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  • PDP chieftain, 20, 000 supporters defect to APC in Kwara

    By Abiodun Esan

    Mr Sunday Babalola, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Kwara, on Tuesday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside 20,000 of his supporters

    Babalola, a governorship aspirant in 2015 on the platform of the PDP announced his defection in statement issued in Ilorin.

    He said his perception about politics has been people oriented, and the PDP has deviated from such ideology, hence the need to move to the APC.

    “As it is, our dear state needs urgent liberation from the over 45 years of deceit, oppression and primordial politics called ‘stomach infrastructure’

    “It is time for our people to be liberated from a those that have hold them hostage and have over the years subjected them to abject poverty and underdevelopment,” Babalola said.

    He said it is the duty of government to advance the well-being of the citizens through the provision of infrastructure and amenities, human capital development and creating an environment conducive for businesses.

    “I believe strongly that my state, Kwara, has been sadly and regrettably bedeviled with unprecedented underdevelopment occasioned by inappropriate policies, programmes and with little or no project executed,” he added.

    He alleged that successive governments in the state have mismanaged its resources and said the APC presents better alternative to place the state on the path of development in 2019.

    Babalola said that return of the Senate President Bukola Saraki and others to the PDP was one major reason behind his exit, adding that the party lacks integrity.

    “I cannot be in the same political party with those I believe have plunged Kwara State into its current abysmal condition.

    “So, I have decided to pitch my tent with the APC, where I believe still have some integrity in it,” he said.
    Babalola said he has no ambition to contest in 2019, but only joined forces with people of like mind to rescue the state from “the shackles of poverty and oppression.”

    He, however, promised to continue to offer his service and resources for the emancipation of the people. (NAN)

  • Customs generates N140.4bn in August – Official

    By Racheal Ishaya

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it recorded its highest ever monthly revenue of N140.4 billion in August 2018.

    The Customs Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah revealed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to Attah, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) said the improvement was as a result of dogged pursuit of several reform programmes.

    Ali highlighted some of the reforms to include strategic deployment of manpower and upgrade on the electronic systems from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS I) to NICIS II which had succeeded in blocking leakages.

    He also said the increase in revenue was as a result of strict enforcement of extant guidelines by the NCS Tariff and Trade Department and robust stakeholder engagements resulting in higher compliance.

    The NCS boss said the increased disposition of Officers and Men to change their way of doing things for the better had impacted positively on the organisation’s productivity.

    “The implementation of three pronged Presidential mandate of ‘Restructure, Reform and Raise revenue’ in NCS has continued to strengthen the Service as a crucial contributor to National economy and Security.

    “The Service has effectively seized 156,090 bags of smuggled rice, 15,632 sets of military wears, 489,000 ammunitions and other items.

    “This is in addition to the highest monthly revenue collection of over N140 billion in August 2018.

    “This positive harvest in the areas of anti-smuggling and revenue generation is a clear testimony of what can be achieved under a selflessly focused leadership,” Ali said in a statement.

    The NCS boss called on Nigerians to support the Service by providing credible information that would help nip smuggling in the bud and generate the needed revenue for national development.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the month of July, the NCS declared N556.7 billion as revenue   generated from January to June, 2018. (NAN)

  • For ‘attempting lesbian sex’, 2 Malaysians women caned

    (Reuters/NAN) Two Malaysian women convicted of attempting lesbian sex in a car were caned in court watched by dozens of people on Monday, media and a state government official said, prompting an outcry from human rights activists.

    The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is routinely persecuted in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where they are seen as a threat to conservative values.

    The women, aged 32 and 22, had pleaded guilty in August to attempting lesbian sex, forbidden under Islamic law.

    They were sentenced to a fine and six lashings of the cane.

    The sentence was carried out in front of about 100 people at the Sharia High Court in Terengganu, a conservative state ruled by the Islamist opposition party Pan-Malaysian Islamist Party, according to a report by English-language daily the New Straits Times.

    It was the first conviction for same-sex relations and the first time a caning had been carried out in public in the state, Satiful Mamat, a member of the Terengganu state executive council told Reuters.

    “Sharia criminal procedure allows the court to determine where the sentence will be carried out, and requires that it must be witnessed by a number of other Muslims,” said Satiful, who attended the hearing. Sharia is Islamic law.

    Satiful said the punishment was “not intended to torture or injure”.

    “The reason it is carried out in public is for it to serve as a lesson to society,” he said.

    Malaysia has a dual-track legal system, with Islamic criminal and family laws applicable to Muslims running alongside civil laws.

    The caning of women is banned under civil law, but allowed under Islamic laws in some states.

    Amnesty International said the caning marked “an appalling day” for human rights in Malaysia.

    “To inflict this brutal punishment on two people for attempting to engage in consensual, same-sex relations is an atrocious setback on the government’s efforts to improve its human rights records,” Rachel Chhoa-Howard, the group’s Malaysia researcher, said.

    Malaysian women’s groups Justice for Sisters and Sisters in Islam called for a review of laws that allowed the caning of women.

    “The execution that took place… is a travesty and a grave miscarriage of justice,” the groups said.

    The case comes amid concerns around growing intolerance toward the LGBT community in Malaysia in recent weeks.

    A transgender woman was beaten up by a group of assailants in Seremban, south of Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 15, in what activists said was part of a growing hostility towards gay and transgender people. (Reuters/NAN)

  • PDP drags Masari to Supreme Court

    By Zubairu Idris
    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State, said on Tuesday it had approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash recent inauguration of transition committees for the 34 Local Governments in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Gov. Aminu Masari inaugurated the transition committees in August.

    Alhaji Salisu Majigiri, the State PDP Chairman, made the disclosure at a press conference on Tuesday in Katsina.

    According to him, the party has a pending case before the apex court challenging the dissolution of elected local council officials by the governor in 2015.

    “We challenged this dissolution at Katsina High Court and later appealed the unfavorable judgment at the Appeal Court, Kaduna.

    ‘’The case is now at the Supreme Court awaiting judgment, but the state government went ahead and constituted illegal transition committees.

    ‘’So, we have instituted legal action against this impunity.

    ‘’We have three issues before the Supreme Court.

    ‘’The substantive matter dealing with dissolution of the councils, a motion to restrain the government from constituting local government caretaker committees.

    “And motion seeking the state government to set aside the constituted caretaker committees and their inauguration,’’ he said.

    Majigiri also said that 23 out of the 34 dissolved elected local officials had instituted another legal action before the Katsina High Court against the state government.

    He said that the dissolved local councils’ chairmen are seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the state government from constituting caretaker committees for the local governments.

    Meanwhile, the PDP chairman has asked the state government to give account of funds that accrued to the state since May 2015 and how it was spent.(NAN)

  • Shekarau quits PDP, requests emergency stakeholders meeting

    By Tukur Muntari

    Former Governor of Kano state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has finally dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Sule Ya’u Sule, Media Aide to the former governor disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Tuesday.

    Sule Ya, u who did no give reasons for the decision, however told NAN that Shekarau had already called for a stakeholders meeting to be held today (Tuesday).

    He explained that during the meeting, the former governor and the stakeholders would decide where he (Shekarau) will go.

    “The former governor has left PDP and has called for a stakeholders meeting today (Tuesday) from where he will decide where to go.

    “You know he will not take decision without meeting the stakeholders which has always been his habit,” Ya’u Sule said.

    NAN reports that the PDP State Executive Committee was dissolved by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on Friday in Abuja.

    The decision by the NWC to disregard the earlier court order irked the state leadership, supporters and all stakeholders of the party in the state.

    The state leadership on Monday rejected in totality the purported dissolution of the state executive committee by the NWC of the party.

    Alhaji Sarki Labaran, a chieftain of the party declared the stand of the party in the state while addressing hundreds of supporters who converged on the state Headquarters of the party. The NWC  had yet to give reason as to why it took the action.

    Sources told FlowerbudNews however, that Shekarau’s departure from PDP might not be unconnected with the rivalry between him and former Defence Minister,  Rabiu Kwankwaso who is hoping to run for the post of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on PDP platform.

    Kwankwaso is known to have been strategising over the past few years for the realisation of his ambition. He has established contacts in all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

    A close Kwanwkwaso aid who spoke to FlowerbudNews said that the former Minister has perfected his plans to succeed based on his “track record of good work as Kano Governor and as Minister of Defence”

  • Dalung launches fund with own salary, says’ll end federations’ crisis

     

    Fund

    By Abolade Ogundimu

    Abuja, Sept. 3,2018 (NAN) Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youths and Sports Development, on Monday launched the Elite Athlete Development Grant with his one month salary.

    He says the gesture will end leadership tussles in sport federations, insecurity and other vices.

    Dalung launched the grant, organised by Nigeria Sports Development Fund Incorporation (NSDFI) in Abuja.

    According to him, government funding has been the cause of leadership crisis in federations.

    “If sports are funded by the public through Non- Governmental organisations(NGOs), few people will be interested in the boards.

    “I am happy to launch this fund with my one month salary because it marks begining of solution to sports crisis in the country.

    “It is a right step towards joining other nations that do well in sports through public funding, I urge sports loving individuals and organisations to donate and support the fund.

    ” If sports are financed through funds like this, sports will develop faster, federations will be more transparent and accountable while leadership will be interesting to genuine sports administrators alone.

    “Therefore, I thank NSDFI for leading the revolution to stop controversies in sports federations,” he said.

    However, Dalung reminded management of NSDFI of the importance of transparency and accountability in handling such fund.

    “Public donors deserve transparency in the use of their money.

    “Individual and corporate donors will only give more if they ensure judicious use of their money.

    “I urge you to earn their trust so than this initiative can be sustained. I have no doubt in the ability of the management,” he said.

    Similarly, Adesola Olusade, permanent secretary in the ministry, commended the fund.

    ” With the launching of this fund, there is hope that sports ministry will soon revert to its primary role of paying federations affiliation dues and grassroots development of sports,” he said.

    Earlier, Olajide Fashikun, Director-General, NSDFI, called for government support so that the organisation could adequately play it’s role.

    “As former athletes, we decided to form and start the fund so that young athletes can have better chances to develop their talents and bring more glory to the country.”

    Also, Mary Onyali, a five-time Olympian and Executive Director, NSDFI, said the urge to ensure that upcoming athletes developed under conducive condition prompted her to be part of the initiative.

    “We have tried it before in 1994 and that helped me to hit the podium during 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, U.S.

    “I want Nigeria to be having at least six or more Mary Onyalis at every point in time,” she said.

    Ibrahim Gusau, President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria and his Nigeria Shooting Sports Federation counterpart were part of the dignitaries that launched the fund.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each of selected 90 athletes from Taekwondo, Athletics, Wrestling, Shooting and Para-sports federations will be given N10 million grants between now and end of November.

    NAN also reports that Ismail Mohammed, a male Taekwondo athlete and John Ogbonna,a 74kg male wrester, emerged the maiden winners of the grant.(NAN)

  • Experts warns against using carbide, chemicals to ripen fruits

    By Okon Okon
    Some experts have warned against the prevailing practice of using calcium carbide and other chemicals to artificially ripen fruits, vegetables and foodstuff by farmers and traders across the country.

    The experts issued the warning in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
    They said some of the various diseases experienced in the country could be traced to this practice.
    Mr Abubakar Sadiq, Director, Food Hygiene Initiative of Nigeria, Nasarawa State Command, who condemned the practice, blamed it on the ignorance of users of these chemical substances on their effects on human health.

    Sadiq explained that such application could cause fruits or foodstuff to lose the natural supplements they were meant to provide to the human body.

    According to him, calcium carbide or chemical treatment of foods is extremely harmful because they contained traces of arsenic and phosphorous substances.
    Sadiq, who is also a food scientist, says that once these chemicals dissolved, they produce acetylene gas which could be absorbed into the body of foodstuff, thereby becomes dangerous for human consumption.
    “The forceful ripening of fruits means they may contain various harmful properties.
    “A commonly used agent in the ripening process is calcium carbide, a material most commonly used for welding purposes.
    “Calcium carbide treatment of food is extremely hazardous because it contains traces of heavy metal arsenic and phosphorous substances,’’ he said.
    The other contents of carbide substance such as arsenic, phosphorous and acetylene gas, according to him, may affect the different body organs and cause various health problems like headache, faintness, tiredness and mental confusion, among others.
    Mr Ismail Olawale, Conventional Media Official, E-extension Department, National Agriculture Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), advised traders to desist from using any chemical substance capable of forcing fruits to ripen prematurely.
    Olawale added that such forceful maturation could cause fruits or any foodstuff to lose its natural nutrients.
    He stressed the need for enlightenment campaign on the dangers of applying these substances to foodstuff, saying that the practice was becoming too rampant across the country.
    This, he said, would curtail issues which could be hazardous to the health of the ultimate consumers of the final produce.
    “The act is becoming too rampant in the country, the earlier we put a stop to it the better,’’ he advised.
    Meanwhile, some traders told NAN that they were ignorant of the effects of such practice amongst them.
    Mrs Elizabeth Otu, who acknowledged the practice among the traders, said most traders of foodstuff usually use carbide to ease the ripening of fruits like plantain, mangoes, paw-paw and bananas.
    Otu, who sells food items at Ado market, Karu, an outskirt of Abuja, however said the aim of the exercise was to make quick money by both traders and the farmers by avoiding delay in the process of maturation of these food items.
    Mrs Chinyere Okoh, another trader who also deals in fruits items, revealed that the dangers in the application of carbide mostly used by them (traders) were sometime disclosed to them by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
    According to Okoh, who is a roadside trader, some of the traders with good conscience have desisted from the use of any substance capable of hastening ripening of fruits.
    “According to what they told us, the fast ripening of fruits means they contain various harmful properties which is not good for human consumption.
    “I must confess to you that I was also involved in this practice without knowing the harmful effects of it.
    “But since that time we were enlightened, I have stopped using carbide because that was the only thing I know to apply on my fruits because I am only selling fruits items,’’ she said.

    Flowerbuds news recalls that the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Moji Adeyeye has recently intensified public campaign through media, SMS news broadcast among others to sensitise Nigerians on the dangers of consuming fruits, vegetables etc ripped with calcium carbide

  • Nigeria, Germany, Norway, UN hold Berlin Conference on ‘Boko Haram’

    Nigeria, Germany, Norway, and the United Nations have converged on Berlin Monday for a “pledging conference on Boko Haram”.

    The Berlin Conference, holding from Sept. 3 to 4, is jointly organised by the three countries and the UN, and is one of the 2018 largest pledging conferences for the Lake Chad region.

    The conference will focus on humanitarian assistance, civilian protection, crisis prevention and stabilisation for the region, as well as  seek to raise funds for the humanitarian requirements totaling $1.56 billion.

    The pledges at the conference, would help provide humanitarian assistance for the Northeast Nigeria and parts of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents.

    It would also discuss the perspectives of civil society, their concerns and contributions, as well as  how to strengthen collaboration between the affected countries and organisations involved in responding to the crisis.

    The Nigerian delegation to the Berlin conference is being led by Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande.

    The Nigerian envoy said recently that Nigeria had developed a 6.7-billion-dollar robust plan of action for the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of Northeast, devastated by Boko Haram activities.

     “The Berlin Conference on the Lake Chad has been slated for the first week of September 2018 and would build substantially on the outcome of the February 2017 Oslo Donors Conference on the Lake Chad.

    “I would like to take this opportunity to call on all stakeholders to redouble efforts and commitment towards making the coming Berlin Conference on the Lake Chad of Sept. 3 to 4, 2018, a watershed.

    “This is in our collective resolve to further mobilise resources and demonstrate implicit commitment to plans that will ensure moving quickly beyond the immediate humanitarian needs,  to concrete sustainable developmental projects capable of substantially elevating the lives of the majority of people in the region,” Bande said.

    The Nigerian envoy stressed the need for collaboration and cooperation among countries of the Lake Chad, the donors, as well as humanitarian and development partners.

    According to him, collaboration between the humanitarian and development agencies has gained traction at the UN in recent times, such that the involvement of national governments is needed to make it work.

    He said the protracted humanitarian and development challenges in the Lake Chad region had place enormous responsibilities on all to remain engaged in discussion, aimed at scaling up national, regional and global responses to the crisis.

    The Envoy emphasised that these responses needed to be bolstered by strengthened coordination at the UN level to ensure a more synergised delivery of assistance.

    “Let me emphasise that the recharge of the Lake Chad Basin, capacity building, and restoration of livelihood, through facilitation of occupational opportunities, job creation, skill acquisition and others, are central to finding lasting solution to the problem in the region.

    “To realise all these would entail our collective commitment to a broad range of actions, facilitated by strong international cooperation and partnership, involving the UN agencies and development partners, like the World Bank and African Development Bank, among others,” Bande said.

    The UN had also said that it would have provided assistance to no fewer than 6.1 million people affected by the Boko Haram crisis in Northeast Nigeria by the end of 2018.

    UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, said at a recent event in New York, that Nigeria was still facing a crisis of global magnitude.

    “The figures are alarming – 10.2 million people affected in three states in Northeast Nigeria, 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

    “Our 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan was developed to provide assistance for 6.1 million people requiring slightly above a billion dollars in 2018,” Kallon said. (NAN)

  • FG okays $1.3bn for 5 critical projects – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government has set aside 1.3 billion dollars (about N468 billion) from the National Sovereign Investment Fund to finance five critical infrastructure projects.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Sunday when he appeared as guest on a Nigeria Television Authority programme, “Stepping Up”.

    The minister said the five ongoing projects to benefit from the fund included the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway construction, the second Niger bridge and the East-West road construction.

    The other two are the Abuja – Kano expressway construction and the Mambilla power project.

    He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was committed to infrastructure development across Nigeria and would continue to revive and complete all abandoned projects inherited from previous administration.

    “We believed that rather than starting new projects, it will benefit Nigerians to complete all inherited abandoned projects.

    “To appreciate the commitment of the administration to infrastructure: In 2014 Nigeria spent N14 billion on transportation, N34 bilion on water resources and agriculture and N106 billion on power works and housing.

    “In 2017, this administration spent N107 billion on transportation, N130 billion on agriculture and water resources and N325 billion on Power, Works and Housing.

    “The administration, in a manner unprecedented in the history of the country, spent a total of N2.7 trillion on capital projects in 2016 and 2017 alone,” he said.

    The minister listed the Oyo-Ogbomosho expressway being funded by Sukuk bond, the 240km Enugu Port Harcourt roads among the numerous ongoing projects of the government.

    He said the administration had completed the reconstruction of the failed Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road which had been abandoned for over 10 years.

    The minister identified the 69 Federal Government ongoing projects in the South-East region, adding that the administration was miffed by the false allegation that the region was abandoned in infrastructure development.

    On rail projects, Mohammed said the 156km Lagos -Ibadan standard gauge was ongoing.

    He said the government in April signed an agreement with a consortium led by General Electric to revamp the 3,500 km narrow gauge between Lagos and Kano.

    The minister said the 49.2 km Abuja light rail project was recently commissioned by the President.

    “When we came in the light rail project was 53.8 per cent completed. Within 18 months we are able to complete it 100 per cent.

    “This is the first integrated rail transportation mode in Africa that allows transportation by rail from the city to the airport to go by air.

    “It is being run by two coaches now and the government has placed order for 48 more coaches to cover the entire Abuja.

    Mohammed said the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge was working and the government had in the pipeline, rail projects for all parts of the country.

    The minister said the Buhari government was on track and would continue to develop critical infrastructure for national development. (NAN)