contempt of the court.

In response, the counsel for the JOHESU President and Vice-President, Hezekiah Ivoke, argued that they had filed an appeal and stay of execution and so the National Industrial Court should decline jurisdiction on the matter.

However, the court observed that the said appeal and stay of execution were not in the court’s file.

The counsel for the plaintiffs, I.T Abdussalam, argued that there was a pending ruling of the court directing that the strike should be called off and that the court took the decision because human life, which is guaranteed under section 33 of the 1999 Constitution, is involved and so the court should compel JOHESU to obey the law and not to disobey the ruling which had not been appealed against.

In his ruling, Justice Kado ordered that all the parties should ensure that the court ruling was obeyed. He ordered that JOHESU should call off its strike in 24 hours.

However, it was extended to 48 hours after the counsel for JOHESU pleaded for more time to obey the order.

The court noted that the matter was a sensitive one as human lives were involved due to the nature of the sector involved in the dispute.

The judge, therefore, warned that none of the parties should do anything to jeopardise the dispute resolution process.

In his remarks outside the court, the Vice-President of the union, Ogbonna, said the union would call off its strike by Friday, June 1, 2018.

He said, “As responsible citizens of Nigeria, we have decided to honour the National Industrial Court by submitting ourselves to its mediation centre which must commence immediately. We would also call off the strike on the first day of June.

“In the interest of Nigerians, we are sheathing our swords. We are a law-abiding union and we shall give the law the opportunity to take its course for equity, fairness and justice to all parties

But after the meeting with Saraki, the President of the union, Josiah, in an interview with journalists, declined to say whether the strike would be called off or not.

When asked if the strike had been called off, National Chairman of JOHESU said, “The other time I told you that the meeting with the Senate President was promising, it still remains promising. Discussions are still on and we have got to significant levels but in our routine, we will also call our members.

“After further discussions, briefing them on what we have been discussing with the Senate President, we will then communicate to Nigerians on where we are.”

Asked if the workers were closed to calling off the strike, he said the leadership would meet with the members to determine their decision.

Wednesday’s meeting, which lasted over three hours, was held behind closed doors in Saraki’s office. Saraki had met with the workers on Monday.

Last week, Saraki had begun his mediation between the government and JOHESU over the ongoing strike by the workers which has crippled Nigeria’s public health care facilities for the past 40 days.

The Senate President had held a meeting with JOHESU’s leadership on Thursday afternoon and later on Friday morning with the Minister of Labour, Productivity and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige and the Minister of Health.







































Rainbowgist

N1.64bn fraud: Ex-Taraba gov, Nyame, jailed for 14 years

Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Gudu, Abuja, on Wednesday sentenced a former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, to 14 years’ imprisonment for his acts of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of the sum of N1.64bn belonging to the state.

The judgment marked the end of about 11 years’ trial which would be the first full-blown criminal proceedings to be conducted in a Nigerian court and ended in a guilty verdict sending a former governor to jail for a period as long as 14 years for corruption.

Nyame, whose name goes with the appellation of a church title of “Reverend.” was convicted on a total of 27 out of the 41 counts preferred against him.

He was convicted and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment with the highest being 14 years for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation, and taking valuable thing without consideration and receiving gratification as a public officer.

The judge sentenced him to the maximum punishment of 14 years for criminal breach of trust without an option of fine, two years for criminal misappropriation; seven years for receiving gratification and five years for “obtaining valuable thing without consideration.”

The sentences were the maximum provided by the law under which the convict was charged in May 2007.

There was no option of fine on any of the counts.

But the sentences, according to the judge, are to run concurrently.

The court also ordered that all the funds previously recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from aides to the ex-governor and other government officials involved in the scam be forfeited to the Taraba State Government.

Justice Banjoko read the main judgment for a period of about four hours spanning from 9.51am to about 2.05pm on Wednesday.

Her facial expression slid from mere smiles to even subdued laughter throughout the period she read the judgment.

She even sometimes took a break from reading the prepared judgment from her laptop to lay some comic emphasis on some points.

Perhaps infected by the calm atmosphere entrenched in the courtroom by the judge’s tone, Nyame maintained a relaxed countenance as he was seated in the dock with his head slightly thrown back resting against the wall throughout the five-hour proceedings.

Intermittently, his glances oscillated back and forth from the direction of the bench to that of the audience.

Light complexioned, tall and well-built; the convict was dressed in a dark brown kaftan with a cap to match.

He was asked by the judge to stand up when the sentences were being read.

His face did not give off any sign of anxiety throughout the proceedings even after the sentences were passed on him.

In her judgment, the judge faulted the convict’s attempt to distance himself from the company, Salman Global Ventures Limited, and its Managing Director, Ibrahim Abubakar, who on the instructions of the ex-governor, received a total sum N250m for stationery in January 2005, N25m for the same purpose in February 2005, and 20m for the same purpose in October 2005.

The items were never supplied to the state, the judge said.

She said, “The totality of the evidence adduced” in the case showed that Nyame had a close relationship with the company’s MD and could only have been “the enabler of these transactions.”

Nyame’s offences

The judge, who noted that there was no contractual agreement between Salman Global Venture Limited and the state government, yet the company repeatedly received payments for the supplies which it never carried out.

She added that the procedure preceding the release of the funds to the company was fraught with sidelining key officials that should be involved as well as breaches of the state’s financial regulations and the mode of award of the contracts stipulated in the memo which the ex-governor signed for their approval.

The sum of N250m was approved by the convict, according to the judge on December 30, 2004.

“By this, the defendant gave his blessing to that memo barely a day to the end of the year precisely on December 30, 2004,” noting that the item the money was meant for had been part of the budget of the state for year 2004.”

She said Nyame could not feign ignorance that the items were not supplied yet went on to sanction successive approvals for the same company to supply the items.

“Had this not stopped, only God knows what would have happened to Taraba State now,” she said.

She held, “There was no way the defendant having a sense of responsibility would have granted another approval after the N250m was approved and the stationery and office equipment it was meant for were not delivered.”

She noted that the ex-governor neither raised any question, issued any query, raised any commission of inquiry, filed any suit against the company nor attempt to file charges against the company.

The judge also noted the fact that Salman Global Ventures Limited did not bid to participate in the contract and was not even qualified to participate in the direct labour mode for the supply of the items which was the mode stipulated on the memo signed by the governor, and the relationship which the Managing Director of the company had with the ex-governor, showed that the convict was a beneficiary of the scam.

Nyame was also convicted for was also receiving about N80m as gratification from Salman Global Ventures Limited.

He was also convicted of authorising the payment of over N100m for the hosting of the then President in the state in April 2005.

He was also found guilty of payment of N24m meant for the “purchase of grains for the Taraba State Local Government Areas and some interest groups.”

Although Nyame had claimed that rice was purchased from a rice seller in Lagos, delivered to the state’s liaison office in Abuja and later delivered to the state in Jalingo, the state capital, the judge said there was no evidence to back the claim.

She added that the convict authorised the payment of about N345m within five months to Salmon Global Ventures Limited without delivering the items the money was meant for.

Between 2.05am and 2.32pm, the judge listened to the plea for mercy made on behalf of the ex-governor by his counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, and the objection to the plea by the EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe.

Ojo, noting that his client “selflessly served the good people of Taraba State from 1999 to 2007,” urged the court to be lenient in imposing the sentences on the grounds that his client was a first offender and a family man.

But Atolagbe said the suggestion that a man found guilty of breach of trust and misappropriating huge sums of money served his people selflessly was far from the truth.

He urged the court to impose the sentences that would “meet the aggravating factors” such as the “detrimental effect” of the offences on the people of Taraba State, the effects on the economy of the state and the prevalence of such corrupt conduct among public officials in the society.

The judge thereafter took a short break and receded to her chambers at about 2.32pm.

She returned to the courtroom at about 3.03pm to impose the sentences for all the 27 counts on which she had found the ex-governor guilty.

The convict was driven away in a convoy of prison vehicles at about 3.47pm on Wednesday.

Earlier dismissing the convict’s plea for mercy, Justice Banjoko, said she was “morally outraged by the facts of this case” describing the conduct of the defendant, a Reverend and a Christian as audacious.

She noted that Nyame being “a first offender” and “a family man” as noted by his lawyer should ordinarily be part of considerations in sentencing.

“But I must say, I was morally outraged by the facts of this case,” she said.

Justice Banjoko noted that the people of Taraba State invested high level of trust in the convict when they first voted him as governor in 1991, again in 1999 and 2007.

“The level of trust must have been so high,” she said.

“The convict is a Reverend, which means he is a Christian. He is expected to show high level of honesty, piety and integrity.

“How will Reverend Jolly Nyame begin to tell the people of Taraba State and the whole world to justify his action and inaction? How will he justify this colossal loss of the state under his watch?”

She also noted that while the EFCC was investigating the convict’s aides who were also returning part of the looted funds in the process “to his knowledge,” the convict as “an unrepentant sinner” still continued committing the crimes.

Justice Banjoko said in a particular day in April 2007, barely one month to the end of his tenure as govenor, Nyame spent over N100m to host the then President.

The judge said, “He will perhaps be the most audacious chief executive Nigeria ever had. He was still continuing to commit the offences while under an intense searchlight of the law enforcement agency.

“Over N100m was spent in a day for the visit of one man who was the President who is not God in April 2007, when he was expected to vacate office in May 2007.

“This is just one in the catalogue of the crimes he committed.”

She said there was “crazy level of corruption in the air in the state” in Nyame’s administration.

Justice Banjoko expressed concern that none of the other state officials, including the then Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Abubakar Tature, who was a major participant in the scam and was later elected as senator, was charged in any court.

“Rev. Jolly Nyame encouraged other officers to engage in reckless misappropriation,” she said, adding, “There is no legal or moral justification for that level of outright stealing.”

“The defendant behaved like a common thief,” the judge said.

She also said being “the first case of its kind,” the court must impose heavy sanction “that will hopefully serve as a deterrent to other public officers.”

The EFCC had in May 2007 charged Nyame with 41 counts of criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation, taking gratification and obtaining valuable thing without consideration.

The trial began to have some speed when the Supreme Court laid the defendant’s appeal against the validity of the charges to rest by dismissing it in 2016.

Sign of good things to come, says Sagay

Reacting to the judgment, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), described the judgment as a sign of good things to come.

Sagay said since the Administration of Criminal Justice Act was signed into law in 2015, it had become difficult for senior advocates defending influential Nigerians to exploit the justice system.

The PACAC chairman noted that the case against the former Taraba State governor began over eight years ago but his lawyers continued to frustrate the case.

The senior advocate said, “What has happened is that we are beginning to feel the effect of the ACJA. Jolly Nyame’s trial started around 2007 and his lawyers did the usual by trying to sabotage and subvert the process of trial by filing several applications and that was why it took so long.

“Soon, you will begin to hear about more convictions. This marks an end of an era where senior advocates deliberately subvert justice in this country because of the huge pay they receive from the proceeds of crime.”

Sagay said the convict would not be released from prison except on strict health grounds.

“He cannot be free. He will be in prison. The only thing he can do is to apply for bail and that is almost impossible because you must be able to establish that the state of your health is extremely bad that your life may be endangered if you remain in prison,” he said.

A human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), also hailed the judgment, noting that the case was concluded on a good note.

He commended the judge for her courage and integrity and the EFCC for its perseverance.

Falana said, “At long last, the case was concluded on a good note. For almost a decade the case was suspended through stay of proceedings.

“But for the abolition of stay of proceedings by Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, the case would have been suspended again and again.

“I congratulate the trial judge for her courage and integrity.

“I commend the EFCC for its perseverance.

“I am sure that with the conviction of more VIPs, the prisons will no longer be peopled by the hoi polloi alone.”

Also, the Second Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Monday Ubani, said it “means there is hope if we do things right in this country.”

He hailed the investigating teams, the prosecutors for doing “a thorough job” and the judiciary for doing justice.

Ubani added, “This is what we have been saying that if the investigators do thorough investigations and the prosecutors do the right thing, the judiciary does not have the choice but to send the corrupt persons to jail.

“But don’t let us forget that the defendant has the right to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. It is after the case has passed through the crucible of the appellate courts and the judgment remains intact that we can begin to boast that we are doing the right thing.”

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Kola Ologbodinyan said, “We will make a public statement soon.”

Attempts to get a reaction from the spokesman for the All Progressives Congress, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, were unsuccessful. Calls to his mobile telephone were neither picked nor returned.

A response to a text message sent to him was still being expected as of the time of filing this report at 8.02pm.






































































Rainbowgist

Unpaid bill: Lagos hospital detains newborn baby for three months

 A Lagos couple, Mr Michael and Mrs Roseline Oaikhena, have been denied the custody of their newborn baby, Ighodalo, for three months over an unpaid medical bill of N650,000.

It was learnt that the hospital holding on to the child, Inton Hospital, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, had allegedly vowed to put him in an orphanage unless the debt was cleared.

Our correspondent gathered that Roseline, a private primary school teacher, had given birth to a set of twins on February 10, 2018, at the Ifako General Hospital, Lagos.

The babies, which were premature, were reportedly taken to Inton, where they were put in an incubator at the rate of N300,000 per week.

After one week, the female child reportedly died, while the surviving boy continued treatment at the intensive care unit of the facility at the rate of N150,000 per week.

The child’s father, Michael, a driver, said the bill later rose to N1.2m.

He said, “My wife and I have been married for about two years. When she conceived, she went through a lot of stress due to the nature of her job and at a point, a doctor advised her to go for bed rest.

“She gave birth at the Ifako General Hospital when the pregnancy was about six months. We were unable to get an incubator at the hospital and our search for one in Lagos public hospitals proved abortive.

She gave birth around 1pm and when we could not find any public hospital with an incubator, we settled for Inton Hospital. We got there around 11pm; their bill was N300,000 per week.

“However, after a week, we lost the female baby and we started paying N150,000 per week. The surviving baby has now been moved from the incubator to a nursery, where he has been for over three months.”

He explained that the mother had been visiting the hospital to give the newborn baby food, adding that the child was being held over the N650,000 medical bill that the family owed.

The Edo State indigene said one of the doctors at the hospital recently called him and threatened that the child could be moved to a motherless babies’ home if the balance was not paid.

“The doctor said since we had not met up with our financial obligations, they might not be able to keep the baby any longer and will take him to a motherless babies’ home. He said the baby had a high risk of contracting an infection because he is in a place where they treat sick children,” he added.

The wife, Roseline, expressed sadness that her baby could be taken to an orphanage while she was alive.

The 28-year-old noted that efforts by the family to raise funds through social media had been abortive, adding that she lived in pain every day.

She said, “I was going to see him at the hospital every day before I stopped because of transport cost. I go twice a week now.

“The hospital said the next step is to take him to a motherless babies’ home because we don’t have money.

“We have tried to raise money to no avail. We were able to raise N550,000 from friends and relatives, including the N170,000 we got on a social media platform. We still need to pay N650,000.”

A doctor at the Inton Hospital, Dr. Badejo Christopher, had said the medical bill was high due to the specialised care required by the baby.

Christopher, who spoke to one of our correspondents in March while the baby was still receiving intensive care, said Ighodalo was being monitored by a consultant paediatrician.

He had said, “The mother went into labour at 27 weeks as against 38/40 weeks. The twins were rushed here, but we could not save one of them. The boy has been inside an incubator and taking drugs.

“An average birth weight is 2.5kg, but the baby’s weight at presentation was 1.0kg. The challenges of managing preterm children are many. The drugs we use are very expensive because the children are susceptible to sepsis (infection).

“One of the antibiotics is as expensive as N16,000. We charge N150,000 per week.”

The Chief Medical Director of Inton, Mr. Akeem Mustapha, on Tuesday, however, denied that the hospital planned to take the child to an orphanage, saying the couple wanted to draw public sympathy.

He said, “There is nothing like that. We only advised them that it is not right to put the child in the nursery for a long time because if any infection breaks out at the hospital, the child may be affected. Nobody will say because of that, the child should be taken to a motherless babies’ home. Why?

“They are only trying to whip up sentiments so that you can help them to get money. They need money to discharge the baby, so they want you to put up a story that the hospital will take the child to a motherless babies’ home. Why they are putting up this kind of thing is laughable.”

When asked if the hospital could release the baby on compassionate grounds while the parents amortised the debt, Mustapha said our correspondent should pay the bill.

“The ones that had been paid were by instalments. You can lend them the money and they will pay you back later. Tell your company to pay on their behalf; they will pay you back by instalments,” he added.






































Rainbowgist

Civil servants banned from using social media at work

A Mongolian ban targeting civil servants on the use of social network sites including Facebook, Twitter and Youtube while at work has come into force, according to the government on Wednesday.

The government decision was made on May 23 and took effect Tuesday.

It is intended to prevent cyber attacks and to ensure the safety of government information networks, according to a statement released by the Communications and Information Technology Authority.

Mongolia’s General Intelligence Agency will help monitor the ban’s implementation.

It was learnt that on March 9, 2016, government workers in Tanzania have been banned from using social media and chat apps during work hours.

Transport and communication ministry officials have been warned that “gossiping” on social media will lead to dismissal.

It is not clear how the ban will be enforced amidst increasing social media popularity.

The minister told the BBC’s Halima Nyanza social media use was interfering with Tanzania’s development.

Cheap phone data bundles are enabling wider use of platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter in Tanzania.


















































Rainbowgist

IPOB’s Sit-at-home directive records complete compliance in Onitsha

The Sit-at-home directive by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB in remembrance of the fallen heroes of Biafra and those killed in the struggle for the actualization of Biafra recorded total compliance in Onitsha and Nnewi, as all the markets and shops in the two cities were today under locks and keys.

Commercial banks in the two cities, roads and street markets and shops all observed the directives as people stayed back in their homes in observance.

All the Federal high ways, especially Onitsha Enugu expressway, from Asaba end of the road to Zik’s roundabout, down to New Motor Spare Parts, Nkpor, and further to former Ogbunike Toll Gate were ghosts of themselves as motorists and people deserted the roads in observance of the IPOB/MASSOB directive.

As early as 6am, while returning from Nnewi, Upper Iweka which is known for its busy nature, as correspondent’s visit revealed, was deserted, even as Newspaper distribution to Owerri and Awka was impossible as vehicles that ferried  them were nowhere to be seen throughout Nnewi  and Onitsha roads.

From the fly over down to Upper Iweka and to the Niger Bridge, vehicles were not seen on the ever busy Onitsha Enugu expressway, even the roads and its adjoining streets were deserted by both motorists and pedestrians, while in some streets in the area, youths turned the roads to football playing fields.

Also from Upper Iweka fly over and down to the Niger Bridge, Army and Police patrol vehicles were seen parked at strategic positions, while at Uga Junction to Atani road, men of the Nigerian Navy were seen at their check points.

From ever busy Awka road to Old Market road, Court road, Venn road, Ezenwa street, were major commercial and artisan activities go on in Onitsha, commercial and business activities were totally shut down.

Bright Street that leads to Onitsha Main Market was cordoned off by Onitsha Main Market security men, as traders in both the street and the market shunned trading activities in observance of the directive.

Federal and State Government establishments and offices were all under locks and keys in spite of the directive by the state government to civil servants in the state to report for work.

Public and Private Schools in Onitsha were all closed as parents had, even on Tuesday, directed their wards not to go to school while some Secondary School students living in their schools’ dormitories were withdrawn by their parents between Monday and Tuesday.

Some businessmen and artisans along Awka road, Oguta road and Old Market road who came out early to open their shops and stores for quick business were disappointed, as no customer came around and they quickly shut their shops to go home to sleep.

One of them along the Old Market road who spoke to one of the correspondent but preferred not to be mentioned, said he didn’t believe people would strictly obey the Sit-at-home directive.

However, none of the members of IPOB and MASSOB were seen on the streets of Onitsha and Nnewi and nobody is being molested for walking round the roads and street in Onitsha and Nnewi as at the time of filing this report.


































































Rainbowgist

DEMOCRACY DAY: President Muhammadu Buhari’s full speech

ADDRESS BY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 2018 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION, TUESDAY, 29TH MAY, 2018

My Dear Nigerians!

Today marks the 19th year of our nascent democracy and the 3rd Anniversary of this administration. I am thankful to Almighty God for bringing us thus far. This administration came at a time that Nigerians needed Change, the Change we promised and the Change we continue to deliver. We have faced a lot of challenges on this journey and Nigerians have stood by us in achieving the three cardinal points of this administration namely; Security, Corruption and the Economy.

2. The commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day is a celebration of freedom, a salute to the resilience and determination of Nigerians and a recommitment by Government to keep its promise to lead Nigeria into a new era of justice and prosperity.

3. Public safety and security remains the primary duty of this Government. Before this Administration came into being 3 years ago, Boko Haram held large areas of land spanning several Local Governments in the North East.

4. Today, the capacity of the insurgents has been degraded leading to the re-establishment of authority of government and the release of captives including, happily, 106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls, and over 16,000 other persons held by the Boko Haram.

5. In order to minimize the impact of the insurgency on Internally Displaced Persons, Government has established secure IDP Camps and has improved the mechanism for the distribution of basic aid, foods and essential commodities using various strategies in collaboration with local and international Organizations.

6. Efforts are in process for resettlement of IDPs in their home communities by providing schools, hospitals, clinics, water, and sanitation to facilitate a quick return to economic activities. Government is similarly implementing de-radicalization and rehabilitation programmes to facilitate sustainable peace and development.

Read also: DEMOCRACY DAY: I’ll sign ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill in a few days’ time –Buhari

7. The unfortunate incidences of kidnappings, herdsmen and farmers clashes in several communities which have led to high number of fatalities and loss of properties across the country is being addressed and the identified culprits and their sponsors shall be made to face the full wrath of the law. All the three tiers of Government are presently engaged with communities and religious organizations to restore peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
[29/05, 11:38] DAUGHTER OF DESTINY: 8. I want to commend members of the Multinational Joint Task Force drawn from Niger, Benin, Chad, Cameroon and our own country in collaboration with the International Community who are assisting in the fight against insurgency in the North East. I also commend the gallantry of members of our Armed Forces and other security agencies that have continued to provide security for lives and properties across the country. State and Local traditional authorities are helping with much needed intelligence in this fight against insurgency.

9. This administration is pained over the grievous loss of lives and properties occasioned by the carnage of insurgency and other forms of criminality in the country. I wish to assure Nigerians that we will not rest until all criminal elements and their sponsors are brought to justice. Government is boosting the capacity of our security agencies through recruitment of more personnel, training and procurement of modern equipment, enhancement of intelligence gathering as well as boosting their morale in the face of daunting challenges.
[29/05, 11:39] DAUGHTER OF DESTINY: 10. The Niger Delta Region has enjoyed relative peace through social inclusiveness and cooperation of the Elders and the good people of the region. Government is committed to implementing the comprehensive peace, security and development plan for the region. The environmental clean-up of the region which commenced with the launch in Bodo, Ogoni in June, 2016 is progressing satisfactorily. Furthermore farming assets are being revived and investors in cocoa and palm oil plantations are showing serious interest.

11. The second primary object of this Administration is to fight corruption headlong. Like I have always said, if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will destroy the country. Three years into this Administration, Nigerians and the international community have begun to applaud our policies and determination to fight corruption. We are more than ever before determined to win this war, however hard the road is. I therefore appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to support us in this fight.

12. Various policy measures already put in place to stem the tide of corrupt practices are yielding remarkable results. Some of these key reform policies include:

a. The Treasury Single Account (TSA) has realized Billions of Naira being saved from maintenance fee payable to banks. N200 Billion has also been saved from elimination of ghost workers in public service.

b. The Whistle-Blowing Policy has helped to recover over N500 Billion;

c. The Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit set up with a mandate to validate controls, assess risks, prune personnel costs, ensure compliance with Public Financial Management reforms has helped to identify and remove over 52,000 ghost workers from the Federal Government MDAs Payroll;

d. The Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) aimed at expanding tax education and awareness has offered the opportunity for tax defaulters to regularise their status in order to enjoy the amnesty of forgiveness on overdue interest, penalties and the assurance of non-prosecution or subject to tax investigations.

e. The Sovereign Wealth Fund project portfolio has been expanded with an injection of US$650 million so as to strengthen its investment in local infrastructure, power, health, re-construction of Abuja-Kano road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, East West Road (Section V) and the Mambilla Hydro-electric Power project as well as the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge.

13. The fight against corruption through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has resulted in recoveries of Billions of Naira, as well as forfeiture of various forms of assets. This alongside other efforts has improved Nigeria’s international image and regional cooperation.

14. We have retained the services of one of the world’s leading assets tracing firms to investigate and trace assets globally. This is in addition to the exploitation of provisions of existing Treaties, Conventions as well as Bilateral Agreements with Multilateral bodies and Nations. Nigeria has also signed Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements to ensure that there is no hiding place for fugitives.

15. This Administration has therefore focused on revamping the ailing economy it inherited in 2015. In 2016, Government executed an expansionary budget and developed the Strategic Implementation Plan. For the first time, 30% of the budget was earmarked for capital expenditure which represents an upward review when compared with the 2015 budget. The SIP was followed by the development of a comprehensive medium term plan – the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017 – 2020.

16. The broad strategic objectives of the ERGP were to; Restore and sustain economic growth; Build a globally competitive economy; and Invest in our people. The implementation of the ERGP has started yielding results. The National Bureau of Statistics reports that the economy grew by 1.95% in 1st quarter 2018, which is a good performance when viewed against -0.91 in 1st quarter 2017 and -0.67% in 1st quarter 2016 respectively.

17. Our foreign reserve has improved significantly to 47.5 billion USD as of May, 2018 as against 29.6 billion USD in 2015. The inflationary rate has consistently declined every month since January, 2017.

18. Recently, Government conducted Focus Labs in three key sectors of the Economy namely, Agriculture & Transport, Manufacturing and Processing as well as Power and Gas. These have yielded significant prospects for investments and Job creation to the tune of US$ 22.5 billion with a potential for creating more than 500,000 jobs by 2020. These investment generation initiatives are expected to increase capital inflows in the form of foreign direct investment. There is a high prospect that the cumulative investments from this first phase of the Labs will hit US$39.2 billion by 2025.

19. Under agriculture, Nigeria continues to pursue a strategic food security programme built around self-sufficiency and minimization of import dependency. As a result, rice importation from other countries has been cut down by 90% which has a direct impact on foreign reserves.

20. The Social Investment Programmes (SIP) has been created as a means to graduating our citizens from poverty through capacity building, investment and direct support. The major strategic objective is to restore livelihood, economic opportunities and sustenance for the poor across the country. The SIP programmes and projects include:

a. Home Grown School Feeding Programme – About 8.2 million pupils are currently being fed from 24 States of the Federation with over 75,000 Catering Staff engaged under the programme.

b. The Conditional Cash Transfer has so far recorded over 297,000 caregivers and being trained by 2,495 Community Facilitators in 21 states. Less privileged Nigerians are now being paid N5,000 monthly stipend in 9 pilot States of Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo. Eventually the scheme will cover all the 36 states of the federation including the FCT.

c. Under the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme – About 264,269 loans had been disbursed to 4,822 societies in the 36 States and FCT, while another 370,635 are awaiting release of funds.

d. N-Power Job creation Scheme – is targeted at providing jobs for unemployed young graduates and has so far recruited 200,000 youths while the next batch of 300,000 have been selected, verified and would soon be deployed across the 36 States and the FCT. Furthermore, 20,000 non-graduate volunteers have also been selected to kick off the N-Build programme in collaboration with the National Automotive Design and Development Council and the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria.

21. In the area of power generation, Nigerians from all parts of the country continue to report better power supply and less use of generators. This underscores the effectiveness of the methodical plan to deliver incremental and uninterrupted power supply to our homes, markets, offices and factories.

22. The country achieved 5, 222.3 MW representing the highest peak of power generated onto the national grid and delivered to customers in December, 2017. With new facilities, repairs and rehabilitations by Government and private investors, generation capability now exceeds 7,500 MW.

23. This Administration is committed to lawful interventions to ensure the operators of the distribution business live up to expectations especially in the areas of distribution capacity, service delivery, collection efficiency, and metering to eliminate contentious estimated billing.

24. The Transportation Sector continues to undergo a series of reforms in order to sustain the international best practices and ensure safety and security. The nation’s major airports have witnessed reconstruction of runways, installation of navigational equipment and new international terminals due for commissioning in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu. Bilateral Air Services Agreements between Nigeria and the Governments of other countries will significantly open up new flight routes.

25. As a result of strict regulatory and compliance policies, Nigeria retained her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category 1 status, after a routine international audit. Recently, a new Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility with capacity for aircraft C-checks and other comprehensive levels of maintenance was established in Lagos. This would save the country an estimated $90m annually.

26. Giant strides have been recorded over the past three years to improve road transport infrastructure in all geopolitical zones of the country.

27. The Railway Sector has also received tremendous attention as this Administration is committed to the goal of linking all State capitals in the Federation by rail network to ease the movement of goods and passengers.

28. The Education Sector especially at tertiary level has continued to witness expansion in order to improve access to higher education by millions of youths in Nigeria. Over the last three years, Government has approved the establishment of 1 new Federal Polytechnic, granted licenses for the establishment of 4 State and 14 private-owned Universities as well as 12 private Polytechnics.

29. Government has also continued to support the implementation of various initiatives aimed at improving the quality of Basic Education delivery. Thus, it has ensured proper funding at the Basic Education level with the disbursement of N42.2 billion UBE Matching Grant to 26 States and the FCT, N851.5 million Special Education Grant disbursed to 23 States and private providers of Special Education and N2.2 billion Teachers Professional Development Fund to 33 States and the FCT.

30. The Federal Government has continued to support fiscal sustainability at the sub-national governments through the implementation of the Budget Support Facility which was accompanied by the 22- point Fiscal Sustainability Plan. Thus, bailouts funds were made available to States to ease their fiscal challenges and other obligations including payment of salaries.

31. In addition, a total of 73 Ecological Fund projects for the control of gully erosion in different communities across all geopolitical zones have been completed in the last three years and are undergoing commissioning while 53 other projects are ongoing. The execution of these projects has generated 357 skilled jobs and 1,350 unskilled jobs during this period.

32. It is pertinent to also make mention of the immeasurable contributions of the Nigerian woman to national development and advancement of democracy, over the last three years. The government and people appreciate you all as mothers of our great country.

33. My dear country men and women, as we all celebrate our democratic experience, let us resolve to avoid hatred and intolerance; we can only achieve our objectives in an atmosphere of harmony and peaceful co-existence.

34. Finally, the up-coming months will usher us into another season of general elections. Let me use this opportunity to urge us all to conduct ourselves, our wards and our constituencies with the utmost sense of fairness, justice and peaceful co-existence such that we will have not only hitch free elections but also a credible and violence free process.

35. In few days to come, I will be joined by many promising young Nigerians to sign into law the “Not Too Young to Run” Bill

36. I thank you for your attention.

37. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
































Rainbowgist

2 soldiers escape from kidnappers

Two Lieutenant Commanders of the Nigerian Navy, one a Course 40 Senior Division participant at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, AFCSC, and the other, a pilot and Air Weapons Specialist Nigerian Navy Maritime School, weekend, made a daring escape from the hands of a group of kidnappers in the Jaji-Kaduna and Kaduna-Abuja highways.


It was  gathered that the officers, (names withheld) were returning from Kaduna when they met a roadblock mounted by men in military camouflage about two kilometres after Marraba Junction.

The men quickly approached their (officers) vehicle and forced them out at gunpoint.

They collected some items belonging to the officers including wallets and phones.

Sources said: “The kidnappers, who are five in number, marched the officers to a bush. The officers and the kidnappers trekked in the bush for about three hours.”

The source said it was when one of the soldiers pretended that he had stepped on thorns that they launched an attack on the kidnappers and fled to a nearby village.




































































Rainbowgist

Three varsities to begin degree programmes in herbal medicine

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories, Rev. Anselm Adodo, has said that his company has made a deal with three Nigerian universities to introduce degree and certificate courses in Herbal medicine.

Speaking during a press briefing held last Wednesday, Adodo disclosed that the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, was in the process of introducing a Bachelor’s degree programme in Herbal Medicine.

“This is historic and a significant step towards boosting herbal medicine research and development in Nigeria,” he said.

He said that while Samuel Adegboyega  University, Ogwa, Edo State was planning to introduce a higher certificate programme in Herbal Medicine, the University of Ibadan had already approved and commenced Masters degree and PhD prgrammes in African Traditional Medicine at its Institute of African studies.

“A course in herbal medicine through the Department of Pharmacy has also been introduced into the medial curriculum at UI,” he said.

 Adodo also disclosed that Pax Herbal had begun to collaborate with UI’s Institute of African Studies to offer a professional certificate course in Herbal Medicine.

 “This programme aims to empower existing practising traditional healers to professionalise their practice,” he concluded.








































































Rainbowgist

Joshua loses unbeaten record to swimming legend

HEAVYWEIGHT boxing champ Anthony Joshua has finally  lost his unbeaten record… after racing Olympic legend Michael Phelps in the swimming pool, The Sun reports.

The 28-year-old superstar met with Phelps as he continues his holiday in the United States.

But Joshua, whose meteoric rise has seen him grab three of four world titles in just five years, finally met a man he couldn’t beat.

Phelps is the fastest swimmer to ever live and the most decorated Olympian of all-time.

The 32-year-old American, who retired after the Rio Olympics in 2016, picked up an astonishing 23 Olympic gold medals, as well as three silvers and two bronze.

The next most medals won by a single athlete is just nine – by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina in the 1950s and 60s.

Phelps, an Under Armour athlete like Joshua, wrote on Instagram,  “Great start to the day!

“Got to hop in the water for a swim with  my man Anthony Joshua. Had great chats and taught him a few things about the pool!

He added, “Next time you get to chose who you want to race… or if we should have a rematch!”

Joshua simply paraphrased a famous Muhammad Ali quote, writing on his Instagram page,  “Float like a butterfly. swim like a fish.”

Joshua is currently on holiday in the United States.

He appeared on Conan O’Brien’s hit chat show earlier this week and was also courtside at an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.

Joshua was seen hanging out with Stephen Curry – another Under Armour athlete – laughing and joking with him in the warm up.

AJ and promoter Eddie Hearn continue to chase a unification fight with American WBC champ Deontay Wilder.

Meanwhile,  Wilder  has revealed two potential dates for his unification showdown with Joshua.

The Bronze Bomber claims  he is willing to fight the WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO champion in his home country or in America.

Wilder, 32, said the fight will be in September if it’s in the UK and in November if it happens in America.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, the American said,  “We’re still in negotiations so I don’t have a time frame on it just yet but I want everyone to know the fight will happen.

“If we have it in England it’ll be September – if it’s here in American it’ll be November.”

But AJ has insisted it will take place in the UK, claiming he wants to avoid the “tricks” of American judges and referees.

He  has insisted that he is willing to lose £15m to secure the fight on home soil.

The American, who holds the WBC title, went on to question the character of AJ and his team after he claimed that he would take the fight if he was guaranteed $50m.


















































Rainbowgist

How to apply for unsecured business loans

Unsecured business loans are finance options, such as credit cards and lines of credit, that require no collateral. Unsecured business loans tend to be much easier to get than bank loans, which require extensive documentation of business activities as well as company and personal assets.

But interest rates on unsecured business loans tend to be considerably higher than on other types of business credit.

The report offers the following guidelines.

Obtain applications for unsecured business credit by speaking to a representative at your bank. Your banker can help you sort through the options and explain the difference between business credit cards and business credit lines.

Your bank may also be able to help you determine whether you are eligible for lower-interest, secured business credit.

Put together the bank account information you need and complete the applications. These applications will usually just involve filling out a few lines providing contact and bank information, as well as your social security number.Apply for unsecured business credit as part of an overall financing plan that also includes other types of credit options, such as bank loans and personal loans.

Save money on interest payments by using lower-interest alternatives for longer-term debt, such as major start-up and build-out costs that will take more time to pay off. Whenever possible, use your higher-interest, unsecured business credit to pay for short-term expenses such as inventory that you will turn over quickly.

If you can, transfer balances from unsecured business debt to secured financing options to lessen the amount you spend on finance charges.
[28/05, 09:48] DAUGHTER OF DESTINY: Advantages and disadvantages of an unsecured business loan

If you start a new business or you want to expand an existing one, you may consider third-party financing, such as a business loan. There are two types of business loans: secured loans and unsecured loans.

While a secured business loan is backed by collateral, an unsecured business loan is not. Obtaining an unsecured business loan has advantages and disadvantages.

About unsecured business loans

Lenders who offer unsecured business loans will not require your business to pledge any collateral to obtain the loan. However, you must still meet income and credit requirements. Some lenders may also offer businesses a revolving line of unsecured credit.

 Advantages

Unsecured business loans are easier to obtain than secured business loans because your business does not need to supply collateral. While lenders can seize the collateral if your business defaults on a secured loan, a lender cannot take any of your business’ property if you default on an unsecured business loan unless he obtains a court order.

Finally, if your business files for bankruptcy, the court may discharge unsecured loans, but it will not typically discharge secured ones.

 Disadvantages

Because unsecured loans are more risky for lenders, they usually include higher interest rates than secured business loans, which means your business will pay more over the life of the loan than it would have paid for a secured loan of the same amount.

Higher interest rates also cause the individual loan payments to be higher and more difficult to afford. Finally, unsecured business loans are harder to qualify for. If your business has a poor or nonexistent credit history, the lender may not approve your application.

Considerations

Defaulting on any type of business loan, including an unsecured one, will affect your business credit rating. Though a court may discharge an unsecured loan in bankruptcy, it will not discharge it if the creditor has already obtained a judgment against you. Some lenders may offer partially secured loans, which are secured with collateral that is not worth the full value of the debt.

Pros and cons of a conventional loan

Down Payments

One point disadvantage of a conventional mortgage loan is that equity builds faster because of the higher down payment expected upfront.

On the other hand, the higher down payment makes it more difficult for some consumers to obtain a conventional loan.

With the larger down payment expected on a conventional mortgage loan, as much as 20 per cent in many cases, the lender may not require the borrower to have private mortgage insurance, which can be a plus. Conversely, if the borrower does not have a significant down payment, the PMI will likely be required and the borrower must then meet the requirements of a mortgage insurance provider, which is essentially like applying twice for loan approval.

Concerning conventional mortgage loans, down payments may need to be authenticated as belonging to the borrower, showing the lender that the applicant has saved to obtain the loan or that the down payment is a gift from someone and not a loan that person expects to be paid back.

Interest rates

A disadvantage of conventional loans for borrowers with lower credit scores means higher interest rates and fees often become part of the loan terms.

The lender may also demand a higher interest rate if it is allowing the borrower to include part of the closing costs into the loan. Conventional loans may carry higher interest rates than some government loan programmes.

Lenders generally offer conventional loans with a choice of fixed or adjustable interest rates, with many having fixed rates for a predetermined number of years. This can be a plus for borrowers. On the downside, adjustable-rate loans can result in fluctuating monthly payments.

Terms and Conditions

A plus to conventional loans is that lenders may be more willing to negotiate terms and conditions than with a government-backed loan where the lender must follow standard guidelines.

In addition, conventional loans, on average, are processed faster than any government-backed mortgage. But borrowers may be required to pay a non-refundable fee at the time of applying for the loan.

And if approved, the terms of a conventional loan may include a stiff prepayment penalty, meaning the borrower will be subject to this charge if the loan is repaid early.

Creditworthiness

With a conventional loan, the decision on qualification belongs solely to the lender and there may be fewer restrictions on the applicant’s personal financial situation than a government-backed loan.

On the other hand, a bankruptcy or home foreclosure in the past can significantly decrease a potential borrower’s chances of obtaining a conventional loan. Many lenders require a long waiting period in which the consumer will be expected to repay credit.

For a conventional loan, lenders consider the applicant’s debt-to-income ratio, the relation between the amount of money required to meet debt obligations each month such as auto loans and credit card payments and the amount of monthly gross income earned. The lower the debt-to-income ratio, the better terms the borrower may be offered.









































Rainbowgist

OAU sex scandal exposes Buhari-Saraki impotence

Impunity is Nigeria’s Holy Grail. Every day, lawlessness unstrips decency and both dance naked to the brutal drums of anarchy as the clock ticks down to the zero hour when Nigeria would inevitably collapse upon all of us. Armageddon lurks, absurdity rocks but drunken and dazed Nigerian leaders poured more alcohol into the gourds of power, frolicking, dancing, stomping, sweating; drinking our future milk and honey together with the wine of today.

 Today, I write as a survivor of serial sex abuse. I write because almost five decades after my experience, the scars of horrific molten images are still burning deep inside the depth of a mind that recalls clearly the defilement of a kid by a young lady, who was a close family friend. I still remember her name, Aunty Iyabo, the lastborn of Iya Ijebu, our landlady on a popular street in the Onipanu area of Mushin in Lagos State. I was loved by her family that lived on the ground floor while my family lived on the top floor. Iya Ijebu, a big-time cloth merchant, particularly loved me, and so did her first son, who was popularly called minister. Minister would always buy me a bottle of soft drink whenever I came home with my report card from school. I really don’t know why, but Iya Ijebu, a light-complexioned, plump, old woman, and her family doted on me.

So, whenever her daughter took me to her room, everyone thought her gesture was in line with the family’s love. Aunty Iyabo would lock me up in her room, strip naked and do unprintable things with me. I was too young and naïve to know there was a difference between her strange fantasy and the washing of plates or sweeping. At times, she would get me under the tap in the bathroom, carry and press me insanely to her naked body. Later in her room, she would put my tiny hands to every part of her body and I would watch her wriggle. For some minutes, it could be fun to me – watching this ‘big aunty’ playing with a little me, covering us up with a huge blanket as she tickled, giggled and laughed. After a while, I would lose interest in the groping, telling my big guest I wanted out, but she would beg with candies and biscuits and place my head on her bosom, rocking me with pleas and promises. I decided to open up on this personal experience because parents, guardians and the society largely believe that only female children need to be protected against sex predators. In my own case, though I found it strange, I didn’t even know what the aunty was doing wasn’t good, hence I didn’t deem it fit to report. Aunty Iyabo was a friend to my mum’s youngest sister, who lived with us.

The next case of sex abuse involves a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Monica Osagie, who has pointed the finger at her lecturer, Prof Richard Akindele, for allegedly demanding five days of sex (not rounds o) from her in a viral telephone recording. Also, in the Land of Uncle Sam, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nasser, would spend 175 years in prison, following conviction for criminal sexual conduct after evidence and Victim Impact Statements by 156 women were heard by a federal court. Judge Rosemary Aquilina, who delivered the judgment, said she wouldn’t trust Nasser with her dog, adding that the 175-year sentence would begin after Nasser completed his 60-year federal sentence for child pornography. Several heads rolled in the wake of the scandal which was broken by theIndiana Star. Investigation revealed that the 54-year-old Nasser had been sexually abusing teenage athletes under the guise of medical treatment since 1997 before the law caught up with him in 2017 and his sentencing in 2018. The team doctor had, in 2004, used PowerPoint presentation to prove to the police that his treatment was justified when a 17-year-old girl accused him. Survivors of Nasser’s sexual abuse, including Olympic champions Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, said the Olympics team doctor touched them inappropriately. The employer of Nasser, Michigan State, agreed to pay an unprecedented $500m as settlement to 332 alleged victims who filed a class action suit against the Michigan State University, where Nasser worked, just as law suits and claims pending before various courts have been on the increase. According to reports, the university will also set aside $75m of the settlement for future claimants alleging sexual abuse. An attorney to some of the victims, John Manly, said in a statement, “This historic settlement came about through the bravery of more than 300 women and girls who had the courage to stand up and refuse to be silenced.” Following the scandal, the President of MSU and the entire USA Gymnastics board resigned, acknowledging the need for institutional change. It was heard in court that allowing Nasser to examine and treat athletes alone in private rooms for over two decades was in violation of USAG’s standards of conduct. The MSU, however, argued that as a state institution, it enjoyed sovereign immunity, which shielded it from civil liability. Legally, complicity and collusion are not criminal offences per se in this instance, argued USAG, but a survivor of Nasser’s abuse, Olivia Cowan, said, “I want MSU and USAG to know what they have done is on the very same level of accountability as the crime Nasser has committed.”

The OAU sex scandal and the Nasser narrative explain the difference between Nigeria and the US. Whereas the US Senate, following the report by Indiana Star, wrote a letter to USAG president and CEO, Steve Penny, expressing concern and calling for immediate steps to report the complaints received and install future safeguards, the Nigerian Senate has never discussed nor taken any action on the everyday reports of rape and other sexual abuses across the country. Instead, the Bukola Sarake-led Senate failed to sit for duties for a whole day when it visited Senator Dino Melaye who allegedly got injured while attempting to evade trial for some purported offences.

In Nigeria, perpetrators of sex abuse are seen as victims, who need deliverance themselves, but in the US, they are seen as criminals whom the society needs to be delivered from. After the OAU sex scandal broke, some members of the society said Osagie, probably, would’ve consented to the professor’s advances if he didn’t demand five days of sex. But a national outrage greeted the unmasking of Nasser in the US. Victims of Nasser’s ignoble actions freely came out to testify in the US, but many Nigerian victims of sex abuse keep silent for fear of stigmatisation. As soon as the Nasser story broke, police began their own independent investigation but the police in Nigeria have not said anything on the OAU sex scandal several weeks after. When the law eventually caught up with Nasser, he received its full wrath. At no point was there any plot to subvert justice or make Nasser get off with a light sentence. The reverse is always the case in Nigeria.

 Whereas all relevant organisations made public statements in the case of Nasser, the Nigerian Presidency, Senate, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission etc have refused to comment on the wave of sexual abuse plaguing the nation’s higher institutions. When these public institutions don’t even see sexual abuse as an alarming scourge, how would they find a solution to it?

The imprimatur of our national failure doesn’t reside only in the army of youths plaguing our day with bank-robbery horror or the orgiastic ritual killings stalking our night. They’re also located in the complicity of a maladministered and misdirected government weakened at the seams by corruption, suspicion, ineptitude and lack of vision.













































































Rainbowgist

Childrens’ Day: Group makes case for children with autism

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate Children’s Day, the Autism Parents Association International, a Nigerian advocacy group made up of parents of children on the Autism Spectrum, has appealed to government and Nigerians to remember children with autism who have to push past many barriers to actualise themselves.

In a statement signed by President of APAi, Mrs. Angela Emuwa, said children with autism are not sick but are just different, and Nigerians should spare a thought today for the Nigerian child with autism.

She said, “Today, Nigeria celebrates all her children. Children are gift from God and when we nurture them well, we are building bridges for a better future in our nation.

“Childhood is a period of dependency, a time when we are fully entrusted with young lives to mould into contributors to society.”

Quoting UNICEF 2010 figures, Emuwa said, “Over 6 million children are born in Nigeria daily, and a fraction of this number would be children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.”

Pointing out that autism usually presents with difficulty in communication, social skills, and a range of unique strengths and challenges that make children on the spectrum different, the APAi President added that it is not a physical disability, not contagious and need not be permanent, though an occasional child may also have some accompanying physical challenges.

On better ways to manage the situation, she said early diagnosis and intervention makes a lot of difference in eventual outcomes as some children have been known to recover fully and many more have learnt to live to adulthood and fulfill their own purpose in life, albeit differently.

The statement read in part, “What do children with autism need from the society? They need access to therapy and education to enable them maximise their potentials; and while they are at it, they need to be treated with respect.

“What do their families and carers need? They need financial support to pay for the special services required by the children and they need ongoing access to current information on how to best meet the needs of their wards with autism at whatever stage they may be in life- be it preschool, school years, or adulthood.

“Parents must not be left to travel this tough road alone. As strong as many autism mums and dads are, they still need you to keep hope alive. We need a distinct law, backed with funding, to provide for and protect children with autism in our schools and communities.

“Every child belongs to the community, including children with special needs. Oftentimes, parents are unable to keep pace with the high cost of maintaining their children in therapy and they may not even get the expected results as there are no regulatory bodies to monitor the performance of the therapists; nor are they supported to build capacity for better service delivery.

“There is a need to standardise the practice and operation of therapists who work with children with autism in Nigeria.

“What do children with autism need from the educational system? They need learning support programmes and tools structured to meet their peculiar needs.

“Whenever the system is ready for these reforms, they need to carry parents along as decisions are made. We must also recognise that early intervention makes all the difference. So, we need to emplace initiatives that ensure early detection and the provision of educational and social structures that enable them to access the quality of support they need from that point.”

















































Rainbowgist

Kizz Daniel’s name change doesn’t absolve him from court case –G-Worldwide

Popular singer, Daniel Anidugbe, formerly known as Kiss Daniel, has changed his name to Kizz Daniel. The singer made this known in an Instagram post during the week. He had put up a picture of the new name with the caption, “Moving forward. Call me Kizz Daniel.”

Shortly after Daniel made the post, several blogs reported that with the move, the singer was now free of all obligations to his former label, G-Worldwide Entertainment.

However, in a chat with Sunday Scoop, Daniel’s former manager, Louiza Williams, stated that the singer’s recent action had no effect on the court case.

“I actually did not know that he had changed his name until you told me. However, there is no big deal about that; it has nothing to do with the case,” said the musician’s ex-manager.

“The next court date is June 26. It is not true that the case has been settled; so, I don’t know where all those reports came from. If there was anything like that, I would be aware of it. Though Kizz Daniel doesn’t come to court personally, his lawyers appear on his behalf and I am sure they pass relevant information across to him accordingly. The court ruled that both parties should maintain the status quo, but Kizz Daniel is doing what is best known to him, which is contrary to what the court ordered.”

On what move G-Worldwide is considering, Williams said, “The company definitely has a plan but I cannot reveal anything for now.”

Meanwhile, calls put through to Kizz Daniel’s new record company, Flyboy Inc, rang out. A text message sent to them had yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report.





























Rainbowgist

I didn’t overreact by walking out of an interview – Skales

Singer, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, aka Skales, has explained why he had to walk out of a recent interview with an online media platform.  A video clip, where Skales angrily abandoned an interview, trended online and it generated mixed reactions. While some people praised him for his patience and maturity, others felt he overreacted

But Skales, in an encounter with Sunday Scoop, insisted that he did not overreact by walking out of the interview. He added, “I don’t think I overreacted. If it were to be another artiste, he would have left the interview earlier.  How could someone wake up and say my work that was nominated for Soundcity MVP Awards was rubbish during an interview. The interviewer sounded like someone who did not want my progress. Even if you don’t like a song, it should be your personal opinion.”

Also speaking, Skales’ manager, Kollertunz, said they told the online platform not to put out the interview but they refused. According to him, they deliberately set out to upset Skales, which does not speak well about them.

He stressed, “If everything was not planned from the outset, they would have yielded to our decision not to put out the material. But you cannot fight the media. If you understand Skales very well, he is friendly with the media. Without the media, he would not be where he is today. In the near future, they might do the same thing to someone who does not care about the media and they will get sued. But we have decided to let sleeping dogs lie.”

Kollertunz maintained that Skales held no grudges against the media outlet, stressing that if they (online media officials) called him for an interview again, he would grant it. The manager added, “He has done so many interviews afterwards. In life, you don’t dwell on negative things for too long. The title of his upcoming album, which will be released on June 22, is Mr. Love. Why would he be preaching love to people and still keep enemies? If you read comments online too, you will find out that the interview worked in Skales’ favour. People enjoy slamming Skales but they know the efforts he has put into his music. They now see that he does not deserve certain things he gets from the public.”









































































Rainbowgist

TO MY PARENTS, BEING THE BEST WASN’T AN OPTION –Iyaji, first class graduate

Alex Iyaji, 24, made first class at the Department of Biological Science, Benue State University, with 4.53 CGPA in the 2014/2015 academic session. In this interview , he speaks on life after school

Upbringing sometimes plays a role in individual’s educational performance. To what extent did that influence yours?

I grew up in a home where being the best wasn’t an option; it was a necessity. In fact, I can recall my dad telling us that anyone who didn’t top their class would be taken to the mechanic workshop to start learning how to fix vehicles and that whatever we become in life is first and foremost for our satisfaction. He implored us to learn to make ourselves proud first, and that they would share in our glory as parents. I think that formed the basic framework of my being serious and it helped me till date.

With that mindset, would you say it was easier to make first class?

It wasn’t easy at all, considering the enormous responsibility that comes with being the best in your class; the sleepless nights to get things done, the moments of tears for fear of uncertainty, the extreme reading measures adopted, the indirect burden for you not to fail and the effects of hatred and jealousy that sometimes come from sources unknown made graduating with a first class very difficult. Stories of how first class doesn’t come to those who deserve it but those who find favour in the sight of their lecturers was another challenge to overcome. I was even told how impossible it was for a student that wasn’t a native to make a first class in the school, but I didn’t let the stories deter me because I believed there is always a first time for every impossible situation and I proved it to the Glory of God at the end. The moment I saw my admission letter, I proposed in my heart to graduate with a first class.

Did anything influence that?

Yes, and that was because I was offered a course I felt was inferior to the original course I applied for, and graduating with a class of degree other than a first class would imply that I wasn’t truly qualified to study the course I considered superior. That was my belief. Therefore, I ensured I did everything I could to make excellent grades and not just leave things to fate. Graduating with a first class was therefore something I planned for beforehand and not one that happened by providence.

What was the course you wanted to study?

I had serious difficulty in securing admission into the university as success in UTME wasn’t a guarantee for admission as at the time I applied for admission or in the school I applied for admission. I therefore sat UTMB twice before finally securing admission into the university.

I had applied for Medicine in 2010 and I scored 278 in UTME and 265 in post-UTME but I was not offered admission. I wasn’t even offered another course as an alternative. Those times, success in UTME wasn’t a guarantee for admission. My dream as a child was to become a professor of medicine; one charged with the responsibility of ensuring safety of lives and wellbeing of the people as well as ensuring transfer of quality knowledge to several generations. So, again, I sat the UTME and applied for Medicine at Benue State University where I was offered Biology because Medicine lost accreditation that year. So, I accepted to study Biology. Since it was where I found myself, I was committed to making the best of it and I thank God I made a good grade. Biological Science is an interesting course; it deals with the study of life and surrounding factors. It basically covers plants and animal studies and their application in industries, medicine and the society. The course deals with the interaction between living things, modification of life forms, discovery of new techniques for solving pressing economic issues using natural or modified methodology and regulation of the effects of impeding gases on climate, nature and humans. There are many interesting parts to the course.

What are the parts you found interesting?

The part I enjoyed most as a student was the aspect of field work, which required leaving the school environment for strange places in search of specimens for laboratory analysis, knowledge from specialists and for scientific expeditions. But, beyond that, Biology encompasses a host of courses which provide baseline knowledge for specialised upgrade in science and research, which is the missing link in Nigeria today and the major reason why we remain dependent on the outside world for solutions to science-based puzzles and major disease outbreaks in our society. The course also provides an array of options one could specialise in. Graduates of biological science can become professional research scientists who engage in specialised aspects like virology, immunology, microbiology, plant pathology, biomedicine, zoology, parasitology and of course the recent boom, which is biotechnology. A study of Biology makes one relevant in industries as laboratory experts, food scientists and quality survey officers. They also find relevance in aspects of climatology, genetics, breeding and ecology which characterises the living world.

How many of you made first class in your department?

I was the only one who graduated with a first class in my class. So, I was best graduating student of the Department of Biological Science and Faculty of Sciences in my set.

What would you say you did differently from others to achieve that?

They were not things that were beyond what any other person could have done. For instance, I tried to resume early so I could start studying; I read for longer periods and I spent most of my break periods studying. There were times I read till the 24th of December before I would think of giving myself Christmas break unlike most students. One other thing was that I made sure I started strong; I started having first class from my first year. I remember my movement revolved around the classroom, hostel and church. On the average, I was sleeping for less than four hours daily and I read for about six hours every day. During, test or exam period, I could read for as long as 10 to 14 hours, and I wasn’t the type that used the library, unless I needed to borrow some books and then go back to my room to use them. The usual silence in the library was like a sleeping tablet for me, but interestingly, it worked for some people. That shows that people should know what works for them. Even though life doesn’t start and end with academic excellence, I put in whatever it takes to attain the goals I set for myself.

How did your parents receive the news that you made first class?

Wow! They had waited for the news for long. They received the news with gladness of heart, rejoicing and thanking God who made it possible. I had admission when my family was not financially stable, but God saw me through and I give Him the glory.

Your course has a lot to do with working in the lab; were there times you were tired of being there?

As interesting as practical classes might seem, it gets tiring sometimes. I could recall the times I had to stay in the laboratory from between 9am and 4pm so as to finish analysing stool samples for parasitic helminthes. The fact that I had to stay hungry so as to avoid becoming infected with the parasitic infections I was researching on made the lab tiring for me (laughs). Eye pains that sometimes result from constant staring at the microscope was also tiring, but it was a phase we had to go through.

With the much effort you put in, were there people who saw you as too serious?

People never saw me as the serious type. In fact, I never looked like one, but they were fully aware of my academic records and marvelled most times at how an ‘unserious-looking’ student would do so well academically.

Students like you are usually too engrossed in their academics that they rarely do other things. Were you involved in other school activities?

Yes, I was involved in organising campaigns, educating the junior ones, taking ICT-based tutorials, counselling people when necessary, going for choir rehearsals and doing a bit of social activities, cautiously though. At my leisure, I played football, played my guitar and sang. Sometimes, I took pleasure in having casual, but productive conversations with friends. Based on Ecclesiastics 3:1, which says there is time and season for everything, I understood time management and maximised my time efficiently for maximum output.

The joy of seeing foreign scientists work in the lab with so much enthusiasm and zeal to discover new things also influenced me. My parents also encouraged me to do my best, emphasising that any course that finds relevance in the society especially that which relates to industrial and life sciences is good.

What were your memorable moments?

My happiest moment was when my CGPA entered first class again after I dropped in my second year. The joy of being ‘there’ again after so much hope and prayer made it worthwhile for me. My most embarrassing moment was when I was slapped on my back by a lecturer in school for walking into the lab before he asked me to. The thought of it still annoys me till date anyway.

What are your aspirations?

I hope to become a research professional and academic in the field of biomedicine or biotechnology; one who would raise the standards for selective innovations unfamiliar in the Nigerian context. Specifically, I would like to work as a researcher in a research institute and a lecturer in any educational institution so I could pass the knowledge I had acquired to those coming behind. I also like to work in a business environment as one in charge of mind-taxing duties.

Is there anything you would have loved to do as a student that you could not do?

Yes! Sleep for longer hours without any fear of failing or having poor results (laughs). However, I like to advise students to be focused, set their priorities right and put their minds in their studies. It’s also helpful if they don’t allow temporary pleasure to distract them. Above all, they should remember their God in the days of their youth and serve him diligently.

What have you been doing since you graduated?

Even though a first-class graduate, I’m still unemployed; I’ve been searching for a job. I’m hoping to find one so as to make ends meet. The value attached to excellence is dropping by the day, gradually and it wasn’t this bad in the past. I didn’t know how bad it was until I experienced it, and this shouldn’t be so. The government should try to incorporate into their budgets for each year grants for academic excellence and national appointments for excellent students. This would encourage those who made good grades and those aiming for excellence. This will also in turn make our nation a better place since the best of minds will be fully incorporated into different parts of the economy.






























Rainbowgist