Monday 25 July 2016

Lagos will start generating N30bn monthly by 2017 – Commissioner

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The Lagos State Government on Sunday said it will reduce dependence on federal allocation by increasing its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to a monthly target of N30 billion in 2017.
It also said that it would increase the IGR to N50 billion monthly in 2018 and that it targeted a yearly budget of N1 trillion by 2018.
This is contained in a communique issued at the end of a four-day retreat for members of the State Executive Council, Body of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Government Agencies and Parastatals in Badagry.
The communiqué said the retreat had the theme “Reflect, Reappraise, Restrategise: Raising the Bar of Governance’’.
On the budget plan, it said the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Akinyemi Ashade, described the target as ambitious, adding that appropriate measures were being adopted to achieve the plan.
“Yes, it is ambitious, it requires thinking and what we are going to do differently is to ensure that we use technology to drive it in terms of automation and collection.
“What we are also going to ensure is that the whole reform around consumption taxes is really taken to another level.
“The land administration system will support this initiative,’’ the communiqué quoted Ashade as saying.
It said that the government had resolved to scale up and run efficient revenue collection machinery through the convergence of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies operations and utilisation of cutting edge technologies.
It also said the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, noted that participants agreed to achieve 100 per cent budget performance with a 58 per cent to 42 per cent ratio for capital and recurrent expenditure.
It added that it was also resolved that efforts should be redoubled at reducing cost and blocking leakages.
“Meanwhile, it was resolved that those MDAs who are not yet integrated into the Treasury Single Account be brought in before the end of third quarter of 2016.
“Participants pledged to ensure timely preparation of the 2017 budget and its passage into law by the end of October 2016.
“This will facilitate the implementation of the budget from Jan. 1, 2017,’’ it quoted Ayorinde as saying.
He communiqué said that participants deliberated on the six pillars of Lagos State Development Plan which included infrastructure development, sustainable environment, finance, economic development, social development and security and governance.
“As a government of inclusion, participants identified the need for partnership with persons and organisations that will create positive value to enhance the quality of life and standard of living of residents,’’ it said.
The communiqué said other conclusions included the need to improve on the performance of Lagos Water Corporation in the production of water and collection of water tariff.
It said that participants resolved to also encourage private sector investment in production and supply of portable water and mapping out strategies toward food security.
On tourism, the communique said that participants acknowledged the imperative and need to invest more in the sector.
It said that they emphasised the need to improve on the technological capacity of the Lottery Board to create jobs and increase revenue generation.
The communiqué said the government also urged individuals and corporate organisations to take ownership of its Tree Planting initiative to mitigate the effect of climate change by nurturing and ensuring survival of trees. (NAN)
SOURCE: dailypostng

Institute, ministry to include sector as subject in school curriculum

Lady Isioma Chukwuma
The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has revealed plans to partner the Federal Ministry of Education in the teaching of insurance as subject in schools.
The institute has also implored insurance professionals to volunteer as teachers and lecturers, so as to make up for the dearth of insurance teachers and lecturers in the nation’s academic institutions.
President of the CIIN, Lady Isioma Chukwuma, who stated this recently at a press parley in Lagos, added that the institute has aided in the study and teaching of insurance by providing support to institutions across the country through donation of course books, equipping libraries with study materials and equipment.
She noted that the institute’s train-the-trainer programme was designed to upscale insurance education and to ensure that insurance teachers possess the required skills for imparting the necessary knowledge to the future generation of insurance practitioners.
She said the programme was first carried out in Lagos and Ogun states and has since been replicated in other parts of the country, stressing that the institute is presently engaging some states that it had visited to fashion out modalities to host the programme in such states.
Chukwuma noted that the train-the-trainer programme has been well received and many states are enthusiastic about partnering the institute and the college in this regard.
Speaking on the drop in insurance sales, the Deputy President, CIIN, Mrs. Funmi Babington-Ashaye, said, “it’s only when you have a lot of money to spend that you remember insurance; even corporate organisations have a lot of issues regarding their bottom line.
“Prices have gone up and you see some of them that are even insuring in the past, comprehensively, have started insuring third party. Even individuals are not renewing at all. You can imagine the negative impact on the bottom line of insurance firms.
“Also talking about aviation and oil and gas, we are aware of how it’s been.
SOURCE: guardianng

Friday 22 July 2016

Ogun teacher caught sexually abusing pupil


The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a private school teacher, Matthew Sodeke, for alleged child abuse in Igbala community in the  Sango Ota area of the state.
Our correspondent learnt that Sodeke, an English Language teacher, was caught sucking the private parts of a male pupil.
The teacher was reportedly caught by a parent who had come to pick his child in the school.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the teacher allegedly sexually assaulted the 16-year-old boy, identified only as Ajala, in one of the offices of the school after closing hours.
On Tuesday, July 12, around 4pm, Sodeke was said to have called the pupil upstairs into one of the offices.
It was learnt that Sodeke allegedly instructed the boy to remove his trousers, after which the teacher allegedly began to suck the boy’s private parts.
A yet-to-be-identified parent, who reportedly came to check her child in the school, was said to have caught the duo and raised the alarm.
The matter was thereafter reported at the Sango Police Division, and Sodeke was arrested.
A parent, identified only as Shokoya, who claimed to be a witness, said the teacher was beaten up by a mob before he was taken to the police station.
Shokoya added that the pupil confessed that his private parts had been sucked by the teacher on several occasions.
She said, “The teacher was caught while molesting the boy after school hours. He could not deny it because he was caught in the act.
“After a parent had raised the alarm, other parents and youths descended on the teacher and beat him to a pulp. He was thereafter handed over to the police at the Sango division.
“The teacher said he was formerly living with his brother, a pastor, who later sent him out when he (the pastor) caught him sucking a neighbour’s private parts.
“When the pupil was also interviewed, he confessed that it was not the first time the teacher would molest him. He said the teacher warned him not to disclose the act to anyone.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that Sodeke, who confessed to the crime, had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect had been charged to court.
He said, “It is a case of indecent assault. The English Language teacher, Sodeke, called the victim to one of the offices and asked him to remove his trousers. He then put Ajala’s private parts in his mouth.
“Based on this report, detectives from the Sango division arrested the culprit and brought him to the station for interrogation. He confessed to the crime. The matter was transferred to the SDCI, Abeokuta, as directed by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Abdulmajid Ali.
“The teacher has been charged to court and remanded in prison custody.”
SOURCE: Punchng

Thursday 21 July 2016

Halliburton scandal: Buhari’s wife sues Fayose

fayos aisha
Aisha, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, has sued Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, for defamation.
Mrs. Buhari is dragging the governor to court for claiming that she was among those indicted in the Halliburton multi-million dollar scandal.
Recall that the President’s wife had on several occasions denied involvement in the scam and threatened to sue Fayose.
Similarly, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, stated that Aisha was not one of Nigerians mentioned in the scam.
But Fayose has continued to insist that the President’s wife was involved in the fraud in which Nigeria lost huge sums of money, alleging that the Federal Government’s anti-corruption war was selective and politically-motivated.
Premium Times reported on Wednesday night that Mrs. Buhari had dragged Fayose to court for tarnishing her image.
The online portal added that it had obtained the court summons, dated July 20, 2016, that Aisha filed against the governor.
SOURCE: DailyPostng

Rivers university student expelled for ‘speech and hearing challenges’ returns to school

The student who was expelled by the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, in 2015, for having “speech and hearing challenges” has been allowed to return to school.
Jane Ottah, 28, who dragged the university before a Rivers State High Court for expelling her over claims that she had disabilities, agreed to an out-of-court settlement with the University on Tuesday.
Ms. Ottah had demanded the university to pay her N20 million as damages in addition to providing the necessary support services and facilities to aid her learning. She also asked the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the university or their agents from discriminating against her in any way.
“I won the case, I’m going back to school,” Ms. Ottah informed PREMIUM TIMES in a Whatsapp message minutes after the court’s decision.
Rotimi Oguneso, the lawyer who took up the case after it was reported by PREMIUM TIMES, confirmed that the matter had been settled.
“We filed terms of settlement in court and same was adopted, the court recognized it as a settlement and it’s binding on all parties,” Mr. Oguneso, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said over the phone on Wednesday.
“So the university will take her back, she’s resuming in the next academic session.”
Blessing Didia, the school’s Vice Chancellor, also confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that they had agreed to settle out of court, but insisted that Ms. Ottah “was never dismissed ab initio”.
Benedict Ottah, the student’s father, said they agreed to the University’s plea to settle out of court because he wanted his daughter back in school
“We were in court on the 19th of February, the first sitting, their (university) lawyer pleaded for settling out of court,” Mr. Ottah told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.
“Then, on the 11th of April, Rotimi (Oguneso) and Femi Falana met them, they agreed on that settlement, not on monetary basis but on educational basis that my daughter shoul resume back to school this September.”
While expressing gratitude to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Ottah said the school agreed to assist his daughter settle back in school, as well as carry forward the school fees paid and registrations done in 2014 to September this year.
“She will not be victimized again,” he said.
“The issue is, I didn’t go for monetary compensation, I just forgot about that, let my daughter resume her school.”
PREMIUM TIMES had, in November last year, reported how the University handed a letter of expulsion to Ms. Ottah after it claimed it had observed that she was “medically challenged and have hearing and speech difficulties.”‎
“Since the University does not have special communication facilities, the Vice-Chancellor has directed that you be de-registered on health grounds‎,” the school registrar’s letter to Ms. Ottah read.
“I am in the circumstance, directed to inform you that you have been de-registered on health grounds with immediate effect. You are therefore advised to hand over all University property(ies) in your possession to your Head of Department and thereafter leave the campus.”
The letter was dated 30th January, 2015.
The University’s action was widely condemned by lawyers and human rights activists who described it as “a crude treatment” for a person with disability.
Ms. Ottah, who was in her first year in the Department of Educational Foundation, was writing the semester’s examination when she received the letter.
She was admitted into the university in September 2014.
Before securing admission, Ms. Ottah had passed her West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination with three distinctions and five credits; scored 205 in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam; and passed the university’s post-UME test.
Ms. Ottah described the out-of-court settlement with the university as “not bad”.
“Half bread is better than none.
“My education is very important to me, and I thank Jehovah Ebenezer, the tear wiper has done it for me.”
SOURCE:Premiumtimesng

Wednesday 20 July 2016

Police recover decomposing corpse of Today’s Prints boss, Ogunranti; arrest killers

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The Nigeria Police Force has arrested the murderers of late Olalekan Ogunranti, Managing Director, Today’s Prints Ltd.
The late Olalekan Ogunranti was kidnapped on May 16, 2016 by some unknown gunmen in Osun State.
However, with the slow pace of the investigation, the Inspector-General of Police, Ag.IGP Ibrahim Idris on assumption of office ordered the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the IGP’s Monitoring Unit to take over the matter and ensure the arrest of the culprits in record time.
Force spokesman, Don Awunah, in a statement on Tuesday, saId the IRT swung into action, using all the technical resources of the Force available to them for the arrest of five prime suspects.
They include; Asimiyu Agboola; Adesina Meyidan; Ramoni Afolabi; Akeem Akorede and Coker Daniel.
Coker Daniel, one of the suspects and a 32 year old graduate, in his confessional statement led IRT operatives to Ibukun River in Ibukun local government area of Osun state where the mutilated body of the late Olalekan Ogunranti was recovered and deposited at LAUTECH Oshogbo as other suspects were arrested in Lagos and Ondo States respectively.
All suspects confessed they kidnapped, killed and mutilated the body of the late Olalekan Ogunranti.
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IGP Ibrahim Idris said the ”arrest of these murderers is a glaring evidence of the proactive nature of the Nigeria Police Force in the new dispensation,” assuring Nigerians that the Nigeria Police will always guaranty the security of lives and property.
SOURCE: DailyPostng

How Boko Haram forced me to watch my son beheaded – displaced Baga resident

Jummai Ibrahim
Over a year ago when Boko Haram insurgents swept through the fishing community of Baga in northern Borno State, horrified residents had limited options. The militants attacked and killed many, locals and security operatives alike.
Men, women and children who managed to flee, arrived camps for internally displaced persons with grisly tales of what they saw either during the attack, or while on the run.
One woman, Jummai Ibrahim, who braved all odds to stay alive, told PREMIUM TIMES chilling details of how she lost everything, including a 21-year-old son, and how Boko Haram insurgents forced her to watch him decapitated.
Back in Baga, Jummai and many other women that fled, lived fairly well, with good earnings from a booming fish trade near the Lake Chad. The 58-year-old was famous as a big time merchant, she said.
Now, seated at the Maiduguri IDP camp where she has lived for months, Jummai’s appearance tells nothing of that well-to-do past.
“All my life fishing is what I do,” said Jummai with some degree of pride. “It was fishing that took me and my husband to Baga and even into some parts of Chad in the past 40 years.”
She said they made money daily from fishing and food crops.
“Without being ungrateful to God, I will say we have made great fortune from our fishing business mostly on the Lake Chad waters,” she narrated. “But unfortunately, Boko Haram came in to dislodge our peace and caused us serious loss of our properties, and money.”
On the day Boko Haram insurgents struck in January 2015, Jummai said their last consignment of fish for day had been loaded to a truck at about 6 am, ready for delivery to the markets.
The cargo was not much that day at about N700, 000, she said.
When gunfire ran out, the town laid in ruin and residents like Jummai fled leaving all they toiled for.
“After loading the truck, we had to leave it in the park overnight for it to be transported the next morning. We later lost everything because everyone had to run for their dear lives when Boko Haram came in large numbers shooting their ways into every household and killing everyone they came across. All our food stuff stored in our silos were also left behind,” she narrated.
“We suffered a great deal fleeing to safety. Now that we have arrived the IDP camp in Maiduguri, we came to meet a life we never envisaged at all. It was a setback to many of us women who were once masters of their own in terms of financial resources; because back there in Doro-Baga, we do our business and make enough money to take good care of ourselves and our needs.
“It is ironical to see me here today begging to feed when I could make over N3 million in a single net-drag of fishes; the least we make in the sales of fishes could be around N500, 000. We do not know any other business except fishing and farming; and here we have nothing to do other than sitting down every day and waiting for handouts from government,” she said.
Jummai, a mother of seven children, who are mostly adults, said Boko Haram gunmen did not only invade their community, but went after them as they fled into the bushes. Many, according to her were killed in the bush and many, especially young women, were abducted by the assailants.
“I left all my belongings back in Doro-Baga when fleeing the attack by Boko Haram. I came with only the clothes I had on me,” she said. “We ran all day together with some of my children. When we got to a village called Kalwaram, I saw many people killed, and at the outskirts of the village I saw fresh corpses of two soldiers; one of the soldiers was stripped naked, his manhood was cut off his groin and forced into his mouth. I could not stand the sight of such horror, but I had to untie my wrapper and cover his body up to, at least, protect his dignity. I kept on running with only my underskirt and the blouse I had on me, until I got to a village called Minnati, where a woman saw me and out of sympathy gave me a wrapper to wear over my underskirt. That was how I got to the camp in Maiduguri, all on foot,” Jummai narrated.
Jummai said their journey out of Baga began on a bloody note as they ran into the insurgents on the outskirts of the town.
“I lost many of my relatives while fleeing from Baga. Immediately we made it to the outskirts of Baga, Boko Haram gunmen intercepted us and took away one of my daughters who was two months pregnant and her three-year-old son and 13 other ladies who were either my cousins or my husband’s younger ones that were living with us.
“One of my sons, Habibu, who was about 21 years old was killed by Boko Haram. When they saw him with me, one of the Boko Haram gunmen told me that ‘Mama this your son is old enough to join the Civilian-JTF, so he is assumed to be a potential member of the Civilian-JTF’. For that reason they dragged him to the ground in my presence and slit his throat. They wanted to force me to hold his legs while they were cutting off his neck, and I told them I could not do such thing. I attempted to close my eyes because I could not stand to see how they were killing my own son like an animal, but one of them hit me with the butt of their gun on my arm, and insisted that I must watch them as they killed my son.
“I watched him cry and calling on me to help him, when I cried out that I could not help him, then he kept on screaming that ‘mama pray for me, and forgive me if I ever offended you, pray for me’…(sobs)…that was how my child was slaughtered and beheaded,” Jummai narrated, weeping. “I have seen pains and torture from Baga to Maiduguri.”

Life in Maiduguri

Life at the IDP camp has been another tortuous phase for Jummai. She complains about how she and her surviving family now struggle to eat and get basic needs as clothing.
“Now I am left with nothing except rags,” she said, struggling a wry smile, but apparently fighting back tears.
“Last year, Borno State government came to share clothes for us and that was what we have been using since then. As you can see now, the clothes have turned to rags because of everyday use. Look at my body, look at our skins, we lack soaps to bathe and even the cheapest cream to oil our body. We do not even have washing bar to wash our clothes. It is so pathetic.
“It is even more pathetic now that I have over 20 children including some of my own that were able to make it on their own to this camp and those of neighbours that have been killed, all living with me in the same apartment here in the camp. Food that was recently distributed by the Borno state governor during this Ramadan did not get to us in our own house. We have to depend on one or two measures of rice that some good relatives brought to us.
“Just imagine the irony of life…(sobs)… me a woman of means in Baga, whom people do come to meet for help; even when the local government council was in difficulties, they do come to me for assistance which I did render without blinking an eyelid. I was a very independent woman financially. I was very famous and prominent in my community; none of our Lawans (District Head) and Bulamas (village heads) would say they don’t know me.”
On whether she would want to return to Baga to pick the pieces of their lives, Jummai said such an opportunity would be like “being offered free pilgrimage to the holy land”.
“But looking at what I passed through to get to safety here, I would rather wait here with my children until when the soldiers declare that there is no more Boko Haram,” she added cautiously.
Her immediate concern now is having an improved living condition in the camps where food and clothing will not be an issue.
“I am calling on government both at the federal and state level to come to our aid; especially in the area of feeding in the camps; of course the SEMA and NEMA normally provide food which are cooked by committee members and shared in the camp. But, sadly, most of the food cooked are not prepared in the best way that it could be consumed. That is why you see many people would rather dry the food in the sun and go out to sell them to get small amount they could use to buy something to eat. No one can eat the food here because it was poorly cooked.
“What we want is for the state government to come to the camp and give us the uncooked rice and corn flour so that we can cook them on our own, just like it did during this Ramadan. Allowing us to cook our food is better than some people coming to cook in the camp kitchen and at the end no one can eat what they prepare for us.
“I have seven children, one was killed; some that were captured by Boko Haram were able to reunite with us after soldiers rescued them. But most of them, especially the males have to leave the camp to go into the world to fend for themselves. One of my daughters who has 4 children has not seen her husband for a very long time now.”
SOURCE: Premiumtimesng