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Sports Ministry demands retraction from Guardian over false report

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Sports Ministry demands retraction from Guardian over false report

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has demanded a retraction from the Guardian Newspaper over a false news report by the publication.

The Ministry’s protestation is over a story titled “Presidency Approves N4billion For Edo 2020 Sports Festival” which misrepresented how the 20th National Sports Festival held in Benin City, Edo State was funded.

A letter dated April 10, 2021 and signed by the Special Assistant – Media to the Minister of Youth and Sports, John Joshua Akanji and addressed to Mr. Martins Oloja, Editor in Chief of Guardian Newspaper warned that the publication has 72 hours to retract the story failing which the Ministry will seek legal redress.

The letter reads, “Reference is made to the above publication in your online edition on 10 April 2021 3.31am, which created the erroneous and misleading impression that the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development forwarded a budget of N4 billion naira to the Presidency and got approval for same as assistance to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC)/Edo State Government.

“The Guardian is our flagship, a respected stable and we expect the best of journalism from it.

“The Ministry is therefore shocked and displeased that the Guardian Newspaper published this misleading story without fact checking, a necessary journalistic approach that would have revealed that at no time was a budget presented to the Presidency. By the way, in line with the democratic principle of separation of powers, only the National Assembly has the constitutional powers to pass a budget and not the executive arm as insinuated in the report.

“What the Ministry did was to approach the Federal Government to assist the Edo State Government with financial assistance to ensure that the 20th National Sports Festival, which had been postponed several times is finally held. This imperative arose out of the realization that thousands of athletes, more than 80% of them youth, are being frustrated and have become restive as their careers have been put on hold due to the many postponements.

“The Ministry has copies of its correspondences with the Presidency and the Edo State Government pertaining to the 20th National Sports Festival and is prepared to tender them as evidence in court should matters get to such stage because at no time was a requisition made for N4 billion, which implies that the Presidency could not have approved what was not requested. We therefore request that your reporter, Gowon Akpodonor, who authored the false story, is asked to produce the documents of request and approval of N4 billion claimed in the story.

“Consequently, we hereby demand a retraction of the false story within 72 hours, or we will seek legal redress,” the letter demanded.

PRESS/NEWSPAPER REVIEW: Press Talk 12th April, 2021

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PRESS/NEWSPAPER REVIEW: Press Talk 12th April, 2021

To this extent, APC has got all of the benefits of winning for the 2023 elections: PGF boss

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To this extent, APC has got all of the benefits of winning for the 2023 elections: PGF boss

Lukman has cautioned the leaders of the party to beware of ‘self-destruction’ before the 2023 overall elections.

Lukman reported an inconvenient fact APC members and leaders, ought to worry about is that”the most powerful rival of the APC is inside the APC.”

In a statement titled ‘determining variables for 2023 competitions in APC’ published to newsmen, Monday at Abuja, the APC chieftain explained the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a shadow competitor” whose electoral chances are mostly determined by the results of internal competitions from the APC, largely due to the reckless and undisciplined conducts of APC leaders”

Read also: APC Extends Registration As Matawalle Set To Join Party

Based on Lukman, once APC can deal with the practice of inner competition for the development of candidates of this party for 2023 elections for example those who contested with the winners may take the results in addition to encourage the candidates, it’s possible for the celebration to continue to appreciate each of the electoral benefits linked with President Buhari.

“The way the party can deal with the practice of inner competition has become the challenge. The largest difficulty in politics, which interrupts both members and leaders and impair the capability to provide generic support to applicants no matter that participates in the private ambitions of leaders for both elective and appointive positions.”

Read also:APC support group roots for Tanko Al-Makura as Chairman

“This implies rather a large possibility that after appropriate organs of this celebration are fulfilling and decisions are being taken consistent with the terms and conditions of the party’s sin, procedures of electing standard-bearers of their celebration for its 2023 elections will be okay. Party leaders would also take the effect of the election and encourage the winner.

“An element which might be slowing down the process of making certain that the Caretaker Committee complete its work and reunite all organs of their celebration back into normal operations is the requirement for powerful unity one of APC leaders, and from expansion associates. Unity among party leaders is needed to include the help required by the Caretaker Committee to finish its job of returning organs into normal operations as supplied by the constitution of their celebration.”

To this extent, APC has got all of the benefits of winning the 2023 elections.

“The major challenge is if APC leaders will take the necessary actions to keep each of the towering electoral benefits of President Buhari, that will take first and foremost that the Caretaker Committee can complete its activities of returning party organs to regular operations consistent with terms of this APC Constitution. This should be followed by permitting organs of the celebration to take decisions, which should be the foundation for its unity of leaders of this party.

“There is also the requirement to depart the governmental conference in Nigeria where leaders associate with everybody based on estimation of support or resistance of ambitions to get appointive and elective places. This creates the issue of blind trusts, which then may cause a scenario where appointed officials of governments controlled by the party are fewer or more passengers.

Read also: APC membership registration/validation exercise has generated confusion

“Once appointed officials turn into passengers, the power of this celebration and authorities it regulates to participate Nigerians and win public assistance will likely be feeble. This can create the unacceptable reality in which both the celebration and authorities it controls confront challenges of poor public image.

“Taking each step to make sure that conducts of both party leaders are controlled to conform to minimal standards is therefore crucial to make certain that all appointive officials of APC controlled authorities can come up with relative scorecards prior to the 2023 elections. APC should take all the required actions to make sure that campaigns for 2023 derived from evaluation of empirical proof of functionality rather than understanding.”

The Patriot;- Nigeria Democracy And The Question Of Rotational Presidency

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The Patriot;- Nigeria Democracy And The Question Of Rotational Presidency

The Patriot’s With Francis Daniel – Okumagba | Television Nigerian

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The Patriot’s With Francis Daniel – Okumagba | Television Nigerian

Appraising Intervention Funds Of CBN

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Appraising Intervention Funds Of CBN

I will not impose any Guber candidate in 2023 – Akpabio

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I will not impose any Guber candidate in 2023 – Akpabio

Niger Delta Minister Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio yesterday vowed that he will not impose any candidate on Uyo Senatorial District as its choice for the 2023 governorship election in the state. ‘‘My goal is to work with like-minded associates in Uyo Senatorial District (USD) and nominate a suitable candidate that would win the election. I have no particular person in mind, and I cannot repeat the mistake I made in 2015’’, Akpabio said at the inauguration of executives of Uyo Senatorial District chapter of Akwa Ibom Democratic Forum (ADF). It is the first time the former governor would address the issue in such a vehement and fervent manner in front of a large crowd of USD politicians; it was a direct rebuttal of insinuations and innuendoes spread by his political detractors that the Minister is planning to foist a particular aspirant as the choice of USD.

Read also: With effect from next week, all officers and soldiers are to dress in their plain green jacket

By the zoning arrangement in the state, the next governor should come from Uyo Senatorial District (officially known as Akwa Ibom North East). Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom North-West (or Ikot Ekpene senatorial District). In the last few months, the former governor has been busy creating a political pressure group known as Akwa Ibom Democratic Forum in the state, thus triggering impressions that the group is his special purpose vehicle through which his anointed candidate would emerge.

But yesterday he was unequivocal in dispelling such allusions. He said: ‘’Akwa Ibom people of various political persuasions do agree that we need a dependable leadership in 2023’’, a direct reference to the motto of the group. ‘’In that case, I will work with all of you to identify and support any candidate that will develop our state…’’, he said, adding: ‘’Uyo Senatorial District is capable of bringing up good a good candidate that would be acceptable to the rest of the state. ADF will work with Uyo in this regard’’. His pledge was received with a standing ovation by the crowd that included eminent politicians like HE Sam Enwang, Dr. Maurice Ebong, Dr. Emaeyak Ukpong; Chief Etim Edem Akpaudo, Her Honour Mrs Valerie Ebe, Mrs Geraldine Ita Etuk, Bishop Ekpe James among many others.

Read also: With effect from next week, all officers and soldiers are to dress in their plain green jacket

Speaking along the same line, HE Sam Ewang, a retired military officer who was governor of Ogun and Rivers State during the military era, confirmed that he has had several heart-to-heart discussions with Akpabio on the 2023 politics and he is certain that the minister ‘’will not impose any candidate on Uyo’’.

The idea of imposing a candidate rankles Akwa Ibom people to no end and reminds them of the sad experience of 2015. In that year’s election, Akpabio, then outgoing governor of the state brought a banker from Zenith Bank and imposed him on the state as his successor.

High point of the day was the inauguration of Dr. Emaeyak Ukpong as the coordinator of ADF in USD and other executives from the nine LGAs of the zone.

Former FMBN boss has been summoned by Senate over N3bn contract

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Former FMBN boss has been summoned by Senate over N3bn contract

The question raised by the AuGF in the report read, “Audit found that a contract was awarded to a contractor in four phases in an entire contract sum of N3,045,391,531.97. “A sum of N 644,040,000.00 was also provided in the Bill of Quantities for overseas instruction and other deliverables from the fourth and third stages of the arrangement, however, there was no evidence of implementation, in contravention of Financial Regulations 70.”
“Audit further detected, from a physical review of the site, a supply of N 80, 000,000.00 was created and paid for the execution of”Unified Access and Attendance System” however, the device was not functioning in accordance with specifications.

” A settlement agreement was entered into by the FMBN and Messrs Starter-Point Limited about the style of repayment of outstanding as a result of the lender. “It was also detected, from the examination of payment documents, the contractor was overpaid at the amount of N118,717,892.72 that resulted from irregular addition of 5 per cent Withholding Tax from the Bill of Quantity on each of the four phases of this contract. “The settlement agreement between the bank and the seller has also taken into account the payment made for your own off-shore training which was not done by the vendor. “No last payment was made by the lender on the stage four job.”

Read also: Army accuse NGOs of providing support to terrorists in the Northeast

“Payment of the contract sum for phases three and four were made to the contract from the prior Management depending on the landmark achievement as stated in the contract arrangement. “Each payment was licensed by Messes. Comsoft Limited, the in-house consultant appointed by the bank for the job.
Reacting to the AuGF, the Managing Director of FMBN, Mr. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, told the panel that the contract has been granted in 2011 by the previous management. The Senate panel, now scrutinising the 2015-2018 report of the Auditor General for the Federation, chose after a query raised from the FMBN by the AuGF from the record.

He further demanded the particulars of the contractor who executed the contract. The Senate Public Accounts Committee has summoned a former managing director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Gimba Yau Kumo, to appear before it to explain the motive supporting the alleged irregular award of N3bn if he was at the helms of the affairs of the bank. “Audit nonetheless noticed the second, fourth and third phases of the contract were over the acceptance thresholds of the Bank.

Read also: Senate Confirms Nababa As CG Correctional Service

“This (present ) management after an assessment of the functioning of the contractor’s responsibilities about the contract, expressed dissatisfaction with the support rendered by the builder. The Chairman of SPAC, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, in the last sitting of this panel, stated the Auditor General’s report demonstrated that the contract had been granted in four stages to one contractor. Dangiwa stated,

“The waiver was granted by the previous management in 2011 to design, construct and implement a Mortgage Banking Business Process Option workflow and infrastructure with the purpose of producing enterprise applications which will integrate each of the Bank’s procedures.

“Based on the contract specifications, the stage three modules were completed and operational, however, off-shore training wasn’t conducted for this phase. Not satisfied with the presentation, the Chairman of this Committee, arranged for the former MD of this FMBN to appear before the board and provide additional explanation.

Read also: Senate confirms Adolphus as Auditor-General of the Federation

“The Direction, thereafter, severally engaged the contractor over all the problems surrounding the project including amongst others, the issue of overpayment of the amount of N118m as a result of erroneous addition of WHT into the contract award sum in each of the four phases as well as additional payment to the contractor. enate summons former FMBN boss over N3bn contract

Lalong talks tough as gunmen kill eight miners

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Lalong talks tough as gunmen kill eight miners

At least persons were said to have been killed by gunmen in the Kuru community of Plateau state

It was gathered that the victims were miners doing their jobs behind  Government Science School in the Kuru community

The gunmen attacked them two days ago around 8 pm.

Reacting to the incident yesterday, Governor Simon Lalong,  condemned the attack which had created tension in the community

The governor described the attack as another desperate attempt by criminals to destabilise the state and create fear among the people.

Read also: Plateau Governor, Simon Lalong, tests positive for COVID-19

He said the government would not condone such attacks on innocent citizens, and directed security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

While commiserating with the families of those who were killed and those who sustained injuries, Lalong urged security agencies to resolve such attacks as excuses of “gunmen” would no longer be tolerated.

Lalong also advised the citizens to assist law enforcement agencies with useful intelligence and leverage on) structures such as the traditional institutions, community police constabulary, vigilante groups and other associations.

Read also: Plateau Killings: Selfish Politicians Instigating Crisis To Blackmail Buhari, Lalong – Middle Belt Group

Matawalle’s anti-south comments ‘irresponsible’

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Matawalle’s anti-south comments ‘irresponsible’

The Pan Niger Delta Forum has berated Governor Bello Matawalle over his recent comment that alleged southerners of attacking northerners indiscriminately in their region describing it as “irresponsible” and “unfortunate.”

Matawalle’s subtle threat that the north might launch a reprisal against southerners in its domain came on the heels of similar claims by the Northern Elders Forum.

But PANDEF, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, said while it ignored the warnings of the NEF because the nation was now used to their “unguarded utterances,” similar comments from Matawalle were “preposterous.”

Read also: APC statement accusing me of sponsoring banditry ‘uncharitable’ — Matawalle

The statement read, “It is rather most unfortunate that the governor of Zamfara State, Mr. Bello Matawalle, would make such an irresponsible statement. We’ll ignore that of northern elders because the nation is used to their unguarded utterances but for a governor to make such a reckless declaration is completely preposterous.

“And it conveys how awful the nation’s political leadership has deteriorated, where self-seekers are thrust into hallowed positions, instead of patriots who would pursue national concord, particularly, at a moment like this when the country is facing daunting socio-economic challenges.

The PANDEF spokesman argued that with the country in a state of tension, such comments were not expected of anyone, much less a leader like the governor.

Read also: Matawalle commends Gov. Umahi “for his bold decision” to leave the PDP

“Nigeria is on the edge of a precipice, no one can tell what will come next. What is expected of leaders across the country now, especially the elite, is to rise to the occasion and build bridges of understanding, and not to reduce themselves to ‘local wildcats,’ fanning the embers of discord and hatred to aggravate the already precarious situation.

PANDEF also categorically stated that restructuring was not only a necessity but expedient for the survival of Nigeria as a united entity.

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