Teacher flogs student to death in Zamfara

A teacher at Government Day Secondary School Sankalawa in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State has allegedly flogged a student to death. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the incident was revealed on Wednesday by Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar-Gummi, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly. The deputy speaker, who spoke under matters of urgent public importance during the assembly’s sitting in Gusau, said that the house had received several reports on the issue. According to him, another incident at Government Female Day Secondary School, Kwatarkwashi, had led to the injury of a student in the school after the Vice Principal allegedly subjected her to heavy punishment. Gummi said: “These problems apart from discouraging our children from acquiring education, also revealed poor attitude to work on the part of teachers in this state.” He urged the House to invite the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology to explain steps taken to address the issues. The Speaker, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, described the actions of the teachers as unfortunate and vowed that the assembly would not allow the matter to pass. “It is part of our responsibilities to ensure effective security and good learning atmosphere for our children for their future development, therefore, we cannot allow teachers to continue harassing our children from schools,” he said. The Speaker directed the House Committee on Education, Science and Technology to invite the commissioner to appear before it on the matter. Meanwhile, the Assembly has passed into law the bill for the establishment of Zamfara State University, Talata-Mafara. (NAN)

2019: Buhari will seek re-election – SGF

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Thursday affirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari will seek re-election in 2019. He stated that there is no alternative to Buhari, stressing that other presidential aspirants have nothing to offer. The SGF spoke at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, while addressing a rally organized by the Democratic Youth Congress, led by its National Chairman, Kassim Mohammed. The group had urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare his intention to contest in the 2019 elections. Mustapha said, “We do not have an alternative to President Muhammadu Buhari for now. I will present your entire message to him. I congratulate you for your support for President Muhammadu Buhari to run in 2019.” The SGF, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Gideon Sammani, said Buhari was widely known for his stance against corruption and indiscipline, noting that many people feared him because of his uncompromising position on graft.

RCCG Pastor, VP Yemi Osinbajo's Daughter Kiki To Marry Muslim Fiance, Bola Shagaya's Son

Nigeria is set to witness yet another inter religious marriage as the second daughter of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, an RCCG Pastor is set to marry the son of controversial business woman Bola Shagaya. In March Kiki and Seun Shagaya will tie the nuptial knot in Lagos. Kiki, the founder of a popular beauty store in Abuja reportedly met Seun back in 2016. Hajia Bola Shagaya is a reknown Muslim socialite in Abuja while the father of the bride to be is the Vice President of Nigeria and a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Kiki who is known for living a flamboyant life didn’t take after her parents as her lifestyle is the exact opposite of what her parents represent.

Don’t blame us, INEC says on Kano’s underage voters

The Independent National Electoral Commission has sought to allay public worries over the credibility of Nigeria’s future elections after pictures of underage voters emerged from last Saturday’s local polls in Kano State.

Observers, including the Centre for Information Technology And Development, CITAD, and Action Aid International Nigeria, said they witnessed voting by underage citizens during the elections. Then, still and motion pictures of underage citizens taking part in the electoral process allegedly during the polls in Kano have been circulating on the social media since Saturday, fueling wild concerns such irregularities could have negative implications for the general elections, about one year away. However, in a statement by a spokesperson, Oluwole Uzzi, on Tuesday, INEC said the disturbing pictures did not relate to any election it conducted or had responsibility for, thereby allaying fears over its capacity for credible elections. INEC is statutorily empowered to conduct all Nigeria’s elections, except the ones to the local government councils conducted by the electoral commissions in each state. Acknowledging the pictures of the underage voters, the commission stated that “as far as we can ascertain, they (the pictures) relate to a local government election conducted at the weekend (in Kano)”. “While the Commission remains resolute in our commitment to sanitise the nation’s electoral process and deliver free, fair and credible elections, we cannot be held directly or vicariously liable for a process outside our legal purview,” INEC said. “Our our part, INEC assures the public that we are doing all we can to ensure a credible election.” However, INEC’s assurance may be doubted if it becomes established that the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, KANSIEC, used the national commission’s voters’ register and the pictured underage voters were accredited using that. While Nigeria’s recent elections have earned positive reviews from local and international observers, the local ones organised by the electoral commission in various states remain subject of worries and constitute a downside to the country’s 19-year old democracy. It is not just that the state electoral commissions are barely independent, it has also been observed that the opposition parties and their candidates for the local council elections have limited chance at an open and fair process. For instance, in the recent elections in Kano, Kwara, Osun and Benue States the ruling All Progressives Congress, or the Peoples Democratic Party in the case of Ekiti State and Akwa Ibom State, won all the contested seats amid serious allegations of brazen irregularities. This has prompted the National Assembly to amend the country’s law so that local elections would also be conducted by INEC, thus scrapping state electoral commissions. That amendment is, however, sill in the process of becoming law. INEC also said it is aware of the challenges people face in trying to get registered at some centres. To address this problem, the commission said it had taken two steps, including the deployment of more direct data capturing machines for registration and increasing the number of the registration centres to 1,446 nationwide. “We believe that with the measures taken so far the queues and other identified challenges will soon abate,” the commission said.

“Where Is The Change? ” Emir Of Kano Asks As He Queries The Huge Salaries Of Ministers, National Assembly Members

Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, has questioned the change agenda of the Buhari-led administration. The monarch said the change promised by this administration remains a mirage if salaries of National Assembly members and ministers are still very high.

He argued that if the salary of each member of the National Assembly was divided into two, it would go a long way to provide more jobs for 70,400 jobless Nigerians at between N90, 000 and N92, 500 monthly salaries. The monarch said this in a statement released yesterday. Where is the change? Change should start with the National Assembly. A senator receives N36 million monthly. If this is divided into two, it comes to N18 million. The second half of N18 million can be used to create jobs for 200 Nigerians, each earning N90, 000 monthly. When you multiply 200 people by 109 senators, this will give 21,800 Nigerians gainful employment. In short, 200 Nigerians will be able to live a comfortable life on half a senator’s monthly salary.” Speaking further, the monarch said “Half of that amount is N12.5 million, which is enough to employ 135 Nigerians with a monthly salary of N92, 500 each. Nigeria has 360 members in the House of Representatives. Half of their salaries can employ 48,600 Nigerians who can live comfortably. So, the Buhari Administration can employ 70,400 Nigerians with monthly salaries ranging from N90, 000 to N92, 500. This is just by dividing the salaries of senators and representatives. Half their present salaries are more than enough for them in a country where the majority of Nigerians live on less than a dollar per day”.

Bashirfuntua: 2019 election: Obasanjo speaks on ‘preferred candi...

Bashirfuntua: 2019 election: Obasanjo speaks on ‘preferred candi...: Olusegun Obasanjo, former President, on Wednesday said he was not backing any candidate for political office in 2019. Speaking during a co...

2019 election: Obasanjo speaks on ‘preferred candidate’, Coalition for Nigeria

Olusegun Obasanjo, former President, on Wednesday said he was not backing any candidate for political office in 2019. Speaking during a courtesy visit by a youth group from Delta State, led by a governorship aspirant, Frank Ufuoma Esanubi, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the former President said he would remain an elder statesman with passion for a greater Nigeria. Obasanjo also noted that his Coalition for Nigeria (CN) movement was to galvanise the people to appreciate their interests and power. He said, “In the year 2015, I said I would no longer participate in partisan politics. And I still stand by my decision. Everybody, irrespective of his or her political affiliation is free to come here for advice, I will gladly do that. “I have no candidate, whatsoever, for any political office. I just believe that things must be done differently in Nigeria to get different result. “If you study our transitions since the colonial era, they have all taken place without taking the people of the grassroots into consideration. So, CNM is about the people at the grassroots. It is a socio-economic movement where youth and women, especially, will be given opportunity to appreciate their interests and power. Unlike before, I believe we must put the horse before the cart. “If the system and the platform sync, I believe Nigeria will get there. And like I said, the moment the Coalition gets involved in candidate sponsoring or participates in partisan politics, I will opt out of it”.

Bashirfuntua: Dangote Group trains 150 indigenous engineers in r...

Bashirfuntua: Dangote Group trains 150 indigenous engineers in r...: The Management of Dangote Oil Refinery Company (DORC) says about 150 indigenous engineers have been trained in refinery operations in prepar...

Dangote Group trains 150 indigenous engineers in refinery operations

The Management of Dangote Oil Refinery Company (DORC) says about 150 indigenous engineers have been trained in refinery operations in preparation for the take-off of its Lagos Refinery and Petrochemical Plant. Mohan Kumar, the company’s Director of Human Capital Management and Project Support, made this known at a news conference in Lagos on Monday while presenting 22 engineers who returned from Mumbai, India. Mr. Kumar said the young engineers were trained at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. in India on how to manage the operations of the refinery. He added that the engineers had gathered fundamental practical knowledge about refinery. According to him, the engineers are recruited and trained to witness the building of the refinery from scratch. He said the engineers spent two months in classroom training and three months on the job training. Kumar explained that the 22 engineers were trained by experts who had over 45 years experience in refinery operations, stressing that the training became imperative due to the commitment of Dangote Group to promote local content by developing indigenous capacity. He added that “the engineers are expected to also transfer the skills acquired to other Nigerians when the refinery takes off. “The 22 engineers arrived from Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Mumbai in India, where the last set of 150 employees trained in various areas of petroleum and petrochemical refining.’’ Mr. Kumar noted that another set of 600 engineers would be sent for training before the end of April. According to him, the refinery will produce 780 Kilo Tonnes Per Annum (KTPA) of Polypropylene, 500 KTPA of Polyethylene, while the fertiliser project will produce 3.0 million tonnes of urea per annum. He explained that “the refinery will also have the largest sub-sea pipeline infrastructure in the world with capacity to handle three billion cubic metres of oil annually.” Dangote Refinery is expected to save Nigeria $12 billion annual import substitution and create 4,000 direct jobs, as well as reduce prices of petroleum products after completion. The project is located in Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos State on a vast land mass of 2,200 hectares, an area eight times bigger than the entire Victoria Island in Lagos.