Former Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos-West, Peter Adebiyi, is dead.
Born in 1943, Adebiyi died in the early hours of Friday.
He was the bishop of the diocese between 1999 and 2013 when he retired.
His successor, Bishop Olusola Odedeji, announced his death in a message to members of the diocese on Friday morning.
He wrote, “Good morning brothers and sisters. It is sad and heartbreaking to announce the home-call of our patriarch and hero, Papa Peter Awelewa Adebiyi, a few hours ago.
“May his industrious and loving soul rest in perfect peace. May God console us all.”
Controversial Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has asked her friends and colleagues in the movie industry not to bother sending her consolation messages or monetary contribution following the death of her stepmother as she may not appreciate such things now.
The actress stated this, in an Instagram post on Thursday, revealing, however, that her decision was based on the fact that she has never attended any burial since she was as a child. And therefore, she wouldn’t want to reciprocate such gesture in future.
She noted that the burial ceremony of her “mother” may be the first one she’d ever attend.
The actress explained to her friends who had felt shut out during her loss that she had chosen to mourn privately.
According to her, if she invited them to her mum’s burial, she wouldn’t be able to repay the same favour when the time comes.
She said she neither needed consolation messages nor monetary contribution, adding that the only support she’d appreciate were prayers for herself and her family.
“I have never attended a burial before. I will never attend one too. I said this when I was a child and I stick by it. My mom’s burial will/might be my first ever, to all my friends who think am shutting them out.”
“My reason is I don’t attend burials , if I let you attend my mom’s burial , I will owe you same favour and I can’t repay that. If you love me pray for my family. If you intend to support me only pray for me. Don’t send a dime or consolation message, I don’t do so well with that,” the actress wrote on IG.
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has complained that the IPOB leader was not allowed to change his clothe by the Department of State Services.
He made the complaint after Kanu was visited by his legal team on Wednesday at the Department of State Services headquarters in Abuja.
The lawyer complained that this was against the Tuesday, January 18, 2022 order by Justice Binta Nyako, asking DSS to allow Nnamdi Kanu to change his clothe.
He said, “Though, for reasons we were not told, the officials of the DSS rejected for the umpteenth time, the change of clothes brought for him.
“We, however, protested against this obvious violation of court order, and insisted on seeing the Head of the appropriate department to lodge our complaint, but Onyendu advised that we should take up the infractions at the appropriate forum in view of the fact that a positive order of the court was flouted.
“Also, forming part of our demand for explanations is the fact that some other guests that visited Onyendu were not hitherto cleared. Onyendu still insisted that this obvious infraction should be addressed at the appropriate forum because it constitutes a violation of the positive order of the court.
“The visit proceeded smoothly and personal notes were taken of Onyendu’s erudite views/contributions towards a successful outing come 16th day of February, 2021.”
ABN TV had reported that despite the order, Kanu, on Wednesday, January 19 appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja for his trial putting on the same Fendi attire he has been wearing since June last year when he was arrested and arraigned for treasonable felony.
The trial judge, while giving the order said, “I don’t want to see him in this cloth again. This one is almost off-white. Also, make sure that you allow him to exercise and give him a good mattress.”
Meanwhile, when the matter was called up on Wednesday, the prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that Kanu was the one that chose to wear the attire.
“My lord, based on your order yesterday, we provided the defendant with a new Orthopaedic mattress, pillows, and blankets.
“As for his appearance, he chose to wear this particular one because he said that it is designers,” the prosecution counsel told the court.
In his response, Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), told the court that it was not true that his client insisted on wearing his designers clothes, adding that at the end of proceedings on Tuesday, and, “because it was not his visiting day, we were not able to send some clothes we obtained for him.
“We even discussed it with him this morning and he said that on the next visiting day, he would want to have the new clothes,” Ozekhome told the court.
Ahead of Valentine’s Day celebration, a former publicity secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Douglas Ogbankwa, has warned that ladies who extort men risked 20 years’ imprisonment.
Ogbankwa in an interview warned women against false representation aimed at extorting men during the celebration.
He noted that “experiences by some male folks over the years, have shown that some ladies are deliberately poised for extortion during the Valentine season, all in the name of love.”
According to him, ladies, who ignorantly carry out acts of deceit, broken promises or extortion may be held liable under the provisions of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act (419).
Ogbankwa stressed that girls, who were in the habit of collecting money in advance in the guise of transport fare to visit men on such occasions, but deliberately failed to do so, could be charged with fraud and prosecuted under the Act.
He said: “It is important to note that many Nigerians are ignorant of this; for instance, a woman who collects money from a man as transportation fare to visit him, and then fails to show up can be charged with obtaining money by false pretence.
“Such persons could be prosecuted under Section 419 of the Criminal Code of Nigeria.
“Again, where a person obtains such money intending to collect more when she arrives, such crime has now transcended to Advance Fee Fraud and liable for prosecution under the Advance Fee Fraud (Prohibition) Act.”
Ogbankwa noted that suspects could consequently be charged to court and prosecuted by either the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
Ogbankwa, therefore, noted that while the celebration of Valentine’s Day remained historic for certain cultures and people, its purpose should not be abused.
Accordingly, he urged all to be guided since ignorance of the law was never an excuse.
MTN Nigeria has paid the remaining $253.86 million to complete the $273.6 million fifth-generation (5G) licence fee to the Federal Government before the February 24 deadline, an industry source said on Thursday.
MTN and Mafab Communications were allocated slots for the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum dedicated to the deployment of the technology after emerging winners conducted by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja last year after 11 rounds of bidding that lasted eight hours.
According to the Information Memorandum (IM) for the spectrum auction, the Commission had set $197.4million as reserve price for each slot of the spectrum. Bidders were required to pay 10 per cent of the bid price of $19.74million.
Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, the immediate past chairman of Abia State chapter of the All Progressive Congress has inaugurated the State Working Committee led by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Acho Obioma, ABN TV reports.
He handed over the reins of the party leadership to him at the party Secretariat on Azikwe road, Umuahia, the state capital on Thursday.
Nwankpa said the emergence of Obioma, as the state chairman of the party, is the wish of its teeming members, adding his reign marked the beginning of a new era in Abia APC.
Nwankpa revealed that APC under his watch rose from obscurity to limelight.
He pointed out that the party cannot be highjacked by one man, who had refused to submit himself to the leadership of the party.
He insisted that there is no faction in Abia APC, rather there is a session of the party loyal to the National Caretaker Chairman of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni.
In his acceptance speech, Obioma lauded the members of the party for counting him worthy to be their leader, stating that he would do the job to the best of his ability.
He urged members of the party to hold regular meetings at the ward and Local Government levels of the party to strengthen their growth.
He said, “Abia APC has discovered that all Abia residents want a change of the government in the state. We are determined to bring that change to the people of the state come 2023.
“We are therefore soliciting the support of all and sundry to assist us in our quest to bring this change to Abia State”.
The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Engr. Mike Odoemena, told journalists that Obioma, is the authentic state chairman of the APC, while the Secretariat remains that of No. 38 Azikwe road Umuahia.
Recall that the National Caretaker Executive and Convention Extra-Ordinary Committee of the party had in Abuja last week inaugurated Kingsley Ononogbu as the state chairman of APC following parallel state congress.
Ononogbu is believed to be loyal to a chieftain, Chief Ikechi Emenike whom the former chairman, Donatus Nwankpa accused of hijacking the party and not submitting to leadership.
Earlier, a section of leaders and stakeholders have vowed not to recognize Mr. Ononogbu as their chairman, insisting that his emergence is a grand plan by the Secretary of the National Caretaker Executive and Convention Extra-Ordinary Committee of the APC, Senator John Udoudehe to handover the party to his friend.
There was also free movement of vehicles as the remains of the cops were said to have been deposited in a morgue.
A vigilante member, who identified himself simply as Ani, said it was incomprehensible how gunmen could easily gain access to that busy area, attacked policemen and still escaped unchallenged.
He said: “Though, I wasn’t around when the incident happened. But the information I got showed that the gunmen took the policemen by surprise.
“From what I heard, this place was brutal earlier today. I think their targets were the policemen who mounted a checkpoint. And I heard that two of them were killed instantly with two of the policemen abducted”.
Enugu Police spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the attack, said information surrounding the incident was still sketchy.
He however said a manhunt of the hoodlums had been initiated.
Ndukwe said: “Information surrounding the incident is still sketchy.
“Meanwhile, the manhunt of the hoodlums has been initiated. Further development will be communicated, please”.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has put Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) on notice that it will stop selling forex to them by the end of 2022.
CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele made this known in Abuja on Thursday at the end of the Bankers’ Committee Meeting where he also introduced the RT200 Programme.
Emefiele said the time had come for the banks to go out there and source for forex by funding entrepreneurs with ideas.
The CBN, Emefiele said, will support the banks by granting rebates and other support until the banks find their feet in sourcing their forex by themselves.
Emefiele also disclosed that the apex bank’s policies and measures have led to a significant improvement in diaspora inflow from an average of US$6 million per week in December 2020 to an average of over US$100 million per week by January 2022.
The CBN, he said, would be reviewing these intervention programmes going forward to ensure that they continue to achieve the desired results.
Ministry of Women Affairs has proposed to spend the sum of N189 million on the purchase of grinding machines, popcorn machines and ice block machines in the 2022 budget.
The Ministry has also proposed to spend the sum of N236 million on the purchase of motor vehicles in the 2022 budget.
While the item has as its code, “23010105”, another item with code number “ERGP30172346” will see the ministry expending N34, 800, 000 on “developing/evolving of mechanism on counter-terrorism strategy to mitigate the effect on women, children and the vulnerable in the society.
While “Computer Software acquisition ” would gulp N435, 950, 000, Motor Vehicle Fuel Cost will take N10, 000, 004. The ministry will also expend about N54, 999, 996 on welfare packages. The ministry will, however, expend N156, 000, 000 on the purchase of vehicles for outreach (girl- child and women) in the rural areas.
It plans to expend N189, 050, 000 on the bulk purchase of grinding machines, popcorn machines and ice block machines.
On its part, the National Center for Women Development, NCWD, is to spend over N150 million on the renovation of its National center in the 2022 budget.
It will spend over N140 million on empowerment programs and provision of starter kits to women/youths in the North-East states on vocational skills.
Meanwhile, for people living with disabilities, especially for the blind and deaf, the ministry has in the 2022 budget targeted N20 million to equip them on skills acquisition in ICT.
The Ministry will, however, expend another N20 million on “Purchase of office furnitures and fittings”
It will spend over N1.320 million on refreshment and meals and N4,120 million on fuel plants.
President Muhammadu Buhari had recently signed into law the 2022 budget totalling N17 trillion.
The people of Item in Bende local government area of Abia will soon become a host community to a federal university as the Bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende sponsored by the member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has passed second reading.
The Bill which was first read on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday 14th July 2021 was on Thursday, February 10, 2022, passed to the second reading during the plenary session.
The Bill will make comprehensive provisions for due management and administration of the tertiary institution as well as offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in this field of study.
Hon. Kalu who is also the Spokesperson of the House of Representatives in his debate stated that specialized universities have become very important in Nigeria as there is an increasing demand for medical and health professionals especially as the country keeps losing her trained medical and health personnel to other countries, a situation he said the government may not completely halt.
He also added that it would be appropriate to key into the huge export market of trained medical and health personnel, by investing more into the education and training of this personnel in large numbers to meet both domestic and international standards.
According to Rep. Kalu, the general purposes of the University, among other things will include encouraging the advancement of learning and holding out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring higher education in Medicine and other Health Sciences.
He added that it will, “Develop and offer academic and professional programs leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research, and higher degrees with an emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, developmental, and productive skills in the field of Medicine, biomedical engineering, scientific, and allied professional disciplines relating to health resources to produce socially mature persons with the capacity not only to understand, use and adapt existing technologies in the health industry, but also to improve on those disciplines and develop new ones, and to contribute to the scientific transformation of medical and other health practices in Nigeria.
“Act as agents and catalysts, through postgraduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation, and conservation of Nigeria’s natural, economic and human resources.
“Offer to the general population, as a form of public service, the results of training and research in medicine and allied disciplines and to foster the practical application of those results”.
The bill has therefore been sent to the Committee on Education for further considerations.
Abia State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu, has expressed concern over what he described...
