Rohr Takes Charge As 20 Eagles Train In Uyo

Franco-German Gernot Rohr took charge of the Nigeria senior men’s squad, Super Eagles, for the first time on Tuesday as the team began training sessions ahead of Saturday’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania.

Rohr and a number of players could not fly to Uyo from Lagos on Monday as ARIK airline eventually cancelled their flight after many hours. But the entourage landed in Uyo just after noon on Tuesday.

On arrival at the team’s Le Meridien Hotel, Rohr had a meeting with his assistants, backroom staff and players present, before the evening’s training session at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

In camp as at Tuesday evening were Skipper Mikel John Obi, assistant captain Ahmed Musa, goalkeepers Emmanuel Daniel and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Musa Muhammed, Chidozie Awaziem, Abdullahi Shehu, Jamiu Alimi, Leon Balogun, William Troost-Ekong and Elderson Echiejile, midfielders Ogenyi Onazi, Wilfred Ndidi and Nosa Igiebor and forwards Brown Ideye, Imoh Ezekiel, Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Moses, Odion Ighalo and Victor Osimhen.

Team administrator Dayo Enebi Achor confirmed to thenff.com that Belgium-based Moses Simon and Slovakia-based Kingsley Madu will arrive on Wednesday.

The delegation of Tanzania’s Taifa Stars is expected to arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday, while the match officials will jet in on Thursday.

Italy quake death toll nears 250

Central Italy was struck by a powerful, 6.2-magnitude earthquake in the early hours of August 24, that shook central Italy and the death toll rose to 247 on August 25, as rescuers desperately searched for survivors in the rubble of devastated mountain villages. Hundreds of others were injured, some critically, and an unknown number were trapped under the ruins of collapsed buildings after Wednesday’s pre-dawn quake. / AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in central Italy rose to 247 on Thursday amid fears many more corpses would be found in the rubble of devastated mountain villages.

Rescuers sifted through collapsed masonry in the search for survivors, but their grim mission was clouded by uncertainty about exactly how many people had been staying in communities closest to the epicentre of Wednesday’s quake.

Hundreds of people spent the night sleeping in their cars, in hastily-assembled tents or as guests of families in nearby areas less affected by the quake.

Monica, a survivor from the tourist town of Amatrice, told of her numbed response when a 4.5-magnitude aftershock rattled the area just after 5.00 a.m. (0300 GMT).

“We are sleeping in the car and there were shocks all night. When the biggest one came, the car started moving and shaking.

“But what have we got to lose now? We have lost our house. So many friends and family are dead. We have lost everything, even our fear,” she told AGI news agency.

– Ghost villages –
The damage to smaller, more remote hamlets has left their very existence in doubt in an area that has suffered decades of depopulation and already has numerous “ghost” villages.

“If we don’t get help, l’Arquata is finished,” said Aleandro Petrucci, the mayor of Arquata del Tronto, which accounted for 57 of the confirmed deaths to date.

Petrucci said it was impossible to say exactly how many people were in the 13 hamlets comprising his community when the disaster struck.

“Here in the winter, the village is practically uninhabited but the population doubles or triples when people come back to their family houses in the summer,” he said.

In Pescara del Tronto, which was virtually razed by the quake, there only four permanently resident families.

But Petrucci said there could have been up to 300 people there on Wednesday.

Some may have fled back to Rome, the mayor said, appealing for them to get in touch. “Otherwise we could be trying to dig out ruins where there is no-one,” he said.

– Rebuild and start again –
Measuring 6.0-6.2 magnitude, the quake’s epicentre was near the towns of Accumoli and Amatrice, occurring at the shallow depth of four kilometres (2.5 miles), according to monitors.

But it was only the latest in a long string of killer quakes in the central Apennines, part of the mountainous “spine” that runs down Italy. Records dating back seven centuries attest to tens of thousands of deaths.

The Civil Protection agency which is coordinating the rescue effort said that in addition to the dead, 264 people had suffered injuries serious enough to be hospitalised. Several of them are in a critical state.

Although firemen and volunteers on the ground were pessimistic about the chance of finding any more survivors, several of them recalled that the last survivor of a 2009 in nearby L’Aquila was pulled from the rubble some 72 hours after it struck.

“The operation continued throughout the night and obviously there will be no let-up until it is absolutely clear that there is no possibility of finding any more people in the ruins,” said Immacolata Postiglione, the head of the Civil Protection agency’s emergency unit.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was chairing an emergency cabinet meeting which he said would put in place the first plans for reconstruction.

“The objective is to rebuild and start again,” he said.

An inquest was also underway into how such a thinly-populated area could have suffered such heavy casualties, given the lessons of recent history.

Seven years ago, the L’Aquila disaster, in which 300 people died, exposed how ill-equipped many of Italy’s centuries-old buildings are to cope with an earthquake.

– 13th-century tower intact –
“As geologists we have been saying for years that we are very far away in Italy from having a culture of prevention,” said Francesco Peduto, president of the Council of Italian Geologists.

After the L’Aquila quake, the Civil Protection agency made almost a billion euros available for upgrading buildings in seismically-vulnerable areas.

But the take-up of grants has been low, largely because of the cumbersome application process, according to critics.

One building which was supposed to have been quake-proofed was the Romolo Capranica school in Amatrice, which completely collapsed on Wednesday just four years after a 700,000-euro upgrade.

That was in sharp contrast to the oldest building in the town, the 13th-century Civic Tower, which was still standing Thursday, despite having been shaken sufficiently to detach its bell from its fastenings.

Nigeria: Pro-Dogara, Governor Abubakar Clash Over Bauchi APC Crisis

Abuja — It was protest galore at the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday when youth groups loyal to the feuding parties in the political dispute between the Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, held eberybody to ransom.

Although Abubakar was expected at the national secretariat along with the state Chairman of APC, but only the state chairman came with other party executives to the meeting with the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting, the state APC chairman, Uba Ahmed Nana, said contrary insinuations that the warring parties were fighting because of interests in 2019 general election, the issues were not about it.

"Let the story tellers be telling you. Go to Bauchi and see what is happening please, what is before us is not the issue of 2019. The ultimate goal of all of us and the party is how do we deliver successfully on our promises. That is what we are after. We should allow time to tell. We are not talking about 2019 but how to deliver successfully to the electorate."

However, trouble started as soon as the state Chairman arrived the party secretariat, with the leader of one of the groups, Galadima Abba Ittas led other fierce looking thugs chanting "bamu so bama so' meaning "we don't want the governor."

Speaking with journalists, Galadima said they were at the party secretariat to draw the attention of the party on the imminent collapse of the party in the state due to poor handling of affairs by the state Governor and the state Chairman.

"Abubakar has failed, he cannot pay salary of workers and unable to pay pensioners. Most of his appointments are PDP members while the APC appointees are being removed, we are calling on the national leadership to act fast by intervening in order to save the state from this debacle.

However, another group of youths mobilised and started chanting songs in support of the governor.

The atmosphere became charged as the chant of "Sai Barrister" (referring to governor) rented the air, drowning the voice of others.

Investigation however revealed that some of the youths were sponsored to embarrass the governor who incidentally was not at the secretariat.

Crisis rocked the state chapter of the APC with Dogara, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, other legislators from the state and other party executives were at the party secretariat to report the state governor to the national leadership of the party

Breaking News: Police withdraw from Kwankwaso’s home

In a dramatic turn of events, the Kano police Command Tuesday evening withdrew it’s personnel barely 15 hours after siege. *Kwankwaso Police authority in Kano are keeping sealed lips over the soft stand effort to speak with the police Commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf proved abortive . However, Vanguard learned that the withdrawal of the police officers was sequel to complaint allegedly lodged to higher authorities by the sitting MP. As at 6.00pm that Vanguard visited the Lugard road residence of the former Governor, it was empty devoid of bustle and hustle associated with multi-million naira Guest House. Shortly after the withdrawal, handful of Kwankwaasiyya faithful rushed to occupy the building to celebrate their freedom. The link roads to Kwnankwaso’s Lugard residence that were initially cordoned off have been open to free flow of traffic. The seal up of Kwankwaso’s residence according to the police was done to “prevent illegal assembly”

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/breaking-news-police-withdraws-from-kwankwasos-home/

Those who kill the innocent, shout ‘Allah is Great’ are simply deranged – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has described Boko Haram, its adherents and other Islamic deviants who kill the innocent and shout ‘God (Allah) is great’, as mentally unbalanced people saying ‘it is either they do not know the meaning of those words or they are simply deranged’. Noting that ‘these enemies (Boko Haram) are essentially an insane nuisance because they revel in cowardly attacks’, Buhari said, “There must be an understanding that the war against terrorism is the most unconventional one. They (terrorists) do not respect any rules of engagement; kill the defenseless including prisoners, use children and humans, girls and consider the killing of anyone at all at a victory. Speaking through Vice President Yemi Osibajo at the launch of the revised National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), in Abuja, Buhari said, “Therefore as we think through our strategy we must remember that to permanently win the physical battle, we must win the battle of the minds of even the most impressionable young men who sign up to join Boko Haram and other violent extremist groups. “We must understand that terrorism is essentially a psychological warfare and as such is psychologically sophisticated and we must educate the youth through the leadership of our faith that neither Islam nor any other religion that we know endorses the slaughter of anyone. Continuing Buhari said, “In the past few years our nation faced the threat of terrorism characterized by mindless killing of our people including children. “The massacre of the Buni Yadi boys in their hostels’ at night; the bombing of churches, mosque and market places, the kidnap of the Chibok girls and many others. The sheer recklessness of the killings, the shootings and the executions were meant to terrorize and produce maximum fear. “To further establish the reign of terror in the territory and the terrorists hoisted their terror flags in almost 27 local governments in the north east. “Sadly because of the disgraceful deed and the wickedness of some in governance and some in high office in the armed forces at the time, funds meant to equip soldiers to continue the fight against terror was embezzled. “The incredible selfishness caused the nation thousands of lives, extended the reign of terror and strengthened the enemy. “Since May 29, 2015, we have committed ourselves as a government to the absolute defeat of the terrorists and to quicken and emboldened the morale of our armed forces. But like evil, the vestiges of the activities and the warped ideologies still linger. “Through personal contacts, social media, capture, and intimidation, men, women and even children are induced, persuaded or forced to engage in acts of terrorism. “We must work hard to provide opportunity to educate these young men and women who for years have lacked education and the mere chance of doing well. “Our social investment programmes are designed to create real opportunities for our young people. “Today as many as are begin released from captivity, we are faced with serious problem of malnutrition, I have asked the Vice President to chair an inter-ministerial team to quickly review the challenges and work with our development partners and other CSOs to handle this particular problem. “Every single Nigerian is a priority, this is why I have repeatedly ordered our law enforcement agents to ensure that the perpetrators of violence in any shape or form are arrested and made to face the law. “The activities of armed herdsmen, kidnappers and criminal militants all threaten our security and the sovereignty of our nation. We will not allow anyone under any guise whether it is politics, culture or religion to violate the physical persons, lives or property of other citizens. This is the oath to which I swore and I will uphold it at all cost. “Achieving success in combating terrorism is contingent on a well-articulated strategy and effective counter terrorism coordination with all stakeholders and must be devoid of inter-agency rivalry. “In this regard, MDAs must henceforth adhere to their respective roles as stipulated in the statute and complimentary document. “This is why a robust and counter terrorism strategy is crucial in fight against terrorism and must be constantly reviewed for relevance to contemporary challenges. “Today, we are gathered to launch such a policy, the reviewed counter-terrorism strategy. That it is a revised strategy underscores the fact that it recognizes that terrorism has numerous ideologies; is not static and our response must be dynamic and versatile. “I wish to confirm that this policy is fit for purpose to adequately respond to the current, eminent and future challenges. Earlier, National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) said the revised counter terrorism strategy (NACTEST) was aimed not only at defeating terrorism but at curtailing its growth in the country. He said, “Following the Presidential directive to review the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) for immediate implementation, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), with the active collaboration of all stakeholders convened a Working Group of Experts to re-articulate the roles of MDAs as tasked in the Strategy. “In so doing, we were guided by the fact that the ability of a nation to effectively respond to acts of terrorism depends on its capacity to be several steps ahead of the terrorist. To do this is not as simple as it sounds. “However, by putting in place an all-encompassing strategy and implementation plan, whilst strengthening our laws, such as the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013, we can diminish the effectiveness of the terrorist. “We have made significant progress in our counter terrorism efforts. By virtue of Section 2, sub-section 1 (a)-(d) of the Terrorism Prevention Act, the Office of the National Security Adviser shall coordinate all security and law enforcement agencies in counterterrorism and provide them with support to prevent and combat terrorism. “It will ensure the effective formulation and implementation of a counter terrorism strategy, build capacity and do such other acts or things that are necessary for the effective functions of the relevant security and law enforcement agencies. “Also, By Virtue of Section 2, sub-section 2 (a)-(c), the Attorney General of the Federation shall be the authority for the effective implementation and administration of the Act and ensure that Nigeria’s counterterrorism laws and policies conform with international standards and United Nations Conventions on Terrorism, maintain international cooperation required for preventing and combating international acts of terrorism and effectively prosecute terrorism cases. “The Act in Sub-section 3 further mandates the security and law enforcement agencies to enforce all laws and regulations to combat and prevent acts of terrorism, among others. Sub-section 3 (f) is particularly relevant to note. “It provides for the law enforcement agencies to ‘partner with Civil Society Organizations and the Nigerian public to provide education, support, information, awareness and sensitization towards the prevention and elimination of acts of terrorism’. “The foregoing creates the window for a whole-of-society approach that is crucial to resolving the Boko Haram, and indeed, all other violent extremist phenomena in the country. “The National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) is the vehicle which gives life to the wordings and spirit of the Terrorism Prevention Act. “Pursuant to the coordinating role of my office, and in line with the Presidential directive for the review, we have worked assiduously with all stakeholders to re-articulate the roles of the MDAs and Civil Society. “The Strategy explains what organizations and individuals can do to help in its implementation in order to reduce the risks and ensure that people go about their lives freely and with confidence. “NACTEST is organized around five streams namely; Forestall, Secure, Identify, Prepare and Implement. Each of these streams has key objectives and success indicators. To effectively ensure monitoring and evaluating success at each stage, my office has developed a benchmarking framework for the evaluation of the implementation of NACTEST. “It has now been reviewed to include salient areas like the Nigeria Countering Violent Extremist program (Soft Approach to CT) and the Strategic Communication program, which are two very critical pillars in the fight against Terrorism and engendering sustainable peace. “MDAs and all well-meaning Nigerians must now rise to the occasion and respond to this call for action. Relevant MDAs must begin to streamline their contributions according to their roles and responsibilities as identified in the NACTEST. “The NACTEST Desks in MDAs have been established to drive the process so that the menace of terrorism must now be addressed from a multi – dimensional and multi – pronged and all of society approach in order to make it all encompassing.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/kill-innocent-shout-allah-great-simply-deranged/

Support Buhari’s plan in revitalising North-East, Adeosun urges Islamic Banks

 The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun has called on the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to support Nigeria in rebuilding the North Eastern part of the country ravaged by Boko Haram. She made the appeal on Monday in Abuja during the inauguration of the IDB Country Gateway office. Adeosun said that Nigeria was striving towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and would welcome the IDB’s support to achieve them. “I call on the IDB Group to work with development partners in operationalising the recovery and peace building assessment and implementation of the recently constituted June 2016 Buhari plan for the revitalisation of the North-East. “This entails addressing aspects of interventions relating to peace building, stability and social cohesion. “Also, to support critical productive infrastructure and service delivery and provide capacity building and programme management support in national, state and local government institutions.’’ Adeosun enjoined the Bank to scale up its concessional resources and increase its overall financing to Nigeria and other African member countries. She said that the new office would further enhance focus on implementation and decentralisation of activities for speedy completion of projects and better impact of development intervention. The IDB president, Dr Ahmad Ali, said that the bank would give Nigeria its utmost support in alignment with the nation’s development priorities. He said that the nation’s exemplary leadership and drive for national development, through good governance and zero tolerance for corruption, was an inspiration to the group and other development partners. “This determination would go a long way in fast tracking the implementation of development programmes in Nigeria. “The IDB group considers the education sector and particularly bilingual education among its priority areas in Nigeria and a key tool to counter extremism,“ he said. Ali said that the bank would also focus on health, agriculture, infrastructure, small and medium enterprises and regional integration. He added that the establishment of the country gateway office would enable the group to be more service-centric and closer to the Nigerian clients in both public and private sectors. The IDB is a multilateral development financing institution established in 1975 in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria became its 56th member country in 2005

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/support-buharis-plan-revitalising-north-east-adeosun-urges-islamic-banks/

Niger Delta Avengers Soyinka to lead negotiations with group - Report

Soyinka had on, August 11, met with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

play

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka

 (NAN)

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka will reportedly lead a dialogue team to facilitate negotiations between the Federal government and militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

This was disclosed by the spokesperson of the Dialogue Group, Mr Ballantyne Agiri to New Telegraph.

“I was on my own when they invited me to work for them. But I told them that one person cannot hold dialogue with the government, that we should look for eminent Nigerians who have the pedigree to do a good job," he said.

“The moment I mentioned Professor Wole Soyinka, they became interested because, according to them, he is somebody who is not from the Niger Delta, but has a credible and detribalised personality. Right now, we are constituting the dialogue team, we are putting logistics in place. Some of the members of the team are coming from outside the country.

“When you see some of them, you will even be shocked. Some of them are people who have served this country in different capacities. We are in the process. You know, this thing is not one man’s business. Most of those we have contacted do not want us to disclose their names yet.

“I only mentioned Soyinka to you because you remember that recently he went to Aso Rock to meet with Mr President to brief him and he said that Mr. President was happy with our proposal for peace,” he added.

Who Will Save Nigeria Football As Niger Bundle Golden Eaglets Out Of AFCON U17 Championship?

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will not participate in the 2017 edition of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after they were beaten by Niger Republic on Saturday, August 20. The Golden Eaglets managed a lone goal win over the Young Menas in the first leg of this fixture but could not keep the advantage in the return leg in Niamey as they were beaten 3-1.

This will be the first time in the country’s history that Nigeria won’t be part of all Afcon tournaments at all levels. The Super Eagles won’t be in Gabon 2017. The Flying Eagles were denied qualification in the U-20 cadre by Sudan. Recall that a great percentage of the U17 team were recently sent packing after about 26 players from the squad failed the mandatory MRI screening ahead of the first leg. The tests conducted uses an exceptionally strong magnet and radio frequency waves to generate image of the body to understand the cause of several health issues and in football, especially to determine age (range) of players. The Golden Eaglets are the only team ever to win the junior world cup five times. They won the maiden edition in 1985 at China and later in 1993, 2007, 2013, and 2015. They also won the African Under-17 Championship in 2001 and 2007, and were runners-up in 1995. With the 3-1 loss to Niger, the team will not have the opportunity to reach the World Cup stage to defend their title which they won in 2015, since Africa’s representatives will be chosen at the U17 Nations Cup billed for Madagascar in April, 2017.
The Street Journal noted with dismay the progressive downturn in the fortunes of the Nigeria’s football since the advent of the current leadership of the nation’s soccer administration body, Nigeria Football Federation NFF under Amaju Pinnick.
The former Delta State FA boss when his sister’s husband was governor, Dr Uduaghan, has not had a day of respite ever since he came on board. His tenure has been bedeviled with one crisis or the other from inception as Chris Giwa whom the nation’s court of law initially awarded victory and validated his mandate as the authentic president of NFF had not hidden his disdain for the institution of the Pinnick’s NFF. The manner the Pinnick’s NFF has been running the nation’s football has been appalling. Many wrong decisions that significantly had adverse effects on the growth of football in Nigeria were taken by Pinnick and his co-travelers in the glass house.
The selection of a technical adviser for the Super Eagles was as embarrassing as the failure of the nation’s senior team to participate in two editions of AFCON consecutively. The country’s FIFA rating has been diving towards the south with Pinnick at the helm of affairs of Nigeria’s football in an unprecedented version.
The Dream Team V1 that won the bronze at the Rio Olympic under Samson Siasia went through hell to jet out of the country on a training tour in the US. The team led by the coach and skipper, Mikel Obi had to use personal funds to bail out he team during critical situations that were capable of inflicting the country with national embarrassment of an un-imaginable proportion.
The minister of sport, Dalung, who has also exposed the much talked about super cabinet composition of President Mohammadu Buhari due to his kindergarten leadership style had cried out that Pinnick and his ‘NFF cultists’ did not furnish his office with the information concerning the US trip of Siasai and his boys. He was in the US embarrassing himself and the country washing the nation’s dirty lining in the glare view of the international community. He called the team and its handlers unprintable names insinuating that the boys were in the US as guests of some friends of their coaches.
To travel to the venue of the global fiesta in Brazil was another global issue for Nigeria and her leaders who indulged in conspiracy of silence of sort. Both Pinnick and Dalung should not be allowed to bury our football. Football remains the only unifying factor for Nigerians as our politicians have succeeded dividing the country along tribal lines for selfish political profiteering.
I’m not unaware of the implications of the statue of FIFA in removing a member’s FA President. But this could be achieved democratically within the NFF itself while a more suitable replacement for Pinnick would be found. Dalung should be redeployed if his affinity to Buhari is that strong that he must remain in his cabinet. He has the prerogative to keep him. But it would do both Dalung and Buhari a lot of good if the former is removed from the ministry of Sports. His charisma for the ministry is in the deficit. His knowledge and temperament for the game of football and its politics in Nigeria and beyond are lacking as well.

The Naira is having the bashing of its life in the forex market with its attendant difficulties inflicted on Nigerians, while all good of life like both economic and social infrastructure are in short supply. But the game of football which had remained the greatest succour for Nigerians at a time like this is gradually being killed by some people who rose to unprecedented positions of authority in the country on the back of godfathers and now find it an uphill task to make a success of the opportunity undeservedly entrusted to them. Shio!

He went for greener pastures, now he’s lost his mind

Raimi Kayode who claimed to have left his Igboho hometown in Osun State in search of greener pastures in Kaduna State, is homeless, jobless and mentally challenged.

Do you know Raimi Kayode of Ile Onimosa Igboho in Oyo State who migrated to Kaduna in 1987, or any of his relatives? A newspaper vendor, Ayodele Obaloko, in Jos Road, Kaduna has some news: Kayode who has been untraceable for many years is alive but has unfortunately lost his mind.

Kayode is a popular face at L1 and L2 Ahmadu Bello Way where he has made a home for himself in front of some shops. Many people called him an Islamic cleric as he had a reputation for offering buoyant Islamic prayers for all who seek his help. During the day, apart from offering prayers for prospective clients who pay him a token, he sits offering unsolicited advice to the government.  He had an opinion on almost every subject including security, economy, infrastructure, etc.

Kayode is destitute and a nuisance who has been mentally ill for many years. On Jos Road with a large Yoruba immigrant population, he is regarded as a cleric of sorts with special powers for effective prayers. For others who do not believe in his supernatural talents, he is simply a mad man.

The first impression on seeing Kayode did not betray his illness, he is dark with tribal marks which age filled into his cheeks and age has done a good job of hiding. He has a full beard and moustache part of which has gone grey and bloodshot eyes.

He wore a cheap green lace traditional outfit which was tolerably clean, however, if one looked closely, one would see that underneath, he was wearing another lace. His hands are clean and his fingernails are neatly trimmed. On his two wrists he wore two different watches which surprisingly tell the correct time.  He had a light brown cap on his head, a pair of bathroom slippers and carried a sack.

The content of the sack betrayed him as a vagabond, there were several empty packaged water sachets, a rotten corn cob, a small jotter filled with gibberish, a Techno mobile phone, prayer rosary, pliers, screw driver, a tape rule, body cream and money in different denominations. But the most important article in the bag is a blue overall with a bag belonging to “Welding Association of Nigeria, Igboho branch, zone A.”

The journey to insanity

No one could remember exactly when Kayode went mad or anything about his antecedents before the unfortunate illness; the farthest people could tell about his history is only one year ago when he suddenly showed up at Jos Road vendor stand and became friends with a certain Muda who is a newspaper vendor.

“He was a friend of Muda; whenever he came around he would buy Alaroye  newspaper, he would offer prayers for people and they would give him money. When he is hungry, he would use part of the money they paid him to buy food. He has never given anybody any problem, we don’t know anything about his background except what he said himself that he came from Igboho,” Obaloko said.

It was not difficult to get words out of the loquacious Kayode who willingly answered every question even though only few of them could be relied upon. “My name is Raimi Kayode and I am 91 years old, I came from Ile Onimosa in Igboho in 1987 to Kaduna to work,” he began.

Kayode claimed to have been a vegetable oil seller in his home town and an apprentice to a welder before relocating to Kaduna.

That was where the sense in his narration ended. He claimed to be  91 years old but that must be absolutely incorrect because from his looks he would be in his early 50s.

Despite the inadequacies in his story, Kayode remembers addresses well. For Instance, he said robbers broke into his shop at No 3, Ago Sanusi Road by Tudun Wada, he remembers too that he took his tools to one Iya Ijebu in Barkinwa Express by Sanusi Road.

The Yoruba community in Jos road considers him as one of their own who should be helped.  In December 2015, the Islamic group, Ansarudeen volunteered to return him to his hometown. But before plans could be formalised, Kayode was attacked by a group of suspected robbers while he slept on the front lawn of the building. They stole his bag and whatever money they could find on him.

There is no record of Kayode’s family or friends in Kaduna. In the past, according to Obaloko, he had told him about his children in Igboho.

Would he like to return to Igboho? At first he looked lost as if he didn’t understand the question, then said in a sorrowful voice, “I can’t go because I don’t have a job there.” When he was assured of a job once he gets to Igboho he changed the narrative and claimed to have recently returned from Igboho on August 7, 2016.

Many of the traders appeal that his people should come forward to collect and rehabilitate him as he has become a nuisance to the Yoruba community in Kaduna.

“If there is anyone who knows  his family, they should please come forward and help him, there is no way we can trace them but we are appealing to them to come and claim him and care for him,” Obaloko said

MANY FEARED DEAD AS UNIVERSITY BUILDING COLLAPSES

At least 20 students feared dead as two-story building collapsed in Kano University Science & Technology, the Vanguard reports.  

The building that collapsed was donated to the university by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). The incident that happened midday was said to have trapped a number of labourers at the site.  

One of the witnesses reported that there are increased fear that the figures may be known following the deployment of men of fire service. 

The university is located in Wudil, a local government in Kano state. The university which was known as Kano University of Technology, Wudil has been renamed as Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil in the year 2005 in conformity to the Gazette laws of the University. 

It is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities


Read more: https://www.naij.com/937877-breaking-many-feared-dead-university-building-collapses-photos.html?source=breaking

Buhari should know he’s no longer a military man – Oba Akinolu

The Oba of Lagos on Monday advised President Muhammadu Buhari to be civil in his approach to governance, saying he should realise that he is no longer a military man.

Even as the monarch said former Goodluck Jonathan could not be totally blamed for the nation’s current economic crisis, he sought support for President Buhari and expressed confidence in the Federal Government’s Economic Management Team led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to salvage the economy.

He spoke in Lagos during the unveiling of SunTrust Bank Limited, the first commercial bank to be licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 15 years.

Akiolu said, “All of us just have to support the President and I advise him to know that he is no more a military man. I am not afraid to say that. The measures they are taking on the rot of the past, honestly whether they like it or not, it was not totally the fault of former President Goodluck Jonathan. I don’t hide the fact that he (Jonathan) is my personal friend.”

The President, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman, Forte Oil, Femi Otedola; and Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, were among top dignitaries that witnessed the unveiling of SunTrust Bank.

Dangote, who was a special guest of honour at the event, described as a bold move the decision by the Board of Directors and management of SunTrust Bank to open a new bank at a time the global banking industry and major economies were facing serious challenges.

The lack of growth in major economies, declining commodity prices, and weakness in the Nigerian economy, according to the Africa’s richest man, are some of the challenges facing today’s businesses.

He, however, noted that the challenges could be converted into opportunities by forward-looking and proactive companies and businessmen.

Dangote said this informed his decision to invest in Nigeria and other African countries and listed some of his ongoing investment projects in Lagos to include Africa’s largest fertliser plant with capacity for three million tonnes, and the world’s largest single line of refinery.

“These investments of ours are meant to open the entire economy, not just in Nigeria but the entire Africa. We also believe that this investment by SunTrust Bank will attract good rewards in the years to come.

“SunTrust Bank has a good business model that is based on financial technology, often regarded as FinTech. With their focus on FinTech, customers can transact business with them without leaving their homes,” he added

According to the business mogul, the SunTrust Bank’s model will attract millions into the financial system, noting that only 15 per cent of the country’s adult population is currently in the banking system.

While unveiling SunTrust Bank, Dangote said, “This is a very bold move; ladies and gentlemen, I present to you tomorrow’s bank today,”

Goje, who also lauded the board and management of the bank, expressed hope that the lender would enhance economic growth and development.

The Governor, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who was represented by the Branch Controller, Lagos State, Mr. J Iyari, advised the bank to create a niche for itself and comply with the rules and regulations guiding the banking sector.

The Chairman, Board of Directors, SunTrust Bank, Mr. Charles Ugboko, said the lender would give priority to excellent services.

He said banking had gone beyond large branch network and, as such, the lender would leverage technology to deliver superior and modern banking services to the people.

According to the Managing Director, SunTrust Bank, Mr. Muhammad Jibrin, the courage to fulfil any dream usually comes from passion.

As such, he said the board, management and staff of the bank were passionate about making a difference in the banking sector.

He said, “This is the first commercial banking licence in 15 years. We thank the CBN for counting us worthy of this licence; it is a privilege and not a right.”

Jibrin, who expressed gratitude to Dangote, Goje, and other eminent Nigerians at the event, said the bank was determined to make a huge difference in the financial services sector.

Other dignitaries at the event are: a former Chairman, Economic and Financial Services Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu; Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Nike Akande; a former Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, among others

BlackBerry Becomes First Major Manufacturer to Patch QuadRooter Vulnerabilities

Earlier this month, over 20,000 of the world’s top computer hackers and security experts flocked to Las Vegas for Black Hat USA and DEF CON 24, the largest and most important hacking conferences in the world. On the last day of DEF CON, security company Check Point unveiled QuadRooter, a set of four new high-severity security vulnerabilities that impact over 900 million mobile devices with Qualcomm processors.

Three of the four vulnerabilities have already been fixed on PRIV devices with the August Marshmallow patch and on all DTEK50 devices. In addition, the secure boot chain present in all BlackBerry devices naturally mitigates the remaining issue. We’re not aware of any exploits for this vulnerability in the wild, and we don’t think any of our customers are currently at risk from this issue. This is a great example of how our Android platform hardening proactively protects against issues that haven’t even been discovered yet, a topic we’ll discuss in more detail over the coming weeks.

Back when we launched BlackBerry Powered by Android, we made a public commitment to provide monthly security updates as well as “hotfix” patches for certain issues. As Chief Security Officer David Kleidermacher wrote at the time: “Some critical Android vulnerabilities – for example, one that can be easily and remotely exploited with a publicly disclosed method to execute ‘root’ privileged malware – simply can’t wait for a monthly update cycle.” As soon as we learned about QuadRooter, we immediately began to develop, test, and integrate a fix to deploy through our rapid patching process as quickly as possible.

I’m happy to announce that a patch for all of the QuadRooter vulnerabilities is now available for the PRIV and DTEK50 users. Customers who bought their devices from ShopBlackBerry.com should see the update today and most of our carrier partners will be rolling it out to their users starting this week.

How to Install the Patch

To install the patch, simply navigate to Settings / About phone / System updates on your BlackBerry Powered by Android device. We’re very proud to support Google’s push for rapid security updates by becoming the first major OEM to patch all of the QuadRooter issues across our entire device portfolio.

With PRIV and DTEK50 by BlackBerry, you get full Android devices with access to the entire Android ecosystem, but you also get the peace-of-mind of knowing they’re built, managed, and updated by the company that pioneered mobile security. The most secure Android devices on the market give you the freedom to download apps, communicate with your friends, and get your work done without giving up your personal privacy or compromising your safety. Ultimately, that’s the BlackBerry security advantage

Dalung sends two U-23 players, officials back to Nigeria

Sports minister Solomon Dalung has sent two players and three officials of the national U-23 team back to Nigeria from the ongoing 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

It was learnt that the two alternate players Stanley Dimgba and goalkeeper Yusuf Mohammed alongside the team’s media officer, Timi Ebikagboro, curator and the team coordinator were sent packing from the games and flew out of Brazil to Nigeria on Monday night.

“We said they should send them back home if they could not take care of them (players and officials,” Nigeria Football Federation spokesman told The PUNCH.

Dalung had complained of the huge financial burden of taking care of the extra players and officials after the players were prevented from leaving the hotel over the unpaid bills of eight of their unaccredited players and officials.

Dalung said 84 players and four officials – unofficially accredited persons had been with the team since they left Atlanta for Brazil.

“The organisers of the Games, the International Olympic Committee, are only responsible for 25 accredited players and officials including feeding, flights and accommodation. We have been carrying the rest along. In Manaus, we were forced to pay camp allowances to the extra four players making 29,” Dalung added

2016 Olympics: Full Q/Final Results, Semi Final Fixtures

Nigeria is through to the semi final of the men's football competition at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Here are the quarter final results:

Portugal U23 0 - 4 Germany U23

Nigeria U23 2 - 0 Denmark U23

South Korea U23 0 - 1 Honduras U23

Brazil U23 2 - 0 Colombia U23

Here are the semi final fixtures:

Brazil U23 vs Honduras U23 (5pm Nigerian time)

Nigeria U23 vs Germany U23 (8pm Nigerian time)

The Semi Finals will be played on the 17th of August (next week Wednesday)

We are committed to empowering youths – Buhari

Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday assured young Nigerians of his administration commitments to improving their lives.

He made the remark in his International Youth Day message to Nigerians.

Stressing that the youths played a vital role in his success at the 2015 presidential election, Buhari said he will never let them down.

He said: “I am delighted to commemorate this occasion, the second such celebration since I took office.

“The roles that young Nigerians played in the historic election that brought our government to power will never be forgotten. This government belongs to you.

“I would like to use this opportunity to assure you of our commitment to improving the quality of your lives and to creating opportunities for you to achieve your dreams and ambitions.

“We are mindful of the fact that Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world. Those young people are immensely energetic and talented, consistently blazing the trail in arts, sports, business and technology. We are proud of what you have done and what you are able to do.”

The President said his administration has so far launched programmes targeting improvement in the lives of Nigerian youth.

“We have launched a number of initiatives targeted at expanding the economic opportunities available to young Nigerians.

“N-Power, our job creation scheme, for which applications are ongoing, will employ 500,000 of you in agriculture, education, healthcare and technology.

“The Aso Villa Demo Day will soon bring 30 of the most innovative young Nigerians to the State House to showcase their talent in providing technology-based solutions to some of our most challenging problems.

“The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), part of our N500 billion Social Investment Programme, will provide soft loans to thousands of young entrepreneurs across the country. These are just some of the many initiatives we have designed and are implementing for you.

“You are the strength and future of our country. Please be assured that this administration will create an enabling environment for you to realize your potentials,” President Buhari added.

Biafra: Kanu ‘willing’ to negotiate with FG

Nnamdi Kanu

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu on Friday disclosed that his group, IPOB, is willing to negotiate with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to end the agitation for self-governance.

The IPOB leader made this known through his lawyers, led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Amoebi Nzelu, while reacting to the government’s decision on Thursday to release some members of the group who were arrested in February.

According to his lawyers, Kanu said they were not opposed to talks with the government

Oyo to prosecute tax defaulters from next week

Governor Abiola Ajimobi

T tax  defaultersHE Oyo State Internal Revenue Service (OYIRS) has vowed to  prosecute tax evaders and offenders, from Wednesday, August 17.

Its Special Adviser, Biyi Oloko and Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Toye Arulogun gave the warning yesterday while addressing reporters in Ibadan, the state capital.

He added that the board has inaugurated a team to tour the 33 local governments for enforcement of tax payment, with a warning that defaulters risk jail terms, fines or both.

The special adviser noted that for growth in education, health and other social services to be sustained, the citizenry must support the government’s revenue generation drive through payment of taxes and levies.

Oloko said:” The OYIRS has now put in place a databank on tax defaulters and is now embarking on an enforcement and prosecution drive that will take full advantage of the provisions of the tax laws to apprehend and prosecute tax defaulters.

“The Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice will, through a rapid tax prosecution process, commence prosecution of tax defaulters in Oyo State without further notice. Enforcement drive will commence Wednesday August 17.

“The Oyo State government, through the OYIRS, has put all the necessary machineries in place to ensure the enforcement of the tax laws and wishes to advise all erring taxpayers to comply forthwith and ensure immediate payment of any outstanding taxes, fines and levies. The full weight of the law will be brought to bear on taxable persons, who fail to comply.”

According to him, the government has set up a joint enforcement team with the local government to ensure a harmonised approach to the enforcement of the tax laws of both the state and local government.

To block leakages in revenue collection, Oloko added that the government has adopted electronic collection of revenues (POS) at all its revenue points.

He urged taxpayers not to make any cash payments to any individual other than directly into the designated revenue accounts in any of the collecting banks.

Oloko reiterated that the state would continue to take advantage of the provisions of the law to prosecute recalcitrant corporate organisations and individuals, stressing that all tax evaders and offenders, upon prosecution, may be fined or imprisoned.

He added that without revenue, infrastructural facilities like roads, security, education and healthcare that facilitate Oyo State’s growth will not be realized.

Oloko explained that OYIRS has over the past months, embarked on various advocacy and enlightenment programmes for stakeholder groups and took them through the essence of paying their taxes as at when due

JAMB reacts to allegations of candidates’ imposition on universitie

The Registrar of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, on Friday, denied reports that the board was imposing candidates on universities for admission.

Oloyede, who stated this in Benin, Edo State, during his visit to JAMB’s zonal office, said‎ ”I know many of you are bothered and you want to hear from me about the admission.
“There is no stalemate; after due consultation with the Senate, House of Representatives, because they were worried and invited us, the matter was totally resolved,’’ he said.

He added that education and examination regulatory institutions “like NBTE, NCCE, NUC and JAMB itself, were also dully consulted’’.
“There is no ambiguity on what will happen. As it has been announced by the Minister of Education, there will be no written examination, no written Post-UTME examination by any institution.
“Apart from that, every other thing remains as it used to be, because the authority, autonomy and independence of the academic boards or the Senate of the respective institutions remain sacrosanct.
“They should determine their criteria, following the directives of the Federal Executive Council to all Federal universities about what should be merit, catchment areas, educationally-disadvantaged states and other things.

“Things remain the way they used to be. The only addition this year is, for now, there should be no written Post-UTME examination.

“Every Senate and academic board should determine its own admission policy.
“We must be fair to all; we must be federal in our attitude; we must be equitable in whatever we do. We must not extort the students.
“We must not exploit the masses of this nation; every other thing remains; that is the position of JAMB,” Oloyede said.
On allegation of imposition of admission-seeking candidates on universities, he said, “I am telling you what the situation is today and that does not arise.
“The admission should be conducted as directed by the academic boards of the Senate of every respective institution except that there should be no written Post-UTME examination.
“The traditional guidelines as to spread in terms of merit, catchment area, educationally-disadvantaged states for federal institutions remain so.
“So, each proprietor at the state level and private level will determine the criteria and once that is done, you will ensure they are strictly followed. There should be no extortion of students.
“There should be no imposition of students on the institutions and also, every institution should be equitable to all

NECO Registrar pledges to improve standard of education

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the National Examination Council (NECO), Professor Charles Uwakwe has promised to meet up with the challenge of transforming the education sector in this country.

Uwakwe while taking over the management of the examination body on Monday in Minna said that he will work towards improving the standard of education through NECO in the country.

“I will work with the mandate given to me and will ensure that I improve on the standard already laid by previous chief executive officers of this organization.

“I am proud of the caliber of staff in this organization I believe with the cooperation of all we will take NECO to the promised land”, Uwakwe said.

The NECO Registrar then disclosed that the President had tasked heads of the 17 education agencies recently appointed on better service delivery in order to improve the standard of education in the country.

Uwakwe took over from Professor Garba Abdulrasheed at the NECO headquarters in Minna.

Uwakwe commended the former Registrar of the organization Abdulrasheed for making a difference in NECO within the short period adding that the image of NECO in the society had improved tremendously  adding that he will continue to follow the template of activities left behind by the former Registrar.

He assured management and staff that the new leadership will carry them along soliciting for their support and cooperation while warning that indolence and indiscipline will not be tolerated.

Handing over the leadership of the examination body to new Registrar, the former Registrar itemized the giant strides taken by NECO over the years which included prompt release of examination results, reduction in examination malpractices and good relationship with the host community.

Abdulrasheed expressed appreciation to the staff for the support they gave him and asked that better cooperation should be extended to the new Registrar

Oyo Lawmaker’s killers: We are robbers, not assassins

*as police parades four suspect, declares three others wanted
One of the four suspects arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Gideon Aremu, on July 1, 2016, Ayobami Adedeji (23) has disclosed that they were mere robbers and not assassins as it was insinuated.
Adedeji and three other suspects; Adediran Oladapo (31), Kareem Isiaka, and Sodiq Adedeji (20) were paraded by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade at the Police Command headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan on Monday.
The lawmaker from the Labour Party, representing Oorelope constituency, was until his death the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Public Relations and Security.
He was killed in front of his house in Alakia area of the state as he alighted from his car to open his gate. Three gunmen on a motorcycle were said to have trailed him to the house and shot him severally after a brief argument according to family source.
In an attempt to quicken the arrest of the killers, the state Governor Abiola Ajimobi placed a N5m bounty on the heads of the gunmen responsible for the murder of the lawmaker.
Narrating how the lawmaker was killed, Adedeji said they did not know the status of late Aremu before one of them called ‘Abbey’ shot him after collecting his mobile phone and money.
According to him, we met at our usual Awo joint in Beere area, Ibadan, to carry out a robbery operation at Adegbayi, Ibadan on that fateful day.
“We did not track the lawmaker to his residence but it was one of us called Abbey that his mother reside in Adegbayi that brought the job to rob the lawmaker to us. I did not know why Abbey shot him, but the only thing they gave me was N40,000 which was my share of the operation.” he said
Adedeji who also confirmed to be an ex-convict said he is was jailed last year for selling Indian Hemp but was later pardoned after spending a year at the Agodi prison in Ibadan by the State Attorney General.
The suspect claimed that he became friends with Abbey, Kola Mission, Yusff Ikire at Awo joint, around Ogunmola compound in Beere after he was released from prison.
He noted that on the day they killed the lawmaker, they took off from the Awo joint after consuming Indian Hemp served to them by one Dele Awo.
But one of the arrested suspect, Sodiq Kareem, who is a criminal receiver claimed that he was not aware that the killed lawmaker’s phone he bought was a stolen one.
“It was Kola and Yusuf that sold the lawmaker’s phone to me for N12,500 but I could not make use of the phone because it was locked and has a security code, so I gave it to Kareem Isiaka aka Alfa to unlock for me or sell. Alfa sold it to Adeniran Oladapo for N16,000” he said
Also, Alfa confirmed collecting the phone from Sodiq to sell but did not know that it was a stolen phone.
Oyebade said that the arrest was made possible by a combined team of Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and detectives from the Oyo State Police Command.
“The suspects did not have the knowledge of the status of the lawmaker. As robbers their intention was to rob him of valuable property in his possession. The victim was killed because they thought he could identify them due to a torch flashed on them during the operation.” he said
The police boss declared wanted three of the fleeing suspects which includes; Abbey, Kola Mission, and Yusuf Ikire, adding that anyone with useful information that could lead to their arrest should contact the police command.
He saluted the patience of the family of the victim, the understanding of the state government and the people of the state.
Oyebade assured that no criminal will commit crime of any magnitude in the state and get away with it.
Lauding the effort of te police, The lawmaker representing Ibadan North State Constituency II, Mr Olaleye said the effort of the police in the arrest of his colleague is very commendable.
“It is very clear to the world now that Honourable Aremu was not killed politically but by arm robbers. It’s not up to two months now and they have expose the face of this evil perpetrators and am sure those that flee too will soon be caught” he said
Also, Oyebade commissioned‎ the Secretariat of the Police Officers Wife Association (POWA) and a new police station in Ogungbade, Ibadan.