2017JAMB: House Of Reps Demand Extension of Registration Deadline

The House of Representatives on Tuesday demanded an extension of the one month duration for ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME, registration.

The demand for the extension was part of the resolution contained in the motion sponsored by Danburam Abubakar Nuhu (APC, Kano),

The House mandated its Committee on Basic Education and Services to liaise with JAMB on the extension in order to create more space for prospective applicants.

It said due to the myriad of challenges prospective applicants faced, the one month period set aside by JAMB should be extended by another one month.

The House also urged JAMB to deploy safety equipment at each registration centre to forestall any incident of stampede due to overcrowding.

The lawmakers further urged JAMB to specify the requirements, including safety measures, which qualified any centre to participate in the conduct of the UTME computer-based test.

Nuhu in the motion said the 1.6 million applicants that registered for the UTME in 2016 might hit two million this year, given the growing number of applicants.

Ekiti Muslims Protest Against Plans To Demolish Mosques Built Within Petrol Stations

Ayodele Fayose, Governor of Ekiti state

Muslims yesterday crowed ekiti state to protest against alleged plans by the Ayo Fayose administration to demolish mosques built within petrol stations.

The protest was triggered by the marking of a mosque built inside a filling station owned by a petrol dealer, Alhaji Sulaiman Akinbami, for demolition by the officials of the Ministry of Environment on Monday.

The ministry officials, who claimed to be acting on order from above, said the government has issued a directive that all mosques built within filling stations will be demolished because “worshippers can contract cancer from effects of radioactive emission”.

The protesters, acting under the aegis of the state chapter of National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), marched on the streets of Ado-Ekiti as early as 7.30 am, warning Fayose against the planned action.

Chanting Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!! Allahu Akbar !!!, the protesters marched from Ado-Ekiti Central Mosque in Oja Oba to the home of the Grand Imam, who also doubles as the president of League of Imams and Alfas in Southwest, Edo and Delta states, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello in Odo Ado.
The protesters went to the palace of the Ewi, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, to register their disapproval.
Addressing them, Kewulere advised them against violence, promising to seek an audience with Fayose on the development as early as possible to find a solution.

Kewulere said: “Islam is a religion of peace and we have respect for leadership, so I beg that you allow the Muslim leaders to look into this matter. We don’t want you to take laws into your hands because this state belongs to all of us.
“We are going to meet with the governor to actually get the true position of things and we will do all that we need to do for peaceful resolution of this issue.”

The state NACOMYO Coordinator, Tajudeen Ahmed, described the proposed demolition as an attempt by the Fayose administration to muzzle, denigrate and oppress Muslims.

“We are not violent people and we believe in leadership. We want to plead with Governor Fayose to reverse this action. How can a mosque located behind a petrol station constitute a health hazard to worshipers?

“Besides, it has been in existence for over a decade and if it can affect the worshipers, what would then happen to those selling the product?”

‘Why we’re demolishing mosques’

The Ekiti State government has said the planned demolition of places of worship within filling stations is to protect lives.

Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development Taelolu Otitoju said: “The reason behind the move is the recent fire at a petrol filling station in Ado Ekiti and we want to ensure that few people converge on petrol stations as possible.

“it is not safe to build a place of worship in a petrol station”.

“With a church or a mosque in a station, the tendency is for people to gather there from time to time and it is not safe.
“We have to notify the people affected and we have done that.”

Italian Government Deports 40 Nigerians, Third Deportation In 6 weeks

The Italian government has deported 40 Nigerians for committing various offences in the country.

The deportees arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA), Lagos, on Tuesday night.

The deportees, who are all male, were brought back in a chartered aircraft with registration number EL-SMU/3737.

Joseph Alabi, spokesman of the Lagos airport police command, confirmed the development to NAN.

Alabi said 39 of the deportees were alleged to have committed immigration-related offences while one of them was allegedly involved in drug dealing.

He said the deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the police.

Also on ground to receive them were officials the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

They were profiled by immigration authorities while those without serious charges were allowed to depart to their various destinations.

This is the third time the Italian government has expelled Nigerians in less than two months.

On February 23, Italy sent home 33 Nigerians,  and on March 8, 37 were deported.

The latest deportees arrived Nigeria at a time the federal government announced that Germany had notified it of its plans to repatriate 12,000 Nigerian asylum seekers in its country.

Bag Of Rice To Sell For N10,000 From June, Says Rice Farmers

Photo file: Bags of Rice

Rice farmers under the auspices of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, has assured Nigerians that in June 2017 a 50 kilogramme of the commodity will sell at N10, 000, against the almost N20,000 it is sold now.

The assurance was given by the National President, RIFAN, Aminu Goronyo, while speaking on the current development in the rice industry.

Goronyo disclosed that rice farmers under the association now have direct access to fertiliser.

He said, “Fertiliser was a very big challenge, but today it has become a history. We have signed MoU where the fertiliser is sold N5, 500 per bag of fertiliser, and is now a government policy. We have more fertiliser in the country and go direct to the hands of the farmers and is everywhere in the country.

“We have already achieved rice sufficiency in the last two years because all the rice we eat is grown here in the country. With the government through the Nigeria Customs Service on the land borders, including the high exchange rate no importer can go to other countries and import rice for profit. I assure you in the next three months a 50kg bag of rice will come down to N10, 000.

“The Anchor Borrowers Scheme was conceived through collective effort by the Central Bank of Nigeria, RIFAN and other relevant key stakeholders, and we are everyday meeting with the CBN reviewing the process.”

Source: NigerianBulletin

We Will Serve with More Vigour — Amosun

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State governor

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has assured of his administration's commitment to always place the welfare of Ogun citizens on the front burner.

The governor gave the assurance, on Tuesday, while addressing the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists led by its President, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, who came on a courtesy visit to the Governor in his Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta office.

The NUJ leadership also seized the opportunity to formally inform the governor of the union's decision to honour him with the 2016 Excellence in Leadership Award.

Explaining the rationale for choosing the Ogun State Governor for the award, Odusile said it was in recognition of the giants strides Governor Amosun has recorded in his mission to rebuild Ogun State.

"As journalists, we have gone round the country and we are impressed with the level of development we have seen in Ogun State," he said.

The Governor who appreciated the Union for recognising him with the award, said it would spur and challenge his administration to do more and serve the state with greater sense of dedication, vigor and vitality.

"I will continue to serve the good people of Ogun State with more dedication, vigour and hardwork," Governor Amosun said.

While assuring that his administration would not leave any projects abandoned Governor Amosun said, "contractors have been mobilized back to site across the state and we promise to complete all projects initiated across the state before the end of our tenure."

Speaking on the welfare of civil servants in Ogun State, Governor Amosun who promised to offset all outstanding cooperative deductions before the end of the year, revealed that about 6 months of the deductions would be paid from the Paris Club refund the state is expecting.

He also seized the ocassion to announce that the state government has concluded plans to pay the October 2016 salaries of some workers who took part in an illegal strike action last year. Govermor Amosun said the payment would be effected before the commemoration of this year's Workers Day on May 1.

It will be recalled that the state government evoked the 'no work, no pay rule' in response to a politically motivated strike action embarked upon by a section of the labour movement in the state in September 2016.

Speaking earlier, Odusile commended the Governor for the infrastructural development that has dotted the nooks and crannies of the state.

He also appreciated the Governor for hosting the first NUJ Media Summit in 2016.
Alhaji Odusile noted that the Mission to Rebuild Ogun State is already yielding results and helping in the process of creating a desirable future for the gateway state.

Signed

Adejuwon Soyinka
Senior Special Assistant (Media)
Ogun State Governor
April 4, 2017

Pepsi Unveils Singer Teckno As Brand Ambassador

Popular Nigerian Singer, Tekno has been unveiled as the ambassador of a multinational company, Pepsi

He was unveiled at the Pepsi Corporate Elite Concert 2017 tagged Pepsi weekend takeover in Lagos.

Woman Abandons Child After Pastor Says 'Her Daughter Is A Snake'

A woman identified as Amara Emeka was said to have reportedly dumped her baby on Sunday after her church pastor allegedly describe the baby as a ‘Snake’

She said that; the pastor told her to bring the sum of N52,000 to conduct a deliverance on her daughter. According to Sapele Oghenek who shared the photos, the baby was found crying by the road side and was taken to a police station by residents before the mother later came to identify her.

The mother reportedly said that the pastor instilled fear of the child in her with the spiritual talk and she didn’t have such huge amount to give him for prayers, and that is the reason for dumping the baby.