TheNewsGuru

Author: Peter Tuketu

  • World Bank wants increased power supply in Nigeria

    World Bank wants increased power supply in Nigeria

    The World Bank says it is in talks with the Federal Government over increased availability of power in the country.

    Mr Joaquim Levy, the Managing Director and Group Chief Financial Officer, World Bank, told reporters in Lagos that power was important to the development of businesses and the country.

    According to the World Bank chief, “Power is one of the things that we are working together with the government. Power is so important for of course, households but also for business because there is no how you can produce and you don’t have power.

     

    “But it is a very complex sector, not only in Nigeria, in many countries you have to organise all the parts – distribution, who pays what, how you will get generation.

     

    “ It`s a complex thing, but the government is very committed and I think the private sector is also willing to come in and invest.

     

    “So, we are in conversations, my colleagues are in Abuja so that we can have changes in the way the sector operates that will increase the amount and availability of power.

     

    “This is our goal, to ensure affordable, reliable energy for business and for households.

     

    “And our experience in many countries is that, if you get this, people will be willing to pay for it which will also make a good preposition for investors.“

  • Man docked for alleged theft of N36,000 phone

    Man docked for alleged theft of N36,000 phone

    A 27-year-old man, Femi Olarenwaju, who allegedly stole an Infinity cell phone valued at N36,000 was on Monday charged before an Ota Magistrates ‘Court in Ogun.

    Olarenwaju of no fixed address, is charged with stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Chudu Gbesi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Nov. 26, 2016 at about 2.00 p. m. at Lafenwa area, Ota, Ogun.

    Gbesi said the accused stole the cell phone from one Idowu Olawale, while he was about to board a commercial bus.

    “The accused was seen by a passerby, who apprehended him and handed him over to the police,’’ he said.

    Gbesi said the offence contravened Section 390(9) of the Criminal Law of Ogun, 2006.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Senior Magistrate, Mr S. O.Banwo, granted him bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Banwo said the sureties should reside within the court’s jurisdiction and they should be gainfully employed.

    He said the sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Ogun State Government.

    The case was adjourned until July 6, for hearing.

  • Nigeria needs synthetic pitches for our football to excel -Anichebe

    Former Super Eagles striker and English Premiership footballer, Victor Anichebe, has called on the federal and state governments in the country to consider turning our football pitches to synthetic ones if our footballers are to excel in global competitiions.

    Anichebe made the appeal at the finals of maiden edition of his Grassroots Football Championship for youths in Anambra, at Nri Boys High School in Anaocha Local Government Area on Sunday.

    The Premiership footballer who hails from Anambra state says he is willing to partner with Anambra state Government to provide synthetic pitches in schools in the state.

    The former Everton FC of England player said, there were lots of talents in Nigeria but that they do not have the environment that could help to develop their talents.

    “I just think it is important to support the youth, I am where I am because of the support of some other people.

    “And it is for me and other people that played the game as well as the government to give the youth the necessary lift.

    “I plan to partner with the state government to do more things like this with my “Own Goal Project’’ and application that can be used to showcase the talents of these young ones across the world.

    “The quality of play is good, it could be better; the field is not the best and hopefully with the collaboration of the government I can help bring better pitches to my state,’’ he said.

    “I intend to put a synthetic pitch here and that is the way forward for youth football in Nigeria, we need the pitch because it serves in all weather.

    “Let us be honest to ourselves, if want to be a strong nation in youth football, we can’t continue to play on pitches like this.

    “In England, we have parks that have great pitches, these youths need to go and train, they need better facilities and that is what government should do for them in addition to what we are doing.’’

    Anichebe appealed to governments in the country to provide basic facilities to effectively harness young talents at the grassroots.

    He also urged the Anambra Government to reinvigorate school age sports through greater collaboration between the ministries of sports and education.

    The Chairman, Local Organising Committee for the competition, Anthony Ugorji, noted that improving on the sports facilities in schools would make them to become centres of both academic and sporting excellence.

    “We must return to the schools and grassroots to rediscover our glory in sports as a nation.

    “We must thank Gov. Willie Obiano for his interest and impressive record in youth empowerment.

    “We also urge the governor to ensure synergy between the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sports for effective sports development in primary and secondary schools,’’ he said.

    He expressed the hope that the competition would continue for more talents to be discovered and urged the government to mentor to stardom those who performed well.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Black Stone Boys of Nri defeated Ogene FC of Obeledu 1-0 to win the trophy with a cash prize of N500, 000.

    The runners-up got N300, 000 for their efforts.

    Dynamic FC of Aguluzigbo beat Enugu-Ukwu boys 5-4 on penalties in the third place match to get N200, 000, while the latter went home with a consolation prize of N 100,000.

  • Adeboye calls for immediate release of kidnaped school girls

    Adeboye calls for immediate release of kidnaped school girls

    – Asks God to expose and disgrace security men shielding and collaborating with criminals

    Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has called for the immediate release of the kidnapped Lagos school students.

    Making the call last night at the monthly Holy Ghost service of the church at its camp ground on the Lagos Ibadan expressway, Pastor Adeboye prayed God to cause the release of the students unharmed before Sunday runs out.

    He also led the mammoth crowd, which included the acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and other dignitaries, that gathered for the monthly service to call on God to expose, disgrace and punish all security men collaborating with and shielding kidnappers and other criminals in the country.

    In a very angry tone, which is rare of the man of God, he cursed all those causing the spill of innocent blood of Nigerians, calling on God to put an immediate end to the wanton destruction of lives by terrorists, kidnappers and other criminals before the end of June.

    Saying “Enough is Enough”, Pastor Adeboye called on his congregants to call on God to put an end to the bloodbath and shedding of innocent blood of Nigerians that is currently ravaging the country. “Whether is the remnant of the Boko Haram group or kidnappers or other criminals, we say enough is enough. We want an end to their activities; an end to the shedding of innocent blood in this country before the end of June,” Pastor Adeboye prayed.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Six Senior Secondary School students of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, in Epe area, were kidnapped by unknown gunmen almost a week ago.

    Similarly, TheNewsGuru also recalls that four students and two staff of the school were also abducted in October last year.

    The kidnappers involved in the current operation, police sources told TheNewsGuru.com reporters are suspected to be members of a militant kidnap gang that had carried out several kidnappings, armed robbery and the killings of security agents around Lagos and Ogun state.

     

     

  • 22 years old man arraigned for allegedly defiling 8 year old

    A 22- year-old man, Samuel David, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court accused of allegedly defiling his neighbour’s eight year old daughter.

    Samuel Deavid, the accused, is a driver who resides at 30, Oremeji St., Bariga, a Lagos suburb. He is being tried for defilement.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt .Raphael Donny, told the court that the offence was committed on May 12, at the residence of the accused.

    Donny said that the accused called the girl, an 8-year -old, into his room, on the pretext of sending her on an errand.

    “The accused defiled the girl, cleaned her up and told her not to tell anybody.

    “Days after, the girl was feeling uneasy and cannot urinate properly, hence she told her mother what happened and the accused was apprehended,’’ he said.

    The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Davies Abegunde, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1 million, with two sureties in like sum.

    Abegunde ordered the accused to pay N100,000 into the Chief Registrar ‘s account, as part of the bail conditions.

    She, therefore, adjourned the case until June 26, for legal advice from the Office of the State Director of Public Prosecutions.

  • Atiku Abubakar elevated from Turaki to Waziri Adamawa

    Atiku Abubakar elevated from Turaki to Waziri Adamawa

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s long list of tradition titles has gotten even longer with the Adamawa Emirate Council confirming his elevation to the position of Waziri Adamawa.

    His son, Aliyu, was also conferred wth the title of Turaki Adamawa, a title formerly held by his father.

    Information Officer of the Emirate Council,Mallam Muawiyah Abba confirmed the development in Yola this morning.

    Information reaching TheNewsGuru.com confirms also that Atiku’s appointment to the position, Waziri, followed the death of the former Waziri, Alhaji Muhammad Abba, who died in April.

    TheNewsGuru.com confirms that Waziri is the most senior kingmaker in the emirate and serves as close confidant and adviser to the Lamido Adamawa.

    Speaking in Yola, the Emirate spokesman said: “It is true that the emirate has appointed Atiku Abubakar the new Waziri of Adamawa while his son, Aliyu, is also appointed as the new Turaki Adamawa to take over from his father.”

    The new Turaki is also a biological grandson to late Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Aliyu Mustafa.

    When contacted on the development, the spokesman of Atiku, Mr Paul Ibe, also confirmed the appointment, adding, “I have spoken to him (Atiku) and he confirmed it.”

  • Local governments ask High Court to bar FG from registering marriages

    Local governments ask High Court to bar FG from registering marriages

    Four local government areas have approached a Federal High Court to ask that it bars the federal government from registering marriages, claiming the Federal Ministry of Interior has no business with registering marriages. This is coming on the heels of the recent court judgement which imputed that marriage certificates issued by local governments areas in the country are illegal. The suit also seeks a proper interpretation of that judgment.

    The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1760/16, was filed before Justice Chuka Obiozor by four local government areas in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com affirms that the local governments who are suing on behalf of all the local government areas in the country are: Egor in Edo, Eti-Osa in Lagos, Owerri Municipal in Imo and Port Harcourt in Rivers States.

    They want the court to declare that it is the local government areas that have the exclusive right to conduct and register marriages.

    The Minister of Interior; and the Attorney General of the Federation are joined as respondents in the suit.

    The local government areas, through their lawyer, Mr Michael Roger, are contending that by virtue of Section 1(5) of the 1999 Constitution, the Federal Ministry of Interior, an agency of the Federal Government, has no business registering marriages as it currently does.

    Roger had exhibited before the court an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court declaring that only local government areas had powers to register marriages by virtue of Section 30 (1) of the Marriage Act and Section 7(5) of the 1999 Constitution.

    However, in the said judgment delivered on June 8, 2002, Justice Oyindamola Olomojobi, clarified that other lawful authorities could, “celebrate or contract marriages.”

    Relying on Justice Olomojobi’s judgment, the local government areas are urging Justice Obiozor to declare that the minister of interior has no power to register marriages.

    Besides, the plaintiffs also alleged a misinterpretation of May 15, 2017 judgment of Justice I.O. Harrison of the Lagos State High Court that the judge did not declare local governments’ marriage certificate illegal.

    In the said judgment, the court declined the prayer to perpetually restrain the Registered Trustees of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), and their agents from further issuing the Local Government Unified Marriage Certificate.

    Meanwhile, in response to the plaintiff’s instant suit, the AGF filed a preliminary objection, and urged Justice Obiozor to dismiss the plaintiffs’ suit for being an abuse of court processes.
    The AGF argued that the issue raised by the plaintiffs had been settled by the judgment delivered on June 8, 2002 by Justice Olomojobi.

    In a five-paragraph affidavit, a lawyer from the AGF’s chamber, Mr Lawrence Ilop, said Justice Olomojobi, “has settled, once and for all, the question of who can contract marriages and did not vest that right solely in the local government councils.”

    He said that the marriage registries, as contemplated in the Marriage Act, “are designated places of celebration of marriages and not strictly for keeping registers of marriages.’’

    He urged Justice Obiozor to dismiss the suit, adding that the plaintiffs were forum shopping and abusing the processes of court.|

    Justice Obiozor adjourned hearing in the case until June 8.

  • Bode George surprisingly condemns politicians asking Buhari to resign

    Bode George surprisingly condemns politicians asking Buhari to resign

    In a surprising turn of events, Chief Olabode George, the Lagos chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), today condemned politicians asking President Mohammed Buhari to resign over his ill-health.

    TheNewsGuru.com can confirm that George faulted the calls in Lagos, describing them as wrong and inflammatory.

    According to the PDP big whig, it was inhumane of anyone to pressure the president to step down from office just because he was having some health challenges.

    Accusing those making the calls as taking politics too far, Chief George further pointed out that it was only the president and his managers who could decide when he was incapacitated.

    He said though he had always been in different camps with the president, he was always praying for his quick recovery, urging all Nigerians, irrespective of political allegiance, to do the same.

    “You see, I don’t support the call by some people that the president should resign because of his health.

    “Even though I have always been on different camps with the president, I do not think it is right for anybody to have evil thoughts towards him.

    “He is ill and we can only wish him good health and pray for him; calling him to resign because of this is getting beyond politics. He is a human being and only God knows the appointed time for everyone.

    “The holy book says we should always pray for people in authority; I think the president deserves everyone’s prayers, not comments that could even outrage some people and create unnecessary tension, “he said

    According to the former military administrator of Ondo State, Nigeria is experiencing some challenges which require everyone to join hands to overcome.

    He said the predilection of some people to make inflammatory comments along ethnic and religious sentiments would escalate the tension in the land.

    While saying people have the right to speak up against marginalisation by the Nigerian state, he such agitations should not be fashioned in a way that suggested secession.

    George said as a stateman who had an unwavering belief in the non-negotiability of the unity of Nigeria, he would never support the disintegration of the country.

    He decried the falling nationalism and patriotism among Nigerians, which he said was making people identify more with tribes and religion rather than the country.

    The PDP chieftain said it was unfortunate that the good idea of restructuring was being given all sorts of colourations to suit ethnic and regional sentiments.

    He said the only form of restructuring that he would support is the one that would make the centre unattractive and empower states to develop faster.

    George said it made no sense to have all the resources at the centre while states came cap in hand all the time for federal allocation.

    “People talk of restructuring to mean let everyone go on his way, let the country break and all of that. That to me is not the idea of restructuring.

    “The restructuring that was approved at the last national conference, which I think is the right thing, is to make the centre less strong and make the states stronger.

    “A restructuring that will empower the states to control resources and give like 30per cent to the centre.

    “That is the restructuring we are talking about. The form that will accelerate the development of the states, which in turn will fast track national development,” he said.

    On the crisis in the PDP, George said the party was having some challenges at the moment, but expressed the optimism that the party would overcome its problems and come back stronger.

    He said people saying that PDP would die were missing the point as the party was laid on a very strong foundation that could last for so long.

    George explained that the PDP was created for the unity and prosperity of the nation by its founding fathers and its national spread would make it stand the test of time.

    He dismissed rumours that he would soon dump the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he would rather quit politics instead of going to APC.

    The PDP chieftain expressed disappointment over the defection of some party members at the trying period, and said their action meant they were not committed in the first place.

    “I am disappointed at those leaving this party at this time. As for me, I would rather quit than defect.Whoever is saying I plan to defect to APC is lying. I am not a chameleon. I do my things straight. I can never go to APC,” he said.

    George said the crisis in party had put it in quagmire as it prepared for July 22council polls in Lagos.

    He said he hoped the same fate that befell the party at the Benue State council polls where APC had an easy win as a result of infighting in PDP would not occur in Lagos polls.

    According to him, the party is earnestly waiting for the Supreme Court judgement on Ali-Modu Sherriff and Ahmed Makarfi case, as it is important its future.

    He said his commendation of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos was borne out of the acknowledgement of his successes in infrastructural development in the state.

    George, however, said the PDP would give him a good run for his money in 2019, as it would present a seasoned candidate who would outperform him.

    He said it was worth it to celebrate Lagos at 50, but said visionary leadership and commitment was required to push the state to an enviable level of development within the next 50years.

  • Respite as Senator Buruju Kashamu extradition to USA is put on hold

    Respite temporarily came for embattled Sen. Buruji Kashamu whose extradition to the United states of America has been put on hold pending resolution of all cases on the matter currently at the Appeal Courts.

    This is because the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have agreed not to extradite Sen. Kashamu to the United States until all the court cases in Nigeria have been resolved.

    Kashimu had gone to court to stop the two from extraditing him to face trial in the U.S over alleged importation of hard drugs into the United States for which the American government has been making strenuous efforts to extradite him.

    Counsels to the two indicated the new position in a court process they filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Kashamu had gone to the court to seek their committal to prison on the ground that they were planning to abduct and deport him to the United States, contrary to the ruling of the court.

    However, at the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, Kashamu’s counsel, Mr Akin Olujimi (SAN), told Justice Gabriel Kolawale that the threat of his extradition was no longer subsisting.

    He, therefore, applied for leave to withdraw the suit against the AGF and NDLEA in view of the assurances given.

    The counsel told the judge that all parties will now face the various cases pending at the Court of Appeal.

    He said these were appeals that emanated from the refusal of the Federal High Courts to grant the extradition request.

    Counsel to the AGF, Mr Tanko Ashang, and that of the NDLEA, Mr Mike Kassa did not object to the withdrawal of the case.

    In his ruling, Justice Kolawale granted the leave sought for the withdrawal of the suit to allow the parties pursue their cases at the appellate court.

    “In the light of the application to withdraw this suit and to move to Court of Appeal to pursue all pending appeals in respect of the extradition matter, leave is hereby granted for withdrawal of this suit,’’ Kolawale ruled

  • man, wife killed in cold blood mysteriously in Osun

    The mysterious death of an elderly man and his wife, who were found strangled in their home in Gbongan area of Osun state, by their son today, by unknown assailants, has thrown the entire community into mourning and palpable fear.

    Mrs Folashade Odoro, the spokeswoman of the police in the state, who made this known on Sunday disclosed that their bodies were found at about 11 am at their residence in Gbongan.

    The Police PPRO said the son of the couple, Caleb Akanbi, reported the death of his parents to the police after he found them strangled inn their home.

    “When police got to the scene of the incident, Mr Reuben Akanbi, 70, and Mrs Victoria Akanbi, 68, who lived in an isolated house were found dead with violence marks on them.

    “The crime is suspected to have been carried out overnight and the body of the deceased couple had been removed and deposited at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital for autopsy.

    “Police special detectives had, however, been deployed to fish out the killers, ” she said.