Flowerbud News

Month: November 2023

  • Post UTME Screening: Ede Poly Raises Alarm Over Fraudulent Website

    Post UTME Screening: Ede Poly Raises Alarm Over Fraudulent Website

    The Management of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, has dissociated itself from what it termed a fraudulent website advertising Post UTME screening for candidates who choosed the Polytechnic.

     

    According to a statement signed by the

    Protocol, Media and Public Relations Officer of the institution, Sola Lawal, the Polytechnic has nothing to do with the said website: mytopschools.com, adding that the official website of the citadel is : www.federalpolyede.edu.ng.

     

    The statement, therefore, urged students and parents alike to be very wary of such scammers who are out to defraud unsuspecting parents and wards.

     

    It added that the UTME Screening exercise for this year would be solely based on grading of O level results and jamb scores aggregates of candidates.

     

    “The Federal Polytechnic Ede wishes to call attention of the general public to a fraudulent website calling for registration for this year’s Post UTME Screening. We want to make it abundantly clear that the Polytechnic has nothing to do with the website and none of information on the said website emanated from us.

     

    “The Management of Polytechnic has no collaboration with the website and we are calling on our prospective students and their parents to stay clear from such; as Post UTME Screening in the Polytechnic would be predicated on the grading of O level results and Jamb scores”, the statement read.

  • Off-cycle Elections: NSA assures adequate security, warns against violence

    Off-cycle Elections: NSA assures adequate security, warns against violence

     

    By Sumaila Ogbaje

    Abuja:   The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has assured voters and residents of Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo of adequate security during Saturday’s governirship elections.

    Ribadu gave the assurance in a statement by the Head, Strategic Communication, Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, on Friday in Abuja.

    He warned political actors to shun violence and charged security agencies to adhere to operational code of conduct and professional ethics during the exercise.

    According to him, security agencies have made adequate preparations for safe, secure and transparent elections, in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.

    The NSA, who is the Co-Chair of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, therefore, charged all security, intelligence and law enforcement officers deployed for election security duties to conduct themselves creditably.

    He said that the Federal Government had mobilised all the required resources for the smooth conduct of the elections and called on all election managers to adhere strictly to the instruction given by the President.

    Ribadu further said that a monitoring system had been deployed to the field to collate any evidence of violence and irregularities.

    He vowed that there would be severe consequence on anyone found to have disrupted the conduct of the elections or abused his authority.

    The NSA urged voters in the three states to come out en masse to exercise their franchise, assuring them of adequate protection. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng) /(Flowerbudnews)

  • Integration Of Traditional Institution Into Governance Is Important For Greater Socio-economic Devt, Makinde says

    Integration Of Traditional Institution Into Governance Is Important For Greater Socio-economic Devt, Makinde says

        

     

    Integration Of Traditional Institution Into Governance Is Important For Greater Socio-economic Devt, Makinde says

     

    By Adewale Owoade

     

    The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that integration of traditional institution into governance is a must, for socio-economic development of the country.

     

    Gov. Makinde stated this while delivering a lecture entitled “the role of traditional institutions in socio-economic development in Nigeria,” during the 70th birthday anniversary and 17th Coronation Anniversary of Oba Dr Adesimbo Kiladejo, CFR.

     

    The event was held at the Oba Adesanoye Civic Centre, Ondo, Ondo State.

     

    Makinde noted that for the traditional institutions to be able to make these contributions, they must be integrated into the existing structure of the nation-state, adding that the concept of homegrown democracy came from the recognition of the traditional institutions and the great roles they play in the socio-economic development of their respective societies.

     

    He said: “I am an advocate for strong traditional institutions. I believe that when traditional institutions are strong, they promote a value-driven society. And it is in the entrenching of these values that we achieve socio-economic development.

     

    “I will be highlighting three ways that traditional institutions contribute to socio-economic development. These are: Contributing to security through community policing; maintaining peaceful trade relations and keying into the development architecture of the State.

     

    “Of course, this is only possible when the traditional system is integrated into the State structure.

    “So, I am also making a case for this integration. If these systems work well, why do we need additional bureaucracy for a federal-operated local government architecture?

     

    “Each State can now determine what local authorities they want to run and how they should run. I know this is not a very popular stand I am taking. We must discuss these reforms and chart a new course for our nation.

     

    “And, of course, we can see the clear link between security and socio-economic development. We need a secure environment to carry out economic activities. Farmers cannot go to the farm; market activities cannot be held when there is chaos.

     

    “In Oyo State, we say, if you see something, say something, and the authorities will do something. This works well in our rural communities, where we have seen a drop in crime rates in areas where farms have been abandoned for years. Even in the more recent attacks in the Oke-Ogun Zone, the traditional institutions played a key role in ensuring proper intelligence gathering.”

    The governor equally expatiated on the role Obas play in socio-economic development by highlighting the key roles they play in peaceful trade relations among communities, noting that the State can learn to leverage the traditional rulers’ knowledge and coordination of market associations to widen the tax net and increase internally generated revenues.

    The governor, who was later installed as the Jagunmolu of Ondo Kingdom at the Osemawe palace, congratulated Oba Kiladejo on his 70th birthday and 17th coronation anniversary, stating that Ondo Kingdom had witnessed unprecedented developments under his reign.

     

    He expressed his commitment to the progress and development of Ondo Kingdom as one of its chiefs, noting that he has always been excited to associate with the people of Ondo State because his mother, Mrs Abigail Omojolagbe Makinde, hailed from Akure.

     

    He later unveiled a compendium on Ondo history.

    In his response, the Osemawe commended Governor Makinde for the insightful lecture, stating that his recommendations were apt and well-accepted.

    The governor’s entourage included his wife, Engr (Mrs) Tamunominini Makinde; former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Engr Hamid Gbadamosi; former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Senator Monsura Sunmonu.

     

    Others are; Chairmen of the Oyo State Elders’ Council and Oyo State Advisory Council, Dr Saka Balogun and Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, and members of the respective councils; members of the South-West PDP Executives led by the acting chairman, Chief Rahman Owokoniran; commissioners and other top government functionaries.

  • Kogi Poll: Police Authorities Announce Vehicular Movement Restriction

    Kogi Poll: Police Authorities Announce Vehicular Movement Restriction

     

    By Biola Lawal
    Lokoja (Flowerbudnews): The Police Authorities in Lokoja have announced restriction of vehicular movement from 12 Midnight of Friday till 6pm Saturday, November 11 as part of security measures to ensure smooth poll.

    Kogi police Command Spokesman, SP William Ovye Aya announced the restriction in a statement he signed on behalf of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Kogi State Election.

    The Police advised travellers who needed to pass through Kogi state to their destinations to use alternative routes.

    The Force appealed to the general public to adhere to the order to avoid any inconveniences they might encounter while en-rout Kogi State.

    Kogi State Governorship election holds tomorrow, Saturday, 11th November. (Flowerbudnews)
    .

  • NSCCIMA focuses on increasing Nsukka agricultural export potentials

    NSCCIMA focuses on increasing Nsukka agricultural export potentials

    By Flowerbudnews

    Enugu:  The Nsukka Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NSCCIMA) says it is focused on increasing Nsukka Zone agricultural export potentials to open up the zone’s economic frontier.

    The President of NSCCIMA, Barr. Sam Otoboeze, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Enugu on Friday on the forthcoming investiture of the 2nd President of the Chamber.

    The investiture, which will take place at the Adada Hall in Nsukka on Nov. 11, would also be used to inaugurate the Executive Council of NSCCIMA.

    Otoboeze said that the Chamber was discussing with the various governments and even the Bank of Industry (BOI) to restore the former glory of agriculture in Nsukka and make it more worthwhile and profitable to both local and foreign investors.

    He noted that the chamber would concentrate on export crops that the agrarian zone of Nsukka has comparative advantage and had been doing well for some years now.

    According to him, we are looking forward to putting more emphasis in production of our local Nsukka pepper, which is unique all over the world and some other local spices indigenous to the Nsukka zone.

    “This will be accompanied by other export cash crops such as cashew nuts, honey, sorghum and lots more.

    “This will make investors and business concerns in agriculture gain and earn in dollars and other hard foreign currencies,” he said.

    The chamber boss said that NSCCIMA was also keying into the vision of the state government in agriculture and would be discussing with the state and Federal Government to attract more viable agricultural projects and businesses in Nsukka zone.

    He said that investors can take advantage of relatively cheap labour within the zone, energetic and productive youthful population and generally honest people who are not greedy.

    On the issue of security, Otoboeze said that the chamber was working on the non-kinetic aspect of security through sensitisating the youths on negative tendencies of criminality as well as empowering them through skill acquisition and other forms of empowerment.

    “NSCCIMA is harnessing every opportunity in Nsukka to make the zone the inevitable economic hub of agro production, aggregation and processing, and industrialisation in the country for investors,” he said.

    On the Ingrace Vehicles and Machinery Company facility tour undertaken by NSCCIMA members, the chamber boss said that the easy-operating agricultural machinery discovered in the company’s showrooms would help in the agricultural transformation envisaged by the chamber.

    “Since the machinery is easy to operate; the spare parts are here in the state and they are built to withstand rugged use, then, it is good for our envisaged export-driven agriculture revolution in Nsukka zone,” he said. (Flowerbudnews)

  • Why ‘Eniola’ disguises as lady – Street hawker’s mother

    Why ‘Eniola’ disguises as lady – Street hawker’s mother

    Kafayat Adeleke, the mother of a deformed street hawker, Sultan Adeleke, popularly known as Eniola, has narrated the reasons her child transformed himself into a lady.

     

    According to the 40-year-old mother, Eniola’s deformity was from childbirth and has been a surprise to all and sundry who have always questioned his physical attributes.

     

    Eniola was recently helped by a skit maker and comedian, Chukwuebuka Emmanuel, popularly known as Brain Jotter in Lagos State, while he was driving along the expressway and ran into the street hawker who claimed to be a make-up artiste aside from hawking bottled water on Lagos highways.

     

    Chiding those who beg online despite not being physically challenged, Brain Jotter said he was impressed by her strive to succeed despite her attributes and gifted her N400,000 while calling on Nigerians to patronise her make-over businesst oo.

    The video went viral on Tuesday with singer David Adeleke, aka Davido, tagging the handle of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to help the ‘girl’ because she is from Osun.

     

    That action stirred controversies as netizens claimed that the self-acclaimed ‘female hawker’ is not a girl but a boy and has been disguising like that to appeal to the public for help.

     

    Speaking in an interview with a social media enthusiast, Mr LilGaga, on Thursday, Adeleke claimed that her son has always been disguising like that in Osogbo since 2018, and when he was stopped on numerous occasions, he ran away from home and returned to the act.

    She said, “Sultan was never born a female; he was born with a deformity, and this was one of the reasons why I even like him.

    always stopped me from calling him Sultan, but Eniola except that he would desist from taking my calls.

     

    “It was 2020 when he went to Lagos to start asking for help from people while acting as a girl to appeal to the general public to help him.”

     

    Fielding questions on the claim that her son ran away from Osogbo because she wanted to use him for ritual purposes, Adeleke said, “You can come to Osogbo to confirm; he’s the favourite among my children. I love him because it was because of him that people love me while sympathising with his physical condition. That claim is something that makes me sober when I am asked or told.”

     

    She added that the boy had always been going around for the make-up businesses that he learnt in Osogbo and that many times, she went with him to ensure that he returned home since he was always absconding, adding, “There was a day he got angry that I should stop coming with him and that he was no longer interested in staying with me again and that was how he ran to Lagos.”

     

    She, however, claimed that she had never asked him for money except in recent times when his story went viral and was supported with money and other gifts.

     

    The mother further shared pictures that indicated Eniola’s deformity since childbirth and his birth certificate, which revealed that he was born on September 23, 2005.

     

    Meanwhile, Eniola had revealed on Instagram Live that he was a boy, and he started dressing like a girl to appeal to the public for help since no one was ready to help him.

  • INEC disagrees with Apapa over plea to replace Imo LP candidate

    INEC disagrees with Apapa over plea to replace Imo LP candidate

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Friday, urged a Federal High Court, Abuja not to grant the ex-parte motion filed by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led Labour Party (LP), seeking to replace the party’s governorship candidate in Imo.

     

    INEC, in its affidavit to show cause pursuant to the court order, told Justice Inyang Ekwo that the plaintiffs’ suit was statue barred.

    The commission’s counsel, Adenike Adedeji, while adopting the application, said the electoral umpire filed the affidavit on Nov. 9 in reaction to the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1357/2023 which was filed on Nov. 6.

    She urged the court to dismiss the motion as the subject matter of the plaintiffs’ case was pre-electoral which ought to have been filed 14 days after the actual

     

    cause of action.

     

    Adedeji, who argued that the case was statue barred, said the court lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine same.

     

    Recall that an Executive Officer in the Litigation Department of INEC, Mohammed Shagari, who deposed to the affidavit, said LP submitted Athan Achonu’s name and particulars as its candidate for Nov. 11 governorship poll on May 26.

     

    He said the electoral umpire duly published Achonu’s particulars as required by law.

     

    Shagari averred that the present case filed in November was statute barred.

     

    “It will not serve the interest of justice to grant the reliefs sought,” he said.

    But counsel to the plaintiffs, Anderson Asemota, who held the brief of Mohammed Mohammed, SAN, disagreed with Adedeji.

    Asemota, while adopting the further affidavit he deposed to, argued that LP, the 1st plaintiff in the suit, only submitted to INEC Chief Joseph Ukaegbu (7th plaintiff)’s name as its authentic candidate that emerged from the April 16 primaries.

     

    He said Achonu’s name was neither submitted to INEC by the LP nor was the name declared to be the party’s candidate of the April 16 primaries and by virtue of the judgment of Owerri Federal High Court.(FHC), which affirmed the primary conducted by Apapa faction as being valid.

     

    Besides, he said the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court affirmed the Owerri court judgment which also declared Apapa and Alhaji Lawal Saleh as acting National Chairman and acting National Secretary of the LP respectively.

     

    The lawyer, who said the commission treated the judgments of the courts with ignominy, stated that the court had the duty to protect the judgments and should not allow its orders to be treated with disdain and impunity.

    Okwudili Anozie and Kehinde Edun announced appearances as lawyers to parties interested to be joined in the matter.

     

    Anozie represented Achonu, Edun, who was said to be the National Legal Adviser of Julius Abure-led LP, said the plaintiffs were not authorise to file the case.

     

    Justice Ekwo, however, declined to grant their application for joinder.

     

    The judge had, earlier declined to grant the motion ex-parte brought to stop Achonu from being the party’s standard bearer for Saturday’s governorship election.

     

    Rather, the court ordered the plaintiffs to put INEC, the sole defendant in the suit, on notice to show cause why the reliefs should not be granted.

    Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Ekwo said he had perused and noted the issues canvassed by the parties.

     

    He said the essence of making an order for a party to show cause “is to prevent a situation where the court is led upon hearing only one side to make an order that Is not only contrary to reason but damages the course of justice and exposes the very essence of jurisprudence to damning reprobation.”

     

    “Therefore, an order to show cause Is a cautionary step in procedural law which enables the court to halt proceeding on the ex parte application in order obtain more information from the defendant to an urgent application of the plaintiff to enable the court to come to justifiable decision on the merit of the prayers made in the ex parte.”

     

    The judge, therefore, held that the instant case had become a contentious matter that ought to be heard and determined on the merit upon considering the averments in the applications filed by the parties.

     

    “In our jurisprudence, ex-parte application and affidavit to show cause are not proper processes designed to be employed to determine contentious issues,” he said.

    According to him, the averments of the plaintiffs in their ex-parte application having been controverted by the defendant, it is only proper for the matter to be determined on the merit of the substantive case.

     

    Justice Ekwo, who refused the prayers in the ex-parte motion, ordered accelerated hearing in the matter.

     

    He adjourned the matter until Nov. 23 for hearing.

     

    “Parties are hereby ordered to file and exchange relevant processes at least 7 days before the next date of hearing case.

     

    “This shall be the order of this court,” he declared.

    NAN reports that the plaintiffs include LP; Alhaji Apapa (Acting National Chairman); Alhaji Lawal Saleh (Acting National Secretary) and Comrade Abayomi Arabambi (National Publicity Secretary).

     

    Others are Comrade Anslem Eragbe (National Youth Leader); Barr. Akingbade Oyelekan (National Legal Adviser) and Chief Joseph Ikechukwu Ukaegbu (Gubernatorial candidate, Imo State) as 1st to 7th plaintiffs respectively.

     

    The plaintiffs, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1357/2023, sued INEC as sole defendant.

     

    They had sought an order of interim injunction restraining INEC from “recognising any other person or persons laying claim to the LP gubernatorial ticket in Imo governorship election slated for 11th November, 2023 other than the plaintiff (Ukaegbu) who emerged from the primary conducted by the Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led National Working Committee (NWC) of LP on April 16.

     

    They also sought an order of mandatory injunction directing or compelling INEC to recognise, upload and publish Ukaegbu’s name as LP governorship candidate in Imo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously with this ex-parte application.

    They equally sought an order of mandatory injunction directing INEC to upload Apapa and Saleh’s names as the acting national chairman and acting national secretary, including other Apapa-led NWC members, pending the pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously with this ex-parte application

  • Your investments ‘re safe in Nigeria, Tinubu tells Saudi investors

    Your investments ‘re safe in Nigeria, Tinubu tells Saudi investors

    President Bola Tinubu on Friday, assured potential investors that their investments are safe in Nigeria.

    Speaking at the Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Tinubu said Nigeria is ready for business while assuring investors of some of the world’s highest returns on investment.

    President said Nigeria is desirous of enhancing collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on combating terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other violent extremist groups which have been terrorizing the Lake Chad and Sahel regions.

     

    Tinubu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale was quoted as saying, “Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have always enjoyed a special relationship at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.

     

     

     

    “Within the past six decades, our bilateral cooperation, which was initially hajj-centric, has witnessed diversification to cover a number of areas of common interest. It is delightful to note the presence in this great Kingdom of a large number of our compatriots and professionals, including highly-skilled medical practitioners and professional football players.

     

    “As members of several international organizations including the UN, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the International Energy Forum, the G77, the Islamic Development Bank, the Digital Cooperation Organization among others, our two nations have effectively used these and other platforms to enhance close interaction and coordination. I am confident that our joint positive disposition within these platforms will continue to be demonstrated as we seek to advance our mutual interests.

     

    “Nigeria, like the Kingdom, is diversifying her economy away from oil dependence to promote sustainable development. My administration has undertaken bold economic reforms by removing wasteful subsidies on petroleum and the merging of our foreign exchange market, among other incentives aimed at improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

     

    “I also wish to assure all potential Saudi investors of the safety of their investments based on the sanctity of the rule of law and good returns on their investments in the largest economy in Africa. In this regard, the benefit attached to the early inauguration of the Nigeria-Saudi Business Council can not be over-emphasized,” the President said.

    President Tinubu thanked the Kingdom for the various humanitarian interventions in Nigeria through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.

    Speaking on climate change and how it affects Africa, President Tinubu said climate change has led to an expedited rate of desertification and incessant flooding in Nigeria and many other countries of Africa.

     

    He commended the efforts of the Kingdom for its various initiatives to fight the effects of climate change, adding that Nigeria is also working on a number of initiatives to fight the effects of climate change and energy poverty.

     

    “Recently, we launched a data-driven Energy Transition Plan which sets forth a clear carbon reduction policy and targets net-zero emissions by the year 2060 while also setting out our plans for industrialization using new energy systems and universal access to modern energy services.

     

    “Mr. Chairman, let me also take this opportunity to reiterate Nigeria’s full support for the Kingdom’s bids to host the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh and the 2034 FIFA Senior Men’sWorld Cup, the latter of which is now all but guaranteed to succeed,” the President said

    On the situation in the Middle East, particularly in Palestine, the President reiterated Nigeria’s call for an immediate ceasefire and the pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

  • Police handed me over to thugs in Owerri – Ajaero

    Police handed me over to thugs in Owerri – Ajaero

    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero on Friday said that he was arrested in Owerri by the Police and was handed over to waiting thugs that got him thoroughly beaten.

    He said that the thugs who were about seven in number dragged him on the floor like a common criminal.

     

    Briefing journalists in Abuja, the NLC president said the NLC wrote to all the security agencies before they went to the state for the protest on November I.

     

    According to him, workers who arrived at the venue of the protest on that day around 7 am were beaten up by thugs with their phones seized.

     

    Ajaero said he got there around 9 am after he got the report of an assault on workers , adding that the police arrested him and handed him over to thugs.

     

    He said: “I can’t explain the beating I received. They tied my hands and dragged me on the floor like a common criminal.”

     

    The NLC President denied the allegation by the Imo State government that he is a card carrying member of the Labour Party.

     

    “I am not a card-carrying member of any political party as alleged,” he said.