Social media gossip won't make me sack Pinnick - Minister

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung told newsmen in Abuja that he will not be compelled to sack the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick and his board members based on social media gossip.

Dalung said that he would only take a decision after his meeting with the football federation's officials on Tuesday.

“I implement laws based on facts on ground. I cannot use social media gossips as a basis. It is unfortunate not to qualify for AFCON 2017, but I believe we have learnt from our mistakes and hope that such would not repeat itself again. It is true that we need to review some of the country`s football structure. We have to measure up to expectation.

"We are meeting with the leadership of the NFF on Tuesday, to receive a comprehensive report and review the authentic technical reports they would present," he said.

Since the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the AFCON 2017 championship, there have been calls for Amaju Pinnick and his board members to resign from office.

Read More

Club owner gets 10 match ban for slapping goalkeeper

Chief Ifeanyi Ubah, the proprietor of FC Ifeanyi Ubah has been banned from Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL match venues for ten matches.

Ubah who according to video evidence slapped Heartland FC goalkeeper, Ebele Obi was also ordered to pay a fine of N2.5m.

The League Management Company, LMC in a statement signed by its Head of Special Projects, Harry Iwuala demanded a letter of apology from Ubah in addition to a letter of undertaking to be a good ambassador of Nigerian football.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that the LMC arrived at the decision following its review of video evidence of the incident which occurred immediately after the Match Day 8 fixture at Nnewi between FC IfeanyiUbah and Heartland Football Club of Owerri.

“LMC is now issuing fresh charges against Ubah and is now handing him a fine of N2.5 million, in addition to a 10-match ban from all NPFL venues in a Summary Jurisdiction notice issued Thursday afternoon.

“Relying on the Match Commissioner’s report which did not capture the incident, the LMC had earlier charged Ubah for encroachment on the field of play only.

“But, having received additional evidence that supported a case of assault on goalkeeper Ebele Obi, fresh charges have been drafted.

“Ubah was charged for breach of Rule C1 of the NPFL Rules and Framework for an offence of misconduct, in that immediately after the match he encroached on the field of play and assaulted Obi while his personal security aides further assaulted the player.

“For this, the LMC ruled in an exercise of summary jurisdiction to suspend Ubah from all NPFL match venues for the next 10 matches,’’ the statement said.

NAN also reports that the last four of the 10-match ban have been suspended for a probationary period expiring at the end of the 2015/16 season.

Read More

9374 ad hoc staff recruited for FCT Abuja elections -

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has confirmed the recruitment of 9374 ad hoc staff for the April 9 Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja Area Council elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC for the FCT, Prof. Jacob Jatau made this disclosure during an interview in Abuja on Thursday.

INEC had on March 16 postponed the area council election from March 19 to April 9 due its inability to recruit the required number of ad hoc staff for the exercise.

“I can confirm to you that the commission is fully ready for the April 9 election.

“We have been able to recruit the additional ad hoc staff to meet the shortfall that made us postpone the elections.

“The commission has also trained the additional ad hoc staff recruited for the exercise.

“All is now set for the conduct of free, fair and credible election in the FCT,’’ Jatau told NAN.

Also, INEC's Deputy Director of Publicity in the FCT, Mrs Ndidi Okafor told NAN that the commission had recruited and trained extra personnel to the 9,374 ad hoc staff to forestall likely shortage on the day of the exercise

“The ad hoc staff are employed from the serving National Youth Serving Corps (NYSC) members, students of the University of Abuja and ex-NYSC corps members from our data bank."

Read More

University of Abuja student seeks 1000 signatures in petition against lecturer

A female student of University of Abuja, Miss Oluwakemi O Obaditan is seeking a thousand signatures in a petition she has written against a lecturer, Mr Samuel Olorunfemi Adams.

In the petition titled SAMUEL OLORUNFEMI ADAMS MUST BE STOPPED which is being circulated by www.ipetitions.com, Obaditan made allegations of physical assault and victimization against Mr Adams.

Read the petition below.

On the 11th of December 2011 I was in my second year in the University of Abuja Gwagwalada Nigeria. I came into school that morning to write a Chemistry examination scheduled to hold that day at 9am. I got into the exam hall at about 8:00am just in case there was going to be a change in the venue and information regarding this examination. The exam started at the time stated and while I sat in the hall assigned by my department for her students, Mr. Samuel Olorunfemi Adams came in to speak with the invigilator on duty while the answer booklet was being shared. He requested that half of the students should follow him upstairs to the main library where his own students who, at that time, were going to write a statistics course so he can shuffle us between them. Unfortunately, I was among those who had to move up with them. When I got upstairs I had a chair and did not have a table in the exam hall, hence I decided to go get a table. By the time I returned with the table, Mr. Samuel Olorunfemi Adams refused my entry into the exam hall. I told him I was among the students he took from the hall downstairs to join his students. He was defiant and still refused for me to enter into the examination hall. I stood outside pleading that I get my answer booklet and examination card so I can go downstairs to go write my exams but he refused. My pleas fell on deaf ears until one of my colleague was able to help me pass my exam booklet and exam card to me. While I was begging him he lost his cool and pulled out his belt from his pants and began to flog me mercilessly. While he was flogging me my phone dropped (Blackberry Bold 2) worth N58,000. Mr. Samuel Olorunfemi Adams picked it up and said he was going to cease it after inflicting bodily injury on me. While I stood on the stairs crying, one of my lecturers saw me and he asked what happened. I told him all that had transpired between myself and Mr. Adams. He consoled me and took me to another hall to write my exams. The exams had passed an hour already. I was able to put myself together and I wrote my exams. After my exams, I went to Mr. Adams to get my phone and he said I would have to fill up an examination malpractice form if I was going to get the phone back. I told him I did not set my eyes on the question paper prior to the incident so I cannot fill any form. Mr. Adams told me to take a last look at my phone and he smashed it on the ground to pieces. My colleagues who witnessed the incident gasped and he made sure he gave all of them -10 marks on their script. I ran downstairs to get my brother, so I could tell him what had happened to me. He came up with me to talk to Mr. Adams, but he had already gone ahead to report me to the Dean that I held him on his collar and I told him that if he did not let me into the examination hall that I was going to fight him. By that time, I was summoned to the Dean’s office, Mr. Adams and his supporters (lecturers) were there and the Dean never gave me a fair hearing rather she insisted I state what Mr. Adams had done to me on an examination malpractice form. I stood my ground and refused to fill out the form as I know I did not commit any malpractice. I was threatened and asked for my matriculation number by his colleagues and I was told I would never graduate from that school. That very day, I went to the National Human Rights Commission and I gave a statement and showed evidences of the scars and the pieces of my phone. Pictures were taken and Mr. Adams was summoned in after two weeks for questioning. The following week my Dad was in town and he accompanied me to school to speak with the Dean but she was not around. A fellow lecturer was apologizing on Mr. Adams behalf and begged my Dad to temper justice with mercy. My Dad wrote the school up copying the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor and the Dean of Student Affairs that he would like them to look into my matter. I came into school on a Monday morning and I was told to report to the Deans office for an emergency meeting. In the meeting, there was the Dean, Head of department, Head of examinations and a few other lecturers. I was still not granted a fair hearing. Instead, I was told and I quote “We know you know people, and your Dad is well connected, but if you want to graduate in this school you cannot fight your lecturer and win. You have to drop this case. I walked out with tears in my eyes and my heart was heavy with much pain. I felt the school failed me, the women in the meeting failed me even with the obvious bruises I had on my body. Afterwards, I did agree to drop the case because I wanted to graduate. Little did I know that my misery had just begun? Every day in that school was a living hell. I was always harassed, humiliated and dehumanized by Mr. Adams and his fellow lecturers. I became the cynosure for insult every time I passed by them. From that moment my results became a mess. They failed me on all the exams I sat for that semester.
Mr. Adams is a threat to other students in that school as he is known for extorting money illegally so he would pass them, having sexual relationships with ladies and meting out unjust punishment on young men in the department. Hence, my reason for wanting to open up this case again.
Mr. Adams If all I have stated is wrong I would like you to come forward and speak out. Justice must prevail! You continue to fail students, if they get on your bad side. You told me nothing can be done to you and I challenge you to present your case and let’s see if you will truly walk away as a free man.
“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world……….. Would do this it would change the earth”. William Faulkner.

OLUWAKEMI O OBADITAN

Read More

Innoson signs MoU to produce jet fighter parts for NAF

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF on Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, IVM, Nnewi, for the research and production of spare parts for its aircrafts.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar told newsmen in Nnewi, Anambra State that Innoson has helped the air force to keep its fleet of jet fighters flying for months.

The Air Force Chief who was represented by the Chief Of Policy and Plans, Air Vice-Marshal James Gbum, said that the MoU would further solidify collaboration with Innoson, improve local content and engineering and also save the country a lot of the scarce foreign exchange hitherto spent to import the expensive spare parts.

"Our war efforts will be in vain if we don’t do something to ensure that we get spare parts.

"For instance, we were down to one or two of our fighter aircrafts - the Alpha Jets that have formed the backbone of our struggle against Boko Haram - due to lack of spare parts, mainly the brake assemblies of these aircrafts.

"The Chief of Air Staff (Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar) immediately ordered our research and development cell in Ka’inji to start to research into this brake assembly overhaul.

"They went ahead, carried out the research, (however) the first proto-type they brought couldn’t pass the test.

"The Nigerian Air Force later discovered that Innoson Vehicle Maintenance Company at Nnewi are very capable of collaborating with the Nigerian Air Force to achieve the required standards of overhauling our brake assemblies.

"The company was invited to headquarters Nigerian Air Force for discussion and thereafter went into research and development collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force and the result was successful.

"To this effect, we have reasonable number of these Alpha Jets serviceable daily to fight the war in the North East.

"So, today we as representatives of the Chief of Air Staff are here officially to sign a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company.

"The Nigerian Air Force considers this co-operation with the indigenous company as very very important in producing some of the spare parts locally.

"This is in-line with the change agenda of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) and it is also in line with the vision and key-drivers of the Chief of Air Staff.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, IVM, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, said the company has the human and technical competence to sustain the collaboration.

"When they (Nigerian Air Force) came to me, I developed it the way they wanted it and they are happy with it and that is why they are here again.

"It (MoU) is something that will move Nigeria forward because we can’t always depend on imported items; so we will always strive to do for them anything they want from us.

"The important thing is that if things are moving very well, Nigerians will see that it is better to patronise Nigerian products and services,’’ he said.

Read More

Benue has no land for grazing - Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has rejected the call for creation of grazing reserve for cattle herdsmen.

Ortom said during Wednesday's visit of Mrs Aisha Buhari to victims of herdsmen attacks in Makurdi that all the land in the state belong to farmers.

He said that it would be difficult to create a grazing reserve in Benue as over 85 per cent of the people are farmers and have occupied the little land available.

He advised that cattle rearers should embrace ranching as an alternative to grazing as is the practice around the world.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that items donated by Mrs Buhari to the displaced persons included rice, multivitamins supplements, cooking oil, garri, and tomatoes.

Read More

Chase out these foreign herdsmen now - Gov Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has blamed foreign herdsmen for the incessant attacks on communities across the state since 2011.

Ortom who spoke when Mrs Aisha Buhari visited Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Makurdi, the state capital appealed to the Federal Government to tighten security across the border to stop the influx of foreign herdsmen into the country.

His words:
"Unless they are chased out, it would be hard to maintain peace in the country.

"These herdsmen are very destructive and well-armed. They kill women and children on sight.

“They are completely different from the Fulani's that we have lived and cohabited with over the years.

"We understand that the herdsmen came from Mali, Ghana, Congo, Niger among others and are killing us every day with impunity. This must stop.

"As we speak, over eight Local Governments have been affected across the state. The situation is really overwhelming."

Read More