Stand tall, don’t be distracted, university don urges troops

Security

admin

-

December 21, 2020

Stand tall, don’t be distracted, university don urges troops

The Nigerian military has been urged to remain focused and not get distracted in its prosecution of the war against terrorism, banditry and other criminal vices in the country.

This call came from Dr Thomas Uzah, a security expert and Head of Mass Communication Department, Kwararafa University Wukari in reaction to the International Criminal Court’s preliminary report.

In a touching message on Monday, Uzah hailed troops for their patriotism, sacrifices and dedication in the face of conspiracy, criticism and blackmail.

Despite exhibiting a high level of professionalism in operations, Uzah expressed disbelief that the prosecutor said the ICC will investigate troops over allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Condemning the criminal court, he said it is malicious and grossly insensitive to accuse the troops of such misconduct while encouraging terrorists and other groups to take up arms against the Nigerian State.

The security expert, however, urged troops not to be discouraged by such emotional blackmail but continue to give in their best in the service of the fatherland.

Rather than flinch under this blackmail, he said this is the best time for gallant troops to stand tall and prosecute the war against insurgency and terrorism to its logical conclusion.

Read the full message below:

I felicitate with our gallant troops on the success of the several operations carried out to rid the country of banditry, insurgency, terrorism and other heinous crimes against Nigeria and her citizens.

Though the Military High Command is blessed to be personnel by men of high integrity, suffused in sophisticated military drills and strategies, the success so far recorded at the theatres of operation which have liberated many communities could not have been achieved without the dedicated foot soldiers who are on ground and even willing and ready to carry out commands.

Unlike most people who have been making unguarded utterances about the sustained military operations at the battlefield, I cannot afford to make jest of the risk you’re taking on our behalf most times at great inconveniences to you because I have been there and I’ve seen what you’re going through.

Many do not realise that while they sleep in the comfort of their houses, that you are out there in the cold, staying awake in trenches hardly able to catch some sleep on the mats laid in the makeshift camps in the few times you are allowed to stretch.

I have seen how even water to take a decent bath becomes a problem once the pressure to deliver on an operation mounts and you are in the trenches.

I commend you for your doggedness and resilience and I dare say that were it not for your belief in Nigeria and the extent you’re willing to go to keep the country one, that you would long have abandoned the fight.

I can imagine the pains going through your minds when agents of the International Criminal Court, ICC, totally oblivious of the fate that had befallen many of your colleagues in the hands of cold-blooded terrorists, would dare accuse our troops of any untoward activity in the course of carrying out operations.

This is the same body that said nothing when Boko Haram butchered many men and officers and made a video of the killings.

Same international agencies that did not bat an eyelid when terrorists planted mines on major roads and blew up troops and other civilians plying such routes.

I’m surprised that despite the high professionalism you have shown in the course of carrying out operations, that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a preliminary determination to investigate troops over allegations of “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes”.

I find it most unfair that despite criticisms from Nigerians that troops are being too lenient with captured terrorists by allowing them to surrender, that someone could have the gumption to accuse our troops of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes like murder, rape, torture, cruel treatment; enforced disappearance; forcible transfer of population; outrages upon personal dignity etc.

I wonder how these international agencies draw their conclusions when it is obvious that Nigerians are not aware of the cases they have listed.

If troops have been half that unprofessional and brutal, communities would not have been begging for military presence in their vicinity.

I recall how only recently, the people of Gwoza on sighting troops who were passing by, ran out of their houses to applaud them as they go and prayed for them in appreciation for what they have done to liberate the town.

It is also not long ago that communities donated structures to accommodate troops and ensure their continuous stay in their vicinity.

I, therefore, find it highly malicious and consider it grossly insensitive for the ICC which only flex its muscles on developing nations to accuse ur troops of such misconduct.

I condemn it and pronounce without ambiguity that the intention of the ICC is not meant to serve humanity, but to dampen the morale of our troops while encouraging the terrorists and other groups that want to take up arms against the Nigerian State.

Where on earth did our troops, for instance, intentionally direct attacks against the civilian population or individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities or unlawfully imprison, conscripting or enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into armed forces and using them to participate actively in hostilities?

I want to believe that the ICC is talking about a different country, not Nigeria or at worst is only trying to be mischievous by cooking up allegations that never existed because all these allegations are strange to us

The allegations are only aimed at derailing the war against insurgency and it is a grand plan by terrorist sympathizers to further their warfare against the people of Nigeria.

I, therefore, call on our troops not to be discouraged by such emotional blackmail but continue to give in their best in the service of the fatherland.

Rather than flinch under this blackmail, I think this is the best time for our gallant troops to stand tall and prosecute the war against insurgency and terrorism to its logical conclusion.

We are already on the verge of winning and we must not lose focus

Viva Nigerian Troops!

May God continue to be with you.

Sheikh Nasser, Kuwait’s key reformer and son of late emir, dies

World

admin

-

December 21, 2020

0

Sheikh Nasser, Kuwait’s key reformer and son of late emir, dies

Kuwait’s Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al Sabah, the eldest son of the late emir who emerged as an influential reformer in the oil-rich Gulf state, has died, the state news agency reported on Sunday. He was 72.

Sheikh Nasser, who held various government posts over the years including minister of defence and deputy prime minister, had been considered a top contender for crown prince following his father Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah’s death in September, at the age of 91.

Although he drew popular support for his ambitious mega-projects and anti-corruption efforts, he was passed over for his uncle, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, a more cautious choice of heir apparent at a turbulent time for Kuwait’s politics and the wider region.

Born in 1940, Sheikh Meshaal is the younger brother of the late emir.

KUNA, Kuwait’s state-run news agency, did not specify how Sheikh Nasser died, but he was known to be in fragile health after having a lung tumour removed two years ago.

In a country that depends on oil for some 90 percent of its revenues, Sheikh Nasser championed bold plans to diversify Kuwait’s economy by building up a business hub with a free zone and deep seaport in the country’s north.

But with many in Kuwait’s parliament committed to the status quo, his ideas repeatedly ran aground even as fears mounted that the country was falling behind its more powerful and better-developed neighbours, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Last year, Sheikh Nasser’s public allegations of government corruption vaulted him into the national political scene as he pressed for investigations into the suspected embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars from a military fund.

His efforts backfired when his father, the emir, removed him from government, but he retained a substantial following and continued to make public statements about the need to fight corruption both in Kuwait’s sprawling bureaucracy and the ruling family.

Fighting corruption featured prominently in the parliamentary elections earlier this month, which saw opposition candidates take nearly half of parliament’s seats.

The wealthy OPEC member nation is facing several issues, including a liquidity crisis caused by low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.

Kuwait has recorded almost 148,000 COVID-19 infections and 921 deaths to date.

Borno Gov disburses N32 million to 704 SMEs

News

admin

-

December 21, 2020

0

Borno Gov disburses N32 million to 704 SMEs

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Sunday disbursed N32 million cash to 704 Small and Medium Entrepreneurs in the state.

This brings the amount disbursed by the governor to boost small businesses to stimulate the local economy and fight poverty in the last one week to N154 million.
Sunday’s disbursement took place along Damboa road where 304 persons in small businesses received N50,000 each, and at Kulo Gumna with more than 400 equally benefiting the same sum.

A total of N35.2 million was disbursed to entrepreneurs in Sunday’s exercise. The governor had earlier given N75 million to colanut sellers, N20 million to traders around Dandal and another N24 million to traders operating around Customs Roundabout in Maiduguri.
Each of the beneficiaries also received N50,000 to boost their small businesses.

The governor at the Sunday’s programme, charged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the empowerment package given to them, while noting that the disbursement was in fulfillment of his campaign promises to the people.

Speaking to journalists after the disbursement, Zulum said: “We want to empower them, you are aware that many of our people have completely lost their means of livelihood as a result of the insurgency. Empowerment is one of the items in our 10-pact agenda, so in fulfillment of our campaign promises we have to empower our people so that they can be gainfully self-employed. I appeal to the beneficiaries to make judicious utilization of the little we have given them so that it can grown and make some impact”.

The General Manager of Borno Renaissance Microfinance Bank, Dr. Bello Ibrahim just before the governor begun the disbursement, had said over N1 billion has so far been disbursed within one year to various clubs and associations in the state to boost the economy.

The governor, had in December 2019, disbursed N384 million to empower street beggars while in January 2020, N515 million was disbursed in ‘cash for work’ programme in which 2,862 members “ECOMOG”, an outlawed group of political thugs, were paid N30,000 each monthly for a half of the year. The youths received payments for cleaning the streets.

Lagos to pass bill for real estate regulation

coic

-

December 21, 2020

0

Lagos to pass bill for real estate regulation

The Lagos State House of Assembly is set to pass a new bill to regulate operations in the real estate industry.

The invoice entitled Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority’ went through a public hearing Thursday in the meeting pavilion.

The Chairman, Committee on Housing, Bisi Yusuff, addressing experts in the sector, noted that it had become necessary for the meeting to take the problem confronting the actual estate severely through mandatory legislation.

He explained the bill was aimed at assessing the excesses of operators from the business and reducing quackery from the industry.

Read also: Court grants Maina’s lawyer’s request to withdraw from case

He added that real estate was a critical business that hadn’t been adequately regulated and controlled in Nigeria, especially Lagos State.

Obasa stated, “This invoice commendably seeks to create a regulatory authority to oversee, monitor, regulate and manage the real estate trades from Lagos State.”

The Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade, stated the bill was split into 37 segments, adding that the regulatory authority could be headed by a chairman,” who will be a person of repute and a professional in his area of practice with less than 15 years of cognate experience.”

Some estate operators nevertheless expressed worry over the proposed bill and complained that it didn’t provide for parallel law of their informal and formal sectors of real estate.

Read also: The Christian Lawyers’ Fellowship of Nigeria, CLASFON, has expressed Despair over the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari

A member of this Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria, Bolaji Raymond, said that the bill failed to provide for parallel regulation of the people in informal and formal sectors of property.

He added that there was no penalty for not meeting the requirements for registration, stressing that the only stated penalty was for people who had initially enrolled.

Raymond said, “Section 27 of the bill talks about qualified applicants, who did not enroll. Most of the people on the streets aren’t registered and what they do isn’t criminalized or penalized at the invoice.

“With Section 16, we’re encouraging what we’re operating away from as an individual doesn’t have to register with the CAC according to the invoice.”

The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers first Vice President, Johnbull Amayaevbo, said that there were many regions of the bill that had to be addressed and suggested that the state government identified the key professionals to have a look at the bill.

“I am rather sure the intention of the bill will nevertheless be met if the state authorities collaborate with those in the profession, that is in the constructed environment,” he explained.

Also speaking, another member of the AEAN, Ayobayo Babade, advised that young people should be invited and forced members of the board.

Responding, Eshinlokun-Sanni claimed the issue of the composition of this board could be considered, including that all the matters raised by the stakeholders would be given consideration at the bill.

Read also: Service Chiefs: Lawan, Gbajabiamila diverting Nigerians’ attention after collecting N37bn to renovate NASS complex

Ghana win WAFU B U-20 Championship

coic

-

December 21, 2020

0

Ghana win WAFU B U-20 Championship
Ghana came from behind to beat Burkina Faso 2-1 and win against the WAFU B U-20 Championship trophy at the Stade Charles De Gaulles at Porto Novo on Sunday.

Set-piece specialist Precious Boah was the Dark Satellites hero, as he put a goal before shooting the winner from a freekick to hand his nation the title in the Benin capital.

It was his next freekick goal of the championship which also serves as the Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Mauritania 2021 qualifiers.

Read also: FIFA Ranking: Super Eagles crash as Sierra Leone rise

Regardless of the victory of the Ghanaians, Burkina Faso midfielder Botue swept all of the individual awards as he was called the finest Player of the Tournament and also added the Top Scorer Award for scoring three goals in the championship.

Both teams will represent WAFU B at the Total U-10 AFCON at Mauritania next February and aspire to excel at the tournament which will witness some of the very best U20 sides on the continent.

Read also: Enemies of Nigeria behind ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protest to please political losers

Court reinstates 32 Ekiti varsity Employees

coic

-

December 21, 2020

0

Court reinstates 32 Ekiti varsity Employees
The direction December 5, 2019, disengaged over 900 of its workforce for alleged certification forgery, irregular appointment, overage, along with other allegations that contravened its terms of service.

Read also: Maj Gen IM Jallo assumes office as new acting GOC 6 Div Nigerian Army Port Harcourt

In a lawsuit, 32 technologists of the researchers dragged EKSU, EKSU Governing Council, and EKSU Vice-Chancellor (first to third party defendants) into the Industrial Court to seek redress.

They requested the court to determine whether their employment with EKSU loved statutory protection and whether their disengagement was compatible with their status of occupation, which appreciated the statute.

Amongst others, they sought a declaration of the court their disengagement as employees of EKSU” from the manner it was done was unlawful, irregular, illegal and so null and void and of no effect.

Read also: Ekiti PDP faction tackles Makinde for mocking Fayose

“An arrangement for the restoration and reinstatement of their claimants for their own offices without loss of wages, promotions, emoluments, and other allowances for them as workers of the first respondent (EKSU).

“Payment of the claimants’ three months salaries, emoluments, and other allowances owed them before the purported and unlawful disengagement.”

But counsel to the college prayed the court to not grant the request of their 32 technologists, stating they had been able to establish from the case which their appointments with EKSU were unlawfully determined.

After listening to this submission of the claimants’ and defence’s adviser, the presiding judge, Justice K. D. Damulak, declared the termination of the workers’ appointment as”unlawful, null and void.”

Read also: Chief Justice swears in eight new Supreme Court justices

SunTrust Bank Promotes SMEs with N24b loans

coic

-

December 21, 2020

0

SunTrust Bank Promotes SMEs with N24b loans

IN its dedication to earn the increase of the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) its principal focus, SunTrust Bank gave out N23.96 billion as loans and advances to the industry in 2019.

Addressing shareholders at the yearly general meeting in the weekend in Lagos, Chairman, SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited, Olanrewaju Shittu stated despite the struggles of the year under review, SunTrust Bank managed to raise its balance sheet by 24.61 percent from N43.97 billion to N54.79 billion.

Managing Director, SunTrust Bank, Halima Buba, reiterated the commitment of the lender to the increase of the country’s economy through successful funding of the actual sector.

She said the bank was dedicated to the growth and maturation of the country’s economy through successful funding of the actual sector.

Read also: Afreximbank $30m loan deal: How SMEs can benefit

“As you can see we raised our advances and loans by 185.41 percent from N8.4 billion to N23.96 billion and now that I am assuring you that we can do more because we’re devoted to the development of the real sector, realizing fully that, that’s the sole ways to guarantee effective growth and advancement of our country’s market,” Buba said.

Based on her, in accord with the bank’s plan, it’s likely to aggressively drive SMEs trades and part of this plan is retail banking.

“we would like to make a retail bank of selection and surely SMEs is the engine area for the development of any market and also to give financing solutions, to encourage the SMEs is going to be the only way. We can encourage the development of the market and especially in accord with the vision of the CBN and the present government,” Buba said.

She expressed pleasure that clients had substantially increased their deposit into the bank to the tune of N25.7 billion, with a rise of 38.03 percent, adding that since the bank grows, more money will be put aside for corporate social responsibility to produce the communities and people flourish.

Read also: FG commences payment of N30,000 grant to taxi, bus, okada drivers

“The bank raised the headcount to guarantee greater business growth greater than the previous year. This one of other caused growth in consumer deposits compared with preceding year by 38.03 percent, from N18.64 billion to N25.73 billion, and growth in the bank’s overall assets from N43.97 billion to N54.79 billion,” Buba said.

She expressed optimism concerning the future of this lender presuming that despite the dangers to increase, the lender will make the most of opportunities presented from the forthcoming financial year to enhance earnings, profitability, and asset quality with a view to bringing value to its investors.

Read also: Buhari’s poverty alleviation, job creation programmes best in Nigerian history – Lai Mohammed

Ogun: Two Detained for gang-raping, filming Adolescent

coic

-

December 20, 2020

0

: Two Detained for gang-raping, filming Adolescent

The suspects, according to the control’s spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi were detained after the incident has been reported in Sango police station by the sufferer.

The victim, Oyeyemi stated, had reported that the two suspects, with whom the victim resides in precisely the exact same chemical, dragged her to the area of them, stripped her naked, filmed her naked before taking turns to have unlawful carnal knowledge of her.

The Authorities in Ogun State have detained the duo of Damilare Oyeniyi, 30, and Emmanuel Okori, 20, for supposedly gang-raping that a 19-year-old woman in Ota on December 12.

Read also: Man arrested for raping six boys

The suspects, according to the control’s spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi were detained after the incident has been reported in Sango police station by the sufferer.

The sufferer, Oyeyemi stated, had reported that the two suspects, with whom the victim resides in precisely the exact same chemical, dragged her to the area of them, stripped her naked, filmed her naked before taking turns to have unlawful carnal knowledge of her.

Together with these accounts, the DPO of Sango Division, CSP Godwin Idehai, was stated to possess detailed his men to search for the suspects, who’d bolted following the episode.

Read also: How I held Oluwatoyin Salau hostage, raped and killed her — Suspect confesses

The investigative efforts of the detectives, Oyeyemi demonstrated, given the desired outcome since the duo were apprehended on December 16.

They were reported to have confessed filming the sufferer’s nakedness, saying that they threatened to place the video on societal websites if she tells anyone about the incident.

Police arrest five armed robbery suspects in Abuja

coic

-

December 20, 2020

0

Police arrest five armed robbery suspects in Abuja

Police Detain five armed robbery suspects in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command says that it detained five armed robbery suspects in Abuja last Wednesday.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yusuf Mariam, said in a statement on Sunday that they had been detained around Wuse from the morning after a distress call.

She said the suspects were detained by police operatives from Wuse Division, in the course of robbing their victims of the possessions.

Read also: Troops crush armed bandits, arrest two others in Zamfara State

Mariam said that they confessed to being accountable for criminal actions across the Wuse axis.

“The suspects are **Sanusi Ibrahim 20years, Salim Umar 19years, Kabiru Umar 19years, Shamsudeen Rabiu 20years and*Ibrahim Shehu 19years all man. * Exhibits regained are: Eight (8) wristwatches made from silver and gold, five(5) I-pads, five(5)* laptops, twenty-five(25) ID and ATM cards, thirty-three (33) collections of silver and gold jewelry, thirty(30) UAE Dirham, three* thousand(3,000) CFA, one hundred (100) South African Rand, twenty-five million * Naira(N25,000), three(3) cutlasses plus a single (1) sword. * Each of the suspects will be arraigned in court at the conclusion of the investigation.

Read also: See Faces of Suspected Bandits Arrested By Troops Of Operation Accord In Zamfara State

“While attractive to residents to immediately report all suspicious moves inside their area, the Control wants to reassure residents of its unflinching resolve to tackle crime and ensure security in the FCT throughout the Christmas/New year bash,” the announcement read.

Read also: Establishment of Institute of Trypanosomiasis Research in Gombe Will Boost Livestock Production, Economy’ -Gov Yahaya

COVID-19: Uzodimma orders Employees to Remain at home

coic

-

December 20, 2020

0

COVID-19: Uzodimma orders Employees to Remain at home

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma on Sunday ordered employees to Remain at home until further notice after the upsurge at Covid-19.

He also revealed in the country broadcast that using 920 new confirmed cases recorded in December alone in the nation, the nation has listed six deaths.

Describing the problem in the country as terrifying, he revealed that recent PCR-Based tests completed in the nation with regard to the principles of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), demonstrated a frightful upsurge in the supported instances curve.

“Regrettably, although the grim realities of rising Covid -19 infections have been facing us daily, and overall complacency and a false sense of security amongst our visitors to Covid -19 security protocols stay the order of their day. The opportunity to do this is now. The impending hazard posed by the individual traffic spike occasioned from this season makes drastic and immediate actions in this direction equally cogent and pressing.”
Read also: Buratai’s leadership skills unprecedented – Hope Uzodimma

In this regard, he cautioned that there is an absolute need to prevent collecting of audiences of at least a hundred individuals anywhere in the nation. Where such audiences must collect, those involved need to wear face masks.

There ought to be wash hand racks easily available with alcohol established sanitizers at these events.

This usually means that the state secretariat, which is a significant crowd puller, will stay shut, from tomorrow to the public until further notice.

Mobile courts are deployed all around the country to test any individual captured without wearing face masks.

Read also: SENATOR HOPE UZODIMMA COMMISSIONS NEW ROADS IN IMO STATE
Equally, all Covid-19 security protocols will undoubtedly be rigorously enforced. “These include the provision of clean hand racks and sanitizers in worship and markets places. Any individual or persons captured not observing these security protocols will be retrieved from the Mobile courts.

“As we apply the security protocols and track the circumstance, we will regularly review developments to ascertain additional steps which could be critical.

” I won’t need this Christmas to be the final for any people. Let’s consider these security protocols observe them tenaciously. It’s in the interest of all people to achieve that.”
Read also: BREAKING: SIX IMO APC GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS BACK SENATOR HOPE UZODIMMA