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  • 40-year-old man hangs self in Ibadan, another in Bayelsa

    A 40-year-old man, Lanre Kazeem, committed suicide early yesterday by hanging himself in his house, located at Eyin Grammar School, Molete area.

    It was gathered that Kazeem lived in a rented house and worked in a private palm kernel company around Soka, Ibadan, while he also had no known relatives or friends all through his one-year stay in the area.

    The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olugbenga Fadeyi, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that the body had been deposited at Adeoyo State Hospital’s mortuary.

    Fadeyi said: “The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Sanyo division, has visited the area to see what happened. Investigation has commenced on the matter to know what actually happened”.

    Some residents of the area told newsmen that the deceased hailed from Ogun State and left no suicide note behind to explain the cause of his action, while some of his neighbours claimed the deceased had been sick for close to two weeks without any medical care.

    Also speaking on the incident, the chairman, Eyin Grammar Landlords’ Association, Alhaji Lateef Adegoke, said the incident was reported to him and the police had taken the body to the mortuary.

    Meanwhile, the management of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Ilorin, has condoled with the family of one of its students, Fatima Abdullah, who reportedly committed suicide in Abuja on June 18.

    This was contained in a statement issued by AbdulRazaq Sanni, the Director, University Relations, yesterday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Fatima, a 300-Level student in the Faculty of Law, committed suicide at her home in Abuja.

    KWASU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Muhammed Akanbi, extended condolences to her family.

    While sympathising with family over the loss, Akanbi enjoined parents and guardians to be sensitive to their children and wards’ unusual behaviour, especially when they notice withdrawal syndrome in their attitude.

    Also at the weekend, a 28-year-old man, identified simply as Suga, committed suicide in Bayelsa State. Suga, who hailed from Nembe Local Government Area of the state, poisoned himself with a substance suspected to be insecticide after using his boss’ money worth N150,000 to play Bet9ja virtual games.

    A source, who craved anonymity, said Suga used to run a Bet9ja shop for his unnamed boss in Bassambiri Nembe area of the state. The source said the money the deceased used to play the virtual bets was meant for the day’s work.

    The source stated: “Suga, not knowing how to explain the situation to his boss, made him to take his own life.”

  • Insecurity: Senate President warns service chiefs, “Sit up or you’ll be shown the way out”

    Insecurity: Senate President warns service chiefs, “Sit up or you’ll be shown the way out”

    Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has asked service chiefs to sit up to avoid being shown the way out.

    Speaking with reporters after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, Lawan lamented over the high level of insecurity the country.

    He said the national assembly has been pushing for more resources for the security agencies, asking them to improve their service to the nation.

    “The country is facing very deep and serious security challenges and I have come to discuss with Mr. President what we discussed previously that we should do whatever it takes to improve the security situation in the country,” he said.

    “And we believe that the senate and indeed the National Assembly is positively disposed to receiving even supplementary budget purposely to address the fundamental needs of the security agencies of our country. So that we are able to empower them, enable them to fight the Boko Haram in the north-east, banditry and other security challenges across the country.

    “Secondly, in the senate, we believe we need to provide more resources for recruitment by the security yet agencies army, the navy, air force, police, immigration, the paramilitary generally. We need to have more manpower or personnel and this is not something you get on platter of gold. Whoever wants to make an omelette will break an egg.
    “Section 14 subsection 2b of the constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria is very categorical and crystal clear, that the purpose of government shall be to provide for security and welfare of the people. Therefore, we must, we have no luxury of any option other than to address the security challenges more than any other thing.

    “I think we must tell ourselves the truth, that the security situation in the country especially in the northern part of the country, requires that we give much more resources to the security agencies. And those who are heading these agencies especially the service chiefs, must sit up, in fact we must have milestones and timelines on how we are going to deal with this, we can’t just go on without any time frame for dealing with these issues.

    “If after we provide some support and someone is found short of expectations, he should be shown the way out if he refuses to go. Because the lives of Nigerians are so precious and therefore must be more important than any other considerations or sentiments. I believe that today, the most essential thing in government is to address the security challenges.”

  • BREAKING: Govt seals off Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s church

    BREAKING: Govt seals off Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s church

    The Akwa Ibom State Government on Sunday sealed off the premises of one of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s churches in Uyo, capital of the State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the State Government sealed off the Christ Embassy Church, Nung Akpa Ime branch in Uyo for alleged attack on the State Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Compliance Monitoring Team.

    Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, Secretary to State Government and Chairman of COVID-19 Management Committee made this known in a statement in Uyo on Sunday.

    Ekuwem said the Church was sealed off for obstructing, attacking and brutalising members of the monitoring team.

    He added that the sealing off of the Church was due to acts of lawlessness and to avoid the risk of community transmission of Coronavirus.

    The secretary to the state government said that the Pastors and members involved in the attack would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    “In response to this act of lawlessness by the Church and in order to avoid the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 in Akwa Ibom State, the Christ Embassy Church building and premises are hereby sealed off with immediate effect until further notice.

    “The suspected Pastors and relevant members of the church will be made to face the wrath of the law,” Ekuwem said.

    It was gathered that when the monitoring team arrived at the Church on Sunday, at about 11a.m., some men prevented the team from gaining access into the Church premises.

    It was also learnt that appeals by the leader of the monitoring team, Mr Enobong Uwah, and other members including the State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Ndueso Ekwere, were rebuffed.

    After the ease of lockdown, the Akwa Ibom Government reopened worship centres on June 7, based on the guidelines submitted by CAN.

    Meanwhile, Pastor Chris had during a televised service while faulting the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the government for the gradual reopening of churches, said pastors who are afraid of COVID-19 do not believe in God.

    Pastor Chris alleged that church leaders are responsible for the guidelines placed on churches, stressing that some leaders have insisted that the government should ensure that churches remain closed.

    “We have to pray for our leaders and pastors who are scared of the virus. You can’t believe in Jesus Christ and be afraid of virus. Jesus touched people with leprosy and healed them. But these people who are afraid are pretending to be representing the Christians. It’s a shame. I think the leaders are laughing at them.

    “If you are a Christian and minister of the gospel and you are afraid of the virus, you have no gospel. Your gospel has ended. The moment you start giving such guidelines to people in the church, you’ve repudiated your faith in Christ.

    “You may not know this but the reason many churches are still shut down is not just government but church leaders who insisted that government should not let the churches open, except the churches follow these wicked guidelines.

    “Some of those guidelines like wearing of gloves before laying hands on the sick, suspending holy communion, holy communion that Jesus Christ told us to take, now we are told to suspend them because of a pandemic, this is crazy,” Pastor Chris said.

  • NCC set to unveil 5-year Strategic Management Plan

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is set to unveil a five-year 2020 to 2024 Strategic Management Plan (SMP), scheduled to hold on June 23.

    Dr Henry Nkemadu, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

    The statement said that the plan was in line with the objective of creating a seamless strategy to augment its effective management and regulation of the telecommunications sector.

    It explained that the SMP unveiling would leverage on the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), as well as the new National Broadband Plan (NBP), 2020 – 2025 Roadmaps.

    According to the statement, it will cover the guiding principles and act as the operations manual for the Commission towards actualising the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government in the next five years.

    The SMP, which was developed in-house with the stamp of the Management and Board is a visioning document for planning, monitoring, analysing and assessment of the Commission’s goals and objectives in the next five 5 years.

    It will be resident in the Corporate Planning, Strategy and Risk Management Department, which will ensure that the contents of the document become the guiding principles for the Commission in the next five years.”

    It noted that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, would unveil and launch the NCCs SMP supported by the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande.

    The event will highlight the unveiling of SMP, upload of the SMP on the NCC Website and unveiling the face of the NCC Strategy amongst others.

  • Ghana apologises to Nigeria over demolished High Commission buildings [See letter]

    Ghana apologises to Nigeria over demolished High Commission buildings [See letter]

    Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has apologised to the Nigerian government after the building housing high commission staff was demolished on Friday night.

    In a press statement, the ministry said it viewed with concern the development, which is a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

    It expressed regrets over the demolition.

    “While expressing regrets over the incident, the Ministry wishes to reassure the diplomatic community in Ghana
    and the Nigerian High Commission in particular that Ghana remains a law abiding country that upholds the principle of the rule of law”.

    Officials will be visiting the Nigerian High Commission tomorrow to access the damage done to the property, one report said.

    The plot of land in dispute houses the residence of the Nigerian High commissioners residence and four other buildings. It was allocated to the Nigerian government in the sixties.


    A portion of the land had remained undeveloped until eight years ago when building work began.

    A Ghanaian businessman claims legitimate ownership of the land.

    Nigeria and the Ghanaian governments resolved the ownership issue, when Nigeria paid fifty million Ghanaian cedis for the land.

    Building works commenced on a portion of the land after all approvals were sought and obtained from regulatory authorities.

    Nigeria’s foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama strongly condemned the demolition earlier today.

    “We strongly condemn two outrageous criminal attacks in Accra, #Ghana, on a residential building in our diplomatic premises by unknown persons in which a bulldozer was used to demolish the building”, Onyeama tweeted.

    “We are engaging the Ghanaian Government and demand urgent action to find the perpetrators and provide adequate protection for Nigerians and their property in Ghana”, he wrote.

  • Why we called off strike – Resident doctors

    …FG carpets resident doctors, says strike needless

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Sunday suspended its indefinite strike which started on June 15, following a meeting between the association and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja.

    NARD President, Dr Aliyu Sokomba, who announced this while addressing a news conference in Abuja, said “NEC has resolved to suspend the ongoing indefinite strike with effect from Monday June 22, 2020 by 8a.m. prompt.

    “The national officers shall continue negotiations with stakeholders and progress made shall be reviewed in four weeks during the next National Executive Council meeting in July 2020.

    “The decision to suspend the strike was taken in order to give the Federal and State Governments time to fulfill the outstanding demands following an appeal by the Speaker of House of Representative, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chairman Nigeria Governors Forum and other stakeholder”.

    He acknowledged the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in some hospitals but said there were still need for sustained supplies.

    The president also announced that the Medical Residency Training fund had been included in the revised 2020 budget through the intervention of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and would be implemented as soon as the budget was assented to by the President.

    He, however, gave the Federal Government four weeks to make good its promises.

    “At the same time, we await the fulfillment of the promise made by the Nigeria Governors Forum to ensure same is done in all the states.

    “On the salary shortfall for 2014-2016, The Secretary to the Government of the federation has promised to intervene.

    “Government has shown commitment to secure group life insurance for health workers. That the disengaged resident doctors at Jos University Teaching Hospital have been reinstated, the Chief Medical Director has been directed to pay their withheld salaries and comply with the provisions of the Medical Residency.

    “On State Tertiary Health Institutions (STHIs), the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum Gov. Kayode Fayemi and the Director General Mr Asishana Okauru, appealed to be given time to discuss with other state Governors of Kogi, Gombe, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, kaduna, Nasarawa , Enugu, Anabara, Abia and Imo for immediate pay parity with the corrected CONMESS of 2019 and that salary shortfalls due our members will be paid shortly.

    “NARD also met with Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state who also gave his words to favourably look into all challenges of our members in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso with a view to abiding by the international standard.

    “That the Executive Governors of Delta and Benue from reports by our members have been supportive although more needs to be done.

    “NEC observed that COVID-19 inducement allowance has only been paid to 11 federal health institutions and most state governments are yet to review the hazard allowance of health workers,” he said.

    FG carpets Resident Doctors, says strike needless

    Meanwhile, the federal government has said the strike by the NARD was “needless and insensitive” because issues raised by the association had received attention.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made this known at a media briefing on Sunday in Abuja.

    The briefing was jointly addressed by Mohammed and Ministers of Health,Mr Osagie Ehanire, Labour and Employment, Mr Chris Ngige.

    Mohammed noted that the strike embarked upon by the Doctors since June 12 was uncalled for, considering the facts the government had responded to their needs and requests.

    “It is pertinent to say that the issues raised by the association while issuing its ultimatum on June 1, have received or are receiving full attention,” he said

    Specifically, the minister said that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have been supplied to all States and Federal Tertiary Hospitals and funds for the same were being provided in the revised 2020 budget.

    He said the implementation of the Residency Training programme was backed by the National Assembly, which provided ₦4 billion in the revised 2020 budget.

    “We have paid N9 billion as premium for Group Life Insurance to all our health workers and over N4.6 billion as Special Hazard Allowance to health workers as already acknowledged in at least 35 hospitals.

    “In summary, a total of 55,031 health workers have been paid comprising of 23 COVID-19 designated Hospitals and Medical Centres and 8 non-COVID-19 designated centres amounting to over N7.9 billion,” he said

    He added that other matters relating to non-payment of arrears dating back as 2014 or salaries owed by State Governments, were either in court, or beyond the power of the Federal Ministry of Health to resolve.

    On addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister said apart from the provision of PPEs and other equipment, the federal government expanded testing laboratories from two to 38.

    He said government have trained over 13,000 health workers on Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) as well as developed policy and protocols for testing returning Nigerians.

    Mohammed said government has evolved policies and protocols for integration of primary healthcare into national response and increased isolation centre bed space from 3,000 to more than 5,000 nationwide.

    The minister expressed concerns that the doctors still opted for the strike ins pite of addressing all issues raised and negotiations facilitated by the National Assembly.

    “We must express the government’s consternation that resident doctors will choose a time like this, when we are battling a pandemic, to embark on a strike.

    “This negates what obtains in other parts of the world, where health workers are rallying around their governments to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Nigeria must be among, if not the only nation, where doctors – who are classified as essential workers – have opted for a strike during a national health emergency,” he said

    Mohammed noted that, though many options were opened to the federal government in tackling the strike, yet it chose negotiation over confrontation.

    On his part, Ngige said it was a dire time for any sector, particularly the heath sector to embark on strike.

    He re-echoed that all issues raised by the Doctors had been met by the Government and they should have trust in the Federal Ministry of Health.

    The minister disclosed that the leadership of NARD contacted him by midnight and hinted on the suspension of the strike.

    Speaking in the same vein, Ehanire said it was not time for acrimony and all hands must be on deck for the country to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and salvage the health sector.

  • Boko Haram/Banditry: Nigerians in Diaspora seek working solutions, partnership from US, UK others

    The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has challenged the United States, United Kingdom and European Union to support Nigeria with a working solution against Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.

    In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Agwu Oyekwe and 13 others on Friday, ANPE believes threats posed by the terrorist group has assumed both regional and international dimension, such that only collaborative effort can bring it to a halt.

    While acknowledging the sacrifices of the Nigerian government, the group said that much more can be achieved with added support of world’s superpowers.

    In the regard, ANPE expressed disgust at the UK, US and EU for seating on the fence, routinely issuing statements rather than a proactive action each time a carnage and atrocity is committed by the terrorists.

    According to the group, the solution to the crisis is by arresting the sponsors and promoters of conflict in Africa.

    Consequently, ANPE charged the US, UK and EU to identify and prosecute those culpable in the various acts of killings in Nigeria and profiling of such persons for the world to know.

    It further urged the EU to expose countries selling arms and ammunitions to the Boko Haram/ISWAP group in line with international best practices

  • Father’s Day: Tonto Dikeh’s ex-hubby drops pensive note

    Father’s Day: Tonto Dikeh’s ex-hubby drops pensive note

    Olakunle Churchill, the ex-husband of actress Tonto Dikeh on Sunday dropped a pensive note on his Instagram page to mark Father’s Day.

    Olakunle, sharing a photo of himself and his son, prayed for children not to be used as tools of jealousy because of broken relationships.

    According to him, this is not the era when single parenting ends up affecting a children’s mentality thereby confusing them.

    “Happy Fathers’ Day to all the fathers in the world. A father is a father irrespective of marital challenges. A father is not only by way of giving birth to a child; but by way of taking care of children around you, and children around the world who are in need.

    “I pray for all the fathers in the world that your child/children will not be used as a tool of jealousy, because of broken relationships like it’s done in the old Era.

    “As I celebrate this day, I pray this won’t be the era when single parenting ends up affecting a child/ children’s mentality thereby confusing them.

    “This is a new Era and things have changed. Relax, you’ll reconnect with your child at the right time. You Are A father! We Are Fathers!! I Am A Father!!! Happy Father’s Day To You,” Olakunle wrote.

  • VIDEO: Pastor Chris fumes again over COVID-19 guidelines

    VIDEO: Pastor Chris fumes again over COVID-19 guidelines

    Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, President of Believers’ Loveworld Inc. aka Christ Embassy has said pastors who are afraid of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) do not believe in God.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Pastor Chris stated this in a televised service while faulting the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the government for the gradual reopening of churches.

    He alleged that church leaders are responsible for the guidelines placed on churches, stressing that some leaders have insisted that the government should ensure that churches remain closed.

    “We have to pray for our leaders and pastors who are scared of the virus. You can’t believe in Jesus Christ and be afraid of virus. Jesus touched people with leprosy and healed them. But these people who are afraid are pretending to be representing the Christians. It’s a shame. I think the leaders are laughing at them.

    “If you are a Christian and minister of the gospel and you are afraid of the virus, you have no gospel. Your gospel has ended. The moment you start giving such guidelines to people in the church, you’ve repudiated your faith in Christ.

    “You may not know this but the reason many churches are still shut down is not just government but church leaders who insisted that government should not let the churches open, except the churches follow these wicked guidelines.

    “Some of those guidelines like wearing of gloves before laying hands on the sick, suspending holy communion, holy communion that Jesus Christ told us to take, now we are told to suspend them because of a pandemic, this is crazy,” Pastor Chris said.

    https://twitter.com/ManLikeIcey/status/1274431084684591104?s=19

  • Flood renders Benin residents homeless

    Flood renders Benin residents homeless

    Many residents of Benin, the capital of Edo State, have been rendered homeless following several hours of heavy down pour on Saturday.

    Several houses were submerged by the flood and others destroyed. Aside the destruction and submerging of houses, several cars were also destroyed by the flood.

    While only a few part of the city was spared by the flood, the areas worst hit included most parts of the GRA, 1st East Circular, Akenwan road, Sakponba road, Erediauwa, off Sapele road, Okhoro as well as Ugbowo areas of the city.

    Residents, who are still busy scooping water from their homes, have continued to lament over the destruction of their properties by the flood.

    Some of the victims of the flood who spoke with NAN, painted a gloomy future if they are not assisted by the government to recover some of their losses.

    Moses Izekor, while describing the situation as pathetic, said they watched hopeless as the flood completely submerged their house and destroyed properties.

    Izekor who resides in Erediauwa, off Sapele road, blamed the flood in the area to the newly constructed road with poor water channels.

    “When this road was being constructed, we complained about the way the channeling of the flood was being carried out but nobody listened to us. This is just about the first heavy rain this year and see what we are already experiencing,” he stated.

    Also Uwadiac Osagie, a resident of Edosonwan around Ugbor, GRA, said residents of the area were all trapped in their homes by the flood.

    He said if not for the intervention of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), they would now be narrating a different story.

    The situation was not different with Mr Osazuwa Ighodaro, living in Erie, off Sakponba road, whose building caved in under the impact of the flood.

    However, the government has attributed the flood to non adherence to building regulation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage.

    Mr Yakubu Gowon, Special Adviser on Spacial Duties to the Governor, stated this while going round to assess the level of damages caused by the flood.

    According to him, “These are the things the governor has always emphasised; that we obey building regulations and stop indecrimate waste disposal.

    “We need to help ourselves because the government is doing a lot to ensure the city is rid of flooding incidents.”