News
Violence erupted in Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday when a popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, reportedly stormed the Fulani settlement in the town to eject the Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and some other herdsmen accused of fuelling security problems in the area.
Unconfirmed reports claimed that some persons were killed while properties worth several millions of naira were set ablaze during the clash which occured in the evening.
Although Igboho could not be reached as calls to his telephone line indicated that he was out of reach, residents of Igangan however said that at least one youth from Igboora was killed by Fulani fighters while two others sustained injuries from gun shots.
The Seriki also told our correspondent that one Fulani woman was killed. He said he had fled the town before Igboho returned on Friday.
The claims from both sides could not be independently verified as of press time on Friday.
Igboho had last week issued a seven-day quit notice to the Seriki and his associates.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had in a broadcast warned people fuelling ethic crisis in the state to desist from such act.
Despite this, Igboho and his supporters stormed Igangan on Friday afternoon.
Addressing the youths, Igboho said, “They started deploying soldiers here since yesterday (Thursday). When our people were being kidnapped and killed, there was not soldier to be deployed to secure them.
Reacting, Oyo State PPRO, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said, “Tactical police teams with Operation Burst are on ground to give maximum security protection while efforts are on to ascertain the situation there.”
Makinde vows to resist ethnic crisis
Meanwhile, Makinde said on Friday that his government would not allow anyone hiding under the guise of ethnic interest to perpetrate a crisis in the state.
Makinde said the war to be waged by the state and the security agencies was against criminal elements, irrespective of their tribes, religions or creed.
He added that his administration would not allow anyone to threaten the peace of the state by acting unlawfully as such was against the nation’s Constitution.
The governor, who spoke while receiving the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko, said the state government would not relent in placing priority on the welfare of security agencies in the state.
The governor said, “For people stoking ethnic tension, they are criminals and once you get them, they should be arrested and treated like common criminals. For this administration, the major pillar for us is security, because we know that all the good economic plans we have won’t be possible in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity.”
“So, when people say things that are neither lawful nor within the spirit of Nigeria’s Constitution, it is not acceptable here. And they cannot hide under the guise of protecting Yoruba interest to perpetuate chaos in the state.”
Punch
A total of 127 soldiers are exiting the Nigerian Army despite worsening security challenges the military is currently combating in some parts of the country.
The soldiers, drawn from various formations of the army across the country, are all of the junior cadres who are mostly at the forefront in the field.
The military personnel, comprising one Master Warrant Officer, three Warrant Officers, 22 Staff Sergeants, 29 Sergeants, 64 Corporals, seven Lance Corporals and one Private, will disengage in May, according to a memo seen by PREMIUM TIMES.
Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general, has since approved their formal disengagement.
The list of the exiting soldiers did not distinguish between those embarking on voluntary retirement and those leaving the army on medical grounds.
According to the memo signed by T.A Gagariga, a brigadier general, who communicated the approval of their disengagements, the 127 soldiers are to submit all military properties in their possession.
“In compliance with the provisions of section A, the COAS vide reference B has approved the voluntary discharge of the above named NWO and 126 others listed in annex A. The soldiers are to proceed on terminal leave WEF 26th April, 21 while their disengagement date takes effect from 26th May 21 in accordance with the NA administrative policies and procedures No. 27 paragraphs 3 and 4,” the memo read.
“Accordingly, I am directed to request you relate to their respective units to release the affected soldiers to report to HQ CAR with their unit service documents for documentation NLT 5th January 21 and ensure that:”
“a. All forms of military controlled items, arms, ammunition and items of combat kits are recovered from the soldiers prior to their disengagement date and certified that they are properly de-kitted.”
“b. They complete all necessary documentation for withdrawal from: 1. NAWIS contributions 2. DENFUND contribution 3. National Mortgage Contributions,” the memo read.
Low morale?
The exit of the 127 soldiers who have neither attained retirement age nor mandatory years of service, is coming in the middle of security crises in the country.
Their resignation is coming after a larger number of their colleagues quit en masse last July, a development which insiders in the military said was indicative of low morale in the forces.
The country is currently battling Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east, armed bandits in the North-west and North-central, as well as militants and pirates in the South-south.
Nigerian Armed Forces, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force, had in the past lamented about insufficient personnel to help in restoration of sanity in the country.
Recently, Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, a retired major general, said the military was understaffed and underfunded to tackle the various security challenges facing the country.
Despite the minister’s claim of low funding for the military, the defence sector has for the past five years taken a large chunk of Nigeria’s budget.
Following repeated complaints about insufficient personnel, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo revealed last year that there was an ongoing deliberate and comprehensive consolidation of the security situation in the country which included plans to recruit more troops and officers to beef up the personnel of security agencies in order to contain the threats and security concerns in the land.
PT
Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, has ordered massive recruitment into the state chapter of the Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun.
Adetunji Adeleye, commander of the corps in the state, confirmed this on Friday.
“The governor has ordered massive recruitment to the corps. The recruitment is free. You can download the form on our website,” Adeleye said.
Donald Ojogo, commissioner for information, also confirmed reports of the recruitment in a text message to TheCable.
“We have not repudiated the story,” he said.
On Monday, Akeredolu ordered herders to vacate the forest reserves over rising insecurity in the state.
He had said “bad elements” had turned the forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating ransom and carrying out other criminal activities.
The governor’s directive had sparked different reactions, with Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, saying the governor could not unilaterally oust thousands of herders “who have lived all their lives in the state”.
But Afenifere, Yoruba sociopolitical group, said Shehu’s response showed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government prioritised Fulani interests above those of other ethnic groups.
The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) asked herders to disregard the governor’s directive.
The Cable
As the seven-day ultimatum Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, issued herdsmen occupying Ondo state forests expires tomorrow, National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo has declared that no power can remove Fulani herdsmen from the state’s forests. In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the Miyetti Allah leader stressed that their people have settled there for over 250 years and so they are not going to obey anybody to leave the place.
He claims the Fulani ethnic group owns all the land in Nigeria. “All the lands in this country belong to the Fulani, but we don’t have any business to do with land if it doesn’t have areas for grazing; if the land doesn’t have cow food, we won’t have any business with it. We don’t sell land, we don’t farm. What we consider is the areas that have cow food. If the place is good for grazing, we don’t need anybody’s permission to go there”, he stated.
Following allegations of kidnapping and robbery carried out by Fulani herdsmen, Ondo State government has given them seven-day ultimatum to leave the forests in the state, what is your reaction?
Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu doesn’t have any right to give such ultimatum to our people. People, including Fulani voted for him to be the governor; so he should be the governor of everybody in the state.
Fulani have been in the forests he is talking about even before he was born; they have been there for over 250 years. No matter how dangerous a forest may be, Fulani would go and settle there. After staying there for a long time and their cow dung turns the place fertile, people would begin to come there to farm and to settle and from then, they begin to make claims that our cattle were destroying their farms.
We are suing the governor and seeking injunction restraining him and others from carrying out his threat. But even at that, nobody, no power can send the herdsmen out of Ondo State.
When are you going to court as the ultimatum will soon expire?
We are making consultations with our legal team. But before then, the governor and his people should stop embarrassing our people in the forests and all their businesses.
No any herdsman will obey the governor; the herdsmen will not step an inch out of Ondo forests; they are going nowhere. We won’t obey the governor; it is only the constitution of Nigeria that we obey. We have been in that area before he was born, how can he just grow up and ask us to leave; no Fulani will leave that place. What are his reasons for the quit notice?
He alleged that it is the herdsmen that are kidnapping and robbing people and they operate from the forests
We are not in support of any form of criminality- armed robbery, kidnapping, gun running etc. These crimes are the reasons we have the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Army, DSS, even Civil Defence to nab perpetrators and there are courts everywhere to try them and if found guilty, appropriate punishment meted out to them. The governor is the chief security officer of the state, there is no reason he should single out one ethnic group for the crimes committed in the state. He is supposed to accommodate more Fulani in the state and not to drive them out. Driving them out is not the solution.
I have just concluded a meeting with my fellow Fulani and we have found out that some people will adorn Fulani attire to carry out various crimes. How can Fulani man living in the forest kidnap and ask people to pay ransom ranging from N5 million to N10 million. What would he be doing with that kind of money inside forest; if you pay herdsmen N20 million, N10 million, N5 million in the forest, where would he carry the money to and what will he be doing with such money? Check the leaders of those criminals; let the governors identify who the criminals are. They are not Fulani. He just wants to use that as an excuse to drive our people away from his state. It is just giving a dog a bad name to hang it; the herdsmen are not the kidnappers, let him carry out proper investigations. Let him know this, no any person in this country can push us out of the forests.
If it becomes so hot and your people decide to go, where would you be headed?
The first thing is that nothing will make us take such decision. If you apply force and out of hundred Fulani, you kill 95 of them, the remaining five will go back there and continue with their grazing. They have been there for up to 250 years. They have been there before the state was even created.
All the lands in this country belong to the Fulani, but we don’t have any business to do with land if it doesn’t have areas for grazing; if the land doesn’t have cow food, we won’t have any business with it. We don’t sell land, we don’t farm. What we consider is the areas that have cow food. If the place is good for grazing, we don’t need anybody’s permission to go there.
Nigerians should know that our association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is not backing anybody who is a kidnapper, armed robber, and we are calling for law enforcement agents to go after all these criminals and deal decisively with them.
The criminality all over the country is the more reason we want to fully implement our vigilante system; we want to enter all the forests in this country to check these bandits in the forests that are causing these problems and denting the good image of Fulani ethnic group. We can’t wait any longer; we are sending our vigilantes into the forests to fish out these criminals – those intimidating the herdsmen and stealing their cows and secondly, these bandits causing problems in this country. It is only the Fulani that can enter any forest and chase out these bandits.
Why can’t your people live with the people in the community instead going to live inside forests?
We don’t need cities or towns. If you dash us FCT Abuja or the city of Lagos, we won’t have anything to do with it. We want a place where we continue to practice our age long culture of cattle rearing. We inherited it from our forefathers and it will continue till the end of the world. People are using propaganda to spoil Fulani name, and desperate politicians are in the forefront. Any governor that is drumming up on the Fulani herdsmen issue, watch well, he has issue or problem whether political or otherwise in his state. It is possible that Akeredolu is fighting a political battle, it may be 2023 election and that is why he is playing up this Fulani herdsmen issue. It is the same with Benue State governor, Ortom, when he was not performing; he started to play up Fulani herdsmen and farmers issue to draw support from his people. For almost six years, he hasn’t done any work in his state; he is talking about herdsmen and his people.
Fulani can settle in any bush or forest they want the moment they have cows. We agreed that our children will pursue education and other activities other people are doing in town, but even me, I’m not comfortable staying in the city, up till now my house is inside village.
Why is it that you would not take permission from the owners of the forests before you settle there?
Which forest, who has the forest? Any person who thinks he owns any forest should be taken to psychiatric hospital. Nobody owns any forest; forests are for Nigerians. Fulani herdsmen have the right to move into any forest and settle there for their business. Why do farmers go and cultivate thousands of hectare of land and fence it, who gave them that land? Nobody is born with a land in this country; people were just moving from one place to another for settlement. Fulani are settling in every community, but we are not claiming land, we are only interested on how our cows will have food to eat.
Fulani can’t value 100 people’s lives like he can value his one cow because since he was born, he doesn’t have any business except that cow. The cow is like his own brothers and sisters. If anything happens to his cow, do you think he can leave you? You have two or three storey buildings and you park your cars , do you fold your hands and watch somebody come to that house carry your cars, your clothes, your wife, destroy the buildings? You must fight. The Fulani man values his cow just as you value your brother and sister and you go all out to protect them.
They love their cows beyond description, you can’t separate them from their cows to go and stay inside town or city. The cows have names. The way you give your children names when they were born is the same way they name their cows. Even a person who has one thousand cows, those cows have individual names and he knows them by name; the cows have fathers, grandfathers and grandchildren. What you have in human beings – the ways names are given to people, the same way Fulani give names to their cows. We are cow lovers , that is why sometimes if you kill their cows somewhere they go there to look for justice, because they see like somebody has killed their brothers; they must go to see who did that and they won’t leave that person.
You said that only the Fulani will drive out the bandits in the forests, why is it that they have not done so in the forests of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger?
Those bandits are not Fulani, but they are damaging the name of Fulani and that is why this our vigilantes will go into all the forests in this country to chase out all the bandits. Whatever atrocity that the bandits commit is hanged on Fulani neck. These bandits are equally killing herdsmen in their numbers in various forests, but many people don’t understand this, and the moment they see herdsmen in the bush, they will tag them bandits or see them as kidnappers. This is disturbing us as it is eroding on our credibility; more so, useless people, desperate politicians and social media warriors have latched on this to poison everybody’s mind against Fulani ethnic group.
Why not your vigilante clear Sambisa Forest, which is so vast so that your people will settle and halt these conflicts in many states?
Borno State governor Zulum said he will give Fulani people Sambisa forest, we are waiting for him and when the approval is given I will be the first person to go and live there. We are also waiting for the federal government to put infrastructures there, and then we move in.
Herdsmen in this country are suffering too much; as they move their cattle from one place to the other, some people who want to steal their cows will organise and even kill them, especially these people they are giving uniform in the name of vigilantes. These people are causing confusion, you just pack some people, give them uniforms to go and drive out Fulani people in the forests.
Yes, the Amotekun; I’m calling on the federal government to ban it. Since the federal government has left Amotekun, that is the reason we want to implement our own vigilante, whose operation will be all over the country, not only one state; we will operate everywhere you find Fulani people in this country, we can go there, enter the forests and chase the bandits away. We can help the Nigeria Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the federal government and relevant security agencies to end this banditry in the country. The Ondo State governor has a secret agenda for asking our people to leave his state, not the reasons he stated.
Sun
A tenant in the Alakuko area of Lagos State has allegedly killed her Landlady’s son over an affair with her daughter.
Nigerian Newstrack gathered that the incident happened after one Morenikeji Omowumi, Iya Abe, Toheeb and his two allies made a move to threaten one Abu, but ended up killing Akin Okebukola who happens to be the Landlady’s son.
It was reported that the two young men (friends to Toheeb) were summoned by Iya Abe, who was allegedly assaulted when Olawunmi (her friend) invited her and one Ajoke Bello, to warn Abu after suspecting him to have sexually violated her 16-year-old daughter.
Reports have it that Iya Abe was angered by the injuries she sustained during the assault, and she reportedly informed her son, Toheeb, who invited his friends to Olawunmi’s residence on Oluobadare Street Gbadabiu area of Alakuko. Testifying to the incident, a resident identified as Johnson Idowu, said Abu fled from his apartment before Toheeb and his friends could get to him.
However, in a bid to avenge his mother’s injuries, Toheeb and the other young men reportedly descended on Abu’s roommate, Okebukola, and stabbed him with broken bottles.
“Immediately blood started gushing out of his leg, because his vein had cut, and he was rushed to hospital but died on the way. After Okebukola died, Iya Abe, Toheeb, and his two accomplices ran away. The person who was killed knew nothing about what happened; he was the landlady’s son, who accommodated Abu in his room,” the eyewitness reported.
On her part when investigated on the incident, Olawunmi told the police that she was not responsible for Okebukola’s death. Though she blamed herself for contributing to the incident, she insisted that Abu was the cause of the incident which claimed the life of the Landlady’s son.
“My daughter has been behaving strangely lately and I do beat her so that she could stop the behaviour. I even reported her to one of our neighbours, who informed me that my daughter was fond of seeing one Abu, who was staying with my landlady’s son, Okebukola,” Omowumi noted.
She added: “I asked Abu and my daughter to stop seeing each other but they refused to obey me. I had to call Iya Abe and my friend, Ajoke Bello, to help speak to my daughter and threaten Abu, but in the process, Iya Abe was injured by Abu. So, Iya Abe held Abu down and quickly informed her son, Toheeb, who came with two other boys.
“Abu quickly freed himself from Iya Abe and ran away. So, when her son and the two other guys came, they chased Okebukola and stabbed him in the leg. We rushed him to three different hospitals, but he was rejected and that was how he died. I was not the one who killed Okebukola, but I blame myself for all that happened.”
Reacting to the incident when contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said Olawunmi would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, until the command completed its investigation on the matter.
The PPRO further revealed that some angered mob in the area while protesting Okebukola’s death, destroyed both Iya Abe and Toheeb’s shops.
He said: “When the incident was reported at the Alakuko Division, the Divisional Police Officer, SP Maryam Sonubi, mobilised policemen and the woman (Olawunmi), who alleged that one Abu was sleeping with her 16-year-old daughter, was arrested.
During interrogation, she said she had warned him (Abu), but he refused to leave her daughter and she reported to some people, who called some boys, including one Toheeb, in the area to threaten him.
“It was out of annoyance that Toheeb’s mother called him because she was injured by Abu when they were threatening him to leave the woman’s daughter.
“So, Toheeb brought some guys to beat up Abu, who escaped, but his roommate, Okebukola, was attacked and stabbed to death. Unfortunately, the roommate was not the target.”
Mr Adejobi, however, noted that the command had launched out its men to arrest Toheeb and his accomplices, adding that Okebukola’s remains were deposited in the Ifo General Hospital for autopsy.
Three persons reportedly died while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries, as a fuel tanker exploded and caught fire at the early hours of Tuesday in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
The inferno which involved a 33,000-fuel laden tanker, was reportedly due to a break failure.
Eyeswitness' account reveals that the tanker which was coming from Sagamu-Siun-Oke-Mosan Road, climbed the overhead bridge but suddenly lost control while descending from the bridge .
The tanker was said to have hit a motorcycle which was in motion and rammed into some commercial vehicles waiting for passengers at the end of the bridge.
Nigerian Newstrack reports that the fire incident that started at about 8:00 am along the popular IBB Boulevard, Kuto-Oke-Ilewo road where the a Private School and the Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB are located also got Five vehicles and two motorcycles burnt.
The fire which was spreading around the place caused panic as many motorists started making reverse to avoid being caught up in the inferno.
Commissioner for Special Duties Barrister Femi Ogunbanwo who was at the scene said the rescued victims have been taken to the hospital and are been treated.
He also assured that the incident will be thoroughly investigated to ascertain the cause, to avert a re-occurrence.
Eight suspected members of two rival cults have been arrested by officers of the Nigerian Police in Ifo area of Ogun State, over supremacy battle resulting in the death of one of them.
This was contained in a Press statement issued by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi who identified Soji Olamilekan ‘m’ 29yrs, Shobande Olalekan ‘m’ 26yrs, Solomon Fadebi ‘m’ 33yrs, Balogun Oluwaseun ‘m’ 22yrs and Joseph Onwe ‘m’ 24yrs as part of those arrested.
Nigerian Newstrack gathered that others include Peter Rapheal ‘m’ 22yrs, Yusuf Emmanuel ‘m’ 26yrs and 22yr old Toheeb Olorunkemi ‘m’.
According to the statement, the supremacy battle involving members of Eiye and Aiye cult groups left one of them simply identified as "Ofada" dead, as he was allegedly shot during the clash.
The Police PRO explained that a distress call was made to the Police in Ifo division headquarters during the crisis while the, Divisional Police Officer, DPO; CSP Adekunle Adeniyi led his men to the scene, where they met two others with gun-shot injuries.
He said the DPO and his men subsequently moved and traced the rampaging cultists to Iyana Coker area, where three of them namely: Soji Olamilekan, Shobande Olalekan and Solomon Fadebi were arrested.
DSP Oyeyemi said on interrogation, the three cultists arrested informed the Police that other members of their group ran to Osuke area of Onipanu, Ota where they were planning to launch another attack.
"Based on the information, the DPO Onipanu Division quickly moved to Osuke area, where he met a group of cultists holding a meeting in the bush. On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums took to their heels but they were hotly chased and with the assistance of the youths in the area, four among the cultists namely, Balogun Oluwaseun, Joseph Onwe, Peter Rapheal and Yusuf Emmanuel were apprehended."
"While investigation was going on, information got to the Police that one of the cultists was seen receiving treatment for gun-shot injury in Arobiye village Ota, the Onipanu DPO swiftly moved in there and got the suspect, Toheeb Olorunkemi, who confessed participating in the crisis at Ifo, where he received gun-shot injury".
DSP Oyeyemi stated that, the items recovered from the arrested suspects, include one locally made pistol, six live cartridges, four different types of handset, one black beret and a small bag.
He told Nigerian Newstrack that the corpse of the slain cultist has been recovered and taken to the General Hospital Mortuary, while the injured ones have been taken to the same General Hospital for medical care.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Ajogun has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
He also directed a serious manhunt for the remaining members of the groups in order to put their notorious activities to permanent end.
The death of renowned Politician and former Nigerian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Prince Jubril Martins-Kuye has been described as a deep blow and a huge loss to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ogun State in Particular and Nigeria in general.
A stalwart of the PDP and a community leader, Chief Toyin Amuzu stated this in a condolence message to commiserate with the families, friends and political associates of the deceased.
According to Chief Amuzu who is the Okanlomo Ijeun and the Leragun Igbehin, "the late Prince Jubril Martins-Kuye was a great leader of leaders, a mentor, a patriot and a Pathfinder."
"I am deeply saddened by his demise which is a personal loss for me. His death came at a time when his wealth of experiences and leadership traits are needed to guide and steer the PDP to it's winning ways." he said.
"I have lost not only a senior leader of our Party but also an integral member of the family whose support and guidance are greatly needed."
Chief Amuzu , while praying to Allah to forgive his sins and comfort the family, said JMK as he was fondly called, will be remembered for his call for 100% improvement in the quality of the Nation's budget and expenditure on projects that would impact directly on the living standard of the people, as a Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan, in 2010.
The Lagos State Government has been charged to include creative writing and emotional intelligence in the State's school curriculum for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
The advice was given by the Director of Platform Schools, Ipaja Lagos, Mr Bola Obe during the presentation of two books and the end-of-year party of the school.
The two books, which were edited by Mr Olusegun Akinsanya have short stories written by 20 students in the primary school session.
The books were titled, ‘Travails of Beauty and Kossi the Houseboy, as well as ‘Ogunsola, a Selfish Hunter and Other Short Stories.’
According to him “It will be good if the government can develop a curriculum on creative writing and emotional intelligence for primary, secondary even to tertiary and it should be made compulsory. Many people have good ideas, but they can’t write it down,” Obe said.
He lamented the poor writing skills of most social media users.
“When we look at the social media you will see the way they write and they are losing the value of writing. In Platform Schools, we are trying to bring back the values of writing.”
A grade 5 pupil, Eunice Akinsanya, who wrote a story on, ‘Ogunsola the Selfish Hunter’ said she decide to pick the title so as to create awareness about farming.
Akinsanya said “i chose the title because of its cultural theme. Writing is fun, it is a way of learning more and I will like to tell people that they should engage in writing. It will help them learn more because education never stops".
Similarly, another author, eight-year-old Amir Obe, a grade four pupil who wrote, ‘’A good bad man’ said, “I didn’t want to keep things to myself and I want to show the world the passion I have for writing. I want to advise every child to think and write more.”
Neehama Adekanye who is in JSS 1 wrote a story titled, ‘Úbong.’ She also called on the government to create more opportunities for school children to write.
“Government can create writing competitions and train school children on how to write because writing is fun and you learn new things when you write,” she said.
Another author, Asopesoluwa Popoola, a grade 4 student who wrote a story titled, "The poor girl who became rich" said she wrote the book as a form of inspiration for every individual to never give up.
The Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association ,PTA, Mr Abiola Popoola also supported the idea to include both emotional intelligence and creative writing in the school curriculum.
He said this, in no small measure, will enhance the emotional intelligence and capacity of the children thereby resulting in their general development.
The death of Alhaja Modinat Salako, a member of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP has been described as a big loss to the political class in Ogun State, especially the Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun Central Senatorial District.
A PDP Stalwart, Chief Toyin Amuzu stated this in a Press release, to commiserate with the families and friends of the deceased.
Chief Amuzu who described the Late Alhaja Salako as a straightforward and trustworthy individual said, she will be fondly remembered for her patriotic zeal for a better society.
He urged, the families of the deceased to take heart, since death is inevitable saying, "only God knows everything and no one can question Him.
According to Chief Amuzu, "no doubt her death was received with shock and disbelief. But Allah knows everything. It is from Him we have come , and it is to Him, we would all return. No one can say when , how or why" he said.
The PDP Stalwart prayed to Allah to grant the late Alhaja Modinat Salako, Aljanah firdaous and forgive all her sins.
He also condoled with her families, friends and the entire members of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP in Ogun State especially in Abeokuta South Local Government Area.
More...
About 20 Generals of the Nigerian Army have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19, about one week after death of General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, John Irefin, who died of complications from the disease.
The infected military officers were believed to have had contact with the deceased during the Chief of Army Staff’s annual conference 2020, in Abuja, last week.
The conference was cancelled following Irefin’s passage and the participants, including Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi; and GOCs from nearly all the army divisions nationwide, were directed to go on self-isolation.
Following the development, the COAS did not attend the wedding of his son in Abuja on Friday.
Some of the infected GOCs and principal officers were being treated at the Covid-19 isolation centre, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Some of the patients were also being quarantined at other isolation centres in the Federal Capital Territory.
The development, it was learnt, has sparked panic among top military brass who had yet to take the Covid-19 test.
A source said, “The report is true; I know about four generals who returned positive and are being treated for the disease.”
Nigerian Army spokesman, Sagir Musa, could not be reached for comment as he did not respond to calls. He had yet to react to a WhatsApp message as of the time of filing this report.
SGF Boss Mustapha goes into isolation
Meanwhile, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has gone into self-isolation after some members of his household tested positive for Covid-19.
Mustapha, who is also chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, made this known in a statement Sunday.
The statement was titled, ‘Some members of SGF’s household test positive to Covid-19.’
It read, “I would like to inform the general public that some members of my household tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday evening.
“Although they are currently asymptomatic, they have been isolated and are receiving care in one of the government treatment centres.
“My wife and I tested negative, but will remain in self-isolation and work from home according to protocols by the health authorities.
“I would like to remind all Nigerians that Covid-19 is real. As the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced last week, we are recording an increase in cases across several states.”
“Please stay safe and protect yourself. Adhere to all public health and safety measures so that we do not lose the gains we have made in the fight against Covid-19.
“As a family, we covet your prayers.
“Please take responsibility for yourself and to protect our country!”
Punch
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have intensified calls on Nigeria to speed up currency reforms without which Africa’s largest economy may fail to achieve the growth it needs to prevent millions more from falling into penury.
A unified and flexible exchange rate will ease external imbalances and bolster activity in the OPEC nation, which slid into its second recession in four years in the third quarter, the IMF said in a statement on Friday after concluding a virtual mission. A day earlier, the World Bank said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration needed to change foreign-exchange policies if it wanted to get a $1.5 billion loan.
The country is asking for financial help to overcome a crisis that could sink an extra 11 million people into poverty by 2022, bringing the total number to 100 million, or about half of the population.
Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele and Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed have saidthey would seek a more flexible and unified naira as part of a pledge made to the IMF for the release of $3.4 billion in emergency financing in May.
A sharp drop in dollar revenues has forced the country’s administration to devalue the currency by more than 20% this year. Still, the naira remains too expensive and a dollar shortage is starting to hurt local businesses, economists say.
Incomes in Nigeria have fallen back to 1980 levels as population growth outpaced economic expansion. The situation is unlikely to improve without policy changes.
“Under current policies, the outlook is challenging. Real GDP is projected to contract by 3.25% in 2020. The recovery is projected to start in 2021, with subdued growth of 1.5% and output recovering to its pre-pandemic level only in 2022,” the IMF said.
“Nigeria is at a critical juncture in its history,” Shubham Chaudhuri, the World Bank’s director in Nigeria, said in a webinar on Thursday. The country has a choice “whether or not to continue business as usual or decisively break from the past,” he said.
The merger of different exchange rates and allowing the naira to float more freely would speed up the recovery of the economy, according to the World Bank.
Bloomberg
Oil prices rose on Monday, pushing Brent back above $50 a barrel, buoyed by hopes that a rollout of coronavirus vaccines will lift global fuel demand, while an extension of Brexit talks eased jitters on that front for now.
Brent crude futures for February rose 8 cents, or 0.2%, to $50.05 a barrel by 0137 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for January were up 4 cents, or 0.1%, at $46.61 a barrel.
Oil prices have rallied for six consecutive weeks, their longest stretch of gains since June.
The United States kicked off its vaccination campaign against Covid-19, buoying hopes that pandemic restrictions could end soon and lift demand at the world’s largest oil consumer.
An extension of Brexit talks among European powers also buoyed financial markets on Monday.
CMC Markets’ chief markets strategist Michael McCarthy asked: “Having ‘bought the rumour’ of an effective vaccine, now that delivery is here will investors ‘sell the fact’?”
Major European countries continued in lockdown mode to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has reduced fuel demand. For example, Germany, the fourth largest economy in the world, plans to impose stricter lockdown from Wednesday to battle the virus.
Investors are looking ahead to two meetings between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia, a grouping known as OPEC+.
The OPEC+ joint ministerial monitoring committee (JMMC) that monitors compliance among members will meet on Dec. 16, while OPEC+ will meet on Jan. 4 to study the market after their last decision to limit production rises to 500,000 barrels per day starting next year.
In the United States, energy firms last week added the most oil and natural gas rigs in a week since January as producers continued to return to the wellpad.
Two separate fires occurred at Nigeria’s Qua Iboe crude oil export terminal and at an oil pipeline in Iran on Sunday but the incidents have mostly been contained.
Reuters
Oyo State Police Command yesterday confirmed the kidnap of two foreigners in Ibadan, the state capital. It was gathered that the two foreigners, who are Indians, were kidnapped last Wednesday.
They were kidnapped around 4:00 p.m. at a pharmaceutical firm near Toll Gate on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. They were said to be driving out of the company’s premises when the kidnappers, who were trailing them, opened fire on their vehicle’s tyres, which forced the vehicles to a halt.
Oyo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the abduction in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday. Fadeyi said police officers are on the trail of the criminals, but did not say if the kidnappers had made contact with the families.
He, however, urged expatriates to be vigilant during this period. “Modalities have been emplaced while concerted effort intensified to rescue them from their captor(s).
“Likewise, all expatriates are advised to be vigilant and be watchful especially during this period, while security agencies should be alerted when they see any suspicious movement around their facilities,” he said.
Hundreds of Indian nationals live and work in Nigeria, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. Kidnapping for ransom targeting foreigners and prominent Nigerians is common in Nigeria. The victims are usually released unhurt after ransom payments, but the police rarely confirm any money was paid.
Last week, a Chinese engineer kidnapped in Ekiti State was freed after the payment of ransom. His freedom was confirmed on the day a team of security personnel in neighbouring Ondo State arrested suspects allegedly involved in the murder of Israel Adeusi, the traditional ruler of Ifon in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo.
The Chinese expatriate was one of the engineers working with the company handling the new Ado-Iyin road. Gunmen killed a police officer serving as his escort before whisking him away from the site.
The Guardian